The invention is a method for reproducing coniferous trees by somatic embryogenesis using plant tissue culture techniques in a multistage culturing process. A suitable explant, typically the fertilized embryo excised from an immature seed, is first cultured on a medium that induces multiple early stage proembryos. These are multiplied in a second culture having reduced growth hormones. The early stage embryos may then be placed in or on a late stage proembryo development culture in order to develop very robust late stage proembryos having at least 100 cells. Culturing from this point continues in a cotyledonary embryo development medium containing an active gibberellin (GA) in an amount up to about 50 mg/L. Preferably exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) is also present in a similar amount. Concentration of GA and ABA may be reduced over time by inclusion of an adsorbent such as activated charcoal or by stepwise subcultures in which the later cultures have reduced hormone concentrations. After several weeks somatic embryos having the appearance of zygotic embryos will have formed. These may be germinated before or after storage and transplanted to soil for further growth. In addition to its use in the cotyledonary embryo development stage, GA may also be advantageously included in any of the maintenance cultures following embryo initiation. The use of GA results in larger and more robust somatic embryos and ultimately in greater germination success.

The present invention is a method for reproducing coniferous plants by somatic embryogenesis using the techniques of plant tissue culture. More specifically, it relates to the use of particular mixtures of growth hormones in the culture media used during the various stages of somatic embryo development. The invention is especially suited for producing large clones of superior selections useful for reforestation.
Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), its closely related southern pines, and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) are probably the most important commercial species of temperate North American timber trees. Similarly, Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) is probably the most important European softwood species. Since the early 1940s, when serious private reforestation efforts began, literally billions of one and two year old nursery-grown trees have been planted on cutover or burned forest lands. For many years these seedling trees were grown using naturally produced seed from cones collected as a part time effort of individuals seeking to supplement their incomes. As early as 1957 forest geneticists began to plant seed orchards using either seed or grafted scions obtained from superior trees discovered in the forests. These trees were selected for such inheritable characteristics as rapid growth, straightness of bole, wood density, etc. Now in both the southern pine and Douglas-fir regions the bulk of the seed is produced from selected trees grown in seed orchards, some of them now second and third generation orchards.
Despite the fact that the orchards were stocked with superior trees, pollination often cannot be carefully controlled and frequently the seed trees are fertilized by wild pollen of unknown characteristics. For this reason, the characteristics of the progeny produced by sexual reproduction have not been as predictable as hoped and genetic gain could not be attained as rapidly as desired.
Beginning about 1960, techniques were developed for reproducing some species of plants by tissue culture. These were predominately angiosperms and usually ornamental house plants. The method employed use of a suitable explant or donor tissue from a desirable plant. This was placed on a series of culture media in which nutrients and growth hormones were carefully controlled from step to step. The usual progression was growth from the explant to a callus. The callus was placed on a budding medium where adventitious buds formed. These, in turn, were separated, elongated, and rooted to ultimately form plantlets. A plantlet has the nature of a seedling but is genetically identical to the explant donor plant.
Gymnosperms in general, and most forest tree species in particular, proved to be much more difficult to reproduce by tissue culture. It was not until about 1975 that Douglas-fir was successfully reproduced by organogenesis. Loblolly pine was successfully reproduced about two years later.
A brief review of some of the most important work relating to the present invention will follow. This is intended to be representative only and is not fully inclusive of all the work in the field. Literature citations in the text are given in abbreviated form. Reference should be made to the bibliography at the end of the specification for full citations of the literature noted herein.
Culture by organogenesis is tedious and expensive due to the large amount of delicate manual handling necessary. It was soon recognized that embryogenesis was potentially a much more desirable method from the standpoints of quantity of plantlets produced, cost, potential genetic gain, and much lower probability of mutations. Work on embryogenesis of forest species began in the late 1970s. U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,730 to El-Nil describes one early attempt at somatic embryogenesis of Douglas-fir. This approach was later set aside because advanced stage embryos and plantlets could not be readily obtained. However, other workers entered the field in increasing numbers and progress has been rapid even if it has not until the present time reached the commercial stage.
Our earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,957,866, 5,034,326, 5,036,007, herein incorporated by reference, describe improved methods of conifer embryogenesis. These also include extensive reviews of the most closely related literature. In the methods described in all of these patents, late stage proembryos, defined as totipotent embryonic structures having at least about 100 cells, are transferred and further cultured in a cotyledonary embryo development medium containing abscisic acid (ABA) as an essential growth hormone. It appears to be highly desirable during this stage to gradually reduce the level of exogenous ABA so that little or none is ultimately present. Other growth hormones; e.g. auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins were not used at this time. The ultimate product of this culturing step is somatic embryos resembling natural mature zygotic embryos in morphology.
It is well accepted that plant tissue culture is a highly unpredictable science. Sondahl et al., in published European Patent Application 293,598, speak directly to this point.
"Since each plant species appears to possess a unique optimal set of media requirements, the successful preparation and regeneration of a new species cannot be necessarily inferred from the successful regimens applied to unrelated plant species." PA0 "Despite progress, our knowledge of embryogenesis is still fragmentary. At present we cannot yet define the conditions necessary for embryogenesis . . . "
This statement can be carried even farther. Rangaswamy (1986) notes that the potential for embryogenesis is even genotype specific within any given species.
Composition of the media used to initiate embryogenesis and induce embryo maturation are critical to success, regardless of the species being propagated. In particular, the type and level of the nitrogen source in the media and the presence or absence, composition, level, and timing of availability of growth hormones have been key to success. It is also these very factors, particularly the hormones, that have proved to be so unpredictable. As one example, Ammirato (1977), conducted a study examining the effects of zeatin (a cytokinin), ABA, and gibberellic acid (GA.sub.3) on the yield and morphology of caraway (Carum carvi) somatic embryos. These hormones were present singly and in all possible combinations in the media used for the later stages of embryo development. He concluded that a change in level or presence/absence of any one of the hormones caused a ripple effect felt throughout the system due to unpredictable interactions between the various hormones. The same problem is again discussed by Evans (1984) who notes that growth hormones which affect the same process can either act independently or may interact in some fashion.
The Ammirato (1977) paper is midrange in time between the first successful plant embryogenesis and the present. Much has been learned since then. However, this paper is useful in its clear and still valid presentation and characterization of the various growth hormones as promoters (or stimulators) and inhibitors. Evans (1984) once again expands Ammiratto's discussion. Auxins are seen by these investigators as promoting cell elongation, especially in shoot tissues, and in lower concentrations, in roots. Gibberellic acid (GA.sub.3) also promotes cell elongation in shoots but is either without effect or inhibitory in root tissues. ABA and ethylene are seen as inhibitors and tend to counteract the promotive effects of auxins and GA. Cytokinins appear to be more difficult to characterize. They generally tend to inhibit auxin induced cell elongation in stem and root tissues but act as promoters of leaf cell expansion.
In general, as far as conifer species are concerned, it appears that at least one exogenous auxin and usually a cytokinin are necessary hormones in a medium for the initiation of embryogenesis. Exogenous ABA is normally not used at this point nor is gibberellic acid (GA.sub.3) or its related gibberellins. The concentration of the growth hormones used in the initiation medium is typically then reduced or they are removed entirely as embryo development proceeds. However, auxins in particular may be beneficial at the stage of cotyledonary embryo development.
In most cases gibberellic acid appears to suppress embryogenesis; e.g., Kochba et al. (1978), Tisserat et al. (1977), Rajasekaran et al. (1987), Rangaswamy (1986). However, there are certainly exceptions. Chalupa (1990a, 1990b) refers to induction of embryogenesis in two Quercus species on a medium containing the cytokinin N.sup.6 -benzylaminopurine and gibberellic acid. Gmitter et al. (1990) appear to require gibberellic acid in their initiation medium for selected triploid hybrid citrus plants. Lakshmi Sita (1985) summarizes her earlier work and that of others in promoting embryogenesis of sandalwood (Santalum sp.). Gibberellic Acid was found to be useful in inducing embryogenesis using shoot explants in either solid or liquid suspension cultures. Despite her success, which included successful production of converted plants, she again points to the lack of predictability of embryogenesis.
Gibberellic acid has more frequently been used to promote late stage somatic embryo development and germination; e.g., Cruz et al. (1990), Eapen et al. (1990), Ghosh et al. (1991), Manrique et al. (1987), Trolinder et al. (1988). Nolan et al. (1988) and Garcia-Maya et al. (1990) note that gibberellins are involved in the synthesis of .alpha.-amylase. This enzyme is necessary for conversion of starches into sugars during germination.
Much less frequently various gibberellins have been used in combination with ABA at the late stage of embryo development and for stimulating germination; e.g., Eapen et al. (1989), Ferreira et al. (1990), Sondahl et al. (1988). Noriega et al. (1991) describe the first successful regeneration of hybrid tea rose by embryogenesis. Among the various media employed is an embryo maturation medium containing low concentrations of GA.sub.3 and ABA. Ammirato (1977), working with caraway (Carum carvi L.), reported that the beneficial effects of ABA on embryo maturation could be enhanced by gibberellic acid (GA.sub.3). However, in an extension of this work investigating the effect of mode of agitation, he noted that "the addition of GA.sub.3, alone or with ABA, had little effect on these cultures" (Ammirato (1983)). All of the reported work with this particular hormone combination has been exclusively with various angiosperm species.
The present inventors are aware of only one reported instance in which gibberellic acid has been examined in conifer somatic embryogenesis. Hakman and von Arnold (1985) tried adding ABA, IAA (indoleacetic acid), GA.sub.3, GA.sub.4/7, and activated charcoal singly to media used for further development of Picea abies (Norway spruce) proembryos. All of these were found to be ineffective and only a cytokinin-containing medium was useful under the conditions they employed.
Techniques to promote embryogenesis of numerous conifer genera are now well established. Research emphasis is now shifting to development of ways to scale up laboratory knowledge and techniques so that the process may become field operational on large scale. Yet many problems of a relatively fundamental nature still remain to be solved. One of these is improving somatic embryo quality and vigor. This is necessary so that germination to hardy plantlets and ultimate conversion to growing trees can be achieved at much higher percentages than has heretofore been possible. The present invention is directed to this end.

