A method, a software program and a system for processing MRT data of the human brain of a patient, wherein three-dimensional MRT data resolved in voxels of the patient's brain and the brains of a normative database of a plurality of neurologically healthy human individuals are available. The MRT data of the patient's brain are segmented for each voxel into portions of grey substance, white substance and liquor by means of a classification algorithm, wherein for comparison with corresponding data of the normative database the data are normalized before, after or synchronously into a standardized stereotactic space whereby one or more normalized tissue maps result that contain the proportions determined by the classification algorithm, and the tissue map or tissue maps of the patient's brain is or are subjected to a voxel-wise statistical comparison with the correspondingly normalized and segmented data of the normative database.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method, a software program and a system for processing MRT data of the human brain of a patient, wherein three-dimensional MRT data resolved in voxels of the patient's brain and the brains of a normative database of a plurality of neurologically healthy human individuals are available.
The investigation of magnetic resonance tomography data (MRT) of human brains with degenerative symptoms such as lesions is an important tool in the medical examination of human brains. Corresponding automated or semiautomated methods that permit statistical examinations of three-dimensional MRT data are known. Their results provide the diagnosing physician with criteria for his diagnosis.
2. Description of Related Art
Various approaches are followed for corresponding automated, or partially automated, raw-data-based examination methods. A first known method is to perform a voxel-based morphometry of the brain of the patient. The voxel-based morphometry consists of classifying the individual volume elements (voxels) of the MRT data of the brain into categories of grey matter or respectively substance (GM), white matter or respectively substance (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid or liquor (CSF) by means of a segmentation or respectively categorization algorithm. The different signals that these different substances in the brain emit as a reaction to the MRT scan are used to distinguish the different tissue classes. Typical voxel sizes of modern MRT scanners are cubical or rectangular-cubical space elements with edge lengths of one to two millimeters and a volume of 1 to 8 mm3.
In Mehta et al., NeuroImage 20 (2003), pages 1438 to 1454, "Evaluation of voxel-based morphometry for focal lesion detection in individuals," a corresponding voxel-based morphometry is presented for focal lesion detection in individuals, wherein contours manually determined by an expert are used as a basis for comparison (also termed "ground truth"). A method is thereby assessed in regard to its ability to automatically determine the contours of lesions. A deficiency or deficit of white and grey substance is looked for since lesions always cause a decrease in the detected white substance or respectively grey substance where white substance or respectively grey substance should be dominant.
In Stamatakis et al., Brain and Language 94 (2005), pages 167-177, "Identifying lesions on structural brain images—Validation of the method and application to neuropsychological patients," a variety of known segmentation or respectively categorization algorithms were applied to the MRT data of damaged brains with lesions. It was found that these do not function satisfactorily for existing lesions. It was therefore proposed to instead compare the smoothed, non-segmented MRT data of a patient's brain with the data of a control group in order to identify and mark lesions.
According to de Boer et al., NeuroImage 45 (2009), pages 1151-1161, "White matter lesion extension to automatic brain tissue segmentation on MRI,", the insufficient suitability of known categorization algorithms in the presence of lesions was circumvented by using T2-weighted or FLAIR scans (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) in which lesions appear hyperintense in the white substance in addition to the known segmentation of T1-weighted scans. These are used to define a fourth tissue class, so-called "white matter lesions" (WML). These WML regions are no longer subjected to the known segmentation into WM, GM and CSF.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,797 B1 discloses a method for analyzing medical data, particularly MRT scans. A volume of the brain is determined that excludes liquor-filled regions. The brain volume is normalized with reference to a full contour volume so that a parenchymal fraction of the brain is generated. This serves as a measure of cerebral atrophy and helps determine the severity and progression of multiple sclerosis or other clinical pictures that lead to neurodegeneration or axonal damage.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,112,144 B2 relates to a method for visualizing cerebral atrophies. Asymmetries are exploited that result from cerebral atrophies arising on one side. The relations of the grey substance and white substance in the left and corresponding right hemispheres of the brain are compared with each other, and statistically significant differences are visualized.
The aforementioned methods are able to identify lesions or atrophies of the brain to varying degrees.

Method and system for processing MRT data of the human brain


A stack memory for high-speed operation comprises a RAM for storing data and a stack pointer for holding an address of the PUSH data. The POP data are always stored in an address smaller by "1" than the address for storing the PUSH data. According to this stack memory, both reading the POP data and storing PUSH data is simultaneously executed, then the one of them can be validated. Thus, it becomes possible to execute the access to the RAM before the data process mode is decided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stack memory employing a random access memory (RAM).
2. Description of the Prior Art
In conventional stack memories comprising so called Last-In-First-Out type memories, there are memories comprising a RAM.
Namely, in order to make such a stack memory function effectively, a RAM for receving and outputting data and a stack pointer comprising an up-down counter indicative of input and output addresses corresponding to data held in the RAM are required.
In such a stack memory, when write operation (PUSH) to the RAM is executed, external data are written to an address designated by the stack pointer, then the address is updated by incrementing it by "1". On the other hand, when a read operation (POP) from the RAM is executed, an address of the stack pointer is decremented by "1", then data are read out from a position designated by the decremented address.
Since the PUSH and POP operations of the stack memory are respectively carried out in such manners, it is necessary to decide in advance which of the POP and PUSH operations should be executed when access of the RAM is started. Namely, in such a conventional stack memory, the access operation of the RAM must be started after the PUSH or POP operation is decided. Therefore, in a system which uses such a conventional stack memory, the process speed is likely to be lowered.
For example, in case of a recursive algorithm where operation for temporarily holding data to be processed in a stack memory to read and use the data later on, the data process mode is first decided, then the data is processed in accordance with the PUSH operation to the stack memory or the POP operation from the stack memory.
In such a case, if the above-mentioned conventional stack memory is used, the access operation of the stack memory can not be started until the data process mode is decided. Therefore, the process speed is inevitably lowered.
Accordingly, in such a conventional stack memory, it is necessary to decide in advance which of the PUSH and POP operations should be executed before the access operation of the stack memory is started. Therefore, the process speed of the procedure including the operation relating to the stack memory is inevitably lowered.


A beverage brewing press has an open topped container for receiving a liquid and particulate matter to be brewed into a beverage, a hollow plunger shaft, a sealing filter piston disposed on the plunger shaft, the sealing filter piston having a peripheral seal slidably sealing to an interior of the container and for separating the interior of the container into a first compartment and a second compartment, the piston having a filter thereon for allowing brewed beverage to be filtered from the first compartment into the second compartment upon displacement of the piston, an agitator disposed below the piston, the agitator being fastened to an agitator shaft disposed concentrically rotatably and slidably in the hollow plunger shaft, a displaceable distance being provided between the agitator and the piston, the agitator shaft being slidable in the plunger shaft to take-up the displaceable distance between the agitator and the piston when the piston moves toward the agitator due to an axial force exerted on the plunger shaft moving the piston in the direction of the agitator. A spring is provided to absorb the displaceable distance and may also transmit rotational force to the agitator.

The present invention is related to beverage brewing apparatus and in particular to a beverage brewing press apparatus that includes a displaceable agitator to assist in the brewing process.
Beverage brewing devices such as the "French Press" are known in which a beverage to be brewed, for example, coffee, is allowed to brew for a period of time in a container holding hot liquid, i.e., water, into which the ground coffee beans have been disposed. After the period of brewing, a force is exerted on a plunger device which causes a sealing filter piston assembly (plunger) to compress the brewed hot liquid against the ground coffee beans to further enhance brewing and transfer the brewed beverage from a first compartment of the container containing the coffee grinds through the filter of the sealing filter piston assembly to a second compartment of the container, typically above the first compartment. The coffee grinds remain sealed by the sealing filter piston assembly in the first compartment. A defect of these known devices is that there is no means provided in these devices to assist or enhance the brewing process, for example, to derive greater flavor from the coffee grinds, other than through the time that the grinds are brewed in the heated water and the pressing action of the piston assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,218 to Biolchini Jr. describes a stirring coffee press that includes agitator blades that are disposed directly below the sealing filter piston assembly to enhance the brewing process. The agitator blades are turned by a shaft that is disposed concentrically in a hollow outer shaft that drives the sealing filter piston assembly.
A drawback of this known device is that the agitator blades are disposed immediately below the sealing filter piston assembly. The location of the agitator blades directly below the sealing filter piston assembly provides for decreased agitation of the liquid and coffee grinds contained within the liquid and therefore does not provide an optimal degree of agitation of the liquid and therefore brewing of the hot beverage.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage brewing apparatus that enhances the brewing process by providing improved agitation of the brewing beverage.

Coffee brewing press with displaceable agitator


In the overlayed operation of two cellular radio systems one of the two systems is a small-scale or indoor system and the other is a large-scale or outdoor system. The indoor system monitors the operation of the outdoor system and detects, which part of the available radio resources are temporarily not in use in the outdoor system. The indoor system dynamically selects an unused outdoor channel for indoor operation. The indoor radio traffic is divided into cyclically occurring time slots and some of the slots are used for monitoring the existing radio communication on other outdoor channels so that fast changes according to changing traffic and interference conditions are possible.

