An image processing apparatus which enables to suppress coloring in an image after image recovery processing, and a control method for the image processing apparatus are disclosed. After the chromatic difference of magnification of an optical imaging system is corrected, a first value relating to coloring is obtained before application of an image recovery filter. Then, an image recovery filter which, preferably, does not correct a chromatic difference of magnification and is based on a function indicating the aberrations of the optical imaging system is applied. A second value associated with coloring is obtained from the image after application of the image recovery filter. According to the difference between the first and second values obtained before and after application of the image recovery filter respectively, pixel value correction for correcting coloring is performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image capture apparatus, and an image processing method, and more particularly, to an image correction technique using image recovery processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
The image quality of an image obtained by capturing an object by an image capture apparatus degrades especially due to the aberrations of an optical imaging system. For example, blur of an image indicates degradation in image quality due to the spherical aberration, coma aberration, curvature of field, astigmatism, and the like of the optical imaging system. By ignoring an influence of diffraction as the characteristic of a light wave, light beams coming from one point of the object converge to one point (focal point) of the same size on an imaging plane by an optical imaging system without aberrations. The focal point, however, actually spreads due to the aberrations of the optical imaging system in addition to the influence of diffraction.
The point spread function (PSF) of the optical imaging system represents an intensity distribution around the focal point, that is, blur of the image due to diffraction and the aberrations of the optical imaging system, which is, therefore, referred to as a blur component. The blur component indicates not blur due to an out-of-focus state but blur caused by the diffraction of light and the aberrations of the optical imaging system even in an in-focus state.
Color fringing, in a color image, due to the axial chromatic aberration, color spherical aberration, and color coma aberration of the optical imaging system may be caused by a variation in degree of blur depending on the wavelength of light. A color deviation in the lateral direction due to the chromatic difference of magnification of an optical system may indicate misregistration or a phase shift due to a variation in imaging magnification depending on the wavelength of light.
An optical transfer function (OTF) obtained by performing a Fourier transform for the point spread function (PSF) serves as frequency component information of the aberrations, and is represented by a complex number. The absolute value of the optical transfer function (OSF), that is, the amplitude component will be referred to as an MTF (Modulation Transfer Function), and the phase component will be referred to as a PTF (Phase Transfer Function). The MTF and PTF are the frequency characteristics of the amplitude component and phase component of image degradation due to the aberrations, respectively. The phase component PTF is represented as a phase angle by:PTF=tan−1(Im(OTF)/Re(OTF))  (1)where Re(OTF) and Im(OTF) represent the real part and imaginary part of the optical transfer function, respectively.
As described above, since the optical transfer function of the optical imaging system degrades both the amplitude component and phase component of the image, respective points of an object image are blurred asymmetrically with respect to the focal point, similarly to a case in which a coma aberration occurs.
The chromatic difference of magnification indicates a phenomenon in which an imaging position shifts due to a variation in imaging magnification depending on the wavelength of light. An image sensor is generally provided with a RGB color mosaic filter, and each pixel is configured to obtain one of R, G, and B color components. In addition to misregistration of an imaging position between R, G, and B wavelengths, misregistration of an imaging position for each wavelength, that is, spread of an image due to a phase shift occurs within each obtained color component. Although the chromatic difference of magnification does not exactly indicate a color deviation due to a simple parallel shift, the color deviation and chromatic difference of magnification are used as synonyms in this specification unless otherwise specified.
There is known a method, called an image recovery method or image restoration method, of correcting degradation in the amplitude component (MTF) and the phase component (PTF) using information of the optical transfer function (OTF) of an optical imaging system. Processing of correcting degradation in an image using information of the optical transfer function of an optical imaging system, therefore, will be referred to as image recovery processing hereinafter.
An overview of the image recovery processing will now be described. Let g(x, y) be a degraded image, f(x, y) be an original image, and h(x, y) be a point spread function obtained by performing inverse Fourier transform for the optical transfer function of the optical imaging system. Then,g(x,y)=h(x,y)*f(x,y)  (2)where an operator "*" represents convolution and (x, y) represents coordinates on the image.
Fourier transform is performed for equation (2) to obtain a display format on a two-dimensional frequency plane, resulting in the format of a product for each frequency, as represented by:G(u,v)=H(u,v)·F(u,v)  (3)where H represents an optical transfer function obtained by performing Fourier transform for the point spread function, and (u, v) represents coordinates on the two-dimensional frequency plane, that is, a frequency.
To obtain the original image from the captured degraded image, it is only necessary to divide both sides of equation (3) by H, as represented by:G(u,v)/H(u,v)=F(u,v)  (4)
The original image f(x, y) is obtained as a recovered image by performing inverse Fourier transform for F(u, v) to return to the real plane.
Let R be 1/H in above equation having undergone inverse Fourier transform. It is then possible to obtain the original image by executing convolution processing for the image on the real plane, as indicated by:g(x,y)*R(x,y)=f(x,y)  (5)
R(x, y) will be referred to as an image recovery filter. An image recovery filter to be applied to a two-dimensional image is generally a two-dimensional filter having a tap (cell) corresponding to each pixel of the image. Furthermore, as the number of taps (cells) of the image recovery filter increases, the recovery accuracy generally improves. The actual number of taps is set according to the required image quality, the image processing capability, the aberration characteristics, and the like. Since the image recovery filter is based on the optical transfer function which reflects the aberration characteristics of the optical imaging system, degradation in frequency component and phase component can be corrected with high accuracy. Such an image recovery filter is fundamentally different from a two-dimensional filter like an edge enhancement filter (high-pass filter) having three taps in each of the horizontal and vertical directions.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3532368 discloses a method of canceling blur of an image in a portion, other than an in-focus range, of an image captured by a fluorescence endoscope for observing an inside of a living body, using a point spread function according to a fluorescence wavelength to be used.
Note that since an actual image includes a noise component, using an image recovery filter created by obtaining the complete reciprocal of the optical transfer function amplifies the noise component, thereby making it difficult to obtain a high-quality recovered image. The image recovery filter created by obtaining the complete reciprocal of the optical transfer function recovers degradation in amplitude by the optical imaging system by correcting (increasing) the MTF of the optical imaging system so that the MTF becomes 1 for all frequencies. If the amplitude component of the image has been added with the amplitude of noise, the power spectrum of the noise increases as the MTF increases, thereby undesirably amplifying the noise according to the recovery degree (recovery gain) of the MTF.
This phenomenon can be represented by:G(u,v)=H(u,v)·F(u,v)+N(u,v)  (6)G(u,v)/H(u,v)=F(u,v)+N(u,v)/H(u,v)  (7)where N represents the noise component.
There is a well known method of suppressing noise in a recovered image using an image recovery filter for suppressing the recovery ratio on the high frequency side of the image according to a strength ratio between an image signal and a noise signal, like a Wiener filter (to be described later in detail).
There is a well known technique of improving the image quality by performing image recovery processing using the point spread function of an optical imaging system for a captured image to correct various aberrations.
In an actual capturing operation, however, the captured state of an input image may not optimally coincide with the state of an image recovery filter to be applied.
An example is a captured image of a stereoscopic object. Since an image capture apparatus captures an image by focusing on one plane in an object space by an auto focus function or manual focusing, an object positioned in the focal plane is captured relatively sharply. Another object (including a portion of the same object, which is at a position different from the focal plane) is captured with an amount of blur corresponding to a distance from the focal plane.
If information about an object distance includes only the distance from the focal plane, an optimum image recovery filter for the object distance and the angle of view is selected or generated to be used. Consequently, since the optimum image recovery filter is applied to the in-focus object, it is possible to obtain a desired recovery result for such an object. Since, however, the image recovery filter is not optimum for an out-of-focus object, the recovery effect is obtained to some extent but blur cannot be canceled for such an object.
On the other hand, blur of an object in a photo is used as a method of producing a stereoscopic effect for an object or representing an object of interest. For example, there is a photographic technique in which a telephoto lens having a shallow depth of field is used to focus on a main object, and the background is intentionally blurred. In consideration of the presence of such a photographic technique, the above-described image recovery processing in which an in-focus object is made sharper and an out-of-focus object remains blurred may be appropriate.
If, however, image recovery processing is executed using an image recovery filter which is optimum for an object at an in-focus distance and is not optimum for an object at an out-of-focus distance, coloring may occur in the object at the out-of-focus distance. Coloring herein indicates that a color (false color) which the object does not have appears at the edge portion of the object (out-of-focus object) at the out-of-focus distance of the image after the image recovery processing because the relationship between the degrees of blur of the respective color components of the image before the image recovery processing is different from that after the image recovery processing.
Such coloring may also occur in an operation other than an operation of capturing a stereoscopic object. Coloring essentially occurs when the state of aberrations in capturing an image is different from that of aberrations which are corrected by an image recovery filter to be applied, regardless of whether an object is in focus.
As a method of reducing such coloring, there is provided a method of correcting the color of an image after image recovery processing based on the color information of an image before the image recovery processing. That is, the method is for reducing coloring due to the image recovery processing by determining a change in color due to the image recovery processing in each pixel of the image. There is already coloring in the captured image before the image recovery processing due to various aberrations of the optical imaging system, such as color fringing caused by an axial chromatic aberration, color spherical aberration, or color coma aberration, and a color deviation caused by a chromatic difference of magnification. If there is such coloring in the image before the image recovery processing, a method based on the color information of the image before the image recovery processing cannot sufficiently suppress coloring in the image after the image recovery processing in some cases.
Coloring that occurs in the image recovery processing to improve the image quality is degradation in image quality which cannot be ignored, and needs to be sufficiently suppressed.
The method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3532368 attempts to complement the shallow depth of field of the optical imaging system by executing the image recovery processing for an out-of-focus range of a captured image. In the image recovery processing described in Japanese Patent No. 3532368, even though it is possible to improve the sharpness of the out-of-focus range, if there is coloring in the captured image before the image recovery processing, coloring that occurs in an image after the image recovery processing cannot be sufficiently suppressed.

