A game device includes: an input position acquiring unit for acquiring the position of an input entry to a touch panel capable of concurrently detecting input entries at a plurality of points; a drawing start determination unit for determining, when the respective positions of concurrent input entries to the touch panel at two points are acquired, to start drawing a graphic if a distance between the two points is within a first range; a drawing unit for drawing, while the input entries at the two points continue to be input after drawing a graphic is started, a graphic calculated based on the respective movement trajectories of the two points and displaying the graphic on a display device; and a drawing end determination unit for determining to end drawing the graphic when the input of the input entries at the two points ends.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drawing technology and, more particularly, to a drawing device, a drawing control method, and a drawing control program for drawing graphics in accordance with input through an input device such as a touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information terminals and game devices provided with touch panels have become widely used. Various types of applications have been provided that take advantage of the characteristics of touch panels that allow for operation by directly touching with fingers a screen displayed on a display device.
The present applicant has developed portable game terminals provided with a touch panel that allows for input entries at a plurality of points, a rear touch panel provided on the back surface of the game terminal, and the like. The present inventor has conceived of new drawing control technologies that take advantage of the characteristics of such new terminals.

Drawing device, drawing control method, and drawing control program for drawing graphics in accordance with input through input device that allows for input at multiple points


An oil containing starch granule is provided comprising:    (a) a starch to form an effective matrix for said granule;    (b) a perfume oil comprising ingredients having a calculated C log P of at least 3; and    (c) an effective amount of an organic compound as herein described for inhibiting the migration of said oil to the surface of said starch granule.

The addition of perfume to a liquid detergent composition to impart a pleasing aroma or fragrance to such detergent composition is well-known in the art. The presence of perfume provides an aesthetic benefit to the consumer upon use of the detergent composition and generally serves as a signal of freshness and cleanliness for laundered fabrics which contain a pleasing fragrance. However, notwithstanding the enhanced aroma of the detergent composition itself, relatively little of the perfume fragrance is imparted to fabrics during laundering. Primarily, this is because the perfume ingredients in the liquid composition are rapidly dispersed and diluted during laundering in the aqueous wash and rinse waters. Consequently, only a relatively limited amount of the perfume is available to contact the fabrics during washing, the major portion of the perfume being drained from the washing machine with the wash solution. There remains, therefore, a need in the art to improve the effectiveness of delivering perfume from a detergent composition to washed fabrics and to enhance the longevity of such fragrance on the fabrics.
Similarly, there is a need in the art to effectively deliver oils other than a perfume fragrance as benefit-additives to substrates such as hard surfaces, hair and skin such that the longevity of such oils upon the substrate is significantly enhanced relative to conventional means of providing such benefit additive to the substrate.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Oil containing starch granules for delivering benefit-additives to a substrate


A glove has a glove core and a glove component. The glove core has a palm portion, a dorsum portion, a side portion of hand and a finger portion; the palm portion and the finger portion are connected to each other via a connection point, the finger piece portion has a first and second bonding portions with a distance therebetween, the finger piece portion is bound to the finger portion via the first bonding portion, and the finger piece portion is bound to the palm portion via the second bonding portion. The connection point, the first bonding portion and the second bonding portion are formed to have a virtual triangle, thus the finger portion and the palm portion have an angle being less than 180 degrees, and that is, the finger portion bends forward the palm portion to make the glove comply with the ergonomic principle.

An existing glove is generally divided into a cloth glove, a plastic glove and an asbestos glove. Regarding the ergonomic principle, when the hand of the human is in a working mode (for example, holding an object) or in a general mode which no forces are applied, fingers of the hand bend forward a palm of the hand, and the fingers and the palm have an non-planar angle (less than 180 degrees). As disclosed by JP Pub. 2003-171815, a finger portion of a general glove and a palm portion of the general glove render a plane when no forces are applied to the general glove, and the glove does not comply with the hand shape of the ergonomic principle. The general glove causes the user to feel uncomfortable when the user wears the general glove, since the general glove does not comply with the ergonomic principle.


A random number generation circuit has a ring oscillator which has odd number of inverting amplifiers connected in ring shape, a delay control circuit which generates a predetermined clock signal by delaying a reference clock signal, a first sampling circuit which samples an oscillation signal generated by the ring oscillator with the predetermined clock signal, a first logical equalization circuit which equalizes occurrence frequency of “0” and “1” of a sampling signal sampled by the first sampling circuit, a linear feedback shift register (LFSR) which generates random serial data based on an output signal of the first logical equalization circuit, and a serial-parallel converter which generates random parallel data used for controlling a delay amount of the delay control circuit by converting the random serial data from serial to parallel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a random number generation circuit which generates random numbers.
2. Related Art
A random number generation circuit provided with an oscillation circuit connected to one or three CMOS inverters, a flip-flop which latches an oscillation signal generated by this oscillation circuit and a feedback shift register which generates pseudo-random numbers based on an output signal of the flip-flop is known (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-236582).
This type of conventional random number generation circuit inputs the output signal of the flip-flop as a seed to the feedback shift register. It is possible to improve randomness of random numbers using a feedback shift register or the like at subsequent stage to a certain degree. However, it is not possible to reduce the probability of collision of finally obtained random numbers unless the seed to be input to the feedback shift register has a sufficient level of randomness.
The probability of collision of random numbers depends on the uncertainty of the seed generated by the flip-flop and this uncertainty mainly depends on the fact that the oscillation circuit composed of the CMOS inverters is unstable with respect to fluctuation of temperature and supply voltage. With this uncertainty alone, according to the conventional method, there is a high probability that the same seed may be generated within a random numbers generating period, as long as there are not considerable disturbance factors in the temperature and supply voltage or the like. Therefore, it is difficult for the conventional method to reduce the probability of collision of random numbers. In this way, the conventional random number generation circuit has a problem that it is not possible to obtain high quality random numbers.


Asynchronous power management methods and systems for a first station and a second station in a wireless network. The second station dynamically tunes a SRI (Schedule Repetition Interval) value according to residual power status, quality-of-service requirements, or other considerations. The SRI value is an odd prime number. Once the SRI is determined, the second station sets the number and positions of ABIs (Awake Beacon Intervals)” within an SRI. An ABI-set defined as the positions of ABIs in an SRI forms a cyclic difference set comprising at least two consecutive BIs. The second station transmits a beacon frame within a beacon window. When the first station has recently received the beacon frame from the second station, the first station predicts the awake/sleep schedule of the second station, and transmits data frames to the second station at the ABI of the second station.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure generally relates to power management methods and systems for medium access control over wireless networks, such as ad-hoc wireless networks, where each power-saving station can dynamically tune its duty cycle and timing synchronization among power-saving stations is not necessary.
2. Description of the Related Art
IEEE 802.11 is currently the most popular international MAC (Medium Access Control) standard for WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks). Based on the network architecture, the WLANs can be classified into "infrastructure WLANs" and "ad hoc wireless networks." FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ad hoc network, where each station (110, 120, 130, 140 and 150) can communicate with adjacent stations via radio.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a power consumption model for a general wireless network interface card installed in a station. Each station can be in exact one of transmitting, receiving, listening, or doze states. From FIG. 2, we can see that if a station wants to save energy, it should enter the doze state. In the doze state, a station cannot send and receive, but consumes very low power.
In IEEE 802.11 power management for ad hoc networks, time is divided into fixed-sized beacon intervals (BIs for short). Mobile station operating in the power-saving (PS for short) mode should wake up prior to each TBTT (target beacon transmission time) and wait for a random backoff time to contend for broadcasting a beacon frame, which is mainly used for timing synchronization. All power-saving (PS for short) station should remain awake during the entire ATIM (Announcement Traffic Indication Message) window. If a station does not send or receive ATIM frames during the ATIM window, then that station may enter the doze state after the end of the ATIM window. If a station receives a directed ATIM frame during the ATIM window, then that station should reply the ATIM ACK (Acknowledgement) and remains awake during the entire beacon interval (BI for short). After the end of the ATIM window, the source station uses the DCF (Distributed Coordination Function) procedure to send buffered data frames to intended destination, and that destination should acknowledge it receipt. For a more detailed presentation, please refer to the IEEE 802.11 specification.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of power management in an ad hoc network based on IEEE 802.11. As shown in FIG. 3, stations X and Y compete to broadcast a beacon frame for timing synchronization when BI 1 begins. Once station Y successfully broadcasts the beacon frame, other stations (including Y) cancel their beacon transmissions. On the other hand, since both stations X and Y do not send and receive any ATIM frames during the ATIM window (AW for short), they enter the doze state after the AW ends. During the AW of BI 2, station Y sends the ATIM frame (denoted "A" in FIG. 3) to station X and X replies an ATIM ACK (denoted "a" in FIG. 3). After the AW ends, both stations X and Y remain awake. In addition, station Y transmits a data frame (denoted "D" in FIG. 3) to station X, and X immediately replies a data ACK (denoted "d" in FIG. 3) to Y.
However, the mechanism for timing synchronization in IEEE 802.11 is not perfect. For example, simulation results show that if the number of stations in an ad hoc wireless network is 200, the average clock offset among the stations is about 220 us, and the maximum clock offset may approach about 500 us. If the number of stations in an ad hoc wireless network is 500, the average clock offset among the stations is about 264 us, and the maximum clock offset may approach about 600 us. Once the clock offset among stations in the network is large enough, the IEEE 802.11 power management mechanism may completely fails. For example, in FIG. 4, we can see that, when the clock offset (ΔT) between stations X and Y lies in between AW and BI-AW, PS stations X and Y forever lose each other's beacon and ATIM frames. (Note that "PS" stands for "power-saving".) This also implies that stations X and Y can never send data frames to each other when they are operating in the PS mode.
Conventional asynchronous power management protocols require that all PS stations must have the same SRI (schedule repetition interval), where the SRI is defined as "the consecutive beacon intervals that comprise some different awake/sleep schedules repeat at regular intervals". This implies that all PS stations will have the same idle duty cycle, where idle duty cycle is defined as the fraction of time during which the radio is on and there is no data traffic. Obviously, such a requirement (that all PS stations must have the same SRI) is impractical since we hope that each PS station can dynamically tune its idle duty cycle according to its current residual battery power or other quality-of-service (QoS for short) considerations. Worse, such a requirement requires that all WLAN NIC vendors adopt the same value of SRI. We know that a PS station with a larger SRI value can save more energy, but may suffer a longer data reception delay. Thus it is very difficult for NIC vendors to determine the best SRI value for all different kinds of environments. Worst, all known asynchronous power management protocols may completely fail when some PS stations have different values of SRI. More specifically, two PS neighbors in asynchronous environment may forever lose each other's beacon and ATIM frames when they have different SRI values.

