A centrifugal clutch for an engine includes a pressure plate that presses a friction plate into a clutch plate is provided. The clutch may include a plurality of roller weights that move on respective cam surfaces in a radially outward direction relative to the pressure plate in accordance with the magnitude of a centrifugal force generated by rotation of a drive side rotating body. The pressure plate presses the friction plate into the clutch plate with a force corresponding to the amount of movement. An elastic member is operatively coupled to the pressure plate to cause the friction and clutch plates to stay in pressed contact even when the engine is in a stopped state.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 discloses a multi-plate centrifugal clutch in which the clutch plates are in a contact state even when the engine is in a stopped state. The multi-plate centrifugal clutch described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 includes centrifugal weights, a pressure plate, and clutch plates (a first plate and a second plate). Contact surfaces of the respective pressure plate and clutch plate are parallel to each other, and the pressure plate presses the clutch plate by using the centrifugal force of the centrifugal weights. Further, in the pressure plate, cam surfaces holding the respective centrifugal weights are provided so that each of the cam surfaces is at an angle with a contact surface between the pressure plate and the clutch plate. More specifically, the pressing force exerted by the pressure plate against the clutch plate is determined depending on the positions of the cam surfaces of the respective centrifugal weights that have received the centrifugal force on the cam surfaces.
The multi-plate centrifugal clutch described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 is configured so that the centrifugal weights do not make contact with the pressure plate when the engine is in a stopped state. In the case where the centrifugal weights are in contact with the pressure plate, there would be contact between the pressure plate and the clutch plate. In the case where the pressure plate and the clutch plate are in contact with each other, there occurs a drag state, which is similar to the engaged state of the clutch. In the case of a motorcycle using such a multi-plate centrifugal clutch causing the drag state, there arises a problem in which a travel resistance occurs if the motorcycle with the engine in the stopped state is pushed and moved. Hence, in the multi-plate centrifugal clutch described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879, the cam surfaces provided on the pressure plate are each formed into such a shape that the centrifugal weights separate a predetermined distance from the pressure plate when the engine is in a stopped state.
However, in the case of the motorcycle including the multi-plate centrifugal clutch described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879, while the drag state of the clutch is prevented, a situation can arise when parking the motorcycle, for example, on a sloped road, in which the motorcycle resistance against the sloped road is insufficient to prevent the motorcycle from rolling.
Further, in the case where the motorcycle according to the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 includes an auto-controlled gear transmission, i.e., a so-called AMT (automated manual transmission), when the engine of the motorcycle is in the stopped state, the driving state is shifted to the neutral position, that is, the gear input operation is not effected. Hence, in the case where the motorcycle according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 is a motorcycle including the AMT, the motorcycle cannot be parked stably when parking, for example, on a sloped road. Hence, in the case where the motorcycle according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 includes the AMT, dedicated brake means is necessary to park the motorcycle stably on a sloped road. On the other hand, however, in the case where the motorcycle according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 is a motorcycle in which the dedicated brake means is not provided, application of the transmission including the clutch according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication 2002-021879 is limited to motorcycles including a gear transmission that is not controlled automatically, i.e., a so-called MT (manual transmission).


A wavelength selective switch includes a light input and output part in which light input/output ports are arranged in a predetermined direction, the light input/output ports including a first port for inputting light, a second port for outputting the light, and at least one third port for inputting or outputting the light, a wavelength dispersive element optically coupled to the light input and output part, and a phase modulation element which includes a plurality of pixels performing phase modulation and diffractively deflects an optical path of the light arriving from the first port via the wavelength dispersive element by presenting a diffraction-grating-shaped phase modulation pattern, and the light input/output ports are arranged so that a 1st order light of the light is incident on the second port, and the first port and the third port are spaced from an optical axis of a −1st order light of the light.

1. Field of the Invention
One aspect of the present invention relates to a wavelength selective switch.
2. Related Background Art
A device which controls an optical path by independently performing modulation based on a diffraction-grating-shaped phase modulation pattern on each wavelength component using an optical phase matrix device having a grating structure is disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0067611.
A wavelength selective switch includes a wavelength selective switch using a phase modulation element. The phase modulation element is an element including a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional shape and capable of performing phase modulation in each pixel. In such a wavelength selective switch, a light input/output port which is a coupling destination of each wavelength component is selected by presenting a diffraction-grating-shaped phase pattern to the phase modulation element and controlling a reflection direction of each wavelength component incident on the phase modulation element.
Usually, when light is incident on the diffraction grating, a plurality of light components, such as a zero order light, ±1st order light, ±2nd order light . . . , are generated. Among them, since a light intensity of the 1st order light is highest, the 1st order light is coupled to an output port. However, light intensities of other diffracted lights such as the zero order light or the −1st order light may increase depending on the precision of a phase modulation pattern such that the light intensities cannot be neglected. Particularly, the −1st order light is generated at an output angle symmetrical to that of the 1st order light. Therefore, the −1st order light is incident on other light input/output ports and causes noise light depending on an arrangement of the light input/output ports.


A modified topology for a CTDSM (referred herein as “SCFF”) can effectively deal with signal transfer function (STF) peaking, an inherent property of continuous time feedforward delta sigma converters. The SCFF approach involves providing an additional digital-to-analog (DAC) feedback path to the input of the second integrator (incurring an additional DAC in the circuitry, converting the output of the quantizer into an analog signal and feeding the analog signal to the input of the second integrator). Furthermore, the SCFF approach involves providing two feed-ins: a first feed-in to the input of the second integrator and a second feed-in to the input of the third integrator. The first feed-in can be negative. Advantageously, the modified continuous time delta sigma modulator implementing this approach alleviates some of the peaking issues in the signal transfer function while still enjoy low power consumption.

Data converters are ubiquitous in electronics. Some data converters, e.g., analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), convert signals between the digital domain and the analog domain. Data converters of various flavors are used in a myriad of applications, e.g., high-speed applications, precision applications, mission-critical systems, consumer electronics, entertainment, media systems, telecommunications, medical devices, and so on. Depending on the application, data converters can be designed or selected to suit specifications including: accuracy, resolution, sample rate, bandwidth, power consumption/efficiency, size, amount of noise, anti-aliasing capabilities, etc.

Suppressing signal transfer function peaking in a feedforward delta sigma converter


Methods, systems and computer program products for automatically minimizing leakage current in a circuit design can include post layout delay information of a circuit that meets timing limits is analyzed. The circuit can include a first type of cells, and the first type of cells each can include a first threshold voltage and a first leakage current. After post layout delay information are analyzed, a non-speed-critical path in the circuit is selected. A dopant implant level of at least one transistor in at least one cell along the selected non-speed-critical path is modified to change the first threshold voltage of the transistor to a second threshold voltage and the first leakage current of the transistor to a second leakage current. In some implementations, the magnitude of the first threshold voltage is less than a magnitude of the second leakage current and the total leakage current of the circuit is reduced.

The voltage used to drive large scale integrated circuits has been reduced in recent years, and the threshold voltages (Vt or Vth) of transistors have been lowered. Lowering threshold voltages increases sub-threshold leakage current. Leakage current may flow during an active period when a circuit is in operation and also flow during a standby period. A high speed logic circuit may have low threshold voltages but high leakage currents. There is a tradeoff between threshold voltage and leakage current.
Reducing leakage current during standby in devices such as cell phones, lap tops or personal digital assistants (PDAs) may increase the life of the devices' batteries. There may be a desire for developing circuits with minimum possible leakage current.
So-called "Dual-Vth" technology has been developed to reduce leakage current. Circuit designers may use computer-aided design (CAD) systems to design dual-Vth circuits with both low threshold voltage cells (formed with low threshold voltage transistors) and high threshold voltage cells (formed with high threshold voltage transistors). Leakage current may be reduced by using high threshold voltage cells with low speed operation on a path with less critical timing needs. A path with more critical timing needs may use low threshold voltage cells with high speed operation. These paths have increased leakage current as a tradeoff for their increased speed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A device for applying a scale element to a first body, in relation to which a second body can be moved in a measuring direction, the device includes an alignment element displaceable on a scale element in a measuring direction, and applied transversely thereto in a defined position, and includes a reference surface, which is adapted for interaction with a second reference surface on a second body and otherwise is loose in relation to the second body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for applying a scale or scale support on a first body, in relation to which a second body can be moved in the measuring direction. The present invention also relates to a device for executing the method.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Comparatively long scales are often employed for position measuring on machine tools or coordinate measuring devices. Such scales must be fastened with high accuracy and aligned parallel with respect to a measuring direction. In this case the measuring direction is determined by the guide device of the respective machine. In connection with this, because of unavoidable inaccuracies in particular, the guide of the respective machine can cause a movement of the movable portion of the machine which is not exactly straight. To assure even in such a case a precise measurement between a first body of the machine and a second body of the machine which is movable in relation to the first body, it is necessary to attach the scale as exactly as possible in such a way that it imitates the actual movement of the second body. In other words, the scale must be attached in such a way that any deviations from a straight line which the second body performs in the course of its movements must be reflected as accurately as possible.
An applicator is known from EP 0 388 453 B1, by which a self-adhesive tape scale can be glued on. The applicator can be affixed to the second body, which is movable with respect to the first body, so that an orientation with respect to the actual movement of the second body, for example a carriage of a machine tool or measuring device, can take place. This known device has the disadvantage that on the one hand it is only suitable for highly-resilient scales in a tape form, and on the other hand an automated application of the scale is only possible by comparatively complicated ways.
DE 197 00 367 A1 describes the application of lateral contact elements along the length of the measuring tape, against which the measuring tape is placed and to which it can be fastened, aligned in this way.
A method and a device are known from DE 199 14 311 A1. This method and the associated device are also suitable for comparatively inherently stable scales or scale supports or scale holders, in that several spacers maintain the measuring tape at a distance from the application surface, and an alignment of the scale or the scale supports takes place in this position. Afterwards the support of the scale or of the scale support is removed, so that the adhesive layer can come into action.

