The present invention concerns a wind power installation working gallery comprising a working platform and a railing arranged on the working platform, wherein the railing can be closed off by means of a closure element and the closure element is arranged in a transfer region to a lift.

1. Technical Field
The present invention concerns a wind power installation working gallery comprising a working platform and a railing arranged on the working platform, wherein the railing can be closed off by a closure element and the closure element is arranged in a transfer region to a lift.
The invention further concerns a wind power installation comprising at least one aforementioned wind power installation working gallery, a lift and a locking device for a wind power installation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Working galleries or scaffoldings of the above-indicated kind are used during the erection of wind power installations or for service operations during the working life of wind power installations. Certain types of wind power installations utilize the temporary provision of working galleries on or in a wind power installation, in particular during installation or dismantling, while in other types of installations, in particular large wind power installations, one or more working galleries are frequently fixedly installed. Working galleries of the above-indicated type can also be arranged in the nacelle of a wind power installation. The working galleries of certain wind power installations are accessed by a lift. Access from the lift to the working gallery of the installation occurs in a transfer region on the working gallery. If operations have to be carried out in parallel on a plurality of galleries or if the lift is needed for going to the nacelle or for returning to the ground, it happens in operation that working personnel remain on the working galleries when the lift car is not waiting at the platform. For safety reasons it is beneficial for the transfer region from the working galleries to be closed off by a closure element so that the risk of accidents involving people falling off the gallery can be reduced as much as possible.
For that purpose known arrangements provide locking devices on the railings of working platforms, by which the closure elements can be locked to the railing. It will be noted however that, with the known arrangements, it is possible for the closure element to be left unlocked due to negligence or even deliberately when the lift leaves the working gallery. That is considered as a disadvantage in the state of the art and at the same time is perceived as a serious safety loophole.

Wind energy installation working gantry and wind energy installation

Abstract: The invention concerns in particular a wind power installation having a locking device with a locking mechanism for receiving a first locking element and a second locking element, wherein the first locking element is connected to the lift and the second locking element is connected to the closure element, and the locking mechanism is adapted to release one of the two locking elements by means of the locking of the respective other locking element relative to the locking device.

Abstract: The invention further concerns a locking device, a lift and a wind power installation.


Processes for preparing a C5 aldehyde and propene are disclosed, the processes comprising: (a) providing a feedstream, the feedstream comprising butane, 1-butene, 2-butene and 1,3-butadiene, the 1,3-butadiene present in the feedstream in an amount up to 1000 ppm; (b) contacting the feedstream with hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst to form a 2-butene-rich butane stream and a C5 aldehyde; (c) separating the 2-butene-rich butane stream and the C5 aldehyde; and (d) contacting the 2-butene-rich butane stream with ethene in the presence of a metathesis catalyst to form a propene-containing hydrocarbon stream.

For the economic utilization of C4 streams, as can be obtained, for example, from cracking processes or by dehydrogenating butanes, various processes are already known. These starting streams typically comprise relatively large amounts of 1,3-butadiene, 1-butene and 2-butenes. In addition, significant proportions of butanes, and also isobutene in the case of cracking processes, are often present. In order to achieve a very economically viable process, the individual components each have to be converted to salable products of maximum value, without the other components being impaired thereby. Particularly advantageous in this context is also the complete or partial conversion of one C4 component to another C4 component which is fed to an economically more attractive use. To this end, generally complex, multistage processes are required, in which the individual C4 components are processed stepwise. Such processes are described, for example, in DE-A-10118634, EP-A-742 195 and 742 234.
Pure 1,3-butadiene constitutes a sought-after monomer. Pure 1-butene is likewise a high-cost monomer, but after hydroformylation to valeraldehyde and subsequent aldol condensation and hydrogenation to propylheptanol also finds an economically significant outlet as a plasticizer component and surfactant alcohol. Isobutene serves as a starting material for fuel and lubricant additives after polymerization to polyisobutene, as a fuel additive after etherification with methanol to MTBE, and as knock-resistant gasoline alkylate after dimerization to diisobutene and subsequent hydrogenation. In contrast, the direct chemical reaction of 2-butenes is hitherto industrially insignificant. Here, an olefin metathesis with ethene, which converts 2-butenes to the valuable olefin monomer propene, is viable.


A gamma control circuit includes a first gray-scale voltage selection unit that selects and outputs a highest gray-scale voltage and a lowest gray-scale voltage from among a plurality of first voltages present between a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage. A second gray-scale voltage selection unit receives the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages and selects and outputs a first intermediate voltage and a second intermediate voltage between the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages. A third gray-scale voltage selection unit receives the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages and the first and second intermediate voltages and generates a plurality of reference voltages from the received voltages. A gray-scale voltage generation unit receives the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages and the plurality of reference voltages and outputs a plurality of gray-scale voltages.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a gamma control circuit and method thereof, and more particularly, to a gamma control circuit for adjusting a gamma curve by selecting a highest gamma voltage and a lowest gamma voltage from among a plurality of voltages, and a method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A display device cannot display a true linear relationship between input image data and an output image and, thus, uses a gamma curve to display an optimum image by compensating for the nonlinear relationship and outputting the compensated image. However, a maximum value, a minimum value, and the slope of a gamma curve for the same image data are different according to the type of the display panel being employed.
For this reason, a gamma control circuit that provides various gamma curves is needed. However, the range of adjusting voltages with the existing gamma control circuit is limited and, thus, the integrated circuit chip size must be increased to make the range broader. Therefore, a gamma control circuit that is small in size but can provide various gamma curves, and a method of implementing same, are needed.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of some constituent elements of a conventional display driving apparatus 100. Referring to FIG. 1, a decoder 120 of the display driving apparatus 100 receives input data and outputs gamma voltages, or, gray-scale voltages, corresponding to the input data, based on gray-scale voltages from a gamma control circuit 110.
If the input data is 6-bit data, the gamma control circuit 110 provides 64 gray-scale voltages V0 through V63. In this case, even if the same input data is supplied to the decoder 120, when a gray-scale voltage corresponding to the same input data is different, a voltage output from the decoder 120 is not the same. That is, a voltage output from the decoder 120 can be controlled by a gray-scale voltage. Accordingly, the gamma control circuit 110 is needed to control a gray-scale voltage according to the type of a display panel being used.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a conventional gamma control circuit 200. Referring to FIG. 2, control of the gamma voltages is performed by controlling reference voltages VREF1 through VREF8 corresponding to specific ones of the gray-scale voltages V0 through V63. Also, the gray-scale voltages V0 through V63 are controlled by controlling resistance values of variable resistors 214, 216, 234, and 236 in response to control signals C1 through C4, respectively.
Specifically, if the resistance value of the first variable resistor 214 is adjusted based on the first control signal C1, the first reference voltage VREF1, which is a reference voltage of the highest gray-scale voltage V0, is changed. That is, if a resistance value of the first variable resistor 214 is increased, the first reference voltage VREF1 is reduced, and thus, the highest gray-scale voltage V0 is also reduced. If the resistance value of the first variable resistor 214 is reduced, the first reference voltage VREF1 is increased, and thus, the highest gray-scale voltage V0 is increased.
Similarly, if the resistance value of the second variable resistor 216 is reduced in response to the second control signal C2, the eighth reference voltage VREF8 of the lowest gray-scale voltage V63 is reduced, and thus, the lowest gray-scale voltage V63 is reduced. If the resistance value of the second variable resistor 216 is increased, the eighth reference voltage VREF8 is increased, and thus, the lowest gray-scale voltage V63 is also increased. The shape of the whole gamma curve is determined by controlling the resistance of the third variable resistor 234 based on the third control signal C3 and the resistance value of the fourth variable resistor 236 based on the fourth control signal C4.
The first resistor array 252 connects the first and third variable resistors 214 and 234 to generate a plurality of voltages to be used as the second reference voltage VREF2, and one of the generated voltages is selected as the second reference voltage VREF2 in response to a first reference voltage control signal Q1 fed to a voltage selector 258.
The second resistor array 254 connects the third and fourth variable resistors 234 and 236 to generate a plurality of voltages, and a voltage selector selects and outputs the third through sixth reference voltages VREF3 through VREF6 in response to second through fifth reference voltage control signals Q2 through Q5, respectively, fed to the voltage selector 258.
The third resistor array 256 connects the second and fourth variable resistors 216 and 236 to generate a plurality of voltages, and the voltage selector outputs the seventh reference voltage VREF7 in response to a sixth reference voltage control signal Q6, fed to the voltage selector 258. For voltage stabilization, the reference voltages VREF1 through VREV8 are output via corresponding voltage followers, respectively.
The fourth resistor array 270 receives the second through seventh reference voltages VREF2 through VREF7, and outputs the gray-scale voltages V1 through V62, except for the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages V0 and V63.
FIG. 3 illustrates examples 300 of gamma curves that are controlled in response to first through fourth control signals C1 through C4, respectively. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, if the resistance value of the first variable resistor 214 is changed in response to the first control signal C1, the first reference voltage VREF1 and the highest gray-scale voltage V0 are changed, thus changing the inclination or slope of the gamma curve. If the resistance value of the second variable resistor 216 is changed in response to the second control signal C2, the lowest gray-scale voltage V63 is changed, thus changing the inclination of the whole gamma curve as illustrated in FIG. 3. If the resistance values of the third and fourth variable resistors 234 and 236 are changed in response to the third and fourth control signal C3 and C4, the highest and lowest gray-scale voltages V0 and V63 are not significantly changed but the intermediate reference voltages VREF2 through VREF7 are changed to change gray-scale voltages, thereby changing the inclination of the whole gamma curve as illustrated in FIG. 3.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a variable resistor 400 such as that employed in the circuit shown in FIG. 2. Referring to FIG. 4, the variable resistor 400 includes an array of resistors R1 through R4 and analog switches ASW1 through ASWn. The variable resistor 400 controls the overall resistance value by adjusting the number of resistors to be connected by switching on/off the analog switches ASW1 through ASWn in response to a control signals C1 through C4.
The range of adjusting voltages in response to the control signals C1 through C4 and reference voltage control signals Q1 through Q6 must be broad enough to provide various gray-scale voltages. Thus, the number of resistors of the variable resistor 400 and the number of analog switches must be increased to broaden the range, and the switch size must be very significantly increased to reduce resistance values of the analog switches. Also, if the resistance value of the first variable resistor 214 is changed, the whole resistance value is changed and, therefore, all of the reference voltages VREF1 through VREF8 are changed, thereby causing a user's inconvenience when performing gamma control.
As described above, a conventional gamma control circuit that uses variable resistors has a large chip size and is inconvenient to use when performing gamma control. Therefore, there is a need to develop a gamma control circuit that is small sized but can easily perform gamma control, while increasing the range of controlling gray-scale voltages, and a method performing gamma control.

