A positive direction current source is connected to a magnetic head coil via a multiplier and a switching device, and a negative direction current source is connected to the magnetic head coil via the switching device. The output current of the positive direction current source is controlled to a level appropriate for generating a magnetic field forming a magnet-optical recording mark based on the amplitude of an information signal by the multiplier. The switching device is turned on/off by a carrier signal. As a result, a magnetic head driving signal can be obtained having the positive direction current value modulated based on the amplitude of the information signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and more particularly, to a magnetic field modulation magnet-optical recording apparatus recording information digitally by modulating a magnetic field to be applied to a magnet-optical recording medium according to the information to be recorded utilizing thermo-magnetic effect.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 13 shows the structure of a recording system of a conventional magnet-optical recording apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 13, light provided from a laser light source 5 by a laser driving circuit 7 is modulated to locally irradiate via a condenser lens 9 a magnetic thin film 13 formed on the surface of a magnet-optical recording medium 1 such as a magnet-optical disc driven rotatably by a motor 3. The portion of the recording medium on which light is directed has the magnet holding force reduced due to the thermal energy caused by the irradiation. By establishing a flow of a predetermined current to a magnetic head coil 106 under this condition, a weak external magnetic field is applied to reverse magnetization only in the light irradiated region to carry out recording of the information.
The reading out method of the recorded information (residual magnetization) takes advantage of the inversion of the plane of polarization of a reflecting light or a transmitting light with respect to the direction of magnetization when a linear polarized light is directed to a magnetic body.
Known technology relating to the present application is listed as follows.
(1) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 56-44285
An optical recording/reproduction device is disclosed that modulates the intensity of a laser light by an FM video signal and a FM audio signal to carry out FM recording.
(2) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-12006
A method of generating a high-frequency field of a high level in a magnetic head coil is disclosed in a magnet-optical recording method by a magnetic field modulation system.
(3) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 64-55762
A bias magnetic field generating apparatus is disclosed for changing the driving current of a magnetic head coil. A magnetic field of a constant intensity can be applied to the recording medium even when the distance between the magnetic head coil and the recording medium changes by virtue of the amplitude of the driving current of the magnetic head coil being controlled by a focus error signal.
(4) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 63-244402
In a magnet-optical recording apparatus of a magnetic modulating system, a magnetic head driving circuit is disclosed that has a sudden rising and falling edge of a driving current of the magnetic head coil.
In principle, it is possible to FM record an information signal on a magnet-optical recording medium in a magnet-optical recording apparatus of a magnetic field modulation system by combining the known art of the above listed (1) and (2). More specifically, the magnetic head driving current which is FM modulated by the output signal of the FM modulator used in the apparatus of (1) can be applied to the magnetic head coil disclosed in (2).
However the above combination of the prior arts of (1) and (2) requires an FM modulator and also a driving circuit for conducting the driving current flow to the magnetic head coil, resulting in a problem that simplification and miniaturization of the configuration of a magnet-optical recording apparatus is prevented. It is to be noted that the method of (2) has a direct current magnetic field applied overlying the modulation magnetic field. The object thereof is to stabilize magnetization in the not-yet recorded portion, and has no meaning in carrying out FM recording.
The bias magnetic field generating apparatus of the above (3) for maintaining at a constant level the intensity of the direct current bias magnetic field applied to a recording medium is used in a magnet-optical recording apparatus of a photomodulation system. There is no disclosure of an arrangement for carrying out FM recording by a magnetic field modulation system in (3). There is also no disclosure of an arrangement for carrying out FM recording in (4).

Magnetic field modulation magnet-optical recording apparatus in which an FM modulator and a magnetic head driving circuit are used in common


A rectifier system, e.g., for a generator, includes a bridge system having a predefined number of rectifier elements, at least one rectifier element being a rectifier element having at least one reverse-voltage dependent characteristic curve in a predefined range, and one of the negative diodes having a higher reverse saturation current than the associated positive diode, and at least one of the negative diodes being placed at a location in the rectifier in which the temperature is increased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rectifier system for a generator of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case of three-phase generators or alternators in motor vehicles in particular, B6 a.c. bridges are usually used as rectifiers. In this connection, 6 pn-semiconductor diodes made from silicon are used as rectifying elements. FIG. 1 shows an example of such a system.
Occasionally, a.c. bridges having more than 6 diodes are also used. For example, bridges having diodes connected in parallel are used in the case of very high currents. A possible system is shown as a circuit diagram in FIG. 2.
The semiconductor diodes are usually designed as Zener diodes. This case is assumed for the two depictions in the circuit diagram. In addition to a three-phase generator and the a.c. bridge, a complete generator system also includes a voltage regulator which ensures that the rectified voltage has a specific value, for example, 14.3 V. The voltage regulator controls the excitation current of the generator. If the generator voltage exceeds the intended value, the regulator interrupts the excitation current. The excitation becomes weaker and the generator voltage drops. If the generator voltage drops below a lower setpoint value, the regulator switches the excitation current on again. The excitation current is fed to the excitation winding of the generator via sliprings. Generators having multifunction regulators draw the excitation current directly from positive terminal B+. The elements of the voltage regulator are mostly integrated monolithically into silicon.
In the starting case, the regulator switches on a pre-excitation current supplied by the battery. As soon as the generator's rotor rotates, the regulator detects a voltage signal Up on a phase connection. From its frequency, the regulator is able to derive the generator speed. When a set switch-on speed is reached, the regulator switches on the full excitation current, so that the generator begins to deliver current.
In order for the voltage regulator to detect the speed of the rotor, the alternating current portion of phase signal Up_AC must have a specific minimum voltage. In addition, direct current portion Up_DC of the phase signal may usually not exceed a certain threshold, since the evaluation circuit of the regulator frequently functions only up to a specific voltage value. Thus, minimally necessary phase alternating voltage Up_AC may be, for example, 3 volts, measured from peak to peak, and maximally occurring direct current portion Up_DC may be 8 volts.
During the pre-excitation clocking, if the generator is not yet delivering current into the electrical system, or if no rectification is taking place yet, the direct current value and the alternating voltage value of the phase voltage are influenced by the reverse currents of the rectifier diodes. In this operating state, battery voltage UB is present at terminal B+. If the same reverse currents flow through the diodes (series connection), phase voltage Up_DC=UB/2.
In this connection, it was assumed that the internal resistance of the regulator between the phase tap and ground is infinite. This is ordinarily not the case, but instead the regulator has a resistance of, for example, 1-100 kΩ between the phase tap and ground. This resistor is, for example, connected to diode D3 in parallel in the example according to FIG. 1. However, its influence will be disregarded from further consideration for reasons of clarity. The curve of reverse current IR of a pn-type diode made of silicon is extremely temperature-dependent and increases as the reverse voltage rises. Greater detail in this regard may be found in S. M. Sze, "Physics of Semiconductor Devices," John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1981, p. 91. This is also shown in FIG. 3.
Since positive and negative diodes are each connected in series, phase voltage Up_DC changes if the positive and negative diodes are located at positions of varying temperature. In the case of high reverse currents of the positive diode, direct current portion Up_DC of the phase voltage may assume values above the maximum permissible threshold in the extreme case. The result of this is that the regulator does not detect the start speed or detects it too late and does not activate the generator or activates it only at higher speeds.
A disadvantage is that varying reverse currents of the pn-type diodes, caused, for example, by varying diode temperatures, may cause direct current portion Up_DC of the phase voltage to exceed the maximum permissible value and that the starting behavior of the generator is no longer ensured.
A generator system for a vehicle is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,084,610 B2, in which a B6 bridge made up of Schottky diodes is used as a rectifier bridge. A Zener diode connected in the reverse direction is used for voltage limitation. It thus limits the operating voltage in relation to interferences and interference impulses originating from the generator.


