Search time is reduced with a search engine that includes a bi-directional inverted index facility which can be accessed with a keyword search in one of a number of languages and provide a listing of documents contained in all of those languages. The keywords in all supported languages are preferably stored in an inverted index lookup table cross referenced to documents in those language containing the keywords. Keywords with the same meaning in different languages are accessible together when that keyword in one of the languages is queried. The search engine containing the table can identify pertinent documents either in a selected language, a second language or in all supported languages, as determined by the user. Information about each document can include not only the identity of the document but also information used in ranking the documents such as the number of times that a keyword appears in that document, and the keywords proximity to other keywords. The use of the inverted index table therefore reduces search time by eliminating the need for translation of keywords, their identification in documents and accumulating of ranking information at search runtime and avoids inaccuracies which may result from full text translations of documents.

Various approaches have been proposed for searching a database wherein the database includes material in multiple languages. One approach is to translate the entire database into the language in which a search term is entered or the language of the user. However, this could involve a large amount of translation for a sizable database (and multiple translations if the database is used by users in different languages). Further, each process of translating a document has the potential for losing (or distorting) some of the meaning of the original text.
Another approach is to use synonym or keyword dictionary as described in the above mentioned copending application. The system of the copending application includes a synonym or keyword dictionary which is bi-directional and allows for translation of keywords between a first language and other languages. The translated words keywords for the document are stored in an inverted index which is then used for searching, either in a selected language, a second language or in all languages, as determined by the user. This use of multiple searching and a translated synonym dictionary avoids the need for translation of the entire document and avoids the mentioned inaccuracies which may result from translations of the whole database. However, performing and analyzing such a search can take a long period of time which may prevent the user from interactively modifying the search to obtain meaningful results.

Retrieving matching documents by queries in any national language

International Business Machines Corporation


Embodiments of generating in-slide and between slide transitions in a slideshow based on image content analysis are provided.

Digital cameras allow users to easily capture and store many digital images. Unfortunately, users may have access to limited tools that allow the digital images to be organized and presented. Even with the tools available to a user, the user may find the organization and presentation of images tedious or difficult to understand. It would be desirable for a user to be able to generate an organized and meaningful presentation of digital images.

Systems and methods using a slideshow generator

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


A knotless fishing line connection system employs one or more knotless fishing line connectors. Each knotless fishing line connector includes an engaging member coupled to a socket member configured to receive and lock the engaging member. The knotless fishing line connector can be used to secure a fishing line to a fishing hook. Another such knotless fishing line connector can be used to connect the fishing line to a swivel connector or the like. A fishing rig can include a fishing leader line having a first engaging member and a second engaging member on opposite distal ends thereof. The rig can further include a fishing hook having a first engaging member configured to receive and lock the first engaging member and a swivel connector or the like having a second engaging member configured to receive and lock the second engaging member.

Although fishing hooks come in various shapes, styles, and sizes, they all essentially function in the same way. That is, fishing hooks are used to catch fish by impaling them in the mouth. Fishing hooks are of course connected to fishing lines which allow the fish to be hauled in. A conventional fishing hook includes a hole, called an eye. The tip of the fishing line is inserted through the eye and a knot is tied to secure the line to the fishing hook.
Unfortunately, such knots can fail for various reasons such as slippage or breakage and are known failure points. Indeed, knots are the weakest link in the entire fishing line arrangement. While numerous types of knots have been tried, fish still frequently get away due to knot failure.


In a multi-piece solid golf ball having a core, an envelope layer, an intermediate layer and a cover, the core is formed primarily of a thermoplastic resin and has a diameter of from 20 to 30 mm, the envelope layer is formed of a rubber composition containing primarily a rubber material and has a thickness of from 3 to 10 mm, the intermediate layer is formed of a resin composition containing primarily an ionomer, and the cover is formed of a resin composition containing primarily a urethane. Both the relationship among the specific gravities of the core, the envelope layer and the intermediate layer, and the relationship among the surface hardnesses of the core, the envelope layer, the intermediate layer and the cover are optimized.

The present invention relates to a multi-piece solid golf ball composed of a core, an envelope layer, an intermediate layer and a cover that have been formed as successive layers. More specifically, the invention relates to a golf ball which has both a flight performance and a controllability capable of better satisfying professional golfers and skilled amateur golfers, and which also provides the utmost in "feel" on full shots.
Efforts have hitherto been made to provide golf balls with a multilayer structure so as to increase the distance traveled by the ball and enhance the feel of the ball at impact. In order to lower the spin rate, increase the initial velocity and further improve the feel at impact, various golf balls with multilayer structures of three or more layers have subsequently been described as well.
Golf balls having a somewhat soft cover, an intermediate layer formed of an ionomer material that is relatively hard compared with the cover, and a solid core of a one- or two-layer construction that is formed of rubber material are currently in wide use among professional golfers and skilled amateur golfers as balls endowed with both an excellent flight performance and excellent controllability. Such balls exhibit a high controllability in the short game because of the somewhat soft cover. In addition, owing to the combination of this cover with, on the inside thereof, a hard, high-resilience layer made of an ionomer material, these balls also suppress excessive spin and exhibit a high rebound on full shots with a driver.
Various balls of this type have hitherto been disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,071,201, 6,254,495, 6,271,296, 6,394,912, 6,431,998, 6,605,009, 6,688,991, 6,756,436, 6,824,477, 6,894,098, 6,939,907, 6,962,539, 6,988,962, 7,041,009, 7,125,348, 7,157,512, 7,230,045, 7,285,059, 7,641,571 and 7,652,086, JP-A 2012-40376 and JP-A 2012-45382.
In this way, there exists among professional golfers and skilled amateurs a strong demand for golf balls which enable such golfers to achieve a performance in keeping with their own level of skill. Hence, developing a golf ball endowed with a flight performance, controllability and feel capable of satisfying larger numbers of golfers is important for expanding the golfer base.


A water bottom ore sampler includes a submersible housing for positioning on or near a water bottom, a riser duct mounted within the submersible housing and movable vertically relative to the submersible housing, a drilling assembly disposed within the riser duct for excavating the water bottom, a passage defined within the riser duct through which a particulate fluid mixture produced by the excavation can flow up the riser duct and into an interior of the submersible housing, and a sample container disposed within the submersible housing for collecting ore from the particulate fluid mixture received in the submersible housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of water bottom deployed, remotely operated drilling and coring apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to devices for taking large volume samples of sediments from below the bottom of a body of water.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0016621 filed by Jackson et al. discloses a system for taking core samples below the bottom of a body of water. The system disclosed in the '621 publication includes a drilling platform positioned on the bottom of a body of water; a surface vessel; and a submersible robotic vehicle movable between the underwater drilling platform and surface vessel. The robotic vehicle performs one or more of the following underwater operations: (i) providing power to the underwater drilling platform; (ii) monitoring and/or controlling the operation of the underwater drilling platform; (iii) assembling drill rods to form a drill string; and (iv) recovering a core barrel from the drill string and transporting the core barrel to the surface. In one embodiment, the underwater drilling system includes a shuttle movable between the surface vessel and underwater drilling platform. The shuttle carries one or more of a tool, rod, and core barrel between the surface vessel and the drilling platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,830 issued to van der Widjen describes a drilling apparatus that is positioned on the ocean floor for cutting a borehole in the floor and removing samples therefrom. The drilling apparatus has a drilling head which is detachably coupled to a string of pipes all detachably connected together by connecting devices which are engageable by axial pushing of the pipes together. The pipes carry inner tubes which cooperatively form an inner annular cavity and a core member is detachably connected to the lowermost inner tube of the drill string by spring-loaded latches. When a core sample is in the core tube it is detached by fluid pressure in the space between the outer pipes and the inner tubes and the core barrel is then pumped upwardly and stored in a turntable containing further drill pipes and core barrels. A further drill pipe is connected in the string and a further core barrel is dropped into the inner tubes of the string and connected to the lowermost inner tube pressurizing fluid in the inner tubes.
The foregoing drilling and sample taking devices are generally configured to drill core samples from the sediments below the water bottom. Some types of water bottom sediments contain economically valuable minerals, such as heavy metals. The valuable minerals may be dispersed in the sediments below the water bottom, and determining the presence and concentration of such valuable minerals may require that large volumes of sediment are sampled if using the core drilling devices known in the art. There exists a need for a device that can sample large volumes of water bottom sediment, with the capacity to segregate the samples to reduce the volume of samples retrieved to the water surface for analysis.