Gamma control circuit and method thereof


A system for transmitting aircraft data from an aircraft includes a Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) that records aircraft data. A PC card is interfaced to the DAU and stores the aircraft data from the DAU. A processor retrieves aircraft data from the memory. A first wireless transceiver is controlled by the processor and receives and transmits the aircraft data along a wireless communications signal. A wireless local area network (LAN) communications unit is configured as an access point and positioned within the aircraft and transmits and receives wireless communications signals to and from the PC card. A second wireless transceiver is mounted within the aircraft and receives the wireless communications signal from the wireless LAN communications unit for transmitting the aircraft data from the aircraft.

A Digital Acquisition Unit (DAU), also known by some skilled in the art as a DFDAU, receives signals from many on-board aircraft systems. The DAU processes the data as Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) data, which is recovered from the aircraft by different prior art techniques. For example, a PCMCIA card may connect into an auxiliary PCMCIA slot of the Data Acquisition Unit and record data into a flash memory of the card. Once the data is collected into flash memory, airline operators manually replace the PCMCIA cards with a new card and retrieve the aircraft data from the flash memory of the old card.
Other prior art techniques for collecting this aircraft data include wireless systems, which often require costly aircraft modifications. For example, a separate unit to record data, such as a ground data link unit, is required, and an additional aircraft antenna must be mounted on the fuselage. Often aircraft wiring changes are made. These ground data link units require a data processor, a data collection circuit, a wireless LAN radio, a power amplifier, and external fuselage antenna. Multiple line receiver units are also often required adding to the significant investment made by an aircraft operator.
Examples of a ground data link systems that have been used in an aircraft are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,047,165; 6,104,914; 6,108,523; 6,148,179; 6,154,636; 6,154,637; 6,160,998; 6,163,681; 6,167,238; 6,167,239; 6,173,159; 6,308,044; 6,308,045; 6,353,734; 6,522,867; and 6,745,010, the disclosures which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
It would be desirable, however, to extract Flight Operations Quality Assurance data or other aircraft data from an aircraft component, such as a DAU, in a less complicated and costly system, rather than using a ground data link unit or manually replacing flash memory PCMCIA cards.

System and method of transmitting data from an aircraft


A method and apparatus are provided for detecting a RADAR signal. RADAR channel data in a frequency range is received, where the frequency range is divided into a plurality of equally wide channels. The received RADAR channel data is digitally processed and analyzed to identify a signal in the RADAR channel data in the frequency range. The frequency range is advanced to a next channel of the plurality of channels, where the frequency range of the next channel of the plurality of channels is nonsequential with the frequency range of the first channel. The steps of receiving, processing, and analyzing are repeated for the next channel of the plurality of channels.

RADAR detectors warn drivers of the use of police RADAR, and the potential for traffic citations if the driver exceeds the speed limit. The FCC has allocated several regions of the electromagnetic spectrum for police RADAR use. The bands used by police RADAR are generally known as the X, K and Ka bands. Each relates to a different part of the spectrum. The X and K bands are relatively narrow frequency ranges, whereas the Ka band is a relatively wide range of frequencies. By the early 1990's, police RADAR evolved to the point that it could operate almost anywhere in the 2,600 megahertz wide Ka band. During that time RADAR detectors kept pace with models that included descriptive names like "Ultra Wide" and "Super Wide." More recently, police have begun to use laser (optical) systems for detecting speed. This technology was termed LIDAR for "light Detection and Ranging."
Unlike LIDAR, police RADAR directly determines a vehicle's speed by measuring the doppler shift in its returned frequency (such as the increasing or descreasing pitch of an approaching or receding train or emergency vehicle). Instant-on or pulsed low-powered RADAR has been in use for many years. For some time to come, this will likely constitute the greatest occurrence in any area that has not already switched exclusively to police laser speed enforcement. Most contemporary police RADAR guns operate on the wide Ka-band RADAR. K-band RADAR still is extremely common, given it historical advantage to Ka RADAR. X-band is also still widely deployed in some areas, however, newer digital (DSP) police RADAR guns are steadily coming on-line which operate primarily on the newer Ka band.
RADAR detectors typically comprise a microwave receiver and detection circuitry that is typically realized with a microprocessor or digital signal processor ("DSP"). Microwave receivers are generally capable of detecting microwave components in the X, K, and very broad Ka band. In various solutions, either a microprocessor or DSP is used to make decisions about the signal communicated from the microwave receiver. Systems including a digital signal processor have been shown to provide superior performance over solutions based on conventional microprocessors due to the DSP's ability to rapidly find and distinguish signals that are buried in noise.
The DSP or microprocessor in a contemporary RADAR detector is programmable. Accordingly, they can be instructed to manage all of the user interface features such as input switches, lights, sounds, as well as generate control and timing signals for the microwave receiver and/or a laser detector. Early in the evolution of the RADAR detector, consumers sought products that offered a better way to manage the audible volume and duration of warning signals. Good examples of these solutions are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,631,542, 5,164,729, 5,250,951, and 5,300,932, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference, which provide methods for conditioning the response generate by the radar detector.
However, these and other radar detectors still typically have an analog basic detection method, usually involving an FM demodulator. The resultant analog signal is then processed by a digital microcontroller. A problem with using an analog detection technique is that the analog detection has a slow response time. Since a detector must scan a wide range of frequencies in search of radar signals, scan speed is an important aspect of the detector. Unfortunately, analog detection methods involving FM demodulators only allow detectors to look at a narrow frequency bands at specific times, in order to achieve good sensitivity to RADAR signals over any noise. The narrow bands may assist in the problem that many detectors have been faced with; namely, their inability to detect short pulsed radar signals, which may occur at any frequency in the X, K or Ka bands. In other words, it has become more difficult to achieve a good compromise between response time and sensitivity using narrow-band analog detection methods. This problem has become even more apparent lately as more RADAR guns have started to implement short pulsed sources, known as POP-mode RADAR.
The idea behind POP-mode RADAR is simple in principle. If a RADAR gun transmits a sole pulsed RADAR wave, and that transmission only lasts 67 ms, conventional RADAR detectors won't likely spot the RADAR beam of such short duration as they are busy sweeping (scanning) multiple bands within the X, K, and Ka bands. While the 67 ms version of POP-mode RADAR has essentially been mitigated by most of the major contemporary detector manufacturers, even quicker versions of POP-mode RADAR have been introduced having pulse durations of 16 ms. Even the top of the line models of the contemporary detectors struggle with identifying this shorter duration POP-mode and the detector only alerts to the pulsed waves about one out of every 10 bursts.
Therefore there is a need in the art for a RADAR detector that is able to sweep multiple bands with sufficient speed and sensitivity to be able to detect POP-mode and other short duration bursts.

