A multi-stream transmission method and device are provided for transmitting N data streams allocated to K different users. The method is implemented by a transmitter for a multi-user MIMO system having NT transmit antennas and

The multi-antenna digital communications systems that are commonly referred to as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems cover all systems having a plurality of antennas on transmission and generally a plurality of antennas on reception. A MIMO system with a single receive antenna is also known as a multiple-input single-output (MISO) system.
These systems satisfy the ever-increasing demand for a variety of telecommunications services at rates that are ever greater than existing offers. It has been proved that the capacity of MIMO channels increases in proportion to the minimum number of transmit and receive antennas.
An example of such a system is shown in the diagram of FIG. 1. The system comprises a base station with NT transmit antennas (Tx) and K mobile stations (mobiles) with NRk receive antennas (Rx) for user k associated with mobile k. The transmission channel for user k is modeled by a matrix Hk of size NRk×NT that represents the impact of the transmission channel between the transmit antennas and the receive antennas. Each component of the matrix is a random variable of zero mean and of variance that is considered to be equal to 1.
The disclosure lies in the context of one channel per user with slow Rayleigh fading and total independence between the various channels of the various users. The context of one channel per user with slow Rayleigh fading and total independence between the various channels of the various users typically corresponds to propagation in urban surroundings, i.e. with multiple paths.
The disclosure lies in a context of "broadcasting", in the information theory meaning, i.e. in a context of transmitting different streams for different users from a transmitter. In addition, the transmitter has perfect knowledge of the transmission channel. This implies a perfect estimate of all of the components of the matrices Hk for all of the users, since the channel is a broadcast channel and the transmission channel does not vary between the moment when the channel is estimated on reception and the moment when said estimate is used on transmission.
In a multi-stream multi-user MIMO system, the streams of the various users are transmitted simultaneously from the base station to the receivers of the users, knowing that a plurality of streams may be transmitted to a single user at any given instant, but that at some other given instant the same user may receive only one stream or no stream at all.
The maximum number of streams per user is Qk=min(NRk,NT) and the total number of streams that can be transmitted simultaneously by the MIMO system at any instant cannot exceed the maximum number Q of streams that can be served by the system:
  Q  =      min              (                                    ∑                          k              =              1                        K                                          N                          R              k                                      ,                  N          T                    )
In a multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) system, precoders constitute a basic building block defining the performance of the communications system. Precoders serve to separate the streams of the various users in order to minimize inter-user interference on reception and consequently improve the data rate conveyed. The performance of such a system is determined by the quantity of data streams that it can serve to the various users, with this being referred to as the sum rate (SR).
The maximum total data rate SR that can be conveyed by a MIMO system to all of the users is defined in information theory as the "ergodic" capacity of the system.
Optimizing the sum rate is based on combined optimization of the transmitter and of the receiver in order to find the combination that minimizes mean square error (MSE). It is not sufficient to concentrate on optimizing the precoder while ignoring what happens on reception, and vice versa, optimizing the receiver on its own is not sufficient for extracting the maximum SR. Furthermore, in a MIMO system with multiple receive antennas, a plurality of data streams can be transmitted to a single user. This increases the difficulty of determining the best way of allocating the streams to the users and the respective powers to allocate to them.
Known techniques for multi-user MIMO systems are based on criteria such as minimum mean square error (MMSE) and signal to leakage-and-noise ratio (SLNR) that enable the system to be optimized.
Theoretical work has shown that the capacity of a MU-MIMO broadcast channel can be achieved with the help of a so-called "dirty paper coding" (DPC) [3, 4] algorithm. Nevertheless, in spite of great advantage in computers, DPC precoding remains an algorithm that is very difficult to put into place because of the computation power required.
Thus, sub-optimal solutions of linear precoders with little complexity have been used.
A first category of linear precoders implements so-called "non-iterative linear" algorithms that are also known as direct or closed form (CF) algorithms, e.g. as described in [1, 6, 7]. For each stream, those algorithms determine a pair of vectors: a transmit vector and a receive vector. The vector pairs relating to all of the users are calculated by the base station. The base station informs the users about their receive vectors, typically by using a signaling channel. The base station transmits the information of each stream while using the corresponding transmit vector. All of the streams are transmitted simultaneously. On reception, each receiver associated with a user makes use of the receive vector that has been communicated thereto by the base station in order to combine the signals received over the various antennas and in order to extract the samples corresponding to the user's stream.
A second category of linear precoders implements iterative algorithms, certain implementations of which are described in [2, 5, 8].
[8] describes an iterative precoder based on a weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE). By considering a matrix W of weights for the various streams of all of the users (in other words W={W1, . . . , WK}) and the set of receivers D=diag{D1, . . . , DK} used by the various users, the corresponding WMMSE precoder is given by:
                    T        =                              diag                                      {                                                T                  1                                ,                …                                                                                ,                                  T                  K                                            }                                =                                                    β                                                  (                                                                                H                        H                                                                                D                        H                                                                  W                                                                                D                                                                                H                                        +                                                                                tr                                                                                (                                                          W                                                                                D                                                                                D                                H                                                                                )                                                                                P                          T                                                                                I                                                  N                          T                                                                                )                                                            -                1                                                                H              H                                                  D              H                                    W                                              (        1.1        )
Thus the precoder corresponding to user k is given by:
      T    k    =                    β                          (                                                    ∑                                  j                  =                  1                                K                                                                            H                  j                  H                                                                  D                  j                  H                                                                  W                  j                                                                  D                  j                                                                  H                  j                                                      +                                          1                                  P                  T                                                          tr                                                                                (                                                      W                    j                                                                          D                    j                                                                          D                    j                    H                                                  )                                                          I                                  N                  T                                                              )                            -        1                        H      k      H                  D      k      H                  W      k      where β is a scalar factor in order to satisfy the power constraint:
            ∑              j        =        1            K                  tr                    (                              T            i                                          T            i            H                          )              =      P    T
That precoder depends on the weights W allocated to the various streams and on the decoders Dk, kε{1, . . . , K} for the users, which means that it is necessary to use an iterative method in order to optimize them.
Optimization therefore requires the receivers to be defined. Among the various types of receiver in existence, [8] proposes a minimum mean square error (MMSE) receiver. The analytic expression for the MMSE is as follows:
                              D          k                =                              T            k            H                                                                        H                k                H                                                          (                                                                            H                      k                                                                                T                      k                                                                                T                      k                      H                                                                                H                      k                      H                                                        +                                      I                                          N                                              R                        k                                                                              +                                                            ∑                                                                        i                          =                          1                                                ,                                                  i                          ≠                          k                                                                    K                                                                                H                        k                                                                                T                        i                                                                                T                        i                        H                                                                                H                        k                        H                                                                                )                                                    -              1                                                          (        1.3        )
Thereafter, it is necessary to define the weights to be given to each of the streams. This distribution must be inversely proportional to the MSE. It is determined by equation (1.4) as being the inverse of the MSE error matrix calculated for each user:
                              W          k                =                  (                                    I              k                        +                                          T                k                H                                                                                H                    k                    H                                                                          (                                                                  I                                                  N                                                      R                            k                                                                                +                                                                        ∑                                                                                i                              =                              1                                                        ,                                                          i                              ≠                              k                                                                                K                                                                                H                            k                                                                                T                            i                                                                                T                            i                            H                                                                                H                            k                            H                                                                                )                                                                    -                  1                                                                          H                k                                                          T                k                                              )                                    (        1.4        )
The method described in [8] is as follows:
1. Initialize the precoders Tk, kε{1, . . . , K}.
2. Use equation (1.3) to calculate the MMSE decoders corresponding to the precoders Tk for each user.
3. Calculate a new distribution of weights minimizing the MSE given by equation (1.4).
4. Recalculate the new precoders in application of equation (1.1).
5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 to convergence.
In order to analyze the performance of the system as obtained in this way, reliance is placed on the value of the sum rate of the system which is the sum of the SRs offered to the various users:
                    SR        =                              ∑                          k              =              1                        K                                                        log              2                                                  (                              I                +                                                                            H                      k                                                                                T                      k                                                                                T                      k                      H                                                                                H                      k                      H                                                                                Γ                      k                                        +                                                                  N                        0                                                                  I                                                                                )                                                          (        1.5        )            In which the term:
      Γ    k    =            H      k                          ∑                              j            =            1                    ,                      j            ≠            k                          K                                    T          j                                  T          j          H                                  H          k          H                    represents the interference generated by the other users and picked up by the user k.
This method presents saturation with a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with the slope of the curve varying as shown in FIGS. 5a-5c. This problem of saturation is in addition to a problem of convergence that is known for simple iterative solutions.
Equation (1.1) for calculating the precoder is a direct function of the decoders used by the various users. As a result, the decoders that are selected have a direct impact on the performance of the system obtained using [8], but there does not exist a decoder that makes it possible to obtain improvements for all SNRs.
One solution consists in applying a plurality of algorithms with different decoders and selecting the best, but that has the drawback of hugely increasing complexity and consumption of computation resources, while still not guaranteeing that the best performance will be obtained.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Double-iterative method of transmitting multiple streams per user in a multi-user MIMO system, and a corresponding transmitter, computer program product, and data medium

