An information retrieval system has a search history storage for storing information of the relation between a search condition entered by the user and selected paper data. In the search history storage, information of the relation between the search condition and a detailed search condition is also stored. The selected paper information and the detailed search information is updated on the basis of a screen transition instruction. The selected paper information is used for a searching process in a search engine and a screen generating process in an HTML document generator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information retrieval system
2. Description of the Background Art
Hitherto, an attempt is made to improve retrieval precision and retrieval efficiency by using past operations of the user related to a search in an information retrieval system.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-63481 (1996) discloses a technique of changing the display order of keywords in accordance with the number of use in past search. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-115334 (1996) discloses a technique of changing the display order of retrieval results by keywords in accordance with the number of times of using the keyword in past retrieval. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-245058 (1997) discloses a technique of updating a keyword network in accordance with a keyword adoption history in past search and changing candidates of keywords to be presented to the user on the basis of the updating.
According to the techniques disclosed in the publications, although operations in the past of the user on a keyword can be reflected in a searching process and display of a search result, the intention (satisfaction level) of the user with respect to a search result is not considered. Consequently, the techniques cannot make the intention of the user with respect to a search result properly reflected in a searching process and display of a search result.


Various systems and method for distributing electrical power are provided. In one embodiment, a system includes a first inverter coupled to an electrical bus, a second inverter coupled to the electrical bus, a filter including a first inductor and a second inductor, and a transfer switch circuit coupled between the first inverter and the second inverter and a load. The transfer switch circuit is configured to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor to the load and transfer power from the second inverter through the second inductor to the load in a first mode of operation. The transfer switch circuit is further configured to transfer power from the first inverter through the first inductor and through the second inductor to the load in a second mode of operation.

In some vehicles, an engine may be coupled to an alternator to generate electrical power for various components. For example, a locomotive or a generator car may include a head-end-power or hotel-electric-power (HEP) alternator that distributes electrical power to other cars in a train for lighting, electrical, and other hotel needs of passengers. More particularly, the HEP alternator may provide electrical power through a bus to an inverter circuit. For example, the inverter circuit may include dual inverters that convert direct current (DC) power from the bus to alternating current (AC) power that is provided to other cars and various electrical components.
In one example, the dual inverter circuit may be controlled by a three-position transfer switch circuit that enables the dual inverters to operate in parallel, or each in standalone operation depending on operating conditions. FIGS. 11-12 show a PRIOR ART transfer switch circuit 1100 in different operating positions. FIG. 11 shows the transfer switch circuit 1100 in a parallel operating position (e.g., middle position) where power is provided from each of a first inverter 1102 and a second inverter 1108 to a load 1114. In particular, the first inverter 1102 provides power through a first contact 1104 and through a first inductor 1106 to the load 1114. Further, the second inverter 1108 provides power through a second contact 1110 and through a second inductor 1112 to the load 1114.
FIG. 12 shows the transfer switch circuit 1100 in a standalone operating position (e.g., top position) where power is provided from the first inverter 1102 to the load 1114. In this position, the second inverter 1108 does not provide power to the load 1114. In particular, the first inverter 1102 provides power through a third contact 1116 and through the first inductor 1106 to the load 1114.
In some cases, a power transfer capability of the transfer switch circuit 1100 may be restricted due to the layout of the transfer switch. For example, when the transfer switch circuit 1100 is in the standalone operating position, all of the power from the first inverter (and the bus) passes through the third contact 1116 and first inductor 1106. In other words, the power transfer circuit 1100 provides no current sharing capabilities between contacts while in the standalone operating position. Moreover, the power transfer circuit 1100 provides no current sharing capabilities between inductors while in the standalone operating position. Because of such power demands on the single contact of the transfer switch and the single inductor while in the standalone operation position, power transferred through the switch to the load may be restricted in order to reduce the likelihood of degradation of that contact and the inductor.

Systems and methods for distributing power in a vehicle


Automatic carding machine for uppers including a carriage upholding the upper to be scraped and travelling longitudinally along guides constrained to the top of the machine. The upper sector of the carriage runs on similar guides transversely. The movements can be performed simultaneously by means of independent activation members and the carriage translation speed as well as the upper sector are programmable so that the card can intervene in variable measure on the different peripheral parts of the upper arranged on the carriage. The tool or card automatically reverses its direction of rotation so as to roughen the back of the shoe from the outside toward the inside.

The carding operation is conventionally performed by means of one or more rotating circular tools in the form of brushes with metal bristles or cards from which is derived the name of carder for the machine designed for this work.
Known carding machines are structured in such a manner as to complete the carding through the movement of a carriage on which is arranged the back of the footwear and the tool-holder arm is provided with a brush which moves transversely or along a direction forming a certain angle to the axis of travel of said carriage.
In some embodiments there is provided another tool-holding unit with associated brush, generally fixed, designed to remove excess glue and unsightly ripples in the upper present in particular opposite the toe and heel.
Such carding machines have various shortcomings due mainly to the need for moving two members, i.e. the carriage which carries the upper and the tool-holding arm which carries the brush.
Movement of the two members leads to considerable construction complexity of the carding machine.

Automatic carding machine for footwear uppers and the like


A die structure is provided. The die structure may have a die body, a mandrel having a magnet and/or one or more magnet assemblies, a first magnetic structure, a second magnetic structure and/or one or more magnetic structures. The first magnetic structure may be configured to apply a first magnetic force to the mandrel, in a first direction. The second magnetic structure may be configured to apply a second magnetic force to the mandrel, in a second direction opposite the first direction. The one or more magnetic structures may be configured to apply one or more magnetic forces to the mandrel. Application of the first magnetic force, the second magnetic force and/or the one or more magnetic forces to the mandrel supports the mandrel to be levitated within the die body and/or causes the mandrel to rotate and/or to maintain a position within the die body.

An extrusion machine (e.g., an extruder) may be used to manufacture plastic pipes, bags, etc. made of one or more of plastics, wood-plastic composites (WPCs), metals, metal alloys and/or other flowable materials. For example, the extrusion machine may have one or more components configured to conduct a material through a die to form an extrudate.


Tile segments in desired shapes are out with great precision utilizing a computer-controlled laser and assembled on a previously prepared secondary backing with a sheet of hot melt adhesive material interposed between the assembly of segments and the secondary backing. The hot melt adhesive is then heated to fuse the assembly together while its components are securely held in their desired positions.

The history of carpet and carpet tile has involved ongoing efforts to produce such floor-covering products that have increasingly sophisticated and attractive designs and to develop techniques for executing increasingly sophisticated designs in such products utilizing high volume production techniques. Efforts directed toward these objectives have involved utilization of different types of yarns, different yarn pile structures (e.g., loop pile or cut pile), and different carpet structures (e.g., tufted, fusion bonded and woven). Various techniques for varying the pile appearance have been developed, and enormous effort has been devoted to techniques for dyeing, printing, and over-printing carpet products in order to impart visually pleasing patterns. There are, however, limits associated with the design variations possible with each of these techniques that are inherent in the limitations of the structure or technique being utilized. For instance, a fusion bonded carpet product must inherently utilize a fusion bonded structure and cannot, therefore, offer design possibilities that may be available through use of a tufted carpet structure.

