A recording apparatus for recording data in individual blocks each made of plural given regions on an optical disc is disclosed. The recording apparatus may have (i) a detection portion which detects a finally recorded region on the disc by detecting for each of the given regions as to whether or not data is recorded and (ii) a recording control portion which records dummy data from a region next to the finally recorded region detected by the detection portion to the final region of a block located behind the finally recorded region by at least one region and then starting to record data from the head region of the subsequent block.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus, method, and program for recording and, more particularly, to techniques suitably applied, for example, to a disc camcorder using an optical disc as a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one known type of disc camcorder, there is a disc camcorder using a DVD+R (Digital Versatile Disc+Recordable) as a recording medium. The DVD+R does not permit rewriting of data but enables multisession recording. In this type of disc camcorder, the recording region of an optical disc is divided into one or more sessions. Each session is divided into plural regions, known as fragments. In each fragment, data is recorded in ECC blocks each including plural sectors (e.g., 16 sectors from sector 0 to sector 15).
Therefore, when data is recorded in each fragment in multiple sessions, the finally recorded address (i.e., the address of the final sector in the final ECC block where data is recorded) in the immediately previous recording operation is detected. An address next to the finally recorded address is taken as a recording start address. In this case, addresses are in units of sectors. Data is recorded in ECC blocks from the recording start address. In the following description, the number of session is set to 1. In this case, closing the session is the same meaning as finalizing.
This method of recording is described in detail regarding the management data structure for the DVD+R, processing for making preparations for recording to be performed before data is recorded on the DVD+R, and a procedure to be performed to record data on the DVD+R in practice. These structure, processing, and procedure are described separately. First, the management data structure for the DVD+R on which data will be recorded is described. As shown in FIG. 10, the DVD+R has an ADIP (address in pre-groove) and a main area providing recording areas for various kinds of data. In the ADIP, PFI (physical format information) including information indicating the disc type (i.e., DVD+R), the finally recordable address, and information necessary during recording has been previously recorded.
Of these regions, the main area is composed of (i) an inner drive area that is a disc management area, (ii) a lead-in zone added to the head of the session, and (iii) a data zone in which image data acquired by an imaging technique is recorded. These area and zones are arranged in this order from the inner side of the DVD+R. Of these zones, the inner drive area is composed of (i) an initial zone in which data is not recorded at all, (ii) a disc test zone used as a tentative writing region for OPC (optimum power control), (iii) a disc count zone that is a region indicating the state in which the disc test zone is used, and (iv) a TOC zone in which TOC (table of contents) information is recorded.
The lead-in zone of the main area includes a disc ID (IDentification) zone and a control data zone. Of these zones, SDCB (session disc control blocks) information indicating the start address and end address of the session declared to be used from the host side (i.e., the control system of the disc camcorder) is recorded in the disc ID zone. PFI information created based on information obtained from ADIP when finalizing is done to permit an ordinary DVD player to play the DVD+R is recorded in the control data zone.
As shown in FIG. 11, the data zone of the main area is divided into plural fragments Fr. In each fragment Fr, data is recorded in successive ECC blocks each including 16 sectors. In the example of FIG. 11, the data zone is divided into three fragments, i.e., Fr1, Fr2, and Fr3.
As an example, it is assumed that the optical disc is not yet finalized and that the fragments Fr of sessions declared to be used from the host side are fragments Fr1 and Fr2. It follows that the start and end addresses of the fragment Fr1 and the start and end addresses of the fragment Fr2 are recorded in the SDCB information. The region located behind the final fragment Fr2 shown in the SDCB information is separately managed as the final fragment Fr3 on the side of the drive. As such, the disc camcorder can use the final fragment Fr3 not shown in the SDCB information as a data recorded region. Incidentally, if the disc is finalized in this state, the start and end addresses of the final fragment Fr3 are also recorded in the SDCB information.
The processing for making preparations for recording to be performed before data is recorded on the optical disc by the disc camcorder when the disc is inserted into the camcorder is next described. This processing for making preparations for recording is performed by the control portion of the disc camcorder. It is assumed that the inserted optical disc is a DVD+R having the aforementioned data management structure. As illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 12, the control portion of the disc camcorder first goes to step SP1 when processing RT1 for making preparations for recording is started. In the step SP1, if insertion of the optical disc is recognized, the control portion proceeds to the next step SP2.
In step SP2, the control portion identifies the type of the inserted optical disc. In this case, the control portion determines that the type is the DVD+R and goes to the next step SP3. In step SP3, the control portion obtains PFI information from the inserted DVD+R. In this case, the control portion first attempts to read the PFI information from the control data zone of the DVD+R. If the attempt fails, the control portion attempts to read the PFI information from the ADIP and derives the PFI information. If the attempt to derive the PFI information fails, this procedure RT1 of processing for making preparations for recording is terminated with error. If the attempt to acquire the PFI information succeeds, the control portion checks the results of the identification in the previous step 2 based on the type of the disc contained in the PFI information, and then goes to the next step SP4.
In step SP4, the control portion adjusts the servo of the optical pickup. After the adjustment, the control portion obtains TOC information from the TOC zone of the optical disc and acquires disc ID information and SDCB information from the disc ID zone in the subsequent steps SP5-SP6. Then, the control portion goes to the next step SP7.
In step SP7, the control portion executes the processing for obtaining the finally recorded address as a subroutine, the processing being typically needed to record additional data. A procedure of processing for obtaining the finally recorded address is described by referring to the flowchart of FIG. 13, the processing being executed in this step SP7. The control portion first proceeds to step SP10 if the procedure RT2 of processing for obtaining the finally recorded address is started. In the step SP10, the control portion makes a decision as to whether the inserted optical disc has been finalized.
If the decision at the step SP10 is negative (No), it means that the final fragment Fr (e.g., fragment Fr3) is present behind the fragments Fr (e.g., fragments Fr1 and Fr2) shown in the SDCB information. At this time, the control portion goes to step SP11. In this step SP11, the control portion identifies the final fragment Fr3. That is, the control portion takes the address next to the final address of the rearmost fragment Fr2 recorded in the SDCB information as the start address of the final fragment Fr3 (in this case, addresses are represented in sectors). Also, the control portion identifies the final fragment Fr3 while taking the finally recordable address obtained from the PFI information as an end address. The control portion proceeds to the next step SP12.
Meanwhile, if the decision at step SP10 is affirmative (Yes), it means that the start and end addresses of all the fragments Fr including the final fragment Fr3 are recorded in the SDCB information because the inserted optical disc has been finalized. At this time, the control portion determines that it is not necessary to identify the final fragment Fr3. The control portion then goes to step SP12.
In step SP12, the control portion detects the rearmost address at which an RF (radio-frequency) signal is recorded as the finally recorded address LWA of each fragment Fr as shown in FIG. 14 by detecting the presence or absence of the RF signal between the start address and end address in each sector for all the fragments Fr. Then, the control portion goes to the next step SP13. At this time, the control portion detects the presence or absence of the RF signal using a sector synchronization signal.
In step SP13, the control portion makes a decision as to whether the finally recorded address LWA has been normally detected from each fragment Fr in the previous step SP12. If the decision at the step SP13 is negative, it means that error occurs in detecting the finally recorded address LWA. In this case, the control portion terminates the procedure RT2 of processing for obtaining the finally recorded address with error. On the other hand, if the decision at the step SP13 is affirmative, the control portion determines that the finally recorded address LWA has been normally detected from each fragment Fr. Then, control portion proceeds to step SP14.
In step SP14, the control portion makes a decision for each fragment Fr as to whether the finally recorded address LWA is the end address of the fragment Fr. If the decision at the step SP14 is negative, it means that there is a region on which more data can be recorded in the fragment Fr. At this time, the control portion goes to step SP15. As illustrated in FIG. 14, the recording start address NWA is set as an address next to the finally recorded address LWA. On the other hand, if the decision at the step SP 14 is affirmative, it means that the finally recorded address LWA of the fragment Fr is the end address, i.e., no further data can be recorded in the fragment Fr. At this time, the control portion sets the recording start address NWA at 0, which does not exist as an address. This means that additional data cannot be recorded in the fragment Fr. After the recording start address NWA is set for each fragment Fr in this way, the control portion ends the procedure RT2 of processing for obtaining the finally recorded address.
After the processing for obtaining the finally recorded address is executed in the step SP7 in this way, the control portion goes to the next step SP8 (FIG. 12). In this step SP8, the control portion searches for a disc test zone (DIT) used as a tentatively written region during OPC. The optical pickup is made to be on standby at that location. The procedure RT1 of processing for making preparations for recording is ended.
Preparations for starting recording of data on the inserted DVD+R are completed by executing the processing for making preparations for recording as described above.
When data is recorded on the DVD+R in practice, the control portion of the disc camcorder starts recording of data from the recording start address NWA obtained by the above-described processing for making preparations for recording. That is, when data is recorded, for example, in the fragment Fr2, data is recorded in each ECC block from the recording start address NWA2 (in this case, the address of the head sector of the (n+1)th ECC block) as shown in FIG. 14.
In this type of disc camcorder, it is stipulated that data be recorded in ECC blocks in succession as described previously and so when recording of data is ended at an intermediate point of an ECC block because of power failure occurring, for example, during data recording, data is not recorded in successive ECC blocks. Subsequently, data cannot be appended in multiple sessions.
Accordingly, a method of recording as shown in FIG. 15 has been heretofore proposed (see, for example, JP-A-2004-62947 (patent document 1) ). In particular, when data is appended, for example, to fragment Fr2 in multiple sessions, if the detected finally recorded address LWA2 in the latest session does not indicate the final sector (sector 15) in the ECC block, i.e., the finally recorded address LWA2 in the previous session indicates an intermediate sector (sector 0 to sector 14) of the ECC block, it is determined that the previous data recording was terminated at an intermediate point of the ECC block (in this case, (n+1)th ECC block). Dummy data is added to this ECC block, making an amendment. That is, data is recorded in ECC blocks. Data (hereinafter referred to as the non-dummy data to be discriminated from dummy data) can be again appended in multiple sessions from the ECC block next to that ECC block. The dummy data cannot be read out during reading.

