The present disclosure relates to a method of reactivating the surface of an organic paint coating, a method of facilitating adhesion of a further coating to the organic paint coating, and a substrate having a reactivated organic paint coating. There is also disclosed a surface reactivation treatment for an organic paint coating. The reactivation method also facilitates adhesion of the organic paint coating to further coating(s) across a broad application window.

Coatings are generally used to protect the surface of materials from incidental damage, abrasion, chemical attack, corrosion, ultraviolet radiation or in-service degradation. Coatings are also used to enhance the aesthetics and/or optical properties of an object or component. For aircraft coatings, specific coating performance requirements are particularly severe. For example, the coatings must withstand chemical attack from aviation hydraulic fluids that are phosphate ester based for fire resistance. The airframe must be protected against corrosion for at least 25 years. Ultraviolet radiation can be up to 4 times more intense at 40,000 feet cruise altitude than on the ground, and the service environment for the coating is typically from −55 to −60° C. at a typical cruise temperature to 180° C. near hot air exhaust ducts. Since air sticks at the surface of the paint and results in adiabatic heating, the actual skin temperature in cruise can be around −15 to −25° C. Examples of protective and decorative test requirements are given in SAE AMS 3095A.
The surface properties of many coatings dramatically change on drying, curing and/or aging to become more inert than might be predicted based on the chemistry of their individual components alone. Whilst this phenomenon in part provides the coating with chemical resistance, impact strength, abrasion resistance and durability, it also complicates the process of applying further coatings, particularly when they are not applied within a predetermined application window. The same problem arises with applying other entities such as sealants, pin hole fillers and surfacers such as those used on composite substrates, and decals and logos applied with pressure sensitive adhesives, to such coatings. Reactivating adhesion of a previously painted organic coating on a rigid substrate such as an aircraft body or airframe and adhering a new coating to the previously cured or aged painted substrate requires not only reactivating adhesion of the original paint coating to the further coating but also requires not damaging the integrity of the original adhesive connection between the substrate (e.g. body panel) and original coating. The reactivation method should also not damage or degrade the substrate itself if accidental exposure to the substrate occurs.
In cases which require the application of further coating(s) and/or other entities, mechanical abrasion or a chemical or ablative, such as laser, stripping process of the coating is generally necessary before the application procedure of the further coating can take place.
In the specific example of aircraft coatings, the finishing process for the exterior decorative livery of commercial airplanes involves multiple steps starting with surface preparation of the substrate and ending with livery application. Multi-color liveries are produced by consecutively masking out designs with tape or premask and then application of a design color. Typically, the first color down, or body color, will be spray-applied to cover from one-half to all of the fuselage and empennage and then cured. Subsequent design colors are applied, generally on top of the body color, and need to be cured prior to application of additional colors. The total number of cure cycles can range from three for simple designs to six or more for complex designs. The cured topcoat, once it has gone through more than one cure cycle typically above about 35° C. but below 50° C. or has cured at ambient conditions for several hours, may no longer be active towards bonding freshly applied topcoat. Proper surface preparation of each cured topcoat layer prior to application of the next is critical for ensuring adequate adhesion in service, as the stresses experienced by leading edges of aerospace paint layers are quite severe due to impacting rain drops during flight. The cured topcoat must therefore be reactivated to ensure good intercoat adhesion. Monocoats will typically need reactivation after two heat cure cycles above about 40° C. or ambient temperature of 48 hours, where ambient temperature means 10 to 35° C. In basecoat-clearcoat paint systems, basecoat colors are cured at ambient temperature but reactivation is still needed between many of the basecoat colors in complex designs due to the number of colors involved and the length of time it takes to mask, apply, and cure each color. Reactivation prior to clearcoat application is almost always needed due to the length of time needed to create the decorative design with the basecoat colors and for some basecoat colors in some basecoat-clearcoat systems reactivation is needed in as few as two to four hours after basecoat application. Additionally, the reactivation treatment should not alter the color of the basecoat as any change in color will show through the clearcoat and affect the aesthetics of the design.
To prevent de-bonding, cured paint layers have traditionally undergone mechanical abrasion by sanding prior to application of further coatings. However, the sanding process is ergonomically undesirable to the painter, adds flow time, and produces dust. Sanding is difficult to apply uniformly, especially with designs, signboards, or stencil letters involving small radii of curvature and affects the gloss and may shift the color of the abraded coating. Additionally, the small radii of curvature in some designs may necessitate a paint application sequence for topcoats which is less than optimum for flow time. Abrasion may alter the color of a basecoat even after the subsequent clearcoat is applied and sanding cannot be used on special effect paints containing micas or metallic particles.
A spray-applied chemical reactivation method has previously been described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/784,534. Reactivation using this method showed improved adhesion over no reactivation and similar to mechanical abrasion, but can lose some effectiveness at lower humidity. Humidity is not economical to control due to the large volume of a paint hangar, which can exceed 10000 cubic meters, needed to hold a commercial airplane. The hangars will sometimes attempt to raise the humidity by spraying water on the floor, but this is not a robust approach and is not always sufficient so at low humidity, the conventional method for reactivating coatings is by mechanical abrasion. However, as previously mentioned, the use of mechanical abrasion is problematic for a variety of reasons including ergonomics, process flow time, appearance, and consistency.
Consequently, there is a need to extend the application window to low humidity conditions such that the number of days per year that the chemical reactivation method can be more viably used would be increased. In addition, there is a need to make chemical reactivation as robust and as durable as possible to make this process more broadly appealing for environmental conditions found globally, which is relevant for after-market, depot, rework and touch-up operations as well as non-aerospace applications.


Embodiments of the present invention provide a trial coupler system for use in preparing a patient for an implant. Certain embodiments provide a system including a coupling device (20) and a trial component interface (40) that allows a trial stem (100) to be offset in relation to the respective trial components at an orientation that matches the geometry of the patient. Once the precise positioning is obtained, the trial coupler device (10) can be locked while on the patient's bone so the assembly can be removed without disturbing the desired orientation.

