A memory management system for a computer, where cache coherency between a descriptor cache and data cache is preserved through an inclusion bit mechanism. In one embodiment, an inclusion bit is set for a descriptor cached in a data cache corresponding to a descriptor cached in a descriptor cache such that the association between the descriptors is indicated. Whenever a descriptor in the data cache with a set inclusion bit is altered, the entire descriptor cache is flushed by virtue of the set inclusion bit. Furthermore, in the same embodiment, a valid bit is set for a descriptor in the data cache which is cached from the descriptor table. Whenever a descriptor in the descriptor table, which has a valid bit set in the data cache, is modified, the valid bit is reset. And if the same descriptor with its valid bit reset has a set inclusion bit, then the entire descriptor cache is flushed. As a result, the cache coherency among descriptor cache, data cache and descriptor table is preserved in this improved memory management system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to memory management systems for computers and more specifically, to memory segmentation systems for microprocessors with increased cache memory coherency.
2. Art Background
Memory management is a hardware mechanism which lets operating systems create simplified environments for running programs such that when several programs are running at the same time, they may each be given an independent address space to avoid interference with each other. Memory management typically consists of segmentation and paging. Segmentation is used to give each program several independent, protected address spaces ("segments"). Paging is used to support an environment where large address spaces are simulated using a small amount of random access memory ("RAM") and some disk storage. System designers may choose to use either or both of these mechanisms. When several programs are running at the same time, either mechanism can be used to protect programs against interference from other programs.
Segmentation allows memory to be completely unstructured and simple, like the memory model of a simple 8-bit processor, or highly structured with address translation and protection. Each segment is an independent, protected address space. Access to segments is controlled by data which describes its size, the privilege level required to access it, the kinds of memory references which can be made to it (instruction fetch, stack push or pop, read operation, write operation, etc.), and whether it is present in memory.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1A, where a pictorial representation of memory address translation mechanism is shown. Segmentation mechanism 105 translates segmented (logical) address 100 into an address for a continuous, unsegmented address space, called linear address 110. If paging is enabled, paging mechanism 115 translates linear address 110 into physical address 120. If paging 115 is not enabled, linear address 110 is used as physical address 120. Physical address 120 ultimately appears on the address bus coming out of the processor.
An example of a memory management system can be found implemented in the i486.TM. microprocessors manufactured by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., the Assignee of the present application. In the i486.TM. microprocessors, a logical address consists of the 16-bit segment selector for its segment and a 32-bit offset into the segment. With reference to FIG. 1A, logical address 100 is translated into linear address 110 by adding offset 101 to base address 103 of the segment. Base address 103 is derived from segment descriptor 104, which is a data structure in memory which provides the size and location of a segment, as well as access control information. For example, the segment descriptor in a i486.TM. microprocessor comes from one of two tables, the global descriptor table (GDT) or the local descriptor table (LDT). There is one GDT for all programs in the system, and one LDT for each separate program or task being run. If the operating system allows, different programs can share the same LDT. The system also may be set up with no LDTs; all programs will then use the GDT. For more information with regard to the i486.TM. microprocessors, please refer to i486.TM. Microprocessor: Programmer's Reference Manual, available from Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif.
The translated address is linear address 110. If paging mechanism is not used, linear address 110 is physical address 120. If paging is used, a second level of address translation is needed to produce physical address 120.
Reference is still made to FIG. 1A. Segment selector 102 is shown pointing to segment descriptor 104 which defines a segment. A program in the i486.TM. microprocessors may call for more segments than those segment selectors currently occupying segment registers. When this is true, the program uses forms of MOVE instructions to change the contents of the segment registers when it needs to access a new segment. As shown in FIG. 1B, segment selector 132 identifies a segment descriptor by specifying descriptor tables 133 and descriptor index 134 within that table.
Reference is now made to FIG. 2, where a descriptor format in the i486.TM. microprocessor is illustrated. However, because the descriptor format needs to provide backward compatibility for prior processor architectures, the descriptor format becomes scrambled when it is stored in memory. To simplify internal processor operations, a raw scrambled descriptor needs to be transformed into a unscrambled descriptor. The transformation of a scrambled segment descriptor 300 into an unscrambled segment descriptor 310 for the i486.TM. processors is illustrated in FIG. 3.
Further, a segment descriptor cache as described in the above identified co-pending application can be used to retain previously fetched, unscrambled, and protection tested descriptors such that on subsequent segment register loads, the descriptor can be sourced from the segment descriptor cache and loaded directly into the segment descriptor register file in one clock cycle, thus bypassing all of the work and overhead usually associated with segment register loads. FIG. 9 shows the three level hierarchy of main memory 900, processor's data cache 910 and processor's descriptor cache 920 which exist when a descriptor cache 920 is introduced into a microprocessor. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that mechanisms must be employed at each level to ensure the descriptor data maintained at one level is consistent with the descriptor data in the previous level.
As will be described, the present invention discloses an improved memory management system for a computer, where cache coherency between a descriptor cache and a data cache is preserved through an inclusion bit mechanism. In one embodiment, an inclusion bit coupled to a data cache is set for a descriptor contained in a data cache line indicating the same unscrambled descriptor is also cached in the descriptor cache. Thus the inclusion bit indicates an association between the data cache line and the descriptor cache. Whenever data in the data cache with an inclusion bit set is altered, modified, or swapped out, the entire descriptor cache is flushed to reflect the fact that the descriptor contained in the descriptor cache is no longer valid or the association is no longer valid. As such, the inclusion bit maintains cache coherency between the descriptor cache and data cache. In turn existing hardware caching mechanisms maintain cache coherency between the data cache and the descriptor table in main memory.

Memory management system including an inclusion bit for maintaining cache coherency


The invention relates to an aqueous polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl acetate-based composition which can be applied to a cured rubber surface, such as the white sidewall of a tire, to provide a protective coating against staining and scuffing. Preferably, the aqueous composition includes a polysiloxane agent for increasing the scuff resistance and high humidity resistance.

Tire sidewalls are often coated with protective paints or coatings, particularly tire sidewalls having a color which contrasts with the typical black-colored remainder of the tire. The general purpose of such a protective coating is to inhibit or prevent migration of chemicals to the tire rubber composition from the surface of an adjacent black-colored tire which would otherwise tend to stain and, thus, discolor the rubber. Staining caused by migration of chemicals upon contact from an adjacent tire usually becomes evident after exposure of the contacted rubber surface to ultraviolet light such as sunlight. Such contact staining phenomenon is well known.
Rubber tires are typically black in color due to the carbon black reinforcement contained therein. If a contrasting or other color is desired for a part of the tire, then a coloring pigment is used rather than the carbon black. Conventionally, various of the compounding ingredients used in the formulation of rubber for the manufacture of rubber products such as tires are of the staining type; namely, amine-based antidegradants and aromatic rubber processing oils. These chemicals tend to migrate to the surface of the rubber and may stain or discolor the rubber surface of another article which contacts it for a period of time, particularly after the contacted rubber is exposed to ultraviolet light.
Often, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based coating is used to protect the contrastingly colored rubber surfaces from other rubber surfaces of the staining type because the polyvinyl alcohol itself tends to be a barrier for the migration of such staining material. Moreover, the PVA can normally be easily removed from the coated rubber surface, when and if desired, by simple water-washing, usually with a soap solution, since the PVA itself normally has a relatively high degree of water solubility, particularly when the water contains a surfactant. Thus, the PVA coat is typically used for storage and shipping conditions and is usually removed by water-washing by the user. The PVA coating is normally used in conjunction with (mixed with) a plasticizer so that the resulting PVA-based coating has a degree of flexibility.
Tires are often stored under varying circumstances for various purposes so that they may be in contact with each other for a period of time such as, for example, storage during their shipping or transportation to various locations and warehouse storing. The storage conditions can vary considerably and, sometimes, the tires are stored under relatively high humidity conditions and sometimes at elevated temperatures.
Under such circumstances, where the tire surface has a PVA-based coating thereon, it has been observed that under relatively high humidity conditions the PVA-based coatings soften and easily scuff or abrades away, particularly as one tire may rub against another during shipment, thereby leaving a portion of the contrastingly colored sidewall unprotected and susceptible to chemical contact migrating staining from other adjacent and contacting rubber products, including tires. At elevated temperatures, the aforesaid staining ingredients have a greater tendency to migrate to the surface of its host cured rubber product and, consequently, contribute to the staining of an adjacent and contacting rubber surface which is contrastingly light colored--even through many conventional protective barrier coatings (including PVA-based coatings).
Attempts have been made to provide a coating composition and a resultant coated rubber product, particularly a coated tire sidewall rubber surface, which will retard, inhibit and/or prevent the migration of amine-based antidegradants and aromatic rubber processing oils onto the rubber sidewall surfaces, such as a white sidewall, from an adjacent and contacting black rubber surface. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,137,070 and 5,240,056 to Kansupada et al describe protective coatings for the white sidewalls on tires based on polyvinyl alcohol, and including a monovalent water soluble salt of methylvinylether/maleic acid copolymer and a plasticizer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,218 to Patitsas describes a coating prepared from polyvinyl alcohol and mica or glass, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,591 to Patitsas et al describes a coating prepared from a blend of polyvinyl alcohol and water-dispersed polyurethane.

