An improved valve for a pulsating submergible pool cleaner having a valve body (20) with an integral relief valve (32). The valve is dual acting and utilizes a pair of opposed laminated valve plates (50) with an outward bend (52) on one end and a right angle bend (54) on the other. When negative pressure is applied to the opposed plates, each plate draws together over a fulcrum (26) until the right angle bend touches a restrictive boundary in a cage (28) integral with the body creating the first step in the dual action. When negative pressure continues, the valve plates arcuately bow until the outward bends contiguously abut, closing the valve to fluid flow and creating the final step in the dual action. A garter spring (60) pulls the valves plates into their original parallel position when pressure is relieved.

Previously, many types of valves have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means for producing the pulsating effect for submersible pool cleaners using the suction of a pool pump for interruptingly drawing water and debris from a swimming pool. Many different valves have been used in the past to create the desired pulsating action including, not only reed valves, but flappers, flexible diaphragms, flexible jaws, bellows, ball valves and elastomeric jaws.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,023,227 Chauvier May 17, 1977 4,351,077 Hofmann Sep. 28, 1982 4,769,867 Stoltz Sep. 13, 1988 4,807,318 Kallenbach Feb. 28, 1989 4,817,225 Stoltz Apr. 4, 1989 5,033,148 Chauvier et al Jul. 23, 1991 5,265,297 Gould et al Nov. 30, 1993 5,337,433 Gould et al Aug. 16, 1994 5,384,928 Khoury Jan. 31, 1995 5,440,645 Atkins Sep. 19, 1995 5,604,950 Stern Feb. 25, 1997 5,634,229 Stolz Jun. 3, 1997 5,655,246 Chang Aug. 12, 1997 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,023,227, 4,351,077, and 5,033,148 disclose a flapper valve that is pivotally displaced to automatically transfer flow from one passage to another. In some cases a bypass valve is required to regulate the suction pressure applied to the apparatus and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,148 an auxiliary inlet is utilized to accommodate the volume of fluid flow through the pool pump.
A flexible diaphragm valve is utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,645, issued to Atkins, which consists of a resilient tube that is reduced in area in the middle, with ribs for controlling it's flexibility. The diaphragm is closed due to the negative pressure of the pump overcoming the resistance of the flexural walls pulling the walls together to impede the flow. Pressure equalization on the outside of the diaphragm permits opening, and the preferred method employed to accomplish this function is spring loading.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,769,867, 5,265,297, 5,384,928 and 5,634,229 disclose a valve having jaw-like lips of a flexible material biased in an open position by it's inherent elasticity and resiliency. The lips close under negative pressure and reopen by the material establishing it's inherent memory.
Kallenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,318 employs a spring loaded bellows-like diaphragm and a rigid unrestricted outlet passageway for flow interruption and cycling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,225 of Stoltz teaches a spherical closure member having a specific gravity slightly greater than the liquid causes interruption by moving freely toward and away from the valve seat.
Gould et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,433, teach a valve having an entrance mouth with one of more single acting closure lips formed of thin metal spring material. The lips are drawn into full closure by the suction of the pool pump and open when the bias is substantially less than the closing force. No bumpers, weights, nets, or floats are used to assist in balance efficiency. Partial flow of the pump is utilized in the apparatus at a specific design flow rate.
Sterns U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,950 discloses a suction cleaning device with a longitudinal throat split into discrete portions. One portion is movable relative to the others, permitting expansion to pass large foreign objects through the throat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,246 issued to Chang is my prior art upon which the improvement in the valve itself is based. Previously, the reed valve consisted of a pair of opposed deflecting reeds, each having a fixed reed and a movable reed. The fixed reed was connected to the body on one end with a stud, and the other secured to the movable reed through an elongated slot. The spring action of the combination created a double action movement flexing the reeds into a bow shape simultaneously by virtue of their combined spring action. The flow of water is impeded by the reed valve due to the shock wave or water hammer when the opposed movable reeds are drawn together at their distal ends.


The specification discloses a handheld computing device or portable electronic calculator that comprises a software application adapted to provide instructions to perform math operations to calculate trading and investment variables and display these variables resulting from the math operation(s) on the display screen simultaneously along with descriptive acronyms. The software application may be further adapted to provide instructions that allows a user to input trading and investment variables including trading price/or trading premium and then incrementing trading price/or premium by decimal or fraction with up and down arrow key(s) or “speed key(s)” on the input device concurrently while viewing the trading price/or premium and calculated order size/or number of contract(s) changes on the display screen. The handheld computing device or portable electronic calculator determines variables that are used during active trading and investment (e.g.'s calculate gain/loss (dollars & percent), gross/net profit (dollars & percent), return rate, yield, cash flow, income, costs/fees, dividends, dividend reinvested income, reinvestment percent, average quarterly dividends, taxes, before/after taxes, before/after costs and fees, share volume, term, margin, short & long-term capital gains/losses, cost per share, basis per share, adjusted basis, total basis, buy & sell price, cash amounts, breakeven price, total cost, order sizes by price, number of contracts by premium, leverage ratios, liquidity ratio, operations ratios, profitability ratios.)

Some existing calculators have the ability to perform mathematical operations on bonds, notes, and treasury bills, and then display this information. However, such calculators do not perform math operations to calculate stock, futures, options, mutual funds, indexes, exchange traded funds, currency, commodities, or interest rate trading and investment variables, in addition to more common investment calculations such as gain/loss (dollars & percent), gross/net profit (dollars & percent), return rate, yield, cash flow, income, costs/fees, dividends, dividend reinvested income, reinvestment percent, average quarterly dividends, taxes, before/after taxes, before/after costs and fees, share volume, term, margin, short & long-term capital gains/losses, cost per share, basis per share, adjusted basis, total basis, buy & sell price, cash amounts, breakeven price, total cost, order sizes by price, number of contracts by premium, leverage ratios, liquidity ratios, operations ratios, profitability ratios, and display these variables resulting from the math operation(s) on the display screen simultaneously along with descriptive acronyms. Also, such calculators are not "portable handheld" consumer calculators, but rather are very "heavy duty" expensive desktop calculators for professional traders, limited to bond, notes, and treasury bill calculations. The present invention generally relates to handheld computing devices, and more specifically to an apparatus and method to perform math operations to calculate trading and investment variables, and display these variables resulting from the math operation(s) on the display screen simultaneously along with descriptive acronyms. This handheld computing device or portable electronic calculator is "for traders and investors of all levels . . . trading securities of all types"
Methods have been developed for electronic calculators to perform calculations for bonds, notes, and treasury bills only. "The Monroe Trader" (1978; serial # K554351 made in the U.S.) calculates data only for bonds, notes, and treasury bills, and was designed only as a "heavy duty" desktop calculator for use by professionals. In researching prior art, there has not been a "portable handheld" consumer calculator or handheld computing device invented for trading and investment; only very large, heavy duty desktop calculators for professionals who trade bonds, notes, and treasury bills. This patent for Trading & Investment Calculator performs math operations to calculate stock, futures, options, mutual funds, indexes, exchange traded funds, currency, commodities, or interest rate trading and investment variables, in addition to more common investment calculations such as gain/loss (dollars & percent), gross/net profit (dollars & percent), return rate, yield, cash flow, income, costs/fees, dividends, dividend reinvested income, reinvestment percent, average quarterly dividends, taxes, before/after taxes, before/after costs and fees, share volume, term, margin, short & long-term capital gains/losses, cost per share, basis per share, adjusted basis, total basis, buy & sell price, cash amounts, breakeven price, total cost, order sizes by price, number of contracts by premium, leverage ratios, liquidity ratios, operations ratios, profitability ratios, and display these variables resulting from the math operation(s) on the display screen simultaneously along with descriptive acronyms. Other types of electronic calculators have been developed that allow direct input of fractional data (pre-defined and manual input of fractions). Please see "References" in this document. Patents that relate to "pre-defined fractional input" have now expired (see Goldsamt, et al. and Hughins); patents that relate to "manual fraction input" are very close to their expiration date (see Stover, et al.):
4,081,859Mar., 1978Goldsamt, et al.364/7094,545,022Oct., 1985Hughins364/7094,744,044May, 1988Stover, et al.364/737
This patent for Trading and Investment Calculator takes advantage of "pre-defined fractional input", in order to calculate trade order size(s) by price and number of option(s)/or contract(s) by premium, allowing the user to quickly scroll through a range of records in either decimal or fractional formats. We have not found any prior art for portable handheld calculators or handheld computing devices that allows the user to quickly scroll through order size(s) by price, or scroll through number of option(s)/or contract(s) by premium in either a decimal or fractional format. In addition, we have not found any prior patents for portable handheld calculators or handheld computing devices that perform math operations to calculate stock, futures, options, mutual funds, indexes, exchange traded funds, currency, commodities, or interest rate trading and investment variables, in addition to more common investment calculations such as gain/loss (dollars & percent), gross/net profit (dollars & percent), return rate, yield, cash flow, income, costs/fees, dividends, dividend reinvested income, reinvestment percent, average quarterly dividends, taxes, before/after taxes, before/after costs and fees, share volume, term, margin, short & long-term capital gains/losses, cost per share, basis per share, adjusted basis, total basis, buy & sell price, cash amounts, breakeven price, total cost, order sizes by price, number of contracts by premium, leverage ratios, liquidity ratios, operations ratios, profitability ratios, and display these variables resulting from the math operation(s) on the display screen simultaneously along with descriptive acronyms.
Because the preferred embodiment of the present invention calculates and displays trading and investment data, it provides an advantage of being a useful trading and investment tool. In addition, because the present invention is "portable" or "handheld" (unlike previous heavy duty desktop calculators), traders and investors can easily take it with them wherever they go. In addition, this calculator was designed for traders and investors of all levels . . . and not designed solely for professionals. The preferred embodiment may be valuable as a self-teaching aid allowing a trader/or investor to enter many examples and "what if" scenarios and see the results immediately on the screen.


