Videoconferencing through an information handling system is supported with a display, camera and microphone that communicate with the information handling system through a single cable, such as a DisplayPort cable. Visual information is communicated from the information handling system to the display through a unidirectional main link and display control information is communicated between the information handling system and the display through a bidirectional auxiliary link. Peripheral information, such as digitized audio signals captured by the microphone and packetized video information capture by the camera, are communicated to the information handling system through the auxiliary link. Peripheral commands generated at the information handling system, such as camera control commands, are communicated from the information handling system to the peripheral through the auxiliary link.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system peripherals, and more particularly to a system and method for peripheral communication with an information handling system management.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems typically communicate with peripheral devices, such as displays, cameras and microphones, through standardized interfaces. The use of standardized interfaces allows a variety of manufacturers to provide peripherals for a variety of information handling system platforms. For example, the VGA interface defined cable connections to communicate a video signal from an information handling system to a display. As another example, the USB interface defines a serial cable connection that communicates information between an information handling system and a variety of types of devices. One difficulty with standardized interfaces is that, as information handling system components operate at greater speeds to communicate greater amounts of information, the standardized connections eventually tend to provide insufficient bandwidth. In response, information handling system and peripheral manufacturers periodically coordinate the development of more advanced standards that will meet increasing bandwidth demands. For instance, the VESA standards group has recently introduced the VESA DisplayPort 1.0 specification. DisplayPort is a multi-laned two-way serial interface for connecting a source device, such as on an information handling system that generates a video signal, with a sink device, such as a display that presents the video signal. The DisplayPort interface has a one-way high speed link with one to four lanes that transmits video pixel and audio sample information to the display in a micro-packet architecture and a separate bi-directional auxiliary link with a single lane that transmits control information to and from the display also in a micro-packet architecture. The control information allows an end user to manage display operations, such as by obtaining EDID information, with the information handling system.
Although standardized interfaces improve information handling system user options for the selection of peripheral devices, the wide variety and large number of available peripherals often lead to end user confusion. For example, video conferencing through information handling systems has been available for some time, however, technical barriers due to network bandwidth, audiovisual synchronization, software support and device complexity have held back mainstream adoption of video conferencing. Although many of these difficulties have been addressed in high speed networking standards that now include quality of service provisions and in operating system updates that feature support for real-time communication, device complexity remains pervasive at least in part due to the connectivity requirements of information handling systems. For instance, videoconferencing with an information handling system typically requires a display, a camera, a microphone, speakers, and a network connection, such as through a modem or a local area network. Each peripheral device connection adds to system complexity, increases clutter around the system with each separate cable and tends to discourage end users from adopting videoconferencing.

System and method for peripheral communication with an information handling system


Provided are a method for configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, a method for reconfiguring the 3D input device, a method for recognizing wearing of the 3D input device, and an apparatus for the same. The method of configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, which performs information input operations using a finger device that is worn by a user and senses the user's finger movement, includes recognizing whether the user is wearing the finger device and recognizing the finger positions of the device, and adaptively configuring the 3D input device based on the recognition results. Thus, it is possible to implement a user-friendly 3D input device by automatically or manually configuring the 3D input device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for configuring a three-dimensional (3D) input device, a method for reconfiguring the 3D input device, a method for recognizing wearing of the 3D input device, and an apparatus thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Korean Patent Publication No. 1998-36079 discloses a glove interface device for inputting digital data, which includes a glove, which compares digital sensors and 3D sensors on fingers, for outputting digital data indicating touch status between fingers, position and rotation of a hand and a processor for detecting information including the touch status between fingers, the position and rotation of the hand based on the digital data received from the glove and providing the detected information to a host computer.
Korean Patent Publication No. 1998-36077 discloses a digital glove input device, which includes a sensor block, placed on the fingers, senses a finger crooking signal generated with respect to a user's finger crooking and detects finger crooking information in response to the finger crooking signal. The digital glove input device also includes a control block which generates a motion control signal based on the detected finger crooking information.
In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1996-272520 discloses glove instruction call-originating equipment, which includes an extension/contraction detecting sensor and a movement recognizing part. The sensor is attached to the finger part, the back part, and the palm part of a glove, and simultaneously inputs signals of respective sensors. The movement recognizing part continuously processes a group of input signal patterns and synthesizes the provided results so as to judge and decide on a certain instruction.
As described above, there have been many studies involving the development of devices for inputting information to a computer using the hands or fingers of a user. Some of these devices have already experienced real life application.
Skill level and method of inputting information through a general keyboard vary with respect to users. Some users may input information through a QWERTY keyboard using only the two index fingers of both hands, or four or six fingers of both hands. Others skilled in the QWERTY keyboard may input information using all the fingers of both hands.
Likewise, the skill level and method for inputting information in 3D space using a hand-attached device vary with respect to users. Therefore, in an input device including ten finger elements for all fingers of both hands, some users may want to use only four or six finger elements of both hands. Some users may be forced to use only several finger elements due to mechanical failures in the rest of the finger elements.
However, there has not been any disclosure of a 3D input device which adaptively self-reconfigures finger elements. It is, thus, required to develop a 3D input device capable of adaptively self-reconfiguring the finger elements, resulting improvement in user convenience. Adaptive self-reconfiguration may be needed in situations in which a user wants to select which finger elements to use or is forced to use only a few of the finger elements due to mechanical failures in the reset of the finger elements.
Adaptive self-reconfiguration may also be needed in situations in which a user wants to deactivate a specific finger element when wearing the 3D input device, so as to change a key array of a keyboard in user or to change a language. Currently, there are no disclosures of technology that can determine whether the user is wearing the finger elements and determine the positions of the finger elements. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, if a sensor X1 attached to a finger element is malfuctioning and could not generate an edge signal, a recognizing unit of the finger element is unable to recognize the finger device. The recognizing unit is designed to sequentially recognize sensors X1, X2, X3, and X4. When the sensor X1 malfunctions, it continuously circulates a loop and then cannot determine whether the user is wearing the finger elements and the positions of the finger elements. Therefore, the 3D input device cannot be entirely used even when only one finger element is malfunctioning.

Method for configuring 3D input device, method for reconfiguring 3D input device, method for recognizing wearing of the 3D input device, and the apparatus thereof


One embodiment of the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for decoding a variable length code using lookup tables. This embodiment improves lookup performing by allowing multiple symbols to be retrieved in a single lookup, and allowing lookups into different tables to proceed in parallel. Another embodiment of the present invention provides for multiple secondary lookup tables to be selected based upon a prefix value decoded by a primary lookup table. Thus, one embodiment of the present invention can be characterized as an apparatus for decoding a variable length code. This apparatus includes an input from an encoded bitstream, the input including a first set of bits and a second set of bits. This apparatus also includes a first table indexed by the first set of bits, which includes entries containing decoded symbols corresponding to variable length codewords in the first set of bits. At least one entry contains multiple symbols for the case where the first set of bits contains multiple codewords. Another embodiment includes a second table indexed by the second set of bits. This second table includes entries containing decoded symbols corresponding to variable length codewords spanning the first set of bits and the second set of bits. In yet another embodiment, the first table and the second table are configured to allow a lookup from the first table to proceed in parallel with a lookup from the second table. In another embodiment, the first table and the second table are configured so that a lookup in the first table precedes a lookup in the second table.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to decoding of a variable length code, such as a Huffman code, and more particularly to a scheme for variable length decoding in a computer system using lookup tables.
2. Related Art
The recent development of computer-based applications such as video telephony, video conferencing and multimedia has lead to the development of compression techniques for video data in computer systems. These compression techniques reduce the amount of data required to represent moving images and corresponding sound to a manageable quantity. This facilitates transmission of video data over communication networks as well as the storage of video data in data storage devices for later retrieval.
To this end standards have been developed to specify how video data is compressed. One of these standards is the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard. The MPEG standard specifies a compressed format for motion picture video and associated sound in order to facilitate transmission of video images at rates up to 30 frames per second. The MPEG standard additionally provides other features, such as single frame advance, reverse motion and still frame video.
Under the MPEG standard, an image is encoded by breaking the image into distinct areas, sampling data from these areas, and representing each area in coded form. This data is coded by a transmitting device and decoded by a receiving device in order to facilitate transmission of full motion video across a communication network. Alternatively, coded video data may be stored in a computer system main memory or in a non-volatile storage device, such as a disk drive, for later viewing.
Under standards such as MPEG, video data is compressed by exploiting statistical redundancies in the video data. The MPEG standard encodes video data using a variant of Huffman coding, which is a "variable length" coding scheme. Variable length coding schemes convert symbols (from a stream of symbols such as a video stream) into variable length codewords, wherein each symbol is associated with a unique codeword. These codewords are assigned to symbols so that more commonly occurring symbols are assigned to shorter codewords, and less commonly occurring symbols are assigned to longer codewords. If done properly, this can minimize the amount of encoded data required to represent a stream of symbols.
In order to decode a variable length codeword, some existing systems parse the bitstream containing the codeword using a binary tree. This technique is very slow. Other systems use a single lookup table of symbols for all possible codewords. The problem with such a lookup table is that it must be large enough to accommodate the largest possible codeword. Under the MPEG-II standard, codewords can be as large as 17 bits in size, necessitating a table of size 2.sup.17 =131,072 entries. Tables of this size can be prohibitively expensive to implement because they consume a large amount of memory, and prohibitively slow, because larger memories require longer access times. Note that decoding speed can be a critical bottleneck for applications such as video conferencing and MPEG playback, which may require up to 30 frames per second of data.
A scheme that uses multiple lookup tables is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,053, entitled "Variable Length Decoding Using Lookup Tables," to inventors Chu, et al. This patent discloses a scheme that uses two smaller lookup tables to decode a variable length codeword. A first table, called a "frequent" table, is used to decode frequently occurring smaller codewords. A second table, called an "infrequent" table, is used to decode less frequently occurring longer codewords.
Although the scheme proposed in the above patent reduces memory requirements for the lookup tables, it suffers from a number of drawbacks. First, the schemes does not take advantage of the possibility of performing multiple table lookups in parallel, which can increase performance. Second, variable length codewords are typically not matched to the lookup table size. Consequently, after a lookup is performed, the remaining bits in the input stream must often be realigned. This realignment process can be a time-consuming. Third, the two stage lookup process disclosed in the above patent does not disclose the possibility of selecting different secondary lookup tables based upon which prefix value was inputted into the primary lookup table. This selection of different secondary lookup tables allows more general types of variable length codes to be decoded.