Protective coating for tire sidewalls and method for protecting tire sidewalls


An apparatus is provided for covering a hitch receiver. That apparatus includes a rotating cover displaceable between a first position concealing a hitch receiver from view and a second position allowing access to the hitch receiver. In one embodiment the cover includes two cooperating lugs and pivots about two pivot pins. In another embodiment the cover slides along opposed guide channels.

Many individuals utilize their motor vehicles to tow trailers laden with such items as boats, personal watercraft, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, camping equipment and the like. Thus receiver-type trailer hitches have become increasingly popular and are now provided on all types of motor vehicles including not only pickup trucks but also sport utility vehicles, crossover vehicles, minivans, station wagons and even sedans. Typically the trailer hitch receivers are provided in a recess behind the motor vehicle bumper. A trailer hitch cover is provided over the trailer hitch receiver when not in use in order to increase visual styling and aesthetic appeal of the motor vehicle.
This document relates to a new and improved apparatus for covering a hitch receiver. That apparatus includes a rotating cover that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to operate.


A quotation system and method are provided (see FIG. 1). A relational database (10) allows various departments (14, 16, 18, 20) to prepare a quotation. The relational database centralizes data to increase efficiency, and the data may be modified, as needed, for particular quotation solutions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a quotation system and method.
2. Background Art
The existing process for preparing a quotation, more specifically, a quotation for a custom-made product, is oftentimes cumbersome and inefficient for a number of reasons. For example, automotive suppliers mass produce products that are uniquely designed to customer specifications for assembly into vehicles. The automotive supplier uses a list of manufacturing processes and/or assembly components that are purchased from sub-suppliers. An automotive supplier is typically given about ten days to respond to a customer request for quotation. Within this ten-day or other reasonably short period of time, a rigorous business process takes place whereby people from multiple departments must contribute information and expertise to assess the design, manufacturing process, capacity, cost, investment, price, strategy, and logistics. Then, the supplier must submit its quotation in a format specified by the customer.
Due to the short period of time allowed by the customer for the supplier to prepare the quotation, the supplier typically faces difficult challenges when developing the quotation. For example, the supplier is faced with applying enormous overhead to process a request for quotation through its system and deliver a quotation to the customer within the short period of time. For example, the supplier may sometimes skip some approval steps or make assumptions to ensure timely submission of the quotation. This may result in inaccuracies and have undesirable results, particularly in markets with thin margins. For example, the supplier may be forced to deliver a late quotation due to the time constraints imposed by the customer. These are just a few examples of the difficulties faced by a supplier when preparing a quotation. Other obstacles faced by the supplier include the fact that sometimes geography and international borders separate contributors and approvers, making it difficult to manage and oversee the entire quotation process.
One technique for preparing quotations that is used today is a spreadsheet-based quotation technique. That is, various departments make calculations using spreadsheets and pass these spreadsheets along to each other using, for example, electronic mail. This results in data being separated from its origin, being difficult to track, and being nearly inaccessible for a subsequent analysis. As such, spreadsheet passing techniques used today, although sometimes successful, do have their shortcomings. Although the example given above relates specifically to automotive suppliers, this is only exemplary, and other industries may face similar problems in preparing quotations.
In addition, some attempts have been made to develop quotation software. Typically, existing quotation software involves substantial hard-coding and lacks the flexibility that is often needed to prepare customized quotations, such as, for example, in the automotive industry. Many times, a supplier will have their own particular way of performing cost calculations, and does not want to be restricted to the hard-coded techniques in the quotation software. Because existing quotation software lacks the desirable flexibility, many suppliers have stayed away from these existing software solutions. As a result, suppliers continue to use spreadsheet passing techniques which, as described above, also have shortcomings. Examples of quotation systems and methods are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,115,690; 5,970,476; 5,842,178; 5,717,924; 5,249,120; 5,008,853; 4,992,940; 6,212,549; and 6,370,562.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a quotation system and method that overcomes the shortcomings of existing quotation preparation techniques.

System and method for use by various departments to prepare a quotation


A Service Control Point (SCP) has a call list associated with the main telephone number of a called party. When a calling party attempts to contact the called party by calling the main number, but cannot reach the main number, a Service Switching Point (SSP) fires a trigger. One trigger is a T_No_Answer trigger, which is fired in response to a call to the main number that is not answered within a predefined number of rings. Another trigger is a T_Busy trigger that is fired in response to a call to the main number that is made when the main number is busy. Each trigger causes the SCP to access the call list and to cause the SSP to ring an alternative telephone number associated with the main telephone number. If this attempt to reach the called party also fails, then the SSP again fires the trigger and an attempt is made to connect the calling party to the next number on the call list. If the call list is exhausted before the calling party is connected to a number on the called party's call list, then a message can be played to the calling party. Alternatively, the calling party may be connected to a voice mailbox associated with the called party or may receive a busy tone.

The popularity of the cellular telephone evidences the fact that modern telephone users desire to be reachable to calling parties without being restricted by physical location. Before cellular telephones were so widely available, telephone users in many areas could subscribe to a call forwarding service from their local telephone service provider. Call forwarding could be used to associate the subscriber's main number with an alternative number. When a calling party attempted to reach the subscriber, while the call forwarding service was activated, the alternate number would be rung, instead of the main number. Thus, a subscriber could enjoy the freedom to change its physical location, while maintaining some ability to receive calls that were actually made to the user's main number. The subscriber could typically forward incoming calls to any other telephone number.
Typically, there are two main classes of call forwarding services, including Switch-based and Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) based. Switch-based call forwarding is done entirely by the home switch (the switch the customer is connected to). Any customer interactions to set, change, or delete a forwarding number occur with the subscriber (customer) accessing directly the switch. Such a system is usually simple, but the service provided by that system is "as is", and cannot easily be modified or customized.
AIN-based call forwarding services involve a trigger and a query/response from a service control point (SCP). Such a system can be modified and customized more easily, but additional resources are often needed such as a trigger in the switch. Typically, once a trigger is provisioned on a customer's line, the trigger cannot be used for multiple services. That is, the trigger can only be mapped to a single service on the SCP. Depending on what the service does, additional resources may be required such as the involvement of a service node (SN). For example, as with so called "flexible call forwarding", a service node primarily is used to play announcements and to collect digits from the customer to change call forwarding settings, but usually it is not used during call processing. Accordingly, disadvantages of an AIN-based system involve the use of other resources such as triggers, SCP, and service node, plus additional trunking services.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an alternative number ringing system that can support the dialing of more than two alternative numbers associated with a main telephone number. The system should not rely upon the resources of an Advanced Intelligent Network's Services Node. The system also should ring the alternative numbers in a predefined sequence maintained in the call list, so that only one alternative number is rung at a time. The system also should enable the easy configuration of the call list by a subscriber and should enable the use of multiple call lists.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatically sequentially ringing alternative telephone numbers


A console box for storing small articles includes a box body, an outer lid pivotally mounted for opening and closing the box body and an inner lid disposed between the box body and the outer lid. The box body has a first space for storing small articles. The outer lid pivots within a first angle with respect to the box body. The outer lid is box-shaped and has a second space inside. The inner lid has a third space for storing other small articles. The inner lid is located in the second space of the outer lid when the outer lid is closed. The inner lid pivots in accordance with the movement of the outer lid to a second angle that is smaller than the first angle with respect to the box body. The box body according to the present invention may have a stopper for limiting a maximum opening angle of the outer lid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a console box provided inside a vehicle's compartment.
2. Description of the Related Art
A console box is placed between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat in a vehicle. The console box typically includes a rectangular parallelepiped box body and a lid that is hinged to the box at an end (for example, at the rear end). The interior of the box body is used for storing small articles. The lid includes a plate and four side walls surrounding the plate, which define an open storage space. The rotation of the lid with respect to the box body around the hinge opens and closes the box body.
There is a demand for an effective usage of the space defined by the lid of a console box. Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 58-113562 discloses such a usage of the space inside the lid. As shown in FIG. 8, a console box 100 according to the above publication includes a box body 101, an outer lid 102 that has a U-shaped cross section and an inner lid 103. The inner lid 103 is placed between the box body 101 and the outer lid 102. The inner lid 103 divides the space defined by the box body 101 and the outer lid 102. This allows the space on top of the inner lid 103 to be used for storing small articles in addition to the space in the box body 101.
The above console box 100 is opened by two different actions. The first action, opening the outer lid 102 together with the inner lid 103, opens the box body 101 and permits small articles to be placed inside. A second action is to open only the outer lid 102. This permits the space defined by the outer lid 102 and the inner lid 103 to be used for storing small articles. These two different actions require two different opening operations and switching between the two actions is complicated. This has created a need for a console box that uses the interior of the outer lid 102 and is simply operated.


