A method of selective, automatic application of one rear brake of a motor vehicle under appropriate vehicle operating conditions in response to intent of a driver to make a turn, whereby the rotational speed of the selected braked rear wheel is reduced so as to reduce the turn radius of the vehicle. Vehicle sensor outputs and calculated parameters in conjunction with vehicle systems such as, but not limited to, ESC, ABS, and traction control are used to determine if appropriate vehicle operating conditions exist to actuate the present invention. The method of the present invention is implemented via an algorithmic control, preferably within an ESC system.

In the farm implements art, most farm tractors have separate left rear and right rear brake pedals, which respectively activate the left rear brake or the right rear brake separately of one another. For example, to make a very tight right turn (i.e., to reduce the turn radius of the tractor for a right turn), manual operation of the right rear brake pedal by the operator activates the right rear brake whereby the rotational speed of the braked right rear wheel is reduced, thereby reducing the turn radius of the braked right rear wheel by which the turn radius of the tractor is reduced, such that the tractor almost pivots about the right rear wheel.
In the automotive art, modern dual-circuit hydraulic braking systems for automotive applications typically include an operator-actuated brake actuation unit, such as a tandem master cylinder actuated by a booster-aided brake pedal, by which to supply a first pressurized fluid to each of a first pair of wheel brakes via a first or "primary" braking circuit, and a second pressurized fluid to each of a second pair of wheel brakes via a second or "secondary" braking circuit. The use of wholly redundant braking circuits for operating discrete pairs of wheel brakes ensures continued vehicle braking capability, notwithstanding a degradation of performance of one of the braking circuits. Alternatively, electric actuation of individual wheel brakes is possible as well by techniques well known in the art.
In order to achieve an "anti-lock" brake system (ABS), each braking circuit often features a normally-open electrically-operated inlet valve controlling the flow of pressurized fluid to each wheel brake, while a pressure relief line that includes a normally-closed electrically-operated outlet valve, a return pump, and a check valve controls the return of pressurized fluid from the wheel brake to the brake line upstream of the inlet valve. A "separation" or "isolation" valve, located in the brake line of each circuit upstream of the location at which the pressure relief line connects to the brake line, serves to isolate the brake line from the master cylinder during anti-lock operation.
Increasingly, such anti-lock brake systems are used in combination with wheel speed sensors in a traction control mode. The further addition of a steering angle sensor, a vehicle yaw rate sensor, and a lateral vehicle acceleration sensor in conjunction with vehicle speed, wheel speed, and wheel longitudinal slip enables such anti-lock brake systems to operate in an "electronic stability control" mode, wherein a braking system controller selectively energizes each circuit's electrically-operated valves when the controller identifies an opportunity to enhance vehicle stability through a selective application of the vehicle's brakes. Alternatively, a braking system controller may selectively energize individual wheel brakes through electric actuation.
In order to control the fluid pressure in traction control or vehicle stability control modes, a hydraulic pump is typically placed in the pressure relief line of each circuit downstream of the outlet valve to return pressurized fluid to the circuit's brake line. The pump also serves to provide an increasing rate of fluid pressure upon the closing of the isolation valve to provide a sufficient braking system response time when operating in a traction control mode, even at a time when the brake fluid has a relatively-high viscosity due, for example, to low brake fluid temperatures.
The prior art has recognized, however, that a quicker system response is desirable when the braking system is operated in a vehicle stability control mode. By way of example, a rapid pressure build up in one or the other braking circuit is particularly desirable upon commencing vehicle stability control in order to correct oversteer or understeer conditions. Accordingly, the prior art teaches the addition of a braking circuit pre-charging function to the brake actuation unit, i.e., to the vacuum booster of the master cylinder, in order to increase system response at the time such vehicle stability control is commenced. Alternatively, an additional pre-charging pump is provided in one or both braking circuits to ensure a sufficient increasing rate of fluid pressure at the commencement of vehicle stability control enhancement.
There are multiple Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system implementations on the road today. Although all of them attempt to perform the same task of helping the driver retain reasonable directional control under nonlinear vehicle dynamic conditions, these ESC systems have some distinct implementation differences and can be divided into four categories as defined and described in The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Surface Vehicle Information Report, SAE J2564, "Automotive Stability Enhancement Systems", revised June, 2004 and superceding version issued December, 2000, which report is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A system is defined as an ESC system in the above referenced report SAE J2564 if it:
a) is computer controlled and the computer contains a closed-loop algorithm designed to limit understeer and oversteer of the vehicle;
b) has a means to determine vehicle yaw velocity and side slip;
c) has a means to monitor driver steering input;
d) has a means of applying and adjusting the vehicle brakes to induce correcting yaw torques to the vehicle; and
e) is operational over the full speed range of the vehicle (except below a low-speed threshold where loss of control is unlikely).
Electronic Stability Control systems in use today can be divided into four categories, as follows.
Type A, comprised of two brake force channels used for yaw stability control (YSC) and three brake force channels used for ABS. Three speed sensors are used, one for each front wheel and one for detecting the average of the two rear wheels.
Type B, comprised of two brake force channels for YSC and traction control, four brake force channels for ABS. Four wheel speed sensors are used at each of the four corners (wheels).
Type C, comprised of four brake force channels for ABS, YSC and traction control. Four wheel speed sensors are used at each of the four corners.
Type D, comprised of a type C system with integrated preemptive control strategies and additional control channels that interface to other than the brake subsystem. These subsystems include, but are not limited to active driveline couplings, and active dampers and stabilizer bars and active steering.
For the vast majority of ESC systems, the corrective yaw moments that are developed by generating tire slip using the vehicle's brake corners are typically hydraulically actuated, but may also use electric actuators to generate the required corner brake force by techniques well known in the art.
Elements that all of these ESC systems have in common include ABS and the ability to sense steering wheel position; the ability to calculate vehicle speed; the ability to sense yaw velocity and lateral acceleration; and the ability to build and control braking force in the channels used for yaw stability control independent of the driver's input to the vehicle braking system. An example of the implementation of a vehicle hydraulic braking system utilizing a Type C or Type D ESC system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,338, which patent is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Returning now to the concept of minimizing turning radii, it is desirable to have minimization of the turning radius of a motor vehicle. Rear wheel steering, incorporated in vehicles with four wheel steering, can provide a small turning radius; however, four wheel steering is costly and requires a large packaging space around the rear wheels.
Accordingly, what is needed in the prior art is a method of automatically reducing the turn radius of motor vehicles which somehow mimics a farm tractor's ability to have a small turn radius via independently applying the brake of the wheel inside the turn radius by somehow adapting this model to an automotive ESC system.

Method to reduce the turn radius of motor vehicles utilizing automatic single side rear brake application


A light-emitting device may comprise a substrate, an electric wire fixed to the substrate, and a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted to the electric wire. According to one embodiment, each of the plurality of light-emitting diodes is an LED chip, and the light-emitting diodes on the substrate are sealed individually or collectively by one or more sealing members. According to another embodiment, the substrate has a plurality of through holes, wherein a plurality of portions of the electric wire provided on a rear surface side of the substrate communicates with a front surface side of the substrate at the plurality of through holes of the substrate, and wherein the plurality of light-emitting diodes is respectively mounted to the respective portions of the electric wire that communicate with the front surface side of the substrate. Other embodiments relate to methods of manufacturing a light-emitting device.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a light-emitting device and a method of manufacturing the light-emitting device.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Recently, light-emitting devices using light-emitting diodes such as LED lighting (for example, refer to "Description of Lighting Fixture Mounted with a Straight-Tube LED Lamp", [online], Feb. 28, 2010, Panasonic Corporation, [retrieved Aug. 5, 2012], Internet <URL: http://www.hkd.meti.go.jp/hokne/h22enematch/2data05.pdf>) are becoming widely popular.
However, since light-emitting devices using light-emitting diodes are still very expensive compared to conventional light-emitting devices such as an incandescent bulb or a fluorescent lamp, a further reduction in prices must be achieved in order to promote popularization of such light-emitting devices.

