A multi-channel headphone has a housing, multiple independent sound channels formed in the housing, and at least one speaker unit mounted inside the housing. The at least one speaker unit produces sound directly passing through one of the sound channels and refracted through the rest of sound channels. As the refracted sound is slower than the directly travelling sound, multiple layers of auditory feeling can be provided and a stereo sound effect can be generated for users to enjoy better auditory feeling.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headphone, and more particularly to a multi-channel headphone with a stereo sound effect through multiple sound guiding channels.
Description of the Related Art
Headphones are connected to audio source devices for users to listen audio information outputted from the audio source devices after users wear the headphones, the audio source devices output electronic signals to the headphones, and the headphones convert the electronic signals into audible sound.
As disclosed in a Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 201216725 entitled "Headphone", a conventional headphone has a housing, a bracket, a first speaker unit, and a second speaker unit. The body has a main audio output channel. The bracket disposed inside the housing includes a front plate, a first tube portion, a second tube portion and a connecting portion. The front plate has a central hole and multiple surrounding holes around the central hole. The first tube portion is connected to the front plate and has a first accommodating space. The second tube portion is separated from the first tube portion and has a second accommodating space. The first accommodating space communicates with the main audio output channel through the central hole. The second accommodating space communicates with the main audio output channel through the surrounding holes. The first speaker unit is disposed in the first accommodating space, and the second speaker is disposed in the second accommodating space.
Sound generated by the first speaker unit propagates to the main audio output channel through the central hole, and sound generated by the second speaker unit propagates to the main audio output channel through the surrounding holes. Sound generated by the first and second speaker units are mixed in the main audio output channel before propagating to a user's ears so as to provide a wider audio output frequency and a uniform frequency response.
However, despite a choice of a wider audio output frequency, the foregoing conventional headphone still has the structure that one audio output channel is available at only one side of the headphone. It means that users can only listen two-channel audio output instead of a stereo sound effect provided by more than two audio output channels.


An electronic component includes at least one vertical MOSFET device, a leadframe and a contact clip. A source electrode and gate electrode are provided on a lower surface of the MOSFET device and are mounted on a source portion and a gate portion, respectively, of the leadframe. The contact clip is electrically connected between the drain electrode, which is positioned on the upper surface of MOSFET device, and a drain portion of the leadframe.

Due to the increasing demand for higher power semiconductor components, inefficient heat dissipation is an increasing problem. Poor heat dissipation can lead to instability of the semiconductor device and limit its functionality. Additionally, heat generated by power semiconductor devices can lead to overheating of neighboring devices mounted on the printed circuit board (PCB). This problem can limit the board design and component layout on the PCB.
In order to improve the heat dissipation from a semiconductor component, it is known to mount an additional heat dissipater on the outer surface of the semiconductor package or even directly on the semiconductor chip itself. The heat dissipater can have the form of a metal plate, for example. Additionally, the heat dissipater may include a plurality of outwardly extending fins in order to increase the surface area and further improve heat dissipation upwards away from the printed circuit board.
However, in vertical semiconductor devices, such as a power MOSFET, the upper side as well as the opposing lower side of the semiconductor device provides one or more contact areas which are electrically accessed, typically by bond wires. Consequently, it is complicated to mount the heat dissipater on vertical semiconductor devices.

Electronic component having exposed surfaces


An image forming apparatus 100 includes detection means 116 which detects an image characteristic of an image formed on an image bearing member 103; a first control means which controls a toner concentration in the developer, based on a detection result by the detection means, of an image characteristic of a first reference image for a first control for controlling the toner concentration in the developer; second control means which controls an image parameter, different from the toner concentration in the developer, thereby controlling an image density, based on a detection result by the detection means, of an image characteristic of a second reference image for a second control, different from the reference image for the first control; and correction means 231 which receives detection results of both image characteristics of the first and second reference images, and which, based on the detection result of the image characteristic of either of the reference images for the first and second controls, corrects the other control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus or a printer, utilizing an electrophotographic process or an electrostatic recording process for obtaining an image by developing an electrostatic image formed on an image bearing member with a developer, and an image control method in such image forming apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
It is already known, for example in an image forming apparatus of electrophotographic process, to develop a latent image formed on an image bearing member with a developer in a developing device, thereby rendering it visible as a toner image. Also there is known a developing device utilizing a two-component developer containing toner and carrier.
In a developing device utilizing a two-component developer, it is important to maintain a constant toner concentration, namely a constant mixing ratio T/(T+C) of the toner (T) and the carrier (C) (hereinafter also referred to as T/(T+C) ratio). For this reason, an image forming apparatus employing the two-component developing method is equipped with an auto toner replenisher (ATR). As a toner concentration control method in such an auto toner replenisher, namely a method of measuring and controlling the T/(T+C) ratio of the developer, there is employed a method of forming a patch image which is an image pattern of a reference density for controlling the toner concentration (hereinafter also called "toner concentration control patch"), on the image bearing member, and detecting the T/(T+C) ratio from the measurement of the image density of the patch (such toner concentration control method being hereinafter referred to as "patch detection method").
For example in an image forming apparatus for forming full-color images at a high speed, a patch image formation and a density detection for each image in the continuous image formation will lower the image output speed and will promote stains in the apparatus. However, in a digital image forming apparatus, it is possible, in a continuous image forming operation, to estimate the toner consumption by adding image information signals and to replenish the toner in succession, based on the estimated consumption amount (such toner concentration control method being hereinafter called "video count method"). Such video count method is used in combination with the patch detection method (for example cf. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H06-011965).
Also in an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic method, a density of an output image may become higher or lower than an expected density because of various factors including, for example, environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity at the printing operation, a temperature change or a deterioration in a photosensitive drum or a fixing device of the printer, and a residual toner amount. Such phenomenon is particularly conspicuous in an image of an intermediate density level. In order to compensate such fluctuation in the output density characteristics caused by a variation in the image output conditions and to obtain an appropriate density in the output image, there is executed a control on image parameters (image density correction control), which is different from the toner concentration in the developer. As such image density correction control, there is known, for example, a following density correction characteristic control (γLUT control), which corrects density correction characteristics (γLUT) for correcting an image information signal that is used for forming the electrostatic image. More specifically, there is formed a patch image which is an image pattern corresponding to an image signal of a predetermined density level (such patch image being hereinafter also called "density correction characteristic controlling patch"), and a density of such patch image is measured. Then the measured density of the patch image is compared with a standard density at a corresponding density level. Then a density correction table (γLUT) for correcting the density level of the image data is so prepared that the output density characteristics have a predetermined property (for example linearity) (for example cf. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H10-16304).
However the toner concentration control and the density correction characteristic control are independent controls as described above and have been executed independently for stabilizing the image density.
Therefore, in an image forming apparatus equipped with both of the toner concentration control and the density correction characteristic control, both controls may compete with each other to result in an excessive control thereby leading to an instability in the image density. For example, in case the toner concentration control and the density correction characteristic control form patch images (toner concentration controlling patch and density correction characteristic controlling patch) almost at the same time and such patch images are judged to have a low density (low toner deposition amount), the toner concentration control executes a toner replenishment while the density correction characteristic control makes a correction on the density correction characteristics (□LUT) to elevate the density, whereby the image density may become excessively high as a result.
It is ideal to at first execute the toner concentration control to obtain an appropriate T/(T+C) ratio and then to execute the density correction characteristic control, but such sequence requires a complex control and a long control time, thereby significantly deteriorating the productivity of the image forming apparatus.
Consequently, there are required an image forming apparatus and an image control method, capable of correlating the toner concentration control and an image parameter control different from the toner concentration control (such as density correction characteristic control) thereby maintaining the image density in a simpler and shorter control.

Image forming apparatus capable of stably maintaining an image density


A milk flow meter having a measuring chamber which is connected to a milk supply conduit, the measuring chamber communicating with a discharge chamber and a milk sump at the lower end thereof. A calibrated milk discharge opening is provided between the measuring chamber and the discharge chamber and a milk suction conduit is connected to said milk sump. An additional rinsing conduit is provided, the upper end of the rinsing conduit leading into the discharge chamber and/or the measuring chamber essentially on the level of the upper end of the measuring chamber and the other end of the rinsing conduit being adapted to be connected, with the aid of an adjustment means movable between a measuring position and a rinsing position, essentially exclusively to the milk suction conduit in the rinsing position. In this respect, small passage conduits are preferably provided which connect the suction conduit with the sump and the discharge chamber in the rinsing position of the adjustment means so that the milk flowmeter can be completely emptied of rinsing liquid at the end of a rinsing procedure.