A teleservices system, workstation configuration, and teleservices manager application provide for integrated concurrent interactions with various host computer systems, an automatic call management system, and Internet/intranet servers. The teleservices system includes an automatic call distributor and call management system, a customer database system, various host systems providing terminal emulation based access, a hypermedia server with hypermedia data on multiple properties, host computer systems, or business locations. The teleservices workstation configuration includes a telephone server application that interfaces to the call management system, a patron server program that interfaces to the customer database system, and a configuration database that stores configuration for configuring each agent's workstation to access various ones of the host computer systems, and identifying various ones of the properties for which the agent provides services. The teleservices workstation manager application controls and interfaces with the telephone server program, the patron server program, and the configuration database. Among other functions, the teleservices workstation manager automatically retrieves customer data from the customer database in response to receiving a telephone number for an incoming telephone call, automatically configures itself to provide terminal emulation sessions for various ones of the host computer systems and properties that the agent is authorized to service, and dynamically selects and retrieves hypermedia data for various ones of such properties. The various data sources are presented through an integrated user interface, and the agent is able to efficiently transfer information between the various systems.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing sessions with both proprietary and non-proprietary systems, and more particularly, for session management with terminal emulation systems, Internet network systems, UNIX-based legacy systems, and telephony control systems.
2. Background of the Invention
Many companies provide telephone-based customer service departments, or teleservices centers, to provide customer service to patrons. Teleservice centers are typically used to process account inquiries for existing customers, to make reservations for various accommodations and services, to accept orders for products or services from new or existing customers, provide technical support, and the like. The typical teleservice center includes an automatic call distributor (ACD) which routes customer calls to customer service agents, a central computer system which stores customer and corporate information, and personal computers, terminals, or workstations at each agent's station. An agent uses the computer to access customer account data, company information, and other data to assist the customer. The agent uses the computer or a telephone set to interact with the ACD to answer, hold, transfer and otherwise handle incoming and outgoing customer telephone calls.
In many teleservice centers, the agents must often access many different, unrelated computer systems and sources of information to assist the customer. For example, in a hotel chain with many hotel properties, a teleservice center agent may need to access customer account data on a legacy computer system, access different computer systems for each hotel property to check for available rooms and rates, and access yet another computer system with a property database to review property descriptions, amenities and the like. In addition, with the recent growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web as publishing and information mechanisms, it may be useful for the agent to access additional information on a company intranet or other Internet sites. Each of these different computer systems and data sources is likely to have completely separate user interfaces, unrelated execution environments, data formats, and communications protocols. Existing legacy systems may be operating on proprietary mainframe computers, and are typically accessed through terminal emulation sessions using proprietary communications protocols. Corporate databases may operate on separate computers running UNIX-based client-server applications. Internet and intranet systems may be based on a third system architecture, such as Intel-based computers running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows95 operating system, using HTTP communication protocols over TCP/IP connections. The ACD itself may have a separate telephony application, used to control it from the agent's computer terminal. Each of the various systems and sources operate independently, requiring separate start up, login, and operational procedures.
FIG. 1 illustrates a screen capture from one conventional teleservices environment. As can be seen, there are multiple, different windows, managed by a number of separate applications. Six of the windows (the TR, LMS, and CMS titled windows) are each for a different terminal emulation session for a different host system. One window (entitled Netscape) is for viewing HTML data on a corporate intranet; the final window (entitled Inbox) is for an email application. To answer a telephone call the agent must physically use the telephone set to connect to the ACD, or must toggle into a separate telephony application on their computer (not shown). Once the telephone call is answered, the agent must toggle into various databases and other computer systems to access information and services for the customer. To access each of the different applications and systems, the agent must toggle repeatedly between the many windows, a slow, time-consuming and sometimes error prone process. Thus, the operating environment of the conventional teleservices workstation can be extremely complex, and difficult to use.
This complex environment has a number of undesirable effects. First, customer service is substantially impaired in this environment. While the agent toggles between different application windows and inputs search requests into different databases, the customer must wait on the telephone line. This process increases the time necessary to service the customer, and decreases the customer's satisfaction.
Second, because the various applications that access the underlying computer systems operate independently, they typically do not share data formats, and there are typically little or no automated mechanisms for transferring data between systems and applications. Thus, the agent may have to repeatedly enter a customer's name, address, account number, birthdate, or the like, from one application into another application in order to obtain reservation, account status, or other information. Again, the customer must wait on the telephone line while the agent performs these operations. The lack of integration of these multiple systems thereby increases the time necessary to service customer calls, reduces the overall number of customer calls that can be processed in a given time period, and reduces customer satisfaction.
Third, the complexity and lack of integration increases the training time and cost for agents. The agent must be trained in the use of each individual system, including how to log into the system, perform all of the operations and functions in each system, and how to handle problems that may arise. Because of the lack of integration, each system and its accessing application is likely to have its own set of operations and procedures.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a teleservices system and workstation configuration that enables an integrated presentation of information from multiple, concurrent systems, such as terminal emulation sessions with mainframe or other host type computer systems, hypertext systems based on Internet protocols, and telephony control systems.

Teleservices computer system, method, and manager application for integrated presentation of concurrent interactions with multiple terminal emulation sessions


In a X-ray imaging apparatus an estimation unit estimates a cumulative exposure dose of X-rays irradiated onto an object, and a remaining exposure tolerance dose calculation unit calculates a remaining exposure tolerance dose using a difference between a tolerated maximum exposure dose and the cumulative exposure dose. A X-ray irradiation tolerance period calculation unit calculates an X-ray irradiation tolerance period using a difference between a predetermined scheduled X-ray irradiation period and an actual irradiation period of X-rays irradiated onto the object, an X-ray irradiation reference dose calculation unit calculates reference dose per unit time that will form a basis for irradiation based on the remaining exposure tolerance dose and the X-ray irradiation tolerance period, and a control unit that controls X-ray irradiation of the object by setting dose per unit time within the X-ray irradiation tolerance period based on the reference dose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging technique for preventing patients from being exposed to excessive doses of radiation.
2. Description of the Related Art
X-ray diagnostic imaging utilizing X-rays has typically been applied in radiographic interpretation using still images, although in recent years its application has expanded to include X-ray fluoroscopic examination and surgical support. However, X-ray fluoroscopic examination and surgical support, while being extremely beneficial, unavoidably expose patients to radiation, and the exposure risk must always be taken into consideration when performing X-ray diagnosis and surgical support. Despite these risks, the X-ray dose has heretofore typically been adjusted manually by the operator providing the medical care. The operator selects the appropriate X-ray dose, with regard to the surgical objective, examination application, examination site, the patient's physique, age and sex, the characteristics of the apparatus and so on. In the case of a procedure using fluorography, the operator prepares a surgical plan after manually calculating the X-ray dose.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-253801 proposes an X-ray diagnostic apparatus that estimates the cumulative exposure dose, and issues a warning and stops the irradiation when the estimated cumulative exposure dose reaches a prescribed limit. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-253801 proposes an X-ray diagnostic apparatus that estimates the cumulative exposure dose, works out the period for which irradiation is possible at the current X-ray irradiation dose per unit time based on the estimated cumulative exposure dose, and displays the result.
Overexposure can be avoided with conventional X-ray diagnostic apparatus that estimates the cumulative exposure dose, and issues a warning and stops the irradiation when the cumulative exposure dose reaches a prescribed dose. On the other hand, however, the scheduled procedure has to be aborted even though it may not have been completed. Even if the cumulative exposure dose is estimated and the period for which irradiation is possible at the current X-ray irradiation dose per unit time is worked out based on the cumulative exposure dose and displayed, the procedure either needs to be aborted or continued for longer than the displayed remaining period if the procedure has not ended within the remaining period.