Light-emitting device and method of manufacturing the same


A mobile computing device, such as a smartphone or tablet device, can be coupled to any one or more of multiple display devices at any given time. The mobile computing device allows the home screen displayed on the display devices to be dynamic, changing based on which display device the mobile computing device is coupled to. The mobile computing device can also be coupled to multiple different display devices concurrently, and different home screens are concurrently displayed on those different display devices. User inputs changing the information displayed on the home screen can also be received, and a record of the change is maintained by the computing device so the changed home screen for a particular display device is again displayed to the user the next time the mobile computing device is coupled to that display device.

As computing technology has advanced, the capabilities of computing devices as well as related accessories, such as display devices, have grown. These capabilities have allowed increasingly large display devices, as well as the coupling of multiple display devices to a computing device. While these advances have provided benefits, they are not without their problems. One such problem is that it remains difficult for users to easily use and configure such multiple display devices in the manner that the users desire, leading to user frustration.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Automatic home screen determination based on display device


A method of improving a digital image captured by a digital camera comprising: providing a digital camera having a memory for storing known values of a color chart having a plurality of color patches of different colors and a digital image processor, using the digital camera to capture an image of the color chart to produce image values of the color patches of the color chart; operating the digital image processor to process at least some of the color patch imaged values and the stored known values of the color patches to produce a color correction matrix or profile; and storing the color correction matrix or profile to correct color images subsequently acquired by the digital camera.

Digital cameras, such as the Kodak DCS ProBack 645M camera, capture images of a scene using a solid state image sensor, and store the resulting image data on a removable memory device, such as a PCMCIA type III hard drive. Thumbnails of the captured images can be displayed on the camera's color LCD screen. Since scenes can have a wide range of illumination levels, these cameras include automatic exposure controls in order to adjust the camera lens f/number and exposure time to compensate for the scene illumination level. However, because of the varying reflectance levels of objects within a scene, and the limited dynamic range of image sensors, such automatic exposure control often produces unacceptable results for professional photographers.
As a result, such digital cameras include manual exposure overrides. The photographer can review a captured image on the camera's LCD image display to determine if the captured scene appears lighter or darker than desired, adjust the exposure settings, and can take a second picture. However, because of the small size and limited picture quality of the LCD display, it is impossible to make critical exposure judgements using the displayed image. As a result, this method is useful only for providing very coarse exposure adjustments.
Once the images are captured by a digital camera (such as the Kodak DCS 620 or Kodak DCS ProBack 645M cameras), they can be downloaded to a computer and processed and displayed. For example, an image processing program such as Photoshop version 6.0 by Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif. can be used to display and edit a captured image. Photoshop version 6.0 includes an "info tool" which displays the RGB code values of a particular pixel when the user lingers the cursor over a particular image area. The displayed values are the RGB code values of the processed pixels from the camera, which may include many types of non-linear quantization and processing. As a result, it is not possible to easily relate the RGB code values to the sensor exposure values of the camera when the scene was captured. Furthermore, these displayed code values are available only after the images are downloaded to the computer, and not as the images are being captured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,537, issued May 9, 1995, inventors Omuro et al., discloses a color image processing method and apparatus in which a color image of an object is processed so that the processed image accurately portrays the colors of the object regardless of varying exposure conditions. An object and a color chart that is comprised of a plurality of color chips having known colorimetric parameters are imaged under the same predetermined exposure conditions. Then, colorimetric parameters are determined for each imaged color chip of the imaged color chart. A correlation, between the known and the determined colorimetric parameters, is computed and, on the basis of the captured correlation, the color of the imaged object is corrected. This technique is disadvantageous because it requires user input, is effected in a computer separate from the camera and only corrects for color anomalies.
What is needed is a digital camera that provides an easy way for the photographer to understand the sensor exposure values for different areas of a scene as the scene is captured, so that any desired exposure corrections can be made automatically and the scene can be immediately recaptured.

Four-way calibration of a digital camera using patch information acquired from a scene


An image motion detection device includes: a first motion detection section for generating a first motion vector by performing a first motion vector search for a first block included in an image; a search information calculation section for calculating search information by using the first motion vector; a second motion detection section for generating a second motion vector by performing a second motion vector search for a second block included in the image based on the search information, the first block being different from the second block, and the first motion vector search being different from the second motion vector search; and a motion vector selection section for selectively outputting either the first motion vector or the second motion vector. The number of candidates for the second motion vector in the second motion vector search is smaller than the number of candidates for the first motion vector in the first motion vector search.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving image compression technique, and in particular to an image motion detection device for detecting the motions of an image which derives a motion vector for each of a plurality of blocks included in the image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of moving image compression technology, a block matching method is widely used, according to which an image is divided into blocks each consisting of N.times.N pixels and a motion vector is derived for each block.
FIG. 14 illustrates the concept of the block matching method. Specifically, FIG. 14 describes an operation in which a current image 1 is divided into blocks 3, and a region having a similarity to each block 3 is searched for in a reference image 2. The motion vector for each block 3 is obtained by using pixel values C.sub.x,y of the current image and the pixel values R.sub.x,y of the reference image to derive a prediction error E(p,q) for each candidate motion vector (p,q) in accordance with eq.1, and selecting as a motion vector 4 the candidate motion vector (p,q) that has the minimum prediction error E(p,q). Hereinafter, this operation will be referred to as a "motion vector search". It is assumed that a motion vector search is conducted under the conditions .vertline.p.vertline., .vertline.q.vertline..ltoreq.L. Herein, L is an integer. EQU .SIGMA.(p,q)=.SIGMA..sub.x.sup.N.sub.=1 .SIGMA..sub.y.sup.N.sub.=1 .vertline.C.sub.x,y --R.sub.x+p, y+q .vertline.
When compressing a moving image, in general, the quality of the image obtained by decompressing a compressed image improves as the prediction error of the motion vector decreases. Therefore, an exhaustive search method, which searches all the candidate motion vectors in a given area, is the most advantageous in terms of the quality of the reconstructed image.
FIG. 15 illustrates a motion vector search by the exhaustive search method in the case where L=7. As seen from FIG. 15, the search is directed to all of the points (p, q) in the area, that is, all of the points (p, q) in the area are used as candidate motion vectors. In this example, the number of candidate motion vectors per block is 225, indicative of a large amount of computation to be performed for the calculation of prediction errors.
Therefore, various algorithms of motion vector searching have been proposed for reducing the computation amount required for the detection of motion vectors by limiting the number of candidate motion vectors. Among such methods, a "step search" method is particularly well-known.
FIG. 16 illustrates a motion vector search by a three-step search method in the case where L=7. The three-step search method is performed in the following procedure.
Step 1: Prediction errors are derived for 9 candidate motion vectors, i.e., an origin and 8 points which are away from the origin by .+-.4 pixels along the p direction and/or the q direction. A point corresponding to the one of the 9 candidate motion vectors that has the minimum prediction error is selected.
Step 2: Prediction errors are derived for 9 candidate motion vectors, i.e., the point selected in Step 1 and 8 points which are away from the point selected in Step 1 by .+-.2 pixels along the p direction and/or the q direction. A point corresponding to the one of the 9 candidate motion vectors that has the minimum prediction error is selected.
Step 3: Prediction errors are derived for 9 candidate motion vectors, i.e., the point selected in Step 2 and 8 points which are away from the point selected in Step 2 by .+-.1 pixel along the p direction and/or the q direction. A point corresponding to the one of the 9 candidate motion vectors that has the minimum prediction error is selected.
In this example, the number of candidate motion vectors per block is 25, which is 1/9 of the amount of computation required for the exhaustive search method.
A number of image motion detection devices in the prior art apply the same motion detection algorithm for each block. A method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-177519 applies a motion detection to some blocks while performing an interpolation for other blocks without applying any motion detection thereto.
FIG. 17 illustrates an example of "thinning out" blocks as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-177519. An image is divided into a plurality of blocks, which are classified into first blocks (shaded in FIG. 17) and second blocks. A motion detection is performed for any first block, but no motion detection is performed for any second block. Instead, the motion vector for the second block is obtained by interpolating the motion vectors for the blocks surrounding the second block.
Among the conventional motion vector search algorithms, the exhaustive search method is the most advantageous in terms of the quality of the reconstructed image, but has the problem of requiring a large amount of computation.
The step search method can substantially reduce the computation amount as compared to the exhaustive search method. However, since it does not process enough candidate motion vectors, it is possible that a motion vector with a large prediction error may be selected, resulting in poor quality of the reconstructed image.
According to the method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-177519, the motion vector for the "thinned-out" block is obtained by interpolating motion vectors for the blocks surrounding the "thinned-out" blocks. Therefore, as in the case of the step search method, the method in Publication No. 7-177519 can substantially reduce the computation amount as compared to the exhaustive search method, but may select a motion vector with a large prediction error, resulting in poor quality of the reconstructed image.