Variable length decoding using lookup tables


An airfoil, and in a disclosed embodiment a rotor blade, has a serpentine cooling path. To best account for the Coriolis effect, the paths of the serpentine cooling channel have trapezoidal cross-sections. An area of the rotor blade between a smaller side of the trapezoidal-shaped paths, and a facing wall of the rotor blade has high thermal and mechanical stresses, and is a challenge to adequately cool. A microcircuit, which is a very thin cooling circuit having crossing pedestals, is embedded into the blade in this area. The microcircuit provides additional cooling, and addresses the challenges with regard to cooling these areas.

This invention relates to a cooling scheme for use in an airfoil, such as a turbine blade, or vane, wherein a serpentine cooling channel is supplemented by an additional cooling microcircuit at an area of high stress.
Turbine blades are utilized in gas turbine engines. As known, a turbine blade typically includes a platform, with an airfoil shape extending above the platform. The airfoil is curved, extending from a leading edge to a trailing edge, and between a pressure wall and a suction wall.
Cooling circuits are formed within the airfoil body to circulate cooling fluid, typically air. One type of cooling circuit is a serpentine channel. In a serpentine channel, air flows serially through a plurality of paths, and in opposed directions. Thus, air may initially flow in a first path from a platform of a turbine blade outwardly through the airfoil and reach a position adjacent an end of the airfoil. The flow is then returned in a second path, back in an opposed direction toward the platform. Typically, the flow is again reversed back away from the platform in a third path.
The location and shape of the paths in a serpentine channel has been the subject of much design consideration.
During operation of the gas turbine engine, the cooling air flowing inside the paths is subjected to a rotational force. The interaction of the flow through the paths and this rotation results in what is known as a Coriolis force which creates internal flow circulation in the paths. Basically, the Coriolis force is proportional to the vector cross product of the velocity vector of the coolant flowing through the passage and the angular velocity vector of the rotating blade. Thus, the Coriolis effect is opposite in adjacent ones of the serpentine channel paths, dependent on whether the air flows away from, or towards, the platform.
To best utilize the currents created by the Coriolis effect, designers of airfoils have determined that the flow channels, and in particular the paths that are part of the serpentine flow path, should have a trapezoidal shape. Essentially, the Coriolis effect results in there being a primary flow direction within each of the flow channels, and then a return flow on each side of this primary flow. Since the cooling air is flowing in a particular direction, designers in the airfoil art have recognized the heat transfer of a side that will be impacted by this primary direction will be greater than on the opposed side. Thus, the trapezoidal shapes have been designed to ensure that a larger side of the cooling channel will be impacted by the primary flow direction. As mentioned, this primary flow direction will be different in the first and third paths described above, than it is in the second path. With such trapezoidal-shaped paths for a serpentine flow, the wall adjacent the smaller side of the trapezoid has less cooling surface area and less cooling efficiency.
In addition, in some cases, the smaller side of the trapezoidal path may be spaced from a wall by a relatively great distance. Further, the serial flow paths are typically at an area of high curvature that is subject to relatively high mechanical and thermal stresses.
For all of these reasons, the area between a smaller side of one of the trapezoidal flow paths and its facing wall is an area that could benefit from additional cooling.
Recently, the assignee of the present invention has developed cooling circuits that are embedded into the wall of an airfoil, which have been called microcircuits. These microcircuits are disclosed in a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/637,352, entitled "Microcircuit Airfoil Main Body," and which was filed on Aug. 8, 2003. These microcircuits have never been disclosed for use at the above area between the smaller side of the trapezoidal flow path in a serpentine channel and the facing wall.

Airfoil with three-pass serpentine cooling channel and microcircuit


The present invention provides a process for preparing a ready-to-use reagent for PCR, which comprises the steps of adding the stabilizer, glucitol or glucose, to an aqueous polymerase chain reaction(PCR) mixture containing a reaction buffer, MgCl.sub.2, dNTPs, a DNA polymerase, the water soluble dye, bromophenol blue, xylene cyanole, bromocresol red or cresol red, a primer, and optionally, ddATP, ddCTP, ddGTP, or ddTTP, and then lyophilizing thereof. The ready-to-use PCR reagent of the present invention leads to a simplification of multi-step PCR manipulation, an increase of heat stability of the reaction mixture, prevention of carry-over contamination, and improved credibility of experiments. The ready-to-use PCR reagent can be applied as a kit for analysis of DNA sequence or for diagnosis of diseases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an instant reagent for polymerase chain reaction, more specifically, to an instant reagent for DNA polymerase chain reaction which is stabilized and lyophilized to ease DNA amplification, sequencing and diagnosis of disease.
2. Description of the Prior Art
DNA polymerase chain reaction(hereinafter referred to as "PCR") allows the DNA sequence at a specific region of a genome to be amplified by more than a millionfold, provided that at least part of its nucleotide sequence is already known. Portions of the sequence that surround the region to be amplified are used to design two synthetic DNA oligonucleotides, one complementary to each strand of the DNA double helix. These oligonucleotides serve as primers for in vitro DNA synthesis, which is catalyzed by a DNA polymerase, and they determine the ends of the final DNA fragment that is obtained. Each cycle of the PCR requires denaturation to separate two strands of the DNA double helix, annealing for specific hybridization to complementary DNA sequences, and extension for synthesis of DNA. For effective amplification, 30 to 40 cycles of reaction are required.
In conclusion, the PCR by which a specific nucleotide sequence can be amplified in vitro from the genomic DNA, enables the detection of a specific DNA sequence and the acquisition of the DNA fragment of interest in large quantities in a short period of time.
The PCR technique has been utilized in a wide range of life sciences, such as in the detection of genes associated with genetic diseases(see: Suzuki, Y. et al., Anal. Biochem., 192:82-84(1991); Gibbs, R. A. et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 17:2374-2448(1989); Ballabio, A. et al., Nature, 343:220(1990)); in the detection and expression of a specific mRNA by way of cDNA amplification by employing reverse transcription-PCR(RT-PCR) and RACE(rapid amplification of cDNA end) methods (see: Rappolee, D. A. et al., Science, 241:708-712 (1991); Frohman, M. A. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 85:8998-9002(1988)); in direct nucleotide sequencing from the amplified product of DNA(see: Gyllensten, U. B. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 85:7652-7657(1988)); in the analysis of VNTR(various number of tandem repeat) (see: Ali, S. et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 16:8487-8496(1988)); and, in genetic mapping(see: Nelson, D. L. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 86:6686-6690(1989)). In addition, it has been also utilized in the diagnosis of a variety of diseases, such as HTLV-I(human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type I) (see: Kwok, S. et al., Blood, 72:1117-1123(1988)), HIV(human immunodeficiency virus)(see: Ou, C. Y. et al., J. Infect. Dis., 158:1170-1176(1988)) and HBV(hepatitis B virus) (see: Kaneko, S. et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A., 86:312-316(1989)), and currently its usefulness becomes more and more widespread.
Furthermore, applications of said PCR technique, e.g., DD-PCR(differential display-PCR) and Immuno-PCR(see: Hong, Z. et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 21:6038-6039(1993)) have been developed, which permit detection of only a small portion of RNA or DNA in question not detectable using currently available methods.
In the amplification of nucleic acids by the PCR technique, every component of the reaction mixture for PCR, i.e., a template DNA, primers, reaction buffer, MgCl.sub.2, KCl, dNTPs (dATP, dCTP, dGTP and dTTP) and DNA polymerase, must be mixed in a step-wise fashion or simultaneously at the initial step, prior to initiating the reaction. Accordingly, it has been cumbersome to add and mix the trace amounts of each component in a separate manner for every test sample, which results in frequent experimental errors. Especially when numerous samples are to be analyzed in a short period of time, the inefficiency and accompanied errors have become serious obstacles in the experiments.
Moreover, it has been also known that the aerosol which develops when sample loading buffer is added to the PCR product, in the process of analyzing PCR product, frequently induces carry-over contamination(see: Kwok, S. et al., Nature, 339:237-238(1989)) and leads to a false positive response, which has been an important problem to be solved, especially when used in diagnosis of diseases.

