Methods, systems and computer program products are described for transferring aggregated data packets over an I/O interface from a host to a multiport embedded device. For example, a method includes receiving, by the device from the host, a single write command that (i) specifies two or more ports from among multiple ports of the device, and (ii) includes two or more data packets to be respectively written to the specified ports. The multiple ports of the device are mapped to corresponding locations of memory of the device. The method further includes saving, by the device in response to the single write command, the two or more data packets at two or more memory locations to which the specified ports are mapped. Additionally, the method includes sending, upon saving the data packets, a single notification to the host indicating that the device is ready to receive another write command.

The subject matter of this disclosure is generally related to transfer of data over an input-output interface, for example to transfer of aggregated data packets between a host and a multiport embedded device.
Many electronic systems (also referred to as host systems) include embedded devices to control the operation of underlying system components and to provide enhanced functionality and operational flexibility. Examples of embedded devices are GPS receivers, modems, barcode readers, FM radio/TV tuners, RFID readers, digital cameras and interfaces to Wi-Fi or Ethernet networks. Input/output (I/O) functions between the host system and the embedded devices are sometimes provided via a secure digital input output (SDIO) interface.
In the case of an embedded device that provides network interface functionality, data flow between the host and the network is determined by throughput of both the I/O interface and the network interface of the embedded device. To avoid a potential bottleneck caused by the embedded device in this case, the throughput of the I/O interface should exceed (or at least match) the throughput of the network interface.

Method and apparatus for transferring data between a host and an embedded device


The invention provides a BiFET semiconductor device vertically integrating a FET and a HBT on the same substrate. The BiFET semiconductor device comprises a HBT structure, a high-resistivity structure, and a FET structure, sequentially formed in this order from bottom to top on a semi-insulating substrate. The high-resistivity structure comprises at least two layers. A first layer is on top of the HBT structure to provide the required high resistivity, while the second layer having a high purity is on top of the first layer to prevent the doped impurity in the first layer to affect the upper FET structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a BiFET semiconductor device having vertically integrated field effect transistors (FET) and hetero-junction bipolar transistors (HBT) on the same substrate.
2. The Prior Arts
Integrating a FET and a HBT on the same substrate is commonly referred to as a BiFET semiconductor device. The benefit of BiFET devices is well known in analog circuits as they are operable under very high frequency while offering greater functionality. These features are particularly useful in RF or mobile communication devices. One typical application of the BiFET device is in implementing the power amplifier (PA) in a cellular handset.
For conventional BiFETs, FETs and HBTs are integrated laterally on the same substrate. One such lateral integration of FETs and HBTs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,826, whose reference drawing is included as FIG. 1.
As illustrated, a laterally integrated HBT-FET device 10 contains an n-p-n GaAs HBT 11 formed on the substrate 12 and the HBT 11 includes, from bottom to top, a n+ GaAs layer 14 as sub-collector, a n− GaAs layer 16 as collector, a p+ GaAs layer 18 as base, and an emitter structure, which is composed of a n− AlGaAs layer 20 as emitter, a n− GaAs layer 22 as emitter cap, and a n+ InGaAs layer 24 as emitter contact. A metal semiconductor FET (MESFET) 15 is constructed using the same layers of material of the HBT 11's emitter structure. The n-FET 15 has a source (S) and a drain (D) formed in the n+ InGaAs layer 24, a gate recess etched in the InGaAs layer 24 between the source and drain, and a Schottky gate metal contact (G) deposited on the n− GaAs layer 22 exposed in the gate recess. The n-p-n HBT 11 and the n-FET 15 are isolated by ion implantation 26.
Enabling greater functionality in a smaller package is a key challenge for MMIC (monolithic microwave IC) manufacturers. In the lateral integration of FETs and HBTs, the FETs constructed are usually MESFETs whose performance is not as good as Pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistors (PHEMT). If the vertical integration of HBTs and FETs could really be achieved, more advanced PHEMT could be adopted, giving the BiFET device more flexibility in terms of its application and performance. However, to construct BiFET semiconductor device having a vertical structure requires effective isolation of the vertically stacked FETs and HBTs, which is very difficult.
The technique provided by Hata et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,451 suggests a way to achieve such an effective isolation. The objective of Hata et al. is to provide an epitaxial crystal with high resistivity to enable the fabrication of high-speed electronic elements. The epitaxial crystal provided by Hata et al. comprises a substrate, a buffer layer, and an active layer sequentially formed in this order from bottom to top. The buffer layer comprises, from bottom to top, a first layer made of AlGaAs, AlGaInP, or InAlAs doped with oxygen and/or a transition metal, and a second layer made of high-purity GaAs, InGaP, AlGaAs, or InP. The dopant oxygen or transition metal in the first layer is for achieving high resistivity, and the second layer is constructed so that the dopant's influence on the electronic elements (such as FET) fabricated on top of the epitaxial crystal could be diminished to a practically negligible level.

BiFET semiconductor device having vertically integrated FET and HBT


The present invention relates to the inclusion complexes of butylphthalide, which is D, L-mixed or levorotatory, with cyclodextrin or cyclodextrin derivatives, to a process for their preparation and the use thereof. In the invention, the butylphthalide is complexed with cyclodextrin or cyclodextrin derivatives, preferably with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin in order to increase the water-solubility of butylphthalide, develop clinical solid or liquid formulations and improve the therapeutic effect of butylphthalide. The inclusion complex, in which the molar ratio of butylphthalide to cyclodextrin or cyclodextrin derivatives is in the range of 1:1-10, can be used to prepare infusion, injection, injectable powder, liquids for oral administration, syrup, tablets, granules, dispersible tablets and others.

Butylphthalide is a water insoluble oily compound with the following formula:

There are two optical isomers, levorotary and dextrorotary butylphthalide, due to the presence of a chiral carbon therein. Chinese patent application No. 98125618.X disclosed the use of levorotary butylphthalide in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions for preventing thrombosis and platelet agglomeration. It was found that butylphthalide could regulate the function of NOS-NO-cGMP system and the metabolism of arachidonic acid in the neurocytes after ischemia. Chinese patent application No. 93117148.2 disclosed the use of racemic butylphthalide mixture in the preparation of pharmaceuticals for preventing and treating ischemia-induced diseases in mammals or human.
Butylphthalide can be obtained by extraction from natural celery seed oil or by chemical synthesis, as described in Chinese patent application No. 99109673.8 and the prior reference: Junshan Yang, Yalun Su, Chinese Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 1984, 31; 671, which realized the availability of butylphthalide.
The pharmaceutical formulations are required to release active agents quickly and exert therapeutic effects rapidly when they are used to treat ischemia-induced diseases or thrombosis. Usually, the formulations for treating acute disease are administrated by intravenous instillation. However, the butylphthalide can only be formulated into soft capsules for oral administration because of its oily characteristics. Therefore, solubility problem of the butylphthalide must be resolved firstly in order to obtain injectable dosage forms.
For the purpose of investigation of the clinical value of butylphthalide, the present applicant has filed a Chinese patent application titled "A inclusion complex of butylphthalide with cyclodextrin derivatives, a process for its preparation and the use thereof" on Jun. 18, 2001, in which solubility problem of butylphthalide was resolved. However, the levorotatory butylphthalide was not mentioned in that application.

Inclusion complexes of butylphthalide with cyclodextrin or its derivatives, a process for their preparation and the use thereof

Shijiazhuang Pharma. Group Zhongqi Pharmaceutical Technology (Shijiazhuang) Co., Ltd.


