The present invention concerns a surface covering element comprising: a mineral substrate layer, optionally coated with a suitable primer; a decor printed onto the substrate layer, forming a decor layer; and—a transparent protection layer obtained from a curable polymer formulation. It further concerns a process for its manufacture comprising the following steps: a. providing a mineral substrate layer; b. optionally, applying a primer onto at least one surface of the mineral substrate layer; c. printing a decor onto the substrate layer; and d. coating the printed decor with a transparent protection layer obtained from a curable polymer formulation.

Organic polymer surface coverings such as vinyl flooring are popular flooring materials since many years.
However, such surface coverings also have limitations, notably with regard to properties such as resistance to humidity.
Further, consumers express increasing interest in alternative surface covering solutions with reduced content in chlorinated materials and volatile organic compounds.

Element for mineral synthetic surface covering


Techniques for managing the load of an access channel in a wireless communication system are described. In an aspect, the load of the access channel may be controlled by having each terminal regulates its use of the access channel (e.g., its rate of system access) based on a rate control algorithm (e.g., token bucket). The rate control algorithm may maintain information on past activities of a terminal and may regulate the use of the access channel by the terminal based on its past activities in order to control the access channel load and achieve fairness. The system may determine at least one parameter value for the rate control algorithm based on load conditions and may broadcast the at least one parameter value to terminals. Each terminal may regulate its use of the access channel based on the at least one parameter value received from the system.

I. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to communication, and more specifically to techniques for managing load of an access channel in a wireless communication system.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These wireless systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available system resources. Examples of such multiple-access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) systems, and Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) systems.
A wireless communication system may include a number of base stations that can support communication for a number of terminals. A terminal may transmit on an access channel in order to access the system and/or for other purposes. For example, the terminal may transmit on the access channel in order to register with the system when the terminal is powered on, to originate a voice or data call, to inform the system of the terminal's whereabouts so that the system can page the terminal if needed, etc.
The access channel is typically shared by all terminals in the system. Thus, if many terminals transmit on the access channel and/or if some terminals transmit frequently on the access channel, then heavy load on the access channel may increase the load of the system, delay access by terminals desiring to connect to the system, etc. It may be desirable to manage usage and hence the load of the access channel in order to avoid deleterious effects due to overload of the access channel.

Access channel load management in a wireless communication system


A color picture display apparatus employs an array of light-emitting diodes or other light-emitting elements emitting different colors. A television signal is converted to monochromatic signals of the different colors. A color converter modifies the monochromatic signals, thereby changing the displayed hues to match the hues that would be displayed on a television screen, to compensate for ambient lighting conditions, or to achieve other desired effects. If each picture element has only a single light-emitting element, the modification preferably avoids unlit gaps in monochromatic areas of the displayed picture.

The present invention relates to a color picture display apparatus employing an array of light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
LED panels are used as components of, for example, large outdoor screens on which color television pictures and other color pictures are displayed. A single picture element or pixel may consist of a single red, green, or blue LED, or of a group of three or more LEDs of these primary colors. The LEDs of different colors are arranged in a regular pattern, but are not necessarily present in equal numbers. One known type of display apparatus, for example, achieves enhanced resolution by employing a one-LED-per-pixel array with extra green pixels, taking advantage of the fact that the human visual system is most sensitive to green light.
A problem encountered in LED-panel display apparatus is that the colors emitted by red, green, and blue LEDs differ from the colors emitted by the red, green, and blue phosphors employed in a conventional television picture tube or cathode-ray tube (CRT). An LED panel can display a wider range of colors than can a CRT. Consequently, when a standard television picture is displayed by apparatus employing LED panels, the picture has an unnaturally gaudy appearance.
Another problem is that individual LEDs, particularly green LEDs, vary in their spectral emission characteristics. These variations lead to erratic color rendition, which can degrade picture quality fairly seriously. The variations can be reduced by screening the LEDs and selecting LEDs with uniform characteristics for each primary color, but the screening process increases the cost of the apparatus. A conceivable alternative is to compensate for the individual LED differences, but while it is fairly easy to compensate for luminance variability, but it is generally difficult to compensate for spectral variability, i.e., color variability.
In a one-LED-per-pixel display, a further problem occurs due to the physical separation between pixels of the same primary color. If a nearly monochromatic red or blue picture is displayed, for example, the picture has a grainy appearance because of the mutual separation of the red or blue pixels. This is especially true in the above-mentioned apparatus with extra green pixels, because the red and blue pixels have to be widely separated to accommodate the increased number of green pixels.
LEDs are not the only light-emitting elements used in large-screen display apparatus. A large screen can be constructed from an array of CRTs, for example, in which case the light-emitting elements are phosphor dots. It would be desirable to solve the problems described above in a way that would be applicable to screens with any type of light-emitting elements.
An object of the present invention is to provide a color picture display apparatus having signal-processing circuitry capable of generating a natural picture appearance with any type of light-emitting elements.
Another object of the invention is to reduce the degree of picture degradation caused by variations in the spectral emission characteristics of the light-emitting elements.
A further object is to avoid a grainy picture appearance.
The invented color picture display apparatus comprises means for converting a color television signal to a plurality of monochromatic digital signals, means for modifying the monochromatic digital signals so as to obtain desired hues, and means for displaying a color picture according to the modified monochromatic digital signals by use of a regular array of light-emitting elements, each emitting light of a color corresponding to one of the monochromatic signals. The emitted colors are, for example, red, green, and blue.
The monochromatic signals are modified by, for example, a matrix multiplication operation using externally programmable coefficients.
If the light-emitting elements are LEDs, and if the monochromatic signals are sampled at different timings, corresponding to the positions of the LEDs in the array, so that each LED constitutes a separate picture element in the picture, then the array preferably has a comparatively large number of long-wavelength LEDs, or red LEDs.

Color picture display apparatus using hue modification to improve picture quality


A micro electromechanical switch has a guidepost formed upon a substrate. A signal transmission line is formed on the substrate, with the signal transmission line having a gap and forming an open circuit. The switch further includes a switch body having a via opening formed therein, with the switch body being movably disposed along an length defined by the guide post. The guidepost is partially surrounded by the via opening.

The present disclosure relates generally to micro electromechanical (MEM) switches and, more particularly, to a multiposition MEM switch.
Advances in integrated circuit technology in recent years have led to the development of micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), featuring devices of micrometer dimensions which can be actuated and controlled using mechanical, electrostatic, electromagnetic, fluidic and thermal methods. MEMS manufacturing technologies are a combination of the more established semiconductor microfabrication techniques with the newer developments in micromachining.
One example of a MEM device is a cantilevered beam switch having one end anchored to a substrate material, such as silicon. The free end of the beam serves as a deflection electrode which, when a voltage source is applied thereto, deflects as a result of the electrostatic forces on the beam and a field plate, thereby making contact with a stationary electrode. When the voltage source is removed, the beam returns to its xe2x80x9crigidxe2x80x9d state due to the restoring forces therein and the switch contacts are opened.
Although advances in MEM technology have been considerable in recent years, the technology is not without its drawbacks. For example, one of the most insidious problems facing manufacturers of MEMS devices is stiction, which occurs when a surface of a micromachined part (such as a cantilever beam) becomes fused or bonded to an adjacent surface of the structure. Stiction can often result from conditions such as surface roughness, humidity, applied voltage and capillary forces during the manufacturing process. The greater the number of stiction problems occurring in a device, the greater the overall effect on the yield of the device becomes. In addition, the physical geometry of a component itself may also have an effect on its susceptibility to stiction; switches of the cantilevered type may undergo warpage due to repeated mechanical stresses on the beam. As such, it is desirable to provide a switch design which minimizes the susceptibility to stiction.
Other difficulties associated with beam switches may include: material fatigue, space constraints (from the requirement for anchoring points), the creation of parasitic inductances and resonant frequency problems. It is also desirable, therefore, to provide a MEM switch which addresses the aforementioned concerns.
In an exemplary embodiment, a micro electromechanical switch has a guidepost formed upon a substrate. A signal transmission line is formed on the substrate, with the signal transmission line having a gap and forming an open circuit. The switch further includes a switch body having a via opening formed therein, with the switch body being movably disposed along a length defined by the guidepost. The guidepost is partially surrounded by the via opening. In a preferred embodiment, a field plate is formed on the substrate and aligned electrostatically attractably apart from the switch body. An electrostatic attraction between the field plate and the switch body causes the switch body to close the gap in the signal transmission line.

Multiposition micro electromechanical switch

International Business Machines Corporation


In an optical connector adapter for use in connecting a first and a second optical connector plug to each other, a second adapter half is butted against a first adapter half in a predetermined direction. The first and second adapter halves have engaging means for maintaining the first and second adapter halves in a butted state in the predetermined direction. The engaging means is configured to be disposed inside the optical connector adapter and to be prevented from releasing engagement thereof by at least one of the first and second optical connector plugs.

