A pressure vessel has a cylindrical side wall and a closed end joined to the side wall at a knuckle. The fatigue resistance of the pressure vessel is improved by autofrettage which moves a region of peak stress from the internal surface of the vessel to a region within the knuckle. Preferred are pressurized gas vessels of 6000 or 7000 series aluminum alloys.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns pressure vessels, for example, high pressure gas cylinders.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Such pressure vessels are currently manufactured in aluminium, steel and composite materials. These vessels need to have excellent fracture and fatigue properties. Repeated cycling of pressure inside the vessel causes the vessel to flex, and flexing encourages propagation of any cracks that may appear at the metal surface. Fatigue crack initiation and growth in such vessels occurs at those points where pressure cycling causes maximum flexing (change in strain). This invention concerns treatment of pressure vessels to improve their resistance to fatigue and prevention of premature burst failure.
An established method for improving the fatigue resistance of tubes and cylinders is known as autofrettage. This involves applying a pressure within the bore of the cylinder or tube sufficient to plastically deform the metal at the inner surface. The technique produces compressive residual stresses near the bore, and thus enhances the fatigue resistance of the tube or cylinder subjected to cyclic internal pressure loading. The technique has been applied to continuous lengths of thick walled tubing for at least 70 years.
Autofrettage has also been applied to pressure vessels known as full wrap cylinders, whereby generally a complete thin-walled metal e.g. aluminium inner liner is put into compression. This invention is not concerned with full wrap cylinders of that kind.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,113 describes the application of autofrettage to metallic pressure vessels, with the object of increasing the permissible internal pressure loading of the vessel. The invention involves performing autofrettage with the vessel at elevated temperature.
Fatigue failure of pressure vessels such as high pressure gas cylinders particularly those with flat bottoms normally occurs, not in the cylindrical wall, but at or adjacent the closed end of the vessel. This invention arises from the idea that the autofrettage technique might be used to improve the fatigue performance of such closed-end vessels.
In one aspect the invention provides a method of treating a pressure vessel of aluminium or an Al alloy, having a cylindrical side wall and a closed end and having, when at service pressure, at least one region of peak stress located at an internal or external surface of or adjacent the said closed end,
which method comprises subjecting the inside of the vessel to autofrettage by applying a pressure sufficient to plastically deform the said at least one region, said plastic deformation being confined to less than 25% of the wall thickness,
whereby the treated pressure vessel has the property that, when at elevated pressure, each region of peak stress is located away from any internal or external surface at a distance less than 25% of the wall thickness from said internal or external surface.
A region of peak stress is defined as one where the local stress decreases in all directions with increasing distance from the region.
An effect of this treatment is to reduce the absolute value of the peak stress (when the cylinder is under any pressure above atmospheric and less than the autofrettage pressure) in the region of stress raisers (discussed below), and to move the position of peak stress away from a surface of the vessel. Thus in another aspect the invention provides a pressure vessel of aluminium or an Al alloy having an axis, a cylindrical side wall and a closed end joined to the side wall at a knuckle, and having the property that, when at elevated pressure, a region of peak stress is located, within the material of the vessel away from any internal or external surface at a distance less than 25% of the wall thickness from said internal or external surface, in the knuckle and/or axially of the vessel in the closed end. Preferably the said region of peak stress is located within the material of the vessel at least 0.5 mm away from any internal or external surface.
Surface flaws are tears, pits, creases and are typically up to 1-200 xcexcm deep. If regions of peak stress coincide with these surface flaws, they tend to propagate. Moving regions of peak stress at leas 0.55 mm into the interior of the material of the vessel should reduce or avoid this problem.
Autofrettage is normally performed at ambient temperature. At temperatures substantially above ambient, the creep properties of aluminium become more pronounced, and this progressively reduces the beneficial effects of autofrettage.
The vessel may be of any aluminium (including alloys where aluminium is the major component) material that can be formed into an appropriate shape and provide sufficient properties such as mechanical strength, toughness and fatigue and corrosion resistance. Among aluminium alloys, those of the 2000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 Series have been used to make pressure vessels and are preferred for this invention. The vessel is preferably formed by extrusion.
Although hot extrusion according to the invention is possible, cold or warm extrusion is preferred as being a lower cost procedure. Cold or warm extrusion may also give rise to an extrudate having a better combination of strength and toughness properties. The preferred technique is backward extrusion. This technique involves the use of a recess, generally cylindrical, with parallel side walls, and a ram to enter the recess, dimensioned to leave a gap between itself and the side walls equal to the desired thickness of theextrudate. An extrusion billet is positioned in the recess. The ram is driven into the billet and effects extrusion of the desired hollow body in a backwards direction. The forward motion of the ram stops at a distance from the bottom of the recess equal to the desired thickness of the base of the extruded hollow body. Extrusion speed, the speed with which the extrudate exits from the recess, is not critical but is typically in the range 50-500 cm/min. Lubrication can substantially reduce the extrusion pressure required.
The initial extrudate is cup-shaped, with a base, parallel side walls and an open top. The top is squared off and heated, typically induction heated to 350-450xc2x0 C., prior to the formation of a neck by swaging or spinning. The resulting hollow bodyis solution heat treated, quenched, generally into col water, and finally aged.
The requirements of backward extrusion place constraints on the shape of the closed end of the resulting vessel, particularly the base and a knuckle by which the base is joined to the cylindrical side wall. Other production techniques may place other constraints on the geometry of the vessel.
The inventors have performed finite element analysis which shows tht the major stress raisers in such hollow bodies are located in two places: on the inside of the vessel at the knuckle where the base joins the side wall; and on the outside of the vessel at the centre of the base. The relative values of these stress raisers may depend on the cylinder wall and base thicknesses, the dimensions particularly the diameter of the vessel, and the particular base geometry chosen, especially the internal base radius of the knuckle. The method of the invention involves applying a pressure within the vessel sufficient to cause plastic deformation of the metal at one or both of these regions. The applied pressure must obviously not be so great as to burst the vessel, and is preferably less than that required to cause plastic deformation of metal throughout the thickness of the base or knuckle. The applied pressure may be such as not significantly to plastically deform the side wall of the vessel. Alternatively, any plastic deformation of metal in the side wall should be confined to a region at or adjacent the inner surface thereof, e.g. less than 25% and preferably less than 10% of the wall thickness.
The effectiveness of autofrettage in improving fatigue performance does depend on the design of the closed end of the pressure vessel. Thus for example pressure vessels with hemispherical closed ends do not have regions of peak stress and do not show the advantages of autofrettage described herein. More usually, the closed ends of pressure vessels will have semi-ellipsoidal or torispherical dish shapes, and the fatigue resistance of these can generally be improved by autofrettage as described herein. For further description of these shaped ends, reference is directed to an ASME boiler and Pressure Vessel Publication Code 1, Section VIII, Divisions 1 and 2. The effect of end shape is further described in Example 7 below. As there explained, positive advantages do result from designing a pressure vessel with a closed end joined to a cylindrical side wall by a knuckle whose fatigue properties can be improved by autofrettage.
Aluminium high pressure gas cylinders are usually designed so that the stress in the cylindrical side wall at service pressure does not exceed half the alloy yield stress, and that the cylinder burst pressure is at least 2.25 times the operating pressure. In a 7000 Series alloy cylinder having for example a yield stress of 450 MPa, the design should be such that wall stresses do not exceed 225 MPa. Bearing in mind the required burst pressure, it is possible to calculate the degree of over-pressurisation needed for the internal surface of the cylindrical side wall to start to yield. (Wall stresses at the service pressure are higher at the internal surface unless an autofrettage effect is involved). Calculations for a 175 mm diameter 7000 series alloy cylinder having yield atrength of 450 MPa and a wall thickness of 7.9 mm show that pressurisation to at least 85% and often more than 95% of the burst pressure is needed before the stresses in the cylinder side walls exceed the yield stress. Thus treatment of these cylinders by autofrettage is possible under conditions which do not cause plastic deformation in the side wall. Indeed such treatment is advantageous, for autofrettage at pressures close to the actual burst pressure may lead to problems in manufacture owing to variability in material properties, which for example may lead to unwanted permanent expansion ofthe cylinder (BS 5045: Part 3: 1984, Section 20.4, Volumetric Expansion Test) and therefore would not be recommended as a commercial practice.
The autofrettage pressure is likely to be from 75 to 95%, e.g. 75 to 90%, of the burst pressure of the vessel. A finite element analysis of the effects of the over-pressurisation can be performed to show that the right sort of residual stresses are obtained.
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a useful and powerful technique for determining stresses and strains in structures or components too complex to analyse by strictly analytical methods. With this technique, the structure or component is broken down into many small pieces (finite number of elements) of various types, sizes and shapes. The elements are assumed to have a simplified pattern of deformation (linear or quadratic etc.) and are connected at xe2x80x9cnodesxe2x80x9d normally located at corners or edges of the elements. The elements are then assembled mathematically using basic rules of structural mechanics, i.e. equilibrium of forces and continuity of displacements, resulting in a large system of simultaneous equations. By solving this large simultaneous equation system with the help of a computer, the deformed shape of the structure or component under load may be obtained. Based on that, stresses and strains may be calculated (See xe2x80x9cThe Finite Element Methodxe2x80x9d, 3rd Edition, the third expanded and revised section of xe2x80x9cThe finite element method in Engineering Sciencexe2x80x9d, O. C. Zienkiewicz, McGraw Hill Book Company (UK) Ltd, 1977).
The results of such finite element analysis are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, each of which is a von Mises Stress Plot of the lower part of the cylindrical side wall, the knuckle and half the base of an aluminium high pressure gas cylinder repressurised to 24.1 MPa. These were generated using a commercially available ANSYS computer programme, versions 5.0 or 5.1.
These FIGS. 1 and 2 show part of a 175 mm diameter cylinder having a particular base profile, a burst pressure of 49.7 to 51.8 MPa and an assumed working pressure of 24.13 MPa (i.e. 1.17 times the normal design service pressure). The von Mises plot of the residual stress is a useful guide to the stress distribution. In each figure, contour lines within the wall and base of the pressure vessel are lines of equal stress value, the values of which are indicated by the letters A to I.
Referring to FIG. 1, the highest von Mises stress components are shown at the inner surface of the internal knuckle radius (371 MPa) and at the external surface in the centre of the base (377 MPa).
FIG. 2 shows the position again at the assumed working pressure of 24.13 MPa but after autofrettage at 44.82 MPa (i.e. 90% of the theoretical burst pressure). The peak von Mises stress at the knuckle has been reduced to 145 MPa and is positioned a few mm away from the internal surface. The peak stress at the centre of the base has been reduced to a value below 282 MPa and is now positioned several mm from the external surface. In both cases, the depth of the peak stress component is now much greater than the depth of any likely surface flaw. These two effects, the reduction in peak stress and its location change should lead to significant increases in the number of loading cycles needed to initiate fatigue crack from a surface flaw.
These computer predictions are borne out in practice, as demonstrated in the examples below.
Any point in a gas cylinder is in a complex stress state, that is, each point is stressed in more than one direction, such as stresses in the hoop direction, in the radial direction and in the longitudinal direction.
Description of Stress at a Point and Principal Stresses:
In solid mechanics, it is convenient to describe stress at a point within a component or a structure on an infinitesimal cube which centres on the point and whose faces are normal to the axes of a chosen coordinate system. The stress is resolved into three normal stresses and six shear stresses acting on the faces of the cube. Since the choice of the coordinate system and its orientation is somewhat arbitrary or for the convenience of analysis, the levels of the normal and shear stresses may vary with the orientation of the coordinate system. There exists a special orientation of the coordinating system. On the faces of the infinitesimal cube aligned to this particular coordinate system, there are only resolved normal stresses and no resolved shear stresses. These special resolved normal stresses are called principal stresses ("sgr"1, "sgr"2, "sgr"3). The maximum principal stress ("sgr"1) is the greatest of the three and the minimum principal stress ("sgr"3) the least.
von Mises Stress: The mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity, yield stress, work hardening and plastic deformation beyond yielding, etc.) of a ductile material such as an aluminium alloy are normally established through tensile tests. Tensile tests are carried out under uniaxial stress conditions. Stress-strain curves are obtained. In order to conduct stress analysis on a multi-axially stressed component or structure, it is necessary to establish a correlation between the multi-axial stress-strain relationship and the uniaxial stress-strain relationship, especially in the situation of material yielding where Hooke""s law is no longer applicable. von Mises proposed a yield criterion which as been generally accepted as the most suitable for the ductile materials.
Beyond yield, the von Mises stress and equivalent strain (defined in a similar form to von Mises stress) will follow the tensile stress-strain curve. Therefore, von Mises stress may be generally used to assess the severity of the stress state at any point of a component or structure, except when the component or structure is predominantly under hydrostatic tension. A gas cylinder is not under such stress condition.