Method for reproducing conifers by somatic embryogenesis using mixed growth hormones for embryo culture


A spinning rod assembly comprises an elongated rod having a handle from which a reel shank laterally extends. A pair of finger supports extend from the handle and straddle the reel shank. The finger supports are configured to bear against the fingers of an angler grasping the rod as the angler casts and retrieves to distribute attendant pressure among the angler's fingers and relieve pain and discomfort previously associated with casting and retrieving.

When casting with a spinning rod of the type having a reel suspended from the rod handle on a thin shank, an angler usually grips the handle in one hand with the reel shank extending between his second and third fingers and his thumb positioned atop the handle. The rod is then raised overhead with the line secured beneath the angler's first finger and moved rapidly through and to the end of a forward casting arc. Near the end of the arc, the line is released to propel the lure to a desired location for fishing.
In affecting such a cast, the angler must exert considerable pressure on the rod handle and reel shank with his hand and fingers. The thumb, for example, typically exerts downward and forward pressure on top of the handle while the third and fourth fingers exert upward pressure on the bottom of the handle and the back of the second finger bears against and exerts rearward pressure on the reel shank. Further, the back of the first finger tends to bear against the second finger significantly increasing the pressure exerted by the second finger on the reel shank.
As a result of the second finger bearing against the reel shank, the angler commonly experiences discomfort in this finger after a few casts which can become severe pain after a prolonged period of casting. In addition, the forward momentum of the rod at the end of the casting arc tends to cause the reel shank to bear even more strongly against the back of the angler's second finger thereby increasing the pressure and causing even more pain and discomfort.
An angler can also experience discomfort while retrieving a fish. In counteracting the downward and rearward forces exerted on the rod during such retrieval, the angler typically exerts upward pressure on the handle with his first and second fingers and forward pressure on the reel shank with the front of this third finger. The forth finger also tends to bear against the third finger further increasing its pressure on the reel shank. As with casting, the pressure of the reel shank on the third finger can cause the angler great pain and discomfort after prolonged periods of fishing.
Prior attempts to relieve the just described pain and discomfort have included spinning rods with a leather strap that can be tightened about an angler's hand for improved grip, contoured reel shanks to cushion the impact of the shank on the fingers and elastic or rubber straps that fit tightly about an angler's fingers during casting and retrieving. Exemplary of such attempts are the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,419,159 of Fazio, 4,648,196 of Moody, 4,697,377 of Martin and 4,793,087 of McGee. While some of these devices have experienced limited success, they have in general fallen far short of solving the problem. Indeed, some, such as the leather strap, can even hinder an angler's ability to cast accurately by restricting movement of his hand and fingers about the rod handle.
A continuing and hitherto unsuccessfully addressed need exist, therefore, for a spinning rod assembly that can be cast and used to retrieve caught fish for prolonged periods of time without causing pain and discomfort to an angler's third and fourth fingers. It is to the provision of such a spinning rod assembly that the present invention is primarily directed.


Optical Doppler tomography permits imaging of fluid flow velocity in highly scattering media. The tomography system combines Doppler velocimetry with high spatial resolution of partially coherent optical interferometry to measure fluid flow velocity at discrete spatial locations. Noninvasive in vivo imaging of blood flow dynamics and tissue structures with high spatial resolutions of the order of 2 to 10 microns is achieved in biological systems. The backscattered interference signals derived from the interferometer may be analyzed either through power spectrum determination to obtain the position and velocity of each particle in the fluid flow sample at each pixel, or the interference spectral density may be analyzed at each frequency in the spectrum to obtain the positions and velocities of the particles in a cross-section to which the interference spectral density corresponds. The realized resolutions of optical Doppler tomography allows noninvasive in vivo imaging of both blood microcirculation and tissue structure surrounding the vessel which has significance for biomedical research and clinical applications.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of noninvasive tomography and in particular is applied to tomographic methods and apparatus for simultaneous optical detection of blood flow velocity and vessel structure. Noninvasive in vivo imaging of blood flow dynamics and tissue structures with high spatial resolutions of the range of 2 to 10 microns is achieved in biological systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Accurate determination of location and flow velocity of moving particles in highly scattering media, such as biological tissues, is important for medical diagnostics. Development of a high resolution noninvasive technique for in vivo blood flow imaging with a resolution in the range of 2 to 10 microns is necessary for accurate microvascular monitoring. The ideal microvascular imaging technique must fulfill several requirements: (a) probe the underlying microcirculation at a user-specified depth in both superficial and deep layers; (b) distinguish arterial from venous flow; (c) detect blood flow changes rapidly; and (d) be safe, noninvasive, reliable and reproducible. Numerous approaches have been investigated including Doppler ultrasound, conventional angiography, laser Doppler flowmetry and magnetic resonance angiography. Each of these techniques however have their limitations. Conventional laser Doppler flowmetry, for example, has been used to measure mean blood perfusion in the peripheral microcirculation. However, because of strong optical scattering in biological tissue, laser Doppler flowmetry cannot identify blood flow velocity at discrete spatial locations with micron resolution. Although Doppler ultrasound imaging provides a means to resolve flow velocities at different locations in the scattering medium, the relatively long acoustic wavelength required for deep tissue penetration limits spatial resolution to approximately 200 microns.
Therefore, what is needed is a method and apparatus that may be used in vivo to determine flow velocities in a turbid or highly scattering medium such as biological tissues with spatial and velocity resolutions equal or greater than those obtained by other methods.

Method and apparatus for optical Doppler tomographic imaging of fluid flow velocity in highly scattering media

The Regents of the University of California


A partially-inlaid treadmill system includes a running deck, a wide belt assembled on two parallel rollers to slide over the running deck, side handrails, a panel for controlling and monitoring the treadmill system, a partition that separates a first part of the treadmill system positioned for access to the user from a second part of the treadmill system that includes mechanisms and electro-electronics for driving the belt, incline devices, belt lubrication, ventilation and regulating devices, an emergency control lever, a drawer, a plurality of directional ventilation openings, and an aisle provided on the same side of the partition as the second part of the treadmill for accessing components of the second part of the treadmill system.

