A rescue water craft comprising an elongated closed-loop tubular structure and a floor is described. The tubular structure has a mid portion and two end portions. Both end portions rise upwardly and outwardly from the mid portion at an angle comprised between 70 and 85 degrees. The floor partially runs along the mid portion. The floor is attached to and encircled by the tubular structure. Each of the two end portions defines an opening between the tubular structure and the floor.

Water surfaces such as lakes or rivers may constitute hazards to humans. This type of hazard is especially frequent when the water surface is frozen, as the looks of the surface may be quite deceiving. Indeed, although it looks safe to circulate on the frozen surface, the ice may break under load, throwing a passer-by in freezing waters. Unfortunately, such situations happen regularly, especially in spring when the ice thaws.
When such situations occur, rescue teams rush on site to help the distressed person. In these cases, specialized equipment is often used. Such equipment may include a rescue water craft comprising an opening to pull the distressed person out of the water. Examples of such type of water crafts having openings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,738 to Patten and U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,111 to Walker. U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,738 discloses an inflatable water craft having a raised bow and equipped with an opening in the bow circumscribed by an inflatable structure. This water craft is used by scuba divers to more easily pull themselves into the craft. However, the bow of this water craft, not being specifically designed for rescue operations, is too low to permit a floating distressed person to be rescued without pushing its head down in water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,111 to Walker describes an inflatable rescue water craft having both a raised bow and stern, each of the bow and stern circumscribing an opening by which a distressed person may be pulled in the water craft. Although this water craft is designed for rescue operations, it is more adapted for rescues in warm weather than rescues in cold weather. Indeed, the openings being of a limited dimension, it is cumbersome to extract from water a distressed person wearing large garments such as a snowmobile suit and sometimes even a helmet. Furthermore, in order to pull the distressed person from water, a rescuer needs to kneel down on a floor of the water craft and pull the distressed person on the floor. This rescuing position requires a large amount of force from the rescuer's arms and back, especially when the distressed person wears thick garments that become heavy with water. This renders the rescue cumbersome and causes a risk of injury to the rescuer. Another disadvantage of this particular water craft is that rescuers need to adopt a seated or kneeled down position when navigating on it, somehow limiting their field of view for searching.
There is therefore a need for an improved rescue water craft that is better adapted for rescuing operations and that provides rescuers with better options of rescuing and searching positions.


In a klystron, or other device which uses modulation of an electron beam to produce amplification of an applied high frequency signal, a collector is used to receive electrons of the beam after the amplified signal has been coupled from the device. Any secondary electrons produced by the impact of high energy electrons on the collector surface are prevented from returning back along the klystron by a periodic magnetic field produce by magnets which coaxially surround the collector.

There are several types of devices in which amplification of an applied high frequency signal may be achieved by producing modulation of an electron beam. For example, in a klystron, the signal to be amplified is coupled into an input resonant cavity and produces an electric field which acts on electrons of the beam to modify their velocity and produce bunching. There are usually several subsequent resonant cavities which enable the degree of bunching to be enhanced and a final resonant cavity at which the amplified signal is extracted. After the final cavity, the electrons are directed towards a collector section where they impact on a surface.
Another class of amplifying apparatus, is that known as an inductive output tetrode (IOT), such as a "Klystrode", which is a trade mark of Varian Associates. Such a device employs density modulation of the electron beam and also includes a collector section similar to that used in klystrons.
The electrons which reach the collector are of relatively high energy and their impact on its surfaces tends to result in the production of secondary electrons. The secondary electrons may travel in the opposite direction to the electrons of the beam and may return far enough along the klystron, IOT or other device to interfere with its operation and cause deterioration in performance.
The collector may be operated in what is termed a "depressed" mode, in which it is held at a negative potential in order to improve the operating efficiency of the device. The collector may be of the multistage type, having a number of electrodes which are maintained at respective different negative voltages. However, because the collector is maintained at a negative potential, any secondary electrons which are emitted tend to be accelerated along the tube towards the final resonant cavity.

High frequency amplifying apparatus with a collector which has a periodic amplitude variable longitudinal magnetic field therein


Foldable composite structures and methods for fabricating foldable composite structures are provided. For example, a method comprises selectively applying a rigidifying substance to a sheet of composite material to define a plurality of hinges; allowing the rigidifying substance to cure; and folding the sheet of composite material along the hinges to form the composite structure. As another example, a method comprises laying out flat a sheet of composite material; masking a plurality of hinges on the sheet; applying a polymer to a sheet face; curing the polymer; removing the masking; and folding the sheet along the hinges to form the composite structure. An exemplary foldable composite structure comprises a planar sheet of composite material folded to define a plurality of surface segments and a plurality of hinges. A portion of the hinges form peaks and the remainder of the hinges form valleys. The hinges are defined between adjacent surface segments.

With the recent inclusion of fiber-reinforced-polymer (FRP) construction in the International Building Code (IBC), textile-based composites are now recognized as viable building materials. Additionally, the Architectural Division of the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) has produced Guidelines and Recommended Practices for Fiber-Reinforced-Polymer Architectural Products. Currently, the IBC and ACMA guides dominantly focus on FRP as cladding systems. However, major advances in fire retardant performance suggests that FRP will likely become a primary building material in architectural applications, i.e., that FRP will move beyond secondary building components and into structural applications. Therefore, a need exists to identify structural logic that flows from or is compatible with FRP's material logic, i.e., to identify structural or product designs that take advantage of FRP's unique characteristics. Moreover, beyond the potential structural applications, improved manufacturing methods for FRP parts and structures would be useful.
Commonly, FRP is formed from glass or carbon fibers embedded in a polymer matrix, although other materials also may be used as fiber reinforcement of the polymer. Often, FRP components begin as a roll of fabric, resin, and a catalyst, and because fiberglass and carbon fiber parts begin as a surface (roll of fabric), it seems appropriate to develop a systemic way of thinking about the material through a surface logic. Paper is also a fibrous material and surface. When a sheet of paper is folded, e.g., in a series of accordion folds, the planar material with minimal thickness is transformed into a three dimensional (3D) surface with structural depth. In this instance, folding is used to add structural properties to the surface. When the series of accordion folds are compressed together, the entire structure can be flat-packed, making the structure significantly easier to transport and deploy. Additionally, it is possible to make almost any shape with folding; therefore, it is possible to create numerous variations through one systemic process, i.e., folding, rather than through the use of many tools or other apparatus, e.g., molds.
Accordingly, a technique to allow composite materials such as FRP to fold like paper through an economical means, without the need of any molds, would be useful. Further, foldable composite structures that can be condensed into and/or transported in a planar state would be beneficial. Additionally, foldable composite structures that can be transformed from a planar state into a three-dimensional state and then returned to the planar state would be advantageous.


An improved laminated assembly comprising functional elements with connections extending outside of the laminated assembly preventing air, moisture and water from entering the assembly as well as a method to prevent air, moisture and water from entering a laminated assembly.

Nowadays, more and more laminated assemblies are functional assemblies such as lighting, privacy (like electrochromic, . . . ), video, sound, heating functions and much more other functions. Theses laminated assemblies are equipped with functional elements able to functionalized the laminated assembly.
These functional elements are inserted inside the laminated assembly. In this way, to work, to communicate, to be powered, . . . these functional elements needs to be linked to the outside of the laminated assembly. The link could be a flat cable, a flat connector, a wire, or any other link able to link functional elements to the outside of the laminated assembly and compatible with a lamination process.
The following description relates to an automotive laminated assembly but it is understood that the invention may be applicable to others fields like architectural glazing which may provide electrically functional component or an electrically functional layer coupled with a laminated assembly.
Currently, more and more vehicles are equipped with laminated assembly, especially windshield, ensuring the defrosting function. This function is performed by an electric current passing through resistive means.
The resistive means can be either a thin metal wires network (wires made, for example, of W or Cu) or a conductive layer such as a stack of several thin layers containing layers of metallic Silver or a TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxyde) type "SnO2" layer. In both cases, several collectors of conductive metal (e.g. copper) are inserted in the laminated assembly to ensure contact with the wires network or the conductive layer.
For example, a heated wires windshield contains wires fixed on the thermoplastic interlayer. These wires are connected to busbars that are themselves connected to connectors connected to the outside of the windshield.
These collectors are themselves connected to the external current source by inserted connectors in the glazing. These connectors are made of a conductive metal strip (for example copper or tinned copper) coated with a polymer insulating coating. There are usually flats. For the following description, the term flat connector is used but it is understood that is any other link or connector can be taken into account.
The sealing at the flat connector is ensured by applying a sealing tape. The sealing tape is generally based acrylic adhesive. Glazing with this sealing tape have moisture penetration problems. Moisture penetration modes can be multiple:                a poor bonding with the presence of air bubbles fostering the creation of water penetration routes,        sealing surface is too small to have a good adhesion,        by capillary rise along the flat connector,        degradation of the sealing tape itself.
Currently, a way to avoid this problem is to remove the sealing tape. The tightness of the assembly can be obtained by making two notches through the thermoplastic interlayer and bending and passing the flat connector by these notches.
Disadvantages of this approach are multiple:                the tightness is not ensure between the edge of the assembly and first notch of the thermoplastic interlayer;        the bonding area of the flat connector between the two notches is structurally and geometrically limited, around 3 mm.        in the case where the collector is attached to an inner face of the glazing prior the positioning of the thermoplastic interlayer, bending and passing the flat connector by notches of the thermoplastic interlayer is problematic.
The invention provides a solution to overcome these problems.


