In a method of working a metal member, a liquid synthetic detergent mainly composed of a surface-active agent is supplied to a metal plate as a lubricant in a press working step of holding the metal plate between a male die and a female die and press-forming the same. According to this working method, press working of a stainless steel plate or the like can be smoothly performed due to excellent lubricity of the surface-active agent contained as the main component in the liquid synthetic detergent. When a lubricant prepared from a liquid synthetic detergent containing a rust preventive is applied to lubrication of a carbon steel plate or the like, excellent workability can be attained without rusting, due to the action of the rust preventive, and with no contamination by oil.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of working a metal member, and more particularly, it relates to an improvement in a lubricating method while working a material consisting of a corrodible metal material such as a ferrous metal other than stainless steel, or a material consisting of a relatively work-hardenable metal material having high corrosion resistance such as stainless steel or a titanium alloy, and forming a prescribed member.
2. Description of the Background Art
Referring to FIGS. 1A to 5, conventional steps of working a ferrous material related to the present invention will now be described with reference to an example of steps of manufacturing a T nut including a step of intermittently progressively press working a plate of a ferrous metal material other than stainless steel, such as a carbon steel plate, for example, and a step of forming a female screw with a tapping machine.
A T nut 31 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is generally manufactured through a progressive press working step shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the T nut 31 manufactured by this method comprises a shaft part 32 and a flange part 33 outwardly extending from a first end portion of the shaft part 32. The shaft part 32 comprises a female screw forming portion 35 which is in the form of a hollow cylinder having a uniform outer diameter and provided with a female screw 36 on its inner peripheral surface.
Two pairs of pawls 37, 38, 39 and 40 are arranged on the outer periphery of the flange part 33 to be opposite to each other along the diametrical direction of the flange part 33. Each of the pawls 37 to 40 is formed by bending upright a part of the outer peripheral edge of the flange part 33. The flange part 33 has a substantially octagonal shape as a whole. In particular, the pair of pawls 37 and 38 and the other pair of pawls 39 and 40 are connected with each other by linear sides 41 and 42 respectively.
The T nut 31 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B is manufactured as follows. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, first a longitudinal strip-shaped metal plate 10 consisting of a ferrous material is prepared. This metal plate 10 is caused to move intermittently pitch by pitch along its longitudinal direction as shown by arrows X in FIGS. 2A and 2B, to be subjected to desired working at each stopped position. Therefore, working zones i to vii in FIGS. 2A and 2B successively show working steps carried out in order in a single working space along the metal plate 10.
As shown on the right end of FIG. 2B, a lubricant is continuously supplied to the upper surface of the moving metal plate 10 from a supply port 50 of a lubricant supply unit. In the steps of manufacturing the T nut 31 from a ferrous plate, mineral oil, animal oil or vegetable oil having a rust preventive function is generally employed as the lubricant for the material itself which is easy to rust.
First, cut lines 11a and 11b are formed on the metal plate 10 by cutting substantially along a circular shape in the working zone i, for locating a portion for forming the flange part 33. At this time, uncut parts 12a and 12b are defined in two opposite portions of the circle defined by the cut lines 11a and 11b along the cross direction of the strip-shaped metal plate 10. Then, cut lines 13a and 13b are formed generally along a second circle that is concentric with and outside of the circle defined by the cut lines 11a and 11b, in the working zone ii. These cut lines 13a and 13b define uncut parts 14a and 14b in the vicinity of both edges along the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 10.
Then, a worked portion 16 enclosed within the inner cut lines 11a and 11b is drawn in the working zone iii. Drawing margins resulting from this drawing appear as clearances 15, and the worked portion 16 is held by coupling portions 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d connected with the uncut parts 12a, 12b, 14a and 14b with respect to the metal plate 10. The coupling portions 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d are adapted to advantageously absorb the drawing margins resulting from the drawing by deforming toward the central direction.
Then, the worked portion 16 is subjected to deeper drawing in the working zones iv and v, and thereafter a hole 18 is formed in the working zone vi. Thereafter, the hole 18 is spread as shown in the working zone vii.
Thereafter the metal plate 10 is passed through a step (not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B) of forming the pawls 37 to 40 and the like, and then an intermediate product of the T nut 31 is separated from the metal plate 10 and barrel-polished. Then, the intermediate product is annealed in a vacuum furnace at a prescribed temperature, for relaxing work hardening that was caused during the progressive press working step, for facilitating tapping that will be carried out in a next step for forming the female screw 36, and for demagnetizing the intermediate product of the T nut 31 that became magnetized during the progressive press working step. The mineral oil or the like employed as the lubricant is inflammable and may ignite at the temperature necessary for the annealing. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a step of cleaning the intermediate product with a solvent such as trichlene for removing the oil forming a coat on its surface before the annealing step.
The intermediate product of the T nut 31 annealed in the vacuum furnace is supplied to a tapping machine and subjected to a tapping step for forming the female screw 36 on the inner peripheral surface of the female screw forming portion 35 of the shaft part 32. Also in this tapping step, an oily lubricant such as mineral oil is employed similarly to the progressive press working step.
The tapping step for forming the female screw 36 on the inner peripheral surface of the female screw forming portion 35 of the intermediate product of the T nut 31 by the tapping machine will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. A bent tap 71 which is held in a hollow rotary spindle 70 to rotate at about 1000 to 3000 rpm is employed in this tapping step. A plurality of T nuts 73 continuously supplied along a chute 72 are guided one by one to an end of the bent tap 71 through a stopper 74, and pressed against the bent tap 71 by a push rod 75, to be subjected to thread cutting. The bent tap 71 rotates along arrow Y with the rotary spindle 70, whereby each T nut 73 subjected to thread cutting moves along the bent tap 71 as shown by arrow Z, and is pressed by the subsequent T nut 73 to continuously move after passing through a cutting edge portion of the bent tap 71 held by tap covers 76 from both sides. Consequently, each T nut 73 passing through the inside of the rotary spindle 70 and reaching the other end of the bent tap 71 is discharged to the exterior from an opening 70a of the rotary spindle 70. Thus, the female screw 36 is completely formed, and the desired T nut 31 is obtained.
When the aforementioned T nut 31 worked from a plate of a ferrous material other than stainless steel is applied to a component member which is employed in a watery environment or an environment that readily corrodes metals, e.g. with acid rain, the color of the T nut 31 is disadvantageously changed by rust. Thus, there is an increasing demand for a T nut, consisting of a corrosion-resistant material such as stainless steel SUS304 under Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), which is rustproof under such an environment.
The aforementioned conventional plate of a ferrous material other than stainless steel has relatively high heat conductivity and is hardly work-hardened during plastic working thereof. Therefore, no particular problem is caused during working steps such as drawing when a lubricant containing oil and water and having a strong cooling effect is employed. Further, such a ferrous plate is generally provided with a satin-finished surface having small convex and concave portions. During working, therefore, oil adheres to and remains in the concave portions to maintain excellent sliding between a tool and a workpiece, and serves as a kind of cushion for preventing extreme noise during the working.
However, it has been proved that, when a T nut is prepared from a plate of stainless steel while using a water-insoluble lubricant such as mineral oil similarly to the aforementioned conventional steps of working a ferrous plate into a T nut, the following problems are caused and excellent workability cannot be attained. This arises because stainless steel is relatively hard and inferior in plastic deformability, it has relatively low heat conductivity, it is readily work-hardened, and its surface is smoother than that of a carbon steel plate or the like and hence inferior in oil adhesion.
When the shaft part 32 of the T nut 31 is formed by drawing in the progressive press working step for the plate as described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the amount of heat generation is maximized in the vicinity of the bottom portion (the forward 15 end portion of the shaft part 32) where the maximum working stress arises. Since the heat conductivity of stainless steel is so low as compared with carbon steel or the like, there is insufficient time for the temperature in the plate to be uniformalized by heat conduction, leading to maximum work hardening in the vicinity of the bottom portion. When an oily lubricant such as mineral oil is employed in the progressive pressworking step, oil having a large cooling effect forms a coating on the surface of the workpiece, and hence the work-hardened portion is cooled in the hardened state. Once such work hardening is caused in a single stage of drawing in the multistage drawing operation shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, then the desired drawing cannot be performed in the next stage due to the hardened condition and resulting reduced flexibility of the plate. Thus, the progressive press working steps cannot be smoothly performed.
Further, the surface of the stainless steel plate is smoother than that of the carbon steel plate, having smaller irregularity and hence inferior adhesion with an oily lubricant. Thus, lubricity between the tool and the workpiece is deteriorated in working, leading to extreme frictional noise during the working.
The reason why the stainless steel plate is so hard to press-work as compared with the carbon steel plate or the like will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 3C. In the stages of drawing corresponding to the working zones iii to v shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B respectively, the metal plate 10 held between female dies 21a, 21b and 21c and blank holders 22a, 22b and 22c is drawn with punches 23a, 23b and 23c. If it consists of carbon steel or the like, the metal plate 10 maintains a substantially uniform thickness between a base portion and a bottom portion in circles shown by arrows A and B. If the metal plate 10 consists of stainless steel or the like, however, the flow of the material from the base portion to the bottom portion in the circles shown by arrows A and B (the flow in the section of the metal plate 10 along arrows in FIGS. 3A to 3C) is so minimal or inferior that the base portion may remain rather thick, the thicknesses of the side surfaces become non-uniform, and the bottom portion may become undesirably thin. This phenomenon is conceivably caused since no lubrication is maintained between the dies 21a, 21b and 21c and the punches 23a, 23b and 23c and the metal plate 10. Instead friction is increased due to inferior adhesion between the lubricant and the stainless steel plate surface, and the material is work-hardened by the frictional heat.
Such a tendency of ununiformalization of the thickness caused by drawing is accumulated through the plurality of stages of drawing, and hence the achieved thickness of the shaft part 32 the T nut 31 may be remarkably different from the desired thickness in the working zone shown in FIG. 3C, and the bottom portion of this shaft part 32 may be broken in an extreme case.
If the oily lubricant such as mineral oil is employed also in the step of forming the female screw 36 and thread cutting is performed by tapping at the same working speed as that for a conventional T nut prepared from a carbon steel plate or the like, then burning will result due to heat generated between the tap and the material for the T nut, which hinders excellent thread cutting.
It is inferred that the aforementioned problems in drawing and thread cutting of the stainless steel plate are caused since the stainless steel plate has inferior heat conductivity and is readily work-hardened, and since the surface of the stainless steel plate is so smooth as compared with the carbon steel plate or the like that the conventional oily lubricant is readily repelled from the steel plate surface during the working even if it had been adhering to the surface. Namely, the oily lubricant cannot remain on the surface of the workpiece for maintaining lubricity which is necessary for the working.
The inventor has performed an experiment of working a stainless steel T nut similarly to the above, using a lubricant prepared by diluting "Castrol Iloform PS158", which is a water-soluble plastic working oil by Castrol Industrial Co., Ltd. used for drawing a stainless steel sink, to 10% with water in accordance with the recommended specification. The oil must conceivably be diluted with water, for preventing ignition of the oil by heat generated during working. As a result of the working experiment with the water-soluble plastic working oil, work hardening was remarkably caused in both drawing and tapping steps, and excellent workability was not attained. It is inferred that an excess cooling effect arose due to functions of the oil and water contained in the lubricant, and hence it was impossible to solve the problem of work hardening similarly to the aforementioned case of employing a mineral oil as a lubricant.
When a trial experiment similar to the above was carried out using an undiluted solution of the water-soluble plastic working oil, excellent workability was not attained similarly to the case of employing the 10% diluted solution. This is conceivably because an unpreferrable cooling effect arose due to the considerable amount of water that is contained in the undiluted solution of this water-soluble plastic working oil for preventing ignition of the oil contained therein. Hence the problem of hard working was not solved.
When an experiment for working a stainless steel T nut was performed similarly to the above using "High-Chip EX-446H", which is water-soluble lubricating oil by Taiyu Co., Ltd. containing components shown in Table 1, work hardening was remarkably caused and excellent workability was not attained. This is presumably because the lubricating oil contains mineral oil in a relatively large amount of 10 to 20%, and further contains large amounts of components such as a rust preventive additive and an antifoaming agent which are unnecessary for serving as a lubricant for stainless steel. This was the case even though the lubricating oil is mainly composed of a surface-active agent. Hence it was impossible to solve the problem of work hardening due to a cooling effect caused by these unnecessary components, similarly to the aforementioned case of employing mineral oil.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Composition of High-Chip EX-446H (Water-Soluble Cutting Oil) Component Content ______________________________________ surface-active agent 40-60% purified mineral oil 10-20% chlorine extreme pressure additive 10-20% sulfur extreme pressure additive 20-30% rust preventive additive 1-10% antifoaming agent not more than 1% ______________________________________
The problem of inferior working properties caused by work hardening resulting from inferior heat conductivity arises not only in stainless steel, but is common to materials such as a titanium alloy having high corrosion resistance. The development of a lubricating method which can solve this problem has been long awaited.
In case of machining a plate of a ferrous material other than stainless steel, which can attain relatively excellent workability with an oily lubricant such as mineral oil in general, the lubricating oil typically spills on the floor. Over time the lubricating oil deeply infiltrates into the ground and thereby contaminates ground water and other ground resources, to cause environmental pollution. Also in relation to working a corrodible, metal material, therefore, the development of an oil-free lubricant having excellent lubricity is much awaited.


