This disclosure describes techniques for determining a shape of a signal. In particular, a kernel is applied to a portion of a signal to compute at least a first, first order derivative of the portion of the signal and a second, first order derivative of the portion of the signal in a single pass of the kernel. The shape of the portion of the signal is determined based on the first and second first order derivatives. In one example, the shape of the portion of the signal is determined based on the ratio of the first, first order derivative and the second, first order derivative. These techniques may be particularly effective for detecting edges within image signals. However, the techniques may be used to detect the shape of significant changes within any signal that represents a variable that is changing over time, space or other dimension.

Detecting locations of a signal at which a variable represented by the signal exhibits significant change may be useful in analyzing and processing signals. In particular, detecting locations that exhibit significant changes in a variable may be useful in analyzing a shape of the signal, content within the signal or the like. Detecting significant changes may be useful in a number of fields, including image processing, audio processing, video processing or any other information processing applications.
In the field of image processing, for example, detecting locations of the image signal where significant changes in intensity occur may be useful in detecting edges within the image. These detected edges typically represent structural properties of the scene of interest, such as discontinuities in depth, discontinuities in surface orientation, changes in material properties, variations in scene illumination or the like.
An image signal includes a plurality of pixel values that represent intensity and/or color at particular locations within a scene of interest. To detect edges within an image signal, an image processor applies a kernel filter to the image. The kernel filter may be viewed as a matrix of weights or multiplication factors. The matrix is typically much smaller than the actual image to which it is applied. A typical kernel matrix used for edge detection, for example, may be three pixels by three pixels (i.e., a 3×3 kernel).
In order for the image processor to detect edges, the image processor may apply the kernel matrix to each of the pixels of the image in turn by sliding the kernel over the image. The image processor centers the kernel on each pixel of the image in turn, and multiplies the pixel values of the 3×3 region around the center pixel by the corresponding weights of the kernel matrix to generate weighted pixel values.
The image processor sums the weighted pixel values to obtain a first order derivative of the 3×3 portion of the image signal. The image processor compares the first order derivative of the 3×3 portion of the image signal to a threshold value and detects an edge when the first order derivative is greater than or equal to the threshold value. Different kernels may be applied to perform different types of filtering.

Digital signal pattern detection and classification using kernel fusion


A load detection apparatus includes a strain element including a first fixation hole into which a fixation member is insertable to be positioned, a second fixation hole into which a connection member is insertable to be positioned, a strain gage, and a fixation support member inserted to be positioned within the first fixation hole, the first fixation hole serving as an elongated bore, the fixation support member including a base portion specified to be greater than the first fixation hole, an intermediate shaft portion protruding from the base portion and fitted to the first fixation hole, and an insertion hole into which the fixation member is inserted to be positioned, the insertion hole being provided in a state where a center position of the insertion hole is displaced relative to a center position of the intermediate shaft portion in a longitudinal direction thereof.

In order to improve performance of various safety apparatuses such as a seat belt and an air bag, for example, mounted at a vehicle, operations of such safety apparatuses may be controlled on a basis of a weight of an occupant seated in a seat. JP2009-128106A, which is hereinafter referred to as Patent document 1, discloses a strain sensor known as a load detection apparatus detecting a weight of an occupant seated in a seat for a vehicle. The strain sensor disclosed in Patent document 1 includes a strain element, two fixation support members holding the strain element by fitting in two fixation holes provided at the strain element, and a bracket member including connection holes which secure the fixation support members. One of the two connection holes of the bracket serves as an elongated bore elongated in a direction where the connection holes are disposed side by side.
According to the aforementioned construction, a variation in manufacturing dimensions of the two connection holes of the bracket member is compensated by the configuration of one of the connection holes, i.e., the elongated bore. Thus, without a highly accurate manufacturing of the bracket member, the bracket member may conform to an attachment dimension between a pair of fixation shafts to which the fixation support members are inserted to be positioned. As a result, the bracket member with a high manufacturing accuracy is not required, which may lead to the load detection apparatus at a reduced cost.
According to the strain sensor disclosed in Patent document 1, fixation holes provided at opposed end portions of the strain element are fitted to the fixation shafts of a floor fixation member. Thus, an attachment position of the strain sensor needs to conform to a distance between the fixation shafts. At this time, because the distance between the fixation shafts differ and vary depending on a seat configuration, the strain element, for example, needs to be newly provided each time the distance between the fixation shafts is changed. The strain element is a member which most influences a sensor output accuracy. Thus, a usage of a highly accurate manufacturing process of the strain element may lead to a manufacturing cost thereof greater than other components. In order to avoid a cost for newly providing the strain element each time the distance between the fixation shafts is changed, it may be considered to decrease the accuracy of the manufacturing process of the strain element. Nevertheless, the sensor output accuracy is affected so that the sensor accuracy may decrease.
A need thus exists for a load detection apparatus which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.


A method and apparatus for observing the contents on internal memory-mapped registers of controllers and co-processors which have been integrated on-chip with a central processing unit ("CPU"). The CPU asserts a first signal when access to internal memory is requested and deactivates a second signal which would normally allow simultaneous access to both internal and external memory locations. In this way, the contents of internal memory may be observed in real time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data processing systems, and more specifically to a method and apparatus for observing the contents cf a central processing unit's internal memory-mapped registers.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In conventional digital data processing system with n-bit architecture, the central processing unit (CPU) is capable of generating 2.sup.n addresses for referencing instructions or data. For example, a 16-bit computer is capable of generating 2.sup.16 or 65,536 addresses. These addresses are generally used to reference devices which are located outside the CPU environment, so-called peripheral or external devices. The interface between the CPU and the peripheral devices consists of a system bus, including an address bus and a data bus, wherein the CPU, responding to an instruction request, sends an address onto the address bus which is connected to the peripheral device. If the peripheral device is memory storage, then data can be transferred directly between the CPU and memory by means of the data bus. If, however, the peripheral device is something other than a memory device, such as a printer, modem, or a co-processor, then additional hardware is generally required in the peripheral device in order to decode and act on the address reference.
In order to avoid the need for this additional hardware, a technique called "memory-mapped I/O" is used. According to this technique, the transfer of data to and from peripheral devices is accomplished by using some of the normally available memory space. Memory addresses are decoded within the peripheral device and thus are used to determine when a specific device is being addressed. Usually, each type of function within the peripheral device is assigned a memory address and may then be accessed by the CPU. For example, the status, control and data registers within the peripheral devices are each assigned a memory address and thus three addresses are required for the CPU to perform an I/O operation with this peripheral device. Using memory-mapped I/O in this fashion allows I/O operations to be performed directly in a high-level language, i.e., an I/O device may be declared as a data structure and then manipulated with the use of pointers.
Referring to FIG. 1, in a conventional microprocessor architecture, the sequence of events occurring during a basic CPU access to either memory or peripheral device for a read transaction or a write transaction is performed in two cycles of a bus clock, the cycles commonly being labeled T1 and T2. During the first half of cycle T1, the CPU asserts an Address Strobe signal ADS which indicates that a bus cycle has begun and that a valid address is on the Address Bus. From the beginning of cycle T1 until the completion of the bus cycle, the CPU drives the Address Bus and other relevant control signals. If the bus cycle is not cancelled (e.g. cycle T2 is entered in the next clock cycle), the CPU will assert a Confirm signal CONF in the middle of cycle T1 to indicate that the bus cycle initiated by the Address Strobe ADS is valid. A confirmed bus cycle is completed at the end of cycle T2. In the case of a read operation, the CPU samples the Data Bus at the end of cycle T2. If a bus exception is detected, then data on the Data Bus is ignored. For write operations, valid data is output on the Data Bus to the address indicated on the Address Bus from the middle of cycle T1 until the end of the cycle.
The desire for improved microprocessor performance is leading to integration of certain functions which, in the past, had been external to the CPU (e.g. peripheral devices such as controllers and co-processors). Integration of these functions means that the status, control and data registers associated with the newly-integrated functions are located internally to the CPU, not externally as before. Thus, while these registers may still be referenced as memory-mapped, the CPU access to the internal memory-mapped registers no longer occurs over the external bus, but rather occurs over an internal bus, thus making the transaction essentially transparent to the user. The inability to observe the read/write operations of these internal registers makes it extremely difficult to trace CPU activity and it becomes very difficult to debug the system.
Some systems, e.g., the Intel 80186 microprocessor, solve the problem by showing accesses to internal memory-mapped registers as normal read/write cycles, as described above. However, the CPU ignores the synchronous and asynchronous ready bits as well as the data bus, thus the data contained in the internal memory-mapped registers can not be observed.
In National Semiconductor's HPC 16083 controller, the read and write strobes are inhibited. Thus, during a write operation, the data is presented on the bus, whereas during a read operation, data is not presented on the bus.

Method and apparatus for observing internal memory-mapped registers


A transmission electron microscope (100) includes an electron beam source (2), an illumination lens (10), an objective lens (20), an intermediate lens system (30), a pair of transfer lenses (40) located behind the intermediate lens system (30), and an energy filter (60) for separating the electrons of the beam L transmitted through the specimen (S) according to energy. The transfer lenses (40) transfer the first image to the entrance crossover plane (S1) of the energy filter (60) and to transfer the second image to the entrance image plane (A1) of the filter (60). An image plane (A3) is formed between the first transfer lens (40a) and the second transfer lens (40b).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission electron microscope.
2. Description of Related Art
Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is a technique consisting of irradiating a specimen with an electron beam and obtaining a spectrum from the intensities of loss energy of electrons transmitted through the specimen. The energy that an electron loses within a specimen varies according to the constituent elements of the specimen, how atoms are bonded to each other, and other factors. Accordingly, the structure of the specimen can be known from its spectrum. An energy filter can image electrons having certain energies from electrons separated according to energy and so this instrument has attracted attention (see, for example, JP A-2001-6601).
In a transmission electron microscope (TEM) equipped with an energy filter, devices such as a dark-field detector for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and optical parts such as an entrance aperture for limiting the field of view for electrons incident on the energy filter are preferably disposed at the entrance image plane of the energy filter.
However, because of mechanical restrictions, it is impossible to arrange an STEM dark-field detector, an entrance aperture, and other parts at the incident image plane of the energy filter. Therefore, such STEM dark-field detector and entrance aperture are located off the position of the entrance image plane of the energy filter.


A spray pump apparatus typically employed in gardening and commercial applications wherein a charged liquid is sprayed in a garden environment or on a floor surface for removing spills, grease or stains. In its most fundamental embodiments the spray pump apparatus for use in spraying: fluids includes an outer housing and a pump assembly in mechanical communication with the outer housing for developing a pressure therein. An integral bladder assembly is mounted within the outer housing and comprises an integrally formed combination of a flexible bladder, a hose and a nozzle. The flexible bladder is subjected to the pressure developed by the pump assembly for expelling a fluid contained within the flexible bladder, wherein the integral bladder assembly is installed in and removed from the outer housing as the integrally formed combination.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to spraying devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for a spray pump device typically used in garden and commercial applications and having an outer housing that incorporates a hand operated pump assembly and a removable integral bladder assembly wherein a first integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a first fluid can be subsequently replaced with a second identical integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a second fluid.
2. Background Art
The prior art is directed to methods and apparatus for spraying devices typically used for garden and commercial applications.
Small tank spray devices are utilized to dispense a wide variety of fluids ranging from, for example, plant food, fertilizers, insecticides and weed killers in garden applications to chemical cleaners and solvents in commercial applications. Spraying devices known in the art typically include separate components such as tank container having a fill port for introducing the liquid to be sprayed, a hose and a nozzle for directing the sprayed liquid, and a hand operated pump mechanism to create air pressure within the tank. The air pressure is applied over the liquid within the tank for driving the liquid through the hose and expelling it from the nozzle.
In the prior art, small tank sprayers must be maintained in a near vertical orientation to operate properly. This is the case since the liquid to be sprayed must be positioned over, i.e., cover, the output port to which the hose is connected in order for the liquid to be expelled and also to prevent the pressurized air within the tank from escaping.
This requirement limits the use of prior art spraying devices.
Further, once the spraying activity has been completed, the unused liquid must be emptied from the tank and thereafter stored or disposed of. Additionally, the interior surfaces of the tank, hose and nozzle must be flushed with an appropriate medium. The effort required to accomplish this task is dependent upon the composition of the liquid previously used in the tank and the composition of liquids to be subsequently used in the tank, i.e., the next application.
Typically, the tank can be comprised of metal or plastic. Notwithstanding, the material used to fashion the tank must be corrosion resistant to avoid rusting since the liquid to be sprayed comes in direct contact with the inner surface of the tank. If the tank is permitted to corrode, the chemical composition of the liquid to be sprayed could be altered and the use of the liquid may be counter-productive. For example, in gardening applications, if the a pesticide or weed killer is previously used in the tank, residual traces of the previously used chemical might be applied to plants and flowers in a subsequent use of the spraying device. This situation would be detrimental to the plants and flowers and could occur even if the tank, hose and nozzle are flushed after the previous use.
Another consideration is the method of disposal of the fluids used in the spraying device. In prior art spraying devices, typically the contents of the tank must be totally used or subsequently disposed of in a separate container employed for storage. Even in spray pump designs known in the prior art that employ a flexible container within the tank and which include the fluid to be sprayed, the flexible container usually is not removable. Thus, all of the fluid, typically a chemical, must be used since there is no provision for removing and storing the flexible container. Further, the method of disposal of the fluid to be sprayed must be considered and must satisfy all local disposal regulations if a negative environmental impact is possible.
Of the spraying devices known in the prior art, a reusable compression sprayer teaches the use of a disposable plastic bag. The separate components include the plastic bag or bladder, a hose and a nozzle which are separate, i.e., discrete, elements. Other examples of spraying devices also include removable and/or replaceable bladders. A further example is a spray device having a bladder that is filled with water and which is employed to apply pressure to chemicals that contact the inner surface of the tank. This design creates a corrosion problem. In yet another example, a spray pump bladder is employed as a pressure regulator to provide a constant spray pressure.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a spray pump apparatus for use in gardening and commercial applications that includes an outer housing that incorporates a hand operated pump assembly and a removable integral bladder assembly that comprises a flexible bladder having a fill port and a cap and which is integrally formed with a perforated stand pipe and hose, feed-through device and nozzle, and wherein a first integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a first fluid can be subsequently replaced with a second identical integral bladder assembly for use in spraying a second fluid without concern for the intermixing of the previously sprayed fluid with the subsequently sprayed fluid.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved spray pump apparatus typically employed in gardening and commercial applications. Typical examples of such applications can include spraying nutrients in liquid form on plants and flowers or alternately spraying chemicals such as weed killers, or spraying chemical solvents and cleaners on floor surfaces for removing spills, grease and stains.
The spray pump apparatus of the present invention includes a portable device having an outer housing with a generally cylindrical shape. Extending from the top of the outer housing is a handle for actuating a piston of a manual pump assembly. Vertical operation of the handle and piston results in developing a pressure within the outer housing. Located within the outer housing is an integral bladder assembly comprising an integrally formed combination of a flexible bladder, a fill port and a seal cap for containing a fluid to be sprayed, a flexible perforated standpipe positioned within the flexible bladder which becomes an external flexible hose having a spray nozzle attached thereto, and a feed-through device for penetrating a sidewall of the outer housing.
Operation of the handle of the manual pump assembly pressurizes the interior of the outer housing which applies a force to the outer surface of the flexible bladder. The force applied to the flexible bladder causes the liquid within the flexible bladder to enter the perforated standpipe and to charge the external flexible hose. Operation of the spray nozzle releases the liquid in a suitable spray pattern. The pressure within the outer housing can be maintained by operating the handle of the manual pump assembly. The integrally formed combination of the flexible bladder with the fill port and seal cap, flexible perforated standpipe, external flexible hose and spray nozzle, and feed-through device is installed in and removed from the spray pump apparatus as a singular unit.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cylindrical shaped outer housing includes a top portion and a bottom portion. The manual pump assembly is mounted within the top portion of the outer housing. The top portion and the bottom portion of the outer housing each include a flange surface in combination with a tank flange O-ring seal for sealing the outer housing. Further the flange surface associated with the top portion is releaseably connected to the flange surface associated with the bottom portion of the outer housing with a V-band coupling having an over-the-center latch and safety mechanism. The flange surfaces, the O-ring seal and the V-band coupling collectively function to prevent the pressure developed within the interior of the outer housing from bleeding away. A pressure relief valve is positioned within the top portion of the outer housing.
The present invention is generally directed to a spray pump apparatus typically employed in gardening and commercial applications wherein a charged liquid is sprayed in a garden environment or on a floor surface for removing spills, grease or stains. In its most fundamental embodiment, the spray pump apparatus for use in spraying fluids includes an outer housing and a pump assembly in mechanical communication with the outer housing for developing a pressure therein. An integral bladder assembly is mounted within the outer housing and comprises an integrally formed combination of a flexible bladder, a hose and a nozzle. The flexible bladder is subjected to the pressure developed by the pump assembly for expelling a fluid contained within the flexible bladder, wherein the integral bladder assembly is installed in and removed from the outer housing as the integrally formed combination.
In an alternative embodiment, the cylindrical shaped outer housing of the spray pump apparatus of the present invention exhibits a unitary construction. In the alternative embodiment exhibiting the unitary construction, the outer housing includes a top portal having threads formed on the outer surface thereof. The pump assembly is in mechanical communication with the threaded top portal for developing a pressure within the outer housing. The construction and operation of the integral bladder assembly is duplicate to that described with respect to the preferred embodiment, i.e., the components of the integral bladder assembly are installed in and removed from the outer housing as an integral unit. A threaded closure is provided for sealing the threaded top portal. Finally, a pressure relief valve is positioned within the outer housing adjacent to the threaded top portal.


Alkyl fatty carboxylate mixture is separated according to degree of unsaturation utilizing selected permutite adsorbent and selected solvent(s).

Neuzil et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,205 and Neuzil et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,688 and Logan et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,594 disclose the fractionation of alkyl fatty carboxylate mixtures using synthetic crystalline aluminosilicates (zeolites). These crystalline aluminosilicate adsorbents typically contain up to about 25% amorphous aluminosilicate, e.g., clay. The process of the invention herein differs for example, in the adsorbent which is advantageous over the crystalline adsorbents from the standpoints of versatility (in that, with the adsorbent herein, the same equipment and packing is advantageously used for separation of alkyl carboxylates and triglycerides--this is not true for crystalline zeolites) and flexibility (in that various ratios of silicon atoms to aluminum atoms and various surface areas are readily selected for the adsorbent herein--there is substantially less choice for crystalline zeolites).
Lubsen et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,442 discloses the fractionation of alkyl fatty carboxylate mixtures utilizing macroreticular strong acid cation exchange resin adsorbents. The invention herein differs, for example, in utilizing an adsorbent different from that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,442 and advantageous over resin adsorbents from the standpoints of flexibility, cost, and of being inorganic rather than organic in nature.
It is known on an analytical scale to separate alkyl fatty carboxylate mixtures utilizing silica gel treated with silver nitrate. See Chemistry and Industry 24, pp. 1049-1050 (June 1962). The adsorbent there has the disadvantage of having a short life cycle in that the silver nitrate is leached out since it is not chemically attached. The adsorbent used herein has no such leaching problem.
British Pat. No. 1,476,511 (complete specification published June 16, 1977) which corresponds to German No. 2,335,890, assigned to Henkel, discloses using an aluminosilicate clay as an acidic catalyst to polymerize multiple unsaturated components of a mixture of esters of fatty acids and distilling to separate unpolymerized material from polymerized material. Such process has the disadvantage of producing unuseful polymerized material. The process of the instant invention is carried out without significant polymerization occurring.
Lam et al, "Silver Loaded Aluminosilicate As a Stationary Phase for the Liquid Chromatographic Separation of Unsaturated Compounds", J. Chromatog. Sci. 15 (7), 234-8 (1977) discloses the analytical (chromatographic) separation of bromophenacyl carboxylates on the basis of unsaturation utilizing silvered, surface aluminated silica gel adsorbents of microparticulate particle size (which particle size is not readily handled in a nonanalytical commercial context and can result in significant loss due to suspension of particles in solvent). The process of the instant invention differs at least in the feedstock and in the adsorbent chemical structure and in the adsorbent particle size.
Breck, D. W., Zeolite Molecular Sieves, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1974, pages 11-13 generally describes synthetic amorphous aluminosilicates (permutites) and uses thereof. The adsorbent herein is particular permutite as described in detail below.

Fractionation of alkyl carboxylate mixtures


A tape lead wire includes a polymer resin film and conductor films. The conductor films are directly deposited on the surface of the polymer resin film without using any bonding layer. The total thickness of the tape lead wire can be made smaller than that of a conventional lead wire. The tape lead wire has a high flexibility, can be easily bent, can extremely reduce the bending spring rigidity and is suitable for a magnetic head having a reduced size and load, which is imposed by a head supporting device on the magnetic head, and lowered flying height and peripheral speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lead wire connected to an output electrode provided on a magnetic transducer element of a magnetic head, more specifically, it relates to a two-layered tape lead wire which has a high flexibility, can be easily bent, can extremely reduce the bending spring rigidity and is suitable for a magnetic head having a reduced size and load, which is imposed by a head supporting device on the magnetic head, and lowered flying height and peripheral speed.
2. Discussion of Background
Conventionally, it is to constitute a lead wire connected to an output electrode provided on a magnetic transducer element of a magnetic head by a pair of twisted wires and to connect the tip of a loop to the output electrode of the magnetic transducer element, after the loop is formed by the pair of twisted wires. As described in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,195, for example, it is difficult for the lead wire consisting of a pair of twisted wires to cope with a reduction in size of a magnetic head, a reduction in a load imposed by a head supporting device on the magnetic head, lowering of a peripheral speed resulting from a reduction in length of the diameter of a magnetic disk, a lowering of the flying height, which is produced by a dynamic pressure generated between the magnetic disk and the magnetic head while the magnetic recording and reading are conducted, and furthermore, an increase in the number of output electrodes caused by an increase in the number of magnetic transducer elements. As the size of the magnetic head and the load imposed by a head supporting device on the magnetic head, and its flying height and the peripherial speed are more and more reduced, the magnetic head is likely to be affected by a spring rigidity of the loop portion of the pair of twisted wires, and exerts an adverse influence on the flying height, and the flying characteristics of the magnetic head.
To reduce the influence of the spring rigidity of the loop portion of the pair of:twisted wires on the flying height of the magnetic head, an attempt to reduce the diameter of the blank wires to about 30 .mu.m, for example, has been made, but this invites problems in that the bonding strength to the output electrodes drops and that the bonding to the output electrode becomes difficult with the reduction of the area of the output electrode due to the reduction in size of the magnetic head, because of the reduction in length of the diameter of the blank wires. Furthermore, in the case of a multiple device type of magnetic head, the bonding becomes extremely troublesome, because a large number of mutually independent blank wires exist in a small space.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 59-31128, No. 60-12686 and No. 60-19045 disclose a technique using a flexible wire supporting a conductor film by a polymer resin film in place of the lead wire using lo a pair of twisted wires. FIG. 6 shows a flexible lead wire used in these prior art techniques, wherein reference numeral 1 is a polymer resin film, 2 is a bonding layer, 31 and 32 are conductor films, and 4 is a protective film. The conductor films 31 and 32 are bonded to the surface of the polymer resin film 1 by the bonding layer 2, and a laminate structure other than the protective film 4 constitutes a three-layered structure.
Nevertheless, the conventional prior art described above has the following problems.
(A) Since the structure is a three-layered structure in which the conductor films 31 and 32 are bonded to the surface of the polymer resin film 1 by the bonding layer 2, the total thickness and the bending spring rigidity are increased. The lead wire of the conventional three-layered structure has a thickness of 120 .mu.m or more, and it is practically difficult to obtain a thickness below this value. Therefore, when a structure is employed in which the tip portion of the flexible lead wire is bent and the conductor films 31 and 32 are bonded to the output electrodes provided on the magnetic transducer element of the magnetic head, the bending spring rigidity is imposed on the magnetic head by the flexible lead wire and exerts an adverse influence on the flying height and the flying characteristics thereof. As the size of the magnetic head and the load imposed on the magnetic head are reduced, and the flying height and the periphral speed are lowered, the magnetic head is more likely to be affected by the spring rigidity of the lead wire, and thus the flying height and flying characteristics of the magnetic head are deteriorated.
(B) When the flexible lead wire is used without bending, to avoid the adverse influence caused by the bending spring rigidity, the conductor films 31 and 32 and the output electrodes of the magnetic transducer element must be connected by other connection conductors to the flexible lead wire, and this deteriorates the operation of the assembly.
(C) As a means of reducing the bending spring rigidity, it may be possible to employ a structure which has a slit, formed by cutting partially the polymer resin film 1 at the portion corresponding to the bending portion. However, since the conventional flexible lead wire has the bonding layer 2, the bonding layer 2 swells out and leads to a problem such as an inferior bonding. Therefore, a structure which forms a slit and lowers the bending spring rigidity cannot be employed.

Two-layered tape lead wire for magnetic head


A remote token based information acquisition system (100) operates generate the wireless request and delivery of information corresponding with a uniform resource locator. The system includes a personal messaging device (200) having a receiver (205) that receives a selective call message including a selective call address and a canned message representing the uniform resource locator. A microprocessor (207) operates to determine selection of the personal messaging device, decoding, storage, and presentation the canned message. A transmitter (204) coupled to the processor operates to send a reverse channel message requesting information corresponding with the uniform resource locator.

Generally, if a user desires to access information residing on an intranet or Internet server, they must have direct access to a device having a wired connection to the intranet or Internet, the device further having a TCP/IP protocol stack running. Although devices of this sort are fairly common now, they require a direct physical connection, e.g., via a dedicated high speed network or a dial-up network. This is inconvenient for a user that is mobile, since they must access one of these connections using either a modem (in that case of dial-up access) or a network adapter that supports TCP/IP.
Even with cellular telephone connections, the user is faced with an extremely inefficient information transfer because the TCP/IP protocol stack must run on top of an asynchronous protocol such as PPP (point-to-point protocol) which is commonly used to access dial-up Internet services. The result is an expensive, inefficient connection that requires high bandwidth to convey information to the user. Moreover, present Internet browser software requires several megabytes of memory to execute on a portable or other computing device. Furthermore, presentation of retrieved information in a format resembling that intended by an author or publisher of a document (e.g., an intended mode of presentation) requires a fairly large information display. These constraints are clearly not practical when considering the small amount of memory available, and small display size of portable personal messaging devices, since the retrieved information cannot be presented in large screen formats associated with conventional Internet browsers. Lastly, the markets in which such portable personal messaging devices are sold require that the device have extended operation time while away from typical alternating current power sources, and that the device remain portable, e.g., weighing only several hundred grams at most.
Consequently, what is needed is an apparatus that allows a mobile user to efficiently access Internet resources while maintaining extended battery life.

Remote token based information acquistion system


A heat treating apparatus comprises a hot plate having a top surface on which is placed a substrate that is to be subjected to a heat treatment, setting means for setting an original target temperature of the hot plate required for subjecting the substrate to a heat treatment, a heat energy supply source for supplying a heat energy to the hot plate, a sensor for detecting the temperature of the hot plate, and control means receiving a detection signal from the sensor to obtain a difference in the detected temperature of the hot plate between the state that the substrate is not placed on the hot plate and the state that the substrate is placed on the hot plate, the original target temperature being switched based on the difference, and a signal denoting the switched target temperature in place of the original target temperature being supplied from the control means to the heat energy supply source.

The present invention relates to a heat treating apparatus including a heating apparatus and a cooling apparatus incorporated in a semiconductor manufacturing system for manufacturing a semiconductor device.
In a photolithography process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a semiconductor wafer is repeatedly heated and cooled. In the apparatus disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,254, a wafer is heated in an adhesion unit and a vapor of hexamethyl disilazane (HMDS) is allowed to act on the wafer surface. Also, the wafer is heated in a pre-baking unit for stabilizing a photoresist coating film. The wafer is also heated in a post-baking unit for baking (PEB) the photoresist film after light exposure in a predetermined pattern. On the other hand, the wafer heated in the pre-baking step and the PEB step is cooled in a cooling unit to about room temperature in a predetermined time.
In these heat treatments, it is important to control the temperatures of the wafer, the hot plate and the cooling plate. However, it is very difficult to control accurately the actual temperature of the wafer during the heat treatment. For example, it is proposed to measure the surface temperature of the wafer by using an infrared ray observing apparatus or a temperature sensor. However, any of these proposed methods is low in accuracy and, thus, has not yet been put to practical use.
Some of a large number of wafers are deformed and warped. If a warped wafer W is disposed on a hot plate, only a small portion of the wafer W is brought into contact with a hot plate 58, as shown in FIG. 11A, leading to a small contact area between the hot plate 58 and the wafer W. Since the heat exchange efficiency between the warped wafer W shown in FIG. 11A and the hot plate 58 is lower than that between the wafer W that is not warped as shown in FIG. 9A and the hot plate 58, the warped wafer W takes a longer time for the heating by the hot plate 58 to a predetermined temperature.
On the other hand, the temperature of the hot plate 58 is detected by a sensor buried in the hot plate 58. Therefore, if the amount of heat released from the hot plate 58 into the wafer W is small, the electric energy required for maintaining the hot plate 58 at a target temperature is also small, resulting in a short time for the power supply to the heater. Where the warping of the wafer is small, the fluctuation in the heat amount supplied to the hot plate 58, which is derived from the warping of the wafer W, can be compensated by the heat capacity owned by the hot plate 58 itself.
However, where the wafer W is warped greatly, the temperature of the hot plate 58 is excessively lowered, compared with the case where the wafer W is not warped. In such a case, it is possible for the actual temperature of the hot plate 58 not to be elevated to reach a target temperature before the succeeding wafer W is disposed on the hot plate after removal of the heat-treated wafer W from the hot plate 58. Incidentally, the treating time for one cycle of the heat-treating step in the photolithography process is said to be 90 seconds or less. If the succeeding wafer W is subjected to a heat treatment under the state that the actual temperature of the hot plate 58 is not elevated to a target temperature within a predetermined time, the wafer W is likely to become defective.
In the conventional heat treatment apparatus, the heater of the hot plate 58 is turned on or off depending on the temperature of the hot plate 58. To be more specific, the power source of the heater is turned on or off or the power supply amount is increased or decreased depending on the condition as to whether or not the temperature of the hot plate detected by the sensor has reached a predetermined temperature. Therefore, power is supplied uniformly to the hot plate 58 in the conventional apparatus regardless of the presence or absence of the wafer W on the hot plate 58.
However, the hot plate 58 having the wafer W disposed thereon has a large heat capacity, compared with the hot plate 58 having the wafer W not disposed thereon and, thus, exhibits a low rate of the temperature elevation, with the result that a long time is required for heating the hot plate 58 to a target temperature such that the heating time possibly exceeds the processing time (90 seconds or less) for one cycle of the heat treating step included in the photolithography process.
It should also be noted that, if the heating time to a target temperature is unduly long, the wafers W are rendered nonuniform in the time during which the wafers W are actually subjected to a heat treatment, even if the wafers W are kept disposed on the hot plate 50 for the same time. It follows that the treated wafers W are rendered nonuniform in properties.
For example, if the wafer W is disposed on the hot plate 58 at time t4 as shown in FIG. 10A, the heat energy is transferred from the hot plate 58 to the wafer W, resulting in a rapid temperature drop of the hot plate 58. As apparent from curve A shown in FIG. 10B, the temperature of the hot plate 58 at time t5 immediately after time t4 is made lower than an allowable lower limit T2 (.degree. C.) of a target temperature .theta.a. The heater power source is turned on at time t5 so as to start heating of the hot plate 58. However, it takes time for the temperature of the hot plate 58 to be elevated to fall within an allowable range T1 to T2(.degree. C.) of the target temperature .theta.a, as shown in FIG. 10C. Naturally, the time during which the wafer W is actually subjected to a heat treatment is shorter than the time during which the wafer W is disposed on the hot plate 58. Since it is very difficult to control the time during which the wafer W is actually subjected to a heat treatment, the treated wafers W differ from each other in the actual heat treating time, giving rise to a non-uniform heat treatment.
The actual temperature of the hot plate 58 is not necessarily equal to the temperature detected by a temperature sensor. For example, it is possible for the temperature detected by the temperature sensor to be 19.degree. C., though the actual temperature of the hot plate 58 is 20.degree. C. The difference between the actual temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is called herein offset. The offset is caused by a complex factor involving a deviation derived from the characteristics themselves of the temperature sensor and a deviation that is brought about when a temperature detection signal is transmitted through an analog circuit or an amplifier.
Where there is an offset, the analog circuit or the amplifier are electrically adjusted to set forth seemingly that there is no offset. For example, where the temperature sensor has detected a temperature of 19.degree. C., the actual temperature of the hot plate 58 is handled as 20.degree. C. so as to display 20.degree. C. on a monitor screen. Where the offset is constant, it is possible to electrically adjust the analog circuit or the amplifier to set forth seemingly that there is no offset even where there is an offset.
However, the offset value varies with time in some cases. Suppose, for example, that a coating unit installed in a user's factory is operated by way of trial to confirm that there is an offset of 1.degree. C. between the actual temperature (20.degree. C.) of the hot plate and the temperature (19.degree. C.) detected by the temperature sensor, and that the unit is adjusted to eliminate seemingly the offset. In this case, the offset value of 1.degree. C. is maintained in the initial period of operation of the coating unit such that 20.degree. C. is displayed on the monitor screen. However, a temperature of 19.degree. C. lower than the set temperature (20.degree. C.) of the hot plate comes to be displayed on the monitor screen 6 months to one year after the start-up of the coating unit operation. In this case, the actual temperature has been found to be 20.degree. C. when examined in detail by using a high precision temperature measuring apparatus.
The deviation of the displayed temperature from the actual temperature of the hot plate is caused by two factors. A first factor is an increased offset derived from deterioration with time of the temperature sensor. A second factor, which is irrelevant to the temperature sensor, is a change in the characteristics of the analog circuit or the amplifiers or a change in the characteristics of the heat circulation system of the hot plate. For eliminating the first factor, the temperature sensor must be renewed. The second factor can be dealt with by an electric adjustment. However, the unit operation must be stopped completely for finding the cause of the offset, leading to reduction in the working ratio of the unit.


An animation producing apparatus which produces an animation on the basis of a fundamental shape and parameter. This animation producing apparatus is comprised of an input device for inputting a plurality set of fundamental shapes and a plurality of parameters corresponding to the plurality of fundamental shapes, a memory for storing therein the plurality of fundamental shapes and the plurality of parameters, a computing device for producing an animation by an interpolation process on the basis of the plurality of fundamental shapes and the plurality of parameters read-out from the memory and a display device for displaying thereon the animation produced by the computing device, in which values of the plurality of parameters stored in the memory can be independently varied, added or deleted by the input device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an animation producing apparatus for producing animations and, more particularly, is directed to an animation producing apparatus which produces an animation by using a plurality of parameters and a plurality of fundamental shapes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When an animation of a predetermined character is produced by computer graphics, data of fundamental configuration (i.e. fundamental shape) of the character are inputted and motions of respective parts of the character are given by values of respective parameters. Then, values of all the parameters are gradually changed along a certain time axis, whereby the character can be moved in a desirable fashion. The time axis is what might be called a time line and the unit of the time line is, by way of example, [hour: minute: second: frame number].
FIG. 1 shows a conventional animation producing apparatus which utilizes computer graphics.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a keyboard, 2 a video image input apparatus such as a digitizer or the like, 3 a central processing unit (CPU), 4 a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), magnetic disc apparatus or the like, and 5 a video image display apparatus with a display picture screen 6, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) Data of a fundamental configuration (i.e. fundamental shape) of a predetermined character are stored in the memory 4 input from the keyboard 1 and the video image input apparatus 2 through the CPU 3. The data of the fundamental shape of the character itself may be generated by an operation of the computer (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,581).
If the character is, for example, a man, the man's motions can be expressed by a parameter group P which is formed of three parameters (i.e. a parameter for designating waving of arms, parameter for designating motion of legs and a parameter designating motion of the character in the lateral direction).
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the operator operates the keyboard 1 to set in the memory 4 values P.sub.0, P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 of the parameter group P at timing points t.sub.0, t.sub.1 and t.sub.2 on one time line T. Then, the CPU 3 performs interpolation operations to generate values of parameter group P between timing points t.sub.0 and t.sub.1 and between timing points t.sub.1 and t.sub.2 in units of the frame period, whereby a value of parameter group P.sub.x at, for example, timing point t.sub.x (t.sub.0 <t.sub.x <t.sub.1) becomes an intermediate value between the values P.sub.0 and P.sub.1. Assuming that characters 7.sub.0, 7.sub.1 and 7.sub.2 of shapes designated by the operator are displayed on a display picture screen 6 of the video image display apparatus 5 in response to the values P.sub.0, P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 of the parameter group P, the shape of the character 7.sub.0 is gradually changed to that of the character 7.sub.1 on the display picture screen 6 from timing points t.sub.0 to t.sub.1, and the shape of character 7.sub.1 is gradually changed to that of character 7.sub.2 on the display picture screen 6 from timing points t.sub.1 to t.sub.2.
However, as described above, the operator must simultaneously determine all values of parameters for instructing the motion of arms, the motion of legs and the moving amount of the character in the lateral direction at timing points t.sub.0, t.sub.1 and t.sub.2 which are selected by the operator along one time line T. Accordingly, when the operator wants to change only the motion of the arm of the character after viewing the animations, the operator has to change the parameter for designating the motion of arm along the time line T and must also determine the values of all parameters at each time point one more time. Therefore, the motion of a certain part of the character cannot be changed efficiently.


A method of enhancing the permeability of a biological membrane, including the skin or mucosa of an animal or the outer layer of a plant to a permeant is described utilizing microporation of selected depth and optionally one or more of sonic, electromagnetic, mechanical and thermal energy and a chemical enhancer. Microporation is accomplished to form a micropore of selected depth in the biological membrane and the porated site is contacted with the permeant. Additional permeation enhancement measures may be applied to the site to enhance both the flux rate of the permeant into the organism through the micropores as well as into targeted tissues within the organism.

This invention relates to a device and method for puncturing a selected layer or layers of the skin or mucosa. More particularly, the invention relates a device and method for puncturing the stratum corneum or mucosa to diminish the barrier function thereof and permit a drug to be delivered to the body or an analyte in the body to be withdrawn for monitoring. This puncturing of the stratum corneum or mucosa is minimally invasive, and can be combined with various other methods, such as use of chemical enhancers, pressure gradients, sonic gradients, temperature gradients, and the like for selectively enhancing the inward flux of a drug to the body or the outward flux of an analyte from the body.
The stratum corneum is chiefly responsible for the well-known barrier properties of skin. Thus, it is this layer of the skin that presents the greatest barrier to transdermal flux of drugs or other molecules into the body and of analytes out of the body. Mucosal tissue also presents a barrier to flux of molecules into and out of the body. The stratum corneum, the outer horny layer of the skin, is a complex structure of compact keratinized cell remnants separated by lipid domains. Compared to the oral or gastric mucosa, the stratum corneum is much less permeable to molecules either external or internal to the body. The stratum corneum is formed from keratinocytes, which comprise the majority of the epidermal cells, that lose their nuclei and become corneocytes. These dead cells comprise the stratum corneum, which has a thickness of about 10-30 .mu.m and, as noted above, is a very resistant waterproof membrane that protects the body from invasion by exterior substances and the outward migration of fluids and dissolved molecules. The stratum corneum is continuously renewed by shedding of corneum cells during desquamination and the formation of new corneum cells by the keratinization process.
Various methods of enhancing the permeability of the stratum corneum and mucosa have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,140 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,611 disclose using ultrasonic energy that is modulated in intensity, phase, or frequency or a combination thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,361 discloses a method of administering a drug by ablating the stratum corneum using pulsed laser light without significantly damaging the underlying epidermis. Numerous patents teach the use of chemical enhancers for improving transdermal flux of a drug through the skin. E.g, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,970. It would be advantageous to develop additional methods of permeating the stratum corneum or mucosa to enhance the transport of drugs into the body or analytes out of the body, particularly without the need for expensive or complicated equipment.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that providing a device and method of use thereof for introducing multiple micropores or perforations in the stratum corneum or mucosa for enhancing transport of molecules therethrough would be a significant advancement in the art.

Multiple mechanical microporation of skin or mucosa


A method for detecting temporal pattern anomalies in a video stream includes detecting an object in a current frame of the video stream, generating a processed current frame that contains the detected object, generating a feature representation of the processed current frame, clustering the feature representation in one or more primary clusters in a clustering space of the primary class, generating an information vector of the feature representation, that includes information regarding the primary class, the sub-class and one or more external factors associated with the feature representation, clustering each information vector into one or more secondary clusters, and reporting a next frame as an anomaly when a corresponding information vector is positioned outside a secondary cluster of a feature presentation of a previous frame.

Object recognition is a technology in the field of computer vision for finding and identifying objects in an image or video sequence. Typically, an object recognition model is a machine learning model related to computer vision and image processing that deals with detecting instances of semantic objects of a certain class (such as humans, buildings, or cars) in digital images and videos.
Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is a type of premier algorithm used in the object recognition. A standard CNN consist of a series of layers that perform mathematical computations on an image. The recognizing and classifying of objects into fine grained categories requires a deep CNN with many layers. Each layer requires millions of floating point operations, and also requires memory access by corresponding Central Processing Unit (CPU).
Anomaly detection is an unsupervised learning task where the goal is to identify abnormal patterns or motions in video data that are by definition, infrequent or rare events. However, a key aspect of an anomaly is not just that it is rare, but that it breaks the pattern. Negative anomalies are situations in which something fails to happen, which would have normally have happened. An existing anomaly detection system detects visual anomalies in video streams by first implementing a series of convolutional layers to produce a feature representation of the visual input, and then clustering each representation in one or more clusters in such a way that objects in the same cluster are more similar to each other than to those in other clusters. If a frame appears outside of a cluster, it is considered an anomaly.
However, existing anomaly detection systems are only good at detecting out of place objects, for example, a car driving on a pedestrian path. They do not consider long-term patterns, for example, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace occurs at a regular time each day and an existing anomaly detection system may consider the red coated guards an anomaly every day, because they do not look like most tourists. Further, existing anomaly detection systems do not detect negative anomalies. Also, such systems produce images with highlights of the anomalous object, but do not provide text labels that identify the object.
In view of the above, there is a need for an anomaly detection technique in object recognition systems, that is less computationally complex and has increased speed and accuracy. The anomaly detection technique should be able to detect negative anomalies, and provide text labels that identify the anomalous objects. Such object recognition system should allow for smooth object-recognition output on less powerful hardware such as edge devices and small computers that lack Graphic processing units (GPUs), so as to save computational resources and electricity costs, and therefore achieve longer operating time, especially on battery operated portable devices.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for detection of temporal pattern anomalies in video streams


This invention provides a xerographic marking module that has a built-in lifting mechanism that is useful in installing a new module in a xerographic marking system. The lifting mechanism forms the bottom portion of the marking module and comprises an upper cradle to hold the remaining module portion, a lower plate that constitutes the bottom of the module when in a collapsed position, and a movable linkage that connects the cradle to the lower plate. When in installation mode, the linkage creates a vertical force which will upwardly push the cradle (holding the module) away from the lower plate into an installation elevation. After slides in the module and in the color marking system are mated, the lifting mechanism is collapsed and the module pushed into the color marking system or apparatus.

There is known a color system where an array or series of different color imaging stations or modules are aligned above an endless belt. Each station contains an upper positioned raster output scanner (ROS), and below the ROS is an imaging station or module comprising a photoreceptor drum, development station, and cleaning station. The ROS emits an electronic beam (laser) which impinges on the rotating photoconductive drum, thereby causing that location on the drum to undergo a change in electrical charge. As the drum continues to rotate past the development station, toner particles of a color which is unique to that imaging station will attach to the drum at the location charged by the ROS. This colored image is then transferred to an intermediate transfer belt that is passing by, and in contact with, the photoreceptor drum. As the intermediate belt passes by the different imaging stations (each containing a different color) it picks up subsequent color layers to create a complete color image which is then subsequently transferred to media.
Each colored beam must be in substantial registration with the other beams deposited on the belt for a final color copy. This registration and color quality is monitored by a sensor(s) to ensure proper color density, etc. If any color needs to be changed, the color imaging station is moved or replaced. In one embodiment there are also two sensors (Mark On Belt, or MOB sensors) that are fixed in position to a point on the machine frame, such that the colored images pass within view of these sensors. These sensors serve to detect, among other conditions, the quality of the colors. Generally, each ROS unit and color imaging station is separable and is each a distinct module. This type of color system having an array of ROS units and color imaging modules is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,286 and is incorporated by reference into this disclosure.
As noted above, the color image deposited on the drum is subsequently deposited onto the intermediate belt. As the drum continues to rotate, it passes through the development station with a latent image which causes toner to stick to the drum where the electrical discharging (by the ROS) has taken place. The drum further rotates until the image is in contact with this intermediate transfer belt where the image is transferred from the drum to the belt. Each of the six or plurality of imaging stations deposits its own color and subsequently movement of the belt is moved past each of the imaging stations and allows each of the color separations to be deposited in turn. Thus, when the colors are diminished in quality as indicated by sensors, the color module needs to be changed. Also in some cases a new color is desired; thus a new replacement module is needed.
It is important that the customer have the ability to perform their own color station change over. Color changeover will be achieved by removing the toner dispenser system and the Xerographic marking module as separate units. The targeted weight of the prior art Xerographic module weighs in excess of 32 pounds. To compound this challenge, the customer is required to attach the module onto slides while the module is held steady, resulting in a safety hazard or realistic difficult task.

Xerographic marking module useful in a xerographic color marking system


The present invention provides a dynamic set associative cache apparatus for a processor. When read access occurs, the apparatus first determines a valid/invalid bit of each cache block in a cache set to be accessed, and sets, according to the valid/invalid bit of each cache block, an enable/disable bit of a cache way in which the cache block is located; then, reads valid cache blocks, compares a tag section in a memory address with a tag block in each cache block that is read, and if there is a hit, reads data from a data block in a hit cache block according to an offset section of the memory address.

For a long time, a cache is applied in a structure of a processor, so as to relieve a problem of "storage wall" between the processor and a memory, that is, a processing speed of the processor is much greater than a data providing speed of the memory, so that the processor is generally in a "hungry" and waiting state. By using a locality principle of program access, including temporal locality, that is, a storage address being accessed is accessed again in a short period of time, and spatial locality, that is, a certain storage address is accessed, and an adjacent storage address is also accessed within a short period of time, the cache of the processor offsets the speed difference between the processor and the memory, thereby greatly improving performance of the processor. Generally speaking, for most programs, in a given processor structure, a larger cache apparatus always has higher program performance. Therefore, in recent years, the cache of the processor is made larger, and a multi-level cache structure including 2 levels and even 3 levels is also widely used. In a multi-core processor structure, a private cache (used only by a single processor core) and a shared cache (shared by multiple processor cores) are often configured.
However, power consumption of the cache apparatus is greater accordingly, and occupies an increasingly higher proportion in power consumption of a whole processor system, which even reaches 40%-50%. Power consumption is a problem that cannot be ignored in a current processor design field, and over-high power consumption may bring about various problems such as chip heat dissipation and stability problem. Therefore, reducing the power consumption of the cache serving as one of the most important components of the processor may effectively reduce total power consumption of the processor system. However, an existing method for reducing the power consumption of the cache needs support of software, or is at the cost of performance loss, or introduces excessive hardware overheads, thereby increasing complexity in implementation.

Dynamic set associative cache apparatus for processor and access method thereof


In an evaporation type air cooler, the improvement comprising a heat exchanger wherein circulating liquid is cooled by the evaporatively cooled air and subsequently used to air condition occupant space without humidity increase, and associated air ducting and flow controls. The improvement is also adapted to be used as a space heater utilizing hot water in the heat exchanger, and to utilize hot attic or external air to aid in heating water for occupant use.

1. Field
The field of the invention is air temperature conditioners and more particularly those involving evaporative air coolers in conjunction with heat exchangers.
2. Prior Art
Evaporative air coolers are commonly used to cool buildings in geographical areas having low atmospheric humidity, and generally comprise a low pressure, high capacity air blower which draws hot, dry external atmospheric air through a water soaked pad to cool it by evaporation, and outlet ducting discharging the cooled air into living areas, interior work areas or the like. Such devices provide economical air cooling, but at the expense of increased humidity in the cooled air. Further, such devices have no utility in winter months when the need is for heating, rather than cooling, the air in occupied spaces. Such devices also do not provide for displacement of unwanted hot attic air in dwellings, nor for utilization of the heat in such air. U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,777 discloses an attic exhaust unit comprising an auxiliary exhaust blower and associated exhaust ducting packaged with such an evaporative pad cooler. U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,271 discloses an evaporatively cooled heat exchanger with an associated water loop to exchange heat with separately powered room air conditioners which may be used for heating or cooling. The evaporative cooler is not adapted for direct conditioning of air for living spaces. None of these prior art devices provide for heating and cooling of living space air, the latter without humidity increase, by direct use of a simple combination of evaporative coolers and heat exchangers.


The invention relates to novel articles of jewelry and to processes for manufacturing same.. An article of jewelry according to the invention, for example a pen or a lighter, comprises a rigid cylindrical body which is enveloped by a tubular braid composed of interwoven strips or filaments of precious or stainless metal. The braid is manufactured separately. It is then fitted over the rigid body, then stretched longitudinally and welded to the two ends of the body and the welds are covered with two rings.. One application is the manufacture of pens, lighters or of jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, pendants, ear-rings, etc.

Tubular metallic braids are known which are composed of interwoven metal filaments or strips and machines are also known for industrially manufacturing such tubular braids. Such braids are used in particular for sheathing flexible tubes in order to increase their resistance to pressure and to protect them mechanically.
Metallic braided sheathes are also used for enveloping electric cables in order to protect them mechanically and also to form an electrical screen which is at the potential of earth or ground.
The present invention proposes a novel application of tubular metallic braids.
It is an object of the present invention to provide articles of jewelry, i.e. articles composed of precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum or stainless metals which present an ornamental and original outward appearance and which may be manufactured industrially, using a relatively low weight of precious metal.

Articles of jewelry and process for manufacturing same


A method of controlling a robot for testing of a motorcar by the simulated driving thereof, as on a chassis dynamometer. The robot is capable of detecting shifted operating quantities of actuators of the robot to correct the detected shifted quantities, whereby surely achieving operations of pedals and the like of the motorcar by the actuators. In the case where the actuators of the robot are shifted in position during a test driving of the motorcar, these positional shifts are automatically sensed and compensated for during the simulated driving of the motorcar, and the test need not be discontinued or interrupted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of controlling a robot for automatically driving a motorcar in a simulation of car travel in which a driving wheel of the car is placed on a roller of a chassis dynamometer. With the car on the chassis dynamometer, dynamic performance tests of the motorcar can be conducted within a room.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A simulation of actual car travel driving by means of a chassis dynamometer has been used for dynamic performance testing of motorcars. Recently a motorcar driving robot (hereinafter referred to as a robot) adapted to individually drive a plurality of actuators by use of, for example, oil pressure, air pressure, DC servo motors, and the like, conducting stepping operations of an accelerator pedal, brake pedal, clutch pedal and the like of the automobile, as well as changeovers of a gear-change lever, has been used in such simulations of actual car travel driving. Thus, when car travel is referred to herein, the reader will understand that operation of the car on a chassis dynamometer is referred to, and not actual travel of the car as on a roadway.
In order to make a motorcar to be tested travel in a previously appointed travelling pattern by means of such a conventional driving simulation robot, the actuators operating the pedals and gear-change lever have been fixedly mounted on a chassis and then operating conditions of the respective pedals and gear-change lever have been manually produced, operating quantities and coordinates for operating the respective pedals and gear-change lever having been memorized by the driving simulation robot, and the respective actuators having been controlled by the use of such coordinates during a test driving.
However, in the above described conventional robot, the actuators are provided on a driver's seat of the motorcar by means of a suitable support member so as to face to the respective pedals and gear-change lever of the motorcar but shifts in position and disturbances in posture due to, for example, a vibration of the chassis, a catching of the gear-change lever during the operation, an over-stepping of the pedals, and the like, occur during such test driving and thus the respective actuators are shifted from the original positions thereof according to circumstances.
If the actuators are shifted in position in the above described manner, differences are produced between the memorized coordinates and the actual coordinates needed for operation of the clutch, brake, accelerator, and gear-change lever. Thus, the operating quantities of the actuators to be operated become unsuitable, whereby for example, suitable acceleration and deceleration and a changing-over operation of clutch and gear-change lever cannot be achieved well, or gears cannot be engaged due to a poor moving quantity of the gear-change lever. That is, the control of the motor car for it to achieve the appointed traveling pattern cannot be suitably achieved, and as a result a great hindrance is caused in the test travel.

Method and apparatus for controlling a robot to simulate driving of a motorcar


A renewable wind energy system to produce inexpensive electrical power and hydrogen is disclosed. Aerostats, towers, wind energy capture and transmission to ground mounted generators produce electrical power a portion of which is used for electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is sold as a byproduct. The combined system produces inexpensive hydrogen competitive with fossil fuels.

Significant challenges prevent conventional wind turbine (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) derived power from replacing fossil fuels used for production of electricity and hydrogen from electrolysis of water. At the end of 2013 there were more U.S. wind power megawatts (MW) under construction than ever in history: Over 12,000 MW of new generating capacity was under construction, with a record-breaking 10,900 MW starting construction activity during the fourth quarter. The wind projects under construction could power the equivalent of 3.5 million American homes, or all the households in Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas. (ref. http://www.awea.org/MediaCenter/pressrelease.aspx?ItemNumber=60440)
The majority of this growth has been in the form of conventional, horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT). Converting the kinetic energy of the wind into useful electricity requires converting the linear horizontal motion of wind into the rotational motion of a shaft in an electrical generator. In every case this requires some method of maintaining a static force against the motion of the wind, to keep the wind-collection apparatus from simply blowing away. Conventional wind turbines accomplish this by mounting rotors rigidly on towers, relatively close to the ground. This arrangement works reliably, but is relatively expensive, requires large amounts of structural material, hard to maintain and operate (due in large to the height of the generator), and cannot tap the much stronger winds often present at higher altitudes (ref. 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kite_enemy).
The key to making wind energy more efficient is to access high altitude wind. "Turbines in conventional machines are located at heights ranging from 100 m to 200 m; however, wind flow is more consistent and faster at altitudes above 500 m. Therefore, winds at this altitude could act as a reliable source of energy that can be harnessed using kites, buoyant turbines and sails. "High Altitude Wind Power (HAWP), has the potential to replace a high percentage of the power generated from fossil fuels and traditional Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT)". (ref. http://www.modernpowersystems.com/news/newshigh-altitude-wind-power-generation-is-now-on-the-map-4795780.
Achieving these heights require close coordination with Federal, State and local authorities having jurisdiction of air space over land and water that may adversely effect air travel and public safety especially over urban areas over the United States and territorial waters. Current regulations are covered under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation PART 101—MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE BALLOONS Subpart A—General Sec. 101.1 Applicability. 101.3 Waivers. 101.5 Operations in prohibited or restricted areas. 101.7 Hazardous operations. Subpart B—Moored Balloons and Kites 101.11 Applicability. 101.13 Operating limitations. 101.15 Notice requirements. 101.17 Lighting and marking requirements. 101.19 Rapid deflation device (ref. https://www.gpo.gov/fdss/pkg/CFR-2012-title14-vol2/pdf/CFR-2012-title14-vol2-part101.pdf) provides regulatory controls for aerostats over land and U.S. territorial oceans. Additional restrictions are recommended between outer space—which is not subject to national jurisdiction—and national airspace), with suggestions ranging from about 30 km (19 mi) (the extent of the highest aircraft and balloons) to about 160 km (99 mi) (the lowest extent of short-term stable orbits). The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has established the Kármán line, at an altitude of 100 km (62 mi), as the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space, while the United States considers anyone who has flown above 50 miles (80 km) to be an astronaut; indeed descending space shuttles have flown closer than 80 km (50 mi) over other nations, such as Canada, without requesting permission first.[5] Nonetheless both the Kármán line and the U.S. definition are merely working benchmarks, without any real legal authority over matters of national sovereignty (ref. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspace).
Eliminating rotating blades and related components will significantly lower the capital costs of HAWT and allow the generator to be located at ground level for ease of maintenance and operation. "An analysis recently published in Windpower Endineering and Development gives us a rough idea of how to cut capital costs of generating electricity from wind energy. While the report focuses on how improvements to drive trains can increase efficiency, it also breaks down the cost proportion of different parts of the turbine. The large metal components (tower, nacelle, and blades) account for nearly 80 percent of the cost of a typical turbine. Also, about 65 percent of the cost of an on-shore wind farm is the capital expense of the turbines themselves. That means the cost of wind energy is largely determined by the cost of these big castings."
In addition, eliminating the need of a power grid will allow a greater use of wind energy especially in areas remote from power transmission lines. "Even as China races ahead of other countries in terms of installed wind capacity, its turbines aren't producing electricity at the same rate because of inadequate transmission infrastructure. Even with more than double the installed capacity as the U.S., China generated only 241 TWh of wind power compared with 224 TWh, according to data from China's National Energy Administration and the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing generation over 12-months ending in the fourth quarter." (ref. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/08.html.

Inexpensive hydrogen from wind and water using aerostats and electrolysis


An image processing system and method for copying an original document while maintaining the security of the document and for providing a high quality copy each time a copy is required. The system and method comprising inputting image information, generating output limitation information corresponding to the image information, storing the image information and corresponding output limitation information, reading a document containing the output limitation information, and outputting the stored image information in accordance with reading of the output limitation information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing system and an image processing method that can be applied, for example, to a copier having an electro-photographic process, or a copier having another process, and to a computer readable storage medium storing a program for executing the method, and the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Management of confidential documents has taken various forms over the years. The simplest method has been to place the term "Confidential Information" or a similar term onto the pages of the confidential document. Another method is where the device making a copy of the confidential document, such as a digital copier, embeds a security watermark (e.g., "copying of this document is prohibited") onto the document during the copying operation. And, in still yet another method, the original document is produced on a special type of recording medium such that when an attempt is made to copy the original, the resulting copy is all black.
The above-described conventional document management methods range from allowing an original document to be completely copied to not allowing an original document to be copied at all. For example, the method of only placing the term "Confidential Information" onto the pages of an original document does not in and of it self prevent copying of the original. It is really nothing more than a notice that the contents of the document are considered confidential. On the other hand, the method of entirely blacking out the resulting copy of an original document prevents anyone from copying the original, even if all or parts of the original are allowed to be copied.
For example, suppose a case in which it is desired to provide a required number of copies of a confidential document distributed to a director some days after it has been distributed, in order to explain the contents to junior personnel of the director. Conventionally, it has been impossible to provide such copies because, for example, the resulting copies are entirely black, or characters "copying prohibited" appear on the copies.
In addition to document security, there is a concern about the degradation in the quality of the copies as additional copies are made/needed. For example, in the case where copies of a confidential document are required at different times, typically, the initial set of copies are made from the original document. Any subsequent set is made from one of the initial set of copies. Any subsequent sets made after are made from the preceding set. Since each subsequent set of copies is made from a copy, and not the original, the quality of each subsequent set tends to degrade.
What is needed is an image processing system and method that provides a mechanism for copying an original document while maintaining the security of that document, if needed, and providing a high quality copy each time a copy is required.


The invention described consists of a dredger having a floating hull and a two-part boom attached to the hull and extending forwardly therefrom. The rear end of the first part of the boom is hinged to the hull about a horizontal axis, while its front end has a platform also hinged about a horizontal axis, with structure being provided to keep the platform horizontal when this first part of the boom is inclined using a jib and cable. On the platform is a component pivoted about a vertical axis and on this component is pivoted, about a horizontal axis, the second part of the boom, which performs a sweeping dredging movement and has at its front end a disintegrator tool, and the suction inlet of a pipe for removal of dredged material. The structure keeping the platform horizontal may be a mechanical parallelogram, or servo controlled jacks. Piles on the floating hull and on the platform serve to stabilize the dredger on the sea-bed.

The present invention relates to a dredger comprising a floating body, a boom which extends forwardly and carries at its front end a disintegrating tool, the said boom being pivoted by its rear end on the floating body in such a manner as to be able to assume either a working position, in which it is dipped to a greater or lesser extent, or a raised position of rest, and further comprising suspension means for the boom enabling its position to be adjusted.
With dredgers of this kind it is usually the displacement of the floating body itself by means of piles and cables, known as swinging cables, associated with winches and having their ends anchored in the sea-bed, that makes it possible to dredge in an arc of a circle.
When it is desired to dredge in ports it is therefore necessary to remove the ships which would hinder this work. This evacuation is onerous and adds considerably to the cost of the dredging operation.
Another disadvantage of known dredgers of the kind indicated above is that they lack stability and efficiency when they are required to dredge a hard bed or to excavate rocks, because of their instability caused by reaction forces resulting from the action of the tool.
The present invention relates to a dredger which is exempt from these various disadvantages and which permits dredging with a large radius of action under floating obstacles, which need not be removed, while in addition this dredger permits excavation of rocks as well as dredging of soft or semi-hard beds, while it is of simple and strong construction.


The present invention relates to improved methods for the incorporation of DNA into the genome of a Zea mays plant by means of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Preferred is the use of the Zea may lines deposited with American Type Culture Collection under the Patent Deposit Designation PTA-6170 and PTA-6171.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved methods for the incorporation of DNA into the genome of a Zea mays plant by means of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the past decade, it has become possible to transfer genes from a wide range of organisms to crop plants by recombinant DNA technology. This advance has provided enormous opportunities to improve plant resistance to pests, diseases and herbicides, and to modify biosynthetic processes to change the quality of plant products. However, the availability of an efficient transformation method to introduce foreign DNA remains to be a substantial barrier for most monocot species, including maize.
There have been many methods attempted for the transformation of monocotyledonous plants, wherein "biolistics" is the most widely used transformation method. In the "biolistics" (microprojectile-mediated DNA delivery) method microprojectile particles are coated with DNA and accelerated by a mechanical device to a speed high enough to penetrate the plant cell wall and nucleus (WO 91/02071). The foreign DNA gets incorporated into the host DNA and results in a transformed cell. There are many variations on the "biolistics" method (Sanford 1990; Fromm 1990; Christou 1988; Sautter 1991). The method has been used to produce stably transformed monocotyledonous plants including rice and maize (Christou 1991; Gordon-Kamm 1990; Vasil 1992, 1993; Wan 1994; Sommers 1992). However, even with the more recent improvements it still requires 4 to 6 months to recover transgenic plants (Weeks 1993; Vasil 1992, 1993; Becker 1994, Rasco-Gaunt 2001). Microprojectile-mediated DNA delivery brings about a number of problems such as frequent fragmentation of the DNA prior to its integration, random integration in transcribed as well as non-transcribed chromosomal regions, predominantly multiple insertion of the sequence to be transferred, complex integration patterns, integration of backbone sequences including selectable marker genes at the same locus. Moreover, microprojectile-mediated plant transformation is generally based upon genotype-dependent cell culture methods which often require a secondary transfer of the transgene into the background of elite breeding material via long-lasting back-crossing.
Protoplast based methods have been used mostly in rice, where DNA is delivered to the protoplasts through liposomes, PEG, or electroporation (Shimamoto 1989; Datta 1990b). Protoplasts may be isolated from various tissues but require in general the use of cell wall-degrading enzymes. It is considered likely that the use of cell wall-degrading enzymes can inhibit the subsequent regeneration process. Furthermore, most protoplast based methods require the establishment of long-term embryogenic suspension cultures. Some regenerants from protoplasts are infertile and phenotypically abnormal due to somaclonal variation during the long-term suspension culture (Davey 1991; Rhodes 1988). Transformation by electroporation involves the application of short, high-voltage electric fields to create "pores" in the cell membrane through which DNA is taken-up. This method has been used to produce stably transformed monocotyledonous plants (Paszkowski 1984; Shillito 1985; Fromm 1986) especially from rice (Shimamoto 1989; Datta 1990b; Hayakawa 1992).
A number of other methods have been reported for the transformation of monocotyledonous plants including, for example, the "pollen tube method" (WO 93/18168; Luo 1988), macro-injection of DNA into floral tillers (Du 1989; De la Pena 1987), injection of Agrobacterium into developing caryopses (WO 00/63398), and tissue incubation of seeds in DNA solutions (Töpfer 1989). Direct injection of exogenous DNA into the fertilized plant ovule at the onset of embryogenesis was disclosed in WO 94/00583.
While widely useful in dicotyledonous plants, Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer has long been disappointing when adapted to use in monocots. There are several reports in the literature claiming Agrobacterium transformation of monocotyledons (e.g., discussed WO 94/00977). These are specifically the methods of Gould 1991; Mooney 1991; and Raineri 1990, which claim Agrobacterium transformation of maize, rice and wheat. There is some evidence of gene transfer in these methods but they lack convincing evidence for transfer efficiency, reproducibility, and confirmation of gene transfer (Potrykus 1990), and lack of evidence of the transgene inheritance in the progeny when plants are produced. In the work of Gould where evidence of transformed plants was presented there was no Mendelian inheritance of the genes. Attempts by Hiei et al. (1994) suggested that transgenic rice plants could be obtained following Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, but the particular bacterial strains used and the choice of bacterial vectors were critical for successfully obtaining transgenics. A paper by Ishida et al. (1996) indicated that high-efficiency transformation of maize was possible by co-culture of immature embryos with A. tumefaciens. In both reports on rice and maize transformation, a super-binary vector pTOK233 containing additional copies of the virB, virC and virG genes was used to achieve high-efficiency transformation. WO 95/06722 and EP-A1 672 752 disclose a method of transforming monocotyledons using scutellum of immature embryos with A. tumefaciens, which immature embryo has not been subjected to a dedifferentiation treatment. EP-A1 0 709 462 describes a method for transforming monocotyledonous plants, wherein the improvement is pointed out to include a recovery period after the co-cultivation step without a selection device for one day.
Although the methods known in the art, especially those provided in WO 95/06722, provide means for producing transgenic Zea mays plants, all these methods are still time and labor intensive. Especially when large numbers of transgenic plants need to be established (such as for example in a genomics based screening approach requiring construction of hundreds to thousands of different transgenic plants) efficiency is of high commercial importance.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an improved, efficient method for transforming Zea mays plants, with which the time required for obtaining regenerated plants from the time of transformation is shorter than that in the conventional methods. This objective is achieved by the present invention.

Methods for the production of stably transformed, fertile


Provided is a polishing pad which is capable of providing a high flatness to a polishing workpiece and suppressing the formation of scratches, and a method therefor. The polishing pad comprises a foamed urethane sheet on the surface which includes closed cells and open cells and which satisfies the following requirements: (1) an open cell ratio is 20-80 vol % where the total volume of closed cells and open cells is taken as 100 vol %, (2) the ratio [tan δ (wet/dry) ratio] of a loss factor tan δ in a water-absorption state to that in a dry state is 1.3-1.7, the loss factors being measured according to JIS K7244-4 with an initial load of 20 g at a measuring frequency of 1 Hz at a temperature of 26° C. in a tensile mode over a strain range from 0.01 to 0.1%, and (3) the Shore DO hardness according to ASTM D2240 is 60-80.

Substrates made of various hard and brittle materials such as silicon wafers and glass panels are subjected to a polishing process using loose abrasive grains to achieve a high degree of flatness and a low surface roughness so as to obtain two surfaces completely in parallel with each other and to allow the entire surfaces to be used. Specifically, in a state where a slurry containing abrasive grains is held by cells opened on a polishing surface of a polishing pad, the polishing pad and a substrate are rubbed against each other, and thus the surface of the substrate to be polished is processed into a flat surface with the abrasive grains in the slurry. In the polishing with loose abrasive grains, a tendency is observed in which the temperature of the substrate is raised from moment to moment by the frictional heat during the polishing, and the chemical action of the slurry is activated, so that the polishing rate increases. In addition, local heat generation also tends to occur, which causes unevenness in polishing rate within a surface of a substrate, resulting in a problem of deterioration in the degree of flatness. Especially, wafers for LSI production have been gradually increasing in size to improve the productivity nowadays. Recently, wafers having diameters of 200 mm or more have been commonly used, and even wafers having diameters of 300 mm or more have also been produced. With such an increase in size of wafers, the polishing rate tends to be different between a center portion of a wafer and an outer circumferential portion of the wafer, making it extremely difficult to polish a wafer surface uniformly.
To improve the flatness and the surface roughness of a substrate, various polishing pads have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-714 (Patent Literature 1) discloses a polishing pad in which a polishing layer provided on a surface and configured to be brought into pressure contact with a polishing workpiece is formed of a foamed polyurethane including multiple cells, and in which 90% or more of the multiple cells are cells formed such that the inner spaces of the cells are spatially separated from one another.
However, in the case of a polishing pad substantially consisting of closed cells as described above, portions holding the slurry are limited to only portions opened on the surface, and hence the amount of the slurry held is small, so that a cooling effect cannot be obtained sufficiently by the supplied slurry. Presumably because of this, the polishing temperature distribution is uneven, and the polishing is promoted in portions where the polishing temperature is high, so that the surface to be polished cannot be polished uniformly. This trend becomes more pronounced with increase in polishing time, and the degree of flatness deteriorates with time. Moreover, since clogging with foreign substances such as polishing dust proceeds rapidly in the above-described polishing pad, the amount of the slurry held is further reduced, and the slurry held is localized. This causes such a problem that the resultant substrate has a tapered shape or such a problem that excessive polishing of the outer circumference of the substrate causes the edge roll-off. Even when the foreign substances such as polishing dust are removed by dressing with a dresser, the same problems occur soon after several times of polishing.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-20234 (Patent Literature 2) discloses a polishing pad in which a polishing layer configured to be brought into pressure contact with a polishing workpiece is made of a foam having closed cells and open cells, wherein the closed cell ratio, which is the ratio of the volume of the closed cells relative to the total volume of the cells including the closed cells and the open cells, is 0.3 to 10%.
However, since most of the cells in the above-described polishing pad are connected with each other, the resin easily deforms upon reception of a polishing load. Hence, although the formation of scratches on the polishing workpiece can be suppressed to some degree, the requirement for a higher degree of flatness cannot be satisfied.

Polishing pad and process for producing same