A photonic device includes a silicon semiconductor based superlattice. The superlattice has a plurality of layers that form a plurality of repeating units. At least one of the layers in the repeating unit is an optically active layer with at least one species of rare earth ion.

1. Field of Use
This invention relates generally to optical switching methods and apparatus, and more particularly to optical switching methods and apparatus that achieve optical gain in silicon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Communication networks increasingly rely upon optical fiber for high-speed, low-cost transmission. Optical fibers were originally envisioned as an optical replacement for electronic transmission media, such as high-speed coaxial cable and lower-speed twisted-pair cable. However, even high-speed optical fibers are limited by the electronics at the transmitting and receiving ends, generally rated at a few gigabits per second, although 40 Gb/s systems have been prototyped. Such high-speed electronic systems are expensive and still do not fully exploit the inherent bandwidth of fiber-optic systems, measured in many terabits per second.
All-optical transmission systems offer many intrinsic advantages over systems that use electronics within any part of the principal transmission path. Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) electronically impresses different data signals upon different carrier frequencies, all of which are carried by a single optical fiber. The earliest WDM systems did not provide optical switching but only point-to-point WDM.
To achieve optical gain in a semiconductor metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and molecular beam epitaxy processes have been used to produce complex nanostructures of layered materials such as InGaAs, InGaAsP and InGaAsN. These direct band gap semiconductor materials belonging to group III and V columns of the periodic table of elements are well known sources for LEDs, Lasers, and optical amplifiers. However, these materials make inferior quality high sensitivity photon detectors at fiber communication wavelengths.
It would be desirable to have silicon based lasers, LEDs and optical amplifiers because such devices would help to resolve the difficulties of integrating optical and electronic functions on a single chip. The high thermal conductivity of silicon can result in operational advantages. However, up to now efforts to obtain silicon based LEDs, lasers and amplifiers, especially devices that operate at wavelengths from about 1.3 or 1.5 μm, have not been successful.
There are currently three common methods of doping rare-earth ions into a silicon lattice. These methods are, (i) doping by growth of amorphous material from a silicon/rare-earth compound, (ii) doping by chemical vapor deposition and (iii) ion-implantation and rapid thermal anneal.
The potential of utilizing rare-earth ions in a semiconductor matrix for the development of LED's and lasers, has been reported by H. Ennen, et al., Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 43, page 943 (1983). It has also been observed that the presence of oxygen in erbium-doped silicon can increased erbium photoluminescence, P. M. Favennec et al., Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 29, page L524, (1990)].
Attempts to produce optical gain by the use of rare earths or the inclusion of materials in silicon have also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,646,425; 5,119,460; 4,618,381; 5,634,973; 5,473,174; and 5,039,190.
However, efforts to create a commercially viable silicon based rare-earth doped LED, laser or optical amplifier have not been successful due at least in part to the fact that the observed luminescence has been too weak to support such a device. Even when weak gain was observed, the radiative lifetimes measured were six orders of magnitude longer than those exhibited by InGaAs devices, making the doped or implanted silicon structures inadequate for telecommunication applications.
There is a need for silicon based, rare-earth containing, optical devices that have sufficient luminescence and strong gain. There is a further need for silicon based, rare-earth containing optical devices that can switch the separate WDM channels, carrier frequencies, in different directions without the necessity of converting optical signals to electronic signals. There is yet a further need for silicon based, rare-earth containing optical devices that are integrated on the same monolithic chip as associated support circuitry. Yet there is another need for silicon based, rare-earth containing optical devices that amplify and/or attenuate light in preferred telecommunications wavelengths, including but not limited to 1250 to 1650 nm. Still there is a further need for silicon based, rare-earth containing optical devices that use avalanche multiplication effects of silicon coupled with sufficient optical gain due to the presence of an optically active rare-earth ion.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The disclosure relates to a bit line structure and an associated production method for the bit line structure. In the bit line structure, at least in a region of a second contact and a plurality of first contact adjoining the latter, an isolation trench is filled with an electrically conductive trench filling layer. The isolation trench connects to the first doping regions adjoining the second contact for the purpose of realizing a buried contact bypass line.

The present invention relates to a bit line structure and to a production method therefor, and in particular to a sub-100 nm bit line structure and an associated production method, as can be used in a non-volatile SNOR memory circuit for the respective selective driving of source and drain lines.
In the realization of memory circuits, a distinction is made in principle in terms of the memory architecture, the so-called NAND and NOR architectures being represented most commonly. In both architectures, for example so-called one-transistor memory cells are arranged in matrix-type fashion and driven via so-called word and bit lines.
While in NAND architectures a multiplicity of switching elements or memory elements are connected to one another serially and are driven via a common selection gate or a selection transistor, the respective switching elements in NOR architectures are organized in parallel or in matrix-type fashion, as a result of which each switching element can be selected individually.
FIG. 1A shows a simplified illustration of a so-called SNOR architecture (Selective NOR), in which, in contrast to the NOR architecture with a "common source" construction, the individual switching elements SE1, SE2, . . . are selectively driven via a respective source line SL1, SL2, . . . and via a respective drain line DL1, DL2,. . . . This selective driving is carried out for example by means of respective bit line controllers BLC, which as it were realize the common bit lines BL1, BL2., . . . In this way, it is possible to carry out further shrinks or more extensive integration of semiconductor circuit arrangements, since the SNOR architecture does not rely on a predetermined minimum cell transistor length or channel length.
FIG. 1B shows a simplified illustration of a conventional layout of the SNOR architecture in accordance with FIG. 1A. In accordance with FIG. 1B, the switching elements or memory elements SE1, SE2, . . . are formed in active areas AA of a semiconductor substrate which have a substantially straight strip-type structure. The multiplicity of strip-type active areas AA arranged in columns have superposed on them in rows layer stacks or word line stacks WL1, WL2, . . . that are likewise formed in strip-type fashion. Each crossover point or overlap area between such a strip-type active area AA and a word line stack WL formed in strip-type fashion thus constitutes a multiplicity of semiconductor components or memory elements SE.
Contacts are necessary for making contact with respective drain regions D and source regions S, said contacts usually being formed above the active areas AA, but they may often also reach into an adjoining isolation region STI (Shallow Trench Isolation). In a further overlying layer, which preferably represents a first metallization layer, there are then situated the source lines SL1, SL2, . . . and also the drain lines DL1, DL2, . . . for the respective bit lines BL. In this case, the drain lines are connected to the associated drain regions D of the active area AA via corresponding drain contacts KD, the source lines SL being connected to the associated source regions S via corresponding source contacts KS in the same way.
What is disadvantageous, however, about such a conventional bit line structure is that, on account of the additional source lines, metallization that is more than twice as dense compared with a "common source" architecture is present, which represents a limiting factor for more extensive integration or further shrinks.

Bit line structure and production method thereof


When a change occurs between a previous traffic condition based on traffic information provided previously and the current traffic condition, a control unit of a vehicle-mounted device performs control such that traffic information is acquired from an external device via wireless communication. A comparison of current vehicle traveling conditions and previous vehicle traveling conditions can also be used to determine whether traffic information should be updated.

A communications navigation system that acquires traffic information provided from a traffic information center via wireless communication and that provides route guidance in accordance with the acquired traffic information has been suggested. One example of such a system is shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-30780). Such a communications navigation system automatically acquires traffic information from the traffic information center, searches for a route in an initial stage of navigation processing for setting a destination and suggests a route that satisfies a user's request by appropriately acquiring the latest traffic information and recalculating a route to the destination during the provision of navigation. Accordingly, such a communications navigation system is capable of providing excellent traveling support.
When traffic information is acquired from the traffic information center, a portable telephone line is used. Thus, a user has to pay a communication fee, such as a line connection fee, and an information use fee.