A drive assembly, particularly for driving a vehicle, comprises a driving engine and an auxiliary engine as well as auxiliary assemblies which can be selectively driven by one of the engines. In a clear frontal area of the vehicle engine, a single-bank radial engine constructed as an internal-combustion engine is arranged as the auxiliary engine to save space. For achieving a compact, high-powered arrangement, the single-bank radial engine is constructed as a 4-cylinder 2-stroke engine with a crank guide power unit.

The present invention relates to a drive assembly, particularly for driving a vehicle, having a driving engine and an auxiliary engine as well as auxiliary assemblies driven by way of a clutch selectively by one of the engines.
French Patent Document FR-A-1 463 799 shows a drive assembly with a driving engine to which an auxiliary engine is assigned for the optional driving of auxiliary assemblies. The auxiliary engine which, if required, is used for driving the auxiliary assemblies is arranged laterally of the driving engine. The auxiliary assemblies are arranged at a distance from the clear frontal areas of both engines and constructionally are assigned essentially to the auxiliary engine. The considerable installation space is a disadvantage in this case.
The present invention is based on the object of providing, for a drive assembly, an arrangement of an auxiliary engine with a lower requirement with respect to installation space.
This object has been achieved according to the present invention in that a single-bank radial engine constructed as an internal-combustion engine is arranged as an auxiliary engine in a clear frontal area of the driving engine. Furthermore, a particularly space-saving arrangement is achieved by a single-bank radial engine which is constructed as a 4-cylinder 2-stroke engine with a crank guide power unit. By virtue of this single-bank radial engine which is described in detail, for example, in the European Patent EP-A-0 187 930, a short, compact and powerful auxiliary engine is achieved for a space-saving arrangement. However, the present invention is advantageous not only with respect to the overall size of the auxiliary engine. It also represents a considerable advantage with respect to the overall arrangement because of the fact that auxiliary assemblies may remain which are provided in the front-side end area of the driving engine and are arranged in order to utilize the given installation space. Thus, a separate arrangement which requires additional installation space is unnecessary.
The advantageous arrangement of the present invention is promoted in a simple manner in that the single-bank radial engine with the interposition of a shiftable clutch is arranged in alignment with a power unit shaft of the driving unit.
A further feature of the present invention achieves short overall length of the drive assembly in that, on the outer circumference, the clutch is in a rotating connection with output pulleys of enveloping gears provided in several planes in the clear frontal area of the driving engine for driving the auxiliary assemblies.
The above-described shiftable clutch may be configured such that by means of it, the auxiliary assemblies are optionally driven by the single-bank radial engine during stoppage, idling or possibly heavy loading of the driving engine. However, an operating method is also conceivable for the shiftable clutch in that, if required, only some of the auxiliary assemblies are driven by the single-bank radial engine. This applies particularly to the case in which one or several of these separately optionally driven auxiliary assemblies have to furnish an increased power which cannot be provided when the given rotational speed of the driving engine is maintained, such as an increased air-conditioning performance and/or an increased electric consumption from the wiring at a slow driving speed or a stop-and-go driving method of the vehicle.
In addition, the single-bank radial engine and the shiftable clutch can form a retrofit unit.

Vehicle drive assembly with auxiliary engine


A plastic bottle includes a bottle body, a neck constructed on the bottle body and a head constructed on the neck. A separation area is provided between the head and the neck. On the neck and/or between the neck and the bottle body at least one additional separation area is provided.

A bottle for medicinal liquids is disclosed in German Patent No. 30 33 821 A1. A neck is constructed on a bottle body, and a head constructed on the neck. The head closes off the bottle with a seal. The head can be screwed or twisted away from the neck by a toggle, such that the separation point provided between head and neck is opened and exposes a plug inserted in the neck. The plug can be pierced by a syringe or injector to remove the contents from the bottle. However, these techniques for removal of the contents does not suffice for all uses.

Plastic bottle with two separation areas


A substrate for an electro-optical device according to the present invention comprises a base layer and a reflective film deposited on the substrate, a plurality of pixel regions including a portion of the base layer and the reflective film, wherein a transmissive opening where the reflective film is not formed and a base opening where the base layer is not formed are provided in each pixel region, and wherein the base opening is arranged in a position overlapped with the transmissive opening in plan view and extends continuously between the adjacent pixel regions.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate for an electro-optical device and manufacturing method thereof, an electro-optical device and manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a reflective film structure suitable for a transflective electro-optical device and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A transflective electro-optical device is widely used in portable electronic apparatuses. A transflective liquid crystal display device is currently being used in mobile phones and portable information terminals. Similar to a transmissive liquid crystal display device, the transflective liquid crystal display device can also implement transmissive display by turning on/off a back light. Further, even when the back light is not used, the transflective liquid crystal display device can implement reflective display similarly to a reflective liquid crystal display device by reflecting external light with a reflective film. Thus, the transflective liquid crystal display device has advantages in that it is possible to selectively use the transmissive display or the reflective display and to reduce power consumption by using the reflective display.
Though the transflective liquid crystal display device is constructed to reflect external light with a reflective film and use the reflected light for display, if the reflecting surface of the reflective film is in the state of, for example, a mirror surface, an illusion occurs due to illumination or projection of a background image, such that visibility may be decreased. Therefore, in order to obtain a suitable brightness in the display as well as to prevent illusions due to illumination or projection of the background image, a light scattering reflective surface having a minute unevenness is typically used. A known method involves forming a base layer made of a resin having unevenness on a substrate and forming a reflective film on the base layer, thereby forming the light scattering reflective surface corresponding to the unevenness of the base layer.
In the above transflective liquid crystal display device, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a base opening 112a is provided in each pixel on a base layer 112 having unevenness by coating a photosensitive resin on one of the substrates of a liquid crystal panel, and by performing exposure and developing processes. A reflective film 113 made of a metallic thin film is provided on the base layer 112. A transmissive opening 113a where the reflective film is not formed is provided on a region overlapped with the base opening 112a in plan view. According to this configuration, the light irradiated from a back light (not shown) passing through the transmissive opening 113a and the base opening 112a in each pixel region becomes light for transmissive display. On the other hand, external light incident to the liquid crystal panel and reflected in reflective films 113R, 113G, and 113B in each pixel region becomes light for reflective display.
However, in the conventional transflective liquid crystal display device, there is a problem in that, since the base opening 112a is formed in a window shape with the base layer 112 removed from each pixel region, a bridge shape of a resin portion between adjacent base openings 112a may be delaminated from the substrate when the base layer 112 is developed. Particularly, if the aperture ratio of the transmissive opening 113a increases in each pixel in order to maximize the transmissive display, the width of the bridge part of the resin portion becomes narrower. Therefore, the base layer 112 is easily delaminated. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, when each pixel region has a lengthwise rectangular shape, if the transmissive opening 113a is formed to have a large size, the width of the resin portion between the adjacent base openings 112a arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal side of the pixel region becomes smaller as shown in the resin portion 113X in FIG. 18. Therefore, the resin portion is more easily delaminated from the substrate.
Once the resin portion is delaminated from the substrate during the process of developing the base layer 112, even if the delaminated resin portion can be re-attached, a defective shape occurs in the base layer 112, such that the shape of the reflective film also causes a defective image. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the product yield is commonly decreased.

