A shared-nothing database management system employs a method of adding and removing a database server without significantly affecting the processing performance for accessing a table from a user or an application. A scheduler module creates a schedule which separately handles the addition of a CPU resource and the addition of a storage I/O resource, and a server is added in accordance with the created schedule. A common disk is used to remove a disk at an arbitrary timing. Further, a data region is previously subdivided on the common disk to eliminate a movement of data associated with the addition of a server.

The present invention relates to a shared-nothing database management system which includes database servers that do not share data to be processed, and more particularly, to a database configuration management program which automatically changes the system configuration in accordance with a loading condition on the system.
<Description of Background, and Definition of Terms>
A shared-nothing database management system is one of configurations designed for building a large-scaled database system which is made up of a plurality of database servers.
In the shared-nothing database management system, a processor, a memory and a storage, which are main components of a computer, are assigned to each database server, so that the database servers do not share system components except for a network. Data which builds a database is also distributed to each database server, and is stored in a storage assigned thereto. Thus, each database server is responsible for processing a relatively prime subset of the database, and processes the data subset by subset.
From the features of the configuration as described above, the shared-nothing database management system has the advantage of the elimination of the need for exclusive control processing for shared resources, and a high scalability for an increase in the number of database servers.
However, if imbalances occur in the amounts of data handled by the respective database servers due to such a cause as a modification in the system configuration, a database server having a larger amount of data takes a relatively longer time for execution, thereby failing to efficiently process overall queries. For this reason, the shared-nothing database system is disadvantageously obliged to change the allocation of data to the servers as well, when the number of database servers is changed, in order to maintain the balance of data handled by the respective database servers.
[Resources of Database Server]
For adding a new database server to a shared-nothing database management system, a new server machine is generally added, and a database server is run on the new server machine. The addition of the new server machine results in increased resources for running the database server, and a resulting improvement in performance. In the present invention, among the foregoing resources, one associated with the improvement in processing performance is referred to as a "CPU resource." Also, a resource associated with the improvement in storage input/output performance is referred to as a "storage I/O resource."
[Data Relocation]
As described above, data must be balanced among the database servers when a database server is additionally installed in the shared-nothing database management system, or when a database server is removed from the shared-nothing database management system. In the present invention, this operation is hereinafter referred to as "relocation of data."
[Virtualization of Storage]
Virtualization of storage is one of means for improving the usability of storages on a network. When a plurality of storages residing on a network are used from a single server, the operational management can be unified to reduce the management cost by making the storages appear as if the server were using a single storage.
In the present invention, a location in which the virtualization of storage is implemented is referred to as a "(storage) virtualization layer." The storage virtualization layer may generally reside on a storage, a storage management middleware, or a file system.
The operating system manages the storages on a volume-unit basis. Therefore, in the present invention, a virtualized storage is referred to as a "logical volume." On the other hand, each storage which forms part of a logical volume is referred to as a "unit volume."
<Description of Conventional Approach>
A conventional approach employs ALTER NODEGROUP statement described in Online Manual "Manager's Handbook," Chapter 30, bundled with DB2, Version 7.2. As illustrated in FIG. 2A, for adding a new database server using this approach, a data region is added to a storage which is allocated to the new database server (21), the new database server is added to a shared-nothing database management system comprised of a plurality of database servers (22), and then data is relocated among the database servers in order to balance the amount of data (23). On the other hand, for removing a database server, data is relocated to empty a data region allocated to a database server to be removed (24), and then the database server is removed (25), as illustrated in FIG. 2B.
JP-A-11-282734 describes a parallel database management system which may be regarded as another conventional approach. This method changes the correspondence of a database to a database processing unit without interrupting an online service, thereby permitting a particular database processing unit to directly access a database managed by a plurality of database processing units. This method is also characterized in that the database is divided into a consistent number of subsets.
The foregoing conventional approaches fail to take into consideration frequent addition and removal of database servers in a shared-nothing database management system, and cannot add or remove a database server unless time-consuming data relocation is performed. Further, the data relocation, which is a heavy load processing, will result in degraded processing performance in accessing a table from a user or an application. Thus, when such an approach is applied to a system which can change the number of servers in accordance with loading, the addition of a server is not reflected to an improvement in processing performance without causing a delay, but rather can be a factor of causing a degradation in processing performance. Also, since data is relocated after removal of a server has been determined, there is a delay until the server can be actually removed.
Also, in a method described in JP-A-11-282734, for correcting a load distribution by reconfiguring the correspondence between a database and database processing units, the database divided into a consistent number of subsets makes it difficult to balance the loading among the database processing units. This method can balance the loading by previously dividing database into many small fragments, in which case, however, a large amount of database subsets will be created, thereby increasing the cost associated with the operational management such as vacuum, backup, and the like.

Method of changing system configuration in shared-nothing database management system


Example methods and apparatus for transmitting information are described. One example method includes determining a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing corresponding to a first service of a terminal device by a network device from a plurality of HARQ timings. Indication information is sent by the network device to the terminal device, where the indication information is used to indicate the first HARQ timing.

Hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) is a technology in which forward error correction (FEC) coding is combined with an automatic repeat request (ARQ) method. FEC may be used to correct a data error in a transmission process. To be specific, if an error falls within an error correction range of the FEC, the FEC is used to perform error correction. If an error falls beyond the error correction range of the FEC, retransmission needs to be requested.
In a 3G/4G communications system, the HARQ technology is used for air-interface uplink and downlink data transmission. FIG. 1 schematically shows a HARQ feedback in uplink and downlink data transmission. As shown in FIG. 1, a transmit end sends data at a moment to, and a receive end detects the received data. The receive end feeds back an acknowledgment (ACK)/a negative acknowledgment (NACK) to the transmit end at a moment t1, and the transmit end receives feedback information. If the transmit end receives NACK information, the transmit end retransmits a data packet at a moment t2. A timing (timing) relationship between the moment to and the moment t1 is referred to as a HARQ timing.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) defines three types of services in expectations and requirements of 5G: an enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) service, an ultra-reliable and low/latency machine type communication (uMTC) service, and a massive machine type communication (mMTC) service. Because a QoS requirement of each service is different, each service requires a different HARQ timing.
However, in an existing HARQ solution, when a terminal device has a plurality of different services, only a same HARQ timing can be used, and consequently quality of service (QoS) requirements of the services cannot be met.