Lyophilized reagent for polymerase chain reaction


A liner system, adapted for use with a rock crusher having a support bowl and a concave ring. The liner system comprises a collet that is adapted to apply a force to the concave ring and a collet adjuster that is adapted to lower and raise the collet, in the preferred liner system, the concave ring is removably retained in the support bowl of the rock crusher by the liner system. A method for adjusting a collet comprising providing such a liner system and adjusting the collet adjuster so as to removably retain the concave ring.

It is known to use a variety of devices and assemblies to retain a liner such as a concave ring in a rock crusher. Conventional devices and assemblies, however, suffer from one or more disadvantages. For example, conventional devices and assemblies are expensive, complex and unsafe. Conventional devices and assemblies also require excessive time and effort to install and remove a liner.
It would be desirable, therefore, if an apparatus and method for a liner system could be provided that would reduce the cost and complexity of the system and improve the safety of the system. It would also be desirable if such an apparatus and method could be provided that would reduce the time and effort required to install and remove a liner.


A method is provided for simplifying the calibration of neutron multiplicity counters. The method includes multiplicity counter dead time correction algorithms that preclude the need for extended calibration steps with known radiation sources. The algorithms include approximations that allow calculation of the counter's efficiency without knowledge of sample source activity or origin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to neutron radiation detectors. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for calibrating neutron multiplicity counters.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Correlated neutron counting using shift register analysis is an important and long established tool for the detection and quantification of fission events in waste and safeguards. A crucial step in the manipulation of the resultant multiplicity histograms to correlated event rate is the application of correction factors for dead-time losses. Dead time correction can limit the accuracy especially when highly efficient counters are used to measure items of high neutron output where a high proportion of the primary neutrons are random (e.g. (α, n) events).
There is presently no complete treatment for this problem. Advances in instrumentation design to lessen the effects are an important active area of interest. However, these approaches also require similar correction, albeit of lesser magnitude, until a higher event rate is reached. Thus dead time correction remains a vital area of importance in neutron counting.
At present the most popular approach to making allowance for dead time losses is based on the approximation developed by Nikolai Dytlewski. In this scheme, the losses in the signal triggered rates can be compensated for by using histogram multipliers which are functions of a single free parameter—the dead-time parameter, τ. In practice however some additional empirical adjustments are often required. The issue then becomes how to best find the optimum value of the dead-time parameter.
The traditional method of applying dead-time corrections to passive neutron coincidence counting based on shift register electronics is typified by the treatment described by Menlove and Swansen for the case of the HLNCC-II. The singles rate is corrected using the exponential of a quadratic through the origin of the observed Singles rate. The Reals rate is only a function of the Singles rate and is set equal to the Singles correction factor raised to the fourth power.
A variation used by some is to replace the quadratic by the corrected Singles rate itself so that the expression is transcendental but for all practical purposes can be evaluated using a low order (e.g. 7) nested set of exponentials. The multiplier for the Reals correction is also left as a free parameter although the expectation is that it be close to four times that of the Singles dead-time parameter. This approach is set out in Croft and Yates. However, for multiplicity counting the correction for Triples is more complex and the approximate approach described by Dytlewski is the most widely used treatment.
Accordingly, a need exists for a more efficient calibration method that allows for field calibrations and verifications of the multiplicity dead time parameter. Further, a need exists for a calibration method that reduces the required number of reference sources and lengthy measurement times. Further, a need exists for a simplified calibration method that allows for readily repeatable calibrations to be performed over the life of a counter. Finally, a need exists for a method for calibration that does not require use of costly NIST certified source. The present invention satisfies these needs and others as will be explained in the following description.

Method for the determination of the neutron multiplicity counter dead time parameter


A document/image retrieval method for retrieving a document/image corresponding to a captured digital image from a database by comparing features calculated based on feature points of the captured digital image with features preliminarily calculated based on feature points of each of documents and/or images stored in the database, the method comprising: extracting the feature points from the captured digital image; defining a local set of feature points for each of the extracted feature points; selecting feature points from the defined local set to define a feature point subset of the local set; determining invariant values as values characterizing the defined subset for combinations of the feature points in the subset, the invariant values being invariant to a geometric transformation; calculating a feature by combining the determined invariant values; and performing a voting process on the documents and/or images in the database based on the preliminarily calculated features of the documents and/or images; whereby the document/image corresponding to the captured digital image is retrieved from the database.

Popularization, multifunctionalization and downsizing of digital cameras bring new possibilities in the field of pattern recognition and media understanding. One of such possibilities is that an image acquired by a user is linked to any of various services. Such possibilities are unexceptionally present in the field of characters and documents. Intensive researches are conducted into camera-based character recognition and document/image analysis (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). Particularly, interfaces utilizing digital cameras attached to mobile phones are important, and a variety of processes such as a character reading process and a translation process utilizing the interfaces are now under consideration (see, for example, Non-Patent Documents 3 and 4).
Prior art methods of retrieving image-based document/image data, i.e., a document and/or image, are as follows. In the Kauniskangas method, documents and/or images are each divided into paragraph regions and graphic regions, which are classified and expressed in a tree structure. For retrieval, the degrees of matching between a query and the respective regions of the documents and/or images in a database are determined, and an image having the highest matching degree is output as a retrieval result (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 5). Hull discloses a document indexing method and a retrieval method based on the number of characters of each word, and an image indexing method utilizing an invariant.
There is also disclosed a method, in which a text of a document is divided on a word-by-word basis, and the document is expressed by features defined by a sequence of the numbers of characters of the respective words. Features are preliminarily calculated for respective portions of a document in a database, and stored in a hash table. For retrieval of an input image, features are calculated for the input image in the same manner. The retrieval is achieved by accessing the hash based on the features of the input image and voting (see, for example, Patent document 1 and Non-Patent Document 6).
The methods described above deal with a high-resolution correct-orientation image obtained by a flat bed scanner or the like. Therefore, these methods cannot be employed for digital camera-based document/image retrieval which is dealt with by the present invention. The hull methods, for example, are based on the assumption that characters are separable in the input image. This assumption is not satisfied in the case of a lower-definition image or an image subjected to a geometric transformation such as a projective transformation which is dealt with by the present invention.    Patent document 1: JP-A-7(1995)-282088    Non-Patent Document 1: D. Doermann, J. Liang and H. Li, "Progress in Camera-Based Document Image Analysis", Proc. ICDAR '03, pp. 606-616 (2003)    Non-Patent Document 2: K. Kise, S. Omachi, S. Uchida, M. Iwamura, "Current Status and Future Prospects of Camera-Based Character Recognition and Document Image Analysis", Technical Report of the IEICE, PRMU2004-246 (2005.3)    Non-Patent Document 3: K. Yamada, S. Senda, "Ubiquitous Information Interface Using Mobile Camera", Information Processing, 45, 9, pp. 923-927 (2004)    Non-Patent Document 4: Y. Watanabe, Y. Okada, Y-B. Kim, T. Takeda, "Translation Camera", Proc. ICPR '98, pp. 613-617 (1998)    Non-Patent Document 5: K. Hannu, "Document Image Retrieval with Improvements in Database Quality", Academic Dissertation of University of Oulu (1999)    Non-Patent Document 6: J. J. Hull, "Document Image Matching and Retrieval with Multiple Distortion-Invariant Descriptors", Document Analysis Systems, pp. 379-396 (1995)

Method, program and apparatus for storing document and/or image using invariant values calculated from feature points and method, program and apparatus for retrieving document based on stored document and/or image

Osaka Prefecture University Public Corporation


A method of writing on successive track locations on a magnetic multitrack recording tape so as to avoid accidental overwriting. Preparatory to writing on each track location, the peak amplitude value is derived from the output from a read head scanning prescribed initial part of that track location. The peak value is then compared with a reference value in order to determine whether the tape bears any prewritten information on the track location. Writing on each track location is permitted if the tape has proved to bear no prewritten information thereon, and inhibited if otherwise.

