An upper case (1) is connected to a lower case (2) in a hinge portion (3) so as to freely rotate. A plate shaped conductor (4) and a plate shaped conductor (5) are disposed along the surface of the case in the upper case (1). A ground plate (6) is formed in a ground pattern of a circuit board disposed in the lower case (2). The plate shaped conductor (4) and the plate shaped conductor (5) are selected by a high frequency switch (14) and connected to one end of a feeding portion (15). The other end of the feeding portion (15) is connected to the ground plate (6) to form a dipole antenna.

A portable radio device with a collapsible structure ordinarily has a mechanism including an upper casing and a lower casing connected by a hinge so as to be freely open and close. Thus, the portable radio device can take an opening state and a closing state. The portable radio device has two advantages of a high visibility and an easy portability that a viewable display screen can be enlarged under a state that the device is opened and used (namely, an opening state) and the device can be made compact under a state that the device is closed and used (a closing state) from the viewpoint of such structural characteristics.
As an antenna of a foldable portable telephone, a protrusion type antenna disposed in a casing is disclosed in JP-A-2001-45123.
For such a protrusion type antenna, a helical antenna or an extensible mono-pole antenna is ordinarily employed. Since the antenna portion protrudes from the casing, an antenna gain can be raised while a hand holds the portable telephone.
However, since the antenna portion is protruded, when the portable telephone is taken out from a pocket or the like, the antenna may be sometimes caught by a part of the pocket so that the portable telephone is hardly taken out.
As compared therewith, as an antenna contained in the casing of the foldable portable telephone, a strip line antenna is disclosed in JP-A-10-308618. Further, in JP-A-2001-284934, a hinge portion contained antenna is disclosed. Further, in JP-A-2001-156898, an antenna contained in an upper casing is disclosed.
Still further, as a flip type antenna contained in the casing of the portable telephone, a coil type antenna is described in JP-A-9-64778 and a micro-strip line antenna is described in JP-A-10-190330.
Further, JP-A-10-84406 discloses a plurality of element contained antenna in which a dipole antenna as a radiation element contained in an upper casing is combined with a non-feeding element contained in a lower casing.
Since the above-described antenna contained in the casing has no part protruding from the casing, the antenna is not caught by a part of the pocket or the like. However, since the direction of a main polarized wave emitted from the antenna is limited to a specific direction, a difference is undesirably generated in the antenna gain between a case that the portable telephone is held by a left hand during speaking (a left hand speaking state) and a case that the portable telephone is held by a right hand (a right hand speaking state).
Further, in the hinge portion contained antenna, under a state in which the portable telephone is allowed to come near to the ear and the mouth to speak (refer this state as to a speaking state, hereinafter), when the hinge portion is held by a hand, the antenna gain may be sometimes undesirably deteriorated, because the antenna portion is covered with the hand.
Further, in the flip part contained antenna, while the flip part is closed, a portable telephone main body is allowed to come near to the antenna portion so that the antenna gain may be possibly deteriorated.
Still further, in the plurality of element contained antenna, while the upper and lower casings are opened to speak, when a part near the radiation element is covered with a hand, the antenna gain may be undesirably deteriorated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable radio device having an antenna with a high performance under various using states.


The iris identification system, which uses an iris pattern to identify a customer, extracts the matching bits between previously-registered iris data and obtained iris data and, compares the extracted bits with the registered iris data to increase the accuracy of customer identification.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an iris identification system and an iris identification method for identifying a person with the use of his or her irises.
2. Prior Art
Various iris identification systems and identification methods for use on devices, such as automatic teller machine, have been devised heretofore to identify a person. Some of them are found, for example, in Japanese Examined Patent Publication 5-084166 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,560. A system according to those inventions photographs the irises of a customer to get the image data, and compares it with the previously-registered data. In general, this type of iris identification system uses a high sensitivity camera for high-precision identification. The iris identification system first identifies the head of a customer, finds the position of the eyes, zooms up and photographs the irises, and then obtains the iris data. The system compares the data with the previously-registered iris data to identify the customer.
One problem with a conventional iris identification system is that, when the illumination of a room where an automatic teller machine is installed is reflected in the customer's irises and pupils, the system photographs the irises as well as the reflection and, therefore, cannot obtain the correct iris data. In this case, because the obtained customer's iris data differs from the previously-registered customer's iris data remarkably, the system does not identify the customer correctly.

Iris identification system and iris identification method


A fluid pumping apparatus for producing fluid from a well through production tubing comprises an elongate hollow body to be disposed in a well bore and at least partially submerged in fluid to be produced from the well, the body including fluid inlet valve at its lower end for flow of fluid into the body, a plunger assembly disposed in the interior of the body for reciprocating movement relative thereto, sealing means cooperating with the plunger assembly to divide the body into isolated lower and upper chambers and to isolate the body from the production tubing, and fluid flow control valves operationally synchronized so that fluid is forced up the production tubing upon downstroke of the reciprocating plunger assembly in the body of the pumping apparatus. A method of pumping fluid utilizing the apparatus of the invention to produce fluid on the downstroke of the plunger assembly is also provided.

The use of longitudinally reciprocating pumps to raise fluid from a well to the surface is of long standing and generally well known in the prior art. It is typical for a well from which fluid, such as water or crude oil, is to produced to be completed with a cylindrical casing extending from the surface downward to a fluid-containing zone from which fluid is to be drawn. The casing defines the well bore and is typically perforated at the production zone to allow fluid to flow into the casing. Pumps known in the prior art typically include an elongate string of production tubing extending down the casing, with a pump body at the lower end of the tubing, typically activated by an elongate string of rods extending through the interior of the tubing. A reciprocating pumping action is utilized to lift fluid from the pump body up the production tubing upon each upstroke of the apparatus. While effective in the sense of moving fluid up the production tubing to the surface, there are significant disadvantages and inefficiencies associated with pumps previously known in the art.
In many instances, the fluid to be produced is located a substantial distance below the surface, so that the weight of the activation rods, typically referred to as "sucker rods," and pump is also substantial. Since prior art pumps move fluid toward the surface by lifting the fluid on the upstroke of the pump apparatus, it is necessary to lift not only the weight of the column of fluid, but also the weight of the sucker rods and reciprocating pump components on each production stroke. With prior art pump designs no fluid production occurs on the downstroke, which serves only to lower the apparatus for another upstroke. The lifting of the weight of the reciprocating production apparatus on each production stroke is inefficient and directly wasteful of energy, since energy associated with downward movement of the pumping apparatus on each downstroke is not utilized for any productive purpose.
There remains a need for a pumping apparatus for production of fluid from a well that efficiently utilizes the energy available for fluid production to the surface. Accordingly, it is among the objects of the invention to provide a pumping apparatus without the inefficiencies and disadvantages of the prior art. It is also among the objects of the invention to provide a pumping apparatus that utilizes the energy added to the pumping apparatus during upstroke to produce fluid on the downstroke. It is further among the objects of the invention to utilize the weight of the sucker rods and reciprocating pump apparatus and its movement in response to gravity as a source of pumping energy. It is additionally among the objects of the invention to provide a self-adjusting sealing means between reciprocating pump components and stationary pump components to automatically compensate for wear.

Fluid pumping apparatus and method of pumping fluid


A Time Slotted Logical Ring protocol manages the flow of traffic in a duplex media including a cable distribution network with a head end, a local node, and a group of subscribers. The subscriber includes a cable modem which produces an HDLC serial interface which then goes to the subscriber or gets converted to ethernet by a router and then to the subscriber. The Time Slot portion of TSLR protocol manages upstream and downstream access and uses time tick identification frames in the downstream direction to control upstream traffic. A multiple logical ring protocol in TSLR is used to allocate cable bandwidth between the multiple subscribers.

This application is a divisional of prior U.S. application Ser. No. 09/184,758 filed on Nov. 2, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,723.
A cable modem network includes a head end located at a cable company central location. The head end distributes cable services to different local areas of subscribers. Subscriber stations are terminated by cable modem boxes that are connected to the subscriber's computer through a conventional data interface such as serial or Ethernet. The cable modem boxes allow the subscribers to transmit data back upstream on the cable network to the head end. For example, if a subscriber wishes to order a pay-for-view movie, the subscriber enters a selection that is transmitted by the cable modem back over the cable network to the head end. The head end then transmits a downstream signal to the subscriber with the selected movie.
With the installation of more subscribers on cable modem networks, it becomes more important to allocate bandwidth more efficiently on the cable return path. For example, different types of transmissions, such as voice traffic may require a higher priority than data traffic. Alternatively, certain subscribers may need to purchase more bandwidth or higher priority than other subscribers. Current cable modem systems do not efficiently allocate cable bandwidth over the return path.
Accordingly, a need remains for a cable access system that allows multiple users to both send and receive information in an orderly and efficient manner.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A medical image processing apparatus processes a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment. The apparatus comprises an interface, a processor, and a calculator. The interface is configured to obtain the medical image. The processor is configured to determine a smooth line along an embowed part of a specimen in the medical image obtained by the interface. The calculator is configured to calculate a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line determined by the processor.

