The non-polar or semi-polar group III nitride layer disclosed in a specific example of the present invention can be used for substrates for various electronic devices, wherein problems of conventional polar group III nitride substrates are mitigated or solved by using the nitride substrate of the invention, and further the nitride substrate can be manufactured by a chemical lift-off process.

Widely spotlighted as a semiconductor light emitting device, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are applied to backlight light sources, display light sources, general light sources, full-color displays, etc., by virtue of properties of compound semiconductors. Typical LED materials are known to be Group III-V nitride semiconductors such as GaN (Gallium Nitride), AlN (Aluminum Nitride), InN (Indium Nitride), etc., and have direct transition type large energy band gaps and thus possess properties adapted for photoelectronic devices, including an ability to obtain almost the entire wavelength of light depending on the composition of nitride. Light emitting devices using such materials are applied in a variety of fields including flat panel displays, optical communication, etc.
Such devices are manufactured in the form of a thin film on a substrate using a growth process such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), MOCVD (MetalOrganic Chemical Vapor Deposition), HVPE (Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy), etc.
However, semiconductors based on Group III nitrides typically exemplified by GaN are configured such that a device structure is manufactured on a (0001) plane using a c-plane substrate (e.g. a sapphire substrate). In this case, spontaneous polarization is formed in the growth orientation (0001). Particularly in the case of LED having a quantum well structure of InGaN/GaN, when a structure is grown on the (0001) plane, internal strain is caused by lattice mismatch in the quantum well structure, and thus a quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE) is created due to piezoelectric fields. Hence, limitations are imposed on increasing internal quantum efficiency.
Specifically, Group III nitrides, especially GaN and its alloys (e.g. alloys with InN and/or AlN), are the most stable in a hexagonal wurtzite structure, wherein the crystal structure is configured such that crystals are rotated at 120° with respect to each other, and is represented by two or three equivalent basal plane axes perpendicular to the c-axis.
Any plane perpendicular to the c-axis contains only one type of atom due to the positions of the Group III element and the nitrogen atom in the wurtzite crystal structure. Respective planes may contain one type of atom (Group III element or nitrogen) toward the c-axis. As such, in order to maintain the neutral charge, for example, GaN crystals are configured such that an N-face containing only nitrogen atoms and a Ga-face containing only Ga atoms are positioned at the ends thereof. Consequently, Group III nitride crystals show polarity along the c-axis. Such spontaneous polarization is a bulk property and depends on the structure and composition of crystals. Because of the above properties, most of GaN-based devices are mainly grown in a direction parallel to the polar c-axis. Furthermore, when a heterojunction structure is formed, stress is generated due to a large difference in lattice constant between the Group III nitrides and the same c-axis orientation, and thus piezoelectric polarization is also caused.
In the c-plane quantum well structure in the Group III nitride-based photoelectronic and electronic devices, an electrostatic field caused by piezoelectric polarization and spontaneous polarization may change the energy band structure of the quantum well structure and thus electron-hole distribution may become distorted. The spatial separation of electrons and holes due to such an electric field refers to a quantum-confined Stark effect, which decreases internal quantum efficiency and causes red shift of the light emission spectrum.
To solve the above problems, for example, methods of growing a non-polar or semi-polar Group III nitride are being proposed. The resulting non-polar or semi-polar plane contains the same number of Group III atoms and nitrogen atoms and shows the neutral charge, and no crystals polarize in the growth orientation. However, non-polar Group III nitride crystals growing on the heterogeneous substrate show high defect density, undesirably lowering quantum efficiency.
Meanwhile, in order to achieve homoepitaxial properties, many attempts are being made to manufacture Group III nitride substrates, wherein a thick Group III nitride layer is grown on a heterogeneous substrate such as a sapphire substrate, and the grown Group III nitride layer is then separated from the heterogeneous substrate using a laser lift off (LLO) process and thus used as a substrate.
The reason why the LLO process is used is that a typical nitride layer grown in the c-axis orientation shows Ga-polarity at the surface thereof, making it difficult to actually perform wet etching. However, because the LLO process incurs high costs and is complicated, the use of a chemical lift off process is more preferable.
Furthermore, even when a Group III nitride layer for a non-polar or semi-polar substrate is formed, it is not easy to separate it using a chemical lift off process. This is because the Group III nitride layer useful as a substrate may be damaged in a chemical etching process. Moreover, this problem may be further exacerbated in the course of separating a substrate having a diameter of at least 2 inches adapted for commercialization.
Thus, there is a need for techniques for manufacturing a non-polar or semi-polar Group III nitride substrate, especially a semi-polar Group III nitride substrate, which may solve problems due to polarity with the use of a chemical lift off process.

Method for manufacturing a group III nitride substrate using a chemical lift-off process


A container covering apparatus provides a structural work surface and has an opening to access operational components of a container. The container cover also provides attachment elements to attach the cover to a container or a receptacle holding the container. The container cover further includes an accessory support element. An embodiment designed to cover a beverage container within a receptacle, wherein the surface is used in serving beverages, the opening allows for access to a beverage dispensing mechanism, and the accessory support holds empty cups for serving the beverage.

Devices such as a variety of pumps have been attached to containers to dispense liquids from the containers. For example, a pump may be attached to the top of a beverage container in order to dispense the beverage into smaller containers for consumption. Often a beverage container may be placed into a larger receptacle that can be used to cool the beverage container and/or for aesthetic purposes. For example, a beverage container known as a keg may be placed in a larger receptacle, such as a trash can, and surrounded by ice to keep the keg and its liquid contents cold.
Some people have covered such a container located in a larger receptacle by cutting a hole in the standard cover for the receptacle to accommodate a pump and placing the cover over both the beverage container and the receptacle. However, such covers have drawbacks often associated with the original design as a complete cover to the receptacle without a hole. For example, such covers do not provide a surface to efficiently serve beverages from the beverage container. For another example, such covers may be too structurally weak to support common items associated with serving beverages, such as serving containers filled with the beverage, and the standard cover may be further weakened by the hole cut into the cover.


An electrical connector includes a base, solder balls, terminals and locking members. The base is formed with terminal slots and solder ball slots. The terminal slots respectively communicate with the solder ball slots via channels. The solder balls are respectively disposed in the solder ball slots. Each solder ball has a bottom protruding beyond a bottom of the base. Each ball contacts a bottom surface of the solder ball slot disposed between the terminal slot and the solder ball. The terminals are respectively disposed in the terminal slots and electrically connected to the solder balls. The terminals have contacts extending in a direction toward tops of the terminal slots. The locking members are separated from the terminals and respectively inserted into the solder ball slots. Each locking member locks up at one side of the solder ball to prevent the solder ball from escaping out of the solder ball slot.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an electrical connector, and more particular to an electrical connector with a solder ball locking structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional electrical connector includes a base 10 and a plurality of terminals 15. The base 10 has a plurality of terminal slots 11. The terminals 15 are disposed in the terminal slots 11, respectively. Each terminal 15 has one end formed with a contact 16 and the other end formed with a horizontal connecting piece 17. The middle of the connecting piece 17 is concave and formed with a cup to which a solder ball 19 is bonded.
The above-mentioned structure has the following drawbacks.
First, a flux is applied to the connecting pieces 17, and then the solder balls 19 are respectively disposed on the connecting pieces 17 through a jig in an aligned manner. Thus, the manufacturing processes are too complicated.
Second, the bottom of the solder ball 19 is bonded to the horizontal connecting piece 17. Because the bonding point is located at the bottom, no circumferential wall for positioning the solder ball should be formed on the base 10 around the solder ball 19 because the circumferential wall isolates heat and is disadvantageous to the hot bonding process. Thus, only the cup can be formed at the middle of the connecting piece 17 such that the solder ball can be placed in the cup. However, the method of positioning the solder ball is not stable enough. In particular, when the solder ball connection points of the connector are getting denser and denser, the solder balls and the cups of the connecting pieces are getting smaller and smaller, and the poor positioning effect of the solder balls on the connecting pieces 17 is getting more and more obvious.
Third, no block portion is disposed around each solder ball, so the short-circuited phenomenon between two adjacent solder balls occurs when the gap between the solder balls is quite small.

Electrical connector with a solder ball locking structure


A method and system tracks, analyzes or sorts behaviors of user or players across a network to draw correlations from, or characterizations of, those user or players and identifies similarly characterized or mutually complementary user or players. For example, the method automatically obtains player data regarding interactions by each of multiple players with a multiplayer electronic game via each player's corresponding data processing device connected via the network. The method can then sort, classify or suggest additional activities, games, groups, or other different activities or actions for the players.