Method, network device, and terminal device for transmitting information


A continuous sample detector has a cell assembly with a spaced pair of sample cells. Each of these cells is mounted in a sample chamber and each is adapted to conduct a continuous sample flow. These sample cells are connected through a plurality of sample lines. The continuous sample detector also includes a sensor that is mounted and arranged proximate the cell assembly. Relative motion between the sensor and the cell assembly will enable the sensor to alternately detect radiation predominantly from a selected one of the cells. The sensor and the cells are positioned within the common housing to detect radiation with the sensor from predominantly a first one of the sample cells. The sample flow may at that time pass through the first one of the sample cells. The relative position of the sensor and the sample cells may then be changed within the common housing to detect radiation with the sensor from predominantly a second one of the sample cells. The sample flow may at this time pass through the second one of the sample cells, without disconnecting any of the plurality of sample lines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to continuous sample detection, and in particular, to the use of multiple cells for facilitating measurements.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The effects of a radioactive tracer introduced into an organism may in part be determined by removing tissue samples for analysis. A known method of detecting these radioactive tracers is to pass extracts, digests, and other solutions derived therefrom through a chromatography column to separate their constituents into various fractions, in the usual fashion. The eluate from the chromatography column can then be passed through a device for detecting the radioactivity.
Radioactivity detection is often practiced with a flow-through detector that continuously monitors the radiation from samples flowing through a cell. When the continuous flow to the cell is the eluate from a high performance liquid chromatography column (HPLC) large amounts of information can be obtained through numerical and graphical analysis.
In a known detection technique, the eluate is continuously mixed with a scintillating solution and passed through a transparent tubular cell mounted in a sample block inside a light-tight box. Alternatively, scintillation solution need not be used and instead, the eluate is passed over insoluble scintillator particles within the cell. The faint light coming from the tubular cell is detected by a pair of photomultiplier tubes on opposite sides of the cell. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,117.
There are occasions when the type of cell ought to be changed in systems of the above type. For example, two technicians might be sharing one detector system and each could require or prefer a different sample cell configuration. In that case, each technician would need to replace the sample cell before beginning test operations. Also, cell changes may be desirable when technicians use the detector with automatic sample injectors which can have a capacity of a hundred samples or more. Different batches of samples (or simply different preferences) may indicate the need for a different sample cell. In such an automated system, there is no provision for dealing automatically with changed requirements when proceeding to a new batch. Operators have therefore, settled with a compromise cell that is not ideally tailored to either batch.
Any attempt to run large batches can be frustrated if successive batches require a different sample cell and a compromise cell is unsatisfactory. In such situations, the batches cannot be run automatically, but the process must stop so that an operator can intervene and change the sample cell.
Another area of unfortunate compromise results from the fact that the amount of radiation from a sample will change over time as different fractions are delivered in the eluate from a chromatography column. It is difficult to choose a sample cell that will work adequately for low activity peaks as well as high activity peaks occurring in one sample. Low activity peaks can be more easily measured with larger cell volumes that have greater sensitivity. On the other hand, with large cell volumes and increased counting time, it is possible to overwhelm the electronics with excessive numbers of counts. Also the larger cell volumes have less resolution and may not be able to distinguish between closely spaced peaks. Accordingly, operators will try to strike a balance between these competing requirements.
Changing from one flow-cell to another flow-cell is difficult. In most instruments, the cover must be removed, the high voltage disabled, plumbing fittings disconnected, the cell removed (potentially causing problems with ambient light as explained below), the new cell installed, the cover replaced, and the high voltage reestablished. Finally, the measurement can be made. To later return to the original cell, all of the forgoing steps must be repeated.
The high voltage must be turned off each time a cell is removed or inserted. Exposure of a photomultiplier to ambient light with the high voltage applied can cause irreparable damage, since the consequential high current flows will likely "strip" the photocathodes.
Regardless, removing the high voltage is inherently problematical, because photomultipliers are most quiet (i.e., least electronic noise) when kept at constant high voltage for long periods. Similarly, even with the high voltage off, exposure to ambient light can cause photocathodes to become light activated, requiring then a lengthy period of dark adaptation to reduce background noise to minimum levels.
Similarly, removal and ambient illumination of cells packed with solid scintillators (particularly the popular yttrium silicate) cause phosphorescence, again requiring a lengthy period of dark adaptation before the cell reaches its lowest backgrounds.
Furthermore, repetitively disconnecting and reconnecting fittings is an invitation to leaks, especially at the high pressures that are apt to be encountered in HPLC. Cleanup of leakage of radioactive solutions may have heavy consequences.
External standardization has been used in liquid scintillation systems to determine the quality of individual samples, especially for quenching phenomena. With that technique, an external radioactive source is brought near the sample to determine how the scintillation process varies in response to known radioactive stimulation. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,609,361; 3,188,468; and 3,381,130. For other quenching correction techniques, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,008,393 and 4,292,520. See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,935,449 and 4,967,048.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,324 standardization is performed on a continuous flow, radiochromatography system. That disclosed device has a sample holder mounted on an axially movable block. A standard holder is mounted on the rear of the cell block. Accordingly, the sample cell and standards can be moved to place either one in the proximity of a photomultiplier tube. Thus, the system can be calibrated, for example, with a sealed standard without the need to disconnect the sample cell from the sample lines. This reference teaches the advantage of avoiding exposing the photomultiplier to ambient light and avoiding the inconvenience of disconnecting and reconnecting plumbing to the sample cell. The reference, however, does not teach the importance of quickly changing flow sample cells.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,945 multiple cells are used simultaneously, not sequentially. FIG. 5 shows eluate from a chromatography column flowing past six (6) stations. Each of these stations are connected by light pipes to separate photomultipliers. While there are effectively different stations at which measurements are made, this system has the disadvantage of requiring simultaneous measurement. The system is designed to increase the effectiveness of the photomultipliers by monitoring six (6) stations with four (4) tubes. The origin of pulses is determined by correlating the pulses. Furthermore, systems relying on correlation do not operate accurately, because accidental coincidences occur once the true count rate in one sample or cell becomes greatly elevated, as is often the case. Even if there are no true counts in other samples or cells being examined at the same time, there will be a high rate of accidental coincidences arising from these photomultiplier pairs that involve the hot sample and the others.
The nature of these false coincidences can be also understood by referring to U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,736 which shows a trio of equiangularly spaced photomultiplier tubes. Each of three samples is positioned among the photomultiplier tubes to straddle and shine upon a pair of the tubes. Assume a first sample has a very high count rate, a second sample has nothing, and the third sample has some modest count rate. The coincidence rate from the photomultiplier pair illuminated by the very high count rate will likely give a reasonably accurate result for the high count rate. Still, one member of this highly stimulated pair, however, will also be correlated with the remaining tube to determine the count rate for the inactive sample. There will be accidental coincidences for the pair covering the inactive sample, since one of the pair is highly stimulated (plus noise) and the other will be modestly stimulated but not by the inactive sample. Thus, the inactive sample will seem to have correlated counts from its two tubes although they will be derived mostly from accidental correlation between the other two samples (plus noise), one of which is highly active. Further, if any of these samples should have luminescence problems, a common occurrence, there will be some effect on the other samples.
The accidental coincidence rate of two (2) random noise generators is a function of n.sub.1, n.sub.2, and T, where n.sub.1 and n.sub.2 are the non-coincident count rates of each tube and T is the coincidence resolving time of the circuit. Because a product is involved, when either count rate goes up substantially, the accidental rate climbs correspondingly. One might conclude that this could be made negligible with faster coincidence circuitry, but an unfortunate characteristic of photomultipliers is that transit time (the time from propagation of a pulse at the photocathode until it can be sensed at the anode) is rather variable. If the coincidence time is made too short, true coincidences are missed and the counting efficiency goes down. U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,945 acknowledges this problem (column 4, lines 18, et seq.).
Another disadvantage with systems of this type is that as the sample moves along through the various cells, it is measured by four (4) different pairs of photomultipliers, each possibly having slightly different responses. Since the different cells will be in principle working together and simultaneously, it is unclear that such a system would work properly if the cells had different characteristics.
Another system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,163 shows a pair of serially connected radioactivity detectors. The downstream detector also has a standard radioactive source. This reference is designed to collect data from the two (2) collectors simultaneously and, therefore, is not designed to avoid the expense of having multiple detectors for multiple sites. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,924,093 and 5,416,329 show detection of radiation from discrete samples, that is, vials. These references are unconcerned with systems for monitoring radiation from a flowing sample.
See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,791,820; 4,495,420; 4,528,450; and 5,328,662.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved, continuous sample detector that provides the benefit of the specialized characteristics offered by different types of sample cells, but without multiplying the time or the amount of sensors needed to achieve such flexibility and adaptability.

Continuous sample detector with multiple cells


A video projector and mounting assembly that securely mounts and protects the projector from theft. A video projector unit is adapted with a housing that defines a through bore extending completely through the housing from top to bottom. A suspension member attached to an overhead structure is inserted through the hole with a portion thereof projecting from the bottom of the projector. A projector mount is secured to the end of the projecting portion of the overhead suspension member in locking relation therewith such that the projector may not be removed without first unlocking and removing the mount. The mount is preferably adapted with openings to allow for access to the projector controls. Tilt adjustment of the projector is facilitated by rotatably adjustable fasteners in threaded engagement with the mount. The projector and mount may include mating concave and convex surfaces to provide for adjustment in tilt, pan, and yaw axes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to video projectors, and more particularly, to a theft resistant video projector and ceiling mounting assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Video projection units (hereinafter "projector") are in widespread use in education, entertainment, and business environments. A video projector takes a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system and a very bright light to project the image. Video projectors are widely used for conference room presentations, classroom training, and home theatre applications. Common display resolutions for a portable projector include SVGA (800×600 pixels), XGA (1024×768 pixels), 720 p (1280×720 pixels), and 1080 p (1920×1080 pixels). Projectors are often suspended below the ceiling by a downwardly projecting pipe member adapted with a projector mount.
Video projectors contain sophisticated electronics and geometrical optics in order to produce such high quality images. The cost of a projector is not only determined by its resolution, but also by its light output, acoustic noise output, contrast, and other characteristics. Accordingly, video projectors are valuable pieces of equipment often costing thousands of dollars. As a result of the popularity and value of projectors theft has become a problem that video projector manufacturers have failed to adequately address.
As a result of the failure of projector manufacturers to address theft issues, the background art reveals a number of mounting systems intended to address theft by rending projectors theft resistant. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,887, issued to Zimmer et al., discloses an anti-theft locking cover comprising two interlocking cover halves for use to prevent unwanted removal of a projector mounted in a suspended configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,133 issued to Challis, discloses an adjustable security enclosure for securing a projector. The apparatus is mountable to a ceiling drop pipe and comprises a cage and drop pipe connector assembly. The cage has a plurality of interconnected members that together define an enclosure for housing a projector and impeding removal of the projector from the cage. U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,359, issued to Dittmer et al., discloses an adjustable tamper-resistant overhead mounting system for a projector. The system includes brackets attachable to the projector and a suspension member attached to an overhead structure. Published U.S. Patent Application No. US 2003/0234335, in the name of Umberg, discloses security apparatus for connecting a projector to a structure using a structural mount, a security enclosure, and a swivel mechanism.
The various devices disclosed in the art suffer from a number of disadvantages and short comings and have thus failed to achieve widespread acceptance. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved anti-theft overhead mount for use with a video projector unit.

Theft resistant video projector and mount


The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing stacked wafers. The method includes receiving a first wafer having semiconductor components formed therein; receiving a second wafer having semiconductor components formed therein; attaching the first wafer to the second wafer; and forming a set of stacked wafers by thinning the second wafer, using the first wafer as a holder.

