The present invention discloses a method of improving the coded speech quality in low bit rate analysis-by-synthesis (AbS) speech coders. This is accomplished by relaxing the waveform matching constraints for non-stationary plosive speech segments of speech signals by suitably shifting pulse locations of the coded excitation signal. The shifting results in the coded signal having phase information that does not exactly match original signal in places where it is perceptually insignificant to the listener. Furthermore, a technique for adaptive phase dispersion is introduced to the coded excitation signal to efficiently preserve important signal characteristics such as the energy spread of the original signal.

Speech and audio coding algorithms have a wide variety of applications in wireless communication, multimedia and voice storage systems. The development of the coding algorithms is driven by the need to save transmission and storage capacity while maintaining the quality of the synthesized signal at a high level. These requirements are often quite contradictory, and thus a compromise between capacity and quality must typically be made. The use of speech coding is particularly important in mobile telecommunication systems since the transmission of the full speech spectrum would require significant bandwidth in an environment where spectral resources are relatively limited. Therefore the use of signal compression techniques are employed through the use of speech encoding and decoding, which is essential for efficient speech transmission at low bit rates.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary procedure for the transmission and/or storage of digital audio signals for subsequent reproduction at the output end. A speech signal y(k) is input into encoder 100 to encode the signal into a coded digital representation of the original signal. The resulting bit stream is sent to a communication channel (e.g. a radio channel) or storage medium 110 such as a solid state memory, a magnetic or optical storage medium, for example. From the channel/storage medium 110, the bit stream is input into a decoder 120 where it is decoded in order to reproduce the original signal y(k) in the form of output signal ŷ(k).
Speech coding algorithms and systems can be categorized in different ways depending on the criterion used. One way of classifying them consists of waveform coders, parametric coders, and hybrid coders. Waveform coders, as the name implies, try to preserve the waveform being coded as closely as possible without paying much attention to the characteristics of the speech signal. Waveform coders also have the advantage of being relatively less complex and typically perform well in noisy environments. However, they generally require relatively higher bit rates to produce high quality speech. Hybrid coders use a combination of waveform and parametric techniques in that they typically use parametric approaches to model, e.g., the vocal tract by an LPC filter. The input signal for the filter is then coded by using what could be classified as waveform coding method. Currently, hybrid speech coders are widely used to produce near wireline speech quality at bit rates in the range of 8–12 kbps.
In many current hybrid coders, the transmitted parameters are determined in an Analysis-by-Synthesis (AbS) fashion where the selected distortion criterion is minimized between the original speech signal and the reconstructed speech corresponding to each possible parameter value. These coders are thus often called AbS speech coders. By way of example, in a typical AbS coder, an excitation candidate is taken from a codebook, filtered through the LPC filter, in which the error between the filtered and input signal is calculated such that the one providing the smallest error is chosen.
In a typical AbS speech coder, the input speech signal is processed in frames. Usually the frame length is 10–30 ms, and a look-ahead segment of 5–15 ms of the subsequent frame is also available. In every frame, a parametric representation of the speech signal is determined by an encoder. The parameters are quantized, and transmitted through a communication channel or stored in a storage medium in digital form. At the receiving end, a decoder constructs a synthesized speech signal representative of the original signal based on the received parameters.
One important class of analysis-by-synthesis speech coder is the Code Excited Linear Predictive (CELP) speech coder which is widely used in many wireless digital communication systems. CELP is an efficient closed loop analysis-by-synthesis coding method that has proven to work well for low bit rate systems in the range of 4–16 kbps. In CELP coders, speech is segmented into frames (e.g. 10–30 ms) such that an optimum set of linear prediction and pitch filter parameters are determined and quantized for each frame. Each speech frame is further divided into a number of subframes (e.g. 5 ms) where, for each subframe, an excitation codebook is searched to find an input vector to the quantized predictor system that gives the best reproduction of the original speech signal.
The basic underlying structure of most AbS coders is quite similar. Typically they employ a type of linear predictive coding (LPC) technique, for example, a cascade of time variant pitch predictor and an LPC filter. An all-pole LPC filter:
                                          1                          A                                            (                                  q                  ,                  s                                )                                              =                      1                          1              +                                                                    a                    1                                                                          (                    s                    )                                                                                q                                      -                    1                                                              +                                                                    a                    2                                                                          (                    s                    )                                                                                q                                      -                    2                                                              +              …              +                                                                    a                                          n                      a                                                                                (                    s                    )                                                                                q                                      -                                          n                      a                                                                                ,                            (        1        )            where q−1 is unit delay operator and s is subframe index, is used to model the short-time spectral envelope of the speech signal. The order na of the LPC filter is typically 8–12.
A pitch predictor of the form:
                              1                      B                                      (                              q                ,                s                            )                                      =                  1                      1            -                                          b                                                  (                  s                  )                                                                          q                                  -                                      τ                                                              (                      s                      )                                                                                (        2        )            utilizes the pitch periodicity of speech to model the fine structure of the spectrum. Typically, the gain b(s) is bounded to the interval [0, 1.2], and the pitch lag τ(s) to the interval [20, 140] samples (assuming a sampling frequency of 8000 Hz). The pitch predictor is also referred to as long-term predictor (LTP) filter.
FIG. 2 shows a simplified functional block diagram of an exemplary AbS speech encoder. An excitation signal uc(k) is produced by an excitation generator 200. The excitation generator 200 is often referred to as an excitation codebook, where the signal is multiplied by a gain g(s) 205 to form an input signal to a filter cascade 225. A feedback loop consisting of the delay q−τ(S) 215 and the gain b(s) 210 represent an LTP filter. The LTP filter models the periodicity of the signal, which is especially relevant in voiced speech, where the prior periodic speech is used as an approximate for the speech in current subframe and the error is coded using fixed excitation such as an algebraic codebook. The output of the filter cascade 225 is a synthesized speech signal ŷ(k). In the encoder, an error signal e(k) (mean squared weighted error) is computed by subtracting the synthesized speech signal ŷ(k) from the original speech signal y(k). An error minimizing procedure 235 is employed to choose the best excitation signal provided for by the excitation generator 200. Typically, a perceptual weighting filter is applied to the error signal prior to the error minimization procedure in order to shape the spectrum of the error signal so that it is less audible.
Although AbS speech coders generally provide good performance at low bit rates they are relatively computationally demanding. Another characteristic is that at low bit rates, e.g. below 4 kbps, the matching to the original speech waveform becomes a severe constraint in improving the coding efficiency further. This applies to the coding of speech in general which includes voiced, unvoiced, and plosive speech. Although there have been solutions put forth for improvements in modeling voiced speech, substantial improvements in modeling nonstationary speech such as plosives have so far not been presented. As known by those skilled in the art, plosives and unvoiced speech tend to be abrupt such as in the stop consonants like /p/, /k/, and /t/, for example. These speech waveforms are particularly difficult to model accurately in prior-art low bit rate AbS coders since there is often a clear mismatch between the original and coded excitation signals due to the lack of bits to accurately model the original excitation. The differences in the overall waveform shape causes the energy of the coded excitation to be much smaller than that of the ideal excitation due to the parameter estimation method. This often results in synthesized speech that can sound unnatural at a very low energy level.
FIG. 3 illustrates the resulting synthetic excitation of a CELP coder when using a codebook having a relatively high pulse population density (codebook 1) i.e. a dense pulse position grid. Also shown is the resulting synthetic excitation when using a codebook having a relatively lower pulse population density (codebook 2). In top graph A, the ideal excitation for the sound /p/ is shown. In both codebooks, two positive or negative pulses are used over a subframe of 40 samples. The example pulse locations and shifts for the individual codebooks are presented separately in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively. As can be seen by the bottom graph C, the excitation signal constructed by using the codebook of Table 2 has a much lower energy level than the ideal excitation (top) since the possible pulse locations do not match well with pulse locations in the ideal excitation. In contrast, when codebook 1 is used, the energy is significantly higher because the pulse locations more closely match the ideal excitation, as shown in the middle graph B. For both codebooks, only one pulse gain is used per subframe and adaptive codebooks are not used.
TABLE 1PulsePositions00, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36,3811, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37,39
TABLE 2PulsePositions00, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 3612, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30, 34, 38
The resulting energy disparity between the synthesized excitations is clearly evident when using a codebook having fewer pulse positions whereby the lower energy excitation results in a sound that is unsatisfactory and barely audible. In view of the foregoing, an improved method is needed which enable AbS speech coders to more accurately produce high quality speech in speech signals containing nonstationary speech.