Substrate for reflective-transmissive electro-optical device having opening in base layer varying in size along a first direction


In the camera 10 having an ultraviolet light generating portion 16, the influence of the ultraviolet light upon an image to be taken is suppressed. A camera 10 for taking an image possesses an image-pickup portion 24 which takes an image of a subject;                a hydrophilic filter 14 formed so that a hydrophilic surface is exposed on an outer surface of the camera, and transmitting a light entering from the subject to said image-pickup portion; and        an ultraviolet light generating portion 16, which irradiates an ultraviolet light with the surface of the external surface of said camera on said hydrophilic filter from the edge portion of said hydrophilic filter. The hydrophilic filter 14 comprises a photocatalytic substance which decomposes organic substances adhered thereon depending on the ultraviolet light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera.
2. Description of the Related Arts
It has hitherto to been known in a camera having a photocatalytic layer formed on the surface of the lens to possess a configuration that a light source for irradiating a ultraviolet light (See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-230493). Also, it has been known that in order to irradiate a light to the photocatalytic layer with no influence upon an image to be taken, a light source is configured to be provided on a portion later than the lens (% See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open 11-308505).
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-230493, a cover case for the camera has an arm, and the light source is fitted to the tip of the arm. However, in such a configuration, the ultraviolet light is irradiated from substantially front side of the lens and, thus, it is easy to transmit the lens, which has adversely influence an image to be taken by the camera.
In the case where the light source is provided behind the lens as in the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open 11-308505, the ultraviolet light transmitting through the lens is unduly leaked out of the camera. If the leaked ultraviolet light is irradiated with resin, paint, and the like around the camera, the resin, paint and the like are sometimes deteriorated. Consequently, the leakage of the ultraviolet light is not preferred.
An object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a camera which can solve the problems associated with the prior arts.


A method of fabricating an integrated spatial light modulator. The method includes providing a first substrate including a bonding surface and processing a device substrate to form at least an electrode layer. The method also includes depositing a first portion of a multi-layer standoff layer on the electrode layer, depositing a second portion of the multi-layer standoff layer on the first portion of the multi-layer standoff layer, and forming electrically insulating standoff structures from the multi-layer standoff layer. The method further includes joining the bonding surface of the first substrate to the standoff structures on the device substrate, thinning the first substrate, patterning the first substrate to form a mask, and forming a plurality of moveable structures from the first substrate. The moveable structures are aligned with at least one of the plurality of electrodes and adapted to rotate with respect to the standoff structures.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor processing techniques. More particularly, the invention includes a method and structure for forming an integrated spatial light modulator. Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to a method of forming standoff structures present in a bonded substrate structure. The method and structure can be applied to other applications as well, such as actuators, sensors, detectors, and display components.
Spatial light modulators (SLMs) have numerous applications in the areas of optical information processing, projection displays, video and graphics monitors, and televisions. Reflective SLMs are devices that modulate incident light in a spatial pattern to reflect an image corresponding to an electrical or optical input. The incident light may be modulated in phase, intensity, polarization, or deflection direction. A reflective SLM is typically comprised of a one or two-dimensional array of addressable picture elements (pixels) capable of reflecting incident light. Source pixel data is first processes by an associated control circuit, then loaded into the pixel array, one frame at a time.
The fabrication processes used to manufacture SLMs are varied. In some of the fabrication processes, multiple substrates are bonded together to form the SLM structure. Some of these fabrication processes require alignment of the substrates with tolerances on the order of microns prior to bonding, which may be a time consuming and expensive process.
Therefore there is a need in the art for improved methods and structures for integrated SLMs.

Method and structure for forming an integrated spatial light modulator


Methods, computer-readable media, and systems are provided for combining multiple video streams. One method for combining the multiple video streams includes extracting a sequence of media frames (224-1/224-2) from presenter (222-1) video and from shared digital rich media (222-2) video (340). The media frame (224-1/224-2) content is analyzed (226) to determine a set of space and time varying alpha values (228/342). A compositing operation (230) is performed to produce the combined video frames (232) based on the content analysis (226/344).

In classic presentations in large venues for large audiences, presentation systems are used to display images and information to the audience while a presenter explains the presentation content while giving the presentation. When these presentations are given, the slide display often needs to be very large and placed high enough so that the display is clearly visible from all corners of the room. This makes it impossible for a presenter to walk up to the display and interact with the display with gestures or gaze. It is also hard for the audience to know which part of the slide the presenter is looking at when he or she has to look the opposite way from the audience while interacting with the presented material.
Modern presentation tools allow for more interactive presentations and supplementation of presentations with video or audio that can be attached to the presentation. Various presentation tools allow for the combination of the presenter's image and the slide display. In some instances, camera-captured video of the presenter, together with the digital rich media video (slide presentations, videos, three-dimensional graphical objects, etc.) are combined to create a presentation. The use of alpha blending has also been used to blend the presenter video with the digital rich media video. However, mere combination of the presenter and digital rich media video often results in low contrast, hard to read slides or hard to see presenters of slides due to visual masking. The use of alpha blending alone may not produce the highest quality videos when the digital rich media is cluttered, the presenter's clothing or background is cluttered, or if there are different brightnesses in the two videos. The resulting presentation contains video of the digital rich media and video of the presenter interacting in undesired ways.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Handheld electronic apparatuses and methods for controlling a handheld electronic apparatus are provided. The handheld electronic apparatus includes a display having a touch panel, a proximity sensor, a communication unit, a processing unit, and a motion sensor. The communication unit establishes a call. The processing unit disables the touch panel during the call based on the detection of the presence of a nearby object to the proximity sensor. The motion sensor detects an instant acceleration value of the handheld electronic apparatus. The processing unit determines whether a value that is only related to the instant acceleration value is greater than an acceleration threshold while the touch panel is disabled during the call. The processing unit enables the touch panel during the call based on the determination that the value is greater than the acceleration threshold.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handheld electronic apparatuses and methods for controlling a handheld electronic apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to handheld electronic apparatuses whose touch panel is properly controlled during a call and methods for controlling a touch panel of a handheld electronic apparatus during a call.
Descriptions of the Related Art
Technologies of handheld electronic apparatuses (e.g. smart phones and tablet computer) have been rapidly developed in recent years. Most handheld electronic apparatuses on the market today have phone functionalities and are each equipped with a display having a touch panel so that the user can control the handheld electronic apparatus (e.g. make a call) by simply touching the display.
When there is a need in talking to another party by a handheld electronic apparatus, the user may touch the phone number of the receiver shown on the display to establish a call. After the call has been established, the user may hold the handheld electronic apparatus and place it near the ear to have a conversation. The display of most handheld electronic apparatuses will automatically be turned off. During the call, there are some occasions that the user need to check information of the handheld electronic apparatus. When this happens, the user has to activate the display and the touch panel by himself or herself. This is inconvenient to the user especially when he or she is in a hurry.
Based on the aforementioned descriptions, it is understood that a handheld electronic apparatus whose touch panel can be properly controlled during a call and a method for controlling a touch panel of a handheld electronic apparatus during a call is still an urgent need.

Handheld electronic apparatus and method for controlling the same


A high carbon hot-rolled steel sheet which is a hot-rolled spheroidizing annealed material, including 0.2 to 0.7% C, 2% or less Si, 2% or less Mn, 0.03% or less P, 0.03% or less S, 0.08% or less Sol.Al., and 0.01% or less N, by mass, which contains carbide having a particle size of smaller than 0.5 μm in a content of 15% or less by volume to the total amount of carbide, and the difference between the maximum hardness Hv max and the minimum hardness Hv min, ΔHv (=Hv max−Hv min), in the sheet thickness direction being 10 or smaller.