X-ray imaging apparatus and x-ray imaging method


In order to control development condition and/or transfer condition for stable image forming, toner patterns of the same density are formed on a photoconductor and are transferred onto a paper or the like while changing the transfer current. Then, the transfer efficiencies of the toner patterns are measured. Other characteristics such as the resistance of the paper and charge of toners may also be monitored. Then, the development condition and/or transfer condition is controlled according to the detected data.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine which uses an electrophotographic process.
2. Description of Prior Art
In an image forming apparatus which uses an electrophotographic process, it is desirable that an image is formed stably or an image of a particular density is reproduced on a paper for the same image data. In order to reproduce an image stably, it is known to control development conditions based on toner density before a copy operation is started or when a copy mode is set. The toner density is measured on a toner pattern formed on a photoconductor. It is also known to control a development condition based on the toner density of a toner pattern formed on a photoconductor in predetermined conditions and transferred onto a paper at a predetermined transfer current (for example, Japanese Patent laid open Publication 5-134561/1993). The development condition may be, for example, toner density in a development unit, development bias voltage applied to a surface of development sleeve, development interval or the like.
When the amount of charges on toners decreases due to deterioration or the like, toners on the photoconductor are reversely charged in a transfer part of the copying machine, and toners reversely charged are remained on the photoconductor after the toner image is transferred on a paper. This decreases transfer efficiency. In this case, the transfer efficiency can be optimized by controlling the development condition to increase the amount of toner charges. The reverse charging of toners also occurs when the resistance of the paper onto which a toner image is transferred decreases in the environment of high humidity. In this case, the best transfer efficiency or the transfer current for the maximum density is affected. Therefore, besides the control of the development condition to increase the amount of the toner charges, it may be necessary further to control the transfer current. However, prior art image forming apparatuses do not take into account reverse charging due to a change in the resistance of a paper under high humidity environment. Therefore, they cannot decide whether the reverse charging of toners is caused by decrease in toner charges due to deterioration or by decrease in the resistance of the paper under the high humidity environment. Then, in the high humidity environment, the development condition and image forming conditions including the transfer current cannot be controlled appropriately, and an image cannot be reproduced stably on a paper.

Image forming apparatus with transfer efficiency control


A solar cell element includes: a transparent body; a MgxAg1-x layer (0.001≦x≦0.045) having a thickness (2-13 nm); a ZnO layer having an arithmetical mean (Ra: 20-870 nm); and a transparent conductive layer. A photoelectric conversion layer including n-type and p-type layers further includes n-side and p-side electrodes. The ZnO layer is composed of ZnO columnar crystal grains grown on the MgxAg1-x layer, and each ZnO grain has a longitudinal direction along a normal line of the body, has a width increasing from the MgxAg1-x layer toward the transparent conductive layer, has a width which appears by cutting each ZnO grain along the normal line, and has a R2/R1 ratio (1.1-1.8). R1 represents the width of one end of the ZnO grain, and the one end is in contact with the surface of the MgxAg1-x layer, and R2 represents the width of the other end of the ZnO grain.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a solar cell element.
(2) Description of Related Art
FIG. 14 shows a solar cell element disclosed in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent laid-open Publication No. H11-220154 A). This solar cell element comprises a substrate 101, a reverse surface reflective layer 102, a first transparent electrode layer 103a formed of ZnO, a second transparent electrode layer 103b formed from ZnO, a semiconductor layer 105, an upper part transparent electrode 106, and a collective electrode in this order.
The second clear electrode layer 103b is composed of a plurality of columnar crystal grains. Each columnar crystal grain has a longitudinal direction along a normal line direction of the substrate 101. The second clear electrode layer 103b has a region where a plurality of columnar crystal grains radiate upwardly.
The upper transparent electrode 106 is irradiated with light from above to generate a voltage difference between the first clear electrode layer 103 and the upper transparent electrode 106.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A lens unit and a projection screen made of the same are disclosed. The lens unit includes a micro lens having a light incident surface and a light emergent surface opposing to the light incident surface; a light absorbing layer formed on the light emergent surface of the micro lens and having a cavity formed therein; a scattering layer formed in the cavity of the light absorbing layer and including a transparent resin blended with scattering particles; and a reflective layer formed on the light absorbing layer and the scattering layer. The projection screen includes a plurality of the lens units, thereby achieving high contrast and high energy utilization efficiency of incident light with a large viewing angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to lens units and projection screens made of the same, and more particularly to a lens unit with a scattering layer comprising a transparent resin blended with scattering particles and a projection screen including the lens unit.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, projectors and projection screens have been widely used in teaching, meeting presentation, advertising, entertainment and so on. Although the projectors and projection screens are improved with advanced technology, some drawbacks exist in the front projection technology used in a projector or projection screen. For example, when using the projector or projection screen, the ambient light from the ambient environment of the projector will adversely affect the projection. When the ambient light becomes stronger, the contrast of projection images on the projection screen becomes worse. As a result, it becomes difficult to clearly see the content of the projection images. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the ambient light, which is normally hard eliminated. Nevertheless in usual circumstances, such as in teaching or meeting presentations, complete elimination of the ambient light will cause inconvenience to the audiences who may need to make some notes.
On the other hand, along with the rapid development of high luminance white light LEDs and RGB laser diodes, the projectors are developing towards miniaturization and portability. However, miniaturized projectors lack high luminance light sources. Therefore, poor contrast of projection images on the projection screen caused by the ambient light becomes much more serious.
To overcome the above-described drawback of the ambient light causing the poor contrast, the projection screens in the prior art were all designed to selectively absorb the ambient light and reflect the light from the projector light source due to difference between the light from the projector light source and the ambient light.
In order to maximally reflect the light from the projector light source and reject the ambient light so as to increase the contrast of image, the following methods are proposed in the prior arts:                (1) Angle selection: since the incident angle of the light from the projector light source and the ambient light are different, the angle selection can be made through light directivity.        (2) Polarization selection: when the ambient light is an unpolarized light and the light from the projector light source is designed as a polarized light, the polarization selection can be achieved.        (3) Wavelength selection: since the projector light source is an RGB light source while the ambient light has a broadband spectrum, the wavelength selection can be achieved.
The angle selection method for improving the contrast between the light from the projector light source and the ambient light and increasing the viewing angle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,942,841, 4,298,246, 5,096,278 and Taiwan Patent No. 293887.
Taiwan Patent No. 293887 discloses a method of increasing the screen contrast by adjusting spacing of retro-reflective material areas using a self-aligning method. However, the method still has some drawbacks to be solved.
FIG. 1A shows a lens unit as disclosed in Taiwan Patent No. 293887. The lens unit includes a micro lens 20, a light absorbing layer 21 and a reflective layer 23.
The micro lens 20 has a light incident surface 201 and a light emergent surface 202 opposing to the light incident surface 201. The light absorbing layer 21 is formed on the light emergent surface 202 of the micro lens 20 and has a cavity 211 filled with a transparent material or white material, for example TiO2, such that when the light from the projector light source enters into the micro lens 20 and reaches the reflective layer 23, a pure reflective surface can be formed by the transparent material in the cavity 211 or a Lambertian surface can be formed by the white material in the cavity 211 for light reflection.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the cavity 211 of the lens unit is filled with a transparent material so as to form a pure reflective surface 22a, for example a mirror surface, for light reflection. When incident lights pass through the light incident surface 201 of the micro lens 20 and leave the light emergent surface 202 of the micro lens 20, and then reach the light absorbing layer 21 or the mirror surface 22a, the incident ambient light from the ambient environment of the projector in a direction S2 is absorbed by the light absorbing layer 21 and the incident light from the projector light source in a direction S1 reaches the mirror surface 22a and is reflected by the mirror surface 22a based on the rule that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Therefore, the lens unit using the mirror surface 22a improves the light energy utilization efficiency, while such lens limits the viewing angle at the same time.
As shown in FIG. 1C, the cavity 211 of the lens unit is filled with a white material such as white photoresist so as to form a Lambertian surface 22b. When incident lights pass through the light incident surface 201 of the micro lens 20 and leave the light emergent surface 202 of the micro lens 20, and then reach the light absorbing layer 21 or the Lambertian surface 22b, the incident ambient light from the ambient environment of the projector in a direction S2 is absorbed by the light absorbing layer 21 and the incident light from the projector light source in a direction S1 is uniformly diffused by the Lambertian surface 22b. As shown in FIG. 2, the Lambertian surface 22b uniformly diffuses the incident light. However, light with a relative large angle (θ>θc) will be constrained inside the lens unit due to the total internal reflection, and part of the constrained light will be reflected several times by the light incident surface 201 of the micro lens 20 and finally absorbed by the light absorbing layer 21, thereby reducing the whole luminance.
Therefore, the lens unit with the Lambertian surface 22b increases the viewing angle but decreases the light energy utilization efficiency.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a lens unit and a projection screen made of the same so as to increase the light energy utilization efficiency and increase the viewing angle.