In a method for manufacturing a ceramic filter element for an exhaust gas filter for internal combustion engines, a combustible non-ceramic support web provided with flow channel is impregnated with ceramic slurry. Subsequently, the support web, formed in a desired geometric shape, is fired until the support web is combusted and a rigid filter body is produced. Before impregnating the support web, a combustible sealing bead is applied such onto the support web that the flow channels are closed alternatingly by the sealing bead.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a ceramic filter element for an exhaust gas filter of an internal combustion engine.
In Patent Abstracts of Japan JP 63134020 A, a ceramic filter element for an exhaust gas filter of an internal combustion engine is disclosed that is comprised of a corrugated spirally wound filter web. For producing the filter web, heat-resistant inorganic fibers are mixed in an aqueous suspension with ceramic powder and then processed to a web. Several stacked webs are then rolled to the desired shape of the filter body and between neighboring filter webs honeycomb-shaped flow channels are formed. The filter body is subsequently fired at high temperature.
WO 2006/005668 discloses a method for producing a ceramic filter element of an exhaust gas filter for internal combustion engines. In this connection, first a combustible, non-ceramic support web is impregnated with ceramic slurry and is subsequently fired, in the desired geometric shape, to such an extent that the support web is combusted and a rigid filter body is formed.
Disadvantages of these methods are, on the one hand, the relatively high expenditure and, on the other hand, the fact that in the conventional methods folds and wavy sections are produced that can cause cracks in the components.
Further, it is a disadvantage that with the conventional methods no cavities in the components to be produced can be provided in a targeted way.
There is therefore the need to provide ceramic filter elements that avoid the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Method for manufacturing a ceramic filter element


A new method for assessing the probability of production at a wellsite. The process includes the four steps of: 1) Data Collection and Uncertainty Analysis; 2) Wellsite Preparation; 3) Treatment Selection/Job Execution; and 4) Evaluation and Upscaling to Field Level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and systems for use in oilfield data gathering. In particular, the invention provides a method, apparatus and system for assessing the probability of production at a wellsite.
2. Background of the Invention
In a typical exploration phase of potential wellsites, once a structure containing hydrocarbons is located, either through seismic or other techniques, a plurality of exploratory wells are drilled into the field. From those exploratory wells, a determination is made as to whether the field can be developed into an economically viable production field. That is, operating engineers determine whether enough production can be extracted from the field to overcome the huge capital expenditure necessary to develop the site. Quite simply, the question is asked, "is it profitable to develop the field?"
However, information that is gathered from the exploratory wells often does not provide adequate information for the operation engineer to make an informed decision. When telltale properties of the formation are "good," for example, the formation has a high porosity, a high saturation, a high natural flow profile, and a high permeability, a wealth of information can be obtained from just the exploratory wells, and well informed decisions regarding the economic development of the field can be made. For the most part, a lot of exploration is built around the assessment of these exploratory wells. If the formation has good permeability and flow characteristics, a few simple tests can be performed to determine information on the size and quantity of the site.
However, when telltale properties of the formation are not good, for example, the reservoir has low permeability or porosity, information gathered from exploratory wells may not realize any useful data. Even after spending millions in drilling the several exploratory wells, if the reservoir properties are not conducive to supplying good data, the data gathered from the exploratory wells may not provide adequate information to make an educated decision as to whether the site should be further developed. Operators are left knowing little more than before any of the exploratory wells had been conducted. Quite a few fields are therefore falsely labeled as dry, or not-economically viable, due to adequate information about the wellsite not being available.

Coarse wellsite analysis for field development planning


An expandable trailer comprising a chassis, at least one pair of extendable supports, at least one pair of horizontal floor sections and at least one pair of floor elements. Each support is extendable laterally outwardly to a respective side of a central longitudinal axis of the chassis. The horizontal floor sections of each pair of horizontal floor sections are spaced apart laterally and each have an outer rail which is coupled to a corresponding one of the supports. The floor elements are pivotally coupled to each other and to the floor sections. Upon extension of the extendable supports from a retracted position to an open, extended position, the horizontal floor sections move laterally outwardly to extend from the chassis and the floor elements move from an upright vertical arrangement to an arrangement where the floor elements lie in horizontal alignment with the floor sections.

