Apparatus and method for rotating an object using a music box mechanism having a spring motor. Apparatus includes a mechanical motor having a spring coupled between a body and a shaft of the music box where the shaft and the body are mounted for rotation relative to each other. The spring is windable by a user to store mechanical potential energy and when released, unwindable to release the stored energy and cause relative rotation between the body and the shaft. A base adapted for stationary placement against a surface such as a table or desktop or a wall or other stationary surface is fixedly coupled to or integrally formed with the shaft of the music box motor. An object such as a spherical planetary object or globe or any other object is connected to the body and includes an aperture or hole through which the base extends to the shaft. This aperture permits the object to rotate about the shaft without interference so that the body and the object rotate about the shaft as the spring unwinds. Connection of the winding mechanism shaft to the fixed base causes the body of the music box and attached object such as the globe to rotate.

This invention pertains generally to structures and methods of mechanical music boxes which are powered by a mechanical spring motor mechanism, and more particularly to a music box in which the music box and an object fixedly attached to the music box, such as an Earth globe, are rotated about a predetermined axis by virtue of holding the spring unwinding mechanism stationary.
The field of mechanical music box art, as in many of the mechanical arts, is fairly well developed, having derived from the clockmakers"" art of earlier centuries. At the same time, however, little development has occurred to extend such arts to new technological areas or applications, or to combine such art with other elements in novel ways. Furthermore, the music box of such traditional devices is usually hidden and/or static, that is devoid of motion.
In one traditional type of music box, the music generating mechanism (such as a spring-motor driven toothed cylinder and a plurality of tuned metal reeds which vibrate when struck by the teeth) is hidden in a lower portion of a jewelry box. Lifting of the jewelry box lid releases a mechanical latch, allowing the spring motor to rotate the toothed cylinder and actuate the music playing. In such traditional music boxes, potential energy is stored in the spring by manually winding the spring with a key, as is known in the art. The music box itself remains stationary while the toothed cylinder within the box rotates. Normally, the key that is used to wind the spring motor unwinds by rotating in the opposite direction from the winding direction during music playback.
One use of the music box, and the rotating nature of the key or shaft during the unwinding, is to use the energy of the spring to supply motion to another object. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,429 accomplishes this by replacing the winding key with a longer rotating shaft and attaching an object (in this case an ornamental carousel horse) to be rotated with the shaft. A special start and stop mechanism is used in conjunction with the music box (both hidden in an drawer), having the music box play music and rotate the object when the drawer is open, and to stop playing and rotating when the drawer is closed. This however leaves the music box upside down, offering an unpleasant view. Therefore in this invention the music box is hidden and its orientation unimportant.
Other methods of using the stored potential energy in a music box for rotation of another object may require specialized music boxes that allow for attachable shafts and/or gears, increasing cost and breakability Other methods may also leave the winding key awkwardly placed, the music box being less ergonomic to use and more likely to break.
While the generic use of some types of wound spring motors and music box mechanisms has been known for some time, the fill potential of such mechanisms has not been filly appreciated, especially from an esthetic perspective. Increasingly, electronic and/or computer gadgets have supplanted elegant mechanical structures of earlier times. As a result, the contemporary home is awash with batteries, electronic beeps, tangles of power cords, and mantles and tabletops that begin to more resemble electronics workbenches than esthetic and contemplative focal points.
Therefore, there remains a need for contemporary decorative and functional objects that are animated yet electrical energy conservative. An Earth globe that rotates under its own mechanical power and optionally plays a musical tune is an example of one such decorative object.
The invention provides an apparatus and method for rotating an object using a spring motor such as the spring motor in a music box mechanism. The apparatus includes a mechanical motor having a spring coupled between a body and a shaft where the shaft and the body are mounted for relative rotation. The spring is windable to store mechanical potential energy and when released, unwinds to release the stored energy and cause relative rotation between the body and the shaft. A base adapted for stationary placement against a surface such as a table or desktop is fixedly coupled to, or integrally formed with, the shaft of the motor. An object such as a spherical planetary object or globe or any other object is connected to the body and includes an aperture or hole through which the base extends to the shaft. This aperture permits the object to rotate about the shaft without interference allowing the body and the object to rotate about the shaft as the spring unwinds.
In one particular embodiment, the object is an Earth globe formed of a transparent or semitransparent material, so that the music box having a transparent housing is visible as the globe turns and the music plays.
Method for operating the mechanism to rotate and object such as the Earth globe is provided, as is an article of manufacture.

Rotating earth globe having music box spring motor that plays music and rotates globe


An emergency discharge control system for use with a cargo tank motor vehicle and a primary storage tank for remotely terminating the flow of product from the cargo tank of the cargo tank motor vehicle and the storage tank in an emergency situation is provided. The system includes a cylinder having a piston rod connected to a cable assembly of the cargo tank motor vehicle and a cylinder having a piston rod connected to a cable assembly of the primary storage tank for actuating the respective cable assemblies and closing the vapor valves and the liquid valves of the cargo tank and the primary storage tank. The piston rod is extended by passing pressurized fluid into the cylinder. A valve is interposed between the cylinder and a source of the pressurized fluid for controlling the flow of the pressurized fluid to the cylinder. A receiver mounted on the cargo tank motor vehicle is electrically connected to the valve and sends an electric signal to the valve so as to cause the valve to open and permit the pressurized fluid to pass to the cylinder in response to receiving a shutdown signal from a hand-held transmitter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fluid flow control devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a remotely operated discharge control system for use with the discharge systems of a tank for storing liquefied compressed gases and a cargo tank motor vehicle used to transport liquefied compressed gases.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Cargo vehicles used to transport liquefied compressed gases, such as propane, butane, gasoline, and diesel fuel, are required by law to have an emergency shutdown system which will terminate product discharge from the cargo tank in the case of a mechanical failure of hosing, fittings, or couplings which results in a spill. This emergency shutdown system is often in the form of an emergency handle mounted on a portion of the vehicle and coupled to a liquid control valve and a vapor control valve via a cable system. The valves are caused to close upon an operator pulling the emergency handle.
The problem encountered with such an emergency shutoff system is that the operator must have access to the emergency handle. However, the discharged gas is often highly flammable. Therefore, the operator may not be able to gain access to the emergency handle without risking injury to himself if the discharged gas has been ignited. Consequently, a system has previously been proposed for actuating the emergency shutdown system from a position remote from the vehicle.
This system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,824, issued to Waldbeser et al. Waldbeser et al. discloses the use of a pulling solenoid connected to the cable system so that upon actuation of the solenoid, the cables are pulled and the valves are closed. The solenoid is connected to a vehicle mounted receiver which is capable of receiving signals from a hand-held transmitter. The receiver is additionally connected to the vehicle's ignition system so that the vehicle's engine is shut down to prevent ignition of the discharged gas by the vehicle's ignition system.
While the Waldbeser et al. system appears to be a satisfactory solution, problems are nevertheless still encountered in that the reliability of a pulling solenoid to actuate the cable system under all conditions, such as when the cable system is coated with mud or ice, is suspect.
In addition to the concerns associated with the unloading process, operators are faced with similar concerns while loading the cargo tank. That is, the tank receives liquefied compressed gas from a primary storage tank via a liquid line and a vapor line. A valve is interposed in each of these lines. Like the liquid discharge valve and the vapor valve discussed above, the valves interposed in the liquid line and the vapor line are coupled to an emergency shutdown system which generally includes a cable system actuated a distance from the valves. Also like the emergency shutoff system of the cargo vehicle, the operator may not be able to gain access to the emergency shutoff system of the storage tank, and if he can, he cannot be in two places at once. In other words, because the emergency handle of the vehicle is often located away from the emergency handle of the primary storage tank, the operator cannot pull the emergency handle for the vehicle and the primary storage tank simultaneously.
To this end, the need exists for an improved emergency discharge control system that allows an operator to terminate product discharge from the cargo tank and the storage tank from a safe, remote distance and which will effectively operate in harsh conditions. It is to such a system that the present invention is directed.