Method and device for coding speech in analysis-by-synthesis speech coders


A method for removing uroliths from the urinary bladder of a non-human, non-laboratory animal, comprising: (a) inserting a collapsed retrieval pouch through the urethra and into the bladder; (b) opening the retrieval pouch in the bladder; (c) identifying a urolith transrectally, and placing the urolith into the opened retrieval pouch by transrectal manipulation; (d) fragmenting the urolith while the urolith is in the opened retrieval pouch; (e) flushing the fragments of the urolith out of the pouch; and then (f) removing the retrieval pouch from the bladder.

To date, there are several methods for removing uroliths from the urinary bladder of a horse. A first approach is abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. It has the disadvantages of being very expensive and technically difficult. A second approach involves accessing the bladder through an incision in the urethra in the perineal area. This second approach involves the urolith being broken apart with a (guarded) chisel, and removed one fragment at a time. The disadvantage of this technique is that it is very traumatic to the urethra and mucosa of the bladder. It also is extremely time consuming and difficult. A third approach is to dissect along the urethra and enter the bladder near the neck of the bladder. The surgeon then must pass their hand into the bladder and remove the urolith manually. This approach is both traumatic and time consuming. What is instead desired is a safer, easier and less traumatic method to remove the urolith.

Closed system pneumatic impact lithotripsy


An enhanced diffraction based biosensor system and method are provided for detecting an analyte of interest in a test medium. The system incorporates at least one additional detection tag substance with the analyte of interest, the tag emitting a measurable parameter that is different from optical diffraction characteristics of the analyte. The biosensor may be a “fluoroptical” system wherein the detection tag is a fluorescence emitting substance, including fluorescent-labeled diffraction enhancing elements. The enhanced diffraction biosensor system may determine the presence of analytes in biological fluids both qualitatively and quantitatively.

There are many systems and devices available for detecting a wide variety of analytes in various media. Many of the prior systems and devices are, however, relatively expensive and require a trained technician to perform the test. A need has been recognized in the art for biosensor systems that are easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and are capable of reliable and sensitive detection of analytes. Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,922,550; 6,060,256; and 6,221,579 B1.
Optical diffraction based biosensors have gained acceptance in the art in that they are relatively sensitive, inexpensive, and easy to use. Various advances have been made for producing such biosensors. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,131 to Kumar, et al., describes a device that includes a polymer substrate having a metal coating. An analyte specific receptor layer is stamped onto the coated substrate. A diffraction pattern is generated when an analyte binds to the device, and the device is exposed to light. A visualization device, such as a spectrometer, is then used to determine the presence of the diffraction pattern. However, a drawback to this type of device is the fact that the diffraction pattern is not discernible by the naked eye and, thus, a complex visualization device is needed to view the diffraction pattern. Also, the device is generally not able to detect smaller analytes that do not produce a detectable diffraction pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,922,550 describes a biosensor having a metalized film upon which is printed (contact printed) a specific predetermined pattern of an analyte-specific receptor. The receptor materials are bound to the self-assembling monolayer, and are specific for a particular analyte or class of analytes. Attachment of a target analyte that is capable of scattering light to select areas of the metalized plastic film upon which the receptor is printed causes diffraction of transmitted and/or reflected light. A diffraction image is produced that can be easily seen with the eye or, optionally, with a sensing device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,256 describes a similar device having a metalized film upon which is printed a specific predetermined pattern of analyte-specific receptor. The '256 patent is not limited to self-assembling monolayers, but teaches that any receptor which can be chemically coupled to a surface can be used. The invention of the '256 patent uses methods of contact printing of patterned monolayers utilizing derivatives of binders for analytes (e.g. microorganisms). One example of such a derivative is a thiol. The desired binding agent can be thiolated antibodies or antibody fragments, proteins, nucleic acids, sugars, carbohydrates, or any other functionality capable of binding an analyte. The derivatives are chemically bonded to metal surfaces such as metalized polymer films, for example via a thiol.
Other types of detection principles are also known for application in biosensors, including fluorescence, chemiluminescence, phosphorescence, colorometric, and radiometric based devices. Each type of device has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,830 to Bogart, et al., describes a colorometric based device that includes a substrate having an optically active surface exhibiting a first color in response to light impinging thereon. This first color is defined as a spectral distribution of the emanating light. The substrate also exhibits a second color which is different from the first color. The second color is exhibited in response to the same light when the analyte is present on the surface. The change from one color to another can be measured either by use of an instrument, or by the naked eye. A drawback with the device is, however, the relatively high cost of the device and problems associated with controlling the various layers that are placed on the wafer substrate.
Although optical diffraction based biosensors have particular advantages, it is also recognized that such biosensors can be improved with respect to reliability and performance.
The present invention relates to an optical diffraction based biosensor incorporating at least one other type of detection mechanism. The resulting hybrid biosensor has distinct advantages over a purely diffraction based biosensor in certain applications.

Enhanced diffraction-based biosensor devices


The invention provides an improved intermediate housing incorporated in a power driven hammer drill, which is light in weight, easily and safely handled, and uncostly manufactured. The intermediate housing of the invention includes a bearing member and a cylindrical piston housing member which are integrally composed of a synthetic resin having high tenacity and excellent heat resistance and wear resistance. The intermediate housing further includes a plurality of ribs radially extending from the piston housing member to give a sufficient strength durable to a stress applied onto the piston housing member. In the intermediate housing thus constructed, the bearing member has at least one opening for feeding an air flow generated by a fan while the piston housing member includes at least one air conduit for circulating the air flow. This structure efficiently prevents overheat and thermal deformation of the piston housing member and the bearing member in continuous operation of the hammer drill.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal structure of a power driven hammer drill, and more specifically to an intermediate housing disposed between a gear housing and a motor housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A power driven hammer drill generally includes an intermediate housing arranged between a gear housing and a motor housing as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open Gazette No. 61-172786 by the applicant of the present invention. FIG. 9 schematically shows a typical example of such conventional power driven hammer drills. The hammer drill includes an intermediate housing 204 positioned between a gear housing 202 and a motor housing 203. The intermediate housing 204 consists of a bearing member 241 for supporting an armature shaft 206 of a motor 205 and an intermediate shaft 207 and separating a piston cylinder 232 from the motor 205, and a cylindrical piston housing member 242 protruded from the bearing member 241 for supporting a rotating tool holder 230 and a reciprocating piston cylinder 232.
The intermediate housing is required to have sufficient strength and durability, and is generally composed of a metal such as aluminum as disclosed in UK Patent Application GB 2085345.
In the conventional metal intermediate housing described above, the bearing member 241 and the piston housing member 242 are separately manufactured and assembled later, which increases both the cost and labor and makes the hammer drill undesirably heavy. Metal outer faces 204a of the intermediate housing 204 exposed to the atmosphere may cause electric shocks.
Another structure of an intermediate housing is disclosed in UK Patent Application GB 2085345, in which a bearing member and a piston housing member are integrally composed of aluminum. The metal intermediate housing of this structure also makes the hammer drill undesirably heavy to prevent smooth operation of the hammer drill, and requires excessive works for making bores and holes, which increase the manufacturing cost and labor. Inside the aluminum housing member is generally covered with iron or another metal to improve the durability, which further increases the manufacturing cost. The metal intermediate housing is accommodated in a plastic housing to prevent possible electric shocks, which enlarges the outer diameter of the hammer drill.


A control device, in particular for working machines, such as wheel loaders, excavators or similar devices, includes at least one working tool (12), particularly a working shovel that can be actuated by at least one hydraulic working cylinder (10). The device has a control block for controlling the hydraulic fluid paths between the working cylinder (10), a hydraulic fluid supply (P) and a tank (T). The device also has at least one hydraulic accumulator (22) and a shut-off or stop valve (32). The shut-off valve has a controllable valve member (34) and is located between the working cylinder (10) and the accumulator (22). The valve member is connected in the transmission position for connecting the accumulator (22) in order to damp the motion of the working cylinder (10). A selector valve (26) that can be controlled by the control block (20) is connected in the feed line (24), blocking the line (24) in the non-actuated state. The shut-off valve (32) is connected in a secondary line (30) that is connected to the feed line (24), The shut-off valve is impinged in the open direction by accumulator pressure, and is decompressed in the closed direction. This permits increased safety to be achieved for working machines, and prevents an excess load from being placed on the damping accumulator.

