A floating gate junction field-effect transistor image sensor element (10) is formed in a semiconductor layer (14). A drain region (20) of a first conductivity type of the elements (14) is formed adjacent a gate region (26). A potential barrier (98) is formed in the gate region (26) for collecting carriers (102) of the second conductivity type, the barrier (98) also acting as a probing current well. A capacitor (28, 32, 48) is coupled to the gate region (26) and is operable to deliver a pulse to gate region (26) for sweeping out the carriers (102) to the substrate (12). The difference in gate bias voltage caused by the absence of the collected carriers (102) is sensed at a sense node (116) coupled to a source region (30).

Several basic device architectures exist for constructing image sensor arrays. Two Of these are the frame transfer and line-address architectures. These architectures generally have a plurality of CCD elements arranged in rows and columns. For each CCD photosite well, an additional well separated by a barrier needs to be fabricated adjacent to it for receiving the stored charge. Further, pixel density is decreased by the requirement of channel stops. In certain of these devices, drains are formed in the channel stops to prevent blooming, and this occupies further array area.
Another class of imagers is arranged according to the interline transfer architecture. These devices comprise a plurality of photosites that can be either empty CCD wells or photodiodes. The photosites are separated by columns of CCD elements provided for readout of the signal. The necessity for the CCD columns decreases pixel density. Channel stops and barriers are required since CCD elements are used in the structure, and this further decreases pixel density.
Yet another class of devices uses an X-Y architecture, wherein each cell or element is individually addressed in the X and Y direction in order to read it out. Conventional X-Y architectures include charge injection devices (CIDs), MOS transistor devices and, more recently, charge-modulated transistor devices. In the CID device, two gates are formed, one connected to a column line, and another connected to a row line. CID arrays have long readout leads, and therefore, have a large parasitic capacitance. This in turn lowers the dynamic range of the device because of the kTC noise associated with the long, high-capacitance readout lines. Further, since each cell is required to be separately read out, the readout of an entire row of cells takes a considerable time. The high-density television (HDTV) format requires that the addressing and readout of an image sensor array used in connection therewith be done within a standard 53-5-microsecond period. Thus, if there are 1000 elements in a row of a CID array device that is operated in the HDTV format, each element in the row must be addressed and read in 53.5 nanoseconds. This is very difficult to accomplish because of the RC time constant associated with charging up the readout lines, which in turn limits the size of CID image sensor arrays. Further, the relatively large time necessary to read out the array increases smear.
MOS transistor arrays have the same problems as CID arrays relative to their long, large-capacitance sense lines. In addition, the charge from each address element is not amplified, but is instead read out directly on these sense lines. Pixel density of these device arrays is reduced by the requirement of forming either one or two transistors at each photosite for addressing purposes.
Recently, a charge modulated device has been proposed by T. Nakamura, K. Matsumoto et al. in their article "A New MOS Phototransistor Operating in a Non-Destructive Readout Mode," Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp. L323-325 (May, 1985). This proposed sensor array has the same X-Y architecture as the CID and MOS architectures mentioned above, and thus suffers the same dynamic range and speed problems as the other X-Y addressed architectures.
A 53.5 ns readout time is difficult to meet by present polysilicide gate technology if the column sense lines of the array become too long.
X-Y addressed transistor imager pixels known in the art in general -suffer from several other problems. A first drawback of certain conventional transistor imager pixels is that they have a gate region that is completely covered by an overlying, partially transparent or translucent conductor, conventionally fabricated of polysilicon. The presence of this overlying gate conductor reduces the quantum efficiency of the device.
Further, transistor imager element structures recently introduced in the literature modulate the current passing through them rather than sensing a voltage threshold modulation. This current will vary both with the intrinsic threshold voltage of the element producing it and also that element's size. Variations from element to element in these respects therefore produce "pattern noise." The threshold and size parameters of the sensing elements must therefore be tightly controlled; however, this control becomes progressively more difficult as the size of the element decreases.
The long readout time of conventional X-Y approach exacerbates such problems as smearing, blooming and element-to-element charge leakage from unaddressed rows to addressed rows.
A need therefore exists in the industry for a transistor sensor element that has good quantum efficiency, isolates itself with respect to adjacent imaging pixels, produces a modulated voltage signal rather than a current signal, has low pattern noise, and has a sufficiently fast readout for HDTV applications.

Method of making floating gate junction field effect transistor image sensor elements


Disclosed herein is a paper coating agent which comprises a modified polyvinyl alcohol (A) containing 3 to 15 mol % of ethylene units and an alkali metal ion (B), with the ratio of component (A) to component (B) being 100:0.003 to 100:1 in parts by weight. Disclosed also herein is a heat-sensitive recording material which comprises a coating layer on a substrate, said coating layer comprising a modified polyvinyl alcohol containing 3 to 15 mol % of ethylene units.. The paper coating agent of the present invention has such excellent solubility in boiling water that there is not a problem of insoluble matter in an aqueous solution of the coating agent. When applied for a paper surface coating agent, it gives coated paper without discoloration, superior, in surface strength, air barrier properties, and printability. When applied for a paper pigmented coating agent, it gives coated paper without discoloration, superior in water resistance and printability.. The heat-sensitive recording material of the present invention is superior in color developing sensitivity, water resistance, oil resistance, plasticizer resistance, and PVC film resistance. Furthermore it is superior in high-speed printability and image resolution, and it can be used in the field, such as facsimile, where high-speed printing is required.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper coating agent and also to a heat-sensitive recording material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been common practice to use polyvinyl alcohol as a clear coating agent or pigmented coating agent to improve the surface properties of paper, such as surface strength, smoothness, gloss, gas barrier properties, water resistance, printability, and solvent resistance.
There has recently been a tendency for paper to decrease in surface strength because the percentage of waste-paper and South-Sea timber in the raw material for pulp is increasing. On the other hand, the increased printing speed requires the improvement of paper in surface strength. In the case of barrier paper, higher barrier properties are required. In the case of paper used for offset printing that uses water, high water-resistant strength is required.
In order to cope with these problems, there has been proposed a paper coating agent of modified polyvinyl alcohol containing 1 to 10 mol % of .alpha.-olefin units with 4 or less carbon atoms (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 112794/1988 and 85198/1988). However, said modified polyvinyl alcohol has a problem of low solubility in water at 90.degree. C. or more (hereinafter referred to as "boiling water"), and there has been a problem of insoluble matter in an aqueous solution of the coating agent.
The heat-sensitive recording material has come into general use as a recording medium for computers, word processors, telex, facsimiles, and calculators on account of its advantages of giving recorded images upon simple heating, requiring no complex processes for development and fixing, producing no noise at the time of recording, and giving recording systems at relatively small cost.
There is a demand for a heat-sensitive recording material capable of high-speed printing, as the printing speed of facsimiles etc. has been increasing every year. Also, there is a demand for a heat-sensitive recording material which has an excellent color developing sensitivity so that it can record images of not only characters but also drawings and photographs, accurately and neatly. Furthermore, there is a demand for a heat-sensitive recording material superior in water resistance, oil resistance, plasticizer resistance, and preservation stability.
A heat-sensitive recording materials comprises a substrate (such as paper, plastic film, or metal-deposited paper) and a heat-sensitive color developing layer applied thereon which develops a color by heat energy, on which a surface protective layer is usually applied.
The heat-sensitive color developing layer comprises a colorless or light-colored leuco dye (heat-sensitive dye), a color developing agent such as an organic acid or phenol compound which makes the leuco dye develop color upon heating, and a binder.
The binder which has been used in the heat-sensitive color developing layer is a water-soluble polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol, methyl cellulose, hydroxycellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and oxidized starch. However, the heat-sensitive color developing layer obtained by the use of the conventional binder has a problem in color development sensitivity, water resistance, and preservation of images, although it is excellent in adhesion to the substrate.
The surface protective layer is made from polyvinyl alcohol, acrylamide-modified polyvinyl alcohol, acetoacetate-modified polyvinyl alcohol, or aldehydopolyacrylamide-styrene copolymer. However, the conventional surface protective layer has a problem in water resistance, oil resistance, and plasticizer resistance, which affect preservation stability.
There is sometimes applied an undercoating layer between the substrate and the heat-sensitive color developing layer, which is made from a water-soluble polymer such as polyvinyl alcohol and oxidized starch. However, the conventional undercoating layer has a problem of short life of the thermal head.
In order to cope with the above-mentioned problems, there have been proposed a heat-sensitive recording sheet comprising an overcoat layer of polyvinyl alcohol containing 1000 ppm or less of the content of sodium and a heat-sensitive recording sheet comprising a heat-sensitive color developing layer in which the binder comprises polyvinyl alcohol containing 1000 ppm or less of the content of sodium (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 64330/1994). However, these conventional heat-sensitive recording sheets still have a problem in water resistance.