In modern milking technology, the flow of milk coming from the cow is milked intermittently, and it has added thereto transport air (approx. 8 liters free air per minute) as well as, frequently, major amounts of leakage air. The pulsating two-phase current, which thus occurs in the socalled long milk hose, has to be separated into its two constituent parts milk and air in the milk flow meter and the kinetic energy of this milk flow has to be diminished. In the actual measuring chamber, the milk, which should be degassed to highest possible degree, must flow through the calibrated measuring opening exclusively in accordance with gravitation. It follows that the separated air must be caused to flow past the measuring path via an internal and/or external bypass, without having any opportunity of influencing the discharge behaviour of the milk to be measured.
Furthermore, the cyclic flow fluctation, which is especially caused by pulsation, has to be smoothed as effectively as possible before the milk flows through the actual measuring path of the milk flow meter. In order to eliminate strong surface roughness as well as for minimizing the formation of foam, it will be necessary to diminish turbulences to the best possible extent. Surface roughness and milk foam cause substantial measuring difficulties and impair the signal of the sensor.
For smoothing and degassing the flow of milk, a variety of different means are used often in combination, such as e.g. tangential inflow of the milk into an entrance dome, an entrance cyclone, a deflection shield construction, a prechamber supplying the measuring chamber, if desired, from below, an internal and/or external air bypass etc. The internal air bypass connects the measuring chamber and the discharge chamber and is arranged approximately on the highest level of the measuring chamber. In this case the air will directly sweep over the smoothed and degassed milk, which is to be measured, in the measuring chamber. The dimensions of the bypass must be large enough to provide identical pressure between the measuring chamber and the discharge chamber during the measuring process. An external bypass is used in cases in which the air, after having been separated e.g. in a cyclone, is removed from the cyclone separately and is then introduced in the discharge chamber or in the suction sump only at a point after the measuring path. In the case of this configuration, there is practically no flow of air in the measuring chamber, and this will have a positive effect on the measurement. However, the nature, the structural design and the dimensions of these means will influence not only the function of the milk flow meter but also, directly, the fluctuations and/or losses of the milking vacuum acting on the teat. The milking vacuum, however, must virtually not be influenced by the interconnection of e.g. a milk flow meter for reasons of milking technique and, especially, for reasons of udder health.
In the course of the milking operation, a milk flow profile characteristic of the respective cow is obtained, said milk flow profile varying approx. between 0.2 and, typically, 4 kg/min. Since, however--but this is rarely the case--a milk flow of up to 12 kg/min may be obtained, the flow rate capacity of modern milk flow meters must be adapted to this maximum value. A well-constructed milk flow meter will typically present the following sight: the milk lies comparatively quiet in the measuring chamber and accumulates normally up to a level which is still lower than half the height of the measuring chamber. On top of the milk there is foam of greater or lesser density, which will often extend up to the ceiling of the measuring chamber.
Especially in the case of smaller milk flow meters and in the case of milk fresh from the cow, the formation of such foam on top of the milk can practically never by avoided completely, nor is it possible to avoid milk spray. This means that, when the device is in operation, practically the whole measuring chamber is acted upon by milk components, and these components will then adhere to the measuring chamber and gradually thicken, whereby a hygienically intolerable film of protein and fat would form, if they were not reliably acted upon and removed after each milking operation by an adequate cleaning and disinfecting fluid.
For perfect daily cleaning and disinfection of a milking plant conforming to standard, a flow rate of approx. 2 l/min of rinsing liquid, in connection with a high, fluctuating percentage of air (approx. 40 to 150 l/min), is used in a circulation cleaning process. In view of the fact that the rinsing fluid, too, is smoothed in the interposed milk flow meter, said rinsing fluid will--just as, previously, the milk to be measured--lie in the measuring chamber comparatively quiet and without turbulences and, moreover, it will accumulate up to a level which is lower than one third of the maximum surface level. This means that the upper two thirds of the measuring chamber and the ceiling thereof will practically not be cleaned, and this is absolutely unacceptable for hygienic reasons. In addition, the upper portions of the measuring sensor will not be cleaned either, and, consequently, the use of the normal cleaning method is impossible for functional reasons as well.
Quite generally, it can be said that the better a milk flow meter works and the less its influence on the milking vacuum, the more difficult it is to clean. For carrying out measurements in a milk flow meter, milk and air should be separated as perfectly as possible and all turbulences should be diminished, whereas, for cleaning a milk flow meter, the strongest possible turbulences of a rinsing fluid intensively mixed with air are to be aimed at. An increase of the temperature and/or of the rinsing fluid concentration and/or of the cleaning period are intolerable for economical and/or ecological reasons. The mechanical component (wetting plus turbulence) is the most important factor in the cleaning process of milking machines, and this must also be achieved in the cleaning of a milk flow meter.
Various attempts to solve this problem have already been made. For example, it has already been attempted to simply flood the milk flow meter during the cleaning process by increasing the amount of rinsing liquid. The cleaning result which can be achieved in this way is, in principle, very good. Due to the fact that flooding (overflow) will, however, only take place when the rinsing medium flow rate is higher than the maximum capacity of the milk flow meter (12 l/min), this method necessitates that the flow rate is increased by at least the factor 6 in comparison with the cleaning process normally used for the milking plant. This, however, means that this cleaning process can, at best, be used as an emergency measure, since it stresses economy and ecology intolerably strong by an increased consumption of chemicals, energy and water. Moreover, it is, in practice, frequently impossible to achieve such high flow rates in cases in which the dimensions of other components of the milking plant represent bottle-necks.
An additional solution attempt is the socalled reverse rinsing, i.e. the exchange of the feed hose and of the discharge hose during the circulation cleaning process. This method will cause good turbulences within the whole milk flow meter and, consequently, a thoroughly satisfactory cleaning result. In this case, however, the problem arises that, at the end of the cleaning run, which is controlled by a timing means--since the milker will normally have gone home at this time--the milk flow meter will, due to the exchanged connections, always remain in a condition in which it is filled with rinsing liquid. This is absolutely intolerable for hygienic reasons and in many countries specializing in milk it is even forbidden by law. A vacuum-dependent, automatic drain valve could not successfully be used for final emptying in this case, since such a valve would also respond to short vacuum drops during the milking operation (dropping of the milking means, removal of the milking means) and would thus cause sporadic leakage of milk from the milk flow meter during the milking process. Moreover, at least in large agricultural enterprises, it is, from the point of view of working economy, not tolerable that the feed hose and the discharge hose have to be changed over four times a day in the case of each milk flow meter. In view of the comparatively large inside width (inside diameter 16 mm) as well as in view of the orientation of the hose connecting piece required from the point of view of milking technology, the construction of an adequate airtight two-way cock, which would have a large volume and which would also be difficult to handle, is complicated. Due to the film of grease formed, it would also be problematic to clean the interior of such a cock.
As an additional possibility, it has already been attempted to simply turn the whole milk flow meter upside down. In this case, too, the cleaning effect achieved within the whole interior is, in principle, very good. However, the problem arising in this connection is the same which also arises in the case of the above-mentioned reverse rinsing: the milk flow meter, which is positioned upside down, will not automatically discharge the rinsing liquid at the end of the cleaning cycle. Moreover, in practical everyday use, this type of cleaning can hardly be carried out for reasons of working economy and for ergonomic reasons, since, when the whole milk flow meter is turned upside down, the feed and discharge hoses coupled to the milking means will show a strong tendency to twist, to kink and to become entwined.
Devices for cleaning and disinfecting the milk-flow paths of pipeline milking plants are already generally known from German-pat. 26 08 585, German-Offenlegungsschrift 27 20 987 and German-Offenlegungsschrift 33 45 744.
German-Auslegeschrift 17 57 520 and German-pat. 32 08 197 also disclose devices for cleaning a milk sluice in a milking plant. In the case of such a milk sluice, the milk will normally flow during the milking process from the milk supply conduit via a pre-receptacle into the milk sluice from below. The milk sluice will normally be filled only up to a certain level before the milk will then be discharged from the sluice at normal pressure. Hence, for cleaning also the upper part of the milk sluice with a rinsing liquid, a branch conduit leading from the normal milk supply conduit to the upper end of the milk sluice is provided for the rinsing procedure, said branch conduit containing a valve which is adapted to be opened during said rinsing procedure. However, the use of such an additional conduit, which, during the rinsing procedure, serves to transport the rinsing liquid passed through the milk flow meter instead of the milk to the areas normally not filled with milk, proved to be impossible without a modification of the essential functions of the milk flow meter.


The invention provides a process for preparing R-(+)-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)-2-methyl-butyric acid methyl ester of the formula (I):

The compounds of the formula (I) and the formula (II) are useful as intermediates for the preparation of certain pharmaceutically-active compounds:

These compounds are useful for the preparation of compounds of the formula (III) disclosed in the pending international application number PCT/IB2004/000208:
There exists a continuing need for developing a process for the preparation of the compound of formula (I) and formula (II).

Process for the preparation of optically pure isomers of 2-(4-hydroxy phenoxy)-2-methyl-butyric acid methyl ester

Abstract: Various embodiments and variants are provided.

