A communication system using the DVB-S2 standard, and its associated frame structure, comprises at least two users Ui, characterized in that the super-frame ST1 associated with the first user U1 is composed of at least one frame T1 each composed of at least one header, of a data part, the said super-frame ST1 comprising a number d1 of “dummy” variable size frames consisting of s1 slots, the super-frame ST2 associated with the second user U2 is composed of one or more frames T2 each composed of at least one header, of a data part, the said super-frame ST2 comprising a number d2 of “dummy” variable size frames consisting of s2 slots, the system comprises a module NCC adapted for determining the number d1 and the number d2 of dummies to be introduced so that the temporal duration of ST2 is equal to the temporal duration of ST1.

Frequency resources are relatively rare and expensive. The deployment of a network consists, inter alia, in calculating as well as possible the bandwidth necessary for each emitter. In operational mode, when an emitter or user does not need their resources, it is opportune that they can lend them to another one that does not have enough resources of its own to transmit all its data. The bitrate peaks of one emitter will thus be absorbed by the bitrate troughs of another.
The DVB-S2 standard has been developed for very-high-bitrate civil applications, for example for television. Once configured, a DVB-S2 carrier operates with a fixed symbol timing, that is to say a fixed bandwidth. The only possible adaptation known to date is to change frame-by-frame the modulation coding pair (MODCOD), this offering the advantage of resisting changes of propagation conditions having a dynamic swing of 15 dB. This adaptive coding & modulation mode is intrinsic to the standard but requires a return channel to inform the DVB-S2 emitter of the propagation conditions seen by the receiver. The MODCOD may differ from one frame to another, and therefore the spectral effectiveness also. In DVB-S2, a normal frame always transports 64800 bits, independently of the MODCOD used. It follows from this that a DVB-S2 frame does not have a number of fixed symbols and therefore a fixed duration. Table 1 gives for the so-called "normal" DVB-S2 frames, the number of symbols according to the modulation and the presence or otherwise of pilot symbols.
PilotlessWith PilotQPSK32490332828 PSK216902219416 APSK1629016686
The frames having different durations, it is not currently conceivable to temporally synchronize two DVB-S2 carriers. It is thus not possible to define a frequency plan which demands synchronization of the frames. FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the distribution over time of the frequencies for several terminals. Thus, the user terminal 1 has a user band B1, the user terminal 2 has a frequency band B2. Each terminal has a pre-allocated band valid for the time of its mission.
The dynamic bitrate adaptation mechanism, known by the abbreviation DRA, may not be deployed in this case, it is therefore not possible for a DVB-S2 network to share its resources.
A solution for remedying this problem could be to constrain all the carriers to a single modulation/pilot pair, for example a pilotless phase shift keying modulation or QPSK (Quadrature phase-shift keying), but the benefit is greatly limited.
The current absence of synchronism in the known systems and methods also prevents the encryption of the DVB-S2 stream with implicit marker or Transec, the techniques of TRANSEC DVB-S2 requiring the transmission of the marker in clear, this being a flaw at the security level.
A need therefore exists to have a system and a method making it possible to obtain dynamic exchange of frequency resources in a system using the DVB-S2 standard, and in fact to have a frame with a suitably adapted structure.
In the subsequent description, the following expressions will be used:                "dummy" frame for mute frame, used when there is no information or data to be transmitted, and "dummy slots" for mute timeslots,        Super-frame ST, consisting of several DVB-S2 frames for a user, the frames optionally being separated by "dummy" frames, a super-frame constitutes the base entity for which all the DVB-S2 frames of a user Uk have the same MODCOD,        Jumbo-frame JT consisting of several super-frames, a jumbo-frame constitutes the temporal entity for which all the DVB-S2 frames of a user Uk have the same symbol bitrate,        the word "slot" defines a timeslot,        PSK corresponds to a modulation by change of phase or Phase-Shift Keying, QPSK with 4 PSK, APSK a modulation by change of amplitude or of phase or Amplitude Phase-Shift Keying.
The expression "frame structure of fixed duration" corresponds to a frame structure which exhibits one and the same duration for several users.

Method and system for synchronization for DVB-S2 frame and its associated frame structure


The present invention relates to a method and means to produce chromatography media having improved pressure-flow properties. More closely, the invention relates to bimodal particle size distribution and the use of layer functionalization as means to change pressure-flow properties of chromatography media. The invention relates to a method for production of chromatography media having improved pressure-flow properties, comprising mixing large beads/particles, comprising an inner core and an outer functionalized shell/lid, with smaller beads/particles, wherein the ratio of the particle size of large and small beads: [D50V for large particles/D50V for small particles]>1.2, and wherein the volume ratio of large and small beads in the column: [Total volume of large beads/Total volume beads] is in the range 0.05-0.9.

The particle size and the rigidity of a chromatography media having the wanted binding capacity and efficiency does in some cases not allow high enough flow rates to be used in standard columns within their pressure specification. That may be the fact even for very rigid beads. It is well known that the pressure drop over packed beads decrease with increase in particle size. However, a change to media with larger size beads in order to reduce back pressures will result in lower resolution and lower dynamic binding capacities. Thus there is still a need in this field of alternative packed beads to reduce back pressures without sacrificing the chromatographic performance.

Method for production of chromatography media


A permanent magnet rotor has a rotor core positioned about a rotation shaft. The permanent magnet rotor also has permanent magnet embedment slots located at equally spaced positions from the rotation shaft, with permanent magnets inserted into each of the respective permanent magnet embedment slots. The permanent magnet embedment slots each have both a magnet storing portion, and a buffer and other members storing portion which extends to the magnet storing portion. Once a permanent magnet is stored inside the magnet storing portion, a buffer member, and a pushing member are used to secure the permanent magnet inside the rotor core.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a permanent magnet rotor (hereinafter, referred to also simply as the rotor) formed by inserting a permanent magnet (hereinafter, referred to also simply as the magnet) into a rotor of an electric motor.
2. Background Art
To obtain a permanent magnet rotor by inserting a permanent magnet into an internal slot of an electric motor rotor and fixing the magnet therein, an adhesive, such as epoxy resin, may be applied between the internal slot and the magnet and cured to fix the magnet. However, this method requires a thermal curing process to cure the adhesive and admits of improvement in terms of mass-production. As an alternative, there is proposed a method that eliminates the need of a complex process by providing a groove in an inner peripheral portion of the internal slot and inserting a magnet fixing metal split pin into the groove after a permanent magnet is inserted into the slot. An example is described in Patent Document 1.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-5-83892
The structure of Patent Document 1, however, may damage the magnet because the metal split pin hits against the magnet when the magnet and the split pin vibrate due to resonance. Because the electric motor incorporated into an automobile, in particular, undergoes vibrations of the vehicle and the engine, it is preferable to reduce vibrations of the magnet. Vibrations may be reduced by inserting a buffer member, such as rubber, instead of the metal split pin. Strong friction of the rubber, however, makes it difficult to press-fit the rubber into the slot. This alternative therefore requires an arrangement to insert the rubber while letting the rubber undergo elastic deformation by applying an external force to the rubber and has a problem that the process becomes complex.


A method of manufacturing a personalized radio frequency (RF) coil array for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging guided interventions includes: acquiring diagnostic image data reflecting the anatomy of a portion of a patient's body; planning an intervention on the basis of the diagnostic image data, wherein a field of the intervention within the patient's body portion is determined; and arranging one or more RF coils on a substrate which is adapted to the patient's anatomy, in such a manner that the signal-to-noise ratio of MR signal acquisition via the one or more RF coils from the field of the intervention is optimized.

