In an optical disk apparatus, after chucking an optical disk, the optical disk apparatus defers the start of the rotation of the optical disk, and measures the focusing drive voltage at two points, i.e., a point near a center of the optical disk and a point near an outer edge of the optical disk. Then, based on the measured values, the optical disk apparatus determine the angle at which the optical disk is slanted. Therefore, when the optical disk has been chucked inappropriately, the chucking state can be determined without rotating the optical disk, and scratching of the optical disk and damage to the optical disk apparatus can be prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk apparatus that uses an optical pickup to determine whether the chucking of an optical disk is appropriate.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical disk apparatus includes a turntable rotated by a spindle motor. For an optical disk apparatus having a tray, when an optical disk is placed on the tray, the optical disk is carried into the apparatus and is clamped on the turntable. Then, while the turntable is being rotated rapidly by the spindle motor of the optical disk apparatus, an optical pickup records data, or reproduces data previously recorded, on the optical disk by emitting a laser beam that is focused on the optical disk.
Sometimes, the chucking of the optical disk by the optical disk apparatus is faulty, and the optical disk is chucked in a slanted state. In this case, the optical disk apparatus may not appropriately record or reproduce data on the optical disk. Further, when the chucking performed by the optical disk apparatus is faulty, and an optical disk in a slanted state is rotated rapidly, the optical disk may abut against the disk tray or other internal device portions, and may be scratched or may damage the optical disk apparatus.
Therefore, a conventional device for chucking an optical disk mounted on a turntable notifies a user that a chucking error has occurred, before the turntable is rotated, when it is determined that the optical disk has been incorrectly chucked (e.g., see JP-A-6-187712 (pages 3 to 8, FIGS. 1 to 7)).
To determine a chucking state, the device disclosed in JP-A-6-187712 for chucking an optical disk mounted on a turntable activates a focusing servo for an optical pickup at an initial position facing a lead-in area near the center of the optical disk. As a result, an incorrect chucking state determination may be made.
Specifically, since an optical disk is chucked at its center hole, when the optical disk is held in a slanted state, the distance from the optical pickup is changed more at the outer edge of the optical disk. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the positional relationship between an optical pickup and the recording face of an optical disk that has been inappropriately chucked by an optical disk apparatus. When the optical disk apparatus chucks the optical disk at a predetermined slant angle, as is shown in FIG. 5A, the distance from the optical pickup is not much changed when the optical disk is rotated at the position facing the lead-in area, so that the optical disk apparatus can activate the focusing servo with no problem. On the other hand, as is shown in FIG. 5B, the distance from the optical pickup changes greatly when the optical disk is rotated and the optical pickup is positioned facing the outer edge of the optical disk, so that the optical disk apparatus cannot activate the focusing servo. However, since to determine the chucking state the chucking device disclosed in JP-A-6-187712 actuates the focusing servo at the position facing the lead-in area, even in the case shown in FIG. 5B, the chucking device will determine that the chucking is appropriate.


Systems, methods and computer-readable media for evaluating business-critical criteria relating to exploring entity mobility/productivity opportunities are provided. A method according to the invention may include calculating a hierarchy of a plurality of decision elements regarding the opportunities. The calculating can include forming a matrix of values corresponding to the relative importance of each of the decision elements with respect to one another. The method can also include calculating a weighted composite score for each sub-process specified in each of the plurality of decision elements. The method may include compiling a favorability rating for each sub-process. The favorability rating for each sub-process may be based, at least in part, on the weighted composite score for each sub-process and the matrix of values corresponding to the relative importance of each of the decision elements with respect to one another. Finally, the method may include ranking each favorability rating to form a favorability index.

Currently, there is no consistent approach to evaluate assessment data relating to exploring entity mobility/productivity opportunities.
Without a consistent approach to evaluate data relating to exploring entity mobility/productivity opportunities, project teams have to determine how to conduct and analyze each individual assessment. Conventionally, there are two methods that could be used by the project team, each having certain limitations: one is a Six Sigma1 project and the second is a survey follow by brainstorming sessions to analyze the survey data. 1Six Sigma is a business management strategy, originally developed by Motorola. Six Sigma seeks to identify and remove causes of defects using a set of quality management methods. Such defects may include anything that may lead to customer dissatisfaction.The Six Sigma methods include statistical methods. These methods create a special infrastructure of people within an entity who are experts in these methods. Typically, each Six Sigma project carried out within an entity follows a defined sequence of steps and may have quantified financial targets—e.g., cost reduction and/or profit increase.
The limitations of the Six Sigma project may be as follows. The Six Sigma project can be time consuming, typically running 2-6 months from project inception until project completion. Six Sigma projects also require a certified expert to conduct and/or coach. Moreover, the expert or coach requires formal training to fill the role as Project Lead and/or Team leader.
The limitations of the brainstorming sessions may be as follows. Conventional brainstorming sessions typically occur in a non-standardized fashion. Furthermore, brainstorming sessions lack the fact-based/decision-based methodology to identify areas critical to the business. Thus, these limitations reduce the effectiveness of brainstorming sessions.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide systems and methods for evaluating business-critical criteria with respect to exploring entity mobility/productivity opportunities.

Systems and methods for evaluating business-critical criteria relating to exploring entity mobility/productivity opportunities


A hollow fiber membrane cartridge comprising a bundle of multiple hollow fiber membranes arranged so as to be vertical in an immersion vessel and comprising bond fixing layers capable of bond fixing of the hollow fiber membrane bundle at both ends thereof, wherein the morphology of each of the bond fixing layers is selected from the group consisting of a triangle, a rectangle and a hexagon, and wherein at least an edge of upper side bond fixing layer, the hollow of the hollow fiber membranes opens, and wherein the hollow fiber membrane bundle at a filtration zone side interface of the upper side bond fixing layer is in the form of multiple wisps.

As a waste water treatment method, there is a membrane separation activated sludge method comprising immersing a membrane cartridge in an activated sludge tank and carrying out solid-liquid separation of the activated sludge and the treated water after the treatment. This method allows the concentration of the activated sludge (MLSS: Mixed Liquor Suspended Solid) to be set at a very large value from 5,000 to 20,000 mg/l for a filtering process. This advantageously allows the capacity of the activated sludge vessel to be reduced or enables a reaction time in the activated sludge vessel to be shortened. Further, the filtration with the membrane prevents suspended solids (SS) from being mixed into treated water, thus eliminating the need for a final sedimentation tank. This makes it possible to reduce the construction area of the treatment facility and to achieve filtration regardless of whether or not activated sludge is appropriately sedimented. This method thus has advantages such as a reduction in the load of activated sludge managing operation. Therefore, in recent years, the membrane separation activated sludge method has prevailed rapidly.
If hollow fiber membranes are used for the membrane cartridge, the high strength of the membrane itself hinders the surface of the membrane from being damaged as a result of contact with contaminants contained in the raw water. The membrane cartridge can thus be used for a long period. Moreover, this structure has the advantage of being capable of back wash reverse filtration, that is, injecting a medium such as treated water in a direction opposite to that of filtration to remove fouling to the membrane surface. In this case, however, effective membrane area may decrease unless filtration is carried out while excluding aggregates of activated sludge as well as contaminants from the raw water accumulating in the gap between the hollow fiber membranes. As a result, filtration efficiency lowers, thus stable filtration is prevented from being maintained over a long period.
Conventionally, the following method is used to avoid accumulating sludge or the like on the surfaces of hollow fiber membranes or between the hollow fiber membranes. That is, aeration by air or the like is performed from the lower portion of a membrane cartridge, and activated sludge aggregate and contaminants brought from raw water on the surface of a hollow fiber membrane or between hollow fiber membranes are removed in accordance with the oscillation effect of a membrane and agitation effect by movement of bubblers upward and thereby, accumulation of them is prevented. For example, a lower ring (or also referred to as skirt) is set to the lower portion of a hollow fiber membrane cartridge and a plurality of through-holes are formed on a lower-ring-side adhesion fixation layer to form an air pool in the end of the lower ring protruded from the lower ring by aeration from the lower portion of the cartridge. Thus, bubbles are uniformly generated from the plurality of through-holes and hollow fiber membranes are oscillated so that a suspended material deposited on the outer surfaces of the membranes are easily removed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
According to this method, when filtering high-concentration MLSS such as the case of the membrane separation activated sludge method, there is an effect for removing the sludge between hollow fiber membrane bundles in accordance with the agitation effect by aeration and the oscillation effect of a membrane. However, a force for raising activated sludge aggregate or contaminants acts due to ascent of bubbles, and removed sludge moves to a position nearby the adhesion fixation layer, and they are not easily removed to the outside of the membrane bundle. Moreover, the hollow fiber membrane at the portion nearby the adhesion fixation layer has a small oscillation amplitude and therefore, it is impossible to sufficiently remove fouling from the surface of the membrane, and there is a problem that the surface of a hollow fiber is clogged because sludge is accumulated between membranes.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-2000-157846

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An apparatus for display of multiple electronic documents. The apparatus includes one or more tilting, rotatable, and detachable display devices coupled to a display stand, or to a personal computer or other data processing apparatus via a hinge or the like. A screen control user interface running on the data processing apparatus is provided for switching electronic documents between the various display devices. One or more of the display devices may include a local memory, power supply, and application software so that the screen can be detached from the multiple document display apparatus and still display an electronic document. The displayed electronic document may then be marked up by a second user and returned to a first user for editing purposes.

