A distributed digital communications network and method for interactive communications, e.g., for cellular, wireless Internet access, digital television, and/or like multimedia services, is provided, that includes one or more global communications satellites positioned and adapted for receiving and relaying packet data communications encapsulating the interactive communications. One or more base station(s) are located in each of a plurality of selected remote geographic regions, and have mobile wireless links to a plurality of subscribers of communications services in the region. A plurality of satellite communications terminals is also provided for communicating with the satellite from the region. Each terminal is located in the selected remote geographic region and associated with one or more of the base stations. In addition, a plurality of user terminals are utilized, each located in the selected remote geographic region and associated with the base station(s) in the region. One or more base station controller(s) located remotely from, or locally with, the base station(s) have programming for controlling the base stations. Furthermore, a single mobile switching center located remotely from, or locally with, the base station controller(s) and the base stations. The switching center, in addition, has a digital communications signal processor for handling digital signal switching between the plurality of base stations, and/or wireline and/or other communications network(s). Finally, a packet data network is utilized between the satellite and satellite communications terminals for interactive data communications throughout the distributed network.

Conventional communications networks, such as those for cellular telephones, utilize land based connections between a switch or mobile switching center (MSC), base stations (BSs), base station controllers (BSCs), and other network elements. Specifically, a signal or call processing element, is located in proximity to the physical traffic carrying and switching elements of the network, such elements being housed within the mobile switching center, and near corresponding cellular towers. Hence, when a call is placed, the call is routed through the call processing element and switch of a selected, albeit localized, geographic region based upon the signal reach of the cellular tower and corresponding communications zone defined thereby.
For applications over a relatively large geographic region, numerous cellular towers are usually needed to link the user, especially while a call is in progress, as he or she moves from one zone to another. The construction and maintenance of each tower site and the communications network used to interconnect multiple sites often involves considerable expense. While these arrangements have been found economically feasible for populated areas of most western nations, they are extraordinarily expensive for other nations, particularly those with relatively low population densities and/or vast remote, unpopulated, geographic regions. As a result, most of the geographic expanse of land in the world (including many countries that fall within those regions) have remained underserved or unreachable by cellular telephone service. In turn, the affected regions and nations have been largely precluded from the benefits of the wireless, Internet and digital revolutions of the last decade.
Accordingly, an economical, practical solution is desired not only for reducing the capital expense of providing telephone service to existing customers, but also for improving and adding service in remote geographic regions.

Distributed satellite-based communications network and method of providing interactive communications services using the same


A vibration isolation device including a stationary housing; a movable top plate positioned horizontally above the stationary housing; an airtight flexible member forming an airtight pressure chamber between the movable top plate and the stationary housing; a vibration-free movable base having a mounting plate portion; and a dome-shaped contacting portion, provided between opposed surfaces of the movable top plate and the mounting plate portion. The movable top plate is moved up and down by varying an internal pressure of the airtight pressure chamber. The vibration-free movable base is moved up and down via the dome-shaped contacting portion. The vibration isolation device includes a biasing device, positioned inside the airtight pressure chamber for holding the planar centers of the movable top plate and the mounting plate portion in contact with each other when the internal pressure of the airtight pressure chamber is smaller than a predetermined value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air-spring vibration isolation device for supporting an object to be isolated from vibration such as a precision instrument while isolating the object from vibration transmitted from the floor to the vibration isolation device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical air-spring vibration isolation device, vibration transmitted from the floor to a stationary housing of the vibration isolation device is prevented from being transmitted to a vibration-free movable base of the vibration isolation device by supporting the vibration-free movable base on the stationary housing via an airtight pressure chamber (airtight flexible member) while introducing regulated air pressure into the airtight pressure chamber.
To obtain further improvement in vibration isolating performance, this type of air-spring vibration isolation device using air pressure, which is provided with a movable top plate that moves up and down by the airtight pressure chamber without the vibration-free movable base being directly supported by the airtight pressure chamber, wherein the vibration-free movable base is allowed to swing (oscillate) relative to the movable top plate by a structure in which the movable top plate and a mounting plate portion of the vibration-free movable base are arranged to face each other so as to be in point contact with each other via a dome-shaped (hemispherical) contacting portion installed between opposed surfaces of the movable top plate and the mounting plate portion at a planar center thereof, is known in the art.
In this particular type of air-spring vibration isolation device that uses such a dome-shaped contacting portion, the movable top plate descends toward the stationary housing to release the point-contacting engagement of the movable top plate with the mounting plate portion via the dome-shaped contacting portion if the air pressure applied to the airtight pressure chamber is removed, e.g., during the time when the vibration isolation device is in a non-operational state. Thereafter, when the vibration isolation device resumes operating, air pressure is again introduced into the airtight pressure chamber to move up the movable top plate via the dome-shaped contacting portion. Although it is a matter of course that the two-dimensional positioning of the vibration-free movable base relative to the stationary housing is precisely established in advance, this precise two-dimensional positioning of the vibration-free movable base relative to the stationary housing is lost once the point-contact engagement of the movable top plate with the mounting plate portion of the vibration-free movable base is released, which proves it to be impossible to reproduce the original vibration isolating performance.


A sheet for optical fingerprint recognition or input, and a device including such a sheet. The sheet can detect fingerprint information having high contrast with a simple structure and can be applied to a large area display device to recognize a plurality of fingerprint patterns without being influenced by each other.

Depending on generalization and use frequency increase of portable mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet PCs, security of these devices is becoming more important. Especially, it is more important to maintain security in electronic commerce and banking fields using these devices. Biological information of a user, for example, fingerprint, iris, face, or voice, can be used to identify or authenticate a device user for security maintenance. In recent years, portable mobile devices to which a user authentication technology through the fingerprint is applied have also been commercialized.
On the other hand, fingerprint recognition methods can be classified into an optical method, an ultrasonic method, an electrostatic capacity method, an electric field measurement method and a heat sensing method, and the like. Among these, the optical fingerprint recognition method can be divided into a so-called scattering method for detecting light scattered in a ridge portion of a fingerprint in direct contact with a transparent fingerprint contact portion of the device, and a so-called total reflection method for detecting light totally reflected from the surface of a fingerprint contact portion corresponding to a valley portion of a fingerprint. In the former case, since light to be scattered must be detected, it may be difficult to provide a light quantity sufficient to identify the fingerprint pattern to the sensor, and the path of the scattered light may overlap the light path of the original light source, so that the contrast may be lowered. And, in the scattering method, a trapezoidal distortion caused by the light path difference also occurs. Devices having various structures have been proposed to solve the above problems through various papers and patents, but it cannot be said that the scattering method is not suitable for portable mobile devices because of the use of bulky prisms or the like. Also, in the latter case, there is an advantage that a greater light quantity can be secured than a method of detecting scattered light, but if the total reflection path is long in the process in which the totally reflected light toward the sensor repeats the total reflection along the waveguide, the lights totally reflected from adjacent fingerprints may interfere with each other to lower the contrast. In addition, when the conventional total reflection method is used, the size of the device can be increased due to the necessity of separately installing a sensor or a prism, and the like, and there is a problem that compatibility with the portable mobile device having a large area display is also poor, because input and output structures of the fingerprint recognition device are very limited, as the sensor is positioned at the opposite end of one end of the waveguide where the light source is positioned.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sheet and an optical fingerprint scanner


A wireless transmission device (100) of the invention includes a VSWR measuring means (101) which measures VSWR; and a VSWR determining means (102) which determines reliability of a measurement value of the VSWR measured by the VSWR measuring means (101). The VSWR determining means (102) includes a baseband signal analyzing means (90) which analyzes a baseband signal by detecting a difference between the baseband signal, and a delay signal of the baseband signal; a baseband signal density determining means (19) which determines a density of the baseband signal, based on the difference between the baseband signal and the delay signal analyzed by the baseband signal analyzing means (90), and a VSWR output switching means (13) which restrains output of the VSWR measuring means, when the baseband signal density determining means (19) determines that the density of the baseband signal is low.

