A sunroof apparatus includes: a movable panel adjusted to open and close an opening formed on a roof of a vehicle; a guide rail extending on the roof in the vehicle front-rear direction; a driving shoe driven to move along the guide rail; a support bracket including a first engagement protrusion and a second engagement protrusion and supporting the movable panel; a rear-side guide member on which a guide-side engagement concave portion is formed and which is provided on the guide rail; and a rear-side link from which a link-side engagement protrusion which engages with the guide-side engagement concave portion to lift up and lower the rear portion of the support bracket protrudes in the vehicle width direction.

In the related art, a sunroof apparatus disclosed in JP 2012-153335A (FIGS. 9A and 9C) (Reference 1) is known. The sunroof apparatus is configured to have a support bracket that supports a movable panel, a guide rail that extends on the roof of a vehicle in the front-rear direction, a driving shoe that is driven to move along the guide rail in the vehicle front-rear direction, a front-side link, a front-side guide member, a check member, a rear-side link, and a rear-side guide member. The front-side link is linked rotatably to the front portion of the support bracket and engaged with the driving shoe. The front-side guide member is fixed to the guide rail, controls rearward movement of the support bracket and the front-side link, in the vehicle, when an amount of the rearward movement of the driving shoe with a completely-closed state of the movable panel as a starting point is a first predetermined amount or less, and guides the front portion of the support bracket and the front portion of the front-side link to be lifted together when the amount of the rearward movement of the driving shoe exceeds the first predetermined amount. When the amount of the rearward movement of the driving shoe is a second predetermined amount or greater, which is greater than the first predetermined amount, the front-side link is engaged with the driving shoe such that the front-side link and the driving shoe integrally move rearward along with the support bracket.
When the amount of the rearward movement of the driving shoe is less than the second predetermined amount, the check member engages with the driving shoe such that the check member and the driving shoe integrally move rearward and when the amount of the rearward movement of the driving shoe is the second predetermined amount or greater, the check member disengages from the driving shoe. The rear-side link is linked rotatably to the check member and slidably supports a portion rearward from a link portion to the front-side link of the support bracket in the vehicle front-rear direction. The rear-side guide member is fixed to the guide rail and guides the rear-side link to tilt such that the rear portion of the support bracket is lifted when the amount of the rearward movement of the driving shoe is the first predetermined amount or less.
In this configuration, when the driving shoe moves rearward in an amount of the movement equal to or less than the first predetermined amount in the completely-closed state of the movable panel, the check member and the rear-side link move rearward along with the driving shoe, and thereby the rear-side guide member guides the rear-side link to tilt such that the rear portion of the support bracket is lifted. In the support bracket, the rear portion is lifted with the front portion, of which the movement is regulated by the front-side guide member, as a fulcrum center, and the movable panel is tilted up.
In addition, in the tilted up state of the movable panel, when the driving shoe moves further rearward and the amount of the movement becomes the second predetermined amount or greater, the driving shoe and the check member disengage from each other and the driving shoe moves rearward along with front-side link and the support bracket while the check member and the rear-side link remain at their positions and an opening operation of the movable panel is performed such that the movable panel is in a wide-open state. In a range of the amount of the movement of the driving shoe from the first predetermined amount to the second predetermined amount, the front portion of the support bracket and the front portion of the front-side link are guided to be lifted by the front-side guide member such that the regulation of the rearward movement of the support bracket and the front-side link is released.
Incidentally, in Reference 1, the driving shoe and the rear-side guide member are disposed at different positions from each other in the width direction when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction, which results in an increase in the size of the guide rail in the vehicle width direction.
Meanwhile, the present inventors have examined a disposition of the driving shoe and the rear-side guide member which are to be overlapped with each other at a position in the width direction when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. However, in this case, the driving shoe and the rear-side guide member are required to be shifted in the vehicle height direction such that the amount of the required rearward movement of the driving shoe is not limited by the rear-side guide member, which results in an increase in the size of the entire apparatus in the vehicle height direction. In particular, a single guide hole of the driving shoe that engages with a guide pin of the front-side link functions to allow the rear portion of the support bracket to be lifted up and lowered and to cause the front portion of the support bracket to be lifted up and lowered and then to move integrally in the vehicle front-rear direction. Therefore, the size required for the guide hole is added in the vehicle height direction, and thus the driving shoe itself is increased in size in the vehicle height direction. Therefore, the entire apparatus has a still more increased size in the vehicle height direction.


An XY-address solid-state image pickup apparatus comprises a pixel array made up a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged and horizontal and vertical scanning circuits for reading the signal from the pixel array. Each scanning circuit comprises a plurality of unit stages cascaded, each unit stage comprising a plurality of first shift register units cascaded and a single second shift register unit which is associated with the plurality of first shift register units and which is driven by a clock different from the clock that drives the plurality of first shift register units. Each unit stage further comprises a first switch and a second switch. The input to the first unit of the first shift register units is also fed to the second shift register unit via the first switch. The output of the second shift register unit is fed to each of the plurality of first register units within the unit stage via the second switch. Each scanning circuit further comprises driving means for turning on/off the first and second switches in order to switch between a normal scanning and a thinned-out scanning.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an XY address solid-state image pickup apparatus having a pixel array made up a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged and, more particularly, to an XY address solid-state image pickup apparatus having a scanning circuit that may perform a thinned-out scanning with one out of every arbitrary number of stages or an arbitrary number of stages as a unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In known XY address solid-state image pickup apparatuses having a pixel array made up a plurality of pixels two-dimensionally arranged, horizontal and vertical scanning circuits for sequentially selecting a pixel employ a shift register. Known as one type of such shift register is a clocked CMOS shift register that is constructed by cascading clocked inverters. FIG. 1 shows the construction of such a shift register. Shown in FIG. 1 are first clocked inverters 100-1 and second clocked inverters 100-2, and one first clocked inverter 100-I and one second clocked inverter 100-2 are cascaded to form a shift register unit 101. A number of shift register units 101 are again cascaded to form a shift register. Each shift register unit 101 inverts an input signal .phi. ST at the timings of the clock pulses .phi. 1 and .phi. 2, and multiple stages of such shift register units 101 function as a shift register
Referring to the timing diagram in FIG. 2, the operation of the shift register in FIG. 1 is now discussed. At time t.sub.ST, the input signal .phi. ST is driven and remains high level for a duration of one period of the clock .phi.1. When the clock .phi.2 is high level, the first clocked inverters 100-1 become active, and data at nodes SR 0.0, SR 1.0, SR 2.0, SR 3.0, SR 4.0, SR 5.0, SR 6.0, and SR 7.0 are inverted and then shifted to SR 0.5, SR 1.5, SR 2.5, SR 3.5, SR 4.5, SR 5.5, SR 6.5 and SR 7.5, respectively, When the clock .phi. 1 is high level, the second clocked inverters 100-2 become active, data at nodes R 0.5, SR 1,5, SR 2.5, SR 3.5, SR 4.5, SR 5.5, SR 6.5 and SR 7.5 are inverted and shifted to SR 100, SR 2.0, SR 3.0, SR 4.0, SR 5.0, SR 6.0, SR 7.0 and SR 8.0, respectively. At times t.sub.01, t.sub.02, t.sub.03, t.sub.04, t.sub.05, t.sub.06, t.sub.07, and t.sub.08, a high level thus appears at nodes SR 1.0, SR, 2.0, SR 3.0, SR 4.0, SR 5.0, SR 6.0, SR 7.0 and SR 8.0, respectively. This high level signal is used as a selection signal output by the scanning circuit in the solid-state image pickup apparatus, and the pixels are thus sequentially selected to read out pixel signals.
In the scanning circuit of the solid-state image pickup device constructed of such a shift register, after the input signal .phi. ST is input to the shift register at each scan cycle, a fast clock and standard clock are alternately input to drive the shift register, and a selection signal is output every predetermined number of stages to perform a thinned-out scanning by not using the output signal from a fast clock input section as a selection signal. In the thinned-out scanning, the selection signal is output every predetermined number of stages.
This operation is discussed referring to the timing diagram in FIG. 3. At time t.sub.ST, an input signal .phi. ST having a high level for a duration of one period of a clock .phi. 1 is input to node SR 0.0. The subsequent operation of the shift register is similar to that of FIG. 2. In this thinned-out scanning operation, however, the periods of the clocks .phi. 1 and .phi. 2 of t.sub.S1 to t.sub.S2, t.sub.S3 to t.sub.S4, t.sub.S5 to t.sub.S6, and t.sub.S7 to t.sub.S8 are set be shorter than those of t.sub.ST to t.sub.S1, t.sub.S2 to t.sub.S3, t.sub.S4 to t.sub.S5, and t.sub.6 to t.sub.7. The high level signals appearing at nodes SR 1.0, SR 3.0, SR 5.0, and SR 7.0 for durations of t.sub.S1 to t.sub.S2, t.sub.S3 to t.sub.S4, t.sub.S5 to t.sub.S6, and t.sub.S7 to t.sub.S8, respectively, are not used as the selection signals. The high level signals appearing at each of the nodes SR 2.0, SR 4.0, SR 6.0 and SR 8.0 are used as the selection signals output from the scanning circuit in the solid-state image pickup device, Thus, the thinned-out scanning is possible. In the thinned-out scanning described herein the scanning is performed every two pixels. By introducing a plurality of short periods into the clocks .phi. 1 and .phi. 2, the thinned-out signal that allows the apparatus to scan every predetermined number of pixels is obtained.
When the thinned-out scanning is achieved according to the method illustrated in the timing diagram in FIG. 3, the period of the driving clock of the shift register needs to be varied. Varying the period of the driving clock requires a complex control process. As the number of stages of the shift register increases, the load that the clock drives increases. An increased load along with an increased power consumption as a result of a high clock frequency gives rise to problems such as heat generation


