A conventional problem is to provide an optical module capable of being reflow mounted together with electronic components collectively, and, at the same time, securing a mechanical strength that can bear a large stress at the time of an attachment/detachment of the optical fiber. A solution to the above-mentioned problem can be attained by using an optical connector removable type optical module for reflow mounting having a fixing structure for fixing itself to a mount board, including a receptacle part installed to an optical module 19 to which an optical connector 1 is detachably connected; electric terminals 4 for reflow mounting that are arranged corresponding to lands 8 on a mount board 6; and stud parts 5 that are able to fit in fixing holes 7 on the mount board 6.

The present invention relates to an optical module, a board mounted optical module, and method of assembly of an optical module. More specifically, the invention relates to an optical module for transmitting or receiving an optical signal, and a board mounted optical module of this kind, and to a method of assembly of an optical module of this kind.
Because of explosive use of the Internet and portable telephones, the construction of optical communication systems that offer high speed and large capacity have been promoted rapidly, and, hence, an even further reduction in the cost of optical components that are to be used in such systems is desired. On the other hand, in the board mounting process, since the jackets of optical fibers used in the optical modules have a low heat resistance, it is difficult to employ the convenient, low-cost reflow mounting process with the use of solder (i.e. mounting a component on a mount board by the solder reflow process) that is widely used in mounting electronic components. For this reason, although it becomes costly, a technique of individually mounting, only the optical modules has been adopted. Moreover, since it is difficult to automate a process of reeling the optical fiber on the mount board, the assembly process was complicated.
K. Kurata et al. have reported an optical module, which has a simplified connector structure that enables an optical fiber to be detachably connected and which is compliant with the mounting process using reflow soldering (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9ccompliant with the reflow mounting processxe2x80x9d), in IEEE Trans. CPMT, vol.19, p.524 (1966). FIG. 1 herein shows an example of board mounting with the use of an optical module, as described above, which is compliant with the reflow mounting process, and the housing configuration of the mount boards in optical transmission equipment. Optical modules 31 compliant with the reflow mounting process together with electronic components, such as an IC 20, an IC 21, etc., are mounted on a mount board 6 collectively by the solder reflow process. An electric connector 22, which has electric connection pins 23, is mounted on the mount board 6, and an adapter 29 for optical connection is fixed to the mount board 6 with screws. After that, a simplified connector 30 terminating an optical fiber 27 for a module is attached to the optical module 31, and a standard optical connector 1 that terminates the other end of the fiber is inserted in the adapter 29. Then, the mount board 6 on which each component is mounted is inserted along guides 28 mounted on the enclosure of the optical communication equipment to establish a connection between the adapter 29 for optical contact and the standard optical connector 1 of the optical fiber 27 supported on a connector fixed post 25 of the enclosure, as well as the connection between the electric connection pins 23 and an electric connector 24 of the electric wiring 26 supported on the same.
This structure has the following features.
(1) The optical module 31 and the electronic components can be reflow mounted collectively on the mount board 6.
(2) The adapter 29 for achieving optical contact is fixed on the mount board 6 with screws.
(3) The simplified connector 30 of the optical module 31 and the adapter 29 for optical contact are connected with the optical fiber 27.
More specifically, the simplified connector 30 attached to one end of this fiber 27 and the optical module 31 are optically connected, and the standard optical connector 1 provided at the other end thereof is optically connected to the optical adapter 29.
In structures like this, because the optical fiber is detachably connected and the structure is compliant with the reflow mounting process, there is the advantage that the optical modules can be reflow mounted with electronic components collectively. However, since the fiber 27 intervenes between the optical module 31 and the adapter 29, there is a problem that the reeling process for supply of the fiber 27 is troublesome. Moreover, since this configuration requires a portion where the fiber 27 is arranged, there is a problem that the mount board becomes larger by that amount, which is contrary to the object of miniaturization of the optical module.
Here, the reason for providing the fiber 27 in this way can be ascribed to the following fact. In the above-described optical module 31, which is devised to be compliant with the reflow mounting process, the mechanical fixation strength to the mount board for direct optical connection with an enclosure is structurally insufficient. Therefore, this module doesn""t accommodate a receptacle part which a normal optical connector is directly attached to and detached from. That is, in this construction, attachment/detachment of the normal optical connector 1 is performed through the intermediary of the separately provided optical adapter 29.
Moreover, in the optical module described in Japanese Patent Prepublication No. 5-335603, the optical module has a plate-like connection part that contacts a wide area of the mount board during the reflow process in order to increase the mechanical connection strength to the mount board. FIG. 2 shows its structure. A package main body 42 is provided with an optical connector 43 capable of being detachably connected to an external optical connector, and further comprises lead parts 44a for making connection with a circuit board 41 and a plate-like connection part 44b that is to be soldered to the circuit board 41 during the reflow process and that has a large contact area to reinforce the mechanical connection strength. However, it is difficult to miniaturize this optical module because the connection part 44b having a large contact area needs to be mounted on the circuit board, and it is likely that the module may move in the plane of the board during the reflow process; therefore this, module is not suitable for connection with an enclosure that uses a multiplex connector.
On the other hand, the optical module disclosed in the Japanese Patent Prepublication No. 8-57746 and the optical module disclosed in the Japanese Patent Prepublication No. 8-15578 have receptacle structures that allow the attachment/detachment of optical fibers with respect to the main bodies, wherein both electric wiring pins and stud pins for fixing the receptacle part ensure the mechanical strength that can stand a stress at the time of the attachment/detachment of the optical fiber. Although the problem of the reeling process in the supply of optical fiber is solved in the optical modules as described above, the optical module needs to be mounted separately and so it is difficult to mount the optical module together with electronic components collectively using the solder reflow process.
With the above-mentioned conventional technology, by providing an attaching/detaching mechanism for an optical fiber whose heat resistance is low and a reflow mounting mechanism, the optical fiber together with the electronic components can be reflow mounted collectively. However, as shown in FIG. 1, in such an example where a large stress is applied to the optical module when the mount board is attached to and detached from the enclosure, the reflow mounting only by soldering is considered to be insufficient in terms of the mechanical fixation strength of the optical module to the mount board. Therefore, to circumvent this problem, a configuration is adopted wherein an optical adapter for external connection is provided separately and this adapter is connected to the optical module via an optical fiber. Now, with this structure, a step for connection of an optical fiber will newly occur, and hence the troublesome reeling process in the supply of the optical fiber and the screw fastening process of the optical adapter still remains necessary. Consequently, with this structure, it is difficult to reduce the cost of mounting. Furthermore, it is very likely that the height and the horizontal location of the optical modules may vary when being mounted on a mount board. Especially, when a multiplex optical connector is used, there is a concern that the stress may increase at the time of the attachment/detachment of the optical fiber because of the variation of relative positions of the receptacle parts.
On the other hand, in the above-mentioned conventional technology for mounting the optical module whereby the optical module main body is fixed by electric terminal pins and stud pins, the mechanical strength at the time of the attachment/detachment of the optical fiber is sufficient. However, there exists a problem in that the collective reflow mounting of the optical module together with the other electronic components is difficult due to its pin structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical module etc. which is capable of being reflow mounted on a mount board (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9creflow-mounted on a boardxe2x80x9d) together with electronic components collectively and securing a mechanical strength that can bear a large stress at the time of the attachment/detachment of the optical fiber. With this construction, a low-cost mounting of the optical module can be realized, eliminating problems, such as troublesome screw fastening of the optical module, the reeling process of the optical fiber, etc. Furthermore, a structure is provided whereby the height and the horizontal position of the optical module can be controlled accurately when being reflow mounted, especially suppressing the stress of the optical module at the time of the attachment/detachment of the multiplex optical connector.
Firstly, terms are defined.
A stud means a pillar (a structure for supporting something).
A land means a printed wire part on the board to which a component is to be soldered when a tip component etc. is mounted on the board by soldering. This is a normally used term in the technical filled of solder mounting etc. In the reflow surface mounting, the term land indicates an island part on which solder is printed.
The means for solving the problem is as follows.ps
(1) FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a typical construction. In these figures, an optical module 19 is provided with a receptacle part 2 to which the optical connector 1 is detachably connected. This optical module 19 is provided with electric terminals 4 that can be surface mounted on the mount board 6. The electric terminals 4 are located in positions corresponding to lands 8 on the mount board 6. The optical module 19 is provided with stud parts 5. On the mount board 6, fixing holes 7 are provided for securing the optical module 19 on the mount board 6 through the intermediaries of the studs 5 thereof, and the holes 7 are constructed so as to fit the studs 5. In this construction, the studs 5 of the optical module 19 are made to fit in the mount board 6, and then solder between the electric terminals 4 and the lands 8 is melted, whereby the optical module 19 is reflow mounted on the mount board 6. According to such a construction, the above-mentioned problem can be eliminated, and hence the object of the present invention can be achieved.
(2) In such a structure, more specifically, it is also possible to adopt a construction wherein the studs 5 are formed together with the receptacle parts 2 and the optical module main body 3 in a single structural combination. Here, it is requisite to provide the stud parts 5 on the optical module main body 3, but it is optional to provide the stud parts 5 also on the receptacle part 2. Naturally, the optional provision is more effective.
(3) Moreover, it is also possible to form the stud part 5, the receptacle part 2, and the optical module main body 3 into a single structural combination with a resin material or a plastic material.
(4) Preferably, the number of studs 5 is three or more. The larger the number, the more desirable the studs are to fulfill the original function of the stud.
(5) As shown in FIG. 5, forming stud parts 9 into a taper shape is a feature of one embodiment of the present invention.
(6) As shown in FIG. 6, it is also possible to adopt a construction where stud parts 10 fit the fixing holes 7 of the mount board 6 and each stud 10 is provided with flanges. When a stud 10 is inserted in a hole 7, both sides of the mount board 6 contact those flanges, and thereby the stud 10 is made to fit in the mount board 6.
(7) It is also possible to adopt a construction, as shown in FIG. 7, where stud parts 11 with a flange fit the fixing holes 7 of the mount board 6. The flange is formed so as to contact one of the planes of the mount board 6.
(8) It is also possible to adopt a configuration where stud parts 13 and stud parts 14, each one of which is able to fit the other, are provided on the optical modules, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, and when the two optical modules 19 are mounted on the front side and on the rear side of the mount board 6 through the intermediaries of the fixing holes 7, the two stud parts 13, 14 of the two optical modules 19 fit together to effect the fixation of the two optical modules an the mount board 6.
(9) For the configuration of the mutually fitting studs, it is possible to adopt a configuration where the stud parts 13 and the stud parts 14 are arranged at symmetrical locations with respect to a central axis A-Axe2x80x2 of the optical module, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, it is also possible to adopt a configuration where the stud parts 5 are not arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis A-Axe2x80x2of the optical module.
(10) As shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to adopt a configuration where the electric terminals 4 are led out through the sides of the optical module 19 as an electric terminal structure compliant with the surface mounting process or reflow mounting process. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 14 and 15, it is possible to adopt a configuration where lead-shaped electric terminals 15 or land-shaped electric terminals 16 protrude from the underside (or bottom face) of the optical module 19 as an electric terminal structure compliant with the surface mounting process or reflow mounting process.
(11) As shown in FIG. 16, it is also possible to adopt a structure where a multiplex receptacle part 18 consisting of a plurality of optical connection parts, that is, enabling a plurality of optical connectors to be attached thereto or detached therefrom, is provided so as to make possible the attachment/detachment of a plurality of discrete connectors or a multiplex connector 17.
(12) As shown in FIG. 17, it is also possible to adopt a configuration where a plurality of optical modules 19 according to the present invention are mounted on the mount board 6.
(13) As shown in FIG. 18, it is also possible to adopt a configuration where electronic components, such as electronic circuits of the ICs 20 and 21, the electric connector 22 furnished with the electric terminal pins 23 for inputting/outputting electric signals from/to the outside, etc., as well as the optical module 19 according to the present invention are mounted on the same mount board 6.
(14) As shown in FIG. 19, it is also possible to constitute terminal equipment 32 with the optical module 19 according to the embodiment of the present invention as communicating means of a network etc.
(15) As shown in FIG. 20, FIG. 21, and FIG. 22, it is also possible to adopt a configuration where fixing stud parts are provided outside of an area defined by the lead-shaped electric terminals 15 or the land-shaped electric terminals 16 compliant with the surface mounting process or reflow mounting process.