Water bottom ore sampler and method of using the same


A fixing mechanism fixes a side of a fan frame having a plurality of cooling fans and two first connecting tabs opposing to each other to a bottom board of a housing. The fixing mechanism includes a first end portion fixed to the bottom board; a second end portion perpendicularly installed on the first end portion; two second connecting tabs corresponding to the first connecting tabs and installed on the second end portion; an elastic buffer installed between one of the first connecting tabs and one of the second connecting tabs corresponding to the one of the first connecting tabs; and an elastic arced strip passing through the first connecting tabs and the second connecting tabs, for holding the elastic buffer between the one of the first connecting tabs and the one of the second connecting tabs, so as to fixing the fixing mechanism to the fan frame.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to fixing mechanisms, and more specifically, to a fixing mechanism for a fan frame.
2. Description of Related Art
Servers rely on cooling fans to dissipate heat. Generally, a cooling fan applied in a server and a fan frame in which the cooling fan is installed are assembled to form a cooling fan assembly.
The fan frame is fixed to a bottom board of a housing of the sever by screws. Two fixing mechanisms made of bended plates each having two bended ends are installed on two sides of the fan frames. For both of the fixing mechanisms, one of the bended ends is fixed to the fan frame, and the other of the bended ends is fixed to the bottom board of the housing by screws, such that the fan frame is fixed to the bottom board of the housing. In operation, the cooling fan vibrates and makes noises. To reduce the noises, an elastic washer is mounted on a screw first and then the screw with the elastic washer mounted is screwed to the bottom board of the housing.
However, the screw, if being mounted with the elastic washer and having too few the screw threads, is easily to be loosed from the bottom board of the housing. Therefore, the cooling fan makes louder noises.
Moreover, the elastic washer becomes thinner than it used to be because it is pressed by the screw, and too thin the elastic washer has poor vibration absorbing capability. Further, the elastic washer, if being pressed for a long time, shows elastic fatigue.


A semiconductor device is arranged by a push-pull circuit 1 for shifting a first center potential of an amplitude of an input signal to a second center potential, and for outputting first and seconc complimentary signals P1, P2 having said second center potential, and further a bipolar type differential amplifier 2 for receiving the first and second complementary signals as input signals thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit and, more specifically, to such a semiconductor circuit that includes a transistor circuit receiving an input signal having a small amplitude.
2. Description of the Related Art
In accordance with rapid development in semiconductor technology, semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) have been operable in very high frequencies. It is, therefore, required that signal transmission among ICs and further among sets or equipments is also performed at a high speed such as a high frequency range close to 100 MHz. For this purpose, such a new signal transmission method has been proposed that signal transmission is performed with a very small amplitude from one IC (or set) to another IC (or set) instead of employing the TTL (Transistor Transistor Logic) level. Such new signal transmission methods are disclosed in, for example, "NIKKEI ELECTRONICS" 1993, 9, 27 (No. 591), pp. 269-290. One of the new methods is called "GTL" (Gunning Transceiver Logic) Transmission.
In this signal transmission, a signal to be transferred is transmitted through a transmission line with an amplitude of approximately 0.2 V to 0.5 V. Moreover, the reference voltage Vref of the signal is designed to be 0.7 to 1.2 V.
On the other hand, it is necessary for an IC itself to enlarge the amplitude of the signal thus transmitted to perform easy and/or noise-free processing on the received signal. To this end, an input buffer circuit is required to receive the signal transmitted with the GTL level and convert it into such a signal that has a relatively large amplitude.
In a conventional technique, a differential amplifier of a MOS type as shown in FIG. 1 is employed as such an input buffer. In FIG. 1, this amplifier 200 includes two P-channel MOS transistors M21 and M23, two N-channel MOS transistors M22 and M24 and one current source I21, which are connected as shown. In particular, an input signal IN having the above small amplitude is supplied to the gate of the transistor M21 and the reference voltage Vref indicative of a center level of the input signal IN is supplied to the gate of the transistor M23. The MOS differential amplifier 200 can thus convert the input signal with the GTL level into a signal with such a level that is larger than the TTL level.
However, the MOS transistor has in general a relatively low current capability. For this reason, it takes a relatively long period of time for the amplifier 200 to convert the input signal IN into a signal with a required amplitude. That is, a significant time delay occurs in the amplifier 200. If each of the MOS transistors M21 to M24 would be constituted with a large size to have large current capability, the period of time for converting the input signal IN into a signal with a large amplitude. In this case, however, power consumption is increased remarkably, and an area on a semiconductor chip occupied by the amplifier 200 is also increased.
It would be therefore considered to employ a differential amplifier of a bipolar type as an input buffer, since a bipolar transistor has higher current capability than a MOS transistor with the same size as a MOS transistor. Moreover, an NPN type bipolar transistor is preferable, since it operates at higher speed than a PNP type transistor.
However, the input signal IN has its center level (i.e., the reference level Vref) that is about 0.7 to 1.2 V as described above. For this reason, the NPN bipolar transistors receiving such a signal do not operate, cr operate in saturated conditions.

Semiconductor device including input buffer circuit capable of amplifying input signal with low amplitude in high speed and under low current consumption


Provided are methods to destabilize emulsion feedstocks. In the methods, a moderate temperature is applied to the feedstock to create a first mixture. The moderate temperature may be between 120 and 220 degrees Celsius. The first mixture is mixed at the moderate temperature, such as by staged mixing in some embodiments. Moreover, the first mixture is retained at the moderate temperature for up to six hours. The first mixture is separated into an oil phase, convoluted phase, and a water phase. In some embodiments, the moderate temperature may be 125 to 150 degrees Celsius, such as between 125 and 130 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the first mixture may be retained at the moderate temperature for between forty-five minutes and four hours, such as from two to four hours. The separation may occur at the moderate temperature.

Crude vegetable oils contain triglycerides along with impurities such as free fatty acids, phospholipids, and others. The impurities are removed from the crude vegetable oil by the vegetable oil refining process. Accordingly, vegetable oil refining yields byproducts which may be further processed into valuable products. These byproducts include gums (including but not limited to dried gums, wet gums, and enzymatic wet gums), soapstocks, vegetable oil phospholipids, and others. To that end, the first step in the refining process is often degumming. Degummed oil may then be treated to remove free fatty acids. Often this is done by treating the degummed oil with alkali, which reacts with the free fatty acids present in the crude oil to form soap. The soap and other solid impurities are separated from the refined oil by centrifuging and are generally known as soapstock. Alternatively, in some oil refineries the phospholipids and soapstock are removed simultaneously. The soapstock from this alternate process is known as gummed soapstock and typically contains vegetable oil, phospholipids, water, and soap. The refined oil is further processed, while the gums, soapstock, and combinations thereof are treated as waste products. However, the gums, soapstock, and combinations thereof may also be further processed to recover valuable products.
One difficulty in processing these products, including but not limited to gums and soapstock, is the emulsion contained therein, which can decrease the recovery of valuable products. In many feedstocks, the emulsion is attributable to emulsifiers such as phospholipids, soaps, and proteins. Regarding phospholipids, as is known in the art, the phosphate group in the phospholipid is polar, while the fatty acid group is non-polar. Therefore, phospholipids may bind to both water and oil, thus creating the emulsion. An ideal method to break emulsions in gums, and therefore extract oil, is hydrolyzing the phospholipids to ultimately result in products such as glycerolphosphates, free fatty acids, lysophospholipids, and denatured protein. Previous methods use acid to catalyze this reaction. More specifically, traditional processing of gums uses large amounts of strong mineral acid (e.g. sulfuric acid) and extended settling times (upwards of 96 hours) to break the emulsion to recover valuable products. Furthermore, soapstock is often processed by acidulating the soapstock to recover free fatty acids and acylglycerides. The acidulation process also uses large amounts of strong mineral acid (e.g. sulfuric acid) and extended settling times (upwards of 96 hours) to break the emulsion to recover valuable products, yet in some circumstances the emulsion may not break and recovery of the valuable products is not achievable.
Feedstocks, including but not limited to gums and soapstocks, are generally inconsistent in their composition. Not only are the feedstocks from plant to plant quite different, but often, the byproduct feedstock(s) from a particular processing plant will be inconsistent over time. Therefore, it can be difficult to efficiently process feedstocks from different sources in a single facility or using a single process. Moreover, the variations in the feedstocks result in variations of the output during processing, which leads to further inefficiencies. With all emulsion feedstocks there is a wide range of compositions and rheological behaviors. Due to this range, the application of traditional processing has very low predictability on yields. The recovery is dependent on the emulsion feedstock characteristics. The dynamics of processing continuously change, and a static system like traditional processing does not offer the ability to reliably recover valuable product streams. The production of convoluted phases (not the target phase and discussed below) is extensive due to the above problems.
Accordingly, needed in the art is a process to efficiently process emulsion feedstock byproducts. Such byproducts may come from sources including, but not limited to, oil refining, oil processing, biodiesel industries, meat processing, rendering plants, food production facilities and other facilities and industries where oils and fats are in touch with water. The emulsion feedstocks may include, but are not limited to, gums and soapstocks and off-spec or expired food products. The method should reduce or eliminate the traditional change in pH necessary to process these feedstocks. Moreover, the method should be quick and also address the issues associated with the wide variety of feedstock compositions and rheological behaviors. The method should lead to clean separation of the resulting phases from which valuable products may be effectively recovered.