This invention pertains generally to apparatuses for viewing, researching, reviewing, and editing electronic documents and more specifically to viewing, researching, reviewing, and editing multiple electronic documents simultaneously.
In the last decade, technology has changed the manner in which education and research is effectuated in most homes and classrooms. Almost every university in the United States now has an electronic aspect included in its curriculum, ranging from classes being completely offered online, to providing online libraries and research tools. CD-ROMs often replace reference books, instruction manuals, and trouble-shooting and help manuals. A dictionary or textbook may no longer be sitting next to a student on a desk, but all of its contents may be available 24 hours, seven days a week, upon a click of a mouse. Reference materials are also offered over the Internet via web pages or on CD-ROMs, and often replace their paper counterparts.
School assignments may further be posted electronically. Some of these assignments are conducted in teams or groups, where each team or group member contributes his or her share for completing the assignment. Such team assignments or study group collaborations are often exchanged via e-mail, and may go through many revisions and edits. Conducting such edits or performing other types of research generally requires one to make a print-out of a document being reviewed or edited, generating a paper version of the document. Once the research or editing has been completed, the print-out of the document is often discarded. This creation, use, and then discarding of paper copies is wasteful and expensive as well as time consuming.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and a method for displaying one or more versions of a document for viewing, comparing, and editing purposes. A user interface for such an apparatus should be simple and convenient to use. In addition, the apparatus should be easily portable and include detachable displays with memory and editing capabilities. Various aspects of the present invention meet such a need as well as the needs of other possible applications.

Multiple document viewing apparatus and user interface


A hose retractor for use with a pull-out dispensing unit of a faucet.

Faucets including a pull-out dispensing unit, such as a spout spray head or a side spray, generally utilize a retractor, such as a weight or a spring, to help retract a hose back into a rest position after the dispensing unit has been removed from its docking station by the user. The hose typically extends below the mounting surface of the faucet behind the sink. More particularly, the hose travels from the faucet valve above the mounting surface, loops down and returns back above to attach to the dispensing unit.
If a weight is used as a hose retractor, it is generally attached to the hose using some sort of clamp. By clamping the weight to the hose, the effective length of the hose is shortened if the weight is placed on the portion of the hose past the loop (generally the bottom) closest to the spray head, or is ineffective over the final portion of the travel if placed before the loop (generally the bottom), closest to the valve. As an alternative, a sliding weight as a hose retractor provides a substantially constant force on the hose independent of dispensing unit position since the sliding weight is always located near the bottom of the loop due to gravity. Generally, the sliding weight is more efficient if the coefficient of friction between the hose and the weight is as small as possible and the mass of the weight is as great as possible. The contact surface of the weight generally should be corrosion resistant. Cost constraints on designs and material weight are often competing factors.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a retractor for use with a faucet pull-out hose includes an outer portion formed of a first material, and an insert portion formed of a second material different from the first material. The insert portion is rotatably received within the outer portion and is configured to slidably receive the pull-out hose.
According to a further illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure, a retractor for use with a faucet pull-out hose includes an outer portion, and an insert portion concentrically received within the outer portion and configured to slidably receive the pull-out hose. A releasable coupler is supported by the insert portion and is configured to releasably couple the insert portion to the outer portion.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

Two piece moveable hose retractor for a faucet


A method for adjusting a validation threshold for detecting a marker in an interrogation zone of an electronic surveillance system, comprising the steps of: (a.) tracking individual moving averages of background noise in a plurality of operational phase windows; (b.) tracking a moving variance for each of the moving averages of the background noise in each of the plurality of windows; and, (c.) continuously adjusting a validation threshold for detecting the marker in the interrogation zone responsive to the moving averages and responsive to the moving variances.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems, and in particular, to enhancing detection sensitivity and reliability of EAS systems operating in high noise environments.
2. Description of Related Art
In an EAS system markers or tags affixed to articles are expected to pass through an interrogation zone defined by a magnetic field generated by the EAS system. The markers or tags have a characteristic signal response which can be detected by the EAS system. There are contradictory goals in implementing EAS systems. One goal is to maximize the likelihood of detecting a marker or tag. Achieving this goal requires maximum sensitivity to the received signal. Another goal is to eliminate false detection, so as to avoid unnecessary embarrassment of a customer who is not really stealing an article. Achieving this goal requires maximum immunity to electrical background noise received from the interrogation zone, by itself or in conjunction with a valid marker response. Improving sensitivity tends to reduce noise immunity and improving noise immunity tends to reduce sensitivity.
Electrical noise is herein considered to be any undesired signal, with regard to amplitude or frequency, or both, present at the detector of an EAS receiver. Electrical noise comes from two primary sources, namely from sources internal to the EAS system and from sources external of the EAS system. Internal sources include system generated signals and circuit noise. External sources can be divided into environmental sources, such as lightning, and man-made sources, such as noise on local electrical wiring and nearby electrical devices. Noise from any source competes with desired signals and thus reduces system sensitivity.
Internal, system-generated signals can often be gated or filtered, or reduced by physical isolation, for example by shielding. Circuit noise, including thermal and junction noise can often be reduced through careful layout techniques and component selection.
External sources represent the largest source of noise faced by an EAS receiver. Environmental noise is broad-spectrum, and so contains energy within the receiver's bandwidth. However, environmental noise is also intermittent, and so can usually be treated through some form of time dependent processing. Man-made sources are the most pernicious form of interference. Electrical devices are often located close to an EAS system and therefor have high signal levels. Many such sources produce signals having an energy spectrum falling at or near the system's band of interest, and often the sources are active continuously, resulting in a constant loss in sensitivity.
Due to the bandpass filters typically used on EAS receivers, broad-spectrum noise appearing at the input to an EAS receiver, including equivalent input circuit noise, appears as normally distributed or Gaussian noise at the receiver's detector. While this Gaussian noise is random in nature, it can be processed statistically with some success. In order to provide maximum sensitivity consistent with minimum false alarms, EAS receivers typically operate with a 10-12 dB signal-plus-noise to noise ratio, conveniently designated (S+N)/N. A tag or marker signal must therefore be 3 to 4 times greater than the average background noise level to be considered significant. In low noise environments, this does not pose a problem. However, when nearby man-made sources, such as television and computer monitors, motor speed controllers, lamp dimmers, neon signs, and the like, produce a high noise environment, these high level signals result in a correspondingly high noise average, raising the detection threshold proportionately and seriously reducing sensitivity. These man-made sources are non-Gaussian in nature, having high energy levels at particular frequencies or bands of frequencies. Unfortunately, previous receiver designs have been unable to characterize and adjust for the differences between random Gaussian noise and coherent man-made sources.
The operation of a pulsed magnetic EAS system available from Sensormatic Corporation synchronizes its operation by sensing local power line zero crossings. Each line cycle is divided up into six time windows: three windows for transmission and three windows for reception. The first transmit-receive window sequential pair, designated Phase A herein, occurs at 0.degree. with respect to the zero crossing. The second transmit-receive window sequential pair, designated Phase B herein, occurs at 120.degree. with respect to the zero crossing. The third transmit-receive window sequential pair, designated Phase C herein, occurs at 240.degree. with respect to the zero crossing.
Previous implementations of this pulsed magnetic EAS system receiver computes a detection threshold based on a fixed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or more accurately, a signal-plus-noise-to-noise ratio as explained above. The receivers keep track of the background noise and continuously compute a running arithmetic average. The detection threshold is set to a defined number of dB above this average. The default is typically 12 dB, or four times (4.times.) the average. When a tag or marker enters the interrogation field of the system, the signal level of the tag must exceed this detection threshold, also referred to as a validation threshold, in order for processing to continue. The (S+N)/R is programmable at the time of system installation, but once set, the system uses this fixed ratio to track changes in background noise. A margin of 12 dB has been found to provide the best compromise between maximum sensitivity and false alarm immunity. Assuming Gaussian noise at the detector, the chance of the system falsely initiating a validation sequence due to noise is less than 0.2%.
The best EAS system performance is achieved when its receiver is operating at its maximum sensitivity consistent with the dynamics of the noise environment. Any factors which keep the receiver from achieving this maximum sensitivity degrade system performance.
Known pulsed magnetic EAS systems track background noise by computing a simple arithmetic moving average, in a manner according to Equation 1 below, of the instantaneous noise values sampled during receiver time windows wherein the receiver was not anticipating signals from a magnetic tag or marker, i.e. windows not preceded by a transmitter burst. The assumption is that, noise events being random, signal levels due to noise should be equal whether they are sampled during a receiver noise window or during a "tag window", that is, when a magnetic tag or marker would produce a response. Whenever the signal levels detected during a tag window exceed those during a corresponding noise window by a predetermined margin, the assumption is that the tag window response is due to a tag or magnetic marker within the system's interrogation field, and a validation sequence is initiated to determine if the characteristics of the tag window response is consistent with a valid marker. These characteristics include, for example, whether the signal is of sufficient amplitude and duration, whether the signal has the correct frequency characteristic and whether the signal tracks or follows the transmitter burst. Any time the system erroneously initiates a validation sequence, there is an increased chance of initiating a false alarm.
For sample size n, the arithmetic average is calculated as follows: ##EQU1##
The problem with relying on a simple arithmetic average is that the system reacts twice for each change in the noise environment. The first reaction occurs when the sample enters the group being averaged. The second reaction occurs when the sample leaves the group being averaged. As long as a sample remains part of the group of samples in a moving average, the sample exerts the same influence or weighting factor on the average. When the sample drops out of the sample group, the average undergoes a second transient event which does not correspond to any real change in the noise environment. This can lead to initiation of undesired validation sequences.
Assume, for example, a receiver is operating in an environment with no magnetic markers in the system's interrogation field, and further assume a relatively constant background noise level. The system will compute a moving average of the background noise and determine a validation threshold at some defined number of dB above this average. Now assume a particular noise window wherein the instantaneous noise components with their respective phase characteristics combine so as to cancel each other. The resultant noise reading for that window could be significantly lower than previous windows. This lower than normal sample is added to the sample group to compute the moving average and it substantially lowers the average. Now the typical values, due to background noise, in the tag window can exceed the validation threshold and the system erroneously enters a validation sequence. Depending on the size of the sample group which makes up the moving average, the validation threshold could be exceeded for some time, perhaps long enough to complete a validation sequence and initiate a false alarm.