Optical module, board mounted optical module, and assembly method of optical module


Methods for routing in the design of integrated circuits (ICs) to simplify the routing task. The method includes dividing a given IC design into a limited number of non-overlapping tiles, and then routing all tiles in parallel, each tile being independently routed by a standard router. Thereafter, routed tiles are assembled to form a routing solution for the entire IC. Details of exemplary methods are disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the design of integrated circuits (ICs), and more particularly to the routing phase of an IC design.
2. Prior Art
Due to the ever increasing complexity of integrated circuit (IC) designs, IC designers become more and more reliant on electronic design automation (EDA) tools. An IC is fabricated by a series of lithographic steps that may be abstracted as a construction of a multilayered stack of materials, each layer consisting of a large set of simple geometries. In the related art, EDA tools that manipulate modular sets (e.g., component libraries, IP blocks, and so on) of simple geometries are provided. Each such modular set consists of geometries that exist on several or all lithographic layers of the IC and contains a logic function, ranging from a simple inverter library cell to an IP block module that may hold a microprocessor.
Generally, the processing steps taken by an EDA tool to obtain an IC layout are: a) mapping of the logic for an IC to existing blocks and further partitioning the circuit into blocks of modules or circuits; b) floor planning, which finds the alignment and relative orientation of the circuit blocks; c) placement, which determines more precisely the positions of the circuit blocks and their component blocks; d) routing, which completes the interconnects among electrical components; and e) verification, which checks the layout to ensure that it meets design and functional requirements.
Routing is a key operation in the physical design cycle. Routing consists of establishing a set of electrical conductors that may be constructed on almost any of the geometries and most of the lithographic layers. However, due to the ever-increasing electrical constraints, modern ICs bound all routing geometries to metal layers, wherever such layers have not been utilized by the connections within the library modules or IP building blocks. Given the fact that modern technology includes many metal layers, placement procedures construct a complete packing of the building IP modules or blocks with no space reserved for routing. All routing is then constructed from geometries that exist on the layers above the building blocks contents.
A set of terminal points to be connected is commonly known as a net. Geometries that may have been utilized in the construction of the already placed building blocks are represented as a list of obstacles for the routing problem. Routing is usually performed in two phases: global and detailed. In the global routing, the routing of the nets of the circuit disregards the exact geometric details of each wire and terminal. For each wire, a global router finds a topology that represents the wires of a given net. That is, the global routing specifies the loose route of a wire through the routing space, attempting to reconcile net demand on routing space. The global routing is followed by a detailed routing that completes the point-to-point connections, thereby realizing the connectivity of each net. Global routing usually includes detailed information, such as layer assignment of wire segments, widths of wires, and so on. The detailed routing is performed using a fine router.
Due to the fact that a typical IC consists of millions of nets, a routing of a single net is a NP-hard problem. This fact indicates a potential of extremely high demands on computational resources. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a solution that simplifies the routing of IC designs and allows routing tasks to be executed by standard computational resources.

Methods for tiling integrated circuit designs


An edge detecting circuit detects whether a particular pixel belongs to an edge by determining whether the differential value of the pixel from the neighboring pixel is equal to or greater than a threshold. Based on the detection result, an emphasis converter stops OS drive when the image of a pixel area is regarded as an edge image in accordance with the detected result of the edge detecting circuit and implements OS drive when the image of a pixel area is not regarded as an edge image. In this way, the edge detecting circuit detects edge portions of the input video, whereby OS drive in the emphasis converter can be controlled so as to be turned on and off.