Our invention relates to a method of writing on a magnetic recording tape without the danger of accidental overwriting, that is, of accidentally destroying prewritten information on the tape. The writing method of our invention has particular utility in conjunction with digital multitrack recording tapes, although we do not wish our invention to be limited to this specific application.
Digital multitrack recording tapes packaged in cassette or cartridge form have found widespread acceptance as compact, high capacity storages of computer information. Such a tape has a plurality or multiplicity of parallel record tracks extending longitudinally of the tape. U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,111 to Moeller et al. discloses an example of recorder for use with a multitrack tape. The recorder has a record/playback head movable from track to track across the width of the tape. A bidirectional stepper motor is normally employed in combination with a suitable motion translating mechanism for such head travel.
As is well known, the stepper motor rotates in short, discrete steps in response to drive pulses. Each drive pulse determines each discrete angle of rotation of the stepper motor and, in consequence, each step of head travel across the width of the multitrack tape. Therefore, first placed in a transverse reference position proximate one edge of the tape, the head can be stepped to a desired track location on the tape by impressing a required number of drive pulses to the motor. The stepper motor represents one of the most efficient, inexpensive head positioning means.
Occasionally, however, the stepper motor or the motion translating mechanism may malfunction, as all man made machines will, failing to position the head in a desired track location on the tape. Assume that the head is positioned on some wrong track, and that information has already been written on this track. If then information is overwritten on the wrong track, the prewritten information will be destroyed.
The same problem can occur not only in recording computer information but also audio signals. Both the tape cassette for the storage of computer information and the digital audio tape cassette are conventionally provided with a file protect tab on the cassette housing. A removal of this tab makes it impossible to record on the tape. However, the user will not break off the file protect tab if he intends the cassette for additional recording. The file protect tab is therefore not reliable in this case for the protection of prerecorded information.

Method of avoiding accidental overwriting on magnetic tape


A method is disclosed where a knot is formed in chain-stitching, and a first loop formed by a stitch to an article to be sewn, two stitches ahead of a final stitch, is drawn through a second loop which is formed by a stitch one stitch ahead of the final stitch, whereby a knot where the first loop is fastened by the second loop is formed, such that a third loop is inserted through the second loop and is then cut.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of tying a knot in chain-stitching, which is formed at the end of the chain-stitching and which cannot easily be untied, and also relates to a chain-stitch sewing machine for forming such a knot.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 26 which shows a conventional knot in a yarn, which is formed by a single chain-stitch-type button sewing machine, the type of this knot corresponds to Class Symbols 101 and 107 which are specified in JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard)-L-0120.
As shown in FIG. 26, a button 203 is sewn onto a cloth by a single chain-stitch with the use of a yarn 201. At the final stage of sewing the button, a second loop 205, which is formed during formation of a stitch and which is one stitch ahead of the final stitch, is passed through a first loop 204 that is formed during formation of a stitch which is two stitches ahead of the final stitch, and the leading end part 206 of the yarn is passed under the second loop 205. This leading end part 206 cuts a third loop (not shown) formed during the formation of a final stitch by cutting the third loop with a cutting blade.
In this situation, the knot is never being loosened even though pulling the leading end part 206 of the yam is being pulled in the direction of the arrow A.
However, with the above-mentioned knot of the chain-stitch, if the leading end part of the yarn 206 comes off from the second loop 205, as shown in FIG. 27, the second loop 205 is likely to come off from the first loop 206 when the leading end part 206 is pulled in the direction of the arrow B, as shown in FIG. 28, and further, all loops are loosened, when the leading end part is further pulled, so that the button 203 is separated from the cloth 202.

Chain-stitch sewing machine with knot tying


Method and apparatus for aligning objects involve oppositely directed light beams that originate approximately between the objects and are directed toward the objects. Based on a relative position of the light beams to the objects, the objects are moved into a desired position. The oppositely directed light beams can be coaxial, parallel but not coaxial, or transverse.

1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to an alignment system and method using dual opposing radiation beams to align one or more objects. The invention is particularly useful in aligning a seed crystal lifting cable with the center of a semiconductor melt crucible as used in the manufacture of monocrystalline semiconductor ingots.
2. Description of Related Art
Monocrystalline semiconductor ingots that are grown using the Czochralski method are typically formed by dipping a seed crystal into a rotating crucible of molten semiconductor material. As the seed crystal is slowly withdrawn from the melt by a cable, material in the melt crystallizes and forms a larger monocrystalline ingot. The diameter and length of the monocrystalline ingot that is formed are controlled based on various factors, including the pull rate of the crystal from the melt, and the melt surface level.
If the seed crystal lifting wire is not properly aligned with the center of the rotating melt crucible, the growing ingot will wobble in its rotation and not form properly. Accordingly, the seed crystal lifting cable must be properly aligned with the melt crucible.
One existing method for aligning a seed crystal cable with a crucible shaft is shown in FIG. 1. The seed crystal cable 21 is unwound from a seed crystal cable support 20 so that a plumb bob 22 attached to the end of the cable 21 nearly touches the crucible shaft 25. A technician views the position of the plumb bob 22 relative to the crucible shaft 25 and adjusts the position of the seed crystal cable support 20 accordingly.
The plumb bob method for aligning a seed crystal cable with a crucible shaft presents several problems. For example, several hours are required for the plumb bob and cable to stop movement after the cable and plumb bob are initially extended from the cable support. Further, air movement or vibration of the cable support tend to move the plumb bob and cable. In addition, there is no guarantee that the plumb bob point is coaxial with the cable. Thus, the plumb bob method does not always result in accurate alignment of the seed crystal cable and the crucible shaft.


