A drum-type drying device according to the invention includes a cylindrical drum section that is rotatably supported and rotated by winding a base material on the drum section, engaging portions that are disposed in an inner cavity of the drum section, and a heating section that includes engaged portions detachably engaged with the engaging portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a drum-type drying device that dries a base material. Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-145069, filed Jun. 25, 2010, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Background Art
Hitherto, a drum-type drying device has been used to dry a base material to which a liquid coating material, such as printing ink or paint, is applied. For example, a drum-type drying device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-141364 is known as a drum-type drying device.
The drum-type drying device includes a drying drum (drum section) that is supported so as to be rotatable about an axis thereof, and a stationary drum that is fixed to a support shaft and disposed in the drying drum. A thin plate-like heater (heating section) is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the stationary drum. A part of the outer periphery of the drying drum is surrounded by a convection unit. Fume covers and discharge covers are alternately disposed on the surface of the convection unit, which faces the outer peripheral surface of the drying drum, in the circumferential direction of the drying drum. A hot air blowing device, which includes an air blower and a blowing heater, is connected to the fume covers through hoses. Further, a discharge device is connected to the discharge covers through hoses.
A base material is wound on the outer peripheral surface of the drying drum and is conveyed in a longitudinal direction of the base material, so that the drying drum is rotated by the frictional force between the base material and the drying drum. In this state, the drying drum is heated by the heater of the stationary drum and at the same time hot air is blown to the base material by the hot air blowing device. Accordingly, the base material, which is wound on the outer peripheral surface of the drying drum, is dried and gas and the like generated from the base material are discharged by the discharge device. According to the above-mentioned drum-type drying device, since the heater is fixed to the stationary drum, a rotary contact member such as a slip ring does not need to be used even though the drying drum, which is rotated by the frictional force between the base material and the drying drum, is provided. That is, an electrical wiring structure is simplified.
However, in the drum-type drying device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-141364, when the heater is replaced, at least the stationary drum needs to be taken out of the device and the heater fixed to the stationary drum needs to be separated. That is, a lot of effort is required for a heater replacement operation.
The invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a drum-type drying device where a heating section can be easily attached and detached.


Disclosed are systems and methods for identifying various tissue structure aspects, such as boundaries of arterial walls, within an image, such as an ultrasound image. Various measurements may be made using information with respect to the identified aspects of tissue structure. For example, intima-media thickness measurements may be made. Additionally or alternatively, tissue structure aspects, such as plaque within an artery, may be characterized, such as by determining a density thereof. Various information, such as measurement datums, used in identification of aspects of tissue structure in one image may be stored and applied to subsequent images, such as images of a video sequence.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood carrying oxygen and nutrients. CAD may cause shortness of breath, angina, or even heart attack. The narrowing of the arteries is typically due to the buildup of plaque, or, in other words, an increase in the atherosclerotic burden. The buildup of plaque may also create a risk of stroke, heart attacks, and embolisms caused by fragments of plaque detaching from the artery wall and occluding smaller blood vessels. The risk of arterial wall rupture and detachment of portions of the blood clot covering the rupture is particularly great shortly after blood clot formation when it is soft and easily fragmented at that stage.
Measurement of the atherosclerotic burden of the coronary artery itself is difficult and invasive. Moreover, assessment of risk often involves measuring both the atherosclerotic burden and its rate of progression. This assessment therefore involves multiple invasive procedures over time. Treatment of CAD also requires additional invasive procedures to measure a treatment's effectiveness.
The carotid artery, located in the neck close to the skin, has been shown to mirror the atherosclerotic burden of the coronary artery. Moreover, studies have shown that a reduction of the atherosclerotic burden of the coronary artery will parallel a similar reduction in the carotid artery.
One noninvasive method for measuring the atherosclerotic burden is the analysis of ultrasound images of the carotid artery. High resolution, B-mode ultrasonography is one adequate method of generating such images. Ultrasound images typically provide a digital image of the various layers comprising the carotid artery wall, which may then be measured to determine or estimate the extent of atherosclerosis. Other imaging systems may likewise provide digital images of the carotid artery, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radio frequency imaging.
The wall of the carotid artery comprises the intima, which is closest to the blood flow and which thickens, or appears to thicken, with the deposit of fatty material and plaque; the media, which lies adjacent the intima and which thickens as a result of hypertension; and the adventitia, which provides structural support for the artery wall. The channel in which blood flows is the lumen. The combined thickness of the intima and media layers, or intima-media thickness (IMT), is reflective of the condition of the artery and can accurately identify or reflect early stages of atherosclerotic disease.
An ultrasound image typically comprises an array of pixels, each with a specific value corresponding to its intensity. The intensity (brightness) of a pixel corresponds to the density of the tissue it represents, with brighter pixels representing denser tissue. Different types of tissue, each with a different density, are therefore distinguishable in an ultrasonic image. The lumen, intima, media and adventitia may be identified in an ultrasound image due to their differing densities.
An ultrasound image is typically formed by emitting sound waves toward the tissue to be measured and measuring the intensity and phase of sound waves reflected from the tissue. This method of forming images is subject to limitations and errors. For example, images may be subject to noise from imperfect sensors. Another source of error is the attenuation of sound waves that reflect off tissue located deep within the body or beneath denser tissue. Random reflections from various objects or tissue boundaries, particularly due to the non-planar ultrasonic wave, may add noise also.
The limitations of ultrasonography complicate the interpretation of ultrasound images. Other systems designed to calculate IMT thickness reject accurate portions of the image when compensating for these limitations. Some IMT measurement systems will divide an image into columns and examine each column, looking for maxima, minima, or constant portions of the image in order to locate the layers of tissue comprising the artery wall. Such systems may reject an entire column of image data in which selected portions of the wall are not readily identifiable. This method fails to take advantage of other portions of the artery wall that are recognizable in the column. Furthermore, examining columns of pixels singly fails to take advantage of accurate information in neighboring columns from which one may extrapolate, interpolate, or otherwise guide searches for information within a column of pixels.
Another limitation of prior methods is that they fail to adequately limit the range of pixels searched in a column of pixels. Noise and poor image quality can cause any search for maxima, minima, or intensity gradients to yield results that are clearly erroneous. Limiting the field of search is a form of -filtering that eliminates results that cannot possibly be accurate. Prior methods either do not limit the field searched for critical points or apply fixed constraints that are not customized, or even perhaps relevant, to the context of the image being analyzed.
What is needed is a method for measuring the IMT that compensates for limitations in ultrasonic imaging methods. It would be an advancement in the art to provide an IMT measurement method that compensates for noise and poor image quality while taking advantage of accurate information within each column of pixels. It would be a further advancement to provide a method for measuring the IMT that limited the field of search for critical points to regions where the actual tissue or tissue boundaries can possibly be located.

Ultrasonic blood vessel measurement apparatus and method


A method for inspecting an object is provided. The method includes applying a pulsed excitation signal to the object and detecting a transient response signal to the pulsed excitation signal. The method also includes convolving the transient response signal with a plurality of orthogonal functions to generate a plurality of orthogonal components.

The invention relates generally to inspection systems and, more particularly, to pulsed eddy current inspection systems for defect detection in an object.
Corrosion and crack detection is desirable in metallic and other electro-conductive components and systems, such as an aircraft fuselage or oil pipeline, to ensure the structural integrity thereof. Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques are being pursued to inspect such components and systems. Eddy current inspection techniques are often employed to inspect metallic airframe components. In order to inspect for corrosion at different depths, it is desirable that multi-frequency inspection be performed. Further, additional phase analysis of the eddy current response may be employed to increase signal-to-noise ratio and to improve defect detection, which leads to a powerful multi-frequency and phase analysis (MFPA) approach. However, conventional eddy current inspection systems with MFPA capability typically employ harmonic excitation techniques that use a series of excitations by varying the frequency of excitation each time to inspect different depths within the object. Accordingly, it is time consuming to gather inspection data using these techniques in addition, the excitation sources used with harmonic excitation techniques can be relatively expensive.
Pulsed eddy current (PEC) inspection is one possible solution, in that PEC systems inspect a component using multi-frequency nature of excitation pulses. Further, the time domain analysis techniques are applied to the PEC response. Several known PEC inspection systems characterize the PEC response curve using a single data point, such as the time to the maximum peak, the time to zero crossing of the curve or similar techniques. Furthermore, for inspecting relatively thicker objects a number of time windows are employed for obtaining data points corresponding to different layers of the object. Unfortunately, this technique has an undesirable low signal to noise ratio for signals corresponding to deeper defects in the objects. Certain other PEC inspection systems employ filters and time average of the transient signal to provide a better noise resistance. However, these systems are typically tuned to a particular application and are not as comprehensive as the EC method with harmonic excitation. In addition, such systems lack commonality with the conventional EC method with harmonic excitation analysis, which is adopted by the NDE community and widely used by inspectors and automated inspection systems for a variety of industrial applications.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop an inspection system that provides the MFPA capability of harmonic excitation techniques with faster inspection times and relatively lower cost excitation sources.

