An optical imaging lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power in a paraxial region thereof has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has refractive power in a paraxial region. The third lens element has negative refractive power in a paraxial region thereof. The fourth lens element has negative refractive power in a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element has refractive power in a paraxial region thereof. The sixth lens element with positive refractive power in a paraxial region thereof has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an optical imaging lens assembly, an image capturing unit and an electronic device, more particularly to an optical imaging lens assembly and an image capturing unit applicable to an electronic device.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, with the popularity of electronic devices having camera functionalities, the demand of miniaturized optical systems has been increasing. The sensor of a conventional optical system is typically a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) sensor. As the advanced semiconductor manufacturing technologies have allowed the pixel size of sensors to be reduced and compact optical systems have gradually evolved toward the field of higher megapixels, there is an increasing demand for compact optical systems featuring better image quality.
A conventional optical system employed in an electronic product mainly adopts a five-element lens structure. Due to the popularity of electronic devices with high-end specifications, such as smart phones, tablet personal computers and wearable apparatus, the requirements for high resolution and image quality of present compact optical systems increase significantly. However, the conventional optical systems cannot satisfy these requirements of the compact optical systems.
Other conventional compact optical systems with six-element lens structure are developed to enhance resolution and image quality. However, the optical systems with six-element lens structure have severe aberration and high sensitivity. Furthermore, the image of the optical system will be excessively curved and tends to be defocused in the peripheral region of the image; therefore, the imaging ability and image quality of the optical system is limited.

Optical imaging lens assembly, image capturing unit and electronic device


A sipper cup including a cup assembly having a plurality of threaded grooves formed adjacent a top opening thereof. Further provided is a cap assembly having a spout integrally formed on an upper surface thereof. The cap assembly is equipped with a plurality of threaded grooves for allowing the screwable coupling of the cap assembly with the cup assembly. Such threaded grooves of the cap assembly and the cup assembly are adapted to allow air to pass therethrough. Also included is an elastomeric insert including a spout valve for allowing fluid to exit the spout of the cap assembly only upon the application of suction. In use, air is allowed to enter the cup through the threaded grooves thus compensating for the vacuum formed in the cup assembly upon the exiting of fluid from the spout.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sipper cup and more particularly pertains to allowing the entrance of air within a sipper cup via the screwable coupling between a cup and cap assembly thereof for equalizing a vacuum generated upon the exiting of fluid therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of spill-proof cups is known in the prior art. More specifically, spill-proof cups heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of preventing the inadvertent spillage of liquid from a cup are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, the prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,013 to Belanger which discloses a dripless liquid feeding/training container with spring actuated valves and an air inlet valve situated on a top face of the cap assembly thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,670 to Morano discloses a spill-proof container with an elastomeric member with cavities situatable over a spout and an air inlet hole thereof. The elastomeric member is equipped with intersecting slits for allowing the passage of fluid through the spout and air inlet hole only upon the application of pressure thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,138 to Pratt teaches a nursing bottle with an elastomeric plug which is adapted to couple a cap assembly and cup assembly thereof. Such plug has a first aperture for allowing liquid communication between the cap and cup assemblies thereof and a second aperture for allowing fluid communication between the cup assembly and an exterior.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,404 to Coy disclose a valved container closure with a valve having a V-shaped configuration which is adapted to open upon the application of pressure thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,347 to Freeman et al. discloses a spill-proof closure having a spout containing a thin membrane near an upper end thereof. The thin member has a slit formed therein which remains closed except upon the application of pressure.
Lastly, U.S. Patent Des. 324,105 and U.S. Patent Des 165,778 are provided as being of general interest.
In this respect, the sipper cup according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing the entrance of air within a sipper cup via the screwable coupling between a cup and cap assembly thereof for equalizing a vacuum generated upon the exiting of fluid therefrom.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved sipper cup which can be used for allowing the entrance of air within a sipper cup via the screwable coupling between a cup and cap assembly thereof for equalizing a vacuum generated upon the exiting of fluid therefrom. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


The invention provides a flying vehicle tracking method, which comprises an optical tracking in which a tracking light is projected to a retro-reflector of a flying vehicle with the retro-reflector, the tracking light is received, and a tracking of the flying vehicle is performed based on a light receiving result, and an image tracking in which an image of the flying vehicle is acquired, the flying vehicle is detected from the image, and the tracking of the flying vehicle is performed based on a detection result, wherein the optical tracking and the image tracking are executed in parallel with each other, and in a case where the flying vehicle cannot be tracked by the optical tracking, the optical tracking is returned based on the detection result of the image tracking.

The present invention relates to a flying vehicle tracking method, a flying vehicle image acquiring method, a flying vehicle displaying method and a flying vehicle guiding system for executing an autonomous flight of a small type unmanned air vehicle (UAV: Unmanned Air vehicle).
In recent years, with a progress of a UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicle), various types of apparatuses are installed on the UAV and the UAV is flown by remotely controlling or by autonomously flying and works as required are carried out. For instance, a camera for photogrammetry and a scanner are installed on the UAV, and a measurement is performed downward from above the sky or the measurement is performed at a place where no operator can enter. And, for a positional measurement of the UAV itself, a GPS (Global Positioning System) is installed on the UAV, and a position of the UAV is determined by the GPS.
When the UAV is flown autonomously, it is necessary to have a flight plan and a positional information for recognizing as to whether or not the UAV is flying according to the flight plan. For obtaining the positional information, the GPS has been conventionally used. However, under an environment where radio waves from a satellite cannot be received, or under an environmental condition where a construction becomes an obstacle such as a bridge, or the like, or under a condition where the UAV flies in a tunnel, it is not possible to perform an autonomous flight.
For such circumstances, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2015-1450, the present applicant proposes to use a measuring instrument which has an optical tracking function as a means to obtain a positional information in a case where the positional information cannot be obtained by the GPS.
A position measurement is performed while tracking a flying vehicle by a measuring instrument, for instance, a total station, and it is possible to perform an autonomous flight of a UAV based on a positional information obtained by the total station.
Conventionally, for tracking by the total station, a prism has been provided on an object to be measured (in this case, the UAV). The prism has been sighted by a telescope of the total station, and the prism has been tracked.
Although, the total station has a searching function to capture the prism again within a tracking range in a case where the prism deviates from the tracking range, while searching, the UAV has no positional information for the autonomous flight, and there may be a possibility which a flight becomes unstable.

Flying vehicle tracking method, flying vehicle image acquiring method, flying vehicle displaying method and flying vehicle guiding system