The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth due to continuous improvements in the integration density of a variety of electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors, capacitors, etc.). For the most part, this improvement in integration density has come from repeated reductions in minimum feature size, which allow more components to be integrated into a given area. As the demand for even smaller electronic devices has grown recently, a need has arisen for smaller and more creative packaging techniques of semiconductor dies.
This Discussion of the Background section is for background information only. The statements in this Discussion of the Background are not an admission that the subject matter disclosed in this section constitutes a prior art to the present disclosure, and no part of this section may be used as an admission that any part of this application, including this Discussion of the Background section, constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.

Method and system of manufacturing stacked wafers


A method and apparatus for mounting an oil cooler to a motorcycle having a regulator. The method includes the steps of detaching the regulator from the first location on the motorcycle, mounting the oil cooler to the motorcycle substantially at the first location, and relocating the regulator to a second location on the motorcycle. The invention may be provided in an oil cooler adapter kit including an oil cooler and a mounting bracket having a frame mount portion, an oil cooler mount portion, and a regulator mount portion. The kit may further include spacers that extend from the frame to the regulator mount portion of the mounting bracket.

Oil coolers can be beneficial additions to motorcycles in order to help keep the engine oil operating within an optimal temperature range. Oil coolers may be especially useful if the motorcycle engine is air cooled, as opposed to liquid cooled, or if the motorcycle operates in an excessively warm climate.
However, the space on a motorcycle in which to mount an oil cooler is limited. Thus, fitting an oil cooler on a motorcycle that is not originally designed with an oil cooler may be challenging. For example, in the front of the motorcycle there is a relatively small amount of space between the frame and the front wheel or fender. This location is useful for the mounting of an oil cooler because of the high air pressure at the front of the motorcycle as the motorcycle is moving. However, the space is limited, especially when the fork is compressed, and the space may be occupied by other components, such as a regulator. Further, the mounting arrangements of any such components to the motorcycle may be limited by the appropriate mounting points, such as usable points on the frame.

Method and kit for mounting an oil cooler to a motorcycle


An image signal processing apparatus, the method and a camera system are provided, by which highly efficient processing close to 1-path processing can be performed without deteriorating a picture quality or taking too much time for the processing, a capacity required for a compression rate, band and memory in the worst case can be assured and a random accessing property is not impaired when compressing image data: wherein a data signal processing unit performs a compression processing by dividing input image data to a plurality of bit resolution parts and applying a predetermined compression method to each divided part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image signal processing apparatus, a camera system and an image signal processing method, wherein an image compression technique is applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
As recent image processing apparatuses, such as a digital camera, a digital video camera and a digital television, have come to be high resolution and high definition, an amount of image data processed by an integrated circuit mounted therein has increased.
When handling enormous amounts of image data, a large amount of expensive circuit resources, such as a data bus having a wide width, a high operating frequency, and a large capacity recording device, are general required in order to secure a band of data transfer capacity in a integrated circuit.
There also arises a hurdle of high-speed performance in the recording device as the capacity becomes larger. Particularly, in a mobile phone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), a digital camera and a portable AV player and other apparatuses required to be portable, it is required that speed performance, downsizing of an area and low power consumption are balanced but it has become difficult to handle image data in mega-pixel units in recent years while satisfying all of the requirements at a higher order.
Therefore, generally, compression processing is performed on image data when recording it to a flash memory or other external recording device, for example, after finishing image processing in an integrated circuit.
Consequently, it becomes possible to store image data with a larger image size, or a lager amount of image data, and store image data for a longer time in an external recording device having the same capacity as compared with that in the case without compressing.
For realizing such compression processing, encoding methods, such as the JPEG, MPEG, GIF, LHA, ZIP, are used.

Image signal processing apparatus, camera system and image signal processing method


In a photoelectric conversion device including peripheral ICs, the peripheral ICs are in thermal contact with a substrate having photoelectric conversion elements and a chassis, which covers the peripheral ICs and has high thermal conductivity, via a thermal conductive member, so as to eliminate adverse influences of heat produced by the peripheral ICs such as a low S/N ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion device and, more particularly, to a photoelectric conversion device which is suitably used in a radiophotographic apparatus such as a medical, digital X-ray imaging apparatus with a large area and high S/N characteristics.
2. Related Background Art
Not only in Japan in which the population of elderly people is increasing rapidly but also worldwide, improvement of diagnostic efficiency in hospitals and development of medical equipment with higher precision are strongly demanded. In such situation, an X-ray imaging apparatus using a film (film type apparatus) has been popularly used.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the arrangement for explaining an example of a conventional film type X-ray imaging apparatus. In FIG. 1, an X-ray source 901 is arranged above an object 902 to be inspected (to be examined) such as a human body (patient), and a grid 903 is arranged beneath the object 902 to be inspected. The grid 903 is constituted by alternately arranging a substance that absorbs X-rays and a substance that transmits X-rays so as to increase the resolution. A scintillator (phosphor) 904 absorbs X-rays and emits visible rays. The visible rays emitted by the scintillator 904 are received by a film 905.
Such film type apparatus has the following problems.
Before a doctor acquires an X-ray image of a patient, a film development process must be performed, resulting in much labor and time.
Sometimes, when a patient moves during X-ray phototaking or when the exposure amount is improper, phototaking must be inevitably redone. These factors impede improving diagnostic efficiency in hospitals.
A clear X-ray image cannot often be obtained depending on the phototaking angle of the affected portion to be phototaken. For this reason, in order to obtain an X-ray image required for diagnosis, some images must be taken while changing the phototaking angle. Such operation is not preferred especially when the patient is an infant or a pregnant woman.
Furthermore, X-ray image films must be preserved after phototaking for a certain period of time in hospitals, and the number of such films becomes very large in hospitals, resulting in poor efficiency in terms of management in such institutions since the films must be put in and out every time a patient comes to a hospital.
When a patient needs to change the hospital he or she normally visits to seek medical attention for some reason, for example, when a patient in a remote place must undergo diagnosis as highly advanced as that he or she can receive only in a midtown university hospital or must move abroad, X-ray films after exposure and development must be delivered to the next hospital by some method. Otherwise, the patient must be subjected to phototaking again in the new hospital. These problems are serious obstacles against establishing a new system of medical practice in future.
In recent years, in medical industries, demand for "digitization of X-ray image information" is increasing. If the digitization is attained, X-ray image information can be managed using recording media such as magneto-optical disks, and a doctor can acquire X-ray image information at an optimal angle in real time. When communication systems such as a facsimile system, and the like are utilized, X-ray image information can be sent to hospitals everywhere in the world within a short period of time. Furthermore, when the obtained digital X-ray image information is subjected to image processing using a computer, diagnosis with higher precision than in the conventional method can be realized, and all the problems that the conventional film method has encountered can be solved.
Recently, an X-ray imaging apparatus that uses a CCD solid-state imaging element in place of a film has also been proposed to meet demand for "digitization of X-ray image information". For this reason, when a CCD solid-state imaging element is used, fluorescence, i.e., an X-ray image, from the scintillator must be imaged on the CCD light-receiving surface via a reduction optical system. This poses a problem of an increase in scale of the X-ray imaging apparatus. On the other hand, since an X-ray image is formed via a lens, it is generally accepted that the S/N (signal to noise) ratio is reduced by two to three orders upon passing through the lens, and this fact is expected to be disadvantageous upon applying the CCD solid-state imaging element to medical equipment that require high gradation characteristics.
In recent years, upon development of photoelectric conversion semiconductor thin films represented by hydrogenated amorphous silicon (to be abbreviated as a-Si hereinafter), so-called contact sensors which are constituted by forming photoelectric conversion elements on a large-area substrate and can attain reading by an optical system at an equal magnification to an information source have been developed extensively. In particular, since a-Si can be used not only as a photoelectric conversion material but also a thin film field effect transistor (to be abbreviated as a TFT hereinafter), photoelectric conversion semiconductors and a semiconductor layer of TFTs can be simultaneously formed on a single substrate. Since the surface area can be increased so that an image can be read at an equal magnification without using a reduction magnification system, the S/N ratio can be higher than that of the CCD solid-state imaging element. In addition, since the necessity of the reduction optical system can be obviated, a size reduction of the apparatus can be promoted, and such apparatus is effective for a small medical institution that cannot assure a large space, a diagnosis vehicle that carries an X-ray imaging apparatus, and the like. Owing to these merits, X-ray imaging apparatuses using an a-Si semiconductor thin film have been extensively developed. More specifically, an X-ray imaging apparatus in which photoelectric conversion elements and TFTs using the a-Si semiconductor thin film replace the film portion 905 in FIG. 1, and which electrically reads an X-ray image has been developed.
The X-ray dose on human bodies has an upper limit in hospitals although it varies depending on the affected portions. In particular, in diagnosing an infant or a pregnant woman, the dose must be reduced as much as possible. Therefore, in general, the light-emission amount of a scintillator (phosphor) that absorbs X-rays and converts them into visible rays, and the charge amount in an a-Si photoelectric conversion element which receives fluorescence and photoelectrically converts it are small. In order to obtain a clear image from a weak signal, wiring lines must be shortened as much as possible so as to prevent noise components from superposing on analog signal wiring lines extending from a photoelectric conversion panel, and an analog signal must be received by a buffer amplifier to decrease the impedance. Furthermore, in order to eliminate the influence of noise, the analog signal is preferably A/D-converted in the vicinity of the buffer amplifier to store digital data in a memory.
When a digital X-ray imaging apparatus is constituted using a photoelectric conversion panel on which photoelectric conversion elements having an a-Si semiconductor thin film are arranged two-dimensionally, it is generally accepted that the pixel pitch is preferably set to be 100 .mu.m or less in terms of resolution. Also, for chest X-rays of a person, it is generally accepted that the effective pixel area of the photoelectric conversion elements preferably has at least a size of 400 mm.times.400 mm. When a photoelectric conversion panel having an effective area of 400 mm.times.400 mm is formed at 100-.mu.m pitch, the number of pixels is as large as 16 million. When photoelectric conversion signals from such large number of pixels are processed, buffer amplifier ICs and A/D-conversion ICs must operate at high speed. In particular, when moving images are to be phototaken, higher-speed processing is required, and each IC requires large consumption power. When a large volume of digital data are to be transmitted to a remote place outside an X-ray phototaking room at high speed, since a high-speed type line driver required for removing transmission errors comprises an IC mainly constituted by bipolar transistors, it requires larger consumption power as higher-speed specifications are attained, and becomes an insignificant heat generation source.
In recent years, high-speed CMOS-ICs with small consumption power have been developed remarkably, and their further advance in future is expected. However, as far as the versatile ICs are concerned, the performance of such CMOS-IC cannot compare with that of ICs using bipolar transistors. As a consequence, ICs mainly constituted by high-speed bipolar transistors must be used, and heat produced by ICs themselves upon increase in consumption power has a serious influence on an X-ray imaging apparatus.
Heat produced by an IC raises the temperatures of a-Si photoelectric conversion elements and TFTs in the X-ray imaging apparatus. In general, dark currents and photocurrents in a-Si photoelectric conversion elements change in correspondence with the temperature rise. Since changes in dark current produce temperature differences in the two-dimensional array of photoelectric conversion elements, dark currents may vary in the plane to impose an adverse influence in the form of fixed pattern noise (FPN). Also, shot noise in the photoelectric conversion elements may impose an adverse influence in the form of random noise (RDN). Furthermore, the temperature unevenness of the photoelectric conversion elements upon reading may induce in-plane shading in the output. Moreover, so-called KTC noise (K: Boltzmann's constant, T: absolute temperature, C: capacity in transfer system) is produced upon transferring accumulated signal charges from the photoelectric conversion elements, and may inflict an adverse influence (RDN). The above-mentioned temperature rise of the photoelectric conversion elements and TFT induces a decrease in S/N ratio of the X-ray imaging apparatus and variations in S/N ratio among pixels, thus deteriorating image quality. In addition, the reliability of the apparatus may be impaired.
However, since all the X-rays are not always converted into visible rays in the phosphor, some scattered or transmitted X-rays are radiated onto the above-mentioned buffer amplifier, memory, or other digital ICs in the vicinity of the photoelectric conversion panel. Such X-rays deteriorate the performance of ICs formed by crystalline Si, and the apparatus may malfunction over a long term of use, thus posing the problem of reliability. For this reason, in addition to the above-mentioned problems, it is desired to take a measure against exposure of unwanted portions to X-ray radiation.
Such problems may be posed not only in the photoelectric conversion device used in the X-ray imaging apparatus but also in a large-area, multiple-pixel photoelectric conversion device which can convert light information into electrical information.
Also, similar problems may be posed not only in a photoelectric conversion device for an imaging apparatus which uses radiation such as X-rays as a light source, but also in a photoelectric conversion device which is used in non-destructive inspections to realize high-speed processing and a high-resolution, large-area structure.