Many types of games or group-based challenges exist, such as board games, card games, domino/tile games, pen and pencil games, guessing games, dexterity/coordination games, business games, sports, and so forth. Games are inherently social, and many players like to play games for the challenge of the game. However, many players also enjoy the social aspect of gaming, and the ability to meet up to interact with other players. One type of game is a role-playing game (RPG), which is a broad family of games where players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. For example, a player may assume the role of a mage in a fantasy-themed role-playing game and partake in various game interactions such as befriending other characters, battling monsters, completing quests, building and/or trading items, and so on. Actions taken within the game succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines. The original forms, sometimes called pen-and-paper RPGs, are conducted through speech, whereas in live action role-playing games (LARPs), players physically perform their characters' actions. In both forms, a director (game master (GM)) usually decides on rules and settings to be used and acts as referee, while other players play the role of one or more characters in the game.
Computer-assisted gaming has been used to add elements of computer gaming to in-person and pen and paper role-playing. In these games, computers are used for record-keeping and sometimes to resolve combat, while the participants generally make decisions concerning character interaction. Several varieties of RPG also exist in primarily electronic media, including multi-player text-based multi-user dungeons (MUDs) and their graphics-based successors, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Role-playing games also include single-player offline role-playing video games in which players control a character or team who perform game interactions (e.g., competing in battle, conversing with other players or characters, partaking in quests, trading with merchants, etc.), and whose capabilities advance using statistical mechanics. These games often share settings and rules with pen-and-paper RPGs, but generally emphasize character interaction and/or advancement more than collaborative storytelling.
MMORPGs, such as Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft, Sony Online Entertainment's EverQuest, or Jagex Games Studio's RuneScape, combine the large-scale social interaction and persistent world of MUDs with graphical interfaces. A persistent world is a virtual world that generally continues to exist even after a user exits the world. User-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent. Servers, data structures, algorithms, etc. associated with the persistent world generally remain available and operational for the user, or other users from around the world, to join and interact with the persistent world and with other players at any time of day or night. For example, if a character purchases an item from a merchant or some way adds an item to the character's inventory in a persistent virtual world, one or more data structures associated with the persistent virtual world may be created or modified to reflect the addition. Most MMORPGs do not actively promote in-character role-playing; however, players can use the games' communication functions to role-play, which they may do to varying extents.
More generally, a massively multiplayer online game (also called MMOG or MMO) is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or hundreds of thousands of players simultaneously, and need not be of the RPG type, but can be applied to any competitive or cooperative endeavor. An MMOG is generally played on a computer network such as the Internet, and features at least one persistent virtual world. In some cases, multiple instances of a persistent virtual world may be maintained for the MMOG. Each instance may be governed by a different set of rules or conventions, may be available to different regions of the world. Some MMOGs are designed as a multiplayer browser game to reduce infrastructure costs and use a thin client. They are, however, not necessarily games played on personal computers. Most of the newer game consoles, including the PSP and PlayStation 3 by Sony, Xbox 360 by Microsoft, and DSi and Wii by Nintendo can access the Internet and may therefore run MMO games. Additionally, mobile devices and smartphones based on such operating systems as Windows Mobile, Apple's iOS, and Google's Android, as well as the Apple iPhone and iPad, are seeing an increase in the number of MMO games available.
Multiplayer games and networked activities, such as MMOGs and MMORPGs, enable players to cooperate and compete with each other on both a small and large scale, and sometimes to interact meaningfully with people around the world. They include a variety of game-play types, representing many video game genres. Examples of game-play types include, but are not limited to:                Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter (MMOFPS) is a subset of popular first-person shooter-type games where a player views an environment or virtual world through the eyes of a character. MMOFPS is an online gaming genre which typically features a world (e.g., persistent world) and a large number of simultaneous players in a first-person shooter fashion. These games provide large-scale, sometimes team-based combat. The addition of persistence in the game world means that these games add elements typically found in RPGs, such as experience points. However, MMOFPS games generally emphasize player skill more than player statistics, as no number of in-game bonuses will compensate for a player's inability to aim and think tactically.        Massively Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy Games (MMORTS) often combine real-time strategy (RTS) with a persistent world though in some cases worlds are "instanced" for the duration of a game, a match, a tournament, or other specified time period. Players may assume the role of a general, king, or other figurehead leading an army into battle while maintaining the resources needed for such warfare. The titles are often based in a science fiction or fantasy universe and are distinguished from single or small-scale multiplayer RTSes by the number of players and, in some cases, common use of a persistent world. The world is generally hosted by the game's publisher and, in the case of persistent worlds or an "instanced" world of longer duration, continues to evolve even when the player is offline.        Massively Multiplayer Online Sports Games allow players to compete in more traditional sports, such as soccer, basketball, baseball, hockey, golf or football.        Massively Multiplayer Online Racing (MMOR) is a large, online racing game, although some games may include elements of combat.        Massively multiplayer online rhythm games (MMORGs), or massively multiplayer online dance games (MMODGs), are MMOGs that are also music video games, for example those which were influenced by Dance Dance Revolution by Konami.        Massively multiplayer online management games (MMOMGs) are often considered easy to play and don't take much time; a player logs in a few times each week, sets orders for an in-game team and finds how to defeat fellow players. Other management games, such as The Sims Online by Electronic Arts and Monopoly City Streets by Tribal DDB, require taking control of people.        Massively Multiplayer Online Social Games focus on socialization instead of objective-based game-play. There is a great deal of overlap in terminology with "online communities" and "virtual worlds". One example is Linden Labs' Second Life, which emphasizes socializing, world-building, and an in-world virtual economy that depends on the sale and purchase of user-created content. Instead of being based around combat, it is based around creating or acquiring virtual objects, including models and scripts.        Some MMOGs have been designed to accurately simulate certain aspects of the real world. They tend to be very specific to industries or activities of very large risk and huge potential loss, such as rocket science, airplanes, trucks, battle tanks, submarines etc. The MMOG genre of air traffic simulation is one example, which provides rigorously authentic flight-simulation environments to players in both pilot and air traffic controller roles. In this category of MMOGs, the objective is to create duplicates of the real world for people who cannot or do not wish to undertake those experiences in real life. For example, flight simulation via an MMOG requires far less expenditure of time and money, is completely risk-free, and is far less restrictive (fewer regulations to adhere to, no medical exams to pass, and so on).        MMO turn-based strategy games, such as Steve Jackson Games' UltraCorps allow numerous players to share a common playing field. Turns are usually time-based, with a "tick" schedule usually daily. All orders are processed, and bathes resolved, at the same time during the tick.        Alternate reality games (ARGs) can be massively-multiplayer, allowing thousands of players worldwide to co-operate in puzzle trails and mystery solving. ARGs may take place in a unique mixture of online and real-world play that usually does not involve a persistent world, and are not necessarily multiplayer, making them sometimes seen as somewhat different from MMOGs.        Casual or "Quick fix" MMOGs, such as Racing Frogs by Wacky Web Fun Ltd. and logen Ltd., are MMOGs that can be played with only a small amount of time every day, week, month, etc.        Massively multiplayer collectible card games, such as Magic: The Gathering Online, include unique virtual objects used within a game that may be exchanged between players within the game or on a secondary market.        A blended MMO game incorporating features of various game-play types described above or other contemplated game-play types.
Some attempts to build peer-to-peer (P2P) MMOGs have been made; however, so far most of these efforts appear to be academic. A P2P MMOG may potentially be more scalable, and cheaper to build, but notable issues with P2P MMOGs include security and consistency control, which can be difficult to address given that clients are easily hacked.
Some attempts have been made to provide ways to connect geographically disbursed players together in a given game or networked activity. For example, Microsoft's Xbox Live allows players to enter existing games and be joined together to participate in a game, even if the players have had no prior contact with each other. Blizzard Entertainment employs a dungeon finder tool and battlegrounds matchmaking function that connect players within its World of Warcraft game. Under the dungeon finder tool or using the battlegrounds matchmaking function, players can select from various dungeons or battlegrounds, where players can be linked based on their class or geographic region, such as within the U.S./Canada, Latin America, etc., however, this matching functionality is quite rudimentary. Starcraft provides a player finder board that lists players, points obtained, game faction, numbers of wins and losses (with win percentage), achievement points and division. New players can attempt to find a compatible player within whom to play the game from the board. These player matching systems, however, fail to provide adequate matching to enhance player experiences, among other shortcomings. Other services provide information regarding player character equipment. For example, the GearScore software provides metrics for various items of player equipment permitting players to compare certain relative equipment levels between characters.
Some attempts have also been made to track user activities in an effort to improve user efficiency. For example, RescueTime automated time tracking and management software by RescueTime, Inc. tracks processes executing on a user's client computer to determine how a user's time is spent and employs an alert system to notify users based on data collected. The system, however, is focused on improving user efficiency rather than identifying matches or otherwise characterizing users.
Overall, as given the variety of games and the ever increasing need to enhance each player's experience, there is a need to further improve MMOGs.
The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Collaborative electronic game play employing player classification and aggregation


Systems and processes for intelligent device identification are provided. In one example process, audio input may be sampled with a microphone at each of two or more of the plurality of electronic devices. A first electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices for determining a task associated with sampled audio input may be identified. The process may determine the task based on the sampled audio input with the first electronic device and identify identifying a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices for performing the task. The task be performed with the second electronic device. The second electronic device is not the first electronic device in some examples.

