The invention relates to a gear shifting device (2) comprising a single-rod gear shifting system in a housing of a motor vehicle manual gearbox. Said device comprises a central gearshift shaft (32) and fork-type gear shifting elements in the form of gear shifting swinging forks or gear shifting forks (4, 6, 8, 10) which are optionally and individually engaged with the gearshift shaft (32) by rotating the same (32), and which carry out a gear shift of the selected gear shifting element by means of displacement of the gearshift shaft (32) along a rotational axis (34) of said gearshift shaft (32). Said gear shifting device (2) comprises a first element (58, 60) which is connected to the gearshift shaft (32) and which co-operates with a second element (62) fixed in the housing, in order to define the rotation of the gearshift shaft (32). The second element (32) fixed in the housing comprises a number of slits (66) of a defined width, corresponding to the number of gear shifting passages, said slits co-operating with two pins (58, 60) which are arranged on the gearshift shaft (32) and which form the first element. Each one of said pins (58, 60) engages in the slit (66) corresponding to the respective gear shifting passage during the rotation of the gearshift shaft (32), when one of the gear steps is positioned in the selected gear shifting passage.

A one-shaft switching device for a vehicle manual shift gearbox with fork-like shifting arms engaging in sliding sleeves can be pivoted, via at least one disengaging shaft, around parallel pivot bearings from its neutral position into shifting positions, and stationary locking devices in the gearbox housing are equipped with locking grooves in the form of locking shifting arms fastened to the shifting arms and cooperate in such a way that the remaining shifting arms remain locked in their neutral position if one shifting arm is pivoted into a gear position, is known from the Applicant's DE-A 199 51 683. The disengaging shaft positioned parallel to the wheel set actuates the shifting forks or the shifting arms when the gears are shifted. The gear to be shifted is selected when the switching finger of the disengaging shaft is located in a carrier of the switching fork or the shifting arm to be shifted. If a gear is shifted, the shift fingers of the neighboring shifting forks or shifting arms that are not shifted are located below or above the carriers of the shifting fork or the shifting arms. The potential shifting latitude results from the clearance of the shift finger and the carriers of the non-shifted gears. Chamfers at the shift finger of the disengaging shaft and at the carriers of the shifting forks and the shifting arms determine the schematic at the gearshift.
In addition, a switchgear with a disengaging shaft is known from DE-A 198 59 482 that is held in a sliding position in the axial direction and pivotally in its circumferential direction and is equipped with a lever. A plurality of carriers connected with the shifting arms or shifting forks are arranged so as to slide in the axial direction on the disengaging shaft. The disengaging shaft is rotated in the circumferential direction with an actuation lever connected to the disengaging shaft in order to engage the lever at the disengaging shaft, if so desired, with one of the carriers. The disengaging shaft can be moved by the actuation lever in order to move the engaged carrier by means of the lever at the disengaging shaft, so that such an actuation of the disengaging shaft shifts the gears. Located on the disengaging shaft, a first element cooperates with a second element that is fastened on the housing. A groove is provided in one of the elements, which is engaged with the other element in such a way that the movement of the disengaging shaft is defined by the selected direction. The necessary component expenditure for the formation of such a setting is great. Furthermore, an additional array of elements must be provided at the disengaging shaft that has an effect on the length of the disengaging shaft.
The invention is based on the task to provide a switchgear with a setting for the definition of a selected movement that avoids the existing disadvantages.

Single-rod gear shifting system for a manual gearbox for a motor vehicle


A system determines bandwidth use by queues in a network device. To do this, the system determines an instantaneous amount of bandwidth used by each of the queues and an average amount of bandwidth used by each of the queues. The system then identifies bandwidth use by each of the queues based on the instantaneous bandwidth used and the average bandwidth used by each of the queues.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to congestion control during data transfer and, more particularly, to systems and methods for determining the amount of bandwidth used by a queue.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional network devices, such as routers, relay streams of data through a network from a source to a destination. Typically, the network devices include one or more memory subsystems to temporarily buffer data while the network devices perform network-related functions, such as route processing or accounting.
A data stream may be considered a pipe of data packets belonging to a communication between a particular source and one or more particular destinations. A network device may assign a variable number of queues (e.g., where a queue may be considered a logical first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer) to a data stream. For a stream with n queues, the relationship of queues and streams may be represented by:
      stream    bandwidth    =            ∑      0              n        -        1                                                  queue        bandwidth            .      In other words, the queues belonging to a stream share the entire bandwidth of the stream. Each of the queues may be allocated a portion of the stream's bandwidth.
It is sometimes necessary to determine how much of the bandwidth allocated to a queue is actually used by the queue, such as for congestion control purposes. A conventional technique to determine bandwidth use involves determining the amount of data enqueued at any given time. A problem with this technique, however, is that such determinations are often inefficient.
As a result, there is a need for systems and methods for efficiently determining bandwidth use by queues in a network device.

Systems and methods for determining the bandwidth used by a queue


A random access memory circuit is described which uses single ferroelectric memory cells to store data. The ferroelectric memory cells can be selectively read using reference cells to generate a reference voltage which is compared to a voltage representative of data stored on the memory cell using a multiplexed sense amplifier. In using two ferroelectric reference cells in which one contains a logical 0 polarization, and the other contains a logical 1 polarization, a single-ended reference voltage can be generated on a reference bit line. A ferroelectric memory cell can then be read by comparing the voltage on its corresponding bit line to the reference bit line using the sense amplifier. The content of the memory cell being read and the content of the reference cells can be rewritten on the same clock cycles to save on access time.

