An exemplary optical apparatus has an OCT imaging apparatus with a first light source for low coherence light of wavelengths above a threshold wavelength and a signal detector that obtains an interference signal between low coherence light from the sample and low coherence light reflected from a reference. A surface contour imaging apparatus has a second light source that emits one or more wavelengths of surface illumination below the threshold wavelength, a camera to acquire images from illumination reflected from the sample. The exemplary optical apparatus and/or exemplary methods for using the same can provide reduced errors in generating a dental 3D surface mesh.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that employs interferometric principles to obtain high resolution, cross-sectional tomographic images that characterize the depth structure of a sample. Particularly suitable for in vivo imaging of human tissue, OCT has shown its usefulness in a range of biomedical research and medical imaging applications, such as in ophthalmology, dermatology, oncology, and other fields, as well as in ear-nose-throat (ENT) and dental imaging.
OCT has been described as a type of "optical ultrasound", imaging reflected energy from within living tissue to obtain cross-sectional data. In an OCT imaging system, light from a wide-bandwidth source, such as a super luminescent diode (SLD) or other light source, is directed along two different optical paths: a reference arm of known length and a sample arm that illuminates the tissue or other subject under study. Reflected and back-scattered light from the reference and sample arms is then recombined in the OCT apparatus and interference effects are used to determine characteristics of the surface and near-surface underlying structure of the sample. Interference data can be acquired by rapidly scanning the sample illumination across the sample. At each of several thousand points, OCT apparatus obtains an interference profile which can be used to reconstruct an A-scan with an axial depth into the material that is a factor of light source coherence. For most tissue imaging applications, OCT uses broadband illumination sources and can provide image content at depths of a few millimeters (mm).
Initial OCT apparatus employed a time-domain (TD-OCT) architecture in which depth scanning is achieved by rapidly changing the length of the reference arm using some type of mechanical mechanism, such as a piezoelectric actuator, for example. TD-OCT methods use point-by-point scanning, requiring that the illumination probe be moved or scanned from one position to the next during the imaging session. More recent OCT apparatus use a Fourier-domain architecture (FD-OCT) that discriminates reflections from different depths according to the optical frequencies of the signals they generate. FD-OCT methods simplify or eliminate axial scan requirements by collecting information from multiple depths simultaneously and offer improved acquisition rate and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). There are two implementations of Fourier-domain OCT: spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT) and swept-source OCT (SS-OCT).
SD-OCT imaging can be accomplished by illuminating the sample with a broadband source and dispersing the reflected and scattered light with a spectrometer onto an array detector, such as a CCD (charge-coupled device) detector, for example. SS-OCT imaging illuminates the sample with a rapid wavelength-tuned laser and collects light reflected during a wavelength sweep using only a single photodetector or balanced photodetector. With both SD-OCT and SS-OCT, a profile of scattered light reflected from different depths is obtained by operating on the recorded interference signals using Fourier transforms, such as Fast-Fourier transforms (FFT), well known to those skilled in the signal analysis arts.
For surface imaging of the teeth, various methods using light triangulation have been employed. These include structured light imaging, in which a structured pattern of light, generally of visible or near-visible infrared (NIR) wavelengths, is directed onto the tooth surface and the resulting pattern, modulated by the tooth surface, is detected by a camera. Interpretation of distortion of the projected pattern in the acquired images enables an accurate characterization of the tooth surface. The detected image information can be used, for example to form a mesh or point cloud that maps features of the tooth surface and can be used, along with other types of depth imaging, to provide useful information that can aid in dental diagnosis and treatment.
The combined results from OCT and structured light imaging can provide useful information for dental imaging. Proposed approaches for obtaining this combination in a single apparatus solution, however, have been characterized by a number of problems, including optical crosstalk between measurement types, difficulties in achieving optimal image quality in simultaneous surface and OCT measurements, workflow constraints, and computational complexity, with considerable processing overhead. Clearly, there would be advantages for improved performance and workflow using a dental imaging device that combines OCT and surface contour imaging capabilities.

Surface mapping using an intraoral scanner with penetrating capabilities


A memory device having non-volatile memory cells and a controller. In response to a first command for erasing and programming a first group of the memory cells, the controller determines the first group can be programmed within substantially 10 seconds of their erasure, erases the first group, and programs the first group within substantially 10 seconds of their erasure. In response to a second command for erasing and programming a second group of the memory cells, the controller determines that the second group cannot be programmed within substantially 10 seconds of their erasure, divides the second group into subgroups of the memory cells each of which can be programmed within substantially 10 seconds of their erasure, and for each of the subgroups, erase the subgroup and program the subgroup within substantially 10 seconds of their erasure.

Non-volatile memory devices are well known in the art. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 7,868,375, which discloses a four-gate memory cell configuration. Specifically, FIG. 1 of the present application illustrates a split gate memory cell 10 with spaced apart source and drain regions 14/16 formed in a silicon semiconductor substrate 12. The source region 14 can be referred to as a source line SL (because it commonly is connected to other source regions for other memory cells in the same row or column), and the drain region 16 is commonly connected to a bit line by a bit line contact 28. A channel region 18 of the substrate is defined between the source/drain regions 14/16. A floating gate 20 is disposed over and insulated from (and controls the conductivity of) a first portion of the channel region 18 (and partially over and insulated from the source region 14). A control gate 22 is disposed over and insulated from the floating gate 20. A select gate 24 is disposed over and insulated from (and controls the conductivity of) a second portion of the channel region 18. An erase gate 26 is disposed over and insulated from the source region 14 and is laterally adjacent to the floating gate 20. A plurality of such memory cells can be arranged in rows and columns to form a memory cell array.
Various combinations of voltages are applied to the control gate 22, select gate 24, erase gate 26 and/or source and drain regions 14/16, to program the memory cell (i.e., injecting electrons onto the floating gate), to erase the memory cell (i.e., removing electrons from the floating gate), and to read the memory cell (i.e., measuring or detecting the conductivity of the channel region 18 to determine the programming state of the floating gate 20).
Memory cell 10 can be operated in a digital manner, where the memory cell is set to one of only two possible states: a programmed state and an erased state. The memory cell is erased by placing a high positive voltage on the erase gate 26, and optionally a negative voltage on the control gate 22, to induce tunneling of electrons from the floating gate 20 to the erase gate 26 (leaving the floating gate in a more positively charged stated—the erased state). Memory cell 10 can be programmed by placing positive voltages on the control gate 22, erase gate 26, select gate 24 and source region 14, and a current on drain region 16. Electrons will then flow along the channel region 18 from the drain region 16 toward the source region 14, with electrons becoming accelerated and heated whereby some of them are injected onto the floating gate 20 by hot-electron injection (leaving the floating gate in a more negatively charged state—the programmed state). Memory cell 10 can be read by placing positive voltages on the select gate 24 (turning on the channel region portion under the select gate 24) and drain region 16 (and optionally on the erase gate 26 and/or the control gate 22), and sensing current flow through the channel region 18. If the floating gate 20 is positively charged (memory cell is erased), the memory cell will be turned on, and electrical current will flow from source region 14 to drain region 16 (i.e. the memory cell 10 is sensed to be in its erased "1" state based on sensed current flow). If the floating gate 20 is negatively charged (memory cell is programmed), the channel region under the floating gate is turned off, thereby preventing any current flow (i.e., the memory cell 10 is sensed to be in its programmed "0" state based on no current flow).
Table 1 provides non-limiting examples of erase, program and read voltages, where Vcc is power supply voltage or another positive voltage such as 2.5 V.
TABLE 1WL (SG)BL (Drain)SourceEGCGErase0V0V0V11.5V0VProgram1V1μA4.5V4.5V10.5VReadVcc0.6V0V0VVcc
Memory cell 10 can alternately be operated in an analog manner where the memory state (i.e. the amount of charge, such as the number of electrons, on the floating gate) of the memory cell can be continuously changed anywhere from a fully erased state (fewest electrons on the floating gate) to a fully programmed state (highest number of electrons on the floating gate), or just a portion of this range. This means the cell storage is analog, which allows for very precise and individual tuning of each memory cell in the memory cell array. Alternatively, the memory could be operated as an MLC (multilevel cell) where it is configured to be programmed to one of many discrete values (such as 16 or 64 different values). In the case of analog or MLC programming, the programming voltages are applied for only a limited time, or as a series of pulses, until the desired programming state is achieved. In the case of multiple programming pulses, intervening read operations between programming pulses can be used to determine if the desired programming state has been achieved (in which case programming ceases) or has not been achieved (in which case programming continues).
Memory cell 10 operated in an analog manner or as an MLC could be more sensitive to noise and read current instabilities which can adversely affect the accuracy of the memory device. One source of read current instability in analog non-volatile memory devices is the capture and emission of electrons by electron traps on the gate oxide—channel interface. The gate oxide is the insulation layer that separates the floating gate 20 and the channel region 18 of substrate 12. When an electron is captured on an interface trap, it reduces the channel conductivity during a read operation, and thus increases the threshold voltage Vt of the memory cell (i.e., the minimum voltage(s) on the control gate needed to turn on the channel region of the memory cell to produce a certain level of current, 1 μA being an example). When the control gate voltage is at or above the threshold voltage, a conducting path is created between the source and drain regions. When the control gate voltage is below the threshold voltage, a conducting path is not created, and any source/drain current is considered sub-threshold or leakage current. Electron captured on an interface trap can be emitted from the trap, which decreases Vt of the memory cell, and thus increases the channel conductivity during a read operation. These single-electron events of electron capture and emission by trap result in 1) random telegraph noise (RTN) and 2) a one-directional Vt shift (also causing a one-directional change of the read current), which is referred to as relaxation or CCI—cell current instability.
Such relaxation has been detected after the memory cell has been kept for a long time at room temperature or has been baked at high temperature in one state and then changed to a different state. The relaxation appears as a small limited drift of the memory cell new state towards the preceding state. For example, if the memory cell is kept for some time in its erased state (which is characterized by a low Vt and a high channel current during a read operation), and then is subsequently programmed into its programmed state (which is characterized by a high Vt and a low channel current during a read operation), the Vt has been found to drop slightly, and the read current during a read operation has been found to increase slightly, over time under the same read conditions. The Vt and read current shifts are relatively small when compared with typical cell current operation window between "1" and "0" states for memory cells operated in a digital manner. However, these shifts may not be negligible for memory cells operated as MLC (multilevel cell) or in an analog manner.
There is a need to reduce read current instabilities in non-volatile memory devices.