Emergency discharge control system for storage tank and cargo tank motor vehicle


A novel hybrid beverage container having a rigid body and flexible polymer film ends is disclosed herein. The hybrid container may be folded in a closed state for storage, and erected for a filling state. The top end of the container has a recloseable access for filling and sealing the container with a beverage. The container may also have a handle device. In one preferred embodiment, the rigid body is composed of a polyethylene coated fiberboard material. In another embodiment, the rigid body is composed of a mineral filled polyolefin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for beverages. Specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage container having a body composed of a rigid material and ends composed of a polymer film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Restaurants and especially fast food restaurants have a strong need for disposable containers for beverages. Disposable containers for beverages are numerous and have certain advantages and disadvantages. These beverage containers run the gamut from glass to polyester to fiberboard to aluminum. Most such containers are recyclable which mitigates the disposability aspect of such containers. However, storage of such containers on site, for example at a fast food restaurant, presents a problem due to the need for a large storage space depending on the container. Also, the desire of most fast food restaurants to use fountain dispensers instead of prepackaged beverage containers eliminates containers such as aluminum cans from meeting the needs of these fast food restaurants. Another desire of fast food restaurants is to allow the fast food restaurant employee perform several tasks related to a customer's order while a beverage is being prepared for the customer which eliminates containers incapable of maintaining an open filling state without the assistance of an employee.
Stackable fiberboard cups have been the most popular solution to a fast food restaurant's needs, however, storage of the cups requires sufficient space in the tight confines of the "kitchen" of a fast food restaurant. Other solutions such as flexible pouches do not meet the open filling state requirement thereby occupying the time of a fast food employee at the beverage dispenser.
There still remains a need for a beverage container which occupies a minimal space during storage, is capable of maintaining an open filling state, and is large enough to contain a family size volume of beverage for transport from a fast food restaurant to a customer's work or home.

Hybrid container having a rigid body and polymer film ends


A method for updating a caller database in a communication system by detecting repeat callers during the bridging of calls placed to a called party subscriber and upon such detection, enabling the subscriber to enter corresponding alphanumeric identifiers in the frequent caller database. This method is useful in a communication system that completes a telephone call placed by a caller to a personal telephone number of a called party by bridging that call to a return call originated by the called party in response to a paging signal alerting the subscriber of the telephone call.

A problem with setting up telecommunication connections today is the difficulty of contacting called individuals who are highly mobile. In general, persons wishing to contact a particular party initiate a call to a specific telephone associated with that party such as the party's home telephone. However, a disadvantage of this method of communication is that parties are not always in close proximity to their home telephone. Several technologies have developed in an effort to solve the problem of establishing communication with a mobile party. These include call forwarding, paging and cellular systems. However, each of these systems has their own drawbacks which inhibit seamless communication.
A communication system that enable real time call connection to a mobile subscriber establish communications using a combination of paging and call bridging. In these systems, a caller places a telephone call to a called party subscriber's personal telephone number which is routed to a bridging and signaling unit having an associated database. Information stored in the database is then used to initiate transmission of a paging signal to the pager of the subscriber. The bridging and signaling unit is arranged to hold the connection to the calling party for a predetermined period after the paging signal is transmitted. The called party subscriber, upon being alerted by his pager, can initiate a call from a nearby telephone to the bridging and signaling unit which bridges the calling and called party calls together.
In such systems, it is possible to transmit in the paging signal a subscriber defined alphanumeric identifier that represents known calling parties such as repeat or frequent callers. For instance, an alphanumeric identifier "DAD" can be used to identify when a subscriber's father is calling. Such an identifier would correspondingly be displayed on the called party's pager and alert the subscriber as to the identity of the calling party. These subscriber defined identifiers are often maintained in the database associated with the bridging and signaling unit. The alphanumeric identifiers in the database are typically cross-referenced with the automatic number identification (ANI's) of the calling parties' telephone or personal identifier numbers (PIN's) given to the calling party's by the subscriber.
Typically, a subscriber enters the alphanumeric identifiers in the database in a separate off-line procedure other than receiving a call. This procedure must be repeated periodically as new callers are regarded by the subscriber as frequent or repeat callers. This procedure can be inconvenient to some subscribers. Moreover, a subscriber must remember or record the required ANI's or PIN's that are to be used in entering the corresponding identifiers. As a result, some subscribers may not take full advantage of the ability to define and receive identifiers for frequent or repeat callers.
Further, the use of PIN's are required in accordance with conventional systems in order for a caller to be identified by the system independent of the telephone he used to place the call. However, in addition to the requirement that subscribers have to remember the assigned PIN's for entry during the off-line process, the corresponding caller would have to remember or carry a record of the assigned PIN for use each time he calls the subscriber.
Thus, a need exists for a more convenient and efficient process for entering alphanumeric identifiers in a communication system for frequent or repeat callers.

Method for updating a caller database in a communication system


A method is provided for operating a gas turbine plant, in which compressed air is extracted from a compressor and for cooling is directed in an internal cooling passage through thermally loaded components to the combustion chamber and/or to the turbine, then re-cooled, and added to the compressor main flow in the compressor. At least a portion of the recirculated air is supersaturated, or partially saturated, with drops of water during or before recirculation into the compressor and a cooling mist is created. A gas turbine plant is provided with a closed cooling circuit which, for implementing the method, includes an injection arrangement for introducing water into the recirculated cooling air.

Gas turbines (gas turbine plants), for cooling of the hot parts, especially the combustion chamber and the turbine through which flows the hot gas, use either cooling fluids, which are extracted from the compressor at a suitable pressure, are sometimes also additionally aftercooled, and, after cooling of the hot parts has been carried out, are added to the turbine flow, or closed cooling circuits which are supplied from an external cooling fluid source, in most cases with steam. In the latter cases, which are frequently to be found in combined cycle power plants, the cooling heat can often be additionally utilized in the downstream process. A further possibility, which is described in EP 0899425, for example, particularly in the case of blade cooling, combines a closed steam cooling system in the main part of the blade with an open cooling system in the region of the blade leading edge.
A gas turbine with a closed cooling system for the stator blades and rotor blades and also for the hot gas casing of the turbine has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,197, in which air at a specified pressure is extracted from the compressor at an intermediate pressure stage or at the exit, guided as cooling air through the components which are to be cooled, and then fed again at a suitable lower pressure stage into the compressor. The recirculated cooling air in this case can also be additionally cooled in a cooler before being fed into the compressor.
Also, a gas turbine with a partially closed cooling system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,834, in which a portion of the cooling air is used for the film cooling of the component surfaces which are exposed to the hot gas, and an additional portion of the cooling air is recirculated into the compressor.
For increasing power, water injection for intercooling between a low-pressure compressor and a high-pressure compressor is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,279.
The addition of cooling air leads to mixing losses in the compressor and the water injection leads to mixing losses and increased overall length.

Method for cooling a gas turbine plant and gas turbine plant for implementing the method


An apparatus for analyzing anomalies such as cracks, corrosion and the like in a pipeline wall is provided. The apparatus is formed of one or more cylindrical body sections. A series of magnetizing units are mounted around the circumference of the body. Each magnetizing unit is formed by a backing bar, brushes which are capable of inducing a magnetic field, sensors which are capable of measuring magnetic flux leakage caused by anomalies in the wall and bearing wheels which reduce wear on the brushes and sensors. The backing bar is flexibly mounted on the body so that it can follow the contour of the pipeline wall as the apparatus moves through the pipeline. The backing bar has steel-containing brushes mounted on either end atop magnets of opposite polarities such that a magnetic field may be transmitted to the pipeline wall. The brushes are ideally formed by steel cables encased in polyurethane and mounted on a steel shell. The sensors are mounted in the central part of the backing bar, between the brushes. The sensors preferably have a parallelogram cross-sectional shape and are molded of polyurethane or other suitable material so that they are flexible enough to follow the contour of the pipeline wall as the apparatus travels through the pipeline and, hence, maintain the orientation of the sensing element in the sensor body in relation to the pipeline wall. A wear plate and wear pads may be mounted on top of the sensor body for reducing wear on the sensor.

