An ozone/supersonic wave insect expelling device has an ozone generating circuit and a supersonic wave generating circuit which use the same power source so to generate supersonic wave for expelling pest insect, and for generating ozone for clearing the air. Therefore, ozone/supersonic wave insect expelling device has a dual effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ozone/supersonic wave insect expelling device which is not only used to generate a supersonic wave for expelling pest insects, but also for generating ozone for clearing the air so to retain a clean environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a prior air cleaning machine is shown. A negative ion cleaning machine comprises a shell A the front end of which is pivotally connected with a cover B. The cover may move upwards and downwards for opening and closing. A movable clamping piece C may be arranged on the front end of the shell A for clamping a carbon fiber D. The movable clamping piece C is connected to a high voltage static electric generator E. The high voltage static electric generator E is connected with a neon lamp F and a network G which is arranged on a fixing piece and may be taken down easily.
Since the electric field is strong near the electrode, the electrons and ions generated from the natural radiation will be accelerated to a high speed to collide with air molecules, thus the molecules will be ionized. The ionized positive ions and free electrons will speedily collide with other air molecules, thus another positive electrons and free electrons are further generated. This process is repeated continuously (which is called the avalanche multiplier effect). When the ionized positive ion has returned to the electrode, since they will collide with the electrode or air molecules, many free electrons are generated, these electrons will move to the electrode plate (network) being grounded along the direction of electric field, thus the floating particles in the air may be collected. However, this machine only has the effect of cleaning air.
Therefore, an ozone/supersonic wave insect expelling device has been disclosed in the present invention, wherein by a convertible control switch not only ozone is generated for cleaning air, and retaining fresh air, but also a supersonic wave will be generated for expelling mosquitoes, flies and other pest insects. Thus, the means has dual effect.

Ozone/supersonic wave insect expelling device


A blender with a safe starting function includes a motor unit, a blade base and a container. The motor unit has an insert groove and a micro switch. The blade base has a hole, a threaded rod, a spring and an actuating member with a press member and an actuating arm. The container has its bottom pressing the press members. In using, the blade base is positioned to let the actuating arm slide in the insert groove and press the micro switch to keep the blender in an on-power position. Then a user presses the on-off button to start the blender. If the blade base is rotated only for a very small angle from the on-power position to an off-power position, with the actuating arm separating from the micro switch, then the blender is in an off-power condition, impossible to be started even the on-off press button should be pressed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a blender with a safe starting function, particularly to one provided a blade base rotatable only for a small angle so as to keep the blender in an on-power and an off-power position to attain the safe staring function, with a on-off press button provided on a motor unit also to be used. The blade base is combined on the motor unit, having two holes at two sides and a threaded rod fitted around with a spring and an actuating member. The actuating member has a press member at one side and an actuating arm at the other side. The motor unit has an insert groove and a micro switch fixed in the insert groove for the actuating arm of the actuating member of the blade base to contact or separate from so that the power of the blender may be kept in the on-power and the off-power position. Then when the blade base is rotated only for a very small angle to the on-power position where the actuating arm contact and press the micro switch, and a user also presses the on-off press button on the motor unit, then the blender is started to operate blending fruit. But if the blade base is rotated reversely only a very small angle from the on-power position to the off-power position, then the actuating arm separate from the micro switch, so the blender could not be started to operate even if the on-off press button on the motor unit should be pressed down.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional blenders generally have no safety device for a switch, so a user once connects its electric cord with power and presses on a on-off press button of a blender, the blender starts to let the blade rotate to cut fruit placed therein and makes juice. But if the on-off press button is pressed by accident or without knowing even though the container is not closed with a cap, the stirred juice may be splashed out around from the container. Or if a child presses the on-off button of the blender for a fun or by accident with a hand inserted in the container, the hand is likely to be cut, causing the hand seriously injured.


An ejector for jetting a viscous medium onto a substrate is disclosed. The ejector comprises a jetting chamber adapted to accommodate the viscous medium, a nozzle communicatively connected to the chamber, and an impacting device adapted to impact a volume of the viscous medium in the chamber such that viscous medium is jetted through the nozzle towards the substrate. The ejector may further comprise a rotating mechanism adapted to rotate the impacting device around a length axis of the impacting device such that shearing is induced in the viscous medium to be jetted. A corresponding system and method is also disclosed.

Ejectors and methods are known in the art for jetting droplets of viscous medium or fluid, such as e.g. solder paste or adhesive, onto a substrate such as a printed wiring board (PWB), thus forming deposits on the substrate prior mounting components thereon. Such an ejector generally comprises a chamber for accommodating a volume of the viscous medium prior to the jetting thereof, a jetting nozzle communicating with the chamber, and an impacting device for impacting and jetting the viscous medium from the chamber through the nozzle in the form of droplets. Further, a feeding mechanism may be utilised to feed the medium to the chamber.
High production accuracy and reliability are factors of interest when manufacturing e.g. printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies. In particular, the reliability, such as e.g. the accuracy and repeatability of the jetting process is of interest due to its effects on the performance and the quality of the final product, such as e.g. the PCB assembly. Too small volumes of deposited medium may e.g. lead to dry joints or loosening components, whereas too large volumes of deposited medium may result in short-circuiting caused by e.g. solder balls, or defective contacts due to contamination of adhesive or underfill.
To increase process reliability and performance, an improved control of the application of the deposited medium is desirable so as to reduce the risk for unintentional shortcuts, contamination or erroneous volumes.

Method and apparatus for jetting of viscous medium using impacting device


The present invention particularly relates to a chemoenzymatic process for the stereoselective preparation of both enantiomers of 3-hydroxy-4-trityloxy butanenitrile key intermediates for the preparation of (R)-GABOB by lipase mediated kinetic resolution of its racemates and their effective application in the enantioconvergent synthesis of (R)-GABOB.

(R)-GABOB is a compound of tremendous pharmacological importance because of its biological function as a neuromodulator in the mammalian central nervous system. (Otsuka, M.; Obata, K.; Miyata, Y.; Yaneka, Y. J. Neurochem 1971, 18, 287; Otsuka, M.; Obata, K.; Miyata, Y. Advances in Biochemical Psychopharamacology Raven: New York, 1972, Vol 6, pp 61. ) It is known to function as an agonist of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and has been found to be a remarkable antiepileptic and hypotensive drug (Brehm, L.; Jacobsen, P.; Johansen, J. S.; Krogsgaard-Larsen, P. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans I 1983, 1459). It has also been demonstrated to be effective in managing a variety of clinical conditions including schizophrenia and other character based illnesses (Chapoy, P. R.; Angelini, C.; Brown, W. J.; Stiff, J. E.; Shug, A. L.; Cederbaum, S. D.; N. Engl. J. Med. 1980, 303, 1389; Takano, S.; Yanase, M.; Sekiguchi, Y.; Ogasawara, K. Tetrahedron Lett. 1987, 28, 1783), epilepsy and other illnesses that result in severe convulsions. Its use for the correction of some clinical condition observed in children has also been explored. Moreover (R)-GABOB is a precursor for (R)-carnitine a vitamin like substance and plays an important role in converting stored body fat into energy. Its primary physiological function is to transport long chain fatty acids through the mitochondrial membrane into the cellular compartments for oxidation where these fats can be converted into energy (Fritz, I. B.; Kaplan, E.; Yu, K. T. N. Am. J. Physiol. 1962, 202, 117; Bremer, J. Physiol. Rev. 1983, 63, 1420; Brown, W. J.; Stiff, J. E.; Shug, A. L.; Cederbaum S. D.; N. Engl. J. Med. 1980, 303, 1389; McGarry, J. D.; Foster, D. W. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 1980, 49, 395) and is considered as a good antiobesity drug. The R-form of GABOB is shown to have greater biological activity than its S-enantiomer (Kurano; Masayasu; Miyaruoto; Shigetoshi; Shigeoka; Satoshi; Mori; Akitane. Japanese Patent 1976; Chem. Abstr. 1977, 86, 89207u; Ostsuka, M.; Obata, K.; Miyata; Y.; Yaneka, Y. J. Neurochem. 1971, 18, 287; Otsuka, M.; Miyata, Y. Advances in Biochemical Pysopharmacology, Raven: New York, 1972, Vol 6, pp 61; Kurono, M.; Miyamoto, S.; Shigeoka, S.; Mori, A. Japan, Kokai 76,100,026; Chem. Abstr. 1977, 86, 89207u).

In spite of the simple structure of GABOB a number of methods for their enantioselective preparation are described in the literature (Wang, G.; Hollingsworth, R. I. Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 1999, 10, 1895 and references cited therein). They have been prepared by optical resolution, asymmetric synthesis from natural products, catalytic asymmetrical synthesis and by employing enzymes in the key enantioselective step. Earlier approaches reported in the literature have either long reaction sequences thereby reducing the overall yield or have employed chiral starting material not in the chiral pool or have obtained the target compounds in low enantioselectivity. In view of the high biological importance associated with these compounds a more facile, efficient and cost effective approach has been investigated.
GABOB has four-carbon chain in its basic structural skeleton and retrosynthetic strategy reveals that enantiomerically pure 3-hydroxy-4-trityloxybutanenitrile or 3-acetyloxy-4-trityloxybutanenitrile can be excellent chiral building block for the synthesis of target molecule.

