An encoding process and a recompression process of encoded data are disclosed that appropriately select low-order bit planes and low-order sub bit planes, codes corresponding to which are not to be output. The low-order bit planes and low-order sub bit planes are selected based on an inverse value of the square root of the subband gain of inverse wavelet transform, such that the selected low-order bit planes and low-order sub bit planes are not encoded, or alternatively, are encoded, but later discarded during packet generation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to conversion and encoding of signals, such as image signals, and specifically relates to generation of encoded data by conversion and encoding, and recompression of the encoded data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conversion and encoding of an image using wavelet transform, technology is disclosed by Japanese Patent Publication No. JP 6-326990 A, wherein a greater number of smaller quantization steps are provided to a lower frequency subband than a higher frequency subband that is provided with a lesser number of larger (wider) quantization steps such that human vision properties are adequately reflected when linear quantization of a wavelet coefficient is performed.
Further, in order to minimize the mean square value of errors generated in a signal after reverse frequency conversion of the subband obtained by decoding a signal that is encoded by conversion and encoding, technology that uses an inverse value (or an integral multiple value thereof) of the square root of subband gain as the step size for linear quantization of each subband in the case of encoding is disclosed by J. Katto and Y. Yasuda, "Performance Evaluation of Subband Encoding and Optimization of its Filter Coefficients," Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation, vol.2, pp. 303-313, December 1991.
As for human vision properties, a measurement example of human vision sensitivity is disclosed by J. Katto and Y. Yasuda, "Performance Evaluation of Subband Encoding and Optimization of its Filter Coefficients," Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation, vol.2, pp. 303-313, December 1991. Further, a standard document of JPEG 2000 (refer to, for example, Yasuyuki Nomizu, "Next-Generation Image Encoding Method JPEG 2000," Triceps, Inc., Feb. 13, 2001) provides an example of weights of subbands based on the human vision sensitivity, details of which are disclosed by Marcus J. Nadenau and Julien Reichel, "Opponent Color, Human Vision and Wavelets for Image Compression," Proceedings of the Seventh Color Imaging Conference pp. 237-242, Scottsdale, Ariz., Nov. 16-19, 1999, IS&T.
Generally, a process of conversion and encoding includes frequency conversion of original signals to subbands, quantization of frequency domain coefficients constituting the subbands, and entropy encoding of the quantized coefficients, which are performed in this sequence, and is referred to as Procedure 100. Here, the subband is a group of the "frequency domain coefficients" that are classified for each of predetermined frequency bands. The "frequency domain coefficients," which are also called frequency coefficients or coefficients, are DCT coefficients if the frequency conversion is carried out by DCT (discrete cosine transform), and wavelet coefficients if the conversion is carried out by wavelet transform. Further, as is widely known, the quantization is carried out to raise the compression ratio of data, and a typical method is linear quantization wherein coefficients are divided by a constant that is called the step size. An example of this type of conversion encoding is disclosed by Yasuyuki Nomizu, "Next-Generation Image Encoding Method JPEG 2000," Triceps, Inc., Feb. 13, 2001.
Now, given that the frequency coefficients are quantized and entropy encoded by Procedure 100, when the compression ratio of encoded data is desired to be raised, decoding the entropy encoded signal, de-quantization of the frequency coefficients that are decoded, re-quantization of the de-quantized frequency coefficients, and entropy encoding have to be performed in this sequence, which is called Procedure 101. This poses a problem in that, in addition to Procedure 101 being redundant, errors at the time of de-quantization have effect at the time of re-quantization, and there is a problem of producing cumulative errors.
To cope with the problem, in recent years an encoding method, which is also known as a "post quantization" method, enabling recompression without decoding the encoded signals has been proposed. Since the recompression is performed not by decoding the encoded signal, but by discarding unnecessary codes in the state of the entropy code, cumulative errors do not occur. A representative example of the post quantization method is JPEG 2000. In such a "recompression-able" encoding method as above, first, lossless (or almost lossless) encoded data are generated and held, and then, the encoded data are recompressed at a desired compression ratio by discarding unnecessary codes as desired.
In order to enable recompression by discarding codes, a method called "bit plane encoding" is used, wherein frequency coefficients are decomposed into bit planes, and each bit plane is independently encoded. In bit plane encoding, compression is performed by outputting only selected codes of high-order bit planes, which is implemented by one of the following processes:
(i) entropy encoding is performed on only selected high-order bit planes; and
(ii) entropy encoding is performed on bit planes beyond necessity (typically, all bit planes), and the entropy codes of selected low-order bit planes are discarded.
The implementation referred to above as (ii) finally outputs only the codes of selected high-order bit planes, and is the recompression. In bit plane encoding, compression is fundamentally realized by discarding bit planes, or entropy codes thereof, not by linear quantization of the coefficients. Further, as mentioned above, the post quantization can be performed either in the encoding process, or in a separate process after completing the encoding. In this specification, "post quantization" means both cases.
Now, in either case of (i) and (ii) above, a problem yet to be solved is how required high-order bit planes (or unnecessary low-order bit planes) are determined such that objectives, such as minimizing a mathematical quantization error, and optimizing subjective quality of the image, are met. This is discussed in more detail.
First, the case wherein required high-order bit planes (or, unnecessary low-order bit planes) are determined such that a mathematical quantization error (mean-square value of errors) is minimized at a given compression ratio is considered.
When the entropy encoded data are decoded, the procedure 100 is followed in the reverse sequence. Specifically, the quantized frequency coefficients are de-quantized, put into a reverse frequency conversion process, and signal values are reproduced. Here, in the reverse frequency conversion process, "a gain when the frequency coefficients are de-converted to the signal values" is different for every subband. Subband gain Gs is defined as the "square of the gain." An error Δe generated by quantization of the frequency coefficients is multiplied by the square root of the subband gain through the inverse transform for reproducing the signals, and is represented by √{square root over ( )}Gs×Δe.
As disclosed by the non-patent reference 2, generally, in order to minimize the mean square errors generated in a signal after the inverse transform (the signal consisting of multiple signal values) at a given compression ratio, a simple encoding method is to perform linear quantization of each subband by the inverse value (or a value equal to the inverse value multiplied by a constant) of the square root of the subband gain. Accordingly, in the case of a conventional encoding method that does not use bit plane encoding, if coefficients are quantized by the step size (or a value equal to the step size multiplied by a constant), which is in inverse proportion to the square root of the subband gain, the mean square errors are minimized.
Now, a typical flow of the process using 5×3 wavelet transform in JPEG 2000 includes wavelet transform of an original signal to subbands, and only required high-order bit planes (or high-order sub bit planes) of wavelet coefficients are encoded for every subband, which are performed in this sequence, and called Procedure 102. Here, the sub bit planes are subsets of bit planes.
As described above, linear quantization is not performed according to the method using 5×3 wavelet transform. For this reason, the technique and means for minimizing the mean square error concerning the signal after the inverse transform of the linear quantization cannot be applied. Rather, in the case of the bit plane encoding, technique and means for determining required high-order bit planes (or unnecessary low-order bit planes) that generate the minimum mean square error have not been clarified. Much less, when a bit plane is divided into two or more subsets (i.e., sub bit planes), and encoding is performed for every sub bit plane, the technique and means for determining required high-order bit planes (or unnecessary low-order bit planes) that generate the minimum mean square error are further unclear. This is another problem to be solved.
Further, a typical flow of the process using 9×7 wavelet transform in JPEG 2000 includes wavelet transform of an original signal to subbands, linear quantization of wavelet coefficients for every subband, and encoding only required high-order bit planes (or high-order sub bit planes) of the quantized wavelet coefficients for every subband, which are performed in this sequence, and called Procedure 103.
In this case, "linear quantization of the coefficients by the step size that is in inverse proportion to the square root of the subband gain" is possible. However, performing linear quantization at the encoding stage is not suitable for the purpose of obtaining "coded data of a desired compression ratio by generating and holding lossless (or almost lossless) encoded data, and by discarding unnecessary codes as desired." While it is desirable to minimize quantization in the encoding stage, and to perform post quantization thereafter when using the 9×7 wavelet transform, the technique and means for minimizing the mean square errors generated in the signal after an inverse transform are not clear. Much less, the technique and means in the case of encoding for every sub bit plane are even less clear. This poses another problem to be solved.
Next, obtaining "the optimal quality of image for a given compression ratio" is considered.
As indicated by the patent reference 1, human vision is more sensitive to a lower frequency region than a higher frequency region. Accordingly; the human vision sensitivity is higher for quantization errors in lower frequency subbands than in higher frequency subbands. Therefore, an effective method for linear quantization of wavelet coefficients includes a smaller step size to lower frequency subbands, and a larger step size to higher frequency subbands such that the human vision sensitivity is properly reflected in the linear quantization process, as Yasuyuki Nomizu, "Next-Generation Image Encoding Method JPEG 2000," Triceps, Inc., Feb. 13, 2001 discloses.
Although this method cannot be applied to the case wherein 5×3 wavelet transform is used by JPEG 2000, it can be applied to the 9×7 wavelet transform such that "coefficients are quantized with the step size in inverse proportion to the magnitude of the human vision sensitivity corresponding to the frequency of subbands." However, it is not suitable for achieving the objective to "obtain data at a desired compression ratio by generating and holding lossless (or almost lossless) encoded data, and by discarding unnecessary codes afterwards." While it is also desirable to minimize quantization at the encoding step, and to perform post quantization afterwards, when using 9×7 wavelet transform, the technique or means for determining required high-order bit planes or high-order sub bit planes (alternatively, unnecessary low-order bit planes and low-order sub bit planes) so that the optimal quality of image can be visually obtained in the case of the post quantization are not clear. This poses another problem to be solved.
Further, considering that the human vision property is sensitive to "the quantization errors of pixels, not errors of frequency conversion coefficients," it is desirable that both the human vision sensitivity and square roots of subband gain be considered at the post quantization. In addition, in bit plane encoding, discarding codes of n low-order bit planes (representing frequency coefficients) has the same effect as carrying out linear quantization of the frequency coefficients by 2 to the n-th power, and this is the reason for the process being called post quantization.