Lens unit and projection screen made of the same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A lighting apparatus for a vehicle includes headlamps configured to be switchable between high beam and low beam, wherein a direction of an optical axis of each of the headlamps is variable in a substantially horizontal plane by use of a swivel actuator and a controller configured to control the headlamps, wherein if the controller detects a forward vehicle in projection areas of the headlamps, the controller temporarily switches from the high beam to the low beam, then drives the swivel actuator toward a target swivel angle according to a position of the detected forward vehicle and, after finishing driving toward the target swivel angle or during driving toward the target swivel angle, starts projection by the high beam.

JP 2010-000957 A discloses a technique in which light distribution patterns for left and right side high beams, which have blocked portions in part with respect to a high beam pattern, can be generated by controlling sub-shades divided into halves in a horizontal direction, and swivel angles of the left side and right side headlamps are adjusted such that positions of vertical cut-off lines of the light distribution patterns for left and right side high beams according to the position of the detected vehicle are implemented.
However, according to the technique disclosed in the above-noted Patent Document 1, if a forward vehicle is detected in projection areas of headlamps, the high beam light included in the light distribution patterns for left and right side high beams may traverse the forward vehicle in the course of an initial adjusting process of changing the swivel angles of the left side and right side headlamps. In this case, there may be glare felt by the driver of the forward vehicle.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting apparatus for a vehicle and a method of controlling headlamps for a vehicle which can preferably prevent glare affecting the driver of the forward vehicle in the course of an initial adjusting process of the swivel angle at the time of detecting the forward vehicle.

Lighting apparatus for vehicle and method of controlling a headlamp


A wall lamp (1) is fixed to both an airframe (2) of an aircraft and a wall surface sheet (3) covering the airframe (2). The wall lamp (1) includes a light source (30), a light source holder (50) that is attached to the wall surface sheet (3) and holds the light source (30), and an attachment portion (60) that is attached to the light source holder (50) and the airframe (2). The attachment portion (60) is formed of a material having a melting point lower than that of a material forming the light source holder (50).

As a wall lamp, for example, a wall lamp as shown in Patent Literature 1 described below is known. This wall lamp is a wall lamp attached to the wall surface of a cargo compartment of an aircraft, and includes a housing attached to a cargo compartment liner, which is the wall surface of the cargo compartment, and a light source attached to the surface of the housing on a cargo compartment side.
[Patent Literature 1] JP 2011-003185 A


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device with a recess gate includes providing a substrate, forming an isolation layer over the substrate to define an active region, forming mask patterns with a first width opening exposing a region where recess patterns are to be formed, and a second width opening smaller than the first width and exposing the isolation layer, forming a passivation layer along a height difference of the mask patterns, etching the substrate using the passivation layer and the mask patterns as an etch barrier to form recess patterns, removing the passivation layer and the mask patterns, and forming gate patterns protruding from the substrate to fill the recess patterns.

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device with a recess gate.
As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, gate channel length increases and ion implant doping concentration decreases. A typical method for forming a gate over a planar active region, that is, a planar gate line formation method, causes electric field to increase. Thus, it is difficult to secure refresh characteristics of the device because of junction leakage caused by the electric field increase.
To secure the refresh characteristics of the semiconductor device, a method for forming a three-dimensional (3D) gate structured recess gate for recessing a region below gate patterns is proposed to increase the channel length.
FIGS. 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views describing a typical method for fabricating a semiconductor device with a recess gate.
Referring to FIG. 1A, an isolation layer 12 is formed over a substrate 11 to define an active region. The isolation layer 12 and the active region are selectively etched to form recess patterns 13.
Referring to FIG. 1B, gate patterns 14 protruding from the substrate 11 are formed to fill the recess patterns 13. The gate patterns 14 may include a stack structure of a first electrode 14A, a second electrode 14B, and a gate hard mask 14C. Herein, a linewidth of the recess patterns 13 in the isolation layer 12 can be increased through a cleaning process performed before the gate patterns 14 are formed.
An etch barrier layer 15 is formed over a resultant structure including the gate patterns 14. An insulation layer 16 is formed to fill the gap between the gate patterns 14.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the insulation layer 16 and the etch barrier layer 15 between the gate patterns 14 are etched to open the substrate 11. A conductive material is filled in the resulting spaces to form a landing plug contact 17.
As described above, in the typical process, the recess patterns 13 and the landing plug contact 17 are formed to improve the refresh characteristics.
According to the typical method, however, an isolation layer 12 can be damaged by the cleaning process performed before the substrate 11 is open and filled with the conductive material. Thus, a short 100 can occur between the gate patterns 14 and the landing plug contact 17.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device with recess gate


The present invention is a novel method of performing spectral analysis on a digital signal. The received signal is segmented into a number of data blocks, which may be disjoint or overlapping. For each data block, the signal is differentiated, and the Gram-Schmidt process is used to obtain orthogonality between a signal and its derivative. The complex extension leads to computation of phase using either the inverse tangent function or the complex logarithm. Finally, frequency estimation follows through differentiation of the unwrapped phase.

Frequency estimation is the cornerstone of digital signal processing, whether for analysis of radar, sonar, speech, or telephony signals. The Fourier transform, embodied in the modern FFT algorithm, has been the leading method of frequency estimation both in hardware and software. Twenty years before the advent of the FFT, Gabor introduced the notion of Instantaneous Frequency (IF) for a signal, which is derived from a complex extension using the Hilbert transform. The critical property that allowed such a different approach is the orthogonality of any signal to its Hilbert transform; Gabor's IF notion applied ideas from classical complex analysis.
The Fourier transform suffers from the well-known localization constraint, an inability to resolve time and frequency equally well, while the Hilbert transform is an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter, hence realizable digitally only approximately.
Typical of prior art methods employing the Fourier transform to estimate frequency include:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,930, entitled "ESTIMATION OF CARRIER FREQUENCY ESTIMATION," U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,124, entitled "ESTIMATION OF SIGNAL FREQUENCY USING FAST WALSH TRANSFORM," and U.S. Pat. No. 6,577,968 entitled "METHOD OF ESTIMATING SIGNAL FREQUENCY," each disclose a method of estimating frequency using the either a Fourier transform or a Walsh-Hadamard transform, a generalized class of Fourier transforms. The present invention does not use Fourier or Walsh transforms, as do the methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,904,930, 5,729,124, and 6,577,968. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,904,930, 5,729,124, and 6,577,968 are hereby incorporated by reference into the specification of the present invention.
There exists a need to estimate frequency of a signal in a less computationally complicated manner.

Method of estimating digital signal frequency

The United States of America as represented by the Director of the National Security Agency


A vessel has a substantially vertical frame attached to a vessel support structure, an upper clamping element vertically displaceable along the frame via a displacement member, a lower clamping element aligned with the upper clamping element, a loading device for supplying a pipe segment to the upper clamping element, and a control device adapted to control the displacement member and the upper and lower clamping elements for lowering the pipe segment by the displacement member along a pipe trajectory, with the upper clamping element being engaged on the pipe segment, while the lower clamping element is disengaged, with the lower clamping element being situated on the vessel support structure, with a transverse track extending from a side position on the vessel to a position alongside the pipe trajectory, and a support member which is displaceable along the track to be situated in the pipe trajectory.