Enantioconvergent chemoenzymatic synthesis of (

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research


A surveillance system looks through the atmosphere along a horizontal or slant path. Turbulence along the path causes blurring. The blurring is corrected by speckle processing short exposure images recorded with a camera. The exposures are short enough to effectively freeze the atmospheric turbulence. Speckle processing is used to recover a better quality image of the scene.

1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to surveillance and more particularly to surveillance with speckle imaging.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,974 issued Sep. 11, 2001 for a system and method for enhancing detection of objects through an obscuring medium by Robert S. Nelson and assigned to The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy provides the following state of the art information, "The detection of moving objects through an obscuring media can be a difficult task, even for advanced electronic imaging systems. Image acquisition by electronic systems is most readily accomplished when the moving object is located in a transparent medium. However, even transparent media can contain sources of signal aberrations that make image acquisition difficult. Obscuring media are media that impede image acquisition due to phenomena such as absorption, scattering, aberration, or boundary effects. For purposes of detecting and tracking moving objects, electronic imaging systems are generally preferred over other means of image acquisition for several reasons. Electronic imaging systems are not only able to generate images, but also accurately determine one or more of the position, range, bearing and speed of a moving object. Thus electronic systems can track as well as identify the moving object. Another advantage of electronic imaging systems is the ability of electronic systems to digitize the image signal of the object and perform computational processing tasks such as contrast enhancement, smoothing and blending of adjacent image pixels, deconvolution, and subtraction of one image from another. Electronic imaging systems may not effectively image or track a moving object if the object is moving in an obscuring medium. Certain media obscure the object, that is, make detection difficult . . . . The atmosphere and relevant boundaries may each be obscuring as well. For electromagnetic radiation that is not highly absorbed or scattered by the atmosphere, obscuration may derive from turbulence."
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0191866 for an image signal processing system by Kazuhiro Tanabe published Dec. 19, 2002 provides the following state of the art information, "The recent video cameras have an electrically zooming-in (or magnifying) function incorporated. That is, a partial image is cut from the image produced from an image pickup device (image sensor) such as CCD, and the data of the partial image is processed by using a memory to change the time base so that the image can be expanded. The image data decreased in the density of its pixels by the extension of the time base is subjected to an electrical interpolation processing in order to compensate for the data, and the interpolation processed data is output at a predetermined data rate."
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0141653 for image compression by Leonardo Estevez and Karen Oehler published Oct. 3, 2002 provides the following state of the art information, "Recently, Digital Still Cameras (DSCs) have become a very popular consumer appliance appealing to a wide variety of users ranging from photo hobbyists, web developers, real estate agents, insurance adjusters, photo journalists to everyday photography enthusiasts. Recent advances in large resolution CCD arrays coupled with the availability of low-power digital signal processors (DSPs) has led to the development of DSCs that come quite close to the resolution and quality offered by traditional film cameras. These DSCs offer several additional advantages compared to traditional film cameras in terms of data storage, manipulation, and transmission. The digital representation of captured images enables the user to easily incorporate the images into any type of electronic media and transmit them over any type of network. The ability to instantly view and selectively store captured images provides the flexibility to minimize film waste and instantly determine if the image needs to be captured again. With its digital representation the image can be corrected, altered, or modified after its capture."

The Regents of the University of California


The pedicure sandal combination footwear is disclosed which provides a toe divider that is releasably secured to a sandal so as to maintain the toes in a predetermined position. The sandal includes a bridge strap that opens to allow the vertical placement of a foot onto the base member by use of the hook & pile attachment thereby allowing an individual to first position the toe divider onto the foot before placement of the foot onto the sandal. Once the foot is properly positioned the bridge straps may be wrapped around the foot so as to secure the foot in a fixed position.

A sandal is a type of footwear commonly used in an informal setting to protect an individual's feet. For instance, a barefoot individual is susceptible to the pain of stepping on a sharp rock, hot sand, or even hot seeping tar. The typical result is injury or contamination of the feet. In many instances it is not an acceptable practice to walk barefoot, and food establishments typically ban patrons who fail to wear footwear. For this reason, sandals have become a convenient form of footwear to protect an individual's feet yet providing a near barefoot experience.
Sandals may also be used to assist a beautician during a pedicure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,987 discloses a pedicure sandal having a base with four toe prongs extending out of the base for placement between the toes. Each prong maintains the toes in a spaced apart position. This assists a beautician in performing a pedicure by inhibiting the toes from touching and further allowing for the proper application of nail polish. By use of the pedicure sandal, an individual may immediately walk or drive a car with freshly polished toes. This eliminates the need for waiting up to an hour at a salon while the nail polish drys. However, even if the polish drys within an hour, it is known that the polish can still easily scratch should the individual immediately put on tight fitting shoes. The problem with the pedicure sandal of the prior art is that the toe positions are fixed and requires an individual to place their foot within the sandal which, by itself could damage the nail polish. The fixed prongs require the individual to wear the sandal throughout the entire pedicure process. If the sandal had been worn before, the bottom of the sandal could be contaminated and the beautician may refuse to work on the foot with the sandals in place. Even if the sandal is clean, the sandal is larger than the foot and is difficult to work with. If the sandal is installed after the pedicure, the individual must place their foot through a fixed strap and then insert the prongs between the toes. Any incorrect movement will cause the nail polish to be affected.
Thus what is lacking in the art is a combination pedicure sandal which allows for the separation of toes before or after the placement of a foot within a sandal and includes an adjustable bridge strap to ease insertion of the foot.


Power circuitry is disclosed for protecting an electronic device during an overvoltage event. A voltage clamp is connected in parallel with a charge pump, wherein the voltage clamp limits an input voltage of the charge pump. A current limiting resistor couples a supply voltage to the voltage clamp and to the charge pump. A power transistor couples the supply voltage to a load, wherein a gate of the power transistor is controlled by an output of the charge pump during a power-on operation. When the supply voltage exceeds a threshold thereby activating the voltage clamp, the current limiting resistor limits a current flowing through the voltage clamp.

The circuitry for electronic devices, such as consumer electronics, is typically fabricated in silicon in one or more integrated circuits (ICs). The ICs are typically powered by a DC supply voltage which may be generated internally by the electronic device using an AC/DC converter, or generated externally, such as by a host of the electronic device, or using a plug-in AC/DC adapter. The ICs are typically fabricated to withstand a specified maximum DC supply voltage above which the ICs may be damaged typically from overheating. To protect against an overvoltage event, the prior art has employed a power transistor (e.g., a power FET) connected in series with the supply voltage and the ICs, including control circuitry for controlling the gate of the power transistor in order to turn-off the transistor and disconnect the supply voltage from the ICs, or regulate the power transistor to limit the maximum supply voltage applied to the ICs. However, the gate control circuitry for the power transistor is typically powered by the supply voltage and therefore subject to damage from overheating during an overvoltage event. If the gate control circuitry is damaged due to an overvoltage event, it is effectively the same as blowing a fuse since the power transistor remains off. Although blowing a fuse may protect the rest of the IC circuitry, as well as prevent the electronic device from catching fire, it also disables the device until the gate control circuitry can be repaired or replaced.

Power circuit with overvoltage protection


Disclosed herein is an improved method of producing a mosaic design on the surface of a ceramic tile substrate and the resultant mosaic tile article manufactured thereby. A selected glaze coating is initially applied to the tile substrate upon specific surface areas predetermined for coloration as part of the mosaic design with the glaze coating being varied in hardness dependent upon the intended architectural or other use of the tile. After firing the selectively glazed tile substrate to harden the coating, a ceramic coloration pattern of the mosaic design is applied over the glaze coating using direct printing or decal transfer to produce a decorated tile. After re-firing the decorate tile, a resist medium is further applied over the colored and glazed areas as a mask, leaving the intermediate areas of the tile substrate unmasked. After curing of the resist medium, conventional sandblasting or other engraving techniques are employed to remove substrate material from the unmasked areas to a desired depth thereby creating realistic grout line spaces intermediate of the colored areas. The excess resist medium is then removed from the surface of the substrate and the entire surface of the resultant mosaic tile article re-coated with a clear protective glaze, as may be necessary for certain architectural applications prior to use.

