A method and apparatus for receiving and transmitting programming data through an application specific integrated circuit is provided. In a first embodiment, the application specific integrated circuit comprises a main circuit, at least two input/output (I/O) mechanisms connected to the main circuit for transferring data into and out of the main circuit and a mechanism for receiving and transmitting the programming data. The mechanism for transmitting the programming data includes a tri-state buffer that is activated by a programming enable signal. In a second embodiment, the input and output of the buffer are multiplexed with the two I/O mechanisms connected to the main circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to programming field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices and, more particularly, to the ability of programming FPGA devices through application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Often times during the production of electronic systems, design errors may be uncovered or specifications and/or requirements changed. To allow for easy changes when any one of the above occurs, hardware designers have been modeling these systems using FPGA devices. FPGA devices are programmable devices. Hence, they can be reprogrammed as often as needed to adjust to any new specifications or requirements as well as to correct any design errors.
FIG. 1 depicts an electronic system modeled with FPGA devices. Each FPGA device may be modeling a different part of the electronic system. For example, device 100 may be modeling a processor, device 110 may be modeling a memory controller, device 120 a cache controller etc. The devices are interconnected in a daisy chain fashion using an in-system-programming (ISP) bus 160 whereby a programming apparatus can be used to program more than one device. Each device has a serial data in (SDI) pin and a serial data out (SDO) pin. The SDI pin of device 100 is connected to the connector of the programming apparatus (not shown) and its SDO pin is connected to the SDI pin of device 110. The SDO pin of device 110 is connected to the SDI pin of device 120 and the SDO pin of device 120 is connected to the SDI pin of device 130 and so on. The SDO pin of the last device (i.e., device 150) is connected to the connector of the programming apparatus. In this manner, the programming apparatus, using an appropriate protocol, can program any one of the FPGA devices.
During the production of the electronic system, some of the FPGA devices may be replaced by ASIC devices. Whether or not an FPGA device is actually replaced by an ASIC device is usually governed by cost and availability of resources. For example, an FPGA device on the average costs approximately twelve (12) dollars to manufacture whereas the price of an ASIC device is around three (3) dollars. However, depending on the complexity of an ASIC device, the design of the ASIC device may take several thousands dollars in man-hours. Thus, the design cost of an ASIC design must be taken into consideration when making a decision to replace an FPGA device with an ASIC device.
In any event, ASIC devices are application specific devices and, thus, are not programmable. Consequently, ASIC devices are not equipped with programming interfaces nor do they contain SDI and SDO pins. Although devoid of programming interfaces, however, ASIC devices must be able to relay programming information to the FPGA devices located downstream in the chain. Otherwise, the programming chain is broken isolating the downstream FPGA devices from programming accessibility.
The conventional method of relaying programming information to downstream FPGA devices has been to bypass the ASIC devices. FIG. 2 depicts an electronic system modeled with both FPGA and ASIC devices. In FIG. 2, FPGA devices 110 and 150 of FIG. 1 are replaced by ASIC devices 170 and 180, respectively. Resistor R.sub.1 connects the SDO pin of FPGA device 100 to the SDI pin of FPGA device 120. Thus, programming information, in essence, bypasses ASIC device 170 to reach FPGA device 130. Resistor R.sub.2 functions in a similar fashion.
In order to be able to add these resistors to the circuit board, the board onto which the devices are mounted must have been designed with resistor pads at proper locations. That is, all the FPGA devices that would later be replaced by ASIC devices must have been pre-identified, a task that may not be feasible. In the alternative, resistor pads must be added at all locations where devices will be attached to the board. As a result, the board may become quite crowded.
When resistors are used to bypass the ASIC devices, the resistor pads must be populated with resistors for ASIC devices and left empty for FPGA devices. This adds complexity to the manufacturing process of the electronic systems, especially, when multiple FPGA devices are to be replaced by ASIC devices at different times. It also makes it very difficult to use ASIC and FPGA devices interchangeably as second sources to each other or as backup supplies as resistor pads will have to be populated or left empty depending on which of the two devices is used. When multiple FPGA devices are replaced with ASIC devices, the large number of permutations on the bill of materials (i.e., the list of parts that will be used) becomes hard to manage at manufacture time.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method that allow downstream FPGA devices to be programmed through upstream ASIC devices without using resistors to bypass the ASIC devices.

Method and apparatus of programming FPGA devices through ASIC devices


Disclosed is a substantially rectangular plinth member for installation at the base of a fence to at least partially close a space between the fence and a ground surface underneath the fence. The plinth member is elongate and comprises a first major surface and an opposite second major surface. The plinth member has a major axis and a minor axis extending perpendicular thereto, the major and minor axes defining a notional centre plane of the plinth member. The plinth member has first and second end margins at its respective opposite ends along the major axis and third and fourth end margins at its respective opposite ends along the minor axis. A plurality of substantially parallel stiffening formations are defined by portions of the plinth member that are displaced from the notional centre plane, extend between the first and second end margins, and are spaced apart between the third and fourth end margins. The stiffening formations are configured such that the plinth member has a greater pressure load bearing capacity when loaded on the first major surface than it has when loaded on the second major surface.

It is often desirable to construct a fence so that it closely follows the contour of the underlying ground. Such an arrangement reduces gaps between the fence and the ground and inhibits noise, vermin, weeds, plants, wind, and the like from passing under the fence.
To close gaps under a fence, it is known to install a plinth at the base of the fence, between the fence posts. Conventionally, plinths are either independently supported in the ground, for example using stakes, or secured to the fence posts. It is also known to partially embed a plinth in the ground. In cases where the ground level on either side of the fence differs, a plinth is sometimes used to retain the soil on the higher side.
Plinths are typically constructed from concrete, stone, or timber. Timber planks have been used extensively to construct plinths as they have sufficient strength to retain soil for small differences in soil height, and they can be relatively easily cut to size on site. However, for longevity, the timber is usually treated with chemicals to make it resistant to decay and damage from termites or other pests, and there is a tendency for these chemicals to leach into the soil. As these chemicals can be highly toxic, the use of timber plinths can lead to unacceptable contamination of the surrounding environment. Also, timber plinths are relatively bulky and heavy, which gives rise to handling and installation difficulties.
A disadvantage of concrete plinths is that they are generally formed from precast concrete elements of a standard size and the process of cutting them to size to meet site requirements is very labour and time intensive. They are also very bulky an heavy, which gives rise to handling and installation difficulties. On the other hand, the process of casting concrete plinths on-site is very labour and time intensive.
A stone plinth can be formed from natural stones or from stone blocks. In either case, handling and installation difficulties arise due to stone being a heavy material. The process of creating a plinth from natural stones is also very laborious and time consuming and, unless the stones are bound together using mortar or the like, there will be gaps in the completed plinth. Creating a plinth from stone blocks is also very labour and time intensive, both in terms of the process of laying the stone and in terms of the inevitable need to cut at least some of the stone blocks to size to meet site requirements.
In addition, some conventional plinths suffer from insufficient strength to resist bowing when there is significant soil height differences on one side of the plinth (as often happens on sloping ground).
In the past, plinths have not been available in a paint finish that is the same as the one used for a pre-coated metal fence itself, thus suffering from poor aesthetics and differential fading over a long period of time. Paint applied to such plinths is typically post applied by brush or spray or powder-coating and is applied to each plinth section in a batch or non-continuing process. Where paint is applied to a plinth it needs to have sufficient thickness to ensure it resists the degradation through moisture penetration and may occur in applications involving contact with the soil.
Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.


A device for drilling or boring openings, primarily deep openings, comprises a cutter head with guides, said head being equipped with a device for displacing the cutter in the radial direction from the drive. The input of the drive is connected via a control signal transmission circuit and a transducer to the output of a system for digital programming control (DPC). A sensor for checking variations in the wall thickness of the component, a sensor of the angle of rotation of the component, a sensor of the angle of rotation of the cutter head and a sensor for checking the wobbling of the component are connected to the DPC system. The drive of the device for displacing the cutter in the radial direction is in the form of a linear drive and is mounted on the cutter head. The technical result is expressed in an increase in the accuracy of machining deep openings while ensuring that said openings can be corrected during the process of machining the openings.

The invention pertains to metal working, and specifically to devices for drilling or boring holes, thereafter called devices for making holes.
Known are devices for making holes (SU 1063543 A, Dec. 30, 1983; SU 1313586 A1, May 30, 1987; RU 2090315 Ca, Sep. 20, 2007) that have cutter heads and mechanisms by means of which a cutter is set to a specified dimension. In said devices, the specified dimension is set before making a hole, and is not corrected during the hole-making process. Also, the tool deviating from the hole axis is not corrected because it is not possible to control the hole axis while making a hole.
Also known is a device for making holes (RU 44072 U1, Feb. 2, 2005) comprising a cutter head with a device for moving a cutter in a radial direction from the drive whose control circuit input is connected via a converter to a computer numeric control (CNC) system output. The device makes it possible to change a hole size and shape while making a hole according to a preset CNC program by moving the cutter in a radial direction. Motion from the drive to the cutter is transmitted via a rod that passes inside a bar cavity. The rod is longer than the depth of drilling.
In terms of the combination of essential features and the achieved result, the device of patent RU 44072 C1 is the closest to the claimed device and is designated as the prototype.
The device's disadvantage is that during the hole making process the cutter head axis runs off the axis of the specified hole. It is then impossible to determine the runoff amount, let alone to correct it. The link of the cutter movement drive to, the cutter itself via a long rod contributes to increasing the runoff because the rod is insufficient rigid.