The invention relates to a vessel comprising a substantially vertical frame attached to a vessel support structure, an upper clamping element, vertically displaceable along the frame via a displacement member, a lower clamping element, aligned with the upper clamping element, a loading device for supplying a pipe segment to the upper clamping element, control means adapted to control the displacement member and the upper and lower clamping elements for lowering the pipe segment by the displacement member along a pipe trajectory, the upper clamping element being engaged on the pipe segment, while the lower clamping element is disengaged.
J-lay towers are known in which pipe segments are lowered from the J-lay tower according to the hand-over-hand principle by intermittently holding the sea-pipe by a travelling clamp and by a fixed clamp. The known J-lay towers are often relatively heavy and not suitable to easily retrofit existing vessels with J-lay equipment.


An optronic device fitted with a focusing mirror for projection on a visor. A plane mirror is placed between the last active component of the optronic device and the visor. The mirror is attached to a reinforcement of the device by an elastomeric seal that presses the mirror against screws screwed into the reinforcement. The ends of each pair of screws form axes about which it is possible to pivot the mirror. An identical action on each of the screws makes it possible to move the mirror in translation. Adjusting the mirror makes it possible to alter the position of the visor seen by an optical module of the optronic device, and therefore to focus the image on the visor so that it is as sharp as possible. This corrects placement errors of the visor and its curvature defects.

The subject of the present invention is an optronic device fitted with a focusing mirror for projection on a visor. The field of the invention is the piloting of craft for which the pilot needs to be presented with information without it distracting him from his piloting, for example a sighting system with projection on the visor of the pilot helmet. The aim of the invention is to make sure that an image generator and a projection visor of an optronic device are correctly positioned one with respect to the other. That is to say that the image emitted by the image generator is correctly displayed on the projection visor. Another objective is to increase the manufacturing tolerances of the structure of the optronic device.
For reasons of weight, ergonomics and safety, a large proportion of current systems project onto a visor. Part of the visor acts as a semireflecting mirror for the optic of the visor. The shape of this visor is generally spherical or axisymmetric, therefore it functions in the same way as the power components in the optical combination of the visor. Since the visor is exposed, getting scratched and dirty, for lifetime considerations, the visor must be disconnectable. The visor is an optical component with a large surface area (angular coverage of the eye) and small thickness (weight) and made of plastic (safety and weight), it is therefore a fragile component which is easily deformed, so it is mounted onto a plastic or composite support.
The complete optical system therefore comprises an image generator which generates an image from a source or a purely synthetic image, a relay optic responsible for transmitting the light ray from this generator to the visor, which superimposes the image with the natural scenery observed directly through the visor by the user""s eyes.
The relay optic deforms the image from the image generator according to a distortion the opposite of that introduced by the inclined visor. The combination of the visor relay optic assembly then provides a distortion-free image from the image generator.
The use of high-precision mechanical and optical parts for producing the relay optic makes it possible to obtain acceptable optical performance. With regard to the visor, the problem is more difficult given its removability and its ability to deform depending on external conditions, in particular temperature. On assembly, the usual approach would consist, after putting the visor in place, in recentering the relay optic so that the image obtained on the projection visor was correct.
Another solution consists in moving the visor until it is in a position providing a correct image. This solution is acceptable for a monocular visor having only a single optical center. This is because, since the visor has a protective role to play, it must be made in one piece. If a binocular visor, therefore having two optical centers is considered, it is highly likely that once the right optical center is in place, the left optical center will not have an ideal position, hence distortions in the final image. The binocular solution is the most widespread, since at present it is this which provides the largest angular coverage, and also the best image.
The use of a binocular visor therefore requires the independent adjustment of the right and left relay optic. In this case, these adjustments are essential since the binocular superposition requirements are very strict. The tolerance of position of the visor with respect to the projection optic is, in this case, about 0.05 mm. Adjustment of these relay optic blocks involves a heavy adjusting mechanism given the required accuracy and precision constraints. This excess weight is detrimental to the safety of the wearer.
Furthermore, a difference in the position of the relay optic with respect to its theoretical position could introduce distortions due to edge effects. This is because the path of the light rays would no longer be that of the optical axis. Finally, this solution is difficult to use within the scope of a light amplification system, since in this case, the image acquisition objective lens is integral with the relay optic. All movements of this relay optic would therefore cause movement of the image acquisition objective lens and the device would then no longer face the correct direction.
The invention solves these problems by replacing the mechanical adjustment system, positioning one optical component with respect to another, with an optical adjustment system. That is to say the optical function of an optical component is positioned with respect to another, in the place expected by this other component. Mechanically, the components keep their position, it is the optical function which moves. In the invention, the movements of the optical function are provided by a plane mirror. This mirror makes sure that the relay optic sees the visor in its theoretical position, the position that the visor would have if the device was perfect. The position of this mirror can be adjusted so that the relay optic functions and the visor functions can be moved one with respect to the other.
The subject of the invention is therefore an optronic device, attached to a helmet, comprising an image source 104, a relay optic device 105, a semireflecting projection visor 108, these three components being held together by a rigid mechanical reinforcement 301 and, between the relay optic and the visor, on the optical path of rays 109 from the image source, a plane folding mirror 106, the position of which can be adjusted with respect to the reinforcement 301, characterized in that the folding mirror 106 is attached to a rigid support 304, itself connected to the mechanical reinforcement 301 by an elastic seal 307 and in that it is held under pressure via its support 304 on adjustment screws screwed into the reinforcement, these screws enabling the mirror to pivot about the axes passing through the end of two screws.

Optronic device equipped with a focusing mirror for visor display


An OLED display includes a pixel having a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, a third sub-pixel, and a fourth sub-pixel, each of which displays a different color, a gate line for transmitting gate signals to the pixel, a data line for transmitting data signals to the pixel, a first driving voltage line that transmits a driving voltage to the pixel and is substantially parallel to the data line, and a second driving voltage line that is connected to the first driving voltage line and is substantially parallel to the gate line.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display and in particular, to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Recently, the use of liquid crystal display (LCD) has begun to replace cathode ray tube (CRT) technology used in computer monitors, televisions and other display devices. LCD display devices may be lighter and thinner than CRT display devices, however, conventional LCD display devices may require a separate backlight as a light-emitting device and may have a reduced response speed and limited viewing angle when compared with CRT display devices.
Organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology may also be used to produce light and thin display devices. The OLED display may include two electrodes and an emission layer positioned there between. Excitons may be formed in the emission layer by coupling of electrons injected from one electrode and holes that injected from the other electrode. As the excitons are formed, light may be emitted.
The OLED display is therefore self-luminescent and does not require a separate light source as a backlight. OLED displays may also be energy efficient, have high response speeds, wide viewing angles and high contrast ratios. The luminescent layer of the OLED may be made of an organic material that intrinsically emits one of the three additive primary colors, red, green, and blue. A desired image may be displayed by the spatial sum of the additive primary color light generated by the luminescent layer.
As the size of the OLED display is increased, a current consumed to display the same brightness is also increased. However, as the current is increased, a voltage drop may occur. Accordingly, conventional OLED displays may experience reduced uniformity of screen display and crosstalk.