A sliding recreational device having a body, a seating area for a passenger, and a sliding pan mounted on the bottom of the body is disclosed. A cushioning element mounted in the body protects a passenger from injury while riding the device. By applying certain patterns to the bottom of the sliding pan, a stable, more predictable ride path is made possible for the rider. The addition of a system of pivoting braking elements and cabling enable a passenger to steer and brake the device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to recreational devices that can be used to slide on snow, ice, grass, or sand. More particularly, the invention relates to a sliding recreational device or sled that provides protection against injury, directional stability, and is capable of being steered and braked by a passenger riding the on a slippery surface.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Devices that enable a person or persons to slide down a slippery surface have been known for many years, particularly devices that allow individuals to slide along snowy surfaces. Such devices are many and varied and include some well-known items such as a piece of cardboard, the so-called "flying saucer", sleds, toboggans, inner tubes, snowboards, and skis, to name a few. Some are quite simple, while others, such as skis and snowboards, are expensive and complex and require time and practice to perfect their use. They offer varying degrees of comfort, safety, and maneuverability. Some of the shortcomings of the cardboard, flying saucer, sled, inner tube and toboggan include the lack of cushioning elements to help prevent injury to riders and the lack of the ability to slow or stop them. Many of the aforementioned devices could only be stopped by a collision or a loss of momentum, such as when a sloped surface flattens out for a long stretch. A rider would have to risk injury by using his or her hands, feet, arms, and legs to slow down or stop the device otherwise. Also, most of the aforementioned devices have no structures to help stabilize the path traveled by the device and thus the passenger is exposed to the risk that he or she might suddenly veer off line into danger. Some other devices that are also of some relevance to the present invention will be described here.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,571 to Dallera, et al., discloses an inflatable sled for use on snow having two separate inflatable structures and two runners mounted on the bottom. It also includes valving to regulate the amount of air between the two bodies and means to rigidly secure the two structures together. The use of separate structures and the requirement for balancing the air between the two structures adds complexity and expense to the device. Dallera, et al., does not disclose a sliding recreational device that uses a separate cushioning structure or has a means of steering or braking the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,399 to Reilly, et al., discloses a sliding toy for use on snow or in water that is comprised of at least one inflatable tube and a covering which surrounds and encloses the tube. A passenger sits on top of the covering and slides down a hill while holding onto some handles attached to the covering. Reilly, et al., does not disclose a sliding recreational device that incorporates a separate cushioning member, nor does it provide for any way to stabilize, steer or brake the device by a passenger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,570 to Kehrmann discloses a relatively flat, circular fabric coated sled that has a raised cushioned seat in its center for sliding on a snow or ice covered hill. A passenger sits on top of the cushioned seat and slides down a snow-covered hill while holding onto handles that are attached to the fabric. Kehrmann does not disclose a sliding recreational device that incorporates any means of stabilizing, steering, or braking the device by the passenger.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,128 to Schmick discloses a recreational device that uses an enhanced inner tube that is filled with a material so that the inner tube never needs to be inflated. The purpose of the Schmick invention is to overcome problems with deterioration inherent in inner tubes due to UV exposure and tearing hazards. Schmick does not disclose a recreational sliding device having a separate cushioning structure or a means to stabilize, steer or brake the device by a passenger.
A product called the Moore 42XB (also called "Snow Tube") is currently being sold on the market. This device basically consists of a standard inner tube covered by a fabric. It is designed so that a passenger sits in the middle of the hole in the inner tube to slide down a snowy hill. The Moore 42XB does not disclose a sliding recreational device that has a separate cushioning structure to reduce the possibilities of injury to the passenger, nor does it disclose any means of stabilizing, steering, or braking the device by the passenger.
None of the prior art references suggest the use of a cushioning feature in combination with a recreational sliding device having a passenger occupancy area formed by a single structure body of the sliding device.
None of the prior art references suggest the use of directional or rotational stabilizing elements in combination with a recreational sliding device having a passenger occupancy area formed by a single structure body of the sliding device.
None of the prior art references suggest the use of a separate sliding element in combination with a recreational sliding device having a passenger occupancy area formed by a single structure body of the sliding device.
None of the prior art references suggest the use of a steering mechanism in combination with a recreational sliding device having a passenger occupancy area formed by a single structure body of the sliding device.
None of the prior art references suggest the use of a braking mechanism in combination with a recreational sliding device having a passenger occupancy area formed by a single structure body of the sliding device.
There is no recreational sliding device incorporating a single body structure, a separate sliding surface, a passenger cushioning element, and a directional or rotational stabilizing structure formed by patterns on the sliding surface.
There is no recreational sliding device incorporating a single body structure, a separate sliding surface, a passenger cushioning element, and a steering/braking mechanism.
None of the above patents or products, taken singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the present invention as disclosed and claimed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An elastic boundary wave device includes a first piezoelectric substrate, IDTs arranged thereon, a first dielectric film having a smoothed surface that covers the IDTs, a second substrate that is a silicon-based substrate, and a second dielectric film provided on a main surface of the second substrate. The smoothed surface of the first dielectric surface and a surface of the second dielectric film are joined together.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an elastic boundary wave device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an elastic boundary wave device employed for a filter or oscillator on a television set, cellular phone, or PHS (Personal Handyphone System), and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a surface acoustic wave device (hereinafter referred to as SAW device) has been known well as one of the devices that utilize elastic waves. The SAW device is employed in various types of circuits on devices that send and receive wireless signals, for instance, in a frequency range of 45 MHz to 2 GHz. Examples of the above-mentioned various types of circuits are a bandpass filter for transmission and reception, local oscillation filter, antenna duplexer, IF filter, and FM modulator.
The SAW device utilizes elastic waves that travel on an interface between a solid surface and vacuum or gas, that is, the SAW device utilizes the elastic waves that travel on the solid surface. Therefore, a piezoelectric substrate is required to have a free surface so as to serve as a propagation medium. This does not allow the SAW device to be covered with plastic mold, which is generally used for packaging semiconductor devices. In order to obtain the free surface, it is necessary to have a hollow portion inside the package. However, the use of the hollow portion in the package may cause a problem in that the SAW device is relatively expensive and large-scaled.
In contrast, in recent years, the boundary wave devices have been studied. The boundary wave devices utilize the elastic wave that travels on the boundary surface between solids, as disclosed in International Publication Number WO 98/51011 (hereinafter referred to as Document 1) and Yamashita et al., "Highly Piezoelectric Boundary Waves in Si/SiO2/LiNbO3 Structure", Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, The 150th Committee of Elastic Surface Wave Device Technique, The 53rd Study Material, Jul. 11, 1997, pp. 19-24 (hereinafter referred to as Document 2). The boundary wave device is an elastic wave device that utilizes the elastic wave traveling on the interface between two solids that are in contact with each other. The elastic wave of the boundary wave device propagates in the vicinity of the boundary of two substrates. Therefore, the boundary wave device has no limitation on the propagation surface. This is different from the SAW device, because the piezoelectric substrate of the SAW device is required to have a free surface. The boundary wave device has an advantage in that the size and cost of the package can be reduced easily, and in addition, the boundary wave device is able to obtain capabilities equivalent to those of the SAW devices.
The elastic boundary wave devices disclosed in Documents 1 and 2 will be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an elastic boundary wave device 900. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A′ shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the elastic boundary wave device 900 includes a first substrate 902 which is a piezoelectric substrate, comb-like electrodes 903 (interdigital transducer, hereinafter referred to as IDT) which are arranged on the first substrate 902, a second substrate 906 which is a silicon(Si)-based substrate. The first substrate 902 and the second substrate 906 are respectively joined to a dielectric film 905 that forms an interposer. The dielectric film 905 covers the IDTs 903 and has a smoothed surface 904. The second substrate 906 is joined to the smoothed surface 904.
As shown in FIG. 1, a piezoelectric substrate made of LiNbO3 is used for the first substrate 902. A silicon substrate is used for the second substrate 906. All of the above-mentioned substrates have negative temperature coefficients of phase velocity (hereinafter referred to as TCV). Document 2 discloses that the SiO2 film having a positive TCV is employed for the dielectric film 905. Document 2 also discloses that the joining interface has a high electromechanical coupling coefficient and there exists boundary waves having zero-temperature characteristics when the interface is defined by an SiO2 film that is interposed between the LiNbO3 substrate and the silicon substrate and has a TCV opposite to those of these substrates.
Document 1 has proposed a manufacturing process of the above-mentioned boundary wave device 900, which will be described, with reference to FIGS. 3A through 3D and 4.
Referring to FIG. 3A, a metal film 903a made of, for example, aluminum (Al) is deposited on a first main surface (herein after referred to as upper surface) of the first substrate 902. This is performed by, for example, sputtering. Next, referring to FIG. 3B, the metal film 903a is processed by etching in order to define multiple IDTs 903, interconnection patterns and terminal patterns (hereinafter referred to as metal patterns), which are connected to the multiple IDTs 903. Referring to FIG. 3C, a dielectric film 905a made of, for example, SiO2 is provided on the surface of the first substrate 902 on which the metal patterns have been arranged. This is performed by, for example, sputtering. Then, referring to FIG. 3D, a dielectric film 905a having a smoothed surface 904 is formed by polishing the surface of the dielectric film 905a.
Next, referring to FIG. 4, surface processing is performed on the smoothed surface 904 and a lower surface of the second substrate 906 respectively to be joined together. This is to hydrate the above-mentioned surfaces with ammonia water, for example. Then, the hydrated smoothed surface 904 and lower surface of the second substrate 906 are brought into contact, and are heated at approximately 300° C. for one to two hours. Thus, OH groups on the respectively joined surfaces form a chemical union, while H2O is liberated, so that the dielectric film 905 and the second substrate 906 can be joined together, although the dielectric film 905 and the second substrate 906 are heterogeneous substrates.
As described above, it is necessary to form a relatively thick dielectric film of approximately 2.4 μm in order to produce the boundary wave device having the zero-temperature characteristic, even in a relatively high frequency range of around 1 GHz. However, in the case where the above-mentioned dielectric film is formed by sputtering, for example, generally, the first substrate 902 may be warped significantly due to internal stress of the dielectric film. Therefore, there is another problem in that joining strength cannot be maintained evenly on the entire joined surfaces of the dielectric film and the second substrate 906.
Besides, when the first substrate 902 and the second substrate 906 are joined together, after hydrating the both surfaces of the dielectric film 905 formed on the first substrate 902 and the second substrate 906, it is necessary to heat the both surfaces at approximately 300° C. for one to two hours. However, in the case where the substrates are joined with the above-mentioned thermal treatment and are cooled down to room temperature, there is yet another problem in that the joined substrates are warped because of the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the first substrate 902 and the second substrate 906. Further, in the case where a process is performed on the above-mentioned warped substrates so as to expose an electrode or the like, there is a further problem in that uniform exposure cannot be achieved with a light exposure process or the like.

Elastic boundary wave device and method of manufacturing the same


An infinitely adjustable position sensor is provided. The position sensor can be used as a head position switch which generates an output indicative of a position of a harvesting head of a harvesting vehicle, or in similar applications with other types of equipment. The sensor includes a body attachment mechanism for coupling the sensor to the body of the vehicle or other equipment, and a head attachment mechanism for coupling the sensor to the feeder house which supports the harvesting head. For adjustment of the sensor, particularly prior to operation, visual feedback is provided by an LED ring in order to inform the operator of the state or position of the sensor.