Abstract: The invention also provides a process for preparing S-(−)-2-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)-2-methyl-butyric acid methyl ester of the formula (II)


A sensor for chemical vapor detection using a surface acoustic wave (SAW) ray that provides a means for simultaneously detecting several chemical agents. The sensor has a piezoelectric substrate and a bidirectional surface acoustic wave transducer on the substrate. Also on the substrate are several pairs of identical acoustic sensing and reference channels each on opposite sides of the transducer in a mirror image fashion. Each channel pair has a thin film capable of absorbing a chemical vapor to be monitored and a metallic surface acoustic wave grating reflector capable of receiving and reflecting surface acoustic waves through the thin film and back to the transducer. An acoustic absorber separates each channel. The reference channels are protected from ambient conditions while the sensing channels are exposed to such conditions. An RF signal is applied to the transducer causing the propagation of an acoustic signal into each of the sensing channels and reference channels. Output signals from the transducer are then detected. The array is preferably in a miniature configuration which is suitable for wearing on a person's wrist or arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to sensors for chemical vapor detection using a surface acoustic wave (SAW) array that provides a means for simultaneously detecting several chemical agents. The array is preferably in a miniature configuration which is suitable for wearing on a person's wrist or arm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been desired to provide a low cost, miniature sensor for the simultaneous detection of multiple chemical agents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,235 pertains to multiple-frequency acoustic wave devices for chemical sensing and materials characterization in both gas and liquid phases. A chemical sensor includes two or more pairs of interdigital electrodes having different periodicities. The electrodes are patterned on a surface of a piezoelectric substrate. Each pair of electrodes may launch and receive various acoustic waves, including a surface acoustic wave. The frequencies associated with each are functions of the transducer periodicity as well as the velocity of the particular acoustic wave in the chosen substrate material. An acoustic wave interaction region exists between each pair of electrodes. Circuitry is used to launch, receive, and monitor the propagation characteristics of the acoustic waves and may be configured in an intermittent measurement fashion or in a continuous measurement fashion. Perturbations to the acoustic wave velocity and attenuation are recorded at several frequencies and provide the sensor response. U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,110 relates to a selective chemical sensor for selective detection of chemical entities even at the nanogram level. The sensor comprises a piezoelectric substrate capable of detecting mass changes resulting from adsorption of material thereon and a coating applied to the substrate, which selectively sorbs chemical entities of a size smaller than a preselected magnitude. U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,257 discloses a sensor suitable for use as a viscosity sensor, a chemically selective sensor, or a chemically specific sensor. The sensor is a surface transverse wave device that includes a binding layer selected to bind to the solute to be measured. This binding layer can be an antibody so that the sensor detects a particular antigen. U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,255 discloses flow sensing using surface acoustic waves. A sensor employs a SAW oscillator heated above the ambient by converting RF energy to heat via acoustic dissipation in energy absorbers located outside the path of propagation. The device is used to measure fluid flow, where fluid is directed across the SAW delay line lowering the substrate temperature which is elevated by the heat generating energy absorbers outside the propagation path. The temperature reduction changes the oscillator frequency which is indicative of the gas velocity. In operation, gases are passed across the top of the delay-line while liquids are passed across the bottom of the delay-line in a back-side sensing operation. To measure gas or vapor contaminants, chemically sensitive coatings placed on the substrate in the propagation path can be used to sense contaminants in a gas flowing over the substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,210 relates to an apparatus and method of monitoring a gas by simultaneously flowing the gas through means for trapping gaseous species. Each of the trapping means is selective in trapping gaseous species and differs from the selectivity of the others. Each is subjected to conditions to effect release of any gaseous species trapped while maintaining the other means in a condition suitable for selective trapping of gaseous species. The gas issuing from the trapping means is contacted with means for sensing gaseous species. Each sensing means is adapted so that its selectivity to sensing gaseous species differs from such selectivity of the other sensing means.
In contrast to the above, the inventive SAW based chemical multisensor array provides a low cost, miniature configuration for the detection of several chemical agents simultaneously. By using the multichannel SAW device in combination with a simple read-out circuit, detection of a particular chemical agent or agents is indicated.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) chemical multi-sensor array

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A dual mode mobile wireless communication terminal detects a reception field level of another second communication system when the reception field level of a first communication system, with which communication is currently taking place, has dropped to or below a prescribed threshold. When the second communication system has priority, the terminal selects the second communication system. When prescribed operation is executed on the terminal, the terminal can also detects a reception field level of another second communication system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication terminal and a control method therefor, and more particularly to a wireless communication terminal which switches over the choice of wireless communication system according to the state of radio wave reception, and a control method for the terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dual mode wireless communication terminal is used in an environment in which a plurality of communication systems are coexistent, and switches over the choice of wireless communication system according to the state of radio wave that is received. A conventional dual mode wireless communication terminal periodically detects the reception field level of another communication system, and determines whether or not to switch over from one communication system to another on the basis of the detected level.
However, it is difficult by this method to quickly switch over from the communication system currently in use to another communication system because the level is detected at rather long intervals. On the other hand, if the intervals are shortened, the battery consumption will increase. According to the conventional method, it may sometimes be impossible to continue to use the currently chosen communication system until the next level detection. Moreover, even if the other communication system has priority, no preferential switch-over is possible.

Wireless communication terminal and control method therefor


A system and method for diagnosing ignition system performance of an internal combustion engine. The method operates an engine control unit to produce a sequence of spark ignition current pulses through primary windings of a plurality of ignition coils. The current pulses produce voltage pulses across electrodes of the spark plugs. The voltage pulses produce flyback voltages across the primary windings. Output pulses are produced in response to the flyback voltages having time durations related to the time durations of the sparks produced by the spark plugs. Digital signal are produced in response to each one of the output pulses representative of the spark time duration of a corresponding one of the sparks. A comparison of the digital signals determines whether the spark time duration of one of the spark plugs is substantially different from the spark time durations of the other ones of the plurality of spark plugs.

As is known in the art, present on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems utilize the coil primary charge current (partial dwell flag current and time), as the indication for a "good" ignition event. Ignition Primary Circuit failures are identified by a corresponding DTC (Diagnostic Trouble Code). At the present time, the technician does not have the ability to determine any type of ignition system secondary issues beyond misfire DTC's. Any issues in the ignition system not related to the coil primary charge circuit, such as open coil secondary windings, internal shorted secondary windings, extreme fouling of spark plugs, etc., will not be identified by an ignition DTC. Although it is true that in most cases a misfire DTC will be generated due to secondary faults, this leaves the technician with multiple possibilities as to the root cause of the misfire, (i.e. Powertrain Control Module (PCM), fuel system, unmetered air, valves, etc.), which can result in misdiagnosis and increased warranty costs.

Powertrain control module spark duration diagnostic system


It is provided a state recognition system configured to recognize a state of a traveling road on which a vehicle travels, the state recognition system being configured to: select a substance adhered on a lens of a camera mounted on the vehicle in an image captured by the camera; and determine whether the traveling road is on-road or off-road by determining a type and an amount of the selected adhered substance.

This invention relates to a system for recognizing a state, and more particularly, to a system to be mounted on a vehicle to recognize a state of a road surface.
With the advance in vehicle electronic control technology, there has been a request for a technology for accurately determining a state of a road surface. The determination of the state of the road surface is preferred in order to realize safe traveling of a vehicle such as an automobile.
The following technology is disclosed in, for example, JP 2011-174794 A. Specifically, an image captured by a camera is subjected to Gabor filtering to obtain short-period and long-period Gabor filtering data. Both the data are normalized, and then a normalized value is compared with a predetermined threshold value to determine a dry/wet state of the road surface.

State recognition system and state recognition method


A sheet conveyance apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet stacking portion including an engagement portion, provided to be insertable to/removable from the apparatus body and capable of having sheets stacked thereon, and a conveyance guide portion provided to be insertable to/removable from the apparatus body and constituting a sheet conveyance path through which a sheet passes in a state where the conveyance guide portion is mounted to a mounted position in the apparatus body. The conveyance guide portion has an engaged portion that is pressed by the engagement portion accompanying an operation where the sheet stacking portion is inserted to the apparatus body, and moves the conveyance guide portion to the mounted position.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet conveyance apparatus for conveying stacked sheets one by one, and an image forming apparatus adopting the same. In further detail, the present invention relates to a sheet conveyance apparatus having a conveyance guide portion disposed at an upper area of the sheet stacking portion for feeding sheets manually, and an image forming apparatus adopting the same.
Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, electro-photographic image forming apparatuses are used widely as copying machines, printers, plotters, facsimiles, and multifunction printers having these multiple functions. The image forming apparatuses such as the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-180864 equipped with a sheet stacking portion capable of having multiple sheets stacked thereon and a conveyance guide portion for guiding manually-fed sheets are becoming popular. According to this type of image forming apparatus, the conveyance guide portion is inserted to the apparatus body in a removable manner to facilitate handling of jammed sheets.
According to such image forming apparatus, when a user wishes to form images on regular-sized sheets used frequently, the user stacks the sheets on the sheet stacking portion, and the sheets are fed one by one from the uppermost sheet via the sheet feeding portion. When the user wishes to form images on a regular-sized sheet that is not used frequently, such as a cardboard sheet, or on an irregular sheet such as a long paper sheet having an irregular size, the user feeds the sheet manually to the conveyance guide portion.
However, according to the image forming apparatus disclosed in the above-described patent document, when the user feeds a sheet manually to the apparatus, there may be a case where the sheet is fed to the apparatus even when the conveyance guide portion is displaced from the correct position with respect to the apparatus body. In that case, there is a drawback that depressurization may occur between a roller provided to the conveyance guide portion and a roller provided to the apparatus body, and may be causing slipping or skewing of the sheets.

