A method of assigning hints for outline-font creation includes a first step of dividing elements having similar outlines into classes, a second step of learning hint assignment by storing hint information which prevails when a hint is assigned by operator operation to a predetermined position of an outline of a representative element (master element) of each class, and a third step of assigning hint information automatically to elements of the class, to which the master element belongs, using learned hint information of the master element.

This invention relates to a method of assigning hints and a method of constructing a font file. More particularly, the invention relates to a hint assignment method and a font file construction method in outline font technology, wherein the outline of a character is cut into strokes or parts, the outline of each stroke or part (character element) is defined, a character is expressed by a collection of elements and, in outputting a character, the outline of a character element is developed into a bitmap image and then outputted.
The Japanese language, which employs three different character sets referred to as kanji, hiragana and katakana (these characters shall be referred to collectively as "Japanese characters") differs greatly from the European languages that employ one character set, namely the Roman alphabet. In general, hiragana and katakana (referred to collectively as kana) are designed to be somewhat smaller than kanji and it is possible to combine separately designed kanji and separately designed kana.
A Japanese character is formed inside a design frame referred to as a "body". Unlike the Roman alphabet, in which characters can have different widths from one character to the next, the widths of Japanese characters do not change from character to character. Further, whereas the longitudinal line in the alphabetic character "P", for example, is designed to be vertical, the two longitudinal lines in the kanji are designed to converge slightly at their lower ends in certain styles of type. The reason for this design is to compensate for the illusion of a "top heaviness", which gives the character an unstable appearance. Such compensation for optical illusions is a characteristic of kanji.
Furthermore, since some kanji are composed of many vertical and/or horizontal lines, achieving balance among these lines is important. The blank space between two lines is referred to as "white space". Reproducing a white space to have the same balance as that possessed by the original design is one requirement in achieving a character having high quality.
When a kanji character having these features is expressed by a collection of very small dots, it is difficult to achieve a fine representation smaller than the size of the individual dots. When the number of dots is small, not only is it impossible to represent slender portions of the original design but there are even instances where all horizontal or vertical lines in the character cannot be properly spaced. Such improper spacing produces a deteriorated, indistinct character whose lines run together. In a situation where the number of dots is too small to express a character design, the only function left for the character is merely the transmission and/or recording of information. In such cases, therefore, the chief aim is to prevent character deterioration, rather than to provide attractive design, in order to improve legibility. The question of design, i.e., as to which style of type is being used, is no longer important.
In the case of a bitmap font in which an optimum character pattern is formed by the human hand, a technique employed to prevent character deterioration and maintain legibility is to change the balance of the overall character or thin out some of the vertical or horizontal lines. In the case of a character composed of 16.times.16 dots used to present a display on the screen of a personal computer or word processor, the above-mentioned technique usually is employed. Since the lines thinned out are selected with great care, there are instances where they cannot be noticed at a glance.
However, when a plurality of sizes are required, character patterns conforming to the various sizes must be prepared for bitmap fonts, thus necessitating a memory having a large storage capacity. In order to reproduce characters of various sizes using a small quantity of data without sacrificing the style of the printing type, there has been a shift from bitmap fonts in favor of outline fonts. As shown in FIG. 34, an outline font is one in which the contour of the character is expressed by coordinates in a 1000.times.1000 XY coordinate system. The contour data are outputted upon being bitmapped by a character generating program. With such outline fonts, multiple-point designation (the designation of different printing sizes) is possible. Character quality can be maintained without compromising the style of the printing type regardless of how large the character is made.
Unfortunately, however, outline font techniques presently available have a disadvantage. Specifically, the smaller the point size at which a character is made, the greater the decline in character quality produced and the more unattractive the form of the character appears to the naked eye. This is due to rounding error, which arises when the contour of a character expressed in a 1000.times.1000 XY coordinate system is expressed in a physical coordinate system of m.times.m dots (e.g., 16.times.16 dots). FIGS. 35A, 35B are examples of samples of characters outputted using conventional outline fonts and bitmap fonts. FIG. 35A illustrates a sample based upon conventional outline fonts, and FIG. 35B shows an example based upon bitmap fonts. The characters in the upper row of each Figure are composed of 24.times.24 dots, the characters at the left of each lower row are composed of 18.times.18 dots, and the characters at the right of each lower row are composed of 14.times.14 dots. If the number of dots is large, a difference in quality between outline fonts and bitmap fonts is not noticeable. When character size is made small, however, the difference between these fonts manifests itself clearly. Specifically, with the outline fonts of 18.times.18 dots, the sizes of the characters are not uniform (the kanji is larger than the other characters). With the outline fonts of 14.times.14 dots, portions of some characters are made indistinct by deterioration. In the case of the bitmap fonts, the fonts are formed by thinning out portions of the vertical or horizontal lines to prevent deterioration and maintain legibility and to change the overall balance when the number of dots is small. As a result, character deterioration and a variance in character size can be prevented. FIG. 35C illustrates character samples based upon fonts composed of parts in accordance with the present invention, described later.
Thus, with the conventional outline font techniques, fine processing cannot be executed, as is possible with bitmap fonts. When character size is reduced, a variance in size occurs and the characters deteriorate. The reason for this is the occurrence of rounding error, as mentioned above, and the fact that "camouflage" utilizing visual characteristics cannot be applied. Furthermore, with processing using the conventional outline fonts, there are instances where slender character portions that appear needless to the human eye are reproduced as emphasized. This occurs because it is not possible to determine which portions of a character are important for the purpose of improving legibility.
In summary, therefore, bitmap fonts created by the human hand have a high quality but require a large memory capacity and do not satisfy the needs of the DTP (desktop publishing) age. On the other hand, the conventional outline fonts are suitable for DTP. However, since the character images are generated by processing, there is a decline in quality where small characters are concerned.
Accordingly, there is a need to be able to generate character images having a high quality equivalent to that of bitmap fonts but by using outline fonts.
A kanji character is by nature a collection of a plurality of vertical and/or horizontal lines. With the conventional outline font technique, however, all of the vertical and horizontal lines are lumped together to express contour lines, as a result of which the above-described problems arise. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 36, contours are partitioned into single strokes [strokes STi (i=1, 2, . . . )] such as vertical lines, horizontal lines, oblique lines, right sweeps and left sweeps, the contours are expressed per each stroke STi, the character is captured as a collection of these strokes, the contour data of each stroke are bitmapped by a character generating program and the bitmap is outputted. If this expedient is adopted, the relationship between vertical lines or horizontal lines, etc., is clarified. Moreover, which portions of a character are important and which are unnecessary for the purpose of improving legibility can be ascertained to make various types of control possible.
It is possible to build upon this concept. Specifically, in case of a small character size, recognition of the form of the character is more important than a difference in the style of type. Therefore, if information (basic stroke information) representing the form of the character and information (contour information) representing the style of type can be separated, high-quality characters can be generated from small-size characters, in which legibility is important, to large-size characters, in which reproduction of the distinctive quality of the style of type is important. The basic stroke information mentioned here is information about the basic structure of the character form and is not information regarding central lines that flesh out a character.
Accordingly, there developed an outline font technique which includes (1) separating each character into strokes using basic stroke (skeleton) information, (2) dividing the strokes into parts, (3) defining the contour of each part and expressing the character as a collection of the parts, and (4), in outputting the character, developing the contours of the parts constructing the character into a bitmap image and outputting the bitmap image of the character.
FIG. 37 is a diagram for describing a character, strokes and parts. This illustrates a case where the kanji character is separated into strokes (a character-to-stroke cut) and the strokes are divided into parts (a stroke-to-part cut). The collection of the parts forms the contour information. In FIG. 37, the "elements" are illustrated to expedite the explanation and are not units used in actual processing. The kanji character is separated into a number of strokes, each stroke is cut into parts (a starting part, a middle part and an end part) appropriately, and the parts form the contour information.
FIG. 38 is a diagram for describing basic stroke information. A stroke number is assigned to each stroke in accordance with the order in which a character is written, and stroke disposition data (starting point and end point) of the strokes and stroke codes indicating the types of strokes are assigned in the order of the stroke numbers to construct the information. FIG. 38 illustrates the basic stroke information of the kanji character
As shown in FIGS. 39A and 39B, the contour shape of each part is expressed by arraying, in the counter-clockwise direction, the coordinate values (in the part coordinate system) of the points P1.about.P6, Q1.about.Q4 of the part outlines. FIG. 39A illustrates the shape of the starting part of the kanji character and FIG. 39B illustrates the shape of the end part of the kanji character
FIG. 40 is a diagram for describing the structure of a font file in which a character is expressed by a collection of parts. The file includes a header field 1a for storing various font-related information such as the font name and the date of its creation, and a character pointer field 1b which stores a character pointer for pointing to a parts pointer string conforming to the character code. A part pointer field 2 stores (1) disposition data of all parts constructing the character, and (2) pointers to part contour data. A contour data field 3 stores part contour data of all parts. The part disposition data in the part pointer field 2 indicate where in the outline font coordinate system (a coordinate system of 1000.times.1000 dots) a part is disposed. Specifically, the part disposition data indicate the positional coordinates of the part origin (see FIGS. 39A, 39B) in the character coordinate system. As shown in FIGS. 41A and 41B, the disposition data illustrated in FIG. 40 is for a case where the part origin of the starting part of the lowermost horizontal stroke (horizontal line) in the kanji character is given by (56,493), the part origin of the middle part is given by (111,493) and the part origin of the end part is given by (953,493).
When an outline font expressed in a logical coordinate system is reduced to a target size, decimals are always produced. However, since an output by printing or by display on a display screen can only be performed in the form of individual dots, numbers with decimal portions must be made whole numbers as by being rounded off. Rounding error is always produced by this operation for attaining whole numbers and causes a decline in character quality. Accordingly, hint information is assigned to the contour shape data of parts in order to prevent a decline in character quality.
Hint information is control information assigned to a contour shape which is important in terms of deciding character quality. Examples of hints are a hint (referred to as a stem hint) for controlling line width, a hint (referred to as a scale hint) for controlling the hari-portion of a Kanji character designed for a style of type, and a rounded Gothic hint for clearly manifesting the roundness of rounded Gothic type.
FIGS. 42A through 42C are diagrams for describing a stem hint. Assume that when an outline font expressed by a logical coordinate system of 1000.times.1000 dots is reduced in size for the purpose of effecting a size conversion to a physical coordinate system of, say, 16.times.16 dots, the Y coordinates of points A, B have become 6.5 and 5.3, respectively, as shown in FIG. 42A. In such case the conversion is made to the physical coordinate system by rounding off each of the Y coordinates to the nearest whole number (i.e., by applying a grid correction). As a result, the Y coordinate of point A becomes 7, the Y coordinate of point B becomes 5 and the line width becomes 2, as shown in FIG. 42B. However, since the actual line width is 1.2 (=6.5-5.3), this is rounded off to 1. Thus, if hint control of some kind is not assigned, the line width will become 2 and the output thereof will be too thick. The result will be the output of a character that is widely different from the character originally designed. In other words, character quality declines.
Accordingly, absolute stem hint information as is assigned to point A of the outline font, and relative hint information rs is assigned to the point B of the outline font. When such hint information is assigned, the effects are as follows: When the Y coordinate of point A (to which the absolute stem hint as has been assigned) is rounded off to 5, the discarded fraction 0.3 (=5.3-5.0) is subtracted from the Y coordinate 6.5 of point B (to which the relative hint information has been assigned), with the result that 6.2 (6.5-0.3) is rounded off to the nearest whole number. Accordingly, the Y coordinate of point B becomes 6 and the line width can be made 1, as shown in FIG. 42C. This makes it possible to prevent a decline in character quality.
FIGS. 43A through 43C and FIGS. 44A through 44C are diagrams for describing a scale hint. In a case where outline font data are reduced or enlarged in a logical coordinate system, results of the kind shown in FIG. 43A are obtained as the coordinates of each of the points on the curves. With the conventional method, the coordinates of each point in the logical coordinate system are rounded off to the nearest whole numbers (by the grid correction) to implement the conversion to the physical coordinate system, as shown in FIG. 43B. A bitmap is obtained based upon these data in the physical coordinate system, as depicted in FIG. 43C.
According to this conventional method, however, the dot representation of the scales is enlarged when the grid correction is applied, the scales become larger than the stem width D of the stroke and the character balance is lost. Accordingly, when the grid correction is applied at scale point a, a change dy, which is produced when the Y coordinate value of point e possessing the stem hint is subjected to the grid correction, is added to the Y coordinate value of the point a of the scale hint, as illustrated in FIG. 44A. As a result, the distance between the stem hint point e of a middle part PM and the scale hint a of an end part P.sub.E in the logical coordinate system is preserved. The Y coordinate of the scale hint point a is subjected to the grid correction under these conditions, as depicted in FIG. 44B. Thereafter, a bitmap is generated, as shown in FIG. 44C, based upon the grid-corrected data in the physical coordinate system. If this arrangement is adopted, the dot representation of the scales becomes smaller and a decline in character quality can be prevented.
In this outline font technology for cutting the outline of a character into parts, defining the outline of each part, expressing the character by the collection of the parts and, in outputting the character, developing the outlines of the parts constructing the character into bitmap images and then outputting the images of the character, it is required that hints be assigned to strokes or parts efficiently.
Further, even if data can be shared, the font file produced by the above-described outline font technology possesses these data for each part. As a result, the font file is large in size and a memory having a large storage capacity is required.