An electrosurgical device having a distal tip for creating a lesion on tissue includes a first electrode and a second electrode that are parallel for the delivery of RF energy to tissue. A sensor electrode is provided parallel to and spaced away from the first electrode a different distance than the second electrode. When the sensor electrode and at least one of the first and second electrodes are in contact with tissue, The electrosurgical device can perform at least one of the following: ablating tissue, and sensing at least one selected from the group of voltage, tissue impedance, electrical conduction, conduction time, conduction velocity, and signal phase angle.

The present invention relates to surgical instruments, with examples relating to cardiovascular pacing devices, systems for controlling such devices, and methods for using such devices. "Surgery" generally refers to the diagnosis or treatment of injury, deformity, disease, or other conditions. In a variety of surgical procedures, it may be desirable to stimulate the heart using a pulsed current via a bi-polar probe or other device. Such pacing may be desirable, for instance, after an ablation procedure has been performed on a heart in order to determine how successful the ablation was. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a device operable for use in both ablation and pacing procedures. The foregoing examples are merely illustrative and not exhaustive. While a variety of devices have been used to pace the heart of a patient or perform other procedures, it is believed that no one prior to the inventors has previously made or used an invention as described in the appended claims.
The present invention relates to surgical instruments, with examples relating to bi-polar ablation devices in combination with a variety of sensors, systems useable with such devices, and methods of using such devices. Surgery generally refers to the diagnosis or treatment of injury, deformity, or disease. In a variety of surgical procedures, it is desired to ablate tissue or cause lesions in tissue. Some examples of such procedures include, without limitation, electrical isolation of cardiac tissue to treat atrial fibrillation, ablation of uterine tissue associated with endometriosis, ablation of esophageal tissue associated with Barrett's esophagus, ablation of cancerous liver tissue, and the like. The foregoing examples are merely illustrative and not exhaustive.
Atrial fibrillation is an abnormality of the electrical system of the heart. Normally, the heartbeat is triggered by an electrical impulse which starts in the Sinoatrial (SA) node structure which resides in the right atrium and acts as the "pacemaker" of the heart. The electrical signal to contract the heart starts in the SA node and normally moves evenly across the atrium, triggering it to contract all at once. The impulse then travels across the atrioventricular (AV) node and triggers the ventricles (the main pumping chambers of the heart) to contract. This is called sinus rhythm. Atrial fibrillation occurs when this electrical impulse no longer travels in the normal manner and causes the atrium to contract in an un-coordinated manner, causing irregular fibrillation. The MAZE Procedure is a surgical procedure used by Cardiothoracic surgeons to create scar tissue barriers in the heart as a way to block the unwanted electrical signals that cause erratic heartbeats or atrial fibrillation. By way of example, this procedure can be performed by surgical incision and suturing, a cryosurgical system, or energy ablation devices such as a monopolar pen with saline, or a bipolar pen. The Maze procedure has been widely accepted as the gold standard of care in the treatment of atrial fibrillation with a very high success rate. This surgical procedure can be performed openly, as a minimally invasive procedure or in a modified form such as the Mini Maze procedure. The MAZE or MINI MAZE surgical procedure using an electrosurgical device begins with a voltage mapping procedure that uses a pair of tissue contact electrodes attached to a sensor such as an echogram machine to map the location of natural electrical signals that stimulate the heart to beat. Once the location of the impulses are found and mapped, the surgeon replaces the echogram machine and sensing electrodes with a pair of pacing electrodes. The pacing electrodes are held spaced apart a preset distance and are placed into contact with tissue at a number of the mapped positions. At each position the pacing electrodes are energized to stimulate the heart. If no response occurs, the voltage is increased, and the stimulation is resupplied until the heart reacts. This determines the stimulation threshold voltage at each site. The stimulation locations, stimulation responses, and threshold voltages are noted on the heart map and are used to identify the location of the specific nerves that are responsible for the irregular heartbeat. Once the heart has been mapped, the pacing electrodes are removed and replaced with one or more electrosurgical devices that apply RF energy to the heart to create lesions therein. RF energy is applied via the electrodes to create one or more coagulated lesions on the heart. The ablation electrodes can also be used to monitor tissue effects such as impedance during ablation. After the lesions of cauterized tissue are placed onto the heart, the electrosurgical device or devices are removed. The efficacy of the lesion is sensed by placing the pair of echogram electrodes across or onto the lesion area to sense continuity across the lesion. If there is no continuity across the lesion, the lesion was successful. Alternately, or in addition to the echogram electrodes, the pair of pacing electrodes can be placed across the lesions to apply stimulation voltages. These stimulation voltages can also be used as an alternate check of the efficacy of the lesion. If the stimulation voltages fail to stimulate across the lesions, the lesion was successful.
At present, there are no known electrosurgical instruments that can meet all of the needs outlined above. These and other advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description and drawings


A highly branched functionalized silicone backbone lubricating fluid which provides exceptionally low traction, a method of lowering traction coefficients in lubricating compositions, and to uses of such compositions.

Elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) is the mode of lubrication that exists in non-conforming concentrated contacts. Examples include the contact between meshing gear teeth used in hypoid axles, worm gears, etc. and between the components in a rolling element bearing. In these contacts the load is supported over a very small contact area which results in very high contact pressures. As lubricants are drawn into the contact zone by the movement of the component surfaces, the lubricant experiences an increase in pressure. Pressures on the order of 1 GPa and above are common in EHL contacts. Most lubricating oils exhibit a large increase in viscosity in response to higher pressures. It is this characteristic that results in the separation of the two surfaces in the contact zone.
If there is relative sliding between the two contacting surfaces in the central contact region, the lubricant is sheared under these high-pressure conditions. The shearing losses depend on how the oil behaves under these extreme conditions. The properties of the oil under high pressure, in turn, depend on the type of base stocks used in the manufacture of the finished lubricant. The generation of the EHL film is governed by what happens in the inlet region of the contact; however, the energy losses are governed by what happens when the lubricant is sheared in the high-pressure central contact region.
The resistance of the lubricant to the shearing effects within an EHL contact is referred to as traction. This is not to be confused with friction, which is associated with surface interactions. The traction response is dominated by the shear behavior of the lubricant in the central high contact pressure region of an EHL contact. The traction properties generally depend on the base stock type.
Traction coefficients can be defined as the traction force divided by the normal force. The traction force is the force transmitted across a sheared EHL film. The normal force or contact load is the force of one element (such as a roller) pushing down on a second element. Therefore, the traction coefficient is a non-dimensional measure of the shear resistance imparted by a lubricant under EHL conditions. Lower traction coefficients result in lower shearing forces and hence less energy loss if the two surfaces are in relative motion. Low traction is believed to be related to improved fuel economy, increased energy efficiency, reduced operating temperatures, and improved durability.
PAO has a much lower traction coefficient, relative to mineral oil, over the range of slide-roll ratios, pressures and temperatures evaluated. This means that less energy will be required to shear the EHL film which separates moving surfaces. When gear oils are formulated based on PAO vs. mineral oil, one sees the same lowering of the traction coefficient. This concept is well documented in the industry.
It is also well documented that certain types of synthetic base stocks, such as polyalkylene glycols (PAG), can provide reduced traction over a wide range of conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,122 discloses combinations of high and low viscosity synthetic hydrocarbons. A composition is claimed comprising a PAO having a viscosity of between 40 and 1000 cSt (100° C.), optionally further comprising a synthetic hydrocarbon having a viscosity of between 1 and 10 cSt (100° C.), a carboxylic acid ester having a viscosity of between 1 and 10 cSt (100° C.), an additive package, and mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,873 teaches a composition comprising a base oil having a viscosity of about 2.5 to about 9 cSt (or mm2/s) at 100° C. as a major component and a fuel economy improving additive comprising a polar compound with a viscosity greater than the bulk lubricant present from 2 to about 15 wt % of the composition. The compositions are said to improve fuel economy in an internal combustion engine.
Publication WO03/091369 discloses lubricating compositions comprising a high viscosity fluid blended with a lower viscosity fluid, wherein the final blend has a viscosity index greater than or equal to 175. In an embodiment, the high viscosity fluid is preferably a polyalphaolefin and/or the lower viscosity fluid comprises a synthetic hydrocarbon. In another embodiment, the novel lubricating compositions of the present invention further comprise one or more of an ester, mineral oil and/or hydroprocessed mineral oil.
Publication US2004/029407 discloses lubricating compositions comprising high viscosity PAOs blended with a lower viscosity ester, wherein the final blend has a viscosity index 5 greater than or equal to 200, including a composition comprising a PAO having a viscosity of greater than or equal to about 40 cSt at 100° C. and less than or equal to about 1,000 cSt at 100° C.; and an ester having a viscosity of less than or equal to about 2.0 cSt at 100° C., wherein said blend has a viscosity index greater than or equal to about 200.
"Effect of Lubricant Traction on Scuffing", STLE Tribology Transactions, Vol. 37 No., Apr. 2, 1994, p. 387-395 reported the use of low traction PAO-based lubricants with mineral oils in basestock, antiwear and extreme pressure (EP) formulations and at both high (greater than 6) and moderate (approximately 1.2) specific film thickness lambda. At lambda greater than 6, the benefits of the synthetics over their mineral counterparts ranged from 25 percent to 220 percent and at lambda nearly 1.2, the benefits were a uniform 40 percent. It was particularly interesting to observe that the antiwear PAO-based oil gave a similar scuff load per unit contact width to an EP mineral gear oil. In addition, it was shown that scuffing load increased with decreasing traction coefficient.
"Influence of Molecular Structure on the Lubrication Properties of Four Different Esters", Tribologia, Vol. 19 No. 4, 2000, p. 3-8, compared the lubricating properties of esters. The lubrication properties that were expected to be dependent on chemical structure such as film thickness and traction, viscosity and friction coefficients were compared by experiment. The results showed that molecular length has a significant influence on lubrication properties, with longer molecules giving the highest viscosity and greatest film thickness. The length of the molecule did not influence the coefficients of friction, but the traction coefficient, gamma, decreased with increasing molecular length.
In lubricant applications, low traction is aimed in order to reduce energy losses. Water soluble polyalkylglycols are currently the best traction fluids available. However, they are not compatible with hydrocarbon based fluids, such as polyalphaolefins (PAO). Stringy solid often appears when mixing the two and creates devastating plugging problems in equipment. Reducing friction under thin film conditions will also reduce energy losses in mechanical systems. Reduced friction can be obtained using friction modifier additive components. However, some synthetic lubricant base stocks may also yield significant benefits over more conventional refined base stocks. Reduced friction performance from the base stock make it possible to avoid the use of a friction modifier enabling reduction in additive metals and ash content and some of the other performance detriments associated with friction modifier components.
Silicone compounds also have a number of positive attributes, including excellent thermal stability. However, limited solubility in a variety of hydrocarbons reduces their potential lubricant applications.
The present inventors have unexpectedly discovered that highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products have different solubility characteristics, thermal stability, and other properties that go beyond conventional lubricants. The highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products of the present disclosure improves compatibility with polyalkylglycols, hydrocarbons, and traditional silicone fluids, thereby making it easy to bridge formulations. The high viscosity index and low traction coefficient of highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products make them comparable in performance to polyalkylglycols. These unique highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products of the present disclosure also exhibit very good oxidation performance.
In addition the highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products of the present disclosure are compatible with other conventional basestocks, such as PAO's, mineral oils, etc., whereas PAG's will form undesirable string solid material and require cleaning of engine before use. However, since highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products of the present disclosure are compatible with such other basestocks, it can be readily mixed therewith out the need to clean out an engine before use. Furthermore, the highly branched functionalized silicone backbone products of the present disclosure exhibit enhanced traction coefficient versus PAG at certain temperatures and pressures, e.g. 0.75 GPa/120° C.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Silicone functionalized fluids with low traction characteristics


The present invention provides a temperature control circuit for a semiconductor light-emitting device, in which scale of the circuit is not enlarged and noise due to the current switching is not generated. In the temperature control circuit of the present invention, although the DC voltage VATC supplied to the Peltier device is generated by the DC-to-DC converting from the external power VCC, the DC voltage VATC is feedback controlled so as to coincide with a target value of the DC voltage that is set based on an error signal generated by detecting a voltage drop of the Peltier device and comparing this drop voltage with a reference voltage. A control signal for setting the temperature of the laser diode to the target temperature through heating up or cooling down the Peltier device by flowing a current corresponding to an error between the target temperature and a practical temperature detected by the thermistor in the Peltier device from the thermoelectric controller current driver.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control circuit for a light-emitting device, in particular, the invention relates to a control circuit to control a temperature of the light-emitting device such as semiconductor laser diode, by monitoring the temperature thereof, to an optimum condition.
2. Related Prior Art
Various techniques to optimize the temperature of the laser diode by monitoring the temperature thereof have been disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,728 and Japanese patent published as S59-224931.
The control circuit recited in the former material is that the temperature of the laser diode is kept constant by a thermoelectric device, i.e., a signal corresponding to the temperature of the laser diode sensed by a temperature sensor is amplified and thus amplified signal is compared with a reference voltage by an integration circuit. An output from the integration circuit controls a pulse width modulation circuit (hereinafter referred as PWM), and the PWM circuit drives a switching transistor that varies a pulse width of a supply voltage via a filtering circuit. Thus filtered supply voltage is provided to a mode controller. The mode controller, under the control of the integration circuit, switches a direction of current flowing. The supply voltage is applied to the thermoelectric device to keep the temperature of the laser diode constant.
The control circuit according to the latter reference includes (1) a thermoelectric conversion block where a temperature of a thermoelectric device, capable of both heating and cooling by the direction of current flowing, is detected and converted to an electric signal, (2) a comparing block for comparing thus converted electric signal with a reference signal, and (3) a voltage-to-current conversion block for driving the thermoelectric device in a current mode. The voltage-to-current conversion block includes an npn-transistor and a pnp-transistor, and is connected in its input terminal to an output terminal of the comparing block. Further, between the input terminal of the voltage-to-current conversion block and bases of both the npn-transistor and the pnp-transistor are provided level shift circuits, respectively.
Since the supply voltage is controlled by the PWM mode, the former control circuit has an advantage in power efficiency. Operating under the ideal condition with no loss in devices, the power efficiency of 100% would be achieved. Practically, the power efficiency from 85% to 86%, as denoted by a symbol B in FIG. 3 later shown, would be achievable due to impedance of the switching transistor and inductors. Further, the integration circuit is necessary to reduce a switching noise as shown in FIG. 1. When the driving current is flew in bi-directional for heating and cooling, two integration circuits must be installed. In particular, when a large driving current is necessary, integration circuits that include a large inductor and a large capacitor would be necessary, thereby causing an increment of the size of the circuit assembly.
On the other hand, in the control circuit of the latter reference, since the current flowing in the thermoelectric controller is controlled in linear, as shown in FIG. 4, the voltage between 0 to the power supply voltage VCC is generated between the collector and the emitter of the bipolar transistor or between the drain and the source of the FET. This voltage drop causes the heat generation of the transistor or the FET. Therefore, the transistor or the FET dissipates heat greater than what is consumed by the thermoelectric controller, thereby reducing the power efficiency. The thermoelectric controller in this case, the switching noise does not occur in principle because the controller is not operated in switching mode.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is, by solving both problems appeared in the former reference and also in the latter reference, to provide a temperature control circuit for a light-emitting device, in which the circuit has the improved power efficiency and does not show switching noise without enlarging the size of the circuit.