Encoded data generation apparatus and a method, a program, and an information recording medium


An engine air-fuel ratio control system is configured to use a rich air-fuel ratio immediately after starting an engine such that the air-fuel ratio converge rapidly toward a stoichiometric value and then afterwards start an air-fuel ratio feedback control. Upon determining an air-fuel ratio sensor is active based on the output of the air-fuel ratio sensor and the amount of time elapsed since an engine was started, a stabilization fuel quantity increasing value that is a component of a target air-fuel ratio revising coefficient is decreased at a higher rate than the rate used before the air-fuel ratio sensor was determined to be active. During the same period, an air-fuel ratio feedback revising coefficient is held at a reference value. After the output of the air-fuel ratio sensor reaches a value corresponding to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, an air-fuel ratio feedback control is started.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an engine air-fuel ratio control system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control system configured to run the engine with a rich air-fuel ratio immediately after the engine is started and start feedback control of the air-fuel ratio afterwards such that the air-fuel ratio converge rapidly toward the stoichiometric point.
2. Background Information
Presently, many engine air-fuel ratio control systems that compute and control a fuel injection quantity of an engine. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9-177580 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 10-110645 disclose engine air-fuel ratio control systems that compute and control a fuel injection quantity of an engine. These engine air-fuel ratio control systems set the air-fuel ratio to be enriched immediately after the engine is started and then gradually decreased over time such that the air-fuel ratio gradually converges toward a stoichiometric value. More specifically, a fuel injection quantity of an engine is computed and controlled using a target air-fuel ratio revising coefficient whose constituent values include a stabilization fuel quantity increasing factor that is set such that the air-fuel ratio is richened immediately after the engine is started and gradually decreased over time such that the air-fuel ratio gradually converges toward a stoichiometric value. The calculation of the stabilization fuel quantity increasing factor includes a compensation for the engine rotational speed and the load. Furthermore, an air-fuel ratio feedback revising coefficient that is set such that the air-fuel ratio converges toward a stoichiometric value based on a signal from an air-fuel ratio sensor when an air-fuel ratio feedback control condition is satisfied.
In such engine air-fuel ratio control systems, after the air-fuel ratio sensor is determined to be active, the stabilization fuel quantity increasing factor is set to 0 and the amount by which the stabilization fuel quantity increasing factor was decreased in order to reach 0 (i.e., the value of the stabilization fuel quantity increasing factor at that point in time) is added to the air-fuel ratio feedback revising coefficient, thereby increasing the value of the air-fuel ratio feedback revising coefficient. Then, an air-fuel quantity feedback control is started and an unburned fuel quantity compensating value (unburned fuel quantity balancing value) is then added to the calculation of the target air-fuel ratio revising coefficient. The unburned fuel quantity compensating value serves to ensure stability when a heavy fuel is used, and is set to make the equivalence ratio λ equal 0 when a heavy fuel is used.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved engine air-fuel ratio control system. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


According to one embodiment, a display device includes a substrate unit, a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode and a display layer. The substrate unit includes a substrate, a first insulating layer provided on the substrate, and a second insulating layer provided on the first insulating layer. The thin film transistor is provided on the substrate unit and includes a gate electrode provided on the second insulating layer, a semiconductor layer of an oxide separated from the gate electrode, a gate insulation layer provided between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer, a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion, and a third insulating layer. The pixel electrode is connected to one selected from the first and second conductive portions. The display layer is configured to have a light emission or a change of optical characteristic occurring according to a charge supplied to the pixel electrode.

There are thin film transistors that use an amorphous oxide semiconductor. Such an oxide semiconductor can be formed uniformly as a film over a large surface area by, for example, sputtering at room temperature. The oxide semiconductor is transmissive in the visible region. The oxide semiconductor can be formed on a plastic film substrate that has poor heat resistance. Thereby, a flexible and transparent thin film transistor can be obtained. High reliability is desirable for the thin film transistor that uses the oxide semiconductor.

Display device, thin film transistor, method for manufacturing display device, and method for manufacturing thin film transistor


A door latch has a housing for installation in a prepared cavity at a door edge and has interchangeable faceplates for finishing the door edge. The interchangeable faceplates each have an opening for permitting extension and retraction of a latch bolt, have a peripheral shape required for compatibility with the prepared cavity, and have features providing for releasably securing the faceplates to the housing and to the door edge. This permits installation of door latches regardless of the door preparation by merely interchanging the faceplates to match the door preparation.

This invention relates generally to door latches and more particularly to faceplates for door latches which are interchangeable and may be used to adapt a standard door latch to a variety of common door preparations.
A high percentage of doors are made today with factory prepared cavities already formed at or near the door edge. This allows rapid and easy installation, by relatively unskilled workers, of such doors in buildings during construction or remodeling.
Commonly used latches, however, may have one of a variety of faceplates more or less permanently attached to the latch housing by staking or resistance welding. Therefore, it is necessary to have on hand latches with faceplates compatible with any one of a number of prepared door latch cavities; for example, sharp cornered mortise, round cornered mortise, and circular. Of course, slight size differences may be available in all latch types.
In order to accommodate the variety of possible door preparations without maintaining a stock of latches three or more times as large as required by the project, it is necessary to determine the type of door preparation before procuring the latches. This may delay completion while waiting to obtain the correct latches. Changing faceplates, to adapt the latches to door preparations, damages welded or staked faceplates during removal and requires complex and costly tooling. In any case, the cost of the project increases and completion is delayed.
The foregoing illustrates limitations known to exist in present door latches and methods for adaptation of such latches to a variety of door cavity preparations. Thus, it is apparent that it would be advantageous to provide an alternative directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations set forth above. Accordingly, a suitable alternative is provided including features more fully disclosed hereinafter.

Interchangeable faceplates for door latches permitting adaptation to a variety of standard door preparations


An exemplary system includes a plurality of heterogeneous data subsystems maintaining local data and a coordinator subsystem configured to maintain global data mapped from the local data. The coordinator subsystem includes a global data life cycle model defining at least one life cycle for the global data. The coordinator subsystem is configured to use the global data life cycle model to coordinate a data update between the global data and the local data. In certain implementations, the coordinator subsystem and the heterogeneous data subsystems are configured to communicate using at least one data update message representative of the data update, the data update message being defined in accordance with the global data life cycle model. In certain implementations, the data update message includes a life cycle status identifier associated with the data update.

A typical enterprise computing environment includes multiple heterogeneous and distributed data systems supporting a variety of different enterprise organizations (e.g., departments). For example, many enterprises such as businesses and the like maintain separate database systems to support customer billing, sales, accounting, marketing, inventory, ordering, repairs, procurement, service, etc. Further, many enterprises are the result of a merger of two or more predecessors, each with their own set of heterogeneous and distributed data systems.
Data stored in the heterogeneous database systems of an enterprise is typically used for different business purposes and may be defined according to different local schemas (e.g., defined in different formats, according to different technologies, according to different data models, or according to different business rules). For example, different enterprise database systems may use different local schemas to represent a customer and/or accounts associated with the customer. In addition, because enterprise database systems often serve different business purposes, the relationships between customer and account records, and the data included in the records, may vary and/or may be defined differently across the enterprise database systems.
Maintaining multiple heterogeneous database systems can require a significant amount of work and sophistication, especially for enterprises storing large amounts of data. One area of concern involves the handling of data updates. It is particularly challenging and time consuming to propagate data updates across heterogeneous database systems in a manner that accurately and uniformly reflects customer and account evolutions while also conforming to disparate business rules and data schemas associated with the different departments in the enterprise. Conventional techniques for propagating data updates between heterogeneous data subsystems rely on ad hoc peer-to-peer relationships and communications. In certain cases, significant amounts of manual labor are required to assess peer-to-peer relationships between database systems in an ad hoc fashion. Such techniques can quickly become complicated and time consuming for an enterprise that maintains heterogeneous database systems storing large amounts of data and/or having unique and dynamic relationships with one another.