A blood sensor including a base (12), a detection part (16) disposed on the base (12), a blood collection needle (13) disposed at a front end (12a) of the base (12), a negative pressure generation part (17) for applying negative pressure to a portion of the blood collection needle (13), and a supply path (15) for supplying blood collected by the blood collection needle (13) to a detection part (16).

Hereinafter, a conventional blood sensor and a blood testing apparatus using the blood sensor will be described with respect to a sensor and a testing apparatus used for diabetes testing.
A diabetic patient measures his/her blood glucose level periodically, and injects insulin on the basis of the blood glucose level to keep a normal blood glucose level. Conventionally, in order to measure blood glucose level, a small amount of blood is collected from a finger tip or the like of a patient using a puncture unit, and then the blood glucose level of the collected blood is measured using a measurement unit.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, initially a puncture needle port 2 of a puncture unit 1 is applied to a finger tip or the like of a patient. Thereafter, a button 3 is pressed. Then, a needle protrudes from the puncture needle port 2 at high speed and goes back instantly, whereby the needle makes a minute wound on the finger tip or the like. The patient squeezes blood from this wound to collect the same.
Next, using a testing unit 4 for measuring blood glucose level shown in FIG. 15, the patient applies the collected blood onto a blood attachment part 5a of a sensor 5 that is inserted in the testing unit 4. Thereby, the testing unit 4 calculates blood glucose level of the attached blood, and displays the result of calculation on a display unit 6.
As prior art document information relating to the invention of this application, for example, Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2002-219114, and a brochure of International Publication No. 2005/054840 are known.
In the conventional testing of blood glucose level, however, it is necessary to use two units, i.e., the puncture unit 1 and the testing unit 4. That is, it is necessary for the patient to make a wound on his/her skin at a finger tip or the like, squeeze blood from this wound, and apply the blood onto the blood attachment part 5a of the sensor 5. This operation is very complicated.

Blood sensor, blood testing apparatus, and method for controlling blood testing apparatus


Methods, systems, and computer storage media are provided for identifying an optimal route to a destination for a user. The optimal route is customized for the user based on one or more route factors. The route factors may include a physical limitation of the user or a restricted area of a healthcare environment. The route factors may also include obstacles within the route or user preferences. An optimal route is identified as such when no route factors conflict with the optimal route.

In order to provide effective and efficient management of healthcare environments, healthcare institutions are using a variety of healthcare management systems. Such healthcare management systems may monitor the locations of patients, clinicians, and other users (e.g., non-clinicians, family members, friends, and the like), as well as equipment and other items. It would be desirable to use this location information to navigate a user to various locations within a healthcare environment. For instance, family members may be routed to a cafeteria and then back to a patient's room, clinicians may be routed to sites of a patient coding event, or the like. In addition to routing a user to a destination, it would be desirable to identify an optimal route for a specific user.


A secondary wing system for use on an aircraft augments the lift, stability, and control of the aircraft at subsonic speeds. The secondary wing system includes a mechanism that allows the canard to be retracted within the contour of the aircraft fuselage from an operational position to a stowed position. The top surface of the canard is exposed to air flow in the stowed position, and is contoured to integrate aerodynamically and smoothly within the contour of the fuselage when the canard is retracted for high speed flight. The bottom portion of the canard is substantially flat for rotation into a storage recess within the fuselage. The single canard rotates about a vertical axis at its spanwise midpoint. The canard can be positioned between a range of sweep angles during flight and a stowed position in which its span is substantially parallel to the aircraft fuselage. The canard can be deployed and retracted during flight. The deployment mechanism includes a circular mounting ring and drive mechanism that connects the canard with the fuselage and permits it to rotate and to change incidence. The deployment mechanism further includes retractable fairings which serve to streamline the wing when it is retracted into the top of the fuselage.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to wing systems for use on a vehicle in aerodynamic or hydrodynamic applications, and it more particularly relates to a low-speed, conformally stowable secondary wing system for use in high speed civil transport aircraft to optimize vehicle performance and efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Canards, including small forward-mounted secondary wings, increase the total wing surface area of an aircraft for improving the low speed lift-to-drag ratio and trim characteristics of the aircraft. While canard concepts have been used in supersonic aircraft to increase low-speed performance, these designs do not allow for optimal high-speed performance and aerodynamic efficiency.
Existing canard concepts for application to high-speed aircraft fall into two general categories: fixed non-retractable configurations, and symmetrically retractable configurations which stow into cavities within the forward fuselage. An exemplary fixed canard is used in the supersonic XB-70 Valkyrie aircraft and remains deployed throughout all phases of flight. Such fixed canards allow for increased lift capabilities and greater stability at lower speeds, thus decreasing the amount of engine thrust and noise during takeoff and landing. Because fixed canards remain exposed to the airstream at supersonic cruise speeds, their induced, profile, and skin friction drags represent significant portions of the overall drag on the aircraft. Because the economic success of a high speed civil transport aircraft is highly dependent upon reducing the cruise drag to the lowest possible level, fixed canards are not desirable in this or similar vehicles.
A hybrid concept of the fixed canard design was employed by the Beechcraft Starship 1 aircraft, which utilized relatively long and narrow, dual-position symmetric canards. At low speeds the canard is fully deployed, while at high speeds the canard is partially swept back. The canard is used in the forward position during take-off and landing to offset the negative pitching moments induced by extension of the trailing edge flaps on the main wing, while it is partially swept back to decrease drag and optimize trim characteristics at cruise speeds. While this variable geometry canard design offers a compromise between low speed performance and high speed efficiency, it is not an optimal design for high speed civil transport aircraft as the canard remains exposed to the airstream during all phases of flight.
In an attempt to optimize low speed performance and high speed efficiency, the Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic transport vehicle employed two symmetrically retractable canards which stow independently into cavities within the forward fuselage. While the retractable canard concept improves upon the problems of fixed-wing and variable geometry canards, several shortcomings remain. First, the two separate hinge and actuation systems or mechanisms required to fold and support the right and left canards add to the overall weight of the aircraft. Second, the structural complexity of the hinge and deployment/retraction actuation systems increases the probability of failure during flight. Third, although the canards are stowed quasi-conformally within cavities in the upper fuselage behind the cockpit, the overall surface smoothness of the fuselage is compromised by the presence of the canards. Fourth, the rectangular platform (e.g., wing shape) used for the Tu-144 canards is not ideal for optimum aerodynamic efficiency. While leading and trailing edge high-lift devices (e.g., slats and flaps) may be used to optimize lift characteristics, such devices further add to the structural complexity and overall weight of the canard and may increase the probability of mechanical failure.
Another aircraft designed to provide low-speed high-lift capability while maintaining high-speed efficiency is the NASA AD-1 oblique wing aircraft. This small aircraft utilizes a single, quasi-elliptical, pivotable wing which rotates about a central axis. At low flight speeds, the wing is positioned perpendicularly to the fuselage, thus providing good lift characteristics without complex high-lift systems. During high-speed flight, the wing is pivoted to form an oblique angle of up to 60 degrees with the main axis of the fuselage, thus reducing drag and increasing speed. However, because the oblique wing is the primary lifting surface of the aircraft, it is not conformally stowed during the high speed flight phase.
A movable wing is used in the pivotable mono wing cruise missile described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,218 to Groutage et al. The missile has a single, pivotable wing which is positionable to either a captive carry position or an extended free-flight position. While the pivotable wing described in the Groutage et al. patent may be suitable as a primary wing for a cruise missile, it is not suitable for use as a low-speed secondary wing system on a supersonic aircraft. The spring-loaded, one-way deployment mechanism described in the Groutage et al. patent is not capable of retracting the wing during flight, nor is the wing conformally stowable.
Various canard concepts that relate to the general field of the present invention are illustrated in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,300 to Schwaerzler, et al.; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,866 to Caldwell, et al.; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,800 to Rutan; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,700 to Lockheed; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,954 to Pruszenski, Jr.; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,088 to Betts; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,037 to Moorefield; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,888 to Gerhardt; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,999 to Cymara; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,652 to Trimbath;

Secondary wing system for use on an aircraft

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


A metamaterial optical filter including: a transparent substrate; and a photosensitive polymer layer provided to the transparent substrate, wherein the photosensitive polymer layer is treated using a laser to form a non-conformal holographically patterned subwavelength grating, the holographic grating configured to block a predetermined wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. A system and method for manufacturing holographically patterned subwavelength grating onto the photosensitive polymer layer including: applying a photosensitive polymer layer to a transparent substrate; placing the photosensitive polymer layer between a laser and a mirror; scanning the laser over the photosensitive polymer layer such that a holographic grating is created within the photosensitive polymer layer by interaction between the laser light and light reflected from the mirror; and stacking two or more holographically patterned subwavelength grating layers to form complex metamaterial optical filter stacks.