Method to destabilize emulsion feedstocks for the recovery of valuable products


Methods and systems for providing a depressurization alert. An example method includes receiving a cabin depressurization discrete signal, determining if the cabin depressurization discrete signal is valid, and issuing a cabin depressurization alert, if the cabin depressurization discrete signal was determined to be valid. In accordance with further aspects of the invention, a time delay is executed before the receiving, determining, and issuing steps are repeated. The cabin depressurization discrete signal is determined not valid if uncorrected pressure is not greater than a predefined altitude. The uncorrected pressure is a raw pressure value produced by a Pitot-Static system. Also, the cabin depressurization discrete signal is determined not valid if the aircraft's altitude above an intended runway is not greater than a first predefined value. Additionally, the cabin depressurization discrete signal is determined not valid if an aircraft's altitude above terrain is not greater than a second predefined value.

Currently, some aircraft use a single horn to alert the flight crew of any of a number of various problems. It can take a pilot some time to isolate what problem caused the horn to be activated. This can lead a pilot to misdiagnose the cause of the activated horn.
Therefore, there exists a need to intelligently alert the flight crew of certain types of problems that were previously associated with a single horn activation.

Systems and methods for intelligent alerting for cabin altitude depressurization


A pill dispensing apparatus includes a carousel with at least one removable bin for storing pills, a vision system for identifying pills within the bin, a vacuum nozzle for removing one or more pills identified by the vision system, and a dispensing area for receipt of the removed pills.

Many patients are required to take different combinations and amounts of pills at different times throughout the day. Pills can include medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, contraceptives, and the like. Compliance with such complicated dosage regimens is often challenging, and failure to follow the regimen can have significant adverse effects on the patient. Further, many patients may have physical or mental conditions that complicate the ability to accurately determine what medicines need to be taken at what times.
Complicated regimens can be difficult for anyone to follow and a challenge for those suffering from impaired mental capacity, judgment, or memory—whether that is a short-term condition brought on by the condition being treated or a long-term chronic situation.
Another challenge is that many pills come in similar shapes, colors, and sizes making it very difficult for people to distinguish between them, which can cause mistakes with serious consequences. On the opposite extreme, many pills have very different shapes, colors, and sizes, which may assist people in distinguishing them, but makes it extremely difficult for machines to identify and select between such extremes. Also, prior art devices are difficult to load, unreliable in operation, and of limited utility in both home and professional environments.
As a result, an improved apparatus and system for the delivery of pills that substantially eliminates the problems of the prior art is needed.


The present invention provides a method and apparatus for correcting symbol timing of a receiver. The receiver receives a signal transmitted by a transmitter based on a symbol period. The method includes: sampling the signal with a sampling period to generate N sampled data in series, wherein the sampling period is half the symbol period; from Kth data of the N sampled data, getting M data to serve as a first data set; performing a timing recovery algorithm upon the first data set to generate a first timing metric; from (Kth+1) data of the N sampled data, getting M data to serve as a second data set; performing the timing recovery algorithm upon the second data set to generate a second timing metric; and correcting the symbol timing according to the first and second timing metrics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for correcting symbol timing and the apparatus thereof, especially to a method for correcting the symbol timing of a receiver and the corresponding apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of digital communication, the transmitter transmits signals carrying digital data to a receiver with a specific symbol timing T1. After receiving the signals, the receiver recovers the digital data by sampling the signals according to a specific symbol timing T2. If the symbol timing of the receiver T2 is the same as the symbol timing of the transmitter T1, and no phase delay between the two timings, the receiver will recover the digital data correctly. Oppositely, if the symbol timing T2 is different from the symbol timing T1, or having phase delay between the two timings, the receiver will not recover the digital data correctly. Accordingly, a critical mechanism is required to be set in the receiver for ensuring that the symbol timing T2 of the transmitter is synchronizing with the symbol timing T1 or that the timing reference of the receiver has a certain relation to the timing reference of the transmitter by signal processing.
Generally speaking, for synchronizing the symbol timing T2 of the receiver with the symbol timing T1 of the transmitter, the receiver calculates the sampled data by utilizing a timing recovery algorithm (TR algorithm) to obtain timing metrics, which are related to the difference of the timing references (i.e., the timing error) of the transmitter and the receiver, and are advantageously utilized to correct the symbol timing of the sampling circuit of the receiver. Once the symbol is corrected, the symbol timing T2 is synchronizing with the symbol timing T1 or there is a certain relation between these two timings. Please refer to the flowing journals for detailed description: K. H. Mueller and M. Muller, "Timing Recovery in Digital Synchronous Data Receivers," IEEE Trans. Communications, vol. Com-24, pp. 516-531, May 1976, and F. Gardner, "A BPSK/QPSK Timing-Error Detector for Sampled Receivers, "IEEE Trans. Communications, vol. Com-34, pp. 423-429, May 1986.

Method and apparatus for correcting symbol timing


An automatic accompaniment apparatus that enables an external electronic musical instrument connected thereto to exhibit its accompaniment information generating capability to the maximum and makes it possible to set tone color data and accompaniment data adapted to the external electronic musical instrument through the automatic accompaniment apparatus. The external electronic musical instrument stores in advance a plurality of tone color data and/or a plurality of accompaniment data and generates accompaniment information based on the selected tone color data and/or accompaniment data. List information on the stored tone color data and/or the accompaniment data is acquired via a control interface that connects to the external electronic musical instrument and carries out transmission and reception of information to and from the external electronic musical instrument, and the acquired list information is presented to a user. Control information for causing the external electronic musical instrument to set tone color data and/or accompaniment data selected by the user from the presented list information is transmitted to the external electronic musical instrument via the control interface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic accompaniment apparatus and a method of controlling the same that connect an external electronic musical instrument to the apparatus and generate accompaniments via the external electronic musical instrument, as well as a program for implementing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known an automatic accompaniment apparatus that connects an external electronic musical instrument thereto and generates accompaniments via the external electronic musical instrument.
As an example of such an automatic accompaniment apparatus, there has been proposed an automatic accompaniment apparatus that connects thereto a musical tone generating apparatus (electronic musical instrument), which does not have an automatic accompaniment function, and generates an accompaniment via the musical tone generating apparatus by transmitting accompaniment information generated by the automatic accompaniment apparatus to the musical tone generating apparatus (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. S61-292691, for example).
In the above conventional automatic accompaniment apparatus, however, accompaniment information is generated by the automatic accompaniment apparatus whereas accompaniment tones are sounded by the external electronic musical instrument. Thus, not accompaniment data stored in the external electronic musical instrument but accompaniment data stored in the automatic accompaniment apparatus is used as accompaniment data (for example, accompaniment style data) in generating accompaniment information. Therefore, even if accompaniment data stored in the external electronic musical instrument is musically richer than accompaniment data stored in the automatic accompaniment apparatus, accompaniment information is generated using the accompaniment data stored in the automatic accompaniment apparatus, and hence the generated accompaniment information thus generated does not enable the external electronic musical instrument to exhibit its accompaniment information generating capability to the maximum.
Also, in the above conventional automatic accompaniment apparatus, even if an external electronic musical instrument connected thereto is capable of generating accompaniment information, what kind of tone color data and accompaniment data are stored in advance in the external electronic musical instrument cannot be known through the automatic accompaniment apparatus, and hence tone color data and accompaniment data adapted to the external electronic musical instrument cannot be set through the automatic accompaniment apparatus.

Automatic accompaniment apparatus, method of controlling the apparatus, and program for implementing the method


A milling tool has single sided and indexable milling inserts having a round basic shape. Each milling insert has a plurality of tangentially spaced-apart and alternately usable cutting edges, which individually fall archedly from a first end, situated closest to an upper reference plane, to a lowest point, from which it again rises toward a second end. A reinforcing chamfer surface included in the cutting edge is formed with an increasing width in a direction from the first end of the cutting edge toward the second end.

