Flip chip packaging methods, and flux head manufacturing methods used in the flip chip packaging methods may be provided. In particular, a flip chip packaging method including printing flux on a pad of a printed circuit board (PCB), mounting the die in a flip chip manner on the PCB such that a bump of the die faces the pad of the PCB, and bonding the bump of the die to the pad of the PCB using the flux may be provided.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to flip chip packaging methods, and/or flux head manufacturing methods used in the flip chip packaging methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
A flip chip packaging used in a semiconductor industry is an assembly technology for mounting a die (e.g., semiconductor chip) on an electronic terminal in a flip chip manner for electrical connection. Conventional packaging technologies generally use a wire for wiring.
In the flip chip packaging, the wiring is achieved using a conductive bump on the surface of the die. The term "flip chip packaging" was derived from the die being flipped so that the bump formed on the die can be directly connected to a carrier.
Because the flip chip packaging has various advantages (e.g., improved thermal performance) compared with the wire bonding packaging, research and development of the flip chip packaging are being intensely conducted.
A general flip chip packaging can be carried out as follows.
First, a die may be separated from a wafer, and a bump of the die may be coated with flux by dipping the bump into the flux, e.g., smearing the bump of the die with the flux.
Then, the die may be aligned with a pad of a printed circuit board (PCB), and then mounted to the pad of the PCB in a flip chip manner.
Next, the PCB mounted with the die may be coupled through a reflow stage where the bump of the die and the pad of the PCB are bonded.
However, according to the general flip chip packaging process, the process of coating the bump of the die with the flux precedes the flip chip bonding process. Thus, productivity of the packaging process may decrease due to an increase in tact time.

Flip chip packaging method, and flux head manufacturing method applied to the same


Provided herein are systems, devices, assemblies, and methods for generating exciter signals, for example, to activate a remotely located tag. The systems, devices, assemblies, and methods find use in a variety of application including medical applications for the locating of a tag in a subject.

A common and serious challenge for many medical procedures is the accurate localization of treatment areas. For example, the location of lesions, such as tumors that are to undergo treatment, including surgical resection, continues to present a challenge to the medical community. Existing systems are expensive, complex, time-consuming, and often unpleasant for the patient. Such issues are illustrated by the surgical treatment of breast lesions.
A common technique used in breast tumor surgery is wire localization of the lesions. Precise preoperative localization of some breast lesions is necessary before removal of the lesion. Wire localization is used to mark the location of a breast abnormality. The procedure ensures greater accuracy for a breast biopsy or lumpectomy. The surgeon typically uses the wire as a guide to the tissue that needs to be removed. Wire localization is typically conducted in the radiology department of the hospital or surgical center. Mammograms (or in some cases, ultrasound images) are taken to show the location of the breast abnormality. Patients are awake during the placement of the wire, but the breast tissue is numbed to reduce or avoid pain from the needle or the wire. It is possible to feel pressure or pulling sensations during the wire placement. Once images have been taken, and the tissue has been numbed, the radiologist will use a needle to target the breast abnormality. The tip of this needle rests in the location that the surgeon needs to find in order to remove the right tissue. A slender wire is threaded down through the needle and out of its tip, to lodge at the target tissue. The needle is removed, leaving the wire in place. With the wire in place, the patient has another mammogram, to check that the tip of the wire is properly positioned. If the wire is not in the correct place, the radiologist will reposition and re-check it, to ensure accurate placement. When the wire is finally positioned, it will be secured in place with tape or a bandage. The wire localization procedure can take about an hour, and is usually scheduled hours before biopsy or lumpectomy. Thus, the patient must often wait hours for surgery with the wire present in their body and protruding from their skin. The wire is removed, along with some breast tissue, during surgery. This process takes many hours, involves multiple imaging steps, and is inconvenient and unpleasant for the patient—as well as being expensive.
A similar type of procedure is done to localize pulmonary nodules prior to resection. In some cases where pulmonary nodules may be difficult to locate at conventional open surgery or at thoracoscopy, a hook wire, injection of visible dye, or a radionuclide is placed in or around the nodule in an attempt to improve localization prior to removal. This procedure usually takes place in the computerized tomography (CT) suite prior to the removal of the nodule. The patient is then transported to the surgical unit and the surgeon cuts down on the wire, uses a radionuclide detector, or uses visual landmarks to localize and remove the nodule.
In other types of surgeries and medical procedures, physicians may have trouble locating a target prior to removal or manipulation. Examples of this include the removal of masses, fluid collections, foreign bodies or diseased tissues. Other times, placements of catheters or other percutaneous procedures are performed either without direct visualization or with the lack of a specific guidance modality. Performing procedures without precise guidance can increase the amount of damage to normal tissues and decrease the patient's functional status.
Percutaneous biopsy is a well-accepted, safe procedure performed in virtually every hospital. Biopsy often entails placement of a co-axial guide needle through which the biopsy device is placed into the target. Many of the lesions that are removed, punctured or manipulated as described above have previously undergone successful percutaneous biopsy. The placement of the guide needle for biopsy is an opportunity to place a fiduciary or other localizing system without causing additional tissue trauma than the patient would otherwise undergo.
Many other medical devices and procedures could benefit from improved tissue localization. These include any procedure or test that is degraded by any bodily motion such as cardiac motion, respiratory motion, motion produced by the musculoskeletal system, or gastrointestinal/genitourinary motion. Examples of these include external beam radiation therapy, placement of brachytherapy seeds, imaging tests including but not limited to CT, MRI, fluoroscopy, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine, biopsies performed in any fashion, endoscopy, laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery and open surgical procedures.
Improved systems and methods are needed for tissue localization for medical procedures.

Orthogonally isolated exciter with field steering


A door assembly for a microwave oven is provided. The door assembly includes a door panel at one side of the door, with a push bar and a latch each projecting toward a body portion of the microwave oven. A latch board including levers each rotatably coupled thereto contact either the latch or the push bar to operate switches which contact the levers. The door assembly provides a simple and convenient assembly structure for a door of a microwave oven.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to microwave ovens, and more particularly, to a door assembly for a microwave oven, having an improved structure.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the microwave oven (MWO) cooks food with intermolecular friction heat generated when molecular array of food is disturbed by a high frequency wave (approx. 2,450 MHz).
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art microwave oven.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art microwave oven is provided with a body 10, an inner case 20, and an outfit chamber.
The body 10 is provided with a front case 11, an outer case 12, and a frame 13. The inner case 20 is provided inside of the body 10 for holding the food therein. The front case 11 is in a front part of the microwave oven, with a door 14 at one side thereof for opening/closing a front part of the inner case 20. The outer case 12 covers top and side surfaces of the microwave oven, with front edges thereof fastened to the front case 11.
The frame 13 covers a bottom and rear surfaces of the body 10, to protect the inner case 20 and the outfit chamber 30 from an external environment together with the outer case 12 and the front case 11.
In the meantime, the outfit chamber is formed on a side of the inner case 20 for providing various electric components thereto, including a magnetron 31, a high voltage transformer 32, and a fan 33.
The magnetron 31 provides a microwave to an inside of the inner case 20 for heating food. The high voltage transformer 32 provides a high voltage power to the magnetron 31. The fan 33 blows air into an inside of the body 10, for cooling various electric components.
In the meantime, there are brackets 15 fixed to a front surface of the frame 13, and the door 14 rotatably fixed to the brackets 15 opens/closes a front surface of the inner case 20. As described later, when the door 14 is closing, a latch on a door panel 141 pushes a lever on a latch board in the body 10, to operate a switch.
FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a latch board in a related art microwave oven, and FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram showing operation of an actuator 'A' of a switch 'S' when the latch 142 of the door is inserted into a latch board 101. The frame 13 is on a front surface of the inner case 20, and the latch board 101 is on the frame 13.
The latch board 101 has three levers L1, L2, and L3, and 3˜5 switches 'S' fitted therein. The switches 'S' include a first safety switch S1, a second safety switch S2, and a monitor switch S3.
Referring to FIG. 2, the first safety switch 'S1' is in a lower part of the latch board 101, the monitor switch 'S3' is in a central part, and the second safety switch 'S2' in an upper part. Each of the switches 'S' is fastened to the latch board 101 with two fastening pins 'P' and a hook 'H'.
There are two holes in a diagonal direction of each of the switches 'S'. After the fastening pins 'P' are aligned with the holes, the switches 'S' are pressed down, to insert the switch 'S' into the hook 'H' and fasten the switch 'S'.
A related art door latch structure will be described.
Referring to FIG. 2, there are latch inlets 103 in a front part of the latch board 101 for inserting the latch 142. An upper latch inlet 103 has a sloped surface 104 for guiding an upper latch 142a to upward.
Referring to FIG. 3, the upper latch 142a is engaged with one end of the first lever L1 as the upper latch 142a moves up along the sloped surface 104 and drops at an end of the sloped surface 104. In this instance, the upper latch 142a pushes the first lever L1.
In the meantime, a lower latch 142b is inserted into a lower latch inlet 103. In this instance, the lower latch 142b pushes both one end of the second lever L2 and one end of the third lever L3 below the second lever L2.
In this instance, other end of the first lever L1 pushes an actuator A2 of the second safety switch S2, and the second lever L2 and the third lever L3 push the monitor switch S3 and actuators A1 and A3 of the first safety switch S1, respectively.
According to this, the first lever L1 operates the second safety switch S2, the second lever L2 operates the monitor switch S3, and the third lever L3 operates the first safety switch S1.
In the meantime, when the door is opened, a door handle is operated, to lift the latches 142a upward, so that the latches 142 are pulled out of the latch inlets 103. Thereafter, as the levers L, respectively turned by the latches 142, are restored by the springs 107 respectively, the actuators 'A' on the switches 'S' are released, respectively.
A related art assembly structure of the door will be described. FIG. 4 illustrates fitting of the pin to the related art door, and FIG. 5 illustrates fastening of the pin.
Referring to FIG. 4, there are horizontal members 50 on an upper part and a lower part of an inside of the door 14. The horizontal member 50 is extended form an edge of the door 14. The horizontal member 50 has a pin 55 fastened thereto for serving as a rotation shaft of the door 14.
Referring to FIG. 5, the horizontal member 50 has a hole 51 formed therein, for inserting the pin 55 therein. The pin 55 has a flange 56 at a middle part thereof.
According to this, when the pin 55 is inserted into the hole 51 by a predetermined length, the flange 56 is held by a lower surface of the horizontal member 50, when an extension 57 from a rear end of the pin 55 is projected by a length beyond the horizontal member 50. The extension 57 is flattened by caulking.
Thus, as the horizontal member 50 is clamped between the flange 56 and the extension 57, the pin 55 is fastened to one side of the horizontal member 50.
In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 1, the brackets 15 are on one side of the frame 13. The bracket 15 has a hole 15a in one end part thereof, to which the pin 55 is inserted. Thus, the door 14 is rotatably mounted on the frame 13. The pin 55 serves as a rotation shaft of the door.
As described, the related art door latch board has the following problems.
First, the many levers and springs required as many as a number of switches increase a number of components, and results in a complicated assembly process.
Second, the holes, fastening pins, and hooks required for fastening the switches to the latch board requires complicated switching fastening process.
Third, since the pin fitted to the door is a separate component, a fitting process increases, and the extension of the pin is damaged in the caulking.