An intermediate, and a mailer type business form constructed from the intermediate, can be imaged on both sides and easily formed into a final product having four panels. A sheet of paper has first and second faces with first and second longitudinal marginal portions formed by first and second longitudinal perforations parallel to the longitudinal edges of the sheet. Pressure seal adhesive is disposed in longitudinally elongated patterns in the first and second longitudinal marginal portions on the first face, and first, second and third fold lines formed in the sheet divide the sheet into first, second, third and fourth panels of substantially equal size. Other elongated patterns of pressure seal adhesive are disposed in the first and second longitudinal marginal portions of the second face. The sheet is devoid of adhesive extending along the ends of the sheet, or parallel to the ends. The mailer is printed with information on the entire first face, and on the third and fourth panels of the second face, and an outgoing address, and directions for opening of the mailer, are provided on the second face of the first and/or second panel.

There is an ever present need for different types of mailer type business forms to accommodate a wide variety of different requirements of mailer customers. A number of simple and elegant mailers have been developed for use with pressure sealing systems, such as the SpeediSealer.RTM. pressure seal equipment manufactured by Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill. Such mailers include V-fold, C-fold, and Z-fold types, with various patterns of pressure seal adhesive adjacent the longitudinal edges, and extending at the ends of the sheet forming the mailer transverse to the longitudinal edges.
According to the present invention, another type of mailer is provided which is useful in situations where it is desirable to provide only a single sheet construction, but where a great deal of information need be printed on the mailer. The mailer according to the invention is double folded to provide four panels of substantially the same size, each panel substantially the same size as the panels in a conventional C-fold or Z-fold mailer. While the invention is not limited to use with pressure seal adhesive (utilizable with the Moore SpeediSealer.RTM. system), it is particularly suited for such use. Because of the particular type of construction, no adhesive need be provided transverse to the longitudinal edges of the sheet of paper forming the mailer.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a mailer type business form intermediate is provided. The intermediate comprises the following elements: A sheet of paper having a first face adapted to provide the majority of the interior of the mailer when constructed, and a second face adapted to provide the exterior of the mailer when constructed. The sheet having first and second opposite parallel longitudinal edges, and opposite end edges. First and second longitudinal lines of weakness formed in the sheet parallel to and adjacent, but spaced from, the first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, the lines of weakness defining, with the longitudinal edges, first and second longitudinal margin portions. First and second longitudinal elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the first longitudinal marginal portion of the first face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance between the opposite ends of the sheet. Third and fourth longitudinal elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the second longitudinal marginal portion of the first face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance between the opposite ends of the sheet. First, second and third fold lines formed in the sheet each perpendicular to the longitudinal edges, and dividing the sheet into, in sequence, first, second, third, and fourth panels of substantially equal size. Fifth and sixth elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the first longitudinal marginal portion of the second face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance in the dimension of the longitudinal edges in the third and fourth panels. And seventh and eighth elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the second longitudinal marginal portion of the second face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance in the dimension of the longitudinal edges in the third and fourth panels.
The sheet is preferably devoid of adhesive extending along the end edges of the sheet, or parallel to the end edges of the sheet. The first through eighth patterns are preferably discontinuous strips of pressure seal adhesive, being provided so that at no point along either of the longitudinal edges is there more than one pattern of adhesive on a face and in a particular marginal portion. The sheet preferably has dimensions of about 16 inches by about 8.5 inches, with tractor drive strips extending along the end edges, which tractor drive strips are severed before the final mailer is formed. The lines of weakness are typically perforations.
The invention also comprises a mailer type business form. The mailer type business form comprises: A double folded paper sheet having first and second faces, first and second opposite longitudinal edges, opposite end edges, and first, second and third transverse fold lines, perpendicular to the longitudinal edges, defining in sequence first, second, third, and fourth panels of substantially equal size. First and second longitudinal lines of weakness formed in the sheet parallel to and adjacent, but spaced from, the first and second longitudinal edges, respectively, the lines of weakness defining, with the longitudinal edges, first and second longitudinal marginal portions. First and second longitudinal elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the first longitudinal marginal portion of the first face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance between the opposite end edges of the sheet. Third and fourth longitudinal elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the second longitudinal marginal portion of the first face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance between the opposite ends of the sheet. Fifth and sixth elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the first longitudinal marginal portion of the second face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance in the dimension of the longitudinal edges in the third and fourth panels. And seventh and eighth elongated patterns of adhesive disposed in the second longitudinal marginal portion of the second face, parallel to the longitudinal edges, and collectively covering substantially the entire distance in the dimension of the longitudinal edges in the third and fourth panels. The second and third panel first faces, and the first and fourth panel first faces, being in contact with each other, and the third and fourth panel second faces being in contact with each other, the panels held in those positions by the elongated adhesive patterns.
The entire first face and the third and fourth panels of the second face preferably have indicia (such as information) printed thereon. The second face of one or both of the first and second panels also has outgoing address information printed thereon. Also, indicia may be provided in at least one of the first and second longitudinal marginal portions of the second face to advise a user of the mailer how to open the mailer.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a mailer type business form that is simple to construct and utilize, and can contain a great detail of information. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.