Placing ferroelectric material between the plates of a capacitor on a semiconductor substrate causes the capacitor to exhibit a memory effect in the form of charge polarization between the plates of the capacitor. In effect, when the capacitor is charged with the field lines running in one direction across the capacitor plates, a residual charge polarization remains after the charge is removed from the capacitor plates. If an opposite charge is placed on the capacitor plates, an opposite residual polarization remains. A plot of the applied field voltage (E) across the plates of the capacitor against the polarization (P) of the ferroelectric material between the plates of the capacitor exhibits a classic hysteresis curve as shown in FIG. 1. This type of hysteresis response of ferroelectric material between the plates of the capacitor manufactured on a semiconductor die as known in the art and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,664 to Eaton Jr., which is incorporated herein by reference.
Using ferroelectric material in the manufacture of capacitors for use in the cells of memory arrays is also known in the art. By applying a coercive voltage across the plates of the ferroelectric capacitor to produce one polarization or another, the residual polarization stores a nonvolatile 1 or 0 in the cell. If a ferroelectric capacitor has zero volts applied across its plates, it may be polarized as indicated by either point A or point D in FIG. 1. Assuming that the polarization is at point A, if a positive voltage is applied across the capacitor which is greater than the "coercive voltage" indicated by line B, then the capacitor will conduct current and move to a new polarization at point C. When the voltage across the capacitor returns to zero, the polarization will remain the same and move to point D. If a positive voltage is applied across the capacitor when it is polarized at point D, the capacitor will not conduct current, but will move to point C. It can be seen that a negative potential can be used to change the polarization of a capacitor from point D to point A. Therefore, points A and D can represent two logic states occurring when zero volts are applied to the capacitor and which depend upon the history of voltage applied to the capacitor.
The reading of the polarization of the ferroelectric capacitor can be a destructive read in which a pulse is applied to the ferroelectric capacitor and the amount of resultant charge is either low if the pulse polarity agreed with the previous memorization polarity, or the resultant charge is higher if the charge polarity placed on the capacitor is of the opposite polarity last placed across the plates of the capacitor. This minute difference between an agreeable charge and an opposite charge can be measured to determine what the previous polarization on the ferroelectric capacitor was as it was last written. If a large charge results from reading a memory cell, the memory cell polarization will move from one state to the other state, for example point A to Point D. Thus, the data read from the memory cell must be restored.
The fact that the ferroelectric capacitors require a destructive read to determine the last polarization, and the fact that the resultant charge differences of the ferroelectric capacitor between an agreeable applied pulse and an opposite applied pulse make the technique of reading and writing ferroelectric memories a difficult task. The benefit of having a nonvolatile memory in which stored data remains without any battery backup or other external application of power is of great use in the computer and control industries. However, for any such nonvolatile memories to be of any use, the memories must be of a high enough density and must have a fast enough response time to make them commercially more attractive than battery backed up DRAM, mechanical disk storage and other types of nonvolatile storage.
One of the shortcomings of the prior ant is the fact tat the ferroelectric capacitors age through use, producing distinctly nonlinear hysteresis curves such as that shown in FIG. 2. Thus, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine the correct polarization of the cells as they age. For example, if a memory cell fabricated as a ferroelectric capacitor is polarized at point A in FIG. 2, a positive voltage greater the coercive voltage B will move the polarization of the cell to point C. When moving from point A to point C the capacitor will conduct current. When reading a memory cell having polarity of point D using a positive voltage, however, a current is also conducted as the polarity moves to point C. The differences between the resultant currents of the two different states of the capacitor, therefore, becomes smaller as the capacitor ages. It will be appreciated that reading a memory cell having a hysteresis curve of FIG. 2 will be more difficult than reading a memory cell having an ideal hysteresis curve of FIG. 1.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is the inability to produce high density ferroelectric memories having high operating speeds comparable to that of DRAM storage devices. Along these lines, the aforementioned Eaton Jr. patent describes the application of ferroelectric capacitors to high density memory storage, as shown in FIG. 3. In this arrangement, each memory storage cell comprises a pair of ferroelectric capacitors and a pair of access transistor. One plate of the pair of ferroelectric capacitors is connected to a plate line, while the other plates of the ferroelectric capacitor are connected through access transistors to separate bit lines. In operation, a momentary voltage pulse is placed on the ferroelectric capacitors between the bit lines and the plate line to polarize the ferroelectric material of the two ferroelectric capacitors, resulting in a polarization of one direction for one capacitor and an opposite polarization for the second ferroelectric capacitor.
Eaton Jr. takes this concept a step further by using a regular array of ferroelectric capacitors, whereby each cell contains two ferroelectric capacitors and two access transistors. The ferroelectric capacitors within each memory cell receives complementary input signals such that the ferroelectric capacitors are polarized in opposite states to indicate a 1 or a 0. When the pairs of capacitors for each cell are read, a resulting voltage on the bit lines, which result from applying a pulse on a plate line, is compared using a differential sense amplifier to compare the voltages on the bit lines and thus determine the polarity on the ferroelectric capacitors within the cell.
The disadvantage of the above approach is that Eaton Jr. requires that each cell contain at least two transistors and two ferroelectric capacitors. This approach takes up a large area of the chip for implementation, which limits the overall density of a memory array.
An improvement on the Eaton Jr. et al. approach is found in U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 08/175,923 entited "REFERENCE CIRCUIT FOR A NONVOLATILE FERROELECTRIC MEMORY" to Lowry et al. This patent application is assigned to the same assignee as the present patent application. It is not prior art. This improvement for ferroelectric memory designs from Lowry et al. describes an array of memory cells in which each cell comprises a single ferroelectric capacitor and a single access transistor. The cells are arranged in a regular array such that common word lines and common plate lines are used to access rows of ferroelectric capacitor cells. The Lowry et al. patent application describes a folded bit line architecture in which bit lines for adjacent columns have staggered cells, such that a word line (WL) from one row does not activate memory cells 80 on adjacent bit lines, as seen in FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that the plate lines PL0 and PL1 can be combined as one common plate. In the Lowry et al. patent application, the result is an active bit line (BL) for one column, and an inactive bit line for an adjacent column when the word line and plate lines are activated for reading or writing a particular ferroelectric memory cell. With an adjacent inactive bit line, the unused bit line is available for attachment to a single-ended reference circuit 90 using a reference decoder 92. The single-ended reference circuit of Lowry et al. allows for placing a highly accurate voltage on the adjacent unused bit line, which can be used by the sense amplifier 94 to compare to any active bit line to determine the state of the ferroelectric capacitor, when the plate line is pulsed. U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 08/175,923 to Lowry et al. is hereby incorporated by reference.
Still lacking in the industry is a ferroelectric memory cell array using a RAM architecture which uses ferroelectric reference cells to produce a reference voltage for reading the ferroelectric memory cells.

Ferroelectric memory using ferroelectric reference cells


The object of the present invention is to generate automatically a color design for a display object to be displayed on a computer graphics screen. In order to achieve this object, the computer program product of the present invention is a computer program product wherein a computer program for causing a computer system to execute processing for automatically generating a color design for a display object to be displayed on a screen is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, the computer program implementing: an input step of receiving specification of colors constituting a first color design for the display object; a converting step of converting the colors specified at the input step to other colors, in accordance with a previously determined color converting rule; and a step of creating an association for the colors obtained in the converting step, as colors constituting a second color design for the display object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to color design generation technology for display images which are displayed on a computer graphics screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No.2001-749, there is known a computer system which performs a soccer game, in a virtual fashion, in response to input operations performed by a user. In a conventional soccer game, the coloring of the uniform worn by the characters simulating soccer players is previously determined, and there has been no provision whereby a user can determine the design of the uniform, but with the contemporary demands in recent years for greater diversification of games and increased added value, system designs which reflect the individual personality of the user have been developed. For example, it is possible to play a soccer game using a team uniform of which the colors have been designed freely by the user, by providing a program which enables a uniform edit mode to be executed, separately from the basic game processing.
However, in actual soccer competitions, it is common for a color design to be implemented whereby there is a difference in coloring between the uniform that a team wears when playing at its home ground (home uniform) and the uniform that it wears when playing at an away ground (away uniform). This is because confusion will occur between the players, causing an obstruction to the playing of the game, if the respective opposing teams have similar color designs in their playing uniforms. Consequently, in a soccer game using a computer system also, similarly to an actual soccer competition, it is necessary to change between a color design for the home uniform and a color design for the away uniform, in such a manner that the respective teams can be told apart, visually.
Moreover, although it has been considered that a user should be able freely to design the home uniform and the away uniform, since the user is able to design the uniform freely, it can be envisaged that he or she may use a similar color scheme for both designs, thus giving rise to situations where a distinction cannot be made readily between the home uniform and the away uniform. Furthermore, if two teams having designs using similar types of color in this way play against each other, then it will not be possible to distinguish between them, even if one of the teams is changed to an away uniform.
Problems of this kind are not limited to soccer games, but may also occur in other games where the user is able freely to edit the color design of the game characters. For example, in addition to team sports such as a soccer match, this problem may also apply to competitive games in which characters compete with each other, role playing games in which characters have encounters inside a virtual space, and the like.

Computer program product and computer system


A system and method for facilitating play of a poker game utilizing dealer qualification criteria that impact the manner in which the game proceeds. The player(s) and dealer ante, and starting hands are dealt to the player(s) and dealer. The player may fold and lose the ante, or place a bet. The dealer's starting hand must meet qualifying criteria, such as a particular poker rank. If it does not, the dealer does not qualify, and the player(s) win the dealer's ante amount. If the dealer's starting hand qualifies, the dealer calls the players' bets, and deals a community hand. Using their respective starting hands and the community hand, each of the players and the dealer arrives at a resulting hand. If a player's resulting hand beats the dealer's based on poker rank, that player wins. Multiple betting options and/or multiple dealer qualification criteria may be implemented to enhance gaming entertainment.

Card games such as poker have long been enjoyed by people as a means for entertainment. The popularity of casino gambling with wagering continues to increase, both in live table versions as well as electronic/computer-based casino gaming machines. Whether played in a gaming environment, or in a non-wagering environment such as a computer game, society's fascination with card games and gaming activity is unfaltering.
In one traditional cardroom poker game, players gather to compete against each other, by waging bets that their poker hand will have a higher poker rank than the other players' hands. The highest poker rank in each played hand is the winner of the hand, and if bets were made, the winner collects the bets made by the losing players for that hand.
Other table games are similar in that players place their bets, and the player with the winning hand wins the pot. One such poker game is known as "Hold'em," where each player at the table is dealt, face-down, a hand of two cards. After a betting round, the dealer turns face-up three communal cards known as the "flop." Bets are made, and additional communal cards are turned face-up, ultimately exposing the entire communal card hand known as the "board." Thus, each of the players uses his/her two-card face-up hand in connection with the board to determine the resulting poker rank, and the highest poker rank identifies the winner of the hand. The winner collects the pot.
Hold'em is among the most popular, if not the most popular, live poker game played today. It would therefore be desirable to provide a manner of simulating such games in a casino environment involving a dealer, and also to provide a new game involving additional excitement and anticipation, and more intricate and interesting betting strategies. The present invention provides such a poker game, and offers other advantages over existing poker games.

System and method for playing community hand poker games utilizing dealer qualifying criteria


In a general aspect, input data for a computer process are preprocessed by a preprocessor unit that includes a quantum processor. In some aspects, a preprocessor unit obtains input data for a computer process that is configured to run on a computer processing unit. Randomized parameter values are computed for variable parameters of a quantum logic circuit based on the input data. A classical processor in the preprocessor unit computes the randomized parameter values from the input data and a set of random numbers. A quantum processor in the preprocessor unit produces quantum processor output data by executing the quantum logic circuit having the randomized parameter values assigned to the variable parameters. Preprocessed data generated based on the quantum processor output data are then provided as the input for the computer process configured to run on the computer processing unit.

