An ink-jet swath printer employing a cartridge with a spring bag primary reservoir and an auxiliary ink reservoir interconnected via a tube to form a closed ink replenishment system. The primary reservoir creates a negative pressure which draws ink from the auxiliary reservoir as ink is expelled from the cartridge printhead during printing operations. The auxiliary reservoir can either be mounted on the cartridge carriage or on the printer body. The auxiliary reservoir is a large capacity collapsible bag mounted below the level of the printhead to establish an ink pressure head at the primary reservoir connection which is not so large as to destroy or diminish the negative pressure and allow ink to drool from the printhead, yet is sufficient to permit replenishment of the primary reservoir to avoid printhead ink starvation.

TIJ technology is widely used in computer printers. Very generally, a TIJ includes a print head typically comprising several tiny controllable ink-jets, which are selectively activated to release a jet or spray of ink from an ink reservoir onto the print media (such as paper) in order to create an image or portion of an image. TIJ printers are described, for example, in the Hewlett-Packard Journal, Volume 36, Number 5, May, 1985, and Volume 39, Number 4, August, 1988.

Ink-jet swath printer with auxiliary ink reservoir


A kit for bonding to biological hard tissues, containing a phosphorylated polysaccharide, a polyvalent metal salt other than phosphates, and a solvent. The adhesive composition for biological hard tissues provided by the kit for bonding to biological hard tissues is suitably used in for medical uses, such as cement for bones or dental cement. In addition, since the adhesive composition has excellent bio-absorbability, it is useful as fusion materials for artificial joint prosthesis, fusion materials for spine fracture, fusion materials for extremity fracture, filling materials for bone tumors in the region of orthopedics, filling materials and restorative materials at dental caries-defective sites, luting materials for prosthetic restorative materials such as inlay and crown, pulp-capping and lining materials, implant surface treatment materials, periodontal disease therapeutic materials, hyperesthesia preventive materials, dental pulp capping materials, substrates for DDS, substrates for systems engineering, and tissue bonding materials in the dental region.

Hydroxyapatite [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2], obtainable by sintering a calcium phosphate composition, has a composition nearly the same as inorganic components such as bones or teeth, and has a bioactivity that is capable of being directly combined with tooth tissues so that the hydroxyapatite has been utilized as restorative materials for bone-defect parts or bone-gap parts. However, while a material made of the hydroxyapatite as mentioned above has excellent biocompatibility, the material may have difficulty in moldability in some cases in order to apply the material to a site having a complicated shape.
On the other hand, among the calcium phosphate compositions, it is known that a calcium phosphate composition of cement type, in other words, the composition having curability, gradually converts to hydroxyapatite in a live body or oral cavity, thereby making it possible to integrate with the biological hard tissues while keeping its form. The calcium phosphate composition as described above has not only excellent biocompatibility but also moldability, so that the application of the composition to a site having complicated shape is facilitated.
For example, Patent Publication 1 describes that a mixture of tetracalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate anhydrous is rapidly auto-cured in the presence of water, thereby forming hydroxyapatite having excellent mechanical strength.

Kit for adhering biological hard tissues

National University Corporation Okayama University


A sliding/swing-type portable digital communication apparatus is disclosed. A first housing extends in a longitudinal direction and includes a camera lens housing mounted on its bottom surface and at least one speaker unit positioned adjacent to the camera lens housing. A second housing is adapted to slide/swing while continuously facing a top surface of the first housing and is disposed parallel to the first housing along the longitudinal direction. A cover is coupled to a portion of the bottom surface of the first housing and is adapted to slide along the longitudinal direction. An opening is formed on the cover to selectively expose or hide the camera lens housing or the first speaker units according to whether or not the cover has been slid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to portable communication apparatuses, such as cellular phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), HHPs (hand held phones), and PCS (personal communication service) phones, and more particularly to portable digital communication apparatuses having a first housing which is capable of making sliding and swing movements with respect to a second housing to expose a working portion of the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a "portable communication apparatus" refers to an electronic apparatus which a user can carry with him/her to perform wireless communication with a desired partner. In consideration of portability, designs of such portable communication apparatuses have been developed to emphasize not only compactness, slimness, and lightness, but also multimedia availability, thus having a wider variety of functions. In particular, future portable communication apparatuses are expected to incorporate greater multi-functionality and multi-purpose utilization, and greater compactness and lightness, but also will be modified to be suitable for various multimedia environments or Internet environments. Additionally, such portable communication apparatuses are now commonly used by all kinds of people, including both men and women, young and old, throughout the world, and are recognized by some people as a nearly indispensable commodity which must always be carried.
Conventional portable communication apparatuses may be classified into various types according to their appearance, such as bar-type portable communication apparatuses, flip-type portable communication apparatuses, and folder-type portable communication apparatuses. The bar-type portable communication apparatus has a single housing shaped like a bar. The flip-type portable communication apparatus has a flip which is pivotably mounted to a bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit. The folder-type portable communication apparatus has a folder coupled to a single bar-shaped housing by a hinge unit in such a manner that the folder can be rotated in order to be folded to or unfolded from the housing.
Further, portable communication apparatuses may be classified into neck wearable type communication apparatuses and wrist wearable type communication apparatuses according to the position at or the way in which a user puts on the communication apparatus. The neck wearable type communication apparatus is one which a user wears around the neck using a string, while the wrist wearable type communication apparatus is one which a user wears around the wrist.
Additionally, portable communication apparatuses may be classified into rotation-type communication apparatuses and sliding-type communication apparatuses according to ways of opening and closing the communication apparatuses. In the rotation-type portable communication apparatus, two housings are coupled to each other in such a manner that one housing rotates to be opened or closed relative to the other while the housings face each other. In the sliding-type portable communication apparatus, two housings are coupled to each other in a manner that one housing slides to be opened or closed relative to the other. These variously classified portable communication apparatuses can be easily understood by those skilled in the art.
Conventional portable communication apparatuses are now capable of transmitting data at a high speed in addition to the basic function of performing voice communication. In other words, according to increasing demand by consumers, portable communication apparatuses now provide a service using a wireless communication technology capable of transmitting data at a high speed.
Recently developed portable communication apparatuses are now equipped with a camera lens which enables each of the communication apparatuses to transmit an image signal. That is, current conventional portable communication apparatuses may have an imbedded or external camera lens or a photographing means which enables a user to transmit an image to a desired partner or to take a photograph of a desired subject.
However, conventional portable communication apparatuses, in particular sliding-type portable communication apparatuses such as that disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2002-71911 (the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference) filed in the name of the present applicant, are constructed in such a way that when they are used in an e-mail transmission mode, in a chatting mode, or in a PDA mode, their key operations are inconvenient. This is because they have relatively small number of keys and thus make it difficult to perform complex data input operations.
In addition, the sliding-type portable communication apparatuses as mentioned above often require that their numeric keys and character keys be used in combination. In addition, their screens or display devices mounted thereon are narrow and thus sometimes are difficult to view. Their display devices, which are mounted on their sliding housings, have a vertical size relatively larger than their horizontal size, thus limiting their effective normal usage.

Sliding/swing-type portable digital communication apparatus


The invention relates to a method and a device for simultaneously representing at least a first and a second sequence of pictures (M, S) in an overall picture. The inventive method is characterised in that picture data belonging to a picture of the first sequence of pictures (M) is stored in the form of a first picture data signal in a first picture memory (SPM). Picture data belonging to a picture of the second sequence of pictures (S) is stored in the form of a second picture data signal in a second picture memory (SPS). The picture data of the first and second picture data memory is read out according to a periodic screen signal (RS), whereby phase shift (SHIFTM, SHIFTS, tx) of the screen signal (RS) can be adjusted according to the first and/or second picture data signal.