Some embodiments may include a method assessing whether a dynamic focus module in a three axis galvanometric scanning system (three-axis GSS) is associated with a focus calibration error. The method may include identifying a reference layer associated with a surface of the work piece and positive and negative offset distances each a difference distance above or below the reference layer, respectively, and selecting a target pattern based on the offset distances, wherein the pattern includes an individual line for each offset distance. The method may include commanding the three-axis GSS to draw the target pattern on the work piece, and then assessing whether the dynamic focus module is associated with the focus calibration error by correlating laser marking artifacts on the work piece to ones of the individual lines of the selected pattern. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Fiber lasers are widely used in industrial processes (e.g., cutting, welding, cladding, heat treatment, etc.) In some fiber lasers, the optical gain medium includes one or more active optical fibers with cores doped with rare-earth element(s). The rare-earth element(s) may be optically excited ("pumped") with light from one or more semiconductor laser sources.
Fiber laser systems may be used in laser marking machines. In one type of laser marking machine, both the laser source and the work piece are stationary and galvo (galvanometric) mirrors move the laser beam across a surface of the work piece.
In a 2D galvo system, an X-Y scan head module including two mirrors each rotatable by a galvanometric motor is located along a laser beam path between a laser device and a work piece to be marked, cut, engraved, or the like, by the laser beam. The first galvanometric motor may operate to rotate its mirror to reposition the laser beam along the work piece with respect to a first axis (the X direction). The second galvanometric motor may operate to rotate its mirror to reposition the laser beam along the work piece with respect to a second orthogonal axis (the Y direction).
A 3D galvo system is similar, except that a dynamic focus module may be used in addition to the X-Y scan head module (say, along the light path between the X-Y scan head module and the laser device). In the dynamic focus module, one or more lenses move relative to the laser device to move a point of focus of the laser beam along a third axis (the Z direction) that is orthogonal to the first and second axes, which enables three dimensional laser cutting of the work piece.
In both 2D and 3D GSSs, precision movement of the mirrors is needed to ensure that the laser marks the work piece as intended. A validation may be performed at any time to check the "aim" of the laser system (whether the laser system marks a selected location on the work piece in response to a command to mark that selected location). In a known validation test, a test point on the work piece is chosen, and then the GSS is commanded to draw lines intersecting at the chosen point, such as a X shaped marking feature or a + shaped marking feature. If the chosen point is not marked appropriately, e.g., the intersection of the X shaped or + shaped marking feature is discernably non-aligned with the chosen point, the system fails the validation test. A calibration process may be repeated on the system failing calibration validation.
Whereas a miscalibration of the mirrors may be exhibited by a laser mark that is "off target," a miscalibration of the dynamic focus module may be exhibited by poor mark quality. This is because the focus point that dynamically changes as the galvo points about the X-Y plane may be above or below and intended focus point, meaning the laser is not correctly focuses on the location to be processed (which may result in poor processing performance, and hence poor mark quality).

Focus assessment in dynamically focused laser system


An improved bass drum foot pedal having a variable drive lever linkage with variable arc ratios connecting the foot pedal to the beater arm and having an electronic device actuator carried by a beater support member and adjustable to vary the impact force and strike point of the actuator, said actuator being operable with or without said pedal being attached to a drum.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to foot pedals for bass drums and is particularly directed to improved bass drum foot pedals having adjustable drive action and which are capable of use with or without electronic enhancement.
2. Prior Art
Foot pedals have long been used for striking bass drums, since the use of a foot pedal frees both of the drummer's hands for use with snare drums, cymbals or other devices. However, most prior art bass drum pedals have been constructed with a fixed drive action. This means that the drummer must vary the force with which the beater impacts the drum head by varying the force applied by the drummer's foot. Unfortunately, some drummers have a "heavier foot" than others and, hence, must constantly guard against causing the beater to strike the drum head too vigorously, while other drummers have a very "light foot" and, consequently, must exert conscious effort to effect a desired beater impact. Some attempts have been made to provide adjustable drive action. However, the adjustable drive action foot pedals of the prior art have been complex and expensive to produce and have been difficult to adjust and maintain. Furthermore, in recent years, electronic enhancement has become widely popular. As a result, some drummers completely replace the bass drum with electronic devices and use foot pedals to actuate the electronic devices. Alternatively, some drummers use both real bass drums and electronic enhancement devices. However, the actuation mechanisms needed for electronic drum simulators is considerably different that needed for actuating a conventional bass drum beater, although it is desirable that both be operable by means of foot pedals. Consequently, some drummers have chosen to use either real bass drums or electronic devices exclusively, while others have used the two alternatively, having separate pedals for actuating the respective types of drum. Still others have attempted to combine the actuation mechanisms for both the real bass drums and the electronic devices. However, most of the prior art combination actuators have provided unbalanced results, with either the real drum or the electronic device being too loud. Thus, none of the prior art bass drum foot pedals have been entirely satisfactory.


An instruction word is used to transfer information about whether the instruction word pertains to mode setting of a functional block. Instruction words included in the program code are processed in at least a first decoding step and a second decoding step, wherein in the first decoding step, said information included in the instruction word is examined. On the basis of the examination, it is determined whether the mode of one or more functional blocks is to be set or whether the second decoding step is to be taken, in which the instruction word is decoded to be run by one or more of said functional blocks. The invention also relates to a processor and an electronic device, in which the method can be implemented. The invention further relates to a program, in which a program code is provided for implementing the method.

There are known processors which comprise one or more functional blocks in addition to a core. Such functional blocks may include, for example, a bus controller, an input/output interface, a direct memory access (DMA), a timer, etc. Furthermore, the processor core may include various functional components for instruction fetch, instruction decode, the management of processor registers, etc. In addition, the core may comprise one or more arithmetic logic units, multiplication units, divider units, floating point units, interrupt controllers, etc.
In program codes applied in conventional processors, one instruction word refers to the operation of one or more functional blocks, such as data retrieval from a memory toga register, starting of a timer, addition of two numbers, etc. Typically, the length of such instruction words is in the order of one to four bytes. Also, processors have been developed to apply very long instruction words, (VLIW), whose length may be several bytes. Thus, such a very long instruction word can be used for the transmission of an instruction even for each functional unit of the processor. The instruction word is thus divided into elements, in which each element contains an instruction for a given functional block. By means of such an arrangement, it is possible to accelerate the processing of program codes to some extent, because the number of steps to retrieve the instructions is reduced. The decoding of very long instructions can also be divided into parts, wherein each functional unit is provided with a separate decoder to perform the decoding of the instructions for this functional unit. Several decoders can thus decode parts of an instruction word substantially simultaneously.
The performance of processors has been continuously increasing. For example, the clock frequencies of processors have multiplied within a few recent years. However, the increase in the performance also causes problems, because the power consumption rises in proportion to the increase in the clock frequency. On the other hand, the power consumption can be reduced to some extent by reducing the operating voltage, as the power consumption is proportional to the square of the change in the operating voltage. Nevertheless, the operating voltage cannot be limitlessly reduced without affecting the reliability of operation and, on the other hand, the increase in the clock frequency sets its own limits to the reduction of the operating voltage.
Particularly, the increase in the power consumption causes problems in portable devices, in which the operating voltage is provided by batteries. The capacity of the batteries is limited, wherein it would be advantageous to adjust the power consumption according to the need of use. On the other hand, increased power consumption will also lead to increased warming-up, which causes problems in the arrangement of cooling and may also shorten the lifetime of the processor.
In some processors, the power control is implemented by monitoring the temperature and power consumption of the processor, wherein the operating voltage and/or the clock frequency are adjusted when necessary. Another solution applied for controlling the power consumption is based on setting some of the functional blocks of the processor in a power saving mode or turning them completely off at the stage when no operations are being processed in the functional block. Such techniques are based on the use of specific instruction words or flags. Thus, the program code is provided with either a program command to set the mode of a functional block as desired, or the instruction word is used to set a specific flag (bit or bit sequence) whose state will determine the mode of a given functional block. However, such methods have e.g. the problem that the decoding of the instruction words (e.g. Huffman decoding) must be performed normally also for those functional blocks which have been set in a power saving mode. The decoding of instruction words is very power-consuming, wherein such a solution is not advantageous for use in processors applying the architecture of very long instruction words. Furthermore, such a method cannot be used in such processor architectures in which the number of instructions in one instruction word is different from the number of functional units in the processor. It is obvious that said Huffman decoding is only an example of a decoding method but also other decoding methods are known which can be used in connection with processors.
In processors of prior art, the internal modes of functional blocks in the core cannot be set block by block but as a unit. Thus, if the core is set in a power-saving mode, the functional blocks of the core cannot be used, wherein e.g. the decoding of instructions will be stopped. Correspondingly, if the core is in the normal mode, also all the functional blocks of the core will be in the normal mode and will consume power, irrespective of whether they are used or not.
FIG. 1 shows, as a functional diagram, a decoding arrangement for instruction words used in a prior art processor e.g. for power saving. Each instruction word is provided with one or more flags which are used to control the power saving of the functional blocks in the processor. The instruction word prefetch block, fetches 101 the instruction word 102 to be performed next and transfers one or more flags 103 for controlling e.g. power saving to a decoder for their interpretation. The decoder transfers 104 the interpretation data to control registers, of which each sets 105, in a corresponding manner, the mode of a given functional block to a power saving mode or to the normal mode according to the value of the flag in the instruction word. In the processor according to this arrangement, instruction words must be decoded all the time so that the power saving flags can be interpreted.

