A CT detector capable of energy discrimination and direct conversion is disclosed. The detector includes multiple layers of semiconductor material with the layers having varying thicknesses. The detector is constructed to be segmented in the x-ray penetration direction so as to optimize count rate performance as well as avoid saturation.

The present invention relates generally to diagnostic imaging and, more particularly, to a multi-layer direct conversion CT detector capable of providing photon count and/or energy data with improved saturation characteristics.
Typically, in radiographic imaging systems, an x-ray source emits x-rays toward a subject or object, such as a patient or a piece of luggage. Hereinafter, the terms "subject" and "object" may be interchangeably used to describe anything capable of being imaged. The beam, after being attenuated by the subject, impinges upon an array of radiation detectors. The intensity of the attenuated beam radiation received at the detector array is typically dependent upon the attenuation of the x-rays. Each detector element of the detector array produces a separate electrical signal indicative of the attenuated beam received by each detector element. The electrical signals are transmitted to a data processing system for analysis which ultimately produces an image.
In some computed tomography (CT) imaging systems, the x-ray source and the detector array are rotated about a gantry within an imaging plane and around the subject. X-ray sources typically include x-ray tubes, which emit the x-rays as a beam at a focal point. X-ray detectors typically include a collimator for collimating x-ray beams received at the detector, a scintillator for converting x-rays to light energy adjacent the collimator, and a photodiode for receiving the light energy from an adjacent scintillator and producing electrical signals therefrom. Typically, each scintillator of a scintillator array converts x-rays to light energy. Each photodiode detects the light energy and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The outputs of the photodiodes are then transmitted to the data processing system for image reconstruction.
Conventional CT imaging systems utilize detectors that convert radiographic energy into current signals that are integrated over a time period, then measured and ultimately digitized. A drawback of such detectors is their inability to provide data or feedback as to the number and/or energy of photons detected. That is, conventional CT detectors have a scintillator component and photodiode component wherein the scintillator component illuminates upon reception of radiographic energy and the photodiode detects illumination of the scintillator component and provides an electrical signal as a function of the intensity of illumination. While it is generally recognized that CT imaging would not be a viable diagnostic imaging tool without the advancements achieved with conventional CT detector design, a drawback of these detectors is their inability to provide energy discriminatory data or otherwise count the number and/or measure the energy of photons actually received by a given detector element or pixel. Accordingly, recent detector developments have included the design of an energy discriminating, direct conversion detector that can provide photon counting and/or energy discriminating feedback. In this regard, the detector can be caused to operate in an x-ray counting mode, an energy measurement mode of each x-ray event, or both.
These energy discriminating, direct conversion detectors are capable of not only x-ray counting, but also providing a measurement of the energy level of each x-ray detected. While a number of materials may be used in the construction of a direct conversion energy discriminating detector, semiconductors have been shown to be one preferred material. A drawback of direct conversion semiconductor detectors, however, is that these types of detectors cannot count at the very high x-ray photon flux rates typically encountered with conventional CT systems. The very high x-ray photon flux rate ultimately leads to detector saturation. That is, these detectors typically saturate at relatively low x-ray flux levels. This saturation can occur at detector locations wherein small subject thickness is interposed between the detector and the radiographic energy source or x-ray tube. It has been shown that these saturated regions correspond to paths of low subject thickness near or outside the width of the subject projected onto the detector fan-arc. In many instances, the subject is more or less circular or elliptical in the effect on attenuation of the x-ray flux and subsequent incident intensity to the detector. In this case, the saturated regions represent two disjointed regions at extremes of the fan-arc. In other less typical, but not rare instances, saturation occurs at other locations and in more than two disjointed regions of the detector. In the case of an elliptical subject, the saturation at the edges of the fan-arc is reduced by the imposition of a bowtie filter between the subject and the x-ray source. Typically, the filter is constructed to match the shape of the subject in such a way as to equalize total attenuation, filter and subject, across the fan-arc. The flux incident to the detector is then relatively uniform across the fan-arc and does not result in saturation. What can be problematic, however, is that the bowtie filter may not be optimum given that a subject population is significantly less than uniform and not exactly elliptical in shape. In such cases, it is possible for one or more disjointed regions of saturation to occur or conversely to over-filter the x-ray flux and create regions of very low flux. Low x-ray flux in the projection will ultimately contribute to noise in the reconstructed image of the subject.
A number of imaging techniques have been developed to address saturation of any part of the detector. These techniques include maintenance of low x-ray flux across the width of a detector array, for example, by using low tube current or current that is modulated per view. However, this solution leads to increased scanned time. That is, there is a penalty that the acquisition time for the image is increased in proportion to the nominal flux needed to acquire a certain number of x-rays that meet image quality requirements. Other solutions include the implementation of an over-range algorithm that is used to generate replacement data for the saturated data. However, these algorithms may imperfectly replace the saturated data as well as contribute to the complexity of the CT system.
It would therefore be desirable to design a direct conversion, energy discriminating CT detector that does not saturate at the x-ray photon flux rates typically found in conventional CT systems.

Direct conversion energy discriminating CT detector


Provided are a winding method and a winding apparatus in which it makes possible to expedite the winding cycle with a relatively simple construction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a winding method and a winding apparatus in which a plurality of conductor wires are wound in parallel around a reel to form a coil, which is dropped into a coil receiving jig.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
Recently, in developing a motor for electric cars or the like, there is a demand for a motor which can provide a large driving force by increasing the sectional area of the electric wire and causing large current to flow through the same, so that a large driving force may be obtained from a low-voltage electric source that can be mounted in a vehicle. However, an increase in diameter of electric wire makes it rather difficult to perform winding operation and the operation of inserting the coil into the stator core. Further, it has a problem in that the space factor (filling factor) of the electric wire in the slot of the stator core would decline.
In view of this, there has been made an attempt to form a coil by winding a plurality of electric wires in parallel (through parallel winding) to thereby increase the electric-wire sectional area without difficulties in the winding operation and the coil inserting operation. In such parallel winding, it is impossible to use as it is a conventional winding apparatus that uses a rotary nozzle called a flyer. That is, if a flyer, which winds electric wires around a reel by rotating a nozzle paying out electric wires around the reel, were used, a plurality of electric wires would be twisted like a rope, making it difficult in a post-process to insert the coil obtained into the slot of a stator core by a coil inserting device.
Thus, for example, JP 3550372 B discloses a winding manufacturing system which forms windings for a predetermined number of poles connected to each other by repeating winding formation through winding of wires around a reel and detachment of a winding from the reel, the winding manufacturing system comprising: a winding forming means for forming a winding by winding wires around the reel that rotates; a winding retaining means for retaining a winding detached from the reel upon completion of the winding at a predetermined retaining position corresponding to the pole of the winding; and a positional relationship maintaining means for restraining deviation in the positional relationship between the winding retained by the winding retaining means and the reel on which a winding for another pole is being formed by moving the winding retaining means in synchronism with the rotation of the reel.
Further, JP 11-98779 A discloses a winding apparatus in which a plurality of wires supplied from a flyer through a tension nozzle and arranged in a strip-like fashion are wound around a reel, in which there is rotatably provided a dummy drum coaxial with the reel and with substantially the same peripheral length as the reel, and wherein there is provided a dummy flyer for winding wires around the dummy drum integrally with the flyer, the wires being wound simultaneously around the reel and the dummy drum while moving the tension nozzle upwards and the dummy drum downwards at the same speed in synchronism with the rotation of the flyer and the dummy flyer to thereby facilitate the insertion of the coil into a coil insertion jig while preventing twisting and to attain an improvement in terms of filling factor.
However, in the technique as disclosed in JP 3550372 B, it is necessary to rotate the reel and the winding retaining means in synchronism with each other in order to maintain the connection between the coil already wound and retained by the winding retaining means (coil receiving jig) and the coil formed by being newly wound around the reel, so that it is rather difficult to expedite the winding cycle.
In the technique as disclosed in JP 11-98779 A, in which a dummy drum is arranged above the reel, it is necessary to perform winding simultaneously on the reel and the dummy drum by two flyers, so that the size of the apparatus has to be substantially large especially in the height direction, making the construction rather complicated so the apparatus cost tends to be rather high.

Abstract: In a winding method in which a plurality of conductor wires are arranged in parallel and wound around a reel to form a coil, which is dropped into a coil receiving jig, the plurality of conductor wires are temporarily wound around a bobbin, and the bobbin is attached to a flyer of a winding apparatus. The flyer is rotated to wind the plurality of conductor wires around the reel while drawing them out of the bobbin.