A display device including a transmission display panel, a first backlight module, a first polarizer, and a reflective polarizer is provided. The first backlight module includes a first light guide plate and a light emitting unit. The first light guide plate has a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a first light incident surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. The first surface is between the second surface and the transmission display panel. The light emitting unit is disposed beside the first light incident surface. The transmission display panel is between the first polarizer and the first surface. The second surface is between the first surface and the reflective polarizer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a display device with a transparent display function.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional transparent display is generated by removing the backlight module in a normal display panel. In other words, a conventional transparent display includes a lower polarizer, an active device array substrate, a twisted nematic liquid crystal layer, a color filter substrate, and an upper polarizer, wherein the transmission axis direction of the upper polarizer is perpendicular to the transmission axis direction of the lower polarizer. A conventional transparent display uses a background light beam as its backlight. When the intensity of the background light beam is not enough, the conventional transparent display cannot display images clearly. When the background light beam is a non-white light beam, the conventional transparent display cannot present the image colors correctly. Additionally, a transparent display device is disclosed in the Taiwan Public Patent No. 201137458. The transparent display device includes a second polarizer, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light guide plate, a reflective polarizer, and a light source disposed beside the light guide plate.

Display device having reflective polarizer


A method controls discharge temperature of a compressor of a vapor compression system. Using a mapping among discharge temperature, speed of the compressor, and outdoor air temperature, the method determines a desired discharge temperature for a new value of the speed of the compressor. The compressor is abruptly controlled to change the current speed of the compressor to the new value. A valve of the vapor compression system is smoothly controlled, such that the discharge temperature is transitioned to the desired discharge temperature according to a function of time representing a low pass filter with a time constant proportional to the thermal time constant of the compressor.

Vapor compression systems, such as heat pumps, refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, are widely used in industrial and residential applications. The vapor compression systems are large consumers of electrical energy and require efficient means cooling and heating. It is desirable to improve the operating efficiency of the vapor compression cycle without increasing costs of the components of the vapor compression systems.
The introduction of variable speed compressors, variable position valves, and variable speed fans to the vapor compression cycle has greatly improved the flexibility of the operation. However, the increased flexibility of these variable-actuators requires careful control of the flow rate of the refrigerant mass. Cooling an environment (for example, a room in a house or a display case for food in a grocery store) is achieved by the evaporation of a refrigerant. The cooling includes evaporation process whereby a substance is converted from a liquid to a vapor. This process occurs as heat is absorbed by the refrigerant, thereby removing the heat from the space to be cooled. During the process when some refrigerant is in the liquid phase and some is in the vapor phase, the refrigerant is said to be a two-phase mixture.
This evaporation process occurs in a heat exchanger, commonly called an evaporator. For the most energy efficient operation, the amount of refrigerant that enters the evaporator should be carefully controlled. Ideally, the refrigerant, having a two-phase mixture of part liquid and part vapor, enters the evaporator, and through the process of evaporation, is entirely converted to vapor as the refrigerant exits the evaporator. If too little refrigerant enters the evaporator, then all of the refrigerant is prematurely converted to the vapor phase before the refrigerant exits the evaporator, which implies that a substantial fraction of an evaporator surface area was not used to perform the cooling, thereby reducing the efficiency of the system. Conversely, if too much refrigerant is allowed to enter the evaporator, the refrigerant exits the evaporator while still in the partly liquid phase state, which implies that the full potential to perform useful cooling is not performed in the evaporator, to also reduce the efficiency. In addition, the liquid components of refrigerant exiting the evaporator can be ingested into the compressor, which could potentially cause damage.
The evaporation process is generally a constant-temperature process (with the evaporating temperature depending on the material properties and pressure of the refrigerant during evaporation). After full evaporation, additional heat transferred to the vapor-phase refrigerant causes an increase in the temperature of the refrigerant temperature. The difference in temperature between the elevated vapor phase temperature and the evaporating temperature is called a superheat temperature. Refrigerant exiting an evaporator that has been completely evaporated into the vapor phase exhibits a temperature greater than the evaporating temperature, in other words, have a positive superheat temperature. Properly controlling the refrigerant superheat temperature at the evaporator exit optimizes efficiency, and protects the vapor compression equipment.
To directly measure refrigerant superheat, various methods determine the evaporating temperature at the inlet to the evaporator, which requires measuring the evaporating pressure. After the evaporating pressure is measured, the evaporating temperature can be calculated using refrigerant properties. The vapor temperature at the evaporator exit is also measured, and the superheat is computed as a difference in the measured outlet vapor temperature and the evaporating temperature. This direct measurement methods require at least one pressure sensor and one (more commonly two) temperature measurements. Sensors for measuring refrigerant pressure are costly and often unreliable, and therefore the direct measurement of superheat is usually limited to very expensive systems that can tolerate high component costs and provide redundant means of sensing.
Rather than directly measure superheat, it is possible to estimate the superheat using less expensive temperature sensors. For example U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,264 describes a method for estimating superheat with two dedicated temperature sensors arranged near the inlet and outlet of the evaporator heat exchanger. While this method may estimate the superheat temperature with reasonable accuracy, the method still requires additional dedicated temperature sensors located in particular positions on the heat exchanger. The additional sensors increase the cost of the machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,748 teaches that refrigerant may be controlled in such a way as to control superheat by using a combination of the compressor discharge temperature (temperature of the refrigerant exiting the compressor) and the outdoor air temperature. The valve position that controls the correct amount of refrigerant is computed using these sensors. While that method avoids unnecessary heat exchanger temperature or pressure sensors, the method is not suitable for vapor compression systems with variable speed compressors.
In consideration of the above, there is a need in the art for a method of measuring the amount of refrigerant entering the evaporator to optimize the efficiency and the cost of the vapor compression systems with variable speed compressors.

System and method for controlling vapor compression systems

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


In a process for dyeing a textile web having a first face and a second face opposite the first face, a solvent-based dye having at least one component that has a thermal conductivity substantially greater than that of the solvent is applied to the textile web. The web is then moved, in an open configuration thereof, over a contact surface of an ultrasonic vibration system with the textile web in direct contact with the contact surface of the ultrasonic vibration system. The ultrasonic vibration system is operated to impart ultrasonic energy to the textile web at the contact surface of the ultrasonic vibration system. In one embodiment, the dye is applied to the first face of the web and the web is then moved over the contact surface of the ultrasonic vibration system with the second face of the web in direct contact with the contact surface.

The dyeing of textile webs is commonly achieved in one of two manners, one being immersing the textile web in a bath of dye solution so that the dye soaks into the textile web and the other being applying dye to (e.g., by spraying or coating) one or both faces of the textile web. Immersion (also commonly referred to as dip-coating) of the textile web requires a substantial amount of dye solution to be used to saturate the textile web. In addition, following saturation the textile web must be washed to remove a substantial amount of unbound dye from the web. While dip-coating results in good penetration of the dye throughout the entire textile web, it presents a relatively inefficient use of the dye solution and requires considerable post-processing of the web.
Dye may instead be applied to one or both faces of the textile web by any number of application techniques including, without limitation, ink jet systems, spray systems, gravure roll, slot die, rod coater, rotary screen curtain coater, air knife, brush and the like. Following the application of dye to the web, the web is often heated and/or steamed to promote binding of the dye to the textile web. The textile web may then be washed, such as in a bath of water or other cleaning solution, to remove unbound and excess dye from the web.
Applying dye to the textile web in this manner (e.g., as opposed to dip-coating) requires considerably less dye to be initially applied to the web, and thus reduces the time spent heating/steaming the web to facilitate binding of the dye to the web, and also reduces the amount of unbound dye that needs to be subsequently washed from the web. Such dyeing operations where the dye is applied to only one face of the textile generally use less dye, but run the associated risk that dye does not adequately penetrate into and through the web to the opposite face to provide even or uniform coloring of the web. While dyeing both faces of the textile web somewhat reduces this risk it also requires additional dye to be used, resulting in more unbound dye that must be subsequently removed from the web.
To this end, a co-pending U.S. application entitled PROCESS FOR DYEING A TEXTILE WEB, application Ser. No. 11/647,534 and filed Dec. 28, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a dyeing process in which dye is applied to only one face of a textile web and then the opposite face of the web is subjected to ultrasonic vibration to facilitate the migration of the dye into and through the web.
Once dye is applied to the web, it is also common to subject the dyed web to a drying process to bind the dye to the web. For solvent based dyes (e.g., comprising water or organic solvent), conventional drying is carried out by placing the dyed web in an oven at a suitable temperature to dry the dye to thereby facilitate binding of the dye to the web. Where webs are dyed in a continuous, or line feed process, such a drying process often takes a relatively considerable amount of time compared to the desired speed at which the web is to be moved.
There is a need, therefore, for a dyeing process that reduces the amount of dye that needs to be used in dyeing a textile web and facilitates improved penetration of the dye into and through the web during processing, as well as facilitating enhanced and/or expedited binding of the dye to the web. While the ultrasonic vibration used in the process described in the above-referenced co-pending application does generate heat and therefore facilitate some initial binding of the dye to the web (e.g., by evaporating some of the solvent), an enhanced or expedited process is advantageous.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A processor based postage metering system includes structure for entering user input data including first and second fold configurations selected from a plurality of fold configurations; apparatus for accounting for postage dispensed by the processor based postage metering system; a document program running on the processor based postage metering system, the document program operable for controlling creation of a document based on the user input data; apparatus for automatically determining based on the first fold configuration a first designated location within the document for printing a first evidence of postage; structure for automatically determining based on the second fold configuration a second designated location within the document for printing a second evidence of postage; and apparatus for printing the document and the first and second evidences of postage such that the first and second evidences of postage are respectively printed in the first and second designated locations of the document.

