A remotely operable stent is disclosed which is radially expandable and contractable along the longitudinal length of the stent. Once the stent is positioned within a body lumen requiring radial support, an actuator and expansion/contraction element increase the radial dimension of the stent along the stent's longitudinal length to provide such support. The stent is remotely operable in vivo using a remote activation system such that the radial dimension of the stent can be changed without the need to re-enter the body lumen.

In many clinical situations, a lumen in a human or animal body, such as a blood vessel or a urinary tract, can require internal support to ensure proper fluid flow. Support for a lumen can be provided by implantation of a stent in the lumen, which can maintain the radial integrity of the lumen.
A stent is typically a tubular metallic or polymeric body, which is carried on a dilatation catheter to a specific vascular location. The implantation of a stent to maintain patency of a body lumen is well known in the art. In one cardiovascular application, a stent is mounted on a balloon catheter and positioned at the appropriate site within an artery. The balloon is dilated to expand the stent against the vascular wall. The balloon is thereafter deflated and removed, leaving the expanded stent in place in the artery. Due to the structural integrity of the stent, the arterial wall is supported by the stent and prevented from recollapsing. An example of this method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,321 which is herein incorporated by reference. The stent may also be expandable via thermal energy through the use of electrical activation or radio-frequency electromagnetic irradiation, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,641.
Several difficulties are associated with the positioning and use of the above-identified stents. For example, it is difficult to simultaneously maintain the radial rigidity and the longitudinal flexibility of the stent to facilitate proper stent delivery. Additionally, the rapid expansion of the stent by such methods can injure the lumen to be protected, often leading to restenosis in the vessel lumen. Ideally, a stent would be expanded slowly over a prolonged period of time to reduce the likelihood of such injury and resulting restenosis.
Furthermore, it has been discovered that over time the movement, activity and changing medical condition of a patient can adversely affect stent operation and/or dictate that a previously expanded stent be further expanded to continue and/or augment the beneficial support provided by the stent. Currently used stents are not capable of prolonged expansion since they are not expandable in vivo, after removal of the positioning catheter; similarly, stent expansion after removal of the positioning catheter cannot be accomplished without re-entry into the lumen.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for a stent that can be remotely expanded or contracted in vivo over a prolonged period of time.


Provided is a position detection method and a position detection device for detecting a position of a sensor chip and obtaining relative positional information between a well member and a prism as for a well chip type sensor chip in which the well member is provided on a prism. By applying measurement light to the sensor chip while changing a distance between the sensor chip and a measurement light irradiation unit and detecting reflected light traveling in a predetermined direction out of the reflected light generated when the measurement light is reflected by the sensor chip, at least any one of the position of the sensor chip and the relative position between a dielectric member and a sample solution holding member is detected on the basis of a change in intensity of the detected reflected light.

Conventionally, in a case of detecting a very minute substance, various sample detection devices capable of detecting such substance by applying a physical phenomenon of the substance are used.
As one of such sample detection devices, there is a surface plasmon resonance device (hereinafter, referred to as an "SPR device") to which a phenomenon of obtaining a high optical output by resonance of electrons and light in a minute area such as nanometer level (surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon) to detect a very minute analyte in a living body, for example.
Also, a surface plasmon-field enhanced fluorescence spectrometry device (hereinafter, referred to as an "SPFS device") capable of performing analyte detection more accurately than that by the SPR device on the basis of a principle of surface plasmon-field enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS) to which the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon is applied is one of such sample detection devices.
In the surface plasmon-field enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS), surface plasmon light (compression wave) is generated on a surface of a metal film under a condition that excitation light such as laser light applied from a light source is subjected to attenuated total reflectance (ATR) on the surface of the metal film, so that a photon amount included in the excitation light applied from the light source is increased to several tens times to several hundreds times to obtain an electric field enhancing effect of the surface plasmon light.
In such SPFS device, in order to perform highly sensitive and highly accurate detection, it is necessary to align a position of the sensor chip with high accuracy. In order to correctly detect an amount of analyte, it is necessary to adjust an incident angle of the excitation light with high accuracy, but the incident angle of the excitation light cannot be adjusted with high accuracy when the position of the sensor chip is displaced.
Also, in order to detect the analyte with high sensitivity, it is preferable that a shape and a position of an irradiation spot of the excitation light coincide with a shape and a position of a reaction site on the metal film, but the shape and position of the irradiation spot of the excitation light cannot be adjusted with high accuracy when the position of the sensor chip is displaced.
In contrast, requiring a user to adjust the position of the sensor chip with high accuracy is not preferable from the viewpoint of usability.
Patent Literature 1 (WO 2015/064704) discloses a method of obtaining positional information of a sensor chip by irradiating the sensor chip with excitation light and detecting reflected light or transmitted light of the excitation light.
As disclosed in Patent Literature 1, on the basis of whether the reflected light or transmitted light of the excitation light is reflected or transmitted in a predetermined direction, or on the basis of a change in light amount of the reflected light or transmitted light, positions of a prism of the sensor chip and of a flow path lid may be detected.

Position detection method and position detection device for sensor chip in optical sample detection system


An automated system (10) for matching an item of business property to a recipient includes an inventory database (32) containing inventory data (34) concerning the item. A match module (30) is coupled to the inventory database (32) and receives allocation data (14) for the item. The match module (30) generates match data (180) for the item and associates the match data (180) with the inventory data (34). The match module (30) receives an item request (33) containing request data (152) and matches the item to the recipient associated with the item request (33) using the match data.

Many organizations allocate selected items of business property according to the needs of the organization and the characteristics of the item and recipient. It is often desirable to allocate these items in response to information provided by a submitter. For example, a submitter might provide information concerning an excess item to match the item to another individual, group, department, site, or other recipient within or outside the organization.
As organizations become larger and more complex to serve a variety of customer and internal requirements, organizations may match items of business property to recipients using various techniques. A known technique for matching an excess item of business property to a recipient uses manual submission, authorization, and request matching processes that are often relatively slow and laborintensive. Information communicated by hard copy, facsimile, or telephone in connection with such techniques may be illegible, inaccurate, misdirected, delayed, or even lost. In addition, authorization for the matching may be obtained and request matching performed inadequately, improperly, or not at all. Furthermore, information concerning excess items may not be maintained in a location that allows access by potential recipients. As a result, matching an item to a recipient may require several days, causing consequent backlogs and undesirable delays. Moreover, organizations using such techniques may have little flexibility to support customer or internal time and space constraints.

Automated system and method for matching an item of business property to a recipient


When a speed ratio is selected manually by an operator of a vehicle, an upshift command is generated if the engine speed exceeds a predetermined maximum value. Further manual upshifts and downshifts are inhibited for a predetermined time period. The time period is a function of at least one of the current engaged gear ratio, engine throttle position, and the amount of time it takes to upshift the transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speed change control apparatus of an automatic transmission capable of selecting between an auto-mode performing a speed change on the basis of a running condition and a manual mode performing a speed change on the basis of a manual manipulation.
2. Description of Related Art
As conventional speed change control apparatuses of an automatic transmission, there is one, for example, disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open Publication Hei No. 2-8545.
This conventional apparatus is constructed, on the basis of a shift apparatus provided in a normal automatic transmission, a manual shift function including a plus sensor outputting an up-shift signal and a minus sensor outputting a down-shift signal is added to operate such that a shift lever is moved from a "D" range position which selects a normal running to a manual shift position, and here, a speed change stage of the transmission is shifted up by one speed to a higher speed side by operating the plus sensor, conversely, the speed change stage is shifted down by one speed by operating the minus sensor.
In the conventional speed change control apparatus of an automatic transmission mentioned above, it is advantageous in that under a running condition in the auto-mode by selecting the "D" range, it is possible to perform the up-shift and the down-shift by switching to the manual mode so that the speed change stage can be selected in accordance with a preference of a driver. However, an unsolved problem is involved in that there is a fear of causing an overspeed condition of the engine due to the down-shift by the manual manipulation.
In order to solve this unsolved problem, it is considered as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid Open Publication No. 61-169629, to suppress the overspeed of the engine by automatically up-shifting the automatic transmission having priority over a normal speed change judgement when it is detected or predicted that the engine will be in the overspeed condition.
However, in this case, since the up-shift to suppress the overspeed of the engine is automatically performed independent of the driver's manipulation, when the up-shift to suppress the overspeed of the engine and the up-shift in the manual mode performed by the driver's intention are duplicated or repeated within a short time period, it will result in the up-shift of two speeds, and thus, the acceleration intended by the driver is not obtained and the driver will feel discrepancy or dissatisfaction. Conversely, when the down-shift in the manual mode is performed by the driver's intention just after the up-shift to suppress the overspeed of the engine is performed, it will become impossible to suppress the overspeed of the engine, and thus posing a new problem.

Speed change control apparatus of automatic transmission


A liquid level detecting apparatus having detachable terminals and capable of holding down the formation of silver sulfide is provided. The apparatus includes a movable contact displaced in accordance with the fluctuation of a liquid level, electrodes slidingly contacted by the movable contact on a circuit board, a first resistance connected to the electrodes, and connecting portions which the terminals contact, a resistance value of the first resistance which varies when the movable contact is slidingly moved on the electrodes being outputted from the terminals via the connecting portions, wherein the sections of the connecting portions which contact at least the terminals are covered with second resistances.

