Disclosed are methods and apparatus for finding an element meeting a predetermined condition among an ordered set of N elements. The method subdivides the ordered set of N elements into M subsets, wherein 1 less than M less than N. A particular one of the M subsets contains K elements. The method determines if the particular subset contains an element meeting the predetermined condition. The method also identifies which of the K elements in the particular subset is the first element meeting the predetermined condition.

The invention relates to digital electronic circuitry and algorithms for searching. More particularly, the invention relates to digital electronic circuitry and algorithms for quickly and efficiently finding a first element having a predetermined state among an ordered set of elements.
Data structures in an ordered relationship, such as queues, buffers and stacks, are common in software and digital electronics. Known techniques for finding a first element meeting a specified condition in an ordered data structure are serial in nature. That is, known techniques proceed element-by-element from the beginning end of the data structure towards the opposite end, testing each element in turn for the specified condition until the specified condition is met. The time required to perform such a serial find operation on a data structure having N elements is on the order of N (i.e., O(N)) in the worst case and on the order of N/2(i.e., O(N/2)) on average. The execution time is measured in gate delays for a hardware implementation of the technique or in terms of processor cycles for a software implementation. The execution time can be prohibitively large when N is large.
In one respect, the invention is a method for finding an element meeting a predetermined condition among an ordered set of N elements. The method subdivides the ordered set of N elements into M subsets, wherein 1 less than M  less than N. A particular one of the M subsets contains K elements. The method determines if the particular subset contains an element meeting the predetermined condition. The method also identifies which of the K elements in the particular subset is the first element meeting the predetermined condition. As necessary, the method can process other of the M subsets in a similar manner. Preferably, all of the M subsets are processed in parallel. Thus, the method decomposes the problem of finding a first one in a set of N into M much more manageable problems. The same basic method can then optionally be applied to the outputs of the basic method to further simplify the problem.
In another respect, the invention is an apparatus for use with a structure having N ordered locations. Each location is capable of storing a variable that can be in a plurality of states including a predetermined state. The apparatus comprises a plurality of first level circuit blocks. Each first level circuit block is connected to a subset of the N ordered locations, and each first level circuit block comprises a first logic gate and a first logic network. The first logic gate has a plurality of inputs, each of which is connected to an element of the subset of the N ordered locations. The first logic gate output is the predetermined state if at least one of the inputs is in the predetermined state. The first logic network also has a plurality of inputs, each of which is connected to an element of the subset of the N ordered locations. The first logic network outputs one or more signals indicative of the first location among the subset of the N ordered locations to be in the predetermined state. Optionally, the apparatus includes second and subsequent level logic blocks as necessary in a modular design.
In yet another respect, the invention is an apparatus for use with a structure having N ordered locations. Each location is capable of storing a variable that can be in a plurality of states including a particular state. The apparatus comprises a plurality of first presence determining means and a plurality of first indicating means. Each first presence determining means performs the function of determining if a subset of the N ordered locations contains an element having the predetermined state. Each of the first indicating means performs the function of indicating which element in a subset of the N ordered locations is the first element having the predetermined state in the subset. Each subset contains at least two of the N ordered locations.
In comparison to known methods and apparatus for finding a first element in an ordered data structure, certain embodiments of the invention are capable of achieving certain advantages, including the following:
(1) Certain embodiments of the invention are capable of much faster execution. In particular, the speed of execution can be made less dependent on the size of the data structure.
(2) Certain embodiments of the invention can be performed recursively or designed using modular hardware components.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate these and other advantages and benefits of various embodiments of the invention upon reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the below-listed drawings.

Method and apparatus for finding a first element


A rotary screen printing press includes: a screen plate; a squeegee; squeegee supporting means for supporting the squeegee; and a worm and a worm wheel. The squeegee supporting means includes: a supporting plate swingably supported and supporting the worm and the worm wheel; an eccentric sleeve configured to adjust the position of the center of swinging movement of the supporting plate; and a contact surface and a screw configured to limit the direction of the movement of the supporting plate. The eccentric sleeve and the contact surface and screw cooperate with each other to move the tip of the squeegee along the tangent line of an impression cylinder at a position at which the screen plate and the squeegee contact each other.

Rotary screen printing presses utilizing a rotary screen unit have heretofore been known as high-speed printing apparatuses for printing objects made from a wide range of materials such as cloth and paper. The rotary screen printing presses employ a printing method involving pushing ink with a squeegee through through-holes formed in the plate surface of a screen plate formed in a cylindrical shape to transfer the forced ink onto a printing object.
In general, in such a rotary screen printing press, the squeegee includes a squeegee body (blade) configured to push ink, and a support (squeegee bar) supporting the blade. To mount the squeegee on the rotary screen printing press, the squeegee is positioned inside a rotary screen, and opposite end portions of the squeegee bar are fixed to squeegee supporting means. Note that the rotary screen refers to a screen plate formed in a cylindrical shape and having end rings attached to the opposite ends thereof as supporting members.
There has been known a structure in which a conventional rotary screen printing press as described above includes screen-plate supporting means for supporting a rotary screen in such a way that the rotary screen can be engaged with and disengaged from an impression cylinder, and squeegee supporting means for supporting the opposite ends of a squeegee bar in such a way that a blade can be engaged with and disengaged from the inner peripheral surface of the rotary screen (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
Moreover, there has been known a technique for a screen printing press using a flat screen plate to perform screen printing, in which the angle of the squeegee is adjusted based on printing conditions such as the viscosity of the ink, the diameter of the print pattern holes, and the pitch of the holes (see Patent Literature 2, for example).


A continuous hydrogen pulverization method of a rare earth permanent magnetic alloy includes: providing a hydrogen adsorption room, a heating dehydrogenation room and a cooling room in series, applying hydrogen adsorption, heating dehydrogenation and cooling on a rare earth permanent magnetic alloy in the production device at the same time, wherein collecting and storing under an inert protection atmosphere can also be provided. Continuous production is provided under vacuum and the inert protection atmosphere in such a manner that an oxygen content of the pulverized powder is low and a proportion of single crystal in the powder is high.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous hydrogen pulverization method and a production device of a rare earth permanent magnetic alloy
Description of Related Arts
Melt-spun neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB for short) rare earth permanent magnetic powder is mixed with resin of the same volume for forming a bonded magnet. The bonded magnet is widely utilized in electronic, electrical appliance and motor fields, and has wider and wider application. The rare earth hydrogen storage alloy is also a material for producing the negative electrode of a nickel-metal hydride battery (NI-MH battery for short) and is widely utilized in electrical tools, hybrid cars, etc. The rare earth hydrogen storage alloy has wider and wider application, too.
The conventional hydrogen pulverization device of the NdFeB rare earth permanent magnetic alloy is a hydrogen pulverization furnace with a rotary inner tank. The rotary inner tank is supported by support parts at the two ends. An electrical heating furnace comprising an openable first furnace body and an openable second furnace body cases around the inner tank. A first end of the inner tank comprises a material inlet and a material outlet, and a second end of the inner tank can hermetically communicates with a vacuum pump and an air distributor.
In the conventional rotary hydrogen pulverization furnace, it is difficult to collect the magnetic powder under the protection of inert gases. The cooling speed is low. And the operation period is long that may take dozens of or even over thirty hours. The conventional rotary hydrogen pulverization furnace is an external-heating muffle furnace which takes a lot of power.

Continuous hydrogen pulverization method and production device of rare earth permanent magnetic alloy


A fuel property detection apparatus detects fuel properties based on cetane number and density of a tested fuel. Tested fuel is examined in terms of ignition timing, and, when the tested fuel has an ignition timing earlier than a threshold, the tested fuel is identified as having a standard cetane number. When the tested fuel has an ignition timing later than the threshold, the tested fuel is identified as having a low cetane number. An advance angle of the ignition timing is increased for yielding a greater ignition timing difference between a light property fuel and a heavy property fuel, and, in such manner, the difference therebetween is detected. When an advancement of the ignition timing is greater than a threshold, the fuel property is identified as heavy, and, when an advancement of the ignition timing is smaller than the threshold, the fuel property is identified as light.

An invention for detecting a cetane number as a property of a fuel that is used in a compression ignition engine has been proposed in a patent document 1 (i.e., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-144528). The invention in the patent document 1 detects a cetane number of a fuel based on a torque change amount that corresponds to a change of a fuel injection amount in one of many sub-injections performed after a main injection, which is designated as a specific injection.
However, the fuel property is not only determined by a cetane number but also by a density, which affects a state of the internal combustion. That is, even when the two kinds of fuel have the same cetane number, the density difference of the two fuels results in respectively different combustion states. Therefore, for the optimization of the combustion, the combustion control must take into account the density of the fuel in addition to the cetane value. For such purposes, detecting both of the cetane number and the density of the fuel is beneficial. Further, the fuel density may be detected by using a separate and dedicated fuel density sensor. However, a separate and dedicated fuel density sensor leads to an increase of the number of sensors.


