A magnetic-field sensor device comprises at least two electrodes; an insulating layer separating the at least two electrodes; at least one layer of chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles disposed at or above a level with the insulating layer, and disposed between the at least two electrodes; and an organic spacer surrounding each of the chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles. A deviation between diameters of different ones of the nanoparticles is less than 15%. Moreover, the chemically-synthesized magnetic nanoparticles range in size between 2 nm and 20 nm in diameter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to magnetic disc drives, and more particularly to magnetic-field sensor devices comprising magnetic nanoparticles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Read-heads for magnetic disc drives currently sense magnetic bits by using an effect known as giant magnetoresistance (GMR). In essence, this type of sensor works because its resistance changes depending on the presence or absence of a magnetic field. The spatial resolution of such a device is limited by the dimensions of the active element in the sensor, which is currently defined lithographically. The GMR effect is described below.
One type of system which exhibits GMR is a magnetic tunnel junction. A magnetic tunnel junction is typically composed of two magnetic thin-film electrodes separated by a thin insulating layer. This insulating layer is sufficiently thin (˜5 nm or less) to allow electrons from one of the electrodes to move to the other electrode via quantum mechanical tunneling. Important to the operation of the junction is that the tunneling process preserve the spin of tunneling electrons.
For the case of two magnetic electrodes composed of identical materials, the tunneling conductance (G) for electrons to move through the junction is proportional to:G˜1+P2 cos θwhere P is the conduction electron polarization in the magnet (which is a measure of how magnetic the material is), and θ is the relative angle between electrode magnetic moments. The resistance of the junction is the inverse of its conductance.
If the magnetic moment of one electrode is flipped relative to the other electrode, then the tunneling rate through the junction changes. This resistance change, caused by a change in a magnetic moment orientation, can be used to sense magnetic fields in the manner shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b). The sensor 1 is positioned in close proximity to a magnetic field source 2. The sensor is made of a short length of magnetic material 3 sandwiched between two magnetic electrodes 4 and 5. The magnetic material used to sense the magnetic field 2 is electrically isolated from the two electrodes 4 and 5 by insulating tunnel barriers 6 and 7. Additionally, the material 3 is chosen so that its magnetic moment changes orientation at fields below that of the two electrodes 4 and 5.
In operation, an electric current 8 is made to flow through the device. Initially, the magnetic moments of the sensor material 3 and electrodes 4 and 5 are parallel. When the sensor comes into close proximity with a magnetic field of sufficient strength, the moment of material 3 is flipped relative to the two electrodes 4 and 5 leading to a measurable change in the current through the device 8. The spatial resolution of such a sensor is directly related to the size of the sensor element 3. However, there is a need to improve the spatial resolution of such a magnetic field sensor, particularly in the area of read-heads for magnetic disc drives. Continually increasing storage densities demand the improved resolution.

Method of forming a magnetic-field sensor having magnetic nanoparticles

International Business Machines Corporation


A security analysis of an application is performed by encoding predicates during a first operation by asserting a set of data flow facts comprising a mapping from a variable to a security-relevant substring of a string of the application. A respective truth value is associated with each data flow fact of the set of data flow facts. The set of data flow facts and each truth value are stored in a tangible computer-readable memory device. The truth value of at least one data flow fact of the set of data flow facts is updated in at least one subsequent operation using a set of abstract transformers to eliminate or reduce a security vulnerability in the application.