Users of high carbon steel sheets as tools, automotive parts (gear and transmission), and the like request excellent workability because these steel sheets are formed in various complex shapes. In recent years, on the other hand, requirement of reduction in the cost for manufacturing parts increases. Responding to the requirement, some working processes are eliminated and working methods are changed. For example, as the forming technology of automobile driving system parts using high carbon steel sheets, there was developed a double-acting forming technique which allows applying thickness-additive forming process and realizes significant shortening of manufacturing process, and the technique has been brought into practical applications in a part of industries, (for example, refer to Journal of the JSTP, 44, pp. 409-413, (2003)).
Along with that movement, the high carbon steel sheets face ever-increasing request of workability to attain higher ductility than ever. Since some of the parts are often subjected to hole-expansion (burring) treatment after punching, they are wanted to have excellent stretch-flange formability.
Furthermore, from the viewpoint of cost reduction accompanied with increase in the product yield, these steel sheets are strongly requested to have homogeneous mechanical properties. In particular, the homogeneity of hardness in the sheet thickness direction is keenly desired because large differences of hardness in the steel sheet thickness direction between the surface portion and the central portion significantly deteriorate the punching tool during punching.
To answer these requests, several technologies were studied to improve the workability and homogeneous mechanical properties of high carbon steel sheets.
For example, JP-A-3-174909, (the term "JP-A" referred to herein signifies the "Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication"), proposed a method for manufacturing stably a high carbon hot-rolled steel strip having excellent homogeneous mechanical properties in the longitudinal direction of coil by the steps of:                dividing a hot-run table (or run-out table) into an accelerated cooling zone and an air-cooling zone;        applying accelerated cooling to a finish-rolled steel strip to a specific temperature or below determined by the length of cooling zone, the transfer speed of steel sheet, the chemical composition of the steel, and the like; and then        applying air-cooling to the steel strip. The cooling rate in the accelerated cooling zone according to JP-A-3-174909 is about 20 to about 30° C./s suggested by FIG. 3 in the disclosure.
As another example, JP-A-9-157758 proposed a method for manufacturing high carbon workable steel strip having excellent structural homogeneity and workability (ductility) by the steps of:                hot-rolling a high carbon steel having a specified chemical composition, followed by descaling therefrom;        annealing the steel in a hydrogen atmosphere (95% or more of hydrogen by volume) while specifying heating rate, soaking temperature (Ac1 transformation point or above), and soaking time depending on the chemical composition; and        cooling the annealed steel at cooling rates of 100° C./hr or smaller.
As further example, JP-A-5-9588 proposed a method for manufacturing high carbon steel thin sheet having good workability by the steps of:                rolling a steel at finishing temperatures of (Ac1 transformation point+30° C.) or above to prepare a steel sheet;        cooling the steel sheet to temperatures from 20 ° C. to 500° C. at cooling rates from 10 to 100° C./s;        holding the steel sheet for 1 to 10 seconds;        reheating the steel sheet to temperatures from 500° C. to (Ac1 transformation point+30° C.), followed by coiling the steel sheet; and        soaking the steel sheet, at need, at temperatures from 650° C. to (Ac1 transformation point+30° C.) for 1 hour or more.
As still another example, JP-A-2003-13145 proposed a method for manufacturing high carbon steel sheet having excellent stretch-flanging formability by the steps of:                using a steel containing 0.2 to 0.7% C by mass;        hot-rolling the steel at finishing temperatures of (Ar3 transformation point−20° C.) or above;        cooling the steel sheet at cooling rates of higher than 120° C. is and at cooling-stop temperatures of not higher than 650° C.;        coiling the steel sheet at temperatures of 600° C. or below; and then        annealing the steel sheet at temperatures from 640° C. or larger to Ac1 transformation point or lower.
Although the object does not agree with that of above examples, JP-A-2003-73742 disclosed a technology for manufacturing high carbon hot-rolled steel sheet which satisfies the above requirements except for selecting the cooling-stop temperature of 620° C. or below.


A polyamide resin composition superior in the shock resitance, especially low temperature shock resistence, in the rigidity and in the water absorption resistance, which comprises. (A) 98-50 % by weight of a polyamide, PA1 (B) 1-40 % by weight of a modified ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer having an MFR (190.degree. C.) of 0.05-50 g/10 min., obtained by a graft-copolymerization of 100 parts by weight of an ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer (B-1) having an ethylene content of 40-93 mole % and a density of lower than 0.900 g/cm.sup.3, with, grafted thereon, 0.01-5 parts by weight of an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or its derivative (B-2), and PA1 (C) 1-40 % by weight of at least one ethylenic copolymer selected from the group consisting of an ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer (C-1) having an .alpha.-olefin content of 10 mole % or less, an Mw/Mn of 2.5 or lower and an MFR (190.degree. C.) of 0.05-50 g/10 min. and a modified ethylen/.alpha.-olefin copolymer (C-2) obtained by a graft-copolymerization of 100 parts by weight of the ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer (C-1) with, grafted thereon, 0.01-5 parts by weight of the unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or its derivative (B-2),. wherein the weight ratio of (B)/(C) is in the range of 20-0.05.

A large demand is expected for polyamide resins as engineering plastics due to their superior material properties. However, their impact strength, especially low temperature shock resistance is not quite satisfactory and improvement thereof has long been expected. As a measure for improving the shock resistance, it is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Kokais Sho 55-9661 A and Sho 55-9662 A, that the Izod impact strength of polyamide resin is improved by blending an ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer obtained by grafting an .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid onto a polyamide resin. However, such a technical measure of improving the Izod impact strength by mixing with an ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer brings about a new problem that the rigidity of the resulting polyamide resin is thereby decreased considerably. In addition, the resulting resin will exhibit insufficient falling-weight impact strength at low temperatures, so that the low temperature impact strength of practical molded articles is not satisfactory.
In Japanese Patent Kokai Sho 59-78256 A, a polyamide resin composition is disclosed, which contains a polyamide, a modified ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer and an ethylene homopolymer and exhibits an improved shock resistance. This polyamide resin composition brings about, however, only an insufficient improvement in the low temperature shock resistance, since the ethylene homopolymer incorporated here has a large molecular weight distribution value (Mw/Mn).

Polyamide resin composition and process for producing the same


A random access memory that includes an array of memory cells, a first circuit configured to receive an address to address memory cells in the array of memory cells, and a second circuit. The second circuit is configured to obtain control signals including an address strobe signal and gate the address strobe signal using other control signals to provide a gated address strobe signal and to control activation of a select line signal based on the gated address strobe signal.

Memory speed and memory capacity continue to increase to meet the demands of system applications. Some of these system applications include mobile electronic systems that have limited space and limited power resources. In mobile applications, such as cellular telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), memory cell density and power consumption are issues for future generations.
To address these issues, the industry is developing random access memories (RAMs) for mobile applications. One type of RAM, referred to as CellularRAM, is a high performance and low power memory designed to meet the growing memory density and bandwidth demands of future designs. CellularRAM is a pseudo static RAM (PSRAM) that offers a lower cost per bit ratio than current solutions. Also, CellularRAM offers static random access memory (SRAM) pin and function compatibility, external refresh-free operation, and a low power design. CellularRAM devices are drop-in replacements for most asynchronous low power SRAMs currently used in mobile applications, such as cellular telephones.
Typically, a PSRAM is based on a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that provides significant advantages in density and speed over traditional SRAM. The DRAM can include one transistor and one capacitor memory cells that are arranged in one or more arrays of memory cells, which are arranged in memory banks. To read and write memory cells, each DRAM includes one or more row decoders, one or more column decoders, and sense amplifiers. The sense amplifiers can be differential sense amplifiers, wherein each sense amplifier receives one bit line at each of two differential inputs.
To read or write memory cells, the DRAM receives a row address, a column address, and control signals. A row decoder receives the row address to select a row of memory cells and a column decoder receives the column address to select one or more columns of memory cells. Each memory cell at the intersection of a selected row and a selected column provides a data bit to a sense amplifier.
At each sense amplifier that receives data, one of the bit lines receives the data bit from a selected memory cell and the other bit line is used as a reference. To read the data bit, the sense amplifier amplifies the difference between the data bit value and the reference value and provides a sensed output value to an output driver. To write a data bit into a selected memory cell, input drivers overdrive the sense amplifier. One input driver overdrives a data bit value onto the bit line that is connected to the selected memory cell and another input driver overdrives the inverse of the data bit value onto the reference bit line.
In some situations, a write command is issued to write selected memory cells, but some of the selected memory cells have been masked or columns of memory cells have been replaced with redundant columns of memory cells. Typically, to block the write command, a column connected to a masked or replaced memory cell is activated to access the memory cell as in normal writes and a high voltage level is driven onto each of the differential inputs of the connected sense amplifier. The sense amplifier does not detect a voltage difference in the data lines and therefore does not drive the bit lines, which prevents writing the accessed memory cell. However, transistors in the drivers may be mismatched. One driver may supply a higher voltage than the other driver causing the sense amplifier to be biased in one direction to leak charge away from a masked memory cell. Leaking charge away from a masked memory cell can cause data retention problems. Also, drivers and sense amplifiers use current when driven and, in mobile applications, power is a limited resource.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.

