An air blowing device 1 includes: a main body housing 2 to open a suction inlet 4a and a jet outlet 5a of an air; and an air blower 3 to be provided in a lower portion in the main body housing 2 and to circulate the air that is sucked from the suction inlet 4a towards the jet outlet 5a. The main body housing 2 is in a column shape from below to above, and the jet outlet 5a is formed in a slit shape in a vertically long rectangular shape along a side wall of the main body housing 2 and also is arranged to expel an air in an approximately transverse direction.

An electric fan, which is an air blowing device for domestic use, is to generate an air flow by driving a propeller fan with a motor and widely spread because of the structural simplicity and the inexpensiveness. In recent years, air blowing devices having a fan invisible from outside are spread, and related art is disclosed in PTLs 1 through 3.
In the electric fan described in PTL 1, an air outlet in a slit shape elongated in a longitudinal direction is formed in a side wall of a main box body that is formed vertically, and two sirocco fans are arranged immediately inside the outlet that are provided in vertical alignment. By driving a motor arranged between the two sirocco fans, the fans rotate and the air is expelled from the outlet in a slit shape towards a transverse direction.
The air blower and the electric fan described in PTLs 2 and 3 are provided with an air jet nozzle (air expelling ring) formed in a ring shape in an upper portion of a main body that stores a fan and a motor. By driving the motor arranged in a lower portion of the main body, the fan rotates and the air is expelled from the jet nozzle in a ring shape towards a transverse direction.

Air blowing device and air blowing method


A novel overlay networking method designed specifically to handle the large file transfers that constitute a large and growing portion of media-rich Internet traffic is disclosed. The proposed system and method uses large (e.g., 10 MB) packets or Media Frames (MF) and orderly concatenations of these frames into chains (MC) to achieve a considerable reduction in power consumption relative to current IP Internet routers. Transmission of each MC is scheduled, while individual MFs are routed directly in interstices within MCs.

Continued growth of Internet applications depends on continued decrease in the cost relative to performance of Internet Protocol (IP) routing and transport. While IP routers and optical transport continue to advance, two trends suggest motive for deviating from the standard path. First, recent studies support the common observation that data file sizes are growing, and that distribution and sharing of large media files are becoming the dominant and fastest growing components of bandwidth transacted. Second, power consumption of routers is becoming a serious concern in terms of hardware design and cooling, operational cost, and carbon-conscious social responsibility. Since this is driven in part by the increasing number of packets processed, the use of fewer large packets together with efficient routing methods is required.
Historical constraints in router design, limited application bandwidth and high transmission error probabilities led to the definition of Ethernet packets containing up to 1500 bytes. As these constraints have relaxed, Jumbo and Super jumbo frames have been defined, pushing frame sizes to 64KBytes. Packet header parsing for large files is more efficient if bigger frames are used, but the tradeoff between compatibility with existing equipment and efficiency are subject of debate (e.g., IEEE 802.3as Frame Expansion Task Force). On the other extreme, optical burst (OBS) or flow switching (OFS), or the notion of user-controlled end-to-end lightpaths (e.g. CAnet 4 and All-Optical Network) offer up to an entire wavelength for some time, through which GB files can be delivered. But these "optical" approaches are not embraced by industry and the power efficiency of optical switching is questionable. We have shown recently that if OBS does prove useful, control plane congestion would limit application to large burst sizes, placing a lower bound on the holding times of optical channels.
Given these considerations, a future networking methodology is required that: a) exploits the advantages of electronic switching, control and buffering; b) exploits the advantages of high-speed dense wavelength-division multiplexed optical transmission; c) builds upon the well-entrenched and highly effective current methodologies for IP networking; d) creates an overlay network optimized for networking and distribution of very large (media) files; and e) enables a significant reduction in cost (power consumption, carbon footprint, physical size, etc.) relative to existing router networks in handling high volumes of large file transfers.
In this patent we describe a system that is a key step in developing such a methodology. We begin with the definition of a media frame (MF)—a large structured container that contains typically 10 MB of information. Recognizing that most large media files will fill many such MFs, a networking approach is defined that uses an end-to-end admission control mechanism to express-forward chains of MFs (media chain or MC) at intermediate network nodes. MCs are treated as indivisible entities and enable efficient transport of large volumes of information with minimal buffering and header computation. In addition, as this end-to-end admission control will be cumbersome for individual MFs or transactions involving only a few MFs, provision is made for the contention-based connectionless routing of individual MFs in interstitials introduced into and between the MCs. We refer to these as directly-routed frames or DRFs. Hence each of our media frame routers (MFRs) is able to express route MCs, while using more conventional routing (electronic buffering, no end-to-end set up) for DRFs.

System and method for efficient networking for large file transactions


An apparatus for automatically detecting and selecting between progressively scanned and interlaced signals has an input video signal 11 applied to a progressive frame detector 12, a de-interlacer 14 and a compensating delay 13 which has the same latency as the de-interlacer 14. The progressive frame detector determines if the input video signal is an interlaced signal or a progressively scanned signal. If it is determined that the applied signal is interlaced, then output from the de-interlacer 14 is selected. If, on the other hand, it is determined that the applied signal is progressively scanned, then the input video signal is selected after passing through the compensating delay. In both instances, the selected output is a progressive video signal 19 which may be transmitted if the device is used in an encoder or applied to a display device if the apparatus is used in a decoder.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for detecting and selecting between progressively scanned signals and interlaced signals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Historically, television broadcast signals are transmitted and received in an interlaced form such that, in a first field, odd numbered lines of a picture are firstly transmitted followed by even numbered lines so that two transmitted fields are subsequently interlaced to make up a frame of a television picture. In such a system, an interlaced display at a receiver is normally a cathode ray tube. However, with the use of personal computer (PC) systems, pixels on a display are scanned and energised progressively in, for example, a line-by-line fashion using a PC graphics card and, for example, a plasma display. There is an existing trend away from interlaced displays towards progressive displays for consumer viewing where consumers are not only viewing films and matter downloaded or uploaded into the PC, but also watching normally broadcast television on a PC monitor display.
Such progressive displays associated with PC systems may be, for example, liquid crystal displays (LCD) or plasma displays. However, because of differences between an interlaced display and a progressive display, so, in practice, progressive displays are not able to display interlaced material without aberrations. Such aberrations are called "interlace artefacts" which appear wherever there is motion and, in particular, fast motion. These artefacts take the form of zig-zag jagged edges of moving objects. Such artefacts are annoying to a viewer and, in systems which are set up to purely display interlaced signals in a progressive manner on a progressive display, so a process known as de-interlacing is used and such a process is described in EP-A-0160063.
In present day broadcasts it is often required to insert progressive, film-type sequences into an interlaced signal, e.g. where an advertisement is inserted into a conventionally scanned interlaced broadcast programme.
It has long been known in the tele-cine art that it is possible to convert 24 frames per second video into 30 frames per second video signals in a process called 3:2 pull down. This process repeats every fourth field to thereby convert film into a picture quasi-interlaced format. Since the repeated fields are readily detectable, so transmitted broadcast signals are easily reversed back to their original format at a receiver. Thus, most encoders reverse the 3:2 pull down structure back to the original 24 progressive frames per second. In order to convert 24 frames per second into 25 frames per second video, the 24 frame per second film is played out 4.17% faster so as to provide 25 frames per second. By such an expedient, each film frame is converted into two consecutive video fields, thereby providing a one-to-one match between film frames and video frames. Computer graphics, cartoon videos and many other sources are typically generated using progressive frames with 25 or less motion cycles per second. Difficulty arises where such progressively derived material is intermingled with interlaced (TV camera) video signals with 50 motion cycles per second.
It is known from Signal Processing: Image Communication, an article by A. Bock "Motion Adaptive Standards Conversion Between Formats Of Similar Field Rates", 10th Dec., 1993, publisher Elsevier, to pass a progressive by scanned signal through a de-interlacer. Such a motion-adaptive de-interlacer is shown in block schematic form in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, an interlaced video signal on an input 1 is applied to a motion detector 2, a vertical filter 3 and a temporal filter 4. The motion detector provides a motion signal output 5 which controls a switch 6 that selects between output 7 of the vertical filter and output 8 of the temporal filter provides a progressive video signal output 9. Thus, the interlaced video signal input undergoes two types of filtering process. The vertical filter 3 samples the current field only so as to provide intra-field filtering thereby interpolating video samples in areas of fast motion. The temporal filter 4 is used to provide inter-frame filtering so as to interpolate video signals in area of little or no motion. The motion detector 2 selects the appropriate filtered signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Because the motion detector detects frame differences between video frames, the vertically filtered signal is used in moving picture areas even if the applied signal is changed to the progressive format. Such filtering of a progressively scanned signal produces a lower vertical resolution at the output 9 than the applied signal at input 1.
Thus, applying a progressively scanned signal to a de-interlacer produces a lower vertical resolution at output 9 than the applied signal at input 1 when viewed on a progressive display. As described above, applying an interlaced signal to a progressive display without de-interlacing produces annoying artefacts. Applying an interlaced signal through a de-interlacer produces a higher vertical resolution than the applied signal when viewed on a progressive display.
If compression is used, de-interlacing the video signal before encoding has the added advantage that it saves bit rates, since most compression algorithms such as MPEG-2 and H.264 are more efficient on progressive than on interlaced video signals.
It is to be understood that the interlacing may be performed either at an encoder or a decoder.
De-interlacing usually uses some form of vertical-temporal filtering which has the disadvantage of not only modifying interlaced frames, but also modifies progressive frames. The net result tends to be a reduction in vertical resolution of progressive frames where there is motion.

