In a first phase-locked loop, a digital value corresponding to the mean frequency of an input clock signal is obtained. In a second phase-locked loop, the mean value of the phase difference of an output clock relative to the input clock is measured and is added to the digital value corresponding to the mean frequency, to obtain a control value. From this control value, a control signal for uniformly controlling a dual-modulus frequency divider is generated and supplied to the dual-modulus frequency divider. In a moving-average circuit, a selector selects input data when updating the contents of a serial latch circuit array, and selects an output of the serial latch circuit array when accumulating values. Values serially output from the latch circuit array for accumulation are successively added up using an adder and a latch circuit. In a division-ratio equalization circuit, a calculating circuit calculates quotients a.sub.0, a.sub.1, a.sub.2 . . . a.sub.m when the control value is expressed as 1/(a.sub.0 +1/(a.sub.1 +1/(a.sub.2 + . . . +1/a.sub.m)) . . . ), and the quotients are set as division ratios in programmable frequency dividers connected in cascade, through which a reference clock signal is frequency-divided to obtain the control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase-locked loop oscillator for generating an output clock signal synchronized to an input clock signal and substantially free from phase variations of the input clock, and also relates to a moving-average circuit, and a division-ratio equalization circuit, suitable for use in the same. More particularly, the invention relates to a phase-locked loop oscillator for generating, from a fixed-frequency oscillator output, an output clock signal synchronized to an input clock signal, and substantially free from phase variations of the input clock, by uniformly controlling a dual-modulus frequency divider that operates with a division ratio selected from two division ratios, and also relates to a moving-average circuit, and a division-ratio equalization circuit, suitable for use in the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In synchronous multiplexing transmission systems such as SDH (synchronous digital hierarchy) and SONET (synchronous optical network) systems, a highly stable clock signal, that serves as a reference for network synchronization, is transmitted from a master station to a slave station, and further to the next slave station and so on. Each slave station receives the clock signal transmitted from the master station or from another slave station on the master station side, and generates a synchronized clock signal for transmission to the next slave station.
The phase-locked loop oscillator in each slave station must have phase lock characteristics that can suppress the jitter and wander contained in the clock signal input from the transmission channel and that allows a sufficiently stable clock signal to be transmitted to the next slave station. Generally, phase variations with a frequency greater than 10 Hz are defined as wander, and those with a frequency less than 10 Hz are defined as jitter.
In the case of synchronous networks provided by NTT (Nippon Telegram and Telephone Public Corp.), for example, since the networks are constructed so that synchronization is applied to a signal with a narrow bandwidth by using a high precision network synchronizing apparatus, narrow loop bandwidth phase-looked loop oscillators constructed from microprocessors are used.
On the other hand, since the clock is not always supplied from a high precision clock source in North America and other areas, it is required that while providing for a wide capture-frequency range, a highly stable output clock, that can meet the specifications, be supplied. Furthermore, since no special clock supply apparatus is incorporated, there is a need for a small-sized phase-locked loop oscillator that fits inside a transmitting apparatus.
The present inventors contemplate providing a phase-locked loop oscillator applicable to the latter system. More specifically, the phase-locked loop oscillator contemplated in the invention is aimed at satisfying the following requirements: capture-frequency range is.+-.20 ppm; short-term stability is 5.times.10.sup.-9, that is, the ratio of wander amplitude of output clock to wander amplitude of input clock is 5.times.10.sup.-9 or less; resistance to jitter is 1.5 UI, 10-150 Hz, that is, the phase variation of the output clock is held within the specified value when jitter with amplitude 1.5 times the clock cycle is input within the frequency range of 10 to 150 Hz; and compactness.
One of the present inventors has previously proposed, in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/189,462, a phase-locked loop oscillator that can satisfy the above requirements. According to the proposed phase-locked loop oscillator, in a first phase-locked loop, the phase of the output obtained by dividing a fixed-frequency oscillator output by a dual-modulus frequency divider with a division ratio of N or N+1 is compared with the phase of an input clock signal; at each comparison, if there is a phase lag, the division ratio is set to N (advance control in the first loop), and conversely, if there is a phase lead, the division ratio is set to N+1 (delay control in the first loop). The number of advance control events is counted over a predetermined period of time, and the moving average of the count values is taken. The moving average value for the number of advance control events in the first loop corresponds to the mean frequency of the input clock signal. This moving average value is used to calculate control values for advance control and delay control in a second loop. In the second phase-looked loop, the same fixed-oscillator output used in the first phase-locked loop is frequency-divided by a second dual-modulus frequency divider. The output of the divider is phase-compared with the input clock; if there is a lag, the control value for the advance control is selected, and if there is a lead, the control value for the delay control is selected. A control signal for controlling the second dual-modulus frequency divider is created from the selected control value, and the control signal is supplied to the frequency divider.
As described above, in the previously proposed phase-locked loop oscillator, the input clock and output clock are phase-compared; however, only phase lag or phase lead information is reflected in the control, and the amount of phase difference is not measured and, therefore, is not reflected in the control.
Further, for the moving-average circuit for calculating the mean frequency and mean phase difference, a possible configuration would be to connect a required number of latch circuits in series and add the values latched in the latch circuits using adders (no dividers are needed if the required number is 2.sup.n). In this configuration, however, if the number of latch circuit stages is increased, the number of adder circuits required will also increase. For example, if the number of latch circuit stages is n and the number of bits is 20, then a number, (n-1), of 20-bit parallel adders will have to be provided.
In Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. 57-169874, there is proposed a configuration in which input values are cumulatively added in an endless manner and an input value delayed through a shift register by a predetermined number of samples is subtracted from the cumulative value, thereby achieving a required number of additions using one adder and one subtractor.
This configuration, however, has the problem that if a cumulative value is changed due to noise or other effects, the change will continue to affect the subsequent operations.
Furthermore, in the dual-modulus frequency divider capable of selecting one division ratio from two division ratios, since the control value is given in the form of a fraction with the denominator constant, that is, as the number of times one division ratio should be selected in the predetermined number of control events, a division-ratio equalization circuit needs to be provided which, based on the control value, performs control for the division ratio to be distributed at equally spaced intervals along the time axis so that the dual-modulus frequency divider outputs a clock signal free from jitter and wander.

Phase-locked loop oscillator, and moving-average circuit, and division-ratio equalization circuit suitable for use in the same


A system and method are provided for determining the status of an application and altering the corresponding application window if necessary in order to convey information to the user and improve the user experience. The system and method of the invention allow visual treatment to be applied to a last active state of an application. The system and method further detect hidden dialogs that are shown in response to an application closing or exit request. The system and method additionally trap applications that respond to messages but ignore close commands and detect applications that do not provide visual feedback in response to user requests to close. Through these functions, a user is able to more readily distinguish between a non-responsive application and an improperly functioning application window.

When interacting with a computer application, users may be confronted with a situation in which an application fails to appropriately respond. The application may appear to the user to be "hung" or non-responsive. Applications that appear to the user to be non-responsive may in some instances be legitimately non-responsive, but in other instances may simply fail to provide sufficient feedback to the user, when in fact the application remains operational.
In the Microsoft Windows operating system, produced by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond Wash., applications that stop responding to messages sent by the operating system are classified as non-responsive. Other applications continue to respond to messages sent by the operating system but do not provide sufficient visual feedback to the users. As set forth above, both of these scenarios give users the impression that applications are hung.
Typically, operating systems have a mechanism for reacting to an application that is non-responsive. When the application fails to respond to messages sent by the operating system, the user can terminate the application through the operating system. A white space or ghosted screen typically appears in the window where the application was shown. Thus, visual treatments for non-responsive applications are not descriptive and do not provide sufficient visual feedback to the user.
Furthermore, no solution exists for tracking poorly behaved applications that, although they are responsive, provide insufficient visual feedback to users. A poorly behaved application may be sending messages to the operating system and receiving messages from the operating system, but fail to show a user prompt or dialog box in a manner that will appropriately alert the user that a response is required.
Accordingly, a solution is needed for determining whether an application is non-responsive or is merely awaiting user input. Furthermore a solution is needed for improving the visual treatment applied to application windows that are either non-responsive or that are operating normally but fail to provide a user with sufficient visual feedback to enable the user to continue working with the application. Furthermore, a solution is needed that enables a user to distinguish between a non-responsive and a poorly behaved application.

System and method for monitoring application response and providing visual treatment


A programmable wireless transceiving module applicable to a wireless electronic product comprises a main body, a control unit, a wireless transceiving unit, a programmable memory, and several conducting pins. A circuit board with the control unit thereon is provided in the main body. The control unit is connected to the wireless transceiving unit and the programmable memory. The wireless transceiving unit can use the programmable memory to store programs, and can be connected with other electronic products for signal transmission via the conducting pins. The programmable wireless transceiving module can be used as a terminal product for plug-and-play and an industrial component to support various electronic products requiring the wireless transceiving function, and can reduce the production cost. Users can also freely download digital control programs and data for supporting related electronic products by themselves.

