The normally slow rise time of a Class C bipolar transistor grounded base RF power amplifier is greatly enhanced by circuitry external to the amplifier transistor. Current is injected into the base of the transistor for the duration of the rise time, biasing it into Class A operation during this period. Then, after the base current injection, operation reverts to Class C to retain amplifier power efficiency. Finally, the normally slow fall time of the bipolar Class C RF power amplifier is greatly enhanced by reverse-biasing the base-to-emitter junction during the fall time. During this fall time the amplifier is forced into its cutoff region by the applied reverse bias, as stored charge is pulled out of the base-emitter region of the transistor. In this manner, the power efficiency advantage of Class C power amplifiers may be retained, while adding the benefits of sharper output rise and fall times that would not otherwise be achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to amplifiers. More specifically, the invention relates to amplifiers having improved performance characteristics with high-speed switching waveforms, particularly by enhancement of rise times and fall times for high-speed digital signals.
2. Related Art
As appreciated by those skilled in the art, "Class C" defines a class of amplifier which is non-linear, but highly power-efficient. Class C amplifiers are suitable for phase modulation, frequency modulation, or 100% pulse modulation.
Certain Class C amplifiers include an amplifying device, such as a bipolar transistor, as well as "external" circuitry that surrounds the device so that the amplifier as a whole performs its amplifying function.
At the higher frequencies, such as UHF and beyond, the grounded or common base configuration is the preferred configuration, because it offers higher gain than the grounded emitter configuration when using bipolar transistors. A common base amplifier with shunt supply voltage feed is shown in FIG. 1. "RFC" means radio frequency choke, providing a short circuit DC path to supply or ground.
For most applications, the speed at which such an amplifier responds to an RF input is not too important. For example, when an RF input signal is applied to a Class C RF power amplifier stage in a hand-held FM voice communication device, it is sufficient that the amplifier rise to its full output power before modulation is applied. In such applications, rise time may be as long as several hundred microseconds. Also, when the input signal is taken away (such as when reverting to the "receive" mode), fall time as long as several hundred microseconds is acceptable. In another example, FM broadcast transmitters are not concerned with enhancing rise time or fall time, because, as broadcast transmitters, they are turned on or off only once per day or are perpetually on. Similarly, fast rise or fall time is not crucial in pulse modulation using Class C amplifiers in radar applications, with a pulse width as short as one microsecond. If the ON time is considered to be from the 90% ON level to the 90% OFF level, the RF input pulse width may be adjusted to accommodate the slow response of the Class C amplifier.
However, in the modulator disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,931 (Hulick), switched Class C amplifiers respond to the commands of an analog-to-digital converter, the purpose of which is to have many amplifiers power combined to synthesize an amplitude modulated output. In that patent, amplifiers must respond to the ON/OFF commands at a speed fast enough to avoid significant switching distortion. If a digitized video signal derived from an analog television video signal having a 4.2 MHz bandwidth is sampled at a frequency at least twice this bandwidth, each Class C amplifier may have to switch from OFF to ON to OFF in a total time span of no more than 119 nanoseconds. Clearly, Class C amplifiers requiring several microseconds or even several hundred nanoseconds to switch, cannot fill this need. Linear amplifiers can be used in modulators such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,931, but linear amplifiers are less power efficient and are therefore not a viable solution.
FIG. 2 is an oscilloscope trace of the detected RF output of a typical high power Class C UHF transistor amplifier driven with an input RF pulse having 10 ns rise and fall times. The circuit causing the illustrated output is a specific design derived from FIG. 1, using a 60 watt device operating at 645 MHz. In the illustrated example, rise time deteriorates to 300 ns and fall time deteriorates to 125 ns. This deterioration is unacceptable in many applications, for reasons outlined above.
FIG. 3 shows idealized waveforms for graphically demonstrating the rise time/fall time deterioration phenomena, as a background for understanding the motivation behind edge enhancement. Waveform (a), an idealized RF input pulse, is assumed to be input to a typical Class C amplifier, whose response is shown as output Waveform (b); rise time deterioration is t.sub.2 -t.sub.1, and fall time deterioration is t.sub.4 -t.sub.3.
The FIG. 1 conventional circuit's edge deterioration is believed to derive from the following causes. The transistor fails to turn on quickly because "on" bias must be derived from the input signal; until an input is applied, the transistor is biased off, causing deterioration in rise time. Conversely, fall time suffers because stored charge in the device must bleed on its own, because no help is provided with external circuitry.
Various amplifiers, and modifications and enhancements to amplifiers, are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,293 (Kennett) discloses an RF pulse modulated amplifier which transitions from Class A through Class AB to Class C operation. External circuitry is provided to sense the input signal and provide a control current which varies in accordance therewith. U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,191 (Erb et al.) discloses an amplifier having digital control over the operating point of several transistors. Digital control circuitry is used to sense the input signal and the operating environment, and provide biasing to the transistors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,876 (Najman) discloses an amplifier which operates in a "sliding Class A" mode by varying the bias on the output transistor as a function of the amplitude of the input signal. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,761 (Fukumoto et al.) discloses an amplifier which can be operated in Class A, B, or AB by selectively switching bias values. The amplifier continues to operate in a selected mode continuously until manually switched. These patents, as well as all documents cited in this specification, are incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full.
Unfortunately, none of the known systems provides a way of improving rise times and fall times which automatically reacts to both rise time periods and fall time periods, so as to provide a self-adjusting compensation which improves rise times and fall times. It is to fill this need that the present invention is directed.

RF amplifier providing reduced drive response rise times and fall times


According to an embodiment, an encryption processing device includes a memory and one or more processors. The memory stores a plurality of divided masks to be applied to an input sentence on which mask processing is performed in unit of processing of a predetermined size corresponding to a size of data obtained by dividing target data of encryption processing into a plurality of pieces, the divided masks having a same size as that of data obtained by further dividing the data of the unit of processing. The one or more processors are configured to: read out the plurality of divided masks from the memory at different respective timings, and generate a plurality of first masks by using the read-out divided masks at different respective timings; and execute arithmetic processing on intermediate data of the encryption processing using the plurality of first masks at different respective timings.

There have been developed various kinds of side channel attacks for analyzing a cryptographic key using physical information such as a processing time, power consumption, and an electromagnetic wave at the time when a cryptographic module operates. As an analysis method using power consumption information, there are known Simple Power Analysis (SPA), Differential Power Analysis (DPA), and Correlation Power Analysis (CPA). These are attack methods for extracting internal information by statistically analyzing power consumption during encryption processing. Deep Learning-based Power Analysis (DLPA) and Differential Deep Learning Analysis (DDLA) are attack methods for extracting internal information by using power consumption during encryption processing as data for learning for deep learning.

Encryption processing device, encryption processing method, and computer program product