Multiple segment carpet tile and methods and apparatus for production of such tile


Metal-support interaction offers electronic, geometrical and compositional effects to tune and maneuver catalytically active sites. Here we report the first example of a reactive metal support interaction (RMSI) between Pt and various MXenes, which are two-dimensional (2D) metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides. The invention thus provides intermetallic Pt/MXene nanoparticle catalysts comprising platinum and MXene moieties. Pt3Ti and Pt3Nb intermetallic nanoparticle catalysts were prepared by RMSI of Pt nanoparticles supported on Ti3C2 and Nb2C MXenes. The intermetallic structures were verified by XAS, ARSTEM, and XPS. Experimental analysis showed that the extent of alloy formation is temperature dependent. Kinetics analysis revealed that in contrast to Pt/Al2O3, Pt supported by Nb2CTx exhibits weaker CO adsorption and the alloy-MXene interface shows enhanced ability of H2O dissociation for a water gas shift (WGS) reaction at 300° C. The catalysts also show improved selectivity and stability for alkane dehydrogenation compared to Pt.

Engineering the active sites of supported noble metal catalysts often includes modulating the structure and composition of the sites to achieve optimal reaction rate and stability. Initially designated by Tauster et al. in 1978, strong metal support interaction (SMSI) referred to drastically suppressed chemisorption due to oxide migration on metal nanoparticles after high-temperature H2 reduction (Acc. Chem. Res. 20, 389-394 (1987)). Recent development of new types of SMSI has been demonstrated to be an effective route to tune active sites of catalysts via electronic effects and adsorbate functionalized overlayer. Unlike SMSI, a so-called reactive metal support interaction (RMSI) involves formation of bimetallic alloys owing to reaction between the admetals and oxide supports, which promotes catalytic reactions from steam reforming to hydrogenation.
MXenes, emerging two dimensional (2D) layered metal carbides/carbonitrides materials, are usually produced by selective extraction of the "A" layers from the layered ternary transition metal carbides called MAX phases (Lukatskaya et al., Science 341, 1502-1505 (2013)). This synthesis procedure results in the termination of MXenes surface by functional groups such as OH, O and F. Thus, MXenes have a general formula Mn+1XnTx, where M represents an early transition metal, X is C or N, n varies from 1 to 3, and T represents the surface functional groups (Naguib et al., Adv. Mater. 26, 992-1005 (2014)).
MXenes have been intensively developed as electrodes in batteries and supercapacitors by virtue of their good electrical conductivities. MXenes recently garnered interest in photo/electrochemical reactions. For instance, MoS2/Ti3C2 composites were reported as promising materials for hydrogen evolution reactions due to their outstanding metallic conductivity as well as the unique functional groups on the surfaces. However, the catalytic properties of MXenes, to the best of our knowledge, are yet to be well understood. On account of thermal stability and the rich surface chemistries originated from termination groups of the 2D carbides, MXenes may be developed as supports for noble metal catalysts and thus exploring their thermal catalytic applications is worthwhile. Accordingly, there is a need for new MXene catalysts and methods for their use in catalysis.
Light alkane dehydrogenation currently draws increasing research interest owing to abundant feedstock supply from the shale gas boom. For this reaction, catalysts with weak light olefin binding strength are desired, which suppress further conversion of the olefin to side products and coke. Previously, this was realized by promoting platinum (Pt) catalysts with tin (Sn) to form Pt—Sn alloys. However, the excess Sn promoter could be reduced but not alloyed and cover the active sites. Recent DFT studies suggest that intermetallics formed between Pt and early transitional metals (TMs) such as titanium also exhibit weak binding capability to hydrocarbons. These early TMs are strongly oxyphilic and difficult to reduce, which on one hand prevents reduction of excess promoters on the catalyst, but on the other hand also challenges preparation of nanoparticles (NPs) consisting of early TMs. Previous work attempted using very strong reducing agents such as sodium naphthalene or reduction at high temperature above 800° C. for synthesizing Pt3Ti intermetallic NPs, which led to the formation of disordered alloys or significant particle sintering.
Metal support interactions have recently shown great potential in experimental control of catalyst structures, especially with the introduction of new materials as supports. RMSI suggests that metal nanoparticles could react with support materials at elevated temperatures to form intermetallics, and the reaction temperature and resulting nanoparticle size depend on the reactivity of the support. MXenes are characterized by high thermal stability and rich surface chemistries, which characteristics potentially enable highly reactive interaction with metal nanoparticles.
Accordingly, there is a need for new and improved heterogeneous catalysts, including heterogeneous catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation. There is also a need for heterogeneous catalysts for alkane dehydrogenation that have high thermal stability and that form reduced amounts of side products and coke during alkane dehydrogenation compared to known catalysts.

Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.


Present invention relates to an improved and commercial process for the preparation of 2-sustituted-2-(6-(substituted)-7-methylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxol-4-yl)acetic acid derivatives of formula-I the above Formula I, XII, XIII, XV, wherein R1 is a O-protecting group such as methoxymethyl, ethoxymethyl, trialkylsilyl, arylmethyl, tetrahydropyran-2-yl, allyl; X is hydroxyl, halogen, mesylate, triflate, tosylate, acetate; Y is oxygen atom, NH or sulfur atom; R2 is C1-C6 alkyl. 2,4-Dihydroxy-3-methylbenzaldehyde is selectively protected at C-4 position in the form of an ether compound of formula-XII, oxidized the aldehyde function to get the diol of formula-XIII, and condensed with ethyl glyoxalate under Casiraghi reaction conditions to get the compound of formula-XV. Compound of formula-XV is converted to compound of formula-I by conventional chemistry. Compounds of formula-I are key intermediates in the synthesis of ecteinascidines like trabectedin.

Compound of formula-I wherein R1 is methoxymethyl (MOM), R2 is ethyl, Y is oxygen atom and X is hydroxyl or bromo is used by Jieping Zhu, et al in their synthesis of Ecteinascidin 743 (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128, pages 87-89). According to the process given in this reference, sesamol is protected with methoxymethyl group and converted to compound of formula-III by reacting with n-butyl lithium and trimethyl borate (Scheme-I). Compound of formula-III is reacted with ethyl glyoxalate in the presence of hexafluoroisopropanol to get the compound of formula-IV. Triflation of compound of formula-IV followed by reaction with trimethylboroxine in the presence of palladium (tetrakis-triphenylphosphine) gave the compound of formula-VI. Reaction of compound of formula-VI with thionyl bromide gave the compound of formula-VII. Compound of formula-VII is used as a key intermediate in the synthesis of Ecteinascidin 743.

Main drawback in this process is the handling of costly, toxic, and pyrophoric reagents. Another main drawback in the synthesis is the non-availability of trimethylboroxine on commercial scale.
Keeping in view of the difficulties in commercialization of the above-mentioned process for the preparation of compound of formula-I, we aimed to develop a simple, economical, and commercial process.
We observed that a promising approach for a process for the preparation of compound of formula-I would be to (a) avoid the usage of costly and difficult to handle reagents.
Accordingly, the main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved process for the preparation of compound of formula-I, which is commercially applicable.

Process for the preparation of 2-substituted-2-(6-(substituted)-7-methylbenzo[D][1,3]dioxol-4-yl)acetic acid derivatives


A method of a wireless communication device of acquiring position information. The method comprises transmitting, to a service-providing node, a request for service, receiving, from the service-providing node, a request for information indicating the position of the wireless communication device, receiving, from a network node, information indicating a position of the wireless communication device, the information having been provided with an indication of authenticity by the network node, and transmitting, to the service-providing node, the position information having been provided with an indication of authenticity.