Hint assignment method and font file construction method


Information on a calculation progress status output based on rendering software is managed in an information record file. At the same time, identification information from a user that shows a desirable output processing is managed. When a rendering processing in the same rendering file has been calculated again by changing only a specific parameter, this processing is compared with the past processing transition that has produced a desirable processing result. Based on this, a satisfactory or non-satisfactory result of execution is decided. When there is a problem, this is notified to the user by electronic mail.

A scientific technical calculation for carrying out a simulation and an image generation calculation according to computer graphics (this kind of processing is called a rendering calculation) require a very long time to execute these processing. It is not rare that it takes a few days to execute a rendering calculation processing. Therefore, based on an estimated progress status, an operator needs to visit a machine room to confirm the progress status of the calculation processing in front of a computer console screen, on holidays, only for the purpose of this confirmation.
Further, in the case of executing a processing based on a distributed processing by a plurality of computers, it is necessary to confirm the progress status of each computer individually in front of each console screen.
In order to reduce the load of this confirmation work, there have been devised methods of using an electronic mail to receive a notification of an end of a started rendering calculation.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 6-214903 discloses a method of automatically notifying a distinction between a normal end and an abnormal end of a result of executing a job to a designated destination by electronic mail, or outputting a result of the execution to a designated output unit, upon finishing the execution of the job by a computer system.
Further, JP-A No. 2000-20197 discloses a method of displaying on a user terminal a current processing status or how much more time is necessary to execute the processing according to a busy status of a server side, based on a request from a user terminal to the server unit which carries out an information search processing via the Internet.
Usually, in the case of carrying out a rendering calculation, basic information on a shape of an object and a position of a light source as well as various parameters are set up in order to give a feel of the material in forming an image. Based on these parameters, it becomes possible to give various feels of the material to an image that is to be formed by rendering calculation.
However, as an ideal result of an output of a prepared image becomes different depending on an image that the user has, it is impossible to fix firm proper parameters in advance. Therefore, in order to obtain an ideal image at one time, the user leaves the basic information on the rendering as it is, and changes only parameters and repeats executing the rendering processing many times. Then, by comparing the results of the execution, the user gradually finds proper parameter set values.
Because of this work style, even when a rendering calculation ends simply on the computer as a normal end, the long work time taken for this processing becomes useless if the parameter set values have a problem and this gives an execution result having a different image from what the user has expected.
It is necessary for the user to catch as quickly as possible whether the current processing can produce a desirable result that has been obtained in the past or not in comparison with the past processing that produced this satisfactory result, during the execution of the processing, rather than to know whether the whole processing has ended or not.
Further, when it is anticipated that it is not possible to obtain a desirable execution result, it is necessary to analyze which parameter correction brings about the unsatisfactory result. When a user is away from a terminal that executes the rendering processing, the user must return to the execution terminal to analyze this problem, and the user cannot investigate the problem to improve the processing during the moving time. Therefore, although there is no parameter set value fixed for the rendering processing, it is necessary to find immediately the reference information showing a parameter set value that gives the worst result.
However, according to the conventional techniques, only an execution result is notified to a user at the point of time when a processing (job) executed by a computer system has ended. Further, according to the convention techniques, only an estimated time required for ending the job is notified to the user.

Rendering calculation processing status monitoring program, and storage medium, apparatus, and method therefor


A kit for facilitating a person stopping smoking includes a resilient, manually graspable tactile device or grip that is about the shape and size of a usual pack of cigarettes that fits into the hand of a person, and inducement means for inducing a person to use the tactile means and for instructing the person in the use of the kit, the inducement means may include prerecorded audio material and/or printed material. A method to facilitate a person stopping smoking includes holding a tactile means is one hand, squeezing the tactile means until a burning sensation is experienced in the forearm, releasing the tactile means, changing hands and repeating the foregoing steps until the desire to smoke a cigarette decreases to a controllable level.