The telecommunication standard IS-95 (PN-3384), "Personal Station - Base Station Compatibility Requirements for 1.8 to 2.0 GHz Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) Personal Communications Systems",TIA & ATIS 1994, which is known to tie person skilled in the art, describes the most important technical characteristics of a cellular radio telecommunication system, in which CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) serves as the multiple access method that divides the radio capacity of the system among several users. The standard has been accepted as the basis of commercial cellular networks in the USA It does not restrict the size of cells of a cellular network, so it allows the operation of overlayed radio communication systems, where the first system is an extensive cellular network with very wide coverage, relatively large cells and, consecutively, high transmission power at both base stations and mobile stations. The second one of the overlayed systems in the sense of the present patent application is an indoor cellular network with very small cell size and very low average transmission power. The second system does not have to be literally indoors, but the concept "indoor cellular network" or "indoor system" is widely accepted in the field to describe this particular kind of a system, which usually operates in office environments.
Indoor systems typically operate either in a different frequency band than outdoor systems or in an overlayed manner, where same frequency bands are used in both systems. The former approach requires frequency planning, in which some central authority allocates the available frequency bands to competing user networks. Frequencies that are exclusively allocated to a certain system but remain unused due to low traffic in that system represent a waste of common radio resources. The latter option, in which the indoor and outdoor systems share common frequency bands, is therefore regarded as superior, because dynamic channel allocation inside said frequency bands between active users uses the available capacity more effectively. There remains the problem of intersystem interference, which means that transmissions in one system appear at the receivers of the other system causing errors and signal corruption. The biggest concern is the interference due to the Outdoor Mobile Stations (OMS's) and Outdoor Base Stations (OBS's) to the indoor system, because their transmission power is much higher than that of the Indoor Base Stations (IBS's) and Indoor Mobile Stations (IMS's) However, it is also beneficial to keep the average transmission power in the indoor system as low as possible, in order to save power in battery-operated mobile stations and to reduce the possibility of indoor to outdoor interference, as well as intrasystem interference between the different stations of the indoor system.
There appears to be no feasible prior art solution that would allow the effective sharing of same frequency bands between overlayed indoor and outdoor radio communication systems while simultaneously preventing mutual interference between the two systems, if both systems rely at least partly on the IS-95 standard in their air interface.

Method for the overlayed operation of two radio communication systems with reduced intersystem interference, and a radio communication system for overlayed use


A process for forming a composite insulator spacer on the sides of a MOSFET gate structure, has been developed. The process features formation of additional insulator spacer shapes on top portions of sides of a gate structure in which an initial insulator spacer had been removed during an over etch cycle used for definition of the initial insulator spacer. The re-establishment of insulator spacer shapes provides a composite insulator spacer offering reduced risk of gate to substrate leakage or shorts, that can occur during a subsequent salicide procedure from the presence of metal silicide stringers or ribbons formed on, and residing on the composite insulator spacer.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods used to fabricate semiconductor devices, and more specifically to a method used to form a composite insulator spacer on the sides of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET), gate structure.
(2) Description of Prior Art
The use of salicide (self-aligned metal silicide), processing, enabling a metal silicide layer to be selectively formed only on gate and source/drain regions, has allowed increased performance of MOSFET structures to be realized. The low resistivity metal silicide layers, such as titanium silicide, cobalt silicide, tantalum silicide or tungsten silicide lower word line resistance when formed on underlying polysilicon gate structures. Salicide processing is made possible by the presence of an insulator spacer located on the sides of a gate structure, allowing the deposited metal used for salicide formation, to remain unreacted during an anneal procedure used to form metal silicide on exposed silicon regions, such as word line and source/drain surfaces. The unreacted metal, located on the surface of the insulator spacer, is then selectively removed via wet etch procedures. Therefore the integrity of the insulator spacer is critical in preventing gate to substrate leakage and shorts.
To improve the integrity of the insulator spacer, and to reduce the risk of gate to substrate failures occurring during salicide processing, composite insulator spacers have been employed. The composite insulator spacer, usually comprised with an underlying silicon oxide layer, and an overlying silicon nitride layer, can better survive the rigorous salicide process regarding metal deposition, annealing, and removal of unreacted metal, when compared to non-composite insulator spacers. The formation of composite insulator spacers however can result in removal of a top portion of the composite spacer during a spacer over etch cycle, used to insure complete spacer formation in regions in which poor insulator thickness uniformity existed. The removal of the top portion of the composite insulator spacer exposes a portion of the sides of a gate structure thus allowing metal silicide to be formed on this region, which in turn reduces the distance between the gate and source/drain region, thus reducing the distance unwanted salicide stringers, or ribbons, formed during the salicide process on the truncated spacer, have to traverse to result in the unwanted phenomena of gate to substrate leakage or shorts.
The present invention will describe a process in which re-formation of sidewall insulator is used post-composite insulator spacer definition, to reduce the risk of salicide bridging resulting from a composite insulator spacer truncated, or with a top portion of the composite insulator spacer removed, during the spacer formation. Prior art, such as Thomas, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,354, as well as Huang et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,218,275, describe methods of forming insulator spacers, however these prior arts do not describe the novel procedures now described in the present invention in which re-formation of portions of insulator spacer, possibly removed during an initial spacer formation procedure, is accomplished.
It is an object of this invention to selectively form metal silicide layers on a gate structure and on a source/drain region of a MOSFET device.
It is another object of this invention to form a composite insulator spacer on the sides of the MOSFET gate structure, to allow the selective metal silicide, or silicide formation procedure to be practised.
It is still another object of this invention to form additional insulator spacer shapes on the sides of the composite insulator spacer, or on the sides of portions of gate structure, exposed as a result of removal of a top portion of the composite insulator during a dry etch over etch cycle, used as part of the composite insulator spacer definition procedure.
In accordance with the present invention a method of re-establishing insulator spacer shapes on the sides a gate structure, where portions of the initial composite insulator spacer were removed during a dry etch over etch cycle, used as part of the composite insulator spacer definition procedure, is described. After formation of a gate structure on an underlying gate insulator layer, a lightly doped source/drain region is formed in a region of the semiconductor substrate not covered by the gate structure. A thin first insulator layer is deposited, followed by deposition of a second insulator layer. A first anisotropic, reactive ion etching (RAE) procedure is then performed to the second insulator layer, defining a second insulator spacer shape, with the RIE procedure selectively terminating at the appearance of the top surface of the thin first insulator layer located on the top surface of the gate structure. The first anisotopic RIE procedure is then continued to insure complete removal of the second insulator layer in regions of thickness un-uniformity, or in regions in which the second insulator layer formed in crevices or micro-trenches in the semiconductor substrate, located near a shallow trench isolation shape. The over etch procedure results in removal of a top portion of the second insulator component of the composite insulator spacer, exposing a portion of the sides of the gate structure or a portion of the thin first insulator layer still located on the sides of the gate structure. A third insulator layer is next deposited followed by a second anisotropic RIE procedure, employed to again selectively terminate at the appearance of the thin, first insulator layer located on the top surface of the gate structure. This results in formation of third insulator shapes located on the sides of the thin, first insulator layer, exposed during the first anisotropic RIE procedure, in addition to resulting in third insulator shapes located on the bottom portion of the truncated second insulator shape. After formation of a heavily doped source drain region, portions of the thin, first insulator layer, located on the top surfaces of the gate structure and on the surface of the heavily doped source/drain region, are selectively removed. A metal layer is next deposited and subjected to an anneal resulting in metal silicide formation on the top surface of silicon regions. Unreacted metal, located on the composite insulator layer, now comprised of an underlying, thin first insulator layer, a truncated second insulator shape, and third insulator shapes located on the exposed surface of the thin, first insulator layer, and on the surface of the truncated second insulator shape, is selectively removed via wet etch procedures.