In maintaining the structural integrity of a pipeline, it is important to be able to detect and repair anomalies in the pipeline wall. For present purposes, anomalies include defects such as cracks, pitting, corrosion and dents. In particular, it is important to be able to determine the location of the anomaly, the type of the anomaly and the geography of the anomaly (i.e. its shape and size).
When it is desired to test the structural integrity of a pipeline, a pig may be placed in the pipeline where it is then propelled through the pipeline by the product in the line, such as oil or gas. The pig is typically fitted with urethane "cups" near its front end to seal the annulus between the pig and the pipeline wall, thus preventing pipeline fluid from flowing through the annulus. Pressure behind the pig builds up to the point that the pig begins to move. The differential pressure created across the front and rear of the cups keeps the pig moving through the line.
As the pig moves through the pipeline, it can gather data concerning anomalies in the pipeline wall. If this information can be measured by the pig, stored and later retrieved, it can then be analyzed so as to permit remedial action to be taken.
It is known to use a pig in combination with magnetic flux leakage (MFL) technology to detect defects in pipeline walls. The principle of MFL is based on magnetizing the pipe wall and using sensors to measure the leakage field generated by anomalies in the pipe wall material. For example, if no anomalies are present, the magnetic field will be continuous and there will be no leakage to be detected. If there is an anomaly such as a crack, the magnetic field in the pipeline wall will be interrupted and the stray fields which are generated will provide useful information concerning the anomaly.
Although there are pigs, including pigs manufactured by the assignee of the present application, which do an adequate job of detecting and measuring anomalies in pipeline walls, such pigs have limitations which can impact upon the quality of the measurements obtained. The main drawback with the prior art pigs is that they are not capable of generating sufficient magnetic power for transmission through relatively thick pipeline walls. In any situation, the requisite magnetic field is proportional to the thickness of the pipe wall; that is, the thicker the wall is, the stronger the field has to be to penetrate the wall. The prior art pigs are, for the most part, limited to pipeline walls of approximately 12 mm (about 1/2 inch) thickness given that these pigs are not designed to generate the requisite magnetic field for thicker pipeline walls.
Another limitation of the prior art pigs is the spacing (and therefore the number) of sensing elements which are mounted around the circumference of the pig. For example, if the distance between the sensing elements is 15 mm, as is the case with the previous generation of pigs manufactured by the assignee of the present application, then a defect could be up to 12 mm in diameter and not always be detected correctly.
The positioning of the sensors in relation to the pipeline wall also limits the depth of defect that can be sensed. The prior art methods of mounting the sensing element, the element which actually measures the magnetic field, place limitations on how close the sensing element can be placed in relation to the pipeline wall. This results in a less than optimum signal-to-noise ratio and, hence, a less than optimum MFL reading. For example, a defect with less than 10% wall thickness material loss typically cannot be picked up by these sensors.
Yet another limitation of the prior art is the length of pipeline that the pigs can inspect. This limitation is dictated not only by the amount of data that the recording units can collect and the amount of battery power available to keep the recorders going, but also by the fact that the mechanical components wear while riding for a prolonged period of time against the pipe wall. The components which transmit the magnetic field to the pipeline wall and the sensors themselves are in constant contact with the pipeline wall and therefore tend to wear over time.
There has therefore developed a need for a pig which is capable of detecting and diagnosing anomalies in relatively thick pipeline walls and which is capable of achieving a higher than previously attained level of accuracy in the measurement of magnetic flux leakage in any size of pipeline wall. There has also developed a need for a pig on which the components which generate the magnetic field and the components which measure the MFL are less prone to wear than the pigs of the prior art so that the pigs may be more suitable for long run applications or a series of short runs without the need for refurbishments between runs.

Magnetic flux pipe inspection apparatus for analyzing anomalies in a pipeline wall


A motorcycle includes a vehicle body frame, a rear swing arm which is mounted on a vehicle body frame in a rockable manner by way of a pivot shaft, and a rear wheel which is pivotally supported on a rear portion of the rear swing arm and is rotated by a driving force of a drive shaft. The pivot shaft which constitutes a support portion and an axis of the rear wheel axle are arranged at the substantially same height. The drive shaft is arranged at a position upwardly spaced-apart from the drive shaft, that is, above the pivot shaft. The drive shaft includes a shaft-length variable mechanism which can change a length of the shaft. The resulting configuration provides a motorcycle having reduce weight while maintaining support rigidity of the rear swing arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle of a type which drives a rear wheel using a drive shaft.
2. Description of Background Art
There has been known a motorcycle which mounts a rear swing arm on a vehicle body frame in a rockable manner by way of a support portion, pivotally supports a rear wheel on a rear portion of the rear swing arm, and includes a drive shaft which drives the rear wheel (for example, see JP-A-2002-87364 (FIG. 4)
FIG. 4 of JP-A-2002-87364 is a back view of a pivotally supporting portion of a rear arm, wherein a rear arm bracket 7 is mounted on a rear portion of a main frame 6, and a rear arm 14 (hereinafter, referred to as a rear swing arm 14) is mounted on the rear arm bracket 7 by way of a pivot shaft 10.
The rear swing arm 14 has a head portion 14c at a front end thereof and the head portion 14c is squeezed to have a narrow width. In the same manner, the pivot shaft 10 is also formed with a small length. Such a constitution is necessary for arranging a universal joint portion 42 (hereinafter, referred to as the universal joint 42) on a side of the pivot shaft 10.
With respect to a twisting force which acts on the rear swing arm 14, the larger the width of the head portion 14c or the larger the length of the pivot shaft 10, it is possible to increase the supporting rigidity.
In this respect, the head portion 14c has the small width and the pivot shaft 10 is short in JP-A-2002-87364 and hence, it is necessary for the rear swing arm 14 to increase the diameter of the head portion 14c or the diameter of the pivot shaft 10 to ensure the supporting rigidity. As a result, the weight of the swing arm 14 is increased.


The present invention relates to a holder for drum sticks, drum brushes, mallets and other such percussion implements for playing percussion instruments. The drum stick holder (1), comprising a plurality of substantially parallel tubular sleeves (2), each sleeve being joined to at least one adjacent sleeve and having an entrance (7, 9) with dimensions suitable for receiving just one drum stick, wherein each sleeve (2) is formed from an elastomeric material so that each sleeve may grip a drum stick inserted into the sleeve (2).

a. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a holder for drum sticks, drum brushes, mallets and other such percussion implements for playing percussion instruments for example drums, xylophones, cymbals, bells, etc., all of which will for convenience only be referred to herein simply as "drums" or a "drum kit".
b. Related Art
When a drummer is playing a drum or a drum kit, it sometimes happens that the drummer drops a drum stick, or wishes to switch to a different drum stick. The drummer may also wish to use a drum brush or mallet, and all such percussion implements used to play drums, bells, cymbals and other percussion instruments are for convenience simply referred to throughout this document as "drum sticks".
A problem therefore arises in how a drummer may quickly and easily get a hold of a replacement drum stick or a different drum stick.
It is known to provide a drum stick holder in the form of a cup which may, for example, be attached to the leg of a drum stand. The cup is normally moulded in a rigid plastic material, and may hold 10 or more drum sticks. A problem with this arrangement is that it may be difficult to select the correct drum stick quickly if there is more than one type of drum stick in the cup, or if the drum sticks tend to clump together.
A solution to this problem is to provide a number of clips formed in a resilient plastic material which may, for example, be affixed directly to the side of a drum. Each clip has a pair of flexible arcuate arms that project away from the body of the drum and which extend at least 180° around the circumference of a circle. A drum stick may then be snapped into the opening. Although this arrangement maintains the relative orientations and arrangement of a number of drum sticks, it may still be difficult to get hold of a drum stick as the drum stick will normally be extending parallel with a cylindrical body of the drum on which the clips are affixed.
Furthermore, in all these prior art arrangements removing a drum stick from its holder or reintroducing a drum stick to its holder often creates an audible noise. This is particularly inconvenient in a recording studio.


A tubular gas discharge lamp and a method of manufacturing are disclosed. The method includes providing a tubular ingot having an outer surface with a first outer diameter. The method further includes drawing the tubular ingot to form a tube. The tube has a wall with an outer surface. The outer surface has a second outer diameter less than the first outer diameter. The wall is substantially transmissive to ultraviolet light. The method further includes applying at least one coating on the outer surface of the tube. The at least one coating includes a phosphor material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gas discharge lamps, and more specifically to miniature or small-diameter gas discharge lamps and methods of manufacture.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of gas discharge lamp is the traditional fluorescent tube lamp. These lamps are made by coating an inner surface of a glass tube with phosphor material, sealing a gas mixture (e.g., mercury vapor, neon, and argon) within the glass tube, and installing electrodes at the ends of the glass tube. The lamp is operated by applying sufficient electrical power to the electrodes (either AC or DC) to ionize the internal gas mixture of the lamp. Electrons traveling between the electrodes strike mercury atoms which react by generating ultraviolet light. This ultraviolet light strikes the phosphor material within the glass tube, and the phosphor material generates visible light in response. Other types of gas discharge lamps (e.g., neon lamps or ultraviolet sterilizing lamps) do not have an inner coating of phosphor material, and the gas sealed within the tube is selected to provide the desired wavelengths of light. Such lamps are typically formed in a batch process in which lamp tubes are bent, welded, or cut to shape and length, then coated with phosphor, fitted with electrodes, and then vacuum processed.
Fluorescent lamps with phosphor material inside the tube suffer from shortened life spans and reduced light generation due to various effects which degrade the phosphor material. For example, the phosphor material is damaged by heat from the arc stream, by exposure to mercury vapor which bonds to the phosphor material, and by sputtered materials from the electrodes depositing onto the phosphor material. In addition, in traditional lamp manufacturing, residual materials are removed from the phosphor suspension deposited onto the inner surface of the tube so that these residual materials do not outgas and contaminate the atmosphere inside the finished lamp. This removal process, termed "lehring," involves heating the coated tube and flushing it with air to burn out the residual suspension materials, and this heating can cause some degradation of the phosphor material. The glass tube is then filled with the desired gaseous atmosphere. This high-temperature lehring process contributes to the degradation of the phosphor material.
Furthermore, conventional gas discharge lamps utilize internal metallic electrodes with external electrical connections which are bonded to the glass tube by hermetic glass-to-metal seals at the tube ends. These glass-to-metal seals avoid leakage or contamination (e.g., by water vapor) of the gaseous atmosphere within the glass tube. They are formed by a process which includes vacuum baking the assembly to a final seal. This vacuum baking process to form the seals also contributes to the degradation of the phosphor material. Failure of these glass-to-metal seals also limits the lifetime of the gas discharge lamp.
It is difficult to miniaturize fluorescent lamps. As the diameters of fluorescent lamps are reduced, it becomes more and more difficult to employ conventional methods of manufacture. The small diameter of the tube creates difficulties in applying the phosphor material to the inner surface of the tube and in lehring and in vacuum baking the residual materials away, thereby limiting the length of the tube of the miniature fluorescent lamp. Existing procedures for applying the internal phosphor coating by flushing solvent-based or water-based phosphor suspensions through reduced-diameter tubes can produce inhomgeneities in the internal phosphor coating. In addition, conventional methods for forming electrodes and glass-to-metal seals present difficulties as the diameter of the gas discharge lamp is reduced.