A temperature detector for measuring temperature of a heat exchanger of a vehicular air-conditioning unit includes a holder holding temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the exchanger and a harness connected to the measuring means. The holder has a through hole through which a measuring section of the measuring means extends, and first and second grip parts through which the harness extends. The first grip part has such a width dimension that the harness having a width dimension in the horizontal direction can be inserted therethrough, and the second grip part has such a width dimension that the harness having the width dimension in the vertical direction can be inserted therethrough and that the harness having the width dimension in the horizontal direction can not be inserted therethrough. Accordingly, a portion of the harness between the first and second grip parts is twisted and held by the holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a temperature detector for measuring the temperature of a heat exchanger of a vehicular air-conditioning unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicular air-conditioning units include an evaporator (cooling heat exchanger) for cooling outside air delivered from a blower unit. The outside air is cooled by a heat exchange with a coolant which flows in the evaporator. After the outside air is cooled, part of the cooled outside air is brought into contact with a heater and heated thereby. The heated outside air is then mixed with the remaining cooled outside air which has passed through a bypass passage without contacting the heater. The mixed air is then introduced as conditioned air at a desired temperature from air outlets into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
The rate at which the cooled outside air is supplied to the heater or bypass passage is adjusted by the opening of a door member of a damper mechanism which is disposed near the evaporator.
A temperature detector has a temperature detecting tip end held against the evaporator at a given position (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-017406 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-232257). The temperature detector detects the temperature of the evaporator, and a temperature control mechanism, not shown, controls the temperature of the coolant which flows in the evaporator to stay within a predetermined range based on the detected temperature.
The temperature detector is retained on the evaporator by a holder. The holder has an insertion protrusion which is inserted in and engaged by fins of the evaporator, thereby holding the holder on the evaporator.
As shown in FIG. 14 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-017406 and FIG. 7 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-232257, a harness (leads) is connected to an end of the temperature detector. As described above, the evaporator is supplied with outside air from the blower unit. Therefore, if the harness is loose, then the harness tends to vibrate under the pressure of the outside air which is applied to the harness. The harness is liable to vibrate more as the length of the harness connected to the temperature detector is larger as shown in FIG. 14 of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-017406.
When the largely-vibrating harness hits the evaporator and the damper mechanism, it produces noise. If the harness is entangled with the damper mechanism, then the door member of the damper mechanism may possibly be prevented from achieving a desired opening or may possibly cut off the harness when the door member is opened and closed.
One solution would be to reduce the length of the harness connected to the temperature detector for reducing the vibration of the harness. However, the shorter harness would make the temperature detector unable to measure the temperature of a central region of the evaporator.


Hook portion is formed on sheet an electric discharge preventing sheet put between battery and electrode. Hook portion which is deformable with a prescribed force comes into contact with holder 6 retaining electric discharge preventing sheet. Therewith, a remote control transmitter is provided, in which sheet hardly comes off during storage and transportation, and battery is securely prevented from exhausting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control transmitter to be used for remotely controlled television, video recorder, air conditioner and other various electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Television, video recorder, air conditioner and other electronic devices are recently compacted and light-weighted. In remote control transmitter remotely controlling these devices, a thinned and light-weighted card type is as well widely used. Many of this type of remote control transmitter use a button type battery in a disc shape, attaining a thinned and lighter weighted transmitter.
A conventional remote control transmitter of this type is described hereinafter using drawings FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional remote control transmitter and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the remote control transmitter. The drawings show that opening 1A is formed at a right side of under-housing 1 made of an insulating resin, and wiring board 3 having a plurality of conductive patterns on both sides of the board is installed (not illustrated) inside upper-housing 2 of a similar insulating resin.
On both sides of wiring board 3, electronic components including a light emitting diode and a microprocessor are mounted (not illustrated) forming control circuit 4 and transmitting a remote control signal such as of infrared light. On a side of wiring board 3, operating body 5 of an elastic rubber is placed, and a plurality of operating portions 5A of operating body 5 are projected movably in up and down directions through upper-housing 2.
Holder 6 made of an insulating resin holds button type battery 7 in a disc shape inside. Holder 6 is fit into under-housing 1 through opening 1A, enabled to be set in and taken out of the housing. Electrode 8 made of a conductive metal and connected to control circuit 4 is elastically contacted a side of battery 7 at an end portion of the electrode.
Sheet 9 made of an insulating film is put between battery 7 and electrode 8, electrically insulating battery 7 and electrode 8.
When the remote control transmitter is assembled, sheet 9 is inserted into under-housing 1 through opening 1A with holder 6 holding battery 7 as illustrated in FIG. 5, after wiring board 3 and operating body 5 have been installed inside under-housing 1 and upper-housing 2.
Sheet 9 insulates electrical contact between battery 7 and electrode 8. Namely, sheet 9 is used as an electric-discharge-insulating sheet, allowing the transmitter to be stored and transported without battery 7 is discharged and exhausted. When the remote control transmitter is initially used, sheet 9 is pulled out with its right end in FIG. 4, then battery 7 is elastically contacted by electrode 8 supplying an electric power to control circuit 4 and enabling the transmitter to be used.
In above constitution, when the remote control transmitter is directed to an electronic device then a designated operating portion 5A is depressed, a corresponding remote control signal of infrared-light is transmitted from control circuit 4 to the electronic device. If operating portion 5A related to power supply or volume control is depressed for example, power on-off or volume control of the electronic device is remotely controlled. The conventional remote control transmitter is constituted in this manner.
As prior art technical information related to the present invention, Japanese Patent Application No. H10-284030 can be referred to.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional remote control transmitter, because sheet 9 preventing the battery from electrical discharge is put between battery 7 and electrode 8 and held only with a resilient power of electrode 8, the sheet easily comes off during storage and transportation, causing a problem of battery exhaustion.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A modified serum albumin is provided which has been modified in the n-terminal region or binding region VI, such as through a truncation of at least three amino acids at the n-terminal end, so that it exhibits reduced or eliminated binding of trace metals such as nickel and/or copper. Other suitable modifications to this binding region include mutations such as an elongation or insertion which will be sufficient to disrupt the trace metal binding which is highest at this site. The modified albumin of the present invention is advantageous in that its binding to trace metals is reduced or eliminated, and it can thus be used more safely and effectively than unmodified albumin with a reduced or eliminated likelihood of causing an allergic reaction to the trace metal in the human being treated with the albumin composition.

