A transversely discharge-pumped gas laser has a discharge vessel, which encloses a laser gas and at least one pair of oppositely disposed elongated discharge electrodes which extend in a predetermined longitudinal direction and are separated by a discharge region, in which laser radiation is generated which propagates along a beam path. The beam path passes once or a plurality of times through the discharge region. The direction of the beam path of the sole pass or some or all of the multiple passes forms an angle different from zero with the longitudinal direction of the elctrodes. The angle or angles are chosen such that the quality, homogeneity of intensity profile, gain and output energy of a resulting output beam are well balanced.

Discharge-pumped excimer lasers are the most important high-power lasers for the ultraviolet spectral range. A conventional discharge-pumped excimer laser includes a laser head having a discharge vessel (laser chamber) which is filled with a suitable gas mixture (laser gas) and contains two elongated electrodes which may have a length of a few ten cm to 1 m, extend parallel to each other and are disposed opposite each other spaced apart a few centimetres. In operation these electrodes are subjected in pulse-like manner to an electrical voltage of a few 10 kV and a rise time of typically 10 to 100 ns in order to generate as homogeneous a discharge as possible between the electrodes. To achieve this, it is also necessary for the discharge space between the electrodes to be irradiated with shortwave ultraviolet light simultaneously, for example by a row of small spark gaps, to ensure an adequate preionization of the discharge path since otherwise instead of the homogeneous discharge only series of individual sparks would form. With appropriate configuration of the electrodes the resulting discharge can obtain a width of a few millimetres up to about several centimeters.
Discharge pumped gas lasers with an off-axis beam path and multiple pass of the laser beam through a discharge area of a gas laser, or through another active laser medium are known (OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS, 15, No. 1, Sep. 1975, 20-25; JP 2-16783 A2). The purpose of this is the provide for angular separation for multiple-pass arrangements and/or better utilisation of the volume of the laser medium, and, thus, the off-axis angle (angle between the beam axis and the longitudinal axis of the active laser medium) is small and/or the subsequent passes of the laser beam are directed through different regions of the laser medium.
The limit to the energy extraction of a short-pulse laser amplifier is set by the cross-section of the amplifier. The maximum energy density is limited to E.sub.sat .times.g.sub.0 /*, due to the combined effect of saturation of the gain and non-saturable absorption (where E.sub.sat is the saturation energy density, g.sub.0 and * are the gain and absorption coefficients, respectively). This sets the theoretical limit of the output energy of the laser amplifier. Up to this limit the increase of the output energy is only possible by increasing the saturation, following the conventional amplifications schemes. However when the energy density already surpasses a value which is dependent on the g.sub.0 /* ratio, further increase of the energy density can only be achieved with significant deterioration of the extraction efficiency and the ratio of the actual gain to small-signal-gain. This is why the energy achievable by the commercially available UV-preionized laser amplifiers was limited to less than 10 mJ (typically 4 mJ and 8 mJ using single and double pass amplification schemes respectively). In the double pass amplification scheme the ASE (amplified spontaneous emission) background increases significantly and spatial filtering is necessary to reduce ASE coupling between the passes.
Using the conventional amplification schemes the beam shape is determined by the cross-sectional distribution and homogeneity of the discharge, resulting in usually poor homogeneity and small beam size in the direction perpendicular to the electric field. A homogeneously pumped wide-aperture amplifier could be a solution to achieve better homogeneity and higher output energy. Unfortunately construction and operation of such lasers are complicated and costly compared to the commercial narrow discharge lasers. On the other hand, discharge-pumped, especially KrF lasers are more efficient when the electric excitation is fast, necessitating small discharge-loop and therefore small discharge cross-section. It is seen, that from the optical point of view an ideal amplifier has large cross-section and small gain, to avoid saturation effects and to operate around the optimum energy density. However these requirements can hardly be fulfilled with efficient discharge-pumped gain modules, having generally a pencil-like active volume.

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschafen e.V.


A melanin eliminator preparation comprising a metal chelate compound represented by the following formula (I),

6,8-dimercaptooctanoic acid is the reduced form of α-lipoic acid, a coenzyme occurring in mitochondria, and has an ability of restoring reduced forms of glutathione or vitamin C back from their oxidized forms. However, 6,8-dimercaptooctanoic acid is so unstable in the air that it is oxidized back to α-lipoic acid.
A group of α-lipoylamino acids are described in Japanese Patent Publication No. S42-1286 (corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 3,238,224), in which glycine, methionine, glutamic acid, valine or the like, respectively, is bonded to α-lipoic acid.
An imidazole salt of α-lipoylaminoethylsulfonic acid is described in Example 24 in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-169371.
A pharmaceutical preparation for external use containing a lipoamide as an active ingredient is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. S63-8316.
Other lipoic acid derivatives such as lipoyl esters are also known (Biochem. J. (1990) 271, 45-49).
Further, metal derivatives of dihydrolipoic acid and dihydrolipoamide are also known (Inorganica Chimica Acta, 192 (1992) 237-242)(J. Org. Chem. 1985, 50 2522-2524).
In the abovementioned situation, the present inventor found as a result of repeated studies that 6,8-dimercaptooctanoic acid metal chelate compounds, derivatives thereof and pharmacologically acceptable salts thereof have a melanin eliminating effect, i.e., that simple external application of the present compound to the skin under which aggregated melanin pigment is deposited, eliminates melanin without giving any damage to the skin, thus completed the present invention.
The present invention provides a melanin eliminator preparation comprising a 6,8-dimercaptooctanoic acid metal chelate compound, a derivative thereof or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: wherein M denotes a metal, and R denotes hydroxyl, O-lower alkyl, an amine bonded at N, an amino acid bonded at N, or a peptide bonded at N, or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof.