A magnetic recording media includes a servo region including a preamble region and a burst region and having marks of a magnetic film, and a data region having discrete tracks of the magnetic film. The burst region includes a signal section and a non-signal section, the signal section including rectangular marks of the magnetic film, in-plane geometry of which is a rectangle, formed in a periodic pattern in a track direction, and the non-signal section including marks of the magnetic film having a pattern different from the pattern of the rectangular marks in the signal section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording media, a method of manufacturing the recording media using imprint lithography, and a magnetic recording apparatus that uses the magnetic recording media.
2. Description of the Related Art
As demands for higher capacity of magnetic recording apparatuses, magnetic recording media are required to increase a recording density. Magnetic recording media with a high recording density have such a problem that, when data are recorded on a track with a magnetic head, data recorded on the adjacent tracks may be adversely affected with a high possibility. In order to solve the problem, there has been proposed a magnetic recording media, referred to as a discrete track media, in which tracks are formed of magnetic film that are physically discrete from each other in the track width direction. See, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 62-256225.
Meanwhile, in the magnetic recording apparatus, the magnetic head positions itself with reading servo data from servo regions of the magnetic recording media. In the conventional magnetic recording media, the servo regions are magnetically recorded on the magnetic film using a servo track writer. On the other hand, it is preferable for the discrete track media that the magnetic film is processed to form servo marks in the servo regions as well as to form a pattern of the discrete tracks. Such a magnetic recording media, which is a type of a patterned media, should preferably be manufactured by using an imprint lithography method. Incidentally, when a size of the magnetic marks is reduced to about 500 nm or less, it is difficult to process the magnetic film into such a microstructure by photolithography. Electron-beam lithography enables to form the microstructure with a size of 500 nm or less. However, the electron beam lithography results in a low throughput because of slow drawing speed. In contrast, the imprint lithography method is advantageous, because the method permits to manufacture the patterned media at a high throughput.
A method of manufacturing a magnetic recording media, i.e., a patterned media, using imprint lithography will now be described.
First, an imprint stamper with a pattern of projections and recesses substantially reverse to that to be formed in the magnetic film on the magnetic recording media is prepared through, for example, the processes described below. An electron beam resist is applied to a master plate, and then a predetermined pattern is drawn to the resist by electron beam direct write. Development is performed to form a pattern of projections and recesses in the electron beam resist. The master plate on which the pattern of projections and recesses is formed in the electron beam resist is subjected to electroforming, and then the metal disk formed by electroforming is peeled off to prepare an imprint stamper.
Next, a magnetic recording media is prepared by using the imprint lithography method through, for example, the processes described below. That is, a magnetic film is formed on a substrate, and a resist is applied to the magnetic film. The imprint stamper is pressed against the resist to transfer the pattern of the projections and recesses on the surface thereof to the surface of the resist. After removing the imprint stamper, the magnetic film is processed using the resist to which the pattern has been transferred as a mask. Thus, a magnetic recording media, i.e., a patterned media, having a desired pattern of the magnetic film can be manufactured.
In the case where the imprint lithography method is used as described above, the imprint stamper prepared by using electron beam lithography can be used for the imprint steps over a number of times. Further, the imprint process brings about a higher throughput. Therefore, the cost for manufacturing the media can be reduced. Moreover, since the magnetic marks in the servo regions and the discrete tracks in the data regions can be formed at the same time, it is expected that accuracy in positions of the servo regions and the discrete tracks can be improved. Incidentally, in order to improve the recording density, it is advantageous that the imprint lithograph method should be applied to the manufacture of a perpendicular magnetic recording media.
However, when the magnetic recording media is manufactured by using the imprint lithography method, the thickness of the magnetic film may be made unevenly, depending on the pattern in the servo regions. As a result of this, it has become a problem that read and write of the magnetic data may be made unstable.

Magnetic recording media, method of manufacturing the same and magnetic recording apparatus


Sequences and protocols for treatment of eye conditions by use of RNA interference are disclosed. Target genes are selected from those responsible for aqueous flow or aqueous outflow, while particularly preferred conditions to be treated include glaucoma and uveitis.