Asynchronous power management methods and systems for wireless networks


Atmospheric growing conditions in high-rise animal rearing facilities are proved by spraying liquid alum periodically over the manure collection area. Improved high rise animal rearing facilities provided with a liquid alum treatment delivery system for misting or spraying the liquid alum over the manure collection area to strip ammonia gas from the air and to apply a chemical coating on a surface of the accumulated manure which reduces or prevents ammonia volatilization. The liquid chemical treatment comprises an aqueous alum solution containing 1 to about 50% by weight alum, applied at a rate of about 50-250 g of Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3. 14H.sub.2 O per kg of manure as it accumulates. The improved rearing facilities and methods control the atmospheric conditions in the animal rearing area at less than or equal to about 25 ppm ammonia throughout the growing cycle.

The present invention relates to new and improved odor-control system to enhance conditions in high-rise animal rearing facilities. More particularly, it relates to apparatus and methods that employ alum to control the chemical composition of the atmosphere in the animal rearing levels of a high-rise rearing facility.
One of the predominant systems currently used for egg production from laying hens involves growing the birds in cages on the second floor of a two story animal rearing facility referred to as a high-rise laying hen house. In these houses, the manure from the birds falls from the second floor to the first floor where it accumulates. After a period of time, the manure is removed from the house and applied to the land as an agricultural fertilizer.
Accumulation of manure in animal rearing facilities results in the production of ammonia gas, which can be produced in relatively high quantities. For over thirty years, researchers have known that buildup of ammonia levels in animal rearing facilities adversely affects poultry and other animals. Research on the effects of ammonia on poultry has shown that it causes decreased growth rates, reduced feed efficiency, decreased egg production, damage to the respiratory tract, increased susceptibility to New castle disease, increased incidence of airsaculitis, increased levels of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, and increased incidence of keratoconjunctivitis. For these reasons, it is now recommended that 25 ppm ammonia should not be exceeded in poultry houses.
Ammonia volatilization from poultry litter has also been shown to be detrimental to the environment due to its effect on acid atmospheric deposition. Ammonia plays a key role in acid rain production and the dominant source of atmospheric ammonia in Europe was found to be livestock wastes, with long-term trends showing a 50% increase in ammonia emissions in Europe from 1950-1980. Ammonia raises the PH of rainwater, which allows more SO.sub.2 to dissolve in it, eventually forming ammonium sulfate, which releases nitric and sulfuric acid in soils upon oxidation. Ammonia volatilization also greatly increases atmospheric N fallout, which contributes to eutrophication. N deposition from wet fallout tripled from 1955 to 1980 and corresponded with N losses from agriculture during this same period. Atmospheric ammonia can also result in the formation of ammonium nitrate particles in the air. These particles, which are usually less than two microns in size, contribute greatly to small airborne particle pollution referred to as PM.sub.10 's (particulate matter less than 10 microns).
Another environmental problem currently facing the poultry industry is phosphorus runoff from fields receiving poultry manure as an agricultural fertilizer. Phosphorus is considered to be the primary element of concern with respect to eutrophication of fresh water systems. Recent studies have shown extremely high phosphorus concentrations in the runoff water from pastures receiving low to moderate levels of poultry manure as fertilizer. The majority (80-90%) of the phosphorus in the runoff water is dissolved reactive P, which is the form that is more readily available for algal uptake. The threat of eutrophication due to phosphorus runoff has results in limits being placed on the number of animals which may be produced per area of land in the Netherlands.
Similar problems are encountered with manure deposited in other facilities in which other animals, such as poultry breeding stock, are reared in a raised facility.
Accordingly, new facilities and methods are needed for rearing animals under conditions which reduce ammonia volatilization, prevent nitrogen losses to improve the fertilizer value of manure to be used as an agricultural fertilizer and to reduce the soluble phosphorus content of the manure to prevent phosphorus runoff from fields fertilized with poultry manure agricultural fertilizers.

High-rise laying hen rearing facility and method

Trustees of University of Arkansas and United States of America


According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes a housing, a heat-generating element mounted in the housing, a cooling fan mounted in the housing, a fin unit which is mounted in the housing and opposed to the cooling fan, and a heat transfer member which thermally connects the fin unit to the heat-generating element. The cooling fan includes a fan case which is provided with an opening portion. The fin unit includes an insertion portion which is inserted into the fan case through the opening portion. The insertion portion is provided to extend from one longitudinal end area to the other longitudinal end area of the opening portion.

1. Field
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a heat radiator and an electronic apparatus provided with the radiator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic apparatuses such as portable computers are equipped with a heat-generating element such as a CPU or a north bridge (trademark), and a cooling unit for cooling the heat-generating element. An example of such a cooling unit includes a cooling fan, a fin unit, and a heat pipe.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Pub. No. 2006-147618 discloses a cooling unit including a cooling fan and a fin unit. The cooling fan has a case in which an air outlet is opened. The fin unit has a plurality of fins arranged in the air outlet of the cooling fan. The fin unit is configured such that the lengths of the fins become gradually larger from a region in which the discharged air has low air velocity toward a region in which the discharged air has high air velocity.
Recent electronic apparatuses are required to have further reduced size and low price. On the other hand, heat-generating elements provided to the electronic apparatuses are expected to have higher temperature. Therefore, it is required to provide electronic apparatuses having an improved cooling performance, without a large mounting space.
In the fin unit disclosed in the above patent document, the lengths of the fins are adjusted according to the air velocity of the discharged air of the cooling fan. Specifically, it is necessary to check the air velocity property of the cooling fan to determine the lengths of the fins, and thus design of the fin unit is not easy.


An optical pickup adopting a multi-coated polarization holographic optical element (HOE). The optical pickup has a light source, an objective lens for converging light emitted from the light source on a recording medium, a holographic optical element (HOE) arranged along an optical path between the light source and the objective lens, for changing traveling of the incident light, a phase delay plate arranged between the HOE and the recording medium, for changing a polarization direction of the incident light, and a photodetector for receiving the light reflected by the recording medium, wherein the HOE includes a polarization beam splitter for transmitting one polarized light component of the incident light and reflecting the other polarized light component thereof; and a reflection member having a hologram pattern for diffracting the light passed through the polarization beam splitter, for reflecting the incident light, and wherein the HOE is arranged at an angle between the light source and the phase delay plate. Also, when a transmission-type HOE is adopted, the phase delay plate is arranged at an angle along the optical path between the HOE and the objective lens and includes multiple coating layers for transmitting one polarized light component of the light incident from the light source and reflecting the other polarized light component, and a reflection layer formed on one side of the multiple coating layers, for completely reflecting the incident light.