Detecting and selecting between progressive scanned and interlaced signals


Methods, devices, and circuits are disclosed delivering a first level of output voltage to a rechargeable battery from a battery charger, the rechargeable battery is coupled to the battery charger by a charging cable. The methods, device, and circuits may further be disclosed applying, in response to an indication of an altered output voltage, a compensation current to one or more elements of the battery charger including a zero crossing (ZC) pin and a selected resistor, the selected resistor is defined by the charging cable coupling the battery charger to the rechargeable battery, and applying the compensation current to the ZC pin and the selected resistor causes an adjustment of the output voltage from the first level of output voltage to a second level of output voltage corresponding to the voltage drop from the impedance of the selected charging cable.

Some battery charger circuits may use power converters that receive a power input from a power source and convert the power input to a power output that has a different (e.g., regulated) voltage or current level than the voltage or current level of the power input. The converter outputs the power output to a filter for powering a component, a circuit, or other electrical device. Switch-based power converters may use half-bridge circuits and signal modulation techniques to regulate the current or voltage level of the power output. In some examples, power converters may use additional feedback control circuits and techniques (e.g., voltage sensing, current sensing, and the like) to improve the accuracy and control of the voltage or current level of the power output. These aforementioned techniques and circuits for improving the accuracy and control of the voltage or current of the power output may decrease overall efficiency of the power converter and/or increase the physical size, complexity, and/or cost of the power converter.

Cable compensation by zero-crossing compensation current and resistor


One embodiment includes a sensor system. The system includes a cell system comprising a pump laser configured to generate a pump beam to polarize alkali metal particles enclosed within a sensor cell. The system also includes a detection system comprising a probe laser configured to generate a probe beam. The detection system can also be configured to calculate at least one measurable parameter based on characteristics of the probe beam passing through the sensor cell resulting from precession of the polarized alkali metal particles in response to an applied magnetic field. The system further includes an AC Stark shift control system configured to frequency-modulate the pump beam and to control a center frequency of a frequency-modulated pump beam based on the characteristics of the probe beam passing through the sensor cell to substantially stabilize and mitigate the effects of AC Stark shift on the at least one measurable parameter.

Sensor systems, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) gyroscopes and magnetometers and/or electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) magnetometers, can include a cell that contains one or more alkali metal vapors, such as rubidium or cesium, together with one or more nuclear spin isotopes that are caused to precess in response to a magnetic field. The alkali metal vapor(s) can be stimulated to an excited state in response to optical pumping in a given frequency band. Thus, the alkali metal vapor can be subject to AC Stark shift, in which the atoms of the alkali metal vapor are optically pumped with light that is off resonance with respect to an atomic transition wavelength, causing a virtual magnetic field to be experienced by the alkali metal vapor but not by the nuclear spin isotopes. The resultant effect of the AC Stark shift is an added bias in the detected magnetic field of the associated magnetometer or an added bias in the rotation angle and/or rate of the associated gyroscope, and thus errors in their respective measurable parameters. Because alkali metals have two independent ground states, and thus two separate atomic transition frequencies, AC Stark shift is unavoidable in the optical pumping of the alkali metals.

Systems and method to substantially mitigate AC stark shift effects in a sensor system

Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Company, Inc.


In an active hydrogen-containing B-side composition for reaction with a polyisocyanate-containing A-side composition to make a polyurethane or polyurethaneurea elastomer by reaction injection molding, the improvement which comprises a mold release composition consisting essentially of (1) the reaction product of a mixture of a carboxylic acid, a tertiary amine, and a reactive epoxide and (2) a carboxy functional siloxane.

Reaction injection molding (RIM) is a versatile process by which elastomeric and thermoset parts can be fabricated. The RIM process involves high pressure impingement mixing of a polyisocyanate stream (A-side) and an active-hydrogen containing isocyanate-reactive stream (B-side) followed by immediate injection into the closed mold. The primary appeal of this process lies in its inherently high productivity. One factor which limits productivity, however, is the necessity to spray the molds with external mold release prior to each injection. This is a time-consuming task and often has a negative environmental impact. This difficulty can be overcome by the incorporation of an internal release agent into the formulation via one of the two streams to significantly increase the number of molding cycles which can be accomplished between mold release sprayings.
The use of metallic soaps as release agents has been known for a long time. Zinc stearate, in particular, is known to be soluble in aliphatic amines, such as the polyether polyamines and ethylenediamine-initiated polyols. This is the basis for its use as an internal mold release (IMR) agent in RIM. If zinc stearate is simply dispersed as a fine powder in polyol blends, it does not dissolve and does not act as a release agent. Various patents teach that zinc soaps can be compatibilized or dissolved in polyol blends with amines, enamines, ketimines or salts of amidines or guanidines, and that excellent releasability of the subsequent RIM parts will result.
While the IMR approach is commercially applied, there remains significant shortcomings to the currently available IMR systems. The amine-solublized metallic soaps, which are most commonly used in this application, have been implicated in reactivity and/or physical property deficiencies for the RIM elastomers in which they are used. Furthermore, the high melting points and limited solubilities of the metallic soaps make them prone to precipitation in the RIM processing equipment, necessitating replacement of the piping regularly.
The search for IMR agents which are liquids without the possibility of solidifying led to the development of special silicone fluids for this application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,695 discloses certain carboxy-functional silicone fluids as IMR agents for RIM, including Dow Corning's commercial carboxy-functional silicone fluid Q2-7119, which has the following general formula: ##STR1##
In general, acids have a deleterious effect on the green strength of aryldiamine-extended polyurethaneurea RIM systems due to a general deactivation of the tin catalyst. Thus, higher than normal levels of tin catalysts are needed when acids are present. Due to the sulfur atom, alpha to the carbonyl group, Q2-7119 is a much stronger acid than a typical fatty acid, such as lauric acid. Therefore, when T-12 (dibutyltin dilaurate) and Q2-7119 are in the same polyol blend, the equilibrium reaction involving the two components leads to a gelled silicone salt. This gelation results from a crosslinking reaction between the trifunctional silicone and the difunctional tin salt. The result is that the system exhibits extremely poor green strength which cannot be corrected by the addition of more tin catalyst.
Attempts to dissolve this problem include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,100 discloses the use of a 3-stream approach to RIM molding where the Q2-7119 is delivered dispersed in polyol containing no tin catalyst. The other two streams are the normal A and B sides of RIM technology. The A side is isocyanate and the B side is a blend of polyol, diamine chain extender, surfactants and tin and amine catalysts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,570 discloses that the tin catalyst can be placed in the A side. Gelation is avoided, but high levels of catalysts are still needed for adequate green strength. Furthermore, placing the tin catalyst in the isocyanate increases the moisture sensitivity and susceptibility to side reactions, such as allophonate formation, leading to gelation of the isocyanate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,729 discloses replacing the polyether polyol and the tin catalyst with polyether polyamines which require no tin catalyst. The result is polyurea RIM, and Q2-7119 can be used with no chemical modification or 3-stream approach.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,341 discloses that the acid groups on Q2-7119 can be converted to amides by reaction with amines or to esters by reaction with alcohols or epoxides yielding nonacidic IMR silicones. These materials have been shown to cause paintability problems. In addition, they have been seen to interfere with polyol nucleation so that low part densities cannot be achieved. In extreme cases, large voids are found in the parts due to coalescence of bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,366 discloses that Q2-7119 can be dispersed on the isocyanate side by using a nonisocyanate-reactive silicone as a dispersing and inhibiting agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,912 discloses the use of the reaction products of fatty cyclic anhydrides with primary or secondary amines, including distearylamine as IMR agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,803 discloses that salts of Q2-7119 can be made with Group IA, IB, IIA, IIB, aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, nickel, tin, lead, antimony or bismuth. These salts are then compatiblized in the B-side blend with certain tertiary amines. In practice, these salts are extremely viscous or gelatinous in nature and do not disperse well into the polyol.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,764,540 and 4,789,688 disclose that salts of Q2-7119 can be made with amidines and guanidines, such as tetramethyl-guanidine, to yield neutralized forms of the silicone which would not gel tin catalysts. Waxy amidines such as the imidazolines from stearic acid and ethylenediamine derivatives were cited as particularly efficacious for release.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,992 discloses the use of N-hydroxyalkyl quaternary ammonium carbonylate salts as catalysts in the production of polyisocyanurates and polyurethanes. Among the exemplary preferred catalysts are N-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium salts of carboxylic acids such as those of formic and acetic acids and of fatty acids such as hexanoic and octanoic acids and the like.