A tube bender for bending tubes of different diameters selectively and one at a time is disclosed. The bender has a pair of pivotally connected handles respectively connected to a form wheel and a form shoe. The wheel has a plurality of tube engagement grooves, the grooves each being generally arcuate in cross section in both axial and orthogonal planes of coss section. The shoe includes a plurality of grooves of arcuate cross section in an axial plane. Each of the shoe grooves is complemental with a different and associated one of the wheel grooves. A tube holder is adjustably positioned in fixed relationship with the wheel when a tubular work piece is engaging one of the grooves in a bending operation. The radii of each of the arcuate wheel groove cross sections is different than the radii of each other corresponding wheel groove cross sections in both the axial and the orthogonal planes

This invention relates to tube benders and more particularly to tube benders capable of effecting bends in tubing of differing diameters.
For many years, electricians have been using tube benders to effect bends in electrical conduit. Similarly plumbers and other craftsmen have used tube benders to produce bends in tubes for a variety of applications. A typical tube bender has a form wheel which is arcuate in cross section both in an imaginary plane including an axis about which a tubular work piece is bent and in cross section in a plane orthogonal to the axial plane. The form wheel is secured to a handle while a form shoe having complemental surfaces is secured to a second handle and the handles are pivotally connected together. A hook arrangement is provided to retain a work piece in appropriate orientation with a groove in the wheel as a bending operation is effected by relatively rotating the handles such that the form shoe orbits around the wheel groove.
There have been proposals for form wheels with sets of grooves which have different of arcuate surfaces in axial cross section. A shortcoming of these has been that the radii of groove curvature about the wheel axis is a constant such that the radii for smaller tube bends are excessively large. Indeed because the prior hook arrangements are uniformly spaced from the wheel axis the radii of bends in smaller diameter tubes are actually greater than those of larger diameter tubes. Moreover, when bends have been made to an extent measured by a tool mounted protractor, the true angle of a bend has only been accurate for one tube diameter. Thus if a tool gives an accurate indication of a 90 degree bend in a large diameter tool, bends in smaller tubes, producing the same measurement will be less than 90 degrees.
With tube benders it is desirable to have handles of different lengths so that a bending operation can be effected by an operator gripping the handles without either grip being interfered with by the other handle. There have been tube benders in which this is accomplished by having handles which are offset and of different length but the longer handle has been connected to the form wheel with a result that the forming leverage has not been maximized.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a tool for bending tubing to a range of bend radii especially one which is especially suited for bending copper tubing of a range of diameters.
With the bender of the present invention, a pair of handles of differing length are pivotally connected together by a link. A form wheel is secured to the shorter of the handles. The form wheel has three grooves of differing sizes. That is there is a) a large groove which of the three has the largest radius of curvature in both an axial plane and a plane normal to the axis, b) a second groove of intermediate size with a radius in the axial plane that is shorter than the large groove and c) a smaller third groove. Similarly the radii of curvature of the three grooves are large, medium and small. The three sized grooves are provided so that each groove is designed to accommodate tubing of a standard size such as xc2xd, xe2x85x9c, and xc2xc inch diameters.
A form shoe is secured to the other and the longer of the handles. The form shoe has three sizes of grooves that are arcuately curved in the same axial plane of cross section as the wheel grooves. In planes normal to the wheel axis the shoe grooves are straight. The shoe grooves are complemental in axial cross section with the wheel grooves and radially aligned such that as the handles are rotated about the pivot, a work piece is engaged and substantially surrounded by the complemental pair of the grooves of the appropriate and matched size.
A work piece holder is provided to retain a work piece in an associated wheel groove and resist forces applied by the shoe as the shoe orbits the wheel. Unlike prior art holders with the holder of the tool of the present invention that part of the hook surface which resists binding forces applied to a smaller tube is closer to the axis of the form wheel then those parts which resist bending forces of larger diameter tubes. While a hook with stepped tube engagement parts will produce small, medium and large radii bends, the preferred and disclosed hook is shiftable to a selected one of three locations, each spaced from the wheel axis in an amount appropriate for bending of a tube in an associated one of the wheel grooves. The holder and the wheel handle have a coacting tongue and groove arrangement for registering the holder selectively and one at a time in a selected and appropriate one of its three positions. A stepped and preferred hook arrangement results in consistent bonds of appropriate radii when measured on a tube mounted protractor.
Accordingly the objects of this invention are to provide a novel and improved tube bender suitable for use with tubing of differing diameters and a process of bending tubing.


A method and a system control at least one lighting arrangement, in which the lighting arrangement modulates the light it emits by lighting arrangement data that contains an identification code identifying the lighting arrangement. A user control device is suitable to receive the light from the lighting arrangement and to derive therefrom the lighting arrangement data. The user controlled device measures a property of the received light, apart from it representing data, to provide additional data which is associated with the lighting arrangement which is associated with the identification code contained in the received data. Data about a location of the user control device is determined, the user controlled device transmits the data it gained, and a main control device is suitable to receive the data transmitted by the user control device and to control the at least one lighting arrangement dependent on all the data.

WO 2004/057927 discloses a method for configuration a wireless controlled lighting system. The prior art system comprises a central master control device, several local control master devices, which are linked to the central master device, and, associated with each local control master device, one or more lighting units and a portable remote control. Each lighting unit and the portable control are linked to their associated local control master device by a wireless connection. Light emitted by a lighting unit is modulated by an identification code, which was stored in the lighting unit before controlling the lighting unit. The portable control is suitable to receive the modulated light and to derive therefrom the identification code of the source lighting device. The portable control has a user interface by which a user can enter additional data, which is sent to its associated local control master device together with the identification code received from a lighting unit. Said additional data may contain an indication of a switch or key which the user assigns to the lighting unit to operate the lighting unit from then on, such as for turning on or off. Then, the data is communicated to the central master device for general lighting management.
With the prior art method and system the control of lighting units is carried out by forward control only, that is, without any kind of feedback about actual lighting conditions and locations of the lighting units. For example, an object can be illuminated by any number of lighting units directly, but also indirectly as a result of reflections. With the prior art system it is not possible to measure lighting effects caused by different lighting units on an object and to change controlling of the lighting units dependent on the measured lighting effects.


A motorized self-balancing vehicle is provided. The vehicle may include at least two wheels. The vehicle may include a self-balancing mechanism. The vehicle may include a manual-drive mechanism. The self-balancing mechanism may constantly update the self-balancing vehicle in order to maintain the balance of a rider of the vehicle, while the rider is engaged in human motion on the manual-drive mechanism. The human motion may include pedaling and/or stepping. The vehicle may include an electric motor. The vehicle may include only an electric motor. The vehicle may include only a manual-drive mechanism. The vehicle may include both the manual-drive mechanism and the electric motor. In the embodiment including the manual-drive mechanism and the electric motor, the power generated by the electronic motor may be combined with power generated by the manual-drive mechanism in order to move the vehicle.

Segway™ devices are well-known. These devices are self-balancing rideable devices.
One issue associated with these devices is that they produce fatigue because the riders are required to constantly balance with his or her feet. Another issue associated with these devices is that they produce fatigue with lower extremities. One reason fatigue is produced because the riders are required to turn with his or her knees. An additional issue with these devices is that many of the Segway models do not require substantial physical exertion. Therefore, usage of the Segway models does not realize any exercise gains for a user.

Self-balancing, electronically-assisted, rideable devices


An input device which includes plural inputting units, each accepting external information, including a unit for recognizing an input time of input information accepted via each of the plural inputting means; a unit for dividing or merging the input information into a predetermined primitive analysis unit, to obtain a recognition result; a unit for estimating the input time of a unit recognition result, by using an estimating method predetermined for each of the inputting units; and a unit for collecting some of the recognition results whose estimated input times are close to one another, and outputting the collected information as a semantic analysis unit. An input content is specified by collecting plural pieces of input information being signals input from plural inputting units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an input managing method when simultaneously using plural input means in information processing equipment. The present invention also relates to an input signal analyzing device utilizing the input managing method.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, with respect to system operation processes, the natural language interface and voice input interface techniques are known, in addition to the well-known graphical user interface (GUI) technique. For example, in the natural language interface art, Tani et al. disclose that "a retrieval language SQL is created from an input conceptual dependency structure being a result of analysis of a Japanese sentence", in the paper entitled "A Natural Language Interface Development Kit: IF-Kit" (Technical Report of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, NLC-91-62, Vol. 91, No. 534, PP. 25-32 (1992)). With respect to the voice input interface, Yamamoto et al. disclose that "Only an independent word is displayed on a menu. By freely using the independent word, the user can input phrase by phrase, which are connected to an arbitrary dependent word series, in voice" in the paper entitled "A Menu-Based Spoken Natural Language Input System" (Proceedings of the 47th Annual Convention, Information Processing Society of Japan, 3-167).
In the prior art, in order to operate a certain system, the operation instruction command is input through a single input system. For example, when the conventional natural language interface receives "Please tell me the telephone number of a hotel in the district A", an instruction for the corresponding database system is created. In this case, the input analysis is carried out on an input signal sent from a single interface, such as a keyboard. That is, the conventional natural language interface coexists with the GUI in the system. However, the input signals from both of the interfaces are not accepted or received simultaneously, and are not analyzed by taking each other into consideration. Moreover, in the conventional voice input interface, only one input entry is received and analyzed by selecting the GUI in the form for menu selection, or voice input device. However, the input signals from both interfaces are not accepted at the same time to analyze by taking each other into consideration them.
The object of the present invention is to provide an inputting method for specifying an input content by collecting plural pieces of input information being signals input from plural inputting means.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an input information managing method for specifying an input content by collecting input information being signals input from plural inputting means.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an input device using the above-mentioned inputting method or input information managing method.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system including the above-mentioned input device.

