Artifacts of error diffusion halftoning are reduced by selecting a halftone threshold for a current pixel on the basis of an accumulated halftone error for the pixel and its neighbors.

The present invention relates to systems for displaying digital images and, more particularly, to systems employing error diffusion halftoning for displaying digital images.
A digital image is typically represented as an array of picture elements or pixels at some point during its storage and processing. The pixels, in turn, are represented by a value that quantifies the intensity of one or more chromatic color components of the image at the spatial coordinates represented by the pixel. The intensity is typically expressed as a value on a scale of gray levels extending between the "gray" extremes of black and white. In the case of a color image, the image is typically decomposed into a plurality of color planes. Each color plane comprises a gray scale image representing the intensity of the pixels for one of the three (for example, red, green, and blue) or four (for example, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) color components of the image. The color image is created by superimposing the color planes for the image.
To provide visually appealing, realistic images, the intensity of a pixel is commonly expressed with a resolution of as many as eight or twelve bits. With eight bits the intensity can be resolved to 256 levels and with twelve bits the intensity can be resolved to 4096 levels. On the other hand, display mechanisms such as printers, typically cannot display a pixel at such fine levels of resolution. Most printers are limited to binary resolution, that is, the choice between depositing or not depositing a drop of ink at the pixel location. Some printers can select among a limited number of dot sizes or light and dark inks of a component color, but the resolution is still typically much coarser than that afforded by the input value for the pixel. To simulate the color resolution of the image, printers are designed to trade spatial resolution for color resolution in a process known as halftoning. In response to the high resolution input values for pixels of a region of the image, the printer is controlled to deposit ink at some percentage of the pixels in the corresponding region of the printed image. If done correctly, the human visual system will interpret the spaced dots of ink as an area of gray or color approximating the gray or color of the corresponding region of the original image.
One common halftoning method is "ordered dithering." The printer is instructed to deposit a drop of ink at a location on the print medium if the input value of the pixel at that location exceeds a threshold value. If the pixel's input value is less than the threshold, ink is not deposited at the location. In ordered dithering, a threshold matrix is conceptually overlaid on the output medium and differing thresholds included in the matrix are associated with the various pixel locations on the medium. While ordered dithering is computationally conservative, the probabilistic nature of the process produces unwanted artifacts under many conditions and, for some applications, it is desirable to apply a process than reduces the likelihood of these artifacts.
Error diffusion halftoning is a halftone method intended to improve on the results produced by ordered dithering. For error diffusion halftoning the high resolution input intensity value for the pixel is also compared to a threshold value to determine if ink is to be deposited at a pixel location. However, the threshold, which is often set at approximately one-half the maximum value of the pixel, generally does not vary as a function of pixel location. To achieve the halftone effect, the difference between the input value of a pixel and its "as printed" value or error is distributed among its unprinted neighbors and when a neighbor is printed, the accumulated error is added to the input intensity to obtain augmented input that is compared to the intensity threshold. For example, FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the distribution of error to neighboring pixels 22, 24, 26, and 28 when printing the exemplary pixel 20. For simplicity in the example, it is assumed that the pixel 20 has no accumulated error (Δ=0) and the augmented input value (A) is equal to the input value of the intensity of the pixel (V=239). Since the augmented input intensity (A=239) exceeds the threshold (T=127), the printer is passed an instruction if the form of a binary value (B=1) to deposit ink at the pixel location. The difference between the augmented input value (A) and the "as printed" value of the pixel (B×255=1×255) is the total error (δ=−16) which is distributed among the unprinted neighbors of pixel 20. In the example, the error is distributed according to the error filter weights first proposed by Floyd and Steinberg, ADAPTIVE ALGORITHM FOR SPATIAL GREY SCALE, SID INT. SYM. DIGEST OF TECH. PAPERS, 1975, that is, 7/16 of the total error (−7) is distributed to the pixel 22 immediately to the left of the printed pixel 20. Lesser portions of the error are distributed to three other pixels, 3/16 to pixel 28, 5/16 to pixel 26, and 1/16 to pixel 24 of the row immediately following the row in which the printed pixel 20 is located. Other error diffusion algorithms distribute different portions of the total error to other sets of pixels in the neighborhood of the printed pixel.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the accumulation of error for a pixel 40 and the effect of accumulated error on the threshold determination made when the pixel is printed. Images are typically printed in raster scan order and diffused error is accumulated for a pixel 40 as the neighboring pixels 42, 44, and 46 in the preceding row and the pixel 48 immediately to the left of the current pixel 40 are printed. In other known algorithms error is accumulated in a like fashion but in differing proportions and from different pixels in the neighborhood. When it is time to print the current pixel 40, the input value (V=230) is augmented by the accumulated error (Δ=25) to obtain the augmented input value (A=V+Δ=230+25=255) which is compared to the threshold value (T=127). Since the augmented input intensity exceeds the threshold, ink will be deposited at the current pixel 40 but since the augmented value (A) equals the "as printed" value (B×255=1×255) there is no error (δ=0) to distribute to neighboring pixels. Since the "as printed" value of the binary pixel is either the minimum or maximum value of the pixel, substantial positive and negative error can accumulate. The accumulated error may be sufficient cause a pixel to be printed or not printed even though its input intensity value would justify the opposite result.
The magnitude of the threshold for error diffusion halftoning is generally independent of location and error diffusion is generally more accurate than the ordered dithering method. However, like ordered dithering, error diffusion is a quantization process and can produce artifacts in certain areas of an image. Error diffusion halftoning can produce "worms" or patterns of visible lines of dots, particularly in highlight areas. In addition, the diffusion of error to neighboring pixels can delay highlights by producing heavier patterns of dots in the later pixels of a halftone region. In midtone areas, error diffusion can produce a checker board effect that can visually interfere with a smooth transition between regions of the image. Error diffusion can also cause dots of differing colors to be deposited at the same pixel location. A magenta dot on a cyan dot produces a nearly black dot which can give the image a grainy look.
To reduce the artifacts produced by the four pixel diffusion of the Floyd and Steinberg algorithm, error filters with additional weights have been proposed to further diffuse the error. Filters with additional weights require more computation and can accentuate certain artifacts while reducing others. In addition, error diffusion combined with perturbation or dithering has been proposed. However, these methods are computationally expensive and often add the artifacts of dithering to the artifacts produced by error diffusion. A third method of artifact reduction is to perform a spatial examination with the original input pixel values and use the results of the examination to alter an error diffusion halftone threshold to make it easier or harder to deposit ink at the pixel. This method is very computationally intensive because of the need to perform the examination in addition to the halftoning process.
What is desired, therefore, is an improved halftoning method that reduces artifacts produced by the error diffusion halftone method and conserves computational resources.


An alternator for a motor vehicle has a rectifier bridge with positive diodes which are received in holes formed in a thermally conductive sector, which is fixed to an end plate of the alternator casing and which constitutes a thermal dissipator for the rectifier bridge. The rectifier bridge further includes a second sector of thermally conductive material, which is fixed to the first sector over the holes in the latter in which the positive diodes are received.

The various configurations of rectifiers of the above type are used in alternators having delta-wound stators, and also in alternators having star-wound stators with one positive diode per phase, with, optionally, one additional positive diode for rectification of the neutral point. However, these arrangements do give rise to problems regarding the dissipation of the heat produced by the diodes of the bridge.
In particular, where the alternator stator is delta-wound, overheating is found to occur, especially from the middle diodes, when the current intensity exceeds about 110 amperes.

Rectifier assembly of a motor vehicle alternator with a thermal dissipator


A conductive polymer material which can achieve longer operating life by improving resistance stability at the time of performing continuous conduction, a method for producing the conductive polymer material, and an image forming device member are provided. A conductive polymer material containing a quaternary ammonium base incorporated in a main chain of a polymer material as an electrolyte cation, and an alkyl sulfate radical as an electrolyte anion.

In the electrophotographic image forming device, an image forming device member formed of a conductive polymer material is used in the shape of a roller, a blade, and the like for charging, for developing, for transferring, for toner supplying, for cleaning, and the like.
As the conductive polymer material used for such an object, a material which has low hardness, does not contaminate a photoreceptor and a transfer material, and does not fuse with a toner is required, and thus a polymer elastomer and a polymer foam having rubber elasticity are used.
As a material configuring the polymer elastomer and the polymer foam, a polyurethane resin or the like is used which is obtained by curing solid rubber vulcanizate such as isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, and acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, and a liquid raw material such as a polyol by an isocyanate.
When it is required that the image forming device member has conductivity, for example, the image forming device member is adjusted to have a desired electrical resistance value by mixing a conductive material such as carbon black, and metal oxide, or adding an electrolyte. As the material configuring the polymer elastomer and the polymer foam, a polyurethane resin which is generated by using a polyol and a polyisocyanate as a main raw material is preferably used. The polyurethane resin has an advantage in that the polyurethane resin is able to impart conductivity by the conductive material and the electrolyte, is able to be used by dissolving the electrolyte in the liquid raw material, and is able to be a foamed body, as necessary.
The conductive polymer material including the polyurethane resin as a main constituent is manufactured by mixing a polyol component and a polyisocyanate component at a predetermined ratio, and by foaming and curing the mixture, as necessary. Then, the conductivity of the polyurethane resin is controlled by an added amount of the electrolyte or the like (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Conductive polymer material, method for producing conductive polymer material, and image forming device member


A method of fabricating a semiconductor wafer includes fabricating a gate electrode on a silicon substrate of the semiconductor device and incorporating germanium into the silicon substrate thereafter.