Signal detection in high noise environments


The invention provides an organic electroluminescence element which comprises a hole transporting layer which comprises a tris(p-terphenyl-4-yl)amine represented by the general formula (I)

Among organoelectronic materials having a photoelectric function which produce electroconductivity or electric charges when being irradiated, most of low molecular weight organic compounds are incapable of forming thin film by themselves. Accordingly, when thin film is to be formed with such known low molecular weight organic compounds, they are dispersed in a binder resin (that is, diluted with a binder resin), and the resulting dispersion is applied onto a substrate to form thin film. Thus, the conventional organoelectronic materials comprised of low molecular weight organic compounds are influenced by the binder resin which forms a matrix, but also they are diluted with the binder resin so that they cannot exhibit sufficiently the properties that they originally possess.
In addition, if the conventional organoelectronic materials comprised of low molecular weight organic compounds form thin film that is relatively stable at normal temperatures with the aid of a binder resin, they have low glass transition temperatures so that the film is poor in heat resistance and is not suitable for use in practical devices. Accordingly, the development of organoelectronic materials that are capable of forming amorphous film at normal temperatures or more has been pushed on with in recent years.
On the other hand, as described in JP 6-1972A and 7-90256A, among a variety of electronic devices, an organic electroluminescence element in particular can be driven at a low voltage with high efficiency and at high luminance, but also it can be made thin because it is a self-emitting device. Hence, in recent years, the investigation to put the organic electroluminescence element to practical use as display devices as well as backlights or illumination devices is pushed forward.
The electroluminescence element is usually comprised of a transparent substrate such as a glass substrate having an anode made of a transparent electrode such as an ITO membrane (indium oxide-tin oxide membrane) laminated thereon, and a hole injecting layer, a hole transporting layer, an emitting layer and a cathode made of a metal electrode laminated on the anode in this order. The anode and the cathode are electrically connected with an external power source. In some cases, the hole injecting layer and the hole transporting layer are formed as a single layer, and in some cases, an electron transporting layer is laminated between the emitting layer and the cathode. Many other layer structures to form organic electroluminescence elements are known, as described in, for example, JP 6-1972A.
In such an organic electroluminescence element, the hole injecting layer adheres to the anode, and transports holes from the anode to the hole transporting layer, and the hole transporting layer in turn transports the holes to the emitting layer while blocking electrons, whereas the electron transporting layer adheres to the cathode, and transports electrons from the cathode to the emitting layer. Thus, when an electron injected from the cathode and a hole injected from the anode recombine in the emitting layer, light is emitted and radiated outside through the transparent electrode (anode) and the transparent substrate. It is already known that when the hole injecting layer (and the hole transporting layer) and the electron transporting layer are laminated in this way together with the emitting layer between the electrodes, the emission efficiency is improved.
As organoelectronic materials used in the hole injecting layer, hole transporting layer, or hole injecting/transporting layer, that is, organoelectronic materials used as hole injecting/transporting agents in the conventional organic electroluminescence elements, aromatic tertiary amines have been known, such as 4,4′-bis(N-(3-methylphenyl)-N-phenylamino)biphenyl (TPD), as described, for example, in JP 7-90256A, and 4,4′-bis(N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino))biphenyl (α-NPD), as described, for example, in JP 5-234681A, are known. However, the organic electroluminescence element in which these aromatic tertiary amines are used either as a hole injecting layer, a hole transporting layer, or a hole injecting/transporting layer is still insufficient in performance.
Besides, the aromatic tertiary amines mentioned above have low glass transition temperatures and insufficient heat resistance so that the hole injecting and/or transporting layer formed in the form of thin film with the aromatic tertiary amines are promoted in crystallization on account of heat generated when the resultant organic electroluminescence element is driven. Hence, the organic electroluminescence emission has a reduced efficiency, but also it may occur that the element is destructed, that is, the element is poor in durability.
Under these circumstances, tris(p-terphenyl-4-yl)amines have been proposed in JP 06-228062A as an organoelectronic material which can form amorphous film at ordinary temperature or more, and which in addition has a high glass transition temperature and is excellent in heat resistance. The tris(p-terphenyl-4-yl)amines have a high ionization potential so that they can be suitably used as an emission material as described in JP 07-53955A, however, the effective use of the tris-(p-terphenyl-4-yl)amines as a hole transporting agent has not been known thus far.
We have made intensive study to solve the problems involved in the conventional hole injecting and/or transporting agents, and the organic electroluminescence elements in which these agents are used, and as results, we have found out that the combinational use of an aromatic tertiary amine having an ionization potential in the range of 5.2-5.6 eV as a hole injecting agent and the above-mentioned tris(p-terphenyl-4-yl)-amines as a hole transporting agent provides an organic electroluminescence element which can be driven at a low voltage with a high efficiency and at high luminance, and thus we have completed this invention.

Abstract: wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group which may have substituents or an aryl group which may have substituents as a hole transporting agent, and a hole injecting layer which comprises a hole injecting agent comprising an aromatic tertiary amine having an ionization potential in the range of 5.2-5.6 eV. This organic electroluminescence element can be driven at a low voltage with high efficiency and at high luminance.


A rescue assist device for use with a throwable personal floatation device is provided. The device includes a top handle member, a bottom member including a first coupling feature, and a first side member including a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected with the top handle member, and wherein the second end is connected with the bottom member. The device also includes a second side member including a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected with the top handle member, and wherein the second end is connected with the bottom member. Further, a first end of a retaining arm is pivotably connected with the first side member, and a second end of the retaining arm includes a second coupling feature that is configured for being releasably engaged with the first coupling feature.

Boating and water sports are popular activities during the warmer months. Given that these activities typically occur in large bodies of water, and not everyone is proficient at swimming, there is a risk of injury or death if proper safety standards and protocol are not followed. More than two-thirds of all boating fatalities are drowning incidents, many of which the victim did not have access to a personal flotation device (PFD).
Many water related injuries and fatalities could be avoided if PFD's are either worn by or accessible to the passengers on the boat. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and many state laws require that PFD's, such as a properly fitted life jacket, be available for every person aboard a recreational vessel. Each state may also have additional requirements for persons participating in water related activities such as for water skiing and personal watercraft operation. Further, boats of sixteen feet or greater in length must typically have a throwable PFD onboard.
Throwable PDF's are classified by the USCG as a Type IV device and include ring buoys, horseshow buoys, seat cushions, or other similar devices. These devices are stored in the cockpit or at the helm of the boat so they are available for immediate use in case of an emergency. Typically these devices are attached to a rope so that they can be thrown by a person in the boat to a distressed individual located in the water, the distressed individual grasps the device, and the person in the boat then pulls the distressed person back safely to the boat.
The manner in which the throwable PFD's are stored in a boat sometimes prevents them from being used in a timely manner to assist a person in distress. Many items, including throwable PFD's, that are stored in a boat are located in storage compartments located underneath the boat seats. When a throwable PFD is placed in an under seat storage location, a rope that is attached to it is usually wound around a person's arm and then loosely placed next to the throwable PFD. This leaves the rope vulnerable to being tangled as other items are placed in the same storage locations and as the boat moves during operation. When the rope is tangled, this prohibits the device from being used to its full capability when someone is in distress because it will not be able to be readily thrown the full distance of the length of the rope. If a person in the boat decides to try to untangle the rope prior to throwing the PFD to the person in distress, this delay in time could be the difference between saving or not saving the person in distress.
Accordingly there is a need for a device that allows for the reliable immediate use of a throwable PFD. In particular, there is a need for a device that maintains a rope attached to a throwable PFD in a tangle-free configuration for immediate use. The present invention fills these needs as well as other needs.