The present invention relates to the field of video image processing, and in particular to an apparatus and method of displaying two or more video images on a display such as for example a television device.
In video display devices such as a television, flicker is removed from the pictures displayed on a screen in that the picture sequences, received from the video sources with a given display frequency, are displayed on the screen with twice this display frequency. The picture sequences delivered by the video sources are present especially as sequences of first and second half pictures, which are displayed on a screen in respective line-interleaved rasters.
A picture consisting of half pictures is displayed without flicker line-by-line in a reproduction raster, such that, in a periodic sequence, the odd picture lines, the so-called α raster, and the even picture lines, the so-called β raster, are each scanned twice in immediate succession. With the so-called AABB transformation of a 50 Hz television picture, a first half picture is displayed in the α raster twice in immediate succession and a second half picture is similarly displayed in the β raster. The displayed picture thus appears flicker-free to the human eye, with a frequency of 100 Hz.
From the DE 195 34 781 C1, a method is known for so-called picture-in-picture superimposition, such that a picture delivered from a video source is to be displayed on a small scale in a main picture. With this method, the superimposed picture is present as a half picture sequence with a reproduction frequency of 50 Hz. The second picture is present as a half picture sequence with twice the reproduction frequency, that is 100 Hz, each half picture of the main picture always being made available twice in immediate succession. To double the reproduction frequency of the superimposed picture, the first and second half pictures are always written into a half picture memory and are read out twice per write process. The timing of the read process, especially the read-start, is dependent on the display of the main picture.
Since the superimposed picture and the main picture are not made available synchronized, the problem can arise that while a half picture of the superimposed picture is being written into a half picture memory, a read process takes place that overtakes the write process. In the picture that is superimposed on the main picture, picture portions then become visible which were written into the memory in two different, that is temporally distant, write processes. Moving pictures show a troublesome displacement between these picture portions, which is called a "joint line." To prevent such a joint line, the known methods evaluate the phase shift between the superimposed picture and the main picture and, depending on the measured phase shift, it is decided whether the first half pictures or the second half pictures of the superimposed picture are to be displayed in the α raster and the respectively other half pictures in the β raster. Here one utilizes the circumstance that, for some phase shifts, the read pointer can overtake the write pointer during read-out from one of the half picture memories while, with this phase shift, such an overtaking effect cannot occur during the read-out from the respectively other half picture memory. However, there are phase shifts between the superimposed picture and the main picture for which a joint line appears when reading out the superimposed picture from the picture memory, both when displaying the first half picture in the α raster and when displaying the second half picture in the α raster. The known method thus cannot prevent joint lines entirely.
Other known methods to prevent such joint lines utilize larger memories to prevent the read pointer from overtaking the write pointer. However, these methods presuppose not only more complex memories but also more complex memory space management.
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method for the simultaneous display of a first picture sequence and a second picture sequence that is free of joint lines.

Method and device for simultaneously representing at least a first and a second sequence of pictures in an overall picture


A method of playing a casino type wagering card game includes the initial step of each player placing an initial wager. Five cards are then dealt to each player and seven cards are dealt to the dealer. Each player may then inspect the original dealt hand, and elect to stay pat or discard and draw one or two cards. If the player elects to draw, they then inspect the new draw hand and either fold or place a second wager to stay with the draw hand. All discarded cards are then collected by the dealer and the dealer selects the best five card hand, based on poker criteria, from the dealer's cards. A comparison is then made between the player's hand and the dealer's selected hand. If the player stayed pat and has a hand higher than the dealer's hand, the player is awarded odds on the initial wager. If the player stays with the draw hand, and has a hand higher than the dealer's hand, the player is awarded even money on the initial wager and the second wager. If the dealer's hand is higher than the player's hand, the player loses the initial wager and the second wager if applicable. If the player's hand and the dealer's hand are the same rank, a "push" will result, and the player neither wins nor loses money.

Much of the world has been intrigued with casino games since their existence. Now that the casino industry is growing so rapidly, the world is becoming more and more familiar with casino games.
Poker is one of the most popular card games which may be found in casinos. The major reason for this worldwide popularity is due to the countless poker variations that meet the temperaments of card players of all nations. One of the most popular variations is draw poker. This is a variation of poker wherein a player may discard one or more of the cards in his hand and draw new cards. The object of the game is to form the hand with the highest rank according to the conventional rules of poker. Five card poker hands are ranked according to the following order, with the royal flush being of the highest rank: (1) royal flush, (2) straight flush, (3) four of a kind, (4) full house, (5) flush, (6) straight, (7) three of a kind, (8) two pair, (9) one pair, and (10) high card.
Casino type games are well known in areas where gambling casinos have been legalized. Casino type games, as opposed to home type individual player games, are games in which the player plays against the "house", and sometimes against other players at the table. Typical examples of casino type games include blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, etc.
There are numerous wagering games which are currently known and used in the casino industry. In general, these casino games are uncomplicated and easily understood by the participants. The games should be exciting, to stimulate player interests, and have a quick outcome to resolve wagering during the game. The game must appear to provide favorable odds to the player, while actually having unvarying odds which favor the house.

Method for playing a wagering type card game


A closure member, such as a set screw, and complementary receiving member are included in a medical implant device. The receiving member has a plurality of noncontiguous, threaded walls substantially defining a bore for receiving the threaded closure member. When the closure member is inserted into the receiving member, their respective threads interlock to join the noncontiguous walls of the receiving member. The closure member has an outer thread configured to interlock with the inner walls of the receiving member in a manner that aids in preventing the noncontiguous walls of the receiving member from moving away from the closure member. In certain embodiments, the closure member's outer thread includes a trailing edge having a point that is rearward of the trailing edge's root, and the outer thread includes a leading edge having a point that is forward of the leading edge's root.

Set screws are used in many ways in order to lock one element of a device relative to another. Set screws are quite important in the art of medical implants, as it is often necessary to capture one element of the implant relative to another and to then lock the two relative to one another to prevent subsequent movement therebetween. Failure to properly lock two elements of a medical implant together may result in failure of the implant and possible serious injury to the patient within which the implant is placed.
For instance, orthopedic injuries, deformities, and degenerative diseases often require intervention in the form of surgery for placing implants to stabilize an internal structure, promote healing, and relieve pain. In the area of spinal surgery, for example, a common procedure includes placement of bone securing elements in the form of screws or hooks that are joined by a connecting rod spanning between these elements. Once placed, the rod must be firmly secured to the bone securing elements to provide a stable construct which effectively immobilizes a corresponding portion of the spine. For this, large forces are applied to the construct typically in the form of a set screw or locking element which presses firmly against the rod to secure the rod to the bone securing element (e.g., pedicle screw or other anchor element).
Additionally, it is generally desirable for these spinal implants to maintain a small profile so as to minimize the impact upon the patient. The loading required to lock the components can cause component deformation in these low profile implants, resulting in assembly loosening and possible implant failure. Specifically, when spinal loading occurs postoperatively, the walls of the securing element trapping the rods may be forced outward causing the rod to be released and allowing room for play in the rod.
As an example configuration of a vertebral stabilization implant device, anchors (e.g., pedicle screws) are connected to the vertebrae and are connected to one another by a connecting means, such as a brace or rod. For instance, a first pedicle screw may be coupled to a first vertebral level and a second pedicle screw may be coupled to another vertebral level, and a distraction rod is used to connect the first and second pedicle screws. The head of the pedicle screw (or a receiving member coupled thereto) is typically fork-shaped. With annular pedicle screw heads a distraction rod is guided through and is fixed on both sides of the head with the help of a nut. With fork-shaped heads, inner (female) threaded sections are included within the heads for receiving a set screw for applying direct or indirect pressure on a previously inserted distraction rod for securing such distraction rod relative to the pedicle screws. A similar receiving part for a distraction rod or likewise is also known for hook-like retaining components, for example with so-called lamina hooks or pedicle hooks which are hooked into the corresponding vertebrae parts.
Conventional set screws for use in medical implant devices typically utilize threads which are referred to as unified threads, which have a V-shaped cross-section. That is, the edges of the unified thread's cross-section form a V shape. V-shaped threads work reasonably well in devices where a bore is provided that completely surrounds the set screw and has a mating thread that mates with the thread of the set screw. However, many medical implants, such as open-headed (or "open-back") bone screws have a receiving member (or "rod cage") coupled to the pedicle screw head, which does not provide for a bore that will entirely encircle the set screw. For example, the above-mentioned fork-shaped receiving member typically has a channel formed by a plurality of noncontiguous (or discontinuous) walls that include an inner (female) thread that forms a helical spiral about a center longitudinal axis of the channel. That is, the walls forming the channel have a noncontiguous diameter. Such receiving member, in certain implementations, effectively provide a cylindrical sleeve that has a longitudinal slit in one or more planes for at least part of its length.
In such implementations, the set screw is inserted into the channel (or sleeve) of such fork-shaped receiving member. Accordingly, in this type of implant device, the set screw also functions as a closure member and spans between a pair of discontinuous threaded surfaces. When V-shape threaded set screws are utilized for this purpose, the forces exerted by the set screw during torquing are partially parallel to the axis of rotation of the set screw and partially radially extending outwardly from the set screw. The radial outward forces can and frequently do spread the arms (or noncontiguous "walls") of the receiving member within which the set screw is being torqued sufficiently to allow for failure of the set screw. Other example types of set screws proposed for use with such noncontiguous wall implementations (or "open-back configurations") for functioning as a closure member that spans between a pair of noncontiguous threaded surfaces within a medical implant device are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,768 to Jackson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,391 to Metz-Stavenhagen et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,642 to Morrison et al.
A further difficulty that has been experienced with such noncontiguous wall implementations as the above fork-shaped receiving member configurations is that the upright legs or wall sections of the set screw receiving member can experience splaying after implantation. For example, in the spinal field, after a rod is placed into the channel in the body portion of an open-back spinal fixation element, a closure or locking element is typically engaged in the body portion over the rod to clamp it within the channel so that there is no relative movement between the rod and the fixation element. Since no relative motion is possible, stresses placed on the rod after implantation are transmitted via the fixation element to the bone. In some cases, these stresses cause the legs or wall sections of the fixation element (such as the fork-shaped receiving member mentioned above) on either side of the slot to splay or move away from each other. Significant splaying of the fixation element generally results in its failure, since the closure or locking element will loosen its clamping of the rod. When that happens, the rod is free to move with respect to the fixation element, and may become disconnected with the fixation element altogether. In such a case, the therapeutic value of the implant is obviated, and further injury or complications may also result.
To prevent splaying of the noncontiguous walls, prior medical implant devices have included a nut, cap, clamp or similar apparatus to surround and hold the walls of the fixation element together. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,176 to Biedermann et al., a rod is placed into a slot in the fixation element, the locking member is engaged with the fixation element to press down via an intermediary part on the rod, and an outer nut is threaded on the outside of the fixation element. Although effective in controlling splaying, these devices have tended to be relatively more expensive and less efficient to implant compared with devices without an outer nut or cap. The outer nut or cap also adds to the profile of the medical implant device, making the device more difficult to implant in the frequently limited area in which to perform surgery and/or place an implant. A larger implant can also result in a higher risk of residual pain to the patient or potential complications.
There is therefore a need remaining in the industry for medical implant devices, and particularly orthopedic devices, which minimize the profile and bulk of the components of the device and minimizes the cost and difficulty of using such devices, while still preventing splaying of the noncontiguous walls of fixation elements. For instance, it is desirable to have a closure member, such as a set screw, that is configured to aid in preventing (rather than urging) the opposing walls of an implant from pulling away from the closure member.