The present invention relates to the production of mosaic artwork, and more particularly to an improved process for recreating mosaic artwork on a tile substrate.
Mosaic artwork has been produced for centuries and in recent times, such artwork has become fashionable and popular to use in architectural design. Mosaic tiles are used on floors, walls and as architectural accents in a variety of buildings and the techniques employed for creating these intricate mosaic articles have changed little over time. The age-old manual process for creating the mosaic generally includes the cutting of small pieces of glass, stone or ceramic and the setting of these mosaic pieces in a pattern of the desired design. Typically, each piece is glued face down on a canvas or paper backing and thereafter set together in plaster or cement applied on the reverse side. The paper or canvas is then peeled away after the setting compound has cured. The areas in between each individual piece are then grouted with a wash of plaster or similar grouting material. After drying, the resultant mosaic tile provides an aesthetic decorative impression with particular artistic appeal to the observer due to the individuality of each mosaic piece in both dimension and color. This hand-set process for mosaic tile production is obviously time-consuming and requires the skills of craftsmen to custom design, cut and cement the individual mosaic pieces in order to create the desired effect. Such hand-set mosaic tiles are thus particularly difficult and expensive to produce in large quantities, and although the ornamental effect is desirable, the cost is prohibitive.
One alternative to the costly hand-set production of mosaic tiles has been provided through the method of casting thermoset mosaic style patterns. Such thermoset casting methods have employed molds that incorporate mosaic-style surfaces designed to recreate the mosaic impression on the finished article. While such casting methods have produced tiles and other articles in the mosaic style much more economically than the hand-set process, the surface impression generally obtained by the casting methods have not recreated an authentic looking mosaic effect. In the case of tile articles, the tile cast with the mosaic surface is typically glazed and the individual mosaic areas are decorated with a limited number of colors. The mosaic finish of these cast tiles is confined to the mold pattern and generally characterized by a relatively uniform facade void of the fine subtleties and artistic definition of hand-set mosaics. A need, therefore, exists for a cost-effective method of recreating the mosaic effect in patterns and artwork deposited on a tile substrate.

Mosaic reproductions on a tile substrate


A system for isolating a supported structure from transmitting vibrations to a supporting base in a spacecraft provides six degrees of freedom in a kinematic mounting. Six isolator elements in a symmetric arrangement of three skewed isolator pairs provides viscous damping and vibration and shock attenuation during launch and operation in space. The isolators employ two degrees of freedom flexure joints at each mounting point to assure primarily axial deflection and minimize bending moments, and have tuning springs to optimize performance. The system permits deterministic design and allows calculation of all loads from the nominal geometry and the isolator axial stiffness. Limit stops are provided between the supporting structure and the supported structure to limit excursions of the isolator members.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a viscous isolator, and more particularly to a vibration isolator and damper for isolating a reaction wheel assembly on a supporting structure while permitting a mounting base to be moved relative to the supporting structure along multiple axes of freedom.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
Spacecraft reaction wheel assemblies used for pointing control systems, as on a telescope, can emit vibrations into the spacecraft structure that result in blurred images in optical sensors carried by the spacecraft. A reaction wheel assembly produces vibration disturbances when it rotates due to imperfections in the electromagnetics and their drive electronics, unbalance of the rotor, and imperfections in the spin bearings. Since the reaction wheel assemblies provide a desired control torque for positioning the optical elements in the absence of a chemical reaction propulsion system, the isolation system provide attenuation above specific natural frequencies and must have peaking factors in one or more degrees of freedom without impairing transmission of the desired control torques. To maintain accuracy, vibrations must be isolated between the supported structure and the supporting system during both ground loading (one G) and in orbit (zero G).
One system for isolating vibrations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,688, wherein a supporting system employs pivoted single-axis isolators arranged into a bipod and a tetrahedron in which the isolators are supported by means of universally rotatable joints to provide a kinematic mount system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,525 discloses an active 6 degree-of-freedom pointing and isolation system having a magnetically suspended positioning system mounted above a hexapod of linear actuators.
Critical to the above isolation systems is the design of the isolator element. Typically, the prior art isolator elements have been designed for relatively high frequencies, of the order of 15 Hz or greater; therefore, deflections due to one G ground loading and launch vibrations were relatively small and not a limiting factor. However, in some applications the vibration isolator is required to provide specific natural frequencies and peaking factors in one or more degrees of freedom. Thus, for an application with a magnetically suspended wheel the radial translation motion was required to be isolated at a relatively low frequency (4.0 Hz), and very tightly controlled frequencies and peaking factors were specified for all six degrees of freedom to avoid interaction with the magnetic suspension control system. Moreover, the isolator was required to operate in both ground and orbit environments. Where the prior art applications utilized a ridgedly attached isolator the radial translational frequency at 4 Hz could not be accurately controlled.
Moreover, viscous damped isolators are designed to produce damping in their axial direction by fluid shear through a controlled annulus. Damping in the radial direction is typically very low as compared to axial damping and not accurately controlled. Therefore, the peaking factor of the radial translational isolator frequency could not be accurately controlled. Further, radial deflection was limited to the radial clearance of the annulus which must be relatively small to achieve good axial and radial damping. A low frequency radial translational isolator requires a larger value of radial motion than can be provided by the prior art isolators. Still further, the small radial gap coupled with the low radial stiffness precludes operation in the radial direction at one G, and results in the isolator chattering between its stops during launch vibration with the resultant transmittal of impact loads to the reaction wheel assembly.
The present invention avoids the foregoing limitations by providing a hexapod of isolation elements pivoted at each end to carry only axial loads. Travel limiting stops are build into the structure so as to avoid transmitting the loads caused by impact during launch to the isolator elements. A tunable viscous damper is provided which may be peaked at a desired resonant frequency.


A method of producing a molded article involving preparing a copolymer obtained by condensation of (i) 90 to 99.5 mol %, based on components i) to ii), of succinic acid; (ii) 0.5 to 10 mol %, based on components i) to ii), of 4 to 10 mol % sebacic acid; (iii) 98 to 102 mol %, based on components i) to ii), of 1,3-propanediol or 1,4-butanediol; (iv) 0.05 to 0.5% by weight, based on the total weight of components i) to iii), of a crosslinker; and (v) 0.35 to 2% by weight, based on the total weight of components i) to iii), of 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate. The copolymer is injection molded or blow molded to form a molded article having a wall thickness above 200 μm.

Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is not always satisfactory with regard to biodegradability and hydrolysis resistance in particular.
EP-A 565 235 discloses aliphatic copolyesters based on succinic acid and sebacic acid. However, their sebacic acid content is distinctly higher than that of the copolyesters of the present invention. The stiffness of this polymer is much reduced compared with PBS, its heat resistance is impaired, its crystallization rate is lower and an associated cycle time is increased and therefore this polymer is not that useful for injection molding.


A digital camera feeds information input on an operation panel to a system controller. The system controller generates a control signal in accordance with optical sensitivity selected and feeds it to a timing signal generator. The timing signal generator includes a signal generator, which generates a timing signal whose frequency matches with the control signal. While a solid-image image sensor is driven by the timing signal, the frequency of a horizontal transfer signal is made lower than the usual frequency in accordance with the sensitivity selected. This prevents the number of electrons from noticeably decreasing during horizontal transfer to thereby enhance transfer efficiency for a single stage of transfer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup apparatus and more particularly to, e.g. a digital camera having enhanced pixel density, such as a mega-pixel camera, and capable of shooting a subject with a selectable photographic sensitivity.
2. Description of the Background Art
It is a common practice with a digital camera to allow the user of the camera to select desired one of a plurality of photographic sensitivities. Sensitivity or photographic sensitivity refers to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) sensitivity conventionally for use in the sensitivity of photographic film. More specifically, a digital camera is often configured to allow the user of the camera to select either one of a low-sensitivity mode and a high-sensitivity mode corresponding to the ISO sensitivity ranging from 100 to 400 and the ISO sensitivity of 800 and over, respectively.
When such a digital camera is used to shoot a desired subject, an exposure time is reflected by the amount of signal charges generated. More specifically, the amount of signal charges generated in pixels, or photosensitive cells of the camera, increases in the low-sensitivity mode due to a longer exposure time, or decreases in the high-sensitivity mode due to a shorter exposure time.
The signal charges thus stored in the photosensitive cells are read out onto vertical transfer paths implemented as (charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and then transferred to a horizontal transfer path along the vertical transfer paths. The signal charges, i.e. electrons stored in the photosensitive cells are lost as the time elapses due to, e.g. thermal diffusion, as known in the art. The amount of signal charges exponentially decreases with the elapse of time. As a result, even when the same amount of signal charges is generated between the photosensitive cells close to the horizontal transfer path and those far from the same, the amount of signal charges actually be transferred to the horizontal transfer path differs from each other, thus degrading the quality of a resulting image.
Further, while the signal charges stored are sequentially transferred via potential wells formed in the individual transfer CCDs, a certain amount of electrons or signal charge remains in each CCD although it is extremely small. Consequently, the residual signal charges in the transfer CCDs will be mixed with signal charges which will follow, when transferred to the same transfer CCDs, in the next signal transfer and be different in color from the residual signal charges. This mixture of different colors (referred to as color mixture hereinafter) is another cause of the deterioration of image quality.
The deterioration of signal charges which is brought about due to the above causes when the charges are transferred by one stage of transfer is generally referred to as transfer efficiency. Color mixture is therefore apt to easily occur when the signal charges are transferred via a number of transfer stages. The transfer efficiency is an issue relating not only to the vertical transfer paths but also to the horizontal transfer path of an imaging device.
A modern solid-state image pickup apparatus is required to have horizontal transfer efficiency high enough to match with the several million to ten and several million pixels and the increasing photographic sensitivity of the apparatus. To meet this requirement, there has been a proposal to increase a drive frequency assigned to the horizontal transfer path for thereby guaranteeing the frame rate regulated.
However, a solid-state image pickup apparatus, originally low in yield, has a problem that transfer efficiency on the horizontal transfer path is lowered by the same causes as stated in relation to the vertical transfer paths. Particularly, the latter cause stated above allows a certain amount of signal charges to be left in the individual CCDs generally without regard to the quantity of incident light. As a result, when an image is generated by a small amount of signal charges as in the high-sensitivity mode, the influence of color mixture becomes critical because of the intrinsically small amount of signal charges. The influence of color mixture becomes more critical as the number of transfer stages increases. More specifically, color shift or offset is conspicuous in a picture having a gray or white area.