Sheet conveyance apparatus and image forming apparatus


A system for controlling nozzle touch force, which is capable of maintaining the touch force relying upon a simple constitution. An electric motor moves the injection unit forward via a spring to bring a nozzle into contact with a metal mold. Further, the spring is compressed to impart a preset nozzle touch force. In the injection/pressure-maintaining step, the screw is driven, and a position/speed detector provided on a servo motor for injecting the resin detects the injection speed at regular intervals. A force produced by the force of inertia of the moving portions such as the injection screw and the pusher plate that move due to the injection operation, is found from the acceleration that is found from the injection speed. The amount of compression of the spring is controlled by varying the rotational position of the motor by an amount corresponding to the force that is found to maintain the nozzle touch force constant. Since the nozzle touch force is maintained constant, no resin leaks and an excess of nozzle touch force is not produced, either.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection-molding machine and, particularly, to a system for controlling the nozzle touch force of the injection-molding machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a nozzle touch mechanism which moves an injection unit as a whole to bring it into contact with a metal mold, the injection unit mounted on a base so as to move back and forth is driven by a nozzle touch force generating device to bring the nozzle of the injection unit into contact with the metal mold. A known nozzle touch force generating device utilizes a hydraulic cylinder or a spring force expanded by the force of a motor to hold the nozzle in contact with to the metal mold (see Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 6-17038)
There is further known a nozzle touch mechanism which pushes the nozzle onto the metal mold with a predetermined pressure by using a hydraulic pressure. The nozzle touch force has heretofore been controlled in a manner as described above, i.e., the output of the nozzle touch force generating device is maintained constant to hold the nozzle so as to be pushed onto the metal mold.
There is further known a control method in which an injection unit is provided with a distortion sensor to set the nozzle touch force easily and at any value, and a servo motor is controlled relying on a feedback signal from the distortion sensor to advance the injection unit thereby to obtain a desired nozzle touch force (see Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 7-106580).
In order to cancel the reaction force generated by the force of inertia of the moving member of the injection unit at the time of acceleration or deceleration of injection, there is also known an invention according to which moving members are provided to move in directions opposite to each other, and the force of inertia is excluded so that the members of the injection-molding machine will not be broken or the control characteristics deteriorated (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2001-124169).
There is further known an invention according to which the reaction force in the axial direction acting on a screw is detected by using a load cell provided downstream of the screw, the force of inertia of the moving part such as the screw that is generated at the time of acceleration or deceleration of injection is found to correct the reaction force, in order to correctly find the pressure exerted on the molten resin (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-191285).
To prevent leakage of the molten resin from a position where the nozzle and the metal mold are in contact with each other, it is desirable to maintain constant the nozzle touch force in the nozzle touch mechanism. At the time of acceleration of injection, however, the nozzle touch force for pushing the nozzle touch surface drops, being affected by the force of inertia of the moving member such as the injection screw or the pusher plate of the injection unit. FIGS. 9a and 9b are diagrams illustrating the nozzle touch force in a conventional nozzle touch force generating device by utilizing a spring. FIG. 9a illustrates the injection speed of when the injection screw advances in the injection unit to inject the molten resin in the heating cylinder into a metal mold, and FIG. 9b illustrates the nozzle touch force at the time of injection.
When the injection operation starts in a state where a predetermined nozzle touch force fs is generated due to the compression of the spring, there occurs a drop in the nozzle touch force for pushing the nozzle touch surface at the time of acceleration of injection due to the force of inertia of the moving members such as the injection screw and the pusher plate in the injection unit. At the time of deceleration of injection, on the other hand, the nozzle touch force increases due to the force of inertia of the moving part of the injection unit. FIG. 9b illustrates an increase and a decrease of the nozzle touch force by f1 at the time of acceleration and deceleration of injection.
When the nozzle touch force becomes smaller than a force produced by the resin pressure, the injection unit is pushed back, permitting the resin to leak. So far, therefore, the nozzle touch surface had been pushed with a sufficiently large nozzle touch force so that there was no leakage of resin despite the nozzle touch force having dropped being affected by the acceleration of injection. When pushed with a large nozzle touch force, however, the metal mold deflects and/or a parallel relationship of the mold is not maintained, giving rise to problems with regard to a drop in the quality of the molded article and a decrease in the life of the metal mold. As shown in FIG. 9b, also, the nozzle touch force increases due to the force of inertia at the time of deceleration in the injection speed, causing a further decrease in the life of the metal mold.

System for controlling nozzle touch force


An auto flow steam trap has a hollow main casing having an inlet channel and an outlet channel, a float assembly mounted in the main casing, and a non-return valve assembly. With the non-return valve assembly mounted in the outlet channel of the main casing, the auto flow steam trap only needs one non-return valve assembly to control allowing the condensate to flow out of the main casing or not. Thus, the auto flow steam trap has advantages such as simple structure and low failure rate, easy assembling, and so on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auto flow steam trap, especially to a steam trap that discharges condensate formed in a steam system.
2. Description of the Prior Art(s)
In a steam system, such as a steam pipeline, a steam container, a steam heater, and the like, when steam with high temperature and high pressure is cooled down, condensate is formed in the steam system. A steam trap that is connected to the steam system discharges the condensate in the steam system and maintains heating effect of the steam system.
A conventional steam trap comprises a hollow body, a partition panel, and at least one float assembly. The hollow body has a condensate inlet, a condensate outlet, and a drain channel. The partition panel is securely mounted in the hollow body and divides an interior of the hollow body into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The drain channel communicates with the lower chamber and the condensate outlet. The at least one float assembly is mounted on the partition panel. Each of the at least one float assembly has a float seat, a non-return valve assembly, a float, and an adjusting tube. The float seat is mounted on and through the partition panel. The non-return valve assembly is mounted in the float seat and is disposed at the lower chamber of the hollow body. The float is movably mounted in the float seat and is disposed at the upper chamber of the hollow body. The adjusting tube protrudes down from a bottom of the float, is slidably mounted through the partition panel, protrudes into the lower chamber of the hollow body, and has at least one guiding hole. Each of the at least one guiding hole is formed through the adjusting tube, extends longitudinally, and has a uniform width from top to bottom.
Condensate from the steam system flows into the steam trap through the condensate inlet and is accumulated in the upper chamber of the hollow body. As the condensate accumulated in the upper chamber increases, the float is lifted and the adjusting tube moves up accordingly. When the at least one guiding hole of the adjusting tube corresponds in position to the upper chamber of the hollow body, the condensate in the upper chamber further flows into the adjusting tube via the at least one guiding hole, and opens the non-return valve assembly. Then the condensate flows into and is accumulated in the lower chamber of the hollow body, and is discharged out of the hollow body via the drain channel and the condensate outlet of the hollow body.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional steam trap, each float assembly has a specific discharge rate. Although a total discharge rate of the steam trap may be increased by increasing the number of the float assemblies, each float assembly, especially the non-return valve assembly of each float assembly, has complicated structure and needs numerous components. Accordingly, a steam trap with multiple float assemblies has complicated assembling processes and high failure rate.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides an auto flow steam trap to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


An information processing server system in which agreement to terms of service by a user is confirmed using a second authentication session different from a first authentication session used when a client uses the web service is provided.

Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an information processing server system which starts use of a web service in accordance with agreement to terms of the web service, a control method, and a program.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, business in which services are provided for customers using servers provided on the Internet, such as cloud services, has been widely provided. In such business, different services are provided, and a customer selects a desired one of the services and makes a contract of only the required service.
Furthermore, when such a service is provided for a certain customer company, a service provider newly generates a tenant to be assigned to the customer company. Furthermore, an initial user who manages the newly-generated tenant on the customer company side is generated and is registered in the tenant. An administrator of the customer company logs into the service as the generated initial user and adds the user to the assigned tenant, and in addition, performs required settings so that the customer company may start use of the service.
The user who actually uses the service is requested to agree to terms of service defined by the service provider and use of personal information when logging in the service for the first time. Only after agreeing to the terms of service and the use of personal information, the user may log in and use the service in some cases. As for the terms of service, the user may be requested to agree to different terms of service for different services or may be requested to agree to the same terms of service which are shared by different services so as to use all the services.
In general, access to a server protected by an authentication function is performed using a cookie after storing an authentication session representing that authentication is successfully performed as a result of login to the service in a web browser of a client as the cookie. When web pages provided by the server are to be accessed, the client transmits a cookie to the server. Then the server determines that the accesses to the web pages are performed by the same user and provides the services to the user. As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4056390, when a cookie of an authentication session is supplied to a web browser of a client, the web browser is allowed to access a web page protected by an authentication function.
When agreement to terms of service and use of personal information is requested to each user, the user performs login using a login screen of a server. The server obtains information on a service usable by the user and information on terms of service in which the user has agreed and provides a screen for making agreement to terms of service which are determined that the user has not agreed. When a result of an agreement by the user is supplied to the server through the agreement screen, the server requires a cookie of an authentication session so as to specify the user who has agreed the terms of service.
However, if the cookie of the authentication session is supplied to a web browser, it is possible that a web service becomes available without the agreement of the terms of service. Specifically, when the user directly specifies a URL of the service using the web browser while the agreement screen is displayed, the user may access and use the web service without the agreement to the terms of service.