In LTE (Long Term Evolution) as a telecommunications standard of the mobile phone, a system is configured to include RRE (Remote Radio Equipment) or the like, which shares an antenna with W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) in order to improve workability at the time of installation and to reduce the running cost. When a base station wireless transmission device of one system based on an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) system such as LTE and the like, and a base station wireless transmission device of the other system are coupled to each other with use of a sharing antenna or the like, an interference wave from the wireless transmission system of the other system is input to the wireless transmission device of the one system, and serves as a disturbing wave. It is important to precisely measure VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) even in the environment as described above, and to apply the measurement result on the system for controlling wireless communication.
FIG. 2 illustrates a VSWR measurement device and a VSWR measurement method in a first related art. A baseband signal generator 2 converts an input data signal generated in MAC 1 into an I/Q axis signal as a modulated baseband signal. Then, a modulator 3 modulates the I/Q axis signal into an RF-band modulated downlink signal, based on an oscillation signal from a local oscillator 40. A high output amplifier 4 amplifies the RF-band modulated downlink signal to a predetermined transmission power for output to a filter 5. The filter 5 reduces a transmitted spurious component of the RF-band modulated downlink signal. The RF-band modulated downlink signal is emitted to the space by an antenna 7. A VSWR measurement device precedes the antenna 7 in order to measure VSWR when the antenna 7 is installed, and to check that spatial emission from the antenna 7 is carried out without a problem. In this example, a directional coupler 6 is inserted to precede the antenna 7 in order to detect a traveling wave and a reflected wave for VSWR measurement.
The directional coupler 6 outputs a traveling wave to a traveling wave detector 8. Further, the directional coupler 6 outputs a reflected wave to a reflected wave detector 9. The traveling wave detector 8 detects a voltage value of a traveling wave. Further, the reflected wave detector 8 detects a voltage value of a reflected wave. A difference detector 10 detects a difference between the detected voltage value of the traveling wave and the detected voltage value of the reflected wave. A VSWR calculator 11 calculates VSWR, based on the difference between the detected voltage values, and a VSWR average unit 12 performs a smoothing process to the calculated VSWR. In the first related art, VSWR smoothed by the VSWR average unit 12 is output and displayed as a final report value. In the environment to be described later, however, a large error may be included in a measurement result of VSWR.
Next, a matter to be environmentally concerned is described. FIG. 5 illustrates a case, in which a base station wireless transmission device of one system based on an OFDM system such as LTE and the like, and a base station wireless transmission device of the other system are coupled to each other with use of a sharing antenna or the like. In this case, an interference wave from the wireless transmission device of the other system is input to the wireless transmission device of the one system.
FIG. 6 illustrates a time waveform of a downlink signal in LTE. Signals are densely present on the time axis in a test model such as E-TM1.1 or E-TM2. On the other hand, in a control channel signal whose density is the lowest among the actual operation signals (a state that no terminal link is present), broadcast information of a short duration, and a reference signal of a shorter duration, serving as a training signal on the terminal side, are sparsely present on the time axis within one frame (=10 subframes·10 msec).
In view of the above, a problem to be solved when VSWR measurement is performed in various environments by a configuration example of the VSWR measurement device illustrated in FIG. 2 is described. As illustrated in FIG. 7, when a test signal having a high density is used, the signal level fluctuates, but the measurement value of VSWR is always accurate (in this case, 1.5), because the fluctuation is within the dynamic range of a wave detector.
As illustrated in FIG. 8, when a downlink signal having a low density is used, the signal frequently repeats switching between an on-state and an off-state, and a large part of the signal may be lowered than the lower limit of the dynamic range of a wave detector. This may lower the precision of a measurement value of VSWR. On the other hand, during a time period when broadcast information is output, the signal density is high. Therefore, it is possible to obtain an accurate measurement value of VSWR.
Further, as illustrated in FIG. 9, when a backward disturbing wave from the other system is added to a downlink signal whose density is low during an operation, an error may be largely increased, because the disturbing wave may be misjudged as a reflected wave. Precision of a measurement value of VSWR may be considerably lowered depending on the level of the disturbing wave. However, during a time period when broadcast information is output, the measurement value of VSWR is accurate because the signal density is high.
As described above, in an actual environment, when a backward disturbing wave from the other system coupled with use of a sharing antenna is present in a state that the signal density is low, precision of a measurement value of VSWR may be considerably lowered. Further, a measurement result of VSWR when an antenna is installed may be misjudged to be total reflection. As a result, a monitor station may erroneously issue an alarm, and the one system may stop transmitting the wave.
The following are exemplified literatures disclosing the configuration of the VSWR measurement device in the field of first related art. These literatures, however, do not describe a circuitry configuration or consideration relating to a measurement error of VSWR, which may be generated by a backward interference wave/disturbing wave from the outside.                VSWR detection circuit and VSWR detection method (PTL 1, FIG. 1)        VSWR measurement circuit (PTL 2, FIG. 1)        VSWR monitor circuit (PTL 3, FIG. 1)        Antenna port monitor system and method thereof (PTL 4, FIG. 1)
As an improvement of the first related art, the following literatures are exemplified which pay attention to a circuitry configuration or consideration relating to a measurement error of VSWR, which may be generated by a backward interference wave/disturbing wave from the outside.                Antenna monitor device (PTL 5, FIG. 1, FIG. 2)        Standing wave ratio measurement device (PTL 6)        Voltage standing wave ratio measurement device (PTL 7)
The improvement associated with the aforementioned three literatures is disclosed in FIG. 1 of PTL 5. In this example, a directional coupler inserted in order to detect a traveling wave and a reflected wave for VSWR measurement is provided between a filter (band-pass filter) connected to an antenna, and a wireless transmission device. According to this configuration, out-of-band attenuation by the filter is expected. Further, disposing a band-pass filter between a traveling wave detector and a reflected wave detector which are branched from the directional coupler makes it possible to sufficiently suppress an out-of-band interference wave/disturbing wave before wave detection.
Another configuration example associated with the aforementioned three literatures is disclosed in FIG. 2 of PTL 5. In this example, a down converter is disposed on each of a traveling wave path and a reflected wave path which are branched from a directional coupler, and the frequencies of local oscillators of the down converters are differentiated from each other. According to this configuration, allowing a signal of the baseband frequency or of the IF frequency after conversion to pass through a narrower band filter having sharper characteristics, while changing the passing bandwidth for down conversion makes it possible to attenuate the out-of-band interference wave/disturbing wave steeper from the outside. Thus, an error in the measurement value of VSWR due to the interference wave/disturbing wave is reduced.
The advantages of the configurations described in the aforementioned three prior art literatures, however, are obtained when the frequency bandwidth of an interference wave/disturbing wave from the outside is away from an intended transmission bandwidth. On the other hand, when the transmission bandwidth of the local system and the interference bandwidth of another system are close to each other, or when the transmission bandwidth of the local system overlaps the interference bandwidth of another system, it may be difficult to achieve an intended frequency selectivity by the filter. Or, it is necessary to provide a filter having sharper characteristics in order to obtain the advantages. As a result, the degree of difficulty in designing may be considerably increased. This may limits a shape of the device, and may increase the cost. Further, when a filter of a fixed bandwidth is disposed in a wave detection system, it may be difficult to flexibly handle a frequency change.
Next, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 illustrate a configuration example invented in association with the present application, although this example is not prior art with respect to the invention of the present application. As illustrated in FIG. 3, a baseband signal generator 2 converts an input data signal generated in MAC 1 into an I/Q axis signal as a modulated baseband signal. Then, a modulator 3 modulates the I/Q axis signal into an RF band modulated downlink signal, based on an oscillation signal from a local oscillator 40. A high output amplifier 4 amplifies the RF-band modulated downlink signal to a predetermined transmission power for output to a filter 5. The filter 5 reduces a transmitted spurious component of the RF-band modulated downlink signal. The RF-band modulated downlink signal is emitted to the space by an antenna 7. A VSWR measurement device precedes the antenna 7 in order to measure VSWR when the antenna 7 is installed, and to check that spatial emission from the antenna 7 is carried out without a problem. In this example, a directional coupler 6 inserted to precede the antenna 7 in order to detect a traveling wave and a reflected wave for VSWR measurement.
The directional coupler 6 outputs a traveling wave to a traveling wave detector 8. Further, the directional coupler 6 outputs a reflected wave to a reflected wave detector 9. The traveling wave detector 8 detects a voltage value of a traveling wave. Further, the reflected wave detector 8 detects a voltage value of a reflected wave. A difference detector 10 detects a difference between the detected voltage value of the traveling wave and the detected voltage value of the reflected wave. A VSWR calculator 11 calculates VSWR, based on the difference between the detected voltage values, and a VSWR average unit 12 performs a smoothing process to the calculated VSWR.
In the above example, it is necessary to determine whether the report value from the VSWR average unit 12 is probable. In this configuration example, by branching a baseband signal generated in the baseband signal generator 2 and inputting the branched signals to a baseband signal amplitude integrator 14, signal levels, so as to determine whether the signal density is high enough to measure VSWR with high precision, are accumulated. FIG. 4 illustrates a sequence of masking a report value of VSWR when the baseband level by a determination method based on a threshold value is low. In this sequence, 100 samples of measurement values of VSWR are acquired every 10 msec corresponding to one frame of a downlink signal in LTE, and the VSWR average unit 12 updates the average value of VSWR one time in a second. The baseband signal integrator 14 integrates the baseband levels for one second corresponding to 100 samples each requiring 10 msec without synchronization with the updating operation as described above. When it is determined that a time segment during which the accumulated value as an integration result is equal to or larger than a threshold value set by an amplitude integrated value determiner 15 is continued, the amplitude integrated value determiner 15 determines that the report value of latest VSWR (an output from the VSWR average unit 12) smoothed at the time of the determination is probable. In this case, a switch SW 13 is switched to the direction of outputting and displaying a measurement value of VSWR so as to report the measurement value of VSWR to the outside.
When it is determined that there is a time segment during which the accumulated value as an integration result by the baseband signal integrator 14 is equal to or smaller than the threshold value set by the amplitude integrated value determiner 15, the amplitude integrated value determiner 15 determines that the report value representing a measurement result of latest VSWR (an output from the VSWR average unit 12) to which a smoothing process is applied by the time when the determination is made is not probable. Then, the SW 13 is switched to the direction of displaying that a measurement result of VSWR is invalid so as to invalidate the report on the measurement result of VSWR to the outside.
In the above configuration example, however, it takes time from measuring the baseband level to determination. This may make it difficult to obtain a quick response. Further, when the transmission level is low, regardless that the density of a downlink signal is high, an integrated value does not exceed a threshold value and masking of the measurement result of VSWR may occur, regardless that VSWR can be measured with high precision, as well as a signal having a large instantaneous transmission power and low signal density.
PTL 8 discloses a method for checking not normality on a measurement result of VSWR when a transmission antenna is installed, but normality on a measurement value of VSWR when a receiving antenna is installed. Further, it is necessary to provide a PN (Pseudorandom Noise) spread signal generator and a demodulator individually and dedicatedly in a main signal receiving system in order to measure VSWR of a receiving antenna. This may limits a shape of the device, and may increase the cost. Further, a PN spread signal, which is different from an operation transmission signal, may be emitted from the receiving antenna as unwanted radiation when VSWR is measured. On the other hand, when a backward interference wave from the outside is present when a sharing antenna is used, in the course of deriving a value of VSWR as represented by VSWR=S1/(N+I′)−S2/(N+I), I or I′ in the denominator may be applied, so that increasing an error in VSWR is also may be a problem. Further, the denominator increases due to the large I or I′. This may make it difficult to secure a sufficient C/N (Carrier to Noise) ratio, and make it impossible to demodulate the PN.
In the technique described in PTL 9, in measurement of VSWR when an antenna (ANT) is connected, when the electrical length between the load of the antenna (ANT) and a coupling port (CPL) is different, and when a traveling wave component leaks to a reflected wave port due to poor directivity of CPL, an error may be included in a composite vector of a reflected wave, and an error may occur in a measurement result of VSWR. Further, disposing a phase unit between the antenna and the coupling port to change the electrical length makes it possible to remove a traveling wave leakage component from the measurement result of VSWR, based on computation of a vector of a maximum reflected wave and a vector of a minimum reflection for improvement of measurement precision of VSWR. Therefore, the example illustrated in PTL 9 provides improvement of measurement precision of VSWR in a state that an external interference wave is not present, and does not consider the density of a traveling wave or of an external interference wave.