Closure member for a medical implant device


A process for sealing anodized metals without using any heavy metals comprises a first step in which the anodized metal is contacted for a period of between 3 and 30 minutes (for an anodized layer thickness of 20 .mu.m) with an aqueous solution which has a temperature from 15.degree. to 35.degree. C. and a pH between 5.0 and 6.5 and contains from 0.1 to 3 g/l of lithium ions and from 0.1 to 5 g/l of fluoride ions and a second step in which the anodized metal is contacted for a period from 5 to 30 minutes (for an anodized layer thickness of 20 .mu.m) with water or an aqueous solution of substances which prevent the formation of a sealing coating, the solution having a pH from 5.5 to 8.5 and a temperature from 80.degree. to 100.degree. C.

The electrochemical anodic oxidation of metals in suitable electrolytes is a widely used process for forming corrosion-controlling and/or decorative coatings on suitable metals. These processes are briefly characterized, for example, in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 5th Edition, Vol. 9 (1987), pages 174 to 176. According to this literature reference, titanium, magnesium and aluminium and their alloys can be anodized, the anodization of aluminium and its alloys having the greatest industrial significance. The electrolytically produced anodizing layers protect the aluminium surfaces against the effects of weathering and other corrosive media. Anodizing layers are also applied to obtain a harder surface and hence to increase the resistance of the aluminium to wear. Particular decorative effects can be obtained through the color of the anodizing layers and through absorptive or electrolytic coloring. The anodization of aluminium takes place in an acidic electrolyte, sulfuric acid being the most widely used. Other suitable electrolytes are phosphoric acid, oxalic acid and chromic acid. The properties of the anodizing layers can be varied within wide limits through the choice of the electrolyte and its temperature and through the current density and anodizing time. The anodizing process is normally carried out with direct current or with direct current superimposed on alternating current.
The fresh anodizing layers may subsequently be colored by immersion in solutions of a suitable dye or by an alternating-current treatment in an electrolyte containing a metal salt and preferably in a tin-containing electrolyte. As an alternative to subsequent coloring, colored anodizing layers can be obtained by so-called color anodizing processes which are carried out, for example, in solutions of organic acids, more particularly sulfophthalic acid or sulfanilic acid, optionally in admixture with sulfuric acid.
These anodically produced protective layers, of which the structure has been scientifically investigated (R. Kniep, P. Lamparter and S. Streeb: "Structure of Anodic Oxide Coatings on Aluminium", Angew. Chem, Adv. Mater 101 (7), pages 975 to 977 (1989)), are frequently referred to as "oxide coatings". However, the study mentioned above revealed that these coatings are glass-like and contain tetrahedrally coordinated aluminium. No octahedrally coordinated aluminium, as present in the aluminium oxides, was found. Accordingly, the more general term "anodizing layers" is used in this patent application instead of the misleading term "oxide coatings".
However, these layers are still not entirely satisfactory in regard to corrosion control because they still have a porous structure. For this reason, the anodizing layers have to be sealed. The sealing process is often carried out with hot or boiling water or, alternatively, with steam. Sealing closes the pores and hence considerably increases protection against corrosion. Extensive literature is available on the sealing process, cf. for example S. Wemick, R. Pinner and P. G. Sheasby: The Surface Treatment and Finishing of Aluminium and its Alloys (Vol. 2, 5th Edition, Chapter 11: "Sealing Anodic Oxide Coatings", (ASM International, Metals Park, Ohio, USA and Finishing Publications LTD, Teddington, Middlesex, England, 1987).
In the sealing of anodizing layers, however, not only are the pores closed, a more or less thick velvet-like coating, the so-called sealing film, is formed over the entire surface. This film, which consists of hydrated aluminium oxide, is visually unattractive, reduces bond strength in the bonding of correspondingly treated aluminium parts and promotes subsequent soiling and corrosion. Since the subsequent removal of this sealing film by hand either mechanically or chemically is laborious, attempts have been made to prevent the formation of this sealing film by addition of chemicals to the sealing bath. According to DE-C-26 50 989, additions of cyclic polycarboxylic acids containing 4 to 6 carboxyl groups in the molecule, more particularly cyclohexane hexacarboxylic acid, are suitable for this purpose. According to DE-A-38 20 650, certain phosphonic acids, for example 1-phosphonopropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, may also be used.
In cases where water containing no additives other than the sealing film inhibitors mentioned is used, high temperatures (at least 90.degree. C.) and relatively long treatment times, of the order of 1 hour for an anodizing layer thickness of about 20 .mu.m, are required for effective sealing. Accordingly, the sealing process is energy-intensive and, on account of its duration, can slow down the rate of production. Accordingly, a search has already been started for sealing bath additives which support the sealing process so that it can be carried out at lower temperatures (so-called cold sealing) and/or over shorter treatment times. The following additives, for example, have been proposed for sealing at temperatures below 90.degree. C.: nickel salts, more particularly fluorides, of which some are already being used in practice (EP 171 799); nitrosyl pentacyanoferrate; complex fluorides of titanium and zirconium; and chromates or chromic acid, optionally in conjunction with other additives. As an alternative to actual sealing, hydrophobicization of the oxide coating with long-chain carboxylic acids or waxes has been recommended, as has treatment with acrylamides which are said to be polymerized within the pores. Further information on this subject can be found in the above-cited literature reference of S. Wernick et al. With the exception of sealing with nickel compounds, none of these proposals has ever been successfully adopted in practice.
Cold sealing processes using nickel fluoride have been introduced on an industrial scale. On account of the toxic properties of nickel salts, however, elaborate measures have to be taken to treat the wastewater.
Accordingly, there is still a need for alternative sealing processes for anodized surfaces which would enable the production rate to be increased and/or energy consumption to be reduced through shorter sealing times, without any need to use ecologically and physiologically unsafe heavy metals, such as nickel for example. The problem addressed by the present invention was to provide such a process.