Abstract: ∑          k      =      1        K                    N          R      k      receive antennas associated with K receivers respectively associated with the K users. The method includes: performing a succession of two different iterative algorithms for calculating K precoding matrices of a linear precoder and K decoding matrices of a receiver, the receiver being of the normalized MF type with a Frobenius norm for the first algorithm, and the second iterative algorithm being initialized by a value output by the first iterative algorithm; and before each calculation of precoding matrices, calculating weights for weighting all of the streams.


An energy absorption (EA) pad mountable on a vehicle door interior trim panel provides controlled collapse under side impact collision forces to minimize contact between the door and a vehicle passenger. The EA pad is in the form of a hollow body having an endwall, a sidewall, and an open end. A flange extends laterally from the open end. One or more slots and one or more ribs can be formed in the sidewall or the endwall of varying height, numbers, spacing, thickness, and shapes to provide the controlled collapse of the EA pad. A restraining rib structure is formed on the door trim panel adjacent to a least one side of the EA pad. In another aspect, a door trim panel includes the EA pad.

The present disclosure relates, in general, to vehicle doors and, particularly, to vehicle doors with energy absorption characteristics to absorb affect energy during a side impact collision.
Automotive vehicles are currently designed with energy absorbing structure to absorb impact energy during a vehicle collision to prevent significant intrusion of the vehicle sheet metal into the interior of the passenger cabin.
One such energy absorption device is a polyurethane foam energy absorption pad, shown in FIG. 1, which is mounted on the interior door trim panel at a position in line with a passenger's hip in a vehicle seat. The pad absorbs impact energy during a side impact collision so as to minimize forced contact between the passenger's hip and the vehicle door.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


An aesthetically pleasing folding utility rack suitable for carrying elongated or oversized objects in the extended position comprises a horizontal rail or plate, a forward transverse rack member fixed to the horizontal rail, a moveable rear transverse rack member and a pivotal connection means which connects the rear transverse rack member to the horizontal rail and allows the rear transverse rack member to be moved quickly and easily from an open extended position to a closed position. In the closed position the rack has the general appearance of a roll bar.

Pickup trucks have long been used as work vehicles by tradesmen, such trucks generally being characterized by a cab and a rearward cargo area, called the bed, surrounded by three side walls and a rearward tailgate. The pickup truck is also becoming very popular as a sport vehicle, particularly the smaller size trucks which are primarily meant to be stylish, and only occasionally are actually used to carry substantial loads. Many pickup trucks are dual-use, serving both as a sport and a work vehicle.
Utility racks are commonly installed over the bed of pickup trucks to enable the truck to carry and transport articles which do not fit in, or cannot be secured to, the bed of the truck. Such articles include tools and equipment for tradesmen such as ladders, pipe, lumber, and steel, as well as articles and objects used by sportsmen such as boats and canoes. Such racks allow the articles to be carried above, and extend over, the cab of the pickup truck without risk of damage to the articles or the truck.
Generally such utility racks installed on pickup trucks and similar vehicles are of rigid steel construction and comprise at least four vertical support members which attach in some fashion to the bed of the truck at or near the corners. Attached to the vertical support members at a height above the cab of the truck are a plurality of horizontal support members, with at least two such horizontal members located transversely across the bed of the truck. Examples of such racks are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,787 to Knaack, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,020 to Brown et al. While such racks are functional for their intended purposes, they are generally heavy, difficult to remove, and prohibit access to the bed for objects, such as refrigerators, which are too tall to fit under the horizontal support members. Such racks also detract from the appearance of pickup trucks, particularly small or stylish trucks which are primarily used for sport, and only occassionally have a need to carry oversized objects. Collapsible and folding racks are known in the art as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,131 to Flourney, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,628 to Halberg. The rack taught by Flourney allows for collapsing the rack to gain access to the truck bed, but it is still a rather complicated construction, with many moving parts, and is unsightly both in the full open and collapsed positions. The Halberg invention, while approaching the simplicity and functionality desired for sport and dual-use trucks, is still rather cumbersome, generally requiring cables which are prone to stretching and kinking, and become ungainly and a snag-hazard in the closed position. The Halberg invention also occupies valuable cargo space in the bed of pickup trucks and the like.
There is a continuing unaddressed need for a simple, easy to use folding utility rack which is aesthetically pleasing when not in use, and allows for unrestricted access to the area of the bed of vehicles such as pickup trucks and the like.