Temperature controlling circuit for a semiconductor light-emitting device


An image display apparatus comprising an image display device, a shield member, and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism drives the shield member in synchronization with display of the image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display apparatus for dealing with moving-images, and in particular, for example, to an active matrix drive type of liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto liquid crystal displays (hereinafter simply referred to as "LCDs") have been used widely for various displays in clocks, pocket calculators, word processors, personal computers, navigation systems, etc. by utilizing their features, i.e., low profile, light weight, low power consumption, etc. Before the wide use of the LCDs, cathode ray tubes (hereinafter simply referred to as "CRTs") were used widely. In comparison with the CRTs, the LCDs have the advantages of having a greatly reduced thickness (depth) and requiring lower power consumption. Furthermore, in comparison with electro-luminescence (EL) devices, plasma display panel (PDP) devices and the like, the LCDs have the advantages of being able to be driven electrically and to attain full color display easily. By making full use of such advantages, the LCDs have been demanded in the fields related to moving-images, for example, personal computers, various monitors, portable television sets, digital video cameras, etc. In accordance with this trend, the LCDs are requested more and more to have higher moving-image performance. However, as yet the display performance of the LCD is far behind that of the CRT in the moving-image performance.
A first factor for making the moving-image performance of the LCD lower than that of the CRT is that the electro-optic response characteristic of its liquid crystal is low, that is, the time response characteristic of the transmittance of the liquid crystal is low. The time response characteristic of the transmittance is hereinafter referred to as "response speed." The LCDs put into actual use at present are categorized into a twisted nematic type, simply referred to as TN, and a super-twisted nematic type, simply referred to as STN. The response speed of the STN type is about hundred milliseconds. Even the TN type has a low response speed of several tens of milliseconds. Therefore, the response of the liquid crystal is not completed within one frame time of 16.7 ms which is an image information rewriting time in the case of 60 frames per second. In other words, since the response speed of the liquid crystal is low, several frames time is required until the response of the liquid crystal is completed. Therefore, even if image signal rewriting is carried out, images for plural frames are mixed in an image, thereby causing a blurred image. However, in recent years, a liquid crystal capable of responding within one frame time, that is, 16.7 ms, has been developed. It is shown from a moving-image performance test of such a liquid crystal having such a high response speed that an image obtained using the liquid crystal are improved with respect to blurs in comparison with an image obtained by using the TN liquid crystal. However, it is found that the image quality is lower than that of the CRT in sharpness.
Because of the above-mentioned reasons, it is found that, in addition to the response speed of the liquid crystal, there are decisive reasons why the moving-image performance of the LCD is lower than that of the CRT. As for the causes of the low performance, the reports by IBM and NHK point out that the drive system of the LCD differs from that of the CRT. This will be described below.
As described above, even if a liquid crystal having a response speed sufficiently lower than one frame time, the LCD cannot obtain the moving-image performance equivalent to that of the CRT. To clarify this phenomenon, the CRT and the LCD are considered below in view of a light-emitting mode. The CRT is a display device wherein the phosphor at the portion hit by the scanning electron beam emits light momentarily. Therefore, the CRT is a display apparatus of the impulse light-emitting type wherein light is emitted from the phosphor during only part of one frame time. On the other hand, the LCD, the active-matrix type LCD comprising thin-film transistors (TFTs) in particular, is a hold-type display device that keeps holding an image at each pixel until the next rewriting and is continuously illuminated by a back-light or the like.
FIG. 12A shows a change in the light emission intensity of a typical CRT of the impulse light-emitting type with respect to time, and FIG. 12B shows a change in the transmittance of a typical LCD of the active matrix transmission type as a hold-type light-emitting display apparatus. It is believed that this difference in the light-emitting mode makes the moving-image performance of the LCD lower than that of the CRT. In reality, if the LCD is driven in the impulse light-emitting mode, its moving-image performance is improved significantly according to the results of experiments. Therefore, in order to obtain moving-image performance equivalent to that of the CRT, it is found that the LCD must be driven by the impulse-type drive used for the light-emitting mode of the CRT as shown in FIG. 12A, instead of the hold-type drive in the conventional continuous light emission as shown in FIG. 12B.
As a method of carrying out the impulse-type drive to improve the moving-image performance of the LCD, methods proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 64-82019 (1989) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11-109921 (1999) are available for example. JP-A 64-82019 proposes a method of intermittently lighting a back-light in synchronization with frame cycles. In this prior art, the back-light of a transmission-type liquid crystal display panel is divided into plural back-light portions capable of being turned on and off selectively, and the divided back-light portions are turned on and off sequentially in synchronization with the drive timing of the scanning electrodes of the liquid crystal display panel to display moving-images. Each back-light portion is turned on immediately after all the image scanning electrodes in the illumination range corresponding thereto are selected, and is turned off in the other periods. As described above, even in the LCD, the impulse-type drive can be carried out by performing image display in only a desired period and by forcibly attaining a non-image state in the other periods. As a result, it is possible to prevent an image from being seen mixed with images for other continuous frames in one screen at a time. Therefore, it is possible to improve the quality and moving-image performance of displayed images.
However, in the above-mentioned method, the non-image state can be controlled only for each back-light portion. Therefore, optimum timing cannot be set for each scanning line. In other words, even if lighting is carrying out at optimum timing for a certain scanning line, the timing is not necessarily optimal for other scanning lines. Furthermore, when the back-light is turned on and off, the optical characteristics of the back-light, that is, the light emission and persistence characteristics thereof, cause problems. The phosphor components included in the back-light are three primary colors, i.e., R, G and B. If the optical characteristics of these three kinds of phosphors are identical with one another in rising and decaying for example, no problem occurs. However, in reality, the optical characteristics of R, G and B are different from one another. As a result, when the back-light is turned on and off, if the persistence characteristic of a color, for example, green, is longer than those of the other colors, coloring (green coloring in this case) occurs. In other words, the quality of display is lowered, although moving-image performance can be improved.
JP-A 11-109921 discloses a method of improving moving-image performance by attaining impulse-type drive while the back-light is always lit, without carrying out the above-mentioned back-light on/off drive. Hereafter, the state wherein the back-light is always lit is referred to as a "continuous light-emitting mode." In the above-mentioned JP-A 64-82019, the non-image display state is attained by turning off the back-light. On the other hand, JP-A11-109921 discloses a method of attaining the non-image display state by writing a black display signal for example for a constant period after an image is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel. In other words, instead of intermittently turning on the back-light, an image is displayed, and then a non-image used to erase the image once is displayed, thereby attaining impulse-type drive. With this method, impulse-type drive can be carried out while the back-light is always lit. Therefore, impulse-type drive can be carried out while eliminating the disadvantages of the back-light on/off drive.
However, the method of attaining the impulse-type drive by using the non-image state also has a problem, because this method is characterized in that within one frame time an image is displayed and a non-image is also displayed. In other words, two screens must be displayed within one frame time. Therefore, the liquid crystal is required to respond within ½ frame time, and the panel including its drive circuit is required to have double-speed writing design wherein a signal is written within ½ frame time.
FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B show response characteristics in the case where double-speed writing is performed within ½ frame time. FIG. 13A shows a case wherein the liquid crystal responds within ½ frame time. One frame time is halved into an image signal writing time and a non-image signal writing time to attain impulse-type drive. However, in reality, it is very difficult to raise the response speed of the liquid crystal. If this drive is carried out while the response speed of the liquid crystal is insufficient, the charging for image display becomes insufficient as shown in FIG. 13B, and the charging for non-image display also becomes insufficient. Therefore, the moving-image performance is not improved, and the problem of low constant also occurs.
FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B show changes in the case where the image signal writing time is changed and in the case where the non-image signal writing time is changed, respectively. FIG. 14A shows a state wherein the image signal writing time is increased so that an image can be written sufficiently. Since the non-image signal writing time is shortened, only insufficient non-image signal writing can be carried out. As a result, as shown in the figure, complete blackening is not attained, and moving-image performance is lowered. On the other hand, if the non-image signal writing time is extended as shown in FIG. 14B, the image signal writing time is shortened, and image display having sufficient constant cannot be carried out.
As described above, in the case where LCD is driven in a hold-type drive method to display moving-images, the following problems must be solved.
1) Impulse-type drive must be carried out to improve the LCD so as to have a moving-image performance as equal as that of the CRT.
2) The impulse-type drive by turning on and off the back-light causes no contrast reduction, however,
a) lighting timing is different among positions of the display area, whereby the moving-image performance cannot be improved uniformly in the display area, and
b) respective optical characteristics such as light emission and persistence characteristics of the back-light phosphors are different among the three primary colors, i.e., R, G and B, at the current state, whereby the display on the display panel is colored.
3) In the hold-type drive the back-light is continuously in on-state (continuous light-emitting mode). Accordingly, if double-speed writing is carried out in which image signal writing and non-image signal writing thereafter is carried out within one frame cycle, moving-image performance can be improved uniformly in the display area, thereby no undesired coloring of the panel occurs in displaying an image, however, it is difficult at the present state of art that the liquid crystal responds to the signal within ½ frame time. In the case where the liquid crystal does not respond within ½ frame time and therefore the ratio of the image signal writing time is increased, the non-image signal writing time is shortened and as a result the non-image signal is not written completely, whereby moving-image performance is not improved. Needless to say, the ratio of the non-image signal writing time is increased and the image signal writing time is shortened, the image signal is not written completely, whereby only insufficient image display is performed, whereby the contrast of the displayed image is lowered.