Many contemporary devices offer virtual assistant services to perform various tasks in response to spoken user input. In some circumstances, multiple devices may concurrently operate, for instance, in a shared environment. As a result, a single user input may cause each of the multiple devices to perform a same requested task. This in turn may result in either duplicative or conflicting operation by the devices.


Various examples are provided related to software and hardware architectures that enable a lightweight incremental encryption scheme that is implemented on a System-on-chip (SoC) resource such as a network interface. In one example, among others, a method for incremental encryption includes obtaining, by a network interface (NI) of a sender intellectual property (IP) core in a network-on-chip (NoC) based system-on-chip (SoC) architecture, a payload for communication to a receiver intellectual property (IP) core; identifying, by the NI, one or more different blocks between the payload and a payload of a previous packet communicated between the sender IP core and the receiver IP core; and encrypting, by the NI, the one or more different blocks to create encrypted blocks of an encrypted payload.

Network-on-chip (NoC) has become a standard communication fabric for on-chip components in modern System-on-chip (SoC) designs. Since NoC has visibility to all communications in the SoC, it has been one of the primary targets for security attacks. While packet encryption can provide secure communication, it can introduce unacceptable energy and performance overhead due to the resource-constrained nature of SoC designs.

Securing system-on-chip (SoC) using incremental cryptography

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED


A cooling structure cools integrated circuits (I.C.'s) by circulating a liquid coolant in the vicinity of the I.C.'s and causing the heat generated by the I.C.'s to be conducted to the liquid coolant. The cooling structure includes a wiring substrate, an I.C. mounted on the wiring substrate, storage means for a liquid coolant having an opening in its bottom and an inlet and an outlet for the liquid coolant at its top, adhering means for fastening together the bottom of the storage means and the heat radiating face of the I.C., and spraying means for directly spraying the liquid coolant on the heat radiating face of the I.C. through the opening.

The present invention relates to a cooling structure for integrated circuits (IC's), and more particularly to a cooling structure which cools IC's by circulating a liquid coolant, such as water, in the vicinity of the IC's and causing heat generated by the IC's to be conducted to the liquid coolant.
Examples of this kind of prior art cooling structure are disclosed in an article entitled "A Conduction-Cooled Module for High-Performance LSI Devices" by S. Oktay and H. C. Kammerer, published in IBM J. RES. DEVELOP, Vol. 26, No. 1, Jan. 1982 and Japanese Patent Application Disclosure No. Sho 60-160150.
The former article discloses a structure which causes heat generated by an IC on a wiring board to be conducted to a cold plate via a piston, a gap filled with helium gas, a hat and an interposer by pressing the piston, whose contact face is spherical, against a heat-radiating face of the IC with the pressure of a spring, and cooling the cold plate with a cooling medium.
The latter article teaches a structure which comprises a heat transfer substrate, a variable-shape heat conductor and a heat transfer plate arranged over heat radiating faces of chips on a printed wiring board together with a variable-elasticity bellows, and achieves cooling by spraying a liquid coolant from a nozzle over the heat transfer plate within the bellows.
These prior art cooling structures, however, have the following disadvantages:
First, regarding the cooling structure referred to first, the mechanism to constantly keep the piston pressed against the heat radiating face of the IC with the elastic force of the spring invites a load on the connecting part between the IC and the wiring board and thereby deteriorates the reliability of the connecting part.
Second, this cooling structure, in which the face of the piston coming into contact with the IC is spherically shaped and a gap is provided between the hat and the piston to absorb fluctuations in height and inclination which occur when the IC is fitted to the wiring board. However, the cooling efficiency is reduced by the limitation this configuration imposes on the effective heat transfer area.
Third, in the same cooling structure, the path of the coolant flow in the cold plate for heat transfer is formed by forced convection, resulting in a heat transfer coefficient of no more than 0.1 to 0.5 W/cm.sup.2 .degree. C., and accordingly the cooling capacity will prove to be insufficient if the power consumption rises with an increase in the degree of circuit integration.
Fourth, the cooling structure cited second, because of its configuration of the heat transfer substrate, with the variable-shape heat conductor and heat transfer plate intervening between the liquid coolant sprayed from the nozzle and the chips which are the sources of heat, is unable to attain a high enough heat conductivity, resulting in an insufficient cooling capacity.

Cooling structure for integrated circuits


When a user indicates a point on a display screen of a computer using a pen sensor, first the display screen is divided into a plurality of areas and the areas are displayed by mutually different colors or brightnesses. The plurality of colors or brightnesses displayed are scanned by the pen sensor and the colors or brightnesses detected by the light receiver to judge in which area the indicated point is located. Next, the judged area is further divided into a plurality of areas which are displayed by mutually different colors or brightnesses. Next, a routine similar to the above is successively repeated to narrow down the area in which the point indicated by the pen sensor is located and finally determine the position of the point, that is, the XY coordinates on the display screen.

At the present time, there are various types of input devices for conveying the intention of a user to a computer. For example, generally data etc. is input using a keyboard. In addition, there are also voice-activated input devices, but there are limits to the accuracy of voice recognition and these are not yet in broad use.
These input devices, however, mainly input data relating to text data. It is often also necessary to input graphic data. Further, when inputting graphic data, sometimes the data is input while drawing it. As the input devices used for this, tablets are the mainstream.
Such a tablet will be explained with reference to FIG. 16.
A tablet, like a keyboard or a mouse, is connected to a computer. When the tracing a figure on a screen 101 provided at the tablet by the tip of a pen housing a coil etc., the coordinates of the points traced by the tip of the pen are detected and the coordinate data sent to the computer. The display screen of the computer displays the path of the points traced in accordance with display positions based on the coordinate data.
Conductor patterns 103 are laid in a matrix on the screen 101 of the tablet. A Y-coordinate scan circuit 104 and an X-coordinate scan circuit 105 are provided for determining the coordinates of the pen 102 from the voltage generated at the conductor patterns 103. The pen 102 attached for tracing a figure on the screen 102 houses a coil for generating an electromagnetic wave.
When a user moves the tip of the pen 102 on the screen 101, an electromagnetic wave is generated from the coil in the pen 102 and an electromotive force is generated by Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction at the conductor patterns 103. The Y-coordinate scan circuit 104 and the X-coordinate scan circuit 105 find the positions of the coordinates relating to the tip of the pen 102 based on the electromotive force generated in the conductor patterns 103.
A tablet is configured separate from the computer. As another type of input device, however, there is a touch panel built into the display screen of a computer. FIG. 17 shows the configuration of this touch panel.
The touch panel 111 is placed on the display screen of the computer by adhesion etc. The touch panel 111 is formed with a large number of transparent switches SWmn in a matrix. These are arranged so that the coordinates of the display screen of the computer and the coordinates of the touch panel 111 match.
When a user presses any position of the touch panel 11 by his or her finger, a pen, etc., the switch SWmn at the pressed location closes. An X-coordinate switching detection driver 112 and Y-coordinate switching detection driver 113 can detect the closed state of the switch SWmn so as to specify the XY coordinates of the pressed point.
While there are input devices configured like the above, figures are mainly drawn using tablets, while simple selection operations etc. are performed using touch panels.
A touch panel is either adhered to the display screen of a display device or placed in a state covering the screen, so is made thin. With a touch panel, the cost rises the larger the screen. Further, it has to be installed on the display device, so the visibility of the display information is impaired. Further, the panel is directly pressed by the finger, pen, etc., so is easily damaged or deteriorated.
On the other hand, a tablet comprises a board shaped like a mouse pad in which is built conductor patterns, scan circuits, and other coordinate detection devices and uses a pen instead of a mouse. With a tablet, the coordinates on the display screen of the computer and the coordinates on the tablet have to be matched. The work for matching them is performed by the user. This work requires considerable technical skill and experience.
Further, in recent years, tablets have been built in at the back side of LCD panels to allow intuitive use like with a touch panel. Since these are built-in types, however, it is not possible to add this function to existing hardware. Further, when building in a tablet, it is necessary to match the coordinates on the display device and the coordinates on the tablet. Further, the tablet itself has to be made thin in order not to detract from the paramount feature of LCDs—their thinness. In this way, a high manufacturing technology is demanded and the cost become high.
Therefore, an input device which enables intuitive input work on a display screen and can be added even to existing computer hardware is sought. Further, an input device which enables easy determination of coordinates relating to a point indicated on a display screen is required.