Rim polyol blends containing acidic siloxane internal mold release agents and tin catalysts


Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. An interfacial oxide layer is then formed in each contact opening and on an exposed surface portion of the interfacial oxide layer. A NiPt alloy layer is formed within each opening and on the exposed surface portion of each interfacial oxide layer. An anneal is then performed that forms a contact structure of, from bottom to top, a nickel disilicide alloy body having an inverted pyramidal shape, a Pt rich silicide cap region and an oxygen rich region. A metal contact is then formed within each contact opening and atop the oxygen rich region of each contact structure.

The present application relates to semiconductor structures and methods of forming the same. More particularly, the present application relates to semiconductor structures including at least one nickel disilicide alloy contact having an inverted pyramidal shape. The present application also provides methods of forming such semiconductor structures.
Field effect transistors (FETs) are the basic building block of today's integrated circuits. Such transistors can be formed in conventional bulk substrates (such as silicon) or in semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrates.
State of the art FETs can be fabricated by depositing a gate conductor over a gate dielectric and a semiconductor substrate. Generally, the FET fabrication process implements lithography and etching processes to define the gate structures. After providing the gate structures, source/drain extensions are formed into a portion of the semiconductor substrate and on both sides of each gate structure by ion implantation. Sometimes this implant is performed using a spacer to create a specific distance between the gate structure and the implanted junction. In some instances, such as in the manufacture of an n-FET device, the source/drain extensions for the n-FET device are implanted with no spacer. For a p-FET device, the source/drain extensions are typically implanted with a spacer present. A thicker spacer is typically formed after the source/drain extensions have been implanted. In some instances, deep source/drain implants can be performed with the thick spacer present. In other instances, and for advanced technologies, the source region and the drain region can be formed using a selective epitaxial growth process. High temperature anneals can be performed to activate the junctions after which the source/drain and top portion of the gate are generally converted into a metal semiconductor alloy (i.e., a metal silicide). The formation of the metal semiconductor alloy typically requires that a transition metal be deposited on the semiconductor substrate followed by a process to produce the metal semiconductor alloy. Such a process forms metal semiconductor alloy contacts to the deep source/drain regions.
Metal semiconductor alloy contact resistance contributes to an ever larger portion of the total parasitic resistance in advanced complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices for current 20 nm and 14 nm technology nodes. Thus, there is a need for providing metal semiconductor alloys in which the contact resistance is reduced.

Oxide mediated epitaxial nickel disilicide alloy contact formation


A digital cordless telephone system comprising a base station and a cordless handset unit capable of time division duplex communicating with each other over at least one radio frequency channel at a unit time interval. Whether the handset unit is in an outer communication range from the base station is determined by a series the steps of: determining whether a hand shake error is periodically generated during communication; when the hand-shake error is generated, transmitting a link reestablishment request message to the base station; and reestablishing a radio link after the transmission of the link reestablishment request message and outputting an alarm tone indicating that the handset unit is in the outer communication range.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a digital cordless telephone system, and particularly to a method of accurately detecting and indicating an outer communication range in a digital cordless telephone system.
2. Background Art
In general, conventional cordless telephone systems available in the market today operate on ten or more separate frequency channels. These telephones have generally been used to allow the user to make and receive telephone calls with a cordless handset unit connected by a radio link to a fixed base station. Because of radiated power limitations on the radio link, however, the handset unit must be used within a communication range of a few hundred feet of the base station. The actual communication range of operation in any given situation depends on the radio propagation characteristics of a particular environment. It is extremely important that the communication range between the handset unit and the fixed base station be monitored and the user be notified when the handset unit is out of the communication range so that the user can return to the coverage area; otherwise, the communication line can be disconnected.
Conventionally, there are several known techniques for determining whether the handset unit is within the communication range of the fixed base station of a cordless telephone system. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,766 for Radio Telephone System, Umemoto et al. disclose a cordless telephone system in which a predetermined threshold value is set for comparison with the intensity of a received electric field generated in the radio line so that, when the received electric field intensity does not reach the threshold value because the handset unit is outside of the communication range from the fixed base station, an alarm tone is generated to notify the user that he is out of the communication range from the fixed base station. One difficulty in implementing functional out-of-range indicators of Umemoto '766 is that conventional cordless telephone systems use a time division duplex (TTD) transmission scheme on a single RF channel. TTD transmission optimizes the use of the available radio frequency spectrum by allowing transmission of voice and data in both directions between the fixed base station and the cordless handset unit. Specifically, the cordless handset unit and the fixed base station alternately transmit and receive one-millisecond bursts of information every two milliseconds, one receiving while the other transmit. There is no reliable way for an unsynchronized receiver monitoring an active channel on which a call is in progress to tell whether it is monitoring a transmission from a handset unit or from a base station at any given moment in time. Moreover, it is very difficult to measure the received electric field intensity generated from the radio line accurately, and consequently the outer communication range on the basis of the electric field intensity. Therefore, most cordless telephone systems require separate circuitry constructed therein to accurately measure a received electric field intensity repeatedly for every time unit; otherwise, an alarm tone or a visual display of alarm message notifying the user that the handset unit is out of the communication range may occur unreliably.
Another method is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,216 for Detecting Out Of Range In Response To A Loss Of Signal And A History Of Approaching Out Of Range Prior To The Loss Of Signal issued to Davis, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,203,013 and 5,327,578 for Radio Telephone System Supporting Busy And Out-Of-Range Indications issued to Breeden et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,548 for Out-Of-Range Warning System For Cordless Telephone issued to McCarthy, in which a RF signal level received from the handset unit is measured by the fixed base station to provide a warning tone at the earpiece of the cordless handset unit if the RF signal level is below a minimum threshold level. In Davis '216, if the RF signal is not detected, an "out-of-range" warning signal is generated to notify the user that the handset unit is out of its communication range based on a history of received signal strength values. In the cordless telephone system of McCarthy '548, the warning signal is provided such that even if the handset unit is beyond the communication range of the cordless telephone, the user can still hear the warning signal. The fixed base station will transmit the "out-of-range" warning signal to the handset unit for a predetermined number of times and then, if the cordless handset unit does not come back into the operating communication range of the base station, the base station will then disconnect from the telephone line. While these conventional methods of determining an outer communication range of a cordless telephone system have their own merits, I have found that further improvements can be contemplated.

Method of indicating outer communication range in digital cordless telephone system


An ice access ramp assembly for accessing an ice surface includes a central bridge section and a pair of ramp sections. Each ramp section is pivotably mounted to the central bridge section for movement between a folded configuration and an extended configuration. The ramp sections and the central bridge section have surfaces formed of a low friction material. When the ramp assembly is extended, a first ramp section provides access from an outer floor and enables a sled skater to move up the first ramp section and onto the central bridge section. The sled skater can then move from the central bridge area onto the second ramp section, which provides access onto the ice surface. When not in use, the ramp assembly can be folded for storage and transport. The ramp assembly may include wheels that facilitate transport of the ice access ramp assembly over a floor or other surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of access devices, such as for use by disabled persons, and more particularly to a ramp for providing access to an enclosed ice surface.
2. Background
Sled skating and sled hockey are sports that enable certain persons to enjoy activities on ice that may not otherwise be possible. Sled skating involves a specially designed sled with skate blades under a seat. A person sits on the seat and uses short sticks with ice picks at one end to propel himself or herself across the ice. Sled skating is a noncontact activity that provides an excellent upper body workout to improve core muscles and trunk balance. Sled hockey can be played by sled skaters using the rules of hockey. For sled hockey, the sticks include blades, like the blade of a conventional hockey stick, to move the puck. Often, sled skating and sled hockey are activities enjoyed by persons who may not have full use of their legs, such as those with cerebral palsy, amputations, paraplegia, spina bifida, club feet, hip and knee problems, multiple sclerosis, etc.
Most standard enclosed ice areas or ice surfaces are not conducive for sled skaters because a raised area is located between the ice surface and the outer floor that surrounds it. Typically, the raised area is defined by a lower part of a door frame, which mounts a door that can be opened and closed to provide access to the ice surface. In the past, sled skaters have been moved onto the ice surface from the surrounding floor by one or more persons physically lifting the sled skaters off the floor, transporting them over the raised area and then lowering them onto the ice surface. Sled skaters can be any age and size, and it can readily be appreciated that moving larger sled skaters onto and oft the ice surface can be a daunting task.
What is therefore needed is an easy, convenient way to move sled skaters onto and off an ice surface over a raised area that surrounds the ice surface.