The serum albumins belong to a multigene family of proteins that includes alpha-fetoprotein and human group-specific component, also known as vitamin-D binding protein. The members of this multigene family are typically comprised of relatively large multi-domain proteins, and the serum albumins are the major soluble proteins of the circulatory system and contribute to many vital physiological processes. Serum albumin generally comprises about 50% of the total blood component by dry weight, and as such is responsible for roughly 80% of the maintenance of colloid osmotic blood pressure and is chiefly responsible for controlling the physiological pH of blood.
The albumins and their related blood proteins also play an extremely important role in the transport, distribution and metabolism of many endogenous and exogenous ligands in the human body, including a variety of chemically diverse molecules including fatty acids, amino acids, steroids, calcium, metals such as copper and zinc, and various pharmaceutical agents. The albumin family of molecules are generally thought to facilitate transfer many of these ligands across organ-circulatory interfaces such as the liver, intestines, kidneys and the brain, and studies have suggested the existence of an albumin cell surface receptor. See, e.g., Schnitzer et al., P.N.A.S. 85:6773 (1988). The albumins are thus intimately involved in a wide range of circulatory and metabolic functions.
Human serum albumin (HSA) is a protein of about 66,500 kD and is comprised of 585 amino acids including at least 17 disulphide bridges. As with many of the members of the albumin family, human serum albumin plays an extremely important role in human physiology and is located in virtually every human tissue and bodily secretion. As indicated above, HSA has an outstanding ability to bind and transport a wide spectrum of ligands throughout the circulatory system including the long-chain fatty acids which are otherwise insoluble in circulating plasma. The atomic structure and particular details regarding the binding affinities of albumin and the specific regions primarily responsible for those binding properties have been previously determined as set forth, e.g., in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/448,196, filed May 25, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,780,594 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/984,176, filed Dec. 3, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,609, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In addition to human serum albumin, studies have been made on albumins in a variety of animal species, and it has been determined that over 60% of the amino acid sequences are conserved among the known albumin sequences of many mammals such as bovine, rat and human serum albumin. Moreover, as more and more albumins from other animal species have been sequenced, it has been found that the albumins from a wide range of vertebrate species including sheep, frogs, salmon, mice, pigs and even sea lampreys share varying degrees of sequence homology, and all share the characteristic repeating pattern of disulphide bridges observed in human serum albumin, thus implying a common three-dimensional structure. Furthermore, all members of the albumin multigene family for which sequences have been determined appear to have internal sequence homology (from two- to seven-fold), thus suggesting that the proteins evolved from a common ancestral protein, and reflecting the vital nature and function of this protein. See, e.g., Carter et al., Science 244:1195 (1989).
Because of the vital role played by albumins, there are literally thousands of applications for serum albumin and its related proteins covering a wide range of physiological conditions, and most often, native serum albumin has been used. However, unlike blood proteins such as hemoglobin, native serum albumins are non-functional as oxygen transport systems, and thus have not been useful in blood replacement systems requiring oxygen transport. More recently, an oxygen-transporting albumin-based blood replacement composition was developed which can be utilized as a blood volume expander, as has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,609, incorporated herein by reference, and this composition further increases the importance and usefulness of serum albumin.
Additionally, in applications involving albumin, it has been known to utilize the human serum albumin sequence of the prototypical or major allotype of the human serum albumin sequence, which has included the well known n-terminal amino acid sequence n-DAHK-c. See, e.g., Carter et al., Advances in Protein Chemistry, Vol. 45, 153–203 (1994) and Peters, "All About Albumin", Academic Press (1995). The binding of copper and nickel to the n-terminal peptide of albumins has been known and studied for many years, and this site has been designated as functional binding location Site VI in Carter et al. (1994). The sequence X—X-Histidine appears to be the key to the copper and nickel metal binding at this site, and of additional importance is the structural flexibility of the n-terminal polypeptide which cannot be structurally hindered.
At physiological pH, copper is bound with extraordinarily high affinity to this site (Ka=1.6×1016 M−1) (see Camerman et al., Can. J. Chem., Vol. 54:1309–1316 (1976)), perhaps the highest reported binding constant of any bound ligand to serum albumin. By comparison, the binding for Nickel is Ka=3×105 M−1. See Lau et al., J. Biol. Chem. Vol. 249:5878–5884 (1974). While this feature of the albumin molecule serves to protect the body from the potential damaging influences of the metals, especially copper, the nickel complex with albumin is known to elicit allergic reactions in some individuals, which occurs following ingestion of Ni(II) or exposure to nickel plated jewelry or other similar items. For example, an occupational asthma resulting from nickel binding is well recognized and has been traced to antibodies against Ni(II) specifically bound to the n-terminus of human serum albumin. See Carter et al. (1994), supra and Nieboer et al., Br. J. Ind. Med., Vol. 41:56–63 (1984).
In the normal course of recombinant production of albumin and other proteins, there is usually a given level of certain metals, including nickel and copper, which are required as components of the culture media and used in albumin production. Consequently, a significant level of nickel, copper and/or other metals is chelated by the n-terminal peptide of albumin during production, as evidenced during production by the green and yellow coloration of the recombinant human serum albumin. However, the presence of these metals, even in trace amounts, in the albumin produced via recombinant methods can lead to significant health problems as indicated above.
There is thus a significant need to develop safe and effective serum albumin products for use in many applications, particularly those which involve use in humans either internally or externally, which can reduce or eliminate the high affinity of albumin to copper and nickel and/or other metals, and which can thus reduce the risk that a potential albumin-based product will elicit an allergic response to the bound metal in a human or animal who is being treated with an albumin composition.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Modified serum albumin with reduced affinity for nickel and copper


Embodiments of the invention provide methods for determining the characteristics of a local loop using the multi-carrier tones of a DSL activation process. For one embodiment, one or more sets of downstream multi-carrier tones of a digital subscriber line activation process are received at an extended voice-band modem and are capable of transmitting upstream multi-carrier tones of the digital subscriber line activation process over a local loop. The downstream carrier tones and the upstream carrier tones are folded into a first multi-tone signal and a second multi-tone signal, respectively, each having a plurality of component signals within the spectrum band of the extended voice-based modem. The total signal power of the first multi-tone signal is divided by the power of one of the plurality of component signals of the second multi-tone signal to determine a ratio value. The ratio value is used to determine a characteristic of the local loop.

Broadband is a form of telecommunication that employs a wide band of frequencies that allows data to be multiplexed and transmitted concurrently over different frequencies within the band. This allows more data to be transmitted at one time. Broadband technology uses frequencies that typically range from approximately 25 KHz to approximately 1.1 MHz. There are many impediments to establishing broadband communication connections over typical telecommunications networks. A typical telecommunications network supports voice-band communication. The voice-band is the range of frequencies that is generally audible and used for the transmission of speech (i.e., approximately 300 Hz-4000 kHz). A typical telecommunications system is comprised of a central office ("CO") and a connecting network (local loop). A typical network includes COs that are connected to individual end-users through a main distribution frame ("MDF"). A twisted pair of copper wires typically connects the MDF and the end-users and comprises the local loop. Local loops are generally designed for voice-band communication. Each CO is interconnected through inter-CO network.
The CO contains the necessary switching equipment and the local loop is the intermediate network between the CO and the terminating equipment, commonly referred to as customer premises equipment ("CPE"), of the end-user. CPEs may include terminals, telephones, modems, etc. that are installed at the end-user's premises and connected to the telecommunications system.
A common type of broadband connection is a digital subscriber line ("DSL"). DSL provides high-speed data access (for example, high speed Internet access). The cost is low because DSL works on existing copper telephone wires, obviating the need for costly installation of higher-grade cable.
In a typical telephone network, some local loops will support a broadband connection and some will not. That is, a local loop of a typical telecommunications system may have various characteristics that preclude or impair a DSL or other broadband connection. Typical loop impairments to a broadband connection include a loading coil present on the loop and excessive loop length, as well as cross-talking, bridge-taps, and others.

Methods and apparatuses for determining loop characteristics using an extended voice-band modem


According to an aspect, a medical device includes an elongate member and a sleeve. The elongate member defines a lumen and has a first end portion and a second end portion. The second end portion has a first configuration and a second configuration. The second end portion has a first size when the second end portion is in its first configuration and a second size when the second end portion is in its second configuration. The first size is smaller than the second size. The second end portion is biased to its second configuration. The sleeve defines a lumen extending from a first end portion of the sleeve to a second end portion of the sleeve.

A variety of medical procedures are performed using an access device or an access sheath. For example, access devices or access sheaths may be used in procedures such as percutaneous nephrolithotomy procedures.
In some procedures that use access devices or access sheaths, it may be difficult for a physician or other medical practitioner to maintain the placement of the access device or the access sheath within the body of the patient during the entire procedure. In some cases, the access device or the access sheath may move within the body or be unintentionally dislodged from the its desired position within the body of the patient.
Accordingly, is may be desirable to provide a device, such as an access device or access sheath that includes features or components that help facilitate the securement of the access device or access sheath within the body of the patient.

Access device having an anchoring feature and methods of using the same


Provided is a pattern defect inspecting apparatus wherein inspection performance is stabilized. The defect inspecting apparatus, which has a plurality of configuration units and inspects defects on the surface of a sample, is provided with a means for monitoring time-dependent changes and failures of some of or all of the configuration units, and a means for notifying the user of the results of the monitoring. Furthermore, a unit which can perform correction is provided with a correcting means, and also a means for replacing a failure component with a spare component which has been prepared in the device.

If there are a foreign substance or a defect (short-out or breaking of wire, etc.) on a semiconductor wafer in the semiconductor manufacturing process, the foreign substance or the defect may cause insulation failure or short circuit of a wiring or a capacitor, or the film failure of a gate oxide film, which may result in the failure of the semiconductor device.
In order to improve the yield of the semiconductor device, it is important to rapidly detect a foreign substance or a defect on the semiconductor wafer in a manufacturing process. A SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) inspection technique or an optical inspection technique have been publicly known as a technique for detecting a foreign substance or a defect on the semiconductor wafer. The optical inspection technique includes a bright field inspection technique and a dark field inspection technique. In the bright field inspection technique, light is irradiated through an objective lens on the wafer and the reflected and diffracted light are collected through the objective lens. The collected light is photoelectrically converted by the detector so that a defect of the wafer is detected in signal processing. On the other hand, in the dark field inspection technique, light is irradiated on the wafer outside of the NA (Numerical Aperture) of an objective lens and the scattered light is collected by the objective lens. Similarly to the bright field inspection technique, the collected light is subjected to signal processing to detect a defect.
As an optical dark field inspection technique, a method is disclosed (in Patent document 1) in which a highly sensitive and highly reliable foreign substance inspection without false report by a pattern is realized by irradiating a laser on the wafer to detect the scattered light from the foreign substance and comparing the scattered light from the foreign substance with the inspection result of the same type wafer which has been inspected immediately before.
Further, as a technique for inspecting the foreign substance, a method is disclosed (in Patent documents 2 to 4) in which coherent light is irradiated on the wafer and light generated by the repeated patterns on the wafer is eliminated by the space filter to emphasize and detect a foreign substance and a defect which are not repeated.