The following description relates to using a quantum processor unit to preprocess data.
Quantum computers can perform computational tasks by executing quantum algorithms. A quantum algorithm can be represented, for example, as a quantum Hamiltonian, a sequence of quantum logic operations, a set of quantum machine instructions, or otherwise. A variety of physical systems have been proposed as quantum computing systems. Examples include superconducting circuits, trapped ions, spin systems and others.

Using a quantum processor unit to preprocess data


Notification of an air intake restriction is provided for an internal combustion engine (101). Readings from one or more air pressure sensors (117, 119) utilized with an internal combustion engine (101) are processed to determine whether an air intake restriction is present. A notification is provided, for example, by displaying (209) a message on a display (123) in a driver's station of a vehicle housing the engine. Various data, including detection of an air intake restriction, may be transmitted (215) for use by personnel, for example, to provide maintenance.

The use of turbochargers to provide compressed air for internal combustion engines is known. The turbocharger compresses the air, which is then cooled in an intercooler prior to being supplied to an air intake manifold for the cylinders of the engine. The intercooler provides a denser air stream to the engine, which stream is more efficiently combusted, thereby reducing emissions levels of the engine. Internal combustion engines are also known to operate without turbochargers.
Various different engine components are present in the air intake path, including filters, intercoolers, compressors, turbines, and so forth. If any of these devices develops or encounters a restriction of air flow, the air-fuel ratio for the engine is reduced, resulting in increased oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions levels and increased fuel consumption.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method and apparatus to detect air flow restrictions.

Method of providing notification of an air intake restriction

International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC


An electrical discharge machine that performs electrical discharge machining on a workpiece by supplying a machining fluid to a machining gap between a machining electrode and the workpiece, the electrical discharge machine including: an air-bubble generation unit that generates air bubbles in the machining fluid; a storage unit that stores therein the machining fluid containing the air bubbles generated by the air-bubble generation unit; and a flow-rate adjustment unit that adjusts a flow rate of the machining fluid that flows in the storage unit, wherein the flow-rate adjustment unit adjusts the flow rate according to a diameter of the air bubbles contained in the machining fluid to be supplied to a machining tank in which the workpiece is placed.

Machining conditions, oscillating conditions, and the like of an electrical discharge machine are determined according to the shape of a tool electrode and electrical discharge energy during machining. For example, machining conditions corresponding to high energy are used for rough machining and those corresponding to low energy are used for finish machining. Under the low-energy machining conditions, a machining area is restricted due to problems of electrical discharge gap control and electrical discharge dispersibility, and it is commonly known that finish machining performance reduces as the machining area increases.
To solve these problems, a technique that enables to supply metal powder to a machining gap is proposed in Patent Literature 1, for example. The metal powder is supplied to the machining gap to disperse electrical discharge points, thereby improving machining stability and improving the reduction in the finish machining performance even if the machining area increases.

Electrical discharge machine and electrical discharge machining method


An electrical connector assembly for interconnecting a pair of circuit boards in parallel spaced-apart planes comprises first and second connectors. The first connector includes a dielectric first housing having a mating face and an array of first contacts exposed along the mating face. The first housing has a shroud which defines a boundary around the array of first contacts. The shroud has an edge at a height above the mating face and the first contacts are recessed below the edge. The second connector includes a dielectric second housing having a mating face and an array of second contacts exposed along the mating face for mating with the first contacts. The second housing is configured for complementary reception within the boundary of the shroud, wherein the shroud serves to align the first and second housings for mating before engagement of the first and second contacts can occur.

Microprocessors in computers are typically mounted on a motherboard either by direct attachment to the motherboard or by reception in a socket which is mounted on the motherboard. An evolving trend which is directed to enhancing computer capabilities is to mount the microprocessor on a separate processor board along with memory devices, and then mate the processor board to the mother board. Size considerations for laptop computers require that the processor board be mounted in a closely spaced-apart, parallel relationship with the mother board. Electrical connectors are known for interconnecting circuit boards in parallel, spaced-apart relationship. A problem with these connectors is that they have a relatively low number of input/output (I/O) terminals arranged in a dual row linear array. In order to accommodate the enhanced microprocessors having hundreds of I/O's, the known connectors would need to be excessively long. Therefore, it would be desirable to arrange the I/O's in a grid of multiple columns and rows. Currently there is no suitable connector which permits circuit board interconnections through a grid array. Further, due to the continuing trend toward miniaturization of computers and other electronic devices, connectors for electrically mating circuit boards are constantly being reduced in size. As the connectors become smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult to align the mating halves of an electrical connector assembly. There is a need for a connector assembly which provides alignment and mating features in a small size package.


Let us consider a plurality of input patterns having an essential characteristic in common but which differ on at least one parameter (this parameter modifies the input pattern in some extent but not this essential characteristic for a specific application). During the learning phase, each input pattern is normalized in a normalizer, before it is presented to a classifier. If not recognized, it is learned, i.e. the normalized pattern is stored in the classifier as a prototype with its category associated thereto. From a predetermined reference value of that parameter, the normalizer computes an element related to said parameter which allows to set the normalized pattern from the input pattern and vice versa to retrieve the input pattern from the normalized pattern. As a result, all these input patterns are represented by the same normalized pattern. The above method and circuits allow to reduce the number of required prototypes in the classifier, improving thereby its response quality.

Using classifiers in the technical literature, the learning and classification (or recognition) tasks require the essential step of processing input patterns. During the learning phase, this step is performed to define whether or not the input pattern needs to be learned in the classifier. During the classification phase, for instance, in the K Nearest Neighbor (KNN) mode, when a new input pattern is presented to the classifier, this step is used to find the closest pattern(s) stored in the ANN as prototype(s). Finding the closest stored prototype(s) mainly consists to compute the distances between the input pattern and the stored prototypes and then, to determine the minimum distance(s) among the computed distances. In the following description, the preferred classifier is the input space mapping algorithm based artificial neural network (ANN) described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,863 assigned to IBM Corp that includes innovative elementary processors of a new type, referred to as the ZISC neurons, (ZISC is a registered trade mark of IBM Corp). An essential characteristic of the ZISC neurons (now commercially available in silicon chips) lies in their ability to work in parallel, i.e. when an input pattern is presented to the ANN, all ZISC neurons compute the distance between the input pattern and all the prototypes stored in the neurons of the ANN at the same time. One important aspect of these algorithms is the distance evaluation relation, referred to as the "norm", that is used in the distance evaluation process. The choice of this norm is determined by the problem to be solved on the one hand, and on the other hand by the knowledge used to solve this problem. In a ZISC neuron, the final distance (Dist) between an input pattern A and the prototype B stored therein (each having p components) is calculated using either the MANHATTAN distance (L1 norm), i.e. DistL1=Σ|Ai−Bi| or the MAXIMUM distance (Lsup norm), i.e. DistLsup=max|Ai−Bi| wherein Ai and Bi are the components of rank i (variable i varies from 1 to p) for the input pattern A and the stored prototype B respectively. Other norms exist, for instance the L2 norm such as DistL2√{square root over (Σ(Ai−Bi)2)}. The L2 norm is said to be "Euclidean" while the L1 and Lsup norms are examples of "non-Euclidean" norms, however, they all imply the computation of a difference (Ai−Bi) for each component in the distance evaluation. In the ZISC neuron, the choice between the L1 or Lsup norm is determined by the value of a single bit referred to as the "norm" bit No stored in the neuron. Other Euclidean or non-Euclidean norms are known for those skilled in the art.
In many applications based on these input space mapping based algorithms, for instance in signal and image processing, the mail step consists in analyzing an essential characteristic of the input patterns. Although a determined input pattern and the prototypes stored in the ANN can be similar (or even identical) as far as this essential characteristic is concerned, the distance therebetween may be high due to the other parameters taken into consideration in the distance evaluation process. As a consequence, it is often necessary to use as may neurons as there are different variations in the input patters to store them as different prototypes. The two examples described below will illustrate this major inconvenience.
Let us first consider two input patterns which are electrical signals S1 and S2, each representing a voltage amplitude varying as a function of time i.e. V=f(t) in a range between a minimum value (Vmin) and a maximum value (Vmax). As apparent in FIG. 1, in the interval [t0,t1] defined by times t0 and t1, the curves depicting signals S1 and S2 have the same aspect. This common characteristic will be referred to hereinbelow as a "shape". They exhibit the same variation, because they have the same gradient in absolute value and sign, but they are centered around two different mean values. The mean value is thus the parameter which distinguishes the two signals S1 and S2 in the time interval in consideration. In the instant case, let us assume the voltage range (from Vmin to Vmax) is coded on 8 bits with 16 points of sampling. In this time interval, assuming Vmin=0 and Vmax=255, signals S1 and S2 are respectively represented by the values given in tables T1 and T2 after sampling and coding. In the FIG. 1 case, because the amplitude values of signals S1 and S2 are different, two neurons having at least 16 components are required to store signals S1 and S2 as two different prototypes in the learning phase even if their variations look similar on the totality of the time interval. On the other hand, in the classification phase, when an input pattern is presented to the ANN for classification, e.g. signal S3 (corresponding values are given in table T3) placed between signals S1 and S2 and having the same variation in said time interval but a different mean value, it could be not recognized as close (i.e. similar) to either signal S1 or S2.
Now, let us consider the case where the input patterns are two sub-images I1 and I2 globally having a similar aspect as shown in FIG. 2. Images I1 and I2, that are comprised of three stripes of twelve pixels (for a total of 36 pixels), slightly distinguishes one from another, in fact, they only differ in terms of global brightness. In the instant case, the brightness of each pixel of sub-images I1 and I2 is coded on 8 bits to have a coding values ranging from 0 (black) to 255 (white) with all the permitted gray levels therebetween. The result of this coding is illustrated by tables T′1 and T′2. As apparent in tables T′1 and T′2, sub-images I1 and I2 have the same brightness gradient, giving them said similar aspect mentioned above and this common characteristic will still be referred to hereinbelow as a "shape". As described above, because the brightness values of the pixels of sub-images I1 and I2 are different, two neurons having the capability to memorize 36 components (corresponding to the 36 coding values of either table which characterize the brightness of a sub-image) are required to store these two sub-images as prototypes during the learning phase even if they have the same shape.
In conclusion, it is thus often necessary to use as many neurons as there are possible variations of a same shape. These variations being defined by at least one parameter (in the two above described examples in terms of mean value or of brightness respectively) of a same shape.
Of course, the problem described above by reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 can be generalized to input patterns having dimensions greater than one (see FIG. 1) or two (see FIG. 2).
The number of neurons is not unlimited in conventional ANNs, so that, when several neurons are required to memorize a same shape, it results a significant waste of the capacity of the ANN to store prototypes and finally, less different shapes can be stored therein. Finally, using several neurons to memorize a same shape decreases the ANN response quality.
Therefore, requiring as many stored prototypes, i.e. neurons, as there are possible variations of a same shape is thus a major inconvenience in conventional ANNs.