Vehicle-mounted device, traffic-information acquisition method, traffic-information provision system, and traffic-information provision method


An actuator driving apparatus comprises the following. A start signal generator generates a start signal having a frequency substantially equal to the resonance frequency of the movable portion of an actuator. A rock detector detects rock of the movable portion. A drive timing signal generator generates a drive timing signal based on the output of the rock detector. A switch is connected to the start signal generator and drive timing signal generator for selectively transmitting their outputs to a section arranged in a subsequent stage. A drive signal generator generates a drive signal based on the output of the switch, and supplies it to the actuator. A superposition preventing section prevents a frequency component of a frequency substantially equal to the resonance frequency from being superposed upon the output of the rock detector. The apparatus performs driving according to the rocking state of the movable portion, by switching the switch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuator driving apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Actuator driving apparatuses that operate at a resonance frequency are well known. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 62-52282 discloses an actuator driving apparatus described below.
FIG. 6 shows a conventional actuator driving apparatus. As shown, an actuator driving apparatus 20 for driving an actuator 1 comprises a power supply circuit 2, start signal generating circuit 3, switch circuit 4, drive signal generating circuit 5, start control circuit 6, timing signal generating circuit 7 and rock detection circuit 8. The actuator 1 is connected to the drive signal generating circuit 5 and rock detection circuit 8.
The power supply circuit 2 supplies power to each of the above-mentioned circuits of the actuator driving apparatus 20 via power supply lines (indicated by the broken lines in the figure). The rock detection circuit 8 extracts a detection signal from, for example, a signal indicating an electromotive force and generated during the rock motion of the actuator 1. The timing signal generating circuit 7 generates a drive timing signal based on the detection signal from the rock detection circuit 8. The start signal generating circuit 3 generates a start signal of substantially the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the actuator 1.
The switch circuit 4 outputs either the start signal supplied from the start signal generating circuit 3 or the drive timing signal supplied from the timing signal generating circuit 7, based on a switch control signal described later. The drive signal generating circuit 5 generates a drive signal based on the output signal of the switch circuit 4, and supplies it to the actuator 1. The start control circuit 6 generates the above-mentioned switch control signal.
The operation of the above-described structure will be described. At the initial stage of actuator driving, a switch control signal is output from the start control circuit 6, and the switch circuit 4 is ready to output the start signal supplied from the start signal generating circuit 3. The start signal has a frequency close to the resonance frequency of the movable portion of the actuator 1. The drive signal generating circuit 5 generates a drive signal in accordance with the start signal as the output of the switch circuit 4, and supplies it to the actuator 1. Since the drive signal has a frequency close to the resonance frequency of the movable portion of the actuator 1, the actuator 1 is activated to rock, and the rock angle of the actuator 1 is gradually increased.
The rock detection circuit 8 acquires information concerning the rock motion of the actuator 1, and outputs a detection signal. When the amplitude of the detection signal exceeds a preset value, the start control circuit 6 stops the output of the switch control signal to switch the switch circuit 4. The timing signal generating circuit 7 outputs a drive timing signal that has the same frequency as the detection signal supplied from the rock detection signal 8, and has its phase adjusted in accordance with the detection signal. The switch circuit 4 outputs the timing signal that is supplied from the timing signal generating circuit 7. The drive signal generating circuit 5 generates a drive signal in accordance with the drive timing signal, and supplies it to the actuator 1.
As stated above, at the initial stage of the starting operation, the actuator 1 is forcibly driven by substantially the same frequency as the resonance frequency of the movable portion of the actuator 1, therefore can reliably be started. When the rock amplitude of the actuator 1 exceeds a predetermined value, a self-oscillation circuit is formed based on the rock detection signal of the actuator 1, thereby performing driving at the resonance frequency.


Shelf stable microwave dessert packaged food products for individual servings comprise a cup; a shelf-stable ready-to-heat uncooked microwave bakeable foam product disposed within the cup, and a peelably removable, low gas permeability sealing membrane. The articles provide high quality finished expanded baked dessert goods by microwave cooking and expansion of the foam.

The present invention is directed towards a packaged food article for the microwave cooking of an individual or small portion of an uncooked farinaceous foam to provide a finished expanded dessert product such as for a dessert, e.g., a cake, muffin, or brownie. The present products are individual convenience snack or dessert items.
Of course, any number of dessert food items can be reheated in a microwave oven. For example, if desired, a previously baked slice of a cake, or a baked muffin, or baked brownie piece can be warmed by microwave heating. Moreover, any number of packaged pre-cooked consumer food products can be or are specifically adapted to reheating prior to consumption. For example, a number of sandwich or hotdog-and-bun products are packaged in flexible film packaging that are intended to be distributed under refrigeration temperatures and microwave heated immediately prior to consumption. However, in the present invention, the microwave heating step importantly performs a cooking step involving dehydration and denaturation or coagulation of protein components. Thus, the present unfinished or uncooked products are to be distinguished from such prior art products that are already finished or substantially completely cooked. The present methods involving microwave cooking are also to be distinguished from mere microwave reheating or refreshing.
Recently, convenience packaged food products have been introduced in the United States for the microwave cooking of an individually sized portion of an expanded dessert under the Warm Delights trademark. The products are in the form of a kit comprising a first chemically leavened dessert dry mix packet or pouch (75 g); a second pouch (18 g) of topping to be applied before or after cooking; a plastic bowl; and, microwave preparation instructions. The consumer is instructed to open the dry mix packet and pour the dry mix into the bowl. The consumer is then asked to admix a small quantity, e.g., 4 teaspoons (20 mL) of water to the dry mix to form a batter in the bowl. The product is then cooked (rather than being merely reheated) by microwave heating for about 75 seconds. For brownie products, a topping can be applied to the finished baked product to form a freshly made microwave heated dessert. For cake products, the topping can be applied before the microwave cooking step. (See, for example, U.S. Ser. No. 60/649,251 "Container To Facilitate Microwave Cooking And Handling" (filed Feb. 2, 2005 by Kreisman et al.). The microwave heating step activates the chemical leavening system to provide an expanded finished dessert good. Even when such finished goods are prepared by microwave heating, such finished cooked goods are still colloquially referred to as "baked goods".
While useful, the present invention provides improvements over the Warm Delights™ dessert kit arrangement. In one respect, the present invention provides a shelf stable, ready-to-cook, dimensionally stable, expandable, farinaceous un-gelatinized bakeable foam already present in the cup with optional topping for even greater preparation convenience. It will be appreciated that even greater convenience is provided to the consumer by eliminating several preparation steps required by existing commercial products, while providing a pleasing final baked texture and flavor. These steps include, inter alia: unpacking of the kit, opening of the dry mix packet, adding the dry mix to the bowl, disposing of the emptied dry mix packet packaging, measuring liquids for addition to the dry mix, mixing of the added liquids to the dry mix with a utensil, and cleaning of the mixing utensil. With current products, all of these steps must be performed prior to the microwave heating step.
One principle problem with providing such an article resides in providing a bakeable food composition for preparing an expanded finished dessert product that is shelf stable at room temperate for extended storage yet nonetheless can be baked by microwave heating to provide an expanded finished dessert good. The starting composition must contain sufficient moisture to provide a finished baked good with good eating qualities. Nonetheless, the starting composition must be shelf stable at room temperatures for considerable storage times without biological or other instability. The starting composition must be expandable to provide an expanded finished dessert good yet not contain any chemical leavening system that reacts with its moisture over its storage life. The presence of chemical leaveners negatively impacts shelf-stability due to the reaction of sodium bicarbonate with leavening acid during storage resulting in the release of carbon dioxide into the package headspace and the associated bulging of the package lid increase. A reduced pH of the batter improves stability by controlling many chemical and enzymic reactions and microbial growth.
In another aspect, the present articles are smaller in portion size. Current consumer food trends favor items that are portion controlled to provide about 100 calories per finished item.
However, providing shelf stable packaged food bakeable foam items of such controlled portion sizes presents unexpected technical challenges. The combination of a microwave absorptive food charge such as a dessert bakeable foam combined with small portions presents a difficult product tolerance challenge by microwave heating preparation. The difference between insufficient microwave heating (with undesirable unset bakeable foam) and excessive (resulting in a dry or even burnt finished product) can be quite small, e.g. 5-10 seconds. Variations in the power output of various consumer microwave ovens, whether the particular unit is equipped with a carousel, and even placement within the microwave heating cavity can exacerbate the problem of providing sufficient product preparation tolerance. As a result, it is believed that no consumer packaged food product is both small in quantity (to provide 100 calories or less) and intended for microwave cooking preparation.
The present novel foam compositions are to be understood as being fundamentally different in physical form from dessert compositions of the prior art. In the past, shelf stable products were provided in the form of dry mixes having heat activated chemical leavening systems to which the consumer added liquids to form batters. Often, the consumer would mix the dry components with home-supplied liquids, to provide aerated batters whose aeration augmented the expansion principally provided upon baking by the leavening system. The product offering of chemically leavened microwaveable desserts was more convenient than scratch baking, but still required the consumer to hydrate the batter, and clean up the mess of preparation of the batter. The resulting baked product attributes were not preferable compared to their oven-baked counterparts, but were reasonably acceptable for the improvement in convenience.
In other prior art teachings, ready-to-bake batters or doughs having a thicker consistency disposed within suitable packaging have been disclosed (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,070 "Inert-Gas Based Leavened Dough System" issued Jul. 6, 2004 to Venky Narayanaswamy, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,893 "Product And Process Of Making A Room Temperature Storage Stable Dough" issued Jan. 12. 1993 To Gila Seewi et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,994 "Ready-To-Bake Shelf-Stable Cake Dough And Process For Its Manufacture" issued Mar. 21, 2000 To LeFlecher et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,924 "Shelf Stable Batter Article And Method Of Preparation" issued May 1, 2001 to Narayanaswamy et al.; US 2007/0042099 "Ready to Bake Refrigerated Batter" by Stanton published Feb. 22, 2007). However, these products are not taught as being useful for the microwave preparation of small quantities of dessert goods but by conventional oven baking preparation.
In contrast, the present bakeable foams in their uncooked or original state are not fluid like batters or plastic like doughs but are rigid i.e., dimensionally stable (albeit deformable) in consistency.
More recently, especially in Europe, prepackaged batters have been available for consumption, including some which are shelf-stable in nature. The most challenging aspect of prehydrated leavened batters is the ability to maintain shelf-life. Various approaches exist for extending shelf life, such as pH and water activity control, oxygen removal, and pasteurization. Because of the challenging nature of shelf-life extension, the final baked texture is not similar to the counterpart prepared from scratch or dry mixes. Most importantly, these prehydrated batters are formulated for conventional oven baking, not for microwave baking.
Surprisingly, the present foams exhibit extended shelf stability without significant foam collapse for over six months (when disposed within suitable moisture resistant packaging) yet nonetheless will expand upon microwave heating to form finished baked goods. In part, the present invention resides in preparing such foams in the form of low moisture formulations that exhibit high viscosities at room temperatures yet lower viscosities at the elevated temperatures achieved during microwave baking and heating that allow for expansion to provide the present desirable expanded finished baked goods. By being bakeable to form set structures upon heating, the foams do not simply collapse upon cooling after completion of the baking step. By being in the form of an expandable foam, the present foams can be free of a leavening system. Being free of a conventional leavening system, allows the present foams to enjoy extended color, flavor and pH stability.