The related art liquid level detecting apparatuses include a liquid level detecting apparatus in which a connecting portion (land) of a wiring board and terminals are connected together by using solder (refer to, for example, JP 60-39201 U, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2).
When trouble occurs in a terminal contacting the connecting portion and a lead wire connected to this terminal in the related art liquid level detecting apparatus, the exchanging of the terminal and lead wire only cannot be done even though the terminal and lead wire only are out of order. Moreover, since the terminal is connected to the connecting portion of the wiring board, the liquid level detecting apparatus is exchanged.
In recent years, a liquid level detecting apparatus forms a unit with a fuel pump, and this unit is provided in a fuel tank. This unitized structure necessarily accompanies the exchanging of the unitized liquid level detecting apparatus.
When the connecting portions, which are made of a material containing silver, and terminals are connected together without using solder, the silver reacts with the sulfur in a fuel to form silver sulfide. When the silver sulfide occurs between the connecting portions and terminals, the contact resistance becomes high due to the silver sulfide, and there was the possibility that the increased contact resistance caused an erroneous display on a meter.
Under the circumstances, the present invention aims at providing a liquid level detecting apparatus having detachable terminals and rarely influenced by the silver sulfide.


A silver colored alloy, highly tarnish resistant, corrosion resistant and brittleness free is provided. The alloy includes 90% to 94% by weight silver, 3.50% to 7.35% by weight zinc, 1% to 3% by weight copper, and 0.1% to 2.5% by weight silicon. The alloy is suitable for rings, earrings, bangles and other jewelry.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to silver alloys, and specifically to sterling silver alloys having improved tarnish resistance, and casting qualities. Preferable this alloy must be moldable and castable with low surface tension to conform to intricate molds. In addition, the alloy should provide a material which does not easily tarnish.

Silver colored alloy with low percentage copper


Metal halide lighting with good color during dimming may be obtained. An appropriate balance of commonly used metal halides (NaI, DyI3, CeI3, CaI2, TlI) is dosed in the lamp. No mercury is used. A higher than typical xenon fill pressure from 50 to 500 Kilopascals may be used to help control thermal properties and voltage. If necessary, modulation of the power at acoustic resonance frequencies may be used to straighten and center the arc. Efficient and pleasant white output is obtained. As the power is reduced, the chromaticity either (1) remains fairly constant or (2) drifts acceptably towards warm pinkish colors. Large factors of attenuation in output can be realized. The lumen output was reduced by at least a factor of twenty in one sample as the power was dimmed from 70 to 20 watts.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electric lamps and particularly to electric discharge lamps. More particularly the invention is concerned with dimmable, mercury free electric discharge lamps.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Commercially available metal halide discharge lighting is efficient and provides reasonably good color rendering and a pleasant white output at rated power. The typical lamp chemistry sealed in the arc tube contains combinations of metal halide salts to optimize the efficiency and color of the output, as well as mercury for obtaining proper voltage and thermal characteristics.
For energy savings, ambience enhancement, and other reasons it is desirable to dim the output of the lamp, as is readily done with incandescent lamps. However, as a typical metal halide lamp is dimmed, the cooler condensate temperatures result in a reduction in vapor pressure of the metal halides, which can affect the balance of individual metal halides causing drifts in the chromaticity in the light output. For example, atomic thallium emission, which is green, can become more evident. There is also often increased atomic mercury emission relative to other species, which can result in a further undesirable green contribution to the output. The depth of dimming may also be limited by lamp instabilities at low power. Though typical metal halide lamps can be dimmed to some extent for energy savings, the color is often poor. There is then a need for high intensity discharge lamps that can be dimmed and still provide consistent color throughout the dimming range.
There have been attempts to improve the dimming behavior of metal halide lamps. Lamp outer jackets can be coated with phosphors to convert mercury radiation to other wavelengths (McAllister in U.S. Pat. No. 4,229,673). Zhu and Maya, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,851, describe the use of heat shields to maintain the condensate at sufficiently elevated temperatures down to 50% of rated lamp wattage with a minimal change in color corrected temperature (CCT), although chromaticity data is not reported. Sakai, Okada, Higashisaka, and Hashimoto in U.S. Pat. No. 6,639,341, describe various methods of regulating the condensate temperature. Lambrechts and Maya, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,501,220, describe the use of thallium-free metal halide fills to avoid green emission during dimming from atomic thallium in the discharge.
Hendrix U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,129 discloses the use of high-pressure xenon fills. Spherical or near spherical (bulgy) shaped arc tubes (Sylvania Powerball®) have been disclosed in Lang U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,351. Olsen, Moskowitz, Newell, and Brates in U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,683 have described power modulation at acoustic resonance frequencies for the purpose of straightening arcs in cylindrical mercury-free lamps. References to other examples of acoustic straightening are given in that patent.

Dimmable metal halide HID lamp with good color consistency


An apparatus for stabilizing a device includes a rail, a first carriage, a second carriage, a first leg housing, and a first linking member. The rail is configured for attachment to the device and includes a length extending from a distal end and a proximal end. The first carriage is configured to slidably receive the rail. The second carriage is configured to slidably receive the rail. The first leg housing includes a first upper end pivotally coupled with a first portion of the first carriage and a first mount disposed distal to the first upper end. The first linking member includes a first distal end pivotally coupled with the first mount and a first proximal end pivotally coupled with a first portion of the second carriage.

The word "bipod" is derived from the Latin and Greek roots "bi" and "pod" meaning "two" and "foot" respectively. Bipods may be used to stabilize a variety of devices that require steadying during use, such as, for example, weapons, photographic equipment, and videographic equipment.
A bipod may be used as an attachment for a firearm to provide stability and a steady plane while aiming and shooting. The created stability is intended to help steady the firearm during "gun laying" or aiming in order to ensure and increase accuracy. Gun laying involves moving the axis of the bore of the barrel in two planes, namely the horizontal and vertical planes. A gun is traversed—rotated in a horizontal plane—to align it with the target, and elevated—moved in the vertical plane—to range it to the target. The bipod provides significant stability along the two axes of motion.
The basic concept of a bipod dates back to pre-20th century times. The Harris bipod, an early example of which may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,422 to Harris, quickly became an industry standard. The Harris bipod includes a mount attached to the underside of the fore-end of the stock of the firearm using a threaded swivel as a fastener. A clamp grips both sides of the swivel with pins that lock into the holes of the swivel. Tightening a screw on the clamp causes it to be pulled downward and forces it to squeeze on the swivel through a hole to prevent the pins from dislodging. The mount then has two legs that are attached on pivot points with springs attached along the leg and back to the mount. This allows the legs to be pivoted downward past a point where the spring pulls the legs into a position with resistance to keep them from folding up; however, the legs do not lock. The legs in the folded up position run parallel to the barrel in order minimize the profile and therefore minimize snagging on objects along the way when moving the firearm from one shooting position or location to another. In addition, this makes storing the firearm easier with the bipod attached.
Continuing with the Harris bipod, the legs are formed as tubes within tubes that allow the legs to be extended. The leg extensions have grooves cut in them to extend the legs in discreet increments to raise the height. A spring-loaded mechanism locks into the grooves. This allows some variation in setting the height of the bipod to accommodate the shooter's preference to accommodate his or her anatomy for a more comfortable position to make a shot. The legs are spring-loaded to retract to quickly stow the legs for movement. Stowing the legs involves pushing the legs forward past the spring's point of resistance where the spring begins to pull the legs upward. The legs have feet or caps on their ends made of rubber that when set on a surface provide a grip and added stability in order to steady the firearm for a shot. Leapers, Inc. manufactures the UTG Bipod with similar features as the Harris bi pod.
Another popular bipod, manufactured by B&T Industries, LLC, is the Atlas bipod, an example of which may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,614,174 to Beltz. This particular design utilizes a "QD" or quick disconnect and connect mechanism to secure to a rail mounted to the underside of the fore-end of a stock on a firearm. The legs of this design can be angled forward at preselected angles based on a pin mechanism that uses a spring-loaded button that interfaces with a corresponding cog on the base of the bipod. The design also has leg extensions to adjust the height of the bipod. The leg extensions utilize a spring-loaded collar that is pulled downward along the axis of the leg to release and pull the leg extensions into position. The legs have corresponding notches to lock into various settings for adjustment. This allows the legs to be extended in a telescopic fashion to a desired level. This bipod is also available with modular extensions that can be installed to increase the height and reattach the feet using an Allen key. A variety of feet are also available. The Atlas bipod also allows the mount to swivel so the firearm can be panned left to right for moving targets. In addition, the firearm can also be canted since the mount can swivel on an axis parallel to the barrel. Actuation of the legs may be performed using one hand, but it is very difficult to do while the firearm is shouldered since the shooter has to reach far forward unless the bipod is mounted backwards on the mount.
GG&G manufactures the XDS bipod, which includes features of both the Harris bipod and the Atlas bipod. It also utilizes a QD mechanism to connect to a rail. The legs extend through a threaded knob that when turned releases the legs to telescopically extend the legs. The legs are rotated down into position and can be locked via a mechanism of a lever that is spring loaded. Depressing the lever releases the lock so the legs can be folded up and stowed for movement. The legs of this design can also be angled forward like the Atlas bipod; however, there is only one setting at 45 degrees.
Versa-Pod manufactures a variety of bipods including the 150 Series of bipods, an example of which being the 150-052 bipod. This bipod requires a special adapter to be placed on the firearm for mounting which may be attached in turn to a standard Picatinny rail. The design utilizes a ball joint to rotate or angle the firearm. This ball joint allows for panning the firearm during tracking while a screw is provided that can be tightened to eliminate movement as desired. The legs of this design are spring loaded in a direction of extension rather than retraction. The design has a unique mechanism in which the leg, when in the folded up position, fold together forward; however when pulled down, the legs spread apart with a spring between the legs. The legs can also be folded backward. There is no positive lock on the legs.
The Mako Group manufactures a line of bipods known as the "Vertical Foregrip" w/Integrated Adjustable Quick Release bipod, examples of which may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,823,855 and 7,909,301 to Faifer, that double-functions as a single handle/forward grip that opens and converts into a bipod. A single hand can be used to deploy the bipod; however, the handle or forward grip itself cannot be folded up and stowed during movement. Some versions include an integrated flashlight mount. The design utilizes a unique slide mechanism in which a button is depressed to move it and open the feature to slide onto a rail system. Once it reaches a desired position along the rail, the shooter releases the button to allow the slide to move into a position in which a locking lug slides into one of the slots on the Picatinny rail.
With the exception of the Mako Group bipod, current designs all require the shooter or shooter in many cases to bring the firearm off the shoulder in order to use the hand that typically grips the stock or pistol grip to actuate the legs into a downward position by hand to set up for a shot. This may be critical time in which the shooter needs to setup, deploy and, steady the firearm, and acquire the target through sights or optics in order to make a shot. At this point, the target may have moved and gone to a place of cover or concealment.
Another issue with many of the current designs is the complex actuation mechanisms that must be grasped and positioned to release and extend the legs to change the set elevation. Changing the set elevation is important to bring the firearm to a comfortable position in relation to the anatomy of the shooter. In many cases, the levers are not ergonomically designed or positioned for easy actuation compatible with the anatomy of the fingers and hands. The levers have to be held while the firearm is lifted for the legs to be extended or the firearm is lifted to let the legs adjust and then locked down. A few of the bipods leg extensions are spring loaded so that when actuated extends the legs out to the furthest adjustment or they retract fully. As a result, the firearm has to be gripped and held, taking it off the shoulder until the legs can be locked.
To lock the legs, many of the current designs use extension springs that provide a positive force pulling the main legs down into position once the legs are rotated past a point where the spring acts in this downward direction. This requires the use of both hands: one hand holds the firearm while the other hand grips the leg and pulls it downward against the resisting spring past the point of resistance. This has to be repeated on the other side for the bipods where the main legs act independent of one another. Again, the firearm has to be taken off the shoulder to deploy.
The pads or feet of many of the designs use one of two types. One seems to be a rubber foot that is round but has angled or chamfered surfaces that actually interface with the ground once the legs are deployed into position. The other is a flat plate at the end of the leg that interfaces with the ground in a normal orientation once the legs are deployed. The former round rubber foot when contacted with the ground only provides one line of contact. The flat plated feet provide a surface but once the bipod is slightly tilted, which is done in most cases, still only provides one line of contact.