Method and circuits for encoding an input pattern using a normalizer and a classifier

International Business Machines Corporation


The exemplified systems, and method thereof, includes PLZT thin film (Pb0.95La0.05Zr0.54Ti0.46O3) paired with a bottom metal and top transparent conductive oxide, that forms a capacitor structure with enhanced photocurrent and power conversion efficiency. The exemplified systems use metal electrode (platinum) as bottom electrode and a transparent oxide (Indium Tin Oxide—ITO) as the top electrode. In some embodiments, the capacitor structure are used in a solar cells, ultraviolet sensors, or UV indexing sensors. In some embodiments, the capacitor structure are energy generation or for medical diagnostics (e.g., for skin care application).

Photosensitive materials which are sensitive to light (e.g., sunlight) are known to exhibit a current when exposed to sunlight. When exposed to light (e.g., photons), these photosensitive materials generate charge carriers which can be collected at respective electrodes giving rise to photocurrent and photovoltage. When these photosensitive materials are used, in a capacitor structure, to harvest energy to generate electricity, they may be considered as a photovoltaic (PV) device. However, magnitude of the resulting photocurrent and photovoltage are often very small, thereby making such photosensitive materials yet unsuitable for device applications. Many materials (oxides as well as metals) can be used as bottom and top electrodes to make capacitors from such films. Choice of bottom and top electrodes can affect the maximum electrical output from the capacitor structure derived therefrom.
Considering the rising demand for power, ferroelectric thin films provides an alternate material for use in solar technology (which currently uses semiconductor materials (e.g. Si, GaAs, CdTe), organic materials, and perovskite) if they can provide comparable photocurrent output and power conversion efficiency to such materials. Power conversion efficiency generally relates to the conversion of sunlight energy to usable electrical or thermal energy.
Ferroelectric material typically exhibits spontaneous electric polarization in absence of an electrical field. Such polarization properties induce an in-built electric field that enables the separation of photo-generated charge carriers. To this end, PV effects in ferroelectric materials can be realized without a p-n junction, as is the case in other semiconductor-based devices.
What are needed are devices, systems, and methods that can address such limitations, among others.

PLZT thin film capacitors apparatus with enhanced photocurrent and power conversion efficiency and method thereof

The Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama


Bonding non-woven fibrous structures, especially using polyester fibers as the load-bearing elements, with electromagnetic radiation after applying an electromagnetic radiation susceptor to a polyester fiber with a high amorphous content so it acts as a binder fiber between load-bearing elements.

Bonded non-woven fibrous articles, such as batts and shaped articles such as cushions, toys and fabrics, have previously been made from an air-laid or wet-laid blend of low melting fusible fibers with higher melting or nonfusible fibers that are bonded and become the load-bearing structural elements (or at least supply a significant portion thereof) in the eventual bonded structure. The fusible fibers are generally referred to herein as binder fibers, but are also referred to as a second fiber constituent of the blends. The higher melting fibers are generally referred to herein as load-bearing fibers, or as a first constituent of the blends. In the resulting bonded articles, such bonded fibers have a relatively high temperature resistance in contrast to a relatively low flow temperature for the bonding agent that bonds the fibers. The term "through bonding" is used to indicate what is generally desired in relation to such bonded articles, namely sufficient bonding throughout its depth so the batt acts as integral unit, i.e. so as to avoid separation between any individual layers forming the original batts. Bonding derived from spraying (and then activating) a liquid resin binder onto a batt has not generally provided such through bonding, because spraying a liquid binder onto the surface(s) of a preformed batt does not generally enable the binder resin to penetrate throughout the batt.
Through-bonded batts have been bonded hitherto by conventional means of heating, such as conduction, convection, or radiation. I have noted that such bonding of these batts by such conventional means has been a slow and timeconsuming operation. The batts are good insulators, i.e. their conductivity is low, natural convection is difficult and infrared radiation cannot penetrate the fibers. Other problems have been caused by the slow rate of heat transfer, which can lead to overheating and thermal degradation of outside fibers, and/or the inside of the batt may not even get hot enough to activate the binder fibers properly.
Street U.S. Pat. Nos 4,668,562 and 4,753,693 and Wm. T. Burnett (Brooks) WO 88/00258, discuss and indicate some of the problems encountered heretofore. Thus, forced convection can be used to speed up the heating, i.e. hot air can be forced through the structure to be bonded. But forced convection can be used to bond only certain structures such as lend themselves to air suction or blowing. Also, the force exerted by the air flow pulls the fibers close to each other, i.e. densifies the batt, so lighter weight bonded structures cannot be prepared by this technique.
Thus, prior techniques have not only been slower than would be desirable, but have led (sometimes) to undesirable structural characteristics. A problem, for example, in some high density batts has been that the use of heated air has created non-uniform density, with a higher density at the bottom of the batts. I believe that the main cause has been that the load-bearing fibers have been heated to the same temperature as the binder fibers and, at such temperature, are close to their glass transition temperature. The load-bearing fibers lose some of their desirable characteristics at these temperatures. For instance, these fibers near the bottom of the batt have given way under the weight of the upper portion of the batt. Another deficiency of many prior high density, hot air-bonded blocks has been that the middle has been less bonded than the surface, because the surface has been more accessible to the heated air. Usually, for products such as cushions or mattress cores, it is desired to have a firmer (more bonded) center and softer outside layers. In hot air-bonding, just the opposite has happened.
So, an important objective of the present invention has been to improve the speed of the thermal bonding process over what has previously been done commercially. Another objective has been to overcome some of the limitations that may have been inherent in various prior commercial bonding techniques. Cost-effectiveness is always an important objective for any commercial operation.
I have succeeded by using heat generated internally within the fibrous structure by an oscillating electric field, referred to generally herein as dielectric heating, and produced by electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Others may have been discouraged because existing commercially-marketed fibers, in general, and polyester textile fibers, in particular, have not generated enough energy in an oscillating field. Indeed, polyesters in general are good insulators and have low dielectric or inductive loss. This property is why polyesters are useful in capacitors.
It has been suggested (e.g. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,535,481 (Korb) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,840 (Ishino) and in GB 2,196,343) to introduce extraneous particles, such as ferrometallic or other conductive materials, into the structure and generate heat inductively, but this technique has not proved satisfactory for my purposes.
Paul, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,708 claims a method of bonding using microwave energy and a polar solvent (such as trichloroacetic acid) to produce non-woven fabrics, especially for use as carpet backing. This method may be advantageous for the special end-use indicated, but, for most purposes, would present practical problems of control, e.g., in applying the solvent to the appropriate locations (for instance to all the fibers), at the time desired (which would usually be just before bonding), without excessive degradation by the solvents upon prolonged exposure to fibers, and uniformly (so as to heat the fibers uniformly, if desired), or selectively (when it would be desired not to heat or otherwise affect some fibers). Also, such solvents do weaken the fibers, as indicated. Such solvents can also be toxic. So there would be several disadvantages in trying Paul's approach to solve my problem.