Adaptive ramp for accessing an enclosed ice surface


A 3D memory structure and a method for manufactured the same are provided. The 3D memory structure comprises a plurality of strings, a plurality of first conductive lines, a plurality of second conductive lines and a plurality of third conductive lines. The strings are disposed in parallel. The first conductive lines are disposed over the strings. Center regions of the first conductive lines are disposed perpendicular to the strings. The second conductive lines are disposed over the first conductive lines. The second conductive lines connect end regions of half of the first conductive lines. The third conductive lines are disposed over the second conductive lines. The third conductive lines connect end regions of the other half of the first conductive lines.

In a typical 3D memory device, word lines are connected to the decoders disposed at the periphery region mainly by poly-silicon and silicide paths, which are not high-conductivity paths for signals. To improve the operational efficiency of the memory, it usually uses two X-decoders at two opposite sides of a memory array region. The two X-decoders accept the same signal and transfer the same signal to the array region simultaneously during the device operation. As such, the signal can be transferred through a shorter path, and the RC delay of word line signal is improved.
As the shrink of the size of memory devices, the two X-decoders method is harmful to the array efficiency. How to reduce the area of X-decodes by improving the RC delay of word line becomes important. One way is using metal word line process. However, this process is hard to be carried out especially for the vertical gate structure because of its process flow and yield control.

3D memory structure and method for manufacturing the same


A computer is configured to receive a request to access an application, the request having a header. The header includes a source address and an encrypted address generated based on the source address. The computer is further configured to generate a decrypted address from the encrypted address. The computer is further configured to determine whether the source address and the decrypted address match, transmit the source address to a data store, and determine whether a customer profile corresponding to the source address is found within the data store.

A content service provider may offer services at a customer premises e.g., services such as audio and video programming, access to the World Wide Web, social networking applications, cloud content management, blogs, etc. User authentication for such services is often provided using a conventional username and password authentication model (UPA). This model requires a user to manually provide a user name and password to gain access to services and applications. Unfortunately, present mechanisms for authenticating users for services without manual steps are lacking.


A method of controlling multiplexers and cross-connects on a telecommunications network to interconnect DS0 and/or wideband circuits is developed for a test range where a large number of circuits, perhaps several hundred. have to be reassigned every fifteen minutes. However, the method is sufficiently general to work for a variety of telecommunications networks. The method of the invention controls the OC-3 multiplexers and the cross-connects to connect a DS0 or DS1 from any feeder site on the range to a DS0 or DS1 at any other feeder site. In addition to the interconnection of DS0 and DS1 signals, the method includes the control needed to set up conference circuits, where many full duplex circuits (such as two-way voice circuits) are connected together; other one-to-many connections, and simplex circuits where a connection is one-way.

It is often necessary to route data across a multiplexed network comprising many sources and destinations of many kinds of information. Such information could be a digitized audio conversation between two telephones (termed "duplex" or two-way communications), a data stream from a sensor to a data recorder or computer ("simplex" or one-way transmission), or a transmission from one location to a number of displays (a "multicast"). Several users could be connected together in a conference call setup.
The most common digitization technique is pulse code modulation (PCM). In telephone audio usage this involves taking 8000 samples/second of the analog waveform and quantizing it to 8 bit precision with an analog to digital (A/D) converter. When the bits are serially shifted out, the signal source is called a "DS0", in the North American telecommunications terminology. The "DS0" terminology refers to a well-defined transmission rate and coding scheme in the time-division multiplex hierarchy. The term DS0 generally applies to the 64 Kb component of a DS1 signal that represents the equivalent of a voice channel. Digital signal rates and signal templates are documented by industry standards organizations such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications Administrations, and the CCITT. Examples of the North American digital hierarchy include DS1 (operating at 1.544 Mb/s per second), DS1 C (3.152 Mb/s), and DS3 (44.736 Mb/s). Four DS1 's can be combined into a DS2; .delta.DS2 's compose a DS3. There are also DS4's and DS5's, used for long-distance trunks often running on optical fiber.
A Digital Cross-Connect System (DCS) is a network element that terminates digital signal systems at a particular bit rate, but allows the direct interchange of component signals at a lower bit rate. A DCS 1/0, for example, terminates DS1 systems and interchanges DS0 bit rate channels. A DCS 1/1 interchanges DS1 bit rate channels. A DCS 3/1 has a DS1 interchange, but also allows a DS3 level interface which is demultiplexed to DS1 for switching. A DCS 3/3 has both a DS3 interface and DS3 cross-connect.
A Digital Access Cross-Connect System (DACS) is an electronic digital cross-connect system manufactured by Lucent Technologies Network Systems that has the capability to rearrange the digital signal components of a particular transmission rate. For example, the DACS IV-2000 System is a DS1 cross-connect, and the DACS III-2000 is a DS3 cross-connect.
A Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) is a set of standards for transmission systems operating over optic fiber. The SONET standard is based on the DS3 signal with added bits for overhead information, etc. The basic building block is the Synchronous Transport Level-1 (STS-1) or the Optical Carrier Level-1 (OC-1) at 51.84 Mb/s. The standard provides for higher bit-rate transmission of STS-n and OC-n, where n=1,3,9,12,18,24,36,48.
The particular layout (or "range") within which the method of the invention will be described is shown in FIG. 1. It will be understood that this particular layout is provided for example only, and the method of the invention is not limited to any specific network layout.
Locations or nodes with electronic cross-connects are called main sites (1), and these sites are interconnected with fiber optic (SONET) multiplexers (2). The distances between these sites may be tens of miles apart and the network may have many more sites than are shown here. The sites are connected by links (8), which might be optical, wired, radio, satellite or microwave, as desired. The overall network can be configured as a ring, as shown by links (8), and possibly by secondary links between high-traffic locations, as shown by diagonal link (9).
Most of these multiplexers (see, for example, SONET (3) (FIG. 2) have connections to smaller sites called "feeder sites" (6) that connect to the DS0 (7) and wideband signals at those sites that need to be interconnected across the range. A multiplexer (3) (FIG. 2) that connects to one or more feeder sites is called a breakout site. Main sites may also function as breakout sites.
FIG. 2 shows a detail of a main site (1) and a breakout site (3), with the interconnections among the various devices. The sites connect to the main network (18) with its amplifier/repeater (19) through SONET OC-48 multiplexers (13a-b).
In each of the sites, one or more feeder sites (11a-c), which communicate with their users via DS0-level signals (12a-c), are connected to SONET OC-3 multiplexers (17a-b) via DS1 signals (10a-c). In the main site (1), the OC-3 (17a) is connected to a DCS 3/1 digital cross-connect (14) which in turn is connected via DS3 lines (15) to a DCS 1/0 cross-connect (16). In the breakout site, the OC-3 multiplexer (17b) connects directly to the OC-48 multiplexer (13b).
In a breakout site (3), the DS1 signals (10b-c) from the feeder sites (11b-c) are "hard wired" to the OC-3 SONET multiplexer (17b), but these multiplexers can change the locations of these DS1 signals within the OC-3 multiplexer electronically.
Similarly, in a main site (1) the digital cross-connects DCS 3/1 (14) and DCS 1/0 (16) can change the location of DS0 (12a) and DS1(10a) signals within the DS3 signals (20) that are connected to the OC-48 multiplexer (13a). The DS1 to be cross-connected does not have to have a DS0 within it. An entire "clear channel" DS1, i.e., no channelization for DS0 circuits, can be cross-connected.


A gear fluid composition for lubricating a driveline including organic sulfide compounds effective to achieve passing friction, extreme pressure, and copper corrosion.