Method of improving read current stability in analog non-volatile memory by limiting time gap between erase and program


An air-cooled engine includes a cylinder provided with a plurality of cooling fins at an outer peripheral surface of the cylinder, a cooling fan, a cylinder cover covering the cylinder, an air guide plate, and an air guide portion. The air guide plate is positioned between an inner surface of the cylinder cover and the fins. The cooling fan generates cooling air stream for cooling the cylinder, and the air guide plate is configured to guide the cooling air stream to flow through a space between the inner surface of the cylinder cover and the fins. A first small space is defined between the air guide plate and the inner surface of the cylinder cover. The air guide portion covers at least a part of the first small space at an upstream side of the air guide plate in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

A compact engine is employed as a power source in an electric generator and a portable work tool such as a grass-trimmer, a blower, a chain-saw, and a power cutter. FIG. 9 shows a conventional grass-trimmer 300 as a typical example of the work tool. The grass-trimmer 300 has a right end portion provided with a main body 310 in which an engine is accommodated, a left end portion provided with a cutting blade 320, and an intermediate portion provided with a handle 330. Rotation of the engine is transmitted to the cutting blade 320, so that the rotating cutting blade 320 performs cutting to a plant, or trimming to a hedge while an operator grips the handle 330.
An air cooled engine is widely used for the work tool because of the need for a compact and light-weight engine. In the air cooled engine, a cooling fan is fixed to a drive shaft of the engine, and the fan is continuously rotated during engine operation for generating a cooling air to forcibly cool an engine component such as a cylinder. The cylinder of the air-cooled engine is generally cylindrical and has an inner side in which a combustion chamber is defined, and has an outer side provided with a plurality of heat radiation fins for enhancing cooling efficiency to the cylinder. Heat dissipation can be efficiently performed when the cooling air passes through a space between the neighboring fins, thereby efficiently performing cooling to the cylinder.
In order to secure safety for the operator, the cooling fan and the cylinder which is operated at a high temperature are covered with a cover made of a resin. A cover portion covering the cylinder (cylinder cover) is configured to allow the cooling air generated at the cooling fan to flow through the cooling fins for efficient cooling to the cylinder. However, size and shape of the cylinder cover is subjected to restriction so as to install the engine in its entirety to the work tool.
On the other hand, melting may occur in the cylinder cover having a low heat resistivity if an inner surface of the cylinder cover is in contact with the cylinder or fins. Further, the cylinder and the cylinder cover involve dimensional tolerance and positioning tolerance. When a narrow gap between the cylinder and the cylinder cover is contemplated, various problems may occur from the practical perspective such as: the cylinder and the cylinder cover are in continuous contact with each other due to dimensional error; or these may be contacted with each other due to engine vibration; or intensive vibration occurs in the cylinder cover even though contact between the cylinder and the cylinder cover is avoided. Taking the above in mind, a gap between the cylinder and the cylinder cover should be set as narrow as possible yet allowing cooling air to flow through the gap but avoiding such above-described drawbacks.
However, high cooling efficiency may not be attainable in case that cooling air flows through such narrow gap. To overcome this problem, Japanese Patent No. 3726065 discloses an air guide plate provided between the cylinder cover and the cylinder. The air guide plate can efficiently flow cooling air particularly along the cylinder region, thereby providing high cooling efficiency. The air guide plate extends in a direction parallel to the inner surface of the cylinder cover.

Air cooled engine and engine-powered work tool


A single crystal silicon etching method includes providing a single crystal silicon substrate having at least one trench therein. The single crystal silicon substrate is exposed to an anisotropic etchant that undercuts the single crystal silicon. By controlling the length of the etch, single crystal silicon islands or smooth vertical walls in the single crystal silicon may be created.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for undercutting single crystal silicon using wet etchants. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of forming smooth vertical single crystal silicon walls and single crystal silicon islands.
2. State of the Art
Higher performance, lower cost, increased miniaturization of semiconductor components, and greater packaging density of integrated circuits are ongoing goals of the computer industry. One way to reduce the overall cost of a semiconductor component is to reduce the manufacturing cost of that component. Lower manufacturing costs can be achieved through faster production as well as in reduction in the amount of materials used in fabricating the semiconductor component. In recent years, the semiconductor industry has greatly expanded its emphasis in development and production of electro-optical components, such as, for example, charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and, more recently, CMOS imagers. As with other semiconductor components, there is a continued drive toward higher performance parameters and greater yields at ever-lower costs.
Micro-electromechanical systems ("MEMS") is another technology receiving a great deal of attention in many industries, including the electronics industry. MEMS integrate microminiature electrical and mechanical components on the same substrate, for example, a silicon substrate, using microfabrication technologies to form extremely small apparatuses. The electrical components may be fabricated using integrated circuit fabrication ("IC") processes, while the mechanical components may be fabricated using micromachining processes that are compatible with the integrated circuit fabrication processes. This combination of approaches makes it possible, in many instances, to fabricate an entire microminiature system on a chip using conventional manufacturing processes. However, there remain many shortcomings in existing fabrication technologies that limit the types and sizes of MEMS components and assemblies that may be fabricated.
Various conventional chemistries have been used to etch silicon. For example, both single crystal and polycrystalline silicon are typically wet etched in mixtures of nitric acid (HNO3) and hydrofluoric acid (HF). With use of such etchants, the etching is generally isotropic. The reaction is initiated by the HNO3, which forms a layer of silicon dioxide on the silicon, and the HF dissolves the silicon oxide away. In some cases, water is used to dilute the etchant, with acetic acid (CH3COOH) being a preferred buffering agent.
Currently, the industry builds many devices on silicon-on-insulator material. However, limitations exist in fabricating isolated crystal silicon overlying oxide. Further, many reduced area devices, such as FinFETs, use vertical silicon surfaces in transistors. However, traditional dry etch processes create relatively rough surfaces, which is an undesirable characteristic. Thus, it would be desirable to identify a method of creating vertical silicon walls having smooth surfaces and also single crystal silicon islands in or on top of insulator materials.

Methods of shaping vertical single crystal silicon walls and resulting structures