A method of manufacturing a flash memory device includes etching an insulating layer provided over a substrate to form a contact hole to define a contact hole exposing a junction region formed on the substrate. The contact hole is filled with a first conductive material, the first conductive material contacting the junction region and extending above an upper surface of the contact hole. The first conductive material is etched to partly fill the contact hole, so that the first conductive material fills a lower portion of the contact hole, wherein an upper portion of the contact hole remains not filled due to the etching of the first conductive material, wherein the etched first conductive material defines a contact plug. A first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer are formed over the contact plug, thereby filling the upper portion of the contact hole. Part of the first and second dielectric layers is etched to expose the contact plug and the upper portion of the contact hole. A second conductive material is formed on the contact plug and filling the upper portion of the contact hole to form a bit line.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a flash memory device.
The flash memory device has become highly integrated and multi-functional. Accordingly, the reduced size of the contact hole causes a difficulty in filling the contact hole. It also becomes difficult to lower the resistance of the drain contact plug. This makes it difficult to secure an alignment margin between the drain contact plug and the bit line.

Method of manufacturing flash memory device


Programming or modeling environments in which programs or models are simulated or executed with tunable sample times are disclosed. The tunable sample times can be changed during the simulation or execution of the programs or models without recompiling the programs or models. The sample times are parameterized and the value of the sample times is changed during the simulation or execution of the programs or models. The sample times may be changed manually by a user. Alternatively, the sample times may be automatically changed by programmatically defining when and how the sample times are determined.

Various classes of block diagram models describe computations that can be performed on application-specific or general purpose computing hardware, such as a computer, microcontroller, FPGA, and custom hardware. Classes of such block diagram models may include time-based block diagrams such as those found within Simulink® from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., state-based and flow diagrams such as those found within Stateflow® from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., entity-flow network diagrams such as SimEvents from The MathWorks, Inc. of Natick, Mass., and data-flow diagrams. A common characteristic among these various forms of block diagrams is that they define semantics on how to execute the diagram.
Historically, engineers and scientists have utilized time-based block diagram models in numerous scientific areas such as Feedback Control Theory and Signal Processing to study, design, debug, and refine dynamic systems. Dynamic systems, which are characterized by the fact that their behaviors change over time, are representative of many real-world systems. Time-based block diagram modeling has become particularly attractive over the last few years with the advent of software packages such as Simulink® from The MathWorks, Inc. Such packages provide sophisticated software platforms with a rich suite of support tools that makes the analysis and design of dynamic systems efficient, methodical, and cost-effective.
The block diagrams are not exclusively used for representing time-based dynamic systems but also for other models of computation. For instance, flow-charts are block diagrams used to capture process flow and are not generally suitable for describing dynamic system behavior. Data flow block diagrams are block diagrams that describe a graphical programming paradigm where the availability of data (often thought of as tokens) is used to initiate the execution of blocks, where a block represents an operation and a line represents execution dependency describing the direction of data flowing between blocks. As used herein, the term block diagrams means time-based block diagrams used in the context of dynamic systems except as otherwise noted.
A time-based block diagram model of a dynamic system is represented schematically as a collection of blocks interconnected by lines that represent signals. A signal represents the input and output of a dynamic system. Each block represents an elemental dynamic system. A line emanating at one block and terminating at another signifies that the output of the first block is an input to the second block. Each distinct input or output on a block is referred to as a port. Signals correspond to the time-varying quantities represented by each line connection and are assumed to have values at each time instant. The source block of a signal writes to the signal at a given time instant when its system equations are solved. The destination blocks of this signal read from the signal when their system equations are being solved. The block diagram includes a plurality of blocks, lines and ports that are interconnected. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the term "blocks" does not refer exclusively to elemental dynamic systems but may also include other modeling elements that aid in readability and modularity of block diagrams.
Put another way, block diagram models are time-based relationships between signals and state variables representative of a dynamic system. The solution (computation of system response) of the model is obtained by evaluating these relationships at discrete instants in time, where time starts at a user-specified "start time" and either ends at a user-specified "stop time" or based on evaluating a criterion that may involve model and system quantities. The discrete instants in time are separated time intervals, defined as the "sample time." Signals represent quantities that change over time, and these quantities are defined for all points in time between the block diagram's start and stop time when the signal is part of an enabled aspect of the model. The relationships between signals and state variables are defined by sets of equations represented by blocks. These equations define a relationship between the input signals, output signals, state, and time.
In conventional simulation and code generation technology, the sample time(s) of a model cannot be modified during the simulation of a model, and must be specified before the simulation and code generation of the model. Simulation results and generated code are not valid to other systems that have different sample times. In a system running at multiple sample times, a base rate sample time generally refers to a fundamental sample time that is the fastest in the system. Sub-rate sample times refer to the other sample times that are integer multiples of the base sample time. If any of the sample times (base rate or sub-rate sample time) change, the user must re-compile the model to simulate and generate code for the model. Although all sample times must be invariant during simulation and execution of generated code in the conventional technology, sometimes tunable sample times that can be modified during the simulation are needed.

Run-time tunable sample time in programming or modeling environments


The present invention relates to non-steroidal progestins of the general formula (I)

Progesterone is a unique reproductive hormone, and it plays a decisive role for tissues of female reproduction. Its principal target organs are uterus, ovary, breast and the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. In addition to the primary use as pregnancy control for women (e.g., oral contraception (OC)), progestins, optionally combined with estrogens, are widely used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Progestins are also used to treat several gynecological disorders, e.g., dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, and dysfunctional uterine bleeding caused by hormonal deficiency or imbalance. Due to certain effects of progestins, which may be undesirable for some applications, or cross-reactivities with receptors other than the progesterone receptor, the development of new generations of progestins to improve their activity profile has been a great challenge. Additionally, the exploration of therapeutic applications such as oncology demands progestins with new activity profiles.
Recently, non-steroidal progestins with a very strong affinity to the progesterone receptor, but with additional androgen activity were disclosed in WO 98/54159. These progestins are not only suitable for female fertility control (FC) and HRT (optionally in combination with estrogens), but may also be used for male FC, male HRT and for treating andrological syndromes.
WO 00/32584 discloses specific non-steroidal glucocorticoids exhibiting a clear dissociation between anti-inflammatory activity and metabolic effects, while their progestagenic potential is less pronounced although their affinity for the progesterone receptor is high.
Finally, DE 100 38 639.3 discloses glucocorticoids exhibiting a strong affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor and having thus anti-inflammatory as well as additional anti-allergic, immunosuppressive and anti-proliferative activity for treating diseases including arthritis, allergies etc.
However, in particular in the area of female FC and HRT there is a strong need for progestins having low affinity for other hormone receptors, but exhibiting instead a strong dissociation between different PR target tissues or organs, such as in the breast and in the reproductive tract.
In particular, the provision of a dissociated progestin with an antiproliferative potential in the breast tissue and, at the same time, beneficial effects in the endometrium seems desirable, as there is a number of epidemiological studies about the relation between breast cancer incidence and use of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) or HRT, especially with respect to extended periods of use (see e.g., K. E. Malone et al., Epidemiologic Reviews 1993, 15, 80-97 and Standford et al., Epidemiologic Reviews 1993, 15, 98-107). Although the risks are contradictory and controversial, there is evidence that many years of intake under certain circumstances might enhance the mitotic activity of normal breast epithelial cells. Therefore, a dissociated activity profile of progestins regarding the provision of beneficial, e.g. antiproliferative, effects in the breast, but with the classical progestagenic effects in the ovary and/or uterus is desirable.
Recently, assays for screening for progesterone receptor ligands exhibiting tissue-specificity have been provided, cf. PCT/EP01/15200 (U.S. Pat. No. 60/305,875). One approach of screening for progesterone receptor (PR) ligands with a dissociated activity profile was based on the fact that the PR is expressed in two different isoforms (PR-A and PR-B) which seem to be capable of being activated independently of each other by compounds having a selectivity for either PR-A or PR-B.
Both PR-isoforms are expressed in all progesterone target organs tested so far (e.g. breast, uterus). However, there is strong evidence that PR-A and PR-B function in a tissue-specific manner to mediate responses to progesterone. Isoform-specific knock-out mice show different functions of PR-A and PR-B in the same target organ. Based on these studies, PR-B seems to be the most responsible receptor for mammary gland proliferation and differentiation, whereas the antiproliferative action of progestins on the uterine epithelium and on ovulation is most likely mediated by PR-A (B. Mulac-Jericevic, Science 2000, 289, 1751-1754; Orla Conneely, Endocrine Society Meeting, Toronto, June 2000).
Thus, the invention disclosed in PCT/EP1/15200 was based on the new theory that isoform-specific ligands of PR activity may allow tissue-selective modulation of progestin activity in hormonal therapy and contraception. However, while PCT/EP01/15200 (U.S. Ser. No. 60/305,875) provided a tool for identifying potentially PR-isoform and/or tissue-specific PR ligands, the present invention provides specific non-steroidal progestins exhibiting pronounced PR isoform selectivity as well as a surprising dissociated effect on different PR target organs, in particular a uterus/breast dissociated activity profile.