Medical image diagnoses have been rapidly progressing as computers have been improved since 1970's. The medical image diagnoses are accomplished by, for example, an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) apparatus, or the like. Nowadays such diagnoses play a very important role for the medical practice. Medical images obtained by medical image equipments, such as those mentioned above, are usually observed and interpreted by a doctor or the like in his or her medical image diagnosis. In addition, the medical images may also be used, as a part of the diagnosis, for measuring a predetermined part of a patient's body, such as a organ and a bone. In a diagnosis of scoliosis as an example of bones diagnoses, a bow scale of the spine is calculated based on transmission images obtained in an X-ray diagnosis apparatus. It is said that scoliosis may occur when a spinal cord grows faster than its peripheral organs. Scoliosis tends to appear particularly in adolescent children who, therefore, are required a once-a-month follow-up.
FIG. 1 is an illustration showing examples of measuring techniques of a bow scale in a diagnosis of scoliosis according to a prior art of the present invention. FIG. 1(A) shows a measurement of the Cobb angles on a radiograph (image) of a patient or an examination object (hereinafter referred to as a specimen) for calculating bow angles. FIG. 1(B) shows a measurement of the 'Vertical-alignment' distances on a radiograph (image) of the specimen for calculating deviations from a representative straight line along a spine, which is one as a hypothetically ideal healthy straight spine along a body axis of the specimen (hereinafter referred to as a median line). The median line may therefore be determined to indicate a center of a body axis of the specimen. The bow scale such as, for example, the Cobb angle and the 'Vertical-alignment' distance shows how much the spine is bent or curved. Basics of the Cobb angle and the 'Vertical-alignment' distance have been established and methods of such measurements are standards known in the art.
In the Cobb angle calculation, as shown in FIG. 1(A), an operator, such as a doctor or a radiological technologist, observes an X-ray transmission image (hereinafter referred to as an image) displayed in a display. The operator then determines by the eye (or determines with his or her sense) one or more points, such as points 1 to 3, which are least bent points of a spine 4 (as long as the operator believes). Each adjacent two least bent points have a most bent point of the spine 4 between the each adjacent two points, based on the displayed image. At the determined points 1 to 3, the operator manually draws perpendicular lines 5 to 7 perpendicular to tangent lines 8 to 10, respectively, using, for example, a mouse. In detail, the operator determines the point 1, and draws the tangent line 8 at the point 1. Further, the operator draws the perpendicular line 5 perpendicular to the tangent line 8. Similarly, the operator draws the perpendicular line 6 perpendicular to the tangent line 9 drawn at the determined point 2. Still further, the operator draws the perpendicular line 7 perpendicular to the tangent line 10 drawn at the determined point 3. A medical image processing apparatus connected to the display calculates angles α and β created by the perpendicular lines 5 to 7. Namely, the perpendicular lines 5 and 6 cross with the angle α and similarly the perpendicular lines 6 and 7 cross with the angle β. The calculated angles α and β are displayed in the display.
In the distance calculation of 'Vertical-alignment', as shown in FIG. 1(B), the operator observes an image displayed in the display and draws a median line 11 along the spine 4. The median line 11 is guessed and determined by the eye of the operator, based on the displayed image. The median line 11 intersects with the spine 4 at intersection points 12 to 14. Then, the operator determines by the eye points 15 and 16 of the spine 4, each of which is the furthest (as long as the operator believes) from the median line 11 between each two adjacent intersection points of the intersection points 12 to 14 when perpendicular lines are dropped to the median line 11 from the points 15 and 16. In more detail, the operator determines the point 15 which is between the intersection points 12 and 13. Further, the operator determines the point 16 which is between the intersection points 13 and 14. The medical image processing apparatus calculates a distance 17 between the point 15 and the median line 11 when the perpendicular line is dropped to the median line 11 from the point 15. Similarly, the medical image processing apparatus calculates a distance 18 between the point 16 and the median line 11 when the perpendicular line is dropped to the median line 11 from the point 16. The calculated distances 17 and 18 are displayed in the display.
In the prior art, scoliosis has been diagnosed using the calculated angles and/or distances as an index of the bow scale. The Cobb angle and the 'Vertical-alignment' distance have been conventionally obtained for the diagnosis of scoliosis based on the points and lines, which were selected and drawn in accordance with the determination by the operator's sense.
Concretely, in the Cobb angle calculation, the points 1 to 3 of the spine 4 in the image displayed in the display were selected based on the operator's sense by observing the image with his or her eyes. Further, the tangent lines 8 to 10 and the perpendicular lines 5 to 7 were drawn based on the operator's sense by observing the image with his or her eyes. Similarly, in the 'Vertical alignment' distance calculation, the median line 11 was drawn based on the operator's sense by observing the image with his or her eyes. Further, the points 15 and 16 were selected based on the operator's sense by observing the image with his or her eyes.
Therefore, the selected points and/or the drawn lines are quite subjective and accordingly the calculated result may be likely to be different among operators. Further, even when it is done by the same operator, the same result may not be reproduced if the operator does not have a clear standard for his or her determination of the selection and/or the drawing. Particularly, as mentioned above, the case of scoliosis may require the once-a-month follow-up of the bow scale of the spine. Therefore, the reproducibility should be kept and is a very important factor for the diagnosis of the scoliosis.
One of factors contributing to the difficulty of the reproducibility (or the deterioration of the calculation accuracy) through the human being system may be as follows. The calculation is made for a very limited tiny region compared to the whole image displayed in the display. In addition, the state of bow of the spine is usually subtle and may be sometimes beyond the discrimination of the human beings. Therefore, the accuracy of the measurement result may not be assured in some cases.

Medical image processing apparatus with a function of measurement on a medical image


The process for the industrial The synthesis of strontium ranelate of formula (I):

The present invention relates to a process for the industrial synthesis of strontium ranelate of formula (I):
(the distrontium salt of 5-[bis(carboxymethyl)amino]-3-carboxymethyl-4-cyano-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid), and its hydrates.
Strontium ranelate has very valuable pharmacological and therapeutic properties, especially pronounced anti-osteoporotic properties, making this compound useful in the treatment of bone diseases.
Strontium ranelate, its preparation and its therapeutic use have been described in the European Patent Specification EP 0 415 850.
However, industrial production of a compound such as strontium ranelate requires detailed study of all the reaction steps and of the selection of starting materials, reagents and solvents in order to obtain optimum yields.
The Applicant has developed a synthesis process for strontium ranelate of formula (I) in which such conditions have been combined, resulting in the use of a whole group of especially valuable methods and procedures.

Process for the industrial synthesis of strontium ranelate and its hydrates

Abstract: and its hydrates.


A flare tank 10 comprises a container 12 having a fluid inlet 14, a fluid outlet 16 and a fluid flow path between the inlet 14 and the outlet 16. A baffle plate 20 is provided in the container 12 between the inlet 14 and the outlet 16. The baffle plate 20 extends transversely relative to the flow path for forming at least a partial barrier to fluid flow in the flow path. A gas outlet, e.g., a chimney stack 18, is located on the container 12 for the discharge of gas separated from the fluid. A burner 46 is provided for the combustion of combustible gas passing through the outlet 18.

Flares are used in various applications for the disposal of waste gases through combustion. For example, when an oil well is tested, combustible gases may be burned off through the use of a flare tank or stack.
In previous operations, mud from the drill rig which contained combustible gases was piped to or disposed of in a flare pit adjacent to the drill rig. The flare pit is simply a hole dug in the ground which is used to hold the mud. However, the combustible gases can separate from the mud in the flare pit and accidentally ignite thereby causing emissions to the atmosphere which are environmentally unattractive and dangerous to closely located personnel both by way of danger to the person but also due to the possibility of starting a grass or brush fire. Likewise, the mud in the flare pit and the combustible gas can create ground contamination which is also of concern for environmental reasons. Finally, it is necessary to often haul away the mud within the flare pit due to the contamination by unburned gases. This is costly.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flare tank which facilities separation of the combustible gases from the fluid being treated for gas disposal. It is a further object of the invention to provide a flare tank which is portable so as to minimize disturbances on work sites.