Frame dissimilarity measure (FDM) values are generated for pairs of frames in a video sequence that are separated by a specified timing window size, where each FDM value is the ratio of a net dissimilarity measure and a cumulative dissimilarity measure. In one embodiment, a first threshold condition is applied to identify peaks in the FDM data that could correspond to transitions between shots in a video sequence. A second threshold condition is applied to the FDM data adjacent to the detected peaks to identify frames at the start and end of the transition. The first threshold condition determines whether the FDM values exceed a first specified threshold level, while the second threshold condition determines whether the FDM values fall below a second specified threshold level. The net and cumulative dissimilarity measures may be based on histograms for the two frames. The present invention is effective in detecting gradual transitions between shots, such as wipes, dissolves, and fades, as well as abrupt transitions, such as cuts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video processing, and, in particular, to the detection of transitions, such as cuts, wipes, and dissolves, in sequences of digital video images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Images, or frames, in a digital video sequence are typically represented by arrays of picture elements or pixels, where each pixel is represented by one or more different components. For example, in a monochrome gray-scale image, each pixel is represented by a component whose value corresponds to the intensity of the pixel. In an RGB color format, each pixel is represented by a red component, a green component, and a blue component. Similarly, in a YUV color format, each pixel is represented by an intensity (or luminance) component Y and two color (or chrominance) components U and V. In 24-bit versions of these color formats, each pixel component is represented by an 8-bit value.
A typical video sequence is made up of sets of consecutive frames called shots, where the frames of a given shot correspond to the same basic scene. A shot is an unbroken sequence of frames from one camera. There is currently considerable interest in the parsing of digital video into its constituent shots. This is driven by the rapidly increasing availability of video material, and the need to create indexes for video databases. Parsing is also useful for video editing and compression.
One way to distinguish different shots in a digital video sequence is to analyze histograms corresponding to the video frames. A frame histogram is a representation of the distribution of component values for a frame of video data. For example, a 32-bin histogram may be generated for the 8-bit Y components of a video frame represented in a 24-bit YUV color format, where the first bin indicates how many pixels in the frame have Y values between 0 and 7 inclusive, the second bin indicates how many pixels have Y values between 8 and 15 inclusive, and so on until the thirty-second bin indicates how many pixels have Y values between 248 and 255 inclusive.
Multi-dimensional histograms can also be generated based on combinations of bits from different components. For example, a three-dimensional (3D) histogram can be generated for YUV data using the 4 most significant bits (MSBs) of the Y components and the 3 MSBs of the U and V components, where each bin in the 3D histogram corresponds to the number of pixels in the frame having the same 4 MSBs of Y, the same 3 MSBs of U, and the same 3 MSBs of V.
One general characteristic of video sequences is that, for certain typos of histograms, the histograms for frames within a given shot are typically more similar than the histograms for frames in shots corresponding to different scenes. As such, one way to parse digital video into its constituent shots is to look for the transitions between shots by comparing histograms generated for the frames in the video sequence. In general, frames with similar histograms are more likely to correspond to the same scene than frames with dissimilar histograms.
The difference between two histograms can be represented mathematically using metrics called dissimilarity measures. One possible dissimilarity measure D.sub.abs (m,n) corresponds to the sum of the absolute values of the differences between corresponding histogram bin values for two frames m and n, which can be represented by Equation (1) as follows: EQU D.sub.abs (m,n).tbd..SIGMA..sub.i .vertline.hd.sub.i (m)-h.sub.i (n).vertline. (1)
where h.sub.i (m) is the i.sup.th bin value of the histogram corresponding to frame m and h.sub.i (n) is the i.sup.h bin value of the histogram corresponding to frame n. Another possible dissimilarity measure D.sub.sq (m,n) corresponds to the sum of the squares of the differences between corresponding histogram bin values, which can be represented by Equation (2) as follows: EQU D.sub.sq (m,n).tbd..SIGMA..sub.i .vertline.h.sub.i (m)-h.sub.i (n).vertline..sup.2 (2)
Each of these dissimilarity measures provides a numerical representation of the difference, or dissimilarity, between two frames.
A cut is an abrupt transition between two consecutive shots, in which the last frame of the first shot is followed immediately by the first frame of the second shot. Such abrupt transitions can be detected with good reliability by analyzing histogram differences between each pair of consecutive frames in the video sequence, and identifying those pairs of consecutive frames whose histogram differences exceed a specified (and typically empirically generated) threshold as corresponding to cuts in the video sequence.
Unlike cuts, gradual transitions in video sequences, such as dissolves, fades, and wipes, cannot be detected with adequate reliability using histogram differences based on consecutive frames. A dissolve is a transition between two shots in which the pixel values of the second shot steadily replace the pixel values of the first shot over a number of transition frames, where the individual pixels of the transition frames are generated by blending corresponding pixels from the two different shots. A blended pixel p.sub.b may be defined by Equation (3) as follows: EQU P.sub.b .tbd.(1-f)*p.sub.1 +f*p.sub.2 .ltoreq.f.ltoreq.1, (3)
where p.sub.1 is the corresponding pixel from the first shot, p.sub.2 is the corresponding pixel from the second shot, and f is the blending fraction. As a dissolve progresses from one transition frame to the next, the blending fraction f is increased. As such, the influence of the pixels from the first shot in the blending process gets smaller, while the influence of the pixels from the second shot gets greater, until, at the end of the transition, each pixel corresponds entirely to a pixel from the second shot.
A fade is a transition in which the pixels of a shot are gradually changed over a number of transition frames until the image is all one color. For example, in a fade to black, the intensities or luminances of the pixels are steadily decreased until the image is all black. A fade can be viewed as a particular type of dissolve in which the second shot corresponds to a solid color.
A wipe is a transition between two shots in which the pixels of the second shot steadily replace the pixels of the first shot over a number of transition frames, where the individual pixels of the transition frames are generated by selecting pixel values from either the first shot or the second shot. As a wipe progresses from one transition frame to the next, the number of pixel values selected from the first shot decreases, while the number of pixel values from the second shot increases, until, at the end of the transition, all of the pixels are from the second shot.
In gradual transitions, such as dissolves, fades, and wipes, the histogram differences between consecutive transition frames, as measured by dissimilarity measures such as those defined in Equations (1) and (2), might not be significantly different from the histogram differences between consecutive frames within a given shot. As such, using histogram differences based on consecutive frames will not provide a reliable measure for detecting gradual transitions in video sequences.
To detect gradual transitions, Zhang, et al., "Automatic partitioning of full-motion video," Multimedia Systems, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 10-28 (1993), introduce a twin-comparison method that has two thresholds. This method first evaluates the dissimilarity between adjacent frames and uses the lower of the two thresholds to indicate the potential starting frame s of a gradual transition. It then evaluates D(s,s+k) for each frame s+k for which D(s+k-1,s+k) exceeds this lower threshold. A gradual transition is identified when D(s,s+k) exceeds the higher of the two thresholds (i.e., similar to one used for an abrupt transition). Despite some refinements to allow for variations between adjacent frames, this method is confounded by motion. Camera motion can be identified by motion analysis, but the impact of object motion is much more difficult.
Yeo, et al., "Rapid Scene Analysis on Compressed Video," IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Vol. 5, No. 6, pp. 533-544 (1995) detect transitions by evaluating D(n-w,n) for all n, where the fixed timing window w is selected to be significantly larger than the number of frames in a transition. This method is resistant to motion, but requires some knowledge of expected transition lengths.
Shahraray, "Scene change detection and content-based sampling of video sequences," Digital Video Compression: Algorithms and Technologies 1995, Proc. SPIE 2419, pp. 2-13 (1995), applies a recursive temporal filter to D(n-w,n), where w may exceed 1. His analysis includes order statistics and a motion indicator.
Alattar, "Detecting and Compressing Dissolve Regions in Video Sequences with a DVI Multimedia Image Compression Algorithm," Proceedings of the IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, May 3-6, 1993, Chicago, Ill., pp. 13-16, uses the variance of pixel values to identify dissolves. This method is also resistant to motion but does not appear to apply to other types of gradual transitions, such as wipes.

Detection of transitions in video sequences


Methods are disclosed for driving a printer to print highly secure vouchers and less secure coupons. The printer can reside, for example, in a wagering terminal (e.g., slot machine), ticket machine, point-of-sale terminal or the like. A first driver receives, e.g., from a primary controller, data indicative of voucher information to be printed. A second driver receives, e.g., from a secondary controller, data indicative of coupon information to be printed. A processor responsive to the first and second drivers generates printer commands in a standard printer format so that the same printer can be used to print vouchers and coupons. Coupons do not have to be processed by the secure (and usually proprietary) hardware and/or software provided by the terminal manufacturer for printing vouchers.

The present invention relates generally to printers, and more particularly to methods for driving a printer in a user terminal. Such printers are particularly well suited for use in gaming machines, vending machines, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, transportation and entertainment ticket machines, and the like.
Ticket printers are useful in a variety of applications. One such application is to print coded tickets or vouchers used in lottery terminals, slot machines and other self-service wagering or transaction (e.g., train, event or airline ticket) apparatus. For purposes of the present disclosure and appended claims, the term "voucher" will be used to mean a printed document, such as a ticket, that has (or potentially has) a meaningful cash value and must be printed using secure technology to prevent counterfeiting. The term "coupon" is used to refer to documents that have at most only a negligible cash value, and which can be printed without the high level of security required for vouchers. It should be appreciated that coupons may be printed using secure technology; however, the level of security will typically be lower than that used in connection with vouchers.
Various printer systems have been proposed for use in self-service terminals, such as for cashless gaming systems used, e.g., at casinos and racetracks. In such systems, a voucher is printed for use by a gaming patron instead of, e.g., tokens, cash, debit cards and credit cards. Such self-service terminals may be controlled, or at least partially controlled, by a Central System Controller (CSC) via a network. The CSC may be situated at the same location as the terminals, or may be remotely located. A remotely located CSC may service different terminal populations at a plurality of facilities (such as different casinos, racetracks, retail lottery establishments, etc.).
A facility that uses the terminals may desire to have the capability for the terminal printers to print items other than the voucher. For example, it may be desired to print coupons for use at the facility. Such coupons may, for example, provide free or discounted food items at the facility. Other types of coupons are also envisioned in order to fulfill e.g., various marketing, advertising, and promotional purposes, such as discounts to future special events, advertising of new products and services, free or discounted parking, hotel room upgrades, travel and entertainment promotions, contest entries, and the like.
In most of the terminals already in the field, there is no way for the facility management to access the printer portion of the terminal to print special coupons that are separate from (and may be unrelated to) the vouchers. In order to provide such a capability, vendors have offered new models of terminals that can print coupons. These new terminals require the use of proprietary software, hardware and/or protocols to enable the terminal printer to print vouchers and coupons. The printing of coupons, when offered, is handled via the secure processing channels used for the vouchers, which vouchers are subject to stricter access control and security requirements. This solution is unacceptable to many facilities because it requires the purchase of new terminals. For a facility that has hundreds of such terminals, such a solution is cost prohibitive.
It would be advantageous to provide a more cost effective way for facilities to print coupons from their terminals. Preferably, such a system would allow present terminals to be used, without the need to replace an existing population of terminals. It would be further advantageous to allow a controller (e.g., a secure controller) that is internal to the terminal (e.g., wagering terminal, POS terminal, or other consumer terminal) to communicate with the terminal printer to print vouchers, while also allowing a CSC, which is external to the terminal, to communicate with the built-in terminal printer to print coupons and other documents.
The present invention provides various printer interface embodiments for use with existing and future terminals, which embodiments enjoy the above and other advantages.