Round milling inserts for milling purposes have the advantage in comparison with polygonal milling inserts having straight cutting edges in that they lack fragile corners. For this reason, the same are advantageously used in applications where the milling cutter should be able to mill off or remove large amounts of material from the work piece without considerable requirements of surface smoothness of the generated surface. The fact that the round milling inserts as a consequence of their arched cutting edges giving rise to wave formations in the generated surface is accordingly incidental in comparison with the capacity of the milling inserts to remove deep material layers from the work piece. Round milling inserts are found in single sided as well as double-sided embodiments, the first-mentioned ones of which are formed with cutting edges only along the upper sides and therefore can be given a positive insert macro geometry, while the insert macro geometry of the last-mentioned ones is negative as a consequence of cutting edges being formed along the upper side as well as the underside.
The invention only concerns itself with the first-mentioned type of milling inserts, i.e., single sided, indexable milling inserts having a round basic shape and positive insert macro geometry.
Generally, milling inserts having a positive insert macro geometry are more easy-cutting, concerning generated cutting force, than double-sided, negative milling inserts because the cutting edge is introduced under the chip so as to, like a knife or wedge, lift out and cut the chip rather than pushing the same in front of itself during shearing. Nevertheless, also single sided, round milling inserts are subjected to considerable cutting forces, among other things as a consequence of the chip obtaining an increasing thickness with increasing cutting depths. From a narrow end, the thickness of the chip increases to a maximum value, the absolute value of which depends on several factors, but above all the feed rate of the milling cutter per milling insert in the milling cutter body.
In order to strengthen the cutting edge of milling inserts in general, the same is usually formed with a chamfer surface in the transition between the clearance surface and the chip surface. In previously known inserts having a round basic shape, said reinforcing chamfer surface is of a uniform width along the entire periphery of the upper side (i.e., 360°). See, for instance, US 2009/0290946 A1. This means that the cutting edge along its entire operative arc length has one and the same geometry and strength irrespective of cutting depth and thereby irrespective of the shape of the generated chips. The cutting edge is as obtuse in the area where the chip is thin, as in the area where the same is thick. For this reason, the cutting forces will be unnecessary large at the same time as the wear-out of the cutting edge becomes uneven. To this, also the fact contributes that the known, round milling inserts have one and the same nominal clearance angle along their entire circumferential, conical clearance surface, which means that the functional clearance angles, when the milling insert is mounted in the basic body, will vary and give rise to local temperature rises in the segments where the real clearance from the red-hot material of the work piece becomes too small. Thus, the consequence of the same nominal clearance angle becomes an impaired service life of the milling insert.

Milling tool as well as a milling insert therefor


The new compound tertiarybutyldimethylantimony is prepared by reacting an timony trihalide SbX.sub.3 with the tertiarybutyl Grignard reagent ((CH.sub.3).sub.3 C)MgX, treating the resulting product with the methyl Grignard reagent (CH.sub.3)MgX. where X is a halide, and recovering tertiarybutyldimethylantimony from the reaction mixture. The reaction is preferably carried out by a one pot synthesis in a suitable solvent such as diethyl either using approximately one equivalent of ((CH.sub.3).sub.3 C)MgX in relation to the SbX.sub.3 at about -50.degree. C., followed by treatment with approximately two equivalents of (CH.sub.3)MgX in relation to the SbX.sub.3 at about 0.degree. C. The tertiarybutyldimethylantimony is used as a precursor in forming antimony-containing semiconductor material by chemical vapor deposition.

The present invention relates to the process to prepare tertiarybutyldimethylantimony, ((CH.sub.3).sub.3 C)(CH.sub.3).sub.2 Sb, and its use in chemical vapor deposition processes to produce antimony-containing semiconductor materials.
A variety of semiconductor systems containing antimony have been investigated for applications in infrared detectors, high speed devices, optoelectric devices, and motion and position sensors.
Antimony-containing binary materials, e.g. InSb and GaSb, as well as ternary and quaternary materials, e.g. InAsSb and InAsSbBi, have been grown heteroepitaxially by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE), a high throughput technique for the production of high quality semiconductor materials from organometallic precursors such as organoantimony compounds.
Certain semiconductor materials have been grown by OMVPE using trimethylantimony or triethylantimony as the organoantimony source compound. Attempts at low growth temperatures resulted in significant problems due to the incomplete pyrolysis of these organoantimony compounds.
An alternative organoantimony precursor for OMVPE is needed which has a lower pyrolysis temperature than the above trimethyl and triethyl antimony compounds. It is also important that such alternative organoantimony precursor pyrolyze with minimal unintentional impurity incorporation. Recently, triisopropylantimony, ((CH.sub.3).sub.2 CH).sub.3 Sb, was used to grow epitaxial InSb films at temperatures as low as 300.degree. C. However, triisopropylantimony has a low vapor pressure in comparison to trimethylantimony and very low film growth rates resulted. An organoantimony precursor with a higher vapor pressure and a low decomposition temperature is still needed.
The availability of alternative Sb source compounds for OMVPE could greatly enhance the development of antimony-containing semiconductor materials. Development of new Sb source compounds for chemical vapor deposition processes is of interest for lowering the film-growth temperature of Sb-containing semiconductor materials and altering the chemistry to minimize unintentional impurities.
One object of the invention is the provision of an improved organoantimony source compound for antimony-containing semiconductor materials.
Another object is to provide an organoantimony precursor for OMVPE for the production of antimony-containing semiconductor materials having a higher vapor pressure and a lower decomposition temperature than organoantimony presursors heretofore used.
Still another object is the provision of a novel organoantimony precursor which pyrolyses with minimal unintentional impurity incorporation into the antimony-containing semiconductor material.
A still further object is to provide a process for preparing such antimony source compound or precursor for production of antimony-containing semiconductor materials.
Yet another object is the provision of a process of forming an antimony-containing semiconductor material by chemical vapor deposition, using an improved organoantimony source compound.

Preparation of tertiarybutyldimethylantimony and use thereof

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Described herein is a shock wave device for the treatment of vascular occlusions. The shock wave device includes an outer covering and an inner member inner connected at a distal end of the device. First and second conductive wires extend along the length of the device within the volume between the outer covering and the inner member. A conductive emitter band circumscribes the ends of the first and second wires to form a first spark gap between the end of the first wire and the emitter band and a second spark gap between the end of the second wire and the emitter band. When the volume is filled with conductive fluid and a high voltage pulse is applied across the first and second wires, first and second shock waves can be initiated from the first and second spark gaps.

The subject invention relates to treating calcified lesions in blood vessels, or obstructions in other vessels, such as kidney stones in ureters. One common approach to addressing this issue is balloon angioplasty. In this type of procedure, a catheter, carrying a balloon, is advanced into the vasculature along a guide wire until the balloon is aligned with the occlusion. The balloon is then pressurized in a manner to reduce or break the occlusion. When inflated to high pressures, angioplasty balloons can have a specific maximum diameter to which they will expand. Generally, the opening in the vessel under a concentric lesion will typically be much smaller. As the pressure is increased to open the passage way for blood flow, the balloon will be confined to the size of the opening in the calcified lesion (before it is broken open). As the pressure builds, a tremendous amount of energy is stored in the balloon until the calcified lesion breaks or cracks. That energy is then released and results in the rapid expansion of the balloon to its maximum dimension and may stress and injure the vessel walls.
Recently, the assignee herein has developed a system and method for breaking up calcium deposits in, for example, arteries and veins. Such a system is described, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,956,371 and 8,888,788, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Embodiments described therein include a catheter having balloon, such as an angioplasty balloon, at the distal end thereof arranged to be inflated with a fluid. Disposed within the balloon is a shock wave generator that may take the form of, for example, a pair of electrodes, which are coupled to a high voltage source at the proximal end of the catheter through a connector. When the balloon is placed adjacent a calcified region of a vein or artery and a high voltage pulse is applied across the electrodes, a shock wave is formed that propagates through the fluid and impinges upon the wall of the balloon and the calcified region. Repeated pulses break up the calcium without damaging surrounding soft tissue. A similar technique can be used to treat kidney stones in the ureter. The shock waves generated by such systems typically propagate in all directions from the electrodes.
Arteries are sometimes totally occluded with a thrombus, plaque, fibrous plaque, and/or calcium deposits. When this condition is present, the physician typically first passes a soft narrow guide wire down the artery and through the occluded area. The guide wire may be as small as 0.014 inches in diameter and usually has a soft flexible tip to help avoid penetrating the artery wall in artery corners. The angioplasty balloon is then fed down the artery on the guide wire to the desired location of the blockage. Unfortunately, many times the physician is faced with a chronic occlusion which is not passable with a guide wire. This occurs when the occlusion is so tight and solid that the soft guide wire cannot penetrate through it. Stiffer guide wires may be used in these cases, but they must be used very carefully because they can easily penetrate the artery wall when forced against the chronic total occlusion.
Guide wires have been proposed that utilize radio frequency energy to open the occlusion. Unfortunately, the heat generated by the radio frequency energy to open the occlusion is intense and can damage the walls of the artery or vessel. The radio frequency energy produces a plasma which burns anything in its path. Hence, such systems must be used carefully and must be continuously moved without pause to avoid artery or vessel damage. Moreover, such an approach requires a centering mechanism that keeps the plasma centered in the artery or vessel. Such centering is difficult to achieve, especially in the corners and bends of the arteries or veins.
More recently, the assignee herein has proposed providing an electrode on the tip of a guide wire for generating forward directed shock waves to open a total occlusion enough to permit a guide wire and angioplasty balloon to be fed there through. In addition, such system avoids damage to the artery or vessel. This approach is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0320432, also incorporated herein by reference.
The subject invention relates to yet another alternative approach for generating forward directed shock waves that can be integrated with an angioplasty balloon. This approach can also be used in conjunction with other types of shock wave electrodes.

Device and method for generating forward directed shock waves


A new Chrysanthemum plant named ‘CIDZ0068’ particularly distinguished by the stable yellow-colored, daisy-type inflorescences, and an excellent plant strength in combination with a flowering response time of 8 weeks when grown under short-day conditions.