Several examples of this type of adapter are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H06-82655. Each of those adapters comprises two adapter elements butted and coupled together and thus the number of components can be made small. The coupling between the adapter elements is performed by engaging means exposed on the outer surfaces of the adapter elements. The engaging means comprises a thin-plate elastic locking piece extending from the outer surface of each adapter element toward the mating adapter element and a recess formed on the outer surface of each adapter element. When the adapter elements are butted against each other, the elastic locking pieces are snap-engaged into the recesses, respectively, so that the adapter elements are coupled together. Thus, the assembly is easy.

Assembly-type durable optical connector adapter

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


Adjustable 3-way scaffolding fasteners for holding together four corners of a scaffold with four upright members, two first cross members with extremes, and two second cross members with extremes. The fasteners include a pair of right fasteners and a pair of left fasteners. Each fastener of the pair of right fasteners connects one extreme of the extremes of one cross member of the two first cross members and one extreme of the extremes of one cross member of the two second cross members to an upright of the four upright members of the scaffold, and are separate and diametrically opposed to each other when being used. Each fastener of the pair of left fasteners connects the other extreme of the extremes of the one cross member of the two first cross members and the other extreme of the extremes of the one cross member of the two second cross members to another upright of the four upright members of the scaffold, and are separate and diametrically opposed to each other and opposite to the pair of right fasteners when being used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fasteners. More particularly, the present invention relates to adjustable 3-way scaffold fasteners.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for joining devices have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,551 to Beasley teaches three elongate members such as rods or tubes forming mutually perpendicular upright transoms and ledgers in a scaffolding structure that are interconnected by engagement of a bracket carried at one end of a first (horizontal) member in a socket provided in a second (upright) member, a third horizontal member being engaged between the end and the second member and retained in position by a wedge element. The wedge element is jammed in position by tightening a clamping nut, and use may be made of standard pipes such as scaffolding tubes.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,490 to Hsiao et al. teaches an assembly rack having a plurality of steel angles each having its two sides bent into L-shaped guide edges which define a guide groove, and provided with a series of holes in each side, and a plurality of slightly L-shaped joint members of sheet metal having a guide groove on each side and provided with screw holes one in each side of the guide groove. The guide edges of the steel angles are engaged in the grooves of the joint members and the two extended portions of the joint members are fitted into the guide grooves of the angles. Vertical and horizontal steel angles thus joined by the joint members are fastened to the joint members by bolts, and the horizontal angles can be positioned at different locations along the vertical steel angles.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,962 to Helsper teaches an adjustable scaffold support for use in supporting construction scaffold plank members that includes a vertical guide member defining an elongated vertical guide track. An extension member is slidably received in the guide track and is secured in a selected adjusted position by a spring steel clamp and a set screw. A pivotal support member has a lower end pivotally connected to a lower end of the extension member. A pair of rectangular channel brackets are provided on upper end portions of the extension member and pivotal support member for engagement with a scaffold support plank. The scaffold support includes an A-frame supporting structure provided with selectively extensible ground insertion spikes for securing the scaffold support at an intended location.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,154 to Vargo teaches a readily assembled and disassembled static structure such as a scaffolding or a rack for shelving, bracing or the like that is composed of a plurality of elongated metallic support members fastened together in a predetermined precise arrangement. Each support member contains at least one row in a longitudinal direction of identically sized holes in the shape of a polyhedron having four sides or a multiple thereof. The support members are fastened together using a bolt which has an unthreaded portion adjacent the head of the bolt adapted to engage the shaped holes, and a nut threaded onto said bolt. The end of the bolt includes an extension beyond the threads which can be struck with a hammer during disassembly of the support without causing damage to the threads. Channels and angle bracing preferably are used as the support members of the invention although other elongated members can likewise be assembled in the same manner according to the teachings herein. The support members can be joined at 45 degree or 90 degree angles by the use of star-shaped holes having 8-points and a fastener including a bolt which has a neck having a matching star-shaped cross-section.
FINALLY, STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,974 to Savitski teaches a scaffold bracket which is removably attachable to an elongated member such as the stud of a building under construction. The scaffold bracket includes a support structure having a support arm, and first and second grippers attached to the support structure. The first and second grippers engage the front and back surfaces of the elongated member, respectively. When the bracket is mounted to the elongated member, the support arm extends substantially horizontally. In this mounted position, a downward force on the support arm causes the first and second grippers to exert a gripping force on the elongated member. The invention also includes a scaffolding system employing such a scaffold bracket.
It is apparent that numerous innovations for joining devices have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


A motor vehicle screen wiper drive unit is a motorized reduction gear unit comprising a reduction gear train between a driving shaft, driven by a motor, and a driven shaft. The gear train comprises at least one worm fixed to the driving shaft and meshing with a first set of teeth of an intermediate gear wheel. The latter also has a second set of teeth meshing with a driven gear wheel which is carried by the driven shaft. The second teeth of the intermediate gear wheel, and the teeth of the driven wheel, are generally helical, being so oriented that the driven wheel exerts an axial force urging the intermediate gear wheel in a direction opposite to that in which the worm is urged by an axial force exerted on the intermediate wheel by the worm. The need for rigid abutment means for the intermediate wheel is thereby avoided.

It is known from French patent specification No. FR 2 455 221A to provide a motorised reduction gear unit which includes, between a driving shaft and a driven shaft (the driving shaft being driven by a motor and constituting for example the motor shaft itself), a geared transmission in the form of a reduction gear train, which includes at least one worm fixed to the said driving shaft and meshing with a first set of teeth of an intermediate gear wheel or pinion. A second set of teeth of the intermediate gear wheel meshes with a driven gear wheel or pinion which is fixed to and carried by the driven shaft. In that arrangement, the worm cooperates with a first set of teeth of the intermediate pinion, these teeth being helical. This results in the application of a force having a large axial component which urges the intermediate pinion in a direction such that it tends to be urged away from the plate element on which it is mounted for rotational movement.
As a result of this, in the arrangement disclosed in the above mentioned French patent specification, the reduction gear unit has a cover plate which serves as an abutment means to take the thrust resulting from the above mentioned axial component of force, thereby preventing any excessive displacement of the intermediate gear wheel in the direction of that force. This does however call for a cover plate which is robust and rigid enough for that purpose, so that it must be made of metal having a large enough thickness. This in turn increases the selling cost of the motorised reduction gear unit.
In addition, a finger is provided in cooperation with the intermediate gear wheel in order to make the abutting contact against the cover plate. This finger is an additional component which adds complication to the operation of assembling the motorised reduction gear unit, and again increases its selling cost.

Motorized reduction gear unit, in particular for driving a screen wiper in a motor vehicle


A projection system includes a light source, an imaging unit, a control unit, a storage unit, and a projecting unit. The light source applies light beam having a predetermined wavelength. The imaging unit captures a subject to which the light beam is applied. The control unit generates image data for projection based on the captured image. The storage unit stores plural pieces of figure information each representing image data of an object having a predetermined figure. The projecting unit projects a projection image onto the subject. The control unit selects figure information from the stored figure information, based on a degree of similarity with an image of a captured region responding to the light beam. The control unit generates the image data for projection such that an image including a figure indicated by the selected figure information is projected onto the region responding to the light beam.

JP 9-24053 A discloses a surgical operation support system that outputs image data indicating an affected part of a living body to undergo a surgical operation with a fluorescent image imaging apparatus, reproduces an image based on the image data using an image projecting apparatus, and displays the image on the actual affected part. A substance that emits fluorescence by application thereto of a light beam having a predetermined wavelength is administered in advance into the affected part of the living body. The system supports a check on a lesion part by displaying, on the actual affected part, a fluorescent image of the affected part emitting the fluorescence.

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A paper sheet processing device (1) for processing paper sheets while carrying the paper sheets, comprising a device body (10), a carrier means (2) for carrying the paper sheets one by one, a carrier driving means for driving said carrier means, processing device parts (4A, 4B, 4C) which are installed in a carrying route (20) formed of the carrier means and which process the paper sheets, and processing driving means for driving the processing device parts. The device is characterized in that the processing device parts are installed detachably from the device body.