A stackable roll container, in particular, for transporting foods, cosmetic articles, or other articles in large bundles. The stackable roll container includes a preferably rectangular bottom component, with transport rollers mounted on the underside. The stackable roll container also includes two attachment walls located opposite each other on opposite lateral sides of the bottom component. Each attachment wall extends upwardly from an upper side of the bottom component and has a respective rear vertical end brace which is offset from a vertical base plane of the respective attachment wall. Each attachment wall also includes a lower horizontal base brace adjoining the respective rear vertical end brace for that attachment wall.

For the transport of foods, cosmetic articles, or other items of practical use, so-called roll containers are predominantly used by distribution channels. A distinction is hereby made between so-called roll containers that cannot "nest" in one another—that is, roll containers that cannot be stuck into one another—and stackable roll containers. Roll containers that cannot nest in one another require considerable storage room costs and are impractical in handling. Also the dismantling expense (for example, for return transport) is considerable, and the damage rate to rollers and frames is particularly large, in particular with containers transported overhead.
Roll containers that can nest in one another have a specially designed bottom frame, for example, in a trapezoid form of the bottom construction or the form of a "Z" or a "V," wherein these known constructions make possible a straight-line or lateral nesting.
The different embodiments of the roll containers that can nest in one another are, in part, weight-heavy constructions, have a loud noise emission, and are not suited or have only a limited suitability for modern conveying technology.

Gebhardt Transport-und Lagersysteme GmbH


Methods and apparatuses for shifting data signals are disclosed herein. An apparatus may comprise a clock generation circuit, a delay path, and a driver. The clock generation circuit may be configured to receive an input clock signal and generate a plurality of clock signals based, at least in part, on the clock signal. A delay path may be coupled to the clock generation circuit and configured to receive the input clock signal and the plurality of clock signals. The delay path may be further configured to receive a data signal and delay the data signal based, at least in part, on the input clock signal and each of the plurality of clock signals. A driver may be coupled to the delay path and configured to receive the delayed data signal, and may further be configured to provide the delayed data signal to a bus.

In semiconductor memory, proper operation of the memory is based on the correct timing of various internal command, data, and clock signals. For example, in writing data to memory internal clock signals that clock data path circuitry to latch write data may need to be provided with specific timing relationships with internal write command signals to properly enable the data path circuitry to provide the latched write data for writing to memory. If the timing of the internal write command signal is not such that the data path circuitry is enabled at the time the internal clock signal clocks the data path circuitry to provide the write data at an expected time, the write command may be inadvertently ignored or the write data provided to the memory may not be correct (e.g., the write data is associated with another command).
Thus, internal clock, data, and write command paths should be designed to provide propagation delays for the respective signals to account for latency, for example, write latency between receipt of a write command and receipt of the write data for the write command. Other examples of commands that may require the correct timing of internal clock, data, and command signals for proper operation include, for example, read commands and on-die termination enable commands.
An example conventional approach to maintaining the timing of internal write command, data, and clock signals is modeling both the clock and data path, and the write command path to have the same propagation delay using, for instance, a plurality of logic gates, such as inverters or buffers. Because logic gates may add a relative small amount of delay, the number of gates used may often be higher than desirable.

Methods and apparatuses for shifting data signals to match command signal delay


A compact zoom lens with three lens groups and a design method thereof. Along the optical axis from the object side to the image side, the compact zoom lens with three lens groups includes a negative power first lens group having a negative power first lens and a positive power second lens, a positive power second lens group having a positive power third lens, a negative power fourth lens leaned with the third lens and a positive power fifth lens, and a third lens group having a positive power sixth lens. The zoom lens matches requirements of optical properties for aberration correction. Minimum change of the distance between the first lens of the first lens group and the image forming plane from the WIDE position to the TELE position is used as the objective function of optimization.

The present invention relates to a compact zoom lens with three lens groups and a design method thereof, especially to a compact zoom lens with three lens groups having about 3× zoom ratio and minimum length change of the lens while changing from a wide angle (WIDE) position to a telephoto (TELE) position.
In recent years, compact zoom lens with 3× zoom ratio has been well developed. After the problems of aberration correction have been solved, such zoom lens has been broadly applied to various cameras, digital cameras and video equipments. Among the compact zoom lens, the zoom lens with three lens groups has received quite a lot attention due to their features of compact size, high image quality and low aberration.
Users expect the zoom lens with features of high speed focusing, compact size and light weight while suppliers focus on easy driving and operation, precision focusing and low aberration of the lens as well as lower manufacturing cost. The focusing way of the zoom lens with three lens groups is divided into inner focus type and rear focus type. Refer to the rear focus type, similar devices are revealed by Japan patents JP2003-222797, JP2003-140041, JP2003-107348, U.S. Pat. No. 7,177,100, U.S. Pat. No. 7,164,539, U.S. Pat. No. 7,133,215, U.S. Pat. No. 7,031,073, U.S. Pat. No. 7,019,911, U.S. Pat. No. 6,943,960, U.S. Pat. No. 6,982,834, Taiwan patents No. I264558 and No. I259910. As to the inner focus type, refer to JP2006-209122, JP2006-184880, JP2004-109559, U.S. Pat. No. 7,136,232, US2006/0139767, U.S. Pat. No. 7,102,830, Taiwan patents No. I240801 and No. I251714. Moreover, in Japan patents 2004-380436, JP 2003-107348, a design of high angle shooting in WIDE position is disclosed.
In order to make the lens more compact, in prior arts, the first lens group includes at least one lens. While in rear focus, the first lens group moves far away form the image side in the TELE position while it comes close to the image side in the WIDE position. That means when changes from the WIDE position to the TELE position, distance D from an object side surface of the first lens of the first lens group to the image forming plane increases. Thus the whole zoom lens stretches out the camera. While moving or casing the camera, the zoom lens is easily to get impacted or damaged. This leads to inconvenience of users or reduced precision of the lens. In order to solve such problem, an actuator is added so as to move the zoom lens back into the camera. Thus the manufacturing cost of the camera is increased due to addition of the actuator.
As to the inner focus type, while in the TELE position or WIDE position, the focal length is changed by the movement of the second lens group, the third lens group, or the image forming plane so as to achieve zooming effect. However, while designing the zoom lens, positive or negative power, curvature, and relative distance among each lens of the first lens group, the second lens group, and the third lens group require to be compromised with one another. Even the first lens group is fixed, the fact that under better optical design of the zoom lens, the D (DW) in the WIDE position should be different from the D (DT) in the TELE position. The difference between the WIDE position D (DW) and the TELE position D (DT) will have effects on aberrations, astigmatism and distortion of the zoom lens. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,019,911, in order to resolve such problem, it is revealed that the difference (DW−DT) should be restricted within a certain range (0.4<(DW−DT)/f<1.2). Although such kind of limit can improve aberrations, astigmatism and distortion of the image in some degrees, basically the problem is not actually resolved. In view of designing, the present invention provides a method that makes the distance difference approach the minimum so as to get high speed focusing and good aberration correction either in the WIDE position or in the TELE position.

Compact zoom lens with three lens groups and design method thereof


An improved lid for a pail of the type in which chain or cordage is typically stored and shipped allows a user access to the chain or cordage within the pail without removing the entire lid and provides a means for retaining the end of the chain or cordage in an easily accessible position for the next user. The lid uses a uniquely shaped area of the lid defined by a perimeter of reduced thickness designed to be easily cut out or punched out with a hammer. The resulting hole allows easy hand access to the chain or cordage and has a notch at one side for hanging the loose end of the chain or cordage on for subsequent use.

This invention relates to a novel improved lid for dispensing chain or cordage from a pail. The improved lid allows a user access to the chain or cordage within the pail without removing the entire lid and provides a means for retaining the end of the chain or cordage in an easily accessible position for the next user.
Chain or cordage is typically shipped to wholesalers and retailers in plastic containers or pails with a lid or top having a lip which secures to a rim on the pail. These lids are plastic also and are typically removed by making a series of vertical cuts in the lip of the lid at designated points molded in the lid. Once the lid is removed the entire contents of the pail are removed. This method is acceptable if the entire contents of the pail are to be used at once. Often however a retailer will sell only a few feet of the chain or cordage and wishes to keep the remaining chain or cordage in the pail and have the loose end of the chain or cordage accessible for the next customer.
Prior methods of dispensing the chain or cordage have required the lid to be removed as described above, fishing or threading the loose end of the remaining chain or cordage through a small opening in the lid, replacing the lid on the pail and tying the loose end of chain or cordage to prevent its falling back into the pail. The disadvantages of this method include the lid once cut as described above does not fit securely on the pail rim when replaced, and should the loose end of the chain or cordage fall into the pail the opening is too small to allow the customer to reach into the pail and retrieve the loose end without removing the lid. This method also requires the loose end of the chain or cordage to be retied after each use to prevent its falling into the pail. The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a novel lid for a pail with an easily removable opening in the lid which provides easy hand access to the chain or cordage without removing the lid and provides a convenient retainer for the loose end of the chain or cordage. With the novel lid, the customer is able to see the contents of the pail and is more likely to make a purchase than the prior art pail in which the customer often could not see the contents of the pail.