Optical filters are used for many purposes, including for protection of eyes in various situations. One example of using filters to protect the eyes is in laser applications.
Laser Protection Systems (LPSs) are routinely used in laboratories around the world. LPSs typically come in the form of goggles or eyeshields which are worn by those present during the use of laser radiation. LPSs also come in the form of flat windows which are placed around the laser location to protect the surroundings. These filters are usually built using polymers and dyes (for low intensity lasers) or glass (for high heat densities).
There are several technical issues regarding currently available LPSs that affect their feasibility in other applications, such as, for example, aviation. First, LPSs usually operate to provide protection for a single bandwidth of light such as green or blue, providing protection from a single laser waveband only. Second, LPSs are not generally narrowband, i.e. limited to just the bandwidth of the laser in use. This means that the LPS will generally block more light than necessary and thus distort the overall vision while reducing the overall light transmission. Third, LPSs are usually color tinted, which once again distorts visual perception. Fourth, glass-based filters are heavy and can add weight or cannot be comfortably worn by individuals over an extended period of time.
While Bragg-based narrow interference filters made with deposition (e.g. sputtering) have become available in laboratory environments, these Bragg-based narrow interference filters tend to have poor angle optical performance, can flake and delaminate, tend to be color tinted and may distort the visual spectrum.
As such, there is a need for improved optical filters and methods for producing same.

Metamaterial optical filter and method for producing the same


In accordance with at least one embodiment, a touch sensor is disclosed. The touch sensor includes a first electroconductive pattern including at least two electrodes. The touch sensor further includes a second electroconductive pattern configured to mask a portion of the first electroconductive pattern when positioned over or under the first electroconductive pattern. The second electroconductive pattern masks the portion of the first electroconductive pattern such that an unmasked portion of the first electroconductive pattern includes unmasked portions of the at least two electrodes. The unmasked portions are of approximately equal length.

Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to electronics and, more particularly, to sensors and interfaces for semiconductor devices.
In the past, the semiconductor industry used various methods and sensors for detecting changes in physical attributes and generating a signal indicative of those changes. Sensors are useful in mechanical systems, chemical systems, and biological systems, among others. For example, in mechanical systems sensors are useful in providing output information based on velocity, position, movement, temperature, altitude, etc.; in chemical systems sensors are used to provide information about the chemical composition of their environment; and in biological systems sensors provide information about analytes present in a biological environment. In the electronics industry touch tensors have been used as input device for electronic devices such as mobile phones, portable audio devices, portable game consoles, televisions, and personal computers. An example of a prior electrostatic capacity type of touch sensor was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,618,818, titled "Electrostatic Capacity Type Touch Sensor" by Takayasu Otagaki et al. and issued on Dec. 31, 2013. A drawback with sensors is that different sensors may vary in their level of sensitivity.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a sensor and method of sensing or detecting physical attributes or changes in the physical attributes. It would be of further advantage for the structure and method to be cost effective to implement.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements in the figures are not necessarily to scale, and the same reference characters in different figures denote the same elements. Additionally, descriptions and details of well-known steps and elements are omitted for simplicity of the description. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the words during, while, and when as used herein are not exact terms that mean an action takes place instantly upon an initiating action but that there may be some small but reasonable delay, such as a propagation delay, between the reaction that is initiated by the initial action and the initial action. The use of the words approximately, about, or substantially means that a value of an element has a parameter that is expected to be very close to a stated value or position. However, as is well known in the art there are always minor variances that prevent the values or positions from being exactly as stated. It is well established in the art that variances of up to about ten percent (10%) are regarded as reasonable variances from the ideal goal of exactly as described.

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


An apparatus for mixing at least two flowable components having a mixer housing with an outlet opening. At least one mixing element arranged in the mixer housing having at least two separate inlet passages through which the flowable components can be introduced separately from one another. Each inlet passage is capable of being in sealing cooperation with a respective outlet passage of a storage container or a chamber. At least one of the inlet passages has an end configured to cooperate with the outlet passage as a piercing element for opening a flow connection between the storage container or the chamber and the inlet passage. The piercing element includes at least two inflow areas for the flowable components, with the two inflow areas being inclined relative to one another. A dispensing apparatus having such a mixer is furthermore provided.

The disclosure relates to a mixer for mixing at least two flowable components and to a dispensing apparatus in accordance with the preamble of the respective independent claim.
Static or dynamic mixers for mixing at least two components are used in a plurality of technical fields; for example in the mixing of two-component systems such as sealing compounds, two-component foams or two component adhesives or also in the dental field, for example for mixing impression materials. The individual components usually have to remain separate from one another until use and are then mixed so that hardening subsequently takes place by a chemical reaction. Such mixers are as a rule designed for single use because they can practically no longer be cleaned after hardening or after any other reaction of the components.
Such mixers are usually part of a dispensing apparatus which include cartridges or other chambers for the respective components. In use, the individual components are dispensed from the chamber by means of a plunger or by means of a drivable piston, move into the mixer, are intimately mixed there and exit the mixer through its outlet opening as a homogeneously mixed mass. There are many different designs with respect to the chambers for the components. The chambers can be designed, for example, as rigid cartridges which are inserted directly into the dispensing apparatus. In this respect, the cartridges can, for example, each have a piston as a base which is moved in the cartridge by exertion of pressure to dispense the respective component. Designs are also known in which the cartridges have very thin walls. They are then inserted into support cartridges of the dispensing apparatus and there have pressure exerted on them by a plunger or by a piston. Provision can be made in this respect that the thin-walled cartridge collapses on dispensing in the support cartridge. It is furthermore known that the chambers for the components are each designed as tubular bags which are then inserted into support cartridges and are compressed by pressure exertion for use.
As a rule, it is necessary for the storage of the individual components that they are stored in completely closed chambers to avoid any unwanted reaction with air or its components, drying or any other degradation. It is often in particular wanted to dispense with complex closure devices for the chambers with tubular bags or thin-walled cartridges as chambers for the components. It is therefore a widespread measure that the respective chamber, that is the cartridge or the tubular bag, for example, is pierced before the first use so that subsequently the corresponding component can be dispensed.
Systems are known in which an adapter is placed onto the cartridge or a holder for the tubular bag which includes a piercing device, wherein two positions are provided for the adapter, one in which the piercing device is held tight by the cartridge or by the bag respectively for storage and for transport and a second in which the piercing device penetrates into the cartridge, pierces it and thus releases the component for dispensing.
It is disadvantageous with this that the adapter is part of the disposable system and therefore has to be disposed of. As a rule, special locking devices are also required to avoid any unintentional piercing.
Other embodiments have the piercing device attached directly to the holder for the cartridge or the tubular bag respectively. If the cartridge or the tubular bag respectively is inserted and is exposed to pressure, the piercing of the wall takes place in that the latter is pressed toward the piercing device and is thereby cut open. This system is not always reliable and as a rule requires great care in storage, in transport and in handling so that the cartridge or tubular bag respectively is not unintentionally pierced.
Such systems are also known, for example from DE-196 18 693, in which the piercing devices are provided at the inlet passages of the mixer, for which purpose they are designed as obliquely cut-out pipe ends which each engage into an outlet of a chamber when the mixer is placed on and in so doing pierce the wall of the chamber. It may, however, occur in this embodiment that the pierced wall lays itself in front of the entry opening of the inlet passages and covers them at least partly, whereby the dispensing of the component is negatively influenced. This could optionally be prevented by a large penetration depth of the inlet passage into the cartridge or into the tubular bag, but the complete dispensing of the components from the cartridges or from the tubular bags respectively thereby becomes impossible, which results in uneconomic residual quantities. It is the object of the invention to comply as much as possible with this endeavor and to avoid the named disadvantages of the prior art.
Starting from this prior art, it is therefore an object of the invention to propose a mixer and a dispensing apparatus for at least two flowable components which do not have these disadvantages. A problem-free, secure storage and transport should be possible, the handling of the system should be easy and an impeding of the dispensing of the component through the pierced wall should be avoided as much as possible.
The subject matters of the disclosure satisfying these objects are characterized by the features of the respective independent claims.