Recently, as personal computers and television receivers have become lighter and thinner, reduction in thickness and weight of display devices has also been wanted. In answer to such demands, flat panel type displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have been developed in place of cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
An LCD is a display device which produces desired image signals by applying electric fields across a liquid crystal layer having anisotropic dielectric constants, injected between a pair of substrates so that the strength of the electric fields is controlled to thereby control the amount of light passing through the substrates. Such LCDs are typical examples of handy flat panel type displays. Of these, TFT LCDs that employ thin-film transistors (TFT) as switching elements are mainly in use.
Lately, since LCDs have been not only used as the display devices of computers but also used widely as the display devices of television receivers, the need for rendering motion pictures has been increased. However, since the conventional LCDs are low in response speed, they have a drawback that it is difficult to reproduce motion pictures.
In order to make the LCD's response speed problem better, there is a known liquid crystal driving method wherein in accordance with the combination of the input image data of the previous frame and the input image data of the current frame, either a higher (overshot) drive voltage than the predetermined gray scale level voltage that corresponds to the input image data of the current frame or a lower (undershot) drive voltage is supplied to the liquid crystal display panel. In this specification of the present application, this driving scheme should be defined as overshoot (OS) drive.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a conventional overshoot drive circuit. Specifically, the input image data (current data) of the N-th frame being about to be displayed and the input image data (previous data) of the (N−1)-th frame being stored in a frame memory 1 are loaded into an emphasis converter 2, wherein the patterns of the gray scale level transitions between both the data and the input image data of the N-th frame are looked up with the applied voltage data table stored in a table memory (ROM) 3 so as to identify applied voltage data, and write-gray scale level data (emphasis-converted data) needed for image display of the N-th frame is determined based on the thus obtained applied voltage data (emphasis conversion parameters) so as to be supplied to a liquid crystal display panel 4. Here, emphasis converter 2 and table memory 3 constitute a write-gray scale level determining means.
The applied voltage data (emphasis conversion parameters) stored in the above table memory 3 is obtained beforehand from the actual measurement of the optical response characteristics of liquid crystal display panel 4. When, for example, the number of display signal levels, i.e., the amount of display data, is 256 gray scales represented by 8 bits, every level of 256 gray scales may have a piece of applied voltage data, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, it is also possible that only the measurements for nine representative gray scale levels, one for every 32 gray scale levels, have been stored and the applied voltage data for other gray scale levels is determined by linear interpolation of the above measurements or other operations.
There has been a problem in that it takes long time to make a transition from a certain half gray scale level to another half gray scale level, so that it is impossible for a general liquid crystal display panel to display the half gray scales within the period of one frame (e.g., 16.7 msec. for a case of progressive scan of 60 Hz). This not only produces afterglow but also hinders correct half gray scale display. Use of the above-described overshoot drive circuit, however, enables display of the aimed half gray scale level within a short time as shown in FIG. 3.
In the case where the liquid crystal response speed is improved by way of the signal processing as above, OS drive is performed by making a comparative operation between the input image data of the previous frame and the current frame data and outputting the emphasis-converted data.
However, if the emphasis-converted data is mis-optimized, errors in data between frames are enhanced, so that video noise which does not originate from due input data will be generated. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the relationships between the applied voltage to the liquid crystal display panel and the transmittance when the input video data changes from black to a certain half gray scale value.
Since in FIG. 4 the emphasis-converted data is optimized in conformity with the liquid crystal display panel characteristic, the target brightness can be realized within one frame, while three frames are needed for the normal drive to reach the target brightness. On the other hand, shown in FIG. 5 is a case where the brightness reaches a level higher than the target because excessive emphasis-converted data is used.
Since the cases explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 are assumed that the input image data changes from black to a certain half gray scale level and continues to be set at that half gray scale level, the output data reaches the target brightness level while the error of the output data is absorbed within one frame. However, if the input data changes repeatedly, e.g., black→half gray scale→black→half gray scale, the error will rapidly increase.
In terms of normally received television signals this problem causes undue images (so-called noise) that are laid over edges such as face contours, character contours, etc., resulting in image degradation such as unnatural hue, white spots, flickering, etc.
Further, when the response speed of the liquid crystal display panel is taken into consideration, it is difficult to output the optimal emphasis-converted data at any time because of variations in cell gap, change in the viscosity of the liquid crystal material due to ambient temperature and other factors.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and is to provide a liquid crystal display which is capable of eliminating the adverse effects from accelerative drive by detecting edges of the input image and turning on and off the accelerative drive for every pixel.
Further, since in the conventional liquid crystal display shown in FIG. 1, the input image data for the current frame is emphasis-converted and supplied to the liquid crystal display panel, based on the gray scale level transitions of the input image data from one frame to the next, if some noise is laid over the input image data, the noise also is emphasis-converted and supplied to the liquid crystal display panel, causing image degradation such as white spots, flickering etc., resulting from the emphasized noise.
FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing a case where noise is laid over 3×3 pixels of data. For instance, suppose that noise shown in FIG. 6(b) is added (the pixels of the 135th and 130th gray scale levels are the noise added portions) when data of the 128th gray scale level is supplied to all the pixels as shown in FIG. 6(a). In the normal drive mode, the input gray scale levels are output straight through, so that the display data (write-gray scale levels) shown in FIG. 6(b) is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel.
On the other hand, when OS drive for data emphasis conversion is implemented, this affects the data to enlarge the transition width. So the noise added portions are emphasized to reach the 140th and 135th gray scale levels as shown in FIG. 6(c), hence the noise is displayed prominently. In this way, if a signal source of a poor S/N ratio is supplied to an OS drive configuration, the noise is also emphasized more than that in the normal drive mode, this gives a problem in that the image quality of the displayed image is degraded.
To deal with this, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 3-96993, for example, proposes a configuration, wherein the differential signal as to the video data to be displayed on the liquid crystal display between the current data and the data one frame period or one field period before is detected, and when the magnitude of the differential signal is smaller than the predetermined level, the difference is determined to be noise and the input video data is output straight through, while, when the magnitude of the differential signal is greater than the predetermined level, the input video data is added with the above differential signal so as to output the video data with its afterimage removed.
This scheme is realized by provision of a coefficient circuit composed of a multiplier for multiplying the input signal by a predetermined coefficient or using a ROM table, having an input/output characteristic shown in FIG. 7. More specifically, when the value of the differential signal (motion detection signal) between the pieces of data one frame period or one field period apart, to be supplied to the coefficient circuit, falls within the ranges from 0 to +a and from 0 to −a, or when the magnitude is smaller than the predetermined value |a|, the input video data is output straight through.
On the other hand, when the value of the differential signal (motion detection signal) supplied to the coefficient circuit falls outside of the ranges 0 to +a and 0 to −a, or when the magnitude is greater than the predetermined value |a|, the input signal multiplied by a coefficient having the same polarity as that of the input signal is output and added to the input video data, so that the input video data is emphasis-converted to cancel the afterimage from the image displayed on the LCD device.
However, in the above disclosure of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 3-96993, a coefficient circuit composed of the multiplier or the ROM table is used to obtain output video data in conformity with the magnitude of the differential signal of the video data between the current data and the data one frame period or one field period before, so it is only possible to deal with one-dimensional noise depending on temporal variations. Therefore it has been impossible to prevent image degradation of the displayed image, in a perfect manner.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problem, and is to provide a liquid crystal display which is capable of positively eliminating the adverse effects from OS drive by enabling switching between the OS drive and normal drive based on multidimensional noise detection result.
In the conventional liquid crystal display shown in FIG. 1, when the emphasizing process (OS drive) by write-gray scale level determining portion 2 is implemented, noise and the like, which are high frequency components, superimposed on the input image data, are further emphasized by the OS drive, posing the image degradation problem in that noise stands out as white spots (in the case of the liquid crystal display panel operated in the normally black mode).
For example, playback of an analog VTR entails noise that is attributed to the tape and head system during signal reproduction, or playback of a tape that is obtained after repeated duplication results in a poor signal to noise ratio producing much noise. If the above-described OS drive is implemented for the input image data superimposed with such noise, even the noise is emphasized and results in image degradation of the displayed image.
Further, when a user who prefers a clear and vivid image adjusts the contour enhancement correcting function of a television system etc., to a severe level, the contour enhanced portions are further emphasized by OS drive to a too strong level and unnatural hues, flickering, etc., arise, degrading the image quality of the displayed image.
Moreover, the video signals for DVD and digital broadcasting are compressed by MPEG-2. In MPEG, it is usually known that the lower the transfer bit rate of codes (the higher the compression rate), the more the coding noise stands out and the more the image quality degrades. As typical coding noise in MPEG, block noise and mosquito noise are well known.
Block noise is a phenomenon whereby boundaries of blocks appear clearly and are seen like tiles. This takes place when the image signal within each block has only low frequency components and the neighboring blocks have different frequency component values. Mosquito noise is flickering noise appearing around edges as if mosquitoes were flying. This noise is generated due to loss of high frequency components that are included in the original image signal, through quantization.
In this way, when coded image data that is encoded based on a coding scheme that implements blockwise orthogonal transformation is input/decoded to perform image display, block distortion whereby boundaries of process blocks appear in the flat portion of the decoded image, and mosquito noise that causes haze around edge portions of characters and contours occur. These noises are emphasized by OS drive, degrading the image quality of the displayed image.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problem, and is to provide a liquid crystal display which improves the liquid crystal response speed for half gray scale images by implementing overshoot drive while preventing noise etc. from being excessively emphasized, to thereby improve the image quality of the displayed image.
Usually, at the previous stage of the aforementioned overshoot drive circuit, various video adjustments are implemented according to user's preference, hence OS drive (emphasis conversion process) is executed for the input image data which has undergone the video adjustments. Accordingly, depending on the video adjustment result, OS drive may pose a problem in that the image quality of the displayed image is degraded by the occurrence of the adverse effects (unnatural hues, flickering, etc.) therefrom.
For example, when a user who prefers a clear and vivid picture applies rather intensive contour enhancement correction by video adjustment, the contour enhanced portions are further emphasized by OS drive to a too strong level and produce white spots (in the case of a liquid crystal display panel operated in the normally black mode), unnatural hues, flickering and others, resulting in degradation of the image quality of the displayed image.
Since the optical response characteristics of liquid crystal display panels are different depending on the alignment mode of liquid crystal, the electrode structure for applying electric fields across the liquid crystal material and other factors, there exist some gray scale level transition patterns of which the liquid crystal response speed can be well improved by OS drive (emphasis conversion process) and others of which the liquid crystal response speed can not be improved very much by OS drive (emphasis conversion process).
When a picture obtained as a result of the user's video adjustments for input image data as to gray scale level characteristics such as black (white) extension, black (white) level adjustment, brightness adjustment and the like, includes many gray scale level transition patterns of which the liquid crystal response speed cannot be improved very much by OS drive (emphasis conversion process), implementation of OS drive only enlarges data errors between frames, resulting in generation of video noise which does not exist in the original input image data.
Illustratively, there are gray scale level transitions in which the target gray scale level cannot be achieved within one frame even if OS drive is effected. For such transitions, if OS drive is effected for the next frame, the applied voltage of data is determined on the basis that the previous gray scale level has reached the target gray scale level despite the fact the gray scale level has not yet been reached. As a result, gray scale levels which are deviated from due gray scale levels to be displayed are displayed, so that the desired image cannot be displayed. If this is repeated, the error of the output data increase rapidly, posing the problem in that whitened or blackened pixels are reproduced.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problem, and is to provide a liquid crystal display which can inhibit image degradation due to adverse effects from overshoot drive, by controlling overshoot drive in response to the user's video adjustment for the input image data.
As it has been known that the response speed of liquid crystal greatly depends on the temperature, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 4-318516, for example, discloses a liquid crystal display panel driver that continuously controls and keeps the response speed of gray scale change in an optimal condition without loss of display quality in order to deal with any change of the temperature of liquid crystal display panel.
This configuration includes: RAM for storing one frame of digital image data for display; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the liquid crystal display panel; and a data converting circuit which compares the aforementioned digital image data with the image data that is read out, by a one-frame delay, from the RAM and, if the current image data has changed from the image data one frame before, implements emphasis conversion of the current image data in the direction of the change, in accordance with the detected temperature of the above temperature sensor, whereby display of the liquid crystal display panel is driven based on the image data output from this data converting circuit.
Specifically, suppose that the temperature of the liquid crystal display panel to be detected by the temperature sensor is classified into, for example, three ranges Th, Tm and Tl (Th>Tm>Tl) and three mode signals, corresponding to these ranges, to be output from the A/D converter to the data converting circuit are defined as Mh, Mm and Ml, while in the ROM of the data converting circuit, "3", the number equal to that of the mode signals, tables of image data, which can be accessed by designating the addresses or the value of the current image data and that of the image data delayed by one frame, are stored beforehand. One table which corresponds to the input mode signal is selected, and the image data stored in the table at the memory location designated by the addresses, i.e., the value of the current image data and that of the image data delayed by one frame is read out to be output to the drive circuit of the liquid crystal display panel.
Next, FIG. 8 is a rear view showing a schematic configurational example of a direct backlight type liquid crystal display. In FIG. 8, 4 designates a liquid crystal display panel, 11 fluorescent lamps for illuminating the liquid crystal display panel 4 from the rear, 12 an inverter transformer for energizing fluorescent lamps 11, 13 a power supply unit, 14 a video processing circuit board, 15 a sound processing circuit board and 16 a temperature sensor.
Of these, items releasing heat that greatly affects the response speed characteristic of liquid crystal display panel 4 are inverter transformer 12 and power supply unit 13. It is preferred that temperature sensor 16 is arranged inside liquid crystal display panel 4, from its due objective, but this is difficult, so the sensor should be attached to another member such as a circuit board.
Therefore, when, for example, the constituents 11 to 15 are arranged as shown in FIG. 8, temperature sensor 16 is attached to sound processing circuit board 15, which is least affected by generation of heat from inverter transformer 12 and power supply unit 13, and the detected output from this temperature sensor 16 is made use of by an overshoot drive circuit provided in video processing circuit board 14.
The above-described conventional liquid crystal display, however, has the following problems.                (1) If, for example, the applied voltage data (emphasis conversion parameters) stored in OS table memory 3 is broken, or the calculation algorithm for linear interpolation or the like in emphasis converter 2 is broken, due to some device trouble, it becomes impossible to supply the liquid crystal display panel 4 with correct applied voltages of data (emphasis-converted data) corresponding to the input image data, whereby the image quality of the displayed image is markedly degraded, thus hindering the attention to the picture.        (2) Further, in the case of the above-described conventional liquid crystal display, in the normal installed state (stand-mounted state) shown in FIG. 9(a) temperature sensor 16 is arranged at the place where it has least influence of heat from inverter transformer 12, power supply unit 13 and other components. However, when the screen is set at the vertically inverted state (in the suspended state from ceiling) as shown in FIG. 9(b) or when rotated by 90 degrees (in the portrait orientation state) as shown in FIG. 9(c), the heat flow path changes hence temperature sensor 16 is significantly affected by generation of heat from the other members, so it is no longer possible to detect the exact temperature of liquid crystal display panel 4.
As a result, correct applied voltages of data (emphasis-converted data) corresponding to the temperature of liquid crystal display panel 4 cannot be supplied to liquid crystal display panel 4, causing the problem of image quality of the displayed image being significantly degraded by generation of shadow tailing due to application of insufficient applied voltages of data (emphasis-converted data) to liquid crystal display panel 4 or by generation of white spots due to application of excessive applied voltages of data (emphasis-converted data) to liquid crystal display panel 4 (in the case of the normally black mode).
Further, if this liquid crystal display is put in a place where air is blown onto it from a room air-conditioner or in a sunny place or direct sunshine, part of liquid crystal display panel 4 may decrease or increase in temperature, producing varying temperature distribution across the surface of liquid crystal display panel 4. Resultantly, excessive applied voltages of data (emphasis-converted data) may be supplied to liquid crystal display panel 4 in partial areas, producing white spots, or insufficient applied voltages of data (emphasis-converted data) may be supplied to liquid crystal display panel 4 causing shadow tailing (when in the normally black mode), hence image quality of the displayed image is significantly degraded. This problem of varying temperature distribution across the surface of liquid crystal display panel 4 depending on the place of installation becomes more noticeable when the display screen size becomes greater.                (3) Moreover, when coded image data that is encoded based on a coding scheme that implements orthogonal transformation for every block consisting of, for example, M×N pixels, is input/decoded to perform image display, block distortion whereby boundaries of processed blocks appear in the flat portion of the decoded image, and mosquito noise that causes haze around edge portions of characters and contours occur, depending on the compression ratio of the image coded data. When overshoot drive is applied to these noises, the noises are emphasized, resulting in degradation of the image quality of the displayed image.
Similarly and also, in the case where a picture signal having a poor S/N ratio is input, the noise is emphasized when overshoot drive is effected, causing degradation of the image quality of the displayed image. In this way, depending on the property of the input image, overshoot drive causes adverse effect, thus degrading the image quality of the displayed image.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problem, and is to provide a liquid crystal display which prevents degradation of the image quality of the displayed image by stopping overshoot drive when an awkward picture is displayed by execution of overshoot drive, due to device trouble, due to the installed state of the device and due to the property of the input image.