The invention relates to a method and system for establishing an emergency session in a communication system which includes at least one user equipment and one or more network entities involved in establishing an emergency session. When the user equipment initiates a session by sending a message to a network entity indicating an identifier, e.g. the call number or logical name of a called entity, one of said network entities analyses the received identifier. When detecting that the session to be initiated is an emergency session, an information is returned to the user equipment for informing the latter that the initiated session is an emergency session. The user equipment thereupon initiates the execution of an emergency session. Thus, even when the user equipment is unable to detect, by itself, that the intended session is an emergency session, the network will inform the user equipment on the emergency session for ensuring appropriate handling thereof.

The invention generally relates to the connection of emergency sessions such as emergency calls.
Emergency calls shall be supported in IP Multimedia networks (IMS). The UE (User Equipment) may usually be able to indicate in the initial session setup (e.g. in the INVITE message of SIP) that the session is an emergency session.
However, there may be situations where the initial session setup message is just sent with an ordinary number and there is no indication about the emergency. These situations may e.g. occur when a subscriber is roaming in another IMS network.
It is important to identify the intended emergency session as soon as possible, because the network and the UE need to perform some special actions for performing the emergency session.

Method and system for handling a network-identified emergency session


A battery cell structure may include a battery cell, a first pouch layer to substantially surround the battery cell, a second pouch layer to substantially surround the first pouch layer, and a shielding layer in the battery cell structure.

1. Field
Embodiments may relate to a battery cell structure.
2. Background
Wireless charging may transfer energy between a transmitter and a receiver through an inductive coupling. A receiver may be provided in a system, such as a phone, a tablet, a laptop, etc. A wireless charging receiver may include a coil, a control integrated circuit (IC) and a shielding film.

Shielding layer of battery cell structure


To hold a pulsar ring (1) of a magnetic rotary encoder well concentrically by a pressure inserting jig (4) when the pulsar ring is installed on a rotary body (3), the pulsar ring (1) comprises a metallic annular holder (10) and a pulsar main body (20) of a magnetic rubber material, the holder (10) comprises a disk portion (11) where the pulsar body (20) is bonded, a mounting tube portion (12) having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the disk portion (11) and being fixed to the rotary body (3), a fold-back portion (15) folded inward, and an intermediate portion (13) extending therefrom toward the mounting tube portion (12) so as to be separated from the disk portion (11), and the outer circumference of the fold-back portion (15) or a guide portion (22) mounted thereon is fitted to a circumferential wall portion (42) of the jig (4).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pulsar ring of a magnetic type rotary encoder detecting an angle of rotation and a rotating speed of a rotating body, in a motor vehicle, an industrial machine or the like.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
As a typical conventional art of a magnetic type rotary encoder, there have been known structures described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-35718.
FIGS. 13 to 15 are half cross sectional views showing a magnetic type rotary encoder in accordance with a conventional art described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-35718 by cutting with a plane passing through an axis.
The magnetic type rotary encoder shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 or FIG. 15 is constituted by a pulsar ring 100 attached to a rotating body (for example, an inner ring of a bearing unit) 120 to be measured with its rotation, and a magnetic sensor 110 arranged so as to be opposed to the pulsar ring 100.
The pulsar ring 100 is constituted by an annular holder 101 installed to the rotating body 120 and manufactured by a magnetic body metal, and a pulsar main body 102 integrally provided in a disc portion 101a of the holder 101. The pulsar main body 102 is molded by a magnetic rubber material obtained by mixing a ferrite powder to a rubber-like elastic material, and is structured such that N poles and S poles are alternately magnetized in a circumferential direction. Further, the magnetic sensor 110 is attached to a non-rotating housing (not shown) in a state of being opposed to the pulsar main body 102 so as to come close thereto in an axial direction.
In the conventional art shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the holder 101 is constituted by the disc portion 101a provided with the pulsar main body 102, an outer circumferential tube portion 101b extending from an outer circumference thereof and having a large diameter than the rotating body 120, a mounting tube portion 101c having a smaller diameter than the outer circumferential tube portion 101b and being attached to an outer circumferential surface of the rotating body 120 in accordance with pressure insertion, and an intermediate portion 101d formed between the mounting tube portion 101c and the outer circumferential tube portion 101b. Further, the structure in FIG. 13 is different from FIG. 14, in a point that the outer circumferential portion of the pulsar main body 102 extends to the outer circumferential tube portion 101b side in the holder 101 so as to form the outer circumferential tube portion 102a.
On the other hand, in the conventional art shown in FIG. 15, the holder 101 is constituted by the disc portion 101a provided with the pulsar main body 102, a back surface collar portion 101e folded back to a back surface side thereof, and the mounting tube portion 101c extending cylindrically therefrom and being attached to an outer circumferential surface of the rotating body 120 in accordance with pressure insertion.
In this kind of magnetic rotary encoder, if the pulsar ring 100 is integrally rotated with the rotating body 120, the N poles and the S poles of the pulsar main body 102 of the pulsar ring 100 alternately pass through a front surface of the magnetic sensor 110, whereby the magnetic sensor 110 outputs a pulse-shaped signal having a wave form corresponding to a change of a magnetic field. Accordingly, it is possible to measure the rotation of the rotating body 120 on the basis of a count of the pulse.
In this case, FIG. 16 is a half cross sectional view showing a process of pressure inserting the pulsar ring in accordance with the conventional art of FIG. 13 to the rotating body by cutting with a plane passing through an axis, FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing a state of accumulating the pulsar rings in FIG. 13 in such a manner that their axes are approximately vertical, and FIG. 18 is a partly cross sectional view showing a part of FIG. 17.
In order to pressure insert and install the mounting tube portion 101c of the holder 101 in the pulsar ring 100 to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating body 120, there is employed a pressure inserting jig 130 constituted by an end wall portion 131 pressing the disc portion 101a of the holder 101 via the pulsar main body 102, and a circumferential wall portion 132 capable of being fitted to the outer circumferential tube portion 102a of the pulsar main body 102 in FIG. 13, as shown in FIG. 16. In other words, the pulsar ring 100 is fitted into the pressure inserting jig 130 arranged coaxially with the rotating body 120 so as to be held, and the pressure inserting jig 130 is pressed to the rotating body 120 side in this state, thereby pressure inserting the mounting tube portion 101c of the holder 101 in the pulsar ring 100 to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating body 120 so as to close fit (refer to the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-35718).
In this case, in order to hold the pulsar ring 100 at the concentric position with the rotating body 120 by the pressure inserting jig 130, it is necessary to make a precision of an outer diameter of the outer circumferential tube portion 102a of the pulsar main body 102 high so as to eliminate a play in a diametrical direction between the pressure inserting jig 130 and the circumferential wall portion 132, however, it is hard to precisely form the outer circumferential tube portion 102a of the pulsar main body 102. Accordingly, it becomes hard to fit the pressure inserting jig 130 to the pulsar ring 100 due to a dispersion of the outer diameter of the outer circumferential tube portion 102a in the pulsar main body 102, and the outer circumferential tube portion 102a of the pulsar main body 102 tends to be damaged. On the contrary, if a gap a in the diametrical direction is generated, it is impossible to concentrically hold the pulsar ring 100 by the pressure inserting jig 130, and there is a risk that the pulsar ring 100 is diagonally attached or deformed by being pressure inserted to the rotating body 120 in an axially deviated state. Further, the pulsar ring 100 in FIGS. 14 and 15 generates the same problem.
Further, in the pulsar ring 100 in FIG. 13 or 14, a collar portion 101f bent to an outer circumferential side is formed at an end portion of the mounting tube portion 101c in the holder 101 in order to prevent the pulsar main body 102 made of the magnetic rubber material from being damaged by the holder 101 placed thereon at a time of being accumulated in a plurality of stages in the axial direction as shown in FIG. 17. However, if a displacement is generated in the diametrical direction between the pulsar rings 100 in the accumulated state in FIG. 17 at a carrying time or a handling time, an edge portion 101f′ formed at a cut end portion of an outer circumference of the collar portion 101f is rubbed with a surface of the pulsar main body 102, and there is a risk that the pulsar main body 102 is damaged.
On the other hand, in the conventional art shown in FIG. 15, a portion having a U-shaped cross section and being constituted by the disc portion 101a and the back surface collar portion 101e is formed in the holder 101 in accordance with a press work collapsing a metal pipe in the axial direction, it is hard to make precision of an outer diameter D of the portion constituted by the disc portion 101a and the back surface collar portion 101e high. Accordingly, there is a problem that guide by the pressure inserting jig 130 (refer to FIG. 16) becomes hard as described previously.
Further, a degreasing cleaning is executed as a preliminary treatment step at a time of integrally forming the pulsar main body 102 made of the magnetic rubber material on the holder 101, however, there is a problem that it is impossible to easily remove a working oil making an intrusion into a narrow gap 101g between contacted surfaces of the disc portion 101a and the back surface collar portion 101e at a time of press forming the holder 101. Further, the residual working oil mentioned above splashes in all directions at a time of being used, or the residual working oil flows out from the narrow gap 101g to spread to an adhesion surface at a time of vulcanizing and adhering the pulsar main body 102, and there is a risk that an adhesive failure is caused.