Information processing server system, control method, and program


The present invention relates to a method of generating a second peak wavelength of reflected light from a cholesteric liquid crystal having a first peak wavelength of reflected light comprising by exposing or conditioning the cholesteric liquid crystal to a high temperature or a high humidity. The invention also relates to an electrically modulated imaging layer and a display containing a liquid crystal material that has conditioned and unconditioned forms, wherein the unconditioned form of liquid crystal material reflects a first wavelength of light and wherein the conditioned form of liquid crystal material reflects a second wavelength of light.

Cholesteric liquid crystals have the property of maintaining several different optical states in the absence of an electrical field. Additionally, cholesteric liquid crystals can change optical states in response to applied electrical and/or thermal fields. Those properties make them useful in the development of field-stable, re-writable displays.
Cholesteric (chiral nematic) liquid crystals in a planar state are known to reflect circularly polarized light. The peak reflection wavelength is λ= nP0, and the band width is Δλ=ΔnP0, where P0 is the pitch,
            n      _        =                  1        2                          (                              n            e                    +                      n            o                          )              ,Δn=ne−no, ne and no are the extraordinary and ordinary refractive indices, respectively.
The pitch P0 can be adjusted by controlling the concentration c of the chiral dopant according to
            P      0        =          1              c        ·        HTP              ,where HTP is the helical twisting power of the chiral dopant. Thus, the peak wavelength λ= nP0 can be tuned to be in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet spectrum. To reflect a short wavelength, such as a blue light, a short-pitch cholesteric liquid crystal is required, which in return requires a high concentration c, because for a given chiral dopant, the helical twisting power HTP is fixed. However, there is an upper limit to the concentration c of the chiral dopant. When its concentration gets too high, crystallization may occur, and other desired electro-optical properties of the host nematic liquid crystals may be lost. Another approach is to choose a high twisting power chiral dopant, but these are not readily available.
According to another approach as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,614, the wavelength of reflected light from cholesteric liquid crystals was tuned by photo-irradiation, which caused changes in the chirality of the tunable chiral material (TCM). This technique basically destroyed or altered the chirality of the chiral dopant. When the TCM and cholesteric liquid crystal of the same handedness were mixed together, the initial mixture was designed to reflect blue light. Upon irradiation with UV light or other high energy source, the TCM was destroyed, thus the chirality was reduced, and the wavelength of light moved from blue towards red. When the TCM and cholesteric liquid crystal of the opposite handedness were mixed together, the initial mixture was designed to reflect red light. Upon photo-irradiation, again, the TCM was destroyed, thus the effective chirality was increased due to the decrease in the opposite direction, and the wavelength of light moved from red towards to blue. However, the shortest wavelength that the mixture could achieve was limited by the chirality of the cholesteric liquid crystal without having the TCM. In either case, this technique did not increase the chirality of the chiral dopant. In addition the photo-irradiation usually caused adverse effects on other components of the cholesteric liquid crystals.

Method of varying wavelengths of liquid crystals

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A process for the piecing of a yarn end on a open-end spinning machine. The yarn is backfed a first time from a cross-wound package, the backfeeding is interrupted and the yarn is clamped at a predetermined distance from the package and the free end is cut. The backfeeding is then resumed for a predetermined period of time and the yarn is temporarily stored between the clamping point and the package. The stored yarn is then wound onto the package in a plurality of parallel windings upon a predetermined generating line. The yarn clamp is released to backfeed the yarn remaining in the temporary storage device and to stretch or tension the yarn between the package and the backfeeding means. The yarn is reclamped and the excess yarn is cut to a predetermined length. The yarn is backfed to the spinning rotor of the open-end spinning machine to combine with fibers in the rotor to piece up the yarn, which is then drawn off the rotor and wound onto the package. The invention also includes apparatus for carrying out the method.

The instant invention relates to a process for piecing an open-end spinning device in which a yarn is fed back from a cross-wound package a first time, is then re-wound on a predetermined generating line of the cross-wound package in the form of parallel windings and is finally fed back from these parallel windings for a second time to an open-end spinning element. It is then cut to a predetermined length and the cut yarn is back-fed to combine with the newly fed fibers and is finally continuously drawn off in form of a yarn with incorporated fibers, as well as a device to carry out this process.
In a known process the yarn is stored by means of the suction pipe which sucks the yarn away from the cross-wound package, and from this store it is again wound up on the cross-wound package while parallel windings are formed (U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,371). In such a swivelling suction pipe which has, furthermore, the task of presenting the yarn to a transfer element for transfer to the spinning element, the yarn must, however, be deflected several times, and this makes it more difficult to draw the yarn off again to constitute parallel windings on the cross-wound package. In addition the yarn's surface is affected as it is pulled over deflection points. By retaining the yarn end in the suction pipe during re-winding of the yarn to constitute parallel windings on the cross-wound package, the yarn is stretched to varying degrees, depending on the material and yarn thickness, due to the yarn tension which then occurs, leading to imprecision in yarn length. In addition the increased yarn tension leads to constrictions on the package which cause problems in the process. These process problems occur during back-feeding for piecing as well as in the further processing of the yarn, as the yarn length wound up in form of parallel windings exceeds the yarn length needed for piecing for reasons of security, so that a short yarn length of yarn, representing a remainder of the parallel windings, remains on the cross-wound package after piecing.

Process and device for the piecing of an open-end spinning device


A heel rest for a motorcycle having an exhaust pipe. The heel rest including a mounting base adapted to connect to the exhaust pipe and a heel pad coupled to the mounting base. The heel rest also includes an insulating member disposed between the heel pad and the mounting base to inhibit heat transfer between the heel pad and the mounting base.

The present invention relates to a heel rest for a motorcycle. More particularly, the invention relates to a motorcycle heel rest that is mounted directly to a motorcycle exhaust pipe.
Motorcycles generally include a front wheel and a rear wheel that rotate about separate axles as the motorcycle moves. An engine combusts a fuel-air mixture to produce shaft power that is directed to the rear wheel to propel the motorcycle. As a byproduct of the combustion process, the engine also produces a flow of products of combustion. The products of combustion are typically exhausted from the engine through an exhaust system, which commonly includes one or more exhaust pipes that are positioned on one or both sides of the motorcycle and extend toward the rear of the motorcycle. The products of combustion flow though the pipe and are discharged at the rear of the motorcycle. As is well known, portions of the exhaust pipe can become quite hot during engine operation. As such, many motorcycles include a thermal shield that covers all, or a portion of the exhaust pipes.
Many motorcycles also include foot pegs or other foot resting or foot actuated devices disposed near the exhaust pipes. The foot pegs provide a place for the rider to position his or her feet while riding the motorcycle. However, the proximity of the foot pegs to the exhaust pipes make it possible for a rider to place a foot or a portion of a foot on the exhaust pipe or the thermal shield. This can scratch, dent, or otherwise damage the thermal shield or the exhaust pipe.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group, Inc.


A rubbing pad-dispensing tool comprising a tubular body for holding by hand, the tubular body having an interior arranged for containing a stack of rubbing pads and a pad-dispensing orifice positioned on a first end thereof; the pad-dispensing orifice having an end cap closure therefor, and in which the exterior of the end cap closure is provided with a planar pad-carrying area arranged such that in use, the rubbing pads may be brought one at a time into carried contact therewith.

