Disclosed are a filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus for multiplex radio communication used when a signal is branched, a jig for arranging dielectrics of the filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus and a method for arranging dielectrics of the filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus using the jig. A filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus has a pair of dielectric filters having different frequency characteristics, which are connected to a common circulator, thereby reducing the number of the circulators to realize a reduction of size and a low cost of the radio apparatus and improvement of accuracy in communication.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus for multiplex radio communication used when a signal is branched, a jig for arranging dielectrics of the filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus, and a method for arranging dielectrics of the filter apparatus for use in a radio apparatus using the jig.
(2) Description of Related Art
As shown in FIG. 18, a multiplex radio apparatus 100 for multiplex radio communication has, in general, a high-frequency transmitting unit 110 for converting signals into RF signals as high-frequency input signals suitable for being transmitted by place propagation and transmitting the signals, a high-frequency receiving unit 120 for receiving the RF signals transmitted by the high-frequency transmitting unit 110 and demodulating the signals, a transmitting-receiving multiplexer 129, and an antenna 130.
The high-frequency transmitting unit 110 transmits signals from plural transmitting systems (FIG. 18 shows only a first transmitting system 110A and a second transmitting system 110B). The first transmitting system 110A has a modulating unit (MOD) 111A, an up-converter (U/C) 117A, and an amplifier 114A. The second transmitting system 110B has a modulating unit (MOD) 111B, an up-converter (U/C) 117B, and an amplifier 114B.
The up-converter 117A has a mixing circuit 112A and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 113A. The up-converter 117B has a mixing circuit 112B and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 113B.
The first transmitting system 110A and the second transmitting system 110B are connected to circulators (CIRs) 116A and 116B, respectively, via a filter bank 115.
The filter bank 115 removes unnecessary wave components in the RF signals inputted from the amplifiers 114A and 114B. The circulators 116A and 116B each have several terminals (two or three terminals in FIG. 18), transmitting an RF signal received through a certain terminal to an adjacent terminal in a specific direction to prevent a reverse travel of the signal in the transmission.
In the high-frequency receiving unit 120, any one of plural receiving systems (FIG. 18 shows only a first receiving system 120A and a second receiving system 120B) receives a signal according to a frequency characteristic of the received signal. The first receiving system 120A has a demodulating unit (DEM) 121A, a down-converter (D/C) 127A, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 124A. The second receiving system 120B has a demodulating unit (DEM) 121B, a down-converter (D/C) 127B, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 124B.
The down-converter 127A has a mixing circuit (a frequency converting circuit) 122A and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 123A. The down-converter 127B has a mixing circuit 122B and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 123B.
The first receiving system 120A and the second receiving system 120B are connected to circulators (CIRs) 126A and 126B, respectively, via a filter bank 125.
The circulators 126A and 126B each have several terminals (two or three terminals in FIG. 18) similar to the circulators 116A and 116B, transmitting an RF signal received through a certain terminal to an adjacent terminal in a specified direction. The RF signal as a received signal inputted through the antenna 130 and the transmitting-receiving multiplexer 129 is transmitted toward the circulator 126B from the circulator 126A.
The filter bank 125 removes unnecessary wave components of the RF signals as received signals inputted through the antenna 130 and the transmitting-receiving multiplexer 129. The filter bank 125, at the same time, branches the received signal according to a frequency characteristic of the signal and transmits the signal to either the first receiving system 120A or the second receiving system 120B.
In the multiplex radio apparatus 100 with the above structure shown in FIG. 18, an RF signal is transmitted through the high-frequency transmitting unit 110, the transmitting-receiving multiplexer 129 and the antenna 130 when the signal is transmitted. On the other hand, the RF signal is received through the antenna 130 and the transmitting-receiving multiplexer 129 in the multiplex radio apparatus on the receiver side. The received RF signal is branched in the filter bank 125 according to a frequency characteristic of the signal, and transmitted to either the first receiving system 120A or the second receiving system 120B.
In practice, the high-frequency receiving unit 120 has, as shown in FIG. 19, a branching filter 131 for receiving signals which has plural circulators (CIRs) 132 through 136 and the filter bank 125 including plural dielectric filters 137 through 141. Incidentally, FIG. 20 shows the circulators 132 and 133, and the dielectric filters 137 and 138 shown in FIG. 19.
Namely, the branching filter 131 used in the mutliplex radio apparatus has n circulators and n dielectric filters in the case of n branches. Incidentally, a TE01.delta. mode dielectric filter, which has a small loss of a high-frequency signal, is used as the dielectric filter.
In the high-frequency receiving unit 120 shown in FIG. 19, a microwave signal (which has various frequency components f.sub.1 through f.sub.n) as a received signal (an RF signal) received by the antenna 130 is inputted from a port 0 to the branching filter 131.
The inputted microwave signal is inputted to the dielectric filter 137 having a pass frequency band of a frequency f.sub.1 via the circulator 132. The microwave signal having a frequency f.sub.1 then passes through the dielectric filter 137, and is outputted to a port 1. On the other hand, the microwave signal having frequencies f.sub.2 through f.sub.n is reflected by the dielectric filter 137, then inputted to the dielectric filter 138 having a pass frequency band of a frequency f.sub.2 via the circulators 132 and 133.
In the dielectric filter 138, only the microwave signal having a frequency f.sub.2 is allowed to pass through the dielectric filter 138 and outputted to a port 2. The remaining microwave signal having frequencies f.sub.3 through f.sub.n is reflected by the dielectric filter 138, and inputted to the dielectric filter 139 having a pass frequency band of a frequency f.sub.3 via the circulators 133 and 134.
Likewise, in the dielectric filter 139, only the microwave signal having a frequency f.sub.3 is allowed to pass through the dielectric filter 139, and outputted to a port 3. In the dielectric filter 140 having a pass frequency band of a frequency f.sub.4, only the microwave signal having a frequency f.sub.4 is allowed to pass through the dielectric filter 140, and outputted to a port 4. This process is repeated. In the dielectric filter 141 having a pass frequency band of a frequency f.sub.n, only the microwave signal having a frequency f.sub.n is allowed to pass through the dielectric filter 141, and outputted to a port n.
As above, the branching filter 131 branches the microwave signal to the ports 1 through n by means of the dielectric filters 137 through 141 having the respective pass frequency bands of f.sub.1 through f.sub.n. In other words, if a pass frequency of a filter of the ith port is f.sub.i, a microwave signal having a frequency f.sub.i appears at this port.
Incidentally, the branching filter 131 is grounded via a terminal resistor 142.
Since the general branching filter 131 as above uses circulators and filters as many as branches, the general branching filter 131 has drawbacks that a space for mounting the branching filter 131 increases and it is difficult to reduce a cost of the branching filter 131.
When the microwave signal inputted through the port 0 is outputted to the port 2 after inputted to the dielectric filter 137, the microwave signal passes the circulator 132 twice, as shown in FIG. 21. Namely, the microwave signal branched to the ith port passes through the circulator 132 (2i -1) times.
However, a loss generated when the microwave signal passes the circulator once is from 0.1 to 0.2 dB. If the number of the circulators increases, the number of times the microwave signal passes through the circulators also increases. In consequence, the general branching filter has another drawback that a loss generated when the microwave passes through the circulators increases.
With an increase of a loss generated when the microwave signal passes through the circulators, noise components in the microwave signals increases, as well. For this, a ratio of signal components to noise components (an S/N ratio) of the branched microwave signal increases, which leads to a degradation of accuracy in the communication.

Filter apparatus with circulator for use in radio apparatus transmitting or receiving systems


A calibration system adapted to calibrate a resistance of an electrical device having a lead wire comprises a resistance detector adapted to detect the resistance of the electrical device, a first container containing an etching solution adapted to etch the lead wire, and a heater configured to heat the electrical device. If a first resistance of the electrical device detected by the resistance detector at a first temperature is within a first predetermined range, the electrical device is heated with the heater to a second temperature higher than the first temperature. A second resistance of the electrical device is detected by the resistance detector at the second temperature. If the second resistance is beyond a second predetermined range, the lead wire is etched by the etching solution to adjust the resistance of the electrical device until the second resistance at the second temperature is within the second predetermined range.

A resistance of an electrical device is required to be within a predetermined range. Improved manufacturing precision is required to ensure that the resistance of the electrical device is within the predetermined range, which increases manufacturing difficulty and cost. If the resistance of the manufactured electrical device is not within the predetermined range, the electrical device is discarded, leading to increased manufacturing waste.