1. Field
The present invention is directed to a partly-inlaid treadmill, and more specifically to the construction of a treadmill that makes it possible to place and use same in association with a structure, that may or may not be made of brick, so that the user may only access the control components and the treadmill itself.
2. Introduction
As is known by experts and users of treadmills, generally, in fitness centers, condominiums, clubs, among others, treadmill are placed side by side and parallel to one another in order to optimize the space.
Such conventional treadmills that are designed for jogging or running are usually comprised of a running deck, over which a wide belt that is assembled on two parallel rollers slides, the bearings of said rollers being assembled to a rigid structure, one of the driving rollers being actuated by an electric motor. Footboards are disposed on the two sides of said belt, said footboards being coated with an anti-sliding material so that the user may jump from the moving belt and step on the ground safely.
The conventional treadmills are comprised of columns attached to the structure they support and side handrail that the user may hold so that he/she may be held and improve his/her balance. In a number of treadmills, such handrail are provided with buttons for controlling the incline of the treadmill to simulate an ascending slope, buttons for controlling the speed of the belt, as well as sensing contacts for monitoring the heart rate.
In conventional treadmills, the columns also support a panel for controlling and monitoring the treadmill, where the speed and the incline of the treadmill may be changed by means of keys, thus allowing exercise programming data to be input. At the same time, through a luminous or liquid crystal display, the user receives information about the speed, incline, heart rate, distance covered, calories spent, and a number of other infortreadmillion that may be provided by the electronic equipment.
Presently, a large number of the more sophisticated treadmills are provided with a touch-screen that may display recorded television programs or video after it is set up therefore.
In treadmills, the incline system that raises the front part thereof for simulating an ascending slope has little room in the front portion of the structure that also houses the electric driving motor of the roller that actuates the belt, the frequency converter or controller to change the motor speed, magnetic switch, sensors, lubricator, electronic interface and other devices. In such conditions it is very difficult to assemble an optimum rising system, thus use is made of improvised devices that are not provided with the proper rigidity and bend elastically every time the user steps thereon, causing the panel to perform movements that are enhanced by the distance imposed by the height of the columns. The steps of a person having a body weight of 70 kg, at 10 km/h, causes impacts of about 200 kg to the running deck of the treadmill, so it is evident that the rocking of the panel is inevitable. Besides, the assembly is supported on the floor through rubber cushions, what also contributes to the movement of the chassis, columns and panel.
With regard to the aesthetics, the motor case of conventional treadmills has the lowest possible height, and its width also cannot be higher that the width of the structure. This limitation imposes the use of small size drives subject to higher strains and, therefore, more susceptible to break or get worn prematurely. To stabilize the movement of the belt that is subject to consecutive blows due to the steps of the user, it would be desirable that the moment of inertia of the spinning assembly could be raised, especially the electric motor and its flywheel and pulley, but the height of the motor case prevents same to have an optimum diameter and thus a small quantity of the precision in the linear movement of the belt is lost.
Still with reference to the small space available and the high concentration of components inside the structure of the treadmill, it can be seen that it is difficult to cool the (driving and incline) motors, the electronic voltage converter or electronic speed control, and the electronic interface to serve the panel, since the air gaps build labyrinths and the life of more fragile components is at risk if the room temperature raises.
Thus, the motor case is cooled by exchanging heat with the surrounding air of the fitness center that is ultimately removed by the air conditioning system.
Another unusual aspect of the known treadmills is the fact that the belt slides on the deck with the aid of a lubricant that is usually silicon oil or wax diluted in a solvent. At certain intervals of time, an amount of lubricant should be applied to the inner face of the belt to compensate for the evaporation loss. This replacement is either performed manually by using a syringe, or automatically by a fluid pump controlled by a timer. Vapors of the solvent and lubricant fly from the treadmill to the surrounding air. Although its toxicity is minimum, the surrounding air receives such vapors and they are inhaled by the fitness center users.
Also, it should be pointed out that the electric motor, drive and bearings of such treadmill transmit their characteristic noises to the surrounding air, and it is impossible to construct a perfectly silent treadmill.
The conventional treadmills are fed through electric wires, usually connected to contacts on the floor. When the panel displays television images, the antenna cable is added, thus, the contacts and cables should not be placed where it is difficult for people to circulate.
To fix eventual defects or regulate the treadmill, usually the panel or the motor case should be removed from the panel in order to access the components thereof. Thus, the technical assistance is only possible when cowlings are removed for providing access thereto, and in this sense it is not possible to accomplish the on site maintenance while there are users in the fitness center or club.
Aiming at solving all the problems presented by the treadmills of the state of the art, the present invention proposes a new solution that also aims at presenting a new proposal for fitness centers where partly-inlaid treadmills, through this new concept, change radically the inner arrangement of places where collective physical exercises are practiced.
Thus, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a partly-inlaid treadmill that is not limited by the little space for both installing the incline system thereof and housing the electric driving motor that actuates the roller of the belt, the frequency converter or controller to change the speed of the motor, magnetic switch, sensors, lubricator, electronic interface and other devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a partly-inlaid treadmill that assures the assembly of an adequate incline system with a rigidity consistent with the strain to be applied to the treadmill, thus preventing same to bend elastically every time the user steps thereon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a partly-inlaid treadmill that allows for the use of transmissions of suitable dimensions without interfering with the aesthetics of the equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a partly-inlaid ergonomic treadmill that assures the sufficient cooling of the (driving and incline) motor, voltage converter or electronic speed control, and electronic interface to serve the panel so that the inner components of the treadmill are not overheated, thus preventing any threat to the life of more fragile components if the room temperature raises.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a partly-inlaid treadmill that minimizes the transmission of its characteristic noises to the surrounding air.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a partly-inlaid treadmill that allows for the maintenance of eventual defects, or the set up of the treadmill, even while there are users in the fitness center or club, so that the users cannot notice what is going on.


The present disclosure includes an imaging control device, an imaging control method, and an imaging apparatus. The imaging control device includes a focus detection control circuitry configured to determine whether a setting area includes a portion of a dedicated phase difference detection sensor, the setting area being in a photographing range of an imaging unit. The focus detection control circuitry is further configured to set one or more ranging areas of an image plane phase difference detection sensor to one or more first ranging areas in response to determining that the setting area does not include the portion of the dedicated phase difference detection sensor.

Proposed in the related art are various systems for automatically detecting a focal point (auto-focus systems). For example, PTL 1 below describes an imaging device that carries out focusing by employing a focus detector including a dedicated sensor and a focus detector using a part of pixels included in an imaging element while selectively switching therebetween.

Imaging control device and imaging control method


Computer-implemented systems and methods for executing stochastic discrete event simulations for a stochastic model through a design of experiments approach. Streams of random numbers are associated with stochastic model components that are sources of random variation within the stochastic model. A system is configured to manage the streams while the stochastic model is being executed during a simulation.

Discrete event simulation is used to model, study, plan, and improve systems in which random events play a dominant role. These systems are often driven by complicated mathematical and logical relationships, making it difficult to derive an analytical solution. Simulation involves the process of building a model that mimics the behavior of a real-world system of interest.
Often, by using statistical analysis and related methods, it is possible to uncover logical and mathematical relationships among elements of a system. Moreover, many real-world systems include not only complex mathematical and logical relationships but also significant random components. For such systems an analytical model, even a simple one, might not be possible. A far better approach is to incorporate the random elements of the system in the model. Discrete event simulation is one such modeling technique.
A prime motivation for building and running a discrete event simulation model is the creation of realistic data on the performance of the system being modeled, with an overall goal of using the data to make statistically valid inferences about the performance of the system. Discrete event simulation offers the opportunity to generate such data without the need to create and observe the system in the real world. This is an attractive alternative in many cases. For example, building several possible versions of the real-world system might be impossible, impractical, or cost-prohibitive. In extreme cases (as in major construction), it might be true that no real version of the system exists. Some versions of the system might provide such poor service (as in medical settings) as to create unacceptable legal liabilities. In these and many other cases, discrete event simulation is clearly preferable to other approaches (e.g., direct observation).

Computer-implemented systems and methods for augmenting stochastic event simulations for design of experiments


A steering wheel position adjustment device includes a movable bracket having adjusting long holes on both sides in a width direction of the movable bracket, a fixed bracket, a lock shaft penetrating through both of the adjusting long holes to support the movable bracket to the fixed bracket, a collar member which is rotatably supported within the movable bracket by the lock shaft and is capable of moving along, with the lock shaft, in a longitudinal direction and stopper shock-absorbing materials, which are attached to both side sections in the longitudinal direction of the adjusting long holes within the movable bracket, and each of which is formed thereon with an abutment surface against which the collar member abuts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering wheel position adjustment device in which a stopper shock-absorbing material for absorbing shocks during tilt/telescopic adjustment can be mounted on a predetermined position extremely easily and shock-absorbing capacity for tilt/telescopic adjustment can be improved in a steering device having a tilt/telescopic adjustment mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
A steering device with a tilt/telescopic adjustment mechanism, which is capable of adjusting the position of the steering wheel vertically and longitudinally in accordance with the physical constitution of a driver, has been conventionally frequently used (see Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication S64-28365 and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2006-240327). In the structure of this steering device having a tilt/telescopic adjustment mechanism, tilting and telescopic long holes are formed in a bracket portion, and a lock lever shaft and the like which penetrate through these long holes are inserted and disposed. The problem in this structure is that when a metallic bolt is moved along the long holes, end surfaces of the long holes, also made of metal, collide with the bolt at a tilt/telescopic operation limit position, thereby causing metallic clank and impairing quietness and soft operational touch in the operation limit position when the bolt and the end surfaces of the long holes hit against each other.
In order to prevent metallic contact between the bolt and the long hole end portions of the bracket member, there is considered means for absorbing shocks by attaching a stopper material formed by a rubber, a synthetic resin or the like to the long hole end portions so that the bolt shaft and the long hole end portions do not abut against each other directly.
As disclosed in Unexamined Utility Model Application Publication S64-28365 and Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2006-240327, the stopper shock-absorbing material made of a rubber, a synthetic resin or the like was attached, whereby it was possible to absorb shocks and realize quietness. In recent years, however, as to operational feeling in tilt/telescopic adjustment of the steering wheel, it is required to provide automobiles with a higher level of quietness and operational touch in tilt/telescopic adjustment. An object of the present invention, therefore, is to improve operational feeling when performing the adjustment, and particularly to reduce shocks and impact noises that are caused at the time of operation.