Apparatus, method, and program for recording


A white balance adjustment circuit in which red, green and blue video signals representative of a video image are passed through red, green and blue amplifiers. A first detector detects the levels of the red, green and blue video signals and a second detector detects the illuminance level of the video image. A controller controls the relative gains of the red, green and blue amplifiers in accordance with the first and second detector.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to video cameras. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for white balancing a color video camera.
2. Background of the Invention
When white balance is not correctly adjusted in a color video camera, the image taken by the color video camera may have reddish or bluish hue. Therefore, adjustment of white balance is very important.
There are several ways to obtain white balance data necessary to perform a white balancing process. In a first technique, the video signal is integrated over one whole image. In a second technique, the image is divided into plural regions and the video signal in each region is respectively integrated. In a third technique, the brightest portion (presumed to be a white object) in an image is detected. Adjustment of white balance is done based on the data obtained by the above described methods.
However, under the first method, when an image includes a large colored object like a uniformly green lawn, the adjustment of white balance includes adjustment error due to the effects of the large colored object. Under the second method, if there are no white objects in the regions, adjustment error can occur. Under the third method, if the image includes a TV screen, outdoor light from a window or bright sunlight at sunset, error can also be introduced into the white balance adjustment. When an image includes both bright sunlight and shade at the same time, the blue of shade is emphasized too much because the adjustment tends to make the bright sunlight portion white.