A steering locking system is provided for a motor vehicle that includes a pin, a locking disc to receive the pin, an actuation device, and a control unit. The actuation device is configured to control movement of the pin. The control unit is configured to control rotation of the locking disc and movement of the pin via the actuation device. Further, the control unit is configured to permit movement of the pin into the pocket after the occurrence of a predetermined event. The steering locking system can further include a motor operatively associated with the locking disc. The control unit may be configured to control the motor at a first power level to maintain the motor in a state of readiness and to control the motor at a second power level, different from the first power level, when the locking system detects a torque applied to the steering system.

Conventional motor vehicles may include an adaptive steering system that may add and subtract an angle between the driver steering wheel input and the steering gear input shaft. An adaptive system may provide enhanced performance at low speeds, such as during parking, and enhanced directional stability at high speeds, such as by using a variable gear ratio. An adaptive steering system may include a locking unit to lock the front steering system of the motor vehicle. The locking unit may provide a mechanical connection between the steering wheel and wheels during power-off of the steering system (i.e., before and/or after shutting down the engine) and may provide a means to lock the steering in case of a failure in the steering system.
Adaptive steering systems have already contributed to significant improvements in controlling an angle input by a driver to a steering wheel and an angle output by the steering gear input shaft, while providing a degree of safety with the locking unit of the steering system. However, adaptive steering systems tend to produce noise when the locking unit is engaged, such as when a motor vehicle is shut down. Such noise may be objectionable to a user but challenging to manage due to the nature of the locking unit and its close proximity to a driver. A past solution to this issue used soft materials to cushion the locking unit and dampen sound created by the locking unit. Another solution uses noises created by events, such as the engine shutting off or other sounds created by the vehicle, to mask the noise created by the locking unit but this increased the overall noise of the vehicle at shut down. Other solutions included maintaining full power to the adaptive steering system and after engine shut off so the locking unit remains unlocked, but this would require high power consumption from the vehicle battery, such as when a driver applied a torque to the steering wheel (e.g., as an aid to exit the vehicle) while the engine was shut off.
In view of these considerations, further improvements may be made to steering systems for motor vehicles so a noise made by locking units of the steering systems is less objectionable for a user of a motor vehicle.

Steering systems including locking controls for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicles including steering systems


Lucky Pick Blackjack uses a new method of delivering all cards to the various players, both for starting hands and subsequent draws. Using a unique set of domino cards, the deal is designed to set up all hands in a manner where the play of all players can in no way affect other player hands or the dealer's hand. This, in turn, eliminates most player hostility, for it neutralizes any effect any player may have on the end result of winning or losing for all players involved.

This invention relates to the casino table game of Blackjack and its need for improvements.
Blackjack has chronic problems which have a negative effect on the players, the dealers, and the casino.
The basic playing strategies used by various players can have a direct bearing on all players involved in each hand.
Many players feel their method of play is the only correct method. They often threaten, chastise and humiliate all players choosing to play differently.
Right or wrong, these "experts" feel incorrect play by others are the direct cause of their losing sessions. Good players and bad players often chase each other from the table by their hostilities. This can create problems for all involved.
The casino loses customers. Sometimes the dealer must referee the players' arguments, while the anticipation of a pleasant evening of Blackjack turns into a nightmare of unpleasantness for the players.
In extreme cases, fights between players could culminate in some players going to jail. A side effect could be overturned tables, scattered chips, disrupted play and loss of additional customers for the casino.
Sometimes players suspect the dealer may be cheating them. Innocent dealers may suffer unfair verbal abuse from unruly players.
Many casinos are on constant lookout for suspected card counters. This can sometimes lead to casino harassment of innocent players. This, in turn, projects a bad impression of the casino to all players.


A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes patterning a layer of photoresist onto a surface of a wafer to define metal feature areas and residual metal areas. A layer of metal is deposited over the patterned layer of photoresist, the metal layer includes metal feature portions in the metal feature areas, residual metal areas in the residual metal areas, and residual metal flaps at the edges of the metal feature portions. The wafer is sprayed with high-pressure solvent at a pressure to dissolve the layer of photoresist and to physically remove the residual metal portions from the residual metal areas, leaving only at least a portion of the residual metal flaps. The wafer is sprayed with a stream of frozen gas particles to remove the residual metal flaps.

There is a problem in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device (e.g., a micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS) device) using certain, atypical metals for which no established plasma etch chemistry exists, because removing residual metal from a metal layer during metal patterning may require a lift-off technique. For example, a microbolometer infrared (IR) imager with a focal plane array of individual bolometers may include a number of such metals, for example vanadium oxide or VOx (used as the active material sensitive to the desired IR frequency), vanadium, titanium, NiCr, and or a Ti—NiCr stack. Further complicating matters, these metals may require sputtering for deposition—a method of deposition which has been considered unsuitable for lift-off processing. The unsuitability stems from residual metal artifacts that may remain on an edge of the device pattern, which may result in electrical shorts and reduced device yields.
Lift-off may be performed by immersing the wafers in a solvent bath to dissolve the patterned resist and manually swabbing the wafers to remove any residual metal flaps. This process is thought to be undesirably inefficient for mass production and incompatible with Class 1 conditions and operations of a chip manufacturing facility.
As a result, there is a need for an automated lift-off and metal flap removal method which will remove metal from non-pattern areas and remove metal flaps at the edges of patterned areas without damaging the device (e.g., microbolometer IR imager).