According to the MR method in general, the body of the patient to be examined is arranged in a strong, uniform magnetic field whose direction at the same time defines an axis (normally the z-axis) of the co-ordinate system on which the measurement is based. The magnetic field produces different energy levels for the individual nuclear spins in dependence on the magnetic field strength which can be excited (spin resonance) by application of an electromagnetic alternating field (RF field) of defined frequency (so-called Larmor frequency, or MR frequency). From a macroscopic point of view, the distribution of the individual nuclear spins produces an overall magnetization which can be deflected out of the state of equilibrium by application of an electromagnetic pulse of appropriate frequency (RF pulse) while the magnetic field of the RF pulse extends perpendicular to the z-axis, so that the magnetization performs a precession about the z-axis. This motion of the magnetization describes a surface of a cone whose angle of aperture is referred to as flip angle. The magnitude of the flip angle is dependent on the strength and the duration of the applied electromagnetic pulse. In the case of a so-called 90° pulse, the spins are deflected from the z axis to the transverse plane (flip angle 90°). The RF pulse is radiated toward the body of the patient via a RF coil arrangement of the MR device. The RF coil arrangement typically surrounds the examination volume in which the body of the patient is placed.
After termination of the RF pulse, the magnetization relaxes back to the original state of equilibrium, in which the magnetization in the z direction is built up again with a first time constant T1 (spin lattice or longitudinal relaxation time), and the magnetization in the direction perpendicular to the z direction relaxes with a second time constant T2 (spin-spin or transverse relaxation time). The variation of the magnetization can be detected by means of receiving RF coils which are arranged and oriented within the examination volume of the MR device in such a manner that the variation of the magnetization is measured in the direction perpendicular to the z-axis. The decay of the transverse magnetization is accompanied, after application of, for example, a 90° pulse, by a transition of the nuclear spins (induced by local magnetic field inhomogeneities) from an ordered state with the same phase to a state in which all phase angles are uniformly distributed (dephasing). The dephasing can be compensated by means of a refocusing pulse (for example a 180° pulse). This produces an echo signal (spin echo) in the receiving coils.
In order to realize spatial resolution in the body, linear magnetic field gradients extending along the three main axes are superposed on the uniform magnetic field, leading to a linear spatial dependency of the spin resonance frequency. The signal picked up in the receiving coils then contains components of different frequencies which can be associated with different locations in the body. The signal data obtained via the receiving coils corresponds to the spatial frequency domain and is called k-space data. The k-space data usually includes multiple lines acquired with different phase encoding. Each line is digitized by collecting a number of samples. A set of k-space data is converted to a MR image by means of Fourier transformation or other suitable algorithms.
The lack of harmful effects on the examined patient and the operator make MR imaging well-suited for "interventional radiology", wherein the acquired and reconstructed MR images are used to guide invasive procedures. The general goal of imaged guidance is to apply imaged-based information to the processes of diagnosis and therapy. Known MR imaging-guided therapy systems use pre-operatively acquired MR images to create anatomic models, which provide localization, targeting, and visualization of the 3D anatomy. These models support pre-operative planning to define and optimize access strategies and to simulate planned interventions. These models connect image coordinates with the actual position defined by an instrument's location in the surgical field. Thus, they enable a surgeon to navigate and execute procedures with full knowledge of the surrounding anatomy.
In a plurality of practical applications, shifts and deformations of soft tissues occur during surgery because of mechanical factors, physiological motion, swelling, or hemorrhage. These changes may displace organs or their tissue components to such a degree that pre-operatively acquired MR imaging-based 3D models cannot be registered with the patient's actual anatomy. In this situation the ultimate solution for accurate MR imaging-guided surgery is real-time intra-operative MR imaging or at least frequent updating of the volumetric MR images during interventional procedures. This results in methods that can continuously detect changes of the position of various tissue components and locate the targets of the interventions and their environments in order to define trajectories to the lesion to be treated. Hence, the justification of intra-operative MR imaging is the change in anatomy during surgeries or the change of tissue integrity during therapy. The goal is to allow MR imaging-guided therapy to make full use of the anatomic and functional information accessible by current MR imaging methods. By providing the physician with current MR image information, safety and efficiency of surgical or interventional procedures is significantly improved.
A problem is that it is difficult in a surgical setting to optimally place the RF coils required for MR signal acquisition around the respective body portion in such a fashion that (i) a good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is obtained and (ii) a good access to the interventional field is assured for the physician.

Method of producing personalized RF coil array for MR imaging guided interventions


A common interface controller and a method of descrambling channels of first and second transport streams using a conditional access module for descrambling channels of a transport stream as identified by respective PIDs wherein an intermediate data stream is provided by time multiplexing at least a part of the first transport stream with at least a part of the second transport stream, the part of the first transport stream including a first channel and the part of the second transport stream including a second channel, and wherein the original value of a PID identifying the second channel is changed to an intermediate value not used by any PID of any respective channel in said at least a part of the first transport stream such that the intermediate data stream forms an intermediate transport stream for processing by the conditional access module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a common interface controller, in particular for use in a digital television device such as a receiver, and a method of descrambling transport stream channels, in particular descrambling channels of first and second transport streams using a conditional access module.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide a digital television receiver having a connector for an external conditional access module allowing the conditional access module to be selectively attached and detached. This allows a consumer to purchase a digital receiver which is not tied to a particular service provider and then to attach a conditional access module as appropriate.
Digital television receivers are provided with a tuner to obtain the transport stream in which a desired channel is found. An example of a channel is a television programme, such as BBC 1, possibly together with its associated teletext or such like. The transport stream is then passed to the conditional access module so as to allow the desired channel to be descrambled.
It is also possible to provide a digital television receiver with two or more tuners for obtaining respective transport streams. This allows more than one channel to be used simultaneously, for instance allowing the recording of one channel whilst watching another or providing picture-in-picture display. Although many conditional access modules are capable of descrambling more than one channel simultaneously, these conditional access modules generally process only one transport stream. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that both desired channels will occur in the same transport stream. Therefore, to ensure the possibility of descrambling two channels, it is necessary to provide a digital television receiver with two of the conditional access modules, each for processing a respective transport stream.
The need for two conditional access modules and the additional costs involved are clearly undesirable.
U.S. 2002/0101991 A1 proposes a system in which two transport streams are multiplexed together and provided to a single conditional access module. However, the conditional access module itself must be non-standard in order to deal with two transport streams. Furthermore, the connector and interface must allow additional information to be sent from the receiver to the conditional access module so as to indicate to which of the transport streams each respective packet of data belongs.

Common interface controller and method of descrambling transport stream channels


The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a transistor (100). The transistor (100) comprises a doped semiconductor substrate (105) and a drain-extended well (115) having a curved region (125) and a straight region (130) surrounded by the doped semiconductor substrate (105). The drain-extended well (115) has an opposite dopant type as the doped semiconductor substrate (105). The transistor (100) further includes a centered source/drain (120) surrounded by the drain-extended well (115) and separated from an outer perimeter (135) of the drain-extended well (115). A separation in the curved region (145) is greater than a separation in the straight region (150). Other embodiments of the present invention include an integrated circuit (300) and a method of manufacturing a transistor (200).

There is an increasing demand for high voltage transistor devices capable of serving as an interface between low voltage transistors and high voltage end-use devices such as automotive components. It is highly desirable to manufacture high voltage transistors using similar process technology as used for low voltage transistors. The use of similar process technology minimizes the costs of producing high voltage transistors, and allows high and low voltage transistors to be manufactured as part of the same integrated circuit. However, conventional low voltage transistors, such as logic or memory transistors are designed for applications requiring high speed and low power consumption. Consequently, such transistors are highly susceptible to breakdown at sustained operating voltages of about 2 Volts or higher.
To allow operation at higher voltages one transistor design, known as a drain-extended transistor, one design incorporates a lightly to moderately doped region around one or both of heavily doped source and drain structures. This lightly to moderately doped region is known as a drain-extended well. Drain-extended transistors facilitate operation at high voltages (e.g., about 20 Volts or higher reverse bias applied to the drain) by directing a portion of the current from the source to drain to flow into the drain extended well.
Despite their improved performance, drain-extended transistors are still susceptible to high voltage breakdown at the edge of the silicon oxide isolation region, or moat, surrounding the source and drain structures. To reduce the occurrence of breakdown at the bird's beak edge at the moat perimeter, a racetrack or drain-centered layout, is used. In such a layout, the drain extension well surrounds the drain. Such drain-centered layouts, however, are still not entirely successful at avoiding high voltage breakdown. For instance, drain-extended transistors that have a racetrack layout continue to be susceptible to failure as a result of electrostatic discharge (ESD).
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a method of manufacturing drain-extended transistors having reduced susceptibility to high voltage breakdown.


Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a screening method for the diagnosis of haematological neoplasia. In the method, a first test step is performed to check whether a potential haematological neoplasia exists. At least a first haematogram is created with a blood sample in the first test step. Based on a first set of filter rules, it is checked whether the first haematogram differs from a desired state specified according to the first set of filter rules, and a second test step is performed to check for potential haematological neoplasia if the first test step reveals that there is potential haematological neoplasia. In addition, the disclosure relates to a system, a computer program product, and a computer-readable storage medium.