A system, method, and program product that uses statistical sampling to determine whether a pallet has been received when the pallet-level RFID tag is not read. When a shipment is unloaded, the system keeps track of the item-level RFID tags that are received. A threshold is retrieved and compared with the number of item-level RFID tags that were received. If the threshold is 50%, then the pallet would be assumed to be received and marked accordingly in the manifest if 50% of the items in the pallet were received. Threshold levels can be customized based upon the vendor shipping the goods, the type of goods being shipped, or both. In addition, the vendor quality rating and the type of good rating can be combined to form a single threshold that incorporates the vendor's quality along with the material (interference) quality of the goods on the particular pallet.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for identifying pallet-level Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags when such tags are not readable. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method that uses statistical data on items within the pallet to determine whether the pallet was received.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radio Frequency Identifiers (RFID) is a means of identifying a unique object that has been tagged with a physical RFID tag by using a radio frequency transmission. Data stored in the RFID tags (also called transponders) is wirelessly transmitted to readers (also called interrogators) in an automated fashion. RFID readers can be stationary or portable, such as handheld readers. One example of a stationary reader is a reader that is installed proximate to a loading dock door to read tags from objects being moved through the dock doors.
RFID tags are affixed to objects. Each RFID tag includes an embedded microchip where information about the object is stored. RFID tags are typically powered by a radio frequency signal sent by the RFID reader. In response to receiving the radio frequency signal, the RFID tag responds by transmitting the identification data stored on the RFID. The radio frequency signals received by the RFID tags may be sent over a range of distances. When many objects are in proximity to a RFID reader, each of the RFID tags that receives the radio frequency signal responds by transmitting the data encoded on the RFID tag.
For example, assume 1,000 RFID-tagged objects are in proximity to an RFID reader that sends a radio frequency signal. Because of positioning of the objects, only 500 of the RFID-tagged objects receive the radio frequency signal, then these 500 RFID tags would transmit identification data back to the RFID reader. Each time the RFID reader sends the radio frequency signal all of the RFID tags that receives the signal responds by transmitting the RFID data irregardless of whether the RFID tags have already been read. Assume that, in our example, the objects are being moved past the reader that periodically sends out the radio frequency signal. As objects are repositioned, some tags that did not originally receive the signal now receive the signal due to their new position in proximity to the RFID reader. Some objects, such as metal or aluminum cans filled with liquid (e.g., soda cans), may act as an insulator that prevents some of the RFID tags from receiving the radio frequency signal even while when the objects are moved. Other tags may not be able to be read because they are surrounded by too many other objects, such as a tag in the middle of a pallet.
As used herein, a pallet is a portable container, or platform, used for storing and moving objects, such as cargo or freight. Pallets are often used to store and move case goods. The cases and other objects stored on an individual pallet may be all of the same type (e.g., a pallet that only has boxes (cases) of oranges) or may have cases or objects of different types (e.g., a pallet that has some cases of oranges, some cases of apples, etc.). A pallet identifier is an RFID tag that uniquely identifies a particular pallet of goods. Each of the cases or objects included in the pallet is also uniquely identified. Using the examples from above, in the first example, a unique pallet identifier would be affixed somewhere on the pallet and each of the cases of oranges would also have RFID tags that uniquely identify each of the cases. Likewise, in the mixed-case example, a unique pallet identifier would be affixed somewhere on the pallet and each of the cases of oranges, apples, etc., would also have RFID tags affixed that uniquely identify the various objects (cases) included in the pallet.
In modern distribution settings, when goods are shipped the distributor (shipper) sends an electronic manifest to the customer (receiver). The electronic manifest details the pallet identifiers as well as the case level identifiers. When the customer receives the shipment, the customer's RFID readers read the tags on the pallets and cases and compares the tags that were read with the data included in the electronic manifest.
A challenge encountered when receiving goods by a receiver is that the pallet RFID tags may be damaged, missing, or be otherwise unreadable. When the receiver matches the pallet-level tags against the electronic manifest, an error condition will be noted and, oftentimes, a dock worker will be asked to manually check for pallet that was not identified by the RFID readers. Depending upon the size of the shipment, this manual check may take a considerable amount of time which is costly both in terms of dock worker productivity as well as dock throughput. Moreover, other shipments waiting to be unloaded may have to wait until the manual inspection has occurred and the missing pallet(s) have been identified.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that uses statistical sampling to determine whether a pallet has been received when the pallet-level RFID tag is not read. Furthermore, what is needed is a system and method that allows for changing threshold levels that trigger the successful receipt of a pallet based on the vendor (shipper) as well as the type of goods on the pallet.

System and method for pallet identification based on threshold of case-level tags

International Business Machines Corporation


A safety or protection system includes a plurality of divisions of first signals; a plurality of safety or protection subsystems each of which receives a corresponding one of the divisions of first signals and produces a corresponding plurality of second signals therefrom; and a reflective memory subsystem for communicating the second signals between the safety or protection subsystems.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a safety or protection system and, more particularly, to such a system for a critical process such as a nuclear power plant.
2. Background Information
Many safety or protection systems require duplication in at least some portions of the system for safety and reliability. This duplication may take the form of redundant systems. For example, duplicate sensors, controllers, actuators and communication channels may be provided in separate independent subsystems to perform the identical function. Typically, in such a redundant case, the hardware and logic are identical in each of the subsystems.
In other cases, multiple, identical channels are provided to generate independent control signals which are voted to determine the final control signal to be applied to a single component. For instance, in a nuclear power plant, it is common to have protection systems which include four separate channels, each with its own sensors and controllers for generating a reactor trip signal in response to certain conditions in the plant. Voting logic trips the plant only if, for instance, two or more of the four channels generate a channel trip signal. In this instance also, it is conventional to have identical hardware and logic in each channel, thereby providing redundancy. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,515.
There is a growing concern over common mode failures in redundant safety or protection systems. By a common mode failure, it is meant, simultaneous, similar failures in corresponding elements, either hardware or software, of the system. One application for which these concerns are raised is the retrofitting of existing process control systems, like some existing nuclear power plants, where it is desired to control a single component with commands from two separate subsystems.
As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/557,532, filed Nov. 14, 1995, it is known in prior art instrumentation and control systems to utilize diverse redundant primary and backup control mechanisms, in which the processors and/or the software utilized therein are different, in order to preclude common mode failures. In the case of control mechanisms incorporating digital processors, different types of processors (e.g., from different manufacturers) are used to run different routines (e.g., implemented in different software languages) implementing common algorithms. Although diverse redundant control mechanisms are known, further improvements are possible.
As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/628,586, filed Apr. 4, 1996, it is also known to employ reflective memories for transmitting sensor signals and control signals between a modeling or simulation system and a stimulation system for such modeling or simulation system.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved safety or protection system which minimizes the possibility of common mode failures.