Patent literature 1 discloses a paper sheet processing device for processing paper sheets while carrying the paper sheets. In this paper sheet processing device, a paper feeding device part carries the paper sheets one by one to feed them to a device body; and the device body cuts or folds the paper sheets in the carrying direction or the direction perpendicular to the carrying direction while carrying the paper sheets. In addition, Patent literature 1 discloses a technology wherein a cutting means or a fold forming means is moved to control its position.
Patent literature 2 discloses a cutting device for cutting paper sheets to obtain cards having predetermined dimensions. In addition, Patent literature 2 also discloses a technology wherein a cutting device part is formed of a detachable unit, a plurality of the units are installed, and the cutting round blades of the respective units are arranged so as to respectively correspond to the various dimensions of the cards.
Patent literatures 2 and 3 disclose devices for performing cutting and shearing.
Patent literatures 4 and 5 disclose devices provided with a cutting means for cutting paper sheets and a cutting waste elimination means for eliminating cutting waste generated by cutting to the outside of a carrying route.
Patent literature 6 discloses a technology wherein paper sheets are adsorbed and carried one by one in a paper feeding device part.
Patent literature 7 discloses a technology wherein paper sheets are fed in a state of being inclined with respect to the carrying direction by inclining the rotation shaft of a paper sheet feeding roller in a paper feeding device part with respect to the carrying direction.
Patent literature 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2001-232700.
Patent literature 2: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H10-76495
Patent literature 3: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H08-290392
Patent literature 4: Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. S53-36636
Patent literature 5: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H10-146796
Patent literature 6: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2000-34052
Patent literature 7: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2001-335166


A ball sports training aid includes a shaft and a slidably engaged replica sports ball assembly with an integral damper that is actuated when a player swings the shaft. Integral swing diagnostics means indicate correct batting, pitching and throwing techniques.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the mechanical arts. In particular, the invention relates to a training aid used by ball sports players to learn and/or improve batting, throwing, and pitching techniques.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Ball sports players have trained with the implements of their sports for centuries. For example, since the 1850's baseball players have used the wooden bats of their sport to practice batting balls thrown by a pitcher. Since the 1960's there has also been widespread use of pitching machines that emulate the pitcher. Similarly, pitchers and throwers have practiced by throwing a ball to a second person who returns the ball after each pitch.
Ball player training therefore frequently relies the availability of a second person who pitches balls in the case of batter training, or returns balls in the case of pitcher and thrower training. In addition, either the second person or a third person will be required to observe batting or throwing technique that is unobservable to the player, that the player is unable to analyze for diagnostic purposes, or both. The opportunities for ball player training are therefore limited by the availability of a second person and the effectiveness of ball player training is limited by the availability of a person who provides diagnostic feedback to the player.
Others have invented training aids for baseball batters that are aimed at solving some of these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. App. Publ. 2002/0055402 discloses a training bat having a handle, a shaft, and a graspable cylindrical sliding member mounted between stops on the training bat. When swung, the sliding member strikes one of the stops and produces a sound. But, this training bat fails to provide sufficient visual signals to the player, sufficient swing diagnostics, or a solution to the shock and shock related swing distortion and wear problems associated with the repetitive collisions between sliding and stationary parts.
Others have also invented training aids for throwing that are aimed at solving some of these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,660 discloses a training aid for throwing sports balls having a hollow shaft with a hand grip affixed at one end. A ring encircling or a dowel within the shaft is free to move in response to a throw and to collide with a stop to produce a sound. But, this training thrower fails to provide ball release training and diagnostics nor does it provide a solution to the shock and shock related swing distortion and wear problems associated with the repetitive collisions of the ring or dowel with a stop.
Therefore, there remains a need for ball sports training aids that provide sufficient visual signals and swing diagnostics to players in training. There remains a further need for ball sports training aids that provide ball release training and diagnostics for throwers. And, there remains a still further need for a solution to the shock and shock related swing distortion and wear problems associated with the repetitive collisions of contacting parts.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A roller skate is equipped with three or four wheels arranged in one line on the carrier which is joined to the shoe. Each wheel is cushioned independently with a spring system including at least two compression springs. A front wheel can be provided with two springs the longitudinal axes of which are oriented in the extent between the horizontal and vertical directions with the bottom ends of the springs being placed in front of the top ends of the springs or under them. Other wheels may be equipped with four springs having the longitudinal axes of the spring oriented vertically. At least two wheels can be provided with a braking system including clips with brake pads on both sides. The roller skate may be used and maintained on a specially configured assembling stand.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to roller skates, and more particularly to roller skates which are specifically adapted to be capable of riding on public roads. Thanks to their structural shape they can be used on low-quality surfaces and in a hilly terrain.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the hitherto state of engineering there are many kinds of roller skates. This includes roller skates, as opposed to roller skis, which are designed to permit the user to ride on lower-quality surfaces owing to the structure thereof. In these known roller skates, one inflatable wheel is provided in front of the shoe and another behind it. Owing to technological problems in producing inflatable tire wheels having sufficient loading capacity, the wheels have a relatively large diameter (140 mm at least) and therefore do not fit under the shoe. However, such a roller skate is very long and relatively heavy. Therefore, the skating differs slightly from that experienced on classic roller skates and resembles rather the ride on the above-mentioned roller ski.
A roller skate according to the Czech Republic patent document CZ 12229 U1 is equipped with a braking system. However, there is a known disadvantage of this braking system in that when using it, the tire sidewalls are damaged. In addition to shorter service life of this system, this fact influences negatively the braking power as well.
Until this time, assembling stands are not in use for roller skates. This is especially because the known roller skates are simple and typically need not be assembled or adjusted.


Quinazoline compounds which demonstrate antiproliferative activity, such as antitumor activity, processes of preparing these compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing these compounds, and the use of these compounds. These compounds inhibit the growth and proliferation of the cells of higher organisms and microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts and fungi. Preferred quinazoline compounds are capable of inhibiting the enzyme thymidylate synthase. Effects derived from the inhibition of the enzyme thymidylate synthase include those discussed above.

A large class of antiproliferative agents includes antimetabolite compounds. A particular subclass of antimetabolites known as antifolates or antifols are antagonists of the vitamin folic acid. Typically, antifolates closely resemble the structure of folic acid and incorporate the characteristic p-benzoyl glutamate moiety of folic acid. The glutamate moiety of folic acid takes on a double negative charge at physiological pH. Therefore, this compound and its analogues have an active, energy-driven transport system to cross the cell membrane and exert a metabolic effect. On the other hand, a compound without the glutamate group may passively diffuse into a cell.
A valid target for an antifolate is the enzyme thymidylate synthase. Thymidylate synthase catalyzes the C-methylation of 2'-deoxyuridylate ("dUMP") to provide 2'-deoxythymidylate ("dTMP"). This one-carbon transfer reaction is critical to cell division. Thus, a number of folate analogues have been synthesized and studied for their ability to inhibit the enzyme thymidylate synthase. A prototypic, specific, tight-binding inhibitor of thymidylate synthase, 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid (T. R. Jones et al., "A Potent Antitumsor Quinazoline Inhibitor of Thymidylate Synthetase: Synthesis, Biological Properties and Therapeutic Results in Mice," Eur. J. Cancer 17:11 (1981)), has shown activity against ovarian, liver and breast cancer, with, however, troublesome hepatic and renal toxicities (A. H. Calvert et al., "A Phase I Evaluation of the Quinazoline Antifolate Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitor, N10-Propargyl-5,8-Dideazafolic Acid, CB3717," J. Clin. Oncol. 4:1245 (1986)). By addressing two properties in this class of molecule (solubility and capability for intracellular polyglutamation), a superior second generation analogue (ICI D1694) was developed.
Several lipophilic thymidylate synthase inhibitors have been developed recently. (See, e.g., E. M. Berman et al., "Substituted Quinazolinones as Anticancer Agents," U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,530; T. R. Jones et al., "Antiproliferative Cyclic Compounds," Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/432,338, which is a continuation application of Ser. No. 071251,765 filed Sep. 30, 1988; M. D. varney et al., "Antiproliferative Substituted Naphthalene Compounds," U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/583,970 filed Sep. 17, 1990; S. H. Reich et al., "Antiproliferative Substituted Tricyclic Compounds," U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/587,666 filed Sep. 25, 1990; L. R. Hughes et al., "Anti-tumour Agents," European Patent Application No. 373891, filed Dec. 12, 1989; and T. R. Jones et al., "Antifolate Quinazolines," U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/812,274 filed Dec. 20, 1991).