The present invention comprises a new Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'CIDZ0068'.
'CIDZ0068' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has stable yellow-colored, daisy-type inflorescences, and an excellent plant strength in combination with a flowering response time of 8 weeks when grown under short-day conditions.
'CIDZ0068' originates as a natural whole plant mutation discovered among flowering plants of the variety 'CIDZ0014' growing in a greenhouse in Gilroy, California in August 2011.
The parent is the proprietary plant 'CIDZ0014', disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,111, and having inflorescences of a golden-bronze hue under usual conditions, while it is similar to 'CIDZ0068' in all other characteristics.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'CIDZ0068' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in November 2011 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.


A flat mail sleeve packaging system which is adapted to stack product in a constrained homogenous mass. The system includes a first constraining wall and a second constraining wall. The second constraining wall is positioned with respect to the first constraining wall at a substantially perpendicular angle thereto. The first and second constraining walls are adapted for having the product placed therebetween with bound edges of the product all facing in a same direction without collapsing. A third constraining wall may also be provided forming a “U” shape with the first and second constraining walls.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a flat mail sleeve packaging system and method of use and, more particularly, to a flat mail packaging system used for packaging counter rotated bulk flats into a bundle.
2. Background Description
Publishers throughout the world print bulk flats (i.e., magazines, newspapers or other items typically less than 1¼ inch in thickness) which are delivered to the end consumer by a postal service or other delivery or transportation company. However, these products typically have bound edges and non-bound edges, where the bound edges are thicker than the non-bound edges. This difference in thickness may cause a "banana" effect or a tipping of the product when stacked at the publishing facilities.
To ensure that the "banana" effect or tipping does not occur, the publisher will either tightly wrap the bundle or, more commonly, assemble the stacks of their product in a counter rotated bundle, i.e., with the bound edges rotated every so many pieces in order to maintain a straight stack. In the former stacking process, the product is bound so tightly with several straps, shrink wrap and the like that the product is damaged during the bundling and transportation process. By using the counter rotation procedure, however, a mail sorting facility, whether it be a postal facility or other delivery or transportation facility, must reorient the stacks so that all of the bound edges are aligned. This allows for the sorting machines to properly sort and prepare for delivery of the product.
By way of example, in most modern postal facilities, major steps have been taken toward mechanization (e.g., automation) by the development of a number of machines and technologies. These machines and technologies include, amongst others, letter sorters, facer-cancelers, automatic address readers, parcel sorters, advanced tray conveyors, flat sorters, letter mail coding and stamp-tagging techniques and the like. As a result of these developments, postal facilities have become quite automated over the years, considerably reducing overhead costs.
In use, these machines and technologies such as flats sorting machines (FSM) are capable of processing more than 10,000 flats per hour by electronically identifying and separating prebarcoded mail, handwritten letters, and machine-imprinted pieces. Computer-driven single-line optical character readers (OCR) are used in this process.
However, many of the machines currently in use including, for example, the FSM require that the mail or flats be oriented in a certain manner in order for the machines to properly sort the mail for delivery. In order to accomplish this task for flats, human intervention is required to complete the product sorting process, i.e., rearrange stacks of flats received from the publisher to align the bound edges, to permit automated feeding of the product. This manual operation is both time consuming and costly, thus increasing overhead and hence delivery rates.

Flat mail sleeve packaging and method of use


A method (200) and system (220) for range detection is provided. The system can include a sensing unit (110) for detecting a location and movement of a first object (401), and a processor (107) for providing a measure of the movement. The processor can convert the measure to a coordinate signal for moving a second object (124) in accordance with a location and movement of the first object. The system can include a pulse shaper (109) for producing a pulse shaped signal (167) and a phase detector (101) for identifying a movement from a reflected signal (166). A portion of the pulse shaped signal can be a frequency modulated region (312), a constant frequency region (316), or a chirp region (324). In one arrangement, the pulse shaper can be a cascade of all-pass filters (515) for providing phase dispersion.

1. Field
The present invention generally relates to the field of touchless user interfaces, and more particularly, to input pointing devices.
2. Introduction
Motion sensing systems can detect movement of an object. As one example, a radar unit can transmit and receive high energy signals for detecting a large metallic object. High energy signals can reflect of the metallic object due to the properties of the metal. As another example, a weather radar can be used to track storm movement. The radar can determine the storm distance by measuring a time difference between when a radar signal was emitted and when a reflection of the radar signal was received. Estimating a time of flight generally involves detecting a time of arrival of the reflected signal which can be based on detection of a pulse. The quality of the reflected signal can be distorted due to transmission effects or environmental effects.
Radar is commonly used for long range distance measurements, such as tracking a vehicle or tracking a storm. Radar units are generally large devices deployed in broad areas where long distances are common. The time length of a radar pulse is generally small relative to a time distance of the detected object. Pulse compression can enhance the performance of radar range detection. Pulse compression, also known as pulse coding, is a signal processing technique to maximize the sensitivity and resolution of radar systems. Transmitting longer pulses can improve the radar's sensitivity by increasing the average transmitted power. However, lengthening the radar pulse has the effect of degrading the range resolution of the radar because the radio pulse is spread over a larger distance.
Moreover, radar units, or radio frequency signals, are not generally suitable for small and precise range measurements on non-metallic objects. The time length of the pulse can lead to range measurement errors over very short distances. Slight perturbations of a pulse signal can lead to inaccuracies in the time of flight measurement. The pulse can be smeared in time as a result of transmission and reflections which distorts the time arrival for detection. Moreover, sensing devices responsible for emitting and transmitting the pulse signal can be imbalanced. The imbalances produce variations in the pulse that can result to false detections. This can also lead to inaccurate time estimates. Amplitude variations can also lead to detection errors which lead to inaccurate arrival times.


A device for testing a pressure sensor having a pressure-sensitive region includes a fixture for a pressure sensor designed to receive the pressure sensor, a nozzle designed to generate a gas flow interacting with the pressure-sensitive region of the pressure sensor and positioned so close to the fixture such that the nozzle does not contact the pressure-sensitive region of the pressure sensor and a predefined portion of the pressure-sensitive region experiences an increased or decreased pressure relative to ambient pressure which is constant within a deviation of 10% relative to a pressure mean value, and a measurer designed to measure an electrical signal received by the pressure sensor.

Pressure sensors are increasingly used in safety-relevant applications in automobile electronics. The pressure sensors here, for example, serve for measuring a tire pressure to recognize tire deficiencies at an early time and prevent possible accidents as a result of a bursting tire. Thus, reliable test of pressure sensors used in tires are necessary before delivering same to be able to use them in safety-relevant applications.
Pressure sensors on the wafer level are conventionally tested such that a wafer test having a probe card is placed on the pressure sensor so that a pressure-sensitive portion of the pressure sensor is surrounded by a sealing lip of the wafer tester. Thus, a pressure chamber forms above the pressure sensor. In the pressure chamber, a predetermined pressure may be set in the pressure-sensitive portion at the pressure sensor, and thereupon an output signal generated by the pressure sensor can be received and evaluated by the wafer tester.
This procedure is of disadvantage in that placing the sealing lip on the wafer requires high positioning precision and damage to the wafer may occur if this high positioning precision cannot be kept. Thus, handling and/or positioning of the movable part, namely of the wafer tester, is very complicated and, in particular, very time-consuming.

Concept for testing a pressure sensor and a nozzle


A sense signal is continuously received from a capacitive touch-sensing panel. A reference signal is set or adjusted to have a level of the sense signal be in a first relation to that of the reference signal in an initial state, and the sense signal is compared with the reference signal to generate a comparison signal in a sensing state. The comparison signal is outputted with a first logic level when a level of the sense signal is in the first relation to a level of the reference signal, and outputted with a second logic level when a level of the sense signal is in a second relation to a level of the reference signal. Whether a touch action is conducted is determined according to a compared result of occurrences of the first and second logic levels of the comparison signal generated within a preset time period.