Even a simple media sensor obtains a print result of the best print quality by applying a user-set printing condition and the determined media group by performing a print processing using the optimum print profile for any supplied paper. To solve the above-mentioned problem, a print data generating process unit sets a printing condition for print data by selecting a print profile for printing corresponding to any group stored in a print profile storage unit based on a media group determined by a paper type determining process unit and a printing condition set by a print setting process unit in an operation performed by a user according to information obtained from a printer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a data processing apparatus capable of storing the optimum print profile for a record medium for each record medium and group, and transferring print data to a printer which detects the feature of the type of record medium at a print request from an application; a print control method; a computer-readable storage medium; and a program.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a printing system is normally configured by a color printer capable of performing color output, a host computer for controlling the printer and generating print data, and a communications interface connecting them. In color printers, an ink jet printer can use various types of paper depending on each use. Paper of various materials is available. For example, plain paper for use in a copying machine, coated paper which is coated with silica, etc. for resisting smearing of ink and obtaining good coloring, glossy paper for use in forming a photographic image like a silver halide photo, an OHP film for a transparent original, a transfer paper for iron printing, a backprint film, etc. are available.
Not only various materials, but also various sizes of paper are marketed. For example, a postal card, an envelop, a glossy post card having glossy paper on the communications face, glossy paper of 4×6 size commonly used for a photographic paper in printing a photo, etc. depending on a specific purpose.
When the above-mentioned paper is printed, a user selects in advance the type of record medium (paper) to be printed in the print setting on the printer driver, and appropriate printing is performed based on the settings.
Recently, a printer load with a sensor called a media sensor for automatically determining the type of paper has been developed. With this type of printer, the types of paper broadly classified into the five groups (rectangular areas enclosed by the broken lined) are used as shown in FIG. 12. In this example, light is emitted to the surface of the paper, and the intensity of the reflected light (regularly reflected light and diffusion-reflected light) is used in determination. As an example of this type of data processing apparatus, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-212390 has been disclosed.
However, there have been the following problems with the above-mentioned conventional technology.
That is, a common ink jet printer not loaded with a media sensor, it is necessary for a user to select and set in advance the type of paper to be printed using the user interface according to the print settings (hereinafter possibly referred to as a UI). Due to the complicated operation of selecting a desired type of paper from among a number of choices, a setting different from the selection intention, poor knowledge of the paper on which the user prints, etc., appropriate printing for each type of paper sometimes cannot be provided. Especially when paper other than the original manufacturer's paper of a printer maker prepared as a choice is used, it is necessary to associate desired paper with original manufacturer's paper. As a result, a user has to perform a complicated process, obtain a considerably low-quality print result, waste expensive media and ink, take longer printing time, etc.
To solve a part of the above-mentioned problems, a printer which is loaded with a media sensor for specifying a type of paper and is capable of automatically setting a print mode appropriate for paper has been proposed. In this case, the following problem has been taken up. That is, according printer loaded with a media sensor is often limited in type of recognized paper as shown in FIG. 12. Therefore, although there are few erroneous determinations made, it is hard to set the optimum print mode for the target paper.
For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when recycled paper 1013 included in a definition area 1014 and determined as the paper belonging to a group of plain paper type is considered, print processing is performed using the optimum print profile for the group of plain paper type to which the recycled paper 1013 belongs. For the recycled paper, the print profile is not optimum but appropriate. As a result, the printing process is performed with not the best but appropriate print quality.
For example, when a postal card 1018 is considered, it is included in the definition area 1014. Therefore, it is determined as the paper belonging to a group of plain paper type. As a result, the print processing is performed using the optimum print profile for the group of plain paper type. In this case again, the printing process cannot be performed using the optimum print profile for a postal card.
The above-mentioned print processing is performed as a result of the sensor precision, the variance in the same paper, and the necessity for the support for all paper types marketed. If the classification is to be increased, there is the possibility that an incorrect type of paper can be selected.
The support for the type of paper other than the original manufacturer's paper is similarly performed as described above. That is, the type of paper closest in condition is automatically selected. Therefore, it is hard to precisely set the print mode for the corresponding type of paper.
Furthermore, when print processing is performed on the paper of the size depending on a specific purpose, for example, when it is performed on a postal card, a user specifies "post card size" as the paper size, and it is also necessary to specify "post card" as the type of paper.
The reason why "post card" is to be specified as the type of paper is that, for example, since a "post card" is thicker than "plain paper", paper cannot be correctly fed without changing a paper-feed control method, that the type of ink, the amount of implanted ink, the number of operation paths cannot be selected as in the case of plain paper, because the ink cannot be easily dry.
Furthermore, since the "plain paper" is quite similar to the "post card" in characteristic, they cannot be automatically discriminated using a media sensor. However, since the user is not easily aware of the necessity for the designation of the "post card" for the type of paper in addition to the paper size, print processing is performed without settings, thereby failing in paper feed or insufficient print quality.
To take countermeasures against the above-mentioned problems, some printer drivers guide the setting of appropriate type of paper by displaying a message when the "post card size" is specified as a paper size, but there has been the problem that a user has to perform an operation according to the guide each time the user sets "post card size".
There are a very large number of types of marketed paper, and a printer driver has to print these types of paper. Therefore, the type of paper for printing is to be selected from among a large number of choices.
However, although there are only several types of paper to be selected by a common user, the user has to perform the selecting operation. Therefore, the user sometimes cannot easily select the type, or fails to select the type of paper for printing.

Data processing apparatus, print control method, computer-readable storage medium, and program stored therein


An aligning apparatus includes a first image pickup camera for picking up an image of an inspection contactor, a moving body located so as to be movable in X-, Y-, Z- and .theta.-directions and having the first image pickup camera fixed thereon, a wafer bearer capable of being located on the moving body and supporting a semiconductor wafer, a control circuit for controlling movements of the moving body moved in the individual directions, and a second image pickup camera for picking up an image of the semiconductor wafer on the bearer moving under the control of the control circuit. Positions for the first and second image pickup cameras to pick up the images are stored, the first image pickup camera picks up an image of the contact, the position of the contact is stored, the second image pickup camera picks up an image of an electrode of a chip corresponding to the contact, the position of the electrode is stored, and then the contact and the electrode are aligned with each other in accordance with the respective positions of the contact and the electrode.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for aligning a semiconductor wafer with an inspection contactor, and more particularly, to an apparatus for achieving alignment between a semiconductor wafer and an inspection contactor, whereby a plurality of contacts formed on the contactor and their corresponding electrode pads of each of a plurality of chips formed on the wafer are aligned when they are connected electrically to one another by being brought collectively into touch with one another.
Manufacturing processes for semiconductor wafers include an inspection process in which a large number of IC chips that are formed on the surface of each semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to simply as "wafer") are subjected to various electrical inspections without changing the wafer conditions. In this inspection process, nondefective wafers that carry no defective chips thereon are sorted out. (defective ones with defective IC chips thereon.) Only the non-defective wafers are subjected to the next process, such as a semiconductor device assembling process, whereupon individual semiconductor devices are completed as products. Thus, the yield of the products is improved. In a typical example of the inspection process, the individual IC chips are inspected by successively bringing the electrode pads of each IC chip into touch with probes of a probe card. In another example, all the IC chips of each wafer are simultaneously inspected in one lot by bringing all the electrode pads corresponding to the IC chips and a plurality of contacts of an inspection contactor (hereinafter referred to simply as "contactor") corresponding to the pads into touch with one another at a time.
According to the latter process in which the IC chips of each wafer are inspected collectively, the contactor and the wafer are opposed to each other, and a plurality of bumps, as references for the contactor, and their corresponding electrode pads, as references for the wafer, are successively aligned with one another in a manner such that their respective positions are visually observed to be ascertained. The bumps and the electrode pads are brought collectively into touch with one another after they are aligned with success. After this is done, the electrical inspections are conducted by using specific inspection devices, and the chips of the wafers are checked for conformity. Based on the result of this check, non-defective wafers are distinguished from defective ones.
Conventionally, the bumps of a contactor and the electrode pads of a wafer are aligned under visual observation, as described above. Accordingly, aligning the bumps and their corresponding electrode pads is not an efficient operation, costing an operator prolonged labor and increasing the operator's burden. Since the accuracy of alignment varies depending on individual operators, moreover, it is difficult to obtain a steady state of constant.

Apparatus for aligning a semiconductor wafer with an inspection contactor


In issuing an order, a medical image diagnostic system acquires order issuance support information on the basis of a reference report or a reference image, which an order issuer uses as a basis of order creation. The medical image diagnostic system classifies the order issuance support information on the basis of a table and presents the order issuance support information using a predetermined order issuance support screen. For example, the order issuer selects desired conditions from the order issuance support screen presented to perform order issuance based on the reference report or the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical image diagnostic system that has an order issuance support function performed by using a diagnostic reading report.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, issuance of an order (an inspection request) in a Radiology Information System (RIS) is executed by a physician in charge who acquires information from a Hospital Information System (HIS) and inputs necessary matters while referring to a diagnostic reading report and the like. An engineer or the like who operates a medical image diagnostic apparatus determines a photographing range, photographing conditions, and the like on the basis of contents of the order issued and executes necessary collection of images. A diagnostic reading doctor compares, for example, for the purpose of observation of progresses, acquired images with images and the like acquired in the last inspection and uses the images for preparation of a report on the inspection. In recent years, as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2003-164442, there is also proposed a system that reads out, in issuing an order for the same region of the same patient, an order used at the time of photographing of images in the past and uses the order for the present issuance of an order.
However, in acquiring medical images using an order issued by the conventional system, for example, there are the following problems.
First, there is little information concerning photographing in contents included in the conventional order. Therefore, it may be difficult for a doctor and an engineer in charge of collection of images to judge under what kinds of conditions image collection should be performed.
Second, in the conventional issuance of an order, many items are selected or inputted by manual operation. Therefore, a wrong order may be issued because of an operation mistake. In such a case, an acquired image is different from an intended image. In particular, in the case of an inspection for observation of progresses, it is desired that an order issued is reproduction of photographing conditions and the like used in the last inspection. However, when the present inspection is not consistent with the last inspection because of an operation mistake or discrepancy in selection of conditions, it is impossible to compare diagnostic reading with that in the last inspection. If re-inspection is performed, a patient is force to be subjected to unnecessary exposure to radiation.
Third, information necessary for photographing is not always included in an order. Therefore, even when an order used at the time of photographing of images in the past is used, information necessary for photographing may not be obtained, making it difficult to judge under what kinds of conditions image collection should be performed.
Under the present circumstances, as measures against these problems, an engineer or the like in charge of photographing refers to a diagnostic reading report (a reference report) or an image (a reference image) forming a basis of creation of the order and, if necessary, obtains confirmation of a physician in charge, who issued the order, to perform photographing and the like while supplementing insufficient information. However, these measures impose heavy burden on the engineers or the like in charge of photographing and deteriorates efficiency of work because certain length of time is required in carrying out the measures.