A hydraulic steering arrangement with a directional valve and a metering pump unit having two hydraulically parallel connected and mechanically parallel operable metering pumps, each having a toothed ring with inner toothing and a gear wheel with outer toothing being able to perform rotary and orbiting movements in the toothed ring. It is desired to extend the life of the metering pumps. For this purpose, a through-going driving part is provided for both gear wheels.

The invention concerns a hydraulic steering arrangement with a directional valve and a metering pump unit having two hydraulically parallel connected and mechanically parallel operable metering pumps, each having a toothed ring with inner toothing and a gear wheel with outer toothing being able to perform rotary and orbiting movements in said toothed ring.
A hydraulic steering arrangement of this kind is for example known from DE 195 11 501 A1 or DE 196 07 0674 A1.
Such steering arrangements are particularly applied in connection with the steering of vehicles. In this connection, the metering pump unit is connected with a steering motor via a directional valve. The directional valve is connected with a steering handwheel or a similar device. When the steering handwheel is turned, the directional valve is displaced in the desired direction. The metering pump unit supplies hydraulic fluid until the steering motor has reached the desired position. In this state the directional valve is displaced again, so that no further supply of hydraulic fluid takes place.
During normal, that is, undisturbed, operation, both metering pumps are active. Accordingly, they can supply a relatively large volume of hydraulic fluid, which enables a quick reaction of the steering motor to movements of the steering handwheel.
When the pressure on the pump connection, which usually provides the pressurised hydraulic fluid, should for some reason decrease or break down, for example because the responsible supply pump is defective or its drive has failed, the metering pumps can also be used as auxiliary pumps in a so-called xe2x80x9cemergency operationxe2x80x9d. In this case, the metering pumps are thus used to pressurise the hydraulic fluid. The required energy for this purpose must be provided via the steering handwheel, that is, usually by means of human muscle power.
In order to facilitate the work for the operator in this connection, the above patent documents disclose the use of only one of the two metering pumps for the fluid transport, disconnecting or short-circuiting the other pump. The operator then only has to operate one metering pump. For the same deflection of the steering motor, he has to turn the steering handwheel a longer distance. The amount of power required, however, is smaller.
In the known case, one of the two metering pumps is driven via a cardan shaft, which is in rotary connection with the gear wheel via a spline connection. Normally, this cardan shaft is required, as the metering pump is arranged eccentrically to other parts of the steering arrangement, which can also rotate. The tapered structure or the inner toothing of the gear wheel also serves the adoption of an additional shaft, by means of which a torque from the gear wheel of the first metering pump is transferred to the gear wheel of the second metering pump. Also this second gear wheel has a corresponding tapered structure on its inside.
It has now been observed that metering pumps of this kind do not always have as long a life as desired.
Accordingly, the task of the invention is to prolong the life of the metering pumps.
In a steering device as mentioned in the introduction, this task is solved in that a through-going driving part for both gear wheels is provided.
Accordingly, the gear wheels of both metering pumps are always driven by the same driving part. Therefore, their movements are to a high degree synchronised. This is a clear improvement in relation to the known cases. Here, the at least double tapered meshing between the first and the second gear wheel always made a small tolerance unavoidable. In unfavourable cases, this tolerance could cause commutation displacements to occur, which again would lead to pressure peaks. The pressure peaks again mean a risk to the gear sets, and in particular for the gear set which is driven by the second shaft, which is normally also made as a cardan shaft. When, however, only one single driving part is used, common for both gear wheels, these problems do not occur. It is substantially easier to keep the commutation in accordance, so that pressure peaks can be avoided or at least substantially reduced.
Preferably, the engagement ratios between the driving part and the gear wheel of each metering pump are equal. In a relatively simple embodiment, this can be realised in that the engagement geometry of both gear wheels is kept the same. Thus, the driving part is provided with uniform engagement geometry over its whole axial length. Also the two gear wheels have an identical engagement geometry. Thus, additionally to the use of a common driving part, the same engagement geometry or the same engagement behaviour, respectively, ensures that both gear wheels are driven in practically identical ways.
Preferably, the driving part is made of part of the directional valve. In this case, a tolerance will not occur in a possible connection between the driving part and the corresponding part of the directional valve. On the contrary, the directional valve continues into the metering pump with the driving part.
Preferably, the directional valve has an inner rotary slide and an outer rotary slide, which are rotatable in relation to each other, the outer rotary slide extending eccentrically through the gear wheels of the metering pump, and the gear wheels being in torque-transmitting connection with the outer rotary slide. At the same time, the gear wheels rotate and orbit in the corresponding toothed rings. Thus, with their centre they describe a rotation around a rotation axis of the rotary slides. It can now be ensured that between the outer rotary slide and the gear wheels a connection exists, which transmits the rotary torque, not, however, the orbiting movement, to the rotary slide. In this case, the rotary slide can be arranged concentrically around the toothed ring of the metering pump.
Preferably, each gear wheel has an inner toothing, which engages with an outer toothing of the outer rotary slide, the engagement being limited to a circumferential area, which travels in the circumferential direction when the gear wheels are orbiting. With this relatively simple measure, the movement transmission from the gear wheel to the rotary slide can be limited to a pure rotary movement. The movement is transmitted via the engagement between the inner toothing and the other toothing. The orbiting movement of the gear wheel is permitted, as the rotary slide always only engages with the gear wheel on part of its circumference. The remaining part is free and can thus be used for the orbiting movement.
Preferably, the outer rotary slide has a reduced diameter on the section arranged close to the gear wheels. Thus, the outer dimensions of the steering arrangement can be kept exactly as small as in the known cases mentioned in the introduction. In fact, the same housing can also be used. Merely the metering pump section has to be changed a little.
Preferably, the inner rotary slide bears axially with one end on a wall of the outer rotary slide projecting radially inwards. Thus, the inner rotary slide is fixed in the outer rotary slide, so that the overlapping of the control openings and recesses can be maintained over a longer period with an extremely high accuracy.
It is also advantageous when the driving part passes through one of the gear wheels in its full length and projects at least halfway into the other gear wheel. Thus, it is obtained that the gear wheels do not tilt in relation to the rotary slide, that is, do not incline out of their rotation level. Also this measure serves the purpose of keeping the wear at a low level.