As the dimensions of semiconductor devices scale down, improving the performance of the semiconductor devices increases in importance and difficulty. One performance issue is the enhancement of the current drive of semiconductor devices. A variety of techniques are known and used in attempts to enhance the current drive of semiconductor devices including gate dielectric thinning, channel length reduction, reduction of the poly depletion, and reduction of the source drain series resistance.
An additional technique for improving the current drive of a semiconductor device includes enhancing the carrier mobility in the channel region of the semiconductor device by straining the silicon in the channel region. A typical and well known method of straining silicon in the channel region of a semiconductor device includes growing multiple layers of silicon and silicon alloys over a silicon substrate of a semiconductor wafer. As illustrated in FIG. 24, this method of straining silicon in the channel region of a semiconductor device includes epitaxially growing a buffer silicon germanium (hereinafter sometimes SiGe) film 104 on a top surface 106 of a silicon substrate 102 of a semiconductor wafer 100. The buffer SiGe film 104 contains a graded germanium (hereinafter sometimes Ge) profile having an increasing amount of Ge atoms toward a surface 110 of the buffer SiGe film 104. A relaxed SiGe film 108 is subsequently epitaxially grown on the surface 110 of the buffer SiGe film 104. The relaxed SiGe film 108 includes SiGe molecules separated from each other at defined distances. A silicon (hereinafter sometimes Si) film 112 is epitaxially grown on a surface 104 of the relaxed SiGe film 108.
Growing the Si film 112 on the surface 114 of the relaxed SiGe film 108 creates a lattice mismatch between the films 108, 112. Due to the lattice mismatch between the Si film 112 and the relaxed SiGe film 108, the Si film 112 becomes strained. In particular, the Si film 112 is under biaxial tensile strain, as shown illustratively in FIG. 25. Further, the Si film 112 is strained in directions substantially parallel to the surface 106 of the Si film 102, as illustrated by direction arrows 114.
Thereafter, the semiconductor wafer 100 may be further processed in a conventional manner to form a semiconductor device 150, for example a MOSFET, as illustratively shown in FIG. 26. In particular, such conventional processing may include doping the source region 118 and the drain region 120 thereby forming a channel region 122 between the regions 118, 120. Such conventional processing may further include the growth or deposition of a gate dialectic 124, for example silicon oxide, a gate terminal or interconnect 126, for example polysilicon interconnects, an insulative material 128, for example silicon oxide, and a plurality of insulative spacers 130, for example silicon nitride spacers.
The aforementioned technique for improving the current drive of a semiconductor device may also improve other performance issues of the semiconductor device. For example, the incorporation of germanium into the semiconductor device may improve the source and drain series resistance. Additionally, other techniques for improving the performance of the semiconductor device may be used in conjunction with the incorporation of germanium thereby improving selective performance issues of the semiconductor device.

Method for incorporating germanium into a semiconductor wafer


A signal detecting method and apparatus capable of performing rapid signal reading with the resultant image signal of improved signal-to-noise ratio, in which a charge signal outputted from a radiation image detector is integrated by an integral amplifier, and the integrated electrical signal is passed through a low pass filter to detect it as an image signal. The transient response time of the low pass filter is reduced and a sufficient integration time is secured by altering the time constant of the low pass filter by the time constant altering means such that the time constant during the time period between resetting of the integral amplifier and initiation of the next integration is set smaller than that during the time period between the initiation of the inputting of the integrated electrical signal to the low pass filter and holding of the filtered electrical signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal detection method and apparatus for detecting a charge signal outputted from a radiation image detector, which is configured to receive radiation carrying a radiation image to record the image therein, as an image signal representing the radiation image by integrating the charge signal outputted from the detector with an integral amplifier and passing the integrated electrical signal through a low pass filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of radiation image detectors configured to receive radiation transmitted through a subject to record the radiation image of the subject and to output a charge signal in accordance with the image recorded therein have been proposed and put into practical use in the medical and other industrial fields.
One such detector uses a semiconductor material that will generate charges when exposed to radiation. Another type of such detector uses a storage phosphor sheet made of storage phosphor that will store radiation energy when exposed to radiation and emit stimulated luminescence when irradiated by reading light.
As for examples of the radiation image detectors using a semiconductor material described above, a so-called optical reading system that will read out the charge signal through the scanning of linear reading light, and a so-called TFT system that will read out the charge signal through on-off switching of TFT switches arranged two dimensionally have been proposed. In one of the radiation image detectors that use the storage phosphor sheet, the charge signal will be read out by receiving stimulated luminescence emitted through the irradiation of the reading light from the storage phosphor sheet with a linear sensor having photoelectric conversion elements arranged lineally, and converting the stimulated luminescence received by the sensor to an electrical signal through photoelectric conversion at the linear sensor.
Then, as described, for example, in the non-patent document entitled "Large-Area, Low-Noise Amorphous Silicon Imaging System" (R. B. Apte et al., SPIE Vol. 3301, p. 2–p. 8, 1998), the charge signal outputted from the radiation image detector is integrated by the integral amplifier (also referred to as "charge amplifier" as it amplifies charges) connected at the latter stage and detected as an image signal representing the radiation image. The wide use of the integral amplifier is due to the fact that it is easier to obtain a high sensitivity with ease of integration in manufacturing compared with I–V amplifiers and the like because of its circuit configuration.
Here, the amount of noise QN of the integral amplifier described above is express by the following formula:
      Q    N    =            Q      o        +                  C                  i                                                              n                                                        kT                          g              m                                                      (                                          f                N                            -                              1.8                                  t                  s                                                      )
where:
k: Boltzmann constant
T: absolute temperature
QO: fixed noise component
tS: sampling time
fN: noise bandwidth, for 1—pole LPF,
      f    N    =      1          4                                      τ      τ : time constant
Cin: total input capacitance
gm: transconductance of integral amplifier
Thus, in order to reduce the noise, fN needs to be minimized, that is, the time constant τ of the low pass filter connected at the latter stage of the integral amplifier needs to be increased. In particular, the radiation image detectors of the optical reading system and those that use the storage phosphor sheet described above are slow in responding to reading light, requiring a longer sampling time ts, whereby fN needs to be further reduced.
However, the increase in the time constant τ of the low pass filter connected at the latter stage of the integral amplifier results in a longer transient response time of the low pass filter when integral amplifier is reset to discharge the charges integrated therein. Thus, if the signal reading needs to be completed within a predetermined sequence time, a less time may be allowed for the irradiation of reading light and the charge signal read out from the radiation image detector becomes inevitably small, resulting in degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio. On the other hand, if a predetermined signal-to-noise ratio is to be maintained, a certain time period needs to be secured as the irradiation time of the reading light. This requires a longer sequence time, thus resulting in a longer reading time for reading out the radiation image.


The properties and the amounts of polymers produced in the second stage of a polymerization process in the presence of propylene and ethylene or other alpha olefin are controlled by the addition of an external electron donor to the second stage polymerization. The dosage of external donor to the second stage polymerization is based on a percentage of the dosage of external donor to a first stage polymerization of propylene in the process. The external donor added to the second stage is either the same as or different from the external donor added to the first stage.

Polypropylene in general is produced in a process using multiple gas and/or liquid phase reactors. For a polypropylene impact copolymer, a propylene homopolymer is normally produced in a first stage polymerization, followed by ethylene-propylene or other alpha olefin-propylene copolymer in a second stage polymerization. The overall properties of the impact copolymer are a function of the homopolymer produced in the first stage and the copolymer produced in the second stage. Further, the qualities of the homopolymer and copolymer are a function of the polymerization conditions in the first and second stage respectively. As a result, manufacturers are constantly looking for new ways to manipulate polymerization conditions to produce improved impact copolymers. In addition, producing more polymers for a given amounts of catalyst and co-catalyst employed for the polymerization would be beneficial.
It would be desirable to provide a new method for manipulating the properties as well as the amounts of polymers produced in the second stage polymerization.

Process for production of propylene copolymers


In some implementations, encrypted data (e.g., application data, keychain data, stored passwords, etc.) stored on a mobile device can be accessed (e.g., decrypted, made available) based on the context of the mobile device. The context can include the current device state (e.g., locked, unlocked, after first unlock, etc.). The context can include the current device settings (e.g., passcode enabled/disabled). The context can include data that has been received by the mobile device (e.g., fingerprint scan, passcode entered, location information, encryption key received, time information).