Digital receiver techniques in radar detectors


A 3-way switch for a gas-insulated apparatus includes a first connecting part and a second connecting part perpendicular to the first connecting part, a support conductor having a first guide hole perpendicular to the direction of the first connecting part and a second guide hole in parallel to the direction of the second connecting part, a disconnecting switch (DS) operating part slidably coupled to the first guide hole, an earthing switch (ES) operating part slidably coupled to the second guide hole such that the ES operating part is perpendicular to the disconnecting switch operating part, and a main lever, one end of which is rotatably coupled to the support conductor and the other end of which is eccentrically rotated and rotatably connected to the DS operating part and the ES operating part for linear sliding of the DS operating part and the ES operating part.

In general, a GIS includes a gas circuit breaker (GCB), a disconnecting switch (DS), an earthing switch (ES), a lightning arrester, and a main bus which are main components of a transformer substation. The GIS has internally excellent insulation performance and is filled with an inert sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas, thereby accommodating the size reduction and safety of the transformer substation.
Although the DS and the ES among the above-described devices perform open and close operations of a contact point using independent operating mechanisms, an integrated DS/ES operating mechanism capable of operating the DS and the ES with one operating mechanism because of simplification of a structure, economy, simplicity of control, etc. has recently been proposed.
The DS/ES operating mechanism of the related art connects a lever, a link, and ES/DS operating elements to a rotation axis using pins, and simultaneously moves the ES/DS operating elements during an operation.
However, because the GIS of the related art has a problem in that a size of a device increases when a driving radius of the device increases, there is a need for an operating method for solving the problem.


A beddress. Under one embodiment, a beddress includes an upper fabric portion sized and shaped to cover an upper surface of a top mattress structure and a lower fabric portion sized and shaped to cover at least three side surfaces of a bottom mattress structure. The upper and lower fabric portions are securably coupled together at an interface so that the coupled portions are installable over the top mattress structure as a unitary covering. The interface is positioned to fit between the top and bottom mattress structures.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a beddressing structure for placement as a single piece over a mattress of a bed and which is sized and shaped to decoratively cover exposed portions of the box spring.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Conventional dust ruffles for beds comprise a ruffled type skirt (also called a bedskirt) that is sized to be placed over a box spring of a bed. In order to install, remove, or adjust a conventional dust ruffle from a bed, one must generally remove the upper mattress, which is difficult because of its weight and bulk.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a two-piece mattress set (e.g., a mattress 5 and box spring 3). Dust ruffle 1 has a decorative skirt 7 and may be placed over the box spring 3 so that it may drape downward, as shown in FIG. 2, to cover otherwise exposed portions of the box spring.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,290 discloses a dust ruffle structure. The dust ruffle structure is sized and shaped to be positioned on and arounds a lower supporting structure (e.g., box spring) and underneath an upper mattress. The dust ruffle includes a friction fastening structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,562 discloses a bed cover structure with an improved dust ruffle. A fitted bed sheet foundation extends downwardly below and alongside the mattress with a lowermost edge area of the sheet positioned in confronting relation to a box spring, and having a first fastener secured at the lowermost edge of the sheet. The dust ruffle, among other things, includes a second fastener at the upper edge of a band of material on the dust ruffle so that it is securable to the first fastener.


A remote controller with a plurality of keys arranged, which remotely controls, upon manipulations of the keys, control-target equipment by transmitting a remote control signal allocated to each of the keys. The remote controller includes a storing section which stores information of a plurality pieces of control-target equipment; an equipment selection operating section which selects control-target equipment to be operated under a remote control from the plurality pieces of control-target equipment whose information is stored in the storing section; a control unit that generates, in a case of manipulation of the equipment selection operating section, a remote control signal to power on the selected control-target equipment, and generates a remote control signal to power off the other control-target equipment information of which is stored in the storing section, except for the selected control-target equipment; and a transmitter for transmitting the remote control signal generated by the control unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote controller suitable for transmitting, for example, a control signal to a light receiving section provided in an electronic equipment of a television receiver, and a remote control method applicable to the remote controller.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, a remote controller that transmits a control signal using infrared rays has been used to remotely control video equipment such as a television receiver, and audio equipment, and the like. When the channel tuning operation of the television receiver or the like is performed by using the remote controller, a user selects and presses a numeric key provided on the remote controller. By this operation, a remote control signal allocated to each numeric key is transmitted from the remote controller to the television receiver. In the television receiver, channel tuning positions corresponding to the remote control signals are set in advance. In response to an infrared signal received from the remote controller, the broadcasting station channel is changed. This completes the channel tuning operation.
There is also a system that enables a remote controller to remotely operate various equipment by locating a plurality of input terminals in electronic equipment such as a television receiver or an AV (audio visual) amplifier, and connecting external equipment such as a recorder, a player, and a tuner to the input terminals. The remote controller used in this system can perform an equipment switching that enables the operations of not only the television receiver and the AV amplifier, but also external equipment connected thereto. When switching the operating equipment, a user firstly has to perform an input switching operation on the television receiver. For example, in a case where a first input terminal to a fourth input terminal are provided in the television receiver, the following association is made in advance on the television receiver side. That is, the first input terminal is associated with a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) recorder, the second input terminal is associated with a video tape recorder, and so on. When selecting the connected external equipment, the input of the television receiver is changed. The above-mentioned remote controller is provided with operation switching keys for selecting equipment to be operated such as the television receiver, the DVD recorder, and an AV amplifier. After changing the input of the television receiver, the user manipulates the operation switching keys of the remote controller so as to change a control mode of the remote controller, allowing the desired equipment to be manipulated.
Here, it is assumed that a user switches from the viewing of a ground wave analog broadcasting to the operation of DVD playback using the DVD recorder. Firstly, the user performs the operation for changing into the input of the DVD recorder connected to the television receiver, and then selects the operation switching key for the DVD recorder in the remote controller. As a result, a remote control signal corresponding to the DVD operation is transmitted by infrared from the remote controller to the television receiver. This enables the user to perform the operations of record, play, stop, and the like of the DVD recorder.
Japanese Patent Application Publication (KOKAI) No. Hei-5-236366 (FIG. 1) describes a technique of outputting, from a remote controller, the operation codes of peripheral equipment connected to a television receiver.

Remote controller and remote control method


A system and method for a clay target throwing system that eliminates physical buttons and voice controls to trigger the throwing devices whereby the system receives various inputs from one or more guests at a shooting range or another type of user whereby the inputs are used to dynamically manage the various target throwing devices. The method is initiated by a guest renting a wearable device with a UHF RFID tag where the guest wearing the wearable device would then walk within a predetermined distance of a computing system having a UHF RFID reader that detects the location of the UHF RFID tag in relation to the computing system.

Clay shooting has become an increasingly popular and growing sport of shooting flying clay targets with a shotgun or other weapon such as a bow and arrow. Hitting the target requires skill, timing, and hand-eye coordination. Clay shooting is beneficial to a person's mental and physical health. Clay shooting has many benefits including giving the user satisfaction through the adrenaline rush, strengthening the user's shoulder, arm, and hand muscles, improving balance in everyday life, as well as diverting the mind from stress, anxiety, negative thoughts, or other concerning issues. There are many commercially available clay shooting dispensers at shooting ranges and other venues where clay target shooting takes place. These clay shooting dispensers may include manual or automatic loading and throwing devices, which are designed to throw a plurality of targets from a single position. However, the user typically must manually load and release the clay shooting dispensers or press a button or other activator such as voice recognition to release the clay targets from an automatic machine. This provides an experience that is not as natural as encountering animals in the wilderness and thus exists the need for a new and improved clay target throwing system.

Automatic RFID enabled clay target throwing system


An image pickup apparatus includes an irradiation unit for radiating, to an object, light having a plurality of wavelength regions, and an image pickup unit for picking up an image that is obtained when the light having the wavelength regions is radiated by the irradiation unit and an image that is obtained when the light is not radiated by the irradiation unit. Based on both images, a wavelength region from among the wavelength regions is determined in which the intensity of external light is low. The irradiation unit is then controlled to radiate light having an increased emission intensity for the light having the wavelength region in which the intensity of external light is low.