Metal lift-off systems and methods using liquid solvent and frozen gas


A sensitivity adjustment device may include: a light receiver configured to receive a reflected light that has been emitted from a light emitting unit and reflected by a reflector, the light receiver being configured to convert the reflected light into an analog electrical signal; an A/D converter configured to convert the analog electrical signal into a digital signal; a threshold value calculator configured to calculate a threshold value with reference to a voltage level of the digital signal that has been sequentially converted and output by the A/D converter; and a determination unit configured to compare a high voltage level of the digital signal with the threshold value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensitivity adjustment device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an automatic sensitivity adjustment based on A/D conversion output data.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-205923, filed Sep. 19, 2012, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
All patents, patent applications, patent publications, scientific articles, and the like, which will hereinafter be cited or identified in the present application, will hereby be incorporated by reference in their entirety in order to describe more fully the state of the art to which the present invention pertains.
For example, in a field device that is mounted on an installation site such as a piping passage of a plant in a process control system, as a switch mechanism that is manually operated by an operator setting parameters or the like at the site, there are mechanisms in which an infrared touch switch is incorporated.
FIG. 9 is an illustrative diagram of a constitution illustrating an example of an infrared touch switch of the related art in which a sensitivity adjustment function is incorporated. In FIG. 9, a light emitting unit 1 includes an infrared light emitting element. The infrared light emitting element is driven via a light emitting controller 4 based on a predetermined timing pulse signal which is generated and output by a timing controller 3 controlled by a CPU 2, and radiates outside of the facility.
For example, the light radiated from the light emitting unit 1 is reflected by a reflector 5 such as fingers of an operator, is incident on a light receiver 6, and is converted into analog electrical signals.
The analog electrical signals converted by the light receiver 6 are input to an A/D converter 7 which is controlled by the CPU 2, and are converted into digital signals.
The digital signals, which are converted and output by the A/D converter 7, are stored as touch detection data in a data storage region of a RAM 8 which is controlled by the CPU 2.
The CPU 2 performs overall control on the entire device based on a predetermined software program stored in a ROM 9, variable parameters appropriately set and stored in the RAM 8, or the like so that the device is operated as an infrared touch switch having a predetermined touch detection sensitivity.
A display unit 10 displays a predetermined display screen such as a process value display screen or a parameter setting screen which is created by a display controller 11 controlled by the CPU 2.
A nonvolatile memory 12 stores and holds sensitivity adjustment parameters for adjusting the touch detection sensitivity of the infrared touch switch via a nonvolatile memory controller 13 which is controlled by the CPU 2.
Based on the control of a communication controller 15 which is controlled by the CPU 2, a communication unit 14 executes transmission and reception of sensitivity adjustment parameters of the infrared touch switch between a communication tool (not shown) outside the facility and the communication unit 14.
Based on the control of the CPU 2, a switch operation determination unit 16 determines whether a touch detection operation is performed based on touch detection data converted and output by the A/D converter 7.
Operations of main units will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIGS. 10(A) to 10(C) are illustrative diagrams of data sampling in the A/D converter 7 of the analog electric signals which are converted by the light receiver 6. In FIG. 10(A), a light emission pulse which is radiated from the light emitting unit 1, and is emitted and output based on a predetermined timing pulse signal which is generated and output by the timing controller 3 controlled by the CPU 2, is illustrated.
In FIG. 10(B), output data of the A/D converter 7 based on reflected light incident on the light receiver 6 is illustrated, and an A/D conversion operation of the A/D converter 7 is executed based on a predetermined sampling clock which is indicated by FIG. 10(C), and is generated and output by the timing controller 3.
Here, intensity of the reflected light is changed according to presence or absence of the reflector 5 or a difference of reflectance of the reflector 5, and a signal level of the output data of the A/D converter 7 is changed according to the change of the intensity of the reflected light. Moreover, the frequency of the light emission pulse or the timing of light-receiving A/D sampling may be arbitrarily determined. A signal level is used to mean a voltage level of a digital signal.
FIGS. 11A and 11B are illustrative diagrams of a threshold value which determines whether the touch detection operation is performed at the switch operation determination unit 16, and for example, is used for a comparison value of a signal level of output data of the A/D converter 7 at timings of t1 and t3 of the sampling clock of FIG. 10(C). FIG. 11A shows a state in which the signal level of the output data of the A/D converter 7 is less than the threshold value and a switch is determined to be "OFF." FIG. 11B shows a state in which the signal level of the output data of the A/D converter 7 is equal to or more than the threshold value and a switch is determined to be "ON."
The threshold value is set and input as a numerical value via the communication tool, and is stored and held in the nonvolatile memory 12 via the nonvolatile memory controller 13.
Circuit errors of the infrared touch switch or hardware characteristics including characteristics of the light emitting and light receiving elements, temperature characteristics, or the like are different individually, and thus the storage and holding of the threshold value are performed based on the fact that the individual threshold value is required for each switch.
Moreover, since the threshold value may be changed according to an adjustment examination in a manufacturing process via the communication tool or a setting of a user, it is necessary to store the threshold value in the nonvolatile memory 12.
FIGS. 12(a) to 12(e) are illustrative diagrams of a determination sequence in the switch operation determination unit 16. FIG. 12(a) shows an initial state, in which the switch is in an OFF state, and the A/D output is less than an A/D threshold value.
FIG. 12(b) shows a state in which the A/D output is changed from the state shown in FIG. 12(a) to a range in which the A/D output does not exceed the A/D threshold value. Since the A/D output is less than the A/D threshold value, the switch remains in an OFF state.
FIG. 12(c) shows a state in which the A/D output is increased from the state of FIG. 12(b) to a range in which the A/D output exceeds the A/D threshold value. Since the A/D output is equal to or more than the A/D threshold value, the switch is changed to remains in the ON state.
FIG. 12(e) shows a state in which the A/D output is decreased from the state of FIG. 12(d) to a range in which the A/D output is lower than the A/D threshold value. Since the A/D output is less than the A/D threshold value, the switch is changed to an OFF state.
FIGS. 13A to 13C are illustrative diagrams of sensitivity when there are differences in the hardware characteristics of the above-described infrared touch switch. FIG. 13A is an example of a high sensitivity switch, and shows a state in which the A/D output exceeds the A/D threshold value regardless of presence or absence of the reflector 5. In this case, the switch operation determination unit 16 responds regardless of the presence or absence of the reflector 5 and determines the switch is in the ON state, and the switch does not function as the infrared touch switch.
FIG. 13B shows an example of a medium sensitivity switch, and shows a state in which the A/D output is lower than the A/D threshold value when the reflector 5 is not present and the A/D output exceeds the A/D threshold value when the reflector 5 is present. In this case, the switch operation determination unit 16 does not respond when the reflector 5 is not present and determines the switch is in the OFF state, and responds when the reflector 5 is present and determines the switch is in the ON state, and thus the switch functions as the infrared touch switch.
FIG. 13C shows an example of a low sensitivity switch, and shows a state in which the A/D output is lower than the A/D threshold value regardless of the presence or absence of the reflector 5. In this case, the switch operation determination unit 16 does not respond regardless of the presence or absence of the reflector 5 and determines the switch is in the OFF state, and similar to that of FIG. 13A, the switch does not function as the infrared touch switch.
As is clear from FIGS. 13A to 13C, since the A/D output is largely changed according to the hardware characteristics of the infrared touch switch, it may be necessary to set the A/D threshold value to an optimal value such as an intermediate value between when the reflector is not present and when the reflector is present. Accordingly, the adjustment examination becomes essential in the manufacturing process.
FIGS. 14A to 14D are illustrative diagrams of sensitivity when there are differences in reflection characteristics of the reflector 5. FIG. 14A is an example when the reflector 5 is not present, the A/D output is lower than the A/D threshold value, and the switch operation determination unit 16 does not respond and determines the switch is in the OFF state.
FIG. 14B shows an example when the reflectance of the reflector 5 is low, the A/D output is lower than the A/D threshold value, and the switch operation determination unit 16 does not respond and determines the switch is in the OFF state.
FIG. 14C is an example when the reflectance of the reflector 5 is approximately intermediate, the A/D output exceeds the A/D threshold value, and the switch operation determination unit 16 responds and determines the switch is in the ON state.
FIG. 14D is an example when the reflectance of the reflector 5 is high, the A/D output exceeds the A/D threshold value, and the switch operation determination unit 16 responds and determines if the switch is in the ON state.
As is obvious from FIGS. 14A to 14D, the A/D output is largely changed according to flesh color of the fingers which are the reflector 5, color or stain of gloves, or the like. For example, in the case of the reflector 5 having low reflectance such as stained gloves, there is a concern that the switch may not respond as the infrared touch switch.
Moreover, when the switch is configured so that the user arbitrarily changes the threshold value, there is also a problem that touch detection distance of the infrared touch switch is largely different depending on the reflector.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H9-270689 discloses a technology of a touch key which receives infrared light reflected by a reflector, detects the presence or absence of the reflector, and outputs key input signals.
According to the constitution of the infrared touch switch of the related art, a setting means according to the communication tool and a holding means to the nonvolatile memory are needed with respect to the sensitivity adjustment parameters.
Moreover, since the infrared touch switch is influenced by errors of the circuit configuring the infrared touch switch, various characteristics of the light emitting and light receiving elements, temperature characteristics, or the like, sensitivity adjustment means or sensitivity adjustment man-hours of the infrared touch switch are needed in the manufacturing process.
Moreover, since the infrared touch switch is influenced by the difference of the reflectance of the reflector, a sensitivity adjustment means or sensitivity adjustment man-hours of the infrared touch switch which are performed by the user are needed.
Furthermore, if the sensitivity adjustment parameters of the infrared touch switch are not appropriately adjusted, the operation of the infrared touch switch may be disabled.
Moreover, when the sensitivity adjustment parameters of the infrared touch switch are not appropriately set to be adjusted, there is a concern that operational feeling for each switch may be different.


A housing for an electrostatic latent image carrier is formed with a groove in which a light emitting section of the exposure device is positioned at the usage position. The groove extends in an insertion direction of the light emitting section of the exposure device to the groove. A flexible light-shielding member includes one side fixed to a peripheral part of the groove. The light-shielding member covers the groove when the exposure device is detached from the housing. When the exposure device is attached to the housing, the light-shielding member is bent by the exposure device into the groove. A guide is provided at the upstream end portion of the light-shielding member in the insertion direction. The guide guides the light-shielding member from the closing state to the bent state upon inserting the light emitting section of the exposure device into the groove.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to an image formation unit and an image formation apparatus, and is suitably applied, for example, to an electro-photographic printer (hereinafter may also be referred to as a printer).
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional printer includes: a photosensitive drum; and an exposure device such as a light emitting diode (LED) head having a lens array and light emitting elements such as LEDs. This type of printer forms an electrostatic latent image on a surface of the photosensitive drum by irradiating the surface of the photosensitive drum with light from the exposure device, and develops a toner image by adhering toner to the electrostatic latent image.
For example, this type of printer includes an exposure device attached to a printer housing, and an image formation unit that contains modularized consumables such as a photosensitive drum and various rollers, and is detachably attached to the printer housing. The printer is thus configured to improve efficiency for work such as maintenance. The image formation unit has, for example, a groove through which an end of the exposure device is inserted and positioned in proximity to the photosensitive drum. The groove has a bottom having an exposure opening that allows light from the exposure device to pass therethrough. In addition, a flexible light-shielding film is provided to close the groove.
In the state where the image formation is detached from the printer housing, the light-shielding film closes the grove section thereby preventing the photosensitive drum from being unnecessarily exposed. On the other hand, in the state where the image formation unit is attached to the printer housing, the light-shielding film is deformed by the exposure device to open the groove, thereby causing a light emitting section of the exposure device and the photosensitive drum to face each other (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-27253 (FIGS. 1 and 2)).

Image formation unit and image formation apparatus


A financial instrument with two parts sold as a unit, comprising a preferred security in a company that is issued directly by the company; and a warrant to buy a common security in the company, wherein the instrument includes a redemption right that is exercisable by the company on both the preferred security and the warrant.