Since the issuance of U.S. Pat. No. 1,530,852 to Arthur H. Pitney, the postage meter has evolved from completely mechanical postage meters to meters that incorporate extensive use of electronic components. Although postage meters have performed satisfactorily in the past, and continue to perform satisfactorily, with the advancement in computer controlled digital printing technology the United States Postal Service (USPS) and other Posts are considering requirements for new technology metering devices.
The USPS is presently considering requirements for two metering device types: closed systems and open systems. In a closed system, the system functionality is solely dedicated to metering activity. Examples of closed system metering devices, also referred to as postage evidencing devices (PEDs), include conventional digital and analog postage meters wherein a dedicated printer is securely coupled to a metering or accounting function. In a closed system, since the printer is securely coupled and dedicated to the meter, printing cannot take place without accounting. Recently, Pitney Bowes Inc. has introduced the PostPerfect® and Personal Post Office™ meters which are new closed system metering devices that include a dedicated digital printer securely coupled to a secure accounting module.
In an open system, the printer is not dedicated to the metering activity thereby freeing system functionality for multiple and diverse uses in addition to the metering activity. Examples of open system metering devices include personal computer (PC) based devices with single/multi-tasking operating systems, multi-user applications and digital printers. An open system metering device is a PED with a non-dedicated printer that is not securely coupled to a secure accounting module. Examples of PC based open metering systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,781,438 and 5,801,944 which are each incorporated herein by reference.
When a PED prints a postage indicia on a mailpiece, the accounting register within the PED must always reflect that the printing has occurred. Postal authorities generally require the accounting information to be stored within the postage meter in a secure manner with security features that prevent unauthorized and unaccounted for postage printing or changes in the amounts of postal funds stored in the meter. In a closed system, the meter and printer are integral units, i.e., interlocked in such a manner as to ensure that the printing of a postage indicia cannot occur without accounting.
Since an open system PED utilizes a printer that is not used exclusively for printing proof of postage payment, additional security measures are required to prevent unauthorized printing evidence of postage payment. Such security measures include cryptographic evidencing of postage payment by PEDs in the open and closed metering systems. The postage value for a mailpiece may be encrypted together with other data to generate a digital token. A digital token is encrypted information that authenticates the information imprinted on a mail piece including postage values. Alternatively, the United States Postal Service has proposed utilizing public key cryptography to print a bar coded encrypted message on the mailpiece which message can be verified by the postal authority to establish the authenticity of the mailpiece. The combination of the printed postal indicia together with the encrypted information (whether a digital token or a bar coded encrypted message) is referred to as a postal revenue block.
Digital tokens and bar code encrypted messages may be utilized in both open and closed metering systems. However, for open metering systems, the non-dedicated printer may be used to print other information in addition to the postal revenue block and may be used in activity other than postage evidencing. In an open system PED, addressee information is included in the postal data which is used in the generation of the digital tokens. Such use of the addressee information creates a secure link between the mailpiece and the postal revenue block and allows unambiguous authentication of the mail piece.
The previously mentioned publication, U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,944, describes a PC based open metering system that provides the capability of merging an accounted for postal revenue block into another document (such as a letter on 8.5 by 11 inch paper) so that the letter is printed with the postal revenue block thereon in the upper right hand corner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,944 describes that the document with postal revenue block can then be folded in a manner such that the postal revenue block can be viewed through a window of a windowed envelope upon the insertion of the document into the envelope. This feature provides the advantage that in high speed mailing systems the separate step of printing a postal revenue block on the envelope after the document has been inserted therein is no longer required. Moreover, if the destination address is printed on the document in relation to the postal revenue block such that after folding of the document the destination address can be seen through another window of the envelope, the further step of matching an addressed envelope to its corresponding document is also eliminated.
Despite the advantages of the technology set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,944, the only described embodiment therein assumes that the postal revenue block will be printed at the top right hand corner of the document and then the document is folded appropriately so that the postal revenue block is visible through the envelope window. Thus, the location of the postal revenue block mandates that only a limited number of type folds can be used in order ensure that the postal revenue block is visible upon its insertion in the envelope. In today's environment, however, there are various ways that documents can be folded including Z-folds, C-folds, and half-folds. Moreover, within each of the fold types set forth above, there are different ways in which the particular type fold is created that will directly impact exactly at what location on the printed side of the document that the printed indicia or postal revenue block must be printed in order to be used within a windowed envelope or as a self-mailed product. Accordingly, the prior art devices are limited in that they do not dynamically account for the type of fold the document will be subjected to as an input in determining the printing location of the postage indicia or postage revenue block within the document.
In addition to the above, it is often the case that when a mailpiece, such as a billing statement, is mailed a response is required by the addressee. In order to ensure that the response is timely sent, it is desirable to reuse the original mailpiece as the response mailpiece and to provide an indication of the method for payment of postage on the mailpiece for both the originally mailed mailpiece and the returned response mailpiece. However, in order to ensure there is no confusion at the postal authority it is also preferred that the generation of the original mailpiece includes printing of the indications of postage payment methods such that only one of the indications of postage payment methods is visible when the mailpiece is folded. That is, the indications of postage payment methods are printed so that if one way of folding is applied to the mailpiece only the indicia associated with the original mailing is visible and if a second method of folding is applied to the mailpiece only the indicia associated with returned response mailpiece is visible. Therefore, a method and apparatus are needed which can dynamically determine the printing locations on a single mailpiece for a plurality of indications of postage payment methods based on the types of folds the mailpiece will be subjected to as both an original mailed mailpiece and a returned response mailpiece.

Method and apparatus for dynamically locating and printing a plurality of postage payment indicia on a mailpiece


A detection device includes an antenna for receiving an incident signal, and for delivering a base signal. A comparator receives the base signal and provides an intermediate signal representative of the sign of the base signal relative to a reference signal. A sampling circuit samples the intermediate signal for providing a digital signal. A digital processing circuit correlates the digital signal with a predetermined correlation signal.

Ultra wideband technology is distinguished from narrowband and spread spectrum technologies in the sense that the bandwidth of an ultra wideband type signal is typically between about 25% to 100% of the central frequency. Moreover, instead of transmitting a continuous carrier modulated with information or with information combined with a spreading code, which determines the bandwidth of the signal, ultra wideband technology involves transmission of a series of very narrow pulses. For example, these pulses may take the form of a single cycle having a pulse width of less than 1 ns. These pulses are extremely short in the time domain, and when transformed into the frequency domain, lead to the obtaining of the ultra wideband spectrum that is characteristic of UWB technology.
In UWB technology, the information on the signal can be coded, for example, by a modulation technique called pulse position modulation (PPM). In other words, the information coding is carried out by varying the instant of transmission of individual pulses. More specifically, the pulse train is transmitted at a frequency of repetition that can extend up to several tens of MHz. Each pulse is transmitted in a window of predetermined length, for example 50 ns. Compared to a theoretical position of transmission, the pulse is then ahead or delayed, enabling a 0 or a 1 to be coded. More than two values can also be coded using more than two positions offset relative to the reference position. It is even possible to superimpose a BPSK type modulation onto this position modulation.
On receiving the transmitted signal, these pulses must therefore be detected for determining, if necessary, their position if a PPM type modulation has been used. Until now, this detection of pulses is carried out using an analog correlator, which requires a relatively complex hardware implementation.