In one embodiment, the invention is a packaged high power electronic switch in the form of a semiconductor chip having metalized planar cathode and anode terminals and a gate terminal. A refractory annular ring has planar open end faces and side walls having stepped portions. A pair of thermally and electrically conductive planar substrates is bonded to the opposite end faces of the annular ring and is maintained in spaced relation thereby, forming an enclosed space. At least one conductive strap within the space is supported by the stepped portion of the internal side wall and extends to one of the substrates forming an electrical and thermal path. One of said conductive substrates receives one of the planar terminals of the chip in intimate electrical and thermal contact. The strap is electrically coupled to the other of said terminals, for forming a high current path between the substrates via the strap. Additional components, such as a commutating diode and gate protection zener diode, may be employed and provide a self protected switch assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a high power semiconductor switching device for use in self commutated resonant invertors. More particularly, the invention relates to a MOS control thyristor which employs a high current fast recovery commutating diode and gate protection devices in a single surface mounted package which provides thermal and parasitic loss management.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A MOS Controlled Thyristor (MCT) is a new high power semiconductor switching device which combines the best features of SCR thyristors and power MOSFETs. The MCT has the ability of the SCR to pass extremely large currents with only a small voltage drop, but is controlled by a capacitive MOSFET gate. The MCT is made using standard MOSFET processes, but has an additional PN junction at the base of the chip to form a PNPN thyristor. The surface of the chip is covered with a large number of N and P channel cells which control the chip, effectively dividing it into a large number of very small thyristors connected in parallel.
The basic operation of the device can be understood by considering the equivalent circuit of an MCT 10 in FIG. 1. The thyristor portion of the MCT is replaced by two bipolar transistors 12 and 14 and a pair of respective P and N channel MOSFETs 16 and 18. The anode 20 is at a positive voltage with respect to the cathode 22. The collector current of PNP transistor 12 drives the base of the NPN transistor 14, and vice versa.
Once current starts to flow through the device 10, the two transistors 12 and 14 drive each other and the device latches on. The P channel MOSFET 16, connected between the emitter of the PNP 12 (MCT anode 20) and the base of the NPN 14, provides a small amount of base drive to turn the device on when the gate 24 is negative with respect to anode 20. The N channel MOSFET 18, between the base and emitter of the PNP 14, shorts out the base drive when the gate 24 is positive with respect to anode 20, turning the device 10 off.
The primary shortcoming of the MCT 10 is that if the current is too large when the device is commanded off, the current will concentrate in a few cells, causing local heating and perhaps device failure. This restriction is analogous to the Safe Operating Area (SOA) associated with bipolar devices.
The aforementioned shortcoming does not alter the fact that the MCT 10 is ideally suited for use in high power self commutated resonant invertors. In this type of inverter, relatively high peak currents must be passed with a small voltage drop while the device is turned off by the resonant circuit with essentially zero voltage and current. This application capitalizes on the strengths of the MCT, while neutralizing its weaknesses.
In order to make full use of the MCT the device must be in a package which provides adequate thermal management, low loss, high current interconnections, minimal parasitic inductances and resistances, and small size. None of the packages normally used with power semiconductor devices meet all of these requirements.
The MCT 10 is presently normally packaged as a chip 28 which is solder mounted on a metal substrate 29 and encapsulated in an insulating plastic 30 forming a known TO-220 package 31. The package 31 has an aperture 32 therein and is secured to a metal support 33 by means of a fastener (not shown) which passes through the aperture 32. An insulting wafer 34 is disposed between the substrate 29 and the support 33. The wafer 34, typically a ceramic material such as BeO, provides electrical insulation but also adds thermal resistance to the package 31. This is undesirable because, in some applications, peak currents of 300 amperes are required and existing thermal paths are insufficient for adequately dissipating heat produced by such high currents. Also, large currents are concentrated in a number of thin anode bond wires 35, which couple the chip 28 to package leads 36 and small external leads 37, are soldered to the package leads 36. Concentration of high currents results in undesirably high electrical parasitics.
The parasitic elements which arise in the physical construction of a circuit can be critical in high power applications. The parasitics which are of prime concern are lead resistances and lead inductances. FIG. 3 illustrates an equivalent circuit for MCT 10 shown in FIG. 1 in which a commutating diode 42 is coupled across the MCT 10 in an antiparallel configuration. That is, the anode 44 of the diode 42 is coupled to the cathode 22 of the MCT and vice versa.
In the arrangement illustrated, it will be assumed that all significant parasitic inductances are noted by the symbol L followed by a reference numeral. Likewise, all significant parasitic resistances are noted by the symbol R followed by a reference numeral. When relevant the associated reference numeral is mentioned. Each high power, high frequency lead wire has both parasitic inductance and resistance. These parasitics are especially troublesome and cause the greatest losses. Each low power, high frequency lead wire has both parasitic inductance and resistance. However, at low power, the resistance has a negligible effect on thermal losses, thus, such parasitics are ignored.
L1 and L2 are parasitics associated with the anode and cathode connections of the package. Likewise, R1 and R2 are anode and cathode parasitics associated with the package leads. L3 and L4 are inductive parasitics associated with the lead wires of the MCT 10. Similarly, R3 and R4 are parasitic resistances associated with the device lead wires. L5 and L6 and R5 and R6 are parasitics associated with the lead wires of the antiparallel commutating diode 40. L7 and L8 are parasitic inductances associated with the Kelvin and gate leads, which are low power. Accordingly, parasitic resistances are ignored for these leads.
Large high frequency currents flow from the anode 20 to the cathode 22. Accordingly, any lead contact or resistance R in this path translates directly into power dissipation of about 10 watts per milliohm. This is additional heat which must be removed from the device. The problem is further complicated because high frequency currents tend to flow on the outer surface of conductors, penetrating less than 10 mils. This phenomenon increases the apparent resistance of the conductor.
The parasitic inductances L between elements have the potential to directly result in device failure. While the MCT 10 has a forward blocking capability of over 500 volts, reverse voltages of less than 10 volts can destroy the device. For this reason, the antiparallel commutating diode 42 is required in virtually all applications. Also shown in FIG. 3 is a gate protection feature in the form of back-to-back zener diodes 48 coupled between the gate lead 24 and Kelvin lead 46.
The ability of the diode 42 to limit the reverse voltage on the MCT 10 is restricted by any inductance between the two devices. With a rate of current rise of 500 amps per microsecond, as little as 20 nanohenries of stray inductance can cause device failure. Referring to FIG. 2, the inductance of any one of the bond wires 33 is nearly 10 nanohenries. A similar problem exists with the voltage between the gate 24 and the anode 20 across gate inductance R7, but this problem is partially resolved by the addition of Kelvin connection 46 to serve as gate return.
The package 31 in FIG. 2 is clearly not adequate for the intended applications. Unfortunately, other packages normally used with power devices are little better. For example, known packages such as the TO-3, T-257 and Z-Pack fail on both thermal and high current criteria. Thermal performance is particularly degraded by the use of the voltage isolating ceramic substrate 34 which separates the package 31 from the metal support 33. Resistive losses are increased because even when multiple anode bond wires 33 are employed, current is forced to concentrate into small package leads or pins 36 which can only be connected externally to small lead wires 37, (e.g., AWG #16) through solder joints. Furthermore, since these are single chip packages, the required low inductance between MCT 10 and diode 42 is difficult to achieve.
Conventional power hybrids and modules can provide the required thermal performance and low inductance interconnections between the MCT 10 and diode 42, but cannot pass high currents to the external circuits with acceptable losses, because current is still concentrated through the small pins 36. Known hockey puck packages used with high power SCRs provide excellent cooling, and low loss, low inductance connections, but are far too bulky for the intended applications, and are generally not applicable to a chip as physically as small as the MCT 10.

High power self commutating semiconductor switch


A method for creating a coded target Continuous Presence (CP) image according to a video coding standard from a number of coded video signals including defined orders of macroblocks, each including coded video signals corresponding to a respective endpoint video image, received from endpoints participating in a multipoint video conference, the method including: decoding the coded video signals with plural decoders to generate decoded video signals; spatially mixing the decoded video signals, resulting in a number of CP images including regions respectively associated with each of the endpoint video images with a mixing unit; encoding the CP images with plural encoders; and rearranging macroblocks of the encoded CP images to create the target coded CP image with one or more re-packer units.

Transmission of moving pictures in real-time is employed in several applications like e.g. video conferencing, net meetings, TV broadcasting and video telephony.
However, representing moving pictures requires bulk information as digital video typically is described by representing each pixel in a picture with 8 bits (1 Byte). Such uncompressed video data results in large bit volumes, and can not be transferred over conventional communication networks and transmission lines in real time due to limited bandwidth.
Thus, enabling real time video transmission requires a large extent of data compression. Data compression may, however, compromise with picture quality. Therefore, great efforts have been made to develop compression techniques allowing real time transmission of high quality video over bandwidth limited data connections.
In video compression systems, the main goal is to represent the video information with as little capacity as possible. Capacity is defined with bits, either as a constant value or as bits/time unit. In both cases, the main goal is to reduce the number of bits.
The most common video coding method is described in the MPEG* and H.26* standards. The video data undergo four main processes before transmission, namely prediction, transformation, quantization and entropy coding.
The prediction process significantly reduces the amount of bits required for each picture in a video sequence to be transferred. It takes advantage of the similarity of parts of the sequence with other parts of the sequence. Since the predictor part is known to both encoder and decoder, only the difference has to be transferred. This difference typically requires much less capacity for its representation. The prediction is mainly based on picture content from previously reconstructed pictures where the location of the content is defined by motion vectors. The prediction process is typically performed on square block sizes (e.g. 16×16 pixels).
Video conferencing systems also allow for simultaneous exchange of audio, video and data information among multiple conferencing sites. Systems known as multipoint control units (MCUs) perform switching functions to allow multiple sites to intercommunicate in a conference. The MCU links the sites together by receiving frames of conference signals from the sites, processing the received signals, and retransmitting the processed signals to appropriate sites. The conference signals include audio, video, data and control information. In a switched conference, the video signal from one of the conference sites, typically that of the loudest speaker, is broadcast to each of the participants. In a continuous presence conference, video signals from two or more sites are spatially mixed to form a composite video signal for viewing by conference participants. The continuous presence or composite image is a combined picture that may include live video streams, still images, menus or other visual images from participants in the conference.
In a typical continuous presence conference, the video display is divided into a composite layout having areas or regions (e.g., quadrants). Sites are selected at conference setup from the sites connected in the conference for display in the regions. Common composite layouts include four, nine or sixteen regions. The layout is selected and then fixed for the duration of the conference.
Some conference arrangements provide different composite signals or video mix such that each site may view a different mix of sites. Another arrangement uses voice activated quadrant selection to associate sites with particular quadrants. That arrangement enables conference participants to view not only fixed video mix sites, but also a site selected on the basis of voice activity. However, the layout in terms of number of regions or quadrants is fixed for the conference.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an MCU 10 of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,646, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The MCU 10 also includes H.323 functionality as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,404,745, the disclosure of which is hereby also expressly incorporated by reference. In addition, video processing in the MCU has been enhanced, as will be described further herein. The features described herein for MCU 10 can be embodied in a Tandberg MCU.
The MCU 10 includes at least one Network Interface Unit (NIU) 120, at least one Bridge Processing Unit (BPU) 122, a Video Processing Unit (VPU) 124, a Data Processing Unit (DPU) 126, and a Host Processing Unit (HPU) 130. In addition to a host Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) control bus 132, the MCU 10 includes a network bus 134, a BPU bus 136 and an X-bus 138. The network bus 134 complies with the Multi-Vendor Integration Protocol (MVIP) while the BPU bus 136 and the X-bus are derivatives of the MVIP specification. The HPU 130 provides a management interface for MCU operations. Each of the foregoing MCU elements is further described in the above-referenced U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,600,646 and 6,404,745.
The H.323 functionality is provided by the addition of a Gateway Processing Unit (GPU) 128 and a modified BPU referred to as a BPU-G 122A. The GPU 128 runs H.323 protocols for call signaling and the creation and control of audio, video and data streams through an Ethernet or other LAN interface 140 to endpoint terminals. The BPU-G 122A is a BPU 122 that is programmed to process audio, video and data packets received from the GPU 128.
The MCU operation is now described at a high-level, initially for circuit switched conferencing and then for packet switched H.323 conferencing. In circuit switched conferencing, digital data frames from H.320 circuit switched endpoint terminals are made available on the network bus 134 through a network interface 142 to an NIU 120. The BPUs 122 process the data frames from the network bus 134 to produce data frames which are made available to other BPUs 122 on the BPU bus 136. The BPUs 122 also extract audio information from the data frames.
The BPUs 122 combine compressed video information and mixed encoded audio information into frames that are placed on the network bus 134 for transmission to respective H.320 terminals.
In cases where the audiovisual terminals operate at different transmission rates or with different compression algorithms or are to be mixed into a composite image, multiple video inputs are sent to the VPU 124 where the video inputs are decompressed, mixed and recompressed into a single video stream. This single video stream is then passed back through the BPU 122 which switches the video stream to the appropriate endpoint terminals.
For packet-based H.323 conferencing, the GPU 128 makes audio, video and data packets available on the network bus 134. The data packets are processed through the DPU 126. The BPU-G 122A processes audio and video packets from the network bus 134 to produce audio and video broadcast mixes which are placed on the network bus 134 for transmission to respective endpoint terminals through the GPU 128. In addition, the BPU-G 122A processes audio and video packets to produce data frames which are made available to the BPUs 122 on the BPU bus 136. In this manner, the MCU 14 serves a gateway function whereby regular BPUs 122 and the BPU-G 122A can exchange audio and video between H.320 and H.323 terminals transparently.
Having described the components of the MCU 10 that enable the basic conference bridging functions, a high level description of the flexibility provided by the VPU 124 is now described with reference to the functional block diagram of FIG. 2. In the MCU 10, compressed video information from up to five audiovisual terminals that are in the same conference are routed to a particular VPU 124 over the BPU bus 136. The VPU 124 comprises five video compression processors (VCP0-VCP4), each having a video decoder/encoder pair 102-i, 106-i, and pixel scaling blocks 104-i, 108-i.
A video decoder/encoder pair 102-i, 106-i is assigned to the compressed video information stream associated with each particular site in the conference. Each video decoder 102-i decodes the compressed video information using the algorithm that matches the encoding algorithm of its associated site. Included as part of the video decoder 102-i may be the processing to determine the framing, packets, and checksums that may be part of the transmission protocol. It should be noted that a processor encoded video stream can be assigned to multiple sites (e.g., a continuous presence application having more than five sites in the conference). In addition, a decoder/encoder pair 102-i, 106-i can switch among the sites within a conference.
The decoded video information (e.g., pixels) is scaled up or down, if necessary, by a pixel scaling block 104-i to match the pixel resolution requirements of other sites in the conference that will be encoding the scaled pixels. For example, a desktop system may encode at a resolution of 256×240 pixels while an H.320 terminal may require a pixel resolution of 352×288 pixels for a Common Intermediate Format (CIF) image. Other common formats include Quarter Common Intermediate Format (QCIF) (176×144 pixels), 4CIF (704×576), SIF (352×240), 4SIF (704×480), VGA (640×480), SVGA (800×600) and XGA (1024×768).
The VPU 124 includes a pixel bus 182 and memory 123. The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,646 uses a time division multiplex bus. In particular, each decoder 102-j outputs pixels onto pixel bus 182 to memory 123. Each encoder 106-j may retrieve any of the images from the memory 123 on the pixel bus for re-encoding and/or spatial mixing or compositing. Another pixel scaling block 108-j is coupled between the pixel bus 182 and the encoder 106-j for adjusting the pixel resolution of the sampled image as needed.
A continuous presence application is now described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. For simplicity the endpoint terminals as shown are H.320 terminals. In FIG. 3, data from sites 38 arrive over a communications network to respective NIUs 120. Five sites 38 (A, B, C, D, E) are connected in the conference. Sites A and B are shown connected to a particular NIU 120 which supports multiple codec connections (e.g., a T1 interface). The other sites C, D, and E connect to NIUs 120 supporting only a single codec connection (e.g., an ISDN interface). Each site 38 places one or more octets of digital data onto the network bus 134 as unsynchronized H.221 framed data. The BPUs 122 then determine the H.221 framing and octet alignment. This aligned data is made available to all other units on the BPU bus 136. The BPUs 122 also extract audio information from the H.221 frames and decode the audio into 16 bit PCM data. The decoded audio data is made available on the BPU bus 136 for mixing with audio data from other conference sites.
Aligned H.221 frames are received by the VPU 124 for processing by encoder/decoder elements called video compression processors (VCPs). The VPU 124 has five VCPs (FIG. 2) which in this example are respectively assigned to sites A, B, C, D, E. A VCP on the VPU 124 which is assigned to site E is functionally illustrated in FIG. 4. Compressed video information (H.261) is extracted from the H.221 frames and decoded by the VCP as image X. The decoder video image X is placed on the pixel bus 182 through a scaling block. FIG. 4 shows the pixel bus 182 with decoded video frames from each site A, B, C, D, E successively retrieved from memory 123 identified by their respective RAM addresses. The VCP assigned to site E receives the decoded video frames from sites A, B, C and D which are then tiled (spatially mixed) into a single composite image I. The tiled image I is then encoded as H.261 video within H.221 framing and placed on the BPU bus 136 (FIG. 3) for BPU processing as described above.
As can be seen from the description above, transcoding requires considerable processing resources, as raw pixel data has to be mixed and thereafter encoded to form a mixed view or a Continuous Presence view. To avoid self view, i.e. to avoid that the CP views contains a picture of the respective participants to which they are transmitted, the MCU has to include at least one encoder for each picture in a CP view. To allow for CP 16, the MCU then must include at least 16 encoders.