A downhole temporary pressure isolation tool configured to withstand very high gas pressures at high temperatures may be achieved by a variety of configurations, processes, and techniques. In particular implementations, a barrier valve having one or more frangible discs configured to resist fluid flow in a particular specified duration. In some implementations, the barrier valve may achieve a V0 rating. In one embodiment, for example, a barrier valve may prevent the passage of fluid (i.e., gas and/or liquid) at 15,000 psi and a temperature of 400 degrees F. for at least 15 minutes. If the barrier valve has two frangible ceramic discs, it may prevent the passage of fluid from two directions for at least 15 minutes.

Isolation tools are used in oil and gas wells for running in or placement on tubing strings for isolation of formations or pressures within the well. Isolation tools may include frangible disks, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,291,031 and 5,924,696 and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2017/0022783; 2015/0068730 and 2014/0083716, all incorporated herein by reference.
There are a number of situations in the completion of oil and gas wells where it is desirable to isolate one section of a subterranean well from another. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,696, there is disclosed an isolation tool used alone or in combination with a packer to isolate a lower section of a production string from an upper section. That tool incorporates a pair of oppositely facing frangible or rupturable discs or half domes which isolate the well below the discs from pressure operations above the discs and which isolate the tubing string from well bore pressure. When it is desired to provide communication across the tool, the upper disc is ruptured by dropping a go-devil into the well from the surface or well head which falls into the well and, upon impact, fractures the upwardly convex ceramic disc. The momentum of the go-devil normally also ruptures the lower disc, but the lower disc may be broken by application of pressure from above after the upper disc is broken because the lower disc is concave upwardly and thereby relatively weak against applied pressure from above.

Gas capable frangible disc barrier valve


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for testing a data service on a computing cluster having several computing nodes. A test package is installed on a test administration machine and on one or more of the computing nodes in the computing cluster. Data service configuration information is collected for the data service to be tested. Computing cluster configuration information is collected. The data service configuration information and the computing cluster configuration information are distributed to one or more of the computing nodes in the computing cluster. The data service is tested on the computing cluster by applying one or more data service test suites in the test package to the data service. A report containing results of the application of one or more of the data service test suites to the data service is generated.

Recently the use of computing clusters and other distributed computing systems has become more popular. Computing clusters and other distributed computing systems have a number of requirements that go well beyond the requirements of stand alone computing systems. Therefore, when products are developed for use in clustered or distributed computing environments, the products typically need to be tested in the environment in which the products are to be deployed. For example, if a software product (such as an application program, a cluster resource or a database) or hardware product (such as a storage device, a processor or an interface card) is developed for use in a computing cluster, it is generally desirable to test the software or hardware product in the cluster environment before releasing such products for sale.
To facilitate the testing of computing cluster related products, test software (e.g., test programs or data service test suites) is typically written that is designed to test the product in an environment similar to the environment in which the product will be used. In the context of clustered computing, this typically requires either that the developer of the test software know a fair amount about the characteristics of the specific cluster in which the product will be deployed, or the engineer running the test to spend a lot of time installing, configuring and/or running the test software in order to execute the desired tests. Consequently, the testing of computing cluster related products is often very expensive and time consuming. Furthermore, in many cases, duplicate work is done since developers and engineers may be unaware of prior tests that have been performed for similar or identical computing cluster environments and products.

Automated testing of cluster data services


A method for operating an internal combustion engine having a plurality of controllable engine actuators includes operating the engine in a first combustion mode using a first control scheme while simultaneously simulating operating the engine in a second combustion mode using a second control scheme and in accordance with simulated control settings for the plurality of controllable engine actuators, and transitioning operation of the engine to the second combustion mode using the second control scheme and initially in accordance with the simulated control settings for the plurality of controllable engine actuators.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Known spark-ignition (SI) engines introduce an air/fuel mixture into each cylinder which is compressed in a compression stroke and ignited by a spark plug. Known compression ignition engines inject pressurized fuel into a combustion cylinder near top dead center (TDC) of the compression stroke which ignites upon injection. Combustion for both gasoline engines and diesel engines involves premixed or diffusion flames controlled by fluid mechanics.
SI engines can operate in a variety of different combustion modes, including a homogeneous SI combustion mode and a stratified-charge spark-ignition (SC-SI) combustion mode. SI engines can be configured to operate in a homogeneous-charge compression-ignition (HCCI) combustion mode, also referred to interchangeably as controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion, under predetermined speed/load operating conditions. The controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion comprises a distributed, flameless, auto-ignition combustion process that is controlled by oxidation chemistry. An engine operating in the controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion mode has a cylinder charge that is preferably homogeneous in composition, temperature, and residual exhaust gases at intake valve closing time. Controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion is a distributed kinetically-controlled combustion process with the engine operating at a dilute air/fuel mixture, i.e., lean of an air/fuel stoichiometric point, with relatively low peak combustion temperatures, resulting in low nitrous oxides (NOx) emissions. The homogeneous air/fuel mixture minimizes occurrences of rich zones that form smoke and particulate emissions.
Controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion depends strongly on factors such as cylinder charge composition, temperature, and pressure at intake valve closing. Hence, the control inputs to the engine must be carefully coordinated to ensure auto-ignition combustion. Controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion strategies may include using an exhaust recompression valve strategy. The exhaust recompression valve strategy includes controlling a cylinder charge temperature by trapping hot residual gas from a previous engine cycle by adjusting valve close timing. In the exhaust recompression strategy, the exhaust valve closes before top-dead-center (TDC) and the intake valve opens after TDC creating a negative valve overlap (NVO) period in which both the exhaust and intake valves are closed, thereby trapping the exhaust gas. The opening timings of the intake and exhaust valves are preferably symmetrical relative to TDC intake. Both a cylinder charge composition and temperature are strongly affected by the exhaust valve closing timing. In particular, more hot residual gas from a previous cycle can be retained with earlier closing of the exhaust valve leaving less room for incoming fresh air mass, thereby increasing cylinder charge temperature and decreasing cylinder oxygen concentration. In the exhaust recompression strategy, the exhaust valve closing timing and the intake valve opening timing are measured by the NVO period.
In addition to a valve control strategy, there must be a suitable fuel injection strategy for combustion. At low fueling rates (e.g., <7 mg/cycle at 1000 rpm in an exemplary 0.55 L combustion chamber volume) the cylinder charge may not be hot enough for Controlled auto-ignition (HCCI) combustion even with maximum allowable NVO, leading to partial-burn or misfire.
Different combustion modes in similar speed/load situations can have performance differences relating to engine stability, emissions, and fuel economy. Engine operation can include transitioning to a particular combustion mode having a preferred performance in a particular situation. Selecting a preferred combustion mode in which to operate can be based upon which combustion mode results in preferred performance at a particular engine load and speed. When a change in speed and/or engine load warrants a transition to a different combustion mode, a transition strategy will be performed and the engine will transition to the different combustion mode.
Known risks associated with transitioning engine operation between combustion modes include incomplete combustion, engine misfires, torque disturbances, and increased undesirable emissions.