Along with technological progress of electronic products, their functions diversify more and more. The wireless transceiving function applicable to electronic products has gradually become inevitable for wireless electronic products.
A wireless transceiving module is generally used on the circuit of an electronic product. Through manual soldering, it is disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) in an electronic product with the circuit from function test, mechanical assembly, accessory packaging, to product inspection; or it is separately manufactured into an industrial component to endow a related product with the wireless transmission function through industrial processing.
If the wireless transceiving module is disposed on a PCB in an electronic product, there may be large pressure of stocks to cause waste of resources and loss in operation due to product modeling, difference of product types and engineering change. On the other hand, if the wireless transceiving module is separately manufactured into an industrial component, professional production techniques are required to accomplish the wireless transmission function, hence greatly increasing the manufacturing cost and the lead time and thus turning down the business competition.
Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a programmable wireless transceiving module to enhance competition in the industry and solve the above problem in the prior art.

Programmable wireless transceiving module


Various embodiments provide techniques for scrubbing variable paths in content. By way of example and not limitation, scrubbing can include receiving user input that defines a scrub path and navigating a data path through content based on the scrub path. According to some embodiments, a data path can include one or more predefined paths (e.g., a travel route) through the content. One or more of the techniques can account for variations in a data path and provide ways of maintaining adjacency between a scrub path and navigation along the data path. In some embodiments, a data path can be associated with one or more types of data path content that can be presented in response to a navigation of the data path.

Some applications can enable a user to navigate through content, such as a map displayed on a user interface, by moving an icon or other graphical representation through the content. Such applications, however, typically provide very simplistic navigation techniques that may have difficulty responding to variations that are often encountered in content features. For example, to navigate a route on a map, a user navigation typically has to maintain correspondence with the route to allow the navigation to remain on the route. If the user navigation fails to maintain correspondence with the route, the navigation may fail or change routes in an undesirable manner.


An improved hydrocarbon tolerant, aerosol hair spray resin composition includes a fixative polymer which is a tetrapolymer consisting essentially of (1) vinyl acetate, (2) vinyl neodecanoate or vinyl neononanoate, (3) monoisobutyl maleate and (4) N-t-butyl acrylamide, N-t-octyl acrylamide, or isobornyl (meth)acrylate, in a molar ratio from 10:10:15:1 to 26:1:15:1, preferably in a molar ratio of 12.5:7.5:15:1, exhibits advantageous small spray particle size, short tack and drying times, and hydrolytic stability, which are the desired performance characteristics on hair.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hair spray resin compositions, and, more particularly, to fixative polymers for use in hydrocarbon tolerant aerosol formulations which exhibit advantageous small spray particle size, short tack and drying time, and hydrolytic stability, which are advantageous performance characteristics on hair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Effective hair spray formulations and film-forming resins must meet a rigid set of requirements. Specifically, the film-forming resins should remain non-tacky in a humid environment but be easily removed using soap solutions such as shampoos. The film should have high hair cohesivity and possess sufficient strength and elasticity so as to avoid dusting or flaking when the hair is subjected to combing or brushing tresses, and remain clear, transparent and glossy on aging. The film-forming resin should have a viscosity range which permits spraying without nozzle clogging, and should show little or no tendency to interact with perfumes or other optional components typically utilized in a hair spray formulation. The resin should also be readily soluble in various solvents while exhibiting good compatibility with conventional propellants such as hydrocarbons, dimethyl ether, or mixtures thereof.
Many polymeric systems have been developed in an attempt to meet these stringent requirements. Among these are polyvinylpyrrolidone and copolymers of N-vinylpyrrolidone with vinyl acetate. However, these copolymers do not exhibit the desired degree of holding under high humidity conditions. Methyl vinyl ether/maleic acid half ester copolymers also have been used in hair sprays but these must be of a relatively high molecular weight to achieve adequate holding. Vinyl acetate polymers having 15 to 35 percent of their acetate groups converted to hydroxyl groups have been proposed for increased solubility in carbon dioxide propellant systems. However such increased solubility is achieved at the cost of lower holding power. While each of the above resins meets at least some of the above cited requirements, none exhibit all of these characteristics to a satisfactory degree.
Chuang, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,689,379; 4,961,921; 5,196,495 and 5,275,811; described improved hair fixative resins which were terpolymer resins of random or alternating structure having (1) a vinyl ester, (2) a water-insoluble or water-miscible alkyl maleate half-ester and (3) an acrylate or methacrylate ester of a saturated hydroxylated bicyclic hydrocarbon, or an N-substituted acrylamide. The resin was prepared in the form of beads or microspheres by suspension polymerization to provide a suitably high molecular weight for improved hair holding under humid conditions.
Other related hair spray compositions in this field include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,145,147; 4,223,009; 4,842,852; 4,859,455; 4,923,695 and 4,933,170.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hydrolytically stable hydrocarbon tolerant hair spray resin composition which can develop fine spray patterns, and which exhibits prolonged curl retention under humid conditions, short tack and drying times, good holding power, ease of removability and resistance to polymer build-up.
These and other objects and features of the invention will be made apparent from the following more particular description thereof.


A method and apparatus for verifying the integrity of an object includes providing an authentic object with a layer that includes a volatile component and at least one other component, packaging the object so as to prevent a loss of the volatile component, opening the packaging causing the removal of at least some of the volatile component, and causing a color change with the remaining component for providing a visual indicator of the integrity of the object. A barrier layer may be provided to control the removal of the volatile component, and at least one chromophore may be provided to bias the first layer so as to reduce an amount of time required before the color change is detectable. The object may be gaming token, and the visual indicator may provide information related to the use of the gaming token.

These teachings relate to providing authentication of objects and evidence of tampering with a package containing an object.
It is well known that certain items, for example CD-ROMS and DVDs, are susceptible to unauthorized copying. With currently available equipment it is possible to make copies of these and other objects that are indiscernible from those produced by the original manufacturer. It is also possible to open certain products, use them and then to return them to their packaging, or reseal them such that such unauthorized use is undetectable.
It would be desirable when distributing an object to provide a mechanism for verifying the integrity of the object. For the purposes of these teachings, integrity is defined as including the authenticity of the object andlor an indication that packaging for the object has not been opened prior to being opened by an authorized user, such as a purchaser of the object.
For example, a company that sells computer software will find it advantageous to provide to the purchaser an indication that the company itself has manufactured the computer software media as opposed to a counterfeiter. In addition, that same company would also find it advantageous to provide an indication to the purchaser that the packaging of the software has not been opened.
It is a first object and advantage of these teachings to provide a system and process for verifying the integrity of an object.
It is another object and advantage of these teachings to verify the integrity of an object utilizing an evaporative technique to manifest a detectable indicator of integrity.
A method and apparatus for verifying the integrity of an object includes providing an authentic object with a layer that includes a volatile component and at least one other component, packaging the object so as to prevent a loss of the volatile component, opening the packaging causing the removal of at least some of the volatile component, and causing a color change with the remaining component for providing a visual indicator of the integrity of the object. A barrier layer may be provided to control the removal of the volatile component, and at least one chromophore may be provided to bias the first layer so as to reduce an amount of time required before the color change is detectable.
The object may be gaming token, and the visual indicator may provide information related to the use of the gaming token, as well as the authenticity of the gaming token.

Use of evaporatively activated color change for verifying the integrity of an object, such as a data storage medium or a gaming token


A pulsed solid-state laser comprises an optical resonator and a solid-state laser medium placed inside the optical resonator. A saturable absorber, such as a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror device for passive mode locking is placed inside the optical resonator, and a pumping source is provided for exciting the laser gain medium to emit electromagnetic radiation. The pumping source emits pump radiation which impinges on the laser gain medium in the form of a non-diffraction-limited focused pumping beam. The product of the stimulated emission cross section times the spontaneous fluorescence lifetime is low for the laser medium, e.g., 0.1.multidot.10.sup.-23 cm.sup.2 s for Ti:sapphire; nevertheless, the laser yields a high output power of a few Watt even if pumped with a non-diffraction-limited pumping beam. Pumping with a non-diffraction-limited pumping beam makes feasible solid-state lasers with remarkably smaller sizes and lower costs, but with the same performance as known lasers.