RNAI as a Tool to Downregulate Gene Expression
Gene targeting by homologous recombination is commonly used to determine gene function in mammals, but this is a costly and time-consuming process. Alternatively, the functions of many genes can be determined after mRNA inhibition with ribozyme or antisense technologies, Although successful in some situations these technologies have been difficult to apply universally. The advent of siRNA-directed "knockdown" has sparked a revolution In somatic cell genetics, allowing the inexpensive and rapid analysis of gene function in mammals.
Establishing a convenient and reliable method to knock-out gene expression at the mRNA level has been a recurrent theme in molecular biology over the last 15 years. In efforts to generate loss-of function cells or organisms, various molecules that included, for example, antisense sequences, ribozymes, and chimeric oligonucleotides have been tested, but the design of such molecules was based on trial and error, depending on the properties of the target gene.
Moreover, the desired effects were difficult to predict, and often only weak suppression achieved (Braasch & Corey, 2002).
After the discovery of the phenomenon in plants in the early 1990s, in 1998 Andy Fire and Craig Mello for the first time demonstrated with the worm Caenorhabditis elegans that dsRNA (double-stranded RNA) may specifically and selectively inhibit gene expression in an extremely efficient manner (Fire et al., 1998). In their experiment, the sequence of the first strand (the so-called sense RNA) coincides with that of the corresponding region of the target messenger RNA (mRNA). The second strand (antisense RNA) is complementary to this mRNA. The resulting dsRNA turned out to be far more (several orders of magnitude) efficient than the corresponding single-stranded RNA molecules (in particular, antisense RNA). Fire et al., 1998 named the phenomenon RNAi for RNA interference. This powerful gene silencing mechanism has been shown to operate in several species among most phylogenetic phyla.
RNAi begins when an enzyme named DICER encounters dsRNA and chops it into pieces called small-interfering RNAs or siRNAs. This protein belongs to the RNase III nuclease family. A complex of proteins gathers up these RNA remains and uses their code as a guide to search out and destroy any RNAs in the cell with a matching sequence, such as target mRNA (for review see Bosher & Labouesse, 2000).
The RNAi phenomenon (Akashi et al., 2001) might be summarized as follows:                Step 1: dsRNA recognition and scanning process.        Step 2: dsRNA cleavage through RNase III activity and production of siRNAs.        Step 3: association of the siRNAs and associated factors in RISC complexes.        Step 4: recognition of the complementary target mRNA.        Step 5: cleavage of the target mRNA in the centre of the region complementary to the siRNA.        Step 6: degradation of the target mRNA and recycling of the RISC complex.
In trying to apply the RNAI phenomenon as a technology for gene knockdown, it was soon realized that mammalian cells have developed various protective phenomena against viral infections that could impede the use of this approach. Indeed, the presence of extremely low levels of viral dsRNA triggers an interferon response, resulting in a global non-specific suppression of translation, which in turn triggers apoptosis (Williams, 1997, Gil & Esteban, 2000).
In 2000, a first attempt with dsRNA resulted in the specific inhibition of 3 genes (MmGFP under the control of the Elongation Factor 1a, E-cadherin, and c-mos) in the mouse oocyte and early embryo. Translational arrest, and thus a PKR response, was not observed as the embryos continued to develop (Wianny & Zernicka-Goetz, 2000). One year later, research at Ribopharma AG (Kulmbach, Germany) first demonstrated the functionality of RNAi in mammalian cells. Using short (20-24 base pairs) dsRNAs—which are called SIRPLEX™—they specifically switched off genes even in human cells without initiating the acute-phase response. Similar experiments carried out later by other research groups (Elbashir et al., 2001; Caplen et al., 2001) further confirmed these results.
A year later, Paddison et. al. (Paddison et al, 2002) tried to use small RNAs folded in hairpin structures to inhibit the function of specific genes. This work was inspired by previous studies showing that some genes in Caenorhabditis elegans naturally regulate other genes through RNAi by coding for hairpin-structured RNAs. Tested in a variety of normal and cancer human and mouse cell lines, short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) are able to silence genes as efficiently as their siRNA counterparts. Moreover, shRNAs exhibit better reassociation kinetics in vivo than equivalent duplexes. Even more important, these authors generated transgenic cell lines engineered to synthesize shRNAs that exhibit a long-lasting suppressing effect throughout cell divisions (Eurogentec). Recently, another group of small RNAs (also comprised in the range of 21-25 nt) was shown to mediate downregulation of gene expression. These RNAs, known as small temporally regulated RNAs (stRNAs), have been described in Caenorhabditis elegans were they regulate timing of gene expression during development. It should be noted that stRNAs and siRNAs, despite obvious similarities, proceed through different modes of action (for review see Banedjee & Slack, 2002. In contrast with siRNAs, 22 nt long stRNAs downregulate expression of target mRNA after translational initiation without affecting mRNA integrity. Recent studies indicate that the two stRNAs first described in nematodes are the members of a huge family with hundreds of additional micro-RNAs (miRNAs) existing in metazoans (Grosshans & Slack, 2002).
Scientists have initially used RNAi in several systems, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophilia, trypanosomes, and various other invertebrates. Moreover, using this approach, several groups have recently presented the specific suppression of protein biosynthesis in different mammalian cell lines—specifically in HeLa cells—showing that RNAi is a broadly applicable method for gene silencing in vitro. Based on these results, RNAi has rapidly become a well recognized tool for validating (identifying and assigning) gene functions. RNA interference employing short dsRNA oligonucleotides will, moreover, permit to decipher the function of genes being only partially sequenced. RNAi will therefore become inevitable in studies such as:                Inhibition of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in eukaryotic cells. In this context, RNAi is a straight-forward tool to rapidly assess gene function and reveal null phenotypes.        Development of the RNAi technology for use in post-implantation embryos.        The predominant economic significance of RNA interference is established by its application as a therapeutic principle. As so, RNAi may yield RNA-based drugs to treat human diseases.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness, Approximately 15% of cases of blindness world-wide result from glaucoma. The most common type, primary open-angle glaucoma, has a prevalence of 1/200 in the general population over 40 years of age.
Glaucoma has been simply defined as the process of ocular tissue destruction caused by a sustained elevation of the Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP) above its normal physiological limits.
It is becoming increasingly clear that many forms of glaucoma have a genetic component, and much current research is focused on identifying chromosomal regions and genes that contribute to glaucoma. It is likely that the aetiology of OAG is multifactorial, resulting from a combination of mutations in more than one gene and as yet unidentified environmental factors. With regard to juvenile and adult-onset OAG, several loci have been identified. However, only one gene is known, namely the myocilin/TIGR (trabecular meshwork inducible glucocorticoid response) gene at the GLC1A locus on chromosome 1q21-q31. More than thirty mutations of this gene have been identified in ethnically diverse populations worldwide. Studies have shown that it is responsible for only about 5% of OAG overall (See reviews in Wirtz & Samples, 2003, and Khaw et al, 2004a).
Pathogenesis
Most glaucomas are characterised by an elevated IOP, although the level of elevation may vary. In those glaucomas in which the elevation is initially low (i.e., open angle glaucoma, melanocytic glaucoma) and some secondary glaucoma, retinal ganglion cell and optic nerve damage are slow to progress. In angle-closure glaucoma the sudden high rise in IOP often renders the eye blind, undoubtedly primarily due to a cessation of axoplasmic flow at the level of the lamina cribrosa.
In human studies, it has been widely accepted that tissue ischaemia has a part to play in the initiation or progression of the optic disc damage that occurs in glaucoma. Retinal ganglion cell degeneration may be necrosis, but the possibility that it is apoptosis triggered by the rise in IOP is plausible, and the respective roles of nitric oxide and glutamate are thought to be relevant during progression of the disease (For a recent review on the subject see Osborne et al, 2003).
Treatment
Although several aetiologies are involved in the glaucoma complex, the absolute determinant in therapy selection is the amount of primary and/or induced change in pressure within the iridocorneal angle.
Current therapies include medications or surgeries aimed at lowering this pressure, although the pathophysiological mechanisms by which elevated IOP leads to neuronal damage in glaucoma are unknown.
Medical suppression of an elevated IOP can be attempted using four types of drugs: the aqueous formation suppressors (among them, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, beta-adrenergic blocking agents, or alpha2-adrenoreceptor agonists) miotics (i.e. parasympathomimetics—cholinergics-, or anticholinesterase inhibitors); uveoscleral outflow enhancers; and the hyperosmotic agents (that produce an osmotic pressure gradient across the blood/aqueous barrier within the ciliary epithelium). All four are used in the treatment of glaucoma, the first three commonly as emergency treatment and in long term control while the hyperosmotic agents are invaluable as emergency and preoperative treatment. A fifth category of drugs, the neuroprotection agents, is beginning to emerge as an important possible addition to medical therapy. Indeed, observation that the NOS and glutamate levels are elevated in glaucoma and that they are involved in retinal ganglion cell necrosis or apoptosis has raised the possibility of neuroprotective therapies and even neuroregeneration. Thus NOS inhibitors, exciting amino acid antagonists, glutamate receptor antagonists, apoptosis inhibitors and calcium channel blockers are all potential candidates in the development of future glaucoma therapies. The calcium channel blockers may reduce the effect of impaired microcirculation to the optic nerve head whilst potentially increasing outflow facility at the level of the trabecular cells.
Reviews of various eye disorders and their treatments are given in the references, in particular in Bunce (2005), Costagliola (1995, 2000), Cullinane (2002), Sakaguchi (2002), Shah (2000), and Wang (2005).
Currently our existing therapies must fall short of the mark and the practical difficulties associated with the assessment of outflow facility, the accurate monitoring of therapy and the complexity of surgical techniques all combine to confound the prognosis. The overriding factor in all glaucoma is the degeneration of the retinal ganglion cell, thus neuroprotection through effective ocular hypotension is the essential requirement of any therapy we utilise (for a recent review on the subject, see Khaw et al 2004b).

Treatment of eye disorders characterized by an elevated intraocular pressure by siRNAs


A collapsible bait trap has a support assembly for netting support arms. The support has a plurality of notches in which the arms are connected. A rotatable gear is attached to the notched support and rotatable from a first position where gear teeth cover the notches to prevent the arms from collapsing thereby holding the netting in its open position, to a second position where the gear teeth do not cover the notches so that the support arms are free to collapse thereby moving the netting to its closed position for convenient storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible bait trap.
2. Description of the Related Art
Roberts, U.S. Pat. No. 1,463,062 discloses a bait trap, which has a folding arrangement for four support arms (shown in FIG. 2).
Haseman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,603,031, shows a collapsible bait trap where netting is mounted on a base ring in two sections. The base ring pivots about end supports.
Rabin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,755, discloses a structure similar to Haseman in that two pivoting rings are flat in the open or catching position and closed in the trapping position.
Bott, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,480, shows a trap operating similarly to Rabin but without the use of pivoting rings; rather, interlocking support rods are connected across the top of the netting.
Katis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,411 discloses a collapsible bait trap, which is shown in folded position in FIG. 2 and in open position in FIG. 1. This uses a different support/collapsible mechanism than the present invention.
Glatzer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,666 discloses a bait trap similar to that shown in FIGS. 1-2 of Bott and described by Bott as well known prior art.
Murguido, U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,869, shows a fixed assembly in FIG. 4, which is not collapsible.
The present invention is bait trap that when not in use collapses and is easily stowed in the bottom of a fisherman""s tackle box. When in use, the bait trap is lowered just below the surface of a body of water. Small pieces of bread are then dropped into and around the trap to attract minnows. When minnows either swim into or above the trap, it is quickly pulled out of the water. The minnows are then unable to escape the trap""s netting. The construction of the bait trap also permits the minnows to remain in the trap until needed so that an additional container to store the minnows is unnecessary.
In order to open the trap for use, the following occurs: 1. lower all netting spokes 8 from their vertical or folded position until they are all resting in a horizontal position with the spoke disk 6; 2. turn the adjustable gear 5 until its teeth completely cover all of the spoke disks 6 slots; 3. in one embodiment, tighten wing nut 3 onto the adjustable gear 5 so that the netting spokes 8 are now locked into place and the bait trap is ready for use.
In order to collapse the bait trap and allow for convenient storage with a tackle box, the following occurs: 1. loosen the wing nut 3; 2. turn the adjustable gear 5 until its teeth are not blocking any of the spoke disk 6 slots; 3. turn the entire trap upside down to cause the netting spokes 8 along with the netting 9 to fall into a vertical position; 4. wrap the NYLON(copyright) cord 1 around the trap so that it is now ready for convenient storage within a tackle box.
The principal object and advantage of the invention is the provision of a collapsible bait trap.
Another object and advantage of the apparatus of the present invention is the provision of a collapsible bait trap having a locking arrangement to secure the netting in an open position and to provide for convenient storage of the netting in a collapsed position.
A still further object and advantage of the present invention is the provision of a collapsible bait trap where the apparatus is locked and unlocked by rotation of a gear.
Another object and advantage of the present invention is the provision of a bait trap, which has a locking arrangement to secure the net in an open position.
A still further object and advantage of the method and apparatus of the present invention is the provision of a bait trap, which is easy to use and is simple to dissemble for cleaning.