Calibration system and calibrating method


A grommet routes a wire harness from an inner side of a vehicle door into a vehicle body. A depression wraps around an edge of the door with a first part on a hinge surface of the door and a second part on the inner side. The grommet has an elastic member for fitting within the first part and a rigid retainer member extending around the edge into the second part. The members are secured together. The elastic member has a grooved periphery for receiving a flange surrounding an opening linked to the first part of the depression. The retainer member is secured in the second part of the depression by a fastener inserted into an aperture in the second part. The members have passageways to route the harness around the edge of the door. Fins on an underside of the elastic member seal against the first part.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to grommets and more particularly to a two-piece grommet that wraps around the edge of a vehicle door in a pre-formed depression to route the harness from a wet side to a dry side of the door.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The process of automobile assembly is evolving to increasingly include pre-assembled modules provided to the final assembly plants of the vehicle manufacturers. An example of this is a door cassette module, comprising pre-assembled door components and wiring. Previous grommets were fit into an aperture in a hinge face of the door to route a wire harness from the vehicle electrical system into the interior of the door. However, this is cumbersome to assemble when the internal wiring of the door is required to be pre-routed on the door cassette module. In addition, the door cassette module requires a grommet that wraps around a hinge face of the door.
Current designs for these grommets are generally complex, require tolerances that are difficult to hold, need expensive molding and assembly processes, and require covers to protect long, delicate sealing edges during shipping of the module. Typically, a plastic retainer for receiving the wire harness is fit into a recess in the hinge face of the door. In one case, a steel plate over-molded with a rubber grommet is bolted to the door over the retainer. Additional components, such as the bolts, are relatively expensive. In another case, the retainer is secured in the depression by a plastic fastener and a rubber grommet is stretched over a lid for the retainer. This is a fragile design, and stretching the grommet over the lid is a difficult and critical assembly step. Both designs, the over-molded steel plate and the grommet stretched over the lid, need to be rigid to provide a force against an extended sealing surface. Feeding circuits through a hole in a steel plate or through a fragile grommet must be done carefully and is therefore time-consuming. In either case, if the tolerance or assembly prerequisites are not consistently met, the grommets do not waterproof the door wiring.
The grommet disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,748 is an example of a prior art device for routing a wire harness from one side of a door to another. A unitary grommet is designed for use on a door body having an L-shaped opening into an interior of the door. The L-shaped opening is continuous around an edge of the door from a front surface to a side surface facing the passenger compartment. The front surface of the door includes attachment provisions for a weather strip. The grommet has front and side portions formed together at a right angle. The front portion has a recess for receiving part of the weather strip as it extends over the grommet. A wire harness protecting portion extends diagonally from the front portion to the side portion. A bellows portion stretches from the front portion to the vehicle. The wire harness is passed through the bellows portion and the front portion into the diagonal wire harness protecting portion and then out through a hole in the side portion. A groove with an adjacent outer sealing lip extends around the entire periphery of the grommet. The diagonal wire harness protecting portion is temporarily deformed during assembly to fit the edge of the L-shaped opening into the grommet groove to secure the grommet in place on both surfaces of the door. An interior trim piece is placed over the passenger side of the door to cover the harness where it is routed to the door components such as lock and window controls. The lip has to tightly seal around the entire L-shaped opening and has to secure the grommet in the opening. This means that tolerances must be carefully met. Also, it must be made difficult to deform the grommet during assemble in order to create a tight fit.
Multi-part grommets are known in the art, for example as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,901,627. This grommet has a flexible body for receiving and routing the harness, and a rigid inner member. The inner member extends through an opening in a vehicle panel and attaches the flexible body to the panel. This type of grommet is generally used to pass a harness directly through a vehicle panel and would be difficult to adapt to perform turning and sealing functions around the edge of a door.


A correction system and method for an electronic throttle control includes a generator module that generates a learned-correction value corresponding to a first air-learn index. The learned-correction value is used to compensate a throttle position. A correction module writes to a throttle position correction array with the learned-correction value when an air-learn value equals a predetermined stability threshold.

Vehicles driven by internal combustion engines generally employ intake system sensors including, but not limited to, a throttle position sensor (TPS), a mass airflow (MAF) sensor and a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor. An engine control system implements an electronic throttle control (ETC) system that regulates engine torque output based on a throttle position signal, a MAF signal and a MAP signal. The engine control system can also regulate engine torque output using spark advance/retard, cam phasing and/or regulating fuel supply to the cylinders.
Throttle body deposits commonly occur in internal combustion engines during operation. Understanding and compensating for throttle body deposits is challenging. Statistical build variations in the ETC system components can alter the relationship between throttle position and airflow as well.
ETC systems can adapt to airflow variations resulting from throttle body deposits, throttle sensor variation, mass airflow meter variation, and manufacturing tolerances. ETC systems often slowly adapt or learn to compensate for airflow variations. The throttle position within a coked throttle body is adjusted to allow for an increase in airflow that compensates for less flow due to coking. The addition of greater airflow prevents drivability issues such as idle roll and stalls.
When a controller is reflashed or swapped, the learned values of airflow correction compensating for the coking are lost and drivability issues can result. The speed of learning compensating values can be an impediment to improving driving performance and stable idle speed. Balancing the speed of learning with accuracy of control can often be a difficult task.

Airflow correction learning using electronic throttle control


An apparatus and a method of clearing an accumulation of matter from a surface is provided. The apparatus includes a collecting section, a casting section, and a shifting section. The shifting section is at least one of a diverting section, a sweeping section, and an air blowing section. The collecting section includes a blade and is in matter communication with the casting section. The diverting section includes an auxiliary blade oriented at an angle about an axis transverse to a direction of travel. The sweeping section includes a rotatable broom with bristles. The air blowing section is configured to blow air in a predetermined direction.

Devices for clearing accumulation of matter, such as snow, from a surface and methods of using such devices are known in the art. Generally, it is necessary to clear matter that is accumulated over a vast area and such a task must be completed efficiently to allow the surface to be used for its designated purpose (e.g., passage of traffic). Thus, there is a need for ways to improve the ability of conventional surface clearing devices to accomplish their tasks effectively and efficiently.

Mulitfunctional device for clearing snow


An edging machine having a frame with a handle at one end, a prime mover mounted on the frame, an edger blade rotatably connected to the frame, a first wheel mounted on the frame so as to support the frame above a surface, a second wheel interconnected to the frame and arranged in tandem with the first frame, an adjustment lever interconnected to the second wheel for changing a distance of the frame from the surface. A guide member is rotatably connected to the frame so as to have a surface extending below the frame. The guide member is positioned in parallel relationship to the edger blade. The second wheel is rotatably mounted to a wheel bar. The wheel bar is pivotally connected to the frame on a side of the frame opposite the edger blade. The adjustment lever is interconnected to the wheel bar so as to controllably adjust the position of the second wheel relative to the frame.

The practice of gardening and yard care commonly requires breaking up the surface of the ground along the edges of sidewalks and curbs in order to highlight the edges of a yard. In the prior art, home gardeners have used hand tools, such as hoes, for this purpose. Hoes have been manufactured in an assortment of configurations. Hoes are generally manually operated and include a cutting portion attached to a long handle. By forcing the cutting portion along the ground in one direction, by means of the handle, the cutting portion breaks up the surface of the dirt.
The use of manually-operated garden tools, including hoes, involves exhausting physical labor expended over a great amount of time. As a result, numerous labor-saving power tools have been developed.
One such power tool, the gasoline-engine powered edger, has gained rapid acceptance since its introduction on the market. The edger is used to trim lawns around the edges of sidewalks, curbs and gardens and includes a rapidly rotating flat blade that rotates about a horizontal shaft. The shaft, in turn, is connected to the engine by a belt and pulley system. The entire operating unit is mounted on a mobile frame that is pushed by the operator by means of a handle extending above the rear of the frame. By aligning the plane in which the blade rotates over the portion of the lawn to be edged, and then lowering the blade, the operator can trim the lawn by simply pushing the edger along the path to be edged.
Unfortunately, conventional edging machines are quite difficult to operate along the edges of curbs. Since curbs have a generally curved configuration, it is difficult to manipulate the wheels of conventional edgers so as to properly follow the edge of the curb. In conventional edging machines, the wheels are commonly a foot or more away from the edging blade. On curbs, this distance can mean that the wheels of the edger must be supported on the street in order to properly edge. Alternatively, and typically, the operator of the edging machine will attempt to lift the wheels into the air so that they can approximate the level surface of the curb. In general, existing techniques for edging along curbs are very time-consuming and difficult. Since the edging machine is not properly balanced on curbs, the edging machine can be operated in a hazardous manner. As such, a need has developed for the creation of an edging machine which is particularly adapted for edging lawns along curbs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an edging machine that is particularly adapted for edging along curbs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an edging machine that can guide the edger along a surface of a sidewalk or curb.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an edging machine that includes adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the depth of the cut of the edger blade.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be come apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.