When using equipment or vehicles such as farming equipment or construction equipment, it is frequently important to know when a particular piece of the equipment is in a desired position relative to some reference point, such as the body of the equipment or vehicle. Conventional position switches or sensors have had a number of disadvantages. For example, they frequently do not provide much flexibility in where the position sensor attaches to the equipment. Also, they do not typically provide any feedback to help the operator adjust the sensor at set-up or installation.
As a specific example, agricultural crop harvesting equipment, such as combines, have a harvesting head which must be lowered while in use, and raised while not in use. Head position sensors or head switches attached to the head provide electrical signals which indicate a position of the head. The head switch signals generated by the head switch on a combine provide an indication of the time and location at which the head is raised or lowered, which can be used as a starting or stopping point for creating a yield map for a field.
One type of conventional head switch utilizes a spring loaded hinge and magnet design to generate the position signal. The hinge with a magnet on it is mounted near a read switch. When the head of the combine is raised, the read switch comes into contact with the magnet. As a result, an electrical signal is generated which is indicative of the position of the head.
Conventional head switches of the type described above have a number of disadvantages. For example, this type of head switch is not particularly rugged and occasionally proves to be unreliable. With the head switch exposed to impact with rain, dust, crops and the like, this lack of ruggedness can be a significant disadvantage. Further, with conventional head switches, it is difficult for the operator of the combine to determine when the head switch is properly adjusted and/or when the head of the combine is in the desired position. Also, these prior art head switches can only be mounted in a limited number of positions between the combine body and the harvesting head.
Consequently, an improved position sensor for use with equipment such as combines which overcomes these and other problems would be highly beneficial.

Infinitely adjustable position sensor with visual confirmation


An override device is presented having a manual control, an inlet gear, and an outlet gear, which are mounted to rotate about the same axis. The inlet gear rotates the outlet gear. The manual control has a cam which, in co-operation with an intermediate part suitable for following the cam, serves to disengage the rotation of the inlet gear under torque exerted on the manual control. The manual control drives the outlet gear. The Inlet gear rotates by having a set of friction disks and spring part suitable for exerting a force to compress the disks against one another. The intermediate part carries at least one pusher-forming element, which at the end of a displacement exerts force opposing that of the spring part and relaxes the friction force on at least some of the disks.

Override devices are already known, in particular for certain hydraulic flight controls and in particular for pitch control surfaces, that enable the pilot to take over from the electric motor which in normal operation actuates the hydraulic circuit of the control.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a control unit comprising a hydraulic control valve 1, an electric motor 2, and an override device 3.
The valve 1 is actuated in normal operation by the electric motor 2, which in turn is controlled by a flight control computer.
The override device 3 enables the pilot to take over from the electric motor 2 and the computer and to impose manual control on the pitch control surface, in particular by acting on control means 4.
FIGS. 2a and 2b are diagrams showing an override device which is presently in use with the pitch control surfaces of certain airplanes.
The device 3 comprises:
an outlet gear 5 which meshes with complementary means of the hydraulic control valve 1;
an inlet gear 6 which lies on the same axis as the gear 5 and which meshes with complementary means of a transmission system driven by the electric motor 2;
an intermediate assembly 7 which is interposed between the two gears 5 and 6 and lies on the same axis; this assembly 7 is rotated by the inlet gear 6; it has a set of fluting 8a which co-operates with complementary fluting 8b on the outlet gear 5 so that in normal operation the inlet gear 6 drives the outlet gear 5 via said intermediate assembly 7; and
a shaft 9 lying on the axis of the gears 5 and 6 and of the intermediate assembly 7; this shaft 9 carries a gear 10 which co-operates with complementary means of a transmission system enabling the actuator means 4 to drive said shaft 9; it also includes a plate 11 having a cam 12 against which there bears a cam follower 13 carried by the intermediate assembly 7; it also includes abutment-forming means represented by a fork 17 in FIGS. 2a and 2b, enabling the shaft 9 to rotate the gear 6 when the pilot acts on the shaft 9.
Particularly when the pilot acts on the shaft 9 via the means 4, the cam follower 13 runs along the cam 12 so that the intermediate assembly 7 is pushed back from the gear 5. The complementary fluting 8a, 8b uncouples. The outlet gear 5 is no longer driven by the electric motor 2. Rotation of said gear 5 is then controlled by the pilot causing abutments represented by the fork 17 to come into abutment, thereby controlling the movement which is imparted to the pitch control surface via the hydraulic system.
Provision is also made for the intermediate assembly to include a set of friction disks 14, with the friction disks being brought into engagement with one another by compression from a helical spring 15 interposed between said assembly 7 and said gear 6 when the cam-follower means 13 move over the cam 12 and the intermediate assembly 7 is pushed back towards the inlet gear 6. These sets of friction disks then enable a certain amount of friction to be maintained between the gears 5 and 6 throughout the time that manual control is being applied, however the gear 6 does not drive the gear 5 unless the pilot releases the force exerted on the inlet shaft 9 via the means 4.
The intermediate assembly also carries pusher means which act on switches I to activate a given signal inside the cockpit when the pilot acts on the manual control means and the intermediate assembly is displaced.
Nevertheless, an override device of the type described above is expensive to make.
An object of the invention is to propose a structure for an override device which is simplified and less expensive to make.
Another object of the invention is to propose a structure for an override device which provides manual control giving the pilot control sensations that are similar to those of a conventional manual control.
Thus, the invention provides an override device, in particular for flight controls, comprising a manual control part, an inlet gear part, and an outlet gear part which are mounted to rotate about the same axis, means being interposed between the inlet gear part and the outlet gear part so that in normal operation the inlet gear part rotates the outlet gear part, the manual control part also carrying a cam which, in co-operation with complementary means of an intermediate part suitable for following said cam, serves to disengage the means interposed between the inlet gear part and the outlet gear part under the effect of torque exerted on the manual control part, the device also having means then enabling the manual control part to drive the outlet gear part.
In the device proposed by the invention the drive means interposed between the inlet gear part and the outlet gear part comprise a set of friction disks and spring means suitable for exerting a force to compress said disks against one another, and the intermediate part suitable for following the cam carries at least one pusher-forming element which, at the end of a displacement of the intermediate part relative to the cam under drive from torque exerted on the manual control part exerts force opposing that of the spring means and relaxes the friction force on at least some of the disks.
Such a device is simplified in structure compared with the structure described with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b: in particular, it does not require parts to be manufactured having drive fluting; the outlet part is driven by the inlet part via the set of friction disks.
Furthermore, the number of parts is smaller.
Such a device is advantageously associated with the various characteristics below taken singly or in any technically feasible combination:
the intermediate part includes abutment-forming means which, at the end of a displacement of the intermediate part relative to the cam under drive from torque exerted on the manual control part, come to bear against at least one complementary surface of the outlet part, the manual control part then driving the intermediate part and the outlet part;
a portion of the friction disks has a bearing zone against which the pusher-forming element comes to bear at the end of a displacement of the intermediate part relative to the cam; in this way, the inlet part always opposes the torque exerted by the pilot on the manual control part by means of a force of opposite sign which is transmitted thereto via the friction disks that remain in engagement, from the pusher-forming element and the intermediate part; this friction is important insofar as it provides the pilot with reaction relative to which the pilot can adjust the force applied;
the other friction disks have a recess passing through them to allow the pusher-forming element to be displaced;
the set of friction disks comprises a plurality of carbon disks alternating with metal disks;
the set of friction disks includes at least five carbon disks;
the pusher-forming element comes to bear against two disks of the set of friction disks;
the intermediate part carries two cam-follower wheels which run on the cam;
the wheels have axles constituting pins suitable for coming to bear against complementary surfaces of the outlet part;
the axles of the wheels constitute pins which are engaged in a cylindrical part slidably mounted in a sheath which extends the manual control part along its axis, said cylindrical part being driven to slide relative to said sheath when the intermediate part moves relative to the cam and constituting a pusher suitable for controlling the switching of at least one switch; and
the device includes a helical spring which is interposed coaxially between the intermediate part and the outlet part and which provides return displacement of the intermediate part relative to the cam when the force on the manual control part is released.

Manual override device, in particular for aircraft flight control


A substrate bears holographic imagery, selected portions of which are covered by non-holographic imagery printed in predetermined geometric registry with the holographic images. Multiple replicas of this interactive graphic work are mass-produced by embossing an array of the holographic imagery into a substrate in roll form, together with eyemarks located periodically along the roll. Using these eyemarks, the roll is optically sheeted and the non-holographic imagery then printed on the holographic substrate.

The present invention relates to graphic works which involve the use of holography, the process of producing such works, and the products resulting therefrom.
It is well known that holography can be used to produce graphic works which provide visual effects that are unusual, in the sense that they cannot readily be created by other image-forming techniques. In particular, graphic works, such as greeting cards, playing, or trading cards, wrapping paper, and a host of other paper or plastic based products have been equipped with holographic images to enhance their visual interest and appeal. This enhancement is thought to stem from the variegated visual impressions which holograms produce when viewed from different perspectives or under different lighting conditions.
It is also known to "combine" holograms with conventional (non-holographic) images on the same over-all graphic work, in the sense that a hologram is created on one portion of the work, while other portions have (non-holographic) printing applied to them. A classic example of this is provided by some credit cards or other kinds of identification cards, on which a hologram appears on a portion of the surface--often for security purposes--while other portions bear conventional printed material.