Random access memory including selective activation of select line


A mouse device includes a case, a click operating area mounted on the case, a key inputting area mounted on the case, and a key lock moveably attached to the case. The click operating area performs selection and/or scrolling within an active window or graphical user interface. The key inputting area includes a plurality of keys. The key lock is moveable between a first position where the keys are unlocked and a second position where the keys are locked.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mouses, and, more particularly, to a mouse combined with input keys.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to unceasing development and research of information products, computer technology has enjoyed considerable progressing function and speed. However, the methods for computer operation and document editing have not had any obvious improvement.
In general, the present method for computer operation or document editing requires the user to remember many special key combinations to accomplish special tasks or to use a mouse to select a function item. Users have to frequently move their hands between the mouse and the keyboard, which is inconvenient.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved mouse device resolving the above problem in the industry.

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


The invention concerns a support for an antenna, such as a RFID antenna, used in a flexible cover, for example a passport cover, whereby said antenna is surrounded by material of said cover. Said support comprises means for disconnecting the antenna from the surrounding material so that bending stress applied to said material is not transferred to the antenna. The support may be used in different products, for example in passports.

Mechanical durability is a key feature of RFID transponders used in passports which experience significant mechanical stresses during their life cycle. The life cycle of passports is usually ten years and they must remain functional during this period. This constraint does not only apply to their physical integrity but also to the electrical function of the enclosed RFID transponder.
Repeated bending of the passport is one of the major threats to the enclosed RFID transponder. Indeed, the passport can be bent when carried in a backpocket, in pockets of a jacket or coat and repeated bending results in buckling of the RFID antenna which then causes a break of the antenna or such an alteration of the antenna's electrical properties which then results in a failure of the transponder.
Broken antennas occur in particular in passports which have a transponder enclosed in the passport cover. Indeed, the cover has a tendency to buckle when bent, which forces the enclosed antenna to buckle as well. Further bending then concentrates the bending stress on the area of buckling which rapidly causes a failure of the antenna and therefore of the entire transponder.
There are different approaches to minimize the buckling of a passport cover. One approach is to support the cover with a rigid and stiff layer. This thus prevents the passport from being bent. However, most countries do not accept a "hard" passport and prefer the haptics of a flexible passport booklet.
Another approach is to use textile based cover material. Textile materials can be bent without buckling. However, one disadvantage of such textile based cover material is their high costs. Another disadvantage is that textile cover materials are more difficult to emboss with a security embossing than paper based cover materials.
Today, most commonly used solutions are paper based cover materials because of their low cost and their good properties with respect to security technologies like embossing, security fibers, blanchetes etc. The downside of these materials is that they easily buckle when bent causing antenna failures and hence only provide a low resistance against passport bending.
Document DE19710656 discloses a smart card includes electronic component(s) and a base sheet. The invention there was the task of creating a smart card which is easy to manufacture and which avoids the tendency to gaping during a prolonged use. To this effect, a core sheet is joined to the base sheet and the core sheet has one or more regions stamped out to accommodate the component(s), including e.g. an antenna coil. The component is embedded with a filler in the stamped-out region the filler being initially in fluid form.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,370 relates to a process for manufacturing an IC card. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing an IC card having a plane coil with bent portions in which a conductor line is wound a plurality of times on substantially the same plane, and terminals of the plane coil and electrode terminals of a semiconductor element are electrically connected to each other. The idea here is to provide a method of manufacturing an IC card and an IC card avoiding a short circuit is caused by deformation of the conductor lines generated by an external force given to the plane coil in the traverse direction. The card comprises tape members which are bonded to a plurality of positions of the plane coil. The tape members are composed in such a manner that an adhesive layer is formed on one side of the tape member. In a portion to which this tape member is bonded, adhesive which has entered a space between the wound conductors is solidified, so that the conductors can be fixed while a predetermined interval can be provided between them. Therefore, even if an external force is given to the plane coil in the traverse direction, each conductor is not deformed. Accordingly, the occurrence of a short circuit caused by contact between the conductors can be prevented.
Document US 2007/0278315 relates to a flat transponder having an electronic circuit which is arranged in a layer or in a layer composite and which contains at least one chip and conductor tracks or conductor wires. The invention here is based on the object of specifying a transponder which is flexible, has the most uniform thickness possible and can be bonded to further elements by means of water-based adhesives, its electronic components being protected against damage by bending and against being detected by feel. One or both covering layers and, if appropriate, the partial layers of plastic arranged adjacently above it or under it are notched with incisions, so that the intrinsically stiff laminate with the circuit located in the interior of the laminate bends over at the notched points under bending loading, even with relatively low forces. The notches may be produced by drawn or punched incisions using special knives, by grinding, by sawing in, by laser cutting, etc.
A first notch pattern may be notched in with the lamination, and a second notch pattern can be notched in by means of additional notching following the lamination.
The notch depth and the notch cut density can be applied differently for regions of the laminate surface. In order not to be able to detect the module or chip in the laminate by feel and to prevent the conductor wires or conductor tracks from bending over at the module or chip connection, it is preferred not to flexibilize the regions surrounding the module or chip or to flexibilize them only slightly, in order additionally to make detecting the module or chip by feel more difficult.
Document US 2009/0291271 relates to a functional laminate for smart cards, ID cards, credit cards and the like which is able to absorb mechanical stress caused by shrinkage of the cover layer in the laminating process. To this effect, it is made from at least two co-laminated layers, at least one of which is a patchwork layer consisting of zones of multiple types distinct from each other such that mechanical stress may be absorbed by the zones when the functional laminate is subjected to heat thus keeping the functional laminate from breaking or delaminating. Such a functional laminate may be used in smart cards leading to an increased service life.
Document WO 2010/094790 relates to a functional laminate which is able to absorb mechanical stress caused by shrinkage of materials used in the laminating production process. According to an embodiment of the invention of this document, a method for manufacturing a functional laminate comprises at least the following steps:    providing an inlay formed of at least two layers which have been laminated together with a functional element, such that the functional element is at least partially embedded in the inlay;    forming at least one recess on the inlay in an area adjacent to the functional component;    laminating the inlay with at least one additional layer in such a manner that the width of said recess or recesses is (are) considerably reduced or said recess or recesses is (are) substantially closed at least by surrounding material after lamination by virtue of shrinking of the functional laminate.
In a functional laminate manufactured by this method, mechanical tensions due to heat induced shrinking of the substrate sheet or the at least one additional layer are reduced or removed by the recesses that are substantially closed or whose width is considerably reduced after lamination. Hence, the functional component and its contact areas, if applicable, are not subjected to these tensions, neither during the lamination procedure nor after. A risk of failure of the functional components due to cracks or warping is thus tremendously reduced. The recesses are formed at the latest before a final lamination step of the functional laminate. The characteristic of the final functional laminate is not significantly affected by the recesses since they are at least almost shut after the lamination step.
Safety documents and other plastic cards incorporating such a functional laminate may thus exhibit an increased service life and an improved optical quality by reduced surface unevenness.
Document DE 10 2004 027 978 discloses a semiconductor chip module which is located with an antenna between cover sheets. The chip is connected by tracks to the antenna terminals. Antenna and module are embedded in adhesive between the cover sheets (5) in one region.