Steering wheel position adjustment device


A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate, an active area in the semiconductor substrate, two trenches intersecting the active area to thereby divide the active area into a source region and two drain regions spaced apart from the source region, a saddle-shaped N+/N−/N+ structure in the source region of the active area; and two N+ drain doping regions in the two drain regions, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor structure. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved semiconductor memory device capable of suppressing wordline-wordline (WL-WL) disturb and/or bitline-bitline (BL-BL) coupling during the operation of the memory device. A method of making the semiconductor structure is also disclosed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Memory cell layouts are constantly miniaturized to be in accordance with product demands and the trends of high integration, high performance, and low power consumption.
One conventional dynamic random access memory (DRAM) layout includes wordlines that are perpendicular to the bitlines. Two wordlines may pass a same active area for forming two transistors in the same active area. The lengthwise direction of the active area may intersect with the wordlines at an acute angle. A bitline contact plug is located between the two transistors and electrically connected to a bitline. The bitline is electrically coupled to a source doping region that is commonly shared by the two transistors.
However, the above-described DRAM configuration suffers from so-called wordline-wordline (WL-WL) disturb failures when the operation state of one of the adjacent cells changes the state of information stored in the other of the adjacent cells. In the field of DRAM technology, there is a need for an improved semiconductor structure that is capable of reducing the WL-WL disturb failures.

Hwa-Ya Technology Park Kueishan, Taoyuan


A device for fusing a predetermined toner image on a paper and which electrically insulates a heating body of a fusing unit from a power supply unit by heating the heating body using an induced current generated by a transformer. The fusing device includes an insulation unit for generating an induced current in response to an alternating current, a heating body heated by the generated induced current, a toner fusing unit which fuses the toner image on the paper using the heat received from the heating body, and a tube-expansion adhesion portion closely adhering the heating body to the toner fusing unit using a predetermined tube-expansion pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for fusing a predetermined toner image on paper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fusing device in which a heating body of a fusing unit is electrically insulated from a power supply unit, and wherein the heating body is heated using an induced current generated by a transformer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional image printing apparatus comprises a fusing device which applies a predetermined pressure and heat amount to a toner so as to fuse a predetermined toner image on a paper. The fusing device includes a fusing unit which applies a predetermined amount of heat to the toner, and a pressurizer which applies a predetermined pressure to the toner. The fusing unit further includes a heating body which generates heat used to fuse a toner image on the paper, and a fusing roller which transfers the heat generated by the heating body onto the paper.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a lateral plane through a conventional fusing unit 10 of a fusing device using a halogen lamp as a heat source. Referring to FIG. 1, the fusing unit 10 comprises a fusing roller 11 and a heating body 12, which is comprised of a halogen lamp, installed in the center of the fusing unit 10. A coating layer 11a made of Teflon is formed on the surface of the fusing roller 11. The heating body 12 generates heat, and the fusing roller 11 is heated by radiant heat transferred from the heating body 12.
In a conventional fusing unit using a halogen lamp as a heat source, a warm-up time is required to reach a target fusing temperature after electrical energy is supplied to the fusing unit. This warm-up time can range from several seconds to several minutes. Thus, a user is required to wait for the completion of such lengthy warm-up times when printing an image.
In the conventional fusing unit using the halogen lamp as the heat source, in order to reduce the warm-up time, the temperature of the fusing roller is maintained above room temperature for a predetermined amount of time, even when a printing operation is not performed. Thus, unnecessary power consumption occurs.
Accordingly, a need exists for a system and method for quickly and efficiently providing heat for a fusing unit operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Method and system for training a neural network. The neural network is split into first and second portions. A k-layer first portion is sent to a client training/inference engine and the second portion is retained by a server training/inference engine. At the splitting point, the kth layer is a one-way function in output computation has a number of nodes that are less than any other layer of the first portion. The client training/inference engine trains the first portion with input data in a set of training data. The server training/inference engine receives a batch of outputs from the client training and applies them to the second portion to train the entire neural network.

Machine learning (ML) applications, such as training artificial neural networks and using artificial neural networks to generate output results, have been making a broader and deeper impact into fields like healthcare, security, management, transportation, software, and hardware. While this trend is occurring, another trend is to place and run applications in a cloud environment (e.g., on one or more servers in a cloud) or build them natively in the cloud to improve flexibility in deployment and cost savings. However, placing machine-learning applications in the cloud can subject such applications to vulnerabilities. In the cloud, these applications receive data from a source (e.g., computing device) outside the cloud or outside a tenant of the same cloud and provide results to an output (e.g., computing device) outside the cloud or outside the tenant, thereby exposing the data and output results of the neural network to observers outside the cloud or outside the tenant of the same cloud and making the training and inference of a neural network susceptible to attacks. Some examples of such attacks include, but are not limited to: (1) attackers injecting false data and inputs into the neural network to make false inference results and (2) attackers accessing or stealing data sent from a source for authorized use.
It is desirable to prevent machine learning applications from being vulnerable to a breach while such applications still operate in the cloud. It is also desirable to improve the performance of such machine learning applications.

Secure cloud-based machine learning without sending original data to the cloud


In a method for operating a fuel injection device of a motor vehicle, fuel is conveyed under high pressure into a high-pressure reservoir, the pressure of which is controlled with the aid of a pressure regulation and from which fuel is taken for injection via at least one fuel injection valve under the control of a control device. A control pressure deviation of the pressure in the high-pressure reservoir is detected and the existence of a balance disturbance between quantity of fuel supplied to the high-pressure reservoir and quantity of fuel taken from the high-pressure reservoir is deduced from the control pressure deviation. If a balance disturbance exists, operational influencing of the fuel injection device counteracting the balance disturbance is produced and/or a corresponding report is generated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for operating a fuel injection device of a motor vehicle, and a computer program that executes all steps of the method according to the present invention.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel injection device is known from published German Patent Application document DE 196 25 487 A1. In the case of that device, fuel is conveyed under high pressure into a high-pressure reservoir (in the case of a self-ignition internal combustion engine the so-called "common rail") the pressure of which is controlled by a pressure regulator disposed in a control unit or by a corresponding pressure control valve and from which fuel is taken for injection via electrically controlled injection valves.
In operation of such an injection device, it may happen that owing to a malfunction the quantity (or mass) of fuel actually supplied to the high-pressure reservoir is not equal to the quantity envisaged for fuel injection and required for the pressure regulation. It is therefore known to carry out, at least occasionally, an examination of the fuel quantity balance in the high-pressure reservoir.
To prevent an inadequate fuel quantity balance, configuration of the injection device is effected with regard to the mentioned balance of incoming and outgoing quantities (masses) of fuel in the mentioned high-pressure reservoir, this being done in a manner known per se subject to estimated or empirically obtained properties of components of the injection device that determine the fuel flow, and in the worst case with a total failure of one or more of those components.
Alternatively or in addition, the mentioned configuration of the injection device is effected assuming a given standard fuel. Since the quality of the fuel, and in the present case especially the viscosity of the fuel, may be subject to fluctuations in various markets or regions, so that by way of example only a fuel having, for example, a relatively low viscosity is offered for sale, the configuration must also take those possible fluctuations into account.
In driving operation of a motor vehicle having such an internal combustion engine, the situation may therefore arise that properties or modes of behavior predicted for mentioned components are not maintained and, as a result, the mentioned balance of quantities of fuel flowing into and out of the mentioned high-pressure reservoir is no longer ensured.
In both of the mentioned cases of varying component properties and/or varying fuel quality or viscosity, the balance of the incoming and outgoing flows in the high-pressure reservoir would be disturbed in the mentioned situations and therefore the fuel pressure in the high-pressure reservoir would continuously or successively fall. As a countermeasure, the mentioned pressure regulator would increase the incoming flow into the high-pressure reservoir until a predefined control limit of the regulator, that is, the maximum possible incoming quantity in the case of the above-mentioned configuration, were reached. If the fuel pressure were then to fall further or if the fuel pressure were not to recover again from too low a level, the internal combustion engine would have to be shut down on the assumption that there was an external leak.

Method and device for operating a fuel injection device, especially of a motor vehicle


A consumable billet for melting and casting a metal matrix composite component is made of a consolidated powder metal matrix composite having a titanium or titanium alloy matrix reinforced with particles. The preferred billet is a blended and sintered powder metal composite billet incorporating titanium carbide or titanium boride into a Ti--6Al--4V alloy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to titanium and titanium alloy metal matrix composite billets produced by powder metallurgy for use as melt starting stock to produce metal matrix composite articles by casting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Titanium has many properties that make it an attractive material for high performance applications. For example, it has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of the structural metals, and will form a thin, tough protective oxide film making it extremely oxidation resistant.
Titanium and titanium alloy metal matrix composites have been developed for applications requiring enhanced physical and mechanical properties. By incorporating ceramic or intermetallic particles in a titanium alloy matrix, improvements in strength, modulus, hardness and wear resistance have been achieved. These particulate reinforced metal matrix composites are typically manufactured using powder metallurgical (P/M) methods. Examples of P/M processes are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,731,115, 4,906,430, and 4,968,348, each of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. To produce fully dense structural shapes, one preferred P/M process consists of blending pure titanium powder with appropriate ceramic or intermetallic materials in particulate form, together with alloying additions in either elemental or pre-alloyed powder form, then consolidating the blended powders in a controlled sequence: first, cold isostatic pressing, followed by vacuum sintering at elevated temperature and finally hot isostatic pressing. This CHIP process sequence results in a particulate reinforced metal matrix alloy in the form of a high density or fully dense solid, manufactured to a near-net shape.
Using this process, it is typically necessary to machine the P/M preform to achieve the final component shape and dimensions. Since machining requires a loss of starting material, and incurs significant costs associated with capital equipment, expensive tooling, labor and extended schedule, it is desirable to manufacture some titanium metal matrix composite components directly to the finished dimensions with little or no machining. Articles of titanium and titanium alloys may be produced most economically and repeatably to near net shape by casting.
Castings of titanium and its alloys are typically made by vacuum arc remelting (VAR) process, wherein a consumable electrode billet of the desired alloy composition is progressively melted into the liquid state by an electric current flowing across a voltage potential in the form of a plasma arc. The alloy melts from the electrode tip and collects in a molten pool contained within a crucible. To chemically isolate the highly reactive molten metal from the crucible walls and thus avoid a source of contamination, the crucible walls are actively cooled so that the first molten metal in the crucible forms a solidified layer or "skull." This skull ensures that the molten titanium does not come into direct contact with the crucible, but rather only contacts other titanium metal, thereby minimizing contamination of the final product. After enough molten metal has been collected in the crucible or the electrode billet has been consumed, the liquid metal is poured into a casting mold, wherein the molten metal solidifies and takes on the desired final component shape and dimensions.
Other vacuum melting methods, such as vacuum induction melting (VIM), may be similarly employed to render titanium and titanium alloys molten prior to casting.
The powder metal composite billets of this invention may also serve as starting stock for these melt processes when casting titanium metal matrix composite articles.