Gears, transmissions, and/or axles commonly require lubricants that provide specific friction characteristics suitable for the desired application. For instance, axles, transfer cases, differentials, including straight differentials, turning differentials, limited-slip differentials, clutch-type differentials, and locking differentials to suggest but a few types, are often provided in many vehicles and each requires unique lubricating compositions. The limited-slip differential, for instance, is a driveline component to counteract a situation where one of two driving wheels has less traction than the other wheel. This situation may be due to, for example, loose soil, sand, mud, or ice under one wheel. In a standard open or non-limited-slip differential, the driving wheel with lower traction receives all of the powertrain torque, but then may spin without moving the vehicle in the desired direction due to the lower traction. In a limited-slip differential, a mechanism divides, or shares, a portion of the torque delivered by the powertrain with both driving wheels. By sharing the available torque, a wheel with some traction receives enough torque to move the vehicle in the desired direction. In addition, high performance vehicles often have so much torque that in certain turning situations the torque on one wheel exceeds the available traction and, thus, performance suffers. The limited-slip differential shares the torque between both wheels, enhancing the performance of the vehicle.
Axles, transfer cases, and differential driveline components often have a variety of mechanisms to provide power and/or torque transfer from, for instance, an input pinion gear to opposing wheels of an axle shaft. One common mechanism for a limited-slip differential is a multi-plate wet clutch that transfers torque from the differential carrier to the side gear. These multi-plate clutches typically have a set of friction plates of one material (that is, a facing material) and a set of steel plates. One set of plates is linked to the differential carrier, while the other set of plates is linked to the side gear. As the side gear drives the axle shaft, torque is therefore transferred to the axle shaft and to the wheel of the vehicle, which then provides a motive force to the vehicle.
The driveline components including axles, transfer cases, limited-slip differentials, and the like all include a lubricant configured for such unique applications. Typically, such lubricants require that the fluid have proper extreme pressure performance, proper friction characteristics, and suitable copper corrosion performance among other performance requirements. A number of additives may be included in the lubricant to achieve desired performance. For instance, such lubricants may often include a sulfurized additive to protect gears and other components from wear and scoring. However, while a sulfurized additive may provide good extreme pressure and wear-scar performance for the desired application, prior sulfurized additives tend to be detrimental to copper and copper alloys leading to unacceptable copper corrosion and friction.

Lubricating composition for differential and gear fluids


The present disclosure provides an electrical connector adapted to connect a cable having a metal braid layer with an electrical apparatus having an apparatus housing. The electrical connector includes a body adapted to be mounted on the apparatus housing; a cover fitted on the body; a metal shielding member fitted on the body and partially covered by the cover; and a terminal module arranged within the body. The terminal module comprises a grounding terminal for a grounding connection via the apparatus housing or a grounding wire of the electrical apparatus and a plurality of signal terminals for supplying electrical current from the cable to the electrical apparatus. The metal shielding member comprises a clamping portion adapted to clamp and electrically contact the metal braid layer and an elastic terminal electrically contacting the grounding terminal.

A cable is generally connected to an electrical apparatus such as a motor via an electrical connector, so as to provide electrical current or signals to the electrical apparatus. Since there are a number of magnetic fields within the space, efficient transmission of the electrical current or signals will be adversely affected by external electromagnetic interference. Thus, electromagnetic shielding of a high voltage cable connector or a large electrical current cable connector is often of concern in a circuit connection.
In addition, with development of the electrical connector, competition grows more intense, thus the cost of the electrical connector product becomes an advantage factor. It is required to effectively improve material utilization so as to reduce cost while satisfying the electromagnetic shielding function of the product.


The present disclosure provides an approach in which a domain corpus subset generator correlates documents from a document corpus to domain discernible attributes associated with domain corpus subsets. The domain corpus subset generator analyzes correlation results from the correlation and stores the documents into domain corpus subsets accordingly. In turn, a question-answer system utilizes documents included in a specific domain corpus subset to provide relevant and accurate answers to an input question.

The present disclosure relates to generating domain corpus subsets from a document corpus to enhance the accuracy of a question-answer system.
An overwhelming amount of information is available to individuals through computer networks from various structured and unstructured sources. To assist with user searches, question-answer (QA) systems are in development that analyze an input question and return results indicative of a most probable answer to the input question. QA systems provide automated mechanisms to analyze large sets of content sources (e.g., electronic documents) corresponding to an input question to determine an answer and a confidence level of the answer's relative accuracy.
In an unstructured information system, information sources utilize various information domains and subdomains to respond to user search requests. However, highly skilled developers are required to generate a customized system with completely accurate rules, which the system utilizes to generate a corpus of documents for the search requests. In addition, as with any customized system, the question-answer system becomes fragile, inflexible, and expensive to maintain.

Corpus generation based upon document attributes

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention is applicable to a wavelet transform in JPEG 2000 and makes it possible to implement a convolution operation while reversibility is achieved. To this end, an implementation of a two-stage integer-type lifting operation shown in FIG. 28A is decomposed in the order of FIGS. 28B and 28C, and finally is separated into a real-number processing unit and integerizing processing unit as shown in FIG. 28C.