Wireless transmission device, VSWR determination device, and VSWR determination method


This invention pertains to a multi-st vessel through which the to-be-cleaned fluid flows. Aeration assemblies within the inner cells disperse micro-fine gas bubbles into the fluid for cleaning purposes. Additionally, the inlet piping contains a separator that begins the separation process before this fluid is discharged into the first cell. An L-shaped passageway interconnects the various flotation cells of this separator with the entrance of each such passageway being at an elevation below its exit. A weir is located within each flotation cell that is adjustable as needed. This weir empties into a channel alongside the seprator vessel that collects the separated contaminants flowing over the weir for later disposal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to oil/water separators and, more specifically, to a system whereby such separation is accomplished by aeration as the fluid circulates through a series of interconnected flotation cells.
2. General Background
Oil/water separators have been widely used in the oil and gas industry, pulp and paper mills, municipal waste treatment facilities, and meat packing plants to name a few. There are many varieties ranging from the single cell assemblies to the multi-stage devices.
A typical version of the single cell assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,954 to George, et al. This assembly incorporates a single U-shaped tank through which the fluid to be treated passes. A gas stream is injected into this tank and percolates through this fluid while the pressure of the fluid is increased. After such pressure is released, the gas breaks out of solution and attaches itself to any contaminants in the fluid, thereby separating these contaminants from the fluid.
Typical examples of multi-stage devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,706 to Degner, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,457 to Cairo, Jr., et al.; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,579 to George. Each of these devices incorporates a large tank that has been sub-divided into a series of smaller cells through which the fluid passes. Each cell is in open communication with it adjacent cell with each such cell having its own aeration system. In this manner, as the fluid flows from one cell to the next, it gradually becomes cleaner and clearer. In some cases, skimmer paddles are used to remove the aerated contaminants, in others, a central channel is employed to remove them.
In view of the above, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved multi-stage apparatus for separating oil and other contaminants from a fluid. Another object of this invention is to provide a means for separating such contaminants without the need for skimmer paddles and without a central channel. A further object of this invention is to begin the separation process prior to the introduction of the fluid to the first cell. Still another object of this invention is to provide a means of individually varying the amount of contaminants that are removed from each of the cells. Yet another object is to provide a means of transferring fluid between the individual cells which enhances the separation of the oil and/or solid contaminants from the fluid. These and other objects of this invention will become obvious upon further investigation.

Water clarification method and apparatus


Internally within an organization, e-mails are often sent to multiple recipients to request information or ask that a task be performed by one or more, but less than all, of those recipients. The Systems and method help minimize overall time burden to those recipients in responding to or trying to track such e-mails, and help the sender and recipients alike more easily view, manage and control such e-mails and their ultimate disposition, including the sender's e-mail and the plurality of responses sent by recipients. Separate viewable areas for each string or chain of related autonomic e-mails within each user's e-mail in-box and other e-mail storage areas are provided. The e-mail's sender and at least certain recipients can help decide whether to terminate a particular thread of autonomic e-mail communications by designating it as completed or canceled. Those emails which have not yet been read by recipients can be moved to a “completed” folder or deleted altogether. This in turn saves the review time of those recipients who have been away or too busy to check the e-mails within their respective in-boxes.