Mixer for mixing at least two flowable components and dispensing apparatus


The present invention provides a driving method suitable for a plasma display. The plasma display includes multiple scan electrodes, multiple sustain electrodes and multiple address electrodes, for example. Successive frames are adapted to be displayed in repeating reset periods, address periods and sustain periods by applying driving signals to the scan electrodes, sustain electrodes and address electrodes. The driving method is characterized in that before inputting driving signals or when interrupting driving signals, a wall-charge removing signal is applied to the scan electrodes to remove/reduce the residual wall charges around the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes. As a result, the possibility of the plasma display generating erroneously discharging with strong light at the restarting state can be effectively reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving method, and more particularly, to a driving method for plasma displays.
2. Description of Related Art
With the development of multi-media, displays serving as an interface between human and computers are becoming more and more essential. The panel displays include plasma displays, organic electro-luminescent displays (OELD) and liquid crystal displays (LCD). With advantages like big size, self-illuminance, wide-view angle, thinness and full colors, plasma displays are promising and are gradually becoming the mainstream of the next generation of displays.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional plasma display. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional display panel 100 includes a front substrate 110, a rear substrate 120, scan electrodes 112, sustain electrodes 114, address electrodes 122 and ribs 30. The scan electrodes 112 and the sustain electrodes 114 are disposed in pairs on the front substrate 10. The scan electrodes 112 and the sustain electrodes 114 are covered by a dielectric layer 116 and a passivation layer 118. The address electrodes 122 and the ribs 130 are disposed on the rear substrate 120. Multiple discharge spaces 140 filled with discharge air are provided among the ribs 130, the front substrate 10 and the rear substrate 120. A fluorescent layer 150 is positioned in the discharge spaces 140 and on the rear substrate 120. The scan electrodes 112 and the sustain electrodes 114 cross the address electrodes 122 at the discharge spaces 140. When voltages are applied to the scan electrodes 112, the sustain electrodes 114 and the address electrodes 122, the discharge air discharges to produce ultraviolet light to illuminate on the fluorescent layer 150 for lighting a plasma display 100.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of driving signals of a conventional plasma display. The frame displayed on the plasma display is composed of multiple sub-frames. Each sub-frame includes a reset period Tr, an address period Ta and a sustain period Ts. In the reset period Tr, reset pulses 202 are applied to the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes for reducing the residual wall charges during the last sub-frame display. Each display unit of the plasma display can be thereby kept at a same initiation state and the display of the plasma display can have an enhanced uniformity. In the address period Ta, wall charges are accumulated on the to-be-lighting display unit by applying an address pulse 204 to the address electrodes and applying a scan pulse 206 to the scan electrodes. In the sustain period Ts, the display units having wall charges discharge and light with alternate application of sustain pulses to the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes.
In the above description, the residual wall charges in each sub-frame are removed/reduced by the reset pulses. However, when the display units are kept in the sustain period, the interruption of power will retain wall charges in the display units. When the plasma display restarts, subsequent scan pulses and sustain pulses will be input without the complete reset pulses due to the incompleteness of the driving signals initially input. If the wall charges exist, during the restarting of the plasma display, the gap voltage, which is the sum of the voltage of the wall charges and the voltage of the scan pulse or the sustain pulse, will be larger than the firing voltage of the discharge air, and this condition will make the display units to erroneously discharge with strong light.


A transmitter for use in a process control system has externally accessible actuators for permitting external adjustment of the zero and span (or full scale) settings of the transmitter. The transmitter has an explosion-proof housing which includes an interior chamber in which transmitter circuitry is located. Each of the actuators includes a movable magnet which operates a magnetic reed switch located within the interior chamber of the housing through a wall of the housing. Each of the magnets is mounted on a movable actuator which extends into a blind hole in a wall of the housing. By moving the magnet within its hole, the corresponding reed switch can be changed from a non-actuated to an actuated state. When the zero reed switch is actuated, the transmitter circuitry adjusts its output so that the present value of the parameter represents a process zero. When the span (or full scale) reed switch is actuated, the transmitter circuitry adjusts its output so that the present value of the sensed parameter represents a process maximum.

Cross-Reference to Related Application
Reference is hereby made to the copending application of Roger L. Frick, Ser. No. 899,378 dated Aug. 22, 1987, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,659, assigned to the same assignee as this application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transmitters used in industrial process control systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Two-wire transmitters (as well as three-wire
widespread use in and four-wire transmitters) find industrial process control systems. A two-wire transmitter includes a pair of terminals which are connected in a current loop together with a power source and a load. The two-wire transmitter is powered by the loop current flowing through the current loop, and varies the magnitude of the loop current as a function of a parameter or condition which is sensed. Three and four wire transmitters have separate leads for supply current and outputs. In general, the transmitters comprise energized electrical circuits which are enclosed in a sealed housing such that ignition of any combustible atmosphere by faults or sparks from the energized circuit is contained in the housing.
Although a variety of operating ranges are possible, the most widely used two-wire transmitter output varies from 4 to 20 milliamperes as a function of the sensed parameter. It is typical with a two-wire transmitter to provide adjustment of the transmitter so that a minimum or zero value of the parameter sensed corresponds to the minimum output (for example a loop current of 4 milliamperes) and that the maximum parameter value to be sensed corresponds to the maximum output (for example 20 milliamperes).
The minimum and maximum parameter values will vary from one industrial process installation to another. It is desirable, therefore, to provide some means for setting the maximum and minimum output levels in the field, and this is done typically with electrically energized zero and span potentiometers sealed in the housing. With some transmitters, a housing cover must be removed to gain access to the potentiometers for adjustment, undesirably exposing the atmosphere surrounding the transmitter to the live circuits in the transmitter. A variety of techniques, however, are available for adjusting the potentiometers while sealing potentially explosive atmospheres surrounding the transmitter from the electrically live circuits in the transmitter. In some transmitters, a rotary adjustment shaft for adjusting a potentiometer is closely fitted through a bore in the housing to provide a long flame path for quenching ignition in the housing before it reaches the atmosphere surrounding the housing. In yet another arrangement, the potentiometers are mechanically coupled to a relatively large bar magnet which is then rotated magnetically by another bar magnet outside the live circuit's enclosure. This arrangement with bar magnets can have the disadvantage of mechanical hysteresis, making precise span and zero setting difficult. Actuated switches are also used for setting span and zero in transmitters, such switches requiring an opening through the wall of the transmitter's housing to provide for mechanical coupling to the switch.
For many process control environments, the transmitter itself is required to have an explosion-proof enclosure. This means that, if a spark takes place inside of the transmitter housing which ignites gases within the housing, no hot gases should be propagated from the interior of the transmitter to the exterior which could cause any surrounding combustible atmosphere to ignite.
Providing for zero and span adjustments which are accessible from outside the transmitter (so that the housing would not have to be opened) is desirable, but makes it difficult to maintain the explosion-proof characteristics of the transmitter. External span and zero actuators have, in the past, needed either bulky magnet pairs for transmitting rotational force or passages formed through the transmitter housing wall, so that one end of the actuating mechanism extends into the chamber which contains the transmitter electronics, while the other end is accessible from the exterior of the transmitter. In order to maintain explosion-proof characteristics, very long flame paths must be created with very tight tolerances. It is also important that the passages be sealed so that moisture cannot enter the transmitter housing through the span and zero actuator passages.
There is a continuing need for improved zero and span actuators which are easier to fabricate, require less critical tolerances, and are less expensive than prior art actuators.