A new and distinct cultivar of Agapanthus plant named ‘PMB011’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; vigorous growth habit; early flowering habit; numerous star-shaped flowers with violet blue and white-colored perianth segments arranged on upright and strong scapes; and ease of propagation.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Agapanthus plant, botanically known as Agapanthus orientalis and hereinafter referred to by the name 'PMB011'.
The new Agapanthus plant is the product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Pine Mountain, Queensland, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and vigorous Agapanthus plants with early flowering habit and attractive bi-colored flowers.
The new Agapanthus plant is the result of a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in 2009 of Agapanthus orientalis 'Snowflake', not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Agapanthus orientalis known as code name PMB01, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Agapanthus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Pine Mountain, Queensland, Australia during the spring of 2011.
Asexual reproduction of the new Agapanthus plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Pine Mountain, Queensland, Australia since the spring of 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Agapanthus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A method and apparatus for allowing the soft defect detection testing (SDDT) of an memory array (106) of a data processor (100) begins by providing a control value to a memory controller (111). The control value determines whether a switching circuit (104) will apply a VDD power supply voltage from a VDD terminal (132) or a Vstby power supply voltage from a Vstby terminal (130) to a selected portion of the memory array (106). When in an SDDT test mode, the selected portion of the memory array (106) is supplied by the Vstby terminal (130). While being supplied by the Vstby terminal (130), the selected portion of the memory array (106) is SDDT tested by coupling a current detection device to the pin (130) and measuring a current I drawn by the selected portion of the memory array (106).

As modern processor speeds have increased over time, the use of on-chip static random access memory (SRAM) has become more common. An advantage of SRAM memories is that they do not require refresh cycles to retain data. Dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) do require refresh operations which can result in adverse power consequences which are not suffered when using SRAM technology. However, a problem exists with all types of SRAMs in that perfect data retention potential has not been realized due to soft error rate phenomenon. In other words, open circuit defects, dubbed soft defects, are capable of causing retention failures and can be undetectable using conventional retention detection techniques.
In order to address this issue, a set of open circuit tests and memory current tests, termed as soft defect detection testing (SDDT), has been developed. One test in this set of tests is known as an array current test (ACT). During the array current test, the amount of current being drawn by a given memory block or memory array is measured by an on-board current detect circuit in the prior art. Since the amount of current used by a memory cell which contains a soft defect is greater than those which are non-defective, it can be determined whether or not a soft defect is present through a current measurement.
A problem exists with prior art array current tests as used on microcontrollers or processors, in that the on-board current detection circuit often requires multiple design passes and mask changes in order to determine the actual current range in which to operate. This is because for new integrated circuit designs the precise current level of a memory array is not known until devices are manufactured onto silicon wafers. Therefore, on the first set of manufactured wafers, the current detection circuitry is usually manufactured to specifications which do not allow for proper memory array current measurement. Due to this first improper design, significant redesign of the on-board current detection devices are needed to obtain proper SDDT testing. Therefore, the need exists for an array current test which eliminates the necessity for making multiple mask versions of a design in order to obtain proper current measurements for SDDT testing.