A toner and a carrier are so combined together as to substantially satisfy the following formula (1), ##EQU1## wherein Qmax is a maximum amount of electric charge (.mu.C/g) of the toner, V.sub.T/C is a contact potential difference (V) of the toner to the carrier, .tau.r is a relaxation time constant (sec) of the toner, .tau.g is a charging time constant (sec) of the toner, and k is a coefficient (F) determined depending upon the kinds of the toner and the carrier. This method makes it possible to so combine the toner and the carrier together that the amount of electric charge of the two-component developing agent becomes a maximum based on the contact potential difference (V.sub.T/C) of the toner to the carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling electric charge of a toner and, particularly, to a method of controlling electric charge of a toner by selecting a combination of a toner and a carrier by utilizing a contact potential difference between the toner and the carrier.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Accompanying a rapid development in the information technology on a global scale in recent years, copying machines, facsimiles and printers are growing as output units which are indispensable in the information network society. Many of these information equipment are applying an electrophotographic process by utilizing electric charge due to friction of particles. In the industries of manufacturing leading devices such as in the manufacture of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays which are the key devices mounted on the information equipment and affect performance thereof and in the manufacture of medical products, on the other hand, the electrically charged particles adhere to the devices and to the tubular walls to adversely affect the quality of the final products. In any way, at present, it has been urged in various fields of industries to forward basic studies for controlling electrically charging properties of the particles.
The electrophotographic process can be roughly divided into a one-component developing system and a two-component developing system depending upon the system for electrically charging the toner which is a powdery ink used for developing electrostatic latent image. In the one-component developing system, the electric charge is generated by bringing the toner into pressed contact with a blade of a metal or a rubber. In the two-component developing system, the electric charge is generated by stirring and mixing the toner and carrier particles of iron or ferrite. In either system, it is the most important object to control the amount of electric charge of the toner to lie within a predetermined range to obtain a vivid copy image.
At present, however, no method has yet been established to quantitatively evaluate the electrically charging properties of the toner, and a method (blow-off method) has chiefly been employed to measure a specific charge that generates when the toner and the carrier particles are electrically charged by friction.
The above-mentioned conventional method, however, is capable of experimentally finding the amount of electric charge for a particular combination of the toner and the carrier only, but is not capable of estimating the amount of electric charge for a wide range of combinations of the toner and the carrier maintaining precision.
Here, a contact potential difference specific to a substance is drawing wide attention as a property for quantitatively measuring the electric charge of the toner, and studies have been vigorously conducted.
The contact potential difference will now be described. When a substance and another substance come in contact, in general, a potential difference occurs on the interface. The potential difference differs depending upon the kind of the substance and the surface state. The potential difference on the interface is called contact potential difference. If a work function on the surface of a substance A is denoted by .O slashed..sub.A and a work function on the surface of a substance B by .O slashed..sub.B, the contact potential difference V.sub.O is expressed by the formula (6), EQU V.sub.O =-(.O slashed..sub.A -.O slashed..sub.B)/E (6)
where e is an elementary electric charge (1.6.times.10.sup.-19 C).
According to studies reported so far, however, the sample toner is formed in the form of a plate, or correlation to the amount of electric charge (specific charge) is, in many cases, studied by quoting values disclosed in the literatures. Such methods may indicate a tendency of electric charge but never makes it easy to correctly predict the amount of electric charge and never makes it possible to select a combination of a toner and a carrier in relation to the required amount of electric charge.