An optical disc includes a plurality of lands and grooves alternately arranged in a radial direction of the optical disc, each land wobbling in the radial direction and recording a header recording part for holding address information, there being a difference in elevation between each land and each groove, each grove having a data recording part for storing data, wherein the header recording parts offset alternately for respective lands in the radial direction, the data recording part in the groove and the header recording part in the land are arranged offset in a circumferential direction of the optical disc, and the header recording part in each land enables the same address information to be reproduced for two groove at both sides of each land.

The present invention relates to optical discs, optical disc manufacturing methods and optical disc drives. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical disc structure having a deflection-formed wobbling header part, a method for forming a wobbling header part, an optical disc drive for recording data to and reproducing data from the optical disc loaded in the drive. The present invention also relates to a stamper for manufacturing the optical disc.
A higher recording density has recently been one of the most important technical issues in the art of optical discs, and various densifications have been proposed as represented by the land/groove recording.
Devised header-part structures have conventionally been proposed, as well as a data recording part, for the higher recording density. For example, iD-photo records header (part) information onto only one side of a recording track to reduce interference in a track direction, and header information on both walls at inner and outer sides of the recording track in order to avoid malfunctions resulting from a tilt of the disc.
The header part is configured to record header information through deflection, thereby providing long, uninterrupted recording tracks. Advantageously, this may result in uninterrupted detections when a tracking signal crosses tracks.
A method of recording header information into only one side of a recording track, as in the iD-photo, uses two streaks of optical beams to form wobbling headers, exposes with these two beams offset in a radial direction, and forms separate wobbles at the exposed side surfaces. Therefore, this method necessarily requires a wide exposure track width, and thus has difficulty in increasing the track density in the radial direction.
The increased track density in the radial direction with a narrower width for each track would require such an information track structure as uses a single beam instead of two beams to increase the recording density of the optical disc. In addition, reliable header information and a stagger structure, such as iD-photo, must be maintained even for a single beam for forming the wobbling header. It is also necessary to develop an optical disc drive that manages address information differently from the conventional one in order to reduce such an optical disc to practice.

Optical disc, method for manufacturing the same, drive for the same, and samper used to manufacture the same


A sewer chimney and method of forming a sewer chimney for connecting a surface branch sewer pipe to a deeply buried main sewer pipe having a fixture with an upwardly facing opening. The chimney is constructed of a plurality of precast concrete elements including a supporting base adjacent the main sewer pipe, one or more transitional sections on the supporting base and a cap block which rests on the upper most transitional section. An elongated vertical pipe extends from the fixture of the main sewer pipe to the cap block. Seals are provided between each of the concrete precast sections and seals are provided between the elongated vertical pipe and components of the construction.

The present invention relates to the installation of sewer systems and the like. The invention is particularly directed to a sewer system structure known as a "sewer chimney" which joins a lower sewer main line to an upper sewer branch line. A sewer chimney is usually constructed as an appurtenance to a deep sewer to allow the branch line (building connections or lateral branch lines) to be installed at a shallower depth. These chimneys vary in height and in pipe size, but are typically used for a residence or small commercial building.
Concrete chimneys are typically built by pouring a concrete mix into a form on the job site. This technique produces defective sewer chimney structures as a result of incomplete drying, cracking and overload conditions on the mainline sewer unfavorable weather conditions; many of the problems which are associated with pouring concrete into a form can be avoided by prefabricating the sewer chimneys before they reach the construction site. The prefabricated sewer chimney includes several parts which are assembled at the construction site.
A common problem with such prefabricated concrete sewer chimneys is that parts may not seal properly due to voids in concrete or may vary in the sealing surface being irregular so as to prevent proper construction of the chimney. If the parts do not fit together perfectly, it is difficult or impossible to maintain water-tight seals between the parts.
In the prefab sewer chimney systems which are in current use, a short pipe or nipple extends upwardly from the main line fixture to a fixture in the bridge portion of the supporting base. There is a seal between the main line fixture and the bottom of the nipple, and a seal between the nipple and the bridge portion of the base. The seal in the bridge portion is a gasket which surrounds the upper end of the nipple and which permits relative movement between the nipple and the supporting base while maintaining a water-tight seal between the bridge portion of the base and the nipple. This is an important feature for ease of installation and for allowing for settling of the chimney structure after installation. The cap block at the top of the sewer structure has a built-in T-fixture. The T-fixture and the cap block includes a vertical bore which is vertically aligned with the nipple and the horizontal bore for receiving a service pipe. A captured seal unit is provided between each concrete structure of the chimney so that the system is water-tight from the "T" in the cap block to the main line fixture.
There are two problems which are associated with the nipple which extends from the main line fixture. If the nipple is too long relative to the seal in the bridge portion of the supporting base, there is always a standing volume of sewerage above the seal. Also, if the nipple is cut too long, the top of the nipple may impinge upon the riser section just above the bridge portion of the base, thereby putting pressure on the main line "T" or even structural failure of the mainline tee. This results in a leak at some point in the structure. Even if the riser does not impinge upon the riser section just above the bridge portion during installation of the chimney unit, subsequent settling of the chimney unit may cause the nipple to impinge upon the riser which is located just above the bridge portion creating problems as previously mentioned. If the nipple is too short, the nipple may not extend above the seal in the bridge portion which results in a leak.
There are many other factors which contribute to the failure of present day prefabricated sewer chimneys to maintain a water-tight seal. Although the prefabricated sewer chimneys include seals between each precast concrete section, the seals are often broken or damaged through carelessness of the workers during assembly, failure due to workers using the wrong size seal, or by the units being struck by boulders during the backfilling operation. Damage to these seals can also occur if the sewer chimney is struck by equipment during the installation of service laterals to the building which is being serviced. The placing of too much backfill on one side of the unit causes uneven stresses in the sewer chimney which can also result in damage to the seals. In many cases, the damage to the seals occurs during subsequent service work long after the initial installation of the unit.
Another problem which is associated with existing sewer chimney systems concerns the need to accommodate different types of service pipes. The service pipe specifications vary considerably from one locale to another and for each type of service installation. For example, two commonly used service pipes differ in wall thickness and in outside diameter so that a different block "T" must be used for each type of service pipe used. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in novel manner by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a precast sewer chimney which is substantially more resistant to loss of water-tight integrity than existing sewer chimney structures.
Another object of this invention is the provision of a precast sewer chimney which has the ability to accept service pipes of different diameters.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a precast sewer chimney which can be effectively tested for water-tight integrity in or out of the unit during and immediately after installation of the structure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a precast sewer chimney which can be effectively tested for water-tight integrity wherein if a leak does occur, it will be pinpointed for repair of the seal at that point.
A still further object of the invention is a provision of a precast sewer chimney structure which can be tested and put into immediate use during construction of the structure thereby eliminating by-pass pumping.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a precast sewer chimney structure which has inner and outer sealing systems thereby greatly increasing the chances that the sewer chimney will maintain its water-tight integrity.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a precast sewer chimney structure which allows for settling of the chimney structure without losing its sealing effectiveness.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of installing a precast sewer chimney structure which can be installed easily, quickly and safely.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a method of installing a precast sewer chimney structure which insures water-tight integrity of the structure.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.


Techniques for controlling rotor speed of a wind turbine. One technique includes defining a system model describing resonance dynamics of a wind turbine component, such as a wind turbine tower, where the system model has a nonlinear input term, e.g. a periodic forcing term. A transform is applied to the system model to obtain a transformed model for response oscillation amplitude of the wind turbine component, where the transformed model has a linear input term. A wind turbine model describing dynamics of the wind turbine is then defined, and includes the transformed model. A model-based control algorithm, e.g. model predictive control, is applied using the wind turbine model to determine at least one control output, e.g. generator torque, and the control output is used to control rotor speed of the wind turbine.

