A method and system is described to improve the reproduction of sound of an acoustic musical instrument. According to one embodiment, a first microphone is placed at a proximate location to the musical instrument to pick up the sound of the musical instrument. The sound as picked up by the first microphone is compared to a reference sound of the instrument (e.g., the sound of the instrument as perceived at a normal listening position). Based on this comparison, a tailor-made equalizer is designed to compensate for the differences between the sounds as picked up by the first microphone and the reference sounds of the musical instrument. Accordingly, using the tailor-made equalizer allows the reproduction of sound from the first microphone to have a quality similar to that of the reference sound of the musical instrument. In an implementation of the above system, a filter arrangement is provided having a low-pass and a high-pass filter that allows separate control of the frequency and/or gain for each filter.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to microphone pickup and electronic amplification of musical instruments, particularly acoustic musical instruments, for concerts or recordings.
2. Background Art
Pickups for electronically reproducing sound from musical instruments are of two general types, pressure and vibration. A pressure pickup or microphone has a diaphragm that vibrates in response to acoustic pressure variations in air. The diaphragm vibrations are transformed into an electrical signal. Since the human ear also has a diaphragm that works in the same way, the acoustic response of a good pressure type microphone located at an optimal distance from a musical instrument approximates the sound of the instrument in a given room. Pressure-type microphones present problems of isolation, placement, and feedback, however.
The isolation problem results from pickup sounds from both desired sources (the instrument or instruments that one wants to amplify) and undesired sources (e.g., a cough or another musical instrument that one wishes to amplify separately). The conventional approach to minimizing the isolation problem is to place the microphone close to the selected instrument to be picked up and to use a so-called directional microphone, which attempts to reject sound from unwanted directions.
Since sound radiates by the inverse square law, moving the microphone closer to the instrument reduces the isolation problem by increasing the amplitude of sound from the selected instrument relative to the sound from other sources. This solution, however, increases the placement problem. Musical instruments generate sound from different parts, such as the strings, sound box, and front and back surfaces of a violin. At a normal listening distance from a musical instrument, the characteristic sound of the instrument is an amalgam of the sounds generated from each part.
Different spots in the area close to an instrument (especially within a foot or so) yield very different sounds, most or all of which a listener would consider unnatural. When extremely close (less than a few inches), the differences become so exaggerated that one spot sounds very different from another, and it can be difficult to tell what instrument is being listened to. Also, if the instrument is not stationary, but is held by the musician (guitar, violin, flute, etc.), small normal movements of the performer produce unintended and undesired changes in dynamic level (volume) and tone quality.
Feedback is a special circumstance arising from isolation and placement problems, typically during the types of live performance where performers hear themselves by listening to monitor speakers aimed in their direction. These speakers are thus also aimed at the microphone used to pick up the sound initially. This can create a positive feedback loop that drives the speaker amplifier into saturation, producing a loud howl. The usual corrective for feedback is to use directional microphones, but this is of limited use. As a last resort, vibration pickups attached to the instruments themselves have been used. These pickups sense either the vibration of the instrument at the spot where they are attached (contact pickup) or the vibration of a metallic string (magnetic induction pickup) of a stringed instrument. As these pickups do not respond to the sound in air produced by monitor speakers or other musical instruments, feedback and isolation problems are greatly reduced. Also, because they are attached to and move with the instrument, the problems of changing volume and tone quality caused by a performer's movement are eliminated.
The drawback to using contact or induction pickups, however, is that the result is extremely low fidelity. The vibrations of a string or sounding board of a violin, for example, are drastically different from the vibrations of the air around the instrument. But what is defined as the "acoustic sound" of the instrument is what the ear hears as the vibration produced in the air in response to the sum of vibrations of all the instrument's parts, as described above. Thus, these transducers have been very effective in developing new electric instruments with their own sound (especially electric guitar and electric bass). However, their abilities are limited for the high fidelity reproduction of sound from acoustic instruments.
For the above reasons, current practice for electronically transducing and filtering live music from acoustic instruments is to use a quality directional microphone or microphones set up near, and aimed at, a single instrument or group of instruments. These microphones send their signal via a special cable to a special pre-amplifier (which sometimes sends power to the mic). This then connects to general purpose equalizer and mixing circuits. For example, in a rock band a typical drum set (five drums, one hi-hat, and two cymbals) may have one directional microphone for each drum and the hi-hat, mounted on a stand very close to the drum, plus two "overhead" directional microphones for stereo effect and to pick up the cymbals. The two overhead microphones must be at least a foot or so from the cymbals to avoid picking up a loud metallic hum. A guitar may have one or two of these mics placed between one and three feet away.
As previously mentioned, it is also common to mount pickup devices directly on individual instruments, typically guitars, to produce a different type of sound from that produced by the conventional "acoustic" form of the same kind of instrument. These pickups sense the vibration of some part of the instrument, such as the front soundboard of a guitar. Examples of such pickups are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,761 of Nylen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,575 of Oliver, U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,654 of Yamagami, U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,854 of Dugas, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,836 of Barcus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,918 of Riboloff, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,449 of McClish. The amplified sound from these vibration sensitive pickups mounted on either acoustic or so-called electric or electronic instruments differs intentionally from the sound produced by acoustic instruments and sensed by pressure type microphones mounted at a distance from the instrument; so these vibration pickups are not suitable for high fidelity electronic reproduction of the sound of an acoustic instrument.
While references have been made to the relative low fidelity of microphones that include transducers other than air-pressure devices in the prior art, it is possible to greatly improve the quality of any device using the methods and embodiments taught in the Summary of the Invention and Detailed Description sections below. Additionally, a combination of sensor types may provide certain advantages.
It has been proposed to mount miniature pressure-sensitive microphones directly on musical instruments for specific purposes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,836 issued to Barcus on Jun. 6, 1989 addresses the drawbacks of using stationary conventional microphones to pick up musical instruments in general, and also of holding a standard full size microphone close to, or attaching a miniature microphone directly to, an accordion or harmonica in particular. These drawbacks include feedback from nearby speakers and undesirable emphasis of the sounds coming from a localized portion of the elongated reed banks of accordions and harmonicas; that is, an increased volume of the notes whose reeds are near where the microphone is attached.
To overcome the drawbacks of the prior arrangements, Barcus provides a pickup module in which a miniature pressure-type microphone capsule is embedded. The module has an elongated narrow sound guide channel extending between oppositely facing open ends, and a sound sensitive surface area of the microphone communicates with the central region of the channel. The narrow sound channel creates a two-lobed directional sensitivity pattern for the microphone in an attempt to respond more equally to all notes when the module is centrally mounted on an elongated reed bank of a harmonica or accordion. Barcus also suggests that the module may be used with other musical instruments, and specifically that it can be attached to a drumhead near the edge of the drumhead to avoid feedback, pickup of an undesirable amount of room ambience, and lack of presence that occur with a conventional microphone stationed in front of the drum.
This lack of presence, a subjective term often used to describe a characteristic frequency band (which is different for each sound source), has not been noticed by the present inventor. However, in trials by the inventor using a variety of shapes, it has been noticed that strong, unnatural (and unpleasant) sounding frequency peaks are created by the shape of the cavity surrounding the microphone. These shaped microphone enclosures invariably add more problems than are solved in efforts to replicate the instrument's acoustic sound. The Barcus patent has a chart that looks like it may show improved frequency response, but it only shows improved evenness of volume from note to note. Test results of the inventor show each note would have a seriously degraded frequency response when compared to a high fidelity reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,586, issued to Oba et al. on Nov. 16, 1993, discloses a sound controller for an acoustic musical instrument to modify the sound produced by the instrument. In an example using a piano, the output of a detecting unit having 1) vibration sensors attached to the bridges and agraffes, 2) electromagnetic pickup units close to the strings, and 3) microphones attached to the sound board is delivered to a digital processing unit. Processors actuated by the various types of sensors for controlling loudness, delay, equalization, and phase difference deliver their output to vibration actuators mounted on the sound board and case boards of the piano. A parameter determining means adjusts the various processors so that the actuators create additional vibrations to produce acoustic sounds with modified qualities. Thus, Oba et al. use microphones as one of several types of pickups mounted inside a musical instrument to feed sounds and vibrations generated by playing the instrument to a vibration unit that alters the acoustic output of the instrument. Oba et al. do not use these microphones to produce an electronic signal in response to the acoustic output of the instrument for recording or amplifying the unmodified output. Consequently, none of the arrangements of the prior art provides a high fidelity solution to the problems of microphone isolation and placement encountered in electronic reproduction of sound from an acoustic musical instrument. Each case is currently successful only via careful tailoring by a sound engineer using sophisticated equipment.