A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving frequency hopped video signals is disclosed. A composite video signal is processed at a transmission end to remove line and frame synchronization codes and replace them with a frequency hopping synchronization code. The signal is then modulated with a frequency hopped carrier signal and transmitted to a receiver. The receiver detects the frequency hopping synchronization code to enable tuning of the receiver to the video signal. The detected frequency hopping synchronization codes are removed and replaced with the original line and frame synchronization code. The recreated video signal may be digitized and processed to detect and correct errors within the video signal by replacing lines or frames of the video signal with closely related lines or frames from another portion of the video signal.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the transmission of video signals, and more particularly, to the transmission of video signals using line or frame synchronous frequency hopping.
2. Description of Related Art
The transmission of video signals involves the transmission of a video luminance signal between a transmitting and receiving unit. Creation of the video luminance signal is accomplished by vertical and horizontal raster scanning of the video images on a video image tube. The raster scanning includes horizontal line flyback times during which the video signal is blanked to the black condition by a line synchronization pulse while the scan returns back to the initial position for the next horizontal line. Vertical scan synchronization pulses are transmitted during a vertical frame flyback time wherein the scan returns from a lower right-hand to an upper or left-hand corner of a video frame.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art video wave form used for video transmission. A video signal 2 represents variations in image intensity over a period in time. The video signal 2 is separated into a plurality of line scan periods 4 which are separated by regular occurrences of line sync pulses 6. The video signal 2 is blanked to the black level during the line scan flyback time to prevent unwanted lines as the scan spot returns from right to left on the screen. For color video images, a chrominance signal (not shown) is added to the video signal. However, this does not materially alter the appearance of the video waveform depicted in FIG. 1.
After each 625 line period, a frame sync pulse 8 is inserted to indicate the separation between two video frames. The frame sync pulse 8 allows the frame scan to return to the top of the next video frame during the frame flyback time. The frame sync pulse synchronizes the vertical scan generator at the video signal receiver. The video signal is blanked to the black level during the frame flyback period to prevent generation of diagonal lines on the screen as the spot returns from the bottom right to the top left of the video frame.
When interlacing is used, every other horizontal line of the video frame is presented over two vertical scan periods. The vertical scan returns from the bottom right to the top left after approximately half the line periods and starts a new vertical scan to fill-in the alternate lines that were not included in the first half scan. Interlacing allows half of the horizontal lines to be updated twice as frequently, reducing image flicker and providing improved response to movement of the image. A complete image of 625 lines is thus transmitted every two vertical scan periods.
Conventional video broadcasts have used vestigial sideband amplitude modulation. This is a form of double-side band amplitude modulation in which the higher video frequency components of one sideband are suppressed by a filter to reduce transmission bandwidth requirements. The vestigial sideband transmissions are sensitive to interference. Thus, transmitters that are allocated the same channel frequency must be widely geographically spaced to prevent any interference.
Frequency modulation may alternatively be used to transmit the composite video signal in a manner that is much less sensitive to interference. However, frequency modulation requires a much wider bandwidth. FM video transmission is utilized in broadcast satellite/electronic news gathering services (BAS/ENG). The system utilizes an ad hoc channel allocation scheme whereby an ENG service wishing to temporarily setup within a given area applies for a frequency to a frequency allocating service.
The frequency allocating service allocates a frequency with regard to other users that may be close enough to create interference between signals. Individuals already utilizing the same frequency must be far enough away to cause no perceptible video picture degradation. The frequency allocating service must allocate frequencies on a conservative geographical spacing to guarantee non-interference. Conservative geographical spacing however reduces the efficiency of spectral use creating a poor utilization of resources. Therefore, a system enabling better utilization of video frequency transmission resources would be greatly beneficial.

Method and apparatus for line or frame-synchronous frequency hopping of video transmissions


Configuration software is used for generating hardware-level code and data that may be used with reconfigurable/polymorphic computing platforms, such as logic emulators, and which may be used for conducting signals intelligence analysis, such as encryption/decryption processing, image analysis, etc. A user may use development tools to create visual representations of desired process algorithms, data structures, and interconnections, and system may generate intermediate data from this visual representation. The Intermediate data may be used to consult a database of predefined code segments, and segments may be assembled to generate monolithic block of hardware syhthesizable (RTL, VHDL, etc.) code for implementing the user's process in hardware. Efficiencies may be accounted for to minimize circuit components or processing time. Floating point calculations may be supported by a defined data structure that is readily implemented in hardware.

The power of modern computing can hardly be overstated. Calculations that once took anywhere from hours to months to manually perform can be accomplished literally in the blink of an eye. Calculation-intensive tasks are now accomplished in a mere fraction of the time previously required, and with each passing year computing power is greater than before. These days, the power of computing is even applied to the process of making computers themselves, a self-fulfilling process that will inevitably lead to more powerful computers.
One tool that is often used in the design of integrated circuits is the logic emulation system (emulator). The emulator may be used to simulate hardware circuitry, in real time, prior to the circuit's formal manufacturing process. The circuit's design, once emulated, can be analyzed and tested to identify any design errors. Since the emulator (by design) is reconfigurable, errors in a circuit's design, once detected, may be corrected by reconfiguring the emulator. In this manner, a designer can be confident in a particular design even before a single actual component is manufactured.
Although the emulator has gained wide acceptance in certain fields (specifically electronic design automation), the full potential for this technology has not yet been reached. This is partly due to the complexity and difficulty in writing the programs and download files that are necessary for configuring an emulator—those outside of the circuit design art have, until now, simply avoided using the emulator for tasks other than hardware functional and performance verification.
The inventors of the present application have realized, however, that the emulator possesses great promise in computing power. The emulator can be configured to create dedicated hardware for executing any desired process or algorithm, and this configuration may be optimized such that the process is carried out at hardware speeds—much faster than programs written for general purpose computers. The potential uses are limitless, as emulators may be used by cryptographers, geneticists, mathematicians, image analysis experts, and in any other area where programs are executed on general purpose computers.
To a cryptographer, however, the typical emulator may as well be a ship's anchor. Writing typical computer programs or download files for an emulator takes special skill in computer programming and logic synthesis (such as knowledge of various hardware description languages such as Verilog, Verilog Hardware Description Language (VHDL) and/or Register Transfer Logic (RTL)), and may require significant amounts of time to write. For example, working exclusively in RTL and/or VHDL, a simple circuit might require a skilled semiconductor designer no less than two days to write the code, and another full day to verify its functionality. Many of us, cryptographers included, simply may not have the time or ability to do such coding. Accordingly, there is a general need for improved computing power, and if emulators (or other large scale "fabrics" of reconfigurable logic) are to be used to offer this power, there is a specific need for a simpler, user-friendly way to generate the complex code and download files necessary to program today's reconfigurable platforms.