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reusing an image recording material wherein a releasing property is imparted to at least a substrate surface of an image recording material on which an image has been formed of an image forming material containing a heat fusible ingredient, a heat fusible material is added or attached onto the image recording material, a stripping member is contacted under pressure with the heat fusible material while heating the heat fusible material together with the image recording materials to fuse, and the image recording material is peeled off from the stripping member to transfer the image forming material together with the heat fusible material to the stripping member, thereby reusing the image recording material. The materials for imparting a releasing property to the substrate surface include silicone compounds such as silane compounds, preferably those silane compounds containing fine particles such as silicone resins. The heat fusible material preferably includes the same ingredient as the heat fusible ingredient in the image forming material. Base materials of the image recording materials, such as paper, can be efficiently be reused.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for reusing an image recording material used in electrophotographic recording or thermal transfer recording and a reusing apparatus therefor. More particularly, it relates to a method for reusing a reusable image recording material wherein image formation with an image forming material and removal thereof can be repeated by removing an image forming material from an image recording material on which the image forming material has been retained, and a reusing apparatus for reusing an image recording material.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, global environmental destruction has come to light and the importance of forest resource conservation has been recognized; consequently, it has become an important subject to reduce the amount of wood resources utilized as raw materials of paper. For example, waste paper is not discarded as refuse and recycling thereof has been developed. Although the reuse of waste paper is an important means for recovering resources, there may be many problems in the preparation of reused paper. For example, recovery of waste paper has the following problems: leakage of confidential documents or data, particularly in enterprises; operation such as recovery of paper sorted with kinds of paper, and transportation thereof; and accumulating places for and control of recovered waste paper.
Further, reuse of waste paper may lead to deterioration in quality of reused paper since pulp fibers may be shortened during repulping of the waste paper. Further, a device for deinking from image areas is required. A paper machine itself is large, complex and expensive and, therefore, reuse of paper can not be done by an individual but can be effected only by certain enterprises. Unless the sorted recovery, transportation, accumulation and operation of a large device are performed efficiently, a large amount of energy will be consumed, i.e., the amount of CO.sub.2 discharged will be large. Consequently, the global warming phenomenon associated with the increase of the amount of CO.sub.2, which is one of global environmental problems, may further be accelerated.
As a solution for these problems, a method has been disclosed for erasing an image on a recording material, such as paper, once used to regenerate the material. The methods and apparatuses for removing an image on paper by a physical means include those disclosed in the following patent publications.
JP-A No. 1-101576 and JP-A No. 1-101577 disclose a method for reusing paper comprising immersing a sheet of paper or film on which an image forming toner has been deposited in an organic solvent in which the toner resin can be dissolved, and applying ultrasonic vibration thereto to release the toner dissolved in the solvent from the paper surface. In this method, however, the dissolved toner may penetrate again into the paper and stain the paper. Further, there are many other problems: undesired noise produced by the vibration; contamination in room due to the use of organic solvents; inflammability; and toxicity. This method is difficult to employ generally in homes and offices.
JP-A No. 4-349486 discloses that an image area or the entire surface of paper, on which the images have been recorded, is coated with an image forming material having the same color as the paper (e.g., white color toner). In this method, unlike peeling off an image portion from paper, the paper surface becomes glossy and the thickness of the paper is increased by repeating reuse. Consequently, the paper seems to be a special paper after reuse.
JP-A No. 6-208318, JP-A No. 6-250569, JP-A No. 6-250570, JP-A No. 6-266264, JP-A No. 6-273966, JP-A No. 6-289643 and JP-A No. 7-13383 disclose that a recording material such as paper on which an image is recorded is impregnated by dipping or spraying with a deinking agent (e.g., surfactant) solution, or that a solution of a water soluble polymer and a surfactant is coated on the surface or back surface of a recording material to penetrate into the recording material and the image forming material on the recording material is brought into contact with an image remover and heated to adhere with each other, and the image portion is peeled off from the recording material.
However, these methods also have many problems: organic solvents should be used; even if an aqueous solution is used, recording materials including paper are corrugated or wrinkled during drying. Paper may become transparent due to the surfactants or polymers which are not evaporated but accumulated during repeated use. In solid image where an image is formed on the whole surface of a recording material unlike a character image, the surfactant may hardly penetrate through the image forming material to reach the surface of the recording material. Therefore, the releasability of the image forming material from the paper as a recording material can not be enhanced. Consequently, the surface of the recording paper may be damaged upon peeling off since fibers of the surface of the paper may also be peeled off together with the image forming material. When a surfactant is penetrated from the back surface of a recording material, this method is difficult to apply to double-sided copied paper. Further, the apparatus can not be made compact since some space must be provided to contain and retain the solvent. Even if an aqueous solution is substituted for the organic solvent from the viewpoint of safety, maintenance cost for supplementing and purchasing the aqueous solution are required. A large amount of heat is required to evaporate and dry the moisture from a recording material paper. As a result, a large amount of energy consumption poses a high running cost.
JP-A 1-297294 discloses a cleaning method wherein a support comprising plastic, metal, liquid-impermeable paper or ceramic bearing an image thereon is used, and an image formed from a heat fusible ink on the support is removed from the support by heating an ink stripper through a heat fusible stripper. Thereafter, the ink stripper is cooled and the image is peeled off from the support. The support used in this method is a film or special paper which is quite different from usual paper in touch and feeling and is more expensive than the usual paper. The reason why any liquid-permeable paper can not be used as a support is that when the heat fusible ink is fused, the paper fibers are impregnated with the fused ink, the portion of which can not be stripped off. This method is time-consuming since cooling to room temperature is required before peeling off the image from the support. Further, since the heat fusible stripper and ink stripper are different from each other in their thermal expansion coefficients, they may separate from each other during cooling and some space is produced therebetween where the heat fusible ink can not be stripped off from the support.
Even if this problem may be solved by enhancing the adhesion strength between the heat fusible stripper and the ink stripper, the adhesion strength with the support is also enhanced and the support may be deformed and the force required to peel off will be extremely large. As a result, a drawback that this portion of the apparatus becomes large arises. Further, since an OHP film as an image bearing support generally used has an image receiving layer to enhance the fixing of an image forming material, it will also be difficult to peel off the OHP film from the ink stripper by the cooling and peeling method.

Apparatus for reusing image recording materials


The technical field of the invention is the manufacture of surgical equipment implantable in the human body. The invention concerns a device for protecting nerves (2) and/or tendons (3) located in a canal zone (13) of the human body, normally closed by a ligament (1) and which is opened during a surgical procedure. The invention is characterized in that the device includes at least a plate (10) whereof the dimensions enable its insertion between the edges of the ligament, and in particular whereof the length is compatible with the distance separating the edges (11) of the ligament (1) after the cut performed during the surgical procedure, and whereof one face (102) includes a sliding surface and the other face (101) a adhering surface, the plate (10) is preferably convex with two curvilinear sides parallel in the direction transverse to the sides corresponding to the cut edges (11) of the ligament (1).

The subject of the present invention is a device for protecting nerves after a surgical procedure.
The technical field of the invention is the manufacture of surgical equipment implantable in the human body.
One of the main applications of the invention is the manufacture of a device for protecting the median nerve and the flexor tendons of the hand, in the area of the tunnel zone of the wrist which constitutes the carpal tunnel and which is delimited by the bones of said carpal tunnel (the carpal bones) and the corresponding anterior annular ligament.
Individuals who have to perform repetitive movements of the hand may develop inflammation of the synovial tissue which surrounds the tendons, with proliferation of fibrous synovitis. The tendons are then ensheathed and the internal volume of the tunnel increases, making the fingers insensitive after a certain period of time, as a result of compression of the median nerve, and making it impossible to carry out manual work thereafter. One of the surgical solutions employed at present, and the most effective for reducing this inflammation, is to treat the carpal tunnel syndrome by surgically opening said ligament to relieve the compression on the carpal tunnel and to remove the synovial fluid which has developed there: more than 60,000 operations of this type are performed each year in France, and for each person this means at least two months off work before being able to recover complete use of the hand.
However, on account of the opening of the transverse annular ligament, whose margins are thereby cut and are left floating, the flexor tendons of the fingers may leave the carpal tunnel and the median nerve is unprotected; the patient cannot therefore start using the hand again too soon, and, despite the precautions which are taken, a recurrence rate of 5% is observed.
To remedy this disadvantage, surgeons use different methods such as partial sectioning of one of the margins of the ligament in order to move it and connect it to the other margin, at the risk of tearing this ligament, which is in fact thereby weakened.
There is not in fact at present a satisfactory response to the postoperative problems created by opening the ligament, and this is the case regardless of the tunnel zone concerned, whether the wrist, which is the most common case, or the elbow or the ankle.

Device for protecting nerves after surgical procedure


Disclosed is an airbag module which can improve working efficiency because it is easy to assemble, reduce weight while maintaining sufficient rigidity, and ensure sufficient safety. The airbag module comprises: a cushion assembly including an airbag cushion; an inflator for supplying gas to the airbag cushion to deploy the airbag cushion; a housing for containing the cushion assembly, and having a through hole for arranging the inflator therethrough; and a cushion support for supporting the cushion assembly, and including through rings for passing the inflator therethrough so as to be supported by the inflator arranged through the through hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag module for protecting a driver and a passenger upon a vehicle collision.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, consumers think that the safety of a vehicle, as well as the performance or design of a vehicle, is a very important consideration in choosing a vehicle. Therefore, car manufacturers have established the development of technologies for securing the safety of a vehicle as a primary goal and are devoting themselves to this goal. Under the circumstance of the development of technologies, airbag modules are receiving attention as means for improving the safety of a passenger, and the technologic development for these means are in rapid progress. Also, in recent years, airbag modules are being regarded as an essential item of a vehicle.
However, an airbag module must have sufficient safety because it carries out the function of protecting a passenger by deploying an airbag cushion. For this, strength of more than a predetermined level should be maintained, and thus parts of the airbag module are made of metal material having a large weight. However, this makes the weight of the airbag module larger, thereby decreasing the energy efficiency of the vehicle.
Further, the airbag module is constructed by joining various parts, but the joining process is not easy. Hence, although measures for improving working efficiency have been sought, any proper solution for this has not been secured yet.


This disclosure describes systems and associated processes that enable an application provider to tailor the testing of an application provided by a developer based on a developer trust level or confidence level. Based, at least in part, on the developer trust level, the application provider can automatically determine tests to run on the application. Advantageously, in certain embodiments, tailoring testing based at least in part on the developer trust level enables the application provider to reduce the amount of resources expended on testing while maintaining customer confidence and satisfaction.