The present invention relates to an optical pickup, and more particularly, to an optical pickup adopting a multi-coated polarization holographic optical element (HOE).
Generally, an optical pickup is for recording and/or reproducing information related to pictures, sound and data on an optical recording medium in a noncontact manner.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional optical pickup adopting a general HOE. The optical pickup includes a light source 20, an HOE 50 for changing a traveling path of incident light, a phase delay plate 60 for changing a polarization direction of the incident light, an objective lens 70 for converging the light entered from the light source 20 on a recording surface of a recording medium 10, and a photodetector 80 for detecting an information signal and an error signal.
The objective lens 70 is driven by an actuator (not shown) to correct tracking and focusing errors based on the error signal detected from the photodetector 80.
The HOE 50 is arranged at a position along an optical path between the objective lens 70 and the light source 20, and is formed by etching a substrate to form its hologram pattern to provide different diffraction characteristics in accordance with the polarization direction of the incident light. Generally, the phase delay plate 60 includes a .lambda./4 waveform plate for changing a linearly polarized light incident from the light source 20 into a circularly polarized light and changing the circularly polarized light reflected from the recording medium into the linearly polarized light. A reflecting mirror 40 for changing a traveling path of the light emitted from the light source 20 is arranged at an angle between the light source 20 and the HOE 50 under the consideration of the optical arrangement of the optical pickup. Also, a collimating lens 30 for collimating a divergent light emitted from the light source 20 may be included in the optical path between the light source 20 and the reflecting mirror 40.
As described above, the optical pickup adopting the HOE 50 has a simpler optical structure than an optical pickup adopting a beam splitter.
As shown in FIG. 2, the conventional HOE 50 adopted in the above optical pickup uses a substrate 51 made of LiNb.sub.3 having a high refractive index, wherein a plurality of grooves 52 are formed by an etching process. The light incident on the HOE 50 is transmitted in a region having the grooves 52 without a phase delay. Meanwhile, the phase of a P-polarized light component or an S-polarized light component is reversed by 180.degree. in a region without the grooves 52. Accordingly, a polarized light component passed through the HOE 50, such as a light 54 of a P-polarized light component, is transmitted directly, while the other polarized light component such as a light 55 of an S-polarized light component is diffractively transmitted. The HOE 50 can transmit the light directly or diffractively according to the polarized light component of the incident light. However, the material of the substrate used therefor, i.e., LiNb.sub.3, is expensive, and thus, manufacturing costs of the conventional optical pickup adopting the HOE are quite high.

Optical pickup having a multi-coated polarization holographic element


When a controller determines that the maximum simultaneous feed number is exceeded by a total target number which is the total number of inactive gas feeding section determined to be controlled to the first feed state at one time, of the inactive gas feeding sections determined to be controlled to the first feed state at one time, the controller controls some of them not more than the maximum simultaneous feed number to the first feed state and executes a start delaying process for the others in which process starting of the first control state is delayed by a set delay period.

As an example of such article storage facility described above, there is known an article storage facility having an article storage shelf with a purging function described below. This article storage shelf includes a plurality of storage sections for storing a transport container such as an FOUP, etc. accommodating a semiconductor wafer. Each storage section is provided with a feed nozzle as the inactive gas feeding section for feeding inactive gas such as nitrogen gas, argon gas, etc. to the inside of the transport container, in order to prevent contamination of the semiconductor wafer accommodated in the transport container.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-16199 (Patent Document 1) discloses an example of such article storage facility. With this article storage facility, the flow rate of inactive gas to be discharged from the feed nozzle is varied between a case when a transport container is stored in the storage section and a case when no transport container is stored in the storage section, such that the flow rate of the inactive gas in the case of no transport container being stored in the storage section is rendered smaller than the flow rate in the case of a transport container being stored in the storage section.
The article storage shelf in Patent Document 1 above includes a plurality of storage sections for storing the transport containers and each storage section includes a detecting device for detecting presence/absence of a transport container in this storage section. If the detecting device detects that a transport container is stored in the storage section, the inactive gas is fed to the inside of the transport container by a flow rate (this flow rate will be referred to as the "first flow rate") sufficient for preventing contamination of the semiconductor wafer accommodated inside this transport container. Conversely, if the detection device detects that no transport container is stored in the storage section, the inactive gas will be discharged from a feed nozzle by a flow rate (this flow rate will be referred to as the "second flow rate") set smaller than the first flow rate, in order to prevent accumulation of impurity particles in the feed nozzle.
And, the above-described switchover of the flow rate is effected by the flow rate adjusting device. The flow rate adjusting device is configured to set the feed rate of inactive gas to a target flow rate commanded by the controller.
In Patent Document 1, in case a plurality of transport containers were stored at one time in the article storage shelf, the controller will command a target flow rate to each flow rate adjusting device so that the inactive gas may be fed by the first flow rate uniformly to all these stored transport containers. However, if the flow rate required for feeding the inactive gas by the first flow rate to all of the transport containers stored at one time in the article storage shelf exceeds the flow rate of the inactive gas that can be fed from the feed source (e.g. a cylinder of nitrogen gas), the flow rate of inactive gas that can be fed to each transport container will fall short of the first flow rate as the target flow rate. Therefore, even when commanded the first flow rate as the target flow rate, the flow rate adjusting device will be unable to adjust the feed flow rate of inactive gas to this target flow rate, whereby there will occur inconvenience that the inactive gas feeding section can feed the inactive gas only by a flow rate below the target flow rate.
The flow rate adjusting device is sometimes provided with a function of outputting an error if there has developed a situation wherein the condition of the actually fed flow rate falling short of the target flow rate has continued for a set period. In the case of using a flow rate adjusting device having such function as above, as described above, if the condition of the flow rate of inactive gas that can be actually fed to each transport container falling short of the first flow rate as the target flow rate has continued for a set period, an error will issue, so that the normal operation of the facility may become impossible.

Article storage facility and article storage method


A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first imaging unit, an identifying unit, and a second imaging execution unit. The first imaging execution unit acquires, after applying a labeling RF pulse to blood flowing into the myocardium of a subject, multiple non-contrast MR data for which the time intervals between labeling and acquiring data are different by performing sequential imaging of an imaging area including the myocardium in each segment of a k-space for a given time interval. The identifying unit identifies a time interval taken by the labeled blood to reach a given position in the imaging area. The second imaging execution unit sets the identified time interval and, after applying a labeling RF pulse to the blood flowing into the myocardium of the subject, acquires non-contrast MR data by imaging the imaging area including the myocardium.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging method in which nucleus spins of a subject placed on a static magnetic field is magnetically excited by using a high frequency (RF) signal of a Larmor frequency and an image is reconstructed from a magnetic resonance (MR) signal generated in accordance with the excitation. In the filed of magnetic resonance imaging, non-contrast MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) is known as a method of obtaining blood flow images without using a contrast agent.

Magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging method


An all-terrain vehicle, which limits a speed of backward movement of the vehicle to a predetermined speed and which assures a necessary power output while limiting the backward speed, without a driver's taking any manual trouble to operate a switch to control an engine of the vehicle, even though a high load is exerted upon the vehicle. The all-terrain vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor device, a backward movement positional sensor device, and an engine controller for limiting the engine speed of the vehicle when the backward movement positional sensor device detects that the vehicle is running backward and when the vehicle speed sensor device detects that the vehicle speed reaches a predetermined value, thereby limiting the speed of the vehicle running backward.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an all-terrain vehicle, and particularly relates to an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle provided with an automatic transmission type belt converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a case of an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle which is provided with a gear transmission, but not provided with a belt converter (i.e. automatic V-belt transmission), the speed reduction ratio of the gear transmission is fixed. Therefore, when the gear transmission is shifted to a backward position by which the vehicle is moved backward, and when an engine speed of the vehicle is increased by operating a throttle of the engine, the speed of the vehicle is proportional to the engine speed. In other words, when a maximum power region of the engine is used, the increment of the vehicle speed is limited within a predetermined region set when the gear transmission has been shifted to the backward position.
On the other hand, in a case of an all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle which is provided with a belt converter and a gear type sub-transmission, when the gear transmission (gear type sub-transmission) of the vehicle is shifted to the backward position, the speed reduction ratio by the belt converter automatically changes in compliance with the engine speed and a load exerted upon the belt converter. In other words, the vehicle speed is changeable from a practical speed region to an unnecessary high speed region.
As the all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle which is provided with the belt converter, there has been proposed a vehicle which has a controller for controlling the engine speed so as to prevent the vehicle speed from reaching such an unnecessary high speed, when the vehicle moves backwards. For example, the controller includes an engine speed detector, a backward movement detector, an ignition limiter for cutting ignition of the engine when the engine speed reaches a predetermined value during the backward movement of the vehicle, and an ignition cut release switch which is of a manual button type, or of a manual lever type.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing steps for controlling the engine by the conventional controller. That is, at step S100, it is determined whether the position of the gear transmission (gear position) is a reversion position (i.e., position for the backward movement of the vehicle) or not. If YES, it proceeds to step S200 in which it is determined whether the ignition cut release switch is open or not. If YES, it proceeds to step S300 in which it is determined whether the engine speed is over and above a set value (predetermined value) or not. If YES, it proceeds to step S400 in which the ignition of the engine is cut so as to decrease the engine speed to a speed up to the set value.
Namely, when the engine speed becomes more than the predetermined value during backward movement of the vehicle, the ignition of the engine is cut so as to limit the engine speed to under the predetermined value. On the other hand, when the driver of the vehicle desires, the ignition cut of the engine can be released by operating (handling) the ignition cut release switch manually, in order to increase the engine speed.
Incidentally, as prior art relating to the present invention, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 61-129473 discloses a straddle type all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle having no belt converter, in which when the engine speed is more than a predetermined value during backward movement of the vehicle, the engine speed is limited to a value under the predetermined value.
Concerning the all-terrain four-wheeled vehicle provided with the belt converter in which the engine speed is detected while the vehicle is running backwards and in which the engine speed is controlled to be smaller than the predetermined value, there are some problems as follows. That is,
(1) when a high load is exerted upon the belt converter during backward movement of the vehicle, a large power output (i.e. large drive power) is necessary. At this time, the driver must take the trouble to operate the ignition cut release switch manually inconveniently, in order to increase the engine speed,(2) it is necessary to arrange the ignition cut release switch near the driver, and there must be an arrangement of wiring which connects the ignition cut release switch to a controller, etc., thus creating additional cost, and(3) when the load exerted upon the belt converter frequently varies during backward movement of the vehicle, the operation of the ignition cut release switch is troublesome.