Polymorphic computational system and method in signals intelligence analysis


A carrier assembly has a pair of axially spaced-apart plates defining an axial gap therebetween. The plates have a plurality of planetary bores on a plurality of planetary axes. A plurality of planetary gear mount assemblies are disposed on the planetary axes and mounted within the planetary bores of the gear carrier. Each assembly comprises a journal bearing shaft having a pair of compliance grooves extending axially from opposed axial ends of the shaft. An inner cylindrical surface of each compliance groove defines a shaft mounting surface. A pair of collars is provided to assemble each journal bearing shaft to the carrier. Each collar has a mounting socket mating the shaft mounting surface and an external collar surface matching the planetary bore diameter.

A planetary gear train may comprise an input shaft with a sun gear, an orbiting array of planetary gears engaging the sun gear and mounted in a planetary gear carrier, a stationary ring gear engaging the planetary gears, and an output shaft mounted to the planetary gear carrier. The input rotational speed (of the input shaft and sun gear) is reduced to an output rotational speed (of the planetary gear carrier and output shaft) according to the intermeshed gear ratios.
The planetary gear carrier has axially drilled bores and flat machined surfaces to mount journal bearing shafts on which multiple planetary gears rotate. Torque load is transmitted, from the input shaft and sun gear via the journal bearing shafts and the planetary gears, to the planetary gear carrier and output shaft. Accordingly, the journal bearing shafts are subjected to significant shear stress while transmitting the torque load.
Improvement is desirable.

Compliant journal bearing shaft assembly


A resistive random access memory includes a first electrode, a second electrode and a first metal oxide composite layer. The second electrode is opposite to the first electrode. The first metal oxide composite layer is disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first metal oxide composite layer has a film layer and a nanorod structure.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a resistive random access memory (RRAM) and, in particular, to an RRAM having the characteristics of a diode and a resistive memory.
2. Related Art
Non-volatile memories have been widely used in many portable electronic devices such as cell phones, digital cameras, PDAs, notebook computers since they does not need continuous power to maintain the writing states and have lower power consumption. In various kinds of non-volatile memories, the flash RAM having the properties of fast writing and fast erasing is one of the most popular products. However, since the smaller size cells are developed, the flash RAM definitely encounters the challenges of large writing voltage, long writing time, and short registering time due to the thinner gate. Accordingly, it is desired to develop new non-volatile memories to substitute the flash RAM. Among the new non-volatile memories, the RRAM has drawn the researcher's attentions since it has the advantages of short writing and erasing time, low operation voltage and current, long retention time, multiple state storage, simple structure, simple writing and reading process, and small cell size. In other words, the RRAM is the most potential technique and is the critical research in non-volatile memories.
When the RRAM is applied to the 3D high-density crossbar structure memory cell array, the interference between the elements may occur. Thus, a selective element, such as a transistor or a diode, is needed to connect with the RRAM. In the present researches, a diode is a preferred selective element for the RRAM. Since the diode is made of oxide, which can be formed without high-temperature processes and has good rectification property, it can used as a perfect selective element. Therefore, the one diode-one resistor (1D1R) device is considered as a simplest memory cell and it is the most potential structure for developing non-volatile memories.
However, a general PN junction diode is composed of a P-type oxide and an N-type oxide, and it is not easy to control the compositions of these two oxide layers. In addition, the problem of unstable operation voltage and resistance states of RRAM may easily generate errors in operation.
Therefore, it is an important subject to provide a RRAM that can overcome the above problems and provide the excellent performance.


A passenger assistant system includes an artificial intelligence processing unit, a sensor interface, a flight crew interface, a passenger interface, and at least one end effector. The sensor interface couples the artificial intelligence processing unit with at least one sensor configured to provide environmental information regarding a cabin of an aircraft. The flight crew interface couples the artificial intelligence processing unit with at least one flight crew input. The passenger interface couples the artificial intelligence processing unit with at least one passenger input. The at least one end effector is coupled to the artificial intelligence processing unit. The artificial intelligence processing unit is configured to direct the at least one end effector to perform at least one task responsive to information acquired from one or more of the sensor interface, flight crew interface, or passenger interface.

Commercial aircraft typically include an interior cabin in which passengers remain during a flight. During the flight, flight attendants may be employed to assist the passengers with any issues that arise, or in providing a convenient and/or comfortable experience for the passengers. However, flight attendants have a limited amount of time to assist each passenger, particularly as the number of passengers becomes larger. Accordingly, passengers may not receive attention as quickly as desired when flight attendants are busy performing other tasks.
Under conventional systems, flight attendants may travel to an attendant panel and navigate touch screen menus to set various parameters. However, this approach has certain drawbacks, including the serialization of tasks, the time it takes to navigate the menus of the attendant panel, and the difficulties of considering a variety of circumstances to evaluate which tasks are to be performed and/or in what order tasks are to be performed.

Artificially intelligent flight crew systems and methods


A hollow bob (20A) with a plurality of circumferentially spaced holes (30A). The hollow bob (20A) is attached to a bob shaft (10A) and is submerged in a test fluid (40A).

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to using a bob with off-centered axial direction holes for testing the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids and overcoming the Weissenberg effect.
2. Description of Prior Art
The process of drilling wells, particularly in the petrochemical industry, has changed dramatically over the past few years, with much of that change having to do with the chemical makeup and rheological behavior of the fluids used to manage and operate the wells. The drilling process has become much less dependent on brute-force mechanical methods and turned instead to using chemistry to accomplish many of the necessary functions of drilling the well. This has necessitated a much greater understanding of the predicted viscoelastic behavior of chemical fluids, particularly those under down-hole conditions which can be extreme and changeable in ways that are difficult to anticipate.
Testing mechanisms for these fluids have also changed significantly, as the viscosity, temperature sensitivity, and rheological behavior of the tested fluids has diversified. This improved type of test equipment must be capable of measuring wider ranges of test fluid properties than in the past, with faster and more repeatable measurement response, while remaining as reliable, accurate, durable and easy to use as possible.
Another challenge pertains to testing non-Newtonian fluids, as these fluids commonly exhibit the "Weissenberg effect". The Weissenberg effect describes the tendency of a non-Newtonian fluid to climb up a rotating rod. If there is air or pressurization gas above the sample fluid, the Weissenberg effect also causes the sample fluid to climb out of the measurement range of a co-axial cylinder geometry rheometer, thus causing inaccurate measurement. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method for determining the rheology of non-Newtonian fluids without the detrimental impact of the Weissenberg effect.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,338 teaches a viscometer containing a bob with circumferentially spaced openings, but the design of the bob is intended for a measurement chamber filled with one type of homogenous fluid only. If there is gas above the sample fluid in the measurement chamber, a non-Newtonian sample would still climb out of the measurement gap between the coaxial bob and cup and thus the design provides no remedy to the problem of the Weissenberg effect. U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,338 would also suffer from measurement inaccuracy because the radial direction holes on the bob surface would cause non-uniform shear rates at the location of these holes and thus provide inaccurate results.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a bob configured for the rheological testing of non-Newtonian sample fluids with gas or empty space on top of tested sample fluid while overcoming the Weissenberg effect in any test environment.

Bob for testing rheology and overcoming the weissenberg effect


Nutritional iron compositions comprising bioavailable sources of iron selected from ferrous fumarate and ferrous succinate where the iron source is preferably spread on the surface of a lecithin coated edible carrier such as sucrose. These nutritional iron compositions are particularly useful in food and beverage products such as chocolate flavored edible mixes, especially chocolate flavored beverages, that are additionally fortified with other minerals and vitamins, especially multi-mineral and vitamin combinations involving, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folic acid to avoid developing an undesirable color, off-flavor, astringency, particularly when the edible and/or beverage mix is reconstituted with water or milk.