Inspection systems and methods of operation


An optical component having an incident surface and a light exiting surface wherein where a collimated light is incident on the incident surface, the light intensity of the outgoing light from the light exiting surface is anisotropic along an azimuth angle of 30° to the normal and a ratio of the maximum intensity value and the minimum intensity value is 1.2 or more and a plurality of irregular lens rows are aligned on one of the incident surface and the light exiting surface to form an angle within a range of −30° to +30° on the incident surface or light exiting surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical component and a backlight unit using the optical component. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical sheet suitable for use in an image display device, such as a backlight unit of a liquid crystal display device, a projector screen, or a plasma display, and a backlight unit using the optical sheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, technology for controlling light has been applied in various fields and has become a useful part of our lives. In particular, screens that are large, as well as having high-definition, high-luminance, and high-quality, are being developed for image display devices.
Various optical components are implemented for the purpose of enhancing the luminance, widening the viewing angle, and improving the screen quality of the backlight unit of liquid crystal display devices, plasma displays, and projector screens, which are image display devices.
For example, an edge light system or a direct-type system is used in the backlight unit of liquid crystal display devices. In each system, an optical sheet is frequently used to improve the screen quality.
In other words, a prism sheet and a diffusion sheet are used as the optical components on a light-exiting surface of a light-guiding board in the edge-light-system backlight unit. The prism sheet enhances the luminance. The diffusion sheet widens the viewing angle and diminishes flaws. A reflective sheet is used as the optical component on the back surface of the light-exiting surface of the light-guiding board.
Similarly, in the direct-type-system backlight unit, the reflective sheet, the diffusion sheet and, in some cases, the prism sheet are used as the optical components.
Among such various optical components, the diffusion sheet plays the most effective role in enhancing the luminance, widening the viewing angle, and improving the screen quality.
In the conventional diffusion sheet, the surface is given a rough, crimped texture, beads are mixed in with the binder and applied to a plastic sheet, or light diffusion materials are embedded within the sheet.
In such a diffusion sheet, light transmittance and diffusion are inversely related. It cannot yet be said that an effective use of light has been sufficiently achieved.
FIG. 6 shows a relationship between diffusion angles and the luminance in a typical diffusion sheet in the backlight unit of a liquid crystal display device.
Although there are differences depending on the type of light-guiding board in the backlight unit, as shown in FIG. 6, when the haze of the diffusion sheet is increased, only the peak luminance decreases and the diffusion angle is not widened.
This phenomenon can be seen in many conventional diffusion sheets. In such diffusion sheets, even a small widening of the diffusion angle causes a significant amount of reduction in the luminance because light is isotropically diffused.
On the other hand, the diffusion angle, namely the viewing angle, is required to be narrowed to increase the luminance.
In light of such issues, a following diffusion sheet is disclosed in the invention described in Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2001-4813). In the diffusion sheet, a transparent base material includes a large amount of fine, spherical air bubbles. The shape of the air bubbles is a spheroid.
The diffusion sheet described in Patent Literature 1 aims to increase diffusion in a required direction by causing anisotropy in the diffusion direction. The object of the diffusion sheet is to suppress the reduction in luminance.
An anisotropic dispersion film having elliptical micropores is also disclosed in the invention described in Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2003-29030).
However, sufficient diffusion and anisotropy cannot be attained from the spheroidal air bubbles. There are also problems such as difficulty in controlling the dispersion of the air bubbles.
In addition, other than diffusion sheets, an optical component that is applied to the backlight in an edge-light-system backlight unit is disclosed in the invention described in Patent Literature 3 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 2-17).
In the invention described in Patent Literature 3, a lens unit is formed on the light-exiting surface of the light-guiding board. A prism sheet, on to which a prism row is formed, is disposed so that the prism row faces the light-guiding board side.
According to an invention such as that described in Patent Literature 3, light is outputted in a diagonal direction by the lens unit formed on the light-guiding board. The prism sheet makes the outgoing light face the front, thereby acquiring a light that has high luminance.
However, in the invention described in Patent Literature 3, the lens unit formed on the light-guiding board has a regular structure. Therefore, the light is concentrated and, as a result, there is a disadvantage in that the viewing angle is narrowed.
Furthermore, in an invention described in Patent Literature 4 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 4-9804), a formation of linear bumps on the light-guiding board is disclosed. The directions of a majority of the linear bumps are perpendicular to the incident surface.
According to the invention described in Patent Literature 4, the linear bumps have a lens effect. Therefore, the light spreading in a direction parallel to the light incident surface is concentrated, thereby acquiring high luminance.
However, in the invention described in Patent Literature 4, the linear bumps face the traveling direction of the light within the light-guiding board. Therefore, high light-exit efficiency is not developed and the acquired luminance is not very high.
Because a person gazes at the screen of the liquid crystal display device, even the slightest flaw becomes annoying. One flaw, among the flaws, that is considered to be particularly difficult to improve is the development of a luminescent line and a band-shaped light section and dark section near the incident end of the light-guiding board.
To solve this problem, for example, the following is disclosed in an invention described in Patent Literature 5 (Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 5-88168). A process to roughen the surface of the incident surface of the light-guiding board is performed, and the incident light is diffused. As a result, the development of the luminescent line and the band-shaped light section and dark section is reduced.
However, there is a problem with the invention described in Patent Literature 5 in that the vicinity of the incident end becomes too bright with foreign light.    [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2001-4813    [Patent Literature 2] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication 2003-290301    [Patent Literature 3] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 2-17    [Patent Literature 4] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 4-9804    [Patent Literature 5] Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication Heisei 5-88168

Optical component and backlight unit using the optical component


An image-displaying device and a pixel control method therefore are provided. The image-displaying device includes a luminance information extraction unit which is configured to extract luminance information from an image; an image enhancement decision unit which is configured to decide an image enhancement mode based on the extracted luminance information; a pixel control unit which is configured to control a pixel of the image by the decided image enhancement mode; and an image output unit which is configured to output the pixel-controlled image. The method includes extracting luminance information from an image; deciding an image enhancement mode based on the luminance information; controlling each of a plurality of pixels of the image according to the image enhancement mode; and outputting the pixel-controlled image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-displaying device and a pixel control method therefor, and more particularly, to an image-displaying device and a pixel control method therefor capable of adaptively enhancing brightness and contrast.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information provided to users through image-displaying devices includes not only simple text information but also diverse multimedia information.
In particular, since moving pictures out of the multimedia information of diverse types underlies next-generation Video on Demand (VOD) services or interactive services, studies on related standard specification are actively ongoing.
The developments of digital electronics technologies have digitized conventional analog data, which has brought about technologies for processing diverse digital image materials to efficiently handle the vast digitized data.
Firstly, since all analog devices introduce noise into original signals upon carrying out certain functions thereon, analog signal recording results in image degradation during processing the original signal.
Secondly, digitizing a signal enables computers to be used to process the digitized signal. That is, it becomes possible to process image information compression or the like since the computers process image signals.
Digital image-processing technologies are technologies related to how to display analog results recorded on media on the computers. The possibility of digital images was turned into reality by the digital video interactive (DVI) mode which the RCA research staff had proposed since late 1980s.
The DVI mode can carry out functions difficult for general processors to process in real time by using a special processor carrying out micro-programmable commands suitable for image processing.
Further, the two Experts groups, the joint photographic experts group (JPEG) and the moving pictures experts group (MPEG), established since 1989 defined the standard coding specification having much better functions than the DVI but having difficulties in implementation in software, and such a coding specification is supposed to play an important role in future digital image developments since most manufacturers have supported the specification.
In particular, the MPEG standard is being improved in specification to new versions such as MPEG2 and MPEG3 for image-processing on personal computers as well as for digitization for high-definition system such as high definition television (HDTV).
Further, technologies have been introduced since 1991 for processing images based on the processing capacity of the main processor without extra software purchases, and the QuickTime of Apple, Video for Windows of Microsoft, and Indeo of Intel typically represent such technologies at present. Such image-processing technologies are specifically spotlighted for personal computers thanks to high-speed main processors.
Standardization tasks are accompanied with the introduction to diverse digital image-processing technologies. The digital image-processing technologies are not limited to video-conferencing systems, digital broadcast codec systems, and video telephone technologies, but widely compatible and shared with computer industries, communication industries, and so on.
For example, digital image compression technologies for information storage on optical disc or digital storage media such as CD-ROM are realized by base technologies nearly similar to compression technologies for video conference and the like. Current MPEG standardization is being carried out by ISO-IEC, JTC1, SC1, and WGI11, and the standardization tasks are still progressing since Experts group establishment in 1990s.
As stated above, diverse approaches are being studied for preventing image degradation since the problem of the image degradation is not solved despite advancement of the above-mentioned digital image-processing technologies.
For example, a non-linear incremental function histogram using a luminance signal has been proposed. However, the histogram using a luminance signal has difficulties in that the same is highly likely to cause a flickering phenomenon of estimated and enhanced light source upon application to moving pictures and to cause color distortion. Moreover, it needs an additional color gamut-mapping algorithm.
Further, diverse approaches have been proposed for improving image quality while preventing image degradation, but the approaches have problems in that the approaches can not produce the maximum performance for image enhancement due to lack of consideration of display characteristics of image-displaying devices. The approaches also and have difficulties in maintaining color tones upon general brightness enhancement.

