A molding frame made by molding a thermoplastic norbornene resin which hardly deforms even after repeated use is used for production of electronic part sealed bodies by sealing the electronic devices of integrated circuits such as light emitting diodes, diodes, transistors, LSI devices, IC devices and CCD devices and capacitors, resistors, coils, microswitches and dipswitches with thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins as sealants.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molding frame for producing electronic part sealed bodies and a method for producing electronic part sealed bodies using the molding frame.
2. Related Art
Electronic parts such as electronic devices and micro-switches are made of metals, ceramics or combination thereof and sometimes suffer damages in their functions owing to change of properties caused by air oxidation or water. Therefore, they are generally used in a sealed form cut off from air or water by sealants such as epoxy resins.
The electronic part sealed bodies are usually produced by placing an electronic part in a molding frame in such a manner that the electronic part does not contact with the surface of the molding frame, pouring a sealant into the molding frame and hardening the sealant.
The electronic part sealed bodies have various shapes and use of metallic molding frames causes increase of cost. Therefore, in general, those made of resins, mainly, polymethylpentene and polyphenyl sulfite are used. However, polymethylpentene is a crystalline resin and the molding frames made of this resin suffer from the problem that they are apt to deform due to relaxation of residual stress caused by the heat at the time of hardening the epoxy resin at a high temperature. Thus, it is difficult to produce electronic part sealed bodies high in molding accuracy and furthermore, the life of the molding frame per se has been considered to be at most 30 times in the number of sealings. Moreover, since polyphenyl sulfite is brittle, use of only this resin is insufficient and the resin must be reinforced with fillers such as glass fibers, glass beads and silica. However, if fillers are added, the surface of the molding frame is not smooth and the surface of the resulting electronic part sealed body is also not smooth. In addition, the molding frame made of polyphenyl sulfite is superior to the molding frame made of polymethylpentene in endurance, but the life of the former is still at most about 100 times in the number of sealings.

Method for producing electronic part sealed body


A substantially rigid tonneau cover is provided which is hingedly connectable to a truck bed and moveable between open and closed positions. A latch mechanism mounted on the interior surface of the cover is selectively engagable with the truck bed to secure the cover in the closed position. A latch release handle is mounted in a recessed compartment formed on the exterior surface of the cover and is connected to the latch mechanism. A hatch is connected to the cover proximate the latch handle and is moveable between a hatch open position and a hatch closed position. In the hatch closed position the hatch covers the recessed compartment and the latch release handle mounted therein. The hatch is preferably mounted such that in the hatch closed position the exterior surface of the hatch is generally flush with exterior surface of the cover and conforms to the contour of the cover.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tonneau covers for pickup truck beds, and in particular to a hard tonneau cover having an exterior latch handle concealed and protected by a hatch.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pickup trucks are popular because of their utility in transporting relatively large articles, in towing various types of trailers, and in general transportation. The open beds of pickup trucks are useful for carrying articles generally much larger than can be fitted into conventional automobiles. However, pickups used for everyday transportation are seldom required to haul very large objects. In these applications, the openness of the bed presents security problems for articles carried in the bed and subjects them to weather. Additionally, the bed sidewalls and tailgate of the truck create aerodynamic drag which lowers fuel efficiency at highway speeds.
In order to overcome these problems, structures such as bed covers or xe2x80x9ctonneau coversxe2x80x9d have been developed to enclose the top of pickup truck beds. Tonneau covers are available in both soft and hard types. Soft tonneau covers generally comprise a piece of flexible material, such as canvas, which is stretched across the top of the bed and secured to the bed walls. Many different means have been developed for securing these soft covers to the bed. Hard tonneau covers generally comprise a lid of fiberglass, metal, plastic or other rigid material which is hingedly or pivotally mounted with respect to the bed.
The majority of hard tonneau covers are formed as a single unit which is hingedly connected to the front wall of the pickup bed and which latches proximate the tailgate. The cover is opened by releasing a latch and lifting the rear of the cover. Telescoping struts or braces are generally provided for assisting in the lifting of the cover and for retaining it in the open position. Other variations on the hard tonneau cover have the cover divided either laterally or longitudinally into multiple sections. An example of a laterally divided hard tonneau cover having two halves hingedly connected to one another is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. Des. 403,292. A longitudinally divided hard tonneau cover having the two halves hingedly connected to respective bed sidewalls is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,169.
With any hard tonneau cover, one or more latches must be provided for retaining the cover in a closed position. Some tonneau covers utilize latches mounted entirely inside the truck bed which can only be accessed by first opening the truck""s tailgate. Tonneau covers with this type of latch are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,042,173 and 6,076,881. This type of latch design is cosmetically attractive because all of the latch mechanism is hidden when the cover is closed, however, the latches may be difficult to reach, especially if the truck bed is fully loaded.
More typically, tonneau covers are provided with an exterior latch handle which is connected to a latch mechanism mounted on the underside of the cover. The latch mechanism selectively engages a pair of catches, each of which is mounted on a respective one of the bed side walls. An example of a tonneau cover with such an exterior latch handle is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,290. With this type of design, the latch handle is easier to reach, making the cover easier to open, however the exterior latch handle is not especially attractive and detracts from the appearance of the tonneau cover. In addition, the exterior latch handle is exposed to weather. During the winter months, ice may accumulate on the latch handle and make it difficult or impossible to operate. Water and road salt may also degrade components of the latch.
What is needed is a latch design for a tonneau cover which combines the smooth appearance and weather resistance of an interior mounted latch with the convenience and ease of operation of the exterior latch handle.
The tonneau cover assembly of the present invention comprises a substantially rigid cover having a latch mechanism mounted on its interior surface. The latch mechanism is selectively engagable with the truck bed to secure the cover in a closed position. A latch release handle is mounted in a recessed compartment formed on the exterior surface of the cover and is connected to the latch mechanism. A hatch is connected to the cover proximate the latch handle and is moveable between a hatch open position and a hatch closed position. In the hatch closed position the hatch covers the recessed compartment and the latch release handle mounted therein. The hatch is preferably mounted such that in the hatch closed position the exterior surface of the hatch is generally flush with exterior surface of the cover and conforms to the contour of the cover.

Hard tonneau cover with concealed exterior latch handle


A device, system and method to process acoustic images of tubulars and wellbores. Corrections for real-world logging are calculated and stored in correction Look Up Tables (LUT), which are used to display projections or create geometric models of the wellbore or tubular. The user interface allows the user to interact with the projections to update the LUTs to operate on the images. This process helps correct for real-world challenges such as tool eccentricity, tool rotation, tool angle, and speed of sound differences in order to create a more intuitive rendering.

Tubulars, such as pipes, tubes and casings, and wellbores may be inspected by acoustic imaging tools in order to detect leaks into or out of them. These tubulars tend to be many kilometers long, which presents problems for storing acoustic images and processing them.
A typical data flow would be to acquire cross-sectional frames of the tubular and store them as scan lines, which creates a natively polar coordinate system for a radial array. During subsequent visualization, the stored images are converted to Cartesian coordinates, with neighbouring polar pixels combined for each Cartesian pixel, and rendering makes the compiled images of the tubular into an intuitive display. These Cartesian images are loaded into video memory as X, Y, Z pixels (aka voxels). The GPU operates on these Cartesian pixels to create visualization appropriate to the 2D monitor used by operators. The scan conversion from acquired ultrasound images to displayed images can be pre-computed for efficient viewing.
However, the inventors have appreciated that in real-world inspection of tubulars there are further considerations for rendering and processing the data for a user.


The present invention discloses a capsule device for pressure measurement. The capsule device comprises a capsule enclosure, a data transmission assembly and a thin film pressure sensor. The capsule enclosure is formed with an accommodating chamber, and the data transmission assembly is arranged in the accommodating chamber. The thin film pressure sensor is attached to the outer surface of the capsule enclosure to measure pressure, and the thin film pressure sensor is connected with the data transmission assembly.

Existing capsule devices used to measure the pressure of digestive tract, uterus or vagina generally measure pressure using MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) sensors. MEMS sensors require secondary encapsulation to meet biocompatibility requirements. However, secondary encapsulation has an impact on the output range and accuracy of the sensor, so the process procedures are complicated. In addition, the MEMS sensor is usually installed inside a capsule device, making the size larger, which is not conducive to miniaturization of the capsule device.

ANKON MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.


Methods and apparatus for calibrating a Wireless Location System to enable the system to make highly accurate TDOA and FDOA measurements are disclosed. An external calibration method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of transmitting a first reference signal from a reference transmitter; receiving the first reference signal at first and second receiver systems; determining a first error value by comparing a measured TDOA (or FDOA) value with a theoretical TDOA (or FDOA) value associated with the known locations of the receiver systems and the known location of the reference transmitter; and utilizing the first error value to correct subsequent TDOA measurements associated with a mobile transmitter to be located. An internal calibration method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of injecting a comb signal into the first receiver system; utilizing the comb signal to obtain an estimate of the manner in which the transfer function varies across the bandwidth of the first receiver system; and utilizing the estimate to mitigate the effects of the variation of the first transfer function on the time measurements made by the first receiver system.