Various techniques have been used to help a person quit the habit of smoking, especially of smoking cigarettes. One of the most common techniques uses oral substitution in which gum, hard candy, toothpicks, unlit cigarettes, and artificial cigarettes are placed in or held by the mouth of the person rather than smoking a cigarette. Various disadvantages occur with each of those oral substitutes. For example, it often is unprofessional looking to have gum, candy, toothpick, or other item in or held by the mouth, especially when speaking in a formal setting. Gum and candy can be injurious to the teeth and also can cause weight increase. Toothpicks often can be dangerous. Unlit cigarettes too easily present a temptation for lighting. Artificial cigarettes are expensive and are too similar to real cigarettes so that the hand and mouth actions associated with their use allow the person to continue with the habits generally associated with actual cigarette smoking; and, a result, it can be too easy to fall back into the habit of actual cigarette smoking.
The disadvantages to cigarette smoking are many. Examples of such disadvantages are potential injury to the person's own health, creation of displeasure and possibly health hazard to nearby individuals who do not smoke but inhale secondary smoke, depositing odor on clothing, on room walls and furniture, etc.
The present invention is directed to a kit and to a method to facilitate a person (sometimes referred to herein as a patient) stopping smoking, especially smoking of cigarettes, but also of smoking other items, such as cigars, pipes, etc. The invention also may be used for stopping another type of habit or changing certain behavior; but, as will be described in detail below, the invention is particularly suitable to facilitating the stopping of smoking cigarettes. The invention uses a manual tactile approach in which a tactile means is squeezed when there is a desire or urge to smoke a cigarette.
Various tactile devices intended to be grasped manually, i.e., by the hand of a person, are available commercially. One such device is made of a resilient polymer or foam material that can be grasped in a single hand and can be squeezed deforming the device under the force or pressure of the squeezing hand. The device regains its original shape when the applied force or pressure is relieved partially or fully, depending on the precise nature of the device. On some such device slots or slot-like zones are provided to position the fingers relative to the device and a relatively smooth surface fits against the palm of the hand as the fingers are closed in the slots on the device to apply the force or pressure to cause the mentioned deformation. Another commercially available device includes metal spring material located between a pair of handle portions. The handle portions can be held in the hand of a person and can be squeezed toward each other against the force exerted by the spring material as the person's hand is closed. The aforementioned devices are intended to increase strength, build muscle, etc. Other devices that provide such functions also may be available.
In the past psychological and quasi-psychological approaches have been used to help a person stop smoking. One example is an organization called "Smokers Anonymous", which is a help group in which individuals encourage others to stop smoking and in doing so provide self-encouragement. Also, some individuals actually visit psychologists and psychiatrists to assist them in quitting smoking. Each of these psychological or quasi-psychological procedures requires specific appointments and time scheduling which may be fairly irrelevant to the actual times when a desire to smoke a cigarette occurs to an individual. Scheduling of the appointments may be an inconvenience; the time at which the appointments are scheduled may be inconvenient; and a particular appointment may not be helpful with regard to an urge to smoke a cigarette occurring on a different day or at a different time.
The present invention provides self-help, encouragement, and inducement of a person or patient to use the tactile means and method when there is a desire to smoke a cigarette, whereby the urge is in a sense dissipated through the act of squeezing or otherwise applying force to the tactile means. The encouragement or inducement is provided in various media. One example is printed material in a booklet or other form. Another example is a tape recording that can be played by the person to receive encouragement and inducement to use a tactile means and to quit smoking. Other media also may be used to provide the encouragement and/or inducement information, such as a compact disc, video disc, videotape, floppy disc, etc., and appropriate play back means (e.g., a disc player, vcr, computer, etc.) may be used to play the information stored in the medium to the user.

Kit and method for facilitating stopping smoking


Provided is a resin composition which is excellent in an oxygen-absorbing performance, a resin strength and a resin processability.

Containers such as metal cans, glass bottles, various plastic packages and the like have so far been known as packaging containers, and quality deterioration caused by oxygen contained in packaging containers has been a problem. Accordingly, it is tried in recent years as one of deoxidation packaging technologies to constitute containers from a multilayer material provided with an oxygen-absorbing layer comprising an oxygen-absorbing resin composition prepared by blending a thermoplastic resin with an iron base deoxidizer and the like to try to enhance a gas barriering property of the containers and develop packaging containers in which the containers themselves are provided with an oxygen-absorbing performance. For example, an oxygen-absorbing multilayer film is used as a film prepared by providing a conventional gas barriering multilayer film prepared by laminating a heat sealing layer and a gas-barriering layer with an oxygen-absorbing layer which is a thermoplastic resin layer dispersed therein with an oxygen absorbent via an intermediate layer comprising a thermoplastic resin in a certain case to endow the film with a performance of absorbing oxygen contained in a container as well as a performance of preventing oxygen from permeating from an outside, and it is produced by making use of production processes which have so far been publicly known, such as extrusion lamination, coextrusion lamination, dry lamination and the like (refer to a patent document 1).
On the other hand, resin compositions comprising polyamide, particularly xylylene group-containing polyamide as an oxidizable organic component and transition metal are known as compositions comprising polymers and having an oxygen-scavenging characteristic, and shown are the examples of resin compositions having an oxygen-scavenging performance and oxygen absorbents, packaging materials and multilayer laminated films for packaging which are obtained by molding the above resin compositions (refer to patent documents 2 to 8). Further, known as well are technologies in which the above oxygen-absorbing multilayer films are used for a cover material of a barriering container to tightly seal the barriering container to thereby prevent oxidative deterioration of a content thereof.
However, problems such as detection by a metal detector used for detecting foreign matters in foods and the like, deficiency of an inside visibility due to a problem of opacity and incapability of use thereof for beverages such as alcohols and the like which are damaged in a flavor by mixing of iron powder have been involved in compositions in which an oxygen absorbent such as iron powder and the like is used. Further, oxidation reaction of iron powder is used, and therefore an effect of absorbing oxygen can be exerted only on stored films having a high moisture.
On the other hand, in resin compositions which contain a transition metal catalyst and in which a polyamide resin is oxidized to exert an oxygen-absorbing performance, a xylylene group-containing polyamide resin is oxidized, and therefore involved therein is the problem that the resin is reduced in a strength due to oxidative deterioration to allow the packaging container itself to be reduced in a strength.
MXD6 which is polyamide obtained by polycondensation of metaxylylenediamine and adipic acid is shown as an example in which oxidation reaction is exerted by a polyamide resin and a transition metal catalyst. However, in a system in which MXD6 is mixed with transition metal, an oxygen-absorbing ability is so low in a certain case as to use it as an oxygen-absorbing resin composition to store well a stored film. Also, the viscosity is reduced due to oxidative decomposition of MXD6 in mixing with the transition metal, and a problem of a reduction in the processability has been involved therein. Further, in a system in which MXD6 is mixed with transition metal, a blend with a polyester resin such as polyethylene terephthalate (hereinafter shown as PET) and the like and a resin having a relatively high melting point such as nylon 6 and the like has so far been usually used.
Also, a fluid infusion container in which a liquid chemical is a content is used by connecting it directly with a tube and the like, and therefore it is handled in a state in which it is put in an exterior packing material comprising a synthetic resin film in order to prevent the container from being contaminated before actually used. A fluid infusion container is constituted from a resin which permeates oxygen in terms of a sanitation and the like, and therefore the exterior packing material has to have a gas barriering property in order to prevent a content fluid thereof from being changed in a quality by oxygen. However, oxygen is present more or less in an exterior packing material after tightly sealed, and the fluid content has to be prevented from being changed in a quality by oxygen which permeates as time passes even if a gas-barriering exterior packing material is used. Accordingly, a content fluid of a fluid infusion container has so far been prevented from being changed in a quality not only by charging an exterior packing material with the fluid infusion container at a low oxygen concentration but also by putting an oxygen absorbent together with the fluid infusion container in the exterior packing material to absorb remaining oxygen and permeating oxygen by the above oxygen absorbent to thereby maintain an amount of oxygen in the exterior packing material at a low level (refer to the patent document 1).
However, in resin compositions which contain a transition metal catalyst and in which a polyamide resin and the like are oxidized to exert an oxygen-absorbing performance, a xylylene group-containing polyamide resin is oxidized, and therefore involved therein is the problem that the resin is reduced in a strength due to oxidative deterioration to allow the packaging container itself to be reduced in a strength.

Abstract: The oxygen-absorbing resin composition is characterized by containing a polyolefin resin, a transition metal catalyst and a polyamide resin obtained by polycondensation of aromatic diamine and dicarboxylic acid, wherein an end amino group concentration of the above polyamide resin is 30 μeq/g or less, and a total content of the transition metal catalyst and the polyamide resin is 15 to 60% by weight based on a whole amount of the oxygen-absorbing resin composition.


A wireless network includes at least one Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wireless network station and two or more physical layer repeaters. Each of the physical layer repeaters is for receiving a wireless signal to or from the at least one MIMO wireless network station and re-transmitting the wireless signal while continuing to receive the wireless signal. The repeaters may be either frequency translating repeaters or non-frequency translating repeaters.