Solid-state lasers are known in the art. Their laser gain media are dopant ions incorporated in dilute concentrations in solid hosts. The laser gain medium can be optically excited to emit electromagnetic radiation by impinging a pumping beam on the laser gain medium. In order to achieve the highest possible pumping efficiency or, equivalently, the highest possible small-signal gain, the intensity of the pumping beam must be high over a large distance in the laser gain medium. This can be achieved by using a focused diffraction-limited pumping beam, e.g., a fundamental TEM.sub.00 mode of a pumping laser. However, lasers emitting diffraction-limited beams are expensive and take up a large space. Because of these disadvantages, it is desirable to use non-diffraction-limited pumping beams originating from other pumping sources.
For efficient optical pumping, the overlap of the pumping beam with the laser mode must generally be high over the absorption length in the laser gain medium. For this purpose, it is known to set the confocal parameter of the pumping beam approximately equal to the absorption length of the laser gain medium, which is called mode matching. However, the filling of this mode matching condition brings in the following disadvantages. The pumping-beam waist must be above a certain lower limit, to which the laser-mode waist must be matched. If the pumping-beam waist is too small, higher-order spatial modes are excited in the laser resonator, and if it is too large, the small-signal gain decreases, the laser threshold increases, and the laser is either not very efficient or does not even reach threshold. As the pumping-beam waist and the laser-mode waist are increased, the small-signal gain decreases, and the laser threshold also increases; this renders difficult or even impossible the construction of an efficient laser with high output power from a low-power pumping laser. As is shown below, these difficulties have even more serious consequences for the construction of a pulsed mode locked laser.
Lasers emitting short or ultrashort pulses are important tools in a wide variety of applications in physics, chemistry, biology and medicine. A well-known technique for short or ultrashort pulse generation is mode locking. Mode locking is a coherent superposition of longitudinal laser cavity modes. It is forced by a temporal loss modulation which reduces the intracavity losses for a pulse within each cavity-roundtrip time. This results in an open net gain window, in which pulses only experience gain if they pass the modulator every cavity roundtrip time. The loss modulation can be formed either actively or passively. Active mode locking is achieved, for instance, using an acousto-optic modulator as an intracavity element, which is synchronized to the cavity-round trip time. However, short-pulse generation (in the femtosecond range) relies on passive mode locking techniques, because only a passive shutter is fast enough to shape and stabilize ultrashort pulses.
Ultra-fast passively mode locked solid-state lasers such as Ti:sapphire lasers typically use Kerr-lens mode locking. In Kerr-lens mode locking, self-focusing of the laser beam due to the Kerr effect combined with either a hard aperture or a "soft" gain aperture produces a self amplitude modulation. Kerr-lens mode locking has two main disadvantages. First, in order to achieve strong self-focusing, high pulse powers within the resonator are required. For this purpose, pumping lasers with high output powers of typically more than 3 W at wavelengths of about 500 nm have to be used. Second, a high overlap of the resonator mode and the pumping beam over a large distance, i.e., good mode matching, is required. As described above, fulfilling the mode matching condition for non-diffraction-limited pumping beams causes problems for continuous-wave lasers. For Kerr-lens-mode locked lasers, these problems are even more serious. Additionally, if the pumping-beam waist is increased, the intra-cavity intensity decreases due to decrease of the small-signal gain and because the laser-mode waist is larger. Therefore, the nonlinear Kerr effect is strongly reduced, which makes Kerr-lens mode locking very difficult. Moreover, nonlinear aperturing in the laser gain material also decreases due to the larger laser-mode waist, further weakening the Kerr-lens mode locking.
The mode matching requirement is critical especially for mode locked Ti:sapphire lasers because of the relatively small gain in the Ti:sapphire crystal. For a high overlap, a high pumping-beam quality, a high pumping-beam stability, a precise resonator adjustment and a high resonator stability are necessary. Consequently, Kerr-lens mode locked lasers must be pumped with a pumping laser emitting its fundamental TEM.sub.00 mode and being diffraction-limited, i.e., having a coefficient of beam quality M.sup.2 .about.1. They are relatively expensive and scarecely suitable for non-laboratory applications.
Passive mode locking can also be achieved with semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors. A semiconductor saturable absorber mirror is a nonlinear mirror inserted inside the laser cavity. Its reflectivity is higher at higher light intensities due to absorption bleaching obtained by using semiconductors as the nonlinear material. A semiconductor saturable absorber mirror typically consists of a bottom mirror, the saturable absorber structure and, optionally, an additional antireflection or high-reflection coating on the top.
In this document, the following physical concepts are used.
1. The coefficient of beam quality M.sup.2 (cf. T. F. Johnston, Jr., "M.sup.2 concept characterizes beam quality", Laser Focus World, May 1990) of a light beam propagating in a medium is defined as EQU M.sup.2 =(.pi.n/4).multidot..theta..multidot.(2w.sub.0)/.lambda., PA0 2. The confocal parameter of a light beam is defined as EQU b=(.pi.n/2).multidot.(2w.sub.0).sup.2 /(M.sup.2 .lambda.)=4w.sub.0 /.theta. . PA0 3. The absorption length L.sub.a of a medium for light of a given wavelength is defined as EQU L.sub.a =1/.alpha., PA0 4. The product .delta..tau. of the stimulated emission cross section a and the spontaneous fluorescence lifetime .tau. is characteristic for a certain material at a given wave-length. A laser-gain medium with a large product .sigma..tau. yields high figures of merit.
wherein n is the refraction index of the medium, .theta. is the beam divergence angle, 2w.sub.0 is the waist diameter and .lambda. is the vacuum wavelength of the beam. M.sup.2 =1 for a diffraction-limited fundamental laser mode, and it increases for modes of greater divergence or greater focal area.
wherein .alpha. is the absorption coefficient of the medium and is defined by the equation EQU I(x)=I(0).multidot.e.sup.-.alpha.x,
I(0) being the incoming light intensity and I(x) being the light intensity after a penetration depth x.

Mode locked solid-state laser pumped by a non-diffraction-limited pumping source and method for generating pulsed laser radiation by pumping with a non-diffraction-limited pumping beam