Positioning of wireless communication devices (WCDs), such as smart phones, tablets, smart watches, gaming devices, Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors, etc., is becoming ever increasingly important in mobile communication networks. It can be used to enable functionalities, tailor a service or add value to the service.
For instance, if a user resides at a particular geographical location while using an Application ("App") in her smart phone, the App provider may want to know the geographical location of the user in order to provide the user with the requested service via the App. As an example, the user may be utilizing an App where local restaurants are proposed to the user, in which case it is necessary for the App provider to know the user's geographical position.
Currently, WCDs rely mostly on positioning information from GPS ("Global Positioning System") or surrounding wireless networks to estimate the position of the WCD. This position is then typically either used locally in the WCD, or forwarded to a service provider that will use that position information to customize a service.
In a specific case such as in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) communication system, positioning is supported by a WCD—referred to in LTE as a User Equipment (UE)—communicating with a so called Mobility Management Entity (MME) via a base station (referred to as an eNodeB in LTE) using LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP). The MME in its turn sends a Location Service Request to an entity referred to as an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) which returns a UE position estimate to the MME.
A variety of positioning methods can be used in LTE; in the device, in the network or a combination of in the network and in the device. These methods are mostly divided in:
1. Network-based: the network performs the positioning, i.e. the network performs necessary measurements and uses the result to calculate the position of the UE.
2. UE-based: UE performs the positioning with involvement by the network.
3. UE-assisted: the UE measures data needed for positioning, and the network uses the data for computing the position.
4—Network-assisted: the network assists the UE with certain information so the UE can compute the position.
In the case of emergency calls, the emergency services, depending on local legislation, can access the E-SMLC data to locate the UE from which the call is originating.
There are applications, services and use cases which require the position of a WCD in order to deliver, or tailor, certain services or functionalities to the WCD.
The WCD already has the possibility to report its own position to services based on information from its sensors. However, a WCD—or a malicious party—may report forged position information in order to abuse or manipulate the system, for instance for attaining benefits from a service provider, such as a falsely using an offer associated with a particular geographical area in which the WCD is not located.


Provided are a substrate processing apparatus, a heating device, and a semiconductor device manufacturing method. The substrate processing apparatus comprises a process chamber configured to process a substrate. A heating element is installed at a peripheral side of the process chamber. An annular inner wall is installed at a peripheral side of the heating element. An annular outer wall is installed at a peripheral side of the inner wall with a space being formed therebetween. An annular cooling member is installed at the space for cooling. An actuating mechanism moves the cooling member between a contacting position where the cooling member makes contact with at least one of the inner wall and the outer wall and a non-contacting position where the cooling member does not make contact with any one of the inner wall and the outer wall. A control unit controls at least the actuating mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a heating device, and a semiconductor device manufacturing method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional substrate processing apparatus (refer to Patent Document 1) includes a process chamber configured to process a substrate and a heater unit configured to heat the process chamber. The heater unit includes a heating element installed around the process chamber, a first reflector installed around the heating element, a second reflector installed around the first reflector with a space being formed therebetween, an exhaust pipe configured to exhaust the space between the first and second reflectors, and a supply pipe configured to supply gas to the space.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-311648
However, such a conventional substrate processing apparatus is disadvantageous in that it takes time to cool the inside of a process chamber.

Substrate processing apparatus, heating device, and semiconductor device manufacturing method


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising forming a titanium or titanium compound film by a CVD method which uses a material gas containing an organic titanium compound of the formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R is a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a C.sub.8-13 condensed polycyclic hydrocarbonyl group or a silyl group which is substituted with a lower alkyl and/or an aryl, and a reducing gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method for forming a titanium or titanium compound film by the CVD method in such semiconductor devices as bipolar LSI, MOS LSI or the like, provided with a contact plug for a multi-layer wiring.
2. Description of the Related Art
Techniques for multi-layer wiring in semiconductor devices provide such advantages that discrete devices can be laid out on a chip without separate consideration of wiring spaces on the chip, thereby enabling devices to be increased in the scale of integration and further microminiaturized. In this regard, there must be good contact between a contact plug and silicon substrate.
The contact plug has hitherto been made of conductive materials, such as W, poly-Si, Al-Si or the like, and a multi-layer wiring of W, Al-Si or the like.
When devices are further microminiaturized, aspect ratios of contact hole inevitably becomes higher and contact resistance increases, resulting in such a defect that the required contact property is unobtainable. Also, the contact plug made of the above conductive materials is extremely sensitive to a natural oxide film on the interface between the contact plug and the silicon substrate and deteriorates the contact property. Particularly when made of tungsten the plug sometimes the erodes silicon substrate to deteriorate the contact property correspondingly to a higher aspect ratio.
Also, the multi-layer wiring has various problems in efficiency and reliability due to the quality of the material used as the width of the wiring is made smaller.
Hence, it is desired to solve the above various problems related to the contact plug and the multi-layer wiring to facilitate development of new devices for the next generation.
Under these circumstances, research has focused on a method for coating a titanium film with good coverage using a CVD method. For coating a titanium film the substrate needs to be heated. In this process, heating the substrate to a decomposition temperature (about 800.degree. C. or more) of e.g., titanium tetrachloride, results in an excessively elevated temperature in the substrate, thereby causing an undesired reaction between Ti and Si. Besides, an aluminum alloy as used for wiring may be affected at such high temperature. Employing plasma energy in place of thermal energy deteriorates the coverage in CVD method. In addition, using titanium tetrachloride as material gas results in a titanium film containing chlorine (Cl). In other words, using titanium tetrachloride has a drawback of allowing wirings to be corroded (due to the difficulty of impeding the infiltration of chlorine content in the titanium film when using aluminum alloy as wirings in the subsequent process).
Thus, only with difficulty does the CVD method using titanium tetrachloride provide a titanium film with only a small amount of impurities and with good coverage at low temperature.

Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising titanium


Disclosed herein are compositions comprising a polymer comprising polyetherimide, polyetheretherketone, polyamide, polyoxyalkylene, or polyalkylene terephthalate, or a mixture thereof, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, wherein the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene comprises a surface modifier. Also disclosed are articles comprising one or more of the described compositions. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has an extremely high melt viscosity that makes conventional processing techniques like screw extrusion and injection molding difficult to accomplish. As such, use of UHMWPE is limited. Polyetherimide (PEI) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are used in a variety of lubricated applications such as gears, bearings, and rollers, for example.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a common lubricating agent used in polymers. PTFE has the ability to form transfer film on the counter surface under specific wear conditions and thus reduces the wear. However, there remains a need for other and improved lubricating agents in polymers especially where the application demands improved wear without forming transfer films on counter surface. Further, there is a need for compositions having desired properties such as impact resistance and chemical stability. These and other shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present disclosure.

Wear and friction properties of engineering thermoplastics with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene


A lens actuator includes a housing, a plurality of magnets, a base, and a coil-wrapped lens barrel. The housing includes a top panel, and a plurality of side panels cooperatively defining an accommodating space. The top panel defines a light passage. Each of the magnets is attached to an inner surface of each side panel. The base is fixed to an end of the housing and is opposite to the top panel. The lens barrel is resiliently mounted on the base, and is accommodated in the accommodating space.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to lens actuators, and particularly relates to a voice coil motor type lens actuator.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, lens modules employ an actuator such as a voice coil motor to move lenses relative to an image sensor, thereby varying a distance between the lenses and the image sensor to obtain a desired focal length. A typical voice coil motor includes a lens barrel accommodating the lens, a coil wrapped around the lens barrel, a plurality of magnets, a bracket bearing the magnets and accommodating the lens barrel, and a resilient plate connected between the bracket and the lens barrel holding the lens barrel on the bracket. The bracket includes a plurality of integrally formed frames.
However, such a voice coil motor is relatively large in volume, and use thereof requires a significant amount of space for movement of the lenses. In addition, the integrally formed bracket does not provide convenient assembly of the voice coil motor.
Therefore, what is needed is a lens actuator with more compact structure and fewer mechanical requirements.