The process of testing new software applications can be expensive both monetarily and in terms of human resources. As mobile applications (sometimes called "apps") proliferate and become more sophisticated, the costs associated with testing such applications also increases. However, as more applications are created that access sensitive user data, the importance of properly testing applications also increases.

Automated selection of quality control tests to run on a software application


The present invention is a method of manufacturing a light emitting display panel, which includes a laminated structure formed by laminating at least a flexible base layer, a first electrode layer, an EL layer, a second electrode layer and a flexible sealing layer in that order. The flexible base layer is provisionally attached to a rigid flat plate, and thereafter supplied to a main manufacturing step of the light emitting display panel. According to the feature, no significant unevenness in the thicknesses of layers formed on or above the flexible base layer is generated. Therefore, a light emitting display panel whose light emitting strength is uniform can be produced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a light emitting display panel having an electroluminescent element (the term "electroluminescent" is hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "EL"). In addition, the present invention relates to a light emitting display panel having an EL element.
2. Description of the Related Art
An EL element is excited to emit a light when an electric field is applied to a fluorescent compound therein. The EL element has a high visibility because of its self-emitting property. In addition, the EL element is excellent in shock resistance because it is a complete solid body. Especially, an organic EL element that includes an organic component as a fluorescent material has the following advantageous features. At first, the organic EL element has a high luminous efficiency, that is, a highly bright light is realized by an applied voltage as low as less than 10V. Then, the organic EL element can emit a light with a simple element structure. Further, the organic EL element has a long life duration. In addition, the organic EL element has a layered structure in which a hole-transporting layer, a luminescent layer and an electron-injecting layer are mainly formed between an anode and a cathode. Each layer can be formed to have a nanoscale thickness, which is advantageous in that a reduction of thickness and weight of the element can be facilitated. In addition, each layer can be manufactured by applying a coating liquid in which a polymer material is dissolved. Thus, when manufacturing the respective layers, a printing method to a paper and an ink jet method can be applied to the manufacturing step.
A light emitting display panel, in which an organic EL element having the various advantages described above is formed on or above a flexible substrate, has a flexibility as a whole. Therefore, such a light emitting display panel has been recently expected to be employed in an advertisement display (an electric spectaculars panel, for example) which emits a light to display a certain pattern, and a relatively inexpensive display which emits a light to display a simple sign. It has also been under review to apply such a light emitting display panel to various kinds of display panels such as a thin-film panel, a band-shaped panel, a circular panel, and so on (for example, please see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 15859/2002 (claims and FIG. 1)).
In a conventional method of manufacturing a light emitting display panel, a glass substrate is generally used. Basically, such a manufacturing method includes the steps of: supplying a glass substrate; forming a transparent electrode, an EL layer, and so on; and discharging a manufactured light emitting display panel. Each handling between the steps is carried out by receiving the glass substrate in a cassette.
An invention of improvement for manufacturing a light emitting display panel is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 208878/1998 (claims and FIG. 1) in which a layered body, which has an EL layer therein and is separately formed, is laminated by a pair of carrier films so as to manufacture a light emitting display panel.
However, in a method of manufacturing a flexible light emitting display panel employing the above flexible substrate, when each layer is directly formed on the flexible substrate, there is a possibility that thicknesses of the respective layers (especially a thickness of the EL layer which influences ununiformity of a light emitting strength) become uneven because of a flexibility of the flexible substrate itself. In order to restrain the unevenness, a different step from that for the glass substrate is additionally needed, which may impair the productivity.
Regarding a light emitting display panel itself, in the market, a light emitting display panel is requested to be superior in a soliciting effect, i.e., a publicizing and advertising effect on soliciting purchasers to purchase things. For example, at first, a light emitting display panel is requested to be noticed by purchasers.
A light emitting display panel is also requested to be flexible enough to be freely attached on or incorporated in variously shaped objects. In addition, in order to be arranged in various environments, a light emitting display panel is requested to be hardly affected by factors of environment such as moisture (steam), oxygen, or the like. Furthermore, suppliers have been studying a structure design of a light emitting display panel that can be manufactured at a low cost.

Method of manufacturing a light emitting display panel and a light emitting display panel


A conditioner roll tread pattern comprising a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced ribs separated by grooves extending across the axial length of the conditioner roll. The ribs are angled relative to the axial centerline, either with a fixed positive/negative angle or a continuously varying angle alternating between positive and negative extremes. The conditioner roll is configured to work in conjunction with a paralley disposed roll of similar tread pattern configuration, reversed end-for-end so that the ribs of one roll intermesh with the grooves of the adjacent roll. The location of the transition points at which the angle reverses along the axial length are coordinated with the transverse locations of converging and diverging crop flows being discharged from a forwardly disposed rotary disc cutterbar in a manner that results in a crop mat having more uniform thickness being discharged from the conditioner.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural mower-conditioners, and more particularly relates to a crop header in which the conditioning apparatus is configured to improve windrow consistency when used with a rotary disc cutterbar.
Windrower mower-conditioner combinations are well known and typically comprise a cutting mechanism, a conditioning unit, and one or more deflectors to arrange the cut and conditioned crop material into a windrow. The windrower mower-conditioner combination is generally a self-propelled unit, but may also be configured to be propelled by a separate tractor. Typically, a standing crop is cut by a rotating disc cutting mechanism disposed along a leading edge of the combination. The severed crop material is then directed to a conditioner unit that processes the crop for faster drying. The conditioner unit typically comprises a pair of intermeshing rolls that crush the crop material passing therebetween. For background information on the structure and operation of some typical disc mower-conditioners, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,647, issued to McLean et al., the descriptive portions thereof being incorporated herein by reference.
One problem with counter-rotating discs is that crop material tends to be non-uniformly discharged from the cutterbar; crop material tends to be concentrated between converging cutters (ones in which the knife cutting edges approach each other during rotation) leaving a much less dense area in the crop mat between pairs of diverging rotary cutters. Rather than a desirable crop material mat of near-uniform thickness being fed into the conditioner rolls, the crop material mat directed toward the rolls will be arranged in several smaller windrow-like streams of crop. Conventional conditioner rolls having a single chevron, spiral roll, or similar large scale tread patterns do not laterally disperse the crop mat to a significant degree to overcome the bunched crop streams inherent with a disc cutterbar. This results in discharge of a windrow of non-uniform mat thickness which is less than ideal for crop drying.
It would be advantageous to have a conditioner roll tread pattern with a repeating pattern coordinated with the position of the converged crop discharges from a rotary disc cutterbar that would laterally disperse the crop mat discharged from the cutterbar leaving a crop mat having a more uniform thickness in the resultant windrow. Further advantages would be realized by a conditioner roll tread pattern design that balances lateral dispersion of crop incoming material thereby minimizing thrust loads imposes on the roll bearings and the tendency for crop material to be concentrated at the outboard ends of the rolls and restricted by the header side walls side.

Conditioner rolls having tread pattern coordinated with cutterbar crop discharge pattern


A system for packaging of perishable food products involves initially packaging the food product in a receptacle containing an inert gas atmosphere and sealing a film to the receptacle. The inert gas atmosphere prevents deterioration of the food product subsequent to shipment from a central processing facility. The receptacle includes a sealing flange and a tab portion extending from the sealing flange, to which the film is sealed. To prepare the food product for display at a retail establishment, the tab and the film sealed thereto are removed from the package, to form an opening between the film and the receptacle. An atmosphere exchange operation is carried out through the opening, by inserting a nozzle through the opening and introducing an oxygen-containing gas into the receptacle cavity through the opening. The inert gas atmosphere initially contained within the receptacle is exhausted through the opening. Once the atmosphere exchange process has been carried out, the nozzle is withdrawn from the opening and the opening is closed by sealing the film to the receptacle. Introduction of the oxygen-containing gas into the receptacle cavity induces the desired oxygen "bloom" in a fresh meat food product, and in other food products replaces the inert gas atmosphere in preparation for display and consumption of the food product. The final configuration of the package as displayed to consumers has the same external appearance as prior art packages, leading to ready consumer acceptance while greatly enhancing product life and reducing spoilage associated with production and distribution of the food products from a central processing facility. The invention also contemplates a package and a receptacle construction for use in carrying out the described method.

This invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to packaging of perishable food products.
In packaging of fresh red meat products, it is known to initially cut and package the meat products at a processing facility for subsequent shipment to retail outlets. Typically, the meat products are packaged such that ambient air is contained within the package, which can result in discoloration of the meat product caused by conversion of myoglobin meat pigment to a grayish or brownish metmyoglobin. This discoloration generally renders the meat product unacceptable for consumers. Ultimately, such exposure to ambient air can result in spoilage of the meat product.
In order to avoid discoloration and spoilage of meat products and to provide a desirable aging of the meat product, it is known to vacuum package the meat product to remove ambient air and any other atmosphere from the package. It is also known to package the meat product in an inert gas atmosphere, such as a nitrogen gas atmosphere.
Vacuum packaging of meat products is less than optimal for several reasons. First, vacuum packaging is a relatively expensive process requiring specialized equipment. Secondly, vacuum packaging produces an end product in which the film wrap material is in contact with the meat product, resulting in an irregularly shaped package which is undesirable from the standpoint of product presentation. Further, vacuum packaged meat products do not have the deep red color desired by consumers.
Packaging fresh meat products with an inert gas atmosphere has been found to be an acceptable way to preserve the meat product and provide a desirable aging, after shipment of the meat product from a processing facility to a retail outlet. However, once the package has arrived at the retail outlet, it is necessary to replace the inert gas atmosphere within the package with an oxygen-containing atmosphere. This removes any discoloration on the surface of the meat product which may have been caused by the presence of the inert gas atmosphere, and produces the desired oxygen "bloom" which results in the desirable deep red color on the surface of the meat product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,672 issued Oct. 25, 1977 discloses a system in which a meat product is packaged within a package in which one of the package walls is formed from a gas impermeable material and another package wall is formed of an inner gas permeable layer and an outer gas impermeable layer. The meat product is initially packaged in an inert gas atmosphere, which is maintained within the package by the package walls including the outer gas impermeable wall layer. When it is desired to display the meat product for purchase by a consumer, the outer gas impermeable layer is removed, which enables oxygen-containing ambient air to flow into the package through the gas permeable layer. This results in the desired oxygen bloom in preparation for display. This system is disadvantageous in that deterioration of the product is not prevented after the impermeable layer has been removed, unless an additional impermeable layer is subsequently added to the package. In addition, it is necessary to add an impermeable layer over the permeable layer if the product is to be frozen. Further, the required combination of a gas impermeable film layer overlying a gas permeable film layer is difficult and expensive to produce, and difficult to seal to the container in a manner providing satisfactory removal of the gas impermeable layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,955 issued Apr. 24, 1990, discloses a packaging system in which a septum valve is incorporated into the wall of a tray in which the meat product is packaged. A hollow needle is inserted through the septum valve and is interconnected with an atmosphere exchange device, which functions to remove the inert gas atmosphere from the interior of the package and replace it with an oxygen-containing atmosphere, to induce the desired oxygen bloom in the meat product. After the atmosphere within the package is exchanged, the hollow needle is removed and the septum valve closes to maintain the oxygen-containing atmosphere within the package. Again, this system is functional to replace an inert gas atmosphere with an oxygen-containing atmosphere in the interior of a package. However, the septum valve provides a point of entry for possible tampering with the package contents while the package is on display, which would not leave any trace of tampering on the package itself. Further, the hollow needle terminates in a sharp end which could give rise to hazardous conditions for the operator of the atmosphere exchange device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a packaging system for perishable products in which an inert gas atmosphere within the interior of the package can be easily and quickly replaced with an oxygen-containing atmosphere. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a packaging system in which the final package is identical in appearance to prior art packages from a consumer standpoint. It is a further object of the invention to provide such a packaging system in which the packaged product can be frozen without having to add an additional layer of wrap material to the package. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a packaging system in which the atmosphere within the package interior is replaced using an oxygen-containing atmosphere delivery apparatus which does not present the potential for harm to an operator. A still further object of the invention is to provide such a packaging system in which the final package configuration is not susceptible to undetectable tampering.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an atmosphere exchange method is provided for a perishable food product package in which the food product is disposed within a receptacle having an internal cavity and an inert gas atmosphere is contained within the receptacle cavity, and in which a substantially impermeable film is sealed to the receptacle to maintain the inert gas atmosphere within the receptacle cavity. The atmosphere exchange method of the invention involves forming an opening in a portion of the seal between the film and the receptacle, replacing the inert gas atmosphere within the receptacle cavity, through the opening, with a non-inert gas atmosphere, and sealing the film to the receptacle to close the opening and to maintain the non-inert gas atmosphere within the receptacle cavity. The receptacle preferably includes a side wall having an upper surface including a lateral projection. The step of forming the opening in the seal between the film and the receptacle is carried out by first sealing the film to an outer portion of the lateral projection while leaving an inner portion of the lateral projection unsealed, and subsequently removing at least the outer portion of the lateral projection such that the opening is formed between the film and the inner unsealed portion of the lateral projection. The upper surface of the receptacle side wall is sealed to the film on either side of the lateral projection to define a pair of aligned spaced sealed areas, and the step of removing at least the outer portion of the lateral projection is carried out such that the opening is located between the pair of aligned, spaced sealed areas. The step of replacing the inert gas atmosphere within the receptacle cavity is carried out by separating the film from the side wall upper surface at the unsealed area to form the opening, and introducing the non-inert gas atmosphere into the receptacle cavity interiorly of the opening and simultaneously enabling the inert gas to escape the receptacle cavity through the opening. The step of introducing the non-inert gas atmosphere into the receptacle cavity is carried out utilizing a nozzle having a discharge area, and inserting the nozzle through the opening such that the nozzle discharge area is disposed interiorly of the opening and in communication with the receptacle cavity. The nozzle occupies less than the entire area of the opening, such that the unoccupied portion of the opening creates an outlet passage establishing communication between the receptacle cavity and the exterior of the receptacle for allowing the inert gas atmosphere to escape from the package interior upon introduction of the inert gas atmosphere. The step of separating the film from the side wall upper surface at the unsealed area is carried out by stretching the film between the spaced sealed areas to allow the nozzle to pass through the opening. The film at the unsealed area then returns to its original, unstretched condition subsequent to removal of the nozzle, and the step of sealing the film to the receptacle to close the opening is carried out by sealing the film to the receptacle at the previously unsealed area between the sealed areas. With this arrangement, the atmosphere within the package is exchanged and the package has the external appearance of any conventional fresh meat product packaged within a tray-type receptacle having an impermeable film overwrap sealed thereto.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a package for use in packaging a perishable food product is in the form of a receptacle defining an internal cavity and having a peripheral sealing surface, and a film sealed to the peripheral sealing surface. The receptacle includes a tab portion, and the peripheral sealing surface includes a non-linear segment in which the film is sealed to the tab portion. The receptacle further includes a sealing area located inwardly of the non-linear segment of the sealing surface and substantially coplanar with spaced portions of the sealing surface on either side of the non-linear segment. With this construction, the tab and the film secured to the non-linear segment can be removed to create an unsealed area between the film and the receptacle for use in exchanging the atmosphere within the receptacle cavity. After the atmosphere has been exchanged, the film is sealed to the sealing area to close the opening. The sealing area extends substantially linearly between the spaced portions of the sealing surface on either side of the non-linear segment. The receptacle preferably has a series of side walls extending upwardly from a bottom wall, and each side wall includes a sealing flange located at its upper end. The tab extends outwardly from the sealing flange of one of the side walls, such that the peripheral sealing surface is defined by the sealing flanges in combination with the tab. The tab is preferably in the form of a planar extension of one of the sealing flanges, and preferably has a length less than the length of the sealing flange from which it extends. The sealing flange on either side of the tab defines the spaced linear segments of the peripheral sealing surface between which the non-linear segment is located. In a preferred form, the sealing flange and the tab are configured such that removal of the tab between the spaced linear segments of the peripheral sealing surface results in a sealing flange substantially identical in configuration to a sealing flange associated with at least one other side wall of the receptacle.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a receptacle for use in packaging a perishable food product includes a bottom wall and a series of side walls extending upwardly therefrom to define an internal cavity for receiving the perishable food product. The upstanding side walls define a peripheral sealing surface adapted to have a film sealed thereto for closing the internal cavity. At least at first one of the side walls includes a lateral projection having an outer edge defining a portion of the sealing surface and an inner area substantially coplanar with the outer edge and with spaced portions of the sealing surface adjacent the lateral projection. The first side wall includes a sealing flange defining a portion of the peripheral sealing surface, and the lateral projection extends from the sealing flange and is substantially coplanar therewith. The first side wall and its associated sealing flange have a length greater than that of the lateral projection.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.