Control strategy for transitioning among combustion modes in an internal combustion engine


The present invention is characterized by arranging along the lengthwise direction within a lens barrel: a side view mirror or prism which reflects in the lengthwise direction of said lens barrel the optical image incident from a translucent window that opens to the tip side surface; an image focusing optical system which focuses that optical image; and a CCD element which captures the optical image focused by said image focusing optical system; and is characterized by mounting in the light route reaching from aforementioned side view mirror or prism to said CCD element optical image inversion mirror or prism which reflects the optical image inverted by said side view mirror or prism such that it faces said CCD element in a reinverted state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a side view image input device which is used as an internal examination scope found in dental scopes and equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been proposals for side view dental scopes for dental treatment which make visible the status of any tooth and gum portion positioned within the oral cavity in locations which are difficult to see; and a CCD element is incorporated for taking photographs of this.
In this type of dental scope, a light projection window forms an opening to the tip side surface of a lens barrel; and arranged along the optical axis are: a side view mirror, which reflects the optical image incident from a side translucent part to face the lengthwise direction of the lens barrel; an image focusing optical system, which focuses that image by a specified magnification; and a CCD element, which captures the optical image focused by that image focus optical system. In addition, industrial side view type scopes also have the same structure.
Then, when used as a dental scope, if the lens barrel is inserted into the oral cavity, etc. and the translucent window is made to face the location to be seen, an image of part of the teeth or gums can be photographed by the CCD element, and therefore this can be projected on a television monitor.
Nonetheless, in this situation, because it is necessary to bend the light route at a right angle utilizing the reflection of the side view mirror or a prism in order to see the side surface of the lens barrel, the image which is projected onto the television monitor is inverted top to bottom, left to right, and there is the concern that the user will experience an optical illusion.
Moreover, once the image signal obtained by processing the signal that is output from the CCD element is memorized, if the left and right of the image is inverted by reversing them synchronously with the horizontal scan signals, the correct image can be projected on the television monitor without left to right inversion, but there are the problems that that image signal inversion circuit is complicated, and the costs are increased.

Image capture instrument with side view angle


A partition to be supported by one or more support elements. The partition includes two or more panel modules, each panel module having two or more panel elements. The panel elements in each panel module are positioned relative to each other in a predetermined abutting arrangement selected from the group consisting of a vertical arrangement and a horizontal arrangement. The panel elements in each panel module define a joint intersection therebetween. Each panel module includes one or more fastening elements attached to the panel elements on both sides of the joint intersection to maintain the panel elements in the predetermined abutting arrangement. The fastening element is selected from the group consisting of a fastening element with a stud portion and a fastening element with a keyhole slot, the stud portion and said keyhole slot being adapted to cooperate to secure the panel modules together.

Fences or other partitions (e.g., garden screens, gazebos, and pergolas) may be constructed of various materials. The partition typically includes a support structure, as is well known in the art. Also, the support structure typically is itself supported by posts embedded in the ground, or in concrete which is placed in the ground. Alternatively, the support structure may be supported by other structures, e.g., a building.
The partition typically includes a barrier portion which is supported by the support structure. For example, in one known type of fence, the barrier portion includes boards which are attached to the support structure with the sides of the boards abutting, for privacy. In other known fences (e.g., picket fences), boards which are attached to the support structure are spaced apart from each other.
Construction of the support structure and the barrier portion according to known methods is somewhat time-consuming and laborious. Also, construction of the support structure and making and attaching the barrier portion generally requires some carpentry skills.
However, skilled tradesmen are generally in high demand, and the costs of their services are relatively high accordingly. Some homeowners have some of the necessary skills, but in general, such skills are gradually becoming less common, resulting in generally rising labor costs.

Partition system and method of assembling same


A method of generating an attribute map for processing an image. An image encoded into a plurality of segments is received. Each segment is characterized by a position within a base region associated with the image and is encoded according to a corresponding encoding format. A segment from the plurality of segments is decoded into a sub-image. The sub-image is associated with a combination operation and an attribute value derived based on at least one of a segment decoding format and a segment encoding format. The combination operation determines a process of combining the sub-image with the underlying base region. An information-carrying pixel value in the sub-image is determined based on the sub-image pixel content and the attribute value associated with the sub-image. The attribute map for processing the image is generated using the attribute value associated with the sub-image for at least one pixel of the attribute map.

When images that are embedded within a PDF document are placed on a page by a renderer, the renderer associates pixel-by-pixel "type" information for the whole area that the image covers. The type used for the association is typically "image" type, but whatever type is used, the type is always the same for the whole area covered by the image. A problem with this method arises when the image in question is of mixed content, such as a scanned document containing large areas of text as well as some image and graphic elements.
In one known rendering method, an attribute map is generated for the page being rendered, where the attribute map indicates only image content. The attribute map contains "type" information for every pixel of the page and is used for post rendering processing such as choosing a dithering algorithm and colour processing for an area when printing the page. As the attribute map indicates image data for the area covered by the image, dithering patterns suitable for printing image type data are chosen, which results in output artefacts if the image content is actually something else (e.g., text). To derive attribute information the image may be analysed using some form of image analysis algorithm, such as an OCR (optical character recognition) procedure. However, in most cases a page is rendered for printing in real-time. Additionally running a processor intensive procedure, such as OCR, potentially results in overall performance degradation during printing.

Method, apparatus and system for generating an attribute map for processing an image


A method and system are provided for processing multiple sensor output signals of different ranges/sensitivities so as to provide a seamless transition when switching between the different ranges. More specifically, a determination is made as to whether a selected sensor output range is of a sensitivity higher than a predetermined sensitivity. If the sensitivity is higher, the value of a higher sensitivity sensor output is converted to a value corresponding to the predetermined sensitivity range. An error value is then determined between the converted sensor output value and a sensor output corresponding to a range having the predetermined sensitivity. The sensor output is then modified based on the error value when the control process switches from the selected sensor output to the sensor output corresponding to the predetermined sensitivity. This insures that no glitches will occur in a controller output at the time of switchover.

Generally, in feedback control systems, information from feedback sensors is used to measure and ultimately control a system's output parameters or control signals. Difficulty arises in converting the feedback signal into an electrical or digital format when a system is required to support high resolution, i.e., how fine the measurement is, over a large range of operation, i.e., the possible range of the measurements. One solution to this problem is to use multiple sensors having outputs tailored to cover different ranges within the total measurement range. Each sensor is then provided with sufficient resolution within the designated range.
Alternatively, another solution is to pass the output of a single sensor through multiple amplifiers, where each amplifier is designed to operate only within a designated range of the total measurement range. Again, each amplifier is arranged to provide sufficient resolution within the designated range. While either solution can achieve the desired resolution and large size of measurement range, neither solution is able to transition smoothly between the multiple feedback sources or ranges.
For example, in either situation, i.e., a single sensor having a feedback signal processed into multiple gains, or multiple sensors having different gains, a sensor (or gain) is selected by a control process based on a desire to use a feedback signal within the associated range or gain. In this situation, the control process will continue to use the output signal from the selected range as long as the output signal remains below a particular threshold value. If the output signal exceeds the threshold value, the control process switches to processing the output signal associated with an adjacent range or gain.
The problem encountered with such an arrangement results from any mismatch or "error" between the two signals when transitioning between the two ranges. This is particularly true if the two ranges have a different resolution. In such a situation, the control process is likely to respond to the error between the transitioned to value and the actual measured value of the second range by generating a "bump" or "glitch" in the controller output. Such bumps or glitches are generally not acceptable where accuracy is desired in the control process.
Therefore, a need exists for an arrangement that can process multiple feedback signals of different range in such a manner as to produce a smooth, or seamless, transition between the different ranges.

Method and system for seamless transition between multiple feedback ranges


A rotary wire-receiving rack includes a winding structure, a shaft, a first handle, a lid, a locking slider, and a second handle. The winding structure includes two bars arranged longitudinally in parallel and two rods arranged horizontally in parallel for winding cables. Both ends of the two rods are linked to the bars respectively. The shaft is arranged parallel to and located between the rods. The shaft is pivoted on the bars. The first handle and the lid are respectively fixed at the two ends of the shaft. The lid has a locking hole, and the locking slider is slidably installed on the shaft near the locking hole. The locking slider is formed with a locking pin that cooperates with the locking hole. The second handle is pivoted at the end of the bar which closing to the locking hole and having a recess for clamping a cable.

