An objective lens includes a first optical path difference providing structure in which a first basic structure and a second basic structure are overlapped together, and a second optical path difference providing structure in which a third basic structure, a fourth basic structure, and a fifth basic structure are overlapped together. The first and third basic structures emit diffracted light fluxes with the same diffraction order having the maximum light amount. The second and fourth basic structures emit diffracted light fluxes with the same diffraction order having the maximum light amount. The fifth basic structure emits 0th-order diffracted light fluxes with the maximum light amount, for the first light flux, emits 0th-order diffracted light fluxes with the maximum light amount, for the second light flux, and emits Gth-order diffracted light fluxes with the maximum light amount, for the third light flux, where G is an integer excluding zero.

There has been a trend in recent years for a laser light source which is used as a light source in an optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information which has been recorded in an optical disc and for recording information on an optical disc, toward a shorter wavelength. For example, laser light sources with 390-420 nm wavelength, such as a blue-violet semiconductor laser, are reaching the stage of practical application. By using these blue-violet laser light sources, information of 15-20 GB can be recorded on an optical disc with a diameter of 12 cm by using an objective lens with the same numerical aperture (NA) as that for DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), and information of 23-25 GB can be recorded onto an optical disc with a diameter of 12 cm by using an objective lens with increased NA up to 0.85.
As an example of an optical disc using the above-described objective lens with NA 0.85, there is cited a BD (Blu-ray Disc). Since increased comma is generated because of a tilt (skew) of the disc, a BD has been designed so that a protective layer has thinner thickness (which is 0.1 mm, while that of DVD is 0.6 mm) than that of DVD, to reduce the amount of comma caused by the skew.
On the other hand, it is considered that an optical disc player/recorder (optical information recording reproducing apparatus) is worthless as a product when the optical disc player/recorder is capable of recording/reproducing information just for BDs properly. Taking account of a fact that, at present, DVDs and CDs (Compact Discs) storing various kinds of information have been on the market, it is not sufficient that the optical disc player/recorder can record/reproduce information just for BDs, and an attempt providing an optical disc player/recorder capable to record/reproduce information also for DVDs and CDs which have already been owned by users, leads to enhancement of a commercial value of the optical disc player/recorder for BDs. From such the background, an optical pickup apparatus installed in the high-density optical disc player/recorder is required to be capable of appropriately recording/reproducing information not only for BDs but also for a DVDs and a CDs.
As a method by which information can be adequately recorded/reproduced while the compatibility is maintained to anyone of BDs, DVDs and CDs, there can be considered a method to selectively switch an optical system for BDs and an optical system for DVDs and CDs, corresponding to a recording density of an optical disc on which information is recorded/reproduced. However, it is disadvantageous for the size-reduction and increases a cost, because plural of optical systems are needed.
Accordingly, in order to simplify a structure of the optical pickup apparatus and to intend a reduction of its cost, it is preferable to form the optical system for BDs and the optical system for DVDs and CDs into a common optical system, to reduce the number of optical parts forming the optical pickup apparatus as much as possible, even in the optical pickup apparatus with compatibility. Then, providing the common objective lens which is arranged with facing an optical disc, is most advantageous for the simplification of the structure and for cost reduction of the optical pickup apparatus. In order to obtain a common objective lens for plural kinds of optical discs which use different wavelengths for recording/reproducing information, it is required that a diffractive structure having a wavelength dependency for the spherical aberration, is formed in the objective optical system.
Further, it is required that an objective lens commonly used for three types of optical disc of BDs, DVDs, and CDs, can cope with a difference in necessary numerical aperture among BDs, DVDs, and CDs. For example, the objective lens is requested to converge a light flux passing through the almost whole area of an effective optical surface of the objective lens, onto an information recording surface, for BDs with large necessary numerical aperture; and is requested to converge a light flux passing through the central portion of the objective lens, onto an information recording surface and to form a light flux passing through the surrounding portion of the central portion into a flare light so as not to converge the light flux onto an information recording surface, for CDs with small necessary numerical aperture. Therefore, an objective lens commonly used for three types of optical disc of BDs, DVDs, and CDs has an optical surface which is divided into three concentric areas (central area CN for converging light fluxes for BDs, DVDs, and CDs, intermediate area MD for converging light fluxes for BDs and DVD, and peripheral area OT for converging a light flux for BDs), and these areas are formed to exhibit different optical performances.
However, it has been found that such the objective lens hardly maintain its optical performance without occurrence of phase shift for certain two wavelength on the border of the central area and the intermediate area.
With respect to the difficulty, JP-A No. 2008-293630 has provided an objective lens including two basic structures which are overlapped together in the central area and exhibit the same diffraction order, and further including two basic structures which are overlapped together in the intermediate area and exhibit the same diffraction order. Thereby, an objective lens without the problem of the phase shift on the boundary of the central area and the intermediate area, and an optical pickup apparatus equipped with the objective lens are provided.
The inventor has tried to design an objective lens compatibly used for of BDs, DVDs, and CDs, based on an example of an objective lens compatibly used for of HD-DVDs, DVDs, and CDs disclosed in JP-A No. 2008-293630. However, it has been found that unwanted light generated when the objective lens works for a CD affects a converged spot, which makes difficult to record and/or reproduce information in excellent condition.

Objective lens, optical pickup apparatus, and optical information recording reproducing apparatus


The present invention provides a machine tool with a workpiece measuring instrument which prevents the workpiece measuring instrument from being affected by chips or cutting heat during non-machining, while enabling a workpiece W to be measured near a machining position. A machine tool has a bed 9 and a cover 3 surrounding a machining area R. Workpiece supporting means 6, machining means 7, and workpiece measuring instrument 31 are provided in the machining area R. Position switching means 32 is provided which moves the workpiece measuring instrument 31 between a position inside the machining area R and a storage position B outside the machining area R. The workpiece supporting means 6 is movable in a lateral direction. The workpiece measuring instrument 31 is movable forward and backward so as to freely switch its position, and measures the workpiece W.

To improve machining precision, automatic control machine tools use a workpiece measuring instrument to measure the dimensions of a roughly machined workpiece to correct the amount by which a tool is fed during finish machining on the basis of measurements. For example, the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication (Tokkai) 2004-34187 describes an example in which the machine tool is a lathe having, instead of tools, workpiece measuring instruments mounted on some of a plurality of tool stations of a tool stand comprising a turret.
In the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication (Tokkai) 2004-34187, the workpiece measuring instruments are mounted on the tool stand and located near a machining position during workpiece machining. Consequently, chips resulting from cutting may adhere to the workpiece measuring instruments to affect their detection precision. Machining vibration may also propagate to the workpiece measuring instruments, which may thus fail. The workpiece measuring instruments located near the machining position are also likely to be affected by cutting heat, and the workpiece measuring instruments may become hot and defective or have their functions degraded.
An object of the present invention is to provide a machine tool with a workpiece measuring instrument which prevents the workpiece measuring instrument from being affected by chips or cutting heat during non-machining, while enabling a workpiece to be measured near a machining position. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simplified means for switching a position of the workpiece measuring instrument.

Machine tool with workpiece measuring instrument and operating method for the same