A non-contact diameter measuring device measures the diameter of a stationary or rotating round object by measuring the difference in the angle of reflection of a light beam scanned along part of the circumference of the object. The scanning beam is repeatedly translated across the object and the angle of the reflected beam is detected at two locations using two angle-sensitive detector detects the position at which the scanning beam is retroreflected (i.e. pointing to the center of the object). The second detector is set at a fixed angle. The distance the beam has to translate across the object to generate the maximum output signal at the two angle sensitive detectors is inversely proportional to the diameter. The diameter is calculated from knowing this distance and the fixed angle between the two detectors. The main advantage of this method is that only a small part of the circumference is required to measure the diameter, thus a wide range of diameters can be covered by a single device.

The present invention relates to diameter measuring method and specifically to non-contact measurement of the diameter of a round object.
Existing diameter gages can be broadly divided into contact and non contact types. The most desirable gage is a non-contact type which can measure the diameter without requiring to straddle the measured object. Prior art devices not straddling the object are of the contact type, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,172,208; 3,656,239 and 4,700,484. All these patents utilize a wheel which comes in contact with a rotating object. The wheel has to be carefully aligned with the object to achieve high accuracy. These gages can only measure rotating objects. Most prior art optical gaging, which is non-contact, have to straddle the object, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,922,094 and 4,880,991. There are a few non-contact methods which only require access to one side of the object, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,750, however, they require an accurate distance and angle between the gage and the object and are not suitable to cover a wide range of curvatures. Curvature measurements using two parallel beams can only be used when beams are approximately at a constant angle to the surface of the cylinder. In a hand-held device, these angles can not be controlled.

Non-contact diameter measuring method and apparatus


A manufacturing method for a low-voltage power MISFET which utilizes only three masks (photosteps). In the first step, a polysilicon layer (3) is structured and a cell field and edge zones are produced. An oxide layer (2) is then applied, this being opened in the second photostep above the cells and the edge zones and between the edge (4) and the cells. A metal layer is then applied, this being interrupted between the cells and the edge (4) with the third photostep. Field plates and a channel stopper (9) are thus produced. As last step, a weakly conductive layer (20) is applied onto the entire surface.

The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a power MISFET having a semiconductor substrate that has a field of transistor cells as well as at least one field plate and at least one channel stopper.
Methods for manufacturing such MISFETs are standard practice. At least four, but usually five or more photosteps are thus required in order to produce the fine structures of such a power MISFET. A mask is required for every photostep. A significant reduction of the manufacturing costs can only be achieved by reducing the number of photosteps.

Manufacturing method for a low voltage power MISFET utilizing only three masks


A display with orientation dependent rotatably image presents a properly oriented image in a first mounted fold-down position and a second up-right table-top position. The display folds up into a base unit when not being used for compact storage of the system. An orientation determining device is included for determining the current orientation of the display and properly orienting the image based on that current orientation. The orientation determining device is either a mechanically flipped switch, an automatic switch or an acceleration sensor. The display screen is preferably an LCD screen. Alternatively, the display screen is a light valve type display including a grating light valve system. The display is for use in a television system, computer system, video phone or browser. Infrared input devices are used to control the display and provide data to the computer system. In an alternate embodiment, a touch sensitive screen is also used as an input device.

Displays and monitors presently come in many shapes and sizes and are adapted for use in multiple environments, including compact and portable televisions, computers and games. Together, televisions, displays and monitors will herein be referred to as a group as displays. Displays are typically used to playback television and video signals from an antenna, cable, video camera and video cassette recorder (VCR). Displays are further used to display computer generated information such as text and graphics. When configured and controlled properly, conventional displays are able to display both computer text and graphics as well as television and other video signals. When audio is included within the received signal, an appropriately configured display will also have the capability to playback an audio signal as well.
Displays have been designed to be compact and fit into small places in the home, in vehicles, in portable computers and video cameras. Such compact displays typically include a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen on which the video image is presented.
A retractable face-up LCD monitor is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,106 by Salomon. When in the closed position, the monitor is stored screen up within a restricted space housing. A motor within the housing is used to pivot the monitor between its open and retracted positions. The electronics necessary to receive video signals and control the LCD display move with the monitor when it is in the open position. This monitor was designed for use in aircraft and will operate in only a single orientation.
A flat panel display monitor is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,759 by Gombrich et al. A housing, secured to a wall, includes a support assembly for supporting the display in multiple positions. The support assembly includes arms which are rotatably interconnected to the display screen so that when secured within the housing, the display screen is positioned inside the housing and when positioned out for viewing, the display screen is rotated to face outward.
A video display unit workstation is taught by Jamber et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,349. This video display unit workstation is stored away in the back rest of a vehicle seat. The video display unit includes a keyboard and is designed to allow a passenger in a vehicle to work on a computer through the video display unit while riding in the vehicle. When not in use, the video display unit folds into the back rest of the seat in front of the passenger. When in use, the video display unit taught by Jamber et al. works in only a single orientation.
What is needed is a compact and portable display having multiple uses which can be adapted for many different environments. What is further needed is a compact and portable display which will operate in multiple orientations.

Display/monitor with orientation dependent rotatable image


The present invention provides an electrode material for a secondary battery wherein the inside and the surface of a lithium-titanium complex oxide is composited with a fine carbon fiber as a network.

Recently, as electronic devices have been size-reduced, improved in performance and improved in portability, rechargeable secondary batteries such as a Ni-MH alkali storage battery and a lithium secondary battery have been practically and extensively used. In particular, the use of a lightweight lithium-ion secondary battery with a high energy density has been investigated not only for conventional small information-communications devices such as cell phones and laptop computers, but also for moving vehicles such as automobiles, power sources of rotating bodies such as electric tools and backup power sources which are required to have high-output properties and long-term reliability.
Currently, a cathode active material for a lithium-ion secondary battery is a lithium transition metal complex oxide such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO2) and lithium manganese oxide having a spinel structure (LiMn2O4) which is capable of providing an operating voltage of 4V. Meanwhile, carbon materials are extensively used as an anode active material. Application of a conventional electrode material to industrial applications such as backup system for industrial applications and to an automobile battery which are expected to give rise to great demand, however, has problems to be solved such as drain on resources and a high price, dissatisfactory battery performance and safety.
Recently, a lithium-titanium complex oxide has drawn attention as an electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery used in the above applications. A lithium-titanium complex oxide exhibits a charge-discharge potential nobler than that of a carbon material (a spinel type Li4Ti5O12 has a potential of about 1.56 V to Li/Li+), and is, therefore, practically used as a cathode active material for a battery in a wristwatch. Among lithium-titanium complex oxides, Li4Ti5O12 having a spinel type structure has a large amount of lithium ions which can be electrochemically intercalated or deintercalated and exhibits smaller volume change associated with the intercalation and deintercalation, so that it advantageously maintains a crystal structure and exhibits less deterioration caused by charge-discharge cycle. Furthermore, it is known that since a lithium ion exhibits a nobler intercalation/deintercalation potential than that of a carbon material, precipitation of lithium metal at a low temperature and reductive decomposition of a solvent by an anode active material are prevented, resulting in ensuring of safety and a longer battery life. However, for a lithium-titanium complex oxide, an electron conductivity is extremely small, a reaction resistance is large for intercalation/deintercalation of a lithium ion, and charge/discharge under high load leads to significant deterioration in battery properties. It is difficult, therefore, to apply to a battery system for which a higher output is required.
For solving these problems, there have been proposed homogenization of lithium-titanium complex oxide particles, size reduction of the particles and complexing with an electron conductive substance.
Size reduction in lithium-titanium complex oxide particles can increase an area where a reaction proceeds and reduce intra-particle diffusion length of lithium ions and electrons, but mere size reduction of particles causes poor subsequent precipitation (dispersibility) and poor adherence to a collector in producing an electrode and adversely causes deterioration in battery properties such as a capacity and an output, resulting in insufficient improvement in charge/discharge properties under high load (Non-patent Reference No. 1).
Meanwhile, there has been disclosed, as a method for endowing a lithium-titanium complex oxide with electric conductivity, doping a crystal lattice of a lithium-titanium complex oxide with dissimilar metal, for example, doping lithium titanate with an element having a higher valence than Ti(IV) (V, Nb, Mo, P) (Patent Reference No. 1), and disclosed an active material for a battery wherein transition metal (V, Zr, Nb, Mo, Mn, Fe, Cu, Co) is doped (Patent Reference No. 2). There has been disclosed as a method for coating an active material surface with an electroconductive substance such as carbon, a metal and an oxide, an active material for a battery wherein the surfaces of lithium titanate particles are coated with carbon at a particular ratio (Patent Reference No. 3).
In an electrode reaction, whereas oxidation and reduction of electrodes proceed by discharge and storage of lithium ions and transfer of electrons in the course of charge or discharge, an electrode reaction rate, that is, an output property, depend on a dispersion rate of lithium ions and electron mobility within the solid phase of an active material. The disclosed method for endowing a less electroconductive lithium-titanium complex oxide with electroconductivity fails to adequate electroconductivity due to the absence of a highly conductive substance within the particle and thus a load resistance due to electron transfer is not satisfactorily reduced. In a method wherein the surfaces of particles are coated with carbon by thermal decomposition of an organic compound, the carbon exhibits poor graphite crystallinity and thus poor electroconductivity, and in the coated area, the active material surface is not directly in contact with an electrolyte, and thus spreading diffusion of lithium ions are prevented, which is disadvantageous to, for example, output properties and a utilization rate of an active material.