Expandable trailers are often used as house trailers where it is useful be able to collapse a trailer into a more easily transportable form. Quite often, in order to have a structurally stable expandable portion of the trailer, the trailer interior must receive the expandable portion when in the collapsed or retracted position. This can be quite inconvenient as the expandable portion may obstruct the trailer interior and make it difficult to position furniture and the like. Examples of such trailers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,985 (Morris) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,782 (Cooper).
This problem has been addressed in part by U.S. Pat. No. 2,901,282 (Meaker) which discloses a telescopically collapsible house trailer in which the trailer interior is left completely unobstructed. The expandable portion comprises foldable floor elements which are folded up into parallel retracted position at one side of the trailer when it is being transported. When the trailer is expanded, these floor elements fold out to form the expanded portion. Although the trailer interior is not obstructed by the expandable portion, this trailer construction does have a number of drawbacks. The expandable portion cannot support any furniture or the like during transport as the floor elements must be folded up into the retracted position. In addition, as only one side of the trailer supports the expandable portion, balance may also be a concern when the trailer is expanded, particularly when containing heavy loads.
Thus, there exists a need for an expandable trailer with increased stability and improved supports so that the expanded portion of the trailer remains level. Preferably, such an expandable trailer would be able to store furniture and the like in the expandable portion when the trailer is in a retracted position.


A method for performing column/row pattern suppression in a digital input image includes creating a smoothed version of the input image by averaging a set of columns/rows neighboring around the column/row being corrected. A difference image is constructed by subtracting the smoothed image from the input image. New column/row intensities are computed from the difference image. An output image is constructed with suppressed column/row patterns by subtracting the new column/row intensities from the input image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processing of digital images. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for suppressing row and column patterns in a digital image.
2. Description of Related Art
Structured noise in digital images can have the form of row and column patterns, typically produced in a digital camera due to the sensor design (e.g., signal readout architecture) or various other patterns introduced to the image via image processing.
In digital cameras, column-correlated gain and offset mismatches, due to slight mismatches in column readout circuits, are common. If these mismatches are large enough, they may show up as high-frequency column patterns in the images. The column-correlated mismatches become more pronounced when using a column-parallel readout scheme, using one analog-to-digital converter (ADC) per column. While in most cases the column-correlated mismatches can be calibrated out (this type of mismatch is usually in the form of an offset, and can be calibrated out either by dedicated on-chip circuitry or by computing column offsets from a dark frame in calibration), in some cases these mismatches are not easily modeled (such as when a nonlinear ADC transfer function is used, which results in errors that are not purely offset; this kind of error is signal intensity dependent). In such cases, column offset calibration alone will not remove the column-correlated mismatches completely, and high-frequency column patterns may still remain visible in processed images.
In addition to column patterns, row patterns can also create visible artifacts in digital images. Although the source of row patterns is different from column patterns (row noise is usually a result of sampling of the power supply noise onto the pixel output), their visibility in the images can still be important, especially under low-light conditions. Similar to column patterns, row patterns usually cannot be fully removed by standard approaches, resulting in the presence of high-frequency row patterns in processed images.
In order for column or row patterns to be visible, average intensity of a given column or row needs to stand out with respect to the neighboring columns or rows, respectively. In this proposed method, the intensity of each column/row is replaced by the average of its neighbors. This results in the smoothing of the column/row patterns, which makes them less visible in the processed image.
The most common way of suppressing row and column noise in a digital image is applying a local smoothing technique. These techniques usually operate directly on the pixel values by defining a moving window and estimating the pixel value in the central window position using the pixel values located inside the window. The supporting window can have an arbitrary shape, ranging from one-dimensional to various two-dimensional windows. Unfortunately, these techniques often produce unsatisfactory results as they cannot fully remove structured noise and also tend to suppress the desired image features such as edges and image details. Therefore, a different approach is needed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods for reducing row and column patterns in a digital image


A method of authenticating a media item is described. The method comprises: measuring a magnetic signal along the media item, converting the measured signal to a calibrated length signal, aligning the calibrated length signal with a reference signal, extracting features from the aligned signal, and classifying the media item based on the extracted features.

To make it more difficult to create high quality counterfeit banknotes, genuine banknotes include a variety of security features. Some of these security features can be detected using imaging sensors, such as a fluorescent security feature (which responds to an ultra-violet light source), an infra-red security feature (which produces a characteristic response to an infra-red light source), and the like. However, some types of security feature cannot be detected using an imaging sensor. One such security feature is magnetic ink, which is used to print some parts of a banknote.
It would be desirable to be able to detect a counterfeit banknote (or other counterfeit media item) using magnetic sensors either instead of, or in addition to, using imaging sensors.


A solid state imaging device and a signal processing method therefor as well as a camera by which a reference signal for cancellation of vertical string-like fixed pattern noises can be obtained readily. In an initial stage after a power supply to the device is made available, a substrate pulse is outputted from a timing generator to reset pixel transistors immediately before pixel signals are read out. Then, in a condition wherein there is no signal originating from incidence of light, an operation pulse signal is caused to rise immediately to read out pixel signals from the pixel transistors through operation switches so as to be held by capacitors. Thereafter, in a horizontal image period, a horizontal scanning pulse signal is outputted from a horizontal shift register to successively put horizontal switches into a connecting state to successively output the signals of the capacitors thereby to obtain a reference signal for cancellation of vertical string-like fixed pattern noises.