An apparatus and system for permitting dual-mode configuration of an appliance control board preferably in conjunction with an external electronic programming device or by means internal to the appliance. Preferably, a set of selection switches are provided in an interior space of the appliance that are used to select desired operating parameters. By changing the setting of the switches, the operator may configure the appliance for many specific modes of operation. In addition, the appliance can be electronically reconfigured by use of a hand held data probe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of control board configuration, and in particular, to an appliance control board utilizing dual means of configuration, preferably in conjunction with an external electronic programming device or in normal manners without the use of an external device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the commercial laundry field it is desirable to provide laundry appliances, such as washers and dryers, with owner selectable features. For example, a laundromat owner or route operator may wish to configure one or more appliances to provide a selected cycle length for a selected price. Different owners may wish to configure similar appliances to provide different operation, such as cycle length, at different prices, or to modify previously-selected parameters in response to changing market or competitive conditions, for example.
For these reasons, manufacturers of such appliances often provide ways in which the appliance can be configured or reconfigured as desired. For example, the coin receiving mechanisms typically utilized in conjunction with vending machines including commercial laundry appliances permit the owner to select a desired vend price from a range of available prices. Many techniques are known for providing such selectable pricing, including techniques for mechanically adjusting an electro-mechanical coin mechanism or counter. Mechanical means such as mechanical three-way adjustable price setters and linkage to quickly change the coin control mechanism among any one of three preset prices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,828,097 (Kresta et al.) and 4,844,229 (Friedman et al.). A vender having a plurality of switches which can easily preset the vend price by suitably opening and closing these switches is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,775 (Hayashi). Electronic means utilizing selection switches which are also used for sale purposes to store data in a microcomputer vending machine are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,316,532 (Levasseur) and 4,706,794 (Awane et al.). An appliance programmer integrated circuit having a basic program of operation which may be modified two ways is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,599 (Karklys). The basic program may be automatically altered by a program change command circuit which is incorporated in the programmer circuit and which scans certain terminals of the circuit to determine the particular program application. The operator is provided with switches for selectively altering the basic program.
Similar adjustments have been provided for certain of the mechanical operations of an appliance. For example, electronic and electro-mechanical timers have been used in conjunction with washers and dryers in a commercial laundry environment wherein user-selectable timing intervals are provided. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,014 (Harris) describes a mechanically adjustable interval cycle timer. Rotation of a setting shaft changes the angular position of a stop lug which in turn controls the starting position of a lug which in turn controls the starting position of a lug or reset gear. U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,378 (Holzer) describes a mechanical device for changing the program of washing machines by using switching means controlled by a keyplate.
State-of-the-art commercial laundry appliances today further incorporate data accumulation and communication capabilities. For example, switches or electro-optical detectors may be provided to monitor certain aspects of machine operation, such as monies deposited, cycles vended, certain door openings, power failures and other useful information. These data may be retained in electronic memory within the appliance and subsequently communicated to a portable collection unit, such as a hand held probe or computer. Systems of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,369,442 (Werth et al.); 4,216,461 (Werth et al.) and 4,306,219 (Main et al.). In such a system, the laundry appliance is provided with an appropriate means for establishing communication with an external device, such as an infrared optical communication link.
It is known to utilize electronic means for configuring the operating parameters of a vending machine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,539 (Heeger) describes a sequence controller utilizing a microprocessor to control timing and other sequence information in connection with a vending machine. The specific timing parameters are alterable electronically by means of a service module which may be coupled to the vending machine to alter certain memory code corresponding to sequence timing and other aspects of the machine operation, as desired. Thus, the vending machine is flexibly reconfigurable for various modes operation, utilizing a detachable electronic module.
The prior approaches for permitting a user to selectably configure an appliance as described above have many limitations. Many appliances require access by the user to the interior of the appliance to make the necessary adjustments or to set the corresponding switch selectors in the desired location. Anyone having access to the interior of the machine is therefore capable of adjusting these settings, which presents opportunities for error or fraud. It is highly desirable, therefore, to provide a configurable appliance which also provides protection against error or fraud. The vending machine of Heeger requires a specialized electronic service module in order for the owner to make adjustments in operation of the vending machine thereby adding expense and presenting difficulties if the programming module is unavailable.
It is desirable to provide commercial laundry appliances which may be used in conjunction with external electronic programming devices, such as a hand held data probe, or in the normal manners without use of any external devices. Such flexibility permits the owner or route operator to purchase appliances for use in substantially standard manners, without purchasing portable data devices, yet permits the owner or operator to upgrade in the future by purchasing a hand held data probe and converting to more flexible operation taking full advantage of the capabilities offered by this combination. Unfortunately, none of the prior art devices or methods provide for such a dual-mode flexibility.
In addition, it is desirable to provide commercial laundry appliances having such dual flexibility with the added security of defeating unintended manipulation of the appliance by anyone who has access to the interior of the appliance once a data probe has been used to configure the laundry appliance. In order to reconfigure or alter the configuration of the appliance, a valid programming data probe must be used. Unfortunately, none of the prior art devices or methods provide for such dual-mode flexibility with the added security of preventing unintended manipulation of the appliance.

Control board having dual means of configuration


A security device having an elongate, flexible cable with a preformed coil, with the coil being defined by at least three turns of cable which extend and retract to allow the effective length of the cable to be altered. At least a first and second of the turns are connected to each other to control the tendency of the coil to tangle as the coil is extended and retracted in use. A structure is provided on the cable to allow connection of the cable to an article to be secured.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to security devices and, more particularly, to an extensible cable that can be used to secure articles, such as garments, against theft.
2. Background Art
The clothing industry has been plagued by theft for many decades. The problem of theft is particularly prevalent in operations that display coats and other garments that lend themselves to being tried on in the vicinity of the racks on which they are displayed. It is not uncommon for individuals to walk off unnoticed wearing stolen garments.
Various types of security devices have been developed by the assignee herein, among which are devices for securing hangers to a display stand and devices for securing a flexible cable, connected to an article to be secured, to a lockable housing.
This latter device typically has an elongate, flexible locking cable. A loop is formed in one end of the cable to allow passage therethrough of the other end of the cable to define a constrictable lasso. The other end of the cable has a fitting thereon to be secured to a housing on a stand on which the garment is displayed. An exemplary housing suitable for locking a cable end is shown in U.S. application Ser. No. 676,825, assigned to the assignee herein.
In most such devices, the cable is looped through the sleeve of a garment and out the collar. An 8 foot cable allows the user the necessary freedom to remove the garment from the hanger on the display stand, and try the garment on, as to check for fit and appearance.
One serious drawback with this cable device is that with the cable made sufficiently long to allow the consumer to try the garment on, a substantial length of the cable will project from the sleeve and normally hang down close to or on the floor. Persons passing by the stand may trip on or become entangled with the excess cord. The potential for personal injury thus exists.
One proposed solution to this problem has been to preform the cable with a coil having a plurality of turns which are extendable and retractable to allow variation of the cable length. With the cable in a relaxed state, the coil reduces the effective length of the cable. Typically, the coil is constructed to eliminate on the order of two feet from the overall length of the cable. This is sufficient to elevate the cable above the floor so that it is not in the path of individuals passing by the display stand.
While the coil eliminates one problem, it introduces a different problem. The coil is prone to tangling as the coil is repeatedly extended and retracted as when the consumer removes the garment and stretches the cable to try the garment on. This phenomenon commonly occurs with flexible, coiled cords, such as conventional telephone cords that extend between a handset and receiver. Once the cable tangles, the coil may not be extendable to the required effective length to allow a garment to be tried on. Further, the tangled coil may obstruct the passage of a consumer's arm through a garment sleeve within which the cable resides.
To overcome the tangling problem, the garment purveyor may choose to eliminate the coil altogether and contend with the aforementioned problem of the cable's resting on or in close proximity to the floor.