Photoelectric conversion device having flexible cable fixed to chassis


A jam prevention device comprises a light beam source that emits a light beam and is located on a main frame structure of a packaging machine in the machine's sealing section. During operation, the light beam is reflected off two reflective surfaces located on a moveable support operably connected to a prime mover. The reflected beam is received by a receiver located opposite the source. A clamping sub-assembly includes a seal bar and a reciprocatable seal pad housing. The housing is spring-mounted on the clamping sub-assembly and substantially surrounds the seal bar. The reflective devices are mounted on the housing. The prime mover moves the clamping sub-assembly towards a heater bar sub-assembly. The housing defines two cavities for receiving the reflective devices. The movement of the clamping sub-assembly brings a loaded bag into contact with the heater bar sub-assembly for the purpose of effectuating a seal of the bag. The pressure applied by the clamping sub-assembly during the meeting of the clamping sub-assembly and the heater bar sub-assembly causes the housing to move during the sealing process thereby moving the reflective devices into the cavities and disrupting the light beam. A photo-sensor is provided for detecting the reflection of the light beam during the sealing process as just described. Control structure either allows or disallows the sealing process to continue based upon detection of the light beam.

The use of chains of preopened plastic bags to form packages is now well known. Such chains of bags are disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,254,828 entitled FLEXIBLE CONTAINER STRIPS (the Autobag Patent). A commercial version of a machine described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,653 entitled PACKAGING APPARATUS, and in other patents deriving from the applications that resulted in this patent, (the H-100 Patents) has been sold commercially by Automated Packaging Systems, Inc. under the designation H-100. With the very successful H-100 machine, bags of an interconnected chain are sequentially fed one at a time to a load station. Once a bag is positioned in the load station, a product is inserted and bag separation and sealing of the loaded bag is performed to provide a completed package.
A machine described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,520 entitled PACKAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD (the H-200 Patent) functions in a manner similar to the H-100 but has additional capabilities including the ability concurrently to utilize two chains of bags for "double up" packaging.
With the machines of the H-100 and H-200 patents loaded, bags are sealed at sealing stations each through contact with a heater bar which melts a portion of the plastic. During the sealing operation, the weight of a bag's contents and bag separation forces are isolated from the seal by spring-biased grippers which are moved into bag engagement by a clamping sub-assembly that concurrently brings the loaded bag into contact with the heater bar. All of these moving parts can be interfered with by a product that is only partially loaded or a foreign object thereby causing jams which can damage the machine and/or the product or can cause an improper seal which creates an unacceptable package.


A radiation analyzer includes a transition edge sensor for detecting radiation and a cold head that cools the transition edge sensor. A current detecting mechanism detects a current flowing in the transition edge sensor, and a peak analyzing unit measures a peak value based on the current detected by the current detecting mechanism. A first heater is configured to heat the cold head to keep a temperature of the transition edge sensor constant. A sensitivity correction operating unit is configured to correct a sensitivity of the transition edge sensor based on a relation obtained in advance between an output of the first heater and the peak value measured by the peak analyzing unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a radiation analyzer including a radiation detector provided with a transition edge sensor and to a method for analyzing radiation.
2. Related Art
There are radiation analyzers capable of energy discrimination of radiation such as an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and a wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS).
The EDS is an X-ray detector that converts the energy of X-rays captured therein to an electric signal and derives the energy depending on the intensity of the electric signal. The WDS is an X-ray detector that monochromatizes X-rays (energy discrimination) with a spectroscope and detects the monochromat zed X-rays with a proportional counter tube.
Semiconductor detectors such as a silicon-lithium (SiLi) based detector, a silicon drift detector, and a germanium detector are known as EDSs. The silicon silicon-lithium based detector and the silicon drift detector are frequently used in the electron microscope of an elemental analyzer and are capable of detecting energy in a wide range of 0 to about 20 keV. However, their energy resolution cannot be readily improved to 130 eV or more and remains merely one-tenth or less of that of WDSs. This is because these detectors contain silicon, and thus their characteristics depend on the bandgap of silicon (about 1.1 eV) in principle.
Here, the energy resolution, which is one of the indexes indicating the performance of an X-ray detector, is described. The energy resolution of 130 eV means that detection can be done with uncertainty of about 130 eV when the X-ray detector is irradiated with X-rays. That is, the smaller the uncertainty is, the higher the energy resolution is. For example, in the case of detecting characteristic X-rays having two adjacent spectral lines with a difference of two adjacent peaks of about 20 eV, energy resolution of 20 to 30 eV is sufficient to separate the two peaks in principle because the uncertainty is reduced as the energy resolution is increased.
In recent years, demands for superconductive X-ray detectors of energy dispersion type having energy resolution equivalent to that of WDSs have been growing. A transition edge sensor (TES) among superconductive X-ray detectors is a high-sensitive thermometer utilizing a steep change in resistance (ΔR≅0.1Ω at ΔT≅a few mK) of a metallic thin film appearing at a transition between the superconductive state and the normal conductive state. Note that a TES is also referred to as a microcalorimeter.
The TES is used to analyze a sample by controlling the change of temperature in the TES in response to incident fluorescent X-rays or characteristic X-rays emitted from the sample irradiated with primary X-rays or primary electron beams. The TES has a higher energy resolution than that of other detectors. For example, it can achieve energy resolution of 10 eV or less with the characteristic X-rays of 5.9 keV.
A TES provided to a scanning electron microscope that includes an electron source such as a tungsten filament can capture characteristic X-rays emitted from a sample irradiated with electron beams and thus easily separate peaks of the characteristic X-rays (Si-Kα, W-Mα, β) that are difficult to separate by a semiconductor-based X-ray detector.
In X-ray analyzers including such superconductive X-ray detectors, an amplifier based on a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) is used to detect a small current variation in the TES. It is significant to keep a current flowing in the SQUID amplifier to achieve higher energy resolution of the TES. As described later, it is needed to reduce current variations in a current flowing in the SQUID amplifier to a small degree to provide higher energy resolution.
An X-ray analyzer is known as an apparatus that keeps a SQUID amplifier current, or a baseline TES current, constant. This X-ray analyzer corrects a current flowing in a TES or the peak value of the current, for example, depending on the fluctuation range of a baseline current flowing in the TES from a specific value if the baseline current deviates from the specific value and fluctuates (refer to JP-A-2009-271016).
The above-mentioned X-ray analyzer, however, requires constant monitoring of a baseline current. In the case where a TES detects no X-ray, a SQUID amplifier outputs a constant baseline value continuously. When the TES detects an X-ray, a signal pulse is superimposed on a baseline. When the number of X-rays is small, a period between one pulse and the next one is sufficiently long, and thus a baseline can be monitored in the period between the signal pulses. By contrast, when the number of X-rays is large, a period between one pulse and the next one is short, that is, the period is not enough to detect a baseline, and thus it is hard to monitor accurate baselines. Thus, there is a problem in that accurate determination of a baseline is difficult when a large number of signal pulses are detected.