Image processing apparatus, image capture apparatus and image processing method


An optoelectronic device has a hybrid metal-dielectric optoelectronic interface including an array of nanoscale dielectric resonant elements (e.g., nanopillars), and a metal film disposed between the dielectric resonant elements and below a top surface of the resonant elements such that the dielectric resonant elements protrude through the metal film. The device may also include an anti-reflection coating. The device may further include a metal film layer on each of the dielectric resonant elements.

A variety of nanostructured surfaces, including nanopillars, nanocones, nanowires, inverted pyramids, nanospheres, nanoshells, and nanodomes, have enabled strong, broadband absorption in semiconductors for optoelectronic devices such as photosensors and photovoltaics. Dielectric nanostructures are extremely effective at coupling and directing light across an interface between the outside world and optically active materials owing to a rich set of optical phenomena, including gradual refractive index matching, scattering, and coupling to guided modes. However, in many applications, a nanostructured optical interface must also serve as a conduit for electrical current between the semiconductor and an external circuit. In addition to providing photon management, the interface must offer high electrical conductivity.
Transparent conductive oxides offer the industry standard performance for conductive layers with high optical transparency, but are limited because of low conductivity in the film, slow deposition processes, and ultimately because of material scarcity of some elements in the oxide. A number of alternatives based on metal nanowire networks have emerged, but these are limited to low surface coverage to ensure high coupling through the photon management interface. Extraordinary transmission, i.e., transmission in excess of that predicted by diffraction theory, has been observed in high-surface coverage metal films with subwavelength holes. However, the transmission through these surfaces is generally limited to a narrow range of wavelengths and polarizations of light.