Image-displaying device and pixel control method therefor


An electronic ballast for driving a gas discharge lamp includes an EMI filter, a bridge rectifier coupled to a DC bus without a conventional electrolytic capacitor, a passive valley fill circuit built as a network having 4 charge/discharge energy storage capacitors and 9 diodes (4C9C), and a resonant DC to AC high frequency inverter for powering gas discharge lamp. The 4C9D circuit divides the rectified peak voltage by four and the low output voltage of the circuit is used to provide continuous lamp operation. The result is a ballast having substantially improved power factor, total harmonic distortion, and current crest factor. The electronic ballast is provided with a dimming capability from a TRIAC based wall dimmer.

1. Field
The present invention generally relates to AC to DC front end power supplies with high power factor (PF) and low total harmonic distortion (THD) requirements and, more particularly, to electronic ballasts for powering gas discharge lamps, and especially for electronic ballasts dimmed by TRIAC based wall dimmers.
2. Description of Related Art
Discharge lamps create light by exciting an electrical discharge in a gas that can create visible light. In the case of fluorescent lamps the gas is a mixture of argon, krypton and/or neon, plus a small amount of mercury. Other types of discharge lamps may use other gasses. The gas is contained in a partially evacuated transparent virtuous envelope called a bulb or arc tube depending upon the type of lamp.
In conventional lamps conductive electrodes mounted inside the bulb or arc tube along with the gas provide the electric field used to drive the discharge.
Use of electrodes creates certain problems. First, the discharge has to be designed to have a relatively high voltage in order to minimize loses at the electrodes. In the case of fluorescent lamps, this leads to long, thin lamps, which are ideal for lighting office ceilings, but are not a good fit for lamps designed to replace conventional incandescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps designed to replace incandescent lamps are constructed by bending the long, thin tube into multiple parallel tubes or into a spiral, which is now the most common form of CFLs. A plastic cover shaped like a conventional incandescent lamp is sometimes placed over the bent tubes to provide a more attractive shape, but these covers absorb light, making the lamp less efficient. Bent and spiral tube lamps also have wasted space between the tubes, making them larger than necessary. The use of a cover increases the size further.
The use of electrodes creates problems other than shape and size. Electrodes will wear out quickly if the lamp is turned on and off many times, as it would be in a residential bathroom. The life of the electrodes can also be reduced if the lamp is dimmed, because the electrodes must be maintained above a specific temperature for proper operation and operation at lower power allows the electrodes to cool.
In addition, the long thin shape required to use electrodes increases the time required for mercury vapor to diffuse from one part of the tube to another, leading to the long warm-up times we associate with many compact fluorescent lamps.
Finally, the electrodes must be chemically compatible with the gas used in the lamp. While this is not a concern with typical fluorescent lamps, it can be a problem with other types of discharge lamps.
The best way to avoid the problems caused by electrodes is to make a lamp that does not use electrodes, a so-called electrodeless lamp. In an electrodeless lamp, the discharge is driven by one of 1) an electric filed created by electrodes mounted outside the bulb or arc tube; or 2) an electric filed created by a very high frequency electromagnetic field, usually in combination with a resonant cavity, and 3) an electric field created by a high frequency magnetic field without the use of a resonant cavity. This latter lamp is called an induction-coupled electrodeless lamp, or just "induction lamp."
In an induction lamp, a high frequency magnetic field is used to create the electric field in the lamp, eliminating the need for electrodes. This electric field then powers the discharge.
Since induction lamps do not use electrodes, they do not have to be built into long thin tubes. In fact, a ball-shaped bulb, such as the bulb used for conventional incandescent lamps, is an ideal shape for an induction lamp. In addition, since induction lamps do not use electrodes, they can be turned on and off frequently with no loss of life. The absence of electrodes also means that induction lamps can be dimmed with no reduction in lamp life. Finally, the ball-shaped lamp envelope allows rapid diffusion of mercury vapor from one part of the lamp to another. This means that the warm-up time of induction lamps is faster than the warm-up time of most conventional compact fluorescent lamps.
Induction lamps fall into two general categories, those that use a "closed" magnetic core, usually in the shape of a torus, and those that use an "open" magnetic core, usually in the shape of a rod. Air core induction lamps fall into this latter category. Closed core lamps can be operated at frequencies generally above 50 kHz, while open core lamps require operating frequencies of 1 MHz and above for efficient operation. The lower operating frequency of closed core induction lamps makes them attractive; however, the bulb design required to accommodate the closed core makes them generally unsuitable for replacing standard in incandescent lamps. Open core induction lamps, while requiring higher operating frequencies, allow the design of lamps that have the same shape and size as common household incandescent lamps. This application is addressed to open core induction lamps.
In spite of their obvious advantages, there are very few open core induction lamps on the market today. One reason for the lack of commercially successful products is the cost of the high frequency ballast. Conventional fluorescent lamps, including CFLs, can be operated at frequencies from 25 kHz to 100 kHz, a frequency range where low cost ballast technology was developed in the 1990s'; and closed core induction lamps can be operated at frequencies from 50 kHz to 250 kHz, which is only slightly more expensive. However, open core induction lamps require operating frequencies of 1 MHz or higher. The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established a "lamp band" between 2.51 MHz and 3.0 MHz that has relaxed limits on the emission of radio frequency energy that may interfere with radio communication services. Cost effective open core induction lamps should therefore have an operating frequency of at least 2.51 MHz.
The lack of commercially successful open core induction lamps can be traced to the failure to develop a low cost ballast that can operate in the 2.51 MHz to 3.0 MHz band while meeting all the requirements of the FCC, is small enough to fit into a ballast housing that has the same size and shape as a conventional incandescent lamp, and can be dimmed on conventional TRIAC dimmers found in homes in the U.S. The present disclosure addresses one or more of these issues.
Passive Valley Fill Circuits are widely used in front end power supplies of electronic ballasts for power factor (PF) correction and reduction of total harmonic distortion (THD). The advantages of these front end power supplies include their low cost, high efficiency and simplicity, features that are desirable for low power compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). However, the PF of electronic ballasts with Passive Valley Fill Circuits is still lower and THD is higher than electronic ballasts that employ active power factor correctors utilizing boost converters. Electronic ballasts with Passive Valley Fill power factor circuits are used in high efficiency lamps intended to replace incandescent lamps in applications where those lamps are powered and dimmed by TRIAC-based wall dimmers. For operation with TRIAC-based wall dimmers it is desirable to have sufficient discharge capacitance in the Passive Valley Fill circuit in order to maintain the gas discharge in the lamp during line current interruptions. It is also understood that the power factor is improved and the dimming range may be extended as the minimum voltage of the Passive Valley Fill circuit is reduced. Therefore, room still exists for improvements in electronic ballasts with Passive Valley Fill circuits.

Electronic ballast having improved power factor and total harmonic distortion


A nanoindenter that includes an interferometer, a rod, a force actuator and a controller is disclosed. The interferometer generates a light beam that is reflected from a moveable reflector, the interferometer determining a distance between a reference location and the moveable reflector. The rod is characterized by a rod axis and includes a tip on a first end thereof, the rod includes the moveable reflector at a location proximate to the tip. The tip is disposed in a manner that allows the tip to be forced against the surface of a sample. The force actuator applies a force to the rod in a direction parallel to the rod axis in response to a force control signal coupled to the actuator. The controller receives the determined distance from the interferometer and generates the force control signal. The invention can also be used as a scanning probe microscope.