The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for locating wireless transmitters, such as those used in analog or digital cellular systems, personal communications systems (PCS), enhanced specialized mobile radios (ESMRs), and other types of wireless communications systems. This field is now generally known as wireless location, and has application for Wireless E9-1-1, fleet management, RF optimization, and other valuable applications.
Early work relating to the present invention has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,144, Jul. 5, 1994, xe2x80x9cCellular Telephone Location System,xe2x80x9d which discloses a system for locating cellular telephones using novel time difference of arrival (TDOA) techniques. Further enhancements of the system disclosed in the ""144 patent are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,410, Mar. 4, 1997, xe2x80x9cSystem for Locating a Source of Bursty Transmissions.xe2x80x9d Both patents are owned by the assignee of the current invention, and both are incorporated herein by reference. The present inventors have continued to develop significant enhancements to the original inventive concepts and have developed techniques to further improve the accuracy of Wireless Location Systems while significantly reducing the cost of these systems.
Over the past few years, the cellular industry has increased the number of air interface protocols available for use by wireless telephones, increased the number of frequency bands in which wireless or mobile telephones may operate, and expanded the number of terms that refer or relate to mobile telephones to include xe2x80x9cpersonal communications servicesxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cwirelessxe2x80x9d, and others. The air interface protocols now include AMPS, N-AMPS, TDMA, CDMA, GSM,TACS, ESMR, and others. The changes in terminology and increases in the number of air interfaces do not change the basic principles and inventions discovered and enhanced by the inventors. However, in keeping with the current terminology of the industry, the inventors now call the system described herein a Wireless Location System.
The inventors have conducted extensive experiments with the Wireless Location System technology disclosed herein to demonstrate both the viability and value of the technology. For example, several experiments were conducted during several months of 1995 and 1996 in the cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore to verify the system""s ability to mitigate multipath in large urban environments. Then, in 1996 the inventors constructed a system in Houston that was used to test the technology""s effectiveness in that area and its ability to interface directly with E9-1-1 systems. Then, in 1997, the system was tested in a 350 square mile area in New Jersey and was used to locate real 9-1-1 calls from real people in trouble. Since that time, the system test has been expanded to include 125 cell sites covering an area of over 2,000 square miles. During all of these tests, techniques discussed and disclosed herein were tested for effectiveness and further developed, and the system has been demonstrated to overcome the limitations of other approaches that have been proposed for locating wireless telephones. Indeed, as of December, 1998, no other wireless location system has been installed anywhere else in the world that is capable of locating live 9-1-1 callers. The innovation of the Wireless Location System disclosed herein has been acknowledged in the wireless industry by the extensive amount of media coverage given to the system""s capabilities, as well as by awards. For example, the prestigious Wireless Happy Award was granted to the system by the Cellular Telephone Industry Association in October, 1997, and the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation and Discover Magazine found the Wireless Location System to be one of the top 4 innovations of 1998 out of 4,000 nominations submitted.
The value and importance of the Wireless Location System has been acknowledged by the wireless communications industry. In June 1996, the Federal Communications Commission issued requirements for the wireless communications industry to deploy location systems for use in locating wireless 9- 1 -1 callers, with a deadline of October 2001. The location of wireless E9-1-1 callers will save response time, save lives, and save enormous costs because of reduced use of emergency responses resources. In addition, numerous surveys and studies have concluded that various wireless applications, such as location sensitive billing, fleet management, and others, will have great commercial values in the coming years.
Background on Wireless Communications Systems
There are many different types of air interface protocols used for wireless communications systems. These protocols are used in different frequency bands, both in the U.S. and internationally. The frequency band does not impact the Wireless Location System""s effectiveness at locating wireless telephones.
All air interface protocols use two types of xe2x80x9cchannelsxe2x80x9d. The first type includes control channels that are used for conveying information about the wireless telephone or transmitter, for initiating or terminating calls, or for transferring bursty data. For example, some types of short messaging services transfer data over the control channel. In different air interfaces, control channels are known by different terminology, but the use of the control channels in each air interface is similar. Control channels generally have identifying information about the wireless telephone or transmitter contained in the transmission.
The second type includes voice channels that are typically used for conveying voice communications over the air interface. These channels are only used after a call has been set up using the control channels. Voice channels will typically use dedicated resources within the wireless communications system whereas control channels will use shared resources. This distinction will generally make the use of control channels for wireless location purposes more cost effective than the use of voice channels, although there are some applications for which regular location on the voice channel is desired. Voice channels generally do not have identifying information about the wireless telephone or transmitter in the transmission. Some of the differences in the air interface protocols are discussed below: AMPSxe2x80x94This is the original air interface protocol used for cellular communications in the U.S. In the AMPS system, separate dedicated channels are assigned for use by control channels (RCC). According to the TLAIEIA Standard IS-553A, every control channel block must begin at cellular channel 333 or 334, but the block may be of variable length. In the U.S., by convention, the AMPS control channel block is 21 channels wide, but the use of a 26-channel block is also known. A reverse voice channel (RVC) may occupy any channel that is not assigned to a control channel. The control channel modulation is FSK (frequency shift keying), while the voice channels are modulated using FM (frequency modulation).
N-AMPSxe2x80x94This air interface is an expansion of the AMPS air interface protocol, and is defined in EIA/TIA standard IS-88. The control channels are substantially the same as for AMPS, however, the voice channels are different. The voice channels occupy less than 10 KHz of bandwidth, versus the 30 KHz used for AMPS, and the modulation is FM.
TDMAxe2x80x94This interface is also known D-AMPS, and is defined in EIA/TIA standard IS-136. This air interface is characterized by the use of both frequency and time separation. Control channels are known as Digital Control Channels (DCCH) and are transmitted in bursts in timeslots assigned for use by DCCH. Unlike AMPS, DCCH may be assigned anywhere in the frequency band, although there are generally some frequency assignments that are more attractive than others based upon the use of probability blocks. Voice channels are known as Digital Traffic Channels (DTC). DCCH and DTC may occupy the same frequency assignments, but not the same timeslot assignment in a given frequency assignment. DCCH and DTC use the same modulation scheme, known as xcfx80/4 DQPSK (differential quadrature phase shift keying). In the cellular band, a carrier may use both the AMPS and TDMA protocols, as long as the frequency assignments for each protocol are kept separated.
CDMAxe2x80x94This air interface is defined by EIATIA standard IS-95A. This air interface is characterized by the use of both frequency and code separation. However, because adjacent cell sites may use the same frequency sets, CDMA is also characterized by very careful power control. This careful power control leads to a situation known to those skilled in the art as the near-far problem, which makes wireless location difficult for most approaches to function properly. Control channels are known as Access Channels, and voice channels are known as Traffic Channels. Access and Traffic Channels may share the same frequency band, but are separated by code. Access and Traffic Channels use the same modulation scheme, known as OQPSK.
GSMxe2x80x94This air interface is defined by the international standard Global System for Mobile Communications. Like TDMA, GSM is characterized by the use of both frequency and time separation. The channel bandwidth is 200 KHz, which is wider than the 30 KHz used for TDMA. Control channels are known as Standalone Dedicated Control Channels (SDCCH), and are transmitted in bursts in timeslots assigned for use by SDCCH. SDCCH may be assigned anywhere in the frequency band. Voice channels are known as Traffic Channels (TCH). SDCCH and TCH may occupy the same frequency assignments, but not the same timeslot assignment in a given frequency assignment. SDCCH and TCH use the same modulation scheme, known as GMSK.
Within this specification the reference to any one of the air interfaces shall automatically refer to all of the air interfaces, unless specified otherwise. Additionally, a reference to control channels or voice channels shall refer to all types of control or voice channels, whatever the preferred terminology for a particular air interface. Finally, there are many more types of air interfaces used throughout the world, and there is no intent to exclude any air interface from the inventive concepts described within this specification. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize other interfaces used elsewhere are derivatives of or similar in class to those described above.
The preferred embodiments of the inventions disclosed herein have many advantages over other techniques for locating wireless telephones. For example, some of these other techniques involve adding GPS functionality to telephones, which requires that significant changes be made to the telephones. The preferred embodiments disclosed herein do not require any changes to wireless telephones, and so they can be used in connection with the current installed base of over 65 million wireless telephones in the U.S. and 250 million wireless telephones worldwide.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide methods and apparatus for calibrating a wireless location system (WLS) to enable the system to make highly accurate time difference of arrival (TDOA) and frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) measurements. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the instrumentation error is reduced by a calibration process whereby multiple wireless transmitters, such as cellular telephones, are placed at known locations throughout the coverage territory of the wireless location system. These phones make transmissions, such as periodic registrations or page responses, in a manner similar to any other phone. However, because their location and the theoretical TDOA values for any pair of SCS""s are known a priori, the TLP 12 can determine the exact error in the TDOA measurements made in connection with a particular pair of SCS""s. In addition, because the phones are in fixed locations and there is no Doppler shift, the theoretical FDOA value is zero. Any measured error will be due to drifts in the oscillators at each of the SCS""s, changes in the characteristics of analog components (e.g., the antennas, cabling, and filters), and environmental factors such as multipath. Rather than attempting to dynamically alter these individual error sources, which would introduce additional phase noise into the system, the external calibration method of the present invention corrects the computed TDOA and FDOA values in the digital signal processing stages of the SCS""s and TLP""s, which does not introduce such phase noise.
An external calibration method in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of transmitting a first reference signal from a reference transmitter; receiving the first reference signal at first and second receiver systems; determining a first error value by comparing a measured TDOA (and/or FDOA) value with a theoretical TDOA (or FDOA) value associated with the known locations of the receiver systems and the known location of the reference transmitter; and utilizing the first error value to correct subsequent TDOA (or FDOA) measurements associated with a mobile transmitter to be located. A preferred implementation of this method further includes transmitting a second reference signal from a second reference transmitter; receiving the second reference signal at the first and second receiver systems; determining a second error value by comparing a second measured TDOA (or FDOA) value with a second theoretical TDOA (or FDOA) value associated with the known locations of the receiver systems and the known location of the second reference transmitter; and utilizing the second error value in combination with the first error value to correct subsequent TDOA (or FDOA) measurements associated with the mobile transmitter to be located. The first and second error values are preferably combined in a weighted average.
In presently preferred embodiments of the external calibration aspect of the invention, the error values are stored in tabular form for each baseline in the location system; the error values are combined in a time series weighted averaging method prior to being used to correct subsequent TDOA measurements; and the time series weighted averaging method is based on a Kalman filter. Preferably, the error values are weighted by a quality factor prior to being used to correct subsequent TDOA measurements, wherein the quality factor is based upon the output of a cross-correlation function of a reference signal received by the first and second receivers, and the error values are used by the location system only if the quality factor exceeds a prescribed threshold value. In addition, in preferred embodiments the location system monitors the rate of change of the error values and changes the rate of calibration, or time interval between calibrations, to ensure that the calibration rate exceeds the rate of change of the error values. The rate of calibration may be controlled, e.g., by automatically paging the reference transmitters.
An internal calibration method in accordance with the present invention is utilized to calibrate a first receiver system within an SCS, wherein the first receiver system is characterized by a time- and frequency-varying transfer function. The transfer function defines how the amplitude and phase of a received signal will be altered by the first receiver system, and the accuracy of a location estimate is dependent, in part, upon the accuracy of time measurements made by the receiver systems. The inventive method comprises the steps of injecting an internally generated wideband signal with known and stable signal characteristics into the first receiver system; utilizing the generated wideband signal to obtain an estimate of the manner in which the transfer function varies across the bandwidth of the first receiver system; and utilizing the estimate to mitigate the effects of the variation of the first transfer function on the time and frequency measurements made by the first receiver system. One such example of a stable wideband signal used for internal calibration is known as a comb signal, which is comprised of multiple individual frequency elements of equal amplitude and at a known spacing, such as 5 KHz.
In presently preferred embodiments of the internal calibration aspect of the invention, the estimate of the manner in which the transfer function varies across the bandwidth of the first receiver system is weighted by a quality factor prior to being used to mitigate the effects of the transfer function. The quality factor may be based upon the output of a cross-correlation function of the internally generated calibration signal and the same signal after it has passed through the transfer function. In addition, the antenna is first isolated from the receiver system prior to the injection of the internally generated calibration signal. An electronically controlled RF relay is preferably used to automatically isolate the antenna from the receiver system.
Other features and advantages of the invention are disclosed below.