An image sensor module includes a lens member, a resin frame that holds the lens member, a diaphragm formed on the lens member, an image sensor chip that receives light converged by the lens member, and a supporting board upon which the image sensor chip is mounted. The board is fixed to the bottom side of the resin frame. The diaphragm includes an opening for allowing the passage of light, and a light-shielding portion which is entirely held in contact with the lens member. The lens member is glued to the frame so that any additional fixing element such as a lens cap is unnecessary.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor module incorporated in a device having an image capturing function, such as a digital camera, mobile phone or camera-integrated watch. The present invention also relates to a method of making such an image sensor module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image capturing device such as a digital camera incorporates an image sensor module for converting optical image data of an object into electric signals. An example of prior art image sensor module is illustrated in FIG. 8. In the prior art image sensor module 200 shown in the figure, an image sensor chip 1 and internal terminals Ta electrically connected to the image sensor chip 1 are enclosed in a package 209. The image sensor chip 1 is formed, at the upper surface thereof, with a light receiving portion 11. When the light receiving portion 11 receives light, image signals with output levels corresponding to the received amount of light are generated by photoelectric conversion elements and outputted from electrode pads. The package 209, which protects the image sensor chip 1, is formed with an opening which is closed with a cover glass 291. Each of the internal terminals Ta is connected to a corresponding external terminal Tb projecting outward of the package 209, thereby providing a connection terminal T′.
As shown in FIG. 9, the image sensor module 200 is used in combination with a lens 103 for converging light reflected by an object onto the image receiving portion 11. Specifically, for using the image sensor module 200, a lens mount 204 for supporting the lens 103 is prepared. As shown in the figure, the lens mount 204 is so disposed as to cover the image sensor module 200.
In the above prior art, a lens mount 204 need be separately prepared from the image sensor module 200. Therefore, the number of parts and the process steps for the manufacturing are increased as a whole, which results in a high manufacturing cost. Further, since the lens mount 204 need be larger than the image sensor module 200, the entire size is inevitably increased.
FIG. 10 illustrates another prior art image sensor module disclosed in JP-A-10-41492. As shown in the figure, the image sensor module 100 includes an image sensor chip 1 and a lens 103 which are supported by a frame 104.
The image sensor chip 1 is mounted on an upper surface of a substrate 2. The substrate 2 has a lower surface formed with connection terminals T, which are electrically connected to the image sensor chip 1. The frame 104 includes a chip case portion 104a for covering the image sensor chip 1 and a lens mount portion 104b located above the chip case portion 104a. The frame 104 is formed of a resin so that the chip case portion 104a and the lens mount portion 104b are integral with each other to provide a generally cylindrical configuration as a whole. The chip case portion 104a has a flat lower end surface to which the substrate 2 is attached.
The lens mount portion 104b is internally formed with a stepped portion 140 upon which the lens 103 is placed. Thus, the inner space of the frame 104 is sealed by the substrate 1 and the lens 103. Use is made of a lens cap 108 for holding the lens 103 in place relative to the stepped portion 140 so that the lens 103 does not come out of the lens mount portion 104b. More specifically, the lens cap 108 is fitted outwardly to the lens mount portion 104b from above, so that the peripheral portion of the lens 103 is sandwiched between a thick wall portion 108a of the lens cap 108 and the stepped portion 140. At this time, the lens 103 and the image sensor chip 1 are so arranged that the optical axis of the lens 103 is perpendicular to the light receiving portion 11. Further, the distance between the lens 103 and the image sensor chip 1 is so set that parallel light entering the lens portion 103 forms a proper image on the light receiving portion 11.
An image sensor module often includes a diaphragm for increasing the depth of field so that the precise focusing is unnecessary. In this image sensor module 100, the lens cap 108 is formed with an aperture 107 as a diaphragm.
Unlike the image sensor module 200, the image sensor module 100 incorporates the lens 103, so that any external lens or lens support is not necessary. Further, since the lens 103 is fixed to the frame 104 just by fitting the lens cap 108 to the frame 104, the module can be assembled at a relatively low cost. Moreover, unlike the image sensor module 200, the image sensor chip 1 is used as it is (i.e., without being packaged). Therefore, the image sensor module 100 can be made smaller in entire area surface than the image sensor module 200.
However, since the image sensor module 100 utilizes the lens cap 108, the overall cost of the structural parts will be high accordingly.
Further, recently, there is a demand for thickness reduction of an image sensor module for incorporation in a thin device such as a mobile phone or a watch for example. However, due to the additional thickness of the lens cap 108, the image sensor module 100 is not a suitable unit to provide a device that should be compact.

Image sensor module with light-shielding diaphragm made of ink, and method of making the same


A lamination apparatus and method of use, and more particularly a lamination apparatus for automatically laminating photographs onto album pages is provided. The lamination apparatus includes a holder slidably mountable on a main body and having an exit region in communication with an input region of the main body. A staging tray is arranged to be in a transportation path with the exit region of the holder and the input region of the main body. A guide is arranged downstream from a transportation path of the staging tray. A lamination tray is arranged to have an exit portion downstream from the downstream transportation path of the staging tray such that the a support media will be provided to the guide and combined with media from the lamination tray and the holder at the exit portion of the lamination tray.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a lamination apparatus and method of use, and more particularly to a lamination apparatus for laminating photographs onto album pages.
2. Background Description
Photography is a hobby for millions of people worldwide. With the advent of digital photograph, photographs can be easily organized in digital format into folders on a computer hard drive, for example. Also, photo albums can easily be assembled using well known software packages. These photo albums can be organized such that photographs are assembled by date, person, or a host of other categories. These photographs can also be easily reorganized using these software packages.
However, many people still prefer to use conventional film and have printed photographs. Also, many people that use digital photography still print the pictures. In either case, these photographs are, in many instances, placed in a photo album using laminate paper. But, to organize these photographs in a photo album is a time consuming and arduous task. For example, it is necessary to first organize the photographs by category, for example, then have a "mock" layout prior to placing them in the photo album.
To assist in the process of placing photographs into a photo album, many devices have been devised over the years, ranging from smaller to larger machines. For example, in smaller machines heating of a plastic film to aid in lamination is accomplished by flat platens. Once heated, expeller rollers downstream of the platens compress the heated film. An early example of a flat platen laminator is U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,620. The other basic type of laminating machine is the larger machine. In these machines, heated rollers are used in the lamination process. An example of the larger machines is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,027,285.
However, these apparatuses have a number of disadvantages. For example, these machines do not automatically facilitate the layout of photographs onto paper media (e.g., photo album pages). As a result, creating a photo album requires the consumer to manually insert individual photographs onto a media page, or into a plastic page compartment or other type of storage device. For example, some systems require the photographs to be adhered onto a media page with adhesive "dots"; that is, each corner of the photograph is attached to a media page with dots prior to applying a protective covering (e.g., laminate). Accordingly, due to complexity of the processes and/or lack of automation, uncompleted photo album pages are typically placed into the album or binder, which results in the accumulation and storage of numerous photographs that the consumer, due to time constraints, has not had the time to organize.


A method for communicating in a wireless local area network is disclosed herein. The AP sets an uplink target received signal strength information (RSSI) for all participating stations (STAs) and transmits the information to the STAs in a trigger frame. Specifically, the AP sets the uplink target RSSIs for each STA to be within a predetermined range of each other so that when the STAs transmit respective uplink frames, those frames are received at the AP at the set uplink target RSSI.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventors hereof, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.
Wireless local area networks (WLANs) includes a central access point (AP) coupled to a number of client stations (STA) over a wireless interface and typically operate in either a unicast mode or a multicast mode. In the unicast mode, the AP transmits information to one client station at a time. In the multicast mode, the same information, such as a packet, is transmitted and concurrently received by two or more client stations. Development of WLAN standards such as the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ac and 802.11ax standards has improved data throughput, for example, by allowing transmissions and receptions of independent data streams over the same radio frequencies. In such implementations, a group of client stations can share the same bandwidth for data transmission/reception.
Efficient use of resources of a wireless local area network (WLAN) is important in order to provide bandwidth and acceptable response times to the users of the WLAN. However, when multiple stations (STAs) transmit data packets to an access point (AP) at the same time, the WLAN system performance may suffer due to interference at neighboring receivers of the AP that receive the concurrent transmissions. This interference is further exaggerated when there are large differences in the received power of the various transmissions, thus resulting in a poor reception at the AP.

Systems and methods for uplink power control and rate adaptation within a wireless local area network (WLAN)


Disclosed herein is a printing medium comprising a substrate and an ink-receiving layer which comprises an alumina hydrate surface-treated with a coupling agent and is provided on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing medium suitable for use in printing with water-based inks. In particular, the present invention relates to a printing medium, which can prevent the occurrence of beading and provide images high in optical density, bright in color tone and high in resolution, and has excellent ink-absorbing capacity.
The present invention also relates to a printing medium has good surface hardness and film properties in addition to the above-described characteristics or properties.
The present invention further relates to a production process of the printing medium and an image-forming process using this medium.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, an ink-jet recording system, in which minute droplets of an ink are flown by any one of various working principles to apply them to a printing medium such as paper, thereby making a record of images, characters and/or the like, has been quickly spread as a recording apparatus for various images in various applications including information instruments because it has features that printing can be conducted at high speed and with a low noise, color images can be formed with ease, printing patterns are very flexible, and development and fixing process are unnecessary. Further, it begins to be applied to a field of recording of full-color images because images formed by a multi-color ink-jet system are comparable in quality with multi-color prints by a plate making system and photoprints by a color photographic system, and such printed images can be obtained at lower cost than the usual multi-color prints and photoprints when the number of copies is small. With the improvement in printability such as speeding up and high definition of printing, and full-coloring of images, printing apparatus and printing methods have been improved, and printing media have also been required to have higher properties.
In recent years, printing media having a coating layer, in which an alumina hydrate of a boehmite structure is used, have also been proposed and are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,166 and 5,104,730, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2-276670, 4-37576 and 5-32037.
The printing media using these alumina hydrates have advantages that since the alumina hydrates have a positive charge, a dye in an ink is well fixed, that since an ink-receiving layer comprising such an alumina hydrate has good transparency, an image high in optical density and good in coloring can be provided, that problems such as bronzing of a black ink and reduction of light fastness, which have heretofore been caused by the use of silica compounds, are not caused and moreover that they are better than the conventional printing media from the viewpoint of the quality and gloss of images formed thereon, in particular, full-color images, and application to sheets for OHP.
In order to have a printing medium fully exhibit the advantages inherent in these alumina hydrates, it is however necessary to improve the following respects:
1) Since the quantity of inks ejected on a printing medium is increased for coping with the demand for the provision of a high-quality image upon, in particular, full-color printing in recent years, the printing medium is required to have high ink absorbency. If the printing medium has poor ink absorbency, inks ejected are more than its ink-receiving layer can absorb them in pores thereof and hence run out of the surface of the ink-receiving layer, so that there are involved problems that bleeding occurs to deteriorate print quality and color reproducibility, and that the fluid inks before fixing run and aggregate to cause beading (unevenness of printing).
The term "beading" as used herein refers to a phenomenon caused by the fact that droplets of inks applied to a printing medium aggregate into larger droplets in the course of absorption and/or the like. It is said that the beading is easy to occur on media low in ink absorbency or slow in fixing speed of a dye in an ink, or even on media having good ink absorbency when inks are applied in plenty.
In a printing medium provided with an ink-receiving layer, the beading is observed on the surface of the ink-receiving layer and also in the interior of the ink-receiving layer when it is transparent.
In order to solve such a problem of beading, it is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-222985 to apply hydrophobic fine particles such as oil droplets or particles of a fluorocarbon resin to the surface of an ink-receiving layer.
According to this method, however, it is not easy to adjust the amount of the hydrophobic fine particles to be applied. If the amount thereof is too little, the effect of the application cannot be fully exhibited. If the amount is too great on the other hand, the ink absorbency of the resulting printing medium becomes deteriorated, and so it rather becomes easy to induce beading.
Besides, the effect of this method on the beading is limited to the surface of the ink-receiving layer and is scarcely exhibited on beading in the interior of the ink-receiving layer, which is caused by ink penetrated into the ink-receiving layer.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-224580 to use synthetic amorphous silica, the surface of which has been treated with a silane coupling agent, in an ink-receiving layer, thereby adjusting the degree of feathering of dots. It is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-178384 to use silica, the surface of which has been treated with a silane coupling agent, in an ink-receiving layer, thereby improving the light fastness of an image to be formed.
However, silica is large in size of secondary aggregate, and so a porous ink-receiving layer containing this silica has a mat and white coating surface. Therefore, such a sheet can be applied only to coated paper using paper as a substrate and not applied to a medium which can provide a high-gloss image like a photoprint, which meets the demand for formation of a high-quality image in recent years, or to a transparent sheet for OHP.