Apparatus for driving fastening elements (9), such as nails, bolts, clips and the like, into a receiving material includes a magazine (3) extending laterally outwardly from a guide (1). The magazine (3) holds a carrying strip (10) for the fastening elements (9) and a transport slide (8) which, in cooperation with the magazine, can be shifted parallel to the driving direction of the apparatus. The magazine (3) has a housing (31) and a guide channel (37) opening into a transport channel (11) in the guide (1). The guide channel (37) is formed by two laterally spaced guide rails (5, 6) each with a surface facing the other and profiled with tooth-shaped projections having tooth flanks of different lengths with the flanks facing the transport channel (11) being shorter. A first guide rail (5) can be displaced away from a second guide rail (6) parallel to the length of the guide channel (37) by the transport slide (8). The transport slide (8) interacts with a control cam (53) located on the first guide rail (5). Both the first and second guide rails (5, 6) can be shifted laterally against the force of a spring (7).

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for driving fastening elements, such as nails, bolts, clips and the like, into a receiving material. The apparatus includes an apparatus housing with a guide extending in the driving direction and a transport channel in the guide for moving fastening elements from a magazine into the guide. The magazine contains a transport slide displaceable parallel to the driving direction. Further the magazine includes a magazine housing containing a guide channel extending transversely of the driving direction and open to a transport channel in the guide. The guide channel has a first guide rail and a second guide rail extending transversely of the driving direction of the apparatus and spaced laterally apart. Each guide rail has a surface facing the other with the facing surfaces profiled with tooth-shaped projections each having tooth flanks of different lengths. The first guide rail can be shifted by the transport slide laterally outwardly from the second guide rail against the force of a spring while it extends parallel to the guide channel. The transport slide interacts with a control cam-located on the first guide rail.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,346,884 a device for driving fastening elements, in the form of nails, into a receiving material, includes a guide, a magazine and a transport slide. The magazine, which can be removed from the guide, has two guide rails each with a tooth-shaped profiled surface facing the other and with the tooth-shaped surfaces having tooth flanks of different lengths. The tooth flanks facing a transport channel in the guide are shorter than the other flanks. A first guide rail can be displaced laterally away from the other or second guide rail against the force of a spring. The second guide rail can be shifted axially and displaced laterally. During transport of the fastening elements located between the guide rails, the fastening elements are moved in the direction of the guide by the tooth-shaped profile of the first guide rail and are moved or rolled over the longer tooth flanks of the second guide rail until they reach a position again in the region of shorter flanks. In such position,. they are aligned in a plane extending through the axis of a driving piston.
With this known driving device, it is not possible to work with fastening elements spaced apart from one another by a basically deformation resistant carrying strip. If, for example, a portion of the carrying strip is located in the transport channel of the guide, the stiffness of the carrying strip counteracts a lateral shifting of the fastening elements, when fastening elements are moved over the longer tooth flanks, and there may be interference with the transporting step or damage to the carrying strip. There is a further disadvantage that the removal of the fastening elements located between the guide rails in the magazine can take place only when the magazine is separated from the guide and the fastening elements are pulled individually from the guide rails counter to the driving direction.

Apparatus with magazine for driving fastening elements


In an amplifier circuit with reduced power-on transients, an amplifier has a gain to generate an output signal from an input signal and a reference signal when it is enabled, and a control circuit generates a control signal, based on the output signal and the reference signal, to be supplied to the amplifier during a power-on event. The amplifier is enabled by the control signal when the reference signal reaches the level of the output signal.

Audio systems utilizing amplifier circuits for amplifying audio source signals in order to drive audio devices have been widely used in various electronic products. In a typical application circuit, as shown in FIG. 1, an audio amplifier chip 100 is used to drive an earphone 104 or a loudspeaker 106 based on an audio source signal 102. The audio source signal 102 is fed into the chip 100 through a coupling capacitor 108 and an input resistor 110, and the chip 100 includes two operational amplifiers 112 and 114, with the inverting and non-inverting inputs 116 and 118 of the operational amplifier 112 connected to the input resistor 110 and a reference signal Vref, respectively, so as to generate an output signal Vo+ at the output 120 of the operational amplifier 112 to drive the earphone 104. The output 120 of the operational amplifier 112 is connected to the other operational amplifier 114 by a resistor 112. To generate the reference signal Vref, a voltage divider composed of two resistors 132 and 134 are connected to a supply voltage VDD by a power input 136, in such a way that the reference signal Vref of VDD/2, for example, is generated at a node 138, to connect to the non-inverting inputs 118 and 128 of the operational amplifiers 112 and 114, respectively. A capacitor 140 may be coupled to the power input 136 to stable the supply voltage VDD for the chip 100. A bypass capacitor 142 is coupled to the node 138 to be charged to the voltage VDD/2, and the capacitance CB of the bypass capacitor 142 determines the charge rate of the reference signal Vref up to VDD/2. The operational amplifier 112, the input resistor 110, and a feedback resistor 144 connected between the output 120 and the inverting input 116 of the operational amplifier 112 constitute a well-known amplifier, and in which the feedback resistor 144 and the input resistor 110 are both outside of the chip 100 for adjusting the gain of the amplifier. However, the feedback resistor 144 and the input resistor 110 may be integrated in the chip 100 instead. The other amplifier is constituted by the operational amplifier 114, the input resistor 122 and a feedback resistor 114, and has a unit gain, for inverting the output signal Vo+ to generate another output signal Vo−. The output signals Vo+ and Vo− constitute a pair of differential output signals for driving the loudspeaker 106. The chip 100 further comprises a bias control circuit 146 to generate two control signals 152 and 154, based on a sleep or shutdown signal SHUTDOWN originated from the system control unit and a select signal or bridge-tied-load signal SEL/ BTL originated from the earphone socket, for the control of enabling and disabling the operational amplifiers 112 and 114. When powers on, owing to the slew rate of the operational amplifier 112 different from the rate that the reference signal Vref is charged up to a predetermined level, e.g., VDD/2, an instant variation occurs in the signal at the output 120 of the chip 100, resulting in an unfavorable noise, referred to as 'pop', emanated from the earphone 104 or loudspeaker 106.
Accordingly, various arts have been proposed for suppression of such power-on pops. Soft start-up is employed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,303 issued to Vinn et al. to prevent the operational amplifier from imparting an output voltage to the loudspeaker, together with pre-charging the output of the amplifier circuit up to a predetermined voltage, in such a manner that the power-on pop is suppressed. The output of the amplifier circuit is biased when powers on by U.S. Pat. No. 6,040,740 issued to Dondale, so as to suppress the power-on pops. Hellums provides two different bias currents in U.S. Pat. No. 6,316,993 for the operational amplifier under the control of a mode control signal, such that pops are reduced during power-on period. On the other hand, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,642,074 and 5,703,529 issued to Ghaffaripour et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,938 issued to Kalb et al., the feedback resistor of the amplifier is first bypassed during power-on period, and then restored once the reference signal of the amplifier is charged up to a predetermined voltage, so as to switch the gain of the amplifier to reduce the pops. The control signal for restoring the feedback resistor is further delayed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,854 issued to Heithoff, for a better pops reduction. For more illustrative, the scheme employed in these arts are shown by FIG. 2, in which a switch 200 is inserted between a voltage-dividing resistor 133 and the supply voltage VDD, and an amplifier 202 has an inverting input 204 connected with the reference signal Vref, a non-inverting input 206 connected with the predetermined voltage supplied by a voltage divider composed of two resistors 210 and 212, and an output 208 to provide a control signal that is further delayed by a delay circuit 216 to generate a delayed control signal 218 to switch a switch 220 shunt to the feedback resistor 144. By switching the switch 220, the feedback resistor 144 is removed or restored to switch the gain of the amplifier, and therefore the power related pops are reduced.
In the above conventional arts, however, there are still imperfections to be improved. Therefore, it is desired a further de-pop improvement to the amplifier circuit.