The invention relates to the field of securities and financing, and more particularly to combining multiple types of instruments to achieve certain advantages.
A number of financial instruments are known and used to raise funds. Each of these known instruments has certain advantages and disadvantages. A financial instrument is needed that can be used to raise funds that provides tax and balance sheet advantages, as well as a system and method for issue and redemption of the financial instrument.
The preceding description is not to be construed as an admission that any of the description is prior art relative to the present invention.

Method and system for issuing convertible preferred securities


A telescoping auger shaft is provided that distributes slurry material throughout a spreader box of variable width in a paving system. The telescoping auger shaft comprises a first shaft positioned coaxially with and engaging a second shaft such that the second shaft is operable to extend with respect to the first shaft while remaining engaged with the first shaft. The two shafts can form a combined shaft of variable length. The telescoping auger shaft further comprises two sections of auger flighting, one coupled to the first shaft and one coupled to the second shaft. The two sections of auger flighting are operable to distribute slurry material in a spreader box when the first shaft and the second shaft are rotated. The first shaft includes a guide portion. A guide element is coupled to second shaft and engages with the guide portion. When the second shaft is extended with respect to the first shaft, the guide element can cause the second shaft to rotate with respect to the first shaft.

Asphalt emulsion based surface treatments such as asphalt slurry and microsurfacing are used to maintain asphalt pavements. The application of such surface treatments extends the life of existing pavements and repairs pavement surface problems such as raveling (loss of aggregate), weathering, wheel path rutting, and loss of roughness or slick wheel paths. The slurry can be mixed by a mobile slurry machine and applied to the pavement surface in a continuous or batch process. One such mobile paving system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,976, entitled "Mobile Paving System Using an Aggregate Moisture Sensor and Method of Operation."
A mobile paving system can deposit slurry onto a surface through a box type screed pulled behind the slurry machine. The box type screed can be called a "spreader box." The ability of the mobile paving system to satisfactorily apply the slurry to the surface can depend upon the ability of the system to evenly distribute the slurry across the full width of the spreader box. Mobile paving systems can use auger flighting or paddles mounted on rotating shafts to distribute the slurry across the full width of the spreader box.
The spreader box width determines the width of the surface that can be treated. Current systems can allow operators to change the spreader box width by physically adding or removing sections of the spreader box, accompanying auger flights or paddles, and strike-off devices. A disadvantage associated with such systems is that the process to change sections is labor intensive and may take hours to accomplish when the box is covered with hardened slurry material. Because of the difficulty in changing the sections of the spreader box, operators of the mobile paving systems often do not adjust the spreader box. Most roadway surfaces require multiple passes of the spreader box to cover the entire roadway surface. This, in turn, may create overlap of the applied surfacing material as multiple passes of the mobile slurry machine pass over the same areas. Such overlap wastes slurry material and creates an uneven surface.

Telescoping auger shaft and method of manufacture


A method of recognizing gestures of a person from at least one image from a monocular camera, e.g. a vehicle camera, includes comp the steps:    a) detecting key points of the person in the at least one image,    b) connecting the key points to form a skeleton-like representation of body parts of the person, wherein the skeleton-like representation represents a relative position and a relative orientation of the respective body parts of the person,    c) recognizing a gesture of the person from the skeleton-like representation of the person, and    d) outputting a signal indicating the gesture.

The prior art for detecting gestures includes, for example, the 3D camera Kinect. 3D information (e.g. Kinect) which makes it possible to recognize gestures is needed for most of the known methods or respectively systems.
The publication "Realtime Multi-Person 2D Pose Estimation using Part Affinity Fields" by Cao et al. (https://arxiv.org/pdf/1611.08050.pdf, retrieved on Nov. 9, 2017) shows a method for 2D pose estimation of multiple persons in one image. During this, body parts which belong to a person are connected to one another in a skeleton-like manner. A list of key points is compiled therewith, by means of which the connected components of the endoskeleton are drawn up.
DE 10 2014 207 802 B3 shows a method and a system for proactively detecting an action of a road user in traffic. A pixelated structured image of the road user (e.g. pedestrian) is captured by means of at least one camera and corresponding image data are generated. Image data of multiple pixels are, in each cell, grouped in cells, wherein the image comprises multiple cells. In each case, a focal point is determined on the basis of the image data within a cell. For each of the pixels, the distance from the focal points of a plurality of the cells is established in each case, wherein on the basis of coordinates of the respective pixel and the focal points, a property vector assigned to the pixel is formed. The property vector is compared with at least one reference vector cluster and, based on the comparison, a pose is assigned to the road user, which pose is representative of the fact that the road user will carry out the action. With this method, it is assumed that, on the basis of poses of a road user, the latter's intention (e.g. intention to cross at the crosswalk) can already be recognized prior to the road user carrying out the actual action. On the basis of said pose recognition, it is then likewise possible to take proactive measures prior to the action occurring such as, for example, outputting an acoustic and/or visual warning to the driver and/or to the road user captured by the measuring technology, and/or making a controlling intervention in a vehicle system such as, for example, in the brakes or in the steering.
A skeleton-like, simplified schematic representation of the road user or respectively pedestrian can, for example, be assigned to a pose. The pose can, in turn, be assigned to an action of the road user which is to be expected, on the basis of which a traffic situation can be evaluated, a possible risk can be deduced and, if possible, further control measures can be wholly or partly automatically initiated. For example, a partly stooped pose, in which a person typically starts running, can be assigned to a risk in road traffic if the pose is captured in an alignment "from the front", i.e. the person is moving towards the vehicle.
The disadvantage of this approach is that forming the property vectors is an elaborate process.

Gesture control for communication with an autonomous vehicle on the basis of a simple 2D camera


Provided are methods of depositing N-Metals onto a substrate. Methods include first depositing an initiation layer. The initiation layer may comprise or consist of cobalt, tantalum, nickel, titanium or TaAlC. These initiation layers can be used to deposit TaCx.

Integrated circuit technology continues to rapidly advance, with many circuit technologies being implemented using semiconductor fabrication processes. A variety of electrically conducting material is available for implementing the layers in the gates of semiconductor integrated circuits.
As is well known in the art, a silicon oxide film has been mainly used as a material of a gate insulating film in MOSFETs, and a polysilicon film has been used as a material of the gate. However, as the integration level of the semiconductor devices becomes higher, it is required that the line width of the gate and the thickness of the gate insulating film be reduced. In the case where a silicon oxide film is used as the material of the gate insulating film, if the thickness of the gate insulating film is too thin, the insulating characteristic is not stable, as the leakage current due to a direct tunneling through the gate insulating film becomes greater. Recently there has been an effort to use a high dielectric constant material having a relatively higher dielectric constant than a silicon oxide film as the material of the gate insulating film. Also, in order to minimize the polysilicon gate depletion effect, there has been an effort to use a metal gate instead of the polysilicon gate.
However, N-Metal films such as TaCx and TaSix cannot be easily deposited directly onto several substrates commonly used for gate insulating layers, including HfO2 or TiN. Before the present invention, deposition of TaCx on any substrate was a very slow process, and it was very difficult to obtain any TaCx deposition.
Therefore, there is a need to provide methods that allow for suitable N-Metal film deposition onto gate insulation substrates.

N-metal film deposition with initiation layer


A system for the playback of content files includes a memory storing a content file including a plurality of stems, each stem encoding a portion of the audio of a sound recording, multiple stems in the plurality of stems representing different portions of the sound recording for the same time period, the content file also including a set of instructions controlling playback of the stems. A decoder is configured to decode the stems according to the set of instructions to create an audio output signal.

Music has traditionally been distributed to consumers in stereo format. Whether recorded as an analog signal on audio cassette tape, or digitally encoded on a CD, music has typically been produced and distributed for presentation as 2-channel stereo sound. Such music, once distributed, does not facilitate flexible playback; and although music is distributed in other forms, for example the Dolby 5.1 surround sound format which encodes an audio recording in six distinct channels, music encoded in those other formats is equally inflexible. Example embodiments of the present invention address this inflexible production and distribution of music.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Various data source locations storing files can be accessed and/or crawled. At each location, files can be identified. These files can be analyzed to obtain attributes characterizing such file. Thereafter, a visualization can be generated in a graphical user interface that takes the form of data map that characterizes the identified files along two or more dimensions, with each dimension being based on a different attribute of the file. For example, the vertical dimension can be based on a number of columns and the horizontal dimension can be based on a number of rows. The graphical user interface can include graphical user interface elements associated with each identified file. These elements, when activated, can cause complementary information characterizing the corresponding identified file to be displayed. The elements can then be used to import or otherwise utilize one of the identified files into an application (such as a spreadsheet software application.

Entities ranging from individuals to large multi-national entities are generating increasing amounts of data files including files encapsulating tabular data. These files can be stored among various disparate locations including local storage, networked storage, email/email attachments, and in cloud-based storage services. Navigating and accessing such files becomes more burdensome as the number of files and their storage locations increase.

Data file discovery, visualization, and importing


The present invention is a method and apparatus for applying proximity correction to a piece of a mask pattern, by segmenting the piece into a plurality of segments, and applying proximity correction to a first segment without taking into consideration the other segments of the piece.