An optical disc apparatus for playing an optical disc carrying information in a form of pits laid along a track on the disc, which comprises a light beam for reading the information by forming a beam spot on the disc through an objective lens, a device for displacing the beam spot in a radial direction of the disc, a 4-division optical detector having 4 detecting elements for electro-optically converting a beam of light reflected from the beam spot to electrical signals, a first pair of the 4 detecting elements being arranged correspondingly to one side of the track and a second pair of them being arranged correspondingly to another side of the track, a first multiplier for multiplying respective outputs of the first pair of the 4 detecting elements each other, a second multiplier for multiplying respective outputs of the second pair of the detecting elements each other, and a subtracting device for producing a difference value between respective outputs of the first and second multipliers, and the displacing device displaces the beam spot in response to the difference value to accomplish the tracking control of the beam spot on the series of pits in highly accurate and stable manner.. Accordingly, problems derived from a poor S/N ratio of the generated error signal due to short signal generation periods inherent to conventional optical disc apparatus, have been overcome.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc apparatus such as digital audio disc players, and more particularly to an improved tracking control system for such optical disc apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Configuration and operation of conventional optical disc apparatuses will be explained with reference to FIG. 1 through 8.
FIG. 1 shows a first example of such a conventional optical disc apparatus. In FIG. 1, numeral 1 is an optical disc, 2 is a light source such as a semiconductor laser device, 3 is a collimating lens for transforming a laser beam projected from the light source 2 into a parallel beam "S", a polarizing beam splitter 4 is provided to separate the parallel beam "S" from a reflected light beam "R" which is reflected back from a surface of the optical disc 1 as a result of the parallel beam "S" impinging the surface of the optical disc 1, 5 is a 1/4 .lambda. wave-plate by which a polarization plane of both of the parallel beam "S" and the reflected light beam "R" is rotated 90.degree. as they pass through the wave-plate 5, "P" designates a beam spot formed from the parallel beam "S" by an objective lens 6 confronting the surface of the optical disc 1, 11 is an actuator which displaces the objective lens 6 in a radial direction of the optical disc 1 thereby the beam spot "P" is moved perpendicular (tracking direction) to a tangent of track to perform a radial tracking of the beam spot "P", 15 is a condenser lens to converge and project the reflected light beam "R" directed by the polarizing beam splitter 4, on to a 4-division optical detector 7 which is stationary with respect to a positional fluctuation of the beam spot "P", the 4-division optical detector 7 comprises detecting elements 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d arranged clockwise as shown in FIG. 2A which convert, as received, the reflected light beam "R" into electrical outputs "A", "B", "C" and "D" respectively. Further shown in FIG. 1 includes a first adder 31 which adds respective AC components "b" and "c" of the outputs "B" and "C" of the detecting elements 7b, 7c and produces a resultant output 33, a second adder 32 which adds respective AC components "d" and "a" of the outputs "D" and "A" of the detecting elements 7d, 7a and produces a resultant output 34, a differential amplifier 35 which produces a difference value 37 between the output 33 of the first adder 31 and the output 34 of the second adder 32, a third adder 36 which adds the output 33 and the output 34 and produces a resultant output 38, a multiplier 39 which multiplies the difference value 37 by the output 38 of the third adder 36 and produces a resultant output E2, and an actuator driving circuit 10 which includes a lowpass filter for driving the actuator 11 in response to the output E2 of the multiplier 39.
The optical disc 1 is provided, on a reflective film 12 formed thereon, with a plurality information tracks concentrically or spirally in the form of a series of recessed pits with varying length and separation, and the surface of the reflective film 12 not occupied by the pits is generally called "land".
FIG. 2B shows a part of the information track in positional relationship with the 4-division optical detector 7 including their detecting elements 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d.
In FIG. 2B, a series of pits 13 are aligned along an information track "T" spaced by land portions 14. A surface of the 4-division optical detector 7 is divided by divisional lines 7Y and 7X intersecting each other at a right angle to forming the detecting elements 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d. The 4-division optical detector 7 is placed as such that the divisional line 7Y resides at a center of the reflected light bream from the polarizing beam splitter 4 and a direction of the divisional line 7Y is aligned with a direction "Y" (hereinafter called "track direction") of an image of the information track "T" projected on the 4-division optical detector 7, as a result the divisional line 7X is aligned with a tracking direction "X".
In the conventional optical discs apparatus shown in FIG. 1, an improved push-pull type of tracking control system is employed, and an operation of which will be explained in the following.
In FIG. 1, the linearly polarized parallel beam "S" passed through the polarizing beam splitter 4 is modified to a circularly polarized light beam as it passes through the 1/4 .lambda. wave-plate 5, and is focused to form the beam spot "P" on the reflective film 12 of the optical disc 1. Since pits 13 are inscribed on the reflective film 12, when the beam spot "P" is on any of the pits 13, the light beam forming the beam spot "P" is scattered due to diffraction caused by the pit, as a result, an amount of light collected by the objective lens 6 is smaller compared to an amount of light of the beam spot "P" on the reflective film 12. Further, a direction of the circular polarization is maintained upon reflection of the light beam at the reflective film 12, this means that with respect to the beam advancing direction, the direction of the circular polarization is reversed in the reflected light beam. The light beam thus having the reversed polarization is converted to a linearly polarized light beam as it passes through the 1/4 .lambda. wave-plate 5, then reflected by the polarizing beam splitter 4, in turn converged on the 4-division optical detector 7 by the condenser lens 15.
In such a conventional optical disc apparatus, detection of offset of the beam spot from the track i.e. the detection of an offset amount between respective centers of the beam spot "P" and the information track "T" in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2 (the amount of this offset is hereinafter called "tracking error"), is performed based on a difference value outputted from at least a pair of detection elements disposed symmetrically with respect to a divisional line of optical detector aligned with a track center line. This is derived from a fact that when the center of the beam spot "P" is right on the center of the track (track center) i.e. the center line of the series of pits 13, a symmetrical distribution of reflected diffraction light with respect to the divisional line aligned with the track direction, is obtained, otherwise such light distribution becomes asymmetrical.
As mentioned before, when the center of the beam spot "P" is off the track center of the track "T", the center line of the track image projected on the 4-division optical detector 7 is shifted to a side of the divisional line 7Y causing a difference in an amount of irradiating light between the detecting elements 7a and 7b or between 7c and 7d where the difference of light amount corresponds to the distance of the shift of the center of the beam spot "P" from the track center. Further, between the two(2) detecting elements 7a and 7d or 7b and 7c shifted to a side of the projected imaginary track center, a received amount of light varies similarly each other with a slight time delay between the two as the disc 1 revolves.
In FIG. 1, the AC components "b" and "c" of the outputs "B" and "C" which respectively corresponds to the received light amounts by detecting elements 7b, 7c, are added each other and amplified by the first adder 31, similarly, the AC components "d" and "a" of the outputs "D" and "A" which respectively corresponds to the received light amounts by detecting elements 7d, 7a, are added each other and amplified by the second adder 32. A difference component between the outputs 33 and 34 is produced and amplified by the differential amplifier 35, the output 37 of which is applied to an input of the multiplier 39, also the outputs 33 and 34 are added each other and amplified by the third adder 36, and the output 38 of which is applied to another input of the multiplier 39. From the multiplier 39, a tracking error signal is produced as the output E2 and is fed to the actuator driving circuit 10 in which high frequency components in the tracking error signal is removed by the low-pass filter (not shown) to drive the actuator 11 so that the center of the beam spot "P" is controlled to be located always on the track center.
In such a prior art optical disc apparatus, there is a problem in practical operation of the apparatus that the parallel beam "S" is not always absolutely perpendicular to the surface of the reflective film 12 as the optical disc 1 inevitably has a warp or a surface-runout which make the disc surface off-perpendicular with respect to a direction of the impinging parallel beam "S", this causes the produced tracking error signal to include a phantom components thus reduces tracking precision and stability of the prior art optical disc apparatus, or in other words, the problem makes a tolerance of the inclination of the disc surface smaller. The arrangement of the first example of conventional optical disc apparatus shown in FIG. 1, is an example of efforts to minimize such a problem.
Shown in FIG. 3 are experiment data measured on the conventional optical disc apparatus of FIG. 1, in which waveforms of respective outputs from the detecting elements 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d are taken under the condition that the center of the tracking controlled beam spot "P" is approximately positioned on the track center. The signals (waveforms) "a", "b", "c" and "d" are DC removed components of the electrical outputs "A", "B", "C" and "D" of the 4-division optical detector 7, and the respective horizontal lines indicate zero levels. Tracking error signal E2 indicated in FIG. 3 is a value calculated from the experiment data of above "a", "b", "c" and "d". As can be seen from FIG. 3, the tracking error signal E2 is produced at a part where pits reside which enables the detection of tracking error, on the other hand, no tracking error signal E2 is produced at a part of land where the detection of tracking error is not possible and is subjected largely by a tilt of the optical disc 1. As a result, the tracking error signal E2 is peaked at around a center of each pit and is substantially reduced at around each boundary between a pit and a land.
Next, a second example of conventional optical disc apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG. 4, which is featured in its tracking system that the tracking error is adequately detected at a boundary between a pit and a land and is invulnerable to the surface-runout of disc, thus the apparatus is said to be suitable to high density recording mediums. The constituent elements same as ones in FIG. 1 are given the same designations and numerals and detailed explanation of such are omitted.
In FIG. 4, "B", "C", "D" and "A" are output signals from the detecting elements 7b, 7c, 7d and 7a of the 4-division optical detector 7, and AC components (not shown) of which are identical to the previously explained "b", "c", "d" and "a". An adder 41 adds the AC components "c" and "a" of the outputs "C" and "A" and an output of the adder 41 is supplied to one of the terminals of a differential amplifier 45, likewise, an adder 42 adds the AC components "b" and "d" of the outputs "B" and "D" and an output of the adder 42 is supplied to another terminal of the differential amplifier 45, an adder 43 adds the AC components "b" and "a" of the outputs "B" and "A" and an output of the adder 43 is supplied to one of the terminals of a differential amplifier 46, likewise, an adder 44 adds the AC components "c" and "d" of the outputs "C" and "D" and an output of the adder 44 is supplied to another terminal of the differential amplifier 46. Respective outputs of the differential amplifiers 45 and 46 are supplied to and multiplied each other by a multiplier 20, a tracking error signal is produced as an output E3 from the multiplier 20 and is fed to the actuator driving circuit 10 in which high frequency components in the tracking error signal E3 is removed by the low-pass filter (not shown) to drive the actuator 11.
Experiment data measured on the second example of the conventional optical disc apparatus of FIG. 4 is shown in FIG. 5, in which the signals (waveforms) "a", "b", "c" and "d" are actually measured values with the tracking control being applied and are identical respectively to those shown in FIG. 3, i.e. DC removed components of the electrical outputs "A", "B", "C" and "D" of the 4-division optical detector 7, and the respective horizontal lines indicate zero levels. Tracking error signal E3 is a value calculated from the aforementioned actual measured values "a", "b", "c" and "d". In FIG. 5, a small amount of the tracking error signal E3 is present at land portions where no tracking error information is present in principle, the amount shown is considered to be measurement errors, and it should be noted that at the land portions, the tracking error signal output is subjected largely by a tilt of the optical disc 1. On the other hand, the tracking error signal E3 is well produced at boundary portions between a pit and a land but is substantially suppressed at around centers of respective pit portions where tracking error information are present. As a result, duration in which the tracking error signal E3 is produced is relatively short in this system thus it makes the tracking error signal E3 poor in S/N ratio.

Optical disc apparatus using 4 separate detection elements with first and second multiplying means


The present invention provides a semiconductor device, a method of manufacture therefor, and an integrated circuit including the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device, among other elements, includes a recrystallized polysilicon layer 148 located over a gate electrode layer 143, a capacitor 170 located on the recrystallized polysilicon layer 148. The capacitor 170, in this embodiment, includes a first electrode 173, an insulator 175 located over the first electrode 173, and a second electrode 178 located over the insulator 175.