An optical disk drive includes a main body including a spindle motor to rotate a disk and an optical pickup to access the disk, a tray installed on the main body to be loaded and unloaded, and a compression member, which is disposed on the main body, for preventing vibrations of the tray, when the tray loads into and unloads from the main body, by applying an elastic force to a side surface of the tray in a horizontal direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk drive, and more particularly, to an optical disk drive including a tray, which slidably loads into and unloads from a main body of the optical disk drive.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an optical disk drive is a device for recording/reading data by irradiating light to a recording surface of a rotating optical disk.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional optical disk drive, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line I-I′ of FIG. 1.
In FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional optical disk drive includes a main frame 10, a tray 20, and a deck portion 30.
The main frame 10 includes a pair of rails 11 for guiding a sliding operation of the tray 20. The rails 11 are installed integrally with the main frame 10. Also, the main frame 10 includes a loading motor 13, which provides driving power to slide the tray 20, and a pinion gear 14, which is operated by the loading motor 13.
The tray 20 includes a mounting surface 21, on which a disk (not shown) is mounted, and a rack gear 22, which is connected to the pinion gear 14, on a lower surface of the tray 20.
A deck portion 30 includes a spindle motor 31 which rotates the disk, and an optical pickup 32 accessing the disk by sliding in a radial direction of the disk. The deck portion 30 is installed on the main frame 10, and rises toward the lower surface of the disk when the tray 20 is loaded by the operation of a cam (not shown), which is connected to the loading motor 13, and descends when the tray is unloaded.
When the disk is to be loaded, the disk is mounted on the mounting surface 21 of the tray 20, and the loading motor 13 is rotated. Then, the pinion gear 14 rotates, and the rotary force of the pinion gear 14 is transmitted to the rack gear 22 to slide the tray 20. While the tray 20 is loading, the deck portion 30 rises, and when the loading of the tray 20 is completed, the disk is mounted on a turntable 33, which is coupled to a rotary shaft of the spindle motor 31. The unloading operation of the disk is made by performing the above processes inversely.
The tray 20 is guided by rails 11 while being loaded into the main body 10. As shown in FIG. 2, recesses 23 are disposed on both edges of the tray 20 to be coupled to the rails 11. In order to slide the tray 20 along the rails 11, there should be a tolerance between each rail 11 and each recess 23. Thus, a width (W1) of the recess 23 is larger than the width (W2) of the rail 11, and a distance (W3) between the recesses 23 is larger than the distance (W4) between the rails 11.
The distances between the recesses 23 and the rails 11 should be controlled accurately for sliding the tray 20 smoothly. Otherwise, the tray 20 may vibrate or slant toward one side in sliding operation, thus increasing the loads of the loading motor 14. Also, since the distance between the pinion gear 14 and the rack gear 22 increases due to the tolerances between the recesses 23 and the rails 11, the pinion gear 14 and the rack gear 22 may not engage smoothly.
The main frame and the tray are generally fabricated in an injection molding method for mass production, however, widths W1, W2, W3, and W4 may vary depending on the molding conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to control the distances precisely.


An electrical cable has a plurality of bundles extending in a direction of elongation and including three bundles associated with one another, preferably so that a transverse cross-section of the cable extending transversely to a longitudinal direction is substantially triangular, the bundles having different cross-sections, so that a bundle with a smaller cross-section is adapted to transmit a higher frequency current, while a bundle with a greater cross-section is adapted to transmit current with a lower frequency signal, the bundles having one end connectable to an electrical source and another end connectable to a single electrical consumer, so as to provide a range of frequencies.

The present invention relates to electrical cables for transmitting current, and also to a method of transmitting current therethrough.
Electrical cables are known in many constructions and configurations. Usually electrical cables are composed of a plurality of bundles each including a number of wires, wherein the wire can include a number of strands. It is believed that the existing cables can be further improved, in particular with respect to proper cooling of the cables.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical cable and a method of transmitting an electrical current through it, which is a further improvement of the existing cables and methods.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in an electrical cable having a plurality of bundles extending in a direction of elongation and including three bundles associated with one another said bundles having different cross-sections, so that a bundle with a smaller cross-section is adapted to transmit a higher frequency current, while a bundle with a greater cross-section is adapted to transmit a current with a lower frequency current, said bundles having one end connectable to an electrical source and another end connectable to a single electrical consumer, so as to provide a range of frequencies for the same electrical consumer.
In a preferred embodiment, a transverse cross-section of the cable extending transversely to the longitudinal direction is substantially triangular.
It is also another feature of present invention to provide a method of transmitting current which includes the steps of providing an electrical cable having a plurality of bundles extending in a direction of elongation and including three bundles associated with one another so that a transverse cross-section of the cable extending transversely to the longitudinal direction is substantially triangular, said bundles having different cross-sections; and transmitting electrical current with higher frequency through a bundle with a smaller cross-section and electrical current with lower frequency through a bundle with a greater cross-section, to provide a range of frequencies for the same electrical consumer.
When the cable is designed and the method is performed in accordance with the present invention, it has been determined that the cable runs cooler and is less heated during the operation.

Electrical cable for current transmission, and method of transmitting current therethrough


The present invention provides a switch memory architecture (SMA) consisting of: (i) processing elements (PE) (ii) memory banks (MB), and (iii) interconnect switches (ISWITCH). The present invention allows for efficient, potentially unbounded data transfer between two adjacent processes by passing a memory handle and the status registers (memory control information) of the MB. This function may be performed by the ISWITCH.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reconfigurable computing platforms.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The electronic industry currently faces the challenge of designing high performance embedded systems called Systems-on-a-Chip. Specialized hardware circuits called processor array architectures are an important option for implementing such systems. In most previous techniques for designing array architectures, the processors did not fully exploit the possibility of on-chip memory and runtime hardware reconfiguration. These features are becoming more critical to the electronic industry. However, current technologies do not fully exploit these features and operate inefficiently with large slowdown in execution times.
An example of such a current restrictive technology is a systolic array. Systolic Arrays are application-specific architectures proposed by Kung and Leiserson 25 years ago for direct very large scale integration (VLSI) implementation of programs. A systolic array consists of a (possibly virtual) grid of simple, non-programmable processing elements (PEs) each with a few registers of local storage and connected to its nearest neighbors. Although they are elegant, and systematic methods for automatically designing systolic arrays from high level programs are now available, they have some serious limitations. For example, the constraints on locality and regularity are too restrictive for modern VLSI circuits. Judiciously designed long wires are thus common in most ASICs. Furthermore, systolic arrays constrain the PEs to have only a fixed number of registers, but current technology allows custom memory blocks to be distributed throughout the circuit. Also, only a small, proper subset of loop programs may be compiled to systolic arrays.

Colorado State University Research Foundation


In a system for authenticating information, a holographic element, including a first layer of optical information in a first coded pattern and a second layer of optical information in a second coded pattern is inserted into a reader. The reader includes an opening into which the holographic element may be positioned, a light source, a first detector positioned at a first predetermined distance from the location of the holographic element when the holographic element is positioned in the opening, and a second detector positioned at a second predetermined distance from the location of the holographic element when the holographic element is positioned in the opening.

Currently, there are a variety of optical devices for adding a level of security to articles of value or identification, including documents, currency, identification cards, passports, computer software, drivers licenses, authentic products, and credit cards, to name just a few. For example, almost all credit cards currently include a holographic seal. The same is true for the new U.S. Passports, some denominations of U.S., including the twenty dollar bill, and foreign currency, computer software packaging, and official major league baseball merchandise, which each include some form of holographic seal or optical security feature. Because of the relative difficulty in the past of producing these types of holographic seals and optical security features, this added feature provided an increased level of security and added significant cost and effort for those trying to create forgeries or counterfeit items.
For the last eighteen years holographic seals have been used with good results and little worry. During this time, however, the fabrication technology for holograms has become more sophisticated and more automated, giving those who would seek to counterfeit or forge these instruments new and advanced tools to duplicate even the most complex holographic seals and optical security features used on currency, passports, credit cards, and other items.
The present use of holographic seals as a security feature has been compromised by these new fabrication technologies, and some of the forgery holograms are even of a superior quality as compared to the legitimate item that is being manufactured and used for security purposes. For example, the popular bird hologram that is in use on Visas brand credit cards as a security feature, can now be easily reproduced by forgers for minimal cost. This is in part a result of the availability and low cost of the equipment and technology necessary for preparing the forgeries.
As a result, holographic seals and existing optical security features have little deterrent effect on the sophisticated forgers and counterfeiters. Credit card companies and other certifying entities have been forced to take alternative steps and use other methods to attempt to provide the needed security and guarantee authenticity.
Similarly, as a result of the availability of these fabrication technologies, the embedded hologram feature on the new U.S. currency has been compromised leading to the successful forgery of such currency.
There is a significant need for security features that will provide a deterrent effect to forgery and counterfeiting. There is also a need for security features that are relatively inexpensive compared to the cost for creating a forgery or counterfeit item. There is also a need for security features that require a significantly larger investment for unauthorized duplication or copying than the benefit obtained or profits derived from the forgery or counterfeit item that is created.