The two-speed transmission (10) for driving an alternator or other engine accessory includes an enclosed gear case (12). An output shaft (28) passes through both ends of the gear case. Bearings (30, 32) supported on the gear case support the ends of the output shaft. A tubular input shaft (64) surrounds the output shaft and is journaled on the output shaft between the two output shaft support bearings. A planet gear carrier (86) is rotatably journaled on the output shaft inside the gear case. Compound planet gears (112) are rotatably supported by the planet gear carrier (86) with one planet (116) of each compound planet gear in mesh with a sun gear (84) on the tubular input shaft (64) and with a planet (118) of each compound planet gear in mesh with a sun gear (94) on the output shaft (28). A brake assembly (124, 136 and 142) is either applied to lock the planet gear carrier (86) to the gear case or is released to let the planet carrier rotate in the gear case. When the tubular input shaft (64) is driven and the brake assembly holds the planet carrier (86), torque is transmitted from the input shaft to the input sun gear (84) to the first planet gear (116) to the second planet gear (118) to the output sun gear (94) and to the output shaft (28). When the brake assembly is released, torque passes from the tubular input shaft (64) directly to the output shaft (28) through a one-way clutch (67) and the input and output shafts run at the same speed. A lubrication system lubricates critical bearings in the transmission.

Internal combustion engines are capable of operating over a wide speed range, that varies from a few hundred to several thousand revolutions per minute. Accessories that are commonly driven by internal combustion engines, such as alternators, compressors for air conditioners and air brakes and pumps for steering systems, suspension systems or control systems are most efficient if operated over a speed range that is narrower than the speed range of many internal combustion engines. The problem is solved in some industrial engine applications by running the internal combustion engine at a constant speed. Constant speed operation is only practical for engines that operate under a substantial load all or most of the time. In most applications, internal combustion engines are required to operate over a wide speed range. A two-speed accessory drive can drive accessories at sufficient speed to provide adequate performance during low engine speed operation and to drive accessories at allowable operating speeds during high engine speed operation.
The size of an engine accessory generally depends upon the required output and the operating speed. Since the required output is often relatively constant, the size and weight of accessories can be a function of the operating speed. Increasing the speed at which an accessory for an internal combustion engine runs makes it possible to design accessories that are smaller in overall size and have less weight. The size and weight of engine accessories is an important factor in efforts to reduce vehicle weight and to improve vehicle efficiency.
Two-speed accessory drives have been proposed for running internal combustion engine accessories. These drives have had two serious drawbacks. The gears generate noise, especially at high operating speeds. Gear wear and drive reliability have been less than satisfactory. These problems have resulted in part from misalignment of the gears in the two speed drives.


A system and method for generating a ledger is disclosed herein. A computing system receives, from one or more third party vendors, a plurality of transactions associated with a user. The computing system parses the plurality of transactions to identify one or more parameters associated with each transaction of the plurality of transactions. The computing system groups the one or more transactions into one or more clusters based on the identified one or more parameters. The computing system associates a life event to each cluster of the one or more clusters. The computing system interfaces with a client device associated with the user to confirm an associated life event. Upon receiving a confirmation from the user regarding the associated life event, the computing system generates a ledger. The ledger includes the life event and the one or more transactions associated therewith.

Bank/credit card statements (or ledgers) are dull, difficult to read and make use of, and generally only allow customers and account holders to view their purchasing activity and get an update on their account status. Information in traditional bank statements may not be presented in a way that is appealing to account holders, or provide a more comprehensive overview of a user's spending habits.


A numerical controller that controls a multi-axis machine tool performs speed control based on an instructed path allowable acceleration and an instructed path allowable jerk in a relative path (instructed path) of a tool with respect to a workpiece, and performs speed control based on a tool reference point path allowable speed, a tool reference point path allowable acceleration and a tool reference point path allowable jerk in a tool reference point path being a relative path, with respect to the workpiece, of a point in the tool (tool reference point) that is different from a tool center point. As a result, it is possible to prevent occurrence of large acceleration and jerk in a path of the tool center point with respect to the workpiece, as well as occurrence of large speed, acceleration and jerk in the path of the tool reference point with respect to the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerical controller that controls a multi-axis machine tool in which a workpiece that is attached to a table is machined by at least three linear axes and one rotation axis. More particularly, the present invention relates to a numerical controller that performs speed control based on an allowable acceleration and an allowable jerk in an instructed path being a relative path of a tool with respect to a workpiece, speed control based on an allowable speed, an allowable acceleration and an allowable jerk in each driving axis, and speed control based on a tool reference point path allowable speed, a tool reference point path allowable acceleration and a tool reference point path allowable jerk in a below-described tool reference point path.
2. Description of the Related Art
In machine tools, a driving axis speed condition such as driving axis allowable speed, driving axis allowable acceleration and driving axis allowable jerk are applied to the driving axes of actual movement. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-225825 discloses a configuration wherein a driving axis does not exceed an allowable speed, an allowable acceleration or an allowable jerk, through interpolation of an instructed path by working out the speed on the instructed path that satisfies these driving axis speed conditions. The time derivative of acceleration, i.e. the degree of change of acceleration, is referred to as jerk in the above document.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-225825 above, a first derivative, a second derivative and a third derivative, which are time derivatives, are worked out for a movement distance s on an instructed path, in such a manner so as not to exceed the driving axis allowable speed, the driving axis allowable acceleration and the driving axis allowable jerk. On the basis of the first, second and third derivatives, the instructed path is interpolated by changing the distance s, and the driving axes are operated by performing then inverse kinematic conversion. However, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-225825 above does not suggest the feature of performing speed control based on an instructed path allowable acceleration and an instructed path allowable jerk in an instructed path being a relative path of a tool with respect to the workpiece.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0295323 discloses a technology wherein there is worked out the largest jerk (path jolt r(s)) on an instructed path that satisfies a driving axis speed condition such as driving axis allowable speed, driving axis allowable acceleration and driving axis allowable jerk; the jerk is integrated, to work out acceleration on the instructed path (path acceleration a(s)); the acceleration is integrated to work out speed on that instructed path (path speed v(s)); and the instructed path in interpolated based on that speed. However, the technology disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0295323 does not envisage control of a multi-axis machine tool where machining is performed in at least three linear axes and one rotation axis. Accordingly, there is no distinction between the driving axis speed and the instructed path speed, and there is no assumption that the driving axis path and the instructed path are different for the multi-axis machine tool. Accordingly, US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0295323 does not suggest the feature of performing speed control based on an instructed path allowable acceleration and an instructed path allowable jerk in an instructed path being a relative path of a tool with respect to a workpiece, which are different from a driving axis allowable speed, driving axis allowable acceleration and driving axis allowable jerk.
International Publication WO 2011/064816 discloses a technology wherein, in a case where a driving axis path is instructed, there is performed interpolation by working out a feed speed on a driving axis path, such that the speed of a tool center point (end point of the tool), with respect to a workpiece, is an allowable speed (reference speed). However, WO 2011/064816 above does not suggest the feature of performing speed control based on an instructed path allowable acceleration and an instructed path allowable jerk in an instructed path being a relative path of a tool with respect to the workpiece.
Performing speed control in such a manner so as not to exceed a driving axis allowable speed, a driving axis allowable acceleration or a driving axis allowable jerk, is a conventional technique, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-225825 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0295323 above. Ordinarily, a driving axis allowable speed, a driving axis allowable acceleration and a driving axis allowable jerk are set, as set values, through measurement of an allowable speed, an allowable acceleration and an allowable jerk in each driving axis, during manufacture of the machine tool. That is, the driving axis allowable speed, driving axis allowable acceleration and driving axis allowable jerk are ordinarily set, as set values, for parameters and the like in the numerical controller, as machine tool conditions.
In order to perform machining of higher precision and higher quality, speed control is required also based on an instructed path allowable acceleration and an instructed path allowable jerk on an instructed path that is instructed by a machining program. In particular, there is often a large difference between the movement path of the driving axes and the instructed path, which is the travel path of the tool with respect to the workpiece during machining in a multi-axis machine tool where machining is performed in at least three linear axes and one rotation axis. Accordingly, speed control based on an instructed path allowable acceleration and an instructed path allowable jerk of a tool center point on an instructed path which is a relative path of a tool center point with respect to the workpiece and is instructed by a machining program, is an important issue in order to perform machining of higher precision and higher quality. That is because tool marks may be formed on the machined surface if acceleration and jerk in the instructed path are excessive, and grooves may be formed on account of excessive tool infeed.
An instance will be explained wherein, for example, an instructed path being a relative path with respect to a workpiece, of a tool center point that is located in a program coordinate system, is instructed by a machining program, on a program coordinate system, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The actual workpiece is disposed on a table that rotates about two rotation axes (A-axis, C-axis) such as those illustrated in FIG. 2, and is machined by a tool. In the machining program, the instructed path of the tool center point is instructed at X, Y and Z positions on the program coordinate system, the instructed path speed is instructed as a speed F and the tool direction is instructed as a rotation axis position (A-axis and C-axis position) and a tool direction vector (FIG. 1),
In this machining program, the X, Y and Z instructions are linear instructions. In actual machining, however, the X, Y and Z-axes, as driving axes, with rotational movement of the A-axis and C-axis, move tracing a curve on a machine coordinate system, as in the driving axis path of FIG. 2. Herein, the driving axes are controlled so as to move within allowable speed, allowable acceleration and allowable jerk, according to conventional technologies. However, no control is performed on the allowable acceleration and allowable jerk of the instructed path, being a relative path of the tool center point with respect to the workpiece. Therefore, large acceleration and/or jerk may occur on the path of the tool center point with respect to the workpiece, in particular at corners in the machining program and at curved portions of large curvature. In such cases, tool marks in the tool length direction may appear on the machined surface, in particular, during machining of the workpiece with the side face of the tool, and grooves may be formed on account of excessive tool infeed. Recesses may also become formed on account of excessive infeed during machining with the tool center point (FIG. 3). The driving axes operate at high speed, high acceleration and high jerk, in particular, in high-rigidity and high-speed machine tools where large allowable speed, allowable acceleration and allowable jerk are set for each driving axis. As a result, large acceleration and jerk occur also in the path of the tool center point with respect to the workpiece, and tool marks, grooves and/or recesses may be formed in such machined surfaces.
Upon machining of a workpiece with the side face of a tool, it is necessary to perform speed control based on the acceleration and jerk of the tool center point, but also speed control based on the allowable speed, allowable acceleration and allowable jerk in the tool reference point path, which is a relative path of the tool reference point with respect to the workpiece, by setting, as the tool reference point, a reference position on the tool different from the tool center point (for instance, a tool position corresponding to a machining top face) (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). In the machining of FIG. 2, a workpiece is cut with a cutting blade at a part between a tool center point and a tool reference point. Therefore, if no speed control is performed at the tool reference point, similarly to speed control at the tool center point, then tool marks may be formed on the machined surface, and grooves or the like may be formed on account of excessive tool infeed, as in FIG. 3.