A technique for use in, illustratively, a transform coder for imparting robustness against burst (or similar) errors to data patterns, such as illustratively two-dimensional image data, that exhibit local redundancy. Robustness is provided, in the case of images, by passing localized (blocked) image data, i.e. either pixel values or transformed, illustratively discrete cosine transform (DCT), image coefficient values therefor, through a global block transform, such as a global block Hadamard transform, prior to compression coding in order to produce "holographic-like" compressed data for subsequent transmission and/or storage. Specifically, globally transforming an image in this fashion effectively spreads (diffuses) the image data in each block of pixels in that image or in the transform coefficients therefor in a regularly ordered pre-defined global manner throughout the entire image to create what is, in effect, intentionally "smeared" image data. By subjecting the "smeared" image data upon de-compression to an inverse global block transformation, such as an inverse global block Hadamard transformation, then, even if a portion of the "smeared" data for an image is obliterated during transmission or playback, the entire image can still be advantageously reconstituted, though at a somewhat degraded quality, from the remaining "smeared" data.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a technique for use in illustratively a transform coder for imparting robustness against burst (or similar) errors to data, such as image data, that exhibits local redundancy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Image data, including still and motion images, is being increasingly manipulated in electronic form due, in part, to continued advances that are being made in the processing speed and sophistication available through digital circuitry. Generally, this manipulation involves, at least in part, for each separate image, either transmission or storage of a large matrix of digitized pixel values that collectively form that image.
Such a matrix (hereinafter referred to as an "image matrix") typically contains a substantial number of bits. For example, a digitized 256 level grayscale image containing 576 rows by 720 columns of eight-bit pixels, produces an image matrix that contains approximately 3.3 Mbits. Increasingly fine horizontal and vertical resolutions produce image matrices that contain larger numbers of bits. Color images, particularly those that are encoded to contain separate color coordinate matrices, contain substantially larger amounts of bits. Inasmuch as transmission bandwidth in a communications system is limited and digital storage capacity is finite, though often quite large, substantial efforts have been expended for some time in the art to devise various techniques that can be used to compress the information contained in an image matrix in order to appreciably reduce the number of bits that need to be transmitted or stored for each individual image.
A family of such compression techniques which is very well-known in the art, and that is showing increasing promise for use with digitized images, involves the use of the discrete cosine transform (DCT). This transform is attractive inasmuch as it, inter alia, only deals with real, and not imaginary, components and computationally is relatively easy and fast to implement. Moreover, the DCT has the advantageous property that most of the information for each image is encoded into relatively few transform coefficients that represent low spatial frequency information which, in general, approximately matches the response pattern of a human eye. Through use of the DCT, very good quality images, for a particular sampling scheme, can result from as little as 1 bit/pixel, while the same scheme with loss-less techniques typically require 4-5 bits/pixel.
In essence, compressing an image using the DCT often involves first horizontally and vertically partitioning a digitized image into separate blocks, each containing typically an 8-by-8 matrix of pixel values. The pixel values in each 8-by-8 block are then separately converted through the DCT into a corresponding 8-by-8 matrix of transform coefficients. Thereafter, each coefficient matrix is quantized to produce quantized DCT coefficients. The quantized coefficients are then converted through a suitable compression coder into an appropriate transmission symbol(s). The quantization process may involve scaling, rounding and/or truncation. If proper quantizing is used, any diminished high spatial frequency content in the image is rarely, if ever, apparent to a viewer. The compression coder is frequently an entropy coder which utilizes increasingly fewer bits to code coefficients for increasingly high spatial frequencies over those used to code the low frequency components. While the quantization process imparts some loss into the image and is irreversible, the coding process used within the compression coder itself is usually reversible and, for the most part, loss-less.
Specifically, for purposes of compression, the coding process (hereinafter referred to as "compression coding") typically involves first sequentially re-ordering the transform coefficients for each block into a so-called zig-zag sampling pattern starting with the DC coefficient (zero frequency component) in the upper left hand corner of the 8-by-8 coefficient matrix. Coefficients for increasing horizontal frequencies are situated horizontally to the right in the matrix; coefficients for increasing vertical frequencies are situated vertically down the matrix. This pattern eventually results in a one-dimensional array of DCT coefficients qualitatively arranged in order of ascending spatial frequencies. The AC coefficients are then encoded in their order of occurrence. A coding technique, such as a Huffman code, is used to efficiently encode, typically through run-length encoding, each run of zero coefficients in a block. This coding scheme also establishes amplitude categories for each non-zero coefficient and assigns a unique codeword to each such category. Each such non-zero DCT coefficient is encoded by a codeword, which specifies the appropriate amplitude category for that coefficient, and is followed by additional bits that identify a precise magnitude of the coefficient within that particular category. A separate codeword is assigned to an end-of-block code and is typically sent after the last non-zero coefficient in the block (unless that coefficient is at position 63). The DC coefficient is often encoded using one-dimensional Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM) using the DC coefficient for the most recently occurring DCT transformed block as a prediction for the DC coefficient of the current transformed block. A Huffman code is frequently used to encode a difference value for the DC coefficient in terms of a unique codeword, that represents an amplitude category for that coefficient relative to a quasi-logarithmic scale, followed by additional bits that specify the coefficient value within that category. A transmission symbol is then formed of each codeword and any associated additional bits, if they exist. Inasmuch as the high order frequency coefficients are frequently zero-valued, increasingly fewer bits are used to encode each coefficient value for increasingly higher spatial frequencies. For additional details regarding the DCT, its use with image data and compression coding of transform coefficients, the reader is referred to K. R. Rao et al, Discrete Cosine Transform--Algorithms, Advantages, Applications (.COPYRGT.1990: Academic Press, San Diego) and N. Ahmed et al, "Discrete Cosine Transform", IEEE Transactions on Computers, January 1974, pages 90-93.
The resulting compression coded bits are then either transmitted through a communication channel to a far end receiver or stored on a suitable media, such as magnetic or optical, for subsequent playback. To construct a received or reconstruct a stored image, the process described above is essentially reversed, including inversion of the DCT, with compressed transformed data as input thereto and pixel data as resulting output therefrom.
Unfortunately, in "real world" environments, burst errors occur which corrupt the transmission or playback of image data. These errors are particularly problematic during data communication over a packet network. In such a network, compressed image data for a single image is sent as a number of successively occurring data packets. As these networks continue to proliferate to provide increasingly economic point-to-point data transport vehicles, more and more images are being transmitted as packet data. A burst (or similar) error, when it occurs and often due to a temporary failure in a communication channel itself or in transmission equipment connected thereto, will simply corrupt and destroy one or more successive packets of image data. As such, a localized portion of the reconstructed image will simply be lost. Hence, a reconstructed image will be depicted as containing a "hole" or blackened area corresponding to the corrupted data. The size of such a hole is directly related to the number of packets that has been lost. The greater the loss, the larger the hole and, conversely, the lesser the loss, the smaller the hole. While a complete loss of localized image data may be tolerated in reconstructed images used in some image processing applications, such a loss is simply intolerable in many other such applications. As such, these latter applications could not be effectively used with image data that underwent compression and experienced burst (or similar) errors. Burst errors can also occur during playback due to, for example, localized defects in the media that will permanently corrupt a portion of the stored image data or by virtue of a condition, such as dirt or the like on the media or an optical sensor, that temporarily obscures the sensed data.
Furthermore, it is expected that the art, in its continual efforts to conserve transmission bandwidth and maximize storage efficiencies, will continue to develop compression schemes to provide increasing amounts of compression for image data, including transform coefficient values. Naturally, as the degree of data compression used in coding image data increases, each packet or stored bit sequence will contain data for a spatially larger portion of the image. Unfortunately, as the compression increases, then a burst (or similar) error, even if it affects only a relatively small or even constant number of packets or stored bits, will consequently obliterate an increasingly larger portion of the image.
Thus a need exists in the art for a technique for use in transmission and/or storage of compressed data, particularly image (including both still and motion) data, and which is capable of imparting robustness to that data against burst or similar errors. Furthermore, such a technique should be suitable for use with transform coders, and particularly but not exclusively with those coders that utilize the DCT.

Technique for use in a transform coder for imparting robustness to compressed image data through use of global block transformations

International Business Machines Corporation


A container assembly is provided for collecting capillary blood from a lanced wound. The container includes an integral lip for facilitating collection from the wound with the entire length of the container from lip to curved closed end being substantially the same large diameter for rapid collection before coagulation. The container includes an annular integral skirt enclosing the rounded bottom of the container to provide an annular stable surface for maintaining the container upright on a flat surface to facilitate subsequent examination of the collected blood. A cap for the assembly includes an annular space for receiving the top edge of the container in sealing engagement. This same annular space in the cap receives the annular bottom surface of the container skirt to join the two parts together when the container is open. The cap, in turn, includes an annular skirt for holding the open assembly in stable erect position on a flat surface. One form of the cap includes an expanded skirt for enclosing an annular flange extending from and adjacent to the top edge of the container, the latter being for the purpose of increasing the cooperating surfaces between the cap and the container top edge in the closed positions of the cap.