Internal calibration method for receiver system of a wireless location system


A method and apparatus for impulse noise mitigation. In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying one or more impulse noise affected samples of a communication signal transmitted via power line communications; creating, based on the identified one or more impulse-noise affected samples, one or more erasures; and adaptively controlling a correlation threshold for packet preamble detection, wherein the correlation threshold is adaptively controlled based on the one or more erasure.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to impulse noise mitigation, and, in particular, to mitigating impulse noise impact on packet preamble detection.
2. Description of the Related Art
Impulse noise in communications systems is a category of noise which includes unwanted spikes or sharp pulses. Impulse noise is one of the most difficult transmission impairments to suppress and can cause severe performance degradation in communications.
In power line communication (PLC) systems, changing load on the power network results in unwanted impulse noise that may affect the ability of a receiver to detect transmitted packets. For example, a voltage spike due to impulse noise may make it impossible for the receiver to identify a packet preamble and thus lose the entire packet. Such impulse noise effects are particularly difficult to overcome in systems using protocols where packet deliveries are not scheduled in advance and the receiver has no a priori knowledge about when packets will arrive.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for efficiently mitigating the effects of impulse noise in communications.

Method and apparatus for impulse noise mitigation for power line networking


To detect a dual tone pair signal in a telephone communication system, the signal is sampled at the Nyquist frequency. The sampled signal is filtered to determine the top three tone frequency power results. The input signal is then resampled at one-half of the Nyquist frequency. The resampled signal is filtered to determine signal power in the row and column frequency bands. The top three power results from tone filtering and aliasing row and column band pass filter power results are checked for lack of excess power to reject false digits.

1. Field of Invention
The invention generally relates to tone detectors and, in particular, to a method for dual tone detection, implemented on a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with aliasing bandpass filters, in the presence of speech, music and noise.
2. Description of Prior Art
Telephone communication systems commonly use a tone signal as a control command. The tone detection signals transfer call control information to a main communication network.
The dual frequency tone is a standard tone signal used in the public telephone system. For touch-tone dialing, the dual frequencies in the tone include a row component and a column component. The row and column refer to the location of the key on the grid of a telephone. For example, keys 1, 2, 3, and A share a row frequency, while keys 1, 4, 7, and * share a column frequency. For example, for digit 5, the phone sends row frequency 770 Hz and column frequency 1336 Hz. Most telephones do not have the fourth column, [A, B, C, and D].
This standard is set forth in Local Access and Transport Area Switching Systems Generic Requirements (LSSGR). These standards are referred to as Dual Tone Multi-Frequency Signaling (DTMF) which designates dual tone pairs having the frequencies as shown below in the DTMF row and column matrix:
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ 1 2 3 4 Row/Column 1209 Hz 1336 Hz 1477 Hz 1633 Hz ______________________________________ 1 697 Hz 1 2 3 A 2 770 Hz 4 5 6 B 3 852 Hz 7 8 9 C 4 941 Hz * 0 # D ______________________________________
Systems to detect dual tone pairs have been available since the advent of the field of Digital Signal Processing (DSP). The ability to perform tone detection in the analog domain has existed even longer. Tone detection involves the detection of tones from a set of known frequencies and declaring the detected tones valid by checking the minimum duration, the spectral energy surrounding the tones, the deviation of the tone frequencies from the expected frequencies and other elements per the industry standards.
Recent changes in telecommunications have placed increased requirements on the robustness of the tone detection and the capacity or number of channels simultaneously supported in a given amount of time (commonly referred to as "realtime") by the tone detector. The robustness and the capacity of a tone detector are inversely proportional values for a given DSP processing power. As the detector's noise immunity and rejection of digits simulated by speech or music increases, the capacity supported by the detector decreases substantially. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the time required to perform tone detection on a single channel, while maximizing the robustness of tone detection.
One method for detecting a tone is to look at the entire spectral content of the signal on the channel by performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) in an attempt to validate a DTMF tone pair. While effective, this approach is an expensive solution due to the DSP processing required to perform an FFT across the entire 4 khz speech band used in telephony.
A more viable alternative is to look for just the predefined tone frequencies using one of two well-known techniques: Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) Filters and Finite Impulse Response (FIR) Filters. IIR Filters are essentially filters that are a function of the signal and past filter outputs. FIR Filter outputs are based on only the current input signal.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ LSSGR TR-NWT-000506 Issue 3, Echo: Accept Echo 20 ms Sept. 1991: Section 6.2. delayed LSSGR TR-NPL-000275 Issue 1, April and 16 db down 1986: Section II from orginal AT&T recommendations from Notes on signal the Network Section Single Frequency Deviation: -1.5% < Accept < + 1.5% Power: Accept > = -3.5% < Reject < -25 dbm/freq +3.5% Reject < -55 Other Specifications: dbm/freq Twist: -8 dbr < Accept < Talk.sub.-- off rejection +4 dbr from TR-TSY-000763 Tone On Duration: Accept > = 40 ms Gaussian/Impulse noise rejection Reject < 23 ms Third frequency rejection Minimum cycle time = Power line noise 93 ms rejection Interdigit Gap: Accept > = 40 ms Registration in the presence of dial tone No minimum reject interval Rejection of short breaks in tone Odbm is defined as lmW through a 600 ohm load ______________________________________
To comply with the domestically applicable LSSGR standards set forth in Table 2 above, or the internationally supported ITU/CCITT recommendations, high quality tone detection is required from a tone detector. To support the capacities needed today, while complying with standards, the approach has been to add processing power through the use of more expensive DSP processors or through the use of multiple DSP processors. Since minimizing system cost is also a primary objective, it is desirable to improve the accuracy and speed of tone detection and verification in a simple and efficient manner.