Mobile devices are used to store and process data. Often the data stored on the mobile device includes sensitive personal information (e.g., names, addresses, credit card information, passwords, etc.) or secret enterprise information (e.g., client information, medical records, etc.). Modern mobile devices are often configured to encrypt data stored on the mobile device and make the data available only under certain conditions (e.g., when the device is unlocked, when valid password is entered, etc.).

Systems and methods of context based data access control of encrypted files


A projection zoom lens includes, in order from an enlargement side, a first lens unit G1 of negative refracting power, a second lens unit G2 of positive refracting power and a third lens unit G3 of positive refracting power. Focusing is implemented by movement of the first lens unit G1 alone. The first lens unit satisfies condition (1) with respect to its movement.0.003<Δd/|f1|<0.030  (1)Here f1 is the focal length of the first lens unit, and Δd is the maximum displacement of the first lens unit as measured from a wide-angle end position thereof upon zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end with a projected image focusing at a constant distance.

The present invention relates generally to a projection zoom lens and a projector apparatus using the same, and more specifically to a projection zoom lens for enlargement and projection of an image from a light bulb using a DMD (digital micro-mirror device) operable to select the direction of reflection of light, and a projector apparatus using the same.
So far, numerous projectors for enlarging and projecting images displayed on LCDs (liquid crystal devices) have been proposed. As well known in the art, DMDs comprising a micro-mirror array and operable to change the direction of reflection of light to form a display image toward a specific direction, too, are usable in place of LCDs.
A DMD, because it responds more quickly to control signals than does an LCD and is a reflection type device, is lower in the transmission loss of light quantity than a transmission type LCD. Therefore, when it comes to screen illuminance equivalent to that obtained through an LCD projector, a DMD projector is more favorable than the LCD projector, because the power of a light source unit can be lower, and a cooler used with it can be smaller in size and quieter than the LCD projector. In other words, if DMDs are used in lieu of LCDs, it would then be possible to provide a projector apparatus of far higher luminance and even smaller size.
In DMDs, however, the angle of rotation of the micro-mirror is set at ±12°. By a choice of this angle of rotation of the mirror, there is a switchover from reflected light (effective light) incident on a projection lens and used for projection to reflected light (ineffective light) not incident on the projection lens, and vice versa. Restrictions on the range of the angle of rotation place some limitations on where to locate an illumination optical system operable to enter illumination light into a light bulb in a DMD or the like and a projection lens operable to produce effective light; the illumination optical system and the projection lens must be proximate to the DMD in the same direction.
To stay away interference between the illumination optical system and the projection lens, there are some needs of reducing the diameter of a lens located in, and nearest to the reduction side of, the projection lens arrangement as much as possible, thereby ensuring that there is a large enough space (back focus) between the projection lens and the DMD, and implementing optical design in consideration of the fact that an optical member located near the DEM is used for both the illumination optical system and the projection optical system.
To address demands for size reductions of the projector apparatus, reductions of projection distance, an increasing degree of flexibility in location, cost reductions, and so on, various types of projection lenses contributing to size reductions, wide-angle arrangements, zooming arrangements and reductions in the number of lenses are now under study.
There are proposed several techniques of locating a convex lens (field lens) just before a DMD such that it is used not only for an illumination optical system but also as a part of a projection lens, thereby allowing the field lens to share a part of the aberration correction function of the projection lens. With such techniques, the whole optical system in the DMD projection apparatus can be made compact.

Projection zoom lens system and projector apparatus using the same


A circulating apparatus includes a firing jig assembling apparatus, a firing furnace, a firing jig disassembling apparatus, and a transporting conveyor. The firing jig assembling apparatus includes a lid member attaching mechanism that attaches the lid member to a predetermined position of the firing jig placed on the table or the conveyor; and a jig delivering mechanism that delivers the firing jig which has the ceramic molded body being mounted thereon and the lid member being attached thereto, to the firing furnace. The firing jig disassembling apparatus further includes a jig receiving mechanism that receives the firing jig which has the fired ceramic molded body being mounted thereon and the lid member being attached thereto, from the firing furnace; and a lid member detaching mechanism that detaches the lid member from the firing jig placed on the table or the conveyor with the lid member being attached thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a firing jig assembling apparatus, a firing jig disassembling apparatus, a circulating apparatus, a method for firing a ceramic molded body, and a method for manufacturing a honeycomb structure.
2. Discussion of the Background
In recent years, particulates such as soot contained in exhaust gases that are discharged from internal combustion engines of vehicles, such as buses and trucks, and construction machines, have raised serious problems as contaminants harmful to the environment and the human body.
Various honeycomb filters using honeycomb structural bodies as filters that collect particulates in exhaust gases to purify the exhaust gases have been proposed.
Conventionally, upon manufacturing a honeycomb structure, first, a wet mixture is prepared by mixing ceramic powder, a binder and a dispersant solution or the like with one another. Moreover, the wet mixture is continuously extrusion-molded through a die, and the extrusion-molded body is cut into a predetermined length so that a pillar-shaped honeycomb molded body is manufactured.
Next, the resulting honeycomb molded body is dried by using a microwave dryer or a hot-air dryer.
Thereafter, the end portions of this honeycomb molded body are plugged by a plug material paste mainly composed of the ceramic powder into a diced pattern, and then respective degreasing and firing processes are carried out so that a honeycomb fired body is manufactured.
Thereafter, a sealing material paste is applied to the side faces of the honeycomb fired body, and the honeycomb fired bodies are mutually bonded by using an adhesive so that an aggregate of the honeycomb fired bodies in which a number of the honeycomb fired bodies are bound to one another through the sealing material layers (adhesive layers) is manufactured. Next, the resulting aggregate of the honeycomb fired bodies is cut and machined into a predetermined shape, such as a cylindrical shape and an cylindroid shape, by using a cutting machine or the like so that a honeycomb block is formed. Lastly, a sealing material paste is applied onto the periphery of the honeycomb block to form a sealing material layer (coat layer); thus, the manufacturing of the honeycomb structure is completed.
In such a method for manufacturing a honeycomb structure, the firing process is normally carried out on a honeycomb molded body that is mounted on a firing jig, with a lid member being attached to the firing jig. Here, these firing jig and lid member are normally used repeatedly.
For example, WO 2005/024326 A1 has disclosed a method for circulating a receiving base on which the honeycomb molded body is placed so as to use the receiving base repeatedly.
The contents of WO 2005/024326 A1 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Method for firing ceramic molded body and method for manufacturing honeycomb structure


A soft sword comprising a core rod which comprises a short flexible center core comprising a grip and a guard constructed in one body and a soft core mounted coaxially around said flexible center core, a bag covered on said core rod by engaging at both ends of the core rod, and a grip tape wrapped onto said grip over said bag. Further, the soft sword comprises a core rod which comprises a long flexible center core comprising a grip and a guard constructed in one body and a soft core mounted coaxially around said flexible center core, a bag covered on said core rod by engaging at both ends of the core rod, and a grip tape wrapped onto said grip over said bag.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a soft sword used in the training of military arts (self-defense arts) in which short or long rods, etc. are operated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To defend oneself by using a short or long rod, etc. from the attack of an enemy, considerable exercising is required. A soft sword known in the prior art is most suitable for such a training, because it will not damage the partner thanks to its softness as cushion when hitting the partner.
FIG. 6 shows such a soft sword K known in the prior art, which has been long used so far. FIGS. 7 and 8 show the exploded views of the soft sword of FIG. 6. More explicitly, FIG. 7 shows a core rod B while FIG. 8 denoting a bag to be covered onto the core rod B.
In said core rod B, numerals 1, 2 and 3 represent a center core, a grip and a guard provided at a junction portion between the grip 2 and the center core 1. The center core 1, grip 2 and the guard 3 are constructed integratedly and coaxially into one body. A soft core 4 is engaged coaxially with the center core 1 and comprises a rubber material, etc. of soft and cushioning nature. A grip tape 5 is wrapped around the grip 2 of the core rod B. Normal dimensions of such a sword as described above include 10-12 cm for the length and 2-3 cm for the diameter of the grip 2 and 48-52 cm for the length and 4.5-5.0 cm for the diameter of the soft core 4.
A bag F comprises a cotton bag unit 6 provided with an opening portion 6a at one end and a closing string 7 equipped at the opening portion 6a.
The soft sword B shown in FIG. 6 is completely assembled by covering the bag F onto the soft core 4 of said core rod B, tightening the closing string 7 and binding it onto the grip 2 at the root of the guard 3.
An exerciser grips the grip 2 covered with the grip tape 5 and swings the sword in a typical operation pattern. The sword is so light, easy operable and soft and flexible that the exerciser will not harm his partner during a training or tournament.
Nevertheless, when the sword is violently swung during a tournament of self-defense arts, etc., it sometimes occurs that the closing string 7 is loosened to release the bag F and the soft core 4 while hitting and hurting the partner's body or face with the center core 1. Such an accident as mentioned above could not be avoided even through the closing string 7 of the bag F was tightly bound.