Medical image diagnostic system for creating order information


The present invention relates to a system for video communication comprising a display having a reflective surface facing to a local user and a video camera mounted on a supporting structure and aimed toward the display; wherein said display displays dark screen images periodically; said camera captures of the local user's image reflected off from the surface during the dark screen image period. The captured reflective images of the local user are used to form a video stream for a remote user to view.

Video connections through the internet and cellphone networks enable face-to-face and real time communication between people located at different parts of the world. As network communications have become faster and more reliable, both person to person and business multimedia communications are increasingly popular with integrated video cameras on smart phones, touch pads, laptop or desktop computers, and television sets. However, such kind of video communication is still no comparison to direct face-to-face meeting in terms of communication quality and effect. One of the problems is lacking of eye contacts during video conversation, because each of the communicators commonly looks at the video screen and not at the video camera, preventing the communicator from having direct eye-to-eye contact to the other remote viewers, as the video cameras are usually positioned away from the screen.
Eye contact is an important part of human interaction, for it conveys non verbal information in a subtle way. In a natural human interaction, we use our facial expression and eye contact to assist our expression. On the other hand, lacking of eye contact during a conversation makes virtual interaction unnatural. People usually dislike this behavior, since most people regard lacking eye contact during a conversation as lack of connection. It is unacceptable if a person looks away while talking, which will be perceived as unconfident, insincere and socially awkward, and his personality can be in jeopardy as the listeners may judge him as inattentive, untrustworthy, pretentious, even rude and snobby.
From speaker side of the view, if a listener is not making eye contact with the speaker while he or she is talking, the speaker may perceive that his or her topic is not interesting to the audience, or the speaker is not convincing enough to get the point crossed. Some speakers may cut short of the conversation for lacking of eye communication.
Another negative effect of having a video camera located on the margin of a display screen is that the image of people in the video is distorted and abnormal. The top portion of a human head looks larger and his or her chin looks smaller, when the camera is mounted on the upper part of the screen, like most laptop computer does currently. This is another problem causing unnatural video communication.
In order to solve the above problems and make the video communication looks more like a real face to face meeting, which means that the participants of the video communication can make eye contact to each other during the meeting, it is necessary to let the participants look at the web cam and the display simultaneously. A participant has to focus his or her eyes on the web cam in order to make eye contact with people who are viewing the image, meanwhile the participant has to look at the display so that he or she can see images of people participating the conference at a remote site. This technical difficulty of the device hampering video communication has been studied and a number of methods to mitigate the problem have been proposed.
US patent application publication 20130207952 disclosed a design that the web cam is mounted at the center of the display instead of on the top frame of the display as conventional design. By way of the above configuration, when a local user (the conference participant) looks at the center of display screen his or her eyes are lined up with the camera, and thereby the image of the local user shows eye contact.
The above disclosed design brought the web cam inline with the display. However, part of the display is occupied by the camera and its accessory parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,570,423 disclosed a video conference system with a projection display. Both projector and video camera are mounted behind a transparent projection screen so that the local user can view the display image and at the same time looks at the camera through the transparent screen. Therefore the camera can capture an eye contact image of the local user. However, it is difficult to use such system for mobile video conferencing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,199,185 disclosed a video conferencing system with a semireflective transparent panel having an angle of about 30 to 70 degree with a display for reflecting an image of a local user. A video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,253,776 disclosed an image synthesis method to synthesis eye contact image from non-eye-contact images of a local user. However, it is difficult to synthesis a nature dynamic eye image in a real time with an ordinary image processor in a mobile device.
In view of the above problems, there is a need to develop an improved video communicating device with a convenient yet reliable design to enable eye contact between a local user and the corresponding image of a remote user participating the communication.

System and method for face-to-face video communication


There is provided with an information processing apparatus. An image including a target object is acquired. A coarse position and orientation of the target object is acquired. Information of a plurality of models which indicate a shape of the target object with different accuracy is held. A geometrical feature of the target object in the acquired image is associated with a geometrical feature indicated by at least one of the plurality of models placed at the coarse position and orientation. A position and orientation of the target object is estimated based on the result of association.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of acquiring the position and orientation of a target object having a three-dimensional shape.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is available a technique called Model-Based Vision which obtains the correspondence between a three-dimensional point acquired from the surface position of a target object by range imaging or the like and a geometrical feature extracted from a three-dimensional shape model of the target object and estimates the position and orientation of the target object by using the distance between the correspondent points as an evaluation function. This technique requires a three-dimensional shape model of a target object in advance to estimate position and orientation parameters. Methods of obtaining such three-dimensional shape models include a method using the design data obtained by CAD software and a method using a polygon model imitating (approximating) the shape of a target object.
CAD data representing the shape of an object expresses the shape by combining a plurality of partial shapes expressed by parameters. Each partial shape is constituted by a surface and a curve defining the contour of the surface. Each surface is expressed by an analytical curved surface such as a circular cone or torus curved surface, or a free curved surface such as a B-Spline curved surface or NURBS curved surface. The surface expressed by these parameters has a merit of being capable of expressing a complex curved surface shape with a small amount of information. Therefore, geometrical features on a model can be calculated with high accuracy in estimation of the position and orientation of an object by using the parameters for each surface which CAD data has, and thus an accurate processing will be enabled. This makes it possible to perform processing with high accuracy. On the other hand, this processing requires complex geometrical calculations for free curved surfaces such as NURBS curved surfaces when calculating points on surfaces or performing correspondence search with three-dimensional points. In addition, when performing inside/outside determination with respect to a contour line, it is necessary to perform complex calculations, resulting in a long processing time.
On the other hand, a polygon model expresses an object shape by a combination of polygonal surfaces. A polygon model allows the calculation of points on surfaces and correspondence search using three-dimensional points with simple geometrical calculations, and has a merit of being low in calculation load. In contrast to this, since an object shape is polygonally approximated, a difference occurs between the object shape and the model. There is available a method of reducing this difference by approximating a surface with a set of very small polygons. However, the total number of polygons required exponentially increases as an allowable difference decreases.
As countermeasures against problems in the respective models, there are available methods of implementing high-speed, accurate processing by combining a model expressed by parameters such as CAD data and a polygon model.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-020671 discloses a method of holding, in advance, a model comprising a combination of parameters expressing a curved surface shape and a polygon model approximating the shape, and using that in calculating a distance value from the reference surface to the curved surface shape with respect to each vertex of a lattice on the reference surface. This method derives the coordinates of the intersection points between polygons and straight lines extending from the respective lattice points vertically to a reference surface, and then calculates the distances from the intersection points to a curved surface shape from curved surface parameters, thereby correcting the distances from the vertices to the curved surface shape.
When calculating the distances between the respective lattice points on a reference surface and a curved surface, the above method calculates coarse distances via polygons at high speed first, and then modifies the coarse distances by calculating accurate distances to the curved surface associated with the polygons from curved surface parameters, thereby satisfying both the requirements for high speed and high accuracy. This method obtains the correspondence relationship between the respective lattice points on a reference surface and a model. However, the method does not perform correspondence search with points in an arbitrary three-dimensional space, and hence cannot be directly applied to the positioning between the model and the three-dimensional points obtained from a range image of the target object.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method and storage medium


Compounds and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of Chlamydial infection are disclosed. The compounds provided include polypeptides that contain at least one antigenic portion of a Chlamydia antigen and DNA sequences encoding such polypeptides. Pharmaceutical compositions and vaccines comprising such polypeptides or DNA sequences are also provided, together with antibodies directed against such polypeptides. Diagnostic kits containing such polypeptides or DNA sequences and a suitable detection reagent may be used for the detection of Chlamydial infection in patients and in biological samples.

Chlamydiae are intracellular bacterial pathogens that are responsible for a wide variety of important human and animal infections. Chlamydia trachomatis is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted diseases and can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), resulting in tubal obstruction and infertility. Chlamydia trachomatis may also play a role in male infertility. In 1990, the cost of treating PID in the US was estimated to be $4 billion. Trachoma, due to ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Chlamydia pneumonia is a major cause of acute respiratory tract infections in humans and is also believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and, in particular, coronary heart disease. Individuals with a high titer of antibodies to Chlamydia pneumonia have been shown to be at least twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease as seronegative individuals. Chlamydial infections thus constitute a significant health problem both in the US and worldwide.
Chlamydial infection is often asymptomatic. For example, by the time a woman seeks medical attention for PID, irreversible damage may have already occurred resulting in infertility. There thus remains a need in the art for improved vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention and treatment of Chlamydia infections. The present invention fulfills this need and further provides other related advantages.

Compounds and methods for treatment and diagnosis of Chlamydial infection


A program is installed by associating the program with an encrypted item of biometric information. The biometric information is encrypted using a private key on the server and associated with the program's execution file on the client. When the program is to be run, the encrypted biometric information is decrypted to obtain reference biometric information. That reference biometric information is compared with currently-obtained biometric information to detect a match. The program is allowed to run into specified and normal way only when the two indicia match. A limited to run may be allowed when the biometrics do not match.

