A method is used for fabricating sliders for use in a disc drive actuation system, the sliders having bonds pads formed on either a top surface or side faces of the slider. The method comprises providing a substrate having a top surface. Trenches are formed in the substrate and filled with a bond pad material to form slider bond pads. Excess bond pad material is removed from the trenches such that the slider bond pads are flush with the top surface of the substrate. A transducer is fabricated on the top surface of the substrate. Finally, the slider bond pads are exposed.

The present invention relates to fabricating sliders for use in a disc drive actuation system. In particular, it relates to fabricating sliders with slider bond pads located along a top surface or sides of a slider body.
Air bearing sliders have been extensively used in disc drives to position a transducing head above a rotating disc. The transducing head is typically carried by the slider. Conventionally, head positioning is accomplished by operating an actuator arm with a large scale actuation motor, such as a voice coil motor (VCM), to easily position the slider over a track on a disc. Typically, disc drive systems include a suspension assembly attached to the actuator arm for supporting and positioning the slider. The suspension assembly includes a load beam attached to the actuator arm and a gimbal disposed at the opposite end of the load beam. The air bearing slider carrying the transducing head is mounted to the gimbal. This type of suspension assembly is used with both magnetic and nonmagnetic discs. The VCM rotates the actuator arm and the suspension assembly to position the transducing head over the desired radial track of the disc.
In order for the disc drive to read and write data from the transducing head, conductive traces are disposed along the suspension assembly for the disc drive to electrically communicate with the slider. The traces extend along the gimbal and end at flex on suspension (FOS) bond pads formed adjacent to the slider. Sliders typically used in disc drive systems have slider bond pads disposed on a trailing edge of the slider such that an electrical connection can be made between the traces and the slider. Typically gold bond balls are used to provide the connection between the FOS bond pads and the slider bond pads.
The slider bond pads are typically placed at the trailing edge of the slider because it is easier to access this part of the slider during wafer-level fabrication of sliders. However, difficulties have arisen with the current sliders using slider bond pads on the trailing edge, in particular with aligning the slider bond pads with the FOS bond pads of the suspension assembly. Misalignment of the two sets of bond pads degrades the connection between the FOS bond pads and the slider bond pads.
One alternative to forming the slider bond pads along the trailing edge of the slider is to place them on the top surface of the slider (opposite the air bearing surface). Top surface location of the bond pads improves the head gimbal assembly such that it is easier to align and connect the FOS bond pads with the slider bond pads, rather than matching up the FOS bond pads with the small, vertical surface of the trailing edge. In addition, there is more surface area on the top surface to locate and form the slider bond pads.
The slider body is typically formed during slider processing from a wafer comprised of a multi-layer substrate. Once the slider assembly features are fabricated, the substrate is sliced along slice lanes, or rows, into a plurality of slider bars. Each slider bar includes a plurality of individual sliders. The slider bars are cut along a plurality of dice lanes extending across the wafer substantially perpendicular to the slice lanes, to differentiate the individual slider bodies. Fabrication of the slider features, including the top surface slider bond pads, occurs at the bar-level after the substrate has been sliced into slider bars.
Some disc drive actuation systems include a microactuator to finely position the transducing head over a track of a disc. The density of concentric data tracks on magnetic discs continues to increase, requiring more precise radial positioning of the head. The VCM provides large scale movement of the transducing head, but lacks sufficient resolution to effectively accommodate high track density discs. Thus, a microactuator is used to finely position the transducing head and accommodate the more densely space tracks.
One design of a microactuator is transducer-level microactuator, which is built into a slider and moves the trailing edge of the slider carrying the transducing head. In transducer-level microactuators, an alternate position is need for the slider bond pads at a stationary portion of the slider. The trace cannot be bonded to a moving portion of the slider. Thus, top surface slider bond pads or bond pads located on a stationary portion of the slider are desired.
Fabrication of slider bond pads on the top surface of the slider is typically done at the bar-level, which is less efficient and more costly than wafer-level fabrication processes. A method is needed in the art for fabricating sliders having slider bond pads on the top surface, or an alternative surface besides the trailing edge of the slider. The method should be efficient and cost effective, and preferably a wafer-level fabrication process.

Wafer-level fabrication method for top or side slider bond pads


The present invention relates to an electrolyte solution comprising a supporting salt, a nonaqueous solvent containing a compound having a viscosity of 1.0 mPa-s or less in an amount of more than 50% by volume in the nonaqueous solvent, and a halogenated cyclic acid anhydride. According to the present invention, an electrolyte solution capable of suppressing gas generation is provided.

With the rapid expansion market for mobile tablets, smart phones, electric vehicles, stationary power storage systems and the like, there has been a demand for secondary batteries having excellent performance.
One of the methods of improving the performance of the secondary battery, it is known a method of suppressing a decomposition reaction of the electrolyte solution by forming a protective film on the surface of electrode. For example, there has been proposed a method of forming a film on the surface of electrode by adding an additive to the electrolyte.
Patent Document 1 discloses an electrolyte solution containing an aprotic solvent and an acid anhydride.
Patent Document 2 discloses a secondary battery using a negative electrode containing graphite, a positive electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte solution prepared by dissolving a supporting salt and a cyclic acid anhydride in a mixed nonaqueous solvent containing a cyclic carbonate and an open-chain carbonate.
Patent Document 3 discloses a nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing an unsaturated cyclic acid anhydride.
Patent Document 4 discloses a nonaqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery containing an open-chain carboxylic acid anhydride.
Patent Document 5 discloses a nonaqueous electrolyte solution containing, in addition to a lithium salt having an anion of oxalate complex, acid anhydride having fluorine atom(s) and/or carboxylic acid having fluorine atom(s) or a lithium salt of sulfonic acid.

Nonaqueous electrolyte solution and secondary battery


A door lock with transmission mechanism, in which a main lock is installed at the side of the door, and an auxiliary lock is installed at each side of the main lock respectively, whereof the main lock has a main lock-tongue, and each of the two auxiliary lock has an auxiliary lock-tongue, whereby the main lock-tongue drives the auxiliary lock-tongue in each of the two auxiliary locks to move together corresponding to the rotation of door handle.

(a) Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a door lock with transmission mechanism, and is especially related to a door lock, whereof the two sides of the main lock are further installed with auxiliary locks.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
A single lock is usually used in the conventional door lock installed on the door, i.e. the door lock only is only installed with a firmly lockable lock-tongue, or respectively installed with a closing-door lock-tongue and a door-locking lock-head, whereas since the conventional door lock is a single lock, in case there is breaking-door theft, thief can easily break the lock to enter the house for stealing, whereof the main purpose of the invention is trying to solve this said problem.


For material decomposition in medical imaging, a machine-learned model is trained to decompose. For example, spectral CT data for a plurality of locations is input, and the machine-learned model outputs the material composition. Using information from surrounding locations for the decomposition by the machine-learned model for a given location may allow for more accurate material decomposition and/or three or more material decomposition.

The present embodiments relate to material decomposition in medical imaging. Spectral computed tomography (CT) decomposes measurements at different energies into different base materials using material decomposition techniques. For example, bone and contrast agent (e.g., iodine) are distinguished in a two-material decomposition. Existing material decomposition algorithms decompose for individual locations (e.g., voxels) based on the measurements for the individual locations. Beam hardening artifacts and statistical noise due to the tradeoff between limited photons in systems with a high number of energy bins and width of the energy bins in systems with low number of energy bins cause inaccuracies in decomposition.
Dual energy scans cannot separate more than two materials unless one of the materials has k-edge characteristics (i.e., measurement at more than two energy levels do not provide additional info). Three or more materials may be decomposed using additional bins or energy thresholds. The statistical noise level substantially increases for material decomposition for more than two materials, resulting in errors and inaccuracies. With more energy thresholds or energy bins for distinguishing between a larger number of materials, there are fewer photons in each energy bins since the total clinical dose is limited. As the energy bins are narrowed for more materials, there is more beam hardening.

Artificial intelligence-based material decomposition in medical imaging


A wireless local area network (WLAN) transceiving integrated circuit includes a WLAN interface, an input buffer, an input buffer controller, and a processor. The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit may also include an output buffer, an output buffer controller, a transcoder, and/or an audio Coder-Decoder (CODEC). The WLAN transceiving integrated circuit is installed in a WLAN device that services voice communications. The input buffer receives packetized audio data from the WLAN interface. When the input buffer satisfies a buffer vacancy threshold, the processor and the input buffer controller cooperatively operate to fill at least a portion of the input buffer with packetized audio data. The processor copies packetized audio data from the input buffer and fills the input buffer with the copied packetized audio data to maintain an audio pattern in the input buffer. The input buffer controller fills the input buffer when the processor is available and after copying/filling is no longer effective. The processor operates to maintain the audio pattern when additional packetized audio data is received by the WLAN interface. These operations are also performed for the output buffer, which receives packetized audio data from the transcoder and writes the packetized audio data to the WLAN interface.