Metal-dielectric hybrid surfaces as integrated optoelectronic interfaces

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


In a mobile communication apparatus, power consumption at the time of waiting can be reduced, and hand-off can be easily performed to other systems. The mobile communication apparatus is provided with a memory part (32) which memorizes a selection signal of the first fixed communication apparatus for selecting the first fixed communication apparatuses, the signal being obtained by receiving a signal transmitted from the first fixed communication apparatuses when a hand-off is performed between the first and second fixed communication apparatuses; a comparing part (33) for comparing a memorized selection signal of said first fixed communication apparatuses with a newly received selection signal of the first fixed communication apparatus; and a hand-off process part (31) for performing hand-off to a second fixed communication apparatus from said first fixed communication apparatus in accordance with the comparison result. Thus, hand-off can be easily performed to second fixed communication apparatus, and power consumption during the waiting time can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention related to a mobile communication apparatus, a fixed communication apparatus, a communication system and a communication method, and more particularly, is applicable to a mobile communication apparatus which can be used both in a cellular system which is called Personal Communication Service (PCS) proposed in the United States and a Home Base Station (hereinafter, referred to as a HBS) which corresponds to a base unit of a cordless telephone system for a home or a office.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a cellular system called a PCS system has been proposed in the United States. As shown in FIG. 1, this PCS system is roughly composed of a PCS terminal equipment and a plurality of PCS base station apparatuses, and constitutes a broad-band communication system.
The PCS terminal equipments 1A to 1C conduct radio communication with the PCS base station apparatus 2A or 2B in order to conduct in sound communication with general telephones and other portable telephones via a wire circuit and a wireless circuit which are connected to the PCS base station apparatus 2A or 2B.
The PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B transmit and receive electric waves by a predetermined radio communication method to mediate calling from the PCS terminal equipment 1A to 1C and the receipt of calls at the PCS terminal equipment 1A through 1C. In addition, the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B regularly transmit the identification signal of their own stations as well as an adjacent station signal which is an identification signal of adjacent PCS base station apparatuses so that the PCS terminal equipment 1A to 1C can identify the base station apparatuses. However, since the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B are different from their own systems even if HBS 4 are located in the vicinity thereof, adjacent base signals concerning the HBS 4 are not transmitted.
Incidentally, service areas 3A and 3B shown in the drawings, show geographical areas which are capable of communicating with the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B. In FIG. 1, since the PCS terminal equipment 1A is located in the service area 3A, the PCS terminal equipment 1A communicates by radio with the PCS base station apparatus 2A. On the other hand, since the PCS terminal equipment 1B is located both in service areas 3A and 3B, the PCS terminal equipment 1B communicates by radio with one of the PCS base station apparatus 2A or 2B. On the other hand, since the PCS terminal equipment 1C is located in the service area 3B, the PCS terminal equipment 1C communicates by radio with the PCS base station apparatus 2B.
On the other hand, the HBS 4 corresponds to a base unit of a cordless telephone system which is set up in a home or office. The HBS 4 enables sound communication between other telephones and the PCS terminal equipment via a wire circuit which is connected to itself, by radio communication with the PCS terminal equipment in the place of the PCS base station apparatus. In other words, the HBS 4 constitutes a cordless telephone system, a closed-band communication system together with the PCS terminal equipment. In such a case, the HBS 4 transmits an identification signal either in a periodic manner or in accordance with the demand from the PCS terminal equipment so that the PCS terminal equipment can identify the HBS 4.
Generally, the telephone charge of the wireless circuit which passes through the PCS base station apparatus is higher than that of the wire circuit. For this purpose, it is considered that a HBS 4 is set up in each home or the like and the HBS 4 is used without using the PCS base station apparatus at home to reduce the telephone charge. There is a possibility that more than one thousand HBS 4 may be located in one service area of the PCS base station apparatus because such HBS 4 are set up in many homes.
Note that, the HBS communication area 5A shown in the drawings, shows a geographical area which is capable of communicating with the HBS 4. This HBS communication area 5A is generally narrow, and may be included in a service area of the PCS base station apparatus as shown in FIG. 1.
Incidentally, the PCS terminal equipment generally moves. When the PCS terminal equipment moves out of the service area of the PCS base station apparatus which is currently communicated as a result of the movement, the PCS terminal equipment should be changed to communicate with another PCS base station apparatus. Generally, the change of such service area is referred to as hand-off.
Here, this hand-off will be explained below. For example, in FIG. 1, a case is considered in which the PCS terminal equipment 1B moves from the inside of the service area 3A of the PCS base station apparatus 2A to the inside of the service area 3B of the PCS base station apparatus 2B. At this time, the PCS terminal equipment 1B cannot communicate with the PCS base station apparatus 2A, so that the communication partner must be changed to the PCS base station apparatus 2B.
In this case, the PCS terminal equipment 1B receives the signal of an adjacent station together with an identification signal of the PCS base station apparatus 2A by receiving a signal which is transmitted from the PCS base station apparatus 2A when the PCS terminal equipment 1B is located in the service area 3A. When the electric wave of the PCS base station apparatus 2A is weakened, the PCS terminal equipment 1B investigates the receiving sensitivity of the PCS base station apparatus 2B which is included in the signal of the adjacent station for the hand-off. While communicating with the PCS base station apparatus 2A, the PCS terminal equipment 1B investigates the receiving sensitivity of the PCS base station apparatus 2B by intermittently receiving the electric wave of the PCS base station apparatus 2B. As a result, when the electric wave of the PCS base station apparatus 2B is sufficiently strong enough to be received, the PCS terminal equipment 1B transmits a hand-off demand to the PCS base station apparatus 2A.
The PCS base station apparatus 2A, which has received this hand-off demand, notifies the controller (not shown) which commands the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B of the generation of the hand-off demand. Then when the controller provides a response, the PCS base station apparatus 2A transmits a hand-off instruction to the PCS terminal equipment 1B. The PCS terminal equipment 1B, which has received this instruction, performs the hand-off from the PCS base station apparatus 2A to the PCS base station apparatus 2B. After performing the hand-off, the PCS terminal equipment 1B confirms that the hand-off can be correctly performed with an identification signal of the PCS base station apparatus 2B which is included in the received signal.
In contrast, for example, when a user who possesses the PCS terminal equipment 1A returns home (that is, when the PCS terminal equipment 1A comes into the HBS communication area 5A), it is required that the PCS terminal equipment 1A is handed-off from the PCS base station apparatus 2A to the HBS 4. Besides, in the same manner, when the user leaves home with the PCS terminal equipment 1A in his hands (that is, the PCS terminal equipment 1A is out of the HBS communication area 5A), it is required that the PCS terminal equipment 1A is handed-off from the HBS 4 to the PCS base station apparatus 2A or 2B.
Incidentally, the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B do not transmit an adjacent station signal with respect to the HBS 4, which is different from its own system. Therefore, when the PCS terminal equipment 1A hands-off, for example, from the PCS base station apparatus 2A to the HBS 4, it is necessary to investigate intermittently whether a signal from the HBS 4 can be received or not during communication with the PCS base station apparatus 2A in order to examine whether hand-off can be performed or not. As a result, when it can be detected that a hand-off can be performed with respect to the HBS 4, the PCS terminal equipment 1A performs a hand-off. After performing the hand-off, the PCS terminal equipment 1A confirms that a hand-off can be correctly performed with an identification signal of the HBS 4 which is included in the received signal.
In this manner, the PCS system performs hand-off control so that the PCS terminal equipments 1A to 1C can move between service areas of the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B. However, such hand-off control that the PCS terminal equipment 1A to 1C can move between the service areas 3A and 3B of the PCS base station apparatuses 2A and 2B and the HBS communication area 5B is not performed. This is because the HBS 4 which is different from its own system is not controlled.
A structure for each of these apparatuses will be explained by using FIGS. 2 and 3. However, for the sake of convenience, a communication system comprising any number of PCS terminal equipments and PCS base station apparatuses is referred to as a PCS communication system. A communication system comprising any number of HBS terminal equipment including the PCS terminal equipment and an HBS is referred to as an HBS communication system.
In the beginning, as shown in FIG. 2, a PCS terminal equipment 1 roughly is comprised of a controller 11 for performing overall control with respect to the sending and receiving of information, a PCS communication part 12 for communicating with the PCS base station apparatus, an HBS communication part 13 for communicating with the HBS 4, a hand-off processing part 14 for performing hand-off process, a switch 15 which is operated by a user, and an antenna 16 for sending and receiving information.
When such PCS terminal equipment 1 communicates with the PCS base station apparatus, the controller 11 controls the PCS communication part 12 in the beginning. The PCS communication part 12, which has received the control, performs appropriate sending and receiving process to the PCS base station apparatus via the antenna 16. On the other hand, in the waiting state, the controller 11 regularly activates the PCS communication part 12 so that a signal from the PCS base station apparatus can be received.
In addition, when the PCS terminal equipment 1 communicates with the HBS 4, the controller 11 controls the HBS communication part 13 in the beginning. The HBS communication part 13, which has received the control, performs appropriate sending and receiving process to the HBS 4 via the antenna 16. On the other hand, in the waiting state, the controller 11 regularly activates the HBS communication part 13 so that a signal from the HBS 4 can be received.
The hand-off processing part 14 grasps a communication partner which is currently in a communication state to perform a hand-off process in accordance with a signal receiving state which is supplied from the controller 11.
For example, when the current communicating system is a PCS communication system, the hand-off process part 14 intermittently monitors the signal receiving state of the HBS 4 to examine whether or not a hand-off can be performed to the HBS communication system. In other words, the hand-off process part 14 suspends the PCS communication part 12 via the controller 11, and activates the HBS communication part 13. The HBS communication part 13 receives the electric waves of the HBS 4 via the antenna 16 to provide the received result to the controller 11. The controller 11, which has received this result, provides to the hand-off process part 14 the signal receiving state showing whether or not the signal of the HBS 4 is being correctly received. The hand-off process part 14 judges whether the signal receiving state of the HBS 4 is in an appropriate range or not. If the state is in the appropriate range, a hand-off is performed from the PCS base station apparatus to the HBS 4 by continuing communication with HBS 4. If the state is not in an appropriate range, the hand-off process part 14 suspends the HBS communication part 13 and activates the PCS communication part 12 again, in order to return to the communication state with the PCS base station apparatus.
On the other hand, when the current communicating system is an HBS communication system, if a signal receiving state obtained via the HBS communication part 13 worsens, the hand-off process part 14 performs a hand-off from the HBS 4 to the PCS base station apparatus when the signal receiving state obtained via the HBS communication part 13 worsens. That is, the hand-off process part 14 suspends the HBS communication part 13 via the controller 11 and activates the PCS communication part 12. The PCS communication part 12 receives the electric wave of the PCS base station apparatus via an antenna 16 and provides the received result to the controller 11. The controller 11, which has received the result, provides a signal receiving state showing whether or not the signal of the PCS base station apparatus is being correctly received to the hand-off process part 14. The hand-off process part 14 judges whether or not the signal receiving state of the PCS base station apparatus is in an appropriate range. If the state is in the appropriate range, the hand-off process part 14 performs a hand-off from the HBS 4 to the PCS base station apparatus by continuing communication with the PCS base station apparatus. If the state is not in an appropriate range, the PCS communication part 12 and the HBS communication part 13 are intermittently operated alternately to perform a hand-off to a system which has accomplished an appropriate receiving operation.
In this manner, the PCS terminal equipment 1 automatically performs a hand-off by monitoring the received state by the hand-off process part 14. In addition, the PCS terminal equipment 1 provides a switch 15 for manual operation. Thereby, a user can directly instruct the start of the hand-off by operating the switch 15. For example, if a user operates this switch 15 when the user that has the PCS terminal equipment 1 returns home or leaves home, the hand-off process part 14 receives this switch operation and starts the hand-off process.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the PCS base station device 2 is roughly comprised of a controller 21 for performing an overall control with respect to the sending and receiving of information, a transmitting part 22 for transmitting a signal to the PCS terminal equipment 1, a receiving part 23 for receiving a signal from the PCS terminal equipment 1, a hand-off controller 24 for performing hand-off process, and an antenna 25 for sending and receiving information.
When such PCS base station apparatus 2 communicates PCS terminal equipment 1, the controller 21 controls the transmitting part 22 and the receiving part 23 in the beginning, and activates the transmitting part 22 and the receiving part 23. The transmitting part 22, which has received the control, transmits information obtained from the controller 21 with respect to the PCS terminal equipment 1 in a predetermined communication mode. In addition, the receiving part 23 receives information obtained from the PCS terminal equipment 1 in a predetermined communication mode to provide the information to the controller 21.
The hand-off controller 24 grasps the PCS terminal equipment 1 which is located in its own service area in order to control when the PCS terminal equipment 1 performs a hand-off to another service area. For example, when the PCS terminal equipment 1 which is located in its own service area generates a hand-off demand because the signal receiving state has worsened, the hand-off controller 24 requests a hand-off to another service area of the PCS terminal equipment 1 with respect to the controller (not shown) which commands all the PCS base station apparatuses 2. When receiving a hand-off instruction from the controller as a response, the hand-off controller 24 controls the transmitting part 22 via the controller 21 to transmit a hand-off instruction to the PCS terminal equipment 1. Thereby, the PCS terminal equipment 1 performs a hand-off to another service area.
By the way, when the PCS terminal equipment 1 is about to perform a hand-off to the HBS 4, the hand-off controller 24 does not perform the process even if the hand-off controller 24 receives a hand-off demand from the PCS terminal equipment 1, and it does not provide a hand-off instruction to the PCS terminal equipment 1. This is because the HBS system is different from its own system, as described above, so that the HBS 4 is not controlled.
On the other hand, in general, the controller 21 regularly transmits an identification signal so that the PCS terminal equipment 1, which is located in its own service area, can identify the PCS base station apparatus 2 and transmits an adjacent station signal which is an identification signal of the adjacent PCS base station apparatus 2 for hand-off. However, the controller 21 does not transmit an adjacent station signal with respect to the HBS 4. This is because that the HBS 4 is different from its own system, in the same manner as described above, so that the HBS 4 is not controlled.
For this reason, the PCS terminal equipment 1 regularly searches for the HBS 4 on its own as described above, and performs hand-off to the HBS 4 when the hand-off is possible.
Now, the PCS terminal equipment 1 automatically performs a hand-off from the PCS base station apparatus 2 to the HBS 4 by monitoring the HBS 4 with the hand-off process part 14, as described above. However, at the waiting time, since the PCS terminal equipment 1 monitors the signal receiving state from the HBS 4 in addition to receive a received signal from the PCS base station apparatus 2, so that the HBS communication part 13 as well as the PCS communication part 12 need to be operated frequently though intermittently. Therefore, there is a problem in that the consumed power of the PCS terminal equipment 1 at the time of waiting increases and the usage time of the driving battery is shortened.
In addition, there is a method by which the user operates the switch 15 to perform hand-off by manual operation. However, this method suffers from a drawback in that the communication occasion is lost when the user fails to operate the switch 15. Thus, this method still has a problem in terms of the usage.