Method and apparatus for testing on-chip memory on a microcontroller


A door assembly for a cooking appliance including a cabinet, a lower oven cavity and an upper oven cavity defined within the cabinet is provided. The door assembly includes a lower oven door movably coupled to the cabinet and configured to cover the lower oven cavity. The lower oven door defines a lower oven door air inlet and a lower oven door air outlet. A lower oven door air passage is defined within the lower oven door and provides flow communication between the lower oven door air inlet and the lower oven door air outlet. An upper oven door is movably coupled to the cabinet and configured to cover the upper oven cavity. The upper oven door defines an upper oven door air inlet and an upper oven door air outlet. An upper oven door air passage is defined within the upper oven door and provides flow communication between the upper oven door air inlet and the upper oven door air outlet. The upper oven door air inlet is positioned with respect to the lower oven door air outlet such that air exiting the lower oven door air passage is directed into the upper oven door air passage.

This invention relates generally to cooking appliances and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for channeling air through doors of cooking appliances.
Many conventional cooking appliances include a cooktop including a plurality of heating elements positioned on a top surface of the cooktop, and a lower oven and an upper oven positioned below the cooktop. Each oven includes an oven cavity having at least one heating element positioned within the oven cavity, and an oven door configured to cover the oven cavity. It is desirable to maintain an outer surface of the oven door at a lower temperature than an inner surface of the oven door covering the oven cavity during operation.
At least some conventional cooking appliances include a first fan for channeling air through the lower oven door and a second fan for channeling air through the upper oven door to lower the outer surface temperature of the respective door. However, separately channeling air through the oven doors may not be effective in cooling the oven door outer surfaces to a desired temperature.


The present invention relates to polyamide/polyolefin blends containing carbon nanotubes. The invention also relates to structures comprising at least one layer of these blends and optionally at least one layer of another material. These structures may be in the form of bottles, tanks, containers, hoses, pipes and vessels of any kind. These structures may be manufactured using the standard techniques for thermoplastics, such as injection moulding, extrusion-blow moulding and coextrusion. The present invention, according to one embodiment, relates to a multilayer tube comprising, in its radial direction from the outside inwards:                an outer layer (1) form from a polyamide chosen from PA-11 and PA-12;        a layer (2) formed from a tie;        an optional layer (3) formed from an EVOH;        optionally, a tie layer (this does not exist if no layer (3) is present);        an inner layer (4) formed from a polyamide (A)/polyolefin (B) blend having a polyamide matrix and containing carbon nanotubes; with the layers being successive and adhering to one another in their respective areas of contact.

Patent EP 470 606 discloses tubes having an antistatic polyamide layer. This antistatic layer consists of a polyamide filled with 20% by weight of carbon black. An antistatic layer is indeed obtained, however the incorporation of 20% carbon black increases the flexural modulus of the polyamide and the tube can no longer pass the impact tests.
The advantage of carbon nanotubes is that it is sufficient to incorporate 2 to 6% by weight of them into the polyamide in order to make it antistatic and at this content the polyamide retains its mechanical properties. In particular, a tube comprising this layer is not weakened and it passes the impact tests. Patent U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,459 discloses tubes comprising layers of nylon-12 (PA-12) and/or PVDF and also comprising an antistatic PA-12 or PVDF layer. These antistatic layers are obtained by incorporating crystalline graphite fibres having a diameter of around 10 nanometers into the PA-12 or PVDF. The proportion of these fibres in the PA-12 or PVDF is between 3 and 5% by weight.
This solution provides a technical advantage over the above prior art EP 470 606, however the cost of these fibres is high. It has now been found that, in polyamide/polyolefin blends containing carbon nanotubes, the latter concentrate in the polyamide. Thus, a polyamide/polyolefin blend containing carbon nanotubes having a polyamide matrix has the same antistatic properties as a polyamide blend containing carbon nanotubes; but by containing much fewer carbon nanotubes, it is therefore less expensive. In addition, these polyamide/polyolefin blends containing carbon nanotubes form a much greater barrier to alcohol-containing fuels than polyamide/polyolefin blends not containing carbon nanotubes.

Polyamide/polyolefin blends containing carbon nanotubes


The present invention relates to producing a safer shell egg through thermal treatment. The present invention provides methods of producing a shell egg wherein the albumen and the yolk of the shell egg receives a thermal treatment sufficient to pasteurize the shell egg and thereby combat the risk of salmonella. The present invention provides methods of providing thermal treatments to the shell egg through introduction of the shell egg into an aqueous solution of a predetermined temperature and maintaining the shell egg in the solution for a predetermined time sufficient to cause the required reduction in salmonella. The predetermined times and temperatures may be characterized by use of the equivalent point method of thermal evaluation, by use of the F.sub.O line for shell egg or by other methods of determining the reduction in salmonella.

It is well known that Salmonella organisms have been associated with egg products. More recently, Salmonella enteritidis (SE) has been detected within shell eggs. Presently, the presence of Salmonella within the shell egg is a major concern. Some states have enacted legislation preventing the serving of unpasteurized egg products unless fully cooked. In fact, since as early as 1969, the USDA has overseen the processing of liquid egg removed from the shell to reduce the level of Salmonella contamination to acceptable levels. However, no commercially acceptable methods have been developed to combat Salmonella in shell eggs. Since shell eggs must be used in situations where a liquid egg product cannot, it is therefore desirable to develop a commercially acceptable process for the reduction of Salmonella within shell eggs to provide a safe and functionally acceptable shell egg to the consumer.
Thermal treatments of shell egg to prevent embryonic growth in fertile eggs, to reduce incidence of spoilage during long term storage, and maintain internal quality received considerable research attention from about 1943 to about 1953. This research resulted from the nature of the egg industry at that time in that most of the eggs were produced by small flocks and the majority of the eggs used by the food industry were collected as seasonal surpluses in the spring. As a result of the production practices the eggs were more likely to lose interior quality or become unfit for human consumption because of bacterial growth or embryonic development. Research into "thermostabilization" was directed at solving these problems, which were largely perceived as embryonic growth and the contamination of the egg from contaminants external to the shell. (See Egg Science, Chapter 4, 3d Ed., 1986).
U.S. Pat. No. 2,423,233 to Funk describes the thermostabilization of shell eggs. The '233 patent described a process of heating the shell egg to arrest embryonic development in the egg. As described in the '233 patent, when heating with water the preferred times and temperatures for the heat treatment were 138 degrees Fahrenheit for from five to ten minutes. However, the work of Dr. Funk was not concerned with the elimination of pathogenic organisms. In fact, the times and temperatures suggested by Dr. Funk for heating with water would not be sufficient to cause high enough levels of Salmonella enteritidis destruction to insure that a safe shell egg would result. Furthermore, because eggs available through modern production and distribution are fresher and have a lower pH they require a different thermal process than was used by Funk.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide a safe shell egg product which is essentially free of Salmonella and more preferably free of Salmonella enteritidis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a commercially acceptable process for reducing the levels of Salmonella enteritidis in shell eggs to acceptable levels.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a Salmonella negative shell egg without requiring additional thermal treatments which could reduce the functionality of the shell egg.

Method of controlling Salmonella in shell eggs

University of Missouri System at Columbia


A lift for raising a motorcycle positioned on a surface of the lift includes a frame defining a wheel-way and a surface along a longitudinal path on the lift. A front end lift assembly includes a drive and is mounted to the frame for living the front portion of the motorcycle from the surface. A rear end lift assembly is mounted to the frame and includes a drive, independent of the front end drive, for lifting the rear portion of the motorcycle from the surface. The front and rear end lift assemblies are operable independently of one another so that the front portion of the motorcycle can be raised from the surface while the rear portion is on the surface, the rear portion of the motorcycle can be raised from the surface while the front portion is on the surface, and either the front or rear portion can be raised from the surface, independently of the other, and when the other portion of the motorcycle is raised from the surface.

The present invention pertains to a portable motorcycle lift. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a portable motorcycle lift that permits securely lifting the front and rear ends of the motorcycle independently of one another, and further permits stabilized securing of the of the motorcycle in an upright position.
Motorcycle jacks or lifts are known in the art. These devices are used to elevate a motorcycle in order to, for example, perform maintenance on the motorcycle, such as, engine repair, tire changing and the like.
Typically, it is desired to lift the motorcycle to an elevation at which it is comfortable for an individual to carry out such maintenance. This elevation can be from just a few inches off of the ground to a few feet off of the ground.
A wide variety of lifting devices are known in the art. Many such lifting devices use the motorcycle kickstand or rest to support the motorcycle during lifting and maintenance. This may not be desirable in that maintenance may be required to the stand, or the stand may not provide sufficient stability for carrying out the required maintenance. For example, if it is necessary to remove major components on the motorcycle, such as parts of the engine, stability over and above that provided by the stand is desirable, if not required. Additionally, these lifts do not permit positioning the motorcycle fully upright to, for example, drain all of the motor oil from the engine.
Other motorcycle lifts are known that simply elevate the entirety of the motorcycle from the wheels. While this may provide the desired elevation of the motorcycle, it may not provide the necessary stability vis-à-vis preventing the motorcycle from rolling. As such, these lifts can provide a hazard in that the elevated motorcycle can roll from the lift. In addition, such lifts do not provide the required access to the wheels to, for example, remove a wheel.
Still other lifts are known that use straps or the like to hold the motorcycle onto the lift. Again, these lifts suffer from the same stability drawbacks as those that utilize the motorcycle stands. Moreover, using tie-down straps generally requires that one or both the front and rear of the motorcycle is held to the ground or to the lift. Thus, these strap can preclude lifting either or both the front and rear of the motorcycle.
Still other lifts are known that provide the ability to lift either the front wheel or the rear wheel of the motorcycle; however, these lifts do not provide the ability to lift either or both the front and rear wheels, independently of one another, while the other wheel is either on the lift surface, or elevated from the surface.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a motorcycle lift that permits lifting either or both the front and rear wheels of a motorcycle, and further provides the ability to lift these wheels independently of one another. Desirably, such a motorcycle lift includes an arrangement by which the front wheel of the motorcycle is secured from rolling while the front wheel is lifted. Most desirably, such a motorcycle lift is portable and can be mounted for raising the entirety of the lift to elevate the lift with the motorcycle thereon to a desired height.