Arrangement and method for generating CP images


A testing method for a semiconductor memory includes the steps of storing data in each of a plurality of memory cell blocks, electrically connecting two memory cell blocks with a sense amplifier shared by the two memory cell blocks of the plurality of memory cell blocks, sensing data of the two memory cells through the sense amplifier and determining whether the sensed data is normal based on a bit line capacitance increase according to the connection of the two memory cell blocks. The testing method can intentionally reduce an offset margin of a memory cell through increase of bit line capacitance, remove and screen an abnormal memory cell having a smaller capacitance and effectively decrease testing time.

1. Technical Field
The present patent relates to a test method for a semiconductor memory, and more particularly to a test method for detecting defects of a cell capacitor capacitance of a particular block in a semiconductor memory sharing a sense amplifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a memory cell included in a semiconductor memory has capacitors and transistors each of which perform switching control between a capacitor and bit lines.
After manufacturing the semiconductor memory, a test for the semiconductor memory is performed such that data is recorded in each memory cell forming a block, which hereinafter is referred to as a memory cell block, and the recorded data read from the same memory cell block to check the state of the memory cell block.
The recorded data in the memory cell block is sensed by a sense amplifier commonly connected to the bit lines of two memory cell blocks. The sense amplifier amplifies the electric potential difference between electric potentials of (recorded) data output through a pair of bit lines over a predetermined voltage value. Here, if the electric potential difference between electric potentials of (recorded) data output through the two bit lines is less than a sensing margin, the recorded data may not be correct such that an error occurs.
When the semiconductor memory is manufactured such that a memory cell therein has its capacitor capacitance less than a normal value due to various reasons, a sufficient sensing margin sensible in the sense amplifier cannot be secured. As such, when a memory cell having capacitor capacitance smaller than a normal value is detected, it must be replaced with an additional memory cell or screened before being sold on the market.
In order to test for defects of a memory cell block based on capacitor capacitance of the memory cell, the conventional test method senses only output data of one of two memory cell blocks through a sense amplifier, in which the two memory cell blocks share the sense amplifier. Namely, while one memory cell block is opened not to be connected to the sense amplifier, the output data of the other memory cell block connected to the sense amplifier is sensed and amplified by the sense amplifier.
However, even though the memory cell has a cell capacitance smaller than a normal value and is thus defective, the conventional testing method cannot effectively detect the defective memory cell, as long as it does not have any process defect.
Also, the conventional testing method cannot reduce the burden of test time, because test time for a semiconductor memory is gradually increased in semiconductor development and production.


An anchor for securing a threaded fastener component in a hole in a supporting panel structure, the anchor being formed of a flat sheet metal disc portion of a greater diameter than the hole and having strips attached at one end to the disc portion and extending radially inward and outward to position a tip inclined edge across the hole perimeter. The strips are cammed to be deflected inwardly as the anchor is forced into the hole with the disc portion against the front side of the supporting structure. The anchor is captured by the perimeter of the hole between the disc outer perimeter and the strip tips. The tips are captured in slotted tabs extending from the rear side of the disc portion.

This invention concerns anchors for securing one component of a threaded fastener to a supporting panel structure, as to mount a separate piece to the structure by the use of a mating fastener.
A typical application is found in the automotive industry where various body parts are mounted to a sheet metal panel by means of an anchor attached to the sheet metal pane, typically by a simple snap-in installation.
Current trends in automotive design have resulted in less available space behind the sheet metal to accommodate the anchor, which is typically held in place by panel engaging fingers extending back from the rear surface of the sheet metal panel.
Such prior designs have heretofore required significant depth behind the panel, and hence there is a need for a more compact retention structure for such snap-in anchors.
There is often a requirement that such anchors have substantial strength to resist pullout forces exerted by tightening of the mating threaded fastener component, and that the load be distributed over an area of the panel structure to enable loaded portions of the panel structure itself to be able to withstand the pullout forces.
The anchor should preferably be easily installed by simply inserting a portion of the anchor into a hole in the supporting panel structure, without requiring the installation of additional parts in order to minimize assembly labor. The anchor itself should be able to be manufactured at low cost.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a threaded fastener anchor able to be easily installed by insertion into an opening in a support panel structure, which requires minimal space behind the support panel structure, and which provides ample strength to resist pullout forces.


The present invention holds the source document feeding direction downstream edge of a printed sheet ejected above a source document feed tray by means of a top ejection platform functioning as a printed sheet holding section in an area apart from source document feed rollers functioning as a source document feeding section. As a result, a printed sheet ejected onto top ejection platform is not fed automatically by source document feed rollers. Therefore, a printed sheet that has undergone image formation can be ejected without obstruction above source document feed tray of an automatic document feeder, checking and removal of a printed sheet are facilitated, and convenience is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus useful for employment in a copier, printer, or facsimile incorporating an automatic document feeder that performs automatic feeding of source documents, and a multifunctional composite apparatus that integrates these machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
In line with the digitalization of text data and image data in recent years, by far the most frequent kind of printout by multifunctional image forming apparatuses of this kind used in general offices and so forth is that of electronic data transmitted from a PC, FAX, or similar device.
While the trend is for the frequency of such electronic data printout to continue to increase among multifunctional image forming apparatuses of this kind, the copying of paper documents, book source documents, and the like is also necessary from time to time, and therefore a reading section for reading these source documents is also provided in these apparatuses.
With a conventional image forming apparatus of this kind, a source document holding platform and operation panel are generally positioned on the top of the main body of the apparatus to improve operability, and a sheet ejection tray of a sheet ejection section that holds a printed sheet that has undergone image formation is positioned so as to project at the side of the main body of the apparatus. Consequently, with this kind of image forming apparatus, an area for the projection of the sheet ejection tray is necessary at the side of the main body of the apparatus, and the required footprint (installation area) is larger than it appears.
For this reason, in recent years an image forming apparatus has been proposed that has a configuration whereby a space is formed in the waist section of the main body of the apparatus between the reading section positioned on the top of the main body of the apparatus and an image forming section positioned below this reading section, and an ejection section is formed in this space in the waist section of the main body of the apparatus (see, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-307996 (hereinafter referred to as patent document 1)).
An advantage of this image forming apparatus is that, since a printed sheet on which an image has been formed, fed from a feeding section below the image forming section, is ejected into an ejection section positioned in a space in the waist section of the main body of the apparatus, the footprint can be kept small.
However, while the footprint of an image forming apparatus with this kind of configuration can be kept small, there is an essential irrationality in the configuration in that it is awkward to check and remove a printed sheet that has undergone image formation because there is an operation panel operated by the user and a reading section above the ejection section.
That is to say, the image forming apparatus described in patent document 1 has a configuration such that a printed sheet that has undergone image formation, ejected into and held in the ejection section positioned in the waist section of the main body of the apparatus, is hidden behind the reading section, the operation panel on the front of the main body of the apparatus, or the like.
Consequently, with this image forming apparatus, it is difficult to check the state of a printed sheet that has undergone image formation by means of electronic data from a PC or the like for which image forming frequency is higher than for copying of paper documents, book source documents, or the like. Also, the configuration makes it difficult to remove an ejected printed sheet from the ejection section. Furthermore, with this image forming apparatus, since the ejection section is formed in a space in the waist section of the main body of the apparatus, the housing structure and exterior configuration are complicated. Moreover, with this image forming apparatus, it is necessary to form a large ejection section space in order to facilitate handling of printed sheets on which electronic data has been printed out from a PC or the like with a high image forming frequency as described above. Consequently, extra costs are necessary in order to maintain the strength of the main body of the apparatus, and so forth.
It is thus desirable for an image forming apparatus of this kind to have a configuration that allows the footprint of the main body of the apparatus to be kept small while also facilitating checking and removal of a printed sheet that has undergone image formation. An image forming apparatus in which the ejection section for a printed sheet that has undergone image formation is positioned above the source document placement section of the reading section is known as an image forming apparatus that meets this requirement (see, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-215759 (hereinafter referred to as patent document 2)).
In the image forming apparatus described in this patent document 2, a printed sheet that has undergone image formation is ejected onto the uppermost part of the main body of the apparatus, enabling the footprint of the main body of the apparatus to be made small while allowing checking and removal of a printed sheet that has undergone image formation to be performed easily.
However, in the case of the image forming apparatus described in patent document 2, a printed sheet that has undergone image formation is ejected onto a source document holding platform (contact glass) on which a source document to be copied is placed manually by the user. Therefore, this image forming apparatus has a configuration such that, when an automatic document feeder that feeds source documents automatically is positioned above this source document holding platform, a printed sheet that has undergone image formation is ejected below the source document feed tray and source document ejection tray of the automatic document feeder.
Consequently, with this image forming apparatus, when an automatic document feeder is provided a printed sheet that has undergone image formation is hidden beneath the source document feed tray and source document ejection tray, as in the case of the image forming apparatus of patent document 1. The configuration is thus inconvenient from the standpoint of checking and removing printed sheets.
Thus, in the image forming apparatus described in patent document 2, the source document feed tray and source document ejection tray are positioned slantwise, facilitating checking and removal of an ejected printed sheet. However, with an image forming apparatus having this kind of a configuration, the main body of the apparatus tends to be large, and the opening/closing trajectories of the source document feed tray and source document ejection tray of the automatic document feeder are wide, increasing the space occupied around the main body of the apparatus.
Therefore, in the case of an image forming apparatus equipped with an automatic document feeder, it is desirable for a printed sheet to be ejected above the source document feed tray. However, if this is done, a printed sheet will be ejected on top of a feed source document placed on the source document feed tray, resulting in the problem of an ejected printed sheet being automatically fed by the source document feeding section of the automatic document feeder.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Methods and corresponding systems for buffering an input signal include outputting a first logic value in response to the input signal being below a lower threshold. A second logic value is output in response to the input signal rising above the lower threshold. Thereafter, the second logic value is maintained until the input exceeds a higher threshold and thereafter falls below the higher threshold. In response to the input signal falling below the higher threshold, the first logic value is output, and maintained at the first logic value, until the input falls below the lower threshold and thereafter rises above the lower threshold.