Numerical controller for speed control according to instructed path speed condition


A method and apparatus for aligning an optical fiber to an optoelectronic element. The optical fiber and optoelectronic element are attached to a base. The base is made from a first crystallographic orientation material, and a lens is made from a second crystallographic orientation material. The lens is aligned to the base using the crystallographic orientations, and the optical fiber and optoelectronic element are aligned to the base/lens assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to electronic assemblies, and, in particular, to a micro-fixtured lensed assembly for optoelectronic devices and optical fibers.
2. Description of Related Art
Optoelectronics and fiber optic communications are commonly used in communications and electronic devices. The use of optical fibers for telephonic and other information transfer is desirable because of the high bandwidth and high data rates possible with fiber optic lines. The electronics that transmit and receive the light signals that travel on fiber optic lines have become integrated with the fiber optic lines for better signal transmission and reception.
Alignment between the individual strands of a fiber optic cable and the detectors and transmitters is crucial to a fiber optic data transmission system. There are typically two approaches to alignment of the fiber to the electronics; active approaches, where light is passed through the fiber and strikes the detector, and the detector is monitored during positioning of the fiber in relation to the detector, and passive approaches, where no light is passed through the fiber, and mechanical devices are used for alignment of the individual parts of the transmitter or receiver assembly.
Previous passive alignment approaches directly couple light between a fiber and an optoelectronic device without passing that light through a separate optical lens. As a result, divergence of the optical beam and differences in the optical-mode sizes can reduce the optical coupling efficiency.
FIG. 1 illustrates an optoelectronic transmitter assembly of the related art. As shown, assembly 100 comprises a silicon platform 102, also called a silicon waferboard, and a laser chip 104. Grooves 106 are etched into the silicon platform 102 for mechanically holding optical fibers against the silicon platform 102 and for aligning the optical fibers to the laser chip 104. The grooves 106 are typically v-shaped. The silicon platform 102 also contains pedestals 108, typically nine microns high, formed by reactive ion etching (RIE) into the top surface of the silicon. The pedestals 108 serve to position the laser chip 104 on the plane of the silicon platform 102.
A notch 110 is etched into laser chip 104, and the notch is placed against one pedestal 108, while the cleaved front facet 112 is placed against two other pedestals 114. Standoffs 116 are constructed from polyimide of a controlled thickness, typically five microns, and patterned by RIE. The standoffs 116 determine the vertical position of the laser chip 104 which is mounted with the laser devices down, facing the silicon platform 102.
FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate another device of the related art. The device 200 of FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate a silicon platform 202 with a photodetector array 204 where the photodetector array 204 is mounted with the photodetectors facing away from the silicon platform 202. Grooves 206 and ribbon support 208 are etched into the silicon platform 202 to mechanically support the fiber optic cables and the individual optical fibers. As described with respect to FIG. 1, the photodetector array 204 is positioned and aligned by pressing the photodetector array 204 against pedestals 210 that have been etched into the surface of silicon platform 202. However, the photodetector size must be larger than necessary to accommodate the alignment tolerances, inaccuracies in dicing and/or cleaving of the photodetector array 204, and divergence of the light beam before it reaches the photodetector array 204, thus limiting the bandwidth of the output.
FIG. 2B illustrates the light path 212 of the device illustrated in FIG. 2A. Grooves 206 are typically v-shaped, and terminate in reflective mirror surfaces 214 that redirect the light from an optical fiber out of the plane of the silicon platform 202 and onto the backside of the photodetector array 204. Wire bonds 216 carry the signals generated by photodetector array 204 to other circuitry.
FIG. 3 illustrates a laser array of the related art. Device 300 again has a silicon platform 302 and laser array chip 304 mounted to silicon platform 302. Laser array chip 304 is an edge emitting laser array, and the optical fibers 306 are guided through a structure 308 in silicon platform 302 to in-plane optical elements 310 formed directly on the silicon platform 302. The tapered waveguides 312 transform the small diameter of the optical mode in the edge-emitting laser 304 to the larger diameter of the optical mode in the optical fiber 306. The tapered waveguides 312 are formed from the thin films of silica deposited on the silicon platform 302 surface. The optical fibers 306 are held in v-grooves etched in the silicon platform 302. Since both the tapered waveguides 312 and the v-grooves are fabricated directly on the silicon platform 302, their relative positions can be controlled precisely. The laser chip is mounted onto the silicon platform 302 by means of solder bumps 314 and standoffs 316, which also align the chip on the silicon platform 302. However, this approach suffers from having the optical elements formed as an integral part of the silicon platform 302, thereby reducing the types of optical elements that can be used in the assembly 300.
There is therefore a need in the art for an apparatus and method for aligning optical fibers to optoelectronic devices. There is also a need in the art for a method of aligning optical fibers to optoelectronic devices that reduces manufacturing time and costs. There is also a need in the art for a method of aligning optical fibers to optoelectronic devices that maximizes the throughput of the optical fiber.
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for aligning an optical fiber to an optoelectronic element. The apparatus comprises a base and a lens. The base is fabricated from a first crystallographic orientation, and includes an alignment feature for an optical fiber. The lens is fabricated from a second crystallographic orientation, and is aligned with the base using a second alignment feature associated with the first and second crystallographic orientations.
A method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of coupling an optoelectronic element to a base comprising a material having a first crystallographic orientation, coupling a lens to the base, the lens comprising a material having a second crystallographic orientation, wherein the lens is aligned to the base using the first crystallographic orientation and the second crystallographic orientation, and attaching an optical fiber to the base, wherein the optical fiber is placed proximate to the lens, such that a light path of the optical fiber is aligned with the optoelectronic element through the lens.
An optoelectronic assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an optoelectronic element, a lens assembly, and a base. The optoelectronic element converts between an optical signal and an electrical signal. The lens assembly comprises a first material having a first crystallographic orientation and includes a first alignment feature. The base comprises a second material having a second crystallographic orientation and includes a second alignment feature. The lens assembly and base are aligned using the first alignment feature and the second alignment feature, the first alignment feature aligns the lens assembly to the optoelectronic element, and the second alignment feature aligns an optical fiber to the lens assembly.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for aligning optical fibers to optoelectronic devices. The present invention also provides a method of aligning optical fibers to optoelectronic devices that reduces manufacturing time and costs. Further, the present invention provides a method of aligning optical fibers to optoelectronic devices that maximizes the throughput of the optical fiber.