This invention relates to a blood collection device for a microcollection container. More particularly, this invention relates to a blood collection device wherein the top edge of the container includes an integral scoop with a large engaging surface for engaging the puncture for collecting blood, and a substantially larger continuous container diameter throughout the length thereof for rapidly transferring the blood from the collecting tip into the container itself. Because of the relatively large engaging surface for engaging the puncture wound, the arrangement, in accordance herewith, does not require precise positioning of the scoop engaging surface in order to initiate and rapidly transfer a quantity of blood to the microcollection container.
Moreover, because of the continuously large diameter of the length of the container from the very tip of the scoop to the rounded bottom surface of the container, no venting is required in order to remove displaced air from the container in order to allow for the volume of blood flow into the container.
As will be appreciated by practitioners-in-the-art, analytical instrumentation has made it possible to carry out a variety of hematological diagnostic procedures on very small quantities of blood. Because of this, a patient's finger or earlobe, for example, may be punctured and a very small quantity of blood rapidly collected into a microcollection container for such test. Such arrangements obviate the need to withdraw venous blood from patients. However, such a collection arrangement must be such that the blood is rapidly collected prior to any coagulation thereof.
In the past, arrangements have been provided wherein a cap or top arrangement is configured to fit the top of a microcollection container with the top having an integral capillary tube for engaging the puncture and transferring blood to the container. However, with such an arrangement, the tip of the capillary tube must be arranged precisely adjacent the puncture wound and the entire apparatus must be so positioned that the blood flow is along the bottom surface of the tubular microcollection container, once the blood passes through the capillary tube in order to engage the surface of the container. Otherwise, if a precise positioning is not carried out, capillary action is not initiated or slowed, with subsequent clotting. A blood collector of the type utilizing a capillary tube is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,024,856, issued May 24, 1977; 4,215,700, issued Aug. 5, 1980; 4,250,893, issued Feb. 17, 1981; 4,411,163, issued Oct. 25, 1983; and 4,132,225, issued Jan. 2, 1979.
Other representative blood microcollection tubes have been developed wherein the configuration of the opening of the top of the collection container is modified in order to receive and seal in engagement an elastomeric-type stopper for sealing and maintaining the collected blood specimen prior to examination. Representative of such structures include, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,477 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,620. Also, attention is called to FIG. 3 in U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,477 which teaches an integral bottom skirt 45 for stabilizing the container on a flat surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,185 teaches an integral collection lip for facilitating collection of blood from the wound. However, the container itself is of very small dimension and is difficult to handle. One of the problems with blood collection at this time, of course, is contamination from the specimen. The small configuration of the collection container taught and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,185 is difficult to handle and is easily dropped or spilled during manipulation of the container for examination of the collected specimen or in the actual collection procedure. This is particularly true when a small baby, for example, is squirming while having a sample of blood obtained from a lanced sole of the foot.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,318 teaches a separate blood collection cap for a microcollection container with the cap including a scoop for collecting blood. The cap also includes a vent arrangement for allowing for the venting of air from the container displaced by the blood flowing into the container, so as to reduce any slowing up of the collection of the blood from the actual collection cap into the container. Such an arrangement, however, requires removal of the cap and the scoop and replacement with a sealing cap for transporting the collected specimen to a laboratory for examination.
With this invention, by contrast, and as noted above, a scoop arrangement is provided which is integral with the top edge of the collection container. No separate part is involved. Moreover, the container, including the area immediately adjacent the scoop, is of wide continuous diameter throughout the length of the container so that no air vent is required. Thus, the technician collects the blood from the wound which flows immediately into the container and then the cap provided can be placed in sealing engagement on top of the container.
The cap of the assembly of the invention includes an annular space for receiving the top edge of the container in sealing engagement. This annular space includes provision for incorporating therein the integral scoop on the top edge of the container as well. Part of the provisions of the present invention include the mating surfaces of the cap and the container. The configuration is such, as will be described in more detail below, as to provide substantial sealing between the cap and the container to preclude any blood leakage.
Moreover, the annular space utilized for receiving the top edge of the container also is useful for receiving sequentially the bottom skirt integral with the bottom surface of the container so that the cap may be placed on the bottom surface when the technician opens the container for examination of the specimen. This same positioning may be utilized by the technician during the collection procedure in order for the cap to be readily available for replacement on the open end of the container once collection has taken place.
A further feature of the present invention is a snap-lock feature with the inner seal of the cap relative to the container. Moreover, because of the arrangement of the seal of the cap with the container, any blood on the seal of the cap will not come in contact with the container when the cap is stored on the bottom of the container. Finally, because of the wide open mouth of the lip of the container in this invention, blood flows into the tube at any collection angle, and the dimension of the tube is of a size which makes it much easier to handle in the general sense than the very narrow microcollection tubes currently in use.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.


A vision control system for controlling a vision of a glass surface of a locomotive. The vision control system includes a sensing module for detecting at least one parameter related to the glass surface. The sensing module includes a moisture sensing device configured to detect a presence of moisture on the glass surface and a photo sensor configured to detect an opacity of the glass surface. The vision control system also includes a cleaning system configured to perform a cleaning operation on the glass surface. The vision control system further includes a controller communicably coupled to the sensing module and the cleaning system. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of the at least one parameter related to the glass surface from the sensing module and communicate with the cleaning system to control the cleaning operation based on the received signal.

Typically, machines such as locomotives include one or more windshields disposed in a cabin to facilitate viewing of tracks and other surroundings of the locomotive. In some cases, an unattended locomotive may include a monitoring device such as a camera disposed in the cabin. The camera may provide data related to the surroundings of the locomotive such as tracks etc. as seen through the windshields. In some cases due to various environment or operational conditions, moisture or fog may be present on one or more of the windshields. Presence of moisture, fog or other particulate matter may affect the visibility through the windshields for the operator and/or the camera.
Conventionally, the machines may include windshield wipers or other cleaning devices to improve visibility through the windshield. These devices are typically activated after a certain time interval or by an operator. However, manual activation of these devices may not be possible in case of unattended locomotives. Further, these methods may not be efficient and accurate.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,345,445 describes a wiping system for use on a vehicle window. The wiping system includes a window wiper assembly positioned proximate the window, a first sensor for detecting the presence of moisture on the window and a second sensor for detecting if the vehicle has been remotely started. A controller is coupled to the wiper assembly and to the first and second sensors and enables the wiper assembly when the vehicle has been remotely started and moisture is present on the window. The wiping system also comprises a third sensor for detecting the presence of moisture on the window, a fourth sensor for detecting vehicle shut-down, and a fifth sensor for sensing the temperature of the window. The controller is coupled to each of the third, fourth, and fifth sensors and enables the wiper assembly when the vehicle has been shut-down for less than a predetermined period of time, the temperature of the window exceeds a temperature threshold, and moisture is detected on the window.

Visibility control system and method for locomotive


A morphological find and replace editing tool for a word processor replaces inflected forms of a user-specified find word in a text document with inflected forms of a user-specified replacement word having matching parts of speech. The tool retrieves sets of word forms having a same root word as the find and replacement words, respectively, from a word forms database. The tool selects a single set of word forms with a common root word for each of the find and replacement words such that the find and replacement words are matching parts of speech. Where word forms in the find word's set are found in the text document, they are replaced with a word form from the replacement word's set with a best matching part of speech.