Input device, inputting method, information processing system, and input information managing method


An apparatus for detecting ferromagnetic objects in the vicinity of a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The apparatus comprises primary sensor means adapted to measure a magnetic field, arranged in communication with signal processing means configured to identify temporal variations in the measured magnetic field due to the movement of a ferromagnetic object within an ambient magnetic field and to provide an output indicative of the presence of a ferromagnetic object in the vicinity of the primary sensor means. The apparatus further comprises secondary, non-magnetic, sensor means adapted to detect the movement of objects in the vicinity of the primary sensor means in order to reduce false alarms. The output from the signal processing means may be used to operate an audible alarm, a visual alarm, an automatic door lock or a physical barrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting ferromagnetic objects and in particular to a device for detecting the presence of ferromagnetic objects in the vicinity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Most major hospitals have rooms for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners. These scanners have a large magnet that is usually superconducting and produces a very high magnetic field up to several Tesla within the bore of the MRI scanner. The magnetic field strength outside of the magnet falls rapidly with distance creating very large magnetic field gradients in the surrounding room. Any ferromagnetic metal object in the vicinity of the magnet will experience a force attracting it towards the magnet. The force exerted by the magnet may be sufficiently strong to accelerate an unrestrained ferromagnetic object towards the MRI scanner, where it will come to rest in or near to the bore of the MRI scanner. This is called the projectile effect or missile effect and it can be very dangerous and damaging.
Large ferromagnetic metal objects undergoing the projectile effect can enter the bore of the MRI scanner with sufficient kinetic energy to injure a patient or damage the MRI machine extensively. Furthermore, such objects may be impossible to remove from the bore without switching the magnetic field off. It can take over a week to restore the field and the down-time can be expensive for the hospital.
Examples of problem ferromagnetic objects that cause projectile effect accidents include gas bottles (small and large), wheelchairs, tool boxes, mop buckets, vacuum cleaners, pens, scissors and various medical devices, for example defibrillators and respirators.
Because of these dangers a strict screening procedure is enforced that is usually adequate in ensuring that staff and patients are free of ferromagnetic metal objects before entering the room in which the MRI scanner is located. However, there are a few major instances of projectile effects in the world every year and many minor incidents. Each major incident is usually very costly to the hospital or their insurers.
Metals that are non-ferrous do not present this danger and are used routinely in MRI rooms. Metal items for use in MRI rooms are usually pre-approved. However, it is often difficult for people to know if a metal is ferrous or non-ferrous and it is not always convenient to check for approved items. Accordingly, there is always a danger of the projectile effect due to oversights and mistakes on part of staff and patients, and general human error.
Installing metal detectors at the entrance to hospital rooms in which MRI scanners are located might help reduce the incidence of MRI related accidents (The New England Journal of Medicine 2001; 345; pp 1000-1001). For example, it has been suggested that an archway metal detector, similar to those employed at airports, could be placed at the entrance to an MRI room to detect metal objects which might pose a danger.
However, there are several difficulties with the above suggestion which have hitherto precluded the use of conventional metal detectors for screening persons in the vicinity of an MRI scanner.
Firstly, the metal detector would have to reliably discriminate between ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic metals otherwise it would alarm on approved metal objects. Not all conventional archway metal detectors are capable of such discrimination.
Discriminating metal detectors are available, however such devices tend to transmit relatively large amounts of electromagnetic energy. This is not desirable in a clinical environment where sensitive equipment abounds.
Moreover, conventional archway metal detectors are primarily aimed at security applications rather than safety applications and typically exhibit a high degree of sophistication (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,983). Consequently, sophisticated archway metal detectors are prohibitively expensive for use in MRI screening applications.
Furthermore, conventional archway metal detectors are physically incompatible with the beds, trolleys and wheelchairs used in a hospital environment (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,829).
Finally, conventional metal detection systems aimed at security applications are almost exclusively attended by an operator who will take appropriate action in response to a visual or audible signal from the metal detection system. In contrast, a screening device for an MRI scanner must operate automatically to provide an audible/visual warning of a potential danger, and even prohibit access to the MRI scanner if appropriate.
It is an object of the present invention to mitigate at least some of the disadvantages of the foregoing metal detection systems. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an alternative device for detecting ferromagnetic objects in the vicinity of an MRI scanner.


A speech recognition system, in which partial reference patterns, and cumulative similarities of these patterns, are stored in a temporary pattern memory. The partial reference patterns are to be used as subjects of a similarity computation with an input speech pattern that has its feature quantities extracted by a speech analyzing unit. A counting unit counts partial reference patterns having corresponding cumulative similarities that are higher than a threshold value stored in a threshold memory. A threshold computing unit computes a threshold of pruning from a correspondence relation between the number of partial reference patterns that have corresponding cumulative similarities that exceed the threshold, and the threshold. A similarity computing unit computes a similarity, with respect to the feature quantities, of partial reference patterns with corresponding cumulative similarities that are greater than the threshold of pruning. A determining unit determines, as a result of recognition, a word which corresponds to one of the partial reference patterns with a highest similarity.