The present disclosure proposes a mobile terminal including a display, a window to cover the display, the window having a central region and an edge region, a touch pattern unit on a surface of the window, the touch pattern unit to define a sensing channel for a touch input applied to the window, and a signal transfer unit to cover at least a portion of the edge region of the window, the signal transfer unit to electrically connect to the touch pattern unit and provide a signal transfer path, and the signal transfer unit is formed of a colored material and is outwardly exposed from the edge region.

1. Field of the Invention
This specification relates to a mobile terminal having a touch-sensitive input structure.
2. Background of the Invention
Mobile terminals are electronic devices which are portable and have at least one of voice and telephone call functions, information input and/or output functions, a data storage function and the like.
As it becomes multifunctional, the mobile terminal can be allowed to capture still images or moving images, play music or video files, play games, receive broadcast and the like, so as to be implemented as an integrated multimedia player.
Various attempts have been done for the multimedia device in aspect of hardware or software in order to implement such complicated functions. Among those attempts, improvement of the hardware configuration may be considered.
As the mobile terminals are regarded as personal belongings to express personalities, various design factors are required. Such design factors include structural changes and improvement for making an appearance of the mobile terminal better.
In recent time, in order to fabricate a mobile terminal providing a convenient user interface with a simpler appearance, a touch-sensitive input mechanism is employed. At a general process, a colored layer is printed to cover an edge region of a window, a touch pattern layer is then deposited on a central region of the window corresponding to a display, and an electrode layer electrically connected to the touch pattern layer is formed on the colored layer.
With this structure and fabrication method, the colored layer is discolored due to high temperature upon deposition of the touch pattern layer, and damaged during etching of the touch pattern layer. Further, the touch pattern layer may be damaged at a stepped portion between the colored layer and the touch pattern layer. In addition, implementation of a precise electrode layer may be impossible due to luminance of the colored layer and foreign materials added during processes.

Mobile terminal and method for fabricating the same


Provided is a method of activating immune cells and/or an immune system response in a subject. The method may comprise administering to a subject an effective amount of a compound of Formula (I): or a prodrug, derivative, and/or salt thereof. In some embodiments, the method comprises contacting an immune cell with a compound of Formula (I) or a prodrug, derivative, and/or salt thereof. Also provided are compounds, compositions, and kits for activating immune cells and/or an immune system response in a subject.

15deoxy, Δ12,14 Prostaglandin J2 (15dPGJ2-EA; see U.S. Pat. No. 9,328,060) is a novel molecule that has shown cytotoxic activity across several cancer types. It has been determined that 15dPGJ2-EA preferentially causes cell death in tumor cells compared to non-tumor cells and that this preference is initiated through induction of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress.
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle that is primarily responsible for folding proteins. ER stress occurs when the demand for protein folding exceeds the cells capacity to fold proteins leading to an accumulation in unfolded or misfolded proteins. In response to the accumulation of malformed proteins the cell attempts to relieve the stress or initiates death if the total cellular stress is insurmountable.

Compounds, compositions, kits, and methods for activating immune cells and/or an immune system response


The present invention provides compositions and methods useful for diagnosing, treating, and preventing cancer, particularly ovarian cancer and uterine cancer, based on the discovery that the oocyte specific protein, SAS1R (Sperm Acrosomal SLLP1 Receptor), which is a sperm protein receptor, is also expressed in various cancers, including ovarian cancer and uterine cancer. Six SAS1R variants have been previously identified, and they are encompassed by the invention. The present invention further provides antibodies useful for targeting SAS1R expressing cells and for killing such cells.

The astacin family of metalloendopeptidases was recognized as a novel family of proteases in the 1990s. The astacins are a subfamily of the metzincin superfamily of metalloproteinases. The first to be characterized was the crayfish enzyme astacin. To date more than 200 members of this family have been identified in species ranging from bacteria to humans. Astacins are involved in developmental morphogenesis, matrix assembly, tissue differentiation, and digestion. Family members include the procollagen C-proteinase (BMP1, bone morphogenetic protein 1), tolloid and mammalian tolloid-like, HMP (Hydra vulgaris metalloproteinase), sea urchin BP10 (blastula protein) and SPAN (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus astacin), the 'hatching' subfamily comprising alveolin, ovastacin, LCE, HCE ('low' and 'high' choriolytic enzymes), nephrosin (from carp head kidney), UVS.2 from frog, and the meprins. In the human and mouse genomes, there are six astacin family genes (two meprins, three BMP1/tolloid-like, one ovastacin), but in Caenorhabditis elegans there are 40.
Astacin family members are characterized by a unique 18-amino acid signature sequence, which begins with a five-amino acid zinc-binding motif found in most metalloendopeptidases (See review by Bond and Benyon, 1995). The signature sequence is part of an approximately 200-amino acid sequence, which is the entire mature crayfish astacin and the catalytic or protease domain of all the members of the family. Signal and prosequences are also common features of family member, with the possible exception of QuCAM-1; these NH2-terminal domains have yet to be found for this latter protein. Astacin, which until recently was only studied as a mature protein that begins with the protease domain, is now known to contain a prepro segment of 49 residues. The transient signal peptides direct the proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum during biosynthesis, which is consistent with the finding that all of the proteins of the family studied thus far are secreted or plasma membrane bound. The prosequences vary greatly in size, containing up to 519 amino acids for Drosophila tolloid-related-1 (DrT/r-1), and are likely to be important for regulating activity and perhaps expression of the proteases. Regarding the latter point, for example, the large prosequence of DrT/r-1 has been suggested to prevent expression of this gene product in early stages of embryogenesis when cell cycles are very short.
Meprins are zinc-dependent, membrane-bound proteases and members of the "astacin family" of metalloproteinases (Bond and Beynon, 1995, Protein Sci. 4: 1247-1261; Sterchi et al., 2008, Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 29:309-328). The enzymes are multidomain, oligomeric proteins. The expression is highly regulated on the transcriptional and translational level. Typically, the proteins are targeted to apical membranes of polarized epithelial cells (Eldering et al., Eur. J. Biochem. 247: 920-932, 1997). Various growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular matrix proteins are substrates for meprins. Meprins have been identified in leukocytes, cancer cells and intestine and kidney. Both the meprin α and β genes are expressed in various cancer cells. In colorectal tumour tissue meprin α mRNA, immunoreactive protein and enzymatic activity is detected. In contrast to normal colon, however, the meprin α subunit is secreted into the stroma of the tumor where it accumulates and can be detected by immuno-histochemical methods. The mechanism of this aberrant secretion was shown using a colon adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) expressing meprin α endogenously. When cultured on transwell filter supports meprin is equally secreted from the apical and the basolateral membrane domains. On the basolateral side of the epithelial cell layer, meprin α may be activated by plasmin, which is generated from plasminogen by an activation process catalyzed by uPA from intestinal fibroblasts (Rösmann et al., 2002). Meprin expression may play a role in tumor cell invasion and migration and in doing so may be involved in tumor progression (Sterchi et al., 2008; Rosmann et al., 2002, J. Biol. Chem., 277:43:40650-40658).
Quesada et al. (2004, J. Biol. Chem., 279:25:26627-26634) isolated a novel protein from mouse and human and because of its predominant expression in ovarian tissues and apparent similarity to astacins named it "ovastacin". Quesada was looking for candidate metalloproteinases involved in the process of embryo hatching and used the BLAST algorithm to look for novel astacin metalloproteinases. They discovered and sequenced a novel protein in mouse and human and localized the gene in humans to human chromosome 2q11.1. Computer analysis revealed an N-terminal signal peptide, a zinc-dependent metalloprotease domain, and a prodomain possibly involved in maintaining protease latency. However, ovastacin was found to have an additional 150 amino acid C-terminal domain not found in other astacins. Quesada et al. also showed that the protein has metalloprotease activity, and that it was expressed in no normal tissues other than ovary. They suggested that its normal function of ovastacin might be similar to the astacin family "hatching enzymes" of lower species. Additionally, they found that it was expressed in some cancer cells, including lymphoma and leukemia cells lines, but only two of five ovarian carcinomas tested, and that was only detectable using RT-PCR. Other groups have more recently referred to ovastacin as "Astacin Like protein" (ASTL).
At about the same time Quesada discovered "ovastacin", another group isolated it and referred to it at first as Zinc Endopeptidase (ZEP) (Mandal et al., published on Aug. 31, 2006, PCT Pat. Pub. No. WO 2006/091535) and later as Sperm Acrosomal SLLP1 Receptor ("SAS1R"), because it was an oocyte protein that they found interacted with the sperm protein SLLP1 (Mandal et al., 2008, Biol. of Reproduction, 78:69:72; Herr et al., PCT Pat. Pub. No. WO 2010/054187, published May 14, 2010).
Mandal et al., (PCT Pat. Pub. No. WO 2006/091535) showed that ZEP had 2 variants, a sequence indicating a predicted transmembrane domain, a cleavage site, and a zinc binding signature. They pointed out that it was homologous to the hatching enzyme EHE7 of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica and hypothesized that it may be performing a similar function in mouse embryo development. The bioinformatic analysis of Mandal showed that the protein has two glycosylation sites, phosphorylation sites, and myristylation sites. They noted that the sites were suggestive of a membrane protein and that transmembrane topology also predicted a strong transmembrane domain at the N-terminal of the protein. Their data showed that it was egg specific, and that it localized on the egg surface in the microvillar region, but was developmentally regulated. The data also suggested interactions between ZEP and the sperm surface protein SLLP1.
In Mandal et al. (Biology of Reproduction, 78:69-72, 2008), the group began referring to ZEP as SAS1R. They found that SAS1R localized on the microvillar domain of mature live oocytes and was significantly lost after fertilization, being virtually undetectable in blastocysts. They showed that transfection of CHO-K1 cells with a full length SAS1R cDNA construct allowed the protein to be expressed on the surface of non-permeabilized cells, indicating the presence of an active transmembrane domain. They also described protease characteristics and the ability of SAS1R to act as the receptor for the sperm protein SLLP1.
Herr et al. (PCT Pat. Pub. No. WO 2010/054187; published on May 14, 2010) found that: native SAS1R showed binding to recombinant SLLP1 using the surface plasmon resonance technique; bound recombinant SAS1R captured recombinant SLLP1 in a membrane overlay assay (Far Western analyses); SAS1R and SLLP1 revealed molecular binding properties by yeast two hybrid analysis; immunoprecipitation of recombinant SAS1R recovered recombinant SLLP1 and immunoprecipitated recombinant SLLP1 recovered recombinant SAS1R from rabbit reticulocyte extract; recombinant SLLP1 binds to oocyte microvillar domain and co-localizes with native SAS1R; recombinant SAS1R binds to acrosome of sperm and co-localizes with native SLLP1; native SLLP1 from sperm acrosomal matrix localizes with native SAS1R; and native SAS1R and native SLLP1 are co-precipitated from mixtures of non-ionic detergent extracts of oocytes and sperm. Herr et al. also showed that SAS1R is localized on live human eggs retrieved for in vitro fertilization and that administration of exogenous SAS1R to a subject elicits an immune response against SAS1R. They also demonstrated that SAS1R protein first arises in bilaminar secondary follicles during postnatal oogenesis, in pubertal oogenesis, as well as adult oogenesis. The pattern is uniform irrespective of the age of the animal. In adult mouse ovaries, SAS1R staining is restricted to oocytes within secondary follicles and all subsequent stages. Primordial oocytes and primary oocytes do not stain for SAS1R at any developmental stage. They found that the only cell type in the ovary that stained for SAS1R was oocytes and that the presence of SAS1R was developmentally regulate.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) predicts 43,470 new cases of uterine cancer in 2010 and 7,950 deaths in the U.S. There are no screening assays for early detection and monitoring of uterine cancer. A form of uterine cancer known as malignant mixed Mullerian tumors (MMMTs) is of interest because this type of uterine cancer occurs predominantly in post-menopausal women. MMMTs are a particularly aggressive cancer and patients do poorly. MMMTs account for approximately 10% of endometrial malignancies.
Worldwide, ovarian cancer (CaO) is the leading cause of death from gynecological cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women. In 2010, ACS estimates 20,180 new cases of CaO will be diagnosed in the United States and 15,310 women will die from the disease. High death rates result from the difficulty associated with detecting CaO at an early stage and the lack of effective therapies to treat advanced disease.
Given the lack of definitive diagnostic tests for cancer such as ovarian and uterine cancers, and the poor prognosis for patients with metastatic disease, there is a long felt need in the art for diagnostic tests for these and other cancers.
There is a long felt need in the art to identify and use cancer biomarkers and to find methods to regulate these biomarkers, including targeting the biomarker for treatment and prevention of cancer. The present invention satisfies these needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compositions and methods for detecting, diagnosing, and treating cancer