Lithium—titanium complex oxide electrode material conjugated with fine carbon fiber


The invention protects an intraosseous infusion system from being bumped or displaced. The device is a strap and an implement that holds the intraosseous infusion system. The implement is comprised of two pieces. A U shaped piece that has an opening that holds the intraosseous infusion device. The second piece when snapped into place encircles the intraosseous infusion device to securely hold the intraosseous infusion device in place. To use the invention, the invention is place over the intraosseous infusion device placed in the patient's leg and the strap is tightened around the patient's leg. Then the second piece is pushed around the intraosseous infusion device to hold it securely in place.

Emergency medical services have recently obtained a new weapon in providing immediate vascular access to the central circulation. This weapon is a small IO device for an IV that is drilled in the tibia just below the kneecap. The inventor, an emergency medical technician, has helped to place many of these I/O devices within individuals. Although the placement of the I/O device is easy, the devices can be accidentally knocked out easily. To solve this problem the inventor has devised a device that holds the needle in place and protects it when inadvertently bumped or knocked.
The new small IO has been created by Vidacare and is called EZ-IO intraosseous infusion system. The small IO is comprised of a hollow needle and a cap (catheter hub) that is designed to take a catheter from an IV or a needle for infusing medicine or liquids. The device is used when the patient has poor peripheral vasculature and for whose whom vascular access can be challenging. It is a quick and easy solution at the scene of an accident or on the battlefield where action must be immediate and the injured individual may not be in an ideal position. The EZ-IO is easy to place however it is also come out easily. To overcome this problem the inventor has developed a device that will hold the EZ-IO in place on the leg. The feature that enables the inventor's device to hold the EZ-IO is a device that constricts around the EZ-IO and a strap that encircle the leg to hold the constricting device and the EZ-IO in place on the leg.

Device that holds an intraosseous infusion system in place on an individual's leg


Disclosed is a light-emitting device comprising: a semiconductor stack layer; a reflective layer on the semiconductor stack layer; a first buffer layer comprising a compound comprising a metallic element and a non-metallic element on the reflective layer; a first electrode; and an electrical insulating layer disposed between the first buffer layer and the first electrode.

As shown in FIG. 1, to increase the reflection of light in a flip-chip light-emitting device (LED), a metal reflective layer (mirror) 130 is disposed on a second semiconductor layer 123 (for example, a p-type semiconductor layer). And in order to increase the bonding area in a flip-chip bonding, the first electrode 150 which is electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer 121 (for example, an n-type semiconductor layer) comprises an extending part 150b which extends to the ambient area, as shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the contact part 150a which contacts with the first semiconductor layer 121. Therefore, for electrical isolation, it is necessary that an electrical insulating layer 140 is disposed between the metal reflective layer 130 and the extending part 150b of the first electrode 150 which is electrically connected to the first semiconductor layer 121. To improve the electrical characteristics, a heat treatment process (such as anneal) to the metal reflective layer 130 is necessary to achieve a better ohmic contact. After the heat treatment process, the ohmic contact between the metal reflective layer 130 and the second semiconductor layer 123 below becomes better, and the forward voltage Vf of the device can be lowered. However, after heat treatment, because the metal is oxidized and its property changed, and the adhesion to a subsequent material is reduced, a poor adhesion exists between the metal reflective layer 130 and an electrical insulating layer 140 subsequently covered thereon, and results in the peeling of the electrical insulating layer 140 (and layers formed thereon) along with the removal of the photo-resistor in a subsequent process such as the lift-off process of the photo-resistor for forming an electrode. The actual peeling condition is shown in FIG. 5. The adhesion problem demonstrates that there is a stress existing between the electrical insulating layer 140 and the metal reflective layer 130. Due to the effect of the stress, in a high temperature process, a poor contact occurs at the interface of the metal reflective layer 130 and the second semiconductor layer 123, and leads to the rising of the forward voltage Vf and the increasing of the current leakage.


This invention is a method and system for reserving a facility or service after the cancellation of an initial reservation for the facility of service. The system for this invention comprises a reservation center that contains reservation information about multiple facilities and services that available for use. This information includes times, quantity and quality of the facilities and services that are available. Also included in this reservation center is information about the users that are interested in reserving and using the currently reserved facility or service. The system of the present invention also includes remote devices that the potential users possess. The reservation center will use a particular remote device for a corresponding use to alert the user there has been a cancellation and that the facility or services is available for use by the alerted user. The primary user and all backup users can use the Internet capabilities to communicate with the reservation center.

Many activities in which people participate require the person to reserve the facility or equipment prior to the time for use by the person. The reason it is necessary to reserve the resource is because often more persons desire the resource than is available. Therefore, the manager of a resource establishes a schedule of use in which participants have slotted times or spaces for use the resource. Some activities that require reservations are travel, car rentals and hotel lodging and recreational activities such as playing golf. Reservations help resource owners manage the use of the resource in order to achieve maximum and efficient use of the resource and maximum profit for the owner.
When the owner has fully booked or reserved the resource, the owner has to then turn away persons desiring to use the resource. However, if one of the reservations gets cancelled, or the reserver fails to show up the resource would go unused at that time. In this particular situation, this non-use would cost the owner money. To address this possibility, some owners require the reserving parties to put down a deposit to insure that the reservation slot will generate revenue. This solution still does not promote maximum and efficient use of the resource.
One approach to employ in an attempt to achieve maximum and efficient use is to overbook the resource. In this method, the owner would make the resource available to more users than could actually use the resource at the particular time. This practice of overbooking is particularly common in the travel industry in general and the airline industry in particular. In travel, passengers typically purchase tickets in advance of travel, and are included in a database of a reservation system as having a reservation. On the date of travel, they must check in, or their seat will be given up to other passengers. Because statistics show that there will always be a number of passengers who will not show up on the designated date of travel, carriers typically "overbook" by selling a number of seats over the number of seats that are actually available, based on mathematical calculations. If the passenger does not check in, their seat may be used to accommodate overbooking, or may be given to standby passengers. Overbooking is done because, often, some of the passengers with reservations do not actually take the flight. Thus, without overbooking, the flight would depart at less than capacity.
By overbooking the flight, the carrier seeks to maximize its profits by using the total capacity of the vehicle. However, if the overbooking level is set too high, some of the passengers booked on the flight will be "bumped" from the flight, i.e. will not be seated because there are fewer "no shows" than passengers booked. This inconveniences passengers who may become dissatisfied with the carrier. Thus, while trying to maximize profits, most carriers try to minimize the number of "bumped" passengers. In addition, this practice of bumping passengers requires that the carrier compensate the passengers that do not have seats as a result of overselling the flight.
There have been other attempts to address the problem of maximizing resource usage through a reservation system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,463, to Jurkevics, et al. describes an automated reservation scheduling system for audio conferencing resources. The reservation scheduling system schedules conference calls in real-time in a way that optimally makes use of audio conferencing resources. As a result, a party scheduling an audio conference may receive a confirmation and a conferencing phone number on the same call that the parties use to initiate the scheduling of a conference. The automated reservation scheduling system reserves audio conferencing resources to ensure that a sufficient amount of resources are available for the scheduled time slot in which the audio conference is to take place. The resources are reserved based upon a determination of the resources that will be required to realize the audio conference requested by the requesting party.
In another approach, a method of reserving resources is practiced in a computer system. In accordance with this method, an automated scheduler is provided for scheduling reservations of for the resource. A request is received from a caller to schedule a resource, which could be a conference room. The automated scheduler is then used to identify selected resources that are available to the requester. The selected resources are then reserved for use for the user.
Another reservation method is practiced in a computer system such that a request to schedule a facility at a given date and time is received by the scheduler. The resources within the facility are examined to determine the availability of resources at the specified date and time. The available facility resources that fulfill the needs of the requester are identified as qualified facility resources. Some of the qualified facility resources are selected as the ones to be reserved for the requester.
In another example of the reservation of an audio conference facility, a request to schedule a first audio conference is received on a computer system. A phone number that participants in the first audio conference may call to participate is determined and reserved. Audio conferencing resources to be used for the first audio conference are determined and reserved independently of the determining of the phone number for the first audio conference. A second request to schedule a second audio conference is received. A phone number and audio conferencing resources to be used for the second audio conference are determined and reserved interdependently. The determining of the phone number determines the audio conferencing resources to be used for the second audio conference.
Although these reservation methods do address some of the concerns related to achieving maximum usage of a resource, there has not been any focus on achieving maximum usage through rescheduling resources after the initial party has cancelled the initial reservation. There is a need for a system that can increase resource usage through the re-reserving the cancelled slot to a second entity interested in the slot.