A floor structure for a vehicle body whereby vertical vibration in the floor panel can be minimized. The floor structure for a vehicle body comprises a floor panel having a tunnel part provided laterally centrally of the vehicle body and extending longitudinally of the vehicle body. A ridge is formed in the tunnel part. An inner cross member provided inside the tunnel part and a first cross member on the floor panel are linearly bonded via the ridge.

As an example of conventional floor structures for vehicle bodies, a floor structure including a seat bracket extending in a vehicle width direction for mounting a seat above a floor panel is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-82720 (JP 2006-82720 A).
FIG. 8 hereof shows the floor structure for a vehicle body disclosed in JP 2006-82720 A.
A floor panel 101 shown in FIG. 8 is comprised of a center tunnel 102 extending in the longitudinal direction through the region disposed centrally with respect to the vehicle width, and floor panel parts 103, 103 provided to the left and right of the center tunnel 102. The rear parts of the floor panel parts 103, 103 are seat-mounting positions 104. At the rear ends of the floor panel parts 103, 103, a kick-up part 106 rising as high as the center tunnel 102 is formed.
Side sills 107, 107 are provided on the external edges of the respective floor panel parts 103, 103; and front seat brackets 111, made to extend in the vehicle width direction and used to mount the front part of the seat, are provided so that both ends thereof are mounted between the side surfaces of the center tunnel 102 and the inside surfaces of the side sills 107, and the bottom surfaces are mounted on the floor panel parts 103. Rear seat brackets 112, made to extend in the vehicle width direction and used to mount the rear part of the seat, are provided so that both ends thereof are mounted between the side surfaces of the center tunnel 102 and the inside surfaces of the side sills 107, the bottom surfaces are mounted to the floor panel parts 103, and the rear surfaces are mounted to the kick-up part 106.
It is difficult to ensure sufficient rigidity in the joined parts, because only the inside ends of the front seat brackets 111 and the rear seat brackets 112 are bonded to the side surfaces of the center tunnel 102. The rigidity of the joined parts will be described with reference to FIGS. 9, 10A and 10B showing a separate but similar floor structure.
Referring to FIG. 9, a floor panel 121 is comprised of a tunnel part 122 and floor bodies 123, 123 formed on the left and right of the tunnel part 122. Side sills 125 extending longitudinally are mounted on the respective outside edges of the floor bodies 123, 123. Front cross members 126 used to mount the front part of the seat and rear cross members 127 used to mount the rear part of the seat are provided so that both ends thereof extend between the side surfaces of the tunnel part 122 and the inside surfaces of the side sills 125, and the bottom parts are mounted to the floor bodies 123.
Reference is made next to FIGS. 10A and 10B showing in cross section the floor structure of FIG. 9.
An internal cross member 128 extending in the vehicle width direction is mounted to the inside surfaces on the inside of the tunnel part 122, as shown in FIG. 10A. A reinforcing member 131 is mounted to the bottom surfaces of the left and right floor bodies 123, 123.
The front cross members 126 are simply bonded to the outside surfaces of the tunnel part 122 as shown in FIG. 10B, and since the internal cross member 128 is merely also simply bonded to the inside surfaces of the tunnel part 122, the bonded portions at the borders between the closed cross sections formed below the front cross members 126 and the closed cross section formed above the internal cross member 128 are fragile parts having low strength and rigidity.
As a result, in FIG. 10A, when the floor panel 121 vibrates vertically along with the vertical vibration of the vehicle body, the floor panel 121 readily undergoes severe vibration so as to bend, as shown by the arrows, relative to the joined parts between the tunnel part 122 and the front cross members 126 and the joined parts between the tunnel part 122 and the internal cross member 128.


A failure diagnosis method diagnoses failure occurring in an image forming apparatus. The failure causes defect in an image output from the image forming apparatus. The failure diagnosis method includes acquiring operation state signals indicating operation states during the image forming apparatus operating in different operation conditions, respectively; and analyzing the acquired operation state signals based on a failure probability model, which is obtained by modeling a cause of the failure occurring in the image forming apparatus with using probabilities, to execute failure diagnosis with respect to each of constituent members constituting the image forming apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a failure diagnosis method and a failure diagnosis apparatus for diagnosing a failure and malfunction of a drive mechanism section used in an image forming apparatus having a conveyance unit, such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a complex machine having these functions, and other devices (for example, electric appliances and automobiles); an image forming apparatus to which the failure diagnosis method and the failure diagnosis apparatus are applied; a program for implementing the failure diagnosis method and the failure diagnosis apparatus by means of an electrical computer; and a storage (recording) medium storing the program.
More specifically, the invention relates to a technique for automatically diagnosing a conveyance device and an image forming apparatus by modeling factors that cause devices/apparatuses to fail into an information processing model based on probabilities such as the Bayesian network model.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in office equipment such as, for example, a copying machine or a printer, high productivity is demanded, so that delays due to failures are not acceptable and it has been demanded that a failure is quickly detected and solved.
Also, in other industrial equipment such as automobiles, airplanes, robots, and semiconductor designing devices, a number of members that are highly reliable and operable at high speed with high accuracy are loaded as means for operation control.
Particularly, frequency of failure in drive members such as motors and solenoids and mechanical members that operate by interlocking with the drive members, including drive circuits for driving the motors, is high in comparison with other electronic parts (passive electronic parts such as resistors and capacitors, transistors, and ICs (integrated circuits)). Particularly, when the use environment is poor, even in a normal method of use, various abnormalities and failures that are hardly detected occur, and a large amount of labor is necessary for solving them.
Therefore, a method of automatic diagnosis with using a system (rule-type system) based on rules has been considered. As an example of the rule-type system, there is available a failure diagnosis system using the Bayesian network (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,865).
According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,865, a system component that may cause the system to fail is modeled by using the Bayesian network, and the Bayesian network has an index node, plural cause nodes, and plural first troubleshooting nodes. The index node has a state indicating whether or not the system component has failed. The plural cause nodes are connected to the index node. Each of the cause nodes indicates a cause of the system component that cause a failure, the plural first troubleshooting nodes that are connected, respectively, to at least one of the plural cause nodes. The first troubleshooting nodes indicate troubleshooting steps for proposing actions for restoring the causes indicated by any of the connected cause nodes. With this configuration, when troubleshooting the system, an action that has a highest probability of solving the problem and requires the lowest cost estimated is proposed for a user.
Herein, in the configuration of U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,865, concretely, a service center has a server for a diagnosis system, and a customer executes diagnosis of his/her printer by using the Bayesian network while connecting to the server and exchanging data via the Internet.
In this example, a customer performs troubleshooting in a way that he/she answers questions from the diagnosis program. However, in order to acquire knowledge information, adopted is a method in which a human directly examines and obtains information by looking at a printer or a printed matter and inputs the information.
Therefore, in this method, if a customer who makes an examination does not get used to this method, there is fear that input information greatly varies, that an accurate diagnosis cannot be executed, and that serious false diagnosis may be caused. Furthermore, since many actions are assigned to a user, the user may feel a great deal of stress. In addition, there is a possibility that eliminating only a cause that is suggested before the action cannot solve the problem.

Failure diagnosis method, failure diagnosis apparatus, image forming apparatus, program, and storage medium


A method and apparatus for producing virtual sound sources that are externally perceived and positioned at any orientation in azimuth and elevation from a listener is described. In this system, a set of speakers is mounted in a location near the temple of a listener's head. A head tracking system determines the location and orientation of the listeners head and provides the measurements to a computer which processes audio signals, from an audio source, in conjunction with a head related transfer function (HRTF) filter to produce spatialized audio. The HRTF filter maintains the virtual location of the audio signals/sound, thus allowing the listener to change locations and head orientation without degradation of the audio signal. The audio system of the present invention produces virtual sound sources that are externally perceived and positioned at any desired orientation in azimuth and elevation from the user.