The present invention relates to a speech recognizing system for recognizing speech through similarity computation involving pruning on the basis of a threshold and, more particularly, to a speech recognizing system capable of reducing the number of reference patterns of words to be recognized.
As means for reducing the processing effort in this type of speech recognition, a beam search process is well known in the art. The beam search process aims at processing effort reduction by pruning out reference patterns which are low in similarity to input speech and dispensing with a recognizing process on these low similarity reference patterns. The beam search process is detailed in Sakoe et al, "High rate DP Matching by Combined Frame Synchronization, Beam Search and Vector Quantization", Trans. of IECE of Japan, Vol. J71-D, No. 9, pp. 1650-1659, 1988-10 (hereinafter referred to as Literature 1). As a pruning process, Literature 1 shows one, in which similarity comparison is made with reference to a predetermined threshold to leave reference patterns with similarities higher than the threshold.
Murakami et al, "Expansion of Words to Speech Recognition and Free Speaking Recognition Utilizing Trigram", Technical Report of IECE of Japan, SP 93-127, 1994-01 (hereinafter referred to as Literature 2), shows a pruning process, in which a predetermined number of reference patterns with higher similarities are left. Literature 2 also shows another pruning process, in which search is performed for a threshold which gives a predetermined number of reference patterns that remain.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the basic construction of a prior art speech recognition system (shown in Literature 1).
In this speech recognition system, a speech waveform is inputted as input speech data from an input terminal 301 to a speech analyzer 302 for its conversion to a feature vector series representing its acoustical features. Reference patterns representing acoustical features of words to be recognized, are cumulatively stored in a reference pattern memory 303. Partial reference patterns (or branches) which are subjects of similarity computation and the prevailing accumulation, are stored in a temporary pattern memory 304. A predetermined threshold is stored in a threshold memory 305.
A similarity computing unit 308 computes acoustical feature similarities, with input feature parameters, of those of branches, i.e., partial reference patterns, among those stored in the temporary pattern memory 304 having similarities higher than a threshold stored in the threshold memory 305. A determining unit 309 determines one of the branches stored in the temporary pattern memory 304 having the highest cumulative similarity as a result of recognition and, when similarity computations with all input feature parameters have been completed, or when it has become that the branches stored in the temporary pattern memory 304 all belong to a single word, and outputs this recognition result to an output terminal 310.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a basic construction of another prior art speech recognition system (shown in Literature 2).
In this speech recognition system, a speech waveform is inputted as input speech data from an input terminal 401 to a speech analyzer 402 for its conversion to a feature vector series representing its acoustical features. Reference patterns representing acoustical features of words to be recognized are cumulatively stored in a reference pattern memory 403. Partial reference patterns (or branches) as subjects of similarity computation and the prevailing accumulation likelihood, are stored in a temporary pattern memory 404.
A similarity sorter 405 sorts out the branches, i.e., the partial reference patterns, stored in the temporary pattern memory 404 in the order of higher cumulative similarities. A similarity computing unit 408 computes acoustical feature similarities, with input feature parameters, of a predetermined number of higher similarity branches from the one of the highest similarity, having been sorted out in the similarity sorter 405 and stored in the temporary pattern memory 404, and updates the branches stored in the temporary pattern memory 404 and the accumulation likelihood. A determining unit 409 determines one of the branches stored in the temporary pattern memory 404 having the highest cumulative similarity as a result of recognition, when similarity computations with all input feature parameters have been completed, or when it has become that the branches stored in a temporary pattern memory 404 belong to a single word, and outputs the recognition result to an output terminal 410.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a basic construction of a further prior art speech recognizer (shown in Literature 2).
In this speech recognizer, a speech waveform is inputted as input speech data from an input terminal 501 to a speech analyzer 502 for its conversion to a feature vector sequence representing its acoustical features. Reference patterns representing acoustical features of words to be recognized are stored in a reference pattern memory 503. Partial reference patterns (or branches) as subjects of similarity computation and the prevailing accumulation likelihood are stored in a temporary pattern memory 504.
A threshold searcher 505 searches a threshold, which leaves a predetermined number of branches, i.e., partial reference patterns, among those stored in the temporary pattern memory 504. A similarity computing unit 508 computes acoustical feature similarities, with input feature parameters, of only branches of similarities higher than the threshold obtained in the threshold searcher 505 among those stored in the temporary pattern memory 504, thereby updating the temporary pattern memory 504. A determining unit 509 determines one of the branches stored in the temporary pattern memory 504 having the highest cumulative similarity as a result of recognition, when similarity computations with all input feature parameters have been completed, or when it has become that the branches stored in the temporary pattern memory 54 all belong to a single word, and outputs the recognition result to an output terminal 510.
In the speech recognition system shown in FIG. 6, a predetermined threshold is given. In this case, it is impossible to control the number of branches that are left in the beam after pruning. This gives rise to a problem that the number of branches after pruning may be excessive to make read-time operation difficult or insufficient to result in pruning of correct vocabulary branches.
In the speech recognition system shown in FIG. 7, denoting the number of branches to be sorted by N, computational effort of the order of N log N is necessary. Therefore, as N is increased, the processing effort necessary for the sorting is increased to result in an excessive process time.
In the speech recognition system shown in FIG. 8, the threshold can be searched efficiently by two-branched search. In this case, the processing effort, i.e., computational effort, necessary for obtaining the threshold is reduced compared to the case of sorting all the branches as shown in FIG. 7. Nevertheless, computational effort of the order of log N is necessary. Therefore, as N is increased, the processing effort necessary for the sorting is increased to result in an excessive process time.
In the above speech recognition systems, the threshold cannot be changed such as to give a desired number of branches. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain accurate and quick speech recognition with less computational effort.

Speech recognition system using modifiable recognition threshold to reduce the size of the pruning tree


A low frequency amplifier uses a switched bridge circuit, providing a first frequency output. A transformer circuit receiving the first frequency output from the switched bridge circuit. Power from the transformer is output from a plurality of secondaries and the power from the secondaries is supplied to the corresponding output switching circuits and provided as switched outputs from the transformer circuit. The switched outputs from the transformer circuit are responsive to a transformer output from the transformer at the first frequency, and switch the transformer outputs in a timed sequence to provide a combined second frequency output. The second frequency output has a lower frequency than the transformer outputs.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosed subject matter relates to an amplifier design, of a type using magnetic energy. The disclosed subject matter also relates to low frequency power amplifiers.
2. Background of the Invention
In design of low frequency power amplifiers, it is desired to provide low frequency power amplification in a manner that minimizes amplifier size and weight. Current low frequency power amplifiers are relatively large and heavy. This is because present amplifiers contain magnetic components which must provide operational function at the output signal frequency. Examples of magnetic devices used in the magnetics are transformers and inductors.
The size of a magnetic device (transformer or inductor) varies to a first approximation linearly and inversely with frequency, which means that a magnetic device operating at a higher frequency may be manufactured to be much smaller than one having comparable performance characteristics, but operating at a lower frequency. Thus for a low frequency power amplifier, the size and weight of the magnetics will be many times greater than if the amplifier could be built with all magnetics operating at a switching frequency which was orders of magnitude higher than the desired output signal frequency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,384, to Hammond, et al. describes a transformer circuit in which an AC switching stage preferably generates pulses at a frequency which may be up to several orders of magnitude higher than a line frequency, typically 60 or 400 Hz and having a duty cycle which may be up to about 98-99% of the pulse period. The circuit includes a transformer which requires less core volume and mass than conventional transformers, and includes a rectifier for transforming a first time varying input signal, such as a sinusoid or saw tooth signal, into a full-wave rectified voltage signal.