Integrated approach for controlling top dielectric loss during spacer etching

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company


A printer avoids scratching or damaging the platen and print defects caused by adhesive. The printer 1 prints to thermal paper S that has an adhesive area 150 formed on one side with the edges of the paper adhesive-free, and color layers formed on the other side of the paper. The thermal paper S is wound sequentially into a roll so that the other side is on the outside without applying a liner protecting the adhesive area 150 on the one side. The printer 1 has a platen 18, a heating element unit 43, and a guide incline 45. The platen 18 is disposed to a main cover, rotates in the thermal paper S transportation direction, and applies pressure to the thermal paper S from the one side. The heating element unit 43 selectively heats the other side of the paper. The guide incline 45 guides the thermal paper S in a prescribed direction without contacting the area on the back of the adhesive area 150 on the other side of the thermal paper S after the thermal paper S passes the heating element unit 43, and guides the platen 18 to a prescribed position so that the platen 18 does not contact the heating element unit 43 when the main cover is closed.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a printer that prints by selectively heating thermal paper that reacts to heat energy.
2. Description of Related Art
Thermal printers are one type of printer known from the literature. Thermal printers print using a direct thermal printing method that prints to thermosensitive paper (commonly called "thermal paper") as a result of the print head, which has small heating elements to which an electrical current is selectively applied arranged in a line, selectively fusing the color layers of the thermal paper, causing the heated dot to change to a particular color. As taught in Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2004-98699 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2001-322304, the thermal print head that prints by this direct thermal method has a pressure mechanism that urges the print head towards an opposing platen disposed to a heat radiation plate. The thermal paper is inserted between the thermal head and the platen, and is selectively heated while pressure is applied by the pressure mechanism to selectively fuse the color layers of the paper to print. The printed thermal paper is then conveyed outside the printer with the side of the paper having the color layers in contact with a guide member disposed to the heat radiation plate downstream from the thermal head.
Label paper is one type of thermal paper that is printed by such thermal printers. Such label paper has an adhesive coating on the opposite side as the side containing the color layers, and a web (liner) that protects the adhesive area. Information is printed in the thermosensitive area of the label paper, and the labels can then be peeled from the liner and applied to some other object.
If the platen is disposed to the main cover of the thermal printer, a mechanism for preventing the cover from hitting and damaging the thermal head when the cover is closed is needed. So that pressure can be accurately applied to the thermal paper when printing, the platen opposing the thermal head must be protected from scratching and damage particularly in the middle area where printing becomes lighter. This is commonly accomplished by providing a guide member to guide the platen to a prescribed position. However, as the cover is repeatedly opened and closed and repeatedly contacts the guide member, the platen gets scratched and damaged so that pressure is not accurately applied to the platen, contact between the platen and thermal paper therefore deteriorates, and print defects occur.
A newer type of thermal paper is linerless label paper that does not have a liner protecting the adhesive area. However, because linerless label paper is wound into a roll and the adhesive side of the paper is necessarily wound against the color layer side of the paper, a small amount of the adhesive from the adhesive side inevitably adheres to the surface of the color layer side behind the adhesive side. When the surface containing the color layers of the printed linerless label paper then passes over the guide member, the adhesive sticking to the color layer surface transfers to the guide member. As the adhesive accumulates, smooth transportation of the thermal paper is impeded, contact between the thermal head and the thermal paper deteriorates, and print defects occur.

Printer with platen roller guide on thermal head


An optical pick-up includes a lens holder and a lens holder supporting portion. The lens holder has a focusing coil, a tracking coil, and a pair of nickel plates arranged to sandwich the focusing coil from the top and the bottom. The lens holder supporting portion includes a pair of permanent magnets having their magnetic poles of the same polarity opposite to each other and sandwiching the lens holder as seen in two dimensions. A sidewall of a slide hole is pressed against a slide shaft. Thus, a disk drive which can suppress a jerky motion of the lens holder when it moves along the slide shaft with a simple mechanism is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive, and more particularly to a disk drive suppressing a jerky motion of a lens holder upon alignment of light beams irradiating a disk.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a disk drive for a compact disk (CD), a mini disk (MD) or the like, an objective lens is used to collect light beams on a disk surface to form a spot. A mechanism for reducing the spot size is provided, since a smaller spot size enables higher-density recording of information on the disk. Specifically, the mechanism causes the light beams from an optical pick-up to impinge on the disk surface in a right angle to prevent coma.
A disk has tracks on which information is recorded. Tracking of a track is conducted, as is well known, by disk rotation by rotation of a turntable, and by movement of an optical pick-up along a guide shaft. A disk suffers bend, eccentricity and others, hindering accurate tracking of an information-recorded position on the disk only in the above-described manner. There is a need for an adjustment mechanism which can track the information-recorded position accurately to read the information therefrom even if the position is displaced due to an unexpected external factor.
The objective lens is fixed to a lens holder. The lens holder is supported by a lens holder supporting portion which moves along the guide shaft. The lens holder is provided with a slide hole, and the lens holder supporting portion is provided with a slide shaft. The lens holder is supported by the lens holder supporting portion with the slide shaft penetrating the slide hole.
In the above-described adjustment mechanism in a conventional device, the lens holder is made to move in a direction along which the slide shaft extends, to make the light beams focused on a spot. The lens holder is also made rotatable about the slide shaft, for two-dimensional alignment of the tracks. Specifically, a magnetically driven portion for focusing and a magnetically driven portion for tracking are provided between the lens holder and the lens holder supporting portion. The magnetically driven portions for focusing and for tracking constitute the above-described adjustment mechanism. Normally, focusing and tracking coils are mounted on the lens holder side, and focusing and tracking permanent magnets are arranged on the lens holder supporting portion side opposite to the coils.
When a current is passed through the focusing coil, the lens holder is driven up and down along the slide shaft by magnetic force, and thus, focusing adjustment of the objective lens attached to the lens holder is carried out. Similarly, when a current is passed through the tracking coil, the lens holder is rotated about the slide shaft by magnetic force, so that tracking adjustment is carried out. Provision of the mechanisms both for focusing adjustment and tracking adjustment makes it possible, even if the information-recorded position is displaced by any external factor, to deal with the displacement of the spot position from the track to accomplish accurate tracking of the track position.
It however is necessary to provide a prescribed clearance between the slide hole of the lens holder and the slide shaft of the lens holder supporting portion, which clearance causes the lens holder to jerkily shift when it moves for the adjustment as described above. Once the jerky motion occurs, the quality of the information, and hence, the performance as the information reproduction device would be degraded. To prevent such a jerky motion due to the clearance, means for applying side or lateral pressure has been proposed, which presses the sidewall of the slide hole of the lens holder against the slide shaft. With this means, however, problems have been pointed out that high working accuracy is required and that friction between the slide shaft and the slide hole causes vibrations and the like. Thus, there has been proposed, to solve the problems, to maintain a contact position between the slide shaft and the slide hole at a specific position (e.g., Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 2000-20986 and 2002-74711).
In the conventional disk drive shown in FIG. 9, magnetic pieces 154 are arranged on both ends of a center line L of a lens holder 104 to which an objective lens 110 is attached. Magnetic force between magnetic pieces 154 and permanent magnets 151, 152 opposite to the respective magnetic pieces produces lateral pressure M against lens holder 104. A slide shaft 103 and a slide hole 141 are brought into contact with each other at a portion 143 of a rim of slide hole 141 in contact with center line L. This contact point 143 is made to match the center of gravity G of lens holder 104. In a normal operation, the slide hole and the slide shaft come into contact with each other at contact point 143. Thus, contact point 143 also functions as the center H of rotation driving force resulting from the force generated between tracking permanent magnets 151, 152 and tracking coils 153. As such, maintaining the contact point at a specific position prevents vibrations from occurring and ensures smooth and high-precision adjustment.
To make the slide shaft and the slide hole contact at a prescribed position, however, it is necessary to increase the working accuracy of the lens holder and also increase the accuracy in positioning of the permanent magnets. In view of the foregoing, there has been a demand for development of a disk drive suppressing the jerky motion of a lens holder attributable to the clearance between the slide hole and the slide shaft with a simple mechanism.


A method and apparatus for conveying material hanging on hangers. The material is transported from a loading region to a conveyance region, and then to a delivery region. Grip units of various lengths are formed by combining individual materials into groups. A theoretical maximum length for a grip unit is established. Clock pulses are produced in the conveyance region and are counted. Grip units stowed in the loading region are individualized to form well-defined spaces between the materials. Individualized grip units fed to the conveyance region are switched into the conveyance region when a gap sufficiently large to accommodate the grip unit is present in the conveyance region, determined by the maximum length established and counting of the clock pulses. The distance to be moved by the grip unit in the conveyance region to reach its destination is established, and progress of the grip unit is tracked. The grip unit is switched out to the delivery region, the switch-out mechanism remaining in effect to accommodate the length of the grip unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of conveying articles hanging on hangers, in particular articles of clothing, in which the article is transported from a loading region into a conveyance region and from there into a delivery region, as well as devices for use in the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,373 discloses a method for conveying articles of clothing or the like. The articles are held on hanger hooks suspended in individual conveyor pockets during transportation. The hanger hooks are ejected from the conveyor pockets at switching-out locations and slide along a slide rod into a delivery region. The capacity of a hanging conveyor system operated in this manner is limited in that only one clothes hanger hook can be hung in each conveyor pocket. Consequently, an increase in conveying capacity is possible only by increasing the speed of transport and/or by reducing the distance between the individual conveyor pockets.
Conveyor systems are also known in which the conveyor carriers are so-called trolleys that travel along a rail. Each trolley can receive several clothes hangers. These trolleys are designed to receive a maximum capacity of hangers. Even if substantially fewer articles are transported than the maximum number for which the trolleys are designed, an unnecessarily long conveyor path is required, and the time of transport, from the switching of the conveyed article into the conveyance region until the transfer out into the delivery region, is correspondingly long. As a result, the capacity of such a conveyor system is also limited. Furthermore, trolley conveyor systems are rather expensive to construct.
For individualizing of conveyed material hanging on hangers provided with hanger hooks, there is known from Federal Republic of Germany OS 42 44 219 a horizontally arranged, rotatably driven spindle. The spindle has varying pitch providing grooves of different widths in which the hanger hooks are transported. In this way, it is possible to move the hangers, gripped in each case by the spindle, rapidly away from the stowage length. Accordingly, the small spacing between the individual hanger hooks originally present in the region of the stowage length is correspondingly increased, and the desired individualizing can be obtained. This known individualizing device cannot be used unconditionally when clothes hangers having hooks of wire of different diameter are used.
For switching of hangers provided with hanger hooks into the delivery region of a hanging conveyor system, a prior art device is known in connection with which the material being conveyed is fed continuously and possibly stowed in a loading region and switched-in in a controlled manner. For stowing, a first driven spindle having a flat pitch is provided. For the switching-in, a second driven spindle of larger pitch extending coaxially thereto are provided. The two spindles are to be driven by separate electric motors, in which connection the motors must be synchronized with respect to each other, which, in addition to the structural expense resulting from two motors, also further increases the expense for control.
Proceeding from these problems, an improved method of conveying is needed such that the capacity of the conveyor is substantially increased with at least the same degree of safety, and the structural expense of the conveyor system is reduced.