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for the processing of e-mail, and specifically to systems and methods for the autonomic handling of e-mails addressed to multiple recipients which require some type of a response, such as the provision of information or the accomplishment of a task, with a view toward minimizing the overall burden to the group of recipients in responding to or trying to track such emails.
E-mail has become an increasingly important means of communicating with others as well as an important business tool that is used for many different purposes. But the volume of e-mail is constantly increasing with a concomitant increase in the amount of time that the e-mail recipients must spend in reading and responding to the e-mail. Within larger organizations, the total amount of time spent by the workers reading e-mails, including e-mails that do not even require a response, is considerable. On occasion, time is also spent trying to track a series of related emails, particularly when they are not all linked in chain fashion. For example, some may have come from different individuals who may be responded to a request with a new e-mail, rather than a simple reply, so there is not necessarily an automatic link back to the original e-mail.
A particularly useful feature of e-mail is the ability to send the same e-mail to multiple e-mail addresses, such as a distribution list or other group, at the same time. Frequently, the purpose of sending an e-mail message to group is to request that one of the recipients of the e-mail provide information to the sender of the e-mail or perform a task that the sender of the e-mail requested. Such an e-mail can be said to contain a "to-do" item. In a typical to-do e-mail sent to a group, one or more of, but not all of, the recipients of the e-mail are typically expected to provide information or to accomplish a task that was requested in the e-mail. E-mail requests frequently are deliberately sent to multiple recipients in this manner because the sender needs a quick response, or is unsure of who in the group has the specific knowledge required to answer the inquiry, or who has time to perform the task.
One benefit of sending an e-mail with a to-do item to multiple recipients is that the sender generally receives a faster response than if the sender had only sent the e-mail to one recipient. This is because the first recipient that is available to handle the to-do item will generally respond to it. If such an e-mail request were to be sent to only one person, that person may not be able to respond, perhaps because of being too busy or being out of the office or away from his or her computer. In such cases, the originator of the e-mail would receive a slower response to the originator's request than if the to-do e-mail had been sent to a recipient who was able to respond without a significant delay. Often, the sender may receive the desired response before other recipients in the group have even opened and/or read the e-mail. Or the sender may promptly receive some further information that renders unnecessary the pursuit of the requested information.
In such cases, we have recognized that it would be useful to have a streamlined method or technique of notifying the other recipients in the group that the requested information has been provided, that the requested task has been performed or that the requested information or task is no longer needed. One goal of the present invention is to eliminate the time that the other recipients would have to spend in reading such an e-mail, or in trying to provide the requested information or perform the requested task when it had already been completed by another.
Existing e-mail systems, to our knowledge, do not provide any type of mechanism for automatically indicating to a group of other recipients of the "to-do" e-mail that a recipient of the e-mail had responded to it or that another recipient had provided the requested information or performed the requested task. Currently, a recipient who resolves the to-do e-mail can notify the other recipients of the to-do e-mail by forwarding yet another e-mail to everyone on the distribution list to inform them that the to-do item in the e-mail had been performed. Alternatively, the sender can send out another email saying in effect that "I have received the requested information" or "the requested task has been handled" or "the requested no longer needs to be done."
In a conventional e-mail system, either of the foregoing procedures would create yet another message in the in-box for each user on the distribution list. This in turn takes up more time since the recipients have to read it too. Moreover, if in the meantime other e-mails had come into the mailboxes of that recipient or other recipients, there is a good chance that the original to-do e-mail and the follow-up message from the first recipient to respond saying, "I have handled the to-do item," or from the sender saying "I received my answer" or "the task has been completed" would be separated by one or more intervening e-mails in the in-boxes of the various recipients. This in turn only adds to the burden of the sender or the recipients in trying to match up disparate e-mails that are coming in to determine if the task has been completed.
Lastly, a number of modern e-mail systems have so-called "advanced sorting" features or "rules wizards" for automatically directing incoming e-mails to certain pre-defined folders and even can optionally mark the incoming e-mails as having been read or can flag up them for follow-up. Yet, they do not, to our knowledge, permit the sender or other recipients of the same message to have, at a later time, these already-sent e-mails in a recipient's main in-box or in certain designated folders automatically marked for a different disposition, such as directing them to a different folder.

Autonomic e-mail processing system and method

International Business Machines Corporation


A gate safety barrier system is provided for use at a loading dock to prevent accidental or inadvertent movement of a loading dock vehicle and/or personnel through an access passageway provided on the loading dock. The gate safety barrier includes a pair of bollards positioned on opposite sides of the passageway and a horizontal center member pivotally mounted on pivot bollard. The horizontal center member includes two sections connected together by means of a center hinge. The horizontal center member moves to close and block the passageway. When in the closed position the horizontal center member spans the distance between the bollards. The system provides safety, ease of use, and improved functionality which protect personnel while the assembly is being moved between closed blocked passageway to open unblocked passageway.

The present disclosure is directed to a loading dock system, and more specifically to a system for providing increased safety and efficiency in a loading dock gate safety barrier.
One of the primary concerns for manufacturing and warehousing personnel is personnel and material safety and protection when using motorized goods-handling devices, such as forklifts, hoists, lift trucks, and other motorized handlers. Because sight lines of lift drivers may be limited, errors can cause material damage and injuries, some severe, to personnel. Facilities may have areas of changing elevation or high traffic as well as loading areas uneven with delivery vehicles. A driver who cannot see the changing elevation, traffic, or absence of delivery vehicles may accidentally direct their goods-handling devices into a dangerous area, resulting in injury or damage. Workers may also fail to perceive dangerous areas, resulting in injury if they enter unaware.
One solution is to install security doors in front of dangerous areas. However, these doors may need to be opened for ventilation or visibility, allowing uncontrolled access to the area. Visual and audible alert devices require power sources and may not be effective for all environments. Many devices are also incapable of stopping a goods-handling device, which may only add to potential damage and injury.
There is an unmet need in the art for a safety system which does not block visibility or ventilation and is capable of withstanding impact from motorized goods-handling devices.


A scan-type display apparatus includes an LED array, a display module, a control module and a driver module. The LED array has a common anode configuration. The control module generates a synchronization control (SC) signal. Based on the SC signal, the driver module outputs an input voltage to scan lines of the LED array sequentially without overlapping in time so as to drive LEDs of the LED array to emit light in a line scan manner, and generates an image refresh signal that is related to the output of the input voltage to one of the scan lines which corresponds to a last line of the line scan in each line scan cycle and that is further related to refreshing of images on a display constituted by the LED array and the display module.

In a conventional scan-type display apparatus, a driving device for driving a display to show images includes a control module and a driver module. The driver module receives a synchronization control signal and an image stream from the control module. The image stream contains multiple pieces of image data that respectively correspond to multiple images or image frames to be shown by the display. The driver module drives the display based on the synchronization control signal and the image stream such that switching of a backlight module, which includes a light emitting diode (LED) array, of the display between a state where all LEDs are lit and a state where no LEDs are lit is related to the synchronization control signal, such that light emitted by the backlight module is modulated by a display module of the display to show the images or image frames represented by the image stream, and such that refreshing of images on the display is synchronous to the synchronization control signal. The synchronization control signal is a vertical synchronization signal, is periodic, and has a frequency of, for example, 60 Hz. Therefore, the display refreshes periodically, and a frame rate thereof is equal to the frequency of the synchronization control signal.
However, under a circumstance where the synchronization control signal is non-periodic and where the backlight module is a scanning backlight module that is triggered by the synchronization control signal and that emits light in a line scan manner, driving the display module in the aforesaid manner will result in image tearing or image interruption.

Scan-type display apparatus, and driving device and driving method thereof


Software is provided for functioning in conjunction with a plurality of mission stores and for assisting a pilot of a vehicle with release of the mission stores to achieve a specified number of mission objectives. Each of the plurality of mission stores may be designated for communication with a separate mission reference point or target. The targets may be grouped within a common target area. The software provides processor-executable instructions for determining acceptable timing and location for release of the plurality of mission stores, such as within the common target area, and such that the mission stores achieve communication with the respective mission reference points. The processor-executable instructions calculate and identify a common release area within the common target area, such as a composite launch acceptability region of overlap of separate target regions of each mission store, in addition to identifying an entrance and exit point of the composite region.

Vehicles for releasing payloads often include software for assisting a pilot in achieving mission objectives, such as hitting a target with an explosive. For example, a vehicle, such as an airplane, typically includes software for assisting a pilot with locating and directing mission stores, which may include explosives, at such a target. The mission stores may be munitions or payloads, such as bombs (e.g., smart bombs), drop shipments, targeting devices, etc. A typical vehicle for releasing munitions or payloads often includes a processor for reading and executing processor-executable instructions contained in a computer-readable medium. The processor is often a component of the complicated electronics of a vehicle's cockpit, dashboard electronics system, or mission store carriage system.

Composite launch acceptability region software


An example system includes an object controlling unit that controls operations of objects based on input manipulations, and a noncompetitive relationship setting unit that sets a noncompetitive relationship for two objects in the competition of the game when a predetermined operation is performed between these two objects.

According to an aspect of the embodiment, a recording medium is provided that records a program making a computer, based on an input manipulation, perform processing regarding a game in which plural objects compete against each other, and the program makes the computer operate as an object controlling unit controlling an operation of an object based on an input manipulation, and a noncompetitive relationship setting unit setting a noncompetitive relationship for two objects about a competition in the game when a predetermined operation is performed for the two objects.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present technology will become more apparent by the following detailed explanation in reference to the attached figures.

Recording medium, game processing method, game apparatus and game system

Abstract: That system performs processing regarding the game in which plural objects compete in accordance with the input manipulations.


A method and apparatus for authenticating a user In dependence upon biometric Input information is disclosed. According to the method when a user is identified, their biometric information or data derived therefrom is automatically stored. The data is then used in subsequent user identification attempts as a template. The original templates are not replaced but those templates that are automatically stored are replaced at intervals.