Method of compacting anodized metals with lithium and fluoride-containing solutions without using heavy metals


A dermatological laser apparatus for irradiating human tissue with optical pulses includes a laser source (2) producing an optical output, a pulse shaper (4) coupled to the laser source for converting the optical output into optical pulses having desired shapes, and an optical delivery tool (8) coupled to the pulse shaper for applying the optical pulses sequentially to a multiplicity of sites on the human tissue with consecutively irradiated sites being non-adjacent.

Lasers have many useful applications to the treatment of surfaces, in the industrial field as well as in the medical field. Lasers have become valuable medical instruments to treat various kinds of dermatological conditions (e.g. a book edited by M. P. Goldman and R. E. Fitzpatrick entitled "Cutaneous Laser Surgery" published in 1999 by Mosby; or a book by R. E. Fitzpatrick and M. P. Goldman entitled "Cosmetic Laser Surgery" published in 2000 by Mosby). Current medical laser devices and methods include a laser system to generate a specific wavelength tailored to a particular dermatological application (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,336,217 to Buys; U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,749 to Eckhouse; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,497 to Anderson; or U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,885 to Koop). Or multi-color, multi-laser source, aimed at more applications in one multi-laser instrument (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 20040,082,940 to Black, Michael et al.).
Although the current devices and methods may work well for their intended purposes, they pose some drawbacks. For instance, with today's demand and wide variety of different dermatological applications, there is a strong desire to develop more versatile devices that can handle various kinds of dermatological applications rather than a single device tailored for a particular application, particularly if one can use the same laser, and change only the laser parameters, such as the temporal pulse shape, to serve the different needs. Furthermore, laser treatment may develop unwanted damage of non-targeted tissue, particularly the targeted tissue is subcutaneous. (For an overview of laser-tissue interaction, refer to, for instance, the paper by R. R. Anderson and E. V. Ross entitled "Laser-Tissue Interactions" in the book edited by R. E. Fitzpatrick and M. P. Goldman entitled "Cosmetic Laser Surgery," published in 2000 by Mosby, pp. 1-30). Some of the current devices and methods have attempted to overcome this negative effect by including a cooling device to cool down the non-targeted tissue (usually the skin) and thereby minimize the heat development and damage to that tissue (see, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,749 to Eckhouse; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,497 to Anderson; or U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,885 to Koop). However, such cooling devices add complexity and do not necessarily guarantee the anticipated cooling and reduced damage to non-targeted tissue, because the amount of cooling and the effect of the cooling device are unknown. Temporal pulse shaping may enable the reduction of total energy delivered to a spatial location, thus reducing the damage to non-targeted tissues and reducing or avoiding the need for active cooling.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop new dermatological devices and methods that provide versatility and flexibility. There is a further need to develop devices and methods that are not dependent on coolant devices and to minimize non-targeted tissue damage.

Dermatological laser system and Method for Skin Resurfacing


An apparatus and method for generating a radar image including acquiring a first plurality of data in a first domain, wherein one or more of the first plurality of data include data of a moving target engaged in a turning motion at a rotational rate greater than a threshold; converting the first plurality of data from the first domain to a second plurality of data in a second domain, wherein the second domain is a first two-dimensional transformation of the first domain; extracting one or more of the second plurality of data; converting the one or more of the extracted second plurality of data to a third plurality of data in a third domain, wherein the third domain is a second two-dimensional transformation of the second domain; phase compensating the third plurality of data; and transforming the phase compensated third plurality of data to generate the radar image.

To obtain two-dimensional radar images of moving vehicles is desirable to support, for example, automated target recognition (ATR), automated target classification (ATC) or feature-aided tracking (FAT). The creation of tactically useful two-dimensional radar images of moving vehicles from airborne or spaceborne platforms has been challenging. For example, the presence of uncompensated residual motion errors destroys the coherence of the radar data and can result in severe radar image degradation.
The yield and/or quality of tactically useful two-dimensional radar images of moving vehicles has historically been very low and hence ATR, ATC and FAT for moving vehicles has instead concentrated on exploitation of one-dimensional high range resolution (HRR) profiles. Unfortunately, these one-dimensional HRR profiles do not contain as much information as two-dimensional radar images, they decorrelate more rapidly over viewing aspect and time than two-dimensional (2D) radar images, and extensive training data must be continually collected.
The background art is characterized by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,924,229 and 5,818,383; the disclosures of which patents are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. The background art is also characterized by the following publications: C. V. Jakowatz Jr., D. E. Wahl, P. H. Eichel, D. G. Ghiglia, P. A. Thompson, Spotlight Mode Synthetic Aperture Radar: A Signal Processing Approach, ISBN 0-7923-9677-4 Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1996: and W. G. Carrera, R. S. Goodman, R. M. Majewski, Spotlight Synthetic Aperture Radar Signal Processing Algorithms, ISBN 0-89006-728-7, Artech House Inc., 1995.

Apparatus and method for short dwell inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging of turning moving vehicles


A method for continuous determination of a person's presence in a public transport conveyance is proposed, where a customer medium comprising an RF transceiver is assigned to the person, where at least one reading device per passenger compartment or car is provided for data communication with the customer media in the conveyance, which is connected to a computer serving as an on-board unit for the purpose of data communications, where these are also connected to each other in the case that several reading devices are provided, where an on-board unit serving as the main on-board unit is assigned to a passenger compartment or car if several passenger compartments or cars are present, and the other passenger compartments or cars are assigned to on-board units serving as secondary on-board units, which are connected to the main on-board unit for the purpose of data communication, where the customer medium is in a “sleep” mode upon entering the transport in order to keep energy consumption as low as possible.

The present invention relates to a method for continuous detection of a persons presence on public transportation. In particular, the invention relates to a method for realizing a "Be-in-be-out" ticket collection system.
"Be-in-be-out" ticket collection systems are becoming increasingly popular because they offer the utmost comfort to the passengers of public transportation. As part of such systems, the duration of a passenger's presence in a public transport vehicle should be determined and associated with the route travelled within this time. In comparison, in "check-in check-out" systems the passengers ticket is collected upon getting in and out.

Method for continuous detection of a persons presence on public transportation


A wafer structure and a method of fabricating and testing IC dies (10) on a wafer (12) are incorporated in a wafer fabrication process which produces IC dies having a selected sensitive AC parameter (L.sub.EFF,.beta.,R). Performance of the sensitive AC parameter generally falls within a first range of variation characteristic of the wafer fabrication process. A test structure or test pattern (TNMOS, TPMOS, TNPN, TR) is formed on substantially every die (10) of the wafer (12) for testing in a DC parametric test at the wafer level sorting stage before scribing and packaging the dies from the wafer. The test structures are constructed for generating test measurements in a DC parameter test reflecting the AC performance of the selected sensitive AC parameter. Substantially every die on the wafer is tested at the wafer level sorting stage using the test structures (TNMOS, TPMOS, TNPN, TR) in a DC parametric test. Those dies of the wafer reflecting AC performance of the selected sensitive AC parameter (L.sub.EFF, .beta., R) within a second range of variation narrower than the first range are selected for packaging. The other dies of the wafer are rejected or sorted for other purposes before packaging for increasing the yield of packaged IC dies meeting AC specifications for AC performance within the narrower second range. The test structures include test NMOS (TNMOS) and test PMOS (TPMOS) transistors for test indication of effective gate length L.sub.EFF for CMOS transistors; test NPN transistors (TNPN) for reflecting the amplification factor .beta. for bipolar NPN transistors; and test resistors (TR) for test indication of effective resistance, isolation oxide encroachment, overetch or underetch, etc.