Apparatus and method for inspecting pattern defect


Embodiments of the present disclosure include optical transmitters and transceivers with improved reliability. In some embodiments, the optical transmitters are used in network devices, such as in conjunction with a network switch. In one embodiment, lasers are operated at low power to improve reliability and power consumption. The output of the laser may be modulated by a non-direct modulator and received by integrated optical components, such as a modulator and/or multiplexer. The output of the optical components may be amplified by a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Various advantageous configurations of lasers, optical components, and SOAs are disclosed. In some embodiments, SOAs are configured as part of a pluggable optical communication module, for example.

The present disclosure relates generally to optical communications.
An important application of optical communication is in computer networks connecting servers and storage systems in large data centers. For example, the majority of all network traffic today is generated by servers inside of large Cloud Data Centers that are connected to each other and to the Internet with high-speed Data Center Switches.
The throughput of network switches continues to grow at a significant rate with the the next generations of network switch chips providing throughput of 51.2 Tbps (Terabits per second). Such switch chips require a large number of lasers for optical communications.
One problem with today's high-speed optical communications is power and reliability. Today's optical communication modules use high power laser with high current densities that reduce the expected lifetime of the laser and thus the meantime between failure.
Another problem with today's high-speed optical communications is that the reliability is insufficient for using optical communications within the chassis since an optics failure would require a complete chassis replacement. To enable optical communication within the chassis, including so-called "co-packaged optics" (CPO) the reliability of the optics components would need to improve by at least an order of magnitude.
Various embodiments described herein reduce the power and to increase the reliability of optics communication for high-speed data transmission.


An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects formed of successive layerwise consolidation of layers of a build material which can be consolidated by an energy beam. The apparatus may include a determination device confirmed to determine at least one parameter of the energy beam for a specific build material, wherein the determination device comprises at least one determination base body arrangeable or arranged in a beam guiding plane, in particular a build plane; and a tempering unit confirmed to temper the determination base body. Determination devices, along with methods, are also provided for determining at least one parameter of an energy beam of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects.

Apparatuses for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects are generally known from prior art. Typically, a determination device is used for determining one or more parameters of an energy beam, for example a focal position of the energy beam, an intensity of the energy beam and a shape of a spot of the energy beam, e.g. in a build plane. The determination of the parameter of the energy beam is crucial for object quality and/or process quality, since deviations from a nominal parameter lead to deviations in the irradiation process, e.g. resulting in depositing less or too much energy in a corresponding region of the build plane.
Further, it is known from prior art that determination devices can be used that involve determination base bodies being arranged in a beam guiding plane, e.g. the build plane in which the build material will be arranged to be irradiated in the additive manufacturing process. In other words, a determination base body, typically a metal plate, can be arranged in the beam guiding plane or in the build plane in which in the additive manufacturing process the build plane will be arranged. Thus, it is possible to guide the energy beam in advance to an additive manufacturing process onto the determination base body that is arranged in the same plane in which the build material will be arranged in the succeeding additive manufacturing process, e.g. succeeding a determination process performed on the apparatus for determining the parameter of the energy beam.
Thus, the energy beam is guided onto the determination base body for determining the at least one parameter of the energy beam, e.g. determining the intensity or the spot diameter or shape or the position of the energy beam, for instance. However, the determined parameters of the energy beam may still deviate from the parameter of the energy beam in the additive manufacturing process, as the surface of the determination base body may deviate from the surface of build material arranged in the build plane. For example, the surface of the determination base body may heat up due to the irradiation and therefore, the intensity distribution determined via the determination device is falsified.

Apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects


A sheet transport for a printer moves the leading edge of a sheet along a short and substantially straight path while inverting the sheet side-to-side. An output path feeds back to the printer input so a second side is printed in the correct orientation. Preferably a non-inverting sheet transport feeds directly into the output path, so that a once-printed sheet is transported to another printer, or is returned to the printer for a second pass either inverted, or on the same side. A deflector curls the sheet over a bar onto a transport at a different level, and as the paper advances, its trailing edge is drawn over the bar, flipping the sheet over.

The present invention relates to devices for transporting sheets in or between printers, and more particularly to sheet handlers, feeders, and sheet transport mechanisms which are built into or added onto systems composed of one or more printers. It particularly relates to two-sided printing systems.
Among prior art printing or copying systems, it is common to provide, at the output of one print "engine" a transport mechanism to carry sheets that have been printed on one side, and to function as a collating, inverting or other specialized sheet handling system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,571 issued to one of the present inventors, Paul Plasschaert, shows one such specialized sheet handling system wherein an entering sheet from the output of one print engine is inverted side-to-side as it undergoes a right angle change in transport direction.
The inverting system described in that patent operates by driving a front corner of the moving sheet against a J-bar that extends into the paper path to initiate a curling-over of the corner. As the sheet continues to advance along the transport path, the curled-over edge pushes against an obstruction oriented at 45.degree. across the transport path, which causes the leading end to continue curling over as it makes a right angle turn into the output path. That transport allows the injection of half-printed (e.g., single-side printed) sheets from a side station, into a main printing line with the sheets flipped over for receiving a second print image, thus offering greater flexibility in configuring multi-printer systems.
It would also be desirable to flip a printed sheet without changing its transport direction, and preferably to do so in a short transport path.


Percussion instrument support apparatus, comprising in combination, a base, an upright stand pivotally supported on the base to a first position, a brace releasably connected to the base at a second position apart from the first position, the brace pivotally connected to the stand, whereby when the stand is swung to down position relative to the base, the brace is released from the base and is swung to a down position relative to the base.

This invention relates generally to drumming associated equipment, and more particularly to adjustable apparatus for supporting percussion instruments, for example to allow ready collapse of the apparatus from sturdy upright position, for transport purposes.
There is continued need for apparatus of the above type, and more particularly there is need for improved apparatus that accommodates to both collapse of the apparatus from extended condition, and adjustment of the apparatus in extended upright condition, such as height adjustment of the percussion instrument, and also to provision for carriage of at least two percussion instruments, in extended condition of the apparatus. There is also need for particular apparatus as disclosed herein, having unusual advantages in structure, modes of operation and results, as will be seen.


A method and an apparatus for three-dimensional imaging of ultrasound data by constructing projections of data from a volume of interest. An ultrasound scanner collects B-mode or color flow images in a cine memory, i.e., for a multiplicity of slices. A multi-row transducer array having a uniform elevation beamwidth is used to provide reduced slice thickness. The data from a respective region of interest for each of a multiplicity of stored slices is sent to a master controller, such data forming a volume of interest. The master controller performs an algorithm that projects the data in the volume of interest onto a plurality of rotated image planes using a ray-casting technique. The data for each projection is stored in a separate frame in the cine memory. These reconstructed frames are then displayed selectively by the system operator. Segmentation of three-dimensional projection images is enhanced by decreasing the thickness and increasing the resolution (i.e., decreasing the point spread function) of the two-dimensional slices from which the projections are derived. The slice thickness is decreased by increasing the elevational focus of the beam. The two-dimensional resolution is increased by opening the aperture, i.e., decreasing the f-number, and by increasing the band-width.