Scanning probe microscopes such as atomic force microscopes are widely used for imaging the surface of samples at the atomic level; however, these microscopes are not well suited for measuring the deformation properties of samples at these levels. Scanning probe microscopes enable a class of imaging techniques in which a tip that interacts locally with a sample is scanned over the surface of the sample to generate a three-dimensional image representing the properties of the surface. The tip is typically mounted on a cantilevered arm having a fixed end that can be moved vertically relative to the sample. For example, in contact mode atomic force microscopy, as the tip is moved over the surface of the sample, the arm deflects in response to changes in the topology of the surface. The vertical position of the cantilever arm relative to the sample is adjusted to maintain the arm in a predetermined state. The vertical position as a function of position on the sample can then be used to provide an image of the surface. Typically, scanning force microscopes seek to minimize the deformation of the sample.
In the AC, or non-contact mode, the tip and arm are oscillated at a frequency near the resonant frequency of the arm. The height of the tip can be controlled such that the tip avoids contact with the sample surface, sampling short-range tip/sample forces or the tip can be allowed to make light intermittent contact with the sample only at the bottom of the oscillation cycle. Contact between the probe tip and the sample results in an alteration of the amplitude, phase and/or frequency of the oscillation. The controller adjusts the height of the probe over the sample such that the oscillation amplitude, phase and/or frequency is kept at a predetermined constant value.
There are a number of applications in which the deformation of the sample as a function of an applied force must be measured. The areas to be sampled are of the dimensions of a scanning probe tip. Scanning probe microscopes are poorly suited for such measurements. The force that is applied by the tip to the surface of the sample is determined by the deflection of the cantilever arm. As the fixed end of the cantilever arm is moved toward the sample while the tip is in contact with the sample, the arm bends and a greater force is exerted, and the arm bends further. Part of the force causes the tip to penetrate the sample, and part of the force deforms the arm. The force applied at the tip depends on the bending of the arm; hence, to determine the force, the degree of bending of the arm must be accurately measured, and the arm must be calibrated. In addition, the degree of penetration of the tip into the arm must be independently measured. Such measurements present significant challenges.
To overcome these problems, a class of devices referred to as "nanoindenters" has been developed. In a nanoindenter, the force that is applied to the tip is independent of the position of the tip relative to the sample surface. Such measurements require displacement measurement with accuracies in the nanometer range. Forces of the order of 10 mN are applied to a tip having a radius of curvature of the order of 100 nm. These measurements can be used to determine the mechanical properties of the sample such as the elastic modulus and hardness.
In one class of nanoindenter, the tip is mounted on one end of a rod. The other end of the rod includes a mechanism for generating a known force to the rod. A separate position measuring mechanism is used to determine the position of the end of the rod. Typically, the position is determined by measuring the change in capacitance of a capacitor having one plate attached to the rod and the other plate fixed with respect to the apparatus. In one prior art arrangement, a three-plate structure is utilized in which the moveable plate is between two fixed plates and changes in the ratio of the capacitances is measured.
While such nanoindenters provide significant improvements over a scanning probe microscope for making deformation measurements, these designs are subject to other problems. First, the measurement of the tip position by measuring the position of the rod assumes that the length of the rod remains constant during the course of the measurements. The distances being measured are of the order of nanometers. Hence, changes in length of the arm due to the thermal expansion or contraction of the rod itself over the course of the measurements can introduce significant errors.
Second, the accuracy of the capacitive position measurements is insufficient for many applications and the time needed between measurements can be excessive. Capacitance measurements typically involve measuring the shift in the resonant frequency of a circuit having the capacitor in question as an element thereof. The settling time for such measurements after changes in the capacitance can increase the time between measurements if high accuracy is needed. Hence, in applications in which a detailed map of the properties of a surface is to be measured, the scanning time can be excessive.

Scanning probe microscope with independent force control and displacement measurements