When editing a text document, it is sometimes useful to replace a particular character pattern (e.g., one or more characters, a word, or group of words) with another. In some cases, a word may be consistently misspelled throughout a document and needs to be replaced with its correct spelling. In other cases, an original word choice used consistently throughout a document may be stylistically poor and can be improved by replacement with a better choice. In still others, common punctuation or formatting errors (e.g., a single space after a period) may require replacement with the correct character pattern (e.g., period, double space). Making these kinds of global changes to a document manually can prove to be tedious, time consuming, and subject to human error.
Some prior word processors provide a find and replace editing tool to automate the task of replacing one character pattern with another. In general, these tools allow a user to specify a particular combination of characters (a "find pattern") to be searched for in a text document, and a particular combination of characters (a "replacement pattern") which is to replace the find pattern. Some prior find and replace editing tools allow the user optionally to include search qualifiers, such as wildcard characters, to specify limited variations of the find and/or replacement patterns. Typically, the user also can specify whether to replace occurrences of the find pattern one at a time (to confirm each replacement), or all at once. Employing a string search algorithm, the find and replace tool searches the text of the document for any occurrence of the find pattern in a forward or backward direction starting from a particular location (e.g., current insertion point), or within a selected text block. When an occurrence of the find pattern is located, the tool replaces the occurrence with the replacement pattern.
Most words have various inflected forms to indicate certain grammatical relationships, such as number, case, gender, tense, etc. This can create a problem when replacing one word choice with another. In typical prior find and replace editing tools, only a fixed find pattern and fixed replacement pattern can be specified. Accordingly, with these prior find and replace editing tools, each inflected form of the words must be separately replaced. Since the user is responsible for separately initiating replacement of each inflected form, the task of replacing one word choice for another therefore is slow and subject to human error.
Some prior find and replace editing tools provide pattern matching features which allow some limited variations of the find and replacement patterns to be specified using search qualifiers. A user potentially can construct find and replacement patterns to replace inflected forms of one word choice with another in a single find and replace editing operation, by using search qualifiers to specify variations of the patterns for each of the word choices' inflected forms. However, the search qualifiers generally are difficult for the average user to learn and use. Since the variations of the find and replacement patterns would have to be specified in exacting detail, constructing such find and replacement patterns would require exact knowledge of the word choices' inflected forms, and would be difficult, error prone, and time consuming for even sophisticated users.
One prior word processor, Novell's WordPerfect version 6.1 for Windows word processor ("WordPerfect 6.1"), has a find and replace editing tool which provides a "word forms" option. When this option is selected, the find and replace editing tool replaces inflected forms of a find word with corresponding inflected forms of a replacement word (i.e., the find word is "morphologically" replaced with the replacement word). To specify the find and replacement words, the user can enter any inflected form of these words. For example, when "run" is specified as the find word and "walk" as the replacement word, an occurrence of an inflected form of run (i.e., run, runs, ran, and running) in the text document is replaced with the corresponding inflected form of walk (i.e., walk, walks, walked, and walking, respectively). The user optionally can choose to replace all occurrences of the inflected forms of the find word. The word forms option makes the task of replacing one word choice with another simpler and quicker, since the user need not account for nor separately initiate replacement of each inflected form of the words.
The word forms option of the WordPerfect 6.1 find and replace editing tool has a number of drawbacks, one of which is that it fails to resolve a number of common ambiguous situations. One such ambiguous situation arises from the fact that there are many words which are inflected forms of more than one base or root word. For example, the word "saw" is an inflected form of two root words, i.e., a noun singular form of root word "saw" (meaning a tool for cutting wood) and a past tense verb of root word "to see" (meaning to perceive visually). When such a word (which is an inflected form of multiple base words) is specified as the find or replace word, it is unclear which base word is intended by the user. The WordPerfect 6.1 find and replace editing tool fails to resolve this ambiguity. When a specified find or replace word is an inflected form of multiple base words, the WordPerfect 6.1 find and replace editing tool (with word forms option selected) finds and replaces inflected forms of all the multiple base words.
Another ambiguous situation results from the fact that many base words have inflected forms which constitute more than one part of speech. For example, the word "sheep" is both a singular and plural noun. Other words have separate inflected forms for singular and plural nouns (e.g., "goat" and "goats"). Additionally, some words have multiple plural forms (e.g., "thesauri" and "thesauruses"). As a result, one inflected form of the find word may correspond to multiple inflected forms of the replacement word. Again, the WordPerfect 6.1 find and replace editing tool (with word forms option selected) fails to resolve the ambiguity. When an inflected form of the find word corresponds to multiple inflected forms of the replacement word, the user is presented with a list of the multiple corresponding inflected forms of the replacement word from which to select. The first word form in the list is presented to the user as a default selection, which the user can select by pressing the "return" key. Alternatively, the user can select another of the word forms with the "arrow" keys or mouse. This considerably slows the task of replacing word choices.
The failure of the find and replace editing tool in WordPerfect 6.1 to resolve many ambiguous situations can prove particularly destructive when the user chooses to replace all occurrences of the find word (rather than replacing one occurrence at a time so as to confirm replacement). Due to the unresolved ambiguities, choosing to replace all occurrences may have results that are neither intended nor expected by the user. For example, replacing all occurrences of "saw" with "hammer" (with intent to replace inflected forms of their noun base words) has the unintended consequence of also replacing verb forms of "to see" with verb forms of "to hammer" (e.g., "seen" with "hammered"). Further, when there are multiple matching inflected forms, WordPerfect 6.1's find and replace tool selects the default first word form in the corresponding inflected word forms list without user confirmation. These results can be very difficult for the user to foresee and correct.
An object of the invention is to prevent user errors by automating replacement of word choices.
Another object of the invention is to provide an editing tool that morphologically replaces a user-specified find word with a user-specified replacement word in an efficient manner.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an editing tool for morphologically finding and replacing words so as to resolve ambiguities resulting from a user-specified find or replace word having multiple root words, and from an inflected form of one of the find or replace words corresponding to multiple inflected forms of another of the find or replace words.
A further object of the invention is to help prevent unintended or destructive consequences to the user's text document when morphologically finding and replacing words.


A process is presented for producing stable multi-enzyme containing granules. The process involves the steps of mixing a reversible competitive inhibitor with a first enzyme, adding a second incompatible enzyme, adding a carrier, extruding and granulating the resulting mixture and reducing the moisture content if necessary.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to enzyme granules containing at least two different enzymes, to a process for their production and to the use of the granules in solid or liquid detergents and cleaning formulations.
2. Statement of Related Art
Enzymes, especially proteases, are widely used in detergents, washing aids and cleaning products. Normally, the enzymes are not used as pure substances, but rather in the form of mixtures with a diluent/carrier material. If enzyme preparations of this type are added to conventional detergents, a considerable reduction in enzyme activity can occur during storage, especially if bleaching-active compounds are present. Application of the enzymes to carrier salts and simultaneous granulation in accordance with DE-OS 16 17 190 or by bonding using nonionic surfactants in accordance with DE-OS 16 17 188 or aqueous solutions of cellulose ethers in accordance with DE-OS 17 67 568 does not lead to a significant improvement in storage stability because the sensitive enzymes are generally situated on the surface of the carrier in mixtures of the type in question. Although the stability of the enzymes in storage can be significantly increased by coating the enzymes with or encapsulating them in the carrier material and converting them into the required particle form by extrusion, pressing and spheronizing, as described for example in DE-PS 16 17 232, in DE-OS 20 32 768 and in DE-ASS 21 37 042 and 21 37 043, corresponding enzyme preparations have poor solubility properties. The undissolved particles can become caught up in and thus soil the washing or pass into the wastewater without being used. Although the encapsulating compositions known from DE-OS 18 03 099, which consist of a mixture of solid acids or acidic salts and carbonates or bicarbonates and which disintegrate on addition of water, improve the solubility of the enzyme preparations, they are extremely sensitive to moisture and, accordingly, require additional protective measures. Another disadvantage of the above-mentioned preparation is that the enzymes can only be processed in the form of dry powders. The fermenter broths typically accumulating in the enzyme production process cannot be used in this form, but have to be freed from water beforehand.
EP 168 526 describes enzyme granules which contain water-swellable starch, zeolite and a water-soluble granulation aid. This document proposes a production process for such formulations which overcomes the problem mentioned above and which essentially comprises concentrating a fermenter solution freed from insoluble constituents, introducing the additives mentioned and granulating the resulting mixture. The process using the additive mixture proposed therein is advantageously carried out with fermentation solutions which have been concentrated to a relatively high dry matter content, for example of 55% by weight.
International patent application WO 92/11347 describes enzyme granules for use in granular detergents and cleaning compositions which contain 2% by weight to 20% by weight of enzyme, 10% by weight to 50% by weight of swellable starch, 5% by weight to 50% by weight of water-soluble organic polymer as granulation aid, 10% by weight to 35% by weight of cereal flour and 3% by weight to 12% by weight of water. These additives enable the enzyme to be processed without significant losses of activity. In addition, the storage stability of the enzymes in the granules is also satisfactory.
As demonstrated by way of example by the documents cited above, a broad prior art exists in the field of the production of granular enzyme preparations, so that various possibilities for making up individual enzymes in particulate form are available to the expert. Unfortunately, the methods mentioned fail when two or more enzymes capable of reacting with one another are to be incorporated in the same granule. This problem arises in particular in connection with protease which, as a protein-degrading enzyme, is of course capable of decomposing a second enzyme and/or other enzyme present at the same time. If this decomposition process takes place during the production and/or storage of the enzyme granules, the effect of the second enzyme and/or other enzymes under in-use conditions is no longer guaranteed.
Solutions to this problem have also been proposed in the prior art. Thus, according to International patent application WO 90/09440, two-enzyme granules are produced by coating a protease- and cellulose-containing core with a total of 10 layers (alternately stearic acid/palmitic acid glyceride and kaolin) the quantity of protective coating material in the Examples exceeding the quantity of core, subsequently applying a mixture of a second enzyme, a binder, a filler and a granulation aid and, finally, applying an outer coating. A production process such as this is unfavorable on account of the large amount of separating material required between the enzyme-containing core and the layer containing the second enzyme which lies further to the outside. Another disadvantage can be that, under in-use conditions, the enzyme on the outside dissolves first, the second enzyme only being released from the core at a later stage so that the two enzymes are unable to develop their effects at the same time.
Hitherto unpublished German patent application DE 43 29 463 describes a process for the production of multi-enzyme granules in which two separately prepared batches of granules differing in size and each containing an enzyme are agglomerated in a subsequent co-granulation step.
It is known from European patent application EP 304 332 that enzyme-containing basic granules can be coated with powder-form components containing a second enzyme. However, this method of producing multi-enzyme granules often leads to inadequate stability of the second enzyme present in the outer layer which, in addition, has to be prepared beforehand in powder form--another disadvantage of this method. In this variant, too, the two enzymes are generally not released simultaneously in the wash or cleaning liquor.