Gas packaging method for perishable food products


A transfer transistor of a CMOS image sensor is described, including a substrate of a first type, a gate dielectric layer on the substrate, a gate on the gate dielectric layer, a first doped region of the first type, a buried channel region of the first or second type, a second doped region of the first type, and source/drain regions of the second type. The first doped region is in the substrate directly under the gate dielectric layer under the gate, the buried channel region is in the substrate under the first doped region, and the second doped region is in the substrate under the buried channel region. The source/drain regions are in the substrate beside the gate.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a transfer transistor of a CMOS image sensor (CIS).
2. Description of Related Art
Current image sensors mainly include charge coupled device (CCD) and CMOS image sensor (CIS). CCDs feature high performance, but have certain problems. For example, CCD arrays are difficult to integrate with a CMOS process, complicating the integration of the on-chip drive and signal processing electronics. On the other hand, CMOS image sensors are advantageous over CCD imagers for allowing a low voltage operation and having low power consumption and lower fabrication costs. Therefore, CMOS image sensors are used more and more widely in image recording apparatuses.
However, conventional CMOS image sensors tend to suffer from the dart current that causes image lag lowering the quality of the recorded image. The major source of the dark current is the transfer transistor for transferring the photo-generated charges in the photodiode, while the dark current from the transfer transistor mainly come from the surface states at the interface between the substrate and the gate dielectric layer.
To reduce the dark current from the transfer transistor, U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,701 provides a transfer transistor of NMOS type having a buried channel, which is caused by forming an N-doped region directly under the surface of the P-substrate under the gate electrode. Because the buried channel does not include the substrate surface with surface states, the charges are not captured by the surface states to cause a dark current.

Transfer transistor of CMOS image sensor


The present invention provides a tamper resistant circuit board, an apparatus and method for aiding the design of the circuit board, a computer readable storage medium having stored therein a program for performing the method, and a mobile terminal containing the circuit board. The tamper resistant circuit board has a multilayer structure, including outermost substrates and an internal layer between the outermost substrates, and a signal line through which a confidential signal flows. The signal line is wired such as the confidential signal does not appear on the outer surfaces of the outermost substrates of the multilayer structure of the circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, a circuit board, a circuit board design aiding apparatus and method, a design aiding program, and a storage medium having stored therein the design aiding program. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tamper-resistant circuit board, an apparatus and method for aiding the design of the circuit board, a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the program for performing the method, and a mobile terminal containing the circuit board.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, with the development of digital information technologies and the explosive popularization of digital information communication infrastructure, it has become more common to process content such as music, images, video, and games, as digital information. The content converted into digital information is vulnerable to fraudulent acquisition by communications interception, wiretapping, spoofing, or the like, and fraudulent activities such as illegal copies and illegal modification of storage media having stored therein the data of the content. Thus, it is a great challenge to establish security systems for protecting the rights of content copyright holders and the profits of content distributors. Accordingly, techniques are required which protect copyrighted works converted into digital information. Note that in the following description, the difficulty of gaining unauthorized access to confidential information, such as content and signals, is referred to as "tamper resistance".
For security techniques for improving tamper resistance by communication media, there have been various known techniques. In most of the techniques, tamper resistance is improved by identifying authorized systems or encrypting data using encryption/authentication techniques. A representative of the techniques includes a challenge-response mutual authentication technique in which upon accessing a confidential-data storage region where confidential data which requires the protection of copyrighted works is stored, random numbers and response values are exchanged between apparatuses to mutually authenticate each other's validity and only a valid access is permitted. In communication of confidential data, encryption communication is performed which uses random numbers or response values for mutual authentication, thereby preventing unauthorized decoding.
One of the conditions for improving the tamper resistance of a circuit board in which components and the like are installed and connected by wiring, is the difficulty of probing a signal line which transmits digital information. This is because the information converted into a digital signal can be easily reproduced with the same quality as the original only if the signal is probed and the logic of the signal is determined. The harder it is to read a signal on the circuit board, i.e., the harder it is to perform probing, the harder it gets to analyze or copy digital information by external unauthorized access, and the easier it is to perform probing, the easier it gets to extract a signal, and thus it becomes easy to analyze or copy digital information.
For security techniques for circuit boards, there have also been various known techniques. For example, there is a technique in which the circuit section where confidential information is processed is formed in a one-chip IC format so that a signal of the confidential information cannot flow on the circuit board. In addition, there is a technique in which the circuit section where confidential information is processed is covered by a resin or the like. Further, there is a technique in which a component is arranged to cover a probeable portion of a signal line through which a signal of confidential information flows (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-299842).
However, in the method in which the circuit section where confidential information is processed is formed in a one-chip IC format or covered by a resin or the like, problems arise that off-the-shell ICs cannot be used, all the chips and wiring on the circuit board need to be taken care of, and the like. Thus, such methods are impractical in terms of the current techniques and manufacturing costs. In addition, after the circuit section is formed in a one-chip IC format or covered by a resin, not only third parties but also a developer or designer (hereinafter referred to as a "designer or the like") is unable to verify a confidential signal. Further, to adopt conventional encryption/authentication techniques for communication in circuit boards, a logic for realizing the techniques needs to be incorporated in all LSIs handling digital information. Thus, the adoption of such techniques is also impractical in terms of the current techniques and manufacturing costs. Moreover, the method in which a signal line for confidential information is covered by a component, as in the case of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-299842, is problematic because probing can be easily done by removing the component. As described above, with the conventional techniques, it is very difficult to completely conceal a signal line of the circuit board, through which confidential information flows.

Mobile terminal, circuit board, circuit board design aiding apparatus and method, design aiding program, and storage medium having stored therein design aiding program