Upon completion of wafer fabrication steps forming the many integrated circuit dies on a wafer, the wafer proceeds to an intermediate testing stage while still in wafer form. This intermediate testing stage is commonly known as the DC parametric testing stage. It is referred to herein as the wafer level testing stage or simply the wafer level stage and includes two phases or steps of DC wafer level testing. First, selected test patterns formed at dedicated sites on the wafer are tested by a test pattern tester to check device parametrics indicating process variation. Second, each die on the wafer is tested on a DC parametric tester using a wafer probe for wafer sorting.
Typically, each wafer is formed with one or more process monitor test dies distributed across the wafer. The test dies are formed with DC test patterns for representative testing of selected DC parameters at the wafer level stage. The DC test patterns and DC parametric tests performed by the test pattern tester on the test patterns are designed to detect longer term changes in the IC wafer fabrication process for purposes of process control.
DC parametric testing is then performed on the individual dies of the wafer using a DC parametric tester. Physical contact is made with the bond pads of the respective dies using an automated wafer probe which steps from one die to another. The DC parameter tester forces DC currents and voltages for measuring DC parameters such as voltage thresholds, power rail voltages, and other voltages and currents of the respective IC component devices. Conventional DC parameter testers and wafer probes are generally limited to DC testing. The high impedance and high capacitance characteristic of the wafer probe make it impractical for testing AC parameters and high frequency characteristics. AC parameter testing is performed after cutting the wafer and packaging of individual dies or chips. However some limited low frequency AC testing has been conducted at the wafer level stage as described by Richard B. Merrill et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,602 on Aug. 13, 1991 for METHOD OF SCREENING AC PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS DURING DC PARAMETRIC TEST OPERATION.
During the second phase of DC parameter testing, IC dies of the wafer that fail to meet specified DC parameter characteristics are marked for rejection, a step referred to as wafer sorting or "wafer sort". Following the "wafer sort", the wafer is shipped for scribing into individual integrated circuit dies and packaging of the acceptable chips. After packaging the integrated circuit devices then undergo more sophisticated AC parametric testing and dynamic AC function testing in integrated circuit device testers such as the Micro Component Technology, Inc. MCT 2000 Series Test System. Further description of AC parametric testing is found in the William H. Morong U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,153 issued Mar. 31, 1992 for PIN ELECTRONICS TEST CIRCUIT FOR IC DEVICE TESTING.
At the stage of AC parametric testing of individual packaged IC devices, a further percentage of the now packaged dies or chips are rejected. The objective of the manufacturing process is to maximize yield after the expense of scribing and packaging the individual dies of the wafer. A troublesome low yield of packaged dies occurs where the customer product specifications and acceptable range of performance of a selected sensitive AC parameter of an IC product may be substantially narrower than the general range of variation of the selected sensitive AC parameter produced by the IC fabrication process on line at the time of production. In that event, the yield may be particularly low with a high percentage of rejection of already packaged chips which fail the more sophisticated AC parametric tests and dynamic AC function tests.
By way of example, the cost of production of integrated circuit dies formed on a wafer at the wafer level sorting stage before scribing and packaging may be, for example in the range of ten cents per die. On the other hand, after scribing and packaging the cost per packaged IC device may be for example thirty cents per packaged die or chip. Low yield at the stage of AC parametric testing therefore disproportionately increases manufacturing cost of the acceptable packaged chips. Packaged IC device yield from AC parametric testing may therefore be unacceptably low and manufacturing costs excessive when customer product specifications for performance variation in a selected sensitive AC parameter are substantially narrower than the range of variation in the sensitive AC parameter generally produced by the on line wafer fabrication process.

Individualized prepackage AC performance testing of IC dies on a wafer using DC parametric test patterns


A method and system for adaptively prefetching objects from a network has been disclosed. The invention includes adaptively tuning a prefetch engine to prefetch a plurality of objects from within the network. Because the prefetch engine is adaptively tuned, the prefetch process is optimized, thereby reducing the number of idle cycles that would otherwise be required to retrieve objects from the network. The method and system includes monitoring at least one proxy server within the network, the at least one proxy server comprising a prefetch engine and adaptively tuning the prefetch engine to prefetch a plurality of objects from within the network.

Computers have become an integral tool used in a wide variety of different applications, such as in finance and commercial transactions, three-dimensional and real-time graphics, computer-aided design and manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications, education, etc. Computers are finding new applications as performance and speeds ever increase while costs decrease due to advances in hardware technology and rapid software development. Furthermore, the functionality and usefulness of a computer system can be dramatically enhanced by coupling stand-alone computers together to form a computer network. In a computer network, users may readily exchange files, share information stored on a common database, pool resources, communicate via e-mail and even video teleconference.
One popular type of network setup is known as the "client/server" computing network. Basically, users perform tasks through their own dedicated desktop computer (i.e., the "client") and the desktop computer is networked to larger, more powerful central computers (i.e., "servers"). Servers are high-speed machines that hold programs and data shared by network users. For a better understanding of a client/server computer network, please refer now to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a conventional client/server computer network 100. The network 100 includes a plurality of client computers 101–106 coupled to a network of remote server computers 110.
An assortment of network and database software enables communication between the various clients and the servers. Hence, in a client/server arrangement, the data is easily maintained because it is stored in one location and maintained by the servers; the data can be shared by a number of local or remote clients; the data is easily and quickly accessible; and clients may readily be added or removed.
In today's networking environment, many clients desire higher bandwidth and lower latency (delay between the request and the responses) to access many web and streaming media applications. This can be accomplished by providing caching servers at more local points in the network that keep copies of files previously retrieved from the remote servers for subsequent repeated access by the local clients. The theory underlying caching is that since the same file may be used more than once, it may be more efficient (both in terms of speed and resource utilization) to keep a copy locally rather than retrieve it a second time from a remote source. Typically, each caching server caches a small set of "hot" recently accessed objects in a fast and relatively expensive random access memory attached to its internal bus, and a somewhat larger set of such objects in a slower and cheaper random access peripheral storage device such as a magnetic or optical disk.
Prefetching is a known technique for analyzing current and/or past file requests to predict what files are likely to be requested in the future. Those predictions are then utilized to retrieve files from a remote server on a less urgent basis before they are actually requested, thereby reducing not only latency but also network congestion. It differs from caching in that the focus is not on whether to keep a local copy of a file that has already been retrieved or updated (which is mostly a question of how best to use the available local storage capacity) but rather on whether to obtain from the remote server a file that is not currently available locally and that is not currently the subject of any pending requests. Since predicting what files are likely to be requested in the future involves a plethora of prediction criteria, it is desirable that these predictions be completed as comprehensively and efficiently as possible.
Accordingly, what is needed is a method and system for prefetching objects from a network in a comprehensive and efficient fashion. The method and system should be simple, cost effective and capable of being easily adapted to existing technology. The present invention addresses these needs.

Method and system for adaptively prefetching objects from a network

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A system for dividing a container into compartments has a divider that divides the container into compartments. The system also has a first support device configured to removably receive and support the divider in a first orientation that forms laterally adjacent compartments and a second support device configured to removably receive and support the divider in a second orientation that forms vertically adjacent compartments. The divider is received by either the first or second support device.

Several types of kitchen appliances include storage systems such as drawers to store objects. Some storage systems include dividers that divide the drawer into laterally adjacent compartments. However, the space within the drawer could be more efficiently utilized if the drawer were also divided into compartments that are stacked on top of each other. In addition, utilizing interchangeable dividers that could be used to create laterally adjacent compartments and vertically adjacent compartments would increase the flexibility of the storage system.