Software developers invest large sums of money in developing software, and regain that investment from their sales of software. Pirating of software enables someone who has not paid for the software to use it without paying. This can become a huge loss of revenue for the software companies.
The ability to pirate software is aided by technology. Many programs exist for copying CDs, even write protected CDs. Other programs and Internet sites are exclusively dedicated to finding ways to avoid any write protection or other pirate protection which is placed on a program. For example, certain Internet sites are dedicated exclusively to providing "crack" programs for time-limited versions of software. Other sites list authorized serial numbers for software.
Copy protection mechanisms have been used for protecting software against unauthorized use. Many of these copy protection mechanisms make the program harder to use by authorized users, and are hence disfavored by the public. These copy protection mechanisms often prevent even the authorized user from adequately using their program.
Many software manufacturers use at least some kind of security to attempt to ensure that the user of the program is in fact authorized. High ticket programs often use a "dongle", which may be a physical connector with special encryption codes stored therein. The program cannot be used without the dongle being physically attached to the computer.
Other systems require a long serial number to be entered. The program checks the serial number to determine if it meets a specified checksum condition. However, since CDs are often made from molds, the CDs which are produced are often precisely the same as each other CD that is produced. Therefore, any serial number that in fact correctly works on any program will work for all of the copies of the programs. Hence, as described above, the serial numbers may be improperly distributed over the Internet to thwart this security system.
Another technique has required the user to answer a question which could only be answered by someone who was in possession of the owners manual for the software. For example, the "Wolfenstein" program required an answer about what was listed on a specified page of the manual. This technique was so intrusive that actual owners of the software were often prevented from using the software.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,403 suggested personalizing a copy of software using a fingerprint reader at the point of sale. However, this required that the software media itself be personalized. This may not be easily done, especially with read only media such as CDs and DVDs.

Software system with a biometric dongle function


Network resources are provisioned within an application broker according to aggregated requests in an optical network. Resource requests are sorted to form sorted resource requests. The sorted resource requests are sorted according to destinations of the resource requests. The sorted resource requests are aggregated to form aggregated resource requests. Resource allocation is requested for each of the aggregated resource requests from a network border controller based on requirements of the set of set of aggregated resource requests. A set of allocated resources is received from the network border controller. The set of allocated resources is based on requirements of the aggregated resource requests. For each of the aggregated resource requests, network transmissions network receptions are executed utilizing associated allocated resources.

1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to a computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system for provisioning optical network connections. More specifically the disclosure relates to a computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system for provisioning connections according to aggregated requests in an optical network.
2. Description of the Related Art
For purposes of the following descriptions, a communications network can be generally defined as a collection of network nodes and end nodes, or end stations, interconnected through communications links. A network node can be characterized as a data processing system that provides certain functions within the network, such as routing of messages between itself and its adjacent, or neighboring, nodes, selection of routes for messages to be transmitted between two nodes, and the furnishing of directory services to connected end nodes. The link between nodes may be permanent communications links, such as conventional cable connections or links, that are enabled only when needed, such as dial-up telephone connections.
End nodes are exemplified by devices, such as display terminals, intelligent workstations, printers, and the like, which do not provide routing or route selection or directory services to other nodes in the network. Collectively, the network nodes, the end nodes and the links between the nodes are referred to as network resources. The physical configuration and characteristics of the various nodes and links in a network are said to be the topology of the network.
For a user at one end node to exchange data with another user at another end node, a path, or route, must be set up through the network. The route will include the end node at which the first user is located (the source end node), the end node at which the second user is located (the destination end node), possibly one or more network nodes and the links, or transmission groups, which connect the nodes on the route. A transmission group is normally defined as a set of parallel links with similar characteristics that form a single logical link that has a higher capacity than each of the individual links in the group. For purposes of the following discussion, it should be assumed that the term transmission group can also contemplate a single physical link. The terms are used interchangeably in the following description.
In an ideal network, data provided by a first user is transmitted to a second user at no cost, with zero delays, with perfect reliability, and with complete security regardless of how many nodes and transmission groups might be included in the route between the two users. Unfortunately, real data communications networks lack these ideal characteristics. Varying amounts of delays may be introduced over different routes. Some types of transmission groups may cost more to use, or introduce more delay than others. The integrity of transmitted data may be protected better on some transmission groups than others. Other "imperfections" not even discussed above exist in a real network.
Because nodes and transmission groups in a real network possess different characteristics, it is a common practice to assign weights to both nodes and transmission groups, and to use the assigned weights in computing an optimal, or least, weight route through the network from one user to another. The weight generally reflects how closely a given node, or transmission group, meets a predetermined standard of performance. For example, if weights were to be assigned on the basis of delay characteristics alone, a high-delay transmission group would have a greater assigned weight than a low-delay transmission group.
Large "core" networks have been deployed by Telco and other service providers. These networks form the backbone of wide-area communications. These networks offer enormous bandwidths, typically 10s of Gigabits per second, per pipe.
However, core networks currently in use are based on previous-generation technologies such as SONET (Synchronous Optical Networking) and OTN (Optical Transport Network). These technologies lack fast provisioning of access bandwidth—Production optical wide area network (WAN) links can often take hours, or even days to provision. Because of the time required to provision these physical links, today's production optical wide area network (WAN) links are static, sized to fit peak loads based on worst-case scenario for peak network load. However, worst-case scenario for peak network load far exceeds normal loads on the optical wide area network (WAN). Therefore, resources allocated to the production optical wide area network (WAN) links often go underutilized.
Furthermore, previous-generation technologies such as SONET and OTN lack support for multiple link failures. That is, previous-generation technologies lack "data restoration."

Brokering and provisioning in high-speed networks

International Business Machines Corporation


Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an electron beam imaging/inspection apparatus having an electron source device to direct flood electrons on a sample immediately before image acquisition or inspection. The apparatus comprises a first device configured to charge a sample in a first mode, wherein the first device includes an electron source configured to provide a flood beam of charged particles to a first area of the sample. The apparatus also comprises a second device configured to generate a primary beam of electrons and characterize an interaction between the primary beam and a second area of the sample within the first area in a second mode. The apparatus is configured to switch from the first mode to the second mode less than 1 second.

Electron beam imaging requires an even charge distribution on a sample area in order to properly represent image contrast. A flood gun is used to neutralize initial charges which are carried over upon transfer of the sample to the imaging system by flooding the sample area with energetic electrons. Such flooding also equalizes charges that build up on the sample during imaging from the inspection beam. In some applications, e.g., semiconductor wafer imaging with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), the flood gun is used only during the acquisition of swath images. Frame imaging uses the electron gun to do both flooding and inspection.
The flood gun is very similar to the electron gun used in the electron beam imaging system. The main difference is that instead of emitting a focused beam concentrated on a small area (e.g., a few square microns or less), the flood gun sprays a wide beam of electrons, over a much larger area, e.g., about 1 square centimeter. The electrons from the flood gun approach perpendicular to the sample surface, flooding the sample area. Typical flood gun hardware includes a high current filament which heats a metal tip, causing emission of electrons toward an extractor electrode. The extractor controls the number of electrons which are emitted towards the wafer and can be used to turn on or turn off (blank) the beam. A Wehnelt electrode positioned close to the wafer surface creates an electric field to control the number of electrons which stay on the wafer. During inspection, the wafer floats at a potential controlled by a power supply.
Flooding and swathing typically commonly done sequentially but may be done simultaneously. Flooding and swathing generally operate on different areas of the sample. In swathing, the sample is imaged by rastering the primary beam in one direction (e.g., the X-direction) while the sample translates in a perpendicular direction (e.g., the Y-direction). By way of example, during a wafer inspection, a stage moves the sample such that an area of the sample is flooded before it is inspected. Flooding is typically either on or off for the entire duration of a swath. Because flooding covers a significantly larger area than a swath, flooding may be turned off, e.g., at least every other swath. To prolong the life of the flood gun, the flood gun beam may be blanked, e.g., by applying a suitable voltage to the extractor, when not needed.
It is within this context that aspects of the present disclosure arise.


In one aspect, a system for adjusting operating parameters of an agricultural harvester based on estimated crop volume values may include an image capture device configured to capture one or more images of the crop materials standing within the field prior to the crop materials being harvested by a harvester. The system may also include a controller communicatively coupled to the image capture device. The controller may be configured to estimate a crop volume value associated with a quantity of the crop materials transferred through the harvester based on the one or more images captured by the image capture device. Additionally, the controller may be further configured to initiate a control action associated with adjusting an operating parameter of the harvester based on a magnitude of the estimated crop volume value.