From the prior art it is known to diagnose diseases or potential diseases by means of a blood screening method in the laboratory. Also, in the field of cancers, such as in prostate or colon cancer, it is known to perform screening methods that allow a systematic early detection of the disease.
However, such a method does not exist in the area of cancer of the hematopoietic or lymphatic system (hereinafter also referred to as "blood cancer"), although in Germany, for example, approximately 35,000 individuals of each age group contract it annually. Essentially, a distinction is made between the two main groups "leukaemia" and "lymphoma" and currently between a total of 173 different types of blood cancer. The problem is that the disease initially goes unnoticed and only at an advanced stage leads to tangible disease symptoms that manifest clinically. To make matters worse, even then the symptoms caused and the laboratory findings are non-specific and are difficult to distinguish from much more common diseases. The high number of blood cancers and the lack of or non-specific symptoms mean that no reliable screening method for the detection of blood cancer exists. As a result, the blood cancer usually remains unrecognised for a long time and is recognised only very late and therefore at an advanced stage by the doctor. Earlier and thus possibly life-saving therapies cannot be reliably provided for this type of cancer. Rather, the diagnosis of blood cancer in the current practice is not infrequently an incidental finding, mostly based on a markedly conspicuous laboratory finding, as typically occurs only at a very advanced stage. The diagnosis of blood cancer in the current state of the art is thus complicated, time consuming, costly and requires proven expertise.
Systematic screening methods for blood cancer on samples from large groups of patients, such as those found in a large-scale laboratory every day, for example, have not been feasible for these reasons. In particular, it has not yet been possible to establish a method with criteria with which samples of healthy and ill persons with respect to haematological neoplasia could be correspondingly identified, i.e. in particular where false-positive and false-negative diagnoses were reduced to a minimum or avoided.

Screening method for diagnosis of haematological neoplasia

Bioscientia Institut Für Medizinische Diagnostik GmbH


A glass melting furnace has a gas inlet positioned proximate to a charging section oxy-fuel combustion region to introduce gas into the region and to at least partially displace gas having a partial pressure of alkali vapor from the region, and optionally a gas outlet is adapted to provide an exit for a volume of furnace atmosphere. A method for reducing alkali vapor corrosion of glass furnace refractory structures includes providing a gas inlet proximate to the oxy-fuel combustion region; introducing a volume of gas from the inlet into the region, displacing a volume of gas having a partial pressure of alkali vapor from the region; and, optionally providing a gas outlet adapted to provide an exit for a volume of furnace atmosphere.

Glass melting furnaces include a refractory surface or superstructure with an interior surface of the superstructure exposed to the harsh heated chemical environment of the furnace. A portion of the superstructure or roof, referred to in the industry as the crown of the furnace, is generally constructed from silica refractory bricks or silica bricks, which are referred to herein also as "bricks." Oxy-fuel burners, used to melt glass-forming materials in alkali-based glass melting furnaces, generate high concentrations of alkali hydroxide vapor in the furnace atmosphere, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Alkali hydroxides form when water vapor, resulting from the combustion of fuel and oxidant, react with alkali oxides in the glass melt. These alkali hydroxides vaporize out from the molten glass, and can react with the furnace refractory. The alkali hydroxides such as NaOH can corrode the refractory superstructure, particularly where the residence time of the NaOH is unusually long, such that the effects of the NaOH and the partial pressure associated therewith in the closed furnace can compromise the structural integrity of the furnace by corrosion and subsequent melting of the crown of the furnace.
For example, known glass melting furnaces operate at temperatures at which a "glassy phase" can occur on the silica bricks exposed to the atmosphere above the glass being melted within the furnace. The glassy phase of the silica bricks will increase and the viscosity of this glassy phase decrease as the presence and concentration of the alkali, and to some extent water, increases within the atmosphere of the furnace and in contact with the refractory surface.
In addition, the presence of other oxides in the silica, for example, calcium oxide (CaO) and ferric oxide (Fe2O3) increases the quantity of the liquid phase formed on the silica bricks. Thereafter, a silica-saturated liquid phase will occur and "run" along the surface of the existing bricks to form droplets of silica liquid which drip and ultimately flow down the surface of the silica crown. As the residence time of the NaOH increases, and concurrently the concentration of the alkali increases, the liquid phase will continue to dissolve more of the silica bricks in the furnace refractory superstructure, and will ultimately erode and compromise the furnace crown structure.
Such disadvantages of the alkali presence are known and disclosed in a publication entitled "Degradation of Crown Silica Refractories in Glass Tank Melters," M. Velez et al., University of Missouri-Rolla, Rolla, Mo., published for the 61st Conference on Glass Problems, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 17-18, 2000, (Conference Proceedings edited by Charles H. Drummond III), pages 79-89. The corrosion resistance of the silica bricks is reduced under conditions where oxy-fuel melt applications are employed in the furnace.
It is therefore desirable to have a glass melting furnace constructed to purge or exhaust the NaOH, or at the least substantially reduce the residence time of the NaOH at the refractory superstructure so that during the high heat melting of the glass product, the silica bricks which comprise the crown of the furnace are not corroded.

Gas injection for glass melting furnace to reduce refractory degradation


A shift control apparatus for a bicycle comprises an output transmission member that moves to at least a first output position and a second output position, a position maintaining mechanism, and a release control mechanism. The position maintaining mechanism includes a position maintaining member that moves between a position maintaining position and a position release position, wherein the position maintaining position maintains the output transmission member in one of the first output position and the second output position. The position release position allows the output transmission member to move toward the other one of the first output position and the second output position. The release control mechanism includes a release member that moves between a first release member position and a second release member position. The release control mechanism moves the position maintaining member to the position release position as the release member moves from the first release member position toward the second release member position and allows the position maintaining member to return to the position maintaining position before the release member begins moving back toward the first release member position, or as the release member continues to move toward the second release member position.

The present invention is directed to bicycle transmissions and, more particularly, to various features of an apparatus for assisting a speed change operation in a bicycle transmission.
Various devices have been developed to operate bicycle transmissions such as derailleurs and internal hub transmissions. Examples of such devices particularly suited to assist the operation of derailleur transmissions are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,675. Such devices typically include a first operating member such as a first lever and a second operating member such as a second lever. The first operating member typically activates a ratchet mechanism to wind a control cable against the biasing force of a return spring, and the second operating member typically activates the ratchet mechanism to unwind the control cable in accordance with the biasing force of the return spring. The ratchet mechanism usually includes a stop mechanism that prevents the control cable from unwinding all at once (because of the biasing force of the return spring) when the second operating member is operated from its home position to its release activating position. The stop mechanism usually has two stages of operation. The first stage occurs when the second operating member reaches the release activating position (usually at the end of its range of motion), and the second stage occurs when the second operating member moves some distance back from the release activating position toward its home position. This can cause uncertain operation when the second operating member is held near the release position and not fully returned to its home position.