Apparatus and method for adjusting white balance of a video camera


The method of obtaining a pomade effect on hair includes providing a foam pump apparatus for making a foam from a single-phase composition, which contains at least one anionic, carboxylate-group containing surfactant compound, preferably a sulfosuccinate, and at least one nonionic emulsifier; then generating a foam from the single-phase composition by operating the foam pump apparatus; and working at least a portion of the foam into the hair without subsequently rinsing the hair in order to provide the pomade effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of the present invention is a method of treating hair with a foam made from a single-phase, foam-forming hair treatment composition to produce a pomade effect, especially a fixing effect and luster in the treated hair.
2. Prior Art
Research in the field of hair treatment compositions has included study of preparations in the form of pomades for many years. These pomades facilitate hair shaping and increase the luster and hold of a hairstyle. Pomades are usually applied as non-transparent masses in the form of creamy emulsions or gels. However the emulsions or gels are difficult to distribute evenly on the hair, so that hair styling is difficult, especially when only small sections of the hair are treated with this agent.
The products conventionally employed to produce a pomade effect, which means to simultaneously produce an intense luster and hold, have a high proportion of water-insoluble materials, such as fatty bodies. Because of these fatty bodies however the hair is strongly loaded and the product is removed only with difficulty by means of a shampoo to the extent that the hair does not have a residue. Furthermore this type of product suffers from the problem of undesirable separation of water and fat phase.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method with which an intense pomade effect can be obtained, whereby the typically negative or poor properties of the prior art compositions, such as poor distributability on the hair, strong load of the hair, poor washability from the hair and phase separation of the product are avoided.
Pomade in the form of foam that breaks up when worked into the hair or on styling the hair offers a better possibility for application to hair.
Low or average viscosity masses with pomade properties can be applied with the help of aerosol foam. The advantage of a propellant aerosol product is that it is very easy to produce foam with it, even with small amounts of only poorly foaming contents. It is however a disadvantageously difficult problem to stabilize the propellant gas in the aqueous phase for packing the composition as a single-phase product. Phase separation can change the properties important to the composition""s action as a pomade as well as its aesthetic properties. If the aerosol product should be packaged in a transparent container, only glass is considered for use as a packaging material. The packaging of an aerosol product in a glass container however results in a potential safety problem or a risk.
Foaming without propellant gas occurs in a simple way by the use of a strongly foaming surfactant compound selected from the classes of anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants or nonionic surfactants. The disadvantage of using these surfactants in concentrations which are required so that the pomade composition will be in the form of a foam is that when the foam composition is applied to the hair it does not break up. Furthermore an after-foaming occurs on the hair, as it does similarly with a shampoo, which is undesirable for application of a pomade. Furthermore pomade masses, which contain large proportions of these surfactants are too viscose to guarantee that good foaming action can be obtained without the help of a propellant gas. Dilution with organic solvent leads of course to a reduction in viscosity, however a drastic reduction in foamability also occurs because of the dilution. If the pomade composition is diluted with water until it reaches a viscosity at which it is easy to form foam, this leads to a reduction in the pomade effect.
According to the invention these difficulties are overcome by providing a product or article of manufacture for hair treatment consisting of
A) single-phase composition containing
a1) at least one anionic, carboxylate-group-containing surfactant compound, and
a2) at least one nonionic emulsifier; in combination with
B) an apparatus for making a foam from the single-phase composition (A).
The composition provides outstanding foam without the use of a propellant gas and can be worked into the hair satisfactorily without a disturbing after-foam formation. It imparts good shapability, a long-lasting luster and a long-lasting soft feel to the hair.
The carboxylate-group-containing surfactant compound or compounds is or are preferably present in the composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 30 percent by weight, especially preferably in an amount of from 1 to 10 percent by weight. The preferred carboxylate-group-containing surfactant compound or compounds is or are sulfosuccinate or sulfosuccinates, sulfosuccinamate or sulfosuccinamates, carboxylated fatty alcohol ethoxylate or ethoxylates, carboxylated fatty acid amide ethoxylate or ethoxylates or their mixtures.
Preferably the surfactant compound (al) has the general formula (I):
R1xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94(CHR2xe2x80x94CHR3xe2x80x94O)nxe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x921/m Mm+xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(I),
wherein xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94represents xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CONHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94; xe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94 represents an alkylene group, preferably with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, especially a methylene group or xe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x92 represents a sulfosuccinate group; R1 represents an unsaturated or saturated, branched or non-branch hydrocarbon group, preferably with 5 to 20 carbon atoms, which can be substituted with at least one hydroxy group, or R1xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94 represents an alkoxylated or non-alkoxylated alkyl citrate group; R2 and R3, independently of each other, represent hydrogen or a methyl group; n is the degree of alkoxylation and is between 0 and 20, preferably between 0 and 10; M represents one or more counter ions which neutralize the negative charge on the anion, for example a metal ion or a quaternary ammonium cation, and m is the valence of the counter ion M. If xe2x80x94Yxe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x92 stands for a sulfosuccinate group, it is preferably in the form xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94CHR4xe2x80x94CHR5xe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x92, wherein one of the R4 and R5 is hydrogen and the other is SO3xe2x88x92. When R1xe2x80x94X represents an alkoxylated or non-alkoxylated alkyl citrate group, it is preferably in the form
R6Oxe2x80x94(CH2CH2O)n1xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94C(OH)(COxe2x80x94(OCH2CH2)n2OH)xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94COOxe2x88x92,
wherein R6 represents a saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched hydrocarbon group preferably with 5 to 20 carbon atoms, which can be substituted with at least one hydroxy group, and nl and n2 are the degrees of alkoxylation, each of which is between 0 to 10, preferably between 0 and 5.
As carboxylate-group-containing surfactant compound or compounds the following are particularly suitable for ingredient al:
compounds of the formula (II)
R1xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94(CHR2xe2x80x94CHR3xe2x80x94O)nxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94CHR2xe2x80x94CHR3xe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x921/m Mm+xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(II),
wherein R2, R3, n, m and M have the same significance as above and wherein at least one of the groups R2 and R3 represents hydrogen; R1 represents a saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched hydrocarbon group, preferably with 5 to 20 carbon atoms, which can be substituted with at least one hydroxy group; xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94represents xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CONHxe2x80x94or xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94 and the groups R4 and R5, independently of each other, represent hydrogen or SO3xe2x88x92, but at least one of the groups must be hydrogen.
Suitable sulfosuccinates are, for example, known under the following INCI names disodium ricinol amido MEA sulfosuccinate, disodium cocamido MIPA sulfosuccinate, disodium PEG-4 cocamido MIPA-sulfosuccinate, disodium PEG-5 lauryl citrate sulfosuccinate, disodium cocamido PEG-3 sulfosuccionate, disodium laneth-5 sulfosuccinate or disodium undecylene amido MEA-sulfosuccinate. A suitable sulfosuccinamate is for example disodium tallow sulfosuccinamate (INCI name).
alkyl citrates of the formula (III),
R6Oxe2x80x94(CH2CH2O)n1xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94C(OH)(COxe2x80x94(OCH2CH2)n2OH)xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94COxe2x80x94(OCH2CH2)n3xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94CHR4xe2x80x94CHR5xe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x92 1/m Mm+xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(III),
wherein m and M have the significance as defined above; R6 represents a saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched hydrocarbon group preferably with 5 to 20 carbon atoms, which can be substituted with at least one hydroxy group, the groups R4 and R5, independently of each other, represent hydrogen or SO3xe2x88x92, but at least one of both groups must be hydrogen; and n1, n2 and n3 each represent the respective degree of alkoxylation and each is a respective value between 0 and 10, preferably between 0 and 5.
A suitable alkyl citrate sulfosuccinate is, for example, designated by the INCI name disodium PEG-10 lauryl citrate sulfosuccinate or disodium PEG-5 lauryl citrate sulfosuccinate (REWOPOL(copyright) SB CS 50 of Witco Surfactants GmbH, Germany).
xe2x80x94compounds of the general formula (IV)
R1xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94(CH2CH2O)n1xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CO2xe2x88x921/m Mm=xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(IV),
wherein n, m and M have the same significance as above; R1 represents a saturated or unsaturated, branched or non-branched hydrocarbon group, preferably with 5 to 20 carbon atoms, which can be substituted with at least one hydroxy group; xe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94 represents xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CONHxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, especially carboxylated fatty alcohol ethoxylates and fatty acid amido ethoxylates.
For example, a suitable carboxylated fatty alcohol ethoxylate is designated by the INCI name sodium laureth-13 carboxylate.
For example suitable carboxylated fatty alcohol ethoxylates or fatty acid amido ethoxylates include Akypo Soft(copyright) types of Chem-Y, Miranate(copyright) LEC or Sandopan(copyright) LS-24 (INCI: sodium laureth-13 carboxylate) of Rhone-Poulenc or Clariant.
Additional subject matter of the invention includes a method of using an anionic, carboxylate-group-containing surfactant compound to make a transparent, single-phase composition, which can be put in the form of a foam by a mechanical device. The surfactant compound in this composition is preferably a sulfosuccinate, a sulfosuccinamate, a carboxylated fatty acid amide ethoxylate or a carboxylated fatty alcohol ethoxylate, especially a surfactant compound of the formula I containing a carboxylate group.
Suitable nonionic emulsifiers are, for example, the nonionic emulsifiers listed in xe2x80x9cInternational Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbookxe2x80x9d, 7th Edition, Volume 2, in the section entitled xe2x80x9cSurfactantsxe2x80x94Emulsifying Agentsxe2x80x9d. The nonionic emulsifiers suitable as the ingredient a2 are preferably ethoxylated fatty acids with 10 to 26 carbon atoms, ethoxylated unihydric or polyhydric alcohols with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, ethoxylated fatty alcohols with 10 to 26 carbon atoms, ethoxylated hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated castor oil, glyceride alkoxylates, fatty acid glyceride polyalkylene glycol ethers or fatty acid partial glyceride polyalkylene glycol ethers, each with less than 30 alkylene glycol units, such as polyethylene glycol (7)-glyceryl cocoate, polyglycol amides, fatty acid sugar esters, ethoxylated fatty acid sugar esters and partial glycerides. The ethoxylation degree of the ethoxylated surfactant compounds usually amounts to from 1 to 400 and is preferably larger than 3.
Suitable ethoxylated fatty acids include, for example, polyethylene glycol (75)-laurate, polyethylene glycol (90)-stearate, polyethylene glycol (120)-stearate, polyethylene glycol (120)-propylene glycol stearate, polyethylene glycol (150)-dilaurate and polyethyene glycol (175)-distearate.
Suitable ethoxylated fatty acid sugar esters include, for example, ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid ester and polyethylene glycol(120)-methylglucose dioleate.
The partial glycerides include mono- or diglycerides or a mixture of mono- or diglycerides. For example, suitable partial glycerides include polyethylene glycol (30)-glyceryl cocoate, polyethylene glycol (80)-glyceryl cocoate, polyethylene glycol (80)-glyceryl tallowate, polyethylene glycol(120)-glyceryl stearate, polyethylene glycol(200)-glyceryl stearate, poltyethylene glycol(200)-glyceryl tallowate and hydrogenated polyethylene glycol(200)-glyceryl palmitate. Hydrogenated polyethylene glycol (200)-glyceryl palmitate is especially preferred.
In a preferred embodiment only those surfactants and emulsifiers are contained in the composition of the invention that are water-soluble, i.e. those surfactants, which form a clear solution in water at 20xc2x0 C. when 1% by weight of the surfactant is present in the water. Preferably a composition is preferred which is present in a transparent, clear, single-phase form and in a transparent package. Preferably break-resistant, transparent plastic is used as a packaging material besides glass.
The composition is foamed without help of propellant gases or chemical propellants and is worked into the hair as foam and left in the hair without being rinsed from the hair.
The subject matter of the invention especially includes a mechanical device for foaming the composition according to the invention. The term xe2x80x98mechanical foaming devicexe2x80x99 means those devices or apparatus that allows the production of the foam from a liquid without the use of a propellant compound or propellant composition. For example, a commercially available foam pump can be used as the mechanical foaming device or apparatus.
A suitable devices for producing foam are described, for example, in European Patent Application, EP 0 736 462, and the literature cited in it and are obtained, for example, from Yoshino Kogyosho Co., Ltd., Japan. The foam pump Daiwa F2 of Yoshino Kogyosho is especially preferred.
Solvents with a boiling point under 600xc2x0 C. can be used in the composition (A) accordingto the invention. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the composition of the invention contains at least one polyhydric alcohol, especially one with two to four carbon atoms, such as propylene glycol or glycerol. The solvent is present in an amount of from 0.01 to 50 percent by weight, preferably in an amount of from 2 to 30 percent by weight.
The composition according to the invention can contain additional alcohol, especially a lower alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, usually used for cosmetic purposes, for example ethanol or isopropanol, in small amounts up to 10 percent by weight. Preferably however the composition according to the invention does not contain this lower alcohol.
Similarly the composition according to the invention can contain solid or waxy polyethylene glycol or polyethylene glycol that is liquid at room temperatures or copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.
The composition according to the invention can also contain water-insoluble solvents, for example branched or non-branched hydrocarbon solvents, such as pentane, hexane, isopentane and cyclic hydrocarbons, such as cyclopentane, cyclohexane, paraffins and isododecane. Preferably embodiments of the composition of the invention however contain no such water-insoluble additives.
At least one film-forming, hair-fixing polymer can be used in the hair treatment composition according to the invention in an amount of preferably from 0.01 to 10 percent by weight, especially preferably from 0.1 to 8 percent by weight, as an additional additive ingredient. The polymer can be synthetic or of a natural origin and can be nonionic, anionic or amphoteric. The hair-fixing polymers can be used individually or in a mixture.
The term xe2x80x98film-forming, hair-fixing polymerxe2x80x99 means those polymers which deposit a polymer film on the hair and thus fix the hair when employed in a 0.1 to 5% aqueous, alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic solution.
If the polymers contain acid groups, they can be partially or completely neutralized with a suitable organic or inorganic base. The preferred bases are primary and secondary amines, especially alkanolamines, such as aminomethylpropanol. If the polymers contain basic groups, they can be partial or completely neutralized with a suitable acid, such as formic acid, pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, lactic acid, etc.
Suitable synthetic, nonionic, film-forming hair-fixing polymers that can be used in the composition according to the invention include homopolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone, homopolymers of N-vinylformamide, copolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone and dimethnylaminoalkylmethacrylates, in which alkyl means methyl, ethyl or propyl, copolymerizates of vinyl pyrrolidone and vinyl acetate, terpolymers of vinyl pyrrolidone and vinyl acetate and vinyl propionate, polyacrylamides, polyvinylalcohols or polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol copolymers.
Suitable synthetic film-forming, anionic polymers include, e.g., branched or non-branched vinyl acetate/crotonic acid copolymers, vinyl pyrrolidone/vinyl acrylate copolymers, terpolymers made from acrylic acid, alkyl acrylates and N-alkylacrylamides, especially acrylic acid/ethyl acrylate/N-t-butylacrylamide terpolymers or terpolymers of vinyl acetate, crotonate and vinyl alkanoate, especially vinyl acetate/crotonatelvinyl neodecanoate copolymers and methyl vinyl ether/maleic acid anhydride copolymers and their monoesters.
Natural film-forming polymers or derivatives of them made by chemical transformation can similarly be used in the hair treatment compositions according to the invention. These polymers include polysaccharides or mixtures of oligo-, mono- and disaccharides (C-Pur(copyright) 01924 of Cerestar), Chinese pine resin (colophony, rosin), cellulose derivatives, such as hydroxypropyl cellulose with a molecular weight of 30,000 to 50,000 g/mol, or shellac, in neutralized or unneutralized form.
Also amphoteric polymers can be used in the hair treatment composition according to the invention. These amphoteric polymers either have free basic groups, such as amino groups, and free acidic groups, such as carboxyl or sulfonic acid groups, in the molecule and are capable of forming inner salts or they contain both cationic groups, such as the ammonium group, and anionic groups, such as the carboxylate, sulfate or sulfonate groups. The following are especially suitable amphoteric polymers: copolymers formed from alkyacryl amides, especially octylacrylamide, alkylaminoalkylmethacrylate, especially t-butylaminoethylmethacrylate and two or more monomers comprising acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or their esters, such as can be obtained commercially under the trade name Resyn 28-4910 or Amphomer LV-71 of National Starch, USA.
Furthermore water-soluble or water-insoluble silicone compounds can be used in concentrations of from 0.01 to 50 percent by weight, preferably in a concentration of from 0.1 to 5 percent by weight, in the hair treatment composition according to the invention. Volatile and nonvolatile cyclomethicones, dimethicones and dimethicone copolyols are especially preferred. Examples of silicone compounds suitable for use in the composition of the invention include the following: polydimethylsiloxane (dimethicone), xcex1-hydroxy-xcfx89-hydroxypolyoxydimethylsilylene (dimethiconol), cyclic dimethylpolysiloxane (cyclomethicone), trimethyl(octadecyloxy)-silane(stearoxytrimethylsilane), dimethylsiloxane/glycol copolymer(dimethicone copolyol), dimethylsiloxane/aminoalkylsiloxane copolymer with hydroxy terminal groups (amodimethicone), monomethylpolysiloxane with lauryl side chains and polyoxyethylene and/or polyoxypropylene terminal chains, (lauryl methicone copolyol), dimethilsiloxane/glycol copolymer acetate (dimethicone copolyol acetate), dimethylsiloxane/aminoalkyl siloxane copolymer with trimethylsilylene terminal groups (trimethylsilyl amodimethicone). Especially preferred silicone polymers include dimethicone, which is marketed by Wacker, Munich, under the trade name Siloxane F-221 or by Dow Corning Europe, Brussels, under the trade name Dow Corning Fluid 200/0.65 cs; cyclomethicone, which is marketed under the trade name Dow Corning 244 Fluid of Dow Corning Europe or Abil(copyright) K4 of Goldschmidt; dimethiconols, which are marketed, for example, under the trade name Silicone Fluid F-212 of Wacker or Unisel(copyright) SF-R ofUPI.
The names given in parentheses above correspond to the INCI nomenclature (International Cosmetic Ingredients), as they are defined for cosmetic active ingredients and auxiliary substances.
Also mixtures of silicone polymers are suitable, such as a mixture of dimethicone and dimethiconol, which is sold under the trade name of Dow Corning Fluid 1403 of Dow Corning Europe.
Understandably the compositions according to the invention can also contain conventional cosmetic additive ingredients, such as non-fixing, nonionic polymers, non-fixing anionic polymers and non-fixing, natural polymers as well as their combinations in amounts of preferably from 0.01 to 15 percent by weight; perfume oils in an amount of preferably from 0.01 to 5 percent by weight; turbidity-inducing agents, such as ethylene glycol distearate, styrene/PVP copolymers or polystyrene in an amount of preferably from 0.01 to 5 percent by weight; wetting agents, surface-active ingredients or emulsifiers with or without cleansing action from the classes of anionic, cationic, amphoteric surface-active substances, for example fatty alcohol sulfates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, fatty acid alkanol amides in an amount of preferably from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight; further moisturizers, dye substances, light protective agents, antioxidants, luster-imparting substances and preservatives in an amount of preferably from 0.01 to 10 percent by weight.
The following examples should more clearly illustrated the invention claimed in the claims appended hereinbelow.