The invention provides a screen door system for double-hung entry doors. The screen door system comprises an inner screen assembly containing a frame member carrying a screen member, an outer screen assembly containing a frame member carrying a screen member, inner and outer upper tracks for slidably guiding the inner and outer screen assemblies along the length of the tracks and for limiting lateral movement of the inner and outer screen assemblies as the screen assemblies move longitudinally along the tracks, and a lower sill having an inner guide rail for longitudinally guiding the inner screen assembly and an outer guide rail for longitudinally guiding the outer screen assembly.

The invention relates to screen door assemblies and to the upper and lower tracks for screen door assemblies for entry doors.
Within recent years, the trend in building has been away from the sliding glass doors and more toward the use of single or double, double-hung entry doors for egress to the patio area of residential buildings. As with the sliding glass patio doors, there is sometimes associated with the single or double entry door a single screen door which will allow the door to be opened for fresh air circulation yet prevent insects or dirt from entering the building. The single screen door may be hinged to swing open for egress from the building, or the single screen door may be supported in a track for sliding to the opened or closed position. Even where double entry doors are used, there typically is only one screen door assembly.
An object of the invention therefore is to provide a multiple screen assembly system for a double entry door.
Another object of the invention is to provide an economic means for assembling a double screen door system.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a double screen door assembly which can be readily affixed adjacent an entry door frame.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an upper double track assembly for use in slidably supporting a double screen door.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lower double track assembly for use with a double screen door system.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a double screen door assembly wherein the screen doors are easily removable thereby providing unobstructed access for full use of a double entry door.
These and other objects of the invention will become evident from the ensuing description and appended claims.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a screen system for entry doors. The screen system comprises an inner generally rectangular screen door having spaced apart elongate parallel upper and lower frame members of substantially equal length and an outer generally rectangular screen door having spaced apart elongate parallel upper and lower frame members of substantially equal length. Each of the screen doors has a width corresponding generally to the length of its corresponding upper and lower frame members. The screen system also contains an upper screen door support member for attachment to a house adjacent a header of at last a double door exterior door system and a lower screen support member for attachment to a house adjacent a sill of the exterior door system in spaced apart relation to the upper screen door support member. A track guide system connects the inner and outer screen doors between the upper and lower screen door support members for translational movement in space-apart overlapping planes generally parallel to the screen doors in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the screen door support members.
In another embodiment, the invention provides an upper track for slidably guiding screen assemblies. The upper track comprises a first U-shaped channel having a first channel base member, a second U-shaped channel having a second channel base member, and a first side channel member common to and attached to the first and second U-shaped channels. The first and second base member of the U-shaped channels are offset relative to one another so that the first and second base members lie in different substantially parallel planes. Each U-shaped channel further contains a second side channel member on an opposing side of the channel base member from the first side channel member having a dimension sufficient to limit the lateral movement of the screen assemblies as the screen assemblies are moved in a direction substantially parallel to the U-shaped channels.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a screen system for double-hung entry doors. The screen system comprises an inner screen assembly containing a frame having upper and lower horizontal frame members and first and second vertical frame members carrying a screen; an outer screen assembly containing a frame having upper and lower horizontal frame members and first and second vertical frame members carrying a screen; and upper inner and outer longitudinal screen guides attached to a building adjacent the entry doors for slidably engaging a portion of the upper horizontal frame member of each of the inner and outer screen assemblies. Each of the inner and outer screen guides contain an elongate planar horizontal member having first and second edges, a first planar vertical member adjacent the first edge and a second planar vertical member adjacent the second edge wherein the second planar vertical member is common to both the inner and outer screen guides. Preferably, the elongate planar horizontal members lie in spaced apart substantially parallel planes. The outer screen guide further contains an upstanding rigid elongate member substantially centered between the first and second planar vertical members for limiting the lateral movement of the outer screen assembly when slidably positioning the outer screen longitudinally along the outer guide. The screen system also contains a lower sill attached adjacent a sill of the double-hung entry doors having an inner guide rail for engaging the lower horizontal frame member of the inner screen assembly and for limiting lateral movement of the inner screen assembly and an outer guide rail for engaging the lower horizontal frame member of the outer screen assembly and for limiting lateral movement of the outer screen assembly when slidably adjusting the outer screen.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a threshold track assembly for slidably guiding a screen door of a double screen door assembly. The threshold track assembly is attached to the threshold of an entry door having a projecting handle and comprises a threshold baseplate for attachment to the threshold, and inner and outer spaced apart, upstanding, substantially parallel tracks connected to the baseplate. The tracks extend substantially the entire length of the baseplate and a threshold attachment means. The space-apart tracks are positioned on the baseplate such that when the baseplate is attached to the threshold using the threshold attachment means, the outer screen door supported on the outer track is spaced from the entry door sufficient to enable at least the outer screen door to clear the door handle when the outer screen door is slid along the inner track.
The invention therefore provides a simple cost-effective system for providing a double screen assembly for double entry doors. Furthermore, the screen system of the invention has features which reduce or avoid the interference between the movable screen door and the handle of the entry door when slidably adjusting the position of the screen door.
Because the screens are easily removable from the double screen assembly, and there is no need for a center post for sealing between the screen doors, full unobstructed access to the double entry doors is available when the screen doors are removed. Hence, large objects may be moved through the entry doors when the screen doors are removed from their guides and guide rails.


A procedure is provided for transmitting packets of variable length, such as AAL2 packets and permitting the transmission of cells such as ATM cells, in time-division circuits such as E1/T1 frames, each divided into a number of time slots, each occupied by an eight-bit byte. The consecutive eight-bit bytes of each packet of variable length and of each cell are located in the slots of consecutive time of at least one group of time slots of the frames. The first eight-bit byte of a packet or a cell is placed at a time slot marked by a pointer occupying a specific time slot of the corresponding group of time slots.