Safety or protection system employing reflective memory and/or diverse processors and communications


A method for providing a thin film metallization area on a substrate is disclosed comprising the steps of: depositing a Ta adhesion layer on the surface of the substrate seed layer, conducting a photo resist process on the Ta adhesion layer to define the thin film metallization area, including a remnant removal process to remove remnant photo resist process material in the thin film metallization area to the Ta adhesion layer, the Ta adhesion layer preventing the remnant removal from reaching the seed layer, conducting a Ta removal reactive-ion-etch process to remove the Ta adhesion layer in the thin film metallization area, so that the seed layer is exposed in the metallization area. A metal material may then be deposited in the metallization area.

High aspect ratio thin film structures are conventionally formed by photolithography and metallization, typically by plating. The thin film structures may include thin film microelectronic circuitry, thin film magnetic transducer structures, and microelectronic mechanical micro actuators.
Typically, metallization areas of substrates are provided with seed layers to promote the plating or deposition of the metal on the substrate. Adhesion layers have been employed for providing good adhesion between the substrate and the seed layers. For example, see coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,126,016, which provides a chromium (Cr) adhesion layer for thin film microelectronic circuitry. IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 38, No. 6, Page 625, June 1995, discloses a nickel iron (NiFe) adhesion layer for a copper (Cu) seed layer for plating a coil copper layer for magnetic recording transducers.
In addition to the seed layer, the developing of the photo resist material overlying the seed layer needs to be complete to provide good definition of the thin film structure at the seed layer, and to provide vertical walls for the high aspect ratio thin film structure. In high aspect ratio structures, the trench should go to the bottom and fully reach the seed layer, but tends to round off if not completely exposed. It is difficult for the imaging light to penetrate to the bottom of the trench in such high aspect ratio structures while maintaining the desired feature dimension. "Scumming" and "foot" are remnants of photo resist that are not removed in the developing of high aspect ratio features. They are caused by either inadequate exposure or an insufficient developing. The developing, however, must be stopped before adversely affecting the feature dimension. Thus, it is difficult to complete the exposure and developing of the high aspect ratio structure with good critical dimension definition. Barrier layers have been used in controlling the developing processes for subsequent metallization. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,480 provides a titanium barrier layer to control liquid etching and provide a metallization pattern having various thicknesses and different metals exposed. IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 26, No. 7A, Page 3357, December 1983, discloses a titanium layer to act as an etch stop in a complicated image transfer method for making a high aspect ratio plated structure. Such barrier layers themselves must be removed from the seed layer before metallization of the seed layers may be conducted. A difficulty of removing such a barrier layer is the potential damage of the seed layer as the result of the removal.
The adhesion between the typical seed layer and typical photo resist material is not very strong, due to the nature of the seed layer, such as copper (Cu) or nickel iron (Ni--Fe), and the organic photoresist. The inadequate adhesion may cause lift off, or delamination, of the photo resist under stress.
The photolithography and metallization of high aspect ratio thin film structures cause high stress which may lead to adhesions failure and plating under the photo resist defining the metallization area. First, the developing must be complete to provide a high definition of the metallization area. However, the extra developing required to insure that the developing is complete, tends to etch into the sidewalls and to stress the adhesion between the photo resist layer and the seed layer. Other processes than extra developing may be used to complete the removal process, such as aggressive ashing, using oxygen (O.sub.2). Such ashing, however, may cause seed layer oxidation and may cause critical dimension loss as the O.sub.2 starts to etch laterally. Second, the metallization, typically by plating, causes stress, which may result in delamination of the photo resist from the seed layer. Any tendency toward separation between the photo resist and the seed layer resulting from the above stresses, may therefore result in underplating. Plating under the photo resist would result in thin film metal structures that are not well defined, destroying the thin film critical dimensions, possibly leading to changes in the characteristics of the circuits, inefficient thin film magnetic transducers, and poor performance actuators.
In addition, the excessive etch or the ashing to provide complete removal of the photo resist material or of a barrier layer may adversely affect the effectiveness of the seed layer, e.g., if oxidized, and not insure an effective plating process.

Tantalum adhesion layer and reactive-ion-etch process for providing a thin film metallization area

International Business Machines Corporation


An arrangement for spatially resolved acquisition of an object which is illuminated by an illumination arrangement, wherein a relative movement is generated between the illumination arrangement and the object by moving the object and/or the illumination arrangement and, in addition to at least one confocally arranged detection element for confocal acquisition of the light coming from points on the object, there is provided at least one additional detection element for the acquisition of object light at least posterior in time to the confocal acquisition. For at least two-dimensionally spatially resolved measurement of time processes, especially of fluorescence decay times, preferably at the ocular fundus, using a scanning laser ophthalmoscope, the radiation receiver is at least a series of detectors which are arranged in such a way that there is a series of additional detector elements in addition to the confocal detector element at least subsequently in the scanning direction.

Scanning laser ophthalmoscopes are used to examine the ocular fundus and have the following advantages over known retina cameras for photometric measurements:
the asymmetric division of the aperture diaphragm in the eye pupil to the advantage of the measurement aperture; PA1 the high radiation intensity permissible for brief periods on a small examination location; PA1 the basic possibility of measuring in the direction of the optical axis (scanning laser tomography).
Scanning laser ophthalmoscopes carrying out point-by-point scanning of the ocular fundus are known, wherein a detector records the light reflected from every point on the ocular fundus. An image of the ocular fundus is formed after synchronous assignment of the image points to a line and, further, of the lines to an image. This image can be a reflection image or --when a blocking filter is incorporated --a fluorescence image. The image obtained in this way can be stored digitally after analog-to-digital conversion of the pixel signals and is then available for further image processing.
An ophthalmoscope of this kind is described, for example, in WO 88/03396 and DE 3638226 A1. In these cases, a plurality of individual detectors which are preferably arranged in the shape of a circle sector are provided for the acquisition and detection of the surface intensity distribution of the reflected light from different planes and its polarization state.
DE 3818084 A1 likewise describes an ocular fundus camera with laser beam scanning in which a reflection image is obtained simultaneous with the florescence image for focussing the image of the ocular fundus during fluorescein angiography.
EP 307185 A2 is directed to a scanning device with a detector array and with an anamorphotic element for generating a stripe-shaped focussed image which is guided over the retina.
DE 3037983 C2 is not related to raster-type detection of the ocular fundus. An embodiment example relates to scanning by means of a diode array which extends in the scanning direction as a receiver. Only the point on the sample or specimen that is being illuminated at the moment is imaged on an available receiver. The behavior of the fluorescent radiation with respect to time can be adjusted by selecting determined diode groups and a delay time between the illumination of the point on the specimen and the detection of fluorescent radiation. The diodes are read out synchronous with the scanning frequency. For the individual points on the specimen, the type of scanning gives various possibilities for detecting values at all. There is a conflict between the relationship to scanning speed and scanning frequency on the one hand and the desired acquisition of time processes such as fluorescence which last longer than the time period of a scanning step on the other hand. In the microscope described in CZ 4966 DE, the relationship to scanning frequency is abandoned, but the arrangement is then no longer suitable for normal scanning image generation.