The number and popularity of wireless communications devices in use continues to rise rapidly all over the world. Not only have cellular telephones become very popular, but Wireless Local Area Networking (WLAN) devices have also proliferated. One standard for wireless networking, which has been widely accepted, is the Specification of the Bluetooth System, v. 1.1 ("Bluetooth Specification"). The Bluetooth Specification enables the creation of small personal area networks (PAN's), where the typical operating range of a device is 100 meters or less. In a Bluetooth system, Bluetooth devices sharing a common channel sequence form a piconet. Two or more piconets co-located in the same area, with or without inter-piconet communications, is known as a scatternet.
The Bluetooth Specification supports voice communications between Bluetooth enabled devices. When a pair of Bluetooth devices support voice communication, the voice communications must be wirelessly supported in a continuous fashion so that carried voice signals are of an acceptable quality. Unexpected gaps, e.g., dropped packets, on the wireless link between supported Bluetooth devices causes degradation in the voice communication resulting in popping, static, or other unpleasant audible event. This problem is especially troublesome with Bluetooth devices since, in some operations, the communication link will regularly drop packets that carry the voice signals.
Thus, there is a need for improved operation by WLAN devices servicing voice communications.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Packetized audio data operations in a wireless local area network device


A multi-section semiconductor laser diode is disclosed. The laser diode includes a complex-coupled DFB laser section that includes a complex-coupled grating and an active structure for controlling the intensity of oscillating laser light, to oscillate laser light in a single mode, and an external cavity including a phase control section and an amplifier section, the phase control section having a passive waveguide that controls a phase variation of feedback laser light, the amplification section having an active structure that controls the strength of the feedback laser light. Currents are separately provided to the three sections to generate optical pulses with tuning range of tens of GHz. Applications include the clock recovery in the 3R regeneration of the optical communication.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser diode for generating frequency-tunable optical pulses, used for 3R regeneration (re-timing, re-shaping, and re-amplifying) of restoring an optical signal deformed while being transmitted through an optical fiber to its original state, and for generation of high bit-rate optical signals. More particularly, the invention relates to a self-mode locked multi-section semiconductor laser diode that can be fabricated on a single substrate and that includes a complex-coupled DFB (distributed feedback) laser section.
(b) Background of the Related Art
In an optical communication system, an optical signal transmitted through an optical fiber is subjected to reduction of its magnitude and temporal deformation due to dispersion while it is being transmitted. To correct this to restore the optical signal to its original state, 3R regeneration (re-timing, re-shaping, and re-amplifying) is required. Among this 3R regeneration, re-timing is extracting a clock from the deformed signal to obtain a restored signal from the clock and a deformed optical signal through a decision element. Methods of extracting the clock include electrical and optical methods.
A. A. Tager published the theoretical background of generation of optical pulses according to a short external-cavity laser diode, entitled "High-frequency oscillations and self-mode locking in short external-cavity laser diodes" in IEEE J. Quantum Electron, Vol. 30. According to this article, high-frequency optical pulses can be generated according to self-mode locking of compound cavity modes. Specifically, this article discloses that an optical pulse of tens of GHz can be acquired by self-mode locking of compound cavity modes by appropriately controlling the light beam strength and phase variation when a laser beam output from the single-mode laser diode is propagated through an external cavity and again fed back to the laser diode in the single-mode laser diode structure including the short external cavity having a length less than several millimeters.
S. Bauer published the self-mode locked DFB laser diode structure in Electron. Lett. Vol. 38, issued in March of 2002. This laser diode has an index-coupled DFB laser section and an external cavity including a phase control section and an amplifier section. The strength and phase of a light beam, which propagates through the external cavity and is then fed back to the DFB laser region, are controlled by injection currents of the amplifier section and the phase control section, and the injection currents are varied to obtain a wide frequency tuning range of tens of GHz. However, this technique may adversely affect the generation of an optical pulse and stable frequency variation because there is a probability of occurrence of mode hopping or multi-modes in the index-coupled DFB laser section according to a feedback phase variation in actual applications.

Self-mode locked multi-section semiconductor laser diode

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The present invention A massaging apparatus for human breast, said apparatus comprised of: an electrical pump, a bra having: at least two inflatable tubes having two opening at their edges integrated at each side of the bra encircling one breast organ, wherein each inflatable tube is connected by T shape connector, wherein through pipe to the electronic pump and control module for controlling the inflation of the tubes; wherein the tube are inflated simultaneous at both edges creating dual simultaneous pressure at different size of the breast organ.

The benefits of therapeutic breast massage are numerous, and include enhancing the flow of lymphatic fluid in and around the breast and arm-pits region, rehabilitation of scar tissues following surgical procedures, such as breast implants and reconstructive surgery, stimulation of blood circulation, and removal of toxins from the breast area, and strengthening muscle tissue.


The present invention relates to dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors having an aromatic group and a heteroaromatic group linked by a methylene group; methods of preparation of dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors that include metal mediated cross coupling of an aromatic halide or heteroaromatic halide with an organozinc reagent; and methods of treatment and pharmaceutical compositions that utilize or comprise one or more of such dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides a new method for the formation of functionalized aryl-alkyl bonds, particularly aryl-aralkyl bonds. In particular, the invention provides methods of synthesizing active dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors and new classes of DHFR inhibitors particularly where a substituted aryl group is linked to a diamino substituted heterocyclic moiety via a methylene group.
2. Background
Piritrexim (1), a lipophilic inhibitor of the key metabolic enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) has been studied intensively as an anticancer drug, and more recently was identified as a potent inhibitor of the enzyme from Pneumocystis carinii (Pc) and Tozoplasma gondii (Tg), two opportunistic parasites known to be potentially life-threatening in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). See, for example, Grivsky, E. M.; Lee, S.; Sigel, C. W.; Duch, D. S.; Nichol, C. A. J. Med Chem. 1980; 23, 327-329; Sigel, C. W.; Macklin, A. W.; Woolley, J. L., Jr.; Johnson N. W.; Collier, M. A.; Blum, M. R.; Clendeninn, N. J.; Everitt, J. M.; Grebe, G.; Mackars, A.; Foss, R. G.; Duch, D. S.; Bowers, S. W.; Nichol, C. A. NCI Monogr. 1987; 5, 111-120; Laszlo, J.; Brenckman, W. D., Jr.; Morgan, E.; Clendeninn, N. J.; Williams, T.; Currie, V.; Young, C. NCI Monogr. 1987; 5, 121-125; and Kovacs, J.; Allegra, C. A.; Swan, J. C.; Drake, J. C.; Parrillo, J. E.; Chabner, B. A.; Masur, H. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 1988; 32, 430-433. A notable structural feature of 1 is the short CH2 bridge between the two halves of the molecule. This bridge is also present in trimethoprim (2), another lipophilic DHFR inhibitor widely used to for anti-Pc and anti-Tg prophylaxis and therapy in AIDS patients, usually in combination with a sulfa drug to enhance efficacy. For an excellent historical account of the chemical and pharmaceutical development of the older lipophilic DHFR inhibitors pyrimethamine and trimethoprim, see: Roth, B.; Cheng, C. C. Progr. Med Chem. 1982; 19, 269-331; Fischl, M. A.; Dickinson, G. M.; La Voie, L. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1988; 259, 1185-1189; and Medina, I.; Mills, J.; Leoung, G.; Hopewell, P. C.; Lee, B.; Modin, G.; Benowitz, N.; Wofsy, C. B. N. Engl. J Med 1990; 323, 776-782. Two other members of this class that have been used clinically against these infections are pyrimethamine (3), in which the two halves of the molecule are linked without a CH2 bridge, and trimetrexate (4), which contains a longer CH2NH bridge. In addition to the fact that it contains a longer bridge, 4 differs from 1 in being a quinazoline as opposed to a pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine. See for example, Bertino, J. R.; Sawicki, W. L.; Moroson, B. A.; Cashmore, A. R.; Elslager, E. F. Biochem. Pharmacol. 1979; 28, 1983-1987; Elslager, E. F.; Johnson, E. L.; Werbel, L. M. J. Med Chem. 1983; 26, 1753-1760; and Sattler, F. R.; Frame, P.; Davis, R.; Nichols, L.; Shelton, B.; Akil, B.; Baugman, R.; Hughlett, C.; Weiss, W.; Boylen, C. T.; van der Horst, C.; Black, J.; Masur, H.; Feinberg, J. J. Infect. Dis. 1994; 170, 165-172.