Below, there is a reminder of the principles governing the so-called AAL2 transmission protocol, described in the three ITU recommendations: I363.2, I366.1 and I366.2. This transmission protocol was defined for the purpose of avoiding the time problem involved in the assembly time of an ATM cell which is becoming critical for low rates. In fact, at 16 kbit/s, the assembly time amounts to 24 ms for the complete filling of the ATM cell. The solution selected was to multiplex the stream of several communications in a single ATM cell, using a packet information structure, called minicells or also CPS packets. This transmission method makes up the lower part of the protocol called the CPS (Common Part Sublayer). The indispensable adaptation functions are located above the CPS in the sublayers called SSCS (Service Specific Convergence Sublayer). The first, the SSCS segmentation sublayer is described in the ITU recommendation I.366.1 and is intended for the transmission of data units containing a significant number of bytes. The second, the SSCS trunking sublayer for real time is described in the ITU recommendation I.366.2.
A sequence of AAL2 packets is guaranteed on each AAL2 channel, but the service supplied by the CPS sublayer is a non-assured type, meaning that the missing packets (for example as a result of the loss of ATM cells transmitting them) are not replaced by retransmission at this level.
In FIG. 1a, there is a representation of the AAL2 packets of the CPS layer of the AAL2 protocol, as specified in the ITU 1.363.2 recommendation. The AAL2 packets have a 3-byte H_CPS header and a variable length P_CPS useable portion containing user information. By default, this length is limited to 45 bytes. As can be seen in FIG. 1a, the H_CPS header is made up in the following manner:
a CID connection identification field which is an 8-bit field and which allows the AAL2 connection to be identified,
a field, of LI length which is a 6-bit field and which codes the length of the useable portion of the packet in such a way that LI+1 is equal to the number of bytes,
a 5-bit user-to-user information (UUI) field,
an HEC field which is a 5-bit field for protection against header errors.
The AAL2 packets are generally transmitted by means of ATM cells.
There is a description below of the considerations with respect to the transmission of ATM cells on the E1/T1 type framed media. They are the subject of the ITU Recommendation G.804 entitled: "ATM Cell Mapping into Plesichronous Digital Hierarchy" in the case of complete use of the offered band, that is to say, the frame's 30 time slots—TI. Currently, they are implanted in specific ATM switching modules.
A time-division circuit frame such as the one addressed by recommendation G.704 is divided into 32 time slots each occupied by a byte. In this context, it is deemed that only slots 1 to 15 and 17 to 31 transmit user data. A frame has a length of 125 .mu.s, and the flow of data transmitted by each TI slot is limited to 64 kb/s. By regrouping the TI time slots, it is possible to allow the information to flow at N times 64 kb/s, i.e., 2,048 kb/s if one takes into consideration the 32 TI time slots, but 1,920 kb/s if one takes into consideration the 30 time slots used for the transmission of user data.
Each byte of an ATM cell is within a single time slot TI. There is no relation between the beginning of a frame and the beginning of an ATM cell. This is because the number of bytes in an ATM cell is different from that of a circuit frame.
FIG. 2 represents an example of ATM cell multiplexing on a frame structure such as the one which has just been described. The various frames are represented in stacks and numbered "frame n", "frame n+1", etc. They follow each other in this time-division order. Each time slot is referenced by its rank and by the number of eight-bit bytes used for the transmission of the corresponding data. This representation only has 30 TI time slots which are used (the number of eight-bit bytes thus vary between 1 and 30) and thus, not the time slots of the 0 to 16 ranking which are used for functions other than data transmission.
It is pointed out here that the ATM cells are packets of a length fixed at 53 bytes, of which 5 are assigned to the header. In FIG. 2, the eight-bit bytes of the ATM cells which are not empty are represented by a series of squares, each corresponding to a time slot in a frame. The headers of these cells are grayed out. With respect to the empty cells, they are not represented as squares (they are not partitioned).
One may note that the cells are consecutive inside each frame.
In order to allow for the transmission of both packet type and circuit type traffics on the same media, allowance was made for the use of only a single portion of the TI time slots for the transmission of the user data. This use was described in a specifications document produced by the ATM Forum and entitled "ATM on Fractional E1/T1: AF-PHY-0130.00" dated August 1999, and it consists of assigning, for the transmission of ATM cells, N slots at 64 kb/s among the frame's 30 possible time slots IT; the IT time slots which are not used for this purpose can then, in a traditional mariner, be used for the transmission of data in circuit mode, for example, telephone communications.
In FIG. 3, only a fraction of the time slots is allocated to ATM transmissions, these time slots TI being ranked in each frame between, on the one hand, 3 and 16, and 21 and 24 on the other. The time slots TI which are unused are represented without partitions. The number of eight-bit bytes used is included here between 1 and 18.
It is perfectly possible to transmit AAL2 packets, as described above, carried by ATM cells, themselves carried in time-division frames, such as those which are also described above. A frame of the E1/T1 type is, in this case, transparent to the cells' content. At the receiving end of the E1 connection, the ATM cells are first extracted for the time-division frame, then the AAL2 packets are extracted for the ATM cells to be reassembled. In a symmetrical manner, at the transmission extremity, the AAL2 packets are inserted into the ATM cells, which are then inserted into the time-division frame and thus transmitted.
The drawback to this solution is that the relationship between the number of useable bytes and the number of bytes transmitted over the connection is not very favorable in terms of efficiency. In fact, the 5 eight-bit bytes of the ATM cell headers added to a very variable number of padding eight-bit bytes associated with the multiplexing of mini-cells are so many time slots IT that they may be considered as lost with respect to the user data.
WO-A-00/59261 and EP-A-874 530 offer solutions to this specific problem.
In fact, the first involves a process for the transmission of mini-cells in a channel, E1 or T1 type, for example, made up of a number of multiframes, each multiframe containing, itself, several time slots. This process is set up in such a way that the transmission of these mini-cells does not pass through the ATM layer. In other terms, the heading of these ATM cells is suppressed and the mini-cells are directly transmitted to the E1 or T1 type frames. Nevertheless, this process necessitates the insertion of a starting eight-bit byte in the first time slot of each multiframe, the above-mentioned starting eight-bit byte containing a sequence number field, used to contain the number of multiframes.
Insofar as the EP-A-874 530 document is concerned, it sets forth the transmission of AAL2 type mini-cells to T1 type frames. To do so, the ATM layer is eliminated. There also, a six-bit pointer is used to define the starting location of the frame's next packet.

Method for transporting variable-length packets in temporal circuit frames


One exemplary aspect of this disclosure relates to a method including the step of controlling a level of regenerative torque to at least partially meet a braking request. The level of regenerative torque is gradually introduced at a controlled rate.

In many electrified vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles, energy that places the vehicle in motion is partially recovered during vehicle braking using what is known as regenerative braking. Regenerative braking can be achieved during braking by configuring the drive motor as a generator. The act of generating power with the motor creates a braking torque, or regenerative torque, on the motor. Regenerative torque is transmitted to the wheels to slow the vehicle. In many situations, regenerative torque alone cannot meet a braking request and, therefore, the regenerative torque is combined with friction braking (e.g., disc or drum braking).
In some known systems, such as that which is graphically illustrated in FIG. 1A, the driveline between the wheels and the motor is fully locked. In this system, when a user initiates a braking request (e.g., presses the brake pedal), the driveline will transmit regenerative torque from the motor to the wheels. In another known system, such as the system graphically illustrated in FIG. 1B, a torque converter between the motor and the wheels must be fully locked (e.g., by actuating a torque converter bypass clutch, for example), before any regenerative torque is applied. After the torque converter is fully locked, the regenerative torque is introduced abruptly, at a level equivalent to a regenerative torque limit.

System and method for regenerative braking


A first transparent electrode film, which is a component of a SW-LCD for viewing angle control, is used as a touch panel. When a contacting object contacts the surface of the first transparent electrode film, a position detector detects currents flowing from plural parts of the first transparent electrode film so as to detect the contacting position of the contacting object, with reference to the detection result. With this, it is possible to provide a built-in touch sensor display device which is thin, lightweight, and low-cost, a viewing angle control device, and an electronic device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, a viewing angle control device, and an electronic device, and more specifically to a display device which can switch to a mode in which an image to be viewed changes depends on the viewing direction and which can detect which position on a display screen is touched by a pen or a finger, a viewing angle control device, and an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The weight of electronic devices has recently been reduced, with the result that electronic devices with displays, such as mobile phones and mobile PCs, can now be used in public spaces. This, however, has induced such a problem that a person around the user can peek a confidential document and personal information.
To solve this problem, there is proposed a display device which is usually set in a wide viewing angle display mode and can be set in a narrow viewing angle display mode when the display device is used in a public space. In the narrow viewing angle mode, a normal image is viewed from a position right in front of the display where the user is positioned, whereas a solid color image or an image different from the normal image is viewed from a position in an oblique direction to the display. Moreover, since the wide viewing angle display mode is available, a wide viewing angle is obtained when, for example, a large number of persons view an image which has been taken.
In the meantime, various types of electronic devices adopting a touch sensor and a touch panel, which are input devices detecting a position where a finger, a pen, or the like touches, have recently been in widespread use.
A touched position is detected by known methods such as an electrostatic capacitive coupling method, a resistant film method, an infrared light method, a supersonic method, and an electromagnetic induction/coupling method. Among these methods, the resistant film method has widely been adopted. According to this method a position is detected in such a manner that two transparent resistant films are provided to face each other and these films are in contact with one another at a position where a pen or the like touches one of the films.
In case where a touch panel is combined with a display, the touch sensor capability is achieved by, for example, providing a touch panel in front of an image display section such as a liquid crystal display panel. A touch panel adopting the resistant film method is combined with an image display device in such a manner that, two transparent resistant films are pasted together to form a resistant sheet and this resistant sheet is pasted onto the front surface of the image display device. Patent Document 1 (Japanese PCT National Phase Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56-500230; published on Feb. 26, 1981) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-66417; published on Mar. 5, 2003) disclose a basic device of a touch panel adopting the electrostatic capacitive coupling method.
In case where a touch sensor is combined with one of various types of electronic devices by pasting a touch panel onto the front surface of the electronic device, the transmittance of light from the display device is reduced because the touch panel is provided on the display screen of the electronic device, i.e. provided between a displayed image and the user, and hence the display quality is deteriorated. The transmittance of light is particularly low in the case of a touch panel adopting the resistant film method, because air with a different refractive index exists between two resistant films.
Furthermore, the addition of a touch panel increases the total thickness and weight of the device. Providing a touch panel on an electronic device is also disadvantageous in terms of cost reduction.
The same problems occur also in a case where a touch sensor is provided in the aforesaid display device which can be switched to the narrow viewing angle mode.