In a system call issue method and a debug system, during execution of a target program, data transfer is performed between an emulator and an OS kernel forming the target program through a memory field in a RAM. It is checked whether there is a system call issue request in the memory field and if there is the system call issue request in the memory field, the emulator issues a system call.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system call issue method and a debug system based on the system call issue method of issuing a system call for a real time Operating System (a real time OS) executed by an emulator when an application program using the real time OS is debugged.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, it is becoming increasingly important for a debug system to have various functions for debugging the application programs accompanied with increasing of the number of systems using the application programs based on a real time Operating system (a real time OS). There is a function for issuing a system call of a real time OS as one of the functions. When an operator as users uses this function, it is possible to have services of real time OS, for example, the functions for changing the priority of a task, for terminating a task, for keeping a task in a wait state, for changing the flag pattern of an event flag, and the like. This causes a reduction in the debugging time period for the application programs using the real time OS.
For example, a debugging operation for a remote control processing is performed by using a key input handler and a remote control processing task. In this case, the key input handler issues a system call and transfers information indicating that any key has been selected and pushed by an operator, to the remote control processing task. When receiving the information as a message, the remote call processing task is executed in different ways according to the content of the received information.
In the debugging operation, there is a case to check whether or not an application program is correctly executed when a specified key is pushed. If an emulator issues no system call, it must be required for the remote control processing task to set the content of a program counter in a microcomputer, the contents of registers, the contents of memories used by a task, and the like.
On the contrary, when the emulator has the function to issue a system call, an operator inputs a command to issue the system call through a front end program executed in a host computer in order to perform the debugging operation described above. In addition, it can be easily realized by writing a script to issue a system call through the front end program that the test of the application programs are executed by pushing keys randomly.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a debug system. In the diagram, the reference number 1 designates a host computer such as a personal computer or a work station in which a program is executed. This program is called as "a front end program" or "a front end" for short that provides debug commands by communicating with a target program 5 during debugging, processes data items transferred from a target board 4, and converts the data items so that users can recognize them and displays them.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional operation flow between the front end 1-1 and the target program 5 when a system call is issued during debugging. As shown in the diagram, the target program 5 comprises an operating system kernel (an OS kernel) 51, a user program 52, a debug task 53, and a communication processing program (not shown) for communicating with the host computer. When a user inputs a system call issue command into the front end 1-1 as the program that is executed by the host computer 1, the front end 1-1 transfers the system call issue command to the target program 5 by using an interrupt such as a serial interrupt.
When the interrupt is issued by the front end 1-1, the communication processing program in the target program 5 receives the data relating the system call issue command and initiates the operation of the debug task 53. The debug task whose operation has been initiated analyzes the data transferred from the front end 1-1. When there is a system call issue request in the data transferred from the front end 1-1, the debug task 53 sets parameters of the system call into registers and controls the operation flow so that the operation flow will jump to the system call process.
As described above, because the conventional system call issue method has the above described configuration and uses the serial interrupt process, it must be required to use a part of a hardware resource for debugging. In addition to this drawback, it must be required to include the communication processing program in a part of the user program in order to communicate between the host computer and the debug task. Furthermore, there is a drawback in which the area in memories ROM and RAM required for a stack region of debug tasks, a data region to control the debug tasks, and a data region to use the communication with the host computer is increased. In order to increase the size of an available memory region in the memories ROM and RAM, it must be required to eliminate the memory regions used for the debug task and the communication processing program to communicate with the host computer.
That is, in the actual fabrication process to fabricate application products after the completion of debugging, when the user program is written into a ROM after the completion of debugging, the debug task is no longer required. Because the debug task and the communication processing program to communicate with the host computer use approximately several tens K bytes, the available memory size in the ROM or the RAM is greatly decreased when they are written into the ROM or the RAM. Accordingly, in order to increase the available memory size in the ROM or the RAM, it is required to eliminate the memory region of the debug task, for example. However, there is a drawback that the operation to eliminate the debug task from the ROM or the RAM requires a long working time period and causes operation error.

System call issue method and debug system

Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductor Software Co., Ltd.


An overheat protection device 10 that can perform the immediate resetting of the power cutoff control state or the power limit control state when the overheat state of the drive circuit (power MOSFET) is eliminated. A semiconductor switching apparatus and an intelligent power module 30 are also provided which use the overheat protection device 10. The overheat protection device 10 monitors the energized state of the drive circuit that drives the load 32; when it detects the overheat state of the drive circuit during the energized state, resets the energized state to limit or stop the driving of the load 32; holds the power limit control state or the power cutoff control state and monitors the overheat state in synchronism with the timing signal 102b having a predetermined cycle; and, when the absence of the overheat state is detected during the monitoring, generates the gate control signal 108a to reset the power limit control state or the power cutoff control state.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor apparatus and more specifically to an overheat protection device and a semiconductor switching apparatus using the overheat protection apparatus, and an intelligent power module.
In more concrete terms, this invention relates to a semiconductor switching apparatus, which has a drive circuit to drive a load according to a load drive instruction entered from an input terminal and to control or cut off a load drive power according to a gate control signal; and an overheat detection circuit that generates an overheat detection signal when it detects an overheat state of the drive circuit.
This invention also relates to an intelligent power module, which includes a power MOSFET as a drive circuit to drive a load according to a load drive instruction entered from an input terminal and to limit a load drive power according to a gate control signal; a temperature detection diode provided near the power MOSFET to detect the overheat state of the power MOSFET; and an overheat detection circuit having a comparator for generating an overheat detection signal upon detecting an overheat state.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 5 is a circuit showing a conventional intelligent power module having an overheat protection function.
The conventional intelligent power switch circuit of this kind, as shown in FIG. 5, includes: a power MOSFET 5 which supplies electricity from a drain (in the figure, a terminal D; a source S is connected to a ground) connected to a battery (not shown) to a radio and car computers on board an automobile according to the load drive instruction entered from the input terminal (in the figure, a terminal G); a temperature detection circuit 1 that generates an overheat detection signal upon detecting the overheat state of the power MOSFET 5; a self-hold circuit 2 that generates a gate control signal to perform a protection control by deenergizing the power MOSFET 5 according to the overheat detection signal; and a gate cutoff circuit 3 that deenergizes the power MOSFET 5 by cutting off the load drive instruction supplied to the gate of the power MOSFET 5 according to a gate control signal.
FIG. 6 is a timing chart showing the operation of the overheat protection device in the intelligent power module of FIG. 5.
In the intelligent power switch circuit with the above configuration, when the temperature detection circuit 1 detects the overheat state of the power MOSFET 5 (i.e., the overheat detection signal in FIG. 6 changes from an OFF state to an ON state) while the power MOSFET 5 is supplying electricity to the load according to the load drive instruction (see Vout.sub.-- 1 or Vout.sub.-- 2 in FIG. 6), the self-hold circuit 2 generates a gate control signal according to the overheat detection signal to cause the gate cutoff circuit 3 to cut off, through an internal resistor 4 according to the gate control signal, the load drive instruction that is supplied to the gate of the power MOSFET 5, thus deenergizing the power MOSFET 5.
In more detail, as shown at Vout.sub.-- 1 of FIG. 6, the conventional intelligent power switch circuit performs the power control (i.e., switching control) to cut off the electricity supplied from the power MOSFET 5 (in the figure, Vout.sub.-- 1) according to the overheat detection signal (i.e., transition from OFF state to ON state).
In such a switching control, the cancel of the cut-off control state of the power Vout.sub.-- 1 is performed by the self-hold circuit 2 being reset when the load drive instruction (IN signal) changes from the OFF state to the ON stage again.
The conventional intelligent power switch circuit, as shown at Vout.sub.-- 2 of FIG. 6, performs a power control (i.e., power limit control) to limit electricity (in the figure, Vout.sub.-- 2) supplied from the power MOSFET 5 by turning it on and off according to the overheat detection signal that is generated (i.e., it changes from the OFF state to the ON state) when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature as a threshold.
Such a power limit control resets the limit control state of the power Vout.sub.-- 2 when the self-hold circuit 2 is reset by the transition of the overheat detection signal from the ON state to the OFF state.
However, such a conventional intelligent power module has the following technical problem. In the switching control, only after the load drive instruction (IN signal) changes its state from OFF state to ON state, is the self-hold circuit 2 reset to cancel the cutoff control state of the power Vout.sub.-- 1. Hence, if the overheat state is eliminated while the load drive instruction (IN signal) is ON, it is difficult to immediately execute the resetting of the cutoff control state.
When the ON state of the load drive instruction (IN signal) is maintained for a long period, in particular, even if the overheat state is eliminated during the ON state, the cutoff control state is maintained, making it difficult to execute the immediate resetting of the cutoff control state.
The power limit control of the conventional intelligent power module is performed by turning on and off the power Vout.sub.-- 2 supplied from the power MOSFET 5, with a predetermined overheat temperature used as a threshold, to limit the power Vout.sub.-- 2 until the self-hold circuit 2 is reset by the elimination of the overheat detection signal (i.e., transition from the ON state to the OFF state). Therefore, a problem arises in which the ON/OFF switching of the power Vout.sub.-- 2 during the time from the occurrence of the overheat detection signal to its resetting (i.e., the time during which the overheat detection signal changes from the OFF state to the ON state to the OFF state) causes thermal stresses in the power MOSFET 5.
This makes it difficult to perform immediate resetting of the power limit control state upon elimination of the overheat detection signal (i.e., transition from the ON state to the OFF state).

Overheat protection device, semiconductor switch apparatus using the same, and intelligent power module


This invention enables the storage of several recyclable materials in a single container by providing a method of dividing ribs and an attachment method that attaches plastic bags to the ribs by the interaction between holes in a fastened flexible strip and projecting knobs located on the dividing ribs. The invention works to hold the bags best when a keyhole, obrounde, oroval hole is used and the strip is slightly stretched to fit over each projecting knob so that when the strip elastically rebounds after stretching it applies a force to the bag material that surrounds the projecting knob.