A ceramic particulate material which comprises particles having an irregular three dimensional surface profile having jagged projections and a median particle diameter of 200 micrometers or less, the particles being fractals produced by comminution of foamed ceramic material. The material may be such that in a sphere of rotation of the particle, from 30% to 80% of the volume of the sphere is void, the remainder being continuous solid material. The material may be produced by a process which includes providing a suspension of ceramic forming particles e.g., of an aluminosilicate such as clay, in a liquid medium; incorporating a gas in the liquid medium before or after formation of the suspension therein to produce a foamed suspension; extruding the foamed suspension; optionally drying the extrudate formed thereby; calcining the extrudate; and comminuting the calcined material, e.g. by crushing. The material may be used as a substitute for diatomite.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to particulate materials. In particular, it relates to ceramic particulate materials.
2. Background Art
Diatomite alternatively known as diatomaceous earth or kieselguhr, is a fine grained material composed chiefly of amorphous silica, which is obtained from naturally occurring sources in sedimentary rock.
Diatomite has several useful properties, including ornate fine particle structure, brightness, low bulk density, high porosity and surface area, insulating ability and relative chemical inertness and, after processing, finds wide commercial use in a range of commercial and industrial applications.
Diatomite does however have disadvantages. It contains substantial amounts of free silica which, when the material is calcined, is believed by some to present a potential health hazard. As a result, care has to be exercised in the storage, handling and disposal of processed diatomite. For example, disposal of spent processed diatomite which has been employed in filtration processes is usually carried out by burial in landfill sites.


A fuel strainer for use in a turbine that filters debris out of fuel feed lines of the turbine to prevent clogging of flame nozzles in the turbine. The strainer comprises an elongated straining member with a plurality of apertures therethrough. The sum of the cross-sectional areas of the apertures is significantly greater than the cross-sectional area of the fuel feed line, and each individual aperture is smaller than all of the fuel holes in the flame nozzles.

This invention relates to combustion gas turbines and the fuel supply systems therefor.
Since the end of World War II, combustion gas turbines have been utilized in many industrial applications and have taken a prominent position as energy producers. For example, turbines are utilized in conjunction with oil refineries to burn waste and by-product gases from the refinery as fuel for the turbine to produce electricity which can be used or sold to an electric company and steam which is utilized by the oil refinery. A facility which produces steam for use by an oil refinery and electricity for use and sale is commonly referred to as a cogeneration plant.
A typical turbine used at a cogeneration plant and in other applications, takes in air which is compressed and forced into a combustion chamber inside the turbine. The gases produced at the oil refinery flow through fuel lines to nozzles in the combustion chambers where the fuel is combusted thereby heating the air and increasing the pressure in the combustion chamber. The products of combustion are allowed to expand inside stationary and rotating turbine blades in the turbine to impart torque to the turbine shaft which is connected to the rotating turbine blades. The rotation of the turbine shaft is utilized in many ways including, for example, to power a generator to produce electricity and to power an air compressor as a combustion air source.
In a typical turbine, there are ten flame nozzles spaced around the circumference of the turbine and each flame nozzle comprises an outer ring nozzle and an inner ring nozzle. The inner ring nozzle is supplied with butane and the outer ring nozzle is supplied with natural gas, refinery waste, or a mixture of the two. Each has a plurality of fuel holes through which the respective gas is passed. It is important that all the fuel holes remain open so that the shape of the flame emanating from the flame nozzle is uniform and the amount of fuel being burned and turbine power can be controlled. Though not unique to cogeneration plants, it is frequently the case that the fuel gas produced by the oil refinery is contaminated with debris such as scale and coke. Frequently, the debris is large enough to clog the holes in the natural gas nozzle. This restricts the flow of gas through the nozzle and deforms the flame shape creating temperature differences across the turbine which can lead to equipment damage and cause the turbine to perform inefficiently, shut down, or otherwise malfunction.
Extra maintenance above and beyond the manufacturer's recommended routine maintenance is required when the frequency with which the fuel holes become clogged with debris is increased. The extra maintenance, equipment damage, inefficient performance, shut downs, and other malfunctions all increase the cost of running the turbine. Further cost is added to the operation of the turbine by clogged flame nozzles because the nozzles must be sent off site to a qualified repair facility, usually the manufacturer, for cleaning and repair. It is desirable, therefore, to prevent debris from clogging the fuel holes.


A technique for tracking one or more thresholds relating to the blocking of a particular screen name used on an IM system is disclosed. If the number of people who have blocked a particular screen name reaches a threshold amount, a determination is made that the screen name is being used by a spimmer or other bothersome person, and disciplinary action can be taken. In a preferred embodiment, the email address associated with a user name of a suspected spimmer is identified and all screen names associated with that email address are also subjected to disciplinary action, if desired. Thus, an IM company can suspend all screen names of a spimmer that are tied to the same email address, even though not all (or even none) of the screen names individually have reached a threshold level for discipline/suspension.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of instant messaging systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Email is currently one of the most pervasive methods of communication in the world. Used for business or pleasure, email has revolutionized how companies do business and how friends stay in touch. Unfortunately, with the good also comes the bad. Electronic junk mail, known as "spam" is a term used to describe unsolicited and possibly illicit material coming from an unknown sender. The problem of spam is of such magnitude that federal legislation has been proposed and/or adopted to try to combat spam.
Another form of electronic communication, instant messaging ("IM") is following in the steps of email as a major form of electronic communication, both for business or pleasure. Spammers of course, have moved into IM as another source of contacts to whom they can send unsolicited spam. The process of spamming through an instant messaging system has been dubbed "spimming" by, among others, Information Week Magazine. Like spam, spim is annoying to, and may even cost, IM users.
To utilize spim, a spimmer must establish a "screen name" (SN) for the system on which they intend to send spim. The current practice of instant messaging companies when setting up a screen name for a user involves the gathering of limited information, typically only a name and email address. All of the information provided by the potential user can be invalid (fake), except for the email address. The email address given must be valid because a temporary password is mailed to the given email address. The following scenario is typical:
1. Spimmer obtains an email address from an ISP or another company providing free, web-based email accounts (e.g., Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.).
2. Using the email address, the spimmer requests an IM screen name from the IM Provider (possibly the same vendor as the ISP, e.g., Yahoo).
3. The IM Provider approves the requested screen name and sends a default password to the spimmer at the email address provided during the registration process.
4. The spimmer starts sending unsolicited mass IM messages (spim) using the new screen name.
All major IM companies give users of their system the ability to block messages coming from unknown senders or specific senders designated by the user. The user may select an option whereby any messages from a screen name not contained in the user's "Buddy List" (a list of screen names with whom the user corresponds) will be automatically blocked, or authorization may be requested before the message is accepted. In addition, most IM companies allow the user to designate specific screen names and place them in an "excluded list". Messages from screen names in the excluded list will be blocked unless they are removed from the excluded list.
A problem with this approach to blocking unwanted instant messages is that, in view of the simple manner in which screen names are obtainable, spimmers can and do have multiple screen names used for spimming. Thus, an IM user who blocks a particular screen name and any messages coming therefrom is still subject to attack by the same spimmer using a different screen name. This method requires that the user constantly update his or her list of excluded screen names as they occur. This is time consuming and annoying for IM users and is a significant problem.