Amplifier circuit with reduced power-on transients and method thereof


A rescue chute suitable for attachment to a fixed structure or to an aerial ladder is disclosed. The chute has two concentric fabric chutes (2,4) supported by a multi-purpose mounting bracket (6). The chutes (2, 4) are made of a heat-resistant material. The outer chute has guying rings (8) along its length and is closed with snap hook-and-ring closures (14). The inner chute (4) has a zipper (18) running the entire length of the chute. Zipper-stops and zipper-pulls allow the inner chute to be opened at the different points to allow people to exit the chute. A snap hook (20) at the end of each zipper (18) ensures that the zipper remains closed as the chute is used. An elastic panel (24) runs the entire length of the chute. The elastic (104) may be sandwiched to protect it from heat. The rescue chute includes a non-abrasive entry flap (26). The multipurpose bracket (6) is adaptable to support the chute on a building wall or on an aerial ladder. The bracket (6) is made of coated tubular aluminum and includes an adjustable clamp (34-40) for securing the rescue chute to a wall or balcony. To secure the rescue chute to an aerial ladder, clamp arms (48) and a leveling arm (50) are provided. A metal spoked adjusting wheel (52) allows the rescue chute to be leveled. Hook clamps (58) are used to grasp the ladder rungs. The chutes (2) and (4) are secured to the multi-purpose bracket by means of grommets, reinforced nylon webbing, bolts, and aluminum strips.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to evacuation chutes, and more particularly to an evacuation chute having a bracket suitable for mounting on a building or an aerial ladder, and which is usable at any height up to the full length of the chute.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chutes to enable persons to escape from multi-story buildings are known in the art.
Tracy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,595 shows an escape chute having a frame mountable on a window edge or on a cherry picker. Elastic bands are provided for cushioning the descent of a person passing through the chute, and a mechanism is provided for retracting the chute.
Curiel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,031 discloses an escape chute having inner and outer chutes to provide additional heat protection. The inner chute includes an elastic band to slow the rate of descent through the chute.
Leisman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,186 discloses a tubular escape chute having a zipper running lengthwise along the tube to allow entry into or exit from the chute at different elevations. The chute may have inner and outer chutes, and may include elastic in the inner chute to slow the rate of descent.
Tracy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,019 discloses a foldable emergency chute which is raised and lowered on a crane apparatus.
Other examples of safety chutes are shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,398,621, 4,595,074, 22,324, 3,027,996, 179,525, 27,992, 113,958, 132,073, 3,910,377.
None of these references provide a rescue chute which is adaptable for securing a rescue chute to a fixed structure, such as a building wall, and to an aerial ladder. Furthermore, none of these references disclose a rescue chute for attachment to an aerial ladder which is adjustable to level the chute at varying angles, and which is suitable for easy installation and removal.


In general, sound resonators or mufflers are bulky self-contained metal bodies, which are expensive to produce and to install in an engine intake or exhaust system. A relatively simple substitute, which can be tailor made to attenuate sound at various frequencies include two arcuate casing sections which are interconnected along one side edge by a hinge, so that the sections can be wrapped around an engine air intake tube, a latch on the other side edges of the sections for securing the sections together to form a sleeve around and coaxial with the tube, an inlet nozzle on the interior of each section for extending into the tube, and partitions extending between the inner and outer surfaces of each section for defining elongated, tortuous, sound attenuating passages.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a resonator, and in particular to a resonator for use on an air inlet tube attached to an internal combustion engine.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Air is introduced into an automotive engine for creating an air/gasoline mixture which fuels the engine. Typically, the air passes through an air filter, an inlet tube, a throttle body or carburetor and an intake or inlet manifold to the cylinders of the engine. Sound generated in the cylinders, i.e. engine noise travels back through the manifold and the inlet tube.
Many attempts have been made to reduce or attenuate engine noise. Typical devices for sound attenuation are described in for example Canadian Patent No. 703,518, issued to E. Ludlow et al on Feb. 9, 1965, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,191, issued to J. Bachert on Nov. 19, 1963; U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,769, issued to R. J. Martoia on Jun. 18, 1968; U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,268, issued to O. E. Rieder on Dec. 1, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,015, issued to W. A. Bychinsky on Jun. 29, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,092, issued to S. Kajiya et al on Nov. 7, 1978; U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,286, issued to H. Hasui et al on Jan. 2, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,266, issued to L. Collin et al on Aug. 14, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,798, issued to G. Martinez on Aug. 28, 1979; U.S Pat. No. 4,172,508, issued to L. C. Moss et al on Oct. 30, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,742, issued to A. Scheuermann et al on Aug. 4, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,059, issued to Y. Hayashi on Nov. 15, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,790, issued to R. E. Agnew on Dec. 6, 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,701, issued to D. C. Lowery et al on Sep. 3, 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,914, issued to R. T. Flugger on Mar. 11, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,035, issued to K. Schad et al on Nov. 18, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,513, issued to G. Csaszar on Jul. 18, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,062, issued to K. Yanagida et al on Oct. 17, 1989 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,691, issued to C. Ching-ho on Jan. 2, 1990.
It is well established that the geometry of a resonator determines the sound attenuating efficiency of the device. In this connection, reference is made to the introductory portion of the Kajiya et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,092 which succinctly sets out the physics of the situation. It is readily apparent that the altering of resonator dimensions affects noise attenuation. The mufflers described in the above listed patents, and for that matter mufflers in general are discrete devices which must be installed in an inlet or exhaust system by interrupting the system. Usually the muffler forms part of the system, and is connected to tubes or pipes forming other parts of the system by clamps or welding. Thus, the installation or removal of a muffler is a somewhat difficult, time consuming and often expensive job. Moreover, the structures used to achieve the desired attenuation are often complicated and consequently expensive to produce.


A rolled-print-medium holder device includes an axial member, a holding member, an outer fitting portion, an inner fitting portion, and a weld portion. The holding member is fixed to at least one of both axial ends of the axial member and holds both sides of a rolled print medium. The outer fitting portion is provided at either one of the axial member and the holding member. The outer fitting portion has an inner peripheral surface. The inner fitting portion is provided at the other one of the axial member and the holding member. The inner fitting portion has an outer peripheral surface. The inner fitting portion is fitted into the outer fitting portion. The weld portion is provided at at least one of the inner fitting portion and the outer fitting portion. The weld portion at least fixes the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface by ultrasonic welding.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder device for rotatably holding a rolled print medium which is a long print medium wound into a roll.
2. Description of Related Art
A print device is known in the art in which printing is performed on a rolled print medium while the print medium is being conveyed by conveyor means such as a platen roller. The print medium could have any of a plurality of different widths. A rolled-print-medium holder device for rotatably holding the rolled print medium at a predetermined position is provided within such a print device.
The interior of the rolled-print-medium holder device is configured of a plurality of divided members for rotatably holding the print medium, and the holder device is formed by fixing together those members while the print medium is held therein. In such a case, ultrasonic welding is commonly used as the fixing method. The ultrasonic welding is a method of using the vibration of sound waves to adhere a composite resin or the like, by which frictional heat is generated in the workpiece instantaneously by powerful vibrations, to ensure that the connecting surfaces of the workpiece melt and adhere together One method of such fixing by ultrasonic welding is described in Japanese patent-application No. 2004-30752, which discloses a tape cartridge in which the degree of flatness of the outer peripheral surface of a reel hub can be ensured and in which magnetic tape can be suitably wound. With this method, melted resin can be prevented from flowing out onto the outer peripheral surface of a reel hub by forming an indented shape around the periphery of a welding rib that is formed on a weld surface of an upper reel, then ensuring that melted resin from the welding rib that melts during the ultrasonic welding is captured by the indented shape.
In this manner, conventional welding by ultrasonic welding involves melting a welding rib and connecting confronting surfaces of the two members that are to be fixed together, to weld them. Schematic views of the welding construction of a rolled-print-medium holder device created by such ultrasonic welding method are shown in FIGS. 25A through 25C.
As shown in FIG. 25A, when an axial member 201 having a circular cylindrical shape is to be welded to a holder member 200 in the conventional rolled-print-medium holder device, first of all, the axial member 201 is inserted and fitted into a space portion 203 formed by a circular cylindrical wall 202 that is formed in the holder member 200, up until leading end portions of welding ribs 205 and 206 that are formed on a leading end surface 204 thereof come into contact with a weld surface 207 of the holder member 200, as shown in FIG. 25A.
As shown in FIG. 25B, ultrasonic vibrations are subsequently applied thereto with the components in this inserted state, so that the leading end portions of each of the welding ribs 205 and 206 touching the weld surface 207 are melted by frictional heat. When that happens, the welding ribs 205 and 206 melt gradually, starting from peak portions thereof, to form melted resin portions 208 and 209 (FIG. 25C), and the melted resin portions 208 and 209 will fill the gaps between the welding ribs 205 and 206 and the weld surface 207.
Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 25C, the welding ribs 205 and 206 are completely melted, and the leading end surface 204 and the weld surface 207 are welded by the melted resin portions 208 and 209.