In total knee joint replacement surgery, a surgeon typically affixes two prosthetic components to a patient's bone structure: a first to the patient's femur and a second to the patient's tibia. These components are typically known as the femoral component and the tibial component, respectively.
The femoral component is placed on a patient's distal femur after appropriate resection. One common type of femoral component, the condylar component, features a J-shaped cross section, with an anterior face and two condylar portions. The femoral component is usually attached to a femoral stem which is received in the patient's intramedullary femoral canal.
A common type of tibial component uses a tray or plate that generally conforms to the patient's resected proximal tibia. The tibial component is usually attached to a tibial stem which is received in the patient's intramedullary tibial canal.
The tibial plateau and the condyles of the femur bearing on the tibial plateau act similar to a hinge within the knee to allow bending and movement of the knee. The tibial component and the femoral component ultimately cooperate with each other to replicate as closely as possible the action and relationship of the tibial plateau and the condyles of the femur bearing on it. A plastic or polymeric (often ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or UHMW) insert or bearing may fit between the plate of the tibial component and the femoral component. This insert or bearing provides a surface against which the femoral component condylar portions articulate (i.e., move in gross motion corresponding generally to the motion of the femur relative to the tibia).
Accurately positioning and fitting the prosthetic components is important for a number of reasons. Each patient has a different bone structure and geometry. Dynamically, motion of the tibia relative to the femur about every axis varies from one patient to the next. Even though the surgeon uses various imaging techniques and palpation to study a particular patient's anatomy, she nevertheless gains considerable additional information required to fit the prosthetic components after the knee has been surgically exposed and surgery is underway.
Trial prostheses are conventional for, among other things, trying the fit of prosthesis or implant components to respective portions of the joint. After shaping the femur and the tibia, the surgeon may temporarily fit trial components instead of the actual prosthetic components to the femur and/or tibia, respectively. This enables the surgeon to test the fit of the components to the femur and tibia and to test their performance both statically and dynamically throughout a desired range of motion. Use of trial prosthetics instead of actual implants also allows the surgeon to perform this testing and achieve a more perfect fit and a more accurate performance of the actual implant component without introducing a number of "new" actual prosthetic components into the surgical field.
Using actual, final prosthetic components for this fitting procedure is undesirable. Using trial prosthetic components instead of the actual implants allows the surgeon to position, move, and fit components while trying various sizes and, if desired, while modifying bone structure, without imparting wear and tear on actual implant components—upon which destruction could have adverse long-term effects. Additionally, the use of trial components keeps the implants from requiring re-sterilization if they are used and a new size is needed. Therefore, trial components, such as trial tibial components, trial femoral components, and trial stems, are initially used. The actual tibial and femoral implants are then assembled based on these trial components and implanted into the knee.
When a stem that is not offset is used and an offset is needed, the outside component can overhang or underhang, and thus adjustability is needed based on individual anatomy.
In addition to being offset from the mechanical axis, the tibial and femoral canals may be angled with respect to the mechanical axis of the leg. Across a population of humans, a valgus bowing of the tibia exists relative to the mechanical axis. Consequently, if a stem oriented parallel to the mechanical axis of the leg is inserted into a bowed tibial canal, the stem can impinge on the lateral cortex of the tibial canal proximal to the knee and the medial cortex distal to the knee. Similarly, the femoral canal can bow posteriorly relative to the mechanical axis, which results in impingement by the stem of the anterior cortex of the femoral canal in the diaphysis of the femur and the posterior cortex slightly superior to the knee. Such impingement can prevent adequate penetration of the canal by the stem and result in improper positioning of the tibial and femoral components in the knee.
Improper positioning of the component with respect to the bone can have adverse effects, including stress shielding and bone loss due to non-uniform transfer of load from the bone to the stem. It can also limit range of motion. Insertion of a stem into an angled tibial canal may result in misalignment of the tibial component with the tibial plateau so that a part of the tibial component hangs over the tibial plateau. Such overhang can lead to the tibial component rubbing the soft tissue surrounding the knee, causing irritation and pain. Moreover, a consequence of overhang by one side of the tibial component is underhang by the other side of the tibial component, so that the underhang portion of the component is resting on the softer cancellous bone instead of the harder cortical bone along the peripheral rim of the tibial plateau. The component may consequently sink into the softer bone, causing the entire component to tilt toward the side of the underhang. This can jeopardize the stability of the implant.
To accommodate such offset and/or bowed canals, stem extensions have been designed to connect tibial and/or femoral components to corresponding stems using rotational adjustment systems. These rotational adjustment systems result in a trial and error process where the surgeon sets the stem extension to a predetermined, discrete position and inserts the components into the patient's canal to determine if the assembly fits correctly. If the trial prosthesis with the stem extension does not align with the geometry of the patient's intramedullary canal, the surgeon removes the components from the patient's canal, resets the rotation position, and repositions the stem extension at a different preset position. This process is repeated until one of the preset positions best aligns with the geometry of the patient's canal. Such a trial and error process increases the time spent in the operating room and increases the possibility of damage to the bone due to repeated entry and exit of the intramedullary canal, as well as increased opportunity for infection. Moreover, other systems that do not use preset positioning also have problems because they fail to provide a way to lock the desired orientation. Accordingly, it is likely that the orientation determined using such systems will be disrupted when the trial prosthesis is removed from the patient. If this occurs, the final implant that is constructed based on the trial prosthesis will not be oriented correctly. Thus, such systems do not always allow for a perfect match with the anatomy of the patient's intramedullary canal, and improvements are necessary.


Provided is an image forming apparatus that has a plurality of sheet discharge bins and is connected to a communications line. This image forming apparatus has a mail box function for discharging a sheet on which an image is formed on the basis of image data transmitted from a specified computer into a specified sheet discharge bin and a job separate function for performing sorting by changing the sheet discharge bin to be used for each job, and the functions can be switched over.

This application is based on application No. 10-167427 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that can be connected to a plurality of external equipment terminals, executes image formation on the basis of data transmitted from those external equipment terminals and is provided with a plurality of sheet discharge bins.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been image forming apparatuses such as a printer and a facsimile that are connected to a personal computer (abbreviated to a computer hereinafter) connected to a network and execute image formation on the basis of instructions from each computer connected to the network. Those image forming apparatuses include a type that discharges a sheet obtained after image formation into a sheet discharge bin (referred to as a mail bin hereinafter) peculiar to each computer. That is, there is known a type that uses the mail bin as a mail box.
There is another type that assigns a mail bin for each print job resulting from an image forming instruction from each computer connected to a network. That is, there is known the type that uses the mail bin as a job separate tray.
When using the mail bin as a mail box, print jobs from a particular computer are discharged into a particular mail bin. Therefore, the user of each computer is only required to fetch the sheet from the peculiar mail bin (mail box) assigned to that user. Accordingly, when fetching the sheet, the user has no uncertainty about the mail bin into which the user""s print job has been discharged. However, when there is a plurality of print jobs from a particular computer (user), all the jobs are discharged into the mail bin (mail box). As a result, the sheets for each job must be sorted from the group of sheets discharged into that one bin. This work can be very troublesome to the user.
By contrast, when the mail bin is used as a job separate tray, there is no need for sorting the sheets, as has been required when using the mail bin as a mail box. However, on the contrary, a number of mail bins are sometimes occupied by a plurality of jobs of one user. The occurrence of such a case is very inconvenient for the other users (computers) connected to the network. That is, both the case where the mail bin is used as a mail box and the case where the mail bin is used as a job separate tray have advantages and disadvantages.
One object of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a handy printer connected to a network for a plurality of computers (users) connected to the network.
Yet another object of the present invention is to enable a plurality of sheet discharge trays (mail bins) of a printer connected to a network to be used in a mode that is easy to use for the users.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can use a plurality of sheet discharge trays (mail bins) of a printer connected to a network as either a mail box or a job separate tray.
These and other objects are attained by an image forming apparatus having an image forming section, a plurality of bins for accommodating a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming section, a receiver for receiving image data, a first discharger for discharging the sheet on which an image is formed on the basis of the image data transmitted from a first apparatus into a first bin and discharging the sheet on which an image is formed on the basis of the image data transmitted from a second apparatus into a second bin, a second discharger for discharging the sheet on which an image is formed on the basis of the image data that is included in a first job and transmitted from the first apparatus into the first bin and discharging the sheet on which an image is formed on the basis of the image data that is included in a second job and transmitted from the first apparatus into the second bin, and a switch for executing switching to determine whether the sheet is to be discharged by the first discharger or discharged by the second discharger.


A robotic tool holder, including a housing, configured to be gripped by a human hand, and a wireless transmitter, located within the housing. The holder further includes a plurality of individual controls attached to the housing, the controls being configured, in a first mode of operation of the robotic tool holder, to activate respective motions of a first surgical tool physically attached to the housing in response to manipulation of the controls by the human hand, and in a second mode of operation of the robotic tool holder, to activate via the wireless transmitter respective motions of a second surgical tool remote from and disconnected from the housing in response to the manipulation.

Many medical procedures are relatively intricate, requiring substantially simultaneous operation of numbers of complex pieces of equipment. In many cases the simultaneous operation is achieved by having two or even more physicians operating the equipment together, during a single procedure. Having more than one physician operating different pieces of equipment, which may interact with each other, requires a high level of communication between the different physicians in order for the multiple operations to be efficient.


A large scale automated test system employs one or more relay boxes that contain and support one or more relay boards. Each relay board is operated to selectively communicate an item being designed, for example a cell phone, an automobile, or an aircraft, with two or more electrical components being considered in the design of the item to evaluate the performance of each electrical component in the item being designed.