A computer receives a plurality of two-dimensional fluoroscopy images of an examination object, capture time points and projection parameters and combines the images into image groups. Each image group contains all the images, the capture time point of which is between a minimum and a maximum time point specific to the respective image group. When the image groups are sorted by ascending minimum time points, the corresponding maximum time points form a strictly monotonously ascending order. The respective minimum and maximum time points are determined so that the computer reconstructs a three-dimensional object reconstruction of the examination object based on the images assigned to the respective image group. A respective two-dimensional reconstruction display is determined by the respective three-dimensional object reconstruction and outputted to a user in a coding specific to the respective image group by a display device.

The subject matter described above is generally known. It is used in particular to determine and display the blood flow in vascular systems. To this end a contrast agent is injected into the bloodstream and its propagation is captured and displayed. The displayed propagation of the contrast agent enables the user (generally a physician) to make an appropriate diagnosis.
The evaluation method of the prior art already operates well but is capable of improvement.

Evaluation method for two-dimensional fluoroscopy images of an examination object with time-coded display of three-dimensional reconstructions


Methods and systems for performing secure administration of virtual domain resource allocation are provided herein. A cloud service provider (CSP) may provide instances of virtual machines to one or more contracting user entities. The cloud service provider may store an authorization database identifying one or more resources (e.g., storage, CPU, etc.) that each of the different contracting user entities is authorized to use on a virtual machine server device. The CSP may subsequently receive a request from an unverified entity to instantiate a virtual machine with access to one or more resources. The request may include security information. The CSP validates the request by verifying the unverified entity using the first security information (e.g., checking a PKI certificate, requiring a login/password, etc.) and, when the request is validated, provides access to the verified entity to a subset of the requested one or more resources based on the authorization database.

Traditionally, personal computers included operating systems, applications, and user settings for a single user. Personal computers were generally both used and managed by their owners. However, many organizations are now using virtualization, remote access and/or clouds of computing resources to fulfill their computing needs. Clouds of virtualized computing resources generally allow for the operating systems, applications, and user settings of multiple users to be included on a single physical machine. Desktop virtualization technology allows multiple instances of an operating system to be kept separate, so the activities of one user do not affect the experiences of other users. Cloud computing environments allow for computers owned by a cloud operator to be managed by the cloud operator but used by cloud users, who may be customers of the cloud operator. However, setup and administration of each virtual machine or device can be a time consuming and tedious process.

Secure administration of virtual machines


Methods and apparatus for dynamically compensating for signal variations in communications transmitters employing switch-mode PAs. An exemplary method includes first identifying a predetermined signal characteristic in an input signal applied to an input of a switch-mode PA. A modulated signal produced at the output of the switch-mode PA containing the identified signal characteristic is then sampled at approximately the same time the identified signal characteristic appears at the output of the switch-mode PA, to generate a digital sample representing an actual value of the identified signal characteristic. An error signal representing the extent to which the actual value deviates from an expected value is then generated. Finally, the DC level and/or gain of the input signal to the switch-mode PA is modified to reduce the error. By reducing the error in this manner, signal variations that adversely affect the accuracy of the switch-mode PA output signal are dynamically compensated for.

Wireless communication devices, such as cellular handsets and wireless personal digital assistants, continue to gain widespread use in today's world. With each new generation of wireless communication technology, they have become more technically sophisticated, now commonly providing or supporting, in addition to traditional voice communications, text messaging, electronic mail, mini browsers for surfing the Internet, etc. While users no doubt enjoy the benefits these additional features provide, the additional features can seriously impact battery life.
Efforts to extend battery life focus in large part on ways to improve the energy efficiency of the wireless communication device's RF transmitter, particularly the RF transmitter's power amplifier (RFPA), since the RFPA is usually the dominant energy consumer. Unfortunately, these efforts are complicated by the fact that many wireless communication systems employ nonconstant-envelope modulation schemes. Nonconstant-envelope modulation schemes are used to increase spectral efficiency, i.e., to increase the amount of information that can be transmitted in a given bandwidth of the RF spectrum. However, their use also hinders the ability to increase the energy efficiency of conventional RF transmitters (e.g., quadrature modulator based RF transmitters).
When nonconstant-envelope modulation schemes are used in conventional RF transmitters, the output power of the RF transmitter's RFPA must be backed off to prevent the RFPA from clipping the nonconstant-envelope signals. Maintaining linearity also requires that the RFPA be configured to operate exclusively in its linear region of operation (i.e., that a 'linear RFPA' be used). Failure to back off the output power and use a linear RFPA results in signal distortion at the output of the RFPA. The signal distortion makes it difficult to comply with noise limitation specifications imposed by communications standards.
The need to back off output power and use a linear RFPA undesirably results in a sacrifice of energy efficiency for linearity. Fortunately, an alternative type of transmitter, commonly known as a polar transmitter, is available. A polar transmitter avoids the efficiency versus linearity trade-off by temporarily removing the amplitude modulation from the nonconstant-envelope signal. The constant-envelope signal that remains contains only phase modulation. It is translated to RF to create a constant-envelope phase-modulated RF signal and then amplified by the RF transmitter's RFPA. Because the constant-envelope phase-modulated RF signal has a constant envelope, there is no risk of signal peak clipping and the polar transmitter's RFPA can be implemented as a highly efficient nonlinear RFPA.
As the phase-modulated constant-envelope RF signal is amplified by the nonlinear RFPA, the power supply port of the nonlinear RFPA is modulated by a time-varying (i.e., dynamic) power supply containing the signal envelope. In effect, the nonlinear RFPA operates as an amplitude modulator, superimposing the signal envelope onto the phase-modulated constant-envelope RF signal, to form the desired amplitude- and phase-modulated RF output signal at the RF output of the nonlinear RFPA.
To maximize efficiency, the nonlinear RFPA is usually implemented as a switch-mode RFPA. As shown in FIG. 1, a switch-mode RFPA 100 comprises a transistor 102, typically a bipolar transistor of some sort (although field-effect transistors (FETs) are alternatively used), an RF choke 104, a bias resistor 106, and a matching network 108. The base of the transistor 102 is configured to receive the phase-modulated constant-envelope RF signal; the collector is configured to receive a dynamic power supply voltage VPA containing the signal envelope (via the RF choke 104); and the emitter is coupled to ground via the bias resistor 106. The RF choke 104 is used to prevent RF energy from filtering into the power supply circuitry used to generate the dynamic power supply voltage VPA. The matching network 108 operates to block harmonic components from reaching the load 110 (the antenna of the polar transmitter) and to shape the amplitude- and phase-modulated RF signal to its desired signal characteristics.
The transistor 102 of the switch-mode RFPA 100 can be viewed as a switch, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The transistor 102 is switched ON (closed) and OFF (open), between saturation and cut-off, in response to the constant-envelope phase-modulated RF signal applied to the base of the transistor 102. Ideally, when the transistor 102 is ON, no voltage is dropped across the collector-emitter terminals of the transistor 102, and when the transistor 102 is OFF, no collector current IC flows through the transistor 102. Hence, at least in theory, the collector-emitter voltage VCE and collector current IC waveforms do not overlap in time and the switch-mode RFPA 100 achieves very high efficiency.
The transistor 102 of the switch-mode RFPA 100 typically comprises a bipolar transistor, such as a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). Bipolar transistors exhibit a nonzero collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE,SAT when the transistor 102 is in the ON state, as shown in the characteristic curves of a typical bipolar transistor in FIG. 3. Note that in the ON state, the collector current IC and collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE,SAT are both nonzero. Further, in the OFF state the transistor 102 still passes a small amount of collector current (i.e., the transistor 102 does not serve as a completely open switch). Accordingly, unlike the ideal case discussed above, the collector current IC and collector-emitter voltage waveforms do overlap to some extent, both in the ON and OFF states, and the switch-mode RFPA 100 does not achieve the theoretical 100% efficiency. Despite the reduction in efficiency, the switch-mode RFPA 100 is still significantly more efficient than linear RFPAs.
Although the reduction in efficiency of the switch-mode RFPA 100 due to the nonzero collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE,SAT may be tolerable in many applications, the presence of the collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE,SAT can cause other problems that may not be tolerable. One particularly significant problem relates to the DC offset voltage that forms at the collector of the transistor 102 due to the nonzero collector-emitter saturation voltage VCE,SAT of the transistor 102 in the ON state. For example, when the switch-mode RFPA 100 is employed in a polar transmitter, the DC offset voltage can cause envelope inaccuracies in the signal envelope of the amplitude- and phase modulated RF output signal. This problem is further complicated by the fact that the DC offset voltage tends to drift with temperature, usually varies from part-to-part, and changes as the switch-mode RFPA ages. DC offset voltage drift (or "DC offset drift" for short) is highly undesirable since the distortion it causes to the signal envelope of the envelope of the amplitude- and phase modulated RF output signal results in a reduction in modulation accuracy and an increase in spectral regrowth into adjacent communications channels. The effects on the modulation accuracy and the increase in spectral regrowth can be severe enough that compliance with communications standards is difficult or impossible to achieve.
Various approaches to compensating for DC offset drift have been proposed. However, they have a number of drawbacks. One approach employs a thermal probe and a behavioral model determined in the laboratory to determine a temperature dependent voltage function, which is then used to compensate for DC offset drift. However, in addition to the drawback of having to use a thermal probe, that approach does not adequately account for part-to-part variations and requires multiple temperature measurements and/or expensive sorting procedures, which are not well suited for a mass production environment. Other approaches not requiring the use of a thermal probe have been proposed. However, those approaches require sophisticated and expensive wideband power detectors capable of providing a continuous and linear response over a wide dynamic range, as well as complex filtering mechanisms to prevent RF energy from the switch-mode RFPA from interfering with other circuitry of the transmitter.
It would be desirable, therefore, to have methods and apparatus for dynamically compensating for DC offset drift and other process, voltage, and temperature related signal variations in switch-mode power amplifiers (PAs) and in polar transmitters employing switch-mode PAs, which avoid the drawbacks and limitations of conventional DC offset drift compensation approaches.