Technique for detecting and blocking unwanted instant messages

International Business Machines Corporation


A process of manufacturing a semiconductor device utilizing a thermo-chemical reaction is started based on preset initial settings, a state function of an atmosphere associated with the thermo-chemical reaction is measured, a state of the atmosphere and a change thereof are analyzed based on measurement data obtained by the measurement, and then, analysis data obtained by the analysis is fed back to a manufacturing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a so-called hot process technique utilizing a thermo-chemical reaction of a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device for use in a hot process, for example, an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as an oxidization furnace, an annealing furnace, a CVD furnace, or an RTP furnace and an apparatus and method of controlling the same, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same, and a method and apparatus for simulating a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the miniaturization of a variety of electronic circuits provided in a semiconductor device, there has been a growing demand for improvement of precision in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device. In particular, higher precision is demanded in a manufacturing process utilizing a thermo-chemical reaction generally called a hot process. This hot process includes the step of forming a variety of thin films such as an insulating film, or alternatively, adjusting a scattering length of distribution of impurities when the impurities are implanted in a semiconductor.
As an example of a general hot process, an oxidizing process carried out when a thin film such as an insulating film is formed on a semiconductor substrate will be described with reference to a flow chart shown in FIG. 32.
First, as initial settings, a variety of parameters such as, gas temperature, gas flow rate and oxidization time when oxidization processing is carried out are inputted to a control computer for controlling a state of the inside an oxidization furnace that serves as a processing chamber in which oxidization processing is carried out. After these parameters have been inputted, a start signal is inputted to the control computer, whereby the start signal is transmitted from the control computer to the oxidization furnace. Then, oxidization processing is started based on the initial settings. Specifically, a series of processes such as bringing a substrate into the oxidization furnace, increasing a temperature, maintaining a temperature, introducing oxidization gas, gas change, reducing a temperature, and bringing a substrate to the outside the oxidization furnace is carried out in accordance with the initial setting values and preset process sequence.
Having checked that these processes have been carried out smoothly in accordance with the process sequence, the control computer transmits a stop signal to the oxidization furnace. The oxidization furnace having received the stop signal terminates oxidization processing. Then, a film thickness monitor installed inside or outside the oxidization furnace checks whether or not the thus-formed thin film has a desired film thickness. When the thin film is formed to have the desired film thickness, next processing is carried out based on the initial settings identical to the previous settings. Otherwise, the previous initial settings are modified, and next processing is carried out.
In general, as the control precision for executing the hot process is higher, it becomes more difficult to ignore the effects of turbulence of the atmosphere inside or outside the processing chamber in which the hot process is carried out, which is a so called disturbance on precision of control. Namely, in order to execute the hot process to be controlled with high precision, it is required to properly set the process to a normal state considering an effect caused by such disturbance. The disturbance used here includes, for example, change in pressure, temperature, or humidity outside the processing chamber as well as change in pressure, temperature, or humidity of the inside the processing chamber to which the semiconductor device is exposed.
However, as described previously, an effect caused by such disturbance is not considered at all in settings to be provided in accordance with the process sequence in which a series of processes is predetermined. For example, when a series of oxidization processes is repeatedly carried out based on the same settings, i.e., when a series of oxidization processings is carried out in a so-called batch scheme, an effect of the previous batch processing upon the next batch processing is not considered at all. For example, the temperature in the oxidization furnace after the previous patch processing has an effect on a work of increasing or reducing the temperature of the inside the oxidization furnace when the next batch processing is carried out. Specifically, due to the heat remaining in the oxidization furnace after the previous batch processing, the actual temperature in the oxidization furnace while the next batch processing is carried out deviates from a target temperature initially set when the next batch processing is started.
In addition, irrespective of a processing scheme, if a voltage applied to the control computer slightly changes, a flow rate of gas to be introduced into the oxidization furnace is different from the set quantity. It is generally impossible to precisely control the above disturbance by using a control computer. In the above settings, a dispersion in film thickness caused by an uncontrollable disturbance of the inside the oxidization furnace is not considered at all. Similarly, a dispersion in film thickness caused by an uncontrollable disturbance of the outside the oxidization furnace such as atmospheric pressure is not considered at all.
In order to consider the effect of the disturbance on the film thickness of an insulating film or scattering of impurities, it is required to carry out computation or simulation concerning an oxidization reaction or deposition process, or alternatively, process of scattering impurities. As the art concerning a simulation apparatus for carrying out such simulation, there is disclosed the art of comparing actual manufacturing data with simulation data in inventions proposed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-55145, or alternatively, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 11-288856.
However, an object of comparing manufacturing data with simulating data carried out in the inventions of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-55145 or No. 11-288856 is to provide simulation itself with high precision or to obtain correlation with actual manufacturing data. Namely, both of these inventions are not considered in view of improving the precision of process control such as modifying the manufacturing conditions or manufacturing parameters in order to execute the manufacturing process in a normal state. In addition, neither of these inventions carries out computation assuming disturbance. Thus, it is impossible to carry out computation considering a dispersion caused by disturbance or an error caused by such disturbance. Therefore, of course, the inventions of Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-55145 and No. 11-288856 fail to disclose a method of modifying a dispersion or error in film thickness caused by an uncontrollable disturbance inside or outside a processing system as a dispersion or error of each process.

Method and apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor device, method and apparatus for controlling the same, and method and apparatus for simulating manufacturing process of semiconductor device


A device and a related method for entrapping both flying or crawling insects such as mosquitos, fleas and ants and the like and which is effective in attracting such insects to the device when they become mired in a tacky entrapping composition. The device is constructed so that it can be easily stored when not in use. The device comprises a box-like arrangement having two halves which are hingedly connected to one another and which can be opened to form a pair of trays and expose an insect entrapping composition in each tray. A highly reflective foil surrounds a perimeter of each half or tray and which may be provided with a luminescent paint to attract the insects and a highly reflective peripheral flange surrounding each tray acts as a mirror surrounding the luminescent paint thereby further enhancing the attraction. When contacting the entrapping composition, the insects are thereupon mired in the entrapping composition. In an alternative embodiment, each tray could be provided with an insect repelling composition to repel insects such as ants.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful insect control devices, and more particularly, to a unique insect control device which can be used to either entrap insects or repel insects and which can be readily and easily opened or closed for use and for storage and which further precludes the evaporation of active ingredients when in the closed position.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Pest infestation and particularly infestation from crawling and flying insects has long been a problem which has been repeatedly addressed by human beings. Nominally, these pests are only an irritation which can result in the ruining of, or diminishing the pleasure derived from many outdoor functions. In many cases they can become a serious human threat as a result of carrying and breeding various types of disease organisms. Accordingly, there has been a continued effort to combat and reduce infestation of crawling and flying pests, such as fleas, flies and the like. The term crawling as used herein shall also mean and encompass insects which hop or jump, such as fleas.
There have been numerous proposed and commercially available pest entrapping devices. Generally, all of these devices rely upon a container which may hold a sticky or tacky entrapping composition to trap and hold a flea or other insect once the insect has landed on the composition.
The pest entrapping devices which have been taught or which are otherwise commercially available generally rely upon some type of tray to hold the entrapping composition and are commonly referred to as "traps" such as "flea traps". In each case, the tray typically adopts the form of a shallow rectangular pan to rest upon a supporting surface and with an open top to enable an insect to land on an entrapping composition. One form of tray which has been taught is that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,506 to Williams.
A more complex type of insect tray and particularly a flea tray which relies upon a light for attracting fleas to a cage, where they are thereafter entrapped is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,790 to Dryden, et al. A further type of flea trap, which relies upon a generally open tray, is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,648 to Keenan. Another type of parasitic insect trap is further taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,176 and which also relies upon an open tray.
There are numerous problems inherent with these commercially available and proposed devices for entrapping fleas and other pest insects. Usually, the tray devices are covered with a removable top when marketed. However, when the top is opened, insects will be allowed to land on and become mired in the exposed entrapping composition. There is generally no means to close the top after a period of use. As a simple example, a paper or paperboard top cover is provided and torn from the tray upon use. Frequently, the paper cannot be reapplied or otherwise disposed upon the tray after use.
In addition to the foregoing, there is no suitable means in any of the proposed or commercially available devices to fold the same or otherwise store the devices in a small compact unit when not in use.
There are also many insect repelling devices for repelling pests insects such as ants. The ants present a particular problem unlike fleas or mosquitos in that they will infest and multiply in a particular location. If that location is at or near a dwelling structure, they will then migrate into the dwelling structure. The insect repelling devices also rely upon a repellant composition, that is a composition to which the ants or other insects find an odor to be offensive.
These insect repelling devices, however, suffer from the same problems as do the entrapping devices. When the repelling device is opened, the active ingredients are then exposed to the air where they can quickly evaporate or otherwise loose their scent or repelling action. Heretofore, there has been generally no means to close the repelling device after initially opening same.
Frequently, when the commercially available and proposed entrapping and repelling trays are left opened, dust or other debris may collect in the composition. Where the composition is a sticky entrapping composition, the dust and other debris will substantially reduce the tacky effect and thereby greatly interfere with the intended operation of the device.
There are numerous other problems inherent with these commercially available and proposed entrapping compositions and devices and for that matter the repelling compositions. In addition to the above, pets, such as dogs and cats, may frequently be attracted to the composition and attempt to ingest the composition which can result in serious internal injury or illness to the pet animal.
Very frequently, when there is no need to use the repellent or entrapping composition, the tray or other container for this composition remains open where the composition is exposed to the atmosphere. Due to the fact that the user does not have the availability of a lid or other closure member, the active ingredient or ingredients in the composition evaporate thereby requiring either a recharging of the composition, or otherwise, the purchase of a new container with a fresh supply of the composition.