In the design of electrically controlled items that comprise many different types of electrical components, it is often necessary to test and evaluate the performance of each electrical component with the item being designed before the electrical component is manufactured into the item. The testing evaluates the performance of each electrical component with the item being designed, and evaluates the performance of each electrical component with other electrical components in the item being designed. This enables a determination of each electrical component being suitable for use in the item being designed before the design of the item is finalized.
For example, in the design of an aircraft, several different electrical components from different suppliers can go into the design. For example flight control components, navigation components, cabin climate control components, etc. The various different electrical components are electrically communicated through an automated test system with a test version of the aircraft to evaluate the performance of each of the electrical components with the aircraft and with other electrical components used in the design of the aircraft.
For example, flight control electrical components of different suppliers are individually communicated through the automated test system with the test version of the aircraft to evaluate that component's interfacing with the aircraft and the other electrical components of the aircraft to ensure that the particular electrical component will function satisfactorily. The existing ways of electrically communicating the different electrical components and the test version of the aircraft with the automated test system and switching between each of the electrical components to communicate each electrical component individually with the automated test system and the test version of the aircraft are cumbersome, costly and not scalable.
There are various different ways of communicating the electrical components with the automated test system and through the test system with the test version of the aircraft. According to one method, multiple different configurations of cables are built that are manually connected to the electrical component being tested and the automated test system. To selectively switch between the different electrical components of different suppliers, it is necessary to manually disconnect the multiple cables from the electrical component of one supplier and connect the multiple cables to the electrical component of another supplier for the other electrical component to be tested with the test version of the aircraft. This method is disadvantaged in that building multiple different cables needed to communicate the electrical components tested with the test version of the aircraft is both time consuming and labor intensive. Disconnecting the cables from an electrical component and then reconnecting the cables to the next electrical component can result in errors in system functionality of the automated test system. Additionally, manually disconnecting the cables and then reconnecting the cables can take hours. There is a long switch time with risks of misconfiguration (bent pins, cable swaps, etc.). Switching the cables puts wear on the automated test system connector of the cables, limiting the life of the automated testing system.
Another method of communicating each of the electrical components with the automated test system and the test version of the aircraft is to construct a separate patch panel for each of the electrical components to be tested. A separate custom patch panel is used to switch between each of the different electrical components and the automated test system and the test version of the aircraft. This method is disadvantaged in that the custom patch panels are very costly (in hardware used to create each patch panel and in the engineering time needed to create each patch panel). Furthermore, because each patch panel is custom designed for a particular electrical component, the patch panels are very under-utilized. Although, switching one patch panel out for another patch panel to communicate different electrical components with the automated test system does not require as much time as switching cables, switching the patch panels puts wear on the patch panel connectors and limits the life of the patch panel.
A Versa Module Europa (VME) bus based cabinet can also be used to switch between electrical components being tested with a test version of an aircraft through the automated test system. However, the VME cabinets are very costly to construct. The switching requires active control of hundreds of signals of multiple relay channels. The VME bus based cabinet also requires custom cables that are very costly to manufacture to interface the VME cabinet with the automated test system and the test version of the aircraft.
In addition to VME switching mechanisms, there are relay switching mechanisms in VXI (VME extensions for instrumentation), PCI (peripheral component interconnect), PXI (PCI extensions for instrumentation), and LXI (LAN extensions for implementation) formats, to name only a few. All of these share the disadvantages of higher cost per signal, higher power consumption, special interfaces to the test system controller, and custom interface cables to the equipment under test.
Custom interconnect systems have also been constructed to communicate the electrical components through the automated test system with the test version of an aircraft. These interconnect systems employ relays that are built to toggle between the separate electrical components being tested with the test version of the aircraft through the automated test system. However, custom interconnect systems are costly to design and build. They are also physically large, that limits their scalability. Switching between the electrical components requires active control of hundreds of relay signals. There are also hundreds of relays consuming power in normal operation of the custom interconnect system.

Large scale automated test system reconfiguration


An optoelectronic device and method of manufacturing the same. The device includes: a layer disposed above a substrate, the layer having a first cavity therein, which cavity is at least partially defined by an inclined interface between the cavity and an insulating liner, the interface being disposed at an angle relative to the substrate of greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°; and a regrown semiconductor material, providing or forming a part of a waveguide, the regrown semiconductor material being at least partly disposed in the first cavity and including an inclined interface between the regrown semiconductor material and the insulating liner, the interface being disposed at an angle relative to the substrate of greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°.

Photonic interconnection solutions are advantageous over conventional electrical interconnects as they generally have lower energies per bit transferred and high power efficiency at higher date transfer rates. Furthermore, through wavelength division multiplexing, photonic interconnects can reduce interconnection costs by enabling multiple data channels to travel in a single interconnect.
A challenge to be solved is to fabricate micro-scale optoelectronic devices that provide low energies per bit and high power efficiency, whilst also offering high bandwidth density to exploit to the fullest potential wavelength division multiplexing.
Two micro-scale optoelectronic devices of particular interest are electro-absorption modulators (EAM) and metal-oxide semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAP) modulators. EAMs generally operate through the Franz-Keldysh effect, whereby the introduction of an electromagnetic field (e.g. voltage) across a region influences the absorption of light within that region. MOSCAP modulators, in contrast, operate to influence the phase of light passing through the device.

Optoelectronic device and method of manufacturing thereof


A cooled pet carrier comprising a housing for housing therein a pet and a cooling system. The cooling system comprises a Peltier module having a Peltier effect and a cooling system housing having a slidable lid member wherein the slidable lid member serves to re-circulate cooled air from the interior of the housing to the Peltier module when the slidable lid member is in a first position and serves to allow stale air to vent from the interior of the housing and be replenished with fresh air when the slidable lid member is in a second position.

Pet owners often travel with their pets. For example, a pet owner having their pet with them may stop off at the grocery. However, the pet must be left in the vehicle until the owner returns. In other instances, pet owners take their pets with them on road trips. However, during the road trips the pet owner may stop at a restaurant. Again, the pet must be left in the vehicle until the owner returns.
During the summer months the temperature rises to 90 plus degrees and in some instances over 100 degrees. Therefore, a pet left in the vehicle is exposed to extreme heat. In order to provide the pet with a breeze or fresh air while the pet owner is away from the vehicle, the owner, on occasion, has cracked the windows of the vehicle. As can be appreciated, the crack must be sufficiently small to prevent the pet from jumping out of the cracked window and to prevent theft of the vehicle. As a result, the cracked window typically does not provide a sufficient stream of air to cool the pet.
Several devices have been patented which are aimed at portable cooled containers or cooled comfort devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,694, by Marrow et al., entitled "MOBILE COOLER" discloses a container cooled by air from a vehicle's air-conditioning system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,555, by Chruniak, entitled "PORTABLE FOOD AND BEVERAGE STORAGE UNIT MOUNTED ADJACENT AN AIR VENTILATOR" discloses a portable storage unit for food or drink which is mounted over an air ventilator of an air-conditioner unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,604, by Seff, entitled "AIR CONDITIONED PILLOW" discloses a pillow having an inlet for cool air connected to a portable air-conditioning unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,461,432, by Mitchell, entitled "AIR CONDITIONING DEVICE FOR BEDS" discloses a bed having attached thereto a cooling unit.
It can be readily seen that there exists the continuing need for a portable cooled pet carrier comprising a portable housing cooled by a portable cooling system using a Peltier module having a Peltier effect wherein the portable cooling system comprises a slidable lid member which serves to re-circulate cooled air from the interior of the portable housing to the Peltier module when in a first position and serves to allow stale air to vent from the interior of the portable housing and be replenished with fresh air.


A portable terminal device is provided which can improve the interest, functionality and additional value by display even when the two display modules are in the state of being overlapped. The portable terminal device includes a first unit which has a first display module, and is configured such that a user is allowed to see a side of the first unit opposite to a user's side through the first display module, a second unit which has a second display module, and a switching module and which is operable to switch the portable terminal device between a first configuration that the first unit covers the second display module, and a second configuration that the first unit is moved from the first configuration with respect to the second display module so that at least a part of the second display module is exposed to an outside.

Conventionally, a portable terminal device having two cabinets and each cabinet provided with a display surface is well known (for example, Patent Document 1). With this kind of portable terminal devices, when, for instance, two cabinets are overlapped each other, one display surface is exposed, and when two cabinets are arranged side by side, two display surfaces are exposed. Also, with this kind of portable terminal devices, a user can perform inputting on the display surfaces.
When two cabinets are overlapped each other, a device becomes compact and easy to carry. On the other hand, when the two cabinets are arranged side by side, a display area and input area are enlarged by the two display surfaces, and thus capabilities of looking, listening and operating on the display surfaces are improved.