Miniature tubular gas discharge lamp and method of manufacture


A new and distinct Bougainvillea spectabilis cultivar named ‘RIJNBO710’ is disclosed, characterized by strong, long-lasting purple flowers and a compact plant shape. The new variety is a Bougainvillea spectabilis, and naturally blooms continuously from Spring through Fall.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program under the direction of the inventor, Leonardus van Rijn, a citizen of Holland. The objective of the breeding program was to produce plants of Bougainvillea spectabilis with compact plant habits. The new variety is a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of the variety Bougainvillea spectabilis 'Vera Deep Purple,' U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,429. The new variety was discovered May 2006 by the inventor in a commercial greenhouse, in De Lier, the Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar 'RIJNBO710' by vegetative cuttings was performed in De Lier, the Netherlands, in November 2006 and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type through several successive generations.


A non-aqueous negative photoresist stripping composition which consists essentially of about 40 to 80% by weight of an alkylnaphthalene solvent, about 5 to 20% by weight of an alkyl phenol which provides a corrosion inhibitory effect, about 5 to 20% by weight of a linear monoalkylbenzene sulfonic acid which is a surfactant and about 1 to 10% by weight of a dialkylbenzene sulfonic acid. There is further provided a process for removing coatings from a photoresist with the compositions of the invention.

During manufacture of semiconductors and semiconductor microcircuits, it is frequently necessary to coat the materials from which the semiconductors and microcircuits are manufactured with a polymeric organic substance, generally referred to as a photoresist, e.g., a substance which forms an etch resist upon exposure to light. These photoresists are used to protect selected areas of the surface of the substrate, e.g. silicon, SiO.sub.2 or while such etchant selectively attacks the unprotected area of the substrate. Following completion of the etching operation and washing away of the residual etchant, it is necessary that the resist be removed from the protective surface to permit essential finishing operations.
It is necessary in a photolithographic process that the photoresist material, following pattern delineation, be evenly and completely removed from all unexposed areas, in the case of positive resists, or exposed areas in the case of negative resists, so as to permit further lithographic operations. Even the partial remains of a resist in an area to be further patterned is undesirable. Also, undesired resist residues between patterned lines can have deleterious effects on subsequent processes, such as metallization, or cause undesirable surface states and charges.
A common method used in removing the photoresist from the substrate is by contacting the substract with an organic stripper. Heretofore these organic strippers have been composed of various components whose purpose it was to lift and remove the polymeric photoresist from the substrate. However, these stripping solutions have heretofore usually contained chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds which resulted in a distinct disadvantage due to the toxicity as well as pollution problems arising from their disposal.
Chlorinated hydrocarbons-free strippers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,203 (issued Jan. 24, 1978 to Neisus et al). These strippers, having only an alkylbenzenesulfonic acid component of 12-20 carbons and a chlorine-free, aromatic hydrocarbon component with a boiling point about 150.degree. C., suffer from the disadvantage that they cannot be easily rinsed off the inorganic substrate after stripping with temperatures that are generally required for conventional stripping compositions. Moreover, such compositions are corrosive to many conventional photoresists.
It is highly desirable that stripping compositions be provided that are effective and efficient stripping compositions for removal of coatings from substrates that heretofore have resisted ready removal with conventionally available strippers.
It is also desirable that effective stripping compositions be provided that are devoid of undesirable chlorinated components and which do not require the use of hot caustic components. Highly desirable are stripping compositions and use thereof that are not considered undesirable by regulatory agencies overseeing their production and use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,294 to John E. Vander Mey discloses a stripping solution free from chlorinated hydrocarbons comprising a surfactant, an alkylarylsulfonic acid and an aromatic hydrocarbon having a boiling point above 150.degree. C. The aromatic hydrocarbons are optional and are preferably mixtures of aromatic solvents having 9-13 alkyl carbons and do not comprise more than 40 weight percent. The composition does however cause pitting in many photoresist substrates.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,426,311; 4,395,348; 4,304,681; 4,221,674; 4,215,005 and 4,165,295 each disclose the use of an organic sulfonic acid in a photoresist stripping composition. However, the organic sulfonic acid is utilized in combination with solvents having the aforementioned disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,108 to Ward et al, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses non-aqueous biodegradable negative photoresist stripping compositions which contain an aromatic solvent and an organic sulfonic acid. The present invention provides a specific improvement over the formulations disclosed therein. The compositions in this patent cannot be used on some conventional photoresist substrates for prolonged periods because of their corrosive effects.
It is an object of the invention-to provide a non-aqueous negative photoresist stripping composition which can be used at a wide range of operating conditions and at lower temperatures without corrosion of the photoresist substrate.
It is another object of this invention to provide a photoresist stripping solution which is essentially free of naphthalene and chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide such a solution which is substantially clean water rinseable such that the hydrocarbon solvent does not oil out and the polymer does not reprecipitate during rinsing.


The application discloses an embedded capacitive touch display panel and an embedded capacitive touch display device, including: a first transparent substrate, and a grid-shaped metal conductive layer, formed on the first transparent substrate, including a number of touch electrodes separate from each other with gaps being formed between them, wherein the embedded capacitive touch display panel further includes a color filter layer including at least red color resists, green color resists, and blue color resists, wherein the color resists in the same colors are arranged in respective color resist bars, and the color resist bars include green color resist bars; and the gaps include first gap sections which are parallel to the color resist bars, and which do not overlap with the green color resist bars. Since the green color resists contribute to display brightness far more than the color resists of the other colors, the first gap sections can be arranged so that they do not overlap with the green color resist bars to thereby alleviate the problem of a visible pattern of the touch electrodes so as to improve the display performance of the embedded capacitive touch display panel without degrading a touch effect.

An embedded touch screen does not need a traditional externally-mounted touch screen, is formed by designing an integrated touch electrode structure at a color filter (CF) side, and can realize the need of lightening and thinning of a display panel. Generally, a touch electrode structure is designed to be provided with longitudinal driving electrodes and transversal sensing electrodes, wherein the sensing electrodes at both sides of each driving electrode are connected by a crossing bridge. Certainly, the positions and the connection modes of the driving electrodes and the sensing electrodes are not limited, the sensing electrodes can be longitudinal and the driving electrodes can be transversal in an electrode structure design, and the driving electrodes at both sides of each sensing electrode are connected by a metal crossing bridge. In addition, patterns of touch electrodes can be various, wherein rhombus is the most basic pattern design in the prior art, but different electrode pattern designs can be selected for realizing different functions.
The specific structure of a liquid crystal display screen of an embedded touch screen in the prior art is as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display screen mainly includes an upper substrate 12 (namely, color filter (CF) side), a lower substrate 11 (TFT side), and a liquid crystal layer 10 located between the upper substrate 12 and the lower substrate 11, wherein the CF side is integrated with a black matrix 13 (BM), a touch electrode layer 14, a color filter layer 15 (which mainly includes a red color resist (R), a green color resist (G) and a blue color resist (B)), a metal crossing bridge layer 16 (which can also be a transparent oxide crossing bridge) and a over coat layer 17 (OC), respectively. The lower substrate 11 side is mainly integrated with a TFT array structure layer 19 and a transparent pixel electrode (ITO) layer 18 on the TFT array.
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a dotted line box (part A) in FIG. 2, the metal touch electrode layer 14 includes sensing electrodes 141 and driving electrodes 142 which are mutually insulated and located on the same layer, in order to insulate the sensing electrodes 141 from the driving electrodes 142, the sensing electrodes and the driving electrodes are separated to form gaps 1, so as to achieve the insulating purpose. In addition, the metal touch electrode layer 14 is grid-shaped and shielded by the black matrix 13. Generally, the formed gaps are located on the color filter layer, and randomly located on the red color resist (R), the green color resist (G) or the blue color resist (B). As shown in FIG. 1, when a liquid crystal display works, because a light L emitted by a backlight module is irradiated on the metal touch electrode layer 14, the light L is partly reflected on the channels of TFTs on the TFT array structure layer of the lower substrate 11 by the metal touch electrode layer 14 to cause an electricity leakage phenomenon of the TFTs. However, at the gaps 1, due to the absence of the metal touch electrode layer 14, when the light L of a backlight source is irradiated, a light-reflecting phenomenon is very weak, and the reason for this is that there is no any direct reflecting light in a vertical direction, the reflecting phenomenon of the light at an adjacent position in a slanting direction is only in a very small angle range, and the slanting reflected light has no obvious influence on the TFTs which are just opposite to the gaps 1, so that a corresponding TFT off-state current is low. All the TFTs corresponding to the color resists at the gaps 1 are not vertically irradiated by the reflected light, the display effect of the TFTs at the gaps are different from the display effect at non-gap parts, and when the intensity of the backlight source is increased or the TFT off-state current is increased, the patterns of the gaps between the sensing electrodes and the driving electrodes are highlighted on the liquid crystal display screen.