There has been reported examples of certain lipophilic DHFR inhibitors in which the fused 2,4-diaminopyrimidine ring system and the aryl side chain are separated by a short O or S bridge, as in 5 and 6. The only quinazoline antifolates reported to date, however, in which the bridge is CH2 are the 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro derivatives 7. See for example Elslager, E. F.; Clarke, J.; Johnson, J.; Werbel, L. M. Davoll, J. J. Heterocycl. Chem. 1972; 9, 759-773; Hynes, J. B.; Ashton, W. T.; Merriman, H. G., III, Walker, F. C., III. J. Med Chem. 1974; 17, 682-684; and Rosowsky A; Papoulis, A. T.; Forsch, R. A.; Queener, S. F. J. Med Chem. 1999; 42, 1007-1017.

It would be desirable to have new methods for synthesis of biologically active DHFR inhibitors.


A sustained release delivery system for delivering a beneficial agent is provided. The system includes a reservoir comprising the beneficial agent and a capillary channel in communication with the reservoir and the exterior of the system for delivering the beneficial agent from the system. The capillary channel has a cross-sectional area and a length selected to deliver the beneficial agent at a predetermined rate. The system may further include an outer surface that is impermeable and non-porous during delivery of the beneficial agent. The beneficial agent may be formulated in a glassy sugar matrix.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a sustained release beneficial agent delivery system. More particularly, the invention relates to a sustained release beneficial agent delivery system having a capillary channel for controlling the rate of release of the beneficial agent by diffusion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various dispensing systems for the delivery of active agents are known in the art. These systems generally deliver the active agent by diffusion from an enclosed capsule or from a multi-structured device having a wall formed of a polymer permeable to water and/or to the agent into a selected environment. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,135,514; 3,760,806; 3,760,984; and 3,995,631. However, there is a large category of agents that cannot be readily delivered by such prior art systems because of at least one feature inherent in the devices which adversely affects the rate of release of the agent from the device. For example, many agents cannot be effectively delivered from a diffusion controlled delivery system because their permeation rate through the rate controlling material of the system is too small to produce a useful effect.
There is an additional class of active agents that also cannot be satisfactorily delivered by diffusional devices because of a particular chemical characteristic of the agent. This additional class includes salts that, because of their ionic character, will not readily diffuse through polymeric membranes. This class also includes unstable polar compounds that cannot be formulated into a satisfactory composition suitable for storage and delivery from such prior art systems.
In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of prior art diffusional delivery systems and devices, there is a need in the art for a system that is capable of providing sustained delivery of beneficial agents, particularly, of beneficial agents that do not readily permeate through polymeric membranes.


An optical ionization detector wherein a beam of light is split so that one arm passes through a fiber optics and the other arm passes through a gas-filled region, and uses interferometry to detect density changes in a gas when charged particles pass through it. The gas-filled region of the detector is subjected to a high electric field and as a charged particle traverses this gas region electrons are freed from the cathode and accelerated so as to generate an electron avalanche which is collected on the anode. The gas density is effected by the electron avalanche formation and if the index or refraction is proportional to the gas density the index will change accordingly. The detector uses this index change by modulating the one arm of the split light beam passing through the gas, with respect to the other arm that is passed through the fiber optic. Upon recombining of the beams, interference fringe changes as a function of the index change indicates the passage of charged particles through the gaseous medium.

This invention relates to the detection of ionizing radiation, particularly to a means for directing ionizations from natural and man-made sources, and more particularly to a detector of ionizing radiation which uses optical interferometry to detect density changes in a gas when charged particles pass through it.
Various types of detectors and detector systems have been developed for the detection of various levels of electromagnetic radiation and are utilized for various applications including surface contamination due to radiation, testing odd-shaped metal components used in processing radioactive materials, for sensing the position of neutral particles, measuring physical phenomena using optical interferometry, changes in the refractive index of a substance, optical fiber accelerometers, and for detecting chemical vapors in the air, to name as few applications. These prior known detectors and systems are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,914 issued Apr. 2, 1991 to V. Vali et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,074 issued Aug. 21, 1990 to N. Fabricius et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,821 issued May 16, 1989 to E. F. Carome; U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,967 issued Mar. 29, 1988 to G. E. Sommargron; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,495 issued Jun. 11, 1985 to P. Shajenko. In each of the above-referenced patents, a beam of electromagnetic radiation is first split, at least one arm of the beam is processed, and then the two beam arms are combined for determining the relation of characteristics of the arm of energy processed compared to the characteristics of the arm not processed.
while these prior detection devices and system are effective for certain applications, there is a need, particularly within the high energy physics community, to detect ionizing radiation, such as electrons, gamma rays, and muons, within extremely large sampling volumes of proposed detector systems to be built at the next generation of high energy particle accelerators. As an example, at the Superconducting Super Collider, two large detector systems are being proposed which will contain many different types of ionization counters to detect the by-products of high energy proton-proton collisions. These detector systems will use an extremely large number of separate detectors to reconstruct the many possible particle tracks, providing measurements of position, energy and momentum. This extremely large number of separate detectors makes it advantageous to consider replacing standard electronics with electro-optic components. Electro-optics allows for high density routing of fiber-optic cables, optical triggering, and immunity to stray radiation and electrical noise. Thus, with the proposed use of electro-optics, there is a need for an optical ionization detector for detecting charged particles.
The present invention fills this need by providing such an optical detector of ionizing radiation and which uses optical interferometry to detect density changes in a gas when charged particles pass through the gas.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


An ink curing apparatus (1) comprising a UV lamp (9); at least two reflectors (5, 7); and at least one continuously moveable shutter (11a, 11b), wherein the movement of the or each shutter (11a, 11b), between an open position exposing a substrate to UV radiation from the UV lamp (9) and a closed position wherein the shutter (11a, 11b) shields the substrate from the UV radiation from the UV lamp, is controlled by a crank mechanism (20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26).

Ink curing apparatus, comprising a housing containing a lamp partially surrounded by reflectors to direct UV radiation onto a substrate to cure ink, are well-known. Existing ink curing apparatus use reflectors to direct UV radiation from the lamp onto a substrate. The lamp is commonly surrounded by a moveable shutter. The shutter functions as a safety device, whereby when the apparatus is stopped and the power to the lamp is reduced the shutter is closed to shield the substrate from the heat of the lamp. When the power is reduced, any residual heat held in the lamp is retained within the apparatus, including being absorbed by the shutter. The shutter is opened to allow UV radiation to be directed through the opening between the reflectors, referred to as a "curing window", onto the substrate.
Known shutter arrangements for UV curing apparatus include a single curved plate, or two complementary curved plates that meet each other when the shutter is in a closed position, to block radiation from the lamp reaching the substrate. The applicant's earlier UK Patent GB2495161 describes the use of such shutters in UV curing apparatus, wherein each of two shutters holds in place a reflector. Each shutter is moveable between an open position exposing the substrate to UV radiation and a closed position shielding the substrate from the UV lamp. Movement of the shutter/s in known devices is often generated by using an actuator, which is pneumatically or electrically powered; for example, shutter movement is controlled by a pneumatic drive having an actuator limited to a 180-degree field of movement. The pneumatic drive is used to move the two shutters together into a closed position and then apart into an open position. In alternative embodiments, an electric motor is used. Known drive means move in one direction to open the shutters and in the opposite direction to close the shutters. Thus, known devices only allow movement of the shutters between two discrete positions, whereby the curing window is either open or closed. The movement of the shutter is slow and, in some arrangements, it has been found that the shutter can effectively jolt between the two alternative positions. Furthermore, the stop-start movement of existing shutter mechanisms puts a significant amount of stress on the component parts of the apparatus.
Existing drive mechanisms are difficult to control to allow shutter movement with the desired accuracy and speed. The movement of a shutter/s having the above-described problems has been found to be particularly disadvantageous in the field of digital/inkjet UV print curing where the printing process is much quicker with the substrates for curing being moved rapidly through the UV curing apparatus. Slow and poorly-controlled shutter movement is a significant limitation to the speed and output volume of the digital print process.