Computer security is fast becoming an important issue. With the proliferation of computers and computer networks into all aspects of business and daily life—financial, medical, education, government, and communications—the concern over secure file access is growing. Using passwords is a common method of providing security. Password protection and/or combination type locks are employed for computer network security, automatic teller machines, telephone banking, calling cards, telephone answering services, houses, and safes. These systems generally require the knowledge of an entry code that has been selected by a user or has been preset.
Preset codes are often forgotten, as users have no reliable method of remembering them. Writing down the codes and storing them in close proximity to an access control device (i.e. The combination lock) results in a secure access control system with a very insecure code. Alternatively, the nuisance of trying several code variations renders the access control system more of a problem than a solution.
Password systems are known to suffer from other disadvantages. Usually, passwords are specified by a user. Most users, being unsophisticated users of security systems, choose passwords that are relatively insecure. As such, many password systems are easily accessed through a simple trial and error process.
A security access system that provides substantially secure access and does not require a password or access code is a biometric identification system. A biometric identification system accepts unique biometric information from a user and identifies the user by matching the information against information belonging to registered users of the system. One such biometric identification system is a fingerprint recognition system.
In a fingerprint input transducer or sensor, the finger under investigation is usually pressed against a flat surface, such as a side of a glass plate; the ridge and valley pattern of the finger tip is sensed by a sensing means such as an interrogating light beam.
Various optical devices are known which employ prisms upon which a finger whose print is to be identified is placed. The prism has a first surface upon which a finger is placed, a second surface disposed at an acute angle to the first surface through which the fingerprint is viewed and a third illumination surface through which light is directed into the prism. In some cases, the illumination surface is at an acute angle to the first surface, as seen for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,187,482 and 5,187,748. In other cases, the illumination surface is parallel to the first surface, as seen for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,109,427 and 5,233,404. Fingerprint identification devices of this nature are generally used to control the building-access or information-access of individuals to buildings, rooms, and devices such as computer terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,056 in the name of Tsikos issued Oct. 5, 1982, discloses an alternative kind of fingerprint sensor that uses a capacitive sensing approach. The described sensor has a two dimensional, row and column, array of capacitors, each comprising a pair of spaced electrodes, carried in a sensing member and covered by an insulating film. The sensors rely upon deformation to the sensing member caused by a finger being placed thereon so as to vary locally the spacing between capacitor electrodes, according to the ridge/trough pattern of the fingerprint, and hence, the capacitance of the capacitors. In one arrangement, the capacitors of each column are connected in series with the columns of capacitors connected in parallel and a voltage is applied across the columns. In another arrangement, a voltage is applied to each individual capacitor in the array. Sensing in the respective two arrangements is accomplished by detecting the change of voltage distribution in the series connected capacitors or by measuring the voltage values of the individual capacitances resulting from local deformation. To achieve this, an individual connection is required from the detection circuit to each capacitor.
Before the advent of computers and imaging devices, research was conducted into fingerprint characterisation and identification. Today, much of the research focus in biometrics has been directed toward improving the input transducer and the quality of the biometric input data. Fingerprint characterization is well known and can involve many aspects of fingerprint analysis. The analysis of fingerprints is discussed in the following references, which are hereby incorporated by reference:
Xiao Qinghan and Bian Zhaogi,: An approach to Fingerprint Identification By Using the Attributes of Feature Lines of Fingerprint," IEEE Pattern Recognition, pp 663, 1986;
C. B. Shelman, "Fingerprint Classification—Theory and Application," Proc. 76 Carnahan Conference on Electronic Crime Countermeasures, 1976;
Feri Pernus, Stanko Kovacic, and Ludvik Gyergyek, "Minutaie Based Fingerprint Registration," IEEE Pattern Recognition, pp 1380, 1980;
J. A. Ratkovic, F. W. Blackwell, and H. H. Bailey, "Concepts for a Next Generation Automated Fingerprint System," Proc. 78 Carnahan Conference on Electronic Crime Countermeasures, 1978;
K. Millard, "An approach to the Automatic Retrieval of Latent Fingerprints," Proc. 75 Carnahan Conference on Electronic Crime Countermeasures, 1975;
Moayer and K. S. Fu, "A Syntactic Approach to Fingerprint Pattern Recognition," Memo Np. 73-18, Purdue University, School of Electrical Engineering, 1973;
Wegstein, An Automated Fingerprint Identification System, NBS special publication, U.S. Department of Commerce/National Bureau of Standards, ISSN 0083-1883: no. 500-89, 1982;
Moenssens, Andre A., Fingerprint Techniques, Chilton Book Co., 1971; and, Wegstein and J. F. Rafferty, The LX39 Latent Fingerprint Matcher, NBS special publication, U.S. Department of Commerce/National Bureau of Standards; no. 500-36, 1978.
In the past, user authorization based on biometric information was conducted by correlating a single instance of biometric information against a template. By using this method, a percentage of the population is difficult to authenticate. Further, due to skin damage and injuries, sometimes biometric information is not suited to identification. A sore throat affecting voice information and scraped fingertips affecting fingerprint information are two examples of common problems with authorization in dependence upon biometric information.
Biometric information is commonly subject to minor variations over time. For example, as the temperature drops below freezing, the air becomes much more dry. With the dry weather comes drier skin. Some people experience significant problems with fingerprint readers when their skin varies with changing weather conditions. It would be advantageous to provide a biometric identification system that automatically compensates for variations that result over time.

Method and system for adaptively varying templates to accommodate changes in biometric information


A computer system and method provide efficient, intuitive, and human-friendly ways of expressing metric-centric queries about multidimensional database data and, at the same, provide a level of flexibility for expressing various metric-centric queries in an interactive manner. The expression techniques help to more easily formulate metric-centric queries that require aggregation operations and joins. The flexible techniques facilitate interactive analysis of multidimensional data from different perspectives including consolidating, drilling down, and slicing and dicing the data. As a result, the analysis task for the data analyst and the programming task for the application developer may be easier, more efficient, and more effective.

Online analytical processing (OLAP) computer systems exist for multidimensional data analysis. Such analysis may include developing query statements in a general-purpose database query language that supports aggregation operations and joins. In some existing OLAP systems, the Structured Query Language (SQL) is used to develop query statements for transforming multidimensional data into metrics computed based thereon. However, using SQL as the only means for accomplishing such transformations may still be inefficient and unintuitive because of SQL's general-purpose nature. For example, a data analyst or an application developer may find it cumbersome to use SQL to express query operations on database schemas such as, for example, query operations involving joins of multiple tables. In addition, the interactive nature of OLAP may require dynamic variation in query operations and expressing the variants using SQL may be tedious, time consuming, and error prone.
It is a challenge to express transformations of multidimensional database into metrics computed based thereon in an efficient, intuitive, and convenient manner. Human-friendly techniques for accomplishing such transformations are in great need.

Metric-centric transformations of multidimensional database data


The present invention relates to a method for determining the rotational speed of the main shaft (3) of a transmission in which the main shaft (3) is connected to an output shaft (4) via a shiftable planetary gear (17), whereby the main shaft (3) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the sun gear (18) and the output shaft (4) is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the planet carrier (20). The steps of the method are picking up the rotational speed (nHohlrad) of the ring gear (22), picking up the rotational speed (nAbtrieb) of the output shaft or the planet carrier (20), and computing the rotational speed (nHauptwelle) of the main shaft (3) from the rotational speed (nHohlrad) of the ring gear and the rotational speed (nAbtrieb) of the output shaft or the planet carrier (20). The present invention further relates to a transmission having a rotational speed pickup device.