Arrangement and method for time-resolved measurement according to the scanner principle

Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH and Institut Fuer Physikalische Hochternologie


A computer-aided method (FIG. 12) for developing software by which programmers may implement different features of an application as independent reusable components, even though these features affect the control flows of one another. A programmer may add new features to an application without the labor intensive tasks of examining and modifying existing code. The programmer uses a set of programming language constructs to specify nonprocedural program units, organize the program units into reusable features and integrate several features together into a feature package. An interaction detection algorithm analyzes program units and determines whether there is interaction among program units in a feature and among features in a feature package. The programmer must resolve the interaction, if detected, before the programs can be executed. A run time system specification supports the semantics of the programming language constructs and preserves the conditions that enable interaction detection.

This application is a non-provisional application claiming priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to provisional application Ser. No. 60/313,364, filed Aug. 17, 2001 of the same name and to the same inventor as the instant application.
In software development, the need often arises to add new features to an application already implemented with existing code. This is one of the most difficult tasks in software development, especially if the new features will change the execution flow of the original program. For example, in a telephone switching system, to add programs to implement the "call forwarding" feature will change the execution flow of the existing "plain old telephone service" and other features. To add such new features using existing general purpose programming languages, the programmer must modify existing code. That requires the programmer to be thoroughly familiar with the existing code and be able to trace, line by line, the different execution flows of existing code to determine where to make the changes. With existing art, this is a labor-intensive process as there is no automated tool that can help the programmer. At the end, the programmer is often left wondering whether she has correctly determined the code to be changed, whether she has found all of them and what impact her changes may have on existing functionality. It will require exhaustive testing and many trials and errors before the job is considered done.
In addition, in large-scale software development, it is often necessary to assign different programmers to develop different features of an application. Using today's general purpose programming languages such as C++ or Java, the programs of "call waiting" will require changes in the programs of "three way calling" and vice versa as these features affect each others' control flow. The programmers need to negotiate with each other thus complicating their design task. Their designs become intertwined and the resultant software obscures the logic of the individual features making them difficult to maintain. Each feature cannot be a standalone library component. They will all be loaded as a monolithic object whether the user desires all of them. Therefore, there is a need to enable programmers to design their features independently and package them as a library of components.
Later, we shall refer to programs that, when they are put together into a single executing program, one may change the execution flows of the other to be interacting programs. Alternatively, we may say one program interacts with another, or they interact with each other. Since feature programs are the programs that implement a feature, when we say two features or two feature programs interact with each other, we mean some programs of one feature interact with some programs of the other.
Using an existing general-purpose computer programming language, such as C++ or Java, a programmer must sequence the execution flows of program statements. This makes it necessary to change code when interacting feature programs must be integrated together. Furthermore, programs written in existing general-purpose languages are not easy to analyze. Presently, a tool does not exist that can help the programmer to identify where to add new feature programs into existing code.

Method to add new software features without modifying existing code


A digital camera including a photosensor with a plurality of picture elements that define an image resolution that is adjustable.

The process of capturing images includes forming a visible image of a subject on a photosensitive surface by introducing light or other forms of radiation thereto. Image capturing devices are widely used for videography, photography, infrared photography, ultraviolet photography, stereoscopic photography, microphotography, and thermography. Such devices generally include video cameras, film cameras, and digital cameras.
Cameras basically include a light-tight body having an image capturing medium at a back end thereof, a shutter mechanism in front of the image capturing medium, an aperture in front of the shutter, and a lens disposed oppositely of the image capturing medium at a front end of the camera. The lens focuses light from a photographic subject through the aperture and shutter and onto the image-capturing medium to form an image of the subject thereon. The shutter and aperture together control exposure of the image-capturing medium. The shutter controls the length of time the image-capturing medium is exposed to light from the subject and the aperture is adjustable in size to control the amount of light from the subject that impinges on the image-capturing medium. Other camera features typically include a viewfinder to show the photographic subject, flash units to illuminate the photographic subject, and exposure meters to measure light.
Digital cameras are increasingly popular and technology advances are rapidly resulting in increased performance capability. A digital camera captures a subject, scene, or view in elemental portions and generates an electronic signal that is representative of the subject, scene, or view. Unlike conventional film cameras that use a photoresponsive film as the image capturing medium, digital cameras typically use electronic photosensors such as one or more charge coupled device (CCD) chips. The CCD chips are configured to receive light reflecting from the photographic subject and to convert the reflected light into an electronic signal. A CCD chip includes an array of very fine picture elements or "pixels" arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns.
Upon exposure to imaging light from a subject, the CCD chips collect an array of discrete light energies or photon charges that correspond to or map the photographic subject column-by-column, row-by-row, and pixel-by-pixel such that a photon charge representation of the subject is seized. The CCD uses off-chip electronic circuits to process the photon charges and convert them into useful digital signals that can be stored in electronic memory either on or off-camera. Thus, digital cameras provide highly convenient features such as instant picture display and electronic storage format among many others, but provide image quality that is not as capable of handling low-light conditions as that of conventional film cameras.
Image resolution in digital cameras continues to improve as CCD chips with finer pixel sizes are developed that enable finer elemental representations of a photographic subject. Unfortunately, finer pixel size tends to adversely affect the already compromised low-light performance of a digital camera. More particularly, the light sensitivity or light gathering ability of a CCD decreases with reductions in pixel size over a given surface area of the CCD. In other words, for a CCD of a given surface area, the light gathering ability of the CCD decreases with increases in pixel count. This is because the CCD tends to lose optical sensing surface area to accommodate the width of borderlines between adjacent pixels. The result is increased image resolution via finer parsing of the view, but at a cost of reduced light gathering ability and hence reduced low-light level performance.
Low-light performance in digital cameras has typically been adjusted by varying the typical mechanical exposure settings of shutter speed, and aperture size, and also by adjusting the electronic setting of CCD output gain. One problem in varying shutter speed is a blurred image caused by relative movement between the camera and photographic subject while the shutter is open for a relatively long period of time to let more light into the camera. Also, a problem in varying gain is that increases in gain result in increases in noise and corresponding decreases in image quality. Digital cameras combine gain and exposure control into an automatic image enhancement feature. Unfortunately, such features are still susceptible to blur and noise problems and do not provide a user with readily accessible independent and dynamic range control of the resolution and light gathering ability of the image capturing medium.