Embedded capacitive touch display panel and embedded capacitive touch display device

SHANGHAI TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


A regeneration process is disclosed for an etching solution composed of a phosphoric acid solution and used in etching silicon nitride films in an etch bath. As a result of the etching, the etching solution contains a silicon compound. According to the regeneration process, the etching solution with a silicon compound contained therein is taken out of the etch bath. Water is then added to the taken-out etching solution to lower a concentration of phosphoric acid in the etching solution to 80 to 50 wt. %. By the lowing of the concentration of phosphoric acid, the silicon compound is caused to precipitate. The thus-precipitated silicon compound is removed from the etching solution. An etching process making use of the regeneration process and an etching system suitable for use in practicing the regeneration process and etching process are also disclosed.

In etching treatment at a mass-fabrication line for various substrates, etching is continuously conducted while filtering and recirculating an etching solution to remove foreign matter such as dust in the etching solution such that the etching solution in an etch bath is maintained clean. This applies equally to the etching of silicon nitride films with an etching solution composed of a heated phosphoric acid solution, and etching is continuously conducted by filtering and recirculating the etching solution such that a silicon compound precipitated in the etching solution is filtered off along with other foreign matter to make the etching solution clean (see, for example, JP 3-20895 B).
By the above-described process, however, the silicon compound in the phosphoric acid solution cannot be captured practically even when filtered (for example, through a filter the pore size of which is 0.1 μm) subsequent to cooling the phosphoric acid solution to room temperature, to say nothing of filtering at a high temperature. In an etching operation of silicon nitride films, an etching solution, therefore, has to be replaced periodically by a fresh supply because precipitation or deposition of the silicon compound takes place, for example, in an etch bath and a circulation route of the etching solution and depending on the concentration of the silicon compound in the etching solution, the etch selectivity of silicon-nitride-containing films, such as silicon nitride film/silicon oxide film, varies. With these circumstances in view, the present assignee have already proposed, as processes for regenerating an etching solution which contains a silicon compound, a process featuring treatment of an etching solution with hydrogen fluoride (HF) (JP 3,072,876, pages 2-3, FIG. 1) and a regeneration treatment system for an etching solution, which is suitable for use in applying the process to industrial processes (JP 11-293479 A, pages 2-5, FIG. 1).
According to the above-described regeneration process and system for an etching solution, a silicon compound in the etching solution is reacted with added HF, and a silicon fluoride as a reaction product is removed together with water vapor. Because HF employed is also a substance that affects the etch selectivity of the silicon nitride films like the silicon compound, it is essential to measure with high accuracy the concentration of HF remaining in the etching solution and to confirm and control the finish point of regeneration treatment of the etching solution (for example, the HF concentration that does not affect the etching). This end-point control is performed, for example, by sampling a portion of the etching solution. However, the end-point control is cumbersome in proceeding with continuous etching, and is a cause of cost increase.

Regeneration process of etching solution, etching process, and etching system


A storage control system has a host computer having one or more initiators; a storage controller having one or more targets and storage areas, and also having a security property for defining access relationships between the targets and the storage areas; and a management module for storing access correspondence relationships between the initiators and the targets. When the security property is set in the storage controller, the storage controller sets the access correspondence relationships in the management module based on the security property.

The present invention relates to a storage control system, where storage controllers and host computers are connected via a communication network, for controlling access between targets in the storage controllers and initiators in the host computers. The present invention also relates to a storage controller used in this storage control system.
Storage area networks (SANs), where storage controllers and host computers, which are front-end apparatuses relative to the storage controllers, are connected to each other via a Fibre Channel, are well known. Lately, an IP-SAN, which constructs a SAN using an IP network instead of Fibre Channel, has been proposed in order to achieve SAN objectives such as long distance connection. An IP-SAN enables communication using the iSCSI (Internet SCSI) as a communication protocol.
In IP-SANs, a storage controller connected to a communication network is sometimes accessed from an indefinite number of nodes that are connected to the same network as well as different networks. Therefore, enhancing security by controlling access between initiators, units issuing I/O commands; and targets, units receiving the I/O commands on the network is an object that should be achieved.
One example that achieves the above object is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2002-63063. This publication discloses a storage area network management system. In the management system, a storage area network system, where plural host computers and storage apparatuses are connected via a switch, has an integrated management mechanism for performing integrated control of the storage area network. The integrated management mechanism, having information on access paths between the host computers and the storage apparatuses, notifies storage area network management mechanisms in the host computers of management information for the storage apparatuses based on the access path information. It also notifies an area setting mechanism in the switch of area information and notifies storage management mechanisms in the storage apparatuses of access control information for the host computers.
Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2001-265655 discloses a storage sub system for realizing a LUN security function, which is to prevent unauthorized accesses by limiting accessible logical units (LUN) for each host computer. The storage sub system has: one or more storage apparatuses in which one storage area corresponds to one or more logical units; a storage controller for controlling data reading and writing from and to the storage apparatuses; a management table for managing the logical units; and a memory for storing the management table. The management table includes: information for identifying the host computers; identification numbers for specifying logical units that the host computers are allowed to access; and virtual identification numbers that correspond to the logical unit identification numbers and correspondence relationships therebetween. The storage sub system determines whether to permit or deny host computer access by referring to the management table, especially the information for identifying the host computers.


Various implementations described herein are directed to a device for dynamic capacitance balancing. The device may include a sense amplifier configured to receive complimentary data signals from complimentary bitlines and provide first and second sensed data signals based on received complimentary data signals. The second sensed data signal may be a compliment of the first sensed data signal. The device may include a balance coupler configured to receive the second sensed data signal from the sense amplifier and provide a modified second sensed data signal having capacitance similar to the first sensed data signal. The device may include a latch configured to receive the first sensed data signal from the sense amplifier, receive the modified second sensed data signal from the balance coupler, and provide a latched data signal based on the first and modified second sensed data signals.

This section is intended to provide information relevant to understanding various technologies described herein. As the section's title implies, this is a discussion of related art that should in no way imply that it is prior art. Generally, related art may or may not be considered prior art. It should therefore be understood that any statement in this section should be read in this light, and not as any admission of prior art.
Integrated circuits typically include circuitry to perform data access functions to assist with read operations. For instance, a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) read may require a dual-rail, differential voltage read by a sense amplifier followed by a singled-ended latch. While it is desirable to reduce a physical mismatch of a sense amplifier, it is also desirable to optimize output of the sense amplifier or other effect that is systematic to the design. For instance, FIG. 1 shows an example of conventional sense amplifier circuitry 100 having a sense amplifier 110 and a latch 120 that are arranged to receive a dual-rail, differential voltage (B and B) and output a singled-ended voltage (out). In common practice, as shown in FIG. 1, a first sense amplifier output (sd) is typically coupled to an input of the single-ended latch 120. In some cases, this arrangement may optimize memory area; however, this arrangement may create a rather substantial systematic offset. Further, in common practice, as shown in FIG. 1, a second sense amplifier output (nsd) is typically left without any coupling or connection, which will create unbalanced capacitance output from the sense amplifier 110 and will not provide a similar coupling effect for nsd output when compared to sd output. As such, there exists a need for more effective sense amplifier circuitry that improves power, performance and area (PPA) of an integrated circuit.