Transmitter with magnetic zero/span actuator


An exposure mask has a predetermined principal pattern formed on a principal surface of a mask substrate and including a continuous pattern of lines which are repeatedly arranged at a first interval and an isolated pattern which is arranged adjacent to a line of the continuous pattern at a second interval greater than the first interval; and an auxiliary pattern formed along a direction in which the predetermined principal pattern is arranged, adapted to overcome multiple-beam-flux interference of diffracted light on a pupil's plane by providing the isolated pattern with cyclicity, and having a line width which falls outside a limit of resolution on a plane of projection of exposing light. Also disclosed are a method of fabricating the mask, and a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices using the mask.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure mask used in lithography in the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, a method of fabricating the mask, and a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices.
2. Discussion of the Background
Various super-resolution techniques are being utilized in the lithography technology, since exposures based on circular illumination using conventional circular light sources are unable to obtain sufficient depths of focus. As such super-resolution techniques, a deformed illumination method and a Levenson phase shift method (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 50811/1987) have been proposed.
In the deformed illumination method, the angle of incidence of illuminating light is selected such that only 0th-order diffracted light and one of .+-.1st-order diffracted lights from a pattern enters a projection optical system, and that 0th-order light and one of .+-.1st-order lights generally pass a target position in a pupil's plane. This method makes it possible to increase the depth of focus and increase the resolution.
However, although these techniques substantially improve the resolution and increase the depth of focus with respect to cyclic patterns such as line-and-space patterns, there is a restriction in the pattern layout in that these techniques are not effective with respect to isolated patterns. The reason for this is that although, in the deformed illumination method and the Levenson phase shift method, a state of two-beam-flux interference is produced by making use of diffracted light generated due to the cycle of the pattern so as to increase the depth of focus, it is difficult to produce the state of two-beam-flux interference with respect to isolated patterns since the cycle of the pattern is large.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are schematic diagrams for explaining the theory of diffraction in the reduction exposure technology. FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram in a case where a mask having a small pattern pitch is used, and FIG. 12B is a schematic diagram in a case where a mask having a large pattern pitch is used.
In FIG. 12A, reference numeral 57 denotes light for exposure which is emitted from a light source (not shown) of a stepper; 58, a mask with a small pattern pitch and having light-shielding portions 63 and transparent portions 64; 59, a lens on which the light transmitted through the mask is made incident after being separated; 60, the pupil's plane of the lens; and 62, a wafer surface which constitutes the plane of projection.
Referring to FIG. 12A, the light 57 which has been transmitted through the mask 58 having the small pattern pitch is separated into 0th-order diffracted light 52 which advances straightly along the optical axis, .+-.1st-order diffracted light 53 having an angle of .theta. (sin.theta.=.lambda./P; .lambda., wavelength of exposing light; P, pattern pitch) with respect to the optical axis, and -1st-order diffracted light 54, is made incident upon the pupil's plane 60 of the lens 59, and forms an image on the wafer surface, thereby forming an image of the pattern of the mask 58.
Meanwhile, FIG. 12B shows a case where the light 57 is made incident upon a mask 61 with a large pattern pitch and having the light-shielding portions 63 and the transparent portions 64. In FIG. 12B, the light 57 which has been transmitted through the mask 61 having the large pattern pitch is separated into the 0th-order diffracted light 52 which advances straightly along the optical axis, the .+-.1st-order diffracted light 53 having the angle of .theta. with respect to the optical axis, the -1st-order diffracted light 54, +2nd-order diffracted light 55, -2nd-order diffracted light 51, +3rd-order diffracted light 56, -3rd-order diffracted light 50, is made incident upon the pupil's plane 60 of the lens 59, and forms an image on the wafer surface, thereby forming an image of the pattern of the mask 61.
In FIGS. 12A and 12B, only the diffracted light which has been transmitted through the inner side of the pupil's plane 60 of the lens 59 contributes to the formation of an image on the wafer surface 62. For this reason, in FIG. 12B, since the pattern pitch of the mask is large, the angle .theta. with respect to the optical axis becomes small, with the result that the .+-.1st-order diffracted light, the .+-.2nd-order diffracted light, the .+-.3rd-order diffracted light, . . . are made incident upon the inner side of the pupil's plane 60 of the lens 59, thereby causing multiple-beam-flux interference to occur.
FIGS. 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams illustrating the states of diffracted light formed in the pupil's plane of a projection lens system in cases where the masks shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B are used. FIG. 13A shows the diffracted light in the pupil's plane after being transmitted through the mask 58 having the small pattern pitch, and FIG. 13B shows the diffracted light in the pupil's plane after being transmitted through the mask 61 having the large pattern pitch.
In FIGS. 13A and 13B, reference numeral 60 denotes the pupil's plane of the lens; 52, the 0th-order diffracted light; 53, the +1st-order diffracted light; 54, the .+-.1st-order diffracted light; 55, the +2nd-order diffracted light; 51, the -2nd-order diffracted light; 56, the +3rd-order diffracted light; and 50, the -3rd-order diffracted light.
In FIG. 13B, since the pitch of the pattern formed on the mask is large, the angle .theta. of incidence upon the pupil's plane is small, and the interval of the diffracted light becomes small, so that even higher-order diffracted light enters the pupil's plane 60. Consequently, multiple-beam-flux interference occurs in the case of an isolated pattern with the large pattern pitch, and the depth of focus decreases as compared with the continuous pattern with the small pitch shown in FIG. 13A.
Here, referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B, a description will be given of the cause of the decrease in the depth of focus due to the occurrence of the multiple-beam-flux interference. FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic diagrams for explaining image formation due to various types of interference. FIG. 14A shows image formation due to the multiple-beam-flux interference by taking three-beam-flux interference as an example, and FIG. 14B shows image formation due to two-beam-flux interference.
In the three-beam-flux interference shown in FIG. 14A, since the phase of .+-.1st-order light with 0th-order light as a reference changes with defocusing, the contrast of the image declines. This is more noticeable with multiple-beam-flux interference of three beam fluxes or more. Meanwhile, in the two-beam-flux interference shown in FIG. 14B, troughs (mutually weakening portions) of two waves and ridges (mutually strengthening portions) thereof occur at the same positions, respectively, the phase difference between them does not occur even during defocusing, so that the contrast of the image does not decline.
Thus, in the multiple-beam-flux interference, the phase relationship changes when the plane of projection is offset from the plane of the best focus in the defocusing direction, making it impossible to maintain the contrast of the image. Therefore, there occurs the problem that the depth of focus decreases.
As a method for overcoming this problem, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-275492, for instance, proposes a method for increasing the depth of focus of an isolated pattern in a case where a continuous pattern and an isolated pattern are present on the same mask in a mixed form.
Here, a description will be given of the method disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent No. 6-275492 for increasing the depth of focus of an isolated pattern in the case where a continuous pattern and an isolated pattern are present on the same mask in a mixed form.
FIGS. 15A to 15C are plan views of mask patterns illustrating the conventional method for increasing the depth of focus of isolated patterns.
First, FIG. 15A is a plan view illustrating a line-and-space pattern. FIG. 15B is a plan view illustrating an isolated pattern 69 and an auxiliary pattern 70 which are delineated on the same mask as that of FIG. 15A. FIG. 15C is a plan view illustrating an inverted pattern of the auxiliary pattern shown in FIG. 15B.
In FIGS. 15A and 15B, a line-and-space pattern 68 as well as the isolated pattern 69 and its auxiliary pattern 70 are formed on a mask 67. In FIG. 15C, an inverted pattern 72 with Cr removed for inverting the auxiliary pattern 70 is formed on a mask 71 which is a layer separate from the mask 67.
First, by using the mask 67, reduction projection exposure is effected by oblique incidence illumination from a four-split light source, and the line-and-space pattern 68, the isolated pattern 69, and the auxiliary pattern 70 are transferred onto a posi-type photoresist on a wafer. Subsequently, by using the mask 71, reduction projection exposure is effected in a similar manner, thereby causing the transferred pattern of the auxiliary pattern 70 formed on both sides of the isolated pattern 69 to disappear.
With the conventional method, however, the auxiliary patterns provided on both sides of the isolated pattern for increasing the depth of focus of the isolated pattern are resolved on the wafer. For this reason, the mask for causing the auxiliary pattern to disappear by the use of the inverted pattern is required, and a step for causing the auxiliary pattern to disappear by using the mask is required, with the result that the number of fabrication steps increases. In addition, there is a problem in that in a case where an alignment error has occurred during pattern exposure, the function of causing the auxiliary pattern to disappear degrades.

Exposure mask, method of fabricating same, and method of manufacturing semiconductor device


An ignition coil device mounted on the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. The ignition coil includes: a cylindrical pipe inserted into a plug hole while a first clearance is formed between the cylindrical pipe and the plug hole; a coil tower arranged over the cylindrical pipe; a seal member arranged below the coil tower for sealing the plug hole; and a cover arranged between the seal member and the coil tower. The seal member is formed with an air bleeding hole extending from the first clearance to a side of the coil tower. The air bleeding hole includes a protruding opening. A circumferential wall portion is positioned on the outer circumference side of the protruding opening while a second clearance is formed between the cover and a periphery of the protruding opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ignition coil device to be used mainly in an internal combustion engine (or engine) and, more particularly, to a configuration for mounting the ignition coil device in the cylinder head of the engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ignition coil device of related art has a cylindrical pipe to be electrically connected with an ignition plug. Over this cylindrical pipe, there is arranged a coil tower, which includes a connector for electric connections with the outside and a flange portion to be fixed on the cylinder head. In this ignition coil device, a cylindrical pipe portion is inserted into a plug hole arranging the ignition plug while a clearance is formed therebetween, and the coil tower is arranged over the cylinder head of the engine. Moreover, a seal member is arranged below the coil tower so as to prevent water droplets from intruding into the plug hole. Since the plug hole has the waterproofing configuration therein, moreover, the seal member is provided with an air bleeding hole for preventing the deterioration of the sealing properties, as might otherwise be caused by thermal expansion or shrinkage.
JP-A-6-58237 discloses an air bleeding hole of an ignition coil device that is constituted by forming the air bleeding hole in a seal flange in parallel with the plug hole, by forming a concentric air bleeding groove in a holding plate below the coil tower, and by extending the air bleeding hole therethrough toward over the coil tower, so that the air in the plug hole may be ventilated through those groove and hole. The air bleeding hole has a complicated configuration, and the final hole opening to the atmosphere is directed upward, so that the configuration has problems in the waterproofing properties when it is employed in places of a two-wheeled vehicle or a ship, where many water droplets are splashed. In some configurations, therefore, the holes are positioned below the flange or the connector.
On the other hand, a configuration of an ignition control device disclosed in JP-A-11-191476 has two pieces of a seal member having an air bleeding hole and a rain cover, both of which bear the retention of the waterproofing properties of the plug hole. The configuration of the air bleeding hole exists in the seal member and is simple, but the rain cover needs a shape having a ring area or a straight area, which is essential in its directional determination. Moreover, the air bleeding opening and the cylinder opening are flush with each other so that the configuration easily allows introduction of water droplets in case a bank shape is absent around the cylinder hole.