Wind turbines for power generation are well known in the art. One type of wind turbine is a variable speed wind turbine, in which a rotor speed may vary in proportion with a wind speed in order to maximise efficiency of the wind turbine. For variable speed wind turbines, a generator torque and pitch angle of the blades may be controlled so as to maintain different operational parameters, e.g. aerodynamic torque, rotor speed, electrical power, within operational constraints based on design parameters and operating conditions.
One issue with wind turbines, in particular with one or more components of a wind turbine, is that excitation of the resonance frequency of the components may cause relatively large vibrations which, in a worst case scenario, may lead to structural failure of the component. For instance, certain speeds or frequencies of a wind turbine rotor may excite the resonance frequency or oscillation of the tower and/or blades of the wind turbine. In particular, as the wind turbine rotor provides negligible aerodynamic side-to-side damping, at an order of magnitude smaller than the fore-aft damping ratio, then small perturbations can lead to load fluctuations comparable to fore-aft stresses. As the rotor speed varies across different operating points, it can be challenging to ensure that the resonance frequency of one or more of these components is not excited. Imbalance in the rotor may be caused by, for example, blade pitch angle, generator torque, mass of the component or wind speed in the vicinity of the turbine. In particular, the centre of mass of the wind turbine rotor assembly does not coincide with the actual rotor centre as a result of, for example, manufacturing imperfections, wear and tear, fouling and icing. Moreover, vibrations are also induced by rotor aerodynamic imbalances caused by pitch errors and damage to the blade surface.
Conventionally, one or more rotor speed exclusion zones or critical ranges are defined in which a wind turbine rotor is not permitted to operate in. For example, if a wind turbine controller determines that the rotor speed needs to be adjusted from operating at one side of an exclusion zone to the opposite of the exclusion zone in order to improve operating efficiency, then the wind turbine may be controlled so that the rotor speed passes rapidly through the exclusion zone. This, however, can lead to sub-optimal performance of the wind turbine.
Predictive control methods are known to be used in association with wind turbine control technology, in particular to increase or maximise power output of a wind turbine and/or reduce or minimise loading on a wind turbine. Model predictive control is one approach for providing wind turbine control. A predictive controller is provided with a wind turbine model function operating on a number of input variables, and control outputs are derived accordingly, in this case by optimisation. This optimisation may be difficult to achieve in practice if the wind turbine model function is complex. A model for the resonance of one or more wind turbine components, such as the tower, cannot be easily embedded into the wind turbine model function. This is because a resonance model is typically nonlinear and non-convex. A convex problem or model is tractable as there exists a number of highly efficient and reliable methods for solving such problems. This is often a prerequisite for an online, real-time control system, as is relevant for wind turbine control.
It is against this background to which the present invention is set.


A method and system for improving sensor triggered event presentation is provided. The method includes associating a sequence of sensor triggered events associated with a graphical presentation for an object and detecting that a user has accessed a structure associated with an entity. In response, automated sensors associated with the structure are enabled and specified events triggered by the user are detected. A modified graphical presentation associated with an original graphical presentation for the object is generated and presented to the user. An associated a notification is generated and transmitted to a vendor associated with the product.

Processes for presenting graphical advertisements are well known. A typical advertisement presentation environment for companies with respect to users typically includes a static presentation format. A large number of solutions currently exist with respect to presenting accurate advertisements with respect to proximate devices. For example, advertisements may be modified based on a type or state of a device. Alternatively, advertisements may be modified based on a user behavior detected after receiving an advertising promotion.
However, the aforementioned solutions may be associated with accurate presentation limitations and speed of access issues thereby limiting a performance of advertisement systems. Additionally, the aforementioned solutions may not be enabled to allow for accurate graphical presentation modifications.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to provide a process for automatically detecting a user device and associated positioning information. Additionally, there exists a need in the art to provide a specialized graphical user interface for modifying and presenting modified graphical presentations.

Internet of things device graphical presentation modification

International Business Machines Corporation


A preparation process of isoimide comprising reacting a compound having one or more carboxyl group and one or more amide bond in the same molecule in the presence of a haloiminium salt and basic substance, and a preparation process of isoimide comprising reacting a compound having one or more carboxyl group with a compound having one or more amide bond in the presence of a haloiminium salt and basic substance are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel preparation process of isoimide comprising reacting in the presence of a haloiminium salt and basic substance.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Phenylmaleisoimide, N,N-phenylenebisisomaleimide, phenylisophthalimide and other isoimide monomers are useful compounds which are known as a raw material monomers and intermediate of agricultural chemicals and medicines. Preparation process of these isoimide has been conventionally known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,429 has disclosed a process for ring-closing maleamic acid and converting to a corresponding isoimide isomer by using triethylamine in the presence of dichloroacetyl chloride. U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,065 has described a process for converting to a corresponding isoimide isomer in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. However, these processes have a problem of high cost.
Further, as an improvement of these processes, Japanese Laid-Open Patent SHO 52-97959 has disclosed a preparation process of corresponding isoimide by reacting amic acid with ketene in the presence of acetic anhydride. However, at least an equimolar amount of expensive ketene for amic acid is required in order to form a proper amount of isoimide. Ketene is a very labile compound and thus the above process using ketene is also unfavorable as a preparation process in industry.
It has also been known as a preparation process of isoimide to react amic acid or polyamic acid with acetic anhydride, ethyl chloroformate and triethylamine, trifluoroacetic anhydride and other dehydrating agents. However, any of these processes involve many problems, for example, the reaction has slow velocity and low selectivity, excessive facilities are required for separation and recovery of byproducts, and it is difficult to repeatedly use the recovered substances.
On the other hand, polyisoimide which is known as a polyimide precursor can isomerize with ease to polyimide by heat treatment without evolution of water or other low molecular weight compounds, and is thus a material of being focused attention as a polyimide precursor in place of polyamic acid.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent HEI 4-214728 has disclosed a preparation process of polyisoimide which uses a nontoxic dihydroquinoline derivative as a dehydrating agent and does not require separation of solid byproducts. The process is specifically characterized in the nontoxic dehydrating agent. However, the process also forms four species of byproduct and a quinoline byproduct requires a great labor in order to regenerate the dihydroquinoline derivative. These problems have inhibited reduction in the production cost.


A carrier for a reticle used in photolithographic semiconductor processing, having a base portion and a cover portion. The base portion has a plurality of reticle supports and a plurality of reticle positioning members. The cover portion is adapted to sealingly mate with the base portion, and has an inner surface with a plurality of spaced apart reticle restraints and a pair of reticle positioning tabs projecting inwardly therefrom. Each reticle positioning tab has a diagonal edge portion, and is oriented so that the diagonal edge portion urges a reticle resting on the reticle supports into engagement with the reticle restraints when the cover portion is mated with the base portion.

Integrated circuit devices are commonly manufactured using a process known as photolithography. In photolithography, a photoresist layer is first deposited on a wafer substrate. Radiant energy, such as ultraviolet light, is then projected onto the photoresist layer through a template in the form of a mask or reticle having the desired pattern. The photoresist layer is then developed to remove either the exposed portions or the unexposed portions, to form a resist mask on the substrate. The resist mask can then be used to protect underlying areas during later deposition or etching processes.
An important component of the photolithographic apparatus is the reticle, which provides the pattern and layout corresponding to the various integrated circuit features. Typically, the reticle is a transparent glass plate with a layer of opaque or semi-opaque material coated thereon forming the pattern. It is critically important that the surfaces of the reticle, especially the coated surface, be protected from damage or contamination, since any such defects or contamination may be projected onto the photoresist layer during exposure, thus leading to a finished integrated circuit device of unacceptably diminished or even unusable quality.
Specialized carriers have been developed to protect a reticle from physical damage and contamination during storage and transport. These carriers typically comprise an enclosure having various reticle contact portions therein for supporting and restraining the reticle from movement. The reticle is usually manually positioned on support surfaces within the enclosure, and the reticle is then engaged and more closely restrained against movement by restraint members attached within the enclosure. These restraint members are typically designed to engage the reticle at its edges. A problem, however, has been that a person initially manually positioning the reticle on the support surfaces may fail to place the reticle in the proper position for engagement by the restraint members, or may inadvertently cause the reticle to be dislodged from its proper positioning before it is engaged by the restraint members. If the reticle is out of position a sufficient distance, the restraint members may then engage the reticle on its surfaces rather than at its edges, thereby causing scratching or other physical damage to the reticle.
What is needed is some type of structure or device for ensuring proper self positioning of a reticle within a reticle carrier to prevent damage during engagement by restraint members.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reticle carrier including reticle positioning and location means