The present invention concerns the field of semiconductor wafer fabrication. Specifically, it relates to the correction of proximity effects in patterning.
A. Wafer Construction
Photolithography is a common technique employed in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Typically, a semiconductor wafer is coated with a layer (film) of light-sensitive material, such as photoresist. Using a patterned mask or reticle, the wafer is exposed to projected light, typically actinic light, which manifests a photochemical effect on the photoresist, which is subsequently chemically etched, leaving a pattern of photoresist xe2x80x9clinesxe2x80x9d on the wafer corresponding to the pattern on the mask.
A xe2x80x9cwaferxe2x80x9d is a thin piece of semiconductor material from which semiconductor chips are made. The four basic operations utilized to fabricate wafers include (1) layering, (2) patterning, (3) doping and (4) heat treatments.
The layering operation adds thin layers of material, including insulators, semiconductors, and conductors, to a wafer surface. During the layering operation, layers are either grown or deposited. Oxidation involves growing a silicon dioxide (an insulator) layer on a silicon wafer. Deposition techniques include, for example, chemical vapor deposition, evaporation, and sputtering. Semiconductors are generally deposited by chemical vapor deposition, while conductors are generally deposited with evaporation or sputtering.
Patterning involves the removal of selected portions of surface layers. After material is removed, the wafer surface has a pattern. The material removed may form a hole or an island. The process of patterning is also known to those skilled in the relevant art as microlithography, photolithography, photomasking and masking. The patterning operation serves to create parts of the semiconductor device on the wafer surface in the dimensions required by the circuit design and to locate the parts in their proper location on the wafer surface.
Doping involves implanting dopants in the surface of the wafer through openings in the layers to create the n-type and p-type pockets needed to form the N-P junctions for operation of discrete elements such as transistors and diodes. Doping is generally achieved with thermal diffusion (wafer is heated and exposed to the desired dopant) and ion implantation (dopant atoms are ionized, accelerated to high velocities and implanted into the wafer surface).
Construction of semiconductor wafers with these steps is well known in the art of semiconductor fabrication. Examples of wafer construction processes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,598 issued to Yee on Oct. 21, 1997, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod of Making a CMOS Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM),xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,076 issued to Rostoker et al. on Sep. 2, 1997, entitled xe2x80x9cAutomating Photolithography in the Fabrication of Integrated Circuits,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,861 issued to Garza on Jan. 21, 1997, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod of Selecting and Applying a Top Antireflective Coating of a Partially Fluorinated Compound,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,265 issued to Hamilton on Aug. 22, 1995, entitled xe2x80x9cMethod and Apparatus for Detecting Defective Semiconductor Wafers During Fabrication Thereof,xe2x80x9d and U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,134 issued to Pasch et al. on Mar. 24, 1987, entitled xe2x80x9cMask Alignment System. xe2x80x9d The specifications of these five patents identified in this paragraph are hereby incorporated herein as though set forth in full by this reference.
B. Patterning And Proximity Effects
As the most critical operation of wafer fabrication, patterning sets the critical dimensions of the particular semiconductor device. Errors in the patterning process can cause distortions that cause changes in the function of the semiconductor device.
Design rule limitations are frequently referred to as critical dimensions. A critical dimension of a circuit is commonly defined as the smallest width of a line or the smallest space between two lines. Consequently, the critical dimension determines the overall size and density of an integrated circuit (IC). In present IC technology, the smallest critical dimension for state-of-the-art circuits is 0.3 micron for line widths and spacings. Once the layout of the circuit has been created, the next step to manufacturing the integrated circuit is to transfer the layout onto a semiconductor substrate. Photolithography is a well known process for transferring geometric shapes present on a mask onto the surface of a silicon wafer. In the field of IC lithographic processing a photosensitive polymer film called photoresist is normally applied to a silicon substrate wafer and then allowed to dry. An exposure tool is utilized to expose the wafer with the proper geometrical patterns through a mask (or reticle) by means of a source of light or radiation. After exposure, the wafer is treated to develop the mask images transferred to the photosensitive material. These masking patterns are then used to create the device features of the circuit.
An important limiting characteristic of the exposure tool is its resolution value. The resolution for an exposure tool is defined as the minimum feature that the exposure tool can repeatedly expose onto the wafer. Currently, the resolution for most advanced optical exposure tools is around 0.2 micron. Thus, the resolution value of present lithographic equipment is close to the critical dimension for most IC circuit designs. Consequently, the resolution of the exposure tool may influence the final size and density of the IC circuit. As the critical dimensions of the layout becomes smaller and approach the resolution value of the lithography equipment, the consistency between the masked and actual layout pattern developed in the photoresist is significantly reduced. Specifically, it is observed that differences in pattern development of circuit features depends upon the proximity of the features to one another.
The magnitude of such proximity effects depends on the proximity or closeness of the two features present on the masking pattern. Proximity effects are known to result from optical diffraction in the projection system. This diffraction causes adjacent features to interact with one another in such a way to produce pattern-dependent variations.
Proximity effects and methods for correcting for them are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,323 issued on Oct. 28, 1997, to Pasch et al. entitled xe2x80x9cSystem and Method for Performing Optical Proximity Correction on Macrocell Librariesxe2x80x9d (hereinafter the xe2x80x9cPasch ""323 patentxe2x80x9d). The specification of the Pasch ""323 patent is incorporated herein as though set forth in full by this reference. The system and method described in the Pasch ""323 patent performs optical proximity correction on an integrated circuit mask design by initially performing optical proximity correction on a library of cells that are used to create the IC. The pre-tested cells are imported onto a mask design. All cells are placed a minimum distance apart to ensure that no proximity effects will occur between elements fully integrated in different cells. An optical proximity correction technique is performed on the mask design by performing proximity correction only on those components, e.g.,lines, that are not fully integrated within one cell.
Proximity effects and methods for correcting for them are also discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,301 issued on Jan. 6, 1998, to Garza et al. entitled xe2x80x9cPerforming Optical Proximity Correction with the Aid of Design Rule Checkersxe2x80x9d (hereinafter the xe2x80x9cGarza ""301 patentxe2x80x9d). The specification of the Garza ""301 patent is incorporated herein as though set forth in full by this reference. The system described in the Garza ""301 patent involves a method for identifying regions of an integrated circuit layout design where optical proximity correction will be most useful and then performing optical proximity correction on those regions only.
More specifically, the method includes the following steps: (a) analyzing an integrated circuit layout design with a design role checker to locate features of the integrated circuit layout design meeting predefined criteria; and (b) performing optical proximity correction on the features meeting the criteria in order to generate a reticle design. The criteria employed by the design rule checker to select features include outside corners on patterns, inside corners on features, feature size, feature shape, and feature angles.
C. Proximity Effect Correction
A technique related to proximity effects involves the use of modified shapes or adjacent subresolution geometries to improve imaging. An example of this is the use of serifs on the corners of contacts. FIGS. 1A and 1B show contacts as formed on a reticle. FIG. 1A shows a contact 1 without serifs. FIG. 1B shows the same contact 2 with serifs. For contacts with dimensions near the resolution limit of the optics, a square pattern on the reticle will print more nearly as a circle. Additional geometries on the corners such as those shown in FIG. 1B will help to square the corners of the contract. Techniques such as those reflected by FIGS. 1A and 1B are often called proximity correction.
In addition for corner rounding for rectangular features, there is also the issue of line shortening. FIG. 2A shows a rectangle 3 as drawn on a reticle with a width W and a length L. Printed to size on the wafer as shown in FIG. 2B, the rectangle has a length Lxe2x80x2 and width Wxe2x80x2 4. Where there is room, rectangles can be biased longer on the reticle to give printed features of the desired length.
FIG. 3A shows a conventional pattern 5 and FIG. 3B shows a corresponding proximity correction pattern 6 wherein width variation 7 has been added to compensate for effects of adjacent features and serifs 8 have been added to corners to reduce corner rounding and feature length shortening.
Other examples of proximity effects and the adjustments made to patterns in order to correct for such effects are provided in the Garza ""301 patent discussed above. In particular, FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 6, 7A, 7B, 7C, and 8 of the Garza ""301 patent provide such examples.
Proximity effects are a well-known phenomenon in electron beam lithography, where they result from electron scattering. In optical lithography proximity effects are caused by the phenomenon of diffraction. As a consequence of proximity effects, printed features do not have simple relationships to reticle dimensions. This creates a situation in which it is difficult to fabricate a photomask where the designer gets what he or she wants on the wafer. Unless otherwise expressly indicated in a claim herein, it is intended that the claimed invention can be applied to correct for proximity effects whether the proximity effects are optical, electron beam, x-ray or otherwise.
Some limited form of proximity correction has been in use for at least two or three decades. These pattern modifications were usually requested by a wafer engineer based on knowledge of a particular process step. In recent years, proximity correction has become more of a science that an art due to the introduction of several proximity correction software programs. The proximity correction process consists of measuring several generic test patterns processed on a wafer and constructing a multilevel lookup table from the measured data.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a method and apparatus for application of proximity correction to a desired pattern. The present invention is a method and apparatus for applying proximity correction to a piece of a mask pattern, by segmenting the piece into a plurality of segments, and applying proximity correction to a first segment taking into consideration the other segments of the piece.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those persons having ordinary skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

Method and apparatus for application of proximity correction with unitary segmentation


A system and method of a manufacturing an overhead garage door, includes methods, processes and/or actions for using a printing technique in the assembly line, as well as door sections, doors and printing machines. A method of manufacturing a door includes dividing a first digital image into a number of parallel sections to form multiple section images; printing with ink each of the section image on a separate paint metal door segment, and assembling the door segments so as to create an assembled door having the appearance of the first digital image. A method of manufacturing a door includes a step of applying a clearing coating material to each of the door segments. There is provided a sectional garage door that includes a first door section; and an electronic component coupled to the first door section for associating with an electronic image. A sectional door includes an image printed thereon and the electronic image being the printed on the door section. A method of manufacturing a door includes electronically detecting a door section; and responsive to the step of detecting, selecting a digital image to be printed on the door section. A sectional door may have an ink surface thereon.