An incoming direction estimation apparatus estimates an incoming direction of a radar wave using three or more sensors or antennas simultaneously. An arithmetic expression for estimating an incoming direction of a radar wave is configured as sin−1((1/2πa)*tan−1b). The “a” is d/λ determined by an antenna interval and by a wavelength λ of a carrier, or such, carrying the radar wave. A simultaneous use of three antennas makes it possible to set the a as a value depending on a value d0=a0λ based on the interval between first antennas and value d1=a1λ based on the interval between second antennas. Therefore, if a wide field of vision of an incoming direction is needed, it is only necessary to adjust (d1−d0)/λ=(a1−a0), in place of the absolute interval of antennas a=d/λ, thereby making it possible to lessen a limitation on the design of antennas and set a field of vision of the incoming direction appropriately.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an incoming direction estimation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Arts
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a mono-pulse radar as an example of a conventional incoming direction estimation apparatus.
This apparatus is a system comprising one transmission antenna AT, two reception antennas AR0 and AR1, an interface module (this comprisal adopts a single-pole, double-throw (SPDT)), which interfaces the reception antennas, and a radio frequency (RF) unit, an RF unit constituted by a transceiver and receiver, an RF oscillator, a base band (BB) oscillator, a BB module (not shown herein) comprising an analog to digital (A/D) converter, et cetera, and a signal processing apparatus (also not shown herein) comprising a central processing unit (CPU) and such. A radar wave transmitted from the antenna AT is received by the antennas AR0 and AR1 after being reflected on an angle measurement target. The radar wave transmitted from the antenna AT uses an RF signal that is a resultant of an oscillation frequency of the RF oscillator RF-VCO being modified by a signal of a triangular wave oscillated and emitted by the base band oscillator BB-OSC, or the like wave, followed by being amplified by a high power amplifier (HPA). The radar wave received by the antennas AR0 and AR1 is led by way of the switch SPDT, amplified by the low noise amplifier (LNA), mixed with the transmission radar wave by the multiplier M and converted into a base band signal BB. Thus obtained base band signal BB is processed by the BB module and CPU that are placed in the later stage, and an incoming direction of the radar wave (named simply as "radar wave" hereinafter) reflected on the angle measurement target is estimated.
Assuming that the angle measurement target is positioned at an angle θ relative to the normal line direction of the antenna surface (angle measurements are made clockwise with illustrated normal line as 0 degrees), a signal x(t) incoming from the target at a clock time t is received by the antennas AR0 and AR1, and down-converted, thereby becoming a base band signals y0(t) and y1(t) as the following expressions:y0=x+n0  (1.1)y1=xexp[j2πα sin θ]+n1  (1.2);
where n0(t) and n1(t) are noise components and t is omitted for simplicity of an expression; and α is d/λ assuming that the antenna interval is d, the wavelength of an un-modulated output signal (named as "carrier signal" hereinafter) from the RF-VCO is λ, and j is an imaginary unit. In this case, the simplest method for calculating the θ among conceivable methods is definingΣy≡y0+y1,Δy≡y0−y1,Σn≡n0+n1, andΔn≡n0−n1  (1.3)
followed by calculating a ratio of Δy to Σy to obtain:
                                                                                Δ                                                                                y                                                  Σ                                                                                y                                            =                                                                    x                                                              {                                              1                        -                                                  exp                                                                                [                                                          j                                                                                2                                                            π                                                                                α                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                        ]                                                                                }                                                        +                                      n                    0                                    -                                      n                    1                                                                                x                                                              {                                              1                        +                                                  exp                                                                                [                                                          j2πα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                        ]                                                                                }                                                        +                                      n                    0                                    +                                      n                    1                                                                                =                                                                                -                      2                                                            j                                                                                x                                                                                sin                                                                    [                                                  πα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                ]                                                                                exp                                                                    [                                                  jπα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                ]                                                                              +                                      Δ                                                                                n                                                                                2                                        x                                                                                cos                                                                    [                                                  πα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                ]                                                                                exp                                                                    [                                                  jπα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                ]                                                                              +                                      Σ                                                                                n                                                                                =                                                                                -                        j                                                                                tan                                                                          [                                                      πα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                                    ]                                                                                +                    Σɛ                                                        1                    +                    Σɛ                                                              ;                                                          (        1.4        )
and therefore the θ can be calculated by using the following expression provided that Δε and Σε are sufficiently small.
                              θ          ≈                                    sin                              -                1                                                                {                                                1                  πα                                                                                tan                                          -                      1                                                                                [                                          -                                              Im                                                                          (                                                                                Δ                                                                                y                                                                                Σ                                                                                y                                                                                )                                                                                ]                                                              }                                      ;                            (        1.5        )
where the following is defined:
                                          Σɛ            ≡                                          Σ                                                                                n                                            2                                x                                                                                cos                                                        [                                          πα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                        ]                                                                                exp                                                        [                                          jπα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                        ]                                                                                =                                    Σ                                                                                n                                                      Σ                                                                                y                            -                              Σ                                                                                n                                                    ,                                          and                            (        1.6        )                                          Δɛ          ≡                                    Δ                                                                                n                                      2                            x                                                                                cos                                                  [                                      πα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                    ]                                                                          exp                                                  [                                      jπα                                                                                sin                                                                                θ                                    ]                                                                    =                              Δ                                                                          n                                Σ                                                                          y                                                                          Σ                                                                          n                                              (        1.7        )
Note that Im takes an imaginary number part of an argument in the above expression. Now, let it be assumed that γ is expressed by γ=−Im(Δy/Σy), then it is necessary to set it at α=1/2 in order to be able to use the entirety of a domain of sin−1 (where sin−1(x); |x|≦1) if tan−1(γ) changes when trying to obtain a maximum field of view (FOV) (i.e., a field angle of a radar) because the value range of the tan−1(γ) determining the domain of definition of sin−1 is |tan−1(γ)|≦π/2. It is, however, difficult to set the α at such a value because of a consideration of a system gain and an electromagnetic coupling between the antennas, and therefore the α is usually set at about 1 to 2. That is, α=d/λ where the antenna interval is d and a wavelength of the carrier signal is λ, and therefore the antennas must be placed in an extremely small interval in the unit of millimeter in order to accomplish a value such as α=1/2 by a short wave signal especially a radar or such. Too small an antenna interval, however, generates an electromagnetic coupling between the two antennas, losing an independence of two reception signals that are supposed to be obtained by essentially maintaining an exact phase difference indicated by the above expressions 1.1 and 1.2, and therefore an approximation represented by the expression 1.5 is no longer applicable even if Δy/Σy is forcibly transformed, resulting in making it difficult to estimate the θ accurately. Meanwhile, a try to obtain a sufficient system gain needs to take a sufficient gain of the antennas, generally requiring a large area size for each antenna. Consequently, a try to obtain a sufficient system gain makes the antennas become large, creating a situation of making it impossible to minimize the antenna interval.
Accordingly, one considers a way of obtaining a maximum FOV based on such an α (e.g., FOV≈±23° in the case of α=1.25), in which case, however, an angle must be measured by using the entire value zone of tan−1(γ). The tan−1(γ), however, is a nonlinear function in which a derivative becomes smaller than "1" with a distance from the original point, and the nonlinearity of the tan−1(γ) further influences the sin−1 that is also a nonlinear function adversely to a large γ (i.e., to a signal incoming from an angle close to an FOV limit), thus resulting in fundamentally degrading accuracy of a measurement angle.
Incidentally, there is a known technique (per reference patent documents 1 and 2) of configuring an array by placing three element antennas in irregular intervals, carrying out a conventional mono-pulse angle measurement by using two sets of antennas, and applying an averaging operation and such, in order to reduce an error nearby the FOV. Except that the error reduction method of the known technique is an extension of the conventional mono-pulse method using two signals after all.
In summary, the conventional incoming direction estimation apparatus has been faced with the following problems:
1. A mono-pulse apparatus employing two reception-use sensors are commonly used for an apparatus estimating a direction of arrival (DOA) of a single signal by using a signal sensor comprising a sensor array. The apparatus, however, has a limited field of view (FOV) constrained by an absolute interval between the sensors and, moreover, a direction estimation error increases toward the edges of the FOV in terms of the primary value of an inverse triangular function. Meanwhile, a try to increase the FOV is limited by a difficulty of setting individual sensors less than a certain interval due to the problem of physical size, gain or electromagnetic coupling of the individual sensors.
2. There is a known technique (per reference patent documents 1 and 2) as a proposal for correcting a DOA error nearby the FOV among the problems noted in the above paragraph 1. These apparatuses place three or more antennas in irregular intervals, configures two sets of common mono-pulse apparatuses by selecting two antennas among the three or more antennas, applies to averaging or such to two DOAs θ0 and θ1 that are obtained from each mono-pulse apparatus and judges that a correct DOA is obtained only if the both of them are identical. In this method, however, the FOV per se is still controlled by the absolute interval between the antennas, thus failing to provide a fundamental solution to the problem of the above paragraph 1. Another problem is that an essential degradation of an accuracy of measurement angle cannot be avoided because it is basically a simple combination of two sets of conventional mono-pulse apparatuses.
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-228615
Patent document 2: Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-230974