A color negative photographic element is disclosed that is constructed with the following layer unit coating sequence, starting with the support: slower red, slower green, slower blue, faster red, faster green and faster blue. A surprising enhancement in speed is realized when color development is undertaken in a time (S) ranging from 15 to 110 seconds and a development temperature (T) ranging from 40 to 65.degree. C., development time and temperature being chosen to satisfy the relationship: EQU (T)(log S).gtoreq.75.

Color negative photographic elements are conventionally formed with superimposed red, green and blue recording layer units coated on a support. The red, green and blue recording layer units contain radiation-sensitive silver halide emulsions that form a latent image in response to red, green and blue light, respectively. Additionally, the red recording layer unit contains a cyan dye image-forming coupler, the green recording layer unit contains a magenta dye image-forming coupler, and the blue recording layer unit contains a yellow dye image-forming coupler. Following imagewise exposure, the color negative photographic elements are processed in a color developer, which contains a color developing agent that is oxidized while selectively reducing to silver latent image bearing silver halide grains. The oxidized color developing agent then reacts with the dye image-forming coupler in the vicinity of the developed grains to produce a dye image. Cyan (red-absorbing), magenta (green-absorbing) and yellow (blue-absorbing) dye images are formed in the red, green and blue recording layer units respectively. Subsequently the element is bleached (i.e., developed silver is converted back to silver halide) to eliminate neutral density attributable to developed silver and then fixed (i.e., silver halide is removed) to provide stability during subsequent room light handling.
Systems for processing color negative photographic elements are included among those disclosed in Research Disclosure, Item 38957, XVIII. Chemical development systems. Color developing agents are included among developing agents disclosed in Item 38957, XIX. Development, A. Developing Agents.
A type of color negative processing that is widely used is the Kodak Flexicolor.TM. color negative process. Since minor adjustments of the C-41 process are undertaken from time to time, the following detailed description is provided:
______________________________________ Develop 3'15" Developer 37.8.degree. C. Bleach 4' Bleach 37.8.degree. C. Wash 3' 35.5.degree. C. Fix 4' Fixer 37.8.degree. C. Wash 3' 35.5.degree. C. Rinse 1' Rinse 37.8.degree. C. ______________________________________ Developer Water 800.0 mL Potassium Carbonate, anhydrous 34.30 g Potassium bicarbonate 2.32 g Sodium sulfite, anhydrous 0.38 g Sodium metabisulfite 2.96 g Potassium Iodide 1.20 mg Sodium Bromide 1.31 g Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid 8.43 g pentasodium salt (40% soln) Hydroxylamine sulfate 2.41 g N-(4-amino-3-methylphenyl)-N-ethyl- 4.52 g 2-aminoethanol Water to make 1.0 L pH @ 26.7.degree. C. 10.00 +/- 0.05 Bleach Water 500.0 mL 1,3-Propylenediamine tetra- 37.4 g acetic acid 57% Ammonium hydroxide 70.0 mL Acetic acid 80.0 mL 2-Hydroxy-1,3-propylenediamine 0.8 g tetraacetic acid Ammonium Bromide 25.0 g Ferric nitrate nonahydrate 44.85 g Water to make 1.0 L pH 4.75 Fix Water 500.0 mL Ammonium Thiosulfate (58% solution) 214.0 g (Ethlenedinitrilo)tetraacetic acid 1.29 g disodium salt, dihydrate Sodium metabisulfite 11.0 g Sodium Hydroxide (50% solution) 4.70 g Water to make 1.0 L pH at 26.7.degree. C. 6.5 +/.+-. 0.15 Rinse Water 900.0 mL 0.5% Aqueous p-tertiary-octyl-(.alpha.- 3.0 mL phenoxypolyethyl)alcohol Water to make 1.0 L ______________________________________
When processing is conducted as noted above, negative dye images are produced. To produce a viewable positive dye image and hence to produce a visual approximation of the hues of the subject photographed, white light is typically passed through the color negative image to expose a second color photographic element having red, green and blue recording layer units as described above, usually coated on a white reflective support. The second element is commonly referred to as a color print element, and the process of exposing the color print element through the image bearing color negative element is commonly referred to as printing. Processing of the color print element as described above produces a viewable positive image that approximates that of the subject originally photographed.
Whereas color print elements are exposed using a controlled light source, a color negative element must function under a variety of lighting conditions. When light available during exposure is marginal, increased sensitivity of the color negative elements greatly increases the opportunities for capture of pleasing and superior quality photographic images.
Color negative photographic elements that employ a single red recording emulsion layer, a single green recording emulsion layer, and a single blue recording emulsion layer are commonly referred to as "single coated". It has been long recognized that an improved speed-granularity relationship can be realized in color negative elements by dividing each of the red, green and blue recording layer units into layer units differing in speed. Color negative photographic elements having layer units divided into two layer units for recording in the same region of the spectrum are commonly referred to as "double coated". Color negative photographic elements having layer units divided into three layer units for recording in the same region of the spectrum are commonly referred to as "triple coated".
Once a light recording dye image-forming layer unit is divided into two or three layer units differing in speed for recording light in the same region of the spectrum, the opportunity is created for modifying imaging performance by varying the sequence in which the layer units are coated.
A widely used triple coated color negative photographic element layer unit sequence, Type A, is illustrated by the following triple coated layer arrangement:
______________________________________ Type A ______________________________________ Protective Layer Unit Fast Blue Recording Layer Unit Intermediate Blue Recording Layer Unit Slow Blue Recording Layer Unit Fast Green Recording Layer Unit Intermediate Green Recording Layer Unit Slow Green Recording Layer Unit Fast Red Recording Layer Unit Intermediate Red Recording Layer Unit Slow Red Recording Layer Unit Support ______________________________________
The Type A layer arrangement is preserved when the intermediate speed layer units are omitted to form a double coated structure. An advantage of the Type A layer sequence is that by coating all of the blue recording layer units together, all of the green recording layer units together, and all of the red recording layer units together protection against color contamination of the layer units is simplified. For example, this allows a filter layer to be interposed between the slow blue and fast green layer units to protect all of the minus blue (green or red) recording layer units from blue light exposure without reducing blue speed. It also reduces the risk of oxidized developing agent wandering from a layer unit for recording in one spectral region to a layer unit for recording in another spectral region. Typically, two interlayers containing oxidized developing agent scavenger are provided, one located between the fast red and slow green layer units and another located between the fast green and slow blue recording layer units.
The protective layer unit protects the element physically and provides a convenient location for addenda that modify physical properties. An antihalation layer unit, not shown, but almost always included, can be interposed between the slow red recording layer unit or coated on the opposite (back) side of the support. Except for dividing each of the light-recording layer units into multiple layer units, the Type A layer sequence does not differ from that of a single coated color negative element.
A common variation of the Type A layer unit sequence is the Type B layer unit sequence, commonly referred to as the "inverted magenta" layer sequence:
______________________________________ Type B ______________________________________ Protective Layer Unit Fast Blue Recording Layer Unit Intermediate Blue Recording Layer Unit Slow Blue Recording Layer Unit Fast Green Recording Layer Unit Fast Red Recording Layer Unit Intermediate Green Recording Layer Unit Intermediate Red Recording Layer Unit Slow Green Recording Layer Unit Slow Red Recording Layer Unit Support ______________________________________
The Type B layer arrangement is preserved when the intermediate speed layer units are omitted to form a double coated structure. In the Type B arrangement the fast, intermediate and slow red recording layer units are each coated immediately below the corresponding fast, intermediate and slow green recording layer units. This improves the red exposure record and, on balance, improves the overall performance of the color photographic element. A larger number of interlayers are employed when it is undertaken to locate oxidized color developing agent scavenger between layer units that record in different regions of the spectrum to reduce color contamination. This has not, however, precluded use of the Type B layer unit arrangement. The protective and antihalation layer units are unaffected by the inverted magenta layer unit sequence. The inverted magenta layer unit sequence was first disclosed in Eeles et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,876 in a double coated format.
One of the advantages of Type A and Type B layer sequences is that all of the blue recording layer units are located to receive exposing radiation prior to the minus blue recording layer units. This allows a yellow filter dye to be placed in an interlayer between the blue and minus blue recording layer units to protect the latter from color contamination caused by native blue sensitivity of the minus blue recording layer units.
Over the years many alternative layer coating sequences of layer units have been mentioned, although very few have found actual use. Research Disclosure, Vol 389, September 1996, Item 38957, XI. Layers and layer arrangements, illustrate various alternatives.
It is a customary practice to place all of the blue recording layer units farther from the support than the green and red recording layer units. This allows a yellow filter to be placed between the blue and minus blue recording layer units, thereby protecting the latter from blue light contamination attributable to native blue sensitivity of the silver halide grains present in the minus blue recording layer units. Kofron et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,520 discloses alternative layer unit sequences in which green and/or red recording layer units are coated to receive exposing radiation prior to at least one of the blue recording layer units. These arrangements are disclosed by Kofron et al to be unexpectedly free of blue light contamination of minus blue color records by the lower ratio of native blue to minus blue speed of substantially optimally sensitized high aspect ratio tabular grain emulsions.
Sowinski et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,715 teaches that color negative photographic elements containing tabular grain emulsions with a tabularity (T) in at least one layer unit of 50 or higher and a total imaging unit thickness of less than about 4.0 .mu.m exhibit increased sharpness and reduced color contamination. The Kodak Flexicolor.TM. color negative process described above is employed. Double coated Type A layer arrangements are disclosed.