Methods and apparatus for dynamically compensating for DC offset drift and other PVT-related signal variations in polar transmitters


Disclosed herein are nucleic acid molecules that can be used to effect a loss of function of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) allele in somatic and/or germ cells of a mammal and methods for using these molecules to create conditional VHL gene targeted and conditional VHL knockout animals. Disclosed herein are conditional VHL gene target vectors which, when inserted into an endogenous VHL gene, can result in deletion of an exon of a VHL gene by site-specific recombinaton when a recombinase is expressed conditionally.

This disclosure relates to nucleic acid molecules that can be used to effect a loss of function of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) allele in somatic and/or germ cells of a mammal.
Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is an inherited multi-system disorder characterized by abnormal growth of blood vessels in certain parts of the body, including certain areas of the brain, retina, spinal cord, and adrenal glands. Lesions in the retina can cause retinal detachment and eventual blindness. Cataracts and glaucoma can occur as well. Angiomas in the brain or spinal cord may press on nerve or brain tissue and cause symptoms such as headaches, problems with balance, or weakness of arms and legs. Neurologic symptoms, including seizures and mental retardation, also may be present. However, symptoms vary greatly and depend on the size and location of the growths.
VHL also predisposes individuals to develop tumors of the kidney, adrenal gland, retina, and central nervous system. An autosomal dominant disorder, VHL is the most common form of inherited clear cell renal carcinoma. The multisystem character of the illness, combined with the fact that multiple tumors may form in each target organ, produces considerable morbidity and mortality; the life expectancy of affected individuals is only 49 years (McKusnick, V. A., Mendelian Inheritance in Man (1983) Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore and London, p. 534-535).
VHL disease is caused by germline mutations in the VHL tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 3p25. There is a need for a murine model for VHL disease to provide a tool for understanding how inactivation of the VHL gene can lead to the initiation and progression of tumor development in multiple organs. Such an animal model will also serve as a model system for testing tumor regression agents and gene therapies to improve the prognosis and quality of life of VHL patients. Recently, a mouse has been produced with a homozygous VHL gene deletion (Gnarra et al., PNAS 94:9102-9107, 1997). Because that mouse had an embryonic lethal phenotype, it did not provide a model for VHL disease.
Disclosed herein is a construct that includes at least three recombining sites, the first and second of which flank a selectable marker, and the second and third of which flank an exon of a VHLgene.
In one embodiment, the construct is used to generate a conditional deletion of an exon of a VHL gene. The method for producing the conditional deletion includes targeting the construct via homologous recombination to the endogenous VHL gene in embryonic stem cells, and using these stem cells to produce a conditional VHL targeted animal. In the presence of the appropriate recombinase, the recombining site-flanked portion of the VHL gene is excised. When the recombinase gene is placed under the control of a tissue-specific promoter, expression of the recombinase is directed in a tissue-specific manner and the recombining site-flanked portion of the VHL gene is deleted only in certain tissues.
The foregoing and other features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


A system for the dynamic encoding in a semantic network of both syntactic and semantic information into a common four valued logical notation. The encoding of new information being benign to prior syntactic constructions, tests for N conditionals in time O(C) and allows for the proper quantification of variables at each recursive step. The query/inference engine constructed from such an implementation is able to optimize short term memory for maximizing long term storage in the automaton. In a parallel context this can be viewed as optimizing communication and memory allocation between processes. The self-referencing system is capable of analogically extending knowledge from one knowledge source to another linearly. Disclosed embodiments include machine translation, text summarization, natural language speech recognition natural language.

(1) Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to machine implemented means and systems of natural language analysis. More particularly, disclosed embodiments relate to two bit vector systems used to test the design, implementation and performance of self-referencing programs in a generative syntax paradigm.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In the related art, various computer implemented systems and methods exist for language analysis. But, the related art suffers from computational inefficiencies.
Thus, there is a long felt need in the art for the disclosed embodiments.

Methods and systems of four valued analogical transformation operators used in natural language processing and other applications


A device and method for multimodal localization and mapping for a mobile automation apparatus is provided. Features are extracted from images acquired by a ceiling-facing image device of the mobile automation apparatus in an environment, and stored in association with estimated positions of the mobile automation apparatus in the environment as determined from one or more sensors, as well as in association with features extracted from depth data acquired from a depth-sensing device, for example as map data. The map data is later used by the mobile automation apparatus to navigate the environment based, at least in part, on further images acquired by the ceiling-facing image device.

Mobile automation apparatuses are increasingly being used in retail environments to perform pre-assigned tasks such as out of stock detection, low stock detection, price label verification, plug detection (SKU (stock keeping unit) in the wrong position) and planogram compliance (e.g. determining whether products on a "module" of shelving conform to specified plan). For example, such mobile automation apparatuses are generally equipped with various sensors to perform such tasks, as well as to autonomously navigate paths within the retail environment. Such navigation can include both mapping the environment and performing localization to determine a position of a mobile automations apparatus in the environment. Use of near-ground planar lidar is often used to assist with such navigation, including both mapping and localization, however near-ground planar lidar can occasionally be highly incorrect, for example when the environment changes due to structural changes at the near-ground level (e.g. obstacles and/or object on the ground change position, and/or are added or removed from the environment).
Accordingly, there is a need for a device and method for multimodal localization and mapping for a mobile automation apparatus.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Multimodal localization and mapping for a mobile automation apparatus


An image forming apparatus in which a light amount of an irradiation lamp for exposure or voltage value of a developing bias applied to a developing electrode is adjusted based upon density value of test toner images formed on the surface of the photosensitive member for preventing the occurrence of toner fogging.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatus of electrophotographic type copying apparatus, and more specifically relates to an image forming apparatus having an automatic control device for image density.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, organic photosensitive members have been used mainly as the electrostatic latent image bearing members in electrophotographic type copying apparatus. Certain types of organic photosensitive members have disadvantages inasmuch as the sensitivity characteristics of the photosensitive members relative to light deteriorate, or the residual electric potential on the surface of the photosensitive members may rise as the number of times it is used increases, so as to cause an elevation in the electric potential in the background area of the image. When the electric potential becomes elevated in the background region of the image, so-called toner fogging frequently occurs which results in a decrease in contrast between the image area and the image background area.