Spatialized audio is sound that is processed to give the listener an impression of a sound source within a three-dimensional environment. A more realistic experience is observed when listening to spatialized sound than stereo because stereo only varies across one axis, usually the x (horizontal) axis.
In the past, binaural sound from headphones was the most common approach to spatialization. The use of headphones takes advantage of the lack of crosstalk and a fixed position between sound source (the speaker driver) and the ear. Gradually, these factors are endowed upon conventional loudspeakers through more sophisticated digital signal processing. The wave of multimedia computer content and equipment has increased the use of stereo speakers in conjunction with microcomputers. Additionally, complex audio signal processing equipment, and the current consumer excitement surrounding the computer market, increases the awareness and desire for quality audio content. Two speakers, one on either side of a personal computer, carry the particular advantage of having the listener sitting rather closely and in an equidistant position between the speakers. The listener is probably also sitting down, therefore moving infrequently. This typical multimedia configuration probably comes as close to binaural sound using headphones as can be expected from free field speakers, increasing the probability of success for future spatialization systems.
Spatial audio can be useful whenever a listener is presented with multiple auditory streams. Spatial audio requires information about the positions of all events that need to be audible, including those outside of the field of vision, or that would benefit from increased immersion in an environment. Possible applications of spatial audio processing techniques include: military communication systems to and between individuals within military vehicles, ships and aircraft as well as to and between dismounted soldiers; complex supervisory control system such as telecommunications and air traffic control systems; civil and military aircraft warning systems; teleconferencing and telepresence applications; virtual and augmented reality environments; computer-user interfaces and auditory displays, especially those intended for use by the visually impaired; personal information and guidance systems such as those used to provide exhibit information to visitors in a museum; and arts and entertainment, especially video games and music, to name but a few.
Environmental cues, such as early echoes and dense reverberation, are important for a realistic listening experience and are known to improve localization and externalization of audio sources. However, the cost of exact environmental modeling is extraordinarily high. Moreover, existing spatial audio systems are designed for use via headphones. This requirement may result in certain limitations on their use. For example, spatial audio may be limited to those applications for which a user is already wearing some sort of headgear, or for which the advantages of spatial sound outweigh the inconvenience of a headset.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,757, 5,459,790, 5,661,812, and 5,841,879, all to Scofield disclose head mounted surround sound systems. However, none of the Scofield systems appear to use head related transfer function (HRTF) filtering to produce spatialized audio signals. Furthermore, Scofield uses a system that converts signals from a multiple surround speaker system to a pair of signals for two speakers. This system appears to fail a real-time spatialization system where a person's head position varies in orientation and azimuth, thus requiring adjustment in filtering in order to maintain appropriate spatial locations.
One current method for generating spatialized audio is to use multiple speaker panning. This method only works for listeners positioned at a sweet spot within the speaker array. This method cannot be used for mobile applications. Another method, often used with headphones, requires complex individual filters or synthesized sound reflections. This method performs filtering of a monaural source with a pair of filters defined by a pair of head related transfer functions (HRTFs) for a particular location. Each of these methods has limitations and disadvantages. The latter method works best if individual filters are used, but the procedure to produce individual filters is complex. Further, if individual filters or synthesized sound reflections are not used, then front-back confusions and poor externalization of the sound source would result. Thus, there is a need to overcome the above-identified problems.

Method and apparatus for producing spatialized audio signals

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


Systems, methods and devices for diagnosing sleep apnea are provided herein. In one example, a device for detecting airway obstructions may be provided where the device may include a wearable hollow nasal tube to be positioned in an upper airway above a constriction point and an end imaging sensor coupled to the nasal tube to collect airway image data. The device further may include a controller and communication interface to communicatively link and relay airway image data to a select remote device to determine airway obstructions. In some examples, a method may be provided including receiving airway image data from a remote end imaging sensor coupled to a nasal tube disposed within an upper airway above a constriction point, and analyzing the airway image data and displaying in a sleep study report the airway image data to identify airway closures related to obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder in which a person frequently stops breathing during the sleep cycle as the tongue periodically collapses the upper airway to constrict the flow of air therein. Although the prevalence of OSA in the United States is estimated to be 3-7% in men and 2-5% in women, in some populations (e.g., obese patients with a body mass index greater than 28%) the prevalence increases dramatically. In addition, up to 93% of women and 82% of men having moderate to severe OSA may go undiagnosed for many years if at all due to diagnostic limitations of the currently known methods.
Sleep studies designed to detect and diagnose OSA often occur at a sleep study center using polysomnography (PSG). However, PSG involves hooking a patient up to many wires during the sleep period, which may interfere with the sleep cycle and thereby increase the difficulty of diagnosis. Portable PSG units are known and further designed to reduce PSG complexity but still rely on delayed physiological responses after an airway closure has occurred. Endoscopic techniques are known that are aimed at monitoring breathing and snoring during the sleep cycle. However, such techniques may still require cumbersome equipment to monitor airflows within the upper airway and further lack a means for detecting a sleep position, especially in a remote environment where a trained professional is not present to observe the sleep cycles.
The inventor has recognized disadvantages with the approaches above and herein discloses a wearable hollow nasal tube to be positioned in an upper airway above a constriction point that comprises an end imaging sensor coupled to the nasal tube to collect airway image data; and a controller and communication interface to communicatively link and relay the airway image data during sleep to a select remote device to determine airway obstructions. In one embodiment, the device further comprises an inflatable balloon to anchor the nasal tube such that the end imaging sensor, which is placed at a distal end of the nasal tube, is disposed in an airway image data collection position. Thereby, the device may be positioned within a nasopharnyx above the constriction point with the end imaging sensor angled downward relative to a nose opening, which allows for enhanced viewing of the airway. As described herein, the device may further include one or more biophysical sensors for the enhanced detection of airway patency during OSA screening and diagnosis while an air sampling port configured for monitoring airflow and performing air analysis (e.g., capnography) while visual images of the upper airway are collected may also be included. The device may advantageously further include a head positioning sensor for detecting a device orientation relative to a head position, which allows airway patency to be correlated to sleep positions during sleep studies. Therefore, by placing the nasal tube and end imaging sensor above the point of airway constrictions, breathing patterns can be monitored during sleep without interfering with sleep cycles while the device records and communicates with a remote computing device connected via a network connection. In this way, the device and methods described can be used to advantage for diagnosing OSA by directly imaging the airway, particularly in response to a sleep position, and especially when sleep activities occur remotely.
As provided herein, in some examples, sleep studies using the disclosed device and systems thereof may be performed in a first location while one or more breathing patterns are remotely analyzed in a second location simultaneously or subsequently, which allows for real-time or early diagnosis of sleep abnormalities in a more convenient manner for both the patient and healthcare professional. For example, a patient may perform the sleep study in the comfort of their own home at night in the U.S. while observations are made and results of the sleep study are analyzed during the day in China (or other locations), or vice versa. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the device may include a clock or timing device, which allows recorded measurements to be time-stamped and thereby synchronized for further data analysis of sleep patterns.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.


The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a metal/composite hybrid wheel for a vehicle by molding an inner rim of a composite material by compression and, at the same time, bonding an outer rim of a metal material to the inner rim to induce compressive residual stress in the bonding area by a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the outer rim and the inner rim, thereby increasing the adhesive strength of the bonding area and the durability of the wheel. The present invention further provides a metal/composite hybrid wheel for a vehicle manufactured by the method.

(a) Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a wheel for a vehicle. More particularly, it relates to a method for manufacturing a metal/composite hybrid wheel for a vehicle by molding an inner rim of a composite material by compression and, at the same time, bonding an outer rim of a metal material to the inner rim to induce compressive residual stress in the bonding area by a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the outer rim and the inner rim. The present methods provide an increase in the adhesive strength of the bonding area and the durability of the wheel. The present disclosure further relates to a wheel for a vehicle manufactured by the method, particularly a metal/composite hybrid wheel for a vehicle manufactured by the method.
(b) Background Art
In general, a wheel for a vehicle is connected to the center of a rubber tire in which air or nitrogen is filled and then firmly connected to the axle of the vehicle. An aluminum wheel, which has a good design, excellent cooling efficiency, and improved fuel efficiency due to a low weight, is widely used.
Recently, there has been an increased interest in a metal/composite hybrid wheel using a fiber-reinforced composite material having excellent mechanical properties. Such hybrid wheels have been manufactured by a vacuum bag molding (VBM) method or a resin transfer molding (RTM) method.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum bag molding method includes inserting a material, such as prepreg, into a metal mold, mounting an intermediate mold inside the metal mold, applying a Teflon film onto the resulting mold, wrapping the resulting mold using a breeder, placing the resulting mold in a vacuum bag, absorbing air from the vacuum bag using a vacuum pump, and performing an autoclave molding process, to thus produce the product.
However, the process for manufacturing the product using the vacuum bag molding method is complicated, and expensive materials (such as Teflon film, breeder, etc.) are used. Thus, the vacuum bag molding method is unsuitable for mass production and increases the manufacturing cost.
As shown in FIG. 2, the resin transfer molding method includes disposing dry fiber and preform in a lower mold, connecting an upper mold to the lower mold, pressing or clamping the upper and lower molds, injecting a resin mixed with a catalyst into the resulting mold (e.g. using an RTM machine), curing the resin at room temperature or at a high temperature after the resin is impregnated, and removing the mold, to thus produce the product.
However, when the resin transfer molding method is used, pores are generated in the final product, which reduces the strength. Further, it is difficult to control the quality of the product due to the resulting presence of a resin rich area. As such, is it difficult to ensure uniform quality of the products using a resin transfer molding method.
Further, because both the vacuum bag molding method and the resin transfer molding method for manufacturing a hybrid wheel require various adhesion and bonding processes to integrally mold the outer rim of a metal material and the inner rim of a composite material, these manufacturing processes are very complicated.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Method for manufacturing metal/composite hybrid wheel for vehicle and metal/composite hybrid wheel manufactured by the same