Several standard protocols for wireless local area networks, commonly referred to as WLANs, are becoming popular. These include protocols such as 802.11 (as set forth in the 802.11 wireless standards), Wi-MAX, and Bluetooth. The standard wireless protocol with the most commercial success to date is the 802.11g protocol.
While the specifications of products utilizing the above standard wireless protocols commonly indicate data rates on the order of, for example, 54 MBPS and ranges on the order of, for example, 100 meters, these performance levels are rarely, if ever, realized. This lack of performance is due to attenuation of the radiation paths of RF signals, which are typically in the range of 2.4 GHz, in an indoor environment. Base to receiver ranges are generally less than the coverage range required in a typical home, and may be as little as 10 to 15 meters. Further, in structures that have split floor plans, such as ranch style or two story homes, or that are constructed of materials that attenuate RF signals, areas in which wireless coverage is needed may be physically separated by distances outside of the range of, for example, an 802.11 protocol based system. Finally, the data rates of the above standard wireless protocols are dependent on the signal strength. As distances in the area of coverage increase, wireless system performance typically decreases.
One way to increase the range of wireless systems is by the use of repeaters. This is a common practice in the mobile wireless industry. One significant complication is that the system receivers and transmitters operate at the same frequency for a WLAN utilizing an 802.11 or an 802.16 WMAN wireless protocol. Such operation is commonly referred to as time division duplexing (TDD). This operation is significantly different than the operation of many cellular repeater systems, such as those systems based on IS-136, IS-95 or IS-2000 standards, where the receive and transmit bands are separated by a duplexing frequency offset. Frequency division duplexing makes the repeater operation easier than in the case where the receiver and transmitter channels are on the same frequency.
There are, however, cellular mobile systems that separate the receive and transmit channels by time rather than by frequency. These systems utilize scheduled times for specific uplink/downlink transmissions. Repeaters for these systems are more easily built, as the transmission and reception times are well known and are broadcast by a base station. Receivers and transmitters for these systems may be isolated by any number of means including physical separation, antenna patterns, or polarization isolation.
The random packet nature of the WLAN protocols provides no defined receive and transmit periods. The packets from each wireless network node are spontaneously generated and transmitted and are not temporally predictable. A protocol referred to as a collision avoidance and random back-off protocol is used to avoid two units transmitting their packets at the same time. For an 802.11 standard protocol, this is referred to as the distributed coordination function (DCF). In the case where the receive and transmit times are known, synchronization of the timing can be problematic and can drive up the expense of the product.
WLAN repeaters have unique constraints due to the above spontaneous transmission capabilities and therefore require a unique solution. Another unique requirement is that, since these repeaters use the same frequency for receive and transmit, some form of isolation must exist between the receiver and transmitter of each repeater. While existing CDMA systems employ directional antennas and physical separation of the receive and transmit antennas to achieve this isolation, such techniques are not practical for WLAN repeaters in many operating environments such as in the home where lengthy cabling is not desirable or may be too costly.
Further, in a WLAN environment utilizing the proposed IEEE 802.11n standard protocol, wireless devices rely on multi-path transmissions to increase data rates and range. However, in a typical home WLAN environment, multi-path transmission capability and spatial diversity are limited for many of the same reasons discussed above in connection with lack of performance of wireless products in a home or indoor environment.

Physical layer repeater configuration for increasing MIMO performance


In a circuit arrangement wherein all logic elements can be represented in the form of a threshold value equation, for this purpose, transistors connected in parallel of a transistor unit are dimensioned in such a way that the cross-currents flowing through the transistors respectively represent a weighted summand of a first term of the threshold value equation. A second term of the threshold value equation is formed by a reference current representing the second term value. An evaluation unit compares an overall current, which results from the sum of cross-currents, with the reference current. The evaluation result is present at an output of the evaluation unit in the form of a stable output signal.

Logic elements are basic modules of today's digital computers. Since these basic modules are often used in digital computers, an improvement of a basic module has the direct effect of improving the entire apparatus in which this basic module is used. Above all, the number of transistors required for the realization of the basic module, the power loss that is converted in the basic module, and the speed of this basic module, are particularly important for the efficiency and the quality of such a basic module. The use of standardized technology is also an essential factor in assessing the quality of such a basic module.
The realization of logical basic circuits based on their functional equation by resistance logic (RTL), by diode transistor logic (DTL), by slow noise-proof logic (LSL) and by transistor-transistor logic (TTL), by emitter-coupled logic (ECL), complementary MOS logic (CMOS) and by NMOS logic (see U. Tietze, Ch. Shenk, Halbleiterschaltungstechnik, .sub.9 th ed., Springer-Verlag, 1990, ISBN 3-540-19475-4, pp. 201-219), is known. The use of neuron MOS transistors for the realization of a binary full adder is also known (T. Shibata, T. Ohini: "A functional 1405 transistor featuring gate-level weighted sum and threshold operations," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 39, pages 1444-1455, 1992). The disadvantages of these known circuit arrangements, are above all, that a larger number of transistors is required in comparison to the invention specified below. The speed of known circuit arrangements is also considerably less than that of the circuit arrangement of the invention. A considerable disadvantage of neuron MOS transistors is that a specific technology (EEPROM or analog process) has to be used.
From (J. A. Hidalgo-Lopez et al., New Types of Digital Comparators, IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), vol. 1, pp. 29-32, April 1995), a comparator circuit is known that comprises two regeneratively coupled inverter stages and a reset unit. Two electrical quantities to be compared are supplied to the outputs of the inverter stages, at which the comparison result is also present. The source terminals of both inverter stages are connected with one another, and are connected to the frame via a clock transistor.
From (D. Ferrari and R. Stefanelli, Some New Schemes for Parallel Multipliers, Alta Frequenza, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 843 to 852, XP 0020141008, 1969), a basic structure of a multiplier cell on the system plane is known with two different units for the formation of an output carry bit, as well as of an output summation bit. Fundamentally, the use of resistor-transistor logic (RTL) is proposed. The two elements are connected with one another in such a way that an output signal of a first element is fed back to an input of the second element. The fed-back output signal is weighted differently at the input of the second element, than are all other input signals.
Basic principles of a neuron 1405 inverter are known from (T. Shibata et al., Neuron-MOS Binary Logic Integrated Circuits--Part 2: simplifying Techniques of Circuit Configuration and a Practical Applications [sic], IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 974-979, 1993).

Circuit arrangement for realizing logic elements that can be represented by threshold value equations


An apparatus and method are provided for the reduction of wrinkles formed in sheets of paper media which may contain various levels of absorbed moisture across the surface and which are processed through a fuser section of a printing or copying device. Protruding features may be provided laterally spaced apart by a desired paper width at the fuser nip to create a pressure contact area which constrains the outer longitudinal edges of the sheet of paper as it enters the nip.

Image forming apparatus and devices such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile machine may use an electrophotographic system to heat and fuse a developer image that has been transferred from an image bearing body to a sheet of media, such as paper or a transparency resin sheet, and "fix" the image to a surface of the sheet. The transferring body may comprise nip rolls or a belt assembly. These devices preferably operate at high speeds to produce multiple copies rapidly. In doing so, a significant amount of heat energy is transferred to the sheet media as the fuser for the toner being transferred may operate in the range of about 130° C. to about 220° C. depending on the media transit speed and the nature of toner transferred. Processing of sheets of paper through the fuser nip compresses and flattens the sheet just before the image is being fixed onto the surface of the sheet.
Paper media is usually packaged in reams of 500 sheets enclosed in a protective, often waterproof wrapper. Since the paper is somewhat hydroscopic, it may absorb humidity when exposed to ambient air. Depending on storage conditions for the paper sheets, once the protective packaging has been opened the paper may absorb moisture from the surrounding air causing the fibers of the paper to swell and lengthen. This may result in a change in the dimensions of the sheets of paper depending on whether the moisture is absorbed uniformly or non-uniformly across the length and width of the sheet. Such moisture absorption may lead to wavy edges being formed.
On processing these wavy sheets of paper through the electrophotographic fusing process, the paper is drawn through a nip between rollers or between a roller and a belt, and the wavy edges may fold or wrinkle causing defective copies and customer complaints. In humid environments, these defects may occur in more than 50% of the copies being made.
There is some art addressing paper curling as caused by heating during the fusing process. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,510, entitled "Control of Wrinkling In Belt Fuser By Nip Configuration", is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention and included herein by reference in its entirety.


A flexible printed circuit includes a flexible substrate, a plurality of first conductive wires, and a plurality of second conductive wires. The flexible substrate includes a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface. The first conductive wires are provided on the first surface. The first conductive wires extend from an edge of the flexible substrate to another edge of the flexible substrate. The second conductive wires are provided on the second surface. The second conductive wires extend from an end of the flexible substrate to a predetermined portion of the flexible substrate. A part of each second conductive wire at the predetermined portion of the flexible substrate is electrically connected with the first conductive wire via a conductive structure.