Color development process that results in high observed speeds


A method of controlling gloss of an image includes applying an overcoat composition of at least one gellant, at least one curable monomer, at least one curable wax and optionally at least one photoinitiator over a substrate, wherein the overcoat composition is curable upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation; following the applying of the overcoat composition and prior to curing the overcoat composition by applying ultraviolet radiation, applying heat to heat the applied overcoat composition to a temperature of at least 35° C.; and subsequent to the applying heat, applying ultraviolet radiation to the overcoat composition to substantially cure the overcoat composition.

Described herein are methods of controlling gloss of an image using a UV curable overcoat, including applying heat to the overcoat following application but prior to UV curing of the overcoat. The UV curable overcoat includes a gellant and a curable wax component.
The UV curable overcoat method provides several advantages, including providing image permanence to an underlying image, and simultaneously permitting the gloss of the image to be controlled by the use of heat prior to UV curing, and optionally also by the amount of curable wax in the overcoat composition and/or the amount of overcoat composition applied to a substrate. Other advantages will be apparent from the description herein.
As digital color production printers continue to enter commercial printing markets, image permanence and document offset in images formed with such printers are issues that are being researched for continued improvement. A typical approach to attempting to improve image permanence and document offset is to apply an overcoat or overprint varnish. A variety of overcoat compositions are known, including oil-based compositions, aqueous-based compositions, and the like. For digital color production printers, it may be desirable to utilize an overcoat that may be applied in a digital fashion, for example via ink jet.
Besides image permanence and document offset, an overcoat composition may also affect gloss of the image. Often, an overcoat composition can adversely affect the gloss, for example by altering the gloss from a desired gloss for the image, typically making the image have a more matte appearance.
What is desired is a UV curable overcoat, capable of being digitally applied, that can be used to provide not only image permanence, but also to provide control over the gloss of the image.

Method of controlling gloss in UV curable overcoat compostitions


A device measures one or more of a distance from an eye of a subject, a blink of the eye, and lighting adjacent to the subject, calculates automated red eye removal settings based on one or more of the measured distance, blink, and lighting, automatically removes red eye from an image of the subject based on the calculated automated red eye removal settings, captures the image of the subject, and stores the captured image.

Images may be captured by a variety of consumer electronic devices, such as mobile communication devices (e.g., cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc.), cameras (e.g., contemporary cameras or digital cameras), video cameras, etc. Many times, captured images of eyes of a subject (e.g., a person, an animal, etc.) may be ruined due to red-eye effect (or "red eye"). The red-eye effect is the appearance of red eyes in images captured using a flash device or flash. Light from the flash occurs too fast for the iris of the eye to close the pupil. Light is passed through a blood-rich area (called the choroid) alongside the iris and then strikes the retina. Some of the light is reflected back out through the iris, and a captured image records this reflected red light, which has passed twice through the reddish choroid. The red-eye effect may include color variations of the reflected light from species to species (e.g., cats may display blue, yellow, pink, or green eyes in images captured with flash).


A system for determining property of multiphase fluids based on ultrasonic diffraction grating spectroscopy includes a diffraction grating on a solid in contact with the fluid. An interrogation device delivers ultrasound through the solid and a captures a reflection spectrum from the diffraction grating. The reflection spectrum exhibits peaks whose relative size depends on the properties of the various phases of the multiphase fluid. For example, for particles in a liquid, the peaks exhibit dependence on the particle size and the particle volume fraction. Where the exact relationship is know know a priori, data from different peaks of the same reflection spectrum or data from the peaks of different spectra obtained from different diffraction gratings can be used to resolve the size and volume fraction.

The present invention relates to fluid analysis and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to the determination of fluid properties by detecting ultrasound reflected from a diffraction grating.
Fluids are encountered in a wide variety of industrial applications, and there is a continual need to determine properties of those fluids. Ultrasound based sensors have been developed for a variety of industrial applications, but there continues to be a need to develop improved sensors and sensor techniques for determining fluid properties. In particular there is a need for sensing systems and techniques that are accurate, reliable, cost effective and can be implemented in a wide variety of industrial applications. The present invention is addressed to these needs and provides novel systems and techniques for determining fluid properties utilizing ultrasonic diffraction grating spectroscopy. In particular embodiments, the present invention may be used in characterizing multiphase fluids, for example solid liquid mixtures, such as slurries, suspensions and the like.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and technique for characterizing fluids using ultrasonic diffraction grating spectroscopy


Long and short exposure time pixel information are input to pixel information. A long exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a long time and a short exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a short time are generated. A point spread function corresponding to the long exposure time image is computed as a long exposure time image PSF. A corrected image is generated using the short exposure time image, the long exposure time image, and the long exposure time image PSF. The corrected image is generated as a wide dynamic range image utilizing the pixel information for the long and short exposure time image. Utilizing the pixel information for the short exposure time image with little blurring, makes the corrected image a high quality corrected image with little blurring.