A system for use with a speaker providing audio and video in conjunction with images being provided by a podium computer responsive to the speaker as part of a live multimedia presentation. A device provides video signals and audio signals wherein the video signals correspond to the video provided by the speaker and the audio signals correspond to the audio provided by the speaker. A transmitter transmits a signal corresponding to a timing of images occurring simultaneously with the video and audio. A receiver receives the transmitted signal. A video channel converts the video signal into a digital video signal. An audio channel converts the audio signal into a digital audio signal. A receiver channel responsive to the receiver provides a timing signal corresponding to the transmitted signal and representing a timing of the images relative to the video and the audio. A media stream multiplexer multiplexes the digital video signal, the digital audio signal and the timing signal into an ISM (immediately stream-able media) format.

Live presentations including audio and/or video and/or images are often generically called "multimedia" or simply "media." A presently popular "media" application is to digitize audio and video clips. Typically, media is digitized using a video capture application. A video capture application converts analog video signals, such as those generated by a video camera, into a digital media format signal and then stores the digital signal on a computer's mass storage system. Typically, video capture from analog devices requires a special video capture card that converts the analog signals into digital signals and compresses the data. Such video capture cards usually capture video and audio. Thus, as used herein, "video" may include video information and its associated audio information.
Alternatively, external video capture devices exist that capture video signals from an attached camera and transfer them to a computer via a communications cable. The external video capture devices are often desirable because they are easier to install and use than internal devices. Therefore, they are usually preferred by a less-experienced computer user. Examples of such external video capture devices include "QuickClip" by Logitech; "In Video USB Capture" by Focus Enhancements; "InterView USB" by Interex, Inc.; and "USB Live! Video Adapter" by Nogatech Inc.
When an external device is used, the media (i.e., video and/or audio and/or images) signal is typically compressed within the external device before the signal is sent to the coupled computer. The signal is compressed because the communications connection between the device and the computer typically has a limited bandwidth. The computer-device interface normally cannot transmit the uncompressed media signal at the rate that the device receives the signal. Compressing the media signal allows it to flow smoothly and without loss across the limited-bandwidth connection to the computer.
If the computer-device interface was capable of transmitting the uncompressed media signal, the signal may overwhelm many existing computers. They are simply not powerful enough to process such a large amount of data in such a short time period. Most of the conventional, external, video-capture devices use a proprietary media-compressing scheme. They proprietarily compress the media data and transmit it to the computer. The computer simply stores the proprietarily compressed media data into a file. Alternatively, using proprietary software on the computer, the media data is decompressed. After the media data is decompressed, it is recompressed and stored using a standard media file format, such as MPEG, QuickTime, or Windows Media Format (which is also called ASF for advanced streaming format, active stream format or advanced system format).
The media data is recompressed to save space on the computer's mass storage system. The media data is stored in a standard media file format so that it may usable by a large array of general-purpose media applications.
Considering an ASF file as exemplary, it contains one or more multimedia streams, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,345. A multimedia stream contains the data for one particular part of the overall ASF file. For instance, a typical ASF file might contain three multimedia streams, one containing the audio data for the file, another containing the video data for the file and a third containing markers and/or executable script to allow to synchronization with the audio and video playback. Playback of an ASF file (either over a network or via the local hard drive) is done by playing the data from one or more of the multimedia streams. In the past, these files have been manually assembled separately capturing the multimedia streams and manually or automatically (via software) combining and synchronizing various multimedia streams.
One problem posed by manual assembly of separate streams is capturing a live presentation in such a way that it can be transmitted as immediate streaming media, such as an ASF file.
For these reasons, there is a need for a system and method for facilitating the simultaneous capture of a live multimedia presentation including audio, video and synchronization events to allow for the playback of the captured audio and video and the synchronized changes to the image presentation as part of the live multimedia presentation.

Remote encoder system and method for capturing the live presentation of video multiplexed with images


A computing device including a memory module. The computing device may further include a processor configured to, by executing instructions of an operating system, divide a non-volatile region of the memory module into a first non-volatile storage partition allocated to the operating system and a second non-volatile storage partition allocated to system firmware. The processor may write a globally unique identifier (GUID) to the non-volatile region. The GUID may indicate a location of a boundary between the first non-volatile storage partition and the second non-volatile storage partition. The processor may access the first non-volatile storage partition. By executing instructions of the system firmware, the processor may determine the location of the boundary. The processor may access the second non-volatile storage partition. The operating system may be prevented from accessing the second non-volatile storage partition and the system firmware may be prevented from accessing the first non-volatile storage partition.

Software-defined storage-class memory is a special class of storage device used in some computing devices. During runtime, the software-defined storage-class memory acts as volatile memory. When the computing device is shut down, the software-defined storage-class memory acts as non-volatile memory. This feature of software-defined storage-class memory is made possible through firmware-assisted coupling of volatile memory regions and non-volatile storage partitions.

Non-volatile storage partition identifier


The disclosure relates in some aspects to providing miniature power-efficient agile photonic generators of microwave waveforms. Illustrative examples use chip lasers integrated in close thermal proximity with one another to provide a miniature microwave arbitrary waveform generator (AWG). Due to the small size of the lasers and the close integration, common ambient fluctuations from the environment or other sources can be efficiently reduced, yielding improved spectral purity of generated radio-frequency (RF) signals. Tight physical integration also permits a small device footprint with minimal acceleration sensitivity. The lasers may be locked to cavities or other resonators to allow efficient decoupling of the frequency and amplitude modulation of the lasers to provide flexibility to the waveform generator. Exemplary devices described herein can produce frequency chirped signals for radar applications. The frequency chirp may be linear and/or nonlinear. Tuning methods are also described herein.

Current electromagnetic arbitrary waveform generation (AWG) is generally band-limited to the range below 2 GHz. High-frequency ultrabroad-bandwidth arbitrary waveforms (for example, 10-60 GHz) cannot be generated efficiently by conventional electronic means due to limits in digital-to-analog converter technology and high timing jitter. Microwave photonics may allow for increasing the range to 100 GHz. For example, arbitrary burst microwave waveforms can be generated using spectral shaping and frequency-time mapping of femtosecond laser pulses. Problems can arise, however, because microwave photonic devices often involve large components, such as the lasers and spectrum shapers, and hence the devices are often rather bulky and ill-suited for many applications.
Herein, methods and apparatus are provided to address these or other problems.

Arbitrary microwave waveform generator using lasers in close thermal and mechanical proximity


A system and method transcodes an input video bit stream having a first encoding profile into an output video bit stream having a second encoding profile. The system includes a first module (302) and a second module (306). The system further includes a memory module (304). The first module (302) decodes the input video bit stream for generating pixel data and macroblock specifications. The second module (306) encodes the pixel data and the macroblock specifications for constructing the output video bit stream. The memory module (304) includes a first buffer module and a second buffer module. The first buffer module stores the pixel data and the second buffer module stores the macroblock specifications.