An information terminal device (100) comprises a light source (171) that directs light at a display face on which a display component (110) is disposed, an object detecting sensor (170) that receives light from the display face, and a controller (300) that determines whether or not a sheet (180) has been affixed to the display face on the basis of the output from the object detecting sensor (170).

Information terminal devices that are used in aircraft, trains, automobiles, and other such moving vehicles need to have a film affixed to a monitor surface in order to prevent the shattering of glass or other materials used in the monitor, to ensure the safety of passengers in the event of a collision. This anti-shatter film has been made of a transparent material that has an even thickness and transmits visible light, so as not to affect input to a touch panel or the visibility of the display panel that lies underneath this. However, the film may be worn off or intentionally peeled off, or a worker may forget to affix it at the manufacturing stage of the information terminal device, so particularly with aircraft, the crew would conduct an inspection, but it took time to confirm whether the film was really there because it was made of a transparent material.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2003-90987, for example, discusses a way to easily detect that a film made of a transparent material has been peeled off. What Patent Literature 1 discloses allows the user to use a recognition mark attached to the film to check for peeling of a protective film that is supposed to be removed in the manufacturing process. This recognition mark can be checked by eye or with an image processing device to prevent the film from being accidentally applied twice or prevent part of the film from remaining after peeling.

Information terminal device and object identification device

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


Apparatus and methods for positioning seismic streamers are described, one apparatus comprising a body, the body adapted to be connected to a seismic streamer, the body defining at least one flow passage there through, and a diverter adapted to selectively adjust flow through the flow passage. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of marine seismic instrumentation and methods of using same. More specifically, the invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for positioning seismic streamers.
2. Related Art
Marine seismic exploration investigates and maps the structure and character of subsurface geological formations underlying a body of water. For large survey areas, seismic vessels may tow one or more seismic sources and multiple seismic streamer cables through the water. The seismic sources typically comprise compressed air guns for generating acoustic pulses in the water. The energy from these pulses propagates downwardly into the geological formations and is reflected upwardly from the interfaces between subsurface geological formations. The reflected energy is sensed with hydrophones attached to the seismic streamers, and data representing such energy is recorded and processed to provide information about the underlying geological features.
Previous attempts have not provided optimal positioning of marine seismic streamers, and further improvement is desired.

Apparatus and methods for seismic streamer positioning


Disclosed are a method, a computer-based system and a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein for creating the specifications for the fabrication of a fully customized enclosure housing internal components. First a suitable three dimensional template representing a basic form of the enclosure is chosen from a plurality of predetermined three dimensional templates and sized. Each face of the enclosure is selected and customized by selecting specific design features from a range of predetermined design options as necessary until a complete set of specifications for the enclosure is obtained.

Enclosures are used in general to house all types of internal components. For example, enclosures are required to house printed circuit boards (PCBs). Most electronic engineers are knowledgeable when it comes to designing PCBs. However, many times, the mechanical challenge is that the enclosure must be custom designed in order to accommodate the PCB, or other electronic components. This process can be difficult and time consuming. Many electronic engineers do not have the tools required to efficiently design enclosures to accommodate their electronic designs.
Software to aid in the design of various mechanical devices is available. One such program is Front Panel Designer (FPD), owned by Front Panel Express LLC. FPD is a template-based computer-aided design (CAD) tool that incorporates features such as price estimation, online ordering and material selection. Two 2D templates are offered: rectangular and elliptical. This software can be used to design only front panels of enclosures however. The program is not a proper 3D CAD tool that can be used to design full enclosures.
Another program is eMachineShop (eMS) owned by eMachineShop.com. eMS is a custom design tool aimed at permitting users to custom design various mechanical parts, such as parts for bikes, cars, airplanes, etc. The user begins by either drawing the design right in the program itself or importing an existing drawing from a CAD program. This program is therefore difficult to use. Further, the program does not seem to provide any pre-defined system cutouts and holes that can be used during the design process.
Additional programs available include software from GrayTech Software, Inc., various Windows programs available from Freebyte, and various Linux programs. Again however these require the user in effect to build up the design from scratch.

Method and system for the design of an enclosure to house internal components


According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a magnet assembly to produce a static magnetic field and a set of high-Tc flux transformers to detect a flux change from an item when the item is subjected to the static magnetic field produced by the magnet assembly and to produce a current based on the flux change. Additionally, the apparatus comprises a set of magnetoresistive sensors to detect a field produced by a current produced in the set of high-Tc flux transformers and a scanning mechanism to produce cyclic relative motion between the apparatus and the item. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a magnetic shield to shield the magnetoresistive sensors, where the shield is an open ended cylinder made from mu-metal, where mu-metal is a very high magnetic permeability iron-nickel alloy. The apparatus additionally comprises a water interface mechanism to fill a gap between the apparatus and the item with water.

Magnetism is a fundamental physical property of matter. Matter has measurable magnetic characteristics resulting from an electronic structure of constituent atoms and molecules. When a material is in a steadily applied magnetic field, the material responds with an induced magnetic field that can be measured. The measurement of this magnetic response may be referred to as magnetic susceptibility. The magnetic susceptibility of a material is determined by the strength of the magnetic response induced in the material by application of a magnetic field.
Susceptometers have been developed as a non-invasive method of measuring the magnetic susceptibility of a material. A susceptometer applies a magnetic field to induce a response from the material. This response is evaluated by recording the magnetic flux that the material produces. The susceptometer provides information about the nature of the material based on the evaluation of the magnetic flux. This information is used, for example, to measure hepatic iron stores in patients with iron overload.


A wireless coordinate input system for a display system includes a stylus that transmits ultrasonic energy to a plurality of ultrasonic receiving stations in a projection plane. In an embodiment, the stylus may include one ultrasonic transmitter used for determination of three-dimensional coordinates of the stylus relative to the projection plane. The stylus may also include a second ultrasonic transmitter controlled by a pressure-activated switch. When the stylus is pressed against the projection plane, the second transmitter turns on and is used for determination of two-dimensional coordinates of the stylus in the projection plane. The stylus may also include a higher frequency burst transmitter used to generate a time reference. One or more of the ultrasonic receiving stations may also include an ultrasonic transmitter for calibration.

Many different input devices exist for today's computer systems. Examples include keyboards, mice, graphics tablets, and touch screens. These devices have become widely available for desktop and laptop computer systems. Display systems (computer systems that project their displays) have fewer input devices readily available.
Input devices currently available for display systems include handheld mice, speech systems, and body gesture equipment such as virtual reality gloves. Handheld mice often operate with an infrared (IR) link to the computer. IR handheld mice are useful, but they interact with an IR receiver and not the display, so a user must have a line-of-sight path available to the IR receiver, which is often located at the computer. Speech systems have difficulty providing drawing capability, and body gestures have a small recognition domain.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below that will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the inventive subject matter, there is a need in the art for an alternate input device for display systems.


Small objects are loaded into blisters of a passing packaging film in a fill station of a packaging machine. An apparatus for distributing the objects to the blisters has a pair of generally parallel rods extending along respective axes and having inner and outer ends. Respective guides support the rods for movement parallel to their axes, and a bar extends transversely between the outer ends. An actuator mechanism periodically synchronously rotating the rods. Respective couplings between each of the outer ends and the bar transversely shifting the bar relative to the rods on rotation of the rods.

In the production of blister packs of small objects such as pills, capsules, or tablets, it is standard to deposit a large number of the objects on top of a lower packaging film that is formed with an array of upwardly open blisters and that is slowly advancing in a transport direction. The blisters are typically dimensioned so that they can each hold a single one of the object, just filling it and lying below the plane of the upper face of the film. By vibrating the film sweeping the objects across it with a rotating brush or a bar, the objects are moved about such that one finds its way into each blister and the others are pushed to the side. Then an upper film is set atop the filled lower film and the two films are bonded together between the blisters, and finally the laminated-together films are cut into sections each having one or more of the blisters.
The known systems occasionally leave some of the pockets empty, and are also subject to considerable wear. In addition a scraper bar often can catch on and damage one of the objects as it moves back and forth over the film. In general such systems are often the weak link in the production chain, and most rejected packages are the result of faults taking place in the fill station.