Wires, including fiber optic cables, electric cables, and so forth, are mainly used for linking to electronic devices, power transmission, or electronic signals and are familiar and essential tools in daily life. When users need to wind or release wires, users usually pull, wind, and receive wires manually and clamp them with ropes afterward. However, it is time-consuming, demanding, and ineffective for users to wind and receive wires; hence, it requires improvement.

APOLLO ELECTRICAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED


According to a conventional technique, in the case where a program is stored into a non-volatile memory once and then activated, authentication of the program is performed immediately before such activation. However, calculations such as decryption of encrypted values are required before the activation of the program starts, which causes the problem that responsiveness is decreased in proportion to the time required for calculations. In order to solve this problem, authentication of a program is performed immediately before such program is stored, so that no authentication is performed or only a part of the authentication is performed to verify the validity of certificates at program activation time.

The function in a digital television of downloading a program and checking/guaranteeing the credibility of such program is described in the DVB-MHP specification "ETSI TS 101 812 V1.2.1 DVB-MHP Specification 1.0.2", and others. This DVB-MHP specification defines the function of verifying that a program superimposed on a broadcast wave being received has not been tampered with as well as that whether or not such program was issued by a reliable organization. This function makes it possible to prevent a rewritten program that dose not operate as originally required and therefore would inflict damage to the digital television and a program of a spoofing third party, from being activated.
In addition, the Japanese Laid-Out Patent Application No. 2000-29833 describes a technique, which is comprised of a server apparatus for accumulating and transmitting data and a terminal apparatus for receiving data via a network, to prevent accumulated data from being illicitly used by accumulating the received data in the terminal apparatus. FIG. 1 of the Japanese Laid-Out Patent Application No. 2000-29833 illustrates the technique that the server apparatus 10 copies data stored in the storage unit 15 into the storage unit 23 in response to a request from the terminal apparatus 20, and when the data stored in the storage unit 23 is wished to be used, the inquiry unit 26 makes an inquiry to the server apparatus 10, the authentication unit 13 performs an audit about the use of the data, and if there is no problem, the terminal apparatus 20 uses the data. The above apparatus is capable of loading data after checking the credibility of the data stored in a non-volatile memory even when the power is turned ON/OFF. Checking the credibility of programs and data is hereinafter referred to as authentication.
According to a conventional technique, however, in the case of storing a program into a non-volatile memory once so as to activate such program after the apparatus is powered ON/OFF, authentication of the program is performed immediately before it is activated. In this case, it is necessary to perform calculations such as decryption of an encrypted value before the activation of the program starts, which causes a problem that responsiveness is decreased more as a longer time is required for calculations.
Especially in the case where a program is frequently activated or where the capacity of a program is large, the responsiveness becomes more and more degraded since the amount of calculations increases in proportion to activation frequency and capacity.
In view of the above problem, it is desired to provide a program authentication apparatus such as digital television with increased responsiveness that is capable of shortening the time required before a program is activated, while guaranteeing the credibility of the program.


A zoom lens device including a total of four lens units, which are in order of lens units from the lens unit closest to an object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having either a positive or negative refractive power, with a stop provided between the second lens unit and the fourth lens unit. The first lens unit comprises two lenses, a positive lens and a negative lens. The second lens unit comprises one or two negative lenses and one positive lens. The third lens unit comprises at least one positive lens and one negative lens. When magnification is being changed from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, the first, third, and fourth lens units are moved toward the object side such that the distance between the first lens unit and second lens unit increases, the distance between the second lens unit and the third lens unit decreases, and the distance between the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit changes. The zoom lens device has a magnification change-over ratio of about 2 to 3.5, a smaller overall length of the lens system, and provides excellent optical performance over the entire magnification change-over range.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens device, comprising a total of four lens units, which is suitable for use in a single-lens reflex camera, a lens shutter camera, a video camera, or the like, and, more particularly, to a zoom lens device having a shooting angle of view of about 60 to 75 degrees at a wide angle end, and a magnification change-over ratio of about 2 to 3.5, wherein each lens unit is properly constructed in order to simplify the lens construction, properly correct aberrations, and decrease the overall length (measured from a surface of a first lens unit to an image plane) of the lens device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, smaller single-lens reflex cameras, lens shutter cameras, video cameras, or the like have caused a demand for lighter photographic lenses having a shorter overall length.
For example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 54-30855, 57-5012, 57-29024, 60-57814, 61-56315, 4-317019, 4-317020, and 4-321007 disclose zoom lens devices comprising three lens units in order to reduce the overall size of the lens system. The lens unit closest to an object side has a positive refractive power. The second closest lens unit has a negative refractive power. The lens unit furthest from the object side has a positive refractive power.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 60-14213 and 60-14214 disclose zoom lens devices with a shooting angle of view of about 60 degrees at the wide angle end, and a magnification change-over ratio of about 3 to 6. The zoom lens device comprises four lens units, in which the lens unit closest to the object side has a positive refractive power, the next closest lens unit has a negative refractive power, the third closest lens unit has a positive refractive power, and the lens unit furthest from the object side has a positive refractive power.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 62-247316 and 62-24213 disclose zoom lens devices comprising four lens units. They are in order of lens units from the lens closest to the object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. Magnification changes are performed by moving the second lens unit, while variations in an image plane which occur as the magnification changes are corrected and focusing is performed by moving the fourth lens unit.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 58-160913 discloses a zoom lens device comprising four lens units. They are in order of lens units from the lens unit closest to the object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. Magnification changes are performed by moving the first and second lens units, while variations in an image plane which occur as the magnification changes are corrected by moving the fourth lens unit.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 63-66522 discloses a zoom lens device comprising four lens units which are in order of lens units from the lens unit closest to the object, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power. Magnification changes are performed by moving the first, the third, and the fourth lens units.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 3-6507 discloses a zoom lens device comprising four lens units. The lens unit closest to the object side has a positive refractive power. The next closest lens unit has a negative refractive power. The third closest lens unit has a positive refractive power, and the lens unit furthest from the object side has a positive refractive power. Magnification changes are performed by individually moving each of the four lens units.
In general, in zoom lens devices, it is necessary to properly construct each of the lens units in order to reduce the overall size of the lens system, obtain a predetermined magnification change-over ratio, and achieve good optical performance over the entire magnification change-over range. In the zoom lens devices, increasing the refractive power of each lens unit reduces the amount of movement of each lens unit when magnification changes are being performed, thereby reducing the overall length of the lens system. However, merely increasing the refractive power of each lens increases aberration changes which occur as the magnification changes, thus making it difficult to properly correct the aberration changes.
In the zoom lens device proposed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 60-57814, a stop is integrally moved with the second lens unit when the magnification is being changed from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, so that changes in the f-number tend to be large. In addition, it is difficult to use this type of zoom lens device as a replacement lens for a single-lens reflex camera, since the back focus is short.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 60-142319, 61-56315, 1-223410, and 1-241513 disclose telephoto-type zoom lens devices which, however, cannot be used in ordinary shooting, since the focal length at the wide angle side tends to be too long. Even when these types of lenses are transformed into wider angle lenses, it is extremely difficult to correct aberrations and the required back focus cannot be obtained.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 4-317019, 4-317020, and 4-321007 disclose zoom lens devices comprising basically three lens units so as to use fewer lenses. However, such lenses are not potentially capable as zoom lenses, thus making it necessary to form approximately more than half of the lens surfaces into aspherical surfaces, as a result of which it becomes difficult to manufacture the lenses and costs are increased.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Nos. 60-14213, 62-24213, 63-66522, and 3-6507 disclose zoom lens devices comprising four lens units, which use a large number of lenses to form the overall lens system, and have a long overall length, thereby tending to increase the overall size of the lens system.


An apparatus for forming an end closure structure of a carton. The end closure structure is formed from minor end flaps and major end flaps. The apparatus includes a carton conveyor for transferring the carton in a flow direction along a carton conveyor path, a major end flap retaining guide assembly for retaining the major end flaps in an outwardly upright position, a minor end flap retaining guide assembly for retaining the minor end flaps in an inwardly folded position, and a gluing station for applying adhesive to the major and minor end flaps.