Low frequency power amplifier employing high frequency magnetic components

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


The run-flat tire has a tread for contacting a ground surface and a belt package with belt plies interior to the tread for support of the tread. A plurality of radially reinforced carcass layers are positioned interior to the belt plies and include at least one carcass layer that extends between spaced apart annular beads. The tire has a pair of sidewalls each extending radially inward from shoulders at lateral edges of the belt package to the annular beads. The sidewalls have a plurality of sidewall stiffening members to support the tire during a loss of inflation pressure. The carcass layers are disposed with the sidewall stiffening members to help support the run-flat tire with a loss of inflation pressure. The spaced apart beads have a unique design including bead cores placed at a predetermined diameter with respect to a rim diameter, dual bead fillers above the bead cores, a heel corner spaced at a radial gap distance from a rim flange and rim interface components having a seat interface distance below the bead core for mounting the run-flat tire on a conventional rim and for sustaining the run-flat tire on the conventional rim with a loss of inflation pressure within the run-flat tire.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to radial pneumatic tires used for vehicles, and more particular to the design of the lower sidewall and bead area of a run-flat tire to reduce the effort in mounting the tire on a standard rim and to improve the retention of the tire on the standard rim during a loss of inflation pressure.
2. Description of the Art
The need to carry a spare tire in a vehicle to replace a flat tire, or more basically the need for a vehicle operator to stop and replace a deflated tire at an inconvenient location, has long been a concern of the vehicle operator. Many of these concerns can be addressed with the use of a run-flat tire for allowing the operator to reach a safe place or a service station before replacing a tire which has lost its inflation pressure.
One of the problems associated with providing a run-flat tire is to maintain acceptable performance of the run-flat tire upon deflation. Essential to solving this problem is to provide a run-flat tire which stays on the rim and keeps the vehicle supported so the vehicle may drive to a more convenient location to repair or replace the tire. The tire is generally retained on the rim by the inflation pressure in the tire during normal running of the vehicle. Absence of this inflation pressure tends to cause the tire to want to be disconnected from the rim. This is especially true during lateral maneuvers of the vehicle. Solutions to this rim unseating problem include providing a special rim having a hump or a depression for engaging the run-flat tire having a corresponding special bead design. Typical efforts to modify the tire/rim seat interface profiles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,779,658; 5,263,526; and 5,427,166. However, the use of standard rims with these special run-flat tires will not optimize the bead unseating problem. In addition, the effort required to seat these special run-flat tires on rims with special tire/rim interface designs is excessive.
Part of the rim unseating and vehicle handling problems have been solved by the use of sidewall reinforcing members in a run-flat tire to provide laterally stiffened sidewalls. Typical run-flat tires with reinforced sidewalls are disclosed in the three U.S. Patents disclosed above as well as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,158,627; 5,368,082; and 5,511,599. The crescent shaped sidewall reinforcing members are essential for holding the tread displaced from the rim to make the tire respond to vehicle maneuvers with the loss of inflation pressure in the run-flat tire. Tires with sidewall reinforcing members are used with the improved bead seat design of this invention.
The heavy duty radial tire of U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,260 discloses a smaller apex filler along with a number of carcass layers turned up around the bead core. The length of carcass turn-up portions and the position of the bead core in relation to the rim flange height is used to obtain bead strength. Accuracy in the placement of end points of each carcass layer is important in the teachings of this 1992 patent.
Changing the shape, dimensions and material properties of components in the lower sidewall and bead of a tire can affect their ability to resist higher forces and moments. The run-flat tire can be designed to take advantage of changing shape, dimensions and material properties. One component which can be easily modified is the bead filler. A bead filler which has been extended radially into the area of the sidewall in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,329; 4,766,940; and 5,048,584. This extension provides improved transverse and radial load supporting capabilities for the tire. However, the material properties of the filler needs to be different near the bead core than radially outward in the sidewall to resist different loads in these different locations of the run-flat tire and to facilitate an efficient tire fabrication process. The disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,046,183; 4,120,338; and 4,508,153 and Japan Patent No. 5-178037 illustrate the use of bead fillers having two parts; being one part adjacent a bead core and another part extending into the sidewall area. These two-part bead fillers use different size, shape and material properties for each of the two parts. The bead fillers of these references also require additional reinforcing layers placed adjacent to the bead fillers to improve durability and strength of the bead region of the tire. The need remains to simplify the use of two-part bead fillers while maintaining their advantages.
Another design parameter which can be incorporated to transfer loads from the vehicle to the ground by way of the run-flat tire is the use of the rim flange. If a tire can be made to contact the flange of the rim, the vehicle loads can transfer loads to the rim at its flange. The rim flange contact is also useful in transferring lateral loads between the tire and the rim that would otherwise act to unseat the tire from the rim. Rim flange seating of the tire is well known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,918; 4,203,481; and 5,033,524. Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,918 and 5,033,524 disclose the use of an additional product in the tire to interface with the rim flange. A gap between the rim and a buttress on the tire in U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,918 is closed when the buttress contacts the rim flange. The tire to rim flange contact is known to help with vehicle handling in some maneuvers of the vehicle and to degrade the vehicle handling with other maneuvers. It is important to know at what operating condition the tire to rim flange can be used as an advantage. The need remains to identify when contact of a run-flat tire with a rim flange can be useful for the partially inflated run-flat tire.
A further problem exists with the pressure of the run-flat tire on the rim seat portion of the tire to rim interface. A tire is mounted on a rim with a combination of inflating and pushing the tire to its proper place on the rim. The rubber in contact with the rim must be durable and effective in sealing the interface against loss of inflation pressure caused by air leaking out from inside the tire. It is well known in the art to use an additional rubber layer for making direct contact with the rim seat portion. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,599 a rim seat ply is used to making contact with a rim. Economy in manufacturing the run-flat tire can be realized by a single bead interface rubber. The use of a single rubber component for the bead interface rubber is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,235,273; 4,790,364; and 5,033,524. The profile of the innermost area of the bead interface rubber is also important for providing desired pressures at the tire to rim interface. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,554,960 and 5,464,051 a profile is disclosed for providing a proper bead to rim interface seat area. The extent of a single bead interface rubber which can also provide a rim flange seat and a durable bead toe remains unsolved by these references. The material properties of this bead interface rubber also remains undefined.
Even with the improvements of the references the need remains to have a lower sidewall and bead structure which has an improved bead retention capability without compromising the ability to sustain the same vehicle loads and without the necessity of added reinforcing layers or other non-standard tire components. A coexisting need is to be able to use run-flat tires on standard rims that generally exist in the replacement market at the present time. Both of these needs should be achieved while maintaining a manufacturing process with limited changes and preferably lower costs for the run-flat tire.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a run-flat tire having annular beads designed so that the run-flat tire can be easily mounted on a standard rim of a vehicle without excessive over-pressures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a run-flat tire having annular beads designed to maintain a good seal between the tire and the rim for maintaining an inflation pressure within the tire.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a run-flat tire having annular beads designed so that the run-flat tire strongly resists being removed from the standard rim during loss of inflation pressure.
A further object of the present invention is to simplify the design of the bead area to reduce the number of different rubber components used in the bead area when manufacturing the run-flat tire.
Still another object of the present invention is to use materials in the bead area which are resistant to damage when mounting the run-flat tire on the standard rim and resistant to loss of air between the tire and the rim during normal operation of the run-flat tire on the vehicle.

Run-flat tire with an improved bead to rim interface


A mobile terminal includes a central process unit (CPU), a subscriber identity module (SIM) card unit for loading a SIM card, and a memory unit having a register and an anti-theft module. The anti-theft module includes an encrypting/binding module capable of being instructed by the CPU to bind an anti-theft password to the SIM card and save the anti-theft password to the register of the memory unit, a password comparing module capable of being instructed by the CPU to compare the anti-theft password with data of an actual SIM card loaded in the mobile terminal, a locking/unlocking module capable of being instructed by the CPU to lock or unlock the mobile terminal, and a data deleting module capable of being instructed by the CPU to delete data of the memory unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile terminals such as a cellular telephone, and particular to a mobile terminal having anti-theft function.
2. Description of related art
Nowadays, cellular telephones are widely used. It is usually possible to store data in, such as telephone numbers, address lists, password data, or other private information. If a cellular telephone is stolen, the owner may suffer not only the financial loss, but also loss of private information.
What is needed is to provide a mobile terminal with extra anti-theft functions.

Mobile terminal having anti-theft function and anti-theft method


Provided are a glyphosate-resistant gene screening method, an EPSPS mutant gene having glyphosate resistance screened by the method, an EPSPS and C-P Lyase deficient strain and a use thereof.

Glyphosate, developed by Monsanto Company USA, is a Broad-spectrum, non-selective systematic herbicide which is applied via foliar spray. It works by inhibiting the activity of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the shikimate pathway in a plant so as to keep the affected plant from continuing to synthesize essential amino acids and thus affect the normal growth of the plant, eventually lead to death.
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum glyphosate-based herbicide which is lethal to almost all kinds of plants. The most commonly used glyphosate-resistant gene on the market is CP4 gene which is a highly glyphosate-resistant gene that is separated from Agrobacterium by Monsanto. Plants may obtain such resistance by means of gene transformation. Since glyphosate-resistant crops bring obvious benefits to agriculture and environment, transgenic corn and soybean varieties containing CP4 gene have been massively popular over the last 20 years. However, there is still a constant demand for new glyphosate-resistant genes and crop varieties with these new genes.
In creating a non-transgenic glyphosate-resistant plant by gene editing technology, it is preferable that it has glyphosate-resistant plant EPSPS gene. Microorganism EPSPS genes, typically CP4, provide glyphosate resistance. However, even if such microorganism EPSPS genes are transferred to a plant by gene editing method, such plant would likely be still seen as a transgenic plant as such genes come from a different species and can hardly be accepted by the general public. The public are biased against transgenic crops here, which hinders the development and commercialization of transgenic technology. Therefore, it is a key to create highly glyphosate-resistant plant EPSPS gene for obtaining non-transgenic glyphosate-resistant crops.
Theoretically, plants can be mutated by chemical and/or radiation treatment and glyphosate-resistant plants obtained by screening the mutated plants under a certain glyphosate stress. As a matter of fact, over years of glyphosate application in large amounts, some weeds have evolved to be resistant to glyphosate, as a result of changes of EPSPS gene in most of the cases. But such changes most occur as increase in gene copy number and the resistance as a result of such changes is not high, so such changes can hardly be used in crops. There are some crops of which themselves the EPSPS gene mutates to be resistant to glyphosate, but such resistance is not as good as CP4. To create highly glyphosate-resistant non-transgenic crops, we have to keep mutating and screening crops or other plants for EPSPS gene resistant genes.
However, the existing methods of screening for glyphosate-resistant mutant genes from crops or other plants comprise first subjecting plants to mutagenesis to obtain a number of mutant plants, and then performing screening of such mutant plants for resistance to obtain glyphosate-resistant mutant plants, and then testing and analyzing the genomes of the resistant plants to finally obtain glyphosate-resistant mutant genes. Due to a long period of plant growth, it not only takes a long time to grow a large number of mutant plants, but also requires a massive acreage.