In a control device as disclosed in DE 41 29 509 C2, the hydraulic accumulator may be connected to the pressure medium source by a feed line. A stop valve operates between the operating cylinder and the accumulator, and is mounted directly in the feed line itself. The valve element of the stop valve has accumulator pressure applied to it in the direction of closing, and is relieved of pressure in the direction of opening.
In the disclosed system, the respective hydraulic accumulator is charged during raising of the load by the respective operating cylinder.
If the accumulator pressure rises to a value corresponding to the load pressure, a special seat valve intended for the purpose closes. The control compartment space of this seat valve is being charged with pressure. For connecting the respective hydraulic suspension accumulator to the respective operating cylinder, a three-way valve is automatically reversed. This process can take place automatically. The accumulator pressure then equals the load pressure on the piston side of the respective operating cylinder, since the hydraulic damping accumulator has been charged to this pressure by way of the feed line. The damping accordingly takes place at the pressure predominating in the piston space of the respective operating cylinder, not at a higher or lower pressure, which would additionally result in undesirable movement of the piston of the operating cylinder. Sagging of the load on connection of the respective hydraulic damping accumulator in particular is prevented. If, however, dynamic loads are applied to the hydraulic operating cylinder, ones in the form of peak loads, for example, which may occur when the operating machine in the form of a wheeled loader runs into material to be loaded, such as broken stones, soil, or the like, these peak loads damaging the damping accumulator are transmitted directly to the latter.
To prevent this occurrence, DE 39 09 205 C1 discloses, a conventional hydraulic system for construction machines such as wheeled loaders, tractors, or the like, a connecting line, branched off inside a main line leading to the hydraulic operating cylinders and provided with a stop valve. The stop valve is then bridged by the feed line, which in turn has a pressure reduction valve. The disclosed configuration allows charging the respective hydraulic accumulator during raising of the load by the respective hydraulic cylinder, specifically with a higher pressure determined by the pressure reduction valve. However, when the damping accumulator is connected by the stop valve to the piston side of the respective operating cylinder, the pressure on the piston side does not necessarily correspond to the higher damping pressure on the accumulator side, so that extension movement may unintentionally be transmitted to the operating cylinders and accordingly to the loading shovel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,095 discloses a generic machine with a control device having at least one operating implement actuatable by at least one hydraulic operating cylinder, having a control block for control of the pressure medium paths between the operating cylinder, a pressure medium supply, and a tank, having at least one hydraulic accumulator, and having a stop valve mounted between the operating cylinder and the accumulator. The stop valve has a controllable valve element which is switched to its transmission direction for damping the movement of the operating cylinder. A switching valve that may be controlled by the control block is connected to the feed line of the hydraulic accumulator. The switching valve, when not actuated, blocks the feed line and the stop valve being connected to a secondary branch line connected to the feed line. Accumulator pressure is applied to such stop valve in the direction of opening, and is removed from such valve in the direction of closing. The disclosed solution allows charging the accumulator, independently of actuation of the operating cylinder, by means of the mechanism of pressure equalization between accumulator pressure and piston pressure. The disclosed hydraulic circuit is, however, of complicated design and requires a large number of components, so that such system is cost-intensive.


Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate transmitting access point types and/or restricted association parameters using broadcast signals, such as beacons, pilot signals, etc. The type or restricted association information can be indicated by one or more intrinsic aspects of the signal, such as specified parameters. In addition, the type or information can be indicated by one or more extrinsic signal aspects, such as frequency, interval, periodicity, etc. Using this information, a mobile device can determine whether an access point implements restricted association. If so, the mobile device can request an access point or related group identifier before determining whether to establish connection therewith. The identifier can be verified against a list of accessible access points and/or groups to make the determination.

I. Field
The following description relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to utilizing broadcast signals to transmit restricted association data in a wireless communication network.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as, for example, voice, data, and so on. Typical wireless communication systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, . . . ). Examples of such multiple-access systems may include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and the like. Additionally, the systems can conform to specifications such as third generation partnership project (3GPP), 3GPP long term evolution (LTE), ultra mobile broadband (UMB), etc.
Generally, wireless multiple-access communication systems may simultaneously support communication for multiple mobile devices. Each mobile device may communicate with one or more base stations via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink) refers to the communication link from base stations to mobile devices, and the reverse link (or uplink) refers to the communication link from mobile devices to base stations. Further, communications between mobile devices and base stations may be established via single-input single-output (SISO) systems, multiple-input single-output (MISO) systems, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, and so forth. In addition, mobile devices can communicate with other mobile devices (and/or base stations with other base stations) in peer-to-peer wireless network configurations.
MIMO systems commonly employ multiple (NT) transmit antennas and multiple (NR) receive antennas for data transmission. The antennas can relate to both base stations and mobile devices, in one example, allowing bi-directional communication between the devices on the wireless network. As mobile devices move throughout service areas, cells utilized for communication by the devices can be reselected between one or more access points (e.g., macrocells, femtocells, etc.). This can occur, for example, where an available access point, or serving cell thereof, can offer a better signal or service than a current access point. The mobile devices can measure parameters related to one or more cells, such as signal quality, service level, etc. and rank the cells according to desirability, which can be based on one or more of the parameters. In one example, the available access point can relate to a home access point for a given mobile device offering desirable billing, coverage, service options, etc. Accordingly, cells utilized for communication can be reselected to the more desirable access point when within a specified range.

Utilizing broadcast signals to convey restricted association information


An optical writing device forms an electrostatic latent image and includes a pixel-information acquiring unit that acquires pixel information and stores the acquired pixel information in a storage medium with respect to each main scanning line; a tilt correcting unit that generates a tilt correction signal specifying a main scanning line from which the pixel information to be input to a light source is read out from the storage medium in order to correct a tilt of the electrostatic latent image; a position correcting unit that generates a position correction signal specifying a timing to input the pixel information to the light source in order to correct a position of the electrostatic latent image; and a pixel-information-input control unit that controls input of the pixel information from the storage medium to the light source in response to the tilt correction signal and the position correction signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical writing device, an image forming apparatus, and a method of controlling the optical writing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, digitization of information tends to be promoted, and image forming apparatuses, like printers and facsimile machines used for output of digitized information and scanners used for digitization of documents, have become essential apparatuses. Many image forming apparatuses include imaging functions, image forming functions, communication functions, and the like, to be configured as multifunction peripherals that are usable as printers, facsimile machines, scanners, and copiers.
Of these image forming apparatuses, electrophotographic image forming apparatuses are widely used as image forming apparatuses used for output of digitized documents. An electrophotographic image forming apparatus forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive element by exposing a photosensitive element, and develops the electrostatic latent image into a toner image using a developer such as toner, and transfers the toner image onto a sheet of paper to output the sheet of paper.
There are several types of optical writing device which exposes a photoreceptor to an optical beam in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus: a laser diode (LD) raster optical system type and a light emitting diode (LED) writing type. The LD raster optical system type of optical writing device includes a light source, which emits a beam to expose a photoreceptor, and a deflector, such as a polygon scanner, for deflecting the emitted beam to scan the entire surface of the photoreceptor; the LED writing type of optical writing device includes an LED array (LEDA) head. In such an optical writing device, the LD raster optical system type has an error due to skew, positional shift, etc. of an f-theta lens and a reflecting mirror; the LED writing type has skew, an installation error, etc. of the LEDA head.
The LED writing type of optical writing device forms an electrostatic latent image by exposing a photosensitive drum with the use of an LEDA as described above. The on/off of light emission of each of LED elements included in the LEDA is controlled depending on an image to be formed and output. Therefore, when pixel information indicating the on/off of light emission of each of the LED elements is generated on the basis of information of the image to be formed and output, a control unit for controlling the LEDA stores the generated pixel information in a line memory with respect to each main scanning line, and then controls the on/off of light emission of the LEDA in accordance with the predetermined control timing.
Furthermore, there have been known methods to correct misregistration of an image in a sub-scanning direction or skew due to an assembly error of an LEDA or a photosensitive drum by controlling the read of pixel information stored in a line memory (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-106126).
Conventionally, such corrections of misregistration and skew as described above are made by installing different line memories; therefore, it is necessary to install a line memory with respect to each function, and this causes an increase in cost of an optical writing device including an LEDA.
There is a need to reduce the number of line memories installed in an optical writing device and the cost of the device.