University of Virginia Patent Foundation


An image forming apparatus and a developing device that can deposit a developing liquid on a liquid carrier in a form of a thin layer, causing the thin layer to contact an image carrier of the image forming apparatus. A liquid carrier is in contact with the image carrier to carry the thin layer of the developing liquid to the image carrier. A thin layer contact member contacts the thin layer formed on the liquid carrier at a position upstream of where the liquid carrier and the image carrier contact each other in a direction in which the liquid carrier is movable, to apply a shearing force to the thin layer. Further, the thin layer contact member includes a rotary member with a movable surface that rotates, at a position where the rotary member faces the liquid carrier, in a rotating direction opposite to the rotation direction in which the liquid carrier is movable.

The present invention relates to a copier, facsimile apparatus, printer or similar image forming apparatus using a developing liquid, a developing device therefor, and a program recording medium. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus of the type developing a latent image formed on an image carrier with a developing liquid or an image forming substance contained therein, a developing device therefor, and a program recording medium.
It is a common practice with an image forming apparatus of the type described to electrophotographically form an image by the following procedure. A data writing unit writes image data on the surface of an image carrier uniformly charged by charging means. As a result, a latent image corresponding to the image data is electrostatically formed on the image carrier. An image forming substance contained in a developing liquid fed from a developing device develops the latent image to thereby produce a corresponding visible image. The visible image is transferred from the image carrier to a paper or similar recording medium fed from, e.g., a cassette. After a fixing unit has fixed the image on the paper, the paper is driven out of the apparatus to a tray. After the image transfer, cleaning means removes the developing liquid and image forming substance left on the image carrier. Subsequently. discharging means discharges the image carrier to thereby prepare it for the next image forming cycle.
The above image forming apparatus is operable with a developing liquid consisting of a carrier liquid and toner, i.e. , an image forming substance. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 7-209922, for example, discloses an image forming apparatus using a developing liquid having viscosity of 100 mPaxc2x7S to 10,000 mPaxc2x7s for developing a latent image formed on a photoconductive element or image carrier. Specifically, a developing device included in the apparatus includes a developer carrier implemented as a developing roller or a developing belt. While the developing liquid is deposited on the above roller or belt in a thin layer, a prewetting liquid is applied to a latent image on the photoconductive element. Toner contained in the thin layer is caused to electrostatically migrate toward the latent image in the carrier liquid and presetting liquid (electrophoresis), thereby forming a toner image. As a result, a sharp image is transferred from the photoconductive element to a paper or similar recording medium with high quality. The above document teaches that the presetting liquid applied to the photoconductive element prevents the toner from depositing on the non-image area of the element and disturbing the image.
The developing liquid may be implemented as liquid ink containing dyestuffs or similar image forming substance, as taught in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 48-16644. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 50-99157, for example, proposes an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image with silicone oil or similar dielectric open fluid and liquid ink having a greater adhering force than the dielectric open fluid. The dielectric open fluid is applied to a charge holding surface, or image carrier, forming an open layer. At the same time, the dielectric open fluid is applied to the surface of an ink applying member or liquid carrier in order to form an open layer, and then the liquid ink is applied thereto. During development, the charge holding surface and ink applying member are caused to face each other while sandwiching the open layer, liquid ink, and open layer. Subsequently, the charge holding surface and ink applying member are moved away from each other, causing the intermediate liquid ink to electrostatically adhere to the open layer of the charge holding surface. The ink deposited on the open layer develops the latent image. Because the open layer of the ink applying member has a smaller adhering force than the ink, the ink does not remain on the ink applying member; rather, the open layer migrates toward the charge holding surface together with the liquid ink over at least part of its thickness.
Some liquids have a viscosity characteristic dependent on a shearing force, as well known in the art. This kind of liquid sequentially reduces its viscosity up to a saturation level when subjected to a shearing force derived from, e.g., agitation. When the liquid is left without any shearing force acting thereon, the viscosity sequentially increases toward a saturation level. Many of viscous developing liquids containing dense toner in a carrier liquid have this kind of characteristic.
The inventors found by researches and experiments that various problems arose when a developing liquid of the type described was applied to any one of the conventional image forming apparatuses. For example, when liquid ink whose viscosity is dependent on a shearing force is applied to the apparatus taught in the above Laid-Open Publication No. 48-16644, a ripple having a sufficient amplitude cannot occur in the ink having been left unused and therefore having increased viscosity. It is therefore likely that the ink and photoconductive element cannot sufficiently contact each other. It follows that image density is apt to be short before the ink left unused over a long period of time has its viscosity sufficiently lowered by, e.g., agitation.
Assume that the developing liquid of the kind described is applied to the apparatus disclosed in Laid-Open Publication No. 7-209922. Then, toner contained in the liquid left unused and increased in viscosity migrates at a lower speed based on electrophoresis than toner contained in the liquid lowered in viscosity by a shearing force. The resulting short deposition of the toner makes image density short. Moreover, the toner failed to migrate remains on the non-image area of the photoconductive element, contaminating the background of an image. In addition, it is difficult to separate the portions of the above liquid corresponding to the image area and non-image area, respectively, from each other due to tacking, causing the edges of an image to appear blurred and thereby degrading the sharpness of the image. Sharpness is also degraded when a developing liquid whose viscosity characteristic is dependent on a shearing force is applied to the above apparatus.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed, in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 7-334004 and 11-223997.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus al lowing a minimum of short image density, background contamination and short image sharpness to occur despite the use of a developing liquid whose viscosity characteristic is dependent on a shearing force, a developing device therefor, and a program recording medium.
In accordance with the present invention, an image forming apparatus for depositing a thin layer of a developing liquid or an image forming substance contained therein on a latent image formed on an image carrier to thereby develop the latent image includes a liquid storing portion for storing the liquid, a liquid carrier movable while conveying the liquid deposited thereon, and a first agitating member for agitating the liquid stored in the liquid storing portion. Before the liquid carrier starts being driven for developing the latent image, the agitating member is caused to start agitating the developing liquid.
Also, in accordance with the present invention, in a developing device for depositing a developing liquid on a liquid carrier in the form of a thin layer, causing the thin layer to contact an image carrier included in an image forming apparatus, and depositing the thin layer or an image forming substance contained therein on a latent image formed on the image carrier to thereby develop the latent image, a thin layer contact member contacts the thin layer formed on the liquid carrier at a position upstream of a position where the liquid carrier and image carrier contact each other in a direction in which the liquid carrier is movable.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, in a program recording medium for mechanically recording a control program applicable to a control unit included in an image forming apparatus including a liquid storing portion for storing a developing liquid, a liquid carrier movable while conveying the liquid deposited thereon, an agitating member for agitating the liquid in the liquid storing portion, an image carrier for forming a latent image thereon, and the control unit for controllably driving the liquid carrier and agitating member on the basis of the control program, the developing liquid deposited on the liquid carrier in a thin layer or an image forming substance contained therein depositing on the latent image to thereby develop the latent image, the control unit stores the control program for starting driving the agitating member before starting driving the liquid carrier for developing the latent image.