Security protocols for mobile operator networks are described. In embodiments, mobile communication link is established between a mobile phone and a media content provider via a communication service provider with which the mobile phone is registered for mobile communications, and via at least one roaming node network with which the communication service provider has a roaming service agreement. The media content provider receives a security policy request from the mobile phone to establish a security policy for end-to-end security of the mobile communication link between the media content provider and the mobile phone for data communication security. The media content provider then communicates a security policy response to the mobile phone to establish the security policy for the end-to-end security of the mobile communication link that is adaptable to security restrictions of the roaming node network.

Mobile phones and other portable communication devices are increasingly being utilized as network-connected, general purpose computing devices. In addition to traditional features such as voice services and messaging services (e.g., SMS and MMS), new mobile phone features include value added data plans that range from general Internet connectivity for Web browsing and email to multi-media on-demand content delivery, as well as local application data sync to network-based services. While voice and messaging services still form the core business for mobile operators, premium data plans based on partnerships between mobile operators and service providers are emerging as a new, viable business model.
An underlying over-the-air (OTA) network can support authentication, confidentiality, and integrity of a communication channel between a mobile phone and the network of a mobile operator. However, relying exclusively on the security properties of the underlying network can expose vulnerabilities and/or compromise secure data transfers. For wireless mobile roaming, a communication path can include any number of networks based on various roaming agreements, and a communication bridge between a mobile phone and a home network may include or go through any visited or utilized network that the home mobile operator has a roaming coverage agreement. From a security standpoint, any cryptographic protection is terminated at each hop in the communication path. Even in a non-roaming scenario, a mobile operator may include autonomously administered operating companies with a non-uniform set of security practices and procedures, thus being more exposed to data compromise.
Implementing an encrypted end-to-end data channel from a mobile phone to a service provider, in addition to the node-by-node encryption performed by the underlying network can be problematic. In a roaming scenario, and due to encryption regulations in some countries, the data channel between a SIM of a mobile phone and a visited or utilized network is integrity protected only, while the data itself is not encrypted. Thus, end-to-end encryption at a higher or different layer has the potential to leave the mobile operator out of compliance with local encryption laws.


Techniques to satisfy quality of service (QoS) requirements on a per virtual machine basis natively in a storage system are disclosed. In various embodiments, for each of a plurality of virtual machines a corresponding input/output (I/O) request queue is stored on the storage system. Requests are scheduled to be pulled from the respective request queues and added to a corresponding storage operation pipeline at the storage system in an order determined based at least in part on a per virtual machine quality of service parameter.

Typically, storage systems are unaware of virtual machines (VMs). Instead, a typical system receives file system requests (e.g., create file, read, write, etc.) and performs such requests without any awareness of which requests are associated with which VM.
Storage quality of service (QoS) can be categorized into two main areas of study: 1) space sharing and 2) performance sharing. Two important use-cases of the performance sharing aspect "performance isolation" and "performance protection."
Performance isolation refers to isolating one storage system resource consumer's I/O traffic from another storage system resource consumer's I/O traffic. This may be important in virtualized environments because multiple VM users can run different kinds of applications and one VM user should not be affecting the I/O performance of other VM user. However, performance isolation on per-VM basis is not available natively with typical storage systems, since they are not aware natively of which I/O requests are associated with which VM's.
Performance protection refers to providing service levels in a storage environment where service-providers charge the end-user based on one or more predefined performance consumption metrics. Performance service levels on a storage system resource consumer may be assigned, for example, by setting a minimum and a maximum cap on performance metrics, like IOPS or throughput. A minimum cap on a resource consumer guarantees at least the specified performance service level for the resource consumer and a maximum cap on a resource consumer guarantees no more than the specified performance service level for the resource consumer. At times, service levels are used to solve the notorious noisy neighbor problem, where a resource consumer monopolizes the consumption of storage I/O resources and thus depriving other resource consumers of performance.
User expectations from guaranteed service levels are heavily dependent upon how much system resources are available. Every storage appliance has an upper limit on the performance that it can deliver. Hence, storage QoS should be able to inform the user if he/she has overprovisioned the storage system on performance.
Performance protection also gives rise to a set of complexities where some resource consumers have service levels set and some other do not have any service levels set. This can cause an imbalance between system performance resource allocations, which could lead to starvation.
Using the right performance metric may be critical in setting per-VM storage QoS policies of minimum and maximum. While IOPS is a widely used metric, IOPS does not gauge the performance measures correctly. This is because the I/O request sizes of VMs can differ and hence, throughput may be a more realistic performance gauge. However, users may be more familiar with IOPS as a measure of performance.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Native storage quality of service for virtual machines


The invention relates to a device having a plurality of parallel lamellae and an actuating device. The lamellae can be brought together to form a packet and connected to a pivoting element for pivoting purposes. The pivoting element has a first end and a plurality of other ends which are respectively connected to a lamella. When a lamella is pulled, the lamellae are pivoted in a common plane by the pivoting element. Preferably, the lamellae are respectively pivotably mounted on the upper, essentially horizontal edge thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for providing shade inside rooms, having a plurality of lamellae oriented parallel to one another, and having an actuating arrangement by means of which the lamellae can be pivoted, and having a retaining arrangement on which the lamellae are mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern buildings often have very large glass roofs. For these, it is usually necessary to have a shade-providing device which can be arranged externally or internally. As an alternative to a shade-providing arrangement, the use of reflective or metal-coated glass is also known. Such glass, however, is always accompanied by a loss in brightness; the room or space beneath the roof is thus usually darkened to too pronounced an extent.
Providing shade externally is often undesirable for esthetic reasons. The device, in addition, is exposed to weathering and requires comparatively high-outlay maintenance. Devices for providing shade internally need the room to be climatically controlled and ventilated to a relatively pronounced extent. One difficulty with providing shade internally, in addition, is the heat transmission into the interior and the build-up of heat in the narrow interspace between the roof and the device. In addition, in the case of severe heat, cracks may appear in the glass.
The object of the invention is to create a device of the abovementioned type which is intended for providing shade inside rooms and avoid the abovementioned difficulties. In addition, the intention is for the device to be capable of being realized essentially from fabric and also to meet stringent esthetics-related requirements.
The object is achieved, in the case of a device of the generic type, in that the lamellae can be gathered into a group, and in that the lamellae are connected, for pivoting purposes, to a pivoting mechanism which has a first end and a plurality of further ends which are each connected to a lamella such that, as the lamellae are being drawn out, they are pivoted into a common plane by the pivoting mechanism.