Method of controlling electric charge of a two-component developing agent


A carton feeder for a continuous motion packaging machine utilizes a speed compensation mechanism implemented through a rotating valve assembly and actuation system. The rotating valve assembly provides a vacuum and compression to vacuum cups, for facilitating the transfer and release, respectively, of cartons within the carton feeder. The valve assembly includes a base plate and a rotating port plate. A circumferential position adjustment of the base plate advances or retards timing of the vacuum/compression to the vacuum cups within the carton feeder. A pneumatic cylinder assembly adjusts the circumferential position of the base plate. A speed sensor senses machine speed and sends a machine speed signal to a controller. The controller signals a solenoid responsive to machine speed to extend or retract the pneumatic cylinder assembly, thereby circumferentially adjusting the valve base to advance or retard vacuum timing.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for feeding planar objects, such as cartons or panels. The invention is particularly suited for consecutively delivering paperboard cartons in a continuous motion-packaging machine to a downstream workstation of the machine.
Continuous motion packaging machines used to package articles such as beverage containers include numerous workstations, such as those which either manipulate a carton blank, group a selected numbers of articles or place the articles into fully formed cartons. Such packaging machines are well known, and typically include a carton feeder having a magazine which delivers carton blanks to a selecting device that continuously selects cartons one at a time from the magazine and delivers the selected cartons to a packaging machine conveyor. The magazine and the selecting device, or selector, collectively comprise the carton feeder, such as rotary feeders and segmented wheel feeders. The magazine delivers the cartons to the selector either by gravity or by way of a magazine conveyor, such as a chain conveyor, or by using a combination of gravity feed and a magazine conveyor. The packaging machine conveyor transports the selected carton to the next workstation, where the carton is manipulated in preparation for holding the articles.
Known selector assemblies may include reciprocating levers which position a vacuum cup to contact the front surface of the leading carton in the magazine, and pull at least a portion of that carton from the magazine, at which point it is engaged by a wheel for delivery to a conveying assembly, such as opposed nip rollers. These known systems are used in segmented wheel feeders, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,658 to Sherman and U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,538 to Olsen, Jr. et al. Specifically, selector including a vacuum assembly and a picking assembly having a lever arm and supporting a vacuum cup to contact the leading carton or carton blank in the magazine. The top edge of the leading carton is pulled by the picking assembly below an upper retaining clip, and moved in a downstream direction. A rotating segmented wheel, that is a split-type wheel defining one or more cut out portions to form segments, turns toward the carton selection zone and the leading carton. The segments of the rotating wheel or wheels contact the carton, and cause the carton to move between the periphery of the segmented wheel and the periphery of an adjacent nip roller. Further rotation of the segmented wheel pulls the carton fully out of the magazine and downstream of the segmented wheel and nip roller to a further conveying device, such as additional nip rollers and/or belt or chain conveyors. The carton then is moved further downstream to the next carton workstation where the carton blank may be positioned for wrapping around a preformed bottle group or, in the case of a collapsed basket-type or sleeve-type carton blank, manipulated into an opened position for receiving the articles.
Packaging machine productivity commonly is measured by the number of fully packaged cartons containing a particular article group configuration processed through the machine per minute. Additionally, many packaging machines are capable of being configured to package different article configurations, which can increase or decrease the number of article groups packaged per minute. Other advances in the various workstations of packaging machines have increased the speed and efficiency at which the cartons are manipulated, the articles are arranged into groups and placed into the carton, and in fully enclosing certain types of cartons around the articles.
Increased or decreased packaging machine speed necessitates that components be operated faster or slower to match the speed change, which can require that some operations be initiated at different cycle positions. For example, it is known that vacuum valves controlling delivery of vacuum in feeders can be advanced or retarded to cause the vacuum delivery to reach the vacuum cup at the same feeder position, regardless of the carton feeder or carton opener speed. One known adjustable valve includes a disk with an arcuate slot contacting an adjacent disk with spaced ports. The rotational position of the slotted disk with respect to the ported disk can be changed selectively to alter the timing of the vacuum and pressurized air cycles. In another packaging machine operation, that is the carton closing workstation in certain types of packaging machines, the apparatus which delivers glue to a carton flap prior to folding mating flaps together can be controlled using a programmable limit switch/encoder assembly. As the encoder detects a change in machine speed, which can be a function of the position of a selected packaging machine component, the limit switch operates to control the timing of glue delivery to xe2x80x9cmatchxe2x80x9d machine speed.
As the packaging operations of the entire process increase in speed, the carton feeder also must deliver the cartons to the downstream workstations of the packaging machine at a matching rate. Known, high speed carton feeders can deliver certain types of cartons efficiently at rates up to approximately 300 cartons per minute, with the most common beverage container packaging machine speed presently operating in the range of approximately 150-300 cartons per minute. With increased machine speeds, however, problems can arise in carton feeding. As machine speeds approach 300 cartons per minute, the efficiency of known, high speed carton feeders decreases. For example, there is an increased risk of the picking assembly""s failing properly to remove a carton from the magazine, or failing to release the carton from the vacuum cups at the appropriate position. These occurrences can lead to additional problems, including machine jams and increased vacuum cup wear. Further, it is recognized that cartons which have become warped due to storage conditions but which are otherwise suitable for packaging articles are more difficult to remove from the magazine, especially at higher speeds. This difficulty also can exist particularly with respect to certain types of cartons, such as wrap-type cartons which include numerous performed design cuts and surfaces. Also cartons which have inconsistent varnish application tend to adhere to one another when loaded in the magazine, and can be difficult to select.
As known carton feeders have increased in speed, it has been found advantageous to use pressurized air to cause the carton to be efficiently released from the vacuum cups at the correct feeder position. The use of pressurized air in addition to the vacuum used to pull the carton from the magazine, especially at high machine speeds, presents additional challenges relating to delivering the vacuum to the vacuum cups at the precise moment the vacuum cups contact the carton, while also delivering pressurized air to the cups at the precise feeder position at which the cups must release the carton.
The present inventions include a method of feeding cartons or other planar objects, including but not limited to divider panels or partitions used in some beverage cartons, such as in an article packaging machine, and the apparatus for carrying out this method. The preferred embodiment of this apparatus includes a segmented wheel-type carton feeder capable of efficiently delivering carton blanks at rates of up to approximately 400-600 cartons per minute, under optimum conditions. The upper end of this range, however, presently is in excess of the efficient packaging capabilities of most known continuous motion, beverage container packaging machines. A first embodiment of the present invention includes an electronically actuated, solenoid dual valve assembly in which a valve for delivering pressurized air is coupled to a vacuum valve. This valve assembly itself is coupled to a distribution manifold which is placed in relatively close proximity to the vacuum cups. This arrangement optimizes valve efficiency by more accurately controlling the time required to deliver both the vacuum and the pressurized air to the cups at selected times or feeder positions. The inventions also can include a speed compensating assembly for the carton selector which advances or retards the valve assembly""s actuation in relation to the carton feeder speed. This speed compensating assembly can include an encoder driven from or reading the speed or position of one of the feeder shafts. The encoder is operatively connected to a programmable limit switch. The programmable limit switch (PLS) controls the operation of the valve assembly by signaling a valve controller based upon information manually programmed into the PLS and also upon data input into the PLS by the encoder. This speed compensation control can be necessary when operating the feeder at higher speeds, considering the rate at which the valves must be cycled, the time required for vacuum or air to reach the cups and the associated small margin of error acceptable in operating the valves at high feeder speeds.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the packaging machine may utilize a specialized mechanical valve assembly for selectively applying a vacuum and compressed air (compression) to the vacuum cups. More specifically, the mechanical valve assembly is driven by the packaging machine and replaces the electronic solenoid-actuated dual valve. The valve assembly is formed from a relatively stationary, circumferentially adjustable valve base and a rotating port plate, each having surfaces which engage one another. The circumferentially adjustable valve base and rotating port plate work together to selectively provide a vacuum to the vacuum cup during the selection and transfer of a carton, and for providing compression to the vacuum cup to facilitate release of the carton. A circumferential adjustment of the valve base may advance or retard the successive application of a vacuum and compression applied to the vacuum cup.
In this alternative embodiment, the packaging machine includes an actuator for providing a radial adjustment to the vacuum valve base to advance or retard the vacuum and compression application timing in response to the machine speed. More specifically, the valve assembly includes a radial adjustment arm extending radially outward from the valve base. The actuator includes an air cylinder actuator assembly coupled between the packaging machine and the radial adjustment arm, wherein the cylinder linearly extends to rotate the radial adjustment arm on the valve base to adjust valve timing. In this embodiment, the controller may include an encoder that produces signal indicative of machine speed. A logic control unit receives the speed signal, determines the correct valve position for a given speed, and actuates a solenoid-actuated valve to extend or contract the air cylinder actuator assembly, which rotates the valve base plate, thereby advancing or retarding timing of vacuum and compression application to the vacuum cups.
The air cylinder actuator assembly may include first and second pneumatic cylinders connected in a tandem arrangement, wherein each cylinder has a retracted and an extended position. In this manner, when the cylinders are connected to form the assembly, the assembly may include a retracted position that includes the first and second cylinders in a retracted position, a first extended position with the first cylinder in an extended position and the second cylinder in a retracted position, and a second extended position wherein the first and second cylinders are both in an extended position. In this manner, the air cylinder assembly may adjust the valve assembly into one of three positions to advance or retard the timing of vacuum and compression application to the vacuum cup responsive to machine speed. Each valve position may correspond to a specific machine speed range or threshold speed.
The adjustable valve assembly includes an adjustable valve base plate that has a peripheral wall, an inner bearing surface, a vacuum supply inlet extending from the base plate peripheral surface and terminating at a first distance from the center portion of the valve assembly, a vacuum inlet port extending from the terminal end of the vacuum supply inlet and terminating at the base plate bearing surface, and a vacuum/compression outlet extending from the peripheral wall and terminating at a second distance from a center portion of the valve assembly. The adjustable valve base plate also includes a vacuum outlet port extending between the compression/vacuum outlet port and the base plate bearing surface at the first distance from the center portion of the valve assembly, and a compressed air outlet port extending from the compression/vacuum outlet port to the base plate bearing surface at the second distance from the valve assembly center portion. Finally, the adjustable valve base plate includes a compressed air inlet extending from the base plate peripheral surface and terminating at the second distance from the valve assembly center portion, and a compressed air inlet port extending between the compressed air inlet terminus and the base plate bearing surface.
The valve assembly also includes a rotating valve port plate, which also includes a bearing surface adapted to engage the valve base plate bearing surface. The rotating valve port plate includes an arcuate vacuum port having first and second ends. The arcuate vacuum port is disposed in the port plate bearing surface at the first radial distance from the valve assembly center portion. Finally, the valve port plate also includes an arcuate compressed air port in the port plate bearing surface, which is disposed at the second radial distance from the valve assembly center position. The valve base plate and rotating valve port plate bearing surfaces rotatingly engage one another. During a single rotation of the port plate, the arcuate vacuum port provides fluid communication between the vacuum inlet port and the vacuum outlet port of the base plate to provide a vacuum through the compression/vacuum outlet to the vacuum cup. As the port plate continues to rotate within a single revolution, the arcuate compression port provides fluid communication between the compressed air inlet port and the compressed air outlet port to provide compressed air to the vacuum cup through the compression/vacuum outlet after vacuum delivery is completed.
Circumferential position adjustment of the base plate in the opposite direction of port plate rotation advances vacuum timing so that the vacuum inlet port of the base plate intersects a leading edge of the vacuum air supply port of the rotating port plate earlier within a single carton acquisition cycle to compensate for increased machine speed. Circumferential position adjustment of the base plate in the direction of port plate rotation retards vacuum timing so that the vacuum inlet port of the base plate intersects a leading edge of the vacuum air supply port of the rotating port plate later within a single carton acquisition cycle to compensate for decreased machine speed.
Additional features which can contribute to the overall carton feeder efficiency include improvements to the magazine assembly which optimize carton delivery to the selector assembly. A carton metering device can be incorporated with the above inventions to deliver cartons to the selector in a controlled manner, which creates a gap or separation in the carton stream that results in reduced pressure by the carton stack on the leading carton, which is the carton being selected. Additionally, the increased efficiency at which the selector assembly operates permits the magazine to include additional or modified components that provide increased support to and alignment of the cartons, such as support blades and retaining clips which contact the leading carton over more surface area than in known magazines. These improvements enable the carton feeder to accommodate imperfectly formed cartons, such as bowed or warped cartons. These and other features of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


The disclosure provides a device and a method for performing morphological analysis for erythrocytes, wherein the method for performing morphological analysis for erythrocytes comprises: collecting a morphological image of each of cells in a sample through a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) after amplifying the sample through an automatic microscope; segmenting and positioning the image and extracting target feature parameters after digitizing the image through an image-digital converter; isolating morphological feature parameters of each of the erythrocytes through a classifier established on the basis of the neural network, and normalizing each type of the morphological feature parameters of the erythrocytes through a feature fusion device established on the basis of fuzzy clustering; performing a statistical analysis on each type of normalized parameters obtained or performing a comprehensive statistical analysis according to a plurality of types of parameters, and expressing the result of the statistical analysis or the comprehensive statistical analysis in the form of graph or numerical table, thereby judging whether the morphology of the erythrocyte is normal. The source and property of the erythrocytes can be identified according to the detection for each type of the erythrocytes with the abnormal morphology.

People have begun to work on a method for counting erythrocytes as early as in 1852, and a counting plate for counting erythrocytes was invented in 1855. An American scientist named W. H. Coulter proposed in 1947 a patent technology which counts particles using a resistance method, and this technology was successfully applied to count the erythrocytes in 1956. With the fast change of science and technology, various ways for detecting the number of erythrocytes emerge constantly. At present, the research and development means applied mainly includes: capacitive mode, photoelectric mode and laser mode, centrifugal mode, resistance mode and a combination of each mode. So far, many countries have begun to produce various types of erythrocyte analyzers; after half a century of development, above analyzer has achieved a very significant improvement. The classification of the erythrocytes becomes refined and the counting becomes more and more precise. However, erythrocyte parameters of the existing erythrocyte morphological analysis are obtained through calculating the mean value. For example, morphological classification parameters used for the anaemia, such as Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and Mean Corpuscular haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), are all calculated according to erythrocyte quantity, haemoglobin concentration and hematocrit value, but are not actually measured values; therefore, the measured data of the erythrocyte quantity, the haemoglobin content and the hematocrit value must be accurate, otherwise, the obtained morphological classification parameters would have great errors.
The artificial microscopy (or called as manual microscopic examination) is a classical detection method, which manually measures the diameter of each erythrocyte through a micrometer on an eyepiece of a microscope and then analyzes the data for judgement. However, the method of the artificial microscopy causes a heavy workload for workers, and the error judgment can be easily caused due to fatigue, and patient's diagnosis may be delayed due to low working efficiency and slow working speed.
Therefore, how to make erythrocyte counting quicker, more accurate and more cost-effective is the problem confronted in clinical examination in hospitals at present.