In one embodiment of the present invention, a distance measuring device for use with a power tool having an alignment area for receiving a work piece, comprises a measuring sensor proximate to said alignment area that produces a first signal corresponding to longitudinal motion of the work piece within the alignment area; a processor that receives the first signal, determines a longitudinal distance traveled by the work piece within the alignment area from the first signal, and outputs a second signal corresponding to the longitudinal distance traveled by said work piece within said alignment area; and a display receiving the second signal from the processor and providing an alpha-numeric representation of the distance traveled by the work piece within the alignment area.

Conventional power tools, such as miter saws, routers, drill presses and the like, offer a distinct advantage over manually operated tools because they can enhance an operator's precision, accuracy, and efficiency while simultaneously reducing the amount of physical labor required of the operator. As a result, the operator may focus his effort on properly laying out and executing the work to be performed on the work piece. In carpentry, woodworking, metal working and pipe fitting, a power tool operator often lays out the work to be performed on a work piece by using a standard measuring tape to determine the location where the power tool must be applied. After measuring the proper position to apply the power tool, the operator scribes a mark on the work piece with a pencil, pen, marker or other marking tool and then loads the work piece on the power tool to cut or drill into the work piece at the marked position.
Standard measuring tapes are marked in 1/16 inch graduations; however, in precision carpentry, such as cabinetry and furniture making, the 1/16 inch graduations on standard measuring tapes often do not offer an acceptable level of precision, and the carpenter must "eyeball" the measurement when the required distance falls between 1/16 inch graduations. Marking the work piece also inserts a level of imprecision because the operator must account for the thickness of the pencil led or scribing tool when sawing, drilling or routing the work piece. Additionally, when using a saw, the operator must account for the kerf of the saw blade and choose which side of the mark to cut so that the saw blade kerf will not remove too much material from the work piece. This process is inefficient as the carpenter must take the time to measure the distance, mark the work piece, and then stow the measuring tape before actually applying the tool. The present invention seeks to increase a power tool operator's precision and efficiency.


Wound strings for a musical instrument include inharmonicity compensation. A portion of the wound string, preferably at one or both ends thereof, includes a concentric winding. The concentric winding has a length l.sub.comp given by: ##EQU1## where D.sub.s is the outer diameter of portions of the wound string remote from the compensating winding, D.sub.comp is the diameter of the wound string at the compensating winding, d is the diameter of the core wire and l.sub.bare is the length of the bare end of the string.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the construction of strings for musical instruments and more specifically to a construction and method for the manufacture of wound bass strings used in pianos.
2. Description of Related Art
Strings for musical instruments have various constructions and this invention is particularly adapted for wound strings used for the bass notes in a piano. Such strings generally comprise a steel core wire with a helical overwinding of copper wire in one, two or three layers to form single-, double- and triple-wound bass strings. A basic approach for constructing strings of this type is well known in the art. For example, Samuel Wolfendon, "A Treatise on the Art of Pianoforte Construction", Unwin Bros Ltd, Old Woking, Surrey, England, 1975, (31-33) discloses the process for achieving correct tension and loudness for different strings using such wrapping wires. The final string is stretched between the agraffe and tuning pins at the tuning block end of the piano and bridge pins and hitch pin at the other end of the piano. When tensioned and struck by a hammer, the string vibrates and
Various constructions have been proposed for piano strings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,049,769 (1936) to Gray discloses wound strings for musical instruments. In this particular approach, a fabric impregnated with a suitable varnish-like material surrounds the string and fills all voids and interstices to produce a unitary string body. This composite string then owes its resonance and musical property to the structure as a whole and does not depend upon modification or muting of any reinforcement by the covering.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,746,335 (1956) to Johnson discloses a piano string in which a portion contains concentric windings. This structure discloses a double wound bass string in which the overwrapped coil or wrapping wire terminates in a flattened tapered portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,658 (1996) to Kalosdian discloses a musical instrument string with a plurality of inner wrapped wires that are helically wound about a central portion of the core wire. An outer wrapped wire is helically wound concentrically about the complete length of the inner wrapped wires and most of the side portions of the core wire. Opposite ends of the core wire extend outwardly from the outer wrapped wire. The outer wrapped wire contains the inner wrapped wires in place on the central portion of the core wire so the inner wrapped wires cannot loosen and will last longer.
Other efforts have been undertaken to control tone quality for musical strings. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,429 (1979) to Heyne discloses a piano bass string with a load carrying or core wire. At least one wrapping wire encircles the load carrying wire. The encircling, or wrapping, wire comprises a tubular casing of drawable material and a core which is heavier than the drawable material. The modulus of elasticity influences the timbre of the core and the timbre can be influenced by different proportions of copper and lead.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,480 (1970) to Conklin and U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,038 (1977) to Conklin disclose a different approach in which the strings for a musical instrument are tuned for both flexure and longitudinal modes of string vibration. The instrument and its strings are designed so that the frequencies of the fundamental longitudinal modes bear a specific relationship to the frequencies of the fundamental flexure modes of the string vibration. Moreover these references disclose an apparatus for wrapping the strings that comprises an elongated track mounting an opposing pair of heads having rotatable shafts to which the opposite ends of a core wire are fastened. The shafts rotate in unison. The wrapping wire is fed into contact with the core wire, maintained in tension, by a vertically disposed feed arm suspended from an overhead carriage. A predetermined tension is applied to the wrapping wire.
All of these references disclose the addition of a copper or other wrapping wire to bass strings. These additions solve loudness and space problems for bass notes, but still create a problem in tone quality. Specifically it is known that an excessively short bass strings have very poor tone quality. It has been thought that the only remedy is to lengthen the piano.
It has been found, however, that excessive inharmonicity is a fundamental contributor to poor tone quality. Derived formulas for the inharmonicity demonstrate that the unwrapped ends of wound strings contribute the most to bass string inharmonicity and become the largest contributor to poor sound tone quality. Albert Sanderson, Piano Technology Topics, 1982. In addition, there are now available and in use, instruments that assist in tuning musical instruments and establish tuning frequencies for each note in a piano. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,968,719 and 5,285,711, assigned to the assignee of this invention, disclose, such instruments and tuning methods. Measurements in a selected number of strings produce a characteristic inharmonicity for the instrument and each string is assumed to have that inharmonicity. Conventional wound strings, however, can exhibit inharmonicity values that deviate significantly from the characteristic inharmonicity, particularly for short strings found in spinet, upright and small grand pianos. While tuning according to such methodologies as described in the foregoing references improves tuning quality, the results may still not provide an optimal tuning for the wound strings. Thus, it is important and highly desirable to provide strings that have an ideal inharmonicity.
Reducing the diameter of the core wire can modify inharmonicity, but there are undesirable effects. Reducing the diameter obviously weakens the bass strings that tend to break under constant playing. Moreover, it has been found that the inharmonicity that bare ends provide are not exactly the same as the type of inharmonicity that a core wire creates. The overtones of the bare end type of inharmonicity do not correspond exactly in frequency to those of the core wire inharmonicity except to the first approximation for low numbered overtones and various short bare end lengths.
Another approach to correcting the inharmonicity added by bare ends is to keep the bare ends as short as possible. To a first approximation, the inharmonicity contributed by bare ends rises as the cube of the length of the bare end. Customarily bare ends have been specified to be about 40 mm. This led to high inharmonicity and very poor tone quality in short scale pianos such as upright, spinet and small grand pianos. Over the years the best practice has evolved to require a bare length of less than about half that distance. This reduces the contribution of the bare ends by a factor of about 8. Even so the contribution of the bare ends to the overall inharmonicity is still too great for optimal tone quality.
Notwithstanding these advances, the issue of the contribution to inharmonicity of the bare ends of a bass string, whether single-, double- or triple-wound string, have an adverse effect particularly on short strings used in upright pianos and small grand pianos. Consequently the tone quality from such pianos often times is very poor.