Images, especially multivalued images, contain a great amount of information that presents a problem when the images are stored and transmitted. At the time of such storage and transmission, therefore, use is made of highly efficient encoding that reduces the amount of information by eliminating image redundancy or altering the content of an image but only to such an extent that will not allow any decline in image quality to be readily distinguishable visually.
For example, with the JPEG scheme recommended by the ISO and ITU-T as an international standard for the encoding of still images, image data is converted to DCT (Direct Cosine Transform) coefficients by applying the DCT to the image data on a per-block (8×8 pixel) basis, the coefficients are quantized and then entropy encoding is applied to thereby compress the image data. Since the DCT and quantization is applied block by block, there are instances where so-called "block distortion" can be seen at the block boundaries in the decoded images.
JPEG 2000 is being considered as a new international standard for encoding still images. In JPEG 2000, a wavelet transform has been proposed as one type of pre-processing executed prior to quantization. With the wavelet transform, processing is not executed on a per-block basis as with the present JPEG scheme; rather, the input data is processing in continuous fashion. As a result, a feature of this approach is that degradation of the decoded image is not easy to recognize visually.
A discrete wavelet transform used in JPEG 2000 is positioned as filter processing means that divides image data into low- and high-frequency components. Filter processing usually is implemented by a convolution operation between filter coefficients and image data. However, a method based upon a lifting scheme can be applied, besides the convolution operation, to the following discrete wavelet transform used in JPEG 2000:                Daubecheis 9/7 Filter (referred to as a "9×7 filter" below")        Daubecheis 5/3 Filter (referred to as a "5×3 filter" below")
The lifting scheme will now be described.
<Description of Lifting Scheme>
FIG. 1 illustrates the basic implementation of a forward lifting scheme and FIG. 2 the basic implementation of a reverse lifting scheme. In FIG. 1, p and u are referred to as "lifting coefficients". FIG. 3 illustrates the filter coefficients of a 5×3 filter and FIG. 4 the lifting coefficients of the 5×3 filter.
The operation shown in FIG. 1 will be described based upon the lifting coefficientsp=(−1, −1)/2u=(1, 1)/4illustrated in FIG. 4.
In FIG. 1, X represents input image data, which enter in the order X0, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 . . . , as illustrated in FIG. 1. The data is classified into pixel data of an even-numbered sequence and pixel data of an odd-numbered sequence starting from the beginning of the input image.
The odd-sequence pixel data (X1, X3, X5, X7 . . . ) is generated by a downsampling unit 105, which downsamples the input image data every other pixel starting from the beginning of the data.
The even-sequence pixel data (X0, X2, X4, X6 . . . ) is generated by delaying the image data by one pixel using a delay unit 101 and then downsampling the single-pixel-delayed image data every other pixel using a downsampling unit 103.
Since the two downsampling units operate at the same timing, the pixel data of the two sequences having different downsampling phases can be generated by downsampling the data delayed by one pixel in the delay unit 101 and the undelayed input image data.
A multiplier 107 multiplies the even-sequence pixel data by the lifting coefficient p, and an adder 109 adds the product to the odd-sequence pixel data to calculate a transform coefficient X′o (X′1, X′3, X′5, X′7 . . . ) on the high-frequency side.
The processing for multiplying by the lifting coefficient and adding on the product is processing constituting a single unit in the lifting scheme and is referred to as a "lifting step".
The lifting coefficient p is vector data having two components. The pixel data of two successive even sequences is multiplied by each component (coefficient value), and the sum of the two products becomes the result of multiplication by the lifting coefficient p.
Multiplication by the lifting coefficient u in a multiplier 111 is performed in similar fashion. What is multiplied here is the just calculated transform coefficient X′o on the high-frequency side. The product is added to the pixel data of the even sequence by an adder 113, whereby a transform coefficient X′e (X′0, X′2, X′4, X′6 . . . ) on the low-frequency side is found.
If the above-described processing is expressed concretely in the form of equations, we have the following:
(transform coefficient on high-frequency side):X′2n+1=X2n+1+(−X2n−X2n+2)/2  (1)
(transform coefficient on low-frequency side):X′2n=X2n+(X′2n−1+X′2n+1)/4  (2)
The above processing is executed once in the horizontal direction and once in the vertical direction, and these two executions constitute one set. A discrete wavelet transform is implemented by repeating several sets of the above processing with regard to the low-frequency components. This is followed by performing quantization and entropy encoding to finally generate the encoded image data. On the decoding side, on the other hand, this processing is executed in reverse to reconstruct the original image.
A series of processing operations from the encoding side to the decoding side will now be described. To simplify the description, quantization and entropy encoding will be omitted. Further, let D represent the input image data, DWT the discrete wavelet transform, and IDWT an inverse discrete wavelet transform.
Processing is executed as follows:D→DWT→IDWT→D
This signifies how the original image D can be reconstructed. Specifically, the transformation process can be thought of as being reversible if viewed mathematically. However, if this is packaged in the form of circuitry or software, "reversibility" is difficult to achieve. The reason is as follows:
An item of original image data generally is an integer. When the above-described filter processing is executed one time, however, data of floating-point type is obtained and the decimal fraction gives rise to, e.g., three bits. With two-dimensional filter processing, the processing is executed twice, namely once in the horizontal direction and once in the vertical direction, as mentioned above. This means that a 6-bit decimal fraction will be produced unless processing for rounding the decimal is executed during the course of filter processing. Furthermore, if filter processing is executed recursively again and again, the decimal fraction increases in proportion.
If a decimal fraction of six bits or more is left as is, the amount of data will increase. Usually, therefore, rounding is executed to obtain an integer and then the integer is saved. When image data is compressed, integerization or quantization is carried out so that the filtered data is reduced further.
Since information will be lost if the result of filter processing is rounded or quantized, data identical with the original image data will not be reconstructed even if filter processing in the reverse direction (processing on the decoding side) is executed. "Reversibility" will not be achieved, therefore, when the above is packaged in the form of circuitry or software.
The foregoing is filter processing in the forward direction. Processing in the reverse direction will now be described.
The reverse lifting scheme, which is shown in FIG. 2, employs processing that resembles that of the forward direction. If the processing is expressed in the form of equations, we have the following:
(pixels of even-numbered sequence):X2n=X2n−(X′2n−1+X′2n+1)/4  (3)
(pixels of odd-numbered sequence):X2n+1=X′2n+1−(−X2n−X2n+2)/4  (4)This differs from processing in the forward direction in the following three points:                the order of the lifting coefficients used in the lifting step performed twice is reversed;        the result obtained by multiplication by the lifting coefficients is subtracted not added; and        a zero-insertion unit is used after lifting instead of the downsampling unit.
Units 209 and 213 in FIG. 2 are subtractors for performing the above-mentioned subtraction, and units 203 and 205 are units for performing zero insertion.
Pixel data of the odd sequence that has undergone zero insertion is delayed one pixel by a delay unit 201 in order to achieve matching of phases. As a result, non-zero valid pixel data is obtained alternatingly from the sides of the even and odd sequences. Data that is the result of subjecting the original image data to forward and reverse filter processing can be obtained by combining the non-zero valid pixel data into a single sequence.
If the number of filter taps is changed, the number of lifting coefficients and the number of lifting step will change. With the 9×7 filter, for example, the lifting step is performed four times.
When the lifting scheme is used, the operation for the summing of products can be implemented fewer times in comparison with convolution processing. As a result, implementation is made more efficient and, moreover, an integer-type reversible transform, described below, becomes possible.
<Description of Reversible Transform>
As described above, the transform is reversible mathematically but is not necessarily reversible when packaged (referred to as "packaged reversibility" below). This will now be described in greater detail.
If broadly defined, a reversible transform is a transform whereby the original data can be reconstructed perfectly if transform coefficient data obtained by filter processing (transform processing) in the forward direction is subjected to filter processing in the reverse direction. This property of the reversible transform is referred to as "reversibility". A transform said to be reversible mathematically falls within the scope of this definition. More specifically, a transformation matrix is represented by a normal orthogonal matrix, as in a DCT, and there are filters in which the operation is performed by the above-described lifting scheme. In a broadly defined reversible transform, error accumulates owing to iteration processing if error is large at the time of real-number calculation, and therefore the original data may not be reconstructed even if the transform is performed in reverse. This means that computation bit length needs to be taken into consideration. In order to contrast the meaning of this with the integer-type reversible transform described below, the broadly defined reversible transform shall be referred to as a "real-number-type reversible transform" below.
In a real-number-type reversible transform, the overall amount of data (number of data items×bit length) that must be retained in order to possess reversibility increases. If the transform is executed recursively over and over, the amount of data increases until it is many times the amount of original data. In general, therefore, if transformation processing is executed for the purpose of data compression, reversibility is sacrificed and non-reversible compression is carried out. JPEG, H261, MPEG1/2/4, etc., which are employed in the compression of image data (still and moving images) are typical of such processing.
By contrast, an integer-type reversible transform is transform processing whereby the original data is reconstructed by reversible transform processing while the integers in data after execution of filter processing are identical with those of the input data. (There are also cases where if an input is fixed-point data, then the output also is the same fixed-point data.) This reversible transform is not one that can be implemented if the result of the above-mentioned real-number-type reversible transform is simply rounded to achieve integerization; it is a transform that can be implemented by executing the rounding processing for integerization in each lifting step, as will be described later. This shall be referred to as a "narrowly defined reversible transform". When the simple term "reversible transform" (reversible filter) is used below, this will indicate the narrowly defined reversible transform, namely the integer-type reversible transform.
In order to indicate that a certain transform is reversible, it is necessary to indicate the forward reversible transform and its corresponding reverse reversible transform in the form of a pair.
In order to implement reversible filter processing using the lifting scheme, rounding is executed in each lifting step, as mentioned above. More specifically, in each lifting step, rounding processing is executed before the result obtained by lifting-coefficient multiplication is added on or subtracted.
Reversibility will now be described taking a 5×3 filter that is capable of executing a reversible transform (this shall be referred to as a "reversible 5×3 filter") as an example. In order to render the description, FIG. 5 illustrates a processing system in which a reversible transform in the reverse direction is executed immediately after a reversible transform in the forward direction.
In FIG. 5, numerals 501, 503, 505, 507 represent floor-function arithmetic units for extracting an integer that will not exceed input data, and numerals 502, 504 denote adding units for adding 0.5 to data obtained by multiplication by lifting coefficients. The other units are exactly the same as those having like reference numerals used in FIGS. 1 and 2. Only integer data is inputted to the adders and subtractors in FIG. 5, and naturally the outputs thereof also are integer data. Such a lifting operation is referred to as "integer lifting" and is used to implement a reversible transform.
That the aforesaid filter processing (transform processing) is reversible will be demonstrated by describing that the result of processing image data (an integer), which has entered from the left side of FIG. 5, by a forward filter processor 540 and then processing the output of the processor 540 by a reverse filter processor 550 is exactly the same as the original input.
First, it should be noted that the inputs to the two adders and two subtractors in FIG. 5 are all integers, and that the outputs thereof also are integers.
The purpose of this description will be to indicate that an even-numbered pixel sequence and an odd-numbered pixel sequence before and after filter processing are equal to each other using a property (c) below after it is described that properties (a), (b) below hold true.
(a) The output of the floor-function arithmetic unit 503 in the forward filter processor 540 and the output of the floor-function arithmetic unit 505 in the reverse filter processor 550 are equal;
(b) the output of the floor-function arithmetic unit 501 in the forward filter processor 540 and the output of the floor-function arithmetic unit 507 in the reverse filter processor 550 are equal; and
(c) if a value identical with that added is subtracted, then the original value that prevailed prior to addition will be reconstructed.
Multipliers 111 and 211 multiply by the same lifting coefficient u, and the data sequence that undergoes multiplication also is the same transform coefficient X′o on the high-frequency side. Accordingly, the outputs of these two multipliers are equal. The outputs have 0.5 added to them by the adding units 502, 504, respectively, and naturally the results obtained via the floor-function arithmetic units 503, 505 also are equal. Thus, it can be said that property (a) holds true. If property (c) is now utilized, it can be said that the even pixel sequence Xe input to the adder 113 and the even pixel sequence output from the subtractor 213 are equal.
Next, multipliers 102 and 207 also multiply by the same lifting coefficient p, and the data sequence that undergoes multiplication also is the above-mentioned even pixel sequence Xe. Accordingly, the outputs of these two multipliers are equal, and naturally the results obtained by processing these outputs by the floor-function arithmetic units 501, 507, respectively, also are equal. Thus, it can be said that property (b) holds true. If property (c) is now utilized, it can be said that the odd pixel sequence Xo input to the adder 109 and the odd pixel sequence output from the subtractor 209 are equal. As a result, the forward filter processor 540 and reverse filter processor 550 illustrated in FIG. 5 can be construed to be reversible.
The output of the forward filter processor 540 need not be subjected to rounding for integerization because it is already an integer; the output of this integer can be input directly to the reverse filter processor 550. If the quantization step is set to "1" by quantization processing used at the time of data compression, no information will be lost due to this quantization processing and, hence, reversible compression can be carried out. If the quantization step is set to be larger than "1", however, loss of information will occur. This means that although the compression rate rises, compression can no longer be performed reversibly.
A reversible transform is made possible by using the lifting scheme in the manner set forth above. The relationship between types of filters and computation techniques for implementing these filter may be summarized as follows:                filter processing with a finite impulse response can be implemented by a convolution operation;        some filter processing can be implemented by a lifting scheme (some cannot);        a real-number-type filter that can be implemented by the lifting scheme is capable of a reversible transform; and        an integer-type reversible filter can be implemented by making the lifting operation one of the integer type in the above-mentioned real-number-type reversible filter.
Accordingly, though almost all filter processing can be realized by a convolution operation, integer-type reversible filter processing cannot be implemented using a convolution operation. This means that in a case where it is necessary to have both the function of filter processing, which cannot be implemented with the lifting scheme (it can only be implemented by a convolution operation), and the function of integer-type reversible filter processing, this must be realized by separate processors (circuits).
Further, since it is necessary to perform the integer-type lifting operation when integer-type reversible filter processing is executed, real-number-type filter processing cannot be executed at the same time and, hence, it is not possible to obtain the results of both integer-type and real-number-type filter processing at the same time.
Thus, as set forth above, reversible filter processing has not been achievable heretofore by using a convolution operation. Accordingly, if it is necessary to have both the function of filter processing, which can only be implemented by a convolution operation, and the function of reversible filter processing, separate processors (circuits) must be used, the filter processing apparatus is large in size and the apparatus cannot be constructed at low cost.
Further, integer-type reversible filter processing and real-number-type filter processing cannot be executed simultaneously and the results of both integer-type and real-number-type filter processing cannot be obtained simultaneously. In order to manufacture a chip having both these functions, two types of filters must be packaged in the chip.


A process for augmenting social media posts with location information includes a processor generating a social media message without location information marking. Scanning is performed for one or more electronic devices within vicinity of the processor. Location of the electronic device is determined. The social media message is marked with location information.

Knowing the geolocation that triggered a social media message can add a lot of value to individuals reading the messages. Especially with a social platform, such as TWITTER® where it can be helpful to understand a little more about the event being discussed. Often times people do not take the time to manually tag a geolocation on a social message or they do not leave their GPS turned on, so the location is not accurate.

Augmenting location of social media posts based on proximity of other posts


An apparatus and method for recovering solder from dross present on the surface of a molten solder includes a solder reservoir for holding a pool of molten solder, and a solder nozzle disposed in the solder reservoir and adapted to direct a solder wave against a printed circuit board to be soldered. The solder nozzle includes opposite side troughs inclined downwardly toward one side of the solder reservoir to direct dross toward a dross zone. A semicircular hood extends across the solder reservoir and is located above the dross zone. A screw extends across the solder reservoir and is covered by the hood. The screw is activated to agitate the dross so as to remove oxides and recover solder from the dross.

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus and method for recovering solder from dross present on the surface of molten solder where it is exposed to atmospheric air.
In the manufacture of a printed circuit board assembly, there are two commercially important methods of soldering, namely, reflow soldering and wave soldering. The reflow soldering is costly as it employs a solder paste composed of solder particles mixed with flux. In the wave soldering, a wave of solder is caused to well upwardly and contact various portions of a printed circuit board at once. As such, the wave soldering is more economical and provides a higher degree of productivity than the reflow and other processes.
A usual wave soldering machine includes a pair of endless chain conveyors which are driven to advance a printed circuit board at a constant speed from the entrance to exit ends of the machine. While the printed circuit board is held by gripping fingers, the board is first carried to a fluxer where a foam or spray of flux is applied to the underside of the board. The printed circuit board is then carried over preheaters where the temperature of each board is elevated to approximately 110xc2x0 C. to 130xc2x0 C. so as to evaporate excess flux solvent, activate the flux and minimize thermal shock to the printed circuit board. After the printed circuit board is brought to such a preheat temperature, the board passes over a solder reservoir to receive solder. The board is finally transported to a cool down zone where the solder is cooled to solidify. The solder reservoir is equipped with heating elements so as to maintain the molten solder at a preset suitable temperature. A relatively narrow solder nozzle is placed in the solder reservoir to produce a turbulent wave. A relatively wide solder nozzle is provided downstream of the narrow solder nozzle to produce a non-turbulent smooth solder wave. A duct extends within the solder reservoir and has one end connected to each of the nozzles. A pump is disposed in the other end of the duct and connected to a motor through a belt-and-pulley assembly. The pump is activated to transmit pressure energy to the molten solder to cause the solder within the duct to lift and form the solder wave. A flow control panel is mounted within each of the nozzles and has a plurality of apertures. The molten solder is caused to flow in a turbulent fashion in the duct due to the pumping action of the solder pump. The apertures of the flow control panel allows uniform flow of the molten solder above the panel within the nozzle.
A problem with such a conventional wave soldering machine is that a quantity of dross forms on the surface of the molten solder where it is exposed to and contacted with atmospheric air. The formation of such dross brings about a change in the height of the solder wave flowing up through the nozzles. When the dross blocks the apertures of the flow control panel, the height of the solder wave becomes low, with the result that at least some of the electronic components in the printed circuit board are left unsoldered. The wave height suddenly becomes higher when the dross is forced away from the apertures due to the continued pumping action of the solder pump. If the wave height is too high, the solder will flow on the top surface of the printed circuit board and ruin the board. Attachment of the dross itself to the printed circuit board causes a short circuit or deteriorates aesthetic appearance of the finished board.
Dross generation also adds considerably to the cost of the wave soldering process due to the lost value of the solder and the maintenance it imposes. It is necessary from time to time to remove dross from the solder reservoir and repair mechanical parts of the machine as damaged by its abrasive action.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for effectively and economically recovering solder from dross formed in a solder reservoir.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recovering solder from dross, which comprises a solder reservoir for holding a pool of molten solder. At least one solder nozzle is disposed in the solder reservoir and is adapted to form and direct a solder wave against a substrate to be soldered. The solder nozzle includes opposite side troughs inclined downwardly toward one side of the solder reservoir to direct dross toward a dross zone formed in the first side of the solder reservoir, and a hood is mounted to the solder reservoir and located above the dross zone. An agitator extends across the first side of the solder reservoir and is activated to agitate the dross so as to remove oxides and recover solder from the dross.
The temperature within the dross is much lower than that of the molten solder since the dross present on the surface of the molten solder is exposed to atmospheric air. As such, any solder contained in the dross has a relatively low flowability. To this end, a heating element may be mounted within or outside the hood to heat the interior of the hood to at least 100xc2x0 C. at which the flowability of the solder becomes higher. This promotes removal of the solder from the dross. Preferably, a source of non-oxidizing gas such as nitrogen may be introduced into the interior of the hood through a gas injector so as to provide a substantially oxygen-free atmosphere. Such an atmosphere not only promotes removal of the oxides from the dross, but also inhibits reoxidization of the solder as reclaimed from the dross. Preferably, a heater may be connected between the source of non-oxidizing gas and the gas injector.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for recovering solder from dross present in a solder reservoir within which a pool of molten solder is held. Dross is directed toward a dross zone defined in one side of the solder reservoir and covered by a hood. The dross is agitated to thereby remove oxides and recover solder from the dross. The solder as reclaimed from the dross is returned to the pool of molten solder. The oxides are delivered out of the solder reservoir.
Preferably, the interior of the hood may be heated to a temperature of at least 100xc2x0 C. A non-oxidizing gas may preferably be introduced into the interior of the hood to generate a substantially oxygen-free atmosphere within the hood. The none-oxidizing gas may be selected from nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon and other inert gases, and hydrogen gas and other reactive gases.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Solder dross removal apparatus and method


A printing system includes a printing apparatus and a computer. The printing apparatus and the computer each include a density setting section. The printing system further includes a data processing section, which is at least adapted to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus and to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the printing apparatus to the computer in order to store the printing density data in a database. Since printing density can be set on either of the printing apparatus and the computer, for example, in a trial printing mode, printing density data are transferred from the database stored in the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus, thereby enabling trial printing. When the printing density set on the printing apparatus is modified on the basis of the result of the trial printing, the modified printing density data are transferred to the computer to thereby update the database accordingly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system used favorably for printing relatively small objects that require printing (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cprinting objectsxe2x80x9d), such as business cards or postcards.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional printing apparatus for printing a printing object of relatively small size, such as a business card or a postcard, is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 8(1996)-206573.
Such a printing apparatus is usually connected to a computer. Printing data are transferred from the computer to the printing apparatus, and a printer driver installed in the computer controls the printing apparatus so as to carry out printing. In the printing apparatus, printing objects are sequentially fed from a paper feed mechanism and transported to a printing mechanism by means of a front-stage transport mechanism. The printing mechanism prints the printing objects through thermal transfer printing by use of a thermal head and an ink ribbon. The thus-printed objects are transported by means of a rear-stage transport mechanism and delivered onto a paper delivery tray.
However, the above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus (printing system) involves the following problem.
A general-purpose printer is primarily intended to print on plain paper. Thus, once printing density is initially set, no further adjustment is necessary with respect to printing density. Accordingly, in the general-purpose printer, a function for setting printing density is imparted merely to the printer. By contrast, in the case of printing special printing objects, such as business cards, printing density must be adjusted optimally according to paper material and paper thickness in order to attain high printing quality, since paper material and paper thickness vary greatly among types of printing objects. However, since the conventional printing system utilizes the functions of a general-purpose printer as they are, the conventional printing system fails to provide sufficient utility with respect to adjustment (setting) of printing density, and thus involves problems in terms of convenience of use.
The above-mentioned conventional printing apparatus (printing system) also involves the following problem.
Whenever the type of a printing object is changed, printing density must be set (adjusted), causing burdensome adjustment work and waste of time and printing objects. Even when printing objects of the same type are printed, printing quality varies depending on when the objects are printed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system enabling easy, accurate setting of printing density for a printing object; for example, enabling use of the density-setting function of a printing apparatus without termination of a progressing process on the computer side, as well as having sufficient utility with respect to adjustment (setting) of printing density, thereby significantly enhancing convenience of use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing system which does not necessarily require setting (adjustment) of printing density even when the type of a printing object is changed, thereby avoiding burdensome adjustment work and waste of time and printing objects, as well as avoiding variations in printing quality to thereby maintain high printing quality at all times.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a printing system comprising a printing apparatus and a computer which is connected to the printing apparatus. In the printing system, printing data are transferred from the computer to the printing apparatus, and the printing apparatus is controlled by a printer driver installed in the computer. The printing apparatus and the computer each comprise a density setting section. The. printing system further comprises a data processing section, which is at least adapted to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus and to transfer printing density data for a predetermined printing object from the printing apparatus to the computer in order to store the printing density data in a database.
Since printing density can be set on either of the printing apparatus and the computer in, for example, a trial printing mode, printing density data are transferred from a database stored in the computer to the printing apparatus so as to set printing density on the printing apparatus, thereby enabling trial printing. When the printing density set on the printing apparatus is modified on the basis of the result of the trial printing, the modified printing density data are transferred to the computer to thereby update the database accordingly.


The optical fibers are enclosed in a protective metal tube in such manner as to impart surplus length to them, the tube being shaped from an initial strip, then laser welded, and optionally swaged as it advances in line. The method of obtaining the surplus length of a predetermined value consists in subjecting the tube as driven to subsequent stretching of a predetermined value by means of a capstan working at constant torque, thereby causing the fibers to advance in the welded tube, then in relaxing the stretched tube. Application to a line for enclosing optical fibers in a protective tube.

Generally, in known manner, one or more optical fibers enclosed in a protective metal tube are organized such that they have a surplus length in the tube, and they are embedded in a filler material. The surplus length prevents the fibers from being subjected to unwanted stresses that might be detrimental to good transmission quality of the optical signals transmitted in the fibers. The surplus length must not however be too great in order to avoid the risks of the fibers bending excessively in the protective tube, which is likewise detrimental to the transmission quality of the optical signals.
The protective metal tube for protecting the fibers is made continuously from an initial strip progressively deformed into a tube which is then closed lengthwise by laser welding, as the strip and the resulting tube advance along a line for enclosing the fibers in the tube. The fibers are inserted into the protective tube via guide tubes which are engaged in the protective tube before it is closed and which extend in the tube beyond the point along the line at which the tube is laser welded. The welded protective tube is usually swaged to a give it a desired final diameter that is as small as possible, and to perfect its shape. It is also cooled directly after it has been laser welded or after it has been swaged.
Document WO 91/01506 describes such a line for enclosing optical fibers in a protective metal tube, and it discloses a method and means for controlling the surplus length of the fibers in the protective tube. For this purpose, the fibers are inserted into the guide tubes and via said guide tubes into the protective tube at an insertion speed that is controlled in real time. The insertion speed is controlled on the basis of instantaneous measurements of the traction force exerted on the protective tube to advance it along the line, of the speed of advance of the protective tube, and of the temperature thereof, so as to obtain a predetermined ratio between the length of the protective tube and the length of the optical fibers in the tube.
The instantaneous measurements of the speed of the protective tube and of the temperature thereof are taken after it has been swaged. The instantaneous measurement of the traction force is taken by a sensor associated with a traction capstan driven by a self-starting synchronous motor. The various instantaneous values are transmitted to a control unit. The control unit has previously received from an operator the information relating in particular to the desired surplus length of the fibers in the protective tube, to the coefficient of expansion of the metal of the tube, its modulus of elasticity, and to the geometrical shape of the tube. By means of a pre-established program, it determines accordingly the instantaneous value of the insertion speed of the fibers, which is transmitted to a self-starting synchronous motor for controlling the means for inserting the fibers, such as a linear capstan for inserting the fibers into the guide tubes.
The means disclosed in that document are relatively complex. They do not always make it possible to impart a surplus length to the fibers that is uniform and that is accurate enough in the protective metal tube formed. In particular, the surplus length imparted is related to the swaging rate implemented, and to the precise characteristics and type of the tube, which affect the traction force and can give rise to inaccuracies of various sizes in the real surplus length obtained.

Method of imparting surplus length to optical fibers in a protective metal tube and a line for implementing the method


Solid pharmaceutical compositions comprising cefuroxime axetil as active ingredient and a zinc salt as stabilizer.

Cefuroxime axetil is an antibiotic effective against a wide spectrum of microorganisms when administered orally.
Solid compositions for oral administration comprising cefuroxime axetil are presently available commercially in the form of tablets, and as powders for oral suspension.
There are substantial difficulties in the production of satisfactory solid compositions comprising cefuroxime axetil.
One problem is that it is difficult to make compositions for oral administration which provide high bioavailability; that is to say, that are well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into systemic circulation. In particular, if the cefuroxime axetil is in crystalline form, it exhibits poor water solubility and hence poor absorption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,833 discloses that absorption can be improved by using cefuroxime axetil in pure amorphous form instead of crystalline form.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,270 further discloses that absorption from film coated tablets can be improved by formulating the tablets such that, when a tablet is ingested, the film coating ruptures rapidly in the gastrointestinal fluid, and the core then disintegrates immediately.
Canadian patent no. 2209868 discloses that, instead of using cefuroxime axetil in pure amorphous form, excellent dissolution and absorption can also be achieved by using cefuroxime axetil in the form of a co-precipitate of cefuroxime axetil and a water-soluble excipient.
A second problem in formulating satisfactory solid compositions comprising cefuroxime axetil is that cefuroxime axetil is relatively unstable in the presence of many common excipients (i.e. inactive ingredients) used to make solid pharmaceutical compositions.
The object of the present invention is to provide a means of stabilizing cefuroxime axetil, so as to reduce the rate of degradation of cefuroxime axetil in solid pharmaceutical compositions.
It has been surprisingly found that cefuroxime axetil can be stabilized by admixture with a zinc salt, preferably zinc chloride.
Compositions of the present invention will thus be solid pharmaceutical compositions comprising cefuroxime axetil as active ingredient and a zinc salt as stabilizer.
The amount of zinc salt in the composition will preferably be from about 0.1 to about 4 parts per 100 parts cefuroxime axetil by weight; more preferably from about 0.2 to about 2 parts per hundred parts cefuroxime axetil by weight; and most preferably about one part per hundred parts cefuroxime axetil by weight.
In order to enable maximum bioavailability, the cefuroxime axetil in the composition will preferably be in pure amorphous form or in the form of a co-precipitate with a water-soluble diluent.
The zinc salt may be added to the composition at any point in the process of production of the composition.
However, when the cefuroxime axetil is used in pure amorphous form or in the form of a co-precipitate, the zinc salt will preferably be added, in the process of making the pure amorphous cefuroxime axetil or the co-precipitate, in order to get a more intimate mixture of the zinc salt with the cefuroxime axetil.
In the case of pure amorphous cefuroxime axetil, the process of manufacture will preferably be to dissolve the zinc salt along with the cefuroxime axetil in suitable solvent and then evaporate the solvent, preferably by spray-drying, in order to produce amorphous material comprising cefuroxime axetil and a small amount of zinc salt intimately mixed therein.
Similarly, in the case of a co-precipitate, the process will preferably be to dissolve the cefuroxime axetil, water-soluble diluent, and zinc salt together in suitable solvent and evaporate the solvent, again preferably by spray-drying to produce an amorphous co-precipitate comprising the cefuroxime axetil, water-soluble diluent, and zinc salt.
The amorphous material comprising cefuroxime axetil and zinc salt, or cefuroxime axetil, water-soluble diluent, and zinc salt, will then be further processed into the final solid composition which, as aforesaid, may be a tablet, or a powder or granules for oral suspension; that is to say, powder or granules to which water is to be added to provide a suspension for pediatric use.