Disclosed is a roman shade assembly (100, 200) that utilizes lift bands (108, 208) rather than lift cords. The shade (110, 210) can be formed of textured materials or woven woods. The shade assembly includes lift bands (108,208) that attach to a rotatable member(s) (115, 215) and can be extended or retracted within an architectural opening by rotating the member(s). The lift bands can be slidingly connected to the shade at multiple points along the vertical length of the shade. Accordingly, as the wide lift bands are extended or retracted, the attached shade is likewise extended or retracted to cover or uncover an architectural opening.

Various different types of coverings exist for placement in architectural openings, such as windows, doors, archways and the like. Such coverings include roman shades as illustrated in FIG. 1. Roman shades comprise a covering 10, often formed of woven wood, that is placed in an architectural opening. As shown in FIG. 1, a roman shade includes a head rail assembly 12 that not only mounts the shade within the opening, but also provides a control mechanism for raising and lowering the shade as desired. The control mechanism includes vertical cords 14 that extend from the head rail assembly to the hem of the shade where they are connected to the shade. The cords are also slidingly connected to the shade at regular intervals 16 from the hem to the head rail, for instance by the use of rings connected at regular intervals along a vertical length of the shade, often in conjunction with horizontally placed battens or dowels 18. At the head rail 12, the cords are windingly received around a roller tube 15 and, as the tube is rotated, the cords are wrapped around the tube 15. This causes the shade 10 to fold and gather at the sliding connections 16 between the cords and the fabric as the cord 14 is wrapped on the roller tube 15, and the shade is raised such that the fabric hangs in a plurality of pleats having a desired drop length.
Rotating the roller of the head assembly in one direction causes the shade to extend and rotating the roller in an opposite direction causes the shade to retract. The roller is usually controlled by a manually driven control mechanism, though automatic mechanisms can also be used. Roman shades often include a variety of aesthetically appealing components, such as a valence 20 as illustrated in FIG. 2 that can cover all or part of the head rail and shade 10.
Unfortunately, the utilization of cords on shade coverings can lead to several undesirable characteristics. For instance, the cords can become tangled and can also become entangled with other objects, which can be problematic. In an attempt to alleviate such problems, roman shades have been formed such that the distance between lift points is be less than 8 inches, so as to decrease the distance between attachment points when the shade is lowered, preventing accidental entanglement with the cord. The limited distance between lift points can lead to the formation of additional pleats when the shade is raised and undesirable thickness of the raised shade, particularly when considering thicker shade materials such as woven wood. Additionally, no matter what the spacing between lift points on a shade, utilization of cords can form a visible line when viewed from the front of the shade, which can also be less than desirable.
In view of the above, a need currently exists for a roman shade that does not utilize lift cords while also providing an aesthetically pleasing presentation.


A relay connector with a reduced number of connection lines leading out from one side of the relay connector, which includes a plurality of branch connectors equipped with first and second connection terminals, and a main-body connector where common contacts reside in a housing, in which a third connection terminal connected to the common contacts and a fourth connection terminal connected to the second connection terminals are installed in the housing, the common contacts and the third connection terminal being connected, and the common contacts are connected to the first connection terminal of each branch connector and the second connection terminals are connected to the fourth connection terminal when coupling the main-body connector and the branch connectors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a relay connection circuit and a relay connector, in particular to a relay connection circuit and a relay connector with a reduced number of connection lines leading out from one side of the relay connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
In various kinds of machine tools, several sensors are installed around them which transmit certain signals to perform different modes of control operation.
In the case of the present invention, a plurality of power supply lines (hereinafter referred to as "Power Line") and signal lines are connected between substrate connectors and sensors in a particular machine tool in order to supply electric power to the sensors. In recent years, the number of power lines and signal lines installed has increased as machine tools and the like have become multifunctional.
FIG. 12 shows a known connection circuit of power lines and signal lines between a machine tool and a plurality of sensors, wherein FIGS. 12(a) and (b) respectively show examples of two different connection circuits.
In the connection circuit 100A shown in FIG. 12(a), a substrate connector 102A provided in the machine tool consists of a plug-type connector 102a and a socket-type connector 102b, power lines 1031 to 1038 and signal lines 1041 to 1048 which are severally connected to the plug-type connector 102a, and the tips of the said power lines and signal lines are connected to a plurality of sensors (S1 to S8).
In this connection circuit, the 8 sensors S1 to S8, to which 2 power lines and 1 signal line are respectively connected, are in turn connected to the substrate connector 102A, and each of the plug-type connector 102a and the socket-type connector 102b of the substrate connector 102A requires 24 contacts. On the other hand, 16 power lines and 8 signal lines are required between sensors S1 to S8 and the plug-type connector 102a.
There may be more than one signal line but if the number of sensors is increased, the number of signal lines will increase in proportion to the increase in the number of sensors, and in such an event the size of the substrate connector must be enlarged accordingly.
In the connection circuit 100B shown in FIG. 12(b), relay connectors 1051 to 1058 are provided between sensors S1 to S8 and a substrate connector 102B. The same number of power lines and signal lines as that of connection circuit 100A is required in this connection circuit.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-115626 (FIG. 7, left column on page 4) describes an electric circuit using branch connectors in which crossover wiring is disposed.
The electric circuit uses branch connectors where a flat plate branch conductor, in which a plurality of first and second tab contacts are severally formed on both sides of a strip-shaped common conductor part (crossover wiring) is disposed, and the power lines and a number of electric components are connected to the first tab contacts and the second tab contacts, respectively.
According to this electric circuit, electric power can be distributed from the power lines to several electric components via the common conductors.
However, because the known connection circuit utilizes a large number of power lines, the number of contacts of the substrate connector accordingly becomes larger, thereby requiring a large-sized connector. Considering that machine tools and the like have increasingly become smaller and multifunctional, such that several components and wirings connecting the components are intricately stretched, conceptualizing a design to provide space for mounting a large-sized connector has become difficult.
Even using the branch connectors described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-115626 cannot solve this problem. Because the branch connectors form a branch connection circuit by disposing the crossover wiring in a connector housing, a connection circuit of different connection lines, particularly power lines and signal lines, cannot be established.

Relay connection circuit and relay connector


There are provided a developing apparatus and a developer collecting method, in which a collection unit to collect a developer discharged from a developing unit by overflow is disposed not to largely protrude to the outside of an installation space of the developing unit. There are included a developing unit 12 including a discharge port 30 to discharge a developer by overflow, and a developer collecting unit 34 that is disposed so that at least a part overlaps with the developing unit 12 when the developing unit 12 is viewed from above, and contains the developer discharged from the discharge port 30 of the developing unit 12.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing apparatus and a developer collecting method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a developer supplying device and a developer collecting container are united and are attached as a developer supplying and collecting unit to a developing unit and constitute a developing apparatus. In this case, the developer supplying device is provided to be positioned at an upper side end part of the developing apparatus, the developer collecting container is provided to be positioned at a side part of the developing apparatus, and these devices are detachably mounted to the developing apparatus.
A developer taking-in port to take in the developer from the developer supplying device is provided in the upper side end part of the developing unit, and a developer discharge port to discharge the developer by overflow to the outside of the developing apparatus is provided in the developing unit.
On the other hand, a developer supplying port communicating with the developer taking-in port is provided in the lower side end part of the developer supplying device, and a developer collecting port communicating with the developer discharge port is provided in the side part of the developer collecting container. By this, the developer supplied from the developer supplying port of the developer supplying device through the developer taking-in port of the upper part of the developing unit is used in the developing apparatus, and is collected into the developer collecting container from the developer discharge port of the side part of the developing unit through the developer collecting port (see, for example, JP-A-5-289504).
However, in the foregoing technique, since the developer collecting unit is disposed at the side part and the upper part of the developing unit, the developer collecting unit largely protrudes in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the developing apparatus. Thus, the whole apparatus becomes large, and a large installation space is required.

Developing apparatus and developer collecting method


Semiconductor devices (140, 410, 610) are tested or burned-in while in a handling or shipping tray (100, 500, 700) using a test contactor (150, 450, 750, 850, 950) which engages either a cell (120, 520, 720) of the tray or the device itself during testing. A tray having a plurality of devices is moved by a handling system in an initial alignment operation where one or more devices is generally aligned beneath the test contactor. Then, the tray or the test contactor is moved in a vertical direction so that engagement features of the test contactor engage either the tray cell or the device to be tested to bring the device into final alignment for testing. Upon final alignment, contacts (152, 452, 752, 852, 952) of the test contactor physically and electrically contact leads (141, 414, 614) and in-tray testing of the devices is performed. In-tray testing reduces manufacturing cycle and minimizes device lead damage by eliminating pick and place handling of the devices at test.

Many varieties of packaged semiconductor devices and multi-chip modules (MCMs) are currently handled and shipped in molded plastic trays. Semiconductor manufacturers sometimes use molded plastic or metallic trays or pallets for processing of semiconductor devices. The majority of these devices are handled and shipped in trays or pallets because the package leads would be damaged if the packaged devices were handled or shipped in other container types. These trays, regardless of material type or intended use, all hold individual die, partially packaged or completely packaged devices in a regular matrix of individual cells. The trays come in several outline geometries and thicknesses and are sometimes known as "waffle packs." The most popular and widely used trays have a common outline and standard cell matrix patterns that are specified by widely accepted industry standards.
When trays for devices first came into regular use, semiconductor processing equipment was developed that removed individual packaged devices from the tray, moved the device through one or more processing steps and then returned the device to the same or a similar tray. This equipment is popularly known as "pick and place" equipment and is used throughout the industry. The pick and place method of device handling has a number of drawbacks. Each movement can introduce a potential for damage to the delicate device leads. Moving individual devices is also inherently slower than moving groups of devices. Establishing and maintaining alignment of the packaged devices so that the package can be presented in the correct orientation to the processing site is also a challenge. Equipment often requires customized hardware kits for each device package variation. Such kits are often expensive and require significant storage space when not in use.
Newer semiconductor processing equipment designs take advantage of the orderly and regular arrangement of devices in the trays or pallets to largely eliminate individual package handling. The entire tray or pallet is presented to the processing site and the individual packaged devices remain in the tray during processing. This method of processing is popularly known as "in-tray." In-tray processing is gaining acceptance in areas including attachment of solder balls to ball grid array (BGA) packages, encapsulation of semiconductor die in array packages, and device marking. In-tray processing is also gaining wide acceptance for device package lead and mark inspection. Unfortunately, the testing and burning-in of semiconductor devices is currently still restricted to pick and place processing. All existing processing equipment for the presentation of devices to an electrical test system or for the loading and unloading of devices into and from thermal or electrical stressing (burn-in) equipment is of the pick and place variety. These operations represent the highest potential for device lead damage. Electrical test equipment is extremely expensive and utilization rates suffer due to the inherent slowness of pick and place equipment handling individual devices.
Accordingly, a need exists in the industry for method for testing, burning-in, or otherwise electrically contacting semiconductor devices while in-tray. Such a method would reduce device lead damage and increase throughput as compared to current testing and burn-in methods.

Method for electrically contacting semiconductor devices in trays and test contactor useful therefor


In an apparatus for control of controller equipment for damping power oscillations in a power line, the controller equipment is serially connected between a first connection point and a second connection point in the power line in an electric network for alternating current. The controller equipment is adapted to serially generate in the power line, dependent on a control order, a damping voltage for damping power oscillations in the power line. Controlling equipment receives sensed quantities of the power network and forms a phase deviation dependent on these quantities. The phase deviation is the difference between a phase angle of a first voltage at the first connection point and a phase angle of a second voltage at the second connection point. The controlling equipment forms the control order dependent on the time rate of change of a function of the phase deviation. The control order controls the controller equipment to generate the damping voltage which feeds an active power in the power line counteracting changes in active power in the power line which are associated with power oscillations.

In an electric power line with two nodal points, interconnected by a power line which is often long, the power transmitted in the power line is dependent on the difference in phase angle between the voltages at the respective nodal points. This angular difference is constant when the power network is in an equilibrium state, but after a disturbance, for example a transient fault in the power line or a change of the power conditions at one of the two nodal points, a new equilibrium state must be created. The change from one equilibrium state to another takes place via a low-frequency transient oscillation in the above-mentioned angular difference and hence a corresponding oscillation in the power transmitted in the power line. The power oscillation, which usually has a weak damping and the frequency of which is of the order of magnitude of 1 Hz, is determined by the dynamic properties in the electromechanical system which consists of the power line and the power network, including rotating machines connected thereto.
In order to achieve damping of detected power oscillations in power networks, different kinds of controllable controller equipment and control laws have been proposed. Examples of such controller equipment for connection in series with a power line are the so-called unified power-flow controllers (UPFC), phase angle regulators (PAR), and controllable, for example thyristor-connected, series-capacitors (CSC). Controller equipment for connection in shunt connection to a power line are, for example, static var compensators for reactive power (SVC) and static condensers (STATCON) comprising controllable converters.
The term FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) has become common to designate power networks comprising at least some of the above-mentioned controllable controller equipment.
A Olwegard et al: Improvement of Transmission Capacity by Thyristor Controlled Reactive Power IEEE Trans. on Power App. and Systems, Vol. PAS-100. No. 8 August 1981, pp 3930-3939! describes the application of thyristor-connected capacitor banks in both shunt- and series-connection for damping power oscillations between power systems connected by a power line. A control law based on sensing the transmitted active power on the power line is proposed for the series-connected capacitor bank. The control law means, in principle, that when the time rate of change of the transmitted power is positive and exceeds a certain level, the whole capacitor bank is connected into the power line. When the power reaches its maximum value, the switchable part of the capacitor bank is bypassed, whereupon, when the power reaches its minimum value, the whole capacitor bank is again connected into the power line. It is stated that the proposed control law has certain deficiencies in that, in systems have a plurality of power lines and thyristor-connected series capacitors, these interfere with each other. A control law common to all series capacitors would, therefore, be preferable, but is considered unrealistic because of the technical difficulties in transferring the control law to each of the series capacitors.
Also studies of two-machine systems interconnected by parallel power lines have shown that the choice of the active power as starting-point for a control law exhibits certain deficiencies.
James F. Gronquist et al: Power Oscillation Damping Control Strategies for FACTS Devices using locally measureable Quantities IEEE Trans. on Power App. and Systems, Vol. 10. No. 3 August 1995, pp 1598-1605! describes the use of energy functions for deriving control laws for thyristor-controlled series capacitors (TCSC), static compensators (SVC) for reactive power, static condensers (STATCON) and thristor-controlled phase-shifting transformers (TCPS) for the purpose of damping power oscillations in and between power networks. So-called unified power flow controllers (UPFC) serially connected in power lines are not discussed and the control laws derived by derivation of the energy function with respect to time are described in abstract form.
L Angquist et al: Power Oscillation Damping using Controlled Reactive Power Compensation--a Comparison between Series and Shunt Approaches Trans. on Power App. and Systems, Vol. 8. No. 2 May 1993, pp 687-700! deals with damping of power oscillations of the above-mentioned kind and demonstrates that controlled series-capacitors (CSC) provide a better damping effect than static shunt-connected compensators for reactive power. It is found, especially for two-machine systems, that a power oscillation gives rise to a sinusoidal deviation in the angular difference of the two machines which is superordinate to its stationary value. Regarding control laws, it is stated in general terms that the controller equipment is to supply an active power such that an additional torque is created with opposite sign in relation to the time rate of change of the angular difference. An example given shows that angle in these cases means the mechanical angle of rotation of the machines, that is, the time rate of change of the angular difference is, in this case, the same as the difference in speed between the two machines. This control law, which is thus based on measuring speed differences, cannot be simply extended to power networks with more than two machines.
M. Noroozian et al: Damping of Power Systems Oscillations by use of Controllable Components IEEE Trans. on Power Delivery, Vol. 9. No. 4 October 1994, pp 2046-2054! describes damping of power oscillations based on a linearized model of a power system and demonstrates that controlled series-capacitors (CSC) provide a better damping effect than static shunt-connected compensators for reactive power and, to attain the same damping properties, a controlled series capacitor may be dimensioned for a lower power than a so-called phase angle regulator (PAR).
There is a need to derive concrete and appropriate control laws for controller equipment for serial connection to a power line in order to make a fast and cost-effective damping of power oscillations possible.