Pen sensor coordinate narrowing method and apparatus


A metalization of a field effect power transistor having lateral semiconductor layers on an insulator substrate or an intrinsically conducting or doped semiconductor substrate is provided. A metalization of source electrode contact areas, a metalization of drain electrode contact areas and a metalization of gate electrode contact areas are on a semiconductor surface of the semiconductor layers and have a plurality of metalization layers, between which insulation layers are arranged in a lateral direction. The metalization layers both for the source electrode metalization and for the drain electrode metalization have a comb structure with contact fingers. The contact fingers of the source electrode metalization and of the drain electrode metalization intermesh in a spaced-apart fashion and each contact finger has a contact finger foot and a contact finger tip. A width of the contact finger foot is greater than a width of the contact finger tip.

Lateral semiconductor layers have different band gaps in such a way that a two-dimensional electron gas can form in their semiconductor depletion layer, wherein between source electrode contact areas and drain electrode contact areas a current can flow upon application of a voltage between a source metalization and a drain metalization through the lateral semiconductor depletion layer on account of the two-dimensional electron gas. The current intensity in a channel region between the source electrode contact areas and the drain electrode contact areas can be controlled via gate electrode contact areas by means of a gate voltage and the manifested field effect.
Multilayered metalizations are applied on the source electrode contact areas, the drain electrode contact areas and the gate electrode contact areas, wherein a topmost power metalization is required only on the source electrode contact areas and the drain electrode contact areas, which, however, are spaced apart from one another and intermesh in a toothed fashion without the teeth touching one another. The intermeshing teeth spaced apart from one another are also called contact fingers and have a rectangular contour in conventional field effect power transistors, wherein strip-shaped metalizations of the gate electrode contact areas are arranged below the metalization of the source electrode contact areas and in a manner insulated from the latter by an insulation layer.
Such a metalization having rectangular contact fingers or teeth is known from the document U.S. Pat. No. 7,550,821 B2. One disadvantage of the elongated contact fingers is that the current density decreases from the contact finger foot to the contact finger tip, such that the width in the region of the contact finger foot limits the maximum current density of the metalization of the source electrode contact areas and of the drain electrode contact areas, while the width of the rectangular contact finger tip is overdimensioned.

Field effect power transistor metalization having a comb structure with contact fingers


Disclosed are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method that can decrease image quality deterioration caused by unsuitable image correction processing performed on a pixel in a halftone-dot area due to a misjudgment of an image type, and an image forming apparatus that utilizes the image processing apparatus. A characteristic of a halftone-dot area is judged by, for example, counting the number of isolated pixels detected by an isolated pixel detection filter with a predetermined size. A parameter such as a threshold for the number of inner edge pixels for use in a judgment of an edge area of a character that is present on a halftone-dot area is switched (between thresholds 503 and 504), based on the characteristic of the halftone-dot area.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and particularly to a technique for decreasing deterioration of image quality in an image forming apparatus that forms an image based on digital image data.
(2) Description of Related Art
In image forming apparatuses that form an image based on digital image data, various image processing such as smoothing and edge enhancement is generally employed to improve image quality. Such image processing is performed on pixels of image data in accordance with an image type, examples of which include a character image and a halftone-dot image. To be more specific, a pixel that is judged to be in a halftone-dot area is typically subjected to smoothing, and a pixel that is judged to be in an edge area of a character is typically subjected to edge enhancement.
Here, the following describes an example of a method for judging whether each of pixels included in image data is in an edge area of a character or not. Each pixel is set as a target pixel to be judged, and the first judgment is performed as to whether the target pixel is an inner edge pixel or not, using a linear differential filter or a quadratic differential filter with a predetermined size, for example, of 5*5 pixels. An "inner edge pixel" is an edge pixel with lower brightness at the transition from an area with low brightness to an area with high brightness. Then, the second judgment is performed as to whether the target pixel is in an edge area of a character or not, by counting the number of inner edge pixels present in a predetermined area. According to this method, brightness data of each pixel is first made to pass through the filter including the target pixel as the center. The first judgment as to whether the target pixel is an inner edge pixel is performed, by judging whether the relationship between brightness of the target pixel and brightness of nearby pixels satisfies a predetermined condition.
Following this, the second judgment as to whether the target pixel is in an edge area of a character is performed, by counting the number of inner edge pixels present in a predetermined area such as an area consisting of 9*9 pixels, and comparing the count number with a predetermined threshold. To be more specific, when the count number is above the predetermined threshold, the target pixel is judged to be in an edge area of a character.
However, the above conventional image processing apparatuses have the problem that a judgment as to whether a pixel is in an edge area of a character, or a pixel is included in a halftone-dot that constitutes a halftone-dot area, may not be performed correctly, particularly when, for example, a character is present on a halftone-dot area.
The following describes this problem, with reference to FIG. 1. In the figure, the horizontal axis indicates resolution and density of a halftone-dot area, and a size of a character, and the vertical axis indicates the number of inner edge pixels to be counted in the above predetermined area.
Here, the following briefly describes the meaning of the terms "resolution" and "density" of a halftone-dot image. For a halftone-dot image, resolution can be defined by the number of halftone-dots present in a predetermined area. Density (gradation) of the halftone-dot area depends on a total area occupied by a plurality of halftone-dots included therein. In general, when two halftone-dot images with different resolution have the same density, the halftone-dot image with lower-resolution (where a distance between the center of one halftone-dot to the center of an adjacent halftone-dot is larger) includes halftone-dots of a larger size, and the halftone-dot image with higher-resolution (where a distance between the center of one halftone-dot to the center of an adjacent halftone-dot is smaller) includes halftone-dots of a smaller size.
For a halftone-dot image, density can be defined by resolution (a distance from the center of one halftone-dot to the center of an adjacent halftone-dot) and a size of each halftone-dot. In general, when two halftone-dot images with different density have the same resolution, the halftone-dot image with higher-density includes halftone-dots of a larger size, and the halftone-dot image with lower density includes halftone-dots of a smaller size.
A curve 901 indicates the relationship between (a) resolution and density of a halftone-dot area and (b) the number of inner edge pixels to be detected, in the case of a halftone-dot image. A curve 902 indicates the relationship between (a) a size of a character and (b) the number of inner edge pixels to be detected, in the case of a character image.
As the figure shows, a greater number of pixels present at a periphery of a halftone-dot are judged to be inner edge pixels, as a halftone-dot area has lower-resolution or higher-density, in other words, as a size of a halftone-dot that constitutes the halftone-dot area increases. Accordingly, if a threshold for a judgment of an edge area of a character is set at a value "A" in the figure, pixels in a halftone-dot area with low-resolution or high-density may be misjudged to be pixels in an edge area of a character.
If such a misjudgment occurs, edge enhancement is performed on pixels of a halftone-dot that constitutes a halftone-dot area, causing image quality to deteriorate drastically. On the other hand, if the threshold is set at a value "B" in view of preventing such a misjudgment of pixels in a halftone-dot area with low-resolution or high-density as pixels in a character image, pixels in a character image may contrarily be misjudged to be pixels in a halftone-dot area due to fluctuated scanner characteristics and the like. If such a misjudgment occurs, smoothing is performed on pixels in an edge area of a character, also causing image quality to deteriorate.

Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image processing method for judging pixels in edge area of character in halftone-dot area


A rod jigging apparatus is disclosed for jigging one or more rods at the same time. The rod jigging apparatus includes a mounting member being designed for coupling to a support structure. An arm member selectively engages the mounting member whereby the arm member is designed for extending away from the support structure. At least one rod member is coupled to the arm member. The rod member is positioned opposite the mounting member. The rod member is designed for receiving a handle of a fishing rod whereby the arm member is for being pushed down and released by the user to jig the fishing rod positioned in the rod member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to jigging devices and more particularly pertains to a new rod jigging apparatus for jigging one or more rods at same time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of jigging devices is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,596 describes a system for harnessing the wind to jig a fishing line. Another type of jigging devices is U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,840 having a fishing rod holder that is coupled to a foot pedal to allow the user to move the fishing rod holder and the fishing rod with the foot of the user to set the hook. U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,514 has a fishing jigger for being positioned in the ice and jigging a fishing line to attract fish. U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,093 has a device that receives a plurality of fishing rods and jigging the fishing rod simultaneously. U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,456 has an ice fishing device for supporting a fishing line in the water and indicating when the fishing line has been struck by a fish. U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,922 has an apparatus for jigging a pair of fishing lines while ice fishing. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,916,847, 4,033,062, 5,086,580 and 3,126,180 each have a device for jigging a fishing line while the user is fishing. U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 418,195 and Des. 390,308 each show a fishing rod holder.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a device that has certain improved features allows the amount of jigging to be adjusted.