A liquid crystal display has the advantages of portability, low power consumption, and low radiation, and has been widely used in various portable information products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras and the like. A liquid crystal display usually needs a flexible printed circuit board to connect a variety of electronic circuits together.
Referring to FIG. 9, a conventional flexible printed circuit 900 is shown. The flexible printed circuit 900 includes a flexible substrate 910 including an upper surface 911 and a lower surface 912, a first metallic wire layer 920, a second metallic wire layer 930 and an insulating layer 940. The first metallic wire layer 920 is disposed on the upper surface 911 of the flexible substrate 910. The second metallic wire layer 930 is disposed on the lower surface 912 of the flexible substrate 910. The insulating layer 940 is disposed on the first metallic wire layer 920.
Referring also to FIG. 10, the first metallic wire layer 920 includes a plurality of first conductive metallic wires 921 substantially parallel to each other. The first conductive metallic wires 921 extend from one edge of the flexible substrate 910 to an opposite edge of the flexible substrate 910, and are covered by the insulation layer 940. Each first conductive metallic wire 921 is completely separate from the others. And two ends of each first conductive metallic wire 921 are exposed for disposing soldering materials such as tin or tin-gold alloy thereon, so as to form a first gold finger 922 and a second gold finger 923, respectively.
Referring also to FIG. 11, the second conductive metallic wire layer 930 includes a plurality of second conductive metallic wires (not labeled) substantially parallel to each other. The second conductive metallic wires are completely separate from the others. The second conductive metallic wires locate on an edge of the flexible substrate 910. The second conductive metallic wires are exposed for disposing soldering materials such as tin or tin-gold alloy thereon, so as to form a plurality of third gold fingers 935. Each of the third gold fingers 935 is opposite to a respective gold finger 922 of the first conductive metallic wire 921.
Referring to FIG. 12, at a portion of each first gold finger 922 and corresponding third gold finger 935, a soldering hole 999 is defined through the first gold finger 922, the flexible substrate 910 and the third gold finger 935. A metal layer is disposed on an inner surface of the soldering hole 999 to electrically connect the first gold finger 922 and the third gold fingers 935. The first gold fingers 922 are usually soldered to a first print circuit board (not shown) via a manual soldering process. In detail, the first gold fingers 922 contact the first printed circuit board, and a soldering iron (not shown) contacts the third gold fingers 935. The soldering materials of the first gold fingers 922 and the third gold fingers 935 are melted via heat provided by the solder iron. Then the first gold fingers 922 are soldered to the first printed circuit board along with the solidification of the soldering materials. Superfluous soldering materials flux and fill in the soldering hole 999, making the soldering more reliable. Usually, the second gold fingers 923 are electrically connected with a second printed circuit board (not shown) through an anisotropic conductive film. Thereby, electrical signals from the first printed circuit board can be applied to the second printed circuit board via the first conductive metallic wires 921.
However, in the manual soldering process or a following assembly process, a part of the first conductive metallic wires 921 connecting the first gold fingers 922 are prone to be broken off. Thus an electrical connection of the flexible printed circuit 900 is prone to be damaged, and the flexible printed circuit 900 has a low reliability.
What is needed, therefore, is a flexible printed circuit that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.


A bandgap reference voltage generator includes a bipolar assembly having a first resistor, a first branch and a second branch that is in parallel with the first branch. The first branch includes a first bipolar transistor with a base coupled to a fixed voltage. The second branch includes a second bipolar transistor with a base coupled to the fixed voltage and a second resistor coupled in series with the second bipolar transistor. A differential module is coupled to the first and second bipolar transistors and configured to balance the currents in the first and the second branches. The bandgap reference voltage is output at a node to which the first resistor is connected.

The bandgap reference voltage circuit is widely used in various applications for providing a stable voltage reference.
As shown in FIG. 1, an example of bandgap reference voltage circuit comprises a first npn bipolar transistor 4, in diode connection, whose emitter terminal is grounded whereas the collector terminal is connected with an end of a first resistor 1. The first resistor 1 has the other end connected with a positive input node of an operational amplifier 6 and with an end of a second resistor 2. The second resistor 3 has the other end connected to the output node 7 of the operational amplifier 6 and an end of a third resistor 3 that has the other end connected to a negative input node of the operational amplifier 6 and the collector of a second npn bipolar transistor 5. The voltage VBG at the output node 7 of the operational amplifier 6 is given by the sum of a base-emitter voltage of the second npn bipolar transistor 5 and the voltage across the third resistor 3, that is:
      V    BG    =            V              BE                                                  2              +                  V        T                                    R                                                              2                          R                                                              1                          ln                                          N            ·            R                                                                        2                          R                                                              3
where VT is the thermal voltage, R1, R2 and R3 are resistances of resistors 1, 2 and 3, and N is the area ratio of transistors 4 and 5.
The variation of VBE with temperature is −2.2 mV/, while VT is 0.086 mV/. The values of R1, R2, R3 and N are selected to ensure that VBG remain substantially stable over a range of temperature.

Circuit and method for generating a bandgap reference voltage

STMicroelectronics R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.


The present idea refers to an apparatus for generating an adapted audio file. The apparatus comprises an identification unit (51) for supporting identification of a frequency range (fr) associated with an auditory disorder of a user of the apparatus, and an adaptation unit (52) for adapting a frequency characteristic of an audio file (af) representing a track of music which adaptation is subject to the identified frequency range (fr). An audio player (6) is provided for playing the adapted audio file (aaf).

Despite of increased research focused on the tinnitus phenomenon and related therapies, the tinnitus phenomenon still is not fully understood and therapies mostly relate to fighting symptoms rather than cause.
A promising approach was introduced in "Listening to tailor-made notched music reduces tinnitus loudness and tinnitus-related auditory cortex activity" by Hidehiko Okamoto et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 107(3), Jan. 19, 2010, retrieved and accessed on the Internet http://www.pnas.org/content/107/3/1207.full.pdf on Jun. 7, 2011.
According to this paper, the cause of the tinnitus phenomenon may rather be found in neuronal cortex activities than elsewhere. In a central auditory region, auditory cortex neurons may be deprived from excitation due to hearing loss centered around a given frequency, i.e. these neurons may no longer be excited as a result of a sound impact corresponding to the frequency associated with the hearing loss. However, in the following these neurons may become sensitive to neighboring frequencies because of a rewiring of these neurons to neighboring auditory regions in the cortex. This effect may be understood as maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization. A synchronized spontaneous neural activity in such region may cause the tinnitus for the reason that such auditory regions may be characterized by less lateral inhibitory networks. When now exposing the patient to music with the tinnitus frequencies being notched in the music, the neurons corresponding to the tinnitus frequencies may be retrained in order to reduce their maladaptive auditory cortex reorganization.


A system for a diesel engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold is described. The system may include both a high pressure and low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, as well as a turbocharger. Further, in one example, the system may include two mass airflow sensors appropriately placed to enable improved control of both the high and low pressure exhaust gas recirculation systems.

Diesel engines may use re-ingesting burnt exhaust gases to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. For example, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system may be used to recirculate exhaust gases from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold. Such operation can displace fresh air and lower oxygen concentration in the cylinder, as well as reduce formation of NOx during combustion.
In some engine configurations that have a turbocharger, both a low pressure and high pressure EGR system may be used. For example, a high pressure (HP) EGR loop from the exhaust manifold (upstream of the turbine of turbocharger) to the intake manifold (downstream of the compressor of the turbocharger), may be used. In addition, a low pressure (LP) loop from downstream of the turbine to upstream of the compressor may also be used. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,058.
The inventors herein have recognized a disadvantage with such an approach. Specifically, in some cases, the HP EGR rate may be estimated based on a mass airflow sensor located upstream of the HP EGR inlet in the intake manifold. However, when using both a HP and LP EGR loop, this reading is typically biased by EGR from the LP EGR system, if both EGR systems are active. As such, degraded estimation, and thus control, of the HP and LP EGR system can result.
Further, the inventors herein have also recognized that when using a dual EGR loop, the interaction between the two EGR flows may cause inadvertent conditions to exist, such as total EGR flow becoming too great or too small. For example, if insufficient pressure exists across the EGR loops, insufficient EGR may be obtained. Likewise, transient conditions may exist where total EGR becomes greater than that desired.
At least some of the above issues may be addressed by a system for a diesel engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, comprising of a turbocharger coupled between the intake and exhaust manifolds of the engine; a low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system with a first end coupled to the exhaust manifold downstream of the turbocharger and a second end coupled to the intake manifold upstream of the turbocharger, said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation having a first valve coupled thereto for regulating flow; a high pressure exhaust gas recirculation system with a first end coupled to the exhaust manifold upstream of the turbocharger and a second end coupled to the intake manifold downstream of the turbocharger said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation having a second valve coupled thereto for regulating flow; a first mass airflow sensor coupled in the engine intake manifold upstream of said second end of said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system; and a second mass airflow sensor coupled in the engine intake manifold downstream of said second end of said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system and upstream of said second end of said high pressure exhaust gas recirculation system.
In this way it is possible to provide a system that can accurately control both high and low pressure EGR flows, even when both systems are concurrently active. In one example, this is provided by the ability to estimate low pressure EGR flow independently of HP EGR flow via use of a sensor located in the intake system upstream of the low pressure EGR inlet, in addition to other information. In another example, two mass airflow sensors may be used to differentiate high and low pressure EGR flow. Still other examples are possible, as described below herein.
In another embodiment, at least some of the above issues may be addressed by a method for controlling a diesel engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, the engine further having a turbocharger coupled between the intake and exhaust manifolds of the engine, a low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system with a first end coupled to the exhaust manifold downstream of the turbocharger and a second end coupled to the intake manifold upstream of the turbocharger, said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system having a first valve coupled thereto for regulating flow, a high pressure exhaust gas recirculation system with a first end coupled to the exhaust manifold upstream of the turbocharger and a second end coupled to the intake manifold downstream of the turbocharger said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system having a second valve coupled thereto for regulating flow, a first throttle coupled in the intake manifold between said second end of said high pressure exhaust gas recirculation system and said second end of said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, and a second throttle coupled upstream of said second end of said low pressure exhaust gas recirculation system, the method comprising; adjusting said first valve and said first throttle to regulate flow in the high pressure system; and adjusting said second valve and said second throttle to regulate flow in the low pressure system.
In this way, it is possible to use coordinate control of two EGR flow valves and two throttles in the intake manifold to achieve improved overall operation. For example, sufficient EGR flow from respective high and low pressure systems may be achieved under varying operating conditions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for high pressure and low pressure exhaust gas recirculation control and estimation