Hitherto, an image pickup apparatus that picks up images of an object by radiating infrared radiation to the object and capturing light reflected by the object has been known from, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2-304680.
Such an image pickup apparatus can determine a difference between an image obtained when infrared radiation is not radiated and an image obtained when infrared radiation is radiated. When infrared radiation is not radiated, external light impinges on the object and is reflected by the object. Thus, light picked up by the image pickup apparatus is only an external light component. In contrast when infrared radiation is radiated, external light and infrared radiation impinge on the object and are reflected by the object. Thus, the light picked up by the image pickup apparatus includes an external light component and an infrared component. The difference between the image obtained when infrared radiation is not radiated and the image obtained when infrared radiation is radiated is an image in which the external light component is canceled and only the infrared component is extracted. Accordingly, this image pickup apparatus can obtain an image in which the influence of external light is suppressed.

Image pickup apparatus, image display system, and method for controlling the image pickup apparatus


An implantable device for affixing to the anterior side of cervical vertebrae for stabilizing the cervical vertebral column. A plate has an anterior surface and a posterior surface and a plurality of through holes open at the anterior surface and at the posterior surface. Each hole has an anterior portion having a first diameter and a posterior portion having a second diameter. The second diameter is smaller than the first diameter, and the anterior portion of the hole is internally threaded. A bone screw has a threaded shank having a major diameter smaller than the second diameter of the through hole of the plate. The bone screw also has a head having a major diameter greater than the second diameter of the through hole of the plate and smaller than the first diameter of the hole of the plate. A locking cap has an exterior thread and is sized to be threadedly received within the anterior portion of the through hole of the plate while the head of the bone screw is disposed within the through hole. The locking cap is provided for engaging and frictionally locking the head of the bone screw to the plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to implantable medical devices and their methods of use for stabilizing skeletal bone, and relates more particularly to implantable medical devices and their methods of use for stabilizing the cervical vertebrae of a human spine.
2. Background of the Related Art
In humans, the spine is adapted to function as the central column of the skeleton, thereby permitting the erect posture that is characteristic of humankind. The human vertebral column includes adjacent sections of vertebrae that form curves of opposite sense in the sagittal plane. The central, or thoracic, section of the vertebral column is convex posteriorly, whereas the lumbar (lower back) and cervical (neck) sections of the vertebral column are concave posteriorly. The posteriorly concave curvature of the cervical and lumbar vertebral columns is known as lordosis.
The cervical vertebral column, with which the present invention is particularly concerned, includes seven stacked vertebrae making up two anatomically and functionally distinct segments. The superior, or suboccipital, segment contains the first vertebrae, the atlas, immediately adjacent the occiput of the skull, and a second vertebrae, known as the axis. The inferior segment contains five vertebrae that link the inferior surface of the axis to the superior surface of the first thoracic vertebrae. The atlas and the axis are each uniquely shaped, and are connected to each other and to the occiput to permit three degrees of freedom. The vertebrae of the inferior segment, in contrast, are all alike and are restricted to certain movements: flexion and extension in the sagittal plane, and lateral flexion with rotation.
In healthy individuals with normal anatomy, the vertebrae of the cervical column are held together and to the remainder of the skeleton by a complex arrangement of ligaments, tendons and muscles, resulting in a columnar frame that is significantly plastic, yet stabile and capable of rigidity. The cervical vertebrae play another very important role as a mechanical protector of the neuraxis, or spinal cord. Consequently, any loss of stability of the cervical vertebrae can present a serious threat to the integrity of the neuraxis, and thus to the life, mobility and health of the individual. Trauma or degenerative disease can result in a loss of stability of cervical vertebrae that requires surgical intervention. In some cases, implantation of stabilizing plates using bone screws to link adjacent vertebrae together may be indicated.
In the past, a posterior surgical approach was often used to implant plates or braces to stabilize the cervical spine. Beginning in the 1950's an anterior approach was developed. The anterior approach increased in popularity over the years and began to eclipse the posterior approach in the 1970's. In the anterior approach, the cervical plate spans and is affixed to adjacent cervical vertebrae on their anterior surfaces. The use of the anterior surgical approach and anterior cervical plating has certain advantages. These advantages include maintaining the patient in the supine position, requiring minimal tissue disruption for anatomic dissection, the ability to obtain anterior decompression of vertebrae, and exploiting an optimal environment for promoting bone fusion, i.e., bone under compression.
During early development of the technique of anterior cervical plating, surgeons used available bone plates and screws that had been developed for other bone stabilizing operations. W. Caspar developed the first plate and screw system specifically for use in the cervical spine. The Caspar plate could be contoured to reestablish the normal cervical lordosis. Some of the early anterior cervical plating systems involved a non-constrained arrangement in which bone screws, received through elongated holes or slots in the plate, were not rigidly affixed to the plate at their interface with the plate. This non-constrained arrangement permitted relative movement between the screw heads and the plate, which provided less stress shielding of the bone and allowed for subsidence. To prevent toggling and loosening of the bone screws, non-constrained cervical plating systems often required the bone screws to be implanted with bicortical purchase, in which the bone screw engaged the posterior cortical bone of the vertebrae in addition to passing through the anterior cortical bone.
Many surgeons were insecure with the use of bicortical purchase because of the risk of drilling through the posterior cortex and causing direct neural injury. As a consequence, constrained cervical plating systems using unicortical screw purchase gained in popularity. Concerns about screw loosening resulting in esophageal injury, as well as the need to secure the unicortical purchase screw against toggling, led to the development of mechanisms for locking the head of the screw to the plate. Such locking mechanisms prevented the screw from backing out of the plate and resisted any tendency of the screw to pivot relative to the plane of the plate. In some constrained anterior cervical plating systems, the relationship between the bone screw and the corresponding hole in the plate was such that the axis of the screw was fixed at a predetermined angle relative to the plate. To provide the surgeon with greater flexibility in placing the plate and in selecting the optimal orientation of the screw shaft, other constrained anterior cervical plating systems provided for multi-axial placement of the bone screw. Typically, in multi-axial systems, the bone screw can be placed at any angle up to about 10.degree. to 20.degree. from normal to the surface of the plate. After the plate is in place and the bone screws are installed and tightened at the selected angle, a locking mechanism is activated to maintain the screw at the selected angle.
Currently, the most desired characteristics of an anterior cervical plating system include the ability to use unicortical screw purchase, with the option to employ bicortical purchase, variability of the axis of screw placement in the superior, inferior, medial and lateral directions together with fixation of the screw to the plate, and titanium construction. Titanium is preferred because of its minimal interference with the magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) technique used for postoperative evaluation. Bendability or precurvature of the plate is also desired to accommodate or restore the natural lordosis of the cervical spine. These, and other desirable features and advantages, are provided by the present invention, particular embodiments of which are described below.