Device and method for erythrocyte morphology analysis


When a temperature difference between intake air temperature that detected by an intake air temperature sensor and engine coolant temperature thw1 detected by an engine coolant temperature sensor is greater than a threshold value, a coolant temperature sensor abnormality determination apparatus opens a changeover valve to cause the coolant to flow into an engine coolant passageway, thereby mixing the coolant in an engine and the coolant in a heater passageway (bypass passageway). If the temperature difference between the engine coolant temperature thw1 and a heater inlet coolant temperature (bypass coolant temperature) thw2 occurring after the changeover valve opens is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the apparatus determines that the engine coolant temperature sensor is normal. If the temperature difference is greater than the predetermined value, the apparatus determines that the engine coolant temperature sensor is abnormal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cooling system of an engine (internal combustion engine) and, more particularly, to a coolant temperature sensor abnormality determination apparatus and a coolant temperature sensor abnormality determination method that determine the presence or absence of abnormality of a coolant temperature sensor that detects the temperature of a coolant of the engine.
2. Description of Related Art
With regard to an engine mounted in a vehicle or the like, a coolant jacket as a coolant passageway is provided in the engine (a cylinder block or a cylinder head), and the entire engine is cooled (or warmed) by circulating a coolant via the coolant jacket by a coolant pump. In conjunction with such a cooling system, there exists a technology in which a coolant outlet of the engine is provided with a changeover valve, and while the engine is cold, the changeover valve is closed to stop passage of the coolant within the engine (within the coolant jacket) (to perform an in-engine coolant stop) so that quick warm-up of the engine is accomplished (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-150266 (JP-A-2009-150266)).
Besides, the cooling system of the engine is provided with a coolant temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the coolant. As a technology of detecting abnormality of the coolant temperature sensor, there exists a coolant temperature sensor abnormality detection method described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-192045 (JP-A-2007-192045). In the method described in the publication JP-A-2007-192045, if a temperature difference between the temperature detected by the coolant temperature sensor that detects the coolant temperature of the engine and the temperature detected by an intake air temperature sensor that detects the temperature of intake air of the engine is outside a predetermined range, it is determined that there is "abnormality of the coolant temperature sensor" or "a block heater attached or the high-temperature soaking", and, after that, if the coolant temperature value detected by the coolant temperature sensor declines when the coolant pump is driven, it is determined that abnormality of the coolant temperature sensor is not present but an attached block heater or the high-temperature soaking is present.
By the way, in the cooling system that performs the aforementioned in-engine coolant stop, if the foregoing abnormality detection method is applied to the determination regarding abnormality of the coolant temperature sensor, it sometimes happens that although the coolant temperature sensor is normal, the coolant temperature sensor is determined as being abnormal (false abnormality determination). That is, in the foregoing cooling system, when the engine has just been started (while the engine is cold), passage of the coolant within the engine is stopped by closing the changeover valve provided at the coolant outlet of the engine. During this state, even if the coolant pump is driven, the coolant does not flow into the engine (into the coolant jacket) from outside (the actual coolant temperature does not change); therefore, since the coolant temperature detected by the coolant temperature sensor does not decline, it is sometimes falsely determined that the coolant temperature sensor is abnormal although the coolant temperature sensor is normal.

Abnormality determination apparatus and abnormality determination method for coolant temperature sensor, and engine cooling system


The present invention discloses a method for parameter identification and parameter optimization of microspeakers. Measurement procedures for identifying electromechanical constants of microspeaker and a GUI are developed to facilitate estimation of electroacoustic parameters of the microspeaker under test. In light of the thus identified microspeaker parameters, a parameter optimization procedure is carried out to obtain the design that attains the best acoustic performance with minimum harmonic distortion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method for parameter identification and parameter optimization of a speaker, in particular a method for parameter identification and parameter optimization of a microspeaker.
2. Description of the Related Art
Micro speakers have been extensively used in electronic products recently as important components in mobile phones, digital cameras, personal digital assistants and MPEG3 display devices. In order to achieve the best performance and the minimum harmonic distortion of microspeakers, it is necessary to estimate relevant electroacoustic parameters thereof.
Speaker parameters refer to the physical properties which affect the performance of a speaker mechanically and acoustically such as the resonance frequency, frequency response, mechanical system quality factor and electrical system quality factor. However, conventional parameter identification tools for the electroacoustic system of speakers, such as the procedure proposed by R. H. Small in "Closed-Box Loudspeaker Systems Part 1: Analysis", Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 1972, can only apply to large-size speakers. When the conventional parameter identification tools are applied to a microspeaker, the results will be incorrect because the volume of the microspeaker is too small to perform a precise measurement. Currently, the technology of microspeakers focuses on the fields of the design, assemblage, and impedance measurement, and appropriate system and method for the evaluation and analysis of microspeakers have not appeared yet.
Accordingly, the present invention proposes a method for parameter identification and parameter optimization of electroacoustic systems of microspeakers.

Method for parameter identification and parameter optimization of microspeakers


A play system, comprising: one or more toys comprising one or more electrically conductive parts, the one or more conductive parts defining a spatial pattern, the one or more toys having a physical configuration that is modifiable by a user, the spatial pattern being dependent on the physical configuration of the one or more toys, the one or more toys including a first toy; a magnetic field generating device arranged to generate a magnetic field for inducing an eddy current in one or more of the electrically conductive parts; a sensor configured to detect the induced eddy current; and a data processor; wherein the first toy and at least one of the magnetic field generating device and the sensor are movable relative to each other; wherein the sensor is configured to detect the induced eddy current during relative movement between the first toy and at least one of the magnetic field generating device and the sensor, and wherein the data processor is configured to: receive sensor data from the sensor, the sensor data being indicative of the eddy current detected during relative movement between the first toy and at least one of the magnetic field generating device and the sensor, detect the spatial pattern of the electrically conductive parts based at least in part on the received sensor data, determine the physical configuration of the one or more toys based on the detected spatial pattern.

Many toys can be manipulated by users so as to change a shape of the toy. For example, the toy may comprise multiple parts that are movably interconnected with each other such that the user may move the parts relative to each other. Alternatively or additionally, the toy may comprise multiple parts that can be detachably connected to each other. In particular, the toy may be a toy construction model constructed from a plurality of toy construction elements.
In many digital-physical play scenarios it is desirable to recognize a toy by a computer or other data processing apparatus. To this end a variety of techniques have been suggested, including techniques based on image recognition, or by providing toys with visible markers, such as QR codes or AR markers. Examples of such techniques are described in WO2013/160055 and WO2016/075081.
Visual markers have the disadvantage that they affect the appearance of the toy. Image recognition requires suitable lighting conditions and may be unreliable if used in badly illuminated environments. Moreover, vision-based detection methods only allow the detection of visible features.
Other techniques have been suggested that are based on RFID tags, Bluetooth, or other wireless communications techniques, e.g. as described in WO2016/162403 or WO2016/037977. However, these techniques require suitable integrated circuits or other electronic components to be included into the toy. Moreover, while some of these techniques, e.g. Bluetooth communication, require a battery or another form of power supply to be included in the toy, other techniques, e.g. RFID-based systems, require the toy to be brought into close proximity to a reading device so as to allow data transfer between the RFID tag and the reader.
It is thus desirable to provide a method that is insensitive to lighting conditions and does not require data transfer between the toy and a reading device.
It is further desirable to provide a method that allows the toy to be constructed in a relative inexpensive manner and without the risk of interference with normal play activities.