Method and device for applying a scale or scale support


A wafer surface level detection method includes a first level measurement step of measuring a level of a surface of a substrate having a plurality of shot regions, a position measurement step of measuring a position along the surface of the substrate, a first movement step of moving the substrate in at least a vertical direction on the basis of the measurement result obtained in the first level measurement step and the measurement result obtained in the position measurement step, and a second level measurement step of measuring the level of the surface of the substrate after the first movement step, wherein each of the plurality of shot regions has a measurement region. In the first movement step, the substrate is moved such that a relative position of the measurement region of each of the plurality of shot regions and each of the plurality of shot regions along the surface is constant, and, in the second level measurement step, the measurement region of each of the plurality of shot regions is measured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface level detection method, an exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent shortening of the wavelength of light used for an exposure apparatus (to be referred to as exposure light, hereafter) has improved the resolution of an exposure apparatus. Along with such a trend, a demand has arisen for enhancing the accuracy of detecting the surface level of a wafer to be exposed (the accuracy of executing a focus measurement).
Normally, a sensor for detecting the wafer surface level is positioned on the forward side of an exposure slit. Using the sensor, the wafer surface level is detected (measurement process is executed) immediately before an exposure process. A wafer stage is controlled at an exposure position such that the wafer surface level coincides with the focal plane of a projection lens.
To accurately detect (measure) the wafer surface level, it is desirable to measure a large number of measurement points on the wafer surface at a very narrow pitch. In such a circumstance, the throughput of an exposure step, including a measurement process and an exposure process, may decrease due to an increase in measurement time.
To prevent this problem, a twin-stage type exposure apparatus is proposed, which comprises a first wafer stage on which a wafer is exposed and a second wafer stage on which a wafer is measured. The first wafer stage is arranged in an exposure station, while the second wafer stage is arranged in a measurement station. In the measurement station, a focus detection system for detecting the wafer surface level, and an alignment detection system for measuring the alignment position of a wafer exposure region are set. The twin-stage type exposure apparatus can measure a wafer in the measurement station, while exposing another wafer in the exposure station in parallel. Doing so makes it possible to simultaneously improve the accuracy of detecting the wafer surface level and the exposure step throughput (for a plurality of wafers).
The focus detection system of the twin-stage type exposure apparatus generally adopts a focal plane detection unit for detecting a focal plane of exposure light. The focal plane detection unit causes a light-projecting system to obliquely irradiate a target detection surface (wafer surface) with a slit-like light beam from above. Then, a slit-like optical image (to be referred to as a slit image hereafter) is formed on the target detection surface. The light beam reflected by the target detection surface is guided to re-form a slit image on a light-receiving system (e.g., a CCD area sensor). The re-formed slit image will be called a target detection image hereafter. The light-receiving system monitors the position of the target detection image thereon. With this operation, the position of the target detection image formed on the light-receiving system changes as the target detection surface (wafer surface) is displaced vertically. The focal plane detection unit detects the wafer surface level by monitoring the position of the target detection image formed on the light-receiving system.
There is a case when an error caused upon detecting the wafer surface level by the light-receiving system may increase. Assume, for example, that a thin film, such as a photoresist, adheres to the wafer surface. A light beam, obtained by interference between light reflected by the surface of the thin film and light transmitted through it and reflected by the wafer surface, may form an image on the light-receiving system. Such a circumstance increases an error caused upon detecting the wafer surface level by the light-receiving system.
Under such a circumstance, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-334826 proposed the following technique. That is, the light-receiving system moves to a position along the wafer surface, which is determined using layout information, to detect the surface level at the position. An offset is then calculated from the detected value to correct, based on the calculated offset, the detection result (focus measurement value) obtained by the light-receiving system.
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-334826 does not consider the fact that the relative positions, each of which is of a focus measurement region relative to a target measurement region in a shot region, are displaced among shot regions. This fact makes it impossible to correctly calculate an offset for correcting a focus measurement value. The target measurement region means a region on the focal plane, where a slit image is desirably formed, and which has a constant relative position to each shot region along the surface. The focus measurement region means a region where a slit image is actually formed. Therefore, it may be impossible to accurately detect the wafer surface level.
Assume, for example, that a slit image is formed on a focus measurement region MA1 spaced apart from a target measurement region OA in a shot region SAa, as shown in FIG. 24. The focus measurement region MA1 exists on a first horizontal plane HP1 and on the surface of a thin layer 5a. That is, when the focal plane detection unit irradiates the focus measurement region MA1 with a light beam LF1, the light-receiving system receives a light beam LF2 reflected by the surface of the thin layer 5a and a light beam LF3 reflected by the interface of a high-reflectance layer 5c. The intensity of light applied to the light-receiving system exhibits a distribution as indicated by a waveform DW1. Specifying the position of a target detection image at a peak position DP1 of the waveform DW1 makes it possible to detect the vertical position of a wafer WF.
Assume, for example, that a slit image is formed on a focus measurement region MA2 in a shot region SAb, as shown in FIG. 25. The positions of the focus measurement regions MA1 and MA2 relative to the target measurement region OA are displaced along the surface by ER1. Both the focus measurement regions MA1 and MA2 exist on the first horizontal plane HP1. The relative positions of the focus measurement regions MA1 and MA2 relative to the target measurement region OA are not displaced in the vertical direction. That is, when the focal plane detection unit irradiates the focus measurement region MA2 with the light beam LF1, the light-receiving system receives a light beam LF4 reflected by the surface of the thin layer 5a and a light beam LF5 reflected by the interface of a low-reflectance layer 5b. The intensity of light imaged on the light-receiving system exhibits a distribution, as indicated by a waveform DW2. The intensity of the light beam LF5 is lower than the intensity of the light beam LF3 (see FIG. 24). Specifying the position of a target detection image at a peak position DP2 of the waveform DW2 causes a displacement ER2 from the peak position DP1. It is, therefore, impossible to correctly calculate an offset between the shot regions SAa and SAb. Such a circumstance leads to a failure in accurate detection of the vertical position of the wafer WF.
Assume that a slit image is formed on a focus measurement region MA3 in a shot region SAc, as shown in FIG. 26. The relative positions of the focus measurement regions MA1 and MA3 relative to the target measurement region OA are displaced along the surface by ER1 and in the vertical direction by ER3. The focus measurement region MA3 exists on a second horizontal plane HP2 spaced apart from the first horizontal plane HP1 by the distance ER3. That is, when the focal plane detection unit irradiates the focus measurement region MA3 with the light beam LF1, the light-receiving system receives a light beam LF6 reflected by the surface of the thin layer 5a and a light beam LF7 reflected by the interface of the low-reflectance layer 5b. The intensity of light imaged on the light-receiving system exhibits a distribution as indicated by a waveform DW3. The intensity of the light beam LF7 is lower than the intensity of the light beam LF3 (see FIG. 24). Specifying the position of a target detection image at a peak position DP3 of the waveform DW3 causes a displacement ER4 from the peak position DP1. It is, therefore, impossible to correctly calculate an offset between the shot regions SAa and SAc. Such a circumstance leads to a failure in accurate detection of the vertical position of the wafer WF.