The most common modes of diagnostic ultrasound imaging include B- and M-modes (used to image internal, physical structure), Doppler, and color flow (the latter two primarily used to image flow characteristics, such as in blood vessels). In conventional B-mode imaging, ultrasound scanners create images in which the brightness of a pixel is based on the intensity of the echo return. The color flow mode is typically used to detect the velocity of fluid flow toward/away from the transducer, and it essentially utilizes the same technique as is used in the Doppler mode. Whereas the Doppler mode displays velocity versus time for a single selected sample volume, color flow mode displays hundreds of adjacent sample volumes simultaneously, all superimposed on a B-mode image and color-coded to represent each sample volume's velocity.
Measurement of blood flow in the heart and vessels using the Doppler effect is well known. Whereas the amplitude of the reflected waves is employed to produce black and white images of the tissues, the frequency shift of backscattered waves may be used to measure the velocity of the backscatterers from tissue or blood. The backscattered frequency increases when blood flows toward the transducer and decreases when blood flows away from the transducer. Color flow images are produced by superimposing a color image of the velocity of moving material, such as blood, over the black and white anatomical image. The measured velocity of flow at each pixel determines its color.
The present invention is incorporated in an ultrasound imaging system consisting of four main subsystems: a beamformer 2 (see FIG. 1), a processor subsystem 4, a scan converter/display controller 6 and a master controller 8. System control is centered in master controller 8, which accepts operator inputs through an operator interface (not shown) and in turn controls the various subsystems. The master controller also generates the system timing and control signals which are distributed via a system control bus 10 and a scan control bus (not shown).
The main data path begins with the digitized RF inputs to the beamformer from the transducer. Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array 50 comprised of a plurality of separately driven transducer elements 52, each of which produces a burst of ultrasonic energy when energized by a pulsed waveform produced by a transmitter (not shown). The ultrasonic energy reflected back to transducer array 50 from the object under study is converted to an electrical signal by each receiving transducer element 52 and applied separately to the beamformer 2.
The echo signals produced by each burst of ultrasonic energy reflect from objects located at successive ranges along the ultrasonic beam. The echo signals are sensed separately by each transducer element 52 and the magnitude of the echo signal at a particular point in time represents the amount of reflection occurring at a specific range. Due to the differences in the propagation paths between an ultrasound-scattering sample volume and each transducer element 52, however, these echo signals will not be detected simultaneously and their amplitudes will not be equal. Beamformer 2 amplifies the separate echo signals, imparts the proper time delay to each, and sums them to provide a single echo signal which accurately indicates the total ultrasonic energy reflected from the sample volume. Each beamformer channel 54 receives the analog echo signal from a respective transducer element 52.
To simultaneously sum the electrical signals produced by the echoes impinging on each transducer element 52, time delays are introduced into each separate beamformer channel 54 by a beamformer controller 56. The beam time delays for reception are the same delays as the transmission delays. However, the time delay of each beamformer channel is continuously changing during reception of the echo to provide dynamic focusing of the received beam at the range from which the echo signal emanates. The beamformer channels also have circuitry (not shown) for apodizing and filtering the received pulses.
The signals entering the summer 44 are delayed so that they are summed with delayed signals from each of the other beamformer channels 54. The summed signals indicate the magnitude and phase of the echo signal reflected from a sample volume located along the steered beam. A signal processor or detector 4 converts the received signal to display data.
The beamformer outputs two summed digital baseband receive beams. The baseband data is input to B-mode processor 4A and color flow processor 4B, where it is processed according to the acquisition mode and output as processed acoustic vector (beam) data to the scan converter/display processor 6. The scan converter/display processor 6 accepts the processed acoustic data and outputs the video display signals for the image in a raster scan format to a color monitor 22.
The B-mode processor 4A converts the baseband data from the beamformer into a log-compressed version of the signal envelope. The B function images the time-varying amplitude of the envelope of the signal as a grey scale using an 8-bit output for each pixel. The envelope of a baseband signal is the magnitude of the vector which the baseband data represent.
The frequency of sound waves reflecting from the inside of blood vessels, heart cavities, etc. is shifted in proportion to the velocity of the blood cells: positively shifted for cells moving towards the transducer and negatively for those moving away. The color flow (CF) processor 4B is used to provide a real-time two-dimensional image of blood velocity in the imaging plane. The blood velocity is calculated by measuring the phase shift from firing to firing at a specific range gate. Instead of measuring the Doppler spectrum at one range gate in the image, mean blood velocity from multiple vector positions and multiple range gates along each vector are calculated, and a two-dimensional image is made from this information. More specifically, the color flow processor produces velocity (8 bits), variance (turbulence) (4 bits) and power (8 bits) signals. The operator selects whether the velocity and variance or power are output to the scan converter 6. Ultimately, the output signal is input to a chrominance control lookup table which resides in the video processor 22.
The acoustic line memories 14A and 14B of the scan converter/display controller 6 respectively accept processed digital data from processors 4A and 4B and perform the coordinate transformation of the color flow and B-mode data from polar coordinate (R-.theta.) sector format or Cartesian coordinate linear array to appropriately scaled Cartesian coordinate display pixel data stored in X-Y display memory 18. In B mode, the intensity data is stored in X-Y display memory 18, each address storing three 8-bit intensity pixels. In color flow mode, the data is stored in memory as follows: intensity data (8 bits), velocity or power data (8 bits) and turbulence data (4 bits).
The scan converter 6 converts the acoustic image data from polar coordinate (R-.theta.) sector format or Cartesian coordinate linear array to appropriately scaled Cartesian coordinate display pixel data at the video rate. This scan-converted acoustic data is then output for display on display monitor 12. In the B mode, the monitor images the time-varying amplitude of the envelope of the signal as a grey scale, i.e., the brightness of a pixel is based on the intensity of the echo return. In the color flow mode, if movement is present, e.g., blood flowing in an artery, a Doppler shift in the return signal is produced proportional to the speed of movements. The display images the flow of blood, i.e., the Doppler shift using different colors, e.g., red for flow toward and blue for flow away from the transducer. In power Doppler imaging, the power contained in the returned Doppler signal is displayed.
Successive frames of color flow or B-mode data are stored in cine memory on a first-in, first out basis. Storage can be continuous or as a result of an external trigger event. The cine memory is like a circular image buffer that runs in the background, capturing image data that is displayed in real time to the user. When the user freezes the system, the user has the capability to view image data previously captured in cine memory. The graphics data for producing graphics overlays on the displayed image is generated and stored in the timeline/graphics processor and display memory 20. The video processor 22 multiplexes between the graphics data, image data, and timeline data to generate the final video output in a raster scan format on video monitor 12. Additionally it provides for various greyscale and color maps as well as combining the greyscale and color images.
Conventional ultrasound scanners create two-dimensional images of a "slice" through an area of the anatomy. Two-dimensional ultrasound images are often hard to interpret due to the inability of the observer to visualize the representation of the anatomy being scanned. However, if the ultrasound probe is swept over an area of interest and two-dimensional images are accumulated to form a three-dimensional volume, the anatomy is easier to visualize. The data may be manipulated in a number of ways, including volume or surface rendering. In addition, the data may be resampled and displayed in planes other than the ones in which the data was originally collected. This allows the user to obtain views of the anatomy that may not be possible given the anatomy and the inability to properly position the probe.
The above techniques have been used to display ultrasound data with varying degrees of success. One problem is that lack of resolution (both spatial and contrast), coupled with speckle and noise in the two-dimensional images make it difficult to properly segment the projected image. The lack of resolution in two-dimensional images is due to a number of factors, including an inability to maintain uniform focus of the beam over a large range, a lack of bandwidth and dynamic range, and a high f-number of the system. Another problem has been the limited range of elevational focus of the beam produced by a single-row, fixed single-focus transducer array. The source data slices used in the reconstruction of a three-dimensional image vary in thickness due to the nonuniform elevation beamwidth. Therefore, the reconstructed images successively degrade as projections or resampled images approach an angle perpendicular to the plane of acquisition. Thus there is a need to lower the f-number and increase the bandwidth of the system, to improve both spatial and contrast resolution of the two-dimensional images, and a further need to control the elevational focus of the ultrasound beam over a greater range, to obtain a much thinner slice of more uniform thickness, enabling improved segmentation in three-dimensional imaging.

Method and apparatus for enhancing segmentation in three-dimensional ultrasound imaging


The invention provides a polishing pad suitable for polishing at least one of semiconductor, optical, magnetic or electromechanical substrates. It includes a polyurea polishing layer and a polyurea matrix. The polyurea has a soft segment being a copolymer of aliphatic fluorine-free polymer groups and a fluorocarbon having a length of a least six carbons. The polyurea matrix being cured with a curative agent and including gas or liquid-filled polymeric microelements. The polyurea matrix has a bulk region and a transition region adjacent the bulk region that extends to the polishing layer. The polymeric microelements in the transition region decrease in thickness as they approach the polishing layer with thickness of the compressed microelements adjacent the polishing layer being less than fifty percent of a diameter of the polymeric microelements in the bulk region. The polishing layer remains hydrophilic during polishing in shear conditions.

Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) is a variation of a polishing process that is widely used to flatten, or planarize, the layers of construction of an integrated circuit in order to precisely build multilayer-three-dimensional circuitry. The layer to be polished is typically a thin film (less than 10,000 Angstroms) that has been deposited on an underlying substrate. The objectives of CMP are to remove excess material on the wafer surface to produce an extremely flat layer of a uniform thickness, the uniformity extending across the entire wafer area. Control of removal rate and the uniformity of removal are of paramount importance.
CMP utilizes a liquid, often called slurry, which contains nano-sized particles. This is fed onto the surface of a rotating multilayer polymer sheet, or pad, which is mounted on a rotating platen. Wafers are mounted into a separate fixture, or carrier, which has a separate means of rotation, and pressed against the surface of the pad under a controlled load. This leads to a high rate of relative motion between the wafer and the polishing pad (i.e., there is a high rate of shear at both the substrate and the pad surface. Slurry particles trapped at the pad/wafer junction abrade the wafer surface, leading to removal. In order to control rate, prevent hydroplaning, and to efficiently convey slurry under the wafer, various types of texture are incorporated into the upper surface of the polishing pad. Fine scale texture is produced by abrading the pad with an array of fine diamonds. This is done to control and increase removal rate, and is commonly referred to as conditioning. Larger scale grooves of various patterns and dimensions (e.g., XY, circular, radial) are also incorporated for hydrodynamic and slurry transport regulation.
Removal rate during CMP is widely observed to follow the Preston Equation, Rate=Kp*P*V, where P is pressure, V is velocity, and Kp is the so-called Preston Coefficient. The Preston Coefficient is a lumped sum constant that is characteristic of the consumable set being used. Several of the most important effects contributing to Kp are as follows: (a) pad contact area (largely derived from pad texture and surface mechanical properties); (b) the concentration of slurry particles on the contact area surface available to do work; and (c) the reaction rate between the surface particles and the surface of the layer to be polished. Effect (a) is largely determined by pad properties and the conditioning process. Effect (b) is determined by both pad and slurry, while effect (c) is largely determined by slurry properties.
The advent of high capacity multiple layer memory devices (e.g., 3D NAND flash memory) has led to a need for further increases in removal rate. The critical part of the 3D NAND manufacturing process consists of building up multilayer stacks of SiO2 and Si3N4 films in an alternating fashion in a pyramidal staircase fashion. Once completed, the stack is capped with a thick SiO2 overlayer, which must be planarized prior to completion of the device structure. This thick film is commonly referred to as the Pre-Metal Dielectric (PMD). The device capacity is proportional to the number of layers in the layered stack. Current commercial devices use 32 and 64 layers, and the industry is rapidly moving to 128 layers. The thickness of each oxide/nitride pair in the stack is ˜125 nm. Thus, the thickness of the stack increases directly with the number of layers (32=4,000 nm, 64=8,000 nm, 128=16,000 nm). For the PMD step, the total amount of capping dielectric to be removed is approximately equal to approximately 1.5 times the stack thickness, assuming a conformal deposition of the PMD.
Conventional dielectric CMP slurries have removal rates of ˜250 nm/min. This yields undesirably lengthy CMP process times for the PMD step, which now is the primary bottleneck in the 3D NAND manufacturing process. Consequently, there has been much work on developing faster CMP processes. Most improvements have focused on process conditions (higher P and V), changing the pad conditioning process, and improvements in slurry design, particularly in CeO2-based slurries. If an improved pad could be developed that can be paired with the existing processes and CeO2 slurries to achieve higher removal rate without introducing any negative effects, it would constitute a significant improvement in CMP technology.
The most commonly used top pad layer used in dielectric CMP is the IC1000™ polyurethane polishing pad. This pad has many desirable properties, including its surface charge in water. As shown in an article by Sokolov et al (J. Colloid Interface Sci, 300 (2), p. 475-81, 2006) the surface charge of IC1000™ polishing pads is increasingly negative for pH values above 2. Since polishing pads in motion during polishing, the physical properties of the pad asperities under shear are critically important.
The primary methods used to achieve increased rate in CMP pads are the following: i) optimization of groove design without changing the composition of the top pad layer; ii) altering the conditioning process without changing the composition of the top pad layer; iii) providing pads with more desirable conditioning response by changing the conditioning response of the top pad layer; and iv) providing pads with top pad layers having higher hardness or modified elastic properties.
Hattori et al (Proc. ISET07, p. 953-4 (2007)) discloses comparative zeta potential vs. pH plots for various lanthanide particle dispersions, including CeO2. The pH of zero charge or isoelectric point was measured as approximately 6.6. Below this pH, the particle has a positive potential; above this pH the particle has a negative potential. The isoelectric point can shift for different ceria particles or with modification of the ceria-containing slurry.
With the development of 3D NAND, there is an increased desire for polishing pads with increased ceria polishing rate.

Compressible non-reticulated polyurea polishing pad

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.


Systems and methods for modifying three-dimensional digital items to fit different character models are described herein. In an embodiment a machine learning system is configured to compute a shape and size of three-dimensional digital objects to fit a second character model based on the shape and size that the same three-dimensional digital objects have to fit a first character model. A server computer receives particular input data defining a plurality of particular input vertices for a particular input three-dimensional digital object fit for the first character model. In response to receiving the particular input data, the server computer computes, using the machine learning system, particular output data defining a plurality of particular output vertices for a particular output three-dimensional digital object, the particular output three-dimensional digital object comprising the particular input three-dimensional digital object fit for the second character model. The server computer then causes displaying, on the client computing device, of the particular output three-dimensional digital object combined with the second character model.

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Video games, animated movies, and other media rely on a large amount of digital modeling. While each frame could be generated as a still image, doing so at any scale would be extremely inefficient and, in many cases, completely untenable. Instead, animators tend to create digital models of characters and digital models of different items that a character might wear. For instance, a lab coat may be modeled separate from a character and then set on the character at a later stage in the animation process.
As a media project becomes larger, the number of items to model becomes larger. This problem of scope is exacerbated when it comes to interactive media, such as video games, where individual items may need to be modeled multiple times to fit different characters. For example, in Blizzard's World of Warcraft, over a thousand helmets have been modeled to fit twenty eight unique character models, ranging from male humans to female panda-like creatures called pandaren. With twenty eight versions of a thousand helmets, World of Warcraft sports twenty eight thousand unique helmets.
With larger scope projects, every addition to the project takes on an increasing level of scale. For instance, each new helmet added to World of Warcraft has to be modeled twenty eight times while each new character model added may require a thousand existing helmets to need to be adjusted to fit the new character model. The increasing technical cost of adding character models and helmets can increase the amount of time it takes to update a project and can have a chilling effect on creativity. Designers are discouraged from creating new character models with radically different features, as any new character model with radically different features will be more difficult to fit into existing helmets than a character model that is similar to an existing character model.
Thus, there is a need for a system which can leverage existing data to fit new digital items to existing character models or fit existing digital items to new character models. Additionally, creating such a system often requires a set of ground truth data and digital modeling can be extremely subjective with different artists fitting digital items differently to a same character model. Thus, there is a need for a system which can leverage the existing data while taking into account different styles or levels of skill that were used to create fits of existing digital items.

Dynamic character model fitting of three-dimensional digital items


A baby feeding bottle includes a dispenser body having an upper opening and a hollow interior. A flexible fluid container is supported by the dispenser body. An elongated flow tube has a first end disposed adjacent to the upper opening of the dispenser body and a second end disposed within the flexible fluid container. The flow tube facilitates passage of fluid within the fluid container and to the upper opening of the dispenser body.

This invention relates generally to drink dispensers, including nursing bottles for infants. More particularly, the present invention relates to a drink dispenser with a flexible draw tube.
Nursing bottles for infants are generally known in the art and typically comprise a resilient nipple mounted onto a cap or neck ring which is adapted in turn for mounting onto a bottle containing a selected beverage or food product in liquid form for an infant. The resilient nipple comprises a soft and collapsible mouthpiece which is manipulated by the infant with an alternating collapsing and expansion motion in combination with a sucking action to draw the liquid contents of the bottle through a nipple port. Nursing bottles of this standard type must be held in an inverted or substantially inverted position during use, to ensure fluid flow communication of the bottle contents to the resilient nipple. Further, such conventional bottles naturally fill with air as the infant drinks the liquid. In turn, the feeding infant tends to swallow some of the air, causing indigestion.
As an improvement on this long existing configuration, a newer generation of baby nursing bottles include a polymeric cylinder into which a collapsible plastic bag or liner can be positioned. The plastic bag is usually secured at the top of the cylinder by a neck ring or the like. The milk, formula or other liquid is then added to the bag rather than to the cylinder or bottle itself. When topped with the appropriate nipple assembly, this arrangement desirably provides a system under which the bag gradually collapses as the infant feeds from the liquid therein. However, because the bag collapses, pockets of the milk, formula or other liquid can be formed which are not easily accessible by the infant as there is no direct path or space available for fluid to flow to the nipple. Increasing suction is required to provide an ever decreasing fluid flow.
Due to the natural inclination of the plastic bag or liner to collapse upon itself and constrict fluid flow as the infant consumes the liquid, the infant child cannot suck fluid from the bottle while in a vertically erect or standing position. This is an ever increasing concern as the child grows and matures and desires to feed from the bottle in a sitting or standing position. In order to provide a constant fluid flow, the child must horizontally recline or arch his or her neck and back to force the fluid towards the nipple of the inverted bottle. However, even in an inverted position, small pockets of fluid can still be formed within the flattening liner and require a great deal of suction to remove.
Morever, these nursing bottles allow air to enter into the liner after the bottle has been put aside, particularly in an upright position such as might be the case when the baby is being burped or otherwise attended to. The weight of the liquid in the liner tends to pull the liner downward drawing air into the liner through the nipple. Air may also be drawn into the liner through the nipple or cap when the baby stops sucking for a period of time. Once the bottle is inverted and the infant begins feeding again, the air travels through the liquid and is trapped in a pocket at the top of the inverted bottle. As the fluid is removed, the air pocket remains at the top of the inverted bottle and can be nearly closed off by the liner as the fluid is removed. If the infant continues to suck after the fluid is removed, air is drawn through the nipple and into the infant causing indigestion.
Bottles have been devised that incorporate plastic bags. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,287 discloses a plastic bag with a lower rigid support which is manually slid into the cylinder to force the plastic bag upward to remove air out of the bottle. However, this does nothing to solve the problem of pockets of milk, formula or other liquid forming as the plastic bag collapses which denies the infant the ability to consume their full amount of milk, formula or other liquid. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,973, bottle incorporates a valve into or otherwise associated with the nipple which is intended to overcome the problems which are brought about when air enters the bottle. However, as fluid is removed from the liner, the liner still collapses upon itself to create a constriction between portions of the fluid which are then difficult if not impossible for the child to access.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple drink dispenser construction that permits all or nearly all of the liquid to be accessed by the child. There is a further need for a drink dispenser which permits the user to suck liquid easily and smoothly from the drink dispenser in virtually any orientation. There is an additional need for a drink dispenser having an elongated flow or delivery tube to accommodate versatile bottle positioning relative to a resilient nipple member, while insuring substantial liquid flow of the liquid to the infant in response to a normal suction action. There is also a need for a drink dispenser which allows the infant to feed from any angle or position, including an upright standing position. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.