A hopper system and electrostatic gun for injecting electrostatically charged sorbent particles into a polluted gas stream for inclusion in an apparatus that utilizes electrostatically charged sorbent particles for removing particulate matter and gases from a polluted gas stream. The invention includes a hopper system with a bin that is selected to hold a required volume of dry sorbent material and is arranged to feed a metered quantity of sorbent materials, preferably by a screw feed, to receive an air flow from a regenerative blower the air flow mixes with sorbent materials in a throat of a venturi line and transports that flow into a barrel an electrostatic gun. The air entrained sorbent materials travel around and along a charging wand that is centered longitudinally in the barrel bore, and is electrically connected to received a controlled voltage from a high voltage power supply. The charging wand provides an electrostatic charge to all the sorbent particles passing thereby that are then passed into and are rapidly dispersed in the polluted gas stream so as to provide a large charged area in the flow for electrostatically charging, by charged sorbent particle contact, the pollution particles and attracting submicron size of pollution particles. Agglomerized sorbent and pollution particles are thereby formed that are then removed, by passage through a series of filter beds of media materials that as selected for the particular agglomerized pollution and sorbent particles, cleaning the gas stream that is then vented to atmosphere.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices for providing an electrostatic charge to particles and in particular relates to a device for electrostatically charging a flow of a sorbent or particulate matter for injection into a polluted gas stream to create a highly charged field therein causing the pollution particulates to become charged by contact with and adhere to the charged and sorbent particles and agglomerize together for passage to a granular filter wherein the sorbent and pollution particles with adhering materials are captured by the granular material of the filter, cleaning the gas flow.
2. Prior Art
Devices for charging particles are, of course, not new, and electrostatic guns for introducing electrostatically charge sorbent particles into a gas stream so as to create a large charged surface area therein that induce charging of the particulate matter contained in a polluted gas flow have heretofore been available. Examples of such electrostatic gun and antenna devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Patents to Schuff; U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,478; and to Schuff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,786, and as set out in earlier U.S. Patent Applications of the inventors identified as "Apparatus For Removing Particulate Matter and Gasses From a Polluted Gas Stream" filed Jun. 14, 1993, and a method set out in a U.S. patent of the inventors entitled "Method for Removing Particulate Matter and Gasses From a Polluted Gas Stream" filed Jun. 18, 1 993.
Only in recent years have air pollution control apparatus and methods been developed, like those set out above, that provide for the efficient and effective removal of fine particulate matter, particularly submicron size particles of pollution. Even with such earlier particulate removal systems substantial difficulties have been experienced, due to a lack of system versatility as, for example, when such systems were required to meet strict pollution removal requirements as have been imposed by governmental agencies for the removal of such particulate matter. In particular, such systems have lacked versatility to alter sorbent injection flows and sorbent particulate charging for different gas stream pollution states, which versatility is now provided by the system of the invention.
Like the earlier Schuff patents, the present invention involves an improved charging gun for imparting an electrostatic charge into a flow of sorbent materials. Unique therefrom, however, the invention provides an electrostatic charging gun that receives a supply voltage that can be varied according to the volume and type of the sorbent particulates injection into the polluted gas stream, so as to provide a maximum surface charge onto each sorbent particle. The sorbent particles, that all bear the same charge, will repel one another and are accordingly rapidly dispersed through the gas stream. This creates a large charged surface area, that, in turn, induces a maximum charging of the particulate matter within that gas stream. This charging tends to agglomerate the submicron and larger particulates, with the gaseous pollutants chemically reacting with the charged sorbent particles and with the particles in a media materials bed.
The above set out capability to vary the charging of the electrostatic gun of the invention is provided to accommodate a capability for varying the flow rate of sorbent particles injected into the polluted gas stream. Which flow rate variability is to provide for a sufficient volume of charged sorbent particulates in the gas stream to completely react with the volume of pollutants, both particulate and gaseous, as are present in a particular polluted gas stream. The ability to select a particular volume of sorbent particles passed from a hopper system of the invention provides for a sorbent presence to effectively react with all the pollutants as are actually present in the gas stream. Such reaction provides for agglomerizing those particles and sorbent particles, with the selected sorbent particles also chemically reacting with the gaseous pollutant submicron size particles, the agglomerized and reacted particles then removed by passage through an arrangement of moving and static media material beds.
The gas flow containing agglomerated particulates and sorbent particles with captured pollutants is passed to a series of moving and static media bed arrangements that provide for the removal and collection of the sorbent reacted products, particulates and pollution gases from the gas stream, cleaning that gas stream that is then vented to atmosphere. The above cited Schuff apparatus and method patents are examples of the state of prior art, but presented limited capacity for particulate removal from high volume polluted gas flows. The present invention overcomes these deficiencies by including a capacity for controlling the volume of sorbent material flow and for adjusting electrostatic charging of that material. A closely controlled volume of highly charged sorbent particles is thereby provided for completely reacting with all the particulate and gaseous pollutants are present in a specific polluted gas stream.

Hopper system and electrostatic gun for injection of an electrostatically charged sorbent into a polluted gas stream


Various methods, apparatuses and/or articles of manufacture are provided which may be implemented for use by an electronic device to track objects across two or more digital images. For example, an electronic device may generate a plurality of warped patches corresponding to a reference patch of a reference image, and combine two or more warped patches to form a blurred warped patch corresponding to the reference patch with a motion blur effect applied to a digital representation corresponding to a keypoint of an object to be tracked.

1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture for use by an electronic device to track objects across two or more digital images based, at least in part, on applying a motion blur effect to a keypoint of a reference digital image.
2. Information
Various object identification and tracking techniques have been developed and continue to be developed to support computer vision. By way of example, certain techniques have been developed to provide for feature (e.g., keypoint) detection and matching of objects across different digital images, e.g., a sequence of digital images captured at different times, a video stream, etc.
The uses of computer vision appear endless. One early use of such technology included the use of computer vision for manufacturing robots to identify certain objects involved in the manufacturing process. In such instances, it may be possible to provide a significant amount of processing power and a plethora of sensors and/or cameras to assist in the processing of what may be a fairly static scene and/or at least a predictable dynamic scene.
One dramatic use of computer vision, as of recent, is its use to "augment reality" for a user of a portable electronic device. Here, for example, a portable electronic device may use computer vision techniques to identify and track certain objects within a surrounding environment, and upon recognizing its surroundings may overlay additional information on the real time video that is captured and displayed to the user. Hence, for example, a user of a mobile phone may augment certain objects, such as particularly businesses, products, services, information, etc.
Unfortunately, unlike the example of robust manufacturing robots in a fairly controlled environment, a portable electronic device may have limited processing power and find itself in an environment that may be extraordinarily dynamic at times, e.g., user walking through a busy shopping mall, an airport terminal, etc.
For these and other reasons, there is a continuing need for techniques that may be applied to computer vision, and particularly to identify and possibly track objects in dynamically active environments in an efficient manner.


A wearable bracelet containing an antiseptic solution that can be selectively dispensed by a user as desired to assist in disinfecting the user's hands or other surface. The antiseptic bracelet is to be worn on and around user's wrist near the base of the user's palm and comprises a bracelet band that is connected to opposing sides of a dispensing pod, forming a loop which can be placed around a user's wrist. The dispensing pod includes a hollow interior forming an internal reservoir and a dispensing tip positioned in an outlet channel. The internal reservoir enables the dispensing pod to hold an antiseptic solution and dispensing tip enables a user to selectively dispense a portion of the solution in the dispensing pod.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wearable wrist accessory which provides for an efficient application of a germicidal substance to the hand of the wearer.
Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that the number one way infectious disease is spread is through hand contact. This is why the United States Center for Disease Control and governmental bodies all over the world recommend regular hand washing and the use of germicidal solutions. One problem with such a recommendation, however, is the fact that clean water and soap or germicidal solutions are not always immediately available to those who need to clean their hands at the time and place of need. Indeed, the creation of germicidal solutions in the first instance was in large part to address this problem as people are able to transport and or keep germicidal solutions in a convenient location for constant availability with much greater ease than water and soap.
While the proliferation of germicidal solutions helped address the problem, it did not completely solve it. A problem that still exists because the use germicidal solutions as presently implemented typically require a user to carry around a bottle containing such a solution or be in a close proximity to a germicidal solution or a wall mount or other stationary location. Furthermore, it is understood that one issue which arises with carrying and pulling out a bottle of germicidal solution can often lead to contamination of the surface of the bottle as it would typically require a full hand to pull out, open, dispense, and put away. In addition, in some social settings, it is frowned upon to pull out bottled germicidal solutions after meeting an individual or group and shaking hands.
Consequently, there remains an unmet need for germicidal transport and delivery device that can be inconspicuously carried and used to dispense a germicidal solution directly onto a user's palm. It would also be beneficial if such a germicidal transport and delivery device were structured to dispense antiseptic solution and otherwise operated with minimal touching requirements and specifically without requiring a full hand of the user. Such a germicidal transport and delivery device would be desirable to be worn by all types of people who come in contact for pathogens on a consistent basis and do not have constant access to water and soap, such as medical personnel, teachers, and kids. It would also be desirable for such a germicidal transport and delivery device be able to be discreetly worn by a user with long sleeves and to come in various shapes, sizes, colors, decorations and shapes to make it more appealing to wear when not being worn discreetly.
The Applicant's invention described herein provides for a wearable bracelet base having a removable pod containing an antiseptic solution that can be selectively dispensed directly onto a user's palm. The construction of the removable pod allows for it to be selectively integrated with the bracelet base that is worn on a user's wrist, with a dispensing tip on the removable pod oriented towards the base of the wearer's palm. Antiseptic solution is stored in a reservoir on the antiseptic bracelet such that by depressing the removable pod causes antiseptic solution to be forced through the dispensing tip.