Radiation analyzer and method for analyzing radiation


Embodiments of the invention include a method that comprises receiving and storing a power-on password. Embodiments of the invention include a method that comprises receiving and storing a power-on password. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a power-on password, wherein the receiving of the power-on password occurs during power-on operations of a computer. The method can also include storing the power-on password, wherein the storing includes saving the power-on password in memory. The method can also include loading an operating system to control the computer, wherein the loading occurs after the power-on operations. The method can also include detecting, after the loading, that a peripheral devices has been added to the computer and determining that an access password is needed to access the peripheral device. The method can also include transmitting the power-on password to the peripheral device and presenting a prompt requesting a secondary password; receiving the secondary password. The method can also include transmitting the secondary password to the peripheral device; and accessing the peripheral device.

Plug-and-play is a common feature of most of today's computer systems. Plug-and-play allows computer systems to automatically recognize peripheral devices. Thus, it eliminates the need to set switches, jumpers, and other configuration elements. Peripheral devices can include hard disk drives, video cameras, cellular phones, digital cameras, etc. Some peripheral devices can be password protected to shield internal data from theft or damage. As a result, some peripheral devices are not accessible when they are plugged-into a computer system. For example, even though plug-and-play features allow a computer system to recognize a peripheral device, the peripheral device may remain inaccessible until it receives a password.

International Business Machines Corporation


A system or method can analyze symbols on a set of objects having different sizes. The system can identify a characteristic object dimension corresponding to the set of objects. An image of a first object can be received, and, a first virtual object boundary feature (e.g., edge) in the image can be identified for the first object based on the characteristic object dimension. A first symbol can be identified in the image, and whether the first symbol is positioned on the first object can be determined, based on the first virtual object boundary feature.

In many contexts, it may be useful to decode a symbol positioned on an object. For example, some symbols can provide identifying data corresponding to the particular object as may assist in appropriate handling of the object during logistical or other processes. For example, to optimize sorting and shipping operations, it may be useful to determine which object (e.g., from a set of objects) corresponds to an identified symbol as well as what information is encoded by the symbol. In some cases, the objects may be moving during an imaging process.


The disclosure relates to a cubicle type gas insulated switchgear monitoring and diagnosis system that is able to remotely monitor and diagnose the state by measuring and analyzing in real time deterioration of a gas section and the operation state and the integrity assessment of a breaking unit in a cubicle gas insulated switchgear. The system includes the cubicle gas insulated switchgear, a Slave Data Acquisition System connected to the cubicle gas insulated switchgear, and a Master Data Acquisition System that determines deterioration of the cubicle type gas insulated switchgear and the operation state and the integrity assessment of the breaking unit by receiving and analyzing the sensing data from the S-DAS.

The disclosure relates to a gas insulated switchgear monitoring and diagnosis system, particularly to a cubicle type gas insulated switchgear monitoring and diagnosis system that can remotely monitor and diagnose the state by measuring and analyzing in real time deterioration of a gas section and the operation state and the integrity assessment of a breaking unit in a cubicle gas insulated switchgear.
Gas insulated substations are stations equipped with an SF6 gas breaker to open/closing the electric circuit in the stations, breakers opening/closing electric circuits such as power transmission lines and power distribution lines are disposed in the substations, and there are an oil circuit breaker, a magnetic blast circuit breaker, a vacuum circuit breaker, and an SF6 gas breaker, in accordance with the types of insulators used in the breakers.
The SF6 gas breaker, a breaker filled with an SF6 gas having excellent dielectric strength, can be sufficiently installed even in an area of 5 to 10% of an outdoor structure substation, such that the size of the substation decreases and the installation area can be considerably decreased. Further, the nontoxic and incombustible SF6 gas is used and the charging part is sealed, unlike the outdoor structure substation, such that the substation is little influenced by climate and the insulators are prevented from being contaminated and damaged by dust, steam, and sea wind, and thus the safety is high.
The SF6 gas breaker has the advantage that it has large breaking capacity and is easily handled and it is not necessary to lubricating a hydraulic breaker. Further, the breaking unit is positioned lower, such that it is easy to check the inside. Furthermore, since it has a closed structure with high-voltage equipment, such as a disconnecting switch, an arrester, and an instrument transformer, in a metal container, the operation noise is small; therefore, it is suitable for the environment even if it is installed at any one of countries and cities, and is generally used for high-voltage substations with 66 kV or more.
The SF6 gas breaker, also called a GIS (Gas Insulated Switchgear), is used as an electric power substation equipment composite apparatus that not only opens/closes a current in a normal state, but safely opens/closes an operation even in an abnormal state such as a short circuit, using the excellent physical and electrical properties of the SF6, thereby protecting the system.
A CGIS (Cubicle type Gas Insulated Switchgear), a system that removes the deficit of breaking capacity and the limit in size due to the insulating performance, which are the defects of the VCB (Vacuum Circuit Breaker) or an ACB (Air Circuit Breaker) that have been used in the related art, is an indoor breaker developed in a cubicle type by insulating SF6.
The cubicle type gas insulated switchgear, important equipment that controls a power distribution system, rapidly cuts a fault current in failure. However, when the cubicle type gas insulated switchgear fails to accurately operate due to deterioration of it and an error in the breaking unit, a large accident such as a breakdown of the entire power distribution system may be caused.
In the related art, a device that monitors and diagnoses a gas insulated switchgear was used to reduce the maintenance cost and prevent a failure in the gas insulated switchgear. However, not only the device is expensive for the cubicle type gas insulated switchgear, but it is difficult to analyze the characteristics of the breaking unit because it is designed for a gas insulated switchgear.
Therefore, a person regularly examines a cubicle type gas insulated switchgear controlling power distribution in person with naked eyes and a portable measuring instrument in the existing way, rather than using a monitoring and diagnosing system, a person evaluates the integrity assessment of the breaker by examining in person the state of a coil, the state of stroke, and the operation time due to a non-load operation. A technology of a system for examination, maintenance, monitoring, and diagnosing is intensively necessary to solve the problems.