Display device, viewing angle control device, and electronic device


A stereoscopic image display method using a display, a phase shift member and a polarization optical element, two different types of vertically elongated stripe-shaped polarization plates having orthogonal optical axes, includes the steps of displaying, on the display, a single stripe image which is synthesized in such a manner that right and left parallax images from a parallax image source are divided into stripe pixels, and the stripe pixels of the right and left parallax images are arranged in a predetermined order, and controlling a direction of polarization of light transmitted through the phase shift member by controlling the electrical signal to be applied to the phase shift member in synchronism with the display operation of the stripe image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stereoscopic image display method and a stereoscopic image display apparatus using the same and, more particularly, to a stereoscopic image display method, which utilizes a parallax barrier method, and a stereoscopic image display apparatus using the same.
2. Related Background Art
A stereoscopic image can be displayed by displaying parallax images picked up from different view points on the right and left eyes of an observer. In order to display different parallax images on the right and left eyes, a method of directly projecting different parallax images onto the right and left eyes like in a so-called HMD (Head Mounted Display or Helmet Mounted Display) method, a method of separating right and left images using polarized light, and making the observer view the separated images using polarization spectacles, a method of separating right and left images using a parallax barrier, and the like have been proposed.
The technique of stereoscopic image display using the parallax barrier method is disclosed by S. H. Kaplan, "Theory of Parallax Barriers", J. SMPTE, Vol. 59, No. 7, pp. 11-21, 1952. FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of the conventional stereoscopic image display method based on the parallax barrier method. In this method, two, right and left parallax images R.sub.S and L.sub.S picked up from different view points are divided into stripe-shaped pixels, and a stripe image is synthesized by extracting and alternately arranging the stripe-shaped pixels. The synthesized stripe image is displayed on the display surface of a display 101. A parallax barrier 102 is formed by arranging, in the horizontal direction, a large number of aperture portions and light-shielding portions each having a predetermined width, at a position separated by a distance T from the display surface. The observer observes the stripe image via the parallax barrier 102 from the positions of his or her right and left eyes E.sub.R and E.sub.L. As a result, the observer observes the original parallax images R.sub.S and L.sub.S with his or her right and left eyes, thus realizing stereoscopic viewing.
However, in the HMD method or the method using polarization spectacles, the observer must wear an HMD device, polarization spectacles, or the like, which are not normally required.
On the other hand, the conventional method using a parallax barrier does not require any special member such as polarization spectacles. However, when the right and left parallax images are displayed, the number of display pixels is halved, resulting in a low resolution.

Stereoscopic image display method and stereoscopic image display apparatus using the same


In a lithium battery comprising a positive electrode for which manganese dioxide is employed, manganese dioxide containing 0.1 to 3% by weight of boron is employed as the positive electrode and a lithium alloy containing 0.05 to 2% by weight of aluminum is employed as the negative electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lithium battery, especially a lithium battery using manganese dioxide for the positive electrode.
2. Related Art
A lithium battery has a remarkably high electromotive force and excellent characteristics, and thus has been used in various applications for which such characteristics are utilized. Especially, a lithium battery using manganese dioxide for the positive electrode is excellent in high-rate discharge characteristics and low-temperature discharge characteristics and has been used for various applications such as a camera, a memory back up and the like. However, along with the expansion of the uses, higher storage life characteristics are required especially for the use for meters or the like.
In conventional lithium batteries using manganese dioxide for the positive electrode, pure manganese dioxide or manganese dioxide containing boron is used for the positive electrode (Japanese Patent Laid Open No. Hei 11-339794 (1999)). However, in such conventional lithium, batteries, manganese dioxide is dissolved in an electrolyte solution and is deposited on the negative electrode during storage, so that the storage life characteristics could not be sufficient.


An all-wheel drivetrain for a motor vehicle, which has at least two driven axles, comprising a characteristic torque converter transmission of longitudinal construction. To the input side of the transmission drive power is fed and the transmission serves for converting a characteristic of a drive engine. The output side of the transmission is connected to a transfer device, by means of which the drive power can be distributed to the two axles. The transmission has an output shaft which is connected to a first drive shaft for the first axle, and a countershaft parallel thereto. The output shaft and the countershaft are connected to one another by means of a first constant transmission ratio. The countershaft is connected by means of a second constant transmission ratio to a second drive shaft for the second axle. The transfer device is arranged coaxially with the second drive shaft.

The present invention relates to an all-wheel drivetrain for a motor vehicle, which has at least two driven axles, comprising a characteristic torque converter transmission of longitudinal construction, to the input side of which drive power is fed and which serves for converting a characteristic of a drive engine, and the output side of which is connected to a transfer device, by means of which the drive power can be distributed to the two axles, the characteristic torque converter transmission having an output shaft, which is connected to a first drive shaft for the first axle, and a countershaft parallel thereto, the output shaft and the countershaft being connected to one another by means of a first constant transmission ratio, and the countershaft being connected by means of a second constant transmission ratio to a second drive shaft for the second axle.
Such an all-wheel drivetrain is disclosed by DE 102 53 259 A1.
In the document cited an internal combustion engine is connected to an input of a dual clutch arrangement. The output of the dual clutch arrangement is connected to a dual clutch transmission, which comprises an input shaft arrangement, a countershaft and at least one transmission output, which is not aligned coaxially with the one or more transmission input shafts. The dual clutch transmission is embodied as a countershaft transmission.
In one embodiment, the countershaft is connected to the output shaft by a constant output gear train. The output shaft is connected to a first drive shaft for a rear axle. Also supported on the countershaft is a loose gear, which can be connected to the countershaft by means of a transfer device in the form of a selective engagement clutch. The loose gear meshes with a further gear, which is connected to a second drive shaft for the second axle (front axle). The second drive shaft is connected to a front axle transverse differential.
EP 1 321 327 A2 also discloses a longitudinally installed drivetrain for a motor vehicle, in which a transfer box serves to transmit a drive torque on the one hand to a rear axle and on the other hand to a front axle by way of a prop shaft arranged at an angle to the drivetrain longitudinal axis. In this case power is transmitted from the transfer box to the prop shaft via a drive pinion and an output pinion, a universal joint of the prop shaft being arranged at least partially inside the output pinion.
The intention here is to enhance a motor vehicle transmission designed for a rear wheel drive in such a way as to allow a further output to a front axle differential.
The journal Automobiltechnische Zeitschrift (ATZ), issue 2, 2004, Vol. 106, pages 92 to 98, furthermore discloses the flange mounting of a transfer case having a fixed output to the rear axle on the transmission output of a conventional, manual shift transmission. Also coaxially arranged with the output shaft is a selective engagement clutch, which can be connected to a drive shaft for the front axle by way of a hollow shaft and a chain drive.
Such a separate transfer box involves a great weight and takes up a large overall space. A relatively large number of meshing toothed engagements is also required. The weight distribution in the drivetrain is moreover not particularly favourable.