Method and device for detecting pulses of an incident pulse signal of the ultra wideband type


In a video signal processing apparatus for correcting time axis errors using a memory, with replacement of a horizontal sync signal in a video signal read out from the memory by a reference horizontal sync signal, data appearing in a vertical flyback period is not lost. A vertical flyback period detecting circuit functioning as an inhibiting means detects the vertical flyback period and produces a detection signal. An AND gate gates the detection signal and a reference horizontal sync signal generated from a sync signal generating circuit, so that a replacement of the horizontal sync signal is inhibited during the vertical flyback period, and an address, a time code and an ID code which have been inserted during the vertical flyback period are not lost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video signal processing apparatus used in a video tape recorder (VTR), a video disk player (VDP) and the like, for digitally processing a video signal using a memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, VTRs and the like employ a video memory as a time axis correcting apparatus and a frame synchronizer.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional VTR apparatus. In this drawing, after a video signal has been A/D-converted by an A/D (analog-to-digital) converter 1 into a corresponding digital video signal, the digital video signal is written into a memory 2. Then, the digital video signal which has been written into the memory 2 is read out and D/A-converted into a corresponding analog video signal by a D/A (digital-to-analog) converter 3. The output derived from the D/A converter 3 is supplied to a replacing circuit 4. The function of the replacing circuit 4 is to replace a synchronizing (sync) signal (vertical synchronizing signal and horizontal synchronizing signal) of the video signal corresponding to the output from the D/A converter 3, with a reference sync signal generated from a sync-signal generating circuit 7. This implies such a sync-insert circuit in which, in order to reduce the memory capacity of the memory 2, no sync signal portion is written into the memory, but only the video period is written therein.
In any cases the video signal to which the reference sync signal has been added by the replacing circuit 4, corresponds to an output signal with a stable time axis.
It should be noted that a PLL (phase-locked loop) 5 produces a write clock whose phase is synchronized with the phase of the input video signal, and also an oscillator 6 produces a reference read clock.
In the above-described conventional apparatus, since the digital video signal is read out from the memory 2 in response to a stable reference clock, and furthermore the sync signal is replaced with a stable reference sync signal, time axis correction is carried out.
On the other hand, there are several sorts of reference sync signals to be generated by the sync-signal generating circuit 7, such as the horizontal sync signal, the vertical sync signal and the equalizing pulse. As a result, a large quantity of frequency dividing circuits are required which properly divide an oscillator output having a frequency of, for instance, Nf.sub.sc (symbol "N" denotes any integer, and symbol "f.sub.sc " represents a color sub-carrier frequency) provided by a crystal oscillator. Therefore, a total number of elements in the conventional apparatus is large.
Further, in a video signal recorded by a recently developed VTR, a time code, an address, an ID code and the like, which are referred to as a "VITC", have been recorded during a vertical flyback (retrace) period of this video signal. Also in a VDP, an address, a picture stop code and the like have been recorded. As a consequence, if the synchronizing signals of the vertical flyback period are replaced by the reference synchronizing signal in the conventional apparatus, these data will be lost. When the video signal from which these data have been lost is dubbed in another VTR, the lost data are not dubbed.

Video signal processing apparatus with time base correction and inhibition of horizontal sync signal replacement during vertical flyback


The invention relates to tetrahydropyridoindole derivatives and their use as active ingredients in the preparation of pharmaceutical compositions. The invention also concerns related aspects including processes for the preparation of the compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more of those compounds and methods of treatment comprising administration of said compounds.

Prostaglandin D2 is a known agonist of the thromboxane A2 (TxA2) receptor, the PGD2 (DP) receptor and the recently identified G-protein-coupled "chemoattractant receptor-homologous molecule expressed on Th2 cells" (CRTH2).
The response to allergen exposure in a previously sensitized host results in a cascade effect involving numerous cell types and release of a number of cytokines, chemokines, and multiple mediators. Among these critical initiators are the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, and IL-5, which play critical roles in Th2 cell differentiation, immunoglobulin (Ig)E synthesis, mast cell growth and differentiation, upregulation of CD23 expression, and the differentiation, recruitment, and activation of eosinophils. The stimulated release of the array of mediators, causes end-organ damage, including constriction and hyperresponsiveness, vascular permeability, edema, mucous secretion, and further inflammation.
Because of the number of responses targeted, corticosteroids have proven to be the most effective therapy. Rather than antagonizing these specific responses in a directed way, another approach is to alter the immune response, that is, to change the nature of the immunological response to allergen. CRTH2 is preferentially expressed on Th2 cells and is a chemoattractant receptor for PGD2 that mediates PGD2-dependent migration of blood Th2 cells. Chemoattractants are responsible for the recruitment of both Th2 cells and other effector cells of allergic inflammation, which can provide the conceptual basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies in allergic conditions.
So far, few compounds having CRTH2 antagonistic activity have been reported in the patent literature. Bayer AG claims the use of Ramatroban ((3R)-3-(4-fluorobenzene-sulfonamido)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole-9-propionic acid) for the prophylaxis and treatment of allergic diseases, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis or allergic conjuvatitis (GB 2388540). Further, (2-tert.-butoxycarbonyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-pyrido[4,3-b]indol-5-yl)-acetic acid and (2-ethoxycarbonyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-pyrido[4,3-b]indol-5-yl)-acetic acid are disclosed by Kyle F. et al in two patent applications (U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,756 and WO 9507294, respectively).
Furthermore, oral bioavailability of the Ramatroban and its ability to inhibit prostaglandin D2-induced eosinophil migration in vitro has been reported (Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 305(1), p. 347-352 (2003)).


The drug delivery device (1) connects an syringe barrel (6) and a drug container (2) by means of a closed system, and delivers a drug between the syringe barrel and drug container through said closed system. This drug delivery device includes a first member (8) connected to the drug container (2) on the side of a stopper (4), and a second member (30) connected at one end to the first member and connected at the other end to the syringe barrel (6). The first member and the second member are connected by a fitting mechanism. A second hollow needle member (34) provided on the second member faces towards the first member, and the tip portion (36) and the base portion (38) are fixed. The first member has a first hollow needle member (12). The first member and the second member each have an elastic member (18 and 40).

Among the anticancer agents and other such hazardous medications which are used in medical facilities there are a wide variety of products which include therapeutic radioactive medications and the like. Hazardous medications are drugs which are used on a daily basis consistent with therapeutic objectives at medical facilities. However, as levels of mutagens detected in the urine of medical staff who work in environments where these are formulated or administered are high as compared with medical staff who have not been exposed thereto, there is concern that there may be adverse effect on reproductive function.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published guidelines related to the handling of antineoplastic agents and other hazardous medications by medical staff, and regulations for the handling of hazardous medications have also been established at institutions such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, during handling of hazardous medications at medical facilities, there are still many situations in which medical staff and patients are subjected to unintentional exposure by those hazardous medications. In such situations, it is frequently the case that the route by which exposure occurs is oral or transdermal exposure to the hazardous medication in liquid or gas form.
More specifically, exposure frequently occurs as a result of drug leakage or dripping at times such as when an infusion bag is being filled with a drug or when a drug is being transferred by suction from a drug container to a syringe during drug dispensing operations. Even more specifically, it is believed that following leakage the drug may come in direct contact with the skin, or that the drug in gasified form, or in particulate form and floating in the air where the drug has dried, may enter the body by inhalation.
In light of the foregoing situation, many medical devices have been developed for delivery of drug(s) between or among containers in which, where hazardous drugs are to be delivered between or among containers, employment of a closed system between or among those containers has been attempted in an effort to prevent medical staff and patients from being subjected to exposure by hazardous drugs (see Patent References Nos. 1 through 6).


Vias and methods of making the same. The vias including a middle portion located in a via opening in an interconnect-level dielectric layer, a top portion including a top head that extends above the via opening and extends laterally beyond upper edges of the via opening and a bottom portion including a bottom head that extends below the via opening and extends laterally beyond lower edges of the via opening. The via may be formed from a refractory material.

Copper is a popular material to use to form interconnect structures such as metal lines and vias in semiconductor devices. However, copper tends to diffuse at typical semiconductor processing temperatures. As a result, copper interconnect structures may form voids during thermal cycling.
In addition, in interconnect structure, it is typically at the junctions where a via joins a metal line structure (e.g., word lines, bit lines, source lines) to form a corner that physical stress tends to concentrate. The combination of high temperature and stress concentration makes the junctions hot spots for void formation. The voids may cause electrical opens within the copper interconnect structures. Such defects adversely impact chip yield in advanced semiconductor devices.

Via structure and methods for forming the same

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited


An exemplary liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel (10), a light guide plate (12) located below the liquid crystal panel, an illuminator (16) located adjacent a side of the light guide plate, and an electrical connector (15) attached to a side of the light guide plate and receiving the illuminator therein. The illuminator is mechanically attached to the electrical connector, and contact points of the illuminator are in direct physical and electrical connection with corresponding contact points of the electrical connector.

Liquid crystal displays are commonly used as displays for compact electronic apparatuses. This is because liquid crystal displays not only provide good quality images using little power, but are also conveniently thin.
Referring to FIG. 4, a typical liquid crystal display 4 includes a liquid crystal panel 40, an optical film assembly 41, a light guide plate (LGP) 42, a printed circuit board (PCB) 43, a light emitting diode (LED) 44, a first flexible printed circuit board (FPC) 45 and a second FPC 46. The liquid crystal panel 40, the optical film assembly 41, the light guide plate 42 and the PCB 43 are arranged from top to bottom in that order. The first FPC 45 bends away from the liquid crystal panel 40 and is electrically connected to the PCB 43. The second FPC 46 is located adjacent to the light guide plate 42 and is electrically connected to the PCB 43. The LED 44 is fixed at the second FPC 46.
The LED 44 is generally fixed at the second FPC 46, by a soldering method using tin or lead. Tin and lead are materials potentially harmful to human health and may contribute to environmental pollution. The liquid crystal display 4 may be restricted or even prohibited from sale in countries with strict environmental protection laws.
What is needed, therefore, is a liquid crystal display that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.