A thiolation method for modifying nanodiamonds includes steps as follows. A carboxylation step is provided, wherein the nanodiamonds are reacted with an oxidant for generating carboxyl groups on surfaces of the nanodiamonds so as to form carboxylated nanodiamonds. A hydroxylation step is provided, wherein the carboxyl groups of the carboxylated nanodiamonds are transformed into hydroxyl groups so as to transform the carboxylated nanodiamonds into hydroxylated nanodiamonds. A thiolation step is provided. In the thiolation step, the hydroxylated nanodiamonds, a sulfur source and a first acidic substance are mixed and then stirred so as to form a first mixture, the first mixture is added portion-wisely into an alkaline solution so as to form a second mixture, and the second mixture is acidified so as to form an acidified solution having a pH value ranging from 2 to 3, thus the hydroxylated nanodiamonds are transformed into thiolated nanodiamonds.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for modifying nanodiamonds. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a thiolation method for modifying nanodiamonds.
Description of Related Art
Nanotechnology has been widely applied to many fields, such as surface science, material, semiconductor or drug delivery. The application of nanoscale materials or devices in diagnosis or treatment of diseases is termed nanomedicine. Among developed nanoscale materials, nanodiamonds (ND) exhibit excellent physical and chemical properties, biocompatibility and low toxicity, and are thus regarded as a promising candidate material for nanomedicine and has received considerable attention.
The nanodiamonds can be synthesized by a detonation method. Specifically, a mixture of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexogen is exploded in a closed metallic chamber, and a carbon-containing material, such as graphite or carbon nanotube, is transformed into the nanodiamonds by a shock wave.
It is proved that the nanodiamonds be applied to drug delivery applications, can be conjugated with amino acids or DNA as biomarkers or tracers according to specific purposes, and also can be conjugated with fluorescein and magnetic resonance aging (MRI) contrast agents for enhancing image quality.
To achieve the above applications, surfaces of the nanodiamonds are usually modified for generating hydrophilic functional groups thereon. For an example, the surfaces of the nanodiamonds can be oxidized by an acid or ozone (O3) for generating carboxyl groups (COOH) on the surfaces of the nanodiamonds. The carboxyl groups can be further transformed into carboxyl chloride groups (COCl) or hydroxyl groups (OH).
Thiol groups (SH) can be found in proteins and antibodies. A number of the thiol groups in the proteins and the antibodies is lower than that of carboxyl groups or amino groups. Therefore, by using the thiol groups to conjugate with target molecules, numbers and positions of modification sites can be controlled. Moreover, the thiol groups exhibit a strong affinity for gold and thus can be applied to conjugate with gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles have been successfully applied to biological detections, specimen analyses and developers of computed tomography (CT) scan. If the nanodiamonds can be modified with thiol groups, the applications of the nanodiamonds in nanomedicine can be broadened.
The surfaces of the nanodiamonds can be modified with thiol groups by methods as follows. In a first method, the thiol groups can be conjugated on the surfaces of the nanodiamonds via space linkers. In a second method, elemental sulfur and carbon disulfide are provided for modifying the nanodiamonds via a photochemical reaction. However, in the first method, the thiol groups are not directly conjugated on the surfaces of the nanodiamonds. As a result, physical properties of the nanodiamonds may be affected by the space linkers, and a conductivity or applications thereof may be affected. In the second method, a specific equipment is required for the photochemical reaction. The specific equipment is expensive. Accordingly, it is unfavorable to apply the second method to mass production and the production cost thereof remains high.
Therefore, how to directly modify the surfaces of the nanodiamonds with thiol groups, which is favorable to apply to mass production and has low production cost, has become an important goal of relevant academia and industry.

Thiolation method for modifying nanodiamonds


A method for checking a prescribed optical security feature on a prescribed portion of a value document based on pixel data of pixels of an image of the portion which are associated with places on the portion and render optical properties of the value document at the places. A check is made of whether a first number of those pixels whose pixel data, according to a first prescribed criterion, lie within a first reference region prescribed for the security feature exceeds a first minimum hit value prescribed for the security feature, and whether a first scatter of the pixel data of the pixels exceeds a first minimum scatter value prescribed for the security feature. An authenticity signal is formed which represents an indication of authenticity only when the first number exceeds the first minimum hit value, and the scatter the first minimum scatter value.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for checking an optical security feature in or on a portion of a value document on the basis of pixel data of an image of the portion, to a method for checking an optical security feature of a value document, and to an apparatus for checking an optical security feature of a value document.
B. Related Art
Value documents are understood here to be card- and preferably sheet-shaped objects that represent for example a monetary value or an authorization and hence should not be producible arbitrarily by unauthorized persons. They hence have security features that are not simple to produce, in particular to copy, whose presence is an indication of authenticity, i.e. manufacture by an authorized body. Important examples of such value documents are identity documents, chip cards, coupons, vouchers, checks and in particular bank notes.
Of special interest are optical security features, which are understood within the framework of the present invention to be security features of a value document that show characteristic optical properties upon interaction with optical radiation, i.e. electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, ultraviolet or visible spectral region. The optical properties can be in particular remission properties and/or transmission properties and/or luminescence properties.
Certain types of security features, hereinafter also designated as human features, are intended to be checkable for authenticity without any technical aids. Examples of such security features are in particular so-called OVD features, which will hereinafter be understood to be security features that show viewing angle-dependent visual effects or whose optical properties, for example the color, depend on the viewing angle. Such security features can convey a different pictorial impression to a viewer from different viewing angles, showing for example a different color impression or brightness impression and/or a different graphic motif depending on the viewing angle.
Value documents having such optical security features must be checked by machine for whether they are authentic. Because forgeries of value documents are becoming ever better in the course of time, it is necessary to improve the check of the authenticity of security features on value documents ever further. In so doing, the complexity of the equipment should be kept low, however.

Method for checking an optical security feature of a value document


A method for transmitting fractal transform parameters generated by a variety of compressors using different fractal transform parameters is disclosed. The method includes generating an universal header having image reference data, color space data, fractal transform region reference data, and file decoding data and generating a fractal transform data segment having fractal transform parameters for domains and ranges used by a compressor to generate fractal transform parameters. The image reference data includes image dimensions expressed in physical size units so that the regeneration of the image at a decompressor is resolution independent. The color space parameters include identification of the original image color space and may include identification of a color space into which the original image is converted. The fractal transform region reference data includes dimensional information regarding panels, domains, and ranges used by the compressor and such data is expressed in physical size units to further support the resolution independence of the image regeneration. The method preferably includes the step of generating an optional header which identifies frequently used spatial matrix coefficients, scaling factors, and gradient matrix coefficients. The fractal transform parameters associated with each of the domains in the fractal transform data segment include indices which correlate a domain to spatial matrix coefficients, a scaling factor, or gradient matrix coefficients in the optional header. In this way, the transmission method efficiently provides frequently used spatial matrices, scaling factors, and gradient matrices to a decompressor so the decompressor can correlate these frequently used forms to domains during regeneration.