System for controlling operation of a processor based on information contained within instruction word


A mobile device having a camera control system and a method of controlling a camera are provided. The camera control system determines a specific brightness value from at least one of a brightness value of a subject and a surrounding brightness value, and performs a camera setting to adjust exposure time and gain according to the determined specific brightness value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to camera control technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a camera control system, mobile device and method for allowing a much faster entry or transition into a camera-ready state by rapidly adjusting a camera setting value for an automatic brightness control of a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a remarkable growth of related technologies, mobile devices are becoming increasing popular as a result of portability thereof. Particularly, mobile devices today outgrow their respective traditional fields and hence reach a mobile convergence stage in which a single mobile device has the ability to support various user functions.
Meanwhile, according to the related art, most recent mobile devices have a built-in camera module that provides a digital camera function. Users of such mobile devices may obtain an image of the subject for photography (e.g., capture an image) through a camera module and save the obtained (e.g., captured) image therein or send the obtained (e.g., captured image) to another device (e.g., another mobile device). According to the related art, a mobile device having a camera module performs an automatic brightness control function to adjust the brightness of the subject during photography (e.g., image capture). Therefore, even though a user does not adjust the brightness of an image, the user can take a photograph (e.g., capture an image) with suitable brightness.
With an automatic brightness control function invoked, a mobile device having a camera module collects dozens of frames so as to automatically adjust the brightness of the subject, evaluates the brightness of the collected frames, and determines whether such brightness agrees with a predetermined brightness. Thus, a mobile device according to the related art requires considerable time from the activation of a camera module to an entry into a camera-ready state capable of shooting. However, the considerable time from the activation of a camera module to an entry into the camera-ready state capable of shooting for mobile devices according to the related art often causes inconvenience to a user when the user desires to obtain an image of the instant that something happens. Namely, even if a user turns on a camera module so as to capture a specific instant, the user would be apt to miss the desired scene because a camera module takes too much time to enter into a camera-ready state. To solve this problem, a camera module may be maintained in a turn-on state. However, due to unnecessary power consumption, such a solution is not recommended in view of efficient use of a camera.
Therefore, a need exists for a mobile device and a method for allowing a much faster entry or transition into a camera-ready state. For example, a need exists for a mobile device and a method for allowing a much faster entry or transition into a camera-ready state by rapidly adjusting a camera setting value for an automatic brightness control of a camera.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Camera brightness control system, mobile device having the system, and camera brightness control method


The X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray generator to generate and emit X-rays, an X-ray detector to detect the emitted X-rays and acquire X-ray data, and a controller to convert the X-ray data into X-ray characteristic coordinates and estimate a response characteristic function of the X-ray detector from a relationship between measurement data and reference data, the measurement data and the reference data being converted into the X-ray characteristic coordinates.

1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to an X-ray imaging apparatus and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly, to an X-ray imaging apparatus which passes multiple-energy band X-rays through an object to generate an X-ray image and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An X-ray imaging apparatus irradiates an object with X-rays and analyzes X-rays having passed through the object to examine an internal structure of the object. X-ray permeability may differ according to tissues constituting the object. Thus, intensity of X-rays having passed through the object is detected to image the internal structure of the object.
In detail, an X-ray generator generates X-rays and irradiates the object with the X-rays. Then, an X-ray detector detects X-rays having passed through the object, converts the detected X-rays into an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to a controller.
The controller generates an X-ray image of the object using the electrical signal transmitted from the X-ray detector. Image quality, resolution, accuracy, or the like of the X-ray image may differ according to the response characteristics of the X-ray detector.

X-ray imaging apparatus and method of controlling the same


The present invention provides devices and techniques for replacing at least one processor in a multi-processor computer system with an interposer device that maintains at least some of the input/output (“I/O”) connectivity of the replaced processor or processors. Layers of the interposer device may be configured to match the corresponding layers of the motherboard to which the processors and interposer device are attached. According to some implementations of the invention, the power system of the motherboard is altered to allow a voltage regulator that powers a link between a processor and the interposer device to also power a link between the interposer device and an I/O device.

The present invention relates generally to multi-processor computer systems. A relatively new approach to the design of multi-processor systems replaces broadcast communication such as bus or ring architectures among processors with a point-to-point data transfer mechanism in which the processors communicate similarly to network nodes in a tightly-coupled computing system. That is, the processors are interconnected via a plurality of communication links and requests are transferred among the processors over the links according to routing tables associated with each processor. The intent is to increase the amount of information transmitted within a multi-processor platform per unit time.
In some multi-processor systems, local nodes (including processors, input/output (I/O) devices, etc.) are directly connected to each other through a plurality of point-to-point intra-cluster links to form a cluster of two or more processors. The point-to-point links significantly increase the bandwidth for coprocessing and multiprocessing functions.
However, it is sometimes desirable to eliminate one or more of the processors in a cluster designed for multiple processors. For example, some customers will not require the processing capabilities of all processors and may prefer a lower-cost machine having fewer processors. Such customers will generally want to maintain all of the I/O capability of a machine with a full complement of processors. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide techniques for reducing the number of processors on a motherboard designed to accommodate multiple processors, while maintaining most or all of the input/output capability of the original design.


A switch used with steering column assemblies includes a switch mechanism provided at the end of a switch lever. To provide a low-priced and reliable connection between the switch, mechanism and connector contacts in the housing of the steering column switch, a flexible conductor foil is used. The foil is not laid within the hollow interior of the switch lever. The switch lever is rather formed of two parts between which the conductor foil is guided. In advantageous embodiments, the contacts of the conductor foil are directly used as stationary switch contacts, the switch lever is manufactured by utilizing internal gas pressure, and the switching foil contacts are reinforced with contact plates.

The present invention relates to a switch for automotive vehicles, in particular, a switch used in steering column assemblies. In switches of this type, connections are to be established between the contacts usually cast into a base plate and the connector contacts of the switch.
It is known per se to guide contact plates cast into the base plate as contact pins out of the casing so that the stationary contacts and the connectors are interconnected by integrally formed contact plates. However, measures of that type are feasible only if the number of connectors guided out of the switch is not excessively high and the connecting track between the stationary contacts and the connectors is short. Conversely, in a number of switches the stationary contacts are at a large distance from the connectors, as, for example, in switches used with steering column assemblies wherein switching contacts are housed in the rotatable or telescopic lever end of the switch lever. Contacts of the afore-described type are shown, for example, in DE-AS 2853746 according to which the stationary contacts arranged within the handle are guided via movable conduits in the interior of the switch lever to the switch casing on the steering column assembly. The connection of the switches to the contacts involves relatively high efforts.
It is the object of the invention to provide a simpler solution which, on the one hand, does not require any special technique for establishing a connection between the stationary contacts and the flexible connecting conduits and, on the other hand, eliminates the need to guide the connecting conduits through the interior of the switch lever.