Method of conveying articles hanging on hangers and devices for use in the method


Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a system comprising a zip-locker and a zip-locker receiver. The zip-locker comprises a first portion and a second portion configured to fasten to an interconnect, at least one of the first portion and the second portion having ratchet teeth formed and extending longitudinally on an outer surface thereof. The zip-locker receiver is configured to ratchetably receive the zip-locker and comprises an aperture and a pawl disposed within the aperture configured to complement and cooperate with the ratchet teeth of the zip-locker to prevent removal of the zip-locker from the aperture of the zip-locker receiver at times the pawl of the zip-locker receiver is engaged with the ratchet teeth of the zip-locker.

Conventionally available clamp devices of the noted type fall into two general classifications.
There are clamp devices formed of polymeric material which include an elongate strap component having an integral eye or anchor portion at one end. Devices of this type are illustrated, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,869, issued May 9, 1972, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,509, issued Mar. 1, 1977. Such devices typically include a multiplicity of transversely directed teeth along the length of the strap on one surface thereof. The eye or anchor end includes a pawl which is angularly oriented with respect to the teeth in such manner that the teeth are permitted to pass freely through the eye in one direction, with a consequent deflection of the pawl. The geometry of the pawl and teeth is arranged to preclude retractile movement of the band through the anchor.
When the device is tightened about an article or articles to be connected, i.e. a hose or flexible connector fitting sleeved over a duct end, etc. the tightened band functions to compress the outer encircling component against the duct so as to prevent fluid leaks from the spaces between the components.
A further conventionally available clamp device is comprised of an elongate metal strip having a multiplicity of closely spaced perforations angularly oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the strip. One end of the strip carries a fixture in which is rotatably mounted the equivalent of a worm gear or thread, the periphery of which is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the strip to correspond with the angles of the perforations in the strip.


A radiation reader including a conversion device, and a method of driving the radiation reader. The conversion device includes (a) a pixel including a conversion device for converting an incident radiation into an electric charge, and (b) a reading circuit including at least one field effect transistor for reading the electric charge from the pixel in an amplifying manner as a signal containing a noise. The reading circuit includes first storage means for storing the signal containing the noise, second storage means for storing the noise, and processing means for deriving an output signal not containing the noise based on a first output from the first storage means and a second output from the second storage means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric converter and a radiation reader, more particularly to a photoelectric converter capable of performing the read operation at higher sensitivity and higher speed and a radiation reader capable of reading the information for radiation represented by α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays or x-rays at a high sensitivity.
2. Related Background Art
In the case of a photoelectric converter and a radiation reader for reading the information based on radiation by wavelength-converting the radiation into the sensitivity region of the photoelectric converter with a wavelength converter such as a photoluminescent body (for example, scintillator), electric charges based on the input information photoelectric-converted by a photoelectric-converting section is transferred to a capacitance to amplify a signal voltage.
However, to amplify a signal voltage by transferring electric charges from the capacitance of a photoelectric-conversion element itself to an external capacitance like the case of reading signal charges with a conventional circuit, a relatively-large S/N ratio can be obtained but a parasitic capacitance may be formed on a signal line when arranging a plurality of sensors. For example, when arranging 2,000×2,000 area sensors equivalent to an X-ray film at a size of 200×200 μm per cell and manufacturing an area sensor with a size of 40×40 cm, a capacitance is formed because the gate and source of a transistor for transferring electric charges are overlapped each other. Because the above overlap corresponds to the number of pixels, one signal line has an overlap Cgs capacitance of 0.05 pF×2,000 area sensors=100 pF even if one area sensor has a capacitance of approx. 0.05 pF. Because a sensor capacitance Cs is equal to approx. 1 pF, when assuming a signal voltage generated in a sensor as V1, the output voltage V0 of the signal line is obtained from the following expression.V0=(Cs/(Cs+Cgs×1000))×V1 Thus, the output voltage lowers to 1/100.
That is, to constitute an area sensor having a large area, an output voltage is greatly lowered.
Moreover, to read a dynamic image under the above condition, a sensitivity and a high-speed operation capable of reading 30 images per sec. or more are requested. Particularly, in the case of a non-destructive inspection including X-ray diagnosis, higher sensitivity allowing the number of signal charges to increase up to 100 to 400 times is requested because there is a request for minimizing the dose of X-rays to be irradiated.

Photoelectric converter and radiation reader


A color cathode ray tube in which beam landing errors caused by non-uniform thermal expansion of a shadow mask are corrected is provided such that color purity is improved. The color cathode ray tube in accordance with the present invention comprises a panel having a phosphor screen formed on an inner surface thereof, a shadow mask having a faceplate portion and a peripheral skirt portion bent back from the faceplate portion and a frame joined to the skirt portion, wherein a height of the skirt portion is less than or equal to 12 mm for substantially the entire skirt portion, and a plurality of holes are perforated at the skirt portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a color cathode ray tube and more specifically to a color cathode ray tube in which beam landing errors caused by non-uniform thermal expansion of a shadow mask are corrected such that color purity is improved.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a general color cathode ray tube of the background art. As shown in FIG. 1, the color cathode ray tube generally includes a glass envelope having a shape of bulb and is comprised of a faceplate panel 10, a tubular neck 120, and a funnel 20 connecting the panel 10 and the neck 120.
The panel 10 comprises a faceplate portion and a peripheral sidewall portion sealed to the funnel 20. A phosphor screen 30 is formed on the inner surface of the faceplate portion. The phosphor screen 30 is coated by phosphor materials of R, G, and B. A multi-apertured color selection electrode, i.e., shadow mask 40 is mounted to the screen with a predetermined space. The shadow mask 40 is supported by a peripheral frame 70. An electron gun 50 is mounted within the neck to generate and direct electron beams 60 along paths through the mask to the screen.
The shadow mask 40 and the frame 70 constitute a mask-frame assembly. The mask-frame assembly is joined to the panel 10 by means of springs 80.
The cathode ray tube further comprises an inner shield 90 for shielding the tube from external geomagnetism, a reinforcing band 100 attached to the sidewall portion of the panel 10 to prevent the cathode ray tube from being exploded by external shock, and external deflection yoke 110 located in the vicinity of the funnel-to-neck junction.
The electron beams generated by the electron gun are deflected in either vertical or horizontal directions by the deflection yoke 110. The electron beams are selected by the shadow mask depending on the colors and impinge on the phosphor screen such that the phosphor screen emits light in different colors. Typically, about 80% of the electrons from the electron gun 50 fail to pass through the apertures of the shadow mask 40. The 80% of electrons impinge upon the shadow mask 40, producing heat and raising the temperature of the mask 40.
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a lower right quarter of a shadow mask illustrating thermal distribution of the surface of the mask due to the impingement of electrons. As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature of the mask is different for different portions of the mask. In FIG. 2, a center portion of the mask has a higher temperature than a corner portion. The reason why the corner portion has a lower temperature is that the heat at the corner portion is dissipated through the frame attached to the mask. Since the frame is attached to the mask at the skirt portion near the corner, heat at the corner is easily transferred to the outside via the frame. Because the mask is thermally expanded, a position of the apertures at the shadow mask is shifted from the desired position accordingly. Therefore, electron beams passing through the apertures land at the screen incorrectly. In this way the color purity at the screen is degraded. This phenomenon of purity degradation resulting from the undesired positional shift of the apertures of the mask is called the "doming effect."
FIG. 3a shows a cross-sectional view of the shadow mask for illustrating purity degradation resulting from the positional shift of the apertures of the shadow mask 40. FIG. 3b is a graph showing the extent of variation in the positional shift of electrons landing incorrectly at the screen with respect to time when the cathode ray tube is placed in operation.
As shown in FIG. 3a, an electron beam landing at the screen is shifted due to the positional shift of the apertures of the shadow mask. As shown in FIG. 3b, the extent of the shift of the electron beam landing at the screen increases just after the cathode ray tube is operated, since the temperature of the shadow mask begins to increase. However, as the heat at the shadow mask is transferred to the frame, the frame is heated and expanded. Accordingly, the positional shift of the electron landing is decreased. As the heat dissipation through the frame continues, the landing position of the electron beam is displaced in the opposite direction with respect to the initial shift, which occurs just after the initial operation of the shadow mask.
The variation in the shift of the electron beam landing causes degradation of color purity. Further, since the landing position varies in accordance with the time after the shadow mask is operated, restoration of the aperture position with respect to the screen is difficult.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the conventional shadow mask. The conventional shadow mask comprises a central apertured portion 41 through which electron beams pass, a non-apertured border portion 42 surrounding the apertured portion 41, and a peripheral skirt portion 43 bent back from the border portion 42 and extending backward from the apertured portion 41. As shown in FIG. 4, the border portion 42 and the skirt portion 43 have more area than is necessary in view of the function they perform. The large area of the border portion 42 and the skirt portion 43 increases the non-uniformity of thermal expansion across the shadow mask. Therefore, the conventional shadow mask suffers from color purity degradation caused by the doming effect.
Moreover, the welding point between the shadow mask and the frame intensifies the non-uniformity of the thermal expansion. Typically, the shadow mask is fixed to the frame by welding through a plurality of welding points 43a. When the shadow mask expands thermally due to the beam radiation, the welding points become binding points against the expansion of the shadow mask. Therefore, the non-uniformity of expansion of the shadow mask is increased, thereby increasing a landing error of the electron beams.
In order to prevent or lessen the doming effect caused by a landing error of the electron beams, many different approaches have been used.
First, structural improvements of the shadow mask have been suggested in order to prevent the landing error problem. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. S62-177831, a temperature control device is provided within the cathode ray tube in order to suppress the temperature elevation of the mask. Also, according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H6-267446, a reinforcement member for maintaining the shape of the shadow mask is provided between the shadow mask and the frame. However, the landing error problem was not solved by those structural approaches.
Also, improvement in the material used for the shadow mask was suggested. Invar material having a low thermal expansion rate was used for the shadow mask instead of aluminum killed (AK) material. However, the result of using the invar material was not satisfactory in view of the price of the material.
Finally, there have been many approaches to solve landing errors caused by spring back phenomenon. Spring back phenomenon occurs when the shadow mask is manufactured by a forming process. When a forming process is used in making a shadow mask, a shadow mask is formed by pressing to have a shape comprising a central portion and a skirt portion bent back from the central portion 41 and extending backward. Then, the shadow mask is fixed to a frame. After the mask-frame assembly is made, the skirt portion of the shadow mask tends to move outward from the center by a resilient force. This is called spring back phenomenon. This spring back phenomenon is one of the causes of the landing error problem.
As a solution for solving the landing error problem due to the spring back phenomenon, an idea of making the border portion of the shadow mask to be partially thinner than the central portion was suggested in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. S49-112566. Additionally, according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. S63-271849, protrusions are provided, which are protruded from a skirt portion of a shadow mask backward from a central portion. According to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. H1-169847, many openings are perforated in the skirt portion for absorbing compression stress. However, those techniques are directed to solving the landing error problem caused by the spring back phenomenon. Therefore, those techniques are not sufficient to solve the problem due to the non-uniform thermal expansion of the shadow mask.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A sun visor for a vehicle is provided that can prevent an extendable plate from being removed from the sun visor body. In a sun visor for a vehicle in which an extendable plate (40) is mounted within a sun visor body (20) such that the extendable plate can be drawn out, a removal-preventing member (55) protruding in an inclined configuration is formed on one side surface of the extendable plate. Conversely, a removal preventing recess (52) is formed within the sun visor body (22) for engaging with a tip end portion of the removal-preventing member and for preventing the extendable plate from being removed. A recess wall surface on one side of the removal-preventing recess is formed as an inclined surface (53) for guiding the tip end portion of the removal-preventing member in a wedging direction into the removal-preventing recess.