A system for counting electrons including a power supply producing a current, a fuel gauge in communication with the power supply, a reader with a reader processor and display, wherein the reader is in communication with a microprocessor of the fuel gauge, and wherein the microprocessor transmits to the reader the established standard engineering unit of capacity, and wherein the reader processor displays the established standard engineering unit of capacity on the display; and a modem in communication with the fuel gauge, wherein the modem provides a communication signal over power lines of the fuel gauge.

A need exists for a system that accurately measures and tracks electron flow that is portably usable in many environments, including those where the recording of elapsed time is not possible, easy to undertake, and inexpensive to operate.
A further need exists for a system that can be installed on a wide variety of power supplies for remote and close proximity monitoring of electron usage by a customer, a user, and an administrator simultaneously, to determine remaining capacity of a power source.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.


A gas burner for a household appliance includes a burner housing having a mixing chamber for mixing fuel gas with primary air, a gas nozzle accommodated in the burner housing and configured to inject the fuel gas into the mixing chamber, and an annular first primary air inlet provided between the gas nozzle and the mixing chamber for drawing in the primary air. The gas nozzle has a second primary air inlet which is guided through the nozzle for drawing in the primary air. The second primary air inlet is configured in a direction of flow of the primary air through the second primary air inlet to taper at least once and to widen out again. The gas nozzle has an annular fuel gas outlet opening which opens directly into the second primary air inlet.

The present invention relates to a gas burner for a household cooking appliance and to a household cooking appliance with such a gas burner.
Gas burners for household cooking appliances comprise a lower burner part, in the middle of which a mixing chamber is provided, as well as a nozzle holder, which has a gas nozzle for injecting fuel gas into the mixing chamber. During injection of fuel gas into the mixing chamber primary air is drawn in at the side between the gas nozzle and a lower edge of the mixing chamber and mixed with the fuel gas.

Gas burner and domestic cooking appliance


A system receives a selection of a portion of digital content within a graphical user interface. The system traverses the entire digital content to identify a plurality of components associated with the portion of digital content, and applies at least one policy to each of the plurality of components to select those components necessary to recreate the portion of digital content. The system exports the portion of digital content and the plurality of selected components necessary to recreate the portion of digital content. The system then recreates the portion of digital content using the plurality of selected components necessary to recreate the portion of digital content.

Conventional computerized devices, such as personal computers, laptop computers, and the like utilize graphical user interfaces in applications such as operating systems and graphical editors (i.e., web page editors, document editors, etc.) that enable users to quickly provide input and create documents and/or projects using "What You See Is What You Get" (WYSIWYG) technology. In general, using a graphical user interface, a user operates an input device such as a mouse or keyboard to manipulate graphical objects on a computer display. The graphical objects are often represented as icons and the user can operate an input device such as a mouse to move a mouse pointer onto an icon (i.e., graphically overlapping the icon) on the graphical user interface. By depressing a mouse button, the application such as the operating system desktop selects the icon and if the user maintains the mouse button in a depressed state, the user can drag the icon across the graphical user interface. By releasing the mouse button, the icon is placed on the graphical user interface at the current position of the mouse pointer.
Most conventional document editors also allow users to select a portion of the document content, and move the selected portion of content to a different location either within the document, or into a separate document. Conventional document editors also allow users to select a portion of the document and copy the selected portion to a different location either within the document, or into a separate document, while retaining the selected portion in its original position within the document.

Methods and apparatus for formatting portion of content


An electrohydraulic displacement controlled valve module is disposed in a bore of a valve body for controlling fluid flow between first and second ports. A main valve element slideably disposed in the bore is biased to a closed position blocking communications between an annular groove of the valve element and the second port. An actuating chamber defined at one end of the valve element receives pressurized pilot fluid for urging the main valve element toward an open position communicating the first and second ports through the annular groove. A passage communicates the actuating chamber with a control chamber disposed at the other end of the valve element through an orifice. A poppet is disposed within the control chamber and is biased into sealing engagement with an annular valve seat of an outlet port by a feedback spring disposed between the valve element and the poppet. A proportional electromagnetic device is suitable connected to the valve body for controlling the position of the poppet relative to the valve seat to control the fluid pressure in the control chamber.

A three position four-way control valve used for controlling a reversible hydraulic motor typically has a single spool for controlling pump-to-cylinder flow and cylinder-to-tank flow. One of the problems encountered with the use of a single spool is that the timing of the metering spots is designed to optimize the control of the pump-to-cylinder fluid flow. Thus, the spool is generally inadequate for metering cylinder-to-tank fluid flow in an overrunning load condition.
The problem noted above was solved somewhat by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,838 which uses a pair of electrohydraulic control valves arranged so that each control valve controls fluid flow to and from only one port of a reversible hydraulic cylinder.
In a more recent development, an independent metering valve includes a pair of independently controlled electrohydraulic displacement controlled spool valves controlling pump-to-cylinder communication between an inlet port and a pair of control ports and another pair of independently controlled electrohydraulic displacement controlled spool valves for controlling cylinder-to-tank fluid flow between the control ports and an outlet. Each of the spool valves has a displacement controlled solenoid valve for controlling the position of the spool valve. The spool valves are normally biased to a closed position and are selectively actuated to provide several modes of actuation.
One of the problems encountered with those systems is that while the use of either a pair of electrohydraulic valves or four independently controlled electrohydraulic displacement controlled spool valves can provide many functions normally requiring separate valves simply by actuating one or more of the valves, the functions requiring fast response such as pressure relieving and fluid make up requires the use of special pressure sensors and increased microprocessor computing speed to operate satisfactory.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.


A system and a related methodology for gathering, during a selected time span, and from a common anatomical site, time-contemporaneous ECG-electrical and heart-sound signals including (1) processing such signals to effect (a) time-based, related ECG fiducials, and (b) systolic and diastolic heart-sound indicators, and (2) creating a reportable data stream which communicates such effected fiducials and indicators in a manner whereby time-based relationships between them, and non-time-based differentiation between systolic and diastolic heart-sound indicators, are made visually discernible. The methodology of the invention may also be implemented strictly for the gathering and processing of heart sounds.