The present invention provides a resinous composition for foul releasing coat adhesion containing a silica dispersed oligomer solution of an organosilane, an acrylic resin, a straight-chain polysiloxane diol, a silanol group-containing polyorganosiloxane and a curing catalyst, and an article coated therewith.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resinous composition for foul releasing coat and a coated article using the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a coating material for forming an endurable coating film for the purpose of protecting the surface of a substrate such as an organic substrate such as wood substrate, plastic substrate and the like; an inorganic substrate such as a glass substrate, inorganic substrate for a construction material (for example, an inorganic cured body such as a concrete, slate, cement), metal substrate (for example, a steel plate such as stainless, non-ferrous metal such as aluminum) and the like, there are known a coating composition obtained by hydrolytic polycondensation or partial hydrolytic polycondensation of a hydrolyzable organosilane or a coating composition obtained by mixing a colloidal silica with the afore-said coating composition.
For example, Japanese Patent Kokai Publication 2736/1976, 2737/1976, 130732/1978 and 168470/1988 propose a coating material comprising an organo alkoxysilane, a hydrolytic polycondensate and/or partial hydrolytic polycondensate of the organo alkoxysilane and colloidal silica, the alkoxy group being converted to silanol by excess water. The coating film obtained by this coating material has superior weatherability and is excellent for substrate protection, however, it has poor toughness due to too high hardness (pencil hardness of not less than 9H), and when the thickness of the coating film is not less than 10 .mu.m, cracking easily will be formed if rapid change in temperature occurs in thermal-curing or use outdoors. Further, in coating process, the thickness of the coating film is often difficult to be regulated less than 10 .mu.m strictly, and especially around coated surface or coated substance or at concave part, the thickness of the coating film is liable to be over 10 .mu.m and inferior products are easily formed. Further, these coating materials require heat treatment at a high temperature of higher than about 100.degree. C. or long time heat treatment to obtain desired coating property, therefore, when coating is applied to a substrate having shape which uniform heating is difficult, a substrate having large scale or a substrate inferior in heat resistance, or when heating is difficult such as coating work outdoors, the coating materials can not be used and the use thereof is restricted. Regarding a coating material having a composition obtained by removal of the colloidal silica from the above-mentioned coating material, there are problems such as lacking in film-shaping property in coating and lowered strength of the coating film.
Further, these compositions for coating have problems that the silanol obtained by hydrolysis of the alkoxysilane has high reactivity, is gradually subjected to condensation reaction even at ambient temperature, easily become gel and inferior in stability. Especially when a paint is going to be prepared by using said composition for coating as a vehicle and adding a pigment, the stability further deteriorates and it becomes impossible to prepare a paint.
Japanese Patent Kokai Publication 168/1989 proposes a coating material in which immediately before coating a catalyst and water are added as a curing agent to a partial hydrolytic polycondensate of an alkoxysilane to convert the alkoxy group to a silanol hydroxy group. However, even this coating material has poor toughness, and cracking is easily formed in a coating film having a thickness of not less than 10 .mu.m. This coating material has excellent storability and a paint prepared from the coating material and a pigment added is relatively stable, however this coating material requires heat treatment at a high temperature of higher than about 100.degree. C. or long time heat treatment to obtain desired coating property, therefore, when coating is applied to a substrate having shape which uniform heating is difficult, a substrate having large scale or a substrate inferior in heat resistance, or when heating is difficult such as coating work outdoors, the coating material can not be used and the use thereof is restricted.
For the purpose of solving such defects, Japanese Patent Kokai Publication 268772/1988 proposes a coating material comprising a prepolymer mainly composed of a silicon alkoxide, a curing catalyst and water and curable around ambient temperature, however toughness has not improved, and process after coating of a precoat-metal, process after coating treatment of a polycarbonate plate and the like are impossible. Further, there are defects that coating property and curing property are poor and the curing property of the coating material is apt to be influenced by humidity.
Further, Japanese Patent Kokai Publication 175388/1992 discloses a coating material comprising a partial hydrolyzed oligomer of an organosilane, a silanol group-containing polyorganosiloxane and a curing catalyst. This coating material has advantages that the coating property and curing property are improved, curing at room temperature is possible, and it is not influenced by humidity, however the toughness of the coating material is not sufficiently improved.
Taken together, the above facts demonstrate that a coating material comprising as a main component an organoalkoxysilane or a hydrolyzate of an organoalkoxysilane provides a coating film which has high hardness, is difficult to be scratched and has excellent weatherability. However, this coating film is poor in stiffness and therefore cracking is apt to be formed in coating process or in use, and this phenomenon is remarkable when the thickness of the film is not less than 10 .mu.m. Further, this coating material requires baking at a high temperature of not lower than 100.degree. C., and though coating in a factory is possible, coating outdoors and at construction site is difficult. And it is demerit that the coating liquid has high reactivity and poor in storability.
Further, since the above-mentioned coating material is an inorganic coating material, the coating film thereof is liable to be inferior in adhesion to an organic substrate and an organic coating substrate.
There is also reported a resin carrying a hydrolyzable silane functional group and having as a main chain an organic resin such as acryl, polyester, epoxy, polyether, vinyl and the like (see Japanese Patent Kokai Publication 287206/1993, 302007/1993 and the like). However, these resins are inferior in weatherability and hardness of the coating film as compared with an inorganic resin containing as a main component an organoalkoxysilane, since the main chain thereof is composed of an organic resin. Further, also, Japanese Patent Kokai Publication 72928/1993 and 178998/1993 propose a reactive resin having a polymerizable acrylic functional group as a terminal or side chain and having a linear polysiloxane as a main chain. However, since the main chain is composed of a linear polysiloxane, excellent hardness of the resulting coating film is not obtained, and in some cases, this polysiloxane resin is a rubber elastomer and is not suitable as a resin for coating.
The above-mentioned inorganic cured body such as a concrete, slate, cement and the like is a material excellent in heat resistance and endurance, however the inorganic cured body has disadvantages that if the surface thereof is not coated, the surface is impregnated with water, is easy to be fouled and is inferior in acid resistance. Further, the appearance of the non-coated body is not anesthetic.
To supplement these defects, the surface of the inorganic substrate has been coated with an organic paint. However, the coating film formed by an organic paint has disadvantages that 1) it is poor in weatherability, 2) it is easily scratched due to low hardness, 3) it is inferior in adhesion to an inorganic substrate, and the like.
Then, there has been tried the application of an inorganic coating material such as water glasses and the like in place of the organic material, however, a satisfactory coating material has not been obtained in that efluorescence generates and it is porous.

Resinous composition for foul releasing coat and coating articles


Consistent with an example embodiment, a thin outline shrink package (TSOP) provides for a significant reduction in lead pitch along with a reduced package profile for a semiconductor device die packaged, therein.

The electronics industry continues to rely upon advances in semiconductor technologies to realize higher-function devices in more compact areas. For many applications realizing higher-functioning devices requires integrating a large number of electronic devices into a single silicon wafer. As the number of devices per given area of the silicon wafer increases, the manufacturing process becomes more difficult.
Many varieties of semiconductor devices have been manufactured having various applications in numerous disciplines. Such silicon-based semiconductor devices often include metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), such as p-channel MOS (PMOS), n-channel MOS (NMOS) and complementary MOS (CMOS) transistors, bipolar transistors, BiCMOS transistors. Such MOSFET devices include an insulating material between a conductive gate and silicon-like substrate; therefore, these devices are generally referred to as IGFETs (insulated-gate FET).
Having manufactured a number of electronic devices on a wafer substrate, a particular challenge is to package these devices for their given purpose. As the complexity of portable systems increases, there is a commensurate reduction in the size of the individual components which make up the system; the system often is laid out on a printed circuit substrate.


.[.A scanning and digitizing device where the same photodetectors are used in a scanning mode and in a digitizing mode. In the scanning mode graphic information is scanned. In the digitizing mode coordinate positions of a stylus is determined. The photodetectors are used in the imaging portion of this device which imaging portion is a rangefinder in the digitizing mode..].. .Iadd.A combination scanning and digitizing device is described in which the same photodetectors are cooperatively used to scan graphic information on paper or other planar material and also to determine the position of a stylus. Stylus position detection is by means of a rangefinder. .Iaddend.

The present invention relates to the device taught in .[.application Ser. No. 07/046,722.]. .Iadd.U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,079, .Iaddend.which is capable of both inputting X, Y, coordinates of a .[.light emitting or absorbing.]. stylus into a computer and scanning or digitizing graphic information on a planar surface .[.such as paper.].. As in .[.application Ser. No. 07/046,722.]. .Iadd.U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,079 .Iaddend.the design is such that one or more photodetectors used to determine the Cartesian coordinates of the stylus are capable of digitizing graphic information contained on .[.sheet material such as paper..]. .Iadd.planar material. .Iaddend..Iadd.This invention differs from U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,079 by claiming that a rangefinder may be used to determine the position of the stylus. This invention is significantly different from that taught by Brown et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,526. The rangefinder used here to determine the position of a stylus eliminates the need for the vertical orientation of the video camera apparatus 125 as described by Brown et al. .Iaddend.