1. Field
This disclosure relates generally to input buffer circuits, and more specifically input buffer circuits for receiving digital data transmissions.
2. Related Art
In high speed data communication systems, data interconnect systems behave like transmission lines when transmitting data, in the form of electric signals, from one point to another. As the electric signals are transmitted, they can be modified by the electrical properties (e.g., the transfer characteristics) of the transmission line or transmission line system. When electric signals are received, an input buffer circuit (i.e., a buffer circuit operating as an input to another circuit) can be used to interpret the digital data by determining whether a high level signal or a low level signal has been received, which signal levels can represent digital data interpreted as ones or zeros, or high logic values or low logic values.
The operation of the buffer circuit can improve the rejection of noise in the digital signal. For example, hysteresis can be used to clean up the waveform. However, conventional hysteresis input buffers can introduce undesirably long propagation delays when receiving a stair-stepped waveform. The stair-stepped waveform can be produced in an asymmetric transmission line system, or multiple-point transmission line network, due to forwarding and reflections. The forwarding and reflections can be caused by a transmitted signal being distributed to two different receivers that are different distances from the signal transmitter. In one case, a reflected signal generated at a more distant receiver can influence a rising or falling signal at the input of a closer receiver (i.e., less distant from the signal transmitter), thereby causing a stair stepped waveform at the input of the closer receiver. The stair step in the waveform introduces an undesirable delay as the signal transitions from low to high, or high to low, logic values. Note that the delay caused by the stair-stepped waveform can also be a problem for the widely used input buffers that do not use hysteresis, wherein a switch point threshold is set near 50% of the input level range.


An image pickup device has a hermetic packaging portion for hermetically enclosing an image pickup unit having one solid-state image pickup element. The hermetic packaging portion includes a non-cylindrical portion having a cross section substantially similar to that of the image pickup unit and hermetic joint portions at both the ends of the non-cylindrical portion. Each hermetic joint portion has a nearly R-shaped section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image pickup devices and, more particularly, to an image pickup device having a hermetic packaging for hermetically enclosing an image pickup unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most conventional image pickup devices each have an image pickup unit with one solid-state image pickup element such as a CCD (charge-coupled device), namely, a single-CCD image pickup unit. This type of image pickup device has a simple structure and is inexpensive.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-333903 and 2001-53989 disclose image pickup devices of the above-mentioned conventional type. Each image pickup device, that is detachable, is connected to an eyepiece of an endoscope. The image pickup device captures a subject image supplied from the endoscope.
As disclosed in the above patent documents, the image pickup device is designed such that the single-CCD image pickup unit is enclosed in a hermetic packaging, which is hermetically sealed in order to protect components of the optical system and the like from exposure to vapor.
The single-CCD image pickup unit can longitudinally receive an optical image of a subject directly from the optical system. The single-CCD image pickup unit has a nearly cylindrical shape. Accordingly, in the conventional image pickup device, the hermetic packaging can be shaped into a substantially cylinder. Therefore, the above-mentioned conventional image pickup device can be reduced in size such that a wasted space is not created between the image pickup device and the image pickup unit.


The present invention is a printing device using multiple inks and a printing method using thereof, and more specifically, relates to a three-dimensional printing method of a printed product with a cross-sectional pattern comprising a step of providing different inks into each partitioned spaces and applying the same pressure condition to the inks retained in the ink-receiving part, thereby extruding the inks into a single extruding port to prepare and print an extruded ink product, using the printing device comprising an ink extruding member comprising an ink-receiving part receiving the multiple inks in each partitioned space, and an ink-extruding part equipped with a single passage in which the multiple inks received in the ink-receiving part are passed together.

Organs or tissues that constitute the human body can be composed of biomaterials that constitute various kinds of cells and extracellular matrix. Researches have been actively conducted to regenerate a functional tissue required through preparation of a cell structure similar to tissues constituting the human body using 3-dimensional (3D) bio-printing technology.
Head modules applied to the bio-printing technology are largely divided into an inkjet-based printing module and an extrusion-based printing module. In addition, various methods using laser, ultrasound, etc. have been proposed, but the two modules are most widely used.
Physical properties of a bio-ink required by such a bio-printing technology greatly vary depending on the printing head module. In the extrusion-based printing system, compared with the jetting-based technology, there is no significant restriction on the viscosity of materials. Thus, the width of applicable biomaterials becomes much wider than the inkjet-based printing technology. In addition, it is easy to prepare a cell structure of a size required for clinical use, since processing of a thick layer is easy.
However, the resolution of the bio-printing technique based on the fused deposition modeling developed so far is several hundred micrometers, but the basic structure of organs or tissues in the human body is greatly different to a few tens of micrometers or less. In particular, the diameter of a capillary vessel supplying nutrients to a cell constituting organs or tissues is 3 to 4 micrometers, so it is difficult to implement it with current bio-printing techniques.
In addition, there is a case where multiple inks are used to print for bio-printing. For example, since the function of the cell is improved when dividing partitions between xenogeneic cells than simply mixing and spraying cells, in case of curing a hydrogel and a curing agent together or in case of co-culturing various kinds of cells, it is necessary to spraying multiple inks to bio-print. According to such a conventional method, it is attempted to solve it by using multiple heads containing multiple materials heterogeneously, but there is a disadvantage that the printing process time is increased and the cell viability is adversely affected and the system becomes complicated.
In order to increase the resolution of the printing technique, a nozzle having a small diameter should be used, but when the nozzle having a small diameter is used, there is a side effect of occurring shear stress between the material extruded from the inside of the nozzle and the wall during the extrusion, thereby reducing cell activity. Further, since there is a problem that cells are frequently killed by shear stress, it is difficult to blindly downsize the diameter of the nozzle.

Method for manufacturing printout having cross-sectional pattern


A system and method for controlling double transition shifts in an automatic transmission having multiple gear sections. During a double transition shift, the system performs simultaneous closed loop control of the primary oncoming clutch in the primary gear section and the secondary off-going clutch of the secondary gear section. Before the input shaft of the secondary gear section is fully pulled down or the secondary off-going clutch becomes overheated, the system switches closed loop control of the input shaft to the secondary on-coming clutch of the secondary gear section. The system utilizes model-based calculations to determine the initial clutch pressure settings when a clutch enters closed loop control.

The present invention generally relates to a vehicle transmission control system and, more particularly, to a system and method for controlling double transition shifts in transmissions which utilize multiple gearing sections.
Motor vehicles require a transmission between the vehicle engine or motor and the output drive elements in order to optimize efficiency and provide the desired torque and acceleration characteristics under varying driving conditions while maintaining the engine or motor within operational speeds. A typical transmission includes a number of individual gear elements which may be selectively engaged using a corresponding set of individual clutches. The combination of activated clutches determines the overall speed ratio between the input and output shafts of the transmission. In a simple transmission, a shift from a current speed ratio to a new speed ratio involves disengaging a first clutch, known as the off-going clutch, and engaging a second clutch, known as the on-coming clutch. In certain applications, however, the transmission may comprise multiple gearing sections with an intermediate shaft therebetween in order to optimize manufacturing costs, size, or other operational parameters.
The use of multiple gearing sections may result in at least one instance where multiple clutches in the transmission are being engaged or disengaged at the same time in order to achieve a desired change in the overall speed ratio of the transmission. For example, in a ten-speed transmission comprising a five-speed range pack followed by a two-speed splitter unit, the shift from fifth to sixth gear involves the coordination of four clutches: the off-going and on-coming clutches in the range pack, as well as the off-going and on-coming clutches in the splitter unit. These shifts, commonly referred to as double transition shifts, are more difficult to control due to the complex interactions between the simultaneous shifts in the range pack and splitter unit. Furthermore, a double transition shift often requires that one transmission section (e.g., the range pack) be shifted from its highest gear ratio to its lowest gear ratio, which can result in excess heat buildup in the clutch elements. One known method for dealing with the problem is to simply speed up the rate of the shift, thereby reducing the time available for heat to build up in the clutches.
However, many transmission control systems utilize what is known as "power on shifting" where there is very little, if any, decrease in delivered output torque during a transmission shift and the shifts are completed in a shorter amount of time. This increases the efficiency and responsiveness of the transmission, but also makes control of the various clutches and other transmission elements more difficult, particularly in the case of double transition shifts. Systems and methods are therefore needed which improve shift quality and reduce strain on the transmission elements during double transitions shifts.