Surface level detection method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method


Provided is a non-statistical method for compressing and decompressing complex SAR data derived from reflected energy. The method includes selecting a first FFT to provide a target ratio of pixel spacing to resolution. A second FFT is then selected which is smaller than the first FFT. The data is zero-padded to fill the second FFT and transformed to provide at least one transfer frequency. This transfer frequency is then transferred to the at least one remote site. At the remote site the second FFT is inverted to restore the data from the received transfer frequency. The restored data is then zero-padded again to fill the first FFT. The first FFT is then used to transform the zero-padded restored data to provide a data set of points with the target ratio of pixel spacing to resolution.

In general, the larger an antenna, the greater the amount of information the antenna can obtain about a viewed object or area, and the more information the antenna obtains, the finer the resolution and more useful the imaging data becomes. Very large antennas are prohibitively expensive to place in orbit or on aircraft; however, researchers have learned to combine motion of a relatively small antenna with advanced signal processing techniques to simulate the results otherwise obtainable from only a very large antenna.
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) antennas generate rapid radar pulses to image surface areas over which an aircraft or satellite carrying the SAR antenna is passing. The backscatter responses from the radar pulses are received by the SAR antenna and are interpreted with respect to phase and amplitude and recorded over a measured distance. By combining the backscatter responses from many pulses as the SAR passes overhead, a synthetic aperture is formed that is far larger than the aperture of the actual physical SAR antenna.
The SAR data is collected by the radar antenna as radio frequency analog data and converted to digital format through an analog-to-digital converter and provided to an image formation processor. The raw, unprocessed data is commonly referred to as Video Phase History (VPH) data. Each block of VPH data includes two components, an In-phase (I) component and a Quadrature (Q) component. As the VPH data is a waveform, the I is the wave's real component and the Q the imaginary component, with the I and Q combining to provide the wave's overall phase and magnitude.
The output of the image formation processor is detected image data which can be displayed as is, and complex image data which can be used as input to Coherent Change Detection and other complex SAR exploitation tools. This output data is transferred by a data link (e.g., radio frequency communications link) from the aircraft to the ground, where a ground based complex data exploitation processor at the ground station renders detected image or other information on a display.
The ultimate picture provided by SAR is composed of pixels—the smallest units of the picture composition. Not surprisingly, each pixel is therefore represented by the complex image data, and more specifically two data channels that deliver the phase and the magnitude components of the complex image. In addition, for each pixel of the complex image data displayed there is an associated Range and Azimuth corresponding to the physical location or facet scanned.
Advances in SAR technology have enabled the SAR sensors to collect increasingly large amounts of complex image data. The transmission of such data to ground stations typically involves a radio transmission having a limited frequency bandwidth. Moreover, the steady increase in collection efficiency and image size has raised the total data volume to the point where data latency is a problem and a limiting factor in the distribution of near real time information. When the imaged area corresponds to a disaster area, such as a coast line ravaged by a tsunami, or a combat zone, real time transfer and processing is key to the prevention of loss of life and property.
More specifically, at the present time each SAR pixel represented in complex image data is 64 bits, 32 bits each for the I and Q components. In certain SAR configurations, this information is encoded as phase and logarithm of magnitude with two hundred fifty six levels assigned to each. As a typical SAR image may include billions of pixels, the volume of data collected for transmission and processing is enormous. The United States Government has been funding investigations to solve the bandwidth and latency problems by focusing on compressing the transmitted pixels to a target of 5 bits per pixel without incurring image degradation.
Whereas, phase information of the image had been previously discarded, resulting in an immediate reduction in data by a factor of two, the newly recognized importance of phase data necessitates that it too be maintained and transmitted. Previous attempts to compress complex SAR data without degrading the information have not succeeded. Existing compression algorithms, such as JPEG, were specifically designed to take advantage of optical data statistics and high local data correlation.
More specifically, JPEG and other compression algorithms rely on statistical repetition of data, and the ability to represent a statistical group of pixels with a token representative. For example the image of a black ball on a red floor may be highly compressed because of the highly statistical nature of red and black elements within the image. If the red floor accounts for 95% of the image, a compression of well over 75:1 is easily achieved as for each red pixel there is a high local correlation to other red pixels. However, where the image data is perhaps best described as nearly white noise, and statistical elements are rare if even identifiable, the compression method falters as the statistical component is not substantially present.
Magnitude images generated from SAR Magnitude data do compress as the magnitude data generally has correlation. However, Phase data is highly uncorrelated and does not compress well using existing techniques. Several compression methods have been proposed to compress SAR data. While they generally work quite well for the Magnitude data, they do not efficiently compress the Phase data, because the compression methods, designed for visible electro optical imagery, rely on high local data correlation to achieve good compression results. When the data is left in I and Q form, neither component will compress well with JPEG type algorithms.
Complex SAR image data, either in I, Q or phase, magnitude form do not provide high rates of local data correlation. More simply stated, complex SAR data are highly non-statistical, and as such can not be effectively processed by statistical compression methods.
While various compression methods have been explored, each tends to apply unequally to either the magnitude or the phase component, which limits the later accuracy and usage of the compressed data. Remembering that the SAR gathering device is typically in an aircraft or satellite, the compression method employed also should involve minimal computational complexity so as to reduce the processing requirements available at the point of collection.
Hence, there is a need for a complex SAR data compression method to permit improved transfer from the gathering location to the image production location that overcomes one or more of the technical problems found in existing complex SAR data compression methods.

Non-statistical method for compressing and decompressing complex SAR data


A connector for disconnecting electrical lines from a module or connecting them to the module includes a first housing part formed as a flap and a second housing part second housing part formed as a base part with an inner and outer sides, and a coding element receptacle for accepting a coding element, which interacts with a mating coding element disposed in the module, wherein the coding element receptacle is integrated into the base part and, looking towards the inner side, bears a first label field, and the base part is formed on the outer side in the area of the coding element receptacle with an opening and a second label field assigned to the opening, and in addition to numbers/letters, the label fields have marking lines disposed such that, when the coding element is plugged in, the markings match markings disposed on the coding element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector for disconnecting electrical lines from a module and connecting them to the module, comprising a first housing part and a second housing part, where the first housing part has a hinged connection to the second housing part to fold the two housing parts together into a housing, and a coding element receptacle for accepting a coding element, which interacts with a mating coding element disposed in the module, and where the coding element and the mating coding element are configured in accordance with the lock-and-key principle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to guarantee a unique assignment of a connector to a module, a module with a process connector with a coding element and a mating coding element are already known from DE 195 14 842 B4.


A system is provided for estimating the geographical distribution of user throughput in a cellular system, including user terminals and a base station for effecting wireless packet communications with user terminals inside in its own cell using a shared channel. Reception quality estimating means (11) estimates the reception quality of the shared channel at the location of a user terminal in the cell. Traffic information reading means (12) reads the traffic information on the estimation target area in which estimation of the reception quality was performed. User throughput estimating means (13) estimates the user throughput at the location of a user terminal in the cell, using the user throughput calculating function that receives as its input the reception quality of the shared channel at the location of the user terminal in the cell and the traffic information on the estimation target area and calculates user throughput.