The present disclosure relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and a program. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and a program that generate an image with a dynamic range that is wide.
A solid image capture element that is used in a video camera or a digital still camera, such as a CCD image sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor, accumulates an electrical charge that corresponds to the amount of incident light and performs a photoelectric conversion that outputs an electrical signal that corresponds to the accumulated electrical charge. However, there is an upper limit to the amount of the electrical charge that is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, and when more than a fixed amount of light is received, the amount of the accumulated electrical charge reaches a saturation level, such that what are called blown out highlights, which are set at a saturated brightness level, occur in regions of the photographic subject where the brightness is greater than a fixed value.
In order to prevent this sort of phenomenon from occurring, processing is performed that adjusts the exposure time by controlling the period during which the electrical charge is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, in accordance with variations in the outside light and the like, and that also adjusts the sensitivity to an optimum value. For example, for a bright subject, the exposure time is shortened by using a faster shutter speed, shortening the period during which the electrical charge is accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, and the electrical signal is output before the amount of the accumulated electrical charge reaches the saturation level. This sort of processing makes it possible to output an image that accurately reproduces the gray-scale levels of the subject.
However, in capturing an image of a subject that has a mixture of bright regions and dark regions, using a fast shutter speed means that the exposure time will not be sufficient for the dark portions, so the signal-to-noise ratio worsens, and the image quality deteriorates. In order to accurately reproduce the brightness levels of the bright portions and the dark portions in a captured image of a subject that has a mixture of bright regions and dark regions, processing must be performed that increases the exposure time and achieves a high signal-to-noise ratio for the image sensor pixels where the amount of the incident light is low and that avoids saturation in the pixels where the amount of the incident light is high.
As a technique for implementing this sort of processing, a technique is known that sequentially captures and combines a plurality of images with different exposure times. Specifically, an image with a long exposure time and an image with a short exposure time are captured separately in sequence. The technique generates a single image by performing combining processing that uses the long exposure time image for the dark image regions and uses the short exposure time image for the bright image regions where the highlights are blown out in the long exposure time image. Combining a plurality of images with different exposures in this manner makes it possible produce an image with a dynamic range that is wide and in which there are no blown out highlights, that is, a wide dynamic range image (a high dynamic range (HDR) image).
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2008-99158 discloses a configuration that produces a wide dynamic range image by combining a plurality of images with different amounts of exposure. The processing will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. An image capture element, in capturing moving images, for example, outputs image data for two different exposure times within a video rate (30 to 60 fps). In capturing still images, too, the image data are generated for two different exposure times and output. FIG. 1 is a figure that explains characteristics of images (a long exposure time image, a short exposure time image) that the image capture element generates and that have two different exposure times. The horizontal axis is time (t), and the vertical axis is an accumulated electrical charge (e) in a light-receiving photo diode (PD) that configures a photoelectric conversion element that corresponds to one pixel of a solid image capture element.
For example, in a case where the amount of light that the light-receiving photo diode (PD) is large, that is, where it corresponds to a bright subject, the accumulated electrical charge increases rapidly as time elapses, as shown in a high brightness region 11 that is shown in FIG. 1. In contrast, in a case where the amount of light that the light-receiving photo diode (PD) is small, that is, where it corresponds to a dark subject, the accumulated electrical charge increases slowly as time elapses, as shown in a low brightness region 12 that is shown in FIG. 1.
The time from t0 to t3 is equivalent to an exposure time TL for acquiring the long exposure time image. The line that is shown in the low brightness region 12 shows that the accumulated electrical charge at the time t3, even as the long exposure time TL, has not reached the saturation level (unsaturated point Py), and an accurate gray-scale expression can be produced according to the gray level of the pixel that is set using an electrical signal that is produced based on the accumulated electrical charge (Sa).
However, the line that is shown in the high brightness region 11 clearly indicates that the accumulated electrical charge has already reached the saturation level (saturated point Px) before it reaches the time t3. Therefore, in the high brightness region 11, only a pixel value that corresponds to an electrical signal at the saturation level is produced from the long exposure time image, resulting in a pixel that is blown out.
Accordingly, in the high brightness region 11, the accumulated electrical charge is swept out of the light-receiving photo diode (PD) once before the time t3 is reached, for example, at a time t1 (a charge sweeping starting point P1) that is shown in FIG. 1. The charge sweeping does not sweep out the entire accumulated electrical charge in the light-receiving photo diode (PD), but sweeps it down to an intermediate voltage hold level that is controlled by the photo diode (PD). After the charge sweeping processing, the light-receiving photo diode (PD) is once again exposed to light for a short time that is defined as an exposure time TS (from t2 to t3 ). That is, a short time exposure is made for the period from a short exposure time starting point P2 to a short exposure time ending point P3, which are both shown in FIG. 1. An accumulated electrical charge (Sb) is produced by the short time exposure, and the gray level of the pixel is set using an electrical signal that is produced based on the accumulated electrical charge (Sb).
Note that in the setting of the pixel value using the electrical signal that is based on the accumulated electrical charge (Sa) that is produced by the long time exposure in the low brightness region 12 and using the electrical signal that is based on the accumulated electrical charge (Sb) that is produced by the short time exposure in the high brightness region 11, an estimated accumulated electrical charge is computed for a case in which the exposure times are the same in the two regions, an electrical signal output value that corresponds to the estimated accumulated electrical charge is computed, and the pixel value is set based on the results of the computations.
Combining the short exposure time image and the long exposure time image in this manner makes it possible to produce an image that has no blown out highlights and a dynamic range that is wide.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2000-50151 discloses a configuration that captures a plurality of images with different amounts of exposure, in the same manner as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2008-99158, and in the performing of the combining processing, inhibits the occurrence of false color that is associated with the combining by comparing the plurality of the images with the different amounts of exposure, specifying a pixel region where there is movement, and performing correction.
However, with the configurations that are described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2008-99158 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2000-50151, it is necessary to capture the long exposure time image and the short exposure time image individually and perform the processing that combines them.
In this manner, using a plurality of images for which the exposure times have been changed makes it possible to produce the wide dynamic range image (the high dynamic range (HDR) image), but the problems that are described below, for example, occur in the processing that is based on the plurality of the images.
First problem: The image capture must be performed a plurality of times.
Second problem: A plurality of images that have been captured at different times are combined, and captured image data with long exposure times are used, so the process is vulnerable to the effects of camera instability.
Known technologies for solving these problems include the known technologies described below, for example.
Technique for Solving First Problem
The pixels within a single solid image capture element are set in two types of exposure patterns, that is, pixels with two different types of exposure time control, pixels that are exposed for a short time, and pixels that are exposed for a long time. This processing makes it possible to capture images with the short time exposure and the long time exposure pixels almost simultaneously.
For example, this sort of configuration is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2006-311240 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2006-253876.
However, with these configurations, there is a problem in that the exposure times vary from one pixel to the next, so the long exposure time pixels are more susceptible to blurring than the short exposure time pixels, and it is difficult to completely eliminate the effects of camera instability.
Technique for Solving Second Problem
For example, "SIGGRAPH 2007: Image Deblurring with Blurred/Noisy Image Pairs" proposes a technique for producing a high-quality image from a short exposure time image with a lot of noise and a long exposure time image that has blurring. However, even with the disclosed technique, it is necessary to perform image capture twice, once with a short exposure time and once with a long exposure time.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2010-109948 proposes a technique that, by estimating an amount of movement based on a plurality of images, corrects blurring in a captured image that has been captured with a wide dynamic range.
Furthermore, in "Coded Rolling Shutter Photography: Flexible Space-Time Sampling (ICCP2010)," a technique is disclosed that simultaneously performs image stabilization and processing that combines wide dynamic range images (HDR combining), based on image data that have been captured by varying the exposure times within a single solid image capture element one line at a time.
However, in order for the amount of blurring to be estimated when the exposure times are varied one line at a time, the image must be captured by combining pixels with at least three different exposure times, giving rise to a problem of blurring in the vertical direction. Moreover, the technique here described involves processing of an image after demosaicing, in which the RGB values have been set for each of the pixel positions, so a color array such as a Bayer array or the like is not taken into consideration.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A 2010-62785 proposes a technique that, by implementing a control method for the solid image capture element, intermittently captures images with short exposure times while a long exposure time image is being captured. However, there is a problem in that the short exposure time image capture must be performed a plurality of times, which makes the control more complicated.

Image processing including image correction


A creeper for underneath an automobile dashboard including a platform, a pair of wheels, and a vertical support. The pair of wheels has a right wheel and a left wheel. The pair of wheels is disposed on a bottom surface of the platform proximal a front surface of the platform. The vertical support is continuously disposed on the bottom surface of the platform from proximal a right surface of the platform to proximal a left surface of the platform. The vertical support is disposed proximal a back surface of the platform. A width of the platform substantially conforms to a length of a footwell in a front seat of an automobile.

Various types of creepers are known in the prior art. However, what has been needed is a creeper for underneath an automobile dashboard including a platform, a pair of wheels having a right wheel and a left wheel, and a vertical support. What has also been needed is for the pair of wheels to be disposed on a bottom surface of the platform proximal the front surface, with each of the right wheel and the left wheel disposed proximal a right surface and a left surface, respectively. Lastly, what has been needed is for the vertical support to be continuously disposed on the bottom surface of the platform from proximal the right surface to proximal the left surface. The platform has a width that substantially conforms to a length of a footwell in a front seat of an automobile. The creeper for underneath an automobile dashboard thus allows a user to secure the vertical support and a section of the platform within a footwell of an automobile so that the user can easily and comfortably perform work under the dashboard of the automobile while lying on the platform.

Creeper for underneath an automobile dashboard