There are provided an image search apparatus, and an image search method, which make it easier for a user to reach an image desired to be searched, by rearranging images to which keywords matching an inputted search term are assigned, according to the importance of the keywords to the image desired to be searched, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the image control and search method. Keywords corresponding to images to be searched are searched for according to the inputted search terms, and images corresponding to the keywords searched are rearranged according to importance set for the keywords. The images are stored together with the keywords for which the importance has thus been determined. The images to which the keywords matching the inputted search term are rearranged in the order of the importance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an image search apparatus, an image search method and a storage medium, and more particularly to an image search apparatus, and an image search method that are suitable for managing and searching images by assigning keywords representing the images, and a storage medium storing a program for executing the image control and search method.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a conventional image database management technique of storing image data in a database and searching the stored image data. In the conventional image database management, keywords are assigned to images, and desired images can be searched for depending on the accordance of the keywords with search terms. According to an image searching process using this technique, even if a search term inputted by an operator does not completely match a keyword, the search term is made to match the keyword by replacing the search term with a term similar to the search term in notation, a synonym and a narrower term. This reduces the possibility that the image is not searched out due to the discord between the keyword and the search term.
The above conventional technique, however, has a problem as described below. In the conventional image database management, it is almost impossible for all images to be represented by keywords. Some keywords represent predominant objects in images, and some keywords represent minor objects that appear in images but do not form subjects of the images. If the images are searched for by the keywords in such image management system, all the images to which a keyword matching the inputted search term is assigned are searched out. More specifically, an image whose subject is the keyword and an image which appears as a small image at the edge of an image are searched out. Therefore, it takes a long time for a searcher to reach a desired image.

Image search apparatus, image search method and storage medium


An apparatus for hot drape forming a part includes a plurality of pyrometers, a bladder covering a formable material, and a pyrometer control medium positioned between the plurality of pyrometers and the formable material. The plurality of pyrometers are configured to measure a temperature of the pyrometer control medium.

Hot drape forming (HDF) allows composite materials of parts to be formed into curved or contoured shapes. In the context of composite materials, HDF includes heating a composite material and urging the heated composite material against a curved or contoured forming tool. Non-uniform heating of the composite material during HDF, often caused by inaccurate temperatures readings of the composite material, may lead to undesired deformation or inconsistencies in the part. With current HDF techniques, accurately monitoring the temperatures of composite materials so as to promote uniform heating of the composite materials can be difficult.


An object information acquiring apparatus is used which includes: a laser medium; a temperature controlling unit for controlling a temperature of the laser medium; an excitation unit for exciting the laser medium; a control unit for controlling the temperature controlling unit and the excitation unit; a probe for receiving acoustic waves that are generated when an object is irradiated with a laser beam from the laser medium; and a processing unit for acquiring characteristic information relating to the object from the acoustic waves, wherein the control unit does not operate the excitation unit until the temperature of the laser medium falls within a predetermined range.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object information acquiring apparatus and a laser apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, photoacoustic apparatuses which cause an object to be irradiated with pulsed light, receive the photoacoustic waves generated inside the object with a probe, and image the form or function inside the object have been researched considerably in the medical field. As a pulse light source of the photoacoustic apparatus, a high-output solid-state laser is used. In order to stabilize the amount of pulsed light of the solid-state laser, it is necessary to stabilize the temperature inside the pulse light source.
Thus, proposed is a laser apparatus that performs a warming-up operation until the temperature inside the pulse light source becomes stable. Patent Literature 1 discloses an apparatus that performs a warming-up operation when the apparatus is turned ON, and determines a correction coefficient of the laser output command value after the temperature inside the light source falls within a predetermined range.
Moreover, a circulator for stabilizing the temperature inside the light source during emission is proposed in Patent Literature 2. With the circulator of Patent Literature 2, stabilization of the laser output is sought by circulating and supplying, to a laser oscillation unit, a cooling medium that is controlled for causing the temperature to be constant.
Moreover, flash lamps are often used as the excitation source of the solid-state laser. By performing Q-switching after causing the flash lamp to emit light and exciting the laser medium, sudden laser oscillation is generated to output a strong laser beam known as a giant pulse.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-251855
Patent Literature 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-097769 (1999-097769)

Object information acquiring apparatus and laser apparatus


A pan inverting system (10) comprises a rotating table (11) having a central longitudinal axis (13), the table being rotatably mounted within a static frame (15) for rotation about the longitudinal axis (13). Conveyors (21) are disposed on opposed pan-receiving surfaces (20) of the table (11). The conveyors (21) are independently operable to displace a pan (12) along the table (11) in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (13). A pan engagement device (24) within the table (11) is operable to releasably fasten the pan (12) to the pan receiving surface (20) of the table (11), such that when the pan (12) is fastened to one of the pan receiving surfaces (20) by the pan engagement mechanism (24), rotation of the table (11) about the longitudinally extending axis (13) will invert the pan (12). The table (11) may also equipped with air headers (507), nozzles and/or air knives (508) to clean the pans (12), for example during the rotating operation, by injecting cleaning air jets onto the surfaces of the pan (12).

In commercial bakeries and other commercial production lines, automated systems and processes are used to produce products, such as breads, rolls, buns, cookies, chocolates, frozen foods, dairy products, beverages, pharmaceuticals and the like, in large volumes and typically in a generally continuous manner. The pans within which such products are contained during the production process are usually displaced by conveyors to facilitate the movement of a large number of these pans from one location within the establishment to another. For example, one example of a typical commercial bread baking process is as follows: a pan is first conveyed to a make-up station in which the raw dough is loaded into the individual pans; the pan then travels to a proofing area in which the dough is allowed to rise; once the dough has risen, the pan is transported by conveyor into a oven in which the dough is baked so as to turn into bread; once the baked bread exits the oven, it is removed from the individual baking pans and allowed to cool before being packaged for shipment; and the baking pans are either returned to the first make-up station to be loaded with new dough or stored in a pan storage area until a new production order using these pans is required.
Such continuous production lines thus require a large number of these pans to be moved around, usually via conveyors. One handling process which is desirable in the displacement of such pans is the ability to invert the pans, i.e. turn them either upside down or right-side up. This can be useful for a variety of reasons, including to facilitate emptying the products from the pan, or to facilitate the storage and/or cleaning of the pans.
For example, it is preferable that when not in use or while they are waiting to be filled, re-used, cleaned or stored, etc., the pans be stacked one on top of the other such as to minimize the space occupied thereby. However, if the pans are stacked on top of each other in a right-side up direction (i.e. with the interior surfaces which receive the bread dough therein facing upwards), then at least the upper most pan is exposed to the environment for a period of time, thus risking that dirt or other unwanted material falls into the recesses of the pan. Further, when stacked on top of each other a right-side up direction, the load of a stacked pile of pans is transmitted through the more delicate inner surfaces of the pans rather than the more robust and reinforced edge regions, which is not the case when stacked in an upside down orientation. It can also be desirable to be able to invert the pans for a number of other reasons, such as to empty out the contents of the pan or to permit cleaning of the interior surfaces of the pan with the aid of gravity, air jets, brushes, etc.
The cleaning process in particular is much more easily accomplished when the pans are upside down. However, to be able to do this, the pans must first be turned upside down, cleaned, and then turned back right-side up before they can be re-used in the process assembly line. This process of inverting the pans twice can be quite time consuming with currently employed pan inverting systems, and in a continuous and high-volume production setting, any pan inverting system employed must be able to accommodate a very high throughput which is now required in most modern commercial bakeries, such as a throughput of 30 or more pans per minute.
Thus, while there have been various previous attempts to provide pan inverting systems, there are disadvantages associated with these known systems. Typically, these systems include some type of rotating drum or wheel, having a number of radially extending flaps or clamps on which pans are loaded, one pan per paddle or clamp on the rotating drum/wheel. Once one or more pans are loaded, the wheel is rotated thereby turning the pans end-over-end to turn them upside down, before being unloaded from the wheel. One disadvantage with these types of systems is that the pan loading and wheel rotation steps are discrete activities, and thus subsequent movement of the pans ceases until these steps are executed. These pan inverting systems, with their discrete movements and "flip" turning end-over-end motion of the pans, cannot be operated fast enough to invert the high volume numbers of pans required in most commercial bakeries today. Also, some of these systems subject the pans to free fall movement that is only broken by the pan striking a hard surface. This shock loading can, over time, weaken the pans and significantly reduce their useful lifetimes. This "flip" turning method of inverting the pans end-over-end using a paddle-wheel style system also tends to generate significant noise, created by each pan being flipped over and striking the exit surface or conveyor. Such noise is undesirable in a commercial bakery operating continuously for long periods of time.
Accordingly, an improved pan inverting system is desired.