An object based video information coding apparatus and method for an MPEG-4 system compresses image data without reducing image quality by converting motion-incompensable objects using image data blocks. The method includes the steps of i) separating moving and non-moving background imagery from an input image; ii) selecting motion-compensable objects and motion-incompensable objects from the moving imagery; iii) separating motion information and shape information from motion-compensable objects; iv) separating shape information and image information for motion-incompensable objects; v) dividing motion-incompensable object into N.times.N blocks; vi) discrete cosine transforming pixels in the N.times.N blocks using an N.times.N discrete cosine transform. In one embodiment, the pixels of the motion-incompensable object not in the N.times.N blocks are differential pulse code modulated. In another embodiment, the motion-incompensable object is first divided into 8.times.8 blocks. The remaining pixels are then divided into 4.times.4 blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object based video information coding apparatus and method for an MPEG-4 system, and more particularly to an improved object based video information coding apparatus and method capable of compressing image data without reducing image quality by processing motion-incompensable objects into hierarchical image data blocks and transforming the data blocks using a Discrete Cosine Transform.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Generally, MPEG-4 is used for compressing and reproducing moving images using a spatial correlation of the images. It uses a Discrete Cosine Transform (hereinafter "DCT") to eliminate redundancies in the image, and performs motion compensation.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, in MPEG-4, images are classified into three types: I-frame images, P-frame images, and B-frame images. In I-frame type images, the images are coded using a discrete cosine transform circuit 106 with no prediction of motion. In P-frame type images, motion is predicted only in the forward direction. In B-frame type images, motion is predicted in both forward and backward directions.
An image at a first input terminal 101 is reconstructed by a first frame reconstruction circuit 102. The motion of the image outputted from first frame reconstruction circuit 102 is predicted by a motion prediction circuit 122. A first motion compensation circuit 121 performs motion compensation using a motion vector 123. An inter/intra analyzing circuit 124 determines whether a macro block being processed is in an Inter Mode, which is a motion compensation mode, or an Intra Mode, which performs a discrete cosine transform without a motion compensation, and controls a first switching circuit 125 accordingly.
The image outputted from first frame reconstruction circuit 102 is outputted to a subtractor 103, which produces a differential image. A frame/field analyzing circuit 104 determines a discrete cosine transform type for the image. A frame/field formatting circuit 105 converts the image data based upon a cosine type determined by frame/field analyzing circuit 104.
The output of the frame/field formatting circuit 105 is converted to a frequency component signal by a discrete cosine transform circuit 106. The discrete cosine-converted frequency component signal is quantized by a quantization circuit 107 and inputted to a zig-zag scan conversion circuit 108. The quantized coefficient value outputted from quantization circuit 107 is scanned in a zig-zag scan by zig-zag scan conversion circuit 108. The output thereof is detected by run-and-fixed length decoder 109 by the number of zeros and levels.
Quantization circuit 107 receives a control signal in accordance with the state of a first buffer circuit 110. If a large number of bit arrays are stored in first buffer circuit 110, the quantization control circuit reduces the number of bits by increasing a quantization scale value. If a small number of bit arrays are stored in first buffer circuit 110, the quantization scale value is decreased and the number of bits in first buffer circuit 110 thereby increases.
The run and level data obtained by zig-zag scan conversion circuit 108 is converted into a bit array corresponding to an MPEG-4 main profile along with additional information such as motion vector 123, and is then outputted to an output terminal 126 at a predetermined bit rate.
In addition to the foregoing, the output of zig-zag scan conversion circuit 108 is decoded through a first inverse zig-zag scan conversion circuit 112, a first inverse quantization circuit 113, a first inverse discrete cosine transform circuit 114, a first inverse frame/field formatting circuit 115, and the decoded output signal is added to a motion-compensated image by a first adder 116 and is thereby recovered.
The recovered images are stored in a first backward reference image memory 120 by a second switching circuit 117 for use in motion prediction and motion compensation, depending upon the coding type of an image received through a second input terminal 118. The stored images are also moved to a first forward prediction reference image memory 119 for when I-frame image or P-frame images are coded.
FIG. 2 shows a conventional MPEG-4 video decoder for recovering an MPEG-4 bit stream for display on a monitor. A bit stream outputted from a third input terminal 201 is stored in a second buffer circuit 202. A run-and-fixed length decoder 203 decodes information about the image, such as discrete cosine transform coefficients, motion vectors, intra/inter mode, and coding type.
The decoded discrete cosine transform coefficient information is recovered by a second inverse zig-zag scan conversion circuit 204. For I-frame images (intra mode), the information is recovered into an image through a second quantization circuit 205 and a second inverse frame/field formatting circuit 207. For P-frame and B-frame images (inter mode) the information is recovered into a differential image. A second inverse discrete cosine conversion circuit 206 is used as well.
The recovered differential image is added to a motion compensation image by an adder 208 and is recovered into an image by a second frame reconstruction circuit 209. The image is then outputted to an output terminal 218 for display.
The recovered image is stored in a second backward prediction reference image memory 215 through a fourth switching circuit 216 in case the coding type of an image input through a sixth input terminal 217 is a B-type image, and is moved from second backward prediction reference image memory 215 to a second forward prediction reference image memory 214 for when an I-frame image or P-frame image is decoded.
The second motion-compensation circuit 212 performs motion-compensation using a motion vector outputted from a fifth input terminal 213, which is obtained by run-and-fixed length decoder 203. The motion image compensated by the second motion compensating circuit 212 is transferred to a second adder 208 through a third switching circuit 210 for processing when an inter mode is detected by an intra/inter mode decision 211 as determined by run-and-fixed length decoder 203.
Conventional MPEG-4 video coders and decoders are disadvantageous in that the images produced by such systems are of low quality because the compressed image data transferred in a coded form is simply recovered to an original image data.

Object-by information coding apparatus and method thereof for MPEG-4 picture instrument


A device for filling soluble containers such as capsules comprises an assembly for orienting and separating capsules including double blind capsules which have a longer cap length and shorter body length wherein such assembly has a top sheet for loading the capsules and a bottom sheet for orienting the capsules loaded therein and such said sheets capable of being relatively displaced with respect to each other. Slots are provided in the top sheet for limiting such displacement by setting free configuration for orientation of the capsules. An open closable gate is mounted to the top sheet for enabling easier loading and containment of the capsules within the top sheet, for orienting the capsules. The filler assembly has at least a pair of sheets having profile cut portions and profile-cut strip for gripping the body of the capsules especially capsules having a longer cap length and shorter body length such as double blind capsules.

Numerous attempts have been made to provide a device for filling containers particularly soluble containers such as capsules.
In general, a device for filling a soluble container such as a capsule comprises the following components:    a) Orienter.    b) Filler.    c) Capsule Tray.    d) Powder tray, Powder spreader & Extractor rod.    e) Tamper unit.
The orienter orients the capsules in such a way that caps remain up & bodies in down position. After this, the capsules are transferred from orienter to capsule tray mounted on filler.
The capsule tray keeps all capsules on filler in vertical position. The cap & body of capsules are separated as sliding sheet holds the capsule bodies firmly against separation force generated by lifting of the capsule tray.
Powder tray and powder spreader are provided to ease filling of powder and other filling materials. A tamper unit is provided to ensure uniform filling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,932 discloses an invention entitled "capsule handling system" wherein the sheet sliding mechanism in the orienter generates more friction due to large contact area and therefore sliding is not smooth. Also, positioning of sheets for orienting the capsules is more or less inconsistent. As regards the filler assembly, two thumb screws are used to operate sliding sheet to hold the capsule bodies during separation of cap and body of the capsules. This is an inconvenient and time consuming operation. For filling capsules of other size, adjustment of height of filler base according to cut length of capsule bodies and therefore appropriate adjustment and setting are required which is also a cumbersome operation.
In a capsule filling machine developed and marketed by a company called Feton®, grub screws are used for setting and holding the sheets with respect to base for orienting the capsules. Further, the stroke length of the orienter sheet in this machine is to be adjusted by a thumb screw. This arrangement is quite cumbersome and requires skill on the part of the operator to achieve the above tasks.
Both the machines as developed by Feton and as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,932 have a closed structure and therefore the operation is not visual and accessibility to jammed capsules becomes difficult.
Further, the above mentioned capsule filling devices are not capable of orienting, separating the cap and body, and filling of capsules which have longer cap length and smaller body length such as double blind capsules.
Other conventional capsule filling machines also suffer from a series of drawbacks either in their configuration and/or function thereby resulting in a poor performance.
Therefore, a need has arisen for requirement of developing a machine which would overcome the drawbacks associated with the existing devices, and which would provide a setting free capsule filling system and which is simple in construction and achieves more efficient performance.
Our inventors, by determined research and intuitive knowledge, for the first time, have introduced a device for filling soluble containers which would provide a setting free capsule filling system and which is simple in construction, easy to operate and achieves more efficient performance than those devices in the state of the art.