Abstract: wherein    R1 and R2 are independently of each other —H or —F,    R3 is —CH3 or —CF3, and    Ar is

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative or analogue thereof. These progestins are suitable for selectively modulating progesterone receptor mediated effects in different target tissues, particularly in uterine tissue versus breast tissue. Therefore, the progestins of the present invention, optionally in combination with estrogens, may be used for contraception (in particular in estrogen-free oral contraceptives), hormone replacement therapy and the treatment of gynecological disorders. The present invention furthermore relates to methods for selectively modulating progesterone receptor mediated effects in different target tissues or organs.


An image processing apparatus and an image processing method practicable with the apparatus for extracting coordinates of brightness maxima from image data. The apparatus and method are particularly suitable for processing image data of a super-resolution localization microscope.

By super-resolution microscopy, those skilled in the art will generally understand light microscopic methods and apparatus that provide image information at resolutions below the Abbe's diffraction limit. A number of different principles for super-resolution microscopy are known, which are based inter alia on detecting sufficiently spatially isolated light emitters whose size is well below the diffraction limit of the optical system. In this way, the light emitters of the sample to be examined can be located with a higher accuracy than the optical system itself permits.
Methods of the principle of localization microscopy are referred to as STORM, dSTORM, PALM and SPDM (Spectral Precision Distance Microscopy). In these methods, the fluorescence of selectively excited or radiating, sufficiently distant emitters is evaluated. The emitters can be exactly spatially localized, since the maximum of the optical signal propagated by the point spreading function of the microscope can still be determined precisely.
Although the various super-resolution microscopy methods now reach very high spatial resolution, their practical use, for example in the field of histological studies, is still very limited.
The current realization of super-resolution localization microscopy involves the transmission of very large amounts of data from the camera to the evaluation computer. These amount to over 100 gigabytes of data needed to reconstruct a single super-resolution image. Even if a preprocessing of the data takes place with the determination of image sections to be evaluated (so-called "regions of interest", ROI), it still results in very large amounts of data of several 100 megabytes per image. This data must be stored as well as processed. Often it can only be decided after completion of an experiment, if this procedure was successful. However, as a rule, due to the localized fluorescence signals and the structure of the sample, only a purely stochastically distributed fraction of less than 10% of the pixels present on the camera is used in the acquisition of the data. For this reason, the vast majority of the transmitted and stored data is without information content, but leads to the occupancy of large storage capacities and makes use of a large part of the computing capacity during transfer and processing. Not only the storage requirement is a problem here. Rather, the large amounts of data prevent rapid processing of the data including its representations. This results in the fact that in super-resolution localization microscopy an image of the sample is available only after a long time.

Image processing apparatus and method for image processing, in particular for a super-resolution microscope


The conveyance rollers are arranged at a predetermined roller pitch in the conveyance direction and arranged in rows so as to be capable of supporting at least the side ends of an object being conveyed. The conveyance rollers are formed along the conveyance direction by a repetition unit composed of the drive rollers and the free rollers. The roller pitch of the conveyance rollers is set based on the dimension of the object, and the smaller of distances from respective ends in the conveyance direction of the object to the position of the center of gravity of the object. The arrangement ratio of the drive rollers in the conveyance rollers is set based on the smaller of the distances from the respective ends in the conveyance direction of the object to the position of the center of gravity of the object, and the roller pitch.

Conventionally, there has been widely used a roller type conveyance device that includes drive rollers which are driven to rotate by appropriate actuators and rotatable free rollers, the drive rollers and the free rollers being arranged thereon, and conveys an object by transmitting the rotational force of the drive rollers to the object (see PTL 1, for example).
In such a conveyance device, in order to prevent an object being conveyed from falling off, the number of rollers arranged thereon is increased to make a gap between the rollers narrow. In addition, in order to prevent an object from slipping on the rollers, the ratio of the drive rollers in all of the rollers is increased.


An apparatus for treating edge surfaces of panels, comprises conveyor tables to displace panels in sequence, two of the conveyor tables being configured such that panels are sequentially displaced in longitudinal alignment between the two conveyor tables with a longitudinal edge first. Two other of the conveyor tables are configured such that panels are sequentially displaced in lateral alignment between the two other conveyor tables with a lateral edge first. A first tool is positioned between the two conveyor tables. A second tool is positioned between the two other conveyor tables. Securing devices are associated with the conveyor tables to releasably secure panels in lateral alignment on the two conveyor tables such that the first tool is actuatable to simultaneously treat a longitudinal edge surface of a first and second panel on opposite sides of the first tool on the two conveyor tables, and to releasably secure panels in longitudinal alignment on the two other conveyor tables such that the second tool is actuatable to simultaneously treat a lateral edge surface of a first and second panel on opposite sides of the second tool on the two other conveyor tables.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automated machinery and, more particularly, to an apparatus for treating edges of panels such as glass panels, for instance in edge deletion, border grinding, arrissing, edge seaming, in product application on the edges.
2. Background Art
Various types of materials are in the form of panels at some point in their processing. For instance, glass panels are used in windows, wood panels are commonplace in the construction industry, etc.
Panels are difficult to handle due to their relative large sizes with respect to their thickness, and due to the relative fragility associated with their thickness. In manufacturing, panels are therefore often displaced on conveyors upon which they lie flat, which facilitates their displacement.
It is often required to perform work on panels. For instance, panels of raw material (e.g., glass, wood, metal) are regularly subjected to steps of edge deletion, border grinding, arrissing, edge seaming, so as to remove or smoothen rough edges. Automated equipment has been designed for such tasks.
Due to the size of the panels, the automated equipment is often bulky. This results in issues pertaining to floor space in plants. Moreover, the treatment of each panel edge one after the other can result in the slowing down of a production line.

Apparatus for treating edges of panels and method


An MXF parser thread 43 parses data MXF_D, being, mixed together, a plurality of video data PIC, a plurality of audio data SOU, and system data SYS. Then, it generates video file attribute data VFPD concerning the video based on the parsed system data and metadata META and generates video file data VF including the video file attribute data VFPD and the parsed plurality of video data PIC (VIDEO). Further, the audio file data AF is generated too in the same way.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program for converting formats of video data and audio data, a data processing method, and a system of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the file exchange formats of video data and audio data is the "Material Exchange Format (MXF)". The MXF is composed of metadata included in header data and a plurality of frame data etc. Each frame data includes 1 frame's worth of video data, the audio data corresponding to that, system data indicating attributes of the video data and audio data, etc.
Namely, in MXF data, the video data, the audio data, and the system data are stored interleaved together. In the MXF, by describing in the metadata and system data the attributes such as the coding scheme, compression method, data structure, time code, and edit content of the video data and audio data in each frame data, file exchange is enabled with a format not depending upon the attributes of the video data and audio data.
In a PC or other computer, when performing processing to reproduce video data and audio data, it is necessary for the video data and the audio data to exist as separate video file data and audio file data. Due to this, there is the problem that the computer cannot reproduce video data and audio data by MXF data as it is. Further, when performing processing for reproducing video data and audio data input from a process for conversion in synchronization, due to the processing load, sometimes the video data cannot be reproduced at normal speed or more. In this case, there is the problem that the reproduced image and sound cannot be synchronized. Further, there is a demand to automatically generate and transfer data of the MXF based on video file data and audio file data stored by the computer etc.
Further, the computer must perform conversion processing for converting for example MXF data received by FTP to the video data and the audio data. When the conversion processing is carried out after the processing for reception by FTP is terminated, however, there is the problem that the processing time becomes longer. The same problem exists when performing the processing for converting the received data concerning data other than MXF data.

System method using material exchange format (MXF) converting program for audio and video data files having routines that generates attribute data from audio and video data file


A bit map data generator section prepares bit map data on the basis of data received from a host computer. A null-series removal section removes data series of null from the bit map data. A data compressor compresses the remaining bit map data using a plurality of different compression modes. A comparator compares the sizes of the compressed data produced by the different compression modes. Of the compressed data, the compressed data of the smallest size is stored in a RAM by a register section. When the supplemental character data is printed out, the compression mode by which it was compressed is discriminated by a compression mode discriminator. The data is transferred to a compressed-data restoring section corresponding to the discriminated compression mode, and then to a null-series restoring section. The null-series restoring section restores the data into the original bit map data, that is, the bit map data before compression.