Conventionally, there have been cellular systems including user terminals and a base station for performing wireless packet communications with user terminals in its own cell using a shared channel.
In a cellular system, user throughput presents a different value depending on the geographical features around the base station. User throughput is a value that is measured at a user terminal, and is represented by the number of bits of packets that are received by the user terminal from the base station per unit time.
As a method for estimating the geographical distribution of user throughput in a cellular system, it is a common practice that a computer is used to perform a system level simulation of the cellular system for a continuous period of time. The reason is that, because a shared channel is used in common by user terminals in a cell under high-speed control, it is impossible to obtain correct estimation of user throughput unless the shared process is simulated at a high temporal resolution over a continuous period of time while performing a detailed simulation of the process of wireless packet communications including upper layers.
A conventional method of estimating the geographical distribution of user throughput will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a system level simulation of a cellular system over a continuous period of time is performed by system level simulator 300.
System level simulator 300 receives as its input the base station configuration, the amount of traffic of packets that are generated when each user terminal makes a download request, the total number of users in the cell. Here, the base station configuration means the settings and status of the base station, including, for example, the position of the base station, transmission power, antenna pattern, antenna azimuth, antenna tilt, the type of the packet scheduler for scheduling the priority order of packet transmission processes to user terminals and the like.
System level simulator 300, based on the aforementioned input values, estimates the reception quality of the shared channel at the location of each user terminal, and performs continuous simulation of a wireless packet communications process that is close to reality including protocol upper layers, to thereby estimate user throughput. Here, as the reception quality of the shared channel, reception SIR (Signal to Interference power Ratio) which represents the ratio of the shared channel reception signal power to the interference signal power is usually used.
Next, the procedure of a system level simulation over a continuous period of time by system level simulator 300 will be described in detail.
System level simulator 300 simulates the following first to fifth steps when it uses the HSDPA (High SPEED Downlink Packet Access) scheme for high speed downlink access in W-CDMA (Wide band-Code Division Multiple Access) as a wireless packet communication scheme for the downlink from the base station to user terminals.
The first step: user terminals are generated at various positions. Then, the user terminals are caused to make traffic requests to the base station for transmitting packets through the shared channel. Here, the amount of traffic of the requested packets is the traffic amount being generated by the aforementioned user terminals.
The second step: the reception quality of the shared channel at the position of each user terminal is estimated. To explain in detail, for each user terminal, the interference wave signal power of the packets having been received from multiple base stations is calculated repeatedly, so as to estimate and calculate the reception quality of HS-PDSCH (High Speed-Physical Downlink Shared CHannel) as the shared channel based on the calculated result.
The third step: based on the amount of traffic generated by each user terminal, the reception quality of the shared channel at the position of each user terminal and the packet scheduler at the base station, packets are transmitted from the base station to each user terminal, using the shared channel.
The fourth step: based on the number of bits of the packets having been received from the base station, user throughput is calculated for each user terminal. Once the fourth step is completed, the operation returns to the first step. At this moment, the position of each user terminal is updated in accordance with the speed at which the user terminal moves, and once again the first to fourth steps are repeated.
The fifth step: user throughputs as the calculated result at the fourth step are averaged. Then, the position of each user terminal is output and the average value of the user throughputs of all the user terminals are output as a user throughput estimation.
System level simulator 300 executes the first to fourth steps every 2 ms in real time. System level simulator 300 also performs simulation of the first to fourth steps every 2 ms for periods of one hour or longer in order to obtain statistically reliably user throughput estimation.
As a result of this, accuracy of user throughput estimation is improved. On the contrary, however, an enormous amount of processing is needed for simulation of the first to fourth steps every 2 ms for periods of one hour or longer, so the time for estimating user throughput becomes longer.
Further, since system level simulator 300 executes a process of averaging user throughputs at the fifth step in order to display the geographical distribution of user throughput, the time for estimating user throughput becomes further longer.
Taking a long time for execution of estimating user throughput gives rise to the following problem especially when the proper values for the base station configuration are examined. When the proper values for the base station configuration are deliberated, a system level simulation needs to be effected every time the base station configuration is altered. Accordingly, long-time system level simulation should be repeated many times until the proper values for the base station configuration is determined, so that the time for deliberation becomes extremely long.
Also, there are other conventional methods for estimating throughput: a method of determining the propriety of starting communication by estimating throughput (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 224094/2000), a method of improving system throughput (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 298498/2003), a method of realizing a base station capable of estimating packet quality (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open 112597/2004) and the like.

User throughput geographical distribution estimating system and user throughput geographical distribution estimating method


A method of code programming a mask read only memory (ROM) is disclosed. A method of the present invention includes forming a layer of developable anti-reflective coating over a plurality of code openings located on a substrate of a ROM device. The plurality of code openings are typically elements of a first code, or pre-code, pattern, and a portion of the developable anti-reflective coating layer is removed or processed to define a second code, or real-code, pattern of the device. The method may be practiced by applying and patterning a layer of photoresist material over the developable anti-reflective coating to form a second code pattern, and then removing portions of the developable anti-reflective coating that remain exposed beneath the patterned photoresist material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to non-volatile memory devices and, more particularly, to methods of code programming read-only memory (ROM) semiconductor devices.
2. Description of Related Art
A non-volatile, semiconductor memory device is designed to securely hold data even when power is lost or removed from the memory device. The read-only memory (ROM) is a non-volatile memory device widely used in microprocessor-based digital electronic equipment for storing predetermined programs.
Arrays of memory cells are conventionally disposed in ROM devices for storing data, wherein each memory cell includes a transistor. These transistors, which typically comprise metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), are disposed near intersecting bit lines and word lines of the memory device. Data bit values or codes held by these memory cell transistors are permanently stored in the physical or electrical properties of the individual memory cells.
A method of programming ROM devices, such as semiconductor devices, which has been explored by the Applicant uses an etch-back spin on glass (SOG) process to expose portions of a photoresist layer located on a substrate, such as a silicon wafer. The etch-back process may be used in forming a pre-code pattern of memory cells on the substrate, which may be used in an attempt to provide larger windows for photo processing. The pre-code pattern can generally be non-selective, and can include all of the potential code positions on the device.
In comparison, a real-code pattern can be formed after the pre-code pattern, and the particular real-code pattern or patterns can be selected based on the desired performance characteristics of the ROM device. To prevent exposure to non-real code pattern positions, such as the code positions that are not elements of the real-code pattern, such a current ROM device processing method explored by the Applicant may utilize wet etched SOG processes. Such a method can be relatively complex and may not provide the desired amount of control in shaping of the processing windows.
Thus, there is a need for improved methods of programming or patterning ROM devices which are simpler and which can provide improved control over spatial aspects of processing windows.

Methods of code programming a mask ROM device


A machine is presented for the cleaning of jewelry. The machine allows the manual or automatic cleaning of jewelry. Under both modes of operation, the jewelry is secured by a user to a support bracket inside a transparent, water-tight cylindrical wash chamber. When in manual mode, the user can direct the spray of wash fluid onto the jewelry by rotating the jewelry using a trackball. When used in automatic mode, the machine washes the jewelry during a preset washing cycle. For both modes, the washing cycle is followed by the drying cycle where a blower directs air onto the jewelry for a set time period to blow off excess moisture. The drying cycle concludes with a blower venting the cylindrical wash chamber to remove residual moisture from the wash chamber and the jewelry. After the cleaning, the user removes the jewelry from the machine.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to devices and methods for cleaning jewelry.
2. Related Art
Known jewelry cleaning devices use sonic technologies, pressurized steam and other cleaning chemicals to remove or dissolve foreign substances from jewelry. These devices are largely for personal use.
The most recent jewelry cleaning devices and methods are sonic cleaners, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,850 issued to Glucksman et al. on Apr. 13, 2004, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,398 issued to Glucksman et al. on Nov. 11, 2008; steam cleaners, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,097 issued to Edward Papandrea on Oct. 10, 2000 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,319 issued to Michael Clarke on Aug. 14, 2007; and a method describing a complete immersion in cleaning solution, without vibration, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,538 issued to Jon Frankson on Jun. 20, 2000 and patents by others almost a half-century before that time.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,850 discloses a small, quiet, sonic cleaner where jewelry is immersed in a cleaning solution and vibrated in the sonic range. The patent also discloses the method for using the cleaner. The patent discloses hooks within the cleaning tank where jewelry can be fastened which rotate in response to the vibrations. U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,398 discloses an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 6,719,850 in that it provides for removable tanks for ease of disposal and replacement of spent cleaning solutions. Both of these patents disclose machines that are primarily for in-home use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,350 discloses a device which can be attached to a steam cleaning machine to clean jewelry. The device consists of a nozzle through which a jet of steam enters a closed mesh container that holds the jewelry being cleaned. The attachment is mounted to the steam cleaning machine through a support located at the open top of the neck portion of the attachment. This patent also teaches the use of tweezers through an opening in the mesh container which can be manipulated by the user to target the jet of steam onto the jewelry being cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,319 discloses a portable jewelry cleaning device that emits steam through a tube over the jewelry being cleaned. A containment device is optionally provided which catches any jewelry which is dislodged during cleaning. Unlike the disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,350, this device houses a steam generator and is self contained. A water reservoir is also housed within the device which is filled by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,538 discloses a jewelry cleaning kit and method wherein the user secures the jewelry in holding basket and dunks the basket with the jewelry into a cleaning solution. The basket with the jewelry is then placed in an automatic dishwasher for a final cleaning with a water spray and steam.


A seat belt retractor includes a seat belt winding device for winding up a seat belt by actuation of a motor and a control unit. The control unit, under a predetermined condition, repeats a process of stopping the actuation of the motor when an overload of the motor is detected and restarting the actuation of the motor after a lapse of a predetermined time period. The control unit includes a timer for clocking the time period from the start to the stop of the actuation of the motor, a counter for counting up the number of times of starting the actuation of the motor, and a determination module that based on the result of the timer and the counter determines whether or not actuation of the motor, which is stopped by the detection of an overload, is to be restarted.