Method and system for dynamic utilization mechanisms for facilities whose reservation status can change dynamically

International Business Machines Corporation


An image-sensing device includes a driver and an array of pixels. The driver controls the array of pixels to output a combined image signal that is a combination of at least two image signals for at least two aligned pixels in at least two rows, for reducing vertical resolution in the sub-sampling mode. In addition, a mixing circuit further averages the resulting combined signals for M consecutive odd or even columns for reducing horizontal resolution in the sub-sampling mode.

This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 2004-8926, filed on Feb. 11, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image-sensing devices, and more particularly, to sub-sampling mode in solid-state image-sensing devices such as of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS)-type.
2. Description of the Related Art
A CIS-type solid-sate image-sensing device is typically used within small portable electronic devices such as a camera of a mobile phone or a digital still camera. The CIS-type solid-state image sensing device converts images into electrical signals for further processing by a digital signal processor. The digital signal processor processes color image data (red, green, and blue signals) output from the solid-state image-sensing device for driving a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD).
During a sub-sampling mode of the CIS-type solid-state image-sensing device, a full-frame image signal is generated with lower resolution. The sub-sampling mode is carried out for example in a preview stage in which an image to be sensed is checked before being fully sensed or in an auto focus setting stage with faster signal processing of lower resolution.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional CIS-type solid-state image-sensing device 100 that includes an active pixel sensor (APS) array 110, a row driver 120, and an analog-to-digital converter 130. The row driver 120 receives a control signal from a row decoder (not shown), and the analog-to-digital converter 130 receives a control signal from a column decoder (not shown). The solid-state image-sensing device 100 further includes a controller (not shown) that generates addressing signals for controlling timing and selection of pixels for outputting sensed image signals.
When the conventional CIS-type solid-state image-sensing device 100 is for generating colored image signals, a respective color filter is disposed on top of each pixel of the APS array 110. The most common color filter array has a Bayer color pattern in which filters of the colors red (R) and green (G) are alternately disposed on one row and in which filters of the colors G and blue (B) are alternately disposed on the next row. Such a Bayer color pattern is known to one of ordinary skill in the art of image sensing devices.
For high resolution, the APS array 110 includes over a million pixels for example. In the CIS-type solid-state image-sensing device 100, each pixel in the APS array 110 generates a respective image signal by sensing light of the respective color filter with a respective photodiode and converting such light into a respective electrical signal. Thus, the respective image signal output from each pixel of the APS array 110 is an analog signal of one of three colors, R, G, and B. The analog-to-digital converter 130 converts such an analog image signal into a digital signal.
In addition, the analog-to-digital converter 130 uses a correlated double sampling (CDS) method to further process the image signals from the APS array 110. Such a method is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,982,318 and 6,067,113. For the CDS method, the analog-to-digital conversion is basically divided into two operations: receiving a reset signal and the image signals from the APS array 110, and then processing the reset signal and the image signals to generate digital signals representing the image sensed by the APS array 110.
For the CDS method for example, the analog-to-digital converter 130 subtracts the reset signal from the image signals before conversion into the digital signals. Such digital signals are output to a digital signal processor that may further interpolate the digital image signals. In addition, the digital signal processor generates driving signals appropriate for the resolution of a display device such as a LCD (liquid crystal display).
In a sub-sampling mode of the CIS-type solid-state image-sensing device 100, the image signals are output with lowered resolution. For example, for the APS array 110 having super extended graphics adapter (SXGA) resolution (1280×1024), regular image signals are output at the SXGA resolution. However, for the sub-sampling mode, image signals are output at a video graphics adapter (VGA) resolution (640×480). Also, if the APS array 110 is for ultra extended graphics adaptor (UXGA) resolution (1600×1200), image signals are output with a resolution even lower than the VGA resolution for reducing data processing in the sub-sampling mode.
For sub-sampling mode in the conventional CIS-type solid-state image-sensing device 100, image signals of only a specific row and column that are spaced at a predetermined distance are output to the analog-to-digital converter 130 for lowering the resolution. In the above-mentioned example, to lower the SXGA resolution to the VGA resolution, the image signal from one pixel is selected from among a 2×2 matrix of four pixels for the ½ resolution.
The image signals from the other non-selected pixels are ignored for reduced data processing. With such ignored image signals, a diagonal portion on the display image is not smoothly connected, resulting in aliasing noise that is displayed in a zigzag form.

Sub-sampling with higher display quality in image-sensing device


A low voltage inhibiting circuit for use with a microcomputer in which a reset signal is applied during power-up or whenever the voltage of an unregulated source to a regulated supply drops below a predetermined threshold level. The reset signal is removed whenever the voltage from the unregulated source is restored to a value which is above a second predetermined threshold value defined as being above the first threshold value and after a predetermined period of time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of reset circuits for use with microcomputers and more specifically to the area to reset circuits that provide an inhibiting reset signal to a microcomputer when power source voltage drops below a safe level.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that microcomputers operating from regulated power supplies must be inhibited during both the power-up phase and in the event that the DC power to the regulated power supply is interrupted or drops below a predetermined level.
Prior art circuits such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,423 provide complicated circuits that generate reset signals for a microprocessor during the time the circuit is initially powered up or when the unregulated source voltage drops below a preselected level. Generally such prior art circuits are expensive and constitute a significant drain on a battery source.
The primary objective of people working in this area is to find a low cost solution to achieving the desired functions.

Low voltage inhibiting circuit for a microcomputer


An apparatus is configured to manage N data records for N associated seals from products. The apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive a challenge message, sent by a capture appliance, with a code associated with one of the N seals. There is a checking unit configured to check the received code for validity and for a first breakage of the seal associated with the received code on the basis of the data record associated with the associated seal. A transmission unit is configured to send a response message, generated on the basis of the check, with a piece of status information pertaining to the first breakage of the seal associated with the received code to the capture appliance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to an apparatus and a method for managing data records for associated seals from products, such as appliances or objects, for example bottles or medication packagings.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a seal from a product is a security label. In this case, security labels exist that, following removal, can be recognized as invalid, e.g. by the appearance of an "Invalid" legend or by a checkerboard or diamond pattern. In addition, it is known practice to print a code, such as a piece of identification information, a consecutive number or a barcode, on security labels. However, it is not possible to read from these whether a seal has been broken.
In addition, in the case of drinks bottles and candy, it is known practice to print an access code, for example a password consisting of digits and letters, onto a label or a screw cap, so that the access code can be read only when the packaging has been opened. Conventionally, however, the access code needs to be typed manually by the user, e.g. in order to retrieve bonus information from a website of the manufacturer. Examples of such bonus information include comics or ringtones.
In addition, the use of PIN letters, e.g. for SIM mobile radio chip cards, is known. These involve the PIN being able to be read only after a protective label has been rubbed away or removed. This serves as evidence of first opening, so that the authorized recipient and user can check that another has not already obtained the PIN before him. In addition, it is common to code particular information, such as a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), a telephone number, an E-mail address or the like, as a two-dimensional barcode, for example as a data matrix code or as a QR code (Quick Response Code). By way of example, a two-dimensional barcode of this kind can be captured and decoded by the camera of a mobile telephone. Following decoding, the corresponding URL can be loaded and displayed by a web browser on, for example, the mobile telephone.
Furthermore, an electronic product code to identify a product is known. The product code may be coded as a barcode or RFID. Examples include product codes on medication packagings.
However, the user of such a product having a seal has no assurance that he is breaking the seal for the first time. Overall, the opening or breakage of a seal for a product is conventionally not automated and reliably capturable and also verifiable by a trustworthy entity.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages.