The invention provides an ink which has a higher fixation of a recorded matter, is more excellent in stability and reliability of the ink, and allows a recorded matter of high image quality to be obtained stably, a recorded image, an inkjet recording method, and devices using such an ink. The invention provides an aqueous ink including micromicelles which are dispersed in a transparent single phase in water, characterized in that the micromicelles are comprised of a combination of two or more surfactants which exhibit an opaque or translucent dispersed state in water and a compound having an alkyl group and having only a hydroxyl group as a water-soluble group, and an inkjet recording method, devices and a recorded image, using the aqueous ink.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aqueous ink (hereinafter also referred to as ink), an inkjet printing method using the aqueous ink, a recorded matter obtained by the printing method, and devices using such an ink. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for making practical a surfactant which cannot be used or can be used only in a very small amount in an ink under normal conditions due to its low HLB (a surfactant which is very poor in solubility in an ink, and is separated and precipitated in a state in which an ink containing the surfactant is stored).
2. Related Background Art
Various studies and reports have been made for inks for use in writing implements and inks for inkjet recording for the purpose of improving image quality of the obtained recorded matter and fixation and reliability of the ink. For example, as methods for improving fixation of a recorded matter, a method in which water-soluble alcohol is incorporated in an aqueous ink, a method in which a highly hydrophobic water-soluble organic solvent, e.g., cellosolve is incorporated in an aqueous ink, and the like have been proposed. However, incorporation of the above compounds in an ink in a large amount improves fixation but degrades quality of a recorded matter. Moreover, use of the above compounds may cause problems as to inflammability of an ink and safety of human bodies.
On the other hand, a method in which a water-soluble surfactant is incorporated in an ink to improve fixation of a recorded matter is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-132643. It can be said that this method is preferable in terms of safety, but the viscosity of an ink increases as the content of the surfactant in the ink is increased for improving fixation of the recorded matter. For example, if the method is used for an inkjet printing method, reliability including ink ejection is impaired. If the surfactant is added in an ink in a large amount for further improvement of fixation, the ink may spread on the surface of a recording medium to degrade image quality of the obtained recorded matter.
On the other hand, it is proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-256696 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-253599 that a hydrophilic surfactant is used in conjunction with a highly hydrophobic surfactant to improve fixation of a recorded matter. However, the amount of such a highly hydrophobic surfactant capable of being used in an ink is very small. Thus, fixation cannot be considerably improved compared to the conventional method using a water-soluble surfactant.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-71543, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H8-183921, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-9911, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-220376, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-140058, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-125313, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-265727, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-279067, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-217031, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-256696, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-130551 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-262026, various propositions are made for the method in which a hydrophobic compound is used in an ink. Among them, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-71543, it is proposed that a water-insoluble material such as water-insoluble ethylene oxide, propylene oxide oil, water-insoluble alcohol or water-insoluble aldehyde is dissolved using an acid such as benzoic acid or xylene sulfonic acid, salt thereof, resorcin or the like, and using a co-solvent such as 2-pyrrolidone or glycol ester as required. However, in the above proposition, a water-insoluble material is dissolved using an acid or salt thereof, ester compound or polar compound, and therefore undesirable effects are produced on safety of human bodies, and solutes of internal additives and the like emerge in a member contacting an ink from the member to produce undesirable effects on stability and reliability of the ink. Moreover, if the acid or salt thereof is used in a large amount, precipitation easily occurs in the ink, or around an ink eject hole in the case of the inkjet recording method, for example, and thus reliability of the ink or in recording is impaired. Especially in the inkjet recording method, the influence may be significant because the size of ejected ink droplets is small.

Aqueous ink, ink cartridge using the same, inkjet printing method and recorded matter


A rotating apparatus includes a separating member, at least one movable magnet, and at least one passive magnet. The separating member is made of a nonmagnetic material, and interposed between the movable magnet and the passive magnet. The movable magnet is relatively shifted from the separating member along one surface of the separating member, and N-pole and S-pole of the movable magnet are arranged along the one surface of the separating member. The passive magnet is placed on the other surface of the separating member, and coupled with the movable magnet by magnetic force. When the movable magnet and the separating member are shifted relatively to each other, the passive magnet is shifted along the movable magnet and rotated on the other surface of the separating member.

A conventional rotating apparatus using a magnet has a structure in which a passive magnet, coupled with a movable magnet by magnetic force, is rotated by the rotation of the movable magnet using a driving motor. The above-described rotating apparatus is mainly used in the case in which an output shaft of the driving motor cannot be directly connected to a driven object. For example, where an intermediate member is interposed between the output shaft of the driving motor and a rotary shaft of the rotating object, the output shaft of the motor cannot be directly connected to the rotary shaft of the rotating object using a power transmission device, such as a gear or a pulley. In such a case, the rotary force of the driving motor is transmitted to the passive magnet coupled with the movable magnet by the magnetic force by employing a rotating apparatus using a magnet, even though a nonmagnetic intermediate member, which does not affect the magnetic force, is interposed between the movable magnet and passive magnet.
Magnetic couplings such as described have been widely employed by, for example, stirring machines used in chemical laboratories, in toys, and in power transmission devices to drive machinery.
Such couplings are generally constructed such that one movable magnet connected to an output shaft of a driving motor is rotated and one passive magnet coupled to the movable magnet by magnetic force is rotated by the rotation of the movable magnet. The passive magnet is induced to rotate by the rotation of the movable magnet, in turn, driven by a motor. Accordingly, where an application requires that several passive magnets are rotated, a corresponding plurality movable magnets are required, and the plurality of movable magnets are connected to the driving motor by gears or pulleys.
The number of drive components, such as shafts, belts, gears or chains, for rotating the plural movable magnets increases in proportion to the number of the rotating objects desired. The increase of the number of drive components complicates the structure of the rotating apparatus, deteriorates assembling efficiency of the rotating apparatus, increases noise, and causes frequent defects in the rotating apparatus due to mechanical abrasion of the components. Further, the increase of the number of the above components increases loss of power due to rolling friction of the components, thereby lowering energy efficiency.

Rotating apparatus using a magnet and rotating decoration employing the same


Uniaxial deformation-measuring device includes a section of optical fiber equipped with a Bragg grating aligned with the measurement axis, and a test body subjected to the deformations to be measured., this device includes the fixing points for attaching the fiber to the test body. The fixing points are separated by a distance (Lfib) having a variation (ΔLfib). When the test body is stressed by the deformation, the effective length (Lce) of the test body has an elongation (ΔLce). The length (Lfib) of the section of optical fiber and the effective length (Lce) of the measurement body are such that the longitudinal deformation (ΔLfib/Lfib) of the section of optical fiber is strictly greater than the originating deformation (ΔLce/Lce) of the test body, thus defining an amplification factor K which is strictly greater than 1 and which is equal to the quotient (ΔLfib/Lfib)/(ΔLce/Lce) in the first order.