Digital camera that adjusts resolution for low light conditions

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A hydraulic fluid pressure amplifier system includes a boost cylinder assembly, an energy storage device in fluid communication with the boost cylinder assembly, and a working cylinder assembly. The boost cylinder assembly includes a boost cylinder and a boost cylinder piston movable relative to the boost cylinder between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein movement of the boost cylinder piston from the retraced position to the extended position compresses a hydraulic fluid in a blind side volume of the boost cylinder from a nominal fluid pressure to an amplified high fluid pressure greater than the nominal fluid pressure. The energy storage device receives the hydraulic fluid compressed from the nominal fluid pressure to the amplified high fluid pressure. The working cylinder assembly is operatively connected with the boost cylinder assembly and is selectively operable for effecting the movement of the boost cylinder piston.

Prior standardized onboard hydraulic supply systems and methods in work vehicles and other equipment can sometimes be rendered inefficient and/or ineffective. This is due in part to end users tasking those standardized systems with supporting an ever-increasing range of auxiliary hydraulic power consuming systems, and the manufactures' willingness to integrate an ever-increasing array of additional power consuming systems into vehicles and other equipment to satisfy the commercial desire for additional diverse functionalities. In addition to the above, the standardized hydraulic supply systems must also be able to support basic incremental improvements made to the basic fluid power systems in the evolution of the vehicle product offerings.
As an example, a hydraulic supply system that is used for providing high volume oil at a low continuous pressure to support lubrication and cooling functions in a work vehicle such as a tractor or construction vehicle for example, might also be additionally tasked with servicing the periodic low volume high pressure demands of power shifting control functions of the work vehicle transmission for certain vehicle configuration packages and/or application uses. Such hydraulic systems therefore must be capable of periodically supporting demands for a high volume of oil at a high pressure.
In typical work vehicle applications such as in farming tractors, for example, the control of a power shift transmission may require a supply of oil delivered at a high pressure in order to effect shifting operations in the transmissions. However, the high pressure requirement is usually only intermittently needed and, further, is typically only for short periods of time. As an example, a work vehicle may require a hydraulic fluid flow of about 30 gallons per minute (GPM) delivered at 300 pounds per square inch (PSI) for about 500 ms. in order to effect a transmission shift operation.
Also in typical work vehicle applications such as in tractor or construction vehicles for example, the lubrication and cooling system of those work vehicles may require, nominally, oil delivered during operation of the tractor or construction vehicle at a flow rate of about 10 GPM, and at a delivered pressure of about 45 PSI.
As a practical matter therefore, the pump of typical hydraulic supply systems used in work vehicles must be sized to support the possibly simultaneous demands of both the control of the power shift transmission as well as the lubrication and cooling system such as may occur during heavy use of the vehicle when both systems might operate at full use or duty cycle. That is, the hydraulic fluid delivery system is typically sized to provide the aggregate of the maximum overall volumes required and also to deliver the aggregate of the maximum of the overall pressures required. In the particular example given above, the hydraulic fluid delivery system may therefore be required to be sized to supply about 40 GPM at about 300 PSI. Operating a hydraulic fluid delivery system in a continuous mode in order to meet the demands of the supported systems as they may need fluid flow and power may draw or otherwise consume large amounts of sustained power in the pump support system. Although the "extra" flow of the high volume pump can be dumped "over relief" and directed to a line to the lubrication and cooling system to lubricate and potentially cool the transmission, there is still a direct energy loss as this newly pressurized oil such as at, for example, 300 psi, is now dropped in pressure such as to, for example, 45 psi, and sent to the transmission as low pressure lube and cooling flow. The energy of the pressure drop is undesirably converted to heat in the oil and thus further may also require special treatment such as an additional cooling of the oil.
In the example, a relatively large displacement, relatively high pressure pump is therefore typically required. Alternatively, a large variable pump capable of delivering the required aggregate of the pressures and flows may be specified for the application. In either case, however, it could be considered inefficient to provide a hydraulic supply system that stands ready at all times to deliver oil at a high pressure and volume when the high pressure is needed only intermittently, and only by a few (one in the example) fluid consumers. In essence, in the example, such prior hydraulic supply systems include both a pump and a pump motor that are sized to support the peak power loading even though these peak demands may be relatively short-lived and infrequently experienced such as may occur during shifting of the transmission or the like during heavy use of the vehicle.
It is therefore desirable to provide efficient hydraulic supply systems and methods to supply hydraulic power to functional systems of associated work vehicles such as tractors, for example.
It is further desirable to provide efficient hydraulic supply systems and methods that raise the nominal pressure of a source hydraulic fluid received by the system and that provide a supply hydraulic fluid having a desired raised pressure greater than the nominal pressure of the source hydraulic fluid received by the system.
It is further desirable to provide efficient hydraulic supply systems and methods that essentially operate using the nominal pressure of the source hydraulic fluid itself to power the system to generate the supply hydraulic fluid having the higher desired pressure greater than the nominal pressure.


A micro-actuator assembly, which includes a first micro-actuator. The first micro-actuator includes: Two pivot spring pairs coupling to first stator and second stator. Two flexure spring pairs and pitch spring pair coupling to central movable section, which includes signal pair paths coupling to read-write head of a slider. The central movable section positions read-write head and conducts read-write head signaling. First micro-actuator electrical stimulus is through some of its springs. Micro-actuator assembly may include second micro-actuator with third stator and fourth stator interacting with central movable section. The second micro-actuator may also provide motion sensing, possibly indicating collision with the rotating disk surface being accessed. The invention includes head gimbal assemblies, actuator arms, actuator assemblies, voice coil assemblies and hard disk drives containing various embodiments of these micro-actuator assemblies.