Tone detection with aliasing bandpass filters


A first rail unit is mounted on a higher mounting portion of a vehicle floor, and a second rail unit is mounted on a lower mounting portion. Each rail unit is equipped with a lock mechanism by which a movable upper rail is locked to a stationary lower rail. A generally U-shaped control lever is employed for releasing locked condition of the lock mechanisms of the two rail units. One end of the control lever is directly connected to the lock mechanism of the first rail unit and the other end of the control lever is connected through a link mechanism to the lock mechanism of the second rail unit. Thus, the first and second rail units can be intimately or stably mounted to the higher and lower mounting portions respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to seat slide devices for use in motor vehicles or the like, and more particularly to seat slide devices of a type having a position adjuster by which a fore-and-aft position of the associated seat can be adjusted. More specifically, the present invention are concerned with seat slide devices of a type which is constructed to be mounted on a stepped floor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, one conventional seat slide device 100 of the above-mentioned type will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
The device 100 comprises a pair of parallel rail units 1a and 1b which are tightly mounted on a stepped floor 200 of a motor vehicle. That is, one rail unit 1a is mounted to a higher mounting portion 200a of the floor 200, while the other rail unit 1b is mounted through supporting brackets 4 to a lower mounting portion 200b of the floor 200. Due to usage of the supporting brackets 4, the two rail units 1a and 1b are kept leveled with each other.
Each rail unit 1a or 1b comprises a stationary lower rail 3 which is connected in a stationary manner movable to the floor 200, and a upper rail 2 which is slidably engaged with the lower rail 3 and which has mounted thereon on a seat 300 (see FIG. 6).
Each rail unit 1a or 1b also has a lock device 5 by which the upper rail 2 can be locked to the lower rail 3 at a desired fore-and-aft position. The lock device 5 comprises a locking member 5a which is pivotally held by the upper rail 2 and lockingly engageable with notches formed in the lower rail 3.
The locking members 5a of these two lock devices 5 are secured to respective ends of a generally U-shaped control lever 6 which protrudes forward. Although not shown in the drawings, a spring is associated with each locking member 5a to bias the same in a direction to achieve a locked engagement with the notches of the lower rail 3. Usually, that is, when the control lever 6 is kept released, each locking member 5a is in locked engagement with the notches of the lower rail 3 causing the seat 300 to be locked at a desired fore-and-aft position. However, when the control lever 6 is pulled against the biasing force of the springs, each locking member 5a is disengaged from the notches of the lower rail 3. Thus, when the control lever 6 is kept pulled against the biasing force, the seat 300 is permitted to move forward or rearward to a new fore-and-aft position. The seat slide device of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,932 granted Aug. 21, 1990 to Masanori Terai.
However, due to its inherent construction, the above-mentioned conventional seat slide device 100 hay,the following drawbacks.
That is, the provision of the supporting brackets 4a and 4b for raising the position of the rail unit 1b tends to cause an unstable arrangement of the seat slide device 100 with respect to the stepped floor 200. In fact, due to usage of the supporting brackets 4a and 4b, the stability of the rail unit 1b is poor in comparison with the other rail unit 1a which is intimately or stably secured to the floor 200. Furthermore, usage of the brackets 4a and 4b which are large in size, increases the weight of the vehicle on which the seat slide device 100 is mounted.

Seat slide device with position adjuster


This disclosure relates to blockchain-type storage of receipt data. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining a to-be-stored data record including a first service attribute. Execution information of the to-be-stored data record is determined. A previous data record is obtained from a blockchain-type ledger. The previous data record includes a second service attribute that is the same as the first service attribute. Each data block in the blockchain-type ledger includes a block header and a block body. A hash value of the previous data record is determined. A receipt record is generated. The receipt record includes the hash value of the previous data record and the execution information of the to-be-stored data record. The to-be-stored data record and the receipt record are written into a same block body in the blockchain-type ledger.

In a blockchain-type ledger that stores data based on a blockchain data structure (e.g., in a form of a blockchain), data records related to the same service attribute (for example, the same user name or the same item name) are distributed in data blocks, correlation and continuity among the data records are difficult to be identified.
As such, there is a need for a data storage solution that can reflect correlations among data records.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The animal bathing apparatus is fully portable and enclosed by its base and hingedly attached case that overlappingly fits atop the base. Other components, when collapsed, fit within and above the base. The folding legs of the apparatus provide for an animal tender to reach within the front round edged cutout to bath an animal while either sitting upon a given chair or standing, without having to bend. An animal is adjustably tethered within the expanded apparatus so that hands of a tender are free for use in bathing. The water dispenser is mounted on a flexible neck and is height adjustable. The ideally rectangular base has an elevated border, with walls that may be transparent.

Animal bathing is ubiquitous, as are the problems associated with such. It is well accepted that bathing an animal in a human bathroom in a tub or shower is fraught with problems. Simply squatting next to an animal, holding a water hose, and dealing with the typical ensuing struggle is less than desirable. Animal bathing devices have therefore been presented. Of the animal bath devices previously presented, those with easy portability are most desirable. However, a superior animal bath apparatus should provide other advantages. The present apparatus provides an accumulation of advantages not heretofore provided in an animal bathing apparatus.


An aspect of the present invention provides a semiconductor device that includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type and a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, having a different band gap from the first semiconductor region and forming a heterojunction with the first semiconductor region.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, and particularly, to a semiconductor device having a heterojunction and a method of manufacturing the same.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-318413 discloses a semiconductor device having a semiconductor base made of an n+-type silicon carbide substrate region and an n−-type epitaxial region formed on the substrate region. On one principal face of the semiconductor base, an n-type polysilicon region is formed. The epitaxial region and n-type polysilicon region form a heterojunction. In contact with an end of the heterojunction, a p-type electric field relaxation region is formed. On a bottom face of the n+-type silicon carbide substrate region, a bottom electrode is formed. On the surface of the polysilicon region, a surface electrode is formed.
On the other hand, a Schottky junction is a junction that uses conventional silicon carbide to provide a diode having a high withstand voltage as described in "Power Device/Power IC Handbook," Japanese Electrotechnical Committee, High-Performance, High-Function Power Device/Power IC Research Expert Committee, Corona Publishing Co., Ltd., p.p. 12–21 (nonpatent literature). The junction described in this nonpatent literature is based on silicon and is widely applied to silicon carbide.

Heterojunction diode with reduced leakage current


Provided with a control device for an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine that reduces an amount of fuel attaching to and remaining on a piston crown surface and a cylinder bore wall surface so as to suppress an increase in the number of exhaust particles of PM when fuel injection is performed a plurality of times in one burning cycle. In divided multi-stage injection in which the fuel to be injected in one burning cycle is divided into a plurality of times, an injection amount rate of injection at an early timing among injections divided into the plurality of times is set according to a fuel cut continuous time at a timing when the fuel injection is resumed from a fuel cut state.

An in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine that directly injects fuel into a combustion chamber is widely known. The in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine performs direct fuel injection into the combustion chamber with a fuel injection valve, and achieves a reduction in exhaust gas substance and fuel consumption, enhancement in output, and the like.
In the in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine, the injected fuel may attach to a piston crown surface or a cylinder bore wall surface depending on a fuel injection timing.
If an amount of fuel attaching to/remaining on the cylinder bore wall surface is large, such fuel may not be completely vaporized until ignition in some cases, so that unburned gas is apt to increase. Therefore, for example, JP 2009-102997 A and JP 2009-102998 A disclose a technology of changing, when a temperature on the cylinder bore wall surface is low, the fuel injection timing from an injector in an intake stroke so that the fuel can spread over the piston crown surface and easily vaporized.
In addition, JP 2002-161790 A discloses a technology in which fuel injection is performed a plurality of times in one burning cycle, and the fuel injection amount for each time is accordingly made small, to thereby reduce the fuel attachment to the cylinder bore wall surface, and an interval between one injection and the next injection is kept constant at a rough crank angle with respect to a change in operation conditions of an engine, that is, the injection interval is set to be longer as the rotation becomes lower and is set to be shorter as the rotation becomes higher, to thereby spray the fuel in a dispersed manner.
Meanwhile, if an amount of fuel attaching to and remaining on the piston crown surface and the cylinder bore wall surface is large, the number of exhaust particles of particulate substances (hereinafter, referred to as PM) is apt to increase. In particular, if the amount of fuel attaching to the piston crown surface is large, the number of exhaust particles of PM is apt to increase. In recent years, because of air pollution and impact on human health, there is an increasing need for the in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine to reduce the number of exhaust particles of PM.