Method for making wound strings for musical instruments characterized by reduced inharmonicity


A blank assembly includes a tray blank having a first end panel assembly, a first side panel assembly, a second end panel assembly, and a second side panel assembly in series. Each panel assembly includes a removable pad panel. The tray blank further includes a bottom panel extending from each panel assembly at a fold line. The blank assembly further includes a first side insert blank configured to couple to the first side panel assembly. The first side insert blank having a removable pad panel configured to at least partially align with the removable pad panel of the first side panel assembly. A second side insert blank is configured to couple to the second side panel assembly. The second side insert blank includes a removable pad panel configured to at least partially align with the removable pad panel of the second side panel assembly.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to a tray container for shipping and displaying products and, more particularly, to a blank assembly for forming a reinforced tray container capable of nesting within another such tray container when the tray containers are stacked.
At least some known tray containers are used for shipping and displaying products. More specifically, such tray containers include side walls that are open to display the product therein and enable access to the products through the opening in the side walls. However, end walls of such containers are solid and do not enable viewing of or access to the products. As such, the containers can only be used in a limited number of orientations when used for display.
Further, with respect to the known trays, a shipping pad is usually placed in the opening of the side walls to prevent damage to the products during shipping and/or provide additional support to the container during shipping. This shipping pad is a separate piece that must be shrink wrapped, or otherwise coupled, to the known tray during shipping and is not part of the tray wall. At least one of the known tray containers includes a center divider.
Additionally, at least some of the known trays are not knocked-down flat type containers and, thus, requires numerous steps and/or a machine to erect the tray. These known trays also do not include an automatically-erecting bottom wall having a substantially double-overlapping bottom wall.