A neutral tandem telecommunications network providing public and private wireline and wireless carrier networks connectivity amongst themselves (“transit traffic”) and between themselves and metropolitan local exchange carrier (“LEC”) central offices (“terminating traffic”) as a substitute for utilizing the LEC public switched telephone network (“PSTN”) tandems. Telecommunications switching equipment for a Neutral Tandem Network (“NTN”) is located at various points in a metropolitan area and used to provide switching connectivity services for traffic passing (i) between carrier networks connected at any point to the NTN as well as (ii) between the carrier networks and the metropolitan LEC central offices and (iii) between the carrier networks and advanced traffic routing services. The services are provided using a metropolitan switch or a soft switch as a higher level in the switching hierarchy above the current RBOC tandems, where the switch has hardwired connections (i) between metropolitan carrier networks and the NTN and (ii) between the NTN and LEC central offices and tandems.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a telecommunications system for providing a neutral metropolitan area tandem switch network independent of the incumbent local exchange carriers and, in particular, to a system that bypasses the incumbent local exchange carrier tandem switch by creating a higher level in the switching hierarchy above the current RBOC tandems with respect to switching carrier traffic between carriers and switching and transporting traffic between the carriers and the local exchange carrier (LEC) metropolitan central offices and the LEC Advanced Traffic Routing Services.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the wireline and wireless telephone industry has evolved into a competitive market over the past two decades, one segment of the market has largely remained unchanged, namely, the manner in which traffic is routed into and out of a metropolitan region and between carriers serving those regions. In such cases, a LEC tandem network continues to be used. As will be explained below, this situation is a limitation to the continued expansion of the wireline and wireless telephone industry. An improved method and apparatus for routing such traffic is desired.
One segment of the wireline and wireless telephone industry that has had explosive growth since the divestiture of AT&T has been wireless carriers. Traditionally, the termination of calls to RBOC customers, depending on a call's duration and cost per minute, constitute upwards of 40% of the overall cost of the long distance call. In addition, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 allows the RBOCs to apply for entry into the long distance market. The FCC has granted some of these applications, and it is expected to grant significantly more shortly. Thus, the long distance carriers, like the CLECs and wireless carriers, now face the challenge of both competing with the RBOCs while paying fees for accessing their network.
With respect to wireline or wireless carriers providing local calling in a metropolitan area, these carriers traditionally interconnect their networks as well to the LEC network at the LEC tandems, as opposed to establishing connections to every central office served by the tandems, which can easily run between 20 and 50 central offices for each tandem in a metropolitan area. When terminating a local call to a RBOC local service customer, these competitive wireline and wireless carriers, similar to the long distance carriers, are charged tandem switching and transport between the LEC tandem and the terminating local central office. Depending on the LEC retail local calling plan, the rates for tandem switching and termination charged competitive carriers on a per call basis for terminating a call to a LEC local service customer can exceed the retail rate charged a LEC customer for making a similar call, thus making competing with the LEC extremely uneconomic. This vestige of the RBOCs' past legal monopoly makes it more difficult for competitive carriers by providing the RBOCs with a cross-subsidy that can be used to compete against the CLECs. While in theory the payment for terminating a call is reciprocal, because the RBOC started with nearly 100% market share, it will be years before the RBOC's face a material financial exposure for such terminating charges to be paid to CLECs, whereas CLECs view such charges as a barrier to entry and many have structured their networks and business plans in an attempt to minimize the impact of such fees. Moreover, to the extent a competitor is dependent on the LEC to be responsive in providing access to a portion of its network, that competitor risks its success. For example, there have been reports of the RBOCs not sufficiently growing their tandem networks to meet the capacity required by new competitive carriers. As a result, the competitors risk providing a deteriorating level of service (e.g., a high rate of busy signals) or incurring uneconomic network deployments to circumvent tandem bottlenecks and connect directly to high traffic RBOC central offices.
This dependence by competitive carriers on the RBOC tandem networks is exacerbated by the fact that not only are the competitors using the tandems to route traffic between the RBOC network and their networks, but also the RBOC tandems have become a point at which overlapping networks in a metropolitan area interconnect. Thus, the RBOC tandems by default have become the points at which competitors route traffic amongst themselves (transit traffic). Just as with traffic that terminates to customers of the RBOC, the RBOC is paid a fee by the competitive carriers for carrying this transit traffic even when an RBOC customer is not the called party. As a result, as competitors gain market share against the RBOC and exchange between themselves, the traffic really never leaves the tandem network; it continues to ride the RBOC network as transit traffic. These transit fees, of course, act to cross-subsidize the RBOC in its competition with these competitive networks. However, the RBOCs have little interest in supporting such traffic (i.e., traffic passing between two competitors) with capital improvements, prompt: customer service and order fulfillment. Indeed, the RBOCs have a disincentive to support such traffic, because deteriorating the quality of such transiting traffic could lead customers of a competitive carrier to return to the RBOCs as retail customers. The present alternative for competitive carriers seeking to exchange traffic between each other without going through the RBOC is for the competitive carriers to directly connect facilities between each other. Because of the varying amounts of traffic between such carriers as well as the traffic imbalance and the large and ever changing number of such carriers, this would be prohibitively uneconomic.
With its entrenched monopoly status, the RBOC are generally free to dictate the various technical interconnection requirements for metropolitan area networks needing to interconnect with the RBOC. These interconnection requirements, in addition to the fees charged for interconnection, increase substantially the costs for carriers to interconnect with the RBOC. Most challenging, the RBOC requires all carriers interconnecting with its network to do so on technical specifications dictated not by the advances in the market for technology, but by the legacy technical infrastructure of the RBOC circuit switch network. As a result, carriers with advanced, high capacity networks have to reduce their networks' efficiency each time they interconnect with the RBOC network. The following is an example of the types of costly, duplicative, and complex interconnection requirements facing a metropolitan CLEC needing to connect with the local RBOC to serve a metropolitan region. Wireless carriers and, to a lesser extent, long distance carriers (because they do not provide local calling, but only require interconnection for originating and terminating long distance calls) face a similar maze of complexity and cost when interconnecting with the RBOC:
As commonly prescribed by the interconnection requirements between RBOCs and CLECs, at least five (5) types of trunk groups must be planned, transported and terminated for each CLEC switch interconnected in an RBOC-served metropolitan area:                Trunk Group 1—Dedicated Local and dedicated IntraLATA Trunk Group(s) in Each Local Exchange Area        Trunk Group 2—InterLATA (Meet Point) Trunk Group routes to Access Tandem        Trunk Group 3—E911 Trunk Group to primary and redundant E911 Tandems        Trunk Group 4—High Volume Call In (HVCI)/Mass Calling (Choke) Trunk Group routes to HVCI Tandem        Trunk Group 5—Operator Services/Directory Assistance Trunk Group(s) routes to OS/DA Tandem
As the following figures show, these trunking requirements rapidly become complex, redundant, and costly.
FIG. 1a Trunk Group 1a: A Single, Separate Local Tandem 10, Access Tandem 12. For each RBOC Local Tandem 10 in a metropolitan area, a separate transport facility must be connected to carry local calls originated in that local area for termination via switch 14 to RBOC customers in that local area. For each Access Tandem 12 in a metropolitan area, a separate transport facility must be established for IntraLATA calls originated in that LATA for termination via switch 14 to RBOC customers in that LATA.
FIG. 1b Trunk Group 1b: Combined Local and Access Tandems 16. In some situations, an RBOC may have a tandem switch functioning as a combined Local and Access Tandem 16. In those situations, a CLEC may combine local and IntraLATA traffic on the same transport facility to the combined Local and Access Tandem, but the CLEC must still (as described in FIG. 4 below) establish a separate transport facility just for Trunk Group 2, InterLATA traffic, even though it is terminating at the same combined Local and Access Tandem.
FIG. 2 Multiple Tandems 18 in a Metropolitan Area: Within each of these 5 trunk groups, additional separate trunks may be required based on growth and the number of tandems established by the RBOC. For example, in a large metropolitan area, such as the Chicago metropolitan area, there are currently eight combined Local and Access Tandems 18 in five separate locations, each serving specific Local Exchange Areas. As a result, a CLEC serving the Chicago metropolitan area must establish a Trunk Group 1b connection for each of the eight tandems 18 in the metropolitan area. Those skilled in the art should note that this is an example of the tandem interconnection required by Ameritech in Chicago LATA 357, and that the other LECs may require slightly different processes for the same purpose.
FIG. 3 RBOC Interconnection Rules Increase Cost: For Local Trunk Groups in each Local Exchange Area, the RBOC often establishes interconnection requirements that increase costs and complexity further, providing for example that:                Inter-Tandem switching is not allowed—i.e., a CLEC cannot pass traffic through one tandem to reach another tandem even in the event of overflow, but must have multiple dedicated tandem connections to each tandem.        Additional dedicated trunks can be required—for example, where traffic from a CLEC switch to specific RBOC Central Office or end office 20 reaches a quantity to support, in the RBOC's opinion, a dedicated facility between the CLEC and the RBOC the Central Office (e.g., 24 or more trunks) a dedicated local trunk group shall also be established by the CLEC to the RBOC End Office (EO) 20, thus causing the CLEC to incur additional port, transport and planning costs.
FIG. 4 Trunk Group 2—InterLATA (Meet Point) Trunk Group 2: RBOCs require a separate facility=22 for traffic passing between a CLEC's customers and long distance carriers connected to the RBOCs' tandem networks. Again, many RBOC requirements increase the cost and complexity of these connections:                A dedicated InterLATA trunk group will be established for the transmission and routing of access traffic between CLEC's customers and long distance carriers sending or receiving long distance traffic from such customers via the RBOC Access Tandem 18.        When the RBOC has more than one Access Tandem 18 in a LATA, the CLEC must establish an InterLATA trunk group to each RBOC Access Tandem 18.        In no event will the RBOC route traffic through more than one Tandem 18 for connection to/from long distance carriers.
FIG. 5 Trunk Group 3—E911 Trunk Group: To serve a metropolitan area, a CLEC often is required to connect to multiple E911 Trunk Groups.                A dedicated trunk group for each calling area shall be established to each appropriate E911 Tandem 24 within the local exchange area in which CLEC offers exchange service.
FIG. 6 Trunk Group 4—High Volume Call In (HVCI)/Mass Calling (Choke) Trunk Group: To serve a metropolitan area, a CLEC is also required to establish:                A dedicated trunk group to the designated Public Response HVCI/Mass Calling Network Access Tandem 26 in each serving area
FIG. 7 Trunk Group 5—Operator Services/Directory Assistance/Busy Line Verification/EI Trunk Group(s): To serve a metropolitan area, a CLEC is also required to establish a dedicated trunk groups to enable:                Busy Line Verification/Emergency Interrupt (BLV/EI)        Operator Assistance (0+, 0−)        Directory Assistance Call Completion (DACC)        Directory Assistance (DA)
Thus, at a minimum, a CLEC launching service in the Chicago metropolitan area must establish at least 20 separate T-1 trunk groups to support interconnecting to Ameritech's 11 tandem switches 18, 24, 26, 28 in LATA 357.
FIG. 8 CLEC Costs Increase with Interconnection Complexity: FIG. 8 is an example of the cost incurred by the CLEC to arrange for such interconnections. The cost includes: switch port costs on the CLEC's switch 14, interconnection electronics 30, 31, 32 for the network transport, network planning costs, network transit costs to the interconnection points, multiplexing equipment 34, 36 at the Tandem Central Office, switch port costs on the Tandem switch and usage based switching fees charged by the RBOC to the CLEC. Because the RBOC limits the interconnection speeds to those compatible with its legacy circuit switches, CLECs incur unnecessary inefficiency in reducing their high bandwidth networks down to the T-1 and DS-3 levels of interconnection speed prescribed by the RBOCs.
As shown in FIG. 9, RBOC tandem interconnection trunking complexity increases exponentially in a region as both the type of public and private carrier networks increase (e.g., CLECs, wireless, cable television, long distance) and the absolute number of such carriers increase. As traffic between these carriers grows, RBOC policies and interconnection requirements continue to significantly increase planning complexity and costs while reducing network efficiency. For example, RBOC interconnection rules generally require that when transit traffic through a tandem (e.g. 38) from one CLEC to another CLEC or wireless carrier requires 24 or more trunks, the CLEC shall establish a direct trunk group between itself and the other CLEC or wireless carrier and not use the tandem 38 for traffic between such carriers. This requirement is similar to the requirement that a CLEC establish dedicated trunks to an end office when the CLEC's traffic terminating to the particular RBOC end office requires 24 or more trunks (see FIG. 3). Establishing such dedicated trunks adds additional costs for the competitive carriers by reducing switch port capacity, adding transport management and electronics, and reducing tandem trunking efficiency. As CLEC and wireless carriers grow and dedicated facilities are required among such carriers and between such carriers and the RBOC end offices, the fundamental premise of utilizing a switch to interconnect these overlapping carrier networks is destroyed, thus increasing cost for competitors. Without tandem switching, carriers would have to establish a mass of inefficient dedicated facilities as illustrated in FIG. 10. Above all, therefore, there exists a need to promote the development of a network alternative that breaks the cycle of relying on (and paying fees for) the RBOC network at the same time as competing with the RBOC. The more that neutral or independent network components are available to carriers competing with the RBOCs, the more that the forces of competition will develop in the telecommunications market. Such facilities can promote competition by being both competitor neutral—i.e., not establishing unreasonable rates or practices in an effort to deter competition—and technology neutral—i.e., not preferring a specific technology for anti-competitive reasons.
However, to date, no solution has been proposed which would enable a company independent of the RBOCs to provide critical functions of the local telephone network on a broad scale at a competitive cost. There is thus a great need in the art for a system and method which would enable a company independent of the RBOCs to provide cost competitive components of the local telephone network, and hence enable meaningful competition to the incumbent RBOCs in the local, wireless and long distance markets, without requiring a cost prohibitive infrastructure investment.
Accordingly, a LEC bypass technique is desired which promotes cost-effective competition with the LECs without requiring uneconomic significant infrastructure investment. Embodiments of the present invention have been designed to meet this great need in the art.
In addition to reducing the dependence by carriers on its competitor, the LEC, embodiments of the present invention have also been designed to meet another great need in the art, the need to significantly reduce the charges assessed by the LECs on most (i) long distance calls and (ii) local wireline (e.g., CLECs) and wireless (e.g., cellular) call terminations and the related traffic inefficiency, which cost consumers tens of billions of dollars each year.
Bypassing the LEC tandems and the associated inefficiencies could save the IXCs, CLECs and wireless carriers a significant portion of their service costs for providing telecommunications services and, once the associated savings are passed on to their subscribers, potentially save their customers billions of dollars each year. These cost savings from such LEC bypass will come in many forms. For example, the proprietor of the neutral tandem network (NTN) described below will be in a position to price their services dramatically different from the current RBOC interconnection pricing. Today, the RBOC's disparate, inefficient tandem connections covering discrete geographic areas require carriers to establish multiple connections to pass traffic across a given metropolitan area; each connection requiring separate monthly connection fees. The RBOCs also require carriers to separate traffic based on traffic types, e.g., local traffic versus long distance traffic. The proprietor of the NTN of the invention will enable carrier to terminate all such traffic using dramatically fewer connections, thus reducing carriers interconnection cost. Also, reducing interconnection points for terminating traffic will reduce the number of ports on carriers switches required to terminate such traffic, thus saving the carriers capital cost on their switches, which can be otherwise uses to create revenue producing services. Finally, carrier customers will find that they need fewer engineering resources for managing their interconnections because the NTN of the invention simplifies the establishment of such connections by essentially outsourcing the carrier interconnection process.
Even more critical for the development of competition in the telecommunications market is the addition of a neutral provider of this important portion of the network. The lack of readily available, affordable, scaleable local network assets is one of the primary obstacles to enhanced competition between the LECs and other potential entrants into the telecommunications marketplace.