This invention proposes the structures and uses of various styles of combined electrical and acoustic sensors for variously gathering, in a related system, skin-contact anatomical ECG electrical and heart-sound data. This system is referred to herein as a patient-portable, heart-condition monitoring and reporting system. The invention also proposes a unique common-time-based graphical manner of displaying relevant, interrelated ECG and heart-sound data in a highly intuitive way for reading and understanding by medical personnel. The invention thus offers improvements in the field of heart-condition evaluation wherein there is a continuum of activity seeking to make more robust and accurate the extensively growing field of medical assessment of the healths of people's hearts. It especially enhances the utility and confidence of using carefully gathered simultaneous ECG-electrical and heart-sound-audio data in the quest for improved heart-behavior assessment.
The system proposed and offered by the invention features a sensor device and associated circuitry which is/are small, highly portable, and user-wearable (as for use in a "home heart-condition" monitoring and reporting practice). In accordance with the invention, a small, singular (or plural if desired) sensor device(s) is(are) designed to capture heart sounds from a selected region or site on the anatomy, along with plural ECG electrical signals (plurals leads) which signals are collected from closely adjacent electrically and physically spaced surface-skin regions that are symmetrically located relative to where heart sounds are gathered. Plural electrodes provided for electrical signal gathering are preferably symmetrically disposed with respect to a central "collection axis" along which a sound transducer, or transducers, (of various selectable types) in the sensor picks up heart-sound signals, such as the S1, S2, S3 and S4 heart-sound signals.
The apparatus of the invention is extremely small, and, as is suggested above, is intended to be useable as a portable home-monitoring unit if so desired, preferably with onboard signal-processing circuitry that processes gathered ECG-electrical and heart-sound-audio signals in a manner preparatory for the creation of an output data stream or signal, which is effective/constructed to create a unique and very intuitive combined-information display. This output data stream may either be coupled locally to an appropriate display device, or it may be prepared for transmission, as over the Internet, to a remote site for display and review purposes.
The display which results from the created output data stream is a highly intuitive display which includes, on a common time base, (a) a track presenting an ECG vector (terminology known in the art) which is derived directly from ECG signals to represent a person's heart electrical activities, with selected fiducials, such as the onset of the Q wave, clearly marked in relation to this vector, (b) a track which displays the directly detected heart-sound audio signals, and then, (c) on the upper and lower (positive and negative) sides of what is referred to herein as a neutral time-base axis, or line, upwardly and downwardly extending vertical graphical excursions, also referred to herein as intuitive heart-sound surrogates, which indicate the locations of the four above-identified heart sounds if and when detected. Excursions marking heart sounds which depart upwardly from the neutral axis line are those which are relatable directly to systolic heart behavior, and those which project downwardly from the neutral axis line related directly to diastolic behavior.
This very intuitive heart-sound detection display quickly enables a viewer to assess the information presented in the display with respect to the associated heart's health and condition. Additionally, heart-sound marking excursions pictured relative to the mentioned neutral axis line may take the form of rectangular, darkened, pulse-like, rectangular blocks who's heights and widths may be calibrated to describe frequency content and other characteristics of detected heart sounds. Such pulse-like blocks are also highly intuitive in nature with respect to their quick information-giving capabilities.
These and other features and advantages which are offered by the invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Integrated, plural-signal, heart-signal sensor system and related data-presentation methodology


A fence panel that tracks a sloped terrain surface, in which a pair of spaced-apart rails each have a first longitudinal edge and an opposing second longitudinal edge on a side of the rail, and a plurality of pickets having first pickets and at least two second pickets disposed spaced apart on the side of the rails, with the first pickets attached by a fastener only between the picket and the first longitudinal edge of the respective rail and the second pickets attached by a fastener only between the picket and the second longitudinal edge of the respective rail, so that the rails do not roll away from the pickets when racking the fence panel by moving the opposing ends of the rails in vertically opposite directions to conform the slope of the fence panel to the terrain surface. A method of making a fence panel is disclosed.

Fencing has existed for many years. In particular, wrought iron fencing or the like has been developed to produce a more decorative type of fencing. This type of fencing comprises a series of vertical pickets which are attached to horizontal rails. In some known types of wrought iron fencing, the rails have holes through which the pickets extend. Screws connect the pickets attach to the rails with screws or by welding.
In the past, wrought iron fencing erected upon a sloping terrain was typically produced on site by planting several spaced-apart vertical posts, mounting the rails to the posts at an angle generally parallel to the sloping terrain, and mounting the vertical pickets to the rails. This method of producing fencing is time consuming and inefficient.
To meet the need for providing fencing that conforms to the slop of the terrain, wrought iron fencing has been custom manufactured. The terrain to be fenced is measured to determine the slopes. Plats are marked, and custom fence sections manufactured. These have to be labeled in order to track the location and sequence during installation. However, during the manufacturing, the terrain may have changed. For example, a pool area to be fenced may change due to subterranean problems such as rocks and the like uncovered during installation of the pool. The area to be fenced thus may change or be re-graded. This results in re-work or scrap sections of fencing, which increases the costs of the fencing.
Recently, fencing has been produced off-site wherein the rails and pickets are all mounted together to form a panel. The pickets are welded to the rails with the use of a top weld between the picket and the top rail and a bottom weld between the picket and the bottom edge of the bottom rail, as shown in prior art FIG. 6. (In other embodiments, the pickets and the rails are secured with screws).
The fence panel is then transported to the erection site and installed. To track or conform to the slope of the terrain, the panel is shifted (or in the term of the art, "racked") so that the pickets remain substantially vertical and rails are oriented substantially parallel to the sloping terrain. The fence panel is racked so that the rails are allowed to be reoriented with respect to the pickets thereon through the use of a mild steel weld (or screws) which allow flexing of the weld. While this shifting of the fence panel has worked fairly well when shifting only a small amount or a few degrees, there is a problem with more significant changes in the angle of the rails relative to the pickets. When the panel is shifted to a large degree, the rails tend to roll or rotate on the unwelded side and thereby partially separate themselves from the pickets. The rails and pickets there are not square to each other and the fence has unsatisfactory gaps at the connections between the rails and the pickets. The gaps weaken the fence panel and are unsightly.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a fencing panel that can be produced off-site and shifted during assembly on-site without causing the rails to separate from the pickets. It is to the provision of such that the present invention is primarily directed.


A return liquid containing particles resulting from treating food is treated to reduce the size of the particles and recycled for further food treatment. Embodiments include injecting a solution into a body of meat, recovering a return solution containing particulate material resulting from injecting the body of meat, optionally reducing the temperature of the return solution, mechanically reducing the particle size of the particulate material in the return solution to form a reduced return solution, conveying the reduced return solution to a holding tank and recycling the reduced return solution for injection into a body of meat. Embodiments also include a system for recycling a food treating liquid including a mechanical milling device, an optional chilling device, and a holding tank including first, second and third sections, a first weir separating the first and second sections, and a second weir separating the second and third sections, wherein the second weir extends higher than the first weir.

There are various aspects of the food processing industry wherein food is treated with a liquid. For example, conventional practices include treating muscle groups and flesh from animals, beef, pork, poultry and fish with liquids which contain bacteria controls, cures, flavorings and various binders and enhancers. Liquid recovered from such food treatment frequently contains particles resulting from such treatment. These particles prevent efficient recycling of the return liquid, as for reuse in an injector, and reduce the green weight value if not returned.
The presence of particulate material in a return liquid is particularly problematic in food treating systems containing injection devices for injecting various types of liquids into bodies of meat through needles. Such liquids are built on formulations made up of various ingredients, but based primarily on water. Depending on the particular application, these basic solutions may contain additional components such as sugar, flavorings, anti-microbial additives, starches and proteins. The solutions are typically employed for curing, marinating or yield improvement. Conventional practices comprise injecting such a solution into a body of meat through needles under pressure. A certain amount of solution that is not injected into the meat usually exits the injection device and is referred to as a return solution. Typically, because of the mechanical nature of the injection device, a percentage of solid particulate material from the body of meat undergoing treatment is carried away with the return solution. When the size of the particles in the return solution exceeds the opening of the needles, the return solution cannot be recycled for injection into bodies of meat. Conventional solutions to this problem involve removing such solid materials to prevent needle plugging, thereby improving efficiency and effectiveness of the injection device.
Conventional practices comprise recirculating the return solution between the injection device and a solution holding tank in proximility thereto. Screening filters and separators are placed within or about the tank. These filters and separators remove particles, which are discarded. Conventional practices further include the addition of finer filters on the feed side of the injection device to eliminate fine particles that may have passed through the screening device. The needle injectors typically have small needle openings, such as from about 0.10 mm to about 5.0 mm in diameter, e.g., about 0.50 mm to about 2.0 mm.
Conventional approaches, however, result in the expenditure of considerable resources to maintain the screens and filters during injection and during cleaning periods. Most food processing operations still suffer needle plugging and injector problems, as well as yield loss due to solids that are removed from the product during injection. In addition, there are additional costs incurred for treating or disposing the removed solids.
Accordingly, there exists a need for improved methods for treating food with liquids by reducing or eliminating filtration of the return solution while simultaneously improving yield. There exists a particular need for methodology and systems to prevent needle plugging in injection devices employed to inject a return solution into bodies of meat.