It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for image processing and an image processing apparatus which are capable of performing repetitive forming and erasing of high-contrast images at high speeds by forming high-density, uniform images and uniformly erasing images in a short period of time, and in addition, suppressing the degradation of the thermoreversible recording medium due to repetitive forming and erasing is possible. The method for image processing of the present invention contains at least any one of image forming step wherein an image is formed on a thermoreversible recording medium in which any one of transparency and color tone is changed reversibly depending on temperatures by heating due to laser beam irradiation, and image erasing step wherein an image formed on the thermoreversible recording medium is erased by heating due to laser beam irradiation to the thermoreversible recording medium, and a light irradiation intensity of the center is equal to or less than the light irradiation intensity of the periphery in the light intensity distribution of cross-section in a direction approximately perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser beam irradiated at least in any one of the image forming step and the image erasing step.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a method for image processing on thermoreversible recording media and an image processing apparatus, specifically, a method for image processing capable of repetitive forming and erasing of high-contrast images at high speeds by forming high-density, uniform images and uniformly erasing images in a short period of time, and an image processing apparatus which can be suitably used for the method for image processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Until now, forming and erasing of images on thermoreversible recording media (hereinafter may be referred to as "recording media" or "media") are performed by contact methods in which the media are heated by contact with heat sources. Generally, thermal heads are used for forming images and heat roller and ceramic heater, etc. are used for erasing images.
Such methods for recording by contact are advantageous in being able to perform uniform forming and erasing of images by uniformly pressing the media to heat sources using platen, etc. if recording media are flexible materials such as films or paper, and making possible to manufacture image forming apparatus and image erasing apparatus inexpensively by using existing printer parts for thermosensitive paper.
However, if the recording media has a built-in RF-ID tag as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 2004-265247 and 2004-265249, the media becomes thick, flexibility is reduced and high pressure is needed in order to press heat sources uniformly. Moreover, if irregularity occurs on the surfaces of media, it becomes difficult to form and erase images using thermal heads, etc. Furthermore, because reading and overwriting of memory information are performed on RF-ID tag from some distance without contact, demand for performing overwriting of images from some distance has also appeared for the thermoreversible recording media.
With that, a method using a laser may possibly be used when irregularity occurred on the surfaces of media, or as a method for forming and erasing images on recording media from some distance.
Typical examples of related art which performs recording and erasing some patterns using lasers include optical discs such as CD-RW and DVD-RW, etc. On these discs, patterns as memory information are formed by the difference in optical reflectivity caused by the changes between crystalline state and amorphous state in inorganic materials such as Te, Se, In, Ag, etc. The change between crystalline state and amorphous state is caused by the difference in cooling rate after material has been melted by laser irradiation.
On the other hand, the thermoreversible recording media exhibit changes between color developing and color erasing by the difference in heating temperatures at which the media have been heated. In other words, it is necessary for the materials to be heated to their melting temperatures in a similar manner for both image forming and image erasing and patterns are formed by controlling subsequent cooling rate on the above optical discs. For the thermoreversible recording media, image forming and erasing are determined by the temperatures attained by the media due to heating by laser irradiation instead of subsequent cooling rate. Thus, processes and mechanisms of the optical discs and thermoreversible recording media completely differ from each other although same lasers are irradiated to form and erase some patterns.
Even though the difference in optical reflectivities between crystalline state and non-crystalline state of optical discs may be satisfactory for electrically detecting the difference in reflectivities by laser irradiation, the difference has been as such that it is faintly visible with eyes and is quite inadequate.
A method using lasers for forming and erasing images on recording media from some distance or when irregularity occurred on the surfaces of thermoreversible recording media is stated in JP-A No. 2000-136022, for example. It is the method by which non-contact recording is performed by using thermoreversible recording media on shipping containers used for physical distribution lines, and it is disclosed that writing is performed by using lasers and erasing is performed by using hot air, heated water, infrared heater, etc.
Methods for printing and recording using lasers are disclosed in Japanese Patent (JP-B) Nos. 3350836, 3446316, JP-A Nos. 2002-347272 and 2004-195751, for example.
The technique disclosed in JP-B No. 3350836 is an improved method for image forming and erasing which includes performing any one of forming and erasing of images on thermoreversible recording media by the heat generated from the laser beam irradiated to a photothermal conversion sheet after the photothermal conversion sheet is placed on the thermoreversible recording media. And it is disclosed in the literature that it is possible to perform both of forming and erasing of images by controlling irradiation condition of laser beams. In other words, it is stated that it is possible to control heating temperatures to a first specified temperature and a second specified temperature of the thermoreversible recording media by controlling at least one of light irradiation time, irradiated light intensity, focus and light intensity distribution or to perform forming and erasing of images entirely or partially by changing cooling rates after heating.
A method using two laser beams, in which erasing is performed by using one of the beams as oval or oblong laser, and recording is performed by using the other beam as circular laser, a method for recording using a composition of two lasers, and a method for recording using each composition of transformed two lasers are stated in JP-B No. 3446316. By these methods using two lasers, image recording of higher density than the recording using one laser can be realized.
Moreover, a technique disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-347272 in which beam shapes of laser beams are changed by optical path difference or the difference in mirror shapes by using both sides of one mirror during laser recording and erasing. By this method, it is possible to change size of light spots or to defocus by means of simple optical systems.
Furthermore, it is disclosed in JP-A No. 2004-195751 that residual images after erasing can be completely erased practically by setting a laser absorption rate of reversible thermosensitive recording media in label form to 50% or more, an irradiation energy during printing to 5.0 mJ/mm2 to 15.0 mJ/mm2, a product of laser absorption rate and printing irradiation energy to 3.0 mJ/mm2 to 14.0 mJ/mm2 and a product of laser absorption rate during erasing and printing irradiation energy to 1.1 times to 3.0 times.
In contrast, a method for erasing using lasers in which recording of clear-contrast images of high durability on reversible thermosensitive recording media is realized by erasing with laser beam energy, irradiation time of the laser beam and scan speed for pulse width which are set at 25% or more and 65% or less of those of laser recording is proposed in JP-A No. 2003-246144.
Although laser printing and erasing can be performed by the method as described above, because laser control is not operated during printing, a problem such that local heat damages occur in the places where lines are overlapped with each other or a problem of reduction in color developing density when solid images are being recorded arises during recording.
In order to settle above issues, a method for controlling printing energy is disclosed in JP-A Nos. 2003-127446 and 2004-345273.
It is stated in JP-A No. 2003-127446 that the local heat damages are reduced to prevent degradation of reversible thermosensitive recording media by lowering the energy added to the area where laser irradiation energy is controlled every draw dots to print overlapped recording dots or to print by turning back or by lowering the energy at specified intervals for printing straight.
Moreover, in JP-A No. 2004-345273, irradiation energy is multiplied by the next equation, |cos 0.5R|k(0.3<k<4) corresponding to angle R of bending point during laser drawing to reduce energy. By doing this, it becomes possible to prevent excessive energy from being added to the overlapped area of lineal drawing during laser recording to be able to reduce degradation of media, or to maintain contrast without lowering the energy too much.
Also, a method for preventing degradation of color developing density in which pitch of dot alignments in vertical scanning is set two times or more of beam diameter for color developing to make it equal to or less than the sum of diameter for color erasing and beam diameter for color developing to eliminate degradation of color developing density and occurrence of erasing marks in order to prevent erasing of images which has been recorded when overwriting is performed by lasers is proposed in JP-A No. 2004-1264.
As described above, efforts are made to prevent excessive energy from being added to thermoreversible recording media by overlapping during laser recording in the methods described as above. However, if high-density printing and uniform erasing are performed repeatedly using high-output laser, not only overlapping occurs in the area of laser drawing but phenomenon of gradually degrading thermoreversible recording media occurs even in the area of straight-line images. This is because energy distribution of irradiated laser beam becomes Gaussian distribution and energy in the center is increased excessively. The center of recorded linear image is heated excessively, deformation marks of thermoreversible recording media or generation of air bubbles are observed, and material itself, which bears color developing and color erasing properties, is thermally decomposed in the area corresponding to the center of the laser beam which is heated to high temperatures, thereby preventing satisfactory performance to be exhibited. Therefore, high-density and uniform image forming and uniform image erasing are not performed sufficiently and it is unsatisfactory as a method for recording images which is hardly degraded even when erasing/printing are performed repeatedly.
Furthermore, when thermoreversible recording media are combined with above-mentioned RF-ID tag, or pasted to bulk containers or holders, irregularity occurs on the media surfaces, making focus point of lasers inconstant, and when excessive energy is added to the thermoreversible media or even when an energy for performing erasing is added, the temperature of the media may be raised to the color developing temperature, or contrary, remainder may occur due to insufficient erasing.
Moreover, a method for recording lot numbers or model numbers directly on metals or plastics so-called laser marker is known even though it is not capable of overwriting. The laser marker forms images by melting or decomposing metals or plastics with laser energy to scratch or leave marks on the surfaces of metals and plastics. For the above method, it is necessary to focus laser and to increase the energy in the center of laser irradiation.
However, when images are formed on thermoreversible recording media, in which transparency or color tone is reversely changed by heat, by focusing laser as similar to normal laser marker, the temperature in the center of laser irradiation is increased too much, and when forming and erasing of images are repeated, the repeated area is degraded, thereby decreasing repeated numbers. And when laser irradiation energy is reduced so as not to increase the temperature of the center, size of images is reduced resulting in degradation of image contrast or prolonged time for image forming.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for image processing and image processing apparatus


A hybrid junction solar light sensitive photodiode includes at least one inorganic p-n junction and at least one organic semiconductor p-n junction (pnpn) in series. The photoresponse properties of the photodiode is controlled using an inorganic layer and an organic layer. The photoactive layer is an organic semiconducting material having a mobility higher than 0.5 cm2/Vs. The metal oxide layer is an oxide semiconductor comprising of ternary oxides.

Optoelectronic devices are photosensitive and electronically generate electric current by electromagnetic radiation. The optoelectronic devices generate the electric current from the various light sources. In some applications, the optoelectronic devices are used to convert solar light into electric current for solar tracking systems.
One type of optoelectronic device is a photodiode, such as a photodiode used to detect electric signals due to sun light absorption. In operation, a photodiode is used to detect the electric current with a heterojunction structure. The photocurrent is measured when the photodiode is exposed to sun light irradiation. The device with the heterojunction measures the electronic response of the photodiode to sun light irradiation or electromagnetic irradiation. The photodiode devices may be characterized by their rectifying properties with external applied voltage.
Conventional optoelectronic devices are manufactured from inorganic semiconductors such as silicon, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide and others. In optoelectronic devices, a photoactive layer is formed from the inorganic semiconductors. The semiconductors can conduct electric current by electromagnetic radiation. The photoactive layer is chosen for its absorption properties to generate the electric current via electromagnetic radiation.
Organic electronics are based on organic semiconductors which have semiconducting behavior. Organic electronics have many applications in electronic technology. The organic semiconductors may be used with inorganic semiconductors as hybrid electronic devices. In addition, organic semiconductors include conjugated polymers, molecular semiconductors, and small organic compounds.
Photodiodes are typically formed by various combinations of junctions such as semiconductor-semiconductor and metal/semiconductor junctions. When a semiconductor-semiconductor and a metal/semiconductor junction are used in fabrication of the diode, the device is known as hybrid junction based photodiode. If the photodiode is formed from a semiconductor-semiconductor junction and metal/semiconductor, the photodiode is called a hybrid photodiode. There is a need for solar light sensitive photodiodes for solar tracking systems where such photodiodes will have high performance parameters, and will be made at low cost, be more reliable, and have easy fabrication methods. There is also a need for an organic photodiode that exhibits a high sensitivity to solar light.

Hybrid junction solar light sensitive device


A fuel injection stub (6) for a ramjet is designed to operate at a high Mach number. According to the invention, said stub includes a carbon-carbon composite body (10), in which a rail of elementary injectors is arranged, and a nose piece (11) consisting of a thin skin of carbon-carbon composite in at least approximately the shape of a dihedron, the edge (11A) of which has a radius of curvature (r) at most equal to 2 mm and the angle of which is at most equal to 15.degree.. Means (23, 27) for injecting a coolant into the sealed chamber (18) are arranged in said body (10), said injection means producing a number of jets of pressurized coolant striking the concave face of said skin (11).