Apparatus for distributing small objects in a fill station


The present invention relates to a line filter that is characterized by suppressing magnetic adverse effects inflicted on other components due to leakage magnetic fluxes from the closed magnetic circuit core used in the line filter and at the same time preventing noises from infiltrating into the closed magnetic circuit core. The line filter comprises a synthetic resin made bobbin (5) having flanges (2) on its both ends and a through hole (20) along its axis, a square shaped closed magnetic circuit core (1) with one of its magnetic legs inserted in the through hole (20) of the bobbin (5), windings (6) wound between both flanges (2) of the bobbin (5) in the direction perpendicular to the bobbin's axis, metal terminals (9) embedded in the flanges (2) and connected with the windings (6) and a wobbling preventive means to prevent the closed magnetic circuit core from wobbling.

As illustrated In FIG. 29 to FIG. 31, a prior art line filter has a structure wherein a winding bobbin 53 prepared by molding a resin material into two-piece construction is assembled on one of the magnetic legs of a square shaped closed magnetic circuit core 52 made of a high permeability magnetic material such as ferrite and the like and a pair of windings 54 are wound around the wire winding bobbin 53 by rotating the winding bobbin 53 by means of a gear formed on the end surface or on the central part of the winding bobbin 53.
Next, metal terminals 55 are placed in insertion holes arranged on flanges of the winding bobbin 53 and the windings' start and end lead wires are wrapped around and securely connected by soldering to the metal terminals 55. Further, a core cover 56 is installed so as to cover the core 52 and fixed on to the core 52 by having its opening's surfaces inserted in slots 57 formed on the outer surfaces of the flanges situated on both ends of the winding bobbin 53.
According to the prior art structure as described in the above, the square shaped closed magnetic circuit core 52 was not so securely fixed to the winding bobbin 53 and there was a danger that the core cover 56 might be detached because the fitting between the winding bobbin 53 and the core cover 56 was not good enough, resulting in an insufficient fixing between the square shaped closed magnetic circuit core 52 and the winding bobbin 53.
Particularly, there was a problem of magnetic flux leakage caused by the square shaped closed magnetic circuit core 52, inserted in the through hole of the winding bobbin 53, wobbling around the periphery of the winding bobbin 53 with the through hole serving as the center axis, thereby presenting magnetic disturbances to other components or allowing noises to infiltrate into the square shaped closed magnetic circuit core 52.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A shovel foot plate attachment that includes a left foot plate, a right foot plate, an anti-rotation alignment flange, and a handle connecting member; the left and right foot plates being positioned adjacent to each other with the handle connecting member extending away from the left and right foot plates; the anti-rotation alignment flange extending away from back side edges of the left and right foot plates; the handle connecting member having a receiving channel formed therein for receiving a section of the shovel in a manner such that when the section of the shovel is positioned within the receiving channel the left foot plate is in contact with the left shoulder of the shovel and the right foot plate is in contact with the right shoulder of the shovel.

Many lawn and garden digging jobs require the use of a digging tool such as a shovel, a spade, or other foot assisted digging tool. These foot assisted digging tools typically have an elongated handle terminating at one end in a scoop portion that is provided with an insertion edge at a far end of thereof and relatively narrow left and right shoulders at the opposite, handle end thereof. In use, the elongated handle is used to position the insertion edge onto the desired location and the insertion edge is driven into the ground by a force applied by the sole of the user's shoe onto either the left or the right shoulder of the scoop portion. A problem encountered with this digging arrangement is the typical need for the user to have a shoe provided with a very thick sole, such as a boot, to comfortably apply the force necessary to drive the insertion edge of the scoop portion of the foot assisted digging tool into the ground. Although boots and other heavy soled shoes are generally readily available, it can often be undesirable to replace light soled shoes, such as sandals or athletic shoes, when only a small amount of digging is necessary. It would be desirable, therefore, to have an attachment, that was securable to a foot assisted digging tool and that included relatively broad and flat left and right foot plates that were positionable, respectively, over the left and right shoulders of the foot assisted digging tool to allow the user to comfortably dig in the lawn or garden while wearing thin soled shoes or even no shoes at all. Because foot assisted digging tools are built in a variety of configurations, it would be desirable to have an attachment that included a handle connecting member in connection with a left and a right foot plate wherein the handle connecting member includes a receiving channel formed therein for receiving a section of the foot assisted digging tool in a manner such that when the section of the foot assisted digging tool is positioned within the receiving channel a left foot plate of the attachment is in contact with the left shoulder of the foot assisted digging tool and a right foot plate is in contact with the right shoulder of the foot assisted digging tool.


A method for measuring the cutting force on a fiber. The method includes the steps of: providing a blade having an edge; providing a fiber mount for holding the fiber; providing at least one sensor connected to the fiber mount; moving the blade toward the fiber and cutting the fiber; and measuring the cutting force on the fiber with the at least one sensor.

In general, many techniques have been used over the years to measure the cutting forces of a blade cutting different materials. For example, the wool felt cutter test measures the force on a blade as the blade cuts through wool felt. This method has worked satisfactorily over the previous years for measuring the force on the blade as the blade cuts through the wool felt. However, the wool felt cutter test is only able to differentiate between blades when the differences in the cutting force exerted on the blades have relatively high measurable differences.
Another drawback with the wool felt cutter test is that it measures the force on the blade. The blade is held in a stationary position with a sensor attached to the blade. The wool felt is then moved across the blade edge to be cut. The sensor detects the force exerted on the blade as the blade edge cuts the wool felt.
In the wool felt cutter test, it is not known how many fibers are actually present in the wool felt. Furthermore, when the test is conducted it is not known how many fibers are actually cut by the blade and how far from the base the fibers have been cut.
Furthermore, in the wool fell cutter, blades have to remain static and dynamic cutting action like a sawing motion cannot be studied.
There is a need to provide a method for measuring the cutting force experienced by the fiber itself as the fiber is cut by a blade.
There is a need to provide a method for measuring the cutting force experienced by a hair as the hair is cut by a blade. Such a method would provide a more accurate measurement of the actual cutting force that is exerted on the hair by the blade during shaving.
There is a need to provide a method for measuring the cutting forces with a relatively high degree of sensitivity in order to determine the differences in the cutting forces between different blades.
There is a need to provide a method for measuring the cutting forces on different types of fibers.
There is a need to provide a method for measuring the cutting forces on hairs having different physiology and/or different chemical or mechanical treatment prior to cutting.
There is a need to provide a method for measuring the cutting force on hairs when the blades oscillate in specific direction, e.g. create a sawing, chopping or scraping movement, or with blades that are heated or electrically charged.

Method for measuring fiber cutting force


An example embodiment disclosed herein includes a vehicle teleconferencing system. The vehicle teleconferencing system includes an abstraction and communication device (hereinafter “device”) and a mobile device. The device includes an adaptor configured to interface with a Controller Area Network bus of a vehicle and to abstract vehicle data from the vehicle. The mobile device includes an operation determination module, a clock, and a teleconferencing module. The operation determination module is configured to determine that an operator is operating the vehicle based on a subset of the data. The clock is configured to track actual time. The teleconferencing module is configured to access a teleconference calendar event that includes a scheduled time and teleconference contact information, and when the actual time is within a predetermined threshold of the scheduled time and the operator is operating the vehicle, to prompt the operator to join a teleconference.

1. Field
The embodiments discussed herein relate to teleconferencing. More particularly, some example embodiments relate to utilization of a calendar application in teleconferencing.
2. Relevant Technology
Commercial calendar applications are widely used to track, store, and schedule events. Some examples of calendar applications include Apple Calendar (formerly iCal), Microsoft Outlook, Yahoo Calendar, and Google Calendar. In these and other calendar applications, events are input as calendar events. The calendar events tie events to scheduled times.
A common event scheduled in calendar applications is a teleconference. As used herein, a teleconference calendar event ties a scheduled teleconference to a scheduled time. Teleconference calendar events typically include relevant information pertaining to the teleconference. For example, the scheduled time of the teleconference, teleconference contact information such as the call-in telephone number and a pin, other attendees of the teleconference, their contact information, etc. may be included in the teleconference calendar event. The user of the calendar application, or another authorized user such as an assistant, usually inputs each of these pieces of information or this information is included in an invitation communicated to the user and input into a teleconference calendar event.
Some commercial calendar applications interface with a user's email account. For instance, Outlook incorporates email software with calendar functionality. For example, as a teleconference nears, Outlook includes the capability to send a reminder to the user or otherwise generate a reminder to remind the user of the teleconference. Outlook also includes the ability to email meeting invitations generated in the calendar application to other users and to receive such invitations; if a meeting invitation is accepted, it is added to the calendar application as a calendar event. Aside from email, however, calendar applications have limited interaction with other systems or applications.
Teleconferencing generally allows multiple individuals to call a single number and participate in a meeting over the phone and/or internet. Most teleconferencing services are provided by a third party that provides one reliable connection that each participant of a teleconference uses to connect to the teleconference.
However, the participants of a teleconference have to input teleconference contact information manually. This can be a cumbersome process, often including multiple numbers and interaction with an automated system. Additionally, in the event a participant loses her connection to the teleconference, these manual steps must be repeated to re-join the teleconference. This process is particularly cumbersome when a participant is operating a vehicle. In some circumstances, the participant may be forced to pull over to input teleconference contact information to avoid causing an unsafe condition and/or to comply with local or state laws.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Teleconference calls based on calendar events