All-wheel drivetrain for a motor vehicle

GETRAG Getriebe- und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG


In a presser foot device of a sewing machine, a presser foot is vertically movably supported to a sewing machine body frame by a presser bar. A drive device moves the presser bar up and down in accordance with a drive signal. A sensor detects when the presser foot is raised close to a top dead center position, that is, a predetermined position. Based on the detection by the sensor, a control device controls the drive signal for the presser foot drive device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a presser foot device of a sewing machine capable of moving a presser foot up and down by automatic operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional sewing machines equipped with a presser foot for pressing a work cloth onto a bed employ various manual operating levers for moving the presser foot up and down. For example, an ordinary presser foot device employed in pattern sewing machines, that include embroidering machines, has a presser foot vertically movably connected to a body frame by a presser bar, an operating lever for switching the presser foot between an ascent position and a descent position, and a spring member urging the presser foot in the descending direction. During sewing, the presser foot is reciprocated within a small stroke at the descent position in accordance with cloth feeding actions. The presser foot is switched to the ascent position by manually operating the operating lever, for example, for replacement of a cloth holding frame that holds a work cloth to be sewed, or for checking the sewing start position in the work cloth held by the cloth holding frame, or at the time of a thread breakage. To start or restart sewing, the presser foot is switched to the descent position by manually operating the operating lever. Beside such manual presser foot devices, an automatic presser foot device has been developed for commercial use, which automatically moves a presser foot up and down by driving an actuator, such as a rotary solenoid or the like, in accordance with switch operations performed on various switches, such as externally provided push button switches.
However, it is difficult or impossible to freely adjust the amount of motion of actuators, such as solenoids. Therefore, to determine the position to which the presser foot is to be shifted, particularly, the position at the time of ascent, a structure having a member, integrated with the presser foot, is caused to impact an arm or the like, whereby the presser foot is stopped at a desired ascent position. However, impact noises are produced when the presser foot is raised, thus giving rise to noise problems. This structure also suffers from the high cost of solenoid actuators.

Presser foot device of sewing machine having a presser foot ascent detection device and a control mechanism


Stained glass Golf Course markers comprised of concrete and stained glass which show the layout of each hole on a golf course, including the hole number, Par, handicap, and tee to green yardage from each tee box. The concrete and glass construction provide a durable marker which will withstand exposure to the elements well. These markers are also very unique and beautiful and thus will add greatly to the appearance of any golf course.

Stained glass golf course markers provide new, beautiful and very durable golf course tee box markers. These markers are made of stained glass and concrete and therefore are not affected by the elements (water, salt, sun and freezing temperatures will not affect the markers since they are as durable as any concrete product).
Golf Courses have used a marking system for many, many years to indicate the layout of the fairway as well as the tee to green yardage's, however this present invention of a marker made of concrete and stained glass is new and unique to the golf course industry, having several benefits and improvements. Unlike wooden markers which have to be repainted and/or replaced in a few years, these concrete and glass markers contain no paint and will remain beautiful for many, many years with no maintenance required. These stained glass and concrete golf course markers will greatly enhance the physical appearance of golf courses wishing to upgrade their marking system to one which will remain beautiful for many years with no maintenance required.


A wireless base station for communicating with a wireless terminal includes: a wireless apparatus configured to perform a first part of signal processing, the first part of signal processing including wireless signal processing among signal processing of the wireless base station; a wireless control apparatus configured to perform a second part of signal processing, the second part of signal processing being different from the first part of signal processing, the signal processing of wireless terminal user data split between the wireless apparatus and the wireless control apparatus of the wireless base station, the wireless apparatus and the wireless control apparatus of the base station connected via a transmission path, and the second part of signal processing of the wireless terminal user data in a unit of packet data convergence protocol packet data unit (PDCP PDU).

In the related art, mobile communication systems are known such as LTE that corresponds to a 3rd generation mobile communication system (3G) and a 3.9-th generation mobile communication system, and LTE-Advanced that corresponds to a 4-th generation mobile communication system. LTE is short for Long Term Evolution. A study on technologies relating to a 5-th generation mobile communication system (5G) has also been started. Split of signal processing (a signal processing function or a function) in a wireless base station in 5G into a Center Unit or Centralized Unit (CU) and a Distributed Unit (DU) has been studied.
A technology is known in which each wireless apparatus on an ad hoc network manages local link information, and performs formation and transmission of the local link information using a Hello message (for example, refer to following PTL 1). A technology is known in which, based on traffic control information, traffic control that includes priority control and route split is performed on a reception packet and thus the reception packet is output as an output packet (for example, refer to following PTL 2).
Examples of the related art include [PTL 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-193558 and [PTL 2] International Publication Pamphlet No. WO 2015/136875.

Wireless base station, wireless apparatus, wireless control apparatus, wireless communication system, communication method, and wireless terminal


A scan representation position table to which three points of focus positions which become scan representation positions are recorded respectively is stored in advance based on the lens position of the zoom lens 2b and the type of priority focus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device and a focusing method comprising a focus function enabling fast focusing on an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional imaging apparatus such as digital cameras, contrast auto-focusing (AF) processing is generally known as a method for performing auto-focusing on an object.
Contrast AF processing focuses by driving a focus lens within a drivable range from lens edge to lens edge, detecting the contrast component from an imaging signal which is the CCD output at this time and interpreting this waveform, namely, adjusting the lens into a lens position where the high-frequency component is the largest.
Additionally, an invention which is an automatic focusing device for cameras is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open (Kokai) Patent Publication No. 2003-140027. Specifically, in contrast AF processing, power consumption required for the emission of AF fill light can be reduced when irradiating AF fill light onto an object to heighten the contrast of the object by emitting the AF fill light only when the image pickup lens moves a predetermined distance rather than emitting continuously during the movement duration of the image pickup lens.
However, according to the conventional imaging apparatus, since contrast is detected by moving the focus lens from lens edge to lens edge, AF processing takes time. This is problematic in that photo opportunities are lost when a user wishes to photograph an object quickly, such as at a decisive moment.

Imaging apparatus having an autofocus function

Abstract: The current zoom lens 2b lens position is acquired and determination processing for short-distance priority focus or long-distance priority focus is performed when judged that the shutter button has been fully depressed at once or when the shutter button has been fully depressed before the passage of a predetermined time duration after the shutter button was halfway depressed. Then, the focus positions are acquired from the scan representation position table based on the acquired lens position and the judged priority focus, and the contrast AF processing is executed within the range of the acquired three points of focus positions.


Methods and apparatus for reducing discrete power spectral density (PSD) components of wideband signals transmitting blocks of data are disclosed. Discrete components are reduced by acquiring N symbols of pseudo-random data, each symbol having K bits; selecting one bit from each of the acquired symbols to generate N selected bits; selectively inverting a respective element in one of the data blocks responsive to the selected bits; acquiring one or more bits of pseudo-random data to replace a corresponding one or more respective bits of the acquired N symbols of pseudo-random data; and repeating for successive blocks of data.