The American trash based society is changing. Recycling, formerly frowned upon, is becoming both a needed fad and a ordinance enforced necessity. Along with this trend toward recycling, the number of apartment, condominium and small house dwellers is expanding as living styles and affluence change.
The normal way to separate trash or recyclable materials has been to devote a bag or container to each type. As recycling becomes more precise in determining the values of the various components the number of containers needed has multiplied. It is not unusual for glass to be collected in three colors, clear, green and amber; for cans to require another storage space; and for paper; cardboard and several types of plastics to be curbside or recycle center separated. With this diversity of different materials being collected, the storage space requirement has also been multiplied. There is a need for compact storage methods.
The simplest method of collection and storage was to line up a series of garbage cans. This was easy and relatively cheap. It was also so space intensive that many users could not use the method.
The next popular storage method was the use of bins that lined up in a row, typically each in a frame and with a bag to hold the recyclables. This also was only a small saving in space, acting like a series of smaller square garbage cans.
There have been a variety of storage methods to reach the market that attempted to reduce the size and cost of the early bin approach. The most obvious was a series of plastic mini bins, color coded or labeled in some cases, which were stackable. These bins were convenient to use and they could be carried to the curb easily. The disadvantages were that when stacked they could fall, and they still required a lot of space to use effectively. These bins remain bulky and hard to use.
As recycling became more common, there were further refinement including use of compartmented containers. Typically three or four compartments were formed by placing dividers in the cans, or by providing grid which fit so that it would support one or more bags, typically fastened with individual spring clamps that engaged the can top or grid and hold the bag in place. These U shaped grips or clamps were effective but they easily got lost. In a few cases these clamps had ties holding them to the can but the ties also would break. Without the clamps, there was little use for the cover since the bag was not held in place.


Receiving antennas 2a, 2b receive a digital modulated signal from a digital wireless microphone. The digital modulated signal comprises a carrier signal modulated with successively generated digital signal trains. A changeover switch 4 selects one of the antennas 2a, 2b in response to a selection signal. A high-frequency unit 8, a demodulating unit 10 and a decoding unit 12 receive and demodulate the digital modulated signal received by the selected antenna. Analog comparators 24a, 24b compare a reception level indicative signal from the high-frequency unit 8 with threshold values, and a diversity judging unit 28 changes the selection signal in accordance with the comparison result. The digital signal trains comprise a plurality of successive frames, and each frame includes an information data section, a preamble section preceding the information data section for establishing synchronization of the information data section, and a guard bit section succeeding the information data section. Each time the guard bit section is received, the selection signal is changed and the antenna selection is performed.

A diversity receiver is adapted to receive an electromagnetic wave in a good condition transmitted from a signal source which transmits the wave while moving, by reducing effects of dead points. An example of such signal source is a wireless microphone. There are various types of diversity system. An antenna diversity system is expected to be the most cost effective system. This system employs a plurality of receiving antennas and a single receiving unit. The receiving antennas are disposed at different locations in a communication area. One of signals received at the antennas is coupled to the receiving unit through an antenna switching unit. The antenna switching unit is operated in such a manner that the receiving level at the receiving unit can be larger.
If the signal source transmits an analog signal, an instantaneous value detected at an analog receiver receiving such analog signal constitutes part of the demodulation output. However, if the signal source is digitally transmitting, an instantaneous value received by a digital receiver receiving such a digital signal can form only part of digital data forming a digital data train. A digital data train includes plural pieces of digital data, and each digital data piece is a quantized version of each sampling value produced by sampling an audio or video signal at a predetermined sampling frequency. In order to produce a sound or a picture ultimately in a digital receiver, part of digital data detected from time to time must be collected for each sample in an appropriate arrangement. Therefore, it is necessary to synchronize data pieces for respective samples. If synchronization is not established, the demodulated audio output or video output cannot be assured to correspond to the digital data train, but queer sound would appear in the reproduced sound output, or a picture different from the original one would be reproduced.
In a digital wireless receiver employing an antenna diversity system as described above, each time the antenna is switched, it is necessary to establish synchronization for respective samples on the basis of a signal received at a new antenna selected by the switching. In a cellular phone and digital cordless phone, which are digital wireless systems, but employ time-division multiplexing system, the digital wireless receiver needs to synchronize only when it is receiving a receiver channel assigned to it. (According to the time-division multiplexing, a single high-frequency channel is temporally divided, and channels are assigned to various receivers.) Accordingly, the antenna switching can be done when channels for other receivers are being received.
On the other hand, in a unidirectional communication system, which is not a time-division multiplexing system, and in which a set of transmitter and receiver exclusively uses one high-frequency channel, e.g. a system including a wireless microphone and a dedicated receiver therefor, the dedicated receiver receives the one high-frequency channel all the time, and, therefore, each time a different antenna is selected, it must be re-synchronized.
An object of the present invention is to make it possible to smoothly re-synchronize an antenna diversity receiver for use in a unidirectional digital communication.

Digital wireless receiver using antenna diversity method


A method for removing a particulate contaminant material from a particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material is provided. The method includes feeding the particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material into a fluidizing stage containing particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material of mass m, feeding the fluidized particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material through a sifting stage, discontinuing the feed of the particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material into the fluidizing stage after 10 to 100 times of the mass m have been fed into the fluidizing stage, fluidizing and sifting the material present in the fluidizing stage after discontinuing the feed until the mass of the material present in the fluidizing stage becomes 10% to 100% of the mass m, and removing the remaining material from the fluidizing stage.

The present invention relates to a method for removing a particulate contaminant material from a particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material.
The use of synthetic mixed lithium transition metal phosphates, especially lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), as an alternative cathode material in lithium ion batteries is known from the prior art and is subject to numerous research efforts. This was described for the first time in A. K. Padhi, K. S. Nanjundaswamy, J. B. Goodenough, J. Electrochem. Soc. Vol. 144 (1997) and is also disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,382.
A number of synthetic methods for obtaining doped and undoped lithium transition metal phosphates have been described so far.
WO 02/099913 A1 discloses a synthetic method, wherein the water is evaporated from an equimolar aqueous solution of Li30, Fe3+ and PO43− to produce a solids mixture, after which the solids mixture is decomposed at a temperature below 500° C. in order to produce a pure mixed Li/Fe phosphate precursor. Phase pure LiFePO4 powder is then obtained by reacting the precursor at a temperature of below 800° C. in a reducing atmosphere.
Also solid state processes are known from the prior art. Drawbacks include firstly the high material costs of the starting chemicals (e.g. iron oxalate). The consumption of protective gas during the sintering process is also considerable, and toxic by-products, such as CO, are formed during sintering. It has also been discovered that the particle size distribution of the product so obtained is often very wide and bimodal. Further production processes are known, for example, from WO 02/083555, EP 1 094 523 A1, US 2003/0124423 and Franger et al., Journal of Power Sources 119-121 (2003), pp. 252-257.
JP 2002-151082 A describes lithium iron phosphate, processes for producing it and a secondary battery which uses it. The process for producing lithium iron phosphate is characterized in that a lithium compound, a divalent iron compound and a phosphoric acid compound are mixed with one another in such a way that at least the molar ratio of the divalent iron ions and the phosphoric acid ions is approximately 1:1, and the mixture is made to react in a temperature range from at least 100° C. up to at most 200° C. in a tightly closed vessel with the addition of a polar solvent and an inactive gas. The lithium iron phosphate obtained in this way can then be physically comminuted.
Although usable lithium iron phosphate can already be obtained using the processes according to the prior art, said production processes nevertheless have the drawback that it is not possible to obtain pulverulent lithium iron phosphate with a very small particle size and a very narrow particle size distribution.
A process for producing mixed lithium metal phosphates, like for example lithium iron phosphate, avoiding said drawbacks of the prior art and in particular providing a material which is especially suitable for electrodes of rechargeable batteries is described in US 2007/0054187 A1.
The process according to US 2007/0054187 A1 is carried out by producing a precursor mixture containing at least one Li+ source, at least one M2+ source and at least one PO43 source, wherein M comprises at least one metal from the first transition series, in order to form a precipitate and thereby to produce a precursor suspension, dispersing or milling the precursor mixture or suspension until the D90 value of particles in a precipitate of the precursor mixture or suspension is less than 50 μm, and obtaining LiMPO4 from the precursor mixture or suspension by reaction under hydrothermal conditions.
The LiMPO4 products obtained according to US 2007/0054187 A1 have satisfactory properties for using them as electrode materials of rechargeable batteries.
However, when using the LiMPO4 products obtained according to US 2007/0054187 A1 in practice it has been noted that lithium ion cells produced with said LiMPO4 products sometimes suffer from an increased self discharge and failure rate. When analyzing the LiMPO4 products used for said lithium ion cells it was found that they included particulate contaminations, in particular metallic and/or oxidic (oxide) particulate contaminations, like for example Fe and Fe oxides in case of LiFePO4, having an average particle size which is above that of said LiMPO4 products. The amount of said particulate contaminations was in a range of 1 ppm to 10 ppm, based on the LiMPO4 product.
In order to lower or preferably exclude the occurrence of an increased self discharge and failure rate of lithium ion cells produced with said LiMPO4 products, there is a need to provide a simple but effective method for removing said particulate contaminations from said LiMPO4 products.
According to a conventional technique for removing particulate contaminations from particulate material, wherein the particulate contaminations have a larger particle size than that of the particulate material, the contaminated particulate material in a fluidized bed is continuously passed through a sifting device, like for example a cyclone or a sifting wheel. According to this technique, the finer particles of the particulate material are separated from coarse particles of the particulate contaminations, which are rejected into the fluidized bed. In case the contaminated particulate material is milled before it is fluidized/sifted, it is also known that hard-to-mill particulate contaminations like metal particles do not pass the sifter as easily as the main product as they stay bigger and can therefore be more or less accumulated in the fluidized bed.
When the above-discussed conventional technique was applied for removing a particulate contaminant material from a particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material it turned out that the conventional technique was not effective enough in removing a large quantity, preferably essentially all particulate contaminant material from a particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material.