Apparatus, assembly, and method for making micro-fixtured lensed assembly for optoelectronic devices and optical fibers

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


An integrated circuit includes a testable delay path. A transition of a delay path input signal causes a subsequent transition of a delay path output signal. A pulse generator receives the delay path input and output signals and produces a pulse signal having a pulse width indicative of the delay between the delay path input and output signal transitions. A delay line receives the pulse signal from the pulse generator. The delay line generates information indicative of the pulse signal pulse width. The delay line may include multiple stages in series where each stage reduces the pulse width of the pulse signal. The delay line may include a high skew inverter having PMOS and NMOS transistors having significantly different gains. The pulse generator is configured to produce a positive going pulse signal regardless of whether the delay path is inverting or non-inverting.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The invention is in the field of integrated circuit testing and, more specifically, characterizing the delay associated with critical paths in an integrated circuit.
2. History of Related Art
Scaling trends in the semiconductor industry have resulted in a doubling of integrated circuit operating frequencies every two years. Scaling trends have also led to smaller dimensions causing the number of transistors on a chip to double every two years. In contrast, die sizes have only increased by approximately 14% every year. As a result, integrated circuits are much denser in terms of the percentage of the die size area that is populated by a transistor or other device. This increased density has severely limited manufacturing controllability as well as the ability to observe and characterize the integrated circuit. As a result, the testing, debugging, and diagnosing of modern integrated circuits is extremely challenging. Nevertheless, there is a clear necessity to characterize the post-silicon electrical behavior of integrated circuits because design models and simulation packages cannot fully account for the variability that is introduced by the manufacturing process.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conceptual illustration of a fundamental test or characterization problem is shown. In FIG. 1, an integrated circuit 100 is represented as having two basic types of elements, namely, state-holding elements or latches 102-1 and 102-2 (collectively or generically referred to herein as latch(es) 102) and combinational logic elements 104-1 and 104-2 (generically or collectively referred to herein as combinational logic 104). The latches 102 depicted in FIG. 1 may represent multiple latches (not shown individually) and may be more accurately referred to as latch stage(s) 102.
The latches in a latch stage 102 are driven by a system clock 106. The value at the output of a latch following an active transition of the system clock 106 reflects the value at an input of the latch when the clock transitioned. Once the output achieves a steady state following the system clock transition, the output value is static until the next active transition of the system clock.
The combinational logic elements 104 represent logic functions such as logical AND, NAND, OR, NOR, and EXOR gates as well as logical inverters. The amount of combinational logic that may be placed between a pair of latching stages 102 is limited. More specifically, combinational logic, as is the case for all real circuits, exhibits signal delay. A signal transition (represented by reference numeral 108) at the input to combinational logic 104 requires a finite amount of time to produce a signal transition (109) at the output of combinational logic 104. Thus, there is a delay between transition 108 and transition 109 and this delay is a characteristic of the circuit path from the input signal to the output signal.
Meanwhile, system clock 106 is oscillating at a predetermined frequency. System clock 106 includes a first transition 118 that clocks the transition 108 at the input to combinational logic 104-1. If the amount of time between system clock transition 118 and the next active transition 119 of clock signal 106 is less than the amount of delay between transitions 108 and 109, transition 109 will not occur until after the clock transition 119. This condition is referred to as a delay fault because the excessive delay in combinational logic 104-1 causes a fault when transition 109 does not get latched through latch stage 102-2.
It would be highly desirable to implement a technique to measure the post-silicon delay between transition 108 and 109 for one or more critical paths. It would be further desirable if the implemented solution did not require significant die area and did not require a significant modification in testing equipment.

Skewed inverter delay line for use in measuring critical paths in an integrated circuit

International Business Machines Corporation


A system may include a display and a processor. The processor may be configured to: receive aircraft traffic data and ownship data; generate and update a linear map based on the aircraft traffic data and the ownship data; and output the linear map as graphical data to the display. The display may be configured to display the linear map to a user. The linear map may depict a one-dimensional relationship between an ownship and designated traffic. The linear map may convey a range between the ownship and the designated traffic and may convey a closure rate between the ownship and the designated traffic. The linear map may include: a graphical threshold indicator; a graphical ownship indicator; a graphical scale; and a graphical designated traffic indicator.

Advanced traffic applications are being defined in the industry for more efficient management and spacing of aircraft traffic into, and within, crowded airspace. Most of these applications require the flight crew to manage a tight spacing relative to other aircraft in either distance or time but provide only a minimum set of data to the crew. Additionally, a significant portion of existing aircraft fleets do not have a display surface or display capabilities to efficiently manage spacing of aircraft traffic.

Aircraft system and method to provide linear map of traffic


An electrical machine includes a basic bed having a opposite axial end sides and slots, wherein the slots an the end sides have each a slot end opening. A winding system has electrical conductors which are accommodated in the slots wherein the electrical conductors extend out on one of the end sides of at least one of the slot end openings. The electrical conductors are hereby laid within a bridging region extending in a circumferential direction on the at least one end side and are inserted into at least one other one of the slot end openings. Arranged on the at least one end side in the bridging region is a first guide element for guiding the electrical conductors of a first subwinding of the windings stem. An end late is arranged on the at least one end side and has at least one axially protruding separating element with the first guide element having a base bearing a against the separating element.

The invention relates to an electrical machine with an axis of rotation and a basic body, which contains two axial end sides and slots for accommodating electrical conductors of a winding system.
Such an electrical machine is in the form of an electric motor, for example. In order to manufacture the winding system, the basic body, which is in particular in the form of a stator or a stator laminate stack, has recently been wound with a so-called needle winder, a winding nozzle of the needle winder laying an electrical conductor in the interior of a stator bore into one of the slots and progressing in the axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the axis of rotation. The winding nozzle (=needle) is first moved a bit further outwards in the axial direction at the end side. Then, the stator laminate stack is rotated about the axis of rotation until the slot end opening of that slot appears at the level of the winding nozzle at which the electrical conductor is guided back in the opposite direction within the stator bore. The process takes place in mirror-image fashion on the opposite end side. This is repeated corresponding to the desired turns number, so that winding heads form at the two end sides.
The winding system can comprise a plurality of subwindings, which are introduced into the stator laminate stack successively with the described method. In this case, the deflection path length at the end sides when the subwindings are subsequently introduced is greater than when the subwindings are first produced. As a result, the mean coil lengths of the individual subwindings differ from one another. In addition, the amount of material used when the subwindings are introduced subsequently increases, as a result of which the individual subwindings may also have differences as regards their electrical resistance.

Electrical machine with an end-side deflection of electrical conductors


A card type memory includes a file system for use in an image forming apparatus, outside the file system, an operating system that starts a program installed in the image forming apparatus, an image formation program that executes image formation, and a start program that starts the program are also included in the card type memory outside the file system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card type memory, an image forming apparatus, and a method for starting the image forming apparatus with the card type memory.
2. Discussion of Background Art
Recently, an image forming apparatus implements various functions, such as a facsimile, a printer, a copier, a scanner, etc. Such an image forming apparatus includes a display section, a printing section, and an image pickup section, and correspondingly stores four types of applications. Thus, the image forming apparatus can serve as the facsimile, the printer, the copier, and the scanner in accordance with the application.
Program operating the image forming apparatus is updated, but sometimes rewriting thereof results in failure. Then, a rescue system is stored in a Flash-ROM and executes recovery.
Such a Flash-ROM is mapped to a memory in an ASIC installed in the image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 1. Specifically, sixteen Mega bytes of the memory are assigned to the Flash-ROM.
However, since a size of program including the rescue system increases, a card type memory of a cheap unit price is utilized instead of the Flash-ROM.
Thus, an ASIC can use a card type memory as a substitute of the Flash-ROM using a memory emulation function to map a memory of the card type memory in the ASIC.
However, when a SD (Secure Digital Memory) card is used as a card type memory, the SD card is ruled by a SDA to include one FAT file system, and cannot be simply used as a memory such as a Flash-ROM while omitting the FAT file system.
Further, since the above-mentioned memory excluding the FAT file system is advantageous in suppressing careless file deletion, it is not preferable that all of processing is dealt by the FAT file system.
In such a way, a conventional card type memory is inefficiently utilized.

Card type memory, image forming apparatus, and starting method therefor


This invention relates to a method for the calibration of linear array photo sensors operating in a specular reflection mode. Errors may be introduced when a highly diffused image is measured by the linear array photosensor that was calibrated in a specular mode. These errors result in artifacts such as streaks in the captured image. The method measures non-uniformity errors using a highly diffuse white reflective surface, and then applies an appropriate scaled pixel-wise correction factor to the image when the sensor is used in the specular mode.