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A liquid crystal projector is provided which automatically sets optimal sample parameters based on input analog image signals, capable of accurately performing image reproduction. The liquid crystal projector stores judging data formed by weighting and grouping the display modes using horizontal scanning data of analog image signals, vertical scanning data, and synchronizing signal polarity data. Then, the input horizontal scanning data, vertical scanning data, and synchronizing signal polarity data are detected by a judging condition detecting unit, and the display mode of the input analog image signals is automatically identified based on these detection results and the grouped judging data. Then, the sampling parameters are automatically set, based on the judging results.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an image reproducing apparatus, projector, image reproducing system, and information storing medium, and particularly relates to an image reproducing apparatus, projector, image reproducing system, and information storing medium wherein input analog image signals are sampled according to display pixels and reproduced.
2. Description of Related Art
There are known image reproducing apparatuses in which input analog image signals are sampled according to display pixels and reproduced. Examples of such image display apparatuses include projectors using liquid crystal shutters (liquid crystal light valves), liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and the like.
In order to use such an image reproducing apparatus and to sample and reproduce analog image signals supplied for, e.g., a computer, the input analog image data is subjected to sampling for each pixel of the liquid crystal shutter, liquid crystal display, or plasma display which is being used. How the parameters for sampling of the analog image signals are set at the time of the sampling processing is a crucial factor for good image reproduction.
The reason is that the sampling parameters slightly differ one from another depending on the type of computer supplying the image signals, or the computer manufacturer, even regarding analog image signals belonging to a group called VGA which represents a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels, for example.
For example, a sampling clock is used for sampling in order to create digital data according to each pixel, and when one horizontal scanning period corresponds to an output cycle of 800 pixels, the clock frequency is set such that 800 pulses are output during the one horizontal scanning period. In the event that the frequency of the sampling clock is different, problems arise in which there is a discrepancy between the sampling timing necessary for good image reproduction and the actual sampling timing.
Accordingly, it is important to perform auto-determination of the display mode in an accurate manner based on the input analog image signals, and to perform sampling processing of the signals using optimal sampling parameters.
In order to conduct this automatic determination, conventional apparatuses have employed a system in which tables are prepared beforehand for each display mode for identifying the display mode from the following three types of data: horizontal scanning data (one horizontal scanning period), vertical scanning data (how many vertical scanning lines are scanned per output cycle of vertical synchronous signal), and synchronous signal polarity data (the polarity of horizontal and vertical synchronous signals). Further, the three types of data from the input analog image signals, i.e., the horizontal scanning data, vertical scanning data, and polarity are checked against the aforementioned table, thus identifying the display mode in the event that all three items completely match the criteria.
However, rapid technological advances are being made nowadays, and the resolution of the image signals output from the computer is not limited to the aforementioned VGA. Rather, there are several types such as SVGA (800 by 600 pixels), XGA (1024 by 768), etc., and further, such a plurality of resolutions of analog image signals are often selectively output from the same computer. There are many types of analog image signals of each resolution in which the horizontal or vertical scanning data closely resembles that of analog image signals of another resolution, and moreover, there are many cases in which, for example, the horizontal scanning data is almost the same between VGA analog image signals output from a computer from a Company A and SVGA analog image signals output from a computer from a Company B.
Accordingly, it is difficult to accurately determine the great variety of display modes using the aforementioned known display mode determination means. There are instances in which, for example, a display mode which originally belongs to VGA is incorrectly determined to be a display mode belonging to SVGA, which is entirely different.
Further, the conventional determination method searches a display mode in which the analog image signal""s horizontal scanning data, vertical scanning data, and polarity data completely match from the determination table. For example, if the horizontal scanning data or vertical scanning data slightly differ from the data in the determination table, the process becomes permanently trapped in the display mode determination loop process, in which cases the reproduced image is not displayed at all.
In the event that such a condition occurs, the user can deal with the problem by setting the sampling parameters according to the type of computer being used or the display mode. However, users not familiar with the equipment tend to determine the problem as being a malfunction of the display reproducing apparatus, necessitating effective countermeasures.
The present invention has been made in light of such needs, and accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image reproducing apparatus, projector, image reproducing system, and information storing medium wherein optimal sampling parameters are automatically set according to input analog image signals, enabling image reproduction in a sure manner.
In order to achieve the above objects, the image reproducing apparatus according to the present invention is an image reproducing apparatus which samples and reproduces input analog image signals in accordance with display pixels. The image reproducing apparatus comprises: automatic determination means for automatically determining a display mode from the analog image signals; and image data generating means. Sampling parameters for sampling and reproducing analog image signals in accordance with display pixels are set for each display mode, and the image data generating means samples the analog image signals in accordance with display pixels, based on the sampling parameters corresponding with the determined display mode. The automatic determination means comprises: storing means for storing determination data which has been formed by weighting and grouping each display mode using the horizontal scanning data of the analog image signals, the vertical scanning data of the analog image signals, and polarity data of the synchronous signals; determination condition detecting means for detecting the input horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data of the input analog image signals, and polarity data of the synchronous signals; and determination means for determining the display mode of the analog image signals input from the grouped determination data, using at least one of the detected horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data of the analog image signals, and synchronous signals.
Also, the information storing medium according to the present invention is an information storing medium for an image reproducing apparatus which samples and reproduces input analog image signals in accordance with display pixels, the information storing medium comprises: information for automatically determining a display mode from the analog image signals; and information for sampling and generating image data. Sampling parameters for sampling and reproducing input analog image signals in accordance with display pixels are set for each display mode, and the input analog image signals are scanned and image data is reproduced in accordance with display pixels, based on the sampling parameters corresponding with the determined display mode. The information for automatically determining comprises: information for determining data which has been formed by weighting and grouping each display mode using the horizontal scanning data of the analog image signals, the vertical scanning data of the analog image signals, and polarity data of the synchronous signals; information for detecting the input horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data of the analog image signals, and polarity data of the synchronous signals; and information for determining the display mode of the analog image signals input from the grouped determination data, using at least one of the detected horizontal scanning data of the analog image signals, vertical scanning data of the analog image signals, and synchronous signals.
Now, the aforementioned analog image signals may be either still image signals or motion image signals. That is to say, the term analog image signals refers to all analog image signals which are the object of display by an image reproducing apparatus. In the present invention, the determination data for determining the display mode is formed by weighting and grouping each display mode using the following data: horizontal scanning data of the analog image signals, vertical scanning data of the analog image signals, and polarity data of the synchronous signals, these being weighted and grouped. For example, the display modes belonging to the resolutions such as VGA, SVGA, XGA and so forth are weighted according to each to the aforementioned determination items, and thus grouped, thereby forming data for determining the display mode.
Accordingly, the first weighted group is identified by at least one of the types of data of the input analog image signals detected by the determination condition detecting means. At this time, in the event that there is only one display mode included in the identified group, this display mode is determined to the be display mode of the analog image signals.
Also, in the event that there is a plurality of display modes included in the identified group, the next weighted display mode is identified based on one of the remaining determination items. At this time, in the event that there is only one display mode identified, this display mode is determined to be the display mode of the analog image signals.
Also, in the event that there is still a plurality of display modes, the final display mode is identified based on the remaining determination item, and, this display mode is determined to the be display mode of the analog image signals.
Thus, an optimal display mode can always be decided upon which satisfies the three conditions, i.e., the horizontal scanning data, vertical scanning data, and polarity data of the input analog image signals, whereby even when there is a great number of options for inputting image signals, automatic determination thereof can be performed is a sure manner and good image reproduction can be performed using optimal sampling parameters.
Particularly, according to the present invention, even in the event that the input analog image signals and the horizontal scanning data, vertical scanning data, and polarity data for determining the data do not completely agree, an optimal display mode can always be selected automatically. Thus, problems such as those in the conventional art wherein the process becomes trapped in the judging loop and image reproduction is not performed can be avoided, thereby achieving an image reproducing apparatus which is extremely user-friendly for beginning users.
Moreover, even when the display mode determined by the present invention is slightly different from the actual display mode, image reproduction is conducted based on sampling parameters close to the original display mode. Thus, the user can set preferable image reproduction states by simply fine-tuning the sampling parameters while observing the displayed image, thereby realizing an extremely easy to use image reproducing apparatus in this aspect, as well.
According to the present invention, the determination data for the display mode is formed by weighting and grouping in the order of: one of the horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data; the other of the horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data; and the polarity data.
That is to say, in the case of creating the display mode determination data, it is important how the grouping thereof is performed by weighting the horizontal scanning data, vertical scanning data, and polarity data.
According to the present invention, a display mode grouping configuration has been employed wherein the horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data, which tend to differ greatly in value from one display mode to another are set as greatly weighted items.
Thus, the optimal display mode can be accurately determined from the input analog image signals.
Particularly, the aforementioned horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data are obtained as numerical values. Accordingly, even more appropriate display mode determination data can be created by grouping the horizontal scanning data and vertical scanning data as described above.
According to the present invention, the determination data for the display mode is formed by weighting and grouping in the order of: horizontal scanning data; vertical scanning data; and the polarity data.
By means of creating the display mode determination data as described above, the display mode can be even more accurately determined from analog image signals being provided from computers presently commercially available.
According to the present invention, the sampling parameters include a timing control sampling parameter for determining the timing for performing sampling of input analog image signals according to display pixels.
Now, it is preferable that the above timing-related sampling parameters include data and the like for determining the frequency of the timing clock, phase for synchronizing, and image display position.
According to the present invention, the image data generating means samples input analog image signals according to the display pixels of a liquid crystal display, liquid crystal shutter or plasma display.
The liquid crystal projector according to the present invention samples input analog image signals according to the display pixels of a liquid crystal shutter based on the sampling parameters and reproduces the signals as a projector image, using the above-described image reproducing apparatus.
The image reproducing system according to the present invention comprises: a computer device for outputting analog image signals; and the above-described reproducing apparatus, for sampling input analog image signals according to the display pixels of a liquid crystal display, liquid crystal shutter or plasma display, based on usage environment data, and reproducing the signals as a projector image.

Image reproducing apparatus, projector, image reproducing system, and information storing medium


The present invention provides a burner capable of recovering more reliably a flame going out at one flame port via the transfer of flames from other flame ports when the burner is turned down. The burner according to the present invention is formed of two metal plates 10, 20 having substantially wave-shaped ends and superposed with the wave phases shifted. The burner comprises plural flame ports 12, 22 vertically alternately disposed along the ends of the metal plates 10, 20, and plural gas channels 14, 24 for supplying gas to the flame ports 12, 22. The burner further has a first deformed portion 16 where one metal plate 10 is deformed toward the other metal plate 20 at the flame port portions of one of the upper and lower flame ports 12, 22. In the first deformed portion 16, the vertical distance between the upper flame port center 12x and the adjacent lower flame port center 22x is shorter than the vertical distance between the centers of the correspondingly adjacent upper gas channel 14 and lower gas channel 24.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a burner having two metal plates with substantially wave-shaped ends which are superposed with their wave phases shifted, thereby forming a plurality of flame ports vertically alternately arranged along the ends, and a plurality of gas channels for supplying gas to the flame ports.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a burner illustrated in FIG. 6 is known, having two metal plates 510 and 520 with substantially wave-shaped ends which are superposed with their wave phases shifted, thereby forming a plurality of flame ports 512, 522 vertically alternately arranged along the ends, and linear gas channels 514, 524 having one end starting at the flame ports 512, 522.
The gas supplied via the gas channels 514, 524 to the flame ports 512, 522 is burned, generating flames at the flame ports 512 and 522, and the burner is thereby burned. However, when the gas supply to the burner is reduced drastically in order to turn the burner down from high power to low power, or when a disturbance of air flow or the like occurs around the flame ports 512 and 522, the flames may go out at a portion of the flame ports 512, 522. In such case, the recovery of the flames which have gone out at flame ports 512, 522 is provided by the transfer of flames from the nearest flame port 512, 522 maintaining its flame.