This invention relates to a solid state imaging device, a signal processing method and a driving method therefor and a camera, and more particularly to an X-Y address type solid state imaging device as represented by an amplification type solid state imaging device and a signal processing method for the solid state imaging device as well as a camera which employs an X-Y address type solid state imaging device as an imaging device. The present invention further relates to an amplification type solid state imaging device wherein pixels themselves have an amplification function and signals of the pixels are outputted as voltages and a driving method for the amplification type solid state imaging device.
An X-Y address type solid state imaging device includes, as shown in FIG. 14, a pixel section 111 wherein a large number of pixels are arranged in rows and columns, a vertical scanning circuit 112 for successively selecting the rows of the pixel section 111, a horizontal scanning circuit 113 for successively selecting the columns of the pixel section 111, and an output circuit (charge detection circuit) 114 for outputting a signal. The vertical scanning circuit 112 and the horizontal scanning circuit 113 are each formed from, for example, a shift register and successively generate a vertical scanning (vertical selection) pulse signal φV and a horizontal scanning pulse signal φH one by one for each row and each column, respectively.
In this X-Y address type solid state imaging device, when the horizontal scanning circuit 113 holds signal charge of the pixels in capacitors and outputs the pixel signals of the capacitors to the output circuit 114 from a horizontal signal line via horizontal switches each formed from a MOS transistor, dispersions in threshold voltage Vth of the horizontal switches (MOS transistors) are superposed on the pixel signals, and they appear as vertical string-like fixed pattern noises on a screen, deteriorating the picture quality.
Here, a generation mechanism of vertical string-like fixed pattern noises generated from the horizontal scanning circuit 113 is described with reference to an equivalent circuit of a signal path for the nth column of the horizontal scanning circuit 113 shown in FIG. 15. As a presupposition of description, notice is taken here of a dispersion in threshold voltage Vth of a horizontal switch.
Referring to FIG. 15, a pixel signal held by a capacitor 121 flows as charge to a horizontal signal line 123 when a horizontal scanning pulse φHn is supplied from a horizontal shift register (not shown) to the gate electrode of a horizontal switch 122 so that the horizontal switch 122 is put into a connecting state, and is then demodulated into a voltage by and outputted from an output circuit 124. In this instance, if the threshold voltage Vth which defines the boundary between a disconnecting state and a connecting state of the horizontal switch 122 exhibits a dispersion for each of the horizontal switches of the individual columns, then charge represented by the product of the dispersion in threshold voltage Vth and a variation amount in capacitance generated between the horizontal switch 122 and the horizontal signal line 123 appears on the horizontal signal line 123. Therefore, a vertical string-like fixed pattern noise which corresponds to the charge amount is superposed with the pixel signal.
The manner of such superposition is described with reference to FIGS. 16A and 16B which show equivalent circuits where the horizontal switch 122 is converted into a capacitance model. More particularly, FIG. 16A shows an equivalent circuit where the horizontal switch (MOS transistor) 122 is in a disconnecting (off) state, and FIG. 16B shows an equivalent circuit where the horizontal switch (MOS transistor) 122 is in a connecting (on) state.
In FIG. 16A, the horizontal switch 122 is in a disconnecting state and, as a capacitance model, a gate-drain capacitance 122a is produced between the gate electrode of a horizontal switch (MOS transistor) to which a horizontal scanning pulse φHn is applied and the capacitor 121 by which a pixel signal is held while a gate-source capacitance 122b is produced between the gate electrode of the horizontal switch and the horizontal signal line 123, and the capacitor 121 and the horizontal signal line 123 are disconnected from each other.
On the other hand, in FIG. 16B, the horizontal switch 122 is in a connecting state and the capacitor 121 is connected to the horizontal signal line 123, and a gate-channel capacitance 122c is produced between the gate electrode of the horizontal switch (MOS transistor) to which a horizontal scanning pulse φHn is applied and the horizontal signal line 123. Here, the capacitance of the gate-channel capacitance 122c is considerably higher than the total capacitance of the capacitance 122a and the capacitance 122b.
Since the two states of FIGS. 16A and 16B are changed over with reference to the threshold voltage Vth of the horizontal switch 122 by the voltage of the horizontal scanning pulse φHn applied to the gate electrode of the horizontal switch 122, if the horizontal switch of each column has a dispersion in threshold voltage Vth, then the product of the dispersion in threshold voltage Vth and the difference between the capacitances of the horizontal switch 122 in the two states of FIGS. 16A and 16B appears as dispersion charge on the horizontal signal line 123 and makes a vertical string-like fixed pattern noise.
Now, where the capacitances of the capacitance 122a, capacitance 122b and capacitance 122c are represented by Cdg, Cgs and Cg, respectively, the dispersion of the threshold voltage Vth of the horizontal switch 122 is represented by ΔVth, the dispersion charge appearing on the horizontal signal line 123 is represented by Δq, the capacitance of a detection capacitor 125 of the output circuit 124 is represented by Cd, and a vertical string-like fixed pattern noise appearing on the output is represented by ΔVout, the dispersion charge Δq and the fixed pattern noise ΔVout are given byΔq=(Cg−Cgd−Cgs)·ΔVthΔVout=Δq/Cd
Particularly, giving an example of numerical values, if Cgd and Cgs are 1 fF, Cg is 20 fF, the dispersion ΔVth of the threshold voltage Vth is 50 mV and the capacitance Cd of the detection capacitor 125 is 0.5 pF, then the fixed pattern noise ΔVout is 1.8 mV.
Driving timings of the ordinary X-Y address type solid state imaging device and a manner in which vertical string-like fixed pattern noises appear are illustrated in a timing chart of FIG. 17. A vertical scanning pulse signal φV (φV1, . . . , φVm, φVm+1, . . . ) for selecting pixel elements of the same row successively rises for each horizontal blanking period, and an operation pulse signal φOP rises in synchronism with the vertical scanning pulse signal φV. The operation pulse signal φOP is applied to the gate electrode of an operation switch (not shown) formed from a MOS transistor for reading out a pixel signal to the capacitor 121.
As the operation pulse signal φOP rises, pixel signals of a selected row are read out into the capacitors 121. The pixel signals of the certain row held in the capacitors 121 are, when a horizontal image period is entered, read out from the output circuits 124 as the horizontal switches 122 are successive put into a connecting state when the horizontal scanning pulse signal φH (φH1, . . . , φHn, φHn+1, . . . ) outputted from the horizontal shift register successively rises.
In this instance, if it is assumed, for example, that an equal signal amount is outputted from all pixels and only the threshold voltages Vth of the horizontal switches 122 have individual dispersions, then as seen in the timing chart of FIG. 17, an output signal OUT does not exhibit an equal signal amount, but exhibits dispersions in threshold voltage Vth of the horizontal switches 122 superposed on the pixel signals. Then, the dispersions appear as vertical string-like fixed pattern noises on the screen, deteriorating the picture quality.
As a method of preventing deterioration of the picture quality arising from vertical string-like fixed pattern noises, a possible method is to extract only fixed pattern noise components, hold them as a reference signal for cancellation and subtract, in an ordinary imaging operation, the reference signal from signal outputs of the solid state imaging device to cancel the fixed pattern noises.
However, while, in the description of the generation mechanism of fixed pattern noises given above, a manner in which fixed pattern noises appear on an output signal in the condition that no incident light is received is described, if light is irradiated upon a central portion of the imaging area here, then signal components arising from the incident light are added to the fixed pattern noise components, and such an output signal waveform as indicated by OUT-L in FIG. 17 is obtained. This output signal cannot be used as a reference signal for cancellation.
In other words, in a conventional X-Y address type solid state imaging device, in order to cancel vertical string-like fixed pattern noises, the solid state imaging device must be shielded against incident light by some method so as to output only fixed pattern noise components as a reference for a correction signal. More particularly, such a mechanical operation that a cover is fitted on the lens of the camera or incident light is intercepted by a mechanical shutter is required. Such an operation is disadvantageous in terms of the price or minimization of a camera since it urges a person who operates the camera to perform a manual operation for cancellation of fixed pattern noises or requires a part which is not originally necessitated for a camera such as a mechanical shutter.
Meanwhile, as amplification type solid state imaging devices, a CMD (Charge Modulation Device), a BASIS (Base Stored Image Sensor), a BCMD (Bulk Charge Modulation Device) and so forth are known. In those amplification type solid state imaging devices, since pixels are formed using an active element of a MOS structure or the like in order to make the pixels themselves have an amplification function, a dispersion in characteristic (threshold value Vth and so forth) of an active element is superposed as it is on an image signal. Since the dispersion in characteristic has a fixed value for each pixel, it appears as a fixed pattern noise (FPN) on a screen.
An exemplary one of conventional amplification type solid state imaging devices constructed so as to remove fixed pattern noises arising from characteristic dispersions of pixels is shown in FIG. 24. Referring to FIG. 24, a large number of pixels 301 are arranged in rows and columns, and control input terminals of the pixels 301 are individually connected to vertical selection lines 302 in units of a row while output terminals of the pixels 301 are connected to vertical signal lines 303 in units of a column. Terminals of the vertical selection lines 302 on one side are connected to output terminals of a vertical scanning circuit 304 for the individual rows. The vertical scanning circuit 304 is formed from a shift register or a like element and successively outputs a vertical scanning pulse signal φV (φV1, . . . , φVm, φVm+1, . . . ).
Connected to each of the vertical signal lines 303 are the drains of two sampling switches 305s and 305n each formed from an N-channel MOS transistor. An operation pulse signal φOPS for sampling a signal voltage in a bright state prior to pixel resetting outputted from a pixel 301 is applied to the gates of the sampling switches 305s. Meanwhile, another operation pulse signal φOPN for sampling a signal voltage in a dark state after pixel resetting outputted from a pixel 301 is applied to the gates of the sampling switches 305n.
The sources of the sampling switches 305s and 305n are connected to terminals of two capacitors 306s and 306n on one side, respectively. The capacitors 306s and 306n are provided to hold a signal voltage in a bright state and a signal voltage in a dark state, respectively, while the other terminals of them are grounded commonly. The sources of the sampling switches 305s and 305n are further connected to the drains of two horizontal selection switches 307s and 307n formed from N-channel MOS transistors, respectively.
The sources of the horizontal selection switches 307s and 307n are connected to a horizontal signal line 308, and the gates of the horizontal selection switches 307s and 307n are connected to output terminals of a horizontal scanning circuit 309 for the individual columns. The horizontal scanning circuit 309 is formed from a shift register or a like element and outputs a horizontal scanning pulse signal φH ( . . . , φHn, φHn+1, . . . ) for successively turning on the horizontal selection switches 307s and the horizontal selection switches 307n for the individual columns. The horizontal signal line 308 is connected to an input terminal of a horizontal output circuit 310. An output terminal of the horizontal output circuit 310 is connected to an input terminal of a CDS (correlation double sam-pling) circuit 311.
Subsequently, circuit operation of the conventional apparatus having the construction described above for removing fixed pattern noises is described.
If a certain row is selected by vertical scanning by the vertical scanning circuit 304 in a horizontal blanking period, then signal voltages in a bright state prior to pixel resetting and signal voltages in a dark state after pixel resetting of the pixels 301 of the selected row are successively sampled by the sampling switches 305s and 305n and held by the capacitors 306s and 306n, respectively.
Then, in a horizontal effective period, when a certain column is selected by horizontal scanning by the horizontal scanning circuit 309 and the horizontal selection switches 307s and 307n of the selected column are successively turned on, the signal voltages in a bright state and the signal voltages in a dark state held in the capacitors 306s and 306n are successively read out into the horizontal signal line 308, respectively. Consequently, the signal voltages in a bright state and the signal voltages in a dark state are successively transmitted in units of a column on a time base by the horizontal signal line 308 and supplied to the CDS circuit 311 through the horizontal output circuit 310.
By the CDS circuit 311, correlation double sampling of the signal voltages in a bright state and the signal voltages in a dark state which successively appear on the time base is performed, and finite differences between them are calculated to cancel noise components. As a result, a signal from which fixed pattern noises arising from dispersions in characteristic such as a threshold voltage Vth for the pixels 301 have been removed is obtained.
However, with the conventional amplification type solid state imaging device described above, while fixed pattern noises arising from characteristic dispersions of the pixels 301 can be removed, since the flows of signals in a bright state and a dark state are different in the sample hold circuit between the vertical signal lines 303 and the horizontal signal line 308, if some components are superposed on a signal by the sample hold circuit, then those components remain also after the correlation double sampling by the CDS circuit 311.
What are present as components which are superposed by the sample hold circuit are distribution noises of the sampling switches 305s and 305n and so forth. Where those components are different between columns because of dispersions in circuit characteristic, also the components which remain after the correlation double sampling exhibit dispersions and appear as vertical string-like fixed pattern noises on the screen.