Mobile communication apparatus, fixed communicaton apparatus, communication system and communication method


The disclosed invention relates to methods of modifying peptide compositions to increase stability and delivery efficiency. Specifically, the disclosed invention relates to methods to increase the stability and delivery efficiency of protein kinase C (PKC) modulatory peptide compositions. A “therapeutic peptide composition” comprises a “carrier peptide” and a “cargo peptide.” A “carrier peptide” is a peptide or amino acid sequence within a peptide that facilitates the cellular uptake of the therapeutic peptide composition. The “cargo peptide” is a PKC modulatory peptide. Peptide modifications to either the carrier peptide, the cargo peptide, or both, which are described herein increase the stability and delivery efficiency of therapeutic peptide compositions by reducing disulfide bond exchange, physical stability, reducing proteolytic degradation, and increasing efficiency of cellular uptake.

Research has produced many peptides that have potential as therapeutic compositions. Yet realizing and exploiting the full therapeutic potential of peptides directed against intracellular targets has yet to be achieved, for a variety of reasons. One of the most important of these is that most therapeutic peptides do not possess the ability to cross cell membranes to reach their therapeutic targets. One solution to this problem is the use of carrier peptides that act to ferry a cargo peptide into a target cell.
There are a number of notable examples of carrier peptides which are effective to facilitate the crossing of a target cell's membrane by a cargo peptide. One example is a peptide sequence derived from the TAT protein of the HIV virus. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another well known carrier peptide sequence is the "poly-Arg" sequence. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,306,993.
In many cases, the use of a disulfide bond to link the carrier and cargo peptides, producing the therapeutic peptide construct, is an effective strategy to solve the problem of targeting soluble peptides to intracellular targets. One theory explaining the usefulness of disulfide bonds holds that once the carrier-cargo construct enters a target cell, the two peptides can separate through disulfide bond reduction. This separation in the intracellular environment may allow a greater diffusion of cargo peptides within the cell as opposed to other linkage mechanisms which maintain the carrier-cargo link. With this said, however, the administration of therapeutic peptides still suffers from numerous challenges, such as disulfide bond exchange, proteolytic degradation and efficiency of cellular uptake. Methods directed to controlling these issues will increase the stability and potency of therapeutic peptides.
One way to increase the potency of a therapeutic peptide comprising a carrier peptide disulfide bonded to a cargo peptide is to reduce disulfide bond exchange. Disulfide bond exchange reduces the amount of a carrier-cargo peptide construct in a given sample by allowing a carrier peptide to exchange its cargo peptide for another carrier peptide, thus resulting in a carrier-carrier construct and a cargo-cargo construct. The carrier-only construct will have no therapeutic effect. The cargo-cargo construct will have a tremendously reduced, if not completely eliminated effect, since the carrier peptide enables the delivery of the cargo to its intracellular target. As such, the problem of controlling disulfide bond exchange is important to maximizing the therapeutic potential of a carrier-cargo peptide construct.
Another problem facing the use of therapeutic peptides is proteolytic degradation. Peptides are notoriously unstable molecules and frequently labile to proteolytic attack when administered to a subject. Labile carrier peptides which degrade upon administration will reduce or even eliminate the efficacy of the cargo peptide because the cargo depends upon the carrier peptide to reach the intracellular target. Thus, methods to control or eliminate the labile nature of therapeutic peptides are also important to maximizing a carrier-cargo peptide's therapeutic potential.
Increasing the efficiency of cellular uptake of a therapeutic peptide is yet another problem which can reduce the efficacy or potency of a therapeutic peptide. Optimization of carrier peptide sequences and placement relative to the cargo peptide provide methods for increasing the stability and potency of therapeutic peptide constructs.

Modifications of peptide compositions to increase stability and delivery efficiency


The disclosure includes a platinum-based alloy catalyst and a preparation method thereof, a membrane electrode and a fuel cell. The method for preparing the platinum-based alloy catalyst comprises the following steps: (1) preparing nano-sized alloy particles of platinum and 3d transition metal; (2) carrying out acid treatment on the alloy particles prepared in step (1); and (3) annealing the alloy particles treated in step (2). The size of the platinum-based alloy particles is controlled, an atom number ratio of platinum to transition metal in the platinum-based alloy is controlled, and then etching and dissolution of acid is combined so that an atom number ratio of platinum to transition metal is further controlled, subsequently annealing is carried out at high temperature. The prepared platinum-based alloy catalyst improves the stability and durability of the platinum-based alloy catalyst, which supports the large-scale application of the platinum-based alloy catalyst in the fuel cell.

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a core of hydrogen energy economy. PEMFC converts chemical energy into electric energy by means of cool combustion of hydrogen, and water is a unique effluent. Since over-potential is high in the oxygen reduction reaction of a cathode of PEMFC, a noble metal platinum catalyst is capable of effectively reducing over-potential, thereby realizing the efficient utilization of hydrogen energy. However, the noble metal platinum catalyst is expensive in price, if the amount of platinum in the cathode catalyst is reduced and then production cost is reduced, it will be a key to realize large-scale commercial application of PEMFC. At present, it has been proven that alloying of platinum and 3d transition metal is an effective means to reduce the amount of platinum. However, transition metals (such as Ni, Co and Fe) in the alloy catalyst are extremely easy to lose, which not only causes great reduction in the oxygen reduction activity of the catalyst but also reduces the proton conduction effectiveness of a proton exchange membrane due to lost metal positive ions. Therefore, it is urgent to improve the durability of the platinum-based alloy catalyst in the field of fuel cell catalysts.

Platinum-based alloy catalyst and preparation method therefor, membrane electrode, and fuel cell

QINGDAO CHUANGQI XSNNENG CATALYSIS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD


A thin film calorimeter test station can be coupled to a controller in a thin film calorimeter. The thin film calorimeter can comprise a base substrate, a heat flux sensing device mounted on the base substrate, a mask having a hole with a predetermined area positionable above the heat flux sensing device, and a thickness control device for establishing a repeatable precise thickness layer of UV curable sample test material between the mask and the heat flux sensing device. The thin film calorimeter is used to determine several factors of UV curability. A double test platform test station can be provided so that tests at an active test platform and a dummy platform can be performed simultaneously using the same UV light source. Also, the base substrate can be thermally conductive and be mounted on a thermoelectric heater and cooler for controlling the temperature of the test. Furthermore, the base substrate can be mounted on a digital electronic scale whereby a quantity of UV curable sample test material can be weighed, exposed to UV light for a curing test and then a “factor of UV curability” in heat per weight, e.g. joules per gram, can be determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a thin film calorimeter for measuring an exothermic reaction when ultraviolet (UV) light is directed onto a precise thickness and area of a specimen or on a precise weight of a solution, which has monomers and UV photo initiators therein to determine a "factor of curability".The "factor of curability" can be: the peak BTU's per/hour during the curing, the total BTU's generated from the curing, the time to reach the peak BTU per hour or the log of the time to peak temperature divided by the log of the slope of the curve of the time to reach the peak temperature. The UV curable solution can be an ink, a coating or an adhesive.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the curing of inks, coatings and adhesives having photo initiators therein, the monomers and photo initiators are exposed to UV light such as from a mercury vapor light or from UV light emitting diodes (UV LEDs). When this takes place, the monomers and photo initiators are exothermically reacted, cured and polymerized into cross-linked polymers. This exothermic reaction, curing and polymerization often generates significant heat. The light intensity, wavelength of light and duration of the light to achieve complete curing has been studied over the years. Lately, interest in the curability of the ink, coating or adhesive has resulted in the development of techniques for determining or gauging curability to determine the quality and effectiveness of the cure.
One instrument (device) used was a differential scanning calorimeter.
However this instrument is expensive, often costing $75,000.00 or more. More recently the use of a thin film calorimeter has been proposed by T. M. Roper et al. in their paper entitled "Rapid Measurement of Photo-polymerization Kinetic Behavior Using a Thin-Film Calorimeter" published by the RadTech International trade show in Charlotte N.C., May 2-5, 2004. Their initial techniques have been improved upon by Control-Cure Inc. of Chicago, Ill.
Several "factors of UV curability" can be explored. One is the total heat generated. Another is the log of the time to peak temperature divided by the log of the slope of the curve of the time to the peak temperature. Still another is time to peak temperature.


An inventory system with feedback for picking or placing items is disclosed. In this system, there is a plurality of bins or storage locations, one for each item stored. The bins are typically used in a warehouse to fulfill and ship orders of a list of items. Each bin or pair of bins is equipped with a module for directing a picking specialist to the correct bin for manually picking an order. When the picking specialist reaches into a bin to select an item, a passive heat sensor senses heat from the picker's hand, or a magnet detecting circuit detects a magnet on the picker's hand or wrist. This provides positive feedback that the correct bin was sought to retrieve the item, or an alarm or other signal may indicate the incorrect bin. The system may also be used to replenish inventory or return items to stock.