Conventionally, with a vehicle sun visor having a visor body 120 to which an extendable plate 140 is mounted such that the extendable plate can be drawn out, as shown in FIG. 6, it is necessary to prevent the extendable plate 140 from being further drawn out and removed when the extendable plate 140 has been drawn out to a predetermined drawing position with respect to the sun visor body 120. For this reason, a sun visor is known that has a removal-preventing member 155, protruding from a side surface of the extendable plate 140, while a stopper member 151, having a stopper surface perpendicular to a drawing direction and adapted to contact with the tip end portion of the removal-preventing member 155, is disposed to extend within the sun visor body 120 (for example, see Patent Document 1)
Patent Document 1. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-178750


A laptop computer display screen is adjustable to a user's convenience by constructing an adjustable angle instead of rigidly connecting the display screen to an extender mechanism via which the screen is vertically extended upwards away from the laptop body. An adjustable angle between the extended display screen and the extender mechanism may be established via a tilt-hinge, making the angle between the display screen and the extender mechanism easily adjustable by a user.

Various display screens, supports, and other mechanisms for laptop computers are known. As may be appreciated, laptop computers present some additional and different challenges not necessarily encountered for non-laptop computers. While laptop computers offer the advantage of portability, laptop computers are not without drawbacks. A problem with laptop computers is that the adjustability of display screens so that users of various proportions in various settings each may view the screens comfortably is relatively limited.
The following patent literature, not necessarily limited to laptop computers, is mentioned:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,837 issued Dec. 22, 1992 to Blackwell et al. (Compaq Computer Corp.), for "Hinge with two-towed clutch spring for suppressing electromagnetic interference for laptop personal computers."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,920 issued Jul. 20, 1993 to Spaniol et al. (TA Triumph-Adler AG), for "Portable data processing device with turnable and telescopable display."
JP 7234743A2 published 1995-09-05, by Hideo (Funai Electric Co. Ltd.), for "Data processor."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,292 issued May 19, 1998 to Rachel for "Laptop computer hinge reinforcing apparatus."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,883 issued Jun. 8, 1999 to Cipolla et al. (International Business Machines Corp.), for "Hinge incorporating a helically coiled heat pipe for a laptop computer."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,787 issued Jun. 20, 2000 to Troyer (LapStand, Inc.), for "Portable stand for laptop computers."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,624 issued Mar. 6, 2001 to Margaritis, for "Ergonomic laptop display positioning supports."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,138 issued May 15, 2001 to Osgood (Evergreen Innovations, LLC), for "Telescoping pivot hinge for computer display."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,252 issued Nov. 13, 2001 to Schultz, for "Removably mounted computer stand for automobiles and the like."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,124 issued Apr. 30, 2002 to Mizoguchi et al. (Toshiba), for "Personal computer."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,422 issued Dec. 23, 2003 to Lu et al. (Shin Zu Shing Co., Ltd.), for "Foldable hinge bracket for a laptop computer."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,851 issued Mar. 9, 2004 to Ibrahim, for "Stand for reading materials and laptop computers."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,859 issued Oct. 19, 2004 to Lu et al. (Shin Zu Shing Co., Ltd.), for "Securing device for a laptop computer hinge to avoid damping of a screen when the screen is away from mainframe of the laptop computer."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,813 issued Nov. 9, 2004 to Lu et al. (Shin Zu Shing Co., Ltd.), for "Collapsible hinge bracket for a laptop computer."
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2004/0228077 published Nov. 18, 2004 by Hall et al., for "Height adjustable computer monitor and document holder."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,041 issued Nov. 30, 2004 by Yu, for "Dynamic angle computer monitor."
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2005/0274852 published Dec. 15, 2005 by Saez et al. (Humanscale Corp.), for "Laptop holder."
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0017753 published Jan. 26, 2006 by Ferrucei for "Computer laptop flip and lift apparatus."
U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,612 issued Mar. 7, 2006 by Mallory et al., for "Laptop computer support system."
U.S. Pat. No. 7,035,100 issued Apr. 25, 2006 by Lord (Hotwire Development LLC), for "Universal portable computer stand and high speed connectivity center."
U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,771 issued Jan. 9, 2007 to Singgih et al. (Pioneer Pos Inc.), for "Information processing terminal with adjustable and foldable support stand."
U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,665 issued Jan. 30, 2007 to Hong et al. (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.), for "Display apparatus."
U.S. Pat. No. 7,177,144 issued Feb. 13, 2007 to Ha et al. (Samsung), for "Tilting apparatus of monitor."

Adjustable display screen for a laptop computer


A computerized docketing system for legal matters, comprising a database operatively arranged to store information related to the legal matters, including actions to be taken with respect to the legal matters, and due dates associated with the actions to be taken, an arithmetic logic unit operatively arranged to scan the database, compare each of the due dates with a reference date, and classify the due dates according to proximity of each of the due dates to the reference date, and, means for displaying different classifications of the due dates in different colors for the purpose of alerting a user of the system of matters requiring attention. A computerized method and apparatus for comparing two dates and alerting user of impending due date by changing color of one of the two dates. The method includes the steps of storing information related to a first date in a database, displaying the information related to the first date in a first color, programming a relationship between the first date and a second date via a user interface, comparing the first date and second date to determine if the programmed relationship is satisfied, and displaying the information related to the first date in a second color if the programmed relationship is satisfied. The apparatus includes a general purpose computer specially programmed to implement the steps of the method.