Iron deficiency continues to be a common nutritional problem at the present time. Iron deficiency is a major problem in the developing world and affects almost all segments of the population. It is particularly severe in infants and childbearing women. See MacPhail and Bothwell, "Fortification of the Diet as a Strategy for Preventing Iron Deficiency," Acta Paediatric Scand. Supplement, 361: 114 (1989).
Even in industrialized countries, one segment of the population that remains highly vulnerable to iron deficiency is preschool and school-aged children because their requirements for iron for growth often exceed the dietary supply of iron. Iron requirements for adolescents can be increased further by strenuous athletic programs and, in turn, their athletic performance can be impaired by the development of iron deficiency. See Hurrell, "Ferrous Fumarate Fortification Of A Chocolate Drink Powder," British Journal of Nutrition, 65: 271 (1991)
Several strategies have been proposed to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency in school-age children. Although iron supplements are effective, logistics and compliance are major problems. In addition, the prevalence of iron deficiency is not usually high enough to justify the use of medicinal iron. The iron intake of children can be increased by fortifying a dietary staple such as wheat products or by fortifying a widely consumed food such as sugar, but this can be too costly for developing countries. Hurrell, supra, suggests that the most cost-effective approach to increase iron intake in children is fortification of a specialty food item that is used selectively in this age group. This food item should be appealing to children and ideally should provide other nutritional benefits.
One such item proposed by Hurrell, supra, is chocolate-flavored milk beverages. The consumption of this product is largely limited to school-age children and would not be consumed by adult men who seldom require additional iron. In addition, chocolate-flavored milk would also increase the intake of other minerals and vitamins such as zinc and calcium that are desirable for children.
As noted by Hurrell, supra, there are well-recognized problems associated with fortifying foods and beverages with iron, including chocolate milk drinks. This is particularly true of highly bioavailable iron sources (e.g., ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, etc.) that are commonly used to fortify foods. These irons sources tend to discolor foodstuffs (e.g., by reacting with food components such as anthocyanins, flavanoids and tannins), or are organoleptically unsuitable (e.g., impart a metallic aftertaste). Fortifying foods and, especially, beverages, that contain fats with these iron sources can be very difficult as these materials tend to interact, with the fats typically being oxidized to produce off-flavors. This interaction not only affects the organoleptic and aesthetic properties of the foods and beverages, but also undesirably affects the nutritional bioavailability of these materials. However, the use of inert iron sources (reduced iron, ferric pyrophosphate, etc.) that cause little or no organoleptic problems are poorly absorbed from the gut. The challenge is to fortify foods with highly bioavailable iron sources without adversely affecting the color or taste of the product.
Hurrell, supra, proposes fortifying chocolate drink powders with ferrous fumarate as the iron source. When these ferrous fumarate fortified chocolate drink powders were reconstituted with cold or hot (80.degree. C.) water or milk, the reconstituted beverage was judged acceptable as to color and flavor. However, when these ferrous fumarate fortified chocolate drink powders were reconstituted with boiling water or milk, Hurrell, supra, says the reconstituted beverage "changed color from red/brown to an unacceptable gray." See Id. at page 275. Also, ferrous fumarate imparts a metallic aftertaste that can be undesirable.
Besides iron, there are other important micronutrients that these chocolate drinks could be fortified with. One such micronutrient is iodine. Iodine deficiency is major risk factor for both physical and mental development in a significant number of people. Goiter is the most common manifestation of iodine deficiency. In childhood, iodine deficiency can cause mental retardation, neurological complications such as speech and hearing defects, squint, paralysis, and other physical disorders. While the more severe effects of iodine deficiency are not reversible, they are preventable by appropriate fortification of foods and beverages. See Theme Paper No. 6, "Preventing Specific Micronutrient Deficiencies," INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUTRITION.
Another key micronutrient is vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common cause of preventable childhood blindness. As a result of insufficient dietary intake and absorption of vitamin A, a significant number of pre-school age children suffer sever forms of eye damage. Vitamin A deficiency can also contribute to decreased physical growth and impaired resistance to infection and lead to increased mortality in children. See Theme Paper No. 6, "Preventing Specific Micronutrient Deficiencies," INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NUTRITION. Deficiencies in other minerals and vitamins such as vitamin C, B complex vitamins (e.g. thiamine, B6, B12), vitamin D, riboflavin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, etc., can also cause serious health problems.
Iron fortification of these chocolate drink powders, as well as other foods and beverages, becomes even more of a problem when the drink powder is further fortified with these other minerals and vitamins, especially mineral and vitamin combinations involving, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, and folic acid. Even the inclusion of vitamin C alone in chocolate drink powders fortified with ferrous fumarate or ferrous succinate, another highly bioavailable iron source, can cause the development of this undesirable gray color when the powder is reconstituted with aqueous liquids such as water or milk. Iron is a known catalyst that can cause oxidation and decomposition of various vitamins, including vitamins A, thiamine, B6, B12 and vitamin C to name a few. See "Stability Characteristics of Vitamins in Processed Foods," Food Tech., (January 1976), pages 48-54. Iron sources, such as ferrous fumarate and ferrous sulfate, are also known to enhance the sublimation of iodine, thus decreasing the amount of this mineral in the beverage powder.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide chocolate drink powders fortified with highly bioavailable iron sources such as ferrous fumarate and ferrous succinate that do not develop an undesirable gray color and metallic aftertaste when reconstituted with aqueous liquids such as water or milk, even when the water or milk has been heated to the boiling point. It would also be desirable to be able to additionally fortify these powders with other key minerals and vitamins without undesirable interactions with the bioavailable iron source.

Use of bilayer forming emulsifiers in nutritional compositions comprising divalent mineral salts to minimize off-tastes and interactions with other dietary components


This invention is directed to processes of making polymer in the presence of a fluorinated hydrocarbon and recovering the polymer. The processes provided enable polymerization processes to be practiced with minimal fouling in the reaction system, and allows for the recovery of the fluorinated hydrocarbon and other hydrocarbons such as hydrocarbons for re-use in the process or hydrocarbon by-products from the polymerization process. The invention is particularly beneficial in the production of propylene polymers and copolymes using bulky ligand metallocene-type catalyst systems.

Polypropylene homopolymer has many useful applications. However, polypropylene homopolymer alone is often unsuitable for applications that require low melting point and higher flexibility as well as enhanced clarity. Polypropylene random copolymers (RCP) are specially suited for such applications.
Conventional RCPs are typically made through random incorporation of ethylene or other comonomer into polypropylene. The presence of comonomer disrupts polymer stereoregularity and lowers its crystallinity, resulting in lower melting point, lower modulus and higher clarity.
A large number of processes for preparing propylene homo- and copolymers are known in the art. Many different kinds of slurry and gas phase processes can be employed when a supported catalyst is used for polymerization.
One type of propylene polymerization process is a bulk or a slurry process, wherein the reaction takes place in pure monomer or in a reaction medium containing more than 60 weight % of the monomer. The bulk process is carried out in continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) or loop reactors. In a loop reactor, the first reaction stage consists of one or two tubular loop reactors where bulk polymerization of homopolymers is carried out in liquid propylene. Prepolymerized catalyst, liquid propylene, hydrogen for controlling molecular weight are continuously fed into the reactor in which polymerization takes place at temperatures of 60-80° C. and pressures of 35-40 bar. The polymer in the liquid propylene inside the loops is continuously discharged to a separation unit, and unreacted propylene is recycled to the reaction medium. Granular product is discharged to a flashing unit for product/monomer separation.
One difficulty associated with slurry processes is granular or fine particle generation. This is especially true for the production of high melt flow rate (MFR) polypropylene.
Random copolymers produced during bulk/slurry polymerizations using hydrocarbon solvents, in particular polymers of high ethylene content and/or low molecular weight, are sticky in the reaction medium. This can cause considerable problems in such bulk/slurry polymerization applications. This problem can be mitigated by operating the polymerization reactor under super critical conditions as disclosed in WO 92/12182, since by nature a super critical fluid has lower solvency to polymer, and nearly unlimited solubility of gaseous components. Simultaneously, the separation of the recycled reaction medium and recovered polymer is simplified under supercritical conditions, because of the energy available in the polymerization product. However, supercritical operation requires handling of high-pressure equipment and is energy intensive and expensive.
Production of high ethylene content and/or low molecular weight polymers also causes difficulty in the operation of conventional flash systems. Such flash systems are highly sensitive to highly soluble polymer fractions. Any non-evaporated liquid in the separation tank risks blocking the device. This is particularly true for cyclone type of devices operated at high pressures.
Processes originally used in the manufacture of polypropylene were based on the use of a hydrocarbon diluent to suspend crystalline polymer particles formed in the process and dissolve the amorphous polymer fraction. Residual catalyst components were deactivated and solubilized by treatment with alcohol, and the deactivated catalyst separated from the diluent by treatment with water. The crystalline polymer product was separated from the diluent by filtration or centrifugation and then dried. The amorphous polymer, which was soluble in the diluent, was separated by evaporation.
What has been referred to as fourth generation polymerization catalysts in Polypropylene Handbook, Edward P. Moore, Jr., Ed., Hanser Publishers, 1996, have led to processes that do not require the use of diluents in the polymerization process by using either liquid or gaseous monomer as the polymerization medium. The stickiness of polymer can be mitigated through reducing the granule swell and improved particle morphology. An example of a polymerization process that incorporates the use of a diluent is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,143 (Schrage et al.). Specifically, the Schrage patent discloses the use of a fluorinated organic carbon compound as a diluent in polymerizing at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomer to form an amorphous elastomer. The product can be dried in the form of small particles.
EP 1 323 746 shows loading of biscyclopentadienyl catalyst onto a silica support in perfluorooctane and thereafter the prepolymerization of ethylene at room temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,878 discloses the polymerization using "constrained geometry metal complexes" of titanium and zirconium.
There remains a need to increase polymer product quality and process efficiency, particularly processes that reduce slurry polymerization fouling without suffering any substantial loss in polymerization activity. It is particularly desirable to find polymerization processes that use propylene as at least one monomer feed component, and to produce a polypropylene polymer or copolymer type product that can be recovered in particle form. Such a process would also be desirable in the production of propylene polymers with little to no copolymer or propylene-ethylene type polymers that have any of a wide range of ethylene molecules incorporated into the copolymer. Processes that provide for higher flexibility in types of catalyst that can be used, as well as provide copolymers that are very low in crystallinity are especially preferred.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The predicted tone response curve for each color channel and halftone is predicted using a binary printer model and stored, wherein the “predicted tone response curve” provides a model based approximation of the actual response for the printer for each addressable pixel location in the spatial range. Also stored is an “average predicted tone response” by averaging the “predicted tone response curve” over the spatial range of the printer. With the “true average” tone response curve, the “predicted tone response curve”, and the “average predicted tone response curve”, an estimate of the true tone response curve for the color channel can then be mathematically obtained, wherein the true tone response curve defines a predicted actual response for the printer for each addressable print location in the spatial range. The “predicted” and “average” tone response curves are obtained using the 2×2 binary printer model.