The development of Internet sales and the shipping of packages and goods in response to Internet orders has elevated the importance of operations in warehouses of those who provide the goods. Typically, goods are stored in warehouses and orders are received from buyers, whether through the Internet or other, more conventional means, such as from mail-order or telephone order intake. The goods are then selected in accordance with the customer's order, and are shipped via delivery or mail service.
It is important to operate distribution centers, their associated warehouses, and the processes for picking or sorting of the ordered goods in an efficient manner. This insures that a high volume of orders can be processed through the warehouse and that operation costs can be kept to a minimum. Product picking for consumer orders is different from order processing for an industrial customer. The number of items picked for consumer orders tends to be rather small, possibly as low as one or two items per order, compared to tens or hundreds of items picked for industrial customers. The number of orders processed per hour to maintain the same return on investment is far greater for consumer sales than for industrial sales. Thus, it is important to have systems and procedures in place to process each order very quickly.
These systems should take into account the need for returning items to stock. Returns take two forms, depending on whether the item is un-opened. Un-opened items are generally returned to stock and are handled as a reverse pick (or put), in which the picking specialist simply returns the item to the proper storage location. Opened items, for return to the manufacturer, are generally handled in a separate area, with locations associated with each manufacturer, rather than for each particular product.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,443 discloses an inventory and picking system for a plurality of bins or storage locations on shelves. The shelves each have an electronic module for displaying information about three separate items on the shelves. The modules also have three infrared light emitting diodes and three infrared detecting circuits for detecting light that is reflected, such as light reflected from a hand that reaches into the bin or storage area. This system is subject to error from dust or other anomalies in the atmosphere or generally in a dusty warehouse, which may give off falsely positive feedback to the controller.
One way to manage orders in a manual system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,986 to Danelski. This patent discloses a picking system in which an order is received and sent to a picking system computer. The system includes an RF module on each storage site or bin in the storage system. The computer then sends radio-frequency (RF) signals to the RF modules corresponding to items on the order. Each RF module signaled corresponds to an item on the order. The signal causes a light on the RF module to be lit and the signal also includes a quantity desired for the order. A picking specialist then surveys the inventory sites, goes to those sites for which a light is lit, picks the desired quantity for the order, and signals that the particular item has been picked. While this method works, it is expensive to provide the modules for each location, and it is also expensive to maintain and power the modules. In addition, the picker must physically push a button or switch to indicate that the item has been picked.
Another system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,225, offers an improvement over Danelski. The improved system includes a proximity detector near at least one of the modules or sites. The detector can report that there was activity or motion sensed in the vicinity of the module, thus inferring that the picking specialist was at least near the module. This may lead to false positives, i.e., an indication that the correct bin was picked when it was merely a nearby bin. If a "pitch and catch" LED system is used, a false negative may be generated, i.e., the correct bin was used, but insufficient light was reflected back to the sensor to generate a positive response. An improvement to the '225 patent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,738. In the improvement, the module for each site is upgraded to include an image display. The display allows the picking specialist to more positively determine that the item in the bin or site corresponding to the module is the item desired. This will obviously be an expensive improvement.
Another system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,588. The system disclosed in this patent uses a portable computer on a cart, the cart also having at least two bins for storing goods that are picked. As the operator moves the cart through the warehouse or inventory area, the wireless-equipped computer causes lights on display modules to illuminate. The display module, one per inventory item, illuminates its light in response to a signal from the computer, and also displays an indicia of the order number and quantity, so that the correct number of items can be placed into the correct bin on the cart. The computer can also indicate the desired location of goods to the operator. This system will be expensive, because of the need for modules at each warehouse location, and also because of the required computer and cart to carry out the order-picking process.
Each of the above systems has its strong points. The weak point for each system, in addition to any technical nuances, is its cost. Embodiments of the invention disclosed in this patent provide a picking system that is both cost-effective and efficient. These and other advantages of embodiments of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description provided herein.


An improved method for synthesizing superabrasive particles provides high quality industrial superabrasive particles with high yield and a narrow size distribution. The synthesis method includes forming a substantially homogeneous mixture of raw material and catalyst material or layers of raw material and metal catalyst. A plurality of crystalline seeds is placed in a predetermined pattern in the mixture or one of the layers to form a growth precursor. The growth precursor is maintained at a temperature and pressure at which the superabrasive crystal is thermodynamically stable for a time sufficient for a desired degree of growth. Advantageously, the patterned placement of crystalline seeds and disclosed processes allow for production of various morphologies of synthetic diamonds, including octahedral and cubic diamonds, and improved growth conditions generally. As a result, the grown superabrasive particles typically have a high yield of high quality particles and a narrow distribution of particle sizes.

Diamond and cubic boron nitride (cBN) particles have found widespread use as superabrasives in a variety of abrading and cutting applications. The worldwide consumption of diamond particles currently exceeds 400 metric tons. Common tools which incorporate superabrasive particles include cutting tools, drill bits, circular saws, grinding wheels, lapping belts, polishing pads, and the like. In general, diamond grits can be classified into three distinct size ranges: coarse mesh saw grits (U.S. mesh 18 to 60 or 1 mm to 0.23 mm) for sawing applications, medium sized grinding grits (U.S. mesh 60 to 400, 230 microns to 37 microns) for grinding applications, and fine powder of micron diamond (U.S. mesh <400 mesh) for polishing applications.
Among diamond superabrasives, saw diamond has the largest particle size at about 18 to 60 mesh. High quality saw diamonds are generally euhedral having filly grown crystallographic faces. Further, high quality saw diamond should have very few defects or inclusions. Standard applications for saw diamonds require high quality diamonds. This is at least partially due to the high impact force encountered during cutting, particularly at high speeds. In contrast, smaller diamond particles, i.e. 60 to 400 mesh or 0.25 mm to 37 μm, such as those used in grinding wheels, create scratches in the surface which gradually remove material from a workpiece. In such grinding applications, the impact force is typically much less than for cutting applications. Thus, commercially satisfactory smaller diamonds can be produced with less concern for flaws and impurities than is generally acceptable for larger diamonds such as saw diamonds.
Superabrasives are typically formed under ultrahigh pressure, e.g., about 5.5 GPa and high temperature, e.g., 1300° C. The quality of diamond grits is typically controlled by the growth rate. A slower growth rate can allow for more complete formation of the crystal morphology and a lower amount of interior defects. High quality, well-crystallized diamond grits will exhibit higher impact strength suitable for more aggressive sawing action. The amount of defects (e.g. metal inclusion) will also affect the thermal stability of the diamond grit. A less included diamond can withstand a higher processing temperature (e.g. 1000° C.) typically used for making diamond tools without deterioration. Diamonds having a lower amount of inclusions can also wear slower at the cutting tips where heat is generated.
Diamond grits are typically grown by converting graphite to diamond under catalytic action of a molten metal. The molten metal also serves as a solvent of carbon. Typical catalysts used to synthesis diamond include iron, nickel, cobalt, manganese or their alloys. The growth rate of diamond is controlled by pressure and temperature. Typically, the lower the over-pressure required to make diamond stable and/or the lower the over-temperature needed to melt the catalyst metal, the slower the growth rate. For example, to grow saw grits in a molten alloy of iron and nickel of Invar composition (Fe65-Ni35), the pressure is about 5.2 GPa and temperature is about 1270° C.
Once the growth rate is determined for synthesizing a certain quality of grade of diamond, its size can be determined by the growth time. Because the saw grits are much larger than grinding grits, they require much longer growth time. For example, the growth of 30/40 mesh may require 45 minutes; and 40/50 mesh, 25 minutes. In contrast, the growth of 100/120 mesh may need 2 minutes; and 200/230, 1 minute. Micron diamond is typically produced by pulverizing larger diamond, particularly, larger diamonds with a large amount of defects.
As the time for diamond growth increases, the more difficult it is to control pressure and temperature. However, under ultrahigh pressure conditions during crystal growth, the pressure tends to continually decay due to the volume contraction associated with diamond formation. Further, temperatures within the growth regions can increase due to increases in electrical resistance associated with the diamond formation. Hence, it is very difficult to maintain optimal conditions of pressure and temperature for homogeneous growth of diamond grits. Saw diamond grits are typically grown under ultrahigh pressure over a much longer time, e.g., 40 minutes than that required to grow smaller grinding grits, e.g., about 1 minute. Consequently, saw diamond grits are very difficult to grow, particularly those having high quality. Saw grits with high impact strength are characterized by a euhedral crystal shape and very low inclusions of either metal or graphite. Hence, very tight controls of pressure and temperature are required over extended periods of time to produce high quality diamonds.
These difficulties partially account for the abundance of companies which can grow saw grits, while very few companies are capable of growing high grade saw grits having larger sizes. As a result, very few companies can master the technology of growing coarse saw grits, in particular, those with high quality, high impact strength, and high thermal stability.
Typical methods for synthesizing larger high quality diamonds involve ensuring uniformity of raw materials such as graphite and metal catalyst and carefully controlling process temperature and pressures. High pressure high temperature (HPHT) processes used in diamond growth can employ reaction volumes of over 200 cm3. Most often, the graphite to diamond conversion in the reaction volume can be up to about 30%. Unfortunately, typical processes also result in the crystals having external flaws, e.g., rough surfaces, and undesirable inclusions, e.g., metal and carbon inclusions. Therefore, increased costs are incurred in segregating acceptable high strength diamonds from weaker, poor quality diamonds.
One major factor to consider in diamond synthesis of high grade saw diamonds is providing conditions such that nucleation of diamond occurs uniformly and nearly simultaneously. Random nucleation methods typically allow some regions of raw materials to be wasted while other regions are densely packed with diamond crystals having a high percentage of defects. Some diamond synthesis methods have improved nucleation uniformity somewhat; however, during diamond growth local changes in pressure can occur. If heating is accomplished by passing electrical current directly through the reaction cell, then diamond growth can also interfere with the electrical current used to control heating. The results of such interference are non-uniformities and fluctuations in the temperature and pressure gradients across the reaction cell and thus a wide distribution of crystal sizes, crystal shapes, and inclusion levels. Despite these difficulties, by providing highly homogeneous starting materials and carefully controlling process conditions, the volume efficiency of the reaction cell is still typically less than 2 to 3 carats per cubic centimeter. This marginal yield still wastes large amounts of raw materials, reduces production efficiencies, and leaves considerable room for improvement.
Other methods for synthesizing large industrial diamond particles include forming layers of solid disks of graphite and/or catalyst. Diamond nucleation then occurs at the interface between graphite and catalyst layers. However, such materials are intrinsically heterogeneous. For example, the firing temperature for graphite rods that are cut into disks can vary from region to region, thus affecting the microstructure and composition of the disk. Further, during mechanical formation of graphite into a rod, the graphite microstructure can change, e.g., the outer regions exhibit a skin effect during extrusion. As a result, graphite disks tend to have regions which vary in porosity, degree of graphitization, ash content, and the like. Similarly, catalyst disks have varying alloy composition as metal atoms and crystal structure tend to segregate during cooling. Additionally, during extrusion and mechanical forming processes the alloy composition in various regions changes even further. As a result, local concentrations and properties of graphite and catalyst metals can vary by several percent across solid disks. Diamonds grown under such conditions tend to nucleate at different times and experience varying growth rates, thus producing diamonds having a wide size distribution and increasing the number of flawed diamonds due to intergrowth, overgrowth, i.e. fast growth rates, and uneven growth, i.e. asymmetric growth, as shown in FIGS. 19A, 19B, and 22.
Recently, efforts have been made in using powdered materials to further increase yields of industrial diamond particles. These methods attempt to uniformly mix graphite and catalyst powders to achieve improved diamond nucleation. However, diamond nucleation still occurs randomly, i.e. broad size distribution, but somewhat uniformly throughout the powder under HPHT conditions, as shown in FIG. 23. Such methods have met with some success and have resulted in improved yields of up to 3 carat/cm3. Further, yields of high quality diamond of specific sizes have also improved up to five times over those achievable using conventional layered disk methods. However, powdered mixture methods can be difficult to control. For example, the density of graphite and metal catalyst materials differ significantly, making uniform mixing very difficult. In addition, powdered mixture methods generally require even more strict control of process conditions than in layered methods.
Therefore, methods which further increase the quality and yields of large diamond particles suitable for commercial use continue to be sought through research and development.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Superabrasive particle synthesis with controlled placement of crystalline seeds