An integrated circuit is configured with a pin for specifying a reset configuration vector of a circuitry within the integrated circuit. The resistance value of a low cost external resistor coupled to the pin is detected and utilized to identify the configuration. Logic on the integrated circuit detects and utilizes the resistor value to index to a configuration vector in a look-up table. The integrated circuit is then configured in accordance with the indexed configuration vector.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to integrated circuit devices, and particularly to configuring an integrated circuit that utilizes a low pin count.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the need to provide a common integrated circuit for multiple purposes and to help facilitate unit testing, integrated circuits are commonly designed to function in different modes of operation. The parameters that dictate how the integrated circuit is to function are called a configuration vector and include settings such as input/output bus port width, pad drive strength, test mode, and any functional sub-modes.
During a power-on-reset sequence, a circuitry utilizes a reset configuration vector to specify operating parameters. In some devices, the reset configuration vector is communicated to the circuitry through a set of external pins (typically 4-8) that are driven high or low. These same devices require a relatively costly external integrated circuit to isolate the circuitry pads from the power-on-reset level drivers.
Manufacturers, in a goal to produce smaller and more powerful products, have limited space in their products for integrated circuits. Therefore, in addition to being economically costly, the external integrated circuit consumes board real estate that might not be available or that could be utilized for other functions.
Integrated circuits are becoming increasing complex and are requiring more and more pins to expose this functionality to external circuitry. The number of pins that may be utilized for establishing the configuration vector is decreasing.
To reduce the relatively costly external integrated circuit to establish the configuration vector and to handle the decreasing number of pins available, there exists a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for specifying the configuration vector for a system implemented on an integrated circuit.
In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration of specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced.


The subject disclosure is directed towards mixing RGB data with infrared data so as to provide depth-related data in regions where infrared data are sparse. Infrared data, such as corresponding to point cloud data, are processed to determine sparse regions therein. For any such sparse regions, RGB data corresponding to a counterpart region in the RGB data are added to a data structure. The data structure, which may include or be concatenated to the IR data, may be used for depth-related data, e.g., with a point cloud.

In active depth sensing, a projector projects patterns of light such as infrared (IR) dots to illuminate a region being sensed. The projected patterns are captured by a camera/sensor (two or more in stereo systems), with the image (or images) processed to compute a depth map or the like, e.g., per frame. Infrared is advantageous because color (RGB) images results in very noisy depth values.
In stereo systems, stereo cameras capture two images from different viewpoints. Then, for example, one way to perform depth estimation with a stereo pair of images is to find correspondences between the images, e.g., to correlate each projected and sensed IR dot in one image with a counterpart IR dot in the other image. Once matched, the projected patterns within the images may be correlated with one another, and disparities between one or more features of the correlated dots used to estimate a depth to that particular dot pair. For example, a dense depth map at the original (native) camera resolution may be obtained by area matching (e.g., via a window of size 5×5).
However, not all surfaces reflect IR light particularly well. As a result, in any part of an image that corresponds to a poorly reflective IR surface, there are generally not enough IR data (e.g., reflected dots) in the stereo images to correlate with one another, and thus no depth data or very sparse depth data. This is problematic even with a single two-dimensional depth map; in point cloud applications, such as those that use depth data to construct a mesh, the lack of adequate depth data in certain regions may be even more pronounced.

Mixing infrared and color component data point clouds


An optical transceiver such as used, for example, in a wireless optical network (WON), includes multiple laser sources including a first laser source configured to transmit a first 5 output channel beam having a first optical characteristic and at least a second laser source configured to transmit a second output channel beam having a second optical characteristic; multiple detectors including a first detector configured to detect a first input channel beam having the first optical characteristic and at least a second detector configured to detect a second input channel beam having the second optical characteristic; and multiple apertures including a first aperture through which the first output channel beam and the second input channel beam pass and a second aperture through which the second output channel beam and the first input channel beam pass.