Pulsar ring of a magnetic rotary encoder having a pulsar main body with a guide portion


A method, an apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for performing 2D to 3D conversion are presented. A 2D input source is extracted into left and right 3D images. Motion vectors are calculated for the left and right 3D images. Frame rate conversion is performed on the left 3D image and the right 3D image, using the respective calculated motion vectors, to produce motion compensated left and right 3D images. The left and right 3D images and the motion compensated left and right 3D images are reordered for display.

Current 3D content is based on a film source, which has a rate of 24 frame per second. Television broadcasts are at either a 50 Hz or a 60 Hz refresh rate. To convert a film source for television broadcast, there needs to be a frame rate conversion. This is typically accomplished by a frame rate conversion (FRC) process.
One way of performing FRC on a film source to a 60 Hz refresh rate is to use a 2:3 pulldown, in which a first frame is displayed twice and a second frame is displayed three times. This is repeated for each pair of frames in the film source. Because the frame rate for television is not the same as that for film, there is a motion judder problem (i.e., the viewer may notice that motion within the image is not smooth) introduced during the 2:3 pulldown.


In a method and apparatus for applying a background skin in an Internet protocol (IP) network, a first terminal sends a call request message, including background skin index information, to a second terminal. The second terminal sends a response message, including background skin index information, to the first terminal in response to the received call request message. The first terminal and the second terminal separately receive and display background skin data transmitted between the first terminal and the second terminal, and display multimedia data transmitted and received during a session established between the first terminal and the second terminal, together with the background skin displayed on each terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for applying a background skin in an Internet protocol (IP) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) is a new type of communication technology enabling vocal conversation over an IP network instead of the conventional public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Since communication via a packet-based IP network incurs no telephone charges, voice calls using VoIP are inexpensive.
VoIP enables transmission of video information as well as audio information using H.323 protocol, which is an International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication standardization sector (ITU-T) standard. In the latter regard, the H.323 protocol is made by the ITU in order to provide a multimedia communication service between networks in real time.
As described above, the VoIP service can be implemented using various protocols. The simplest type of VoIP service sets up a connection between two endpoints using session initiation protocol (SIP), and transmits real-time transport protocol (RTP) packets between the two endpoints through the connection point, thereby allowing a conversation.
The SIP, corresponding to the H.323 of ITU-T, is a signaling protocol used when a session is established. The SIP can be used for connecting a video call, multimedia, and even online games, besides providing a conventional VoIP service between terminals or users.
SIP is a very simple text-based application-layer control protocol, and enables at least two participants to establish, modify, and terminate a session. Such sessions can include a teleconference, a call, an interview, event information, and instant messaging using the Internet. SIP is independent of packet protocols, i.e., transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and X.25, in a lower layer thereof.
When a user has a video conversation using SIP, the display screens of the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal display only the image of the user and his/her counterpart at the other end. Such a simplistic display may bore the conversing users. Therefore, there is a need for a method for enhancing the visual appeal of video conversations to make them more interesting and personal for the conversing users.

Method and terminal for applying background skin in internet protocol network


A computing device mounting system is described comprising a housing defining a volume and at least one throughhole extending through the housing from a first side of the housing to a second side of the housing; and at least one fastener comprising a first connection mechanism at a first end and a second connection mechanism at a second end, wherein the first connection mechanism of the at least one fastener is arranged to protrude through the at least one throughhole and interfit with a third connection mechanism of a display and wherein the second connection mechanism of the at least one fastener is arranged to interfit with a fourth connection mechanism of a mount.

Interactive units, e.g., computers, set-top boxes, and/or network-connected devices, which are connected to display devices, e.g., televisions, displays, monitors, etc., are often mounted either on a stand or as a separate unit that sits on a desktop or a tabletop. This is problematic for customers wanting to mount the television onto the wall. Mounting interactive units separately can be difficult and frustrating to customers when they want to mount the televisions and interactive units onto the wall.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Methods, systems and computer program products provide time-restricted passcode access to a restricted access area by: (a) electronically generating a time-limited visitor access passcode that is operational for a security system for a limited time duration; then (b) electronically accepting the visitor access passcode in a security entry control access device in communication with the security system to allow a user with the visitor access passcode a time-limited entry to a restricted area; then (c) automatically electronically preventing user access to the restricted area using the visitor access passcode with the security entry control access device after a certain time or expiration of a certain time period. Embodiments of the invention may be particularly useful for allowing visiting meeting participants physical access to a restricted area in a building to attend a scheduled meeting.

Physical access to certain buildings may be restricted. If a visitor, whether vendor, contractor or employee, wants to gain entry to the building, to, for example, attend a meeting or service a piece of equipment, the visitor typically pages or telephones someone in the building to open the door for them. Unfortunately, such an action can be cumbersome, inefficient and time-consuming.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing time-limited calendar based passcode access to areas, buildings and/or rooms