With the advancement of time, video coding technologies are becoming more widely used. Most digital video contents exist in the coded form for saving storage (for example, MPEG-2 technology defined by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)). Transcoding coded video contents from one format to another, from one bit rate to another and from one resolution to another is an indispensable operation in many multimedia applications, such as digital video broadcasting, video on demand (VOD), teleconferencing, long distance learning, and so on.
The simple way to perform video transcoding is to cascade a decoder and an encoder together. The cascaded decoder and the encoder, first performs a full decoding of an input stream and then performs a full encoding of a decoded raw video data. Since the encoder can optimize video quality at the target bit rate by estimating another set of motion vectors and re-allocating bits of each picture, the cascaded transcoder typically achieves better video quality than other transcoders. The transcoder is called a cascaded pixel domain transcoder (CPDT).
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional transcoder 100 for converting MPEG-2 to VC1 format. The transcoder 100 receives incoming source video streams in a fully decoded form, and then re-encodes with desirable bit rate or format (VC1) with minimal degradation in the visual quality due to the transcoding. Transcoding algorithms which do not have a feedback loop in a reconstruction process suffer from a drift error. A cascaded pixel domain transcoder (CPDT) on the other hand, has the feedback loop present in a reconstruction path and hence does not suffer from the drift error. Systems which do suffer from the drift error (i.e. open loop systems) have to employ algorithmic modifications to eliminate the drift error. Hence, only for such cases, it depends on efficiency of such algorithms to eliminate drift.
However, due to the need of complete blinded motion estimation, this approach leads to a computational complexity. Due to the need of reordering twice the decoded pictures, a memory is required and also results in processing latency.
FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a conventional transcoder 200. The transcoder 200 employs a restricted reuse of decoded data which consist mainly of decoded pixel data and also reuse motion vectors.
In one approach of the transcoder 200, only the MPEG-2 decoded pixel data and the motion vector information are reused by the H.264 encoder. All the other decisions pertaining to output coding mode for each MB, such as MB modes, a prediction direction, a picture type, a GOP structure, a DCT type, etc., is done by the encoder itself which is a highly time consuming process.
Some of the other conventional transcoders that exist decide the output macroblock types depending on the input macroblocks while downsizing (resolution downsampling) an input MPEG-2 HD video bit stream to an MPEG-2 SD output. This is done by estimating the output macroblock mode based on the spatial weight (based on sizes of overlapping areas of each of the input macroblocks with a correlation area that is correlated with the output macroblock) and a DCT weight (based on a number of zero DCT coefficients of each of the input macroblocks that overlap the correlation area) and hence is restricted to same input and output macroblock types.
Recently, there is a wide deployment of the MPEG-2 format for broadcast and consumer applications owing to the advent of new technologies in digital television (TV) and other digital technologies. A lot of MPEG-2 coded material in the form of DVD movies or personal videos from portable digital cameras has become ubiquitous in recent times. For all the latest applications like high definition TV (broadcast), video streaming on small networks (home), subscription services, video on demand over IP, web broadcast, new advanced codecs like VC1 with fundamental advantage of compressing video sequences much better than old standards, are the choices for coming years. Contents compressed with VC1 are being consumed by a wide range of wired and wireless consumer electronic devices, for example, mobile phones, DVD players, portable music players, car stereos, etc. Windows media content can also be delivered to consumers in physical formats. In fact, DVD forum has adopted the windows media video 9 (WMV-9) codec as mandatory for the next generation high definition (HD) DVD format. At the same time, all previously created, broadcasted or stored MPEG-2 material should be taken into account and provide compatibility for all transmissions still using MPEG-2 standard so that they do not become obsolete in future.
Therefore, there is a need of a system and methodology for transcoding data from one video standard to another video standard.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for transcoding data from one video standard to another video standard


In an apparatus at a spinning preparation machine, especially a carding machine, opener, cleaner or the like, a guide element, guide vane or the like having a curved end region is movably mounted in a recess in a stationary mounting. In order to allow simple production, assembly and handling, the recess has, at least in part, straight inner wall surfaces, and the guide element is fixed by means of a clamping force relative to the mounting and, without the clamping force, can be moved.

The invention relates to an apparatus at a spinning preparation machine, especially a carding machine, opener, cleaner and the like, wherein a guide element, guide vane or the like having a curved end region is movably mounted in a recess in a stationary mounting.
In a known apparatus, the curved end region is mounted in the recess of a mounting having curved inner walls, the end region being retained by means of an additional cover over the recess, preventing it from falling out. The curved inner walls are laborious to produce from a manufacturing point of view.
It is an aim of the invention to provide an apparatus of the kind described at the beginning which avoids or mitigates the mentioned disadvantage and which especially allows simple production, assembly and handling.

Guide element assembly for a spinning preparation machine


A composition comprising alkylthio- or aryl(heteroyl)thio-substituted p-phenylenediamine, its method of preparation, and its use as an antidegradant in natural or synthetic rubber.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to alkylthio- and aryl(heteroyl)thio-substituted p-phenylenediamines, their manufacture and use as antidegradants in rubber compounds.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Vulcanizing rubber compositions by heating a sulfur-vulcanizable rubber composition with sulfur and/or a sulfur donor and a vulcanization accelerator has been known for many years. By this process vulcanizates having acceptable physical properties including tensile strength, resilience, and fatigue resistance can be obtained, but such vulcanizates tend not to have good aging properties.
Uncured as well as cured rubbers are prone to aging effects. The unsaturated groups in diene rubbers, e.g. styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) or a blend of SBR with natural rubber, butadiene rubber or with both, make it possible to cure with sulfur, but at the same time they exhibit a sensitivity toward oxygen, ozone, and other reactive substances causing changes such as hardening of the vulcanizate. Unaged diene rubbers contain free double bonds that remain sensitive to the above reactive substances even after vulcanization. Higher temperatures make these effects even more noticeable.
Protective agents are used to protect the rubber vulcanizate against various forms of aging, fatigue, and ozone. For example, exposure of pneumatic tires to ozone leads to the formation of ozone cracks, in particular in the sidewalls of the tire. A well-known class of protective agents are N,N′-di-substituted, in particular N-alkyl-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine derivatives. These N,N′-di-substituted p-phenylenediamine derivatives typically are also referred to as antidegradants, antiozonants or antioxidants. The reader is directed to Hofmann, Rubber Technology Handbook, Hanser Publishers, Munich 1989, pp. 264-277, in particular pp. 269-270. These antidegradants are commercially available inter alia under the trademark Santoflex® sold by Flexsys America L.P. In the rubber industry, the most frequently used antidegradant is N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine or 6PPD.
Known 1,4-benzoquinone diimines (QDI's) can be classified under three major categories: I, II and III. Class I compounds contain no substituents attached to the benzoquinoid ring. Class II, the largest group, contains amino-substituents at the 2- and 5-positions of the benzoquinoid ring. Class III comprises all other p-benzoquinone diimines.
Many benzoquinone diimines (QDI's) were previously prepared by the oxidation of phenylenediamine derivatives with manganate, ferricyanate, iodine, silver ion, silver oxide, and lead tetraacetate (or "red lead").
Oxidation of N,N′-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine with Ag2O gives N,N′-diphenyl-p-phenylenediimine. Oxidation of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (6PPD) an effective antiozonant and antioxidant used in rubber industry, with Ag2O gives the corresponding QDI in 55% yield; similar conversion is achieved by photocatalytic oxidation using Ru3. The QDI can be prepared by two consecutive photo cleavages of NO groups from the bis-nitroso derivative of N,N′-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine.
N,N′-Diaryl-2,5-bis(arylamino)-p-benzoquinone diimines or azophenines, which belong to the second class of QDI's and are dye intermediates, have been synthesized by a wide variety of methods many of which involve the separation of resulting mixtures and afford low yields. Parent azophenine has been prepared by heating p-benzoquinonedianil with aniline. Substituted azophenines are also formed in 25-35% yields by oxidation of anilines on heating with 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane or hexachloroethane in the presence of copper bronze. The oxidation of aniline by 3- and 4-azidopyridine-1-oxides also gives azophenines. Peroxidase oxidation of 4-chloroaniline gives 2-amino-5-chloroanilinobenzoquinone di-4-chloroanil. Benzoquinone diimines are formed as side products in the decomposition of the corresponding nitroxide.
N,N′-Bis[phenylsulfonyl]-1,4-benzoquinone diimine is sulfanylamidated by sodium N-chlorobenzenesulfonamide to form 2,5-bis(phenylsulfonylamino)-N,N′-bis(phenylsulfonyl)-1,4-benzoquinone diimine. Similarly, amidation of N,N′-bis[phenylsulfonyl]-1,4-benzoquinone diimine with N-chloroamides gives the corresponding sulfonyl benzoquinone diimine derivatives in one step.
Few synthetic procedures are known for the preparation of representatives of class III of benzoquinone diimines. For example, many symmetrical and unsymmetrical N,N′-bis(arylthio)- and N,N′-bis(arylseleno)-quinone diimines have been prepared by treatment of N,N′-dichloroquinone diimines with thiols or selenols, respectively.
More recently, N,N′-dicyanoquinone diimine (DCNQI) salts have gained attention due to their high conductivity and ease of synthesis from benzoquinones and bis(trimethylsilyl)carbodiimide.
A synthetic route to poly(quinone diimines) via the treatment of anthraquinone (AQ) with aromatic diamines in the presence of TiCl4 and 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (Dabco) has been developed.
Employing the same model as above, some heterocyclic quinone arylimines have been prepared through Wittig addition of (N-aryl)triphenylarsinimines to the carbonyl functionality of heterocyclic benzoquinone derivatives. Polyaromatic quinone imines are readily formed by reactions of the corresponding quinones with triphenylarsine oxide and aryl isocyanates.
Most reactions of p-benzoquinone diimines fall into two broad types: reduction and addition. The reactivity of benzoquinone diimines (QDI) is dictated by a strong tendency to form a stable benzenoid structure. Therefore, they are very reactive towards nucleophilic addition and undergo reduction more readily than quinones. Most published reactions of QDI's relate to studies of the relatively stable diacyl and disulfonyl derivatives.
In the publication by Snell and Weissberger, The Reaction of Thiol Compounds with Quinones, JACS 61, 450(1938), the reactions between thiol compounds with benzoquinone and substituted benzoquinones were discussed. The article stated that two types of reaction may be expected: oxidation of the thiol to a disulfide with reduction of the quinone to the hydroquinone; and addition of the thiol to the quinone to obtain alkylthio substituted quinones and/or hydroquinones.
In Gelling and Knight, Rubber chemistry of N-substituted quinone imines and N,N′-disubstituted quinone diimines, Plastics and Rubber Processing September 1977, findings were discussed concerning two distinct reactions that occur between 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT) and N-cyclohexyl-N′-phenylquinone diimine.
The major reaction involves 1,4-addition of the MBT across the diimine ring to yield the addition product. There is also an oxidation-reduction reaction to yield N-cyclohexyl-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine and 2,2′-dithio-bis(benzothiazole).