Device for controlling crawling or flying insects


A front speed changing device comprises a base, a first link rod, a second link rod, a chain guiding member, a driven member, and a linking member, which form together a six-link-rod linking mechanism. The driven member is fastened with a pull cord. When the pull cord is pulled, the driven member swivels to link each rod member to engage in the swiveling action, thereby driving the chain guiding member to guide a chain to displace horizontally to attain the speed change.

The present invention relates generally to a bicycle component part, and more particularly to a bicycle front speed changing device.
The bicycle front speed changing device uses a pull cord to draw a link rod mechanism to drive a chain guiding device which guides a chain to swivel aside horizontally, thereby resulting in a change in speed. The pivoting end of the link rod mechanism is divided into an upper swiveling type and a lower swiveling type, which are corresponding in location to the fastening end of the front speed changing device. The drawing of the pull cord is attained by two forms. In the first place, one end of the pull cord runs through the frame bottom and then runs upwards to be fastened with a start end of the link rod mechanism. The start end is pulled by the pull cord to swivel downwards to drive indirectly the chain to displace outwards and horizontally. The second form involves the pull cord which is directly put through a lug of the upright tube to be fastened with the start end of the link rod mechanism. The pull rod does not run through the frame bottom. The start end is pulled to swivel upwards to cause the chain to displace outwards and horizontally.
The second form is not suitable for the front speed changing device of the lower swiveling type. As shown in FIG. 1, one end of the pull cord 1 is put through a lug 2a of the bicycle upright tube 2 to be fastened with a start end 3a of the link rod mechanism 3. The start end 3a must be disposed toward the outer side of the upright tube 2, so as to enable the link rod mechanism 3 to swivel. The pull cord 1 is slanted such that the exposed portion of the pull cord 1 is apt to interfere with the bicyclist""s pants or shoe strings. The front speed changing device of the lower swiveling type is apparently not suitable for use in conjunction with the bicycle having the lug. However, the bicycle upright tube is generally provided with the lug.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a front speed changing device which enables the pulling form of the pull cord of the front speed changing device of the lower swiveling type to be widely adaptable.
The front speed changing device of the present invention comprises a base secured to the bicycle frame; a chain guiding member for guiding a chain to displace between a first position and a second position; a first link rod which is pivoted at the first end with the base and is connected at the second end with the chain guiding member; a recovery member for use in enabling the chain guiding member to guide the chain to swivel toward the first position; and a pull cord capable of resisting the recovery force of the recovery member at the time when the pull cord is drawn, thereby causing the chain guiding member to guide the chain to displace horizontally toward the second position. The present invention is characterized by the second link rod which further has an extension end. The first end of the second link rod is located between the extension end and the second end. A driven member is pivoted with the base and has a protruded portion and a start end. A linking member has a first end which is pivoted with the extension end of the second link rod, and a second end which is pivoted with the protruded portion of the driven member. The pull cord is fastened at one end with the start end of the driven member.


Methods and apparatus for preparing a layer of an object being fabricated by a three-dimensional printing process. Embodiments of the invention combine selective deposition with selective curing to benefit from the respective advantages of both techniques. Multiple printing heads deposit a two-dimensional cross section of the object being fabricated on a substrate which is transparent to curing radiation. The multiple printing heads selectively deposit different object body materials in different regions of the cross section and also selectively deposit regions of support material as necessary. The transparent substrate is then moved into registration with the object being fabricated so that the new layer is in contact with the object body, and an ultraviolet two-dimensional image of the cross section is projected through the substrate to selectively cure the new layer.

Three-dimensional printing is used to fabricate relatively small objects for prototyping and custom-manufacturing in a variety of fields. Three-dimensional printing processes typically fabricate an object layer upon layer, such that each sequential layer is shaped according to a respective cross section of the object.
Some objects that are to be fabricated by three-dimensional printing incorporate overhanging regions that need to be supported during fabrication. In such cases, a three-dimensional printing process simultaneously fabricates both an object body structure and a support structure, any of which may be present in each layer. The support structure is removed after fabrication of the object is complete.
Three-dimensional printing technologies of special interest include selective deposition or selective curing.
In selective deposition, a computer-controlled liquid dispenser, such as an inkjet printing head, deposits a new layer of liquid material upon a surface, e.g. a previously-deposited cross section layer. Each layer includes an object body cross section and, if necessary, a support cross section. "Selective deposition" is so-named because the dispenser accurately places tiny droplets of material according to a two-dimensional image of the object body cross section, and, if needed, tiny droplets of support material according to the support structure cross section. For the body of the fabricated object, the deposited material is typically a photopolymer that is solidified by being irradiated with curing radiation during the printing process. The curing radiation is usually in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, for solidifying the polymer. Alternatively, a deposited material, such as a wax, may be liquified by heat for deposition, and allowed to solidify by natural cooling after being deposited in place. The term "curing" herein denotes a chemical process by which a liquid photopolymer is solidified.
In selective curing, a high-resolution image of the two-dimensional object body cross section is projected by an image projector onto a thin, uniform layer of liquid photopolymer, thereby selectively solidifying the projected cross section. Non-limiting examples of image projectors include: Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors using UV sources; and scanning UV lasers. "Selective curing" is so-named because the cross section is shaped by accurately curing only those portions which are to be solidified according to the desired cross section, for example by UV curing as just described. In some known methods of selective curing, the current cross section layer is added at the top of the object body being fabricated, at the surface of a liquid polymer in a trough, or alternatively at the bottom of an object body being fabricated and which is suspended in a trough with a transparent bottom, through which the cross section layer image is projected for curing a thin layer of liquid at the bottom. Where supporting structures are necessary to suspend overhanging or hollow parts of the object body, these are implemented as thin strings or pillars of build material selectively cured during the same printing process. The support strings are broken and removed after fabricating the body is completed.
Selective deposition allows the use of multiple materials with different properties, which enables fabricating:                support structures that are easy-to-remove by dissolution or melting, and        parts of the object body with diverse colors and/or mechanical properties and/or other properties.
Selective curing offers advantages including:                faster printing; and        allowing the use of slurries of solid particles (such as particles of metal or ceramic) suspended in liquid polymer, which cannot be accurately dispensed via the printing heads used for selective deposition.
Selective curing, however, currently has certain limitations, notably the limitation of being able to use only a single material.
The techniques and components for selective deposition and selective curing as described herein for use in embodiments of the present invention are well-known in the field, and are described herein for purposes of reference.

System and method for three-dimensional printing


A second wall (34) has an opening (48). When an engagement projection (64) has climbed the inclined surface (43a) of a lock projection (43) and is going to reach the top of the lock projection, the opening allows a pressing projection (65) to be slide contacted with its edge (48a) while pressing the edge, thereby giving a lock arm a pressing force opposite to the deflecting direction thereof.

The patent document 1 discloses a connector in which, in order to double lock a terminal inserted into a terminal housing chamber of a connector housing together with a lance formed within such chamber, a spacer is inserted orthogonally to the terminal insertion direction to restrict the movement of the terminal.
Between the spacer and connector housing of this type, there is interposed a locking mechanism which, when the spacer is inserted, locks the spacer to prevent it against removal. As this type locking mechanism, there is known a mechanism using a combination of a lock projection provided in one of the connector housing and spacer and a lock arm provided in the other.
In a certain mechanism, a spacer includes, on its two side portions, elastic wall-like portions serving as lock arms each having an engagement projection on its deflecting-direction side surface and, by engaging the engagement projections with lock projections provided on the inner wall of the spacer housing space of a connector housing, their locking can be attained (see the patent document 1).
The above-structured locking mechanism includes the following locking mechanism (see the patent document). That is, in this locking mechanism, two opposed walls across the lock arm are provided in the spacer housing space of the connector housing. On the first wall of the two walls, there is provided a lock projection engageable with an engagement projection provided on one side surface of the lock arm. Also, on the other side surface of the lock arm, there is provided a pressing projection which, when the lock arm deflects, presses the second wall of the two walls. The pressing projection applies to the lock arm a pressing force oppositely to the deflecting direction when the engagement projection of the lock arm overruns the lock projection. This can enhance the substantial flexural rigidity of the lock arm.