Neutral tandem telecommunications network providing transiting, terminating, and advanced traffic routing services to public and private carrier networks


A plant for producing metal includes a electricity supply system and a direct-current electric arc furnace connected thereto, where in order to make do with an electricity supply system possessing a relatively small short-circuit capacity, the direct-current electric arc furnace has at least two electrodes and the electricity supply system has a system short-circuit capacity S.sub.k which is at least equal to ##EQU1## wherein S.sub.i is the nominal power per electrode and i represents an index for the electrodes that varies from 1 up to the maximum number of electrodes in the direct-current electric arc furnace.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a plant for producing metal melts, in particular steel melts from scrap, wherein the plant includes a direct-current electric arc furnace connected to a electricity supply system.
2. Related Art
The use of electric arc furnaces for producing metal melts, in particular for melting scrap, presupposes a electricity supply system of suitable strength, since during the operation of electric arc furnaces the load currents of an electric arc furnace may vary over a wide range, due to short-circuits caused, e.g. by falling-down scrap, sponge iron, etc. This entails effects on the electricity supply system, their most disagreeable manifestation being the so-called "flicker trouble". This phenomenon consists in changes in the luminous intensity of the lighting equipment powered by the electricity supply system of the electric arc furnace due to system voltage fluctuations (cf. Radex-Rundschau, issue 1/2, 1982, "Die elektrische und mechanische Auslegung des Elektrolichtbogenofens", "Electrical and Mechanical Dimensioning of the Electric Arc Furnace", the paper includes a summary in English!, pp. 724 through 756).
In order to avoid flickering it is known to raise the connection point of an electric arc furnace with a electricity supply system that also supplies the general public, the so-called PCC (Point of Common Coupling), to a higher voltage level--which is tantamount to a higher capacity level of the electricity supply system. Further it is known to provide for dynamic compensation in order to reduce effects on the electricity supply system with alternating-current and rotary-current electric arc furnaces (Radex-Rundschau, issue 2, 1984, "Elektrische Auslegung und Ausrustung von Lichtbogenofenanlagen" "Electrical lay-out and equipment of electric arc furnace installation", the paper includes a short introduction in English!, pp. 360 through 378). In the event that the system short-circuit capacity required to avoid flickering is not available even if the PCC is provided at the highest voltage level of the electricity supply system, such a flicker compensating apparatus for balancing the rapidly fluctuating reactive power demand of electric arc furnaces is indispensable.
All of these considerations have, however, been aimed at rotary-current electric arc furnaces. With a direct-current electric arc furnace the effects on the electricity supply system are different from those regarding rotary-current electric arc furnaces, due to the direct-current engineering. With direct-current electric arc furnaces it is, for instance, feasible to reduce the fluctuation in reactive power, and thus the flicker-effects are considerably reduced. It is known to avoid flicker-effects with a direct-current electric arc furnace by ensuring that the system short-circuit capacity is at least half the system short-circuit capacity calculated for an alternating- or rotary-current electric arc furnace of the same nominal power. However, this still presupposes a relatively high system short-circuit capacity and may entail difficulties, particularly in such cases where a PCC of the required capacity level is not available. In this case the difficulties were coped with by expanding the electricity supply system through the addition of overhead lines or by means of dynamic compensation equipment, or else the furnace throughput was markedly reduced and the deferred operation of a plurality of electric arc furnaces considered. It must, however, be said that all of these options are structurally complicated and expensive.