Embedded information carrier for optical data


The method includes: preparing a first substrate including first wirings; preparing a mold having a stamping surface that includes convex portions formed depending on wiring patterns of a second substrate to be laminated on the first substrate and projections formed depending on via patterns; pressing, while heating, the mold against the second insulating sheet so that end portions of the projections are exposed at the other main surface side of the second insulating sheet; laminating, while heating, the second insulating sheet on a first insulating sheet so that the exposed end portions contact the first wirings; releasing, the mold from the second insulating sheet; and filling a conductive material in groove portions and holes formed in the second insulating sheet.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method for a wiring board.
For those designated countries which permit the incorporation by reference, the contents described and/or illustrated in the documents relevant to Patent Application No. 2010-161743 filed with Japan Patent Office on Jul. 16, 2010 and Patent application No. 2010-161776 filed with Japan Patent Office on Jul. 16, 2010 will be incorporated herein by reference as a part of the description and/or drawings of the present application.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to achieve highly-dense wiring in association with downsizing electronic devices and enhancing the functionality thereof, an imprint method is known in which a mold is used to transfer concave shapes to an insulating sheet and the concave shapes are filled with a conductive material to form fine patterns (such as wiring patterns and via patterns).
In this imprint method, after the mold is released from the insulating sheet, if some resin remains in opening areas which have been formed by the mold and are to be connection portions for via patterns, then connection failures in via patterns or other troubles may possibly occur. In this respect, there is known an approach for removing such resin residues in opening areas using plasma etching or laser ablation (Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 7,351,660).


A rechargeable electric shaver having a partition wall installed inside the main body casing, the partition wall separating a rechargeable battery compartment that accommodates the rechargeable battery and a driving portion compartment that accommodates a motor, and the partition wall having a sealing structure which allows a main body of the motor to protrude into the rechargeable battery compartment and seals the rechargeable battery compartment and driving portion compartment in an airtight manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rechargeable electric shaver and more particularly relates to a highly safe rechargeable electric shaver which has waterproof properties.
2. Prior Art
A rechargeable electric shaver is repeatedly used by recharging a rechargeable battery installed inside the main body casing of the shaver. In such a rechargeable electric shaver, there are absolutely no problems in an ordinary recharging operation. However, if reverse charging is performed or if excessive charging is performed as a result of rapid charging, then problems arise. Oxygen gas and hydrogen gas generate inside the rechargeable battery by the charge-discharge reaction. Accordingly, a safety valve which releases gas to the outside of the rechargeable battery when the internal gas pressure rises to an abnormal level is disposed in the rechargeable battery.
However, in the case of a waterproof type electric shaver, the main body casing is formed as a structure that is sealed off from the outside in a watertight manner in order to waterproof various types of parts accommodated in the main body casing. Accordingly, the gas released from the rechargeable battery fills the interior of the main body casing, and a problem of ignition of the hydrogen gas by sparks from the motor has been encountered. Accordingly, in the case of waterproof type rechargeable electric shavers, a ventilation port is formed in the main body casing, and the main body casing is sealed in a watertight manner by closing the ventilation port with a gas-permeable sheet or the like, so that gas released inside the main body casing is discharged to the outside of the main body casing.
However, in such a structure, the discharge of the gas released from the rechargeable battery to the outside of the main body casing is hindered by the gas-permeable sheet, and the problem of ignition of the gas that accumulates inside the main body casing arises. So as to solve this problem, in the rechargeable electric shaver described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. S58-165884, a rechargeable battery compartment and a driving portion compartment that accommodates the motor are separated in an airtight manner using a sealing member, so that sparks do not ignite the gas.
The structure in which the rechargeable battery compartment that is a gas generation source and the driving portion compartment in which sparks might occurs are separated in an airtight manner as described above is effective in preventing ignition by sparks. However, when a partition wall is installed so that the partition member cuts across the interior of the main body casing in order to separate the rechargeable battery compartment and driving portion compartment in an airtight manner a problem arises. Disposition of parts inside the electric shaver is restricted.
Especially in the case of electric shavers in which its main body casing is in a curved shape, if a partition member is installed so that the partition member cuts across the interior of the main body casing, the degree of freedom with which parts can be installed therein is restricted, and the installation of such parts becomes difficult.
FIG. 2 shows an electric rotary shaver that has a curved main body casing. In this shaver, a cutter head 12 is detachably mounted on the upper portion of a main body casing 10, and outer cutters 14 are provided in this cutter head 12.
FIG. 3 shows the inside the main body casing 10 of the electric shaver of FIG. 2. The reference numeral 16 is a partition member, 18 is a rechargeable battery, and 20 is a motor. The partition member 16 is disposed so that this wall cuts across the main body casing 10, and the rechargeable battery compartment A and the driving portion compartment B in which the motor 20 are separated by the partition member 16.
Since the partition member 16 is installed so that the wall cuts across the interior space of the main body casing 10, the interior space of the main body casing 10 is divided into two by this partition member 16, and parts are installed in the respective spaces that are partitioned from each other by the partition member 16. In cases where a number of parts that are required for the control of the electric shaver are employed, these parts must be separately installed in the spaces that are partitioned from each other by the partition member 16. As a result, electrical connections must be made with the partition member 16 interposed, and a complicated structure in which electrical connections are made in the partition member 16 must be adopted.


A synthetic door casement is composed of multiple panels of L-shaped compression molded skin panels, that can be embossed with a graining pattern on their outer surfaces, which are joined with batten means on their inner surfaces to form a pair of opposed rectangular casement skins which casement skins are then joined on opposite sides of an outer frame surrounding an inner frame to form a hollow rectangular casement which is then filled with a plastic foam, such as polyurethane foam, with the inner frame having an external recess to receive a glass pane along with cooperative retention moldings to hold the pane in place in the recess of the inner frame once the pane is inserted therein. In another embodiment, multiple panel strips are employed to construct the casement skins in place of the L-shaped skins and are also connected with batten means on the inside surfaces of the multiple skins to form the casement skins, wherein the batten means includes raised ribs on the inside surfaces of each panel and a metal coupling plate which is crimped on the aligned ribs.

In the 1970 Owens-Corning Fiberglas introduced a door which was made with fiberglass skins composed of polyesters and glass fibers thin sheets. These sheet were then mounted on a rectangular frame composed of rails and stiles with adhesives and the resulting hollow core filed with a plastic foam, such as polyurethane foam. The product was a very viable door but its advantages, such as higher insulating values, were not enough to off set the high prices, even though the doors did not chip, crack or warp, according to a brochure published by the Owens-Corning Fiberglas at that time. In 1976 a patent issued to DiMaio, U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,894 which describes a synthetic door product, as a polyester door composed of two glass fiber reinforced polyester skins supported on a frame with the hollow core filled with a plastic foam.
Since the mid-1970's the costs of making fiberglass skins by sheet compression molding techniques have dropped appreciably even though such techniques have been known for some time, e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,241 issued to Kroexel defining one type of molding composition for such processes, and doors made with such skins have become more competitive with natural wood products, which have actually increased in prices since the mid-1970s As a result there now is considerable interest in marketing synthetic door products produced by employing compression molded thin skins mounted on a frame with the hollow core between skins filled with a plastic foam.
Due to the potential of the market a number of patents have issued in this area, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,550,540; 4,901,493; 4,965,030; 4,860,512 and 4,864,789 issued to Thorn, along with U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,087 issued to Green. Of course such structures are not limited to entry and exit doors in buildings but can also be used on cabinet doors and drawers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,001 issued to McDonald and U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,520 issued to Lee.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,901,493 and 4,720,951 issued to Thorn teach insert of panels door casement made with compression molded skins, such as panes, which is the area to which this invention relates.
More particularly this invention involves the construction of door casements of synthetic materials using compression molded skins which have a large aperture for receiving a heavy pane of glass, such as double glazed glass panes, that are mounted on an outer frame and an inner frame to construct patio doors and the like, in which the resulting casements will have sufficient mechanical strength to support such heavy panes; the hollow rectangular core is filled with a plastic foam to increase the insulating qualities of the door casement and increase its overall integrity since the foam adheres to the inside surfaces of the skins.
An advantage besides the strength of the door casements, is the economics of constructing multiple sizes of such casements from the same small mold or molds.
Other advantages will be apparent from this specification when read in conjunction with the attached drawings illustrating the invention.

Synthetic door casement structure for patio doors and like, and method


An electrochemical energy cell for use in a satellite or other environment where failure of the cell can cause great harm or inconvenience is disclosed in which the cell operates within a sealed pressure vessel in which a gas is maintained under high pressure and which is subject to bombardment by meteorites which can cause holes or cracks in the pressure vessel, thereby rendering the cell incapable of conducting an electric current therethrough, which in turn renders a battery of such cells useless. To prevent this, a pressure sensitive switch is provided in each cell which is connected in a circuit which by-passes the current generating discs of the cell when the switch is closed. The switch is normally maintained open by the pressure within the vessel, and is biased to close in the event that the pressure in the vessel drops below a predetermined minimum, so that the damaged cell will still conduct current therethrough to maintain the integrity of the entire battery.