Glyphosate-resistant gene screening method, EPSPS mutant gene and deficient strain and use


A control system includes a switch for selecting whether or not a reset signal is outputted to input/output means, and a reset circuit for directly outputting a reset signal having an implication of xe2x80x9cHIGHxe2x80x9d to the input/output means when the control means is set to output the reset signal by selecting the switch, and for not outputting the reset signal to the input/output means when the control means is set not to output the reset signal, thereby forcibly drawing the reset signal to xe2x80x9cLOWxe2x80x9d.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to such a control system comprising control means for controlling an entire system, and a plurality of input/output means controlled in response to a reset signal issued from the control means, in which the control system is equipped with a reset circuit for selecting whether or not the reset signal is outputted to the input/output means when the control means is brought into such a condition that this control means cannot control the input/output means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a basic arrangement of a control system such as a programmable controller is made of control means for controlling the overall system, input/output means for interfacing the control means with respect to an external input/output appliance, a power supply for supplying 5V to the control means and the input/output means, and a backplane for fixing the control means and the input/output means to connect signals between the means.
In the above-described control system, for instance, when a failure happens to occur in the control means or the control means recognizes certain malfunctions, the following two cases are conceivable. The case is that all of the outputs from the input/output means are to be cleared. Another case is that conditions occurred immediately before the malfunction are to be held.
For example, a case where all of the outputs from the input/output means are desired to be cleared might exist when controlling a machine in a line. An example of a case where all of the outputs from the input/output means are to be maintained, is a temperature control or air conditioning situation.
FIG. 9 is an example of a reset circuit in one conventional control system. The reset circuit is usable for the control means and input/output means when a failure occurs in or a malfunction is recognized by the control means. In the FIG. 9 system a failure or malfunction cans all of the output to be cleared.
In FIG. 9, reference numeral 71 indicates control means, reference numeral 72 shows an input/output means, and reference numeral 73 is a transistor for drawing a reset signal to the input/output means 72. when the control means 71 is operated under normal condition. Reference numeral 74 represents a reset signal which is outputted from the control means 71 and is wire or gated wired-OR-gated to all of the input/output means 72. Reference numeral 75 is a pull-up resistor, and reference numeral 76 shows an output holding circuit for holding data, which is constructed of a flip-flop.
Also, reference numeral 77 indicated in FIG. 9 is a 5V output (abbreviated as xe2x80x9cxcexa35Vxe2x80x9d hereinafter) where a voltage of 5V is defined when even one power supply among a plurality of power supplies of the overall system. Shown in FIG. 10, the 5V outputs of all of the power supplies employed in the control means and the input/output means are coupled with each other by diodes 78.
In the above-described circuit, when a software reset signal; a hardware reset signal, or a power-supply reset signal becomes xe2x80x9cLOWxe2x80x9d, the base of the transistor 73 becomes xe2x80x9cLOWxe2x80x9d, and the reset signal 74 becomes xe2x80x9cHIGHxe2x80x9d by way of the pull-up resistor 75. The output holding circuit 76 employed inside the input/output means 72 is thereby reset, and all of the outputs from the input/output means 72 are cleared.
Also, even when the power supply of the input/output means 72 is turned ON prior to turning-ON of the power supply of the control means 71, since 5V is defined as xcexa35V 77 by FIG. 10, the output holding circuit 76 employed in the input/output means 72 is brought into the reset condition by the pull-up resistor 75. Accordingly, there is no case that the output from the output holding circuit 76 becomes indefinite.
In the circuit disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application 5-303448, it is possible by the software process operation to select whether or not the input/output means is cleared when the control means is reset.
In this circuit, a latch circuit is employed to select the gate of the output buffer in the signal output circuit module into an active/inactive condition. The latch circuit is set by the software as to whether or not the resetting operation is valid, so that a selection can be made of whether the output is to be cleared or held when the control means is cleared.
The conventional control system is constituted by the above-described arrangement. In the case of the reset circuit example in FIG. 9, for instance, when the hardware reset signal is outputted, since the pull-up resistor 75 employed in the control means 71 becomes xe2x80x9cHIGHxe2x80x9d and thus all of the input/output means are cleared, the input/output means could not be held by employing the hardware of the same control means. As a consequence the reset circuit could not be used in the control system which holds the latest conditions of the input/output means when a malfunction is recognized.
Also, in another circuit example disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 5-303448, the latch circuit for selecting the gate of the output buffer into the active/inactive state is required in all of the input/output means provided on the system. Accordingly, the hardware circuits of the input/output means become complex, and the total cost of the system would be increased in espacially when that more than several tens of input/output means are coupled to a single control means.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has an object to provide a low cost control system with the same hardware arrangement, while conditions of input/output means can be either clear or held when malfunction occur.
To solve the above problems according to the present invention there is provided a control system having a control means for controlling overall system, and a plurality of input/output means for interfacing control means to external input/output appliances, in which the plurality of input/output means are reset in response to a reset signal from the control means. The control means includes a switch for selecting whether or not the reset signal is outputted to to the input/output means, and a reset circuit for directly outputting a reset signal having an implication of xe2x80x9cHIGHxe2x80x9d to the input/output means when the control means is set to output the reset signal, and for not outputting the reset signal to the input/output means when the control means is set not to output the reset signal, thereby forcibly drawing the reset signal to xe2x80x9cLOWxe2x80x9d.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a control system having two sets of control means, one of which is a controlling system and the other control means constituting a waiting system. This embodiment also has a bus switching means for connecting a bus between the input/output means and any one of the two control means; the two control means and the bus switching means are connected to a backplane. Setting of the switch of the control means is herein invalidated and the reset signal is necessarily outputted to the bus switching means.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a control system with two sets of control means as described above; a bus switching means for selecting between the two sets of control means in response to reset signals derived from the two sets of control means; and a plurality of input/output means for interfacing the control means connected by the bus switching means, with external input/output appliances.
In this embodiment the control means includes: a switch for selecting whether or not the reset signal is outputted to the input/output means; and a reset circuit for directly outputting a reset signal having an implication of xe2x80x9cHIGHxe2x80x9d to the input/output means when the switch is set to output the reset signal, and for not outputting the reset signal to the input/output means when the switch is set not to output the reset signal, thereby forcibly drawing the reset signal to xe2x80x9cLOWxe2x80x9d.
Another aspect of the present invention is a control system includes: a reset circuit for outputting a reset signal to the input/output means when power supplies of the input/output means are turned ON under certain conditions. For example when the power supply of the control means is turned OFF or when any one of the power supplies of the plural input/output means is turned OFF, the power supply of the control means is recovered, and all of the power to supplies of said plural input/output means are recovered, so that the system can be controlled.
Furthers a reset circuit for outputting a reset signal to the input/output means when the power supply of the input/output means is turned ON in the case that the power supply of the input/output means is recovered from the power down condition.

Control system with selectable reset circuit


A tappet for slide valves, in particular for pneumatic multi-way valves, is generally made of steel and has a basic cylindrical shape with control segments located on the basic cylindrical shape and with smaller-diameter intermediate segments, whereby control edges are formed at the transitions between the segments. To be able to manufacture a lightweight tappet using more economical methods, the tappet body is made of plastic and is hollow all the way through, the outer control segments and the smaller-diameter segments between the outer control segments have wall thicknesses which are equal for each type of segment, and the plastic comprise polyoxymethylene or polyamide with a proportion of fillers.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of making slide valves with tappets and the slide valves.
2. Background Information
Inside slide valves that may be known there are tappets made of steel, aluminum or brass with a nickel coating. On account of the specific weight or density of steel, such tappets are very heavy and require high acceleration and deceleration forces. Consequently, strong drive mechanisms are necessary for such tappets. In addition, after manufacture, steel tappets must be reground by lathe turning and plunge cutting, such as, deep grooving of the reduced diameter segments to obtain a specified surface quality. Steel tappets also experience problems with friction and thus abrasion and wear, which limits their useful life. Nor are steel tappets protected against aggressive media, unless correspondingly expensive alloys are used. Overall, therefore, tappets made of metal are expensive and heavy.
The advantages of the invention include a tappet which is lighter in weight than metal tappets, conserves raw materials and can be manufactured by injection molding, as well as the fact that the composition of the material offers a high-strength surface, a high-quality surface with low abrasive wear characteristics and thus a long useful life.
On account of the wall thickness conditions, the injection molding manufacturing process can be carried out with practically no flash. Otherwise, the flash would be technically unavoidable, making the use of a plastic tappet not possible. The friction characteristics of the tappet as a sliding element are also easier to influence if plastics are used than if steel is used.
In accordance with additional characteristics of the invention, the manufacture of the hydraulic or pneumatic control element is facilitated by the fact that the walls of the control segments and the smaller-diameter intermediate segments have a rounded curve in the hollow interior space.
An additional feature which facilitates the manufacture of a plastic tappet is that the injection points required for the manufacture in the injection mold are located in the vicinity of the rounded curve in the hollow interior space.
The weight, strength, surface quality, surface hardness, absence of flash, etc. are also influenced by the fact that the fillers added to the polyoxymethylene or polyamide comprise or consist of silicon, Teflon and/or molybdenum.
It is advantageous if either 0 to 15% silicon or 0 to 50% Teflon is added to the polyoxymethylene.