Our U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,527 B2 discloses the construction of a rubbing tool that in one aspect resembles a deodorant stick, with a tubular housing containing a body of compressed lofty nonwoven mildly abrasive fibre, the fibre arranged either as a series of stacked pads or a roll of fibrous web, either optionally impregnated with chemical formulations. The pads were detachably attached to the stack and arranged normal to the axis of a tubular body so as to form layers, the end layer projecting from an orifice at one end, the first end, for rubbing against a surface. After rubbing the used pad is peeled off to expose a new surface, which is then positioned in the orifice ready for rubbing by indexing the stack along the tube, the indexing force applied to a slide-able platform located towards the second end of the stack. The platform slides inside the tube, conveniently done by coupling the platform with a propel/repel screw with its operating knob at the second end of the tool.
Originally the tool was designed for applying industrial chemicals to surfaces while rubbing, for example applying primers or friction modifying fluids onto metals. Other uses were found in cleaning, in particular removing stains from wood and soft furnishings. Further uses emerged in cleaning and treating ovenware. While the design has proved satisfactory for these uses, the underlying principle of storing and disposing of used layered pads has now been extended to improve these tools for domestic and car body cleaning and for use in other new areas, in particular the application of cosmetic lotions for skin care and shaving lubricants.
The improvement to the tool being the provision of means for transferring each pad, separately onto a functionally shaped pad carrying area on the outside of the tool case before rubbing, The pad carrying area is positioned on the removable closure and pads with new rubbing faces (friction faces) are transferred from inside the tubular body onto the outside of the closure without touching by hand, thus avoiding any risk of contamination of the pad or the users hands. Furthermore by selecting a suitably resilient pad material, its stiffness is usefully influenced over the rubbing face by shaping the pad carrying area so that it provides greater support (stiffness) in its central region, the support reducing progressively towards its edge, thereby providing a rubbing face with a soft edge, which soft edge minimises induced stresses associated with sliding the tool edge over a soft substrate such as soft furnishing, fabric, leather, skin or plant tissues. The soft edged rubbing pads reduce risk of injury during cosmetic procedures.
Finally, the step of removing the pad to be used for rubbing from the stack of unused pads and then resealing the storage cavity eliminates the risk of contamination of the new unused pads stored within the body during rubbing.


A radio frequency identification tag is made with printed antenna coil integrated on a flexible substrate, and an integrated circuit area of the substrate adjacent the antenna coil for carrying circuit elements. The radio frequency identification tag is designed to be sufficiently robust to withstand the rigors of mail efficiency processing measurement applications.

The present invention relates in general to electromechanical circuit design, and more particularly to a flexible radio frequency identification tag for mail efficiency measurement applications.
Traditional circuit board assemblies use rigid insulated materials to form a substrate for the mounting of electronic components. According to well known prior art designs, the signal flow between electronic components is effected by wire connections (e.g., copper traces) printed on the substrate. The electronic components themselves are connected to these wire traces via solder. The rigidity of the substrate material prevents cracking of the copper solder joint connections and insures the integrity of these connections when the device is subjected to mechanical stress.
Certain specialized applications require circuit board assemblies of size greater than approximately 4 cm2 to be flexible. One such application is mail efficiency processing measurement wherein the circuit board assemblies are disposed within or on envelopes which pass through mail sorting equipment. The circuit board assemblies in such an application may be designed to incorporate low frequency antennae and associated electronic circuitry. The circuit board assembly must be designed to withstand the stresses of being passed through mechanical sorting machines.
According to the present invention, a radio frequency identification tag is provided having a printed RF coil integrated with a flexible substrate, and an integrated circuit area of the substrate adjacent the coil, wherein the integrated circuit area is reinforced to protect electrical components thereon. The radio frequency tag of the present invention is designed to endure mechanical stresses far in excess of the stresses which standard circuit board assemblies are normally subjected to. The tag of the present invention is also designed to be sufficiently thin and light for use in mail processing measurement applications.
The integrated antenna and circuit area are disposed on the same substrate thereby resulting in increased reliability and decreased complexity over prior art designs having antenna elements separate from the sensing circuit.
According to another aspect of the present invention is a method of making an identification tag, the method comprising providing a flexible substrate having an antenna portion and an integrated circuit portion; forming an antenna on the antenna portion of the substrate; forming a sensing circuit on a laminate substrate and securing the laminate substrate to the integrated circuit portion of the flexible substrate; forming a connection between the sensing circuit and the antenna on the substrate; and encapsulating the sensing circuit to form a semi-rigid area on the substrate while the antenna portion remains flexible.


A surgical instrument includes an E-beam firing bar engages the channel and selectively engages the anvil during distal firing movements, wherein the tissue is severed and stapled driven upward from the staple cartridge to form against the anvil. In particular, a wedge integral to the staple cartridge is driven distally by a middle pin of the firing bar to effect stapling. A single lockout of the staple channel responds to the presence of the wedge sled in its unfired position to allow the firing bar to fire. Otherwise, the single lockout prevents firing when the staple cartridge is missing or spent. Further, some versions include an Electroactive Polymer (EAP) actuator that presents an abutting surface, or acts as a trapdoor to a ramped recess in a staple channel to block the firing bar, as an active approach to preventing firing for one or more conditions.

Surgical staplers have been used in the prior art to simultaneously make a longitudinal incision in tissue and apply lines of staples on opposing sides of the incision. Such instruments commonly include a pair of cooperating jaw members that, if the instrument is intended for endoscopic or laparoscopic applications, are capable of passing through a cannula passageway. One of the jaw members receives a staple cartridge having at least two laterally spaced rows of staples. The other jaw member defines an anvil having staple-forming pockets aligned with the rows of staples in the cartridge. The instrument includes a plurality of reciprocating wedges which, when driven distally, pass through openings in the staple cartridge and engage drivers supporting the staples to effect the firing of the staples toward the anvil.
An example of a surgical stapler suitable for endoscopic applications is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,895, which advantageously provides distinct closing and firing actions. Thereby, a clinician is able to close the jaw members upon tissue to position the tissue prior to firing. Once the clinician has determined that the jaw members are properly gripping tissue, the clinician can then fire the surgical stapler, thereby severing and stapling the tissue. The simultaneous severing and stapling avoids complications that may arise when performing such actions sequentially with different surgical tools that respectively only sever or staple.
It is often advantageous to build an end effector for the surgical stapler that is reusable. For instance, one patient may need a series of severing and stapling operations. Replacing an entire end effector for each operation tends to be economically inefficient. This is especially true if the end effector is built to be strong and reliable over repeated operations. To that end, staple cartridges are fitted into the end effector prior to each operation of the surgical stapler. Thus, a much smaller amount of the surgical staples is discarded after each use.
While the staple cartridge provides numerous advantages, it is desirable to prevent inadvertent firing of the surgical stapler when an unfired staple cartridge is not present. Otherwise, the severing of tissue may occur without the staples to minimize bleeding. It is particularly desirable that preventing such inadvertent firing be accomplished in a reliable way that is not subject to an intervening malfunction. Moreover, for ease of manufacturing and assembly, it is further desirable that the lockout features be accomplished with a minimum number of components.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,914 to Geiste, a locking mechanism is disclosed that includes a firing bar ("actuation channel") and includes a pair of integral cam wedges that actuate a staple cartridge. An inverted T-shaped member rides under and between the cam wedges to prevent a hook from catching an edge of the firing bar. Once advanced distally, the inverted T-shaped member remains as the firing bar is retracted and thus would be locked out if advanced a second time.
While such a lockout mechanism provides certain advantages, it is desirable to incorporate a lockout into a surgical severing and stapling mechanism that operates within an E-beam firing bar that has advantages of its own. In particular, the E-beam engages the lower jaw (staple channel) and the upper jaw (anvil) during firing, assisting in a consistent spacing of jaws. It would be further desirable to have a lockout mechanism that may be remotely controlled so that additional lockout conditions may be incorporated.
Consequently, a significant need exists for an improved surgical stapling and severing instrument that prevents inadvertent firing (i.e., severing and stapling) when a staple cartridge is not installed or is spent, having been previously fired.

Surgical stapling instrument having an electroactive polymer actuated single lockout mechanism for prevention of firing


In a digital acoustic reproducing apparatus 10 for selecting and outputting one sound information from a sound information source 11 having plural kinds of sound information with at least the number of channels or different data formats, there are provided sound information readout member 12 for reading sound information out of the sound information source 11, information acquisition member 18 for acquiring information about data formats capable of decoding by a decoder 21 to which the sound information read out is supplied or information about the number of speakers 30 to which the sound information decoded by the decoder 21 is supplied, and sound information selection member 14 for selecting sound information to be outputted to the decoder 21 based on the acquired information.