An apparatus for cleaning waste collection systems of solid materials. The apparatus is capable of cleaning waste systems in two known ways. First, a pumping method uses normal and injected water flow to suspend the solids in a slurry. A submersible pump moves the slurry from a collection point up to a pressurized container where the water content of the slurry is decanted and reused as injection water while the particulate material settles to the bottom of the pressurized container. Second, a vacuum system may be used to move the slurry from the waste system to the waste container. The vacuum system creates a negative pressure differential, causing material to be pulled through a vacuum tube and into the waste container. When the container becomes substantially full of solid particles, it may be emptied at a dumpsite.

Waste collection systems such as sewers, sumps, wet wells, digesters, clarifiers, classifiers, collection tanks, etc. must be cleaned periodically in order to maintain proper fluid flow and capacity. Cleaning removes sand and other deleterious materials that have infiltrated into, for example, a sewer as well as solid materials that have settled out from the normally slow moving waste slurry that varies in volume and flow rate depending on the collective amount of effluents emptied into the waste collection system over time. In order to properly clean large capacity waste collection systems such as collection tanks or the vast lengths of sewer lines in a typical city, an efficient and cost effective method of cleaning must be employed that can handle the large volume of material that must be removed from a typical waste collection system.
Typically, commercial waste cleaning operations utilize a water jet router made up of a high pressure water pump feeding pressurized wash water through a hose having a cleaning head on its end. This cleaning head has water nozzles on its back face which creates a jet action resulting from the high pressure water flowing out the nozzles. The high pressure water jet action both washes the downstream waste collection system such as sewer pipe and propels the cleaning head upstream for continuous washing action of the entire length of the waste collection system such as sewer pipe being cleaned. The position of the cleaning head and its rate of forward travel is regulated by control of the hose reel integrally mounted on the washing truck.
Commercial waste cleaning operations then utilize one or the other of the following two known systems and methods for moving the resulting water slurry produced from the washing action into a collection box, where the solid material is removed and disposed of in a dump or landfill.
First, a second hose may be lowered into a manhole downstream of the cleaning head and is in communication with the resulting water slurry produced from the washing action. This hose is connected to a vacuum system which lifts the water slurry and all contained debris up from the bottom of the manhole into a vacuum holding tank mounted on the rear of the wash truck. Thus, the high pressure wash water brings the solid materials suspended in water to the manhole and the vacuum action picks up the waste material and deposits it into the truck-mounted holding container. When the container becomes full, the materials contained in the container are removed and disposed of, typically in a dump or landfill.
Second, the operation may include a semi-submersible pump to move the water slurry produced by the washing action into the collection box. The submersible pump pushes the slurry up in a column through a slurry hose which is connected to and deposit the slurry into a pressurized collection container located on the surface. Again, when the container becomes full, the materials contained in the container are removed and disposed of, typically in a dump or landfill.
Choosing between the use of a submersible pump to push the waste water slurry into the collection container or use of a vacuum to suck the slurry into the container turns largely on the conditions within the waste water system. If, for example, there is a large volume of liquid relative to solids in the slurry, vacuuming becomes very inefficient and possibly infeasible. A vacuum typically pulls out liquid much more easily than the solid material in the slurry. Thus, when a large volume of liquid is in the slurry, the vacuum may pull out only the liquid, leaving the solid material in the waste water system. A submersible pump, by contrast, requires a large volume of liquid to effectively push the slurry upward into the collection box. If very little liquid is present in the waste water system, a pump will be inefficient or may not work at all, and a vacuum is required.
Existing technologies typically include a truck or other apparatus with a high pressure washer, and either a pump or vacuum for moving the waste water slurry into the collection box. Because field conditions dictate which type of technology is used, though, it is generally necessary to go to the particular waste water system to be cleaned and examine the conditions before choosing an apparatus to perform the work and delivering the apparatus to the jobsite.

Apparatus for cleaning pipes having pumping and vacuuming capability


The pot life of a polyurethane composition is increased by providing a composition containing a polyisocyanate, polyol, highly dispersed silica, and a filler wherein at least a portion of the filler is coated.

One-component and multiple-component polyurethane compositions have long been used as adhesives, sealants or casting compounds. These applications for polyurethane compositions are reviewed, for example, in Chapters 8 and 11 of Kunststoff-Handbuch, 3rd Edition, Vol. 7, Hanser-Verlag, 1993. In the case of two-component systems, one component generally consists of liquid polyhydroxy compounds optionally containing fillers, catalysts and other auxiliaries while the second component essentially contains a liquid diisocyanate or polyisocyanate either in pure form or as a so-called quasi-prepolymer or in the form of isomer mixtures. By virtue of their good adhesion properties on various materials and their high tensile, tensile shear and peel strengths, coupled with very high breaking elongation, these adhesives, sealants and casting compounds are used in a number of industrial and manual applications, including for example car manufacture, general utility vehicle manufacture, ship building and boat building, general machine construction, the electrical industry and civil engineering.
In many applications, the steps involved require very long pot lives which, in addition, are expected to remain constant over the period for which the polyurethane compositions are stored before application.
The pot life of a polyurethane composition is understood to be the time left for proper application after complete mixing of a two-component of multiple-component system before the viscosity of the mixture becomes so high through incipient reaction that the mixture can no longer be properly applied.
Pot life can be controlled within certain limits through the type and quantity of catalyst used. However, it has not yet been possible for a given formulation to prolong the reaction and hence the pot life any further without a catalyst. In cases such as these, less reactive isocyanates had to be used. It has often been proposed in the general literature and in the patent literature to retard the uncatalyzed reaction by addition of an acid, cf. for example J. H. Saunders, K. C. Frisch, Polyurethanes, Chemistry and Technology, Vol. 1, Chemistry, page 213, Interscience Publ., 1962. For example, the addition of hydrochloric acid or acid chlorides is proposed. However, where this approach is adopted, the reaction is not genuinely retarded, instead all the catalytically active alkaline impurities in the composition are neutralized. However, the addition of acids to adhesives, sealants or casting compounds can lead to corrosion on the surfaces of the substrates to be bonded or encapsulated so that, in many cases, this method cannot be applied.