Chung-Ang University Industry-Academy Cooperation Foundation


In a noise reduction apparatus or method, at least one of a luminance noise estimate value estimating a luminance noise of a target pixel and a chrominance noise estimate value estimating a chrominance noise of the target pixel is estimated in accordance with an average of luminance signals allocated to a first set of pixels including the target pixel. A noise reduction is performed to a selected one of the luminance noise and the chrominance noise one target pixel by one target pixel based on a corresponding one of a first set of information including the average of luminance signals and the luminance noise estimate value and a second set of information including an average of chrominance signals and the chrominance noise estimate value, the average of chrominance signals being allocated to a second set of pixels including the target pixel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method as well as an electronic camera and a scanner, each of which utilizes the image processing apparatus and the image processing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a noise reduction method or a noise reduction apparatus for reducing a nose of the image.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-131659, filed Apr. 28, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
All patents, patent applications, patent publications, scientific articles, and the like, which will hereinafter be cited or identified in the present application, will hereby be incorporated by reference in their entirety in order to describe more fully the state of the art to which the present invention pertains.
An image processing apparatus generates high quality digital image data from image signals that are obtained by an image pickup element such as a charge coupled device (CCD). Typical examples of the generation of the high quality digital image data is a noise reduction process that reduces a noise included in an image. A noise included in the image may be generated by a variety of causes. Noises caused by an image pickup element are highly influential. Typical examples of the noises caused by the image pickup element include a dark current noise and a shot noise. The dark current noise is generated by heat while the image pickup element does not receive a light.
The dark current noise is almost constant over the position of an image. The dark current noise is superimposed over an ideal image of an object. This superimposition increases brightness of the image. The superimposition may cause "bright black" that has a non-zero black level.
The shot nose is generated by a probabilistic fluctuation that is caused by optoelectric conversion. The shot noise is one of random noises in the image. The quantity of the fluctuation is proportional to a square root of the number of photons. The amount of the shot noise increases as the number of photons increases or as the quality of light incident to the image pickup element increases. For example, when one hundred of the level of the output image signal is obtained by one hundred of the quantity of the incident light, ten of the level of the shot noise may be generated so that the level of the output image signal may vary in a range of 90-110. When the quantity of the incident light is 10000, the level of the shot noise may be 100, so that the level of the output image signal may vary in a range of 9900-10100.
In general, it is more difficult to reduce the shot noise than reducing the dark current noise. The shot noise is in general greater than the dark current noise. The shot noise is more influential to the image than the dark current noise.
As described above, the amount of the shot noise is correlated to the number of photons. The amount of the shot noise depends on not only the intensity of light but also the area of a single pixel of an image pickup element as well as characteristics of optoelectronic conversion of the image pickup element and properties of a color filter. The amount of the shot noise depends on the image pickup element.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2001-157057 discloses the following techniques. Constant real numbers a, b, and c are given and a signal level D represents a concentration value. "a", "b", "c" and "d" are used to functionalize the amount of noise N with N=abcD. The amount of noise N to the signal level D is estimated. Characteristics of frequency of filtering are controlled based on the estimated noise N, thereby performing a noise reduction process appropriate to the signal level D.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2001-175843 discloses the following techniques. The image signal is divided into a luminance signal and a chrominance signal. A smoothing process is performed to the chrominance signal other than a luminance edge and a color edge, thereby reducing a color noise. As a result, the color noise reduction can be obtained without deterioration of the resolution.

Image processing apparatus that reduces noise, image processing method that reduces noise, electronic camera that reduces noise, and scanner that reduces noise


A method for producing a three-dimensional object (11) in layers by using a stereolithography machine (1) that includes: a container (2) containing a fluid substance (3) suited to solidify through exposure to predefined radiation (4a); an emitter (4) suited to emit the predefined radiation (4a) and to solidify a layer of the fluid substance (3) adjacent to the bottom (2a) of the container (2); a modelling plate (5) suited to support the solidified layer (6) and associated with an actuator (7) suited to move it perpendicular to the bottom (2a) of the container; a leveler (8) arranged in contact with the fluid substance (3). The method includes: selectively irradiating the layer of fluid substance to obtain the solidified layer; extracting the solidified layer from the fluid substance; redistributing the fluid substance in the container by moving the leveler so that they are passed between the modelling plate and the container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a stereolithography method and a stereolithography machine employing said method.
2. Present State of the Art
As is known, the stereolithography technique is used to produce three-dimensional objects through the successive deposition of several layers of a light-sensitive liquid resin capable of polymerizing through exposure to a light source.
In particular, each resin layer is superimposed to the preceding layer of the three-dimensional object to be produced and is allowed to selectively solidify in the points corresponding to the volume of the object itself.
A stereolithography machine according to a known embodiment comprises a container suited to contain said liquid resin and provided with a transparent bottom.
There is also a light source, generally a laser emitter or a projector, capable of selectively irradiating the layer of liquid resin arranged adjacent to the bottom of the container so that it solidifies.
The machine comprises also a modelling plate suited to support the solidified layers of the three-dimensional object, associated with actuator means suited to provide for moving the plate in a direction perpendicular to the bottom of the container.
According to a stereolithography method of the known type using the above mentioned machine, first of all the modelling plate is arranged at a distance from the bottom of the container that is equal to the thickness of the layer to be solidified.
Successively, the liquid resin layer adjacent to the bottom of the container is selectively irradiated by means of the light source in order to solidify it.
The modelling plate is configured so that the solidified layer adheres to it while, in the contrary, the bottom of the container is provided with a covering that reduces such adhesion.
The modelling plate is successively moved away from the bottom of the container, so as to make the solidified layer emerge from the liquid resin and thus make it possible to restore the thickness of the liquid resin that is necessary for processing a successive layer of the object.
In fact, lifting the modelling plate and the solidified layer means leaving a depression in the liquid resin, which is filled by the spontaneous flow of the resin itself.
Said levelling action restores the thickness of the liquid resin that is necessary to solidify a new layer of the object and furthermore prevents air bubbles from remaining trapped into the liquid resin during the successive lowering of the modelling plate, which may affect the integrity of the successive layer of the three-dimensional object.
Once said spontaneous levelling is completed, the modelling plate is immersed to again in the liquid resin and a further layer of the object is solidified.
The method described above poses the drawback that the overall processing time of the three-dimensional object is considerably prolonged due to the waiting time needed after the solidification of each layer of the object for the liquid resin to level out.
Since the number of layers that form an object obtained through stereolithography can reach several hundreds, it can be understood that the waiting times mentioned above result in a considerable increase in the processing time.
Obviously, the waiting times are proportional to the viscosity of the liquid resin. Therefore, the drawback mentioned above is particularly important when resins of the so-called "hybrid" type are used, which comprise particles in ceramic or other materials mixed with the polymeric component.
Said hybrid resins are suitable for producing objects with high mechanical resistance but on the other hand their viscosity is much higher compared to the other resins commonly used in stereolithography.
A known embodiment, described in the Patent application WO 2010/045950, includes a movable tank and a fixed levelling paddle arranged in contact with the resin.
Before the solidification of each layer, the tank is moved so that the levelling paddle fills the depression left by the modelling plate when it is lifted.
This embodiment poses the drawback that it requires a certain amount of space for the movement of the tank that, consequently, involves an increase in the overall dimensions of the machine.