Cubicle type gas insulated switchgear monitoring and diagnosis system


A SCSI bus-based mass storage system for automatically setting the addresses of a plurality of disk devices includes a SCSI controller for providing predetermined SCSI address signals including addresses data for each peripheral device, and a SCSI ID input device which receives and stores and forwards the corresponding SCSI address ID to the peripheral devices for setting the SCSI ID of addressable peripheral devices. The SCSI controller includes an N-bit shift register having a serial output for providing the SCSI address signals, and a counter for providing the clock signals. Further, the SCSI ID input device includes a plurality of M-bit shift registers which correspond to the number of addressable peripheral devices, where M corresponds to the number of SCSI ID setting jumpers provided in the peripheral devices. Since a manual jumper setting for the SCSI ID can be avoided, faster and more convenient use of the SCSI devices is possible when one or more SCSI devices are added to the computer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to peripheral control systems in a computer system, and more particularly to an apparatus for automatically setting the addresses of a large number of disk devices using a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk drives and controllers for personal computers have been developed that utilize the SCSI bus standard for control and transfer of data to be stored. SCSI bus-based mass storage systems typically use a large number of disk drives to achieve the required data capacities. As is well known, the SCSI serial interface takes roles of a connection path that transfers commands issued by the computer to many peripheral devices. The controlling of the peripheral device is performed by the controller embedded in the same peripheral device. Therefore, the SCSI interface acts like a "network card" and provides features of error detection and restoration, detecting and controlling of data collision, and communication with the other devices. Also, there are benefits to distributing data across a large number of smaller capacity drives including faster average access time, higher data transfer rate (usually 8.about.40 Mbyte/sec), improved mass storage system reliability, and reduced data loss in the event of a drive failure.
In an earlier SCSI bus-based mass storage system, a SCSI bus interconnects a SCSI controller with peripheral devices. The SCSI controller includes a host adaptor which is in communication with a computer, and the peripheral devices commonly include their own controllers In this storage system, the peripheral devices are usually hard disk drives, and may include CD-ROM drives. According to the SCSI-I standard, only eight device addresses are possible, that is, one host controller and seven peripheral devices. If more than seven peripheral devices are required, multiple host controllers must be added to the mass storage system. Meanwhile, those peripheral devices (hereinafter "SCSI devices" or "devices") report their SCSI address ID to the computer system via the SCSI bus in the computer booting process. Each SCSI address ID is set by a jumper setting and therefore the SCSI devices commonly include jumper setting blocks. Each jumper setting block usually has a 3-bit jumper block. Therefore, in the event of adding an SCSI device in the computer system, it is difficult for users to set the SCSI address ID by hand, and the jumper setting procedure required at every addition of the SCSI device is annoying and time-consuming.
To overcome the limitation of the number of SCSI devices, the SCSI-II standard has been established which allows the device addressing to be increased to a limit of sixteen devices. Further, a method for sharing device addresses between different devices on the SCSI bus to thereby increase the number of devices that can utilize the bus has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,647 of Coulson et al. The sharing is SCSI address ID number between the SCSI host adaptor and a SCSI device controller on the bus.
While the number of addressable SCSI devices is remarkably increased, the manual jumper setting for the SCSI address ID and serviceability problems remain.
The Dixon et al., Jones and Savage patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,175,822, 5,511,227, and 5,613,158, respectively entitled Apparatus And Method For Assigning Addresses To SCSI Supported Peripheral Devices, Method For Configuring A Composite Drive For A Disk Drive Array Controller, and System For Specifying Addresses By Creating A Multi-Bit Ranked Ordered Anchor Pattern And Creating Next Address By Shifting In The Direction Of The Superior Position, each disclose techniques for assigning addresses to devices on a SCSI bus. However none of these patents teaches or suggests the specific apparatus of the present invention.
The following patents each discloses features in common with the present invention but are not as pertinent as the three patents noted above: U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,872 to Ohnishi, entitled SCSI Device Having Transfer Parameter Storage Memory Blocks Which Correspond To Each Apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,831 to Akiyama et al., entitled Interchangeable Extension Board Disk Array System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,895 to Enstrom, entitled System And Method For Computer Interface Board Identification By Serially Comparing Identification Address Bits And Asserting complementary Logic Patterns For Each Match, U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,896 to Gilbert, entitled Appliance Control Process For Matching Slave Units To Control Units And For Automatically Assigning Addresses To The Slave Units, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,336 to Smith et al; entitled Apparatus And Method For Enabling A Network Interface To Dynamically Assign An Address To A Connected Computer And To Establish A Virtual Circuit With Another Network Interface, U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,053 to Nadolski et al., entitled System And Method For Assigning Addresses To I/O Devices In A Control Network And For Verifying The Assigned Address Of The Devices, U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,038 to Louis et al.,entitled Data Processing System Having Automatic Address Allocation Arrangements For Addressing Interface Cards, U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,466 to Roden et al., entitled Universal Address Generator, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,632 to Lamer, entitled Device To Translate Logical Unit Number Communications On One SCSI Bus To ID Communications On A Subordinate SCSI Bus.

Automatically configuring SCSI device addresses using SCSI controller storing predetermined ID and, producing address signals for transferring to peripheral device via SCSI ID input means


A mixing bag usable in chemical and bioprocessing procedures that is hermetically sealed about a tube that is closed within the bag but extends out through a seal and adapted to receive a rotatable rigid rod of a predetermined shape for mixing the materials in the bag.

The present invention relates to hermetically sealed bags contained products used in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology processing industries and, more particularly, to the mixing of the such products while in situ within the sealed bags.
Bags containing typically fluids under highly sterile conditions are used in the bioprocessing industry for the formulation, storage, transfer and transport of fluid while maintaining the sterile conditions. Some of the characteristics of the bags to preserve the quality of the products contained within include biocompatability with the products, sterility, and non-pyrogenicity. In the biopharmaceutical processing industry, various bioprocessing steps need to be performed within bags to assure proper sterilization for the elimination of the risk of cross-contamination. The use of such bags permitting these processing steps eliminates certain otherwise necessary manual operations and thus reduce the risk of cross-contamination. In addition, the bag sealed after the addition of product eliminates the risk of airborne contamination and potentially harmful oxygen exposure. Thus the bags, typically disposed after use are a recognized efficient means to prepare and store sterile fluids. Generally, these disposable bioprocessing bags are flexible and made from compatible plastic that is sterilized by Gamma radiation. The bags can be used for all bioprocessing applications including, but not limited to, formulating, filing, storing and transporting final product, stocking pharmaceuticals in cold storage or deep freeze and finally for sampling and analytical purposes. Additionally, the bags may be used for biological fluids such as serum, buffers, and ultrapure water and also for growing cell cultures to obtain the valuable biopharmaceutical compounds produced by cells.
In many instances of the products introduced into the bags may need mixing before use. For example, the product may be formulated from the blending of dry powder into a fluid. In other situations, the product may separate during transport or storage time and require mixing before use. Finally, mixing or agitation of the product may be required for the further development of cell cultures.
There are two prior art systems that mix product within a bioprocessing bag. One utilizes non-invasive wave agitation. To accomplish this, the bioprocessing bag is placed in a pan and subject to a controlled rocking motion. This wave agitation creates wave motions within the sealed bag to produce product homogeneity. Another mixing apparatus utilizes a peristaltic pump that squeezes the disposable bioprocessing bag in order to agitate and mix the product within the bag.
The rocking action mixing apparatus typically works best with small volumes and frequently proves to be unsatisfactory for tough mixing situations such as with the dissolving of powders. Often the powders are incompletely placed into a homogeneous solution unless the apparatus is operated for unacceptable lengths of time. The squeezing action of the peristaltic pump can crush living cells through the pressure it applies to the tube to induce circulation. Because each of the bags has a seal at one end, the movement caused by the rocking and/or peristaltic action may cause failure of the seal, allowing contaminants to enter the bag.
It is therefore a paramount object of the present invention to provide a simple, yet effective apparatus and method for mixing materials into final non-contaminated product in sterilized disposable bags. The present invention addresses and corrects problems of the prior art and provides benefits beyond those contemplated by the use of either the wave mixing system or the peristaltic pump system.
This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description and appended claims.
The present invention pertains to a biprocessing bag that contains a mixing element within that can be rotated or agitated without the introduction of contaminants into the bioprocessing bag. The mixing element within the bag includes a flexible tube extending substantially the entire length of the bag. In accordance to one embodiment of the invention, the tube is has a closed distal end within the bag and extends outwardly through a seal and has an open end adapted to accept a more rigid mixing rod of a predetermined shape. The tube is provided with annularly shaped, spaced apart ribs or inserts internally positioned that function to prevent the rigid rod from contacting the tube while it is being threaded into the tube and reduce the friction between the rod and flexible tube. The flexible tube thus takes on the shape of the rod when in position within the tube. The bag is typically placed into a rigid container and clamped about the neck of the bag where the seal is located. The rod is operatively coupled to a drive shaft of a motor and during operation causes the flexible tube to move with the rod for axial or radial mixing of the product contained within the bag. Preferably the shape of the rod is balanced so as not to introduce significant and undesirable vibrations into the bag during operation.

Apparatus and method for mixing materials sealed in a container under sterile conditions


The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for filtering unsafe content items within a multimedia repository. The method of the present invention comprises automatically identifying a first plurality of unsafe content items from the content items and automatically identifying a second plurality of unclassifiable content items from the content items. The method identifies a third plurality of unsafe content items from the content items, the third plurality of unsafe content items identified according to a similarity to the first plurality and manually identifying a fourth plurality of unsafe content items, the fourth plurality of unsafe content items comprising a subset of the second plurality of unclassifiable items. A fifth plurality of unsafe content items is then identified, the fifth plurality of unsafe content items identified according to a similarity to the fourth plurality.

The exponential growth of content available on the Internet, as well as the more recent rise of social media sites on the Internet (such as FLICKR® or YOUTUBE®), has facilitated the growth of a new user communities that enable users across the world to share and view images, videos and ideas in new and accessible ways. The ease of sharing media with other users, however, incurs the downside of easing the spread of offensive and unsafe content from malicious users to the world. Additionally, the global nature of the Internet has seen this amount of unsafe content increase at an equally exponential rate, resulting in a massive amount of unsafe content available on the Internet.
A major concern involves how to protect users who do not wish to view unsafe content while maintaining the freedom and artistic expression nurtured by the nature of social media websites. The current state of the art relies on mechanisms to manually identify unsafe images during the upload phase of supplying user content. This mechanism may be as simple as human editors reviewing uploaded content as such content is received or a subset of uploaded content. This approach, however, suffers from the consumption of time required by human editors.
While automatic solutions reduce the amount of unsafe content uploaded to social media sites, it is unfeasible that for purely mechanical solutions to detect a majority, if not all, unsafe content items. Conversely, however, the number of content items uploaded to a social media site may be on the order of millions of content items per day, an unfeasible amount of data for a team of human editors to review. Thus, there is a need in the art for systems, methods and computer program products that combine the speed of an automated unsafe content filter with the precision of the human factor of reviewing potentially unsafe content.