Methods for compressing data to increase the amount of data which may be transmitted through the existing bandwidth of a conduit are well known. Such methods are used by a compressor or encoder to determine functions which represent data being input to a system. The functions require less information to describe than the data being represented so less data is transmitted. Thus, the transmission of the elements describing the function which represents the original data set may be done more quickly or with less processing than the original data set itself. Once the functions have been transmitted, a decompressor or decoder at the receiving site may use the function to regenerate the original data set at the receiving site.
One well known data compression method is the fractal transform method. This method is the subject of a number of patents including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,065,447 and 5,384,867 to Barnsley, et al. The fractal transform technique is based upon the theory that data, especially image data, is comprised of redundant information. As a result, many portions of the data contained within a data set may be expressed in terms of other data within the set. By identifying those portions which are common to many subsets of the data in the original set and determining the functions which map the subsets to the redundant data, an encoder may then use the subset identifiers and mapping functions to describe the original data set. These subset identifiers and mapping functions may be transmitted to a decoder which implements a deterministic or random iterative method to regenerate the original data set. In the fractal transform method, the data subsets are typically called domains, while the redundant information is derived from ranges. The steps of dividing a data set into domains and ranges so the mapping functions which best describe the original data set may be determined are set forth in the patents identified above and are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
The use of fractal transform techniques to compress data has proliferated, especially in the image field. This proliferation has led to a number of variations in compressor and decompressor designs. For example, some fractal transform systems use affine map transformations to represent data sets while other systems may use polynomial functions or the like. Even within systems which use affine map transformations, each system may vary in the coefficient matrices which are used to evaluate the correspondence of a domain to a range. In fact, compressors may vary many different parameters to compress data such as the sizes and shapes of the ranges and domains used and the methods for shrinking the ranges to form orientation blocks. As a result, the identifiers of the domains and ranges and the mapping functions generated to represent data sets may vary widely from one compressor to another.
Known methods for transmitting domain and range identifiers with mapping functions are tailored to correspond to compression and decompression methods implemented for particular applications. That is, the transmission methods are adapted to the particular parameters implemented in a compressor. These transmission methods are not readily adaptable to other applications or compressor/decompressor designs. Since the transmission methods are limited in the data delivered to a decompressor, the decompressor design is usually limited to performing the inverse process of a compressor for a particular application. While this limited decompressor design and tailoring of the data transmission method may reduce the processing and time needed for transmission and decompression of the fractal transform data, it may not support variations of fractal transform parameters used for different applications or communication with decompressors other than those designed for a particular application. What is needed is a data transmission method that supports variations of fractal transform parameters so a variety of decompressors may use the data to decompress images.
Most compressors are designed to use a group of coefficient matrices which are computationally efficient and which generally provide good correspondence between domains and ranges. As a result, some shorthand notation scheme may be used by a transmission method to identify these matrices. However, some original data sets contain domains which are difficult to match to a range. For example, in an area of an image where there is a great degree of detail, matrices having computationally complex coefficients may be required to map the domain to a range. Identification of such a matrix in current transmission methods is done in a way which requires either special processing to detect and decode the matrix at the decompressor or the inclusion of the coefficient matrix for each domain despite the frequent use of one or more matrices. What is needed is a fractal transform data transmission method which provides coefficient matrices used for only one domain without sacrificing the ability to use a shorthand scheme to identify more frequently used matrices.
One of the advantages of fractal transform methods is its independent image resolution property. This property is apparent in the magnification of an image or in displaying an image on a device having a display space with a different size and resolution than the image input device. In pixel oriented schemes, the magnification level may get to a level where the information in a pixel is reproduced many times to cover an expanded area in a magnified view. Such reproduction generates "block" structure rather than detail. Likewise, pixel oriented systems do not convert image information well from one screen of a first height and width to a screen having a second height and width. Both of these limitations arise because such systems must determine how to move the pixels and perhaps generate other pixels to conform the informational content generated by the input device or the area to be magnified to the display elements of the output device or magnification space. Fractal imaging techniques generate mapping functions for one area of an image to another so the location of the domains and ranges defining those areas may be described with a continuous measurement unit such as an inch rather than a discrete unit such as a pixel. As a result, the domains and ranges may be shifted, expanded and contracted more easily than pixel oriented systems where the number and height/width ratio of the pixels may not be compatible with a second pixel system. In fractal transform systems, the mapping functions are able to generate the informational content for the modified areas. As a result, fractal transformed image data may be used to provide magnification detail as some portion of an image is expanded or to provide an image on an output device with a different pixel resolution and size than the input device. Current transmission schemes for fractal transform data are specifically drawn to an application and usually correspond to the input/output limitations expected for the applications. Consequently, they typically define the pixel locations for domains and ranges with reference to the device characteristics for the application. As a result, decompressors are limited by the resolution parameters of the input/output devices. What is needed is a method of data transmission that provides image information in a resolution independent manner.
Fractal images are generated by a variety of devices which represent data very differently. For example, image data may be generated by facsimile transmission machines which typically generate data using grayscale information or an image scanner which may generate colorized images in any of a number of color space systems. In some compressors, the color space of an input image may be converted to another color space before it is compressed. For example, a compressor may convert an image from a red-green-blue (RGB) color space to a luminance/chrominance (YUV) color space to take advantage of some computational advantages of that color space. To properly decompress the data to regenerate the image, the decompressor needs to be able to identify the color components comprising the image as compressed and convert them to the original color space for display. As discussed above, compressor/decompressor combinations are typically developed for a particular application so the compressor/decompressor and the data transmission between them only support the color system or systems used in the application. What is needed is a fractal transform data transmission method which identifies the parameters for converting between any of a number of known color systems regardless of application.
Another problem arises because some compressors distort the color space during compression and may include processing to correct the distortion. Such processing may adjust the image data before it is compressed or may modify the color of the compressed data before transmission. Current transmission methods only provide information about the specific way the data is processed to compensate for the distortion. Such a limited transmission method requires that the decompressor be designed to identify the compensation factors and implement the distortion correction on the image or compressed data. As a result, there is no data transmission method which provides a general system for providing information for conversions between most known color systems which incorporate the distortion correction data. What is needed is a fractal transform data transmission method which incorporates distortion compensation information along with color space conversion information.
What is needed is a fractal transform data transmission method which provides fractal transform information in a resolution independent manner with color space information so that a compressor and decompressor need not be designed to implement the compression and decompression processes for a particular application.

Method for transmitting fractal transform data to support different compressor/decompressor designs


An arbitration device arbitrates among master devices such that each master device is allowed to access a shared memory at a predetermined bandwidth, and the arbitration device permits an access request in a first period that a designer has set as desired if the access request has been made by a specific master device beyond a bandwidth that has been allocated in advance. The arbitration device masks an access request from the specific master device in a second period that follows the first period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention belongs to the technical field of bandwidth allocation technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bandwidth allocation technology is technology that, when a memory resource is shared by a plurality of master devices, guarantees memory access at a particular bandwidth for the plurality of master devices. The bandwidth allocation can be realized with arbitration control performed by an arbitration device. Following is a description of bandwidth allocation with a conventional arbitration device. With conventional bandwidth allocation, bandwidth control is realized by providing counters for bandwidth control in an arbitration device that attempts to arbitrate among a plurality of master devices. These counters are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of master devices, and if the arbitration device permits memory access by a particular master device, the count value for that master device is incremented. Two parameters, an upper limit value and a cycle number, are provided in this counter, and if the count value of the counter is less than the upper limit value, the arbitration device permits the access request from the master device. Conversely, if the count value is more than the upper limit value, the access request from the master device is not permitted. On the other hand, the cycle number prescribes a period after which the count value of the counter is automatically decremented. After the count value of the counter has reached the upper limit value, and until the period indicated by the cycle number elapses, the count value of the counter maintains the upper limit value, causing the access request of the master device to not be permitted. If the period indicated by the cycle number has elapsed and the count value of the counter has become less than the upper limit value, an access request from the master device is again permitted. Here, when the operating frequency of the memory is f [Hz], it is possible to operate the master device at a bandwidth prescribed in advance if an upper limit value U and a count value C are set so as to satisfy the expression below.Bandwidth allocated to master device=operating frequency f×counter upper limit value U/cycle number C
The conventional technology includes the technology described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-5589
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-304368

Arbitration device for arbitrating among a plurality of master devices, arbitration method, and video processing device including the arbitration device


There is provided an apparatus for measuring operating parameters of a rotating shaft, which apparatus includes an encoder module attached to a first end of the shaft, an elongate member having a first end attached to a second end of the shaft and extending along the shaft, and an encoder disk attached to a second end of the elongate member and operatively disposed in proximity to the encoder module, such that twisting of the shaft caused by torque applied thereto will cause relative angular displacement between the encoder module and the encoder disk. In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for measuring the rate of revolution of a shaft, which apparatus includes a hollow, cylindrical, inwardly facing race defined within the shaft, a freely rolling ferromagnetic ball disposed in the race, and a permanent magnet with a coil therearound fixedly disposed with respect to the shaft and disposed near the race such that proximity of the ball to the magnet and coil will change the amount of magnetic flux to which the coil is otherwise subjected, so that the coil will output a pulse of current each time the magnet passes the ball as the shaft rotates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the sensing of the rate of rotation of driveshafts and the torque applied thereto.
2. Background Art
For many years, hollow cylindrical drive shafts have been utilized to transmit rotational power between driving and driven components in many different types of vehicles. Drive shafts of this type are typically disposed beneath the bottom of a chassis or frame of the vehicle and, therefore, are exposed to a harsh environment. Frequently, such drive shafts are subjected to relatively large torsional and other stresses of varying magnitudes during normal use. Also, they may be driven at rotational speeds of up to 4000 revolutions per minute during normal use. All of these factors (as well as others) must be accounted for when designing the structure of such a drive shaft, so as to insure that the resulting component will not prematurely fatigue and fail during use. At the same time, it is important not to over-design the drive shaft to have an expected service life which extends long beyond the expected service life of the vehicle itself. Such an over-designed drive shaft would be wasteful in materials and would add undesirable cost and weight to the vehicle.
When designing vehicle drive shafts, reference can be made to techniques which have proven to be effective in evaluating and improving the design of movable mechanical members in general. One of such techniques involves the collection of data related to some of the performance characteristics of the movable member while it is actually in use. Such data acquisition typically entails the sensing of one or more predetermined parameters related to the structure and operation of the movable member. The sensed data is typically collected over a periods of time and stored. When a sufficient amount of data has been sensed and stored, it may be evaluated to generate information related to the sufficiency of the design of the movable member. For example, data acquired in this manner can be useful in determining the life span of the movable member, points of anticipated fatigue or failure on the movable member, the amount of usage of the movable member, and other performance information. Unfortunately, because of the location and nature of use of drive shafts within vehicles, it has not been readily possible to collect real time data related to the operation thereof while the drive shaft is in use on the vehicle. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an apparatus and method for gathering such data in this manner.
One such apparatus and method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,077, issued Jun. 13, 1989, to Shifflet et al, and titled APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MONITORING THE OPERATION OF A VEHICLE DRIVE SHAFT, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which patent is incorporated by reference hereinto. Therein, real time data related to certain performance characteristics over a period of time is collected and stored. The data may be subsequently evaluated to generate information regarding such performance characteristics or the sufficiency of the design of the drive shaft. The apparatus comprises an instrument mounted within the hollow shaft and includes a generator having a shaft with a pendulum attached thereto. As the shaft rotates, the pendulum and shaft remain motionless with respect to the rotation of the shaft and the generator provides an analog output proportional to the rate of rotation. The instrument also includes a strain gauge attached to the surface of the shaft which generates an analog output proportional to the torsional stress of the drive shaft. The instrument further includes a temperature sensor which generates an analog output proportional to the ambient temperature therein. The output signals are fed to a a control circuit which provides power to the instrument from batteries disposed within the shaft and which includes a microprocessor and a memory for processing and storing the acquired data. The control circuit also includes a wake-up circuit which generates an electrical output signal to the microprocessor when the drive shaft is rotated. So long as the drive shaft is rotated, the microprocessor maintains the control circuit in an active operating condition, whereby the data is sensed and stored as described above. However, when the drive shaft is not rotated for longer than a predetermined period of time, the microprocessor places the control circuit in a stand-by operating condition, in order to conserve energy consumption.