Method for producing a pomade effect based on a single-phase, foam-forming hair treatment composition


A plug connector assembly for a cable includes a plug-in unit, a mating plug-in unit and a securing unit with a base part. A housing of the plug-in unit has a latching element having a free end with a latch that can be latched to a latching seat. In a released position of the securing unit, the base part abuts a bar of the plug-in unit so that movement into a locked position is blocked. The mating plug-in unit has a deflection element that deflects the base part and positions a groove in alignment with the bar, so that the bar is insertable into the groove, and the securing unit is movable into the locked position in which a locking element blocks a movement of the free end, and prevents the latch from leaving the latching seat.

For detachably connecting at least one cable to another component, such as a semiconductor circuit board or another cable, plug connectors are generally used. Plug connectors have contact parts that are connected to the electrically conductive wires of the cable, or to the electrically conductive elements of the component to be connected. In order to establish an electrical connection between the cable and the component to be connected, the contact parts are connected to one another in an electrically conductive, detachable manner. Furthermore, a plug connector has a connector housing connected to the cable and a mating connector housing connected to the component to be connected. The connector housing and mating connector housing can likewise be detachably connected to one another in order to create an additional mechanical connection which, on the one hand, protects the conductive connection of the contact parts, stabilizes the connection of the contact parts, and protects them from external influences. If the connection between the plug-in housing and the mating plug-in housing takes place by means of a form fit, for example via snap-in connections, a so-called plug connector position securing means can be necessary, which prevents undesired or unintentional release of the snap-in connection. Such plug connector position securing means are known, for example, from the documents U.S. Pat. No. 9,054,458 B1, U.S. Ser. No. 10/355,414 B1 and DE 11 2017 001 349 T5.


A smart tray system includes a plurality of information tags and a plurality of communication devices, which can communicate with each of the information tags when the information tags are located in the proximity of the communication devices. Each information tag is attached to a food tray and contains information about the food tray and the food product contained therein. The information tags and the communication devices provide for tracking and updating the information about the food product contained in the food trays.

Success of a fast food restaurant depends on whether the restaurant operator can efficiently manage the food inventory and the processing thereof. Ideally, at any moment during the operation of a restaurant, the inventory levels of all food items in the restaurant at various stages of production (e.g., unprocessed, processed, uncooked, and cooked) should be known for efficient management of the food inventory. In most restaurants, however, the food inventory is typically checked or updated periodically. Excessive inventory checks can be labor intensive and costly. In contrast, too few inventory checks may disrupt the preparation and service of food to customers, because the updated inventory levels may not reflect the actual amounts of food available to be served.
Particularly applicable to fast food restaurants is the criterion that a customer should be served with food as soon as his order is taken. Ideally, if the rate at which a restaurant cooks a food product and the rate at which the food product is sold are equal, the restaurant will have fresh food on hand and ready to serve. In other words, for the ideal fast food restaurant operation, the operator must know how many food products will be sold in the future. Although historical sales data for a food product can be used to predict future rates of sale, the prediction is highly approximate and subject to numerous unpredictable events and variables that the historical data do not reflect. As a result, a restaurant operator must precook a certain number of food products and have the cooked products on hand for immediate service.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a system for managing the food inventory of a restaurant during various stages of food production, which may include storage of uncooked food, preparation and processing of uncooked food, cooking of the food, storing the cooked food, relocating the cooked food to various locations in the restaurant, and serving the cooked food to customers.

Smart tray system and method for restaurant inventory management


A method for determining a SiGe deposition condition so as to improve yield of a semiconductor structure. Fabrication of the semiconductor structure starts with a single-crystal silicon (Si) layer. Then, first and second shallow trench isolation (STI) regions are formed in the single-crystal Si layer. The STI regions sandwich and define a first single-crystal Si region. Next, silicon-germanium (SiGe) mixture is deposited on top of the structure in a SiGe deposition condition so as to grow (i) a second single-crystal silicon region grows up from the top surface of the first single-crystal silicon region and (ii) first and second polysilicon regions from the top surfaces of the first and second STI regions, respectively. By increasing SiGe deposition temperature and/or lowering precursor flow rate until the resulting yield is within a pre-specified range, a satisfactory SiGe deposition condition can be determined for mass production of the structure.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to silicon-germanium (SiGe) epitaxial (EPI) growth, and more particularly, to yield improvement in silicon-germanium epitaxial growth.
2. Related Art
A typical fabrication process to form an NPN device starts out with a single-crystal silicon layer on a wafer. Then, first and second shallow trench isolation (STI) regions are formed in the single-crystal silicon layer. The collector of the NPN device is to reside in a first single-crystal silicon region sandwiched between the first and second STI regions. Next, silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) are deposited on top surfaces of the single-crystal silicon region and the first and second STI regions. As a result of the SiGe deposition, a second single-crystal silicon region grows up from the top surface of the first single-crystal silicon region. Also as a result of the SiGe deposition, first and second polysilicon regions grow up from the top surfaces of the first and second STI regions, respectively. The emitter and base of the NPN device are to reside in the second single-crystal silicon region.
The first single-crystal silicon region and the first STI region have a first common interface surface. The first single-crystal silicon region and the second STI region have a second common interface surface. The top edges of the first and second common interface surfaces are where high material stress is present. This high material stress may result in cracks that propagate into the first and second single-crystal silicon regions causing electrical shorts between the collector and the emitter of the NPN device. This in turn decreases the yield for the NPN device.
Therefore, there is a need for a method for fabricating NPN devices having a relatively higher yield than is disclosed in the prior art.