System and method for accelerating editorial processes for unsafe content labeling using CBIR


Battery exchange system for a battery-driven industrial truck, in which the chassis of the industrial truck comprises a battery compartment open to the side of the industrial truck for side installation and removal of a battery container, on the battery container on at least two opposing sides at least one respective laterally projecting support element being attached with a downwardly facing bearing surface and the battery compartment on opposing sides comprising horizontal support surfaces spaced apart from one another in parallel on which the support elements are supported with their bearing surfaces, when the battery container is inserted into the battery compartment.

A battery exchange system for industrial trucks has become known from DE 103 33 594, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, in which the vehicle chassis comprises a side opening for receiving a battery. The battery is generally located in a so-called battery container. A profile strip is attached to the battery container, and which comprises an undercut on the underside. Spacers are attached to the lifting carriage of a forklift, on which generally fork aims are suspended, which engage under the profile strip. It is, therefore, possible to receive and to transport a battery by means of the lifting carriage. So that this process may be carried out, firstly the fork arms have to be removed from the load carriage and then the spacers positioned. Subsequently, the forklift is driven towards the other vehicle so that by means of the spacers the battery may be received. This requires, however, that the profile strip is never located more deeply than the level of the spacer.
Generally, a battery space accessible from the side in counterbalance forklift trucks brings advantages relative to the aforementioned solutions. When removing the battery, no components inside the operating space have to be awkwardly folded away or removed. The battery does not have to be moved in the region of the operating space, which prevents damage of delicate components in this region. Unnecessary lifting of the battery which poses a risk to the immediate vicinity of personnel is not required. However, the use of a forklift with removable fork arms is necessary. By the complete separation of the battery compartment and operating space a good seal of the passenger compartment is possible relative to sound, rain and battery gases. The disclosed known solution may not be applied to all variants of battery maintenance and battery removal and exchange associated with side battery removal.
The object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a battery exchange system for battery-driven industrial trucks, which makes it possible for the total height of the forklift to be as low as possible in spite of the side installation of the battery and the use of different variants of battery removal without alterations to the vehicle being required.


A passenger counter that counts the number of persons who get on/off a vehicle comprising an imaging unit 2 installed at an inside of a vehicle platform; a setting unit 31 configured to set an inner area I corresponding to a passage inside the vehicle, one outer areas B surrounding the inner area I and inside the vehicle and other outer area A surrounding the inner area I and outside the vehicle; and a count determination unit 35 configured to count the number of persons who move from one outer area A(B) to the other outer area B(A) through the inner area I while a door of the platform is opened, not to count the number of persons while the door is closed, and to perform processing of determining a person existing in the inner area I when the opened (closed) door is closed (opened) to be counted.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a passenger counter for counting the number of passengers who get in and out of a vehicle, such as a bus, a train, and an elevator.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a passenger discrimination/detection device which is provided in, e.g., a bus so as to discriminate/detect getting-on and getting-off of passengers (Patent Application Publication No. 2011-242901). The passenger discrimination/detection device has a first photoelectronic sensor and a second photoelectronic sensor. The first and second photoelectronic sensors are provided in a getting-on/off passage around an inside of a platform and arranged in the mentioned order from a near side of the platform. The first and second photoelectronic sensors are disposed such that optical paths thereof are both interrupted by passengers passing through the getting-on/off passage. A state where the optical paths of both first and second photoelectronic sensors are not interrupted is referred to as "state 0", a state where the optical path of only the first photoelectronic sensor is interrupted is as "state 1", a state where the optical paths of both first and second photoelectronic sensors are interrupted is as "state 2", and a state where the optical path of only the second photoelectronic sensor is interrupted is as "state 3". When the first and second photoelectronic sensors transit in the order of "state 1", "state 2", "state 3", and "state 0", the passenger discrimination/detection device discriminates that a passenger gets on a vehicle such a bus and adds 1 to the number of getting-on passengers; on the other hand, when the first and second photoelectronic sensors transit in the order of "state 3", "state 2", "state 1", and "state 0", the passenger discrimination/detection device discriminates that a passenger gets off the vehicle and adds 1 to the number of getting-off passengers.


A color image processing method is provided. The color image processing method includes the step of: (a) indexing a color image by assigning representative colors of an image to a color space divided into a plurality of regions. The color image processing method may be applied to object-based image processing such as MPEG-7, and fast search and retrieval of multimedia content can be made.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color image processing method, and more particularly, to a method for indexing a color image so that searching for a color image can be efficiently performed.
The present invention also includes a color image searching method for searching an image corresponding to a query image in a database indexed by the color image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to conventional color image processing methods, one color is expressed as one vector in a three-dimensional (hereinafter referred to as a 3-D) color space composed of three axes ranging from 0 to 255. Thus, each pixel in an image is expressed as one of 256×256×256 values. That is, a database must have 256×256×256 storage places so as to store a color feature vector of the image in the database. Also, in a matching process, searching of 256×256×256 values may have to be performed. Thus, according to the conventional color image processing methods, a large capacity database is required, and it takes much time to search a desired image from the database.

University of California at Santa Barbara


A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving data comprising two-dimensional data and three-dimensional data of a component of an engine; identifying a feature of the component using the two-dimensional data;

Aircraft typically comprise one or more engines for providing propulsive thrust and/or electrical energy to the aircraft. During operation, the one or more engines may become damaged (for example, due to relatively high operating temperatures or due to foreign object damage). Aircraft engines are usually inspected at regular intervals by a human inspector to determine the condition of components within the engine. Where components are found to be in an unacceptable condition, the engine is usually removed from the aircraft for repair. During such inspections, the aircraft is grounded and is not available for operation by the airline. Additionally, the quality and duration of the inspection is dependent upon the skill and experience of the inspector.

Methods and apparatus for inspecting an engine

Abstract: determining coordinates of the feature in the two-dimensional data; determining coordinates of the feature in the three-dimensional data using: the determined coordinates of the feature in the two-dimensional data; and a pre-determined transformation between coordinates in two-dimensional data and coordinates in three-dimensional data; and measuring a parameter of the feature of the component using the determined coordinates of the feature in the three-dimensional data.


A steering input system for a vehicle, the system including: a steering input device configured to provide a steering action input for the vehicle, and an actuator assembly including a set of actuators configured to translate the steering input device from a drive position to a retracted position by a combined actuation action.

Future fully autonomous vehicles will probably be used to transport one or several occupant on longer trips—to some extent replacing trains and airplanes. In such and other situations, it is likely that the occupants want to spend their travelling time relaxing or working.
However, although fully autonomous vehicles will mostly be driving without the need for human interference, there may still be situations where it may be necessary for a human driver to take control of the vehicle. Thus, the vehicles may have two modes, a fully autonomous mode and a manual mode.
In the manual mode it is important that the driver can easily access the steering wheel of the vehicle in order to be able to safely operate the vehicle. Thus, the steering wheel has to be positioned in a convenient location relative the driver.
In the autonomous mode, the driver does no longer need access to the steering wheel. Instead, the driver may prefer to engage in other activities during the travel. In such case, the traditional steering wheel position will likely be annoying and in the way for the occupant in the driver's seat. Thus, it may be advantageous if the steering wheel may be moved away from the usage position.
US2018/037248 discloses an example of a steering wheel which may be pivoted or tilted away from a usage position into a rest position. The rim of the steering wheel in US2018/037248 is pivotably or tiltably attached to a stationary spoke of the steering wheel such that the steering wheel rim can be rotated into the rest position.
Although the solution disclosed in US2018/037248 provides for moving the steering wheel to a different location when driving in the autonomous mode, there is still room for improvements with regards to allowing more space for the driver in the autonomous mode.


A rotor of a vertical shaft impact crusher includes a vertical rotor wall segment having a first wall portion being substantially tangential in relation to the rotor and a second wall portion being angled in relation to the first wall portion. A tip holder for mounting at an outflow opening of such a rotor includes a holding part for holding a wear tip. A fastening mechanism is attached to the holding part. The fastening mechanism is adapted to extend along the first wall portion and through the second wall portion from one side thereof. A fixing mechanism is detachably fixable to the fastening mechanism at the other side of the second wall portion.

Vertical shaft impact crushers (VSI-crushers) are used in many applications for crushing hard material like rocks, ore etc. U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,259 describes a VSI-crusher comprising a housing and a horizontal rotor located inside the housing. Material that is to be crushed is fed into the rotor via an opening in the top thereof. With the aid of centrifugal force the rotating rotor ejects the material against the wall of the housing. On impact with the wall the material is crushed to a desired size. The housing wall could be provided with anvils or have a bed of retained material against which the accelerated material is crushed.
The rotor of a VSI-crusher usually has a horizontal upper disc and a horizontal lower disc. The upper and lower discs are connected with a vertical rotor wall. The upper disc has an aperture for feeding material into the rotor. The material lands on the lower disc and is then thrown out of the rotor via openings in the rotor wall. The vertical rotor walls are provided with wear tips of a hard material, such as a hard metal or a ceramic, to protect them from wear caused by the material leaving the rotor at a high speed.
The wear tips described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,259 are fixed to holes in the upper and lower discs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,697 describes impeller shoes for a rotor. The impeller shoes, which each have a hard metal tip, are bolted to a horizontal impeller disc.
GB 2,198,060 describes a carrier body. The carrier body, being a substantially plate shaped body, holds a hard metal tip at one end thereof. At a second end thereof the carrier body is bolted to the rotor wall by a through bolt. The bolt fixing the carrier body in position is subjected to heavy wear.
The wear tips described above are quite difficult to replace when they have become worn out. The down time related to maintenance work is thus rather long. In some cases a bolt wear protection plate is required to protect the bolt holding the wear tip.