Image forming apparatus using a developing liquid, developing device therefor and program recording medium


Particular embodiments of a computing device may provide a main thread, a graphics thread to handle tasks related to rendering and presenting a graphical user interface (GUI), and an input thread to handle tasks related to processing input-related events. The GUI may comprise at least one animated component associated with a set of state variables. The main thread may handle tasks to generate a GUI hierarchy and provide copies of the GUI hierarchy to the input thread and the graphics thread. The input thread may handle tasks to initialize and update the state variables and provide information about the state variables to the graphics thread. The graphics thread may then handle tasks to update the GUI by rendering a first frame of the animation based on the state variables.

A computing device may render a graphical user interface (GUI) for display. In some cases, it may be possible to interact with certain components of a GUI. The view displayed by the GUI (and therefore, the particular set of components comprising the GUI) may change as user input is received in relation to interactive components of the GUI (e.g., through a gesture, such as scrolling or clicking/tapping).
Conventionally, all instructions for any particular application may be handled by a single thread (i.e., the main execution thread). A significant portion of the instructions handled by the main execution thread may include generating and/or updating a view of a GUI for the application, as well as handling user input received in relation to particular components of the GUI. Latency attributable to GUI-related input (e.g., processing touch sensor data to identify a gesture) and output (i.e., updating the GUI in response to received user input) tasks may increase significantly as the GUI becomes more complex (e.g., when animations are presented in the GUI) and/or as particular components of the GUI become more expensive to render.

Asynchronous execution of animation tasks for a GUI


A method and apparatus may provision a new computer code file as an update or a new application for end nodes of a cloud computing system. The method and apparatus may receive a computer code file at a repository server via a portal interface to an automation service. The computer code file may include a discrete file or package of files corresponding to a complete application or an update for an application for execution on cloud computing system nodes. The method and apparatus may also receive provisioning conditions at the automation service via the portal interface, send the computer code file to the cloud computing system end nodes based on the received provisioning conditions, and cause the sent computer code file to be installed on each of the plurality of cloud computing system end nodes.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Provisioning is a process to prepare nodes of a computer network for new services to network users. Typically, the provisioning process closely monitors the rights of a user attempting to change the network to ensure other users' privacy and network resource security. Provisioning also ensures compliance with network protocols and minimizes the vulnerability of systems to penetration and abuse while reducing a user's ability to customize any configurations.
Cloud-based systems are generally described as providing on-demand self-service to its users. The self-service nature of cloud computing typically lets users edit and obtain cloud services (e.g., configurations, applications, the infrastructure supporting the applications, etc.) without action from a system administrator. A cloud service portal provides this access to system users. Provisioning in cloud-based systems most often occurs when a company transitions its existing applications or new applications to the cloud. However, cloud-based systems often require new applications to be significantly re-engineered before they may be provisioned.

System and method for a self service portal and automation for internally hosted virtual server resources

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY


A communication system includes a source node including a first connection control register, a destination node including a second connection control register, and a controller. The controller is adapted to select one of a first and a second communication protocol as a communication protocol to be used between the source node and the destination node, to set a logical connection to be used between the source node and the destination node, to access the first connection control register to store therein information for the communication protocol selected by the controller and information for the logical connection set by the controller, and to access the second connection control register to store therein information for the communication protocol selected by the controller and information for the logical connection set by the controller. The first communication protocol uses an asynchronous transfer, but does not use an isochronous transfer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication system, a data communication method and a data communication apparatus, and, more particularly, it relates to a network in which communication is effected at a high speed while mixing information data (including image data) and command data, and a communication protocol applicable to such a network.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, among peripheral equipments for a personal computer (referred to as "PC" hereinafter), hard discs and printers have been used most widely. Such a peripheral equipment has been connected to the PC via a multi-purpose digital interface such as an exclusive I/O interface or an SCSI (small computer system interface).
On the other hand, recently, AV (Audio/Visual) equipments such as digital cameras, digital video cameras or the like have also been noticed as one of the peripheral equipment for the PC. Such an AV (Audio/Visual) equipment has also been connected to the PC via an exclusive interface.
However, in the conventional communication system, the digital interface of the peripheral equipment and the digital interface of the AV equipment have no interchangeability, so that these digital interfaces could not interconnected directly. Thus, for example, when a still image is desired to be communicated, the data had to be passed through the PC without fail.
Further, in the conventional exclusive interface and/or SCSI interface, particularly when large capacity data such as a moving image or a still image of the AV equipment is processed, there arose various problems that a data transfer rate becomes low, that a fat communication cable is required for parallel communication, that the number and kind of peripheral equipments capable of being connected are limited, that a connection system is limited and that real time data transfer cannot be effected.
As one of next generation high speed and high performance digital interfaces for solving the above problems, IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) 1394-1995 Standard is already known.
The digital interface based upon the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard (referred to as "1394 interface" hereinafter) has the following features:
(1) A data transfer speed is fast.
(2) A real time data transfer system (i.e., isochronous transfer system) and an asynchronous transfer system can be supported.
(3) A connection construction (topology) having high degree of freedom can be fabricated.
(4) A plug-and-play function and a hot-line insertion/withdrawal function are supported.
However, in the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, although physical and electrical constructions of connectors and two fundamental data transfer systems are defined, there was no definition regarding how to transmit and receive what kind of data through what kind of data format on the basis of what kind of communication protocol.
Further, in the isochronous transfer system based upon the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, since response to outgoing packets is not stipulated, it is not ensured whether each isochronous packet is positively received. Accordingly, when it is desired that continuous plural data are positively transferred or when it is desired that one file data is positively transferred while dividing it into plural data, the isochronous transfer system could not be used.
Furthermore, in the isochronous transfer system based upon the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, even when there is vacancy in transfer band, the total number of transmissions is limited to sixty-four. Thus, when it is desired that many transmissions are effected with smaller transfer bands, the isochronous transfer system could not be used.
In addition, in the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, if bus reset is generated in response to ON/OFF of a power source for nodes or connection/disconnection of the node, data transfer must be interrupted. However, in the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, if the data transfer is interrupted due to the bus reset or error in transmission, it could not be known what kind of data contents are lost. Further, in order to restore the interrupted transfer, very complicated transmission sequence was required. Incidentally, the bus reset refers to a function for automatically effecting recognition of new topology and the setting of address (node ID) assigned to each node. In the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, this function can provide the plug-and-play function and the hot-line insertion/withdrawal function.
Further, in the communication system based upon the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, communication protocol in which (although real time ability is not required) object data (for example, still image, graphic data, text data, file data, program data and the like) having relatively large data amount and requiring reliability are continuously transferred while dividing such data into one or more segment data was not proposed concretely.
Particularly, in the communication system based upon the IEEE 1394-1995 Standard, communication protocol in which data transmission between plural equipments is achieved by using a communication system for broadcasting data in an asynchronous transferring was not also proposed concretely.
Further, when a plurality of such protocols are proposed, it is desirable that a recipient protocol is automatically discriminated and is used properly. However, a method in which a plurality of different communication protocols are used properly was not also proposed concretely.