The present disclosure relates to the subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-286467 filed on Sep. 20, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirely.
The present invention relates to a digital acoustic reproducing apparatus for selecting and outputting one sound information from a sound information source having plural kinds of sound information, an acoustic apparatus for decoding sound information supplied from the digital acoustic reproducing apparatus and outputting the sound information from a speaker, and an acoustic reproducing system comprising the digital acoustic reproducing apparatus and the acoustic apparatus.
In recent years, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) is becoming widespread as a mass storage medium. When a movie is recorded on the DVD, it is constructed so as to record video information or sound information (a maximum of 8 kinds) corresponding to this video information. As the sound information, for example, Dolby digital (Japanese) of 5.1 ch (channel), Dolby digital (Japanese) of 2 ch and Dolby digital (English) of 5.1 ch are considered.
By the way, for example, in addition to a DVD player, a display apparatus for displaying video information outputted from the DVD player, an amplifier for decoding and amplifying sound information outputted from the DVD player and a speaker for outputting the decoded and amplified sound information outputted from the amplifier as sound are used for reproducing such a DVD. Here, for example, a maximum of 8 speakers can be connected to the amplifier.
However, in the case of attempting to reproduce a DVD on which three kinds of sound information, for example, Dolby digital (Japanese) of 5.1 ch, Dolby digital (Japanese) of 2 ch and Dolby digital (English) of 5.1 ch along with video information are recorded, when Japanese is selected as reproduction language in the conventional DVD player, there are cases of selecting improper sound information, in which Dolby digital (Japanese) of 5.1 ch is automatically selected even though only two speakers are connected to the amplifier or Dolby digital (Japanese) of 2 ch is automatically selected even though speakers of the amount of 5.1 ch (six) are connected to the amplifier, and a user was forced to perform operations of switching the sound information by hand every time the selection is made and it was very troublesome.

Digital acoustic reproducing apparatus, acoustic apparatus and acoustic reproducing system


Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a photocatalytic filter for air purification. The present manufacturing method comprises the steps of: oxidizing a titanium metal to obtain a nanostructured titanium dioxide (TiO2); adding the nanostructured titanium dioxide to an acidic fluorine-containing solution to allow a reaction to occur therebetween for a predetermined period of time; and, after treatment in the acidic fluorine-containing solution, performing heat treatment on the nanostructured titanium dioxide.

Recently, as the demand for air purifying devices for purifying indoor air is increased due to air pollution, fine dust, yellow-dust, and the like, air purifying devices of various methods have been produced. For example, there have been air purifying devices using filters in a nonwoven fabric form and air purifying devices using electrostatic filters of an electrostatic precipitating method. However, although filtering dust with these filters has been possible, removing odor or sterilizing bacteria has been difficult. Accordingly, a separate deodorizing filter made of activated carbon has been used for deodorization, but there have been problems such as a deodorizing filter using activated carbon having poor durability and not being able to sterilize harmful microorganisms included in the air.
In order to solve these problems, technologies using photocatalytic material capable of performing air purifying functions such as deodorization and sterilization are being researched, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) may be identified as the leading photocatalytic material. Titanium dioxide generates radicals when subject to ultraviolet rays, which may sterilize microorganisms as well as degrade odorous substances that cause odors by the strong oxidizing power of the radicals.
In order to use photocatalytic materials as described above, a separate light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) needs to be provided in an air purifying device. Although, air purifying effect may be increased with more light sources increasing photocatalytic reaction, there is the disadvantage of energy consumption increasing relatively.
Accordingly, there is a need for an air purifying device applied with a photocatalyst capable of reducing energy consumption while improving air purifying effect.

Method for manufacturing photocatalytic filter for air purification


An electro-acupuncture device for controlling over active bladder is described. The device includes a housing, circuitry for generating electro-acupuncture stimulus disposed within the housing, and at least one strap for securing the housing to the ankle. The device also includes a pair of D-shaped electrodes received within the bottom outer surface of the housing. The housing of the device is flexible with a low profile and is shaped so that it is conformal to a person's ankle. When the device is strapped to a patient's ankle, the electrodes contact the ankle and provide electric stimulation to the tibial nerve within the ankle.

The peripheral nervous system of a human body consists of the nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord. Its main function is to connect the central nervous system to the limbs and organs. Unlike the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system is not protected by the bone of the spine and the skull, or by the blood-brain barrier, leaving it available for non-invasive, peripheral, electrical nerve stimulation.
Nerves may suffer functional defects due to normal wear and tear, physical injuries, infection, and/or the failure of blood vessels surrounding the nerves. Other defects occur with the inappropriate activation or inhibition of somatic and autonomic pathways. These functional defects may be accompanied by pain, numbness, weakness, and in some cases, paralysis. In other cases, defects may cause undesirable initiation or suppression of physiological functions such as muscle contraction. Problems may include urinary or fecal incontinence. For example, with urinary incontinence, daily physical activities such as laughing, coughing, and sneezing may result in involuntary urination. Similarly, inappropriate contraction and relaxation of muscles that control bladder functioning may result in unplanned and undesired urination.
OAB is a urological condition defined by a set of symptoms that include urgency, with or without urge incontinence, and is usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia. Frequency is defined as urinating more than 8 times a day. In people with OAB, the layered, smooth muscle that surrounds the bladder (detrusor muscle) contracts spastically, sometimes without a known cause, which results in sustained, high bladder pressure and the urgent need to urinate. Normally, the detrusor muscle contracts and relaxes in response to the volume of urine in the bladder and the initiation of urination. People with OAB often experience urgency at inconvenient and unpredictable times and sometimes lose control before reaching a restroom.
Accordingly, urge incontinence and overactive bladder interfere with work, daily routine, and the like; causes embarrassment; and can diminish self-esteem and quality of life.
There are a variety of treatment options for OAB. Conservative treatment starts with bladder training techniques, such as education, timed voiding, restriction of fluid intake, and distraction/relaxation. These can be combined with pelvic floor training exercises that are intended to strengthen and support the pelvic floor muscles. A number of medications are effective for treating OAB. Anticholinergic (antimuscarinic) agents and agents with mixed anticholinergic and bladder wall effects are widely prescribed for OAB. Numerous randomized, controlled trials and systematic reviews have established that these drugs have efficacy over placebo, but the magnitude of benefit in reducing OAB symptoms is modest; a substantial number of patients will not achieve adequate symptom relief, and there are relatively high rates of adverse effects. For patients with OAB refractory to standard treatments, more invasive treatment options are available, such as intravesicular administration of botulinum toxin A, sacral nerve stimulation, or augmentation cytoplasty.
Another technique for overcoming the urge incontinence or OAB involves stimulating either the sacral or tibial nerve by using an electric or magnetic impulse. This is commonly referred to as transcutaneous or percutaneous nerve stimulation. One such electro-medical device capable of providing the required stimuli is commonly referred to as an implantable Pulse Generator (IPG). An IPG typically includes one or more electrodes, an electrical pulse generator, a battery, and a housing. The electrical pulse generator generates a waveform having a specific shape, form, and frequency range capable of stimulating a target nerve. When the electrodes receive the waveform from the generator, they draw energy from the battery and generate an electric field of suitable strength to stimulate the target nerve.
IPGs are typically used for stimulating the sacral nerve and have proven to be somewhat effective. One of the problems associated with IPGs, however, is that implanting the device is invasive, and may cause undesirable complications during and after implantation. Documented complications associated with the implantation procedure include bleeding, infection, or tissue damage. Documented complications after the implantation procedure include generator and/or lead failures. Sometimes a complication may require removal of the device, and re-implantation of a new device.
Another technique commonly used to provide the required impulse is electro-acupuncture nerve stimulation. Electro-acupuncture nerve stimulation involves passing a small electric current between pairs of acupuncture needles. The needles may provide electrical nerve stimulation percutaneously or subcutaneously. Both approaches involve inserting needles (also called the electrodes) into the prescribed acupuncture or trigger points so that the external parts of the needles can be secured against the skin of the patient. Both approaches require the patient to go to a clinic for clinician insertion of the needles into the skin. Additionally, patients have been known to experience some discomfort with these approaches. Furthermore, the known device exhibits some difficulty in use and precision control of the procedure because it is impossible to change a position of the inserted electrode in the body without compromising needle sterility or without removing the whole electrical assembly.
Posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is the least invasive form of neuromodulation used to treat OAB and the associated symptoms of urinary urgency, urinary frequency and urge incontinence. PTNS is a type of neuromodulation therapy that uses electrical stimulation to target specific nerves in the sacral plexus that control bladder function. Specifically, tibial nerve stimulation targets the nerves of the pelvic floor with gentle electrical impulses to alter the activity of the bladder. The treatment targets the sacral plexus from an accessible minimally invasive entry point into the nervous system. These urinary symptoms may also occur with interstitial cystitis and following a post-radical prostatectomy. Outside the United States, PTNS is also used to treat fecal incontinence. PTNS has been shown to be effective as a primary therapy. However, treatment for Overactive Bladder and Fecal Incontinence many times begins with conservative therapies including pharmacology. Nearly 80% of patients discontinue use of drugs within the first year, many due to adverse side-effects. Neuromodulation is emerging as an effective modality to treat patients who are not successful with pharmacologic methods.
Since the introduction of PTNS, many published studies have demonstrated PTNS efficacy in treating OAB symptoms. Ridout et al. in W. J. Obstet Gynaecol 2010; 30(2) published a literature review evaluating evidence of PTNS for overactive bladder syndrome. The authors found that PTNS may have a role as a useful, minimally invasive treatment option in medically refractory OABS with a 60-81% response rate. However, there is insufficient data to advocate PTNS as a first-line treatment due to its cost and long-term treatment regimen. This invention addresses the cost and treatment method by providing an alternative means of stimulation without breaking the skin.
In 2010, Peters et al. in the Journal of Urology Vol. 183 published results of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing PTNS with sham treatment in patients with OABS. Two hundred and twenty (220) adults with OABS were randomized 1:1 to 12 weeks of treatment with weekly PTNS or sham therapy. Overactive bladder and QOL questionnaires, as well as 3-day voiding diaries were completed at baseline and at 13 weeks. Subject global response assessments were completed at week 13. Results showed PTNS subjects had statistically significant improvement in bladder symptoms with 54.5% reporting moderately or markedly improved responses compared to 20.9% of sham subjects from baseline (p<0.001). Voiding diary measures after 12 weeks found PTNS subjects had significant improvements in frequency, nighttime voids, voids with moderate to severe urgency and urinary urge incontinence episodes compared to sham. Based on the results, researchers concluded PTNS is safe and effective in treating overactive bladder symptoms.
MacDiarmid et al. in the Journal of Urology Vol. 183 described the results of the second phase of a study of PTNS for OAB. The initial study period was 12 weeks. Thirty-two subjects completed 6 additional months of PTNS therapy and 25 completed the full 12 months. Outcome measures included voiding diary data, overactive bladder questionnaires, global response assessments and safety assessments. Patients received an average of 12.1 treatments during an average of 263 days, with a mean of 21 days between treatments. Global response assessments showed sustained improvement from 12 weeks at 6 and 12 months, with 94% and 96% of responders, respectively. The authors found the statistically significant improvements at 12 weeks demonstrated excellent durability through 12 months.
The present invention addresses the issues of the prior art by treating urge incontinence or OAB using a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device. A method is provided for same.
The current accepted form of providing nerve stimulation is a minimally invasive procedure via an office based implantation of a stimulation device. Typically, PTNS is a 30 minute office based treatment via a needle electrode inserted near the tibial nerve, which carries electric impulses from a hand-held stimulator to the sacral plexus. Even though the therapy can be clinically effective with few side effects, the current invasive means of administration causes it to be expensive mainly due to requiring weekly visits for administration by a trained professional. Furthermore, as discussed earlier, difficulty in use and precision control of the therapy delivery device and some patient discomfort have been known.
The posterior tibial nerve is a mixed sensory and motor nerve containing fibers originating from the lumbar and sacral areas of the spine. The sacral nerves modulate the somatic and autonomic nerve supply to the bladder and urinary sphincter. The idea of stimulating the tibial nerve was based on the traditional Chinese practice of using acupuncture points over the common peroneal or posterior tibial nerves to affect bladder activity. The posterior tibial nerve projects to the sacral spinal cord in the same area where bladder projections are found. These are the areas where the therapeutic effect of neuromodulation of the bladder through posterior tibial nerve stimulation takes place. Even though the exact mechanism of action of neuromodulation is unclear, the potential benefit of percutaneous or transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation is that it may achieve the same neuromodulatory effect as sacral nerve stimulation through a less invasive route.
The present invention provides a safe, reliable, efficacious and convenient means for treating the condition known as urge incontinence or OAB. As discussed in the previous section, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a proven therapy. This invention packages this for patient convenience, and is essentially painless and simple to use. Most importantly, the device is non-invasive. The device may be strapped (or otherwise adhered) around or on the ankle, or anywhere along the leg wherein the tibial nerve may be electrically stimulated transcutaneously. The device remains in place as the patient ambulates about and outside of the home. Additionally, the patient may secure the device in place without clinician or clinic assistance. This allows the patient with this condition to benefit from the device in the comfort of his/her own home.
The non-invasive nature of the invention further makes it simple to use and does not require administration by a trained professional, in contrast to other minimally invasive devices on the market. The non-invasive nature also means that administration can be performed without requiring the patient to come into a clinic. This reduces the overall cost of therapy and makes it accessible to a much larger population who may have previously been unable to afford a required weekly minimally invasive PTNS procedure. The device conforms to the contours of the region around the ankle of the foot to ensure a low impedance electrical conduit between the electrodes and the skin. This is important to ensure maximum stimulation.
Electro-acupuncture or nerve stimulation devices have been proven effective for the control of nausea and vomiting. An example of an electro-acupuncture device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,146 to Bertolucci, marketed under the trademark Relief-Band®, for control of nausea and vomiting, is worn on the wrist like a wristwatch, with a watch-like housing which is positioned on the underside or planar surface of the wrist. A patient suffering from nausea or vomiting (from motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy, or anesthesia) can strap the device onto their wrist and turn it on. When turned on, the device emits an electrical stimulation pulse over the P6 acupuncture point (corresponding to the superficial course of the median nerve through the wrist). Within several minutes, most patients experience a substantial relief of nausea. Accordingly, there is a need for non-invasive nerve stimulation devices whereby electricity is passed through electrodes to stimulate nerves strategically located within the body, such as a foot or a leg, for electro-acupuncture or acupuncture treatment of urination related maladies, including non-limiting examples such as overactive bladder or incontinence. However, the anatomical structure of the ankle, within which the tibial nerve is positioned, is quite unique and different from that of the wrist. Unlike the wrist, the ankle comprises a boney projection called the malleous which protrudes outwardly from both the lateral and medial sides of the ankle. In addition, the unique bone, ligament and tendon structure of the ankle make adherence of a device difficult. In particular, the area of depression located between the Achilles tendon and the calcaneus bone in addition to the boney malleous boney projection of the ankle make it particularly difficult to adhere a device to the exterior surface of the ankle so that effective stimulation of the tibial nerve can be achieved. Therefore, what is needed is a non-invasive transcutaneous nerve stimulation device that is conformal to the unique geometry and contours of the ankle region so that effective stimulation of the tibial nerve in treating over active bladder can be achieved.