Discloses herein is a method and apparatus for processing video data of a display device in which dithering noise generating when a motion picture is displayed can be minimized. According to the present invention, the method of processing the video data of the display device includes the steps of comparing data of an ith frame (i is a natural number) and data of a (i+1)th frame to determine whether the data of the (i+1)th frame is a motion picture or a still image, and employing a different dithering method depending upon the determination result of the motion picture or the still image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing video data of a display device, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for processing video data of a display device in which dithering noise generating when a motion picture is displayed can be minimized.
2. Description of the Background Art
A variety of display devices such as a liquid crystal display panel, an electro luminescence panel and a plasma display panel has been developed and employed. Of them, the plasma display panel (hereinafter, referred to as a 'PDP') is adapted to display an image by using a visible ray generating from phosphors when ultraviolet generated by a gas discharge excite the phosphors. This PDP is advantageous it that it can provide the slimness, the compact size, higher definition and large screen, compared to a cathode ray tube (CRT) which has become the main stream of the display device so far.
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a conventional PDP. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the cell shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP includes scan electrodes Y1 to Yn and sustain electrodes Z which are formed on the bottom surface of an upper substrate 10, and address electrodes X1 to Xm formed on the top of a lower substrate 18.
The discharge cells 1 of the PDP are formed at respective crossings of the scan electrodes Y1 to Yn, the sustain electrodes Z and the address electrodes X1 to Xm.
Each of the scan electrodes Y1 to Yn and the sustain electrodes Z includes a transparent electrode 12, and a metal bus electrode 11, which has a line width narrower than that of the transparent electrode 12 and is disposed at one edge side of the transparent electrode. The transparent electrode 12, which is generally made of ITO (indium tin oxide), is formed on the bottom surface of the upper substrate 10. The metal bus electrode, which is typically made of metal, is formed on the transparent electrode 12, and serves to reduce a voltage drop caused by the transparent electrode 12 having high resistance. On the bottom surface of the upper substrate 10 in which the scan electrodes Y1 to Yn and the sustain electrodes Z are formed is laminated an upper dielectric layer 13 and a protective layer 14. The upper dielectric layer 13 is accumulated with wall charges generated during plasma discharge. The protective layer 14 serves to prevent damage of the electrodes Y1 to Yn and Z and the upper dielectric layer 13 due to sputtering generated by the plasma discharge, and improve emission efficiency of secondary electrons. Magnesium oxide (MgO) is generally employed as the protective layer 14.
The address electrodes X1 to Xm are formed on the lower substrate 18 in a direction in which they cross the scan electrodes Y1 to Yn and the sustain electrodes Z. A lower dielectric layer 17 and barrier ribs 15 are formed on the lower substrate 18. The barrier ribs 15 are formed in the form of a stripe or grating to physically separate the discharge cells 1, thus prohibiting electrical and optical interference among discharge cells 1. The phosphor layer 16 is excited and light-emitted with ultraviolet generating during the plasma discharge to generate any one of red, green and blue visible rays.
An inert mixed gas such as He+Xe, Ne+Xe or He+Ne+Xe is injected into the discharge spaces of the discharge cells defined between the upper substrate 10 and the barrier ribs 15 and between the lower substrate 18 and the barrier ribs 15.
This PDP is driven with one frame being divided into a plurality of sub-fields having a different number of emission in order to implement the gray scale of an image. Each of the sub fields is divided into a reset period for uniformly generating a discharge, an address period for selecting a discharge cell, and a sustain period for implementing the gray level according to the number of a discharge. For example, if it is desired to display an image with 256 gray scales, a frame period (16.67 ms) corresponding to 1/60 second is divided into eight sub-fields. Each of the eight sub-fields is subdivided into the reset period, the address period and the sustain period. The reset period and the address period of each of the sub-fields are the same every sub-field, whereas the sustain period and the number of the discharge increase in the ratio of 2n (where, n=0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7) in each sub-field. As such, since the sustain periods become different in the respective sub-fields, the gray scale of an image can be implemented.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an apparatus for driving a PDP in a prior art.
Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus for driving the PDP includes a gamma correction unit 30, an error diffusion unit 32, a dithering unit 34, a sub-field mapping unit 36 and a data driving unit 38 all of which are connected between an input line of video data and a panel 40.
The gamma correction unit 30 performs an inverse gamma correction operation on digital video data, which has undergone a gamma correction operation so that the data is suitable for a brightness characteristic of a cathode ray tube (CRT). In this time, the digital video data, which has undergone the inverse gamma correction operation by the gamma correction unit 30, has a linear brightness characteristic.
The error diffusion unit 32 diffuses error of the video data from the gamma correction unit 30 and pixels, which are calculated through an error diffusion filter, by using error diffusion coefficients. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, if the error diffusion operation is performed on a current pixel P5, error is diffused by assigning a weight of 1/16 to a pixel P1 adjacent to the pixel P5, a weight of 5/16 to a pixel P2, a weight of 3/16 to a pixel P3 and a weight of 7/16 to a pixel P4.
The dithering unit 34 expands the gray scale by selecting discharge cells to be turned on, through a dithering method that employs dither mask patterns. As such, if the gray scale is expanded through selection of the discharge cells to be turned on by means of the dithering method, contour noise can be removed. For example, European Patent Application No. 00250099.9, etc. discloses a method of selecting discharge cells to be turned on by using three-dimensional dither mask patterns corresponding to a plurality of frames, a plurality of lines and a plurality of columns in a plasma display panel.
The sub-field mapping unit 36 maps each of the pixel data from the dithering unit 34 to a predetermined sub-field pattern, and outputs the mapped results.
The data driving unit 38 latches the data, which is separated on a bit basis according to the sub-field patterns by the sub-field mapping unit 36, and supplies the latched data to address electrode lines of the panel 40 for one line every period where a horizontal line is driven.
Te panel 40 displays a given image corresponding to data, which is supplied from the data driving unit 38 to the address electrode lines.
Such a conventional PDP has a problem in that dithering noise is generated when a motion picture is displayed. This will be described in detail as follows. The dithering unit 34 employs dither mask patterns, which are different every frame. In reality, the dithering unit 34 uses dither mask patterns, which are repeated in an approximately two to four frame unit. In this time, dither values 1 of the dither mask patterns, which have the same gray scale and are also used in an ith (i is a natural number) frame and a (i+1)th frame, are disposed at different positions (e.g., grating patterns). For example, the dither mask patterns used in the ith frame and the (i+1)th frame can be set, as shown in FIG. 5.
In the case where a still image is displayed, if the still image is combined with the ith frame and the (i+1)th frame, discharge cells to be turned are selected in the form of gratings, as shown in FIG. 6. As such, if the discharge cells to be turned on are selected in the form of gratings, an image of the picture quality with no noise can be displayed. However, if a motion picture where the (i+1)th frame is moved by one pixel is to be displayed, dither mask patterns as shown in FIG. 7 are recognized to the eye of a man in the form of stripes. As such, if the discharge cells to be turned on are recognized in the form of stripes, noise of a specific shape is generated in an image displayed on the panel 40, which makes the eye of a man unpleasant.

Method and apparatus for processing video data of display device


A portable waveguide sensor having one or more gratings. In one embodiment, the sensor has a waveguide, wherein a plurality of grooves imprinted onto the waveguide form a Bragg grating. The surface of the grooves has a functional layer adapted to bind a substance of interest, e.g., a biological pathogen. When the pathogen binds to the functional layer, the binding shifts the spectral reflection band corresponding to the Bragg grating such that a probe light previously reflected by the grating now passes through the grating, thereby indicating the presence of the pathogen. In another embodiment, the sensor has a Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI), one arm of which has a resonator formed by two Bragg gratings. The surface of the resonator between the gratings has a functional layer whereas the Bragg gratings themselves do not have such a layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sensors and, more specifically, to optical devices for detecting chemical and biological substances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Substance analyzers are used in environmental monitoring, industrial process control, and medical, analytical, and military applications. For example, biological pathogens such as salmonella are often present in meat and poultry products. Since exposure to these pathogens is a health hazard, low concentrations, typically trace amounts, need to be detected quickly and reliably.
In an analytical laboratory, specialized techniques such as mass spectrometry, chromatography, electro-chemical analysis, immunoassays, etc., are readily available to detect various chemical and biological substances (i.e., analytes) with great sensitivity and specificity. However, the available techniques are often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and/or relatively expensive. In addition, devices implementing these techniques are not adapted for portable use, nor are they adapted for use outside the laboratory.


A barcode sensor package has an optical emitter circuit and an optical detector circuit which are formed as one or more integrated optical circuits disposed in a housing which has a reading surface and one or more apertures located between the optical emitter and detector circuits. The optical emitter circuit has an emitter die, such as a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), for emitting a light beam and a diffraction optical element disposed on the emitter die for focusing the light beam to a bar code. The optical detector circuit has a photodetector die, such as a phototransistor, for detecting reflective light and another diffraction optical element disposed on the photodetector die for guiding light reflected from the bar code to the detector. The diffraction optical elements are fabricated by patterning optical layers, deposited on respective emitter and detector dies, using photolithograph or a direct write process.

Known barcode sensor systems generally use lasers in conjunction with conventional lenses or other optics for focusing or concentrating sufficient laser radiation on the bar code to be scanned. The systems additionally include detectors also in conjunction with conventional optics for receiving light reflected from a target area of the bar code and providing an output signal representing the bar code. Other barcode sensor systems utilize light emitting diodes (LEDs) as the light sources instead of lasers.
A known bar code sensor of the prior art, for example the bar code sensor 300 shown in FIGS. 9A & 9B of the accompanying drawings, includes a light source and photodiode dies molded into components (not shown), a PCB 301 onto which the light source and photodiode components (not shown) are populated, processing circuitry 302 for processing the sensor signal also populated on the PCB, a housing holding lenses and into which is inserted and glued the PCB with light source and photodiode components thereon, and a housing cover 304 assembled to the housing to enclose the components and lenses within the housing.
The aforementioned known barcode systems are generally of large dimensions owing to the large space requirements of bulky lenses or other optics necessary for concentrating sufficient illumination both on the bar code to be scanned and the detector after reflection from the bar code target area. The optics of such systems are complicated to align and assemble and suffer from optical inefficiencies which result in short working distances and higher than necessary power consumption requirements to compensate for these optical inefficiencies. High manufacturing costs and inefficient and unreliable operation of these bar code sensor systems limit their applications in many fields.
The aforementioned problems demonstrate that there is a need to provide a low cost, compact bar code sensor which is capable of operating in an efficient manner.