Image forming apparatus including: first executing unit executing image formation mode of forming image by transferring toner image from image holder onto recording sheet, and then, in fixing device, causing fixing member, heated to fixable temperature by heater, to thermally fix toner image; second executing unit executing non-image-formation mode not involving thermal fixing performed by fixing device; instructing unit selectively instructing to execute image formation mode or non-image-formation mode; and controller controlling power supply to heater of fixing device in accordance with execution state of image formation and non-image-formation modes, the controller performing first control of decreasing temperature of fixing member by stopping or reducing power supply to heater when non-image-formation mode starts, and second control of stopping first control at predetermined timing during execution of non-image-formation mode and increasing temperature of fixing member so as to reach predetermined target temperature at end of execution of non-image-formation mode.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and in particular to a technology for performing a temperature control in a fixing device of the image forming apparatus.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus of the photoelectric method, after a charger electrically charges the surface of a photosensitive drum in a unified manner, it forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum by emitting a laser beam to expose-scan the surface of the charged photosensitive drum, and develops the electrostatic latent image by causing a developing unit to supply toner thereto. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is transferred, via an intermediate transfer belt or directly, onto a recording sheet. Then the recording sheet with the toner image is heated and pressured by a fixing device and the toner image is fixed thermally onto the surface of the recording sheet.
Meanwhile, the temperature of a heating rotating member required for the thermal fixing (fixable temperature) is generally high, for example, 200° C. Especially when the heating rotating member is in the shape of a roller, the thermal capacity is large, and thus requires a lot of time for the warm-up. For this reason, in many apparatuses, the heating rotating member is always kept to be at a temperature close to the fixable temperature, so that a print process can be started as soon as a print job is received (hereinafter, the state is referred to as a "wait state", and the temperature maintained in the wait state is referred to as a "wait temperature". Typically, the wait temperature is set to a temperature that is lower than the fixable temperature by approximately 20° C. to 40° C. so that the fixable temperature can be reached in approximately 10 seconds). Note that in the present specification, "fixable temperature" means a target value of the control for adjusting the surface temperature of the heating rotating member to be within a range of temperature that is required for the toner to be fixed on the recording sheet. Thus in the actual control, slight ripples are generated around the target temperature.
FIG. 24A is a graph showing the change in the temperature (hereinafter referred to as a "fixing unit temperature") T of the heating rotating member during a conventional temperature control of the fixing device, wherein the horizontal axis represents an elapse time t from the activation of the apparatus, and the vertical axis represents the fixing unit temperature T.
After the apparatus is powered on (t=0), the power is supplied continuously to the heater of the fixing device (indicated by "Heater ON" in the graph), and the warm-up is started. When the fixing unit temperature T reaches the wait temperature 170° C., the temperature control is switched to a control in which the power supply to the heater is switched ON/OFF intermittently to maintain the wait temperature. Upon receiving a print job and an instruction to start printing, the apparatus continuously supplies the power to the heater ("Heater ON") to increase the fixing unit temperature T straight to 200° C. in approximately 10 seconds, then starts the printing, and after the printing is over, stops the power supply to the heater to decrease the fixing unit temperature T. When the fixing unit temperature T reaches the wait temperature 170° C., the apparatus performs the control to switch ON/OFF the heater intermittently to maintain the wait temperature.
Meanwhile, most of the power consumed by the image forming apparatus is the power required for heating the heating rotating member in the fixing device. Accordingly, for the sake of energy conservation, many power saving technologies have been proposed conventionally.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-65597 discloses a structure of an image forming apparatus that has an operation mode including a recording mode and a non-recording mode, wherein the recording mode causes the fixing device to execute a recording operation for fixing an image onto a recording sheet, and the non-recording mode is performed to execute a non-recording operation other than the recording operation. While the operation mode is set to the recording mode, the temperature of the heater in the fixing device is adjusted to be the fixable temperature, and while the operation mode is set to the non-recording mode (during the time period α), the temperature adjustment of the heater is stopped and the power is not supplied ("Heater OFF"), as shown in FIG. 24B.
With the above structure, while the operation mode is set to the recording mode, the recording operation can be started immediately, and while the operation mode is set to the non-recording mode, the power supply to the heater of the fixing device is stopped, thereby preventing wasteful consumption of the power.
However, according to the above conventional technology, the control is made to stop the power supply to the heater for all the period while the non-recording mode is executed, and after the mode is switched to the recording mode, the heater is powered ON. Accordingly, the user has to wait for a time period "tv" required for the warm-up until the printing process is started. This is inconvenience for the user.

Image forming apparatus and temperature control method in fixing device thereof for controlling temperature of fixing device to be at target temperature after execution of non-image formation device


A computer implemented method and apparatus for mitigating face aging errors when performing facial recognition. The method comprises receiving an indication of a face that needs to be searched in an image set, where each image in the image set comprises a timestamp that identifies a creation date of the image, the creation date being in a continuum of successive time intervals; and identifying the indicated face in images taken in each time interval of a plurality of successive time intervals for the indicated face, wherein each face found in images taken in a previous successive time interval is used as a reference set for identifying the face in images taken in a next successive time interval.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to facial recognition and, more particularly, to techniques for mitigating face aging errors when performing facial recognition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Often, people have large photo libraries that include a significant number of images taken over a large span of time, sometimes over a course of many years. A user may wish to search all images in his photo library for a particular person. Facial recognition algorithms detect a face of the person from the images in the photo library. Currently, facial recognition solutions rely on age simulation models or age transformation models that create an aged model of a given face and then run facial recognition algorithms using the aged models. These techniques are unreliable, particularly when a large time gap exists between the time that an initial photo containing the face is taken and the time when the searched photos were taken. These techniques are also unreliable when applied to photos of children, whose faces change significantly over a short period of time. Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for mitigating face aging errors when performing facial recognition.

Method and apparatus for mitigating face aging errors when performing facial recognition


A wrist strap for connection to a plurality of different bowstring release mechanisms via a plurality of different connecting members, includes a flexible base member adapted to fit around the wrist of a user and a mounting assembly connected to the wrist strap. The flexible base member has first and second arms that converge towards an apex area. The mounting assembly is connected to the apex area and is adapted to receive and retain the plurality of different connecting members. The mounting assembly includes a lower mounting portion having a first feature for retaining at least a first of the plurality of extension members and a second feature for retaining a second of the plurality of extension members. The upper and lower mounting portions cooperate to releasably lock one of the extension members in one of two locking positions.

This invention relates generally to archery equipment, and more particularly to a wrist strap adaptable to different connectors that may be associated with different bowstring release mechanisms, as well as a lockup for at least one of the release mechanisms when the mechanisms are not in use.
Many accessories for archery bows are available for facilitating bow handling, stabilizing the bow during use, improving aiming accuracy, and so on. One such accessory is in the form of a wrist strap with an attached bowstring release. Archery bowstrings of compound bows typically have pull forces on the order of about 40 to 90 pounds. The use of wrist straps has become common to accommodate these large forces which have the potential to cause possible injury to the archer's fingers. A wrist strap removes the force of the bowstring that would otherwise be present on the fingers and spreads the force over a relatively large surface area of the wrist and the back of the archer's hand while leaving at least the thumb or index finger of the hand free to activate the trigger mechanism of the bowstring release.
Since the hands and wrists of archers come in many different shapes and sizes, wrist straps and their accompanying string release mechanisms are typically adjustable to accommodate as many archers as possible. Various prior art solutions for connecting the bowstring release mechanism to the wrist strap have different connecting arrangements, and therefore are not interchangeable. It would be desirous to provide a wrist strap that is adaptable to various different connecting arrangements between the bowstring release mechanism and wrist strap.
In addition, when the bowstring release mechanisms are not in use, they often get in the way with other activities of the archer, such as handling the bow, loading an arrow, climbing a tree stand, as so on. It would therefore be desirous to provide a lockup device for the bowstring release mechanism to keep it out of the way when not in use.