Apparatus and method for managing data records for associated seals from products


A radio receiver 102 is provided. The radio receiver 102 comprises one or more data Fast Fourier Transformers, each data Fast Fourier Transformer operable to perform a Fast Fourier Transform on an input data block, one or more impulse response Fast Fourier Transformers, each impulse response Fast Fourier Transformer operable to perform a Fast Fourier Transform on a channel impulse response, one or more multiplier components operable to multiply a term of the output of one of the data Fast Fourier Transformers by a term of the output of one of the impulse response Fast Fourier Transformers, and one or more Inverse Fast Fourier Transformers, each Inverse Fast Fourier Transformer operable to perform an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform based on an output of one or more of the multipliers.

The downlink of high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) for third generation partnership project (3GPP) compliant systems tends to suffer from multi-path and requires the use of a chip level equalizer instead of a conventional rake receiver architecture used in communication systems such as code division multiple access (CDMA) communication systems. Chip level equalization for HSDPA is typically performed using a time domain filter computation based upon various techniques such as normalized least mean square (NLMS), 2-stage NLMS, Griffith's, pre-filter rake, channel estimation based LMS (CHEST), Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based minimum mean squared error (MMSE) filter calculation or channel response based minimum output energy (CR-MOE).
HSDPA delivers superior speed, capacity and efficiency improvements. Some advantages to HSDPA include improved spectrum efficiency, improved network capacity, higher peak data rates, and improved allocation of resources.


Orthodontic appliances having improved bonding characteristics and methods of making such orthodontic appliances are disclosed. The appliances to which the present invention is applicable have a metal bonding base and tooth contact surface. Primary mechanical interlock retention means or surface is applied to the tooth contact surfaces. The primary retention surface may be 1) a mesh, 2) a layer of metallic or non-metallic particles (such as spheres, rods, shards, etc.), or 3) grooves, including undercuts, formed in the tooth contact surface. The appliances preferably further comprise secondary mechanical bond strength enhancement means or treatment. Suitable secondary enhancement treatments include 1) surface roughening (e.g., ion bombardment or other etching processes), 2) particles on the order of 5-200.mu. flame spray coated on the primary retention surface, and 3) a chemically activatable material, such as SiO.sub.2 deposited on the primary retention surface. Chemical activation may also be used to activate the chemically activatable material, such as silanation of SiO.sub.2.

In the practice of orthodontics, orthodontic appliances such as brackets are typically secured directly to teeth using an adhesive bonding system. In the course of most orthodontic procedures, forces are applied to the orthodontic brackets by orthodontic archwires, which cause maloccluded teeth to move in a predetermined fashion. Thus, the bonding of orthodontic appliances to teeth is of critical importance for several reasons: 1) to ensure proper transfer of the forces directly to the teeth; 2) to ensure that no undue forces are exerted on the teeth, particularly during removal of the appliances, which may cause removal of enamel; and 3) to ensure that the appliances are not unintentionally debonded prior to the completion of the treatment.
With respect to orthodontic brackets having a metal bonding surface, various solutions have been suggested in the prior art to provide or enhance the bonding characteristics of the appliance. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,165,561 and 4,068,379 disclose the use of a metal mesh welded to the bonding base of the appliance in order to provide acceptable mechanical bonding characteristics. U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,361 suggests the use of particles in order to provide a porous structure on the tooth contact surface of the appliance. However, these types of brackets are made of materials which are substantially non-chemically reactive, and thus are limited with respect to the bond strengths that can be obtained since they rely on the mechanical bonding characteristics of the bracket.
With respect to non-metal brackets, e.g., brackets made of a ceramic material, bonding of the brackets generally incorporates the use of a chemical treatment so that high bond strengths between bracket and tooth are obtained. However, use of chemically reactive bonding adhesives generally requires special handling and care in order to obtain desired bonding strengths, as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,538. Additionally, due to the high bond strengths obtained with ceramic-type brackets, and the manner in which the bonds are fractured, a much higher risk is presented that enamel may be removed from the tooth during bracket removal.
The present invention is intended to overcome the various drawbacks discussed above with respect to bonding brackets to teeth and encompasses improved orthodontic appliances and methods of making such appliances which result in improved bonding characteristics without presenting any substantially increased risk of removing enamel from the tooth.


This specification describes technologies relating to converting vibration energy to electrical energy through electromagnetic transduction. According to an aspect, an apparatus to convert kinetic energy to electricity through electromagnetic transduction can include: an array of magnets arranged in a first plane; and an array of coils arranged in a second plane with respect to the first plane to form a gap between the array of magnets and the array of coils. According to another aspect, an energy harvester can include: a two dimensional array of magnets; a two dimensional array of coils; a housing configured and arranged to limit a direction of motion of either the two dimensional array of magnets or the two dimensional array of coils; and additional magnets configured and arranged to form a suspension system for either the two dimensional array of magnets or the two dimensional array of coils in the direction of motion.

This specification relates to converting vibration energy to electrical energy through electromagnetic transduction.
There are plenty of places and objects that vibrate and provide sources for energy harvesting, such as ocean, bridges, building walls, automobiles, airplanes, ships, etc. Even humans, animals, or any moving objects carry quite a bit of vibration energy. Harvesting such ubiquitous energy offers alternative energy means. But the conversion efficiency from mechanical to electrical energy for vibration-energy harvesters has been at such a level that a power generation beyond Watt with a single harvester has been considered impractical.

Electromagnetic energy conversion through coil and magnet arrays


A method for reducing corrosion in a diolefin extractive distillation process comprising preventing the formation of ammonium carbonate by promoting the formation of a carbonate salt that does not dissociate in the ammonium carbonate dissociation temperature range of that extractive distillation process.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the solvent extraction of a diolefin from a mixture of hydrocarbons. More particularly, this invention relates to the extractive distillation of butadiene or isoprene from a mixture of hydrocarbons.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Thermal cracking of hydrocarbons is a petrochemical process that is widely used to produce olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butenes, butadiene, and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes.
An olefin production plant is generally composed of a cracking unit and a hydrocarbons unit.
In the cracking unit a hydrocarbonaceous feedstock such as ethane, naphtha, gas oil, or other fractions of whole crude oil is mixed with steam which serves as a diluent to keep the hydrocarbon molecules separated.
This mixture, after preheating, is subjected to hydrocarbon thermal cracking using elevated temperatures (1,450 to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit or F.) in a pyrolysis furnace (steam cracker or cracker). This thermal cracking is carried out without the aid of any catalyst.
The cracked product effluent of the pyrolysis furnace (furnace) contains hot, gaseous hydrocarbons of great variety (from 1 to 35 carbon atoms per molecule, or C1 to C35 inclusive, both saturated and unsaturated). This product contains aliphatics (alkanes and alkenes), alicyclics (cyclanes, cyclenes, and cyclodienes), aromatics, and molecular hydrogen (hydrogen).
This furnace product is then subjected to further processing in the cracking unit to produce, as products of the olefin plant, various, separate and individual product streams such as hydrogen, ethylene, propylene, fuel oil, and pyrolysis gasoline. After the separation of these individual streams, the remaining cracked product contains essentially C4 hydrocarbons and heavier. This remainder is fed to a debutanizer wherein a crude C4 stream is separated as overhead while a crude C5 and heavier stream is removed as a bottoms product and further processed in a depentanizer.
The crude C4 stream can contain varying amounts of n-butane, isobutane, 1-butene, 2-butenes (both cis and trans isomers), isobutylene, acetylenes, and diolefins such as butadiene (1,2-, 1,3-., cis, and trans isomers), vinyl acetylene, and ethyl acetylene, all of which are known to boil within a narrow range, U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,438. Further, some of these compounds can form an azeotrope. Crude C4's are, therefore, known to be difficult to separate by simple thermal distillation.
The crude C5 stream can contain isoprene, pentanes, pentenes, hexanes, hexenes, and aromatics such as benzene, toluene, and xylenes, and can also be difficult to separate by simple thermal distillation.
The crude C4 and C5 streams are normally further processed in the hydrocarbons unit for the separation of other individual product streams such as butenes, butadiene, isoprene, benzene, toluene, and the like.
The crude C4 stream, after removal of acetylenes, normally goes to a butadiene extraction unit for, among other things, the separation and recovery of butadiene therefrom.
The crude C5 stream is normally sent to an isoprene extraction unit for, among other things, the separation and recovery of isoprene therefrom.
A dominating commercial process for separating butadiene from C4's or isoprene from C5's is known technically as "fractional extraction" but is more commonly referred to as "solvent extraction" or "extractive distillation." However it is termed, this diolefin separation process employs the technique of altering the relative volatilities of various of the compounds to make easier the separation of those compounds by thermal fractional distillation. More specifically, this process employs an aprotic polar compound (solvent) that has a high complexing affinity toward the more polarizable butadiene or isoprene molecules than, and to the substantial exclusion of, the other olefins in the crude C4 or C5 streams. Known solvents used in this process include acetonitrile, dimethylformamide, furfural, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, acetone, dimethylacetamide, and the like. This process and the solvents used in it are well known, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,993,841 and 4,134,795.
The primary equipment employed in the extractive distillation of butadiene or isoprene from a crude stream is an extractive distillation tower or series of towers followed by a diolefin thermal stripping tower and a separate solvent thermal stripping tower. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, certain equipment that is ancillary to these towers has, from time to time, been plagued with premature and severe corrosion damage. The corrosion rates experienced have been on the order of about 500 mils per year when typical corrosion rates would have been 1 to 2 mils per year.
Until the advent of this invention, the source of this periodic corrosion problem was unknown, and the corrosion itself was difficult to control because the source of the problem was unknown and the corrosion rate was drastic. Pursuant to this invention, the root cause of this corrosion problem has been discovered and removed in an efficient and cost effective manner.