Solid state imaging device, signal processing method and driving method therefor and camera


Provided is a ferroelectric recording medium including a ferroelectric recording layer formed of a polarization reversal ferroelectric material and an anisotropic conduction layer that covers the ferroelectric recording layer and changes into a conductor or a non-conductor based on external energy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ferroelectric recording medium, a recording apparatus comprising the same, and a recording method of the same, and more particularly, to a ferroelectric recording medium comprising an anisotropic conduction layer and a recording method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general a ferroelectric material has spontaneous polarization, which is reversed by an electric field. A ferroelectric recording medium is a nonvolatile recording medium having a high capacity on which data is recorded, corrected, and stored by using such a property of ferroelectric materials.
Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 2002-175602 discloses an example of a conventional ferroelectric recording medium, which is illustrated in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, a ferroelectric recording layer 2 and a reading/writing head tip 1 are in direct contact in a conventional ferroelectric recording medium, and thus both the ferroelectric recording layer 2 and the reading/writing head tip 1 may be damaged. More specifically, the ferroelectric recording layer 2 and the reading/writing head tip 1 are formed of hard materials, and thus the damage may be serious. In other words, scratches may be formed on the ferroelectric recording layer 2, resulting in the deterioration of the stability of data recorded on the ferroelectric recording layer 2. In addition, the reading/writing head tip 1 may be damaged, resulting in the deterioration of reading/writing performance.
In order to prevent such problems, a soft protective film 3 covers the ferroelectric recording layer 2, as shown in FIG. 2. The soft protective film 3 prevents direct contact between the ferroelectric recording layer 2 and the reading/writing head tip 1 during a reading/writing operation, and thus the damage of the ferroelectric recording layer 2 and the reading/writing head tip 1 are prevented.
However, the protective film 3 on the ferroelectric recording layer 2 has low permittivity, and thus a voltage applied by the head tip 1 to the protective film 3 is distributed through the protective film 3. As a result, a high voltage is required for a writing operation. More specifically, permittivity determines a ratio between an electric flux density and an electric field, and since the permittivity of the protective film 3 is very low, the protective film 3 has a high resistance. Accordingly, when a writing operation is performed on the ferroelectric recording layer 2, a large applied voltage is distributed to the protective film 3 according to the ratio of the resistance of the protective film 3 and the ferroelectric recording layer 2. Thus, a high voltage is required to perform a writing operation on the ferroelectric recording layer 2, considering a voltage distribution ratio of the protective film 3 and the ferroelectric recording layer 2.

Ferroelectric recording medium comprising anisotropic conduction layer, recording apparatus comprising the same, and recording method of the same


The invention relates to supervillin polypeptides, nucleic acid molecules encoding supervillin, and uses thereof. Supervillin is related to the actin-binding proteins villin and gelsolin.

This invention relates to actin-binding polypeptides called "supervillin" polypeptides, and nucleic acids encoding supervillin polypeptides.
Interactions between the plasma membrane and the actin cytoskeleton are mediated by actin-binding proteins associated with the plasma membrane. These actin-binding proteins are involved in a variety of processes, e.g., controlling cell shape, mediating cell-substrate and cell-cell interactions, organizing membrane proteins into domains, and in regulating membrane domain function. For example, some protein domains contain membrane-spanning proteins, such as ion channels and adhesion molecules, that are localized due to interactions with cortical meshworks of actin filaments cross-linked by spectrin. As another example, intercellular adhesion at adherens junctions, which is mediated by Ca.sup.2+ -sensitive transmembrane proteins called cadherins, depends upon cadherin attachment to actin filaments through linker proteins, such as .alpha.-catenin and .beta.-catenin.

Actin-binding polypeptides and nucleic acids encoding the same


An improved ramp generator system includes a plurality of ramp generator circuits; a ramp rate signal source for controlling the ramp slope; a ramp voltage signal source for establishing the starting voltage of the ramp; a ramp starting signal source for starting the ramp; a device for defining a plurality of ramp periods; and a switching device, responsive to the device for defining the ramp periods, for alternately, sequentially connecting the ramp rate signal source, ramp voltage signal source, and ramp starting signal source, to each of the ramp generator circuits for producing a series of identical ramps.

Conventional ramp generators reset or restart the ramp after each new pulse is generated upon the ramp reaching a predetermined level relative to some reference. In pulse width modulating circuits the reference is typically the output of a digital to analog converter (DAC) which is constantly changing. As higher and higher pulse rates are demanded the speed of the ramp circuit reset and the DAC settling time cannot keep pace. To accommodate this two or more channels are established, each with its own ramp generator and DAC to provide alternate pulses in a stream so that each one has the time to fully reset while the other is providing a pulse. This approach raises other problems. Each channel has a different reset settling characteristic if they are reset at different times, so each channel will not have enough time to reach its final value before it is triggered again. This causes each ramp to start at a different voltage level. Different initial voltage levels cause the time it takes the ramp to reach a fixed reference level to vary. And each ramp may have a slightly different slope. Therefore the same DAC input in each channel may result in a different pulse width output. In such multichannel systems the circuit complexity is increased by the need for close matching in all details in order to insure that the currents consistently match, the setting is identical and the ramps start at the same time and at the same voltage level. Even so, serious pulse misalignment occurs and the accuracy of the pulse width modulation suffers.


The present invention relates to a plum tree and more particularly to a new and distinct variety broadly characterized by a medium size, moderately vigorous, hardy, and very productive tree. Being self-unfruitful, the present variety requires cross pollination from a plum that blooms during the mid to late season. The present variety's abundance of blossoms and pollen entices strong bee activity to facilitate pollination. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described during late August through early September, with first picking on Aug. 18, 2008, and will hang on the tree for about three more weeks. The fruit is uniformly medium in size, dark purple in skin color, clingstone in type, mostly globose in shape, yellow in flesh color, firm in texture, and very sweet in flavor.

In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of plum tree, which has been denominated varietally as 'Sweet Majesty'.
During the 2003 blooming season I placed paper grocery bags over several branches of a 'Purple Majesty' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,503) plum. When the flowers of this tree neared full bloom, I removed one such bag and applied pollen from 'September Yummy' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,220) plum to the visible pistils. Following this pollen application I immediately replaced the bag to keep the flowers isolated from other sources of pollen during the blooming period. After petal fall, I removed the bag and allowed the fruit to mature. Upon reaching maturity the fruit from this plum tree was harvested and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified and germinated as a group with the label "7P865 BAGS SY". They were grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse and upon reaching dormancy transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the summer of 2006 the claimed variety was selected by me as a single plant from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of plum tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of 'Nemaguard' (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, 'Purple Majesty' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,503) plum by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that is dark purple in skin color, that is yellow to orange yellow in flesh color, that is clingstone in type, that is firm in texture, and that is very sweet in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is larger in size, globose instead of oblate in shape, and that matures about fifty days later.
The present variety is similar to 'September Yummy' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,220) plum by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that ripens in the late season, that is firm in texture, that is mostly globose in shape, that is mostly yellow in flesh color, and that is very good in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is dark purple in skin color instead of red, that is clingstone instead of semi-freestone, and that matures about fifty days earlier. It is to be noted that the patent for 'September Yummy' plum describes a first pick date of Sep. 10, 2002. Since the filing of that patent, it has been established that the average commercial first pick date is closer to October 10th.
The present variety is similar to 'Angeleno' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,747) plum by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that is dark purple to black in skin color, that is clingstone in type, and that ripens in the late season, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is sweeter in flavor, that possesses and maintains much more juice, that is larger in size, and that matures about ten days earlier.


A logic chip that controls the motor of a motorized window covering or other object includes a clock. A frequency stabilizer circuit is provided to receive input voltage and to output to the clock a current that is a function of the voltage and temperature over a range of input voltage values and over a range of ambient temperature values so that the frequency output by the oscillator is constant.

The present assignee has provided several systems for either lowering or raising a window or skylight covering, or for moving the slats of a window covering between open and closed positions, under control of a hand-held remote or other control device. These systems include a motor that is coupled through gears to the activation mechanism. When the motor is energized in response to a user command signal, the activation mechanism moves the window covering. Such assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,498, incorporated herein by reference.
In the above-referenced patent, control logic for the motor is disclosed that may be implemented in an integrated circuit chip. As recognized herein, such chips typically include a clock that produces the clocking signals necessary for chip operation. As further recognized herein, the clock might be implemented by an oscillator, with the clocking signal that is produced by the oscillator potentially varying undesirably as it might owing to changes in current to the oscillator, temperature of the circuit and/or supply voltage. Having made this critical observation, the invention herein is provided.

Frequency stabilizer circuit for window covering control chip clock


The optical scanning device [10] is arranged for scanning a record carrier [1]. The record carrier has an outer face [7]. The scanning device comprises a radiation source [11] for generating a radiation beam [12] and an objective system [25] having an exit face [26] arranged for evanescent coupling of the radiation beam between the exit face and the outer face and for converging the radiation beam to a focus [27]. A tilt measuring system [67, 77] provides a tilt signal [87; 88] representing a tilt angle between the objective system and the record carrier. A control unit [95] determines a distance signal representing a distance between the exit face and the focus from the tilt signal.