Modem disk drives include a servo-controller driving a voice coil actuator to position a read-write head near a track on a rotating disk surface. The read-write head communicates with the servo-controller, providing feedback, which is used in controlling the read-write head's positioning near the track. The read-write head is embedded in a slider, which floats on a thin air bearing a very short distance above the rotating disk surface.
The voice coil actuator traditionally positioned the slider and its read-write head over the rotating disk surface. A voice coil actuator typically includes a voice coil, which swings at least one actuator arm in response to the servo-controller. Each actuator arm includes at least one head gimbal assembly typically containing a read-write head embedded in a slider. The head gimbal assembly couples to the actuator arm in the voice coil actuator.
A hard disk drive may have one or more disks. Each of the disks may have up to two disk surfaces in use. Each disk surface in use has an associated slider, with the necessary actuator arm. Hard disk drives typically have only one voice coil actuator.
Today, the bandwidth of the servo-controller feedback loop, or servo bandwidth, is typically in the range of 1.1K Herz. Greater servo bandwidth increases the sensitivity of the servo-controller to drive the voice coil actuator to finer track positioning. Additionally, greater servo bandwidth decreases the time for the voice coil actuator to change track positions. However, increasing servo bandwidth is difficult, and has not significantly improved in years. As a real densities increase, the need to improve track positioning increases.
One answer to this need involves integrating a micro-actuator into each head gimbal assembly. These micro-actuators are devices typically built of piezoelectric composite materials, often including lead, zirconium, and tungsten. The piezoelectric effect generates a mechanical action through the application of electric power. The piezoelectric effect of the micro-actuator, acting through a lever between the slider and the actuator arm, moves the read-write head over the tracks of a rotating disk surface.
The micro-actuator is typically controlled by the servo-controller through one or two wires. Electrically stimulating the micro-actuator through the wires triggers mechanical motion due to the piezoelectric effect. The micro-actuator adds fine positioning capabilities to the voice coil actuator, which effectively extends the servo bandwidth.
Micro-actuation is today in its industrial infancy. What is needed are practical, reliable and cost effective mechanisms coupling a slider to a piezoelectric device to form a micro-actuator for use in hard disk drives. There is a problem with piezoelectric devices as micro-actuators, they are limited in how small they can become. At increasingly small scales of operation, the piezoelectric effect is not able to move sliders. What is needed are nanoscale micro-actuators which can move sliders in the hard disk drives using electrostatic mechanisms.

Method and apparatus for a MEMS micro-actuator assembly in a hard disk drive


Systems, computer program products, and methods are described herein for secure resource transfer integration. The present invention is configured to electronically receive an access request to access a cold storage wallet associated with the user; initiate an authentication protocol to determine whether the user is authorized to access the cold storage wallet; provide access to the cold storage wallet to the user based on at least determining that the user is authorized to access the cold storage wallet; electronically receive a user request to transfer at least a portion of resources from the cold storage wallet to a resource distribution account associated with the user; execute the transfer of at least the portion of resources from the cold storage wallet to the resource distribution account; and display a notification indicating the execution of the transfer of at least the portion of resources.

There has been an increase in the usage and acceptance of digital currencies (e.g., cryptocurrencies) alongside a growing number of tokens and investors. However, with the increase in prominence comes the need for increased security. Currently, the onus to keep digital currencies safe falls on the user. This forces users to choose digital currency storage techniques which minimize likelihood of exposure. One such technique is using a cold storage wallet. As described herein, a cold storage wallet stores the digital currencies offline, entirely separate from any Internet access. However, to trade the digital currencies stored in the cold storage wallet, the user must transfer some digital currencies into a standard wallet. This involves physically requiring the cold storage to connect to a networked device and then implementing a currency transfer. Once transferred, the user has to identify an exchange that is suitable for trading the digital currencies. This process may become tedious and time consuming for an average user.
There is a need for a system for secure resource transfer integration.

System for secure resource transfer integration


In a digital communications system for communicating between two radios by transceiving a signal comprising a first type control signal, a second type data traffic signal, and a third type voice signal, a remote communication interface for providing transmission therebetweeen comprising a duplexer bridge network for transceiving the signal, low pass filters, and analog to digital and digital to analog converters for processing received and transmitted signals respectively, and a digital signal processor for modulating and demodulating the signal for transmission or reception according to the signal type. A control signal output from the digital signal processor enables adjustment of the clock sampling frequency during the reception and demodulation process to obtain bit sync, bit tracking and frequency tracking. The communication interface is operable to transceive either the modulated traffic, control, or voice signal, or combined modulated traffic and control signal, or combined modulated voice and control signal.