In conventional marking systems, such as, for example, a laser printer, inkjet printer, or copier, one technique for monitoring the quality of images is to create one or more "reference" or "test" patches of pre-determined desired tint. The reference/tint of a test patch may be referred to as the call or the density of the reference/test patch. The actual density of the material (often ink and/or toner) in each test patch can then be measured to determine the effectiveness of the printing process on marking a medium, such as for example, a reference strip on a photoreceptor or intermediate medium. The uniformity of the image on the reference strip can then be determined.
It is known that non-uniformity in the appearance of printed materials intended to be uniform is a persistent problem for marking technologies, such as direct-digital production color technologies. Thus, marking machines have inherent error manifesting itself in residual non-uniformities, even after all normal service actions, such as machine self-check diagnostics and technician implemented procedures, have been performed on a marking machine. These residual non-uniformities may occur, for instance, where an image to be printed is intended to be a specific uniform tone, but shows areas which are lighter or darker, or a different tone than other areas. These different areas of the same image are variations that were not intended when the image data was generated and do not reflect the image data generated. The ability to assess and diagnose unwanted non-uniformity is a problem for field service personnel. Engineering tools such as densitometers, two-dimensional precision color scanners, digital cameras, flat bed cameras, and elaborate signal processing which may be available in the lab are generally unavailable to field service personnel who must use simpler and less capable tools. Generally, field personnel must use printed standard image references (SIR) and visual comparisons to determine whether a printing system meets its specified uniformity performance. Additional transparent overlays are placed on printed images to determine spatial frequencies of unwanted image bands. The processes are subjective and thus, have a tendency to be inaccurate.
In the case of xerographic devices, such as a laser printer, the surface that is typically of most interest in determining the density of printing material thereon is the charge-retentive surface or photoreceptor, on which the electrostatic latent image is formed and subsequently developed by causing toner particles to adhere to areas thereof that are charged in a particular way. There is typically a routine within the operating system of the printer to periodically create test patches of a desired density at predetermined locations on the photoreceptor by deliberately causing the exposure system thereof to charge or discharge as necessary the surface at the location to a predetermined extent. Test patches are used to measure the deposition of toner on paper to measure and control the tone reproduction curve.
The test patch is then moved past the developer unit and the toner particles within the developer unit are caused to adhere to the test patch electrostatically. The denser the toner on the test patch, the darker the test patch will appear in optical testing. The developed test patch is moved past a light sensing device disposed along the path of the photoreceptor, and the light absorption of the test patch is tested; the more light that is absorbed by the test patch, the denser the toner on the test patch. The sensor readings are then used to make suitable adjustments to the system such as changing developer bias to maintain consistent quality.
Typically each patch is about an inch in the process direction and extending the full width across the process that is printed as a uniform solid half tone or background area. This practice enables the sensor to read one value on the tone reproduction curve for each test patch.
Often, however, when a full-width array sensor module that uses a lens array for imaging captures images in specular reflecting mode, spatially localized non-uniformities of the sensor response are seen. When these same types of sensors are used in a diffuse mode they also exhibit non-uniformities but they are not the same size or in the same locations along the array width. Normal calibration techniques of dark offset and gain correction eliminate almost all effects of these non-uniformity errors when the sensor is used to measure the reflectance of inks or toners that are very light-absorbing.
However, if the material being imaged has a significant high diffuse reflectivity and the sensor is being used in a predominantly specular reflecting mode, then the difference of the two non-uniformities shows up uncorrected in the images. This may result in artifacts such as narrow point streaks during the image processing and subsequent bitmap manipulation.

Calibration method for compensating for non-uniformity errors in sensors measuring specular reflection


It is an object of the present invention to manufacture a semiconductor device easily and to provide a semiconductor device whose cost is reduced. According to the present invention, a thin film integrated circuit provided over a base insulating layer can be prevented from scattering by providing a region where a substrate and the base insulating layer are attached firmly after removing a peeling layer. Therefore, a semiconductor device including a thin film integrated circuit can be manufactured easily. In addition, since a semiconductor device is manufactured by using a substrate except a silicon substrate according to the invention, a large number of semiconductor devices can be manufactured at a time and a semiconductor device whose cost is reduced can be provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor device and an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, technology development of displacing a thin film integrated circuit provided over an insulating substrate has been advanced. As such technology, for example, there is a technology in which a peeling layer is provided between a thin film integrated circuit and a substrate, and the peeling layer is removed by using gas containing halogen, thereby separating the thin film integrated circuit from a supporting substrate and then displacing (see Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid Open No.: H8-254686).
In addition, a semiconductor device that transmits and receives data by wireless has been developed actively. A semiconductor device that transmits and receives data is referred to as a wireless chip, an IC chip, an RF tag, a wireless tag, an electronic tag, a wireless processor, a wireless memory, or the like. A semiconductor device that transmits and receives data using a silicon substrate is mainly used among the semiconductor devices that are in practical use at present.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device, and semiconductor device and electronic device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd


Animation of a thermal image captured by a thermal imager that includes automatically changing particular aspects of the presentation of the image. The coloring of the thermal image may automatically change through two or more color presentations. The colors which may automatically change or be “animated” may be any colors in the usual rainbow of color or in the grayscale. The animation may include a series of small, stepwise incremental changes that gradually change the image. If timed correctly and if the increments are sufficiently small, the transitions of the image may appear smooth, in the manner of a movie or cartoon.

Thermal imaging cameras are used to observe temperature variations in a variety of situations. For example, thermal imaging cameras are often used during maintenance inspections to thermally inspect equipment. Example equipment may include rotating machinery, electrical panels, or rows of circuit breakers, among other types of equipment. Thermal inspections can detect equipment hot spots such as overheating machinery or electrical components, helping to ensure timely repair or replacement of the overheating equipment before a more significant problem develops.
Thermal imaging cameras include sensors for detecting infrared energy in a scene being viewed by the camera. An example of such a sensor is a focal plane array (FPA) which generates an electrical signal in response to infrared energy received through the camera lens. The FPA includes sensor elements, such as bolometers or photon detectors, and each such sensor element may be referred to as a sensor pixel. The electrical resistance or voltage of the sensor pixels changes in response to infrared energy and can therefore be used to generate a thermal image or thermogram.
While the thermal images provided by thermal imaging cameras are very useful, they include an abundance of information and therefore can be complex. As a result, the full scope of information provided by a thermal image may not be easily understood by a user. It is therefore advantageous to present thermal images to users in ways that allow the users to more readily observe and understand the temperature information provided by a thermal image.


A hierarchical data-compression method is described, with a compact form for sequences of consecutive tuples (and other techniques) to save space. A method for efficiently processing a subset of record fields is described. A flexible method for designing the data hierarchy (tree) is described.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to data storage, specifically to an improved data compression method.
2. Description of Prior Art
Data compression gives data processing systems several performance advantages over non-compressed systems:
1. It allows larger data sets to be contained entirely in main memory. This allows faster processing than systems that must access the disk.
2. It allows a task to be performed while processing fewer bytes. This further speeds processing.
3. It provides a more compact form for archival, transmission, or reading/writing between memory and disk.
Previous patents have described variants on a hierarchical compression scheme. It is necessary to first describe the approaches used in prior art. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the data structures of a scheme that represents features common to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,023,610 (1991), 5,245,337 (1993), 5,293,164 (1994), 5,592,667 (1994), 5,966,709 (1999), 5,983,232 (1999).
FIG. 1 shows a set of records to be compressed. Each record has four fields: City, First Name, Last Name, and Shoe Size. These fields can be considered to be four parallel data input sequences. Each sequence is an ordered set of values for one field over the record set.
FIG. 2 shows the tree structure used in prior art to represent this record set. At the bottom of FIG. 2, the "leaves" of the tree are dictionaries (50) that each correspond to one field in the record. A dictionary contains one entry for each unique value of the corresponding field. The entry is the unique value and a count of the number of times the value occurred in the stream of values from the field. For example, in the City dictionary, the value for one entry is "Detroit" and its count is 6.
When a value is encountered that was previously seen in the input sequence, it is not added to the dictionary. Instead, the count associated with that value in the dictionary is incremented.
A token is the (zero-based) order of a value in a dictionary. A token uniquely identifies a value in a dictionary. For example, the tokens 0 and 1 identify the values "John" and "Bill" respectively, in the First-Name dictionary in FIG. 2.
The nonleaf nodes ("interior nodes") (51) in FIG. 2 represent tuples of tokens from lower (leaf or interior) nodes. Here, for simplicity, the tuples are all pairs of tokens, each consisting of a left and a right member. (Higher-order tuples could also be used).
Each interior node here maintains a list of token pairs from its left and right child nodes. For example, the interior node above the Last-Name and Shoe-Size leaves (52) contains pairs of tokens from these fields' dictionaries on the left and right. These token pairs are in the order their corresponding values were first seen in the Last-Name and Shoe-Size input sequences.
For example, the first left/right pair in (52) is (0, 0). This denotes token 0 from the LastName dictionary and token 0 from the Shoe-Size dictionary. This stands for the values "Smith" and "9" for the Last-Name and Shoe-Size fields in the first record.
Likewise, the second left/right pair in (52), 1, 1), stands for the value pair, ("Doe", "8"), in the second record. Each has a count of 1. If a token pair is the same as one recorded earlier, a new entry is not made. Instead, the count for that pair is incremented.
Each unique left/right token pair in an interior node is also assigned a token, representing the order that pair was first encountered from the left and right child nodes. For example, the tokens 0 and 1 is in (55) correspond to the left/right token pairs, (0, 0) and (0, 1).
Likewise, the root node, (56), represents unique token pairs from nodes (52) and (55), in the order they were first encountered. The root node (56) represents every unique record in the tree. For example, to reconstruct the third record, we look at the third token (token 2) in the root node (52). This has left and right values of 1 and 2.
We look up token 1 in the root's left child (55) and get left and right values of 0 and 1. This are tokens for values in the City and First-Name dictionaries, respectively, which are "Plymouth" and "Bill", from the third record. A similar lookup with token 2 in interior node (52) gives "Smith" and "7" for the rest of the record.
Note that all the counts for token pairs at the root node are 1. Also note that there are consecutive runs where the left and right token numbers are each one more than the left and right token numbers in the previous entry. This can be seen for tokens 1 through 10 in the root node (56). For any given token in this range, we can get the left and right pair of the next token in the range by adding left and right elements of the given token.
For example, in node (56), the left/right pair for token 5 (4, 5) has each element one more than the left/right pair for token 4 (3, 4).
Exhaustively representing all the token pairs in a sequence with such a regular pattern wastes a considerable amount of space.
Also if other trees are constructed to represent subsets of the data in the first tree, the dictionary values used must be duplicated in the leaves of these other trees. This redundancy also wastes a considerable amount of space. It also wastes the processing time it takes to duplicate the dictionaries.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,709 (1999) described a method of optimizing said tree structure. Said method used a variant of the Huffman Algorithm, which can produce sub-optimal tree designs when the value function is complex or nonmonotonic. Said method also calculates the exact size of a parent node by counting the tuples formed by the child nodes joined, which is computationally expensive.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,023,610 (1991), 5,245,337 (1993), and 5,293,164 (1994) described the compression of a single stream of data, while this invention describes the compression of multiple parallel sequences of data.