International patent application WO 2006/018749 discloses a near-field optical scanning device for scanning a record carrier. In a near-field optical scanning device a radiation beam is transmitted across a gap between an exit face of an objective system and an outer face of the record carrier using evanescent coupling of the radiation. A gap servo keeps the size of the gap during scanning at a distance of approximately 25 nm. A tilt servo in the device controls the tilt angle between the objective system and the record carrier such that it is kept within a relatively tight tilt tolerance. This tolerance may be as small as 1.2 mrad. The tilt signal is determined from variations in an efficiency of the evanescent coupling across the exit face of the objective system. The position of the focus with respect to the exit face can be varied by varying the position of a lens in a telescopic system arranged in the optical path of the radiation beam.
A disadvantage of this known scanning device is that no signal is available representing the position of the focus along the optical axis.
It is an object of the invention to provide an optical scanning device in which such a signal is available.

Optical scanning device and method for determining focus position


A method for establishing cross-language information is disclosed. The method includes steps of collecting a plurality of set of object information from a plurality of network platforms; building a first data structure corresponding to a source language and a second data structure corresponding to a target language according to the plurality of sets of object information; classifying a plurality of sets of first object information in the first data structure into a plurality of source image groups according characteristics of the plurality of sets of first object information; classifying a plurality of sets of second object information in the second data structure into a plurality of target image groups according to characteristics of the plurality of sets of second object information; wherein each source image group includes a plurality of source hashtag groups, and each target image group includes a plurality of target hashtag groups.

Lives of people become more convenient due to the rapid development of internet, and the online shopping gradually plays an important role in the globalization. The first problem to be faced in the development of globalization is the gap caused by language differences. English is an important international language, however, not all of countries around the world use English as their primary language for communications. When users in different countries find, via internet platforms, interesting information of products, information of concepts or meanings, or local buzzwords from some countries, the users need translation software/tools to realize meanings of text contents of those websites. Moreover, the translations for popular goods are significantly difficult. For example, via the translation software/tools, the word meaning "lotion (e.g. Essence/Serum)" in Chinese is translated into the word meaning "lead liquid" in Korean, but the word meaning "lotion (e.g. Essence/Serum)" in Korean is translated into the word meaning "primer" in Chinese. In other words, the word meaning of a product may be contorted in translation between different languages. Furthermore, there are many social websites and forum websites in various countries and products displayed are often updated. This condition would result in significant time wastes and decreasing user conveniences.

Method for establishing and processing cross-language information and cross-language information system

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A method for producing graduated precision windings on cheeses in an open-end spinning system. The winding ratio is reduced in stages, in increasingly smaller graduations, as the cheese diameter increases during the bobbin travel of the cheese. The graduations do not exceed the value of 0.3 and are each selected such that changes in the crossing angle are within a tolerance range of less than xc2x10.8xc2x0, and the least number of diamonds occurring during the building of the bobbin can be completely filled. The cheeses thusly produced are distinguished by a stable construction, high density with uniform distribution of density over the entire yarn package, and excellent payout properties.