Method for recycling liquids for treating food


The present invention provides a light-emitting device includes first, second and third light-emitting elements, emitting light having different color. The first light-emitting element includes a first anode; a first cathode; and first and second light-emitting layers therebetween, wherein the first light-emitting layer includes a first high light-emitting substance and a first organic compound, and the second light-emitting layer includes the first high light-emitting substance and a second organic compound. The second light-emitting element includes a second anode; a second cathode; and a third light-emitting layer and a layer for controlling carrier transfer therebetween, wherein the third light-emitting layer includes a second high light-emitting substance, wherein the layer for controlling carrier transfer includes third and fourth organic compounds. The third light-emitting element includes a third anode; a third cathode; and a fourth light-emitting layer, wherein the fourth light-emitting layer includes fifth and sixth organic compounds, and a third high light-emitting substance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light-emitting devices and electronic devices having a light-emitting element which utilizes electroluminescence.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, research and development have been actively conducted on light-emitting elements using electroluminescence. In a basic structure of such a light-emitting element, a layer including a substance having a light-emitting property (also referred to as a light-emitting substance) is interposed between a pair of electrodes. By voltage application to this element, light emission can be obtained from the substance having a light-emitting property.
Since such light-emitting elements is of self-light-emitting type, it is considered that the light-emitting elements have advantages over liquid crystal display devices in that visibility of pixels is high, backlight is not required, and so on and is therefore suitable as flat panel display elements. In addition, other advantages of such light-emitting elements are that the elements can be manufactured to be thin and lightweight and the response speed is very high.
Since such light-emitting elements can be formed into a film shape, plane light emission can be easily obtained by forming a large-area element. This is a feature which is difficult to be obtained by point light sources typified by an incandescent lamp and an LED or linear light sources typified by a fluorescent lamp. Accordingly, the light-emitting element is extremely effective for use as a planar light source applicable to illumination and the like.
Light-emitting elements using electroluminescence are classified broadly according to whether they use an organic compound or an inorganic compound as a substance having a light-emitting property.
When an organic compound is used as a light-emitting substance, electrons and holes are injected into a layer including a light-emitting organic compound from a pair of electrodes by voltage application to a light-emitting element, so that current flows therethrough. The electrons and holes (i.e., carriers) are recombined, and thus the light-emitting organic compound is excited. The light-emitting organic compound returns to a ground state from the excited state, thereby emitting light. Based on this mechanism, such a light-emitting element is called current excitation type light-emitting element.
It is to be noted that the excited state generated by an organic compound can be a singlet excited state or a triplet excited state, and luminescence from the singlet excited state is referred to as fluorescence, and luminescence from the triplet excited state is referred to as phosphorescence.
In improving element characteristics of such a light-emitting element, there are a lot of problems which depend on a material used, and in order to solve the problems, improvement of an element structure, development of a material, and the like have been carried out.
For example, when a light-emitting element is used as a display element, performance of a display device may be damaged, unfortunately, because characteristics of the light-emitting element for each color are different.
In order to solve the problem, Reference 1 (Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2002-62824) discloses a light-emitting device in which a triplet compound is used for a light-emitting layer of an EL element which emits red light, and singlet compounds are used for a light-emitting layer of an EL element which emits green light and a light-emitting layer of an EL element which emits blue light.

Light-emitting device and electronic device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An apparatus, program product and/or method identify relevant shared entities and/or display shared entities in an instant messaging system. In particular, entities such as files, images, videos, e-mails, links, bookmarks, databases, transcripts of other instant messages, etc. that are shared between users participating in an instant message session may be identified and highlighted to indicate that the shared entities are related to the instant message session. Furthermore, a link to an entity may be sent to a user when the entity is referenced in an instant message of the instant message session. Additionally, a display representation of entities that are shared with a user may be displayed in the user's buddy list to indicate that the shared entity is accessible to the user and whom shared the entity with the user. Furthermore, a transcript may be associated with an entity.

The Internet has profoundly changed many aspects of contemporary society, and has become an increasingly important resource for numerous educational, entertainment and commercial purposes. The Internet generally facilitates information exchange between users, thus, e-mailing and instant messaging have become popular forms of communication, both for personal and business use.
In particular, instant messaging systems typically permit users, whom are logged into the same instant messaging system, to send and receive instant messages to and from each other in realtime. An instant message, which may also be referred to as a chat message, is generally a communication sent by one user to one or more other users. An instant messaging system generally handles the exchange of instant messages, and typically supports the ability to display an instant messaging window incorporating a running transcript of the ongoing chat between the participating users on each user's computer screen.
An instant messaging window typically includes an area where the instant messages already sent by users participating in the chat are displayed as well as an area where an instant message a user wants to send, which is usually text typed by a user from a keyboard, may be displayed before the user sends the instant message to the other users participating in the chat. Furthermore, in addition to instant messaging or chatting, instant messaging systems may also be used to share files, images, etc. with others. By sharing, the files are made accessible to participants that did not previously have access to the files. Additionally, the transcript or log of the chat (i.e., record of the instant messages sent and/or received by users participating in a chat) may be stored so that the users may refer back to the transcript at later time and/or date.
Furthermore, a buddy list may also be displayed for users. Generally, each user indicates the screen names (i.e., aliases) of users of the instant messaging system that he or she regularly interacts with (e.g., screen names of friends, family, work colleagues, etc.), and the screen names of those users that are currently logged on to the instant messaging system are displayed in the buddy list. In some designs, buddies who are not currently online are also displayed in the buddy list, with the online buddies highlighted in the list to indicate their online status.
Instant messaging systems are typically implemented via a client-server environment or a peer-to-peer environment. In the former, each user may login to an instant messaging server via their instant messaging client. The instant messaging server authenticates the login information, generates the user's buddy list, and facilitates the exchange of instant messages between users. Thus, the instant messaging server generally functions as an intermediary and passes instant messages between the users. The peer-to-peer environment may also include an instant messaging server for user login as well as a central user database. In the peer-to-peer environment, the instant messaging server initially functions as an intermediary and then the instant messages may be transmitted directly between the users via their instant messaging clients.
One problem that a user may encounter when participating in a conversation via instant messaging occurs when either user needs to locate information such as files that have been previously shared among the participants related to the subject matter of the conversation. For example, while chatting with a work colleague about a project, the user may realize that some files previously shared between the parties may be relevant to the project, therefore, the user may have to search through his or her file system, e-mail inbox, e-mail sent folder, and/or other depositories to identify those relevant shared files that are related to the project. Yet, the user may not have enough time to identify those shared files or may disregard some shared files that may be relevant (e.g., a shared file has a misleading title and may be overlooked), thus, interrupting the conversation and reducing the user's productivity.
Furthermore, when relevant shared files are identified by a user and the user brings the shared files to another chat participant's attention (e.g., by referencing the shared files in an instant message to the other chat participant), the other chat participant may also have to spend time manually locating the identified shared files in his or her depositories (e.g., file system, e-mail inbox, etc.). On the other hand, in some systems, the user may once again share the previously shared file with the other chat participant. Nonetheless, the productivity of the user and/or other chat participant may be further hindered by either approach.
Also, the growth of information sharing via instant messaging has generally increased the difficulty of organizing shared information. Users generally have to manually organize shared information, which is not particularly efficient. For example, information including files may be shared with a user via instant messaging by different individuals (e.g., screen names of friends, family, work colleagues, etc.) on different dates for different projects in different formats (e.g., images, links, text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, etc.). Organizing information with such varied qualities is not generally intuitive and has resulted in an organization that does not reflect the nature of the shared information, (e.g., which files were shared with the user, who shared which file with the user, which files the user shared with others, whom did the user share a particular file with, etc.). Similarly, transcripts of chats may be organized in chronological order or manually, thus, the organization of the transcripts may also not reflect the nature of the transcript (e.g., the discussions of the chat).
A need therefore exists in improving instant messaging systems, in particular, an improved manner of identifying relevant shared information and referencing relevant shared information, and an improved manner of organizing shared information and transcripts, which generally reduces the burden on users.