Blank assembly for forming a reinforced, stackable tray container


An apparatus for supplying a component carrier in the form of a tape is provided. The component carrier has a number of cavities formed on one surface thereof for containing components. A pair of spaced first and second guide plates that function to guide one surface of the component carrier. A movable guide plate is disposed between the first and second guide plates so that it can move back and forth between a first position adjacent to the first guide plate for defining a component pickup station and a second position adjacent to the second guide plate. The movable guide plate has an extension which extends along at least one longitudinal edge of the component carrier and opposes the one surface of the component carrier for preventing movement thereof when the movable guide plate takes the first position.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a component supply system for supplying electronic components to a component placement machine in which electronic components are mounted on a circuit substrate such as an electronic circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 shows a conventional component placement machine generally indicated by reference numeral 10 for mounting electronic components on a circuit substrate. The component placement machine 10 has a component supply 11 for supplying electronic components 12, a placement head 13 for picking up components 12 from the component supply 11 and then placing the components 12 onto a circuit substrate 14, a transport device 15 for transporting the placement head 13 from one place to another, a recognition device 16 or a camera for recognizing positions, i.e., horizontal and angular positions, of the component 12 held by the placement head 13, a substrate holder 17 for supplying the circuit substrate 14 into the component placement machine 10 and then hold it in the machine, and a controller 18 for controlling overall operations of the component placement machine 10.
The component supply 11 holds one or more component supply cassettes 19. Each component supply cassette 19 supports a component supply reel 20 around which a tape carrying electronic components is wound. The placement head 13 has a vacuum quill 21 for sucking and thereby holding the component 12. The quill 21 is mechanically connected with an angular control mechanism 22 so that it can rotate about a vertical axis parallel to Z-axis indicated in the drawing to make an angular adjustment of the component held thereon. The transport device 15 has an X-axis transport mechanism 23 and Y-axis transport mechanism 24 for a horizontal movement of the placement head 13. The circuit substrate 14 may be a substrate on which one or more electronic components have already been mounted before being supplied into the placement machine. In this instance, additional electronic components 12 may be mounted on that particular circuit substrate. The recognition device 16 for recognizing the component 12 held by the quill 21 is electrically connected to an image processor 25 where an image picked up by the recognition device 16 is used for a determination whether the component is properly held on the quill or not.
In operation of the component placement machine 10 so constructed, the components 12 to be mounted are supplied to a component supply station (not shown in the drawing) by means of the component supply cassette 19 held by the component supply 11. The placement head 13 arrives above the component supply, and then the quill 21 moves down toward the component 12 and suck it. Then, the quill 21 moves up together with the component 12 held thereto. Subsequently, the placement head 13 is transported by the transport device 15 to a position opposing the recognition device 16. The recognition device 16 catches an image of the component 12 held by the quill 21. The image is then transmitted to the image processor 25. The image processor 25 performs a certain image process to determine possible horizontal and/or angular misalignment of the component 12, which is then transmitted to the controller 18. Using the determined misalignment, the controller 18 adjusts the position of the placement head 13 that is moving toward the circuit substrate 14, so that the component 12 is correctly positioned above the circuit substrate 14. The component 12 is then mounted onto the substrate 14 by the downward movement of the quill 21.
FIGS. 10 and 11 show the component supply cassette 19 and the reel 20 attached thereto. As best seen in FIG. 11, a number of components 12 are carried by a component carrier 26 in the form of a strip or a tape by having regular intervals 27 among each other. More specifically, the component carrier 26 has a base tape 28 having relatively large thickness. The base tape 28 has a number of cavities 29 or concave portions formed on one surface thereof at the regular intervals 27 so that in each of the cavities 29 a corresponding electronic component 12 is contained. To prevent the component 12 from dropping out of the cavity 29 and/or blocking invasion of dust into the cavity 29, one surface of the base tape 28 is covered with a thin top tape 30 in the form of a strip attached thereto. In operation of the component supply 11, a portion of the top tape 30 is peeled off immediately before reaching the component pickup station, thereby allowing the quill 21 to access the component 12 contained inside the cavity. The base tape 28 also has a number of perforations 31 formed therein at regular intervals.
As shown in FIG. 12, the component supply cassette 19 has a main frame 32 for defining a transport passage 33 of the component carrier, indicated by a dotted line. The main frame 32 carries a support shaft 34 on which the component supply reel 20 is detachably mounted, a shutter mechanism 35 for peeling off the top tape from the base tape and then exposing the component to the quill at the pickup station for the pickup operation of the component, a feed mechanism 36 for feeding the component carrier intermittently, a reel drive mechanism 38 for rotating a winding reel 37, and a tape guide member 39 for guiding the base tape after it has been separated from the top tape.
As shown in FIGS. 13A–13C and 14A–14D, the shutter mechanism 35 has a fixed guide 40 along and under which the component carrier 26 is transported. The fixed guide 40 has an upstream guide plate 41 and a downstream guide plates 42 positioned on upstream side and downstream side, respectively, of a direction indicated by an arrow 43, along which the component carrier is transported, and thereby defining an opening 44 between these two guide plates 41 and 42. A movable guide plate or a shutter 45 in the form of plate is positioned between the upstream and downstream guide plates 41 and 42. The shutter 45 is arranged to move back and forth in the carrier transporting direction 43 between a first position adjacent to the upstream guide plate 41 where it opens the component pickup station 46 for allowing the quill to access the component, and a second position adjacent to the downstream guide plate 42 where it closes the component pickup station 46, preventing the quill to access the component. For this purpose, the shutter 45 is drivingly connected with the feed mechanism 36, which will be described below. The movable shutter 45 has a slot 70 extending in a transverse direction through which the peeled top tape is pulled out toward the winding reel 37.
As shown in FIG. 15, the reel drive mechanism 38 of the component supply cassette has a support shaft 47 around which the winding reel 37 is supported for rotation. The shaft 47 is connected with an operation lever 48 and a winding lever 49. In turn, the operation lever 48 is connected with one end of a linkage 50 for moving the shutter 45, and the winding lever 49 is connected at its free end with a biasing spring 51 so that the levers 48 and 49 are biased in a direction indicated by an arrow 52 (i.e., counterclockwise direction in the drawing). A one-way clutch 53 is disposed between the support shaft 47 and the winding reel 37 so that the winding reel 37 follows rotation of the levers 48 and 49 in the clockwise direction in the drawing but it does not follow rotation of these levers in the counterclockwise direction. That is, when the operation lever 48 is rotated in the clockwise direction against the biasing spring 51, the winding reel 37 rotates in the same direction for winding a certain length of the peeled top tape, and when the operation lever 48 is rotated by the biasing spring 51 in the counterclockwise direction, the winding reel 37 stays without any rotation.
As shown in FIG. 16, the feed mechanism 36 of the component supply cassette for intermittent transportation of the component carrier includes a shaft 52 around which a wheel lever 53 is rotatably secured. The wheel lever 53 is connected to the other end of the linkage 50 (see FIG. 15) through a pivot 54 so that the linkage 50 may rotate about the pivot 54 freely. The wheel lever 53 has an actuator 55 or lever defined therein, which engages with the shutter 45. Specifically, the shutter 45 has a side plate 56 defined with a U-shaped cutout 47 with which the actuator 55 engages. This allows that rotation of the wheel lever 53 causes the shutter 45 to move back and forth in the carrier transporting direction 43.
For the purpose of intermittent feeding of the base tape, a feed wheel 58 and a ratchet wheel 59 secured to the feed wheel 58 by bolts 60 are supported for rotation about the shaft 52 through a one-way clutch 61. The one-way clutch 61 functions so that the feed and ratchet wheels 58 and 59 follow rotation of the wheel lever 53 in the counterclockwise direction 62 in the drawing but they do not follow the rotation of the wheel lever 53 in the clockwise direction 63. The ratchet wheel 59 is provided at its periphery with a number of teeth 64.
A ratchet lever 65 is rotatably secured to the wheel lever 53 and it engages with ratchet teeth 64 of the ratchet wheel 59. A stop lever 66 is rotatably secured to the frame of the cassette and it also engages with ratchet teeth 64 of the ratchet wheel 59 so as to prevent free rotation of the wheels 58 and 59 in the clockwise direction but it allows rotation of these wheels in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing. In order to feed the base tape 28 in synchronism with rotation of the wheel 58, the feed wheel 58 is provided at its periphery with a number of teeth 67 for engagement with the perforations 31 formed in the base tape 28.
In operation, the operation lever 48 is rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. 15. Upon this rotation, the winding reel 37 is rotated in the same direction and wind up peeled top tape. At the same time, a certain length of the top tape located near the slot 70 of the shutter is peeled off from the base tape. Rotation of the operation lever 48 also rotates the wheel lever 53 in the direction 63 shown in FIG. 16, and this causes movement of the shutter 45 against the component carrier transporting direction 43. As a result, the component 12 is exposed to the quill 21 at the pickup station 46. With the rotation of the wheel lever 53 in the direction shown by the arrow 63, the ratchet lever 65 slides over several teeth 64 of the ratchet wheel 59. Throughout this rotation, the stop lever 66 continues to engage with one specific tooth 64 of the ratchet wheel 59, so that the ratchet wheel 59 as well as the feed wheel 58 stays without rotation.
Then, when the operation lever 48 is released, the lever 48 rotates in the counterclockwise direction by the biasing force of the spring 51, as shown in FIG. 15. By this rotation of the operation lever 48, the linkage 50 rotates the wheel lever 53 in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 16. As shown in FIG. 16, with this rotation of the wheel lever 53, the ratchet lever 65 engaged with a certain tooth 64 of the ratchet wheel 59 causes the ratchet wheel 59 as well as the feed wheel 58 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction. At this moment, the stop lever 66 slides over the ratchet teeth 64 so as to allow rotation of the ratchet wheel 59 relative to the stop lever 66. Also, by rotation of the actuator 55, the shutter is moved in the direction shown by the arrow 43 to close the component pickup station 46.
With the rotation of the feed wheel 58 in the counterclockwise direction, the base tape 28 is forwarded by a certain distance in the direction 43 due to engagement of its perforations 31 with the tooth 67. This causes the subsequent cavity 29 and the component 12 contained therein to be moved to the component pickup station 46. By repetition of the above-described operations, the components 12 carried by the component carrier 26 are picked up by the quill 21 one after another intermittently, and then mounted on the circuit substrate.
The size of electronic components supplied by tapes or component carriers varies in a wide range. For example, a relatively small component has a size of 1.0 mm×0.5 mm×0.5 mm or even 0.6 mm×0.3 mm×0.3 mm. Generally, each component is contained inside the cavity of the component carrier in a most stable condition, i.e., with its major surface faces vertically. Although, in case of a particularly small and lightweight component, it is likely to bounce up and around inside the cavity because of vibrations transmitted not only from driving mechanism included in the component supply cassette itself but also from others included in devices located nearby.
Therefore, after the top tape is peeled off from the base tape, if nothing exists in place of the top tape, it may happen that the component takes an upright position with its major surface faces horizontally. This is so problematic because the component in such an upright position prevents its correct mounting onto the circuit substrate as well as its vacuum sucking by the quill.
In order to solve this problem, a variety of techniques related to the mechanisms to be employed around the component pickup station have been developed. In one example, as shown in FIGS. 13A to 13C, upper side guide member of the component supply cassette is separated into two guide plates 41 and 42. The shutter 45 is then provided between these two guide plates 41 and 42 so that the shutter 45 may move between the first position adjacent to the upstream guide plate 41, and the second position adjacent to the downstream guide plate 42.
With this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 13A, when the shutter 45 takes the first position, the electronic component (not shown in the drawing) is exposed between the shutter 45 and the downstream guide plate 42, thereby the component may be picked up by the quill. After the pickup operation of the component, as shown in FIG. 13B, the shutter 45 moves to the second position adjacent to the downstream guide plate 42. At the same time, the component carrier 26 is forwarded by a predetermined distance, so that the subsequent component 12 is transported to the pickup station 46. At this moment, as can be seen from the drawing, the component to be picked up is still covered by the shutter 45. This prevents the component from taking the upright position. Next, as shown in FIG. 13C, the shutter 45 moves backward to the first position adjacent to the upstream guide plate 41. This allows the component 12 to be picked up by the quill.
During such an operation, as shown in FIGS. 14A to 14D, the top tape 30 is peeled off from the base tape 28 at the movement of the shutter 45 from the second position to the first position in synchronism with the rotation of the winding reel. Disadvantageously, after this backward movement of the shutter 45 uncovering the base tape results in that revealed portion of the base tape 28 is subject to vibrations, which causes the component 12 to bounce up and around inside the cavity 29. Eventually, this may cause difficulties in the subsequent vacuum sucking operation by the quill.
In addition, especially for the case of a relatively vulnerable base tape, e.g., the base tape for chip components having a size of 0.6 mm×0.3 mm (so called 0603 chips), as shown in FIG. 14D, the movement of the shutter 45 from its first position to the second position may drag the revealed part of such base tape 28 and nip it with the second guide plate 42, which results in the transport defect of the component carrier 26.
Besides, a variety of research studies revealed that deformation of a portion of the base tape adjacent to the downstream guide plate where the base tape is disengaged from the feed wheel transmits vibration to the component in the pickup station. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, in the conventional component supply cassette, the downstream guide plate 42 is designed to provide a minimum frictional force to the disengaging base tape 28. Also, a third guide plate 71 is positioned on the downward side of the downstream guide plate 42 for directing the disengaged base tape 28 downward so that it defines a relatively large space 72 with respect to the feed wheel 58. This causes the disengaged base tape 28 to travel in a direction substantially parallel to the tangential line of the wheel 58. However, the disengaged and curved tape 28 encourages vibration which is then transmitted to the other portion of the base tape 28 located in the pickup station, causing the component to bounce up and take an upright position inside the cavity.
Also, another technique has been disclosed in Japanese patent publication 9-186487 (A) for preventing the bouncing of the component. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, a permanent magnet 75 is disposed under the tape transport passage in a region of the tape peeling station and the component pickup station. The permanent magnet 75 attracts the components positioned in this area, where the top tape for covering such components has been peeled off, so as to retain these components in their proper position inside the corresponding cavities. This arrangement may effectively prevent the component from bouncing up or dropping out of the cavity caused by vibrations as well as an electrostatic force generated as a result of peeling off of the top tape.
In the meantime, electronic components to be mounted on the circuit substrate typically use magnetic materials for their electrodes, which makes the electronic components to be attracted by the magnet. However, if the electrodes are plated with palladium, or the component itself is in a very small size, the magnetic force attracting such a component is considerably weak. Even such small components, however, may be attracted by enhancing the magnetic field of the magnet as much as, for example, 100 Gausses or above.
In order to facilitate pickup operation by the quill 21 even with the existence of such magnetic attraction force, a thrust pin 76 may be disposed under the pickup station 46 as indicated by the dotted line in the drawing. The thrust pin 76 is mechanically connected with the operation lever 48 so that, when the lever 48 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the drawing, the thrust pin is driven to move upward. As shown in FIG. 19, in order to allow the thrust pin 76 to contact a bottom surface of the component 12 and lift it up, there is formed a through-hole 77 in a corresponding portion of the magnet 75.
Although the thrust pin 76 effectively helps the vacuum quill 21 for picking up the component 12, this arrangement tends to increase the vacuum force F2 (see FIG. 20) needed for the quill 21 to pick up the component 12. This means that an excessive attraction force F1 (see FIG. 20) by the magnet 75 will make it difficult for the vacuum quill 21 to pick up the component 12, which in turn limits the attraction force by the magnet 75. Also, the magnetic field generated around the pickup station 46 may cause an adverse affect on positioning the component 12 held by the quill 21 in a proper condition.
In addition, due to bouncing of the component inside the cavity may dislocate a contact position between the component and the thrust pin. In this instance, the larger component may be held properly by the quill in a correct position, whereas the smaller component may be held by the quill in an incorrect position.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method of generating a deniable commitment of personal data of a user with an unlinkable proof of the commitment of the personal data for securing user privacy in a digital identity system includes receiving the personal data of the user and receiving the commitment of the personal data according to a commitment scheme. An interactive zero-knowledge proof is engaged in with the user so as to verify that the commitment of the personal data opens to the personal data of the user.