A combustion control system includes a waveform shaping device for producing an ON signal from an ion current detected value, a down timing detecting device for detecting down timings of the ON signal, an operating device for converting the down timings into times elapsing from a reference crank angle, mask time section setting device for setting a mask time section corresponding to a combustion period in accordance with a running condition of the internal combustion engine, a selecting device for selecting at least one of said down times detected within the mask section, and a determining device for determining a combustion parameter of said internal combustion engine in accordance with the combustion ending time, whereby the combustion state of each cylinder is detected from the combustion ending time detected by the mask time section to determine the combustion parameter so as to suppress a combustion change. In this configuration, by operating a small quantity of data, an inexpensive and accurate combustion control system for an internal combustion engine can be obtained.

The present invention relates to a combustion control system which can perform optimum combustion control with harmful exhaust gas reduced by detecting the combustion state of each cylinder on the basis of an ion current detected value to suppress a combustion change, and more particularly to a combustion control system which can realize the combustion control with high reliability with no increase in cost.
It is generally known that during combustion of an internal combustion engine, conductive radical composition is produced in a flame so that the combustion state can be detected in terms of an ion current.
Specifically, with an internal wall of an engine combustion chamber and an ignition plug in the chamber used as electrodes for detecting the ion current, if a prescribed voltage is applied between both electrodes (internal wall and ignition plug), the ion current flows between both electrodes when the flame in combustion passes between the electrodes.
Further, when the flame burns to extend, the radical density existing between both electrodes is apt to change in accordance with a combustion state. For this reason, it is also known that the detected value of the ion current changes according to the extension of flame leading to a change in the combustion state and also according to the shape of the flame. Therefore, using such a property of the ion current, the combustion state of the internal combustion engine can be detected.
FIG. 8 is a waveform chart showing the time change in an ion current Io which is detected during combustion in a cylinder.
As seen from FIG. 8, the ion current Io represents an output waveform having plural maximum values within a slight change. This output waveform occurs during the period of main flame propagation in the combustion flame in the internal combustion engine.
Commonly, ignition timing Ts is set at a more leading angle side than the crank angular position of TDC. At the time of ignition, combustion starts from the area in proximity to the ignition plug to generate ions. The ion current Io, therefore, has a maximum peak at the ignition time before TDC.
Further, the combustion expands at the crank angular position after TDC to provide a maximum quantity of ions at a portion separate from the ignition plug. Thus, the ion current Io reaches its maximum value.
Ions remain also during the period (several msec or so) after completion of combustion. Therefore, because of air movement within the combustion chamber, the detected value of the ion current Io changes to converge.
Also after the period of main flame propagation is completed, the fuel in a liquid state attached to the internal wall of the combustion chamber is vaporized so that a small flame called "after-burning" which does not contribute to an output torque is created. Correspondingly, the ion current Io is detected.
It is also known that several kinds of waveform processing for the detected value of the ion current Io provide a characteristic value greatly correlated with the combustion state.
A previously known technique of controlling an internal combustion engine using the above characteristic of the ion current Io is disclosed in e.g. JP-A-6-42384.
FIG. 9 is a schematic arrangement view of the internal combustion engine control system disclosed in the above publication. Reference numeral 100 denotes an internal combustion engine; 101 an air intake system for supplying fuel and air to the engine; 102 a throttle valve provided within the air intake system 101 to respond to an accelerator pedal (not shown); 103 a surge tank provided on the downstream side of the throttle valve; 104 an air intake manifold communicating with the surge tank 103; 105 a fuel injection valve on the downstream side of the air intake manifold 104.
Reference numeral 106 denotes a cylinder of the engine 100; 107 an ignition plug provided within the combustion chamber of the cylinder 106; and 108 and 109 an intake tube and an exhaust tube attached to the cylinder 106, respectively. The intake tube 108 opens/closes the cylinder on the side of the air intake system. Reference numeral 110 denotes an exhaust system communicating with the exhaust tube 109. The exhaust system opens/closes the cylinder 106 on the side of the intake system 101. Reference numeral 111 denotes a catalyst provided on the downstream side of the exhaust system 110 to clean the exhaust gas.
Reference numeral 112 denotes an air/fuel sensor for detecting the air/fuel ratio h on the basis of the oxygen density within the exhaust system 110; 113 a water temperature sensor for detecting the cooled water temperature e of the engine; 114 an idle switch for detecting the complete closed state of the throttle valve 102; 115 an intake air pressure sensor for detecting the intake air pressure a within the air intake system 101; and 116 a revolving speed sensor for detecting a revolving speed b of an engine; and 117 a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a vehicle speed c.
Reference numeral 10 denotes a vehicle-loaded electronic control unit (ECU) of a microcomputer. On the basis of the items of detected information a to f from the several kinds of sensors 112 to 117, the ECU 10 produces a fuel injection signal F (which serves to determine a fuel injection timing and a fuel injection quantity) for the fuel injection valve 105 and an ignition driving signal Q (which serves to determine the ignition time).
The ECU 10 includes a CPU 11 for performing several kinds of arithmetic processing on the detected items of information a to f from the several kinds of sensors, an RAM 12 serving as a memory during arithmetic processing in cooperation with the CPU 11, an input interface 13 for taking in the detected items of information a to f, and an output interface 14 for producing the fuel injection signal F and the ignition driving signal Q, whereby the several parameters of the engine are controlled by the arithmetic processing corresponding to a running condition.
Reference numeral 23 denotes a current backflow preventing diode for detecting an ion current connected to the ignition plug 107; and reference numeral 24 denotes a biasing power source for passing an ion current. These components constitutes an ion power source detecting means in cooperation with the ECU 10.
The ECU 10 also includes an ROM (not shown) storing an operation program previously. Using this operation program, the ECU 10 produces the fuel injection signal F and ignition driving signal Q optimal to a running condition on the basis of the outputs a to f from the several kinds of sensors to drive the injection fuel valve 105 and ignition plug 107.
The ECU 10 detects the combustion state such as a misfire on the basis of the detected value of the ion current Io, and stops the combustion injection signal F for detection for the misfire to make the control of cutting the combustion.
In FIG. 9, although the concrete construction of the ion current detecting means is not shown, it should be noted that when the ion current is passed through the biasing power source 24 and the backflow preventing diode 23, the detected value of the ion current Io is supplied to the ECU 10.
In the ion current detecting technique disclosed in JP-A-6-42384, the analog value of the ion current Io is A/D converted by the ECU 10 to provide a large quantity of digital data which is in turn stored in the RAM 12 of a large capacity of memory. In this technique, these digital data will be subjected to arithmetic processing.
Incidentally, an exemplary concrete construction of the system for detecting the ion current from the combustion chamber of a vehicle-loaded internal combustion engine is shown in a misfire detecting circuit disclosed in JP-A-2-104978.
In this device, however, the detected value of the ion current Io is given as an analog voltage. Therefore, in order to perform the signal processing accurately using a vehicle loaded digital computer, the analog signal must be A/D converted by sampling for each 1.degree. or so in terms of the crank angle of the internal combustion engine.
The large quantity of digital data thus A/D converted are once stored in the RAM 12, and are subjected to arithmetic processing at a high speed within a period until next combustion. However, this requires a very large amount of memory capacity. For this reason, it is difficult to perform this arithmetic processing by "one chip microcomputer" for controlling a vehicle loaded engine.
As described above, the conventional combustion control system for an internal combustion engine must process the large amount of digital data on the ion current detected value, and hence cannot realize the combustion control with high reliability.

Combustion control system for internal combustion engine