Data communication system, data communication method and data communication apparatus


An information recording medium includes a first area (DA2) for storing picture data for forming a plurality of pictures, a second area (DA21) which is included in the first area and stores control data of the picture data, and a third area (INFO1) which is included in the second area and stores specifying data for specifying the storage position of representative picture data for forming a representative picture in the plurality of pictures.

The present invention relates to an information recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Video Disk)-RAM (Random Access Memory) for recording predetermined information.
The present invention also relates to an information recording method for recording information on an information recording medium such as a DVD-RAM for recording predetermined information.
The present invention further relates to an information playback method for playing back information recorded on an information recording medium such as a DVD-RAM for recording predetermined information.
In recent years, systems for playing back the contents of optical discs that record video data (moving pictures), audio data, and the like have been developed, and have prevailed for the purpose of playing back movie software titles, karaoke data, and the like as in LDs (laser discs), video CDs (video compact discs), and the like. Information about recording contents such as titles is generally printed on the surfaces of such optical discs. Further, information about recording contents such as titles is generally added to the packages of these optical discs. This allows the user to obtain the recording contents of an optical disc without playing back the optical disc.
DVD standards that use MPEG2 (moving picture expert group) international standards, and also use an audio compression scheme such as AC-3 (digital audio compression), or the like, have been proposed. The DVD standards include read-only DVD video (or DVD-ROM), write-once DVD-R, and recordable/readable DVD-RW (or DVD-RAM).
The DVD video (DVD-ROM) standards support MPEG2 as a moving picture compression scheme, and AC-3 audio and MPEG audio in addition to linear PCM as audio recording schemes in accordance with the MPEG2 system layer. Furthermore, the DVD video standards are configured by adding sub-picture data obtained by runlength-compressing bitmap data for superimposed dialogs, and presentation control data (navigation data) for fast forward, rewind, data search, and the like. The standards also support the UDF Bridge format (a hybrid of UDF and ISO9660) to allow computers to read data.
An optical disc currently used in DVD video (DVD-ROM) is a single-sided, single-layered 12 cm disc having a storage amount around 4.7 GB (gigabytes). A single-sided, two-layered disc has a storage amount around 9.5 GB, and a double-sided, two-layered disc is capable of recording a large amount of data around 18 GB (when a laser of a wavelength of 650 nm is used for reading).
An optical disc currently used in DVD-RW (DVD-RAM) is a 12 cm disc, and has a storage amount of 2.6 GB (gigabytes) on one surface, i.e., 5.2 GB on the two surfaces. The currently available DVD-RAM optical disc has a smaller storage amount than that of a DVD-ROM disc of the corresponding size. However, technical developments for expanding the amount of the DVD-RAM disc have been extensively made, and it is certain that a DVD-RAM disc having a storage amount more than 4.7 GB on one surface will be available in the near future.
However, since an MPEG2 video file that can obtain high picture quality has a large data size, the currently available DVD-RAM disc (single-sided 2.6 GB disc or double-sided 5.2 GB disc) does not always have a sufficient recordable time (around 1 hour for 2.6 GB disc, around 2 hours for 5.2 GB disc).
Since the user can freely record data on the DVD-RAM disc, no information representing recording contents is generally printed on the disc surface. For the same reason, no information representing recording contents is generally printed on the package of the DVD-RAM disc.
To obtain the recording contents of the DVD-RAM disc at a glance at the disc appearance, the user must perform the following process. For example, the user grasps recording contents recorded on the DVD-RAM disc. The user creates information representing the recording contents of the DVD-RAM disc. The user writes the information representing the recording contents of the DVD-RAM disc on the disc surface. Alternatively, the user may add information representing the recording contents of the DVD-RAM disc to the disc package.
Since no information about recording contents is printed on the DVD-RAM disc, as described above, the user cannot obtain the recording contents of the optical disc at a glance at the disc appearance.
To obtain the recording contents of the optical disc at a glance at the appearance of the DVD-RAM disc, the user must perform predetermined processing for the disc.

Information recording medium, method for recording information, and method for reproduction information


A transmitter for a line locator system that controls the electrical current, voltage or power applied to the target line is disclosed. Control of the electrical output of the transmitter can be achieved passively or by means of a feedback control system. A transmitter connected directly to a line can include an operator control and monitoring of current being supplied to a line to be located. Some transmitters include a current regulating circuit that controls current supplied to a line. In some transmitters, feedback controllers and feedback loops are used to regulate output current, voltage or power. Some control loops are based on monitoring currents in circuits; some control loops monitor power output from an inductive mode transmitter antenna. An inductively coupled transmitter with power output control is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of underground line location systems and, in particular, to devices for electrically coupling power to concealed objects so that they can be located by an underground line locator.
2. Related Art
Underground line locators are used to locate the position of lines buried in the ground (i.e., underground lines) such as gas pipes, water pipes, telephone cables, and power cables. A line locator system typically includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter can be electrically coupled to the underground line to be located to cause an electric current to flow in that underground line, which results in the emission of a magnetic field from that line. The receiver locates the underground line by detecting the radiated magnetic field from the underground line.
In a direct connection mode, the transmitter is conductively coupled to the line to be located, typically at a point in the line that is above the ground. The transmitter generates a voltage at one end of the line, causing an electrical current to flow along the conductive line, which produces an electromagnetic field around the line. The electromagnetic field penetrates the ground surface and exists above ground where the receiver can detect it.
In instances where direct connection to the line is not possible (e.g., the line is completely underground), the transmitters of line locators can operate in an inductive mode. The transmitter of an inductive mode line locator produces current in the line by mutual electromagnetic induction. A time-varying electromagnetic field is radiated by an antenna and induces a current in the line to be located. The current produces an electromagnetic field around the line that can be detected by the receiver.
To locate the line, an operator typically moves the receiver over the surface of the ground until the receiver indicates the location of the source of the magnetic field and, therefore, the location of the underground line. The ability of the receiver to locate a line depends on the strength of the electromagnetic field, which is proportional to the electrical current in the buried line. According to Ohm's Law, the current is inversely proportional to the impedance of the line. Because of the wide variability of the physical condition of buried lines and the wide variability of the environment in which those lines are buried, the impedance of buried lines can vary over a wide range. The current produced by the transmitter of a typical locator system varies with the different impedance encountered in each line. The strength of the magnetic field generated by the current within the line, then, varies with the impedance and determines whether or not a receiver above the ground can locate the line with any accuracy.
However, it may be necessary to control the output voltage of the transmitter in order to prevent damaging the underground line or to comply with regulations such as those of the Federal Communications Commission. At present, conventional transmitters in line locator systems control the voltage applied to the underground line, and therefore allow the output current to depend on the impedance of the line, while attempting to maximize the electrical power transmitted into the line. However, the resulting magnetic signal generated from the underground line varies with the impedance of the underground line such that the ability of the receiver to locate the line also depends on the impedance of the line, which can vary widely from location to location.
Therefore, there is a need for transmitters in line locator systems which result in magnetic signals which are independent of the impedance of the underground line.