Ultra wideband (UWB) technology uses base-band pulses of very short duration to spread the energy of transmitted signals very thinly from near zero to several GHz. UWB technology is presently in use In military applications and techniques for generating UWB signals are well known. Commercial applications will soon become possible due to a recent decision announced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that permits the marketing and operation of consumer products incorporating UWB technology.
The key motivation for the FCC's decision to allow commercial applications is that no new communication spectrum is required for UWB transmissions because, when they are properly configured, UWB signals can coexist with other application signals in the same spectrum with negligible mutual interference. The FCC has specified emission limits for UWB applications to prevent Interference with other communication systems.
The emission profile of a UWB signal can be determined by examining Its power spectral density (PSD). Characterization of the PSD of a "Time-Hopping Spread Spectrum" signaling scheme in the presence of random timing jitter using a stochastic approach is disclosed in an article by Moe et al. titled "On the Power Spectral Density of Digital Pulse Streams Generated by M-ary Cyclostationary Sequences In the Presence of Stationary Timing Jitter." See IEEE Tran. on Comm., Vol. 46, no. 9, pp. 1135-1145, September 1998. According to this article, the power spectra of UWB signals consists of continuous and discrete components. Discrete components create peaks in the PSD that may exceed the FCC emission limits even when the continuous components are well below these limits.
There is an ever present desire to increase the communication distances of communication systems. One way to Increase communication distance is to increase the power used for transmissions. To increase transmission power while still conforming to the FCC emission limits for UWB signals, it is desirable to reduce the discrete components so that overall power can be increased while still conforming to the FCC emission limits for UWB signals. In traditional communication systems, scramblers are commonly used to reduce discrete components (i.e., data whitening). These scramblers, however, are insufficient for reducing discrete PSD components In UWB communication systems, e.g., due to their high pulse repetition frequency (PRF), i.e., about 100 Mbps to 500 Mbps, and their time division multiple access (TDMA) frame structure. Accordingly, improved methods and apparatus for reducing discrete PSD components of UWB signals are needed. The present invention fulfills this need among others.

Methods and apparatus for reducing discrete power spectral density components of signals transmitted in wideband communications systems


A method of producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having a base including a pair of movable parts opposing each other, a fixing part that connects the movable parts with each other at one end thereof, and mounting parts that extend for a predetermined length while holding slit-shaped gaps of a predetermined width along inside surfaces of said movable parts by being turned around at the other end of said movable parts, said piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element disposed on at least one outside surface of said movable parts of said base, wherein a base block obtained by laminating and calcining a large number of ceramic green sheets is adopted as a material for forming said base, and the base including said movable parts, said fixing part, and said mounting parts is formed by cutting said base block at a predetermined site along a lamination direction of said ceramic green sheets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device of a form such that the displacement operation of a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element is transmitted to a pair of right and left movable parts to control a component to be controlled, which component is sandwiched and held by the other ends of the movable parts, or the displacement operation of a pair of right and left movable parts that sandwich and hold a component to be inspected on the other end is sensed by a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element to sense the characteristics of the component to be inspected.
2. Description of the Background Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having such a form is constructed in such a manner that a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element 10b is disposed on each of the outside surfaces of a pair of right and left movable parts 11, 12 constituting a base 10a. Movable parts 11, 12 are connected with each other by means of a connecting part 13 on one end thereof, and movable part bodies 11a, 12a extend towards the other end thereof. The other end of movable part bodies 11a, 12a are made into mounting parts 11b, 12b for mounting a component H such as a component to be controlled or a component to be inspected.
Mounting parts 11b, 12b protrude inwards by a predetermined width from the other end of movable part bodies 11a, 12a, so as to oppose each other by holding a predetermined interval. Component H is fixed to the inside surfaces (joining surfaces) 11b1, 12b1 of mounting parts 11b, 12b via adhesives h1, h2 on the side surfaces of component H, so as to be sandwiched and held by mounting parts 11b, 12b of movable parts 11, 12.
In a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having such a form, if component H to be mounted is long in the longitudinal direction of the device, one must increase the length L4 of mounting parts 11b, 12b, as shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the total length L1 of the device is elongated by the amount of increase in the length L4 of mounting parts 11b, 12b. Thus, if the length h of component H to be mounted is equal to the length L4 of mounting parts 11b, 12b, the total length L1 of the device is restricted by the length h of component H.
On the other hand, in the case of mounting a long component H shown in FIG. 2 to mounting parts 11b, 12b, if the length L4 of mounting parts 11b, 12b are, for example, left as it is shown in FIG. 1 without being changed, the total length L1 of the device is unchanged irrespective of the length h of component H. However, in this case, the length L4 of mounting parts 11b, 12b will be shorter than the length h of component H, thereby decreasing the area of the joining surface (bonding area) on component H. Therefore, if an ordinary adhesive made of resin is used as adhesives h1, h2, the adhesive strength on component H decreases. Decreases in the adhesive strength on component H in the worst cases cause component H to be dismounted from mounting parts 11b, 12b.
A component H having a large dimension h in the longitudinal direction will have a mass that is increased by the amount of elongation of the length h if the other dimensions and the density thereof remain unchanged. Therefore, if the bonding area is small, for example, if mounting parts 11b, 12b are each in a state shown in FIG. 1, the impact imposed upon each of the adhesives h1, h2 will be large, whereby component H is more liable to be dismounted from each of mounting parts 11b, 12b.
In a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having such a form, if component H is dismounted from one of mounting parts 11b, 12b, the other of mounting parts 11b, 12b must support component H to succeed receiving the impact applied to component H. In this state, component H is liable to be dismounted from the other mounting part, and also there is a fear that the supporting balance of the mounted state may be lost to cause the one supporting mounting part or the movable part connected thereto to be broken by the action of torsional force.
In order to meet this problem, one must use an adhesive having an extremely high adhesive strength; however, it is generally difficult to obtain a special adhesive that can ensure a sufficient adhesive strength no matter how small the bonding area is. Furthermore, there is naturally a limit even in the case of using an adhesive having such a special property.
In a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having such a form, in the case of improving the device properties by increasing the displacement of mounting parts 11b, 12b, one must increase the amount of displacement of the movable part bodies 11a, 12a by increasing the length of the movable part bodies 11a, 12a of movable parts 11, 12. However, in order to increase the length of the movable part bodies 11a, 12a of movable parts 11, 12 without increasing the total length L1 of the device, one must reduce the length of mounting parts 11b, 12b. As a result of this, the bonding area of joining surfaces 11b1, 12b1 at the mounting parts 11b, 12b will be smaller to weaken the adhesive force of component H to joining surfaces 11b1, 12b1 of mounting parts 11b, 12b all the more, whereby component H will be more liable to be dismounted and drop off from joining surfaces 11b1, 12b1.
In a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having such a form, in order to mount component H onto mounting parts 11b 12b of movable parts 11, 12, component H is bonded to joining surfaces 11b1, 12b1 generally through the intermediary of adhesives h1, h2 made of resin. However, adhesives h1, h2 made of resin will have a reduced hardness or reduced Young's modulus when the temperature changes above room temperature. The temperature change of the state of use of piezoelectric/electrostrictive devices is, for example, of a degree within a range from room temperature to 100° C. However, even in this temperature range, adhesives h1, h2 will be softened at a high temperature. For this reason, the distortion of adhesives h1, h2 when an external force is applied will differ greatly between the state of room temperature and the state of a higher temperature than this. Therefore, the device properties of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having this form will differ greatly at a state of high temperature, even though the device properties in a state of room temperature remain as originally set.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the operation state of the device at a low temperature such as room temperature and at a higher temperature than room temperature, respectively. The influence caused by such a temperature change (temperature variation) will be larger accordingly as the bonding area is smaller, because the distortion imposed upon the adhesive will be larger accordingly as the bonding area is smaller. Therefore, as the bonding area increases, the influence of the temperature variation will be smaller.
In a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device having such a form, if component H increases in size to increase its mass, fixing part 13 for fixing the device itself must support the combined mass of component H and the device itself. Therefore, if an impact is received, fixing part 13 is liable to be dismounted. If the length L2 of fixing part 13 is increased in order to increase the bonding area, the total length L1 of the device will also increase.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of producing a piezoelectric/electrostrictive device