Locking mechanism for molded resin component


An apparatus for controlling black stretch includes a black stretching unit, an offset adjusting unit and an output unit. The black stretching unit performs black stretch processing on a video signal less than or equal to the maximum value of a black stretch control range in response to a slope of black stretch. The slope of black stretch corresponds to a region between a minimum value and a maximum value of the black stretch control range. The offset adjusting unit adjusts an offset of the black-stretched video signal. The output unit outputs an output video signal corresponding to the offset-adjusted video signal when the offset-adjusted video signal has a positive value in a region less than or equal to the minimum value, and outputs the output video signal corresponding to 0 when the offset-adjusted video signal has a negative value in the region less than or equal to the minimum value.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method of controlling black stretch, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method of controlling black stretch that enhances a contrast of a video signal when the video signal is adjusted by an offset.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A black stretch technique may be used to enhance a contrast of a video signal. The technique converts a portion of a low level video signal into a signal having a level that is lower than the low level signal, thereby enhancing the contrast between the low level signal and a high level signal. The technique analyzes a histogram of an input video signal, generates a black stretch function according to a distribution chart of the histogram, and applies the generated black stretch function to the input video signal.
FIG. 1 is a graph for describing a principle of a black stretch, and FIG. 2 is a graph for describing an offset adjustment with respect to FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, black stretch may be controlled by calculating a black stretch control range, calculating a slope between a minimum value MIN and a maximum value TILT in the black stretch control range, performing black stretch processing on a video signal pertaining to the range between the minimum value MIN and the maximum value TILT in response to the slope SLOPE, and outputting 0 when the video signal has a value that is less than the minimum value.
However, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when an offset value is greater than 0, an overall output video signal is shifted in a positive direction on a Y-axis corresponding to the offset value. Therefore the contrast of the video signal is degraded because portions of the output video signal corresponding to an input video signal that are below the minimum value MIN have the offset value.
Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for controlling black stretch of a video signal that enhances the contrast of the video signal when the video signal is adjusted by an offset.

Apparatus and method of controlling black stretch


A solid immersion lens holder 8A is provided with a base part 50 attached to an objective lens 21, and a lens holding part 60 provided with the base part 50, extending in a direction of optical axis L of the objective lens 21, and arranged to hold a solid immersion lens 6 at an end portion thereof. The lens holding part holds the solid immersion lens so that light emerging from the solid immersion lens to the base part side travels through a region outside the lens holding part and toward the base part, and the base part has a light passing portion 53 which transmits the light toward the objective lens. Since the lens holding part extends in the direction of the optical axis L of the objective lens, even in a case where an observation object 11 is observed as located on a bottom surface of recess 13, the lens holding part will be prevented from contacting a side wall 13a of the recess. As a result, it becomes feasible to observe the observation object up to a region closer to the vicinity of peripheral part 11a of the observation object. This provides a solid immersion lens holder allowing observation up to a region closer to a peripheral part of an observation object even in a case where the observation object is set in a recess of a sample.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder for a solid immersion lens.
2. Related Background Art
A solid immersion lens (SIL) is known as a lens for enlarging an image of an observation object. This solid immersion lens is a lens of a hemispherical shape or a superhemispherical shape called a Weierstrass sphere, and microscopic lens in the size of about 1 mm-5 mm. When this solid immersion lens is set in close contact with a surface of the observation object, the numerical aperture (NA) and magnification both are increased, so as to enable observation with a high spatial resolution.
One of the known techniques for securely keeping this solid immersion lens in close contact with the observation object is, for example, the one described in Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 6,621,275. In the semiconductor inspection system described in Document 1, the solid immersion lens is mounted through a solid immersion lens holder in front of an objective lens (i.e., on the observation object side). The solid immersion lens holder has a chamber with a valve at an end portion thereof, and houses the solid immersion lens in the chamber. The pressure inside the chamber is regulated through this valve to move the solid immersion lens in the direction of the optical axis thereof to achieve optical coupling between the observation object and the solid immersion lens.
The outer shape of this solid immersion lens holder is a tapered shape the inner diameter of which decreases from the objective lens side toward the solid immersion lens side, and a light beam from the solid immersion lens passes the interior of the solid immersion lens holder to enter the objective lens.


A paperboard bumper is made from a die cut blank. Material is provided for two outer layers and two intermediate layers, the four layers overlying each other when the blank is collapsed flat. A first fold line extends longitudinally across the blank, and defines a folding and unfolding axis that corresponds to an outside corner of the bumper when erected. A tab is secured to each of the intermediate layers adjacent to a void in the blank. When folded flat the tabs are glued together and the void is collapsed. The intermediate layers are glued to the outer layers at opposing surfaces and form first and second walls when the blank is erected. Transverse fold lines extend on the walls, one positioned to either side of the tabs. A hollow chamber is formed between the transverse fold lines, extending along the walls, when the device is erected by unfolding it along the first fold line. The transverse fold lines are spaced from each other by a distance equal to the width of the tabs, so that the tabs are received in the hollow chamber to lock the erected device in a stable position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to structures for cushioning and protecting objects, for example when being stored or moved in cartons, and more particularly provides a bumper made from a folded and glued sheet material blank.
2. Prior Art
Many types of objects need to be protected from jarring, jolting, and resultant damage when they are packaged in cartons for transportation, shipment, or other transit. It is known to provide cartons and shipping containers with bumpers, sleeves, or similar inserts that are placed in a space between an object to be shipped and the walls of the surrounding container. In a rectilinear carton and/or to protect a generally rectilinear object, such inserts can be placed at each corner. Other shapes are also possible such as larger shapes that fit all around the object, or at least form a partial shell. The inserts have a certain resilience to cushion the object against impacts against the container, and may also contribute to the structure of the container and strengthen it for stacking.
An often encountered form of these bumpers or inserts is polystyrene foam in blocks sized and shaped to complement both the selected outer contours of the object to be protected and the inner walls of the container. It is also known to use pellets or other loose fill material, again generally made of polystyrene foam, to occupy the void space between an object to be protected and the surrounding carton.
Polystyrene foam cushioning material has certain disadvantages. For example, polystyrene insert cushioning blocks are generally made from a mold or die, which may be unique to a particular object to be shipped. Shipping different objects may require different individual dies to make appropriately sized and shaped blocks. The need to make and stock polystyrene and similar blocks can be expensive.
In addition, polystyrene and other formed block inserts, once formed are bulky items to ship to the packing facility and to store and use. This bulkiness becomes especially significant when dealing with a high volume packing facility which would require a significant number of polystyrene inserts to place in boxes as they are being loaded with the objects to be shipped. On the receiving end, after the objects are unpacked, the bulky blocks must be disposed of.
Another disadvantage of polystyrene bumpers and inserts is that they protect the object by completely filling selected void spaces between the object and the carton. The void spaces filled and occupied by the polystyrene are unavailable for packing additional components. In other words, it would be desirable adequately to protect an object to be shipped but also to leave space, if possible, which can be used to ship other components in the same carton.
It is known to use corrugated paperboard sheet material as a protective spacer, including to protect corners of articles from damage. Examples of such corner protectors are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,134,496--Smith; 4,440,304--Konopko; and 4,529,091--Martin.
Such corrugated corner protectors have their own drawbacks. Often the protectors require folding sheet material into L-shapes, rolled boxes and the like, which are then fit between the object and the container. Various folding operations may be needed to form the protector from flat sheet stock materials. Such corner protectors may be ill-suited to be folded by machine operations and instead require manual folding operations. A corner protector which is complicated to assemble from its sheet blank, and/or which requires manual folding operations for such assembly, can be prone to being assembled incorrectly. In addition, complicated manual folding operations require time to execute and can be inefficient.
Known corner protectors using corrugated paperboard generally rely on the combination of resilience and support of the corrugated sheet material itself to provide the cushioning needed to protect the object while supporting it at a spaced from a container wall. Corrugated sheet material in some applications does not provide the required protection.
There is a need for a bumper or insert which overcomes such drawbacks and disadvantages. Such a bumper or insert should be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, relatively adaptable to different products or objects to be protected, easy to ship, and easy to assemble.