Anti-crack means for wire antenna in transponder


A method for fabricating a dielectric device including a capacitor, a pyroelectric infrared detector, and the like is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of etching a dielectric substance film formed on a substrate to form a predetermined pattern with an etchant comprised of hydrofluoric acid and an oxidizing agent, and removing residues resulting from the etching by treating the etched layer with a first treating solution containing a reducing agent and subsequently with a second treating solution containing an acid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for fabricating dielectric devices including ferroelectric devices applied to, for instance, capacitors, pyroelectric infrared detectors and the like, and particularly to a fine patterning technology of dielectric substances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the recent progress in the developments of non-volatile memory tips, microsensors, actuators and the like, importance of fine pattern etching technologies applied to dielectric substances represented by the ferroelectric substances have become increasing. Known fine pattern etching methods for Si-dielectric substances and electrode materials include dry processes such as reactive ion etching using a reactive or etching gas, sputter etching and the like, and wet processes such as chemical etching. Investigations have been made on the patterning of the ferroelectric substances represented by lead titanate (PbTiO.sub.3), PZT (lead-zirconium titanate) and PLZT (lead-lanthanum-zirconium titanate), and electrode materials of noble metals such as Pt, Au, Pd and the like, or compounds thereof, by the reactive ion etching and sputter etching categorized as the dry processes.
The above-mentioned materials however have a low reactivity with the etching gas and thus demonstrate a low etch rate, and therefore there is a need to rise the temperature of a sample up to several hundred degree centigrade (M. R. Poor and C. B. Fleddermann: Journal of Applied Physics, 70 (6), p.3385-3387 (1991)).
On the other hand, the sputter etching uses accelerated argon ions or the like to cause a physical collision of the ions with a sample thereby to effect anisotropic etching. This results in a lesser role of chemical reaction and thus this method appears effective for the patterning of the ferroelectric substances.
Separate from this, an investigation is also conducted on the patterning of the ferroelectric substances represented by perovskite ceramics containing Pb by the chemical etching method as the wet process. The chemical etching has advantages such as a high etch rate and a lower cost of the equipment used for the process. Chemical etching, however, is disadvantageous in that because the etching processed by the chemical etching is isotropic which often accompanies side etching, the reproducibility of the pattern becomes rather poor due to the side etching.
In the above-mentioned reactive ion etching process, the etch rate of the ferroelectric substance is low because it has only a low reactivity with the etching gas, and a ratio of the etch rate of the material to that of the photoresist (selective ratio) is also small. Therefore, devices configured with the ferroelectric substance, in particular, those having a film thickness of the ferroelectric substance of several .mu.m, such as pyroelectric device and piezoelectric device, require more than one hour for the etching process. Thus, the reactive ion etching process suffers from a disadvantage that the photoresist layer is completely removed by the etching by the end of the process of etching on the ferroelectric substance film. As a result, the ferroelectric substance film is damaged and the device cannot demonstrate a satisfactory performance.
In the processes of the sputter etching and the reactive ion etching, since an electrode of an etching equipment is usually insulated from a sample to be etched by a quartz plate having a thickness of several mm, cooling efficiency of cooling water on the rear face of the electrode is not satisfactory. As a result, the processes suffer from a disadvantage that the photoresist layer is sometimes baked down by a rise in the sample temperature.
In order to cope with this problem, a means is taken for raising the cooling efficiency by applying a vacuum grease between the sample and the electrode. The application of the grease however takes much time and has problems such as outflow of the grease if the area of the sample is small, and possible contamination by the grease.
In the method of chemical etching of the ferroelectric substances represented by perovskite oxide, the conventional process of using only the known etchant has a problem of a residue on the substrate or the electrode. The method also has the disadvantage of poor reproducibility of the pattern due to possible side etching, forming a pattern with a tapered cross-sectional shape.

Method for fabricating dielectric device


A method to collect and group a plurality of scans for respective bar code symbols of a succession of spaced bar code symbols. The symbols are disposed on a continuous substrate moving past a scanner unit arranged to scan a plurality of the spaced symbols, one after the other. The method of the invention provides for the energizing and de-energizing of a scanner unit in order to scan the substrate in a controlled manner so as to ensure the scanner unit is operating and scanning when each respective bar code symbol, to be scanned, is within the field of view of the scanner unit. The detecting of the presence of a bar code symbol within the field of view of the scanner unit is realized by scanning the symbol and determining a valid decode. Once a valid decode is determined, a plurality of subsequent scans associated with the bar code symbol are collected and grouped, and further may be processed to determine at least one evaluation attribute for each scanned symbol. After a predefined temporal period has elapsed, or alternately, a predetermined number of scans has occurred (for a respective symbol), the scanning is stopped with the scanner unit de-energized in accordance with the controlled manner. The method is then repeated for a plurality of the bar code symbols disposed on the moving substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods that are useful for scanning and evaluating a continuous succession of bar code symbols. more particularly, the invention provides methods supporting the collecting and grouping of a plurality of scans for each respective bar code symbol in a succession of bar code symbols passing a scanner unit that is cycled on and off in a controlled manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A long standing need to verify and or evaluate the printed quality of bar code symbols is well known in the art. With the ubiquitous bar code symbol now used by virtually all inventory intensive establishments, such as warehouses and retail stores, methods to support the high speed evaluation and verification of bar code symbols, especially a succession of bar code symbols disposed on a moving substrate, are needed.
There are many hand held and fixed position bar code verifiers known in the art. Hand held systems enable a user to manually position a scanner unit to scan different portions of the symbol being verified. An analysis may then be conducted by the verifier to determine various evaluation parameters. These devices, and their methods of operation, are generally capable of evaluating and verifying individual bar code symbols in a manual manner. Hand held verifiers may be categorized into two fundamental groups of scanning verifies: contact verifiers and non-contact verifiers. Contact verifiers are physically placed in contact with the substrate on which the symbol is printed. Non-contact verifiers are generally scanner based apparatus, wherein the scanner is positioned at a fixed distance from the bar code symbol being evaluated. These systems are often manually operated to scan selected portions of a single symbol to be evaluated.
Some non-contact verifying systems known in the art are configured to be mounted on bar code printers. These systems evaluate the quality of a bar code symbol as it is printed in an on-demand and synchronous manner. If the quality of the just printed symbol is determined to be below a pre-selected level, the printer can be stopped. In these systems, a significant amount of communication and connection is provided between the printing mechanism and the verifier. The fact that the paper advance means and the print head of the printing mechanism are under the control of a computer means, which also controls the verifier mechanism, greatly simplifies the starting and stopping of the scanning and verifying of each newly printed symbol. That is, the communication and connection between the printer and the verifier determines when the evaluation is to start. Thus, the location of the symbol is well established with this method of verification. In contrast, on high speed flexographic printing presses and the like, which are generally mechanical rather than electronic in nature, the exact location of the bar code symbols to be evaluated is not readily known. Further, often the bar code symbol to be evaluated and verified is disposed around other printed information, possibly making evaluation more difficult.
There is currently a need to have high speed verifier arrangements (with associated methods of operation) for use in demanding applications wherein a succession of bar code symbols must be rapidly evaluated in an automated fashion. For example, skilled persons will appreciate the considerable difficulty of evaluating bar code symbols being rapidly printed on a printing press. Especially, where the apparatus does not advance the paper substrate in sync with the verifier activities (i.e., the printing and verification are asynchronous processes), and the evaluation must determine a count of the number of symbols printed, verify decode and a variety of other well known evaluation attributes for each symbol (by processing a `distinct group` of scans taken of the symbol). Also, a system must suitably deliver the evaluation information to an operator or a monitoring system. It should be understood that the terms `processing` and `process`, when referring to scans taken of a bar code symbol, are defined as determining if the bar code symbol is decodable and further may include determining one or more evaluation attributes.
There is also a current need to evaluate in an automated fashion a succession of bar code symbols disposed on repeating regions, or in repeating images, on a substrate. A particular need would be satisfied by an apparatus that could evaluate a succession bar code symbols in (near) real-time and provide an immediate indication of the quality of each symbol. Such evaluation allows for the immediate response should a problem be detected in the quality of the symbols being applied to a substrate (e.g., being printed on a printing press). At a point in time were the symbols being applied are found to be of low quality, the printing press may be stopped and the cause of the problem ascertained and corrected. The press may then be restarted with little loss of material and the virtual elimination of the need to reprint and replace poorly printed bar code symbols.
At present, there are a variety of well known guidelines and standards used to quantitatively evaluate the quality of bar code symbols. A quality evaluation guideline published in September 1994 by the Uniform Code Council (UCC), is titled "Quality Specification for the UPC Printed Symbol". This document, which is hereby incorporated by reference, presents an overall methodology for printing and verifying the common Universal Product Code, UPC, symbol. In particular, parts 2 and 3 of the UCC document provide definitions and related subject matter for a number of evaluation attributes. The evaluation attributes, which are also known as SRP parameters, and very generally as figures of merit, may be determined and combined to indicate the relative quality of the evaluated symbol. The term `relative quality` can be assumed to be the quality of a bar code symbol with respect the level of quality established by well known standards and guidelines known to skilled persons.
With the advent of rigorous and well defined quantitative measures to evaluate bar code symbols, there is a need for improved methods to support high speed automated evaluation and verification, particularly where real-time evaluation is desired. Current standard evaluation guidelines, such as the UCC quality specification, call for a plurality of scans spaced along the height of the symbol to be collected and evaluated. The results of the processing of the individual scans must then be combined to determine a measure of quality indicative of the overall quality of the symbol. Whereas, this requirement can be manually satisfied with hand-held verifiers as discussed above, and with on-demand printers which control and coordinate the printing, scanning, and processing of symbols to be evaluated, there is an unaddressed need for arrangements and methods to enable the collecting and grouping of scans that are associated with, and correspond to, each individual bar code symbol in a succession of spaced bar code symbols.
Objects and or advantages of the present invention are, therefore, to provide new and improved methods to support the scanning of a succession of bar code symbols, especially to collect and group a plurality of scans for each scanned symbol, having one or more of the following, capabilities, features, and/or characteristics:
automated high speed detecting and scanning of each of a succession of bar code symbols; PA1 enables the collecting and grouping a plurality of scans associated with each scanned symbol; PA1 asynchronous delimitation between individual bar code symbols (with no supporting and specific `detection means` or additional structure; PA1 scanning conducted in a controlled manner with the scanner unit suitably cycled on and off (i.e. energized and de-energized); PA1 useful to extend the life cycle of scanner units via operation in the controlled manner; PA1 enables the collecting and accurate grouping of scans associated with respective symbols (of the succession of symbols) being evaluated); PA1 rapid determination of the quality of each symbol in a succession of bar code symbols; and PA1 employable to determine and indicate trends of increasing or decreasing quality of bar code symbols.