Based on the fact of that the 3C products are rising and developing, continuously. The input devices such as keyboard or mouse of these consumer products are replaced by the touch panel gradually. The touch panel technology provides a friendly interface to allow a user may operate a computer or electronic products more convenient and easier than ever. Touch panels are input devices for operating an apparatus by directly touching a display screen of a liquid crystal display device or the like with a finger, a purpose-built stylus or the like, and include a display which displays operation details and the like, and a detection means which detects the position (coordinates) of a portion of the display screen of the display touched with the finger or the like. Information about the touched position detected by the detection means is sent in the form of a signal to the apparatus, which in turn performs an operation and the like displayed on the touched position. Examples of the apparatus employing such a touch panel include ATMs in banking facilities, ticket vending machines in stations, portable game machines, and the like.
Additionally, the applications of the touch panels are widely spread, the field of such devices includes but not limited to portable communication or information devices (such as personal digital assistant, PDA), electronic dictionaries, handsets, MP3s, digital players, or global positioning systems (GPSs), or other small size electronic devices, financial/commercial system, hospital register system, monitoring and control system, information system and computer assisted instruction system, etc. The convenience of operation is upgrade owing to it's friendly operation interface.
The above mentioned application usually utilizes single-touch panel or writing pad as an input device. However, the single-touch panel or writing pad only can detect a single touch-point at one time. In other words, it merely can receive or process an identification position of the touch signal at each time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,522 has disclosed a capacitive touch panel comprising an array of touch sensitive switch cells. Each switch cell includes a first and a second pair of series connected capacitors energized by a common signal source, the array of switch cells being arranged so that the first pair of capacitors are connected in first groups of switch cells, such as rows, to a corresponding first plurality of signal detectors, and the second pair of capacitors are connected in second groups of switch cells, such as columns, to a corresponding second plurality of signal detectors, the junctions of each pair of capacitors of a single switch cell being selectively coupled to ground by the body or other touch capacitive means for actuating a selected switch cell.
In order to detect the location where a finger or a stylus touches the touch panel, a variety of capacitive touch panel techniques are developed. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,970,160, which discloses a lattice touch-sensing system for detecting a position of a touch on a touch-sensitive surface. The lattice touch-sensing system may include two capacitive sensing layers, separated by an insulating material, where each layer consists of substantially parallel conducting elements, and the conducting elements of the two sensing layers are substantially orthogonal to each other. Each element may comprise a series of diamond shaped patches that are connected together with narrow conductive rectangular strips. Each conducting element of a given sensing layer is electrically connected at one or both ends to a lead line of a corresponding set of lead lines. A control circuit may also be included to provide an excitation signal to both sets of conducting elements through the corresponding sets of lead lines, to receive sense signals generated by sensor elements when a touch on the surface occurs, and to determine a position of the touch based on the position of the affected bars in each layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,030,860 has disclosed a transparent, capacitive sensing system particularly well suited for input to electronic devices. The capacitive sensor can further be used as an input device for a graphical user interface, especially if overlaid on top of a display device like an LCD screen to sense finger position and contact area over the display. Furthermore, International Publication Number WO 2009/090534 A2 has disclosed "Device for quantifying an electric unbalance and touch detection system incorporating it"; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,144,132 B2 has disclosed "Multipoint sensing method for capacitive touch panel".

Sensing circuit and method for sensing touch action on capacitive touch-sensing panel


A shawl including a sheet of fabric having an inner surface and an outer surface defined by a top edge, a bottom edge, a right side edge and a left side edge. The sheet of fabric is dimensioned to allow the right and left hands of the user to each extend beyond the right edge and left edge of the sheet of fabric when the top edge of the sheet of fabric is draped over the user's shoulders. A right arm closure extends from the inner surface of the sheet of fabric proximate to the right edge, and a left arm closure extending from the inner surface of the sheet of fabric proximate to the left edge. Each of the arm closures has a width that is less than a width of a human forearm and defines an opening dimensioned to allow the user's hands to pass therethrough.

Many people suffer from poor blood circulation, which results in their feeling cold and needing to add layers of clothing in order to be comfortable. Although poor circulation may affect people of all ages, this problem is especially acute in the elderly. Unfortunately, the elderly often have physical limitations that make the process of adding layers of clothing, and especially those articles of clothing having conventional sleeves, far more difficult. For example, people who have suffered a stroke, or other disease process that results in muscular contractures, are often unable to manipulate their arms to place them through the sleeves of a sweater or bathrobe. Similarly, manipulating their arms to place them through the sleeves of conventional garments can result in severe pain and/or muscle damage to people with existing shoulder injuries or arthritis. A number of different garments and methods have heretofore been used in order to meet the needs of these people.
One common approach has been to use oversized garments, such as sweaters or bathrobes, having large sleeves that are easier to manipulate over the arms and shoulders. An oversized garment is advantageous because is provides the user with needed warmth, will stay in place and not fall off during periods of activity, and may often be put on and secured without the aid of others. Unfortunately, this approach has significant drawbacks.
Many people take immense pride in their personal appearance and being forced to wear such ill fitting clothing can have a negative affect on their dignity and sense of self worth. It is now well established that a person's mental attitude is inexorably tied to their physical health and, in fact, the maintenance of a patient's personal appearance is but one of a plethora of "dignity issues" addressed by today's nursing care providers. As this approach requires a person to choose between physical comfort and personal dignity, it is not a viable solution for many people. Further, oversized sleeves are often hazardous to the user as they can interfere with the operation of a walker or wheelchair, or may drape over a burner of a stove and become ignited. Finally, such garments are not easily put on and taken off by the wearer, making it less likely that they will be momentarily removed to avoid a hazardous situation, or for the person to cool herself when her body temperature increases. Therefore, this approach is inadequate.
Another approach has been to utilize garments, such as hospital "jonnies", which are accessed through the rear of the garment. Many people who cannot manipulate their arms through the sleeves of a correctly sized sweater can extend their arms through the sleeves of a "jonnie". Further, "jonnies" may be made from a variety of fabrics and include stylish designs that allow the user to maintain their personal appearance. Finally, "jonnies" are typically secured onto the user and are not prone to falling off the user during periods of activity. Unfortunately, the need to secure "jonnies" from the rear creates significant disadvantages.
A person who cannot manipulate their arms through the sleeves of a sweater will certainly not be able to reach behind them to secure, or disengage, the buttons, zippers, ties, or other fasteners at the rear of a "jonnie". Therefore, a person would need assistance securing or removing the fasteners, which increases their dependence on others. Further, the person's inability to remove the "jonnie" may cause the person to overheat if the temperature of the room increases and may pose a serious safety hazard in the event that the "jonnie" was ignited. In addition, having the closure on the rear of the garment forces the person to sit or lie on the closure. Sitting on a zipper, hook and loop fastener, button, or the like, irritates the skin and can cause the person to form decubidous ulcers, commonly referred to as "bed sores", on their affected regions. Finally, traditional fabric ties expose the person's skin, causing them to be cold and to lose their sense of dignity. For these reasons, the use of such garments is also not an acceptable solution.
Still another approach has been to wrap a shawl over the shoulders of the person. Traditional shawls do not include any sleeves through which arms must be manipulated and can be made in a variety of different fabrics and can include ornamentation to make them look quite fashionable; allowing the person to retain their well kept appearance and dignity without sacrificing physical comfort. Further, shawls may be easily moved aside when cooking or manipulating a cane, walker or wheelchair; effectively reducing these safety hazards. Finally, shawls are relatively easy to put on and take off, and people with physical limitations may often be able to wrap a shawl around their own shoulders; eliminating the need for others to help them with this task and allowing them to maintain a higher degree of independence.
As was the case with the oversized garments and "jonnies" discussed above, the use of traditional shawls also has significant disadvantages. Traditional shawls or blankets are merely rectangular pieces of fabric that must be held in place by the person over whom it is draped. Unfortunately, the elderly often need to use their hands to grasp a cane or walker, or to steady themselves when moving from one place to another, resulting in the shawl being prone to slippage off of their shoulders. Such slippage can cause a myriad of problems. For example, retrieving a shawl from the ground, or from between one's back and the backrest of a wheelchair, can be a daunting task in itself for many people. Therefore, if no assistance is available, the person may not be able to retrieve the shawl to put it back on, causing them to be cold, or risk a fall or physical injury retrieving it. Fallen shawls may also interfere with walkers or wheelchairs, again posing safety hazards.
Therefore, there is a need for a garment that provides the user with needed warmth, will stay in place and not fall off during periods of activity, may be put on and taken off without the aid of others, does not irritate the skin with which it comes into contact, may be made to look fashionable to give pride and dignity to the wearer, and that provides people confined to a hospital or nursing home with a wardrobe choice that they wish to make and, consequently, that gives them a spark to have the energy to want to get dressed.


A dynamic focus amplifier for generating a dynamic focus voltage for a focus electrode for a cathode ray tube at a capacitive load includes a source of a periodic signal at a horizontal deflection frequency. A pull-down transistor is responsive to the periodic signal and coupled to the capacitive load for producing, in accordance with the periodic signal, a first portion of the dynamic focus voltage that decreases, during a first portion of a period of the periodic signal. A storage capacitor is coupled to the capacitive load for replenishing a charge stored in the storage capacitor from a charge stored in the capacitive load to develop a control voltage in the storage capacitor. A pull-up transistor is responsive to the control voltage and coupled to a source of a high voltage and to the capacitive load for producing from the high voltage a current that is coupled to the capacitive load. The current develops a second portion of the dynamic focus voltage that increases, during a second portion of the period of the periodic signal, and stores the charge in the capacitive load.