The present invention relates to a fuel injection device for a ramjet operating at a high Mach number, for example of about 12 to 15.
It is known that ramjets are particularly advantageous for propelling hypersonic aircraft (missiles, airplanes, etc.) since they allow operation over a wide range of Mach numbers, for example from 2 to 15, and they have a low specific fuel consumption. Depending on the application peculiar to an aircraft, and possibly on the flight phase of the latter, the fuel used may be a liquid hydrocarbon, such as kerosene for example, or a gas, such as hydrogen or methane, for example.
It is also known that a ramjet includes, on the one hand, at least one oxidizer inlet, usually consisting of an air duct or an air intake, which directs an oxidizer flow (i.e. air) toward a combustion chamber and, on the other hand, at least one injection device which enables the fuel to be injected into said oxidizer flow so as to obtain a flux of oxidizer/fuel mixture which is ignited in said combustion chamber.
In ramjets designed to operate at a relatively low Mach number (for example up to Mach 2), such a fuel injection device may consist of a number of elementary injectors arranged in the internal wall of the ramjet, on the periphery of the oxidizer flow.
However, for operation at high Mach numbers, when combustion in the ramjet takes place in a supersonic or hypersonic flow, the fuel can no longer be injected just at the internal wall of the ramjet. This is because, in this case, the penetration of the jets of fuel into the oxidizer flow is too low for it to be possible to obtain good mixing of the oxidizer and the fuel within said flow, so combustion is poor or even impossible. Of course, such a drawback becomes more acute the greater the transverse dimensions of the oxidizer flow.
Thus, in order to remedy this situation, injection devices in the form of rails have already been provided, these devices having a number of elementary injectors distributed over their length and arranged in said oxidizer flow, transversely to the latter, while the ends of said rails are fastened to opposite walls of said ramjet. Such an injection device is generally called an "injection stub" and it is used either alone or in combination with fuel injection in the wall.
By using injection stubs, it is thus possible to obtain a satisfactory oxidizer/fuel mixture over the entire cross section of the oxidizer flow. More generally, the injection stubs installed in a hypersonic ramjet make it possible:
to feed fuel into the entire oxidizer flow, despite the low penetration of the jets of fuel into an oxidizer flow at hypersonic velocities; PA1 to increase the proportion of fuel in the oxidizer/fuel mixture; PA1 to assist in the ignition of the oxidizer/fuel mixture and to stabilize the flame; and PA1 to help compress the oxidizer flow, by reducing the rate of flow of fuel taken up by the ramjet. PA1 in that it includes: PA1 in that said skin is joined to said body, in a sealed manner, with its faces pressed against the faces of said wedge, so that a sealed chamber is delimited, in the concavity of said skin, between the latter and said end facet of said body; and PA1 in that, in said body, there are arranged: PA1 the thickness of said thin skin of the nose to be at most equal to 2 mm; PA1 the carbon-carbon composite constituting said thin skin to have a thermal conductivity in the thickness of about 70 W/(m.K) in the range of use temperatures; and PA1 the coolant to be a low-temperature gas, for example hydrogen at a temperature of about 100K to 300K. PA1 if hydrogen is used at a different temperature, it will be possible, all other things being equal, to maintain the thin skin temperature by modifying said flow rate; PA1 if the constituent material of the thin skin withstands a temperature greater than 1500.degree. C., for example 2000.degree. C., this constituent material may have a thermal conductivity of less than 70 W/(m.K) or the cooling may be less powerful; PA1 etc. PA1 a woven fibrous structure, the weft yarns of which are distributed at several levels in the thickness of said skin and each of the warp yarns of which passes around weft yarns at different levels; and PA1 a matrix which encapsulates said fibrous structure and consists of pyrolyzed and graphitized pitch. PA1 the skin makes a dihedral angle of 12.degree. and has a leading-edge radius equal to 1.5 mm; PA1 the skin has a thickness of about 1 mm and its carbon-carbon composite constituent material has a transverse thermal conductivity of about 70 W/(m.K); PA1 the coolant is hydrogen at a temperature of 100K to 300K and at a pressure of about 10 to 15 bar; and PA1 the flow rate of the coolant is about 2 to 5 gls for each cm of length of said leading edge. PA1 at least one longitudinal groove made on the surface of said body and closed off by one face of said nose piece; and PA1 an array of transverse surface grooves bringing said sealed chamber into communication with said longitudinal groove and also closed off by said nose piece.
Such injection stubs, which are exposed to the action of the oxidizer flow, therefore each behave, from the aerodynamic standpoint, as an airfoil embedded at its ends in two opposite walls of the ramjet. In addition, on that side of their nose which receives the oxidizer flow, said injection stubs must have a leading edge with a small radius for limiting the pressure drops which would restrict the propulsive performance of the ramjet and could even lead to choking of the oxidizer flow, which can remain hypersonic in the combustion chamber only if the velocity of the oxidizer upstream is sufficiently high.
However, the heat-up of said nose produced by the hypersonic oxidizer flow is approximately inversely proportional to the square root of the radius of the leading edge of said nose. Thus, a nose with a small leading-edge radius heats up a great deal. Moreover, it will be noted that, since said injection stubs are arranged inside the ramjet, it is impossible to cool them by radiation with the air through which the aircraft propelled by said ramjet is flying. Such a nose is therefore exposed to very high temperatures: about 5000K by an aircraft flying at Mach 12 at an altitude of about 30 km. It is therefore necessary to construct the injection stubs from materials such as ceramics, the radius of said leading edge being about 3 to 5 mm. However, in view of the current processes for producing ceramic components, it may readily be imagined that the precision manufacture of ceramic injection stubs, is necessarily lengthy and expensive.

Fuel injection stub for a ramjet operating at a high Mach number

Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle


According to an embodiment of the invention, a method and apparatus for signal modulation are described. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method comprises producing and transferring a modulated signal. The modulation of the signal is over a plurality of amplitude levels, including at least a first amplitude level, a second amplitude level and a third amplitude level, and over a plurality of time slots, including at least a first time slot, a second time slot, and a third time slot. The modulated signal transitions from the first amplitude level to the second amplitude level in the first phase slot, remains at the second amplitude level in the second time slot, and transitions from the second amplitude level to the third amplitude level in a third time slot.

In signal operations, numerous different modulation methods may be implemented. In certain cases, a modulation scheme may provide modulation in which a change of a signal in a first modulation mode does not affect or does not greatly affect the signal in a second modulation mode. Such a signal may be described as being orthogonal. For example, a signal may be modulated such that both the phase and amplitude of the signal are modulated, the signal amplitude being a first modulation mode and the signal phase being a second modulation mode.
However, conventional modulation of signals does not utilize all possible signal combinations. For example, the symbols utilized in modulation of a signal in amplitude and phase generally is limited to a single amplitude transition. For this reason, the amount of information that may be contained in such a modulated signal is limited.


An optimized system for providing medical support to a patient is disclosed. The system has a plurality of modular components that may be assembled to create a connection between a support machine and the patient wherein at least one of the modular components comprises an information tag for the storage of data and at least one of the modular components comprises an information sensor for the reading and transmission of the data. Once read and transmitted by the sensor, the data may be used to optimize the operation of the support machine.

Many patients require respiratory support from a mechanical breathing system. A mechanical breathing system may be a ventilator for patients that need assistance breathing or it may be an anesthetic delivery device. A ventilator is connected to the patient via a series of specially designed modular components, each component being a tube. The ventilator applies a positive pressure to the airway of the patient. Once the natural resistance of the patient's airway is overcome by this positive pressure, the patient's lungs begin to fill with the supplied medical gases. The supplied medical gases may be air or may be a specific designated mixture of medical gases that provide some therapeutic support to the patient. This specific mixture of gases may include anesthetic agent or supplemental gases such as oxygen, helium, nitrogen, or nitrous oxide. During ventilatory support, it is desirable to monitor the flow of the medical gas within the ventilator system as well as the composition of the gas. This complex monitoring requires sophisticated mathematical models of the mechanical breathing system.
The mechanical breathing system has a plurality of modular components that may be linked together to create the connection between the ventilator and the patient. The use of disposable components increases sanitation by eliminating the need to sterilize medical components between uses. Alternatively, reusable components are available that must be sterilized between uses by a process such as autoclaving. Each modular component provides its own advantages and/or abilities and as such, the clinician can assemble the proper series of modular components for the patient's needs. For example, one such modular component may be a gas flow sensor/sampler, such as the D-lite available from GE Healthcare that has different models for use with adult and infant patients. As the clinician adds to or changes the modular components being used, the mathematical models used by the ventilator controls must be adjusted for the new components and the whole system optimized.
Similar challenges and concerns face clinicians in critical care situations where the patient is receiving an anesthetic agent. Anesthetic delivery machines comprise similar modular components creating the connection between the machine and the patient. Changing these components requires changing the mathematical models and optimizing the system controls.
Therapeutic error can result from the inattentive reconfiguration of a mechanical breathing system. System performance can be compromised when the operator fails to identify critical characteristics of modular components to the system prior to use. Normally, once the clinician has selected and assembled the necessary modular components, the clinician must tell a system controller which components are in use so that the controller knows the appropriate mathematical models to apply. Alternatively, the clinician must run a system "checkout" procedure by which a test flow is used to determine the characteristics of the mechanical breathing system. Running the checkout enables the system controller to get the resistance and compliance associated with the assembled breathing circuit. These parameters affect the system controller dynamics and alarm manager internal calculations. Significant negative effects are possible if the system assumes the incorrect parameters because the ventilation must be individually optimized for each patient's needs. Therefore, it is desirable for a system that automatically transfers detailed information about modular components to the controller for the mechanical breathing system with which the components are used.
An alternative problem facing clinicians of a critical care transport team is the need for a means to automatically transfer mechanical breathing system parameters and patient physiological trend information between mechanical breathing systems during transport. When transferring a critical care patient to a new location within the hospital, data pertaining to the patient's mechanical breathing system settings can be easily lost or it is time-consuming for the clinician to duplicate this data on the new mechanical breathing system. Therefore, it is desirable in the field of critical care transport to have a patient connection that stores data pertaining to the mechanical breathing system to be used when the patient is switched to a new mechanical breathing system.