Shift control device for a bicycle transmission


An optical scanner including a light emitting device which emits an image-reading light toward an original having an original image thereon, such that the image-reading light scans the original by irradiating each of a plurality of positions on the original at a corresponding one of a plurality of times, and a light detecting device which detects the image-reading light reflected from the original and thereby reads the original image thereon, the light detecting device including a plurality of light detecting elements each of which is associated with at least a part of the original and detects the image-reading light reflected from the part of the original, the part of the original including a plurality of positions on the original.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical scanner which has the function of reading images and which may be employed in, e.g., a facsimile machine or a copying machine.
2. Related Art Statement
There is known a laser facsimile machine or a copying machine which has a first optical system for reading images and a second optical system for recording images, the two optical systems being independent of each other. In particular, as the image-reading optical system, there has been known an optical scanner which, as described below, scans an original having an original image thereon and reads the original image using a one-dimensional-array optical sensor (i.e., "line sensor"). A line sensor employed in an optical scanner is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid open for inspection under Publication No. 55(1980)-159412.
FIG. 12 shows a conventional copying machine. The copying machine has an image-reading optical system including a light source 113 which emits a linear light toward an original (not shown) placed on a support surface of a transparent original-supporting member 114. The optical path of the linear light reflected from the original is deflected by a full-speed scan mirror 111 and then by a half-speed scan mirror 112. The linear light reflected by the half-speed scan mirror 112 is converged by an image-forming lens 116 as a light converger, so that the converged light is incident to an array of CCDs (charge-coupled devices) 115 which extends in a direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet of FIG. 12. The light source 113 also extends in a direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet of FIG. 12, emits the linear light toward the original supported on the support member 114, and is moved with the full-speed scan mirror 111 to scan the original. The copying machine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid open for inspection under Publication No. 63(1988)-36277.
When the copying machine starts an image scanning operation, the full-speed scan mirror 111 takes a position indicated at solid lines. During the scanning operation, the mirror 111 is moved in a direction indicated at arrow. When the mirror 111 reaches a position indicated at broken lines, the scanning operation is ended. Meanwhile, the half-speed scan mirror 112 is provided by a pair of mirrors and, for the scanning operation, the mirror 112 is moved in a direction indicated at arrow from a position indicated at solid lines to a position indicated at broken lines. Since during the scanning operation the ratio, 2 (=2/1), of the speed of the full-speed scan mirror 111 to that of the half-speed scan mirror 112 is maintained, the original image is detected or read with accuracy by the line sensor 115.
The copying machine additionally has an image-recording optical system including a light source (not shown), such as a semiconductor laser, which emits a light beam which is incident to a rotary polygon mirror 117 as a light deflector. After the light beam is reflected and deflected by the polygon mirror 117 which is being rotated at a uniform angular speed, the light beam passes through an image-forming lens 118 such as an f.theta. lens and is reflected by a reflecting mirror 119, so that the reflected light scans a photoconductive drum 120 at a uniform speed. Thus, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image data used to drive the laser as the light source is formed in an outer circumferential surface of the drum 120.
FIG. 13 shows another image-reading optical system or scanner which is employed in, e.g., a conventional copying machine. The optical scanner includes a semiconductor laser 201 as a light source, a rotary polygon mirror 202 which deflects the light emitted by the light source 201, an image-forming lens 203 which converges the light deflected by that polygon mirror 202, so the the converged light scans an original 206 having an original image thereon, a single photodiode 261 which detects the light reflected from the original 206, and a control device 207 which controls the light source 201 and the polygon mirror 202. More specifically, the control device 207 controls the light source 201 to emit a laser beam which is incident to the polygon mirror 202 which is being rotated at a uniform speed. The laser beam deflected by the rotary polygon mirror 202 is converged by the image-forming lens 203, so that the converged light scans the original 206 by irradiating each of different positions on the original 206 at a corresponding one of different times. The light reflected from the original 206 is detected by the photodiode 261. The photodiode 261 produces an electric signal indicative of a detected intensity of the light reflected from the original 206, and supplies the electric signal to the control device 207. Based on the electric signal supplied from the photodiode 261, the control device 207 produces and stores, in a memory, image data indicative of the original image carried on the original 206. An example of this optical scanner is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid open for inspection under Publication No. 1(1989)-155370.
A light intensity detected by the photodiode 261 when the light converged by the image-forming lens 203 irradiates a position or picture element where an image is present, is significantly different from a light intensity detected by the same 261 when the light irradiates a position where no image is present. Thus, the image data produced by the control device 207 comprise data indicative of the light intensities detected by the photodiode 261 when the light irradiates each of the positions or picture elements on the original 206.
However, in the first prior image-reading optical system shown in FIG. 12, the array of CCDs 115, i.e., line sensor is employed to detect an original image. Since each of the CCDs 115 detects the intensity of light reflected from a single position or picture element on the original, a greater number of CCDs are needed to increase the degree of resolution of the detected image. However, the number of light sensing elements (e.g., CCDs) of a line sensor cannot exceed a certain upper limit. In addition, an increased number of light sensing elements cost higher.
In the second prior image-reading optical system shown in FIG. 13, the single photodiode 261 as the light detecting device is employed to read an original image and provide image data indicative of the read image. However, since an original has not only positions or picture elements near to the photodiode 261 but also positions remote from the same 261, the photodiode 261 cannot produce electric signals with a uniform magnitude for all the positions on the original, if the original has no image thereon. Thus, the accuracy of image reading of the optical system is low.

Optical scanner for detecting light intensity from reflected image-reading light


A method and an apparatus to detect low voltage have been disclosed. One embodiment of the apparatus includes a main circuit powered at a supply voltage, wherein the supply voltage changes over time and a test circuit coupled to the main circuit, the test circuit being representative of a voltage sensitivity of the main circuit to dynamically determine if the supply voltage is above a minimum voltage at which the main circuit operates correctly, wherein the minimum voltage changes over at least one of a temperature and a time and between different instances of the main circuit.

Batteries typically have a relatively large output voltage range, with the output voltage falling during the life of the battery. FIG. 1A illustrates the output voltage variation of a single typical alkaline battery cell over its life.
Unlike the batteries, ICs typically do not have operating voltage ranges that match the output voltage range of batteries. A common operating voltage range of an IC may be from about 2.4V to about 3.6V. Such an IC may be powered from a pair of alkaline batteries having a combined output voltage in the range approximately of 1.8V to 3.6V. Thus, there is a mismatch between the voltage ranges of the IC and the batteries.
One conventional technique to overcome this voltage range mismatch is to include a Direct Current (DC) to DC boost converter and a voltage detector in the IC. If the battery voltage is greater than the minimum voltage specified for the IC, then the boost converter is disabled and the IC is powered directly from the batteries. If the battery voltage falls below the specified minimum voltage, then the boost converter is enabled and the IC is powered from the boost converter instead. In many cases, the boost converter automatically supplies the battery voltage directly to the IC when the battery voltage is greater than the programmed output voltage. The boost converter and the IC powered by the boost converter may or may not be separate devices.
FIG. 1B illustrates an existing boost converter. Referring to FIG. 1B, the reference voltage 110 is substantially fixed to control voltage regulation. Specifically, when the output voltage of the boost converter 100 falls below the specified output voltage, a switching circuit 120 is activated to cause the output voltage 130 to rise above the specified output voltage.
However, the given minimum operating voltage, also referred to as the guaranteed minimum operating voltage Vcc(min), may not be the actual minimum voltage at which the IC can operate correctly under certain circumstances. Many ICs typically operate correctly somewhat below Vcc(min) in practice. In order to guarantee operation at the specified Vcc(min), IC manufacturers typically test the operation of the IC both slightly above the maximum rated temperature, and slightly below the minimum rated temperature at a voltage somewhat below Vcc(min). The voltage at which the IC ceases to operate correctly is generally below Vcc(min). In many cases, such a voltage may be well below Vcc(min) if the device is operated at room temperature.
In a sample case, an IC may be rated with Vcc(min) being approximately 2.7V and Vcc(max) being approximately 3.6V, with an operating temperature range of 0 to 70 degrees Celsius. The IC manufacturer may test every IC at about 2.6V at both −10 and +80 degrees Celsius. In this example, the IC may work correctly in all respects down to about 2.5V, and with degraded performance down to about 2.3V, provided that the temperature of operation is constrained to a smaller range than that specified (e.g., 0 to 70 degrees Celsius), such as 10 to 40 degrees Celsius.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and an apparatus to detect low voltage


An information record/reproduction device, method and supply medium thereof to speedily acquire information as well as prevent illegal copying. In the recording system of information record/reproduction device, encoded information recorded on a semiconductor memory is read out from an information provider device by an encoder/decoder section and decoded by utilizing an encoder key K[BA] and then output to an encoder section. In the encoder section, the information decoded by the encoder/decoder section is encrypted and output to a RAM device. The encrypted information input into the RAM is then recorded on an magneto-optic disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information record/reproduction device, information record/reproduction method and supply medium and relates in particular to an information record/reproduction device, information record/reproduction method and supply medium capable of speedy acquisition of information such as news or music, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
The applicant of this invention previously disclosed a method in Japanese Laid Open Patent 6-251564 for speedily acquiring information such as the news and the storing of desired items from among that acquired information. This proposed method not only allowed reusing of an expensive recording medium but also storing information once that information had been acquired.
More specifically as shown in FIG. 28, an information provider unit 220 stores the provided information such as news. The user refers to the information contents and prices as shown on a plurality of displays 221 and operates an output selector 222 to select the desired information for insertion to a information record/reproduction device 201 by way of an insertion/extraction slot 223. The information record/reproduction device 201 is configured to record the information acquired from the information provider unit 220 onto a primary record medium 210. The information record/reproduction device 201 receives the command entered by the user by way of a selector 203, and reads out (or loads) information corresponding to that command from information provider unit 220, and besides displaying that information on a display 202 also outputs the information to an earphone 204. The primary record medium 210 is comprised of a semiconductor memory that is expensive but has a fast information transfer speed.
When the information from the information provider unit 220 is recorded from the information record/reproduction device 201 onto the primary record medium 210, an information secondary record/reproduction device 230 is configured to read out (or load) the information recorded on the primary record medium 210 and record it onto an internal secondary record medium. This internal secondary record medium may for instance consist of an magneto-optic disk which has large memory capacity and is inexpensive compared to the semiconductor memory.
However, the above mentioned method had the problem that the information record/reproduction device 201 for recording information on the primary record medium 210; and the information secondary record/reproduction device 230 for recording information on the secondary record medium were two separate devices so that operation was troublesome to perform.
Another problem with the above mentioned method was that the information recorded on the primary record medium 210 was recorded on a plurality of secondary record mediums so that illegal copying could not be prevented.
In view of the above problems with the conventional art, this invention has the object of speedily acquiring information.
An information record/reproduction device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in containing a receive means to receive the transmitted information, a storage means to store the information received by the receive means, and a record means to record onto a record medium the information stored by the storage means.
An information record/reproduction method as claimed in claim 7 is characterized in containing a receive step to receive the transmitted information, a storage step to store the information received by the receive step, and a record step to record onto a record medium the information stored by the storage step.
A supply medium as claimed in claim 8 is characterized by providing a program capable of being loaded into a computer for running an information record/reproduction device including the processing for performing a receive step to receive the transmitted information, a storage step to store the information received by the receive step, and a record step to record onto a record medium the information stored by the storage step.
An information record/reproduction device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that a receive means receives the transmitted information, a storage means stores the information received by the receive means, and a record means records onto a record medium the information stored by the storage means.
An information record/reproduction method as claimed in claim 7 and a supply medium as claimed in claim 8 are characterized by a receive step to receive the transmitted information, a storage step to store the information received by the receive step, and a record step to record onto a record medium the information stored by the storage step.