Hierarchical method for storing data with improved compression


A close range munition for firing from a bore of a weapon. The munition includes a spherical projectile having a central core and a plurality of uniformly radially extending resilient filaments defining an outer diameter. The outer diameter of the projectile is greater than the diameter of the firing bore so as to compress the filament within the bore.

There is a well established need to provide an ammunition round, having a projectile which can impact a target with a low likelihood of inflicting a lethal blow. The need for such a round can be seen in numerous situations, such as military and police applications, self-defense and even animal control. A desirable, less-lethal shot gun round would be able to impart a stopping or disabling force on the target.
The art includes numerous examples of various projectiles, which are designed to impact the target with a less lethal force. One type of shotgun round designed for less-lethal applications includes substituting a conventional shot gun slug with a flexible deformable sack which may contain particulate matter. The sack is designed to deform upon impact with the target, imparting a blow without significant penetration. Examples of such less-lethal rounds are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,202,562 and 6,283,037.
Other examples of less-lethal shot gun rounds include slugs manufactured from deformable materials, which deform or spread out upon impact, thereby reducing incidences of penetration upon impact. An example of such rounds is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,662 and 5,691,501. Additionally, other rounds include destructible slugs carrying fluid or other substances within. Recreational paint balls are an example of such destructible projectiles and which are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,254,379 and 6,546,874.
Each of the projectiles of the prior art, which are designed to be less lethal, suffer from certain disadvantages. First, the projectile or slug itself is complicated and expensive to manufacture, as compared with traditional shot gun slugs. Second, many of the known, less-lethal rounds require use of specialized non-standard weapons. Lastly, most of the available shot gun rounds are not accurate over an extended range. This greatly reduces the effectiveness of the round.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a less-lethal ammunition round which is easy to manufacture and provides effective, less-lethal kinetic impact at close range.

Expanded volume less lethal ball type projectile


The invention provides a device adapted to apply a chemical to an animal requiring treatment with that chemical. In particular the device applies a parasiticide such as "Pouron" to the animal which is attracted to the device by feed or a lick in a container associated with the device, the device being activated by movement thereof resulting from contact with the animal or wind.

This invention relates to devices for the application of a biologically active substance to animals.
The traditional approach to reducing vermin infestation of animals has been total immersion of the animal in a "dip" containing a suitable chemical adapted to destroy a particular pest, for example, ticks, fleas, mites.
When large numbers of animals are to be handled this method presents a considerable workload, even when handling domestic animals such as cattle or sheep.
The problem is considerably compounded when handling of non-domesticated animals such as "game" is attempted.
However, as a result of development of chemicals having the ability to spread over the entire skin surface of animals to which the chemical is applied in a single application, for example along the animal's spine, there is a need for a suitable applicator for these chemicals which would at last minimize the disadvantages of known methods, particularly when treating wild or game animals.

Application for biologically active substance


A method for detecting outlines for iris comparison comprises a step of selecting N candidate outlines of circular form by applying a circle search technique to an image of edges of an iris. It also comprises a step of optimizing the form and the position of the N candidate outlines, the optimized candidate outlines being determined by using parametric models, a set of parameters being determined for each candidate outline by minimizing a quantity of energy E(C). The method also comprises a step of selecting the best optimized candidate outline.

The objectives of biometric techniques are to identify living beings. These techniques can be used in the context of applications requiring a certain security level, such as, for example, controlled access to sensitive sites.
For this, a morphological analysis applied to the individuals is implemented in order to identify the physical characteristics that are specific to them. This analysis is based, for example, on the iris or the fingerprints.
When it comes to analyzing the iris, an exemplary existing analysis method is the so-called Daugman method, described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,560. This method allows comparison between several iris-representative digital samples and makes it possible to then determine whether these samples correspond to one and the same individual. For this, the aim of a first step is to segment and normalize the irises and then there is a step which aims to extract therefrom a binary code to compare it to a reference. The extraction of the binary code is done by applying a phase demodulation around points of application to transform the texture of the iris into a binary code.
During the segmentation implemented for the analysis methods, the outlines of the iris are usually considered to be circular. Thus, circles delimiting the outlines of the iris are sought. This search for outlines is a critical processing operation in the recognition process because an error of a few pixels on the estimation of the center or of the radius of the circles significantly reduces the performance levels of the system and degrades the reliability of the recognition. Two methods are usually used to find these circles.
In the context of the Daugman method, an integro-differential circle detection operator is used. This operator depends on three parameters (xc,yc,r) corresponding to the coordinates of the center of the circle and to its radius, and is evaluated over the entire digital image of the eye for a significant range of radii. Following the application of the operator to the image, two sets of three parameters (xc,yc,r) are retained, these two sets corresponding respectively to the inside and outside outlines of the iris.
The main drawback with this method is that the integro-differential operator must be calculated over a significant portion of the image and on a discrete grid limiting the accuracy that can be achieved for the description of the outline. Furthermore, this operator is sensitive to local minima, said minima being introduced for example by artifacts such as portions of eyelid.
A second method for finding the circles delimiting the iris is the Wildes method. Firstly, a filter is applied to the digital image of the eye to implement a detection of edges. For this, a Canny filter can be used. A circular Hough transform is then applied to the image resulting from the detection of edges to find the circles from the detected edges. The main drawback with this method is that it depends strongly on the edge detection method used. Furthermore, the circular Hough transform is an operation that is very costly in terms of computation time.
These two outline detection methods have also been extended for more complex outline types than circles to be able to take into account, for example, outlines of elliptical form. However, in the case of ellipses, the Daugman operator and the elliptical Hough transform significantly increase the computation complexity. Thus, the least squares method is usually used in practice because it is less costly in terms of computation power, even though it is less robust.

Method of searching for parameterized contours for comparing irises


A spring plier is disclosed. The plier comprises a clipping handle and two symmetrical plier leg plates, and the clipping handle including two reverse direction similar shape plier plates mounted with rivets, the handle mounted with a cover, characterized in that the front end of the two clipping plier plate are respectively provided with a screw hole and a protruded post, the two plier leg plate corresponding to the screw hole and the protruded post are provided with a L-shaped fastening slot and an oval hole, and the front end is a pointed insertion leg, the L-shaped fastening slot engages at a screw fastened to the screw hole at the front end of the plier plate, and the oval hole is placed onto the protruded post, the oval hole provides fine adjustment of leg plate and provides a tolerance facilitating loading and unloading of leg plate, then the screw is tighten so as to secure and limit the two leg plates.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plier, in particular, a plier which is detachable or replaceable plier legs.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 5 shows a conventional plier published in Taiwanese Publication No. 122049. FIG. 6 shows another conventional plier published in Taiwanese Publication No. 223294. In these two pliers, the unloading of the leg is done by using a screw to urge a pressing plate. This way of unloading the leg may cause incomplete urging and the exertion force may cause the leg to loose.
Further, the C-shaped ring is highly elastic and if the operation action is not accurate, the C-shaped ring may be sprang out, which may hurt people. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spring plier to mitigate the above drawback.


A solar battery mounting structure for a vehicle mounts a solar battery module on the roof of a vehicle body. The solar battery module includes a glass panel and sealant located on a side of the glass panel that faces the inside of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Solar battery cells are sealed in the sealant. A roof reinforcing member bridges over the roof of the vehicle body. The solar battery module includes a through portion that extends to the glass panel through the sealant. Adhesive is provided in the through portion. The adhesive bonds and fixes the glass panel to the roof reinforcing member.