The present application relates to optical transceiver technology, for example, as used in a wireless optical network (WON).
Wireless optical networks (WONs) are becoming increasingly popular in the telecommunications market as a strategy to meet last-mile demand, enabling reliable high-bandwidth connectivity previous available only to customers directly connected to fiber or cable. An example of a WON is Airfiber""s OptiMesh system, which is described generally in U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,593, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/181,043, entitled xe2x80x9cWireless Communication Network.xe2x80x9d
Historically used by military and aerospace industry, WON technology has evolved into systems with backup and redundant optical links, providing high reliability and fiber-like bandwidth to customers located up to a kilometer away from buried fiber. Such systems are being deployed to commercial buildings in urban area, breaking the so-called xe2x80x9clast-milexe2x80x9d bottleneck. These WONs provide higher bandwidth than Radio Frequency (RF) wireless systems and are considerably less expensive to deploy than laying fiber.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a WON application. As shown therein, facilities 104 (e.g., commercial office buildings) can be linked to a high bandwidth network 102 (e.g., a fiber-based network) by means of optical transceivers 106 and 107, which use xe2x80x9copen-airxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfree-spacexe2x80x9d laser beams to maintain wireless, high bandwith communication links 108 among each other. The central, or main, optical transceiver 107 can have a communication link 110 (e.g., either wired or wireless) to the network 102, and thereby serve as a hub for the other optical transceivers 106.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional wireless optical transceiver 106. As shown therein, the transceiver 106 is composed of two basic elements: an output channel 200 for transmitting a laser beam (modulated or otherwise impressed with data) to another transceiver in the WON, and input channel 202 for receiving a modulated laser beam from another transceiver in the WON. Each of the input and output channels is composed of three basic components. The output channel 200 includes a laser diode (LD), which emits a laser beam of a predetermined wavelength (in this example, 785 nanometers) that passes through a diffuser 206 and which is focused by optics 204 (e.g., a plano aspheric lens). An incoming beam, for example, from another transceiver in the WON, is received by optics 204 of the input channel 202, passed through a bandpass filter 210 and ultimately received by a photodetector (PD), e.g., an avalanche photodiode.
The open-air laser beams used by WONs to transmit and receive data pose a potential threat to human eye safety. The collimated, beam-like quality of a laser results in very high irradiance (also known as xe2x80x9cpower densityxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cfluxxe2x80x9d), which can damage tissues in the human eye causing serious conditions such as photokeratitus (xe2x80x9cwelder""s flashxe2x80x9d) and cataracts.
Accordingly, several laser safety standards have come into existence that specify and regulate the parameters of lasers operating in environments that may expose the human eye to laser radiation. In general, three main aspects of regulations exist for lasers and their usage: Class definitions, Accessible Emission Limits (AEL), and Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE). The class definitions provide non-technical descriptions understandable to lay-persons, AELs define the classification breakpoints, and MPEs are based on biophysical data and indicate actual tissue damage thresholds.
Class definitionsxe2x80x94for example, Class 1, 2, 3, or 4xe2x80x94provide an abbreviated way to readily communicate a hazard level to a user. Class 1 represents lasers that are safe under reasonably foreseeable conditions, including the possibility of a human eye being exposed, either aided (e.g., through binoculars) or unaided, to a laser beam. At the other end of the spectrum, a Class 4 laser is capable of producing hazardous diffuse reflections that may pose skin and fire hazards. As an example, to meet the most stringent standardxe2x80x94class 1xe2x80x94a laser operating at 785 nm must be limited in power density such that the power collected by a human eye exposed to the laser is no greater than 0.56 milliwatts (the class 1 AEL for 785 nm lasers). Various factors such as the distance from the eye to the laser during exposure, and whether the viewing is aided or not, have a significant impact on how much power is collected by the eye.
The present inventors recognized that, while increased demand for WON bandwidth and link range generally would require the power densities of lasers used in WON transceivers to be increased, eye safety standards and concerns for human ocular safety represent strict limits on increasing such power densities. For example, the optical transceiver shown in FIG. 2 uses 622 megabits per second in both directions. However, beyond some levelxe2x80x94for example, 1.2 gigabits per secondxe2x80x94more power would be required to sustain the data rate. Accordingly, the present inventors developed systems and techniques that, among other advantages, enable laser output devices such as WON transceivers to transmit and receive data at increased bandwidths but without exceeding existing safety standards and without increasing risks to humans.
Implementations of the systems and techniques described here may include various combinations of the following features.
In one aspect, an optical transceiver such as used, for example, in a wireless optical network (WON), may include multiple laser sources including a first laser source configured to transmit a first output channel beam having a first optical characteristic and at least a second laser source configured to transmit a second output channel beam having a second optical characteristic; multiple detectors including a first detector configured to detect a first input channel beam having the first optical characteristic and at least a second detector configured to detect a second input channel beam having the second optical characteristic; and multiple apertures including a first aperture through which the first output channel beam and the second input channel beam pass and a second aperture through which the second output channel beam and the first input channel beam pass.
In an embodiment, the first optical characteristic may be a first wavelength (e.g., 830 nm) and the second optical characteristic may be a second wavelength different from the first wavelength (e.g., 785 nm). A difference between the first wavelength and the second wavelength is about 50 nanometers or greater. One or more of the wavelengths may be between 1530 and 1570 nanometers.
In another embodiment, the first optical characteristic may be a first polarization (e.g., transverse electric polarization) and the second optical characteristic may be a second polarization different from the first polarization (e.g., transverse magnetic polarization).
Laser sources that may be used include laser diodes, gas lasers, fiber lasers, and/or diode-pumped solid state (DPSS) lasers. In an embodiment, a laser diode is used that emits an output field that is either substantially transverse electric or substantially transverse magnetic.
Detectors that may be used includes an avalanche photodiode with a bandpass filter or an avalanche diode with a polarizer, for example, a transverse electric polarizer or a transverse magnetic polarizer.
The aperatures may include a lens, for example, a plano aspheric lens having a diameter of about 75 mm.
In an embodiment, the transceiver further may include multiple beamsplitters, including a first beamsplitter associated with the first aperture and a second beamsplitter associated with the second beamsplitter, which differentiate between the first and second optical characteristics. At least one of the beamsplitters may be an optical highpass filter such as a dichroic mirror. At least one of the beamsplitters may be a polarizing beamsplitter. One or more of the beamsplitters may pass beams of the first optical characteristic and reflect beams of the second optical characteristic. Alternatively, or in addition, one or more of the beamsplitters may pass beams of the second optical characteristic and reflect beams of the first optical characteristic.
In an embodiment, the first output channel beam passes through the first beamsplitter to the first aperture, the second input channel beam is reflected by the first beamsplitter to the second detector, the second output channel beam is reflected by the second beamsplitter to the second aperture, and the first input channel beam passes through the second beamsplitter to the first detector.
The transceiver further may include a third laser source configured to transmit a third output channel beam having a third optical characteristic, and a third detector configured to detect a third input channel beam of the third optical characteristic.
The transceiver may include at least two beamsplitters each configured to differentiate between the first and second optical characteristic. In that case, the laser sources, detectors and beamsplitters are arranged relative to each other such that, when the transceiver is operating, the first output channel beam will be passed and the second input channel beam will be reflected by a first beamsplitter, and such that the first input channel beam will be passed and the second output channel beam will be reflected by a second beamsplitter.
In another aspect, an optical transceiver includes a plurality of dichroic mirrors, each of which is configured to pass a beam of a first wavelength and reflect a beam of a second wavelength. The optical transceiver further includes multiple laser sources including a first laser source arranged to transmit a first output channel beam of the first wavelength through a first dichroic mirror and a second laser source arranged to transmit a second output channel beam of the second wavelength that is reflected by a second dichroic mirror. The transceiver also includes multiple photodetectors, including a first photodetector configured to detect a first input channel beam of the second wavelength reflected by the first dichroic mirror and a second photodetector configured to detect a second input channel beam of the first wavelength passed by the second dichroic mirror. The transceiver also includes multiple lenses including a first lens arranged to focus the first output channel beam and the first input channel beam and a second lens arranged to focus the second output channel beam and the second input channel beam.
The first and second lenses may be physically separated (e.g., by about 25 millimeters or greater) to increase eye safety. Further, the physical dimension of the lens (e.g., about 75 mm diameter) may be selected to increase eye safety.
In another aspect, an optical transceiver includes a laser source configured to transmit an output channel beam having a first optical characteristic; a photodetector configured to detect an input channel beam having a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic; an aperture through which the output channel beam and the input channel beam pass; and a beamsplitter, arranged in an optical path of the aperture and the laser source, and configured to pass the output channel beam from the laser source to the aperture and to reflect the input channel beam from the aperture to the photodetector. The first and second optical characteristics may be different wavelengths and/or different polarizations.
In another aspect, performing wireless optical communication may be performed by using a first aperture to transmit a first output channel beam having a first optical characteristic and to receive a first input channel beam of a second optical characteristic different from the first optical characteristic; and using a second aperture to transmit a second output channel beam having the second optical characteristic and to receive a second input channel beam of the first optical characteristic. Further, at least one beamsplitter may be used to differentiate between the first and second optical characteristics, which may be different wavelengths and/or different polarizations. Data may be impressed upon the either or both of the first and second output channel beams using one or more of the following techniques: on/off keying, phase-shift keying, pulse-position modulation, and/or frequency-shift keying.
In another aspect, an optical transceiver may include multiple laser sources including a first laser source configured to transmit a first output channel beam having a first optical characteristic and at least a second laser source configured to transmit a second output channel beam having a second optical characteristic; multiple detectors including a first detector configured to detect a first input channel beam having the first optical characteristic and at least a second detector configured to detect a second input channel beam of the second optical characteristic; and multiple apertures including a first aperture through which the first and second output channel beams pass and a second aperture through which the first and second input channel beams pass.
In another aspect, a wireless optical network may include multiple optical transceivers, each of which is in communication with at least one other optical transceiver. Each of at least two of the optical transceivers may include the following: multiple laser sources including a first laser source configured to transmit a first output channel beam having a first optical characteristic and at least a second laser source configured to transmit a second output channel beam having a second optical characteristic; multiple detectors including a first detector configured to detect a first input channel beam having the first optical characteristic and at least a second detector configured to detect a second input channel beam of the second optical characteristic; and multiple apertures including a first aperture through which the first output channel beam and the second input channel beam pass and a second aperture through which the second output channel beam and the first input channel beam pass.
One or more of the following advantages may be provided. The techniques and methods described here result in an optical transceiver that provides dramatically increased bandwidth compared with a conventional transceiver but without any corresponding increase in ocular safety risks. By separating the output beams, the potential power collected by an observer""s eye can be maintained at safe levels, while at the same time, providing roughly twice or more the total power output for the transceiver as a whole. Enabling the use of different techniques to differentiate the beams (e.g., based on wavelength or polarization) provides design and implementation flexibility.
Moreover, the systems and techniques described here enable the total bandwidth of an optical transceiver to be scalable to a high degree.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.


A method and a system for reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are provided. The method includes the following steps. First, receive a tag signal from the RFID tag. Recover a data clock rate from the tag signal according to statistics of pulse lengths of the tag signal. Next, determine a frame synchronization point of a data frame following a preamble in the tag signal by a signal correlation between the preamble and a predetermined signal pattern according to the data clock rate. Finally, decode the data frame by using an adaptive Viterbi algorithm on an extended trellis diagram. The extended trellis diagram includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of branches connecting the nodes. The nodes and the branches are arranged according to the modulation scheme of the data frame and possible variations of the data clock rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for reading radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and a system for reading printed RFID tags.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional RFID reader 101 and three RFID tags 102-104. The reader 101 emits ultra high frequency (UHF) or high frequency (HF) electromagnetic waves to enable the tags 102-104 so that the tags 102-104 can backscatter tag signals to the reader 101. The data sent by an RFID tag is modulated in the tag signal. In order to detect the data, the RFID reader has to receive the tag signal and then generate the data based on the tag signal. This data generation process is known as signal detection, decoding, or demodulation.
For example, the RFID tags 102-104 may use the FM0 modulation scheme to encode the data. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the four data patterns of the FM0 modulation scheme. There are four patterns S1-S4 in FIG. 2. S1 or S4 stands for a data symbol-1. S2 or S3 stands for a data symbol-0. According to the FM0 modulation scheme, there must be a level transition (from low level to high level or from high level to low level) between two consecutive symbols. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing exemplary tag signal waveforms based on the FM0 modulation scheme, in which the waveform 301 is a perfect noise-free tag signal waveform.
There are two conventional methods for signal detection, namely, edge detection and matched filtering. Edge detection detects the transition of a tag signal waveform across the middle line 305, and then reconstructs the data bits according to the transition statistics of the waveform. For example, a data symbol-1 has no transition inside its symbol period; while a data symbol-0 has a transition at the middle of its symbol period. Edge detection is only practical for tag signal waveforms with relatively low noises. As shown in FIG. 3, the waveform 302 is a noisy tag signal waveform received at a distance of 2 meters, which carries the same data as the waveform 301. Although the waveform 302 is distorted by noises, its data pattern is still recognizable by edge detection. On the other hand, the waveform 303 is another noisy tag signal waveform received at a distance of 8 meters, which also carries the same data as the waveform 301. Severe noises cause many false crossings of the waveform 303 over the middle line 305. As a result, edge detection would misinterpret the data pattern.
Matched filtering is more noise-tolerant than edge detection. Matched filtering reconstructs the data bits by pattern matching between the data patterns S1-S4 and the tag signal waveform. However, for matched filtering to work correctly, the data clock rate of the tag signal must be stable and well known. Stable data clock rate is not always available, especially for printed RFID tags.
Printed RFID tags are literally printed by ink-jet printers. Printed RFID tags are much cheaper than conventional chip-based tags. However, printed RFID tags have the disadvantage of very unstable data clock rate. A 20-50% swing of data clock rate is typical. Furthermore, their data clock rate is always drifting. The data clock rate of a symbol may be different from the data clock rate of the next symbol. Consequently, it is impractical to apply either edge detection or matched filtering on noisy tag signals from printed RFID tags.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Methods and apparatus for dynamic search management in a multi-mode device. In one embodiment, a mobile device performs network search and acquisition by dynamically changing search delays and/or search frequencies. In one implementation, the mobile device adjusts the amount of time allocated for each network search based on e.g., previous network connection history (e.g., previously connected to a home network, previously connected to a roaming network), device conditions, user preferences, geographical information, etc. By focusing search effort on cellular technologies which have a high likelihood of success, the mobile device can greatly improve search time and reduce unnecessary power consumption.