Information record/reproduction device, information record/reproduction method and supply medium thereof


A stereophonic loudspeaker system which includes at least two channel loudspeakers and a centrally located feedback control loudspeaker. Each channel loudspeaker incorporates an electrically driven low frequency electrosonic transducer and a sonically driven electrosonic transducer sonically coupled together to form a sonic oscillator. The sonically driven transducer responds to sound and sonic vibrations produced by the electrically driven transducer to produce sounds and an electrical output signal. The feedback control amplifier includes a plurality of electrosonic transducers interconnected sonically and electrically. The transducers of the feedback control loudspeaker respond to the electrical signals from the sonically driven transducers of the channel loudspeakers to interactively enhance the production of aurally pleasing low frequency sound from the loudspeaker system.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to loudspeaker systems for sound reproduction. More particularly, the present invention relates to stereophonic loudspeaker systems having enhanced bass response.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The art of sound reproduction involves capturing sounds such as music, processing the sounds, and reproducing the captured sounds in aural form. Processing may be primarily amplification, as in a public address system, or it may also include recording the sound in a fixed form, such as a magnetic tape, grooved disc or optically read disc and playing back the recorded sound from the fixed form. Processing may also include broadcast and reception of a signal representing the sound by radio or television.
In the art of sound reproduction, each step of the processes of capturing, processing and reproducing the captured sounds results in a loss in the accuracy of the reproduction of the sound. This accuracy of sound reproduction may be measured by various parameters, but is referred to generally as "fidelity." The development of the modern art of sound reproduction has been spurred by a continuing quest for increasing levels of sound fidelity coupled with a quest for aurally pleasing sound reproduction.
One key element in sound reproduction is a loudspeaker system that converts electrical signals representative of the sound to be produced into aurally perceptible sound. The loudspeaker system is particularly important in producing high fidelity and aurally pleasing sound as it is typically the final element in the sound reproduction system. A loudspeaker system typically includes one or more loudspeaker enclosures, each loudspeaker enclosure having one or more electrosonic transducers, or "drivers", mounted in the enclosure.
A limiting factor in the ability of a loudspeaker system to contribute to high fidelity and aurally pleasing sound reproduction is its ability to produce low frequency sounds pleasingly. Typically the ability of a loudspeaker system to reproduce low frequency sounds pleasingly is determined in large part by the physical size of the drivers and the enclosure. Generally, larger drivers and enclosures produce more pleasing low frequency sounds than smaller drivers and enclosures. In practical loudspeaker system design, however, the desirability of large drivers and enclosures for pleasing low frequency sound reproduction is balanced by a desirability of smaller drivers and enclosures for use in the limited space available in homes, automobiles, and other places where loudspeaker systems are typically used. The ability of the loudspeaker system to produce pleasing low frequency sounds is further affected by the size, geometry, materials and other characteristics of the room or other place in which the loudspeaker system is used.
Many loudspeaker designs have been proposed to improve the fidelity and aurally pleasing qualities of sound reproduction within loudspeaker systems of a practical physical size. Angled front baffles are seen in U.S. Des. No. 210,382 to T. Lane, and in U.S. Des. No. 222,477 to H. Wada, et al. Ducted ports are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,159 to W. Schott, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,864 to R. Guss. Ports which perform structural as well as acoustic functions are seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,274 to C. Carlton. Still another port or vent for use with bass range loudspeakers is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,166 to G. Gale.
Bass range drivers mounted in a bottom wall of a loudspeaker enclosure rather than in a front baffle, and which are electrically driven by an amplifier are seen in Guss and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,996 to N. Lou, as well as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,471 to D. Queen. None of the prior art mounts a bass range driver complete with all of its electromagnetic components in an opening of a loudspeaker enclosure without connecting the driver to the amplifier electrical output. None of the prior art patents, the commercial devices available, or the literature on the construction of loudspeaker enclosures appear to suggest any use of openings or vents of different types together in a loudspeaker enclosure.
Duct tubes in place of simple openings are also known in the construction of bass reflex loudspeakers. Such tubes are located entirely within the enclosure or backchamber of bass range loudspeakers. A bass range duct tube providing air or sound communication between the backchamber of a loudspeaker enclosure to an opening in a loudspeaker mounting baffle plate does not appear to be known. Further, passing the tube through a second backchamber or subenclosure which contains and isolates higher mid and high frequency range loudspeakers does not appear to be known in the prior art.
Two divergent means of reducing enclosure volume while maintaining relatively high levels of acoustic output at low frequency may be seen in R. Guss, U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,091. The Guss device involves multiple loudspeakers arranged so as to physically increase the acoustic drag on each diaphragm as a function of the movement of the multiple diaphragms of the several loudspeakers. In addition to Guss, U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,745 to T. Froeshle, et al., employs multiple loudspeakers sharing common vent tubes. In T. Froeshle the diaphragms of the loudspeaker do not share the enclosure backchamber. The loudspeakers are energized by the amplifier electrical output during operation.
A third attempt to reduce enclosure volume is cited by R. Guss as background to his invention. This invention employs a dynamic cone driver to damp the motion of the diaphragm of a similar loudspeaker by locating it within the enclosure, closely placed behind the driver to be damped. This damping driver is neither electrically energized, nor exposed to the ambient atmosphere surrounding the device. Rather the loudspeaker is sealed within the enclosures.
Other references of, general interest include U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,864 to T. Froeschle, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,745 to R. Guss.
It is against this background that the bass-enhancing loudspeaker system of the present invention developed.

Loudspeaker system with sonically powered drivers and centered feedback loudspeaker connected thereto


A motion compensation de-interlacing image processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a motion compensation module, a still compensation module, a motion detection module, and a de-interlacing blending module. The motion compensation module generates a motion compensation pixel according to at least one of a current field, a previous field, and a next field of a target pixel to be interpolated. The still compensation module generates a still compensation pixel according to the previous field and the next field of the target pixel. The motion detection module determines a motion index according to the previous field and the next field of the target pixel. The de-interlacing blending module generates the target pixel by weighted averaging the motion compensation pixel and the still compensation pixel according to the motion index.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an image de-interlacing processing apparatus, and more particularly to a motion compensation de-interlacing image processing apparatus and associated method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Contributed by the digital television era, a television can not only receive television broadcasts and allow internet applications such as internet browsing, but a digital television is also able to offer video/audio quality and customization that far surpasses those of a conventional analog television. According to worldwide digital television specifications, television signal formats include progressive and interlaced scanning signal formats, which respectively have their advantages and disadvantages. Most significant advantages of the interlaced scanning signal formats include transmission data amount being relatively small while rendering better sharpness and contrast for dynamic images. Therefore, for situations requiring high-resolution and large-screen televisions and particularly with 1080 scan lines, interlaced scanning requiring less data transmission is more extensively applied to save transmission bandwidth.
Referring to FIG. 1, in interlaced scanning, each frame is divided into an odd field and an even field, with the odd field comprising only pixels of odd lines of the frame and the even field comprising only pixels of even lines of the frame. During transmission, the odd fields and the even fields are alternately transmitted such that the transmitted data amount within unit time is halved. However, image data received at an image receiving end is data of either odd fields or even fields rather than a complete frame, so that de-interlacing is needed to make up pixel data of the odd lines or even lines that are not transmitted to the receiving end at a same time point in order to generate a complete frame to be displayed on an image display apparatus. More specifically, an input odd field comprises only pixel data of 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th . . . lines, and an input even field comprises only pixel data of 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th . . . lines. Yet, it is necessary that an output image contain progressive frames that comprise pixel data of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th . . . lines when outputting an image.
Common de-interlacing processing includes spatial de-interlacing and temporal de-interlacing. The spatial de-interlacing utilizes pixels having a same horizontal axis in previous and next lines in the field at a same time point for interpolating a target pixel to be interpolated, generally by interpolating with a pixel value obtained by averaging the previous and next pixels, or interpolating with a pixel value directly selected from either the previous or the next pixel. For example, consider a pixel A in an odd field Fn in FIG. 1 is a target pixel to be interpolated. With spatial de-interlacing, a pixel B at a previous line and a pixel C at a next line are averaged to obtain a pixel value for the pixel A, or one of the pixel B and the pixel C is directly selected as the pixel A. On the other hand, the temporal de-interlacing utilizes pixels at a same position in a previous field and a next field to interpolate a target pixel to be interpolated, by interpolating with a pixel value obtained by averaging the two pixels at a same position in the previous field and the next field. For example, consider again a pixel A in an odd field Fn in FIG. 1 is a target pixel to be interpolated. With temporal de-interlacing, a pixel D and a pixel E respectively at a same position in a previous odd field Fn−1 and a next field Fn+1 are averaged to obtain a pixel value for the pixel A. However, neither spatial de-interlacing nor temporal de-interlacing is capable of interpolating real pixels for dynamic images such that resulting image distortion is incurred. Therefore, the present invention utilizes estimation of motion vectors to accordingly interpolate real pixels to thereby enhance image quality.