A method to revalidate a compiler intended for compilation of a user-written program for safety control in an industrial control system after it has been used. A test program is compiled a first time which test program is defined in a control language. The compiler is validated by verifying that the test program executes correctly. A first software is generated derived from the compiled test program intended for later comparison purposes. The test program is compiled a second time after the compilation of a user-written program. A second software is generated intended for a comparison based on the second compilation of the test program. The first software is compared with the second software, wherein the compiler is revalidated for any errors introduced between the first and the second compilation. Provided that the revalidation indicates no errors in the compiler, the user-written program is enabled to execute in a device with safety features for control of real world entities.

Industrial control systems are applied, for instance, in manufacturing and process industries, such as chemical plants, oil production plants, refineries, pulp and paper mills, steel mills and automated factories. Industrial control systems are also widely used within the power industry. Such industrial control systems may need to comprise or be combined with devices that add safety features. Examples of processes that require additional safety features to what a standard industrial control system provides are processes at offshore production platforms, certain process sections in nuclear power plants and hazardous areas in chemical plants. Safety features may be used in conjunction with safety shutdown, fire and/or alarm systems as well as for fire-and-gas detection.
An example of an industrial control system, which includes a safety critical function, is described in DE19857683 "Safety critical function monitoring of control systems for process control applications has separate unit". The system has a main controller bus coupled to different processors via a number of decentralized data receivers.
The use of general-purpose computer systems raises issues in that a user-written program does not become affected by a fault in the compiler code during execution.
"Compilers: Principles, techniques and tools" by Alfred V. Aho, Ravi Sethi and Jeffrey D. Ullman published 1988 by Addison-Wesley publishing company, includes a discussion on verification of general-purpose compilers. Page 731 paragraph 11.4 "Testing and maintenance" deals with the verification of compilers, prior of using it, according to standard software testing. One approach, suggested in the book, is the "regression" test. A suite of test programs is maintained, and whenever a compiler is modified, the test programs are compiled using both the new and old version of the compiler. Any difference in the target programs produced by the two compilers is reported to the compiler writer. Further the book points out that choosing the programs to include in a test suite is a difficult problem.
Prior art in the area of compilation technology includes methods and systems for compiler optimization. U.S. Pat No. 5,577,253 "Analyzing inductive expressions in a multilanguage optimizing compiler" describes a method executed in a computer system where a plurality of optimizations is performed by a generic compiler back-end using induction variables. This patenting optimization technique does not address the correctness of a compiler at a later time.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,316 "Automated validation and verification of computer software" shows a method for verifying that a source code, which has been compiled, executes all different paths in the code. This is not concerned with the compiler correctness.
A remaining problem in the area of safety control of real world entities is to ensure the highest possible reliability of a user-written program.
Another problem relating to industrial control systems is that the complexity of system software distribution (such as via the Internet) has led to an increased risk of errors occurring in the compiler software.
The inventors have found that there is a need to ensure that a compiler for software with the purpose of safety control of real world entities does not change its way to produce code while it is distributed, stored as binary code or loaded into RAM.

Revalidation of a compiler for safety control


A method and an apparatus for retrieving teleplay content is disclosed. The method includes: generating basic summary information corresponding to each teleplay based on basic information of entities of each teleplay; generating episode summary information corresponding to each episode of each teleplay based on episode data of each episode of each teleplay; establishing a teleplay graph database based on the basic summary information corresponding to each teleplay and the episode summary information corresponding to each episode; and feeding a playing portal for a target episode of a target teleplay corresponding to teleplay search information back to a user based on the teleplay graph database.

With the rapid development of the Internet and the rise of 5G technology, more and more users shift from text consumption to teleplay consumption, and more and more users may browse a teleplay (or a film) anytime and anywhere. Presently, the teleplay is mainly concentrated in a video website. Meanwhile, a retrieval portal for the teleplay and its corresponding playing portal are provided by multiple search engines and information consumption platforms (for example, when "Story of Yanxi Palace" is inputted into a searching box of a search engine, a retrieval portal for the "Story of Yanxi Palace" and its corresponding playing portal are presented).
However, in the related art, a search service for matching the teleplay is provided for the user directly based on one or more keywords contained in a teleplay or news uploaded to the network, causing that the queried content by the user is either some text news or short videos uploaded by other users. In other words, as there are merely articles or fragments related to the teleplay, the user still may not get specific and complete teleplay resources which the user wants, thereby causing a poor user experience and an unsatisfied demand for retrieving teleplay content.

Method and apparatus for retrieving teleplay content

BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An image forming apparatus is provided with an image bearing member, a charging member with a discharge wire and a grid, and a first current supply controlling member, which controls a current supply to the discharge wire. Also provided are a second current supply controlling member, which controls a current supply to the grid, a potential setting member, which sets a potential value on the image bearing member to be charged by the charging member, and a first current supply condition selecting member, which selects a current control condition of the first current supply controlling member or the second current supply controlling member according to the set potential. In addition, a second current supply condition selecting member selects a current control condition for the other current supply controlling member based on the determined current control condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying apparatus or a facsimile apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus which executes a potential control on a surface of an image bearing member by a scorotron charger.
2. Related Background Art
As a charger for uniformly charging a surface of an image bearing member (such as an electrophotographic photosensitive drum) employed in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying apparatus or a facsimile apparatus, a scorotron charger has been widely employed.
A scorotron charger charges an electrophotographic photosensitive member to a desired surface potential by means of a current or a voltage applied to a discharge wire for causing a discharge, and a current or a voltage applied to a grid for regulating the potential on the image bearing member at a predetermined potential. There have been proposed a method of fixing the voltage applied to the grid and regulating the current or the voltage applied to the discharge wire thereby obtaining a desired surface potential, and a method of fixing the current or the voltage applied to the discharge wire and regulating the current or the voltage applied to the grid thereby obtaining a desired surface potential.
For fixing the voltage applied to the grid, there is also widely employed a method of employing a constant voltage element such as a varistor in combination with a high voltage source and regulating the potential of the grid at a predetermined value through an exchange of charge from the discharge wire.
Also for regulating the current or the voltage of the discharge wire, there is available a device capable of regulation for example with a switch, and there is also proposed a circuit having a variable resistor combined with a varistor for changing a voltage applied to the grid.
However, the method of fixing the voltage applied to the grid is associated with following drawbacks. In case of regulation to a high surface potential, it is necessary to select an excessively high voltage or current to the discharge wire, since the grid voltage is fixed. As a result, there results a drawback that the discharge wire is conspicuously smeared. On the other hand, in case of regulation to a low surface potential in a state where the grid voltage is set high in order to avoid the aforementioned phenomenon, it is necessary to reduce the voltage or the current to the discharge wire, and, as a result, a smear on the discharge wire is reproduced on an image. Therefore, in case of fixing the voltage applied to the grid, it is not possible to obtain a sufficiently wide regulating range of the surface potential.
On the other hand, in case of fixing the current or the voltage of the discharge wire and executing a regulation by the current or the voltage of the grid, a high current or voltage of the grid results in a large potential difference between the grid and the photosensitive member, thereby tending to induce a spark discharge therebetween. As a result, a high voltage or a high current cannot be applied so that a high surface potential cannot be obtained on the photosensitive drum. On the other hand, it is also conceivable to increase a current or a voltage to the discharge wire, but a constantly increased current to the discharge wire is undesirable as it aggravates the smear on the discharge wire. Therefore, in case of fixing the current or the voltage applied to the discharge wire, as in the method of fixing the voltage to the grid, it is not possible to widen the regulating range of the surface potential.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 06-274012 discloses a method in which a main charging voltage of the discharge wire and a grid voltage are both made variable in order to widen the regulating range of the surface potential. In this method, plural characteristics of the main charging voltage and the surface potential of the photosensitive member at different grid voltages are activated in succession, and a desired surface potential is realized at a main charging voltage as low as possible in such characteristics.
This method, however, has a drawback of requiring a long control time before an appropriate state can be obtained, as plural characteristics are activated in succession. Also a low voltage applied to the discharge wire as a main charging voltage requires a constantly higher grid voltage, thereby depriving the grid of its inherent rectifying effect. For this reason, in case a discharge unevenness is caused by a deterioration in time for example in the discharge wire, the rectifying effect of the grid is suppressed to result in a drawback such as an unevenness in the potential of the photosensitive member.