An engine enclosure for containing a gas turbine engine is provided. An exemplary engine enclosure includes features that improve noise and thermal attenuation, reduce the weight of the enclosure, and provide for more accessible access points to the interior volume of the engine enclosure.

Some gas turbine engines are contained within an enclosure to protect the engine from the environment and to shield a surrounding structure, such as a ship, from the gas turbine engine. Engine enclosures for ships are commonly located in a lower portion of a hull of the ship and typically include an inlet area, an exhaust area, and an engine area that extends between the inlet area and the exhaust area. During operation of the engine, the amount of noise and heat emanating from the engine into the machinery space or engine room may be significant.
Conventional engine enclosures are typically constructed of four separate walls and a roof each formed of carbon steel. The carbon steel walls and roof make the enclosure relatively heavy. The weight of such enclosures presents challenges for ship designers, as buoyancy and stability of ships are affected by the weight of the enclosure. Further, the carbon steel walls are prone to rusting in salt laden environments. As a result, costs to repair excessive corrosion and rust-through of the walls and roof of such carbon steel enclosures may be significant over their respective lifecycles. In addition, as the walls and roof of conventional enclosures are usually separate pieces connected together to form a rectangular cuboid shape, the seams or joints between the walls and roof allow heat and noise to emanate outwardly from the enclosure, which may make the working environment for shipboard personnel severe. Conventional enclosures also typically include a number of carbon steel access points, including access hatches, panels, and doors. The access points can be used e.g., for access to the gas turbine engine contained within the enclosure. In addition to the challenges noted above with respect to the carbon steel walls and roof, such access points are sometimes difficult for operators to open and move due to their weight, and/or corrosion of the carbon steel.
Accordingly, engine enclosures that address one or more of the challenges noted above would be useful.


An impingement injector includes an injector core having a plurality of conduits. The conduits include a first conduit and second conduits disposed circumferentially around the first conduit. The second conduits are at an impinging angle with respect to the first conduit. Replaceable, tunable jets are disposed in corresponding ones of the second conduits.

This disclosure relates to improvements in injectors for carbonaceous gasifier systems.
Carbonaceous gasifier systems are known and used to convert coal, petcoke or the like to synthesis gas (syngas), e.g., a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A typical gasifier system includes a reactor vessel and an injector through which reactants, such as carbonaceous fuel and oxidant, are injected into the reactor vessel for combustion. The reactants are injected through injector orifices in the injector.

Injector having interchangeable injector orifices


A system, apparatus and method for continuous synchronization of multiple ADC circuits is described. The ADC circuits can be arranged in a master-slave configuration within the system so that the converter clock is subdivided into slower speeds for the data output clock or for the control of de-multiplexing the outputs onto a wider bus, while maintaining ADC-to-ADC synchronization resilient to perturbations from noise and other upset sources. The configuration of the ADCs in the master-slave configuration can be varied according to overall system requirements in any one of a sequential configuration, a parallel configuration or a tree type of configuration, as well as others. Digital and/or analog timing adjustments can be made to each of the ADC circuits. The master clocking signals can be generated by a master clock generator circuit, which is either internally implemented in an ADC circuit, or externally implemented as a separate master clock generator circuit.

ADC circuits are useful in many applications where it may be desirable to quantize an analog input signal into a digital output signal. A variety of ADC architectures have been employed in conventional architectures including flash converters, folding converters, sub-ranging converters, multi-step converters, pipeline converters and successive approximation converters. In some system, multiple ADC circuits are used so that multiple analog signals can be captured at the same time.
One example application of multiple ADC circuits is a multi-channel oscilloscope, where one ADC circuit is used for each individual channel of the oscilloscope. For this example application, data from each channel of the oscilloscope is represented as a separate waveform on the display. Therefore, the timing relationship between each ADC in the multi-channel oscilloscope needs to be known so that the waveforms can be aligned with one another on the display.
In another example application of multiple ADC circuits, a phase-array antenna system includes a multiplicity of antenna elements arranged in an array. Each of the antenna elements includes a receiver circuit. Data from each element of the antenna array can be utilized in such a way as to identify the difference in relative phases of the signals from each antenna element, and thus the selective use of the antenna elements can be used to synthetically steer the beam of the antenna in a desired direction, while suppressing undesired directions. The output of each of the receiver circuits can be processed by ADC circuits. Since the phase and timing information of the antenna array are critical, the timing relationship between the ADC circuits need to be known to properly synthesize the aperture and direction for the beam of the antenna.

Continuous synchronization for multiple ADCs


System and method to transmit an identification of a real-time transport protocol (RTP) data stream, the method including: identifying an identification of an RTP data stream; inserting the identification of the RTP data stream into an RTP header extension; and transmitting, by use of a network interface, an RTP packet comprising the RTP header extension. The method may further include: consulting a policy for profile tag settings, wherein the step of inserting the identification is dependent upon the policy.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to RTP media streams, and, in particular, to a system and method for controlling playback of an RTP media stream depending upon the source of the RTP media stream.
2. Description of Related Art
Multimedia Voice Over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") communication sessions may use the Real-Time Transport Protocol ("RTP") to transport the audio and/or video multimedia streams. An audio RTP multimedia stream may originate from different sources at different times during a VoIP call, and the audio from the different sources may have differing level of interest to a participant depending upon the source of the RTP multimedia stream. For example, in some server-based conferencing solutions, participants dial in to the conference server to join the conference. In some of these cases, a conference host may not be able to join the conference at a scheduled time due to a variety of potential problems (e.g., a technical problem, a network outage, other phone problems, etc.). Typically, a conference server plays music until the conference host joins the call.
Typically, participants of the conference call are not interested in listening to music while waiting on hold, so music typically has a low level of interest to most participants. However, participants may want to know when a host joins the conference, which may be indicated by a beep or other audible sound, or to know when the actual conversation starts. Currently, participants have to either listen to the music or have to keep the phone on a low volume level. If the participant is using a speakerphone, the music may be annoying to other nearby people.
If a VoIP session contains RTP streams from different sources, present solutions treat the RTP streams substantially the same, and apply a default action. The present solutions fail to provide a source-based classification of RTP, or to take action based on a class of RTP. For example, a participant may want to ignore RTP only from a music server but may want to be alerted when a conference host joins the call. The presently known solutions do not address this problem.
Therefore, a need exists to control playback of an RTP media stream depending upon its source or classification, in order to provide improved customer satisfaction.

System and method for classification of media in VoIP sessions with RTP source profiling/tagging


An image processing apparatus and method capable of automatically performing the blackening processing of a blank area and/or a scattering area even in a mammograph obtained by radiation imaging. The image processing apparatus includes: a profile data calculating unit for receiving image data obtained by imaging an object to calculate pieces of profile data corresponding to change of brightness among a plurality of pixels; a binarizing unit for binarizing each of the piece of profile data obtained by the profile data calculating unit; a convex closure processing portion for performing convex closure processing on the pieces of profile data binarized by the binarizing unit to extract an outermost profile; and blackening processing means for performing blackening processing the received image data to reduce brightness of pixels in an area out of the outermost profile extracted by the convex closure processing portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for processing image data, which is obtained by imaging such as radiation imaging, to display or output images.
2. Description of a Related Art
Conventionally, an imaging method using a radiation (X-ray, α-ray, β-ray, γ-ray, electron beam, ultraviolet ray and so on) has been utilized in various fields, and particularly, employed as one of the most important means for diagnosis in a medical field. Since a first X-ray photograph was realized, X-ray photography has been repeatedly improved. At present, a method using a combination of a fluorescent screen and an X-ray film has become a main stream. On the other hand, in recent years, various digitized apparatuses such as X-ray CT apparatus, ultrasonic imaging apparatus, and MRI apparatus are in practical use. And diagnosis information processing system is now under progression in hospitals. Also, as for X-ray images, many studies have been made for digitizing the systems, and a radiation imaging method using photostimulable phosphor has been established, which attracts attentions as a method that will replace the conventional X-ray photography.
The photostimulable phosphor (storage phosphor) is a substance which accumulates a part of radiation energy when irradiated with a radiation, and after that, emits stimulated fluorescence corresponding to the accumulated energy when irradiated with an excitation light such as visible light. The existence of the photostimulable phosphor is previously known. The radiation imaging method using the photostimulable phosphor will be described below. That is, by using a radiation imaging apparatus and a sheet which is applied with photostimulable phosphor, radiation imaging is carried out on an object to be imaged such as human body to record radiation image information on the photostimulable phosphor sheet. Then, using an image reading apparatus, the radiation image information is read out from the photostimulable phosphor sheet. That is, in the image reading apparatus, when the photostimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with an excitation light such as laser beam, photostimulable luminescent light is generated from the photostimulable phosphor. By detecting the light in a photoelectrical manner, the image data is generated. Further, after being appropriately processed with an image processing apparatus, the image data is output to a display such as a CRT, or printed out on a film with a laser printer or the like. Thus, the radiation image can be displayed as a visible image.
In view of imaging sensitivity and image quality, the radiation imaging method as described above has the performance comparable to the conventional X-ray photography. For example, compared to the conventional X-ray photography, the exposure latitude is extremely wider and the response of the photostimulable luminescent light with respect to the exposure intensity is substantially proportional all over the entire exposure range. Therefore, even when the object is imaged with any radiation dose, light-emitting area, where an image resides, can be covered and satisfactorily normalized to obtain digitalized signals. Further, by processing signals obtained as described above with an appropriate image processing method, images with satisfactory quality can be stably provided even under a variety of imaging conditions. Furthermore, since digitalized image information is directly obtained, large-scale data can be stored for a long time period without deterioration of the images and development to a medical diagnosis information system becomes possible.
The radiation imaging method as described above is applied to the radiation imaging of mammae (mammography), which is carried out in breast cancer diagnosis or the like. Visible images obtained by the radiation imaging are displayed on a monitor screen or printed out on a film to be used for medical diagnosis.
However, in the images obtained by the radiation imaging, a blank area having a high brightness occasionally occurs. FIG. 10 shows a mammograph. As shown in FIG. 10, a blank area 101 is generated along with a radiation image of a mamma area 100.
The reason why such blank area is generated in the mammograph is as described below. In the image reading apparatus, which reads out radiation image while conveying a sheet applied with photostimulable phosphor, a misalignment occasionally occurs on the sheet under transportation. In order to avoid such problem that the entire image data of a desired image area (for example, mamma area 100) cannot be obtained due to the misalignment during the conveyance, the start timing of the reading is adjusted to delay so that the entire image data of a desired image area is obtained. At that time, the adjustment to delay the start timing of the reading leads to such situation that an area out of the sheet is read out. That area is visualized on the film resulted in a transparent blank area 101. Since light is projected from the backside of the film when observing the radiation image, such blank area 101 appears as an area of a high brightness. Accordingly, there arises such problems that the visibility is reduced and eyestrain is caused.
As a related art, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication JP-A-7-271972 discloses an image processing apparatus, in which at least an interested area in an output image is outputted at a desired density and/or tone in accordance with the purpose of diagnosis with an simple operation (pp. 4-6, FIG. 1). In this image processing apparatus, the density and/or tone in the radiation image can be set, and based on the set density and/or tone, a desired radiation image can be outputted. However, in the image processing apparatus disclosed in JP-A-7-271972, the desired interested area in radiation image to be displayed has to be set up by using a mouse, a keyboard or the like.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication JP-A-9-97321 discloses the following image displaying method. That is, in an image displaying apparatus for displaying images, which are taken by use of an irradiation field stop, on a light-emitting display means such as CRT so that the brightness level of the area outside the irradiation field is higher than the brightness level of the area inside the irradiation field, reduction of contrast in the area inside the irradiation field, which is caused from scattered light from the area outside the irradiation field, is prevented (pp. 4-5, FIG. 1). In this image displaying method, as for the area where the image signal level is higher than a predetermined threshold value, the higher the image signal level becomes the lower the brightness level is set to, while as for the area where the image signal level is lower than the predetermined threshold value, the brightness level is set to a minimum brightness level. Thereby, the area outside the irradiation field, where the image signal level is low (the brightness level is high), is blackened to prevent contrast in the area inside the radiation field from being reduced.
However, in the mammograph, there is a possibility that a scattering area, where the brightness level becomes the same level as that of the area inside the irradiation field by reading out excitation light scattered by an edge of the photostimulable phosphor sheet, may reside in between the area inside the irradiation field and the area outside the irradiation field. Accordingly, even when the image displaying method disclosed in JP-A-9-97321 is applied to the mammography, the scattering area as described above cannot be blackened. Also, in this image displaying method, the area outside the irradiation field is detected only by comparing the image signal level with the threshold value. Accordingly, there is a possibility that the area inside the irradiation field where the image signal level is low (brightness level is high) might be blackened.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication JP-A-10-71138 discloses a radiation image processing apparatus, in which re-imaging is not required even when an error occurs in automatic recognition of area inside the irradiation field, and load of processing for recognizing the irradiation field is made smaller, while keeping anti-dazzle effect during observation of image (pp. 4-6, FIG. 3). In this radiation image processing apparatus, points, where the image data changes sharply to substantially zero, are determined as the boundary points between the area inside the irradiation field and the area outside the irradiation field. By connecting these boundary points, the boundary line is determined. And an external area of the boundary line is recognized as the area outside the irradiation field so as to perform the blackening processing.
However, in the mammograph, no points are included in some directions where the image data changes sharply to substantially zero from the center to the periphery thereof, as the mamma area 100 and the blank area 101 shown in FIG. 10. Accordingly, even when the radiation image processing apparatus disclosed in JP-A-10-71138 is applied to the mammography, there may be a case where the boundary line cannot be determined. According to this radiation image processing apparatus, however, in the case where a range of the area outside the irradiation field that has been automatically recognized is not true, the blackening processing can be made in an appropriate range by manually correcting the automatically recognized range while monitoring the image.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


The ability of a person to grasp an object and at the same time to feel, as well as to determine mechanical and geometric parameters of the comprehended object, makes him or her irreplaceable for many tasks, i.e. in production or in surgery. The translation of this ability into a technological system has often failed up to now due to lack of special adjusted sensors. The object of this invention is a sensory device, which fulfills the requirements for a tactile sensor system and at the same time affords a cost-effective and simple manufacturing alternative to other sensor principles. The layer structure of the sensor element is so constructed that by effect of an external force of the current by a resistive layer a path is disposed to narrowing or enlargement. The voltage drop over this resistive layer is dependent upon the acting external force and serves as signal sensor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor device and more particularly to a device for the measurement and classification of the mechanical and geometric properties of an object through contact.
2. Description of Prior Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
The ability of a person to grasp an object and at the same time to feel, as well as to determine mechanical and geometric parameters, of the grasped object, makes him or her irreplaceable for many tasks, i.e. in production or in surgery. The translation of this ability into a technological system has often failed up to now due to lack of special adjusted sensors. The subject of this invention is a sensory device, which fulfills the requirements for a tactile sensor system and at the same time affords a cost-effective and simple manufacturing alternative to other sensor principles.