Digital radios often have many modes for communicating with one another. For example, a user may speak into a receiver of a first digital radio, where that radio receives the voice signal, processes it, and transmits the information from an antenna out over the air at RF frequencies. The over the air RF waveform is then received by a second radio at its antenna, converted to baseband, and processed to recover the voice information transmitted by the first radio. Conversely, two digital radios may be arranged in a mode whereby the first radio transmits information to the second (remote) radio over a two wire interface rather than as an over the air waveform. For example, a cable line may be used to link two radios in such a manner as to permit communication over the two wire interface rather than through the conventional RF antenna arrangement. This type of interface permits the user of one digital radio to transmit information directly to a second digital radio, which may then retransmit or rebroadcast that information to a number of radios as an over the air waveform. This type of communication interface is particularly useful in a number of military and commercial applications where the first radio operator may desire to broadcast information to a number of other operators, but because of interference, terrain, or covert activity, cannot transmit an over the air signal. Instead, the first operator will transmit the information bearing signal over the two wire interface to a second radio remotely located from the first radio, who will receive the information and retransmit at its antenna as an RF signal. Similarly, RF signal information may be received by the first radio at its antenna, sent to a second remote radio over the two wire interface, received by the second radio, and retransmitted as an over the air waveform at its antenna. The SINGCARS digital radio is an example of a type of radio which employs these various modes of communication. Radios employing these techniques are shown in commonly assigned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/864,885, filed on May 1, 1997 by Pries, et al., entitled "Method and Apparatus for Voice Intranet Repeater and Range Extension", Ser. No. 08/857,990, filed on May 16, 1997 by Bertrand, et al., entitled "Radio Architecture for an Advanced Digital Radio in a Digital Communication System", and Ser. No. 08/850,231, filed on May 2, 1997 by Epstein, et al., entitled "Frequency Hopping Synchronization and Tracking in a Digital Communication System". These radios are often frequency hopping signal transmission systems, which are a type of spread spectrum system in which the wideband signal is generated by hopping from one frequency to another over a large number of frequency choices. The frequencies used are chosen by a code similar to those used in direct sequence systems. For general background on spread spectrum systems, reference is made to a text entitled Spread Spectrum Systems, 2nd edition, by Robert C. Dixon and published by Wiley-Interscience, New York (1984). In order to increase the efficiency of digital radios employing spread spectrum characteristics, digital engineers have raised the number of modulation levels and have generally dealt with spectral shaping, synchronization schemes and modulation/demodulation techniques.
A problem arises in the two wire communication interface as to how to effectively transmit and receive the information between the two digital radios. In order to communicate the information, the information bearing signal must be modulated for transmission over the interface and then demodulated to recover the information. Although there are many modulation systems, quadrature modulation is widely used to modulate both the amplitude and the phase of a carrier signal. In quadrature modulation, an in-phase (I) component and a quadrature phase (Q) component of a carrier signal are modulated and transmitted along with the information bearing signal in order to communicate within a particular system. Mapping circuitry, frequency mixers and band limiting filters shape and condition the resulting waveform in order to demodulate the transmitted signal to obtain the information bearing signal portion.
In the past, engineers have realized modulators/demodulators using analog circuit techniques. However, these circuits often suffered from signal deviation problems resulting from analog signal drift. In recent years, attempts have been made to construct modulator/demodulator circuits using digital circuit technology. In a digital radio, many different signal types, including control signals, packet data signals, and analog voice signals, are required to be modulated, transmitted across a communication interface, received by a receiver radio, and demodulated such that the information bearing portion of the transmitted/received signals can be understood. Furthermore, each of the various types of signals may require various modulation/demodulation methods according to the inherent characteristics of the particular signal to be transmitted. Consequently, it is desirable to obtain an improved two wire communications interface for determining the type of signal to be transmitted/received and the digital modulation/demodulation scheme to be performed on that particular transceived signal.

Radio remote interface for modulating/demodulating data in a digital communication system


The present invention provides a composition of the formula: [FGF21-1st Linker]-[Ab]-[2nd-Linker-Ex4]; wherein FGF21 is an FGF21 homologue; and Ex4 is an Exendin4 homologue; and Ab is an aldolase catalytic antibody or antigen binding portion thereof; and the 1st linker is covalently attached to the side chain of a protein-linking residue in FGF21 and to a combining site of the antibody, and the 2nd linker is covalently attached to the side chain of a peptide-linking residue in Ex4 and to a combining site of the antibody, and wherein the first and second linker are the same or different. Various uses of the compounds are provided, including methods to prevent or treat diabetes or diabetes-related conditions.

Type II diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes. The disease is caused by insulin resistance and pancreatic β cell failure, which results in decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21, a member of the FGF family, has been identified as a metabolic regulator and is preferentially expressed in the liver and adipose tissue and exerts its biological activities through a cell surface receptor complex composed of FGFR1c and β-Klotho on target cells such as liver and adipose tissues (WO0136640, and WO0118172). The receptor complex is thought to trigger cytoplasmic signaling and to up-regulate the GLUT1 expression through the Ras/MAP kinase pathway. Its abilities to provide sustained glucose and lipid control, and improve insulin sensitivity and β-cell function, without causing any apparent adverse effects in preclinical settings, have made FGF21 an attractive therapeutic agent for type-2 diabetes and associated metabolic disorders.
There have been a number of efforts towards developing therapies based on FGF21. WO2006065582, WO2006028714, WO2006028595, and WO2005061712 relate to muteins of FGF21, comprising individual amino-acid substitutions. WO2006078463 is directed towards a method of treating cardiovascular disease using FGF21. WO2005072769 relates to methods of treating diabetes using combinations of FGF21 and thiazolidinedione. WO03059270 relates to methods of reducing the mortality of critically ill patients comprising administering FGF21. WO03011213 relates to a method of treating diabetes and obesity comprising administering FGF21.
However, many of these proposed therapies suffer from the problem that FGF21 has an in-vivo half-life of between 1.5 and 2 hrs in humans. Some attempts have been made to overcome this drawback. WO2005091944, WO2006050247 and WO2008121563 disclose FGF21 molecules linked to PEG via lysine or cysteine residues, glycosyl groups and non-natural amino acid residues, respectively. WO2005113606 describes FGF21 molecules recombinantly fused via their C-terminus to albumin and immunoglobulin molecules using polyglycine linkers.
However, developing protein conjugates into useful, cost-effective pharmaceuticals presents a number of significant and oftentimes competing challenges: a balance must be struck between in vivo efficacy, in vivo half-life, stability for in vitro storage, and ease and efficiency of manufacture, including conjugation efficiency and specificity. In general, it is an imperative that the conjugation process does not eliminate or significantly reduce the desired biological action of the protein in question. The protein-protein interactions required for function may require multiple regions of the protein to act in concert, and perturbing any of these with the nearby presence of a conjugate may interfere with the active site(s), or cause sufficient alterations to the tertiary structure so as to reduce active-site function. Unless the conjugation is through the N′ or C′ terminus, internal mutations to facilitate the linkage may be required. These mutations can have unpredictable effects on protein structure and function. There therefore continues to be a need for alternative FGF21-based therapeutics.
Incretins are compounds that stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion and inhibit glucagon secretion, have emerged as attractive candidates for the treatment of type II diabetes. Glucagon-like peptide (7-36) amide (GLP1) is one of the incretin family members, and has been shown to increase insulin secretion, decrease glucagon secretion, stimulate pro-insulin gene transcription, slow down gastric emptying time, and reduce food intake (WO98019698). GLP1 exerts its physiological effects by binding to the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R), a putative seven-transmembrane domain receptor.
A drawback to the therapeutic use of GLP1 is its short in vivo half-life (1-2 mins). This short half-life is the result of rapid degradation of the peptide by dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-IV). This has led to the identification of GLP1 homologues that exhibit increased half lives while maintaining the ability to agonize GLP1R activity. Examples of these homologues include exendin4 and GLP1-Gly8.
WO2009020802 discloses a method for lowering body weight comprising administering a FGF21 compound in combination with a GLP1 compound.
The reference to any art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement of any form or suggestion that the referenced art forms part of the common general knowledge.