Method for removing a particulate contaminant material from a particulate mixed lithium metal phosphate material


An exemplary wireless communication device includes a circuit board, a metal board, and a display module. The circuit board includes two groups of connecting terminals. The metal board is located on the circuit board and includes two metal bodies. The display module is located on the metal board. One metal body is electronically connected to one group of connecting terminals. The other metal body is electronically connected to the other group of connecting terminals.

1. Technical Field
The disclosure generally relates to wireless communication devices, and particularly to a wireless communication device having a better radiating capability.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless communication devices such as mobile phones often include multiple functions such as a global positioning system (GPS) function, a Bluetooth (BT) function, and a WIRELESS FIDELITY (WI-FI) function. Accordingly, an antenna which can support the GPS function and the BT/WI-FI function is required in the wireless communication device.
However, because of the miniaturization of the wireless communication device, space available for the antenna is limited. Therefore, can be a challenge to design the antenna which can support GPS and BT/WI-FI functions within a smaller space.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.


A right of way vehicle throws out a strobe light having pulses. The strobe light is picked up by the present control apparatus, which analyzes the pulses of the strobe light via an algorithm, and then sets off an alarm or warning device if the strobe light meets the conditions of the algorithm. The control apparatus includes a sensor component, a signal conditioner component, a microcontroller component, and an alarm or warning device component. The components may be housed as a package and located in the interior of a vehicle. The components may be housed separately or in separate packages. The separately housed components or separately housed packages may be located at various locations on or in the vehicle.

A great many intersections in the United States of America and Canada utilize the Opticom Priority Control System, a type of control system that provides intersection right-of-way to authorized vehicles. The system may be related to the technology found in the following U.S. Patents, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties into this application: 1) the Hamer U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,113 issued Dec. 15, 1992 and entitled System And Method For Transmitting Data In An Optical Traffic Preemption System; 2) the Hamer U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,476 issued Feb. 16, 1993 and entitled Optical Traffic Preemption Detector Circuitry; 3) the Hamer U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,476 issued Feb. 16, 1993 and entitled Optical Traffic Preemption Detector Circuitry; 4) the Hamer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,683 issued Apr. 13, 1993 and entitled Optical Traffic Preemption Detector; and 5) the Haagenstad et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,602,739 issued Feb. 11, 1997 and entitled Vehicle Tracking System Incorporating Traffic Signal Preemption. This technology, or particularly the type of signals that are emitted by right-of-way vehicles, where these signals include a set of 14 pulses of light per second, can be put to great advantageous use a) because this technology is already part of a traffic system widely employed, b) because this technology, or set of 14 pulses of light per second, is being emitted freely without cost to a driver of a vehicle, c) because no additional structure or features are added to the traffic infrastructure, such as to traffic lights at intersection, and thus there is no added expense to the traffic infrastructure, and d) because there are no additional expenditures that would be required by the departments of transportation of the many states.
The Henry et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,148 issued Jul. 25, 2000 and entitled Vehicular Emergency Vehicle Alarm Apparatus provides a demodulator connected between the sensor and the alarm for demodulating signals produced by the sensor and for generating an alarm signal only when the incident light is modulated at a frequency to which the demodulator is responsive. The demodulator includes a pulse counter coupled to the sensor for counting pulses produced by the sensor in a fixed length time period and an AND gate receiving the outputs of the pulse counter and the sensor for comparing pulses counted in the fixed length time period to at least one frequency to which the demodulator is responsive and for rejecting frequencies not corresponding to the modulated frequency to which the demodulator is responsive. The Henry et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,148 details the detection of signals with the correct pulse repetition rate (frequency) and an unspecified sequential number of correctly spaced pulses (with what the Henry et al. patent terms a demodulator), using a discrete hardware pulse counter and AND gate. Hardware is electronic circuitry fixed at the time of design and built using physical components. This design once built may not be changed and is fixed at the time of construction. For example, a radio is designed and built as one, and forever will be one; and cannot be turned into a television. Function is fixed by the use of discrete hardware.

Control apparatus, method, and algorithm for turning on warning in response to strobe


A tackle box is mounted onto a fishing rod handle. The tackle box has a hollow cylindrical housing with one open threaded end which holds a compartmentalized drawer. The drawer has attached to it a threaded screw cap which rotates independently of the drawer so that when the drawer is slid into the housing, the threaded open end of the housing receives the threaded screw cap. The tackle box is mounted to a fishing rod using a pair of rod supports which protrude from the top of the cylindrical housing. The rod handle may be secured to the supports by any one of a number of fastening means.

The present invention relates to fishing equipment, and, in particular, to a tackle box which attaches to a fishing rod.
When going on a fishing outing, there is a lot of equipment which the well-prepared fisherman should take. He or she should have, of course, a fishing rod, spare fishing line, knives, and numerous hooks, sinkers, bobbers, lures, etc. Often, a tackle box is used to organize and transport the paraphernalia. A typical tackle box has a tray or two which is subdivided into several compartments into which the fishing paraphernalia is placed. These boxes have a hinged top to which a handle is attached. Carrying the box leaves the fisherman with only one free hand which typically will be used to carry the fishing rod. Since each participant in a fishing outing will ordinarily have his or her own fishing rod and tackle box, other necessary fishing trip items such as snacks and/or liquid refreshments must then be carried awkwardly by the same hand which is carrying the tackle box or the rod, or two trips between the car and the desired fishing location must be made. Thus, there is a need for a tackle box which does not need to be carried by a separate hand.