An A/D converter includes a sample-hold circuit, A/D converting stages connected in series to the sample-hold circuit, and an encoder/latch circuit which adds 3-bit digital signals issued from the A/D converting stages to each other for outputting a signal of 9 bits. The sample-hold circuit and the A/D converting stages each include a differential amplifier. Differential outputs of each differential amplifier are short-circuited for a predetermined initial period in each sampling period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog/digital (which will be referred also to as "A/D") converter for converting an analog signal to a digital signal.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 13 shows a structure of a pipeline A/D converter in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 13, the pipeline A/D converter includes a sample-hold circuit 2 for sampling and holding an input voltage, A/D sub-converters 4, 11, 13 and 15 connected in series to sample-hold circuit 2, and a digital circuit 1 connected to each of A/D sub-converters 4, 11, 13 and 15.
Each of A/D sub-converters 4, 11 and 13 includes a flash A/D converter 5 which converts an input analog voltage into a digital signal for outputting the same to digital circuit 1, a digital/analog (which will be referred to also as "D/A") converter 7 which outputs an analog voltage corresponding to the input digital signal, and a subtracter 9 which subtracts the output voltage of D/A converter 7 from the analog voltage supplied to the A/D sub-converter and outputs the result of subtraction after amplifying the same.
A/D sub-converter 15 at the final stage includes a flash A/D converter 16.
FIG. 14 shows specific structures of sample-hold circuit 2 and A/D sub-converter 4 shown in FIG. 13. As shown in FIG. 14, sample-hold circuit 2 includes switches S0, S0A and S0B, a capacitor C0 and an amplifier 3. A/D sub-converter 4 includes a switch S1, a flash A/D converter 5, a D/A converter 7, capacitors C1A and C1B, and an amplifier 8.
Switches S0 and S0A are turned on in response to activation of signal .phi., and switches S0B and S1 are turned on in response to activation of a signal /.phi..
An operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 14 will be described below with reference to timing charts of FIGS. 15A and 15B.
Signal .phi. periodically attains a high level (H-level) and a low level (L-level) as shown in FIG. 15B.
In a sample period during which signal .phi. is at H-level, switches S0 and S0A are turned on, and a voltage VB is applied to an input terminal of amplifier 3, so that an output offset voltage shown by solid line in FIG. 15A is supplied to an output node NO of amplifier 3. This output offset voltage is applied to capacitor C1B.
In this sample period, voltages VIN and VB are applied to input and output terminals of capacitor C0, respectively, and voltage VIN is sampled.
In the hold period during which signal .phi. is at L-level, switches S0 and S0A are off, switch S0B is on, and capacitor C0 is supplied on its input terminal with voltage VB, so that the operation is in such a hold state that the amplifier 3 is supplied on its input terminal with a voltage Vx (=-VIN+2VB). In this state, amplifier 3 applies to output node N0 a signal voltage including an output offset voltage V.sub.offset as indicated by solid line in FIG. 15A.
As described above and represented by solid line in FIG. 15A, amplifier 3 alternately outputs the signal voltage containing the output offset voltage and the signal voltage containing output offset voltage V.sub.offset, which are applied to capacitor C1B. Thereby, capacitor C1B subtracts output offset voltage V.sub.offset from the signal voltage, and an offset-canceled and therefore true signal voltage is obtained.
FIG. 16 shows a structure of a voltage comparator included in flash A/D converter 5. As shown in FIG. 16, this voltage comparator includes two input terminals 18, capacitors C2A, C2B and C, switches S2 and S3, amplifiers 17 and 19, and a latch circuit 21.
Here, one of input terminals 18 is connected to sample-hold circuit 2 and output node N0, and the other is supplied with a reference voltage for comparison.
Similarly to amplifier 3 included in the aforementioned sample-hold circuit 2, amplifiers 17 and 19 included in this voltage comparator alternately issue output offset voltages and voltages representing results of comparison, and capacitor C performs offset canceling.
Sample/hold circuit 2 and subtracter 9 included in the pipeline A/D converter in the prior art shown in FIG. 13 produce an offset voltage V.sub.offset in the sample period based on an initial value which is a value of a voltage amplified in the last hold period. Therefore, a certain time is unpreferably required before output offset voltage V.sub.offset is produced.
Likewise, the voltage comparator in the prior art produces an output offset voltage in the sample period based on an initial value which is a value of a voltage amplified in the last hold period and representing the result of comparison.

Analog/digital converter and voltage comparator capable of fast producing of output offset voltage


A material hauler including a first material carrier having wheels for supporting the carrier and permitting its movement along a floor surface and a second material carrier removably supported on a material handling vehicle and positioned at a distance from the first material carrier. The material object to be hauled bridges the space between the first and second material carriers and engages both of the material carriers. Thereby, the two material carriers and the material object all travel with the material handling vehicle to haul the objects. The second material carrier can be lifted above the floor surface by the material handling vehicle and includes a lower member supported on the material handling vehicle and an upper member which is pivotal relative to the lower member. The upper member supports the material object being hauled so that the lower member and the material handling vehicle can turn at corners relative to the upper member and the material object.

Material handling vehicles such as fork lift trucks are commonly used in industrial and commercial facilities including manufacturing plants and warehouses to move objects from place to place within the facilities. The objects being moved must be carried on a pallet which fits the forks of a fork lift truck or must be otherwise supported or have a shape which fits or is adapted to fit the fork lift truck or other type of material handling vehicle. This, of course, limits the carrying capabilities of the material handling vehicle.
Additional limitations on the size and types of objects that may be carried by material handling vehicles relate to the space available in the industrial or commercial facility and the access provided in these facilities to the locations of the objects to be hauled. Where the objects are long, the overhead clearance may not be sufficient to carry them in an upright position or the material handling vehicle may not be capable of carrying the objects in an upright position. If the objects are either long or bulky, aisles within the facilities may be too narrow and aisle intersections may be too small to permit movement of the objects around corners. Also, the aisles may not be sufficiently high. These problems can be particularly difficult where the material handling vehicle is a fork truck type and the only secure manner of handling the object is to position it across the forks of the truck. If the object is fairly long, it will not fit through an aisle or door and raising the object in the air on the forks of the truck may make the entire apparatus unstable or there may not be sufficient overhead clearance to raise the object.
The instant invention is directed to providing an improved method and apparatus for solving problems of hauling long or bulky objects within industrial and commercial facilities.

Apparatus and method for hauling material objects


Presegmentation or prior, pre-existing segmentation of an object obtained through other means will be presented for interactive editing of a segmented object in an image or volume. Prior segmentation will be seamlessly combined with graph cuts or the random walker methods. Editing of the presegmentation is possible, while maintaining the important property of both methods that an arbitrary segmentation may be achieved with enough interaction.

The present invention relates to the segmentation of anatomical structures and more particularly to the use and editing of previously incomplete or incorrect segmentation of structures to achieve a correct segmentation.
Automatic segmentations of targets in images/volumes often require some degree of editing to meet the needs of a particular user (e.g., a physician). The question that the present invention will address is: Given a pre-existing segmentation (obtained through other means, e.g. an automatic algorithm), how does one edit the segmentation to correct problems that have occurred in a presegmentation step? A semi-automated segmentation algorithm like graph cuts is described in Y. Boykov and M.-P. Jolly, "Interactive graph cuts for optimal boundary & region segmentation of objects in N-D images" in International Conference on Computer Vision, vol. I, July 2001, pp. 105-112, and the recently introduced random walker segmentation method was disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/029,442, filed Jan. 5, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference. It is also described in L. Grady and G. Funka-Lea, "Multi-label image segmentation for medical applications based on graph-theoretic electrical potentials," in Computer Vision and Mathematical Methods in Medical and Biomedical Image Analysis. ECCV 2004 Workshops CVAMIA and MMBIA, ser. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, M. {hacek over (S)}onka, I. A. Kakadiaris, and J. Kybic, Eds., no. LNCS3117. Prague, Czech Republic: Springer, May 2004, pp. 230-245. These segmentation methods provide a high-quality intuitive interface for allowing a physician/user to segment images, but are not formulated to allow for importation or use of a prior segmentation. In the present invention, it will be shown how a prior segmentation may be seamlessly combined with graph cuts or the random walker algorithm to allow for editing, while maintaining the important property of both algorithms that an arbitrary segmentation may be achieved with enough interaction. The term presegmentation will be used to refer to the prior, pre-existing segmentation obtained through other means that will be presented for editing. Accordingly novel methods are required which can edit incorrect or incomplete presegmentations to achieve a correct segmentation of volumes and images.

Editing of presegemented images/volumes with the multilabel random walker or graph cut segmentations