A labeling apparatus connectable to an item for designating a manufacturer's preferred style of an item, the item's color family and the manufacturer's suggested color contrasting intensity for matching of second items relative to said preferred style. Described is the method of using such labeling apparatus in selecting items matching in style, color family, and color contrasting intensity.

As is recognized in fashion circles, the combination of certain colors with other colors may be attractive or unattractive depending upon the colors used in combination. The ability to select pleasing color combinations is an important skill with applications in selecting the colors of clothing and accessories as well as in other areas such as home decorating. Home decorating applications include the selection of appropriate colors for furniture upholstery, drapes, paint color for interior walls, wallpaper, and other applications such as selection of decoration, e.g., flowers.
Attempts have been made to assist individuals who are deficient in color coordinating skills. Examples of past attempts include U.S. Pat. No. 1,718,919 to Fitzgibbon for a merchandising tag provided with a color harmony chart adapted to be attached to color fabric articles such as hosiery. U.S. Pat. No. 1,733,539 to Hertel discloses color cards for attractively displaying samples of material of different colors and for identifying such colors by name or number. Another patent for color coordination is U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,062 to Stables, which teaches a fabric matching method.
It has additionally been recognized that certain colors are more appealing on some individuals than the colors on other individuals. The degree of attractiveness depends upon certain personal characteristics of an individual, known as "color contrast intensities", such as skin tone, hair color, and eye color. Attempts to assist individuals in choosing a color that is harmonious with the individual's color contrast intensities is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,632 to McFarlan and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,850 to Fabbri.
Despite the importance of selecting items that are color coordinated with one another as well as selecting items that are harmonious with an individual's color contrast intensity, many individuals do not possess the skills to select or determine what is necessary for appropriate color harmonization. The psychological benefits associated with proper color selection include increased self-esteem and improved confidence. Consequently, there exists a need for a method of selecting the appropriate color for the many items requiring color coordination. The method selecting colors should remove the uncertainty, guess work, and confusion experienced by the many people with poor color grouping or color harmonizing skills. Such a method would additionally benefit individuals afflicted with color blindness and would enable a color blind person to feel confident that he or she has selected items of appropriate colors. Similarly, since the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention utilizes symbols in addition to wording, the invention additionally benefits individuals who cannot read or who have little or no knowledge of the English language.
In another aspect of the present invention, the manufacturer of an article can provide information on the article which will guide the customer in coordinating separate items which will produce a style the manufacturer desires and recommends. By utilizing the style classification on articles manufacturer maintains greater control of his items, thereby promoting the statement he desires to make to the fashion industry.
By this style augmented system of color selection, items produced by a different manufacturer can easily be matched to produce a preselected appearance desired by the customer. Additionally, the style augmented system permits the customer to maintain a preselected style while matching multiple items to his particular physical appearance or desires.

Manufacturer's indicator and method for color coordination and style


Method and device for adjusting lighting for a vehicle in consideration of the visibility of a curve, light having a glare effect (high beam light) being deactivated before negotiating a curve, if the curve is not visible, or optionally the illumination being increased if the curve is visible. Adjusting the lighting, in particular of headlights, for a vehicle having a first step, in which an upcoming curve is recognized, its visibility is ascertained, the visibility representing the possibility of glare, in particular to other road users, in particular to oncoming traffic, and a second step, of adjusting the lighting between the least possible glare and the best possible illumination, characterized in that the adjustment is carried out as a function of the visibility.

A light control system is discussed in JP 2004098819 A, which recognizes road conditions and, in the case of a curving road, checks whether the head lights are switched to high beam light, in order to adjust them to low beam light in this case.
A system for light control and glare monitoring is known from US 2002080617 A, the lighting being adapted as a function of the area in which the vehicle is located and as a function of the road course. The lighting is adjusted as a function of the probability with which the vehicle is located in a specific area or before a specific road course.
The generally known problems of vehicle lighting are that, on the one hand, the driver of the vehicle wishes to achieve the best possible illumination for reasons of comfort and safety, while on the other hand, however, not cause glare for other road users. Systems for automatic light control are known, which recognize headlights of an oncoming vehicle. Such a recognition fails, however, if a curve is to be expected or is located in the upcoming road course and an oncoming vehicle appears suddenly, so that the glaring light (e.g., high beam light) may not be adapted or deactivated rapidly enough.
The teaching of the first-mentioned publication attempts to solve the problem in that the high beam light is deactivated in general before each curve, independently of whether or not a vehicle is oncoming.

Device and method for adjusting the lighting of a vehicle in blind curves


Method for processing digital images, such as magnetic resonance images of a brain. The images contain a first object, for example the cerebrum white matter, a second object, for example the cerebral cortex, and a third object, for example the cerebrospinal fluid. The method involves providing a digital dataset representing a deformable curve or surface that in an initial state approximates the boundary between the first object and the second object. Further, a vector force field is provided that for each point on the deformable curve or surface defines a direction from the point approximately towards the second boundary between the second and the third object, and this vector force field is applied for iteratively deforming the deformable curve or surface convergently towards the second boundary. In order to reconstruct a folded structure of the second object, for example the cortex, the vector force field also involves a normal vector field with a vector normal or approximately normal to the deformable curve or surface for each point on the deformable curve or surface.