Solid-state image pickup apparatus driven at a frequency adaptive to photographic sensitivity


An adjustable scraper assembly for clearing mud and trash from the gauge wheel tires of an agricultural planter includes a support rod connected to the planter, a clamp assembly attached to the support rod, and a scraper blade attached to the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly has first and second clamping blocks that function together to allow pivotal adjustment of the scraper blade relative to the support rod about three nonparallel axes of rotation and sliding adjustment along at least one linear direction relative to the support rod. The support rod is attached to the planter using a third clamping block clamped to the hub of a gauge wheel arm. The third clamping block can be used to provide an additional adjustment of the support rod relative to the gauge wheel arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to agricultural planters. In particular, the present invention relates to adjustable mud scraper systems for gauge wheels of agricultural planters.
2. Description of the Related Art
R K Products Inc. introduced a gauge wheel rotary mud scraper for planters in 2001. The rotary mud scraper was designed for severe hair pinning conditions in which small pieces of leaves or stalks tend to bend over the scraping edge of stationary scraper blades and accumulate to the point where the scraper no longer functions. Excessive pressure between the blade and wheel can even prevent the wheel from turning.
The mounting system for the rotary mud scraper included a pivot bracket and a support rod. The pivot bracket was made to clamp to the hub of the gauge wheel arm with a U-bolt. Milled surfaces were also provided to conform to the hub surface of more recently produced arms, and cone-point set screws were sometimes used to ensure that the pivot bracket was securely clamped to the hub of the gauge wheel arm.
With this mounting system, the support rod was clamped to the pivot bracket, which was in turn clamped to the hub of the gauge wheel arm. The support rod was adjustable laterally and rotationally relative to the pivot bracket. The lower end of the support rod provided a clamping point for the bearing support of the rotor assembly. The rotor assembly could also be adjusted laterally and rotated around the lower end of the support rod.
The support rod was typically formed as a generally U-shaped member with upper and lower ends spaced about from each other and connected by an intermediate portion. This configuration helped eliminate restrictions on the flow of mud coming off the tire.
It was recognized that a more traditional style flat scraper blade could be easily mounted in place of the rotary scraper, so a flat scraper was added as an option. The flat scraper blade was clamped to the lower end of the support rod with a small U-bolt. This mounting allowed the blade to be rotated around the support rod and adjusted laterally.
It was soon recognized that the blade needed to be adjustable in its own plane to allow the blade to fit the profile of the tire better. For that reason a small clamping block was introduced that allowed the blade to be rotated about the lower end of the support rod and about the center axis of the bolt used to attach the blade to the clamping block.
The rotary scraper was quite expensive and sales were moderate. For that reason a V-blade was introduced as a low cost alternative to remove mud from the load carrying portion of the tire profile with a scraping edge that would allow trash to be pushed off without hair pinning.
The V-blade was effective but excessive wear was experienced. Wear was also recognized as a problem on the regular flat blade. For those reasons the flat blade was redesigned with stronger material and a different shape to improve operation in severe hair pinning conditions.
There is a need in the industry for an improved adjustment mechanism for gauge wheel mud scraper systems for agricultural planters.

Adjustable scraper assembly for planter gauge wheels


An apparatus of asynchronous electric discharge machine for wire cut adopted for use in machine industries employs a first electric discharge machine unit and a second electric discharge machine unit to provide electric energy to a cutting wire to generate alternate ignition and discharge on a work piece. The asynchronous operation uses two different discharge circuits in two different time sequences to reduce the probability of occurring discharge at the same spot and effectively reduce pause time, and prevent the cutting wire from rupturing, thereby to reduce production cost and improve operation efficiency.

Electric discharge machine is an indispensable machine method nowadays. Its basic principle is explained briefly as follows. The problems occurred at present also will be discussed.
In principle, electric discharge machine is a thermal machine method that converts electric energy to thermal energy of work pieces and rapidly melts the work pieces. In other words, in electric discharge machine an electric arc discharging phenomenon occurs through a machine liquid in a very close gap formed between the electrode and the work piece, and a heating effect takes place on the work piece to result in melting of the work piece. The work piece forms an electric discharge trace due to electric discharging. The process is repeatedly performed to fabricate a product forming a desired shape.
Refer to FIG. 1 for a conventional wire cut electric discharge machine apparatus. First, an ignition power supply device 11 provides the required power and connects to an upper machine guide 12 and a lower machine guide 13 in a parallel connection, and also connects to a work piece 14. A cutting wire 16 has two ends connecting respectively to the upper machine guide 12 and the lower machine guide 13 to establish electric connection. The upper machine guide 12 (or the lower machine guide 13), work piece 14 and cutting wire 16 form an ignition circuit. A main power supply device 15 is located between the upper machine guide 12 (or lower machine guide 13) and the work piece 14 to form a discharge circuit. An ignition switch 17 is provided to activate the ignition power supply device 11, for supplying electric power. Through the ignition circuit, an electric arc is generated between the cutting wire 16 and the work piece 14. Once the electric arc occurs, the ignition switch 17 is turned off and a main discharge switch 18 is activated. Through the main discharge circuit, the main power supply device 15 provides electric power, to produce an electric discharge machine phenomenon between the cutting wire 16 and the work piece 14. As a result, the work piece 14 generates heat and melts partially to form a required shape. Finally the main discharge switch 18 is turned off and pauses for a selected time period.
Refer to FIG. 2 for the time sequence of a conventional wire cut electric discharge apparatus. As shown in the drawing, electric power is supplied concurrently to the upper machine guide and the lower machine guide. The ignition time A of the upper machine guide and the ignition time B of the lower machine guide are synchronously activated at the ignition time E1. The discharge time C of the upper machine guide and the discharge time D of the lower machine guide also synchronously occur at discharge time E2. Then the process is stopped for a preset off time E3. After the work piece is insulated from the cutting wire, the foregoing machine process is repeated. Operation energy is simultaneously generated from the upper machine guide and the lower machine guide as follows:E1=(11+12)×Vgwhere E1 is energy, 11 is the electric current of the upper machine guide, 12 is the electric current of the lower machine guide, Vg is the voltage in the gap between the work piece and the cutting wire. Discharge power is as follows: P1=E1×F1where P1 is the discharge power, F1 is the discharge frequency.
In conventional techniques for high speed machine, the detected discharge frequency is about 80 kHz, if the off time is set at 8 us. As every discharge must be followed by a waiting off time to recovery the discharge gap insulating again, shortening the off time can effectively increase the discharge frequency and improve machine efficiency.

Method and apparatus of asynchronous electric discharge machine for wire cut

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Embodiments of a method and apparatus for imprinting a trench pattern on a substrate using ultrasonic vibrations. The trench pattern corresponds to a circuit pattern that is to be formed on the substrate, the circuit pattern including a number of conductive traces and other conductive elements. In one embodiment, the substrate includes a base layer and a layer of dielectric material overlying a surface of the base layer, and the circuit pattern is formed in the dielectric layer.

To package an integrated circuit (IC) chip, such as a processing device or a memory device, the IC die is typically mounted on a substrate, this substrate often referred to as the "package substrate." The package substrate may comprise multiple layers—e.g., a base or "core" layer constructed from an insulating material having one or more layers of a dielectric material disposed thereon—and each layer may include circuitry. The circuitry on a given layer may include a number of conductive traces or other conductive elements arranged in a desired pattern. This circuitry on the package substrate is electrically coupled with the leads of a die mounted thereon. For a flip-chip package—employing, for example, Controlled Collapse Chip Connection (or "C4") assembly techniques—an array of bond pads on the die are coupled to a corresponding array of leads, or "lands", on the package substrate by an array of connection elements (e.g., solder balls, columns, etc.). Alternatively, the die bond pads may be connected to leads on the package substrate using wire bonding or another suitable process.
The circuitry provided by the package substrate routes the IC chip leads to locations on the package substrate where electrical connections can be established with a next-level component (e.g., a motherboard, a computer system, a circuit board, another IC device, etc.). For example, the substrate circuitry may route all signal lines to a ball-grid array—or, alternatively, a pin-grid array—formed on a lower surface of the package substrate. The ball- or pin-grid array then electrically couples the packaged IC die to the next-level component, which includes a mating array of terminals (e.g., lands, pin sockets, etc.). Alternatively, the circuitry may route the signal lines to locations proximate the periphery of the package substrate, wherein wirebonding may be used to couple the packaged IC chip to the next-level component.
The circuitry formed on the package substrate comprises a number of electrically conductive elements (e.g., traces, leads, lands, vias, etc.) arranged in a desired pattern. A conductive element, such as a trace, typically comprises a trench or other depression formed in a dielectric material that has been filled with an electrically conductive material (e.g., copper or a copper alloy). For multi-layer substrates, a trace on one layer may be electrically coupled to another trace on an adjacent layer (e.g., an underlying or an overlying layer), such as may be accomplished by a conductive via or other suitable structure. The circuitry on any single layer may include tens or even hundreds of individual closely spaced traces and other conductive elements, each trace having a width (and depth) on the order of 30 microns (μm) or less. Distances separating the traces and other conductive elements may also be on the order of several microns (e.g., 10 to 50 μm).
With feature sizes of 30 μm or less, and with electronics manufacturers continually striving to increase circuit density and decrease feature sizes, fabricating package substrates and circuitry for IC device packaging presents numerous design and manufacturing challenges. Typically, to create a desired circuit pattern on the surface of a substrate (or a layer thereof), a series of trenches or other depressions are imprinted on the surface, the trenches corresponding to the desired circuit pattern. The trenches are then filled with a conductive material to create the circuitry. Because of the small feature sizes and separation distances exhibited by the circuit pattern, as noted above, imprinting or otherwise forming the trench pattern in a surface of the substrate (or a layer thereof) is one of the most challenging facets of substrate fabrication.
A number of methods and/or systems have been used to create the trench pattern (or patterns) on a package substrate, including compression molding, cold forming, injection molding, casting, and photolithography. Compression molding uses high pressure and elevated heat to imprint a trench pattern into a surface. However, due to thermal expansion of the tooling under high temperature, compression molding may not be suitable for circuit patterns exhibiting small features sizes and/or separation distances. Cold forming (or "coining") utilizes high pressure at room temperature to imprint the desired pattern of trenches in a surface. The high pressure present during this process—as well as in compression molding—can, however, lead to a number of problems, including substrate damage (e.g., damage to a previously formed layer in a multi-layer structure) and damage to the tooling. Injection molding, which may not suffer from the potential ill effects of high temperature and/or pressure, is generally suitable for larger substrates, but is less suitable for small substrates having relatively smaller feature sizes. Casting is often too slow for production level manufacturing due to long cure times, and photolithography may not achieve sufficient resolution.
On another front, ultrasonic welding of plastics, as well as metals, is well known. In a typical ultrasonic welding application, two parts (e.g., plastic parts) are joined together by imparting high frequency (e.g., 15 kHz to 40 kHz) mechanical vibrations to the parts at a location of the desired joint. This mechanical energy is transmitted to the parts at the joint area, where this energy is converted to heat through friction. This heat melts the material of each part in a region surrounding the joint, and when vibration is halted, the melted material solidifies to join the two parts.

Method and apparatus for imprinting a circuit pattern using ultrasonic vibrations


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and apparatus for allocating a server resource, an electronic device and a computer readable storage medium, and relate to the technical fields of cloud platform, cloud environment, containerization and resource allocation. A specific implementation of the method comprises: acquiring a container group creation request initiated by a user for creating a target container group; determining a required amount of server resources required by the user and a remaining amount of the server resources according to the container group creation request, the remaining amount comprising at least one of an exclusive server resource or a shared server resource; rating qualities of the remaining amount of server resources in the remaining amount, and selecting a target server resource corresponding to the required amount according to an obtained actual rating; and allocating the target server resource to the user for creating the target container group.

In a usage scenario of a Kubernetes (an application for managing containerization across a plurality of hosts in a cloud platform), there is generally a need for a plurality of tenants (i.e., a plurality of user groups) to be separated from each other for use. In this situation, a tenant may only see and apply for its own resource, but different tenants may share the same physical server.
The Kubernetes may support the plurality of tenants through a Namespace mechanism, and provide a support to share a physical server between the tenants. However, in practice, the following technical problems would occur. The tenants share a resource on the same physical server, resulting in a mutual influence, and thus, the need for a core business to run exclusively may not be supported. Moreover, the tenants compete for the resource when applying for the resource. In an extreme situation where a single tenant applies for all resources, other tenants may not run a task.
The existing technology provides an implementation scheme in which a fully separated server resource is provided for each tenant, a different small cluster is respectively created for the each tenant, and a different server resource is pre-allocated to each small cluster, thereby preventing the preemption.

Method and apparatus for allocating server resource, electronic device and storage medium

BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A method of processing a substrate of a device comprises the as following steps. Form a cap layer over the substrate. Form a dummy layer over the cap layer, the cap layer having a top surface. Etch the dummy layer forming patterned dummy elements of variable widths and exposing sidewalls of the dummy elements and portions of the top surface of the cap layer aside from the dummy elements. Deposit a spacer layer over the device covering the patterned dummy elements and exposed surfaces of the cap layer. Etch back the spacer layer forming sidewall spacers aside from the sidewalls of the patterned dummy elements spaced above a minimum spacing and forming super-wide spacers between sidewalls of the patterned dummy elements spaced less than the minimum spacing. Strip the patterned dummy elements. Expose portions of the substrate aside from the sidewall spacers. Pattern exposed portions of the substrate by etching into the substrate.

This invention relates to methods of manufacture of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to methods of manufacture of features of semiconductor devices by a sequence of steps including hard mask forming techniques.
Contemporary integrated circuit products require a large number of on-chip memory devices. On a typical microprocessor chip, more than two-thirds (⅔) of the surface area of the chip is occupied by Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) devices.
As integrated circuit dimensions inexorably become smaller and smaller thereby reducing the size of FET devices, we have found that it becomes more and more difficult to continue the trend of scaling SRAM devices to smaller sizes, mainly due to limitations of photolithographic resolution.
Using spacers to pattern sublithographic single features having constant widths has been proposed for FinFET patterning. A prior art approach to forming RSD regions in FinFET devices which illustrates the problems described above is shown in a paper by Yang-Kyu Choi, Tsu-Jae King, and Chenming Hu entitled "A Spacer Patterning Technology for Nanoscale CMOS" IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 49, No. 3, March 2002, PP. 436-441 describes a spacer patterning technology using a sacrificial layer and CVD spacer layer wherein the minimum sized features are finished not by photolithography but the CVD film thickness A set of FinFET devices is formed a Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) substrate formed of a Buried Oxide (BOX) substrate covered with a thin insulator layer covered in turn by a polysilicon layer covered in turn by a silicon oxide hard mask layer. Two parallel, rectangular sacrificial SiGe features with vertical sidewalls are formed on the surface of the hard mask layer. Next, the sidewalls of the SiGe features are lined with Phospho-Silicate Glass (PSG) sidewall spacers, which also have vertical sidewalls. Then the sacrificial SiGe features are removed by selective dry etching leaving PSG spacer structures. Residues of SiGe were then removed by a selective wet etch. Then two source drains masks were then formed across the distal ends of the PSG spacer structures. Next, source/drain regions and fins of a FinFET device are formed by dry etching away the hard mask in a CF4 atmosphere and the polysilicon unprotected by the masks and the PSG features by etching in Cl2 and HBr gas atmosphere. However, the FinFET application described by Choi et al. is very limited because the width of the patterned feature can not be adjusted.
In an SRAM device, it is required that the pull down NFET must be stronger than the pass-gate NFET in order for SRAM to be stable, i.e., not to be disturbed during the read process. This requires width of the pull down NFET must be greater than the width of the pass gate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,982 of Buynoski et al. entitled "Double spacer FinFET Formation" describes a method for forming a group of structures in a semiconductor device. Start by forming a conductive layer on a substrate, where the conductive layer includes a conductive material. Then form an oxide layer over the conductive layer. Then etch at least one opening in the oxide layer, fill at least one opening with the conductive material, etch the conductive material to form spacers along sidewalls of that one opening, and remove the oxide layer and a portion of the conductive layer to form the group of structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,023,203 of Choi entitled "Method of Patterning Fine Line Width Semiconductor Topology Using a Spacer" describes a method for reducing the line widths produced by patterning a semiconductor substrate with a multilayer resist mask employing a spacer-forming oxide layer over the mask after an aperture for exposing a lower resist layer has been formed in an upper portion of the multilayer mask, but prior to etching a lower resist layer. The oxide layer is subjected to a dry systemic etch to vertically remove material of the oxide layer down to the surface of the lower resist layer. Because of the substantial step coverage of the oxide layer, a spacer or stringer portion remains along the sidewalls of the original aperture in the upper portion of the mask, whereby the dimensions of the exposure window are reduced. Retaining this sidewall spacer as an integral part of mask structure permits narrower line widths to be replicated in the underlying substrate.

Patterning sub-lithographic features with variable widths

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus for producing index prints makes the trend of compensation for main prints coincide with the trend of compensation for the index prints. When a scanner determines an exposure compensation amount for each frame based on image data of each frame of a negative film, the information representing the exposure compensation amount for each frame is transmitted to the drive controllers via a controller. In a main print section, an exposure process is performed by the drive controller based on the information regrading the exposure compensation amount for each frame, thereby obtaining a main print. In an index print section, an exposure process is performed by the drive controller based on the same information regrading the exposure compensation amount for each frame, thereby obtaining an index print. Also, a density adjusting method easily and automatically adjust unevenness in density produced in an image printing stage. In a test mode, an image (gray image) with a uniform intermediate gradation is printed on a printing paper. A pixel having the maximum density is selected. Differences in density between the pixel having the maximum density and other pixels are calculated, and the gradations of the respective pixels are shifted based on the differences. Thus shifted gradations are registered as standards for the respective pixels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing index prints, and to a density adjusting method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing index prints wherein an index print process is performed in parallel with an ordinary print process in which images recorded on a photographic film are reproduced, by exposure, on a photosensitive material in a predetermined enlarged size, and wherein the index print process is performed such that images recorded in a plurality of frames of the photographic film are reproduced, by exposure, on the photosensitive material in a predetermined arrangement, thereby producing index prints. The present invention also relates to a method of adjusting the density of an image which is produced by surface exposure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, prints corresponding to images in frames of a photographic film (main prints) are produced in a photographic printer. In such a photograph printer, an image recorded in each frame of a photographic film is scanned by a scanner, and the image information thus obtained (photometric data such as a cumulative transmission density) is input to a main print compensation data calculation apparatus. In this apparatus, compensation data (referred to as a main print compensation data, hereinafter) used in the exposure process are calculated based on the image information. The exposure process for the image of each frame is adjusted based on the main print compensation data.
An index print is known (see JP-A-61-122639, for example). In such an index print, images on a plurality of frames are printed in a matrix in a reduced size. This index print facilitates searching pictures recorded on a piece of developed film. In an index printer for producing index prints, image information of each frame of a photographic film captured by a scanner is received, and compensation data (referred to as an index print compensation data, hereinafter) used in the exposure process are calculated from the received image information by an index print compensation data calculation apparatus. Exposure process for the image of each frame is adjusted based on the index print compensation data.
The index print compensation data calculation apparatus and the main print compensation data calculation apparatus are separate apparatuses. Therefore, compensation data for index prints and compensation data for main prints do not coincide with each other due to mechanical errors and variations in the environment and the like. This may cause the problem that the trend of compensation for index prints does not coincide with the trend of compensation for main prints.
Meanwhile, liquid crystal display devices have conventionally been used in a TV monitor, etc. Such liquid crystal display devices are fabricated using liquid crystal panels as a main component. Liquid crystal panels are also used in photographic printers in which an image is digitally displayed on a liquid crystal panel, and light passing through the liquid crystal panel is projected onto a photosensitive material so as to print the image thereon.
Such a photographic printer is used as an index printer, as disclosed in the above described JP-A-61-122639.
The assignee of the present invention has also proposed a photographic printer in which exposure for an index print and exposure for each frame is performed successively so as to produce index prints without decreasing the high speed processing performance of the photographic printer.
The photographic printer includes a photosensitive material transport section for providing an index print area after each set of printed images is reproduced from one piece of film, and an index print section for printing images for index print (index images) in the index print area. In the index print section, a liquid crystal panel is used as a print display means.
In photographic printers of the above-described type, when an exposure process is performed by irradiating parallel light rays onto a liquid crystal panel (hereinafter referred to as "surface irradiation"), unevenness is produced in the densities of prints due to unevenness in the intensity of the light rays from a light source. An ideal print with no unevenness in its density is shown on the left side in FIG. 9A, while a print with unevenness in its density is shown in on the right side in FIG. 9A. In these photographic printers, an optical device such as a diffusing plate is provided to eliminate unevenness in the intensity of light rays, thereby preventing unevenness in the densities of prints.
However, when such an optical device is built into a photographic printer, the number of components increases, and the size of the photographic printer increases. Also, optical adjustments such as adjustment of the focal distance must be performed after the optical device is built into the photographic printer during its manufacturing stage, and after the optical device is exchanged.

Method and apparatus for producing index prints and density adjusting method


A signal evaluation method according to the present invention is a method for evaluating a read signal, retrieved from an information recording medium, based on a binarized signal generated from the read signal by a PRML method. The method includes the steps of: detecting the patterns of multiple paths associated with the binarized signal and merging into the same state; getting the ideal value of a correct pattern associated with the binarized signal and that of an erroneous pattern that is similar to, but different from, the correct pattern; calculating the difference between a distance from the ideal value of the correct pattern to the read signal and a distance from that of the erroneous pattern to the read signal; calculating, based on the difference, an expected error rate for each predetermined group of patterns by the PRML method; and calculating a standard deviation that is associated with a total error rate, which is obtained by adding together the error rates of the predetermined groups of patterns, and that is used for evaluating the read signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing method that uses a maximum likelihood decoding technique and also relates to a method for evaluating a read signal by the maximum likelihood decoding technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as the densities of optical disc media have been further increased, the shortest length of recording marks has come even closer to the limit of optical resolutions. As a result, intersymbol interference is occurring increasingly often and the SNR (signal to noise ratio) is decreasing even more significantly. To overcome these problems, it has become more and more common to adopt PRML (partial response maximum likelihood) as a signal processing method.
The PRML method is a combination of the partial response (PR) technique and the maximum likelihood (ML) technique, and is a method for selecting a most likely signal sequence based on a read signal waveform on the supposition that a known intersymbol interference should occur. Thus, it is known that decoding performance improves compared to the conventional level determination method (see, for example, Illustrated Blu-ray Disc Reader, Ohmsha, Ltd. (Non-Patent Document No. 1))
Meanwhile, as the level determination method has been gradually replaced by the PRML method as a mainstream signal processing method, some problems are arising about how to evaluate the read signal. Specifically, jitter has been used as an index for evaluating a read signal on the supposition that the signal processing technique is level determination, and therefore, may sometimes have no correlation with the decoding performance of the PRML method, which requires a different signal processing algorithm than that of the level determination. Thus, new indices that do have correlation with the decoding performance of the PRML method have been proposed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-141823 (Patent Document No. 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-213862 (Patent Document No. 2)).
On the other hand, a new index that would contribute to detecting edge shifting between marks and spaces, which are very important factors that determine the storage quality of an optical disc medium, has also been proposed lately (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-335079 (Patent Document No. 3)). As long as the PRML method is adopted, this index should also comply with the PRML rule and should also have correlation with the decoding performance of the PRML method. In addition, this index also needs to represent quantitatively the magnitude and direction of edge shifting on a pattern-by-pattern basis.
As described above, as the densities of optical disc media have been further increased, the intersymbol interference and SNR will have more and more serious consequences. Non-Patent Document No. 1 (Illustrated Blu-ray Disc Reader, Ohmsha, Ltd.) discloses that to maintain a system margin, the PRML methods need to be changed into a higher-order one. For example, if a 12 cm optical disc medium has a storage capacity of 25 GB per recording layer, the system margin can be maintained by adopting PR 1221 ML method. However, if the storage capacity per recording layer is 33.3 GB, then PR 12221 ML method should be adopted. It is expected that as the densities of optical disc media are further rising, the order of the PRML method to adopt should continue to get higher and higher in this manner.
Patent Document No. 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-141823) and Patent Document No. 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-213862) disclose that "difference metrics representing the difference between the first most likely state transition sequence and the read signal and the difference between the second most likely state transition sequence and the read signal" should be used as index values. In that case, if the "first and second most likely state transition sequences" that could produce errors have multiple patterns, then those patterns should be processed statistically. However, Patent Documents Nos. 1 and 2 do not disclose such a processing method.
Paying special attention to this point, Patent Document No. 5 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-272304) discloses a method for detecting multiple patterns of the difference metrics that have been detected by the same method as the ones disclosed in Patent Documents Nos. 1 and 2 and processing those groups of patterns. According to the PR 12221 ML signal processing method disclosed in Patent Document No. 5, there are three groups of patterns (i.e., groups of patterns of merging paths with a relatively short Euclidean distance) that are likely to produce errors. These groups of patterns have mutually different probabilities and generate respectively different numbers of errors. That is why Patent Document No. 5 discloses a method in which a standard deviation σ is calculated based on the distribution of index values that have been obtained from those patterns and in which the errors to produce are predicted based on the probability of occurrence of the patterns (i.e., the frequency of occurrence with respect to the total parameters) and the number of errors to produce when the patterns are erroneous. Patent Document No. 5 adopts, as a method for predicting the errors, a method in which the distribution of the index values thus obtained is supposed to be a normal distribution and in which the probability of the index value becoming equal to or smaller than zero (i.e., the probability of causing bit errors) is predicted based on the standard deviation σ and the average variance μ thereof. This is a normal technique for predicting the probability of occurrence of errors. According to Patent Document No. 5, the probability of occurrence is calculated on a pattern-by-pattern basis, thereby calculating the expected error rate and using that expected error rate as an index to signal quality.
Patent Document No. 4 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-51163) and Patent Document No. 5 mentioned above disclose a method that uses bER, predicted based on the difference metrics, as an index. However, even if those parameters were used as index values, those parameters would have no compatibility with jitters on the time axis that have been used as an index for evaluating the signal quality of an optical disc, and would be difficult to handle. Among other things, to ensure compatibility with the conventional jitter index values, signal evaluation indices that can represent the signal quality with σ are particularly needed. A system that is supposed to use the PR 12221 ML signal processing technique as disclosed in Patent Document No. 5 needs a signal evaluation index that can be represented by σ and that can indicate a signal quality that is highly correlated to the performance (as represented by the error rate) of the PR 12221 ML signal processing. As described above, according to the PR 12221 ML signal processing, there are three different groups of patterns (i.e., groups of patterns of merging paths with a relatively short Euclidean distance) that are likely to cause errors. FIG. 18 shows the distribution of the squares of the difference metrics in those three groups of patterns. Those three groups of patterns have mutually different probabilities and respectively different numbers of errors to occur, and therefore, it is difficult to represent those three groups of patterns as a single distribution.

Signal evaluation method and signal evaluation apparatus


A pair of swim fins, each fin comprising a blade having a first planar surface and defined by an elongated front edge terminated by inner and outer corners and a rear portion, the front edge and rear portion held in spaced-apart arrangement by a pair of opposed side edges extending therebetween; the rear portion of the blade having formed therein the bottom portion of a foot pocket arranged about a second planar surface for partial insertion therein of the foot of the wearer and including an open heel portion and heel strap to retain foot in the pocket; wherein the bottom portion of the foot pocket is specifically outlined for each foot, including one slightly longer side thereof bordering the inside of the foot and another slightly shorter side, spaced-apart therefrom, bordering the outside of the foot; and, wherein the second planar surface of the pocket is inclined to the outside of the first planar surface of the blade to compensate for the natural pronation of the foot in the fin when the fins are used in undulating movement so as to improve the efficiency of the fins during use.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of underwater swimming apparatus. More particularly, it relates to swim fins worn on the feet of underwater swimmers and to a unique construction that compensates for the natural pronation of the foot when using fins.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For man to efficiently swim underwater, he has had to develop certain products to make him more fish-like in his movements. Prime among these products are swim fins that are snugly attached to the swimmer's feet and each contain a large blade moveable by one's legs in an undulating motion. To achieve the highest efficiency in using these fins, the blades of the fins are maintained in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the swimmer's forward movement. This is not always possible due to the nature of one's skeletal makeup.
A person's natural anatomical structure of the ankle and foot results in what is known as "supination" or pigeon-toeing. When the swimmer uses the swim fins in a flutter kick, which is the anatomical flexion and extension of the hips, knees and ankles, the supination causes the fins to turn inward resulting in the plane of the fin blade to be turned away from perpendicularity to the direction of the swimmer's path and loss of efficiency of the fins and the swimmer. This matter is further explained in U.S. Pat No. 4,923,419 issued to Kevin I. McCarthy in 1990. His remedy for this supination was to build a swim fin with the foot pocket offset from the center of the fin.
Further study has shown that supination does not occur in a vacuum. It is often coupled with "pronation" which is the opposite of supination and defined as "the eversion and abduction of the foot causing a lowering of the medial edge thereof", see Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 23rd Edition, Williams & Wilkins, 1979, at page 1147. Pronation shows itself as a slight but noticeable rotation of the foot to the outside when wearing footwear. While it occurs with shoes of all type, namely the tendency to walk on the outside of the shoe, it is most noticeable in wearing swim fins where the foot turns or rotates to the "outside" causing the swim fin to rotate to the outside and out of perpendicularity with the path of travel of the swimmer.
Pronation reduces swim efficiency just as supination does even though they are opposite in feature. In the same Medical Dictionary, "supination" is defined as "the opposite of pronation". Accordingly, what is useful in solving supination problems will not be useful in solving pronation problems.
Further, a review of the prior art of swim fins shows some other problems not to have been solved and that still remain today as impediments to the growth of use of these under water apparatuses. For instance, the foot pocket of swim fins do not take into account the potential for loss or gross reduction of blood flow in the frontal area of the foot (the toes) during prolonged use of the fins. Foot pockets are notoriously tight, evidently to aid in holding the fins in a snug fit to the foot. Such tightness causes pain in the area of the toes and can produce problems that last far longer than the wearing of the fins.
In addition, the fin blade has traditionally been a long, wide fin blade squared off at the front edge without any consideration given to the use of the fin by the swimmer prior to entering the water. The fins interfere with free walking to the point that many call for walking backward in an effort to avoid tripping over the extended fin.
Further, most fins are made from tough materials such as hard rubber, hard plastic and hard plastic-rubber blends with smooth exterior finishes in an effort to provide strength in the water when the fins undergo the flutter kick. However, that same smooth, tough construction makes the fins extremely tough to walk with on dry land. And, walking on dry land with fins on is part and parcel of everyday use of swim fins. In most respects, it is the front edge of the blade that catches on the ground and trips up the swimmer. If it doesn't catch on something, the smooth surface on the bottom of the fin allows the fin to slide on dry land and cause the swimmer to fall down.
Still further, for the most part, swim fins are not used as rudders to guide the swimmer through the water or on the surface thereof. However, there appears no reason that they could not be used as such if constructed in the appropriate manner.

Swim fin incorporating pronation compensation structure


A compression refrigeration system includes a compressor (1), a heat rejector (2), expansion device (3) and a heat absorber (4) connected in a closed circulation circuit that may operate with supercritical high-side pressure. The refrigerant charge and component design of the system corresponds to a stand still pressure inside the system which lower than 1.26 times the critical pressure of the refrigerant when the temperature of the whole system is equalized to 60° C. Carbon dioxide or a mixture of a refrigerant containing carbon dioxide may be applied as the refrigerant in the system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compression refrigeration system including a compressor, a heat rejector, an expansion means and a heat absorber connected in a closed circulation circuit that may operate with supercritical high-side pressure, using carbon dioxide or a mixture containing carbon dioxide as the refrigerant in the system.
2. Description of Prior Art
Conventional vapor compression systems reject heat by condensation of the refrigerant at subcritical pressure given by the saturation pressure at the given temperature. These refrigerants are most often selected so that the maximum pressure occurring in the system should be well below the critical pressure of the refrigerant and usually not exceeding a given limit, for example 25 bar.
When using a refrigerant with low critical temperature, for instance CO2, the pressure at heat rejection will have to be supercritical if the temperature of the heat sink is high, for instance higher than the critical temperature of the refrigerant, in order to obtain efficient operation of the system. The cycle of operation will then be transcritical, for instance as known from WO 90/07683.
WO 94/14016 and WO 97/27437 both describe a simple circuit for realizing such a system, in basis comprising a compressor, a heat rejector, an expansion means and an evaporator connected in a closed circuit. CO2 is the preferred refrigerant for both of them due to environmental concerns.
A major drawback for both WO 94/14016 and WO 97/27437 is that very high pressures will occur in the systems during standstill at high ambient temperatures. As explained in WO 97/27437, the pressure will typically be higher than 100 bar at 60° C. This will require a very high design pressure for all the components, resulting in heavy and costly components. Especially this is a drawback in design of hermetic compressors, for which the shell size is dictated by the size of the electrical motor.
WO 94/14016 describes how this can be improved by connecting a separate pressure relieving expansion vessel connected to the low side of the circuit via a valve. The disadvantage of this is that it will increase the cost and complexity of the system.
Yet another drawback of WO 94/14016 and WO 97/27437 is that the charge specifications, respectively 0.55 to 0.7 kg/l and 0.25 to 0.45 kg/l of internal volume of the system will result in too high charge to be optimal for systems for instance operating at lower temperatures of heat absorption and/or using hermetically sealed compressors, having a large gas volume on the low-side of the system.
Another drawback of WO 94/14016 and WO 97/27437 is that they do not take into consideration that the optimal charge of the system will be strongly influenced by the solubility of the refrigerant in the lubricant for systems with lubricated compressors and also by constructive elements of the system.

Compression system for cooling and heating purposes


A height reduced rotary voice coil actuator assembly includes an E-block defining one or more vertically aligned short tines. Fastened to each short tine are one or two elongated tine extenders. The tine extender-short tine connection occurs outside the region above and below the data storage disks. A peg-leg load beam having tabs adapted to receive wires having no protective plastic tubing is connected to each tine extender. The wires are bonded directly to the tabs and provide electrical communication between data transducer heads located on the load beam and drive electronics. A swage boss formed in the tine extender faces outwardly in the same direction as a data transducer head assembly supported by the peg-leg load beam. Each short tine is substantially coplanar with an associated data storage disk and lies beyond the outer periphery thereof. The resulting in-line rotary actuator achieves substantial vertical or Z height compaction.

The present invention pertains to head suspension assemblies for miniature fixed disk drives and more specifically to low profile head suspension assemblies and the methods for manufacturing them.
In the computer industry, there is a constant demand for products that are both smaller and have higher performance. The hard disk drive used in virtually every personal computer is one of the largest and most expensive components installed therein. Thus, disk drive manufacturers have continuously tried to decrease the size and the cost of their drives while at the same time increasing the amount of mass storage provided.
The computer industry has developed certain standard sized disk drive configurations that will fit into a given bay in their computers. These standard sizes are often referred to as a disk drive""s form factor. The challenge facing disk drive manufacturers, therefore, is to fit as much storage as possible into a standard sized package. One way of solving this problem is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,712 which is hereby incorporated herein by reference and which is assigned to the same assignee as this application. The various embodiments of the present invention improve upon the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,712 by further reducing the height of the load beam suspension assembly, thereby reducing the spacing between the disks and enabling either a reduction in the height of the drive, or the addition of disks while maintaining the same height.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a practical way to manufacture a disk drive having a height reduced head stack.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a disk drive in which tines of an E-block of a rotary actuator are substantially aligned with data storage disks, and wherein a plurality of head suspension assemblies are attached to the tines in an arrangement enabling off-disk swaging of swage bosses of the assemblies to openings defined through the tines.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary voice coil actuator arrangement wherein a head suspension assembly may be swaged to a tine of an E-block of the actuator at an off-disk position which is in substantial registration with a longitudinal axis of the actuator assembly including the head suspension assembly, E-block and voice coil.
The above and other preferred features of the present invention, including various novel details of construction and combination of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations of the invention. As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art through a unique head suspension assembly. The head suspension assembly of the present invention extends from a tine of an E-block (having at least one tine and usually several tines). The head suspension assembly is designed such that the tines of the E-block do not have to enter the space above or beneath any of the data storage disks of the disk drive. An elongated extender is fastened to each tine and preferably a peg-leg load beam is attached to each elongated extender. Preferably, marginal tabs and a reverse flange are formed integrally along the peripheral edge portion of the load beam. A data transducer head is affixed to a gimbal at the outer end of each load beam. Head conductor wires are dressed from the heads, along the reverse flanges and bonded to each of the marginal tabs.
In one aspect of the present invention, a swage boss of the head suspension assembly for swage-attachment to an opening of the tine faces in the same direction as the head slider mounted to the gimbal at the outer end of the load beam.
These and other objects, advantages, aspects and features of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Disk drive with low profile head suspension assemblies


Web stabilizer particularly for one-sided flotation of a running web. The device includes two discharge slots which allow for increased draw down force, which flattens machine direction wrinkles in a floating web. There is a primary discharge slot and a second discharge slot spaced from and stepped down from the primary discharge slot, a first web support surface between the primary discharge slot and the secondary discharge slot, and a second web support surface downstream of the secondary discharge slot in the direction of web travel. An integral blower provides a supply of air that is uniformly distributed to the primary and secondary slots. Air discharged from the primary slot is gathered into the air stream of the secondary slot and creates an increased air cushion to provide greater support to the web and thereby remove machine direction web wrinkles caused by higher tension in light weight webs.

In web coating, printing and drying operations, it is often desirable that the web have contactless support, in order to avoid damage to the web itself or to the coating (such as ink) previously applied to one or more surfaces of the web. One conventional arrangement for contactlessly supporting a web during drying includes horizontal upper and lower sets of air bars between which the web travels. Hot air issuing from the air bars both dries and supports the web as it travels through the dryer.
Important characteristics of any flotation system are the amount of cushioning provided by the flotation device, and the stability of the web as it passes over the device. Adequate support removes web wrinkles that typically are caused by higher tensions in lightweight webs. Airflow instabilities near the web can induce web flutter and subsequent web contact with mechanical parts of the dryer, resulting in coating disturbance or web damage. Web flutter can be manifested in a multitude of forms, ranging from a violent flapping of the web to a high frequency drumming.
Single slot air bars are known in the art as air foils. They differ from opposing double and triple slot air bars in that they have both a positive and negative pressure on the face of the air bar, whereas the double and triple slotted bars have only positive pressure. As a result, double and triple slotted air bars can be operated over a wider range of pressures and clearances; typical flotation clearances of air foils being about 2.3 mm compared to 6.3 mm for double and triple air bars. Air foils also have a dramatic decrease in both heat transfer and flotation stability as clearance is increased, whereas the heat transfers for double and triple air bars are relatively stable up to a clearance of 25 mm (single size bar). A typical application for single slot air bars is where flotation must be accomplished with air on only one side of the web.
Conventional air foils discharge air at about 45° to the web, which pushes the web up and relies on the flatness of the web to trap the air and force it to follow the air foil face. This creates a negative pressure to pull the web back down and hold it in place over the air foil. When floating lightweight webs under medium to high tensions, machine direction corrugations will form in the web. These corrugations allow the discharged air from the 45° slot to escape and not trap the air between the air foil face and the web, thereby reducing or eliminating the velocity created to draw the web down to the air foil face. This can result in poor flotation and can render the air foil ineffective.
The present invention relates to a device which discharges an air flow through a primary and secondary air slot or orifice for the purpose of one-sided flotation and stabilization of a moving web.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A system for actuating sequential engine function transducers such as fuel injector solenoids comprising a plurality of switch nodes equal in number to the number of cylinders of the engine. Each switch node includes a high current switch such as a transistor and an individually addressable driver circuit for causing the transistor to conduct when an address unique to the driver is received. The nodes are preferably disposed in close physical proximity to the injector solenoids. Low current address carrying lines are connected between the address generator and the individual switch drivers to activate them in sequence. Only a single high voltage high current supply line need be provided. The transducers may also be intake and/or exhaust valve actuators or spark ignition devices.

Internal combustion engines of the reciprocating piston type are inherently sequential devices in that they typically comprise a plurality of cylinders and associated combustion chambers each of which has associated with it a number of electrically driven engine function transducers such as fuel injectors. Gasoline engines may have other sequential engine function transducers such as spark igniters and, for more technologically sophisticated engines, electrically driven intake and exhaust valve actuators which replace conventional cam shafts. The control system for such devices typically comprises an ECU having within it a plurality of high current power switches equal in number to the number of cylinders in the engine. High current capacity conductors run between the switches in the ECU and the transducers which are typically mounted on the engine itself. Because the ECU with its associated power switches is mounted some distance from the engine and further because the transducers are disposed at different locations around the engine at different distances from the ECU, the wires which connect the ECU switches to the transducers are of differing lengths.
The presence of these multiple high current conductors in itself presents a number of disadvantages including the cost and weight of the conductive material and the increase in the complexity of electrical systems found under the hood of modern automobiles. In addition, each high current conductor constitutes a source of electromagnetic interference (EMI) which, if inadvertent functions or malfunctions of other onboard devices are to be avoided, requires shielding and/or careful routing of the conductors as well as thoughtful locations of other EMI sensitive components.
In addition, the differing lengths of the conductors pose other problems including variations in current conductance caused by the delivery of electrical impulses along conductive lines of differing lengths. This is particularly problematical in the case of diesel engines where the fuel injecting transducers (injection solenoids) must be precisely controlled as to timing so that the fuel load is introduced into the combustion chamber in the correct relationship to piston position under different operating conditions. Timing the actuation of intake and exhaust valves in camless engines poses similar issues of timing precision.

Sequential engine function control system


Implantable cardiac motion powered piezoelectric energy sources are provided. An aspects of embodiments of the subject implantable energy sources is that they include a piezoelectric transducer that converts cardiac mechanical energy to electrical energy. The subject energy sources find use in a variety of applications, including providing power to a wide range of implantable devices.

A variety of different kinds of implantable medical devices (IMD) are known in the art, which devices may have one or more different functions, including, but not limited to: monitoring of physiological parameters; delivery of pharmacological agents; and delivery of electrical stimuli.
Many IMDs require a source of power to function. Conventional IMDs may receive power from a dedicated battery. While battery-based power sources have proven useful in the medical arts, there are drawbacks to such power sources. For instance, a fully implanted system is not easily subject to re-supply should the battery power be expended. When a medical device is powered through an externally protruding wire, there is the risk that infection may follow this wire to vulnerable areas of the body. Additionally, when implanted, the possibility of corrosion or loss of liquid battery components or exposure of solid components to the body are likely to have physiologically disadvantages results.
It would be an important advancement in the art if a robust implantable motion powered energy source could be developed.