1. Technological Field
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communication. More particularly, in one exemplary aspect, the disclosure is directed to methods and apparatus for dynamically configuring search operations in a multi-mode device.
2. Description of Related Technology
Mobile wireless devices are becoming increasingly full-featured and complex, and accordingly must support multiple aspects of operation, including for example voice calls, data streaming, and various multimedia applications. Multi-network (also referred to as the multi-mode) wireless devices are often used to provide connectivity in mobile applications where uses may change their location (e.g., while traveling).
During so-called "roaming" access, a multi-mode device may attempt to switch between each of its available modes (networks), so as to identify a suitable cellular network for operation. For example, consider a multi-mode device having three modes: (i) CDMA2000 which is associated with the multi-mode device's home network, (ii) GSM, and (iii) WCDMA. During operation, the device will power up and attempts to scan for a CDMA2000 network (such as based on a Preferred Roaming List or PRL). CDMA2000 searches are based on detection of a so-called "pilot" signal. If the mobile device can identify the presence of the pilot signal, the mobile will proceed to acquire timing and phase alignment. Once the mobile device has aligned to the base station, it can synchronize fine timing, receive control information, and register to the network.
If no CDMA2000 networks are located, the device attempts to scan for any GSM networks, such as based on a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) preference. During the GSM search, the mobile device searches for a beacon signal within the standard GSM frequency bands. If the beacon signal is found, then the device determines the timing by searching for a synchronization channel, which is transmitted according to a fixed schedule. If no GSM network is located, the device attempts to scan for any WCDMA networks based on a SIM preference. Once the mobile device has completed Primary Synchronization Sequence (PSS) and Secondary Synchronization Sequence (SSS) searches, the mobile device can decode the BCCH, and decode control information necessary to initiate network registration.
If no WCDMA network has been found, then the device repeats the foregoing process. This repeating or looping process is "fixed", and does not change regardless of the mobile device's previous connection history. Furthermore, this process can waste a significant amount of power on modes which have less likelihood of success.
Accordingly, improved schemes for multi-mode device network searching are needed. Ideally, such schemes should reduce overall power consumption by intelligently allocating search time for each network technology, rather than looping through each available option until a wireless network is found.

Methods and apparatus for dynamically configuring search operations in a multi-mode device


Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for measuring performance of multi-service in a tunnel, including: receiving a measurement message corresponding to a service packet, where a priority of the measurement message is the same as that of the service packet, and the measurement message includes at least one of the three: a packet loss measurement parameter, a delay measurement parameter, and a variation measurement parameter; and measuring performance of a service in a tunnel according to a measurement parameter in the measurement message. According to the embodiments of the present invention, a problem that performance measurement cannot be performed for different services transmitted in a tunnel in the prior art may be solved.

In the field of communications, a tunnel is a transmission channel for bearing a service. One tunnel can bear multiple types of services (Class Type, CT), and different CTs are differentiated by using different priorities. Therefore, the tunnel can provide transmission services of different priorities for services that have different requirements of quality of service (Quality of Service, QOS), so that a network resource is fully utilized according to a user requirement.
An existing traffic engineering (Traffic Engineering, TE) tunnel, Internet protocol (Internet Protocol, IP) tunnel, label switched path (Label Switched Path, LSP) tunnel and so on can support simultaneous transmission of multiple services of different CTs (which may be referred to as different services), and a service class of a different service may be identified by using a priority identification field, where the priority identification field is generally used as a flag of a QOS service level.
With the constant development of a network and service, QOS of a service has become a hot topic of network research, and how to provide reliable and guaranteed service is a problem commonly concerned by operators. Performance parameters such as packet loss, delay, and variation, which are used as effective tools for measuring a service level of a service, are increasingly concerned by equipment suppliers and operators; however, performance parameters such as packet loss, delay, and variation still cannot be measured for different services transmitted in a same tunnel in the conventional technology.

Method and apparatus for measuring performance of multi-service in tunnel


A method according to the invention analyzes the generation of graphical images by cataloging primitives by the states in which they are rendered. It permits, for example, for analysis of the execution of a computer instruction sequence, e.g., a computer program, of the type that generates a graphical image from a plurality of primitives. The method includes the steps of identifying primitives rendered by the instruction sequence, along with the composite graphical states in which those primitives are rendered. The method further includes generating an output signal characterizing the program, i.e., via cataloging the primitives by the states in which they were rendered.

The invention pertains to computer graphics and, more particularly, to methods for analyzing the generation of graphical images. The invention has application, for example, in facilitating the tuning and optimization of three-dimensional graphics software.
Computers have long been used to generate graphical images. Though early computer systems were capable of imaging in only two dimensions, they found ready acceptance in automated drafting, cartography, and the like. By the mid-1970's, three-dimensional graphics systems became commercially available. The systems tended to be quite expensive, requiring dedicated hardware and custom software.
Over the years standardized graphical programming interfaces and libraries have become readily available in the marketplace. Applications programs can now be written to generate three-dimensional images by calling subroutines (or functions) provided in industry-standard graphics libraries, such as those complying with the "OpenGL" specification. The relative ease with which graphics can be generated has led to a proliferation of graphics applications, e.g., for business, technical and scientific simulation, user interfaces, and animation.
Computer generation of graphical images, particularly, three-dimensional images, is a computationally intensive task. Even for a simple wire frame image, in which only the edges of an object are drawn, numerous mathematical calculations are required, e.g., to give the object perspective and to display it from the vantagepoint of the viewer. The numbers of calculations increase dramatically when objects are imaged as solid bodies, that is, when their surfaces (rather than merely their edges) are rendered. In those instances, the systems must take into account hidden surfaces, color, shading, texture, illumination, and other attributes of the object and its surfaces.
A common technique for imaging three-dimensional solid bodies is by constructing complex surfaces from "primitive" geometric shapes, such as lines, triangles, squares and other polyhedrons. An image of a desk, for example, may be rendered by drawing tens or hundreds of thousands of small line segments and triangles, placed side-by-side and individually textured to represent corresponding surfaces of the actual desk.
The sheer numbers of primitives required for a typical scene can make debugging or other analyses of the rendering process quite difficult. If a scene takes too long to render, a programmer could attempt to track all of the calls made by the underlying applications program to the graphics library. Unfortunately, the numbers of graphics calls made in drawing a scene can be several factors larger than the number of primitives themselves. Tracking that many calls in a meaningful way, though sometimes necessary, can be virtually impossible.
The prior art provides some assistance in this regard. Some conventional graphics packages permit graphics usage to be cataloged by the types of primitives rendered. Such an analysis, for example, might reveal that a graphics program for drawing a desk rendered thirty thousand line segment primitives and twenty-five thousand triangles primitives. Though sometimes sufficient, even this analysis is not adequate to enable the programmer to analyze a graphics program qualitatively and quantitatively.
An object of this invention is to facilitate improvements in the quality and performance of computer graphics applications. A more particular object is to provide methods for determining the image generating characteristics of such applications programs.
A related object of the invention is to provide improved methods of analyzing the usage of a library of graphics routines for debugging, tuning or optimizing the generation of images.
Yet another object is to provide such methods for use in analyzing executing computer programs, as well as those that are in source code format.
Yet still another object of the invention is to provide such methods for use in analyzing computer programs that generate three-dimensional images.