An agricultural harvester is a machine used to harvest and process crops. For instance, a combine harvester may be used to harvest grain crops, such as wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, soybeans, and flax or linseed. In general, the objective is to complete several processes, which traditionally were distinct, in one pass of the machine over a particular part of the field. In this regard, most harvesters are equipped with a detachable harvesting implement, such as a header, which cuts and collects the crop materials from the field. The harvester also includes a crop processing system, which performs various processing operations (e.g., threshing, separating, cleaning, etc.) on the harvested crop materials received from the harvesting implement. Furthermore, the harvester includes a crop tank, which receives and stores the harvested crop materials after processing.
In general, the volume of crop materials processed by a harvester is detected by a yield sensor positioned in or proximate to the crop tank. However, there is a significant time delay (e.g., about 15 seconds) between when the harvesting implement initially contacts crop materials within the field and when such crop materials are detected by the yield sensor at the crop tank. As such, conventional sensing systems are unable to provide real-time estimates of the current volumetric throughput at one or more locations within the harvester upstream of the crop tank, thereby substantially limiting the ability to actively adjust one or more operating parameters of the harvester at such upstream locations based on variations in the volumetric throughput.
Accordingly, an improved system and method for adjusting one or more operating parameters of an agricultural harvester based on the estimated crop volume being transferred through the harvester at any given time would be welcomed in the technology.

System and method for adjusting operating parameters of an agricultural harvester based on estimated crop volume


The disclosure provides a method for channel estimation, including that: a small-scale fading channel of each carrier of each interfering channel is obtained respectively according to a Gaussian distribution; a total interfering power PI of all interfering SRSs is calculated according to the obtained small-scale fading channel of each carrier of each interfering channel and a generated large-scale fading gain of each carrier of each interfering channel; interference-equivalent noise NI is calculated according to the total interfering power PI; and channel estimation is performed according to a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) Y received by an Evolved Node B (eNB), wherein Y is calculated with a formula Y=SH+NI+N0. The disclosure further provides a device for channel estimation. With the disclosure, it is not required to generate small-scale fading of an interfering channel, reducing complexity of, and thereby improving efficiency in, simulation.

In an LTE system, a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) is a signal for measuring wireless channel information between a User Equipment (UE) and an Evolved Node B (eNB).
In the LTE system, an SRS sequence ru,v(α)(n) (wherein, α is an integer between 0 and 7) is obtained by performing cyclic shift on a basic sequence ru,v(n) (wherein u represents a group number of a sequence, v represents a sequence number within a group, and n represents the n-th symbol of a pilot sequence), and is subjected to physical resource mapping to obtain the SRS. SRSs obtained by performing cyclic shift on different basic sequences are not orthogonal to each other, but are correlated with each other. Namely, there is interference among the SRSs. However, SRSs obtained by performing cyclic shift on the same basic sequence are orthogonal to each other, and are uncorrelated with each other. Namely, there is no interference among same-frequency SRSs.
A UE transmits a target SRS to an eNB corresponding to the UE regularly according to parameters configured for the eNB, such as a bandwidth, a location in a frequency domain and a period. an SRS transmitted by the UE will arrive at both the eNB corresponding to the UE and an eNB other than the UE-corresponding eNB. An SRS arriving at the eNB corresponding to the UE is referred to as a target SRS, while an SRS arriving at an eNB other than the UE-corresponding eNB is referred to as an interfering SRS. The eNB performs channel estimation to obtain channel information according to the received target SRS, and further performs operations such as frequency-domain selective scheduling, close-loop power control, or pre-coding according to the obtained channel information.
However, basic sequences of SRSs transmitted by UEs in different cells are generally different, so a target SRS transmitted by a UE to an eNB corresponding to the UE may be subject to interference by another SRS, i.e., adjacent-cell same-frequency interference.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing interference with a target SRS from a target UE by a same-frequency interfering SRS from an adjacent cell in an LTE system. As shown in FIG. 1, cell 1 has two adjacent cells, i.e., cell 2 and cell 3. A target UE0 transmits a first target SRS to an eNB in cell 1, a first interfering UE1 transmits an eNB in the cell 2 a second target SRS forming a first interfering SRS of the first target SRS, and a second interfering UE2 transmits an eNB in the cell 3 a third target SRS forming a second interfering SRS of the first target SRS. The eNB in the cell 1 receives the first target SRS, the first interfering SRS and the second interfering SRS simultaneously. The first interfering SRS and the second interfering SRS may interfere with the first target SRS. It thereby can be seen that the target SRS is a valid signal transmitted by the target UE to the eNB corresponding to the target UE; and the interfering SRSs are interfering signals transmitted to the same eNB by interfering UEs in adjacent cells.
At present, with LTE, adjacent-cell same-frequency interference can be controlled and coordinated using methods such as scheduling, power control, Inter Cell Interference Coordination (ICIC), or the like. However, the aforementioned methods cannot eliminate adjacent-cell same-frequency interference completely, so the target SRS transmitted by the target UE is still subjected to interference by a same-frequency interfering SRS from an adjacent cell.
Now, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) organization needs to evaluate performance of an LTE system in a non-ideal state. Thus, it is required to simulate a target SRS received by an eNB, which target SRS is subjected to interference by an interfering SRS; and channel estimation is performed according to an SRS obtained by processing the target SRS to complete the performance evaluation.
In an existing simulation, an SRS Y received by an eNB is obtained according to a formula
      Y    =          SH      +                        ∑                      k            =            1                    K                                                                                S                          I              k                                                      H                          I              k                                          +              N        0              ,wherein S represents a target SRS transmitted by a target UE; H represents a target channel carrying the target SRS; k represents a sequence number of an interfering UE, k⊂{1, 2, . . . , K}; SIk represents an interfering SRS sequence transmitted by a k-th interfering UE; HIk represents an interfering channel carrying the interfering SRS transmitted by the k-th interfering UE; N0 represents channel noise; and
      ∑          k      =      1        K                          S              I        k                        H              I        k            represents the received interfering SRS.
At present, the target channel and an interfering channel in the formula need to be generated according to a channel-generating process of a Spatial Channel Model (SCM) in the 3GPP. Generating an interfering channel includes generating a large-scale fading gain and a small-scale fading channel. However, due to effect of factors such as multipath, angle spread, time delay and the like, the generation of a small-scale fading channel is quite complicated and time-consuming.

Method and device for channel estimation

Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong


A device for supporting a person in a sitting position has a substantially horizontally extending supporting element placeable on a supporting surface substantially at a level of a person's pelvis when the person is in a sitting position, and two substantially vertically extending elements each having a lower end connected with the horizontally extending supporting element and an upper end extendable to an area of person's armpits so that the upper ends of the substantially vertically extending elements are placeable under the person's armpits.

The present invention relates to devices for supporting a persons in corresponding position, and in particular supporting a person in a sitting position.
It is known that some people have problems while sitting, which can be caused by some diseases of a spine, for example herniated disks, damaged spines, etc. It is therefore difficult for them to maintain themselves in a sitting position for a certain time, for example in vehicles, on benches, etc.