The present invention, which is a "subject invention" under INTELSAT Contract No. Intel-683 (INTERSAT VII-A), relates generally to the field of energy cells such as batteries and fuel cells, and more particularly to such energy cells which employ pressure vessel type cells such as those currently used in earth orbiting satellites, and in other applications which employ pressure-vessel type cells.
It is well known that a plurality of electrical cells can be connected in series to obtain an electrical output from a battery consisting of the cells which will have a voltage equal to the sum of the voltages of the individual cells. However, the problem exists in such an arrangement that if one cell in the series is defective or is damaged during use, which results in the cell failing in an open circuit condition, the entire battery is rendered useless because it is impossible to pass an electric current through the battery for either charging or discharging purposes.
It is also well known that communications satellites utilize batteries to provide electric power for a variety of purposes, principally in connection with the operation of electronic communications and instrumentation equipment. Such satellites are typically put into a geo-synchronous orbit in which the satellite maintains a fixed location in space relative to a given position on the earth. But regardless of the nature of the orbit, a satellite is virtually isolated from the earth and from contact with man, since it is such an extremely complicated and expensive undertaking to put men and equipment into space to repair a satellite that it is virtually never done. Under these conditions, it is apparent that a battery failure can render the entire satellite useless, which can result in tremendous loss in terms of the cost of the satellite, the expense involved in the launching and the lost communications capability. It would not be unreasonable to assume that a battery failure in a communications satellite could result in a multi-billion dollar loss.
Other applications, such as electric automobiles and generators, and other applications where battery and/or fuel cell failure causes great harm or inconvenience, are candidates for the invention whenever the batteries or fuel cells employ high pressure cells such as nickel-hydrogen, silver-hydrogen, hydrogen-zinc, chloride-bromide, and sealed hydrogen-oxygen.
Thus, from the inception of communications satellites, there has been a continuing effort to improve the reliability of satellite batteries. This effort has met with considerable success, particularly with the development of the electrochemical cell which can operate over a wide range of ambient temperatures, has a relatively high energy density and can be constructed in a variety of configurations, all of which characteristics contribute to rendering this cell ideal for use in outer space. However, some electrochemical cells such as nickel hydrogen cells, by their nature, will only operate in a high pressure environment, typically in the range of 700 to 900 PSI when fully charged, and there must be confined in a pressure vessel which can withstand such internal pressures.
Unfortunately, it is this requirement of such electrochemical cells that renders them vulnerable to a hostile condition of outer space over which man's technological ability has little or no effect, and that is bombardment by meteorites which damage the pressure vessel, causing holes or cracks so that it leaks or completely ruptures. The loss of pressure within the vessel is the only known failure mechanism which results in an open circuit cell and therefore renders it useless since it will not pass electric current therethrough.
Open circuit protection devices currently available consist of one large diode in the "forward" direction to pass the load current, and several diodes in series in the "reverse" direction to allow recharging of the remaining cells to occur. For high current batteries, in the range of 50 to 100 amperes, such as are becoming common for synchronous orbit communications satellites, the "forward" diode dissipates a large amount of power under discharge conditions because of its in inherent 0.6 to 0.7 volt drop. At 100 amperes, the power dissipation is 60 to 70 watts. The thermal design, and accompanying mass, of providing such a circuit for every cell in a battery are very undesirable.

Electric energy cell with internal failure compensation


A computation core includes a computation block, an addressing block and an instruction sequencer, which are coupled to a memory through a memory interface. The computation block includes a register file and dual execution units. The execution units include features for enhanced performance in executing digital signal computations. The computation core is configured for executing digital signal processor instructions and microcontroller instructions, while achieving efficient digital signal processor computation and high code density. A finite impulse response filter algorithm achieves high performance on the dual execution units.

A digital signal computer, or digital signal processor (DSP), is a special purpose computer that is designed to optimize performance for digital signal processing applications, such as, for example, Fast Fourier transforms, digital filters, image processing and speech recognition. Digital signal processor applications are typically characterized by real-time operation, high interrupt rates and intensive numeric computations. In addition, digital signal processor applications tend to be intensive in memory access operations and to require the input and output of large quantities of data. Digital signal processor architectures are typically optimized for performing such computations efficiently.
Microcontrollers, by contrast, involve the handling of data but typically do not require extensive computation. Microcontroller application programs tend to be longer than DSP programs. In order to limit the memory requirements of microcontroller application programs, it is desirable to provide a high degree of code density in such programs. Thus, architectures that are optimized for DSP computations typically do not operate efficiently as microcontrollers. Also, microcontrollers typically do not perform well as digital signal processors. Nonetheless, a particular application may require both digital signal processor and microcontroller functionality.
Digital signal processor designs may be optimized with respect to different operating parameters, such as computation speed and power consumption, depending on intended applications. Furthermore, digital signal processors may be designed for 16-bit words, 32-bit words, or other word sizes. A 32-bit architecture that achieves very high operating speed is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,811 issued Sep. 21, 1999 to Garde.
Digital signal processors frequently utilize architectures wherein two or more data words are stored in each row of memory, and two or more data words are provided in parallel to the computation unit. Such architectures provide enhanced performance, because several instructions and/or operands may be accessed simultaneously.
Notwithstanding the performance levels of current digital signal processors, there is a need for further enhancements in digital signal processor performance.

Digital signal processor computation core with input operand selection from operand bus for dual operations


In a force waveform of an assembled body having an elastic component assembled thereto, in order to specify a deformation start point or a deformation end point of the elastic component as easily as possible, an inspecting device includes: a force-waveform detection system that applies a load to a workpiece having an elastic component in the direction of action of the elastic component and acquires a force waveform; an inspection-parameter designation unit that acts as reception unit in order to receive an input of an arbitrary designated point during a process of deformation; and an inspection unit that calculates a local slope of the force waveform at the designated point, thereby specifying, on the basis of the local slope at the calculated designated point, a physical characteristic change point including the deformation start point or the deformation end point.

Conventionally, there is an inspecting method that applies a load (hereinafter, also "stress", "force", or "loading") to an elastic component by moving a hand driven by an external actuator with respect to an assembled body (hereinafter, "workpiece") having the elastic component assembled thereto so as to deform the elastic component. In this description, the elastic component refers to a component used as a generation source of a stress corresponding to the deformation. The elastic component includes, for example, a spring or rubber. According to the above inspecting method, the load applied to the elastic component and a travel distance of an end portion of the hand are detected; and the characteristics of the elastic component in a state with the elastic component being assembled to the workpiece are inspected on the basis of these detection values. As the characteristics of the workpiece to be inspected, for example, a force (a reaction force) or a modulus of elasticity generated in the assembled state can be mentioned.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a core support plate plug inspecting device that measures a spring constant of a spring, which is a functional component of a core support plate plug. The core support plate plug inspecting device activates an actuator in a state with the spring being mounted on the core support plate plug, thereby pushing a piston (a hand) having a load cell at the end against the spring. The core support plate plug inspecting device detects a loading applied to the piston by the load cell; and detects a travel distance of the piston by a displacement meter. The core support plate plug inspecting device then calculates a spring constant of the spring mounted on the plug on the basis of these detection values. According to Patent Literature 1, it is supposed that, as a work of detaching the spring and the plug is not required, a work for confirming the soundness of the core support plate plug can be easily performed.
Patent Literature 2 discloses an inspection system that inspects a spring force and a spring constant in a state with a spring being assembled so as to be sandwiched between a pump body and a housing. The spring is assembled in a compressed state and is in a state of generating a spring force in an extending direction of the spring, among the directions of action of the spring. An externally threaded member is disposed at a predetermined position in the extending direction of the spring in the housing, and the most extending position of the spring in a range of movement of the pump body is restricted by the external thread member. In the inspection system, a piston driven by an actuator presses against the pump body so as to push the spring in a direction in which the spring in the direction of action of the spring force is compressed. The inspection system then calculates the spring constant on the basis of a loading generated by a pressing force and a measurement value of an end position of the pump body. The inspection system then obtains the spring force in an actual usage state on the basis of force information at a point where the external thread member is separated from the pump body (that is, a point where the force of the spring applied to the housing (a housing reaction force) becomes zero). According to Patent Literature 2, it is supposed that whether the actual spring force after assembly is within a set range can be determined.