Transmissions, which have rotational speed pickup devices for generating a speed signal for a motor vehicle or the like, are known from the state of the art. These rotational speed pickup devices basically include a signal or rotational speed transmitter that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner with the corresponding transmission shaft to which a stationary rotational speed sensor is allocated in order to pick up the rotational speed at the rotational speed transmitter.
DE 198 14 758 A1 generally describes a device for recording the rotational speed of a shaft. The known device has a signal generator that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the shaft and configured in a manner of a toothed wheel, where the teeth of the toothed wheel each have a steep and a flat tooth flank. In addition, an analog Hall Effect sensor is provided, which picks up the rotational speed in the radial direction on the circumference of the toothed wheel, which is to say the teeth. Thanks to the varying flank gradients of the two tooth flanks, it is possible to determine the rotational speed and direction of rotation of the shaft using only one sensor and a constant update rate, even if the shaft is rotating at a very low rotational speed.
DE 103 47 494 A1 describes a similar arrangement, in which the torque on gear shafts is to be determined. For this purpose, the known device includes a gear shaft, on which a rotational speed sensing gear is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner, where the rotational speed sensing gear is, in turn, allocated with a stationary rotational speed sensor, which picks up the rotational speed in the radial direction on the circumference of the rotational speed sensing gear, which is to say on the teeth. This means that the teeth of the rotational speed sensing gear generate electric impulses upon passing the rotational speed sensor, which are fed to an appropriate evaluation unit.
A further rotational speed pickup device for a transmission of a motor vehicle is disclosed in DE 102 23 625 A1. In this rotational speed measuring device, which likewise includes a signal transmitter and a sensor, the signal transmitter is integrated in a dust protection cover for a driven shaft sealing ring. The dust protection cover is disposed outside the gearbox housing and connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the output side of the gearbox, while the sensor is attached to the outside of the housing and picks up the rotational speed in the radial direction on the circumference of the dust protection cover. The known rotational speed pickup device, however, provides no indication as to the rotational speed at which the main shaft rotates, since only the rotational speed of the output-side or output shaft is determined.
The rotational speed pickup devices, known from the state of the art, for determining the rotational speed of the main shaft of a transmission, have proven themselves, but are disadvantageous to the extent that the signal transmitter or rotational speed sensing gears increase the transmission weight, the transmission length and the transmission size. Thus there exists the possibility of picking up the rotational speed of the main shaft directly on the outer teeth of the main shaft. This would, however, once again necessitate providing long sensors or sensor holders, which are prone to vibrations and would put reliable determination of the rotational speed at risk. Furthermore, when it comes to main shafts with floating support and/or large axial play, the state of the art offers no sufficient solution. Thus it is not guaranteed in transmissions having such a main shaft that the rotational speed can be reliably picked up on the speed sensor.
The present invention is consequently based upon the objective of indicating a method for determining the rotational speed of a main shaft of a transmission which enables the simple and reliable determination of rotational speed, while overcoming the disadvantages mentioned above. In addition, the invention relates to a transmission having a rotational speed pickup device.

Method for determining the rotational speed of the main shaft of a transmission, and transmission comprising a device for detecting rotational speed


When searching of a location of a vehicle is commanded, a vehicle search signal is transmitted from a portable device. The vehicle search signal includes an ID code of the portable device. When a vehicle side communication unit receives the valid ID code, the vehicle side communication unit transmits a vehicle side response signal to the portable device. The portable device computes a distance from the portable device to the vehicle based on a signal level of the received vehicle side response signal. A notifying device notifies the computed distance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle location information notifying system that includes a portable device and a vehicle side communication unit, which perform intercommunication therebetween to enable the portable device to obtain and notify vehicle location information.
2. Description of Related Art
For example, when a vehicle is parked in a huge parking space, such as a parking space of a large shopping mall or of a large department store, a user of the vehicle often cannot remember the parked location of the vehicle after shopping. Therefore, the user needs to spend wasteful time trying to find his/her vehicle before finally finding it.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-19334 discloses a keyless system, which unlocks doors of a vehicle upon operation of a switch provided in a vehicle key and at the same time provides a notification by flashing of hazard lamps or by voice message. Thus, through use of the flashing of the hazard lamps, the keyless system permits the user to find his/her vehicle.
However, at the time of flashing the hazard lamps, if the vehicle is out of his/her eyesight, the user cannot find the vehicle.

Vehicle location information notifying system


A sheet handling apparatus is proposed to be able to stably shift a position of a sheet. A sheet handling apparatus comprises: conveyance device for conveying a sheet; shift device, rotating in a direction inclined relative to a direction of conveyance of the sheet, for coming into contact with the sheet to shift a position of the sheet in a widthwise direction of conveyance; and shift presence and absence switching device for switching between a shift execution state, in which shift of the sheet is executed by the shift device, and a shift non-execution state, in which the shift is not executed by the shift device; wherein at least a part of that contact portion of the shift device, which comes into contact with a surface of the sheet, is positioned at a side of a shift direction relative to the conveyance device, which has a conveyance force during shift, and a frictional force of the shift device on the sheet at the time of execution of shift is set to be larger than that of the conveyance device on the sheet.

The present invention relates to a sheet handling apparatus, in which, for example, a sheet is arranged in position during conveyance.
Conventionally, there are provided apparatuses, in which paper notes are accumulated, paid out, or the like, and which are incorporated into an apparatus for handling of paper notes, such as ATM.
Plural kinds exist in paper notes and sizes differ according to the kinds. Accordingly, in case of handling various kinds of paper notes, positional adjustment in a conveyance path is needed to store paper notes in cassettes when it is tried to hold paper notes in cassettes suited to sizes thereof by kinds.
As measures to perform such positional adjustment, there has been proposed a medium handling apparatus comprising a straight conveyance roller provided centrally in a conveyance path and skew conveyance rollers provided on both sides of the straight conveyance roller to put paper notes (medium) to the center (see JP-A-9-194081).
With the medium handling apparatus, paper notes are conveyed by the straight conveyance roller arranged in the center and when paper notes are to be put to the center, the straight conveyance roller is retreated and the skew conveyance roller (for example, one on the right) is energized to put paper notes to the center.
Since at the time of putting to the center, paper notes are momentarily released freely without contacting with any one of the straight conveyance roller and the skew conveyance rollers, however, there is caused a problem that handling is impaired in stability.
Assuming a construction, in which the skew conveyance rollers are energized and then the straight conveyance roller is retreated, there is caused a problem that paper notes are deformed by the both rollers, which are different in direction of rotation, to cause paper jam.
Further, since the skew conveyance roller is energized midway paper notes being conveyed to cause shift, there is caused a problem that a distance, in which shift is made effective, is shorter than a length of paper notes in a direction of conveyance and thus shift is small in magnitude.
Also, since one skew conveyance roller is used at the time of putting to the center, skew is in some cases generated at the time of putting to the center. That is, while the skew conveyance roller has an appropriate width, skew is in some cases generated because a biasing force at one end of the roller becomes strong according to machining accuracy when paper notes are biased, and pressure is concentrated on one point. Further, there are problems that obstruction occurs upon storing since a structure to monitor a sheet condition as to whether shift correction has been correctly executed or not after shift correction is executed is not provided and that in a circulation type automatic teller machine having a function to pay out again a paper note which has been stored once, obstruction in pay out occurs since shift correction has not been performed correctly.
Also, another related art for positional adjustment proposes the provision of an oscillating conveyance belt (see JP-A-5-12529). Since the oscillating conveyance belt is large in mass, however, it is difficult to feedback control a shift mechanism while measuring movements of paper notes during correction of shift to provide for an accurate shift.


The lighting device of one aspect according to the present disclosure calculates, based on a voltage value of an AC voltage applied to a discharge lamp and a current value of AC current flowing through the discharge lamp, a first power value defined as a value of power supplied to the discharge lamp in a first half period of the AC voltage and a second power value defined as a value of power supplied to the discharge lamp in a second half period of the AC voltage. The lighting device determines that a ground fault has occurred, when an imbalance state in which a difference between the first power value and the second power value is equal to or greater than a threshold value continues for a predetermined time period.

In the past, there have been known discharge lamp lighting devices for lighting discharge lamps (see Document 1 [JP 2013-251187 A]).
The discharge lamp lighting devices disclosed in Document 1 determine that an electrical fault has occurred, when a state in which a difference between a measured voltage value of one polarity and a measured voltage value of the other polarity is equal to or greater than a threshold value continues for a predetermined time period. Accordingly, even if a ground fault (earth fault) occurs with a high ground fault resistance, the discharge lamp lighting devices can detect such a ground fault.
It is demanded that lighting devices such as the discharge lamp lighting devices disclosed in Document 1 detect a ground fault more successfully.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A method and system for calibration of optical systems is disclosed. The system consists of a reference source (12), a spatial light modulator (26) for transmitting the reference source signal through non-imaging optics (30) and into the input of an optical system (36). The output of the optical system is then compared to the input signal and a correction is derived. The correction is stored and used real-time to adjust the output of the system to more accurately reflect the actual input signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical systems, more particularly a method of calibrating such systems.
2. Background of the Invention
Certain optical systems require calibration for optimal performance. For example, systems with sensors, such as Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) detection systems, vary in responsivity over time and from pixel to pixel. To overcome this, the operators typically perform some type of calibration. The calibration allows a correction to the sensor reading before the data appears on a display, making the reading more accurate.
This concept applies to other types of systems. Systems that receive scenes in color can use this calibration to adjust for color brightness, balance, and saturation. Similarly, black and white systems could use it to adjust grey-scale readings or outputs.
Problems exist in the current ways calibration occurs. Calibration systems require longer periods of time than desired by the operators. These systems or circuits normally take up quite a bit of space, and use more power than desired. Another significant problem resides in the uniformity of the reference source into the system, and the difficulty of isolating the reference from the sensor during normal operation.
In a FLIR, for example, the calibration occurs using a reference source that has two known temperatures. The temperature mix travels through non-imaging optics to the system sensors. The sensor reads the mix and produces a temperature reading. The difficulty lies in controlling the mix of the two temperatures.