Dust with various particle diameters entering a bypass passage, particularly, relatively large dust with a particle diameter of 100 to 200 μm or so, is reliably caused to collide with a first step-shaped part, a second step-shaped part and a plate-like member to be sufficiently decelerated and reach a flow rate detecting device with low collision energy. This can prevent the flow rate detecting device from being damaged by collision of dust. Furthermore, the placement position of the plate-like member is optimized to suppress air turbulence at a flow rate detecting part, which achieves a good balance between flow rate detection accuracy and dust tolerance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flow rate measuring apparatus, and particularly relates to a flow rate measuring apparatus for measuring flow rate of intake air of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known flow rate measuring apparatus that is mounted on an intake pipe of an internal combustion engine and measures flow rate of intake air is a flow rate detecting device placed in a bypass passage through which part of intake air is taken in. For the flow rate detecting device, a semiconductor device having a flow rate detecting part formed of a thin film with a thickness of several micrometers is used.
Generally, the intake pipe of the internal combustion engine has an air cleaner placed therein for air purification. However, relatively small dust, for example, with a particle diameter of 100 μm or less cannot be removed by a purifying filter in the air cleaner and gets mixed into intake air. Furthermore, deterioration of the purifying filter, use of the purifying filter in a region with a severe usage condition, use of a substandard filter other than a proper product, or the like may cause relatively large dust with a particle diameter of 100 to 200 μm or so to get mixed into intake air.
When such dust is accelerated by intake air and collides with the flow rate detecting device at high speed, the flow rate detecting part may be damaged depending on the particle diameter or speed of the dust. In view of the above, Patent Documents 1 to 7 present structures as follows of the flow rate measuring apparatus including a semiconductor-type flow rate detecting device in order to prevent the flow rate detecting part from being damaged by incoming dust mixed with intake air.
According to the Patent Documents 1 and 2, a bypass passage through which part of flow rate of intake air is taken in is bent several times, then the flow rate detecting device is placed in the bypass passage downstream of the bends. This structure prevents dust accelerated by the mainstream from directly colliding with the flow rate detecting device. On the other hand, dust entering the bypass passage is decelerated by colliding with the wall surface of the bypass passage several times, which reduces energy of collision with the flow rate detecting device.
According to the Patent Document 3, the wall surface of the bypass passage is formed into roughened surface including continuous bumps and dips with a pitch of 50 μm to 1 mm. This reduces rebound when dust entering the bypass passage collides with the wall surface to decelerate the dust, thereby reducing energy of collision with the flow rate detecting device.
According to the Patent Document 4, bumps and dips in sawtooth pattern are molded on the wall surface of the bypass passage in the range on which the inlet opening plane of the bypass passage is projected. Due to this, dust accelerated by intake air collides straight with the sawtooth wall surface several times to be decelerated, which reduces energy of collision with the flow rate detecting device.
According to the Patent Document 5, a partition plate for branching a stream is formed in the bypass passage curved in a U-shape. This causes fluid to be measured that is introduced in the bypass passage to largely turn around before reaching an inlet of a sub-bypass passage in which the flow rate detecting device is placed, which prevents largely inertial dust from entering the sub-bypass passage.
According to the Patent Document 6, a guide louver for stopping dust rebounding from the wall surface of the bypass passage is placed upstream of the flow rate detecting device to prevent dust from colliding with the flow rate detecting device placed inside the guide louver. This reduces damage of the flow rate detecting device and adherence of contaminant to the flow rate detecting device.
According to the Patent Document 7, a plate-like member having a plate surface parallel to the flow passage direction of the bypass passage is provided directly upstream of the flow rate detecting device. This plate-like member smoothes the fluid to be measured, and also causes dust included in the fluid to be measured to move with the smooth flow, so the dust will no longer have a large momentum in the direction perpendicular to the detection surface of the flow rate detecting device. This reduces damage of the flow rate detecting device and adherence of contaminant to the flow rate detecting device.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4,161,077    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 3,602,762    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 4,553,898    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent No. 4,929,335    Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent No. 3,681,627    Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent No. 3,797,210    Patent Document 7: JP-A-2003-315116
As described above, for the conventional flow rate measuring apparatus, various structures have been proposed in order to prevent the flow rate detecting device from being damaged by dust mixed into air as fluid to be measured. On the other hand, since the trajectory of flying dust varies depending on the particle diameter of the dust, a structure having high tolerance for dust having various particle diameters is needed. Also, a structure that increases dust tolerance while not decreasing the flow rate detection accuracy is needed.
However, in the flow rate measuring apparatus of the Patent Documents 1 and 2, increasing the number of bends in the bypass passage increases pressure loss occurring in the bypass passage, thereby causing drift. This causes turbulence in air moving toward the flow rate detecting device, thereby decreasing the flow rate detection accuracy. Thus, only bending the bypass passage has difficulty in sufficiently reducing collision energy of dust while maintaining the flow rate detection accuracy.
Furthermore, the flow rate measuring apparatus of the Patent Document 3 has a problem that collision energy of relatively large dust with a particle diameter of 100 to 200 μm or so cannot be sufficiently reduced. Also, providing fine bumps and dips on the wall surface of the bypass passage makes it easier for dust of several micrometers to adhere to the wall surface, which causes a problem of increase in characteristic variation due to contamination and a problem of not obtaining an intended effect due to bumps and dips covered with contaminant.
Furthermore, the flow rate measuring apparatus of the Patent Document 4 also has a problem that collision energy of dust with a particle diameter of 100 to 200 μm or so cannot be sufficiently reduced, similarly to that of the Patent Document 3. Also, the sawtooth bumps and dips having an angle less than 90 degrees are likely to cause stagnation of air, which causes a problem of increase in pressure loss and a problem of decrease in the flow rate detection accuracy due to air turbulence. Another problem is that small dust is likely to be deposited on the bumps and dips, and, when the bumps and dips are covered with the dust, an intended effect cannot be obtained.
Furthermore, the flow rate measuring apparatus of the Patent Document 5 includes the flow rate detecting device placed in the deepest part of the U-shaped sub-bypass passage, which has a problem that, when air containing dust is introduced into the sub-bypass passage, the airborne dust flies along the sub-bypass passage and generally perpendicularly collides with the flow rate detecting device.
Furthermore, in the flow rate measuring apparatus of the Patent Document 6, dust entering inside of the guide louver collides with the guide louver and then moves toward the flow rate detecting device, so collision with the flow rate detecting device cannot be avoided. Another problem is that the guide louver mounted near the flow rate detecting device causes air turbulence, thereby significantly reducing the flow rate detection accuracy.
Furthermore, in the flow rate measuring apparatus of the Patent Document 7, the plate-like member is provided directly upstream of the flow rate detecting device, which provides an effect of smoothing the flow velocity vector against drift, but has a problem of increase in pressure loss and significant decrease in the speed of air flow in the bypass passage and a problem of large air turbulence directly downstream of the plate-like member causing decrease in the flow rate detection accuracy.


An interface permitting users (i) to create a group (also referred to as a “source”) containing configuration statements and (ii) to direct the inheritance of that group's statements in the rest of the configuration information (also referred to as a “target”). The same group can be applied to different sections of the configuration information. Different sections of one group's configuration statements can be inherited in different places in the configuration information. Supporting such configuration groups allows users to create smaller, more logically constructed configuration files, thereby making it easier to configure and maintain data forwarding device software. For example, users can group together statements that are repeated in many places in the configuration, such as when configuring interfaces, and thereby limit updates to just the group. Users can also use wildcards in a configuration group to allow configuration information of the configuration group to be inherited by any object(s) in the target configuration that matches a wildcard expression.

§ 1.1 Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns creating and managing configuration information for use in data forwarding devices, such as routers for example. More specifically, the present invention concerns creating a group(s) of configuration information and applying such group(s) of configuration information, according to user instructions, to the set of configuration information used by such a data forwarding device.
§ 1.2 Related Art
The description of art in this section is not, and should not be interpreted to be, an admission that such art is prior art to the present invention. The present invention may be used for creating and managing configuration information used by data forwarding devices.
Data forwarding devices, such as routers and switches, may be interconnected to form networks. The interconnections may be such that each data forwarding device has a plurality of input lines and a plurality of output lines. A basic function of these devices is to forward data received at their input lines to the appropriate output lines. Routers, for example, may determine the appropriate output lines based on a destination addresses contained in the received data and forwarding tables. Switches may be configured so that data received at input lines are provided to appropriate output lines.
Such data forwarding devices may need to be configured appropriately. This may be done by entering configuration commands, through a keyboard or other type of interface, into a data forwarding device. For example, a command line user interface may be provided for configuring the device. Other types of information or commands may also be entered into the device through the keyboard or interface.
As data forwarding devices, such as routers for example, become more complex and perform more functions, the size and complexity of configuration information increases. Much of the configuration information is repeated. Entering and managing such configuration information has become difficult, tedious, and error-prone.
Templates and scripting have been used to help users enter configuration information. More specifically, templates are used to create sections of configuration data with a user-defined set of values. The user may then refine such values by hand. Scripting uses scripts, which are essentially programs, to generate sections of configuration data using user-defined values. Unfortunately, both templates and scripting generate large amounts of configuration data which often must be displayed to, and manipulated by, a local user. Further, although templates and scripts help to create configuration data, they are less useful for changing existing configuration data. Finally, scripting and templates are most useful when the authors of such scripts or templates know, in advance, the configuration information that will be needed and which of such configuration information will be repetitious.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide better techniques to create and manage configuration information.

Applying configuration group information to target configuration information


An implant dart has a head of solid material and a tubular body that contains one or more drug-delivery implant packages. The head has a blade at its front end with a chisel type point with a beveled end and a scooped face extending rearwardly to the body. The body is formed as a helical coil that makes the body tubular and permits the coil turns to be compressed and engage to make the body relatively rigid when the dart is injected into the subject. A passage from the head to the interior of the body provides fluid communication between the subject's body fluids and the implant packages. Wings extend from the head to guide entry of the dart into the subject and to lock it against withdrawal. The complete system comprises at least one dart and an injection mechanism which retains a subject's body part on a platen and feeds darts into the body part and generally parallel to the platen.