A disposable tip clamp mechanism capable of simplifying the mounting operation of a disposable cutting tip to produce an improved effect for preventing the dislocation of the tip is described. A screw member 36 having a screw hole 36a in the head 36c thereof is connected with the mounting screw hole 33 of a tip mounting seat 32, with the head portion 36c projecting from the tip mounting seat 32 and a disposable tip 37 is seated on the tip mounting seat 32 such that the engaging portion 37f thereof engages the head portion 36c of the screw hole-containing screw member 36.

The present invention relates to a clamp mechanism for detachably mounting a disposable cutting tip to the mounting seat of a tool main body, such as a disposable byte, boring bar, cutter, end mill, or the like, and, more specifically, to a clamp mechanism capable of simply mounting a disposable cutting tip and preventing the ejection of the tip from the tool main body, thereby enhancing the displacement-prevention effect thereof.

Disposable cutting tip clamp for a milling machine


An optimal dynamic seam adjustment system for image stitching includes an image obtaining module, a feature difference calculation module and a dynamic seam module. The image obtaining module obtains at least two images to be stitched, which have at least one overlapping area divided into a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of pixel columns and a plurality of pixel rows. The feature difference calculation module calculates a feature difference value for each pixel within the overlapping area. The dynamic seam module establishes a plurality of dynamic seam routes started from a top end of the overlapping area, so as to find an optimal dynamic seam route based on the feature difference value, wherein each dynamic seam route is composed of a plurality of pixels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technical field of image stitching and, more particularly, to an optimal dynamic seam adjustment system and method for image stitching.
2. Description of Related Art
With the advance of computer technology, people have expected that the image or video quality becomes better and better. Currently, a popular photographing skill is to take multiple pictures and stitch them to form a panoramic image so as to obtain a wider picture in image. However, the seam between two images is typically not stitched in perfect due to the different image colors and object arrangements caused by the different video sources. As show in FIG. 1, there are two images to be stitched. The two images are taken at different photographing angles, resulting in different angles for the same object 1. The stitched result is shown in FIG. 2. For the distant landscape, the stitching affection is insignificant, but for a near object, it may cause that the pictures are not continuous in the seam 2. Thus, a successful image stitching is essentially decided by the seam selection.
Currently, there are various image processing methods available in image stitching and seam adjustment. However, most of the methods require a complicated process and thus, due to the high complexity, it is necessary to take a large amount of time and cost. In addition, for the stitching of videos, the cost is much higher than that of still images.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved system and method to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems and find an optimal seam route with simplicity and lower cost.

Optimal dynamic seam adjustment system and method for image stitching


A clock generator has a reset circuit and (at least) two dividers, where each divider divides a reference clock signal by a divisor value to generate an output clock signal. The reset circuit generates reset signals for the dividers, where the reset signals are delayed relative to one another by a selected number of reference clock cycles, such that the dividers generate output clock signals having a desired phase offset between them.

As frequencies increase inside integrated circuits, clock alignment becomes more and more critical. Often, it is desired to move the phase of one clock from that of another clock by a defined amount. This is typically done by using different phases of a multiple-stage oscillator, but this limits the resolution of the phase offset to the number of stages in the oscillator.


A computer system including a power supply; a connector to be connected with a detachable storage medium; an auxiliary memory; a selection input part to generate a storage function processing signal to store data of the storage medium to the auxiliary memory according to an operation of a user; a an essential basic input/output system storage to store a basic input/output system command for a basic operation of the storage medium and the auxiliary memory; an OS storage to store an essential operating system and a storage function command required to process the storage function; and a controller to control the power supply to supply electric power to the auxiliary memory and to perform the BIOS command in the BIOS storage and the OS and the storage function command in the OS storage, so that the storage function is performed based on the data of the storage medium, according to the storage function processing signal from the selection input part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system having a connector to be connected with a detachable storage medium and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a computer system which allows data in the storage medium to be quickly stored in an auxiliary memory of the computer system and that utilizes the minimum electric power required to process the storage function to reduce electric power consumption, and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a computer system is designed so that data is input through an input device and data is processed and operated by a central processing unit (CPU) to output a result there from.
To perform a task using the computer system, an operating system installed to the computer system should normally be booted and a normal mode should be maintained.
Generally, a user pushes a power button provided to the computer system to generate a computer operating signal, then a power management controller to which the computer operating signal is transferred controls a power supply to supply electric power to the CPU, a hard disk, a graphic card, a monitor, and other peripheral units connected with the computer system.
After electric power is supplied according to the computer operating signal, a basic input/output system (BIOS) examines whether states of the CPU, the graphic card, and the memory correspond to data of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and that peripheral units, such as a hard disk, a printer, a local area network (LAN) card and a small computer system interface (SCSI), are connected.
When there are no hardware problems, the BIOS sequentially reads and stores boot files, such as io.sys, msdos.sys, config.sys, command.com and autoexec.bat, which are normally stored in the hard disk, i.e. the c:/drive, to the memory, and sequentially processes commands recorded in the files. After this time, an operating system (OS) controls the boot process of the computer system.
For example, in an OS of a Window family, when the files are stored in the memory, files such as win.com, win.ini, and system.ini are registered to the memory and commands recorded in a registry are sequentially processed and the OS is started. Then, a desktop is displayed according to a resolution, color tone, background screen, etc., selected by a user and a self-starting program is processed, thereby completing the OS booting process.
Thereafter, the computer system is in a normal mode in which a task is done by inputting a request from the user.
Accordingly, to set the normal mode in which a task is done, a BIOS check and an OS booting, which necessitate a long time to complete, are required.
Especially, when a user desires to operate the computer system to only execute a specific task, such as to store data of a storage medium to an auxiliary memory of the computer system, the BIOS check and OS booting require an unnecessarily long time.
Further, electric power is supplied to parts that are not required to execute the specific task, resulting in unnecessary consumption of electric power.

Transferring data without completing a boot process


The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring pressure inside a predetermined vessel based on the principle that the transmitting efficiency of ultrasonic waves is changed by acoustic impedance variation according to an internal pressure. The apparatus includes an ultrasound exciting unit 20 disposed inside the vessel 10 and generating predetermined ultrasonic waves, an ultrasound receiving unit 30 disposed inside the vessel 10 and placed on the same axis line as that of the ultrasound exciting unit 20, a control unit 70 for controlling a frequency and a waveform of the excitation signal transmitted into the ultrasound exciting unit 20, and a pressure measuring unit 80 for measuring an internal pressure of the vessel 10 based on an ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasound receiving unit 30 and the excitation signal transmitted into the ultrasound exciting unit 20.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring pressure inside a predetermined vessel based on the principle that the transmitting efficiency of ultrasonic waves is changed by acoustic impedance variation according to an internal pressure. The present invention provides a pressure measuring apparatus which can improve resolutions, increase a dynamic range, and measure pressure in a low or high vacuum state and even under atmospheric pressure or higher, including a high pressure, by disposing ultrasonic transducers and/or a reflection plate inside a vessel or inducing resonance.
2. Background of the Related Art
Technologies for measuring pressure inside a predetermined vessel are generally used to check the degree of vacuum inside the vessel in the semiconductor or display manufacturing process. Among various methods to measure pressure, a capacitance diaphragm gauge (CDG) is mostly used. The capacitance diaphragm gauge is based on the principle that the displacement of the diaphragm of the capacitance diaphragm gauge is changed by a variation in the internal pressure of a vessel, and hence capacitance is changed. In general, the capacitance diaphragm gauge is available only in a low vacuum region.
To measure pressure in a high vacuum region an ionization gauge is usually employed. The ionization gauge is based on the principle that, when pressure is changed, a probability that electrons may collide against gas molecules increases, and the number of generated positive ions changes when the electrons collide against the gas molecules. The ionization gauge can measure pressure in the range of high vacuum regions of 10−1 Pa to 10−10 Pa, but has a problem that linearity cannot be guaranteed below 10−6 Pa.
As for high pressure gauges, pressure in a limited small pressure chamber of various ultra-high pressure generators must be measured directly. An ultra-high pressure is generated by compressing a sample by application of a force to a sample compression device, such as a piston-cylinder type, using a hydraulic pressure device. Accordingly, an average pressure of the sample can be found by dividing the magnitude of applied force by a cross section of the sample chamber cross section. However, if this method is used, pressure distributions inside a gasket for sealing a sample are not constant, loss of a force due to friction is increased, and therefore pressure values are only approximately estimated.
As described above, there is a problem in that a pressure measuring apparatus in which an approximate degree of vacuum of a vessel is taken into consideration has to be selected and installed every time. Further, measurement methods are changed, resulting in inconvenience in use.