Device for supporting a person in a sitting position


A steering wheel angle sensor detects the rotational speed of a steering wheel. A wheel angle sensor detects the off-center angle of a wheel. A controller drives a motor based on the outputs of the steering wheel angle sensor and the wheel angle sensor. An oil pump generates an oil pressure according to the revolution speed of the motor. A steering valve determines the supply direction of hydraulic fluid to be supplied to a PS cylinder. The PS cylinder changes the angle of the wheel according to the given oil pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power steering system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A power steering system has been widely used in an automobile or an industrial vehicle as a device for assisting the steering operation of a steering wheel. Especially, for an industrial vehicle such as a forklift, etc., the steering operation of a steering wheel is heavy if the vehicle does not comprise a power steering system. Therefore, such an industrial vehicle is equipped with a power steering system in most cases.
FIG. 1 schematically shows an existing power steering system. In this system, when an operator or a driver steers a steering wheel 101, a sensor (such as a rotational angular sensor or a torque sensor) 103, which is attached to a steering shaft 102, detects this steering operation. A controller 104 controls a motor 106 for driving an oil pump 105 based on the output of the sensor 103. In this way, an oil pressure (output) corresponding to the steering operation of the steering wheel 101 is generated. Then, the generated oil pressure is transmitted from a PS valve 107 to a PS cylinder 108. This oil pressure generates a thrust for changing the angle of wheels 110, so that the angle of the wheels 110 is controlled.
In the system having the above described configuration, when the steering wheel 101 is turned fast, a large output is required to quickly change the angle of the wheels 110. Therefore, the controller 104 rotates the motor 106 at a high speed. In the meantime, when the steering wheel 101 is turned slowly, a small output is sufficient. Accordingly, the controller 104 rotates the motor 106 at a low speed.
The controller 104 controls a revolution speed of the motor 106 with a PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) method. That is to say, when rotating the motor 106 at a low speed, the controller 104 provides the motor 106 with a pulse signal having a small duty (duty cycle or duty ratio) as a control signal. In the meantime, when rotating the motor 106 at a high speed, the controller 104 provides the motor 106 with a pulse signal having a large duty. Note that xe2x80x9cdutyxe2x80x9d is a time ratio of an operation period in a cycle to a entire period of the cycle.
FIG. 2A explains a motor controlling method for use in the existing system shown in FIG. 1. Here, the revolution speed of the motor 106 is determined by the duty of the control signal generated by the controller 104.
With this system, the revolution speed of the motor 106 is controlled to be low so as to consume less power while the steering wheel 101 is not being turned. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the controller 104 controls the motor 106 at a duty of 30 percent, during the steering wheel 101 is not being turned. When the steering wheel 101 is being turned, the duty of the control signal provided to the motor 106 changes depends on the rotational speed of the steering wheel 101. Namely, the duty of the control signal increases as the rotational speed of the steering wheel 101 becomes faster.
As described above, in the power steering system having the above described configuration, the motor 106 is controlled by using the control signal generated by the controller 104, so that the angle of the wheels 110 is controlled according to the steering operation of the steering wheel 101.
Furthermore, in the system having the above described configuration, the angle of the wheels 110 is controlled by using an oil pressure. However, the thrust required to change the angle of the wheels 110 may differ depending on the off-center angle of the wheels 110 at that timing, as shown in FIG. 2B. Namely, when the wheels 110 are in a neutral state, and when the off-center angle of the wheels 110 against the car body is small, the thrust required to change the angle of the wheels 110 is relatively small. In the meantime, when the off-center angle of the wheels 110 against the car body becomes large, the thrust required to change the angle of the wheels 110 increases. This results from a configurations of the PS cylinder 108 and a rod 109 and so on.
As described above, when the steering wheel 101 is not being turned, the revolution speed of the motor 106 is set to be low so as to consume less power. Thus, when the steering wheel 101 starts to be turned, the motor 106 is being driven at a duty of 30 percent at this timing, as shown in FIG. 2A. Therefore, at this timing, the revolution speed of the motor 106 is low, and the output generated by the oil pump 105 is small.
Accordingly, if the steering wheel 101 starts to be turned when the wheels 110 are in the neutral state or in a state close thereto, the steering operation is smooth. However, if the steering wheel 101 starts to be turned when the off-center angle of the wheels 110 against the car body is large, the steering operation feels heavy.
An object of the present invention is to provide a power steering system which consumes less power, and implements a smooth steering operation in all cases.
With the power steering system according to the present invention, the thrust (such as an oil pump output) for changing the angle of a wheel is determined based on the rotational speed of a steering wheel and the off-center angle of the wheel.
With this configuration, since the output for generating a thrust is determined based on the rotational speed of a steering wheel and the off-center angle of a wheel, even if the thrust required to change the angle of the wheel differs depending on the off-center angle of the wheel at a timing when the steering wheel is steered, a necessary and sufficient thrust can always be obtained, thereby a smooth steering operation can be implemented in all cases.
A power steering system according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention assumes a hydraulic system. This power steering system comprises a rotational speed detector detecting the rotational speed of a steering wheel; an angle detector detecting the off-center angle of a wheel; an oil pump generating the output for changing the angle of the wheel; and a controller driving the oil pump based on the rotational speed of the steering wheel, which is detected by the rotational speed detector, and the off-center angle of the wheel, which is detected by the angle detector.
Also with the system having this configuration, a smooth steering operation can be implemented in all cases by a function similar to that of the system according to the above described preferred embodiment. Specifically, for example, the controller controls the output of the oil pump so that the thrust generated in the case where the off-center angle of the wheel is large becomes larger than that generated in the case where the off-center angle of the wheel is small, when the steering wheel stops.

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


A dynamically selectable multimode pulse width modulation system includes ramp generator means for generating a ramp; pulse edge modulation means responsive to the ramp generator means for defining a leading edge modulated pulse, a trailing edge modulated pulse and a dual edge modulated pulse; and mode selection means responsive to the pulse edge modulation means for selecting one of the leading edge modulation, trailing edge modulation, and dual edge modulation modes of pulse width modulation.

Multimode pulse width modulation systems are those that can selectively provide leading edge modulation (LEM), trailing edge modulation (TEM) and dual edge modulation (DEM). While these systems are convenient in many applications they suffer from a number of disadvantages. Typically each mode, LEM, TEM, DEM is generated by a separate subsystem. LEM and TEM arrangements each require a separate ramp and DEM requires two ramps. In addition, in high-speed applications where pulses are to be generated alternately, sequentially in both halves of a clock cycle, for example, LEM and TEM require two ramp generators and DEM requires four ramp generators. In each instance two comparators are utilized with each ramp generator: the circuit is large and complex. Further, since each mode is generated from separate ramps, there is a certain loss of symmetry, accuracy and switching speed, as well as difficulty in synchronizing or aligning the pulses when switching between modes.

Dynamically selectable multimode pluse width modulation system


An apparatus and method for blood treatment for the single-needle mode, the apparatus having an extra-corporeal blood circuit with a blood infeed line running to the inlet and a blood return line leading away from the outlet, of a blood treating unit, includes in the blood return line a device, e.g., container, for amassing blood, which is in flow-permitting connection for gas transfer with a device, e.g., container, for storing gas. A pressure is calculated and set in the device for storing gas before the arterial and venous phases are started, with two constraints. First, the pressure should be sufficiently low to ensure both no infusion of air into the patient and also regulated flow of blood into the patient even at opposing pressures lower than ambient pressure. Second, the pressure should be sufficiently high to expel blood from the device for amassing blood into the device for storing gas.

Types of blood-treatment apparatus having a blood-treating unit through which the blood of a patient flows are generally familiar. They include for example the known types of apparatus for haemodialysis, haemofiltration and haemodiafiltration. The known types of blood-treatment apparatus can be operated in the single-needle or double-needle mode.
In the double-needle mode, the blood is withdrawn from a blood vessel of the patient via a first needle, is conveyed to the blood-treating unit of the blood-treatment apparatus and is fed back into a blood vessel of the patient via a second needle. Replaceable tubing sets having a blood infeed line and a blood return line to which the two needles are connected are used for the withdrawal and return of the blood. These tubing sets, which are thrown away after use, are also referred to as disposables.
In the single-needle mode, the withdrawal and return of the blood take place via a single needle. During an arterial phase, the blood withdrawn from the patient is stored in a reservoir, before being then fed back from the reservoir to the patient's circulation through the same needle in a venous phase.
A blood-treatment apparatus for the single-needle mode is described in German Application No. DE 10 2007 026 009. This known blood-treatment apparatus has an extra-corporeal blood circuit which has a blood infeed line running to the inlet of a blood-treating unit and a blood return line leading away from the outlet of the blood-treating unit. This extra-corporeal blood circuit having the blood-treating unit need not be part of the blood-treatment apparatus but may be a disposable intended for once-only use which is inserted in the treating unit for the purpose of the blood treatment.
As well as this, the blood-treatment apparatus also has a device for amassing blood and a device for storing gas and in particular air. The devices for amassing blood and for storing gas are each a reservoir which creates a sealed-off volume of space, and are for example respective blood and air chambers of a preset volume.
The device for amassing blood is connected to the device for storing gas, thus enabling air which is expelled from the device for amassing blood to make its way into the device for storing gas in the venous phase when the device for amassing blood is being filled, and air to make its way from the device for storing gas into the device for amassing blood in the venous phase whereby the blood which previously amassed in the arterial phase is expelled from the device for amassing blood. What is achieved in this way is that blood is withdrawn from the patient in the arterial phase and the blood which has been treated by the blood-treating unit is fed back again to the patient in the venous phase.
The connection between the device for amassing blood and the device for storing gas has a first and a second connecting path. The first connecting path connects the device for amassing blood and the device for storing gas in such a way that air expelled from the device for amassing blood is transferred to the device for storing gas in the arterial phase, with a device for interrupting the connection being provided in the first connecting path. The second connecting path connects the device for amassing blood and the device for storing gas in such a way that air which was stored in the device for storing gas is transferred to the device for amassing blood in the venous phase. The second connecting path includes a device for compressing gas, thus enabling the air which was stored in the device for storing gas to be transferred to the device for amassing blood. A preset pressure can be generated in the device for amassing blood by the device for compressing the air both during the arterial phase and during the venous phase. The device for compressing gas may for example take the form of a conventional compressor.
Together with the first and second connecting paths, the device for amassing blood and the device for storing gas form sealed-off volumes of space which no gas is able to enter and from which no gas is able to escape. Only for the purposes of initialisation is air admitted to/released from the sealed-off volume of space.
For trouble-free and safe operation of the blood-treatment apparatus in the single-needle mode, it must be ensured that air is not under any circumstances able to be infused into the patient.
In the known blood-treatment apparatus, the possibility of blood being infused into the patient is intended to be ruled out by setting, in the device for storing gas, a pressure which under no circumstances in operation is higher than the pressure which arises in the device for amassing blood. What is intended to be achieved by this device is that air is only able to make its way from the device for storing gas into the device for amassing blood with the help of the device for compressing gas. If on the other hand there is a failure of the device for compressing gas, such as a leak in the compressor for example, no air is to be able to make its way into the device for amassing blood. This is intended to rule out the possibility of the device for amassing blood unintentionally running dry, as a result of which air might make its way into the patient.
In the known blood-treatment apparatus, an initialisation of the system takes place before the arterial and venous phases are started. To enable the condition to be met that, when there is a low return pressure and a high cardiac output, air is not to be able to make its way from the device for storing gas into the device for amassing blood if there is a failure of the compressor, the system is depressurised to a preset pressure, which is preferably ambient pressure, to initialise the successive arterial and venous phases, at the time of the changeover from the arterial to the venous phase, i.e., at the time of the upper changeover point at which the device for amassing blood is full. In the successive arterial and venous phases, the pressure in the device for storing gas is thus always below the preset pressure, and particularly ambient pressure, to which the sealed-off system has been de-pressurised.
It is found to be a disadvantage that, before the arterial and venous phases are started, the device for amassing blood has to be filled with blood until the filled level has reached the upper changeover point. What is more, it is necessary for a given blood level in the device for amassing blood to be set beforehand.