The present invention relates to a solar battery mounting structure for a vehicle for mounting a solar battery module on the roof of a vehicle body.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 62-085743 discloses a solar battery mounting structure for a vehicle for mounting a solar battery module on the roof of a vehicle body as illustrated in FIG. 12.
The mounting structure of FIG. 12 is employed in a vehicle that includes, as frame members, a front cross member 50 at the front edge of the roof, a rear cross member 51 at the rear edge of the roof, and a pair of roof side rails 52 at the left and right sides of the roof. A roof reinforcing member 54 is located at a portion between the front cross member 50 and the rear cross member 51 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The roof reinforcing member 54 extends in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and bridges the left and right roof side rails 52.
The roof of the vehicle is formed of a light transmitting panel, which is manufactured with glass or transparent plastic. The light transmitting panel 55 is fixed with adhesive to the roof side rails 52 from outside the passenger compartment. In contrast, the solar battery panel 56 is fixed with bolts 57 to the rear cross member 51 and the roof reinforcing member 54 from inside the passenger compartment.
In such a conventional solar battery mounting structure, the light transmitting panel 55 for protecting the solar battery panel 56 is fixed from outside the passenger compartment, while the solar battery panel 56 is fixed from inside the passenger compartment. Since the light transmitting panel 55 and the solar battery panel 56 are fixed separately, each requires a separate set of steps for installing.
Further, in such a conventional solar battery mounting structure, the arrangement of the solar battery panel 56 and the roof frame members is limited. That is, since the solar battery panel 56 is fixed from inside the passenger compartment, no roof reinforcing members can be arranged inside the region in which the solar battery panel 56 is located. Therefore, the position and the size of each of the solar battery panel 56 and the roof reinforcing member are restricted by the other. For example, if a solar battery panel that is large enough to cover the entire roof is mounted, no reinforcing members can be provided in the roof. As a result, the body structure cannot be easily shared between a vehicle type having a normal metal roof and a vehicle type having a solar battery mounting roof.

Solar battery mounting structure for vehicle


An invertible interactive toy structure comprising a series of adjacent foldable segments that can be assembled by folding in either of two different directions and joined at its outer edges to form a self-standing toy structure. When folded in one direction, the assemble structure displays its outside features. When folded in the opposite direction, the assembled structure displays its inside features. Figures which correspond to the indicia on the walls of the structure are provided. The figures are removably affixed to corresponding indicia on the walls of the toy structure. In a particular embodiment, the structure is a barn and the inside features represent various items or scenes associated with farming.

Learning disability has been described as a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of information perceived through the senses with problems recognizing the shape, position, or size of items seen. Some children with a learning disability appear to be unable to process tactile input. Children afflicted with such disabilities or with learning difficulties can benefit from physical interactions, particularly when such interactions are obtained during play with such objects as toy houses when the child has enhanced receptivity to physical contact with familiar objects in the toy house.
There exists a wide variety of toy structures that provide interactivity. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,103 to Carter, which is a portable dollhouse activity book containing pages depicting rooms of a house, with pockets and straps where family dolls may be inserted and a family pet that can be moved from room to room on a Velcro strap.
Another example is U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,445 to Coleman et al., which is a dollhouse within a dollhouse, containing miniature appliances, furniture and fixtures which contains even smaller displays of furniture and fixtures which can be opened for viewing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,565,413 to Brownrigg, is for a modular house toy, which is a three-dimensional dollhouse with room-simulating modules that can be bought as an entire house or piecemeal, to be collected and added to, and includes furnishing accessories and dolls.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,862 to Rotundo et al. is for a house toy and display. It has modifiable modules whose primary purpose is flexibility for display purposes, such that different aspects or features of the house can be displayed at different times.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Disclosed is a method of preparing 10H-dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11-one, including reacting dithiosalicylic acid with 1-chloro-2-nitrobenzene in a basic aqueous solution in the presence or absence of a reducing agent, to prepare 2-(2-nitrophenylsulfuryl)benzoic acid; subjecting the 2-(2-nitrophenylsulfuryl)benzoic acid to nitro group reduction in the presence of hydrogen, a solvent and a heterogeneous metal catalyst, to prepare 2-(2-aminophenylsulfuryl)benzoic acid; and directly cyclizing the 2-(2-aminophenylsulfuryl)benzoic acid in an organic solvent in the presence or absence of an acid catalyst. The method according to the present invention is economical due to the use of the inexpensive starting material, and also environmentally friendly and efficient by minimizing the use of the organic solvent and performing direct cyclization without the activation of carboxylic acid.

In general, 10H-dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11-one is applied as an intermediate to formulate medicines for treatment of psychiatric disorders, and is typically produced as follows.
That is, 1-chloro-2-nitrobenzene reacts with thiophenol, to prepare 2-nitrodiphenylsulfide, after which a nitro group of the prepared compound is reduced to an amino group. The reduced amino group is activated to isocyan using phosgene, which is then cyclized by use of aluminum trichloride, to give 10H-dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11-one, which is disclosed in Helv. Chim Acta, 48, 336 (1965). However, the above method is disadvantageous in terms of difficulties of commercial production, due to the use of hazardous phosgene for the cyclization.
Also, in the above literature (Helv. Chim Acta, 48, 336 (1965)), there is disclosed the preparation of 10H-dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11-one by reacting 2-chloronitrobenzene with thiosalicylic acid methyl ester. However, this method suffers from the use of expensive thiosalicylic acid methyl ester, thus negating economic benefits. In addition, since all the reactions take place in the organic solvent, the above method is environmentally unfriendly.
Likewise, a method of preparing 10H-dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11-one by activating 2-aminodiphenylsulfide by use of chloroformic acid phenyl ester is disclosed in European Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 0240228 and 028236. However, the above method is environmentally unfriendly, because excessive amounts of acidic wastewater are generated by using polyphosphoric acid, which is a strong acid, as the solvent for the cyclization. Further, it is difficult to commercially produce the desired product.
Disclosed in J. Med. Chem. 44, 372–389, 2001, a method of preparing 10H-dibenzo[b,f][1,4]thiazepin-11-one starting from 2-bromonitrobenzene and thiosalicyiic acid is difficult to commercially apply, due to the use of hazardous tin chloride upon the reduction of the nitro group.

Method of preparing 10H-dibenzo[b,f][11,4]thiazepin-11-one


An image processing system in which the vertices of an object contained within an image are analyzed using a singular value decomposition (SVD) method is disclosed. The use of the SVD allows the original vertices data to be reduced through filtering or truncating the singular values associated with the image. In addition, the reduced vertices data and the associated SVD matrices allows for efficiently streaming video data.

In computer graphics the shape of a displayed object can be approximated by a set of geometric primitives such as polygons or curvilinear elements such as polynomials, splines, or NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines. These geometric primitives can be described in terms their position in a predetermined set of spatial coordinates using two or three-dimensional coordinates of their vertices or end points and additional data may also be used such as derivatives or normals.
A rigid body is one in which the vertices used to describe the object do not undergo a displacement relative to a body centered coordinate system, where the origin of the body centered coordinate system may be the center of mass of the object. In contrast, a deformable object is one in which the vertices used to describe the object undergo deformation relative to the body centered coordinate system.
In a dynamic animation of an object the new coordinate positions of a rigid body can be found in terms of translations and rotations of the object. These calculations can be directly calculated using matrix multiplication in which a rotation-translation matrix is multiplied by a vertices-data matrix that stores the coordinate positions of the vertices of the object. However, a dynamic animation of a deformable object involves not only the translation and rotation of the vertices of the object, but also the relative displacement of each the vertices with respect to the body centered coordinate system. The relative displacement is difficult to calculate and therefore, it would require the specification of each of the vertices for each image in the animation. Storing the data necessary to define each of the vertices in space for each image in the animation could require a very large amount of storage area. In some instances, the animation that includes a deformable object may be transmitted in real time over a data network, such as the internet, as streamed video. In this instance the amount of data to stream over the network includes the coordinates of the vertices defining an object in each frame. Data streaming this data would require a very high bandwidth connection to allow the large amount of data to be transmitted at a data rate sufficient to establish the proper images.
Therefore what is needed in the art is an apparatus and method to allow the data corresponding to the vertices of a deformable object to be efficiently stored or transmitted.
A method and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing a three-dimensional (3D) object and reducing the amount of data necessary to accurately reproduce the image. In particular, an 3D object is analyzed and a set of vertices is selected and formed into a vertices-data matrix A. This matrix A is analyzed using a singular value decomposition (SVD) technique that forms the matrices U, W, and V, wherein A=UWVT. In addition, the singular values in the matrix W associated with the vertices-data-matrix A are determined. These singular values can be truncated or filtered and the dimensions of the vertices-data-matrix A can be reduced thereby. In a data streaming application having a source and a destination, a constant product of VWT is formed and provided to the destination. The source then forms row vectors Ui of the matrix U, from the row vectors of the reduced dimension matrix A, according to Ui=AiVWxe2x88x921. The destination receives row vectors of U and reconstructs the 3D object according to A=UWVT.

Basis functions of three-dimensional models for compression, transformation and streaming