Apparatus for monitoring operation of a drive shaft


This invention provides a radiographic apparatus and method, which can suitably set a grid in radiography or fluoroscopy and execute fluoroscopy or radiography of an object under optimum imaging conditions. The radiographic apparatus includes an X-ray unit (102) which irradiates an object with radiation (X-rays), a two-dimensional detector (106) which detects, through a grid, the radiation which has passed through the object, and a read control unit (107) which acquires an image of the object from the detected X-rays. The apparatus further includes a user interface (113) capable of setting imaging conditions such as an X-ray condition, grid condition, and read condition, a grid switching unit (105) which selects one of a plurality of grids on the basis of the set imaging conditions, and a grid stripe reduction unit (109) which reduces grid stripes generated on the image by the grid.

Conventionally, a grid moving mechanism for a radiographic/fluoroscopic bed (e.g., patent reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-220631), a casetteless fluoroscopic/radiographic apparatus (e.g., patent reference 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-191936), and a fluoroscopic/radiographic apparatus (e.g., patent reference 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-53238) are known as techniques using different grids in fluoroscopy (moving image formation) and radiography (still image formation) in a fluoroscopic/radiographic apparatus.
Patent reference 1 discloses a technique related to a reciprocating grid system, that is, a grid moving mechanism for a fluoroscopic/radiographic bed. This system is characterized by comprising a reciprocal reciprocating mechanism capable of transmitting a reciprocation force to a grid incorporated in a snapshot apparatus which executes X-ray imaging, a retracting mechanism capable of retraction driving and loading driving of the grid with respect to the X-ray imaging area, and a connection mechanism capable of connection and disconnection between the grid and the reciprocal reciprocating mechanism. In loading the grid, the connection mechanism connects the grid to the reciprocal reciprocating mechanism. In retracting the grid, the connection mechanism disconnects the grid from the reciprocal reciprocating mechanism.
According to the description in patent reference 1, when divided imaging on one film is to be executed, continuous imaging (rapid imaging) can be performed. In this case, however, when the grid is reciprocated by using the elastic force of a spring, as in a conventional grid mechanism, the reciprocating motion of the grid gradually attenuates with time. For this reason, stripes often remain on the dividedly taken photo in continuous imaging. The stripes cannot completely be removed. Patent reference 1 discloses a grid moving mechanism for a fluoroscopic/radiographic bed, which can prevent any stripe formation on a divisionally taken photo in continuous imaging and retract the grid from the X-ray imaging area when the grid is not used.
Patent reference 2 discloses a casetteless fluoroscopic/radiographic apparatus. This apparatus is characterized by comprising a grid which removes scattering X-rays from an object that is exposed to X-rays from an X-ray source, a detector which is inserted between the grid and a film to detect the X-rays which have passed through the object and output a detection signal to an X-ray controller which controls the X-ray dose, a contact plate which has, on the lower surface, a lead plate that removes backscattering X-rays and with which the film comes into tight contact, a fluoroscopic grid which is arranged in front of an image intensifier that converts the X-rays into an optical image, and removes the scattering X-rays, a mechanism which opens/closes the contact plate to bring the film into tight contact with it, a mechanism which conveys the contact plate brought into contact with the film by the above mechanism from a film transfer position to a radiographic position, fluoroscopic position, and park position and after the end of fluoroscopic/radiographic, returns the contact plate to the film transfer position, and a control mechanism which changes the contact plate to an adapted grid and detector in radiographic and changes the grid to an adapted fluoroscopic grid in fluoroscopic imaging.
According to the description of patent reference 2, to stabilize the density in imaging, the contact plate that is inserted in imaging integrally includes the grid, the film, and the detector (phototimer) to stabilize the density. Patent reference 2 also discloses changing the grid between fluoroscopy and radiography and changing the grid depending on imaging conditions such as the tube voltage even during fluoroscopy.
Patent reference 3 discloses a fluoroscopic/radiographic apparatus which can set a fluoroscopic mode and a radiographic mode. In a steady state, an image intensifier and a fluoroscopic grid are fixed in the X-ray irradiation field. When the radiographic mode is set, an X-ray film contact holder and a radiographic grid are inserted and arranged in the X-ray irradiation field, and the radiographic grid is reciprocated. This apparatus is characterized by comprising a grid fixing frame which fixes the radiographic grid, a grid reciprocating rail which can move the grid fixing frame between a standby position and an imaging position and reciprocate the frame at the imaging position during movement, a holder driving frame to move the X-ray film contact holder between the standby position and the imaging position, and a driving mechanism which moves the holder driving frame to move the X-ray film contact holder. A driven mechanism is arranged between the grid fixing frame and the holder driving frame to make the grid fixing frame follow the holder driving frame and move along the grid reciprocating rail between the standby position and the imaging position when the driving mechanism is driven to move the holder driving frame between the standby position and the imaging position.
The technique described in patent reference 3 aims at making the radiographic grid reciprocating mechanism cooperate with the imaging frame (a structure made by bringing a film and an intensifying screen into tight contact) inserting mechanism. In the embodiment, the fluoroscopic grid is fixed on the overall surface of a fluoroscopic sensor (I.I.)
Under the above-described technical circumstances, a radiographic apparatus can be considered, which selectively uses different grids between fluoroscopy and radiography by using a single FPD (Flat Panel Detector) sensor using a semiconductor.
However, the radiographic apparatus which executes both fluoroscopy and radiography by using the FPD sensor using a semiconductor has the following problems.    (1) The imaging dose in fluoroscopy is about 1/100 of that in radiography, which is, very small.    (2) In addition to the X-ray dose, the tube voltage also changes between fluoroscopy and radiography. Hence, the grid must appropriately be switched.    (3) When a stationary grid is inserted, moiré is generated in the image depending on the grid frequency and the sampling pitch of the FPD sensor.    (4) If the grid should be reciprocated, the mechanism becomes complex. Hence, setting for obtaining suitable relationships between the image reception frequency and the grid reciprocation period and between the imaging time and the reciprocation speed is also complicated.

Radiographic apparatus and method for switching a grid


Introduced here are technologies for examining an image of an airline passenger, while the passenger is onboard. The image may be examined for abnormalities, the passenger's mood, and/or the passenger's expression. The image analysis may be supplemented by data from a suite of sensors such as heart rate monitors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and the like. The image and the sensor data are then analyzed to detect abnormalities, identify related recommendations, and suggest products and services offered onboard or at the destination that are related to the abnormalities and recommendations. The general purpose is to improve an airline passenger's travel experience while on board the flight.

Flight travel has connected the world in ways that was far beyond the dreams of the first flyers in the early 20th and late 19th centuries. Now there are over 100,000 flights that take off every day from over 40,000 airports. Air travel typically involves journeys over extended distances that at the very least take several hours to complete. Airlines therefore provide on-board in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems that offer a wide variety of multimedia content and other on-board services (e.g., food, games, etc.) for passenger enjoyment.

Managing content on in-flight entertainment platforms


An optical disk drive which discriminates whether a light spot is incident on a groove or on an area therebetween by eliminating a pulse that appears in a binary envelope signal when the light spot passes a level section. The elimination is carried out based on an ODF section detecting signal, the ODF section detecting signal being a level section detecting signal which is produced by detecting a level section (ODF section) of the optical disk. The detection is carried out by differentiating an envelope signal, which is the envelope of an electric signal corresponding to the amount of light reflected from the optical disk. Accordingly, even if the optical disk in use has interrupted grooves, the optical head can be accurately moved to a desired track located on a land or on a groove.