Image forming apparatus having means to control condition of current supply to discharge wire and grid of charging member


An example control unit may include: a processor; an output device; a valve element; an actuator; and a sensor for the position of the valve element. The valve cycles and the processor records a first signal to measure a position of the valve element. The valve cycles and the processor records a second signal to measure a position of the valve element. The processor calculates a degree of wear based on the first value and the second value and the second number of valve cycles. The processor compares the degree of wear to a predefined threshold value and generates an output signal if the degree of wear exceeds the predefined threshold value.

Valves for gaseous and/or liquid fluids have an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid path between inlet and outlet. Arranged in the fluid path is a valve element, which has a closed position. In its closed position the valve element prevents the flow of a fluid along the fluid path between inlet and outlet. Furthermore, the valve element has at least one open position. In its open position the valve element enables the flow of a fluid along the fluid path between inlet and outlet.
In the closed position of the valve element, a valve disc of the valve element rests on a valve seat of the valve element. In many cases, valve disc and valve seat are sealed from each other using a resilient element, such as, for example an O-ring made of (silicone and/or butadiene) rubber. The resilient element is advantageously mounted on the valve disc and/or valve seat. The resilient element is subject to ageing during operation.
Deterioration of the state of the resilient element that is not completely reversible occurs for example owing to a permanent deformation. In the case of a permanent deformation of this kind, the restoring forces of the aged element are no longer adequate to reverse a deformation caused by the closing of the valve element. That ageing may be accelerated by, for example, fluids flowing through the valve, which chemically attack the resilient element. That ageing may also be accelerated by fluids having temperatures above or below the temperature range permissible for the sealing element being used. Furthermore, excessive pressures can cause permanent damage to the resilient element.
Patent application WO2010/056111A1 discloses a solenoid valve with sensor for determining lift/speeds and/or accelerations of a moving core of the valve as an indication of failure mode and ageing state. WO2010/056111A1 was applied for on 12 Nov. 2009 and published on 20 May 2010. The arrangement from WO2010/056111A1 comprises a sensor 17 for determining the position of a valve element 8. At the same time, speeds and accelerations are determined. The determined values are compared with stored limit values. When a first threshold is exceeded, a signal is emitted as an indication of required maintenance.
Valves are often installed behind concrete walls and/or cellar ceilings. The arrangement from WO2010/056111A1 does not enable the emission of diagnosis data through concrete walls and/or cellar ceilings. The arrangement from WO2010/056111A1 is also not optimized in respect of a comparative evaluation of the ageing state over a large number of valve cycles.

Determining and accounting for wear on a valve


A system and method are disclosed for rationalizing configurations associated with one or more products. The system includes a database associated with one or more customers. The system further includes an order analysis system coupled with the database. The order analysis system is capable of rationalizing the differences between configurations of various combinations of options that are stored in the database.

In today's demand driven business world, customers are asking for more product options and choices, which have resulted in the proliferation of options available for each configuration. This problem is particularly acute for manufacturers producing products with high configuration content including automotive, industrial products, telecommunications equipment, and industrial machinery. For example, because of the proliferation of options, manufacturers find it very difficult to determine which combination of options should be packaged together to address particular market needs, minimize reconfigurations and inventory costs, and lost revenue due to unfulfilled demand. Today, manufacturers lack a proactive and forward looking process that allows them to evaluate trends of option consumption by customers and determine which combination of options should be packaged together. This inability to proactively determine which combination of options should be packaged together is undesirable.

System and method for providing an intelligent configuration rationalization solution


A liquid injector comprises a contact member comprising a tube body including an opening located at a distal end of the contact member; an inner structure body comprising: a cylindrical main body; and a hollow needle, wherein the inner structure body is movable to (i) a first position at which a needle tip is located proximal of the opening, and (ii) a second position at which the needle tip is located distal of the opening; and a regulating member detachably mounted on the inner structure body, including a fixing portion to be fixed to the contact member at the second position. When the inner structure body moves to the second position from the first position and returns to the first position again, the regulating member is fixed to the contact member with the fixing portion at the second position, separated from the inner structure body, and stays at a position at which the regulating member covers at least part of an area of the opening.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a liquid injector.
2. Background Art
When blood collection or administration of medicinal solution is performed to a patient, a blood vessel of the patient is punctured with a hollow needle. A known medical device whereby the above-mentioned procedure can be performed is a medical device including a cylindrical (tubular) main body and a hollow needle supported inside the main body (see, for example, JP 2007-215863 A).
According to the medical device disclosed in JP 2007-215863 A, the hollow needle is retractable with respect to the main body of the medical device. More specifically, a needle tip is movable to a first position located inside the main body of the medical device and to a second position where the needle tip is projected from the main body of the medical device. The hollow needle moves to the second position at the time of puncture. The hollow needle moves to the first position after puncture.
However, according to the medical device disclosed in JP 2007-215863 A, there is a problem in which a part of an operator's fingertip may enter the inside from a distal-end opening of the main body of the medical device and the needle tip of the hollow needle located at the first position may puncture the operator's fingertip after using the medical device, depending on a size of the distal-end opening of the main body of the medical device or an extent of retraction of the hollow needle with respect to the main body of the medical device.
Thus, there is a need for a liquid injector in which erroneous puncturing with a needle tip of a finger or the like can be reliably prevented after puncturing a living body surface with the needle tip of a hollow needle.


A system and method is provided for generating dynamically changing HTML documents at a relatively quick rate in response to a client request. The system and method provide separation of the constant text and the code embedded in the HTML documents. An executable component is employed that includes all the basic functionality typically embedded in script code of a plurality of HTML documents. The dynamically generated text is broken down into string template pages. Each string template page can be authored as a single file and includes all the information necessary to complete a request. A string template page includes one or more strings and each string is made up of a text constant and can include one or more argument variables. Each string template page is provided with identifiers for pages, text constants and variable portions of strings. The pages are read, parsed and processed into a data structure into memory by the executable component for efficient use at runtime.

Web documents are stored on web servers and are provided to client computers over the Internet upon receipt at the web server of a request for the document in the form of a uniform or universal resource locator ("URL"). The URL specifies the communications protocol by which the information is to be transferred and the Internet address of the host or web server upon which the document is stored. The URL may also specify a directory path and file name for the document. The communications protocol for the web is the hypertext transfer protocol ("HTTP"). Documents or pages stored on web servers and available over the web are generally formatted in a markup language. Markup language web documents contain text and a number of tags which provide instructions as to how the text should be displayed, which text should be hyperlinked to other documents, and where other types of content, including graphics and other images, video and audio segments, application programs or applets, image maps, and icons, should be retrieved from and displayed in the document. One of the most commonly used standardized markup languages is the Hypertext Markup Language ("HTML"), currently available in several versions. Other standardized markup languages include the Standard Generalized Markup Language ("SGML") and the Extensible Markup Language ("XML").
Conventionally, web servers receive requests from a client for a particular HTML document. The servers then load the HTML file (e.g., an Application Service Provider (ASP) file) and parse the HTML file for script code. The script code is then interpreted and executed and the results sent back to the requestor, for example, by inserting the results into the loaded HTML file and transmitting the file and results back to the requestor. The problem is that the process of parsing, interpreting and executing the code is both time and resource intensive.
In order for a web server to serve many users at a reasonable rate, the web server must be able to supply the requested HTML pages very quickly and use as little system resources as possible. Web sites that dynamically generate web pages based on state and user input have the challenge of doing this in a scalable manner. The most efficient way to do so is through compiled code running in the same process as the web server. The most obvious place is for the HTML text to be part of the code itself, but this leads to disconnected, hard to read string constants that are difficult to maintain and that require a recompilation of the code whenever a change is made to the HTML text.
Accordingly, there is an unmet need in the art for a system and method that mitigates the above stated deficiencies with traditional HTML servers.

String template pages for generating HTML document


A shifting device for a dual clutch transmission, the dual clutch transmission including a first input shaft, a second input shaft, a counter shaft, a dual clutch, a first gear change mechanism including at least a first gear train and a first switching clutch, and a second gear change mechanism including at least a second gear train and a second switching clutch, the shifting device including a shift mechanism constituted by a first shifter that includes a first follower pin and a first shift fork, a second shifter that includes a second follower pin and a second shift fork, and a cam member at which a single cam groove is formed, and the first and second follower pins engaging with different positions on the cam groove from each other and operating the first and second switching clutches to be associated with each other.