An image processing apparatus may include a feature value extraction unit adapted to extract a feature value from an image, a setting unit adapted to set setting-information defining a process to be performed on the image, an editing unit adapted to edit the setting-information set by the setting unit, and recording unit adapted to record the setting-information edited by the editing unit, in association with the feature value of the image, on a data recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and image processing method, a storage medium, and a program. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and image processing method, a storage medium, and a program, adapted to record information indicating a process to be performed on an image in association with a feature value of the image thereby allowing it to reproduce the processed image each time the image is played back.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many techniques to easily processing images are available.
Most techniques of editing an image taken by a video camera or the like are based on a linear editing method in which when original image data is being played back, various processes are performed on the played-back image and a resultant image is recorded on a storage medium.
However, the linear editing has a problem that when original image data is protected in a copy-once mode, if the original image data is once recorded on a recording apparatus such as a VTR (Video Tape Recorder), it is not allowed to record an image obtained by editing the image played back from the recording apparatus.
To avoid the above problem, there is proposed a technique to record an operation performed to specify a process to edit an image (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-202944).
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a known technique of recording and editing an image is described below. In FIG. 1, a horizontal axis indicates "time" of a content recorded, wherein "time" is represented by time code. In FIG. 1, a vertical axis indicates a setting-value recorded and played back. Herein, the setting-value is, for example, a zoom ratio, coordinates of a zoom point, an image parameter such as brightness, contrast, or color, etc.
At the top of FIG. 1, a shaded part of a content indicates a part subjected to editing. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the same part of the content is played back three times or more, and an effect/edit control operation performed on the content is recorded and played back in synchronization with the content.
In the second part immediately below the top part of FIG. 1, a setting-value recorded in a first-time effect/edit control operation is shown. In the first-time effect/edit control operation, as shown in FIG. 1, recording of the setting-value is started when the effect/edit control operation starts, and the recording is ended when the effect/edit control operation ends. Note that at the start point T1 at which recording of the setting-value is started, the setting-value has a normal value. If an operation end button or the like is operated at the end point T2, the effect/edit control operation is ended, and accordingly recording is ended. Thus, in many cases, a discontinuous change in setting-value occurs at the end of the effect/edit control operation, that is, the setting-value returns discontinuously to the normal value at the end of the effect/edit control operation as is the case in the example shown in the second part of FIG. 1.
In the third part, below the second part, of FIG. 1, a setting-value recorded in a second-time effect/edit control operation is shown. In the second-time effect/edit control operation, in this example, the part of the content subjected to the process (from the effect/edit control operation start point T1 to the effect/edit control operation end point T2) is partially modified. More specifically, an operation for modification is started at a modification start point T3 and is ended at a modification end point T4. That is, in the second-time effect/edit control operation, when the same content as that subjected to the first-time effect/edit control operation is being played back, an effect/edit control operation different from that performed in the first-time effect/edit control operation is performed from the modification start point T3 to the modification end point T4 as shown in the third part of FIG. 1.
In the third part of FIG. 1, a broken line indicates the setting-value recorded in the first-time effect/edit control operation.
After the first-time effect/edit control operation is performed (that is, after the setting-value is recorded in the first-time effect/edit control operation), a user has to rewind the content to the effect/edit control operation start point T1 before the second-time effect/edit control operation is started. After the setting-value is recorded in the second-time effect/edit control operation, if the content is again rewound and played back, the setting-value is reproduced in such a manner as shown in the fourth part of FIG. 1. Note that in the second-time effect/edit control operation, the setting-value is overwritten on the setting-value recorded in the first-time effect/edit control operation. Thus, in many cases, a discontinuous change occurs in the setting-value at the end of the overwritten part.
Referring to FIGS. 2A to 2C, a specific example of an effect/edit control operation is described below. FIG. 2A shows a first-time effect/edit control operation and a setting-value recorded in the first-time effect/edit control operation. FIG. 2B shows a second-time effect/edit control operation and a setting-value recorded in the second-time effect/edit control operation. FIG. 2C shows a setting-value recorded as an overall result of the first and second effect/edit control operations. In each of FIGS. 2A and 2B, an upper part shows a setting-value, and a lower part shows an effect/edit control operation.
In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the first-time effect/edit control operation is performed such that an operation signal such as that shown in the lower part of FIG. 2A is output from a controller in accordance with an operation performed on the controller by a user, and a corresponding setting-value is recorded as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2A. Note that the setting-value is given by the integral of the amount of the operation performed on the controller. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, a "positive operation" refers to a positive effect/edit control operation such as enlarging of an image, and a "negative operation" refers to a negative effect/edit control operation such as reducing of an image.
In the example shown in FIG. 2A, a positive effect/edit control operation is performed in a period from an effect/edit control operation start point T1 to an effect/edit control operation end point T11 (see the lower part of FIG. 2A), and the integral of the amount of the operation is recorded as the setting-value. Thus, the recorded setting-value gradually increases as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2A. In a period from a point of time T11 to a point of time T12, a negative effect/edit control operation is performed, and thus the resultant setting-value gradually decreases. After the point of time T12, a positive effect/edit control operation and a negative effect/edit control operation are performed, and a setting-value is recorded in accordance with the operations.
If an operation end button (a record end button) on the controller is operated at the point of time T2, recording of the setting-value is ended. When the recording is ended, the setting-value is returned to the normal value. As a result, the setting-value is recorded as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2A.
As shown in the lower part of FIG. 2B, if a second-time effect/edit control operation is performed on the content subjected to the first-time effect/edit control operation such that a positive effect/edit control operation is performed in a period from a time T3 to a time T21 and a negative effect/edit control operation is performed in a period from the time T21 to a time T4, then a setting-value is recorded in the period from the time T3 to the time T4 as shown in the upper part of FIG. 2B.
In the second-time effect/edit control operation, the integral of the amount of the effect/edit control operation is added to the setting-value recorded at the point of time T3 in the first-time effect/edit control operation. When the effect/edit control operation is ended at the point of time T4, the setting-value is returned to the setting-value recorded at the point of time T4 in the first-time effect/edit control operation.
A setting-value produced as a result of the solidification is recorded as represented by a solid line in the upper part of FIG. 2B (that is, the setting-value is modified to the value represented by the solid line). Thus, after the second-time effect/edit control operation, the overall setting-value is recorded as shown in FIG. 2C.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, storage medium, and program