The invention relates to a safety arrangement for motor vehicles, which safety arrangement, in a crash, in particular a crash from the side, is intended to avoid the situation where an additional load is placed on a vehicle occupant because of an interaction between a motor vehicle seat and the occupant situated on the seat. In addition, the present invention may relate to motor vehicle seats with rigid and/or pronounced side bolsters.
The present invention relates generally to the field of seat belt winding. Particularly, the present invention relates to a seat belt retractor for winding up a seat belt by a motor, a seat belt apparatus with the seat belt retractor, and a method of winding up a seat belt by a motor.
A vehicle, such as an automobile, typically includes a seat belt apparatus for restraining an occupant in a seat. The seat belt apparatus may include a seat belt or webbing, a buckle, a tongue plate, and a retractor.
The retractor is a device for winding up the seat belt and may include a winding mechanism using spring force and a pretensioner that moves a piston by explosion of a powder or other material to strongly pull the belt in the event of an emergency, such as a vehicle collision, to restrain the occupant in the seat. A motorized retractor may include a motor to wind up the seat belt.
To reduce the electric power consumption, the motorized retractor may be adapted so that electric power is supplied to the motor when winding up the seat belt and the supply of the electric power to the motor is stopped and the motor is turned off after winding-up the seat belt. However, when the seat belt is caught by something such as an arm of the occupant during the winding-up of the seat belt or when the occupant starts the withdrawal of the seat belt during wind-up of the seat belt, the motor may not be suitably controlled to stop.


By on-chip modification of a conventional balanced driver to yield special voltage levels, the power dissipation of a balanced, terminated transmission line circuit can be reduced by 50% or more relative to a conventional balanced driver or 25% or more relative to a conventional unbalanced driver. This reduction in power dissipation not only applies to point-to-point interconnections but also applies to bused interconnections. The low power balanced driver circuit can be implemented using ECL, BiCMOS, GaAs and CMOS technologies and no modifications are needed to the associated differential line receiver. Thus, the significant benefits of balanced interconnections, namely reduced crosstalk, increased noise immunity, and elimination of ground noise can be realized with a significant reduction in power dissipation.

A major performance limitation of electrical interconnections is inductive noise encountered when one interconnects high-speed, high pin-out integrated circuit (IC) chips having many drivers that switch simultaneously. When a large number of drivers are active simultaneously, a substantial transient current passes through the inductance of the ground and power distribution systems, causing a noise spike to emerge on the power and ground lines. The resulting fluctuation of the power and ground voltage levels can cause false switching of devices with an accompanying error or loss of data. As "Fast interfaces for DRAMs," IEEE Spectrum, October 1992, pp. 52-57, shows, there exists a recognized need for improved interfaces between, e.g., DRAMs and processors, especially low cost interfaces that can have low power dissipation.
Various techniques for reducing inductive switching noise on ground leads are known. They include the use of balanced IC driver circuits. However, conventional balanced IC driver circuits typically dissipate twice the power of corresponding unbalanced drivers. This clearly is a significant disadvantage. As can be seen from "Fast Interfaces for DRAMs" and problems experienced in the field, there is a long felt need for a technique which will drive a circuit, produce a minimal amount of inductive noise and dissipates a minimal amount of power.
Recently, a balanced driver circuit with reduced power dissipation was disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/895767 entitled "Balanced Driver Circuit For Eliminating Inductive Noise" filed on Jun. 9, 1992, which is incorporated herein by reference. The circuit of the '767 application can reduce the power dissipation of a balanced driver to the level of that of an unbalanced driver, but has the drawback of requiring additional off-chip components. It would be highly desirable to have available a balanced driver circuit that can have still lower power dissipation, preferably without requiring additional components. This application discloses such a circuit.

Article comprising a balanced driver circuit with less power dissipation than conventional circuit


An electrode for electrochemical processes comprises a substrate of titanium or other valve metal, an intermediate protection layer based on valve metal oxides and a catalytic layer based on oxides of tin and of iridium doped with small amounts of oxides of elements selected between bismuth, antimony, tantalum and niobium. The electrode used in electrometallurgical processes, for example in the electrowinning of metals, as anode for anodic oxygen evolution presents a reduced overvoltage and a higher duration.

The invention relates to an electrode for electrolytic processes, in particular to an anode suitable for oxygen evolution in an industrial electrolytic process. Anodes for oxygen evolution are widely used in various electrolysis applications, several of which fall in the domain of cathodic metal electrodeposition (electrometallurgy) and cover a wide range in terms of applied current density, which can be very reduced (for instance few hundreds A/m2, such as in metal electrowinning processes) or very high (such as in some applications of galvanic electrodeposition, in which 10 kA/m2 may be exceeded, referred to the anodic surface); another field of application of anodes for oxygen evolution is given by impressed current cathodic protection. In the electrometallurgical field, with particular reference to metal electrowinning, the use of lead-based anodes is traditionally widespread and still suitable for some applications although presenting a rather high oxygen evolution overpotential besides entailing the known hazard for environment and human health associated to the utilisation of such material. More recently, especially for high current density applications which take a higher advantage of energy savings associated with a decreased oxygen evolution potential, oxygen-evolving electrodes obtained starting from substrates of valve metals, for instance titanium and alloys thereof, coated with catalytic compositions based on metals or oxides thereof were introduced to the market. A typical composition suitable for catalysing the oxygen evolution anodic reaction consists for example of a mixture of oxides of iridium and tantalum, wherein iridium constitutes the catalytically-active species and tantalum favours the formation of a compact coating, capable of protecting the valve metal substrate from corrosion phenomena especially when operating with aggressive electrolytes.
An electrode with the specified composition is capable of withstanding the needs of several industrial applications, both at low and high current density, with reasonable operative lifetimes. The economy of some manufacturing processes, especially in the metallurgical field (for instance copper or tin electrowinning) nevertheless requires electrodes having a further enhanced catalytic activity, in other word a further reduced oxygen evolution potential, in order to make their cost competitive versus the traditional cheaper-to-manufacture lead electrodes, while retaining a very high operative lifetime.
A particularly active catalytic coating for oxygen evolution is obtainable starting from a mixture of oxides of tin and of iridium, deposited on a valve metal substrate by thermal decomposition of precursors at a sufficiently reduced temperature (for instance not higher than 450° C. versus the 480-530° C. required for obtaining the deposition by thermal decomposition of iridium and tantalum oxide precursors with the same method). This type of coating however presents an insufficient operative lifetime with respect to the needs of common electrometallurgical applications.
It must also be considered that the operative lifetime of anodes based on metal or metal oxides on valve metal substrates is greatly reduced in the presence of particularly aggressive contaminants, capable of establishing accelerated phenomena of corrosion or of anode surface fouling. An example of the former kind is given by fluoride ions, which determine a specific attack on valve metals such as titanium, deactivating electrodes in very fast times; in some industrial environments, remarkable costs are borne to diminish fluoride concentration down to extremely low levels, since a fluoride ion content higher than 0.2 parts per million (ppm) could already be liable to show sensible effects on the duration of anodes. An example of the latter kind is given on the other hand by manganese ions—present in a number of industrial electrolytes in typical amounts of 2-30 g/l—which starting from concentrations as low as 1 g/l have the tendency to film the anodic surface with an MnO2 layer capable of shielding the catalytic activity thereof and difficult to remove without inducing damages.
Anodes obtained starting from substrates of valve metals such as titanium and alloys thereof coated with mixtures of oxides of iridium and tantalum or of iridium and tin normally present a limited tolerance to the presence of manganese or fluoride ions.
It has thus been evidenced the need for oxygen-evolving anodes characterised by a very reduced oxygen overpotential coupled with operative lifetimes equivalent or higher than those of the electrodes of the prior art even at particularly critical process conditions, such as a high current density or the presence of particularly aggressive electrolytes, for instance due to the presence of contaminant species.


A frequency converting section (101), which is included in a liquid crystal display apparatus, generates an output video signal by inserting one non-image signal, which is to be concurrently written into pixels on L (L is an integer equal to or greater than two) gate lines of the liquid crystal panel, for one line, between image signals composing an input video signal, for corresponding L lines, and adjusting a number of horizontal scanning periods of the output video signal in a vertical blanking period so that a number of horizontal scanning periods composing one frame period is (L+1)×(2N+1) (N is an integer). Thus, when anti-back-transition driving is performed using a liquid crystal panel in OCB mode, it is possible to minimize increase in a driving frequency, prevent irregularity of brightness caused by AC driving of the liquid crystal panel, and reduce a cost.