Compensation de-interlacing image processing apparatus and associated method


A wireless network device includes a first media access controller (MAC) that generates a first output signal, a second MAC that generates a second output signal, and a communication channel. The communication channel includes a baseband processor in communication with a radio frequency transmitter and selectively transmits one of the first output signal and the second output signal.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an internetwork 10 is shown that includes a first subnetwork 12, a second subnetwork 14, and a connection 16 to a distributed communications system 18, such as the Internet. First subnetwork 12 includes a plurality of wireless stations 20-1, 20-2, . . . , 20-n that are associated with a first wireless access point (AP_A) 22. Second subnetwork 14 includes a plurality of wireless stations 24-1, 24-2, . . . , 24-m that are associated with a second wireless access point (AP_B) 26. AP_A 22 and AP_B 26 communicate with a switch 28 that routes data packets between first network 12, second network 14 and distributed communications system 10.
Internetwork 10 is of typical construction in that AP_A 22 and AP_B 26 each include, in pertinent part, a media access controller (MAC) and a physical layer module (PHY) to form and communicate data packets over the wireless channel.


Communication systems are described that use signal constellations, which have unequally spaced (i.e., ‘geometrically’ shaped) points. In many embodiments, the communication systems use specific geometric constellations that are capacity optimized at a specific SNR. In addition, ranges within which the constellation points of a capacity optimized constellation can be perturbed and are still likely to achieve a given percentage of the optimal capacity increase compared to a constellation that maximizes dmin, are also described. Capacity measures that are used in the selection of the location of constellation points include, but are not limited to, parallel decode (PD) capacity and joint capacity.

The present invention generally relates to bandwidth and/or power efficient digital transmission systems and more specifically to the use of unequally spaced constellations having increased capacity.
The term "constellation" is used to describe the possible symbols that can be transmitted by a typical digital communication system. A receiver attempts to detect the symbols that were transmitted by mapping a received signal to the constellation. The minimum distance (dmin) between constellation points is indicative of the capacity of a constellation at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Therefore, constellations used in many communication systems are designed to maximize dmin. Increasing the dimensionality of a constellation allows larger minimum distance for constant constellation energy per dimension. Therefore, a number of multi-dimensional constellations with good minimum distance properties have been designed.
Communication systems have a theoretical maximum capacity, which is known as the Shannon limit. Many communication systems attempt to use codes to be able to transmit at a rate that is closer to the capacity of a communication channel. Significant coding gains have been achieved using coding techniques such as turbo codes and LDPC codes. The coding gains achievable using any coding technique are limited by the constellation of the communication system. The Shannon limit can be thought of as being based upon a theoretical constellation known as a Gaussian distribution, which is an infinite constellation where symbols at the center of the constellation are transmitted more frequently than symbols at the edge of the constellation. Practical constellations are finite and transmit symbols with equal likelihoods, and therefore have capacities that are less than the Gaussian capacity. The capacity of a constellation is thought to represent a limit on the gains that can be achieved using coding when using that constellation.
Prior attempts have been made to develop unequally spaced constellations. For example, a system has been proposed that uses unequally spaced constellations that are optimized to minimize the error rate of an uncoded system. Another proposed system uses a constellation with equiprobable but unequally spaced symbols in an attempt to mimic a Gaussian distribution.
Other approaches increase the dimensionality of a constellation or select a new symbol to be transmitted taking into consideration previously transmitted symbols. However, these constellation were still designed based on a minimum distance criteria.

Methods and apparatuses for signaling with geometric constellations in a Raleigh fading channel


A system and method for controlling an engine in a vehicle to facilitate heat transfer to a passenger compartment is provided. A number of conditions are examined, and if it is found that one or more of these conditions matches a corresponding predetermined condition, the spark timing of the engine is retarded. In addition, a charge motion control valve is opened, thereby increasing the amount, and reducing the turbulence, of the air entering the engine. This facilitates hotter combustion within the engine, and therefore faster heat transfer to the vehicle passenger compartment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling an engine in a vehicle.
2. Background Art
The development of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV's) has provided a way to reduce exhaust emissions and improve fuel economy by reducing the amount of time an engine is running. In addition, because HEV's are equipped with electric motors, the size of the engine can be reduced. Even in some conventional vehicles, engines may be smaller today than in comparable predecessor vehicles, since advances in engine technology have provided increases in engine output power.
One consequence of having a smaller engine in a vehicle is that it may take longer for the vehicle passenger compartment to get warm. This can affect passenger comfort and convenience, in that it may also take longer for a windshield to defrost. One attempt to address this issue is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0101961, published on Jun. 5, 2003 (Foster). Foster describes deactivating cylinders in an engine to increase the heat rejected to the engine cooling system. Foster also discusses reducing the cooling system heat capacity such that the engine coolant that flows through the passenger compartment heating system only flows through the engine past activated cylinders.
One limitation of the method described in Foster, is that it does not take advantage of selective use of a charge motion control valve. These valves are used on some engines to increase the turbulence of the intake air entering the engine, thereby increasing the efficiency of combustion. When a charge motion control valve is opened, the amount of intake air entering the engine is increased; this is normally associated with cooler combustion. The opening of a charge motion control valve also decreases the turbulence of the intake air entering the engine, however, which can counter the effects of the increased amount of air, and lead to an increase in the combustion temperature. This, in turn, can help to more quickly heat the passenger compartment.
Another situation that can undesirably increase the time it takes to heat a passenger compartment is execution of a control logic configured to quickly heat a catalyst after the engine is started. Such a control logic may be used to reduce undesirable exhaust emissions, but may have the unintended effect of making less heat available to the passenger compartment. One method that has been used to quickly heat a catalyst is to severely retard the spark timing in a spark ignition engine. This causes unburned fuel that is exhausted from the engine to be combusted at or near the catalyst itself. Although this provides a method for quickly heating the catalyst, it reduces the amount of heat that can be transferred to an engine coolant, and ultimately transferred to the vehicle passenger compartment. Therefore, merely retarding spark timing, and in particular retarding it past top dead center (TDC), can be at odds with quickly heating a vehicle passenger compartment.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method to utilize various vehicle adjustments to facilitate a more rapid heat transfer from the engine to the vehicle passenger compartment.

System and method for controlling an engine in a vehicle


A floating deck apparatus (20) includes a plank (40), a pair of tracks (54), a ladder (60), and a pair of handles (64). Each track (54) is coupled to the underside of a boat platform. The pair of tracks rollingly supports the plank (1) in a storage position, (2) in a deck position, and (3) in a ramp position. A proximal stop (88) across the proximal ends (62) of the tracks (54) stops the plank (40) in the ramp position. A distal stop bar (89) across the distal ends (66) of the tracks (54) stops the plank (40) in the storage position. The ladder (64) is movably coupled to the bottom (105) of the plank (40) and pivots from (1) a swimming position to (2) a storage position. The pair of handles (64) is mounted to the plank top (42) or to the plank proximal end (48).