A photodetector arrangement has a semiconductor body with a substrate, and first, second and third layers. The first layer is located at the first main surface of the semiconductor body which is suited for reception of incident photon radiation which is to be detected. The second layer is located at the second main surface of the semiconductor body which is at a distance to the first main surface. The third layer is located between the substrate and the second layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a photodetector arrangement, a measurement arrangement with a photodetector arrangement, a process for operating a measurement arrangement, and a process for producing a photodetector arrangement.
2. Description of Related Art
Photodetector arrangements are used, for example, to determine the position of the incidence site of a light beam. PN diodes and PIN diodes are conventionally used here. Examples of known position detecting devices can found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,874,939; 4,887,140; and 6,815,790 as well as in International Patent Application Publication WO 84/04960.

Photodetector arrangement, measurement arrangement with a photodetector arrangement and process for operating a measurement arrangement


In a claw-type hammer, a shock-absorbing device is provided which includes an elongate elastic band or cord which captured within grooves of a hickory plug in regions which abut against internal surfaces of a socket into which the plug is press-fit. The plug is dimension and configurated in relation to the socket in the hammer head to provide at least some degrees of freedom of movement of portions of the elastic cord so that the elastic portions can vibrate or oscillate substantially independently of the natural oscillatory vibrations of the hammer head caused by impact. The tendency of the elastic cords is to at least to partially cancel or neutralize and, therefore, dampen the natural vibrations of the hammer head.

This invention relates to portable impact tools, and, more particularly, to a hammer construction which includes a vibration damping device.
The invention is specifically concerned with a forged carpenter's claw hammer of the so-called "indestructible" type wherein the striking head is formed integrally with a steel shank, the latter constituting a part of the hammer handle.
An indestructible hammer offers a few advantages over a conventional claw hammer of the hickory handle type, but is also possessed of numerous limitations. The advantages which make it popular are increased strength and a permanent union between the hammer head and the shank. In the case of a wooden handle type claw hammer having an impact head for nail-driving purposes and integral claws for nail-pulling or removing purposes, the hammer will ordinarily withstand even the roughest usage when put to the use for which it is intended. However, when it is put to unintended uses, as, for example, wrecking, will frequently be subject to handle breakage or looseness in the joint between the handle and the impact head. This is particularly true after the wooden handle has dried out, as it invariably will, in time. Such is not the case with an indestructible claw hammer having an integral steel shank. These factors are the reasons why such a hammer has met with appreciable success on the market.
On the other hand, indestructible hammers are possessed of numerous limitations, principal among which are: (1) lack of resiliency which renders it awkward in the hand of an experienced carpenter or workman, and (2) the tendency for impact to set up undesired vibrations.
Initially, indestructible type hammers were invariably in the form of a solid steel unit comprising a head, a pair of claws, and a shank. With such a hammer, the force of the impact is carried directly from the head into the shank where it is felt by the hand of the user. At the same time, a secondary and slightly out-of-phase impact is applied to the hand of the user by reason of the initial shock traveling across the head and into the claws which are caused to vibrate and send a secondary impact back into the shank following closely the initial and somewhat stronger impact force. Thus, the solid steel construction of an indestructible claw hammer does not afford significant shock-absorbing resiliency.
Such vibratory effects are not only annoying to the user of the hammer, but they weaken the hammer structurally so that, in time, cleavage or fracture takes place, usually in the vicinity of one or both of the claws. Cleavage has been known to take place directly across the base of a claw, not at a time when the claw is put to use in extracting a nail, but at a time when the claw portion of the hammer is not in use, the cleavage being complete and in the form of a clean fracture across the claw with the claw falling off or separating from the impact head.
In an effort to minimize such undesired vibrations, it is known to redistribute the metal of the impact head by forming therein a relatively deep rectangular socket, the socket extending crosswise of the head and in axial alignment with the shank and serving, in a measure, to divide the impact nose of the hammer head from the claw portion. The four side walls of the socket are relatively thin and much of the shock of impact is dissipated in these side walls. Furthermore, the socket is filled with a vibration dampening substance which further inhibits claw vibration. Such a hammer constitutes the subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,969, granted on May 5, 1959 to Clarence M. Lay and entitled "Hammer Construction With Shock Absorbing Means." Reference to this patent reveals the fact that the provision of such a socket in the head of an indestructible type hammer affords advantages other than that of its vibration damping effect which are not, however, particularly relevant to the present invention which is concerned primarily with vibration damping.
A carpenter's claw hammer with vibration damping means is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,724 to Howard A. Vaughan. In order to attain a desired vibration damping effect, the disclosed hammer places ribs on the hammer head, the vibration damping ribs being provided on the inside surface of each claw and running from the base of the claw well into the medial region thereof. While such ribs may have an incidental function of strengthening or rigidifying the claws, they primarily function to inhibit claw vibration. The rectangular sockets in the medial body portion of the hammer is described as being preferably filled with a vibration damping substance, such as a suitable thermoplastic or thermosetting resin or, alternatively, may be filled with a wooden plug.
Rubber sleeves are interposed between the hammer shank and the head in U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,331 to John J. Curry for a handle connection for percussive tool. The resilient sleeve is provided to isolate the handle from vibrations set up in the tool during impact.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,067,751 to Raymond E. Beegle for a securing means for tool handles and U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,349 to Charles Saylor for a tool handle connection with damp resilient bond, one or more layers or washers of a rubber-like material are provided between the head member and the handle portion to provide deformable shock-absorbent elements for damping vibrations of a head member so as to preclude production of destructive stresses therein.
While the foregoing hammer designs incorporate elements for damping or lessening vibrations following impact, the resilient elements normally interface between the hammer head and the handle. This, of course, means that all of the forces are transmitted through these resilient elements and, in time, these elements may deteriorate, losing their effectiveness and may create a hazardous joint between the handle and the hammer head. In the Vaughan Pat. No. 3,208,724, special ribs are used, and the resins or wooden plug filling the socket in the head become substantially integral with the head and form a single resonant system.


A refrigeration system comprises an evaporator having an inlet and an outlet, a condenser, a compressor that is located between the evaporator and the condenser and that provides suction pressure at the evaporator outlet, an expansion valve that is connected to the evaporator inlet and that is operable to regulate a flow of refrigerant into the evaporator, a pressure regulator that is connected to the evaporator outlet and that is operable to limit the suction pressure to a regulated value, and a controller that coordinates operation of the pressure regulator with operation of the expansion valve.

Refrigeration systems are used to cool an enclosed area, such as a house or a food storage case, by removing heat from the air in the enclosed area and releasing the heat outside the enclosed area. In a typical refrigeration system, a highly-pressurized liquid refrigerant, such as freon, is introduced into a low-pressure environment in the enclosed area and allowed to evaporate, or "boil," thereby drawing heat from the enclosed area. The superheated vapor is then compressed and condensed outside the refrigerated area, releasing the heat removed from the refrigerated area.
FIG. 1 shows a typical refrigeration system 10 used to cool a food storage case 12. Highly pressurized liquid refrigerant is released from a receiver vessel 14 into a pipe 16, or it may bypass the receiver vessel 14 through a bypass line 15. A valve 18, such as an expansion valve, provides an orifice in the pipe 16 that opens and closes to restrict the flow of liquid refrigerant, creating a high pressure region between the valve 18 and the receiver vessel 14. As the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve 18, it encounters lower pressure in the evaporator coil 22 and begins to evaporate. Because evaporation is an endothermic process, the refrigerant pulls heat from the surroundings of the evaporator coil 22 (i.e., the food display case) as it evaporates. A compressor system 20 provides suction pressure at the coil outlet that, when properly controlled, helps ensure that the last bit of liquid refrigerant evaporates just before it leaves the evaporator coil 22 (i.e., that the entire coil 22 is used to remove heat from the case 12). The compressor system 20 then pressurizes the vaporous refrigerant and discharges it to a condenser coil 28, where the refrigerant condenses. Because condensation is an exothermic process, the refrigerant releases the heat removed from the food storage case 12 as the refrigerant returns to the liquid state.
In general, a refrigeration system designer strives to accomplish several important goals, including the following. First, the system should maintain the temperature of the refrigerated area at a substantially constant level. Second, the system should use the entire length of the evaporator coil to boil refrigerant (i.e., maximize coil efficiency) and, at the same time, to ensure that no liquid refrigerant enters the compressor system. Third, the system should maintain suction pressure at the highest possible level.
In the system 10 of FIG. 1, the expansion valve 18 attempts to maximize the efficiency of the evaporator coil 22 by maintaining a predetermined temperature difference across the coil 22. The valve 18 measures coil temperature (or inlet pressure) at the coil inlet 22a, and a temperature transducer 24 measures coil temperature at the coil outlet 22b. If the temperature difference across the coil 22 is too high, all of the refrigerant is evaporating before it reaches the end of the coil 22, and thus the coil 22 is not operating efficiently. If the temperature difference is too low, liquid refrigerant is escaping the coil 22, thereby wasting refrigeration potential, and possibly entering the compressor 20. The system 10 attempts to stabilize the temperature difference across the coil 22 by increasing or decreasing the duty cycle of the valve 18 to accordingly adjust the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator 22. When the refrigerant is boiling too rapidly, the expansion valve's duty cycle is increased to allow more refrigerant to enter the coil 22; and when liquid refrigerant is escaping the coil 22, the duty cycle of the expansion valve 18 is reduced to reduce the flow of refrigerant into the coil 22. The valve 18 may be a spring-loaded valve, a mechanical expansion valve, or an electronic expansion valve, all of which are known in the art and are not described in detail here.
Suction pressure, and therefore evaporator temperature and case temperature, are controlled by the compressor system 20. When the case temperature deviates from a predetermined value, the compressor system 20 may increase or decrease suction pressure to alter the amount of refrigerant that evaporates, and thus the amount of heat removed, in the evaporator coil 22. Because the compressor system 20 must expend energy to pressurize the refrigerant flowing into the condenser coil 28, the compressor system 20 should maintain the highest possible suction pressure. As suction pressure falls, the compressor system 20 must work harder to maintain discharge pressure to the condenser coil 28, and as suction pressure rises, the compressor system 20 may reduce its work and still maintain discharge pressure. The compressor system 20 also affects case temperature by cutting on and off at appropriate times. The compressor system 20 is controlled by a controller 26 that receives as input the case temperature and the output of a suction pressure transducer 29.
The compressor system may service several food storage cases and thus several evaporator coils. In this situation, each evaporator coil requires a separate expansion valve, but all coils are subject to the same suction pressure. Furthermore, the compressor may be replaced by a group of compressors which are operated in tandem to enhance the refrigeration system.