Method for producing a three-dimensional object and stereolithography machine employing said method


A container assembly having at least two uniquely-shaped, foldable blanks that can be stored, packaged and transported in substantially flat condition. Each of the flat foldable blanks are easily folded to form a pocket capable of containing papers or other small office supplies. The two pockets are hingedly attached to one another to form a container resembling a briefcase. Preferably, the hinges are formed of a substantially flat resilient material having locking tabs which may be folded and inserted into slots of each of the two pockets and retained by each pocket. The two pockets then being hingedly attached to one another. One pocket may be formed with a cover flap having a clasp to cover both of the pockets and facilitate securement of the two pockets in a closed position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a container assembly for holding a variety of materials, such as papers, that is easy to manufacture, transport and assembly. The container of the present invention is particular directed to a briefcase or a two pocket folder having two portions each formed from a single foldable panel and uniquely hinged together.
2. Description of Prior Art
In an office, schoolroom, den, or any other environment, many different types of containers are abundantly used for collecting and storing papers and small office supplies such as pens, pencils, sharpeners, paper clips etc. Typically, known prior art container devices are either totally rigid or are of the form of simple folders made of flexible materials. A totally rigid construction makes the known devices expensive to manufacture as well as bulky, awkward and difficult to transport from one location to another. Other containers, such as plastic folders are well known in the art. However, these folders do not have separate containers hinged together to resemble a briefcase.
There therefore exists a need for an inexpensive container assembly which can be easily and conveniently employed in a wide variety of environments, both indoors and outdoors, which container assembly can be stored and shipped in a compact, flat package and can be easily and readily assembled and disassembled by a single non-skilled person without tools and without external fasteners or other components.


A circuit for stabilizing a common voltage of a liquid crystal display device includes a data driving unit for providing video data to a liquid crystal display panel and a gate driving unit for providing scan pulses to the liquid crystal display panel, a timing controller for outputting various control signals for controlling the data driving unit and the gate driving unit, and outputting the video data, and a common voltage output unit for controlling outputting of a common voltage provided to the liquid crystal display panel according to a gate output enable signal inputted from the timing controller to thereby minimize the common voltage from being unstable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for stabilizing a common voltage supplied to a liquid crystal display panel of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and, more particularly, to a circuit for stabilizing a common voltage of an LCD capable of minimizing generation of a panel blur (mura) resulting from a common voltage becoming unstable due to a capacitance component within a panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, because the LCD has characteristics that it is light and thin and driven at low power consumption, its use has extended to office automation devices or an audio/video device. The LCD displays a desired image on its screen by controlling transmittance of a light according to image signals applied to a plurality of control switches arranged in a matrix form.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an LCD according to a related art. As illustrated, the related art LCD includes a liquid crystal display panel 13 in which a plurality of data lines DL and a plurality of gate lines GL cross and thin film transistors (TFTs) for driving liquid crystal cells are formed at crossing points of the data lines and the gate lines; a data driving unit 11 for providing data to the data lines DL; a gate driving unit 12 for providing scan pulses to the gate lines GL; and a timing controller 14 for outputting various control signals for controlling the data driving unit 11 and the gate driving unit 12 and outputting video data (R, G and B).
The operation of the LCD will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.
The liquid crystal display panel 13 is constructed such that liquid crystal is provided between two glass substrates, and the data lines DL and the gate lines GL cross on the lower glass substrate. TFTs formed at the crossing points of the data lines DL and the gate lines GLS provide data received from the data lines DL to liquid crystal cells in response to scan pulses from the gate lines GL. For this purpose the gate terminal of each TFT is connected with a respective gate line GL and the source terminal of each TFT is connected with a respective data line DL. A drain terminal of each TFT is connected with a respective pixel electrode of each liquid crystal cell Clc. A storage capacitor Cst for sustaining a voltage of liquid crystal cells is formed on the lower glass substrate of the liquid crystal display panel 13.
The timing controller 14 receives digital video data (RGB), a horizontal synchronization signal Hsync, a vertical synchronization signal Vsync and a clock signal CLK; generates a gate control signal GDC for controlling the gate driving unit 12; and generates various data control signals DDC for controlling the data driving unit 11. In addition, the timing controller 14 serves to transfer data provided from an external system to the data driving unit 11.
The gate driving unit 12 includes a shift register for sequentially generating scan pulses in response to the gate control signal GDC from the timing controller 14, a level shifter for shifting a swing width of the scan pulse into a level suitable for driving the liquid crystal cell Clc, and an output buffer, etc. The gate driving unit 12 provides the scan pulses to the gate lines GL to turn on the TFTs connected with the gate lines GL, and accordingly, to select liquid crystal cells Clc of one horizontal line to which a pixel voltage, namely, an analog gamma compensation voltage, is to be supplied. Data generated from the data driving unit 11 are provided to the liquid crystal cells Clc of the selected horizontal line by the scan pulse.
The data driving unit 11 provides data to the data lines DL in response to a data drive control signal DDC provided from the timing controller 14. The data driving unit 11 samples the digital data RGB from the timing controller 14, latches it, and then, converts it into an analog gamma voltage.
For reference, in the above description, the data driving unit 11 and the gate driving unit 12 are separately installed on the liquid crystal display panel 13. In this respect, recently, the data driving unit 11 and the gate driving unit 12 may be integrated into a plurality of ICs and mounted on a TCP (Tape Carrier Package) so as to be connected to the liquid crystal splay panel 33 in a TAP (Table Automated Bonding) method or mounted on the liquid crystal display panel 33 in a COG (Chip On Glass) method.
FIG. 2 illustrates a circuit for generating a common voltage Vcom provided to each liquid crystal cell Clc on the liquid crystal display panel 13. As shown, a resistor R21, a variable resistor VR21 and a resistor R22 are connected in series between a power source terminal Vdd and a ground terminal GND and the common voltage Vcom is outputted from a contact between the resistor R21 and the variable resistor VR21.
Accordingly, the common voltage Vcom is outputted as a level of a DC voltage divided by the resistor R21, the variable VR21 and the resistor R22, and the level can be adjusted by the variable resistor VR21.
The common voltage Vcom may be provided as a DC voltage in a stable form, namely, a DC voltage of a pre-set level, in any situation. However, coupling occurs due to a capacitance component on the liquid crystal display panel 13. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the common voltage Vcom becomes unstable in a blanking interval during which there is no data because of the capacitance component, such as the liquid crystal cell Clc, the storage capacitor Cst, or a Cgs.
Thus, a panel blur phenomenon or a horizontal crosstalk (C/T), etc. is generated to degrade picture quality.

Circuit for stabilizing common voltage of a liquid crystal display device


A method is described for scheduling an instruction of a computer program. The instruction is scheduled into an active block of the computer program if no compensation copy is necessary, or if any necessary compensation copy is acceptable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer systems, and more particularly to a method of instruction scheduling in superscalar or very large instruction word (VLIW) processors that reduces the harmful effects of compensation code.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical computer system, the central processing unit ("CPU") executes a compiler program whose job is to translate a computer program from one language into another. Typically the program to be compiled, called the source code program, is written in one of the traditional programming languages such as Pascal, FORTRAN, or C, although it may take other forms. The language into which the source code program is to be translated, called the target language, could be another programming language, object code, or code readable by a machine, for example. In any event, the compiler translates the source code program into the target language of choice.
The final step in the compiler's translation of the source code program is code generation, during which the compiler creates the final representation of the source code program in the target language. One step that is performed during the code generation process is called instruction scheduling. During instruction scheduling, individual instructions of the target code (or instructions of an intermediate representation of the target code) are rescheduled so that more instructions execute in each clock cycle, enabling faster execution of the target code instructions and more efficient use of machine resources.
Conceptually, instruction scheduling involves movement of instructions within a control flow graph representation of the program to be executed. A control flow graph is an interconnected set of basic blocks, where each basic block is simply a collection of the program's instructions. More specifically, a basic block is a series of instructions that always execute consecutively, with no possibility of halting or conditional branching under normal execution (basic blocks may or may not include procedure calls and unconditional branches, depending on how a basic block is defined by the compiler). Program control always enters a basic block from the top, i.e., the first instruction in the basic block is always the first to be executed. Therefore, once program control flows to the first instruction in a basic block, all instructions in the basic block will execute consecutively, at which point control will flow to another basic block. Because every instruction in the program is included in a basic block, the program may be entirely represented as a collection of basic blocks, interconnected by edges to reflect how program control can flow from block to block. This interconnected collection of basic blocks is the control flow diagram. Older instruction scheduling methods reorganized instructions within basic blocks to produce more efficient target code, but did not move instructions between basic blocks. In more recently developed scheduling methods, instructions are moved between blocks within a region to further increase the efficient use of machine resources. In all of these methods, instructions are scheduled into only one block at a time.
Movement of instructions between blocks creates the problem that a moved instruction might never be executed in instances when it should have been executed. For instance, referring to the sample control flow graph of FIG. 1, suppose there is a basic block B, and that program control may flow to block B from one of two predecessor blocks, P1 and P2 (in this context, a predecessor/successor block is a block immediately preceding/succeeding the block in question in the control flow diagram). Suppose further that an instruction from block B is moved upward into block P1 by the instruction scheduler. If program control flowed to block B from block P2, the instruction would never be executed. In this situation, the use of compensation code is necessary. The instruction scheduler creates compensation copies of moved instructions to guarantee that all instructions are executed as they should be, regardless of how program control proceeds. In this example, if an instruction were moved from block B to block P1 by the instruction scheduler, a compensation copy of the instruction would be placed into P2, so that the instruction will be executed no matter which path the program control takes. Compensation code is necessary any time an instruction is moved (scheduled) into a new basic block in the control flow graph, but as a result of its new location, the instruction might never be executed when it should be. The need for compensation code can also be encountered in cases of downward code motion, when an instruction is moved below a block in the control flow diagram with multiple successors.
The creation of compensation code can reduce the efficiency of target code, by increasing the number of clock cycles necessary to execute a particular block of code. Under current scheduling methods, the instructions are scheduled without heed to the effect of compensation code on the block into which it is inserted. The creation of compensation copies can therefore work against the compiler's otherwise meticulous attention to the efficient scheduling of instructions into blocks. As a result, the overall efficiency of the target code can be lowered.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, the problem set forth above.