There are several different track access methods in conventional optical disk drives. Among these, there is a method known as the track count method according to which the number of pulses of a detected track crossing signal are counted and the optical head is moved to a desired track by moving means such as a linear motor, all the while detecting the current position of the optical head based on the number of tracks crossed.
The conventional track count method is described hereinbelow. As shown in FIG. 7(a), guiding grooves 1 are provided at specified intervals on the surface of an optical disk, tracks 2 being formed between the guiding grooves 1. ID sections 3 are provided on the tracks 2. Each of the ID sections 3 shows a track number and a sector number etc. The information in the ID sections 3 is predeterminedly recorded by means of uneven pits having a specified depth (shown by hatching; individual pits are not shown).
During track access, although a light spot 4 moves in a direction orthogonal to or substantially orthogonal to the tracks 2, normally, since the optical disk is rotating during track access, a line 5 connecting the areas where the light spot 4 is incident on the optical disk becomes diagonal with respect to the tracks 2. Here, the light spot 4 is regarded as moving from an inner circumference toward an outer circumference within the region A-B shown in the Figure, and from the outer circumference toward the inner circumference within the region B-C.
FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c) respectively show the transition of a tracking error signal 6 and the transition of a total signal 7 when the light spot 4 moves as described above. The tracking error signal 6 is at zero level in a central section of each of the tracks 2 and the total signal 7 is at the maximum level in the central section of each of the tracks 2. Further, the tracking error signal 6 and the total signal 7 are modulated by the uneven pits when the light spot 4 passes the ID sections 3. As a result, jagged waveforms 6a and 7a, which include high-frequency components, appear.
In the case where a light detector (not shown) divided into two regions is used, the tracking error signal 6 is a difference, and the total signal 7 a sum of output signals released from each light receiving section of the light detector.
An envelope signal 10 shown in FIG. 7(d) is achieved by entering the total signal 7 into an envelope circuit 8 shown in FIG. 8. As a result, a waveform 10a of the envelope signal 10 corresponding to the ID sections 3 becomes substantially smooth. The envelope circuit 8 comprises an operational amplifier 11, a diode 12 connected to a non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier 11, and a capacitor 13 and resistor 14 connected in parallel between the non-inverting input terminal and the ground.
FIG. 7(e) shows a binary tracking error signal 15 which is a binary version of the tracking error signal 6. FIG. 7(f) shows a land-groove discrimination signal 17 achieved by comparing the envelope signal 10 with a specified slice level 16 using a comparator, not shown, and then binarizing it. When the light spot 4 is on one of the guiding grooves 1 (grooves), the land-groove discrimination signal 17 falls to a low level; when the light spot 4 is on one of the tracks 2 (lands), the land-groove discrimination signal 17 rises to a high level.
FIG. 7(g) shows a directional signal 18 which is achieved by latching the level of the land-groove discrimination signal 17 with the rising time of the binary tracking error signal 15. When the light spot 4 moves from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, the directional signal 18 falls to a low level; when the light spot 4 moves from the outer circumference to the inner circumference, the directional signal 18 rises to a high level.
An edge detecting signal 20 shown in FIG. 7(h) is a pulse which is released for a specified time when the binary tracking error signal 15 begins to rise. The edge detecting signal 20 corresponds to the timing with which the light spot 4 crosses the guiding grooves 1 when it moves from the inner to the outer circumference, and to the timing with which the light spot 4 crosses the tracks 2 when it moves from the outer to the inner circumference.
An up-signal 21 shown in FIG. 7(i) and a down-signal 22 shown in FIG. 7(j) are signals that are respectively achieved according to the edge detecting signal 20 in response to the logic level of the directional signal 18. That is, when the directional signal 18 is at a low level, the up-signal 21 is produced from the edge detecting signal 20; when at a high level, the down-signal 22 is produced. The number of pulses of the up-signal 21 correspond to the number of tracks 2 the light spot 4 crosses from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, and the number of pulses of the down-signal 22 correspond to the number of tracks 2 the light spot 4 crosses while moving from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the optical disk.
Consequently, the amount by which the optical head moves in the radial directions of the optical disk can be detected by counting the up-signal 21 and the down-signal 22 using an up-down counter, not shown.
However, in optical disk drives of the track count type, it may happen that the amount by which the optical head moves in the radial directions of the optical disk cannot be detected accurately. Such a case is discussed hereinbelow.
FIGS. 9(b)-(j) show the transition of each signal of an optical disk using a Composite Continuous Format. Those signals having the same numbers as in FIG. 7 are the same signals as in FIG. 7.
As shown in FIG. 9(a), in the optical disk having this format, an ODF (Offset Detection Flag) section 23 is provided by interrupting guiding grooves 1 at specified intervals toward the posterior side of ID sections 3. A brief explanation regarding the ODF section 23 follows.
In optical disk drives which use rewritable-type optical disks, in order to ensure the power of the light beam during recording, and so on, the push-pull method, relying on a one-beam system, is commonly used for detecting tracking error. However, in this push-pull method, if an inclination of the radial directions of the optical disk or an abnormality in the angle of incidence of the light path etc. exists, a DC offset appears in a tracking error signal. That is, a problem occurs in that even if the tracking error signal is "0", it may happen that the light beam is not positioned on the center of a track.
The ODF section 23 is provided in order to resolve this problem. That is, the ODF 23 is a mirror-surface section whereon grooves and pits do not exist; therefore, no light diffraction takes place. As a result, the tracking error signal corresponding to the ODF section 23 should be "0". When, however, the tracking error signal corresponding to the ODF section 23 is not "0", this shows that an inclination of the optical disk, or an abnormality in the angle of incidence of the light path of the light beam has occurred. Consequently, when tracking control is being carried out, if the tracking error signal at the time when the light beam passes the ODF section 23 is detected and is used to correct the DC offset, the problem of the shifting of the light spot 4 from the tracks can be resolved.
Here, when a light spot 4 passes the ODF section 23, a tracking error signal 6 (FIG. 9(b)) falls to zero level, having a constant waveform 6b. A total signal 7 (FIG. 9(c)) rises to high level, having a constant waveform 7b.
When a total signal 7 is entered into the envelope circuit 8 shown in FIG. 8, a high charge builds up in the capacitor 13. Consequently, even after the light spot 4 has passed the ODF section 23, quite a lot of charge remains for a while in the capacitor 13. As a result, an envelope signal 10 acquires an attenuated waveform 10b, as shown in FIG. 9(d).
A land-groove discrimination signal 17, shown in FIG. 9(f), is achieved by comparing the envelope signal 10 with a slice level 16 using a comparator, not shown. In the vicinity of the ODF section 23, the land-groove discrimination signal 17 has a constant waveform 17a even when the light spot 4 passes a position where the guiding grooves 1 would have been if the ODF section 23 were not there. In the case where the ODF section 23 does not exist, the land-groove discrimination signal 17 becomes low-level, as shown by a broken line.
As a result, a directional signal 18 too switches correctly to low level and high level in response to the direction of movement of the light spot 4 in the case where the ODF section 23 does not exist, as shown by a broken line. In the case where the ODF section 23 does exist, the directional signal 18 acquires a waveform 18a which switches to a high level when the light spot 4 is moving from the inner circumference to the outer circumference.
Consequently, where a pulse 21a of an up-signal 21 (FIG. 9(i)) should have been produced, a pulse 22a of a down-signal 22 is erroneously produced. This makes accurate position detection of the optical head using the up-down counter impossible. As a result, the optical head cannot be accurately moved to the desired track.

Access controlling device for use in an optical disk drive


Disclosed herein are systems and methods for communicating a number of data flows on a single communications channel. In one embodiment, a method of communicating a number of data flows on a shared communications channel includes the acts of (1) calculating a set of optimum goodput rates for the data flows, in order to maximize a total utility of the data flows, (2) calculating a set of optimum throughput rates for the data flows based on the optimum goodput rates, and (3) transmitting the data flows on the shared communications channel with the optimized throughput rates. Optimization is preferably done using utility functions that indicate the utility of the data flows as a function of their goodput rates. The method can additionally block temporarily a transport layer of at least one of the data flows if the transport layer of that data flow is bottlenecked.

The invention relates generally to wireless communications and more specifically to techniques for allocating channel capacity among several user applications.
The increasing number of wireless data users and the deployment of broadband wireless network have brought the issue of fair channel access to the forefront. The channel capacity of a communications channel indicates the maximum data rate that can be transmitted through the channel. The channel capacity is colloquially referred to as the channel's "bandwidth." Fairness among users generally implies that the channel capacity has been successfully allocated among the users' data flows in proportion to the "weights" of the users. In wireline networks, fluid fair queuing has long been a popular paradigm for achieving instantaneous fairness with bounds on the maximum delays in channel access. However, adapting wireline fair queuing to the wireless domain is complicated by domain-specific issues such as location-dependent transmission errors and errors from bursty channels. Consequently, several wireless fair queuing schemes have been proposed for adapting fair queuing to the wireless domain, but many problems still exist.
Previous research adapting wireline fair queuing to the wireless domain has generally produced techniques that approximate fair queuing when the channel is clean. When the channel needs to ration access to the mobile users, and one mobile user's data flow is being affected by bursty transmission errors, these techniques defer sending packets for the affected mobile user's data flow during the error bursts. During this time, the affected flow's time slots are instead used to transmit the packets of the clean flows. For the flow affected by channel errors, the transmission is resumed only when its link quality improves to an acceptable level. In order to achieve certain fairness among flows, some of the techniques also supplement the mobile user with additional bandwidth to compensate for the time period when it was skipped. In this way the flow that was denied service because of the channel error is expected to eventually receive its fair share of services, once its channel becomes clean.
Previous techniques, however, do not take advantage of a variety of sources of useful information for sharing limited channel resources among a number of users.