Control device for in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine


A trusted peripheral device can be utilized with an electronic resource, such as a host machine, in order to enable the secured performance of security and remote management in the electronic environment, where various users might be provisioned on, or otherwise have access to, the electronic resource. The peripheral can have a secure channel for communicating with a centralized management system or service, whereby the management service can remotely connect to this trusted peripheral, using a secure and authenticated network connection, in order to run the above-described functionality on the host to which the peripheral is attached.

As an increasing number of applications and services are being made available over networks such as the Internet, an increasing number of content, application, and/or service providers are turning to technologies such as cloud computing. Cloud computing, in general, is an approach to providing access to electronic resources through services, such as Web services, where the hardware and/or software used to support those services is dynamically scalable to meet the needs of the services at any given time. A user or customer typically will rent, lease, or otherwise pay for access to resources through the cloud, and thus does not have to purchase and maintain the hardware and/or software needed.
In some cases, users may want special hardware or full access to specific resources. Such access comes with risks for providers of those resources, however, as in a cloud or other shared environment there typically will be various users accessing those resources at various times. Once an outside entity has access to such a resource, the entity can potentially compromise the resource and/or software on the resource in any of a number of ways. In an environment where a management service provides instructions to a resource regarding security and management functionality, which are typically implemented by different components of the resource, the entity can potentially gain access to these instructions and/or components in order to modify and/or control the security and management functions of the resource.

Trusted peripheral device for a host in a shared electronic environment


A voltage of a relatively large potential internal signal in an integrated circuit is tested by providing a comparison signal having a voltage that is lower than the voltage of the relatively large potential internal signal. The voltage of the relatively large potential internal signal is scaled so that the voltage of the scaled internal signal is lower than the voltage of the relatively large potential internal signal. The voltages of the scaled internal signal and the comparison signal are compared. In another form of the invention, a voltage of a negative potential internal signal in an integrated circuit is tested by providing a comparison signal having a voltage higher than the ground potential. The voltage of the negative potential internal signal is converted to a voltage higher than the ground potential. The voltages of the converted internal signal and the comparison signal are compared.

Modern integrated circuits (ICs), such as non-volatile memories, include thousands of components. Due to variations in semiconductor processing, not all of the components in the IC are fabricated to desired specifications. When components of the IC are not fabricated as desired, the IC may not operate properly.
It is therefore desirable to evaluate the components during or after IC fabrication. One method of testing a component of an IC is performed by extracting an internal signal in the IC, corresponding to the component, and externally comparing the potential, or voltage, of the internal signal with a comparison voltage. If the comparison demonstrates that the potential of the internal signal is excessively larger or smaller than the comparison voltage, the corresponding IC component is shown to be fabricated improperly.
The internal signals of memory ICs are typically extracted by applying a micro-probe to the IC component or routing the internal signal through a multiplexer to a common probe point. The micro-probing technique requires the use of complex computer micro-probe cards. Also, internal signals having negative or relatively large potentials, such as required in non-volatile memories, are extracted with difficulty with micro-probe cards. Relatively large potentials are potentials that exceed supply voltages provided to the non-volatile memory, such as the programming voltage required in non-volatile memories. These relatively large voltages are typically generated with internal voltage pumps.
The micro-probe cards cannot typically be employed to characterize internal signals of mounted or packaged IC memories. Thus, after an IC memory is packaged, the multiplexing technique is typically used to read out internal voltages, which requires complex multiplexing circuitry in the memory IC. The complicated multiplexing circuitry complicates the memory design and testing process, particularly for internal signals having negative potentials. In fact, in many cases even with modem pico-probes, negative voltages cannot be extracted from the memory IC. Therefore, there is a need for a technique to more effectively analyze internal signals of an IC, such as a non-volatile memory, particularly internal signals having negative or large potentials. Furthermore, there is a need for a technique to more effectively analyze internal signals of a mounted or packaged IC, such as a non-volatile memory.


A cap includes a cap body attached to a discharge port portion of a container and having a pouring port through which a content of the container can be discharged, and a lid pivotally supported by the cap body and capable of opening and closing the pouring port. The cap is provided with: a pushing member whose intermediate portion is pivotally supported by a pivotally supporting portion on a side surface of the cap body, the pushing member being swingable about the pivotally supporting portion; and a thin-walled hinge for connecting an end portion of the pushing member and a rotatably supporting portion of the lid, the thin-walled hinge being adapted to convert swinging motion of the pushing member into motion for opening or closing the lid as an upper portion or a lower portion of the pushing member is operated by being pushed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cap opening and closing mechanism which is attached to a discharge port portion of a container.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a cap which is fitted to a discharge port of a container in which a seasoning such as salt or pepper is filled, there is a type which has a structure for opening and closing a lid by a so-called push-and-push mechanism in view of the ease of use.
As shown in FIGS. 14 to 18, in a cap 300 of this type, a button 304 which is adapted to be pushed is provided on a side surface of a hollow cylindrical cap body 303 attached to a container 302.
A slide lever 308 is connected to a reverse surface of the button 304 by means of a thin-walled hinge 306 in such a manner as to be swingable with respect to the button 304. This slide lever 308 is passed through a housing 310 disposed in such a manner as to traverse the discharge port of the container 302, and reaches a rotatably supporting portion of a lid 314 which is rotatably attached to the cap body 303 by means of a rotating shaft 312.
An elongated hole 316 is formed in the slide lever 308 along a longitudinal direction thereof. A pin 313 provided at one end of a link lever 318 is swingably inserted in the elongated hole 316, so that the link lever 318 is movable while swinging. Further, the link lever 318 is urged toward the rotatably supporting portion of the lid 314 by means of a spring 320 which is held by the slide lever 308.
Meanwhile, an engaging recessed portion 322 is provided at the other end of the link lever 318. In a state in which the lid 314 is closed, the engaging recessed portion 322 is slidably engaged with a receiving portion 324 which is provided on the rotatably supporting portion of the lid 314 and projects from a lower side of the rotating shaft 312 toward the button 304. In addition, pressing surfaces 326, 328, and 330 against which a distal end of the slide lever 308 abuts in steps are formed on the reverse surface of the lid 314.
In such a structure of the cap 300, as shown in FIG. 15, in the state in which the lid 314 is closed, the distal end of the slide lever 308 is opposed to the pressing surface 326. At this time, the link lever 318 presses the receiving portion 324 by the urging force of the spring 320. Accordingly, counterclockwise angular moment is produced about the rotating shaft 312. Consequently, the lid 314 is maintained in the closed state, so that the lid 314 cannot be opened inadvertently.
Next, if the button 304 is pushed, as shown in FIG. 16, the slide lever 308 first presses the pressing surface 328 and then presses the pressing surface 326 of the lid 314, thereby inclining the lid 314. Consequently, the receiving portion 324 rotates clockwise about the rotating shaft 312 such that a tip of the receiving portion 324 comes to be located at a position higher than that of the rotating shaft 312.
At this time, the link lever 318 moves along the elongated hole 316 against the urging force of the spring 320, and the engaging recessed portion 322 moves to a position higher than that of the distal end of the slide lever 308 while being guided by the receiving portion 324, thereby producing clockwise angular moment about the rotating shaft 312. As a result, even if the lid 314 is not completely opened by pushing the slide lever 308, the lid 314 is automatically opened to its completely open state.
Here, if the operator releases his or her finger from the button 304, as shown in FIG. 17, the slide lever 308 together with the button 304 moves in the direction of arrow A by the urging force of the spring 320, and the distal end of the slide lever 308 moves from the pressing surface 326 to the pressing surface 330 located below the rotating shaft 312. In addition, at this time, the link lever 318 presses the receiving portion 324, which has been moved to the position higher than the that of the rotating shaft 312, by the urging force of the spring 320, so that the lid 314 is maintained in the open state without rattling.
Next, if the button 304 is pushed, the slide lever 308 presses the pressing surface 330 located below the rotating shaft 312, so that counterclockwise angular moment is produced in the rotatably supporting portion of the lid 314, thereby closing the lid 314. A shown in FIG. 18, when the receiving portion 324 moves to the position below the rotating shaft 312 by the rotation of the lid 314, the link lever 318 pushes down the receiving portion 324 by the urging force of the spring 320, so that the lid 314 is automatically closed.
That is, in the structure of this cap, the closed or open state of the lid 314 can be maintained as the tip of the receiving portion 324 of the lid 314 which has been rotated about the rotating shaft 312 is pressed by the action of the link lever 318 supported rotatably and slidably by the slide lever 308. In addition, even if the lid 314 is not completely opened or closed by the slide lever 308, the lid 314 is automatically opened or closed from a predetermined position by the link lever 318 urged by the spring 320.
However, in commodities which are premised on mass production as in the case of caps of containers, it is required that the number of component parts be small and the structure be simple in the light of assembly and production cost.
In addition, since the slide lever 308 for imparting the pressing force from the button 304 to the rotatably supporting portion of the lid 314 traverses the discharge port of the container 302, a fixed limitation is imposed on a discharge rate at the discharge port.
Further, with the conventional cap 300, since the ability of the lid to hermetically seal the container 302 is low, if the container 302 containing a liquid topples over, there are cases where the liquid leaks from the gap.


A system for metering of application services in utility computing environments includes one or more meter agents and a meter aggregator. A meter agent may be configured to periodically collect usage data corresponding to one or more resources, and provide the usage data to the meter aggregator. The meter aggregator may be configured to aggregate the usage data associated with an application service, where the application service includes a plurality of application processes. In addition, the meter aggregator may be configured to compute a billing amount based on an aggregate resource usage by the application service over a specified time period.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to computer systems and, more particularly, to metering resource usage in utility computing environments.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many business organizations and governmental entities rely upon applications that access large amounts of data, often exceeding many terabytes of data, for mission-critical applications. Often, the costs of maintaining the computing and storage resources, as well as the software, required to support such applications may be substantial. Service organizations supporting the application may be required to accurately account for resource usage by different internal and external customers, so that the customers may be billed or charged according to their levels of resource consumption. Some enterprises are gradually moving away from maintaining traditional in-house data centers to leasing or renting resources in external data centers for at least a portion of their computing needs.
In response to the need for pay-per-use accounting of resource usage, a number of "utility computing models" have been developed, in which the use of computing resources such as processors and disks may be "metered" in the way traditional utilities such as electric power and water are metered. One difficulty with such models is the heterogeneity and complexity of mapping resource usage to specific users. Data centers may include hundreds or thousands of devices, any of which may be deployed for use with a variety of complex applications at different times. The resources being used by a particular application may change dynamically and rapidly, and may be spread over a large number of devices. A variety of existing tools and techniques may be available at each device to monitor usage—for example, different tools may be supported on mainframe computer systems than on UNIX-based servers or personal computers. The granularity at which resource usage measurement is possible may also differ from device to device; for example, in some environments, it may be possible to measure the response time of individual disk accesses, while in other environments only summaries or averages of disk access times may be obtained. The amount of resource usage data gathered from different sources via different interfaces, in different units and at different levels of granularity may be so large that it may become difficult to organize and use the data without a unifying framework.
In addition to the heterogeneity-related problems outlined above, the specific data presentation requirements of different customers and internal stakeholders may also have to be taken into account in utility computing environments. Each user may have a different perspective or preference on the manner in which resource usage data is aggregated, and on the units in which resource usage is represented and/or billed. In particular, some users may be interested in a presentation of the costs and resource usage at a business function level, e.g., in terms of specific application services provided, while other users may prefer the resource usage data in terms of individual application programs or at other granularities. Users may also be interested in obtaining different customized views of the same underlying resource usage data, for example, in the ability to drill down into the usage and cost data to identify the specific patterns of usage that are most expensive over a particular time period. A flexible, extensible framework for managing measurement and analysis of resource usage may help to satisfy the requirements of a variety of utility computing customers.

System and method for metering of application services in utility computing environments


A radial die densifier is disclosed having a means for regulating the rate of material flow. Material passes through a feed cylinder in which is disposed a distributor cone. The feed cylinder may be moved toward and away from the cone so as to vary the width of a flow passage way formed between the end of the feed cylinder and the distributor cone. Also disclosed is a method for producing fuel pellets, logs, or the like, by densifying paper coated with a moisture resistant material in which the coating acts as a binder and a combustibility enhancing agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for densifying materials for the production of pellets, logs, or the like. The present invention further relates to a method for densifying coated paper for the production of fuel pellets, logs, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various densifier apparatus are known in which material is forced through radially extending openings in a die ring by the action of press rollers. In a typical apparatus, two or more press rollers are mounted for rotation inside a die ring. The circumferences of the press rollers roll along the inner circumference of the die ring. The die ring is formed with a number of radially directed openings. Material introduced within the die ring is forced through the openings by the press rollers, thereby forming densified pellets, logs, or the like.
The material to be densified by such apparatus may vary widely in properties such as consistency, particle size, and cohesion. Accordingly, there is a need to regulate the rate at which the material flows into the die ring.
High fuel costs for generating electricity and heating have brought about a need for alternative energy sources. At the same time, ecological concerns have focused on the need to recycle or utilize scrap to the greatest possible extent. Processes for converting scrap material into fuel are, therefore, of great interest.
One type of scrap material available in large quantities is coated paper. Typically, such paper is coated with wax or polyethylene to render the paper impermeable to moisture. While coated paper is highly combustible, paper in sheet form burns rapidly at a rate that is difficult to control. Accordingly, there is a need for a process to convert coated paper waste to a form suitable for use as a fuel source.
It is known to make combustible fuel pellets, fireplace logs, and the like by densifying cellulosic materials such as paper and wood fiber. The materials are first ground or shredded, then a binding agent, such as a wax, is added. The mixture is densified to produce the pellets. Such a method is disadvantageous insofar as it requires the addition of a binding agent. Accordingly, there is a need for such a method in which no additional binding agent is required.


The present invention discloses a relatively simple system and method to reduce fuel system pumping by automatically turning on and off servo flow to various non-needed devices or “start lockout” servos during engine start. The invention takes advantage of a fuel pressure rise provided by the fuel pump during the period from engine start until the pump speed is greater than windmill. This pressure rise is used to move a pressure activated piston in a servo shutoff valve from a normally closed position to an open position, which at higher pressures allow servo flow to the “start lockout” servos through the servo lockout valve. When the pressure is reduce, the piston return to a normally closed position due to a biasing spring closing the servo lockout valve. This opening and closing of the servo lockout valve occurs automatically with no other external input.

A fuel system in an aircraft is designed to supply high pressure fuel to the engines which power the aircraft. In addition, the high pressure fuel system is often utilized as a source of high pressure fluid for the hydraulic systems and servos which position actuators which control the engine or other aspects of the aircraft. Fuel systems must be sized to supply enough fuel to the engine to start it reliably. Most fuel pumps are sized at windmill start conditions, which are typically about 5–6% of normal speed. Gear pumps typically have low efficiency at these low speeds so the resulting pump size may be large to meet engine flow demands, which may include burn flow and servo flow to various actuators and air handling valves. The flow for the actuators and air handling valves may exceed that required by the engine. Hence, the resulting pump size from this sizing requirement can be quite large and can generate significant heat during normal engine operation. This heat, in conjunction with engine oil heat dissipation into the fuel system, may result in high fuel system temperatures, which in turn may result in low Hydro Mechanical Unit (HMU) seal life and lower Electro Mechanical Interface Device (EMID) life.
Some of the servo flow during an engine start or windmill start may be diverted to devices that may not need to be active during that portion of the engine start cycle. For example, the high pressure turbine active clearance control (HPTACC) and low pressure turbine active clearance control (LPTACC) valves may not be required during that portion, or other portions, of the engine start. Prior art systems have used electric solenoid valves to turn flow on and off to the non-required servos. However, this can be relatively expensive, heavy, and can consume significant electrical power
Accordingly, it would be desirable to lock out, or at least limit, flow to various devices that may not be needed during start (or portions thereof) with a pressure activated servo lockout valve to eliminate the weight and expense of a electric solenoid valve, which would allow a smaller main fuel pump size, and subsequently, less fuel-pump-generated heat during normal engine operation. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

System and method to reduce fuel system pumping heat input


An image forming apparatus has an apparatus body having an image forming portion capable of forming an image based on an image information, an operation unit disposed as a separate body from the apparatus body and operating the apparatus body, and a cable connecting the apparatus body and the operation unit and capable of conducting power. The cable has a length set so that the operation unit does not contact an installation surface on which the apparatus body is supported, according to which a freedom of placement of the operation unit is improved compared to a case where the operation unit is connected via an arm.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system.
Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, an image forming apparatus adopting an electro-photographic system is applied widely as a copier, a printer, a plotter, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction printer having such multiple functions. An operation unit is provided for the image forming apparatus through which a user can switch operations and enter detailed settings of the respective operations. Such operation unit is often disposed in a fixed manner on an upper surface of an apparatus body, but recently, large-sized liquid crystal panels are starting to be adopted, so that if the operation unit is arranged in a fixed manner on the upper surface of the apparatus body, there is a limit to the size of the operation unit capable of being installed to the apparatus body.
Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-347091 discloses an image forming apparatus where an operation unit is disposed as a separate body from the apparatus body, and supported movably by an arm, according to which a large-sized liquid crystal panel can be disposed, regardless of the area or the shape of the upper surface of the apparatus body. In such image forming apparatus, the operation unit can be switched between a state where it is positioned frontward at a right side of the apparatus body and a state where it is positioned at an upper center portion of a front portion of the apparatus body, wherein the operation unit can be used in both states.
However, in the above-described image forming apparatus, the operation unit can only be moved between the front right side area and the center front side area of the apparatus body, so that it has the following drawbacks.
When failure occurs to the image forming apparatus, for example in order to specify the cause of failure, a service person must use the operation unit to confirm various data displayed on the operation unit and enter special operation settings, while checking the actual action of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, if the operation unit is positioned remote from the failure location, the service person must move back and forth for confirmation operation, so that excessive time is required for movement, and speedy recovery is thereby hindered.
For example, in an example where the image forming apparatus is used alone in a normal office or the like, the distance back-and-forth movement required during the confirmation operation is not so long, so that it will not become a problem. On the other hand, for example, in an image forming system capable of performing on-demand printing using a sheet feeding apparatus, a finisher and the like in addition to the image forming apparatus, the distance of back-and-forth movement becomes longer compared to the case where the image forming apparatus is used alone. Especially when the maintenance operation is performed at the rear side of the image forming apparatus, the service person must move back and forth to the front and rear sides of the image forming apparatus, and the work time and work labor will be further increased in the image forming system since the service person must take a detour around other devices.
In the above-described image forming apparatus, the operation unit can only move between the front right side and the front center area of the apparatus body, so that it has a drawback that when the apparatus is applied to a large-scale image forming system as described, the distance of back-and-forth movement of the service person during failure becomes excessive. Moreover, it may also be possible to extend the length of the arm movably supporting the operation unit on the above-described image forming apparatus, with the aim to enhance the degree of freedom of movement of the operation unit. However, for example, if an arm long enough to allow the operation unit to reach the sheet feeding apparatus or the finisher of the above-mentioned image forming system is to be provided, an extremely long arm becomes necessary, so that not only the cost is increased, but the long arm itself may disturb the maintenance operation.

Image forming apparatus with operation unit cable


An image synthesizing device is operatively coupled to a plurality of cameras to accurately express the color and brightness of a synthesized image photographed. The image synthesizing device is configured to synthesize the images of the cameras by selecting with respect to an observation point on a surface being photographed the camera positioned closest to the observation point, designating the color and brightness values of the observation point photographed by that camera as the color and brightness values of the observation point, and conducting the same processing for the entire surface being photographed. Thus, among the cameras, the image synthesizing device selects the camera that is closest to the observation point and uses the color and brightness values of that camera. This arrangement results in selecting a camera that photographs a small area of the photographed surface per unit pixel. Consequently, a synthesized image having good color and brightness precision is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a technology for synthesizing a plurality of images photographed by a plurality of cameras. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device that uses an image of the area surrounding a vehicle to detect the approach of other vehicles and the like.
2. Background Information
When photographing with a plurality of electronic cameras (e.g., CCD cameras), the color and brightness of the images of the same region will not necessarily match because of individual differences in the cameras and the positions of the cameras. Therefore, when the images picked up by a plurality of cameras are synthesized into a single image, the synthesized portions (seams) require special processing. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-55682 describes a technology for making the differences in lightness and darkness of the synthesized portions inconspicuous. With this technology, the synthesized portions are made inconspicuous by using the average values of the color and brightness obtained by both cameras or using the color and brightness obtained by one of the cameras as the color and brightness at the portion where the images of the two cameras overlap.
In view of the above technology, there exists a need for an improved image synthesizing device. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


A new cultivar of Veronica plant named ‘Glory’ that was discovered in a cultivated area and is characterized by a dense compact habit and abundant, long-blooming, compact flower spikes of a deep violet color. These combined traits set it apart from all other existing varieties of Veronica known to the inventor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Speedwell known botanically as Veronica spicata and referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name 'Glory'. The new invention was discovered in a cultivated area as a chance seedling from the inventors garden in Detling, Kent, England. 'Glory' was discovered in the summer of 1987, growing amongst numerous cultivars of Veronica spicata. The exact parents are unknown.
'Glory' is distinguished from all other Veronicas by its dense compact habit, production of an abundance of compact flower spikes and the deep violet color of the flowers. The closest comparison varieties are Veronica, 'Sunny Border Blue' (not patented), Veronica, 'Goodness Grows' (not patented) and 'Foersters Blue' (not patented). The new invention is uniquely different from 'Sunny Border Blue' (not patented) in its dense compact habit and its smooth vigorous green leaves that are retained throughout the season. The leaves of 'Sunny Border Blue' (not patented) are larger and crinkled with a dehydrated appearance, and the lower leaves tend to drop off due to disease. In contrast to 'Goodness Grows' (not patented), Veronica 'Glory' exhibits a dense habit and the flowers exhibit more violet color than blue. In contrast to 'Foersters Blue' (not patented), 'Glory' exhibits a compact habit, dark green leaves, dark violet-blue, and compact flower spikes that continue flowering for a two month period or longer when spent flowers are removed. 'Foersters Blue' (not patented) is tall and leggy with pale blue flowers and pale green leaves.
'Glory' was observed by the inventor over a period of approximately seven years, during which time the plant was found to retain its unique characteristics. In 1995, the first asexual propagation was conducted by the inventor, using the method of division. The new invention was first asexually propagated in Herefordshire England. Since that time under careful observation, successive generations have been determined stable and uniform.


A method for using shared pins in a concurrent test execution environment is disclosed. The method relates to scheduling tests in concurrently executing test flows for automated test equipment (ATE) in a way so that resources can be shared between the test flows. The method comprises determining if any of a plurality of splits used by a first test contains at least one resource that is shared, wherein the first test and a second test are sequenced for execution in two separate concurrently executing test flows. The method further comprises determining if the first test should execute before the second test if the split is associated with resources required by both the second and first tests. Finally the method comprises reserving the split containing the at least one shared resource for access by the first test before beginning execution of the first test.

Automated test equipment (ATE) can be any testing assembly that performs a test on a device, semiconductor wafer or die, etc. ATE assemblies may be used to execute automated tests that quickly perform measurements and generate test results that can then be analyzed. An ATE assembly may be anything from a computer system coupled to a meter, to a complicated automated test assembly that may include a custom, dedicated computer control system and many different test instruments that are capable of automatically testing electronics parts and/or semiconductor. Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) is commonly used within the field of electrical chip manufacturing. ATE systems both reduce the amount of time spent on testing devices to ensure that the device functions as designed and serve as a diagnostic tool to determine the presence of faulty components within a given device before it reaches the consumer.
In testing devices or products, e.g. after production, it is crucial to achieve among others a high product quality, an estimation of the device or product performance, a feedback concerning the manufacturing process and finally a high customer contentment. Usually a plurality of tests is performed in order to ensure the correct function of a device or product. The plurality of tests may be compiled in a test flow wherein the test flow may be separated into different test groups which contain one or more tests for testing the device or product. For example, a semiconductor device may be tested with a test flow comprising contact tests, current-voltage tests, logic tests, speed tests, stress tests and functional tests. A test flow may assume a fixed sequence of test execution. In other words, tests may be performed in a certain temporal order or sequence.
Since testing a semiconductor device or a product, in general, may be quite expensive in terms of capital cost for required test equipment and cost in terms of required test time, testing of a device or product should be performed in an efficient way. Therefore, devices are often tested in parallel to reduce test time. On the other hand, an increased parallel testing often requires a high number of test resources of a test arrangement. The growing number of devices being tested in parallel, and the limited availability of some expensive test equipment resources may become a major cost contributor to, for example, integrated circuit (IC) vendors. The limited availability of certain types of test equipment may be caused by the high capital cost of such test systems or because of the limited availability in terms of the form factor of the test equipment. Test resources which are required for testing a device must either be available per device (with associated high capital costs) or tests requiring these resources are serialized, such that a longer test time may be required and therefore also possibly higher costs as well.