Method of making slide valves with tappets and the slide valves


A device for suspension of a member (10), such as a carburetor, which forms part of a fuel system of an internal combustion engine which is provided in a housing (11). The device includes at least one resilient element (13) attached to the housing and connected to the member (10) in order to allow a certain range of movement thereof relative to the housing. The resilient element (13) is adapted to cooperate with a supporting structure (13d, 14) serving to restrict the range of movement of the member (10).

The present invention generally relates to a suspension device for a member, such as a carburetor, which forms part of a fuel system of an internal combustion engine and is provided in a housing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a suspension device having at least one resilient element attached to the housing and connected to the member in order to allow a certain range of movement of the member relative to the housing.
In working tools, such as motor saws powered by an internal combustion engine having a fuel system comprising a carburetor, it is preferable to have the fuel system arranged so as minimize the effects of engine vibration. Reduction in transmission of engine vibrations to the carburetor is desirable because such engine vibrations can affect the adjustment of the fuel system and may cause the carburetor parts to frictionally wear, which could lead to an unsatisfactory operation of the fuel system.
To this end, it is previously known in engines provided with a carburetor to connect the carburetor to the engine by means of a resilient intake tube and, in addition, to provide a resilient suspension for the carburetor in the housing. Such a resilient suspension can be provided by resilient elements, normally made of rubber. Such resilient elements make it possible to achieve an efficient vibration isolation of the carburetor. However, it has been found that elements resilient enough to provide satisfactory vibration isolation cause too much movement of the carburetor. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a resilient carburetor suspension which effectively dampens vibration while preventing excessive carburetor movement.

Device for suspension of a member such as a carburetor of an internal combustion engine


An applicator for transferring color-altering material from a substrate to hair or fibers, and methods for making and using the same. The applicator includes a color-altering dye material adhered to one surface of the substrate. The substrate is preferably flexible and thin, and made of a material such as a foil, a paper composition or a synthetic polymer. The substrate is further conformable to the shape of a human hand. The dye material is soluble in water and water-activated, and is carried by a portion of the substrate. Two processes for fabricating the applicators are disclosed. Each applicator carries a dye material which has a specific color. The applicators can be packaged singly, or together as a kit with the color of dye on the applicators being the same, different, or a combination thereof. Use of an applicator requires wetting the hairs or fibers, and then applying a substrate to the hairs or fibers. Next, the user wraps the substrate about the bundle of hair or fibers, and firmly squeezes and/or wipes the encircling substrate relative to the bundle of fibers or hair.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to processes and devices for coloring hair or fibers, and more particularly to apparatus for applying coloring material to hairs on the body or fibers in textile materials, including methods for making and using the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatus and processes for applying color-altering materials, such as dyes, to hair or fibers for the purpose of temporarily covering or permanently dyeing such is well-known in the prior art. In the case of hair, such as human hair, the purpose typically is to cover unsightly or undesired indicators of aging. In the case of fibers, such as textile fibers, the purpose might be to cover stains or to resurrect old and faded products.
Typically, the color of the hair or fibers can be altered through the use of rinses, sprays, lotions, or creams. The coloring material usually takes the form of a dye, or a dye and bleach combination, and is applied in a step-by-step manner, oftentimes including the application of heat or requiring waiting a period of time sufficient for reaction of chemicals to take place.
Against this background of known technology, the applicants have developed a new, more efficient, speedier, and cost-effective technique for applying coloring material to hair or fibers which can be performed outside the confines of a salon (hair) or factory (textiles), and by persons of little or no training.
More particularly, the applicants have invented a dye-bearing substrate and a method of making and using such. The substrate is constructed in such a manner as to enable the transfer of dye material to the hair or fibers without requiring the user to mix or touch the dye or other chemicals carried by the substrate.

Applicator for coloring hair or fibers and methods for making and using same


An electronic measuring apparatus having a plurality of measuring modes. Each one of the plurality of measuring modes is selectively set to perform a corresponding operation. The electronic measuring apparatus includes a plurality of operational buttons. Information which associates one of the plurality of operational buttons with one of the plurality of measuring modes is stored in a memory. It is then distinguished which one of the plurality of operational buttons has been operated. Information stored in the memory, which associates the distinguished one of the plurality of operational buttons with the one of the plurality of measuring modes is searched and an operation unique to the one of the plurality of measuring modes which is associated with the distinguished one of the plurality of operational buttons is performed. Electrical power is supplied to the searching and performing means, wherein the supplying means starts supplying electrical power to certain portions of the electronic measuring apparatus when it is distinguished that one of the plurality of operational buttons has been manipulated. Further, the searching and performing operation occurs upon receiving the electrical power. Finally, the stored information is renewed in the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic measuring apparatus having a plurality of modes used for measurement. Any one of the modes can be freely selected to be set by an operator.
2. Description of the Related Art
As regards conventional electronic measuring apparatus, an electronic theodolite (ETH) serving as an angle measuring apparatus, an electronic distance meter (EDM) serving as a distance meter, a total station which generally has the functions of both the electronic theodolite and the electronic distance meter, and the like, are well known in the field of surveying. Each of these conventional electronic measuring apparatus usually has various programs (for example, control program, measuring program, etc.) which can be selectively carried out. By selecting one or more programs, various operations can be performed. Such operations include an operation by which parameters of a condition of measurement (temperature, barometer, etc.) can be set, operations by which various types of measurement (distance measurement, angle measurement, etc.) can be carried out, and an operation by which a practical measurement can be carried out in which the results of the various types of measurement are data-processed to obtain two-dimensional information. These various operations are carried out under the respective measuring modes of the electronic measuring apparatus. In other words, when one of the measuring modes is selected, a corresponding one of the various operations is performed.
FIG. 13 shows an operational panel 100 provided on a conventional electronic measuring apparatus that is operated by an operator to manually select a desired measuring mode from a plurality of measuring modes of the conventional electronic measuring apparatus.
The operational panel 100 is provided thereon with an LCD indication panel 80 on which various information, including information of a presently-set measuring mode, is visually indicated. The operational panel 100 is further provided thereon with a plurality of operational buttons, i.e., seven operational buttons F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, LSW and MSW. The buttons F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5 are mode selecting buttons (select buttons) to select respective measuring modes of the electronic measuring apparatus. The button LSW is an illumination light ON/OFF switch button. The LCD indication panel 80 is illuminated when the button LSW is depressed. The button MSW is a power switch of the electronic measuring apparatus. As can be seen from FIG. 13, the power switch MSW is provided separately from the mode selecting buttons F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5.
In the case where the power switch of an electronic measuring apparatus is provided separately from any of the mode selecting buttons of the electronic measuring apparatus, as in the case shown in FIG. 13, in order to actuate the electronic measuring apparatus, the operator inevitably has to operate or depress one or more operational button at least twice, i.e., the power switch has to be firstly depressed to turn it ON, and thereafter at least one of the mode selecting buttons has to be depressed to select a desired measuring mode.
In the case where the number of measuring modes of the electronic measuring apparatus exceeds the number of mode selecting buttons (e.g., the aforementioned mode selecting buttons F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5) provided on the apparatus, after having turned the power switch ON, the operator has to operate one or more of the mode selecting buttons at least twice. That is, for instance, after having turned the power switch ON, the operator needs to depress one of the mode selecting buttons to select a corresponding group of measuring modes and subsequently further depress one of the mode selecting buttons to select a desired measuring mode from the selected corresponding group of measuring modes.


Systems and techniques that facilitate universal and efficient privacy-preserving vertical federated learning are provided. In various embodiments, a key distribution component can distribute respective feature-dimension public keys and respective sample-dimension public keys to respective participants in a vertical federated learning framework governed by a coordinator, wherein the respective participants can send to the coordinator respective local model updates encrypted by the respective feature-dimension public keys and respective local datasets encrypted by the respective sample-dimension public keys. In various embodiments, an inference prevention component can verify a participant-related weight vector generated by the coordinator, based on which the key distribution component can distribute to the coordinator a functional feature-dimension secret key that can aggregate the encrypted respective local model updates into a sample-related weight vector. In various embodiments, the inference prevention component can verify the sample-related weight vector, based on which the key distribution component can distribute to the coordinator a functional sample-dimension secret key that can aggregate the encrypted respective local datasets into an update value for a global model.