Optical writing device, image forming apparatus, and method for controlling optical writing device


In a fastening tool in which fastening members may be inclined as they are threadedly inserted together whereby almost no displacement load is applied to the members, a member having a bolt through hole with a tapered seat surface, and a fastening bolt that includes a bolt body provided about its outer periphery with a male thread, and a head provided on an end of the bolt body that has a diameter greater than that of the bolt body, in which the head has a lower outwardly curved tapered surface whose diameter is reduced toward the bolt body so that the lower surface abuts against the tapered seat surface when the fastening tool is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fastening tool and a fastening bolt for fixing two members without applying a large displacement load to the fastening bolt or a seat surface of the member.
2. Disclosure of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a fastening bolt comprises a rod-like bolt body having a male thread, and a head provided on an end of the bolt body, and the fastening bolt is used in various mechanical elements. A bolt body of the fastening bolt is inserted into a bolt through hole formed in a first member, the bolt body is threadedly engaged with a threaded hole formed in a second member, thereby fixing these two members to each other.
The fastening bolt is used for a shaft coupling as a fastening tool as shown in FIG. 8(a).
In this case, a fastening bolt 501 is used for fastening a fastening body 507 for fixing two shafts 505 in a shaft coupling which connects the two shafts 505 to each other (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.2001-295851). The fastening body 507 is provided at its central portion with a shaft hole 571 through which the shaft 505 (other member) is inserted, and is provided with a slot groove 572 in its radial direction. The fastening body 507 is provided at its one end 503 (first member) opposed to the slot groove 572 with a bolt through hole 530, and at its other end 504 (second member) with a threaded hole 540. The fastening bolt 501 is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole 540 through the bolt through hole 530. Therefore, if the fastening bolt 501 is threadedly inserted, a distance of the slot groove 572 is reduced, a diameter of the shaft hole 571 of the fastening body 507 is reduced, and the shafts 505 are fastened and fixed by a surface pressure of the shaft hole 571 caused by the diameter reduction.
When the two members 503 and 504 or the like are to be fixed to each other by means of the fastening bolt 501, the threaded hole 540 provided in the members 504 is not perpendicular to the slot groove 572 but is slightly inclined with respect to the groove in some cases. In such a case, a lower surface corner 522 of the head 520 of the fastening bolt 501 abuts against a seat surface 531 of the member 503 having the bolt through hole 530 in substantially a point-to-point manner, and a large displacement load or bending stress is applied to the seat surface 531 or the fastening bolt 501. Therefore, there is a problem that the fastening force of the fastening bolt 501 is insufficient and the fastened portion is prone to get loose. The head 520 and the bolt body 510 of the fastening bolt 501 are inclined in some cases. In such a case also, there is a problem that the fastening force of the fastening bolt 501 becomes insufficient, and the fastened portion is prone to get loose.
In the case of a shaft coupling 600 shown in FIG. 8(a), as the fastening bolt 501 is threadedly inserted, the opposed ends 503 and 504 of the slot groove 572 of the fastening body 507 are inclined and with this, the seat surface 531 of the one end 503 is also inclined. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the lower surface corner 522 of the head 520 of the fastening bolt 501 abuts against the seat surface 531 in substantially a point-to-point manner, and a large displacement load is applied to the fastening bolt 501 and the seat surface 531. Thus, a strong force is required for threadedly inserting the fastening bolt 501, and when the one end 503 which forms the seat surface 531 is thin or when the fastening body 507 is formed of soft material such as aluminum, the seat surface 531 sinks (broken line K in FIG. 8(b)), the fastening of the fastening bolt 501 is weakened, and the fastening force of the shafts 505 becomes insufficient.
Since the lower surface corner 522 of the head of the fastening bolt 501 abuts against the seat surface 531 in substantially a point-to-point manner, large bending stress is applied to the seat surface 531 and the fastening bolt 501. For this reason, if a fastening body 507 vibrates when the shaft coupling rotates, a load caused by the vibration is further applied to the seat surface 531 and the fastening bolt 501 and as a result, a crack V (see FIG. 8(b)) is generated in the seat surface 531 or the fastening of the fastening bolt 501 gets loose.
When two slot grooves are provided at two portions and the fastening body is divided into two pieces and two fastening bolts 501 are used to fasten (FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.2001-295851), it is practically difficult to uniformly fasten the fastening bolts 501, and the same problem is generated.


A control node for operating in a network with shared channels includes one or more processors configured to execute program code to determine a rejection strategy for managing contention-based access to a shared channel by one or more transmitters, transmit or trigger transmission of a transmission request rejection in response to a transmission request by a first transmitter of the one or more transmitters according to the rejection strategy.

Contention-based channel access schemes emerged as a popular choice for unlicensed radio communication protocols, including Wi-Fi and MulteFire. These contention-based channel access schemes are particularly useful in scenarios where different networks that do not have a common controlling entity are co-deployed in proximity to one another. As there is no common controlling entity to perform scheduling and allocation of resources, contention-based channel access schemes present an organized and controlled mechanism for competing transmitters to access a shared channel.

Methods and devices for managing access to shared channels


In a code division switch in a satellite communication system each of a plurality of uplink CDMA modulated RF beams, each including a plurality of uplink traffic channels, are down converted to IF and overspread with a new orthogonal code having a spreading rate N times that of the spreading code of the uplink CDMA modulated RF beam. All of the overspread beams are combined into a single combined IF stream. The individual traffic channels are extracted from the combined IF stream by de-overspreading the stream with orthogonal codes and despreading with beam and traffic channel specific orthogonal codes. All traffic channels are respread with downlink beam codes and downlink orthogonal traffic channel codes and joined onto selected ones of downlink CDMA modulated IF beams having common destinations with the included traffic channels. Downlink CDMA modulated IF beams are up converted to RF frequency and transmitted to selected destinations.

Digital switching of CDMA digital telecommunication signals has previously been limited to circuit and packet switching. Packet type switching is batch transmission signaling and generally requires the use of a buffer memory somewhere in the transmission process. The switching (i.e., CDMA message multiplexing) of end-to-end CDMA complete message signals, without the buffering requirement, has been considered to have complexity sufficient to render it impractical and uneconomical. In some instances a CDMA beam may be redirected, but the individual traffic channels included within each uplink beam are left undisturbed in a corresponding downlink CDMA beam. Uplink CDMA beams are redirected and become a downlink beam, but include the same traffic channels. So traffic channels must have common destinations with the common redirected CDMA beam in which they are included.
In some instances the handling of CDMA packet beams requires the conversion of the CDMA traffic channels to baseband frequencies for switching and redirection processes to occur.

Method and apparatus for switching code division multiple access modulated beams in a satellite


An improved squeegee and method of ergonomically modifying a conventional squeegee, is provided. A squeegee includes a rigid handle having a convex top side, opposite from a bottom side, and opposing concave faces longitudinally disposed between the top and bottom sides of the handle. A blade is attached to the bottom side of the handle. A compressible pad is removably secured to the convex topside of the handle providing maximum padding to the palmer regions of the printer's hands. The pad tapers to a minimum thickness at distal edges which are located on or near the concave faces of the handle.