The present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including a capacitor formed on a recrystallized polysilicon layer.
Modern electronic equipment, such as televisions, telephones, radios and computers, is generally constructed of solid state devices. Solid state devices are preferred in electronic equipment because they are extremely small and relatively inexpensive. Additionally, solid state devices are very reliable because they have no moving parts, but are based on the movement of charge carriers.
Solid state devices may be transistors, capacitors, resistors and other semiconductor devices. Typically, such devices are fabricated on a substrate and interconnected to form memory arrays, logic structures, timers and other integrated circuits. One type of memory array is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in which memory cells retain information only temporarily and are refreshed at periodic intervals. Despite this limitation, DRAMs are widely used because they provide low cost per bit of memory, high device density and feasibility of use.
In a DRAM, each memory cell typically includes an access transistor coupled to a storage capacitor. In order to fabricate high density DRAMs, the storage capacitors must take up less planar area in the memory cells. As storage capacitors are scaled down in dimensions, a sufficiently high storage capacity must be maintained. Efforts to maintain storage capacity have concentrated on building three-dimensional capacitor structures that increase the capacitor surface area. The increased surface area provides for increased storage capacity. Three-dimensional capacitor structures typically include trench capacitors and stacked capacitors. While trench capacitors are still used, many of the capacitors currently used are of the stacked capacitor type.
Stacked capacitors typically include first and second conductive electrodes separated by an insulator material. Often the first, or lower electrode, comprises a material such as cobalt silicide, the insulator material comprises a material such as silicon dioxide, and the second, or upper electrode, comprises a material such as titanium nitride. This is particularly the case when striving for high performance capacitors.
While the above-discussed capacitors are used as high performance capacitors, their use is not without certain drawbacks. One such drawback stems from the difficulty in forming substantially planar first, or lower electrodes. Specifically, the first, or lower electrodes, presently have varying and unpredictable amounts of roughness. This unfortunately causes the capacitors to have varying and unpredictable amounts of capacitance, as a result of the increased or decreased surface area of the first, or lower electrode. It has been observed that the varying and unpredictable amounts of roughness are particularly evident when the first, or lower electrode, is formed over a polysilicon substrate. Unfortunately, these capacitors are often formed directly on the polysilicon gate of the underlying transistor, which exaggerates this problem.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a capacitor that does not experience the lower electrode roughness experienced by the prior art capacitors.

Capacitor formed on a recrystallized polysilicon layer


A combination video tape recorder and camera includes a main body having a video tape recorder and a television camera, and a separable hand grip secureable to a side wall of the main body. The hand grip carries a view finder for the camera and a battery for supplying operational power to the video tape recorder and the television camera.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a video tape recorder with a camera and more particularly is directed to a video tape recorder having a built-in camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical home video tape recorder having built-in video camera, the user generally holds a hand grip portion of this built-in camera type video tape recorder with his right hand while operating the camera to take video images.
In the prior art video tape recorder having a built-in camera, the hand grip portion is provided on a side wall of the video tape recorder. This causes the over-all thickness of the video tape recorder to be relatively large. As a result, when the user carries this video tape recorder having a built-in camera in its non-operational mode, this video tape recorder can not be put into a carrying case such as an attache' case or the like that is relatively thin. Instead, the user has to carry such a video tape recorder in a larger, special case, which is generally unwieldy and often identifiable by others as a camera case.
In the conventional built-in camera type video tape recorder, a television camera section, a video tape recorder section and a view finder section are substantially formed in a combination form as a single unit. Therefore, the operational modes or status of the television camera section and the video tape recorder section can easily be displayed in an optical or electronic tyupe view finder.
When a built-in camera type video tape recorder is designed to be small in size and hence easily portable, the television camera section and the video tape recorder section are preferably formed into a combination form as a main body and a hand grip is formed to include therein an optical type view finder and a battery. When both the main body and the hand grip section are coupled together to take a video picture, the problem arises that the operational status of the television camera section and the video tape recorder section cannot be optically displayed within the optical type view finder.
Of course, if a number of electrical contacts are provided on the main body and the hand grip section so as to be contacted with one another when both of the main body and the hand grip are coupled using light emission elements such as an LEDs (light emmission diode) located within the optical view finder. Together it becomes possible to display the operational status of the television camera section and the video tape recorder section. However, in this case, further problem occurs, that the electrical contacts will easily malfunction, thus lacking the reliance of this built-in camera type video tape recorder.

Video tape recorder having built-in camera detachable hand grip member


A transformer structure includes an iron core set, a main bobbin, and two sub-bobbins. The main bobbin includes a primary winding area for winding a first coil, a main bobbin through hole longitudinally mounted in and penetrating through the main bobbin, and two assembling troughs respectively formed at two ends of the main bobbin through hole. The two sub-bobbins are respectively accommodated in the two assembling troughs and respectively include a secondary winding area for winding a second coil and a sub-bobbin through hole communicated with the main bobbin through hole for penetrating the iron core set. Therefore, the sub-bobbins are mounted in two extended assembling troughs of the main bobbin, the first coil is wound on the primary winding area at the outer side of the main bobbin, and the first coil is separated from the second coils not only by horizontal distance but also by the assembling troughs.

Various types of transformers are developed for adapting different functional demands, so that when designing transformer, it should consider many properties, such as, transformer ratio, current and loss, and dimension, for example, as the output power and the properties of the transformer are qualified, naturally, the smaller the size, the more different kinds of electric equipment the transformer can be adapted thereto. However, as the transformer works, a large amount of current will be generated and the voltage will have an apparent variation, so that the transformer should conform to severe safety regulation before using. And, for conforming to the safety regulation, on one hand, the transformer is always enlarged for providing sufficient insulation distance for the coils, and thus, obviously, under the same electric characteristic, the miniaturization of the transformer is restricted by the safety regulation. On the other hand, for conforming to safety regulation, most power supply select isolation transformer, such as, TWP No. M314404, entitled "Driving device with isolation transformer used in LCD back light source" which is composed of a DC power supply, a square wave switcher, an isolation transformer and a driver transformer. In this patent, the primary side of the isolation transformer is fluctuated by input power, and for controlling the output power, the power at the primary side of the isolation transformer is constantly changed. And, the secondary side which is not connected with the primary side transmits power only through electromagnetic induction for maintaining the stability and quality of the power which is received by the load. Further, the isolation transformer is used to separate the different voltage potentials of the power input terminal and the load terminal so as to ensure the safety thereof. Another example is TWP No. M334349, entitled "Light tube driving device", in which the light tube driving device includes an inverter, a first transformer, a second transformer, at least one light tube, a control unit and a third transformer. In this patent, FIG. 2 disclosed that two transformers (32, 34) are utilized to transmit energy between the high voltage inverter (30) and the light tube (36) and also to isolate the power fluctuation at the primary and the secondary sides. However, the use of two transformers increases the cost and also the volume.
Consequently, the size and the adaptability of the transformer are restricted by the insulation strength and the power waveform at the primary and the secondary sides.


Antigens and vaccines containing purified oligomers (1-50 units) of the repeating pentasaccharide unit of type III Group B Stretococcus (III GBS) polysaccharide capsule. Methods of making the antigen by recovering polysaccharide from cultured III GBS or medium and digesting the polysaccharide with a specific endo-.beta.-galactosidase. Enzymatic cleavage of bacterial polysaccharide to make purified oligomers. A purified trypsin-resistant C surface protein, m.w. about 14,000 and vaccine. Passive immunization using the above vaccines. Immunoassays for GBS immunodeterminants or anti-GBS antibodies.

This invention relates to antigens having immunogenic determinants of Group B Streptococcus bacteria, to vaccines protecting against those bacteria, to methods of making such vaccines, and to methods of preparing oligosaccharides from bacterial polysaccharides. As used in this application, the term Group B Streptococcus (or GBS) bacteria is used as understood by those in the field, particularly with reference to Lancefield, J. Exp. Med. 108:329-341 (1938) and subsequent work further characterizing Group B serotypes, e.g. Russell-Jones, J. Exper. Med. 160:1476 (1984). The term specifically includes bacteria taxonomically designated Streptococcus agalactiae.
GBS are a recognized etiological agent for bacteremia and/or meningitis in infants, and for infections in adults. Baker, "Group B Streptococcal Infections" in Advances in Internal Medicine, 25:475-500 (1980). Accordingly, it is important to develop rapid and definitive assays for diagnosis of GBS infection, and methods of generating protection against GBS, particularly in infants and compromised individuals.
The GBS capsular polysaccharides are known to be important to GBS virulence and immunity. Baker, cited above. Moreover, the recognized GBS types and subtypes have chemically related but antigenically distinct capsular polysaccharides having a repeating structure composed of galactose, glucose, N-acetyl glucosamine, and N-acetyl-neuraminic (sialic) acid. Baker, cited above. Type III GBS capsular polysaccharide is composed of a backbone made up of repeating branched pentasaccharide units. Jennings et al., Canadian J. Biochem. 58:112-120 (1980).
One study of type III GBS polysaccharides suggests that the natural immunodeterminant site is located at the side chain-backbone junction. Jennings et al., Biochemistry 20:4511-4518 (1980). The presence of the side chain terminal N-acetyl-neuraminic acid residues reportedly was critical for immunodeterminant expression.
Studies of GBS protein immunogenicity are also reported. Lancefield et al., J. Exp. Med. 142:165-179 (1975) report that the so-called C proteins of GBS are capable of inducing protective antibodies when present as an immunogen on a whole organism. The nomenclature "C proteins" is used as defined by Henrickson et al., J. System Bacteriol. 34:500 (1984), and the term includes proteins formerly designated Ibc proteins.
Molecular studies of C proteins have shown that these substances constitute a complex group of proteins of variable molecular weight. Wilkinson et al., Infect. Immunol. 4:596-604 (1971); Bevanger et al., Acta Path. Microbiol. Scand. Sect. B, 87:51-54 (1971); Russell-Jones et al., J. Exp. Med. 160:1476-1484 (1984). Bevanger et al., Acta Path. Microbiol. Scand. Sect. B, 89:205-209 (1981).
Wilkinson et al. disclose that hot acid extracts of whole type Ic GBS yields 13 proteins of varying molecular size (determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) having serological reactivity in agar gel against type Ic antisera. Bevanger et al. (1979) disclose GBS acid extract containing nine trypsin sensitive proteins and five trypsin resistant but pepsin sensitive proteins. Bevanger et al. (1981) disclose immunogenicity of partially purified acid extracted proteins. Russell-Jones et al. disclose extracts containing up to 30 proteins varying in molecular weight from 20,000 to 130,000, the 130 kd protein being predominant. Russell-Jones et al. also report that multiple proteins reacted by immuno (Western) blot to a single monoclonal antibody, suggesting that some proteins were breakdown products of others. Using another monoclonal antibody, the 130,000 MW proteins and 12 other proteins spaced between 10,000 and 120,000 MW appeared to share a common epitope.
Insel and Andersen, J. Exp. Med. 163:262 (1986) disclose conjugating Haemoplilus influenzae capsular polysaccharide to a protein carrier in an effort to convert the capsule to a more thymus-dependent immunogen.