Wrist strap connector for archery bowstring release


A squib connector connecting structure of an airbag inflator comprises a shunt bar connector and a retainer sequentially inserted into an insertion hole of an inflator, and a squib connector inserted into retainer. Further, a guide groove is formed at insertion hole of inflator and a body of squib connector is fully fitted into guide groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag system of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a squib connector connecting structure of an inflator.
2. Description of Related Art
An airbag is used to protect a passenger from an impact during a vehicle accident. In recent years, various airbags, such as airbags for passengers seated on the rear seats and airbags against side collision, have been provided as well as airbags for a driver's seat and a passenger seat.
An airbag (exactly, an airbag cushion) is folded so as to be easily deployed, and an inlet of the airbag is connected to a gas outlet of the inflator. If an airbag control unit receives a collision signal stronger than a predetermined intensity from a collision detecting sensor and generates an inflator operating signal, the inflator operates.
Meanwhile, a squib connector, which is connected to main wiring of an airbag, is connected to the inflator. Squib connector 10 is shown in FIG. 1A.
The inflator is provided with a retainer 20 shown in FIG. 1B so as to be connected to squib connector 10.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, retainer 20 is provided with shunt terminals 21, and shunt bars 31 of a shunt bar connector 30 provided below the retainer 20 are inserted into a central portion of retainer 20.
Before the connection of squib connector 10, shunt bar 31 and shunt terminal 21 come in contact with each other, thereby forming a closed-circuit state. When squib connector 10 is inserted into retainer 20 and a push slider 11 is pushed, shunt terminal 21 is separated from shunt bar 31 and the state is converted into an open-circuit state. In this case, a squib connector terminal 12 is connected to shunt terminal 31, so that an airbag deployment signal can be sent.
Meanwhile, there are problems in that squib connector 10 can be broken or separated due to operator's mistakes or the interference with peripheral components when being connected to inflator 40. Since most components of an airbag cannot be recycled, the loss of cost is very large due to this.
Since squib connector 10 protrudes from the surface of inflator 40 to the outside as shown in FIG. 3, the above-mentioned problems of the breakage and separation of the connector more frequently occur.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Squib connector connecting structure of airbag inflator


A walker having an expandable seat adapted to accommodate users of varying body sizes to enter the walker and get in and out of the seat. The walker comprises a front cross bar having two tubular ends, and two side frames rotatably connected to each of the tubular ends of the front cross bar, so that the side frames can be rotated inward and outward with respect to the front cross bar. A telescopic upper crossbar is mounted between the side frames at the upper horizontal tubing for limiting the angular movement of the side frames when a desired position has been selected. The expandable seat includes a tubular rear end, to which a pair of seat support rods are slidably mounted. A bracket is rotatably attached to each of the sliding rods for engaging the side braces of the side frame when the seat is folded down in the horizontal position. The seat support rods can be moved in and out of the tubular rear end of the seat so that the brackets at the end thereof can be engaged with the side braces, as the distance between the rear legs is adjusted.

This invention relates to a walker for assisting the mobility of physically disabled individuals. More particularly, the invention relates to a walker having an expandable seat to permit users of varying body sizes to enter the walker and sit conveniently on the seat.
Varieties of walkers have been proposed for assisting individuals with varying degrees of disability move from location to location. In an attempt to solve problem of frequent tiredness experienced during utilization of the walkers, several references uncovered in the prior art provide walkers having seats adapted for allowing users to rest when they become tired, such prior art walkers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,133,377, 4,907,794, and 4,621,804. However, Most of these prior art walkers lack the ability to adjust the width of its seat to accommodate a user having a larger body frame. Thus, there is still a further need to provide an improved walker having an expandable seat, that enables a selective adjustment of its seat's width to permit users of various body sizes to get in and out of the seat without difficulty.
While these units mentioned above may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.


A power battery base includes a tray and a liquid cooling tube disposed on the tray, wherein the tray includes a bottom plate and side plates disposed around the periphery of the bottom plate, the bottom plate and the side plates jointly form a receiving cavity for receiving a power battery pack, the bottom plate is provided with at least one beam, the beam divides the bottom plate into at least two sub-bottom plates, the liquid cooling tube is laid on at least one of the sub-bottom plates, and the liquid cooling tube is disposed across the beam that it passes through.

In an electric vehicle, a power battery base for supporting a power battery pack includes a tray and a liquid cooling tube mounted on the tray. In order to increase the supporting load of the tray, a beam is disposed in the tray, the liquid cooling tube is also laid in the tray, and the beam needs to be provided with a perforation through which the liquid cooling tube passes. Thus, in the assembly process of the power battery base, the liquid cooling tube needs to be assembled to the tray before the beam is mounted on the tray body, which results in the problem that the assembly of the liquid cooling tube is time consuming, that is, the assembly efficiency of the liquid cooling tube is low. When the liquid cooling tube is assembled, it is often the assembly stage of the finished product, which is not conducive to the assembly efficiency of a finished product, and the cost per unit time is high during the assembly stage of the finished product, which is not conducive to reducing the production cost. In addition, when the liquid cooling tube needs to be replaced, based on the above structure, the liquid cooling tube can be taken out after the tray body and the beam are removed, which results in the problem that the disassembly of the liquid cooling tube is time consuming, that is, the disassembly efficiency of the liquid cooling tube is low.

Power battery base and power battery module


A device and method for characterizing signal skew between a first signal and a second signal. The device includes a delay chain and a first transition detector in communication with the delay chain. The first transition detector is configured for receiving the first signal and provides a pulse signal to the delay chain upon detecting a transition of the first signal. The device includes a second transition detector which is in communication with a latch and is configured for receiving the second signal. The second transition detector sets the latch upon detecting a transition of the second signal. At least one pass gate is connected to the delay chain and the latch. At least one timing latch is connected to the pass gate for receiving signal skew information between the first and second signals.

A common method of testing memory devices is to place several memory devices within a single die and use multiplexers to route signals on and off the chip to cut down on the number of pads required to read the test results. Due to the large number of memory devices being tested, it proves difficult to route the signals on and off the chip such that signal skew between them does not occur. This limits the amount of characterization information which can be gathered from the test chip. For example, the large skews between the signals at the memory render any setup/hold timing information obtained essentially useless. Additionally, the delay relating to routing the signals on and off the chip inhibits the gathering of access timing information.

Device and method for characterizing signal skew


A method and system for establishing and maintaining a permission delegation policy for roles within a collaborative computing environment provide a list of potential delegatee end user persons to a delegator end user person. A list of delegatable permissions is provided to the delegator end user person in which the list of delegatable permissions correspond to permissions held by the delegator end user person. A delegation policy is received from the delegator end user person. The delegation policy includes one or more delegated permissions from the list of delegatable permissions and identification of a delegatee end user person from the list of potential delegatee end users persons designated to receive the delegated permissions.

1. Statement of the Technical Field
The present invention relates to collaborative computing environments and, in particular, to the implementation and support of role delegation among users in a collaborative computing environment community.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collaborative computing provides a means for users to pool their strengths and experiences to achieve a common goal. For example, a common goal may be an educational objective, the completion of a software development project or even creation and use of a system to manage human resources. The establishment of a collaborative computing environment typically involves the creation or definition of a community. The community provides the framework under which the collaborative computing objective is achieved.
A collaborative computing community is defined by (1) a particular context, i.e. the objective of the community, (2) membership, i.e., the participants in the community, and (3) a set of roles for the community members. Roles are names given to the people in the community which dictate access to the community's resources and tools as well as define the behavior of the community members. Community creators or administrators may desire that roles have specific access and policy attributes for the different business components, i.e. tools, resources, etc. within the community.
For example, consider a community relating to a document management system where members of the community are collaborating to write a document. Roles within the community may include readers who have view-only access to documents within the community, authors who have reader permissions plus permission to create new documents and edit existing documents, and managers who have author privileges plus document deletion privileges as well as privilege to assign community roles, set task deadlines and approve submitted documents. A problem is encountered when users having certain roles, such as the manager-level role or the author role will be away from the community and need to delegate their role responsibilities to another user.
In current collaborative computing systems, users in roles having appropriate authority (delegators) can promote other users (delegatees) into the promoting user's role. This can be problematic because the promoting user may not want the promoted user to have the entire set of permissions and authorities available to the promoting user. Further, once the promotion has been made, the promoting user has to remember that he/she has promoted the other user in order to delegate responsibilities and must therefore remember to demote the promoted user at the appropriate point in the future.
In other collaborative computing systems, once a user has delegated his or her responsibilities, the user cannot get the responsibilities/role back without specific relinquishment from the user to whom the role was delegated. This is the case, for example, where the delegating user was the only user with administrator-level authority within a particular community.
These scenarios do not reflect real world responsibility delegation practices. In the real world, a person, such as a manager, delegates certain responsibilities to others during the period of the person's absence. For example, a manager who is taking a short vacation may wish to delegate decision making responsibilities for a particular project to one person, responsibilities for another project to another person, while not wanting to delegate personnel responsibilities to anyone. It is desirable to have a collaborative computing system which overcomes the above-described deficiencies and which provides a mechanism for temporary role delegation in which a subset of the privileges within the role can be delegated.

Time limited collaborative community role delegation policy

International Business Machines Corporation