Spatial non-uniformity in digitally printed images is a commonly observed phenomenon exhibited by almost all printers. As illustrated in FIG. 1, for a given color channel digital input level to the printer, the printed color at first and second horizontal locations x1, x2 is not the same, and/or the printed color at first and second vertical locations y1, y2 is not the same. This color non-uniformity or "color drift" as a function of space on the paper or other recording medium often appears as serious image quality defects. These defects include, e.g., one-dimensional defects such as banding or streaks or two-dimensional defects such as mottle. It has been observed that the appearance of most non-uniformity defects depends on image content and color and intensity levels. Because the rendered color is a function of the halftoning method employed, spatial non-uniformity is also halftone dependent. Additionally, many high-end printers are equipped with multiple halftone screens which necessitates that any halftone dependent spatial correction method be repeated for each halftoning method.
To maintain consistent color reproduction, it is necessary to characterize the non-uniformity of each printer device so that corresponding color adjustments can be applied at the time of printing to compensate. Previous methods require printing and measuring test patches that are halftone dependent, which requires that patches be printed and measured for each available halftone method. For a xerographic engine equipped with multiple halftone screens, this method can be very time consuming to characterize each color channel for each halftone screen, as these measurements increase linearly with the number of halftone screens. Often, the design of printed test patches also varies depending upon the halftone screen, which leads to still more complexity. As such, it has been deemed desirable to develop a halftone independent apparatus and method for correction of spatial non-uniformities.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/343,656 filed Jan. 31, 2006 assigned to Xerox Corporation and entitled "Halftone Independent Color Drift Correction" is hereby expressly incorporated by reference into this specification. This prior application discloses one or more halftone independent methods and apparatus for compensating for temporal or media color drift in a printer. In particular, a first true tone response curve (TRC) for a color channel is determined when the printer is in a first state (first time or first media). A first predicted tone response curve for the color channel is also determined when the printer is in the first state. A second predicted tone response curve for the color channel is determined when the printer is in a second, color-drifted state relative to the first state, i.e., at a later time or using a different paper or other recording medium. A second true tone response curve for the color channel is then mathematically estimated using the first true tone response curve, the first predicted tone response curve, and the second predicted tone response curve. The first and second predicted tone response curves are generated using a 2×2 printer model as disclosed below.
The use of the 2×2 printer model provides a reliable and efficient proxy for full color characterization such as described, e.g., in S. Wang, K. Knox and C. Hains, "Digital Color Halftones" Digital Color Handbook, Chapter 6, CRC Press. Full color characterization is a time consuming operation that is preferably avoided in most xerographic printing environments. Simpler color correction methods based on 1-dimensional (1-D) TRC calibration for each of the individual color channels are usually sufficient and are easier to implement. The 1-D TRC calibration approach is also well-suited for use of in-line color measurement sensors, but is typically halftone dependent. In general, for each color channel C and for each halftone method H, a series of test patches are printed in response to N different digital input levels which requires C×H×N test patches, because the test patches must be printed for each halftone method. It has been found in practice that N must not be too small (e.g., N=16 is usually too small) because the TRC for each halftone method is typically not a smooth curve, due to dot overlapping and other microscopic geometries of the printer physical output. Existing methods for 1-D calibration, being halftone dependent, are measurement-intensive, and are not practical for in-line calibration, especially in print engines equipped with multiple halftone screens.
Previously, Wang and others have proposed a halftone independent printer model for calibrating black-and-white and color printers. This halftone independent printer model is referred to as the two-by-two (2×2) printer model and is described, e.g., in the following U.S. Patents, all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference into this specification: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,469,267; 5,748,330; 5,854,882; 6,266,157 and 6,435,654. The 2×2 printer model is also described in the following document that is also hereby expressly incorporated by reference into this specification: S. Wang, "Two-by-Two Centering Printer Model with Yule-Nielsen Equation," Proc. IS&T NIP14, 1998.
The monochrome 2×2 printer model is explained briefly with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C (note that in FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C the grid pattern is shown for reference only). FIG. 2A illustrates an example of an ideal halftone printer output pattern IHP (which can represent, e.g., a single pixel P of an image), where none of the solid color ink/toner dots ID overlap each other (any halftone pattern can be used and the one shown is a single example only); practical printers are incapable of generating non-overlapping square dots as shown in FIG. 2A. A more realistic dot overlap model is the circular dot model shown in FIG. 2B for the pattern HP (the halftone pattern HP of FIG. 2B corresponds to the halftone pattern IHP of FIG. 2A). These overlapping dots D in combination with optical scattering in the paper medium create many difficulties in modeling a black-and-white printer (or a monochromatic channel of a color printer). The dots ID, D are shown by shaded regions to comply with Patent Office drawing rules, but those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the dots ID, D are solid color (black or other color) regions.
In a conventional approach such as shown in FIG. 2B, the location for each dot D is defined by a rectangular space L of the conceptual grid pattern G, and each location L is deemed to have a center coincident with the center of the dot D output (or not output) by the printer. Because the grid G is conceptual only, according to the 2×2 printer model, the grid G can be shifted as shown in FIG. 2C as indicated at G′ so that the printer output dots D of the pattern HP are then centered at a cross-point of the grid G′ rather than in the spaces (the spaces are labeled L′ in the shifted grid G′). Although the halftone dot pattern HP for FIGS. 2B and 2C is identical, overlapping details within each of the rectangular spaces L′ of the grid G′ of FIG. 2C are completely different as compared to the spaces L of the grid G of FIG. 2B. More particularly, there are only 24=16 possible different overlapping dot patterns for the 2×2 model shown in FIG. 2C, while there are 29=512 different overlapping dot patterns in a conventional circular dot model as shown in FIG. 2B.
The 16 possible different overlapping dot patterns of FIG. 2C can be grouped into seven categories G0-G6 as shown in FIG. 2D, i.e., each of the 16 possible different overlapping dot patterns of a pixel location L′ associated with the model of FIG. 2C can be represented by one of the seven patterns G0-G6 of FIG. 2D. The patterns G0 and G6 represent solid white and solid black (or other monochrome color), respectively. The pattern G1 is one of four different equivalent overlapping patterns that are mirror image of each other, as is the pattern G5. Each of the patterns G2, G3, G4 represents one of two different mirror-image overlapping patterns. Therefore, in terms of ink/toner color coverage (gray level), all pixels (located in the rectangular spaces L′ of the conceptual grid pattern G′) of each of the seven patterns G0-G6 are identical within a particular pattern G0-G6. In other words, each pattern G0-G6 consists of only one gray level and this gray level can be measured exactly.
The 2×2 printer model as just described can be used to predict the gray level of any binary (halftone) pattern, because any binary pattern such as the halftone pattern of FIG. 2C can be mathematically modeled as a combination of the seven patterns G0-G6, each of which has a measurable gray level as just described. In other words, after the seven test patches G0-G6 are printed and the gray (color) level of each is measured once, the gray level of any binary halftone pattern can be predicted mathematically and without any additional color measurements.
For example, the halftone pattern HP of FIG. 2C is shown in FIG. 3, along with its corresponding 2×2 based model M, wherein the gray level of each space L′ of the grid G′ is represented by one of the seven 2×2 patterns G0-G6 that has a corresponding color output pattern/coverage for its dots D′. Thus, for example, for the location L′00 of the binary pattern HP, the 2×2 pattern G1 has dots D′ with corresponding color coverage as indicated at M′00, while for the location L′50 of the pattern HP the 2×2 pattern G3 has dots D′ with corresponding color coverage as shown at M′50, and for the location L′66 of halftone pattern HP there is no color (blank coverage) which corresponds to the 2×2 test patch G0 as indicated at M′66 of the model M, etc. As such, any binary pattern of ink/toner dots can be modeled as a combination of the 2×2 patterns G0-G6 by selecting, for each dot D′ of the binary pattern, the one of the 2×2 patterns G0-G6 that is defined by dots D′ having color coverage in the locations L′ that equals the color coverage of the corresponding halftone pattern location L′.
When a binary pattern HP is represented by a model M comprising a plurality of the patterns G0-G6, the gray level output of the binary pattern HP can be estimated mathematically, e.g., using the Neugebauer equation with the Yule-Nielsen modification, as follows:
      G    AVG          1      /      γ        =            ∑              i        =        0            6                          n        i                          G        i                  1          /          γ                    where Gi, i=0 to 6 is the measured gray level of the respective 2×2 patterns G0-G6, ni is the number of dots of the corresponding 2×2 pattern occurring in the binary pattern, and γ is the Yule-Nielsen factor, a parameter which is often chosen to optimize the fit of the model to selected measurements of halftone patches. Details of such an optimization are given in S. Wang, K. Knox and C. Hains, "Digital Color Halftones" Digital Color Imaging Handbook, Chapter 6, CRC Press, 2003.For example, the average gray level of the binary pattern of FIG. 2B/FIG. 2C can be estimated as:GAVG=(7G01/γ+25G11/γ+7G21/γ+3G31/γ+3G41/γ+3G51/γ+G61/γ)γ
The color 2×2 printer model can be described in a similar manner. The color 2×2 printer model can predict the color appearance of binary patterns for a given color printer and the color accuracy of the prediction is high for printers with relatively uniform dot shapes, such as inkjet printers. However, xerographic printers usually do not generate uniform round-shape dots for isolated single pixels and the dot overlapping is more complicated as compared to inkjet dot output. As such, the color 2×2 printer model applied to a xerographic printer will typically yield larger prediction errors.
The 2×2 test patches G0-G6 shown in FIG. 2D are theoretical. For real-world use, each of the test patches G0-G6 can be printed in a variety of different ways. The test patches G0′-G6′ shown in FIG. 4 illustrate an example of one possible real-world embodiment for printing the seven patterns G0-G6, respectively. The present development is described hereinbelow with reference to printing and measuring the color of the real-world 2×2 test patches G0′-G6′, and those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that this is intended to encompass printing and measuring the color of any other test patches that respectively represent and correspond to the patterns G0-G6 in order to satisfy the 2×2 printer model as described herein. It is not intended that the present development, as disclosed below, be limited to use of the particular style of test patches G0′-G6′ or any other particular embodiment of the 2×2 patterns G0-G6. In general, for the 2×2 printer model to hold, the shape of the printer output dots D′ must be symmetric in the x (width) and y (height) directions, and each dot D′ should be no larger than the size of two output pixel locations L′ in both the x and y directions. The dots D′ need not be circular as shown. It should be noted that the 2×2 test patches G0-G6 and G0′-G6′ as shown in FIGS. 2D and 4, are binary in the sense that the "shaded" regions as shown in the patent drawings are "solid" color (black or other color channel) but to comply with Patent Office rules, solid black regions are not used in the patent drawings.