Method of initialising an apparatus for blood treatment in the single-needle mode and apparatus for blood treatment in the single-needle mode


A constant current control circuit is disclosed. Pads are connected with a common power supply terminal. Shunt resistors are located outward of a region containing Pch type MOS transistors. A temperature increase of the shunt resistors due to a temperature increase of the MOS transistors can be suppressed by the above structure. In particular, when the MOS transistor of one circuit system is driven, the shunt resistor of another circuit system is distant from the driving MOS transistor, and thus, it is possible to further suppress the temperature increase of the distant shunt resistor. Moreover, a power supply terminal can be provided as a single common terminal, and the number of terminals can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a constant current control circuit having a built-in shunt resistor for detecting a constant current flowing toward a load, more specifically relates to a squib drive circuit for use in a vehicle to control a constant current flowing toward a squib resistor for airbag inflation.
2. Description of Related Art
As one type of constant current control circuit having a built-in shunt resistor, there is known a squib drive circuit that controls inflation of an in-vehicle airbag by controlling a constant current flowing toward a squib resistor. Such a squid drive circuit can be implemented in an airbag IC (integrated circuit). According to the prior art including JP-2005-88748A, JP-2007-328683A corresponding US-2007/0296468A, JP-H10-264765A and JP-H10-297420, the shunt resistor is provided not on a squib resistor terminal side but a power supply terminal side in order to avoid an ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) input.
In a conventional constant current control circuit, however, it has been difficult to suppress an increase in temperature of a built-in shunt resistor. Further, it has been difficult to reduce the number of terminals.


A ferrule for an optical connector is of glass which is strengthened by ion-exchange.

Optical connectors are optical devices which are used in all kinds of optical communication systems, optically applied equipments, etc., and are indispensable for the connection between optical fibers, and an optical fiber and a light emitting or receiving device.
One type of a conventional optical connector comprises a ferrule of a high mechanical strength such as ceramic for fixing an optical fiber exposed from a jacketed optical fiber on the center axis thereof, and a terminal metal member for fixing one end of the ferrule and supporting the jacketed optical fiber having the optical fiber exposed therefrom to be fixed by the ferrule.
Another type of a conventional optical connector comprises a glass capillary for fixing an optical fiber exposed from a jacketed optical fiber on the center axis thereof, and a terminal metal member for covering the whole outer surface of the glass capillary and supporting the jacketed optical fiber having the optical fiber exposed therefrom to be fixed by the capillary.
The ferrule or the glass capillary is polished on its outer surface to provide a predetermined outer surface precision by use of a whetstone rotated by a grinder, so that a precisely defined center axis is obtained.
In these optical connectors, an optical fiber is connected to an optical fiber or an optical device such as a photodiode, a laser device, etc. at mechanically and optically stable state.
However, the former optical connector has a disadvantage in that a material of the ferrule is limited to a high strength material such as ceramic.
Further, the latter optical connector has a disadvantage in that a manufacturing process is complicated and the manufacturing cost is high, because the glass capillary is totally covered by the terminal metal member.
Still further, the former and latter conventional optical connectors have a common disadvantage in that the productivity is low, because the center axis must be defined with high precision by the outer surface polishing.

Optical connector with ion exchange hardening


A plate roll attached by an adhesive sheet to a printing plate made of a resin. The attached printing plate is easily detached. The adhesive sheet and remaining adhesive are easily removed after printing is finished and the efficiency of the operation of printing is enhanced. The adhesive sheet includes a photocurable adhesive, which loses adhesive ability by curing by irradiation of electromagnetic waves or an electron beam or a water swelling adhesive, which loses adhesive ability by swelling by water. Adhesive sheets for the plate roll comprise supporting sheets, removable sheets and a photocurable adhesive, which loses adhesive ability by curing by irradiation of electromagnetic waves or an electron beam or a water swelling adhesive, which loses adhesive ability by swelling by water.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel plate roll attached with a printing plate made of resin by means of adhesive and a novel adhesive sheet utilized for attaching the printing plate to the base plate roll.
2. Prior Art
A printing plate leaf made of resin is attached to a base plate roll to form a plate roll by means of a double faced adhesive sheet and continuous printing is made by rotating the plate roll.
Adhesives generally utilized for attaching the printing plate leaf to the base plate roll have strong adhesive ability and the printing plate leaf is not easily detached from the base plate roll after the printing is finished. Occasionally, the printing plate leaf made of resin is torn up during the operation of detaching. A part of the adhesive and the adhesive sheet usually remains on the surface of the base plate roll or the printing plate and removal of the remaining things takes time.

Plate roll and an adhesive sheet therefor


Communication-control equipment having data-processor, primary storage for storing process data of the data-processor, secondary storage for storing DMA data as well as the process data, and DMA bus for transferring only the DMA data communicated between the secondary storage and a transmission or receiving buffer. The data-processor can communicate with the primary storage during DMA data transfer, because the DMA data are transferred through the DMA bus and so the address bus and data bus connecting data-processor and the primary storage are available during the DMA transfer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication-control equipment that has a DMA (direct memory access) function.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional data processing circuit 100. In FIG. 1, numeral 1 designates an ALU (Arithmetic and Logic Unit) that has a common computing function but does not have a function for handling the bus state (empty or busy), and numeral 2 designates a read/write memory. Numeral 3 designates a DMA controller which responds to a DMA request from outside and produces control signals for controlling transfer of input data to memory 2 or output data therefrom. Numeral 4 designates a DMA control register which includes a request bit RQ and an acknowledge bit AK. Request bit RQ is set by a DMA request, while acknowledge bit AK indicates that DMA is under operation. ALU 1, memory 2, and DMA controller 3 are interconnected through data bus DB and address bus AB. Address bus AB specifies an address of memory 2 by using address data thereon. Data bus DB transfers data between memory 2 and ALU 1, or between memory 2 and an external storage via DMA controller 3. Each of address bus AB and data bus DB is provided with switches SW along the way, and ALU 1 can communicate with memory 2 when switches SW are in the "on" state.
The operation of data processing circuit 100 is as follows:
In the normal operation mode, request bit RQ and acknowledge bit AK in DMA control register 4 are both "0". Switches SW are in the "on" state, because acknowledge bit AK is "0", and ALU 1 is connected to memory 2 through address bus AB and data bus DB. As a result, ALU 1 can communicate with memory 2 to read or write data.
When DMA request signal HLDRQ is provided to DMA controller 3, request bit RQ in DMA control register 4 is set by DMA controller 3. When ALU 1 detects request bit RQ being set and is not using memory 2 at that time, ALU 1 sets acknowledge bit AK, and turns off switches SW to disconnect ALU 1 from memory 2. DMA controller 3 also detects request bit RQ being set, and outputs DMA acknowledge signal HLDAK to indicate that the DMA is granted. After that, the DMA operation is carried out as follows:
When data from outside are written to memory 2, DMA controller 3 reads data in an external memory not shown and places the data on data bus DB. At the same time, DMA controller 3 supplies a write address to memory 2 via address bus AB. The data on data bus DB is written to the designated address in memory 2. On the other hand, when data in memory 2 are written to an external memory, DMA controller 3 supplies read address to memory 2 via address bus AB, reads the data of the designated address in memory 2, and transfers the read data through data bus DB. This data is transferred under the control of DMA controller 3 and is written into the external memory.
When the DMA operation above is completed, DMA controller 3 resets acknowledge bit AK in DMA control register 4. As a result, switches SW are turned on again, connecting ALU 1 and memory 2. Thus, ALU 1 can communicate with memory 2 to transfer data.
The conventional data processing circuit 100, however, has a following disadvantage: ALU 1 cannot access memory 2 during the DMA operation because ALU 1 is disconnected from memory 2. As a result, ALU 1 cannot execute the process until the DMA operation is completed. This hinders an application of the conventional data processing circuit to a circuit such as communication-control equipment that necessitates a real time process.

Apparatus with multiple buses for permitting concurrent access to a first memory by a processor while a DMA transfer is occurring between a second memory and a communications buffer


An improved brush seal for reducing swirl, recirculation and turbulence of an approaching gas stream to reduce irregular bristle wear and operating costs. The brush real may include a baffle of the honeycomb type or circumferentially stacked plates type, positive or negative steps in the flow path approaching a seal stage, and recirculation breakers.