The present invention relates to a dot matrix printer which stores bit map data composed of characters and graphics provided by a user, and which reads out the bit map data with code signals received from a host computer. More particularly, the invention relates to a dot matrix printer employing an improved technique for storing and reading out the bit map data.
To print patterns other than the graphics and characters previously stored as character sets in a ROM of a printer, the user must prepare pattern bit map data corresponding to the characters to be printed, and store the prepared patterns as supplemental character data in a memory of the printer.
Usually, a part of a buffer memory, for example, in the printer, is used for storing the supplemental character data. In this case, it is necessary to provide in advance a memory having a capacity sufficient for storing the data of the largest size expected.
The amount of supplemental character data differs among users. Some users require only a small amount of supplemental character data, while others need a large amount of such data. In the former case, a large part of the memory allocated for storing the supplemental character data is not used and is wasted.
A technique for reducing the memory capacity of the memory used for storing the data by compressing the bit map data of the supplemental character data has been used for factory-installed character patterns. However, it is difficult for general users to employ such a method for storing supplemental character data since special knowledge is required for carrying out such a method.

Dot matrix printer having reduced bit map data storage


A computer program is described which makes it easier for a computer programmer to view and understand the source code of other programs. The user can look up the definition of, or references to, a name without typing the name. After the name has been looked up, the user can return automatically to his original location in the text. Multiple return locations are saved. The invention incorporates knowledge of the syntax of the programming language and creates an internal cross-reference. As a result, lookups are rapid and accurate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to computer/user interfaces, and in particular to a computer program which assists the user in understanding computer source code.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer programmers spend a great deal of time studying the source code of existing programs. They must do this in order to correct problems, make improvements, prepare estimates, and answer questions. In addition, while writing a program, the programmer spends a great deal of time studying the code that has already been written.
In most programming languages, the programmer is free to invent names for data and procedures, as long as these names do not conflict with reserved words whose meaning is fixed by the language. Usually a name is defined in one place and may be referenced in any number of places.
Computer programs are usually difficult to understand. One of the reasons for this is that, in order to understand the program, the programmer must frequently look up the definition of, or references to, a name. Often this means searching through thousands of lines of code.
Currently, two devices exist which help the user look up information: cross-references and text editors.
A cross-reference is a printed, alphabetized list of all the names that the programmer has defined. Next to the name is printed the line numbers where the name is defined and referenced. In a variation on the cross-reference idea, some products embed cross-reference information within a listing of the source program.
While helpful, cross-references require a lot of paper shuffling by the user. They also quickly become out of date as the program is modified.
Today, most programmers use text editor software to develop and maintain source code. Most text editors have a search function which helps the user look up names. By typing in a name, the user can find all the places in the program where the name occurs.
A text editor has several drawbacks when used to study programs. It requires a fair amount of typing. As the program gets larger, the editor takes longer to find a name. Often, it does not find what the user is looking for. For example, it may find a longer name that contains the characters that the user typed, or it may find a reference when the user was looking for a definition. In some programming languages, the same name can be re-used in many definitions; the context of a reference determines which definition it refers to. Text editors fail to distinguish between the various definitions of the same name. When the editor finally locates the correct information, the user is faced with the task of finding his way back to where he started. This is very difficult when one search triggers another, which triggers another, etc.
Whatever the merits of cross-references and text editors, they do not achieve the benefits of the present invention.

Method of finding definitions in computer source programs


A method, system, and software for calculating a multi factor temperature index includes determining the values of at least two weather related parameters. The multi factor temperature index is calculated using the calculated values of the two weather related parameters and an actual temperature value. The two weather related parameters are selected from a group consisting of a wind speed parameter, a solar intensity parameter, a dew point parameter, an atmospheric pressure parameter and a precipitation parameter.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of determining a multi factor temperature index that is better indicative of the weather conditions that influence how warm or cold a person feels. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method and system for determining a multi factor temperature index based on specified weather parameters representative of weather conditions that influence how warm or cold a person feels.
2. Description of the Related Art
The actual temperature recorded by a temperature measuring device is only one indicator of how comfortable a person feels. Other weather conditions significantly influence the comfort level felt by a person.
Although temperature is the most popular weather indicator used to communicate the weather conditions, the temperature by itself is often not a sufficiently good indicator of how comfortable a person really feels. The comfort level that a person really feels is a composite of several other weather conditions such as, for example, the wind, humidity, solar intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, atmospheric pressure and elevation.
Therefore, the actual measured temperature by itself provides only one indicia of how comfortable a person would feel under any weather conditions. Other measures such as wind chill or heat index include the temperature and one other element, such as wind speed or humidity. Furthermore, many of these existing indexes are designed to measure effects on inanimate objects rather than a clothed person. Therefore, these indexes do not provide a good indication of how the weather "really feels" to a normally clothed person.
Therefore, known temperature based indexes of weather conditions do not give an accurate feel of the weather conditions to a normally clothed person. Furthermore, none of the existing temperature based indexes include more than one other weather parameter other than the actual temperature. Therefore, current temperature based indexes do not actually represent how hot or cold a normally clothed person feels based on the totality of the weather conditions that influence the feel in addition to the measured actual temperature.

Method, system, and software for calculating a multi factor temperature index


A universal, robust, cost effective, portable kennel and pet safety enclosure for use in vehicles which distributes deceleration forces across as large an area of the pet's body as possible and gently arrests the forward motion of a pet to protect them from bodily harm in the event of a sudden vehicle deceleration event and which may also be used outside of vehicles as a portable kennel. The enclosure also protects the vehicle interior from smells, stains, or scratching caused by a pet.