A process for blast cleaning an article having internal passageways that produces a clean, weldable, and brazable article that is free of blast media residue. The process includes blasting the internal passageways of the article with a soluble blast media, rinsing the article with a solvent in which the blast media is soluble, and removing the solvent from the internal passageways of the article using a stream of air.

The present invention relates to a process for blast cleaning articles--particularly those with internal passageways, which have a tendency to trap the blast media.
A variety of processes have been developed to blast clean articles with internal passageways and minute outlet holes. Such articles include, for example, jet turbine blades, where blast cleaning is periodically performed to remove oxides and other deposits. The blasting process includes directing a stream of air carrying a blast media through the article. The media is a particulate matter, so that the process is akin to "sand blasting."
Typically, the blast media is aluminum oxide or silicon carbide. Both aluminum oxide and silicon carbide have a tendency to embed in the surface of the article during blasting. The embedded aluminum oxide is relatively inert and hinders welding and brazing of the article. The embedded silicon carbide lowers the melting point of the article and may cause premature melting.
The blasting process further suffers in that the blast media tends to become lodged within the outlet holes and to accumulate inside the internal passageways of the article. The outlet holes must be manually cleared with a protrusion that is sufficiently narrow to fit within the outlet holes. This technique suffers in that it is tedious and requires excessive labor. Further, the blast media that has accumulated within the internal passageways cannot be properly removed in this manner.
Alternatively, the article can be cleaned in an autoclave, wherein the article is soaked in a hot caustic alkaline bath. This technique suffers in that additional equipment is necessary to autoclave the article and to handle the dangerous solutions. Further, the surface of the article or any article coatings are also leached in the autoclave.

Process for blast cleaning fixtures having internal passageways


Generally, the present invention is a method for identifying whether time-based operations of a computer system operate properly for time intervals over which the computer system operates. Specifically, the present invention is operative to identify the type of failure that occurs. The present invention utilizes test programs and test procedures to determine whether the hardware, BIOS, operating system, and computer language handle time and date calculations correctly. The present invention may identify a time period to be evaluated and divide the time period into a plurality of time intervals. This process accepts a first frequency value that specifies the frequency at which time test modules are to execute the time-based operations of the computer system. A first set of time-based test modules are executed at the frequency specified by the first frequency value in a first time interval. A second frequency value may be specified and the time test modules are executed at the frequency specified by second frequency value. The time test modules may be executed for a second time interval at the frequency specified by the second frequency value.

Since the advent of the computer system, computer programming bugs have plagued application programs and operating systems. Often when a new program is introduced into the market, during the initial months of use various features are discovered not to function properly. Although computer programmers make efforts to minimize programming bugs, the marketplace has come to expect that the introduction of a new computer application or system will have programming bugs that will have to be fixed. Typically these type bugs will cause a temporary crash in the system which can be corrected without a substantial loss of data.
Although most programming problems arise unexpectedly and can be corrected with ease or moderate expense, one of the largest and most expensive computer programming problems is on the horizon. The programming problem is not typical in that it was not unforeseen but was ignored as something that would be addressed in the future. Now that the future is here, the enormity of the problem is being realized. The problem arises from the common place programming practice that uses and calculates dates based only on the last two digits of the year date rather than including all digits of the date. This problem is most often referred to as the Year 2000 Problem or Millennium Bug. The Year 2000 Problem will cause a computer program to miscalculate dates or return erroneous data when the internal clock on the computer transitions from the year 1999 to the year 2000.
The Year 2000 Problem has been considered by many to exist mainly in mainframe computer systems that were programmed in the COBOL language many years ago when memory space in computer systems was very limited. Computer programmers in an effort to streamline the amount of data that was stored or manipulated in a computer program, wrote efficient code that stored dates using the least amount of memory space in the computer system. Rather than programming dates in the computer system using the entire representation of the date, such as Dec. 7, 1996, programmers used a six-digit representation of a date such as 120796. Because many aspects of computer programs operate based on the adding, subtracting or manipulating dates from various fields, when the year 2000 is reached as determined by the clock in the computer system, the two-digit representation of the year will transition to "1900", "1970" or other dates that may serve as a beginning point for time in the computer. When this transition occurs many computer systems will shut down or provide erroneous data when calculations are made based upon the incorrect date.
The primary customers or individuals who are concerned with the Year 2000 Problem are institutional customers that have invested millions of dollars in mainframe computer systems that require special programming expertise to solve the Year 2000 Problem. Although the year 2000 problem is often thought to primarily exist in mainframe computer systems, the Year 2000 programming Problem also exists for many personal computers ("PC's"). These large institutional customers have many PC's that are connected to mainframe computer systems or that are simply interfaced through a network server. Thus, PC's could be affected in two (2) ways. First, PC's can be adversely affected by the Year 2000 programming problem if the mainframe to which the PC is connected crashes. Second, a programming problem may exist in any of one of numerous components of the PC in which dates have been abbreviated for programming. These institutional companies that have invested millions of dollars in computer systems are, for example, the National Defense Department of the United States, banking and financial institutions, and medical institutions.
The most immediate way of handling the Year 2000 Problem may be to replace current computer systems with computer systems that do not contain this bug. However, most companies have invested substantial sums of money into their system and an entire overhaul of the computer system would be extraordinarily expensive. Even with PC's, for a large organization, replacing each PC with computers believed to have Year 2000 enabled solutions is not economically practical. Furthermore, there is not a guarantee that the replacement systems will solve the problem.
In reality, millions of computers installed today will still be in use in the year 2000. Many will be running today's operating systems and applications built with today's computer language. Even if these general operating systems or applications are replaced, plug-in compatible hardware and software will still exist in the marketplace. Plug-in compatibles as well as many PC's are built by different manufacturers. Manufacturers of PC's, as well as manufacturers of plug-in compatibles, buy timer chips, firmware, the basic input/output system ("BIOS") and applications from various manufacturers and companies. The computer equipment manufacturers typically purchase compatible chips and BIOS from the lowest cost provider at the time of manufacturing the equipment. Given the various manufacturers of computer components, no one can be sure what aspects of the chips, firmware, BIOS or applications work properly with the operating system or with a specific computer language.
With regard to the horrors that the Year 2000 Problem may present, it has been stated that 15 to 20% of businesses worldwide may cease to exist. A consensus believes that virtually every business worldwide will be effected in some fashion. Some figures indicate that 75% of businesses worldwide will spend a large sum approaching 5 years worth of profits, which will not produce a return on investment. Some may believe that the problem is over exaggerated. However, many of the predictions are real and will have a significant impact on a business if the business executives refuse to recognize the significance and magnitude of the problem. Those companies that believe that the problem will not happen to them will procrastinate until it is too late and will likely suffer some loss. Virtually every business relies on computers for payroll, billing, insurance, sales, order processing, accounting, inventory, or process control. It does not matter whether the computers are mainframes, minicomputers, or personal computers--the Year 2000 Problem exists and needs to be addressed.
While many people recognize that applications and general operating systems of PC's will be effected, there has not been full recognition of the significance of the problem in a PC. There are various levels of the PC system which may cause a time-based failure which have not been fully addressed in a PC. Particularly, six levels should be addressed: (1) the application level; (2) the sub-system level; (3) the language level; (4) the operating system level; (5) BIOS level; and (6) the hardware level. These six levels of functions in the computer system are significant because they typically represent multiple vendors. Because various manufacturers provide pieces of the system, this makes tracking the problem difficult and gives rise to the problem of identifying the particular vendor or manufacturer that contributed to or caused the problem.
As noted previously, it is not practical to replace an entire inventory of computer systems. Unnecessarily replacing a PC would cost in today's market from $2500 to $4500 per system. Therefore, there is a need in the art which provides a solution that enables the Year 2000 Problem to be addressed economically in a PC system and that isolates Year 2000 problems in a PC to one of the six specific levels so that the identified level can be corrected or avoided during use of the system.