Animals, particularly animals in the wild, have long been injected with tranquilizers and other drugs through the use of hypodermic darts propelled by means of a rifle or similar device. Such darts are constructed to lodge into the skin of the animal and to release their drug charge upon impact. The dart needs to be removed from the animal shortly after use, in order to avoid infection or other injury to the animal.
On the other hand, the need often exists to provide drug treatment to an animal over extended periods of time. Moreover, the drug may be of a type, such as a somatotropin, which would be broken down by the animal's digestive system if administered with its food supply. U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,325 granted to Kuzma et al. on Nov. 30, 1993 suggests that drugs which need to be administered over an extended period of time be provided in a sustained release drug-delivery implant which is injected subcutaneously into the living tissues of the subject. In accordance with Kuzma et al., the implant is introduced into the subject through a cannula of a large hypodermic needle/syringe-like instrument, which is removed from the subject's body immediately after injecting the implant. However, this method of introducing drugs is unsatisfactory for treating large groups of animals. For example, when treating cattle or pigs in the field, it would not be convenient to sterilize the hypodermic needle or to use a new needle for each animal. The danger therefore exists that a needle contaminated by one animal could infect an entire group.
Another shortcoming of utilizing implants is that they tend to shift in position. It therefore becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to detect whether a subject has or has not received an implant. Kuzma et al. suggests using a radioactive material within the implant to permit detection. However, in the field, this is not a satisfactory solution.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for introducing sustained release implants into animals, which system avoids the shortcomings of known systems of this type. It is specifically contemplated that the system be capable of introducing implants to a large group of animals without the risk of spreading infection or disease among them.
It is another object of the invention that drug containing implants introduced into an animal be capable of remaining within the animal for extended periods of time, while their presence or the fact of their having been introduced is readily detectable, despite the depletion of the drug, and without the use of complex instruments.
It is yet another object of the present invention to inject implants containing one or more drugs into a subject animal without the need to invasively penetrate the bodies of multiple animals with a common instrument.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a system and apparatus for introducing drug containing implants into the body of a subject, which system and apparatus are simple, convenient, and reliable in use, yet relatively inexpensive in construction.
In accordance with the present invention a dart containing drug-delivery implants is provided, which can be introduced and implanted readily in the subject's body at a given site, for example, subcutaneously in a pig's ear, without the use of an instrument which invades the subject's body.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dart is of plastic material having a hollow cylindrical body and a solid head, generally of a cylindrical shape. The face of the dart head has a scoop shape and the exposed edge surface of the face has a fillet radius that starts at the top edge of the dart body and tapers downwardly and forward from the hollow body. This forms a relatively long narrow blade at the lower part of the head, the leading edge of which is formed with a sharp chisel point, to provide for penetration entry of the dart into the subject's body.
Flexible stabilizing wings are provided on either side of the dart head. The stabilizing wings sweep outwardly and backward toward the hollow cylindrical body and serve as a lock or barb to prevent the dart from being pulled out of the subject once it has entered the subject's body part.
The dart's hollow body is preferably a coil of material formed with a number of turns into a helix. This gives the body a degree of flexibility to permit the dart's body shape to change as it conforms to the darted site of the subject's body. The coil also makes the dart body compressible in a lengthwise direction, to provide rigidity as the dart is inserted under pressure into the subject. One or more implants, which may contain the same or different substances, are located within the hollow body. There is a passage through the dart head into the body to provide fluid communication between the subject's body fluids and the implant. An end cap is frictionally fitted into an opening at the rear of the body. The presence of the dart injected into the subject may be determined visually or by palpation of the subject's darted body part (e.g. the ear).
It is a feature of the invention that a dart which is pervious to body fluids is provided which carries implants containing one or more substances and that the dart is itself implanted directly into a subject, such as a pig.
A further feature of the invention is that a dart for carrying one or more implants is pervious to body fluids and includes a head with a blade having a sharp tip for penetrating the subject's body. The dart body contains one or more implants with substances to be released into the subject, so that the dart is readily injected into the subject and carries the implants with it.
It is yet another feature of the invention that a dart for carrying one or more implants into a subject is pervious to body fluids and has a body which is firm and rigid while being inserted into the subject, yet may expand in its lengthwise direction, to become flexible after insertion into the subject.
It is a further feature of the invention that the presence within a subject's body part of an injected dart containing drug-delivery implants may readily be determined visually or by palpation of the subject's body part.


A graphics system is disclosed within which video graphics images are calculated via a computer and output for storage via a buffer whereby the image can be compressed/expanded for storage in compressed form in a dedicated semiconductor memory. The system also permits storage of compressed images on hard disk by directly connecting the compressed image store to a system bus. The compressed image store can be duplicated and further compression/expansion units added to broaden system versatility. Alternatively, a single compression/expansion unit can be used.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to computer graphics, and in particular, discloses apparatus that alleviates the need for large image stores.
2. Description of the related arts
High resolution full color graphics images require a massive amount of data. For an image the size of an A3 page, having a resolution of 400 dots per inch (dpi), approximately 96 MBytes are required. Such a memory size creates two problems. The first problem is the cost and time involved in the storage and transmission of 96 MBytes of data per image, and the second problem is the cost of 96 MBytes of semiconductor memory required for an image store that is necessary for generating and manipulating graphics images.
Some aspects of the prior art will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B, and 2A and 2B.
FIG. 1A shows schematically a computer based graphics system 10 which has graphics commands arranged within a page display list (PDL) 1. The commands of the PDL 1 are high level commands that describe certain images to be created by the user such as DRAW CIRCLE or WRITE TEXT for example, the type of commands and language representation not being important for this illustration. When the graphics image is to be formed, the commands in the PDL 1 are interpreted 4 and the image is created sequentially on a pixel-by-pixel basis and stored in a full page memory 2. Once the entire image is stored in the memory 2 it can be printed by outputting 5 the stored data to a printer 3.
The formation of pixel image data from object based data is known in the art as rendering. As such, rendering opaque images involves writing pixel image data into memory. However, when images are transparent, it is necessary to composite. Compositing involves the combining of pixel images, generally by controlling the proportion of two or more source images in a destination or composited image. Accordingly, rendering transparent images involves compositing newly rendered objects with existing pixel image data.
The realization of FIG. 1B shows a full color graphics system 10 having an image store 6 having a capacity of 96 MBytes capable of storing a full color image for an A3 page. The image store 6 includes 1 byte of semiconductor memory for each of red, green, and blue (RGB) components for every pixel of the image. As seen in FIG. 1B, the size of an A3 page is 4,632.times.6,480 pixels for an image density of 400 dpi. The image store 6 is connected via a 24 bit RGB bus 8 to a system bus 7 which links the store 6 with a computer 11, a hard disk data storage unit 12 and a data transmission unit 13 for interconnection with other devices. The computer 11 performs calculations necessary to form the graphics image under the interpretation step 4 of FIG. 1A. The image store 6 is also connected to a converter 14 which converts RGB data into MCYK (magenta, cyan, yellow and black) data ready for reproduction preferably on a color laser printer 15 such as that included in the CANON (Registered Trade Mark) Color Laser Copier available from Canon KK of Japan. Reproduction on a video display (not shown illustrated) can also be readily achieved in a known manner.
The general arrangement of FIGS. 1A and 1B is currently cost effective for full color images of up to approximately 2 million pixels (6 MBytes). Pixel mapped image stores are also cost effective for binary images up to 32 million pixels, where only one bit per pixel is required, giving a total of 4 MBytes. However, for large color images, the memory requirement becomes excessive as seen in the 96 MBytes shown in FIG. 1. While this provides no particular technical problems, it is very expensive. The image store 6 is generally manufactured from semiconductor memories, generally being dynamic random access memory (DRAM) which costs approximately 0.5 millicents per bit (as of the date of this application). This represents almost $4,000 of direct component costs for the store 6 within the graphics system 10. In many systems, an image store of this size represents the single largest cost element.
Furthermore, the prior art system of FIG. 1B requires 96 MBytes of data storage for each image within the data storage unit 12, which is generally a hard disk drive. Also, 96 MBytes of information must be transferred from the storage device 12 to the image store 6 for each image to be printed on the printer 15. Also, the computer 11 must calculate 32 million pixels, each with 24 bits of information, in order to generate a single A3 image. The calculation of such images is inherently slow.
Suitable technology is currently available to alleviate the problem of massive file storage requirements for images. This technology is known as image compression, and in particular, Adaptive Discrete Cosine Transform (ADCT) compression. This technology can achieve compression ratios of 25:1 with negligible image quality loss on photographic images. Those skilled in the art will note that there is substantial quality loss with small point sized text. The use of ADCT compression reduces the data storage and transmission requirements from 96 MBytes for a 400 dpi A3 image to approximately 4 MBytes. The most suitable system currently available is for ADCT processing that was devised by the CCITT/ISO Joint Photographic Expert's Group (JPEG) based on Discrete Cosine Transform and Huffman encoding processes and published in ISO/IEO JTC1/SC2/WG8 JPEG Technical Specification Rev 5 Jan. 16, 1990. An ADCT processor system has been implemented in silicon by C-Cube Microsystems as the CL550B device.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a graphics system 20, similar to that of FIG. 1, that uses ADCT compression for storage of images.
In FIG. 2A, a PDL 21 is provided in a manner similar to that of FIG. 1A. However, rather than directly calculating the image, the entire PDL 21 is compiled 24 to provide a display list 22 of low level commands. The image is realized by rendering 25. The display list 22 in bands into a strip buffer 23 whereby the image data stored in the strip buffer 23 represents a strip or band of the total image. As each strip is calculated (rendered) it can be printed directly by a printer 15 or compressed by a compressor 27 for storage in a (compressed) image memory 29. Data from the memory 29 can be expanded by an expander 28 for printing.
The graphics system 20 of FIG. 2B utilizes an ADCT processor 30 including compression and expansion functions connected to a compressed image store 31 having a capacity of 4 MBytes. A virtual image store 33 formed of a hard disk drive acts as a permanent store of a full image (96 MBytes).
The system 20 also includes a strip buffer 23 which is used to store a band of the image as it is calculated by the computer 11. The size of the strip buffer 23 is a compromise between cost and speed. A larger strip buffer is more expensive, but reduces the number of bands which must be calculated and therefore the time taken to calculate the image using conventional 2D object graphics techniques.
In operation, sections or bands of the image are calculated by the computer 11 and written into the strip buffer 23. This is achieved using object based display lists generally retained in the data storage 12 which are traversed for each band to be calculated. Such an operation is supported by many graphics systems, for example, in the Postscript language it can be achieved using the BANDDEVICE function.
When the strip buffer 23 is full, the calculated data is written into the virtual image store 33 or directly into the compressed image store 31 via the ADCT processor 30. This is repeated until the entire image is calculated. If the strip buffer 23 has a capacity of 1 MByte, and the image to be calculated comprises 96 MBytes, then 96 bands are required to be calculated.
Once the entire image has been calculated, if written onto the disk virtual image store 33, it is read from the store 33 and compressed by the ADCT processor 30 and written into the compressed image store 31.
When it is required to print any image, it is required to transfer the data from the virtual image store 33 to the compressed image store 31. The compressed image data is then read from the store 31 and decompressed by the ADCT processor 30. This is then output from the processor 30 to the converter 14 for printing by the printer engine 15. The CL550B ADCT processor device includes parallel MCYK outputs, and in some circumstances it is possible to omit the RGB to MCYK conversion and replace it with a simple data multiplexer.
In the system of FIG. 2B, the ADCT processor 30 is required because, when the entire image is stored in the virtual image store 33, which is a hard disk drive, it cannot be read rapidly enough to drive currently available color laser printers, such as the Canon CLC500. Such printers require 4 passes of color data (magenta, cyan, yellow and black) each of approximately 32 MBytes, at a data rate of 13.35 MBytes per second. If the data were to be stored on the disk in RGB format as indicated in FIG. 2B, then the data would have to be read from the disk four times at a rate of 40.05 MBytes per second (RGB at 13.35 MBytes per second each) and converted into MCYK. This needs to be done for every copy of every page to be printed. Such a data rate cannot be achieved using currently available cost effective hard disk drives. This problem is overcome using a complete image buffer, which in this case, is achieved using a compressed image store of 4 MBytes.
The graphics system 20 of FIG. 2 has serious limitations in image calculation speed. The image generation time cannot be less than the time taken to transfer the entire image into and out the virtual image store 33. Most currently available cost effective disk drives are limited to continuous transfer rates of less than 1 MByte per second. For 96 MBytes to be transferred into and out of an appropriately configured disk drive, a theoretical minimum time of 3.2 minutes is required. In practice, the time required to perform this function is much greater.
Another significant speed problem is the extra time taken to traverse the display list for each band (96 times in this case), rather than simply to draw each object. Also, page complexity is limited by the amount of display list memory (RAM within the computer 11).
As well as the above problems, the system of FIG. 2 does not remove the necessity to calculate every pixel of the image. For example, if 100 pixels can be calculated every millisecond, the time required to calculate 32 million pixels is at least 320 seconds. With other associated overheads, the time required to calculate a full color A3 page is generally more than 10 minutes.