Polyurethane compositions having stable reactivity


A system and method for realizing a multi-camera system having two optical paths with a single processing path for the two optical paths. Such a multi-camera system typically includes a first image-capture device associated with a first optical train wherein the first image-capture device is typically pointed in a first direction (i.e., away from the user). The multi-camera system further includes a second image-capture device having a second optical train wherein the second image-capture device is typically pointed in a second direction (i.e., toward the user). The multi-camera system further includes a single processing block coupled to the first image-capture device and the second image-capture device. The processing block is typically operable to process image data captured at each image-capture device.

Digital cameras and digital video cameras are becoming more prevalent in various electronic devices of today's electronics. It is common for cameras to be included in mobile phones, handheld devices, and portable/laptop computers. Because such digital cameras and digital video cameras are becoming cheaper to manufacture and are being realized in smaller packages, the demand for devices to include such cameras is increasing. As a result, more and more functionality for these cameras system is also being demanded.
For example, cameras that are mounted to laptop computers, mobile phones and the like have typically been mounted in a fixed position such that any focal path of an optical train associated with the camera system was set relative to the device. That is, to point the camera in a different direction, the entire device needs to be maneuvered. Thus, a laptop computer having a camera pointing straight out of the view screen would require a user to point the view screen at whatever the user wishes to capture as a picture or video. This has been a problem of the past in that a user, by pointing the camera at the subject (and consequently pointing the view screen as well because of the fixed position of the camera), can now no longer see the view screen to properly align/adjust a capture area since the view screen is now pointing away from the user along with the camera.
One conventional solution to having a fixed position camera in various devices has been to mount the camera system in a maneuverable harness such that the focal path of the camera may be rotated in various directions without moving the rest of the device. Thus, a laptop computer screen may include a swivel-mounted camera at the top of the view screen that may be rotated as much as 180 degrees backwards to capture images on the opposite side of the view screen.
Such maneuverable cameras solved the problem of not being able to see the view screen when taking pictures or capturing video, but introduced several new problems. Such new problems include typical problems always associated with maneuverable devices requiring electronic connections inside the maneuverable part, such as flexible wiring and connection points. These flexible wiring accommodations are not only more expensive, but are far more prone to fail with far less use. Thus, even though maneuverable camera systems solved the original problem, the implementation and application left a lot to be desired.
In another conventional solution, a device requiring more than a focal path for a camera in an opposite direction of a view screen may be manufactured to have the camera system simply mounted to face the opposite direction. This solution, however, then restricted the camera use to subjects on the opposite side of the view screen. Thus, in applications where the camera should point in the same direction as the view screen, such as a video conferencing situation, then the user could not simultaneously be captured by the camera and also view a feed on the view screen from somewhere else.
In response to this, some device manufacturers have designed devices having two separate camera systems: one for a direction which points the same direction as the view screen and one that points in the opposite direction away from the view screen. For example, FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a conventional camera system 100 having two distinct cameras that are pointed in opposite or relatively opposite optical directions. Generally speaking, conventional camera systems having two cameras employ two separate camera blocks. As can be seen the conventional multi-camera system 100 of FIG. 1, a first camera block 101 includes a first optical train 105 situated to focus incident light upon a first sensor 110. The first sensor 110 typically includes a first pixel array 111 for capturing incident light in a known pixel-by-pixel manner. The optical information may then be sent to a processing block 130 for processing and storage.
Similarly, a second camera block 151 is also included in the conventional multi-camera system 100. The second camera block 151 also includes an optical train 155, a sensor 150, a pixel array 151 and a processing block 180 that operate in conjunction with other similar to the first camera block 101 described above. However, the first camera block 101 and the second camera block 151 are autonomous and do not in any manner interact with each other. In this sense, each camera block 101 and 151 is independent and typically disposed on separate integrated circuits (ICs) or separate electronic circuit boards (ECBs). As such, despite having two cameras in the multi-camera system 100 (which may be coupled to an overall system processor (not shown) for manipulation and control) each one requires a specific amount of space, power, and cost in the overall system 100 implementation. Thus, in most cases having two cameras in the multi-camera system 100 results in twice the cost, twice the implementation space and twice the power requirements over a system with only one camera.
While this solution addresses the problems discussed above, the space requirements, power consumption, and manufacturing costs are typically more than doubled to accommodate the two-camera solution. Having two distinct and separate camera systems is a bulky inefficient and wasteful solution to the problems presented above.

Multi-camera system and method having a common processing block


A display device has a pixel array substrate that contains a support substrate and a plurality of pixel areas arranged on the support substrate. Each pixel area contains a pixel electrode and a capacitor electrode. Scan lines and common lines are also provided, where each common line has portions provided in respective pixel areas. Each pixel area has a storage capacitance defined by an overlapping area between a respective capacitor electrode and a respective one of a scan line and common line, where the storage capacitances of pixel areas along each scan line varies along the scan line.

Flat panel display devices generally provide relatively good display quality, efficient space utilization, low power consumption, and absence of radiation. Thin film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are a popular type of flat panel display device.
FIG. 1 depicts a circuit schematic diagram of a portion of a TFT LCD device. The LCD device has an array of thin film transistors TFT10A, TFT10B, TFT10C, and so forth, for respective pixels P10A, P10B, P10C, and so forth. The thin film transistors TFT10A, TFT10B, TFT10C and pixels P10A, P10B, P10C are arranged in a row of the LCD device, where all TFTs in this row are driven by the same scan line S10. There are multiple rows of TFTs an pixels along respective scan lines. When a scan line S10 is driven to a sufficient activation voltage (by a scan line driving circuit 12), the TFTs TFT10A, TFT10B, TFT10C, and so forth, that are connected to the scan line S10, will be turned on, so that the data (voltage level) carried on each of the data lines D10 can be written into the respective pixels P10A, P10B, P10C, and so forth. The data lines D10 are driven by a data line driving circuit 14. Upon completion of the pixel writing, the TFTs TFT10A, TFT10B, TFT10C, and so forth, are turned off, and the voltage level of the pixel electrodes in each of the pixels P10A, P10B, P10C, and so forth, are maintained by a respective liquid crystal capacitor and the pixel storage capacitor.
However, when the TFTs are turned off, the voltage level of the pixel electrodes in corresponding pixels can change due to coupling effects from voltage changes on the scan line. The voltage change of a pixel electrode due to coupling effect is referred to as feed-through voltage (VFD). The feed-through voltage can generally be expressed as:VFD=[CGD/(CLC+CST+CGD)]×ΔVG,  (Eq. 1)where CLC in Eq. 1 is the liquid crystal capacitor, CST is the pixel storage capacitor, CGD is the capacitor between the gate electrode and the drain electrode of the TFT, and ΔVG is the voltage difference between the activation voltage of the TFT and the turn-off (or deactivation) voltage of the TFT, on a scan line. Note that other capacitances in each pixel may also contribute to VFD, but such other capacitances are typically of relatively low values.
In an LCD device, the rotation angle of liquid crystal molecules is changed by controlling the size of the electric field applied to the liquid crystal molecules to vary the displayed gray scale. Since the size of the electric field applied to the liquid crystal molecules of a pixel depends on the voltage difference between the pixel electrode of the pixel and a common electrode, the display quality of the LCD device will be affected when the voltage level of the pixel electrode changes due to the impact from feed-through voltage VFD.
Typically, the impact of the feed-through voltage VFD can be eliminated or reduced by adjusting the voltage of the common electrode. However, due to the impact from the resistance and capacitance of a scan line, ΔVG will be reduced with an increase of the distance between pixels and the input end of the scan line (the input end is the end of the scan line connected to the scan line driving circuit 12, as depicted in FIG. 1). With increasing distance along the scan line from the input end, the increased resistance and capacitance causes the activation voltage on the scan line to be reduced, which in turn causes reduction of ΔVG.
In FIG. 1, ΔVG of the pixels P10A, P10B, and P10C will be such that (ΔVG)A>(ΔVG)B>(ΔVG)C, where (ΔVG)A represents ΔVG at pixel P10A, (ΔVG)B represents ΔVG at pixel P10B, and (ΔVG)C represents ΔVG at pixel P10C. Therefore, according to Eq. 1, when the CLC, CST, and CGD of the pixels are the same, ΔVFD of the pixels P10A, P10B, and P10C will be such that (VFD)A>(VFD)B>(VFD)C, where (VFD)A is the feed-through voltage for pixel P10A, (VFD)B is the feed-through voltage for pixel P10B, and so forth. Consequently, the impact from VFD cannot be eliminated by just adjusting the voltage level of the common electrode, which would cause a flicker problem in the picture of the liquid crystal display device.