A medium storage device reads device specific information from a medium to a memory and performs read/write operation to the medium, which allows receiving commands from a host even if a read error of the device specific information occurs. When an error occurs during the device specific information read processing of the medium storage device after power ON, the alternate data stored in the medium is developed so as to recover the power ON error artificially. For this alternate data, the data at factory shipment is saved in a ROM or a system area of a medium in advance, and is developed from here when necessary. Since commands can be received and executed, a disabled startup of the host system can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recovery processing method for a device specific information which operates by developing device specific information, stored on a medium, onto a memory, and more particularly to a recovery processing method for device specific information for executing recovery processing for read errors of updated device specific information which are stored on a medium, and the medium storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because of the recent demand for the computerized processing of data, a capacity increase is demanded for the medium storage devices of magnetic medium devices and optical medium devices for storing data. Therefore the track density and the recording density of medium storage devices are constantly increasing. In such medium storage devices, it is indispensable to monitor the state of the medium and the state of the read and write, so device specific information is stored in a medium which is a non-volatile memory for each device.
The device specific information includes information to be updated. In the case of a magnetic disk device, for example, if automatic replacement processing is generated, the addresses of an error sector (replacement source sector) and the replacement destination sector which took over the error sector are registered in the defective sector management information, and must be held even if power is turned OFF (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-245072).
The SMART (Self Monitoring Analysis Report Technology) drive attribute values, which are guarantee information, includes information which is accumulated when the magnetic medium device is operating, such as the power ON time and the read/write error rate, and this information also must be held even if power is turned OFF.
In this way the magnetic disk device has information which is updated after shipment, and must be held even if power is turned OFF, and this information is stored as device specific information in a non-volatile memory or in the system area on the medium to which the user cannot access.
And when power is turned ON, information which has been updated/accumulated up to the point when power was turned OFF the last time is loaded, and this information is updated/accumulated. Therefore when power is turned ON, information must be read from the non-volatile memory or from the system area on the medium.
In such a magnetic disk device, an enormous size of data is required for the defective sector management information and the SMART information as the capacity of the medium increases. This data is indispensable for the normal execution of medium access and command operation of the magnetic disk device, and is stored in the device specific area on the medium.
The above data is read by the power ON sequence, resides in a memory, is updated during the operation of the magnetic disk device, and is stored in the device specific area of the medium regularly or at a predetermined timing, such as when a command is received.
Because of the recent popularization of mobile equipment, such a medium storage device is also mounted on mobile equipment (e.g. notebook personal computers, portable AV (Audio/Visual) equipment)). In this operating environment, write errors tend to occur in the medium storage device because of temperature changes and vibration. Therefore if device specific information is written and stored in the system area on the medium under such an environment, the device specific information may not be read when power is turned ON the next time.
For example, when vibration is applied to a disk device, an off-track motion may occur and the drive specific information may not be able to be accurately written to the target track. In this case, in the subsequent power ON sequence, the device specific information cannot be read even if the head seeks the target track.
In the same way, because of recording density which is becoming increasingly dense lately, an off-track motion tends to occur when the temperature is different, and, for example, if the temperature changes between the write and read of the device specific information, a write error occurs when a device specific information is stored, and if power is shut OFF in this status, an error occurs in reading the device specific information in the subsequent power ON sequence.
The device specific information of the disk device includes information which is indispensable for executing commands, and if this information cannot be read during the power ON sequence, the disk device may not operate normally. Also if the device specific information which was read with error is defective management information, normal medium access cannot be guaranteed.
In other words, if the defective sector management information cannot be read in a device where automatic replacement processing is generating, not the replacement destination sector but the replacement source sector is accessed. The replacement source sector is the sector where an error originally occurred, and the data has been written to the replacement destination sector, so a read error or a data comparison error occurs. Also if the defective sector information registered at shipment is included in the defective sector management information, accessing the defective sector at shipment may occur.
In the same way, if the SMART drive attribute information cannot be read, commands cannot be executed since the attribute values to be reported to the host by the SMART commands do not exist.
Once the disk device enters the above mentioned status, normal operation cannot be guaranteed, so a self diagnosis error or an abort of the received command occurs. Also if the disk device ended all the commands issued from the host system as an abort or error, the host system may not be started up, then the backup operation for the data stored in the disk device cannot be executed either.

Recovery processing method for device specific information of medium storage device and medium storage device


Semiconductor-mounted device comprises wired board, first semiconductor chip mounted on first side of wired board, second semiconductor chip mounted on second side of wired board and sealing resin sealing, with a same height, a region disposed at and around first semiconductor chip and opposite, across wired board, to at least an area of projecting electrodes of second semiconductor chip; and a producing method thereof. Semiconductor-mounted device also comprises wired board, first semiconductor chip mounted on first side of wired board, second semiconductor chip mounted on second side of wired board and resin sheet covering, at substantially a same height as first semiconductor chip, a region disposed around first semiconductor chip and opposite, across wired board, to at least an area of projecting electrodes of second semiconductor chip, back surface of first semiconductor chip being exposed; and a producing method thereof.

In order to meet a requirement for miniaturizing and thinning an electronic device, a method has been adopted that finely miniaturizes a semiconductor chip pattern, and that mounts semiconductor chips on both sides of a wired board, thereby increasing a mounting efficiency.
An example of a semiconductor-mounted device mounted with semiconductor chips on both sides of a wired board is shown in FIG. 10. Electrode pads (not shown) of a wired board 2 and projecting electrodes 4 of a semiconductor chip 3 are electrically and mechanically connected at opposite positions of both sides of the semiconductor-mounted device 8, the wired board 2 and the semiconductor chip 3 being adhered by underfill resin 5.
A method for producing the semiconductor-mounted device is shown in FIGS. 11(a)-(c). As shown in FIG. 11(a), first of all the wired board 2 is put on a stage 6 with a heating apparatus (not shown), the electrode pads (not shown) on the wired board 2 and the corresponding projecting electrodes 4 of the semiconductor chip 3 being put together and connected by applying heat and pressure. As shown in FIG. 11(b), the underfill resin 5 is then introduced between the wired board 2 and the semiconductor chip 3, the wired board 2 and the semiconductor chip 3 being adhered by heat-hardening. Alternatively, the underfill resin 5 may be applied on the wired board 2 or the semiconductor chip 3 before the connection of the projecting electrodes 4 explained in FIG. 11(a) and then be simultaneously heat-hardened when the projecting electrodes 4 are connected. As shown in FIG. 11(c), the wired board 2 is then turned over, put on the stage 6 and provided with another semiconductor chip opposite to the semiconductor chip mounted on the other side of the wired board 2 in the same way as above.
In the above-mentioned semiconductor-mounted device and the producing method thereof, however, the positions at which the semiconductor chips are mounted on the both sides of the wired board have to be opposing each other across the wired board because it is necessary that pressure is applied to connect the electrode pad of the wired board and the projecting electrode of the semiconductor chip. When the positions are not opposing each other across the wired board, the wired board 2 warps on applying pressure on the semiconductor chip 3 as shown in FIG. 12, so the projecting electrode 4 can not contact with the electrode pad (not shown) of the wired board 2, thereby causing an open defect.
Therefore, it has been necessary to mount the semiconductor chips with almost the same size on the positions opposing each other across the wired board. This has largely restricted the constitution of the semiconductor-mounted device.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Gazette of Patent No. 2634351 (Pages 2-4, FIG. 1), a method is disclosed in which surface mount ICs that are not necessary to apply pressure for its mounting are mounted on positions not-opposing each other across a wired board, as shown in FIG. 13.

Semiconductor-mounted device and method for producing same


An edge connector for connecting structural members at their adjacent edges is disclosed, including a base extending transversely between its edges, a support wall integral with the base and extending away from the base on one side thereof, the support wall extending generally parallel to the base edges and being positioned between the transverse center of the base and one edge; and a tongue integrally connected at one end to the support wall, extending from the support wall to a free end thereof; and spaced away from the base and positioned between the transverse center of the base and the other edge of the base on the side of the center opposite the one base edge, the tongue and the base defining a recess therebetween to receive the tongue of a mating connector.

This invention relates to interlocking structural members, (e.g., display panels) connected together at their edges.
Portable interlocking structural members such as display panels and room dividers, are frequently held together in the desired arrangement by connectors located along the edge of the panels. It is known to provide connectors consisting of bead and groove conformations in mating interfitting tongue and socket structures, oriented in the plane of the panels. The tongue and socket structures are interconnected by longitudinal movement of the adjacent panels towards each other.

Interlocking structural members with edge connectors


At least a portion of a body (10) of a patient is positioned in an examination volume of a MR device (1). The portion of the body (10) is subject to a calibration sequence including RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients controlled in such a manner that a calibration signal data set is acquired by a multi-point Dixon technique at a first image resolution. Calibration parameters are derived from the calibration signal data set. The portion of the body (10) is subject to an imaging sequence including RF pulses and switched magnetic field gradients controlled in such a manner that a diagnostic signal data set is acquired at a second image resolution which is higher than the first image resolution A diagnostic MR image is reconstructed from the diagnostic signal data set. The MR device (1) is operated according to the derived calibration parameters with fat saturation during acquisition of the diagnostic signal data set and/or during reconstruction of the diagnostic MR image.

Image-forming MR methods which utilize the interaction between magnetic fields and nuclear spins in order to form two-dimensional or three-dimensional images are widely used nowadays, notably in the field of medical diagnostics, because for the imaging of soft tissue they are superior to other imaging methods in many respects, do not require ionizing radiation and are usually not invasive.
According to the MR method in general, the body of the patient to be examined is arranged in a strong, uniform magnetic field B0 whose direction at the same time defines an axis (normally the z-axis) of the co-ordinate system on which the measurement is based. The magnetic field B0 produces different energy levels for the individual nuclear spins in dependence on the magnetic field strength which can be excited (spin resonance) by application of an electromagnetic alternating field (RF field) of defined frequency (so-called Larmor frequency, or MR frequency). From a macroscopic point of view the distribution of the individual nuclear spins produces an overall magnetization which can be deflected out of the state of equilibrium by application of an electromagnetic pulse of appropriate frequency (RF pulse) while the magnetic field B0 extends perpendicular to the z-axis, so that the magnetization performs a precessional motion about the z-axis. The precessional motion describes a surface of a cone whose angle of aperture is referred to as flip angle. The magnitude of the flip angle is dependent on the strength and the duration of the applied electromagnetic pulse. In the case of a so-called 90° pulse, the spins are deflected from the z axis to the transverse plane (flip angle 90°).
After termination of the RF pulse, the magnetization relaxes back to the original state of equilibrium, in which the magnetization in the z direction is built up again with a first time constant T1 (spin lattice or longitudinal relaxation time), and the magnetization in the direction perpendicular to the z direction relaxes with a second time constant T2 (spin-spin or transverse relaxation time). The variation of the magnetization can be detected by means of receiving RF coils which are arranged and oriented within an examination volume of the MR device in such a manner that the variation of the magnetization is measured in the direction perpendicular to the z-axis. The decay of the transverse magnetization is accompanied, after application of, for example, a 90° pulse, by a transition of the nuclear spins (induced by local magnetic field inhomogeneities) from an ordered state with the same phase to a state in which all phase angles are uniformly distributed (dephasing). The dephasing can be compensated by means of a refocusing pulse (for example a 180° pulse). This produces an echo signal (spin echo) in the receiving coils.
In order to realize spatial resolution in the body, linear magnetic field gradients extending along the three main axes are superposed on the uniform magnetic field B0, leading to a linear spatial dependency of the spin resonance frequency. The signal picked up in the receiving coils then contains components of different frequencies which can be associated with different locations in the body. The signal data obtained via the receiving coils corresponds to the spatial frequency domain and is called k-space data. The k-space data usually includes multiple lines acquired with different phase encoding. Each line is digitized by collecting a number of samples. A set of k-space data is converted to an MR image by means of Fourier transformation.
With increasing field strength, the off-resonance effects caused by B0 inhomogeneities become more severe and affect all MR applications. Conventional B0 shimming methods focus either on a local volume or on a global volume of B0 inhomogeneities. However, there are MR applications which demand globally constrained B0 offsets, for example for frequency-selective fat suppression, throughout the field of view (FOV), but also require locally optimal B0 homogeneity in a region of interest (ROI). An optimal shimming solution for a specific MR application can be achieved by exploiting the higher order shimming coils available in high field MR systems. J. C. Siero et al. (ISMRM 16th Scientific Meeting 2010 Proceedings, p. 2589) have proposed a cost function guided shimming approach that is used at a B0 field of 3 Tesla for efficient fat suppression in liver and prostate. According to this approach, a trade-off is sought between global and local field homogeneity for the purpose of finding a balance between effective fat suppression and local geometrical distortions. A drawback of this known approach is that no analysis of the target anatomy with regard to the distribution of fat tissue is performed. The known approach differentiates only between the local region of interest and the remaining global field of view. For this reason, no optimal B0 homogeneity is achieved in the regions containing fat tissue in all cases.
In the paper 'Single acquisition water-fat separation:feasiblity study for dynamic imaging' by H. Yu et al. in MRM 55 (2006)413-422 a three-point water-fat separation is mentioned in which a coil sensitivity calibration scan is integrated with undersampled dynamic acquisitions. The coil sensitivity calibration scan is acquired with full-FOV which enables unwrapping of the dynamic acquisitions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

MR imaging using a multi-point dixon technique


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a terminal and method for controlling a screen. The method comprises: during a calling or call originating process of the terminal, determining whether a distance between a specified area and a human body is larger than a distance threshold value based on an electrical signal generated by the screen when the specified area of a screen of the terminal gets close to the human body; controlling the screen to be off if it is determined that the distance is not larger than the distance threshold value, and controlling the screen to be on if it is determined that the distance is larger than the distance threshold value. By adopting the technical solution disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the on and off status of the screen can be controlled more precisely during the calling or call originating process of the terminal.

Currently, touch-screen terminals are used most frequently. However, when a user makes a phone call via such terminal, the terminal may be mis-operated due to a long-time contact between the screen of the terminal and the user's face or head. In the related technology, the problem is generally solved by using optical sensing technology to control the screen to be on and off, the principle of which is to sense the peripheral light condition with an optical sensor, and then inform a processing chip of a controller in the terminal to turn the screen on or off. During the calling process, the optical sensor at the front of the terminal senses the peripheral light condition. When the terminal gets close to a human body (such as ear) within a certain distance, the optical sensor senses that the light turns dark, so the controller turns off the screen. When the terminal gets away from the human body for a certain distance, the optical sensor senses that the light turns bright, so the controller turns on the screen.
However, the optical sensor lacks a measurable standard to determine the sensed light condition of the peripheral light, and the sensed condition is easy to be affected by the light intensity of the environment around the terminal. As a result, it is difficult to control the screen to be on and off precisely.

Terminal and method for controlling a screen


A Bravais lens includes a front, positive power lens group and a rear, negative power lens group. These lens groups, in combination, provide the Bravais lens with a negative focal length and a negative power. The front, positive power lens group includes a positive power lens element and a negative power lens element. The rear, negative power lens group includes another negative power lens element and another positive power lens element.

Conventional Bravais lenses provide an enlarged image of a virtual object at the object's location. A Bravais lens is described in the book "Modern Optical Engineering, The Design of Optical Systems", Second Edition, page 272. The Bravais lens described in this book is not an apochromatic lens (i.e., it is not corrected for chromatic aberrations) and thus introduces color aberrations when forming an image. If such a Bravais lens is placed into a composite laser beam containing a plurality of coaxial laser beams of different wavelength, all converging to the same waist location, the Bravais lens would produce a plurality of enlarged laser beam waists. These enlarged laser beam waists would be positioned in different planes along the optical axis of the Bravais lens and thus would not be coplanar.
Further, a Bravais lens described in the above mentioned book is not adapted for use with laser beams. When such Bravais lens is placed into a converging input laser beam to create an image a first laser beam waist, the Bravais lens would produce an second enlarged beam waist at a different location than the first beam waist location. The amount of distance between two beam waist locations will depend on the speed of the input laser beam. Thus, if the beam waists are being reimaged by another optical system to form a final image, the final image may be out of focus when the Bravais lens is placed in front of this optical system.


A design method of tangential gradient thermal spraying coating for complex profile workpieces solves the erosion-resistant problem, and obtains a corresponding relation between the ductile-brittle ratio of the thermal sprayed coating and the impact angle change. The method includes: determining the complex profile part surface impact angle change rule according to the part operation environment conditions; selecting an erosion-resistant coating material according to the service condition requirement; obtaining the relation among the impact angle, ductile-brittle angle and erosion rate of the coating by an erosion test; determining the coating and the impact angle ductile-brittle corresponding relation curve; and performing spraying by using dual-channel powder feeding thermal spraying equipment the powder feeding quantity of which is adjustable in real time, based on a matching relation between the tangential gradient coating and the surface impact angle.

Parts with complex profile in erosion conditions are widely applied to the industries of petroleum, chemical engineering, metallurgy and the like, and play an important role in economic development. A large centrifugal compressor impeller is a typical complex profile part, which is generally made of an ultra-high strength material, and is complex in the spatial geometrical structure and high in material cost and processing cost. Blade thinning is an important damage form due to the erosion wear of gas-solid two-phase flow. Thermal spraying technology is one of the important technologies for enhancing the erosion-resistant performance of the surface.
The erosion rate, as an important indicator of erosion wear, is greatly influenced by the impact angle between incident particles and a complex profile surface and the brittle ductile property of the coating material. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brittle coating material has good erosion-resistant performance at medium to low angles, while the ductile material has good erosion-resistant performance at high angles, and their erosion-resistant performance is of great difference within the range of the impact angle [0°,90°].
As shown in FIG. 3, the homogeneous coating cannot meet the requirement of erosion-resistant performance of the complex profile surface at various impact angles when it is impacted, as the change range of the impact angle on the whole profile is great. Hence, there is an urgent need for developing a heterogeneous coating with its brittle-ductile property changing along the complex profile surface, to match the impact angle change of the surface during service and improve the erosion-resistant ability.

Method of tangential gradient thermal spraying coating for complex profile workpieces


The present invention provides an apparatus and method for generating a covariance matrix. According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided which generally includes a memory, a circular buffer, a multiply-accumulator, and an arithmetic logic unit. The memory contains an array of values representative of a plurality of samples, and the circular buffer is configured to provide a predetermined number of memory locations. A method for generating the covariance matrix is further provided which uses the architecture listed above to efficiently generate a covariance matrix based on the values in the memory. In one aspect of the invention, the method provides that the memory, the circular buffer, the multiply-accumulator, and the arithmetic logic unit, all operate in parallel to fully exploit the resources provided by the architecture.

A multitude of applications include processes which require a step of measuring the variation between sets of random variables. These measurements may be stored or displayed in the form of a two-dimensional array. Such arrays are hereinafter referred to as covariance matrices.
One example of an application which requires the generation of a covariance matrix is the implementation of the IS-54 US Digital Cellular Radio Standard. This standard uses a speech coder known as Vector Sum Excited Linear Predictive Coding (VSELP), which requires the computation of a covariance matrix using as input a block of digital speech samples. The speech samples are stored at an 8 KHz sampling rate from an analog input. The details of the IS-54 Standard are discussed in EIA/TIA Document 2215 (Cellular System - Dual Mode Mobile Station/One State Compatibility Standard IS-54, December 1989).
The formula to generate a covariance matrix from 170 input speech samples is shown in Equation 1, where .phi.(i,k) represents the value at row i, column k, of the covariance matrix, N.sub.A represents the total number of input speech samples (N.sub.A =170), N.sub.P represents the maximum row and column number of the covariance matrix (N.sub.P =10), and S(x) represents the value of the xth input sample. ##EQU1##
A representation of a covariance matrix generated by Equation 1 is shown in FIG. 1A, where x,y represents the covariance measurement stored at row x, column y, of the covariance matrix.
FIG. 1B shows a possible method of storing the values of the covariance matrix shown in FIG. 1A in Random Access Memory (RAM). Note that only 66 RAM locations are needed to store an 11 by 11 covariance matrix, since a covariance matrix is symmetric. Thus, for every element .phi.(i,k) in a covariance matrix, .phi.(i,k)=.phi.(k,i). As a result, only the elements across the main diagonal and upper (or lower) triangle of a covariance matrix need be generated and stored to represent the entire covariance matrix.
FIG. 1C shows the storage configurations for three matrices, F, B, and C, which are subsets of the covariance matrix stored as shown in FIG. 1B. These three matrices are also symmetric.
Equation 1 displays redundancy in that if the row 0 elements of a covariance matrix (i.e. .phi.(0,0) to .phi.(0,10)) are generated, the remaining elements can be easily generated using Equation 2 shown below: EQU .phi.(i+1,k+1)=.phi.(i,k)+S(N.sub..rho. -i-1)S(N.sub..rho. -k-1)-S(N.sub.A -i-1)S(N.sub.A -k-1) (2)
The following equations show the derivation of Equation 2 for .phi.(1,1). EQU .phi.(0,0)=S(10)S(10)+S(11)S(11)+ . . . +S(169)S(169) EQU .phi.(1,1)=S( 9)S( 9)+S(10)S(10)+ . . . +S(168)S(168)
Therefore, EQU .phi.(1,1)=.phi.(0,0)+S(9)S(9)-S(169)S(169).
The implementation of Equation 2 is generally straightforward using multiply-accumulate hardware.
However, the row 0 elements (i.e. .phi.(0,0) to .phi.(0,10)) of a covariance matrix must first be generated by Equation 1 before the remainder of the matrix is generated by Equation 2.
The operands in the multiplications required by Equation 1 are samples offset from each other by a fixed number. For example, the formula to generate .phi.(0,1) is EQU .phi.(0,1)=S(10)S(9)+S(11)S(10)+ . . . +S(169)S(168).
In this example, the operands of every multiplication are samples offset from each other by one.
According to the prior art, to efficiently implement an equation having the form of Equation 1, a covariance matrix generator must include either two separate memories containing the 170 speech samples, or a pipeline on one memory containing the 170 samples. Block diagrams of these architectures are shown respectively in FIGS. 2 and 3.
Pipelining is a form of processing in which a functional unit performs its process in several steps. When the first step is completed, the results are passed to a second step that uses separate hardware. The first-step hardware is thus free to begin processing new data. While pipeline processing generally provides fast throughput for sequential processes, it is typically used for processes in which the time required to pass through some functional unit of a computer system would otherwise be longer than the intervals at which data may enter that functional unit.
The dual-memory architecture shown in FIG. 2 has the obvious disadvantage that it requires twice as much memory as the pipeline architecture shown in FIG. 3. However, when a covariance matrix generator employing the pipeline architecture shown in FIG. 3 generates, for example, .phi.(0,10), a 10 level pipeline is required. Such a pipeline provides for fast covariance matrix generation, but its purpose is uniquely confined to generating a covariance matrix. Such pipelines are not useful (in any obvious manner) for other calculations, such as, for example, the other parts of the computational requirement for VSELP.
Therefore, it is clearly desirable to provide an efficient covariance matrix generator that is easily used as a general purpose result store but which does not require the samples upon which the matrix is based to be stored in two banks of memory.
It is further desirable to provide a covariance matrix generator that efficiently implements covariance calculations at low hardware cost and supplies a useful "scratch pad" memory in the system for other calculations to store temporary results.

Architecture for covariance matrix generation


Described herein is a system having a multi-host SATA controller (102) configured to provide communication and control between two or more independent host processors (104) and a single SATA device (108). In one implementation, the multi-host SATA controller (102) includes the device switching layer (206), the device control layer (208), the link layer (210), and the physical layer (212). The device switching layer (206) allows the host processors (104) to issue commands concurrently rather than in sequential order. For this, the device switching layer (206) has independent set of host device registers (214) corresponding to each of the host processors (104). The device switching layer (206) also has independent DMA engines (216) to perform a command pre-fetching from respective host system memories (105). Further, a command switch engine (220) may arbitrate commands in case both the host processors (104) wish to access the SATA device (108) simultaneously.

Processing speeds of central processing units (CPUs) of computer systems have increased many fold in the recent past, and the introduction of high speed buses, such as peripheral component interface (PCI)-express, has caused performance of the computer systems to grow rapidly. However, for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices, such as hard disk drives and optical drives, the maximum speed of a parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA) standard is limited to 133 MB/s. Hence, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) standard was proposed. The serial link employed is a point-to-point high-speed differential link that utilizes gigabit technology. A SATA based mass storage device, also referred to as SATA device, provides a high bandwidth, low cost, and low power mass storage solution as compared to PATA.
Conventionally, a host processor (also referred to as host herein) communicates with the SATA device through a SATA host controller. The SATA controller receives commands from the host and sends the commands over a serial link to the SATA device. In a similar manner, the SATA controller also receives the command response and data from the SATA device over the same serial link and sends such data to the host processor. Such SATA host controllers are generally configured to communicate with a single host processor as SATA protocol architecture supports single host processor and SATA device configuration.
More recently, multiple operating systems on single host or multiple host systems are being developed. When multiple operating systems are developed, a virtualization intermediary (VI), such as virtual machine monitor (VMM) or Hypervisor, is also implemented to enable the multiple different operating systems. The VMM enables sharing of the peripherals generally connected to an I/O controller. However, such software based virtualization solutions cause high latencies and thus sharing of a SATA device with the software solution can become a bottleneck in the overall system performance.
In another example, the multiple hosts are connected to a single SATA device using external Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) expanders, which usually tunnel the SATA protocol. These expanders act as external switches and still provide access to the host one at a time. In this case, the two hosts need to coordinate to decide who accesses the SATA device, which is difficult and may not be possible in cases where the two given hosts are on different sub-systems and do not communicate with each other.