Systems and methods for goodput guarantee through adaptive fair queuing


The invention concerns solid-state gyrolasers used to measure rotation speeds or relative angular positions. This type of equipment is used, in particular, in aeronautical applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns solid-state gyrolasers used to measure rotation speeds or angular positions. This type of equipment is used, in particular, in aeronautical applications.
Gyrolasers were developed some thirty years ago and are widely sold and used today. Their operation is based on the Sagnac effect, which induces a difference in frequency Ω between two optical emission modes propagated in opposite directions, called counter-propagating, from a rotating bidirectional ring-shaped laser cavity. Typically, difference in frequency Ω is:Ω=4 A ω/λL where L and A are respectively the cavity length and area; λ is the laser emission average wavelength excluding the Sagnac effect; ω is the gyrolaser angular rotation speed.
The value of Ω obtained through spectral analysis of the beat of the two emitted beams serves to obtain the value of ω very accurately. Electronically counting the beat fringes advancing during a change in angular position gives the relative value of the angular position also extremely accurately.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Manufacturing a gyrolaser requires overcoming a few technical difficulties. The first is linked to the quality of the beat between the two beams, which determines the laser's correct operation. Proper stability and a relative similarity in the intensities emitted in both directions are required for the beat to be correct. But in the case of solid-state lasers, the stability and similarity are not guaranteed due to mode—mode competition, which makes one of the two counter-propagating modes monopolize the available gain, to the detriment of the other mode. The problem of bidirectional emission instability for a solid-state ring-shaped laser may be solved by implementing a counter-reaction loop intended to slave around a set value the difference between the intensities of the two counter-propagating modes. This loop acts on the laser, either by linking its losses to the propagation direction, for instance by means of a reciprocal rotating element, a nonreciprocal rotating element and a polarizing element (patent application No. 03 03645), or by linking its gain to the propagation direction, for instance by means of a reciprocal rotating element, a nonreciprocal rotating element and a polarized emission crystal (patent application No. 03 14598). Once slaved, the laser emits two counter-propagating beams with stable intensities and can be used as a gyrolaser.
A second technical difficulty is linked to low rotation speeds, since gyrolasers only work correctly beyond a given rotation speed. At low rotation speeds, the Sagnac beat signal disappears due to the coupling, also known as locking, of the two counter-propagating modes because of the backscattering of the light of the various optical elements present in the cavity. The rotation speed range in which this phenomenon is observed is usually called blind region and corresponds to a minimum beat frequency of a few tens of kilohertz. This problem is not intrinsic to the solid state: it is also encountered with gas gyrolasers. The most common solution for this second type of gyrolasers is to activate the device mechanically by giving it a forced and known movement that artificially places it outside the blind region as often as possible.

Four-mode stabilized solid-state gyrolaser without blind region

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to complete the optic devices required to control the instability of ring-shaped solid-state lasers using specific optic devices that eliminate the blind region without adding a measurement bias. In this way, a “fully optic” solid-state laser is obtained, without moving parts, stable, and without blind region.

Abstract: These devices comprise in particular polarization separation optical devices, reciprocal and nonreciprocal optical rotators arranged so that four linearly polarized optical modes travel in the cavity at sufficiently different frequencies to avoid mode locking.


The watercraft described herein is a surfboard, skim board, dive board, or boat having a propelling fin driven by a standing surfer or boater with an upward and downward stroke which may be used to propel the watercraft by an upward and downward fin motion. The surfboard and dive board in particular are used on water and may be used to ride ocean swells and waves. The surfer or diver stands on the board and moves a vertical handle upwardly and down-ward. The lower end of this handle is pivotally attached to a parallel bar device having attachment means to the board at a forward end of the parallel bar device and having attachment means to a fin at the aft ward end of the parallel bar device. The fin is generally horizontal and is driven thru the water up and downwardly by the standing user and propels the board forward at higher rates of speed than can be achieved by prone-paddling. The handle, four bar device, and fin may be stowed within the body of the board when in a non-propelling position and so allow the surfer or diver to lie upon and paddle the board in standard surfboard prone paddling fashion while also enabling the board to be ridden as a standard surfboard upon the ocean waves.

1. Field of the Invention
Human powered watercraft such as surfboards, skim-boards, body boards, boogey-boards, and the like are for thrill seeking wave riders. Unfortunately, in addition to being underpowered due to inefficient harnessing of the human engine many of these products suffer from ungainliness, fragility, difficulty of use, and high cost, limiting their acceptance in the market. Therefore, a new human powered watercraft is needed as is a new human power propulsion system for such craft to enhance oceanic and fresh-water athletic pursuits and reduce the cost and complexities thereof and so make more available to all the joys of the life aquatic.
Within the above field of art, surfing continues to enjoy high popularity but, it is well understood, standard paddling methods (prone and knee-paddling) yield a top speed of at best 5 MPH and that speed only for short durations; in general most surfers cannot paddle for longer than 15 minutes without some rest. What is more, the surfer is unable to propel from a standing position and is also statically unstable while standing upon an unmoving surfboard or other water board. While in conditions of large surf, intrepid surfers attempting to paddle out often spend all of their physical reserves trying to make headway against seemingly endless wave trains and white water combers. The surfer that does make it out to the line-up will be depleted and need rest. Only then will he or she be able to summon the arm power needed to pull into a large breaking wave. Unfortunately, the surfer so fatigued is more likely to make costly errors, often endangering him self and other surfers nearby. Consequently, a new means of propelling the surfer which harnesses more power from the human engine will make easier the catching of waves, the transit from beach to wave and will not only enable more waves to be ridden but will enable the use of the surfboard so outfitted as a transportation vehicle from break-to-break and from beach-to-beach at speeds approaching and beyond 10 MPH. A new human powered watercraft and propulsion system will be of particular interest to life guards, divers, surfers, body-boarders, and skim-boarders.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Maisonneuve, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,126, propels a surfboard by thrusting a lever forward and aft from a sitting position to drive a lower fin up and down. The system does not allow the surfer to move about the surfboard and the lower keel structure causes yaw instability with forward motion.
Chen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,468,118 propels a surfboard thru two foot treadles with an up and down leg motion deflecting separate fins. This system attaches the user to the board which can be dangerous when the board rolls over, somewhat entrapping the user.
Momot, U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,273 propels a surfboard with a single treadle driven fin using weight shifting forward and aft to propel the board. The system has a great deal of drag surface offered to the water, does not stow and so is constantly dragging down board speed.
Domancic, U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,491 propels a surfboard or boat by a single treadle driving two fins by a lateral, side to side weight shift. This motion is particularly destabilizing to a surfboard rider as the board is narrow and least stable laterally.
Malm, U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,977 propels a surfboard by a sculling-sweeping motion of a centrally pivoted oar. The lateral side to side motion of this system destabilizes the surfboard.
Ueno, U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,802 propels a surfboard by a single foot treadle driving a vertical fin to sweep laterally back and forth. The fin motion causes the boat or board to slough sideward without the stabilizing presence of a keel.
Ketterman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,249 propels a kayak via foot treadles that drive two flexible fins in opposing directions about the keel of the boat. The system is heavy and complex while also being subject to damage during beaching of the vessel as the fins are most exposed below the keel and users frequently forget to stow the system.
Puzey U.S. Pat. No. 6,099,369 propels a tricycle hydrofoil by a bounding up and down motion of the user. The system suffers from the inability to start from the water and is unstable in yaw when in following seas.
Heywood U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,855 propels a boat from a bicycle mounted atop the vessel. This and all other bicycle systems suffer from the fatal flaw of needing to entrap the users' feet (clip-in) in order to maximize power output. Being clipped into the propulsion system makes emergency exit from the vessel very difficult and potentially fatal.
Triantaffyllou U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,750 propels a fish-like submersible via arm and leg motion of two tandem divers. Emergency egress is quite difficult since the users are encased within the system. The system is designed for stealth as opposed to recreational surfing.
Shiraki U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,024 propels a surfboard via a pedal-crank propeller system operated by a recumbent seated rider. This and all recumbent systems impede the operators ability to react to perturbing waves by limiting all but the users head from counteraction. As with other pedal and crank systems, the device is most efficient when one is clipped in and as stated previously, this makes emergency egress problematic and potentially fatal.
Gander U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,555 propels a float device by a foot operated bell crank driven fish-fin. Absent a keel, the vehicle is unstable in yaw when propelled thusly.
Gaudin U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,861 propels a surfboard via a hand operated bell crank driven fish fin. The system suffers from lack of power common to all arm powered systems.
Stoms U.S. Pat. No. 621,465 propels a boat via a bicycle system.
Whiting U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,527 is a tri-segmented float propulsion system which suffers from general instability.
Han U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,276 propels a surfboard via a bell crank foot operated fish fin. The system causes the board to yaw during operation.
Merrill U.S. patent Ser. No. 1,186,413 propels a floatation body by foot operated treadle driven propeller and maintains pitch attitude via hand controlled elevator fins. The system suffered from excessive drag caused by the users' legs projecting into the water during propulsion.
Newby U.S. Pat. No. 1,324,687 propels a floatation device via propeller driven by a vertical lever under the forward and aft urging of the user. The system is heavy, underpowered, and unstable in pitch when powered thusly.
Skitsko U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,109 propels a sloughing body by forward aft or lateral body motions. The system is slow due to excessive surface area in the water and is unstable.
Proverbio U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,871 propels similarly to Whiting and suffers according to the same deficiencies.
Cleary 20060042536 attempts to propel and steer a kayak via a strut hydrofoil. The strut hydrofoil is rotate-able about a strut axis which axis is tilt able without constraint within a cone of 15 degrees from normal to the surface of the water This relative freedom from-restraint of the strut hydrofoil system when combined with varying sea conditions often causes even the most experienced user to fall off the vehicle while at the same time causing local structural degradation of the strut and vehicle. Neither the strut nor the hydrofoil are able to be stowed within the body of the kayak and so are subject to impingement and damage by unseen objects in the water primarily and then due to secondary impact by the user. The strut-hydrofoil system described is unsuited to ocean-wave riding vehicles particularly surfboards, skim boards and the like as they operate in shallow waters and are therefore subject to frequent impingement with the submarine terrain.