Spatial light modulator based optical calibration system


Methods and systems for flexographic printing are described and include curing of material to be printed while the material is in contact with both a feature of a flexographic printing plate and a recipient substrate. The systems and method are useful in preventing slippage between the feature and the recipient substrate, and are particularly useful when printing at high resolution.

Dot gain is a well known problem in the flexographic printing industry. It is understood that dot gain on a printed web can be partially attributed to a relative slippage between printing features of the flexographic printing plate and the surface of the web being printed. Slippage happens in the nip between a deformable printing tool and a back-up roll and is due to either incompressibility of the material of the printing plate or mismatch of surface velocities of the printing plate and the web. Dot gain for small features is more pronounced than for large features. This is because slippage of a small distance is considerably larger relative to a small dot than the same slippage distance with a considerably larger dot.

Flexographic printing with curing during transfer to substrate


An apparatus for determining the spatial distribution of materials within a sample using electromagnetic waves. The apparatus probes a sample with electromagnetic waves, measures the response, and determines the spatial configuration based on the measured response.

As discussed in "Basics of Measuring the Dielectric Properties of Materials" (url: http://literature.cdn.keysight.com/litweb/pdf/5989-2589EN.pdf, Keysight Technologies, 2013-2018), the dielectric constant (κ) is equivalent to relative permittivity (εr) or to the ratio of the absolute permittivity (ε) relative to the permittivity of free space (ε0). The real part of permittivity (ε′r) is a measure of how much energy from an external electric field is stored in a material. The imaginary part of permittivity (ε″r) is called the loss factor and is a measure of how dissipative or lossy a material is to an external electric field. The imaginary part of permittivity (ε″r) is always greater than zero and is usually much smaller than (ε′r). The loss factor includes the effects of both dielectric loss and conductivity.
A measurement of the reflection from and/or transmission through a material along with knowledge of its physical dimensions provides the information to characterize the permittivity of the material.
A typical measurement system for measuring electromagnetic properties of materials use a coaxial probe method consisting of a network analyzer or impedance analyzer, software to calculate permittivity, and a coaxial probe, probe stand and cable. εr and μr may be computed from the measurement of the reflected signal (S11) and transmitted signal (S21). In the past, samples in this configuration are typically between 2-4 cm.

Methods and apparatus for determining the spatial distribution of materials using electromagnetic radiation


A system and method that allows higher energy implants to be performed, wherein the peak concentration depth is shallower than would otherwise occur is disclosed. The system comprises an ion source, an accelerator, a platen and a platen orientation motor that allows large tilt angles. The system may be capable of performing implants of hydrogen ions at an implant energy of up to 5 MeV. By tilting the workpiece during an implant, the system can be used to perform implants that are typically performed at implant energies that are less than the minimum implant energy allowed by the system. Additionally, the resistivity profile of the workpiece after thermal treatment is similar to that achieved using a lower energy implant. In certain embodiments, the peak concentration depth may be reduced by 3 μm or more using larger tilt angles.

Semiconductor power devices are used in a plurality of applications, including electric vehicles, such as automobiles and locomotives.
One specific type of power device is referred to as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT). An IGBT combines concepts from bipolar transistors and MOSFETs to achieve an improved power device. The emitter and the gate are disposed on one side of the device, while the collector is disposed on the opposite second side of the device. The emitter is in communication with a heavily p-doped region disposed directly below the emitter. On either side of the heavily p-doped region are heavily n-doped regions, each in communication with the gate. Beneath the heavily p-doped region is a lightly p-doped region. On the opposite side of the device is a second heavily p-doped region, in communication with the collector. Finally, between the second heavily p-doped region and the lightly p-doped region is a lightly n-doped drift layer.
In conventional IGBT devices, the thickness of the lightly n-doped drift layer is determined based on the need to sustain the electrical field while the device is in the off state. As the power ratings for these devices increases, the overall thickness of the device also increases.
One technique to reduce the thickness of these IGBT transistors is to incorporate a heavily n-doped field stop layer between the lightly n-doped drift layer and the second heavily p-doped region. The electrical field decreases rapidly within this field stop layer, allowing thinner devices to be created.
In certain embodiments, this field stop layer is created by implanting ions, such as hydrogen ions, into the lightly n-doped drift layer. This may be done by implanting the ions through the second side of the device. This field stop layer may be disposed adjacent to the second heavily p-doped region. The location of this field stop layer is a function of the thickness of the power device, and therefore may be different for different power devices. For example, many power devices are 100 μm thick. However, higher power devices, such as those for locomotives, may be 550 μm thick.
Designing a single semiconductor processing apparatus that can implant ions at these different depths is very challenging. High power devices may have field stop layers that are much deeper than other power devices. Thus, it would be beneficial if the semiconductor processing apparatus could vary the depth at which it implants these ions, depending on the device thickness.
Unfortunately, semiconductor processing apparatus typically has a limited range of energies that it can be configured to use. The upper limit may be based on design constraints, such as the voltages applied to different components in the apparatus, the electrical isolation between these components, and the available footprint for the apparatus. The lower limit may be dictated based on the choices made to achieve the upper limit. For example, electrodes may be disposed a certain distance apart to ensure electrical isolation when the apparatus operates at its maximum voltage. However, this separation may cause issues if the voltages are significantly reduced, as there may not be a sufficient electrical field to focus and attract the ions.
However, using separate semiconductor processing apparatus for each thickness of power device is not economical. Therefore, it would be beneficial if a single semiconductor processing apparatus could be used over the entire range of energies. Further, it would be beneficial if higher energy implants could be performed that emulate lower energy implants.

System and technique for profile modulation using high tilt angles


A system for securely disseminating information relating to a process control plant includes a process control node and a controller that is coupled to a plurality of process control devices. The process control node includes a communicator module operable to transmit, via a first network, information of the process plant received from the controller. The system also includes a data services module operable to receive from the communicator module, via the first network, the information of the process plant and to transmit some or all of that information via a second network, and a mobile server, coupled to the second network and to a third network, and operable to receive data from the data services module. The mobile server is operable to communicate with a plurality of mobile computing devices via the third network.