Identifying and displaying relevant shared entities in an instant messaging system

International Business Machines Corporation


A liquid crystal display device has a plurality of gate electric wirings provided on one of a pair of substrates, a plurality of drain electric wirings which respectively intersect with the plurality of gate electric wirings in a matrix state, a plurality of thin film transistors formed on respective intersecting points of the drain electric wirings and the gate electric wirings, a plurality of common electric wirings extending in the same direction as the gate electric wirings, a plurality of picture elements, at least one of the picture elements being respectively surrounded by the gate electric wirings and the drain electric wirings, a plurality of counter electrodes connected to the common electric wirings and extending in the same direction as the drain electric wirings, and a plurality of the picture element electrodes connected to the thin film transistors and extending in the same direction as the counter electrode corresponding to respective picture elements, in which the respective counter electrodes contact the liquid crystal layer directly. Furthermore, an electric field having a parallel component with respect to one of the pair of substrates is produced in said liquid crystal layer by an electrical voltage applied between the counter electrodes and the picture element electrodes.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device for driving a liquid crystal by means of an in-plane-switching system to apply an electric field which is almost parallel to a substrate between a picture element electrode and counter electrode.
An active matrix type liquid crystal display device using an active component, such as a thin film transistor (TFT), is widely used as a display, having such characteristics as being thin and light weight, and having a high displaying quality. A liquid crystal display device of this type is constructed with a liquid crystal provided between an active matrix substrate having a TFT element and an opposite substrate, and an electric field is applied between picture element electrodes and a counter electrode so as to drive and control the liquid crystal, whereby light incident on the liquid crystal is modulated so as to form an image.
Further, in order to widen the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal display device using an in-plane-switching system has been proposed, in which the picture element electrode and the counter electrode are formed on the active matrix substrate, and an electric field is applied in parallel to the surface of the substrate. Such a device is described, for example, in Proceedings of the 15th International Display Research Conference, p. 707 (1995) or Japanese Patent Laid-open 7-36058 Bretin. The in-plane-switching system has the advantage of being able to provide a wide visual angle, because the liquid crystal is controlled by an electric field applied in a substantially transverse direction relative to the viewing angle.
The conventional display device using in-plane-switching has a configuration in which metal films, formed under a protective insulation film, serve as the picture element electrodes and the counter electrodes thereto. However, since the electric field is applied to the liquid crystal through the protective insulation film, an electrical voltage loss occurs, with the result that the driving voltage becomes large, causing a problem in that the power consumption increases. Moreover, while it is effective to make the spacing between the picture element electrodes and the counter electrodes big in order to enlarge the aperture ratio, this requires the driving voltage to be even larger. Since the threshold driving voltage of the liquid crystal is restricted by the upper limit of the driving voltage, there arises a problem in that the selection of a liquid crystal which has a fast responsiveness is limited.
Such an increase in the power consumption caused by such an electrical voltage loss may be avoided by providing a contact hole which forms an aperture in the gating isolation film and by providing an electrode for driving the liquid crystal through this aperture, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. issue 7-128683 bulletin. However, the usual metal electrode has a problem in that it is corroded by the liquid crystal composition, so that it is necessary to form a protective insulation film on top of the electrodes. Naturally, in this case, the electrical voltage loss which occurs due to the protective insulation film increases even more.

Liquid crystal display device in-plane-switching system with counter electrode in contact with liquid crystal


An integrated circuit (IC) may include at least one smart card memory for storing a set of default requests and at least one alternate request for each default request. The IC may further include a microprocessor connected to the at least one smart card memory for communicating with a host device using the default requests and alternate requests. The microprocessor may selectively switch between using the default requests and the alternate requests when communicating with the host device. As such, this provides a “moving target” which makes it difficult for would-be hackers to determine which requests are used for which smart card operations and, thus, to decipher and interfere with data communications.

Smart cards are becoming increasingly more popular for security and personal identification applications. For example, smart cards are currently being used for storing sensitive data such as medical records, banking information, etc. In perhaps their most common form, smart cards have a card body which resembles a credit card in size, shape, and thickness, and they may even be made out of similar materials, such as plastic. Yet, rather than simply having a magnetic stripe to store sensitive information (e.g., account numbers, user identification, etc.) as standard credit cards do, smart cards generally include an integrated circuit (IC). The IC not only includes a non-volatile memory for storing such sensitive information, but it may also include a microprocessor for processing this information and communicating with a host device via a card reader, for example. Accordingly, not only can smart cards store more information than magnetic stripe cards, but they also have much greater functionality.
Various protocols have emerged to standardize smart card operation and communications. One of the earliest of these was developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is known as the ISO7816-X protocol. In particular, this protocol is set forth in ISO documents ISO 7816-1 (Physical Characteristics), ISO 7816-2 (Dimensions and Locations of Contacts), ISO 7816-3 (Electronic Signals and Transmission Protocols), and ISO 7816-10 (Electronic Signals and Answer to Reset for Synchronous Cards), for example, all of which are hereby incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
Furthermore, in response to the increasing popularity of the universal serial bus (USB) architecture, increasing numbers of smart cards continue to be developed which operate in accordance with the USB protocol. This protocol is set forth in the Universal Serial Bus Specification, Revision 2.0, Apr. 27, 2000, published by USB Implementers Forum, Inc., which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. The USB architecture is particularly advantageous in that it provides a standard "plug and play" interface for devices external to a computer, for example. That is, external peripheral devices can be relatively quickly and easily installed and removed from a computer without having to open or power down the computer.
While the ISO7816-X and USB protocols provide certain basic tools and rules for developing smart card systems, there still remain many practical challenges to smart card implementation. One such challenge is the testing of smart card IC designs. That is, in addition to the microprocessor and non-volatile memory, numerous other components are typically included in a smart card IC for communicating with the host device and performing smart card operations. For example, these additional components may include transceivers, transmission buffers, interface circuitry, random access memory (RAM) for the microprocessor, internal clocks, state machines, etc. Thus, a relatively large number of tests may be required to ensure that each of these components operates as intended under different operating constraints or with different data sets.
Perhaps the most common approach for testing the operation of IC components is to use manufacturing-grade IC test machines. While such test machines are capable of testing many of the above circuit components, these machines can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to purchase and operate. Thus, it will typically be practical to have only a very limited number of such test machines. Yet, to test most or all of the above IC components for each IC manufactured can be cost prohibitive because this requires that each IC spend a relatively long time on the tester. This, in turn, slows production and thus increases per unit costs. As such, a minimal set of operating tests may be defined to ensure basic components are operating correctly, but this could mean many other functions will go untested.
Because of the computing power resident in the microprocessor of the smart card IC, certain testing operations may be performed internally to the smart card. By way of example, U.S Pat. No. 6,157,966 to Montgomery et al. is directed to an ISO7816 type smart card which uses debugging applications resident on the card to aid in the development of smart card programs. The debugging applications can provide internal state and runtime information, such as for a memory test. Results from the test are then output and may include a number of rows or columns of a memory unit that passed the test.
Despite the advances provided by the above-noted approach, further improvements in smart card testing may be needed in certain areas. One such area is USB smart cards, for example, which are continuing to gain popularity and will likely need to be manufactured in ever increasing quantities.
Another challenge in smart card development is protecting communications between the smart card and host device from would-be hackers or eavesdroppers. Encryption is perhaps the most widely used approach for securing data transmissions, as it is used in numerous applications such as wireless and wired telephone networks, satellite communications, and computer networks, to name a few. Smart cards also have been developed which incorporate encryption techniques. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,537 to Tello discloses a secure computer that will not boot up or recognize any data storage or communication peripheral devices without a matching personalized smart card. The card has an encrypted digital signature stored therein which complements an encrypted digital signature stored in the computer. An encryption algorithm is also used for encrypting data sent between the smart card and the computer.
While encryption does provide an increased level of protection against would-be hackers, their sophistication and ability to crack encryption algorithms continues to improve. As such, further security protection is always desirable, particularly where extremely sensitive information, such as health records or financial data, is to be protected.
One additional challenge for smart card development is to increase the efficiency of communications between a host device and a smart card, which often shares the host device's communications bus with other peripheral devices, for example. Numerous approaches to increasing bus utilization have been developed, one of which is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,303 to Barnaby et al. This patent is directed to a shared access prior encoding/decoding and arbitration scheme which takes into account varying device requirements, such a latency, bandwidth, and throughput, which are stored and dynamically updated based upon changing access demand conditions. That is, these requirements are prioritized to determine which devices get access to shared access resources at a given time. The patent notes that the invention may be implemented within an IC chip for use in smart card readers, for example.
While such prioritization approaches may be advantageous in certain applications, they may not be desirable or even practical in other applications. As such, different approaches may be more appropriate for increasing bus utilization in some smart card applications.