Yield improvement in silicon-germanium epitaxial growth

International Business Machines Corporation


Provided is a factor analysis device capable of obtaining more useful knowledge relating to the degree of influence of pieces of data. A factor analysis device according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with: a classification unit for classifying a type of data into a first group or a second group; and an influence degree calculation unit for calculating, as the degree of influence on target data, the degree of influence of the data of the type classified into the second group on the data of the first group type.

As a technique for clarifying a relationship between a response variable and an explanatory variable and for specifying an explanatory variable having strong influence on a change in a value of the response variable, a statistical approach such as a regression analysis is widely used in quality management, system management, and the like in a manufacturing scene of an article.
For example, in a process of manufacturing an article, a statistical approach in which an observed value is acquired and analyzed for various items that can be observed by using a measuring instrument such as a sensor is used in order to specify a factor that has influence on quality of a manufactured product (PTLs 1 and 2). When it is considered that a plurality of items have influence on quality, a multivariate analysis is generally performed in which an item representing quality is set as a response variable and a plurality of items are set as explanatory variables. An analyzer is able to know a degree of influence that each explanatory variable has on a change in a value of a response variable (in other words, an influence degree of each explanatory variable), by calculating a contribution rate, a degree of association, and the like of respective explanatory variables through a multivariate analysis.
Incidentally, in a process such as a manufacturing process, an item having strong influence on an index such as quality and production efficiency may be an item that is already known as having strong influence, or may be an item a value of which is uncontrollable. Thus, it is important to obtain knowledge, regarding also an item other than an item having strong influence, of what kind of or how much influence the item has on the index.
However, in general, in a multivariate analysis approach, when an item having remarkably strong influence on a change in a value of a response variable is included in an explanatory variable, a contribution rate of the variable (a degree to which the explanatory variable determines the value of the response variable) is calculated to be large. As a result, a contribution rate of another explanatory variable is calculated to be relatively small, which may lead to determination that even an explanatory variable (effect factor) having strong influence on a value of a response variable is not an effect factor.
As described above, in a factor analysis, there may exist an effect factor that is difficult to find through an analysis performed by setting all items as explanatory variables. In regard to this problem, even when only an item having no remarkably strong influence on a change in a value of a response variable is used for an analysis, there is a possibility that a function as an analysis result does not sufficiently fit, or a possibility that a precise analysis cannot be performed, and thus an effect factor cannot be accurately specified.
PTLs 3 and 4 describe a technique of finding an explanatory variable that is an effect factor but is hidden by a large effect factor due to a low contribution rate. This technique performs a multiple regression analysis in which a multiple regression equation is calculated by using an explanatory variable that has a high contribution rate with respect to a response variable and in which a difference between a predicted value and a measured value of the response variable obtained by calculation is newly set as a response variable, by using a remaining explanatory variable as a new explanatory variable.
PTL 5 describes a technique of visualizing, regarding multiple items in a manufacturing process, a hierarchical relationship between the items by performing a multiple regression analysis between the items in consideration of measurement order or process order.

Factor analysis device, factor analysis method, and storage medium on which program is stored


Blowing agents of tetrazoles and their derivatives which have a melting point over 200.degree. C. and are used to manufacture the high quality foaming thermoplastic synthetic resin moldings, especially engineering or superengineering plastic moldings and said blowing agents generate no harmful gases and do not cause the deterioration of the thermoplastic synthetic resin moldings.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tetrazole blowing agents and their derivatives which are used to manufacture foamed thermoplastic resin moldings (hereinafter referred to as the cell structured artificial plastics) which have a high melting point and high softening point, i.e. the tetrazoles and their derivatives are the blowing agents to be used for the cell structured artificial plastics which have high quality and have no shrink and no warp and accordingly have various uses.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Formerly, as the blowing agents for the manufacture of foamed thermoplastic synthetic resins, liquid hydrocarbons or volatile hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, pentane and heptane or the blowing agents which are decomposed at low temperature such as diazo type blowing agents were used in the fixed molding process.

Blowing agents of the tetrazoles and their derivatives


The present invention provides a coated pesticidal agent and processes for its preparation. The present invention also provides a wettable powder pesticidal composition containing the coated pesticidal agent.

Certain pesticidal agents are inactivated by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Because those pesticidal agents are useful for the control of undesirable pests and are applied in areas where they will be exposed to ultraviolet radiation, there is a need for photostable compositions containing those agents.
To prevent ultraviolet inactivation of pesticidal agents, compositions have been prepared which contain ultraviolet absorbers and/or reflectors and a pesticidal agent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,203 describes a protected virus composition for insect control. The preferred composition includes a virus, an actinic light absorbing material and a polymeric binder material. The patent discloses that to bind the admixture of an actinic light absorbing material and a virus together with an ethylcellulose polymeric material, the admixture is combined with an ethylcellulose in toluene solution. The resultant mixture is agitated, treated with polybutadiene and poured into petroleum distillate which causes the ethylcellulose to solidify to yield very small particles of ethylcellulose polymeric material having substantially homogeneously enclosed within the particles the admixture of the actinic light absorbing material and the virus. The particles are then washed several times with additional petroleum distillate to completely remove residual amounts of the liquid polybutadiene material. Unfortunately, the process used to prepare the preferred compositions of U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,203 is not entirely satisfactory because it requires the use of toxic materials and numerous washing steps with flammable solvents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,586 discloses a microencapsulated insecticidal pathogen. Four microencapsulated compositions are shown to decrease the photoinactivation of Autographa californica NPV. However, the microencapsulated compositions only retained from 30.7 to 71.43% of the original activity before being exposed to sunlight. U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,586 discloses a method of preparing microencapsulated insecticidal pathogens which has numerous steps and is both time consuming and laborious. It is apparent that neither the process nor the microencapsulated insecticidal pathogens described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,586 are entirely satisfactory for protecting insecticidal pathogens from the effects of ultraviolet radiation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a coated pesticidal agent which retains a significant amount of its original activity after exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide simple, less arduous processes for the preparation of coated pesticidal agents which are more suitable for commercial manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wettable powder pesticidal composition containing a coated pesticidal agent.

Coated pesticidal agents, processes for their preparation and compositions containing them


An AC current source circuit converts a DC input voltage into an AC output current, and comprises a chopper circuit for converting a DC input voltage into a chopper voltage; and an inverter for converting the chopper voltage into an output AC current of a predetermined frequency. The inverter comprises at least four switch elements, and clamp-type snubber circuits corresponding to each of the switch elements are provided. The snubber circuit releases electric charges to the input terminal of the DC input voltage of the chopper circuit. The chopper circuit is connected to the inverter through a DC reactor. The DC input voltage is converted into a DC current by the chopper circuit and the DC reactor and transmitted to the inverter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an AC current source circuit for providing a high-frequency AC current for a capacitive load such as an ozone generator, and more specifically to an AC current source circuit for converting a DC input voltage into a DC current by a chopper circuit and a direct current (DC) reactor, and converting the DC current into an AC output current by a semiconductor current-fed inverter.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a conventional AC current source circuit. Described below are the configuration and operation of the circuit.
In FIG. 1, a 3-phase AC voltage generated by a 3-phase AC current power source 1 is converted into a DC current by a thyristor rectifier 2 and a direct current (DC) reactor (DCL) 3. The DC current is converted into an AC current of a rectangular waveform through a current-fed inverter (thyristor inverter) 4, and provided to a capacitive load 5, which is represented by a parallel circuit of a capacitor and a resistor.
In FIG. 1, a through f are thyristors which form a thyristor rectifier 2, and 6 through 9 are thyristors which form a current-fed (current-type) inverter 4. 10 through 13 are snubber circuits each of which is obtained by connecting a resistor and a capacitor in series. The snubber circuits 10 through 13 are connected to the thyristors 6 through 9 respectively in parallel.
For example, when the current flows through the thyristor rectifier 2, DCL 3, thyristor 6, capacitive load 5, thyristor 9, and back to the thyristor rectifier 2 in the polarity inverting operation for an output current by the current-fed inverter 4, if the thyristors 7 and 8 are turned on, the thyristors 6 through 9 all indicate conduction state because the load 5 is capacitive.
Thereafter, the thyristors 6 through 9 are turned off by the charged voltage of the capacitive load 5.
As a result, the current flows through the thyristor rectifier 2, DCL 3, thyristor 8, capacitive load 5, thyristor 7, and back to the thyristor rectifier 2, thereby inverting the polarity of the output current. A similar operation is performed in the opposite polarity inverting operation.
The snubber circuits 10 through 13 are connected to the thyristors 6 through 9 respectively in parallel in order to protect each of the thyristors 6 through 9 from the surge voltage generated when the thyristors 6 through 9 turn off.
The conventional device shown in FIG. 1 includes charge/discharge type RC snubber circuits, each of which comprises a series circuit of a resistor and a capacitor, as the snubber circuits 10 through 13 for protecting semiconductor elements for an inverter, that is, the thyristors 6 through 9.
When the resistance value of the resistor is Rs and the capacitance of the capacitor is Cs in each of the snubber circuits 10 through 13, the generation loss in each of the snubber circuits 10 through 13 is equal to or larger than Cs.times.Vop.sup.2 .times.f (Vop indicates a peak value of the output load voltage, and f indicates the output frequency).
Since this loss increases when the source circuit is used for a device which requires a high frequency or a high output load voltage, a large snubber circuit is required, which makes it difficult to make the entire system small, light in weight, with high efficiency, and less expensive.
Furthermore, since a DC current power source is prepared using the thyristor rectifier 2 which is switched at a frequency of the commercial power supply according to the conventional circuit shown in FIG. 1, a low-frequency ripple voltage on a cycle 6 times as long as the frequency for commercial power supply is applied to the DCL 3. Therefore, the DCL 3 has been required to have a large capacity.