Anterior cervical vertebral stabilizing device


In a torque converter with a lock-up mechanism which can decrease a distribution of hydraulic pressure in the radial and circumferential directions of a frictional material, which can prevent the creation of any excess reaction by the distribution of hydraulic pressure, and which can efficiently give a fastening force to the frictional material to thereby improve transmission torque capacity, an oil groove for reducing the distribution of hydraulic pressure is provided on the frictional material or a piston. This oil groove is provided for depressurization at a location which does not hinder the fastening function.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a torque converter with a lock-up mechanism in an automatic transmission for a vehicle. More particularly, it relates to a torque converter with a lock-up mechanism which can achieve an improvement in transmission torque capacity by a simple construction and can prevent vibration (judder) created by stick-slip.
2. Related Background Art
Generally, a torque converter can realize smooth running because it transmits power through a fluid, while it suffers from the disadvantage that fuel consumption is aggravated because of the energy loss due to the slip of the fluid. In order to overcome this, the latest torque converters are provided with a lock-up mechanism.
The lock-up mechanism is a mechanism which comprises a direct-coupled clutch (lock-up clutch) and in which when the speed of vehicle reaches a predetermined or higher speed, the flow of the fluid in the torque converter automatically changes to urge the friction surface of a frictional material attached to the piston of the direct-coupled clutch against the front cover of the torque converter to thereby directly couple an engine and a drive wheel together. Thereby, the influence of the slip of the fluid is eliminated and therefore, an improvement in fuel consumption can be achieved.
When the piston (lock-up piston) of the direct-coupled clutch is fastened to the front cover of the torque converter, a pressure force by hydraulic pressure is acting on the sliding portion, between the friction surface of the frictional material attached to the piston and the front cover. To keep the fastened state of the piston and the front cover in the sliding portion good, it is necessary to increase the pressure force by the hydraulic pressure. Accordingly, in the fastened state, high pressure is being applied to the frictional material.
When the pressure force becomes higher, excess reaction due to the distribution of the hydraulic pressure becomes greater thereby and the possibility of imparting an adverse effect to the fastened state of the friction surface of the piston and the front cover becomes high and therefore, as a countermeasure for preventing this, it has been practiced to form a groove in the surface of the frictional material as described in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. 1-128057 or to form a groove in the surface of the piston as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-346951.
In recent years, it has often been the case that slip control is adopted for the lock-up clutch with a view to improve fuel consumption, but judder vibration occurs during slip. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent judder vibration and as a measure for preventing it, it is practiced to subject the friction surface of the lock-up clutch to a predetermined amount of cutting work and in addition, use low ps oil to make .mu.-V characteristic into a positive gradient (note: a negative gradient would cause judder vibration).
Such an example is described, for instance, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-99297. FIGS. 23 and 24 of the accompanying drawings are views for illustrating this example of the prior art, and an annular frictional material 140 is attached to the front cover side of the piston 100 of a lock-up clutch, and as shown in FIG. 24, the surface of the frictional material 140 from the radially outer peripheral edge portion A thereof to the intermediate point B thereof is subjected to cutting work between the outer peripheral edge portion A and the inner peripheral edge portion C. In FIG. 23, it is an annular area 130. By doing so, any stick-slip occurring during the liberation and fastening of the lock-up clutch can be prevented.
In the above-described construction, however, when the engagement hydraulic pressure changes from low pressure to high pressure, the area of contact and Rm (average effective radius) become smaller as the manner of bearing of the friction surface shifts from the bearing against the outer diameter to the bearing against the inner diameter (see FIG. 25 of the accompanying drawings). That is, by the hydraulic pressure coming round from the outer peripheral portion of the frictional material into between the friction surfaces as indicated by arrow in FIGS. 25 and 26 of the accompanying drawings, a distribution of hydraulic pressure is created radially and circumferentially of the frictional material 140 to thereby reduce the piston thrust which brings the piston 100 into pressure contact with the front cover 200. Accordingly, due to these factors, there has arisen the problem that during high hydraulic pressure, transmission torque capacity is reduced (see FIG. 26). FIG. 25 shows-the manner in which during low hydraulic pressure, the frictional material 140 bears against the front cover 200 on the outer diameter side, and FIG. 26 shows the manner in which during high hydraulic pressure, the frictional material 140 bears against the front cover 200 on the inner diameter side.
The countermeasure by the above-described construction is effective for the prevention of judder, but may result in a reduction in the transmission torque capacity during high hydraulic pressure. As measures for improving the transmission torque capacity, it would occur the diameter of the clutch larger, to construct the clutch of multiple plates and to increase the hydraulic pressure, but this would conversely make the structure of the lock-up clutch complicated and bulky and still, would result in an increase in fuel consumption.
For such a reason, it has heretofore been very difficult to prevent any reduction in the transmission torque capacity during high hydraulic pressure by a combination of a lock-up clutch having its friction surface subjected to a set amount of cutting work and low .mu.s oil.
When a pressure force becomes high, the excess reaction due to the distribution of hydraulic pressure also becomes great, and this may adversely affect the joined state of the friction surface of the piston and the front cover and also may impart damage such as deformation to the torque converter itself.
Particularly, it is important to decrease the distribution of hydraulic pressure and increase the piston thrust in order to prevent any reduction in transmission torque capacity during the operation of the lock-up clutch at high hydraulic pressure.

Torque converter with a lock-up mechanism


Stationery, or other printable media, is encoded with a digital watermark. The watermark is not conspicuous to a human observer of the media, yet conveys plural bits of auxiliary information when optically scanned and digitally processed. The watermark can be formed by ink-jet printing, or otherwise. The encoded information can be used for various purposes, including authenticating the document as an original, linking to associated on-line resources, and distinguishing seemingly-identical versions of the same document (document serialization).

In a great variety of applications, it is desirable for documents and other substrates to convey digital information.
Printed bar codes are one way of encoding digital data on documents, but bar codes are unsuited for many applications due to aesthetics, etc. Magnetic stripes can be used in some circumstances, but again the stripe is conspicuous, and reading the stripe requires a reader device that is not generally available. Radio frequency ID (RFID) is another technology that is sometimes used, but the cost is prohibitive for most applications, and specialized readers are again required.
For those situations in which the marking needs to be both inconspicuous and low cost, digital watermarking offers a promising alternative. Digital watermarking involves making subtle changes to a substrate's appearance (e.g., by ink speckling, texturing, background printing, or other techniques detailed in the literature)—changes that generally pass unnoticed by human viewers but that can be sensed by optical techniques (e.g., webcams, scanners, digital cameras) and decoded by computer processing of the resulting image data to extract the encoded information. Application Ser. No. 09/503,881 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,914) details illustrative watermark encoding/decoding technology. A great number of other techniques are known to artisans in the field, and can be alternatively used. (The following specification commonly uses the term "watermarking" as shorthand for "digital watermarking." This steganographic form of digital data encoding is different than the paper watermarks that have, for centuries, been used in certain documents.)
The present assignee has filed many patent applications that have dealt with digital watermarking of paper and other substrates. The present application serves to compile these various works into a consolidated filing.
Application Ser. No. 09/640,806 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,231), with priority back to application Ser. No. 08/215,289, filed Mar. 17, 1994 (through intervening U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,822,436 and 6,111,954) teaches that blank photographic paper and photographic film can be pre-processed—before exposure—to encode digital watermark information. When the paper/film is thereafter developed, the encoded information permeates the exposed image. That application also discusses substrate texturing as a way of effecting digital watermarking.
Application Ser. No. 09/127,502 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,345,104) teaches how a watermark pattern can be formed in the background of a printed document, such as by speckling small droplets of ink, or printing a mesh or weave of very thin lines. Ink-jet, intaglio, offset litho, letterpress, xerography, and other printing processes can be used. Such printing can be used to impart a tint to paper while simultaneously encoding auxiliary data (the watermark payload). Watermark encoding by texturing, such as by use of embossing pressure rollers or intaglio plates, is also discussed. Such processes can be performed by the end-user of the paper, or earlier, e.g., by a paper manufacturer. Moreover, they can be applied to the base substrate, or to a laminate layer (which may be clear) that is applied to the base substrate. The background patterning can encode both the auxiliary data payload, and calibration/orientation information that helps the decoder determine (and compensate for) rotation or scaling of the scan data prior to decoding. The encoding can extend across the entire document/substrate, or can be restricted to certain areas.
Application Ser. No. 09/562,524 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,724,912) particularly considers watermarking of laminate layers and synthetic substrates by techniques including opacification, laser ablation and cutting, and gravure printing. This application also considers how a single sheet of blank media can be encoded to convey different watermarks in different regions.
Application Ser. No. 09/562,516 details a variety of techniques for digitally encoding blank media, including printing watermark patterns with inks whose spectral response extends into UV or IR, and printing with combinations of inks. This application also recognizes that the selection of inks can be tailored to the spectra of expected illumination sources.
Application Ser. No. 09/553,112 details how particular line patterns can be designed to encode desired digital watermark information on documents and substrates. According to one method, a watermark tile is first defined—specifying luminance values in different regions. Lines are then formed between different areas in accordance with the values in the watermark tile.
Application Ser. Nos. 09/571,422 and 09/633,587 detail how a printed document, such as a business card, greeting card, product packaging, postal mail, catalog, magazine, credit card, office document, driver's license, book jacket, event ticket, etc., can be encoded with a digital watermark that corresponds to an electronic address. When presented to an imaging system, such as a webcam-equipped computer or other device, the resulting image data is processed to decode the watermark. The device then establishes a link to the electronic address in order to provide the user with additional information or content related to the original document, or to trigger an associated action. (The electronic address can be literally encoded in the watermark. More commonly, however, the watermark encodes an identifier. After detection, the decoding device uses this identifier to access a data structure, such as a remote database, to obtain a corresponding address.) These applications also contemplate that the encoding can be applied to blank media, such as blank magazine paper stock, and blank Post-It brand adhesive note pages. After end use by a consumer, the encoding persists, permitting linking or other watermark-based functionality.
Application Ser. No. 09/631,409 expands on the foregoing—particularly considering systems that link from invoices, bank statements and checks, and other account paperwork to associated on-line resources. By such arrangements, consumers can review billing history, make electronic payments, correspond with the banking or commercial institution, print completed checks, etc.
Application Ser. Nos. 09/498,223 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,350) and 09/433,104 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,615) detail "fragile" digital watermarks, i.e., watermarks that are designed to be lost, or to degrade in a predictable manner, when subject to certain forms of processing (e.g., scanning and printing, or photocopying). A watermark may be made fragile in numerous ways. One form of fragility relies on low watermark amplitude. That is, the strength of the watermark is only marginally above the minimum needed for detection. If any significant fraction of the signal is lost, as typically occurs in photocopying operations, the watermark becomes unreadable. Another form of fragility relies on the watermark's frequency spectrum. High frequencies are typically attenuated in the various sampling operations associated with digital scanning and printing. Even a high amplitude watermark signal can be significantly impaired, and rendered unreadable, by such photocopying operations. Fragile watermarks can be combined with more traditional, "robust" watermarks within a single document. The former serves to authenticate the document as an original. The latter serves to tag the document with a persistent set of auxiliary data (which can be used for any of the purposes for which watermarks are used).
Application Ser. No. 09/689,289 details particular applications of document watermarking in fields relating to stationary, postal mail and postage. Exemplary applications include document serialization, authentication, copy-control, envelope franking, internet linking, encoding of delivery address information, etc. Again, watermarking of blank printing stock is contemplated. Large lots of documents can be watermarked with the same data payload, or each sheet can convey a unique watermark payload. Corporate stationary can be marked with a fragile watermark to permit a genuine document to be distinguished from a photocopy or other reproduction.
Application Ser. No. 09/619,264 details that printers (including fax machines, photocopiers, etc.) can include optical sensors and decode watermark information from blank paper stock. This watermark can signal to the printer the particular type of paper about to be printed (e.g., glossy photo stock, corporate letterhead, etc.). The printer can then tailor its printing attributes in accordance with the particular paper being printed. The substrate watermark can be implemented using a variety of techniques, including clear inking.
Application Ser. No. 09/629,401 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,522,770) details how office documents, such as printed spreadsheets, can include a background (or other) watermark pattern. When presented to a webcam, or other such device, an associated computer can decode the watermark and, from this information, identify where the document is stored. The document can then be loaded from such storage, and a corresponding program launched to permit on-screen review or editing. Meta-data associated with the document can also be recalled by reference to the watermark. The encoding of the watermark in the printed output can be effected transparently to the user, such as by the application program (Excel), by printer driver software, or by the printer itself.
Application Ser. No. 09/803,167, filed Mar. 9, 2001 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,961,442) details how a substrate can be treated so that, when printed with unwatermarked text or imagery, the resulting document will be watermarked. This can be done, e.g., by locally tailoring the ink absorption attributes of different regions on the page, such as by a finely patterned waxy coating.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Printing media and methods employing digital watermarking