Various edge detection arrangements are disclosed, including an edge detection method and arrangement that utilizes outputs of commonly illuminated reference and edge sensors as the inputs for a comparator. The reference sensor is configured to have a wide field of view and the edge sensor is configured to have a narrow, high gain, field of view. Therefore, the reference sensor has a broad signal response to an edge passage and the edge sensor a steep and narrow signal response. When the two signals are biased to cross each other, the comparator output changes state, indicating passage of an edge. Because the reference sensor provides a base signal level directly related to the real time illumination level that the edge sensor also receives, the reference sensor provides a switch point along the transition ramp of the edge sensor that integrates a majority of the random error sources.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to media sensors. More specifically, the present invention provides methods and arrangements for media edge sensors useful, for example, in a label printer.
2. Description of Related Art
Edge detection is used for identifying the passage of leading and or trailing edges of media as a means for counting and or accurate spatial registration of operations to be performed upon desired areas of the media. For example, label printers pass an array of labels releasably adhered to a support web past a printhead. An emitter and a detector pair are positioned on either side of the support web to detect changes in the web transmissivity between areas of the web covered by a label and the areas of uncovered web between each label. When the transmissivity changes from high to low or vice versa, a signal is transmitted to the printer processor indicating that a label edge has been detected. Thereby, accurate spatial orientation of printed indicia upon each label is enabled.
Some prior edge sensors have used an aperture to localize the emitter output and or mask the detector as a means for increasing the rate of change between a high transmissivity and a low transmissivity state, as a label edge passes the detector. As shown in FIG. 1, because of light scattering that occurs in the web, even if an aperture is used, a sharply defined transition does not occur. Noise generated in part by the presence of paper fibers or other non-uniformities in the web and or labels introduces a further random error to the detector by varying the point, relative to the actual edge location, at which a preset transition threshold signal level is detected.
The emitter, detector, aperture and their precise placement with respect to each other introduces further opportunity for variability of the sensor response characteristics. Performance characteristics of sensor components may vary batch to batch as the different components are received from a single or multiple suppliers and over time as component sensitivity and or output levels degrade. Further, environmental fouling of the emitter, aperture and or detector will degrade sensor circuit response characteristics over time.
Alternatively, edge detection may be performed by illuminating the back of the web and detecting the reflectivity changes caused by passage of, for example, a black mark placed on the back of the web, relative to a label edge. Black marks may also be used to indicate approach of a media run-out condition. However, reflectivity and diffusion variances in the web and or printed marks can still create similar signal response random error characteristics as noted above. Furthermore, different placements and performance characteristics of sensor components from batch to batch, and environmental fouling of such components over time, can also still degrade sensor circuit response characteristics.
Nonetheless, users expect label and other such printers and devices to function with a wide range of different media and support web combinations having a wide range of transmissivity and or light scattering characteristics. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatuses that overcome such deficiencies in the prior art.


A method for independently forming neck height (NH) and pole width dimensions in a main pole layer of a PMR write head is described. A main pole layer with a pole tip region is formed on a bottom yoke. The pole tip region is trimmed by an ion milling process to give a pole width. A bilayer resist is patterned to form an opening with an undercut on the main pole layer. The opening uncovers the pole tip region except for an NH length adjacent to the pole tip. A top yoke comprised of CoFeN with a thickness of about 0.2 microns is deposited in the opening and the bilayer resist is removed by a lift-off process. Thereafter, a write gap layer is formed on the pole tip region and then first, second, and third write shield layers are formed above the write gap layer along the ABS.

Perpendicular recording has been developed in part to achieve higher recording density than is realized with longitudinal recording devices. A PMR writer typically has a main pole with a small surface area at an air bearing surface (ABS) and a return flux pole or opposing pole with a large surface area (at the ABS) which is magnetically coupled to the main pole. Critical dimensions of the main pole include a neck height (NH) and a pole width in a pole tip region adjacent to the ABS. After depositing and planarizing the main pole, an ion milling process is typically used to trim excess magnetic material at its edges. Since the pole tip region has small dimensions, the ion milling step generally produces a large variation in NH. Moreover, a small NH leads to a large variation in pole width which is also referred to as track width.
A conventional PMR head 1 with a merged read/write head structure is depicted in FIG. 1. The read head 19 is formed on a substrate 2 that has a top surface 2a. There is a first shield 3 formed on the substrate 2 and first and second gap layers 4a, 4b consecutively formed on the first shield. Between the first and second gap layers 4a, 4b at the ABS A-A′ is a sensor 5 with a stripe height SH. A second shield 6 forms the top of the read head. The read head is separated by a distance d from the write head 20 with a separation layer 7 such as Al2O3.
The bottom layer in the write head 20 is a bottom yoke 8 which can be recessed from the ABS A-A′ by a distance c which is typically about 1 micron. Adjacent to the bottom yoke 8 on the separation layer 7 is formed an insulator layer 9 that extends from the ABS toward the back side of the write head. A main pole layer 10 on the insulator layer 9 and bottom yoke 8 has a pole tip 10a in a pole tip region (FIG. 2) at the ABS. There is a write gap layer 11 on the main pole layer 10 and a second insulation layer 12 on the write gap layer. The write gap layer extends toward a back end of the write head but is interrupted by a back gap region (not shown). A plurality of coils 13 located within the second insulation layer 12 is wrapped around the back gap region where the main pole layer 10 joins a third write shield 17. An overcoat dielectric layer 14 such as alumina typically covers the coils 13 to separate the coils from the third write shield 17. There is a first write shield 15 on the main pole layer 10 along the ABS and a second write shield 16 between the first write shield and the third write shield 17.
Referring to FIG. 2, a top view of a portion of the main pole layer 10 is pictured with surrounding layers removed. The main pole layer 10 with a pole tip region 10b is formed in a write head on a slider that is part of an array of sliders on a wafer. An ion milling process is typically employed to reduce an initial pole width a1 in each main pole layer to a2 and also trim the edges of the main pole layer 10 by a similar dimension along the dashed lines. Thus, the length of the pole tip region along the x-axis is reduced by a distance of about 0.5×(a1-a2) and a pole tip 10c is formed after the ion milling step. Note that the corners where the pole tip region 10b meets the main pole layer 10 are shown as well defined points for the purpose of this discussion. Typically, the intersection of the pole tip region and main pole layer has a rounded shape before and after the ion milling process and the distances a1 and a2 may be difficult to measure. Once the write head is fabricated, the wafer is sliced to form rows of sliders along an initial lapping plane ABS1.
A subsequent lapping process forms a final ABS2 lapping plane that defines a pole tip 10a in the pole tip region 10b with a neck height NH. However, there are large variations in the NH dimension, largely due to variations in the ion milling process. For example, the distance 0.5×(a1-a2) can sometimes exceed the desired NH dimension and large variations in the location of the pole tip 10c can result. In some cases, the pole tip 10c may be closer to the main pole layer 10 than the desired NH distance and a subsequent lapping process cannot correct the overtrimmed condition. Therefore, a method of fabricating a PMR head is desirable in which the NH dimension is not determined by an ion milling step in order to improve process control. To our knowledge, the prior art does not teach a method for independently forming NH and pole width dimensions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,084, a yoke layer is formed on a main pole layer in order to improve the passing efficiency of magnetic flux from the main pole layer to a recording medium. The yoke layer is thicker than the main pole layer and both are formed above a coil layer while a return pole is below the coil layer.
A yoke layer with a low magnetic moment is formed on a main pole layer having a high magnetic moment in U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,768. The magnetic flux is channeled into the main pole tip before writing to the recording medium. Again, the yoke layer and main pole layer are above a coil layer and an auxiliary pole is formed below the coils.
An inductive write head including a thin high moment pedestal with a tapered edge is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,503 and a method for forming the same is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,806. A bilayer resist is patterned on a stack consisting of a high Bsat layer on a soft magnetic first pole layer. The high Bsat layer is etched to give a tapered edge that is determined by an overhang in the bilayer profile. The tapered edge promotes a smooth flux flow through the pole tip region of the first pole.

Using bilayer lithography process to define neck height for PMR