Distributed control systems (DCS) are used in a variety of process industries including chemical, petrochemical, refining, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, power, cement, water and wastewater, oil and gas, pulp and paper, and steel, and are used to control batch, fed-batch, and continuous processes operating at a single site or at remote locations. Process plants typically include one or more process controllers communicatively coupled to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses, or via a wireless communication link or network. Collectively, the various devices perform monitoring, control, and data collection functions to control the process, safety shutdown systems, fire and gas detection systems, machine health monitoring systems, maintenance systems, decision support, and other systems.
The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure, level and flow rate sensors), are located within the process environment and generally perform physical or process control functions such as opening or closing valves, measuring process parameters, etc. to control one or more process executing within the process plant or system. Smart field devices, such as the field devices conforming to the well-known Fieldbus protocol may also perform control calculations, alarming functions, and other control functions commonly implemented within the controller. The process controllers, which are also typically located within the plant environment, receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices and/or other information pertaining to the field devices and execute a controller application that runs, for example, different control modules which make process control decisions, generate control signals based on the received information and coordinate with the control modules or blocks being performed in the field devices, such as HART®, WirelessHART®, and FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field devices. The control modules in the controller send the control signals over the communication lines or links to the field devices to thereby control the operation of at least a portion of the process plant or system.
Information from the field devices and the controller is usually made available over a data highway to one or more other hardware devices, such as operator workstations, personal computers or computing devices, data historians, report generators, centralized databases, or other centralized administrative computing devices that are typically placed in control rooms or other locations away from the harsher plant environment. Each of these hardware devices typically is centralized across the process plant or across a portion of the process plant. These hardware devices run applications that may, for example, enable an operator to perform functions with respect to controlling a process and/or operating the process plant, such as changing settings of the process control routine, modifying the operation of the control modules within the controllers or the field devices, viewing the current state of the process, viewing alarms generated by field devices and controllers, simulating the operation of the process for the purpose of training personnel or testing the process control software, keeping and updating a configuration database, etc. The data highway utilized by the hardware devices, controllers and field devices may include a wired communication path, a wireless communication path, or a combination of wired and wireless communication paths.
As an example, the DeltaV™ control system, sold by Emerson Process Management, includes multiple applications stored within and executed by different devices located at diverse places within a process plant. A configuration application, which resides in one or more workstations or computing devices, enables users to create or change process control modules and download these process control modules via a data highway to dedicated distributed controllers. Typically, these control modules are made up of communicatively interconnected function blocks, which are objects in an object oriented programming protocol that perform functions within the control scheme based on inputs thereto and that provide outputs to other function blocks within the control scheme. The configuration application may also allow a configuration engineer to create or change operator interfaces which are used by a viewing application to display data to an operator and to enable the operator to change settings, such as set points, within the process control routines. Each dedicated controller and, in some cases, one or more field devices, stores and executes a respective controller application that runs the control modules assigned and downloaded thereto to implement actual process control functionality. The viewing applications, which may be executed on one or more operator workstations (or on one or more remote computing devices in communicative connection with the operator workstations and the data highway), receive data from the controller application via the data highway and display this data to process control system designers, operators, or users using the user interfaces, and may provide any of a number of different views, such as an operator's view, an engineer's view, a technician's view, etc. A data historian application is typically stored in and executed by a data historian device that collects and stores some or all of the data provided across the data highway while a configuration database application may run in a still further computer attached to the data highway to store the current process control routine configuration and data associated therewith. Alternatively, the configuration database may be located in the same workstation as the configuration application.
In many distributed process control systems, each field device in the process plant is assigned a unique device tag. The unique device tag provides an easy way to reference the corresponding field device. Device tags may be used during the configuration of the process control system to specify the source or destination, respectively, of an input or output to a function block in a control module. Each signal type has associated with it a particular format or set of information, and the device tag for a particular device may have associated with it a specific signal type such that when the device tag is associated with an input or output of a function block, the function block knows the format and information associated with the signal. In cases in which a field device has multiple signals associated with it (e.g., a valve may measure and transmit both pressure and temperature), device signal tags may be associated with each signal of the field device.
For a variety of reasons, access to data of the process control system has traditionally been available only while on the process plant premises and/or while using a device connected to the data highway that couples the operator workstations, controllers, data historians, and other equipment. Security is a particular concern with respect to process control systems and, as such, process control system operators generally physically separate the process control system from external network environments (e.g., the internet) to limit or prevent opportunities for outside actors to cause damage to the process control system, affect product quality or viability, or access or steal proprietary information.
More recently, a few mobile solutions have emerged that allow users to view some information from the process control system via mobile devices such as smart phones, even when not coupled directly to the process networks and data highways that make up the process plant. These solutions allow monitoring of a single data source such as a data historian, and so the available data are limited to those data that are stored in the data historian (i.e., a small subset of the total data in the process plant). Additionally, even the data that are available via such systems are not available in real-time (because of the frequency with which data are stored to the data historian). Further, due to the delays in data availability, and the limited subset of data available, alarms are generally not available via the mobile systems presently offered and, to the extent alarm-like functionality may be available on some mobile systems, the alarms are either not "native" to the process control system (i.e., they are provided as a layer on top of the mobile system and require extensive and time-consuming engineering to implement) or lack the real-time and historical data necessary to evaluate and troubleshoot the alarms.

Systems and apparatus for distribution of process control data to remote devices


A direct type backlight module (200) includes a substrate (231), a diffusion sheet (24) disposed above the substrate, a plurality of spacers (21) and a plurality of light sources (22). The spacers are disposed between the substrate and the diffusion sheet. Each spacer includes a bottom surface (211) contacting with the substrate. A groove (2114) is defined in the bottom surface, and a light incident surface (2112) is defined on inner surface of the groove. A pair of wings is disposed on two sides of the bottom surface for supporting the diffusion sheet. Each wing includes an outer side surface and an inner side surface, and a transflective film is formed on the inner side surfaces of the wing. The light sources are respectively disposed in the grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a backlight module and, more particularly, to a direct type backlight module.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Most liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are passive devices in which images are displayed by controlling an amount of light input from an outside light source. Thus, a separate light source (for example, backlight module) is generally employed for irradiating an LCD.
Generally, backlight modules can be classified into an edge type or a direct type based upon arrangement of lamps within the device. The edge type backlight module has a lamp unit arranged at a side portion of a light guiding plate for guiding light. The edge type backlight modules are commonly employed in small-sized LCDs due to their lightweight, miniature and low electric consumption. However, the edge type backlight modules are not suitable for large-sized LCDs (20 inches or more). A direct type backlight module has a plurality of lamps arranged in regular positions to directly illuminate an entire surface of an LCD panel. The direct type backlight modules have higher utilization efficiency of light energy and longer operational service life than the edge type backlight modules, and are specially produced for large-sized LCD devices.
One kind of direct type backlight module is illustrated in FIG. 1. The backlight module 100 includes a plurality of spacers 11, a plurality of light sources 12, a frame 13 and a diffusion sheet 14. The frame 13 includes a plane substrate (not labeled), a number of circumferential sidewalls (not labeled) extending from the substrate to a predefined opening (not labeled), and a reflective film (not shown) that is coated in an inner surface of the frame 13. The diffusion sheet 14 is accommodated in the opening of the frame 13. The spacers 11 are disposed in the space encompassed by the diffusion sheet 14 and frame 13 for supporting the diffusion sheet 14. The light sources 12 are arranged in the substrate of the frame 13 with a selected interval.
In the current backlight module 100, the reflective film coated in the frame 13 reflects the light scattered downwardly from the light sources 12 upwardly to the diffusion sheet 14. Because the brightness is in an inverse ratio to the distance, the diffusion sheet 14 right above the light sources 12 will have more light beams and more brightness, while the other portions of the diffusion sheet 14 above the left and right sides of the light sources 12 will have less light beams and less brightness. Thereby lowering the light uniform of the direct backlight 100, causing irregular shade brightness on the LCD. Furthermore, the backlight module 100 employs a plurality of light sources 12 to reach a high luminance, these light sources 12 produce a great deal of heat accumulated inside the backlight module 100. Therefore, heat dissipation of the backlight module 100 is usually a hard nut to crack.
Therefore, a new direct type backlight module is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.


A load carrier for coupling to a vehicle. The load carrier includes a loading frame and a supporting arch that extends substantially upwardly from and transversely to the loading frame. The supporting arch is divisible into first and second arch parts, each of which arch parts is pivotally coupled to the loading frame such that, when divided, each of the first and second arch parts is configured to be pivoted down to a storage position lying substantially level with the loading frame. The arch parts are configured to be interlocked to each other into an in-use position, in which the first and said second arch parts substantially alone form the supporting arch.

The present invention relates to a load carriers and in particular to a load carrier for coupling to a vehicle, such as might typically be coupled to the rear of a vehicle for the transport of bicycles or the like.
It is known to provide a load carrier for a vehicle, and one known type of such a load carrier comprises a loading frame and a supporting arch extending upwardly from and substantially transversely to a loading area of the loading frame. This type of load carrier usually further comprises connecting members for coupling the load carrier to the rear of the vehicle.
One particular prior art load carrier is disclosed in EP-1095820, which is adapted for connection to a tow hitch of the vehicle for carrying cargo such as bicycles. An inverted "U" shaped retaining bar rises from a platform of the load carrier and supports some bicycle holders.
One problem with load carriers of the general type under consideration herein is that, when they are not in use, they are extremely bulky and therefore awkward to store or to transport. In order to address this problem, load carriers have been produced in which the retaining bar/supporting arch is tiltable in such a way that it can be folded down over the loading frame. However, the supporting arch is for the most part so high that, when folded down, it extends beyond the platform/loading frame, which means that many of the storage problems continue to exist.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,935 a collapsible cycle carrier is proposed in which a pair of upright support arms are joined to each other by means of a cross-bar which extends between them. The arrangement proposed involves three beams used together to form the cycle support, with multiple pivot points. In collapsing the cycle carrier, it is necessary to first fold the cross bar into the support arm to which it remains attached. It can be seen that, even after detaching the cross bar, at least one preparatory operation is needed before one of the two support arms can be pivoted down. Therefore, at least three pivoting movements are required to collapse this prior art carrier. Furthermore, construction of that arm is complicated and the technique used to connect the crossbar to the other support arm is basic and unsuited to the current market place for such products.
A further drawback with some previous load carriers is that arms used to connect the load carrier to the vehicle take up space when the load carrier is not in use. One prior art load carrier with less than ideal stowage of vehicle connection arms is proposed in WO-94/05526.
There is clearly a continuing need to develop load carriers which are suitable for use with vehicles and which occupy less storage space when not in use than some current types.