Many liquid crystal display apparatuses are used as display devices for computers, etc., and are expected to be widely used for TV in future years. However, a liquid crystal display panel in Twisted Nematic (TN) mode, which is now widely used, has some shortcomings, namely, narrow viewing angles and inadequate response speeds. Consequently, there are some major problems to be solved, for example, reduction in a contrast due to parallax or blurred outlines at the time of displaying moving images, in order to use the liquid crystal panel in TN mode for TV.
In recent years, research on OCB mode, which is replacing the above-described TN mode, has been conducted. The OCB mode of operation allows for wide viewing angles and enhanced response speeds, thereby being more suitable for displaying moving images than the TN mode.
FIG. 26 shows the structure of a commonly-used liquid crystal panel, which is common to the TN mode and the OCB mode. In FIG. 26, X1 to Xn indicate gate lines, and Y1 to Yn indicate source lines. Thin film transistors 2604 (hereinafter, referred to as a TFT) are provided as a switching element at intersection of the gate lines X1 to Xn with the source lines Y1 to Yn. The drain electrode of each TFT 2604 is connected to a pixel electrode of each pixel 2605 of the liquid crystal panel. In each pixel 2605, a liquid crystal is sandwiched between the pixel electrode and a counter electrode. A polarity of the counter electrode is controlled by a counter driving section 2603.
2602 indicates a gate driver for supplying a gate pulse, which controls the ON/OFF states of the TFTs 2604, to the gate lines X1 to Xn. The gate driver 2602 synchronizes with data supply to the source lines Y1 to Yn, and sequentially applies a potential to the gate lines X1 to Xn, which turns the states of the TFT 2604 ON. 2601 indicates a source driver for controlling a potential of the pixel electrode. A difference between a potential of the pixel electrode controlled by the source driver 2601 and a potential of the counter electrode controlled by the counter driving section 2603 is a voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal, and transmittance of each pixel 2605 is determined based on the above-described voltage.
Now, in a case where the liquid crystal panel in OCB mode is used, special processing, which is not performed for the TN mode, is required at the first stage of commencing image display. A state of OCB cells can be either a bend configuration or a splay configuration. In order to display an image on the liquid crystal panel in OCB mode, the OCB cells have to be in a bend configuration state. However, in general, the OCB cells are in a state of a splay configuration. Therefore, a state of the OCB cells has to be changed from a splay configuration to a bend configuration for displaying an image. Hereinafter, the above-described state change from a splay configuration to a bend configuration is referred to as a "transition". In order to cause a transition of the OCB cells, special processing, for example, applying a high voltage for a predetermined period of time, is required. However, this processing is not directly related to the present invention, and therefore not further described herein.
After the above-described special processing causes the state of OCB cells to make a transition to a bend configuration, image display becomes possible. However, if a voltage equal to or greater than a predetermined level is not applied to the OCB cells for a period equal to or greater than a predetermined period of time, the state of the OCB cells returns back from a bend configuration to a splay configuration. Hereinafter, the above-described state change from a bend configuration to a splay configuration is referred to as a "back transition". Thus, in order to continue image display using the liquid crystal panel in OCB mode, it is necessary to prevent a back transition. A back transition can be prevented by applying a high voltage to the OCB cells on a regular basis, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-109921 and Japanese Liquid Crystal Society Journal, Apr. 25, 1999 (Vol. 3, No. 2) P.99 (17) through P.106 (24). Hereinafter, such a driving scheme of a liquid crystal panel, in which a high voltage is applied to the OCB cells on a regular basis, is referred to as "anti-back-transition driving".
Now, as is well known, in a commonly-used liquid crystal panel typified by the OCB mode and the TN mode, a direct voltage applied to liquid crystal cells causes a problem such as burn-in. Therefore, when the liquid crystal panel is driven, it is necessary to perform so-called AC driving, in which polarity of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal cells is alternately inverted. This is also applied to a case where the liquid crystal panel is driven by the above-described anti-back-transition driving. However, in the above-described Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-109921 and Japanese Liquid Crystal Society Journal, a structure or an operation of a liquid crystal display apparatus in a case where an AC driving scheme is used for the anti-back-transition driving is not specifically described, and the above-described documents do not reveal a concrete method to apply an AC driving scheme to the anti-back-transition driving.
Now, the above-described documents disclose a scheme in which source drivers are placed on upper and under sides or a scheme in which driving frequency is doubled, in order to alternately write an image signal and a high voltage signal (a signal for periodically applying a high voltage to OCB cells). However, those schemes have a problem such as increase in cost because there is a need to use two source drivers, or inadequate writing of signal into OCB cells due to reduced signal writing time caused by the doubled driving frequency. Therefore, inventers of the present invention realize anti-back-transition driving by which increase in driving frequency is minimized. Hereinafter, as a related art of the present invention, a liquid crystal display apparatus to which anti-back-transition driving is applied will be described.
In FIG. 27, the structure of the above-described liquid crystal display apparatus according to the related art is shown. In FIG. 27, 2701 indicates a frequency converting section performing frequency conversion for an input video signal, 2702 indicates a driving pulse generating section generating pulses for controlling a source driver and a gate driver, respectively, 2601 indicates the source driver, 2602 indicates the gate driver, and 2703 indicates a liquid crystal panel in OCB mode. Note that, for the sake of convenience, the number of gate lines of the liquid crystal panel 2703 is assumed to be 12 lines, and one frame period is assumed to be composed of 12 horizontal scanning periods.
In this liquid crystal display apparatus, one image signal included in an input video signal and one non-image signal which is irrelevant to the input video signal are written into each pixel on the liquid crystal panel 2703 during one frame period. Here, the non-image signal is a signal for applying a high voltage to OCB cells in order to prevent a back transition. In order to realize the above-described writing, it is necessary to insert the non-image signal between the image signals composing the input video signal. Therefore, the frequency converting section 2701 of this liquid crystal display apparatus generates an output video signal by inserting one non-image signal for every four image signals (image signals corresponding to four lines) of an input video signal, and transfers it to the source driver 2601. At the same time, the frequency converting section 2701 also performs frequency conversion because mere insertion of the non-image signal could change a length of one frame period. That is, in order to transfer five signals including four image signals and one non-image signal to the source driver within a time period in which four image signals are input as an input video signal (that is, within four horizontal scanning periods), 1.25 times frequency conversion is performed.
In FIG. 28, a concrete structure of the frequency converting section 2701 is shown. A control signal generating section 2801 generates a writing clock, a reading clock, a read enable signal, an output switching control signal, and an output synchronizing signal, respectively, based on an input synchronizing signal. An input video signal is synchronized with the writing clock, and written into a line memory 2802. Then, the input video signal written into the line memory 2802 is synchronized with the reading clock whose frequency is 1.25 times higher than that of the writing clock, and read from the line memory 2802. Based on the output switching control signal, an output signal selecting section 2804 selects either an output of the line memory 2802 or an output of a non-image signal generating section 2803, and outputs it as an output video signal. A signal waveform related to the above-described processing is shown in FIG. 29.
An input/output characteristic of the source driver 2601 is shown in FIG. 30. The source driver 2601, in which the output video signal output from the frequency converting section 2701 is input, alternately converts a signal level of the output video signal so as to be a level greater or smaller than a reference potential, in accordance with a polarity control signal output from the driving pulse generating section 2702, and outputs it. When a level of an output signal of the source driver 2601 is greater than the reference potential, a positive voltage is applied to liquid crystal cells. On the other hand, when a level of an output signal of the source driver 2601 is smaller than the reference potential, a negative voltage is applied to the liquid crystal cells. Also, the greater a signal level of the output video signal becomes, the closer a level of the output signal of the source driver 2601 approaches the reference potential (that is, a voltage applied to the liquid crystal cells becomes smaller).
In FIG. 31, gate pulses P1 to P12 respectively select gate lines GL 1 to GL 12 on the liquid crystal panel 2703 during their respective HI periods. Note that "+", "−" marked in the HI period of the respective gate pulses P1 to P12 indicate a polarity of a signal (that is, a polarity of an applied voltage) written into a pixel on the gate line selected by the gate pulse. During a period T0_0, the gate pulses P5 to P8 becomes HI at the same time, and a non-image signal in positive polarity is concurrently written into pixels on the gate lines GL5 to GL8. During a following period T0_1 through T0_4, the gate pulses P1 to P4 sequentially become HI, and image signals S1 to S4 in positive polarity are sequentially written into pixels on the gate lines GL1 to GL4. During a period T0_5, the gate pulses P9 to P12 become HI at the same time, and a non-image signal in negative polarity is concurrently written into the gate lines GL9 to GL12. During a following period T0_6 through T0_9, the gate pulses P5 to P8 sequentially become HI, and image signals S5 to S8 in negative polarity are sequentially written into pixels on the gate lines GL5 to GL8, respectively. Here, the respective pixels on the gate lines GL5 to GL8 hold the non-image signal after the non-image signal is written thereinto until an image signal is written thereinto, that is, during the time periods T0_1 through T0_5, T0_1 through T0_6, T0_1 through T0_7, T0_1 through T0_8, respectively. As such, all the gate lines on the liquid crystal panel 107 are respectively selected twice during one frame period, and one image signal and one non-image signal are written into each pixel on the respective gate lines during one frame period.
During a period T1_0 in a following frame period, the gate pulses P5 to P8 become HI at the same time, and the non-image signal in negative polarity (polarity opposite to that in the previous frame) is written into pixels on the gate lines GL5 to GL8. During a following period T1_1 trough T1_4, the gate pulses P1 to P4 sequentially become HI, and image signals S′1 to S′4 in negative polarity (polarity opposite to that in the previous frame) are sequentially written into the pixels on the gate lines GL1 to GL4.
As described above, according to the liquid crystal display apparatus shown in FIG. 27, it is possible to alternately write an image signal and a non-image signal into each pixel on the liquid crystal panel 2703 while minimizing increase in a driving frequency (Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-131414).
Now, the anti-back-transition driving performed by the above liquid crystal display apparatus (that is, anti-back-transition driving by which increase in a driving frequency is minimized by concurrently writing a non-image signal into a plurality of gate lines) restricts the number of horizontal scanning periods composing one frame period.
For example, in a scheme typified by the above-described liquid crystal display apparatus, in which a non-image signal is concurrently written into four gate lines, the number of horizontal scanning periods composing one frame period has to be an odd multiple of five at the time of completion of frequency conversion (that is, in an output video signal). In the example of FIG. 31, the number of horizontal scanning periods composing one frame period (period T0_0 through T0_14) in the output video signal is 15 (an odd multiple of five), thereby satisfying the condition. In general terms, this condition is expressed such that, in a scheme in which a non-image signal is concurrently written into L gate lines, the number of horizontal scanning periods composing one frame period has to be (L+1)×(2N+1) at the time of completion of frequency conversion. If this condition is not satisfied, there will appear irregularity of brightness, that is, some lines are relatively bright and some lines are relatively dark, on a display screen of the liquid crystal panel 2703. Hereinafter, a cause thereof will be briefly described.
FIG. 32 shows various signal waveforms in a scheme in which a non-image signal is concurrently written into three gate lines. In this example, the number of horizontal scanning periods composing one frame period in the output video signal is 16, which is not an odd multiple of four (=3+1), whereby the above-described condition is not satisfied. In FIG. 32, a polarity change of a signal written into pixels on each gate line shows that an image signal whose polarity is opposite to a non-image signal is sure to be written into the gate lines GL1 to GL3 immediately before the non-image signal is written thereinto. On the other hand, with respect to the gate lines GL4 to GL12, an image signal having the same polarity of a non-image signal is sure to be written thereinto immediately before the non-image signal is written thereinto. Now, into a liquid crystal cell into which a signal having a given polarity has already been written, if a signal whose polarity is opposite to that of the above-described signal is written thereinto, there arises a problem of inadequate signal writing compared to a case where a signal having the same polarity of the above-described signal is written thereinto. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 32, writing of a non-image signal into pixels on the gate lines GL1 to GL3 is inadequate compared to writing of a non-image signal into pixels on the other gate lines GL4 to GL12, which results in a difference in brightness between a portion corresponding to the gate lines GL1 to GL3 on the liquid crystal panel 107 and a portion corresponding to the gate lines GL4 to GL12. As such, irregularity of brightness is caused if the aforementioned condition is not satisfied.
In order to prevent the above-described irregularity of brightness, the number of horizontal scanning periods has to be adjusted. However, mere increase or decrease of the number of horizontal scanning periods causes a time lag between writing and reading of an image signal into/from the line memory 2802 as shown in FIG. 29, whereby the line memory 2802 for one line may be insufficient for proper transfer of an image signal (that is, the image signal may be lost). In order to reliably avoid the above-described problem, it is necessary to provide a memory such as a frame memory, for example, capable of concurrently storing image signals for two or more lines, which results in increase in cost of the liquid crystal display apparatus.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost liquid crystal display device capable of performing anti-back-transition driving by which increase in a driving frequency is minimized and display of a good-quality video by reducing the occurrence of irregularity of brightness is possible.