Method for cataloging graphics primitives by rendering state


According to the present invention, methods for testing interconnections on an electronic assembly in accordance with the disclosed embodiments eliminate some or all signal line contention during boundary scan testing. Each of these methods assumes that a first sequence of test patterns for testing the interconnects has been generated. A method in accordance with the first embodiment determines a safe pattern, and inserts the safe pattern between every two patterns in the first sequence of test patterns to generate a second sequence of test patterns. A method in accordance with the second embodiment analyzes the first sequence of test patterns, determines when a transition between two test patterns may cause possible signal contention, and inserts a safe test pattern between the two to generate a second sequence of test patterns. When a transition between two test patterns may potentially cause contention, the transition is said to be unsafe. The safe test pattern in the second embodiment may be a single safe test pattern for all transitions, or may be a safe test pattern that is derived from the two test patterns that generate the unsafe transition. A method in accordance with the third embodiment analyzes the first sequence of test patterns, reorders the test patterns to minimize the number of unsafe transitions, and then inserts a safe test pattern between patterns at unsafe transitions, if any, to assure that no signal contention occurs during boundary scan testing. The safe test pattern for the third embodiment may be a single test pattern, or may be a test pattern that is derived from the test patterns that generate the unsafe transition.

1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to the testing of integrated circuits, and more specifically relates to a method for testing interconnections between integrated circuits in a manner that avoids signal contention.
2. Background Art
The proliferation of modern electronics into our everyday life is due in large part to the existence, functionality and relatively low cost of advanced integrated circuits. As technology moves ahead, the sophistication of electronic systems increases. An important aspect of manufacturing an advanced electronic system is the ability to thoroughly test the components and subassemblies in the system. Many semiconductor manufacturers have provided various built-in self-test circuits on-chip to help to test the functionality of individual integrated circuits located on the chip. The testability of semiconductors was enhanced with the development of boundary-scan testing, as disclosed in IEEE Standard 1149.1 "Standard Test Access Port and Boundary Scan Architecture." Boundary scan testing allows an integrated circuit to be tested by placing shift registers between functional circuitry and input/output pins when the device is placed in test mode. Test data is typically serially scanned into the shift registers to drive certain inputs, clocks are applied, results are captured, and the resultant outputs are determined by shifting the data out of the registers. The serial shift register elements that make up the boundary scan circuitry is known as a scan chain, because test data may be shifted or "scanned" into or out of the daisy-chained boundary scan registers.
In addition to testing the circuitry on a particular integrated circuit, more recent efforts have also recognized the need to test the interconnections between integrated circuits on an electronic assembly. Testing an electronic assembly, such as a printed wiring board or a system that contains multiple printed wiring boards, is difficult using traditional testing techniques. With the increasing popularity of surface mount technology, feature sizes of printed wiring boards have decreased significantly, making it increasingly difficult for automatic test equipment to contact device pins. In addition, multi-chip module technology is gaining widespread acceptance. Many connections within an multi-chip module are not available for contact to an external tester. For these, and many other reasons, testing of electronic assemblies by use of the IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan standard has become very popular. The 1149.1 standard provides a standardized methodology for applying test patterns without the need for a test fixture to contact the functional pins of integrated circuits mounted on the printed wiring board.
Interconnections on an electronic assembly may be tested using boundary scan testing by shifting in appropriate test data into the scan chain, by pulsing one or more clocks to apply the test pattern and capture data, and by shifting the results data out of the boundary scan chain. In a typical electronic assembly, more than one integrated circuit may be able to drive a given net. Lets assume that two integrated circuits may drive the same net. The test vectors will be constructed and checked in a way that assures that no test vector will cause both drivers to drive the nets to opposite states at the same time. However, skew in signal lines and propagation delays may result in short-term contention when making the transition between test patterns. For example, if one integrated circuit drives a net high during one test vector, and a different integrated circuit drives the same net low during the following test vector, it is possible that both drivers will be driving the net for a short time during the transition. This possibility becomes more pronounced when interconnected integrated circuits are on different scan chains that must work together to test the interconnections.
Very short periods of contention would probably not significantly reduce the life of an integrated circuit. Thus, if interconnect testing were performed as a one-time manufacturing test, this contention problem would probably not warrant any great concern. However, more and more systems are performing interconnect testing as part of a built-in self-test procedure each time the system is powered up or reset. Subjecting the integrated circuits to repeated contention may significantly reduce the lifetimes of the integrated circuits. Without a method for avoiding contention during boundary scan testing, the life of the tested integrated circuits will be cut short.

Method for avoiding contention during boundary scan testing

International Business Machines Corporation


The direct drive for a throttle valve shaft in a throttle valve manifold comprises a coil and a rotor arranged directly adjacent to the coil. The rotor is made from a steel ring inside which a first inner magnetic shell and a second inner magnetic shell lie opposite each other. The steel ring has a first outer magnetic shell and a second outer magnetic shell lying opposite each other on the outside thereof. The steel ring is connected to the throttle valve shaft on the end thereof facing the throttle valve. A sensor for position recognition of the throttle valve is arranged in the middle of that region of the end of the steel ring facing away from the throttle valve.

The invention relates to a direct drive for a throttle valve shaft in a throttle valve connector. Direct drives are known. They generally involve the arrangement of a coil, to which electrical current is applied, and a rotor, which is arranged in the region of action of the latter, is provided with permanent magnets and is made to rotate by induction of the coil.

Direct electromagnetic drive for a throttle valve shaft in a throttle valve connector


A plug-in type busbar for connecting with a relay or a breaker includes an insulating housing and a plurality of conductive busbar parts insulated from each other in the insulating housing. Two interface sets are provided on two ends of the busbar respectively. One interface set on one end of one busbar can be inserted in the other interface set of the other bus bar. The busbar is connectable with adjacent busbars through the interface sets at both ends thereof. At least an electrical connection is formed between the adjacent two busbars after the adjacent two busbars are inserted each other. When a longer busbar is demanded, an extended structure can be obtained by simply connecting two busbars together, and a connection of the busbars can be completed by connecting the insulating housing in a plugged manner.

A busbar is a rectangular copper bar, adapted for being connected to a power source, performing as a connector through which various relays and circuit breakers can be connected together.
As shown in FIG. 1, the busbar in the prior art comprises three busbar parts and an insulating housing enclosing the busbar parts. Each busbar part comprises a connector base made from electrically conductive materials, and electrically conductive connectors which are integrally formed on one side of the connector base. The connector bases are plugged into the grooves of the housing and are insulated from each other, and the connectors extend out of the housing. The connectors respectively formed on each of the connector bases are arranged in a staggered form, and three adjacent connectors individually formed on a different connector base can be used for being connected with the three-phase plugs of a relay or a circuit breaker. The end portion of the housing is provided with a cap in order to prevent the connector base from slipping out of the housing and prevent current leakage of the connector base. The busbar can generally meet the requirements for confluence, however, when an busbar with an extended length is required, the existing busbar may not meet the requirement as its length is fixed. During practical application process, busbars with different length are needed and should be prepared for different extension scale, not only increasing the cost bust also occupying a larger space, and also wasting materials. On the other hand, in order to plug in a plurality of busbar parts, it is necessary to process the insulating material to obtain a housing shape. Due to the impact of processing art, the temperature resistant capacity of the insulating housing can only reach up to about 70□, while when the busbar is in use, a large amount of heat will be generated due to the current passing through the copper parts, and the housing with such a structure can not resist high temperature, therefore affecting the service life thereof.
Chinese patent CN2658983Y discloses a busbar structure for a switchboard. The busbar is integrally formed, comprising an end body base and a plurality of connectors integrally formed on two sides of the body. Several busbars are arranged in an overlapped manner with connectors of each busbar arranged in a staggered form, and the body of the busbar is coated with an insulating layer. When the length of the busbar body is not adequate for use, the busbar can be used to connect with another busbar by riveting or locking their end portions together, and then used after being coated with an insulating layer. Although the busbars can be assembled to form an extended structure by connecting their end portions together, the connection of their end portions is realized by riveting or locking, which is complex and time-consuming; on the other hand, thus obtained connected busbars need further treatment in order to keep the busbars insulated from each other, and also need further treatment to coat the whole structure of the connected busbars, so it is required to prepare insulating housing with different length, which causes waste of material; besides, the whole assembling procedure is relatively complex.