A flexible sheet to which manufacturing processes are to be applied is tensioned within a carrying fixture having tacky surfaces to which the flexible sheet is fastened. One version of the fixture includes an "L"-shaped attachment surface on a frame member and two tensioning members deflected toward the frame member in mutually perpendicular directions. When the flexible sheet has been fastened to the carrying fixture, the tensioning members are allowed to return toward their undeflected positions while applying tensioning forces to the flexible sheet. Another version of the fixture includes "L"-shaped attachment surfaces on both a frame member and a tensioning member. A loading station includes a stack of unprocessed flexible sheets, a fixture for deflecting tensioning member(s) within the carrying fixture, and a robot arm moving a transport fixture capable of carrying a flexible sheet and a carrying fixture. An unloading station includes a stack to processed flexible sheets, a fixture at which processed flexible sheets are separated from the carrying fixtures, and a similar robot arm with a similar transport fixture. A lower conveyor carries loaded fixtures from the loading station to the unloading station. An upper conveyor carries empty fixtures from the unloading station to the loading station.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for transporting a flexible sheet through manufacturing processes, and, more particularly, to apparatus for loading a flexible sheet onto a frame, for transporting the flexible sheet with the frame through the process and for removing the flexible sheet from the frame.
2. Background Information
Processes applied during the manufacture of flexible circuits, which are applied, for example, to polyimide sheets having a thickness of 0.002 inch (0.08 mm), require the holding and tensioning of such sheets as membranes having sides up to 14 inches (35.6 cm) long. Such circuits, and the sheets from which they are made, must be held as they go through one or more chemical process steps during manufacture.
Present methods for holding circuit sheets as they are carried through chemical processes include the use of double-sided adhesive tape, pins, springs, clamps, and screws. (Hereinafter, the term "circuit sheet" is meant to describe a flexible sheet being prepared for the application of circuit traces, a flexible sheet to which circuit traces are being applied, or a flexible sheet to which circuit traces have been applied). Double-sided adhesive tape used to fasten a flexible sheet or circuit to a frame member must frequently be replaced on the frame member, in an operation which is often difficult because the tape cannot easily be removed completely and cleanly. Furthermore, such tape frequently transfers an adhesive residue to the product being manufactured. Mechanical clamping methods tend to be complex, expensive to build, and difficult to maintain. Such mechanisms may collect and retain solutions from various chemical processes, resulting in a need for frequent and difficult cleaning, in corrosion problems, and, sometimes, in the contamination of one chemical process with residual materials from another such process. Furthermore, such conventional clamping mechanisms often require special features in the product being manufactured, such as clearance holes for clamping pins or screws. In some instances, difficulties are encountered because the thin sheet product is not clamped uniformly, being allowed to sag or billow between conventional clamping devices.
Thus, what is needed is a frame, to which a flexible sheet can easily be attached, and from which the circuit sheet can easily be removed, having a capability to maintain membrane tension within the circuit sheet as it is carried through various chemical processes. It is particularly desirable that such a frame be composed of materials resistant to chemical attack, and that such a frame be configured to avoid presenting surfaces including notches or cavities to the chemical processes through which the circuit sheet may be carried, since such features tend to collect chemical residue and are difficult to clean. It is further desirable to provide attachment means usable with a number of different types of circuit sheets without placing requirements on such sheets for special features, such as attachment holes. Such a frame is needed for the chemical processing of flexible circuit sheets and for the processing of other types of flexible sheets.
3. Description of the Prior Art
A work board for holding a flexible circuit flat to provide compatibility with automated, robotic assembly and handling during the manufacturing processes of building a populated working flexible circuit is described in Article 37535, RESEARCH DISCLOSURE, March, 1987, number 275, Kenneth Mason Publications Ltd., England. This work board includes a frame having two holes, spaced at mid-points along opposite sides, receiving pins extending through holes in the flexible circuit to locate the circuit. At each corner of the work board, a spring-loaded, low profile slider hooks into an additional hole in the flexible circuit. Thus, the circuit is tensioned by pulling all four corners as it is held in place at mid-points along opposite sides.
However, this work board includes a number of mechanical clamping devices, which must be cleaned, with resulting difficulties, after passage through various types of chemical baths employed in the process of manufacturing flexible circuits populated with components. Furthermore, six special holes must be placed in the circuit being manufactured for engagement with these clamping devices.
A different type of tensioning frame is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,797. This frame assembly, which is used to hold the mesh fabric used for screen printing in a tensioned condition through a number of printing operations, includes adjustable tensioning bars adjacent the frame peripheral edge. Screen mesh fabric is mounted to the tensioning bars by adhesive, and the bars are drawn toward the frame edge by tightening screws extending through holes in the frame edge to engage the bars, In this way, the fabric is stretched to a uniform tautness for printing. Each tensioning bar may also include resilient corner pieces to allow local slackening of the fabric.
While this tensioning frame appears to work well for its intended purpose, it cannot be applied as a practical frame for holding a flexible circuit sheet as it is taken through the various chemical processes involved in the production of a flexible circuit. Each of the four sides of the frame comprises a metal channel, in which drive screws move bars with flexible corner pieces. This type of structure includes a number of places in which chemical residues can be easily trapped, causing the types of problems described above. In the printing process for which this tensioning frame is intended, ink is typically applied, using a squeegee, to the central portion of the mesh screen, along the image to be printed. There is little if any contamination by ink within the cavity formed by the frame channels.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,944, 4,711,041, and 4,778,326 describe apparatus for handling semiconductor chips and like objects. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,944 and 4,711,044, the object to be handled is placed on a flat flexible film that is supported on a flat, porous texturized porous texturized fabric sheet, such as a woven or knit fabric having spaced fiber crossovers. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,326, the object to be handled is attached to the face of a base member, with the face being formed with recesses covered by the flat flexible film. In the apparatus of all three patents, objects are supported on the flat flexible film in intimate surface contact therewith for securely holding the same in position by interfacial forces therebetween. Adhesive may be included for increasing the interfacial force. To facilitate removal of objects from the film, the fabric of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,944 and 4,711,041 is connected to a vacuum source for drawing portions of the flexible film over and between crossovers in the fabric. Similarly, the recesses of the face of the base member described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,326 are connected to a vacuum source, drawing portions of the flexible film into the recesses and providing the film with a textured, or undulating surface. In any case, the application of a vacuum causes portions of the film to be withdrawn from the object being held, reducing the area of contact between the flexible film and the object being held, and hence the interfacial forces therebetween. In this way the removal of the object using a conventional technique is enabled.
While the methods of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,667,944, 4,711,041, and 4,778,326 are particularly effective in facilitating the handling of small, flat devices, such as semiconductor chips, what is needed is an effective method for handling relatively large flexible sheets. Since the methods of these three patents are designed for small chips, a need to hold flexible sheets in a taut, tensioned condition is not addressed. It is also desirable to avoid the use of a vacuum system, with its ports and cavities, in the configuration of a frame being used to transport flexible sheets through chemical processes. An effective, automated system for attaching flexible sheets to frames holding such sheets in a tensioned condition, for transporting such frames with sheets attached therethrough through manufacturing processes, and for subsequently removing the sheets from the frames is also needed.

Apparatus and method for conveying a flexible sheet through manufacturing processes

International Business Machines Corporation


A plastic load center box economically provided by duplicate molded end sections joined by an intermediate section of uniform cross-section which is readily provided in selected lengths in either molded or extruded form. End walls receive metal inserts electrically interconnected to provide grounding when attached to grounded conduit, or plastic inserts where the load center application does not require grounded conduit. Molded end sections have formed knockouts and wire clamping tabs. A metal cover for the box is grounded to the metal inserts or to the interconnection. Additional plastic inserts in the end walls provide forwardly open pockets in which cable may be laid, and closing inserts overlying the pockets to grip the cable and retain it in the pockets.

This invention relates to plastic enclosures for electrical apparatus, and more particularly to plastic enclosure boxes for load centers. Still more particularly, the invention relates to plastic boxes of the aforementioned type which may be used in an electrically grounded system.
The use of molded plastic enclosures for electrical apparatus in place of formed and fabricated sheet metal enclosures is increasing. Although the manufacturing cost for molded plastic enclosures is slightly greater than the manufacturing cost for highly tooled fabrication of a comparable sheet metal enclosure, the plastic enclosures offer several advantages over the sheet metal enclosures. For example, a plastic enclosure box can be made quicker and with fewer manufacturing steps (e.g. welding and painting), than a comparably formed and fabricated sheet metal box. The plastic box may be colored and is corrosion resistant without painting. Sharp edges and corners of the sheet metal enclosures, which offer potentially sharp cutting edges, are avoided in plastic enclosures by providing fillets and radii where appropriate. Moreover, the plastic enclosure is electrically insulative, thereby reducing electrical shock hazard of the enclosure and eliminating certain insulators required in metal boxes. Still another advantage is that many incidental features such as mounting, attachment and snap-together structure and the like can be readily incorporated in the molded plastic enclosure. Perhaps the most significant advantage afforded by the plastic enclosures is that they are lighter and stronger, i.e. more resistive to damage, than the sheet metal counterpart, and therefore lessen the shipping costs of the enclosures.
The foregoing advantages of molded plastic enclosures notwithstanding, electrical load centers provide certain unique considerations which have not been readily met by molded plastic technology. For example, load center enclosure boxes are provided in several lengths according to the number of circuits to be provided in the load center. Therefore, each load center having a different capacity would require its own molded enclosure box. Alternatively, a single enclosure box large enough to accommodate all sizes of interior panels and circuit capacities could be used, resulting in wasted space within the interior of the enclosure box for all but the largest capacity load center. Furthermore, a load center may be used as service entrance equipment, in which case the metal box becomes a part of an electrically grounded system, or it may be used as a sub-fed device (i.e. in a multiple unit dwelling) wherein the box is not required to be a part of the electrical grounding system. The particular end use of a given load center is not known at the time of its manufacture and perhaps not known at the time it is sold from distributor stock. Thus, where it is desired to use a plastic enclosure box in a grounded system application, it is necessary to provide special grounding attachment hardware on the conduit or metallic sheath cable which is connected to the box. While the molded load center box may incorporate features and advantages in sufficient numbers to justify extra cost, the various size cover-trims for such boxes may not justify the cost of plastic, and a metal cover-trims may be provided. The special grounding hardware should also accommodate grounding the cover-trims.