Bacterial antigens, antibodies, vaccines and methods of manufacture


An improved sense amplifier for a computer having non-volatile memories, each non-volatile memory having an array of memory cells, each cell having a drain, and the drains of all the cells for one column of cells connected to a drain-column line, The sense amplifier reads the state of the memory cell by a) sensing a reference current; b) providing drain-column voltage swings during the reference current sensing; c) sensing the current on the drain-column line; d) producing voltages above and below a reference voltage whereas the produced voltages represent the state of the memory cell; and, e) adjusting the bias of the biasing transistors in response to the produced voltages.

This invention relates to a semiconductor memory devices and more particularly to an improved sense amplifier for an electrically-erasable, electrically-programmable, read-only-memory (EEPROM) memory.
An EEPROM memory cell typically comprises a floating-gate field-effect transistor. The floating-gate conductor of a programmed memory cell is charged with electrons, and the electrons in turn render the source-drain path under the charged floating gate nonconductive when a predetermined voltage is applied to the control gate. The nonconductive state is read by a sense amplifier as a "zero" bit. The floating-gate conductor of a non-programmed cell is neutrally charged (or slightly positively or negatively charged) such that the source-drain path under the non-programmed floating gate is conductive when the predetermined voltage is applied to the control gate. The conductive state is read by a sense amplifier as a "one" bit.
Each column and row of an EEPROM array may contain thousands of floating-gate memory cells. The sources of each cell in a column are connected to a source-column line and the source-column line for a selected cell may be connected to reference potential or ground during reading of the selected cell by a sense amplifier. The drains of each cell in a column are connected to a separate bitline (drain-column line) and the drain-column line for a selected cell is connected to the input of the sense amplifier during reading of the selected cell. The control gates of each cell in a row are connected to a wordline, and the wordline for a selected cell is connected to the predetermined select voltage during reading of the selected cell.
Prior art sense amplifiers attempt to read the state of a selected memory cell by comparing the current of the selected memory cell to a reference cell current. While comparing the currents, the amplifier attempts to maintain a constant voltage on the drain-column line. However, noise can cause small voltage changes on the drain-column line, thus causing erroneous current readings. Therefore, the designer has to choose between increased amplifier gain or decreased sensitivity to noise.
The invention overcomes the above-noted and other deficiencies of the prior art by providing a method and apparatus for providing drain column voltage swings during current sensing. The invention features the capability of purposefully producing, on the column-drain line, voltages above and below a reference voltage in response to a reading of the state of the memory cell. As a result, the sense amplifier of the present invention achieves both increased gain and decreased noise sensitivity. In the sense amplifier the output of the sense amplifier is fed back to bias transistors in parallel with sensing transistors, to reinforce the output by positive feedback.