Garage doors are generally known in the art as structures that form a movable barrier in an entryway to a garage or other type of building. Conventional overhead garage doors are formed from a vertical stack of horizontally folding sections interconnected by hinges and supported by a guide track.
Visible seams are created in these conventional doors where the horizontal panels of the door meet when in the closed, vertical position. These seams detract from the aesthetics of the door and may allow moisture, wind and debris to penetrate through the garage door. Repeated use of the door over extended periods may cause these seams to widen further, allowing more moisture, wind and debris into the garage, reducing the insulation capabilities of the door and further detracting from the aesthetics of the door.
The conventional manufacture of a garage door involves numerous personnel-hours and equipment operating time. The relatively heavy weights, the number of assembly steps, and the large size of the door panel can result in a slow, labor-intensive operation. These problems result in reduced ability to meet customer demands for the products. The labor-intensive nature in which the conventional doors are made results in high manufacturing costs which is not efficient. Further, these conventional production practices increase production error and inconsistent product quality.


A reflective display apparatus including at least one front-light module, a first frame, a first liquid, and a display unit is provided. The at least one front-light module includes a light source and a light guide plate. The light source is adapted for providing an illumination beam. The first frame connects with the light guide plate of the at least one front-light module. The display unit, the first frame, the at least one front-light module form a first containing space and the first liquid is injected into the first containing space. Besides, a manufacturing method of the reflective display apparatus is also provided.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a display apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof and particularly relates to a reflective display apparatus and a manufacturing method thereof.
Description of Related Art
A primary function of a light source module is to serve as a light source of a display device. The basic principle is to convert effective light of the used linear light source or point light source into a planar light source having high luminance and favorable uniformity through a light guide plate. Generally speaking, light source modules may be divided into two types, namely front-light modules and back-light modules, wherein front-light modules are mainly used by reflective display devices, such as an electrophoretic display (EPD) panel or a reflective display medium.
However, the current manufacturing process for assembling a front-light module to a reflective display apparatus or reflective display medium requires use of a large-scale bonding process, such as optically clear adhesive (OCA) bonding process or optical clear resin (OCR) bonding process. Such manufacturing processes are costly, and the bonding materials used in the processes are expensive as well. Moreover, it is not easy to achieve large-area production. In addition, the current design of front-light module hardly satisfies the requirements for application of free curved surfaces.

Reflective display apparatus and manufacturing method of reflective display apparatus


The present invention is a portable terminal and a display data editing method for the same capable of easily changing preliminarily stored display data to any expression preferable to the user. A display processor 3e1 controls the writing and read-out data in and out of a memory unit 5, and provides various displays on a display part 4 according to registered display data. An editing processor 3c edits the display data on a display and also collectively edits duplicated display data in response to key operation in a key entry unit 3c. A retrieving processor 3e3 retrieves any duplicated display data in the editing subject display data before change and after change.

A prior art portable terminal has functions to permit various settings on a menu display or the like depending on a plurality of display items. Display data on a display screen for function settings or the like are preliminarily fixedly registered by the manufacturer. The user does such operations as various settings, communications, mail transmissions and receptions, etc., based on the display items.
Up to date, a portable terminal constitutes a part of fashion and living, and users who set waiting displays, call signals with melodies, etc. to suit their own taste in addition to decoration of the exteriors of their portable terminals, are increasing.
A portable terminal is known to set a menu display by down-loading graphic user interfaces corresponding to the user's tastes or purposes of use from a menu display providing server via internet (See Japanese patent publication, JP2003-5883A1).
Functions provided by portable terminals are ever increase and are approaching to those of PCs. Correspondingly, the number of displays is increasing, and the quantity of display data is becoming enormous. Despite such circumstances, display characters are held to the least necessary number due to limitation disposed on the display screen size by size reduction of the portable terminal. Furthermore, there arise undesired situations that it is difficult to understand contents or meanings of display data because display data for particular functions appear in a plurality of different displays.
In the portable terminal disclosed in the above patent publication, although it is possible to change the menu display by down-loading a substitute display via internet, the user can not easily change the display data by the unit of display data or the like or edit the data as desired.
Accordingly, it can improve convenience and enhance ease of use of such portable wireless terminal if the user can change display data of display items on various displays to expressions readily understandable by the use. Also, in the case that the user can change the display data, from the consideration of the possibility of duplication due to limitation imposed on the number of characters, it is preferable such that the user can easily confirm the duplication of all displays in a short time.

Portable terminal and display data editing method for the same


The present invention provides a method and system for computerized synchronization of an audio stream having a first synchronized textual representation usable for subtitling of the audio stream in the original language, with a second synchronized textual representation which can be used as an alternative subtitle including a transcription of the original language into another language. Time synchronous links can be built between the audio stream and, for instance, the textual representations of the words spoken in the audio stream. More particularly, the second representation can inherit the synchronization between the audio stream and the first representation using structure association information determined between the first and the second representation.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to the field of multimedia data handling, and more specifically, to a computer-based method and system for performing synchronized sub-titling of audio or audio-visual material in a multitude of different languages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Presently, most moving picture productions, such as movies, commercials, or the like, aim at an international audience. Thus, these productions can be distributed in languages other than the original language used during production. Moreover additional synchronized language versions can be assembled in which all dialogues and narrative sequences are spoken in the mother tongue of a particular audience.
Since the time efforts and costs for producing such synchronized versions are substantial, these language adaptations are usually produced only for the world's major languages. But for the languages spoken in smaller market segments, either the original production or a sub-titled version is used. In a sub-titled version, the translation of the spoken components appears as a synchronized textual overlay, usually in the lower area of the image. Accordingly, the term 'sub-title' is understood to refer generally to a textual, time-tagged representation that has to be rendered to become visible or audible.
Modern distribution media such as DVD can include an assembled international version of any audio-visual material which can contain both multiple sound-tracks for different languages, as well as multiple sub-title streams that can be selected and switched by the user during playback. Currently, most of this information has to be generated and synchronized manually.

Method and system for the automatic generation of multi-lingual synchronized sub-titles for audiovisual data

International Business Machines Corporation


A vehicle headlamp includes a first planar array of low and high beam LED light sources; a first primary optical light guide receiving low and high beam light from the LEDs; a first secondary optical light guide receiving and focusing collimated low and high beam light from the first primary light guide as a combination of low and high beam hot spots; a second planar array of LED light sources having a low and high beam LEDs; a second primary optical light guide receiving and collimating low and high beam light from second LED light sources; a second secondary optical light guide receiving said collimated low and high beam light and spreading the light as a combination of low and high beam spread pattern; a housing to mechanically support the LED arrays, the first primary optic, the first secondary optic, the second primary light guide and the second secondary optic.

A vehicle headlamp system may be made from an LED light source, a primary lens and a secondary lens. A vehicle headlight beam has a hot spot that needs to illuminate the distant road center. Additionally, there is a spread beam that illuminates the right and left side of road, and perhaps upward for signage. The headlamp beam is commonly operated while drivers are approaching in the opposite direction. As a result all the beam features have to be operable so as not to blind the oncoming drivers. This blinding is unavoidable in the high beam mode, so there is necessarily a high and low beam mode. The high beam mode assumes there is no on coming driver. The low beam mode assumes there is an oncoming driver, so the hot spot must be centered low and or to the side of the road. Similarly, the spread beam cannot be excessively bright or wide. These features are commonly built into headlamps beams through skilled optical design stemming from high and low beam filaments or arc discharge positions, with the light being reflected from an optically defined reflector or refracted in a projector beam type system through a central lens. With the advent of LEDs there is interest in forming headlamp beams from LED sources. LED sources are generally not as intense, or do not have sufficient lumen out put to singly provide all the light that is necessary to form a headlamp beam. Accordingly, it would be an advance in the art to provide an LED headlight system for improved road visibility.