The present invention relates to a method for the stepwise precision winding of yarn into the form of a package commonly referred to as a cheese. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a method wherein a staple fiber yarn is fed at a constant yarn speed from a feeder mechanism of an open-end spinning system to a winding apparatus which rotates the cheese at a constant circumferential winding speed and, over the course of the progressive building of the cheese by the winding operation, the winding ratio is reduced in stages by graduations of decreasing size as the cheese diameter increases.
When a cross-wound bobbin, also known as a cheese, is produced with a random winding, the speed of yarn traversing and the circumferential speed of the cheese over the course of building the bobbin, i.e., from the beginning to the end of the winding process, are in a fixed ratio to one another. As a result, the yarn crossing angle remains constant, while the winding ratio decreases as the bobbin diameter increases. The winding ratio indicates the number of bobbin revolutions per double yarn traversing stroke. A cheese produced with random winding has a stable yarn package and a largely uniform density. For instance, when integral values of the winding ratio are followed, so-called winding ribbons or mirror windings occur. To avoid their disadvantageous consequences, so-called ribbon breaking methods are employed, but such methods do not break up the ribbons completely.
The term xe2x80x9ccheesexe2x80x9d used here also applies to the bobbin package that builds up during the winding of the cheese. In producing a cheese with precision winding, it is not the yarn crossing angle but the winding ratio that is kept constant over the entire bobbin travel. The yarn crossing angle decreases as the cheese diameter increases. As the crossing angle decreases, the winding density increases outwardly. As a result, the pressure on the relatively soft bobbin core accordingly increases to an undesirable and disadvantageous extent. Problems can result in unwinding the cheese resulting from uneven yarn tension and increasingly frequent yarn breakage as well as uneven penetration of dye through the yarn package. In principle, the advantages of precision winding reside in the possibility of a high payout speed, high package density, and thus greater running length for the same bobbin volume, compared to a cheese with random winding. However, as the cheese diameter increases, the decreasing crossing angle limits the diameter in the production of precision bobbins made of staple fiber yarns due to the defects that occur at the package edges since staple fiber yarns in particular cannot be wound with arbitrarily small crossing angles. For this reason, in open- end spinning, crossing angles of less than 28 degrees should be avoided. As a result, precision winding with staple fiber yarns can be used only with severe limitations.
Graduated precision winding represents a combination of random winding and precision winding, in which the advantages of both types of winding are intended to be achieved and the disadvantages are intended to be decreased. Along with random winding and precision winding, graduated precision winding is a conventional term in textile technology, which is discussed at length for example in German Patent DE 42 23 271 C1 and German Patent Disclosure DE 39 20 374.
In graduated precision winding, as the term already expresses, a precision winding is produced in stages or steps. For example, a maximum permissible crossing angle is set and, as each stage progresses, the crossing angle gradually becomes smaller while the winding ratio remains constant. Once the crossing angle reaches the smallest permissible value, the crossing angle is abruptly restored to the initial value. The winding ratio thus drops to a smaller value. As a result, a cheese with a virtually constant crossing angle is obtained in which the winding ratio has been reduced in stages.
With graduated precision winding produced in this manner, however, the above-described density problems and problems of stability of the bobbin edge are merely lessened. Along with the density problems with the above-described causes and an increasing pressure on the internal yarn layers, still another problem arises. With the reduction in the crossing angle, the wound length per unit of time also drops. This is especially disadvantageous in open-end spinning machines. Since the yarn produced on open-end spinning machines is always fed at a constant yarn speed, the yarn tension between the cheese and the draw-off rolls, for instance, is reduced by the decreasing windup length per unit of time. By the time the cheese has been nearly fully wound, there can be differences in the tension distortion of about 3.5%. This leads to marked differences in density and impairs the reeling-off (i.e., unwinding) properties of the cheese considerably. Depending on the graduation in the graduated precision winding, it can happen that the winding ratio or winding number will randomly drop to one of the aforementioned mirror values or to the critical vicinity of such a value.
From the extensive prior art mentioned above, which addresses the problems that occur in graduated precision winding, several selected references warrant comment. In German Patent 42 23 271 C1, a method for winding a yarn by means of graduated precision winding is described, in which the traversing frequency is increased abruptly within a range that is determined by a minimum winding angle and a maximum lay angle. The traversing frequency is decreased within a stage from an initial frequency to a final frequency in proportion to the bobbin speed (rpm) and is then increased abruptly to the initial frequency of the next stage. This initial frequency in each stage is at most equal to a fixed maximum frequency. The final frequency in each stage is at least equal to a fixed minimum frequency. Because winding is performed in all stages with winding numbers near a mirroring value, the intent is to provide the bobbin with a uniformly high packing density.
In German Patent Disclosure DE 41 12 768 A1, a method for producing stepwise precision winding is described, in which the switchover to the next winding stage in each case takes place when a diameter value stored in memory is reached. The intent is for instance not to have to input certain individual yarn-specific parameters of the yarn to be wound into the computer, or to make additional measurements. According to this reference, the procedure for producing graduated precision windings is expediently accomplished by selecting a crossing angle xcex1, or a crossing angle tolerance range xcex11 to xcex12, on the basis of which characteristic variables of the winding stages are calculated. In this German Patent Disclosure DE 41 12 768 A1, it is recommended that the method be performed such that the tolerance range xcex11 to xcex12 of the selected crossing angle a is between xc2x14xc2x0.
Along with the above-described method in which the beginning of a new stage is initiated when the values of predetermined threshold crossing angles are exceeded, it is also possible to designate graduations in respect to the winding ratio, for example as a function of threshold values formed of cheese diameters. The graduations in the winding ratio can then be of constant size, for instance.
European Patent Disclosure EP 0 055 849 B1, which defines the basic type of graduated precision winding method to which the present invention relates, defines a method for graduated precision winding of yarns by means of a winding apparatus wherein the yarns are delivered continuously at constant speed. This method seeks to avert excessive differences in the winding speed, and the disadvantageous effects of such differences on the quality of the yarns and on the bobbin construction, by keeping the change in the winding ratio from one stage of the precision winding to the next so slight that the attendant change in winding speed of the yarn does not exceed a tolerance range above and below the value of the mean winding speed. However, irregularities in the bobbin structure occur in the range of small bobbin diameters, especially irregularities at the bobbin edges, are not prevented by the method disclosed in this European Patent Disclosure EP 0 055 849 B1.
With the known prior art discussed above, the problems in producing cheeses by means of graduated precision winding are overcome only inadequately, if at all, especially in open-end spinning machines, even though the engineering and control work related to such systems is at considerable industrial effort and expense.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for producing graduated precision windings, especially for but not limited to use on open-end spinning machines to produce coarse yarns.
This object is addressed by a method, preferably adapted for but not limited to use in an open-end spinning system, for graduated precision winding of a staple fiber yarn fed at a constant yarn speed onto a cheese or like package rotating at constant circumferential speed. In accordance with the present invention, the winding ratio during progressive building of the cheese is reduced in stages by graduations of decreasing size as the diameter of the cheese increases. Each such graduation decreases the winding ratio by a value not exceeding 0.3, with each such graduation being selected to be sufficiently small to produce a change in a crossing angle of the yarn during winding of between about xc2x10.8xc2x0 of a predetermined set-point value for the crossing angle and selected to be sufficiently large to completely fill a smallest number of yarn winding diamonds occurring in the respective yarn winding stage.
By employing a staged reduction of the winding ratio during building of the cheese utilizing increasingly smaller graduations as the cheese diameter increases, the method according to the present invention overcomes deleterious problems in bobbin construction that in the prior art are not overcome by merely and simply reducing the size of the graduations The prevailing winding ratio, WDakt, is calculated continuously from the then-current cheese diameter dSPakt, the set-point crossing angle xcex1SOLL, and the double stroke length of the winding traverse DH, and the calculated winding ratio is compared continuously with a winding ratio WDn+1 that is predetermined for the applicable stage.
For calculating the current winding ratio WDakt, the following formula applies:       WD    akt    =      DH                  d        SPakt            *              ·        π            *              tan                          (                                    α              SOLL                        /            2                    )
The cheese diameter DSP is calculated in friction driving of the bobbin via the speed (rpm) nw of the friction drive shaft, the known diameter dw of this shaft, and the bobbin rpm nSP:       D    SP    =                    n        w            ·              d        w                    n      sp
A new winding ratio WDn+1 for the next succeeding stage is calculated and predetermined. A change into the next stage is made whenever a calculation operation shows that the current calculated winding ratio WDakt is equal or already smaller than the predetermined winding ratio WDn+1. For instance, with the goal of obtaining a more-uniform bobbin construction in the open-end spinning process, if a graduation in the applicable predetermined winding ratio WDn+1 is selected, in which ratio successive decreasing values of the winding ratio WDn+1 each differ by the very slight value 0.1, as represented by the formula
WDn+1=WDnxe2x88x920.1,
then the course 22 of the predetermined winding ratio WDn+1 as shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. A disadvantage of a cheese wound in this manner, however, is a marked increase in the range of fluctuation in the deviation from the set-point crossing angle xcex1SOLL. Such angle deviations, above a cheese diameter of about 100 mm, already cause markedly visible bumps on the cheese at the bobbin flank despite the fact that the graduations in the predetermined winding ratio are kept quite slight.
This disadvantage can be overcome by the method according to the invention. The need to reduce the graduation in the winding ratio markedly still further with a view to eliminating the development of undesired bumps, or reducing it to a tolerable amount, can also be avoided. But even further-reduced graduations in the winding ratio, in the cheese diameter range below 100 mm, are then disadvantageously so close together that a change to a new winding ratio will occur even upon an increase of less than 1 mm in the cheese diameter. However, the winding-ratio-specific yarn laying pattern is usually not yet concluded by such time. Not until the next winding ratio WDn+1 with a different laying pattern or a different number of diamonds are the voids located beneath covered, but not closed, while at the same time new ones are allowed to form in a different arrangement. These voids necessarily lead to losses in density and to a xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d bobbin core. As the cheese diameter increases, the pressure on this soft core also increases. This can be so extensive that so-called bloomings and loose edges arise. In such cheeses, it is not necessarily assured that the yarns can be reeled off (i.e., unwound) without breaking. These disadvantages are avoidable, however, with the method according to the invention.
Each graduation is preferably selected by calculating each successive winding ratio WDn+1, by subtracting an amount from the then-prevailing winding ratio (either the initial winding ration when determining the first graduation or a succeeding winding ratio WDn for a subsequent winding stage) which amount is calculated by multiplying the integral component GWD of the applicable winding ratio WDn by a graduation factor FST. For this calculation, the following formula applies:
WDn+1=WDnxe2x88x92(FST* GWD).
Advantageously, the graduation factor is no greater than 0.05, and in particular is preferably between 0.02 and 0.05, in order to obtain graduations in the winding ratio with the desired effect.
In an alternative version of the method of the invention, the calculation of the applicable winding ratios or the applicable graduations in the winding ratio can also be done on the basis of a percentage wise graduation in the cheese diameter. In this embodiment, each successive winding ratio WDn+1, is calculated in accordance with the formula
Dn+1=Dakt+Daktxc2x7FD
Wherein the initial or subsequently prevailing current cheese diameter DSPakt is multiplied by a percentage factor fD; this product is added to the initial or current cheese diameter DSPakt, and the value of the cheese diameter DSPn+1 thus obtained is converted into a corresponding value to which the winding ratio WDn+1 is to be set. The conversion is done by the following formula:       WD          n      +      1        =      DH                  D                  SPn          +          1                    *      π      *      tan                    xe2x80x83                  α                    xe2x80x83                          1        /        2
In a preferred feature of the method of the invention, the graduation in the core area or region of the cheese is increased, preferably in the first segment of the bobbin travel, by means of an additional multiplier.
In a further advantageous version of the method of the invention, each winding ratio is ascertained by adding to or subtracting from the winding ratio a supplemental step-up ratio derived from the quotient of the yarn spacing and the number of diamonds in the current winding ratio by a calculation which incorporates these parameters into the determination of this step-up ratio. Thus the yarn winding diamonds can be closed or filled completely, and very uniform winding of the cheese can be attained. The number of yarn winding diamonds is also known as the order number. The calculation of the supplemental step-up iz of the winding ratio is accomplished according to the formula:       i    z    =      s                  n        R            *              D        SP            *      π      *              sin                          (                      α            /            2                    )
wherein,
iz=supplemental step-up of the winding ratio
s=yarn spacing
DSP=cheese diameter
xcex1=set-point crossing angle
nR=number of diamonds
The yarn spacing s is preselected by the user in a manner known per se as a function of the material comprising the yarn and then is ascertained empirically. The number of diamonds nR can also be calculated in a manner known per se or can for instance be taken from a table.
The graduation is advantageously selected such that winding ratios with which a desired, known number of diamonds can be associated are always obtained. For example, it can thus be assured that the number of diamonds is no greater than 50, and by the choice of such a value that is not overly large for the number of diamonds, excessively small yarn spacings are counteracted. The incidence of an arbitrarily high number of diamonds, which undesirably limits the possibilities of intervention in cheese construction using the supplemental step-up of the winding ratio, is averted.
The method of the present invention for producing a graduated precision winding represents an easily executed and inexpensive method that also produces satisfactory results on open-end spinning machines. The bobbins made by this method are distinguished by uniformly high density, smooth flanks without bumps and without bloomings at the bobbin edges in the region of the bobbin core, as well as very good payout properties. The engineering outlay can be kept low. There is no need for a separately driven winding roller or a sensor system for monitoring winding tension. In particular, the average winding quantity of the cheeses produced changes only slightly. The absolute error in the tension distortion when the method of the present invention is employed is rarely more than 0.1%. A further advantage of the method of the present invention is that simple calculation, over the entire bobbin construction, of the next successive winding ratio is possible on the basis of predetermined data such as D, DH, WD and xcex1, with a single, fixed multiplier for the graduations of the winding ratio.
The invention will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method for graduated precision winding of a textile yarn cheese


A configuration method for configuring an electronic device is described. The configuration method comprises: receiving at least one status parameter that is associated with at least one of an input parameter of the electronic device, an output parameter of the electronic device, a target output parameter of the electronic device, and a state of the electronic device; processing at least one status parameter by a first artificial intelligence module within a predefined time interval, thereby generating at least one first control parameter within the predefined time interval, wherein the at least one first control parameter is a rough estimate of an optimal control parameter for the electronic device; and processing at least one status parameter by a second artificial intelligence module, thereby generating at least one second control parameter wherein the at least one second control parameter is a more precise estimate of the optimal control parameter for the electronic device compared to the at least one first control parameter. Moreover, a configuration system is described.