Liquid crystal display with electrical connector


A means and method for automatically selecting an amount of weight to be connected to a cable system in a fitness machine. When a dial is rotated to select a weight, a connected computer receives the rotational position information, operates a program to determine the amount of each weight to attach to the cable system and actuates solenoids accordingly to attach the weight to the cable by inserting pins fully into weight stacks to connect weights to a rod connected to a cable. The computer also displays the selected weight on the dial. When the new weight is selected, one or more retracting solenoids draw any inserted pins partially out before any new pins are fully inserted to connect the weights to the rod. This ensures that the system is cleared before attaching any weights to the cable.

The invention relates generally to fitness equipment, and more specifically to fitness equipment that mechanically links to one or more plates in a weight plate stack after a user selects the desired amount of weight to be lifted by the user.
There are various types of activities that people can engage in to enhance physical fitness. Many types of fitness devices have been invented to aid people in their quest for physical fitness, and these range from the simple barbell to the mechanically complex cable, pulley and weight stack machines. In the latter, a series of stacked weights aligned with a rod extending vertically therethrough are lifted by the user through one or more cables extending through pulleys attached at one end to the rod and at the opposite end to a handle. The user selects the position of the handle in order to correctly match the lifting routine and body size, and the user selects the amount of weight appropriate to his or her fitness level in the routine.
Conventional means for selecting the amount of weight include a T-shaped pin that inserts between two of the cast iron plates in the stack and into an aligned aperture in the rod. Because the pin is placed beneath one of the plates and into the rod, when the rod is raised by pulling on the cable, the weight plates above the pin are lifted with the rod. To remove the pin from the stack, one typically lowers the weights and then presses a button at the intersection of the "legs" of the "T". This allows the pin to be withdrawn from the aperture in the rod, for example by reducing the diameter of the pin by moving radially inwardly a small ball that otherwise protrudes from the shaft of the pin.
While those with the ability to grasp the handle and press the button on such T-shaped pins take for granted their ability to carry out the procedure needed to withdraw such a pin, a significant portion of the population is not capable of carrying out this procedure. Fitness machines listed in the Invention Disclosure Statement have been invented to allow users who are not able to carry out this procedure to avoid such machines. However, such prior art machines suffer from various weaknesses that hinder their use. Therefore, the need exists for a fitness machine with a weight stack that permits quick and accurate change of weight and display of the selected weight.

Fitness machine with weight selection and weight indicator


A system and method for controlling a working hydraulic pressure supplied to a mechanical power transmission applicable to an automative vehicle, the power transmission having a fluid power transmitting device such as a torque converter, in which a target duration of time during which a shifting operation occurs is retrieved from a table map according to an operating state of the fluid power transmitting device and is compared with an actual duration of time during which the shifting operation occurs. A characteristic value of the fluid power transmitting device is retrieved according to a speed ratio between input and output revolutional speeds of the fluid power transmitting device and is corrected and rewritten according to a magnitude relationship between the target and actual durations of times. An input torque of the mechanical power transmission can, thus, accurately be estimated using the learned characteristic value of the fluid power transmitting device without influence of environmental changes such as a change of altitude and/or variations of the characteristics of the transmission. Consequently, the setting accuracy of the working hydraulic pressure can be improved on the basis of the estimated input torque, thereby the control accuracy of the shifting operation can be improved.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling a working hydraulic pressure (line pressure) in a mechanical power transmission with a fluid coupling device such as an automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle.
(2) Description of the Background Art
An engine output is input to a mechanical power transmission via a fluid transmitting device such as a torque converter or fluid coupling in an automotive automatic power transmission and no-shift power transmission. Particularly, in the mechanical power transmission device of the automatic transmission, up or downshifting is carried out by means of the engagement or release of a gear shift element such as a clutch or bandbrake.
It is noted that since a gear shift point is generally determined according to an opening angle of a throttle valve and vehicle speed and the engine operating condition is determined according to a kind of gear shift and opening angle of the throttle valve, a working hydraulic pressure is set, estimating the instantaneous engine generated torque, i.e., input torque toward the power transmission.
In addition, in order to improve a gear shift controlling accuracy, a hydraulic pressure controlling system has been proposed in which the hydraulic pressure is learned by detecting a target shifting duration determined according to the opening angle of the throttle valve.
However, since engine generated torque is varied according to the atmospheric pressure (altitude) or the engine state (i.e. warmed-up or not), it is, in some cases, difficult to estimate the engine generated torque on the basis of the opening angle of the throttle valve.
A Japanese Utility Model Registration Application First Publication No. Heisei 1-69947 published on May 10, 1989 exemplifies a line pressure controlling system for the automatic power transmission.
In the disclosed line pressure controlling system, an input revolutional speed and output revolutional speed of the power transmission are compared with each other to derive a speed ratio. An input torque of the mechanical power transmission is estimated on the basis of a characteristic value of a fluid transmitting device (torque converter) derived according to the speed ratio so that the line pressure is controlled on the basis of the estimated input torque.
However, since the fluid transmitting device may have various characteristics according to different types thereof as well as aging effects, it is difficult to accurately estimate the input torque, thus deteriorating the line pressure controlling accuracy.
Furthermore, although another line pressure controlling system in which a torque sensor is installed on an output axle of the power transmission to detect the output torque of the power transmission and the input torque is estimated on the basis of a gear ratio of the mechanical power transmission and the detected output torque, it is not cost effective and requires high precision. Consequently, such a line pressure controlling system as described above has not been put into practice.

System and method for controlling working hydraulic pressure for automatic transmission with fluid transmission device

Japan Electronic Control Systems Co., Ltd.


A gear-driven modular disc cutter assembly that may be used singly or in combination on a header of an agricultural harvester to form a modular disc cutterbar. The modules feature a low profile to minimize disruption of incoming crop flow and are coordinated such that any two adjacent cutters are either converging or diverging the crop flow (e.g. any two adjacent cutters rotate in opposite directions). Additionally, the modules are suitable for mounting on a movable frame which allows the cutterbar to be folded in a horizontal plane to reduce the transverse width of the cutterbar to facilitate transport of the harvester between fields.

This invention relates generally to a machine for severing standing crops from the ground to initiate a harvesting process and, more particularly, to a cutterbar having a preselected number of low-profile, modular rotary cutter units mountable on a movable frame which allows the cutterbar width to reduced for transport.
One common type of modular disc cutterbars used in agriculture includes a plurality of individual rotary disc cutter modules, each having a self-contained drive mechanism, modularly interconnected by spacers and drive shafts spanning a header to form the cutterbar. The modular nature of the cutter modules isolates contamination of the drive mechanism occurring in the event of a failure of a single cutter module. Limiting the spread of debris from a failed module reduces the corrective maintenance necessary to replace the failed module. The disadvantage to a modular design of this type is that a higher profile (compared to other designs) cutterbar is necessitated by the space for a transverse shaft driveline interconnecting adjacent cutter modules. Higher profile cutterbars tend to negatively influence crop flow across the cutterbar and into the header.
Cutterbars frequently impact rocks and other obstructions in a field which can damage the cutterhead or the cutterhead driveline. Modular cutterhead designs allow an individual damaged cutterhead to be removed and replaced without affecting adjacent cutterhead modules. The modular design contains debris from gear failures within an individual module oil sump and reduces debris contamination of adjacent modules. However, replacing a single damaged cutterhead module is not an insignificant task requiring significant disassembly of the cutter bar in order to remove a damaged cutterhead from the cutterbar driveline because of intermediate drive shafts disposed between adjacent modules to transfer power laterally along the cutterbar.
Known gear-driven cutterbar designs generally include an elongate housing containing a train of meshed idler and drive spur gears for delivering power from one or more input shafts to respective cutterheads spaced along the length of the cutterbar. The housing typically extends substantially the entire transverse width of the cutterbar. The cutterheads each comprise a cutting disc including diametrically opposed cutting blades (though configurations with three or more blades are known) and having a hub coupled to an upper end of a drive shaft, the lower end of the drive shaft carrying a spur gear intermeshed with the drivetrain spur gears. Known gear-driven cutterbars cannot be folded or otherwise reconfigured to allow the cutterbar width to be reduced in order to improve transportability of a harvester between distant field locations.
It would be advantageous to have a modular cutterbar design incorporating the low profile advantages of a gear-driven driveline and the modularized housings which compartmentalize the drive-train housing in order to limit the spread of debris following a failure in one of the cutterheads and further to reduce the degree of cutterbar disassembly necessary to remove and replace a damaged module. Further advantages would be realized by a cutterhead module design that would allow variations in cutterbar width by varying the number of modules used thereby enabling one module design to be used on a number of cutterbars. Still further advantages would be realized in a cutterbar having multiple modules by mounting the modules on a movable frame that would allow a cutterbar width to be reduced to facilitate transport.