Liquid crystal display and its driving method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An apparatus and method for detecting vertical gusts of wind on board an aircraft in cruising flight is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: calculating an absolute value (.vertline..alpha.-.theta..vertline.) of a difference between a pair of first differentials with respect to time (.alpha. and .theta.) of a current incidence .alpha. and a current pitch attitude .theta. of the aircraft, comparing the absolute value to an upper threshold (Ss), comparing a current Mach number (M) of the aircraft to a Mach number threshold (Mo), and generating an electrical signal that represents presence of a vertical gust of wind when the absolute value is above the upper threshold, when the current Mach number is above the Mach number threshold, and when aerodynamic flaps and slats of the aircraft are in a clean configuration.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting vertical gusts of wind on board an aircraft in cruising flight and to a detection device employing said method and the application of both to the control of said aircraft. The vertical gusts of wind to which the present invention relates are swirling turbulence (rather than high-frequency turbulence that causes vibration), generated by swirling rollers of the vortex type, which subject the aircraft passing through or close to them to an upward (or downward) gust of wind then to a downward (or upward) gust of wind that lasts for a few seconds, or alternatively, to a succession of upward and downward gusts of wind if there are a number of vortices.
If the aircraft is on manual control in the cruising flight and encounters an upward gust of wind of this kind, it is subjected, first of all, to a high positive load factor which means that the pilot reacts with a nose-down command on the aircraft, in order to counter the upward wind effect. However, the gust then changes direction and the wind becomes a downward gust, which means that the pilot's nose-down action is now adding to the downward gust of wind to apply a negative load factor on the aircraft, which load factor is even higher than the load factor that would be the result of the gust itself. This may then cause injury to passengers and damage to the aircraft.
The same thing happens if the aircraft has an automatic pilot and if this automatic pilot is engaged during the cruising flight at the time when the upward gust of wind is encountered.
What happens is that this gust of wind causes the automatic pilot to disengage and a switch to manual control, either automatically by the action of protection devices (for example angle of incidence protection) or through an instinctive action by the pilot on the stick. There too, the pilot's nose-down action will add to the reverse gust of wind.
Of course, what was applied hereinabove is applicable mutatis mutandis to instances where a gust of wind which starts out downward then switches upward is encountered.
Thus, from the foregoing, it will be readily understood that in general, any control action to counter a gust of wind produces its effect at the moment said gust changes direction, which means that this control action unfavorably increases the already high load factor to which said gust is subjecting the aircraft.

Method and device for detecting vertical gusts of wind and application thereof to the pitch-attitude control of an aircraft

Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle


A silencer includes a smaller cylindrical member having a planar portion and a larger cylindrical member arranged to closely contact at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the smaller cylindrical member. The larger cylindrical member as seen in a direction orthogonal to its axis provides an oblate cross section having a major axis X and a minor axis Y and the smaller cylindrical member is arranged to have the planar portion traversing the major axis X of the larger cylindrical member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to silencers and particularly to silencers used for example for internal combustion engines mounted in automobiles and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Vehicles and the like having an internal combustion engine or the like as a power source have a silencer mounted therein for the purpose of reducing noise caused by the internal combustion engine or the like.
The silencer is located under a floor of the vehicle. Accordingly, it is required to be more oblate as seen in cross section in order to ensure a sufficient cabin space and a minimal required spacing from the ground. It has been known, however, that such oblate geometry provides an increased area of a planar geometry of an outer cylinder and hence facilitates membrane vibration, resulting in disadvantageously increased radiating noise.
To address this, Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 04-087312 proposes to provide an oblate outer cylinder with a reinforcement member along the cylinder's minor axis to enhance the cylinder in stiffness to reduce or prevent membrane vibration to reduce radiating noise.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-016494 proposes to provide an outer cylinder with a curving recess and protrusion to enhance the cylinder in stiffness to reduce or prevent the membrane vibration of the cylinder to reduce radiating noise.
The silencer described in Japanese Utility Model Laying No. 04-087312, however, has the reinforcement member and the silencer formed of discrete components, respectively. As such, it is difficult to sufficiently reduce or prevent the membrane vibration of the cylinder.
Furthermore, the silencer described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-016494 that has the outer cylinder provided with a curved geometry has a reduced capacity and hence muffles an insufficient amount of noise.