An automatic transmission for a vehicle provided with a fluid-type torque converter has been widely known. However, such fluid-type torque converter may suffer from slippages when transmitting power, leading to a loss of transmission efficiency. In light of the foregoing, automation of a transmission apparatus that includes a gear-type manual transmission has been suggested. For example, as disclosed in JP64-46046A (Reference 1, 10th line from the lower left in page 2 to 17th line from the upper left in page 3, FIGS. 1 to 7), a portion of each shift fork engages with each cam groove formed at an outer periphery of a cylindrical cam so that a shift operation can be performed by a rotation of the cylindrical cam. In addition, as disclosed in JP2006-002789A (Reference 2, paragraphs 3 to 9, FIG. 8), a dual clutch transmission is equipped with an automatic clutch mechanism of two frictional clutches that are brought to an engagement state and a disengagement state in turns, i.e., a dual clutch mechanism.
According to a cylindrical cam-type automatic operating mechanism of the transmission disclosed in Reference 1, multiple cam grooves are formed at the outer periphery of the cylindrical cam that is driven to rotate by a motor. The portion (i.e., shift lever) of each shift fork by means of which gears of the transmission are shifted engages with each cam groove so that the shift fork performs a reciprocating movement. When the cylindrical cam is driven to rotate by the motor, the shift operation is performed in such a way that, while one of the shift forks is being driven, the remaining shift forks that are not being driven are operated in association with one another and stopped in neutral positions. According to the disclosed transmission, multiple actuator functions can be achieved by a single cylindrical cam and thus only one motor is required, which leads to a downsized and light-weighted transmission.
According to the dual clutch transmission disclosed in Reference 2, an input, which is transmitted from a drive shaft such as an output shaft of an engine, is first transmitted to a first input shaft via a first frictional clutch of the dual clutch mechanism, and then is transmitted to a second input shaft of a hollow shape. The second input shaft is arranged at a peripheral portion of the first input shaft so as to be coaxial with the first input shaft. As being explained in FIG. 5, the first and second frictional clutches of the dual clutch mechanism are controlled in a manner that, during a shift operation, when a transfer torque A increases, a transfer torque B decreases in contrast with the transfer torque A, and vice versa. After the shift operation, the torque transfer A reaches the maximum torque value T0 and the transfer torque B falls down to zero, and vice versa. This dual clutch transmission includes first and second counter shafts arranged in parallel with the first and second input shafts. Arranged between the first input shaft and the first and second counter shafts is a first gear change mechanism including four gear trains for a first shift stage, a third shift stage, a fifth shift stage, and a seventh shift stage, respectively. Arranged between the second input shaft and the first and second counter shafts is a second gear change mechanism including three gear trains for a second shift stage, a fourth shift stage, and a sixth shift stage. Further, arranged between the first input shaft and the second counter shaft is a gear train for a reverse shift stage. In the operation of the dual clutch transmission, a controller thereof controls the first frictional clutch and the second frictional clutch to be engaged or disengaged in turns. The operations of the first and second frictional clutches are responsive to a condition of a vehicle, such as an accelerator opening degree, an engine rotational speed (rpm), a speed of the vehicle, or the like. When the first frictional clutch is controlled to the engagement state, one of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th shift stages is selected and power transmission in accordance with the selected shift stage is implemented. On the other hand, when the second frictional clutch is controlled to the engagement state, one of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and reverse shift stages is selected and power transmission in accordance with the selected shift stage is implemented.
In the cases where the cam-type automatic operating mechanism as disclosed in Reference 1 is applied to the dual clutch transmission mechanism as disclosed in Reference 2, the multiple actuator functions can be achieved by a single cylindrical cam so that the number of motors required can be reduced or only one motor can be required, which leads to a downsized and light-weighted transmission. FIGS. 10 and 11 each illustrate a structure in the vicinity of a shifting device of such dual clutch transmission as a comparison example. This dual clutch transmission of the comparison example includes a first gear change mechanism 20A constituted by two gear trains each of which consists of a driving gear and a driven gear (in FIG. 11, only driven gears 21b and 23b are illustrated) arranged between a first input shaft (not shown) and a counter shaft 15, and a first switching clutch 30A provided at the counter shaft 15 so as to select the power transmission between the first input shaft and the counter shaft 15 conducted by the aforementioned gear trains. The dual clutch transmission also includes a second gear change mechanism 20B constituted by two gear trains each of which consists of a driving gear and a driven gear (in FIG. 11, only the driven gears 22b and 24b are illustrated) arranged between a second input shaft (not shown) and the counter shaft 15, and a second switching clutch 30B provided at the counter shaft 15 so as to select the power transmission between the second input shaft and the counter shaft 15 conducted by the aforementioned gear trains. A shift mechanism 1A includes first and second shifters 2A and 2B, and a cylindrical cam 5A. The first and second shifters 2A and 2B include body portions 2a and 2d, respectively, which are axially slidably guided and supported by a guide bar 3A that is arranged in parallel with the counter shaft 15. The cylindrical cam 5A is arranged in parallel with the counter shaft 15 in a rotatable manner. A shift fork 2b and a follower pin 2c integrally formed with the body portion 2a of the first shifter 2A engage with a peripheral groove of a sleeve M provided at the first switching clutch 30A, and a cam groove 6A formed at an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cam 5A, respectively. In the same way, a shift fork 2e and a follower pin 2f integrally formed with the body portion 2d of the second shifter 2B engage with a peripheral groove of a sleeve M provided at the second switching clutch 30B, and the a cam groove 6B formed at the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical cam 5A, respectively.
When the cylindrical cam 5A is driven to rotate by a shift motor (not shown) via a worm wheel 7A and a worm 8A, then the first and second shifters 2A and 2B of which respective follower pins 2c and 2f are engaging with the cam grooves 6A and 6B are driven to reciprocate along the guide bar 3A. In response to this reciprocating movement of the first and second shifters 2A and 2B, the shift forks 2b and 2e cause the respective sleeves M of the first and second switching clutches 30A and 30B to perform a reciprocating movement. Then, the first and second gear change mechanisms 20A and 20B are activated to thereby achieve a gear shift operation.
According to the aforementioned shift mechanism of the dual clutch transmission, the first and second shifters 2A and 2B are operated by the single cylindrical cam 5A. Thus, the downsized and light-weighted transmission can be achieved. However, a length of the cylindrical cam 5A is large because of the two cam grooves 6A and 6B formed and thus downsizing and weight reducing the shifting device may be insufficient.
Thus, a need exists for a shifting device for a dual clutch transmission having a dual clutch mechanism that can be further downsized and reduced in weight and that requires only a small operation force by means of a single cam groove formed at a cam member such as a cylindrical cam.

Shifting device for dual clutch transmission


The invention relates to a device and a method for separating whole blood into blood components. The device has a collecting container for collecting whole blood, a primary container, and one or a plurality of satellite containers downstream from the primary container. The collecting container is connected to the primary container via a branch line containing a leucocyte filter. In addition, a bypass line is provided between the collecting container and the primary container for creating a fluid connection that circumvents the leucocyte filter. The primary container is also connected, via an additive line, to an additive container containing an additive agent for storing a blood component. The method involves collecting the donor""s whole blood in the collecting container and conveying it, via the bypass line, into the primary container. The whole blood located in the primary container is then separated by centrifuigation into an erythrocyte layer and a mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes. The mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes is then conveyed from the primary container into the first satellite container. Subsequently, the erythrocytes in the primary container are resuspended in the additive agent, then conveyed from the primary container through the leucocyte filter into the collecting chamber.