An image forming apparatus having a detachable imaging cartridge which includes a photosensitive member charged by a charge brush having brush fibers. At least one of the photosensitive member and the charging brush is detachable from the imaging cartridge, and the detachable one is attached to the imaging cartridge through a guide member so that the brush fibers of the charge brush are indented toward a downstream side relative to a predetermined position of the charge brush with respect to the rotational direction of the photosensitive member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as copying apparatus, printers and the like, and more specifically relates to an image forming apparatus which electrically charges an electrostatic latent image bearing member by a charge brush.
2. Description of the Related Art
The image forming apparatus of copying machines, printers and the like electrically charge an electrostatic latent image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum or the like by means of a charging device. The electrically charged area of the aforesaid latent image bearing member is subjected to image exposure light so as to form a latent image thereon which is then developed so as to be rendered visible, and the developed image is then transferred onto a transfer sheet and fixed thereon.
Various types of the aforementioned charging device are known which can be broadly divided into two types: corona chargers which use a corona discharge, and contact chargers which induce contact between a charging brush, charging roller or rotatably driven endless belt used for charging and the surface of an electrostatic latent image bearing member.
Charging devices that use a corona discharge have the advantage of providing a stable discharge, but also have the disadvantage of generating excessive ozone which causes deterioration of the latent image bearing member and produces adverse physiological affects. The amount of ozone generated by contact type chargers is remarkably slight compared to that of corona chargers.
Among the aforementioned types of chargers, the brush charger has a charge brush of relatively simple construction which makes contact with and charges the surface of an electrostatic latent image bearing member, and is particularly effective with latent image bearing members having a moving surface.
The construction of the aforesaid charge brush is generally as shown in FIG. 1. A plurality of charge brush fibers F fixedly attached via adhesive or the like to a supporting member (back plate) P of aluminum or like material having a backing A. The brush B makes contact with the moving surface S of the electrostatic latent image bearing member PC.
Image forming apparatus which electrically charge the surface of an electrostatic latent image bearing member via a charge brush tend to have grouping or non-uniformity in the brush fibers of the charge brush that causes irregular charging and stripe-like image noise.
When the aforesaid brush fiber grouping and non-uniformity is produced in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the surface of the electrostatic latent image bearing member, the rotational load of the latent image bearing member increases and fluctuates. The aforesaid load increase and fluctuation causes the latent image bearing member to fail to achieve a predetermined number of rotations and uneven rotation, thereby causing image defects.
Furthermore, when the image forming apparatus is stopped after use with the brush hair grouping and non-uniformity maintained in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the surface of the latent image bearing member, the nonuniform brush hair state becomes the fixed regular shape of the brush due to the brush hair creep during this period. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the brush fibers to make suitable contact with the surface of the latent image bearing member even when said member is driven, and a fair amount of the brush hair remains inclined in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the surface of the latent image bearing member.
There are thought to be various causes for the brush hair grouping and non-uniformity produced in the aforesaid type of charge brush. One reason is that the previously described unsuitable state of the brush fibers frequently occurs during the assembly of the charge brush and the latent image bearing member.

Image forming apparatus with charge brush


An optical integrated device having an even height such that it can be easily arrayed or integrated with other devices in a single substrate. The device includes a semi-conductor substrate having a substrate-side electrode which is formed on one side of the semi-conductor substrate. A micro-lens layer is epitaxially grown on the opposite side to where the substrate-side electrode is formed. The opposite side also has a hemispherically etched surface. The device also includes epitaxial layers which are grown on a whole area on the micro lens layer and a dielectric film which is formed on the epitaxial layers. Additionally, an epilayer-side electrode is formed on a whole area of the dielectric film.

A conventional optical device with a micro-lens is fabricated to form the lens by employing selective meltback etching and regrowth techniques. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the conventional optical device fabricated by employing the aforementioned techniques. The optical device is fabricated by a process which comprises the steps of: forming an etching mask on a single crystal substrate (4), performing meltback etching on the substrate, growing a thin layer to give a micro-lens (1) by regrowth technique, and evaporating an electrode (2) for ohmic contact.
However, the optical device fabricated by the prior art process has revealed some drawbacks in a sense that a tall and uneven ridge (3) ranging 10 micro meter to 30 micro meter in height is essentially created in the course of regrowing the thin layer, which makes it difficult not only to array a plurality of the optical devices in a single substrate as well as to integrate the optical devices with the other devices in a subsequent step.