An optical fiber 110 (FIG. 1) transmits an electromagnetic radiation 112, maintained in its optical core 114 due to a difference between the refractive index nc of the optical core 114 and the refractive index ng of the optical cladding 116, with a low attenuation, on the order of 0.20 dB/km, for a transmission having a wavelength of 1.55 μm.
Furthermore, a mechanical coating 118 surrounds the optical fiber 110 so as to make possible its handling without causing the latter to become fragile. Classically, this coating 118 is made of polyacrylate or polyimide.
The refractive index nc of the optical core 114 may undergo a longitudinal modulation in the optical core locally, according to a spatial period Λ or "pitch," so that the optical fiber would reflect the radiation being propagated at a given wavelength λB. This local longitudinal modulation of the index constitutes a Bragg grating and the wavelength λB reflected is called the characteristic Bragg wavelength of the grating.
This wavelength λB may be predetermined by means of the Bragg equation which is written, in the first order:λB=2Λne(T, λ, [ε3×3])  (1)                where Λ is the characteristic pitch of the Bragg grating inscribed in the optical fiber, ne is the effective index of the guided dominant mode of the optical fiber, T is the temperature of the optical fiber in the grating, λ is the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation and [ε3×3] is the 3×3 tensor of the Green-Lagrange deformations of the fiber.
This [ε3×3] tensor of the Green-Lagrange deformations of the fiber is dependent on the local variations of the dimensions of the fiber, such as its length. These dimensions may vary depending, for example, on the hydrostatic pressure being applied to the section of optical fiber carrying the Bragg grating.
Consequently, it appears that the Bragg wavelength λB of a Bragg grating is dependent upon physical, mechanical and/or thermal parameters, having an effect on this grating.
Therefore, an optical fiber equipped with at least one Bragg grating may be used to measure physical parameters, for example, when these physical parameters have an effect on the length Lfib of the optical fiber at the level of a Bragg grating, such that a variation of this parameter leads to a change in the characteristic wavelength λB of the Bragg grating.
It should be specified that the phrase "deformation of the optical fiber" includes mechanical deformations, for example, deformations generated by a mechanical action such as an elongation force exerted on the fiber, and thermal deformations generated by a variation in temperature. For example, a variation in temperature may generate a variation in the effective index of the fiber. In fact, the temperature T to which a Bragg grating is subjected changes its characteristic wavelength λB.
Moreover, it is known that the determination of a deformation measured by a Bragg grating is optimal when its deformation remains homogeneous, i.e., when the grating passes from a pitch Λ at rest to a pitch Λm under the effect of a variation in the variable to be measured. An absence of deformation gradient along the grating guarantees such a homogeneity.
The variation of a parameter is measured by means of a light beam sent in the optical fiber from one of its ends, this beam comprising at least the wavelength λB of a Bragg grating inscribed in this optical fiber, as well as the Bragg wavelengths of this grating when it is subjected to variations in the measured physical parameter.
More precisely, the characteristic wavelength λB of the Bragg grating has a variation ΔλB when, for example, a variation ΔT in its temperature, ΔLfib in the length of the optical fiber and/or ΔP in the hydrostatic pressure occurs in the Bragg grating reflecting this wavelength λB.
When the fiber is deformed uniaxially along its axis of optical propagation, such an equation can be written by differentiating equation (1) in relation to the temperature T, the length Lfib of the optical fiber comprising the Bragg grating and the hydrostatic pressure P surrounding this optical fiber at the level of the Bragg grating. Thus, we obtain:Δ′λB/λB=a′ΔT+b′Δεfib+c′ΔP  (2)                where a′, b′ and c′ are, in a first approximation, constants peculiar to the nature of the optical fiber in question and Δ′λB is the variation in the characteristic wavelength λB of the Bragg grating, Δεfib is the variation in longitudinal mechanical deformation of the fiber, equal, in the first order, to the quotient ΔLfib/Lfib of the variation of mechanical origin ΔLfib of the length Lfib of the optical fiber.
A measuring device is generally designed so that only the variable to be measured acts on the signal Δ′λB/λB effectively measured. For this purpose, it uses a test body 123 (FIG. 1b), on which is fixed, by means of two fixing points 121 and 125, the section of fiber 110 having a length Lfib, in which is inscribed at least one Bragg grating 124.
In this case, equation (2) is written as follows:ΔλB/λB=aΔT+bΔεce+cΔP  (3)                where a, b and c are constants depending on a′, b′ and c′, respectively, taking into account the geometry of the test body 123 and its thermomechanical characteristics.
Moreover, Δεce represents the variation in mechanical deformation of the test body 123, which is equal, in the first order, to the quotient ΔLce/Lce of the variation of mechanical origin ΔLcein the length Lce of the test body.
By disregarding the effect of the pressure (c ΔP), this equation (3) makes it possible, starting from the measurement of the variations ΔλB in the wavelength reflected by the Bragg grating 124 of the optical fiber 110, to measure a deformation due to:                a variation in the temperature to which the Bragg grating 124 is subjected, and/or        a variation in the deformation ΔLce/Lce between the anchoring points 121 and 125 of the section of the optical fiber 110 carrying the Bragg grating 124.
Such a measurement of variation in deformation ΔLce/Lce of the test body 123 can be used to measure a variation in force ΔF being exerted on this test body 123. In fact, it is possible, knowing the thermomechanical properties and the geometry of the test body, to establish a correspondence between the value of this variation in force ΔF and a variation ΔLce/Lce in the uniaxial deformation of any fiber aligned between the two anchoring points 121 and 125 of this test body.
In this example, the Bragg grating 124 optical fiber 110 is preloaded under tension between the two anchoring points 121 and 125 of the test body 123.
Thus, when an action is exerted on this test body 123, the latter is caused to deform, leading to a variation ΔLce in the distance between the two anchoring points 121 and 125, which can be measured by means of the variation ΔλB in the wavelength reflected by the Bragg grating 124 optical fiber 110.
In other words, the variations ΔLce in the length Lce of the test body are measured by the variations ΔλB in the Bragg wavelength λB reflected by the Bragg grating 124 inscribed in the optical fiber 110.
A measuring device equipped with a Bragg grating optical fiber has many advantages. For example, it makes it possible to put the spectral analysis system in charge of the measurement of the Bragg wavelength at a distance from the measurement point due to the low spectral attenuation of the optical fiber with respect to the radiation transmitted.
Such a distance is advantageous when, for example, the measurement is carried out in an environment that is hostile (elevated temperature and humidity) or not readily accessible for the signal processing means.
Other advantages lie in the fact that the optical fiber is insensitive to external electromagnetic interferences or that it behaves linearly in deformations, that it makes it possible to obtain a good resolution, and that it is insensitive to the aging of the end components (for example, laser or connection sources), the measurement principle being based on a spectral measurement, i.e., the characteristic Bragg wavelength of the grating.

Uniaxial thermal and/or mechanical deformation-measuring device system and method employing a Bragg grating optical fibre


A method of storing data includes receiving data to be written to a memory device. The method includes selecting a scrambling operation from at least a first scrambling operation and a second scrambling operation. The scrambling operation is selected based on a transition characteristic associated with the data. The method includes scrambling the data according to the selected scrambling operation and storing the scrambled data in the memory device. Additionally, the method may include descrambling the scrambled data to produce descrambled data.

Capacity to store data in memory devices improves with advances in technology. Data may be stored at a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory device. Reliability of data stored at a non-volatile storage device can be compromised by proximity effects of memory storage elements that are situated near one another. Program disturb is one such proximity effect that may cause data storage errors resulting from neighboring memory locations that are electrically charged within a non-volatile storage device.
Data may be scrambled prior to storage in a memory device. Scrambling breaks up patterns, such as a series of "1"s (ones) or a series of "0"s (zeros). However, scrambling increases latency of data operations and may increase manufacturing costs. Under some conditions, scrambling may cause an increase in error rate associated with storage of the data.

Data scrambling based on transition characteristic of the data


The present invention relates to a preparation method for a traditional Chinese medicine drop pill and a traditional Chinese medicine micro drop pill prepared by using the method, and in particular, the present invention relates to a micro drop pill preparation method with high drug-loading capacity, simple preparation process and high production rate and a micro drop pill prepared by using the method. Specially, The drop pill preparation method used comprises the following steps: (1) material melting step: heat melting a medicine and a drop pill matrix to obtain a molten medicine liquid; (2) dropping step: delivering the molten medicine liquid to a dripper, and acquiring medicine drops of the molten medicine liquid by means of vibration dropping; and, (3) condensation step: cooling the medicine drops with a cooling gas to obtain micro drop pills.

Drop pill, as an important traditional Chinese medicine preparation, has been used widely. In practice, it has the following merits: shortened production cycle, dust pollution-free, high bioavailability, rapid onset of effect, prolonged action in topical administration, reduced volatility of drug, increased drug stability and being easily carried and stored.
However, the preparation method of the traditional drop pill is to drop a molten medicine liquid into an immiscible cooling medium (in most cases, a coolant is used as the cooling medium) to give the drop pill. Because the drop pill is formed mainly by factors of freely-falling gravity, surface tension of medicine liquid and internal stress, the unit drug-loading capacity is small (usually, the drug-loading capacity of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is only about 25 wt %) and the amount of matrix used is very large. This cannot meet the requirement of international market that the maximum daily dosage of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) matrix should not exceed 700 mg. Moreover, it is difficult to prepare the traditional drop pill with a diameter of less than 2.5 mm, so the patients have to take a lot of hard-to-swallow pills each time, which will not satisfy fast-paced trend of modern life, and be prone to the problem of inaccurate dosage. Thus, it is generally unacceptable by the international consumers. In addition, there are a number of shortcomings in the preparation of the traditional drop pills, e.g. low dropping frequency, poor roundness, and a large variation in the pill weight and the particle size of the drop pills. Because the coolant has been used for solidifying the drop pills, the necessary step is needed in the subsequent process to remove the coolant, and the irremovable coolant may cause the problem of residual organic solvent. Besides, drying methods for the traditional drop pill have the defects of prolonged time, uneven drying and easily leading to evaporation of volatile oil-containing products and precipitation of borneol of borneol-containing products during drying.
As a result, how to obtain a micro drop pill with high production rate, reduced amount of matrix, increased drug-loading capacity and smaller particle size is an important subject for the development and exploration of the modern preparation process of the drop pill.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Formulation of a micro drop pill and the preparation method thereof


A liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal panel including a pair of substrates that sandwiches a liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules exhibiting a parallel alignment in an initial alignment state, and a polarizing plate disposed on either side of the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal molecules are inclined at a pretilt angle and aligned in a predetermined direction in planes of the substrates. The liquid crystal panel emits light entering through one of the polarizing plates toward the other. The liquid crystal panel emits light having the maximum intensity in a direction different from a direction normal to the substrates. The azimuth of the maximum-light-intensity direction projected onto the planes of the substrates is substantially parallel to the predetermined direction. The maximum-light-intensity direction is a direction inclined from the direction normal to the substrates toward a direction in which the maximum-light-intensity direction form a right angle with a longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal molecules inclined at the pretilt angle.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device, an electronic device and a projector.
2. Related Art
The contrast of liquid crystal devices employing a liquid crystal driving method such as a known twisted nematic (TN) mode greatly depends on the viewing angle. In such liquid crystal devices, the contrast of an image viewed straight on is different from that viewed at an angle, and it is impossible to view a good image from an oblique angle. However, such a situation was greatly improved by the development of a lateral-electric-field operation type driving mode called an in-plane switching (IPS) mode or a fringe-field switching (FFS) mode, and a vertical alignment driving mode called a vertical alignment (VA) mode (for example, refer to JP-A-9-80436).
However, even in such liquid crystal devices employing the above-mentioned driving modes to improve the viewing-angle dependent properties, the contrast ratio often drops from 1000:1 or higher when viewed normal to the front display surface to several tens:1 when viewed from an oblique angle. FIG. 19 is a contrast curve showing the viewing-angle characteristics of an IPS mode liquid crystal device. As shown in FIG. 19, a displayed image at a position AR1 near the center of FIG. 19, which corresponds to a displayed image viewed in the normal direction, has high contrast in substantially the entire area thereof. However, a displayed image at a position of AR2 shifted from the center of FIG. 19, which corresponds to a displayed image viewed at an angle of 15 degrees, for example, has low contrast at the corners of the image. Liquid crystal devices employing the FFS mode or VA mode have the same tendency.
Such a decrease in contrast occurring in an image viewed at an angle is disadvantageous in some fields of application, more specifically, in display devices that allows an observer to observe an image from a certain angle off normal to the display surface or that projects an image in a certain direction. Examples of such display devices include, for example, head-up displays (HUDs), head-mounted displays (HMDs), electronic viewfinders (EVFs), and projectors.
An example is shown below. FIG. 20 is a schematic view of a passenger car equipped with an HUD. A head-up display 900 stored in a dashboard 95 of a passenger car includes a liquid crystal device 91 for modulating light emitted from a backlight 92, and a concave mirror 93 for projecting light L (image light) emitted through the liquid crystal device 91 onto a front window 94 to enlarge a displayed image. A front window shield 96 that reflects the projected light L toward an occupant M is disposed on the front window 94. The occupant M observes a virtual image I formed by the light L reflected by the front window shield 96.
At this time, outside light SL, such as sunlight, entering the liquid crystal device 91 through the front window 94 is specularly reflected (mirror-reflected) by the liquid crystal device 91 at the surface adjacent to the concave mirror 93 toward the occupant M along the same optical path as the light L emitted from the backlight 92, and makes it difficult to view an image on the HUD.
To counter this situation, a structure is proposed in which the liquid crystal device 91 is disposed obliquely to allow the outside light SL reflected by the liquid crystal device 91 at the surface adjacent to the concave mirror 93 to be guided in the direction which the occupant M cannot see. However, in such a structure, the contrast of the displayed image decreases greatly because of the viewing-angle dependent properties, and it is impossible to display images properly.
Although a proposal for improving reflection of the outgoing light in the device using the structure of the liquid crystal device has been made by, for example, JP-A-5-53090, a proposal for correcting the problem in the relationship between the outside light and the displayed image using the structure of the device has not been made. Therefore, there are demands for liquid crystal devices having good display characteristics when viewed from a certain viewing-angle, not in a direction normal to the liquid crystal device, developed on the basis of a design concept that is different from that of a known liquid crystal device.

Liquid crystal device, electronic device and projector with maximum-light-intensity direction inclined from the direction normal to the substrates


Hardware and software co-synthesis performance estimation includes, for a design specified in a high level programming language and having a processor executable partition and a partition selected for hardware acceleration, estimating hardware latency for a hardware accelerator implementation of the selected partition, scheduling the selected partition using the hardware latency generating hardware partition latency information, and compiling an instrumented version of the design using a processor. The instrumented and compiled version of the design is executed generating software latency information. A design performance for the design is determined through combining the hardware partition latency information with the software latency information.

A system-on-chip (SOC) is an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a plurality of different subsystems. The subsystems are included within a single chip substrate. The subsystems of the SOC are integrated to work cooperatively with one another. One example of an SOC is a chip level implementation of a computer or other data processing system. For example, the SOC may include a processor that executes program code such as an operating system and/or one or more applications. The processor operates cooperatively with one or more of the other on-chip subsystems. The other subsystems may be digital circuits, analog circuits, mixed-signal circuits, or the like. Exemplary subsystems that may be included within an SOC and operate cooperatively with a processor may include, but are not limited to, wireless transceivers, signal processors, CODECs, memory, memory controllers, I/O peripherals, and the like.
When designing an SOC, the designer must determine those portions of the design that will remain as executable program code and, as such, will be executed by a processor and those portions of the design that are to be implemented in hardware. Portions of the design selected for implementation in hardware are said to be "hardware accelerated." In this regard, a circuit or circuit block implementation of a portion of a design, e.g., a software function, may be called a "hardware accelerator."
One of the challenges in designing an SOC is determining which portions of the design should be hardware accelerated and which should not. In the case of a complex design, there are a significant number of alternative architectures where each architecture hardware accelerates different portions and/or different combinations of portions of the design. Testing each alternative architecture by actually implementing the design in hardware may take hours or even days of work for each hardware accelerated section. This makes evaluating different alternative architectures for a design infeasible.

Hardware and software cosynthesis performance estimation


A card-type electronic device, such as a memory card, has a package structure in which a reduction in thickness is achieved while retaining the shielding effect and in which, if the device should be inserted incorrectly, no power source short-circuiting occurs without a mechanism for preventing incorrect insertion. The memory card 20 has a one-side-metal-plate type package structure and includes a plastic frame 11, a printed circuit board 12 which has a card contact edge section 14 for an input/output interface at an end thereof and on which semiconductor memory devices are mounted, and a metal panel 13. The plastic frame 11 is placed between the printed circuit board 12 and the metal plate 13. The distance D.sub.1 between the card end surface 11a on that side of the card where the card contact edge section 14 is provided and the end 13a of the metal panel 13 on the same side of the card is set at a value that is larger than the distance A between the card end surface 11a on that side of the card where the card contact edge section 14 is provided and the contact position 8a of contact springs 8 of a card connector 7. If the memory card 20 is inserted in the reverse direction from the correct insertion direction, the contact sections 8a do not reach the metal panel 13, so that they are not brought into contact with the metal panel 13.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card-type electronic device, such as a memory card and, in particular, to the package structure of a cardtype electronic device of the type which has a card contact edge section for an input/output interface at an end thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a card-type electronic device, a memory card will be described. In a generally known conventional memory card package structure, a printed circuit board, on which memory devices, etc. are mounted, is contained in a shielding case comprising two (front and back) metal plates and a plastic frame. Adoption of a sandwich structure, in which the printed circuit board is placed between the two metal plates, proves particularly effective in protecting against radiation with EMI (electromagnetic interference) in the case of built-in memory devices such as SRAMS. Such a structure helps to protect data from deterioration, thereby attaining an improvement in terms of reliability.
However, the above-described memory card structure has the following problems:
(1) Due to the card structure in which the printed circuit board is sandwiched between the front and back metal plates, the card tends to be rather thick, which is rather inconvenient from the viewpoint of portability. PA1 (2) To prevent power short-circuiting, which is caused when the card is inadvertently inserted incorrectly, e.g. in a positioned reversed from its intended insertion position, it is necessary to provide, for example, a shutter on the card body, or a reverse insertion protecting mechanism in the card connector. This leads to an inconsistency in standardization of the memory card and a hindrance to generalization of the memory card. Further, due to the resulting increased production time, a reduction in cost is difficult to achieve.

Card-type electronic device with plastic frame sandwiched between printed circuit board and metal panel


A pedal for a percussion instrument, such as a bass drum, has a base plate and a foot plate pivotally mounted the base plate which is operably connected to an instrument striker. The pedal either has no heel plate or has a very short heel guide and is adapted so that when the tip of the player's foot is at an optimal position or “sweet spot” on the foot plate, the player's heel extends to the playing surface.