The present invention concerns an apparatus for storing and transporting piece goods, in particular articles whose dimensions in at least one or in two mutually perpendicular directions are markedly larger than in the remaining third direction in space, wherein the articles are received in substantially U-shaped pockets which are formed from a flexible web material and which are arranged in a support stand or frame. In order to provide an apparatus having the features set forth hereinbefore, with which the loading and unloading operation is simplified while nonetheless the other advantages of the known apparatuses are retained and the articles are also still accommodated in well-protected or even still better-protected manner, it is proposed in accordance with the invention that the U-shaped pockets are formed by two respective separate substantially parallel-extending material webs comprising the flexible material, wherein at least one respective connecting web of a flexible web material extends between the two material webs and is preferably connected substantially over the entire length thereof to the two adjacent material webs.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for storing and transporting piece goods, in particular articles whose dimensions in at least one or in two mutually perpendicular directions are markedly larger than in the remaining third direction in space, wherein the articles are received in substantially U-shaped pockets which are formed from a flexible web material and which are arranged in a support stand or frame.
Such an apparatus is known for example from German patent applications Nos. P 41 38 507 and 195 49 166. In the known apparatus the U-shaped pockets are formed by a long web of material which is laid in a plurality of loops which are suspended for example on bars or rods which are arranged at a spacing in succession so that accordingly the web of material is laid transversely over a first bar, extends downwardly and then extends upwardly again in a U-shape, is then laid over the next bar, and so forth. The portions which are hung over the bars can be sewn off in that case so that they form the closed loops, through which the carrier bars extend so that the web of material also cannot slip on the bars in the longitudinal direction thereof and thus the U-shaped pockets are always of the same length or depth. The web of material can also be suspended on additional loops which are specifically disposed on the web of material.
Such apparatuses are used for example for storing and transporting individual components in automobile manufacture, for example bodywork parts, door claddings and other components which are generally more or less two-dimensional articles, that is to say articles which are of relatively large dimensions in at least one but in most cases two mutually perpendicular directions, in comparison with the third remaining direction. That applies for example in relation to the doors, door claddings, engine hoods or bonnets, wings and other parts of motor vehicles.
Corresponding apparatuses for storing and transporting components of that kind which are comparatively sensitive to impact and scratching are intended for transporting and also storing the corresponding components as inexpensively as possible, that is to say without expensive packaging means. Depending on the respective configuration involved the corresponding apparatuses are relatively simple to load and unload, they are re-usable and, if no articles are being transported therein, depending on the respective apparatus configuration, they can also be collapsed or folded down to constitute a compact structure.
In order to deal carefully with and protect the articles transported in such apparatuses the webs of material usually comprise a relatively soft, flexible cloth which for example can be a woven fabric or a fleece-like material and which can possibly also comprise a plastic web with embossing or shaped portions thereon.
If the corresponding articles are relatively large and comparatively thin, the U-shaped pockets into which the articles are inserted either from above between two bars or however laterally into the ends, which are open at that position, of the U-shaped pockets, must be of a correspondingly large vertical (and possibly also horizontal) depth. Then, between two adjacent bars on which the two ends of such a U-shaped pocket are suspended, a relatively long piece of material web hangs loosely down, forming the U-shaped loop.
As the material web must be relatively soft and flexible to protect and deal carefully with the articles to be transported or stored, with the material webs hanging down loosely the oppositely disposed web portions can relatively easily deform or form folds, which can have the result that the two portions of a U-shaped pocket, which form the limbs of the U-shape, bear against each other so that the corresponding pocket, at least at one of its ends or in parts of said ends, is no longer open and readily accessible. In many situations of use however loading and unloading of those apparatuses precisely from the end of the pockets is preferred in particular for the reason that, because of their size, the pockets have to be suspended at such a height in the corresponding frames or support stands that, when the support stand in question is simply standing on the ground or on a pallet, the pockets are accessible for the personnel loading or unloading the apparatuses, at the best from the side, that is to say from the ends of the pockets in question, and not from the top between the carrier bars.
If however the webs suffer deformation and come to bear against each other because of their flexibility, then at any event loading of such an apparatus is made considerably more difficult, because a person who then wants to insert an article into that pocket firstly has to open the pocket, that is to say that person has to separate from each other the portions which are bearing against each of the webs of material, in order to be able to insert an article into that pocket. That is particularly tiresome if the person needs both hands to support the article and introduce it into the pocket, which can then mean that the article firstly has to be put down, then the pocket in question has to be opened so that it is only after this that the article can be picked up again and inserted into the pocket, in which case the pocket can then independently close again if it is not specifically held open.
There is also the danger of damage or scratching occurring, when the article is being put down.
A further disadvantage of the known apparatus is that adjacent pockets each jointly use a respective suspension bar so that accordingly all U-shaped pockets are immediately adjacent and are connected together by virtue of the common material web from which they are formed. There is then practically no possibility of also arranging additional damping and packaging material between the pockets as in particular the web portions of adjacent pockets, which hang down over the same bar, generally bear directly against each other. Admittedly, those material webs could certainly be separated from each other, but that again requires additional handling operations.
The U-shaped pockets which are only suspended at their upper end also have the troublesome inclination to swing about for example when being transported in a truck or other wagon or carriage, in particular when heavy articles are accommodated in those pockets. Due to those swinging movements the pockets can knock against each other or also against the frame of the support stand, and that then, in spite of being covered by the web of material, can result in damage to the articles accommodated therein.
In comparison with that state of the art the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus having the features set forth in the opening part of this specification, in which the loading and unloading procedure is simplified and nonetheless the other advantages of the known apparatuses are retained and the articles are also still accommodated in a well-protected or even better-protected manner.
That object is attained in that the U-shaped pockets are formed by two respective separate substantially parallel-extending material webs comprising the flexible material, wherein at least one respective additional connecting web of a flexible web material extends between the two material webs and is respectively connected substantially over the entire length thereof to the two adjacent separate material webs.
An essential difference in relation to the known apparatus therefore is that it is not for example a continuous material web that is suspended in a U-shape that forms the pocket in question, but there are provided two substantially flat webs of a flexible material, which are suspended at a spacing separately in relation to each other and which are then connected together by an additional connecting web so that the result in principle is a U-shape in a cross-section perpendicularly to the two parallel material webs and perpendicularly to the plane defined by the connecting web. In this case the parallel or perpendicularly downwardly hanging, separate material webs do not necessarily have to be connected together at their lower ends by the connecting web, but this can also happen in a somewhat higher region. In particular also a plurality of connecting webs can connect the two separate material webs together at a spacing and in substantially mutually parallel relationship so that for example there are formed a plurality of mutually superposed pockets which are each of a U-shaped cross-section and which can be closed by an additional connecting web at their top side, for example by the connecting web of a U-shaped pocket which is arranged thereabove and which so-to-speak supplements the existing U-shaped cross-section to form a=-cross-section.
By virtue of the fact that the separate material webs generally hang down perpendicularly and are only connected together by an additional connecting web, they are more easily held at a spacing relative to each other and no longer have a tendency to come to bear against each other and thereby close the open ends of the U-shaped pockets.
The connecting webs may also have an inlay or insert of a somewhat less flexible material such as for example a thin plastic plate or a somewhat thicker plastic foil or sheet which extends for example substantially along the entire connecting web and which further substantially enhances the effect of holding the two separate material webs apart. Moreover the connecting webs do not necessarily have to extend horizontally between the perpendicularly hanging, separate material webs but they can also extend for example inclinedly relative to the horizontal or they may even extend vertically between the material webs so that the U-shaped cross-section of the pockets occurs substantially only in a horizontal section. The connecting web can be so disposed between the two other material webs and connected thereto that, considered in itself, it also in turn forms the shape of a U, but it can also be in the form of an xe2x80x9cSxe2x80x9d connecting together the two adjacent material webs which hang down substantially flat.
The spacing of the connecting locations which preferably extend over the entire width or depth of the pockets may be markedly less than the overall width of the connecting web between the mutually oppositely disposed fixing locations. That applies in particular if the connecting web has the above-mentioned inlay or insert which then defines a normal spacing width between the two perpendicularly downwardly hanging material webs, but which if necessary can be enlarged to the full width of the connecting web between the fixing regions thereof.
The connecting web can either be sewn, glued or welded to the two parallel material webs. The only essential consideration is a strong connection which is capable of bearing loads as articles which under some circumstances are relatively heavy in weight are to be accommodated in the pockets.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention the width of the connecting web between its fixing regions to the two adjacent material webs is greater than the spacing between the material webs which are connected thereby, in their normal position which is intended for transportation or storage of articles. It will be appreciated that the width of the connecting web is adapted to the maximum depth of the articles to be accommodated in the U-shaped pockets and is possibly greater than the maximum dimensions of the articles to be accommodated, in the third direction in space as referred to above.
In this case however the flexible material webs may adapt to the shape of the articles to be accommodated and may possibly bulge out to a greater or lesser degree in the region of projections on the articles, possibly even beyond the width of the connecting web. The above-mentioned somewhat stiffer insert or inlay which is to be provided in the connecting web is preferably of a width which is markedly less than the total width of the connecting web between the fixing regions thereof.
The material webs are preferably suspended at their upper corners and if possible are also suspended or guided at their front lower corner. In that way it is possible for the web to be more or less tensioned between at least three points and thereby held substantially flat in its position. In the case of material webs which are particularly wide and thus for example can receive articles from two opposite sides in a correspondingly wide U-shaped pocket, in which case there may also be a vertical partition between those articles within the pocket, the web of material is preferably also suspended at the rear corner or overall at all four corners, in which case in addition a suspension means may also be provided at the centre of the upper edge.
Particularly preferred is a design configuration of that suspension arrangement in the form of eyes which are incorporated into the material web and which are guided on rods or bars which extend in the support stand or frame in mutually parallel relationship at the mutual spacing that the corresponding eyes also have from each other on the web when in the spread-out condition.
The corresponding frame should be open either at the top or laterally in order to make the U-shaped pockets correspondingly accessible from above or from the side and possibly also from both opposite sides.
The bars on which the eyes of the material webs are guided are desirably fitted into a collapsible frame. That makes it possible for the bars with the material webs to be removed from their condition of being suspended in the frame, and possibly also for the bars to be pulled out of the eyes and for the material webs to be arranged in a closely packed stack, in which case the frame is also collapsed so that the empty apparatus, in that collapsed condition, takes up only very little space.
When the material webs are arranged in the support stand or frame, spacers can be provided between adjacent material webs, more specifically both between the material webs which with a respective connecting web jointly form a respective pocket and also between adjacent material webs which each belong to another respective U-shaped pocket. In particular also cushion material can be disposed in that intermediate space so that possibly hard but sensitive or delicate articles in adjacent U-shaped pockets are very well cushioned relative to each other.
In such an embodiment with the cushioning option, it is desirable if the material webs are provided only in interconnected relationship in pairs by means of connecting webs so that cushion material and the articles to be transported or stored are respectively arranged alternately between successive material webs, the latter each in the respective U-shaped pockets formed by two material webs.
It is however also possible for a material web to be provided on respective ones of both sides with a connecting web and for the free end of that connecting web then to be connected to a respective further material web, in which case this can also be further continued until the result achieved is a desired number of interconnected material webs, wherein, with the exception of the two outermost material webs, all inner material webs belong to two respective adjacent U-shaped pockets.
It is further desirable if, when using a corresponding frame or support stand in which the material webs are accommodated, all open sides of the frame or support stand are closable by a further material web or a curtain which extend substantially perpendicularly to the parallel material webs of the U-shaped pockets.

Device for safe-keeping and transporting piece goods


A searching apparatus and a method thereof using a management table. A hierarchical structure of directories is created in a recording medium. With respect to at least one directory to be considered, the management table is associated with a list of contents of another directory other than the directory to be considered. In searching for a file, it is not necessary to move from the directory to be considered, and any directories or files which satisfy a specified searching condition are retrieved by looking up the management table of the directory to be considered.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file management technique using a hierarchical structure of directories.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's advanced computer technology has led to development of apparatuses for managing and searching files. Such apparatuses record various types of data files on a certain recording media, such as a magneto-optical disk (MO). One example of such an apparatus for searching image data files is an apparatus for searching medical image data files. As shown in FIG. 6, a typical medical image data file searching apparatus includes an operating section 1, a control section 2, a disk drive 3, an interface 4, and a display section 5. The operating section 1 is a keyboard or the like, from which a user enters information to the control section 2. In response to the instruction entered from the operating section 1, the control section 2 records a data file on a recording medium held in the disk drive 3.
The disk drive 3 writes and reads data to and from the recording medium, such as an MO, in response to instructions from the control section 2. The interface 4 may be, for example, one confirming to the RS-232 standard, and is connected to an external device, such as a CT (Computerized Tomography) apparatus. The display section 5 is a display apparatus or the like.
The control section 2 stores image data supplied from the external device via the interface 4 in the recording medium as an image data file in a predetermined format, and updates a management data file which describes the contents of each image data file. As shown in FIG. 7, the management data file consists of pieces of information identifying a particular image data file, such as a starting position of a record (e.g., a cluster ID) on the recording medium and a file name, together with associated information (management information) data including a patient identifier, an imaging date, and a test identifier.
During data recording, a user operates the operating section 1 to enter a patient identifier. In response, the control section 2 is placed in a recording standby state. When the recording button on the operating section 1 is depressed, the control section 2 allocates a test identifier to image data supplied via the interface 4, and outputs an instruction to the disk drive 3 to record the image data as an image data file. At the same time, the control section 2 associates the information identifying the image data file with the patient identifier entered by a user, current date (available from a clocking section which is not shown in the figure), and the allocated test identifier, and records this data in the management data file.
To view image data files, a user enters a particular patient identifier from the operating section 1. In response, the control section 2 looks up the management data file to search for the entered patient identifier, and creates a list of imaging dates associated with the patient identifier. The list is displayed on the display section 5 and, when the user specifies a particular imaging date, the control section 2 selects a matching imaging date from the retrieved list, and displays the image data files associated with the particular imaging date on the display section 5 in seriatim.
Alternatively, a user may select a desired data file according to the imaging date, rather than a patient identifier. In such a case, the user uses the operating section 1 to enter a particular imaging date. In response to this input, the control section 2 looks up the management data file, creates a list of image data files associated with the entered imaging date, and displays the list on the display section 5. When so instructed by the user, the image data files of the list may be displayed succeedingly.
In this type of searching apparatus, dedicated software is required because the apparatus uses the management data file. To facilitate viewing the image data on a personal computer, there has been developed an apparatus which creates a hierarchical structure of directories using a widely known file system used in personal computers to classify and manage the image data files.
FIG. 8 shows an example of such a hierarchy of directories used for classification and management of image data files. Herein, a root directory (¥) is created for accumulating image data files. Under the root directory, subdirectories are created for each patient identifier, under which subdirectories are created for each imaging date. Under the subdirectories of imaging date, other subdirectories are created for each test identifier, in each of which at least one image data file being stored.
To implement a searching method utilizing the hierarchical structure of directories, the control section 2 operates as follows during imaging. Specifically, when a particular patient identifier is entered from the operating section 1, the control section 2 checks if a directory corresponding to the entered patient identifier already exists. If such a directory is found, that directory is then searched for a directory corresponding to the current date (imaging date). If found, it is further checked in the current date directory for a directory corresponding to a test identifier allocated at the time of imaging. If found, then an image data file is stored in the test identifier directory. However, if no directory has been created for the patient identifier, the imaging date, or the test identifier, a corresponding directory is created and the image data files are stored therein.
In this method, if image data files are in a standard format, such as the JPEG (Joint Picture Expert Group) format, a desired image data file is retrieved on a personal computer by following the hierarchy of directories, that is, opening a directory of patient identifier corresponding to a desired image data file, a directory of a desired imaging date, and a directory of a desired test identifier.
In the searching method using the management data file, overall processing load may increase, because the size of the management data file becomes bigger as the recording medium has larger capacity. As a consequent, searching while viewing files requires a greater amount of time, or more space in a working memory is used while the control section 2 reads the management data file.
When managing and searching files in the hierarchical structure of directories, if it is desired to view a list of test identifiers, for example, those associated with a particular imaging date when searching directories corresponding to a desired patient identifier or imaging date, a recursive search is required. Specifically, a user must move a current working directory from the root directory to a patient identifier directory, and must then return to the root directory to restart the search for another patient identifier directory. As a result, when the recording medium has a large capacity, a substantial amount of time is required for searching and reading.