For generating from variable data page-oriented data for printing dynamic documents, a layout module (13) is linked in series with one or more data processing modules (121, 122) to a data input module (11). The data input module (11) loads (S3) a part of the variable data into local memory and passes it by reference through the data processing modules (121, 122) to the layout module (13). The data processing modules (121, 122) are configured to read (S8c, S13c, S13f) a data field from the variable data in the local memory only in cases where the data field is to be processed by the respective data processing module. The layout module (13) generates (S8) the page-oriented data output from unprocessed and pre-processed data fields, defined in each case by a respective pointer from the data processing modules. Thereby, allocation and de-allocation of local memory is reduced and performance improved.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present application relates to a computer system and a computer-implemented method for generating page-oriented data for printing dynamic documents. Specifically, the present invention relates to a computer system and a computer-implemented method for generating, from variable data stored in a data store, page-oriented data output for printing dynamic documents, whereby the variable data is pre-processed by one or more data processing modules prior to generating the page-oriented data.
2. Related Art
There are many data processing applications where data is retrieved from a data store and processed at various processing stages, before it is passed to a data consumer which generates some output based on this pre-processed data. Typical data stores include local or remote (networked) hard disks, data tape, or removable data carriers such as compact discs (CD), digital versatile disks (DVD) or flash memory devices. Particularly in data processing applications, such as dynamic and high speed printing based on variable data, where different processing modules with different processing functions can be selected and combined freely for pre-processing the data, at each processing stage, the variable data is typically loaded as a complete data set from the data store into the local memory of the computerized processing system. For example, the variable data is loaded completely into random access memory (RAM). After data processing is completed at a processing stage, the processed data is stored back into the data store. Thus, at each processing stage, computer resources and time are used for allocating/de-allocating local memory, and transferring data between the data store and the local memory. In some applications it may be possible to reduce data transfer between the data store and the local memory, if the different processing modules are designed to use the local memory for passing data from one processing stage to the next. Nevertheless, using the local memory for transferring data between processing modules requires additional memory space and necessitates allocation/de-allocation of local memory at each processing stage. However, dynamic printing applications which generate page oriented data output based on variable data input, require typically a high performance throughput for handling high volumes of data records and corresponding page output. For example, printing of variable information letters and/or invoices directed to subscribers of a telecom provider, or other personalized mass mailing applications, may involve hundreds of thousands or even millions of records and corresponding print pages. For each individual page to be printed, page-oriented data is generated from variable data, e.g. address, invoice and/or other custom-oriented information associated with individual persons, whereby the page-oriented data defines a layout of a page including the placement of properly formatted data fields derived from the variable data. For example, the page-oriented data output is in the form of a print stream such as Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) as defined in ISO 32000-1:2008, Adobe PostScript, IBM AFPDS (Advanced Function Presentation Data Streaming), PPML (Personalized Print Markup Language), IJPDS (InkJet Printer Data Stream), or other representations of two-dimensional documents. On one hand, great flexibility may be obtained from selecting and combining various processing modules for pre-processing the variable data, prior to generating the page-oriented data output, e.g. for filtering, formatting and merging the variable data into a page-oriented layout. On the other hand, performance and throughput are reduced by the data exchange taking place between individual modules and the data store, as well as the allocation and de-allocation of local memory performed at the individual processing stages. However, the page-oriented data output must be generated fast enough to support high speed printing systems. Particularly, the pre-processing and merging of the variable data into the page-oriented layout needs to be performed fast enough to keep the printer system running continuously throughout a defined production period, e.g. several hours or even a whole day. Thus, in the known methods for generating from variable data page-oriented data for printing dynamic documents there is a tradeoff between flexible pre-processing of the variable data at run-time (during production) and fast, continuous printing of the dynamic documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,520 describes a system for transforming an input data stream of one format into an output data stream of another format. According to U.S. Pat. No. 7,127,520, various input connector modules receive input data streams and are each connected to one of several input queues which store the input data stream. Filters are used to remove irrelevant data from the received input data streams. Several job threads format in parallel the input data streams to produce output data streams which are stored in output queues. Thread job managers detect events in the input data stream and generate messages associated with the detected events. Based on the messages, the output data streams are produced and stored in output queues. For example, a "pageout" process produces page layout for creating documents for printing or faxing.
US 2005/0050442 describes a system for generating customized documents using dynamic information selected from a database based on a customer's business rules and specific transaction data, e.g. a customer's name and/or address. The transaction data is received through batch data files available through FTP (File Transfer Protocol) servers and/or web-enabled interactive ordering systems. When a complete set of content is assembled for a transaction, a dynamic document generator and assembler assembles the customized document.
US 2002/0049702 describes a method for creating a series of customized document instances from a single dynamic variable information document, referred to as dynamic document. A dynamic document includes a dynamic document template with placeholders indicating the location where dynamic objects are to be placed. According to US 2002/0049702, a dynamic document is associated with a plurality of pointers to a plurality of data sources such as database data and media items. Specifically, the values to be associated with a dynamic object are defined in terms of logical tables and attributes of their records, or references to external systems such as a file name or an URL (Uniform Resource Locator) identifying a content object.
EP 0837401 describes a method for creating complex layouts with variable data for high speed variable data printing, e.g. using ink jet or laser jet systems printing on paper moving at the speed of up to 305 meters per minute. A merge software performs data reformatting functions, such as case conversion or word concatenation, and re-flows text based on variable data insertion, associating fields in variable data records with variable data placeholders for appropriate locations in a layout template. User callable program routines can be linked to the merge software for performing custom user functions.
US 2001/0047369 describes a three stage pipeline process for generating dynamic documents. At the first stage, a data iterator performs a data processing task by selecting the next record from a recipients list and computing the set of page layouts and content objects needed for this instance. The result of the computation is forwarded to a document instantiator via a content objects buffer. The data iterator continues the data processing task as long as the recipients list has not been exhausted and the buffer storage is not full. At the second stage, the document instantiator retrieves the next collection of layouts and content objects from the content objects buffer, and employs the appropriate layout engine for creating the specific document instance and code specifying the rendering of the document instance. At the third stage, a merge processor generates an output stream based on the code specifying the rendering of the document instance.

Generating page-oriented data for printing dynamic documents


When an incoming call is received from a public network while a portable phone capable of communication via the public network and local communication is in local communication with a first local communication device, a second local communication device is searched and selected to perform local communication with the second local communication device and respond to the incoming call from the public network by using the second communication device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication device for communication via a public network and for local communication.
2. Related Background Art
A digital wireless phone is connected to an external apparatus such as a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated to PC) via a dedicated digital interface or a universal serial bus (USB). Data of a telephone directory or a scheduling note is exchanged between the digital wireless phone and external apparatus, or mail transfer, Internet access and the like are realized by using the external apparatus. If a digital wireless phone is connected to a head set, speech can be made without holding the phone.
Studies of wireless communication interfaces as substitutes for interface cables are progressing for improving the operability of users. With a wireless communication interface, real time speech communication can be realized by fixedly allocating a communication slot to a communication partner, and digital data divided into packets can be transferred. By using a single wireless communication interface, real time speech communication and various data communication can be realized.
Since a wireless communication interface can realize various data communications, a portable phone is provided with various conventional functions such as remote control of a digital camera and transmission/reception of image data, as well as new functions such as control of an apparatus locally connected to the portable phone via the wireless interface.
While the portable phone (digital wireless phone) controls a locally connected apparatus, an incoming call is received in some cases from a public network.
If an incoming call is received from the public network during local communication, a user can make an off-hook operation. However, there arises the following problem.
If an incoming call is received from the public network and the user makes an off-hook operation during download of telephone directory data from the portable phone to PC and the incoming call requests a connection by the point-to-point protocol (PPP), this connection request from the public network cannot be received because of communication between the portable phone and PC.


A method and apparatus for clamping a workpiece in a vise. The apparatus generally includes a stationary jaw with a first gripping surface and a moveable jaw with a second gripping surface connected and operated by a spindle. The spindle moves the stationary jaw and the moveable jaw toward and away for each other when rotated. The vise includes an actuation rod configured to engage and disengage a semi-nut from the spindle thereby engaging and disengaging the moveable jaw from the fixed jaw in order to allow an operator to quickly move the moveable jaw by hand.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a hand tool and more particularly to a vise. More particularly still, embodiments of the invention relate to a table top mounted vise with improved performance and utility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vises are used in order to temporarily hold one or more objects so that work can be performed on them. Traditional table top mounted vises have existed for years. A typical vise is composed of a stationary jaw with a base that can be mounted to a surface. There is a moveable jaw and a guide rod(s) that allows the moveable jaw to move smoothly toward and away from the stationary jaw. Each jaw has a clamping surface for holding a work piece. Further, the vise has a screw and lever system which operates the moveable jaw. The screw typically has a relatively fine pitched thread which provides a large mechanical advantage such that a relatively small amount of torque applied to the lever produces a large clamping force between the jaws. The screw moves the moveable jaw whereby the fine pitch required for the large mechanical advantage causes the jaw to move a very small distance with each turn. Thus, adjusting the jaws to different opening sizes for clamping of relatively thin and subsequently relatively thick items (or vice versa) requires numerous turns of the lever attached to the screw. Large adjustments to these vises require several rotations of the screw and thus long periods of time.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved apparatus and method of vise clamping that would allow a user to quickly adjust the opening size of the jaws and apply clamping force to the jaw through the use of one lever.