Plastic enclosure box for electrical apparatus


Disclosed is a method of reforming eyelashes. According to the present invention, a method of reforming eyelashes is provided, which is capable of preventing eyelashes from being damaged and pulled out, maintaining an effect of beauty care for a long time, and reducing a cosmetic procedure time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of reforming eyelashes, and more particularly, to a method of reforming eyelashes, which is capable of preventing eyelashes from being damaged and pulled out, maintaining an effect of beauty care for a long time, and reducing a cosmetic procedure time.
2. Background Art
Although women's instinct for beauty is not something that started just yesterday, much attention has recently been paid to body shape management or beauty treatments for looking better.
In particular, among various beauty treatments, a beauty treatment using artificial eyelashes causes flat eyelashes to look longer and thicker by extending the eyelashes by gluing artificial eyelashes thereto, thereby making eyes clear and deep. Thus, the beauty treatment using artificial eyelashes has been recently widely used.
To extend eyelashes using artificial eyelashes, a person who performs a cosmetic procedure glues an artificial eyelash to an eyelash and repeatedly performs this process on the other eyelashes.
However, since Asians generally have straight eyelashes, eyelashes sag down when eyes are closed. Thus, artificial eyelashes are difficult to glue to the eyelashes such that the artificial eyelashes are in contact with a long and wide area of the eyelashes. Also, artificial lashes are likely to be glued to only a portion of the root of the eyelashes. Thus, a gap between the artificial eyelashes and the eyelashes may increase at the top of the eyelashes.
In order to increase an area of the artificial eyelashes to be in contact with the eyelashes, gaps between the artificial eyelashes and the eyelashes should be individually pressed using tweezers or the like. Thus, a work of gluing the artificial lashes is complicated and tricky, thereby increasing a cosmetic procedure time.
When an area of the artificial eyelashes glued to the eyelashes is small to increase a gap therebetween, these eyelashes are likely to be tangled with each other after the cosmetic procedure, thereby aggravating the appearance of the eyelashes. In a worst scenario, eyelashes may be lost due to traction alopecia, thereby causing a permanent hair loss to occur.
When eyelashes are intermittently lost, for example, in a gap-toothed shape, an effect of beauty care is lowered and the cosmetic procedure should be thus performed again.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop a method of reforming eyelashes, which is capable of preventing eyelashes from being damaged or pulled out, enabling an effect of beauty care to last for a long time, and reducing a cosmetic procedure time.


The present invention relates to a device or method which may reduce starvation in the transfer of an image forming substance to a developing location within an image forming apparatus. The device may include a first roller having a surface which is capable of supplying an image forming substance to a developing location. A second roller may then be included having a surface in rotating contact with the first roller. The second roller is capable of supplying image forming substance to the first roller. The second roller may comprise foam having a specified porosity, electrical conductivity, and/or be configured to rotate in a desired direction and/or desired speed relative to the first roller.

An image forming apparatus may generally utilize a number of devices to transfer and deliver an image forming substance, such as toner, to the image developing system. Often these devices may be located within a toner cartridge, however, this is not always the case. A toner sump or reservoir may be used in an image forming device to retain toner until it is required by the developer system. The image forming substance may be transferred from the sump or reservoir using a series of component rollers, which may ultimately transfer the image forming substance to the image developer system. When the transfer of image forming substance in the image forming apparatus is relatively poor, and inadequate image forming substance is delivered to the image development system, a phenomenon called starvation may occur which may then yield an irregular printing pattern.

Apparatus and method for transfer of image forming substances


A system for separating pieces of plastic bag from ground yard debris and the like, e.g., asphalt shingles. A conveyor conveys the debris material along a conveyor path and an agitator bounces the conveyor to cause the lighter plastic to reposition to the top of the material on the conveyor. A suction tube end is positioned over the debris material following agitation to draw the plastic off the top of the material. The tube end is selectively adjustable to enable discriminate suction effect to draw off a maximum amount of plastic and a minimal amount of nonplastic recyclable debris.

It is common practice for communities to provide for recycling of yard debris such as grass, weeds, bush trimmings, tree branches and so on. These materials are collected e.g. from home owners, shredded, screened and redistributed e.g. as ground cover, rather than filling in-ground disposal sites. However, a constant problem with this recycling process is the presence of plastic film among the yard debris. This is believed due to the practice of homeowners collecting yard debris in large plastic bags and dumping the bags filled with the yard debris into designated recycling bins. Plastic bags get shredded and screened with the yard debris and if not removed gets deposited with the yard debris for redistribution as ground cover. Such plastic is detrimental for such use and it is desirable if not essential that the plastic be removed from the yard debris as feasible. Prior to the present invention, the ground up yard debris was conveyed through an extensive hood-like enclosure wherein upwardly directed air movement separated out a major portion of the lighter plastic material. The lighter plastic is drawn away from the heavier yard debris materials and suctioned off through a duct and to a disposal receptacle while the heavier yard debris is separately conveyed out of the hood to be collected and recycled. Such separation involves a substantial expenditure and an object of the present invention is to accomplish such removal of plastic at reduced cost.

System for removing plastic from recycled material


A video playback device includes a sound-attached video storage unit, a text storage unit, a text list display control unit, a text specification unit and a sound-attached video portion playback control unit. In the sound-attached video storage unit, a sound-attached video is stored. In the text storage unit, texts for sounds of sound-attached video portions of the sound-attached video are stored in such a way as to be correlated with the respective sound-attached video portions. The text list display control unit controls to display the texts as a list. The text specification unit specifies a text in the displayed list as a specific text on the basis of a user operation. The sound-attached video portion playback control unit controls to hide the list and play a sound-attached video portion for the specific text.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video playback device, a video playback method, a video playback control device, a video playback control method and so forth.
2. Background Art
A conventional device for language learning outputs a sound for a text when a user specifies the text in a displayed list of texts to study.
In recent years, this kind of device displays a series of conversation texts and an image for the texts together and outputs sounds for the contents of the texts in order. The texts are displayed in such a way that a text for a sound which is being output is highlighted, and the displayed image is changed to another according to a sound to be output. (For example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-185680.)
Meanwhile, a video-displayable device can display, while displaying a video, the content of conversation the sound of which is being output as subtitles.

Video playback device, video playback method, non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon video playback program, video playback control device, video playback control method and non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon video playback control program


A combination camera and loudspeaker is described herein. The combination camera and loudspeaker includes a lens for selectively manipulating an image and a loudspeaker assembly disposed proximate the lens for projecting audible sounds. In one embodiment, a transparent piezo-electric aligned with at least a portion of the lens projects audible sound based on electrical signals applied to the piezo-electric diaphragm. In another embodiment, a speaker coil and magnet within the loudspeaker assembly encircles an outer perimeter of the lens, while a transparent diaphragm connected to the speaker coil and aligned with at least a portion of the lens projects audible sound based on the interaction between the speaker coil and magnet. The camera captures an image when light is transmitted through the transparent diaphragm to the camera lens. Further, the combination camera and loudspeaker may include a controller for selectively controlling optical properties of the transparent diaphragm.

The present invention relates to a mobile device, such as a cellular telephone, that combines one or more internal components to reduce mobile device size, and more particularly to a mobile device that combines the function of a camera and a loudspeaker into a single location.
Over the past decade, the popularity of mobile devices, such as cellular telephones, Portable Digital Assistants (PDA), MP3 players, etc., has dramatically increased. One reason for this dramatic increase is that manufacturers continue to add new features to mobile devices, making them more functional and attractive to a wider variety of consumers. Another reason is the small size and portability of the mobile devices. Because smaller mobile devices with multiple features are in higher demand than their larger and/or simpler counterparts, manufacturers spend considerable resources each year exploring new ways to further reduce the size of multiple feature mobile devices. However, the goal of adding new features often conflicts with the goal of reducing the size.