An electrophotographic printing device including a toner-developer unit, a lighting device, a developer drum, a photoconductor, a transfer unit and an earthed charging device. The substrate to be printed is placed on a transport device and moved along the transfer unit and the toner image of the transfer unit is transmitted to the substrate. A clear, sharp and shadow-free printed image is obtained by arranging the substrate on a non-earthed, electrically conductive layer which is insulated relative to the earthed transport device by an insulator extending along the charging device that is located above the substrate and the measurement of substrate that is to be printed and that is oriented in the direction of transport. The charging device can be charged at a potential, exciting voltage UF, of between 1 to 10 kV, more particularly 1.5 to 4 kV.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrophotographic printing device with a toner developer unit, an exposure device, a developer drum, a photo-conductor, a transfer unit and a grounded charging device, wherein the substrate to be imprinted is moved, lying on a transport device, beyond the transfer zone of the transfer unit and the toner image of the transfer unit is transferred to the substrate.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A printing device is known from German Patent Reference DE 198 49 500 A1. The developer unit operates with a toner and is assigned to a photo-conductor drum. The surface of the photo-conductor drum is activated by an exposure device so that an application of toner to it becomes possible. The photo-conductor drum is connected via a contact line with a transfer roller. The transfer roller rolls off on the surface of the substrate to be imprinted and is transferred to the top of the substrate facing the transfer unit, using an electrostatic charge of the substrate.
Two transfer operations of the toner image occur in this printing device. The first transfer operation is created during the transfer from the photo-conductor drum to the transfer roller, and the second transfer operation during the transfer of the toner to the substrate. There is no complete transfer of the toner during each of the transfer operations. The achievement of as high as possible a rate of transfer should be attempted so that clear printed images with sharp contours are created. Thus the even and sufficient formation of the charge image in the area of the surface of the substrate, such as the charge transfer from the charging device to the substrate, is important.
Insufficient charging occurs in particular with thick substrates of a material with poor electrical conducting properties.

Electrophotographic printing device having non-grounded electrically conductive layer


A process (20) is presented for determining the total routine energy (78) consumed by a processor (22) during the execution of a code routine (36). This total routine energy (78) is computed by determining the operation energy (76) consumed in the execution of each operating instruction (38) within the code routine (36). The operation energy (76) for each operating instruction (38) is computed by determining the average operation power (74) consumed during the execution of the operating instruction (38). The average operation power (74) for each operating instruction (38) is determined by determining an instruction power (90) and a summed-action power (92) for that operating instruction (38). The summed-action power (92) is the sum of action powers (96) computed through the use of an action formula (100) for each internal action (88) performed by the processor (22) in response to the operating instruction (38).

In the design of battery-powered processor-based systems for specific applications, e.g. cellular telephones, test instruments, etc., the current trend is for increased performance, operating frequency, and integration density while decreasing power consumption. These goals are often mutually exclusive, necessitating a design compromise. A proper design compromise requires an analysis of all pertinent factors, including processor energy consumption.
One of the most critical factors in system design is battery life. Batteries are traditionally rated in current over time, e.g. ampere-hours. Since batteries have a nominally fixed voltage, battery usage is directly related to energy (power over time) usage, e.g. volt-ampere-hours or watt-hours. The amount of energy consumed by the system, therefore, has a direct bearing upon battery life.
Processor energy consumption is of concern to the designer. Traditional methods of optimizing processor energy consumption utilize best-guess and rule-of-thumb techniques for processor selection. In this approach, a designer selects a processor based upon spec-sheet data and personal experience. The designer then designs, prototypes, and programs the system, before actually measuring the resultant energy consumption.
The traditional approach has several inherent problems, one of which is that spec-sheet data for a given processor rarely provides adequate energy consumption data upon which to base an objective processor selection. This data lack may be partially compensated for by the designer's personal experience with the processor or family of processors in question, but at the cost of selection objectivity. Even with the best and most experienced designers, however, the vagaries of design often result in power consumptions of more than double the design estimates.
Another problem deals directly with the designer's personal experience. Once a designer has gained sufficient experience to successfully predict performance for a given processor or family of processors, the tendency arises to view all designs from that perspective. That is, the designer may unconsciously become processor biased, and begin to think in terms of "what is the best way to use processor XYZ for this task," rather than "what is the best processor for this task."
Yet another problem may arise in that the energy consumption of a processor is traditionally measured after the system has been prototyped and programmed. By this point in the design cycle, considerable resources have been expended in system development. A designer would, naturally, be reluctant to scrap the prototype and start again even if testing were to reveal that a different processor may have been a better choice. As a result, a system may be made to suffer with a less than optimal processor and with a greater than necessary power consumption.
Again, a problem inherent in traditional techniques is that of code optimization. As is well known to system programmers, there are many ways of encoding virtually any function. What is often unappreciated is that different methods of encoding may consume different amounts of energy in a given processor. Traditionally, code is optimized for speed or for size, energy rarely being considered. Unfortunately, code that consumes the least energy may be neither the fastest code nor the most compact code.
The energy consumed by a processor for a given instruction or series of instructions is dynamic. That is, the energy consumption depends heavily upon the input and output data being processed. This means that this energy consumption cannot be accurately tabulated on an instruction by instruction basis independent of the data being processed.
What is desired is a technique for estimating processor energy consumption well in advance of prototyping. By so doing, an objective processor selection may be made. The desired estimating technique should be flexible enough to allow for processor reselection, should that be indicated, without the expenditure of significant design resources.
At the same time, the desired estimating technique should be accurate enough so that the actual processor energy consumption is significantly equal to the design estimate, e.g. within a few per cent.
Likewise, the desired estimating technique should evaluate processor energy consumption for a given instruction or series of instructions dynamically. That is, is should be able to take into account input and output conditions for those instructions in a simulated real-world environment.
In the course of determining overall system energy consumption, the desired estimating technique should also determine the worst-case processor power consumption. As worst-case processor power consumption requires maximal battery current, it may be utilized to select the appropriate system battery and in determining circuit layout.

Processor power consumption estimator that using instruction and action formulas which having average static and dynamic power coefficients


A method for downlink bandwidth part (BWP) activating and deactivating and a terminal device are provided. The method comprises: the terminal device performs, based on control of a network side, activation and deactivation to at least one downlink BWP configured on a carrier.

A system bandwidth supported in New Radio (NR) is far greater than a maximum system bandwidth 20 MHz supported in Long Term Evolution (LTE). Some terminals may not be able to support the entire system bandwidth because of limited capabilities. For improving scheduling efficiency, the concept of bandwidth part (BWP) is introduced in NR. In a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state, a network may configure one or more BWPs for a terminal. The BWP mainly includes three parameters: numerology, center frequency and bandwidth.
It can be seen that BWP is a concept in a frequency-domain dimension. In addition, there is made such a hypothesis in existing discussions that a terminal supports only one activated BWP at a time point. Activation means that the terminal expects to receive, on a bandwidth specified by the BWP, signals including data transmission (uplink and downlink), a system message and the like. However, at present, there is no specification on how to control activation and the like of a BWP for a terminal device side.

Method for downlink BWP activation and deactivation, and terminal device

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A low profile surgical system includes a movable cart assembly, an endoscope, and a surgical instrument. The movable cart assembly includes a fluid source and a receptacle assembly that are in fluid communication with one another. The endoscope is operably coupled to the cart assembly and in fluid communication with the fluid source. The surgical instrument is operably coupled to the cart assembly. The surgical instrument and the endoscope are configured to dispense outflow fluid into the receptacle assembly.

Surgical procedures, such as tissue resection procedures, may be performed endoscopically within an organ, such as a uterus, by inserting an endoscope into the uterus and passing a tissue resection device through the endoscope and into the uterus. With respect to such endoscopic tissue resection procedures, it often is desirable to distend the uterus with fluid provided from a fluid bag, or other fluid source. This fluid may include, for example, saline, sorbitol, or glycine. The inflow and outflow of fluid during the procedure maintains the uterus in a distended state and flushes tissue and other debris from within the uterus to maintain a visible working space.

Hysteroscopy systems and methods for managing patient fluid