Method and apparatus for instruction scheduling to reduce negative effects of compensation code


Disclosed are improved vinyl acetate/ethylene copolymers emulsion polymerized in the presence of colloidal, nonionic, water dispersible polyurethanes. The improvement resides in vinyl acetate and ethylene polymerized in the presence of a costabilizer comprising the colloidal, nonionic, water dispersible polyurethanes and polyvinyl alcohol.

Water borne polymers prepared by emulsion polymerization are extremely important commercial materials. Because of the dual phase nature of these materials they require a stabilizing package to maintain water dispersibility. Often stability is maintained through the addition of surfactants or water soluble polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol and cellulose. In addition to maintaining water dispersibility, these stabilizers offer other end use advantages in specific applications.
Emulsion polymers have been prepared in the presence of water dispersible polyurethanes. Typically, these polymers are referred to as hybrids combining features of each while differing from the features of blends. For the most part, such water dispersible polyurethanes have been anionic polyurethanes incorporating amine neutralized carboxyl functionality. More recently, some nonionic polyurethanes have been utilized to stabilize the emulsion polymerization of a variety of monomers. Polyurethane dispersions also have been post added to emulsions to improve film coalescence and add toughness, but this approach is often hindered by lack of emulsion stability when the two components are mixed together and also by incompatibility of the urethane and vinyl polymer resulting in cloudy films and poor mechanical properties.
Representative patent literature which show anionic water dispersible polyurethanes and hybrid systems are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,526 discloses a process for producing an aqueous polyurethane-vinyl polymer (hybrid) coating composition by (a) forming a carboxy-containing, water-dispersible, isocyanate-terminated polyurethane prepolymer, (b) adding a vinyl monomer mixture to the carboxy-containing, water-dispersible, isocyanate-terminated polyurethane prepolymer to make a prepolymer/monomer mixture, (c) adding tertiary amine to the prepolymer/monomer mixture, (d) dispersing the prepolymer/monomer mixture in water, (e) adding an oil-soluble free radical initiator and a chain extender to the aqueous dispersion and (f) completing the chain extension and polymerizing the vinyl monomers by heating the aqueous dispersion. A variety of vinyl monomers, which include lower alkyl (C.sub.1-6) esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid, are suggested as being suited for the hybrid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,876 discloses two types of aqueous polymer dispersions for use as coating compositions, the dispersions comprising a water dispersible polyurethane containing diphenylmethane diisocyanate and a vinyl polymer. The water dispersible polyurethane component is prepared by forming an isocyanate terminated prepolymer having carboxyl functionality incorporated therein and chain extending with an amine. In forming the aqueous dispersion, the vinyl polymer may be blended with the water dispersible polyurethane or the vinyl monomer may be polymerized in the presence of the aqueous polyurethane dispersion. A variety of monomers suited for polymerization are suggested which include acrylates and hydroxyacrylates.
Nonionic, water dispersible polyurethanes have been utilized in the formulation of coatings for wood, metals and flexible substrates. Representative examples are set forth in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,566 discloses nonionic, water dispersible polyurethanes having a linear molecular structure. The nonionic, water dispersible polyurethanes are formed by reacting organic diisocyanates with difunctional organic compounds having molecular weights from about 300 to 6,000 in the presence of components having hydrophilic groups, e.g., conventional polyether and polyester polyols, guaranteeing the dispersibility of the polyurethanes. The hydrophilic components are based on reacting alkylene oxides with monofunctional alcohols or any alternative reacting monoisocyanate with the polyether alcohol. Optionally, the water dispersible polyurethanes may be blended with other vinyl polymers for the formulation of coatings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,507 discloses aqueous dispersions of nonionic, water dispersible polyurethanes having pendent polyoxyethylene chains and free acid or free tertiary amino groups. These water dispersible polyurethanes are formed by reacting inorganic polyisocyanate with an organic polyol and a dispersing diol or diisocyanate having pendant polyoxyethylene chains and an isocyanate reactive compound containing at least a carboxylic acid group. Examples of isocyanate reactive compounds having carboxy groups include 2,2-dimethylolpropionic acid. In this polymer, the acid remains as the free carboxy group rather than the salt. Typically, the carboxy functionality is reacted with amine to form the anionic water dispersible polyurethanes.
WO 94/13726 discloses a class of hydrophilic polyurethanes which are water dispersible. These polyurethanes are high viscosity, water dispersible polyurethanes, and these are formed by reacting aliphatic or aromatic diisocyanates with polyethylene glycol which are polyaddition products of ethylene oxide and a variety of divalent alcohols, a representative is the reaction product of a polyethylene glycol with meta-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate. The patent also discloses the use of these high viscosity polyurethanes as protective colloids in combination with conventional nonionic surfactants for use in stabilizing the emulsion polymerization of monomers such as vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride. The patentees point out that the resulting polyvinyl acetate results in the production of water-resistant films.
DE 195 08 856 discloses the use of water soluble-nonionic polyurethanes as protective colloids of the type described in WO 94/13726 for the emulsion polymerization of a variety of monomers. Representative monomers suited for forming aqueous dispersions include acrylic and methacrylic acid esters, acrylic and methacrylic acids as well as their hydroxy alkyl esters, vinyl acetate and copolymers of vinyl acetate and ethylene. The patentees also point out that redispersible powders can be obtained from these emulsions. Representative examples then show the use of the water soluble polyurethanes as protective colloids alone and in combination with surfactants for the polymerization of ethylene, vinyl acetate and N-methylol acrylamide.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,942 discloses the preparation of aqueous polymer dispersion containing vinyl polymer and a nonionic water-dispersible polyurethane having pendent polyoxyethylene chains. The nonionic polyurethanes having pendent polyoxyethylene chains are alleged to possess significant advantages over the anionic polyurethanes described in the art. Acrylic, substituted acrylic and vinyl esters are alleged for use in emulsion polymerization. The ratio of polyurethane to vinyl polymer is within a weight range of 1:9 to 9:1. Most of the examples show the polymerization of acrylic monomers in the presence of the nonionic dispersion and sodium lauryl sulfate.

Polymers prepared in the presence of colloidal polyurethane dispersions


The system includes an appliance for personal body care, a pump and a holder. The appliance comprises a treatment device for carrying out a body-care treatment under the influence of a fluid. The fluid is held in the holder and can be pumped to an outlet opening by means of the pump. The holder includes a flexible wall, and the pump is detachable from the holder and is detachable from the appliance. This combination of measures makes it possible to adapt the dimensions of the holder to an ergonomic shape of the appliance.