Pontoon boats are boats in which closed cylinder floats are used to provide buoyancy to an occupant platform. The simplest pontoon boat design is that of a catamaran where two cylinder floats are attached to opposite sides of a single platform. A marine engine is typically attached to the rear of the platform for propulsion. Pontoon boats are very popular for use on freshwater waterways. A very shallow draft reduces damage from collisions with submerged objects or from being run aground. In addition, pontoon boats provide relatively large carrying capacity at a low price.
Although pontoon boats provide large carrying capacity and low draft, the platform is typically elevated a considerable distance above the water due to the underlying cylinder floats. As a result, boat riders are kept high and dry above the water. However, the high ride height makes the platform too high to serve as an effective swim platform. To get to the water, the user must either climb down a relatively high ladder or dive from a considerable height. It is found that many pontoon users would prefer to have a platform that is closer to the water to allow the user to dangle her feet in the water and to get into and out of the water easily. In addition, the high platform makes the pontoon difficult to ingress and egress for persons with physical limitations. Again, the only way onto the boat is to climb up to the platform. This problem is particularly acute where the pontoon boat is in a non-docking situation, such as anchored near shore. Persons with physical limitations find it difficult to ingress and egress the boat without the benefit of a dock.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a rugged and effective floating deck apparatus for use with a pontoon boat. Another object is to provide a floating deck which may be easily accessed from the pontoon platform, yet is positioned just above the waterline. Another object is to provide a floating deck which may be used as both a swimming deck and as an access ramp. Another object is to provide a floating deck which is easily stored under the pontoon platform while the pontoon is trailered or operated on the water. Another object is to provide a floating deck that easily incorporates comfort features such as beverage holders. Another object is to provide a floating deck that incorporates a movable swimming ladder that is compatible with a storable floating deck. Another object is to provide a floating deck that is easily manufactured from commonly accessible materials.

Floating deck apparatus for a pontoon boat


Embodiments provide a B-pillarless opposite sliding door in which a hook fastening means is used instead of an upper latch to be installed at an upper end of the B pillarless opposite sliding door. An upper end of a door B-pillar beam, which serves to support a B-pillar, can fastened to a roof part of a vehicle body to ensure a ceiling strength performance when the hook fastening means is applied.

In general, a vehicle has an occupant compartment having a predetermined size in which a driver or an accompanied occupant may be seated, and occupant compartment opening/closing doors are installed on a vehicle body to open or close the occupant compartment.
In the case of a passenger vehicle, the occupant compartment opening/closing doors include a front door installed at a front side in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a rear door installed at a rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The front door and the rear door are typically installed on the vehicle body so as to be rotatable by means of hinges.
Meanwhile, in the case of a van in which many persons may be seated, the occupant compartment opening/closing doors slide forward and rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to open or close the occupant compartment.
In the case of the slide type occupant compartment opening/closing door for a van, the occupant compartment opening/closing door is configured to move rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to open the occupant compartment, and move forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to close the occupant compartment. Therefore, the slide type occupant compartment opening/closing door has an advantage in that a space required to open or close the door is smaller in the slide type occupant compartment opening/closing door than in the hinged occupant compartment opening/closing door applied to the passenger vehicle and a door opening formed in the vehicle body may be completely opened even though the space required to open or close the door is small.
However, the slide type occupant compartment opening/closing door in the related art requires three support/guide rails for supporting an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion of the door during a process of opening or closing the door and requires components related to the support/guide rails, and as a result, there is a problem in that a weight of the vehicle and the number of components are increased and a degree of design freedom of the vehicle deteriorates.
The above-mentioned problem causes the following problems.
First, a curved roof part cannot be designed because an upper rail positioned at an upper portion, that is, a straight upper rail is applied to a roof part.
This causes a problem of deterioration in an external appearance because of a curved side outer opening caused by applying a latch.
Second, because a center rail positioned at the middle portion is also designed to have a straight shape, it is necessary to increase a size of a fender, there is a limitation in designing a head lamp connecting portion, and marketability deteriorates because a fender portion rail is exposed.
Third, because the opening is shifted toward the interior of the vehicle, there is concern that a passenger's head may be injured as the passenger's head collides with an upper trim when the passenger is seated in the vehicle.
The following documents include subject matter related to the subject matter disclosed herein: 1. Korean Patent No. 10-1760412 (Jul. 17, 2017); Korean Patent No. 10-0204626 (Mar. 29, 1999; and Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-0451977 (Sep. 30, 2004).


A detection apparatus for detecting a defect in an array of a liquid crystal display, comprises a main chamber, a stage, a detection device and a main heater. The stage is disposed in the main chamber, and the array is placed on stage. The detection device is disposed in the main chamber and detects an electrical characteristic of the array. The main heater heats the array to a first temperature to reveal the defect of the array.

The invention relates to a detecting method, and more particularly to a method of detecting an array of a liquid crystal display.
Conventionally, a defect in an array of a liquid crystal display (for example, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, TFT LCD) is detected by contact detection (for example, probe detection) or non-contact detection (for example, electron beam or optical detection). FIG. 1 shows a pixel P1 of an array of a TFT LCD detected by an electron beam, wherein pixel P1 comprises a transparent electrode D1, a thin film transistor T1 and a capacitance C1. In electron beam detection, a voltage is applied to transparent electrode D1, and an electron source 11 emits an electron beam toward transparent electrode D1. The electron beam is generated by transparent electrode D1 and produces secondary electrons. Secondary electrons are received by a sensor 12. An array defect (for example, a data line break or a short between a transparent electrode and a data line) increases positive or negative electric charges on transparent electrode D1, and changes a quantity of secondary electrons received by sensor 12 (due to repulsion between same charges and attraction between different charges). Thus, array defects are detected by examining the quantity of secondary electrons received by sensor 12.
Conventional detection methods, however, cannot completely detect all defects of a thin film transistor, such as high-temperature defects (defect revealed only at high temperature, for example, "TFT weak"). The term "TFT weak" is described here after. FIG. 2 shows performance curves of thin film transistors. Dotted curve 20 is a performance curve of an ideal thin film transistor. Under ideal circumstances, when a current input is lower than a threshold voltage, current flux of the thin film transistor is low, and a light path in a liquid crystal layer (not shown) is closed. When current input is higher than a threshold voltage, current flux of the thin film transistor is increased, and light path in the liquid crystal layer is open. Curve 21 is a performance curve of a normal thin film transistor. Normal circumstances are similar to ideal circumstances, wherein the light path in the liquid crystal layer is opened only when current input is higher than threshold voltage. Curve 22 is a performance curve of a weak thin film transistor which leaks current when temperature thereof increases, wherein current flux of the thin film transistor is too high when current input is lower than threshold voltage. In normal white mode, a weak TFT constantly opens light path, and the liquid crystal display shows bright point(s) (bright point defect) when displaying an all-black image. In normal black mode, a weak TFT constantly closes the light path, and liquid crystal display shows a dark point (black point defect) when displaying an all-white image.
When a liquid crystal display operates, a backlight module thereof heats the liquid crystal display array. Thus, if a high-temperature defect exists in the TFT, bright point defects or black point defects are revealed. Conventional array detection is performed directly after an array process without being exposed to heat. Thus, high-temperature defects cannot be found by conventional detection. In practice, high-temperature defects are conventionally discovered after a cell process and a backlight module packing process, and the cost of reworking or nullifying defective liquid crystal displays is quite high.