The present invention provides a wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets. The wire-winding mechanism comprises a box body, a wire-winding disk, a communication wire, and a scroll spring. The box body comprises a first and a second disk bodies pivotally joined together. The first disk body has a first wire-winding shaft. The second disk body has a shaft body and a second wire-winding shaft. The wire-winding disk is pivotally disposed in the box body. The communication wire is wound around the shaft body of the second disk body to form an inner ring portion. The communication wire is wound around the first wire-winding shaft of the first disk body to form a first outer ring portion, and is also wound around the second wire-winding shaft of the second disk body to form a second outer ring portion. The scroll spring is connected between the first and second disk bodies.

The present invention relates to a wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets and, more particularly, to an improved wire-winding box, which has an automatically winding communication wire to shrink the volume thereof for conforming to the requirement of compactness, and has dual wire outlets.
Appropriate communication wires need to be accommodated to achieve electrical connection when using communications apparatuses such as computers, modems, telephones, or facsimile apparatuses. To avoid entanglement of wire due to a too-long length of external wire or inconvenience of use due to a too-short length of external wire, several kinds of wire-winding boxes applicable to various kinds of communications apparatuses have been proposed. Most of the wire-winding boxes comprise a wire-winding box body, a communication wire, a wire-winding disk, and a scroll spring so that the communication wire can be plugged into sockets of relevant communication apparatuses for communication of information.
A communication wire may show a tight state due to resiliency of the scroll spring when it is pulled out from a conventional wire-winding box so that a proper length of the communication wire cannot be kept outside, resulting in much trouble in use for a user. To resolve this problem, in some wire-winding boxes, a swing sheet capable of resiliently swinging is utilized, and gaps and locking grooves disposed at the periphery of a rotating disk are matched, thereby accomplishing winding or locating function.
However, in the above wire-winding box, the communication wire is wound around the wire-winding disk to be limited in space by the wire-winding disk. Moreover, outer and inner ring portions of the communication wire disposed on the wire-winding disk need to be in proportional relation. Therefore, the wire-winding disk must have a larger diameter, hence enlarging the volume of the wire-winding disk and not conforming to the requirement of compactness. Furthermore, a general wire-winding box has only a single wire outlet so that its usage is limited.
Accordingly, the above wire-winding boxes have inconvenience and drawbacks in practical use. The present invention aims to resolve the problems in the prior art.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets. A communication wire is respectively disposed on two faces of a first disk body of a wire-winding disk. The communication wire is divided into a first outer ring portion, a second outer ring portion, and an inner ring portion, which are disposed on a first wire-winding shaft, a second wire winding shaft, and outside a shaft body, respectively. When the communication wire is wound around the wire-winding disk, the first outer ring portion, the inner ring portion, and the second outer ring portion are staggered to reduce the diameter of the wire-winding disk. Therefore, the volume of the wire-winding box can be shrunk to conform to the requirement of compactness. Moreover, the present invention has dual wire outlets to facilitate usage of the wire-winding box.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets. The wire-winding mechanism of the present invention comprises a wire-winding box body, a wire-winding disk, a communication wire, and a scroll spring. The wire-winding box body has a receiving room therein. The wire-winding box body is composed of a first disk body and a second disk body. The first and second disk bodies are pivotally joined together. A face of the first disk body has a first wire-winding shaft. A face of the second disk body has a shaft body and a second wire-winding shaft. The wire-winding disk is pivotally disposed in the receiving room of the wire-winding box body. One end of the communication wire is wound around the first wire-winding shaft of the first disk body of the wire-winding disk to form a first outer ring portion. The other end of the communication wire is wound around the shaft body of the second disk body of the wire-winding disk to form an inner ring portion, and is also wound around the second wire-winding shaft of the second disk body to form a second outer ring portion. The scroll spring is connected between the first disk body and the second disk body. A wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets is thus formed.
The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

Wire-winding mechanism having dual wire outlets

No. 10, Alley 38, Lane 229, San Chun St.


An implantable biocompatible device, that may be either a sensor or stimulator, having electronic circuitry and electrodes formed on a substrate, is uniformly covered with a coating approximately one-micron thick of ultra-nanocrystalline diamond, hermetically sealing the electronic circuitry. Selected electrodes are either left uncovered during coating or uncovered by conventional patterning techniques, allowing the electrodes to be exposed to living tissue and fluids. The ultra-nanocrystalline diamond coating may be doped to create electrically conductive electrodes. These approaches eliminate the need for a hermetically sealed lid or cover to protect hybrid electronic circuitry, and thus allow the device to be thinner than otherwise possible. The conformal ultra-nanocrystalline diamond coating uniformly covers the device, providing relief from sharp edges and producing a strong, uniformly thick hermetic coating around sharp edges and on high aspect-ratio parts.

Hermetic electrically insulating materials are desirable for packaging of electronics in implantable stimulating and sensing devices, where implantation is in living tissue in a living body. The implanted devices must be biocompatible. The devices must not only exhibit the ability to resist the aggressive environment present in the body, but must also be compatible with both the living tissue and with the other materials of construction for the device itself. The materials are selected to avoid both galvanic and electrolytic corrosion. Typical materials of construction for implantable devices include ceramics, plastics, or metals. The ceramics may be glass, or a metal oxide, such as alumina, titania, zirconia, stabilized-zirconia, partially-stabilized zirconia, tetragonal zirconia, magnesia-stabilized zirconia, ceria-stabilized zirconia, yttria-stabilized zirconia, or calcia-stabilized zirconia, or yttria-stabilized zirconia, although other ceramic materials may also be used. The plastics may be epoxy, polycarbonate, or plexiglass. Typical metals include titanium or titanium alloy (such as Ti-6 Al-4 V), although other metals, such as platinum, iridium, platinum-iridium, stainless steel, tantalum, niobium, or zirconium may be used.
One solution to achieving biocompatibility, hermeticity, and galvanic and electrolytic compatibility for an implanted device is to encase the device in a protective environment. It is well known to encase implantable devices with glass or with a case of ceramic or metal. Schulman, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,926) is one example of this technique. It is also known to use alumina as a case material for an implanted device as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,582. These cases are often too thick for use with miniature implantable devices, such as the prosthetic retinal implants of Second Sight, LLP. The case unacceptably increases the size of the device and becomes a limiting factor as to where the devices may be placed in the body.
It is also known to protect an implantable device with a thin layer or layers of an electrically insulating, protective material, as disclosed by Schulman, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,437). Coatings of alumina, zirconia, or other ceramic, less than 25 microns thick, were applied by evaporative coating, vapor deposition, or ion-beam deposition.
Disadvantageously, the sensor described in the referenced patent and patent applications is relatively thick. For some applications, where small size is required, such as when a device is placed in an eye, eyelid, or in a fingertip, space is very limited and only a very small device will fit. There remains a need for yet a smaller sensor or a stimulator that performs all of the same functions as the prior apparatus, i.e., that provides working electrodes exposed to living tissue, perhaps with a selected enzyme placed over one electrode, and with hermetically-sealed electronic circuitry controlling the stimulator or sensor and communicating with other internal or external devices. The present invention advantageously addresses these and other needs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,163 discloses an implantable glucose sensor that is fabricated on a ceramic substrate. Working electrodes and other elements associated with the sensor are exposed to a conductive fluid contained within a reservoir or inner sheath that covers the substrate. An outer sheath is also placed over the sensor, with a window formed over one of the working electrodes. A selected enzyme, such as glucose oxidate, is placed within the window. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,163, five wires or conductors are attached to the electrodes and connected to electronic circuitry, e.g., a circuit such as is shown in FIG. 3 of the '163. U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,163 is incorporated herein by reference.
Additional features, aspects, and improvements of a glucose sensor of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,163 are further disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,736; U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,028; and 5,999,848; each of which above-referenced patent applications is incorporated herein by reference.

Implantable device using ultra-nanocrystalline diamond