Alkylthio- and aryl(heteroyl)thio-substituted p-phenylenediamines, their manufacture and their use in rubber


An inert atmosphere spot soldering process and apparatus uses pockets arranged to match the arrangement of the terminals to be soldered. The pockets are filled to over flowing with liquid solder by lowering the pockets below the surface of the molten solder in a solder pot. A flow of hot inert gas is provided through orifices adjacent the pockets. The terminals and their surrounding area are exposed to the hot inert gas for a period sufficient to drive off substantially all volatile liquids and the terminals are then immersed in the solder to a depth determined by the menicus of the solder in the pockets. After immersion, the terminals are seperated from the solder surface and the flow of inert gas is terminated after permitting the solder to solidify. The inert gas may be heated by thermal conduction from the liquid solder.

In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,158 disclosed a soldering system having a controlled atmosphere bathing the solder pot and all liquid solder surfaces. In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,843 I disclosed a spot soldering apparatus which controlled the solder level and immersion of the leads by the meniscus formed by solder in pockets which were filled to overflowing with solder pumped up an adjacent duct. The terminals were then immersed by lowering the PC board until the terminals were a set distance below the meniscus. The pockets must be maintained hot to keep the solder liquid and could damage the printed circuit if they touch. The meniscus formed by the solder at the top of the pocket permits the terminals to be sufficiently immersed in liquid solder without the pocket touching the printed circuit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,473 the pockets were arranged in a manner similar to that in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,843 but rather than filling them from adjacent orifices they were filled by raising the level of the solder around the pockets until the pockets were flooded.
In some situations the terminals to be soldered may be scattered around a printed circuit board and require a multiplicity of pockets properly located to solder a number of terminals substantially simultaneously. Other devices may be mounted on the lower surface of the PC board which would be damaged by contact with the solder. The use of pockets ensures that only those terminals and areas intended to be soldered are exposed to the solder. At the same time it is desirable that the pockets, terminals and solder surfaces be protected by an inert atmosphere as efficiently as possible.
In soldering terminals which are close together bridging may occur; that is adjacent terminals may be unintentionally connected by a solder bridge. A process which reduces this tendency is most desirable.
Flux is normally applied to areas to be soldered and the flux may contain volatiles or moisture which is desirably driven off before the terminals are soldered. The current move to volatile free fluxes makes this particularly important since water is now a common ingredient.
Solder balls are also produced in some processes and any reduction in their formation is desirable.


Described are a system and method for identifying a material. A spectrum is received. A barcode is generated from a sign of a second derivative of the spectrum. Multivariate data analysis tools and techniques are applied based on the barcode. The material is identified from results of the multivariate data analysis based on the barcode.

Vibrational spectroscopic techniques such as Raman Spectroscopy in its various forms, including resonance Raman and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), are well-known for identifying samples, which contain unknown materials or substances, ranging from simple molecular compounds to more complex structures. Since different samples exhibit unique vibrational spectra, harmful materials, for example, can be identified by detection devices, such as Raman or IR devices, without the need to physically contact the material or add labeling chemical agents. This feature permits law enforcement personnel, public health agencies, medical personnel, and the military to identify contraband narcotics, explosives, poisons, pathogens, and toxic chemicals with minimal risk. In SERS, as a molecule approaches a roughened metal surface, the intensity of its Raman spectra is enhanced. Thus, SERS offers the advantage of sensitivity in addition to the specificity of normal Raman or IR.
However, conventional spectral signal analysis techniques often cannot distinguish spectra between closely-related samples. Thus, identification errors can occur when spectroscopic signatures are produced for closely-related spectra. For example, two different spectra may incorrectly appear to be identical on a principle component analysis (PCA) plot.

Systems and methods for identifying materials utilizing multivariate analysis techniques


A pivot is coupled to a water craft. A lever arm is pivotally coupled to the pivot at one end. A tow spool is coupled to the lever arm at an end opposite the pivot. The tow spool is configured to provide an attachment for a towline. A recoil device is coupled to the water craft at one end and coupled to the lever arm at the opposing end. The recoil device stores energy as a towing drag force is applied to the tow spool to cause the lever arm to move from a first position to a second position. The recoil device then provides a restoring force to cause the lever arm to move from the second position to the first position as the towing drag force is reduced.

Some water sports involve towing an enthusiast, such as but not limited to a water skier or a wakeboarder, with a boat using a towline coupled at one end to the tow boat and held by the enthusiast at the other end. A towed watersports enthusiast may achieve greater vertical lift when jumping if the towline is mounted relatively high vertically in the tow boat. Various means have been used to provide an elevated attachment point, such as extended pylons and wakeboard towers.
In addition to raising the height of the towline attachment to the tow boat, it has been found that towed watersports enthusiast performance can also be improved by providing a burst of additional speed to the towed watersports enthusiast as he jumps the boat's wake, for example. Typical tow boats cannot deliver such a burst of speed either quickly enough or strongly enough to help boost towed watersports enthusiast performance due to the inertia of the boat.


A coaxial two-wheel vehicle comprises a detection means that obtains get-on/off information indicating whether an occupant is on the vehicle or not. In the coaxial two-wheel vehicle, a control means performs attitude control by using a control gain set with respect to an occupied state is used if the control means determines that the vehicle is in the occupied state. The control means performs attitude control by using a control gain set with respect to an unoccupied state is used if the control means determines that the vehicle is in the unoccupied state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coaxial two-wheel vehicle and a method for controlling the same and, in particular, to a stabilization technique on the vehicle when an occupant is not thereon.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, movable bodies have been developed that detect their own attitude information using a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc., and that perform drive control based on the detected attitude information. In these movable bodies, by employing a principle in which attitude information of the body's own is detected from signals detected by the gyro sensor and the acceleration sensor to thereby control an attitude with an inverted pendulum, or a principle of ZMP (zero moment point) control used for controlling bipedal robots, a rotation command (specifically, a torque command, a speed command, and a position command) to a motor is calculated so as to keep its own attitude, and the resulting rotation command data is transmitted to a motor control unit. These movable bodies can keep their own attitudes with such feedback control, and can travel utilizing change of a center of gravity of the occupant.
For example, travel devices are proposed that travel with persons being thereon, and that have various vehicle body constitutions and vehicle structures, in which their own attitude information is detected and drive control is performed based on the detected attitude information. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-211899 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-315666, a coaxial two-wheel vehicle in which two wheels are arranged coaxially is disclosed. We have now discovered that such the coaxial two-wheel vehicle has a characteristic that it is structurally unstable in a forward/rearward direction, so that wheels are controlled by a feedback from an attitude sensor to thereby stabilize a vehicle attitude. Additionally, operation of the vehicle, such as to travel forward, travel rearward, and turn right and left, is performed by an instruction using such as a movement of an occupant's center of gravity, inclination of a step, and a control handle. Alternatively, in some cases, remote control by a command input from an outside or an autonomous movement based on a trajectory planning of the vehicle's own may be performed.
In a general coaxial two-wheel vehicle, attitude control is not performed before a person gets on the vehicle and after he or she gets it off. Hence, the person needs to do some work, such as to support the vehicle with his or her hand(s) or to pull out and stand a retractable kickstand. Additionally, if the coaxial two-wheel vehicle is used on a slope, great force to support the vehicle or a kickstand with high strength may be needed. Further, if the occupant jumps off the vehicle, or he or she falls therefrom, there are such problems that only the vehicle spontaneously travels by a certain distance to thereby collide with others, or the vehicle is fallen to be damaged. Here, since positions of the center of gravity of a system including the occupant differ between at a time when the occupant is on the vehicle and at a time when he or she is not thereon, even if attitude control is performed when the occupant is not on the vehicle, attitude control cannot be performed well due to a same target pitch angle.
If the person wants to haul the vehicle before he or she gets it on or after he or she gets it off, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-211899, it is required that haul control performed by a command input from some kind of input device under a state where the attitude control is stopped, or haul against friction of wheels, thus requiring time and effort.
On the contrary, it is a problem to stop the attitude control when the occupant is not on the vehicle. Since the coaxial two-wheel vehicle is structurally unstable, when attitude control is stopped, it cannot be self-standing and thus falls. Additionally, when the occupant gets off the vehicle during its traveling, it falls due to its inertia after traveling a certain distance. Since the target pitch angle is not changed according to a case where the occupant is on the vehicle and a case where he or she is not thereon, even if it is possible to perform attitude control only in either case, both cases cannot be dealt with.
The present invention is made to solve the above described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a coaxial two-wheel vehicle in which stability is enhanced when an occupant is not on the vehicle, and a method for controlling the coaxial two-wheel vehicle.

Coaxial two-wheel vehicle and method for controlling the same