AC current source circuit for converting DC voltage into AC current


A system for measuring optical detector linearity according to the present invention employs a laser source that illuminates an integrating sphere. The sphere randomizes the laser signal phase and produces a uniform intensity over the sphere output. A collimator expands the sphere output for entry into an interferometer, where the incident optical energy is amplitude modulated in a sinusoidal fashion by a linear mechanical mirror movement. Optical band filters eliminate significant harmonic content being present on a pre-detected optical signal. Sampling of the detected signal energy is performed synchronous to the mechanical mirror position to assure sinusoidal response. The sampled signals are processed to separately determine signal harmonic components attributed to detector non-linearity and multiple laser reflections within the system. The system utilizes at least two measurements at two different laser intensities. An optional third measurement of background radiance may be applied to the first two measurements to enhance accuracy.

1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to systems for measuring properties of optical detectors. In particular, the present invention pertains to a system for measuring optical detector linearity by identifying signal portions attributed to detector non-linearity based on a harmonic analysis of measurement signals detected by the detector.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Various instruments and devices employ optical detectors for operation. The characteristics of the detectors and associated electronics may adversely affect or distort results produced by the instruments or devices. Accordingly, the related art provides several techniques to measure detector characteristics, such as non-linearity. For example, a calibrated radiance target technique utilizes a black body radiator target and a change of target temperature. The photon flux emitted by the black body target is a function of temperature and allows a calculation of the photon energy striking an optical detector. Thus, changing the black body target temperature and measuring the detector response over the optical range of interest results in data that can be plotted and analyzed to determine non-linearity of response.
However, the calibrated radiance target technique suffers from several disadvantages. In particular, this technique is subject to substantial measurement errors due to black body targets reflecting optical radiance originating from the surrounding environment and the uncertainty in the black body target surface temperature. Further, the calibrated radiance target technique typically cannot be relied upon to perform non-linearity characterization to an accuracy better than 0.5% and requires expensive deep well cavity targets with precise temperature monitoring and a test set-up designed to limit environmentally induced errors. Moreover, this measurement technique cannot be performed fast enough to eliminate detector drift errors, while the target temperature is altered. In addition, the calibrated radiance target technique can only characterize linearity in a static DC sense and does not provide linearity characterization as a function of detector operating frequency.
A second method of performing non-linearity characterization involves a dual source progressive profiling technique. This technique uses two radiant sources illuminating an integrating sphere to measure non-linearity of an optical detector. One source or bulb is enabled and a measurement performed. The first bulb is disabled and the second source or bulb is enabled with bias adjusted on the second bulb to attain the same sensor or detector reading as the first bulb. Subsequently, both bulbs are enabled and the detector output should exactly double. This process of switching, comparing and doubling continues in a binary growth fashion until the entire range of interest is covered.
The dual source progressive technique suffers from several disadvantages. In particular, this technique incurs measurement errors due to the sources heating the integrating sphere and altering sphere characteristics. Thus, the dual source progressive technique requires the integrating sphere temperature to be well stabilized. Further, the technique is not fast enough to eliminate detector drift errors in response to the source targets changing temperature and does not perform well at IR wavelengths due to the uncertainty of the integrating sphere background radiance. Moreover, this technique can only characterize non-linearity in a static DC sense and does not provide characterization as a function of detector operating frequency.
A third method representative of the related art uses a harmonic analysis technique combined with an electrically modulated light emitting diode (LED) for measuring non-linearity of an optical detector. The bias current to an LED optical source is modulated in a sinusoidal fashion. The detected optical signal is processed through a spectrum analyzer to detect harmonics generated by the optical detector. The magnitude of each detector generated harmonic allows an assessment of non-linearity.
The LED harmonic analysis technique suffers from several disadvantages. In particular, this technique has limited performance capability due to non-linearity of the modulated optical source which is often greater than the detector undergoing characterization. Further, the LED harmonic analysis technique has a poor signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio to resolve harmonics due to the broadband emission of LED emitters.
A fourth method similar to the modulated LED technique uses harmonic analysis combined with an electrically modulated laser optical source for measuring non-linearity. A laser diode with sinusoidally modulated bias current serves as the optical source. The detected optical signal is processed through a spectrum analyzer to detect harmonics generated by the optical detector. The magnitude of each detector generated harmonic allows an assessment of non-linearity.
The laser harmonic analysis technique suffers from several disadvantages. In particular, this technique has limited performance capability due to non-linearity of the electrically modulated optical source which is often greater than the detector undergoing characterization. Further, the laser diode can only be successfully modulated over a small fraction of its output range, thereby introducing an unwanted optical bias for detector non-linearity characterization and a much reduced signal-to-noise ratio for making the characterization.
The present invention provides several advantages. The present invention employs harmonic analysis of a detected and sampled optical signal in combination with an opto-mechanical modulator of laser energy. The opto-mechanical modulator of laser energy combines with an optical filter to produce a harmonic-free sinusoidally modulated laser source for testing a detector. The opto-mechanical modulator further uses a metrology laser to measure movement of the opto-mechanical mechanism that produces the modulation. The detected optical signal is sampled synchronous to the modulator metrology laser, thereby assuring perfect sinusoidal modulation sampling regardless of the exact speed of the mechanical mirror movement of the modulator. The precision of the sinusoidally modulated optical source significantly exceeds that of the harmonic analyses described above, thereby enabling non-linearity measurements with enhanced accuracies (e.g., 0.01% or better).
The complete non-linearity measurement can be conducted by the present invention in a short time interval (e.g., a small fraction of one second), thereby eliminating measurement drift errors associated with the calibrated radiance target and dual source progressive techniques described above. Since the optical source is modulated at a specific sinusoidal frequency, all errors due to background radiance variation in the calibrated radiance target and dual source progressive techniques described above are also eliminated. The opto-mechanical modulator can be used to change modulation frequency allowing characterization over the detector frequency range which cannot be accomplished by calibrated radiance target and dual source progressive techniques described above.
The present invention employs a monochromatic laser diode rather than a broadband optical source as described above for the LED harmonic analysis technique. This allows a higher S/N ratio in the harmonic analysis and a characterization over a dynamic range one-hundred times greater than the calibrated radiance target, dual source progressive and LED harmonic analysis techniques described above. The use of a monochromatic laser diode further enables the spectrum analysis to differentiate between unmodulated photon flux and several sources of unmodulated background photon flux that lead to errors in the calibrated radiance target, dual source progressive and LED harmonic analysis techniques described above.
The present invention employs an opto-mechanical modulator with sampling synchronous to the modulator mirror movement, thereby providing enhanced performance and modulation over a wider portion of the source range relative to the laser harmonic analysis technique described above. Further, the present invention can produce a wider combination of modulated and unmodulated photon flux test combinations for testing dynamic non-linearity under various static optical flux biases which are not attainable by the calibrated radiance target and dual source progressive techniques described above.
The present invention may be applied to perform precision non-linearity characterization on scientific remote sensing instruments for climate and weather monitoring. However, the present invention may be applied on a broad scope, especially to those applications pertaining to establishing scientific standards for detector linearity and optical test equipment for UV, visible and IR detector characterization. The present invention can improve the accuracy of scientific instruments that must accurately measure incident photon flux.

Method and apparatus for measurement of optical detector linearity


An image pickup device such as CCD of a camera is substituted for a photo detector of infrared light emitted from an infrared remote control unit. When infrared light is detected based on an image signal output from the image pickup device, a transmitting position of infrared light in the object is detected. The camera executes such operations that transmitting positions detected are set as a focus detecting range in focus control, an exposure detecting range in exposure control, and a color evaluation range in white balance control.