Compressed image stores for high resolution computer graphics

Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty. Ltd.


A sheet storing device having a conveyance device that converts the conveyance direction while holding the sheet and a storing section that has the first support member supporting the surface of the sheet substantially vertically, the second support member supporting the edge of the sheet and a pressing member pressing the sheet against the first support member, a post-processing apparatus equipped with the sheet storing device and an image forming system equipped with the aforesaid items.

The present invention relates to a sheet storing device that stores a large number of sheets, a post-processing apparatus equipped with the sheet storing device and an image forming system equipped therewith, and in particular, to a sheet storing device that stores folded sheets.
A folded sheet takes a condition that plural sheets are superposed by folding operations to bulk up by swelling and to tend to take an irregular shape.
Conventionally, in the post-processing apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus, sheets folded and ejected have been stored in a box-shaped storing device under the irregular condition.
Therefore, there have been problems including that a capacity of the storing device runs short, that the ejected sheets scatter and that the management of the stored sheets is troublesome.
In Patent Document 1, there is disclosed a sheet storing device that aligns folded sheets to store them.
In the sheet storing device disclosed by Patent Document 1, sheets fed into the sheet storing device continuously are stopped temporarily by a stopping roller to avoid a lift of the sheet, and then the sheet is conveyed to a sheet storing section.
Patent Document 1 discloses two types of sheet storing devices, and in the first one of them, a succeeding sheet is inserted to be under a preceding sheet, whereby, a sheet is inserted into the bottom of sheets in the sheet storing section, thus, the sheets are stacked vertically in the lying situation in the sheet storing section. In the second one of them, a succeeding sheet is supplied onto the upper side of a preceding sheet, and sheets are stacked to be inclined at the storing section.
It is desired that the sheet storing device that stores folded sheets is capable of storing sheets aligned well. The Patent Document 1 satisfies this condition to some extent but does not have enough yet.
According to the aforementioned first type of the Patent document 1, sheets are piled up to be stored and an irregular storing condition occurs easily without any means to maintain the stacking condition. Further they may collapse when the storing amount increases.
As the storing amount increases, the pressure on the bottom portion of the stored sheets is enhanced to make it difficult to insert a sheet into the bottom portion, which brings a limit of storing amount.
According to the aforementioned second type of the Patent document 1, the storing condition tends to be irregular easily and there is a problem that the management of the stored sheets is not easy.
[Patent Document 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-35211

Sheet storing device, post-processing apparatus equipped with the device and image forming system equipped with the apparatus

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


An antenna includes a first main conductor, a second main conductor, a first facing conductor, and a second facing conductor. The first main conductor includes a first end part and a second end part which is located on one side of a first direction relative to the first end part. The second main conductor includes a third end part adjacent to the first end part and a fourth end part which is located on the other side of the first direction relative to the third end part. The first facing conductor faces the first main conductor in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The second facing conductor faces the second main conductor in the second direction. A pair of the facing conductors include portions outside a pair of the main conductors in the first direction.

As an antenna for transmitting/receiving radio waves, there are known a dipole antenna and antennas similar to the dipole antenna (for example Patent Literature 1 and 2). The dipole antenna has a pair of antenna conductors extending from positions adjacent to each other toward inverse directions to each other.
The antenna in Patent Literature 1 has first and second conductive elements extending from end parts which are adjacent to each other toward reverse directions to each other and third and fourth conductive elements facing them. The first and second conductive elements and the third and fourth conductive elements are respectively connected to each other at the end parts on the outer sides of them (end parts which are most distant from each other). That is, Patent Literature 1 discloses an antenna similar to a so-called "folded dipole antenna".
The antenna in Patent Literature 2 has a disk-shaped pair of conductors arranged in a surface direction (diameter direction) and disk-shaped pair of conductors facing the former pair of conductors. The conductors facing each other are connected to each other by a plurality of conductors arranged along the circumference.


An air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle includes an air conditioning case for forming an air passage through which air is blown into a passenger compartment. In the air conditioning apparatus, during a cooling mode for cooling a passenger compartment, an inside/outside air introduction mode is switched from an inside/outside air-mixing mode where both inside air and outside air are introduced into the air conditioning case to an entire outside air mode where only outside air is introduced into the air conditioning case, when an engine of the vehicle is stopped and the cooling load is smaller than a predetermined cooling load. Therefore, air-suction noise from an inside air introduction port is not caused, and the air-suction noise is not noted by a passenger in the passenger compartment even when the engine is stopped. Thus, noise of the air conditioning apparatus in the passenger compartment can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, more particularly, relates to an inside/outside air switching unit for the air conditioning apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional air conditioning apparatus, an inside/outside air introduction mode is manually switched by a passenger in a passenger compartment between an entire inside air mode (i.e., inside air circulation mode) and an entire outside air mode (i.e., outside air introduction mode), or is automatically switched according to a cooling load of the passenger compartment. In the automatic control of the inside/outside air introduction mode, the entire inside air mode is automatically selected to improve cooling capacity when the cooling load of the passenger compartment is larger than a predetermined value, and the entire outside air mode is automatically selected to ventilate the passenger compartment when the cooling load of the passenger compartment is smaller than a predetermined value. Further, the cooling load is determined by a target air temperature (TAO) of the passenger compartment. Therefore, the entire outside air mode or the entire inside air mode is automatically selected according to the TAO.
In the recent years, noise from an engine of the vehicle is greatly reduced. Therefore, noise from an air conditioning apparatus is noted by a passenger in a passenger compartment. The noise caused from the engine becomes lower, when a rotation speed of the engine is low (e.g., engine idling), or when the engine is stopped to reduce an exhaust gas even when a passenger is in the passenger compartment. Thus, in this case, air-suction noise of the air conditioning apparatus, which is caused when inside air is sucked from an inside air introduction port in the passenger compartment, is more noted by the passenger in the passenger compartment.