Play system and method for detecting toys


A laser module includes a semiconductor laser element and a feedback optical component forming an external cavity with the semiconductor laser element. Even if a ratio of a current threshold of the laser module changing according to a polarized state of returned light from the feedback optical component to a current threshold of the semiconductor laser element is in an arbitrary range within a predetermined range, a total value of a relative intensity noise occurring between a first frequency determined according to a cavity length of the external cavity and at least equal to or more than a frequency band of using a laser light and a second frequency calculated by multiplying the first frequency by a predetermined number is equal to or more than −40 dB.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser module in which an external cavity is formed with a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser element and an optical feedback component, and more particularly, to a laser module that is ideal for a pump light source for an optical amplifier.
2) Description of the Related Art
With a widespread of the Internet and a rapid increase in connections among corporate local area networks (LANs), an increase in data traffic has become an annoying problem. Also, to prevent a decrease in communication performance, dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) transmission systems have made remarkable progress and become a common standard.
In the DWDM transmission system, with a plurality of optical signals being carried on different wavelengths, a large-capacity transmission, which is hundred times as large as a conventional transmission, is achieved using a single fiber. Also, in the DWDM transmission system, to achieve a wideband transmission and a long-distance transmission, use of an optical amplifier is essential. Particularly, as the optical amplifier for the DWDM transmission system, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is widely in use. The EDFA is an optical fiber amplifier in which a pump laser light having a wavelength of a 1480-nanometer band or a 980-nanometer band propagates through a special optical fiber doped with an erbium. With the pump light propagating through the special optical fiber, a light having a wavelength of a 1550-nanometer band, which is transmission-signal light, is amplified.
Thus, such an optical fiber amplifier includes a laser module for generating the pump laser light. To achieve optical communication with high quality and high reliability in the DWDM transmission system, stable optical amplification has to be performed on the transmission signal light, which means that high quality is required for the laser module mentioned above.
In the laser module for a pump light source, a condition for satisfying high quality is high degree of being monochromatic in a single longitudinal mode. As a light source of a laser module, a semiconductor laser element is normally used. However, a Fabry-Perot semiconductor laser element oscillates in a plurality of longitudinal modes (multimode), and therefore cannot sufficiently satisfy the required monochromatic characteristic. The requirement on the monochromatic characteristic is similarly applied to a laser module for a signal light source. Particularly, if the monochromatic characteristic is not satisfied in the laser module for a pump light source, a gain band with respect to the transmission-signal light becomes fluctuated, thereby making it difficult to amplify wavelength-multiplexed signal light as designed.
Therefore, to satisfy the required monochromatic characteristic, which means to achieve oscillation in a single longitudinal mode, a system has been developed for practical use in which a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) having a predetermined reflection bandwidth is provided on a transmission path of laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser element.
The operation of the structure using the FBG is briefly described. Of the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element, a portion of a wavelength band specified by a reflection bandwidth of the FBG is reflected to become returned light. This returned light is again fed back to the semiconductor laser element. That is, a reflection facet (rear facet) of the semiconductor laser element and the FBG form an external cavity. With this, the wavelength of the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser element, that is, the wavelength of the exiting laser light emitted from the laser module, is stabilized at a specific value.
Also, in the EDFA described above, specification requirements of the laser module include a stable response-frequency characteristic in low frequencies (on the order of equal to or less than 100 kHz). That is, a laser module capable of outputting light with small low-frequency noise is desired. Therefore, in the semiconductor laser element normally adopted as a light source of the laser module, a measure for reducing low-frequency noise is taken.
Well-known causes of the occurrence of low-frequency noise in light output from the semiconductor laser element include fluctuations in oscillation wavelength and mode hopping. The fluctuations in oscillation wavelength are caused by changes in cavity length mainly due to changes in temperature. The intensity of the oscillation-wavelength light follows the gain spectrum of the semiconductor laser element, and therefore if the oscillation wavelength is fluctuated, the intensity of the light output is also changed. This change in the light intensity makes its presence known as the low-frequency noise described above. Here, a temperature-change ratio and a coefficient of linear expansion of a refractive index of the FBG are low compared with those of the semiconductor. Therefore, if the FBG is adopted, fluctuations in oscillation wavelength caused by the changes in cavity length described above can be prevented to some extent.
On the other hand, even if the FBG is adopted, the problem of mode hopping mentioned above still remains. A gain peak (center wavelength of a gain spectrum) of the semiconductor laser element is normally changed due to changes in temperature or changes in injection current. Therefore, in some cases, the gain peak is located approximately at the midpoint between adjacent two longitudinal modes defined by the cavity length. In such cases, these longitudinal modes are alternately switched as an oscillation wavelength. This phenomenon is called mode hopping mentioned above. Normally, the oscillation intensity differs among different longitudinal modes, and therefore noise occurs according to the difference in intensity when the oscillation wavelength is switched. This noise makes its presence shown as the low-frequency noise mentioned above.
To suppress the occurrence of the low-frequency noise due to mode hopping, contrarily to the monochromatic requirement mentioned above, it is known that oscillation in a plurality of longitudinal modes (multimode) is effective (see IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Vol. QE-18, No. 4, April 1982). Specifically, the state of a carrier inside the semiconductor laser element is changed by optical feedback, temperature changes, or changes in injection current to the semiconductor laser element to destroy temporal coherency in a single longitudinal mode, thereby extremely shortening a coherence length in the longitudinal mode. As such, a phenomenon in which oscillation in a plurality of longitudinal modes (multimode) is caused by optical feedback, temperature changes, or changes in injection current to the semiconductor laser element is generally called a "coherence collapse". Therefore, by causing such a coherence collapse, the occurrence of mode hopping can be reduced, thereby stabilizing the low frequencies of light output.
However, it has not been clear how much coherence collapse is required to stabilize the low frequencies of light output. A measure taken at present is merely causing a light output to be emitted for a predetermined period after the completion of the laser module for measuring temporal fluctuations in light output to see if the stability in low frequencies of the light output is within a predetermined range. In this measure, an index for determining the stability in low frequencies achieved by a coherence collapse cannot be obtained. Therefore, the stability check has to be performed on the completed laser module, which makes it difficult to select non-defective products at an early stage of the manufacturing process. Moreover, such a check requires a long time.
Also, to satisfy the required monochromatic characteristic by using the FBG in addition to oscillation in the longitudinal modes (multimode), it is preferable that the intensity in a longitudinal mode other than that of the FBG (main mode), particularly the intensity in oscillation wavelength (side mode) of the semiconductor laser element, is small. In other words, a ratio between the main mode and the side mode (side-mode suppression ratio: SMSR) is an important indicator. In the laser module, its design parameters are not independent from one another, but are closely related from one another. Therefore, if a parameter is changed to improve a certain characteristic, another characteristic may often be deteriorated. Therefore, it is difficult to find design parameters simultaneously satisfying a certain degree of a constant SMSR or higher with respect to various polarized states of laser light varying due to propagation through an optical fiber and the stability in low frequencies achieved by a coherence collapse.
Here, in a laser module using a GaAs-group semiconductor layer element, light-output fluctuations in laser light to be emitted are standardized to be equal to or less than 0.5%. Therefore, to satisfy this standard, unstable light outputs as described above pose a problem.


A method of detecting and/or labeling myelin in an animal's peripheral nervous system tissue includes administering to the animal a fluorescent stilbenzene derivative and visualizing the animal's peripheral nervous system tissue using an in vivo imaging modality.

Information flow within the nervous system requires the perpetuation of ionic gradients along neurons. In many neurons, effective and efficient perpetuation of such gradients along axons requires electrical insulation. Myelin is a specialized lipid-rich, dielectric substance that ensheathes neuronal axons that serves this insulating function, promoting efficient nerve impulse transmission (Morell and Quarles (1999) Basic Neurochemistry: molecular, cellular, and medical aspects. In Siegel G J, ed. Myelin Formation, Structure, and Biochemistry. Lippincott-Raven Publishers, 79-83). The nervous system contains high levels of myelin, which is especially enriched where many myelinated axons are bundled together, such as in tracts of the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots, nerves in the peripheral nervous system, and fiber tracts in the brain, collectively called "white matter" (as opposed to "grey matter"). Because non-nervous system tissue lacks myelin, the presence of myelin can distinguish peripheral nerve tissue from other tissue types, the spinal cord and spinal nerve roots from non-nervous elements of the vertebral column, and white matter from grey matter.
Due to its important biological functions in the nervous system and its vulnerability in disease, several techniques have been developed to visualize and characterize myelin histopathology. These can be broadly divided into those based upon antibody immunohistochemistry (IHC) (Horton and Hocking (1997) Cereb. Cortex 7:166-177) and more traditional histochemical procedures. The classic histochemical stains include luxol fast blue MBN (Kluver and Barrera (1953) J Neurosci Methods 153: 135-146; Presnell and Schreibman (1997) Humanson's Animal Tissue Techniques, 5th ed.; Kiernan (1999) Histological and Histochemical Methods: Theory and practice, 3rd ed.; Bancroft and Gamble (2002), Theory and Practice of Histological Techniques, 5 ed. and Sudan Black B (Lison and Dagnelie (1935) Bull. d'Histologie Appliquee 12: 85-91). Traditional chromogenic methods also include the Palweigert method ((Weigert (1884) Fortschr Deutsch Med 2: 190-192, (1885) Fortschr Deutsch Med 3:236-239; Clark and Ward (1934) Stain Technol 54:13-16), the Weil stain (Weil (1928) Arch Neurol Psychiatry 20:392-393; Berube et al. (1965) Stain Technol 40:53-62)), the Loyez method (Cook (1974) Manual of Histological Demonstration Methods, 5th ed.), and a method based on horse serum followed by subsequent reaction with diaminobenzidine (McNally and Peters (1998) J Histochem Cytochem 46:541-545). In addition, modified silver stains including the Gallyas method (Pistorio et al. (2005) J Neurosci Methods 153: 135-146) and Schmued's gold chloride technique (Schmued and Slikker (1999) Brain Res 837:289-297) have also been used as simple, high- resolution histochemical markers of myelin. More recently, fluoromyelin (Kanaan et al. (2005) Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 290:R1105-1114) and NIM (Xiang et al. (2005) J Histochem Cytochem 53:1511-1516) were introduced as novel myelin dyes, which enable quick and selective labeling of myelin including brain tissue sections. In addition, fluorescent stilbenzene derivative have been shown to selectively bind to myelin in an animal's brain tissue (Wu et al., (2006) J Histochem Cytochem 54: 997-1004).
However, the lack of in vivo molecular probes has limited the progress of peripheral nervous system tissue myelin imaging and hindered efficacy evaluation of novel peripheral nervous system tissue myelin repair therapies during their development.