Pixel array substrate having storage capacitances that vary along a scan line


In a method for determining the geographic position and orientation of a vehicle, an image of the vehicle's surroundings is recorded by at least one camera of the vehicle, wherein the recorded image at least partially comprises regions of the vehicle's surroundings on the ground level. Classification information is generated for the individual pixels of the recorded image and indicates an assignment to one of several given object classes, wherein based on this assignment, a semantic segmentation of the image is performed. Ground texture transitions based on the semantic segmentation of the image are detected. The detected ground texture transitions are projected onto the ground level of the vehicle's surroundings. The deviation between the ground texture transitions projected onto the ground level of the vehicle's surroundings and ground texture transitions in a global reference map is minimized. The current position and orientation of the vehicle in space is output based on the minimized deviation.

This background section is provided for the purpose of generally describing the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor(s), to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Precise and robust self-locating is one of the prerequisites for vehicles to autonomously drive in road traffic. Global satellite navigation systems such as for example the GPS system are common for positioning and navigating in the automotive field. In addition to the difficulties under conditions of poor reception such as in urban regions or in strong snowfall, the precision is also insufficient for safety-relevant applications.
The precision of GPS-based locating can in fact be significantly improved by methods such as DGPS in which correction signals are normally transmitted to the DGPS receiver by radio. Nonetheless, this also does not enable safe autonomous driving. Accordingly on the one hand, radio-based systems can fail from radio interference, or cannot be evaluated due to encryption by the operator which may even be unannounced, so that reliable position measurement with sufficient precision is then impossible.
Moreover with satellite-assisted positioning, there is no information on the alignment, or respectively orientation of the vehicle, at least without the addition of further sensor data. This can only be calculated indirectly by differentiating from past sequential positions.
In order to also determine the orientation of the vehicle when positioning, various solutions are known in which the vehicle's surroundings are recorded by sensors, for example using a camera or lidar sensor (abbreviation for light detection and ranging).
Accordingly, a 2D coordinate on the map level, and also the orientation of vehicle on this level, can be ascertained by means of camera-based locating using certain landmarks that are entered in a digital map and are detected in the camera image. However, this requires that a sufficient number of suitable landmarks must be entered in the digital map which can also be detected in all weather in any season.
There are also approaches for lidar-based locating. Independent of the light conditions in the vehicle's surroundings, lidar sensors supply a cluster of points with centimeter-precise 3D spatial coordinates for the recorded objects. In conjunction with a digital map consisting of 3D points, these measuring points can be used for positioning. For locating the vehicle, the lidar point cluster currently being measured is matched in the digital map, i.e., brought into correspondence very precisely with the 3D points in the map. However, a disadvantage of such lidar-based locating is that the construction of a precise 3D map required for this is very involved.
Lidar-based locating based on recording landmarks is described in WO 2018/140701 A1. In this case, additional data from a camera is assigned to the 3D points. In US 2017/0248963 A1 and US 2018/0136644 A1, data from different sensors are collected centrally in order to perform route planning for autonomously driving vehicles. In doing so, a localizer is also used that analyzes the data from the various sensors and determines the pose of an autonomous vehicle by comparing the sensor data with map data.
Moreover, WO 2018/104563 A2 discloses recording the vehicle's surroundings using one or more cameras in order to determine the position and orientation of a vehicle. In order to find regions in which landmarks are located that can be used for locating by being compared with a reference map, a semantic segmentation is performed in this case of the images recorded by the cameras. In doing so, 3D landmarks are generated for object classes such as for example buildings or traffic signs in conjunction with depth measurement. Tracking such landmarks over several frames is also proposed.

Method and device for determining the geographic position and orientation of a vehicle


A method and system for coherent detection in which an OFDM symbol is multiplied by the complex conjugate of the previous OFDM symbol, which is obtained by one OFDM symbol delay and a complex conjugation circuit. This soft decision is passed through a QPSK slicer to obtain a hard decision. The soft decision is then divided by the hard decisions. The channel phase change between the two OFDM symbols is then obtained. For the first OFDM symbol, the channel is computed. A channel estimate for each ODFM symbol is computed from corresponding channel estimates and channel phase difference estimates. The channel phase difference between each two OFDM symbols is computed. The channel phase difference is passed through an exponent operation and multiplied by the soft decision to obtain a refined soft decision that is then passed through another QPSK slicer to obtain the final hard decision.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments herein generally relate to mobile television (TV) technologies, and, more particularly, to mobile TV differentially encoded orthogonal-frequency-division-multiplexing (OFDM) systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 summarizes the differential modulation procedure that is described in a differentially encoded OFDM system such as terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB). The phase reference symbol is perfectly known at the receiver after the transmission mode is detected. In other words, the Quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) symbols in every OFDM carrier are known at the receiver. The phase reference symbol belongs to a rotated quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) constellation as shown in FIG. 1 for Mode I. The data to be transmitted belongs to a normal QPSK constellation and is denoted by Xi. The data that is transmitted over the OFDM carriers in each OFDM symbol is obtained according to the following equation (assuming Mode I):Di=Di−1×Xi where D1 is the phase reference symbol. The frequency-domain representation of the received symbols, Ri, at the receiver is given by Ri=Di×Hi, i=2, . . . ,76, where Hi is the channel seen by the ith OFDM symbol.
At the receiver, the soft decisions that are passed to the Viterbi decoder are obtained as follows:Ri×R*i−1=|Di−1|2×Xi×Hi×H*i−1.
In this context, "soft decisions" refers to a complex number that represents the location of the received QPSK symbol with respect to the transmitted constellation. A hard decision could simply be obtained by choosing the QPSK constellation point that is closest to the received soft decision.
The quantity |Di−1|2 does not affect the decision because it is pure real. These soft decisions would lead to a correct decision on what has been transmitted if and only if the channel has not changed from one symbol to the next. In other words, if Hi≡Hi−1, then the soft decisions will reduce to:Ri×R*i−1=|Di−1|2×Xi×|Hi|2,and effectively, Xi is fed to the Viterbi decoder. The problem now is that this assumption is not accurate. Accordingly, there remains a need for a new coherent detection technique for differentially encoded OFDM systems.

Coherent detection for differentially encoded OFDM systems


The present invention relates to a superconducting cable conductor which contains a carrying element, on which is wound at least one layer comprising two or more superconducting conductor elements, the individual conductor elements of each layer being arranged next to one another, and the superconducting conducting elements are formed from a tape-type substrate coated with a superconducting material based on rare earth barium cuprate, preferably based on yttrium barium cuprates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a superconducting cable conductor with a superconducting material based on rare earth barium cuprates, the superconductor material being applied in layer form on a tape-type substrate. In particular, the invention relates to a superconducting cable conductor of this type for AC applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Superconducting cable conductors are usually constructed from a generally cylindrical carrying element with superconducting wires wound helically thereon as superconducting conductor elements.
The carrying element may comprise a conductive or nonconductive material and is usually configured in flexible fashion.
The superconducting conductor elements are wound 20 helically on said carrying element in one or more layers. Each individual layer is obtained by a plurality of, for example tape-type, superconducting conductor elements being wound next to one another onto the carrying element or onto a layer that has already been wound onto the carrier element.
Thus, EP 0 650 205 52 describes a multilayered superconducting cable conductor for AC applications, multifilament wires being used as conductor elements.
The multifilament wires contain a multiplicity of 30 filament-type cores comprising a superconductor material which are embedded in a matrix comprising a normally conducting metal, in particular silver. In order to avoid AC losses on account of eddy currents and coupling currents, insulating layers comprising an insulating material are provided between the individual layers comprising superconducting wires.
The superconducting wires are obtained by filling for example pulverulent starting material, which can be converted into the desired superconductor material by means of suitable thermal treatment, into a casing comprising a normally conducting metal, preferably silver. The casing filled with the pulverulent starting material is subjected to a plastic deformation with drawing and rolling to form a long filament having a small diameter and is subsequently sintered. The individual filaments obtained are combined to form a bundle comprising a multiplicity of individual filaments and passed together into a further casing, which is in turn subjected to a plastic deformation and sintering. A superconducting multifilament wire with the desired number of filaments in a metal matrix is obtained as a result. The finished multifilament wire preferably has a tape form.
The superconductor material acquires the desired 20 high orientation as a result of the treatment described above, the crystallographic c axis essentially extending perpendicular to the current flow direction and the a-b plane extending parallel to the current flow direction. The orientation should preferably be as homogeneous as possible over the entire extent of the superconducting material.
Depending on the diameter of the carrying element onto which the multifilament wire is wound, and on the lay length of the individual turns, forces as a result of bending elongation and tensile stress are exerted on the wires during the winding process and in the unwound state. This may result in an impairment of the orientation of the superconducting phase and thus in a reduction of the superconducting properties.
In order to be able to obtain the greatest possible freedom with regard to the diameter of the carrying element and the lay length of the winding and thus with regard to the cable construction, a superconducting cable is desirable, therefore, in which no degradation of the superconducting wires occurs even in the case of a relatively high degree of bending for example in the case of a small diameter of the carrying element and/or a small lay length, and relatively high tension.

Super conducting cable conductor with rebco-coated conductor elements