An example of a controller calculates the orientation of the controller based on an output from an inertial sensor, and when a value representing the calculated orientation satisfies a first condition, compresses data in a mode 2, and when the first condition is not satisfied, but a second condition is satisfied, compresses the data in a mode 1, and when the second condition is not satisfied, compresses the data in a mode 0. Then, the controller transmits the compressed data to another apparatus.

For example, as the background art, there is an apparatus including a sensor and for compressing data from the sensor and transmitting the data to another apparatus.
However, there is room for improvement in a method in which an apparatus including a sensor compresses data detected by the sensor, in view of the maintenance of the accuracy of data when the compressed data is restored.
Therefore, it is an object of an exemplary embodiment to provide an information processing apparatus capable of, when compressing and restoring data based on an output from a sensor, maintaining the accuracy of data.
To achieve the above object, the exemplary embodiment employs the following configurations.
An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the exemplary embodiment is an information processing apparatus including an inertial sensor, the information processing apparatus including at least one processor configured to: based on an output from the inertial sensor at a first timing, acquire a first value regarding an orientation or a position of the information processing apparatus; based on an output from the inertial sensor at a second timing different from the first timing, acquire a second value regarding the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus; based on at least one of the first value and the second value, determine whether or not a first condition is satisfied; when it is determined that the first condition is satisfied, compress at least one of the first value and the second value by a first method, thereby generating first compressed data including data related to the first value and data related to the second value; and when it is determined that the first condition is not satisfied, compress at least one of the first value and the second value by a second method different from the first method, thereby generating second compressed data including data related to the first value and data related to the second value.
Based on the above, based on a value regarding the orientation or the position of an apparatus, it is possible to determine whether or not a first condition is satisfied. When the first condition is satisfied, it is possible to compress data by a first method, and when the first condition is not satisfied, it is possible to compress the data by a second method. Consequently, in accordance with the state of an information processing apparatus, it is possible to select a compression method appropriate for maintaining the accuracy of data.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may further configured to transmit the first compressed data or the second compressed data to another apparatus.
Based on the above, it is possible to transmit the compressed data to another apparatus, and another apparatus can restore the data.
In another aspect, based on at least a difference between the first value and the second value, it may be determined whether or not the first condition is satisfied.
Based on the above, based on the difference between a first value and a second value, it is possible to determine whether or not the first condition is satisfied.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may be further configured to, based on an output from the inertial sensor at a third timing different from the first timing and the second timing, acquire a third value regarding the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus. Based on a difference between an average of the first value and the second value, and the third value, it may be determined whether or not the first condition is satisfied.
Based on the above, it is possible to calculate the difference between the average of a first value and a second value, and a third value, and based on the difference, determine whether or not the first condition is satisfied.
In another aspect, as the determination of whether or not the first condition is satisfied, it may be determined whether or not the information processing apparatus is in a state where the information processing apparatus is at rest.
Based on the above, when the information processing apparatus is in the state where the information processing apparatus is at rest, it is possible to compress the data by the first method.
In another aspect, as the determination of whether or not the first condition is satisfied, it may be determined whether or not an amount of change in the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus is less than a predetermined value.
Based on the above, when the amount of change in the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus is less than a predetermined value, it is possible to compress the data by the first method.
In another aspect, as the first method, the first compressed data may be generated so that an amount of either one of the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value is greater than an amount of the other.
Based on the above, the first compressed data is generated so that the amount of one of pieces of data is greater than the amount of the other. Thus, it is possible to make the amount of information to be lost regarding data of one of pieces of data. Thus, it is possible to maintain the accuracy of data when the data is compressed.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may be further configured to, based on an output from the inertial sensor at a third timing different from the first timing and the second timing, acquire a third value regarding the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus. Data related to the third value set based on the first value, the second value, and the third value may be compressed, thereby generating the first compressed data further including the compressed data related to the third value.
Based on the above, based on a first value and a second value, it is possible to compress data related to a third value.
In another aspect, as the first method, the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value may be compressed so that an amount of the data related to the second value is greater than an amount of the data related to the first value, and the data related to the third value is further compressed so that the amount of the data related to the third value is smaller than the amount of the data related to the first value, thereby generating the first compressed data including the compressed data related to the first value, the compressed data related to the second value, and the compressed data related to the third value.
Based on the above, the amounts of data of pieces of data related to three values are varied, whereby it is possible to make the amount of information to be lost regarding data related to the second value, and it is possible to maintain the accuracy of data.
In another aspect, the second value may be set as the compressed data related to the second value, a difference between the first value and the second value may be set as the compressed data related to the first value, and a difference between an average of the first value and the second value, and the third value may be set as the compressed data related to the third value, thereby generating the first compressed data.
Based on the above, it is possible to compress the data related to the second value, thereby setting the second value as it is as the data related to the second value. Regarding the first value, it is possible to set the difference between the first value and the second value as data related to the first value. Regarding the third value, it is possible to set the difference as data related to the third value. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the amount of data as a whole and also restore the three values.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may be further configured to, when it is determined that the first condition is not satisfied, then at least based on the first value and the second value, determine whether or not a second condition different from the first condition is satisfied. When it is determined that the second condition is satisfied, the second compressed data may be generated.
Based on the above, when it is determined that the first condition is satisfied, it is determined whether or not a second condition is satisfied. When the second condition is satisfied, it is possible to compress the data by the second method. Consequently, in accordance with the state of the apparatus, it is possible to select an appropriate compression method.
In another aspect, as the determination of whether or not the second condition is satisfied, it may be determined whether or not the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus changes linearly.
Based on the above, when the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus changes linearly, it is possible to compress the data by the second method.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may be further configured to, based on an output from the inertial sensor at a third timing different from the first timing and the second timing, acquire a third value regarding the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus. Based on whether or not the first value, the second value, and the third value have linearity, it may be determined whether or not the second condition is satisfied.
Based on the above, based on whether or not a first value, a second value, and a third value change linearly, it is possible to determine whether or not the second condition is satisfied.
In another aspect, at least when a difference between an average of the first value and the second value, and the third value is a predetermined range, it may be determined that the second condition is satisfied.
Based on the above, when the difference is within a predetermined range, it is possible to compress the data by the second method.
In another aspect, a component having the largest absolute value among a plurality of components included in any one of the first value, the second value, and the third value may be specified. Regarding the two values other than the one of the first value, the second value, and the third value, components corresponding to the specified component may be compared with a predetermined value, and based on a result of the comparison, it may be determined whether or not the second condition is satisfied.
Based on the above, when each of the first value, the second value, and the third value has a plurality of components, for example, the largest component of the third value is specified, and based on the result of comparing the same components of the first value and the second value as the specified component, and a predetermined value, it is possible to determine whether or not the second condition is satisfied.
In another aspect, as the second method, data related to the third value may be set based on an average of the first value and the second value, and the data related to the third value may be compressed, thereby generating the second compressed data including the compressed data related to the third value.
Based on the above, the value of the third value is not set as it is as data related to the third value, but data is set based on the average of the first value and the second value. Thus, it is possible to make a value to be set as the data related to the third value relatively small.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may be further configured to, based on at least two of the first value, the second value, and the third value, calculate a predetermined reference value. As the second method, data related to at least one of the first value, the second value, and the third value may be set based on the reference value, and the data related to the at least one value may be compressed, thereby generating the second compressed data including the compressed data.
Based on the above, for example, the value of the third value is not set as it is as data related to the third value, but data is set based on a reference value based on the first value and the second value. Thus, it is possible to make a value to be set as the data related to the third value relatively small.
In another aspect, as the second method, as the second method, the data related to the first value, the data related to the second value, and data related to the third value may be compressed so that amounts of the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value are equal to each other, and the amounts of the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value are greater than an amount of the data related to the third value.
Based on the above, the amounts of data when data related to the first value and data related to the second value are compressed are made relatively great, whereby it is possible to make the amount of information to be lost small. Thus, it is possible to maintain the accuracy of data.
In another aspect, the second timing may be a timing after the first timing. The third timing may be a timing between the first timing and the second timing.
Based on the above, it is possible to determine a condition based on information output from an inertial sensor at a first timing, a second timing, and a third timing in this order and compress the data.
In another aspect, the at least one processor may be further configured to, when it is determined that the second condition is not satisfied, compress at least the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value by a third method different from the first method and the second method, thereby generating third compressed data including the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value.
Based on the above, when it is determined that the second condition is not satisfied, it is possible to further compress the data by a third method.
In another aspect, the first value and the second value may be data including a plurality of components, and the plurality of components have a predetermined relationship. The data related to the first value and the data related to the second value may be data obtained by omitting at least one of the plurality of components. The third compressed data may include information indicating the component omitted from the data related to the first value and information indicating the component omitted from the data related to the second value.
Based on the above, in the compression by the third method, it is possible to vary components to be omitted between a first value and a second value.
In another aspect, the at least one processor is further configured to: based on the output from the inertial sensor at the first timing, calculate the first value representing the orientation or the position of the apparatus; based on the output from the inertial sensor at the second timing, calculate the second value representing the orientation or the position of the apparatus; and transmit data including the first value and the second value to another apparatus.
Based on the above, based on an output from an inertial sensor, the information processing apparatus can calculate a value representing the orientation or the position of the apparatus, compress the value, and transmit the value to another apparatus.
Further, an information processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment is an information processing apparatus including an inertial sensor, the information processing apparatus including first acquisition means, second acquisition means, and data compression means. Based on an output from the inertial sensor at a first timing, the first acquisition means acquires a first value regarding an orientation or a position of the information processing apparatus. Based on an output from the inertial sensor at a second timing different from the first timing, the second acquisition means acquires a second value regarding the orientation or the position of the information processing apparatus. The data compression means compresses at least one of data related to the first value and data related to the second value so that an amount of either one of the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value is greater than an amount of the other.
Based on the above, data is compressed so that the amount of either one of data related to a first value and data related to a second value is greater than the amount of the other. Thus, it is possible to make the amount of information to be lost in one of pieces of data. Thus, it is possible to maintain the accuracy of data.
An information processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment is an information processing apparatus including an inertial sensor, the information processing apparatus including first calculation means, second calculation means, and transmission means. Based on an output from the inertial sensor at a first timing, the first calculation means calculates a first value representing an orientation or a position of the apparatus. Based on an output from the inertial sensor at a second timing different from the first timing, the second calculation means calculates a second value representing the orientation or the position of the apparatus. The transmission means transmits data including the first value and the second value to another apparatus.
Based on the above, an apparatus can calculate a value representing the orientation or the position of the apparatus based on an output from an inertial sensor and transmit the value to another apparatus. Consequently, another apparatus can accurately recognize the orientation of the information processing apparatus.
In another aspect, the information processing apparatus may further include compression means for compressing at least one of the first value and the second value. The transmission means may transmit the data compressed by the compression means to the other apparatus.
Based on the above, the information processing apparatus can compress at least one of a first value and a second value and transmit the compressed value to another apparatus.
In another aspect, the transmission means may transmit the data including time information regarding the first timing or the second timing to the other apparatus.
Based on the above, it is possible to further transmit time information to another apparatus.
In another aspect, the first value and the second value may be quaternions representing the orientation of the information processing apparatus.
Based on the above, the information processing apparatus can calculate a quaternion representing the orientation and transmit the quaternion to another apparatus.
In another aspect, the information processing apparatus may further include determination means, first data compression means, and second data compression means. Based on at least one of the first value and the second value, the determination means may determine whether or not a first condition is satisfied. When the determination means determines that the first condition is satisfied, the first data compression means may compress at least one of the first value and the second value by a first method, thereby generating first compressed data including data related to the first value and data related to the second value. When the determination means determines that the first condition is not satisfied, the second data compression means may compress at least one of the first value and the second value by a second method different from the first method, thereby generating second compressed data including the data related to the first value and the data related to the second value.
Based on the above, in accordance with the state of the information processing apparatus, it is possible to select an appropriate compression method.
Further, another exemplary embodiment may be a program executed by the information processing apparatus, an information processing method, or an information processing system including the above information processing apparatus and another apparatus.
According to the exemplary embodiment, when data from a sensor is compressed and restored, it is possible to maintain the accuracy of data.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Information processing apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein information processing program, information processing system, and information processing method


An antenna connector comprises a first housing for housing an end of a coaxial cable, first and second contact to be connected to a core wire and a shield wire, respectively, of the coaxial cable housed in the first housing, a second housing for housing the first housing, and a pair of conductive feeding metal plates. The feeding metal plates are arranged on and secured to a conductive antenna pattern formed on an insulative substrate and each of them has a first holder for receiving and holding the second housing and a second holder for receiving and holding the first and second contacts. When the first housing is housed in the second housing, the first and second contacts are engaged with and held by the second holder to plugably connect the coaxial cable to the antenna without disturbing an impedance matching and with a sufficient mechanical strength.

1. Field of the Invention
invention relates to a connector
The present for connecting an antenna and a cable, and more particularly to a connector for use in connecting a feeding cable to an antenna pattern formed on an insulative substrate (for example, a glass plate of a vehicle).
2. Related Background Art
As means for connecting a coaxial cable to an antenna pattern formed on a glass plate, a method of taking out a core wire and a shield wire by stripping off an end of the coaxial cable and soldering them directly to a pair of contacts of the antenna pattern (one of which is a ground contact to which the shield wire is to be connected), and a method connecting the shield wire to a body (for example, a body of a car) and connecting the core wire to a feeding point of the antenna pattern through an auxiliary substrate have been known.
In the former method, a process of stripping off the end of the coaxial cable and a termination-treatment of the wires take a long time, a mechanical strength of the contact points is weak, it is not possible to detach the cable from the antenna, and it is very inconvenient to carry the assembly. In the latter method, a sufficient impedance matching may not be attained because of a long distance between the end of the cable and the feeding point of the antenna, the mechanical strength is weak as it is in the first method (it is necessary to separately reinforce the auxiliary substrate by a tape), and it is not possible to detach the cable from the antenna.


A protective glove for protecting a wearer's hand includes a thumb pocket and an index finger pocket. The glove is designed to receive the wearer's thumb in the thumb pocket and the wearer's index finger in the index finger pocket, while leaving the user's other fingers exposed. The thumb pocket and the index finger pocket are attached to an adjustable wrist strap. Further, the thumb pocket and the index finger pocket are attached to each other.

In contact sports, such as lacrosse or hockey, where sticks are essential elements of the game, a player's hands and wrists are especially vulnerable to injury when being checked by another player's stick. For this reason, players typically utilize padded gloves to protect their hands, wrists and lower forearms during play. While the gloves are intended to provide protection, players also desire gloves that maximize flexibility such that the player can flex his hand in a relatively unrestricted fashion and also manipulate the stick as required.
In the sport of lacrosse, checking includes wacking or hitting a player's stick with another player's stick in an effort to disrupt their ability to control the ball or puck. Checking in this fashion to dislodge the ball from another player's lacrosse head is an accepted part of the game in men's lacrosse. Accordingly, more padding or protection is desirable and typically utilized in protective gloves intended for men's lacrosse. While checking is not permitted in women's lacrosse, some degree of protection is still desired. This is because lacrosse is a contact sport and a player's stick can still contact another's hand in women's lacrosse, just not to the same degree of frequency as occurs in men's lacrosse. Thus, the amount of padding necessary or desired for women's lacrosse is not the same as required for men's lacrosse.
Lacrosse is a sport that is primarily played in the spring and summer months. Due to the increase in temperature and humidity during these months, ventilation of a player's hands is also a desirable feature. Accordingly, protective sports gloves have been made with openings formed in the padded back of the glove to allow ventilation of the wearer's hand by allowing air circulation. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,506. Further, other protective sports gloves have been formed with mesh openings in the leather palm that allow further air circulation to the wearer's hand. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,069. Faced with these competing concerns, lacrosse players seek a glove that provides coverage to protect vulnerable areas on their hands, but still provides improved ventilation and mobility.


A video game includes conditional access to areas of the game. An area may be unlocked when particular game characters are at an entrance to the area. An area may be unlocked for a particular character, for all characters, or for categories of characters. Categories of characters may include characters of a particular type, characters of a particular skill level, characters controlled by a particular game player, and characters previously played in the video game.

The present invention relates generally to video games, and more particularly to controlling access to areas in a video game.
Video games provide enjoyment for many. Video games allow game players to participate in a variety of simulated activities, including those that the game players may not be able or desire to experience directly, whether due to cost, danger, or equipment concerns, or simply due to the activity or its surroundings being in the realm of fantasy.
Video games may provide many virtual areas that virtual characters under the control of game players may access. Some of the virtual areas may require the game character to perform particular actions. In a multicharacter or a cooperative multiplayer game, however, repetitively requiring different game characters to perform the game particular actions may detract from game play enjoyment.

Conditional access to areas in a video game


An air flow and filtration control system in the form of a headgear which is worn by a physician during a surgical procedure, a technician during an assembly process, or any other user wherein controlled air flow and air filtration is required or desired. The flow-through system includes a relatively rigid, open frame, skeleton headgear structure which substantially surrounds the head of the wearer. A fan is mounted in the headgear structure. The fan is positioned to move air through ducts formed in the headgear structure. A shroud (or hood) is draped over and attached to the headgear structure in such a fashion as to completely cover the headgear structure and to cover at least a portion of the wearer in order to maintain sterile or controlled conditions relative to the wearer. The shroud includes filtration areas which may encompass the entire shroud. The filtration areas may be disposed adjacent tot he fans when the shroud is placed over the headgear structure. A relatively planar transparent screen or "window" is provided at the front of the apparatus for substantially undistorted viewing. Typically, the transparent screen is mounted in the shroud and is removable therewith. A suitable power supply, such as a battery pack or the like, is used to selectively power the fans. It is anticipated that at least the shroud (and the components mounted thereto) will be disposable.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to air flow and filtration systems, in general, and to a headgear structure which is worn by an individual in an environment wherein control of filtered air is required, in particular.
2. Prior Art
There are several types of air flow and/or filtration systems which are known in the art. Several types of such systems are currently available on the market for use in surgical or "clean room" environments.
Some of the existing systems have a bulbous or hemispherical, transparent viewing screen which creates substantial distortion for the wearer. In the case of surgical procedures, especially very delicate surgical procedures, any type of visual distortion is undesirable. Such distortion can create a situation with significant safety problems. Moreover, this distortion can create substantial fatigue in the surgeon because of the additional intensity required to compensate for the distortion during the surgical procedures.
Similarly, in "clean room" situations, such distortion can be a problem in terms of fatigue, inaccurate or imprecise procedures and the like. This can result in the fabrication of defective products or the like.
Furthermore, many of the systems known in the art tend to produce an uneven airflow therethrough. This has the effect of creating drafts in some locations and little or no airflow in other locations within the system. This situation can sometimes result in the transparent screen or shield becoming fogged due to condensation of expired air generated by the surgeon or technician during the procedures involved.
Also, in some systems the transparent shield is separated from the protective hood. This arrangement permits air to flow around the shield. However, it also permits contamination to pass around the shield, as well. Thus, contaminated air or undesirable substances can come into contact with the wearer. Conversely, the wearer can provide contaminated air, or the like, to the work space.
Some of the existing systems include hoods, gowns, filters and the like. In some instances, the filters are built into the helmet structure and produce a rather clumsy, cumbersome headgear unit. Known units frequently include external sources such as gas cylinders, air lines or the like which are connected to the helmet structure by tubes, hoses or the like. Of course, the hose-connected systems tend to become cumbersome and restrictive in the movements and flexibility of the wearer during a procedure.

Air filtration and control system including head gear


Certain aspects relate to methods, apparatuses, computer readable mediums, access points and stations. For example, the apparatus generally includes (1) a processing system configured to select a first address from a plurality of addresses associated with the apparatus, said plurality of addresses including the first address and one or more second addresses and generate a frame having (i) a header having the first address (ii) a first portion having one or more indications of the one or more second addresses and (iii) a second portion comprising first parameters for communication with the apparatus and (2) an interface configured to output the frame for transmission.

Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources.
These wireless communication networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Examples of such multiple-access networks include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks and Wi-Fi networks.
Within such wireless communication networks, a variety of data services may be provided, including voice, video, and emails. More recently, wireless communication networks are being used for an even broader range of services and larger numbers of users. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, research and development continue to advance wireless communication technologies not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but to advance and enhance the user experience.

Advertisement of communication schedules for multiple basic service sets


In the invention providing a board-to-board coaxial connector, a contact portion 17 is formed in an internal conductor housing portion 12 of a plug body 9 into which a receptacle center conductor 7 is to be inserted. The contact portion has: a stationary contact piece portion 10b which is perpendicularly bent from a solder connecting portion 10a of a plug internal conductor 10 to extend in the axial direction of the connector; and movable contact piece portions 10c which are continuous to the stationary contact piece portion, which are juxtaposed in a circumferential direction of the connector, and which extend in the axial direction of the connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board-to-board coaxial connector which electrically connects two printed circuit boards with each other in various electronic apparatuses such as a communication apparatus or a computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In various electronic apparatuses such as a communication apparatus or a computer, in order to realize transmission of a high-frequency signal between two printed circuit boards which are placed in substantially parallel to each other, conventionally, a method has been employed in which coaxial connector receptacles are surface mounted on the printed circuit boards, respectively, and the receptacles are connected by a coaxial jumper cable of a predetermined length having L-type coaxial connector plugs. The connector plugs are disposed at the both ends, and fittable to the coaxial connector receptacles, respectively. However, the method has defects such as that the number of parts is large, that a space for housing the jumper cable must be assured, and that a fitting work must be conducted on the two sets of coaxial connector pairs.
Board-to-board coaxial connectors for, without using a jumper cable, electrically connecting two printed circuit boards which are placed in substantially parallel to each other have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open No. 6-314580 discloses a coaxial connector consisting of a male connector and a female connector. The male connector is fixed by surface mounting a leg of a male terminal pressingly inserted into a housing, onto a grounding conductor of one circuit board. By contrast, the female connector is fixed by surface mounting a leg portion of a female terminal pressingly inserted into a housing, onto a grounding conductor of another circuit board. The connectors are fitted with each other. A conductive screw is inserted from a bolt insertion hole of the one circuit board, passed through a middle portion of the coaxial connector, and then screwed with a screw hole of the other circuit board to be fixed thereto. A head portion of the conductive screw is in press contact with a signal conductor of the one circuit board, and an external thread portion of the conductive screw is in contact with an internal thread portion which is electrically continuous to a signal conductor of the other circuit board, so that the conductive screw serving as a center conductor electrically connects together the signal conductors of the circuit boards. Japanese Patent Application Laying-Open No. 8-236227 discloses another coaxial connector consisting of: a spring type contact pin which is held by an insulation holder, and in which a contact terminal in a basal end portion is connected to a signal circuit of one circuit board, and an end portion of the contact pin in a tip end portion is elastically contacted with a signal circuit of another circuit board in the axial direction of the connector; and a spring type contact plug which is held by an insulation holder so as to surround the spring type contact pin, and in which a contact terminal in a basal end portion is connected and fixed to a ground circuit of the one circuit board, and an end portion of the contact plug in a tip end portion is elastically contacted with a ground circuit of the other circuit board in the axial direction of the connector. International Patent Publication No. 2001-518231 discloses a coaxial connector having a first connector and a second connector. The first connector has an internal contact in which the tip end butts directly against an internal circuit trace of another circuit board in the axial direction of the connector, and which is elastically movable in the axial direction. The second connector has an external conductor which is surface mounted and fixed onto an external circuit trace of the other circuit board to be fittingly connected to an external connector of the first connector.

Coaxial connector for board-to-board connection