Electronic control of refrigeration systems


Apparatus for measuring polarization mode dispersion (PMD) of a device, e.g. a waveguide, comprises a broadband light source (10,12) for passing polarized broadband light through the device (14), an interferometer (20) for dividing and recombining light that has passed through the device to form interferograms, a polarization separator (30) for receiving the light from the interferometer and separating such received light along first and second orthogonal Feb. 25, 2003 Feb. 25, 2003 polarization states, detectors (32x,32y) for converting the first and second orthogonal polarization states, respectively, into corresponding first and second electrical signals (Px(τ),Py(τ)), and a processor (36) for computing the modulus of the difference and such, respectively, of the first and second electrical signals to produce a cross-correlation envelope (EC(τ)) and an auto-correlation envelope (Ec(τ)), and determining the polarization mode dispersion according to the expression PMD=where and τ is the delay difference between the paths of the interferometer.

It is well known that PMD may be measured by injecting wideband linearly polarized light into the waveguide, passing the light leaving the waveguide through a linear polarizer and then sending it to a scanning interferometer, recombining the light from the two arms of the interferometer to produce interferograms, converting the recombined light intensity, I, into a corresponding electrical signal and processing the electrical signal to extract the PMD from a curve, I(τ), of intensity I against the path delay difference τ between the two arms of the interferometer (referred to hereinafter as delay τ).
As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,704 (Martin et al.), the curve I(τ) exhibits a high central peak, with smaller fluctuations that can be seen on either side. (Similar fluctuations at the centre are masked by the central peak.) The central peak is representative of the light spectrum at the output of the waveguide (before the linear polarizer) while the fluctuations represent the PMD. According to Martin et al., this peak "hinders the processing of the detected signal, thereby constituting an obstacle to the accurate measurement of the PMD".
Martin et al. discussed a previously-disclosed technique which removed the central peak by passing the light by way of a first polarizer at 45° to an interferometer having a polarizer at 0° in one arm and a polarizer at 90° in its other arm, and passing the recombined light through an analyzer (analysis polarizer) at 0°. Having identified complex construction and the use of the analyzer as unsatisfactory, Martin et al. sought to provide a simpler way of removing the central peak. In particular, Martin et al. provided at least one birefringent element having two independent modes of polarization in at least one of the arms of the interferometer, the algebraic sum of the elementary phase shifts in the two arms being equal to a relative phase shift and the algebraic difference between the two relative phase shifts having a value of π. According to Martin et al., this allows the curve of intensity I against delay τ to be obtained without the "parasitic" central peak.
Neither of these approaches is entirely satisfactory, however, because they are predicated upon removal of the "parasitic" central peak on the grounds that it detracts from the measurement of PMD, so that simple removal of the central peak should significantly improve measurement accuracy. This is only true in part. In fact, removing the central peak means that useful information is discarded, as a result of which very small PMDs, tending towards zero, cannot be measured accurately. In practice, improvement of measurement accuracy is marginal.

Method and apparatus for measuring polarization mode dispersion


Arrangement of capacitors which, without taking up an additional area in the semiconductor substrate, have an increased capacitance compared with conventional capacitors in DRAM memory cells. The arrangement of capacitors according to the invention is based on a combination of two or more separately arranged individual capacitors in or on a substrate to form two or more capacitors arranged one in the other or one above the other. In this case, an outer capacitor encloses at least one or a plurality of inner. capacitors or a substantial part of an upper capacitor lies above a lower capacitor. A method for fabricating the arrangement of capacitors also is described.

DRAM (dynamic random access memory) modules are fabricated in increasingly large volumes, for a wide variety of computer applications. As computer processing capabilities continue to improve, recent generation DRAM modules are required to have an ever-increasing storage density, to thereby achieve smaller dimensions while containing a larger number of memory cells for storing data. This results in a need to further reduce the cell size of individual memory cells, comprised of a storage capacitance and a selection transistor. Depending upon the arrangement of the storage capacitance, e.g., in the silicon substrate or below the transistors used for driving purposes or above the substrate surface or above the transistors, a distinction is made between memory cells of a "trench capacitor" type and of a "stacked capacitor" type.
In the case of a memory cell of the "trench capacitor" type, a trench is formed in a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate, with a capacitor being introduced into the trench step-by-step. By means of outdiffusion, for example, a doped region is first formed in regions of the semiconductor substrate that adjoin the trench wall. The regions form a first outer electrode in the completed capacitor. A thin layer of a dielectric, such as a nitride/oxide layer, is then deposited along the trench wall. A second, inner electrode may subsequently be formed as a counterelectrode by deposition of highly doped polycrystalline silicon in the remaining cavity of the trench. Afterward, in the region of the semiconductor substrate near the surface and above the capacitor, a transistor and associated interconnects are produced, which can be used to control the charge state of the capacitor.
In a memory cell of the "stacked capacitor" type, the control electronics, including a selection transistor and interconnects for driving the memory cell, are first constructed in or on a monocrystalline semiconductor substrate. Afterward, a dielectric layer may be applied, such as on the semiconductor substrate surface, having a thickness that corresponds at least to the extent of the capacitor in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A cavity in the form of a trench is then introduced into said dielectric layer, said cavity reaching as far as the previously constructed control electronics or the corresponding connections. In a manner comparable with the fabrication of a trench capacitor, a capacitor is subsequently constructed by step-by-step deposition of outer electrode, dielectric and inner electrode in the cavity.
The fabrication of a stacked capacitor as explained here is to be regarded only as by way of example. There are a multiplicity of different concepts for a stacked capacitor, which, however, are based on common features. The transistor controlling the charge state of the stacked capacitor is arranged below the stacked capacitor, in contrast to the trench capacitor. Both trench capacitor and stacked capacitor thus follows similar principles in terms of their construction. Both use an extent perpendicular to the surface of the semiconductor substrate and achieve an enlargement of the electrode area by virtue of the capacitor being as it were "folded".
Reducing the cell size leads to capacitors having a smaller cross section, for which reason the area of the electrodes also decreases, which ultimately leads to capacitors having a lower electrical capacitance. In order to compensate for the loss of capacitance, it is necessary to increase the capacitance again in a different way by means of complicated new process techniques. Examples thereof are capacitors with a higher doping of the electrodes in order to reduce the charge carrier depletion or the use of dielectrics having a high dielectric constant. The surfaces of the electrodes can be enlarged, for example, by applying additional structures (HSG, hemispherical grains) on the trench wall.
A further possibility for increasing the capacitance consists, in the case of trench capacitors, in enlarging the surface of the trench by means of a bottle-like extension in a lower section of the trench. The trench thus extends in the depth of the semiconductor substrate also partially into regions of the semiconductor substrate which are located below a selection transistor formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
Stacked capacitors manifest in principle the same difficulties when reducing the cross section of the capacitor. In this case, too, the electrode area and thus the capacitance of the capacitor decrease as the cross section decreases.
Given feature sizes of less than a hundred nanometers, the capacitance of the capacitors which are currently used in commercial microchips, for a predetermined cross section, can be increased by the abovementioned methods only by a value which is typically below 50%. In order to satisfy the requirements made of future chip generations, however, a far greater increase in the capacitance is necessary, or, to put it another way, a capacitance remaining approximately the same per memory cell has to be made available as the feature size of the capacitors which are integrated in a microchip decreases.

Capacitor arrangement with capacitors arranged one in the other