Machines for packaging products, such as soda cans or bottles, in paperboard cartons are well known in the art. The packaging machine separates the products into groups and transports the groups adjacent to a carton conveyor where a loading mechanism pushes the groups of products into open ends of cartons that are configured as tubular structures. Thereafter, as the loaded cartons are transported along the carton conveyor path, adhesive such as hot glue: can be applied to end flaps of each carton. The end flaps are then folded and secured to one another and each packed and closed carton can then be shipped for retail sale.
Packaging machines generally do not have the flexibility to "changeover," that is to be reconfigured to package cartons that vary in size or that are folded according to different folding procedures. Given the size, cost, and complexity of these machines, this lack of versatility is expensive. Therefore, it is advantageous to design machines which are as adaptable as possible.
Designing such versatile packaging machines poses many challenges. At the very least, these machines must successfully load and construct a carton while operating under steady state conditions in which cartons continuously travel through the packaging machine on a carton conveyor or belt conveyor. It is also desired that the packaging machines are able to finish loading and sealing certain partially erected cartons when the carton conveyor is stopped. The carton conveyor may be stopped, for example, at end of a worker's shift, at the end of a work day, or because of trouble along the carton conveyor path, such as due to a misfed carton. Conveyor stoppage is referred to herein as either a cycle stop or an emergency stop (e-stop). In each of these instances, some cartons remaining along the carton conveyor path have had glue applied to their end flaps, but have not had their end flaps folded and secured together. The glue can cool or cure before the conveyor is restarted and, thus, when the conveyor is restarted, folding and pressing the end flaps of these cartons together will not cause the end flaps to be secured to one another and the carton construction is unsuccessful. A versatile carton packaging machine design, therefore, functions to complete the construction of loaded packages during a cycle stop or an e-stop and to be adaptable to accommodate various carton configurations.

Packaging machine with gluing station and folding station


A led indicator has a bargraph and a lighting device arranged behind the bargraph and provided with a row of LEDs controlled to produce a light bar with a length which is variable as a function of the number of LEDs that are switched on along a lighting sense; the LEDs are arranged between screens, which are spaced apart from the lower surface of the bargraph and extend at least to reach an axis which starts from the immediately preceding led orthogonally to such a lower surface.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a LED indicator for producing a light bar in a bargraph, in particular for an instrument on a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the instrument panel of motor vehicles, as an alternative to common pointer indicators, it is known in the art to use so-called bargraphs, which are backlit by a row of LEDs to produce a light bar of variable length. The length depends on the number of adjacent LEDs that are switched on and provides visual information of a variable quantity, in particular of a measurement carried out in the motor vehicle (e.g. the measurement of speed, engine RPM, fuel consumption, etc.).
LEDs are usually housed in respective cavities, which are separated from one another by screens. In solutions known in the art, such screens extend orthogonally to the bargraph, up to the lower surface of the bargraph itself, so as to prevent any leakage of light towards the adjacent cavities where the LEDs are off. Due to this configuration, the backlighting of the bargraph produces a series of segments, which are arranged between areas turned off or with dim light due to the presence of the underlying screens. With this configuration, the reading of the measured value on the bargraph is well defined due to the absence of leakages of light from the lighted segments to the dark ones. An example of this kind of solution is shown in published U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,346A.
However, if obtaining a bar of continuous, non segmented light is desired, it would be appropriate to reduce the height and/or thickness of the screens. Further, by operating in this manner with the known solutions, there would be a leaking of light from the last cavity having a switched on led towards the dark side of the bargraph, whereby the visual indication of the measurement would not be accurately perceived by the user.


A diffuser system (100) and method for optically diffusing a light beam (L1,L2). At least two transmissive diffuser windows (11,21) are provided. The diffuser windows (11,21) are arranged to sequentially diffuse the light beam (L1,L2) transmitted there through. The diffuser system (100) is configured to continuously rotate the diffuser windows (11,21) at an angular velocity (ω1,ω2) for homogenizing a diffusive pattern of the transmitted light beam (L1,L2). The diffuser windows (11,21) are configured to rotate around distinct rotation axes (C1,C2). The distinct rotation axes (C1,C2) are parallel and offset with respect to each other by a radial center distance (d12). A rotating subarea of the first diffuser window (11) partially overlaps a rotating subarea of the second rotating diffuser window (12) The partially overlapping rotating subareas define a beam window (W12) for homogenizing and diffusing the transmitted light beam (L1,L2).

This application claims the benefit of International PCT Application No. PCT/NL2018/050318 filed May 15, 2018, which claims the benefit of the Netherlands Patent Application No. 2018926, filed May 16, 2017, the content of both of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to optical diffuser systems and methods for diffusing a light beam.
Optical diffusers can be used to diffuse a light beam e.g. for homogenizing the light in an optical system such as used in lithography. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,148,952 describes a lithographic apparatus comprising an illumination system for providing a projection beam of radiation. The illumination system comprises at least one movable optical element, such that a projection beam of radiation can be shifted around a central position. According to the prior art, this ensures that inhomogeneities in the intensity distribution in the projection beam will be smeared out, which in turn provides an improved homogeneity of the exposure of a surface to be illuminated by the system, such as a wafer or other substrate. The optical element may comprise a motor movable mirror, prism, filter, lens, axicon, diffuser, diffractive optical array, optical integrator, etc.
US 2007/0274075 A1 describes a laser illuminator comprising at least one optical diffusion means capable of modifying an optical diffusion condition and at least one optical suppression means for suppressing divergence of light, wherein the optical diffusion means and the optical suppression means are disposed along an optical path of a laser beam radiating from a laser source and the laser beam is converted into a diffused and non-divergent light beam for illuminating or exciting an object by passing through the optical diffusion means and the optical suppression means.
In order to sufficiently smear out inhomogeneities the optical element should be moved with a minimum velocity. However, a rotating element such as a transmissive diffuser may have lower velocities at its center of rotation compared to the edge. Accordingly, the effective useable surface of the diffuser can be low and provide inconsistent smearing for different parts of the beam. There is a need to further improve known diffuser systems and methods to alleviate these and other problems.


Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to lane marker prediction for occluded lane markers. Image data from one or more sensors of a vehicle is received by a processor of a control system. The image data includes a roadway from a route being navigated by the vehicle and lane marker information. If there are not enough lane markers captured in the lane marker information to produce a threshold look-ahead horizon of the roadway ahead of the vehicle, a longest lane marker ahead of the vehicle from the lane marker information is selected. A curvature tangent to the longest lane marker is computed and predictive lane markers are generated based on the curvature tangent. The vehicle is steered based on the predictive lane markers ahead of the vehicle generated from the curvature tangent.

Motion planning algorithms require road and lane data in order to determine where it is safe for a vehicle to drive. In the absence of road maps, lane markers identified by camera sensors are used by a vehicle's navigation system. In order to plan safe routes for vehicles, a sufficient look-ahead horizon (e.g., a four or five second view of the road ahead of the vehicle) is used to ensure that the vehicle does not collide with other objects on the road. Oftentimes, lane markers are not visible especially in heavy traffic or along curved roads. Therefore, if there are not enough lane markers visible to produce an adequate look-ahead horizon, then motion planning cannot be use. Hence, there is a need for improved systems and methods for lane marker prediction in a vehicle where there are enough markers visible (captured by an image sensor) to produce an adequate look-ahead horizon.

Lane prediction and smoothing for extended motion planning horizon


A multi-tank/vessel buoyancy system for use in deploying and connecting tendons or other elongate members between subsea anchors and floating/semi-submersible platforms. The vessels are interconnected at axially spaced locations toward their upper ends and lower ends, there being an equalizing system proximate the top ends of the vessels to permit ingress and egress of air into the vessels and a lower water equalizing system to permit free-flowing ingress and egress of water into the vessels. There is at least one clamping system operatively connected to the multi-vessel system, the clamping system, like the valving systems, being remotely, acoustically operable from a PLC on a work barge or the like.

In an attempt to control climate change due to the use of fossil fuels, there is an increasing focus on renewable energy sources such as wind turbines. Initially wind turbine generators for producing electric power were largely on shore structures. At the present time, the vast majority of offshore energy generation (OEG) comes from platforms/wind turbines in shallow waters. This is no doubt due to the complexity of offshore, particularly deep water support structures, e.g., platforms and the like. Nonetheless, land based and shallow water based generation of electric power is becoming limited by space considerations. Accordingly, the technology is shifting toward developing turbine support structures which can be used in deeper offshore waters.
Current, floating turbine support systems fall generally into three categories —spar-buoy, semi-submersible, and tension leg platform (TLP). In the construction of TLPs, typically a semi-submerged buoyant structure is anchored to the sea bed with tension mooring lines, commonly referred to as tendons.
Tendons for use with offshore platform construction have been used for many years, particularly in the construction of offshore platforms for oil and gas exploration and production. A typical tendon support buoy (TSB) which has been used for many years is one designed by Detailed Design, Inc. These TSBs are generally made to accommodate tendons or pipe having diameters from 22 to 40 inches. Accordingly, the TSBs are large, e.g., from about 24 feet in diameter and 90 feet in length. There is presently a need for buoyancy systems, particularly TSBs, which can accommodate smaller diameter elongate members, e.g., tendons that have a diameter of between 8 to 20 inches. There is also a need for TSBs which greatly reduces the costly use of underwater or in the water activities involving equipment and labor such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and divers.

Tendon support buoyancy system and method


The present invention discloses a nut riveter comprising a front riveter seat with a cavity, a rear riveter seat arranged in the cavity of the front riveter seat and located at a rear end of the front riveter seat, a nut adjusting mechanism arranged at a front end of the front riveter seat, a nut riveting rod installed in the nut adjusting mechanism, wherein two sides of the rear riveter seat are each connected to a handle through a connecting rod; a pull rod seat located in the cavity of the front riveter seat, wherein a pull rod is inserted into the pull rod seat, wherein a rear end of the pull rod is connected with a pull rod retractable mechanism.