Apparatus for transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve


A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a target circuit with at least a scan chain having sub scan chains of stages to sequentially shift a test data in response to a clock signal in a scan path test mode, and each of the sub scan chains includes first flip-flops connected in series. A backup control circuit controls the target circuit and a memory such that a plurality of sub internal state data of a data indicating an internal state of the target circuit are stored as a plurality of write data in the memory in a save mode through the sub scan chains and the plurality of sub internal state data are read out from the memory as a plurality of read data and set in the sub scan chains in a restore mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a semiconductor integrated circuit and a method for controlling thereof. In particular, the present invention pertains to a semiconductor integrated circuit including a circuit that saves and restores the internal state of the semiconductor integrated circuit and a method for controlling the semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a semiconductor integrated circuit having low power consumption functions of a standby function and a resume function is noted. Usually, when the power supply to the semiconductor integrated circuit is stopped, an internal state is lost excluding a nonvolatile memory. Therefore, it is necessary to hold the internal state in order to restart the operation of the circuit from the state immediately before the power supply of the circuit is stopped, when the power supply is restarted. For example, in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-A-Heisei 6-52070) a conventional integrated circuit is disclosed which saves and holds the internal state data held in registers in an external memory when the power supply is stopped. The conventional integrated circuit has a plurality of registers, a data saving unit, and a data restoring unit. The plurality of registers are connected to form a scan chain, and the data saving unit controls the plurality of registers to form the scan chain in a data save mode in response to an external signal, and reads the data held in each register outside through the formed scan chain. At this time, the data saving unit carries out series/parallel conversion on the internal state data into a data of predetermined bits width, and stored the data in a data protection memory through a data I/O unit. The data restoring unit controls the registers to form the scan chain in a data restoration mode in response to an external signal, and returns the saved data through the formed scan chain to the original registers. At this time, the data restoring unit reads the internal state data from the data protection memory through the data I/O unit, and converts the data of the predetermined bit width into the original internal state data, which are set in the registers through the scan chain.
Also, in US Laid Open Patent application (US 2004/0153762A1), a conventional data processing system is disclosed which includes a node circuit having one node or a plurality of nodes, a memory, a system bus, and a state saving controller. The node circuit is used to process data, and stores one data value or a plurality of data values that defines the state of the node circuit as a whole. The memory stores the data. The system bus is connected to the node circuit and the memory, and transmits multiple bit data word between the node circuit and the memory in response to a memory transfer request supplied to the system bus during a usual processing operation of the node circuit and the memory. The state saving controller connects the node circuit and the system bus in response to a save trigger, reads the data values that defines the state of the node circuit from the node or the plurality of nodes, and generates a sequence of a memory write request on the system bus. Furthermore, the state saving controller writes the plurality of states of the multiple bit data word that shows the data value in the memory, and then can restore the state of the node circuit by using the plurality of states of the multiple bit data words. Moreover, a relating technique is disclosed in US Laid Open Patent Publication (US 2005/0149799A).
As described above, the scan chain is composed of a plurality of registers connected in series. Therefore, it would take a long time to save and restore in serial all the data held in the registers. Moreover, it is necessary to start a memory read sequence and a memory write sequence after being granted the system bus, in order to read/write the internal node data from/to the memory through the system bus. Therefore, the saving and restoring time of the internal state still becomes so long.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and method for controlling the same