Operation of a bass drum or high hat (cymbal) is typically through a pedal mechanism that includes a depressible foot plate. The foot plate is mechanically linked to a beater ball such that when the foot plate is depressed by foot pressure, the beater ball moves through an actuate path to strike the instrument. When foot pressure is removed and the foot plate released, the beater ball is biased to return to a resting position ready to move forward again to strike the instrument when foot pressure is again applied to depress the foot plate.
The foot plate in such a pedal is pivotally mounted at a rearward location from a base plate that rests on the playing surface, such as a floor, stage, or ground. In the rest position, the foot plate is at a first acute angle relative to the base plate. The foot plate is depressed to a second acute angle relative to the base plate, the second acute angle being less than the first acute angle. This depression moves the beater ball into striking position.
In some pedal designs, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,446,508 to Crowell, 4,691,613 to Jacobson, and 6,369,308 to Orr, the foot plate is of such length and design that the player's foot is intended to locate entirely on the foot plate during playing. The foot plate of this design typically has pads or brackets by which the player locates his or her foot on the foot plate. This is a design that is not favored by many percussionists because the player will never truly be able to relax while in the resting position. Also, the rebound of the pedal will not come back far enough, thus inhibiting the player's speed and volume. Though it is conceivable with such pedals that the player could slide his foot back so that the player's heel is on the playing surface, rather than on the pedal, the tip of the player's foot would be moved too far back for efficient playing of the instrument.
Most pedals in use today have a heel plate behind the foot plate on which the player's heel is intended to locate in a rest position, while the tip of the player's foot is intended to depress the pedal. Pedals of this design are found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,765,141 to Shigenaga, 6,710,237 to Adams, 6,684,735 to Gatzen, 5,574,231 to Yanagisawa, and 6,570,076 to Kjellgren, the teachings of each of these being incorporated herein by reference. The heel plate typically extends at least 4 to 6 cm. behind the foot plate.
One way of using the pedal to play the instrument is known as a "heel up" technique. The player lifts his or her heel and then depresses the pedal with his or her ball and toes. For a single beat of the instrument, the player lifts the heel, depresses the pedal, and then returns the heel to a rest position, presumably on the heel plate, if provided. For multiple consecutive beats, the heel remains up until the sequence is finished, and then returns to rest, presumably on the heel plate.
Each instrument pedal mechanism provides a "sweet spot" or "optimal location" on the foot plate, that is, a location on the foot plate that the player depresses with the tip of his or her foot for maximum rebound and control of the pedal. After depressing the pedal by pressing with the foot against this "sweet spot", the player's heel may not come to rest on the heel plate, but may drop behind or partially behind the heel plate. If so, every time the player lifts his or her heel, the heel strikes the edge of the heel plate causing discomfort, particularly after an extended playing session. To eliminate this problem, the present invention provides a pedal in which the player's heel is intended to rest comfortably on the playing surface, the playing surface being the surface on which the base plate sits, such as a floor, stage or ground.
There is also a "heel down" technique in which the player keeps his or heel down while depressing the foot plate with the tip of his or her foot. In prior art designs in which the heel is intended to rest on the heel plate, there is a tendency for the toe to slip from the "sweet spot".

Pedal for playing an instrument and pedal components


To avoid the folding of a flat tubular bag 1, which has been set up supported on its bottom-side cross seam 4, a welding seam 7, 8 reinforcing the tubular bag 1 is provided along at least one edge 5, 6. A further tubular bag 101 is introduced, where on the side folds 110, 111 of which the edges 105, 106 have welding seams 107, 108. Because of the welding seams 107, 108, the stability of the tubular bag 101 is improved. The longitudinal seam 2, 102 in the two tubular bags 1, 101 extends in a reinforcing welding seam 7, 107. The tubular bagging machine 14 for the manufacture of the tubular bag 1, 101 has at least one expanding element on the fill pipe 20 for expanding the film tube 21. A longitudinal welding device 22 is provided following the expanding element 27 in film feeding direction (FIGS. 7, 8).

Flat tubular bags of the described type are known. The bag surfaces of such bags, which lie congruent on one another, are simply folded at the edges extending parallel to the longitudinal seam, thus achieving the flat bag shape. Side-fold bags are also known.
Also tubular bagging machines for the manufacture of such bags are known.
The known flat, filled tubular bags of the described type have the disadvantage that they are not suited to stand erect for presentation in a tray since they have the tendency to fold and fall over. The folding occurs mainly parallel to the cross seams of the bags standing on their bottom-side cross seam, and is particularly prevalent when a row to be filled with bags arranged one behind the other in a tray is not complete so that the row to be filled is not supported by a boundary of the tray.
Tubular bagging machines with a side-fold producer are known, in which a side fold in a film tube is produced by a movable side-fold bar. Also side-fold bars movable toward one another are known, which create two oppositely lying side folds in the film tube. Such tubular bagging machines create tubular bags with a side fold or with two side folds. The tubular bags are welded together at the top and at the bottom by cross seams. The side folds are merely welded into the cross seams.
The disadvantage of the known tubular bagging machines with a side-fold bar or with two side-fold bars is that the created tubular bags while having greater relatively stability against deformations because of the side folds, however, still lack a greater stability required for many areas of use.
A tubular bagging machine with an asymmetrical forming shoulder is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,438. The forming shoulder is used to shift the longitudinal seam of a tubular bag with a rectangular cross section to the edge of the tubular bag in order to avoid a longitudinal seam extending centrally on a side surface of the tubular bag, and in order to be able to utilize, in this manner, the surface of the side surface efficiently for product information.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,499 also discloses an arrangement for shifting the longitudinal seam into a corner of a square-shaped bag.
The devices of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,438 and of U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,499 have the disadvantage that their longitudinal seams hardly prevent a folding of the corners of the tubular bag.

Tubular bagging machine with an asymmetrical forming shoulder and tubular bags with an edge-side longitudinal seam


In a bridge for networks, connection regulation between terminals which can permit maintenance of security is carried out by using a virtual group constituting information database set with information about how to prepare virtual groups by designating ports and MAC addresses, a virtual group constituting information expansion database set with information pieces about virtual group ID's included in individual ports in units of ports, and a MAC address learning table database set with MAC address learning tables in units of MAC addresses.

The present invention relates to the terminal/port selecting function in a bridge having a plurality of connecting ports and adapted to mutually connect networks in, for example, internal LAN and more particularly to a method of managing virtual group information for performing regulation of connection between terminals in virtually prepared groups of terminals.
In recent years, the terminal/port selecting function in a multi-port bridge having a plurality of connecting ports has been used for performing management of connection between terminals and a description of this function is given in international standard ISO/IEC 10038 ANSI/IEEE Std. 802.1D. To describe the function with reference to FIG. 12, in this function, an input port 202 of received data and a bit map 203 of a port to which the data is transmitted are set in correspondence to a MAC (Media Access Control) address 201 for terminal/port selection by using the manager function, and connection regulation (forwarding or blocking) of the data is determined in accordance with the contents of the above setting.
Disadvantageously, for example, when terminals having addresses specific thereto, that is, MAC addresses are divided into two groups A and B, it is very difficult for the aforementioned conventional method to realize regulation of communications between the two groups by only the terminal/port selecting function and besides setting by the manager function is complicated, because the conventional terminal/port selecting function is effective for a mere aggregation of regulations of paired connection and a transmission destination is limited by the selecting function effected by a port.

Virtual group information managing method in bridge for network connection


Method and apparatus for a portable clean environment used for recording optical disc masters by enclosing a light sensitive optical disc in a container that prevents ambient contamination from destroying the pristine environment necessary to create optical disc masters. A transparent optical disc, having an optically active lamina on at least one surface of the transparent optical disc, is enclosed in a dish shaped container that is generally free of particulate larger than 0.2 microns, the enclosure assembly effectively preserving a class 10 cleanroom environment. The dish shaped enclosure isolates the surface of the optical disc used to record data from contamination due to ambient conditions while exposing the nonwriting surface of the optical disc to enable laser writing. A foil seal protects the exposed nonwriting surface of the optical disc from ambient contamination during storage and until recording is desired. Once recording is desired, the foil seal is removed, the entire assembly is placed on the spindle of a turntable, and the transparent optical disc allows laser light to pass through the optical disc and focus on the optically active lamina to form pits within the optically active lamina by either ablating the lamina or by consuming the lamina. The optical disc is then removed from the cover in a cleanroom where electroforming is done on the optical disc to create a disc master.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the art of recording optical disc masters, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for a enclosing a pregrooved, transparent optical disc in a portable container that effectively maintains a clean room environment, which is adaptable to serve as the site mounting for optical discs and optical disc masters during precision recording thereon. When the packaged disc assembly is mounted on a spindle for recording, the process of recording by laser causes effective ablating or consumption of thin optically active layers on the optical disc surfaces to form pits. The optically modified surface can then be electroformed to form a disc master.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical disc masters are articles from which all pre-recorded mass produced consumer optical discs are subsequently molded. Current methods of producing optical disc masters employ highly stable precision turntable apparatus operating in a cleanroom environment. One currently used method is the photoresist technique commonly used in the semiconductor industry. This method would spin coat a lamina of photoresist material upon a very thick, smooth, polished circular plate of glass. A data modulated laser is set immediately above the plate by means of a complex translational mechanism that enables the laser to move outward from the center of the glass plate while rotating the glass plate on a turntable and concomitantly radiating the surface of the material on the plate. This results in a spiral track being created in the photoresist material by the laser. Pits are created by exposure to the data modulated laser along the spiral path. This process requires that the entire equipment and operation be performed in what is typically called a cleanroom environment in which the laser path is unobstructed and the photoresist material remains pristine and uncontaminated.
Currently, there are variations in photoresist mastering techniques which employ the turntable and spiral track system described above. By using ablative surfaces rather than photoresist material on the circular glass plates, lasers can ablate the optical disc surface to cause the desired pits. However, a cleanroom environment is required for all steps in this process. The construction and maintaining of a cleanroom environment is in itself cumbersome and expensive. Also, the present art of manufacturing optical disc masters in cleanrooms is costly. There remains a need for advance beyond the prior art to a manner of mastering optical discs that is simpler and more economical.

Method and apparatus for creating optical disc masters