Compositions and methods for in vivo imaging of myelin in the peripheral nervous system


A selectively deployable airbag apparatus for vehicles includes: an impact detection sensor; a seat belt sensor; a first inflator and a second inflator; an airbag supplied with gas emitted from the first inflator and the second inflator and having a base chamber and a chest chamber separated from each other by a partition with at least one inner vent hole such that the base chamber and the chest chamber fluidly communicate with each other; and a controller receiving signals from the impact detection sensor and the seat belt sensor and operating the airbag to deploy, and determining whether to deploy the chest chamber or not based on whether the passenger has fastened the seat belt or not and an impact force.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a selectively deployable airbag apparatus for vehicles and a control method thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, an airbag module is installed in a steering wheel or in a crash pad so as to protect a driver or a passenger in a vehicle crash. The airbag deploys in a crash to prevent a driver or a passenger from colliding with the crash pad or the wind shield, thereby reducing injuries.
A typical airbag has a one-chamber type structure. The deployed airbag protects the head and chest of an occupant, and deploys regardless of whether the occupant's seat belt has been fastened or hot.
If a frontal crash occurs when a passenger has fastened his/her seat belt, the lower body and the chest of the passenger are restrained by the seat belt, thereby preventing the passenger from colliding with the crash pad or the windshield. However, the head of the passenger is not protected.
In addition, though movement of the chest is limited by the seat belt, the airbag strikes the passenger's chest, which may be seriously injured.
If an airbag is deployed when the passenger seat is occupied by a baby or child, the airbag is deployed in the same manner as for adults, and serious injuries may occur.
In addition, if a baby or child stands on the seat or sits with bad posture, his/her chest and neck may be seriously injured by the airbag.

Selectively deployable airbag apparatus for vehicle and control method thereof


A system and method to determine an event for an executing integration flow defining how messages are passed between a sender system and a receiver system; determine message processing states of messages of the integration flow before an event time; determine message processing states of messages of the integration flow after the event time; determine, based on an evaluation of failed message processing states for the messages before and after the event time, whether the event is associated with a problem; assign, in response to the determination that the event time is associated with a problem, one or more categories to the problem; and store a record of the assignment of the one or more categories to the problem.

An enterprise may use on-premises systems, a cloud computing environment, and combinations thereof to run applications and to provide services in a distributed computing environment. For example, cloud-based applications may be used to process purchase orders, handle human resources tasks, interact with customers, etc. Different systems might need to be integrated so that they can effectively communicate with each other in order to process various documents, requests, file transfers, and perform other tasks. In some conventional systems, a monitoring system and a person might be notified via an alert if a problem is detected in the integration between systems. Once alerted of a problem by the monitoring system, the person might try to determine the nature of the problem and further provide a solution to the problem based on, for example, their personal expertise and experience with the systems being monitored and the presented problem.
In some cases, a cloud provider or other entity may want to detect an anomaly or problem in applications currently executing in a distributed computing environment. For example, the provider might restart, provide additional computing resources to, for example, applications or other remedies in response to a detected anomaly or problem to improve performance. It would therefore be desirable to automatically detect and understand the root cause of a problem or anomaly in a distributed computing environment in an efficient and accurate manner.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated or adjusted for clarity, illustration, and convenience.

Problem detection and categorization for integration flows


Provided are a semiconductor device, a semiconductor package, and an electronic system. The device includes a substrate having a front side and a back side disposed opposite the front side. An internal circuit is disposed on or near to the front side of the substrate. Signal I/O through-via structures are disposed in the substrate. Back side conductive patterns are disposed on the back side of the substrate and electrically connected to the signal I/O through-via structures. A back side conductive structure is disposed on the back side of the substrate and spaced apart from the signal I/O through-via structures. The back side conductive structure includes parallel supporter portions.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide a semiconductor device, a semiconductor package, and an electronic device and electronic system adopting the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a growing tendency toward lightweight, thin, and small-sized electronic devices, research into a technique of mounting thin semiconductor chips in a package has been conducted.

Semiconductor device, semiconductor package, and electronic system


A wireless communication system (10) provides unsolicited content (40) to a wireless device (12) by using a network element (14) that contains logic circuitry that sends unsolicited content for the wireless device (12), without request by the wireless device (12) and during a non-peak period of operation of the wireless communication system (10). The network element (14) logs a billing event associated with the unsolicited content (40) in response to wireless device use indication data (42) that represents that the wireless device (12) used the unsolicited content (40) at a later time.

Wireless communication systems are known that deliver internet based content to one or more wireless devices. For example, wireless cellular systems may be operatively coupled to the internet or other wide area network to wirelessly provide web pages, streaming audio and video, and other information from one or more web servers or other suitable content sources. As such, wireless devices include, but are not limited to cellular telephones, PDAs, laptop computers, pocket personal computers, internet appliances that communicate with the internet, or any other suitable wireless device that will allow a user to obtain music, video, software modules, applets, web pages, or any other suitable content using one or more wireless networks. Such wireless networks may include wireless local area networks and/or wireless wide area networks as known in the art. However, the capacity of wireless networks is limited and can be expensive during peak hours due to peak hour capacity limitations. With more and more content requiring additional bandwidth and as more and more users access limited capacity wireless communication systems, operators of such systems are continually looking for ways to maximize revenue generation for their capital expenditures in such systems.
Typically, content is delivered based upon a user requesting delivery of content by employing a wireless device to access a website where most of the system traffic occurs during peak hours. It would be desirable to reduce a wireless communication system's burden for carrying data during busy hours or periods of high system loading and still provide revenue streams for various segments of a content distribution stream.

Unsolicited wireless content delivery and billing apparatus and method


A radio receiver which includes structure for direct-frequency-converting a received input signal to two axial base-band components including an in-phase base-band component and orthogonal phase base-band component. The radio receiver also includes structure for re-modulating the two axial base-band components of in-phase and orthogonal phase by using in-phase and orthogonal phase carrier waves where each carrier wave has a frequency equal to an IF signal frequency. Further, the radio receiver includes structure for composing the re-modulated components to provide the IF signal and for amplifying the IF signal, where the IF signal is an objective signal. The radio receiver further includes structure for detecting the objective signal to produce a detected output and for applying the detected output to a demodulated output terminal.

Hitherto, as a method of constructing radio receivers, a heterodyne system or a direct conversion system has been used usually. In the heterodyne system, a high-frequency signal which was received by the receiver through an antenna is converted in frequency into an IF (Intermediate Frequency) signal using a super heterodyne system, and after the IF signal was amplified by an IF amplifier, it is detected to provide an audio signal. Whereas in the direct conversion system, the received high-frequency signal is converted directly to a base-band signal comprising two axial components of in-phase and orthogonal phase, and after the directly converted signal was amplified adequately, it is demodulated. The direct conversion system has the advantages that it can avoid image disturbance which would be produced in the heterodyne system and it can demodulate an FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) signal with a simple construction if a dedicated LSI (Large-Scale Integration) circuit is utilized. However, in order to demodulate the AM signal and the FM signal, a relatively complicated and specially designed circuit is needed in the direct conversion system, because for the demodulation of the AM signal .sqroot.I.sup.2 +Q.sup.2 should be obtained and for the demodulation of the FM signal I(dQ/dt)-Q(dI/dt)should be obtained (I and Q represent the two axial components of in-phase and orthogonal phase, respectively), and therefore respective amplifiers for these two axial components are required to have equal amplification degree and equal quantity of phase shift and also it is required to provide a differentiator with high precision. These requirements are not so strict to an amplifier and demodulator for the FSK signal because the FSK system only requires that information should be discriminated as two values (this means that the system can be constructed with an LSI). However, since a base-band amplifier for the FM signal is required to be considerably strict, an attempt to construct with an LSI an FM signal receiving circuit according to the direct conversion has not been put into practice up to now.