Double transition shift control in an automatic powershifting transmission


A sensor for measuring the rotational speed of a turboshaft of a turbocharger includes a sensor housing and a sensor element which is positioned in the sensor housing and which senses a variation of a magnetic field caused by the rotation of the turboshaft. In order to provide a sensor for measuring the rotational speed of a turboshaft which can be produced simply and at low cost and also can be integrated in a turbocharger without major structural modifications, the sensor element can be positioned outside the turbocharger, on or in a compressor housing, and a pole piece is arranged on the sensor element in such a way that it concentrates the magnetic field in the sensor element.

The present invention relates to a sensor for measuring the rotational speed of a turboshaft of a turbocharger with a sensor housing and a sensor element positioned in the sensor housing and which senses a variation of a magnetic field caused by the rotation of the turboshaft.
The power generated by an internal combustion engine depends on the air mass and the corresponding amount of fuel that can be made available to the engine for combustion. If an increase in the power of the internal combustion engine is desired, an increased amount of combustion air and fuel must be supplied to the engine. In a naturally aspirated engine, this increase in power is achieved by an increase in the swept volume or by increasing the rotational speed. However, an increase in the swept volume leads in principle to engines that are heavier, have larger dimensions, and are consequently more expensive. Increasing the rotational speed entails considerable problems, in particular in the case of larger engines, and is limited for technical reasons.
A much used technical solution for increasing the power of an internal combustion engine is that of supercharging. This is the term used for boosting the combustion air by an exhaust gas turbocharger or else by means of a compressor that is mechanically driven by the engine. An exhaust gas turbocharger substantially comprises a flow compressor and a turbine, which are connected to a common shaft and rotate at the same speed. The turbine converts the normally wasted energy of the exhaust gas into rotational energy and drives the compressor. The compressor sucks in fresh air, compresses it and transports the compressed air to the individual cylinders of the engine. The greater amount of air in the cylinders can be supplied with an increased amount of fuel, whereby the internal combustion engine delivers more power. The combustion process is also favorably influenced, so that the engine achieves a better overall efficiency. In addition, the torque characteristic of an internal combustion engine supercharged by a turbocharger can be formed extremely favorably. By using an exhaust gas turbocharger, normally aspirated production engines that vehicle manufacturers have in stock can be significantly optimized without major modifications of the structural design of the engine. Supercharged internal combustion engines generally have a lower specific fuel consumption and have lower pollutant emission. In addition, turbo-engines are generally quieter than naturally aspirated engines of the same power, since the exhaust gas turbocharger itself acts like an additional muffler. In the case of internal combustion engines with a great operating speed range, for example in the case of engines for passenger cars, a high boost pressure is required even at low engine speeds. In the case of these turbochargers, a boost-pressure control valve, known as a waste-gate valve, is introduced. By choosing an appropriate turbine housing, a high boost pressure is quickly built up even at low engine speeds. Once the appropriate high boost pressure is reached, the boost-pressure control valve (waste-gate valve) then limits the boost pressure to a constant value as the engine speed increases. As an alternative to this, turbochargers with variable turbine geometry (VTG) are used. In the case of these turbochargers, the boost pressure is regulated by changing the turbine geometry.
With an increasing amount of exhaust gas, the maximum permissible rotational speed of the combination comprising the turbine wheel, the compressor wheel and the turboshaft, also referred to as the running gear of the turbocharger, may be exceeded. Inadmissible exceeding of the rotational speed of the running gear would cause it to be destroyed, which would be equivalent to total loss of the turbocharger. Modern turbochargers are built with much smaller turbine wheel and compressor wheel diameters and have improved rotational acceleration behavior as a result of a considerably smaller mass moment of inertia. However, these types of turbochargers are particularly susceptible to damage caused by exceeding the permissible maximum speed. Depending on the design of the turbocharger, even exceeding the speed limit by approximately 5% leads to complete destruction of the turbocharger.
The boost-pressure control valves, which according to the prior art are controlled by a signal resulting from the generated boost pressure, have been successfully used for speed limitation. If the boost pressure exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the boost-pressure control valve opens and conducts part of the mass flow of exhaust gas past the turbine. As a result of the reduced mass flow, said turbine takes up less power, and the compressor power is reduced to the same degree. The boost pressure and the rotational speed of the turbine wheel and of the compressor wheel are reduced. However, this control is relatively sluggish, since the pressure buildup when the rotational speed of the running gear is exceeded takes place with a time delay. Therefore, the speed control for the turbocharger with the boost pressure monitoring must intervene in the highly dynamic range (power-off) by appropriately early reduction of the boost pressure, which leads to a loss of efficiency.
Direct measurement of the rotational speed at the compressor wheel or at the turbine wheel proves to be difficult, since for example the turbine wheel is exposed to extreme thermal loading (up to 1000° C.), which prevents speed measurement by conventional methods at the turbine wheel. In a publication by acam-Mess-elektronic GmbH of April, 2001, it is proposed to measure the compressor blade pulses on the eddy current principle and determine the speed of the compressor wheel in this way. This method is complex and expensive, since at least one eddy current sensor would have to be integrated in the housing of the compressor in the direct vicinity of the compressor blades, which is likely to be extremely difficult because of the high precision with which components of a turbocharger are produced. Apart from the precise integration of the eddy current sensor in the compressor housing, sealing problems arise, problems which, on account of the high thermal loading of a turbocharger, can only be overcome by sophisticated modifications of the structural design of the turbocharger.

Magnetic field sensor for measuring the rotational speed of a turboshaft


In embodiments of identifying search matches and altered search results, a query is received from a device application, and a data search is initiated based on the query that specifies search terms. A search result set of search result items is then received, and properties of a search result item are correlated with the search result item, where the properties indicate why the search result item was returned as part of the search result set. Search terms of the query are also associated with respective properties of the search result item to indicate a correspondence of a search term with a property of the search result item. The search result set of the search result items can then be returned to the device application along with the properties of each search result item and the associated search terms of the query.

Many types of computing devices, such as computers, mobile phones, and tablet devices, include client applications and/or processes that perform data searches and other query functions. Currently, when a query is initiated, there is no indication as to why the particular items that are returned are included in a set of query results. This leaves the application or process that initiated the query to attempt a determination as to why a query result item is returned so that the application or process can properly highlight, or otherwise indicate, the applicability of the query result item, such as when displayed for user feedback.
The attempts by an application or process that initiated a query to determine why particular query result items are returned can be inconsistent, and sometimes inaccurate. For example, incorrect words may be matched in response to a query, or alternatively, no matches for the query are found. In different languages, some equivalent words may have different lengths or formats, and may not be returned as a match to a query. Additionally, some searching techniques implement postfix matching, while others implement a prefix matching scheme, and query alterations and linguistic equivalence may not be accounted for. These inconsistent search criteria may also result in inconsistent and/or inaccurate query results, lending to a poor user experience.

Identifying search matches and altered search results


A method includes obtaining information regarding authentication events for users accessing assets of an enterprise system. The method also includes determining a likelihood of a given asset of the enterprise system becoming compromised responsive to compromise of a given user of the enterprise system. The method further includes determining an importance of the given asset based at least in part on a criticality value associated with the given asset, and generating a risk score for the given asset based at least in part on the determined likelihood of the given asset becoming compromised responsive to compromise of the given user and the determined importance of the given asset. The method further includes identifying remedial actions to reduce the risk score for the given asset and implementing, prior to detecting compromise of the given user, at least one of the remedial actions to modify a configuration of the given asset.

Various entities are subject to different types of security threats. Some security threats relate to networking and computer security for client devices used by members of an entity, such as a business, organization or other enterprise. Security threats include, for example, compromise of users of the enterprise. Compromise of a particular user may present risks that expose one or more other users of the enterprise, as well as assets of an enterprise system. It is difficult to ascertain the risk of compromise of users in enterprise systems, particularly as the number of users and number of assets of an enterprise system grows. The task of monitoring an enterprise system for security threats or other issues thus presents various challenges.

Risk score generation for assets of an enterprise system utilizing user authentication activity