Array of optical integrated devices with micro-lenses

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology


A parking assistance system is mounted in a vehicle, and has an image pick-up with a single camera, an image processing device, a display, a steering angle sensor, a wheel speed sensor, and a pulse counter. An A/D converter subjects two analog images picked up by the image pick-up at different locations to A/D conversion, and sends the results to frame memories. A CPU uses the digital image data and the transition data of the vehicle to calculate object data and a distance from the vehicle to the 3D object. An image thus obtained is then converted into a view from the above. The view from the above is stored in a frame memory, and outputted to the display under the control of a controller for display.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for assisting a driver of a vehicle to park via an image of around the vehicle and, more specifically, to a system for calculating a distance from the vehicle to a specific 3D object in the image picked up from the vehicle and advising the driver of what is located around the vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventional technologies so far disclosed as relevant to vehicles, such as automobiles, include detecting any obstacle around a vehicle, for example. If any obstacle is detected, and if a collision with the obstacle is determined as being highly possible, a driver of the vehicle is warned by alarm, advised of a distance to the obstacle, or according to the distance, the vehicle is automatically braked to stop. As an example of such detection means, there is a distance detection system utilizing an image recognition technology, such as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-114099 (93-114099). Utilized in this system is an image picked up by a camera mounted in a vehicle.
The distance detection system is now described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. Specifically, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the relationship between a camera and a 3D object, while FIG. 12 a block diagram showing the distance detection system.
In the distance detection system, a vehicle, such as in an automobile, is equipped with a stereo optical system for picking up an image of the 3D object located outside of the vehicle within a given range. The stereo optical system is exemplarily implemented by several cameras utilizing a solid image-pickup device, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD), and each fixedly attached to a ceiling surface of the vehicle towards its front. Here, the number of cameras is presumably two, and the camera located on the right, as viewed from the front, is referred to as the right camera, and the other camera on the left is as the left camera.
In FIG. 11, the right and left cameras are placed so as to be away from each other by a distance s, and each of the cameras photograph a point P at a perpendicular distance D therefrom. Assuming a focal distance for both cameras being f, an image of the point P is picked up on each camera""s projection surface, which is away from the camera by the focal distance f. In this case, the distance between these two images on the projection surfaces is s+t, where t denotes a displacement. Thus, the distance D is so calculated as follows:
D=s*f/t
That is, the displacement t leads to the distance D.
Described next is the process of calculating the displacement t. In FIG. 12, a stereo optical system 100 forwards data two of analog images picked up therein to an image processing part 201. The two analog image data are then subjected to an A/D conversion for output to a hamming distance calculation part 202. The two digital image data are then calculated, respectively, for a hamming distance H on a pixel basis. The hamming distances H are used to determine the displacement of the two images. A minimum/maximum value detection part 203 then searches the hamming distances H calculated by the hamming distance calculation part 202 for a minimum value Hmin and a maximum value Hmax. It is herein assumed that the minimum value Hmin is the displacement t.
As such, the distance detection system 200 processes two images picked up by a stereo camera mounted in a vehicle, and finds the displacement t. Thereby, the system can assist a driver with a 3D position of an obstacle, for example, and a warning alarm is possible to prevent against a collision or bump.
Such a distance detection system, however, requires considerable accuracy for fixedly attaching several cameras of the stereo optical system to a vehicle, especially with regard to angle, direction, interval, and the like. There also needs to be previously input, to a stereo image processing device, data indicating the satisfactory positions of those cameras. As a result, structuring such a stereo optical system is very difficult. Further, as described in the foregoing, in order to calculate the hamming distances H, object detection needs to be performed for one image with reference to the other image in their entirety. Also, the search on the pixel basis needs to be repeated, the amount of calculation is thus quite large, and the hardware structure is complicated. Still further, the distance to an obstacle advised by this distance detection system is often in numerical figures or by images being quite different in appearance from the actual obstacle. Therefore, the driver cannot quite perceive the actual distance.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a parking assistance system for assuredly advising a driver of a distance between his/her vehicle and an obstacle in a perceivable manner, while easing attachment of an image pick-up to the vehicle and reducing the number of calculations required for image processing.
The present invention has the following features to attain the above object.
An aspect of the present invention is directed to a parking assistance system for assisting a driver of a vehicle to park by picking up an image around the vehicle, and advising the driver of a 3D object located therearound. The system comprises an image pick-up for picking up, with a single camera during the vehicle""s transition, first and second images around the vehicle picked up at a different location and first and second times, an object specification part for detecting and specifying the 3D object found in each of the first and second images, a vehicle position calculation part for calculating transition data of the vehicle from the first location to the second location, an object distance calculation part for calculating a distance from the vehicle to the 3D object by using the position of the 3D object in each of the first and second images, and the transition data of the vehicle, and an image creation part for creating a third image for display to the driver based on the images picked up by the image pick-up and data calculated by the object distance calculation part.
As described above, in the aspect of the present invention, as is provided with a single image pick-up, the parking assistance system picks up two images at different location and time, and calculates the transition data of the vehicle between the two locations. Therefore, with the principle of triangulation applied to the 3D objects in two images, the parking assistance system can correctly calculate the distance to the 3D object. Accordingly, one image pick-up will do, and the parking assistance system achieves easy attachment thereof as having no more need to fixedly attaching several image pick-ups with considerable accuracy, especially with regard to angle, direction, interval, and the like. Further, the data calculated by the object distance calculation part correctly indicates the distance from the vehicle, and thus the third image will not be askew and tell the correct distance. Still further, by displaying the image onto which the distance data is added, the actual distance from the vehicle to the 3D object is easier for the driver.
The object distance calculation part preferably detects edges of each of the 3D objects found in the first and second images. Also, the object distance calculation part uses the coordinate data of any edge identical in the first and second images and the transition data of the vehicle so that the distance from the vehicle to the edge of the 3D object is calculated. Therefore, even if the vehicle moves in a complex fashion, the distance to the 3D object can be easily calculated with only the coordinates data of any edge identical in the two images and the transition data of the vehicle. Further, in order to detect any identical edge, by using the transition data of the vehicle, the object distance calculation part may estimate the position of the edge identical in the first and second images, and then positionally subjects the edge to image analysis. In this case, since the transition data of the vehicle has been previously calculated, the positional relationship between the two images is clarified. This makes possible to estimate which edge in one image is located where in the other image, and image analysis is only done for the estimated part of the image, reducing the amount of calculation used for the edge detection. Moreover, the hardware structure can be simplified.
The image creation part preferably converts the image picked up by the image pick-up into a view from the above, and then creates a third image by adding the data calculated by the object distance calculation part onto the view. With the help of such created third image on the display, the driver can grasp the actual distance from the vehicle to the 3D object. Alternatively, the image creation part may perceivably emphasize, out of the data calculated by the object distance calculation part, a part of the object in the vicinity of the vehicle. Thereby, out of the data calculated by the object distance calculation part, a part of the object in the vicinity of the vehicle may be emphasized by color, line width, or the like, to let it stand out to warn the driver against approaching 3D object. The image creation part also may generate the third image by converting the data calculated by the object distance calculation part into a 3D object model, and adding the 3D object model onto the view from the above. As such, by adding the close-to-actual 3D object model onto the view from the above, the driver is warned about the 3D object, and it also becomes easier to perceive the distance between the 3D object and the vehicle. Or, the image creation part may additionally add a model of the vehicle onto the third image. As it is equipped in the vehicle, the image pick-up cannot pick up an image of the vehicle in its entirety. In this sense, the image is not complete, and thus the driver may have a hard time grasping the actual distance from the vehicle to the 3D object. To get around such a problem, the model of the vehicle is fixedly displayed on the third image.
The object specification part, as an example, generates a fourth image by projecting the first image onto the second location for transformation, and then takes a difference between the fourth and second images to detect and specify the 3D object. Alternatively, the object specification part may generate the fourth image by projecting the second image onto the first location for transformation, and then takes a difference between the fourth and first images to detect and specify the 3D object. Either structure will do to detect and specify the 3D object in the image in an easy manner. This is because, due to the extraction of such differences between one image actually picked up and the other obtained by projecting the former image thereonto, only any askew part is left behind.
The transition data of the vehicle typically includes the linear transition distance and the vehicle angle of the vehicle. In such a case, based on data obtained from a steering angle sensor and wheel speed sensor via a pulse counter equipped in the vehicle, the vehicle position calculation part calculates the transit distance and the vehicle angle.
The image pick-up is preferably equipped at a rear part of the vehicle having many blind spots, especially when parking, thereby rendering the parking assistance system more useful. This is especially applicable to a large-sized vehicle.
In a preferable example, the above-described third image is displayed on the display for the driver. Since the third image looks quite close to the actual image, it allows the driver to easily perceive the actual distance.
Further, in another preferable example, when the distance from the vehicle to the 3D object calculated by the object distance calculation part is shorter than a predetermined distance, a sound and/or light is generated. Thereby, the driver can be warned against the approaching 3D object.
The image pick-up may be conditionally started in various manners. First, the system may start picking-up an image in response to the manual operation of the driver. If this is the case, the driver can selectively start the parking assistance system only when he/she needs its assistance. Second, the system starts when the vehicle decelerates to a predetermined speed. Third, the system starts when the vehicle goes in reverse. According to the second and third conditions, the vehicle can tell whether its in a parking mode or not. Thus, the parking assistance system can be started only when the vehicle is in the parking mode.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of treating the end portions of an array of substantially upright silicon-comprising structures. A substrate having a plurality of substantially upright silicon-comprising structures extending thereover is provided. The substantially upright silicon-comprising structures have base portions, and have end portions above the base portions. A masking layer is formed over the substrate to cover the base portions of the substantially upright silicon-comprising structures while leaving the end portions exposed. The end portions are then exposed to conditions which alter the end portions relative to the base portions. In another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of treating the ends of an array of silicon-comprising emitter structures. A substrate having a plurality of silicon-comprising emitter structures thereover is provided. The emitter structures have base portions and ends above the base portions. A layer of spin-on-glass is formed over the substrate. The layer of spin-on-glass covers the base portions of the emitter structures and leaves the ends exposed. The ends are then exposed to conditions which alter the ends relative to the base portions. In yet another aspect, the invention encompasses a cathode assembly which includes a plurality of silicon-comprising emitter structures projecting over a substrate. The emitter structures have base portions and ends above the base portions, and the ends comprise a different material than the base portions.

Silicon-comprising field emitters are currently being designed and incorporated into field emission display devices, and show promise as candidates for electron sources in vacuum microelectronic devices. It is generally desirable to fabricate the emitters to have tips that are as sharp as possible, as such can improve control of electron emission from the tips. For instance, clarity, or resolution, of a field emission display is a function of, among other things, emitter tip sharpness. As sharper emitter tips can produce higher resolution displays than less sharp emitter tips, numerous methods have been proposed for fabrication of very sharp emitter tips (i.e., emitter tips having tip radii of 100 nanometers or less).
Fabrication of very sharp tips has, however, proved difficult. Accordingly, other methods, besides simply sharpening emitter tips, have been proposed for improving electron emission from emitters. Among such other methods are procedures for treating silicon-comprising emitters to convert the silicon to porous silicon, and procedures for treating silicon-comprising field emitters to coat the emitters with materials having lower work function properties than silicon. Such materials include, for example, diamond, cesium (such as, for example, cesiated carbon) and boronitride (the boronitride can be undoped, or doped with, for example, sulfur).
The above-discussed procedures of treating silicon-comprising emitters show promise for improving emission from individual emitters, as well as for improving uniformity of emission across arrays of emitters. Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop methods of fabricating emitters wherein emitter treatments are incorporated into the emitter fabrication processes.


A method and system for standby lighting uses a power supply module and a standby lamp in conjunction with an HID lamp. The power supply module has a processor with smart trigger circuitry, soft start capability, overlap timer, and an advanced current sense algorithm. The power supply module continuously monitors the electronic ballast current to the HID lamp. If the current drops for a period of time, the power supply module supplies DC current to turn on the standby lamp gradually over a couple of seconds. The standby lamp is kept on while the processor checks for a rise in the electronic ballast current to a threshold current level for more than two seconds. Then, an overlap timer starts to count down for the time it takes for HID lamp to reach full intensity, approximately fifteen minutes. The standby lamp is turned off at the end of the count down.