A hermetic compressor and a refrigeration cycle device having the same are provided. An oil separator is installed either outside or inside of a casing to separate oil from a discharged refrigerant and an oil pump driven by a driving force of a motor is used to recollect the oil separated in the oil separator, whereby the separation between oil and refrigerant can effectively be performed and also a fabricating cost can be reduced. Also, an introduction of the separated refrigerant back into the compressor can be prevented so as to improve a cooling capability of the refrigeration cycle device. In addition, the oil pump is driven by the driving force of the motor, resulting in a simple configuration of the compressor and a reduction of a fabricating cost of the compressor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compressor and refrigeration cycle device having the same, and, more particularly, to an oil recollecting apparatus of a compressor capable of separating and recollecting oil from a refrigerant discharged from a compressing unit of the compressor.
2. Description of Related Art
A compressor is a device for converting kinetic energy into compression energy of a compressive fluid. A hermetic compressor is configured such that a motor for generating a driving force and a compression unit for compressing fluid by the driving force received from the motor are all installed in an inner space of a hermetically sealed container.
When the hermetic compressor is provided as a component in a refrigerant compression refrigeration cycle device, a certain amount of oil is stored in the hermetic compressor in order to cool the motor of the compressor or smooth and seal the compression unit. However, when die compressor is driven, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor into the refrigeration cycle device includes oil mixed in with the refrigerant. Part of the oil discharged into the refrigeration cycle device is not recollected to the compressor but remains in the refrigeration cycle device, thereby causing a decrease in the amount of oil in the compressor. This may result in decrease in compressor reliability and also degradation of heat-exchange capability of the refrigeration cycle device due to the oil remaining in the refrigeration cycle device.
Accordingly, in the related art, an oil separator is disposed at a discharge side of the compressor to separate oil from the discharged refrigerant, and such separated oil is recollected to a suction side of the compressor, thereby avoiding the lack of oil in the compressor and also maintaining the heat-exchange capability of the refrigeration cycle device.
However, when recollecting oil separated by the oil separator into the suction side of the compressor, the high pressure refrigerator is also recollected together with the oil, which results in decreasing the amount of refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle device, thereby lowering a cooling capability of the compressor. In addition, temperature of suction gas in the compressor is increased to thereby raise temperature of discharge gas. Accordingly, the reliability of the compressor is degraded. Also, as the temperature increases, a specific volume of the sucked refrigerant is increased, so as to decrease the actual amount of the sucked refrigerant, thereby degrading the cooling capability of the compressor.
In an attempt to decrease pressure and temperature of oil recollected from the oil separator into the compressor, to decrease pressure and temperature of oil removed from the refrigerant, and to prevent the backflow of the refrigerant into the compressor, a decompressing device, such as a capillary tube, the related art may include a decompressing device, such as a capillary tube, is provided between the oil separator and the suction side of the compressor. However, even if the decompressing device is so located, the pressure of the oil separator is higher than the pressure of the suction side of the compressor, which causes an increase in suction temperature and suction pressure of the compressor. In particular, when driving the compressor at low speed, the amount of oil pumped is decreased in the compressor. As a result, more refrigerant is recollected than oil, thereby further degrading the cooling capabilities of the compressor and the refrigeration cycle device.
Furthermore, as the oil, which has been separated by the oil separator and then recollected, is mixed with the sucked refrigerant, it is discharged with the refrigerant via the compressing unit, thereby leaving insufficient oil in the inner space of the casing causing the reliability of the compressor to deteriorate further.

Hermetic compressor and refrigeration cycle device having the same


An aluminum-alloy sheet includes 0.10 to 0.40 mass % of Si, 0.35 to 0.80 mass % of Fe, 0.10 to 0.35 mass % of Cu, 0.20 to 0.80 mass % of Mn, and 1.5 to 2.5 mass % of Mg, the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities, wherein a content ratio (Si/Fe) of the Si to the Fe is 0.75 or less, the solute Mn content is 0.12 to 0.20 mass %, and the aluminum-alloy sheet has a proof stress of 225 N/mm2 or more after having been baked at 270° C. for 20 seconds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packaging container used for a beverage or a food, in particular, to an aluminum-alloy sheet that is to be covered by a resin film and then formed into can bodies; and a method for producing the aluminum-alloy sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In materials for drawn and ironed (DI) cans and bottle cans (hereafter, DI cans and bottle cans are collectively referred to as aluminum cans), manganese (Mn) is considered as an essential element for achieving high ironing workability and high can strength. Typically, the materials have a Mn content of 0.5 mass % or more, often 0.8 mass % or more.
Since aluminum-alloy sheets for producing aluminum cans desirably have high formability and a low earing ratio, complete recrystallization textures need to be formed in the stage of hot-rolled sheets. Accordingly, such aluminum-alloy sheets are generally produced in the following manners.
A double soaking in which a slab is subjected to a homogenization heat treatment at a high temperature of about 600° C., then cooled, and heated again is performed so that the solute Mn content of the slab is made less than a certain value and generation of microprecipitates is suppressed (precipitates are grown and made coarse); thus, the production conditions are controlled so that the complete recrystallization texture is obtained at the coiling temperature of the finish hot rolling. Other than the double soaking, there is also two-stage soaking in which a slab is subjected to a homogenization heat treatment at a high temperature of about 600° C., then cooled to about 500° C. at a certain cooling rate, and subsequently hot-rolled.
The techniques of producing aluminum-alloy sheets for aluminum cans from aluminum alloys having the above-described Mn content in the standard manners are disclosed in, for example, Patent Literatures 1 to 4 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-219929, paragraphs [0018] to [0020]; Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-204793, paragraph [0030]; Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-244701, paragraphs [0037] to [0038]; and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-342657, paragraphs [0054] to [0062]).

Aluminum-alloy sheet and method for producing the same


A checkout stand includes a first extendable conveyor extending in a first direction for delivering one or more articles to a first bagging station. A second conveyor is provided for conveying one or more articles from the first conveyor to at least a second bagging station. A scanner may be provided for scanning the articles, such as during delivery by an infeed conveyor upstream of the first conveyor. A controller may control the first conveyor to selectively divert articles between the first and second bagging stations. Related methods are also disclosed.

Retail stores, and especially those selling groceries, are looking for manners in which to increase the efficiency of the checkout process while reducing costs. This has led to the use of self-checkout lanes, but the same inefficiency results, since only one consumer can use each lane at a given time. There is also the problem of delicate purchased articles (eggs, loaves of bread, flowers, etc.) being damaged during conveyance for bagging, or then as a result of being bagged incorrectly. Accordingly, the need for a more efficient solution for checking articles for purchase out of a store is identified.

Multi-destination checkout system and related methods


An infinitely variable cone disc transmission is disclosed in which the contact pressure forces are generated fully hydraulically and in which the contact pressure level is set either by way of a torque sensor that is disposed on the driven shaft and constitutes a pressure medium throttle that is adjustable as a function of the load and the transmission ratio, or by way of a pressurizing valve that is connected in series with this torque sensor and controlled as a function of the load.