A nut riveter is a tool used for riveting industrial nuts, can rivet nuts on plates and is widely used. For example, Chinese Patent No. 201010588266.4 discloses a nut riveter, which comprises a riveter seat, a nut adjusting mechanism arranged at a front end of the riveter seat, a nut riveting rod installed in the nut adjusting mechanism, two handles with front ends which are respectively hinged with the riveter seat through first pin shafts and fitting holes in two sides of the riveter seat, and a pull rod retractable mechanism connected to a pull rod, wherein the nut riveting rod is fixed at a front end of the pull rod; the nut riveter further comprises a screw rod with one end which is connected with the pull rod retractable mechanism through a sixth pin shaft and a screw rod outer sleeve with one end which is fixed on the pull rod retractable mechanism through threads, wherein the screw rod is arranged in a cavity of the screw rod outer sleeve; a push rod sleeves a position between the screw rod and the screw rod outer sleeve, steel balls fit with a screw groove in the screw rod are inlaid in one end of the push rod, a one-way clutch sleeves the other end of the push rod and the one-way clutch is fixed in a clutch seat; the clutch seat is connected with a withdrawing connecting rod through a fifth pin shaft and the withdrawing connecting rod is connected onto the handles through fourth pin shafts; the pull rod retractable mechanism comprises a pull rod seat, a fixed nut, second pin shafts, connecting rods and third pin shafts; the pull rod penetrates through the pull rod seat and a tail end of the pull rod is fixed on the fixed nut; the fixed nut is located in a chamber of the pull rod seat and a tail portion of the fixed nut is connected with the screw rod through the sixth pin shaft; and one end of the connecting rod is hinged with the front end of the handle through the second pin shaft and the other end of the connecting rod is connected with the pull rod through the third pin shaft.
The nut riveter in by the above-mentioned art provides improved nut riveting efficiency by riveting nuts based on the lever principle. However, the following problems often exist with conventional riveter: since the front ends of the handles are connected with the riveter seat through fastening pieces, the two handles must be pulled outwards first, and then inwards in order the grip the nut. The second pin shafts can be viewed as fulcrums of the lever principle. As the force in power arms are continuously reduced, the forced need in the resisting arms are continuously increased when the two handles are approaching each other. Consequently the force need to operate the riveter is gradually increased.
For smaller nuts, the force needed during riveting is smaller. The above-mentioned solution may be sufficient. However, for large nuts, more force is needed. In addition, when the two handles come closer to each other, the continuously increasing force may feel laborious and strenuous to its users. Particularly for people with less physical strength, the nut riveter may be hard to use. Therefore, a larger nut riveter is needed for large nuts. However, nuts of different sizes are often riveted within a short period of time during one particular operation. As a result, several nut riveters need to be carried and frequently changed during use and it is troublesome in use.
As a result, there is a need for a labor-efficient riveter that can accommodate nuts of different sizes.


Methods, systems, and computer readable media for caching and using scatter list metadata to control DMA receiving of network protocol data are described. According to one method, metadata associated with partially used scatter list entries is cached in memory of a scatter list caching engine. Data to be written to host system memory is received. The scatter list caching engine provides the metadata associated with partially used scatter list entries to a DMA controller to control the DMA writing of the data into host system memory.

Network and storage array test devices, such as protocol emulators and/or protocol analyzers are often required to receive data and store the data in internal memory at line rates. For example, a protocol emulator that emulates a storage array connected via a storage area network may be required to receive and store data at fiber channel line rates on the order of gigabits per second or tens of gigabits per second.
In light of the high line rates encountered by network and storage array test devices, it is desirable to utilize an efficient mechanism for receiving data into host (test device) memory. One possible way to receive data into host memory is to use the host central processing unit (CPU) to control the receiving of data into memory. Using the host CPU to control the receiving of data into memory is undesirable because the host CPU is not optimized for such high speed transfers and is often busy performing other tasks.
Another possible mechanism for receiving high speed data into host memory is to use direct memory access or DMA. When using DMA, special purpose hardware, referred to as a DMA controller, controls the writing of data into host memory, with minimal involvement by the host CPU. As a result, the host CPU is free to perform other tasks, and the DMA controller can be optimized for high speed data transfer required, for example, when the host device is emulating a storage area network.
In order to perform a DMA transfer, the DMA controller must be provided with the address in memory where data is to be written and the amount of space available beginning at the memory address. Scatter lists are one mechanism used in providing address and buffer information to a DMA controller. A scatter list is a linked list of pointers to host memory and corresponding buffer sizes. A scatter list may be created by host system software for storing data received from an I/O device, such as a protocol offload engine (specialized hardware that is design to extract protocol data from packets received over a network). Thousands of scatter list entries may be created by a protocol emulator or analyzer to monitor sessions of interest. These entries may be stored in host system memory. Because it is desirable to offload data transfer from the host CPU, there exists a need for an efficient way to provide scatter list information to the DMA controller.
One possible way to provide scatter list information to the DMA controller is to cache scatter list entries in memory of the protocol offload engine or other device that interfaces with the DMA controller. However, because memory may be limited on the protocol offload engine, only portions of the scatter list can be cached. As a result, the cache on the protocol offload engine must be frequently refilled. In addition, once a scatter list entry is used or partially used by writing data that fully or partially fills a location in host memory corresponding to a scatter list entry, a possible implementation is to write the partially used scatter list entry back to host system memory and subsequently receive a new scatter list from host system software that reflects the partially used entry. Requiring writes to host system memory each time a scatter list is partially used and requiring a subsequent read from host system memory to use the remainder of a partially used entry is undesirable, as the reads and writes to host system memory slow protocol offload engine performance.
Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, there exists a need for methods, systems, and computer readable media for caching and using scatter list metadata to control DMA receiving of network protocol data.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for caching and using scatter list metadata to control direct memory access (DMA) receiving of network protocol data


The present disclosure relates to a solid-state image pickup element in order to enable inhibition of a variation in the photoelectric conversion characteristic of an organic photoelectric conversion film due to atmospheric exposure and a manufacturing method of the solid-state image pickup element, and an electronic device. The solid-state image pickup element includes: a photoelectric conversion film formed above a semiconductor substrate; and a sidewall sealing a side face of the photoelectric conversion film. The sidewall includes a re-deposited film of a film directly under the sidewall. The present disclosure is applicable to, for example, a CMOS image sensor or the like.

In recent years, a charge coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor has a tendency of reduction in the pixel size. Accordingly, the number of photons (amount of light) incident on the unit pixel has decreased to lower the sensitivity of the pixel, whereby the signal/noise (S/N) ratio has sometimes decreased.
Furthermore, there has been widely used an image sensor adopting a pixel array including red, green, and blue pixels arrayed on a flat face, for example, a Bayer array with a primary color filter. For such an image sensor, for example, green light and blue light do not pass through the red pixel in the color filter and are not used for photoelectric conversion, thereby resulting in occurrence of a loss in terms of sensitivity. Furthermore, a false color may occur as color signals are generated through interpolation processing between pixels.
Meanwhile, there has been proposed an image sensor having a structure including three photoelectric conversion layers layered vertically to obtain photoelectric conversion signals of three colors with one pixel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a solid-state image pickup element having a structure including: a photoelectric conversion unit for detecting green light to generate a signal charge corresponding to the green light, the photoelectric conversion unit being provided on a silicon substrate; and two photoelectric conversion regions for detecting blue light and red light, the two photoelectric conversion regions being layered in the silicon substrate.
Furthermore, there has also been proposed a back-irradiation type solid-state image pickup element. Such a solid-state pickup element has a structure including one layer of photoelectric conversion film provided above a silicon substrate and two color photoelectric conversion units provided in the silicon substrate, and the circuit-formed face is formed on the opposite side to the light-receiving face (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
For such a back-irradiation type solid-state image pickup element, circuits, wires, and the like are not formed between an inorganic photoelectric conversion unit and an organic photoelectric conversion unit. Thus, the distance between the inorganic photoelectric conversion unit and the organic photoelectric conversion unit in the same pixel can be made close. As a result, there can be inhibited F-number dependence by each color and a variation in sensitivity between colors.
Meanwhile, since the organic photoelectric conversion film is generally vulnerable in resistance to H2O and O2 in the atmosphere, there need to construct a sealing structure in the structure including the organic photoelectric conversion film provided above the silicon substrate. For example, Patent Document 3 proposes a structure including a double-layered upper electrode provided to seal an organic photoelectric conversion film with a second upper electrode on the upper side of the structure.

Solid-state image pickup element and manufacturing method thereof, and electronic device

SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION