A semiconductor device includes a lead frame having a flag and leads that surround the flag. The leads include a dummy lead that has first and second wire bonding areas. A first die is attached on the flag and electrically connected to the first wire bonding area. The first die and the first wire bonding area are encapsulated with a molding material and a cavity with an opening is formed above the first die. The second wire bonding area is exposed in the cavity. A second die is placed in the cavity and electrically connected to the second wire bonding area such that the second die is electrically connected to the first die by way of the dummy lead.

The present invention relates to integrated circuit (IC) device assembly and, more particularly, to multi-die sensor devices.
A multi-die sensor device is a package incorporating multiple integrated circuit dies into a single package, at least one of which is a sensor die. The multiple dies assembled in one package usually are internally connected with wires. A multi-die sensor device performs all or most of the functions of an electronic system, and is widely used in electronic devices.
FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a conventional multi-die sensor device 100 including a lead frame 102 having a flag 104 and a plurality of leads 106 surrounding the flag 104. First and second dies 108 and 110 are attached on a top surface of the flag 104. The first die 108 is electrically connected to at least one of the leads 106 with a first bond wire 112, and the second die 110 is electrically connected to the first die 108 with a second bond wire 114. In addition, a third die 116 is attached on a top surface of the first die 108 with an epoxy and electrically connected to the first die 108 with a third bond wire 118. The multi-die sensor device 100 may be, for example, a sensor device where the first die 108 is a micro-control unit (MCU), the second die 110 is a gravity sensor, and the third die 116 is a pressure sensor. The lead frame 102, the first and second dies 108 and 110, and the first and second bond wires 112 and 114 are encapsulated with a mold compound 120. Since the third die 116 is a pressure sensor die, an opening 122 should be left over the third die 116 so that it may function; however, the third die 116 is covered with a protective gel 124.
The opening 122 is created with a Film Assisted Molding (FAM) process in which an insert wrapped by a film is placed on top of the third die 116 to prevent the mold compound 120 from flowing into the area of the opening 122. However, there is a very narrow process tolerance since a minor offset of the FAM process will damage the first and second bond wires 112 and 114. Further, both insert and mold chase clamping pressures have very tight process windows in order to strike a balance between die cracking and mold bleeding.
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of another conventional multi-die sensor device 200 including a substrate 202 having first and second dies 204 and 206 attached thereon. The first die 204 is electrically connected to a first bonding pad 208 on a top surface of the substrate 202 with a first bond wire 210. Both the first and second dies 204 and 206 are electrically connected to a second bonding pad 212 on the top surface of the substrate 202 respectively with a second bond wire 214 and a third bond wire 216 to electrically connect the second die 206 to the first die 204. A third die 218 is attached on a top surface of the first die 204 with an epoxy material and electrically connected to the first die 204 with a fourth bond wire 220. In the multi-die sensor device 200, the first die 204 is a MCU, the second die 206 is a gravity sensor, and the third die 218 is a pressure sensor. Part of the substrate 202, the second die 206 and the third bond wire 216 are encapsulated with a mold compound 222 through a pre-molding process, more particularly, a compression molding process. Since the third die 218 is a pressure sensor die, an opening 224 is left over top of the first and third dies 204 and 218 after the pre-molding process and then a gel 226 is disposed on a top surface of the third die 218. A lid 228 with a hole 230 is provided to cover the opening 224. However, there is a risk of damaging the diaphragm of the pressure sensor (third die 218) caused by the gel dispensing process. The height of the dispensing needle to the top surface of the third die 218 must be carefully controlled. Furthermore, a large amount of gel 226 is required to coat the first and third dies 204 and 218, and the bond wires 210, 214 and 220.
It is therefore desirable to find a solution to resolve the bond wires and the pressure sensor die protection issues in a sensor device.


An endoscope apparatus includes a camera and circuitry. The camera is detachably connected to a base of an endoscope adapted to be inserted in a subject and includes a sensor configured to image a subject image captured by the endoscope. The circuitry is configured to process an image captured by the camera and generate a video signal for display, calculate a gain in white balance based on the captured image, and perform mask edge detecting processing for detecting a boundary point between the subject image and a mask area other than the subject image included in the captured image.

The present disclosure relates to an endoscope apparatus and a method of detecting an edge, the endoscope apparatus including an imaging device attachably and detachably connected to an eye contact portion of the endoscope inserted in a subject and having an imaging unit imaging the subject image captured by the endoscope and a control device processing the captured image obtained through imaging by the imaging unit and generating a video signal for display.
Known image processing apparatuses are known that process a captured image of the inside (the inside of a live body) of a subject such as a human body (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-134039). The image processing apparatus described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2015-134039 obtains a captured image including a subject image captured by an endoscope inserted into a live body. A light (a subject image) captured by the endoscope has a substantially circular sectional surface. The subject image in the captured image is therefore in a substantially circular shape. The captured image includes a subject image and a mask area other than the subject image. The image processing apparatus converts the captured image into a luminance image and detects a boundary point between the subject image and the mask area using luminance distribution in the luminance image.

Endoscope apparatus and method of detecting edge


In a method of manufacturing a plurality of coil-shaped thin cast strips while molten metal r is being supplied to the molten metal pool 3 formed by a pair of cooling drums 1, 1 and a pair of side dams, when a casting operation corresponding to one coil of the coil-shaped thin cast strip has been completed, gas is made to blow from the gas nozzles 7b toward the scum s floating on the molten metal, so that the scum s drifts, due to the gas flow to one meniscus m2, and the thus drifted scum is attached to a surface of the cast strip and circumferential faces of the cooling drums and is then discharged from the molten metal pool.

As a method for manufacturing thin cast strips by means of continuous casting, there is provided a twin drum type continuous casting method described as follows. While molten metal is being supplied to a molten metal pool formed by a pair of cooling drums, which are rotated in the opposite direction to each other, and by a pair of side dams which are pressed against both end faces of these cooling drums, solidified shells are formed on the circumferential faces of the respective cooling drums which are being rotated, and the thus formed solidified shells are compressed to each other at the kissing point formed between the cooling drums so that the solidified shells are formed into a thin cast strip, which is wound into a coil on the downstream side.
Non-metallic inclusions such as slag are mixed in the molten metal supplied to the molten metal pool. Further, on a surface of the molten metal, metallic oxides are generated by oxidation. The thus generated non-metallic inclusions and metallic oxides are formed into a scum floating on the surface of the molten metal in the molten metal pool and caught from the meniscuses by the circumferential faces of the cooling drums and onto the surface of the cast strip. As a result, in the portion into which the scum has been-caught, cooling of the cast strip is delayed and, further, the cast strip can not be cooled uniformly. Accordingly, problems such as cracks, non-uniformity of structure and unevenness of acid pickling are caused. Further, unevenness of gloss is caused on products.
As a method of preventing the surface of molten metal in the molten metal pool from being oxidized, there is conventionally provided a method in which the molten metal pool is covered with a seal chamber, and non-oxidizing gas such as inert gas is supplied into the seal chamber so as to seal the molten metal face. This method is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-198951. However, even when the molten metal face is sealed by this method, it is impossible to sufficiently prevent the generation and formation of scum.
On the other hand, as a method of preventing scum from being caught onto the circumferential faces of the drums and onto the surface of the cast strip, there is provided a conventional method in which a pair of scum dams extending in the width direction of the drums are arranged on both sides of a molten metal pouring nozzle being dipped in the molten metal so that the flow of scum to the cooling drum side can be prevented by the scum dams. This technique is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-66450. However, even when the scum dams are provided as described above, it is impossible to prevent scum, which has been generated and formed in the periphery of the meniscus between the scum dams and the cooling drums, from being caught by the surfaces of the drums.
Especially, it is a problem that the scum is unevenly caught in the width direction of the cast strip. When a quantity of scum is large, there is a tendency that the scum is unevenly caught. When the casting time increases, the quantity of scum generated and formed is increased. Therefore, in the case where casting work is performed over a long period of time so as to enhance the productivity, the quantity of scum generated and formed is increased and the thus generated and formed scum tends to be unevenly caught.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Continuous casting method for manufacturing thin cast strips and continuous casting machine


Technology for sharing data among multiple virtual machines in a cluster of virtual machines is disclosed. Each virtual machine identifies “managed” objects of an instance of an application running at the virtual machine. The managed objects are objects for which state information is to be replicated at the other virtual machines in the cluster on which other instances of the application are running. Operations performed by an instance of one application which affect the state of managed objects are detected and distributed. A computer-implemented method for maintaining consistent object states at different virtual machines includes receiving managed object state information from a first virtual machine including a first instance of an application; creating a representation of each of the managed objects; and responsive to the received information, communicating state information to at least a second virtual machine on which a second instance of the application is running to replicate the state information at the second virtual machine.

Application developers have traditionally faced a number of challenges in horizontally scaling applications to multiple servers. Scaling is particularly useful to World Wide Web application developers who may, for example, require geographically distributed application servers to provide users with better performance. In one example, suppose a user of a web-based application logs on to a web site to change information in an existing user account. Typically, in a distributed application, one application server is selected to handle the transaction based on its geographical location, availability or other factors. The selected server accesses the account data and makes the requested changes locally and the updated data must then be shared with the other servers so that the user's future interactions with any of the servers will reflect the updates. Additionally, the fact that some servers may go offline while others come online must be considered.
This scaling challenge is faced by developers in many development environments, including developers using the popular Java development platform. The Java platform's goal in providing a platform independent environment is generally met by the fact that Java source code is compiled into an intermediate language called "bytecode," which can reside on any hardware platform. In order to run the bytecode, it must be compiled into machine code via a Java Virtual Machine (JVM). A JVM is a platform-independent execution environment that converts Java byte code into machine language and executes it. The JVM provides the developer with the tools necessary for multi-threaded applications, including thread support, synchronization and garbage collection.
FIG. 1A illustrates a traditional implementation of a Java application running on a virtual machine under a given operating system on a processing system or server. As developers have attempted to scale Java applications to multiple processing systems, difficulties in maintaining object and primitive states across the systems become more numerous.
Traditionally, application developers themselves have been required to account for scaling using common forms of inter-server communication in order to share objects amongst distributed JVMs. One form of communication is Remote Method Invocation (RMI), which is a set of protocols that enables Java objects to communicate remotely with other Java objects. Another form of communication is the Java Message Service (JMS), which is an Application Program Interface (API) for accessing enterprise messaging systems. JMS supports both message queuing and publish-subscribe styles of messaging. Java Temporary Caching (JCache) is a distributed caching system for server-side Java applications.
While each of these techniques allow the developer the flexibility to add scaling to their application, the conventional techniques require application code to be modified, resulting in significant added complexity and development costs. Further, the conventional techniques limit scalability of the application tier, are often quite slow, and tend to abuse database infrastructure for transient needs. Finally, the task of maintaining object identity is a challenge as multiple copies of the same object can be created at the different application servers.
An improved technology is needed for maintaining consistent data across virtual machines.

Clustering server providing virtual machine data sharing


In a sheet-fed scanner capable of switching backgrounds, a scanning module scans a document, which is transported by a sheet-feeding mechanism across a scan region, and a stationary background component, which has a plurality of sections having different reflectivities and is disposed in the scan region. The scanning module includes an image sensor, a lens and at least one reflecting mirror. An actuator actuates the at least one reflecting mirror to enable the image sensor to selectively sense one of the sections of the background component as a scan background for the document through the lens and the at least one reflecting mirror.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a sheet-fed scanner capable of switching backgrounds, and more particularly to a sheet-fed scanner capable of scanning a plurality of sections of a background component having different reflectivities as different backgrounds.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional sheet-fed scanner or a flatbed scanner equipped with a scanning module and an automatic document feeder, the scan background cannot be switched because the background for the scanning module is stationary.
The main object of changing the scan background is to find a leading edge, a side edge and a trailing edge of a sheet. The edge-finding procedure enables the scanner to correct the skewness of the sheet, to start and end the image acquiring procedure at proper time instants, and to determine the scanning width. The typical document is white, so the background should be the dark background to facilitate the edge-finding procedure. However, some special documents (e.g., highlighted documents) are in a dark color, so the background should be in white to facilitate the edge-finding procedure. In a color scan mode, the background for the color document may also depend on the color of the document.
In addition, the color of the background may be configured such that the holes of the punched documents, including black-and-white and color documents, cannot affect the scan result. Furthermore, when the scanner scans a thin document, the background color also tends to affect the scan result. In this case, the background color is preferably close to the background color of the document in order to prevent the scan result from being affected. Consequently, the sheet-fed scanner capable of switching backgrounds can enable various image processing functions to be achieved.
Hence, it is an important object of the invention to provide a sheet-fed scanner capable of switching backgrounds such that background of different colors can be selected.

Sheet-fed scanner capable of switching backgrounds


A rotor blade (1) for a flow machine includes an aerodynamic blade (2) and a foot (3). The foot (3) has an anchoring section (5) on a side facing away from the blade (2). A rotor (4) of the flow machine has an axial anchoring groove (6) which is complementary to the anchoring section (5). The anchoring section (5) can be inserted axially into the anchoring groove (6) in order to radially attach the rotor blade (1) to the rotor (4). At least one pulling-off contour (7) is formed on the foot (3), via which an axial pulling-off force can be introduced into the rotor blade (1), which is attached to the rotor (4) with the aid of a pulling-off tool (15) which is complementary to this pulling-off contour (7).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates firstly to a rotor blade for a flow machine, and secondly to a pulling-off tool for pulling a rotor blade such as this off a rotor of the flow machine.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Rotor blades normally have an aerodynamic blade as well as a foot, by means of which the rotor blade can be anchored in a rotor of the flow machine. For this purpose, the foot may have an anchoring section on a side facing away from the blade, which anchoring section can be inserted axially into an anchoring groove which is complementary to it and is axial with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor. The shapes of the anchoring section and of the anchoring groove are in this case matched to one another such that an interlock is formed in the radial direction between the anchoring section and the anchoring groove, by means of which the rotor blade is fixed or anchored radially on the rotor. During operation of the rotor, the rotor blades, particularly in the case of a gas turbine, are subject to very high loads, which can lead to plastic deformation in particular in the area of the anchoring section and of the anchoring groove. Furthermore, dirt can accumulate in the area of the anchoring section and of the anchoring groove. If an external covering strip is provided, adjacent rotor blades may become stuck or jammed in the circumferential direction. For maintenance purposes, inspections and repairs, it may be necessary to remove one or more rotor blades from the rotor. The rotor blades must be pushed out of the anchoring groove again for this purpose. The loads which have been mentioned result in the rotor blades becoming very firmly seated in place, so that a wooden hammer or a plastic hammer may also be used to drive out the rotor blades. However, this can result in damage to the rotor blades. Furthermore, if two or more rotor blades are stuck to one another or are coupled to one another via the external covering strip, these rotor blades must effectively be pushed out of the anchoring grooves at the same time, thus exacerbating the problem described above.

Rotor blade for a flow machine, and an associated pulling-off tool


The invention is a flight vehicle, and methods of operation thereof, having wings and movable propeller assemblies which can be rotated to provide vertical and/or horizontal thrust. The propeller assemblies are configured to maximize available engine/propeller thrust and to prevent propwash from striking the wings of the aircraft.

Heavier-than-air flight vehicles have been known for that last 100 years or so, and include airplanes and helicopters. Such flight vehicles are used in many applications where speed is necessary to transport people and/or cargo to distant locations.
In many applications, it is desirable to transport people and/or materials to distant locations where the terrain is rugged and facilities may be lacking. For example, in many military applications troops and equipment must be delivered rapidly to intercept enemy troops. The use of flight vehicles is often the quickest method to transport such troops and equipment.
While airplanes have excellent lifting capacity and altitude capabilities, most airplanes lack vertical takeoff or landing (VTOL) or even short takeoff or landing (STOL) capabilities, and they typically require a large open space for takeoff and landing. In many rugged landing sites, traditional airplanes are not suitable.
Helicopters can land and take off vertically, and have exceptional maneuverability. Helicopters are sometimes subject to accidents and failures, such as engine or rotor failures, which in some situations will lead to a failure and loss of the helicopter. Helicopters also use rotors (as opposed to propellers), which involve swash plates and other complicated mechanisms. Additionally, many helicopters have difficulty operating at high altitudes. Helicopters also tend to have slower flight speeds than do traditional aircraft.
Vertical takeoff airplanes are known which have propeller assemblies which can be rotated from a horizontal position (i.e., with propeller blades spinning in a generally horizontal plane, e.g., to provide vertically-directed thrust/lift for vertical takeoff) to a more vertical position (i.e., with propeller blades spinning in a generally vertical plane, e.g., to provide horizontally-directed thrust for forward flight). Examples of such aircraft include the V-22 Osprey. A complication of many tilt-rotor designs is that the wing structure blocks a portion of the propeller or rotor thrust. For example, when the propeller spins in a horizontal plane, i.e., when taking off/landing vertically and/or very short take-off/landing, thrust/propwash from the propeller strikes the top of the wing portion adjacent the propeller. When in the forward flight mode, e.g., with the propellers spinning in a generally vertical plane, thrust/propwash from the propeller strikes the wing and passes/interacts with the wing. This interaction of propwash with the wing reduces the thrust provided for forward thrust and/or vertical/short lift-off/landing, and also can interfere with aircraft controls and stability.
What has been needed is a vehicle that can be easily delivered and deployed for flight, with heavy lift and excellent flight characteristics even at high altitudes, which can fly in horizontal flight at conventional airplane speeds yet take off vertically and/or in very short takeoff mode, that is adaptable to many uses. Due to issues with currently available vertical lift vehicles, a need exists for a vertical lift vehicle that has improved lift characteristics, reduced cost, and increased reliability. The current invention meets those needs.

Aircraft with wings and movable propellers


A wire harness for preventing water from contacting capped, connected electrical wires. A lid and a base define an interior chamber. The base has fingers extending vertically upwardly for holding wire caps and connected electrical wires therein. A shelf protrudes from the inner surface of each finger to provide a platform for the bottom edge of the wire cap to seat against, securing the wire cap against downward movement. The sidewalls of the lid extend a predetermined distance below the shelves of the fingers to form a rim that creates a double air trap within the harness for preventing water from contacting the conductive portions of the wires.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wire harnesses and more particularly to a protective wire harness enclosure for preventing electrical wires from coming into contact with water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional wire harnesses are routinely implemented in a variety of electrical systems, such as those employed in motor vehicles. Such harnesses are used for the convenient assembly and organization of a collection of interconnected electrical wires, as well as for protecting those wires from potentially harmful conditions that may exist outside the harness, such as flooding.
Despite the use of a conventional harness, the exposed connective sections of wires within a harness remain susceptible to water contact due to harness structural failures such as leakage or breakage. This is highly undesirable, as exposure of live electrical wires to water may cause overcurrent conditions that may disrupt or damage an electrical system.

Wire harness that prevents water ingress


Disclosed is a vehicle display system (1) for displaying an image of surroundings of a vehicle. The vehicle display system (1) includes: a display (18a) configured to display an image thereon; a camera (4, 6, 8, 10) mounted on the vehicle and configured to image surroundings of the vehicle; and a display control unit (20) configured to subject an image captured by the camera to mask processing, using a mask image (MR, MF) including a semi-transparent portion (M3, M4, M14, M16) corresponding to a vehicle body, and a portion (M8, M18, M19) corresponding to a window of the vehicle and having a transmittance lower than that of the portion corresponding to the vehicle body, to generate a masked image (D), and cause the masked image to be displayed on the display.

Heretofore, there has been known a display system for displaying an image of surroundings of an own vehicle, using an image captured by a camera mounted on the periphery of the own vehicle.
For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses an image display system configured to subjecting images captured by a plurality of cameras mounted on the periphery of an own vehicle to viewpoint-conversion to create an overhead image like being obtained by imaging the own vehicle from the air over, and display the overhead image together with the images before being subjected to the viewpoint-conversion.


Graphical programming or modeling environments, such as a block diagram environment, are disclosed in which graphical programs or models are configured using handshaking communication between entities of the graphical programs or models. The graphical programming or modeling environments provide mechanisms for the handshaking configuration of graphical programs/models before the graphical programs/models are executed in the graphical programming/modeling environments.

Dynamic systems are characterized by the fact that their behaviors change over time and are representative of many real-world systems. The dynamic systems are typically modeled as sets of differential, difference, and/or algebraic equations. At any given instant of time, these equations may be viewed as relationships between the system's output response ("outputs"), the system's input stimuli ("inputs") at that time, the current state of the system, the system parameters, and time. The state of the system may be thought of as a numerical representation of the dynamically changing configuration of the system. For instance, in a physical system modeling a simple pendulum, the state may be viewed as the current position and velocity of the pendulum. Similarly, a signal-processing system that filters a signal would maintain a set of previous inputs as the state. The system parameters are the numerical representation of the static (unchanging) configuration of the system and may be viewed as constant coefficients in the system's equations. For the pendulum example, a parameter is the length of pendulum and for the filter example; a parameter is the values of the filter taps.
There are four common types of mathematical models used in the study of dynamic systems. The first type of mathematical model describes systems using ordinary differential equations (ODEs). This type of dynamic system specifies a set of two equations: Output and Derivative. The Output equation facilitates the computation of the system's output response at a given time instant as a function of its inputs, states, parameters, and time. The Derivative equation is an ordinary differential equation that allows the computation of the derivative of the states at the current time as a function of the inputs, the states, parameters, and time. This class of models is suitable for systems in which it is important to track the system response as a continuous function of time. Such continuous-time systems are commonly representative of physical systems (mechanical, thermal, electrical). For simple systems, it may be possible to use the Output and Derivative equations to obtain a closed-form solution for the output response y(t). But in most complex real world systems, the response of the system is obtained by integrating the states through numerical means.
The definition of an ODE used herein encompasses both implicit and explicit differential equations. The class of ordinary differential equations may require additional equations to define the system being modeled. For example, equations called projections may be required to impose constraints on the differential variables (e.g., states X1 and X2 must fall on the manifold defined by X12+X22=25). These constraints can be either applied as a secondary condition or a coupled condition to the differential equation. Although systems including the projections may conventionally no longer qualify as an ODE; they are included here to simplify the categories of systems. Another example is the use of a Jacobian equation that defines partial derivatives with respect to the independent and/or differential variables. The Jacobian equation is typically used when obtaining a linear approximation of a non-linear model or an overall linear model of a set of equations. Jacobian equations are required for some forms of numerical integration, for producing the linear model once the model has reached its steady state operating point, etc. The Output and Derivatives equations may be extended to define other relationships for the block. For example, the Output equation may help manage its states by defining a relationship where it resets the state back to a known quantity at a specific point in time or when a specific condition is seen.
Another type of mathematical model describes systems using difference equations. This type of the dynamic system specifies a set of two equations: Output and Update. The Output equation facilitates the computation of the system's output response at a given time instant as a function of the inputs, states at some previous time, parameters, and time. The Update equation is a difference equation that allows the computation of the states at the current time as a function of the inputs, states at some previous time, parameters, and time. This class of models is suitable for systems in which it is important to track the system response at discrete points in time. Such discrete-time systems are commonly representative of discrete-time control and digital signal processing systems. For simple systems, it may be possible to use the Output and Update equations to obtain a closed-form solution for the output response y(t). But in most complex real world systems, the response of the system is solved through recursion. The Output and Update equations are applied repeatedly to solve for the system response over a period of time.
An additional type of mathematical model describes systems using algebraic equations. This type of the dynamic system uses an algebraic equation that needs to be solved at each time to obtain the outputs. While simple systems may allow one to obtain a closed-form solution for the system inputs and outputs, practical algebraic equations may best be solved iteratively using a numerical method involving both perturbations and iterations. Algebraic equation solving techniques used in the context of dynamic system modeling are discussed in greater detail below.
A fourth type of mathematical model is a composite system that has components that fall into the three types of models discussed above. Most complex real-world system models fall into this category. This class of systems has Output, Derivative, Update, and potentially other equations. Solving for the output response of such systems requires a combination of the solution approaches discussed for all of the classes above. One example of a composite system is one described by differential-algebraic equations (DAEs) which contain both differential equations and algebraic equations.
Grouped within the composite class of systems are many extensions involving relationships (equations) defined in terms of both outputs and state. For example, one can define a limited integration relationship for a differential variable. This relationship requires a set of equations that consists of the Output equation, an Update equation, a Derivative equation, and a Zero Crossing equation. The Zero Crossing equation defines the points in time where the upper and lower limits of the limited integration occur. Another example of an extension is the notion of Enable and Disable equations that define relationships among states or signals when parts of a system are activated and deactivated during execution.
Inherent in the four classes of systems (ODE, difference equations, algebraic equations and composite) is the notion of system sample time. The sample-time is the time interval at which the inputs, state, or outputs (collectively referred to as the results) of the system are traced as time progresses. Based on sample times, a system can be described as a discrete-time system, continuous-time system and hybrid system.
A discrete-time system is a system in which the evolution of the system results is tracked at finite intervals of time. In the limit as the interval approaches zero, the discrete-time system becomes a continuous-time system. The intervals of time may be periodic or non-periodic. Sometimes, non-periodic rate systems are referred to as nonuniform-rate systems meaning that there is no periodic rate at which the response can be tracked. Nonuniform-rate systems can fall into the class of composite systems where an additional equation (GetTimeOfNextVarHit) defines when in the future the other equations associated with the system should be evaluated. A continuous-time system is a system in which the evolutions of the system results are continuously changing. Continuous-time signals change during numerical integration (minor time steps). An example of a continuous-time system is one described by an ODE. There can also be algebraic or composite continuous-time systems. A hybrid system is a system with both discrete-time and continuous-time elements.
If a system has only one sample time, it is said to be single-rate. If a system has multiple sample times, it is said to be multi-rate. Multi-rate systems can be evaluated (executed) using either a single-tasking form of execution or a multi-tasking form of execution. When multi-tasking execution is used, it conforms to rate monotonic scheduling principles as defined by Liu, C. L., and Layland, J. W. Scheduling Algorithms for Multiprogramming in a Hard-Real-Time Environment. ACM 20, 1 (January 1973), 46-61. Systems may also be categorized by the type of numerical integration solver being used. A fixed-step system is one that uses a fixed-step solver. Fixed-step solvers often use explicit methods to compute the next continuous state at fixed periodic intervals of time. A variable-step system is one that is using a variable-step solver. A variable-step solver can use either implicit or explicit methods to compute the next continuous state at non-periodic intervals of time. Generally, variable-step solvers use a form of error control to adjust the interval size such that the desired error tolerances are achieved.
An execution context (EC) is a data structure for a group of blocks that all execute when an associated pre-condition is satisfied. Blocks may inherit and define ECs, just as prior modeling software allowed inheriting and defining sample times in blocks. EC information may also be propagated throughout the block diagram allowing blocks to opt into or out of an EC's grouping. ECs are not confined to time-based block diagrams and may be extended to provide execution efficiency in the context of data flow and other block diagram models.
An EC may be defined to be a hierarchical partitioning of a block diagram into groups of blocks that execute only when a pre-condition is fulfilled. An EC may be viewed as the generalization of the notion of a conditionally executed (CE)-Subsystem; the generalization being removal of the restriction that the execution pre-condition is associated strictly with a subsystem. Similar to CE-Subsystems, ECs can be nested within each other to obtain arbitrary levels of hierarchy. Unlike a CE-Subsystem, which imposes the implicit restriction that blocks have to live within the Subsystem to execute in accordance with a pre-condition, an EC may be associated with any block as an explicit attribute (similar to sample times).
Each block in the block diagram is parented by one of the ECs created in the block diagram. A block's EC information may be thought of as a block attribute similar to its sample time. A particular block executes only when the pre-condition of its parent EC is satisfied, activating the EC. Furthermore, the block executes in accordance to its sample time once its parent EC has been activated.
The EC can be created and associated with individual block diagram elements and/or subsystems. The EC allows execution of the associated element or subsystem upon satisfaction of a specified pre-condition. The EC may be inherited by other elements and subsystems in the block diagram and propagated programmatically throughout the block diagram. The use of the EC allows for efficient code generation and block diagram execution, as well as supporting modular design concepts.
The EC technology is described in more detail in a pending application entitled "A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING EXECUTION CONTEXTS IN BLOCK DIAGRAM MODELING" (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/414,644) filed on Apr. 16, 2003.
In practice, except for the most basic systems, mathematical models for dynamic systems involve a complex set of mathematical transformations applied in some prescribed manner with the outputs of some transformations forming the inputs of others. Each elemental transformation may be viewed in isolation as a simple dynamic system falling into one of the categories listed above. Therefore, a complex dynamic system may be modeled as an interconnection of various simple dynamic systems. A schematic representation of such an interconnection that has evolved over the years is the block diagram. Such block diagram models have now become a standard means in textbooks, design papers, journal articles, and specifications to communicate the details of a dynamic system's behavior.
A block diagram model of a dynamic system is represented schematically as a collection of blocks interconnected by lines that represent signals. A signal represents the input and output of a dynamic system. Each block represents an elemental dynamic system. A line emanating at one block and terminating at another signifies that the output of the first block is an input to the second block. Each distinct input or output on a block is referred to as a port. Signals correspond to the time-varying quantities represented by each line connection and are assumed to have values at each time instant. The source block of a signal writes to the signal at a given time instant when its system equations are solved. The destination blocks of this signal read from the signal when their system equations are being solved. The block diagram includes a plurality of blocks, lines and ports that are interconnected. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the term "blocks" does not refer exclusively to elemental dynamic systems but may also include other modeling elements that aid in readability and modularity of block diagrams.
The theory of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) focuses on modeling signals as sequences of samples. This view naturally fits into the time-based block diagram paradigm by mapping the samples u[n] to discrete-time points u(tk). This adds the benefit of being able to model the interaction between DSP systems and other classes of time-based systems, e.g. continuous and/or discrete-time control systems.
Put another way, block diagram models are time-based relationships between signals and state variables representative of a dynamic system. The solution (computation of system response) of the model is obtained by evaluating these relationships over time, where time starts at a user-specified "start time" and either ends at a user-specified "stop time" or based on evaluating a criterion that may involved model quantities. At each time step these relationships are evaluated. Signals represent quantities that change over time, and these quantities are defined for all points in time between the block diagram's start and stop time. The relationships between signals and state variables are defined by sets of equations represented by blocks. These equations define a relationship between the input signals, output signals, state, and time. Inherent in the definition is the notion of parameters, which are the coefficients of the equations.
The block diagrams are not exclusively used for representing time-based dynamic systems but also for other models of computation. For instance, flow-charts are block diagrams used to capture process flow and are not generally suitable for describing dynamic system behavior. Data flow block diagrams are block diagrams that describe a graphical programming paradigm where the availability of data (often thought of as tokens) is used to initiate the execution of blocks, where a block represents an operation and a line represents execution dependency describing the direction of data flowing between blocks. As used herein, the term block diagrams means time-based block diagrams used in the context of dynamic systems except as otherwise noted.
Execution of a block diagram generally proceeds in a couple of stages including compilation, initialization and execution or simulation loops. The compilation stage incorporates library blocks into the block diagram, propagates signal dimensions, data types, and sample times, evaluates parameters, determines block sorted orders, and allocates memory for output/input buffers, states, parameters, etc. The initialization stage executes Model Start method, which in turn calls each block's Block Start method. In the Block Start method, blocks do various tasks, such as checking parameters and writing out the initial output signals. The initialization stage then calls the Model Initialize method, which calls each block's Block Initialize method. In this method, the state of the block is initialized. After the initialization stage, the block diagram enters the execution or simulation loop, where each pass through the loop is referred as an execution or simulation step. During each of these steps, various block methods, such as Block Outputs method, Block Derivatives method and Block Update method, are invoked to compute outputs, derivatives and states for each block. The simulation loop continues until the final time of the execution is reached or a termination request is issued.
In the conventional initialization stage, blocks in a block diagram fall into one of two types. The first type is the blocks that know their output prior to model execution and can write out an initial output value in the initialization stage. For example, in Simulink® the Constant block knows it output prior to model execution and writes out a specified value in its Block Start method. The second type is the blocks that don't explicitly know their output prior to model execution and thus can't write out an initial output value before simulation starts. For example, the Gain block does not write out an initial output value in its Block Start method. Whether to write out an initial output value in the Block Start method is pre-determined by individual blocks. The predetermined initialization of the conventional mechanism has the following problems.
Initial Condition Leakage
If an Enabled Subsystem block includes a Constant block, the Constant block writes out an initial output value in its Block Start method (which is part of initialization) even before the Enabled Subsystem block is enabled. This initial value is seen from the outside of the Enabled Subsystem block, such as a Scope block coupled to the Enabled Subsystem block. The conventional initialization mechanism therefore results in an initial condition leakage.
Unnecessary Initialization
If the output port of a Constant block is coupled to the input port of a Gain block, the Constant block does not need to write out its initial output value in its Block Start method because the output value of the Constant block is not needed until the block diagram enters the simulation loop. However, in the conventional initialization mechanism, the Constant block always performs an unnecessary initialization of its output.
Less Optimal Partition of Initialization Tasks
Assuming that Integrator block has an external initial condition (IC) input port and the Integrator block wants to read an IC input value and use this value to initialize the state in its Block Initialize method, as depicted in FIG. 17. In the conventional initialization mechanism, the Block Initialize method does not actually set the initial value for the state, and the state initialization task becomes part of the Block Outputs method called in the simulation loop. This is because the Integrator block does not know whether the source output port of the IC port can write out an initial output value in the Block Start method. Hence it sets a flag to indicate that the IC value needs to be loaded, and postpones the state initialization to the Block Outputs method in the simulation loop. This partition guarantees the state to be initialized with the correct value, but is not optimal. Exemplary code for conventional approach is provided as follows.
Block Start void MdlStart(void)method{rtB_SRC = sys_function(...);}Block void MdlInitialize(void)Initialize{methodrtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_IC_LOADING = true;}Block void MdlOutputs(int_T tid)Outputs {method/* Compute output of SRC block*/rtB_SRC = sys_function(...);/*If IC has not been loaded, get the output value of SRC blockand load it into Discrete Integrator block's DSTATE as the. * IC. Also reset the IC_LOADING flag to false so that loading IC happens only the first time MdlOutput is called.*/if ( rtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_IC_LOADING) {rtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_DSTATE = rtB_SRC;rtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_IC_LOADING = false;}/* Compute output of Discrete Integrator block */rtB_Disc_Time_Integr = rtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_DSTATE;/* Compute output of Sine Wave block */rtB.Sine_Wave = sine_wave_function(...);rtY.Out1 = rtB_Disc_Time_Integr;}Block void MdlUpdate(int_T tid)Update{methodrtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_DSTATE =rtDWork.Disc_Time_Integr_DSTATE+ rtB.Sine_Wave;}Less Efficient Simulation
The conventional initialization mechanism requires an extra Boolean flag and an extra if-condition to determine whether it needs to read in the IC port value of the Integrator block and use this value to initialize state of the Integrator block at every simulation step, as shown above in the exemplary code for the conventional approach. In the conventional simulation loop, the Block Outputs method of the block that is feeding the IC port is called at every simulation step, although the input signal of the IC port is needed only when the Integrator block initializes its state.
Less Efficient Code Generation
Furthermore, the conventional initialization mechanism deteriorates the readability of generated code for the Block Outputs method because of the extra code introduced for external IC handling. This problem extends to the accelerator mode simulation that uses the generated code to execute or simulate the block diagram.

Handshaking configuration mechanisms in graphical programming environments


Prior to recording, a difference between a disc's temporal, maximum recordable length and a temporal length having been consumed by recording data is calculated. A scale is determined to allow a length of a period of a preprogrammed recording to be relatively matched on a timebase bar with the obtained difference's temporal length. Relative to the length of the period of the preprogrammed recording, an amount indicating a shortage of the difference's temporal length is calculated. An image of the timebase bar is created and the determined scale is used to create on the bar an image indicating the calculated amount of shortage, and these images are integrally displayed. Furthermore, if the current recording location and time shift reproduction location are also obtained, these locations are displayed on the same timebase bar.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to disc recorders recording audio or video data to a disc or disc access processors reading the data for reproduction and methods thereof, and particularly to disc access processors capable of providing a function displaying information helping a user to confirm a state of a recording or reproduction operation and methods thereof
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-103407, a video recorder and player and a similar apparatus capable of recording and reproducing images, sound and the like of digital versatile discs (DVDs)-Random Access Memory (RAM) and the like have the following function: the temporal length, as scheduled, of a program to be broadcast or that of the entirety of an image recorded or reproduced is represented by using a status bar and a reproduction location or a recording location on a recording medium is visually represented by an operation symbol displayed on the status bar to help the user to confirm a state of operation.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-111415 discloses that a tape's temporal capacity that remains available after a preprogrammed recording has completed is numerically indicated and the difference between the time representing the available capacity and the total of time of preprogrammed recording is calculated, and in accordance with the value of the difference a display panel has a background color changed for notification.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-135553 discloses an apparatus having a function detecting and indicating an available capacity of a tape.
While the conventional apparatuses as described above can visually display current reproduction and recording locations and the like relative to the entirety of the period of reproduction and recording operations and the like and display a tape's capacity remaining available after a preprogrammed recording has completed, they do not inform the user of information of how much shortage a recording region has relative to a capacity required for recording. The user cannot recognize the amount of the shortage and the shortage of the recording region prevents normal recording.

Disc access processor processing a result of accessing a disc and method thereof


A wireless and cellular vibration monitoring device (2) comprising a connection structure (6) suitable for attaching the monitoring device (2) to equipment to be monitored is disclosed. The monitoring device (2) comprises a temperature sensor (8) and a vibration sensor (10) configured to remotely monitor vibration and temperature transferred to the monitoring device (2) via the connection structure (6). The device comprises an integrated satellite-based radio-navigation system for location detection. The monitoring device (2) comprises a metal base (4) comprising a body portion (56) comprising a threaded portion (6) constituting the connection structure (6). The threaded portion (6) comprises male threads and protrudes from the body portion (56) of the base (4). The temperature sensor (8) is thermally connected to the body portion (56) of the base (4).

Monitoring devices for remotely monitoring temperature and vibration of rotating equipment such as pumps or motors are known. Some of these monitoring devices comprise separate sensors for detecting vibration and temperature parameters.
It has, however, been found that the temperature measurements made by prior art monitoring devices do not with a sufficiently high accuracy correspond to the temperature of the media to be measured. Moreover, the prior art monitoring devices fail to detect changes in temperature in a sufficiently fast manner.
Thus, there is a need for an improved monitoring device for remotely monitoring temperature and vibration of rotating equipment such as pumps or motors, by which monitoring device it is possible to reduce or even eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an object to provide a monitoring device for remotely monitoring temperature and vibration of rotating equipment such as pumps or motors, which monitoring device can detect the temperature changes of a media or structure to be monitored in a faster, more reliable and accurate manner than the prior art solutions.


The present invention provides a device and method for analyzing the characteristics of a biopolymer with excellent mechanical stability, high spatial resolution and sensitivity using a simple device construction. Specifically, the Raman scattered light of a biopolymer is measured and the properties of monomer units forming the biopolymer are analyzed by using a biopolymer property analysis chip (100a) characterized by comprising: a solid substrate (110); at least one nanopore (120) disposed in the solid substrate (110); and one or more electrically conductive thin films (130a, 130b) disposed on the solid substrate (110). The biopolymer property analysis chip (100a) is characterized in that the electrically conductive thin films (130a, 130b) are disposed partially on the solid substrate (110) where the nanopore (120) is formed and a biopolymer which has penetrated into the nanopore (120) is caused to generate Raman scattered light by means of irradiation with external light.

Techniques using nanopores attract tremendous attentions as an approach to the implementation of post-Next-Generation DNA sequencers. It is considered that the nanopore techniques have a noteworthy advantage in that they allow the characteristics of a biopolymer to be analyzed without DNA labeling, namely using no reagents, such as an enzyme and fluorescent dye. The nanopores may be largely classified into two types. One is a so-called bionanopore, of which channel protein forming a nano-sized aperture (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "nanopore") is laid inside a bilayer membrane, and another is a so-called solid state nanopore, which is made by microfabricating a semiconductor material.
Two types of DNA analytical methods using these nanopores have been proposed. The first one is a current blockade method. Specifically, ionic current flows through the nanopore when voltage is applied between electrodes, each of which is disposed with electrolyte solution in each of reservoirs for solution installed on the both sides of a thin film with the nanopore formed thereon. The magnitude of the ionic current is proportional to the cross sectional area of the nanopore in terms of the first approximation. When DNA passes through the nanopore, it blocks the nanopore and reduces its effective cross-sectional area, resulting in a reduction of ionic current. The amount of the reduction of ionic current is called current blockade. A difference between a single stranded DNA and a double stranded DNA may be discriminated based on the magnitude of the current blockade. Moreover, it has been reported that one form of nanopore enables the types of DNA bases to be discriminated based on the magnitude of the current blockade (Nonpatent Literature 1, hereinafter also simply referred to as a "first example, according to prior art"). However, it is considered that since the bilayer membrane used for the biopore is a fragile thin film made of weakly-associated low molecular organic compounds, it has a problem of mechanical instability. Moreover, since the process of integrating channel protein inside the bilayer membrane relies on a natural phenomenon, the bilayer membrane has a problem with control of the number of channels and reproducibility. In contrast, it is considered that a solid state nanopore, under which thin film is formed of a semiconductor substrate, or the like, is advantageous in structural stability over a bionanopore. Since the nanopore is mechanically formed, it has another advantage. Furthermore, a device and method for analyzing biomolecules passing through a solid state nanopore formed on a thin film made of graphene instead of the semiconductor substrate have been reported (Patent Document 1). However, identification of the types of DNA bases using the nanopore by means of current blockade has not been reported.
The second one is a tunneling current method. Specifically, the method has been proposed, which is characterized in that a pair of electrodes are disposed facing to each other on the nanopore wall; voltage is applied between the electrodes; DNA passing through the nanopore and tunneling current between the electrodes are measured; and the DNA is analyzed based on the magnitude of the tunneling current. Such a related technique has been reported that when a nucleoside with modified sugar is dissolved in an organic solvent and introduced between nanogap electrodes, and then the tunneling current is measured using a scanning probe microscope, the average of tunneling current values depends on the types of the bases (Nonpatent Document 2, hereinafter, also simply referred to as a "second example, according to prior art"). However, the second example has limitations on experimental conditions because the sample is a nucleoside (containing no phosphoric acid) but not a chained nucleic acid; the sample needs to be modified; the sample needs to be dissolved in an organic solvent; and no nanopore is used, as well as has a problem of low ability to identify bases because the tunneling current has a distribution and partially overlapped between different types of bases.
Other methods for determining base sequences using the nanopore or similar structure have been reported including such methods that a nucleotide (monomer) is separated from a chained nucleic acid (polymer) with an enzyme and caused to pass through a nanochannel or microchannel filled with an aggregate (100 nm to 200 nm in size), for example, an aggregate of silver particulates, and then the nucleotide is identified on the surface of the silver-particulate aggregate by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (Patent Document 2); and that an enzyme or the like is filled inside the nanopore to be caused to interact with the nucleotide in a DNA sequence, the resulting bond is controlled using the nanopore, and the nucleotide is determined (Patent Document 3). Any of the aforementioned methods needs to use agents, such as an enzyme, and has complicated device construction and processes.
On the other hand, TERS (Tip Enhanced Raman Scattering) has been reported as another approach to the measurement of a single molecular nucleic acid without labeling (Nonpatent Document 3, hereinafter, also simply referred to as a "third example, according to prior art"). According to this method, a silver tip is formed on the tip of an AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) probe; the chained nucleic acid molecule immobilized on a mica substrate is scanned by AFM to take an AFM image of the nucleic acid molecule; the probe is caused to have access to the nucleic acid; and a laser beam is irradiated thereon. Then, a local near field is formed at the probe tip and caused to excite the nucleic acid. The Raman scattered light emitted by the excited nucleic acid is spectroscopically measured to obtain the Raman scattering spectrum of the nucleic acid. Since the S/N ratio of the resulting signal is larger than the number of the bases contained in the nucleic acid, such sensitivity that enables monobasic measurement, is achieved. This method has an advantage in that since the Raman scattering spectrum provides two-dimensional information of a wavenumber vs. intensity pattern, the information volume thereof is exponentially larger than that of one-dimensional information provided by current blockade or tunneling current, exhibiting high ability to identify the bases in qualitative analysis. The size of the near field depends on the curvature of the probe tip and the spatial resolution according to the third example is about 10 nm. Since this value is equivalent to about 30 bases in terms of the number of the bases contained in a nucleic acid, the result obtained in this way contains overlapped information for a multiple of bases. To determine the information for the individual bases from the overlapped information, such a method, for example, has been proposed that a step of scanning along the chain of the nucleic acid with a probe and a step of inferring the bases entering and going out from the near field based on a variance (difference) in spectrum are repeated to obtain sequence information (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "difference method"). To implement this method, it is required that: the nucleic acid is immobilized on the solid state substrate in advance; a high resolution AFM device including high precision stage for measurement is installed; and such a delicate operation that an AFM probe is three-dimensionally scanned at the precision of sub-nm is performed. In other words, the second method has a problem of complicated device construction and operation.

Biopolymer optical analysis device and method


A movement amount is determined for each of a plurality of stitches on a knitting fabric on the basis of relative positions between a stitch and stitches on the upper, lower, left, and right sides thereof in accordance with predetermined rules, and the stitch is moved. Movement of the stitch is repeated until the position of the stitch is converged. The stitch is then positioned at the converged value of the stitch position and displayed.

The Art of Knitting Fabrics, Realistic & Physically Based Modelling of Knitted Patterns, EUROGRAPHICS '98, Vol. 17, (1998), Number 3 proposes that a knitting fabric be modeled using a model in which the stitches of the knitting fabric are replaced by particles, and the particles are connected to each other by spring forces. It is assumed that each particle moves in accordance with the Euler-Lagrange equation of motion, and a stable value of the position of each particle is determined by numerically solving this differential equation using the Runge-Kutta method. As an estimate of the calculation load generated by this method, when 2×2=4 stitches are represented by one particle in order to reduce the number of particles on a knitting fabric of 100 courses×100 wales, the calculation load is 2500 particles, and it is difficult to solve differential equations for these 2500 particles in succession. Moreover, when the calculation load is heavy, the number of elements which must be ignored to simplify the simulation model increases, making it difficult to perform a realistic simulation.
WO03/032203A1, which is a prior application of the inventor, discloses a method and device for increasing the ability to represent fluff on a yarn during a loop simulation. Also disclosed is a method for creating an image of a stitch by allocating a plurality of control points to a single stitch.

Device, method, and program for loop simulation


Disclosed herein is an automated software interface mapping tool for determining and documenting caller/provider relationships, data structures, and data transformations as a system logical data model of a single system or across multiple systems in an enterprise. The system logical data model may be stored as a set of structures and data elements in a metadata repository. The metadata repository enables improved impact analysis, documents dependencies, serves as a tool for implementing application rationalization, and aids in the creation of future code for the generation of new applications or systems.

As software systems are created they implement a complex web of caller/provider relationships between various applications and data sources. As changes are made in a system it is presently left to the people who made those changes to properly document how the system has been changed. If no documentation is created then there is no effective way to determine how future changes or additions will impact the system. In the past there have been efforts to manually create metadata repositories for documenting the structure and changes made in a system; however, they were quickly abandoned due to a number of reasons. One reason for abandonment was the large number of man hours needed to create and maintain the repository. Another reason was the fact that the integrity of the entire repository is put in question even if only one change is not properly updated in the repository. Once the integrity is questioned people are less likely to take the time to make future updates since it will add little or no value to the repository.
This problem is further exacerbated in an enterprise where multiple systems are communicating with each other. Still further complexity is added since as an enterprise grows and changes, legacy systems within the enterprise might not present data in a useful way for newer systems that are created. As such there is created a middleware transaction manager that enables communication between various systems.
Within an enterprise the number of man hours needed to manually create a metadata repository for the entire enterprise increases along with the number of systems operating within that enterprise and the number of transactions that need to be managed by the middleware. Further, since there are more changes occurring across an enterprise than just within a single system, there are more people responsible for updating the repository and there is a greater chance that updates to the repository won't be made, causing the repository's utility to be reduced due to the data's lack of integrity. As such, it has not been feasible to create and maintain such a repository to date.


An optical cross-connect comprises a plurality of input modules (10.sub.1 . . . 10.sub.n, 12.sub.1 . . . 12.sub.n) each for receiving a respective group of input signals (11.sub.1 . . . 11.sub.n, 13.sub.1 . . . 13.sub.n) and deriving in response to each signal of the group an individual optical signal of a respective given wavelength, a plurality of output modules (15.sub.1 . . . 15.sub.n, 16.sub.1 . . . 16.sub.n) each including a plurality of receptors (23, 24; 27, 28) selectively responsive to respective ones of the wavelengths of said optical signals, to provide an output signal, and a plurality of couplers (14.sub.1 . . . 14.sub.k) each for coupling a respective one of said optical signals, each of a different wavelength, from each of the input modules, to a respective receptor of each of the output modules.

In order to cope with the increasing demand for subscriber services on telecommunication networks, digital optical transmission networks are being introduced in which local access networks, which typically route electrical signals, are interconnected by a fibre optic network. This has been facilitated by the introduction of the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) standard that deals with the formatting of signals in Synchronous Transfer Modules (STM) which will allow a unified telecommunication infrastructure and provides improved flexibility by permitting electrical digital signals from the local access networks to be converted into optical signals and transmitted through the optical network.
In order to upgrade the capacity of the optical network, Wavelength-Division-Multiplexing (WDM) techniques have been proposed, which permit the transmission capacity of a fibre link to be upgraded to the multi-Gbit/s range.
Thus, it has been proposed to provide a multi-Gbit/s WDM network superimposed on the top level of a SDH network. For a fuller discussion, reference is directed to I. Hawker, "Evolution of Digital Optical Transmission Networks", BT Technol. J., Vol. 9, No. 4, October 1991, pp 43-5. It is proposed to include nodes in the WDM network to allow dynamic re-routing of WDM data streams. It is proposed that each node should include access ports to allow optical streams to be dropped to and added from lower levels of the network. It has been proposed that routing of the high bit rate streams is directly performed in the optical layer whereas processing of any of the streams is achieved in the electronic domain by dropping it to a lower layer of the network. Network management and administration is proposed to be achieved from a management unit which configures an optical cross-connect at each node according to traffic requirements. Thus, optical cross-connects (OXC's) constitute the routing nodes of the WDM transport network.
A number of prior proposals have been made for the node architecture of the OXC and an example is given in FIG. 1.
Three input fibres 1, 2, 3 are connected at the node to output fibres 4, 5, 6. Each of the fibres 1-3 carries four WDM wavelength channels, which are connected to the output fibres 4-6 by means of space switches X.sub.1 -X.sub.4. In this example, the space switches are 4.times.4 matrices which thus have four inputs a-d and four outputs e-h that are optically interconnectable and are controlled by applied electrical signals (not shown). Such space switches are well known and include electrically controllable elements of variable refractive index to produce selective switching between the inputs and outputs.
The four optical channels of each input fibre 1-3 are applied to an input of each of the space switches X.sub.1 -X.sub.4 and each is separately selected by means of a respective tunable filter F1.sub.1, F2.sub.1, F3.sub.1, F4.sub.1. Similarly, the various wavelength channels from fibres 2 and 3 are applied to respective inputs of the space switches through filters F1.sub.2 -F4.sub.2, F1.sub.3 -F4.sub.3. The fourth input of each space switch X.sub.1 -X.sub.4 is connected to tunable optical transmitter units 7 which produce optical signals of a single frequency in response to digital electrical signal streams from the lower electrical layer of the network, to allow electrical signals to be added into the optical network for transmission in the optical layer. The electrical signals may be SDH, PDH, ATM, X25 or any other suitable format, since the optical network can transmit the bit stream transparently in the optical domain. Similarly the outputs h of each of the space switches X.sub.1 -X.sub.4 are connected to receiver units 8 that include photodetectors for producing electrical signals, so that digital data streams can be dropped out of the optical network into the lower, electrical layer. The outputs e-g of the space switches X.sub.1 -X.sub.4 are respectively connected to the inputs to the fibres 4, 5 and 6 by means of combiners 9, 10, 11. Thus, by applying control signals to the space switches X.sub.1 -X.sub.4 traffic in the WDM channels of input fibres 1-3 can be switched selectively between output fibres 4-6 and signal trains can be added to and dropped out of the optical network by means of the transmitters and receivers 7, 8. This arrangement however suffers from a number of disadvantages.
Firstly, the ultimate size of the OXC is limited by the size of the space switches. Currently, these are made in LiNbO.sub.3 or InP and are limited for practical purposes to 8.times.8. Also, for polarisation independent operation they typically require high switching voltages of the order of +/-100 V and have long rise times >100 ns. Furthermore, the devices are not at present hermetically sealed, and the material thereof tends to exhibit drift characteristics, so as to alter the performance with time.
Secondly, a node configuration as shown in FIG. 1 produces a loss of approximately 30 dB and the main contributor to the loss is the switch array. In order to overcome this problem, optical fibre amplifiers such as erbium doped fibre amplifiers need to be used to provide amplification.
Thirdly, the node architecture exhibits blocking characteristics. It is not possible for the same wavelength channel from two of the input fibres to leave on the same output fibre.

British Telecommunications public limited company


The present invention relates in particular to the refurbishment of automotive or similar vehicular door hinges or the refurbishment of worn hinges in general Automotive door hinges specifically for "F" Body vehicles manufactured by General Motors and generally for automotive door hinges originally constructed as non-repairable riveted assemblies are subject to load related elongation of hinge bushing apertures thereby causing doors to sag. The present disclosure is of a kit permitting the repair of worn hinges without replacement of the entire hinge assembly and the method of repair.

Automotive door hinge assemblies, including as an example the assemblies utilized in General Motors "F" Body vehicles, are subject to wear including the elongation of hinge portion rivet/bushing apertures thereby causing hinge portions to separate resulting in the sagging of the car or vehicle door. Such assemblies are frequently welded to the door, as a part of the original manufacturing process, thus requiring significant effort in disassembly and skill for the attachment of an entire new assembly. Repair parts including repair kits, separate from the hinge assembly in its entirety, are not known to be available which address the issue as in the present disclosure Thus the repair of worn hinges in particular on the "F" Body vehicle manufactured by General Motors.RTM. requires the purchase of a new hinge assembly, the removal and disassembly of the vehicle door, the grinding or cutting off of the defective door hinge and the alignment and welding of the replacement hinge, assembly to the door. This process is time consuming and expensive and requires substantial attention and skill in alignment in order to insure the proper positioning of the vehicle door obtaining proper alignment in the installation of a new hinge assembly requires orientation around three axes of roll, pitch and yaw and in the thickness of the substructure to which the assembly will be attached. These considerations pose problems for all after market door hinge replacement; it is only the original equipment manufacturer who has the appropriate jigging machine who can reasonably attach such a hinge assembly
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,929 to Fahnders discloses a repair assembly consisting principally of the insertion of a bearing block in a door's lower hinge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,408,785 to Heim discloses a different approach than used for "F" Body vehicles wherein hinges are assembled with a door frame which is manufactured separate from a door outer skin. Both patents are disclosed in the associated Information Disclosure Statement in accordance with 37 CFR 197.

Hinge repair kit and installation method


A method for ordering a plurality of presentation instruments in a single order includes receiving at a host computer system a request from a purchaser to order the plurality of presentation instruments. The method also includes sending one or more files that are executable by a computer of the purchaser to produce one or more corresponding display screens programmed to collect purchase information relating to the plurality of presentation instruments. The method further includes receiving at the host computer system the purchase information from the purchaser. The purchase information includes a recipient information file. The method also includes delivering the presentation instruments in accordance with the purchase information.

The present invention relates generally to electronic ordering systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for ordering cards (e.g., presentation instruments) in bulk.
Presentation instruments, such as credit cards and the like, have become ubiquitous as devices to settle purchase transactions. Individuals usually apply for or request cards for themselves, one at a time. Other entities, such as banks or employers, often have a need to obtain many cards simultaneously. Sometimes, especially around the holiday season, individuals may experience the need to obtain several cards, such as gift cards, contemporaneously. The demand for some entities to obtain several cards contemporaneously has created a need for better card ordering systems.


A user specifies a recognition-target area including a character from a target image including the character in the background image. When pixels in the recognition-target area have a color that is close to the color of the pixels on the outline of the recognition-target area, the color of the pixels in the recognition-target area is converted into a predetermined color, that is, the pixels in the recognition-target area are turned transparent, for example. Subsequently, a character-recognition process is performed on the recognition-target area in which the color of the pixels has been converted. According to the device and the method of the present invention, noise and a background image are effectively eliminated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-processing device and an image-processing method for character recognition.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rectangular area including a character-recognition target is specified by a user in a method for clipping a character-recognition target in an image including characters for character recognition. In the method for clipping a character-recognition target, more accurate designation of the character area and elimination of noise are required in order to improve the accuracy of character recognition.
For example, conventionally a rectangular area including an area with uniform density is automatically extracted from an image. This method determines that no character is included in a rectangular area with a size smaller than a predetermined size, for example, at an isolated point and thus excludes this area from the character-recognition area.
On the other hand, examples of a known method for eliminating noise include a method in which a binary threshold is set such that the pixels of a character are discriminated from the other pixels based on the density distribution, such as intensity distribution, of the image and a method in which the upper threshold and the lower threshold of the character are set based on the density distribution, and the pixels exceeding this range are eliminated.
Recently, in accordance with an improvement in the performance of information processing devices, there are many cases where color images are subjected to the character-recognition process. Therefore, a method for eliminating noise that focuses on color has been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 6-203204 discloses a method in which characters are clipped by allowing a user to select a color from color samples in, for example, a ledger sheet or by printing a specified color on a marked area which is previously designated for printing the specified color. Furthermore, in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-28314, three colors (RGB) are used as dropout colors, and characters are extracted using an image dropped out with RGB colors.
However, when character recognition is performed on a photo image of a billboard or magazine, the background of characters often includes a picture, illustration, or pattern, which makes it difficult to extract character information. Specifically, when there is little difference in contrast or shade between the characters and the background, it is difficult to set a threshold based on the density distribution and extract accurate character information using the threshold.
Furthermore, in a method for determining a character area based on the size of an area, areas including noise do not have sufficient regularity and thus the size of an area is imperfect to be used for extracting a character area. As a result, there are cases where a character that is not supposed to be connected to target characters is connected to the target characters or a character that is supposed to be connected to the target characters is separated from the characters; that is, the size of the character area differs depending on the quality of an image. Accordingly, a character may be excluded erroneously from the character area as noise.
Furthermore, according to the methods for clipping a character area disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. Hei 6-203204 and Hei 5-28314, it is difficult to perform accurate clipping of a character area on images except the ledger sheet. Moreover, these methods are rather troublesome because a user needs to specify a color from color samples, for example.

Image-processing device and image-processing method for extracting a recognition-target area including a character from a target image


A granular cohered MOP fertilizer having one or more micronutrients, and one or more binding ingredients. The fertilizer is prepared by compacting MOP feed material with one or more micronutrients and one or more optional binders to form a cohered MOP composition. The cohered MOP composition is then further processed, such as by crushing and sizing, to form a cohered granular MOP product containing micronutrients. The process yields a fertilizer product containing micronutrients with superior elemental and granule size distribution without comprising handling or storage qualities.

Essential plant nutrients include primary nutrients, secondary or macronutrients, and trace or micronutrients. Primary nutrients include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Carbon and oxygen are absorbed from the air, while other nutrients including water (source of hydrogen), nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium are obtained from the soil. Fertilizers containing sources of nitrogen, phosphorous, and/or potassium are used to supplement soils that are lacking in these nutrients.
According to the conventional fertilizer standards, the chemical makeup or analysis of fertilizers is expressed in percentages (by weight) of the essential primary nutrients nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. More specifically, when expressing the fertilizer formula, the first figure represents the percent of nitrogen expressed on the elemental basis as "total nitrogen" (N), the second figure represent the percent of phosphorous expressed on the oxide basis as "available phosphoric acid" (P2O5), and the third figure represents the percent of potassium also expressed on the oxide basis as "available potassium oxide" (K20), or otherwise known as the expression (N—P2O5—K2O).
Even though the phosphorous and potassium amounts are expressed in their oxide forms, there is no P205 or K20 in fertilizers. Phosphorus exists most commonly as monocalcium phosphate, but also occurs as other calcium or ammonium phosphates. Potassium is ordinarily in the form of potassium chloride or sulfate. Conversions from the oxide forms of P and K to the elemental expression (N—P—K) can be made using the following formulas:%P=%P205×0.437%K=%K20×0.826%%P205=%P×2.29%K20=%K×1.21
Muriate of potash (MOP), otherwise known as potassium chloride, KCl, is an agricultural fertilizer, and is the most common source of fertilizer potassium. MOP by definition contains 48% to 62% soluble K2O, mainly as chloride. MOP is typically extracted from naturally occurring underground mineral sources either by conventional mining or solution mining techniques. Once extracted, MOP can be processed into a number of different finished forms or KCl products suitable for specific industrial, chemical, human or animal nutrients or agricultural applications as desired by individual customers.
Finished MOP, for the purpose of agricultural consumption, is typically sold in a granular form. The purity and granule size may vary depending on the end use to which the product will be put. The granules are produced using crushing and sizing processes known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such as by compaction and the subsequent crushing and sizing which thereby break up the larger pieces of MOP into smaller granules. Compaction implies the continuous rolling of MOP feed material at elevated pressures yielding cohesion of material in the resultant product. The grading of MOP, and hence its market value, is also dependent on both the purity and granule size of the product. Typically the MOP is screened to the desired particle size for a particular need.
A typical MOP feed stock has a granule size that is comparable to table salt, which is less than the desired granule size. In order to obtain larger granules, this feedstock is first compacted using a compacting process such as a simple roll compacter or the like to produce a sheet-like cohered product. Subsequent processing typically involves controlled breakage of the MOP sheet into granules, which are then sorted to a desired size range by screening or other classification methods known in the industry. A non-limiting example of a standard industry known roll compactor is K.R. Komarek's B220B Compactor (or any of the "B" models or high pressure briquetting and compacting machines) available from K.R. Komarek, Inc. of Wood Dale, Ill.
In addition to the primary nutrients, such as potassium that is made available to plants via the MOP fertilizer added to soil, micronutrients and secondary nutrients are also essential for plant growth. These are required in much smaller amounts than those of the primary nutrients. Secondary nutrients can include, but are not limited to, sulfur (SO4), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) or combinations thereof. Micronutrients can include, but are not limited to, for example, boron (B), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), chlorine (Cl), or combinations thereof. From this point forward and throughout the specification, for the sake of simplicity, the term "micronutrient" refers to and includes both secondary nutrients and micronutrients.
A common method of micronutrient application for crops is soil application. Recommended application rates usually are less than 10 lb/acre on an elemental basis. Separate micronutrient applications at these low rates are difficult and are prone to result in the poor uniformity of distribution. Including micronutrients with mixed fertilizers is a convenient method of application and some methods allow more uniform distribution with conventional application equipment. Costs also are reduced by eliminating a separate application step. Four methods of applying micronutrients with mixed fertilizers can include incorporation during manufacture, bulk blending with granular fertilizers, coating onto granular fertilizers and seeds, and mixing with liquid herbicides or fluid fertilizers.
Bulk blending with granular fertilizers is the practice of bulk blending micronutrient compounds with phosphate, nitrogen and potash fertilizers. The main advantage to this practice is that fertilizer grades can be produced which will provide the recommended micronutrient rates for a given field at the usual fertilizer application rates. The main disadvantage is that segregation of nutrients can occur during the blending operation and with subsequent handling. Micronutrients are often small in particle size which can result in segregation in a bulk blend. In order to reduce or prevent size segregation during handling and transport, the ideal micronutrient granules must be close to the same size as the phosphate, nitrogen and potash granules. Because the micronutrients are required in very small amounts for plant nutrition, this practice has resulted in granules of micronutrients unevenly distributed and generally too far from most of the plants to be of immediate benefit as most micronutrient elements migrate in soil solution only a few millimeters during an entire growing season.
Coatings decrease the possibility of segregation. However, some surface binding materials are unsatisfactory because they do not maintain the micronutrient coatings during bagging, storage, and handling, which results in segregation of the micronutrient sources from the granular fertilizer components.
Steps have been taken to reduce the segregation problem for example as in the case of sulfur or sulfur platelets in the fertilizer portion as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,313 entitled "Sulfur-Containing Fertilizer Composition and Method for Preparing Same" and in the case of micronutrients as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,891 entitled, "Method for Producing a Fertilizer with Micronutrients," both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. This preparation method, however, is directed to a granulation process.
Some micronutrient pelletizing and compaction applications exist in such products as sodium chloride (salt) and kieserite (magnesium sulfate monohydrate); however the inclusion of micronutrients into a primary nutrient, such as MOP, using a roll compactor is not known in the prior art to the inventors' knowledge.
Micronutrient addition has historically been performed in downstream operations outside the processing boundaries of MOP miners and millers. There is a well-documented long term need to increase crops yields in order to feed an ever-increasing world population. Therefore, there remains a need to economically create a compacted, crushed and sized, granular MOP value-added fertilizer product that contains one or more micronutrients that maximizes the introduction of the micronutrient(s) into soil solution and ultimately to the root zone of plants.

Compacted muriate of potash fertilizers containing micronutrients and methods of making same


Systems and methods for fabricating semiconductor devices with dual-stress layers using double-stress oxide/nitride stacks. A method comprises providing NMOS and PMOS regions, selectively forming a dual-stack tensile stress layer over the NMOS region by depositing a tensile silicon nitride layer over the NMOS and PMOS regions, depositing a tensile silicon oxide layer over the tensile silicon nitride layer, removing a portion of the tensile silicon oxide layer from the PMOS region, and removing a portion of the tensile silicon nitride layer from the NMOS region and selectively forming a dual stack compressive stress layer over the PMOS region by depositing a compressive silicon nitride layer over the NMOS and PMOS regions, depositing a compressive silicon oxide layer over the compressive silicon nitride layer, removing a portion of the compressive silicon oxide layer from the NMOS region, and removing a portion of the compressive silicon nitride layer from the NMOS region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to semiconductor fabrication and, more particularly, to systems and methods for fabricating nanometric-scale semiconductor devices with dual-stress layers using double-stress oxide/nitride stacks.
2. Description of Related Art
As semiconductor devices are scaled down to nanometric sizes, it becomes increasingly difficult to improve device performance. For example, conventional device scaling reducing channel length below 100 nm does not improve device performance usually expected in larger channel length due to carrier velocity saturation. Other factors such as gate dielectric scaling present further problems. Some techniques have been developed to increase the device performance including inducing a local mechanical stress upon the channel of a device. These techniques include inducing compressive stress by shallow trench isolation (STI), embedding silicon-germanium (SiGe) in the source and/or drain regions of the device, and introducing a nitride layer at a contact etch stop layer level.

Systems and methods for fabricating nanometric-scale semiconductor devices with dual-stress layers using double-stress oxide/nitride stacks


A vascular access system and clearing method. A vascular access system is provided comprising an implantable access port for receiving medication transdermally, a catheter connected to an outlet in said port for infusing that medication into the blood stream, a wire for clearing the catheter of an obstruction, and a non-coring needle for inserting the wire transdermally into the access port and catheter. The access port includes a chamber for receiving medication, the chamber having an outlet whose bottom portion is substantially flush with the bottom portion of the chamber outlet to promote emptying of the chamber and feeding the guide wire into the outlet. The catheter is attached to the port by placing it over a cannula connected to the outlet and forcing a sleeve over the end of the catheter. An obstruction is cleared from the catheter by inserting the needle transdermally into the chamber, feeding the wire into the needle, tilting the needle so as to move the opening of the needle near the outlet of the chamber and feeding the wire from the opening of the needle through the outlet into the catheter to force all or a portion of the obstruction out of the way. The wire is then removed and an anti-fibrolitic material is injected transdermally to dissolve some or all of the remaining obstruction. Such an anti-fibrolitic material may also be used to soften the obstruction prior to forcing it out of the way with the wire.

This invention relates to vascular access systems implanted in individuals for the infusion of medication, and particularly to vascular access systems which can be cleared of obstructions in place and methods for clearing such systems.
In the treatment of many illnesses it is necessary to infuse medication directly into the bloodstream periodically. To avoid having to locate a blood vessel for injection by a needle each time, it is desirable to implant a catheter into the circulatory system through which the medication is infused. To avoid having a catheter extend through the skin, which presents a danger of infection as well as considerable inconvenience and discomfort, the catheter is terminated at a vascular access port implanted beneath the skin and having a self sealing membrane penetrable by a needle for injecting the medication. Often, the medication is toxic in concentrated amounts and, therefore, must be infused through a catheter into a large volume of blood. To accomplish this, the catheter is fed through a vessel to a chamber of the heart. This combination of components is typically referred to as a vascular access system.
A problem that arises with implanted vascular access systems is that, despite steps taken after they are used to keep them clear, the catheter often becomes clogged with coagulated blood or other material between usages and is difficult to clear for use again. When there is an obstruction in an implanted infusion port there are basically two known approaches for solving the problem. One is to inject a dissolving agent such as heparin to try to dissolve the obstruction. Often this does not work, so the second approach must be used, which is to remove and replace the system. However, replacing the access system is dangerous, not only because it is an invasive procedure, but because removal of the system usually causes debris on the catheter to break away and enter the blood stream, which presents a risk of blockage of blood circulation to parts of the body.
One device previously known for clearing salt blockages in a drainage catheter is disclosed in Rumberger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,030,213, issued Jul. 9, 1991. However, this device is only suitable for a catheter whose proximal end extends outside of the body so that a router wire can be inserted into the catheter and a pin vice can be attached to the end of the catheter for rotating the router wire. Such a pin vice and router wire cannot be used with an implanted vascular access system.
Hawkins, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,812, issued Dec. 13, 1988, and Stevens U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,325, issued Aug. 8, 1989, both disclose devices and methods for removing an obstruction in a blood vessel. In Hawkins, Jr. et al. a cable with a cutting tip on its end is housed within a catheter which is inserted into the blood vessel. The cutting tip is pushed out the end of the catheter and rotated by the cable to fragment an obstruction. In Stevens, a guide wire is housed within a catheter inserted in the blood vessel so that the tip of the wire extends slightly beyond the tip of the catheter. The guide wire is caused to reciprocate at high speed to ram the tip through an obstruction. However, both of these devices and methods also employ a catheter whose proximal end extends outside the body and which would not be suitable for an implanted vascular access system.
Accordingly, there is a need for a vascular access system and clearing method for periodic infusion of medication wherein communication of the system with the exterior of the body is minimized and the catheter portion of the system may be cleared without removal of the system from the patient.

Vascular access system and clearing method