System and method for determining whether time-based operations of a computer system operate properly


A motor suitable for use in a medical imaging environment has (a) a cylindrical outer gear having a bore with a centerline and an internal surface with circumferentially distributed and radially directed teeth, (b) a means for mounting this outer gear such that it is constrained to move in rotational motion about its centerline, (c) a cylindrical planetary gear having a bore and an external surface having circumferentially distributed and radially directed teeth, (d) a means located within the planetary gear bore for applying a fluid pressure driven force to cause it to move in translational-circular motion about the outer gear's centerline, and (e) wherein the teeth of these gears are configured so as to cooperate such that the translational-circular motion of the planetary gear causes the rotational movement of the outer gear.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to motors that provide rotary motion. More particularly, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a motor which is constructed from materials that can be used in all classes of medical imaging equipment and that generates precise, high torque, backlash-free rotary motion without using electricity.
2. Description of Prior Art
Noninvasive, diagnostic imaging techniques, such as ultrasound, x-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are widely used in medicine. They are used to produce cross-sectional images of a patient's organs and other internal body structures.
MRI typically involves the patient lying inside a large, hollow cylinder containing a strong electromagnet, which generates a strong and uniform magnetic field that causes the electrons in a patient's body to spin in a uniform and predictable manner. The MRI equipment can then manipulate the spinning electrons and use the resulting information to generate an image of the inside of a patient's body.
However, difficulties are encountered in obtaining accurate images when disruptions and deflections in the magnetic field are experienced due to the presence in the field of materials that produce a magnetic field and/or are susceptible to producing their own magnetic fields when placed within an external magnetic field.
One source of magnetic field distortion can be equipment such as motors that are in the vicinity of the MRI machine. Motors are generally formed with materials that produce a magnetic field. Examples of such materials that are commonly used in motors include iron and brass. Thus, when placed in the field generated by the MRI machine, the motors can cause artifacts in the image of the patient's body.
Other forms of medical imaging (e.g., x-ray and ultrasound imagers) are also seen to have similar problems of distortions in their output images due to the presence of motors in the vicinity of the imaging equipment.
Prior attempts to provide a motor that can be used in such imaging environments have involved the use of piezoelectric elements to provide the motor's power. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,233,257 and 6,274,965.
Despite these efforts, there still exists a need for improved motors that can be placed near medical imaging equipment with minimal risk of creating artifacts. There is a related need for a motor that does not produce a magnetic field. There is yet another need for a motor that has a low susceptibility of being induced to produce a magnetic field. Additionally, there is a need for a rotary motor of the type that is not powered by electricity.
3. Objects and Advantages
There has been summarized above, rather broadly, the prior art that is related to the present invention in order that the context of the present invention may be better understood and appreciated. In this regard, it is instructive to also consider the objects and advantages of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary motor that can be used for medical applications which require the motor to be located in or in close proximity to medical imaging equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rotary motor that can be used in a surgical environment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a motor that can provide precise, high torque, backlash-free rotary motion.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a rotary motor that does not utilize electrical power or electrical components for operation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a precise rotary motor whose motion can be monitored by sensors located at a site that is distant from the location of the motor itself.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary motor that can be powered by other than electrical means.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent as the invention is better understood by reference to the accompanying summary, drawings and the detailed description that follows.


A knee airbag device includes a knee airbag that is disposed in a folded state inside a steering column cover inside which a projection body that projects downward toward one side in a vehicle-width direction is disposed in a rear area, and a cylindrical inflator that supplies the gas to the knee airbag to deploy the knee airbag. The inflator is disposed inside the steering column cover such that at least a portion of the inflator is positioned in the rear area inside the steering column cover. The inflator is disposed in substantially parallel with an axis of a column tube such that the inflator is positioned below the column tube. The end portion of the inflator, in which a gas injection port is formed, faces toward a rear of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a knee airbag device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-104317 (JP-A-9-104317), JP-A-8-301054, JP-A-2002-37003 and JP-A-2002-337650 describe a knee airbag device in which a knee airbag module is disposed inside a steering column cover that covers a steering column.
In the knee airbag device provided inside the steering column cover, it is necessary to dispose an inflator, which is a gas supply source, at a position closest possible to the knees of an occupant to efficiently deploy a knee airbag toward the knees of the occupant. That is, it is preferable to dispose the inflator in a rear area in a vehicle longitudinal direction inside the steering column cover.
However, a projection body such as a key cylinder may be provided in an inclined state in a rear area in a vehicle longitudinal direction inside the steering column cover to project downward toward one side in a vehicle-width direction. Therefore, it is difficult to dispose the cylindrical inflator such that the inflator extends in the vehicle-width direction.
However, in the knee airbag device described in the above publication, the inflator is disposed without taking into account the projection body such as the key cylinder. Also, a telescopic mechanism, or a mechanism, which contracts the steering column so that a steering wheel moves forward to absorb impact when a vehicle has a frontal collision, is provided in the rear area inside the steering column cover. Accordingly, the inflator needs to be configured such that the inflator does not interfere with the contraction of the steering column in the axial direction even when the inflator is disposed at a position close to the knees of the occupant.


In an electric power steering system, a road surface reaction applied to a steering mechanism is estimated from a voltage and an electric current applied to an electric actuator, and a steering torque. Because the road surface reaction provides a useful data for assessing the condition of the road surface, it is possible to optimally control various control systems which depends on the condition of the road surface. In particular, a frictional coefficient between a road surface and a tire of the vehicle can be estimated according to a steering angle and the road surface reaction, for instance by comparing the estimated road surface reaction with a reference road surface reaction which is computed from a set of standard conditions. Thus, the road surface reaction and the road frictional coefficient can be obtained during a normal steering action by using functions which are normally provided in the electric power steering system. By knowing the current road surface condition, an optimum steering assist action can be executed according to each particular road surface condition, and can substantially reduce the effort required by the vehicle operator to steer the vehicle under all conditions.

Electric power steering systems are increasingly more preferred for motor vehicles of relatively compact design not only for their compactness but also a certain freedom of control they provide. Referring to FIG. 12 showing a typical conventional electric power steering system, this system comprises a steering shaft 2 which is integrally attached to a steering wheel 1, and a pinion 4 of a rack and pinion mechanism which is connected to the lower end of the steering shaft 2 via a connecting shaft 3 having a pair of universal joints 3a and 3b at its either axial end. The rack and pinion mechanism further comprises a rack 8 which can move laterally of the vehicle body and meshes with the pinion 4. The two ends of the rack 8 are connected to knuckle arms 7 of the right and left front wheels 6 via tie rods 5, respectively.
This steering system additionally comprises an electric motor 10 which is coaxially disposed with respect to the rack 8, a ball-nut mechanism 10a for converting the rotational torque of the electric motor 10 to the thrust of the rack 8, a manual steering torque sensor 11 for detecting the manual steering torque Ts applied to the steering wheel 1, a steering angle sensor 12 which detects the angular position of the steering shaft 2 or a steering angle .theta.s, and an assist torque control unit 13 for controlling the output of the electric motor 10 according to the detected values of Ts and .theta.s.
Referring to FIG. 13, the assist torque control unit 13 comprises a target assist torque generating unit 14 which determines an assist torque T0 which the electric motor 10 should produce, and a motor drive unit 15 which controls the electric motor 10 according to this target assist torque T0.
According to such a conventional power steering system, when the vehicle is traveling over a slippery (low-.mu.) road, for instance due to a snow accumulation or freezing, because of a sharp reduction in the steering reaction from the road surface, the assist torque tends to be excessive. Therefore, the force required to turn the steering wheel is so reduced that the vehicle operator is required to be cautious not to excessively steer the vehicle. This is known to cause a substantial stress to the vehicle operator.
To avoid the problems which may arise because of the tendency to excessively steer the vehicle on a low-.mu. road surface, it is conceivable to control the magnitude of the assist torque according to the frictional coefficient of the road surface. However, to accomplish this goal, a separate sensor for detecting the frictional coefficient between the road surface and the tire becomes necessary. According to one known method for detecting the road frictional coefficient, the frictional coefficient is computed from a difference between the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels. However, this method requires speed sensors for both front and rear wheels, and therefore tends to be complex and expensive. Furthermore, the frictional coefficient of the road surface can be detected only when one of the wheels is slipping due to acceleration or deceleration.
Reference should be made to copending U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,107 issued Mar. 17, 1998, based on Japanese patent application No. 7-245408 filed Aug. 29, 1995, which discloses a device for controlling an electric power steering system according to an estimated road frictional coefficient, and the contents of that patent are incorporated herein by reference.