A recording device includes: a recording head which performs a recording operation on a recording medium; a transport member which has a plurality of through holes arranged therein and transports the recording medium; and a suction unit which has a suction force generating section for generating a suction force for sucking air and a plurality of communication channels for communicating the suction force generating section with the respective through holes and generates a suction force in the through holes to suck the recording medium onto the transport member. On the upstream side of the recording area in a transport direction, a suction force at the center in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium is larger than a suction force at the opposite ends.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording device, and more particularly, to a recording device which has a transport member for applying suction to and transporting a recording medium.
2. Related Art
There are recording devices which have a mechanism for transporting a recording medium. In Japanese Patent No. 3707640, a recording device is described, which has a belt as a transport member having a suction face including holes for applying suction to a recording medium. The suction face including holes communicates with a negative-pressure source and applies suction to a recording medium. In this manner, the recording medium is securely held and accuracy of hitting positions of ink droplets is improved.
Since a recording medium has a thin sheet shape, it may be warped when being transported to the recording device. In addition, in the case of double face printing, when printing is performed on one side and then performed on the other side, a recording medium may be strongly warped by ink adhered to the recording medium.
When a recording medium floats up from a transport member because of its warp and an area including the floating area is firstly sucked onto the transport member, it becomes difficult to apply suction to the recording medium while overcoming rigidity of the transport member. Accordingly, the entire face of the recording medium may not be brought into close contact with the transport member. In this case, a constant interval between a recording head and the recording medium cannot be maintained and thus recording quality is deteriorated. In some cases, a paper jam occurs.


There is described an image-processing apparatus for converting a first image data inputted into the image-processing apparatus to a second image data used in a visible-image outputting apparatus, which forms an image so as to make it visible for a human eyesight based on the second image data. The image-processing apparatus includes a data-characteristics acquiring section to acquire data-characteristics of the first image data, including at least one of a dynamic range and a frequency characteristic, by analyzing the first image data inputted into the image-processing apparatus; a memory section to store apparatus-characteristics of the visible-image outputting apparatus; and a processing section to adaptively change a data-converting method for converting the first image data to the second image data, corresponding to the data-characteristics of the first image data acquired by the data-characteristics acquiring section and the apparatus-characteristics of the visible-image outputting apparatus, stored in the memory section.

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, image processing method, program for executing the image processing method, and storage medium that stores the program for executing the image processing method and more specifically to an art suitable for the medical field.
Conventionally, patient's images, such as X-ray images, have been developed as film and observed by an image inspector, such as a doctor, to serve for the diagnosis. Also, the technology has recently been developed that renders medical images, such as X-ray images, as image data and forms the data as images according to the necessity. This kind of technology has such advantages as it does not take up as much storage space as film does and the image quality does not deteriorate over time.
There are two methods for handling medical images as image data: one method that renders images in a medium such as film before being viewed, and another method that displays images on a monitor such as a CRT. When displaying images on a monitor, images are not always clearly viewed by an image interpreter depending on the part of the body, such as a chest, hand, or foot.
One reason for this problem is that the image's dynamic range or frequency is not compatible with the display environment of the monitor. For example, the dynamic range of a monitor is fixed at 1:700, and the frequency characteristics of the monitor tend to decrease on the high-frequency side. Specifically, the lung's blood vessels in the chest that appear as a relatively high-frequency image are difficult to interpret due to the characteristics of the monitor. However, images of bones in the hand or foot are mostly easy to interpret despite of the characteristics of the monitor. Therefore, how to make the image data compatible with the characteristics of the monitor is a problem.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, program for executing image processing method, and storage medium that stores program for executing image processing method


A probe device is mounted on a circuit provided with a holder mountable to a circuit board testing apparatus, a contact needle attachable to the holder. The contact needle is operable to resiliently bend in a specified direction immediately after coming into contact with a circuit board. The bending absorbs a contact impact to ensure accurate measurement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printed circuit board testing apparatus for testing an open circuit and current leakage or conductivity of a circuit pattern formed on a printed circuit board, and a probe device for use in such an apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There has been a circuit board testing apparatus which tests an open circuit and current leakage or conductivity of a circuit pattern formed on a printed circuit board by rendering a single contact needle or a number of contact needles of a probe device to come into contact with a specified position of the circuit pattern formed on the circuit board as shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.6-186271. However, there has been a problem that when the contact needle comes into contact with the circuit pattern, the circuit pattern receives a considerable impact and a noticeable stress occurs in the contact needle, resulting in an incorrect measurement. To solve this problem, accordingly, some technologies have been proposed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-178771 discloses a probe device in which a contact needle is moved or shifted to a position near the circuit pattern at a high speed, and the contact needle is then moved to the circuit pattern at a slow speed so as to assure a soft contact. Also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-113536 discloses a probe device provided with a coil spring on an upper portion of a contact needle to absorb an impact at contact.
However, these probe devices have the following drawbacks. The probe device featuring the speed change requires an increased measurement time or testing time to assure a soft contact. The probe device featuring the coil spring cannot suppress the stress on the contact needle sufficiently. Further, the contact needle of these probe devices suffers considerable abrasion, and has some likelihood of breaking.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit board testing apparatus and a probe device which are free from the problems residing in the prior art.
According to an aspect of the invention, a probe device comprises a holder mountable to a circuit board testing apparatus, and a contact needle attachable to the holder. The contact needle is operable to resiliently bend in a specified direction immediately after coming into contact with a circuit board.
According to another aspect of the invention, a circuit board testing apparatus comprises a table for supporting a circuit board to be tested, and a tester unit carrying a plurality of probe devices. Each probe device is provided with a holder mountable to a main body of the test unit, and a contact needle attachable to the holder, and operable to resiliently bend in a specified direction immediately after coming into contact with the circuit board.

Printed circuit board testing apparatus and probe device for use in the same


The invention provides gastroenterological cancer determination methods that involve contacting a specimen, an antibody 1 that recognizes an α chain of human haptoglobin, and an antibody 2 that recognizes a β chain of human haptoglobin and does not recognize human haptoglobin in which an S—S bond is cleaved to form a complex 1, or contacting the specimen and two antibodies selected from the antibodies 2 that recognize a β chain of human haptoglobin and do not recognize human haptoglobin in which an S—S bond is cleaved to form a complex 2. A determination is made based on the measurement of complex 1 or 2. Alternatively, the specimen and two antibodies selected from the antibodies 1 that recognize an α chain of human haptoglobin are contacted to form a complex 3, and a determination is made by comparing the measurement results of complex 1 or 2 with complex 3.

The number of incidence of pancreatic cancer has been increasing year by year, and there is a problem that the mortality rate relative to the number of pancreatic cancer incidence is high. In today's medical science in which diagnostic imaging has advanced, extraction of a high-risk group like liver cancer first by laboratory-tests is also an important point in the diagnosis of gastroenterological cancer (colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer). However, an effective testing method for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer has not yet been established.
On the other hand, modification of glycan by fucose is called fucosylation, which is one of typical oligosaccharide modifications which increases in cancer. Fucosylated haptoglobin, which is one of proteins having a fucosylated glycans, is a biomarker for gastroenterological cancer such as pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer, and various studies have been made for a method of measuring fucosylated haptoglobin and a cancer diagnosis method using the same strategy. However, in order to establish such attempts as an testing method for gastroenterological cancer, a method with higher accuracy is required.