A turbofan gas turbine engine operates according to well known principles wherein an incoming air stream flows through the engine along an annularly configured, axially extending flow path. A portion of the incoming air stream is compressed in a compressor section of the engine and then mixed with fuel and burned in a combustor section to produce a high energy, high temperature exhaust gas stream. The gas stream exits the combustor and subsequently passes through a turbine section that extracts energy from the exhaust gas stream to power the compressor and produce bypass thrust by rotating a fan that acts generally on the remaining portion of the incoming air stream.
Uncontrolled leakages of gases within the engine contributes to a reduced engine efficiency. Seals are used to control this energy loss by interposing them in a leakage path to reduce the volume or mass of the gas--atmospheric air, exhaust, or otherwise--passing from one part of the engine to the other. In the past engine seals have principally taken the form of labyrinth seals. The use of brush seals as a substitute for labyrinth seals is presently being investigated.
A typical brush seal includes a plurality of seal stages with each stage including a plurality of bristles disposed between a pair of annularly configured plates. Usually the bristles are disposed at about a forty five degree angle to a radius drawn from the engine center line. A brush seal is usually attached along its outer circumferential edge to a stationary portion of the engine with the inward, free ends of the bristles disposed in a sealing engagement with a sealing surface on a rotating engine part. Because the bristles are somewhat flexible, they are able to bend during an engine transient and still retain their sealing ability after the transient has passed. Examples of such transients include differential thermal growth between the engine parts, rotor/stator relative movement, and vibration of some sort. Thus, a rotating engine shaft, for example, may enter a vibration mode where the shaft is vibrating about its longitudinal axis.
The sealing efficiency of a brush seal over time is affected by the wear on the bristle ends contacting the sealing surface on the opposing engine part, as well as the overall contact of the bristle ends with the sealing surface. Worn bristles ends will dictate replacement of the seal or particular seal stage earlier than otherwise would be necessary, thereby increasing engine operating costs. Because the bristles are not directed along true radii to the engine center line, but rather are angled at about forty five degrees relative thereto, excessive, irregular wear of the bristles may result from an adversary gas flow field, that is, a gas flow field that includes substantial velocity vectors disposed at angles other than perpendicularly to the seal. This adversary flow field can reduce the compactness of the bristle pack, which permits the individual bristles of the bristle pack to move randomly with a higher degree of freedom than the bristles of a seal not encountering such an adversary flow. When the bristles are tightly packed, they wear better over time and seal more efficiently. This enlarged freedom of bristle movement from the adversary flow field results in the bristles being displaced and rubbing, which in turn creates bristle wear.
Stated otherwise, any gas that encounters the seal that has a swirl, recirculation, or turbulence associated therewith will move the bristle ends and will contribute to unwanted bristle wear, often called tufting when originating from these causes. In common parlance, swirl is a rotational movement of the fluid molecules; recirculation is a radial movement of the fluid molecules; and turbulence is random, volatile movements of the fluid molecules. Thus, a radially outwardly directed recirculation, for example, can lift the bristles, which are usually attached at their radially outer but not their radially inner ends, thereby fluffing them and reducing their density. Additionally, an upstream jet flow, which forms part of the gas adversary flow, will vibrate the loosely packed or fluffed bristles and may open a small gap between the bristle ends and the sealing surface such that air can freely pass by an upstream seal stage and encounter a downstream seal stage with great velocity. This, in turn, will cause irregular wear on the downstream seal stage and may open a leakage gap at the adjacent downstream stage also, again allowing free passage of air or gas and greatly reducing engine efficiency.
It would be desirable to increase the lifetime and sealing efficiency of brush seals by reducing bristle wear caused by swirling, turbulent, recirculating air or gas flowing through the seal by reducing or eliminating the radially outwardly directed recirculating air or gas, the jet stream, or the turbulence associated with the air passing through the seal.


A portable photoneuronic energizer for providing a portable full spectrum light source to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder comprising head support means, a full spectrum light mounted on the head support means and positioned for indirect light to enter the user's eyes.

Recent medical advances (American Journal of Psychiatry, Rosenthal et al, 142:2, 163-70) have demonstrated that light can be used to treat certain types of depression, specifically, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a condition in which an individual feels depressed and lethargic with a tendency to overeat, oversleep and crave carbohydrates. In its more severe forms, the affected person is totally withdrawn and unable to successfully function in society. This disorder is most commonly observed during the winter months, when skies are cloudy and overcast, with long periods of little or no natural sunlight exposure. Many persons experiencing "winter blues", or "cabin fever" are probably experiencing some lesser degree of SAD or light hunger. Most persons affected note marked relief from their symptoms of depression after exposure to sunlight, for instance during and following winter vacations to sunny climates.
Current scientific research in the physiology behind this phenomenon points to the effect of light on the retinohypothalamic tract in either suppressing or stimulating production of certain neurotransmitters, i.e. melatonin and serotonin respectively, known to be responsible for neuroendocrine changes of circadian rhythm in animal models and of mood and affect in human models. While current light therapy utilizing stationary indoor apparatus is being applied to patients with bipolar type II SAD in psychiatric clinical settings, it is felt by the inventor that the normal individual experiencing the common "winter blues" would receive benefit from a portable light source administering experimentally determined minimal doses of light to suppress melatonin, thus producing an anti-depressant effect. Detailed information on the neurophysiology of daily exposure to light on both animal and human models is presented in Science, Lewy et al, 1980; 210:1267.
There are devices in the prior art providing light exposure for the treatment of SAD, but these devices are large, bulky, stationary metal enclosures having banks of fluorescent daylight tubes commonly referred to as "light boxes". The proposed invention is a full spectrum portable light source of 5000.degree. K. sufficient power to deliver a premeasured dose of light of at least 500 lux over a period of time from a position indirect to the user's eyes. In effect with this invention, the user is exposed only to the type and amount of light he would experience if he were in a bright, sunny environment.
The present invention is an improvement over existing fixed devices in that it provides a portable light source worn on the user's head, not only for therapeutic outpatient use by those individuals suffering from SAD, but for a person living in those latitudes and geographic locations that experience prolonged, low-sunlight winter conditions. It is anticipated that some percentage of the population experiences SAD in such mild to moderate severity that their condition goes undiagnosed because it did not warrant psychiatric consultation. It is this group that will benefit from the proposed invention in the form of elevated mood, better overall performance, less susceptibility to stress and consequent depression, and higher energized levels for all activities of daily living. Insofar as this effect will be achieved by natural physiologic process using full spectrum light as neuroendoctrine stimulant, it is emphasized that the user would experience no ill effect than he normally would upon being exposed to natural sunlight of the same duration and intensity.


A chain puller for use in marine salvage that includes a chain pulling platform having linearly disposed first and second chain stoppers. Each chain stopper includes a pair of pivotal doors that permit the passage of a chain in one direction while stopping the action of a chain moving in the opposite direction. The action on the pivotal doors uses gravity for vertical alignment. The pivotal doors are spaced apart the distance of a vertical chain-link in the static position and are pivotally spread apart to permit movement of the chain in one direction in the dynamic position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a chain puller that is useful in salvage operations for hoisting or parbuckling marine objects such as ships or equipment, and specifically to an improved chain puller that includes a pair of chain stops that include gravity actuated chain securing doors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of chain pullers, especially in salvage operations, is well known in the prior art. Typically, a chain puller is used to assist in hoisting and parbuckling operations in a marine environment for hauling up sunken ships and other submerged marine equipment. A chain puller is used with extremely strong chains with large links that may include a three inch diameter (the length of the chain link is approximately eighteen inches) and operate with maximum pulling forces that can be measured in hundreds of tons.
The pulling force is provided by hydraulically controlled moveable pistons driven by hydraulic fluid. Diesel engines connected to pumps are used for pumping the hydraulic fluid to the cylinders. The hydraulic pistons are connected at one end to movable rods that are in turn connected to pad eyes attached to a moveable chain stopper. During pulling, the chain is firmly engaged to the chain stopper that can only move a short distance (the length of the hydraulic cylinder piston rod) during each pulling sequence. The chain must be held in a static position by a second chain stopper when the hydraulic piston rod is returned to the start pull position.
One of the critical limitations of a chain puller is the ability to provide a large pulling force on the chain while at the same time being able to secure the chain in a fixed position when the hydraulic pistons and rods are being moved into place for the next pulling sequence. It is critical that the chain move in only one direction which is in the direction of the pulling force. It is important that the pulling chain be able to be stopped completely by the chain puller in a static position during periods of the operation in order to reposition the hydraulic actuators that move the chain.
The chain puller described herein includes two linearly aligned chain stoppers, each having a pair of doors that engage and release the chain that are not complex in operation, are activated by gravity and are extremely strong in fixing a chain so that the chain is movable only in one direction in use with the chain puller.