Many pet owners, particularly owners of small dogs and cats, bring their pets with them when traveling in a vehicle. Most commonly the vehicle in question is an automobile or passenger car, but this discussion applies equally to any sort of vehicle including sport utility vehicles, trucks, buses, recreational vehicles, boats, aircraft, all terrain vehicles, off-road vehicles, trains, or other motor vehicles. The term 'vehicle' as used herein refers to all of these types of motor vehicles. While it is common to allow small pets to sit on the driver's lap, or to sit on an unoccupied seat of the vehicle, this is potentially quite dangerous to the animal in the event of an accident or even a sudden stop as the animal is unrestrained and can slide off of the lap or seat and collide with the vehicle interior with great force, potentially causing injury or death. Additionally, the animal can be injured or killed by a deploying airbag. The most rudimentary solution to this problem is the use of some sort of restraint for the animal, generally affixed to the animal's collar or harness, and generally fastened to the vehicle seat belt or some other secure attachment point. Another solution is the use of a pet car seat similar to a human infant car seat wherein the pet is placed or strapped into a rigid or semi rigid enclosure which is secured to the vehicle.
Previous pet safety devices have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,909,154, issued to L. E. Thomas on Oct. 20, 1959, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a tethering strap arrangement for animals riding in a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,034, issued to H. S. Dishart on Mar. 21, 1967, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a safety harness and collar for pet riding in a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. D245,716, issued to Anthony J. Russo on Sep. 6, 1977, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, illustrates a pet safety enclosure for a domestic animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,286, issued to Paul R. Rux on Apr. 23, 1985, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a pet container for an automobile having a hinged, multi-position front wall and a pet harness connected to the container by a leash.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,359, issued to Maurice D. Moorman. on Jul. 1, 1986, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a vehicle safety platform for a pet having horizontal mounting arms, a resilient base, a seat belt and a safety harness.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,630, issued to Therese G. Luce on Jan. 30, 1990, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses an animal safety seat belt comprised of upper and lower restraints, front and rear straps, and a securement strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,541, issued to Paul L. Thompson on Mar. 13, 1990, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a pet restraint in a car having a harness with an adjustable flexible belly band, and a flexible chest band joined to the belly band.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,526, issued to Charles Parker on Apr. 9, 1991, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a collapsible vehicle safety apparatus for animals having a rigid base with a collapsible support frame and a pliable barrier cover attached to the base and held by restraining members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,377, issued to Myrtis C. Edwards on Jun. 23, 1992, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a collapsible vehicle safety restraint and seat for pets that includes a padded seat pivotally extended from generally vertically disposed seat back which is removably affixed to an otherwise conventional vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,892, issued to Myrtis C. Edwards on Jan. 2, 1996, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a vehicle safety seat for pets having a pet seating portion removably disposed within base portion, with a vehicle safety seat secured to a vehicle passenger seat by securing the vehicle's seat belt portion through the vehicle seat belt passage of base portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,258, issued to Phillip Fricano on Nov. 11, 1997, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a pet safety enclosure for animals especially dogs comprised of a horizontal seat with a backrest; seat has housing with recess for seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,571, issued to Carl L. Goldberg on Aug. 18, 1998, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a vehicular safety restraint for pets having two joined, closed loops with a breast strap set on the front loop and a tether on the rear loop which is passed through a connecting strap attached to the first loop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,335, issued to Robert C. Holt, Jr. on Jun. 29, 1999, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a harness for a dog in an automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,370, issued to Maad Al-Birmani and Yousef N. Al-Humidi on Jun. 27, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a pet safety enclosure for transporting a pet having a net which is separable from and connectable to opposing sides of a back portion and has a predetermined length extending from the sides of the back portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,713, issued to Louis Albert, Giedeman, 111, David James Hoffman, Irmina V. Reyes-Helfrich, Jeffery Kim and Gary Wight on Jul. 3, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a pet restraint system for motor vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,635, issued to Tammy Ballard on Aug. 6, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a vehicle safety restraint for canines comprised of an upper restraint, a lower restraint, a neck strap and a harness strap.
U.S. Pat. No. D461,966, issued to Houstene Reece on Aug. 27, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, illustrates an animal automobile seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,787, issued to James Gantz and Bette A. Gantz on Jul. 15, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses a pet console seat for use in connection with automobiles comprised of a bar having a middle, and a seat frame having opposing ends with one end attached to the bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,377, issued to Mark Lobanoff and Ronald S. Gulette on Oct. 28, 2003, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses an animal restraint system for a vehicle having a removable, spherically-shaped vest secured to the seat belt of the vehicle via a tether strap, with leg holes for the front legs of an animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,827,044, issued to Mark Lobanoff and Ronald S. Gulette on Dec. 7, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses an animal restraint system for a vehicle having a top strap extending across the back of an animal wearing the vest from the first to second sides of a vest jacket when the jacket is on the animal to secure the vest to the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,104,429, issued to Gary Ray Bennett on Jan. 31, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein in its entirety, discloses an animal restraint system for a vehicle having a top strap extending across the back of an animal wearing the vest from the first to second sides of a vest jacket when the jacket is on the animal to secure the vest to the animal.
One area of deficiency generally present in all of these proposed solutions is the risk of spine, neck or choking injuries to the animal when restrained by a collar around their neck during a high energy impact or deceleration.
Another area of deficiency generally present in all of these proposed solutions is the inability of the animal to move about freely while in the vehicle.
Another area of deficiency generally present in these proposed solutions is the lack of protection for the vehicle seats from pet fur, odors, urine, excrement, scratching, or staining.
Yet another area of deficiency generally present in the proposed solutions is the inability to utilize the restraint means outside of the vehicle.
Yet another area of deficiency generally present in the proposed solutions is the absence of any provision for easily carrying, transporting, or stowing the apparatus.
While there are presently a number of proposed solutions to the problem of providing a safe means for pets to travel in vehicles, none has been conceived or implemented to permit a safe, comfortable, protective, easily cleaned, stowed, and transported solution which would be optimal for the application.

Vehicle pet safety enclosure and portable kennel


A navigation system generally determines a location of a portion of a first medical instrument relative to a patient. The navigation system generally includes a multi-configuration tracking array that extends from the first medical instrument. A plurality of tracking devices can be positioned on the multi-configuration tracking array. At least one of the tracking devices changes to define at least a first condition and a second condition. A tracking system detects the tracking devices and relates a change between the first condition and the second condition with a change between at least a first instrument configuration and a second instrument configuration.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Image guided medical and surgical procedures utilize patient images obtained prior to or during a medical procedure to guide a physician performing the procedure. Such procedures can be referred to as computer assisted procedures. Recent advances in imaging technology, especially in imaging technologies that produce highly-detailed, two, three, and four dimensional images, such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluoroscopic imaging (such as with a C-arm device), positron emission tomography (PET), and ultrasound imaging (US) has increased the interest in image guided medical procedures.
Typical image guided navigation systems require a dynamic reference frame to track the position of the patient when patient movement occurs during the assisted procedure. The dynamic reference frame is generally affixed to the patient in a generally permanent or immovable fashion. The dynamic reference frame may also be used as a fiducial marker and may, therefore, be attached to the patient during the acquisition of pre-operative images. This enables the image space to be aligned with patient space during the navigated procedure.
Various instruments that are desired to be tracked may be used during an operative procedure. Image data is generally acquired, either intra-operatively or pre-operatively, and the instrument is generally illustrated, and superimposed on the captured image data to identify the position of the instrument relative to the patient space. Therefore, the instrument may include tracking sensors, such as electromagnetic coils or optical detection points, such as light emitting diodes or reflectors that may be detected by a suitable tracking system. Also, the dynamic reference frame (DRF) can be used by the tracking system to maintain a registration or localization of the patient space to the image space. The DRF can also include any appropriate tracking sensor that is fixed to a portion of the patient that allows the system to determine whether the patient has moved relative to the image space.
Other types of navigation systems operate as an image-less system, where an image of the body is not captured by an imaging device prior to the medical procedure, such as the device disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/687,539, entitled Method and Apparatus for Surgical Navigation of a Multiple Piece Construct For Implantation, filed Oct. 16, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. With this type of procedure, the system may use a probe to contact certain landmarks in the body, such as landmarks on bone, where the system generates either a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional model of the area of interest based upon these contacts. This way, when the surgical instrument or other object is tracked relative to this area, they can be superimposed on this model.
During surgical navigation, image data of the patient can be correlated with the architecture of various surgical instruments. Typically, each instrument is registered with the surgical navigation system so that when the surgical navigation system detects the instrument, the registration and the architecture of the instrument are matched. During a procedure, however, the medical professional may need to change the orientation of the instrument, his or her orientation relative to the instrument and/or add or remove components to/from the instrument during the procedure. Typically, each of the above changes to the instrument requires an additional registration so that the new instrument configuration is registered with the surgical navigation system.
For example, certain instruments can receive additional components during a medical procedure. The instrument can have a first configuration that defines a bare instrument, i.e., no additional components attached to the instrument. The first configuration can be stored in the surgical navigation system. A component can be added to the instrument, which requires a re-registration so the architecture of the component in addition to the architecture of the instrument is registered with the surgical navigation system. It will be appreciated that as each configuration of the instrument changes, the instrument's new configuration must be re-registered. While the above devices and methods remain useful for their intended purpose there remains room in the art for improvement.

Multi-configuration tracking array and related method


A spreading roll having a simplified and inexpensive configuration is provided. The spreading roll includes a curved shaft and several successive roll segments mounted on the curved shaft. Rolling bearings are supported by a sleeve around the shaft and rotatably support the roll segments. The ends of the roll segments are connected together by coupling elements formed by a rubber ring, an inner sleeve situated inside the ring and metal bracing sleeves situated at the corners on the outer circumference of the rubber ring. As the spreading roll rotates, the rubber rings of the coupling elements yield and the bracing sleeves form a tight joint with the roll segments.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bearing arrangement and a coupling element of a spreading roll, comprising a spreading roll and a bent shaft which is surrounded by several successive roll segments that are mounted in bearings on the shaft and that are coupled and supported endwise on each other with flexible coupling elements. The successive roll segments that are interconnected with the flexible coupling elements constitute a unit that rotates around the bent shaft. The curved spreading roll is used for spreading different kinds of materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Successive roll segments are conventionally mounted with dual bearings, i.e. two separate bearings, around a fixed shaft. Such a construction is disclosed for example in German Patents DE-2 108 702 and DE-2 131 590. British Patents GB-2 034 002 and GB-1 340 292 disclose rolls that have been mounted with double rolling bearings and that comprise, between the roll segments, a two-part supporting bearing which simultaneously acts as a turning joint. Finnish Patent Application FI-932 060 discloses a spreading roll where bearings are positioned at the ends of the roll segments in such a way that the bearings rest on the ends of the flexible coupling elements. EP-298 534 discloses a curved roll that is mounted with dual bearings and that comprises rolling bearings positioned at a distance from the coupling elements.
The roll segments are conventionally mounted with two rolling bearings around a fixed shaft. Such a support arrangement is naturally rather rigid with respect to rotation, which has resulted in such known coupling elements in old structures where the metal halves of the coupling situated around the rubber part are entirely unconnected. In other words, the rubber part is situated between metal sleeves or the like, whereupon the metal halves of the coupling start sometimes rotating eccentrically at high speeds. This slight eccentricity produces shaking that leads to a small difference in the direction, i.e. in a slight tilt, which causes the bearings to wear mechanically and the grease of the bearings to separate, so that the oil content of the grease flows out and the remaining mere binder or the like cannot lubricate the mechanism.

Bearing arrangement and a coupling element of a spreading roll