Controlled power source for underground line location


An optical radiation sensor system having: a housing having a distal portion for receiving radiation from the radiation source and a proximal portion; a sensor element in communication with the proximal portion, the sensor element configured to detect and respond to incident radiation received from the radiation source; and motive structure configured to move the housing with respect to the sensor element between at least a first position and a second position. A radiation pathway is defined between the radiation source and the sensor element when the housing is in at least one of the first position and the second position. Movement of the housing with respect to the sensor element causes a modification of intensity of radiation impinging on the sensor element.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present invention relates to an optical radiation sensor system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical radiation sensors are known and find widespread use in a number of applications. One of the principal applications of optical radiation sensors is in the field of ultraviolet radiation fluid disinfection systems.
It is known that the irradiation of water with ultraviolet light will disinfect the water by inactivation of microorganisms in the water, provided the irradiance and exposure duration are above a minimum "dose" level (often measured in units of microwatt seconds per square centimetre). Ultraviolet water disinfection units such as those commercially available from Trojan Technologies Inc. under the tradenames Trojan UV Max, Trojan UV Swift and UV8000, employ this principle to disinfect water for human consumption. Generally, water to be disinfected passes through a pressurized stainless steel cylinder which is flooded with ultraviolet radiation.
Large scale municipal waste water treatment equipment such as that commercially available from Trojan Technologies Inc. under the trade-names UV3000 and UV4000, employ the same principal to disinfect waste water. Generally, the practical applications of these treatment systems relates to submersion of treatment module or system in an open channel wherein the wastewater is exposed to radiation as it flows past the lamps. For further discussion of fluid disinfection systems employing ultraviolet radiation, see any one of the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,809 [Maarschalkerweerd],
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,980 [Maarschalkerweerd],
U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,244 [Maarschalkerweerd],
U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,370 [Maarschalkerweerd],
U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,210 [Maarschalkerweerd],
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,390 (Re. 36,896) [Maarschalkerweerd],
U.S. Pat. No. 7,045,102 [Fraser et al.], and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/078,706 [From et al.].
In many applications, it is desirable to monitor the level of ultraviolet radiation present within the water under treatment. In this way, it is possible to assess, on a continuous or semi-continuous basis, the level of ultraviolet radiation, and thus the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the disinfection process. The information so-obtained may be used to control lamp output to a desired level.
It is known in the art to monitor the ultraviolet radiation level by deploying one or more sensor devices near the operating lamps in specific locations and orientations which are remote from the operating lamps. These sensor devices may be photodiodes, photoresistors or other devices that respond to the impingement of the particular radiation wavelength or range of radiation wavelengths of interest by producing a repeatable signal level (e.g., in volts or amperes) on output leads.
In most commercial ultraviolet water disinfection systems, the single largest operating cost relates to the cost of electricity to power the ultraviolet radiation lamps. In a case where the transmittance of the fluid varies from time to time, it would be very desirable to have a convenient means by which fluid transmittance could be measured for the fluid being treated by the system (or the fluid being otherwise investigated) at a given time. Indeed, the measurement of fluid transmittance is a requirement of the United States E.P.A. for municipal drinking water systems. If it is found that fluid transmittance is relatively high, it might be possible to reduce power consumption in the lamps by reducing the output thereof. In this way, the significant savings in power costs would be possible.
The measurement of fluid transmittance is desirable since measurement of intensity alone is not sufficient to characterize the entire radiation field—i.e., it is not possible to separate the linear effects of lamp aging and fouling from exponential effects of transmittance. Further, dose delivery is a function of the entire radiation field, since not all fluid takes the same path.
First generation optical radiation sensors, by design or orientation, normally sense the output of only one lamp, typically one lamp which is adjacent to the sensor. If it is desirable to sense the radiation output of a number of lamps, it is possible to use an optical radiation sensor for each lamp. A problem with this approach is that the use of multiple sensors introduces uncertainties since there can be no assurance that the sensors are identical. Specifically, vagaries in sensor materials can lead to vagaries in the signals which are sent by the sensors leading to a potential for false information being conveyed to the user of the system.
Another problem with such first generation optical radiation sensors is that it is not possible to ascertain the lamp output of a single lamp in an array of lamps which operate within the field of view of a single sensor.
A further problem with such first generation sensors is that, if the U.V. transmittance of the fluid being treated was unknown, two sensors would be required to determine the dose delivered to the fluid—i.e., one sensor to measure lamp intensity and one sensor to measure U.V. transmittance.
This lead to the development of second generation sensors such as the sensor described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,234 [Sasges et al. (Sasges)]. The Sasges optical radiation sensor device includes a radiation collector for receiving radiation from a predefined arc around the collector within the field and redirecting the received radiation along a predefined pathway; motive means to move the radiation collector from a first position in which a first portion of the predefined arc is received by the radiation collector and a second position in which a second portion of the predefined arc is received by the radiation collector; and a sensor element capable of detecting and responding to incident radiation along the pathway when the radiation collector is in the first position and in the second position.
The Sasges optical radiation sensor represents an important advance in the art in that it provides for an optical radiation sensor system which allows determination of lamp output information for a single lamp in an array of lamps. An additional advantage of the Sasges optical radiation sensor device is that a single sensor device can be used to determine the dose delivered to the fluid (i.e., in place of the multiple sensors conventionally required using first generation sensors). Thus, the provision of the Sasges optical radiation sensor device allows for on-line determination of U.V. transmittance (also known in the art as "UVT") of the fluid being treated in an ultraviolet radiation lamp array.
Another second generation sensor device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,900 [Ellis et al. (Ellis)]. In its preferred form, the Ellis sensor device altered fluid layer thickness between a radiation source and a radiation sensor by: (i) moving the radiation source while keeping the radiation sensor stationary; (ii) moving the radiation sensor while keep the radiation source stationary; or (iii) moving a boundary element interposed between a stationary radiation source and a stationary radiation sensor.
Thus, Ellis sensor device requires a single lamp and single sensor element. The sensor element and radiation source are arranged to create a fluid layer therebetween. By altering the thickness of the fluid layer, it is possible to take multiple (i.e., two or more) radiation intensity readings at multiple, known fluid layer thicknesses. Once these are achieved, using conventional calculations, it is possible to readily calculate the radiation transmittance of the fluid.
Despite the developments made to date in first and second generation sensors, there is room for improvement. Specifically, it would be desirable to have an optical radiation sensor system having one or more of the following features:                a modular design making the sensor system appropriate for use with one or more of various radiation sources, fluid thickness layers and/or UVT conditions;        built-in diagnostics for parameters such as sensor operation, radiation source output, fluid (e.g., water) UVT, radiation source fouling (e.g., fouling of the protective sleeve surrounding the radiation source) and the like;        incorporation of an integrated reference sensor;        relatively safe and ready reference sensor testing;        UVT measurement capability; and/or        relatively low cost and ease of manufacture.


A technique is described for detecting defects such as short circuits in a device such as a discrete pixel detector used in a digital x-ray system. The technique employs test circuits associated with each row driver of the detector. The test circuits are enabled by a test enable input signal, and the row driver sequentially enables the rows of the detector, along with the individual test circuits. In a test sequence, output signals from the row test circuits are monitored to identify whether a defect, such as a short circuit, is likely to exist in the row or row driver. The test circuitry adds only minimal area and complexity to the row driver function, providing a high degree of test coverage at a low cost, with minimal likelihood of test circuitry-induced failures.

The present invention relates generally to the field of digital imaging devices, such as digital x-ray imaging systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique for testing portions of driver circuitry in digital detector arrays of the type used in direct digital x-ray systems.
Increasing emphasis is being placed in a wide variety of imaging devices on direct digital imaging techniques. In x-ray systems, for example, techniques are being developed for detecting intensities of radiation striking a digital detector surface during examinations. In the course of the examinations, an x-ray source emits radiation which traverses a subject, such as a human patient. The x-ray intensity is, however, affected by the various tissues and structures within the subject, resulting in intensity variations at the detector, which is placed behind the subject with respect to the source. By identifying intensities of resulting radiation at a large number of locations arranged in a matrix, the detector allows a data set to be acquired which can be used to reconstruct a useful image of the subject.
In digital detectors for x-ray systems a detector surface is divided into a matrix of picture elements or pixels, with rows and columns of pixels being organized adjacent to one another to form the overall image area. When the detector is exposed to radiation, photons impact a scintillator coextensive with the image area. A series of detector elements are formed at row and column crossing points, each crossing point corresponding to a pixel making up the image matrix. In one type of detector, each element consists of a photodiode and a thin film transistor. The cathode of the diode is connected to the source of the transistor, and the anodes of all diodes are connected to a negative bias voltage. The gates of the transistors in a row are connected together and the row electrode is connected to scanning electronics. The drains of the transistors in each column are connected together and each column electrode is connected to additional readout electronics. Sequential scanning of the rows and columns permits the system to acquire the entire array or matrix of signals for subsequent signal processing and display.
In use, the signals generated at the pixel locations of the detector are sampled and digitized. The digital values are transmitted to processing circuitry where they are filtered, scaled, and further processed to produce the image data set. The data set may then be used to store the resulting image, to display the image, such as on a computer monitor, to transfer the image to conventional photographic film, and so forth. In the medical imaging field, such images are used by attending physicians and radiologists in evaluating the physical conditions of a patient and diagnosing disease and trauma.
In digital detectors of the type described above, problems may arise due to short circuits which may exist or develop between elements of the detector circuitry. In particular, both during the manufacturing and assembly steps employed in producing the detectors and related circuitry, electrical shorts may occur between conductors of adjacent rows, between rows and bias supplies, and between rows and ground. Such shorts may lead to imaging defects which significantly impair the utility of the detector. In certain cases, early detection of such defects may permit replacement or repair of detector circuitry, or may indicate the need to replace an entire section of the detector circuitry.
While such short circuits can be detected by various procedures, conventional techniques are time consuming and difficult to implement. There remains a need, therefore, for efficient, rapid, and dependable techniques designed to detect short circuits and similar defects in scan driver circuitry. There is a particular need for a technique which can be implemented in direct digital detector circuits, such as those used in digital x-ray imaging systems.
The present invention provides a technique for identifying potential short circuits and other defects in scan driver circuitry designed to respond to these needs. The technique is particularly well suited for implementation in circuitry associated with digital detectors comprising an array of rows and columns, and capable of producing signals representative of radiation impacting a plurality of pixels defined by the rows and columns. The structure employed in the technique is designed to facilitate its implementation in one or more row driver integrated circuits. The technique advantageously employs an arrangement of transistors which are dedicated to testing for shorts in row output drivers, thereby reducing or eliminating the need to externally probe outputs simultaneously while individually enabling each row of the detector. Moreover, open-test outputs may be electrically linked in the structure, such as via wired-NOR functional groups. This further minimizes the number of inputs to be monitored by subsystem control electronics.

Apparatus and method for detecting defects in a multi-channel scan driver