Detection of haptoglobin for gastrointestinal cancer determination


A loop filter for use in a frequency synthesizer provides improved spurious performance using switched capacitors. The loop filter includes a first switched capacitor having a first capacitance value and which is operable to charge to a first voltage corresponding to a current pulse indicative of a difference in phase or frequency between a reference signal and a feedback signal. The loop filter further includes a second switched capacitor having a second capacitance value and which is operable to charge to a second voltage from the first voltage and produce a control voltage based upon the second voltage. The loop filter has a bandwidth determined by a ratio of the second capacitance value to the first capacitance value.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to wireless radio systems and, more particularly, frequency synthesizers for use in radio front end circuitry to down-convert RF signals.
2. Related Art
The demand for high performance universal frequency synthesizers is growing with the increasing performance and integration requirements of wireless radio frequency (RF) systems, such as cellular telephony and FM radio systems. Phase locked loop (PLL) frequency synthesis is a popular indirect frequency synthesis method for high performance applications due to its agility and the ability of synthesizing frequencies over wide bandwidths with narrow channel spacing. However, PLL synthesizer design still remains a challenging aspect of RF system design, because of the stringent requirements typically imposed on frequency synthesizers. For example, frequency synthesizers are typically required to be defined with an output frequency accuracy on the order of a few parts per million (PPM). Furthermore, in most cases, the output frequency must also be capable of being varied in small precise steps, such as a few hundred kilo-hertz (kHz), corresponding to the RF channel spacing.
In addition to accuracy and channel spacing, other aspects of PLL frequency synthesizers influence the performance of a receiver, such as phase noise, reference spurs and lock time. In radio receivers, if the phase noise produced by the frequency synthesizer mixes with nearby interferers that are then converted onto the desired channel, the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal can be adversely affected. In addition, reference spurs may cause the receiver to down-convert undesired interferers. Furthermore, the lock time required in typical RF systems varies from a few milliseconds (ms.) to a few tens of microseconds (us.). As used herein, the term "lock time" refers to an indication of how fast a new frequency is established when the RF receiver commands a change in the channel.
Frequency synthesizers typically include a precise crystal oscillator (X-TAL) providing a reference frequency, a phase and frequency detector (PFD), a charge pump (CP), a lowpass loop filter (LPF), a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), and one or more divider blocks in the feedback path that each divide the incoming signal by some integer of either fixed or on-the-fly programmable value to produce a feedback signal. Ideally, the charge transferred into the LPF from the CP is proportional to the phase difference between reference and feedback signals. In practice, however, the characteristics of the PFD/CP combination do not provide a completely linear transfer curve. Loop filter leakage currents in combination with non-uniform phase error sampling gives rise to considerable "reference spurs" (i.e., periodic modulations of the VCO generating tones around the RF carrier) and elevated in-band noise. Thus, the VCO output, i.e., the RF carrier, contains sidebands corresponding to such "feed-through" of the reference frequency.
In many applications, reference feed-through may have a detrimental effect on receiver performance if not appropriately limited. For example, reference feed-through may mix with a high-powered out-of-band interferer and thereby degrade the in-band signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio. Even worse, if the reference spur is generated directly within the signal band, the down-converted radio signal contains copies of the desired signal at frequency offsets corresponding to the reference frequency.
Therefore, a need exists for a frequency synthesizer design for use in radio receivers that minimizes reference feed-through.

Frequency synthesizer with improved spurious performance


A disk drive includes a slide member that moves in tandem with a disk cartridge from a first position to a second position upon insertion of the disk cartridge into the disk drive. The slide member has at least one flexure having a projection formed thereon. The slide plate is biased in a direction opposite the direction of insertion of the removable disk cartridge by a spring. As the disk is inserted into the disk drive and the slide plate moves, the flexure travels along an inclined cam slot within a rotating member of said disk drive to the projections through cutouts in the chassis of the disk drive apparatus into engagement with reference holes in the disk cartridge to locate the cartridge in the appropriate location.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives of the type that accept removable disk cartridges, and more particularly, to a disk drive apparatus having a mechanism for automatically loading a spindle motor, i.e., moving the spindle motor into engagement with the hub of a disk cartridge upon insertion of the disk cartridge into the drive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Removable disk cartridges for storing digital electronic information typically comprise an outer casing or shell that houses a rotatable recording medium, or disk, upon which electronic information can be stored. The cartridge shell often comprises upper and lower halves that are joined together to house the disk. The disk is mounted on a hub that rotates freely within the cartridge. When the cartridge is inserted into a disk drive, a motor-driven spindle in the drive must engage the hub in order to rotate the disk(s) within the cartridge.
Standard floppy disk drives typically employ a mechanism that guides the disk cartridge as it is inserted into the drive, so that the hub of the disk is brought downwardly into engagement with a fixed, rotatable spindle. These drives must be of sufficient height to accommodate the vertical movement of the floppy disk. A more preferable solution is to provide a straight insertion path for the cartridge and to move the spindle motor into engagement with the hub of the cartridge.
The popular and commercially successfully Iomega ZIP.TM. drive provides a straight insertion path for its disk cartridge. Guide rails within the ZIP.TM. drive guide the cartridge straight into the drive. When the cartridge reaches a certain point during insertion, the front peripheral edge of the cartridge contacts a cartridge receiving stop on a movable platform within the drive. The spindle motor of the disk drive is mounted on the movable platform. Continued insertion of the cartridge into the drive pushes the movable platform backward. As the movable platform moves backward within the drive, the platform raises to bring the spindle motor on the platform into engagement with the hub of the disk cartridge. Additional details of this spindle motor loading mechanism are provided in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/398,576, entitled "Moveable Internal Platform for a Disk Drive".
Other prior art spindle motor loading mechanisms are described in published International Application No. WO 93/18507, U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,464 (Witt et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,677 (Griffith et al.), the latter of which is assigned to the same Assignee as the present invention. All of these references describe removable cartridge disk drives in which the spindle motor is moved vertically into engagement with the hub of a disk cartridge upon insertion of the cartridge into the disk drive. In each case, movement of the spindle motor is effected through a complex series of mechanical linkages. The complexity of such mechanical linkages increases the manufacturing costs of these disk drives. Moreover, each of these prior art disk drives requires manual operation by the user. For example, in both U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,677 and Published International Application No. WO 93/18507, the spindle motor is brought into engagement with the disk cartridge by the manual operation of a lever disposed on the front of the drive chassis. Movement of the lever is translated into movement of the spindle motor by a series of linkages, cams and gears. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,464, the manual closure of a drive door is translated through a series of linkages and gears into vertical movement of the spindle motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,993 discloses a compact disk player that employs a motor driven cam member to move the spindle motor of the drive vertically into engagement with the central hub of a compact disk. The loading mechanism is not designed for use with disk cartridges of the type described above. Rather, the disclosed drive is designed to receive standard compact disks that are not contained within a cartridge housing. An opto-electronic switch detects insertion of a compact disk into the drive and activates the motor driven cam member in order to move the spindle into engagement with the disk hub. As the cam mechanism brings the spindle motor into engagement with the disk hub, the mechanism contacts a mechanical switch that deactivates the cam mechanism. Activation of an ejection button causes the motorized cam mechanism to be reactivated, thereby lowering the spindle motor.
An improved automatic spindle motor loading mechanism utilizing a motorized ring assembly is described in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/438,255, entitled "Disk Drive Having An Automatic Spindle Loading Mechanism." The mechanism described therein is employed in the popular and commercially successful Iomega JAZ.TM. drive.
High-capacity removable cartridge disk drives, such as the Iomega ZIP.TM. and JAZ.TM. drives, are becoming increasingly popular with users of desktop personal computers and workstations. Both the Iomega ZIP.TM. and JAZ.TM. disk drives are presently available in an internal configuration, which can be installed in the standard drive bay of a desktop personal computer or workstation, and in an external configuration which can be connected to an external input/output port on a computer. In order to provide the functionality of such high-capacity removable cartridge disk drives in a laptop or notebook computer platform, the overall profile of the drive must be reduced to fit within the low-profile drive bays typically found on such small computers. Unfortunately, the disk drive apparatus and spindle motor loading mechanisms disclosed in the aforementioned references do not provide the reduced profiles necessary for use in laptop and notebook computers. Additionally, these prior art mechanisms are mechanically complex and increase the cost of drive manufacture. These and other disadvantages make such disk drive apparatus and spindle motor loading mechanisms impractical for use in low-profile laptop and notebook computer systems. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved disk drive apparatus and spindle motor loading mechanism that achieves a low profile and that is simple, cost effective and precise. The present invention satisfies this need.

Apparatus for receiving a removable disk cartridge


Provided is a laser annealing treatment including a laser light source that outputs pulse laser light, an optical system that shapes the pulse laser light, and leads the shaped pulse laser light to a semiconductor film subject to treatment, and a stage that carries the semiconductor film to be irradiated by the pulse laser light, wherein the pulse laser light irradiating the semiconductor film presents a rising time equal to or less than 35 nanoseconds from 10% of the maximum height to the maximum height in the pulse energy density, and a falling time equal to or more than 80 nanoseconds from the maximum height to 10% of the maximum height, thereby increasing, while an energy density suitable for crystallization and the like is not particularly increased, a margin quantity thereof, and carrying out high quality annealing treatment without decreasing a throughput.

Laser annealing using laser light is carried out as a part of a manufacturing method which is a low temperature process for a thin film transistor used for a pixel switch and a drive circuit for a liquid crystal display and an organic EL (Electra Luminescence display. This method irradiates a non single-crystalline semiconductor film formed on a substrate with laser light, thereby locally heating and melting the semiconductor thin film, or heating the semiconductor thin film without melting, and then crystallizes the semiconductor thin film into a polycrystalline film or single-crystalline film in a cooling process. The crystallized semiconductor thin film presents high mobility of carriers, thereby increasing the performance of the thin film transistor. Moreover, the laser annealing treatment applied to the crystalline semiconductor thin film can also carry out modification.
Regarding the irradiation of the laser light, a method of shaping pulse laser light into a rectangular form or a line form, and carrying out overlap irradiation while scanning the pulse laser light, thereby annealing semiconductor is proposed (for example, refer to Patent Literature).
Homogeneous treatment needs to be carried out over the semiconductor film when the laser light irradiates, and control to adjust laser output within a predetermined range, and control to adjust pulse energy within a predetermined range by means of an attenuator is generally carried out so that the irradiating laser light has a stable pulse energy density.

Laser annealing treatment apparatus and laser annealing treatment method