In 1997, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) received 237,045 patent applications and 224,355 trademark applications. In the same year, the USPTO issued 122,977 patents and registered 112,509 trademarks. Also in 1997, the United States Copyright Office registered more than 600,000 copyrights. In general, the number of patent and trademark application filings has increased over time, and this trend is likely to continue. Although many copyright applications for registration are filed pro se, most patent and trademark applications are prepared, filed and prosecuted by attorneys, patent attorneys and patent agents.
Of the approximately 1,000,000 lawyers now practicing in the United States, fewer than 23,000 were registered to practice patent law before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (as of May, 1999). With technology advancing at a rapid pace, and so few attorneys available to prepare and prosecute the ever-increasing number of patent applications to protect the technology, it is no surprise that most patent and trademark attorneys (and patent agents), and their associated law firms and companies, are often responsible for handling a large number of cases.
In practicing intellectual property law, practitioners are confronted, in each case, with meeting a bewildering number of due dates, many of which are critical. These myriad due dates are prescribed by Title 15 of the United States Code (for trademark matters), Title 17 of the United States Code (for copyright matters), and Title 35 of the United States Code (for patent matters). Additional deadlines are imposed by the Code of Federal Regulations (e.g., Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations which applies to patent and trademark matters), the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and various published Court rules. Yet other deadlines are imposed by clients or by corporate business objectives.
Each patent or trademark application handled by an attorney requires the docketing and meeting of a plurality of deadlines. For example, a typical utility patent application may impose a dozen or more time deadlines on a practitioner over the course of its prosecution. While some due dates may merely be reminders to take some action, others are critical deadlines (i.e, prescribed by statute) and failure to timely act prior to these so-called "statutory bar dates" may result in the loss of valuable intellectual property rights or in a legal malpractice claim against the practitioner. As noted by one practitioner, "According to Anthony Greene of Herbert L. Jamison & Co., LLC., West Orange, N.J., the failure to properly docket the multiplicity of patent and trademark due dates in even a modest IP practice is one of the major sources of IP malpractice claims. It has been widely speculated that this area of malpractice will grow as larger general practice firms, without previous experience in patents and trademarks, enter the IP field." Richard C. Woodbridge and Paul A. Gardon, "Selecting an IP Docket Management System", Intellectual Property Today, p. 25, Omega Communications, Inc., January 1999.
Typical actions, which may be docketed and performed by a practitioner in evaluating an invention for patentability, preparing, filing and prosecuting a utility patent application, or in tracking actions anticipated to be taken by the Patent Office, are as follows:                Conduct novelty search on invention        Prepare patentability opinion        File patent application before one year statutory bar (sale, public use or publication)        Receive acknowledgment postcard from USPTO        Receive official filing receipt and foreign filing license        Send Rule 56 Duty of Disclosure letter to inventor(s)        File Information Disclosure Statement        Respond to First Office Action        Send foreign filing letter to client        Foreign file before deadline to receive priority filing date        Respond to Second Office Action        File Notice of Appeal        File Appeal Brief        File formal drawings        Pay Issue Fee        Pay Maintenance Fee(s)
A similar number of actions are tracked and docketed for trademark matters, and a lesser number of actions (i.e., renewals) are tracked for copyrights. Similar actions are also tracked for foreign matters (patent and trademark applications filed in foreign countries), and in inter partes proceedings (e.g., trademark oppositions and cancellation proceedings). It is clear, then, that even a relatively small law firm or company handling a portfolio of just a few hundred cases can easily be confronted with tracking and docketing tens of thousands of due dates for actions to be taken, either by the practitioner or the Patent Office. Large firms or companies may be faced with docketing more than a hundred thousand dues dates and actions.
In earlier times, patent and trademark attorneys relied on manual docketing systems which involved complicated manual ledger and/or tickler systems for tracking actions to be taken and deadlines to be met. These systems required constant attention and vigilance, highly trained docketing clerks and administrators, and direct supervision by attorneys. Often, the systems included redundancy to ensure that dates were not missed, which redundancy provided added protection at the expense of efficiency. Obviously, any manual system cannot be operated flawlessly. All humans make mistakes. Moreover, the opportunity for error increases as the number of files being maintained increases. Despite well-documented procedures, cross-checking and vigilance, all manual systems are susceptible to failure. They are especially problematic when employees leave, and new employees are forced to learn the system.
An obvious approach to solving the docketing problem is to use a computer to track pertinent dates and actions. Several companies now offer intellectual property (IP) docketing software products. These include Computer Packages, Inc. of Rockville, Md.; Flextrac Systems, Inc. of Denver, Colo.; Intellectual Property Network of Chicago, Ill.; MAG Systems of Pacifica, Calif.; Master Data Center of Southfield, Mich.; OP Solutions, Inc. of New York, N.Y.; Jamieson & Associates, Inc. of Arlington, Va.; Patrix AB of Goteborg, Sweden; Olcott International & Co. of Weehawken, N.J.; and LegalStar, Inc. of Williamsville, N.Y. (the assignee of this patent). Others have patented docketing software packages (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,447 (Leedom, Jr.) "High Integrity Computer Implemented Docketing System"; U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,681 (Iwai et al.), "Computerized System for Managing Preparation and Prosecution of Applications in Various Countries for Protection of Industrial Property Rights").
All commercially available IP docketing software products enable users to keep track of actions and due dates associated therewith. Some automatically calculate certain due dates for actions to be taken or annuities, maintenance fees, taxes, or other fees to be paid. Some also are preprogrammed with the laws and rules of multiple countries. All commercially available products provide "docket reports" detailing (usually in chronological order) actions required to be taken by a responsible attorney. Often, these reports are compiled and printed on a periodic basis (e.g., weekly) and distributed to responsible attorneys. In a well-designed system, a docket administrator or managing attorney will also receive a "master" docket report, to monitor all critical due dates.
Although all commercially available computer software docketing programs track actions, due dates and provide reports, they all (except LegalStar's product) suffer one serious disadvantage—they rely on responsible attorneys to read the reports and take appropriate action. If an attorney is away from the office, he or she may not receive a report or take appropriate action. The reports are also sometimes ineffective at communicating critical dates, since statutory bar dates are often commingled with non-critical due dates and reminder dates.
What is needed, then, is a docketing computer program for intellectual property legal matters that automatically scans all critical due dates in a database, compares these dates with some reference date (e.g., the date the scan is done) and displays a graphical, color-coded alert to warn of impending critical due dates.

Computerized scheduling system and method for comparing two dates and alerting user of impending due date by changing color display of one of the two dates


Apparatus and method for electrically connecting two closely positioned high voltage modules with little or no bend and without any loops in an electrical interconnecting coaxial cable may have a high voltage connector attached to at least a portion of the cable on at least one end of the cable; a push through high voltage connector receptor within one module; and a disconnection mechanism within the one module adapted to move the high voltage connector and at least a portion of cable to which the high voltage connector is attached through the connector receptor from a contact position to a housed position in a direction away from the other module to which high voltage connection is to be made. The connector receptor may have an open cylindrical connector with a contacting surface contained on the interior wall of the cylindrical connector and an interlock mechanism.

In high pulse powered electrical equipment and other high voltage electrical equipment which is segregated into modules which in turn are positioned relatively close to each other, e.g., in a cabinet, e.g., housing other equipment, e.g., the optics, laser chambers and associated other equipment for a very high power very high pulse rate excimer laser, there is a need for conservation of space. At the same time it is necessary interconnection of modules with high voltage over a relatively robust and therefore also relatively inflexible high voltage cable, e.g., a coaxial cable, formed, e.g., of an internal high voltage connection wire, e.g., copper wire, surrounded by a relatively thick sheath of relatively inflexible insulating material, e.g., Polyethylene, surrounded by a relatively flexible ground connection formed, e.g., of a woven mesh of conductor material, e.g., copper mesh, which is in turn surrounded by an also relatively inflexible outer sheath of insulating material, e.g., plastic or synthetic or actual rubber, e.g., neoprene. In certain applications, e.g., generation of very finely tuned very short wavelength and narrow band width light for applications, e.g., semiconductor manufacturing lithography applications, interconnecting cables with unwanted loops or even perhaps bending of the cabling can cause undesired electrical effects, e.g., unwanted and/or misplaced inductances. For both ease of installation and ease of removal for maintenance of for interchange there is a need for the ability to interconnect such modules with such relatively inflexible cabling without significantly bending, twisting, crimping, looping or the like of the cabling, which can cause the above mentioned ill effects or perhaps also damage component parts within the modules during an installation or removal process.

Method and apparatus for electronically interconnecting high voltage modules positioned in relatively close proximity


A house and garage alarm system is provided including at least one detector housing with a smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector situated therein. A power source is situated within the detector housing. An alarm housing is included which is connected to the corresponding detector housing and resides distant therefrom for indicating to a user that either smoke and/or carbon monoxide has been detected by the detector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to smoke detectors and more particularly pertains to a new house/garage smoke detector for permitting the convenient installation of a system which alerts a user of the presence of a distance fire within a house or garage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of smoke detectors is known in the prior art. More specifically, smoke detectors heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art smoke detectors include U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,127; U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,183; U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,698; U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,606; U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,611; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,346.
In these respects, the house/garage smoke detector according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of permitting the convenient installation of a system which alerts a user of the presence of a distance fire.


Disclosed is a linoleum-based floor covering with improved flame-retardant properties, whose useful layer contains at least one flame retardant from the group of expandable graphites. Additionally disclosed is a method for producing linoleum-based floor-coverings with structures for creating colored patterns and to a cork-based floor covering with improved flame-retardant properties.