Smart card with enhanced security features and related system, integrated circuit, and methods


A slide rail assembly adapted for engaging a drive track of a snowmobile. The slide rail assembly comprises a rail adapted for engagement with a rear suspension system of the snowmobile, and aligned forward and rear slide portions disposed on a lower surface of the rail adjacent the drive track. The forward and rear slide portions are respectively located on forward and rear portions of the rail. The rear slide portion comprises a first material and the forward slide portion comprises a second material, the second material having a hardness which is less than that of the first material. Noise and vibrations resulting from contact between the drive track and the forward slide portion are attenuated by the second material.

Snowmobile suspension systems generally include a pair of aluminum slide rails, which support the endless drive track and provide a structure to which the lower ends of the hydraulic shock absorbers are attached. The bottom surface of the slide rail which is in sliding contact with the track is covered with a hard plastic slide strip, generally made of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), to reduce the friction between the drive track and the slide rails. These aluminum slide rails also act as a guide which keeps the endless track in-line such that the drive sprockets are continuously in-line with driving holes in the track.
Steel clips are typically located on the inside surface of the endless track between each consecutive driving hole, each clip having a flat portion which slides under the slide rail and an upwardly extending portion which aligns with the inner edge of the slide rail. These steel clips therefore keep the drive track aligned with the slide rails, preventing excessive lateral movement of the drive track while it longitudinally slides over the UHMWPE slide strip of the slide rails.
However, although the drive track remains in contact with the slide rails along much of the length thereof, there is typically a gap between the drive track and the slide rails near the forward upwardly curved portions of the slide rails, between the front drive axle and the forward end of the slide rails. This front portion of the drive track is accordingly unsupported by the slide rails. During operation of the snowmobile, especially over uneven terrain, this unsupported front portion of the track tends to buckle inwardly and outwardly due to the changing tension in the track or the result of uneven terrain. This rapid buckling of the track can result in contact between the steel clips on the track and front edges of the slide rails. This contact makes an undesirable noise and causes vibrations which are transferred to the driver and passengers of the snowmobile.
Some attempts have been made to address this problem. Particularly, the number of steel clips on the inside of the drive track have been reduced, by locating such clips only between every second or third hole for example, in an attempt to reduce the amount of noise created by their contact with the UHMWPE slide strips of the slide rails. However, proper alignment of the drive track cannot be maintained if too many steel guide clips are removed from the track.
Therefore, there remains a need to reduce the noise and vibrations cause by the contact between the drive track and the slide rails of a snowmobile, without negatively affecting the alignment of the drive track on the slide rails.


The present invention provides exemplary wheel assemblies for use with a wide range of wheeled vehicles and apparatus. In one embodiment, a wheel assembly (800) includes a rim (810) having edges (816, 818). The wheel assembly includes a plurality of protrusions 822 disposed in a trough portion (820) between the rim edges. A resilient member (830) is disposed over the spaced protrusions, and an actuator (850) is disposed over the resilient layer. The actuator is adapted to at least partially compress the resilient layer between the spaced protrusions when the wheel assembly is loaded with a weight. In this manner, the wheel assembly is capable of providing energy return to the wheel assembly during rotation thereof.

The present invention relates generally to wheeled systems, and in particular, to wheeled systems having exemplary energy return features and methods of using and making same.
Since the days of ancient man, wheels have been used for a variety of purposes and with a variety of vehicles. Wheels have made possible carts, carriages, wagons, motorized and non-motorized vehicles, and the like, for the transportation of people and freight. The design of wheel assemblies for such items has focused on producing tires and wheels capable of accomplishing their intended use. Initially, this involved making wheel assemblies that were durable enough to travel over rough surfaces.
The invention of the automobile in the early 1900s, and the use of rubber and rubber compounds, increased the number and variety of wheeled systems. The introduction of air-inflated rubber tires resulted in a host of new design problems. A great amount of effort has been spent to make tires and wheel assemblies that have the desired resiliency and stability, maintain their integrity while inflated, are resistant to impacts and punctures, and the like. Great attention also has been given to developing various tread patterns to provide improved traction on paved or smooth surfaces.
One feature of tires and wheel assemblies which has not received particular emphasis involves the assemblies' energy return characteristics. For example, while current automobile tires generally provide sufficient traction, their development has not focused on how the tires interact with the road surface to transfer energy in an idealized fashion. Hence, notwithstanding the extensive use of wheeled systems, room for drastic improvement still exists in the field of energy return.


An implantable electrical lead having an elongated insulative lead body carrying a cardioversion/defibrillation electrode and a sensing electrode spaced from the cardioversion/defibrillation electrode. A diode enclosure is mounted in the lead body between the cardioversion/defibrillation electrode and the sensing electrode, the diode enclosure having conductive end walls and including a diode or diodes therein coupled between the conductive end walls. The enclosure is also provided with a feedthrough tube extending through said enclosure, passing through the end walls. An elongated conductor extends through the lead body and through the feedthrough tube of said enclosure and is electrically coupled to the sensing electrode. The cardioversion/defibrillation electrode and the sensing electrode are each electrically coupled to one of the conductive end walls of the diode enclosure.

This invention relates to electrode leads for use in the detection and control of cardiac bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias, and particularly to a lead including cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes and pacing/sensing electrodes on a common lead body.
Research to provide an automatic implantable pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillator has been in progress for over twenty years and has led to the implantation in recent years of several versions of such systems. Over the same period of time, considerable research and development effort has been expended in the development of cardioversion and defibrillation leads. In this context, both unipolar and bipolar pacing and sensing have been employed. Recently, it has also been disclosed that biphasic cardioversion and defibrillation pulses provide substantial benefits.
The traditional approaches to adding pacing and sensing electrodes to cardioversion/defibrillation leads require a separate conductor for each pacing and sensing electrode and for each independently usable defibrillation electrode. Thus, bipolar sensing typically requires at least three conductors, and in the case of multiple cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes, four or more conductors. In embodiments employing multiple cardioversion/defibrillation electrodes, even unipolar sensing correspondingly typically requires at least three conductors. As the size and complexity of these leads increases with each additional conductor, a reduction of the number of conductors per lead is desirable.
In endocardial leads, a further complication arises. It is believed desirable in many cases to locate a right ventricular cardioversion/defibrillation electrode as close to the apex of the heart as possible. However, placement of one or two sense/pace electrodes at the distal end of the lead (a preferred location) typically results in location of the defibrillation electrode in a less apical location, in order to provide space for the pace/sense electrode or electrodes.
Bipolar sensing has been disclosed to be particularly effective in the detection of "near field" ECGs which are used for arrhythmia detection and or synchronization of delivered cardioversion and defibrillation shocks in some current devices. While workable, it is believed less than optimal to employ a small surface area pace/sense electrode in conjunction with a large surface area cardioversion/defibrillation electrode for sensing the near field ECG. The large surface area cardioversion electrode may extend over or near enough to conduction pathways which reflect both atrial and ventricular originated ECG components. If large enough, the "far field" components can in some cases be detected and confuse the tachyarrhythmia detection circuitry and algorithm of the pulse generator. Consequently, a number of references recommend the use of a separate pair of closely spaced, small surface area pace/sense electrodes for sensing. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,614.192, issued to Imran et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,375, issued to Bach, et al. It should also be Noted that Implantable pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillators currently in clinical testing, manufactured by Medtronic, Inc., employ ventricular endocardial leads as generally illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,696, issued to Mehra, which include a bipolar electrode pair for sensing, located adjacent the distal end of the lead, and a large surface area coil electrode located proximal to the bipolar pair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,440,172 describes a number of embodiments of pacing and cardioversion electrodes and leads which provide for unipolar pacing and sensing through the use of endocardial ventricular tip electrodes or an epicardial button electrodes paired with epicardial defibrillation electrodes. In one embodiment, a combined defibrillator-pacer system is depicted where the monophasic defibrillation shocks and pacing pulses are transmitted over the same conductor pair through the lead body but are routed to different electrodes on the basis of their polarity using steering diodes located within the lead. However, this approach would appear to be problematic in the event that biphasic cardioversion/defibrillation pulses were to be employed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,907, a transvenous, endocardial version lead is described which employs a pair of distal electrodes and a pair of proximal electrodes, which are respectively intended to be lodged in the ventricular apex of the right ventricular chamber of the heart and the superior vena cava. Each pair of electrodes is intended to be electrically connected in common by circuitry within the implantable cardioverter during cardioversion. However during sensing and pacing, the closely spaced distal ventricular electrodes are connected to an ECG sense amplifier and a pacing energy pulse generator. The lead also includes circuitry for limiting the voltage of shocks delivered by the lead. U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,009 discloses switching circuitry which controls the interconnection of the pulse generators, sense amp and electrodes during pacing, sensing and cardioversion in conjunction with a lead generally as illustrated in the '907 patent, but lacking the voltage limiting circuitry.
One additional proposed approach to reducing the numbers of lead conductors in cardioversion and defibrillation leads has been to allow a sensing or pacing electrode to share a conductor with a cardioversion or defibrillation electrode by inserting back-to-back zener diodes between the sensing or pacing electrode and the cardioversion or defibrillation electrode. Examples of such leads may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,253, issued to Mehra et al. and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Pacing and cardioversion lead systems with shared lead conductors


Methods and apparatus are provided for processing recyclable containers. In one embodiment, an assembly is provided which comprises an intake port, a plurality of densification devices each configured to densify a recyclable container, a computer-readable medium on which container information is stored, a scanning device for determining a characteristic of the container, and a processor which selects one of the plurality of densification devices to which the recyclable container should be conveyed based on the characteristic(s) determined by the scanning device.