Several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, cause atrophy of the cerebral cortex. Measurements of cerebral cortical thickness and volume can be used in the quantification and location of atrophy. While it is possible to measure the thickness of the cerebral cortex manually from magnetic resonance (MR) images, partial volume effects (PVE), orthogonality problems, large amounts of manual labour and operator bias makes it difficult to make measurements on large patient populations. Automatic quantification and localisation of atrophy is a highly desirable goal, as it allows studying early changes and track disease progression on large populations. A first step in achieving this goal is to develop robust and accurate methods for automatically measuring cortical thickness and volume.
The cortical thickness can be measured as the distance between the inner and outer boundaries of the cerebral cortex. Current research aims at automatically extracting these boundaries by means of rather complicated computer routines from digital data-sets of MR images. Typical MR images show the surrounding skull, inside which the brain, comprising the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain stem, is embedded in a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In the so-called T1-weighted (the T1 modality is described in "Principles of Medical Imaging" by K. Kirk Shung, Michael B. Smith and Benjamin Tsui, ISBN: 0-12-640970-6) MR images, CSF appears dark in the images in contrast to the white matter (WM) of the cerebrum. The outer layer of the cerebrum is the cerebral cortex, which in the T1-weighted images appears as grey matter (GM). The majority of known methods either extract the cortical boundaries directly from the image data, or they iteratively fit deformable surfaces to the boundaries from some initial configuration. The first approach typically segment CSF voxels, GM voxels, and the WM voxels in the volumetric MR image data based on the image intensities, and then extracts the boundary surfaces using an iso-surfacing algorithm like the marching cubes algorithm by William E. Lorensen and Harvey E. Cline, "Marching cubes: A high resolution 3D surface construction algorithm," Computer Graphics, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 163-169, 1987 U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,876 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,688. Voxel-based segmentation methods are often fast, reliable and well-suited for volumetric measurements. However, with the voxel-based methods, which most often rely on low-level image information, it is difficult to compensate for PVEs, and to obtain a sub-voxel accuracy.
Another approach, called the deformable surface approach, is typically a variation upon the active contour method due to Michael Kass, Andrew Witkin, and Demetri Terzopoulos, "Snakes: Active contour models," International Journal of Computer Vision, 1988, where a curve, guided by an energy function, is fitted to the boundary of interest. The energy function consists of internal energies, which describe intrinsic properties of the curve and external energies which express external forces, such as the image gradient, which act upon the curve. Laurent D. Cohen and Isaac Cohen generalised the active contour framework to three dimensions, where a surface is fitted instead of a curve in "Finite-element methods for active contour models and balloons for 2D and 3D images," IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, 1993.
The deformable surface approach makes it possible to compensate for PVEs to a higher degree than the voxel/iso-surface approach and in addition allows for obtaining sub-voxel accuracy, as surface deformation relies on both low-level as well as high-level information. The combination of high- and low-level information enables delineation of the boundary in areas where image edges are obscured or missing. Such areas are almost always present in MR images of the human cerebral cortex due to the convolved nature of the cortex and MR image related artifacts. Opposite banks of tight sulci may meet inside the sulcal folds and appear as connected in MR images due to undersampling and artifacts. The main difficulty in cortical segmentation lies in correctly penetrating such sulci and reaching their fundus, which is a very important aspect as the true cortical thickness could be over- or underestimated otherwise. David MacDonald, Noor Kabani, David Avis, and Alan C. Evans addressed this problem by deforming the outer and inner surface simultaneously under the influence of an intersurface distance constraint, which keeps the surfaces within some predefined distance, in "Automated 3-D extraction of inner and outer surfaces of cerebral cortex from MRI," published in NeuroImage, vol. 12, pp. 340-356, 2000. The constraint drags the outer surface toward the fundus of sulci, although they might appear closed, and constraints prevent the surfaces from intersecting each other and themselves. However, there exist a bias between the chosen predefined distance and the measured cortical thickness leading to uncertainties in the final measurements.
A different approach to modeling the cortex without a distance constraint is taken by Anders M. Dale, Bruce Fischl, and Martin I. Sereno, "Cortical surface-based analysis i: Segmentation and surface reconstruction," NeuroImage, vol. 9, pp. 179-194, 1999. In this approach, a surface, represented by a discrete mesh, is first fitted to the inner boundary of the cortex, and extended towards the outer boundary of the cortex in the direction of the surface normals. Such an approach places the surface at approximately the midpoints of tight sulci when no CSF is evident in between the sulcal banks, provided no self-intersections are allowed. The inner boundary follows the concavities and convexities of the outer boundary, but does in contrast to the outer boundary not appear as closed in tight sulci and is thus more easily segmented. Surface normals, approximated from a discrete mesh, may be inaccurate, as they can be perturbed by noise in the surface, and the surface normals may not always point in the correct direction of the second boundary. As the direction of the displacement of the deforming surface is only based on the surface normals, modelling of non-existing features may erroneously arise, when the surface is displaced over larger distances. A single mis-leading normal may for example cause modelling of a non-existent sulcus on the crown of a gyrus.
Chenyang Xu, Dzung L. Pham, Maryam E. Rettmann, Daphne N. Yu, and Jerry L. Prince, uses another approach in "Reconstruction of the human cerebral cortex from magnetic resonance images," published in IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 467-480, 1999. They introduced an interesting alternative with a "Generalised Gradient Vector Flow" (GGVF) force, which provides vectors pointing toward the nearest image edge. This force is then used for extending the inner surface towards the central layer of the cortex. Xu et al. noted that their approach could be tailored to segmenting the CSF/GM boundary instead of the central layer. However, their approach does not impose self-intersection constraints, which is necessary when segmenting the outer boundary. This method is not automatic but requires intervention and correction by an operator which makes this method time consuming and not suited for large amounts of data-sets, for example when data-sets from a large number of people have to be evaluated statistically.
Another approach has been published by Xiao Han, Chenyang Xu, Duygu Tosun, and Jerry L. Prince, "Cortical Surface Reconstruction Using a Topology Preserving Deformable Model," IEEE Workshop on mathematical models in biomedical image analysis, Kauai Hi. 2001. This method is an automatic method to reconstruct the GM/WM, central and pial surfaces of the cerebral cortex from MR images. This method models sulci by removing voxels along their medial axes in the GM membership volume, and has therefore not the ability to model tight sulci with a subvoxel precision. The openings of the sulci are stopped at 1 mm distance from the fundus. The drawbacks are therefore that the distance between the sulcal banks are minimum 1 voxel even though the sulus is completely closed, and the cortical thickness at the fundus of tight sulcal folds are always 1 mm, which is presumed to be a lower bound of the cortical thickness, hence this method is also biased to a predefined distance.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,004 by VanEssen assigned to Washington University discloses a method called SUREFIT for reconstructing surfaces. This method is not fully automatic as the topology correction requires manual intervention. This makes the method tedious for large numbers of data-sets, for example when data-sets from a large number of subjects have to be evaluated statistically. Furthermore, this method has the disadvantage of not preventing self-intersections of the calculated surfaces, which especially makes modelling of sulci unreliable.
In the dissertation "Deformable models with application to human cerebreal cortex reconstruction from magnetic resonance images" by Chengyang Xu, published at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., retrievable from Internet httl://iacl.ecejhu.edu/pubs/chenyang_xu_thesis.pdf, a model is disclosed for reconstruction of sulci. Fort this, a linear combination of a normal vector field with a gradient vector field is employed. The normal vector field is set identical to zero in the grey matter of the brain, as discussed on page 77 in this reference, such that the gradient vector field is the only external force.
Even though a number of methods are known according to the overview above, the methods still lack a reliable method for modeling the sulci, especially the bottom of the sulci, on the outer boundary of the cortex. However, especially the modeling of the sulci is important, if accurate measurements of the cortical thickness are to be achieved.

Computerised cortex boundary extraction from MR images


An optical record carrier and methods and apparatuses for recording and reproducing an information on and from said optical recording carrier, whereby the effects of crosstalk from adjacent tracks is reduced, and stable tracing control is possible, is achieved. A recording track to which information divided into sector units is recorded is formed in a spiral or concentric pattern on the surface of the optical record carrier. Each sector further comprises sixty frames. Each frame comprises a re-sync pattern, frame address, data, and postamble fields. Identification information identifying the sector location of the information is recorded to the data block of the first frame. The user data is recorded after the data is scrambled using a value generated by a fifteen-stage maximum-length sequence generator based on the value of this identification information. The correlation between signals on adjacent tracks is thus reduced, and the effects of crosstalk are randomized, thus reducing the effect on the track error signal and enabling extremely stable tracking control.

Read-only optical record carriers (hereafter "record carriers") have become increasingly important as a storage medium for audio information data, video information data, and other data types because of the capacity to store large volumes of information for later reproduction. Demand for ever-larger storage capacities and smaller device size continues to rise, however, making it necessary to further increase the data recording density of the record carrier.
Conventional record carriers of this type are disc-shaped recording medium with a resin substrate to the surface of which are formed spiral or concentric data tracks of pits and lands. A reflective film of, for example, aluminum, is then formed by sputtering or another process on the data carrier surface of the substrate.
When data is reproduced from this record carrier, an optical beam emitted from a semiconductor laser is focused on the record carrier, and the laser beam is controlled to follow the data tracks of the record carrier by detecting the reflected beam. The recorded information is read by detecting the change in the reflected light quantity resulting from the pits and lands on the record carrier.
The phase difference methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,833 which was issued to Josephus et al. on Nov. 8, 1977 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,940 which was issued to Tanaka et al. on Apr. 26, 1988 have been used to detect the control signal for tracking control, i.e., a track error signal corresponding to the offset, or positional error, between the positions of the optical beam and the actual track on the record carrier.
This phase difference method uses a photo detector dividing the reflections from the record carrier into quadrants in the track length and width directions of the detection surface, and determines any track error based on the phase difference of the sum signals outputted by detectors at diagonally opposite positions.
A three-beam method has also been described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,842 issued to Gijsbertus on Apr. 8, 1975. This method emits three optical beams, the read beam and two complementary beams, to the record carrier, detects each reflected beam using a discrete photo detector, and detects the track error based on the light quantity, or the light density, difference of the complementary reflected beams.
The data recording density of the above record carrier is determined by the data track pitch and the data density in the track direction, i.e., the linear density of the recorded data. However, as the track pitch is decreased, crosstalk from adjacent tracks increases. When there is a strong correlation between data recorded on adjacent tracks, pseudo signals are generated in the track error signal, and tracking control is not stable. These phenomena under the phase difference method are described below with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17.
In FIG. 16, an example of a photo detector 104e used for receiving an optical beam that is preferably a laser beam reflected from the record carrier to detect the focus error signal, the tracking error signal, and the information signal is shown. The photo detector 104e is preferably constructed by four square cells C1, C2, C3, and C4, each cell is close to two other cells by two neighboring side edges, as shown in FIG. 16. Each of square cells C1, C2, C3, and C4 generates pilot signals Sc1, Sc2, Sc3, and Sc4, respectively, according to the area of laser spot focused thereon.
The tracking control of the laser beam is performed by utilizing these pilot signals Sc1, Sc2, Sc3, and Sc4 as follows. The pilot signals Sc1 and Sc4 produced from the cells C1 and C4 located in a diagonal position are summed to produce a first sub tracking signal ST1. Similarly, the pilot signals Sc2 and Sc3 produced from the cells C3 and C2 located in another diagonal position are summed to produce a second sub tracking signal ST2. According to the difference between two sub track signals ST1 and ST2, the laser beam Ls is tracked.
In FIG. 17, a plurality of pits P each having a simple spatial frequency are recorded on plural tracks Tr1, Tr2, and Tr3 along the center lines thereof are shown. A spot of the leaser beam Ls is positioned to scan the pits along the center line of track Tr2, and the laser beam reflected from thus scanned the track Tr2 is received by the photo detector 104e of FIG. 16.
The solid lines L1 and L2 indicate the first and second sub tracking signals ST1 and ST2, respectively, in an ideal condition where the scanned track Tr2 is free from any interference such as crosstalk from the neighboring tracks Tr1 and Tr3. The dotted lines L1d and L2D indicates the first and second sub tracking signals ST1 and ST2, respectively, in an actual condition where there are interferences between the tracks Tr1, Tr2, and Tr3.
Under the ideal conditions, the phases of both the sub tracking signals ST1 and ST2 are identical to those of pits P formed on the scanning track Tr2, as specifically indicated by solid lines L1 and L2. However, the pits existing on the neighboring tracks causes the pilot signals Sc1, Sc2, Sc3, and Sc4 reproduced from the scanned track Tr2 to have crosstalk with sub signals reproduced from the neighboring tracks Tr1 and Tr3.
This crosstalk in pilot signals Sc1, Sc2, Sc3, and Sc4 affects the phases of sub tracking signal ST1 and ST2 that are summation of a diagonal pair thereof. Specifically, one of sub tracking signal ST1 and ST2 is shifted forward, and the other is shifted backward with respect to a chronological order when the data recorded on the neighboring tracks have strong correlations therebetween. In this example, the first sub tracking signal ST1 is advanced by a period .DELTA.ta, and the second sub tracking signal ST2 is delayed by a period .DELTA.td, respectively.
Closer track pitch causes the greater crosstalk between neighboring tracks. Furthermore, when the data having the same or similar pattern are recorded on the neighboring tracks with the closer track pitch, the correlation between the neighboring tracks is great enough to increase the advanced period .DELTA.ta or delaying period .DELTA.td too much to perform the tracking the laser beam correctly according to the tracking signals ST1 and ST2.
Therefore, when the pits on one neighboring track, for example, Tr1 are located on advanced position to those on the currently scanning track Tr2, the correlation between these tracks Tr1 and Tr2 acts the signal reproduced from the current track Tr2 to advance. On the other hand, when the pits on the other neighboring track Tr3 are located on delayed position to those on the currently scanning track Tr2, the correlation between these tracks Tr2 and T3 acts the reproduced signal to delay.
In other words, when pits having a simple spatial frequency are recorded across plural tracks, the signal correlation between the signal from the track to which the optical beam is positioned is strong; and the signals from the adjacent tracks are also extremely strong. Crosstalk from these adjacent tracks thus disrupts the track error signal, resulting in unstable tracking control.
When digital images are recorded to such a record carrier, still images may obviously also be recorded. Though it is not a problem with moving images, signals with a strong correlation may be recorded across plural tracks in still image recordings, and tracking control becomes unstable in those tracks. A control data area is also provided across plural tracks at either the outside or inside circumference area of the disk for recording the control data when computer data is recorded. However, this control data area is not always fully recorded with the control data, and the blank (unrecorded) regions thereof is recorded with dummy data, such as "FF" in hexadecimal code.
The tracking control band is usually several kilohertzes wide, and tracking control is disrupted if signal bands having a strong correlation are present in this control band. For example, if the record carrier rotates at 1800 rpm, tracking control will be disrupted by a strong inter-track signal correlation only several millimeters long at a 35 mm radial position.
Although the uniform data pattern and the narrow pitched tracks contributing to the strong correlation and crosstalk between neighboring tracks are described with respect to the tracking control, this goes for the focus control and the data reproduction operations.