Many electronic devices have different operational modes of processing an input signal and generating an output signal based on the input signal. In general, operational parameters of the respective electronic device have to be correctly adapted in order to correctly process the input signal according to the different operational modes.
Particularly, electronic measurement instruments, e.g. oscilloscopes or signal analyzers, usually have different measurement modes. For example, the measurement instrument may have different measurement settings for different voltage and/or current ranges that are to be measured.
In order to precisely measure properties of a certain device under test, the settings of the measurement instrument need to be precisely adapted to a particular measurement scenario at hand.
In principle, all different types of operational modes and the respectively associated sets of operational parameters for the electronic device could be computed beforehand (e.g. after an assembly of the electronic device). However, for modern electronic devices having several different operational modes and a large number of associated operational parameters, the resulting data volume may be very large, which results in high demands on the available memory in the electronic device.
Accordingly, there is a need for a configuration method and a configuration system that allow for a less memory-intensive configuration of an electronic device.

Configuration method and configuration system


An intelligent battery module for a multimedia device includes a device housing, a battery unit and an intelligent circuit arrangement. The intelligent circuit arrangement is provided within the device housing for electrically communicating a multimedia battery and the battery unit with a battery terminal of the multimedia device, in such a manner that when the multimedia battery is mounted onto a battery slot, the intelligent circuit arrangement is adapted to electrically connect the multimedia battery with the battery terminal so as to allow the multimedia battery to initially activate the multimedia device, and when the multimedia device is initially activated by the multimedia battery, the intelligent circuit arrangement is arranged to electrically connect the battery unit with the battery terminal so as to allow the multimedia device to be continuously operated by the battery unit without electrically further recourse to electricity supply of the multimedia battery.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a multimedia device, and more particularly to an intelligent battery module for a multimedia device which is arranged to provide extended electrical power supply to the multimedia device through at least one battery unit which is not the official designated battery pack for the multimedia device.
2. Description of Related Arts
Portable multimedia devices, such as camcorders, have widely been utilized around the world. People may use camcorders for capturing images and for recording videos. A conventional camcorder usually comprises a main camcorder unit and an "official" battery pack detachably mounted on the main camcorder unit for providing electric supply to operate the main camcorder unit. The "official" battery pack is usually a battery unit fabricated by the manufacturer or is licensed to be fabricated by a battery manufacturer other than the manufacturer of the main camcorder unit.
Due to a number of complicated technical, marketing and perhaps legal reasons, the "official" battery pack is usually made to be the only available kind of battery unit for that particular model of camcorders. For example, if the manufacturer, in the course of developing a new model of camcorder, decides that camcorder should be equipped with a particular model of battery unit, that particular model of battery unit will become the "official" battery pack of that new model of camcorder. Based on this objective, the microprocessor in the newly developed camcorder will be pre-programmed to allow only the battery pack which has the corresponding electrical parameters to activate the main camcorder unit. For some high-end products, the "official" battery pack may actually be a smart battery pack having an integrated built-in circuit controlling and monitoring the battery unit and communicating with the multimedia device which the battery unit pack intends to operate. The communication between the "official" battery pack and the multimedia device may include model number, manufacturer, characteristics, discharge rate etc.
The above mentioned scenario imparts a great deal of inconvenience to users of conventional camcorders. First of all, the users cannot select battery unit of other brands so that when they need to buy a spare battery pack, they need to go to specified service centers or electronic retailers for buy particular model of "official" battery pack. When the service centers or electronic retailers having that "official" battery pack is far away from the user's home, the user must travel a long distance or buy the battery pack online. The latter involves substantial order processing time, posting time and postage and packaging cost.
Second, since the "official" battery pack is usually manufactured by the same manufacturer making the multimedia devices or a licensed manufacturer, the price of the battery pack is solely determined by the corresponding manufacturer irrespective of market condition and competition. Very often, this leads to an unreasonably elevated retail price of a spare "official" battery pack. This market phenomenon is also noticeable in other industries.
Third, the above mentioned problems are further exacerbated by the fact that after the camcorders have been launched in the market for a certain period of time, the manufacturer may consider stopping producing the "official" battery pack with a view to force existing users to buy a new model. Thus, when original battery pack is underperforming, the users may wish to replace the original battery pack with a new "official" battery pack. Yet if the corresponding manufacturer stops manufacturing that particular model of battery pack, the user has no option but to purchase a new model of the multimedia device. In other words, the users may replace the entire multimedia device just because the original or the "official" battery pack is not working. This phenomenon is highly undesirable on the part of consumers. As a result, there is an exigency for completely resolving the above mentioned problems.

Intelligent battery module for multimedia device


Recommended composition data, which represent composition images recommended at locations of photography, are stored in a recommended-composition storage medium in correlation with positional information which represents the photography locations. A GPS section receives radio waves from GPS satellites and inputs GPS information to a read-out section. Based on the positional information in the GPS information, the read-out section retrieves the recommended composition data stored in the recommended-composition storage medium. If recommended composition data is desired, it is read out and input to a superposition section. The image data obtained by an imaging section is also input to the superposition section. The desired, recommended composition data and the image data are superposed and displayed on a display unit. The image data is displayed on the display unit in real time so that photographing can be performed with the image data coincident with the desired, recommended composition data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device, such as a camera, etc., which can photograph a subject so that the photograph of the subject coincides with a recommended composition.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed a camera that can take a photograph so that the photograph coincides with a desired composition, by displaying information about composition on the viewfinder or liquid crystal monitor (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8(1996)-294025). In this camera, a scene is previously photographed to acquire information on reference composition that becomes a reference when photographing the scene. Also, the reference composition, and the image of the scene being input from the imaging means in real time, are displayed on display means such a viewfinder, a liquid crystal panel, etc. If such a camera is used, a photographer can obtain an image photographed so that it becomes a suitable composition, by causing the reference composition and the image of the scene to coincide with each other.
However, in the camera disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8(1996) -294025, the quality of an image which is obtained based on a reference composition depends largely upon the skill of a photographer, because the reference composition is determined beforehand and put into the camera by the photographer. In addition, even if a place where the photographer is situated is a noted place for sight-seeing, there will be a possibility that the photographer will miss a chance to press the shutter.

Imaging device for imaging based upon a reference composition for a subject


A user inserts a magnetic card to a magnetic card reader, and inputs his/her electronic signature and dealing data through an input device. The input dealing data are recorded on an electronic account data file together with the electronic signature. The input data are also recorded on a log file after encryption. An administrator inserts his/her IC card to an IC card reader/writer for updating the dealing data. The IC card reader/writer collaborates with a SAM to certify the inserted IC card (medium verification). A finger print recognizer obtains the administrator's finger print to compare it with finger print data stored in a finger print file (user verification). If both medium verification and user verification are passed, a controller decodes log data in the log file. After the log data are decoded, the administrator is allowed to access the electronic account data file for to update data. Data regarding to the update done by the administrator are also recorded on the log file after encyption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic data management system and the like, suitable for managing electronic data such as electronic account data which require secure management.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any country has a law which decrees that business account documents regarding to dealings should be kept for a predetermined period. In Japan, a law which accepts electronic data files representing business accounts, have been effective since January 1999. Such the business account data require more secure management as compared to other ordinary electronic data files, because they must be protected from serious crimes such as tax evasion and misappropriation of public fund.
Verification by password has been a major way to certify a data administrator, however, it is not perfect protection because one who steals password can access the data easily. The business account data have required another new protection technique having improved security.


A shift apparatus for a dual clutch transmission includes a plurality of shift lugs and a shift operating module moving the shift lugs. The apparatus provides a simple structure and sufficient rigidity and durability, in addition to a simple shift of a gear. The apparatus further provides an automatic releasing function that automatically releases the prior shift stage and an active inter-lock function that prevents gears connected to the same clutch from being engaged simultaneously, and enables 6-3-stage and 5-2-stage skip shift.

Dual clutch transmissions are shift systems that are composed of two sets of clutches, unlike single disc clutch transmission systems, designed to operate odd-numbered stages using a first clutch and even-numbered stages using a second clutch, and which makes it comfortable to drive, such as automatic transmissions, and also can further reduce fuel consumption than vehicles equipped with manual transmissions.
Further, dual clutch transmissions have an advantage of providing very smooth shift, because acceleration stop that appears in single disc clutch transmissions does not occur.
Necessary parts for controlling the dual clutch transmissions are a clutch actuator that connects or disconnects the clutch, a shift actuator that performs actual shift of gear by controlling the shift fork of the transmission, and a controller that controls the actuators on the basis of the vehicle speed and the open amount of throttle valves.
In addition to a function of simply performing the shift of gear, the shift actuator should have an automatic-releasing function that automatically releases the prior shift stage and an active inter-lock function that prevents gears connected to the same clutch from being simultaneously engaged.
It is preferable that durability is ensured and skip shift, such as 6-3-stage and 5-2-stage shift, is possible, in addition to providing the basic function required for the shifting apparatuses of the dual clutch transmission using simple configuration and structure.
The foregoing discussion is to provide general background information, and does not constitute an admission of prior art.

Shifting apparatus for dual clutch transmission