The present invention relates to an infinitely adjustable cone disc transmission including two pairs of cone discs arranged on the driving and driven shafts as well as a transfer means rotating between the pairs of discs, with the cone discs being fixed to rotate with the shaft carrying them. On each shaft one cone disc is also axially fixed while the associated second cone disc is configured as an axially displaceable component of a cylinder-piston unit that is fixed to the shaft and to which pressure medium is supplied through an inlet from a four-edged spool valve. The latter is adjustable by means of an adjustment member and, in order to press on the transfer means and to set and maintain the transmission ratio, is provided with an outlet for the outgoing pressure medium. A discharge conduit is connected to the pressure medium outlet, with at least one torque sensor being disposed therein. This torque sensor is arranged on one of the transmission shafts in the flow of moments at that location and influences, as a function of the load, the pressure medium pressure in the cylinder-piston units. The torque sensor is hydraulically connected in series with an adjustable pressurizing valve with which the pressure medium pressure can be additionally influenced.
Such a transmission is disclosed, for example, in German Patent 3,743,195. In that patent, a torque sensor disposed on the driving side is hydraulically followed by a pressurizing valve that additionally influences the pressure medium pressure exclusively as a function of the transmission ratio of the power train in such a way that, with an increasing transmission ratio of driving revolutions to driven revolutions, this pressure increases as well.
This pressure medium pressure is furnished by a pump, with the energy consumption of this pump for a constant conveyed stream being approximately proportional to the pressure medium pressure that it must furnish. Since the energy to be expended for operation of the pump and the friction losses as a function of contact pressure in the drive loop have a negative influence on the overall efficiency of the transmission, it is desirable to keep the pressure level as low as possible in dependence on the load state. This is relevant particularly under partial load, that is, in connection with motor vehicles, particularly in city traffic.
However, in the transmission described in German Patent 3,743,195, the result is that the pressure medium pressure may possibly be kept very high even if the load applied to the transmission is small, because the pressurizing valve operates purely as a function of the transmission ratio, particularly if the load is small but the transmission ratio is high at the same time.

Cone disc transmission, particularly for motor vehicles


A temporary prediction mode determining unit temporarily determines a prediction mode used to code a coding target pixel, based on a relation between the decoded value of a locally decoded pixel neighboring at least one line above the coding target pixel and the decoded values of locally decoded pixels surrounding the neighboring pixel, and then sets a temporary prediction mode index. A final prediction mode determining unit finally determines a prediction mode used to code the coding target pixel, based on the temporary prediction mode index of the coding target pixel and the relation between the decoded value of a locally decoded pixel located at least to the left of the coding target pixel and the decoded values of locally decoded pixels surrounding the pixel located to the left.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a picture coding and decoding technique used to compress and expand a picture signal, and more particularly, to a technique by which to compress and expand picture data, which is buffered in a frame memory, when the picture signal is processed between frames.
2. Description of the Related Art
When an image or picture processing, such as the scaling or frame interpolation, is carried out, frame images or pictures need to be temporarily saved in a frame memory. In recent years, the images and pictures having high resolution are on the increase. This entails a rise in the clock rate, an increase in the number of terminals, an increase in memory capacity and so forth to transfer the high-resolution pictures between an arithmetic circuit and the frame memory. Thus a picture compression technology to reduce the transmission quantity of picture data in a system is in demand. Since such a picture compression technology aims to reduce the circuit scale and load within the system, it is required that the pictures be compressed in a simple manner and at a low load and, at the same time, the image degradation be suppressed to the minimum.
One of such methods for compressing the picture signal is a method where the error between a pixel of interest and locally-decoded pixels surrounding the pixel of interest is coded. In this method, a pixel most approximate to the pixel of interest among the neighboring pixels of the pixel of interest is selected, so that the prediction error value can be minimized. Proposed is a method where the pixel most approximate to the pixel of interest is estimated from a relation between the value of a pixel located one line above the pixel of interest and the locally decoded values of its surrounding pixels (see Reference (1) in the following Related Art List). Estimating a prediction direction by the use of the pixel one line above increases the time required to determine the prediction direction. As a result, an increase in the circuit scale can be suppressed.

Picture coding apparatus, picture coding program, picture decoding apparatus, and picture decoding program


A test method and apparatus for use with a plurality of magnetically sensitive elements having a fixed relative physical sequence, and with a plurality of electrical lead sets through each of which the magnetic field being experienced by a respective one of said magnetically sensitive elements can be sensed. The method includes the steps of placing the magnetically sensitive elements in a variable magnetic field and determining a respective magnetic field setting at which each given one of the lead sets indicates the presence of a magnetic null. The results of such a test can be used to determine which lead sets are connected to which magnetic elements, and/or to determine whether at least one lead set is mis-connected.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to techniques for testing an assembly having a plurality of magnetically sensitive elements and, more particularly, to apparatus and techniques for testing the accuracy of electrical connections made to magnetic disk heads.
2. Description of Related Art
A magnetic head assembly for a disk drive typically consists of an actuator which is rotatably mountable on an actuator axis of the disk drive, and a plurality of magnetic heads mounted at the end of respective flexures which extend radially outward from the actuator. For a typical disk drive having anywhere between two and six double-sided platters, the head assembly (which is also called a head stack) has a corresponding number of typically 4-12 heads. Each head is magnetically sensitive so as to be able to read data stored magnetically on one or the other surface of a platter. The heads are designed to be particularly sensitive in the direction facing the platter surface to which it is assigned. The heads are arranged linearly on their respective flexures, such that a line segment will pass through all of the heads. Moreover, the heads are arranged vertically on the head assembly such that the line segment is parallel to the actuator axis. Although the flexures can flex and thereby permit individual heads to move vertically relative to the other heads on the head assembly, the relative physical sequence of the heads is fixed.
On a typical head assembly, each of the heads is connected via a set of wires carried along its corresponding flexure, to a flex strip mounted on the actuator. Each wire is soldered to a respective pad on the flex strip. For a given one of the heads, the set of electrical conductors beyond the solder joints is referred to herein as a "lead set" for the given head. In the embodiments described herein, the lead sets comprise conductors on the flex strip.
The flex strip on the actuator supports an "actuator chip" which performs, among other things, signal preamplification and, in many cases, head biasing, fault protection and multiplexing. The flex strip further has an electrical connector mounted thereon, for further connection to the disk drive electronics.
Older magnetic heads were inductive, and each head had two wires to be soldered to the flex. Newer magnetic heads are magneto-resistive (MR), and each head has four wires--two for reading and two for writing. In both cases, the individual wires are extremely tiny. They are so small, in fact, that they typically must be soldered to the flex strip by hand, under a microscope. In this situation, it is unfortunately very easy to interchange the different wires for a given head, or among different heads. The situation is more problematical with MR heads than with the older inductive heads, because of the greater number of wires that need to be soldered for each head.
Because of the risk of inaccurate lead attachment, manufacturers of head assemblies have developed fixtures and techniques for statically testing head assemblies before they are mounted in disk drives. In one such technique, the head assembly is mounted in a fixture which includes a number of different electromagnetic coils. The coils are excited with a high-frequency AC current, and are distributed in space in such a way as to produce a high-frequency magnetic field having a known phase distribution throughout the spatial region containing the heads. Each head receives a high-frequency magnetic field of approximately the same amplitude, but with different phases. By comparing the phase of the electrical signal produced by the lead set which is supposed to be connected to each of the heads, either to the phase of the electrical signal from other lead sets or to the phase of the input excitation current, the tester can determine whether all of the lead sets are actually connected to their proper heads.
The above-described prior art tester was designed for use with inductive heads, however, not MR heads. Whereas inductive heads do have a direction of particular magnetic sensitivity, the direction of particular magnetic sensitivity for MR heads is much more narrowly confined because of heavy magnetic side-shielding. The electromagnetic coils in the prior art apparatus were located on the side of the heads, rendering it extremely difficult to produce sufficiently large magnetic field vector components that are aligned with the direction of particular magnetic sensitivity of MR heads. In some cases, in fact, in order to obtain meaningful electrical output from the lead sets of MR heads, it might be necessary to increase the current levels applied to the coils by such an amount that the resulting magnetic fields exceed the maximum safe field specification for the MR heads.
Disk drives are being manufactured today in enormous volume, and the magnetic head assemblies for such disk drives need to be manufactured in equally high volume. At the same time, competition among disk drive manufacturers constantly pressures them to keep their production costs low. One way to minimize costs is to detect assembly errors while the head assembly is still on the production line, before it is mounted in a disk drive. If an error is detected while the head assembly is still on the production line, then the error can be corrected much more easily and inexpensively. For one easily arising form of error, that of incorrect attachment of tiny wires to pads on a flex strip, manufacturers in the past had techniques (for example, the technique described above) for detecting these errors on the production line. But now that most disk drives use MR heads as opposed to inductive heads, the prior art no longer teaches any adequate way to test for incorrect lead attachment while the head assembly is still on the production line.