Apparatus for measuring pressure using acoustic impedance variation

Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science


A method for operating a wing (5) including a fixed wing (9), a foldable wing tip portion (11) mounted to the fixed wing (9) pivotally between an extended position and a folded position, an actuation unit (13) for actuating movement of the foldable wing tip portion (11), and an arresting unit (15) for locking the foldable wing tip portion (11) in the extended position and/or in the folded position. The method includes controlling the actuation unit (13) to move the foldable wing tip portion (11) either to the extended position or to the folded position until the foldable wing tip portion (11) or the actuation unit (13) contacts a stop element (28), continuing actuation until the actuation unit (13) reaches a stall condition, detecting the stall condition of the actuation unit (13), and locking the arresting unit (15) upon detection of the stall condition.

Foldable wings comprise a fixed wing and a foldable wing tip portion mounted to the fixed wing in a foldable manner. The foldable wing tip portion may pivot either upwards or sideways or rearwards. To be folded upwards, the foldable wing tip portion may pivot about an axis extending in a horizontal plane and/or in parallel to a wing chord direction and/or in parallel to the wing surface and/or in a flight direction. To be folded sideways, the foldable wing tip portion may pivot about a vertical axis and/or about an axis in parallel to a wing thickness direction and/or about an axis normal to a plane spanned by the wing chord direction and a wing span direction.
Foldable wings reduce the space requirements of an aircraft during maneuver and parking on ground. The space requirements may be the distance wing tip to wing tip, e.g., span, taken up by the aircraft on the ground. During flight the foldable wing tip portions are locked in an extended position. After the aircraft has landed, the foldable wing tip portions are folded to reducing the overall span of the aircraft.
An arresting unit in the wing locks the foldable wing tip portions in their extended and/or folded positions. The arresting unit is a structural component of the wing and typically must carry the full load of the aerodynamic forces acting on the foldable wing tip portion during flight. Because the arresting unit must carry these loads, engaging parts of the arresting unit are formed with small tolerances. Because of the small tolerances, precise alignment of the engaging parts is required to bring them into engagement and the arresting unit can locked in the extended and/or folded positions.

Method for operating a wing for an aircraft including a foldable wing tip portion


A PC board inspecting method capable of detecting deviation of an IC component at high speed with small storage capacity utilizes inspection logic particular to a component to be inspected. The inspection logic includes a color condition for specifying a color appearing in the body of the component to be inspected. The component is radiated with a plurality of color rays at different angles of incidence. An image formed by reflection light of the color rays is captured, and an inspection image including at least part of an edge of the body of the component to be inspected is captured. By using the color condition, a component body area satisfying the color condition is extracted from the inspection image by an image process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inspection technique for detecting the deviation of an IC component mounted on a PC board and a technique for generating inspection logic for use in the inspection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, PC board inspecting apparatuses for inspecting the quality of surface-mount soldering on printed circuit boards on which a number of electronic components are mounted have been proposed. In particular, as the throughput of information processors has improved in recent years, the number of apparatuses proposed for capturing an image of a PC board or a part of the PC board by an image capturing apparatus and conducting board inspection by an image process has been increasing.
One method for inspecting the deviation of IC component is a method of determining occurrence of a component deviation by detecting a color other than the color of the component body (for example, the color of the board) in an area in which a component body is to be disposed. The method is effective for square chips and transistors but has a technical drawback in inspection of an IC component. Since the area of the body of an IC component is much larger than that of square chips and transistors, if colors in all of the areas in which components are to be disposed are checked, process time increases and it becomes difficult to realize real-time board inspection. In addition, an image of the whole area in which component bodies are to be disposed has to be processed and recorded. Consequently, a large amount of memory or the storage capacity in the image storing apparatus required becomes very large. As a result, this increases the cost of the apparatus.

PC board inspecting method and apparatus and inspection logic setting method and apparatus


A signal indicating the quality of the received digital data in an ADPCM cordless telephone system is monitored and a transition from good to poor quality is detected. In response to this detection, a first attenuation level is applied to the received signal, the level being selected to maintain the intelligibility of the signal to the user while lowering the volume thereof. The first attenuation level is then reduced such that reduced attenuation is maintained over a time interval selected to accommodate for the known error propagation time of the ADPCM signal. An optional clipping circuit may be employed to limit the excursion of the output audio signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates generally to communication apparatus and, more particularly, to an improved audio mute method and apparatus for a digital cordless telephone.
2. Description of Related Art
Analog cordless telephones are known in the prior art. While the voice quality of such telephones degrades relatively rapidly with distance, they have a noise response which exhibits a relatively gradual cumulative degradation of the signal. While digital cordless telephones utilizing spread spectrum techniques promise much improved voice quality and range, the noise response of such systems is abrupt, annoying to the user, and can exhibit large "booms."
Proposals for reducing such abrupt noise effects have included a simple algorithm according to which the output signal to the user is simply turned off when the channel is known to be bad; i.e. a simple switch. Other approaches use complex algorithms which look for "non" speech-like audio signals that occur when the channel goes bad and perform complex audio signal conditioning to reduce audio artifacts. The first approach is undesirable because the telephone user experiences a complete "dropout" or interruption of the voice to which he is listening. The second approach is undesirable because of high complexity and expense.

Audio mute for digital cordless telephone


In a manufacturing method of a spacer for an electron-beam apparatus which includes an airtight container and an electron source, the spacer is arranged in the airtight container. The method includes the step of heating and drawing a base material of the spacer to form a desired rough state on the surface of the base material, the step of heating and drawing the base material of the spacer to form the desired rough state and an electroconductive film on the surface of the base material, or the step of heating and drawing the base material of the spacer having the rough state on its surface. According to the present invention, the spacer having a surface structure which can suppress charging can be manufactured at a low cost, and an electron-beam apparatus such as an image-forming apparatus having a sufficient display luminance can also be manufactured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of a spacer used in an electron-beam apparatus such as an image-forming apparatus in which an electron beam is employed, and a manufacturing method of the electron-beam apparatus provided with the spacer.
2. Related Background Art
Heretofore, as an image-forming apparatus in which electron-emitting devices are utilized, an evacuated plane type electron-beam display panel is known in which an electron source substrate having a number of cold-cathode electron-emitting devices thereon and an anode substrate having a transparent electrode and a phosphor thereon are confronted in parallel. Such an image-forming apparatus, in which field emission type electron-emitting devices are used, is disclosed in, for example I. Brodie, xe2x80x9cAdvanced technology: flat cold-cathode CRTsxe2x80x9d, Information Display, 1/89, 17 (1989). Further, such an image-forming apparatus, in which surface conduction electron-emitting devices are used, disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,883 and the like. A flat electron-beam display panel permits reduction in weight and the enlargement of a screen compared to a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display unit which is widely used at present, and can provide a higher luminance and a higher quality image than a flat display panel utilizing liquid crystals and other flat display panels such as a plasma display and an electroluminescent display. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a conventional flat electron-beam display panel which is partially cut out, as one example of the image-forming apparatus utilizing the electron-emitting devices. The configuration of the electron-beam display panel shown in FIG. 5 will be detailed here. In this drawing, reference numeral 1015 is a rear plate, numeral 1017 is a face plate and 1016 is a side wall, and these members constitute a vacuum envelope. Further, numeral 1011 is an electron source substrate and 1012 is an electron-emitting device. In this example, one phosphor is disposed to one electron-emitting device. Moreover, numeral 1013 (a scanning electrode) and 1014 (a signal electrode) are wiring electrodes, and they are each connected to the electron-emitting device 1012. Furthermore, numeral 1019 is a metal back and 1018 is a phosphor. Moreover, 1020 is a spacer, which holds the electron source substrate 1011 and the face plate 1017 at predetermined intervals and which is arranged in a vacuum envelope as a supporting member against atmospheric pressure. Besides, each junction of the face plate 1017, the side wall 1016, the rear plate 1015 and the spacer 1020 is sealed with a low melting point glass frit.
In order to form an image on this electron-beam display panel, a predetermined voltage is successively applied to the scanning electrode 1013 and the signal electrode 1014 arranged in a matrix state, whereby the predetermined electron-emitting device 1012 positioned at the intersection of the matrix is selectively driven, and the phosphor 1018 is irradiated with emitted electrons to obtain luminescent points at predetermined positions. Besides, for the purpose of obtaining the luminescent points of a higher luminance by accelerating the emitted electrons, a high voltage is applied to the metal back 1019 so as to become a positive potential to the electron-emitting device 1012. Here, the applied voltage is within about several hundred volts to about several ten kilo volts, depending on the performance of the phosphor 1018. Accordingly, the distance d between the electron source substrate 1011 and the face plate 1017 is usually set to about several hundred xcexcm to about several mm so that vacuum dielectric breakdown (i.e., discharge) may not occur by this applied voltage.
As the display area of this electron-beam display panel increases, the rear plate 1015 and the face plate 1017 need to be thickened to suppress the deformation of a plate substrate due to a difference between a vacuum in the vacuum envelope and an external atmospheric pressure. Thickening the plate substrate not only increases the weight of the display panel but also causes the distortion of the panel and the reduction of a viewable angle range when viewed from an oblique direction. Therefore, the spacer 1020 is disposed, whereby a required strength of both the plates 1015 and 1017 can be relieved, which permits reduction in weight, decrease in cost and the enlargement of the screen. In consequence, the advantage of the flat electron-beam display panel can sufficiently be exerted.
For a material which can be used for this spacer 1020, there are required (1) having a sufficient strength to atmospheric pressure (compressive strength), (2) having a heat resistance which can withstand heating steps in a manufacturing process and a high vacuum formation process, (3) matching to the substrate, the side wall and the like of the display panel in thermal expansion coefficients, (4) being a highly resistant member having insulating characteristics which can withstand the application of a high voltage, (5) a gas emission rate being low in order to maintain a high vacuum, and (6) being workable in a good dimension accuracy and being excellent in productivity. As such a material, a glass material is usually used.
However, the display panel of the image-forming apparatus described above has the following problems.
First, a part of electrons emitted from the vicinity of the spacer hit against the spacer, or ions produced by the function of the emitted electrons adhere to the spacer, whereby spacer charging might be caused. Further, the electrons which reach the face plate are partially reflected and scattered, and its part hit against the spacer, whereby the spacer charging might be caused.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing by a simple process at a low cost a spacer having a surface structure which can suppress surface charging.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide an electron-beam apparatus such as an image-forming apparatus which has a sufficient display luminance and which realizes a low cost by the use of the spacer manufactured by the above method or the spacer having such a function.
That is, an aspect of the present invention is directed to a manufacturing method of a spacer for an electron-beam apparatus provided with an airtight container, and an electron source and the spacer arranged in the airtight container, and the manufacturing method comprises the step of heating and drawing a base material of the spacer, a desired rough state being formed on the surface of the base material in the heating and drawing step.
Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a manufacturing method of a spacer of an electron-beam apparatus provided with an airtight container, and an electron source and the spacer arranged in the airtight container, and the manufacturing method comprises the step of heating and drawing a base material of the spacer, a desired rough state and an electroconductive film are formed on the surface of the base material in the heating and drawing step.
Still another aspect of the present invention is directed to a manufacturing method of a spacer of an electronic-beam apparatus provided with an airtight container, and an electron source and the spacer arranged in the airtight container, and the manufacturing method comprises the step of heating and drawing a base material of the spacer having a rough state on its surface.
A further aspect of the present invention is directed to a manufacturing method of a spacer of an electronic-beam apparatus provided with an airtight container, and an electron source and the spacer arranged in the airtight container, and the manufacturing method comprises a step of forming a rough state on the surface of the base material of the spacer, and a step of heating and drawing the base material on which the rough state is formed.