Many states impose a cash deposit on beverage containers purchased by consumers to minimize litter and encourage recycling. For example, a number of states impose deposits of up to fifteen cents for each can, bottle and/or other container sold. Typically, after a consumer consumes the beverage stored in the container, the consumer presents the container at a return center (e.g., at a supermarket or standalone redemption center) for return of the deposit. The return center may subject the container to a recycling process through which the container is destroyed, so that the material from which the container is formed may be recovered for reuse. Containers may be formed of any of numerous materials, such as glass, plastic, aluminum, steel, and other materials.
The redemption center typically identifies a distributor for each type of container, and delivers the destroyed containers to the distributor for reimbursement. Typically, a redemption center receives a delivery of empty containers, sorts the containers (e.g., according to material), and identifies and counts the containers to provide this information to the distributor. The return center may crush or shred each container to reduce its volume, and package the containers in bulk for transportation to the distributor.
Often, the process of sorting and counting containers is performed manually, such that containers may be counted incorrectly or credit may be assigned in error for certain containers. For example, a redemption center processing a large delivery may fail to notice that the delivery contains containers for which no deposit was paid (e.g., containers which were purchased by a consumer in a state in which no deposit is imposed). Thus, a redemption center may incorrectly pay a consumer for delivered containers. In addition, the manual process of accounting for each container introduces the possibility that a redemption center may overstate the number of containers to a distributor, such that the distributor may overpay the redemption center.
Recently, some return centers have begun using "reverse vending machines" (RVMs) to receive containers from consumers. These machines may be configured to automatically receive specific types of recyclable containers, and count, identify and densify each container. Reverse vending machines may provide accounting information so that a consumer and return center may be reimbursed appropriately for containers delivered. However, many return centers are not equipped with reverse vending machines, as the cost may be prohibitive for smaller outlets, and the RVM process is inconvenient for consumers.

Methods and apparatus for processing recyclable containers


An ink tank is provided which can apply an optimum negative pressure stably by a valve of a simple structure. To this end, the ink tank of this invention has a valve and a damper section installed in an ink flow path. The valve deforms when the negative pressure in the ink supply port is greater than a predetermined level, to temporarily open the ink flow path to introduce ink from the ink accommodation portion to the ink supply port. The damper section is installed between and communicates to the ink supply port and the valve in the ink flow path. The damper section is formed of a resilient member more easily deformed than the valve and applies a negative pressure to the interior of the ink supply port by an elastic recovery force of the resilient member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink tank having an ink accommodation space therein and capable of supplying ink to the outside of the accommodation space while keeping a pressure in the accommodation space at a predetermined negative pressure at all times.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a conventional ink tank of this kind has a negative pressure generation means in the form of a valve structure constructed of a film disk and a spring, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-34041. This ink tank has an ink accommodation portion and an ink supply path formed between the ink accommodation portion and an ink supply port for supplying ink to a print head. In this ink supply path the negative pressure generation means is provided in the form of a valve structure. The valve structure of the negative pressure generation means has its film disk pressed against a valve seat by a biasing force of a spring to normally close the ink supply path. When, as a result of ink ejection from the print head, the negative pressure of ink in the supply path from the supply port to the film disk (a supply path on the supply port side) exceeds a predetermined level, the film disk parts from the valve seat against the biasing force of the spring to open the ink supply path. With the film disk open, ink is supplied from the ink accommodation portion to the supply port through the ink supply path. As a result, the negative pressure in the supply path on the supply port side returns to less than the predetermined level (i.e., the pressure increases) and the film disk is again pressed against the valve seat by the force of the spring to close the ink supply path.
In the conventional ink tank as described above, the negative pressure in the supply path on the supply port side is kept at less than a predetermined level by the open-close action of the film disk to maintain the pressure in the print head communicating with the ink supply path at a negative pressure. As a result, an appropriate meniscus is formed in each of the nozzles of the print head.
The ink tank disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-34041, however, has the following drawbacks. The use of a spring to bias the film disk increases the number of parts of the ink tank. In terms of assembly, an additional part, spring, may lower the manufacturing efficiency of the ink tank. If the spring is mounted at a deviated position, the biasing force applied to the film disk will vary. This necessitates an additional structure for restricting the spring mounting position. That is, a small component of spring must be assembled precisely by restricting its mounting position, which degrades an assembly efficiency of the ink tank. Furthermore, since the spring is in contact with ink, a material of the spring needs to be chosen which does not degrade the spring function upon contact with ink nor adversely affect the property of ink. An appropriate selection of the spring material is therefore difficult to make and, depending on circumstances, an ink composition may have to be changed.


Disclosed are a mask strip, a mask plate frame, a mask plate, and a welding method thereof. The mask strip includes a first welding region, a second welding region, and a pattern region between the first welding region and the second welding region. In addition, a bendable region is disposed both between the first welding region and the pattern region and between the second welding region and the pattern region.

Metal mask plates are currently widely used in the manufacture of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels.
The metal mask plate includes a mask plate frame and a metal mask strip. During use, the metal mask strip is fixed to the mask plate frame by steps such as net tensioning and welding. For example, two ends of the metal mask strip are clamped with a mechanical gripper, and then the metal mask strip is stretched to align a welding region of the metal mask strip with a welding region on the surface of the mask plate frame. The metal mask strip is welded to the mask plate frame by laser welding.

Mask strip, mask plate frame, mask plate and welding method thereof

Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


An air seeder has two tanks for holding seed or other particulate matter. Each tank has a metering device at the bottom to meter out the contents of the tanks. A panel is positioned to cover and uncover a hole between the two tanks such that it can direct the contents of one tank into the other and also block off the metering device of the one tank. The panel is connected to a handle that extends outside the tanks so the operator can move the panel without entering the tank.

Once common method of applying seed is to use an air seeding system or air seeder. Air seeding systems carry seed in one or more tanks that are coupled to manifolds. Each tank typically includes a metering device at the bottom, such as a rotating fluted wheel that transfers the seed or fertilizer from the bottom of the tank into an air-charged passageway just below the tank. Air is blown into the passageways and carries the seed or fertilizer into manifolds downstream that split into individual row seed tubes.
To provide flexibility, air seeding systems often use two or more tanks that are interconnected such that each can distribute seed or particulate matter separately, in separate air flow paths, or both can deliver seed together to a common air flow path. One common arrangement of such a system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,889.
In the system of the '889 patent, three tanks 17, 18, and 19 are disposed adjacent to each other on an air seeder cart to feed any one (or all) of three tubes A, B, and C. Air is blown by two fans 1A and 1B into each of these three tubes to carry the seed or other particulate matter down tubes A, B, and C and thence to manifolds on the planter.
Each tank feeds its own metering auger located at the bottom of the tank. However, center tank 18 can be configured to feed any of the three augers. Seed in center tank 18 always goes straight down into its own auger, since no means is provided to block that flow off. But tank 18 can also feed adjacent tanks 17 and 19 by removing two cover plates 29 located on either side of tank 18 near the bottom. These plates cover openings 27, 28 in the bottom of tank 18. These openings join tank 18 to tanks 17 and 19. Seed that passes through these openings falls into tank 17 and 19 and is then routed through metering augers for tanks 17 and 19. In this manner, two tanks can be joined to a common metering auger and outlet.
It is not easy to open or close openings 27 and 28, however. The openings 27, 28 are small rectangular holes disposed on either side of tank 18 inside tanks 17 and 19. They are only accessible from inside tanks 17 and 19, respectively.
Even when the plates 29 are removed, however, seed in tank 18 still travels down to the metering auger for tank 18. To insure that seed in tank 18 goes through openings 27, 28 to adjacent tanks 17, 19, the metering auger for tank 18 must be disabled.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved seeding system that permits the operator to shift the flow of seed from one tank with a first metering device to a second tank with a second metering device that does not require the operator to either (1) enter either tank, or (2) disable the first metering auger.
It is an object of this invention to provide such a seeding system.