An EGR cooler includes a heat exchanging core which has a plurality of tubes, an upstream-side gas tank portion upstream of the tubes and a downstream-side gas tank portion downstream of the tubes. A water tank portion forms a first water passage around the tubes and forms a second water passage around the upstream-side gas tank portion. A double pipe portion forms a gas passage which communicates with the upstream-side gas tank portion and forms an annular water passage which communicates with the second water passage. A water inflow pipe is connected to the double pipe portion such that the cooling water flows into the annular water passage, and a water outflow pipe that is connected to the water tank portion such that the cooling water flows out from the first water passage.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an exhaust gas heat exchanging device having a casing in which a heat exchanging core is accommodated. The heat exchanging core is configured to have a plurality of laminated tubes through which an exhaust gas flows. The casing has an inlet port through which a cooling water is introduced in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction, and an outlet port through which the cooling water is discharged in the same orthogonal direction, in the vicinity of both end portions of the tubes in the longitudinal direction. The casing further has an exhaust gas inflow portion and an exhaust gas outflow portion in a tank portion that is positioned on a further outer side than both of the end portions of the plurality of tubes in the longitudinal direction. A core plate holds the plurality of tubes in both of the end portions in the longitudinal direction and partitions a cooling water passage and the tank portion from each other. The core plate is bonded to joint portions that form the tank portion. Accordingly, the core plate is in contact with the cooling water and the joint portions are in contact with the exhaust gas.
According to the above-described configuration, the exhaust gas that flows into the casing from the exhaust gas inflow portion flows through the plurality of tubes therein after passing through an inner portion of the joint portion on one end side. The exhaust gas that flows out from the plurality of tubes passes through an inner portion of the joint portion on the other side, and then is discharged from the exhaust gas outflow portion. When the exhaust gas flows through the plurality of tubes, heat exchange is performed between the exhaust gas and the cooling water that flows through the cooling water passage in the vicinity of the plurality of tubes from the inlet port toward the outlet port. Accordingly, the exhaust gas is cooled by the cooling water only in the heat exchanging core.


A body made of a ceramic material stabilized by a stabilizing agent, characterized in that the body comprises a surface region extending from the surface of the body to a predetermined depth, the stabilizing agent being enriched in said surface region.

Dental implants which are currently in use are in general made of a metal, e.g. titanium, or a ceramic, e.g. a zirconia based ceramic.
In contrast to metal implants, which are dark and therefore mismatch with the color of natural teeth, ceramic materials have the advantage that their color can be closely matched to the natural tooth color. Efforts have thus been made to provide dental implants, of which at least the parts that are visible after insertion are made of a ceramic material.
Despite their favourable properties with regard to the color, the use of ceramic materials for dental implants is in many cases limited by their fatigue stability, which is generally rather low.
A ceramic material having a high mechanical strength is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,925, which relates to an yttrium oxide-stabilized zirconium oxide in predominantly tetragonal form (yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia; Y-TZP) for the production of a sintered semi-finished article.
Despite its favourable mechanical properties, in particular its high strength, toughness and wear resistance, yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (Y-TZP) has however a propensity to low-temperature degradation (LTD) in the presence of moisture, as for example described by Chevalier et al., J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 92 (9), 1901-1920 (2009).
Low-temperature degradation is a kinetic phenomenon in which polycrystalline tetragonal zirconia transforms to monoclinic zirconia over a rather narrow but important temperature range, typically from room temperature to about 400° C.
The degradation progresses from the surface of the material to its interior and is accompanied by micro- and macrocracking, thus resulting in reduced fracture strength of the material.
This problem, which is also referred to as "low hydrothermal stability", is particularly relevant for the use of zirconia for dental implants, as thereby the material is exposed to a humid and warm environment and needs to fulfil relatively strict safety requirements over a long period.
In addition, dental implants are often subjected to a subtractive treatment in order to improve its osteointegrative properties. In this regard, EP-A-1 982 670, for example, relates to a process for providing a topography to the surface of a dental implant made of a ceramic material, wherein at least a part of the surface is etched with an etching solution comprising hydrofluoric acid. Etching of the ceramic material has however been found to often go along with a further deterioration of its hydrothermal stability.
For improving its hydrothermal stability, it has been suggested to dope yttria-stabilized zirconia with a suitable amount of ceria. In this regard, it is referred to Huang et al. Journal of the European Ceramic Society 25 (2005), pp. 3109-3115 and to Settu et al., Journal of the European Ceramic Society 16 (1996), pp. 1309 to 1318, both referring to yttria-ceria-stabilized zirconia.
Yttria-ceria-stabilized zirconia has however the disadvantage that it is darker in colour than yttria-stabilized zirconia. This is particularly disadvantageous if the material is used for a dental implant, which preferably has a light colour matching with the natural tooth colour. Further, yttria-ceria-stabilized zirconia has the disadvantage that it is not suitable for being subjected to hot-isostatic pressing (HIP) after sintering. Thus, the strength obtainable for yttria-ceria-stabilized zirconia is lower compared to yttria-stabilized zirconia.
Alternatively, a homogenous dispersion of Al2O3 grains into a tetragonal yttria-stabilized zirconia matrix has been reported to increase the hydrothermal stability of the tetragonal phase, as for example stated in the above mentioned article of Huang et al. However, also the doping with alumina has a negative impact on the translucency of yttria-stabilized zirconia.


A battery charging system comprising a battery charger configured to deliver power to a rechargeable battery, wherein the battery charger comprises a wireless data transceiver; and a remote server communicatively coupled to the battery charger through a network via said wireless data transceiver and configured to communicate one or more battery charge parameters or battery charger control commands between the battery charger and a remotely situated portable user device.

Various types of battery chargers are known in the art. Generally, an automobile battery charger converts a 120-volt (V), 60-Hz AC-line, to a 12-volt DC output through a power transformer, a bridge rectifier, and a filter. The power transformer generally comprises two separate windings that are magnetically coupled to each other. The first winding is connected to the 120V AC-line and the second winding is connected to the bridge rectifier. Through the selection of an appropriate turn ratio, the AC-line voltage is stepped down to a 12-volt AC-line output. The bridge rectifier converts this stepped down AC-line output to a rectified output. Further, eliminating any time-varying magnitudes of the rectified output through a filter, the output of the battery charger may be stabilized and thereby suitable for charging a battery.
For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,528,579 discloses a high frequency battery charger that includes a converter, drive logic, and control logic, while U.S. Pat. No. 8,237,412 discloses a method of charging a battery whereby the charging current is alternated between non-zero DC charging current levels. As battery chargers increase in sophistication, additional features have been implemented. For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,576,899 discloses a voltage detection system that automatically determines the nominal voltage (e.g., 6 volt or 12 volt) of the battery connected to its battery charger terminals and charges the battery as a function of the detected nominal voltage irrespective of the nominal voltage selected by a user. Further, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 8,576,899 discloses a hybrid battery charger that includes a linear battery charging circuit for providing vehicle starting current and battery charging and a high frequency battery charging circuit that provides battery charging current. Battery chargers may, in addition to charging a battery, provide protective and safety features. For example, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,834,593 discloses a protection system and method for detecting a thermal runaway condition in a battery during charging in order to protect the battery when such a thermal runaway condition has been detected.
Such battery charger may further provide a display to output the status of the battery or the battery charge. However, because the battery charger must typically be coupled to the battery that is being charged, such as coupling a vehicle to a battery charger in a garage, the user cannot remotely monitor or control the battery charger. Thus, despite the prior attempts to improve battery chargers, a need exists for a system, method, and apparatus for remotely monitoring or controlling a battery charger.

Battery charger status control system and method


A system, method, and computer readable medium creating a custom frameset within at least one non-based computer application. The system enables a user to customize a view containing a plurality of documents in frames, the documents may include web documents and non-web documents, using predefined framesets. A graphical user interface may be provided that presents a user with various options relating to predefined framesets. The user may select one or more options relating to various attributes of each frame within a predefined frameset including the number, size, and orientation, to customize the layout of the view. The user may then specify one or more attributes to be assigned to each frame. The predefined frameset may then be customized according to the user's selection(s). The options may also include enabling users to divide the view into individual frames. The user may also be presented with one or more graphical user interfaces which present the user with various options that may be customized for a particular view.

Web browser applications exist for presenting pages of content to users over a network, such as the World Wide Web connected over the Internet. Existing web browser applications present certain pages using frames. In these applications, a frame is a portion of the page that contains a web document. Web documents are generally understood to be documents created using a mark-up language, such as HTML, for example. Pages containing frames are defined by a frameset that provides the instructions to the web browser application regarding how to present the various frames in a window in the user's display.
The frameset generally defines the number of frames, the size of the frame and the relative positioning of the frames within the window. In existing systems, a page designer creates a frameset by generating code, such as a mark-up language, that specifies the number of frames, the size of each frame and contents of the frames for the frameset. The frameset is then stored on a server that is accessed by users over the network through the web browser application.
In some existing systems, users that retrieve a frame-based page may resize the frames within the window of the web browser application such that one frame may be reduced to enlarge the size of another frame or set of frames. Further, users may be able to specify which web document is contained within certain frames within the window through the web browser application. Existing systems do not enable users to generate other modifications.
Further, existing systems are limited to presentation of pages of frames in a web-based computer applications, such as web browser applications. Current non-web browser applications are generally limited to a view which is generated by a computer application. A user is not given the option of customizing a view presented by a non-web-based computer application. These and other drawbacks exist.

System and method for customizing workspace

International Business Machines Corporation


A vibration generator can be used for seismic applications, producing vibrations for exploration of near-surface subsoils up to 150 meters. Containing two coils activated with AC current or other electrical pulses, the generator is coupled to the object to be investigated by suitable elements. Inside is an inner housing, the outer housing movably supporting, on opposing sides, two coils connected through the inner housing. One coil is activated continuously and alternates with a positive wave component of an AC current control signal; at the same time the other coil alternates with a negative wave component. The result, a controlled vibratory motion, is also achieved with DC voltage. Because of the law of action and reaction, the vibratory motion passed to the coupling elements allows motion into the object being investigated. In contrast to conventional moving coil systems for electromechanical vibration transduction, this generator is based on a soft-metal magnetic instrument.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vibration generator for seismic application comprising a housing, in which coils, activated with AC current or electric pulses, are accommodated and which is coupled via a coupling element to the investigation object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In raw material exploration seismic vibration methods for the geophysical exploring of deep subsoil structures and material properties are employed. For this purpose longitudinal and transverse waves are applied. The essential advantages of the method are the controllable signal, the high-grade reproducibility, the exact determination of the signal delay time and the damage and environtal endangerment which are low in comparison to pulse sources (for example explosives).
The same methodology is also suitable for exploring near-surface subsoil of up to a few hundred meters depth for geophysical engineering tasks. However, as a rule, the equipment utilized in the exploration for seismic excitation is too large for near-surface applications, too heavy and technically too elaborate, due to the customarily used servohydraulic driving technology to be able to employ it at justifiable costs on a considerably size-reduced scale.
For near-surface tasks with vibration processes, electric driving systems are better suited, since they require considerably less technical expenditures. Vibration generators driven in this way are successfully employed for example in stationary material testing. In these systems, moving coil systems (deflection of a coil in a toroidal core magnet) similar to a dynamic loudspeaker are utilized for converting electrical into mechanical energy. Technically problematic is the precise friction-less guidance of the moving coil in the toroidal core in the presence of radial forces. Furthermore, powerful permanent toroidal magnets necessitate a large weight.

Vibration generator for seismic applications

Institut fuer Geowissenschaftliche Gemeinschaftsaugaben


In order to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member with which a ghost is suppressed even under a low temperature and low humidity environment, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer and comprising a charge generating material and a hole transporting material, wherein the undercoat layer comprises a particular amine compound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an electrophotographic photosensitive member (organic electrophotographic photosensitive member) having a photosensitive layer comprising a charge generating material and a hole transporting material (charge transporting material) which are organic compounds has been widely used in an electrophotographic apparatus such as a copier and a laser beam printer.
Among charge generating materials, a phthalocyanine pigment and an azo pigment are known as a charge generating material having a high sensitivity.
On the other hand, in an electrophotographic photosensitive member using a phthalocyanine pigment or an azo pigment, the amount of photo carriers (holes and electrons) generated is large and thus electrons as counters of holes transferred by a hole transporting material tend to remain in a photosensitive layer (charge generation layer). Therefore, the electrophotographic photosensitive member using a phthalocyanine pigment or an azo pigment has a problem in that a phenomenon called ghost tends to occur. Specifically, a positive ghost having a high density in only a region irradiated with light at the time of pre-rotation and a negative ghost having a low density in only a region irradiated with light at the time of pre-rotation are observed in an output image.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-091044 discloses a technique in which an undercoat layer provided between a conductive support and a photosensitive layer comprises an electron transporting organic compound and a polyamide resin, thereby reducing variations in exposure potential and residual potential by an environment.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-148293 discloses a technique in which a charge generation layer and an intermediate later provided between a support and the charge generation layer contain an electron transporting material, thereby suppressing a ghost.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H08-095278 discloses a technique in which a photosensitive layer comprises a benzophenone derivative, thereby enhancing gas resistance and suppressing deterioration in sensitivity and reduction in chargeability.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 558-017450 discloses a technique in which a layer comprising a benzophenone derivative is provided between a support and a photosensitive layer, thereby suppressing deterioration in sensitivity after repeated use.
Currently, it is desired to suppress a ghost under various environments. Although a ghost particularly tends to occur under a low temperature and low humidity environment among various environments, the above techniques are not sufficient in terms of the effect of suppressing a ghost under a low temperature and low humidity environment.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic photosensitive member with which a ghost is suppressed even under a low temperature and low humidity environment, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus having the electrophotographic photosensitive member.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus


A caulk tool has a finishing head at one end of a handheld main body, and a cutting mechanism located near the other end. The finishing head can include a bristle structure used for smoothing out caulk and sealants. The cutting mechanism may include a push button blade for cutting tips of caulk and sealant tubes to a desired length and angle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool for smoothing out caulk, sealants, and other like materials used, for example, in the construction industry.
2. Background Art
Many different approaches have been used for smoothing out caulk and other like materials. These include using a wet finger, sponge, rag, and even plastic trowels. While any of these may be acceptable in a given situation, none works well in a variety of situations. Therefore, a need exists for a caulk device that is simple, efficient, and versatile over a wide range of materials.
In addition to the problem of finishing the caulk after it is applied, another issue that needs to be addressed is opening a tube of caulk. Utility knives utilizing razor blades, pocket knives, and a variety of other cutting devices may be used in the field to cut the tip off a tube of caulk. Depending on the type of cutter used, its sharpness, and even the skill of the user, the caulk tube, at best, may not be cut correctly to facilitate application of a properly sized bead of caulk. At worst, using razor blades or other exposed cutting edges may lead to injury. Therefore, a need exists to provide a safe and effective mechanism for cutting off the end of a caulk tube.


A vehicle track module having a frame, the module mountable on a rotatable axle of a vehicle and having a drive wheel rotatably mounted to the frame, leading and trailing idler wheels rotatably mounted to the frame, at least one bogie wheel in contact with the track and positioned between the idler wheels, and a continuous flexible track extending about the wheels, and the at least one bogie wheel is a cylindrical wheel with a tapered elastomeric tire therearound. The track module may include a module center plane parallel to the drive wheel and the bogie wheel may be thicker toward the center plane. A track assembly for a vehicle including a frame for mounting with respect to the vehicle and a plurality of wheels in contact with a continuous flexible track extending about the wheels with at least one wheel being cylindrical and including a tapered elastomeric tire.

Agricultural vehicles such as tractors, combines and the like are commonly used in agricultural fields for a variety of jobs, and construction vehicles and other large work vehicles are used for many different jobs on a variety of ground surfaces. Typically, these vehicles have large wheels with tires on which the vehicles are supported on the ground. However, for improved traction, vehicle-track module systems or, more broadly, track assemblies are used in place of wheels with tires, and such track modules and track assemblies provide a much larger ground-surface engagement area that spreads vehicle weight and tends to prevent vehicles from becoming bogged down in mud or other soft ground surfaces.
Track assemblies for a vehicle typically include a frame mounted with respect to the vehicle and a plurality of wheels in contact with a continuous flexible track which extends about the plurality of wheels. More specifically, a track module, which is a type of track assembly, for use in modular tracked vehicles typically has a upper drive wheel connectable with respect to a vehicle axle for rotation therewith, a plurality of idler and bogie wheels, and an endless flexible rubber track with a main inner surface and spaced track lugs projecting inwardly therefrom, the track extending around the wheels and being driven by its engagement with the drive wheel. Such drive wheels may be large and may, of course, have circumferentially-spaced drive members engageable with the track lugs.
Use places enormous strain on the mechanics of the track assembly, particularly with respect to the wheels, the flexible track around the wheels, and the lugs on the track. This wear-and-tear on the track is especially pronounced in circumstances where a vehicle with a track assembly is driven on a surface that is not substantially level, a scenario often encountered in both the construction and agricultural fields of use. On crowned roads, for example, the bulk of the weight of the vehicle is not evenly distributed across the entire width of the track. Rather, depending upon the type of crowned road, the vehicle load may be primarily distributed toward the outer edges of the track, which, of course, is not desirable because this will cause premature track wear shortening the useful life of the track.
The term "crowned" describes the cross-sectional shape of a road surface and the term "cross slope" describes the slope of a road surface perpendicular to the centerline of the road. There are several types of crowned roads. For example, a road may have a centerline crown in which case the road slopes down and away on both sides from a road surface center point. A normal crowned road has a small degree of cross slope that would ordinarily be imperceptible to a person driving a vehicle thereon. Crowned roads may, however, have a more significant degree of cross slope. Such a road may look rounded in the middle. In a rounded crowned road, the center of the road may be flat, in which case the road slopes down and away from the center flat portion of the road on both sides. Older rural roads, whether paved or unpaved, typically include some form of a centerline crown. In some instances however, especially seen in narrower roads, a crowned road may slope primarily more toward one side of a road surface than the other. For example, a road may slope toward a down-slope side of a road toward a road shoulder or, conversely, a road may slope down and toward an up-slope side of a road toward a road shoulder.
Track modules and assemblies seen in the prior art are not especially suited for use on crowned roads having variable degrees of cross slope because the wheels themselves on such known vehicle track modules are not generally compliant and, thus, do not accommodate for the slope in the road. Some modules and assemblies may attempt to compensate surface cross slope by including roll axis structure for the wheel shafts. A roll axis allows the wheels to move up and down around an axis substantially parallel to the direction of vehicle motion in response to irregularities in a ground surface. Including a roll degree-of-freedom for a wheel axle adds additional complexity and cost to the structure of the vehicle track module. It also adds additional structure subject to wear and failure and requiring the need for regular maintenance, repair and replacement.
A solution to the problems described above which still retains the advantages of track-assembly technology and which accommodates variability in road-surface cross slope and reduces uneven track wear would be an important advance in the art.

Vehicle track assembly having tapered wheels


A shaft is press-fit into the valve member or the plunger of an electromagnetic valve to transmit the axial movement of the plunger to the valve member. A diameter reducing mechanism is provided for reducing the diameter of at least the press-fit portion of the shaft so that the diameter of the shaft is decreased by a press-fitting force applied to the shaft by the valve member and/or plunger. Deformation due to the press-fitting process is absorbed by the shaft, so deformation of the valve member and/or plunger is inhibited. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to give a large margin to a plunger side air gap, and magnetic efficiency can be improved. Also, two chambers on both axial sides of the plunger can communicate with each other through a clearance provided by the C-shaped cross-section, an inner hole and a penetration hole of the shaft. Therefore, it is unnecessary to form any separate groove or hole in the plunger for respiration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic valve that drives a valve device by operating an electromagnetic actuator. Specifically, the present invention relates to a technology suitably applicable to an oil flow control valve (OCV) that alters a flow of oil by operating the electromagnetic actuator.
2. Description of Related Art
An oil flow control valve (OCV) is an oil pressure control valve having a spool valve (valve device) and an electromagnetic actuator. The OCV operates the electromagnetic actuator to displace a plunger in an axial direction against a biasing force of a return spring. The OCV transmits the displacement of the plunger to a spool (valve member) to displace the spool in the axial direction. Thus, the OCV switches input and output ports formed in a sleeve to control destination or intensity of an oil pressure to be supplied.
A shaft is used to transmit the axial displacement of the plunger to the spool and to transmit the axial displacement of the spool to the plunger.
In some cases, the shaft is press-fit into at least one of the spool and the plunger as disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2001-108135.
The plunger is deformed, e.g., a diameter thereof is enlarged, if the shaft is press-fit into the plunger. Therefore, an air gap, e.g., side air gap, between the plunger and a magnetic circuit, e.g., yoke, around the plunger should have some margin in consideration of the deformation (the diameter enlargement) of the plunger. Accordingly, a magnetic efficiency at the air gap decreases. Therefore, a coil for generating a magnetic force needs to be enlarged in size.
The spool is deformed if the shaft is press-fit into the spool. There is a possibility that the deformation may be transmitted to a large diameter portion (land) of the spool. A sealing portion for preventing passage of the oil is provided between the large diameter portion and the sleeve. Therefore, a clearance between the large diameter portion and the sleeve needs to be set small. However, the clearance between the large diameter portion and the sleeve needs to have some margin in consideration of the deformation (the diameter enlargement) of the large diameter portion if the deformation caused by press-fitting process is transmitted to the large diameter portion. A quantity of oil leaking through the clearance between the large diameter portion and the sleeve will increase if the clearance has a large margin.
In the case where a through hole is formed in the center of the plunger and the shaft is press-fit into the through hole, the shaft blocks the through hole. In this case, a separate respiration passage is necessary for connecting the chambers (volume changing chambers) provided on both axial sides of the plunger.
A helical groove may be formed on an outer peripheral surface of the plunger to define the respiration passage. However, a magnetic resistance is enlarged at the helical groove, so the magnetic efficiency will be deteriorated. In addition, the helical groove on the outer peripheral surface requires a complicated manufacturing process, so the cost will be increased.


An apparatus (500) comprises: an image detector (122) for capturing an image frame (FN), a driving unit (200) for adjusting focusing of light onto said image detector (122), and a pulse generating unit (120), wherein said pulse generating unit (120) is configured to generate one or more synchronization pulses (S11, S12) based on the timing of optical exposure of a predetermined portion (TRIGLN) of said image frame (FN), and said driving unit (200) is configured to perform said adjusting based on the timing of said one or more synchronization pulses (S11, S12).

A digital photographing device may comprise a camera module, which in turn may comprise an image detector and an autofocus unit. The image detector may be arranged to capture an image of an object, and the autofocus unit may be configured to adjust a distance between a lens and a detector array until a sharp image can be attained. The image detector may be configured to provide image data for the autofocus unit. The autofocus unit may be configured to calculate a sharpness parameter, which indicates the sharpness of the image. The sharpness parameter may be e.g. a value of a modulation transfer function (MTF). The sharpness parameter may be calculated based on the image data provided by the image detector.
Auto focusing (AF) may be performed so that a command to move the lens is transmitted from a host to the camera module. During an auto-focus algorithm, the sharpness of the image may be analyzed each time when a movement of the lens has been completed. The lens may be moved in a stepwise fashion until a predetermined value of the sharpness parameter is attained, i.e. until the image is sharp enough. The lens may be moved by a focusing actuator, which may be e.g. a motor. The autofocus unit may be configured to drive said actuator. The distance between the lens and the image detector may be increased and/or decreased until the image is in its sharpest form.
The operation of a camera module may be controlled by a control unit (host) of a mobile device. In particular, the timing of operations of the focusing actuator may be controlled by the control unit of the mobile device. Different camera modules used in mobile devices are typically controlled in different ways. Thus, controlling software (SW) needs to be re-programmed when a camera module is replaced with a different one. Hardware features and software features of different camera modules are usually so different that interoperability and compatibility are often difficult or impossible to realize.

Apparatus, a method, and a computer program for automatic focusing


An improved wild animal game caller using a tapered and tubular latex-like reed adjustably enveloping an exterior portion of a substantially hollow caller casing, entirely or partially covering an air exit port of said casing. This configuration readily allows almost instantaneous adjustment of sound with ease under field conditions, without disassembly of any part of the caller.

The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent device or method. The invention relates to the field of wild game callers, especially turkey, duck, geese and other fowl. However, the invention may be used in any caller capable of mimicking the sound of any animal.
Many conventional animal callers use air blown past one or reed members to produce sound. One common assembly involves a flat reed wedged between wood or cork, and air being blown past that assembly to cause the reed to vibrate and thereby produce sound. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,513. The sound of some such callers may be adjusted by adjusting the length of the vibrating portion of the reed. However, such adjustment often requires disassembling the caller in the field, which may be difficult and cumbersome under many hunting conditions, and may otherwise detract from the success or enjoyability of the hunt. Moreover, such interior reed assemblies are susceptible to malfunctioning caused, at least in part, by the accumulation of spit and debris in or around the assembly. It is also difficult to adjust the call sound quickly enough to readily allow customized calls under time-sensitive field conditions.
Another assembly involves an elastomeric reed over an off-center air outlet aperture in the conically tapered end face of a cylindrical caller mouthpiece, said reed being secured by a ring within a circumferential groove of said mouthpiece. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,937. The sound of some such callers may be adjusted by adjusting the positioning and tension of the reed diaphragm over said aperture. However, adjustment often requires disassembling at least parts of the caller such as the ring and reed; such disassembly in the field may be difficult and cumbersome under many hunting conditions, and may otherwise detract from the success or enjoyability of the hunt. Moreover, such interior reed assemblies are susceptible to malfunctioning caused, at least in part, by the accumulation of spit and debris in or around the assembly. It is also difficult to adjust the call sound quickly enough to readily allow customized calls under time-sensitive field conditions.


A recording/reproducing apparatus comprises a disk (2) which is rotatably driven, a scratch detection circuit (6) for detecting a scratch in the disk (2) on the basis of a reproduced signal read from the disk (2) through a head (4), and a coarse movement stop control unit (14) for predicting the timing of a scratch which will appear next on the basis of the cycle of scratches detected by the scratch detection circuit (6) and stopping a coarse movement of the head (4) in a period from time immediately before at least the predicted timing to time at which the next appearing scratch passes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus such as an optical disk and, more particularly, to a recording/reproducing apparatus in which a track skip caused by scratches in a disk is suppressed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a recording/reproducing apparatus such as an optical disk apparatus, when a scratch is in the disk, a process such as a process of holding a tracking servo operation to assure of the stability of the tracking servo operation is performed after the scratch is detected by an RF signal. A conventional recording/reproducing apparatus will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 by using an optical disk apparatus as an example.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main part of the optical disk apparatus, and FIG. 4 is a timing chart for explaining operations in detection of a scratch. As shown in FIG. 3, in the optical disk apparatus, an optical disk (to be referred to as a disk hereinafter) 2 rotated by a spindle motor 1, an optical head (to be referred to as a head hereinafter) 4 for performing track tracing of an optical beam with movement of a lens 3 or the like with respect to the track of the disk 2, and a servo processor 5 for controlling the head 4 or the like according to a track error signal (TE signal) indicating a track position error of the head 4 or a reproduced RF signal are arranged. The servo processor 5 is constituted by a scratch detection circuit 6 serving as a scratch detection means for detecting a scratch in the disk on the basis of the RF signal, a tracking servo equalizer 7 for controlling the lens 3 and the head 4 on the basis of the tracking error signal, and a coarse movement supply servo equalizer 8. The tracking servo equalizer 7 outputs the track servo signal to an actuator driver 9 according to a tracking error signal TE, so that the actuator driver 9 controls the lens 3 or the like of the head 4.
Signals are recorded on a track spirally formed on the disk 2 from the inner periphery to the outer periphery, and an optical beam is irradiated on the track. A movable range of the optical beam irradiated on the disk 2 in the track direction is the range of about several tens tracks in only a tracking servo operation of the lens 3, and the entire surface of the disk 2 cannot be accessed. For this reason, the head 4 must be moved, and a coarse movement motor 10 serving as a moving means is used. As the coarse movement motor 10, a stepping motor is generally used. In movement between tracks whose range exceeds the limited range of tracking servo, a coarse movement control signal from the coarse movement supply servo equalizer 8 operating in response to a tracking error signal TE is output to the coarse movement motor driver 12 through a switching circuit 11. Although a reference voltage from a reference signal generation circuit 13 is also input to the switching circuit 11, a coarse movement control signal from the coarse movement supply servo equalizer 8 is generally input to a coarse movement motor driver 12 to rotatably drive the coarse movement motor 10, thereby moving the head 4.
When the disk 2 has a scratch such as a defect formed thereon, a reflected beam is offset from a spot (not shown) for detecting a tracking error, the tracking error signal TE cannot be detected, and a tracking servo operation is disabled, so that a track skip occurs. As a countermeasure against the track skip, a scratch detection signal from the scratch detection circuit 6 is input to the switching circuit 11. When the disk 2 has a scratch or the like formed thereon, a lack of a reproduced RF signal occurs. For this reason, the scratch or the like is detected by the scratch detection circuit 6, and a detected scratch detection signal switches the switching circuit 11, so that a reference voltage from the reference signal generation circuit 13 is input to the coarse movement motor driver 12 in place of a coarse control signal from the coarse movement supply servo equalizer 8. This operation is a coarse movement stop operation. In this manner, the stability of a tracking servo operation is realized.
The above operation will be described below with reference to FIG. 4. When the disk has a scratch, a notched portion D appears between t1 and t2 in a reproduced RF signal as shown in FIG. 4A. The scratch detection circuit 6 detects the scratch on the basis of the notched portion D, and, as shown in FIG. 4B, the scratch detection circuit 6 outputs a scratch detection signal S to the switching circuit 11 between t3 and t4 a predetermined period of time after t1. On the other hand, since a reflected beam from a spot for detecting a tracking error is eliminated due to the scratch, tracking servo acts to gradually increase the tracking error signal from t1 to t3 as shown in FIG. 4C. In this state, a light beam jumps over many tracks. For this reason, the switching circuit 11 is switched by a scratch detection signal S from the scratch detection circuit 6 to hold tracking servo between t3 and t4, and a reference voltage from the reference signal generation circuit 13 is input to the coarse movement motor driver 12 in place of a coarse control signal from the coarse movement supply servo equalizer 8. Since the coarse movement motor driver 12 has a reference voltage having the same value as that of the reference signal generation circuit 13, the coarse movement motor driver 12 does not output a rotatable drive power to the coarse movement motor 10. Therefore, drive rotation of the coarse movement motor 10 is stopped.
Although the coarse movement stop is effective between time t3 and time t4 between which the scratch detection circuit 6 detects a scratch to output a scratch detection signal S, the coarse movement stop is not effected in a period of time (from time t1 to time t3) until the detection of scratch and a period of time (from t4 to t2) after the detection of scratch. For this reason, the level of a tracking error signal is high. Therefore, the coarse movement supply servo equalizer 8 acts to generate relatively large vibrations Q1 and Q2 near t3 and t4. These vibrations are input to the coarse movement motor driver 12, and the coarse movement motor 10 is rotatably driven to move the head 4.
In the conventional recording/reproducing apparatus, with respect to a scratch in the disk, tracking servo is held after a defective signal is detected. However, since a coarse movement stop mechanism is interlocked with the tracking servo, a coarse movement stop operation is also performed after the scratch is detected. For this reason, vibration is generated when the head passes through the scratch, and the vibration is given to the head to easily cause a track skip (off track) to occur.


An electromagnetic wave shielding filter comprises a transparent substrate 11, and a metal mesh layer 21 with line parts 107 that define openings 105 of the mesh, laminated to one surface of the transparent substrate 11 by an adhesive 13. A first blackening layer 25A and an anticorrosive layer 23A are successively formed on the surfaces, on the transparent substrate side, of the line parts 107 of the metal mesh layer 21. A second blackening layer 25B is formed on surfaces, on the side opposite to the transparent substrate 11, of the line parts 107 of the metal mesh layer 21, and also on side faces of the line parts 107.

1. Background of the Invention
Advances in the performance of electrical and electronic equipment and the growing use of the same have caused an increase in electromagnetic interference in recent years. Displays such as CRTs and PDPs emit electromagnetic waves. A PDP is an assembly composed of a glass substrate having a data electrode and a fluorescent layer, and a glass substrate having a transparent electrode. When operated, such a display not only emits visible light that produces an image, but also generates electromagnetic waves, near infrared rays, and heat in large amounts.
In general, a front panel containing an electromagnetic wave shielding filter is mounted on the front of a PDP in order to shield electromagnetic waves. The required efficiency in shielding electromagnetic waves in a frequency band of 30 MHz to 1 GHz, emitted from the front of the display, is 30 dB or more.
Further, to make an image displayed on the display highly visible, it is required that the electromagnetic wave shielding filter be not highly visible (or that the invisibility of the electromagnetic wave shielding filter be high) even in a place bright with extraneous light (sunlight, light emitted from electric lights, etc.), and that the front panel, as a whole, has moderate transparency (visible light transmission, visible light transmittance).
Furthermore, there is a demand for a production process by which the electromagnetic wave shielding filter can be produced in a decreased number of steps and with high productivity.
2. Prior Art
The following conventional processes have been usually used to produce electromagnetic wave shielding filters having metal mesh layers.
A known process for producing an electromagnetic wave shielding filter is that an electrically conductive black ink containing a black colorant is applied to a transparent substrate by intaglio offset printing to form a mesh pattern, which is then plated with a metal (see Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example). However, the electromagnetic wave shielding filter obtained in this manner is disadvantageous in that, since the metal layer present on the side opposite to the transparent substrate and the metal layer present on the side faces of the mesh reflect extraneous light and glisten, a displayed image appears white and the invisibility of the mesh is low. If a mesh made only from an electrically conductive black ink is used to impart the function of shielding electromagnetic waves in order to prevent a displayed image from appearing white and also to ensure the invisibility of the mesh, the electromagnetic wave shielding filter is to have insufficient electromagnetic wave shielding ability. Moreover, in the production process, the plating step takes a longer time because the electrically conductive ink has high electrical resistance, and this leads to low productivity.
Another known process for producing an electromagnetic wave shielding filter is as follows: a PET film (transparent substrate) and a copper layer are laminated with an adhesive layer; by a photo-etching process, this copper layer is made into a mesh consisting of a large number of openings and line parts surrounding these openings; and all of the bare portions (both faces and the side faces) of the line parts of the copper layer are subjected to blackening treatment (see Patent Document 3, for example). An electromagnetic wave shielding filter obtained in this manner shows sufficiently high electromagnetic wave shielding ability. In addition, it has improved invisibility of the mesh and increased ability to prevent a displayed image from appearing white in the light, as compared with the electromagnetic wave shielding filters containing bare metal layers, disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, chemical conversion treatment is conducted for the blackening treatment to produce needle crystals, so that before the copper layer covered with the blackening layer is laminated to a PET film, the blackening layer falls off or is deformed, and also readily undergoes change or decrease in blackness. Moreover, since high temperature treatment is conducted, the electromagnetic wave shielding filter tends to curl, and its external appearance thus becomes poor.
A further known process for producing an electromagnetic wave shielding filter is as follows: a hydrophilic resin layer containing a paradium catalyst is formed on a transparent substrate, and a metal comprising copper or nickel is deposited on this resin layer by electroless plating, thereby forming both a blackening layer and a metal layer on the back surface of the substrate; the blackening layer and the metal layer are then photolithographically made into a mesh; and another blackening layer, a black nickel layer, is formed on the face of the mesh and the side faces of the line parts of the mesh by electroplating to blacken the whole bare line parts. In this process, the blackening layer and the metal layer are continuously formed directly on the transparent substrate, so that the blackening layer does not easily fall off or deteriorate in the course of production. This process, however, is disadvantageous in that the metal layer and the blackening layer are easily separated from the transparent substrate because the strength and adhesive power of the hydrophilic resin is weak, and in that it takes a long time to form, by plating, the metal layer with a thickness (several tens of micrometers) great enough to shield electromagnetic waves.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 13088/2000,
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59079/2000,
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 9484/2002, and
Patent Document 4: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 77887/2000.

Electromagnetic wave shielding filter and process for producing the same


A system, method, and program for tracking usage and reporting available resource information of a wireless communication device, such as a mobile telephone. A server, wireless device, or both, keeps a record of available resources for the wireless device. In one embodiment, a server receives a request for an application from the wireless device, enables the application, and tracks the time for which the application is enabled. After the application is stopped, the server adjusts the record of available resources to reflect the time consumed by the application and provides the updated available resource information to the wireless handset. The wireless device can assist in such monitoring of available resources, with either data storage, processing, or both.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to wireless telecommunication. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for providing information regarding the use of a wireless communication device and customization of a services plan for the wireless communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The competition in the wireless telecommunications market has increased as the technology advances and the wireless communications service becomes more affordable. In order to attract new subscribers and increase the market share, wireless service providers offer a variety of service plans that fit different needs. For example, for a salesperson who is on the road most of time, a service plan for a larger fee that offers a large number of free prime time minutes and free long distance may be more desirable. Yet, for a non-working person, a service plan for a lower fee with a small number of free prime time minutes and a larger number of free weekend minutes may be more adequate.
When a user signs up for a wireless service provider, he may be offered a service plan with a specific allocation of air time minutes, such as prime time, evening or weekend minutes and, for a fixed price and when the user exceeds these limits, the user will be charged additionally. Though, the user has been informed of these limits, it is difficult for him to remember these limits and it is very difficult for him to know when his use is actively approaching these limits.

Wireless communications services pay plan customizer and notifier


A method and system for accommodating at least one high priority data element from a plurality of data elements written into a ring buffer including a processor that preempts a ring buffer by modifying at least one of the data elements previously written to the ring buffer to create modified data elements in response to detecting a high priority data element to be written into the ring buffer. The processor modifies the plurality of data elements previously written to the ring buffer to create the modified data elements. The processor resubmits to the ring buffer at least one of the data elements corresponding to at least one of the modified data elements for execution by a graphics co-processor in response to processing the at least one high priority data element.

A computer, and other devices, are known to include a central processing unit, system memory, video graphics circuitry, audio processing circuitry, and peripheral interface ports. In such devices, the central processing unit functions as a host processor while the video graphics circuit (e.g., a graphics co-processor) functions as a loosely coupled co-processor. In general, the host processor executes applications, and during execution, calls upon the co-processor to execute its particular function. For example, if the host processor requires a drawing operation to be performed, it requests via a data element, (such as a command, instruction, pointer to another command, group of commands or instructions, address, and any data associated with the command), the video graphics co-processor to perform the drawing function through a command delivery system.
Processing systems that include at least one host processor, memory, and at least one co-processor are known to use a ring buffer to facilitate the exchange of commands between the host processors and the co-processor(s). The host processor generates multiple data elements (e.g. commands) that relate to a particular application (for example, graphics application, word processing application, drafting application, presentation application, spreadsheet application, video game application, etc.). The host processor writes data elements into a memory queue which is organized in a ring buffer manner to form a ring buffer queue. As the host processor enters the data elements into the ring buffer, it updates a write pointer sequentially which indicates the most current address of the data element written into the ring buffer. The co-processor reads the data elements from the ring buffer and performs a co-processor function in support of the particular application (i.e. executes the commands). As the co-processor reads data elements from the ring buffer, it sequentially updates a read pointer location which indicates the most recently read data element from the ring buffer, or executed data element. The co-processor and host processor exchange the updated write and read pointer locations as they are updated such that both the co-processor and host processor have current records of the read and write pointer locations. The host processor communicates with the co-processors via a handshaking protocol so that the host processor can continuously provide data elements to the ring buffer for consumption by the co-processor.
However, the co-processor, i.e., graphics processor, can suffer from large latencies in retrieving high priority commands, such as certain graphics rendering commands. This is due in part, because each data element in the ring buffer must be executed sequentially before a subsequent data element, such as before a high priority command may be executed. As a result, the execution of data elements requiring the execution of large sequences of rendering commands stored in the ring buffer, for example, must be processed sequentially in the ring buffer without regard to the relative priority between any new data element (e.g. the high priority command). In the event a high priority command is received by the host processor, current processing systems do not typically allow the insertion of a high priority command in the ring buffer queue ahead of any previously submitted but unprocessed data element sequences. As a result, once a high priority command is received by a host processor, the host processor must insert the high priority command at the end of the ring buffer.
Another system proposes the coordination of processing multiple tasks using cooperative multi-tasking between processors. However, with cooperative multi-tasking, the host processor relies on each application to use the co-processor in a manner that is cooperative with the other applications. Each application controls the amount of time that the co-processor provides to each application. However, since each application controls the amount of time the co-processor dedicates to each application, there is a strong tendency for at least one application to monopolize the co-processor. Further, the host or the co-processor has no means to apply a higher priority to any commands from a particular application relative to any previously submitted commands from another application.
Another method to solve the problem of providing co-processor resources to a high priority application is for the host computer to completely or partially reset the operation of the co-processor whenever a higher priority application requests service from the co-processor. This method will restore the co-processor to its initial power-on state. However, this solution suffers from excessive complexity in the resetting and restoring of the co-processor. This method also suffers from the potential corruption of the application and the operating system environment due to the reset of the co-processor. Further, resetting of the co-processor may result in excessive restoration time.
Also, generally, no-operation data fields "NOP" are known for use in instruction fields of computer commands. However, the modification of a command in a ring buffer queue to include a no-operation data field can present a problem. Although a processor may cause a co-processor to skip execution of commands in a ring buffer queue, the execution of these commands is not performed. As a result, the modification of commands in a ring buffer queue may lead to the corruption of the application or operating system because the execution of commands associated with the application or operating system in the ring buffer is skipped.

System and method for processing high priority data elements


An infrared sensitive silver halide photographic element which contains an infrared-absorbing dye represented by the following formula ##STR1## wherein: R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each independently represents a sulfoalkyl or a sulfatoalkyl group,. Q represents the atoms necessary to complete a 5- to 6- membered carbocyclic ring, PA1 Z.sub.3 represents the atoms necessary to complete a 5-membered N-containing aromatic ring, PA1 X.sup.- represents an anion, PA1 n is an integer of 1 or 2, provided that n is 1 when the dye forms an intramolecular salt, and PA1 Z.sub.1 and Z.sub.2 each independently represents the atoms necessary to complete a substituted or unsubstituted indole nucleus.

In the field of silver halide photographic elements, it is a common practice to incorporate into a layer of the photographic element appropriate dyes absorbing specific wavelengths of light. Said dyes may be used in any layer of the photographic element, such as an interlayer, a radiation sensitive layer, an overcoat layer, an undercoat layer, a backing layer, and may be used for a variety of purposes, such as filter dyes, antihalation dyes, antiirradiation dyes or for the sensitivity control of the photographic emulsion.
The layers of the photographic elements to be added with the dyes are usually made of gelatin or other hydrophilic colloids. The dyes should have an appropriate spectral absorption according to the intended use, should be photographically inert (not affording adverse effects--such as a decrease of sensitivity, fading of the latent image, and fogging--on the performance of the silver halide emulsion layer), should be decolored or dissolved and removed during the photographic processing, and should leave little or no stain in the processed film.
Recently, information recording equipment using semiconductor laser diodes emitting in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum have been developed which require silver halide photographic elements sensitive in the same area. Examples of said equipments are the laser scanners using laser diodes which have a much longer operational life and are less expensive and smaller than conventional gas lasers such as helium-neon or argon lasers. The infrared sensitive silver halide photographic elements for use with laser scanners using laser diodes need dyes for halation prevention and irradiation prevention. These dyes must absorb light in the infrared region. To this purpose, many infrared absorbing dyes have been hitherto proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,800 discloses indolotricarbocyanine dyes having two sulfoalkyl groups for use in antihalation layers, which, however, leave a greenish stain after processing. To solve the problem of staining, indolotricarbocyanine dyes for use as infrared absorbing dyes have been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,839,265; 4,871,656; 4,876,181 and 4,933,269 and in European Patent Application Nos. 342,576 and 342,939.
A problem with these dyes is the inability to have adequate spectral absorption in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Usually said dyes have an absorbance maximum in the desired wavelength range in molecular form but aggregate to cause a shift in the maximum absorbance wavelength. Accordingly, a deaggregating compound is usually necessary to enable said dyes to have the desired absorption maximum wavelength. Deaggregants, however, can cause adverse photographic effects, such as speed loss during storage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,656 discloses certain indolotricarbocyanine infrared filter dyes which do not require a deaggregant, because said dyes have an absorbance maximum in the desired wavelength range in the molecular form and do not aggregate. Such dyes in order not to have the molecular absorption at wavelengths that are too short are preferably benz[e]indoletricarbocyanine dyes. However, benz[e]indole rings are prepared from dangerous naphthylamine starting compounds. Accordingly, there is still the need to provide infrared absorbing filter dyes having the molecular absorption in the desired wavelength range to be useful as infrared filter dyes, without the shift to the desired wavelength range brought about by aggregation, and which can be synthetized using non-toxic intermediates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,269 describes indolotricarbocyanine infrared absorbing filter dyes, having a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring attached to the methine chain. Examples of heterocyclic rings include piperidine, pyrrolidine, indoline, 3-pyrroline, piperazine, morpholine, thiomorpholine, and other saturated heterocyclic rings. However, it has been noted in the present invention that the filter dyes of U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,269 display radiation in absorption at wavelengths at or beyond 750 nm, when they are benz[e]indolotricarbocyanine dyes and can aggregate.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


The present invention is included in an operating assembly for lowering into a wellbore on a wireline, tubular conveyance, or the like, or for use in a horizontal application, for initiating or setting off pyrotechnic, explosive, or propellant elements of that operating assembly, and comprises a firing head and an initiation assembly that are arranged for lowering into the wellbore, from a well head. The firing head provides for the extension of a striker plunger therefrom that travels into the initiating assembly to both arm it and to impact a piezoelectric device therein whose deformation generates an electrical current which fires an array of flashbulbs that excite a laser rod. The excited laser rod produces a laser beam that is passed through a fiberoptic cable or is split to pass through a plurality of fiberoptic cables to detonate initiation charges or to provide a cascading initiation of a number of initiation devices that each fire single or multiple pyrotechnic, explosive or propellant elements individually or in a cascading action.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for the initiation of pyrotechnic, explosive, or propellant elements as are used in a wellbore and particularly to the safety of such devices both within and without the wellbore.
2. Background
The use of explosive devices within a wellbore can be traced to the early days of the petroleum industry when explosives, most notably, highly unstable nitroglycerin, were dropped free into wells to make the well "come-in" or produce. Use of explosives or propellants has, over the years, taken many forms, most notably: perforating; explosive fracturing; use of propellant (gas generator) powered devices for setting anchors or packers; tubing/casing cutting; and back-off tools. These systems must all be actuated or initiated by a deflagrating or detonating device whose function is controlled by a command action or signal. An initiating system consists of four basis elements: (1) a conveyance means to transport and locate the system within the wellbore; (2) a command path to send the firing signal; (3) an initiation charge (explosive, pyrotechnic, etc.) and (4) any safety controls or interlocks within the system. These initiating systems are generally of three types: percussive--a mechanical, impact-actuated device such as the primer in small arms ammunition; electrical--either a hot wire bridge (as the filament in a light bulb) or a spark-gap (as in an automotive spark plug); or an exploding wire or foil system in which an extremely high current is passed through the device causing a shock wave to be generated that is sufficient to cause sympathetic detonation of the initiating charge, operating similar to triggering devices utilized in nuclear devices.
Each of the above have operational problems that the present invention corrects or improves upon. Percussive systems utilize a primary, and hence sensitive, explosive as the initiator, that has a potential for sensitivity to mechanical shock. Electrically triggered systems require that wires be attached to the initiation charge, which wires can then act as antennae, making the system susceptible to accidental initiation from EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference), RFI (Radio Frequency Interference), EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse), and ESD (ElectroStatic Discharge). To mitigate this potential it is not unusual for all other operations on and around the drilling rig to be curtailed or restricted during these operations. While exploding wire/foil systems are much less susceptible to accidental discharge from extraneous stimuli, they require substantial surface support and are inherently costly, thereby limiting their general usage in the industry.
The system of the present invention not only addresses the safety concerns set out above, both within and without the wellbore, by providing an enhanced insensitivity to both electric and mechanical shock stimuli, it also provides a simple to use system with attendant lower costs that make it more generally usable within the industry.

System for the initiation of downhole explosive and propellant systems


Hand cast gels, and solutions for their preparation, are described.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is widely used in biotechnology laboratories for the processing of biological samples to separate the biomolecules present in the samples for identification, and in some cases to quantify the separated species. Protein mixtures, peptide mixtures, and mixtures of DNA, RNA, and fragments of DNA and RNA can all be separated on polyacrylamide gels. For protein mixtures, a particularly useful form of PAGE is SDS-PAGE where the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) is included in the sample. All proteins consist of linked amino acid residues and each protein folds naturally into a three-dimensional shape that is characteristic of, and distinctive for, each individual protein. Thus, both the amino acid sequence and the shape of the folded protein differ from one protein to the next. In the presence of SDS, however, proteins become denatured, i.e., they unfold and thereby lose their characteristic three-dimensional shapes. All denatured proteins therefore have the same shape and can be separated in SDS-PAGE on the sole basis of their molecular weight. Since proteins differ in the numbers and types of amino acids, different proteins generally have different molecular weights, and the range of molecular weights of common proteins is large.
Certain proteins are very close in molecular weight, however, which makes them difficult to separate in SDS-PAGE. To separate such proteins, or to optimize their resolution, SDS-PAGE is typically performed in a discontinuous gel, i.e., a composite gel that consists of a "stacking" or "stacker" gel cast above a "resolving" (also known as a "separating") gel, where the stacker gel has a lower polyacrylamide concentration and thus a higher porosity. The stacker and resolving gels meet at an interface where the stepwise change in porosity occurs, and in certain cases the interface also includes a stepwise change in pH from approximately neutral or slightly acidic (pH 6.6 to 7.0) in the stacker gel to basic (pH 8.6 to 9.0) in the resolving gel. Despite these discontinuities, solutes, buffer solutions, and electric currents can travel freely across the interface from one part of the gel to the other. The combined gels are oriented in a vertical position with the stacker gel above the resolving gel, and samples are initially placed at the top edge of the stacker gel. An appropriately polarized electrical field is then imposed to cause the proteins in the samples to migrate downward through the stacker gel toward the interface and into the resolving gel. During the initial stages of the migration, the proteins collect at the interface in a single sharp band. The proteins then continue their migration and enter the resolving gel, where the single band separates into multiple bands representing individual proteins. The percentage of acrylamide in the resolving gel can be varied to achieve optimal separation of the proteins. In general, however, large proteins will separate most readily in resolving gels of relatively low percentage while small proteins will separate most readily in resolving gels of high percentage.
Unfortunately, casting a gel is a time-consuming and labor-intensive procedure, and for this reason it has become commonplace for researchers to purchase pre-formed gels rather than to cast a gel at its point of use. Purchased gels are typically referred to as "precast gels" while those prepared in the laboratory are referred to as "hand-cast gels." Manufacturers of precast gels have developed gels that have a number of advantages over hand-cast gels. For example, the resolution in a polyacrylamide gel tends to decline after a few days of storage, and for this reason hand-cast gels are typically prepared shortly before use. Manufacturers have addressed this problem by formulating precast gels in ways that increase their longevity to a year or more. Another difficulty concerns the electric field strength at which a gel is run and the length of time involved in completing a run. Hand-cast gels are typically run at low field strength to avoid heating the gel during the run, since heating causes artifacts in the experiment, and the lower the field strength the longer the time required to achieve protein separation. Manufacturers have responded to this problem by formulating pre-cast gels that can withstand high field strengths without showing anomalies due to heating. Disclosures of gel formulations that address these problems are found in Rowell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,282,800 B2 (Oct. 9, 2012), and Petersen et al., United States Pre-Grant Publication No. US 2010/0187114 A1 (Jul. 29, 2012).
Once a gel is run, the scientist typically either stains the gel in order to visualize the proteins separated within the gel or transfers the separated protein bands in the gel to a membrane for further processing or identification. Staining the gel is typically achieved by applying chemical stains or dyes which are often hazardous chemicals. Staining also takes time. Manufacturers of pre-cast gels have addressed this problem by formulating gels that enable proteins to be visualized without the use of stains or dyes, thereby eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals and reducing the amount of time required to detect the proteins. For example, Bio-Rad Laboratories (Hercules, Calif.) sells Stain-Free™ gel systems. The process of transferring proteins to a membrane is known as a "western blot," and involves performing the transfer in such a way that retains the separation of the individual proteins, and particularly the relative locations of the individual protein bands in the gel. Such a transfer allows the scientist to perform analyses that cannot be performed on a gel. Such analyses include immunoassays, for example, since the antibodies used in immunoassays are too large to enter the gel efficiently but can easily contact proteins on a membrane. All proteins, including those in stain-free gels, can be blotted to a membrane, adding further to the convenience of the scientist and the speed of the experiment. Some precast gels, like Bio-Rad Laboratories' TGX and TGX Stain-Free gels allow quicker transfer of proteins from gel to membrane.
While pre-cast gels have advantages, they also have disadvantages. One disadvantage is that they are more expensive than hand-cast gels, since the manufacturer will pass on to the user the cost of making, storing, and distributing the gels. A second disadvantage is that the user is limited to the types of gels that the manufacturers make available. With hand-cast gels, the user can customize the resolving gel by personally selecting monomer solutions of specific compositions to meet the special needs or interests of a particular experiment, but such flexibility is typically unavailable with precast gels. Despite its benefits, therefore, hand cast gels typically lack many of the desirable properties of manufactured pre-cast gels, including the ability to store gels for future use, run the gels quickly, visualize proteins without staining procedures, and quickly transfer the protein bands from the gels to membranes and confirm successful protein transfer on membrane without staining

Polyacrylamide gels for rapid casting, blotting, and imaging, with storage stability


The present invention provides a compact scanner apparatus having a tunnel with a conveyor passing therethrough. A scanning beam, e.g. an X-ray beam, is mounted in the tunnel to view an object being moved on the conveyor. Upper and lower isolation device curtains are mounted at the tunnel entry. Either a single curtain or multiple curtains are mounted at the exit of the tunnel. The lower curtains are opposed pairs hinged to pivot as the object passes through. The upper curtains may be hinged pairs or a single swinging curtain hanging down from a support bar. Alternate embodiments provide bi-directional hinged curtains or multiple tiers of hinged curtains.

Tunnelized scanners or processors, including X-ray or risk contraband scanners, are used for detecting contraband at schools, warehouses, correctional facilities, mail screening, courthouse security, airports, and commercial inspection applications. These scanners employ a tunnel housing, typically shielded and often wired in part about the tunnel isolation devices (curtains), a conveying device, a bed assembly housing in which the conveying device is located, and outer skins. The tunnel housing typically has a top portion and side portions, which together with a top surface of the conveyor bed assembly housing, form a substantially enclosed area. The tunnel housing is also formed with entrance and exit openings that are covered by isolation device curtains. The conveyor devices are typically conveyor belts, and may be rollers or other conveyor means. An example of prior art scanners is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,629 entitled Compact Scanner Apparatus And Method.
An isolation device substantially covers each of the tunnel entrance and exit openings and is typically in the form of slit curtains containing lead held in a vinyl or fabric sheet. One slit leaded fabric curtain is attached to a flat bracket or framing at the entrance opening, and the other slit leaded fabric curtain is attached at the exit opening. Isolation devices permit the passage of conveyed objects into the substantially enclosed area formed by the tunnel housing and the top portion of the bed assembly housing. The fabric curtains are typically X-ray scatter lead shielded, and may also substantially shield light, noise, heat, cold, moisture, welding sparks, electrostatic or electromagnetic fields, dust, gasses or chemical vapors while the conveyed objects are being analyzed, imaged, processed or treated.
A disadvantage to the prior art is that the height of the tunnel determines the length of the tunnel due to the fact that if the hanging curtain is too close to the scanner beam when the curtain is pushed back by the object being conveyed, it would obscure the X-ray scan beam or other source of radiation or linear or confined matter needing to be contained for safety, and therefore block or distort the imaging or processing.
Therefore, the length of the tunnel in the prior art must be at least twice the height of the tunnel. These long lengths result in long, bulky machines that are difficult to transport, including through elevators, store and to locate at sites where space is at a premium. The prior art machines are heavier, use substantially more structural and other material and safety shielding material, generally more attachment points and welds, and are more expensive. For the above reasons, prior art scanner apparatus are more difficult to see around (or easier to hide behind due to larger size). Cost of space per square meter is constantly rising, and tunnel scanning apparatus are popular in cities and high rise government buildings.


An information recording device and method capable of forming a recording mark by suppressing thermal interference. The device applies a laser beam to a recording medium and forms a recording mark in accordance with a recording signal. The device includes a light source for emitting the laser beam, signal generation elements for generating a recording pulse signal according to the recording signal, and drive elements for driving the light source according to the recording pulse signal. The recording pulse signal has a mark period for forming the recording mark and a space period. The recording pulse signal makes the level in the entire space period equal to or shorter than a predetermined length and a part of the space period longer than the predetermined length to be off level. While the recording pulse signal is off level, the recording medium is cooled down, thereby suppressing the affect of thermal interference.

Onto a recordable or rewritable optical disc such as a DVD-R (DVD-Recordable) or a DVD-RW (DVD-Rerecordable), information is recorded thereon by irradiating a laser light on a recording surface of the disc. At the areas on the recording surface of the optical disc where the laser light is irradiated, the property of the optical recording medium forming the optical disc is physically changed because of the increased temperature. This produces recording marks on the recording surface.
Namely, the laser light is modulated by recording pulses having time widths corresponding to information to be recorded, so that the laser pulses having lengths corresponding to information to be recorded are generated and irradiated on the optical disc. Thus, recording marks having lengths corresponding to the information to be recorded can be formed on the optical disc.
One approach recently used is control of a laser power to form a recording mark by a pulse train portion having a plurality of short pulses (referred to as "pulse train"), rather than by a single laser pulse. This approach, called "write strategy", introduces less heat accumulation on the recording surface of the optical disc in comparison with the approach irradiating a single recording laser pulse. Therefore, uniform temperature distribution can be achieved on the recording surface on which the recording marks are formed. This can prevent undesired teardrop-shaped recording marks from being formed, and enables the formation of the recording marks of preferred shape.
In the above-mentioned write strategy, there is no problem at the time of normal-speed recording. However, since a clock becomes high speed at the time of high speed recording, control of the recording pulse for driving the recording laser becomes difficult. In this view, there is proposed a technique of using a recording pulse waveform including a top pulse period, a last pulse period and an intermediate bias period therebetween, instead of the recording pulse waveform including the pulse train, at the time of the high speed recording (see Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open under No. 2003-77128 and No. 2003-85753, for example).
Even when the above-mentioned recording pulse waveform is used, there occurs a problem of a thermal interference in such a case that a space period between the continuous recording marks is short or the laser power in the space period is large. The thermal interference is that heat given to the recording surface of the optical disc by irradiation of the recording laser at the time of recording a certain recording mark gives an adverse effect on the recording of the next recording mark as residual heat. If the thermal interference occurs, a starting position and a length of the recording mark formed after the short space period are changed, and a recording mark of an appropriate shape cannot be formed.

Information recording device and information recording method


A product orienting and loading system includes a powered disk conveyor which receives product to be oriented from an infeed conveyor. A turntable is parallel to the support plane of the disk conveyor and is movable between a lowered position below the support plane and a raised position above the support plane and accommodating rotation of the turntable to orient the product. The turntable has cruciform slots for respectively receiving the disks to allow the turntable to pass to its lowered position in any of several rotational orientations spaced 90.degree. apart. The reoriented product is transferred to an endless window conveyor overlying a container supported at a loading level of a loading station. A counter-rotating pusher shifts the product through the window of the window conveyor into the container while the window conveyor moves the container in a discharge direction. Empty containers are delivered to the loading station at a delivery level from which a first elevator lifts them to a standby level and then to an access level, from which they are picked up by a second elevator and carried to the loading level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in apparatus orienting articles to a proper loading orientation and for loading articles into a container. More specifically, the invention relates to the loading of pliable packages of fragile items, such as bakery goods, into containers, such as trays or baskets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior product orienting and loading systems are known, one such system being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,263 to Schneider et al. That system reorients the product by the use of a turntable disposed beneath the upper flight of a window conveyor. Thus, the apparatus must push the product twice during the reorienting operation. First of all, the window conveyor carriers or pushes the product against a stop which holds it while the window conveyor runs out beneath it to allow the product to drop through the window onto the turntable. Then, after the turntable has reoriented the product, the conveyor section of the window conveyor engages the product and pushes it off the turntable. These pushing operations can damage delicate and fragile products, such as bakery products. Furthermore, because of these pushing operations, only certain patterns of product can be accommodated on the turntable without being disturbed by the pushing operations.
The Schneider et al. system also utilizes a window conveyor in loading the product into a container. In that system the speed of the loading operation is limited by the speed of movement of the loading window conveyor.
The Schneider et al. system has a lift mechanism for lifting an empty container from a delivery conveyor to a loading position at which it is transferred to a container support for loading. Pass through of containers on the container conveyor cannot continue until the lift mechanism has been returned to its lowered position. This complicates delivery of containers to a series of orienting and loading machines stationed along the container conveyor.


An organic light emitting diode display may include a front display part including a plurality of front pixels formed on a substrate and realizing an image at a front and a side display part. A side pixel of the side display part may include: a plurality of thin film transistors formed on the substrate; a protective layer covering the plurality of thin film transistor and having an inclination groove that is oblique; a first electrode formed at the inclination groove of the protective layer; a pixel defining layer having an opening exposing the first electrode and formed on the protective layer; an organic emission layer formed on the first electrode and the pixel defining layer; and a second electrode covering the organic emission layer.

Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.
Description of the Background
An organic light emitting diode display includes two electrodes and an organic light emitting member disposed therebetween. Electrons injected from one electrode and holes is injected from the other electrode are combined in the organic light emitting member to form excitons, and light is emitted as the excitons release energy.
For applying the OLED display to various types of applications, a flexible OLED display is manufactured to be flexible. In flexible OLED displays, a bendable OLED display is bent at an edge, thereby having a structure in which a front display part is realized without dead space and simultaneously a side display part that can be visible at a side is realized.
However, the bendable OLED display is manufactured with reference to the front display part such that maximum luminance may be obtained at a viewing angle of 0 degrees, that is, at the front side, but the luminance is sharply deteriorated at the bending display part.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is provided to enhance understanding of the background of the present disclosure and therefore may contain information that does not form prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A rotary-to-linear conversion mechanism includes a rotation transmission member, a shaft member threadedly fitted to the rotation transmission member so that a rotation and linear motion of the shaft member are enabled, and a ball-and-ramp mechanism threadedly fitted to the shaft member, which is configured to apply a thrust in the axial direction to a piston through the rotation of the shaft member. The shaft member includes a first thread formed on one end side thereof, and a second thread formed on the other end side thereof. A rotation friction torque of the first thread is larger than a rotation friction torque of the second thread.

Some related-art disc brakes include a rotation restriction mechanism (ratchet mechanism) for holding a braking force during application of a parking brake and the like in a planetary gear speed reduction mechanism (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-169248 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2014-92165).
However, in the disc brake disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-169248, a mechanism for holding the braking force is complex, resulting in a fear of a decrease in a manufacturing efficiency of the disc brake.


The disclosure discloses a method for displaying a point of information of a map, a device, and a storage medium. The detailed implementation includes: obtaining a display position of a target point of information (POI) to be displayed; on a target electronic map displayed at a preset scale, determining a position relationship between the display position of the target POI and an influence region of each POI located in the target electronic map; and displaying information of the target POI at the display position of the target electronic map in response to the display position of the target POI being located outside the influence region of each POI in the target electronic map. With the technical solution of the disclosure, when the POI is displayed, the display efficiency and the intelligence degree are improved, the POI overlapping with its surrounding POIs is improved, and the overall display effect is ensured.

On an electronic map, a map POI (point of information) may represent a shop, a bus stop or a road.
The POIs displayed on the electronic map may be different when the electronic map is displayed at different scales. The smaller the scale, the more the number of POIs displayed, and the richer types of the POIs. In the related art, when the POIs are updated, all of the updated POIs are rearranged and displayed on the electronic map displayed at various scales.

Method for displaying point of information of map, device, and readable storage medium

BEIJNG BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Provided is a liquid level measuring technique capable of measuring a liquid level with high accuracy even if a liquid stored in a container is boiling. The liquid level measuring apparatus includes: ultrasonic sensors each configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave, the ultrasonic sensors being respectively set at a plurality of positions on an outer surface of a container that stores a liquid; a transmission/reception controlling unit configured to set, as a target, any one of the ultrasonic sensors at the plurality of positions and control the transmission and reception of the ultrasonic wave of the target; an intensity detecting unit configured to detect an intensity of the ultrasonic wave that satisfies at least 2≦N (N: natural number), of the ultrasonic waves that are reflected N times on an inner surface of the container; a gas/liquid determining unit configured to determine which of the liquid and a gas a reflection point on the inner surface is in contact with, on a basis of the detected intensity of the ultrasonic wave; and a level determining unit configured to determine a liquid level of the liquid on a basis of gas/liquid determination results respectively derived by the ultrasonic sensors at the plurality of positions.

A liquid level measuring technique using ultrasonic waves involves: placing ultrasonic sensors on an outer surface of a container that stores a liquid; transmitting ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic sensors; and utilizing a phenomenon in which an intensity attenuation rate of each echo wave that is received after being reflected on an inner surface of the container is different depending on whether a reflection point of the echo wave is in contact with the liquid or a gas.
That is, an ultrasonic wave reflected on an interface between the gas and the container hardly attenuates, whereas an ultrasonic wave reflected on an interface between the liquid and the container observably attenuates.
Then, a liquid level is measured by recognizing which of the gas and the liquid a placement position of each of the plurality of ultrasonic sensors along a vertical direction of the inner surface of the container is adjacent to (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Liquid level measuring apparatus, method, and program


An objective lens is described, which is switchable between a far-field mode and a near-field mode. The objective lens comprises a lens, an optical element having a variable refractive index and a solid immersion lens, which are disposed on a common optical axis, wherein the optical element is arranged at a convex side of the solid immersion lens and has a top and a bottom surface arranged adjacent to each other in a direction of the optical axis, the bottom surface having a concave shape that is adapted to the shape of the convex side of the solid immersion lens and the top surface having a curvature that is lower than a curvature of the convex side of the solid immersion lens, and wherein a difference between a refractive index of the optical element and the solid immersion lens is small in the far-field mode so that the solid immersion lens and the optical element act substantially as a single optical element in the far-field mode, whereas the difference is large in the near-field mode so that the optical effect of the solid immersion lens is significant in the near-field mode.

Nowadays information technology is confronted with an increasing amount of data, due to more complex or multimedia applications. Accordingly, removable data storage devices with a high storage capacity are needed, e.g. for high resolution movies or video games. Well at the beginning of information technology, magnetic storage devices were favored, while nowadays, optical storage media such as CD (Compact Disk), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) or BD (Blu-Ray Disk) are dominating the market for removable data storage media.
Optical data storage is generally limited by the optical resolution of the read/write-system. Straightforward methods of increasing the optical resolution involve widening of the focused beam and opening angle, i.e. the numerical aperture NA, at the costs of lens complexity. Further approaches are narrowing the allowable tilt margins for the optical recording media or reducing the wavelength of the scanning laser into the blue or near-UV range. A different approach for reducing the focus spot size in an optical data storage system is using near-field optics with a high numerical aperture. This high numerical aperture is generally achieved by help of a solid immersion lens (SIL). While conventional systems like CD, DVD or BD operate in the optical far-field regime, which is described by classical optics, the aforementioned new systems work in the optical near-field regime, which is described by near-field optics. For conventional systems the working distance, i.e. the air gap between the surface of the optical storage medium and the first optical surface of the read/write-head, is in the scale of 100 μm. In contrast, systems making use of near-field optics need a very small working distance or air gap, which is in the scale of 50 nm. An optical storage system for recording and/or reading making use of near-field optics is disclosed in WO 2005/104109 A1.
To provide compatibility between different storage media, so called compatible drives are needed. These drives are capable of reading from and/or writing to storage media belonging to different media generations, e.g. Blu-Ray disks as well as near-field optical storage media. Consequently, the optical head of such a compatible drive needs to be able to work in the far-field regime as well as in the near-field regime. A known approach is to include two objective lenses in the optical head of the respective data storage apparatus. The first objective lens is used in the far-field regime, whereas the second objective lens is used in the near-field regime. Each objective lens is designed for its specific purpose. However, such optical heads are usually fragile and expensive.
An alternative solution is disclosed in JP 2000-163792. An optical head includes an objective lens that is composed of a lens and an optical unit. The optical unit has a correction board and a solid immersion lens. For near-field operation the lens and the optical unit are arranged in the beam path. For far-field operation the optical unit is moved out of the beam path.

Objective lens and optical data storage apparatus comprising the objective lens