The invention relates to a device and a method for separating blood into blood components.
European Patent 0 349 188 B1 discloses a device for separating blood into blood components, said device having a blood-collecting pouch which is connected via a first hose line to a primary pouch, the primary pouch being connected, via a further hose line, to a satellite pouch. In the first hose line connecting the blood-collecting pouch to the primary pouch, a filter is arranged for removing leucocytes. For extracting blood components that are free of leucocytes, a donor""s whole blood is collected in the blood-collecting pouch and is conveyed to the primary pouch, via the hose line containing the filter. Subsequently, the hose line segment situated between the filter and the primary pouch is severed, the point of separation being sealed off. The primary pouch is then centrifuged, together with secondary pouch, to separate the blood contained in the primary pouch into two blood components. One of the two blood components is then conveyed, via the second hose line, into the satellite pouch. In this way, after filtration of the whole blood, leucocyte-free blood components are extracted. With the known method, a decided advantage can be seen in the fact that the pouch arrangement is centrifuged without the filter, therefore avoiding a mechanical stressing of the filter.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,657, a device is known for separating blood into blood components, said device having a primary pouch which is connected, via a first hose line, to a first satellite pouch and, via a second hose line, to a second satellite pouch, containing an additive solution. In the known device, the leucocyte filter is arranged in the second hose line, which connects the primary pouch to the second satellite pouch. For extracting a leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate, the donor""s whole blood collected in the primary pouch is first centrifuged to separate the whole blood into a mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes and an erythrocyte layer. The mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes is then conveyed into the first satellite pouch. Subsequently, the additive solution is conveyed from the second satellite pouch into the primary pouch. The erythrocytes resuspended in the additive solution are then conveyed from the primary pouch, via the second hose line containing the leucocyte filter, into the second satellite pouch. The known device is not designed for whole blood filtration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,564 discloses a pouch system comprising a collecting pouch and two satellite pouches, each satellite pouch being connected, via hose lines, to the collecting pouch. These lines each contain a filter. The whole blood is collected in the collecting pouch and is centrifuged for separation into its components. Only then does the filtration of the individual blood components take place. The known pouch system is not designed for whole blood filtration.
U.S. Patent No. 5,527,472 discloses a pouch system comprising a collecting pouch and various further pouches connected to each other by means of flexible lines. One of the lines contains a filter. A bypass line acts to remove residual air. The known pouch system is not designed for whole blood filtration.
The invention has the objective of creating a universally usable device for separating blood into blood components, said device permitting both the filtration of only one blood component as well as the filtration of whole blood.
In addition, the invention has the objective of indicating a method which permits blood to be separated into blood components without whole blood filtration.
These and other objectives of the invention are achieved through a device having a collecting container for collecting whole blood, a primary container, one or more satellite containers downstream from the primary container and a leucocyte filter between the collecting container and the primary container. According to the invention a bypass line is provided by which blood may be routed from the collecting container to the primary container without passing through the leucocyte filter. Thus, the invention allows filtration of the whole blood provided from the collecting container or filtration of a blood component provided from the primary container.
In the device of the invention for separating blood into blood components, provision is made for a bypass line between the collecting pouch and the primary container, for creating a fluid connection, circumventing the filter. If the filtration is to be of only one blood component and not of whole blood, then the donor""s blood collected in the collecting container is conveyed, via the bypass line, circumventing the filter, from the collecting container into the primary container. The blood in the primary container is then separated through centrifuging into two blood components, one of which is conveyed into a satellite container downstream from the primary container. The blood component in the primary container is then conveyed, via the line path containing the leucocyte filter, into the collecting container for separating out the leucocytes.
It is expedient if the means for opening and closing the bypass line or the collecting line are hose clamps, which are attached to the lines. The hose clamps, however, can also be added, unattached, to the hose line system.
A leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate is extracted by separating the whole blood in the primary container through centrifuging into an erythrocyte layer and a layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes, and the mixed layer of blood plasma and thrombocytes being conveyed into the satellite container, the erythrocytes remaining in the primary container. To extract leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate, the erythrocytes are then conveyed, via the line path containing the leucocyte filter, into the collecting container. The collecting container can then be disconnected and the point of separation sealed off.
Alternatively, with the device of the invention, it is also possible to separate the blood components in accordance with the method described in European Patent 0 349 188 B1. For this purpose, the bypass line is interrupted and the whole blood is first conveyed to the primary container, via the line path containing the leucocyte filter, before it is separated by centrifuging into the individual blood components. In this context, the leucocyte filter is designed such that it can be operated in two directions, i.e., the filter connections can be used both as inlet and outlet.
For extracting a leucocyte-free erythrocyte concentrate from whole blood, a separating device having only one satellite container is sufficient. An advantageous specific embodiment of the separating device comprises a second satellite container, downstream from the first satellite container, so that, in a second centrifuging step, the blood components in the first satellite container can be separated out and the separated-out blood components conveyed into the second satellite container.
In a preferred specific embodiment of the separating device, provision is made for an additive container, which is connected to a primary container via an additive line. The additive container is filled with a solution used for storing a blood component. This solution can be added to the blood component remaining in the primary container.
In a preferred refinement, the first collecting line, which connects the collecting container to the filter inlet, and/or the second collecting line, which connects the filter outlet to the primary container, is designed as a line which can be divided or sealed off or clamped off, e.g., a PVC line, so that the collecting container can be easily separated for storing the leucocyte-free blood components, or the leucocyte filter can be separated from the primary container before the centrifuging, as the case may be. For interrupting the fluid connection, conventional hose clamps can be provided on the hose lines. However, even in the known methods, the hose lines can be heat-sealed after separation.
In the following, two exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

Device and method for separating blood into blood components


There are provided a conductive paste for external electrodes and a multilayer ceramic electronic component using the same. The conductive paste includes a conductive metal powder including conductive metal particles; and a conductive amorphous metal powder including amorphous metal particles having a(Si, B)-b(Li, K)-c(V, Mn) in which a+b+c=100, 20≦a≦60, 10≦b≦40, and 2≦c≦25 are satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive paste for external electrodes that may improve adhesive strength between external electrodes and a ceramic body and solve an issue of defective plating due to glass detachment, and a multilayer ceramic electronic component using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, according to the trend for the miniturization of electronic products, a multilayer ceramic electronic component is required to be miniaturized and to have ever higher amounts of capacitance implemented therein.
To meet requirements for miniaturization and to achieve increased capacitance, external electrodes of the multilayer ceramic electronic component has been thinned.
An external electrode paste may ensure chip sealability and electrical connectivity with a chip using a conductive material such as copper (Cu) as a main material, and improve the adhesive strength between the external electrodes and the chip while filling an empty space with glass as an auxiliary material at the time of sintering contraction of the above-described material.
An oxide-based glass powder is typically used as the glass component in the external electrodes. Here, the external electrodes may be formed by applying the external electrode paste to ends of the chip and then sintering the applied external electrode paste. Thereafter, plated layers may be formed on the external electrodes through the sequential electroplating of nickel (Ni) and tin (Sn).
However, when the oxide-based glass powder is added to the external electrode paste, the following problems may arise.
First, internal electrodes may be covered with the glass in a sintering process, thereby degrading connectivity between the internal electrodes and the external electrodes.
Second, the glass may be eluted to the outside of the external electrodes in the sintering process, and therefore, defective plating may occur in a plating process after the sintering process.
In particular, by thinning the external electrodes, a desired level of density may be difficult to be implemented therein, and the possibiltiy of the occurrence of defects caused by deficient or excessive amounts of glass may be increased due to a high temperature behavior of glass.

Conductive paste for external electrodes and multilayer ceramic electronic component using the same


In light that is irradiated from a front light of a vehicle illumination device, a portion thereof is modulated to include a light signal, and a camera captures light from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle illumination device identifies luminance point(s) in the captured images of the camera, and also detects for the light signal, and extracts the luminance point(s) in the captured images other than the luminance point(s) with the detected light signal. The vehicle illumination device identifies segmented region(s) in the light distribution range of the front light that correspond to the extracted luminance point(s), and control is undertaken of the light distribution such that the identified segmented regions are made in a non-illuminating state, and the segmented regions other than those identified are illuminated. By doing so, control of the light distribution for light that is irradiated from the vehicle itself may be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle illumination device, a vehicle illumination control method, and a vehicle illumination control program, and in particular to a vehicle illumination device, a vehicle illumination control method and a vehicle illumination control program for controlling the light distribution of a vehicle light such as a front light or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technology for a vehicle illumination device for controlling the light distribution of a vehicle light such as a front light or the like has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-21631.
The technology proposed in JP-A No. 2006-21631 is provided with: plural light sources for forming a predetermined light distribution pattern that includes overall a main light distribution portion and a peripheral light distribution portion, which respectively illuminate different regions; a camera for light capture in the forward direction from a vehicle; a dangerous object determining unit for determining objects that are of danger to the vehicle on the basis of the images that have been captured by the camera; and a light source control unit for changing the direction of light from plural light sources to shine on a dangerous object when a dangerous object has been determined by the dangerous object determining unit to be outside of the main light distribution portion.
Furthermore, in the technology described in JP-A No. 2006-21631, the brightness of headlights of an oncoming vehicle are detected from the image of the camera, and by lowering the brightness of the light sources in the light distribution pattern that are facing toward the oncoming vehicle lane side, the glare light toward an oncoming vehicle is reduced.
However, in the technology described in JP-A No. 2006-21631, when the headlights of an oncoming vehicle are being detected from the images of the camera, light that has been irradiated from the vehicle itself, which has been reflected from reflective objects such as mirrors and the like is detected, and this light might be determined falsely as being the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, and in such a case light distribution control would be carried out for light from the vehicle itself.

Vehicle illumination device, vehicle illumination control method and recording medium storing a vehicle illumination control program