The art of screen printing has been practiced for over 3900 years and originated in ancient China. The first printed images were made using stencils intricately held together with strands of human hair and other natural fibers. Later a fine mesh woven from silk was developed; hence the origin of "silk" screening. Over the years screen printing technology has evolved to provide emulsions that block the screen to develop the design, synthetic fabrics that have replaced the silk, and an ever growing assortment of inks, but the basic screen printing tools and principles developed centuries ago are still employed today.
For "hand screening" the basic tool that is used to force ink through the open untreated part of the screen is a squeegee, which includes a tear-drop shaped wooden handle, and a "blade" which is normally made of rubber or plastic. The blade typically wears out and is changed occasionally, but the wooden handle almost never wears out. Wood is a good material for the handle because, unlike most plastic materials, it doesn't "dry out". Wood is also a good material of choice for the handle because it is hard and provides a good solid base which can be gripped tightly in order to maintain and precisely control the erect orientation of the squeegee handle relative to the screen.
One significant problem which has existed for many years and is receiving increasing attention in the screen printing industry today, is that prolonged forceful gripping of the squeegee handle can cause debilitating injury to the artist's hands, particularly relating to the median nerve in the palm region of the hand, i.e., commonly known as carpel tunnel syndrome. Carpel Tunnel Syndrome is a physical condition that affects the hand and wrist. The carpel tunnel is on the palm side of the wrist. The median nerve passes through the carpel tunnel and supplies sensation and motor nerve function to the palm from the thumb to the middle finger. Carpel Tunnel Syndrome results from trauma to the hand causing a lack of circulation and/or compression of the carpel tunnel on the median nerve. This results in numbness, tingling, and/or dull pain in the fleshy muscular region of the palm near the thumb, and other areas of the hand that relate to the median nerve. This can result in a decline in grip strength, and pain associated with flexion of the wrist or fingers. In extreme cases, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome may require the printer to refrain from screen printing for an extended period.
Silk screeners have also been known to develop tendinitis from extensive use of the hard handled squeegee. Tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon, and is commonly found around deposits of calcium associated with the shoulder or other tendons. Tendinitis often causes so much pain that the person is unable or unwilling to move the affected tendon.
These physical problems result at least in part from the unyielding rigidity and hardness of the wooden handle, features which are necessary for the purpose of forcefully gripping and precisely controlling the erect orientation of the squeegee blade. Prolonged periods of tightly gripping and manipulating the hard wooden handle inevitably eventually causes injury to the printer's hands. Even though this problem has existed for many years, apparently no one has previously conceived of a satisfactory solution to prevent and/or treat these physical injuries.
Although others have previously padded the handles of various tools or instruments, pads have not previously been used on squeegee handles apparently because of the peculiar tear-dropped shape of the handle, the unusual style of gripping the squeegee handle, and the unique requirement that the printer be able to forcefully press the blade against the screen while tightly gripping and controlling the substantially erect orientation of the squeegee blade primarily by applying forceful digital pressure on opposing sides of the squeegee handle. In this regard, the screen printing squeegee handle is not analogous to other types of tool handles which are gripped and applied differently.
Some of the problems addressed by the present invention have been observed by others and are currently the subject of other development work to construct a more "ergonomically" kind squeegee handle. For example, a WILFLEX.RTM. power-glide squeegee handle is now being sold by Flexible Products Company in Marietta, Ga. and Santa Ana, Calif. The present inventor is unaware of the invention date for the WILFLEX.RTM. squeegee handle, and therefore makes no admission or representation as to whether the WILFLEX.RTM. handle is or is not prior art to the present invention. Nevertheless, the WILFLEX.RTM. handle, unlike the conventional tear-drop shaped squeegee handle, is apparently shaped to accommodate the printer's hands. The WILFLEX.RTM. sponsor claims that its squeegee handle design helps "relieve operator fatigue, increase production, and lessen the risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome". However, there are several notable problems with the WILFLEX.RTM. squeegee handle. First, it appears that the WILFLEX.RTM. handle is made of a hard material which will insult the printer's hands similar to the conventional wooden squeegee handle. Second, in order to use the WILFLEX.RTM. handle, a printer must buy a whole new squeegee. Thus, the WILFLEX.RTM. squeegee does not offer a way to modify the many conventional tear-drop shaped wooden squeegee handles which are in use today, in order to relieve operator fatigue and lessen the risk of carpel tunnel syndrome. Third, the lateral sides of the WILFLEX.RTM. handle are asymmetrical. Therefore, the printer can only use one side of the blade without removing, flipping and replacing the blade into the squeegee handle. This is a disadvantage compared to the conventional squeegee which employs a symmetrical handle, thereby allowing the printer to use both sides of the blade by merely flipping the entire squeegee.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a squeegee handle design which allows forceful application and adroit digital control of the squeegee while lessening the risk of injury to the printer's hands.
Another object is to provide a way of modifying a hard squeegee handle to lessen the risk of hand injuries without sacrificing squeegee blade control.
Another object is to provide an ergonomic squeegee design which can be used by a printer while recovering from a hand injury without causing additional injury.
Another object is to provide a cushion for a conventional squeegee handle which can be removed and exchanged as needed during the relatively long life of the squeegee handle.
Another object is to improve the gripability of a conventional wooden squeegee handle.


The present invention relates to a heat-conductive polyimide film comprising a heat-conductive powder dispersed therein with a concentration gradient. The film can be produced, for example, by centrifugal casting. The film can be used as an excellent component or member in those fields in which heat conductivity is required in addition to mechanical characteristics, heat resistance and chemical resistance. For example, it is used as a thermal fixation member in a laser printer.

Polyimides are generally excellent in heat resistance, antistatic property and mechanical properties, among other characteristics, and are used in various fields. Particularly, in the field of laser printers and electrophotographic copying machines, for instance, the use of them as parts or members (rolls or belts) for heating for fixation of toner images on toner image acceptors (paper, carton, OHP (overhead projector) sheets, etc.) is under investigation. In using them as such heating and fixing members, they are required to be high in thermal conductivity as well. Organic polymers are essentially low in thermal conductivity and rather heat-insulating. The same is true of polyimides.
Therefore, various measures have been taken to increase the thermal conductivity. A simple approach toward this goal is to reduce the thickness. This indeed increases the thermal conductivity but can meet sophisticated requirements only to a limited extent. In addition, it affects mechanical characteristics (in particular flex resistance, scratch resistance, etc.) adversely. Therefore, it can never be a satisfactory means of solution.
As an attempt to essentially improve the thermal conductivity, it has been proposed to admix a known thermal conductivity providing agent with polyimides, as can be seen, for example, in Japanese Kokai Tokkyo Koho S62-3980, H07-110632 and H07-186162.
It is common to the technologies disclosed in the above-cited references to employ a heat-conductive cylindrical polyimide film containing a thermal conductivity providing agent uniformly dispersed therein as an inner layer and laminate thereon an outer layer of a resin such as a non-heat-conductive polyimide or a fluororesin, for the purpose of heating and fixation in copying machines.
Meanwhile, in mixing various additives in general, inclusive of the thermal conductivity providing agent mentioned above, with various resins, inclusive of polyimides, it is an essential goal to attain as uniform mixing and dispersion as possible. For promoting the expression of required performance characteristics, it is also necessary to increase the amounts of the additives. The addition of the additives indeed markedly improves the performance characteristics but antinomically deteriorates the mechanical characteristics inherent in the resins. This applies to the technologies of the above-cited references as well. A means for preventing said characteristics deterioration is to increase the film thickness. This, however, tends to make the film more rigid and deficient in flexibility, resulting in loss of the film characteristics.

Heat-conductive polyimide films, process for their preparation and their use


An operating system for an automated vehicle equipped with limited field-of-view sensors is provided. The system includes an object-detector and a controller. The object-detector detects objects proximate to a host-vehicle. A field-of-view of the object-detector is characterized by a preferred-portion of the field-of-view, where the preferred-portion is characterized as preferred for using the object-detector. The controller is in communication with the object-detector. The controller steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion with a detected-object. The system optionally includes an intersecting-road-indicator that indicates an intersecting-road connected to an intersection approached by the host-vehicle, and the controller is in communication with the intersecting-road-indicator. The controller designates an intersecting-road as the detected-object, and steers the host-vehicle to align the preferred-portion of the object-detector with the intersecting-road when the host-vehicle approaches the intersection.

It is known to equip an automated vehicle with an object-detector to detect objects proximate to the automated vehicle. However, most examples of object-detectors (e.g. camera, radar, or lidar) are not omnidirectional, but have a preferred direction of use and are fixedly attached to a host-vehicle. As a result, the range and/or sensitivity of object detection may be better in some directions based on the mounting orientation of the object detector with respect to the automated vehicle. For example, a side-view radar may be better able to detect objects located at +/−90° of angle relative to the forward-direction of travel of the host-vehicle, when compared to other-directions, e.g. +/−45° of angle relative to the forward-direction of travel of the host-vehicle.

Automated vehicle operation to compensate for sensor field-of-view limitations


A system and method for determination of importance of attributes among a plurality of attribute importance models incorporating a segmented attribute kerneling (SAK) method of attribute importance determination. The method permits operation of multiple attribute importance algorithms simultaneously, finds the intersecting subset of important attributes across the multiple techniques, and then outputs a consolidated ranked set. In addition, the method identifies and presents a ranked subset of the attributes excluded from the union.

Upstream oil and gas industry services work to deliver success throughout the life cycle of the reservoir. However, conventional sources of oil and gas are declining; therefore operators are increasingly turning their attention to unexplored and underdeveloped areas. This includes high pressure/temperature and deepwater areas, as well as working to increase recoveries in mature fields. As reservoirs become more complex and drilling operations become more expensive, there is a growing need to reduce inefficiencies and costs. Petroleum engineers are increasingly using optimized formation evaluation techniques, software with three-dimensional visualization, and multi-disciplinary data interpretation techniques. In addition, data from new downhole equipment provides reliable, real-time information about downhole conditions. With these improved techniques and better data, operators can model, predict, and control their operations better in real-time, thereby reducing inefficiencies and cost. However, this massive integration of varied data moving in higher volumes and at increased speeds has put an increasing demand on the computation and use of actionable and predictive data-driven analytics. Furthermore, these analytics must work in real-time so as to quickly discover the important critical data attributes and features for use in forecasting.
Attribute importance is a well-known statistical technique used to identify critical attributes and features within a set of attributes that could impact a specific target. Various standard and custom techniques—each having their own strengths and weaknesses—are available for performing attribute importance. Each technique applies a different function to evaluate the importance of an attribute and produces a ranked subset of attributes. Therefore, it is possible to arrive at different subsets of important attributes based on the choice of the various attribute importance techniques.
Attribute importance techniques have been successfully applied to a wide range of problems in the oil and gas space including drilling, production, reservoir simulation and seismic analysis. In data mining, attribute importance techniques can be used to input parameters for other types of data mining algorithms or discover knowledge by itself. In this latter task, the rules that such techniques found are usually general because of each techniques global search and rank nature. In contrast, most other data mining methods are based on the rule induction paradigm, where the algorithm usually performs a type of local search. The advantage of such techniques becomes more obvious when the attribute space of a task is unmanageably large. While use of multiple statistical techniques to perform attribute importance is common and valuable, deriving a final set of ranked important attributes that accommodates the output of such techniques is a time consuming, manual and error prone task.


Improved systems, devices, and methods for deployment of endoluminal prostheses within the lumens of the body withdraw a sheath from over the tightly compressed prostheses using an actuation mechanism having a variable mechanical advantage. This allows movement of the sheath to be initiated with ease and accuracy. Once deployment is safely underway, and after static frictional forces have been overcome, the remainder of the deployment may proceed more rapidly without significantly degrading overall safety or ease of use of the delivery system. In another improvement, the handle for the actuation mechanism may rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of the sheath. An outer tube may be provided around the sheath and coupled to the prosthesis restraining member within the sheath. The outer tube may be inserted through an introducer valve, so that friction between the outer tube and introducer valve helps restrain the prosthesis as the sheath is withdrawn proximally relative to both the member and the outer tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to tubular endoluminal prostheses, such as stents, stent-grafts, and the like. More particularly, the present invention provides improved delivery systems and methods for their use to accurately and safely deploy endoluminal prostheses within the lumens of the body, particularly within the vascular system for treatment of aortic aneurysms, stenoses, and the like.
Vascular aneurysms are the result of abnormal dilation of a blood vessel, usually resulting from disease and/or genetic predisposition, which can weaken the arterial wall and allow it to expand. While aneurysms can occur in any blood vessel, most occur in the aorta and peripheral arteries, with the majority of aortic aneurysms occurring in the abdominal aorta, usually beginning below the renal arteries and often extending into one or both of the iliac arteries.
Aortic aneurysms are now commonly treated in open surgical procedures where the diseased vessel segment is bypassed and repaired with an artificial vascular graft. While considered to be an effective surgical technique, particularly considering the alternative of a usual fatal ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, conventional vascular graft surgery suffers from a number of disadvantages. The surgical procedure is complex and requires experienced surgeons and well-equipped surgical facilities. Even with the best surgeons and equipment, however, patients being treated frequently are elderly and weakened from cardiovascular and other diseases, reducing the number of eligible patients. Even for eligible patients prior to rupture, conventional aneurysm repair has a relatively high mortality rate, usually from 2% to 10%. Morbidity related to the conventional surgery includes myocardial infarction, renal failure, impotence, paralysis, and other conditions. Additionally, even with successful surgery, recovery takes several weeks, and often requires a lengthy hospital stay.
In order to overcome some or all of these drawbacks, endovascular prosthesis placement for the treatment of aneurysms has been proposed. Although very promising, many of the proposed methods and apparatus suffer from undesirable limitations. In particular, accurate delivery and placement of the endovascular prosthesis within the vasculature can be problematic.
Stent-grafts are often resilient structures, biased to expand against the surrounding lumenal wall. Such resiliently-expanding stent-grafts are tightly compressed within the catheter, imposing significant forces against the surrounding catheter sheath. This can often lead to excess friction between the stent-graft and the sheath, particularly when the resiliently-expanding structure invaginates into the catheter material. As these catheters are often required to maneuver within the tortuous vascular system, catheter sheaths are often formed as flexible, elongate bodies which are particularly susceptible to vagination of the tightly compressed stent-graft in the flexible material of the catheter wall.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved devices, systems, and methods for endoluminal deployment of prostheses such as stents, stent-grafts, and the like, for treatment of aneurysms and other diseases of the body lumens. It would be particularly desirable if such improved systems and methods enhanced the accuracy and safety of the deployment procedure, without significantly increasing deployment time, equipment costs, or complexity of the deployment procedure.
2. Description of the Background Art
Devices for endoluminal placement of prostheses are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,338, 4,651,738, 4,665,918, 5,458,615, 5,480,423, 5,484,418, 5,489,295, 4,990,151, 5,035,706, 5,433,723, 5,443,477, 5,282,824, 5,275,622, 5,242,399, 5,201,757, 5,190,058, 5,104,399, 5,092,877, 4,990,151, and EP Patent Publication Nos. EP 0 539 237 A1, 0 518 839 A2, EP 0 505 686 A1, and EP 0 508 473 A2.

Disposable delivery device for endoluminal prostheses


A new and distinct cultivar of Hardy Hibiscus plant named ‘Brandy Punch’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; green and purple-colored leaves that are palmately lobed; early flowering habit; and large single dark pink-colored flowers.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hibiscus, botanically known as Hibiscus hybrid, commercially referred to as Hardy Hibiscus and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Brandy Punch'.
The new Hibiscus is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching Hardy Hibiscus cultivars with a compact plant habit and desirable flower color.
The new Hardy Hibiscus originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. during the spring of 2002, of the Hibiscus hybrid cultivar Carafe Yogrenache, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,571, as the female, or seed, parent with the Hibiscus hybrid cultivar Kopper King, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,793, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Brandy Punch was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. during the spring of 2003.
Asexual reproduction of the new Hardy Hibiscus by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Hardy Hibiscus are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


This invention relates to a formwork support member, and a scaffold structure formed from at least a pair of adjacent formwork support members. The formwork support member comprises at least two spaced vertical members, at least one connecting member bridging said vertical members to form thereby a rigid formwork support member, each vertical member including a plurality of attachment means at spaced intervals there-along for releasable attachment thereto of at least one brace member extending between adjacent formwork support members to form the scaffold structure.

Formwork is used in concrete construction to provide a mould or a surface onto which wet concrete can be poured for forming various elements such as floor slabs and beams for example. In the case of floor slabs, it is common for floors of a multi-story building to be formed sequentially and for formwork to be set out on a preceding floor in order to form the subsequent higher floor.
Such formwork normally comprises a frame or scaffolding that are used to support elevated forms comprising either lost formwork or formwork that can be removed from the concrete slab once the concrete is set. Reusable formwork may comprise aluminium formwork pans which are held at the top of the scaffolding. In addition, sheets or boards may also be used at the top of the framework.
The aluminium formwork pans are normally rectangular in plan form and have lips or edges extending downwardly from the formwork surface. These aluminium pans can be supported in forks which comprise of four upwardly directed fingers extending from a single vertical support which hold a corner each of four adjoining aluminium pans.
Normally, the scaffolding used to support the formwork is manually assembled from a number of discreet elements. These discreet elements include vertical tubular supports and bracing members which extend between adjacent vertical supports. It is common to provide a scaffold structure comprising four spaced vertical supports arranged in a rectangular plan form with a vertical support at each corner with the necessary bracing between the four vertical supports to hold each of the vertical supports upright. A fork is placed at the top of each vertical support with a screw jack in order to adjust the height of the fork prior to the aluminium formwork pans being put in place.
Each individual scaffold structure is spaced from adjacent scaffold structures by the width of the aluminium formwork pans so that a single formwork pan can bridge between each scaffold structure.
The construction of each scaffold structure is extremely labour intensive, time consuming and require a number of workers to hold each individual vertical support upright while the brace members are attached between individual vertical members so as to form a self-supporting structure.
It is against this background and the problems and difficulties associated therewith that the present invention has been developed.
Certain objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.


A method of producing a winding from electric conductors received in slots formed in a stator core has the steps of forming a first copying surface at an end of each slot on the end surface of the stator core so as to be curved along a bending direction of the electric conductors, a step of forming a second copying surface on each of bending members, inserting each bending member into an area between two slots adjacent to each other such that the second copying surface is curved along the bending direction of the electric conductors and a successively-curved shape is formed out of both the first copying surface and the second copying surface, and bending each electric conductor along the first copying surface and the second copying surface in the successively-curved shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a winding of a dynamo-electric machine such as an on-vehicle alternating current generator or the like mounted on passenger's automobiles or auto trucks.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, improvement of generating ability of an on-vehicle alternating current generator has been increasingly required with an increase of current consumers such as a safety control device and the like. To respond to this request of the improvement of the generating ability, a method of producing a winding of a dynamo-electric machine is known. In this method, high power is obtained by arranging regularly electric conductors formed in a U-shape to place the electric conductors at high density in slots of a stator (for example, pp. 3 to 5 and FIGS. 1 to 19 in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-69731). In this winding producing method, electric conductors arranged along a circumferential direction of a stator core are protruded from an end surface of the stator core to form coil ends, a plurality of pin-shaped jigs adjacent to each other along the circumferential direction are respectively inserted into predetermined areas in a radial direction of the stator core so as to fix the protruded portions of the electric conductors, tops of the electric conductors are twisted in the circumferential direction while using the pin-shaped jigs formed in a circular shape in section along the circumferential direction as a supporting point, and the coil ends are reshaped.
In the dynamo-electric machine's winding producing method disclosed in the Patent Application Publication, because the electric conductors are twisted while using the pin-shaped jigs as the supporting points, damage to insulating coats of the electric conductors at bending portions of the electric conductors can be prevented. However, because the pin-shaped jigs are inserted into the areas apart from the end surface of the stator core, a problem occurs in that the coil ends become taller. Because the coil ends are taller, the winding is lengthened so as to increase the resistance of the winding, and the output power of the dynamo-electric machine is undesirably lowered.

Method of producing winding of dynamo-electric machine


The presence of a target object within a query image may be identified based on the spatial consistency of feature points matched between the query image and a template image describing the target object. A query image and a template image describing a target object to be sought in a query image are received. Feature points are extracted from the query image and the template image using a SIFT method. Query feature points are each matched to the nearest neighbor template feature point. A matched pair of query points is assigned a confidence indicator based on the distance between each parameter of the query feature point and template feature point. The confidence indicators are mapped within a binned four-dimensional space. If the number of confidence indicators mapped to any bin is greater than a threshold value, then the target object has been detected within the query image.

Many networks (such as a social network) enable a user to have a presence within the network. A user may maintain a certain level of privacy and security regarding personal details associated with his/her account. When a breach of account privacy or security is suspected, a user may be required by the network to authenticate his/her identity by submitting an image of a government issued identification (GIID) in order to regain access to her account. Large volumes of images may be submitted, and manual review to confirm that each contains a GIID is tedious and time consuming.


A phase-shifting mask (PSM) structure and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The PSM structure includes a quartz substrate and a shifter layer formed over said quartz substrate, each shifter layer being formed with a first thickness of specific value to serve as the blinding portion of the PSM and a second thickness of specific value to serve as the phase-shifting portion of the PSM. The shifter layer of two different thicknesses can be used to replace the conventional chromium layer to provide the desired blinding and phase shifting effects of the PSM.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor fabrication technologies, and more particularly, to the structure of a phase-shifting mask (PSM) and a method for fabricating the same for use in the photolithography in semiconductor fabrication processes. The invention is characterized by the provision of only a single shifter layer that is formed with various thicknesses to provide the desired blinding and phase shifting effects.
2. Description of Related Art
In semiconductor fabrication, photolithography is an important and indispensable technique which is used to transfer circuit layout patterns through a mask onto predefined locations on a semiconductor wafer. Many processes in semiconductor fabrications, such as etching and ion implantation, require the use of photolithography. In a photolithographic process, resolution and depth of focus (DOF) are two major checkpoints used to appraise the quality of the pattern definition. A high level of integration requires a high resolution of pattern definition since the feature size is very small. To increase the resolution, a laser source with a very short wavelength, such as a krypton (Kr) deep ultraviolet laser with a wavelength of 2,480 .ANG. (angstrom), is used as the exposure light in the photolithographic process. The use of a short-wavelength exposure light, however, will result in a shallow DOF. To allow high resolution and good DOF, one solution is to use the so-called phase-shifting mask (PSM).
Fundamentally, a PSM is formed by adding phase shifter layers on a conventional mask that can cause destructive interference to the light passing through it such that the contrast and resolution of the resulting pattern definition can be increased. One benefit of the PSM is that it can increase the resolution of pattern definition without having to change the wavelength of the exposure light.
FIGS. 1A-1C are schematic, cross-sectional diagrams used to depict three different conventional PSM structures. FIG. 1A shows a typical PSM, which includes a quartz substrate 10, a plurality of chromium (Cr) layers 12 coated over the quartz substrate 10 to serve as the blinding portions of the PSM and a shifter layer 14 that can cause a phase shift to the light passing through it so as to enhance the resolution of the resulting pattern definition from the PSM. FIG. 1B shows a conventional rim PSM, which includes a quartz substrate 10 and a plurality of Cr layers 12 coated over the quartz substrate 10. Each Cr layer 12 is covered by a shifter layer 16 that can cause a phase shift to the light passing through it so as to enhance the resolution of the resulting pattern definition from the PSM. FIG. 1C shows a variation of the rim PSM, which differs from the rim PSM of FIG. 1B only in that here the shifter layers 16 are layered beneath the Cr layers 12.
In the foregoing PSM structures respectively shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, the shifter layer is formed from MoSi.sub.z O.sub.x N.sub.y or SiO.sub.x N.sub.y. One drawback to these conventional PSM structures is that they all require two deposition steps (one for forming the Cr layers and the other for forming the shifter layers) and two etching steps (one for defining the Cr layers and the other for defining the shifter layers. The overall fabrication process is therefore quite complex in procedural steps, which makes the manufacturing cost considerably high.

Phase-shifting mask structure and method of fabricating the same


A method, system, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for providing admission control in a wireless network are provided. The method may include receiving a RACH-Preamble from a mobile device and determining whether a first set of requirements is satisfied for the received RACH-Preamble. The method may further include transmitting a first response to the mobile device when the first set of requirements is satisfied and receiving a RRC connection request from the mobile device after transmitting the first response. The method may further include determining an establishment cause of the RRC connection request and determining whether a second set of requirements corresponding to the establishment cause are satisfied. The method may further include rejecting the RRC connection request when the second set of requirements is not satisfied.

Mobile devices have moved from simple voice communication to performing functions traditionally performed by larger devices such as laptops and desktop computers. Such functions include streaming multimedia content, enabling high definition online gaming, and the like. These functions have become an integral part of our daily lives, but each of these and other functions enabled by mobile devices multiplies the bandwidth required for each user. Therefore, wireless network designs have built-in intelligence to determine how, when, and whether to grant access to a given user or mobile device to connect with the network and begin communication. This intelligence is sometimes referred to as call admission control.
An example of a wireless broadband network which has such call admission control is Long-Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is an end-to-end broadband IP network that aims to provide high sector capacity, scalability, improved end-user throughputs, and reduced user plane latency, bringing significantly improved user experience with full mobility. However, the capacity of the LTE network is limited. Accordingly, mobile operators face a delicate balancing act in trying to manage the high speed data traffic desired by its users, and maintaining the subscriber's quality of experience by providing a selective session call admission control mechanism.
As per 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard [http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/23_series/23.401/23401-8g0.zip], call admission control from the LTE network infrastructure point of view can be broadly and generally categorized as including the following three stages:                1. Initial random access admission control at the base station or evolved NodeB (eNB);        2. Mobile device or user equipment (UE) signaling session admission control at a mobility management entity (MME); and        3. Traffic session admission control at the eNB.
Initial random access admission control is the first level of admission control where the base station or evolved NodeB (eNB) decides whether to initiate a communication path with a mobile device. Once this initial random access admission control is complete, the mobile devices can send the next set of signaling messages to the MME via the eNB, which performs the second stage UE signaling session admission control. Once the MME accepts UE signaling session admission control, then the eNB executes the traffic session admission control and finally decides whether to admit the UE to send and receive traffic.
An ineffectual traffic session grant during the initial random access admission control stage may lead to substantial signaling load processing for the second and third stages of the call admission control. This may result in bad QoS experienced by end-users and decrease the overall network performance by overwhelming the base station or eNB with UEs that cannot be admitted.
Accordingly, there exists a need for techniques for an improved initial random access admission control in wireless broadband networks such as LTE.

Method and system for admission control in a broadband wireless network


A valve assembly includes an excess flow shut-off mechanism for controlling flow between an inlet and an outlet of the assembly. The excess flow shut-off mechanism is adapted to automatically stop fluid flow through the valve assembly when the flow exceeds a specified flow rate. The excess flow shut-off mechanism prevents flow when it's set and allows flow when it's reset. The valve assembly also includes a reset mechanism for setting and resetting the excess flow shut-off mechanism independently of the flow rate.

Safety valve assemblies are used to prevent uncontrolled fluid flow resulting from a break in a conduit, such as a flexible conduit connecting a filter system to faucet or a water source. U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,777 discloses an automatic shut-off valve for use with household appliances to prevent the release of water due to a hose connection becoming loose or breaking. The need to prevent uncontrolled excess flow has also been recognized in applications other than water systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,178, for example, discloses a rapid acting safety valve for preventing leakages resulting from failure of a pressurized hydraulic line. In both cases, the valves allow normal flow but automatically close to terminate flow when the flow through the valve becomes excessive, as would occur upon the failure of a hose connection. If excess flow occurs, a valve flapper or piston moves against the force of a spring to close against a valve seat.
A rapid acting shutoff such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,178 would be subject to premature nuisance shutoff if used to supply a flexible connector in a household water system. In a water system, air can be present in the piping system. A flow surge can occur when air flows through a faucet or toilet fill valve supplied from a flexible connector. A rapid acting shutoff could close in response to such a surge, disabling the supplied appliance until the shutoff condition is corrected by reopening the shutoff device. The valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,777 includes a damping mechanism to prevent premature nuisance shutoff. In either case, however, the valves must be disconnected to relieve pressure in order to be reset after the failure of a flexible connector.
What is still desired is a new and improved safety valve assembly. Among other advantages and benefits, the new and improved safety valve assembly will preferably include a reset mechanism that allows manual opening ("resetting") and closing ("setting") of the valve. Manual operation of the safety valve assembly, for example, beneficially allows the valve assembly to be reset without being first being disconnected from a fluid conduit. Manual operation also allows the safety valve assembly to be held open during excess flow and to be closed if desired even when there is no excess flow.

Safety valve assembly having reset mechanism


A protector-equipped antenna unit has an antenna body including an antenna case, a cable derived from the antenna case to the outside, and a protector for protecting the antenna body and the cable. The protector has drain holes. The protector has a cable protecting portion having a hook portion for fixing the cable.

This invention relates to an antenna unit mounted on a roof of a mobile body such as an automobile or the like and, in particular, to a protector-equipped antenna unit and an antenna protector for use in a digital radio receiver for receiving an electric wave from an artificial satellite (that may be called a "satellite wave") or an electric wave on the ground (that may be called a "terrestrial wave") to listen in a digital radio broadcasting.
In recent years, a digital radio receiver, which receives the satellite wave or the terrestrial wave to listen the digital radio broadcasting, has been developed and is put to practical use in the United States of America. The digital radio receiver is mounted on a mobile body such as an automobile and can receive an electric wave having a frequency of about 2.3 gigahertz (GHz) to listen in radio broadcasting. That is, the digital radio receiver is a radio receiver which can listen in a mobile broadcasting. Inasmuch as the received wave has the frequency of about 2.3 GHz, a reception wavelength (resonance frequency) λ thereof is equal to about 128.3 mm. In addition, the terrestrial wave is an electric wave in which a signal where the satellite wave is received in an earth station is frequency shifted a little.
The antenna unit must be attached to a roof of the mobile body in a case where the digital radio receiver is mounted in the mobile body such as the automobile.
In order to attach the antenna unit to the roof of the mobile body, an antenna unit with a protector is known in the art.
In a conventional protector-equipped antenna unit, the antenna unit is manufactured by making engineering changes with new specific antenna parts manufactured therefor. In other words, the protector-equipped antenna unit is manufactured by making engineering changes of a plurality of antenna parts constituting an antenna body so as to enable to mount a protector thereon and by assembling the plurality of antenna parts made engineering changes and a plurality of protector parts constituting the protector.
In addition, the conventional protector-equipped antenna unit is not subjected with any drain measure. Furthermore, a cable derived from the antenna unit to the outside is fixed so as to sandwiched between the protector and a tape.
In addition, as an antenna unit without a protector, an antenna unit for use in a GPS (global positioning system) receiver for receiving a GPS signal is known in the art (see, e.g. JP 2001-68912 A) although the antenna unit is not for use in the digital radio receiver. It is noted that the antenna unit for use in the digital radio receiver and the antenna unit for use in the GPS receiver are similar in structure and in the outside shape each other because they have frequencies of received electric waves and radiation patterns (antenna patterns) which are slightly different from each other.
In the manner which is described above, the conventional protector-equipped antenna unit is not subjected with any drain measure. As a result, there is a problem on waterproof in the conventional protected-equipped antenna unit. Inasmuch as the cable is merely fixed so as to sandwiched between the protector and the tape in the conventional protector-equipped antenna unit, it is difficult for the conventional protector-equipped antenna unit to position the cable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Protector-equipped antenna unit with drain structure


A steering circuit system for a moving vehicle in which automatic steering operation as well as manual steering operation can be achieved. Pressurized oil discharged from a hydraulic pump (1) is fed to a steering line (3) and to an auxiliary steering line (10). The pressurized oil of the steering line (3) is fed to an expanding chamber (9a, 90a) and to a contracting chamber (9b, 90b) of a pair of steering cylinders (9, 90) by manual operation steering valve (5). The auxiliary steering line (10) is connected to a third line (12) through a switching valve (11). The third line (12) is connected to a fourth line and to a fifth line (14, 15) through an automatic operation steering valve (13). The fourth line (14) is connected to contracting chamber (9b) and to expanding chamber (90a) of the left and right steering cylinders (9, 90). The fifth line (15) is connected to contracting chamber (90b ) and expanding chamber (9a) of the left and right steering cylinders (9, 90). First and second pilot operation check valves (16, 17) are provided in the fourth and the fifth lines (14, 15), respectively. The first pilot operation check valve is opened in response to pressure in the fifth line (15), and the second pilot operation valve is opened in response to pressure in the fourth line (14).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving vehicle steering circuit system capable of both automatic and manual steering.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional steering circuit system for a moving vehicle is known in which pressurized oil discharged from a hydraulic pump is fed to a steering cylinder by a manual operation steering valve. It is also known that a pilot operation check valve may be provided for the purpose of preventing the pressurized oil of the steering cylinder from flowing back. This ensures the function of a return side or drain line by utilizing the pilot pressure as long as the pressurized oil is fed to one side of the steering cylinder.
However, such steering circuit systems inconveniently require manual operation by an operator, and thus automatic operation cannot be achieved. When the pressurized oil ceases to be fed to the steering cylinder, the pressurized oil of the return side line is suddenly blocked. Nevertheless, since the steering wheel has inertia, it is vibrated by the oil hammer and the stability of the vehicle body is adversely affected.

Steering circuit system for a moving vehicle


A method, data processing system, and computer program product for managing tags. A computer system identifies one or more groups of similar tags from a multiplicity of tags proposed for inclusion in a tag cloud. The computer system identifies one or more representative tags to represent the respective one or more groups of similar tags. The computer system displays the one or more representative tags in the tag cloud instead of all the similar tags in the one or more groups of similar tags, and concurrently displays other tags in the multiplicity of tags that are not included in the one or more groups of similar tags.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an improved data processing system and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for processing data. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for managing tag clouds.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet, also referred to as an "internetwork", is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from a protocol of the sending network to a protocol used by the receiving network. When capitalized, the term "Internet" refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols. The Internet may carry information and provide services. The information and services include, for example, electronic mail, online chat services, file transfers, web pages, and other resources.
The Internet is a commonly used source of information and entertainment. Further, the Internet is also used as a medium for business activities. Many businesses, government entities, and other organizations have a presence on the Internet using websites to perform various transactions. Various organizations may offer goods and services. These goods and services may involve a sale of goods that are to be shipped to a customer. The goods also may be software and/or data purchased by a customer and transferred over the Internet to the customer.
Users may navigate websites on the Internet using browsers. Users often employ search engines to identify websites containing information of interest to users. When a user visits a website, information in the website may be reached in a number of different ways. For example, different links may be present to guide a user to different portions of the website.
Another mechanism used to identify information in a website is a tag cloud. A tag cloud is a visual depiction of tags. These tags typically take the form of words that describe the content of a website. A tag cloud may include tags for a single website or multiple websites. A tag may be associated with a universal resource locator. As a result, a selection of a tag results in information associated with the tag being retrieved for the user.
Tags may have many different visual properties. For example, tags may have different colors, intensities, fonts, font sizes, and/or other attributes to differentiate one tag from another tag. Tags also may occur in alphabetical order, in a random order, sorted by weight, and other mechanisms.
For example, a website may be for hosting a blog. In this example, a tag cloud is used to identify what different users are writing about in the blog. Tags may be displayed in a manner that identifies what words are used the most by different writers. Tags for words that occur more often may have a different font size or color to indicate the increased use of the particular word in the blog.

International Business Machines Corporation