Mobile device with a combination camera and loudspeaker


The present disclosure includes a body-worn alcohol detection device. The device includes a housing comprising an electronics module and an alcohol detection module. The device further comprises a strap for securing the housing to a limb of the user. The electronics module includes a processor and a communication module, and the alcohol detection module includes an alcohol detection sensor, a sample collection device and a biometric camera for capturing an image of the inside of the user's mouth.

Alcohol monitoring plays an important role in a variety of fields, ranging from monitoring the use of alcohol for individuals working in occupations, such as healthcare or transportation, where alcohol and drug testing is a regular event associated with monitoring released offenders with alcohol use restrictions and participants in rehabilitation programs.
Alcohol presence can be tested through a variety of methods, including testing urine samples, blood samples, transdermal testing and breath testing. Breath testing often includes analyzing saliva included in exhaled breath for indicators of alcohol. Both blood and urine testing can be invasive and present challenges to perform quickly or in a public setting. Transdermal monitoring can be expensive and may result in inadvertent alcohol detection or false positives.
Breath alcohol testing is commonly used in a multitude of applications because of its convenience and low cost. Typically, breath alcohol testers require a person to blow a sample of breath into a testing device. Within an electrochemical cell, ethanol present in the breath sample is oxidized to acetic acid by the atmospheric reduction of oxygen and converted into an electrical current by a microprocessor contained in a testing device. A person's alcohol usage is determined based upon a comparison between the electrical current calculated from the alcohol content in their breath to predetermined values that are stored in the testing device.
Breath alcohol testing presents several challenges. For example, with many current breath alcohol testers, there is no way to confirm the location or identity of the individual completing the test with the testing device alone. Further, even with breath alcohol testing devices that may include cameras peripherally connected to the testing device for capturing an image of the person's face, the image is often recorded and visual inspection is used to confirm the individual's identity after the test has concluded. At times, when the identity of a person is verified by an image of their face, the person can substitute a photograph or use another mechanism to tamper with the identification method. An improved breath alcohol testing system would be welcomed.

Wrist worn mobile alcohol and offender monitoring system


The present invention provides a polypeptide which is capable of binding specifically human basic fibroblast growth factor and human acidic fibroblast growth factor, a DNA sequence which encodes the polypeptide of the invention and a vector which incorporates a DNA sequence of the invention and which is capable, when provided in a transformed host, of expressing the polypeptide of the invention encoded by the DNA sequence. A host transformed with such a vector forms part of the invention also.

The present invention relates to human growth factor receptors.
The formation of blood capillaries occurs in a number of important biological processes, either physiological, such as organ development and wound healing, or pathological, such as tumor growth. While the sequence of events leading to neovascularization has been characterized morphologically, the molecular mechanisms by which this process occurs are still poorly understood. The control of growth in the capillary endothelium appears to be very tightly controlled, since these cells normally form a static monolayer whose proliferation is triggered in the angiogenic process. The normally quiescent nature of the endothelial cells may be explained in part by the apparent lack of endothelial cell growth factors to plasma. The major endothelial cell mitogens in fact are not found in plasma, although they are present in extracts of almost all tissues studied and in many normal and tumor cell lines as well. Therefore, the localized induction of rapid endothelial cell proliferation may involve the release of endothelial cell mitogens from cells in response to environmental cues.
The best characterized of the endothelial cell mitogens are a family of polypeptide growth factors, including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), also known as heparin-binding growth factors for their high affinity to heparin. Basic FGF has been purified from most mesoderm- or neuroectoderm-derived tissues or cells. Structural studies have shown that bFGF is a single chain polypeptide made of 146 amino acids, which can also exist in NH.sub.2 -terminally truncated forms missing the first 10-20 amino acids. The truncated forms of bFGF are as potent as native bFGF, as demonstrated by radioreceptor binding and biological assays. In addition, modifications of the purification protocols by substitution of neutral for acidic extraction from homogeneized tissue and inclusion of protease inhibitors have yielded a longer 154-residue form. The observed microheterogeneity of FGFs seems to be due, at least in part, to partial proteolysis near the amino termini that occurs either in vivo or during purification. However, because the various forms appear to be equally active, the microheterogeneity is probably physiologically irrelevant.
Basic FGF seems to have been extremely well conserved through evolution. For example, bovine and human bFGF differ in only two of their 146 amino acids, giving an overall amino acid sequence homology of 98.7%. Related to bFGF is acidic FGF (aFGF), which shares a 55% total sequence homology with bFGF. Acidic FGF is a 140-amino acid polypeptide that can also exist in a NH.sub.2 -terminally truncated form missing the first 6 amino acids. As expected from their high degree of homology, both basic and acidic FGF seem to interact with the same cell-surface receptors. This explains their common range of target cells and spectrum of biological activity.
Recently, Lee et al (Science, 245, 57-60, 1989) have described the purification, from chicken embryos, of a new membrane protein able to bind specifically basic FGF. On the base of its biochemical characteristics and on homology with other known receptors, this new protein is thought to be a basic FGF receptor. In the same article the authors describe the isolation of a chicken full-length cDNA clone coding for the described protein. The nucleotide sequence of this clone is however not disclosed.
Lee et al noted that the chicken bFGF receptor shows a considerable amino acid similarity to a previously identified human polypeptide sequence which is the product of the flg gene (Ruta et al, Oncogene, 3, 9-15, 1988). Like the chicken bFGF receptor, the flg molecule seems to be a tyrosine kinase, shows a typical hydrophobic transmembrane region and consequently it is likely that the described human sequence could be part of the human bFGF receptor.
The amino acid sequence of the flg molecule was deduced by Ruta et al by the translation of an open reading frame of a partial cDNA clone. The flg cDNA sequence, according to Rutal et al was obtained by low-stringency screening of a human endothelial cell cDNA library using as probe a DNA fragment coding for a tyrosine kinase oncogene. Nevertheless, the flg cDNA clone, described to date, is only partial and lacks the nucleotide sequence coding for the extracellular portion of the human bFGF receptor.
In summary, the only amino acid or nucleotide sequences available prior to the present invention were those corresponding to the complete chicken bFGF receptor and to a portion of the human basic FGF receptor. The complete extracellular amino acid sequence of the human bFGF receptor, which is responsible for the specific binding of human basic and acidic FGFs, was unknown.

Extracellular form of the human fibroblast growth factor receptor


A technique for generating content for a stereo 3D display buffer having both stereo 3D graphic objects and non-stereo 3D graphic objects that may be utilized to render stereo 3D content onto one or more windows of a display. The technique incorporates content from stereo 3D application frame buffers into a composition tree that represents the graphic objects in each window displayed on a computing device. At each refresh cycle, the composition tree is traversed to generate content for a stereo 3D display buffer that is then used to draw one or more windows onto a display.

The proliferation of stereographic ("stereo") 3D content has created an interest in generating new technologies to provide a user with a richer visual experience. There are stereo 3D displays available that enable users to watch movies, play video games, and/or view stereo 3D content having real time 3D animation and effects. Personal computing devices have the potential to make the most use of stereo 3D technologies since a personal computing device can generate, display, and playback stereo 3D content. An application running on a personal computing device may have the ability to create stereo 3D content and to display the stereo 3D content on a stereo 3D capable display. The personal computing device also has media playback capabilities enabling it to playback stereo 3D content from devices connected to it that can render 3D stereo content. However, the ability of a personal computing device to achieve these capabilities relies on a mechanism to coordinate and perform these functions in a practical and efficient manner.


A propeller governor for controlling blade pitch of a variable pitch propeller has a hydraulic control circuit coupled to the propeller to change blade pitch in response to hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic control circuit has a first pressure path configured to adjust blade pitch within a first range of blade pitch, and a second, different pressure path configured to adjust blade pitch within a second range of blade pitch. An electrohydraulic servo valve of the governor is configured to adjust hydraulic pressure in the first pressure path to adjust blade pitch within the first range and to adjust hydraulic pressure in the second pressure path to adjust blade pitch within the second range.

A propeller governor is a system that controls the blade pitch of a variable pitch propeller to allow the engine driving the propeller to run a constant speed, in some circumstances, and allow the blade pitch to be controlled to a user specified input, in other circumstances. Early propeller governors were mechanical systems using flyweights for sensing speed and complex linkages for controlling the blade pitch. Different configurations of electric governors, such as electrohydraulic governors, have been developed that take advantage of electronic control technology. However, cost is a significant barrier to entry for electronic based propeller governors to displace mechanical propeller governors.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.