Video displays, such as are used for television viewing and computer operation, often use kinescopes, picture tubes, or cathode ray tubes (CRTs) as the display device. A picture tube is a vacuum tube which has a phosphorescent display screen and control terminals for directing a focused electron beam toward the screen to generate the desired image. In general, a picture tube requires a relatively high anode or "ultor" voltage to accelerate the electron beam toward the screen, a cathode and a grid which coact for modulating the intensity of the electron beam in accordance with the image to be generated, and a focus electrode to which a focus voltage is applied to cause the electron beam to be focused at the screen. In addition, a picture tube is associated with a deflection arrangement for deflecting the electron beam both vertically and horizontally. The ultor or anode voltage of the picture tube is often regulated in order to reduce voltage changes attributable to interaction between the internal impedance of the ultor voltage source and the varying cathode or beam current required to generate an image. "Static" focus voltage is applied to the focus terminal of the picture tube in order to focus the electron beam at a given location, such as the center of the screen. It is well understood that the value of the "static" focus voltage is desirably a fixed proportion of the ultor voltage. Dynamic focus control is often provided for adjusting the value of the focus voltage applied to the picture tube in accordance with the position of the electron beam, in order to keep the electron beam focused on the screen notwithstanding the changing length of the electron beam path attributable to deflection.
In one prior art arrangement, the focus amplifier includes a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor. The pull-down transistor is responsive to an input signal at a frequency related to a deflection frequency for applying the amplified input signal to a capacitive load that includes the focus electrode capacitance. A high voltage source develops a high voltage at the collector of the pull-up transistor. The emitter of the pull-up transistor is coupled to the capacitive load. It may be desirable to generate the base voltage of the pull-up transistor in a manner that reduces power consumption from the high voltage source.
In carrying out an inventive feature, the base voltage of the pull-up transistor is generated in a storage capacitor from a charge stored in the capacitive load. A transfer of charge from the capacitive load to the storage capacitor does not add any significant power dissipation to a drive circuit that generates the base voltage of the pull-up transistor. Thereby, advantageously, power losses are reduced.


A putter head (1) is described wherein the putter head (1) has a putter face (4) and a linear marking (9) located on an upper surface (44) of the putter head (1). The relative angle of the putter face (4) with respect to the linear marking (9) is adjustable in order to compensate for inherent inaccuracies in a player's visual judgement when putting. In a preferred embodiment, the upper surface (44) is in the form of a rotatable disc (3) wherein the rotatable disc (3) is moveable about an axis in order to selectively adjust the relative angle between the linear marking (9) and the putter face (4).

The game of golf is one of the most popular recreational sports in the world in terms of participants. The popularity of golf does not mean that the game is easy. Golf requires consistent precision of movement to achieve mastery of the game. Subtle imperfections in the execution of strokes produce amplified errors in the outcome of the shot. In particular, many golfers have identified the putting stroke as the most difficult to master and the area in which most strokes are dropped during a round of golf.
It has been found that for longer distance putts a right handed player aims to the right of their intended target. Similarly, a left handed player aims to the left of their intended target. This is due to the fact that human vision has evolved to judge distance and path while the head is horizontal. However, when a golfer is lining up a putt, the head is held at an angle and hence the eyes are not horizontal. This physiological inaccuracy in judgement results in many putts being missed due to being aligned incorrectly.

Golf putter with rotary disc alignment aid


A single position-detecting means for detecting rotation positions of electric motors is provided. Positions of a plurality of driven members are detected (estimated) based on the detection results. When a request of simultaneously operating the plurality of driven members is made, by sequentially operating the plurality of driven members one by one, the rotation positions of the plurality of electric motors can be detected by the single position-detecting means.

This application is based on and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-296641 filed on Sep. 28, 2000.
1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a driving apparatus having a plurality of driving means suitable for use in an air conditioner for a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art:
A conventional driving apparatus drives a member is driven by an electric motor, and the position of the driven member is detected by a potentiometer (position detecting means).
For example, an air conditioner for a vehicle has an air inlet door for switching an air to be introduced between the inside air and the outside air, a temperature adjusting door for adjusting the temperature of blown air, a mode door for switching the direction of blowing air into a vehicle compartment, and the like. A driving apparatus of the air conditioner directly detects the position of each door (driven member) by a potentiometer provided for the door.
However, in the driving apparatus, to detect the positions of the driven members, potentiometers of the same number as that of the driven members are necessary. This is one of factors of the high cost of the driving apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of a driving apparatus having a plurality of driven members, by enabling the positions of the driven members to be detected by a single position detecting means.
According to the present invention, there is provided a driving apparatus including electric motors, a plurality of driven members driven by the electric motors, a control means for controlling operation of the electric motors, and a position detecting means for detecting a rotation position of each of the electric motors. When a request of simultaneously operating the plurality of driven members is made, the control means controls the electric motors so as to sequentially operate the driven members one by one.
Thus, the rotation positions of the electric motors can be detected by the single position detecting means. The positions of the driven members are detected (estimated) based on the detection results, thereby eliminating potentiometers provided for the conventional driving members.
Here, when a plurality of driven members are simultaneously operated, the position of each of the driven members cannot be detected by the single position detecting means.
Thus, according to the present invention, when a request of simultaneously operating the plurality of driven members is made, by sequentially operating the driven members one by one, the positions of the plurality of driven members can be detected by the single position detecting means.
As described above, according to the present invention, potentiometers of the same number as that of the driven members can be eliminated. Moreover, the single position detecting means is provided in place of the potentiometers, so that the cost of the driving apparatus can be reduced.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioner for a vehicle, including an air conditioning casing for forming an air path, an evaporator disposed in the air path for cooling air, a heater core disposed in the air path for heating the air, an inside air/outside air switching driven member for switching air to be introduced into the air path between an inside air and an outside air, a temperature adjusting driven member for adjusting temperature of the air, an air-blowing mode switching driven member for switching a direction of blowing the air into a vehicle compartment, electric motors for driving the three driven members, control means for controlling operation of each of the electric motors, and a position detecting means for detecting rotation position of each of the electric motors. When a request of simultaneously operating at least two driven members out of the three driven members is received, the control means controls the electric motors so as to sequentially operate the driven members requested to operate one by one.
Thus, according to the air conditioner, in a manner similar to the driving apparatus, no potentiometer is required. Moreover, only one position detecting means is required in place of the potentiometers. Thus, the cost of the driving apparatus in the air conditioner for a vehicle is reduced.


A light emitting device capable of suppressing drop in luminance or luminance unevenness of a light emitting element due to deterioration of an electro luminescent material and capable of switching an image direction vertically to horizontally without a frame memory additionally provided. The light emitting device of the invention comprises in each pixel first to fourth transistors, a light emitting element, and a signal line. The first transistor and the second transistor control the connection between the signal line and a gate of the third transistor, the fourth transistor controls a current value supplied to the light emitting element, and the third transistor selects whether the current is supplied to the light emitting element or not. Further, the first transistor and the second transistor are switched separately.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting device capable of switching an image direction vertically to horizontally and also relates to an electronic apparatus using the light emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable electronic apparatus typified by a mobile phone, an electronic notebook and the like requires multiple functions such as sending and receiving e-mail, voice recognition, taking-in images by a small camera as well as a display device for displaying images. On the other hand, reduction in the size and weight of the portable electronic apparatus is still sought for satisfying the user needs. Therefore, as many ICs having larger circuit scale and memory capacity as possible are required to be mounted on the narrow space of the portable electronic apparatus. It is an essential part to make a flat panel display to be mounted as thin and light as possible in order to achieve the reduction in the size and weight of the portable electronic apparatus while making space for mounting ICs and realizing multiple functions.
For example, as for a liquid crystal display device which is used for a portable electronic apparatus in relatively many cases, a light source, an optical waveguide and the like are required when it is a transmissive display device, and thus reduction in the weight and thickness of the electronic apparatus is prevented. Meanwhile, in the case of a reflective liquid crystal display device utilizing outside light, an image is recognized with difficulty in the dark, resulting in abandonment of the advantage of a portable electronic apparatus that is capable of being used in all places. In view of the foregoing, a portable electronic apparatus including a light emitting device using a light emitting element as a display element has been recently developed and put into practical use. Since the light emitting element emits light by itself, an image can be clearly displayed even in the dark without a light source which is needed in the liquid crystal display device. Accordingly, the use of a back light typified by a light source and an optical waveguide can be omitted, leading to reduction in the thickness and weight of a display device.
As set forth above, the thicker and lighter a display device is, the easier it is to realize multiple functions of a portable electronic apparatus while reducing the size and weight. For example, disclosed is in Patent Document 1 below a structure of a display device which is capable of switching an image direction vertically to horizontally without a frame memory additionally provided.
Patent Document 1
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-076315

Electroluminescent display having 4 TFTs for rotation between vertical and horizontal image states.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An exemplary distance measuring probe (100) includes a tube track (12), a tip extension (16), a pair of hollow tubes (14), a pair of air discharge systems (115), a linear measuring scale (18), and a displacement sensor (19). The tip extension is configured to touch a surface of an object (50). The linear measuring scale and the displacement sensor are respectively fixed relative to one of the tube track and the tip extension. The hollow tubes contain a flux of air, and are configured to cooperatively push the tip extension to move. Each air discharge system ejects part of air in the corresponding hollow tube out of the hollow tube. The linear measuring scale displays values of displacements of the tip extension. The displacement sensor detects and reads the displacement values displayed by the linear measuring scale.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to distance measuring probes for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and actuators used in distance measuring probes; and more particularly to a distance measuring probe with an air discharge system using a relatively small, steady measuring force for contact-type distance measuring devices and an actuator providing a relatively small, steady measuring force.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Manufactured precision objects such as optical components (for example, aspherical lenses) and various industrial components need to be measured to determine whether manufacturing errors of the objects are within acceptable tolerance ranges. Such manufacturing errors are differences between design dimensions of the object and actual dimensions of the manufactured object. Measured dimensions of the manufactured object are usually regarded as the actual dimensions. A precision measuring device is used to measure the objects; and the more precise the measuring device, the better. Generally, the precision objects are measured with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), which has a touch trigger probe that contacts the objects. A measuring force applied to the touch trigger probe of the coordinate measuring machine should be small and steady. If the measuring force is too great, a measuring contact tip of the touch trigger probe is easily damaged and causes a measuring error. If the measuring force is not steady, a relatively large measuring error occurs.
As indicated above, a contact-type coordinate measuring device is commonly used to measure dimensions of precision objects such as optical components and certain industrial components. A measuring force is provided to the touch trigger probe by the coordinate measuring device. However, if the object has a slanted surface, the contact tip of the touch trigger probe may become bent or deformed by a counterforce acting on the touch trigger probe, thereby causing a measuring error. Therefore, the touch trigger probe is not ideal for measuring precision lenses having slanted surfaces.
Nowadays, two methods are generally used to reduce a measuring force on the touch trigger probe. In a first method, the contact tip is slantingly arranged so that a component force of gravity acting on the measuring contact tip is regarded as a measuring force. The contact tip is very light, so the measuring force is very small accordingly. However, if a slanted angle of the contact tip changes during measuring, the measuring force changes, which makes the measuring force difficult to control. In a second method, the touch trigger probe is configured with a spring. An elastic force of the spring is regarded as a measuring force. However, when the contact tip moves upward and downward along the surface of the object being measured, a vibration of the upward and downward movement may cause the spring to resonate and deform. Therefore, the measuring force varies with the deformation of the spring. Thus both methods are subject to errors occurring in the measurement results.
In another kind of probe, a measuring force is provided by an air pump. However, the air pump provides pulsed pressure. Therefore, the air pump cannot provide a small, steady measuring force.
Therefore, a distance measuring probe employing a relatively small, steady measuring force is desired.

Distance measuring probe with air discharge system


The present invention relates to a rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus, and more particularly to a rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus which, by synchronizing an emission timing of a pulse laser with a rotation of an irradiating means, makes it possible to describe intermittent dot-shaped marks, to tremendously increase a visual recognition distance, and to enlarge a work area; wherein a pulse driving means drives a pulse laser light source, and an irradiating means irradiates an irradiated object with a pulse laser light beam from the pulse laser light source, and a rotation driving means rotates the irradiating means, and a rotation detecting means detects the rotation of the irradiating means, and an arithmetic processing means, in accordance with a driving timing from the pulse driving means and a detection signal from the rotation detecting means, controls the rotation driving means to synchronize an emission timing of the pulse laser with the rotation of the irradiating means.

The present invention relates to a rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus, and more particularly to a rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus which, by synchronizing an emission timing of a pulse laser with a rotation of an irradiating means, makes it possible to describe intermittent dot-shaped marks, to tremendously increase a visual recognition distance, and to enlarge a work area.
Widespread up to now in a work area such as a construction site has been a constructing process of rotating a laser light beam to form a rotating laser beam plane, and of then performing the construction using the reference plane thus produced A red-colored laser diode, reflecting recent technological advances in a semiconductor laser, is employed in the rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus for forming the rotating laser beam plane. The rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus using the red-colored laser diode is battery-operable and easy to handle, thus being widely used in a construction work area.
For example, a prior art rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus comprises a laser light projector and a laser light irradiating unit which rotates around an optical axis of the laser light projector so as to irradiate with a laser light deflected by 90 degrees to the optical axis of the laser light projector. The prior art rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus, by rotating the laser light irradiating unit, makes it possible to form the reference plane or to provide a reference line on an object such as a wall surface.
However, the prior art rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus using the red-colored laser diode had a limit in an output of the semiconductor laser, and in addition had a restriction to an irradiating output of the laser in order to assure safety for the eyes of a worker. This resulted in a problem that, in a comparatively bright work area and at a position a little away from the rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus, it becomes impossible to visually recognize the rotating laser beam plane.
It can be considered, in order to overcome the restriction to the laser irradiating output, to employ a green laser to which a spectral luminous efficiency of the human eye is high.
However, even if the green laser is employed instead of the red laser, the following problem emerged especially when increasing the laser irradiating output: The laser beam emitted was-too bright for the eyes of a worker, which made it impossible to assure the safety, to realize a tremendous increase in the visual recognition distance, and to enlarge the work area.
Moreover, employed as a means for generating the green laser can be a solid-state laser generating apparatus using a secondary higher harmonics generator being widespread in recent years. The solid-state laser generating apparatus is able to generate a comparatively high output of green laser, but the power consumption thereof was great and the generating apparatus was found to be difficult to drive continuously for a long time by the battery-operation.

Rotating laser beam irradiating apparatus


An electronic control unit increases the maximum lift amount or the working angle of an intake valve if it is determined that the operation for stopping an engine is performed. The electronic control unit stops fuel injection or ignition before increasing the maximum lift amount or the working angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling an internal combustion engine that includes a variable valve mechanism that can change at least one of the maximum lift amount and the working angle of an intake valve.
2. Description of the Related Art
Valve lift control systems are proposed, which control the maximum lift amount and the working angle of a valve of an internal combustion engine according to the operating state of the engine. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2001-263015 describes a typical valve lift control system. In an internal combustion engine using such a variable valve lift control system, the amount of air taken into a combustion chamber can be reduced by reducing the maximum lift amount and the working angle of an intake valve. Thus, when the amount of air required for combustion is small, for example, during idling operation, the amount of air taken into the combustion chamber can be reduced by reducing the maximum lift amount and the working angle of the intake valve. In the case where the amount of air taken into the combustion chamber is reduced by reducing the maximum lift amount and the working angle of the intake valve, pumping loss can be reduced as compared to the case where the amount of air taken into the combustion chamber is reduced by reducing the opening amount of a throttle valve. That is, loss of output of the internal combustion engine can be suppressed, which improves fuel efficiency.
Thus, by reducing the pumping loss, fuel efficiency is improved. However, this reduces the rotational resistance against the idle rotation of the output shaft after fuel injection and ignition are stopped to stop the engine. This results in the increase in the time required to completely stop the internal combustion engine.

Apparatus and method for controlling internal combustion engine


A thermoplastic composition is disclosed herein, comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and a dye combination comprising a black dye, and a fluorescent dye, wherein a molded article having a thickness of 2.0 millimeters and consisting of the thermoplastic polymer, the black dye, and the fluorescent dye, has a percent transmission of infrared light according to ASTM D1003-00 of greater than or equal to 50%, when measured at a wavelength of 800 to 1,100 nm, and a percent transmission of visible light, according to ASTM D1003-00 of less than or equal to 15%, when measured at a wavelength of 400 to 650 nm. An article comprising the thermoplastic composition is also disclosed.

This disclosure relates to infrared transmissive thermoplastic compositions, articles formed therefrom, and uses thereof.
The increased variety of small, portable electronic devices has led to a commensurately increased need to adapt the aesthetic form of such devices to the desired functions they provide. For devices such as calculators, television remote controls, multi-functional cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA's), laptop computers, wireless mouses, computer keyboards, and other similar items, signal and/or data information transfer between the device and a complementary device (such as between an optical mouse and computer) is generally accomplished by using either a radio frequency broadcast signal between the devices, or more commonly line-of-sight infrared signal transmitted between the devices. The latter is useful for short-range inter-device communication.
Devices that communicate via transmitted infrared signals require both a transmission source and/or a receiver in each device. Since typical materials of construction of the cases for such devices have a variety of fillers, additives, and are formed from a variety of different thermoplastics, the transmissivity of the cases is not typically high enough to permit the placement of the infrared source and receiver within the case. Optical windows that are transparent in the infrared are frequently used to provide an optical pathway into and out of the casing in such devices. Typically, the optical windows are formed from an infrared-transparent plastic material with low light scattering properties, and may be clear or opaque. It is desirable for these windows absorb visible light (i.e., to be opaque to the eye), to filter out the effects of stray light. However, to provide the desired absorbance, the windows are generally dark in color (red to black), which can give the device an appearance that may not be aesthetically appealing, and which can have limited decorative capability.
There accordingly remains a need in the art for thermoplastic compositions for use in infrared transmissive windows or other infrared transmissive applications, which have improved appearance while maintaining the desired light transmissive properties for infrared and visible light.

Infrared transmissive thermoplastic composition, and articles formed therefrom