Floor coverings based on linoleum and methods for their production have been known for a long time. A disadvantage of the floor coverings based on linoleum known in the related art is, however, the not uncritical burning behavior. Linoleum only achieves the building material class B1 with difficulty (fire testing according to DIN 4102 T14, "Radiant Flooring Panel Test"). In the future, the requirements for floor coverings are to be made more stringent by a new EN standard. For example, currently a linoleum floor covering must achieve a critical radiant intensity of ≧4.5 kW/m2 according to DIN 4102 T14 in order to be classified in the economically important building material class B1. In the event of a future introduction of the new test methods according to EN ISO 9239-1 and EN ISO 11925-2, which are based on the old test DIN 4102 T14, but whose classifications are performed according to prEN 13501-1, floor coverings, particularly linoleum, having a test result of ≧4.5 kW/m2 are no longer rated in B1, but rather in CFL. Significant competitive disadvantages may arise from this in relation to other plastic floor coverings, such as PVC. Only at a critical radiant intensity of ≧8 kW/m2 would grading in the economically important building material class BFL be possible. The not uncritical behavior in fire is also a disadvantage of the floor coverings based on cork known in the related art.

Linoleum-based floor covering with improved flame-retardant properties and a method for producing the same


Disclosed are methods and computer program products for automatically identifying and compensating for stop words in a text processing system. This automatic stop word compensation allows such operations as performing queries on an abstract mathematical space built using all words from all texts, with the ability to compensate for the skew that the inclusion of the stop words may have introduced into the space. Documents are represented by document vectors in the abstract mathematical space. To compensate for stop words, a weight function is applied to a predetermined component of the document vectors associated with frequently occurring word(s) contained in the documents. The weight function may be applied dynamically during query processing. Alternatively, the weight function may be applied statically to all document vectors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to information processing and data retrieval, and in particular to text processing systems.
2. Background
Text processing systems are often used to process the text of documents in a collection of documents. As is known in the art, the processing of the document text can be used to improve a user's ability to search and retrieve documents in a collection of documents that are most conceptually relevant to a search query performed by the user. U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,853 to Deerwester et al., for example, describes a text processing method in which words and phrases in a collection of documents are mapped into a Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) space.
The concept of stop words naturally arises in text processing systems. Stop words are words that add little semantic value due to their commonness in the collection of documents. For normal English texts, stop words are the ubiquitous "the", "and", and similar words. In specialized domains, stop words can also include other words that are used so often that they add no value to the semantic content of the documents. For example, in a collection of Reuters news articles, each article will have the word "Reuters" in it. This word, in this context, can be treated as a stop word as it adds no meaning to the text of the article.
A typical text processing system requires a user to define the set of stop words that the system is to ignore. However, this is not the optimal method to determine stop words in a collection of documents. For example, the existence of polysemous words can potentially make the use of a list of stop words problematic. A polysemous word is a word that has multiple senses, such as the word "can." One sense of the word "can" is associated with an ability to do something, as in "she can read." Another sense of the word "can" is associated with a packaging device, such as "a can of beans." In many user queries, including the word "can" in a list of stop words would be fine. In a query of documents about shipping and packaging, however, the sense of the word "can" as a packaging device may be relevant to a user's query. By requiring a list of stop words, this potentially relevant sense of the polysemous word "can" may be eliminated from the user's query.
Given the foregoing, what is needed is a method and computer program product to automatically identify and compensate for stop words in text processing systems. Such a method and computer program product should not require a user to provide a list of stop words. In addition, such a method and computer program product should retain information about polysemous words that may be relevant in certain contexts. Moreover, such a method and computer program product should be language independent.

Automatic stop word identification and compensation


The invention relates to a gas-insulated bus bar component comprising a grounded housing that is filled with protective gas and at least one bus bar conductor, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing and is supported on said housing by means of insulating bus bar supports. According to the invention, each bus bar conductor is connected to a disconnecting switch that is insulated by protective gas. The aim of the invention is to provide a component of this type, which can be simply connected to and disconnected from an air-insulated conductor, even when operational. To achieve this, the disconnecting switch is located in an outdoor bushing that is fixed to the housing.

In various mobile radio networks (GSM, CDMA 3G, TETRA or others) groups call connections between more than two subscribers are known, in which traffic channels exist between at least one speaker and at least one listener. Examples of group call connections are the Voice Group Call Service (VGCS) according to 3GPP-TS-42.068 (according to which specification there is provision for speaking, listening, speaking and listening subscribers as well as dispatchers (able to speak without voice authorization tokens)) corresponding essentially to a special conference mode and the Voice Broadcast Service (VBS) according to 3GPP-TS42.069 (according to which voice data of a speaker is transmitted to a plurality of listeners in a predefined area (Voice Broadcast Call Area)) corresponding to a broadcast via one or a plurality of cells and/or to predefined subscribers receiving the VBS.

Method and devices for monitoring subscribers of a telecommunications network during participation in group call connections


A multilayer ceramic capacitor includes: a multilayer structure in which each of a plurality of dielectric layers and each of internal electrode layers are alternately stacked; wherein a main component of the dielectric layers is a ceramic material, wherein a main phase of the ceramic material has a perovskite structure expressed by a general formula ABO3, wherein a B site of the ceramic material includes an element acting as a donor; wherein an A site and the B site of the ceramic material includes a rare earth element, wherein (an amount of the rare earth element substitutionally solid-solved in the A site)/(an amount of the rare earth element substitutionally solid-solved in the B site) is 0.75 or more and 1.25 or less.

A dielectric material achieving sufficient reliability characteristic is required in a multilayer ceramic capacitor having dielectric layers of which a thickness is small. For example, it is effective that a specific element is solid-solved in material powder in advance. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-139720 discloses a technology in which a donor element is added for the purpose of improving lifetime characteristic.

Multilayer ceramic capacitor and ceramic material powder


Disclosed is a display driving chip of a semiconductor chip. According to an embodiment, the display driving chip comprises, input/output (I/O) pads each electrically connected to a lower interconnection on an active area, the I/O pads forming a perimeter on an inner peripheral surface of the active area, and dummy pads formed on the active area within the perimeter of I/O pads.

A Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) having excellent color reproduction and thin thickness has been developed.
In order to drive such an LCD, a driving chip including a driver Integrated Circuit (IC) for applying signals is required.
With the increase in the number of pixels of the LCD, the number of Input/Output (IO) pads of the driving chip is also increased.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a driving chip used for an LCD according the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, I/O pads 3 are arranged in a row along the edge of the driving chip 1 outside of an active region 2.
The pad array including the I/O pads 3 as described above is used for connecting an LCD panel to the driving chip 1 through a Tape-Automated Bonding (TAB) or a Chip-On-Film (COF) scheme.
However, in the pad array as described above, since great pressure is applied to the I/O pads 3 during the bonding process of the LCD panel and the driving chip 1, a crack may occur in the driving chip 1.


A polycrystalline silicon resistor is large in coefficient of fluctuation in resistance between before and after the completion of a package molding process. To enable highly accurate trimming, it is desired to implement a resistor that is hardly subjected to stress produced in a substrate during a package molding process. A resistance element is formed of a plurality of wiring layers and has a repetitive pattern of a first conductive layer formed in a first wiring layer, a second conductive layer formed in a second wiring layer, and an interlayer conductive layer coupling the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer together.

When a semiconductor device is provided with an oscillation circuit, in general, a trimming circuit is provided for trimming the frequency characteristics of the oscillation circuit. The trimming circuit includes a resistor and an oscillating frequency of the oscillation circuit can be set to a desired value on a semiconductor device (chip)-by-semiconductor device (chip) basis by adjusting a resistance value of the resistor. As a resistance element used in trimming circuits, there is known a polycrystalline silicon resistor used to forma circuit element such as a transistor. A polycrystalline silicon resistor can be formed without complicating a semiconductor device manufacturing process and is excellent in that it is high in resistivity and a high resistance can be achieved with a small area; however, it is known that its resistance value fluctuates after a package molding process. This fluctuation in resistance value is caused by a change in shape, a piezoelectric effect, or the like as the result of a resistance element (polycrystalline silicon resistor) on a silicon chip being subjected to stress from mold resin. In the technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-229509 (Patent Document 1), a location where a polycrystalline silicon resistor is to be placed is specified so as to reduce stress the polycrystalline silicon resistor is received from mold resin as much as possible.


A common rail housing for a common rail injection system is composed of a pressure accumulation pipe whose outer circumference is formed in complete round shape in cross section and which is provided inside with a pressure accumulation chamber having oval cross section and a plurality of blanch pipes each of which is provided inside with a fuel conduit bore. Outer circumference of the oval cross section has a specified portion whose curvature is smaller than that of complete round shape having an area equal to that of the oval cross section. Each of the blanch pipe is connected to the pressure accumulation pipe so that the fuel conduit bore and the pressure accumulation chamber intersect nearly perpendicularly to each other at the specified portion. Accordingly, when fuel is supplied to the pressure accumulation chamber, not only the stresses concentrated on the specified portion are limited but also wall strength of the pressure accumulation pipe at the specified portion is reinforced.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-111520 filed on Apr. 13, 2000, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a common rail fuel injection system in which highly pressurized fuel accumulated in a pressure accumulation chamber of a common rail housing is supplied to injectors of an internal combustion engine, and in particular to the construction of the common rail housing.
2. Description of Related Art
A common rail fuel injection system as disclosed in JP-A-4-287866 is well known. The injection system has a common rail housing which acts as a kind of a surge tank and is provided with a pressure accumulation chamber extending in a lateral direction thereof. Highly pressurized fuel accumulated in the pressure accumulation chamber is supplied to injectors of an internal combustion engine.
In the conventional common rail system, as shown in FIG. 6, a common rail housing 101 is provided with a pressure accumulation chamber 102 in which highly pressurized fuel is temporally accumulated, a plurality of fuel supply ports (not shown) through which highly pressurized fuel delivered by a fuel supply pump is supplied to the pressure chamber 102, and a plurality of fuel delivery ports 103 through which the highly pressurized fuel in the pressure accumulation chamber 102 is delivered to injectors installed in respective cylinders of the internal combustion engine.
A cylindrical pressure accumulation pipe 104, whose outer circumference is formed in round shape, constitutes the pressure chamber 102. A cylindrical outlet pipe 105, which is connected to the cylindrical pressure accumulation pipe 104, constitutes each of the fuel delivery ports 103. The cylindrical pipe 105 is provided at an outer circumferential surface on a leading end thereof with a male thread portion 106 into which a high-pressure pipe is screwed for fastening.
In the common rail housing 101 of the conventional fuel injection system, the pressure chamber 102 is formed in complete round shape in cross section so that tensile stresses are induced at and concentrated on intersecting portions 107 where the pressure chamber 102 and the respective fuel delivery ports 103 intersect each other. As the fuel injection pressure in the system is higher, the stresses induced at and concentrated on the intersecting portions 107 are larger so that reliability in strength of the common rail housing 101 is likely to be jeopardized. Accordingly, the conventional common rail housing 101 has a drawback on realizing the fuel injection system with much higher pressure.
As a way of solving the drawback, it may be contemplated to reduce an inner diameter of the pressure chamber 102 so that the stresses induced at the intersecting portions 107 become smaller. However, as it is necessary to secure a given inner volume of the pressure chamber 102, which is predetermined for one or more injectors, for a purpose of limiting injection fluctuation of injectors, a longitudinal length of the common rail housing 101 is obliged to be longer so that manufacturing efficiency of the common rail housing 101 and installation efficiency thereof to the internal combustion engine are adversely affected.
As another way of reducing the stresses, JP-A-10-169527 discloses, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, common rail housing 101 having an oval shaped pipe 114 provided with an oval shaped pressure accumulation chamber 113 and also provided with a fuel supply or delivery bore 115 connected to the pressure accumulation chamber 111 at a position where a curvature of the oval is small.
It also describes that the oval shaped pipe 114 having the oval shaped pressure accumulation chamber 113 as shown in FIG. 7B is shaped by plastically deforming a complete round pipe 112 having a pressure accumulation chamber 111 as shown in FIG. 7A with press working or roll forming. In the deformation process, residual stresses (tensile stresses) are induced in the common rail housing 101. Accordingly, stresses (xcex1) always remain at the intersecting portion 116 where the fuel input or output bore 115 is connected to the pressure accumulation bore as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C. Even if the tensile stresses at the intersecting portion, which is induced by inner pressure (P) of highly pressurized fuel in the pressure accumulation chamber 113, is reduced, a sum of the residual stresses (xcex1) and the stresses due to the inner pressure (P) is likely to be relatively large so that strength at the intersecting portion 116 is jeopardized.
If wall thickness of the oval shaped pipe 114 is equal to or more than a diameter of the oval pressure accumulation chamber 113 in a minor axis of the oval thereof, that is, if an outer diameter (for example, 30 mm) of the oval shaped pipe 114 in a minor axis length of the oval thereof is larger by three times or more than the diameter (for example, 10 mm) of the oval pressure accumulation chamber 113 in a minor axis of the oval thereof, the strength at the intersecting portion 116 can be sufficiently assured.
However, deformation of the complete round pipe made of iron steel into the oval shaped pipe 114 having such a thick thickness wall needs a several tens or hundreds pressing load. Even if deformed by the press working or the roll forming, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the oval shaped pipe 114 is likely to have wrinkles or cracks so that pressure endurance of the oval shaped pipe 114 is reduced.
An object of the invention is to provide a common rail fuel injection system having a common rail housing in which stresses concentrated on given portions are remarkably reduced and, further, resisting pressure strength is distinctively improved.
It is another aspect of the invention to provide a method of manufacturing the common rail housing in which residual stresses induced therein are limited.
To achieve the above objects, the common rail housing is composed of a pressure accumulation pipe, whose outer circumference is formed in roughly complete round shape in cross section, being provided inside with a pressure accumulation chamber having given shaped cross section and extending in a longitudinal direction thereof, and a branch pipe being provided inside with a fuel conduit bore. Outer circumference of the given cross section has a first portion whose curvature is smaller than that of complete round shape having an area equal to that of the given cross section. The branch pipe is connected to the pressure accumulation pipe so that the fuel conduit bore and the pressure accumulation chamber intersect nearly perpendicularly to each other at the first portion.
It is preferable that wall thickness of the pressure accumulation pipe at the first portion is thickest. Therefore, when highly pressurized fuel is supplied to the pressure accumulation chamber, not only the stresses concentrated on the first portion are limited but also wall strength of the pressure accumulation pipe at the first portion is reinforced.
Accordingly, the common rail housing may be made of relatively low hardness material such as low carbon steel that is easily formed in the given shape on manufacturing. Further, as the wall thickness of the pressure accumulation pipe is relatively thick at the first portion and relatively thin at the portions other than the first portion around the circumference of the pressure accumulation chamber, the wall thickness of the pressure accumulation pipe of the present invention is thinner as a whole than the conventional common rail housing, resulting in saving fuel consumption.
It is preferable that the given shaped cross section of the pressure accumulation chamber is formed in roughly flat oval shape or in roughly oval shape.
To limit residual stresses to be induced on manufacturing the common rail housing mentioned above, it is preferable that, after forming a product whose outside configuration is equal to that of the pressure accumulation pipe, the product is drilled at first in a longitudinal direction thereof to form a round hole whose diameter is equal to a minor axis length of the oval in cross section of the pressure accumulation chamber and, then, opposite sides of an inner wall of the round hole are removed in a longitudinal direction thereof by broaching or electrical discharge machining. With the processes, the pressure accumulation chamber having the oval shaped cross section is formed.


A video decoder User interface system supports decoding, recording and other applications including the addition of new decoder features and the conversion of data formats between read-only and recordable formats, for example. The system involves generating a menu from stored data representative of a pre-formed menu containing a menu icon permitting User selection of data format conversion of packetized data from a read-only data format to a different recordable data format. The system generates navigation parameters that are compatible with the recordable data format and incorporates them in output data in response to User selection of the menu icon. In another feature, the pre-formed menu also contains an inactive menu icon that is activated by associating and linking an active command with the inactive menu icon.

In digital video processing and storage applications, packetized video data is typically encoded with ancillary information for use in locating, decoding and navigating through encoded image data. In a Digital Video Disk (DVD) type application, ancillary data in the form of volume/file structure data and navigation data contains information for use in locating data and navigating through different image sequences. Volume/file structure information uses one or more file directories in defining file structures for use in locating and recovering data from a storage medium, for example. Navigation data additionally locates and links sections of video/audio program data for use in navigating through image sequence in different modes of operation, for example. In normal program play mode a first sequence of images is located, linked and processed for play by a DVD player and in another mode a different sequence of images is processed to provide a different scene or camera angle, for example. However, such ancillary file structure and navigation information may be encoded in different data formats in accordance with different encoding standards and applications. A program encoded with file structure and navigation data according to one standard for read-only DVD applications may be incompatible with the navigation data structure and content requirements of a different standard such as a recordable DVD format, for example. As a result a recordable format DVD disk may not be playable by a read-only DVD player or a program encoded for read-only DVD format may not be directly stored by a recordable DVD player, and vice versa.
In addition, the content and format of existing file structure and navigation data structures for DVD and other applications are limited and do not adequately support advanced decoder navigation features for multimedia and other applications. Advanced decoder navigation features include, for example, trick play operation (such as reverse, fast forward, freeze-frame etc.), image manipulation (involving linking images out of sequence and from different programs), and navigation in a multi-windowed composite image display containing different video programs or other multimedia application images. Such multimedia picture-in-picture (PIP) type images may comprise, for example, Internet web pages, electronic program guides, Email, telephone, fax, video-phone, home appliance control images as well as video program images. These deficiencies and derivative deficiencies are addressed by a system according to the present invention. Specifically, a system according to the invention addresses the problems involved in generating, processing and formatting ancillary volume/file structure and navigation data to be compatible with different data encoding standards and to support advanced multimedia navigation features.

User interface and processing system for digital video, audio and ancillary data