The subject disclosure relates to vertical federated learning, and more specifically to universal and efficient privacy-preserving techniques to facilitate vertical federated learning. The parameters, weights, and/or biases of a machine learning model are generally optimized through training (e.g., supervised learning) on a known dataset. Federated learning involves collaboratively training a global machine learning model on multiple, distributed data sources that are maintained and/or owned by separate participants, rather than training the model on a single, central data source maintained and/or owned by a single participant. Such collaborative training is usually implemented by a coordinator/aggregator that oversees the participants, and can result in more robust and accurate machine learning models than any single participant could hope to train in isolation. However, the participants are often unwilling (e.g., limited trust), unable (e.g., limited connectivity or communication resources), and/or legally prohibited (e.g., privacy laws) from openly sharing all or part of their individual data sources with each other. Thus, systems/techniques that can facilitate federated learning while simultaneously preserving the privacy of each participant's individual data are advantageous.
There are two types of federated learning: horizontal federated learning and vertical federated learning. Horizontal federated learning involves collaborative training on horizontally partitioned datasets (e.g., the participants' datasets have common, similar, and/or overlapping feature spaces and uncommon, dissimilar, and/or non-overlapping sample spaces). For instance, two competing banks might have different clients (e.g., different sample spaces) while having similar types of information about their clients, such as age, occupation, credit score, and so on (e.g., similar feature spaces). Vertical federated learning, on the other hand, involves collaborative training on vertically partitioned datasets (e.g., the participants' datasets have common, similar, and/or overlapping sample spaces and uncommon, dissimilar, and/or non-overlapping feature spaces). For instance, a bank and an online retailer might serve the same clients (e.g., similar sample spaces) while having different types of information about those clients (e.g., different feature spaces).
Although many existing systems/techniques address privacy preservation in horizontal federated learning (which are inapplicable to vertically partitioned datasets), very few systems/techniques address privacy-preservation in vertical federated learning. Those few existing systems/techniques that do address vertical federated learning suffer from many shortcomings, including inefficient computation due to the implementation of additive homomorphic encryption (e.g., Paillier-based crypto system) and inefficient communication caused by the implementation of garbled-circuit-based secure multi-party computation. Moreover, such existing systems/techniques require two-way and/or multiple iterations of communication between the participants and the coordinator to facilitate a single training iteration. Additionally, such existing systems/techniques exhibit excessive communication overhead, and thus cannot be extended and/or are very difficult/cumbersome to extend to more than two participants. Furthermore, such existing systems/techniques require communication between the participants, which exposes each participant's dataset to the risk of inference attacks launched by other participants (e.g., curious and/or malicious) in the vertical federated learning framework, and cannot handle dynamic participant groups (e.g., addition and/or dropout of participants during the training process). Further still, such existing systems/techniques are model-specific (e.g., designed to work only with logistic regression models, designed to work only with XGBoost, and so on). Thus, there is a need for an improved, universal, and efficient privacy-preserving system/technique for facilitating vertical federated learning.

Efficient private vertical federated learning

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A scanner is programmed with the capability to send images via a parallel port and report data via a serial port to a remote device, both images and report data being identified by the same study identifier. In particular, the images are sent out an Ethernet port in DICOM format, while the report data is sent out an RS232 port in ASCII format. The scanner preferably includes memory storing a frame of image data belonging to a study and report data belonging to said study; a parallel port; a serial port; and a computer programmed to perform the following steps: joining a study identifier with the frame of image data; sending the frame of image data and the study identifier in a first format out the parallel port; joining the study identifier with the report data; and sending the report data and the study identifier in a second format out the serial port.

In addition to storing images internally, modern imaging systems need to be able to transfer images to various types of remote devices via a communications network. To successfully transfer images, the relevant networking features of the imager must be compatible with the networking features of the destination remote device. In particular, the imager must place the data to be transferred in a format which can be handled by the destination remote device. An attempt to accomplish the foregoing is the adoption of the DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) standards, which specify the conformance requirements for the relevant networking features. The DICOM standards are intended for use in communicating medical digital images among printers, workstations, acquisition modules (such as an ultrasound imaging system) and file servers. The acquisition module is programmed to transfer data in a format which complies with the DICOM standards, while the receiving device is programmed to receive data which has been formatted in compliance with those same DICOM standards.
The DICOM system is designed to facilitate the communication of digital images of different types, e.g., X-ray, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging. In an ultrasound imager having conventional DICOM capability, three local real-world activities occur: Image Send, Image Print and Remote Verification. Image Send and Image Print can be done in either automatic or manual mode. Verification of remote DICOM devices configured on the ultrasound imager is performed when the imager is powered up or when requested by the system operator.
All DICOM activities are handled in a queued manner by application software running on a host computer incorporated in the imager. In one type of ultrasound imager, the user can select any image in cine memory to be sent in DICOM format via a local area network (LAN) to a remote device having DICOM capability. The host computer of the ultrasound imaging system is programmed with DICOM system software which facilitates transmission of image frames from the cine memory to the remote DICOM device via the host computer hard disk and the LAN.
In the conventional ultrasound imager, Image Send can be used in automatic or manual mode, depending on the user configuration. When automatic mode is configured, console keys are used to capture the image and to store it on the hard disk. The request is queued to a DICOM queue manager (preferably implemented in software), which requests an association with the destination remote device. After the association with the remote device has been opened, the queue manager "pushes" the image to the remote device without user intervention. The transfer is done in the background while scanning or other operator activities continue. In manual mode, the captured images are archived on the hard disk or on a MOD during the exam(s). Upon completion of the exam(s) the images are tagged using an archive menu and queued to any of the network devices that have been configured on the imager. The images are sent sequentially in the background while scanning or other operator activities proceed. Image Print works much the same way as Image Send, in both automatic and manual modes, the only difference being that the destination device is a printer.
In addition to the digitized image (i.e., pixel data), the DICOM object transferred from the ultrasound imager also includes an image header. The image header includes an identifier which uniquely identifies the study that the transferred image is part of. DICOM has defined a unique number for each and every study. Every DICOM image in a study must have this number attached to it. This unique identifier defines all images associated with the identified study. The image header also includes attribute information extracted from a pre-stored configuration file. For example, the attribute information may include patient attributes (e.g., patient name and patient identification number), exam attributes (e.g., exam description and exam date), series attributes (e.g., modality type and series date), and image attributes (e.g., image type and numbers of rows and columns).
The DICOM images constructed by an imaging system can be sent over a network to a viewing station or to a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) having a viewing station. The images are sent via an Ethernet port incorporated on the imaging system. It is also known to send reports from the imaging system to the viewing station via a serial port, also incorporated on the imaging system. Typically the serial port transmits and receives data in accordance with the RS232 protocol.
The off-line view station can be used to display the images and reports received from the imaging system. However, one problem is that, while DICOM defines the standard for transmitting images and data along with providing the necessary information to link all associated information with a study, it does not define any RS232 protocols for transmitting report data. Therefore, there is no standard that demonstrates the ability to link RS232 data with a DICOM study. Many companies have developed their own mechanism for transmitting report data via an RS232 interface. Also there are companies that have developed software to receive this RS232 data on a personal computer. The problem is that the companies that have developed the reporting software on the receiving personal computer cannot guarantee that the report data received is related to the DICOM images received. In other words, there is no way to accurately link the report data to a study (comprising a series of images) on a view station or PACS. Some companies have created a proprietary method of linking images and report data that is based on time and video capture, thereby losing much of the associated study information.
In one known ultrasound imaging system, whenever a study is begun, a unique Study Identifier is generated for that study. DICOM refers to this as the Study Instance UID. Each image that is taken during that study will have the Study Instance UID placed in the image header. Also found in that same image header are: Patient Name, Patient ID, Accession Number (a RIS-generated number which identifies the order for the study), Study Date, Study Time, and Patient's Date of Birth. During the exam, the sonographer may make measurements and comments about one or a group of images. The sonographer may also produce information or make comments about the entire exam. This information is placed on the report screen of the scanner. In the known ultrasound imaging system, the sonographer can take a screen shot of the report screen and send it as a DICOM image to the view station. Although that image has a header, that header does not contain the measurement data and other report data. That data only appears on the view station display screen as an image or screen shot. The receiving computer is unable to recognize the measurement data and other report data which are embedded in the image. Thus, the receiving computer is unable to automatically interpret and process the measurement data. For example, several companies sell software applications which receive the measurement data, input it automatically into a database, where it can be retrieved for use in generating reports, re-calculating the data, etc.
There is a need for a method and an apparatus that would allow report data to be sent out the serial port of an imaging system to a view station in such a way that the report data can be automatically linked to the images (sent out via a different port) with which the report data is associated.

Method and apparatus for linking images and reports at remote view station

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC