A combined electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) is disclosed adapted to generate both SH-type acoustic waves and LAMB-type acoustic waves in a conductive casing, surroundings of which are to be analyzed. The transducer comprises one magnet assembly and two RF coils implemented as multi-layer printed circuit board. Each coil is used to generate or receive acoustic signals of one wave type. Compared to using two single-wave-type transducers the combined EMAT significantly reduces total attraction force to the casing and, correspondingly, simplifies mechanics of the measurement tool. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field evaluating the integrity of bonds that adhere wellbore casing to a wellbore. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus of producing and detecting acoustic forces within a wellbore casing to evaluate the integrity of the casing.
2. Description of Related Art
As illustrated in FIG. 1 wellbores typically comprise casing 8 set within the wellbore 5, where the casing 8 is bonded to the wellbore by adding cement 9 within the annulus formed between the outer diameter of the casing 8 and the inner diameter of the wellbore 5. The cement bond not only adheres to the casing 8 within the wellbore 5, but also serves to isolate adjacent zones (e.g. Z1 and Z2) within an earth formation 18. Isolating adjacent zones can be important when one of the zones contains oil or gas and the other zone includes a non-hydrocarbon fluid such as water. Should the cement 9 surrounding the casing 8 be defective and fail to provide isolation of the adjacent zones, water or other undesirable fluid can migrate into the hydrocarbon producing zone thus diluting or contaminating the hydrocarbons within the producing zone, and increasing production costs, delaying production or inhibiting resource recovery.
To detect possible defective cement bonds, downhole tools 14 have been developed for analyzing the integrity of the cement 9 bonding the casing 8 to the wellbore 5. These downhole tools 14 are lowered into the wellbore 5 by wireline 10 in combination with a pulley 12 and typically include transducers 16 disposed on their outer surface formed to be acoustically coupled to the fluid in the borehole. These transducers 16 are generally capable of emitting acoustic waves into the casing 8 and recording the amplitude of the acoustic waves as they travel, or propagate, across the casing 8. Characteristics of the cement bond, such as its efficacy, integrity and adherence to the casing, can be determined by analyzing characteristics of the acoustic wave such as attenuation. Typically the transducers 16 are piezoelectric devices having a piezoelectric crystal that converts electrical energy into mechanical vibrations or oscillations transmitting acoustic wave to the casing 8. Piezoelectric devices typically couple to a casing 8 through a coupling medium found in the wellbore. Coupling mediums include liquids that are typically found in wellbores. When coupling mediums are present between the piezoelectric device and the casing 8, they can communicate the mechanical vibrations from the piezoelectric device to the casing 8. However, lower density fluids such as gas or air and high viscosity fluids such as some drilling mud may not provide adequate coupling between a piezoelectric device and the casing 8. Furthermore, the presence of sludge, scale, or other like matter on the inner circumference of the casing 8 can detrimentally affect the efficacy of a bond log acquired with a piezoelectric device. Thus for piezoelectric devices to provide meaningful bond log results, they must cleanly contact the inner surface of the casing 8 or be employed in wellbores, or wellbore zones, having liquid within the casing 8. Another drawback faced when employing piezoelectric devices for use in bond logging operations involves the limitation of variant waveforms produced by these devices. Fluids required to couple the wave from the transducer to the casing only conduct compressional waves, thus limiting the wave types that can be induced in or received from the casing. A great deal of information is derivable from variant acoustical waveforms that could be used in evaluating casing, casing bonds, and possibly even conditions in the formation 18. Therefore, there exists a need to conduct bond logging operations without the presence of a particular couplant. A need exists for a bond logging device capable of emitting and propagating into wellbore casing numerous types of waveforms, and recording the waveforms.
Electromagnetic-acoustic transducers (EMATs) have been used in non-destructive testing. An EMAT acts through the following physical principles. When a wire is placed near the surface of an electrically conducting object and is driven by a current at the desired ultrasonic frequency, eddy currents are induced in a near surface region of the object. If a static magnetic field is also present, these eddy currents experience Lorentz forces. These forces cause an acoustic excitation in the object. In a reciprocal use, an electric signal will be generated in the wire as a result of acoustic excitation in a metal placed close to a permanent magnet. Attenuation and/or reflection of the acoustic waves bear information on the defects and surroundings of the object. An EMAT is typically designed to producing a single waveform, such as shear horizontal waves (SH) or Lamb waves.
Various EMAT design configurations have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,486 to Vasile discloses an EMAT including a source of magnetic flux for establishing a static magnetic field, an electrical conductor for conducting an alternating current in the static magnetic field, and an electrically conductive nonmagnetic shield disposes between the source of magnetic flux and the conductor. U.S. Pat. No. 7,024,935 to Paige et al. discloses an EMAT including a magnetic unit arranged to be moved relative to the material under test to magnetize a surface layer of the material, and an electrical winding supplied by an alternating current source, the magnetic unit and the electric winding, in use, being applied in sequence to the material under test whereby the electrical winding is positioned adjacent the material subsequent to magnetization thereof by the magnetic unit, the alternating magnetic flux created by the winding interacting with the remanent magnetization of the material to create ultrasonic vibration of the material.
If different excitation modes are used to characterize the object, then an array of two or more transducers is generally used. The total attraction force between the object and the array of transducers may dramatically complicate mechanics related to placing and moving the array with respect to the object.
Therefore, there exists a need for a device and method to perform acoustic testing in a borehole casing that reduces the amount of placing and moving of the transducers with respect to the object being examined.

Combined electro-magnetic acoustic transducer


In a fabrication machine of sea island type optical fiber having a plurality of wings by spinning, when a sea part polymer is insufficiently supplied into space between the adjacent wings to cause fusion of the adjacent wings, failing in producing an optical fiber having the desired optical characteristics. The present invention solved this problem. A guide member introduces the sea part polymer supplied from sea part polymer inlets into flow paths or slits between projection wings of a partition wall for a flow path control of an island part. A sufficient amount of sea part polymer is supplied to the space between the adjacent wings of an island part of the obtained optical fiber and an optical fiber having the desired optical characteristics can be obtained.

The present invention relates to a fabrication machine of high performance optical fiber using a melt spinning method, and more particularly to a fabrication machine for reliably spinning high performance sea island optical fiber composed of at least two kinds of fibers into a predetermined shape.
Conventionally, a coloring structural body in which color is changed depending on a direction to be seen and which is elegant and high-grade feeling and has a color tone of higher saturation, has been required from users' multi-taste and high rank orientation. This requirement cannot be achieved by only coloring matters such as dyes, pigments and the like but by a structural body colored by reflection, interference, diffraction or scattering of light, or a combination of this coloring function and such coloring matters, and deeply and vividly coloring structural bodies have been energetically researched and developed.
Many proposals have so far been done, for example, a composite fiber constituted by at least two resins with different optical refractive indexes, having pearly luster (Japanese Patent Publication Gazette No. 43-14185, Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette No. 1-139803); a coloring material having a sandwich construction composed of one molecular orientation anisotropic film and two polarizing films sandwiching the film between (Proceedings of the Textile Machinery Society of Japan, Vol. 42, No. 2, p. 55 and No. 10, p. 60, 1989); a coloring structural body utilizing the coloring of Morphinae butterfly from South America, which is famous for which the color tone is changed depending on a direction to be seen and has vivid color tone efficiency (Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette No. Sho 59-228042, Japanese Patent Publication Gazette No. 60-24847, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63-64535); and a structural body emitting an interference color by forming fine slits having a fixed width on fiber surface (Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette No. 62-170510, Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette No. 63-120642).
However, for these coloring structural bodies, various problems arise for their practical uses, for example, it is difficult to control conditions for attaining a predetermined function, and a spinneret suitable for keeping a composite fiber having a complicated shape cannot be obtained.
The present applicants have developed coloring optical fiber having a vivid color taste changeable in a direction to be seen and a reflection interference function without a change with the elapse of time (Japanese Patent Laid Open Gazette No. 6-17349). This optical fiber has a cross section of a sea island type, as shown in FIG. 1a, and comprises a core 1 extending in a longitudinal direction, six pairs of wing portions 2 connected to, and arranged with slits therebetween on, both the sides of the core 1, the core 1 and the wing portions 2 constituting an island part 3, and a sea part 4 filling up the periphery of the island parts 3 and the slits between the wing portions 2. The island part 3 and the sea part 4 of the sea island type optical fiber are made different in their optical refractive indexes to provide an optical fiber having a vivid color and a color taste changeable in a direction to be seen. Usually, the sea part of the optical fiber is dissolved and only the island part is used as the optical fiber, as shown in FIG. 1b.
In order to manifest the optical function of this optical fiber, it is necessary to ensure the foregoing shape and dimensions. The above described optical fiber is constituted by the wing portions having a thickness of approximately 0.01 to 0.1 mm, and it is the most essential point in the steps from the polymer dissolution to the fiber preparation to certainly separate the slits between the adjacent wind portions 2 to maintain the predetermined shape. However, when spinning the molten polymer, the spacing between the adjacent wing portions 2 is narrow and a mutual contact or fusion is often caused in the wing portions 2.
In order to solve this drawback, the present applicant has developed a spinneret for use in fabricating an optical fiber, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 (Japanese Patent Application No. 7-28519 and Japanese Patent Application No. 7-28521). FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, seen from the lower side, of a spinneret for fabricating an optical fiber, omitting a lower funnel-shaped nozzle portion and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of the spinneret shown in FIG. 2, including the lower nozzle portion.
In FIGS. 2 and 3, the spinneret 5 includes a ring-shaped spinning head 8 having polymer inlets 6 and 7 for the island and sea parts 3 and 4, a bottom 9, and a concavo-convex-shaped partition wall 10 for a flow path control of the island part 3, mounted on the bottom 9, so as to surround the space corresponding to the island part 3 in its upper half. The spinneret 5 also includes a spinning seat 12 having a funnel-shaped spinning nozzle 11 in its center under the spinning head 8 in its lower half.
In FIG. 3, as shown by arrows, a polymer for the island part 3 is introduced from the polymer inlet 6 into the inside of the partition wall 10 and another polymer for the sea part 4 from the polymer inlet 7 into the peripheral space of the partition wall 10, resulting in forming the shapes corresponding to the island part 3 and the sea part 4 of the optical fiber, as shown in FIG. 1a, in conformity to the internal and external shapes of the partition wall 10. The two polymers contact their conforming surfaces to each other to integrate, while moving down in the spinning nozzle 11, to spin into a sea island type optical fiber, as shown in FIG. 1a.
In this spinning method, when the sea part polymer is introduced form the polymer inlet 7 into the space or slits 13 of the adjacent external projection wings of the partition wall 10 shown in FIG. 2, the sea part polymer enters the slits sufficiently between the adjacent wing portions 2 and the spinning is carried out as it is. As a result, the adjacent wind portions 2 are spun into the predetermined shape without a welding to produce an optical fiber having the foregoing desired characteristics.
However, as described above, this optical fiber is of a very fine size, and the slits between the adjacent wing portions 2 are finer. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 3, two flow paths of the sea part polymer are formed in the spinneret 5 of the optical fiber, that is, the flow path passing through the slits 13 and the flow path not passing through the slits 13. When the polymer passes through the slits 13, the resistance against the polymer flow is rather high. Accordingly, almost all the sea part polymer comes into the funnel-shaped spinning nozzle 11 without passing through the slits 13, and the spinning is liable to be performed in the state that a sufficient amount of the sea part polymer is not supplied within the slits between the wings 2 shown in FIG. 1a.
When the height of the projected partition wall 10 is high, the chance that the polymer enters the slits 13 becomes large, the amount of the polymer passing through the slits 13 increases. However, concerning the actual aspect of processing, it is pretty difficult to carry out a machining of such fine partition wall 10. In particular, when the height of the partition wall 10 increases, the machining becomes more difficult. Accordingly, it is demanded that the height of the partition wall 10 is restricted to be low, but in such a low partition wall, the amount of the polymer passing through the slits 13 is apt to further diminish.
In the optical fiber spun in this manner, the adjacent wing portions 2 tend to contact to each other or to be fusible, and the optical fiber often fails to have the required optical characteristics. This is a main cause to prevent from its practical use.
As described above, the optical fiber is spun as a fiber having very fine concave-convex surfaces. In such an optical fiber, in order to manifest a reflection interference function, assuming that a thickness and an optical refractive index of wing portions are db and nb, respectively, and a thickness and an optical refractive index of air space between the wing portions are da and na, respectively, and that a reflection wavelength of light is .lambda. in a case of a vertical incidence of light, the following formula is given: EQU .lambda.=2(nada+nbdb) (1)
Particularly, when both are equal in their optical thickness, that is, nada=nbdb, the optical function is maximum. The optical thickness is defined as a "geometric thickness (simple `thickness` usually used).times.optical refractive index" of each of the wing portions and the air space between the wing portions.
Accordingly, a thickness of one wing portion is a value which is obtained by dividing the reflection wavelength .lambda. (coloring wavelength in a visible light area) by 4 times of the optical refractive index of the island part fiber. For example, in the case of blue color, when the island part is formed by a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) polymer with respect to a blue color wavelength=0.47 mm, this value is divided by 4 times of the optical refractive index 1.56 of the PET polymer to obtain the thickness approximately 0.08 mm of the wing portions. It has been found that, when the optical fiber is provided with at least 8 slices of fine wings, the coloring effect is raised. Even when the spacing of the air space between the wind portions is determined to 0.12 mm, the thickness of one optical fiber is 8.times.0.08 mm+7.times.0.12 mm=1.48 mm which is still very fine. On the other hand, When optical fibers having different optical thicknesses are produced by using the same spinneret, the discharge amount ratio between the sea part polymer and the island part polymer to be supplied into the spinning nozzle 11 shown in FIG. 3 is controlled. When the amount of the sea part polymer to be supplied into the spinning nozzle 11 is more than that of the island part polymer, the amount of the sea part polymer occupied in the cross section of the optical fiber after the spinning is much and an optical fiber having a small size island part is obtained, as shown in FIG. 1c, and by dissolving out the sea part, a small size optical fiber having the same shape as shown in FIG. 1b can be prepared.
In such a small size optical fiber, if a further sufficient amount of sea part polymer is not supplied into the slits between the wing portions, an optical fiber is not spun into the predetermined shape and an optical fiber having the further desired optical characteristics cannot be provided.


The present invention provides an image display device in which peripheral circuits including a D/A converter are integrated on a glass substrate while realizing high-precision image display. An image display device of the invention has a display area (100) constructed by a plurality of pixels (1). Serial data and commands input from signal lines (s1 and s2) are input to a buffer circuit (10) via an interface circuit (14) and a D/A converter (11). An output of the buffer circuit is input to the horizontal shift register (13) and sequentially scanned and written to the signal line 2. A vertical shift register 8 switches a pixel switch 4 of a pixel to which the image signal is to be written to the on state via a gate line 3, and the pixel displays the optical characteristics according to the written image signal. A buffer circuit made of single crystal Si and a supply voltage-generating circuit (32) for the buffer circuit are provided on an FPC, and other circuits made of polycrystalline Si are provided on the glass substrate 6.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device in which peripheral circuits can be integrated on a glass substrate and, more particularly, to an image display device suitable for high-precision display.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Prior arts will be described hereinbelow with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an image display device of a first prior art. Pixels 201 are provided in the shape of a matrix in a display area 200, and signal lines 200 and gate lines 203 are connected to the pixels 201. Although a number of pixels 201 are provided in the display area 200 in reality, only one pixel is shown in FIG. 6 for simplification of the drawing. The pixel 201 is constructed by a pixel switch 204 formed by an amorphous Si-TFT (Thin Film Transistor) and a liquid crystal element 205. The display area 200 is provided on a glass substrate 206. An end of the gate line 203 is connected to a shift register (S/R) 208 provided in a gate driver LSI 207 disposed in contact with the glass substrate 206. An end of the signal line 202 is connected to a buffer circuit 210 provided in a liquid crystal driver LSI 209 disposed in contact with the glass substrate 206. The buffer circuit 210 is sequentially connected to a digital/analog converter (hereinbelow, called "D/A converter") 211, a latch circuit 212, and a shift register 213. The shift register 213 is connected to a not-shown external terminal via an interface circuit (I/F) 214 and a signal line "s".
Next, the operation of the first prior art shown in FIG. 6 will be described. Image data input from the external terminal to the liquid crystal driver LSI 209 via the signal line "s" and the interface circuit 214 is written into the latch circuit 212 provided for each column via the shift register 213. The latch circuit 212 inputs the written image data to the D/A converter 211 on the row unit basis. An image signal voltage output from the D/A converter 211 is written into the signal line 202 provided for the glass substrate 206 via the buffer circuit 210. The shift register circuit 208 provided in the gate driver LSI 207 switches the pixel switch 204 to which the image signal voltage is to be written to the on state via the predetermined gate line 203. In such a manner, the predetermined image signal voltage is written into the liquid crystal element 205 of the pixel selected. After that, the liquid crystal element 205 displays optical characteristics according to the written image signal voltage, thereby displaying a predetermined image in the display area 200.
Such a prior art is used for a most common product at present in a general amorphous Si-TFT display and is disclosed in, for example, "Liquid Display Technique" written and compiled by Shoichi Matsumoto, Sangyo Tosho, 1996; pp. 68–70 (non-patent document 1).
To improve the first prior art, the following technique has been researched and developed in recent years. In the first prior art, the amorphous Si-TFT is provided on the glass substrate 206 and, in order to integrate circuit elements other than the pixel switch 204 on the same substrate, a peripheral LSI chip has to be mounted, so that the cost is high.
In contrast, in the following second prior art, a polycrystalline Si-TFT is provided on the glass substrate 206, so that not only the pixel switch 204 but also peripheral driving circuits which are conventionally integrated to the gate driver LSI 207 and the liquid crystal driver LSI 209 can be integrated on the same glass substrate 206.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an image display device of a second prior art. In the display area 200, the pixels 201 are provided in the shape of a matrix. To the pixel 201, the signal line 202 and the gate line 203 are connected. Although a number of pixels 201 are provided in the display area 200 in reality, for simplicity of the drawing, only one pixel is shown in FIG. 7. The pixel 201 is constructed by a pixel switch 204P formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT and the liquid crystal element 205. The display area 200 is provided on the glass substrate 206. An end of the gate line 203 is connected to a shift register 208P commonly provided on the glass substrate 206. The shift register 208P is also formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT. An end of the signal line 202 is connected to a buffer circuit 210P commonly provided on the glass substrate 206. The buffer circuit 210P is sequentially connected to a D/A converter 211P, a latch circuit 212P, and a shift register 213P. The shift register 213P is connected to a not-shown external terminal via the interface circuit 214 provided on the outside of the glass substrate 206 as a single crystal Si-LSI and the signal line "s". Each of the buffer circuit 210P, D/A converter 211P, latch circuit 212P, and shift register circuit 213P is formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT.
Next, the operation of the second prior art shown in FIG. 7 will be described. Image data input from the external terminal via the signal line "s" is input to the glass substrate 206 via the interface circuit 214 provided as a single crystal Si-LSI and written into the latch circuit 212P provided for each column via the shift register 213P. The latch circuit 212P inputs the written image data to the D/A converter 211P on the row unit basis. An image signal voltage which is output from the D/A converter 211 is written into the signal line 202 via the buffer circuit 210P. At this time, the shift register 208P switches the pixel switch 204P in a pixel row to which the image signal voltage is to be written to the on state via the predetermined gate line 203. In such a manner, the predetermined image signal voltage is written into the liquid crystal element 205 of the pixel selected. After that, the liquid crystal element 205 displays optical characteristics according to the written image signal voltage, thereby displaying a predetermined image in the display area 200.
The second prior art has advantages such that, as compared with the first prior art, the peripheral LSIs such as the gate driver LSI 207 and the liquid crystal driver LSI 209 can be reduced and the number of output terminals of the glass substrate 206 can be reduced. Consequently, the second prior art is being researched and developed vigorously in recent years. Such a prior art is specifically described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-328659 (Patent Document 1).
It can be said that the second prior art aims at reduction of the peripheral LSIs by forming the functions of the peripheral LSIs of a liquid crystal display on the same glass substrate 206 as that in the liquid crystal display by using polycrystalline Si-TFT.
Further, on an extension of the idea, the following third prior art is being studied recently. In the second prior art, the peripheral drive LSIs are integrated on the glass substrate 206. The third prior art aims at integration of even a peripheral system onto the same glass substrate 206 by using polycrystalline Si-TFTs.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an image display device of the third prior art. In the display area 200, the pixels 201 are provided in the shape of a matrix. To the pixels 201, the signal lines 202 and the gate lines 203 are connected. Although a number of pixels 201 are provided in the display area 200 in reality, for simplicity of the drawing, only one pixel is shown in FIG. 8. The pixel 201 is constructed by the pixel switch 204P formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT and the liquid crystal element 205. The display area 200 is provided on the glass substrate 206. An end of the gate line 203 is connected to the shift register circuit 208P commonly provided on the glass substrate 206. The shift register circuit 208P is also formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT. An end of the signal line 202 is connected to a driver circuit (DRV) 220 provided for the glass substrate 206. The driver circuit 220 includes the buffer circuit 210P, D/A converter 211P, latch circuit 212P, and shift register circuit 213P which are provided in the second prior art and corresponds to the liquid crystal driver LSI 209 in the first prior art. The driver circuit 220 is further connected to a frame memory (FMEM) 222 and a CPU 223 via a timing controller (T-CTL) 221. Moreover, a supply voltage-generating circuit 224 is formed on the glass substrate 206 by using a polycrystalline Si-TFT in a manner similar to the driver circuit 220, timing controller 221, frame memory 222, and CPU 223.
Next, the operation of the third prior art shown in FIG. 8 will be described. Image data which is read from the frame memory 222 under control of the CPU 223 is written into the driver circuit 220 via the timing controller 221. The driver circuit 220 converts the image data into an image signal voltage and writes the image signal voltage to the signal line 202 at a predetermined timing. At the same time, the timing controller 221 controls the shift register 208P. The shift register 208P switches the pixel switch 204P in a pixel row to which the image signal voltage is to be written to the on state via the predetermined gate line 203. In such a manner, the predetermined image signal voltage is written into the liquid crystal element 205 of the pixel 201 selected. After that, the liquid crystal element 205 displays optical characteristics according to the written image signal voltage, thereby displaying a predetermined image in the display area 200.
The third prior art has advantages such that, as compared with the second prior art, the peripheral mounting system such as the timing controller 221, frame memory 222, CPU 223, and supply voltage-generating circuit 224 can be also reduced, and is generally called a system-in display technique. Such a prior art is described in, for example, "Digest of Technical Papers, AM-LCD, '01, "System on Panel for Mobile Displays", pp. 5–8) (Non-Patent Document 2).
In each of the foregoing prior arts, the advantages obtained by forming the polycrystalline Si-TFTs on the glass substrate are used for reducing the peripheral LSIs and the peripheral mounting system. Another technique of using the polycrystalline Si-TFT will be described as a fourth prior art. The fourth prior art is a technique used for, for example, a view finder of a digital still camera of a relatively small number of pixels and is directed to simplify the liquid crystal driver LSI in the first prior art.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an image display device of a fourth prior art. In the display area 200, the pixels 201 are provided in the shape of a matrix. To the pixels 201, the signal lines 202 and the gate lines 203 are connected. Although a number of pixels 201 are provided in the display area 200 in reality, for simplicity of the drawing, only one pixel is shown in FIG. 9. The pixel 201 is constructed by the pixel switch 204P formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT and the liquid crystal element 205. The display area 200 is provided on the glass substrate 206. An end of the gate line 203 is connected to the shift register 208P commonly provided for the glass substrate 206. The shift register 208P is also formed by a polycrystalline Si-TFT. An end of the signal line 202 is connected to the shift register 213P formed by using a polycrystalline Si-TFT on the glass substrate 206. The shift register circuit 213P is connected to a not-shown external terminal via the buffer circuit 210, D/A converter 211, interface circuit 214, and signal line "s" which are formed by using single crystal Si on the outside of the glass substrate 206.
Next, the operation of the fourth prior art shown in FIG. 9 will be described. Image data input from the external terminal via the signal line "s" and the interface circuit 214 to the D/A converter 211 is converted to an image signal voltage and is input to the shift register 213P provided for the glass substrate 206 via the buffer circuit 210. The shift register 213P writes the image signal voltage to the signal line 202 provided for each column. At this time, the shift register 208P switches the pixel switch 204P in a pixel row to which the image signal voltage is to be written to the on state via the predetermined gate line 203. In such a manner, the predetermined image signal voltage is written into the liquid crystal element 205 of the pixel selected. The liquid crystal element 205 displays optical characteristics according to the written image signal voltage, thereby displaying a predetermined image in the display area 200.
Such a prior art is a technique different from the second prior art aiming at simplification of the liquid crystal driver LSI in the first prior art as described above and is used for, particularly, a display having a small number of pixels. The prior art is disclosed in, for example, Sanyo Semiconductor News of Sanyo Electric, No. N7635, "ALP249FXX-LCD module" (Non-Patent Document 3).


A gas-operated firearm having a novel bolt construction that includes a locking roller that delays momentarily the action of the bolt upon the firing of the firearm, such delay permitting the bullet to exit the barrel before the bolt can move. The delay is achieved by tapping a portion of the gas generated by the cartridge only after the bullet passes a gas port in the gun barrel to release the locking roller.

The invention relates to models of firearms with locking roller bolts. More specifically, the present invention relates to a new bolt for firearms. The new bolt brake locks with a locking roller and is designed for two different models. One bolt is designed for a blow back operated weapon which fires from a closed bolt. The second bolt is designed for gas operated firearms which fire from a closed bolt. It should be recognized, however, that various aspects of the invention could also be utilized in other types of firearms such as pistols, rifles, shot guns, machine guns, and the like.
While there have been many bolts of various sorts, each had it's disadvantages. The new bolt characteristics are simple but are more efficient than other bolts because the new bolt is highly resistant to shock and is adaptable for highly stressed firearms such as high powered rifles, machine guns, and other applications.
The assembled bolt parts are: the bolt receiver, the bolt head, and locking roller which are easy to assemble and disassemble as needed. When the bolt is moved back and forth it cleans the space where it works.
Accordingly, It has been considered desirable to develop a new firearm bolt construction that would overcome the difficulties of it's predecessors while providing better and more advantageous overall results.
The first construction of the new bolt operates on a mechanical blow back while the second construction operates on gas. The normal firing cycle begins with the detonation of the cartridge primer. After the bullet passes a gas port in the barrel, a portion of the gas is tapped to drive a piston and it's bolt carrier to the rear. At this time the bolt cam releases the locking roller to the bolt head.
The firearms are provided with a handle grip which contains a battery pack and an electrical panel. The firearms contain a mini flashlight and laser beam. The firearms also provide a new rear sight invention, and contain a new automatic lubricating pump.


Systems and methods for variable block size early termination for video coding are described. In one aspect a set of thresholds are selected based on block sizes in a video encoding scheme. The thresholds include a respective threshold for each block size used by the encoding scheme. For each macroblock of multiple macroblocks in a video data sequence, blocks in the macroblock are evaluated in view of respective threshold(s) to determine if motion estimation operations can be terminated prior to evaluating remaining blocks in the macroblock.

Recent years have seen rapid development of video coding techniques. Generally, compression performance is improved along with an increase of encoding cost. H.264, as the newest joint standard of the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), has achieved a significant improvement in coding efficiency compared to previous standards, such as MPEG-1/2/4 and H.261/H.263. However, the complexity of H.264 is too high to be widely applied in real-time applications. One reason for this is due to motion estimation (ME) operations, which contribute a significant amount of encoding complexity to a video encoder.
ME is used to achieve compression between adjacent frames in a video data sequence by exploiting temporal redundancies. In a sequence of video frames, a current frame is predicted from a previous frame known as reference frame. The current frame is divided into macroblocks of a certain pixel size, which is selected as a trade-off between accuracy and encoding cost. Each macroblock is compared to a macroblock in the reference frame using some error measure, and the best matching macroblock is selected. The search is conducted over a predetermined search area. A vector denoting the displacement of the macroblock in the reference frame with respect to the macroblock in the current frame, is determined. This vector is known as motion vector
There are two existing techniques used to reduce the encoding cost of ME. The first one is to speed up the algorithms themselves. For ME, numerous fast algorithms have been proposed, such as Hexagon-based Search (HBS), Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search (EPZS), and hybrid Unsymmetrical-cross Multi-Hexagon-grid Search (UMHexagonS). Another technique to reduce the encoding cost of ME is to terminate the ME calculation early. By predicting the blocks whose discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients will quantize to zeros, some conventional methods effectively reduce the computations of ME. On the other hand, a significant portion of blocks have a zero motion vector after ME. Existing zero-motion detection (ZMD) algorithms detect such blocks by comparing their sum of absolute difference (SAD) with a predefined threshold and then skips the remaining search points.
Unfortunately, the conventional early termination methods such as those described above are all developed for previous coding schemes, such as H.263. They cannot be applied to H.264 longer with any success. This is because compared to H.263, where only two block sizes (16×16 and 8×8) are used, video encoding techniques may choose different block sizes, and may vary the size of the blocks within a given frame. For instance, seven block sizes varying from 16×16 to 4×4 are used in H.264.
Accordingly, systems and methods to reduce the encoding complexity of motion estimation operations in a video encoding scheme that uses different block sizes, and may vary the size of the blocks within a given frame, would be very useful.

Variable block size early termination for video coding


In an example embodiment, a method includes receiving, by an apparatus, streaming content over a first wireless carrier, from a source device; discovering, by the apparatus, wireless messages over a second wireless carrier, associated with presence of a wireless device capable of receiving streaming content over the first wireless carrier and capable of reproducing at least a portion of the received streaming content; determining, by the apparatus, that wireless messages received from another wireless device over the second wireless carrier, indicate a wireless device capable of receiving streaming content over the first wireless carrier and capable of reproducing at least a portion of the received streaming content; and activating, by the apparatus, over the second wireless carrier, a wireless connection with the other wireless device over the first wireless carrier, and forwarding the streaming content over the wireless connection to the other wireless device.

Modern society has adopted, and is becoming reliant upon, wireless communication devices for various purposes, such as, connecting users of the wireless communication devices with other users. Wireless communication devices can vary from battery powered handheld devices to stationary household and/or commercial devices utilizing electrical network as a power source. Due to rapid development of the wireless communication devices a number of areas capable of enabling entirely new types of communication applications have emerged.
An example of a wireless short-range communication technology is Bluetooth™ communication protocol, which operates in the 2.4 GHz ISM band. Bluetooth™ is a short-range radio network, originally intended as a cable replacement. Bluetooth™ Technical Specifications are published by the Bluetooth™ SIG, Inc. The Bluetooth™ Core Specification, Version 4.0, Bluetooth™ SIG, Jun. 30, 2010 (incorporated herein by reference), describes the Bluetooth™ protocol (BT) and the Bluetooth™ Low Energy protocol (BTLE).

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for multi-device output mode configuration


A camera is provided with a mechanism for supporting a user-controlled exposure mode in which a user can control the exposure time for the picture. A user first places the camera into the user-controlled exposure mode. Then, a user initiates the picture taking process, for example, by depressing a shutter button. The user then reviews the picture on a display as the picture develops. When the picture has the desired exposure, the user terminates the picture taking process by, for example, releasing the shutter button. In this manner, the user obtains a picture with the desired exposure without the delay, additional equipment, and guesswork involved in prior art approaches.

Low light situations create difficult conditions for photographers attempting to capture a scene under these low light conditions. Low light situations typically require a long exposure time for the camera to collect enough light for a useful and pleasing image.
Photographers have used long exposure times (e.g., many seconds to many minutes) in order to collect enough light for the image to be sensed. In one approach, light meters are employed in order for the photographer to gauge approximately how long to expose the film. Unfortunately, this process involves "trial and error" and guesswork.
When a film camera is utilized, a photographer "brackets" the scene by trying several exposure times, where there is one exposure time for each frame of film. When the film is later developed, the photographer simply picks the best exposure or the best overall image. As can be appreciated, this process wastes film and does not guarantee an acceptable image. Moreover, by the time the photographer realizes that the exposure times employed are incorrect, the scene is no longer available for capture. Consequently, this approach creates missed opportunities and the inability to go back in time to re-capture the scene.
When a digital camera is utilized, the problem is lessened in that the image can typically be reviewed by the photographer at the location of the image capture without the delay of having to process the film in a darkroom. In other words, the user receives feedback from a digital camera after the image is captured. For example, a photographer can view the pictures after the photographer shoots the picture. The user can then select the best pictures and delete the remaining pictures without wasting film. In this manner, the photographer does not waste money on developing film and printing photos that are not of value to the photographer.
However, even in this second approach that uses a digital camera, the selection of a "good" exposure occurs after the fact (i.e., after the picture has been taken). In the event the picture is not "good", the scene must be re-shot in order to obtain the proper exposure. As can be appreciated, this "trial and error" method can result in missed photographic opportunities in a variety of different situations. For example, a setting moon or other scene that has changing parameters.
Accordingly, it would be desirable for there to be a mechanism that provides visual feedback to the photographer during exposure of a picture so that a photographer can control the exposure time based on the visual feedback.
Based on the foregoing, there remains a need for a user-controlled exposure method and system with visual feedback that overcomes the disadvantages set forth previously.

Use-controlled exposure method and system with visual feedback

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A stent delivery system for positioning a first and second stent the first and second branch lumens of a bifurcation. The stent delivery system includes stent introducers and a sheath or catheter having a frangible wall. A method of delivering stents to anatomies such as bifurcated ducts or vessels.

Stents are elongate tubes that are used to prop open occluded or narrowed vessels or body lumens. Among other things, stents are often used to maintain the patency of the biliary tree, or common bile duct. FIG. 1 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a biliary system 2 showing the common bile duct 2a, the left hepatic duct 2b, the right hepatic duct 2c, the gall bladder 2d, the pancreas 2e and the duodenum 2f.
Strictures or occlusions that develop in the upper common bile duct and/or the left and right hepatic ducts can interfere with the proper drainage of those ducts. FIG. 2 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the biliary system 2 having strictures 3 within the common bile duct 2a, the left hepatic duct 2b and the right hepatic duct 2c. One method of establishing proper drainage through the diseased ducts is to prop open the ducts by placing stents, such as self-expanding biliary stents, within the diseased ducts. Because of the branched configuration of the duct anatomy it is often necessary to place two or more stents in an overlying or side-by-side configuration.
However, currently available stent and introducer geometries are such that placement of a first stent often impedes placement of a second stent. FIG. 3 illustrates the problems associated with the prior art method of placing stents in the common bile duct 2a and the left and right hepatic ducts 2b, 2c. That is, placing stent 16 within the common bile duct 2a and the left hepatic duct 2b impedes subsequent access to the stricture in the right hepatic duct 2c. This prevents placement of a stent in the right hepatic duct 2c.
FIG. 3A illustrates one problem encountered in the prior art by placing two stents sequentially. That is, once the first stent is deployed, it impedes insertion of the second introducer 20 used to deploy the second stent. An alternative to sequential deployment of the stents is simultaneous deployment. Simultaneous deployment, however, requires the side-by-side arrangement of two stent introducers within the working channel of an endoscope. Depending on the size of the stents to be placed and the limited size of the working channel of the endoscope, this option may be unworkable.
Consequently, there is a need for a self-expanding stent delivery system which overcomes the problems associated with prior art delivery systems. Specifically, there is a need for a self-expanding stent delivery system which allows the physician to sequentially place a first and second stent in the side branches and main lumen of a bifurcation.


A lighting device includes: first and second power feed terminals between which a light source of a light source device is configured to be electrically connected; a power supply circuit having output ends electrically connected respectively to the first and second power feed terminals and configured to output a DC power across the first and second power feed terminals; a control circuit configured to control the power supply circuit; and at least one identifying terminal for identifying a rated current of a light source. The control circuit is configured to identify a rated current of a light source connected between the first and second power feed terminals by detecting whether the identifying terminal is in floating state or not, and to control the power supply circuit so as to supply a current corresponding to the identified rated current through the first and second power feed terminals.

JP2005-93196A discloses a conventional example of a lighting device which is configured to be connected to a light source device including a light-emitting device (such as a light-emitting diode) and to light the light-emitting device of the light source device. The lighting device of the conventional example is configured to be connected to a light source device selected from predetermined two or more light source devices that have different rated currents.
In the conventional example, each of the two or more light source devices is provided with a resistor connected in parallel to a light-emitting device thereof, and the resistors of the two or more light source devices have different impedance (different resistance values) in accordance with the rated currents of the light sources.
Also, the lighting device of the conventional example is configured, before starting lighting a light-emitting device of a light source device connected thereto, to supply the light source device with a small current so as not to light the light-emitting device, and to measure a voltage drop in the light source device (i.e., measure a voltage drop across a resistor of the light source device). The lighting device is configured to identify a rated current of the light source device connected to the lighting device based on the measured voltage drop, and to supply the light source device with the identified rated current.
In a lighting device which is configured to identify a light source device connected thereto based on a voltage drop across a resistor (i.e., based on an impedance of the resistor) as in the conventional example, there is however a problem that the lighting device is liable to make wrong identification of a connected light source device owing to noise and/or fluctuation in impedance of the resistor caused by temperature fluctuation.

Lighting device and lighting system with the same

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


Provided is a development technique of supplying a developing bias voltage having DC and AC components to a developing roller thereby to supply a developer to a photosensitive surface of a photosensitive material, which can contribute to improvement of the image quality of an image to be developed. The image forming apparatus, includes: a developing roller for supplying a developer to a photosensitive surface of a photosensitive material carrying an electrostatic latent image thereby to make the electrostatic latent image visible; and a voltage control unit for supplying a combination of a predetermined DC voltage and a predetermined AC voltage as a developing bias voltage to the developing roller as well as controlling the predetermined AC voltage so that a relation between a circumferential speed N of the developing roller and a frequency f of the AC voltage is as follows: −0.097×N+61.17≦(f/N)≦−0.093×N+67.33.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a development technique by which a developing roller is used to supply a developer to a photosensitive surface of a photosensitive material, and particularly it relates to a technique of suppressing toner adhering to an out-of-image portion in dust, i.e. the occurrence of a so-called image fouling.
2. Description of the Related Art
As for a development technique of using a developing roller to supply a developer to a photosensitive surface of a photosensitive material thereby to make an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive surface visible, there has been known a technique of supplying a developing bias voltage having DC and AC components to the developing roller conventionally. The DC component of a developing bias voltage herein serves to make the developer adhere to the photosensitive surface. Also, the AC component of the developing bias voltage herein serves to force the developer adhering to the photosensitive surface to vibrate thereby to make clear the boundary between a region in the photosensitive surface where an electrostatic latent image is formed and a region with no latent image formed therein.
Conventionally, there has been known a technique such that a frequency range of AC component is set to the peak voltage value width of AC component or larger, for example, 1500 Hz or higher when the peak voltage Vp-p is set to 1500V, thereby to suppress the image fouling and improve the quality of an image (JP-A-2002-351198).
Further, when e.g. a circumferential speed N of a developing roller (magroller) is 300 mm/sec in the case where 10000 Hz is used at the time of a normal speed, the AC component reciprocates 100/3 times per millimeter. Therefore, there has been known a technique that in reducing the speed to 150 mm/sec while maintaining the relation, 100/3×150=5000 Hz and as such, the frequency is used for slowdown.
However, as in JP-A-2002-351198, in the case where the frequency f is set to 1500 Hz or higher when the peak voltage Vp-p is set to 1500V, the upper limit in setting the frequency is lost. In the case where there is no upper limit for the frequency, a phenomenon that an image and a character are dissipated on a photosensitive material when the frequency is excessively high will be caused. Further, in the case where the frequency is set to 1200 Hz when the peak voltage Vp-p is 1200V, "fouling characteristic" is not made satisfying. Satisfying "fouling characteristic" can not be achieved until the frequency is set to be a high frequency of 10000 Hz or higher. In other words, fouling characteristic can not be made satisfying until the frequency is made higher than the frequency lower limit condition defined in the above-described conventional technique (JP-A-2002-351198).
Further, in the case where the frequency of AC voltage is set to 10000 Hz when the circumferential speed N of the developing roller is 300 mm/sec and the fouling characteristic is satisfying with no dust, using the frequency, 100/3*150=5000 Hz, in reducing the circumferential speed N to 150 mm/s while maintaining a relation such that the AC component reciprocates 100/3 times per millimeter of the developing roller worsens the fouling characteristic. Moreover, in such case, a satisfying fouling characteristic can not be achieved until the frequency is set to a higher one. Still further, increasing the frequency of the developing bias voltage excessively increases the reciprocating motion (vibration) of the developer on the photosensitive surface and causes an image formed on the photosensitive surface by the developer to be dissipated, which can lead to degradation of image quality.

Image forming apparatus, process cartridge and developing method


A toner image fixing method for producing a fixed image having good image qualities without hot-offset even when toner having a relatively low fixing temperature is employed by an image forming apparatus having a fixing unit including two fixing members such that an image formed of thermofusible toner on an image supporting material is fixed by heating at a nipped section of the two fixing members, wherein a ratio of a first adhesion constant to a second adhesion constant, .mu..sub.s-b (1)/.mu..sub.s-b (2), of a surface of a fixing member contacting the thermofusible toner image is less than about 8.0. An adhesion constant .mu..sub.s-b (n) is represented by: EQU .mu..sub.s-b (n)=(cos .theta..sub.b -cos .theta..sub.s)/sin .theta..sub.b,. wherein n is 1 or 2, .theta..sub.b and .theta..sub.s represent a receding contact angle and a static contact angle of the surface of the fixing member, respectively, which are measured using a liquid having a dipole moment of greater than about 3.0 debye when n is 1 and measured using another liquid having a dipole moment of 0.0 debye when n is 2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner image fixing method for fixing a thermofusible toner image formed by electrophotography, electrostatic recording, electrostatic printing, and the like, and more particularly to a toner image fixing method for fixing a thermofusible toner image which has a relatively low fixing temperature and high tackiness when melted, such that the image is easily and completely fixed without unwanted adhesion to a fixing member of a fixing unit of an image forming apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Background
In an image forming apparatus using electrophotography, an image is generally formed according to the following steps:
(1) an electrostatic latent image is formed on an electrophotoconductor by various methods;
(2) the electrostatic latent image is developed with dry toner;
(3) the developed toner image is transferred to an image supporting material such as paper, for example; and
(4) the transferred toner image is fixed by application of heat and pressure to obtain a fixed toner image.
A heat roller fixing method is widely used as a fixing method for fixing a developed image with dry toner (hereinafter referred to as toner) because of the high heating efficiency. In a conventional heat roller fixing unit, a rotating heat fixing roller contacts a developed toner image on an image supporting material and forms a fixed toner image upon application of pressure. Immediately after the toner image on the image supporting material is released from the rotating heat fixing roller, the toner image is melted and tacky. If the releasability of the surface of the heat fixing roller from the toner image is insufficient, so-called "hot offset" occurs in which the melted toner image is transferred to the heat fixing roller and subsequently retransferred to another region on the image supporting material or to a following image supporting material.
In attempting to solve this problem, materials such as fluorine-containing polymers and silicone polymers, which have good releasability because of their relatively low surface free energy, have been proposed for use as the surface material of the heat fixing roller. For example, heat fixing rollers having a fluorine-containing polymer surface have been disclosed for use in so-called "oil-less" fixing methods in which the heat fixing roller does not require oil as a releasing agent.
Specific examples include:
(1) a heat fixing roller in which a resin layer containing carbon fluoride in an amount of 1 to 25% is formed on a metal roller (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 57-54968); PA0 (2) a heat fixing roller in which a layer of a fluorine-containing rubber and resin, having a content of fluorine-containing resin of 5 to 70% by weight, is formed on a metal roller (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 58-2864); PA0 (3) a heat fixing roller in which a perfluoroalkyl silicone compound having a CF3 group at an end of the polymer molecule is formed on a metal roller (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-36778); PA0 (4) a heat fixing roller having thereon a complex plating layer containing fine particles having lubricating and releasing properties (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-205966); PA0 (5) a heat fixing roller in which a fluorine-containing silicone compound is layered onto a roller substrate (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-273276); and PA0 (6) a heat fixing roller in which tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA) resin having a CF3 group at an end of the polymer molecule is layered onto a roller substrate (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-72934). PA0 (1) hot-offset often occurs at relatively low fixing temperatures of less than 150.degree. C., depending on the surface condition of the heat fixing rollers; and PA0 (2) a fixable temperature range, which represents the difference between a minimum toner fixing temperature and a minimum temperature below which hot-offset occurs, is often too narrow to be controlled by a conventional fixing unit. Therefore these heat fixing rollers are not practical to use. PA0 (1) a heat fixing roller whose surface has a center-line average roughness of greater than 0.5 .mu.m (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-168182); and PA0 (2) a heat fixing roller whose surface has a ten-point mean roughness of 1 to 100 .mu.m and a mean peak-to-peak length of 1 to 100 .mu.m (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 64-29882). PA0 (1) a heat fixing method in which fixed toner is released from a fixing unit after cooling (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-341672); and PA0 (2) a heat fixing method that uses a heat fixing roller and a pressure roller pressing the heat fixing roller, in which the heat fixing roller is rotated when the temperature of the heat fixing roller is lower than a specified temperature to avoid an uneven temperature distribution in the heat fixing roller (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-92851).
However, these heat fixing rollers have, for example, the following disadvantages:
In addition, methods for preventing hot-offset have been proposed, in which a physical property of the surface of a heat fixing roller is specified to obtain good releasability. The methods include:
However, these specified physical properties are measured in the absence of heat and pressure, so that these specified physical properties are not correlative with the adhesive and release properties of toner to a surface of a fixing roller when heat and pressure are applied thereto. Therefore, hot-offset is not solved by using these fixing rollers.
Further, a material having a relatively low static contact angle has been proposed for use in a heat fixing roller. However, the dynamic aspects of toner transfer in a heat fixing process is not correlative to merely a single factor of the static contact angle.
Furthermore, various constructionally improved fixing units have also been proposed, such as:
These constructional improvements to the fixing unit require modification of the entire image forming apparatus, which results in an increase in the manufacturing cost of the image forming apparatus.
Recently, the heat energy used for fixing has decreased because of the desire for high speed fixing for high speed recording and also to save heat energy. Accordingly, toner is required to have good adhesion to a recording material even at a relatively low fixing temperature. Therefore, the toner has to include a tacky resin having a relatively low softening point in order to have good thermosensitivity. However, this also results in the toner adhering to the surface of a heat fixing roller, which would normally have good releasability when used with a conventional toner having a normal fixing temperature, thus resulting in the occurrence of hot-offset.
Because of these reasons, a need exists for a toner fixing method that produces a good fixed image without hot-offset even when toner having a relatively low fixing temperature is used.


A method and system for providing integrated wireline/wireless voice messaging for a subscriber having a wireline telephone and a wireless handset utilizes a wireline switch supporting the wireline telephone and a wireless switch, in communication with the wireline switch, supporting the wireless handset. A voice message unit is coupled to the wireline switch and the wireless switch for receiving a voice message from a calling party for one of the wireline telephone and the wireless handset associated with the subscriber. The voice message unit then forwards the voice message to an integrated mailbox for storage therein and transmits a notification message upon receipt of the voice message to provide indication to the subscriber at both the wireline telephone and wireless handset of the stored voice message.

Voice message systems, also known as voice mail systems, have become common modes of communication amongst business persons and consumers alike. If a connection from a caller to a subscriber of a voice mail system is not completed, the call is forwarded to the voice mail system wherein the caller may leave a voice message in a "mailbox" having an address corresponding to the telephone number called. Subscribers, however, typically have two mailboxes; one for their wireless handset and one for their wireline telephone.
When a caller calls a telephone number associated with the subscriber's wireline telephone and is unable to be connected to the subscriber, the caller may leave a voice message for the subscriber. At this time, the service provider servicing the wireline telephone provides an indication to the subscriber that he/she has a voice message in their wireline mailbox. Similarly, when a caller calls a telephone number associated with the subscriber's wireless telephone and is unable to be connected to the subscriber, the caller may leave a voice message for the subscriber which is stored in the wireless mailbox. The wireless service provider then provides the subscriber with a separate indication, different from the wireline indication, that he/she has a voice message in their wireless mailbox.
In order to retrieve messages left in either mailbox, the subscriber must access each mailbox separately. That is, the subscriber must dial a wireline access number to retrieve messages associated with his/her wireline telephone as well as a wireless access number in order to retrieve messages associated with his/her wireless handset. This is timely and inefficient.
Thus, there exists a need for allowing a subscriber to efficiently retrieve voice messages associated with either his/her wireline telephone or wireless handset.

Method and system for providing integrated wireline/wireless voice messaging service


The seatbelt device includes: a current wound position detection unit; a driving state detection unit that detects a driving state of the vehicle to transmit a driving state detection signal; a driving state change determination unit that determines a driving state change status based on the driving state detection signal from the driving state detection unit to transmit a driving state change signal; a target wound position setting unit that sets a target wound position of the belt reel based on the current wound position detection signal and the driving state change signal; and a motor control unit that controls a current to be supplied to the motor so as to maintain a state in which the current wound position of the belt reel is equal to the target wound position in accordance with the driving state change signal.

Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-28312, filed Feb. 7, 2007, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-29114, filed Feb. 8, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seatbelt device for restraining an occupant who is seated in a seat of a vehicle using a webbing, and more particularly, to a seatbelt device of a vehicle having a pretensioner mechanism using a motor.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional seatbelt device that changes tension of the seatbelt in accordance with a driving state of a vehicle (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-291967) has been known.
In recent years, as such a seatbelt device, there has been proposed a practical seatbelt device which includes a motor for driving a belt reel to rotate and which controls tension of a webbing by driving the motor, in an emergency state or an unstable driving state so as to stabilize the posture of an occupant (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H06-286581).
The seatbelt device includes a pretensioner mechanism for pulling the webbing using a motor upon detecting a warning sign of a collision in addition to an emergency restraining unit for abruptly pulling the webbing using a large force that is generated by the explosive power of gunpowder when a large shock is input to a vehicle due to a collision and the like.
The conventional seatbelt device operates the pretensioner mechanism upon detecting a warning sign of the collision. However, comparatively large restraint force is necessary since the restraint force of the webbing has to maintain the posture of the occupant. For this reason, when a threshold value (e.g., a threshold deceleration value of a vehicle) at which the pretensioner mechanism starts to operate is set to a small value, it is uncomfortable for the occupant in that the pretensioner mechanism frequently and strongly restrains the occupant.
Accordingly, in the conventional seatbelt device, the threshold value at which the pretensioner mechanism starts to operate is set to a comparatively large value so that the pretensioner mechanism does not operate too frequently.
Currently, there has been a demand for a seatbelt device capable of pulling the webbing to stabilize the posture of the occupant who drives the vehicle not only upon detecting the warning sign of the collision, but also upon turning the vehicle or operating VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist: vehicle movement stabilization control system).
In the conventional seatbelt device, if only the tension of the seatbelt changes in accordance with the driving state of the vehicle, the restraint force for performing a protection restraint and for suppressing variation in the posture of the occupant may become considerably large. As a result, a problem arises in that it may cause unacceptable discomfort to the occupant.
Additionally, since a tension sensor for detecting the tension of the seatbelt needs to be provided additionally, the configuration of the apparatus becomes complex. Also, in a case where the seatbelt is controlled to be in a predetermined tension state, it is necessary to use a sufficient tension so as to be able to handle abrupt changes in the driving state of the vehicle. Additionally, since it is difficult to restrain the occupant in a desired state using relatively small tension, a problem arises in that it causes unacceptable discomfort when suppressing a variation in the posture of the occupant. In particular, when an abrupt variation in tension occurs due to a variation in the posture of the occupant, if the seatbelt is controlled to maintain a target tension state, a problem arises in that excessive tension occurs, causing unacceptable discomfort to the occupant, or, in the contrary, the seatbelt is loosened.


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device has a cell region and an end region adjacent to the cell region in a first direction and surrounding the cell region. A first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type is in the cell region and the end region. Guard rings of a second conductivity type are at a first surface in the end region. The guard rings surround the cell region. An insulating film is on the first surface in the end region. Conductive members are on the insulating film and separated from the guard rings in a second direction. A first conductive member has a cell-region-side edge above a central portion of a first guard ring. The first guard ring has an end-region-side edge below a central portion of the first conductive member.

A semiconductor material comprising silicon carbide (SiC) has dielectric breakdown strength about ten times that of silicon (Si), but silicon carbide contributes to the generation of high current in a power semiconductor device. With the generation of high current, an increase in breakdown voltage is also required at a terminal region of the semiconductor device.

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation


This disclosure describes techniques for regulating a kILIS factor (i.e., a load current-to-sensing current ratio) of a current sensing power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The techniques may include generating a reference voltage based on a configurable function that defines the reference voltage as a function of two or more main terminal voltages which are obtained at two or more different locations on a metallization that forms a main terminal of a current sensing power MOSFET, and regulating a sensing terminal of the current sensing power MOSFET at a voltage that is determined based on the reference voltage. Using a configurable function of two or more main terminal voltages to regulate a sensing terminal of a current sensing power MOSFET may allow the voltage at which the sensing terminal is regulated to be trimmed in order to improve the accuracy of the kILIS factor produced by the current sensing power MOSFET.

A power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) may be used to implement a voltage-controlled semiconductor switch that can handle relatively significant levels of power without breaking down. One type of power MOSFET is a current sensing power MOSFET. A current sensing power MOSFET may be used to implement a voltage-controlled semiconductor switch and to measure a load current that is flowing through the power semiconductor switch in a relatively efficient manner without requiring the use of separate current sensing resistors.
A current sensing power MOSFET may split a load current flowing through the current sensing power MOSFET into a main current that flows through a main current path and a sensing current that flows through a sensing current path. The ratio of the amplitude of the load current to the amplitude of the sensing current may be referred to as the kILIS factor of the current sensing power MOSFET (alternatively referred to as the "load current-to-sensing current ratio" of the current sensing power MOSFET).
If the kILIS factor of a particular current sensing power MOSFET is known, then measurement of the sensing current may be used along with the kILIS factor to determine the amount of load current flowing through the switch. Thus, the degree of accuracy of a load current measurement is dependent upon the degree of accuracy to which a current sensing power MOSFET actually produces a specified kILIS factor. Causing a current sensing power MOSFET to produce a specific kILIS factor with a relatively high degree of accuracy can present significant challenges.

Regulation of a load current-to-sensing current ratio in a current sensing power metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)


A determining portion first determines which an interpolation pixel position (a target position of image signal) which is positioned in a field that precedes a current field by one field is included in a motion region or a still region by using an image signal of current field and an image signal of two fields before to obtain a determine result of this time. The determining portion finally determines which the interpolation pixel position is included in a motion region or a still region based on the determined result of this time and the history information, which is read out of a memory through a history-information-read-processing portion, on a determined result of past predetermined times(s) corresponding to the interpolation pixel position to obtain a determined result. The memory stores the history information on a determined result of past predetermined times(s) corresponding to each interpolation pixel position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method for determining image region. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus and a method for determining that a target position of the image signal is included in either a motion region or a still region, and an apparatus and a method for processing an image signal.
2. Description of Related Art
An interlace-scheme image signal (interlaced signal) is employed in various image signals used in a television apparatus, a video apparatus and the like. A progressive-scheme image signal (progressive signal), on the other hands, is employed in image signals used in a computer. Thus, for example, in order to display images for the computer and the television on a computer display screen, the interlaced signal is converted into the progressive signal.
Since the interlaced signal constitutes a signal of one frame in which signals of lines are arranged one after the other as signals of odd field and even field, a flicker noise occurs if a fine horizontal line stays in an image. No flicker noise, however, occurs in the progressive signal along which a fine image is displayed even if a fine horizontal line stays in an image. In a recent case, a home-use television apparatus may convert the interlaced signals into the progressive signals therein and displays an image according to the progressive scheme.
According to the interlaced signal, one frame is composed of two fields of odd and even in which line signals are shifted to each other at intervals of one line, as shown in FIG. 1. If a conversion of such the interlaced signal into the progressive signal, namely, a so-called interlace-progressive (IP) conversion is performed, interpolation data (pixel data) is created on each line that includes no pixel data.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, motion detection processing is generally performed so that an image signal is divided into a motion region and a still region. In the motion region, the interpolation data is created from items of the pixel data, a1 and a2, of back-and-forth lines within the same field. In the still region, the interpolation data is created from items of the pixel data, b1 and b2, of the lines similar to each other within the back-and-forth fields.
Conventionally, relative to the motion detection processing in the IP conversion, for example, when an interpolation pixel position P is positioned in a field that precedes a current field by one field, as shown in FIG. 2, an absolute value of the difference data between pixel data "e" of a pixel position in the current field that corresponds to the interpolation pixel position P and pixel data "a" of a pixel position in a field that precedes the current field by two fields (or one frame) has been obtained as frame motion information (frame motion information for a target field). This absolute value of the difference data has been compared with a threshold value so that it can be determined that the corresponding interpolation pixel position P is included in either a motion region or a still region.
In a case where it is determined that the corresponding interpolated pixel position P is included in either a motion region or a still region by using only the frame motion information of the target field as described above, it may be accidentally determined that it is included in the still region, not the motion region, so that the data completely different therefrom is interpolated.
It has been proposed to store signals of various fields in the interlaced signal and perform the determination using not only the frame motion information of the target field but also the frame motion information of the field that precedes the target field by one field etc. to increase its determining accuracy.
According to such the determination using not only the frame motion information of the target field but also the frame motion information of the field that precedes the target field by one field etc., however, it is necessary to store signals of various fields in the interlaced signal. This causes memory capacity in storage device that is installed to be more increased, thus to enlarge a circuit scale.
The present invention alleviates the problems as mentioned above. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for determining image region, and the like by which determining accuracy of determining that a target pixel position is included in either a motion region or a still region is increased with memory capacity in storage device that is installed being prevented from being vastly increased.

Apparatus and method for determining image region


A video display apparatus includes a cathode ray tube and a high voltage transformer. The high voltage transformer incorporates a high voltage winding for producing an anode voltage in the cathode ray tube. The high voltage winding has a tap which provides a focus voltage for the electron gun assembly of the cathode ray tube. The transformer also includes a primary winding which is included in a resonant circuit. A third winding has a second portion that is wound to be closely coupled to the portion of the high voltage winding not associated with the generation of focus voltage. The third winding is coupled between the primary winding and a capacitor to produce a current that controls a variation of a ratio between the focus voltage and the anode voltage as a function of variation in a beam current in the cathode ray tube.

This invention relates to high voltage transformers for video display apparatus and, in particular, to high voltage transformers that utilize a tertiary winding to generate a focus voltage.
The electron gun assembly of a color cathode ray tube produces one or more electron beams which impinge upon a phosphor display screen in a predetermined pattern to form a scanned raster. The electron gun assembly is designed to produce a number of spatial regions of different voltage potentials through which the electron beam or beams pass. One of these voltage potential regions provide focusing of the beams so that the spots formed when the beams strike the display screen are of a desirable size and sharpness.
The focus voltage or potential may be generated by providing a tap on the high voltage or tertiary winding of the high voltage transformer. The electron gun assembly used in one prior art utilizes a high voltage winding tapped to provide a focus voltage nominally equal to one-third of the high voltage or ultor potential. Changes in electron beam current, due to variations in picture brightness, may require that the focus ratio (i.e., the ratio of the focus voltage level to the high voltage level) remain constant regardless of the loading on the high voltage winding. As the electron beam current increases, however, the loading on the high voltage supply also increases, which may cause the high voltage level to decrease, resulting in an increase in the focus ratio. Some picture tubes incorporate an electron gun assembly that, in order to produce optimally focused beams, require the focus ratio to remain constant as beam current increases.

Passive compensation of focus tracking utilizing winding and capacitor


A multifilar helix antenna includes helical antenna filaments, each filament having a square waveform pattern along its length, resulting in reduced axial length. A multifilar helix antenna according to the invention includes helical antenna filaments, each filament incorporating a microstrip spur-line band stop filter enabling multi-band operation.

The quadrifilar helix antenna (QHA) has been widely advocated for use, inter alia, in mobile satellite communications systems. Compared with crossed dipole and patch antennas, the QHA offers the advantages that it has a small, compact structure, is relatively insensitive to the effects of handling and of the ground and has a radiation pattern and a wide circularly polarised beam that can be readily shaped. The so-called printed QHA (PQHA) is particularly advantageous because of its light weight, low cost, high dimensional stability and ease of fabrication.
Although existing PQHA structures are already quite small, further size reduction is still required to satisfy the space limitations in handheld mobile communications terminals.
Various approaches have been adopted with a view to reducing the physical size of a QHA. One approach involves loading the QHA with a dielectric material such as Zirconium Titinate ceramic. Although this gives significant size reduction, the operating bandwidth of the antenna is very small, typically about 30 MHz which is unsatisfactory for many mobile communications applications.
A coupled-segment QHA has also been proposed. In this case the helical antenna filaments are separated into upper and lower segments which are interleaved in overlapping fashion. This approach only provides a small percentage of size reduction.


A low dissipation factor resin composition comprises the following components: (A) an aromatic tetrafunctional vinylbenzyl monomer, its prepolymer or a combination thereof, the aromatic tetrafunctional vinylbenzyl monomer having a structure shown below; (B) flame retardant; and (C) peroxide. The resin composition is applicable to laminates and printed circuit boards featuring low dissipation factor at high frequency and thermal resistance and thermal expansion meeting the demands.

With the rapid advancement of electronic technology, information processing in mobile communication, servers, mainframe computers and other electronic products has incessantly directed toward high frequency signal transmission and high speed digitalization, and low dielectric resin material has therefore become the mainstream for the development of laminates for high speed data transmission in order to satisfy the demands of high speed information processing.
Conventional resin compositions for laminates generally contain epoxy resin used in conjunction with phenolic compounds, amines or acid anhydride curing agents. However, it is difficult for the laminates or printed circuit boards made from such resin compositions to achieve low dissipation factor (Df) at 10 GHz and balanced thermal resistance and thermal expansion of the laminates.
Therefore, it is desirable for skilled artisans to achieve low dissipation factor (Df) at 10 GHz and other satisfactory properties, particularly thermal expansion and thermal resistance such as Tg, T288 and solder dip resistance.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a resin composition and its product applicable to laminates and printed circuit boards featuring low dissipation factor at high frequency and thermal resistance and thermal expansion meeting the demands.

Aromatic tetrafunctional vinylbenzyl resin composition and use thereof

ELITE ELECTRONIC MATERIAL (KUNSHAN) CO., LTD.


A signal line, a power supply pattern and a ground layer are formed within a board. An outer via and an inner via are formed within the board. The outer via is connected to the signal line. The inner via is connected to the ground layer. The outer via serves as a signal line. The inner via serves as a ground. The signal line within a printed wiring board is connected to the outer via without interruption by a ground. The signal lines can spread within the printed wiring board in a complicated pattern as compared with a conventional pattern. Moreover, the impedance matching can reliably be established.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printed wiring board.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, wiring patterns are formed on the front and back surfaces of a substrate for signal lines in a printed wiring board. The signal lines on the front and back surfaces are connected to each other through a via penetrating through the substrate, for example. A ground via is also formed outside the via for the signal lines. The ground via is coaxial with the via for the signal lines. Coaxial cable lines are established in the substrate in this manner. The ground via serves to trap noise of the signal lines.
Proposed is a so-called multilayered printed wiring board. Double-sided wiring boards are overlaid on one another in sequence. If the aforementioned coaxial vias are formed in such a multilayered structure, the ground via prevents connection between signal lines inside the multilayered wiring board because the ground via surrounds the via for signal lines. However, a high-speed signal transmission cannot be realized without the ground via.


An image acquisition system that uses multiple cameras or image sensors in a redundant camera array. The cameras or sensors are arrayed in rows and columns so that a viewing area of each camera overlaps a viewing area of an adjacent camera. At least one camera is positioned in the array so that all edges of its viewing area abuts the viewing area of an adjacent camera. The image is displayed or stored in seamless and continuous form in high resolution. The system may also be used in low light conditions for image acquisition. Multiple cameras or sensors may be arrayed on modular panels that mates with and adjacent modular panel. The system is adaptable to image acquisition for X-rays, scanning, photocopying, security systems and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
With regard to the classification of art, this invention is believed to be found in the general class pertaining to image acquisition and more particularly to those subclasses pertaining to an apparatus for acquiring images by using multiple cameras.
2. Description of Related Art
The acquisition of images by using multiple cameras is known in the prior art. The use of multiples cameras for use in acquiring X-ray images is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,496, that issued to Winsor on May 3, 1994. The disclosure is very brief in regard to the operation of the second embodiment disclosing the use of multiple cameras. The disclosure by Winsor is limited to two rows of cameras, as shown in FIG. 5. This arrangement of cameras limits the size of image or maximum resolution that is attainable. The present invention discloses an apparatus and systems for providing real time imaging at high resolution in large formats. The present invention also allows image acquisition in low light condition.

Method and apparatus for image acquisition from a plurality of cameras


A combination of a pro-agonist first medication in timed release form, and a sequestered second non-antagonist medication allows the first medication to be effective if taken according to medical directions. If the combination is tampered with or otherwise taken in a manner not according to medical directions, the second medication is released and prevents the first medication from becoming effective. The non-antagonist second medication does not precipitate immediate withdrawal in a dependent patient.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,088, which issued Feb. 24, 2004, and is entitled "Tamper-Resistant Oral Opioid Agonist Formulations," and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0131552, by Boehm, which published Jul. 8, 2004, and is entitled "Sequestering Subunit and Related Compositions and Methods," discuss the problems and partial solutions to diversion of legal medications.

Material for controlling diversion of medications


A method for processing a dual transport stream (TS) which is multiplexed from a normal stream and a turbo stream is provided for a digital broadcasting transmission/reception system. The digital broadcasting signal processing method includes encoding a dual transport stream (TS) which is multiplexed from a normal steam and a turbo stream; interleaving the encoded dual transport stream (TS); turbo-processing by detecting the turbo stream from the interleaved dual transport stream (TS), encoding the detected turbo stream, stuffing the encoded turbo stream into the dual transport stream (TS), and compensating a parity corresponding to the encoded turbo stream; and trellis-encoding the turbo-processed dual transport stream (TS). Accordingly, the digital broadcasting reception performance can be improved in diverse environments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for robustly processing and transmitting a digital broadcasting transport stream (TS), digital broadcasting transmission and reception systems, and signal processing methods thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for robustly processing and transmitting a digital broadcasting transport stream (TS) to enhance reception performance of a terrestrial-wave digital television (DTV) broadcasting system in the U.S. in accordance with the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) vestigial sideband (VSB) scheme, through information exchange and mapping with respect to a dual transport stream (TS) which includes a normal stream and a turbo stream, and digital broadcasting transmission and reception systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) vestigial sideband (VSB) system, which is a terrestrial-wave digital television (DTV) broadcasting system in the U.S., is a single-carrier system that transmits a field sync signal for each unit of 312 data segments. Therefore, reception performance of the ATSC VSB system is not good on weak channels, specifically, on a Doppler-fading channel.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical ATSC VSB system including a digital broadcasting transmitter and a digital broadcasting receiver. The digital broadcasting transmitter as shown in FIG. 1, is configured in accordance with the enhanced VSB (E-VSB) system proposed by Philips, and is constructed to generate and transmit a dual stream in which robust or turbo data is added to normal data of the existing ATSC VSB system.
As shown in FIG. 1, the digital broadcasting transmitter includes a randomizer 11 which randomizes the dual stream; a Reed-Solomon (RS) encoder 12 which is a concatenated coder type for adding a parity byte to the transport stream (TS) to correct error occurring due to the channel characteristics in the transmission; an interleaver 13 which interleaves the RS-encoded data in a predetermined pattern; and a trellis encoder 14 which trellis-encodes the interleaved data at ⅔ rate with respect to the interleaved data and maps to 8-level symbols. With this structure, the digital broadcasting transmitter performs error correction coding with respect to the dual stream.
The digital broadcasting transmitter includes a multiplexer 15 and a modulator 16. The multiplexer 15 inserts a field synchronization (sync) and a segment synchronization (sync) to the data which passed through the error correction coding, as shown in accordance with a data format shown in FIG. 2. The modulator 16 inserts a pilot tone by adding a predetermined direct current (DC) value to a data symbol having the inserted segment and field sync signals, performs the VSB modulation by the pulse shaping, up-converts modulated data to a signal of a radio-frequency (RF) channel band, and transmits an up-converted signal.
According to the dual stream scheme which transmits the normal data and the robust (turbo) data through a single channel, the normal data and the robust data is multiplexed (not shown) and fed to the randomizer 11. The input data is randomized at the randomizer 11, the randomized data is outer-coded at the RS encoder 12 which is an outer encoder, and the coded data is spread at the interleaver 13. The interleaved data is inner-coded by a unit of 12 symbols at the trellis encoder 14. After the inner-coded data is mapped to 8-level symbols, the field sync signal and the segment sync signal are inserted in the mapped data. Next, the data is VSB-modulated by inserting the pilot tone, converted to an RF signal, and transmitted.
Meanwhile, the digital broadcasting receiver as shown in FIG. 1, includes a tuner (not shown) which converts the RF signal received through the channel to a baseband signal; a demodulator 21 which performs the sync detection and demodulation with respect to the converted baseband signal; an equalizer 22 which compensates channel distortion occurring by multi-path (multiple transmission paths) with respect to the demodulated signal; a Viterbi decoder 23 which corrects error of the equalized signal and decodes the error-corrected signal to symbol data;, a deinterleaver 24 which rearranges the symbol data spread by the interleaver 13 of the digital broadcasting transmitter; a RS decoder 25 which corrects error; and a derandomizer 26 which outputs an MPEG-2 (Moving Picture Experts Group) transport stream (TS) by derandomizing the data corrected by the RS decoder 25.
Accordingly, the digital broadcasting receiver, as shown in FIG. 1, restores the original signal by down-converting the RF signal to the baseband signal in a reverse operation of the digital broadcasting transmitter, shown in FIG. 1, demodulating and equalizing the down-converted signal, and performing the channel decoding to obtain the original signal.
FIG. 2 shows an example VSB data frame of an ATSC VSB system, in which a segment sync signal and a field sync signal are inserted. As shown in FIG. 2, one frame consists of 2 fields, and one field consists of a field sync segment, which is the first segment, and 312 data segments. In the VSB data frame, one segment corresponds to one MPEG-2 packet, and one segment consists of a 4-symbol segment sync signal and 828 data symbols.
In FIG. 2, the sync signals, which are the segment sync signal and the field sync signal, are used for the synchronization and the equalization at the digital broadcasting receiver, as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the field sync signal and the segment sync signal are known to the digital broadcasting transmitter and the digital broadcasting receiver of the terrestrial-wave digital broadcasting system shown in FIG. 1, and used as reference signals when the digital broadcasting receiver performs equalization.
The U.S. terrestrial-wave digital broadcasting system as shown in FIG. 1, which is constructed to generate and transmit the dual stream by adding the robust (turbo) data to the normal data of the existing ATSC VSB system, transmits the existing normal data together with the robust (turbo) data.
However, the U.S. terrestrial-wave digital broadcasting system as shown in FIG. 1 can not improve the poor reception performance in multi-path channels according to the existing normal data stream transmission although the dual stream is transmitted with the added robust (turbo) data. That is, the U.S. terrestrial-wave digital broadcasting system is disadvantageous in that the reception performance is not improved at all according to the improved normal stream. Moreover, the turbo stream does not improve the reception performance greatly in the multi-path environment either.

Digital broadcasting transmission and reception systems for stream including normal stream and turbo stream and methods thereof