Many types of computer systems, and in particular digital identity systems as computerized platforms for verifying digital identities of users, require users to commit to their digital personal data on some potentially public platform in order to ensure that the data is not being tampered with following the commitment. A platform could be public by design and only store the commitments, while the data itself can either be stored securely on a cloud storage (using proper encryption) or locally on the device (e.g., smartphone/laptop) of the user. Blockchains can be used for storing commitments of data, but are inappropriate for storing large amounts of data or personal data. In this case, users are required to bind their public key to their data by means of the commitments of the data to the blockchain. Depending on the use case, users may be required to share their digital personal data with a third-party entity, which will then be able to verify that the data has not been tampered with since the user registered their commitment to that data.
However, as evident by massive data leaks which continue to occur every few months, no computer system or network can be expected to be completely safe against data leak. Once the data of a user is leaked, it becomes easy to recompute its respective commitment and find the public key of the user. Once the binding of the public key and the personal data is recomputed, it can become relatively easy to track the whole digital history of a person, such as with which entity she interacted, or any other information stored about the public key of the user. The amount of personal information of a user which can be recovered with this knowledge of the public key will only increase with the rise of digital identities.

Efficient deniable commitment of data and unlinkable proof of commitment for securing user privacy in a digital identity system


A nano-hetero structure is provided. The nano-hetero structure includes at least one nano-semiconductor base and a plurality of metal nanoparticles attached on the surface of nano-semiconductor base.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nano-structure and a fabricating method thereof and particularly to a nano-hetero structure for energy conversion and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A problem that the whole world faces in the 21st century and to which a solution is urgently needed is the scarcer petrochemical energy sources. Therefore, seeking and developing renewable energy sources is an imperative issue. Solar energy is an inexhaustible energy source. A focus of modern energy technical development lies in how to convert solar energy to a form conveniently utilized in people's daily lives. For example, if solar radiation can be used to release hydrogen ions from water so as to generate hydrogen (i.e. convert solar energy into hydrogen energy), an example solution with potential at solving current energy problem can be found. The technology of generating hydrogen has a long history. From conventional electrolysis of water, hydrogen generation by thermal power to hydrogen generation by pyrolysis with petrochemical fuel etc., these technologies all have difficulty becoming popular due to high costs and environmental protection concerns. If solar energy can be used to directly decompose water to generate hydrogen, this technology has significant development potential in consideration of simplified processes, environmental protection, and costs.

Method of fabricating nano-hetero structure

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A method for manufacturing a GaN semiconductor light-emitting element is provided. The method for manufacturing a GaN semiconductor light-emitting element includes forming, by crystal growth, a first GaN compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, an active layer composed of InxGa(1−x)N, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, and a second GaN compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, in that order on a base which is a nonpolar plane, wherein the active layer is formed at a crystal growth rate of 0.3 nm/sec or more.

The present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing a GaN semiconductor light-emitting element.
In the process of manufacturing GaN semiconductor light-emitting elements, a GaN compound semiconductor layer is generally formed on the C plane of a sapphire substrate. In the GaN compound semiconductor layer epitaxially grown on the C plane of the sapphire substrate, its top face corresponds to the C plane and its side face corresponds to the A plane. That is, the top face of the GaN compound semiconductor layer is parallel to the {0001 } plane of the GaN compound semiconductor crystal, and the side face of the GaN compound semiconductor layer is parallel to the                {1 1 2 0}planeof the GaN compound semiconductor crystal. Hereinafter, such a crystal plane is designated for convenience as the "{11-20} plane".
Furthermore, in this specification, in a hexagonal system, for example, the following crystal planes:                {h k ī l}plane        {h k i l}planeare designated for convenience as the {hk-il} plane and {h-kil} plane, and the following directions:        <h k ī l >direction        <h k i l >directionare designated for convenience as the <hk-il>direction and <h-kil>direction.
In the case of a light-emitting diode (LED) in which a first GaN compound semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type (e.g., n-type GaN layer), and an active layer composed of InxGa(1−x)N, and a second GaN compound semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type (e.g., p-type GaN layer) are stacked, the lattice constant of the InxGa(1−x)N crystal is slightly larger than the lattice constant of the GaN crystal. In such a case, when the top face of each of the first GaN compound semiconductor layer, the active layer composed of InxGa(1−x)N, and the second GaN compound semiconductor layer stacked corresponds to the C plane, the active layer is subjected to compressive stress, and thus piezoelectric spontaneous polarization occurs in the thickness direction of the active layer. As a result, phenomena, such as a shift in wavelength of light emitted from such a light-emitting diode, a decrease in luminous efficiency, and an increase in operating voltage, and saturation in luminance, may occur.
On the other hand, when the top face of each of the first GaN compound semiconductor layer, the active layer composed of InxGa(1−x)N, and the second GaN compound semiconductor layer stacked corresponds to the A plane, the active layer is not subjected to compressive stress. Consequently, piezoelectric spontaneous polarization does not occur in the thickness direction of the active layer (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-158294 (Patent Document 1)).
When an active layer composed of InxGa(1−x)N, the top face of which corresponds to the A plane, is formed by crystal growth, it is generally difficult to set the subscript x in the InxGa(1−x)N composition at a desired value because the incorporation of In atoms into the active layer is low. That is, in the active layer whose top face corresponds to the C plane, since three nitrogen (N) atoms are capable of bonding to one gallium (Ga) atom present in the top face during crystal growth, there is a high probability that any of the three N atoms capable of bonding to one Ga atom will be replaced with an In atom. On the other hand, in an active layer whose top face corresponds to the A plane, since only two N atoms are capable of bonding to one Ga atom present in the top face during crystal growth, it is one of the two N atoms capable of bonding to one Ga atom that will be replaced with an In atom, and the probability of replacement with the In atom is low in comparison with the case of the active layer whose top face is the C plane. Thus, the incorporation of In atoms into the active layer is low. As a result, it is difficult to obtain a light-emitting diode which emits light at a desired wavelength.

Method for manufacturing GaN semiconductor light-emitting element


A method and apparatus decodes a data packet in a communication system utilizing an error correcting code. Channel symbols are received (302), and channel symbol reliability weights are determined (306) for each. A code word symbol is formed (308) from the channel symbols, and the channel symbol reliability weights are mapped (312) into a code word symbol reliability weight, which is set equal to the minimum channel symbol reliability weight mapped for the code word symbol. The method and apparatus continues (318) to similarly process additional channel symbols until the data packet is completely collected. Then, a predetermined number of code word symbols having the lowest code word symbol reliability weights in the data packet are marked (320) as erasures, after which the data packet is decoded (322) by utilizing a soft decision decoding technique.

In a digital communication system a receiver can provide side information in addition to the demodulated data. The side information, if it represents a reliability measure of the decoded symbol, can be used in an error control decoder to increase the coding gain and reduce bit error rate (BER) in a radio frequency (RF) environment. Since the side information accompanies each demodulated channel symbol, it is often called the channel symbol reliability weight.
Depending upon the type of modulation and demodulation techniques being used, the side information can be generated in different ways. The way in which the side information is generated and applied to the error control process can have a substantial influence on its success in reducing BER.
Thus, what is needed is a method and apparatus that can generate and apply the side information for reducing BER. Preferably, the side information will be generated and applied in a manner that produces the greatest possible improvement in receiver performance.

Method and apparatus for decoding a data packet


A dental instrument having a two-shot molded handle and methods for making the same. The dental instrument includes a dental instrument shank of metal with a handle formed near the proximal end of the shank. The handle includes a first polymer formed over a portion of the shank, and a second polymer formed over at least a portion of the first polymer. The first polymer may be rigid so as to more firmly attach to the shank and better resist torsional and/or tensional slippage between the shank and handle during use, while the second polymer may be flexible so as to increase gripability and comfort during manual use of the instrument. The first and second polymers may be of different colors to provide contrast (e.g., to highlight characters formed in the first rigid polymer).

1. The Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of dental instruments and processes for overmolding one or more polymers onto dental instruments (e.g., endodontic files).
2. The Relevant Technology
Dental instruments are often designed to be manually manipulated or to be fitted within a collet of a powered hand piece that provides rotation of an instrument during use. A dental instrument (e.g., an endodontic file) that is intended for hand use is typically provided with an enlarged diameter plastic handle attached to the proximal end of the instrument, configured for manipulation between the thumb and forefinger of the dental practitioner. An instrument intended for use with a powered hand piece has a stem at the instrument proximal end configured to be removably received within a collet of the powered hand piece, by which the instrument may then be rotated as desired by a dental practitioner.
It may be desirable for the enlarged plastic handle of a dental instrument intended for hand use to have a gripable surface. At the same time, dental instruments intended for use with a powered hand piece must include a rigid handle that can be received within a collet.
It would be an improvement in the art to provide dental instruments and methods for manufacturing dental instruments having a two-shot molded handle, at least some of which may include an overmolded handle suitable for manipulation by hand and by a powered hand piece.

Dental instruments having a handle formed by two-shot molding