Halftone independent correction of spatial non-uniformities


A stent delivery system to facilitate introduction and placement of a stent, including a catheter having an expandable distal portion constructed and arranged for expanding the outer diameter of the catheter from a contracted state to an expanded state: a stent positioned around the distal portion of the catheter having a contracted condition and being expandable to an expanded condition, and being sized in the contracted condition to closely surround the catheter in the contracted state, the expandable distal portion of the catheter including a balloon within which there is included on the catheter shaft at least one body of a diameter larger than the catheter shaft to which the stent and balloon are fitted, as by crimping, for holding the stent in place until it is released therefrom by expansion of the balloon.

In typical PTCA procedures, a guiding catheter is percutaneously introduced into the cardiovascular system of a patient through a vessel and advanced through therein until the distal end thereof is at a desired location in the vasculature. A guidewire and a dilatation catheter having a balloon on the distal end thereof are introduced through the guiding catheter with the guidewire sliding through the dilatation catheter. The guidewire is first advanced out of the guiding catheter into the patient's coronary vasculature and the dilatation catheter is advanced over the previously advanced guidewire until the dilatation balloon is properly positioned across the lesion. Once in position across the lesion, the flexible, expandable, preformed balloon is inflated to a predetermined size with a liquid or gas at relatively high pressures, such as greater than about four atmospheres, to radially compress the arthrosclerotic plaque of the lesion against the inside of the artery wall and thereby dilate the lumen of the artery. The balloon is then deflated to a small profile so that the dilatation catheter may be withdrawn from the patients vasculature and blood flow resumed through the dilated artery.
In angioplasty procedures of the kind described above, there may be injury to or restenosis of the artery, which either necessitates another angioplasty procedure, a surgical by-pass operation, or some method of repairing or strengthening the area. To strengthen the area and help prevent restenosis, a physician can implant an intravascular prosthesis for maintaining vascular patency, commonly called a stent, inside the artery at the lesion. The stent is expanded to a larger diameter for placement in the vasculature, often by the balloon portion of the catheter. Stents delivered to a restricted coronary artery, expanded to a larger diameter by a balloon catheter, and left in place in the artery at the site of a dilated lesion are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,207 to Kreamer and U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,926 to Derbyshire, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Palmaz et al., 156 Radiology 73 (1985) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,665 describe introduction of a stent over a balloon catheter (incorporated herein by reference). A preferred stent for use with this invention is shown in PCT Application Ser. No. 960 3092 A1, published Feb. 8, 1996, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention is particularly directed to improved arrangements for releasably attaching the stent to the catheter to facilitate delivery thereof.


An apparatus for arranging, side by side, cigarettes to form three cigarette layers, seven, six and seven cigarettes in the corresponding layers, the total number being twenty cigarettes and piling the cigarette layers on one after another in a staggered way to form a three-layered cigarette package. Twenty cigarette supplying passages are provided so as to communicate with the bottom portion of a hopper. Cigarettes are supplied to the cigarette supplying passages in an aligned state. Cigarettes are taken out one by one from the bottom end of each cigarette supplying passage and supplied to three cigarette arranging drums on which three cigarette layers are formed. The cigarette layers on these cigarette arranging drums are transferred to a cigarette piling drum through transfer drums disposed between the cigarette arranging drums and the cigarette piling drum and piled on each cigarette piling head of the cigarette piling drum to form a three-layered cigarette stack. The arrangement of the transfer drums between the cigarette transfer drums and the cigarette piling drum widens the distance between the adjacent cigarette arranging drums, allows the cigarette supplying passages to extend substantially vertically and linearly, thereby facilitating smooth transfer of cigarette in the apparatus and reducing the diameter of the cigarette piling drum so as to speed up the operation of the apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for arranging and piling cigarettes, which every time arranges cigarettes side by side to form a plurality cigarette layers each consisting of a predetermined number of cigarettes, for example, three cigarette layers consisting of the lower layer of seven cigarettes, the intermediate layer of six cigarettes and the upper layer of seven cigarettes; and which each time piles the cigarette layers on one after another in a staggered manner to form a cigarette stack consisting of a predetermined number of cigarette layers, for example, a cigarette stack consisting of the above-mentioned three layers including twenty cigarettes in total. This invention is intended to provide an apparatus for arranging and piling cigarettes, which arranges cigarettes at a high speed and is operated with enhanced reliability.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a cigarette wrapping system, there has been used a cigarette piling apparatus which arranges, side by side, cigarettes to form a plurality of cigarette layers, the total number of cigarettes of these cigarette layers corresponding to the number of cigarettes to be included in a cigarette package, and which piles these cigarette layers on one after another to form a cigarette stack. For example, the apparatus arranges seven, six and seven cigarettes side by side as separate layers and piles them in a staggered manner to form a cigarette stack consisting of the three layers. The cigarette stack is transferred to the following wrapping apparatus.
The conventional apparatus for arranging and piling cigarettes includes a hopper in which a great number of cigarettes are placed in parallel to each other but randomly. To the bottom portion of the hopper are connected cigarette supplying passages whose number is equal to the number of cigarettes in a cigarette package to be formed, for example, twenty. Each cigarette supplying passage has a width slightly larger than the diameter of a cigarette and extends generally vertically. The upper end of each passage is connected to the bottom portion of hopper and communicates therewith. In the hopper is provided an agitator which rotates the cigarettes in the hopper and raises them. The raised cigarettes are supplied to the cigarette supplying passages, aligned in the passages and drop by their weight.
At the lower end portion of the passages is provided a cigarette receiving drum which rotates to receive cigarettes one by one from each passage and transfer the cigarettes to a plurality of (for example, three) cigarette arranging drums. Each cigarette receiving drum is provided in the peripheral wall thereof with cigarette holding grooves whose number is equal to the number of the corresponding cigarette layer of a cigarette stack to be formed. For example, the first, second and third cigarette arranging drums have seven, six and seven grooves, respectively, and the cigarette arranging grooves of each cigarette arranging drum are arranged adjacent to one after another. The cigarettes delivered from the cigarette receiving drum to the respective cigarette arranging grooves of the respective cigarette arranging drums and are sucked in the grooves under a negative pressure, for example, and held therein.
A cigarette piling drum is disposed adjacent to the cigarette arranging drums and is provided on the outer peripheral portion with a plurality of cigarette piling heads. As the cigarette piling drum rotates, its cigarette piling heads pass by the cigarette arranging drums in turn. When the heads pass by the first, second and third cigarette arranging drums, a first group of side-by-side arranged seven cigarettes used as the lower cigarette layer of a cigarette stack to be formed, a second group of side-by-side arranged six cigarettes used as the intermediate layer of the cigarette stack and a third group of side-by-side arranged seven cigarettes used as the upper layer of the cigarette stack are simultaneously transferred from the first to third cigarette arranging drums to the cigarette piling head, in turn. In this way, a cigarette stack of three layers consisting of seven, six and seven cigarettes, respectively, is piled on the head. The twenty cigarettes thus piled are transferred to the following wrapping apparatus.
Recently, the cigarette manufacturing machines have been operated at a high speed in order to manufacture extremely large number of cigarettes in a unit time. Practically, the processes starting from the cigarette manufacture and ending at the wrapping of the cigarettes are carried out on a single processing line. Therefore, the speed-up of cigarette manufacture requires a high speed side-by-side arrangement and cigarette piling. However, it was difficult to increase the operational speed of the conventional apparatuses.
There are several causes which hinders the speed-up of the conventional apparatus for arranging and piling cigarettes. The representative cause is that it is difficult to reduce the diameter of the cigarette piling drum. As a matter of course, a large diameter of the cigarette piling drum increases its weight, making it difficult to rotate the drum at a higher speed. Thus its diameter must be reduced.
However, the cigarette piling drum cannot be rendered small so much by the following reason. In the apparatus for arranging and piling cigarettes, three cigarette arranging drums are arranged close to and around a cigarette piling drum. Seven or six cigarette receiving drums are provided around each cigarette arranging drum. The end portions of the cigarette supplying passages are disposed close to the cigarette receiving drums.
The upper end portions of the cigarette supplying passages open at the bottom portion of the hopper. In order that cigarettes placed randomly in the hopper are smoothly supplied to the cigarette supplying passages, the openings of the upper end portions of the cigarette supplying passages must be separated from each other to some extent. The cigarettes are moved downward by their own weight in an aligned state in the passages. Thus, it is most preferred that the passages be linear and extend vertically
The distance between the adjacent cigarette receiving drums placed at the lower end portions of the passages must be made large and these drums must be arranged linearly in a horizontal direction so that the above-mentioned conditions for the shape and arrangement of the cigarette supplying passages are almost satisfied. Thus, the cigarette arranging drums must have a large diameter and must be separated largely from each other. Further, the cigarette piling drum must also have a large diameter.
As will be understood from the above-mentioned description, the generally linear and generally vertical arrangement of the cigarette supplying passages requires a large diameter of the cigarette piling drum. This limits the rotational speed of the cigarette piling drum and makes it difficult to operate the apparatus at a high speed. If the diameter of the cigarette piling drum were reduced to increase the speed of the drum, the separation between the cigarette arranging drums and between the cigarette receiving drums would be made small. As a result, the cigarette supplying passages would have to be arcuated or bent. This would hinder the smooth supply of cigarettes to the cigarette supplying passages and cause the cigarettes to be clogged in the cigarette supplying passages, thereby lowering the operational reliability.