The invention relates to a system for personal body care, comprising
a holder which holds a fluid,
a pump for pumping the fluid, and
an appliance for personal body care, comprising a treatment device for carrying out a body-care treatment under the influence of the fluid.
The invention further relates to an assembly of a holder for holding a fluid and such a pump.
The invention also relates to an appliance for personal body care, comprising a treatment device for carrying out a body-care treatment under the influence of a fluid, which appliance has a space for accommodating a holder and a pump for pumping the fluid from the holder to an outlet opening of the appliance.
Such a system and such an appliance are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,952. The known appliance is a shaver having a holder with a shaving liquid and a pump for pumping the shaving liquid from the holder to a discharge opening of the shaver. The known system comprises a shaver and a cartridge. The cartridge comprises a rigid holder holding a shaving liquid and a pump. By pressing on the holder the shaving liquid can be pumped to an outlet opening near a shaving head of the shaver. By replacing the cartridge the system is provided with a new load of shaving liquid and a new pump. A drawback of the known system is that the holder is comparatively large in relation to the appliance, so that the holder adversely affects the ergonomics of the system.
It is an object of the invention to provide a system of the type defined in the opening paragraph, which is more attractive for a consumer than the known system. To this end the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that
the holder comprises a flexible wall, and
the pump is detachable from the holder and is detachable from the appliance. This combination of measures makes it possible to adapt the dimensions of the holder to an ergonomic shape of the appliance. This will be explained hereinafter.
By making the pump detachable from the holder an empty holder can be replaced by a full holder without the pump having to be replaced. As a result of this, the replacement of a holder becomes substantially cheaper and the dimensions of the holder can be smaller with the same consumption costs as the known system.
Since the holder has a flexible wall and the size of the holder is comparatively small in relation to the appliance the holder can be accommodated more easily in an appliance having an ergonomic shape.
Since the pump is also detachable from the appliance the pump can still be replaced at regular intervals. As a pump is difficult to clean regular replacement is a good method of guaranteeing the hygiene of the system. By selling holders in a package including, for example, five holders and one pump the user can replace the pump at a rate which is five times as low as the rate of replacement of the holders. Thus, the pump is yet replaced at regular intervals without the cost of replacing a pump each time that an empty holder is replaced by a full holder.
The measures in accordance with the invention make it possible to market a personal care system which appeals to the customer owing to the low cost, great hygiene and ease of handling.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention has the characteristic features wherein the pump comprises a suction tube for taking in the fluid, the holder comprises a coupling member having a tubular outlet channel, and the pump and the holder can be coupled by sliding the suction tube into the outlet channel. Owing to these measures the system can readily be assembled by sliding the suction tube into the outlet channel and coupling the holder to the appliance. As a result of this, the user friendliness of the system is further improved.
Another embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention has the characteristic features wherein the appliance has a space for accommodating the pump and the holder, the space is provided with positioning means for positioning the coupling member of the holder, and the pump is retained in the space by means of the coupling member of the holder. Owing to these measures the pump is no longer in its fixed condition when the holder is detached from the appliance. As a result of this, the pump is easy to replace. Preferably, the system is then constructed in such a manner that the pump is detached together with the holder when the latter is detached from the appliance, for example by means of a detachable snap coupling between the pump and the holder. In that case the pump is removed from the space when the holder is detached from the appliance, so that the users can readily take hold of the pump in order to replace it or in order to couple it to another holder.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the flexible wall comprises a layer of aluminum having a thickness of between 6 and 12 micrometers. Owing to this measure the wall of the holder is flexible enough to adapt to a decreasing content of the holder without the pressure in the holder differing significantly from the pressure in the environment of the holder. At the same time the holder is rigid enough to withstand some force so that the holder can readily be coupled to the pump and a pump-and-holder assembly can readily be slid into an appliance without fluid being expelled from the holder, neither directly nor via the pump.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device is adapted to shave off hairs. The invention is particularly advantageous in such a system because such a system should be easy to handle.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device comprises a stationary cutter. Such a shaving system is intended for use in combination with a fluid, for which the appliance should be moved over the skin in strokes. By means of the measures in accordance with the invention it is achieved that the system is light in weight and convenient to manipulate so that the appliance can be moved smoothly over the skin.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device comprises a movable shaving member and a drive mechanism for driving the shaving member. Owing to the measures in accordance with the invention it is possible to accommodate a holder with a fluid in the appliance as well as to accommodate the drive mechanism in the appliance without the ease of handling of the system being impaired.
An embodiment of the system in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device is adapted to depilate. Owing to the measures in accordance with the invention it is readily possible to accommodate a holder with a fluid in the appliance as well as to accommodate a treatment device for depilation in the appliance without the ease of handling of the system being impaired.
An embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the treatment device is adapted to massage a human body. Owing to the measures in accordance with the invention it is readily possible to accommodate a holder with a fluid in the appliance as well as to accommodate a treatment device for body massage in the appliance without the ease of handling of the system being impaired.
The appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that
the appliance comprises a rigid wall portion which is movable with respect to the appliance from a first position to a second position,
in which first position the space is accessible to mount and/or remove the holder and the pump, and
in which second position the holder and the pump are retained in the space.
Owing to these measures a holder with a flexible wall can readily be replaced without the pressure being exerted on the flexible wall by the user. This substantially reduces the likelihood of fluid leaking from the holder during replacement.
An embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the wall portion comprises positioning means for positioning the holder. As a result of this, the wall portion can serve as a handle for holding the holder during mounting or removal of the pump. Subsequently, the wall portion with holder and pump can be moved to the second position, the holder being blocked in the positioning means and the pump being retained via the holder.
An embodiment of the appliance in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the wall portion is convex. A convex wall portion is convenient to hold and provides room to accommodate the holder at its inner side.

System and appliance for personal body care


A time interval measuring apparatus for measuring a time interval between two input signals and a signal period of either one of the input signals is capable of detecting and canceling the time difference in the signal propagation times between the two signal paths which transmit two input signals to be measured to an inner circuit of the time interval measuring apparatus. The true time interval is calculated by using the first time interval measurement result obtained when the first and second switches are switched to the first and second input terminals respectively, and the second time interval measurement result obtained when the second and first switches are switched to the first and second input terminals respectively, and the signal period of the input signal. The difference between the signal propagation times in the two input signal paths is canceled by the calculation part. The true time interval, the signal period and the phase difference between the input signals are displayed on the display.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a conventional time interval measuring instrument ordinarily used to measure the time interval between input signals. FIG. 5 is the timing diagram of each signal recorded by the conventional time interval measuring instrument of FIG. 4.
The conventional time interval measuring instrument also has the ability to measure the phase difference between input signals. The conventional time interval measuring instrument generally is comprised of a measuring part 21, a calculation part 28, and a display 27. The measuring part 21 is made up of input terminals 11 and 12, capacitors 13 and 14, wave formatters 17 and 18, D-type flip flops 22 and 23, a signal period measuring circuit 24, and a time interval measuring circuit 25. The signal period measuring circuit 24 in the measuring part 21 and the time interval measuring circuit 25 have structures similar to those described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-3272 and Japanese Patent Laying-Open Publication Nos. 62-294993 and 63-191970.
Analog signals S11 and S12 are input to the input terminals 11 and 12, respectively and the DC components of the analog signals S11 and S12 are removed by the capacitors 13 and 14. The analog signals S11 and S12 are then input to the wave formatters 17 and 18, where the threshold voltage is set at 0 V. In the wave formatters 17 and 18, the analog signals S11 and S12 are changed to square waves S21 and S22. The signals S21 and S22, thus formatted to square waves, are input to the measuring part 21 through the input terminals 19 and 20. The signal period P of signal S21 as shown in FIG. 5 (which, in many instances, is the same as the signal period of signal S22) is measured by the signal period measuring circuit 24. Also, the time interval T between the rising edge of signal S21 and the rising edge of signal S22, as shown in FIG. 5, is measured by the time interval measuring circuit 25. The calculation part 28 receives the measured signal period P and time interval T from the measuring part 21 and instructs the display 27 to display the measured information of period P and time interval T. At the same time, the calculation part 28 performs a calculation of the phase difference between the two signals [(T/P).times.360 degree], which is also displayed on the display 27.
The above mentioned conventional instrument measures the time interval T between the signals S21 and S22 by assuming that the signal propagation time .tau.1 from the input terminal 11 to the input terminal 19 and the signal propagation time .tau.2 from the input terminal 12 to the input terminal 20 are equal. However, in practice, it is difficult to keep the difference between signal propagation times less than 100 pico-seconds because of the differences in accuracy between electric devices (such as the wave formatters 17 and 18). Furthermore, the signal propagation times may be affected by the frequency or amplitude of the input signals, or other conditions such as temperature. Therefore, a disadvantage of the conventional time interval measuring instrument is that highly precise time measurement is not possible, since an instrument requirement is that the propagation times of the two signal paths be equal. Even though the propagation time can be forced to stay equal under certain conditions, it is practically impossible to keep them equal under all conditions.