Methods for scanning a succession of bar code symbols


A wall element serving for the presentation of goods includes a wall surface provided with inclined intersecting slots and at least one support or carrying unit releasably attached to the wall element, wherein the support unit protrudes beyond the wall surface and for support engages in at least two of the intersecting inclined slots, and wherein the support unit includes two downwardly converging support surfaces. The support unit is constructed in such a way that it offers room for several bottles which are placed on the support surfaces with the longitudinal axes of the bottles extending perpendicularly to the wall surface. In addition, the support unit includes a receiving device for another bottle which is aligned so as to extend with its longitudinal axis essentially parallel to the wall surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wall element serving for the presentation of goods. The wall element includes a wall surface provided with inclined intersecting slots and at least one support or carrying unit releasably attached to the wall element, wherein the support unit protrudes beyond the wall surface and for support engages in at least two of the intersecting inclined slots, and wherein the support unit includes two downwardly converging support surfaces. The invention also relates to a support unit for such a wall element.
2. Description of the Related Art
DE-OS 43 27 843 of this applicant already discloses a wall element of the above-described type with releasably fastened support units which serve particularly for receiving and presenting printed products or blister packages, i.e., predominantly lightweight objects.
However, during experiments with the wall element to explore additional fields of use as well as during practical use, it has been found that the wall element is also very well suited for the presentation of heavy objects which protrude by a relatively large distance beyond the wall surface and, thus, the wall element can also basically be used for the presentation of bottles, for example, wine bottles or liquor bottles. However, while printed products and blister packages can be easily stacked one behind the other in the support units, so that a printed front side faces away from the wall element toward the front into the room and can be easily read, in the case of bottles the space required with respect to the necessary wall surface is very large if they were to be placed upright in the support units. In addition, upright bottles can be knocked over relatively easily especially during the removal of an adjacent bottle. Moreover, particularly in the case of the presentation of expensive wines, the wine bottles should not assume an upright position in the support units which would cause the corks to remain dry.
On the other hand, bottles which are stacked in the horizontal position have a much greater stability and require less space with respect to the necessary wall surface, however, the upwardly facing bottle labels cannot be read or can only be read very poorly without removing a bottle, so that this type of arrangement is not suitable for a sales presentation.


Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for predicting escalation risks in customer support contexts. A system implementing the example method can identify instances of customer escalation from a corpus of customer support sales, customer support, and product software development data, and determine, for the instances of customer escalation, sets of trigger conditions that were at least partially responsible for respective instances of customer escalation. Then the system can classify each of the instances of customer escalation by problem type based on the set of trigger conditions to yield classifications, and add the classifications, the sets of trigger conditions, and the instances of customer escalation to a database. Then the system can compare the database to support data to identify customers or support tasks that are likely to be escalated, and the system or a user can allocate additional support resources to proactively prevent escalations.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to customer support and more specifically to predicting which customers or support requests are more likely to be escalated, so support resources can be devoted to proactively prevent escalation.
2. Introduction
Modern customer service, customer contact, or support centers support large numbers of customers, such as a call center that supports 10,000 or more users. In such large-scale customer support efforts, prioritizing the individuals' needs and appropriately allocating limited available support resources to the most important matters can be crucial. Support resource can include, for example, customer service agents, developers, money, etc. In traditional customer support centers, louder customers typically receive more attention. Otherwise, a service request goes through different levels of a customer service hierarchy. For example, the customer can start out with a low-level agent who attempts to address the customer's problem based on a rote or scripted troubleshooting routine. If the problem is not solved, the low-level agent can escalate the customer or matter to a tier 1 supervisor. The tier 1 supervisor investigates the matter, if the problem is still not solved, can escalate the matter further to a tier 2 supervisor. If the tier 2 supervisor cannot solve the issue, he can escalate the matter further, and so forth.
These conventional methods can be slow and inefficient, and can present a wide gap between the service personnel and the developers or engineers. In other words, the developers are often unaware of the customers' needs and wants because the developers are not part of the loop. Moreover, predicting customer service priorities and urgencies based on the analysis of the service tickets may be limited due to limited context information for a given service ticket which does not adequately capture the bigger picture of the customer's general needs.
Customer support infrastructure is generally adapted to respond to individual problems, such as by ordering problems by severity, and do not identify vulnerable systems that may have multiple often low severity issues that can take a long time to resolve. Further, these support systems cannot identify customers systems that are more likely to have other problems that are not known at present. Such customers may need additional attention or support resources to prevent future escalation. Current systems cannot recognize these cases where marshaling resources in anticipation of issues could be instrumental in managing a successful customer relationship, as well as save service costs associated with customer escalation after the fact. Current systems cannot predict how vulnerable customer systems may be in advance.

System and method for prioritizing customers and predicting service escalation


A modular unit having a slot or prepared hole on a face plate is mounted to a rack by a threaded fastener having at least a first and a second threaded portions along its length. A nut for fastening to the second portion of the threaded fastener is designed to have a greater diameter and a pitch predetermined for quick assembly and release, while the first portion is fastened to a rack.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the art of threaded fastening, and more particularly to the art of fastening modular units to racks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, many persons have required assembly of multiple modular units on a rack for jobs that have a short or limited time duration, and have required the disassembly of the modular units after the job is completed. Such persons, such as musicians performing for only one or a few performances before traveling to another job location, are frequently faced with a time constraint to satisfy which it is desired to reduce or eliminate all tasks that consume time and that are tedious.
When such persons, such as musicians for example, are required to set up their equipment, they must assemble the various electronic equipment which very often comes in modular units. The modular units are assembled onto a rack with their face plates facing towards one direction, usually facing towards the member of the group who is responsible for adjusting the variable options available on the electronic or similar equipment.
Frequently, it is desired, if not imperative that such modular equipment be assembled in a very short time period. The assembly of the modular units on a rack has been time consuming in the past, owing largely to various means for fastening the modules to the rack which are tedious, require special implements such as screw drivers, and require both hands to insert a single fastener. These fasteners, therefore, are frequently screws which must drive through the module and into the rack by a screw driver. Each screw requires both hands to drive the screw through the module and into the rack. Someone else must hold the module while first one, then a second and possibly more screws are individually driven to form the fastening.
It is desired to provide a fastening structure or assembly which can be accomplished using a single hand, thus freeing the other hand for holding the module or for other uses as desired. It is further desired to provide a rack fastening structure or assembly that allows for quick assembly or fastening and quick release, in order to facilitate and speed the assembly and disassembly process. It is yet further desired to provide a rack and module fastening assembly or structure that is efficient and more easily handled, in order to reduce the tedium of the rack and module assembly procedures.