Manufacturing method of spacer for electron-beam apparatus and manufacturing method of electron-beam apparatus


The present invention provides a carbon nanotube dispersion, in which carbon nanotubes are uniformly dispersed and a satisfactory dispersed state is maintained over a long period of time, and also inherent properties of carbon nanotubes can be exhibited. The carbon nanotube dispersion contains an alcohol solvent (preferably a lower alcohol having about 1 to 4 carbon atoms) and a polyvinyl acetal resin.

Carbon nanotubes are a new material that is attracting attention from numerous fields as a result of having superior electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength and the like. Various studies have been conducted not only on the use of these carbon nanotubes alone, but also on their use as composite materials, in which they are dispersed in other materials. For example, a carbon nanotube dispersion, in which carbon nanotubes are dispersed in a dispersion medium, can be used as an electrical conductivity-imparting agent or an anti-static agent. In addition, the carbon nanotube dispersion can be coated on a substrate such as a film or a sheet to form an electrically-conductive layer, and this substrate can be used in an emitter material of a display, a fuel cell electrode material, a gas storage material or the like.
In general, carbon nanotubes are produced and sold in a state in which a large number of tubes are aggregated together. Carbon nanotubes in this aggregated state have the problem of being difficult to uniformly disperse in other materials (liquid media). In order to solve this problem, various methods have been investigated to improve the dispersibility of carbon nanotubes. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for crushing a mixture of a prescribed liquid and carbon nanotubes using a wet-medium stirring mill, and dispersing the carbon nanotubes in the liquid. Patent Document 2 describes a method for dispersing carbon nanotubes in a mixture of an amide-based polar organic solvent and a nonionic surfactant. Patent Document 3 describes a method for improving dispersibility of carbon nanotubes by attaching a conjugated polymer to a portion of the carbon nanotubes.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-324999
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-075661
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-089738
However, in the method described in Patent Document 1, the carbon nanotubes are susceptible to excessive fragmentation and damage to the tube wall structures. Carbon tubes that have been shortened due to excessive fragmentation or which have undergone considerable damage are unable to properly and adequately exhibit the inherent properties of carbon nanotubes (such as electrical conductivity or strength). In addition, in the methods described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, numerous types of materials (ingredients), such as surfactants or conjugated polymers, are mixed, resulting in an increase in the number of steps, such as a step for mixing these mixture materials and a step for removing unreacted substances (purification step), thereby resulting in the risk of increased complexity of the production process. In addition, the production cost of the carbon nanotube dispersion increases due to the use of such special mixture materials.
Therefore, there is a long-felt need to provide a carbon nanotube dispersion, in which the carbon materials are uniformly dispersed and a satisfactory dispersed state is maintained over a long period of time, and also inherent properties of the carbon nanotubes can be exhibited. In addition, there is a long-felt need to provide a method for producing such a carbon nanotube dispersion. Moreover, there is also a long-felt need to provide a carbon nanotube film (namely, a film having carbon nanotubes as the main constituent) obtained by applying such a carbon nanotube dispersion onto a substrate, and a film element provided with the carbon nanotube film.

Carbon nanotube dispersion and utilization of same


A negative ion generator is provide with a plurality of needle assemblies, each of which has a distinct needle end point. The generator includes a drive circuit for providing high voltages to the needle end points and a selection circuit by which the amount of and/or the frequency at which the ions are produced. The needle assemblies are replaceable by the user by way of plug and socket style connections. An indicating means is provided for indicating to the user of the generator the condition of the needle assemblies and when the needles should be replaced. The drive circuit can include a safety current route in the event of an earth fault.

The thrust of experimental data to date shows that small negatively charged air ions are biologically active providing improved health through ingestion of negative air ions over time.
Ion depletion in modern urban life by air borne pollutants has been documented as producing adverse effects on body serotonin levels and production of higher than normal histamine levels in some people producing adverse physiological and psychological effects.
The presence of negative air ions capable of being inhaled and ingested has been shown to assist the body to return to its own natural balance producing positive effects on health.
At present, negative ion generators suffer from a number of disadvantages.
At present, negative air ion generators are not capable of producing small highly mobile biologically active negative ions consistently over an extended time period and the lack flexibility in terms of the variability of production rate and quantities of ions produced.
In addition, due to the high voltages employed to produce ions, ion generators are prone to corrosion and wear so that ion generation can cease without a user being aware.

Negative air ion generator with selectable frequencies


An Optical Filter Security Invention incorporating an interactive system into a user authentication process (user name and password) and adding an additional simple layer of security that makes it much safer to perform online communications and transactions. It relates to the capability of the human eye to process information using a unique filter, such as a hand held card or a smart phone application, and the user's feedback of a security code into the computer for certification and protection of information.

Authentication is the process by which a system determines whether something is truly what it declares itself to be. In today's dynamic and diverse marketplace, authentication is vital to ensuring security and exclusivity when accessing or downloading information remotely. The most traditional authentication processes involve a username and password to log into a system. Secure keyboards, smartcards, electronic tokens, and key logger protection have provided a variety of complex and expensive means of improved security, but often fall short as hackers and identity thieves have easily tailored their software to adapt to any increased security devices. Generally, hackers plant viruses, Trojans, worms, key logging and screen recording programs to exploit the weaknesses in the authentication processes described above.
As we continue to move towards a remotely accessed marketplace, authenticating users and protecting their information has become necessary for maintaining and growing the remote marketplace. Furthermore, though authentication tokens, secure keyboards, and the like provide increased protection to the average consumer, their cost is prohibitive and they rely on a predetermined set of hardware and software devices.
The present invention overcomes these problems by allowing consumers to remotely access or download information from computers, televisions, cellular telephones, and the web in conjunction with a low cost easy to use authentication tool that uses human interaction and senses as well as simple technology to provide the average consumer with an inexpensive, convenient, highly secure, adoptable and easy to use system to remotely access information securely.