Apparatus for arranging and piling cigarettes


Fabrication of gallium nitride-based light devices with physical vapor deposition (PVD)-formed aluminum nitride buffer layers is described. Process conditions for a PVD AlN buffer layer are also described. Substrate pretreatments for a PVD aluminum nitride buffer layer are also described. In an example, a method of fabricating a buffer layer above a substrate involves pre-treating a surface of a substrate. The method also involves, subsequently, reactive sputtering an aluminum nitride (AlN) layer on the surface of the substrate from an aluminum-containing target housed in a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber with a nitrogen-based gas or plasma.

1) Field
Embodiments of the present invention pertain to the field of group III-nitride materials and, in particular, to the fabrication of gallium nitride-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) with physical vapor deposition (PVD) formed aluminum nitride buffer layers.
2) Description of Related Art
Group III-V materials are playing an ever increasing role in the semiconductor and related, e.g. light-emitting diode (LED), industries. Often, group III-V materials are difficult to grow or deposit on foreign substrates (known as heteroepitaxy) without the formation of defects or cracks. For example, high quality surface preservation of select films, e.g. a gallium nitride film, is not straightforward in many applications using stacks of material layers fabricated sequentially. The inclusion of one or more buffer layers between a substrate and a device layer has been one approach. However, group III-V materials are often sensitive to process conditions and care must be taken to avoid such conditions at particular periods of the fabrication process. Avoiding interaction of a sensitive group III-V film with potential damaging conditions, however, is also not straightforward in many applications.


An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming device; a recording paper conveyance device discharging, to an outside of the image forming apparatus, a print result obtained by forming an image on a recording paper by the image forming device; a microphone; and a control device functioning as a controller that controls the image forming device and the recording paper conveyance device in accordance with a print condition and as a voice recognition device that recognizes voice collected by the microphone during a predefined detection period starting after the print result is discharged to the outside of the image forming apparatus and detects, from the recognized voice, a word indicating a predefined complaint against appearance of the print result. Upon detecting the word indicating the predefined complaint by the voice recognition device, the controller performs predefined processing as processing of resolving a cause of the complaint indicated by the word.

This disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus including a voice recognition function.
Electronic devices are known which include a voice recognition function and execute an instruction indicated by recognized voice. For example, there is a technology by which, upon detecting voice indicating operation failure, such as "Oops, made a mistake", during a predefined period starting upon start of key operation, a state of an electronic device is returned to a state before reception of the key operation.

Image forming apparatus performing processing for resolving user's complaint against to printed result


An automatic balance device for disk includes rolling beads of different sizes and a magnetic piece within the turntable or clamping chassis of the CD-ROM driver. The rolling beads of different sizes will be released from the magnetic piece at different rotating speeds of the disk. Therefore, the rolling beads with larger weight are first released from the magnetic piece and then bumped by the rolling beads with smaller weight, which are released from the magnetic piece at a later time. The rolling beads with larger weight can be moved to a desired position to counteract the imbalance force of the disk.

The present invention relates to an automatic balance device for disk, especially to an automatic balance device for disk, which comprises rolling beads of different sizes.
The conventional CD-ROM driver, as shown in FIG. 1, mainly comprises a base 10, a stage 11, a pick-up head 12, a spindle motor 13 and a turntable 14. The stage 11 is mounted on the base 10 through a plurality of flexible supports 15. The pick-up head 12 and the spindle motor 13 are placed on the stage 11 and the turntable 14 is fixed on top of the spindle motor 13. An optical disk 16 is mounted on the turntable 14 and is clamped by a clamping chassis 17. The turntable 14 is driven to rotate by the spindle motor 13, and the disk 16 on the turntable 14 is also rotated for accessing data thereon.
In order to reduce vibration and noise for a disk with unbalanced mass, the conventional CD-ROM driver is generally equipped with automatic balance devices. The automatic balance devices are classified as magnetic type and non-magnetic type.
As shown in FIG. 2, the non-magnetic type automatic balance devices for CD-ROM driver comprises a plurality of rolling beads 18 within the turntable 14 or the clamping chassis 17 and of the same size. The plurality of rolling beads 18 are functioned to compensate the imbalance force of the disk 16. However, when the disk starts to rotate, the rolling beads 18 are rolled toward the same orientation of the mass center of the disk with unbalanced mass. Therefore, the disk with unbalanced mass will have larger angular momentum when. beginning to rotate. This is the first drawback of the non-magnetic type automatic balance devices for CD-ROM driver. When the rotation angular frequency of the disk 16 exceeds the natural frequency of the composite structure of the stage 11 and the flexible supports 15, theoretically the rolling beads 18 will be rolled toward direction opposite to the mass center of the disk with unbalanced mass. However, the rolling beads 18 is subject to large frictional force due to large centrifugal force thereof. The rolling beads 18 have not sufficient kinetic energy to reach the designed position for eliminating the imbalance force of the disk 16, and the vibration and noise problems are worsened. This is the second drawback of the non-magnetic type automatic balance devices for CD-ROM driver.
As shown in FIG. 3, the magnetic type automatic balance devices for CD-ROM driver comprises a plurality of rolling beads 18 of same size and a magnetic piece 19 within the turntable 14 or the clamping chassis 17. The plurality of rolling beads 18 are functioned to compensate the imbalance force of the disk 16. The conventional magnetic type automatic balance devices for CD-ROM driver can be of dual-pole configuration or quadruple-pole configuration, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, respectively. When the disk starts to rotate, the rolling beads 18 are attracted by the magnetic piece 19 and not rolled toward the same orientation of the mass center of the disk with unbalanced mass, thus preventing worsened vibration and noise. When the rotation angular frequency of the disk 16 exceeds the natural frequency of the composite structure of the stage 11 and the flexible supports 15, the rolling beads 18 will be released from the magnetic piece 19 and rolled toward direction opposite to the inclined direction of the disk with unbalanced mass. However, the rolling beads 18 are of the same size, those rolling beads 18 will be released at the same time. If the rolling beads 18 are released to wrong positions, the rolling beads 18 cannot move to proper positions for eliminating the imbalance force of the disk 16. The rolling beads 18 have considerable frictional force with respect to the turntable 14 due to the large centrifugal force thereof. The rolling beads 18 will have no chance to gain energy to move to proper positions for eliminating the imbalance force of the disk 16.
It is the object of the invention to provide an automatic balance device for disk, by which the vibration and noise of the disk can substantially be eliminated.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provide an automatic balance device for disk, which comprises a plurality of rolling beads of different sizes and a magnetic piece within the turntable or clamping chassis of the CD-ROM driver. The rolling beads of different sizes will be released from the magnetic piece at different rotating speed of disk. Therefore, the rolling beads with larger weight are first released from the magnetic piece and then bumped by the rolling beads with smaller weight, which are released from the magnetic piece at later time. The rolling beads with larger weight can be moved to desired position to counteract the imbalance force of the disk.


A hand net device that includes a basket that receives and holds an object, a yoke that has a yoke body coupled to the basket, and a handle assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being adjustably coupled to the yoke body, wherein the yoke body guides the handle assembly between a stow position and an extended position.

A variety of hand nets are known, including scoop and dip nets. These typically include a net attached to a hoop, which in turn is attached to a pole or handle. The devices come in many shapes and sizes. Hand nets have many applications, including, for example, sweeping up fish near the water's surface or lifting fish out of the water that were caught using a rod and reel.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a known hand net 1. The hand net 1 has a hoop 2 that is attached to a net 3 and a pole 4. State of the art hand nets, including hand net 1, suffer from a number of disadvantages such as lack of adjustability, cumbersome size, and poor ergonomics that make it difficult or uncomfortable for users to handle. Such hand nets require significant storage space and can be unwieldy to transport. An unfulfilled need exists for a hand net device and a handle assembly that overcome the aforenoted disadvantages.