Novineon Healthcare Technology Partners GmbH


A low-noise CMOS active pixel for image sensors comprises a photosensitive element (PD), a feedback capacitive element (CF) with a capacitance CF, and four transistors, namely a first transistor (M1), two reset transistors (M3, M4) and one pixel selection transistor (M2). These components are laid out and controlled in such a way that the first transistor (M1) is mounted as an amplifier during the pixel reset phase and as a follower during the read phase. The reset transistors (M3, M4) are parallel-connected so that one of them (M4) compensates for the negative effects of the other transistor (M3) on the node common to the two transistors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of image sensors with CMOS active pixels and more particularly to a low-noise CMOS active pixel.
2. Description of Related Art
At present, the main limitation of image sensors with CMOS active pixels lies in the presence of a reset noise in the electrical signals produced by the pixels of the sensor. This reset noise is troublesome because it is preponderant over the other noises in the signal-acquisition analog chain.
A classic CMOS active pixel essentially comprises a photosensitive element, such as a photodiode, associated with three transistors, a selection transistor to select the pixel, a transistor to reset the electrical charge of the photosensitive element and a read transistor to deliver a signal representing the electrical charge of the photodiode before and after the resetting of the pixel. The structure of a CMOS active pixel of this kind is shown in FIG. 1. The photosensitive element, referenced PD, is represented therein by its capacitance CP. A reset transistor MR is connected between a power supply terminal VDD and the photosensitive element. This transistor is connected to the photosensitive element at a point known as a photosensitive node. This photosensitive node is furthermore connected to a gate of the read transistor MD. The drain of the transistor MD is connected to the power supply terminal VDD and its source is connected to the drain of a selection transistor MS. Finally, the drain of the transistor MS is connected to an output terminal S of the pixel. To select this pixel, a signal SEL is applied to the gate of the transistor MS.
A CMOS active pixel of this kind works as follows: during a reset phase (when the RESET signal is active), the potential of the photosensitive element is reset at a fixed value V0. Then, under the effect of a light signal, the electrical charge of the photosensitive element is modified, and the voltage at its terminals then goes from V0 to V0-Vsignal, Vsignal representing the number of incident photons received by the pixel. A method known as the CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) method is then used to read the value Vsignal. In this method, the signal is read at the output of the pixel before and after the resetting of the pixel and then the difference between the two signals is computed to deduce Vsignal therefrom.
This pixel structure has four drawbacks. A first drawback is that the reset phase gives rise to a reset noise in the photosensitive element. This noise is especially high as the capacitance of the photodiode is low. The root-mean-square value of this noise is given by the following formula:
  B  =            kT              C        P            where k is the Boatman constant, T is the absolute temperature and CP is the capacitance of the photodiode. With a capacitance CP of 3 femtofarads, the root-mean-square value of the noise is 1.2 mV at a temperature of 300 Kelvin.
A second drawback is the presence of a power supply noise. Indeed, there is a direct coupling between the voltage power supply source VDD and the photosensitive node by means of the drain-gate capacitance of the read transistor. A power supply noise then gets added to the reset noise in the photodiode.
Furthermore, the use of a MOS transistor as a switch to reset the pixel produces an injection of electrical charges into the photodiode: then, after the MOS transistor has passed into the off state, a part of the electrical charges forming the channel of this transistor is located in the capacitance of the photodiode. The voltage variation that results therefrom is especially high as the capacitance of the photodiode is low. This phenomenon reduces the voltage excursion of the output signal by a fraction that can be relatively big.
Finally, a problem of lag also appears when the reset phase does not succeed in completely erasing the information acquired in the photodiode during the previous reading phase. On a screen, this lag takes the form of a persistence of the image: the image read then contains a residue of the previous image. This problem appears when a small-bandwidth reset technique is used.
To overcome all or a part of these problems, a novel CMOS active pixel structure has been developed. This structure is disclosed in the French patent application filed under number 01/07349, on May 28, 2001 on behalf of the present applicant and the content of which are hereby incorporated hereinto by reference in its entirety. This novel CMOS active pixel structure is illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3.
With reference to FIG. 2, the CMOS active pixel, referenced P, comprises a photodiode PD with a capacitance CP, an amplifier AMP1 that is active during the reset phase (the signal READ being inactive), a follower amplifier AMP2 active during the read phase (with the signal READ active), two switches IT1 and IT2 series-connected between the output and the inverter input of the amplifier AMP1, and a capacitive element CF having a capacitance CF, parallel-connected with the switch IT1. The photodiode PD is connected between a photosensitive node N and the ground. The non-inverter input of the amplifier AMP1 is connected to an output terminal S of the pixel which receives a reference voltage during the pixel reset phase. The follower amplifier AMP2 which is active during the READ phase is furthermore connected between the photosensitive node and the output terminal S of the pixel.
A more detailed structure of this CMOS active pixel is shown in FIG. 3. A transistor M1 and a row selection transistor M2 are used to form the amplifier AMP1 during the reset phase. These transistors also form the follower amplifier AMP2 during the read phase. Transistors M3 and M4 are also used to form the switches IT1 and IT2.
These components are connected together as follows. The transistor M1 has its gate connected to the photosensitive node N and its source connected to the output terminal S of the pixel. The output terminal S delivers a signal representing the electrical charge of the photodiode during the pixel-reading phase. The selection transistor M2 is cascade-mounted with the transistor M1, namely its source is connected to the drain of the transistor M1. Its drain is connected to a node B common to all the pixels of the column to which the pixel considered is connected and its gate receives a selection signal SEL to select the pixel. The transistor M3, forming the switch IT1, is connected between the photosensitive node N and a point A of the pixel. This transistor is controlled by a reset signal RS1 which is active during a first period φ1 of the pixel reset phase. The pixel reset phase is indeed formed by three consecutive time periods φ1, φ2 and φ3.
The transistor M4 is connected between the node B and the node A. This transistor is controlled by a reset signal RS2 which is active during the time periods φ1 and φ2 of the reset phase. The capacitive element CF is parallel-connected with the transistor M3 between the node A and the node N. Finally, the sum of the capacitive contributions of each pixel of the column of the pixel considered between its respective point B and the ground is shown in the drawing by a capacitor C, connected between the node B and the ground.
The image sensor containing the pixel has means provided to bias and power the pixel during the different phases of operation of the pixel. These means are advantageously common to all the pixels of one and the same column in the image sensor, and even to all the pixels of the image sensor as the case may be. A voltage source VDD and current source SC1 are therefore provided to power the node B of the pixel respectively during the read phase and the reset phase of the pixel. Provision is also made for a second current source SC2 and a voltage source SV having negligible current to impose, respectively, a current during the read phase and a reference voltage VREF during the reset phase on the output terminal S of the pixel.
The working of this CMOS active pixel is illustrated by the timing diagrams of the control signals SEL, RS1, RS2 and READ of FIG. 4. The reading of the information contained in the photodiode after modification of its electrical charge under the effect of a light signal requires a first read phase to acquire a signal representing the illumination of the pixel by the light signal, a phase for resetting the electrical charge of the pixel and a second read phase to acquire a signal representing the initial electrical charge of the pixel. The difference between these two signals gives a signal representing the variation of the electrical charge due to the incident photons of the light signal.
During the first and second phases for reading the pixel, the control signal READ and the selection signal SEL are active while the signals RS1 and RS2 are inactive. In the present case (pertaining to the use of the N channel MOS transistors) a signal is said to be active if it is has a high voltage level and it is said to be inactive if it has a low voltage level.
During the first reading phase, the node B is powered by the power supply voltage VDD and a current is imposed by the current source SC2 on the output terminal S of the pixel. The transistors M3 and M4 are off. The transistor M1, which is then mounted as a follower, is powered through the transistor M2. A voltage signal representing the electrical charge of the photodiode is then available at the output terminal S of the pixel.
Then, during the three periods of the reset phase, φ1, φ2 and φ3, the signal READ is inactive.
During the period φ1 known as the erasure or "hard reset" period, the control signals SEL, RS1 and RS2 are active. The transistors M2, M3 and M4 are therefore conductive. The transistor M1 is mounted as an amplifier and its drain is looped to its gate through the transistor M2.
The pixel is powered by the current coming from the current source SC1 and the reference voltage VREF is imposed on the output terminal S of the pixel. The current given by the current source SC1 goes through the transistors M1 and M2 and is absorbed by the voltage source SV. A potential VREF+VGS(M1) is imposed on the photosensitive node N, with VGS(M1) representing the gate-source voltage of the transistor M1. This period φ1 is used for erasing the information initially contained in the pixel in imposing a fixed voltage at the terminals of the photodiode.
During the period φ2, known as the relaxation period, the control signal RS2 is inactive. The transistor M3 is then off. The noise voltage
      kT          C      F      is sampled on the capacitive element CF. The transistor M1 is in a feedback loop with the capacitive divider formed by the capacitive element CF and the capacitance of the photodiode PD. The transistor M1 then works as an amplifier (amplifier AMP1). Since the transistors M1 and M2 are cascade-connected, a high static gain is obtained for the transistor M1. The gain of the loop formed by the transistors M1 and M2 and the capacitive divider is high despite the capacitive divider. The phase φ2 must be maintained until the amplifier AMP1 reaches a state of equilibrium.
During the period φ3, the control signal RS2 is inactive. The transistor M4 is therefore off. This passage to a low level must be done in a very short time as compared with the time constant of the amplifier AMP1.
This CMOS active pixel structure gives satisfactory results in terms of reset noise, power supply noise, injection of electrical charges into the photodiode and lag as explained very clearly in the French patent application No. 01/07349 cited here above.
However, the gate-drain coupling capacitance of the transistor M3 produces a positive voltage variation at the node B (corresponding to the output of the amplifier AMP1) during the period φ2 of the reset phase. This variation is acceptable so long as the amplifier AMP1 is not saturated and does not clip the signal.
Depending on the etching technology used, this coupling capacitance may be very high. In a borderline case, there is then a very high voltage at the output of the amplifier. This very high voltage is clipped at the value of the power supply voltage VDD minus an unwanted voltage. The progress of the potential at the node B in this case is shown in FIG. 4. Since the output of the amplifier is clipped, it no longer amplifies linearly and the desired effect, i.e. chiefly the correction of the reset noise, is no longer attained.
This coupling actually takes place negatively, during the trailing edge of the control signal RS1. Two phenomena then take place:                the potential at the photosensitive node N drops instantaneously; and        a part of the electrical charges constituting the channel of the transistor M3 is injected into the node N, thus contributing to further lowering the potential of the node N.
The drop in potential at the node N controlling the gate of the transistor M1 causes the potential at the node B to rise. The lower the capacitance CF, the greater is this rise in the potential at the output of the amplifier. This corresponds to the conditions of making the pixel.
Accordingly, a need exists to overcome the problems of the coupling capacitance of the transistor M3 and to provide an improved CMOS active pixel that is insensitive to this problem.