Using shared pins in a concurrent test execution environment


In a method of measuring an effective channel length and an overlap length, first to third metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) including first to third gate patterns, respectively, are formed on a substrate. A parasitic capacitance between the gate patterns and the substrate in the MOSFETs is determined based on first and second capacitances, which are measured by applying a first voltage between the gate patterns and the substrate. A second voltage is applied between the first gate pattern and the substrate in the first MOSFET and a third voltage between the third gate pattern and the substrate in the third MOSFET to measure capacitances. The capacitances are treated to obtain third and fourth capacitances excluding the parasitic capacitance. Overlap lengths of the gate patterns are obtained based on the third and fourth capacitances. Effective channel lengths of the gate patterns are obtained based on the overlap length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET). More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of measuring an effective channel length and an overlap length in a MOSFET having a minute line width.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as information media, such as a computers, are widely used, methods of manufacturing semiconductor devices conforming to increasingly small design rules have been rapidly developed. The semiconductor devices from which cutting-edge information media devices are made require a rapid operation speed and a massive storage capacity. To meet these characteristics, a degree of integration, reliability, a response speed, and so on, of the semiconductor device have been improved.
In order to highly integrate the semiconductor device, it is necessary to have a design rule requiring the size of patterns in the semiconductor device be sufficiently reduced. Particularly, it is required to shorten a channel length of a gate in a MOSFET of the semiconductor device. Further, in order to form a highly integrated MOSFET, a process for verifying a capacity of the MOSFET having a sufficiently reduced channel length and a process for forming the MOSFET are essential.
To verify the MOSFET, parameters of elements in the MOSFET are accurately established. Examples of the parameters of the elements in the MOSFET may include an effective channel length, an overlap length, an overlap capacitance, and so on. The effective channel length and the overlap length are very important parameters relating to process monitoring, capacity of the MOSFET, formation of the MOSFET having reduced sizes, and so on.
Here, as the semiconductor device has been highly integrated, the effective channel length of the MOSFET has been significantly shortened. Thus, the overlap length between a source/drain and the gate becomes an important parameter. Therefore, when the very small MOSFET is modeled, accurate measurements of the effective channel length and the overlap length that have physical significances are required.
Examples of conventional methods of measuring the effective channel length and the overlap length include a current-voltage measuring method (hereinafter, referred to as an "I-V method"), a shift-and-ratio method, a capacitance-voltage measuring method (hereinafter, referred to as a "C-V method"), and so on.
However, in the I-V method and the shift-and-ratio method, since a halo or a pocket-well formation process is used currently, mobility of elements in a long channel is different from that of elements in a short channel, so that measurement accuracy may be low. Further, it is required to accurately measure resistances of the source/drain in the I-V method and the shift-and-ratio method. In contrast, since the C-V method does not have these problems, the effective channel length and the overlap length can be more accurately measured using the C-V method than it can be using the I-V method or the shift-and-ratio method.
A conventional method of measuring an effective channel length and an overlap length using a C-V method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,778. According to the method in U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,778, a capacitance Cgc between a gate and a source/drain is measured to obtain an effective channel length and an overlap length. However, when a MOSFET has a minute gate line width, the effective channel length and the overlap length might not be accurately measured using the C-V method.
Particularly, in the super minute gate of the MOSFET, a capacitance measured in an accumulation region is not saturated, but is continuously changed in accordance with a gate bias. That is, the effective channel length and the overlap length are changed in accordance with the gate bias that is used for measuring the effective channel length and the overlap length.
Further, the capacitance measured for obtaining the effective channel length and the overlap length can include a parasitic capacitance. The parasitic capacitance has important influence on the determination of the effective channel length and the overlap length in the super minute MOSFET, leading to inaccuracies. However, the above conventional method does not take into account the significant consequences of the parasitic capacitance. As a result, the effective channel length and the overlap length measured using the conventional method may have low reliability.

Method of measuring an effective channel length and an overlap length in a metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor


Phase matching high harmonic generation (HHG) uses a single, long duration non-collinear modulating pulse intersecting the driving pulse. A femtosecond driving pulse is focused into an HHG medium (such as a noble gas) to cause high-harmonic generation (HHG), for example in the X-ray region of the spectrum, via electrons separating from and recombining with gas atoms. A non-collinear pulse intersects the driving pulse within the gas, and modulates the field seen by the electrons while separated from their atoms. The modulating pulse is low power and long duration, and its frequency and amplitude is chosen to improve HHG phase matching by increasing the areas of constructive interference between the driving pulse and the HHG, relative to the areas of destructive interference.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to phase matching in high harmonic generation (HHG) using a non-collinear pulse to modulate the field seen by the driving pulse. In particular, the present invention relates to such phase matching using a weak, long duration non-collinear modulation pulse intersecting the driving pulse.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High-order harmonic generation (HHG) driven by ultrashort laser pulses is a source of extreme-ultraviolet and soft X-ray light with the unique properties of ultrashort pulse duration and high spatial and temporal coherence. This source has made possible new ultrafast spectroscopic probes of atoms, molecules and materials. So far, however, most applications have used relatively long wavelengths, because the conversion rapidly decreases at shorter wavelengths. This decrease is not due primarily to the very high-order nonlinearity of the process—in fact, the atomic physics of HHG is non-perturbative, and has favorable scaling to shorter wavelengths. The major challenge is that, unlike low-order nonlinear processes such as second-harmonic generation, HHG is inherently associated with ionization of the nonlinear medium. In HHG, an electron is first ionized by the field of an intense femtosecond laser. Once free, the electron begins to oscillate in response to the laser field. A small fraction of the ionized electron can re-collide with its parent ion, recombining and liberating the excess energy as a short-wavelength photon.
As in all nonlinear parametric processes in nature, efficient conversion of light from one frequency to another using nonlinear optics requires that the process be phase-matched. As the pump beam propagates, the nonlinear response of the medium coherently adds to the harmonic signal. The generated field continues to add constructively if the two waves travel with the same phase velocity through the medium, leading to a bright, phase-matched beam at the new wavelength. If the process is not phase-matched, coherent build-up is limited to a propagation distance over which the relative phase of the fundamental and the harmonic light slip by 180°. This distance is the coherence length Lc=π/Δk, where Δk is the phase mismatch between the polarization wave and the harmonic wave. For HHG, dispersion of the free-electron plasma reduces Lc to the micrometer or even sub-micrometer range for up-conversion to very short wavelengths, which are only generated when the laser is very intense and thus the medium is already highly ionized. As a result, efficient harmonic generation is possible only at relatively low levels of ionization, below a 'critical' ionization level of around 5% for Argon or around 0.5% for helium, corresponding to photon energies of around 50 eV and around 130 eV respectively. Thus, new methods that can correct for this phase mismatch in ionized media (plasmas) are a 'grand challenge' in this area of laser science.
In the absence of phase-matching, quasi-phase matching (QPM) techniques have been successfully demonstrated to compensate for this phase slip by periodically readjusting the relative phase of the fundamental and nonlinear response at an interval corresponding to the coherence length. In the visible region, this is achieved by periodically reversing the polarization of a non-centrosymmetric nonlinear-optical material. However, this implementation cannot be used for HHG, because HHG uses a low-pressure gas as the nonlinear medium.
Past experimental work used a periodically modulated hollow waveguide to modulate the intensity of the driving laser to implement QPM for high-harmonic generation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,115, incorporated herein by reference, is a useful background reference. Even a small modulation (around 1%) of the driving laser results in significant modulation in both the amplitude and phase of the harmonics. Although this past work succeeded in enhancing conversion efficiency into the soft X-ray region of the spectrum by about one order of magnitude, further optimization will require a more sophisticated approach. This is because optical loss of the driving laser, refraction, mode beating and group-velocity dispersion all result in a continuous variation of the coherence length along the direction of propagation, making it difficult to optimize the modulation period. Finally, modulation periods shorter than the waveguide diameter will not significantly influence the laser field, making it challenging to compensate for very short coherence lengths.
Recently, Voronov et al. demonstrated that a weak counterpropagating pulse can be used to disrupt high-harmonic emission, with the objective of using this technique to implement QPM. This experiment used a simple focused-beam geometry in a low-pressure gas. The counterpropagating field induced both a standing amplitude and phase modulation on the driving laser field. Even though the counterpropagating field was weak, it distorted the field of the driving laser, essentially turning off phase-coherent high-harmonic production in the region where the two pulses overlapped. That work also demonstrated that if the HHG signal is deliberately suppressed by a non-optimum focusing geometry, a single counterpropagating pulse can recover much of the original harmonic signal that had previously been obtained in the optimum-focus geometry. However, this work only investigated harmonic emission in regimes where conventional phase-matching was already possible in the medium. Attempts to obtain enhancements significantly greater than what could otherwise be obtained were not successful.
A pending U.S. patent application having some co-inventors with the present application teaches a technique for quasi-phase matching and quantum control of high harmonic generation in waveguides using a train of counterpropagating pulses. The counterpropagating pulse technique presents an advantage over previous QPM techniques in that varying the format of the counterpropagating light pulse allows for dynamic optimization of quasi-phase matching, and also because when short counterpropagating light pulses are used, shorter coherence lengths can be compensated for compared with using a structured waveguide. In this QPM technique, the counterpropagating pulses intersect with the driving pulse and suppress the HHG emission from out-of-phase regions. However, our calculations showed (OL 32, 2975) that the QPM efficiency factor in this technique is smaller than 0.15 (the QPM efficiency factor is the ratio between the generated signal under QPM and the generated signal under perfect phase matching condition). Thus, a need remains to devise a QPM method for HHG with larger QPM efficiency factor. In addition, the counterpropagating pulses QPM technique is limited to the case where the coherence length is larger than ˜10-100 microns. At keV energies, however, the coherence length is typically in the micron range.
A need remains in the art for a method of phase matching high harmonic generation (HHG) using one or more non-collinear modulating pulses intersecting the driving pulse that can be implemented using light pulses with duration >Lc, and that allows for a maximum QPM efficiency factor.

Phase matching of high order harmonic generation using dynamic phase modulation caused by a non-collinear modulation pulse

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