High intensity discharge lamps are typically used when high levels of light are required over large areas and when energy efficiency and/or long life are desired. These areas include gymnasiums, large public areas, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, outdoor activity areas, roadways, parking lots, and pathways. Like fluorescent lamps, HID lamps require a ballast which provides the necessary circuit conditions for starting and maintaining their operation. When HID lamps are initially turned on, it takes anywhere from five to fifteen minutes, depending upon the particular HID lamp, for the normal light intensity level to be reached. When a momentary interruption of the line voltage occurs, the same time period is required to restore the HID lamp to its normal intensity level. For situations where the lack of light for this time period is unacceptable, standby lamps (also referred to as auxiliary lamps) are typically incorporated into the lighting system. Usually, the conventional ballasts for the HID lamps have provided a voltage supply and trigger circuitry to turn on the auxiliary lamps until the HID lamps reach their normal intensity level. Then, the auxiliary lamps are turned off by the circuitry.
Conventional ballasts can operate over wide standard input voltages, typically 208–277 volts AC, which can normally be preset by the end user. The auxiliary lamps used in conjunction with HID lamps typically only operate at 120 volts AC. Conventional ballasts typically provide a transformer for the auxiliary lamp. Trigger circuitry for the auxiliary lamp is actuated by an electromechanical relay where the coil is connected in series to the HID lamp and the relay contacts are connected in series to the auxiliary lamp. When the HID lamp breaks down, such as occurs with a temporary loss of line voltage, the full voltage is presented on the coil, the relay contacts close, and the auxiliary lamp turns on.
Conventional ballasts are being rapidly being replaced with electronic ballasts which do not provide a voltage supply and trigger circuitry for systems that require auxiliary lamps. There is thus a need in the art to supply such a system.

Apparatus and method for standby lighting


A fuel supply system for a vehicle may include a fuel tank including a mounting portion protruding downwards from an upper inner surface of the fuel tank, a fuel limit vent valve and a rollover valve that is connected with the fuel limit vent valve within the fuel tank, and a mounting plate connecting the fuel limit vent valve and the rollover valve and configured to be mounted onto the mounting portion of the fuel tank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel supply system for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a fuel supply system for a vehicle of which a fuel limit vent valve and a rollover valve are disposed within a fuel tank with simple structure.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, environmental concerns have been raised worldwide. Also, in the field of automobile manufacturing, exhaust control and regulations of evaporation gas that may escape during fueling are strict.
A fuel tank for satisfying the evaporation gas regulations has been under investigation.
However, a general fuel tank is made of a metal material, has a complicated scheme, and is relatively costly.
For overcoming the above problems it has been made of a plastic material, but a plastic fuel tank requires a film for eliminating permeability of the evaporation gas.
Also, for configuring a fuel limit vent valve and a rollover valve within a plastic fuel tank, the scheme of the fuel tank is complicated, and weight and cost of the fuel tank is increased.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.


An information processing device including an image processing unit, a communication unit configured to perform wireless communication with a terminal device within a communicable distance from the terminal device, a display, an input unit, and a controller configured to, after the wireless communication with the terminal device, control the display to display one or more parameters of all parameters available for setting an image processing operation by the image processing unit, the one or more parameters including at least one un-selectable parameter that is not selectable on the terminal device, and in response to receiving, via the input unit, a signal corresponding to a specific parameter of the one or more parameters displayed on the display, control the image processing unit to perform the image processing operation based on the specific parameter corresponding to the received signal.

1. Technical Field
The following description relates to one or more techniques for performing at least one of image processing operations such as an image reading operation of reading an image formed on a document sheet and an image recording operation of recording an image onto a recording medium.
2. Related Art
Application software installed in a mobile terminal device (such as a smartphone) is configured to transmit an operational instruction (parameters) to a plurality of types of devices. However, the application software is required to determine parameters in a state where an intended device to control is not specified. Hence, the application software may be configured to select a parameter from among parameters common to all controllable devices. In the meantime, in order to perform printing with the application software, a user launches the application software on the user's mobile terminal device, then configures print settings, selects image data, and thereafter performs near field communication (hereinafter referred to as "NFC" or "NFC wireless communication") with an intended processing device (e.g., a printer). Then, based on communication information exchanged via the NFC, the user establishes Wi-Fi communication (Wi-Fi® is a trademark registered by Wi-Fi Alliance) between the mobile terminal device and the printer (handover). After that, the user transmits parameters regarding the print settings and the selected image data to the printer via the Wi-Fi communication. It is noted that the parameters regarding the print settings may be transmitted to the printer via the NFC.

Information processing device and information processing system for extracting non-selectable printing parameters


A programmable hardware timer provides a relatively consistently measure of predetermined time intervals over a relatively wide range of performance levels. The programmable hardware timer includes a downcounter, driven by a predetermined clock frequency, that counts a preprogrammed number of preselected time intervals. The time intervals, also programmable, are written to registers which, in turn, are used to control the downcounter such that the zero flag on the downcounter goes active at the predetermined time interval. A second downcounter is used to enable multiples of the predetermined time interval to be selected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a programmable hardware counter and, more particularly, a programmable hardware timer particularly suited for use in computer systems that enables relatively consistent time intervals to be measured over a relatively wide range of performance levels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In known computer systems, the firmware, normally stored in non-volatile memory, is executed immediately after power-up and performs several functions including testing and initializing the hardware within the computer system. While such operations are being carried out, the firmware must be able to track the amount of time lapsed between operations for various reasons including interrogating the hardware to determine whether there has been a device failure. In particular, when hardware devices are initialized, a response from the device is normally returned within a specific period of time. If the response from the device is not returned in the predetermined time period, the device is considered to have failed.
In known computer systems, software timing loops have been used for measuring such time intervals. Such software timing loops normally use an integer variable that is initialized with a specific value. This value is tested, decremented and looped until the value goes to zero. Although such a method provides adequate performance in most situations, certain problems have been known to develop with such methods which can result in system failure. In particular, since the system firmware is normally designed to operate across a relatively wide range of performance levels, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to precisely tune the timing loops to meet all requirements. For example, a software timing loop will execute considerably faster on a 66 MHz Intel type 80486 CPU than it will on a 25 MHz Intel type 80386 CPU. Such discrepancies in the time intervals can lead to system failure.

Programmable hardware timer including two programmable hardware downcounters wherein the second downcounter counts in multiples of the first downcounter


A computer-implemented graphical user interface method receives a select command to select a first window from a group of three or more separate and distinct windows. A dock command is received to combine the selected first window and a distinct second window from the group of windows. The first window is docked to the second window to form a single composite window having its own content and its own decoration. The composite window includes a first pane containing the first window content and a second pane containing the second window content. A collapse command is received to collapse a selected one of the first and second panes in the composite window, and an uncollapse command is received to uncollapse the previously collapsed first or second pane in the composite window. A stack command is received to stack a third window with the second pane of the composite window. The second and third window contents form a stacked group of contents, and each of the second and third window contents includes a selection indicator. A detach command is received to detach the stacked group of contents from the composite window. The stacked group of contents is displayed in a new composite window and the remaining content is displayed in the original composite window.

The invention relates to combining palettes on a computer display, such as the palettes disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,528, entitled "Method of Displaying Multiple Sets of Information in the Same Area of a Computer Screen."
As computer programs become more complex, one of the biggest issues that program designers face is making all of a software program's controls easily accessible to users within a user interface. Many software products act on a document, whose content a user creates and edits. A document is typically displayed in a rectangular region of a computer display screen called a document window. A spreadsheet user arranges numbers and titles in a spread-sheet document that acts like a two-dimensional table. A word-processing user edits a document that mimics a sheet of paper. An image software user works on a document that may look like a photograph.
To allow users to create and perform actions on such documents, programmers have used a variety of user interface elements such as menus, dialog boxes and floating palettes. Pull-down menus, such as the one shown in FIG. 15, are typically lists of commands that can be hidden and activated or pulled down with a pointing or cursor control device, such as a mouse or trackball, or a keyboard command. In the example of FIG. 15, a click on command word "View" in the menu at the top of the screen will cause the pull-down menu 2 to appear. These single-word commands take up very little of the screen because the pull-down menu, in its collapsed state, has a very compact form, such as a single command word.
Dialog boxes, such as the one shown in FIG. 16, are interface elements that are typically composed of rectangular regions that appear outside of the document window. While a dialog box is active, action within the document is usually halted while the user is requested to select one or more of a number of options identified within the dialog box. The dialog box is then dismissed and disappears, and the document is updated based upon the selection which the user made from the dialog box.
Floating palettes (or simply "palettes"), unlike dialog boxes, are typically rectangular regions that "float" above or near the document window or even inside it and contain commands or tools that are used in an interactive fashion. As opposed to dialog boxes, floating palettes are "non-modal". This means that, unlike dialog boxes, actions occurring within the document are not halted while the palettes are accessed by the user. Accordingly, floating palettes are most useful for holding tools and commands that a user needs to access interactively at the same time with the document itself. In Adobe Photoshop.TM., for example, floating palettes are used to select colors, document layers or tools, among other things.
Some programs allow the user to switch the floating palettes from visible to invisible when specific menu commands are chosen. Other programs allow a user to selectively orient the palettes either vertically or horizontally on the computer display, as shown in FIG. 17.

Combining palettes on a computer display