Heretofore, in a camera apparatus by which a picture image of an object picked up by a COD (Charge Coupled Device) is recorded in a recording medium as picture image data, the CCD has been substituted for a photo detector of an infrared remote control unit for infrared light by utilizing such fact that an image pickup device such as CCD can detect infrared light emitted from the infrared remote control unit (see paragraphs [0011] to [0013] in Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 6-22194). The apparatus involves such an advantage that a light-receiving unit for an infrared remote control unit to be equipped on a main body of the apparatus may be eliminated.
However, in the above-described camera apparatus, the remote control unit makes merely the camera apparatus to perform a predetermined operation on the basis of presence of detected infrared light in the CCD, so that the camera apparatus does not enhance user's usability thereof though an elimination of a photo detector is possible.

Camera apparatus that is controllable by an optical signal picked up in an image by the camera apparatus, and a method for operating the same


A transparent carton of long thin shape for wiper blades, including an integral hinge connecting a cover section to a bottom section along its entire length, interfitting flanges on the bottom and cover sections which, when engaged to close the package, provide an interlocked full length closure which can readily be opened and reclosed. The cover section also includes a plurality of small shelves in its interior, adjacent its main panel, to retain a display card. One of the main panels of one of the carton sections may incorporate suitable measurement scales. One end of the carton also may include a hanger means for hanging the packaged wiper blades on pegs of a display rack.

The invention relates to packages for windshield wiper blades and rubber refills for such blades, and particularly to a clamshell-like package member of transparent material.
A number of factors enter into the long and relatively thin packaging for windshield wiper blades. To conserve space, the package configuration generally follows the outline of the product, resulting in a cross-section of minimal height, a width of four to six times the height, and a considerable length. By way of example, the cross-section may be one-half to three-quarters of an inch high or thick, by one and one-half to three inches in width. Lengths may vary from fourteen to more than twenty inches.
Original equipment wiper blades are packaged (often in large multiples) for protection and convenience, e.g. the blades might be arranged in rows and layers in a box, separated by protective packing. However, the after-market for replacement wiper blades requires display and instruction features in individual packages, to attract and assist the less skilled and less informed vehicle owners. As a result, it has become customary to utilize wiper blade packages with transparent protective features, with some means to hang the long narrow packages on display racks, and/or stacked on shelves, with a printed card or the like having printed instructions as well as decoration and/or illustration. This type of package is, generally, a modified form of blister pack. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,896 issued Jan. 10, 1995.
Another factor is the need to package one or more adapters to facilitate connecting the pivot part of the wiper blade's primary lever to different end configurations of wiper arms. If the package cannot contain these adapters, they may have to be incorporated in small bags attached to a card which also functions as the main carrier of the packages, but does not surround and protect the wiper blade. This factor also applies to small optional accessory packages which the manufacturer may want to include.
The influence of these factors has in recent years led to packages which use a transparent plastic flattened tube-like carton as a major element of the package. In many instances such packages are, unfortunately, often damaged or destroyed during original opening and cannot be re-closed if desired.

Reclosable transparent wiper blade package


An angle adjusting device of a steel bar bending apparatus includes at least an adjusting unit, having a casing inside which a worm and worm gear pair is disposed. The worm is rotatably fit over a shaft which is in turn rotatably supported within the casing. The shaft is driven by a driving motor of the steel bar bending apparatus. The worm is fixed on a spindle having an end extending outside the casing to which a rotation knob is releasably fixed for rotating the worm about a central axis of the shaft. A switch is attached to the worm so that the angular position thereof about the central axis is adjustable by rotating the knob. A triggering member is fixed on the shaft so that when the shaft is driven by the motor to reach and thus trigger the switch, the motor is turned off by the operation of the switch. The casing is provided with a top projection and a corresponding bottom recess for receiving and fixing the top projection of a second unit for stacking the units over each other. The shaft is provided with an upper end projection and a lower end recess for drivingly coupling the shafts of the units together.

Steel bar bending apparatus is commonly used in a construction site for bending steel bars in constructing a structure or a building. The general structure of the common steel bar bending apparatus comprises a fixed roller and a movable roller to provide a rolling contact with a steel bar to be bent and a fulcrum block adjacent the fixed roller, but having a space therebetween to allow the steel bar to extend therethrough. The movable roller is driven to bend one end of the steel bar about and fulcrum block, while the fixed roller serves to hold the opposite end of the steel bar. The movement of the movable roller is substantially circular with the center at the fulcrum block.
An early day steel bar bending apparatus may only perform bending operation of a predetermined angle and no adjustment of the bending angle is readily available. A later developed steel bending apparatus overcomes such a problem and allows a multiple angle bending operation. However, there is still a limitation on the number of the angles that may be achieved by the apparatus.
Furthermore, conventionally, the steel bar bending apparatus that provides a multiple angle adjustment is usually controlled by an IC-based controller which may easily malfunction, due to the severe environment of a construction site, causing incorrect angle of bending.
To overcome such a problem, a steel bar bending apparatus which comprises several bending units combined together to provide a multiple angle adjustment was taught. Such an apparatus, although being controlled in a mechanical way rather than an IC-based fashion, requires a large installation space and the combination of the bending units is quite time-consuming and difficult. In addition, the design of such an apparatus is an open style, in which the transmission and control elements, such as gear, worm, worm gear, are exposed to the severe environment of the construction site so that corrosion and aging problem may quick raise and thus causing imprecision of angle in bending a steel bar.
Such a steel bar bending apparatus also have other drawbacks, for example (1) it does not allow an arbitrary addition of bending units in forming different angle bends on the same steel bar, (2) the open style design makes it lack of an aesthetic appearance and (3) it has a poor fine adjustment of the bending angle.
Thus, it is desired to have an improved bending device to be incorporated in a steel bar bending apparatus which allows simple and ready combination of an arbitrary number of bending units to perform a multiple bending angle settings in an efficient and precision manner to as to substantially overcome the problems and drawbacks encountered in the prior art designs.

Angle adjusting device of steel bar bending apparatus


The present invention provides system and method for tracking and analyzing golf shot, the method comprising: turning on a light source; a capturing a pair of images of the golf shot using a pair of stereo cameras having a same focal length and triggered by single signal; a analyzing a disparity between the pair of images; a producing a disparity map, a three dimension simulation, and a first motion analysis data; a capturing an image of the golf shot from before to after contact between a golf club and a golf ball using a single camera; a analyzing image sequences captured by the single camera; a producing a second motion analysis data including at least one of ball spinning, club face angle, and swing, and displaying the three dimension simulation, the image sequence, and the first and the second motion analysis data.

As golf is becoming popular sport, there is an on-going interest in simple and effective ways to training and practicing golf shots for players. It is desirable for players to learn and analyze various variables of the game and train themselves to have muscle memory for the best results.
In general, golf simulation systems provide some elements of realism by using projected images from a player view after a shot has been played. However, these kinds of golf simulation systems do not provide detailed information which can affect the golf shot; thus, players lose opportunities to correct posture errors, and it is hard to sharpen their skills in the right ways.
In particular, most of ordinary systems provide simple trajectories of the golf ball after hitting even though the result of golf shot is affected by positions and directions of the club from before to after contact.

System and method for tracking and analyzing golf shot


An optical apparatus with a distance-to-height ratio, DHR, greater than 2, operable to emit light with a homogenized radiance distribution, the apparatus comprising a plurality of light sources, arranged in an array, a diffusor device at an exit surface of the apparatus, a transparent substrate, arranged between the plurality of light sources and the exit surface, the substrate comprising a plurality of freeform, FF, optical structures wherein the freeform structures are arranged on a bottom side of the transparent substrate facing the light sources.