Methods, systems, and computer readable media utilize a stream manager (101) to efficiently scan stream (105) based data (103). A stream manager (101) receives (801) data (103) from a stream (105). The stream manager (101) makes (807) received data (103) serially available to a plurality of modify scanners (109) in a specific order, and makes (809) received data (103) available in parallel to a plurality of read-only scanners (111). The stream manager (101), responsive to data (103) having been released by each modify scanner (109) of the plurality and by each read-only scanner (111) of the plurality, transmits (515) released data (103) to a destination (113).

It is often desirable to scan data before allowing it into a computer or a computer network. Data can contain undesirable content, such as malicious code (e.g. a computer virus), or content which is not permitted within a specific computing environment (e.g. entertainment material within a business environment). Scanning an inbound stream of data prior to allowing it into a computing environment can detect undesirable content, and either block the entry of the data, or modify the data so as to remove the undesirable content. Similarly, scanning an outbound stream of data prior to allowing it to leave a computing environment can detect and process malicious code originating from that organization's computer network.
It is often desirable for a plurality of scanners to scan an incoming or outgoing data stream. Individual scanners can scan the data stream for specific forms of undesirable content. Some of these scanners are typically read-only scanners, which can scan incoming or outgoing data, but cannot modify it. An example would be a scanner that reads a data stream looking for key words in context, in order to determine whether incoming data contains banned content, such as information concerning sports or entertainment. Such a read-only scanner can block detected banned content from entering or leaving a computing environment.
Some additional scanners are typically modify scanners, meaning that they can, under select circumstances, modify incoming or outgoing data. An example of a modify scanner would be an anti-virus scanner, which can scan incoming or outgoing data in order to look for known computer viruses. Such a scanner could modify the data to remove a detected computer virus, provided that the detected virus is one that the scanner is programmed to remove.
It is often desirable to have the same data stream scanned by multiple modify scanners and by multiple read-only scanners, in order to detect and process multiple varieties of undesirable content. However, because each modify scanner can modify the data, it is necessary that each modify scanner scan the data serially rather than in parallel. Maintenance of data integrity requires that only one scanner write to the data at a time.
Additionally, it can be desirable for a plurality of modify scanners to scan the data in a specific order, so as to scan the data for one type of undesirable content only after it has been scanned and potentially corrected for another.
A problem with the need for serial scanning is latency. Typically, a block of data from an incoming or outgoing stream is cached, and then the entire block is serially scanned by each of a plurality of scanners. Only after this is complete is the block passed along to its destination. This can drastically decrease the speed of data transmission. It is beneficial to transmit data to a destination as quickly as possible. For example, where data is being loaded into a browser from a server, it is clearly undesirable to delay the data transmission. Thus, it is preferable to be able to scan the data and pass it along to the browser as quickly as possible.
It is further desirable to keep as little data cached as necessary, not only to increase the rate of data throughput, but also to minimize the amount of storage media required for the cache.


A back-light apparatus for a display includes: a plurality of light emitting diodes attached on a substrate; a first common line mounted on the substrate to commonly connect first electrodes of the light emitting diodes; a second common line mounted on the substrate to commonly connect second electrodes of the light emitting diodes; a plurality of third lines connected to preceding second electrodes of the light emitting diodes and succeeding first electrodes of the light emitting diodes; first and second selection switches disconnecting the first common line and the second common line so that the light emitting diodes are connected in parallel; third selection switches for disconnecting the third lines so that the light emitting diodes are connected in series; a power unit to supply power to the light emitting diodes; and a control unit to control the first, second and third selection switches for the light emitting diodes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a back-light apparatus for a liquid crystal display device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a back-light apparatus for a liquid crystal display device that supplies light to a liquid crystal display panel through a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display (LCD) is a display apparatus in which data signals, including image information, are individually supplied to pixels arranged in a matrix, and optical transmittance of the pixels is controlled to display a desired image. Accordingly, the LCD includes a display panel in which pixels are arranged in a matrix and a driving part for driving the pixels.
The display panel includes a thin film transistor array and a color filter substrate which are attached together to face each other with a certain cell-gap therebetween and a liquid crystal layer formed between the attached color filter substrate and thin film transistor array substrate.
A common electrode and a pixel electrode are formed in an LCD panel formed by attaching the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter substrate together and applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer.
If voltage of a data signal is applied to the pixel electrode and the common electrode, liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer is rotated by its dielectric anisotropy according to an electric field between the common electrode and the pixel electrode. Accordingly, light is transmitted or cut off pixel by pixel so that text or an image is displayed.
Additionally, the LCD cannot emit light by itself and displays an image by controlling the optical transmittance. For this reason, the LCD requires a special apparatus for radiating light to a display panel, that is, a back-light apparatus.
The back-light apparatus is divided into a side type and a direct type. As for the side type back-light apparatus, a lamp is located at one or both sides of a display panel, and light is reflected, diffused and concentrated through a light guide, a reflector and optical sheets. With regard to the direct type back-light, a lamp is located at a back surface of the display panel so that light is directly transmitted to the entire surface of the display panel.
The side type back-light apparatus and direct type back-light apparatus will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary view showing a general side-type back-light apparatus.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary view showing a general direct-type back-light apparatus.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary view showing a lamp which is used in the general side-type back-light apparatus or in the general direct-type back-light apparatus, in detail.
In FIG. 1, the general side type back-light apparatus includes a light guide 110 located on a back surface of a display panel; a lamp 120 located at a side of the light guide 110; a reflector 130 located at a back surface of the light guide 110; a lamp holder and a lamp reflector 121 fixing the lamp to the side of the light guide 110; and a line 122 for supplying power to the lamp 120.
Light generated from the lamp 120 is incident upon a side of the light guide 110 made of a transparent material. The reflector 130 located at the back surface of the light guide 110 reflects light that is transmitted to the back surface of the light guide 110 to an upper surface of the light guide 110, thereby reducing light loss and improving uniformity. Accordingly, together with the reflector 130, the light guide 110 transmits light that is generated from the lamp 120 to the upper surface.
In FIG. 2, the direct-type back-light apparatus includes a reflector 230 located at a back surface of a display panel; a plurality of lamps 220 disposed on the reflector 230 and producing light incident upon an entire back surface of the display panel; a diffusion plate 250 covering the lamps 220 and diffusing light generated from the lamps 220; and lines 220 supplying power to the lamps 220.
In FIG. 3, a cold cathode fluorescence lamp (CCFL) having a tube shape with a length corresponding to a distance between the long sides or short sides of the display panel is used as the lamp 120, 220 for the side-type back-light apparatus or the direct-type back-light apparatus. The CCFL generates white light by power supplied through the lines 122, 221 positioned.
Because mercury used as a fluorescent material in the CCFL is harmful to a human body, the CCFL does not meet stricter environmental regulations.
Additionally, in order to improve transmittance and a color reappearing rate of an LCD, an LCD using a time-division method has been actively developed. In the time-division method, one frame of an image is time-divided into first to third sub frames, and red, green and blue light is sequentially supplied according to the first to third sub-frames. However, a back-light apparatus using the CCFL is restricted in its useful range for an LCD adopting the time-division method.

Back-light apparatus for liquid crystal display device