Method of detecting array of liquid crystal display and apparatus thereof


Disclosed is a functional food composition, which is effective in relieving alcohol-induced hangover symptoms and improving liver function. The composition includes 6–18% by dry weight of Polygonati Rhizoma, 10–40% by dry weight of Astragalus membranaceus Bge., 5–15% by dry weight of Artemisiae Scopariae Herba, 10–30% by dry weight of White Hoelen, 5–25% by dry weight of Atractylodes rhizome white, 4–12% by dry weight of Rehmanniae Radix, 2–10% by dry weight of Mentha arvensis, 2–10% by dry weight of Curcuma longa, and 2–10% by dry weight of Puerariae Radix, based on the total dry weight of the composition. The composition, including herbal components known to have no side effects, is effective in relieving hangover symptoms and improving liver function by removing or neutralizing factors responsible for hangover symptoms, such as alcohol absorbed in the body or acetaldehyde, the oxidation product of alcohol.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to a functional food composition for relieving alcohol-induced hangover symptoms and improving liver function. More particularly, the present invention relates to a functional food composition, which is capable of relieving alcohol-induced hangover symptoms by removing or neutralizing a factor responsible for hangover symptoms, such as alcohol (ethanol) absorbed in the body or acetaldehyde, the oxidation product of alcohol, which is a harmful toxin affecting the liver and other organs, as well as basically improving liver function.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The liver is the body's largest organ that performs a variety of functions including metabolizing various nutrients required in the body, producing energy needed in the brain, and binding to toxic substances and detoxifing them. The functions of liver further include secreting bile salt to help degrade and absorb fatty acids, storing the remaining carbohydrates and vitamins, synthesizing blood proteins, and synthesizing cholesterol as a component of the plasma membrane. When the liver, having such various functions, is damaged, several symptoms such as jaundice and anemia occur.
Frequent or excessive alcohol drinking causes alcoholic fatty liver, or more seriously alcoholic hepatitis or most seriously alcoholic cirrhosis, which occurs in about 10–35% of drinkers. In some cases, without the early-stage alcoholic fatty liver or middle-stage hepatitis, the end-stage cirrhosis may occur initially and lead to death.
Alcohol is typically oxidized to carbon dioxide and water by about three pathways: the first pathway involving alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), present in the gastrointestinal tract or liver; the second pathway involving the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system located in the endoplasmic reticulum; and the third pathway involving catalase located in the peroxysomes.
Typically, when a suitable amount of alcohol is consumed, the aforementioned oxidation systems perform their functions fully, thereby not showing undesired symptoms due to alcohol. However, too much alcohol destroys the balance of the metabolic system and thus disrupts internal homeostasis. In this situation, the liver is most greatly damaged, thereby causing several long-term liver dysfunctions, such as fatty liver and cirrhosis, and short-term symptoms including headache, reduced concentration, stomach pain and defective digestion. Typically, "hangover" indicates the short-term symptoms, but in a broad sense, includes such short-term symptoms occurring the day following excessive drinking and long-term symptoms such as liver dysfunctions.
In Korea, various foods, for example, bean sprouts, dried pollacks and mung beans, have been used to relieve hangover symptoms for a long time. In particular, bean sprouts have high-content asparaginic acid that protects the liver by stimulating ADH to oxidize alcohol. Asparaginic acid-containing beverages for relieving hangover symptoms are also commercially available.
Foods for protecting liver function comprising mung beans are disclosed in Korean Pat. Laid-open Publication Nos. 1998-076168 and 1997-000075. Also, a beverage for relieving hangover symptoms comprising pears and raisin tree is disclosed in Korean Pat. Application No. 1999-56964. A natural tea for relieving hangover symptoms comprising extracts of red alder and Sorbus commixta is disclosed in Korean Pat. Registration No. 181168.
Despite many efforts for relieving alcohol-induced hangover symptoms, satisfactory results have not been achieved with respect to the development of therapeutic agents or beverages capable of effectively relieving or reducing hangover symptoms. In particular, since conventional beverages for relieving hangovers only revive the central nervous system depressed by alcohol intake, they have a problem of not neutralizing toxins or not improving or protecting liver function.

Functional food composition having effects of relieving alcohol-induced hangover symptoms and improving liver function


A cancelling drive member includes a biasing cam portion having a first biasing contact portion and a second biasing contact portion formed therein. A deflectable spring member that biases the cancelling drive member forward is provided. If the cancelling drive member rotates, an elastic pressure portion of the deflectable spring member is brought into contact with the first biasing contact portion. Thus, a forward biasing force and a returning force for rotation are effectively given from the deflectable spring member to the cancelling drive member.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle operating device for operating a turn signal switch or the like by rotating a control lever.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-195103 describes a turn signal switch device.
The turn signal switch device includes a holding member integrated with a control lever. The holding member is rotatably supported by a housing. The housing includes a cam member. A drive pin protruding from the base portion of the control lever is in pressure contact with the cam member. The cam member has a shape so that the control lever is urged toward an original neutral position. In addition, when the control lever is rotated from the neutral position to either side and is set to an operating position, the control lever is temporarily fixed.
The housing has a cancel lever provided thereon. The cancel lever is urged in a direction in which the cancel lever protrudes from the housing by a helical compression spring disposed below the holding member.
If, while the vehicle is being driven, the control lever is rotated to one of the two operating positions and is temporarily fixed, the cancel lever is moved in the protruding direction by a pressing force of the helical compression spring. Thus, a protrusion portion integrated with the cancel lever protrudes from the housing. If a steering wheel is rotated in a turning direction and, thereafter, is rotated in an opposite direction (toward the original position), a cancel protrusion that rotates together with the steering wheel is brought into contact with the protrusion portion and, thus, the cancel lever is rotated. The rotational force of the cancel lever provides the control lever with a returning force to the neutral position. The control lever that is temporarily fixed at the operating position is released by the returning force. Thus, the control lever returns to the neutral position.
In contrast, when the control lever that is moved to the operating position and is restrained by the hand of a user and if the cancel lever receives a rotational force from a cancel protrusion that rotates together with the steering, a drive member provided on the holding member retreats against the force of a spring. In this manner, an excessive force is not exerted on, for example, the cancel lever.
In the turn signal switch device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-195103, the cancel lever is urged by the force of the helical compression spring in the protruding direction. The helical compression spring is disposed in a space above the cancel lever and below the control lever. Since the space in which the helical compression spring is disposed is required, a large height of a mechanism is required and, thus, it is difficult to make the turn signal switch device low-profile.
The helical compression spring exerts a pressing force on the cancel lever in the protruding direction, and the helical compression spring exerts, on the cancel lever that is rotated, a returning force to the neutral position in the rotational direction. At that time, since the rotational pressing force exerted on the cancel lever by the helical compression spring is week, the compression spring needs to have a spring constant higher than necessary in order to ensure the rotational returning force. As a result, the drive load occurring when the cancel lever is retreated becomes excessive.
In the turn signal switch device described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-195103, the cancel lever is disposed in front of the holding member that rotates together with the control lever. Accordingly, a large space for disposing the cancel lever and its operation space is needed between the cancel protrusion of the steering and the cancel lever and, thus, it is difficult to reduce the size of the turn signal switch device.


A content addressable memory (CAM) structure, and a method for its use, wherein data items of different selected lengths stored in the CAM may be located by matching sequences of CAM data words with sequences of input data words. Extension bits associated with each CAM data word control a sequence of comparison cycles to permit an input data item to be compared simultaneously with multiple input data items of the same length stored in the CAM structure. The CAM structure can be used without modification to store data items of various selected lengths. A begin bit associated with each CAM data word is used to mark the beginning of each stored data item and, in an exact match mode of operation, a global line is used to mark the beginning of an input data item. Match logic associated with each CAM data word generates a match till now signal in each comparison cycle, and the signal is propagated to the end of the data item if an exact match is detected. The exact match and match till now signals are used to generate various global match indications in the CAM structure. The same CAM structure can also be operated in a sliding match mode in which each stored data item is compared with every possible sequence of input data words.

This invention relates generally to content addressable memories, sometimes known as associative memories, and relates more particularly to content addressable memories having the ability to store variable length items of information. A content addressable memory includes a memory array in which data items have been stored, and are subsequently accessed by the content of the data items rather than their locations or addresses in the array. An input data item used to access the memory is compared with a large number of the stored data items and a match indication is provided. In many cases the match indication also yields a physical location, which may be used to access related information in a parallel memory structure. For example, if the content addressable memory contains employee badge numbers, a successful matching operation on a desired badge number can be used to access other information in an employee's record.
Most content addressable memories are capable of performing only fixed length comparisons, or a limited selection of fixed length comparisons, where the limited selection includes match lengths that are a subset of the longest available match word. For example, a content addressable memory (CAM) may have a 48-bit word size and be able to perform searches on words of less than 48 bits, but only by masking out the unused bits in each word, using a "don't care" indicator. It is obviously wasteful to use a large memory word in this way to hold a smaller amount of useful information.
The need to store words of various lengths in a CAM is particularly acute in the computer networking field. Various network protocols allow 16-bit, 32-bit and 48-bit station or node addresses, and some allow variable length addresses as large as 160 bits. To accommodate all of these possibilities in a conventional CAM would be costly in the extreme.
Some early CAM designs proposed handling variable length data. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,646, issued in the name of Robert I. Roth, proposed a scheme in which the beginning and the end of each data word were designated by special characters, and the beginning and end of each field within a word was designated by another special character. A comparator using a complex system of shift registers was used to permit data words and fields to straddle physical word boundaries in the CAM.
There is clearly still room for improvement in the field of CAMs for handling variable length data. The present invention is directed to this end.

Method and apparatus for matching data items of variable length in a content addressable memory