Direct-lit luminaire systems are luminaire systems where the light of one or more light sources, arranged in an array, are directly illuminating an exit surface and/or diffusor device where the light is escaping the luminaire. Suchlike systems have applications in different fields e.g. as backlight units for liquid crystal displays (LCDs) or in general and architectural lighting. A key parameter in such systems is the ratio between the height of the luminaire (distance between the LEDs and the exit surface) and the distance between the different LEDs. This ratio is defined as the DHR value and determines either the minimal height of the luminaire for a fixed array of LEDs or the number of LEDs needed for a given maximal height of the luminaire.
For these applications it is important that the light emitted by the exit surface has a homogenized radiance distribution (watts per solid angle and per unit area). This means that both the intensity is distributed homogenously over the whole surface or diffusor device (=homogenized irradiance distribution) and that the intensity emitted by the surface into the hemisphere is homogenous (=homogenized radiant intensity distribution). Usually in suchlike systems, the homogenization of the irradiance distribution at the diffusor device is reached by choosing an adequate distance between the light sources and the diffusor device in dependence of the distance between the different LEDs.
Without using any additional optical elements in direct lit luminaire systems a DHR value of 1 is hardly achievable. An increase of DHR value is highly desirable because it allows to further reduce the thickness of LCDs and of luminaire systems.
By using an array of individual freeform (FF) optical elements, the DHR value can be significantly increased and the thickness of lit luminaire systems can be significantly decreased. The FF elements have to fulfill two major conditions: First, they have to redistribute the light emitted by the LEDs in a way that a homogenous irradiance distribution within a predefined form is created at the diffusor device and second, to widen the radiant intensity emitted by the LEDs to reach the high DHR values.
The publication "C. Leiner, W. Nemitz, S. Schweitzer, F.-P. Wenzl, C. Sommer, Smart freeform optics solution for an extremely thin direct-lit backlight application, Proc. of SPIE 9889, 988911, (2016)" discloses a general freeform design procedure for calculating FF curves, a simple transformation algorithm to restrict the FF curves to a maximal height and a segmentation algorithm to transform the calculated FF curves into segmented FF structures with circular, square or hexagonal shaped homogeneous irradiance distributions on a diffusor device.
In this publication the use of flat FF micro optical structures with a structure height less than 200 μm for this kind of application is restricted to DHR values lower than 2, because the minimal structure height of these FF structures is restricted by the height of the FF curve parts with positive gradients. The transformation algorithm to restrict the FF curve to a maximal height can only be applied to FF curves which do not surpass the given maximal height, i.e. to curves with negative gradients only, because an intersection of a positive gradient leads to a strong inhomogeneity of the irradiance distribution.
Particularly in the case of FF curves for applications with a high DHR values, the intensity of the radiant intensity distribution of the light source has to be refracted into higher angles to reach a homogenized irradiance distribution on the diffusor device. The propagation angle for the major part of the rays has to be increased by the refraction on the FF surface. Therefore, it is highly likely that at the intersection points, the propagation angle of the refracted propagation angle ⊖Q of refracted rays of the FF-structure is lower than the resulting gradient of the artificial intersection lines and therefore hitting the intersection lines of the FF-structure when using the publicized simple transformation algorithm to restrict the FF curves to a maximal height. This will lead to serious inhomogeneities in the irradiance distribution on the exit surface or diffusor device of the direct-lit luminaire.
The FF curves computed with the FF algorithm are transformed by a rotation about the Y axis into a 3-dimensional FF structures. When rotating 360 degree, the generated optical structures can only create circular irradiance distributions. For the generation of FF structures with non-circular irradiance distributions, the area of the target distribution is divided into individual segments, with separate FF curves being calculated for each segment. A critical parameter is the captured angular range of the individual segments of the FF structures because light which is not captured by the FF structures causes inhomogeneities in the irradiance distribution on the exit surface of the direct-lit luminaire.
The objective of the present invention is to provide an improved method and an improved apparatus mitigating these problems.

Freeform optical structures for direct-lit applications

Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH


A control circuit of a power converter is provided. The control circuit comprises a PWM circuit, a sample circuit, and emulation circuit. The PWM circuit generates a switching signal for switching an inductor and generating a switching current of the inductor in response to a current feedback signal. The sample circuit is coupled to sample a switching current signal into a capacitor during an on time of the switching signal. The emulation circuit generates a discharge current couple to discharge the capacitor during an off time of the switching signal for generating the current feedback signal. The switching current signal is correlated to the switching current of the inductor, and the discharge current is generated in response to an input voltage of the inductor, an output voltage of the power converter, and the on time of the switching signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switching current synthesis circuit, and more particularly to a switching current synthesis circuit for a power converter operating in a continuous current mode (CCM) and a discontinuous current mode (DCM).
2. Description of the Related Art
A power factor correction (PFC) power converter is a good example for illustrating the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a prior art of a PFC power converter. It includes a resistor 31 coupled to sense a switching current IL of an inductor 20. The resistor 31 is coupled in the charging and discharging path of the inductor 20. The current flowing through the resistor 31 is an average value of the switching current IL. Therefore, the circuit scheme shown in the FIG. 1 is called as "average-current control". The drawback of the average-current control scheme has higher power consumption in the resistor 31. Furthermore, it cannot be applied to the parallel topologies for high efficiency power conversion, such as the solution shown in the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,626,372 titled "Control circuit for multi-phase, multi-channels PFC power converter with variable switching frequency" and U.S. Pat. No. 7,944,721 titled "Switching control circuit for multi-channels and multi-phases power converter operated at continuous current mode".

Switching current synthesis circuit for power converter


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for user interaction with machine translation. A user interface for receiving requests to translate text and/or documents from a first language text to a second language text. The translated text and/or document is displayed such that the first language text corresponding to a selected portion of the second language text can be accessed and displayed in the same user interface.

This specification relates generally to information systems.
Users seeking to translate text or speech from one language into another often accomplish this through the use of machine translation systems. Like translation done by humans, machine translation does not simply involve substituting words in one language for words in another, but the application of complex linguistic knowledge.
Accurate translation requires an understanding of the text, which includes an understanding of the situation and a variety of facts. Grammatical rules can be memorized or programmed, but without real knowledge of a language, a computer simply looks up words in a dictionary and has no way to select between alternate meanings. Sometimes a name will be misinterpreted as a word or the wrong sense will be chosen for a word that can be used in multiple senses. To provide users an understanding of how text was translated, user interfaces to machine translation services often provide a way to view the untranslated text with the translated text so users can refer back to the original text. Typically, this is accomplished by interleaving the original text and translated text, providing the translated text in a separate window or frame.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Displaying original text in a user interface with translated text


An actuator device operable to retract the cam elements of a spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) used in the sport of rock climbing. The actuator includes a remote finger and a remote thumb. The remote finger is mounted in a handle to permit translation of the remote finger along an axis, and rotation of the remote finger about that axis. In use, the remote finger can be rotated to present a narrow profile to pass between the trigger bar of a SLCD and a wall of a crack. Subsequent to its insertion behind the trigger bar, the remote finger can be rotated by about 90 degrees to capture the trigger bar. Then, the remote finger and remote thumb can be urged toward each other, effective to squeeze the SLCD and rotate its cam elements, to effect removal of the SLCD from the confines of the crack.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to equipment used in the sport of rock climbing. It is particularly directed to spring loaded camming devices used in such rock climbing, and provides an enhanced cam actuating mechanism.
2. State of the Art
Spring loaded camming devices (SLCDs), or commonly "cams", are advantageously used in the sport of rock free-climbing as a source of leader protection for cracks having substantially parallel sides. In a typical climbing scenario, SLCDs are temporarily placed by a leading climber into cracks as protection, and clipped to a rope attached to the leading climber, as the leading climber advances up a rock face. A following climber generally "cleans", or removes such protection from the crack.
At times, SLCDs placed into cracks may "walk" under the action of friction from the rope as a climber is climbing. In such circumstance, the camming device may move deeper into the crack from the initial placement location. It is not uncommon for a SLCD to walk, from an original placement location, deeper into a crack until its trigger is contained inside the crack.
It is possible for a walking SLCD to work its way (or even to be placed by the leading climber), sufficiently deep inside a crack that a following climber may be unable to retrieve it with his/her hand. Two situations commonly arise which create cam retrieval difficulty: either the cleaning climber's hand/fingers cannot engage the trigger due to crack constriction, or the camming device is too deep for the climber to reach. Sometimes, the crack is simply too narrow to admit passage of the follower's fingers to a sufficient depth. In a crack that is slightly less narrow, the follower's fingers still may not have sufficient room to pass between the trigger of the SLCD and a wall of the crack. If the climber's fingers cannot get a purchase on the SLCD's trigger, the SLCD can be very difficult to remove from the crack.
A dedicated cam actuating and retrieving device has been commercially available under the name "Friend of a friend", and is indicated generally at 100 in FIG. 1. This device 100 has an actuator arranged somewhat similar to a syringe, and has a fixed length of perhaps about 8-10 inches in its stowed (compact) position. The "fingers" 102 are formed from the tubular metal body 104, and are therefore fixed in position to cooperate with the "thumb" 106. Such fixed fingers 102 cannot be placed into retracting engagement on a trigger of an SLCD that is in a narrow crack (e.g. a crack that is about ⅜ to ⅝ inches in width, or so), because the fingers 102 have a fixed height "H", which cannot be inserted into the crack to pass between the SLCD's trigger and a wall of the crack.
Nut cleaning tools are also sometimes used as an aid to retrieve cams which are unreachable by hand. A representative nut cleaning tool is indicated generally at 110 in FIG. 2. Such nut cleaning tools 110 may be formed from steel sheet metal of about 10 gage, or so. Nut cleaning tools generally have a hook 112 which may be used to snag a SLCD's trigger. However, it can be difficult to coordinate pulling on the nut tool while simultaneously pushing on the stem of the SLCD to cause the individual cam lobes to rotate. Furthermore, the hook 112 typically engages the trigger of the stuck SLCD effective only to actuate a single cam element, or perhaps a pair of cam elements. Therefore, the remaining (and unretracted), cam elements of the SLCD can resist removal of the SLCD from the crack.
A need exists for a tool to assist in retrieving cams which become wedged too deep in a crack for a climber to remove either by hand or with the assistance of a commercially available device. It would be an advance to provide a cam actuating tool capable of actuating a cam in even a very narrow crack. It would be a further advancement if such tool provided the ability to place and remove a cam at an extended distance compared with available devices.