Apparatus and method for searching files


A method of determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid test sample that includes providing an electrochemical sensor adapted to measure the analyte in the test sample. The test sample sufficiently covers a counter and working electrode of the electrochemical sensor. A first potential is applied between the counter and working electrodes for a first predetermined time period and the current is measured and the time is recorded. After the first potential is removed or substantially reduced, a second potential is applied between the counter and working electrodes and the current is measured. The concentration of the analyte is determined in the test sample as a function of the current measured. An index is calculated and compared to at least one predetermined parameter to identify when a bias, if any, exceeds a threshold. An error signal or analyte concentration is displayed depending on the comparison.

The quantitative determination of analytes in body fluids is of great importance in the diagnoses and maintenance of certain physiological abnormalities. For example, lactate, cholesterol and bilirubin should be monitored in certain individuals. In particular, determining glucose in body fluids is important to diabetic individuals who must frequently check the glucose level in their body fluids to regulate the glucose intake in their diets. While the remainder of the disclosure herein will be directed towards determining glucose, it is to be understood that the methods of this invention may be used for determining other analytes upon selection of an appropriate enzyme.
There have been various methods implemented in the past that use biosensors (e.g., biochemical sensors) to determine the quantity of a specific component (analyte) in a fluid sample. Some examples of these biosensors, including electrochemical sensors, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,120,420, 5,264,103 and 5,620,579, and U.S. Publication No. 20010042683.
Some drawbacks with existing methods that use electrochemical sensors may occur when an insufficient amount of the fluid sample is present. These drawbacks occur when counter and working electrodes of the electrochemical sensors are not completely covered with the fluid sample, resulting in an incomplete current flowing across the electrodes. Since the amount of analyte (e.g., glucose) detected by the electrochemical sensor is directional proportional to the current flowing through the detection meter, failure to completely cover the electrochemical sensor's electrodes may result in a bias of the blood sample's analyte (e.g., glucose concentration).
It would be desirable to provide a method that detects when there is an insufficient amount of fluid sample and report such a condition as an error to the user. It also would be desirable to provide a method that detects electrochemical sensors with an abnormal rehydration process, because of an insufficient sample to completely re-hydrate the chemistry of the electrochemical sensor. It would be desirable to provide a method that determines an insufficient amount of fluid sample exists even when the electrodes of the electrochemical sensors are sufficiently covered. It would also be desirable to report such conditions as errors to the user if the bias of the analyte concentration exceeds a predetermined threshold caused by, for example, solution movement in incompletely filled sensors or abnormal re-hydration kinetics.

Methods of determining the concentration of an analyte in a fluid test sample


A method of and an apparatus for processing cellulose pulp of wood processing industry. The method and assembly may be used, on one hand, as a pressure diffuser for washing the pulp before an oxygen stage and, on the other hand, the separation of soap, gas and/or other light materials from filtrates and from black liquor of a cellulose mill in a pressurized device, as well as the new process connections enabled by the method. The method and apparatus may process filtrates from brown stock washing and bleaching as well as black liquors from a digesting department and an evaporation plant. By way of example, the filtrate of the washing department is pumped to the digesting department of a sulfate cellulose mill as well as the black liquor taken from the digesting department to an evaporation plant.

A method and an assembly is disclosed herein for processing cellulose pulp of wood processing industry. Especially, the disclosed method and assembly may be used, on the one hand, as a pressure diffuser for washing the pulp before an oxygen stage and, on the other hand, for the separation of soap, gas and/or other light materials from filtrates and black liquor of a cellulose mill in a pressurized device, as well as the process connections enabled by the method. The disclosed method and assembly are suitable for processing filtrates from brown stock washing and bleaching as well as black liquors from a digesting department and an evaporation plant. For example, the filtrate of the washing department pumped to the digesting department of a sulfate cellulose mill as well as the black liquor taken from the digesting department to an evaporation plant.
Extractives and resin present in wood react in the sulfate cellulose digesting process with alkaline digesting chemicals and form various compounds generally referred to as soap. The amount of soap when digesting softwood pulp is typically approximately 20 to 80 kg per a ton of pulp. When digesting hardwood pulp, the amount of soap obtained is considerably smaller. In solutions of the prior art, soap is washed away from the pulp in a digester and in the brown stock washing and is thereafter carried along with black liquor to an evaporation plant. At the evaporation plant, soap is separated from black liquor and acidified to tall oil. Tall oil is sold as a raw material for chemical industry or burned. A part of tall oil can be returned to the hardwood digesting to boost the dissolution of extractives from the pulp. Although soap is a useful raw material, when it gets to a wrong place it greatly interferes with various functions of a cellulose mill. If soap separation is not working at the evaporation plant and a significant amount of soap gets into evaporation units along with black liquor, it causes fouling and clogging of evaporators as well as foaming of the liquor whereby the condensates of the evaporation plant are contaminated unusable. In brown stock washing, soap disturbs the flow of washing water through the pulp and significantly weakens the washing efficiency of washers. Also, air is easily mixed with soap which also disturbs the washing of pulp. At the washing department, soap accelerates fouling of apparatus, too. At the digesting department, soap and possibly air along with it may cause malfunction and fouling of apparatus. Due to the several handicaps and for maximizing the yield of soap and tall oil, efficient separation of soap from filtrates and black liquor would be extremely advantageous. In solutions of prior art, soap is separated from filtrates and black liquor in various atmospheric pressure tanks in which soap, that has a lower density than filtrates and liquor, rises up to the surface. At the evaporation plant, soap on the surface in the tank is removed from the tank, for example, by overflow to a separate tank for further processing. If the retention time of filtrate or black liquor is not sufficient or if soap does not separate normally due to other reasons, such as incorrect dry content or alkality of black liquor, considerable amounts of soap are able to disturb the evaporation process. In the filtrate tanks of the washing department, soap is also separated onto the surface of the filtrate in the tank from which it is, in some cases, removed by overflow and taken to the evaporation plant along with black liquor. Usually, soap is not sought to be separated at the washing department area in any way, but it is converted into a more easily dissolving form using various expensive chemicals and washed away to the evaporation plant. If soap is not able to exit properly, it enriches in the filtrate tank and filtrate circulations until a balance is achieved. In cases like this, soap concentrations and process failures may be very large. If the digester wash or the washing of pulp in a digester is successful, most of the soap is directly displaced to black liquor and only small amounts of soap is carried along to the brown stock washing. In most digesters, however, the wash is not sufficient and significant amounts of soap is carried along to the brown stock washing during which it may be enriched to considerably high concentrations. Typical places where such enrichment takes place are the filtrate circulations between the digester and the first brown stock washer.

Method and assembly for processing cellulose pulp of wood processing industry