Optical record carrier and method for recording and reproducing signals therefrom

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A vehicle having an adjustable seating assembly and related method. One member of the seating assembly may be adjusted to provide a backrest to a straddle type seat of the vehicle. As such, when a carrier bed having an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, the one member may optionally be used to provide a wall portion of the carrier bed. The one member may also be adjusted to provide an extension to the straddle type seat. As such, when an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, the one member may optionally be used to at least partially cover a segment of the accessory platform. When an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, an additional member of the seating assembly may be adjusted to provide a backrest to one or more of the straddle type seat or an extended straddle type seat. The additional member may also be adjusted to form a segment of the accessory platform.

Recreational and utility vehicles are becoming increasingly popular as a mode of transportation, particularly for various types of off-road activities. Seating systems for supporting people in a sitting position on such vehicles, for example, on ATVs, are well-known. Most systems generally involve a straddle type seat being secured to a frame structure. In some cases, the systems also include a generally vertical backrest immediately aft of the seat for additional comfort for the rider. Such vehicles are sometimes additionally equipped with a carrier bed of some type. In some cases, such carrier beds are integrally mounted at the rear of the vehicle, and specifically located rearward of the seat. The carrier beds generally include a horizontally disposed supporting area that is used in carrying various items, such as packages, containers, and/or other cargo.
Conventional straddle type seats on recreational and utility vehicles generally hold a fixed number of people. Most commonly, the seats function in supporting only a single person. However, vehicle seats that support two people are also known. Typically, two-person seating systems are designed with an elongated bench portion of the straddle type seat so as to support one person in front of the other. If a backrest is provided with such two-person seating systems, the backrest is generally located for use by the person in the rear position, so that the person in the front position must rely on the person in the rear position for back support.
It has been desirable on vehicles to have the option of supporting two people on a single seat, especially when dealing with a relatively small vehicle where space and weight capacity are limited. However, a vehicle with a conventional two-person seating system may be uncomfortable, inconvenient, or even dangerous for a single person to operate, due to the greater length of the bench and the absence of a properly positioned backrest. Additionally, when a single person occupies a two-person seat, the excess space taken up by the elongated seat is generally wasted. Further, it is more difficult to adapt the vehicle for other purposes, for example, carrying cargo with a carrier bed or storage rack, without increasing the general size of the vehicle. Embodiments of the invention can be used to generally overcome the above shortcomings as well as others.
Embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein provide a vehicle having an adjustable seating assembly comprising one or more members. One member of the seating assembly can be adjusted to provide a backrest to a straddle type seat of the vehicle. As such, when a carrier bed having an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, the one member can optionally be used to provide a wall portion of the carrier bed. The one member can also be adjusted to provide an extension to the straddle type seat. As such, when an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, the one member can optionally be used to at least partially cover a segment of the accessory platform. When an accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat, an additional member of the seating assembly can be adjusted to provide a backrest to one or more of the straddle type seat or an extended straddle type seat. The additional member can also be adjusted to form a segment of the accessory platform.
In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with an adjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassis carrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels and two or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steering member for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle, and a cushion located rearward of the straddle type seat. The cushion is adjustable to first and second positions. The cushion in the first position is oriented generally upright with respect to the seat to form a backrest to the straddle type seat. The cushion in the second position is oriented generally flat to form a rearward extension to the straddle type seat.
In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with another adjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassis carrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels and two or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steering member for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle, and an accessory platform extending rearward of the straddle type seat. The accessory platform includes a pad that is adjustable to first and second positions. The pad is coupled to a support portion having a generally planar back plate. The pad in the first position is oriented generally upright with respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to the straddle type seat. The pad in the second position orients the mounting surface of the support portion generally flush with a top surface of the accessory platform whereby the back plate forms a segment of the accessory platform.
In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with a further adjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassis carrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels and two or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steering member for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle, a cushion located rearward of the straddle type seat, and an accessory platform located rearward of the straddle type seat. The cushion is oriented generally upright with respect to the seat to form a backrest to the seat. The accessory platform includes one or more walls extending from a periphery of the accessory platform. The cushion is coupled to a support portion having a generally planar mounting surface, and the support portion forms at least a portion of one of the walls.
In certain embodiments of the invention, a vehicle with an additional adjustable seating assembly is provided. The vehicle comprises a chassis carrying a straddle type seat, one or more steerable front wheels and two or more rear wheels operatively coupled to the chassis, a steering member for steering the one or more front wheels, an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle, a cushion located rearward of the straddle type seat, and an accessory platform located rearward of the straddle type seat. The cushion is oriented generally flat with respect to the straddle type seat to form an extension to the seat. The accessory platform includes a pad that is oriented generally upright with respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to the extended straddle type seat. The cushion extends onto the accessory platform and at least partially covers an area of the accessory platform used for storing the pad when not being used as a backrest to the extended straddle type seat.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of adjusting a seating assembly on a vehicle includes the steps of supporting a straddle type seat on a chassis, supporting a cushion rearward of the straddle type seat, positioning the cushion in a first position generally upright with respect to the straddle type seat to form a backrest to the seat, and supporting a first rider on the straddle type seat when the cushion is in the first position. The method further includes the steps of moving the cushion from the first position to a second position oriented generally flat with respect to the straddle type seat to form a rearward extension to the seat, and supporting a first rider on the straddle type seat and a second rider on the cushion when the cushion is in the second position.
According to another illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of adjusting a seating assembly on a vehicle includes the steps of supporting a straddle type seat on a chassis, and providing an accessory platform including a front portion and extending rearward of the seat. The accessory platform includes an adjustable pad having a back plate. The method further includes the steps of positioning the pad in a first position generally upright with respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to the straddle type seat, and moving the pad from the first position to a second position where the back plate is generally flush with a top surface of the accessory platform to define a segment of the accessory platform, the segment extending rearward from the front portion.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle with an adjustable seating assembly includes a chassis carrying a straddle type seat, at least one steerable front wheel and at least two rear wheels operably coupled to the chassis. The vehicle further includes a steering member for steering the at least one front wheel, an engine carried by the chassis for powering the vehicle, and a cushion located rearward of the straddle type seat and adjustable to first and second positions. The cushion in the first position is oriented generally upright with respect to the straddle type seat to form a backrest to the seat. The cushion in the second position is oriented generally flat to form a rearward extension to the straddle type seat. An accessory platform is located rearward of the straddle type seat and includes a pad that is adjustable to first and second positions. The pad in the first position is oriented generally upright with respect to the accessory platform to form a backrest to the extended straddle type seat.

Adjustable seating assemblies for vehicles