One challenge in performing static security analysis is to account for operations that sanitize and validate user-provided inputs in a sound and accurate manner. Consider the following example where input data is received from a user. The input data, which is initially considered untrusted, undergoes manipulations in the form of inline string operations:
String name = request.getParameter("name");name = name.replace('<', '');name = name.replace('>', '');name = name.replace("script", " ");...response.getWriter( ).write("Welcome, " + name);
The foregoing inline string operations do not present security vulnerabilities if the inline replace calls preceding the call to write suffice to block all forms of cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, by removing all the tokens that could be used for an XSS attack. However, as a practical matter, it is difficult to verify that all forms of XSS attacks have, indeed, been blocked.
One way of verifying that security vulnerabilities do not exist is by performing string analysis, where string values and their flow within the program are approximated statically. This approach has two fundamental limitations: lack of scalability, and lack of remediation. String-analysis solutions typically exhibit poor scalability. This is mainly because the cost of modeling string values as well as string transformations—which form a very rich abstract domain—is extremely high. In terms of remediation, string analysis provides little if any feedback on the steps that must be taken to fix the unsecure code. For example, a software developer may become aware that there is a flow of untrusted data from a statement reading user input to a security-sensitive statement, but it is very difficult for the developer to pinpoint the problem and propose a practical solution.
Unfortunately, in many real-world applications, the defense measures used to ensure the safety of the application involve complicated logic. Applications involving industry-grade codes are quite large, and so string-analysis technologies are impractical. One practical solution used in the context of some commercial products is known as taint analysis Taint analysis allows a user to manually specify methods for sanitizing and validating the code. Considering the exemplary set of string operations discussed previously, the user could refactor the code so that all the string operations are packaged as a single sanitize method, and specify this method as a sanitizer as follows:
String name = request.getParameter("name");name = sanitize(name);...response.getWriter( ).write("Welcome, " + name);
This sanitize method solution is problematic in terms of generating false positives, generating false negatives, providing little guidance in terms of remediation, and requiring high annotation overhead. In terms of false negatives, the user's specification is assumed—rather than verified—to be correct. If the user states that a sanitizer is correct, but the sanitizer in fact is not correct, then the analysis might suffer from false negatives (i.e., true vulnerabilities not being reported). Moreover, false positives are also problematic because the analysis cannot account for inline validation and sanitization logic. False positives may also arise in situations where the user provides an incomplete specification, where the user forgot to mention certain sanitizers or validators.
If the sanitize method does locate a vulnerability, then the user is given little information as to the missing sanitization or validation steps. This lack of information complicates remediation of the problem, and increases the probability of an incorrect remediation being applied. High annotation overhead is needed because the user is required to specify sanitizer and validator methods manually. This manual process is both burdensome and error prone. Moreover, as demonstrated previously, in some cases the user needs to first refactor the code to organize input transformations into a single method. Thus, there exists a need to overcome at least one of the preceding deficiencies and limitations of the related art.

Developing applications using precise static security analysis


Context-sensitive remote controls for use with electronic devices (e.g., eyewear device). The electronic device is configured to perform activities (e.g., email, painting, navigation, gaming). The context-sensitive remote control includes a display having a display area, a display driver coupled to the display, and a transceiver. The remote control additionally includes memory that stores controller layout configurations for display in the display area of the display by the display driver. A processor in the context-sensitive remote control is configured to establish, via the transceiver, communication with an electronic device, detect an activity currently being performed by the electronic device, select one of the controller layout configurations responsive to the detected activity, and present, via the display driver, the selected controller layout configuration in the display area of the display.

Many types of mobile electronic devices available today, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, handheld devices, and wearable devices (e.g., smart glasses, digital eyewear, headwear, headgear, and head-mounted displays), include a variety of cameras, sensors, wireless transceivers, input systems (e.g., touch-sensitive surfaces, pointers), peripheral devices, displays, and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) through which a user can interact with displayed content.
Remote controls enable users to interact with electronic devices. The remote controls may be connected to the electronic devices via a wired or a wireless connection.

Context-sensitive remote eyewear controller


A detection device is provided for a motor vehicle (10) for detecting wetness (18) on a roadway (20). The detection device has a moisture-detection unit (12) and an evaluation unit (40) designed to determine wetness (18) on the roadway (20) on the basis of a moisture value (42) detected by the moisture-detection unit (12). The moisture-detection unit (12) is embodied as a sensor unit and is arranged at a rear region of the motor vehicle (10).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a detection device for a motor vehicle for detecting wetness on a roadway. The device has a moisture-detection unit and an evaluation unit that is designed to determine wetness on the roadway on the basis of a moisture value that is detected by the moisture-detection unit. The invention also relates to a method for detecting wetness on a roadway.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wetness on a roadway constitutes a high hazard potential for motor vehicles since aquaplaning can occur and hazardous situations can arise as a result of veering off of the vehicle, as a function of the quantity of moisture and the speed of the motor vehicle.
Sensors therefore are developed to determine or estimate the risk of aquaplaning for a motor vehicle in a simple way. Known systems use signals of rain sensors in the front windshield and the corresponding wiper activities to estimate the moisture on the roadway. However, such systems are subject to an uncertainty since the detected moisture on the front windshield can be thrown up by vehicles traveling in front or precipitation occurring in the stationary state of the motor vehicle cannot be detected.
Other communication systems warn of hazards due to aquaplaning in which other vehicles detect the hazard and make available a hazard warning, for example via a radio link. However, such systems have a delay in the warning and require at least one vehicle that has entered the hazardous situation to communicate a corresponding warning.
A corresponding hazard warning in navigation maps does not take into account the current weather situation. Thus, such systems also have large uncertainty.
DE 10 2010 063 017 A1 discloses a driving assistance system for detecting wetness on a roadway, in which system a trail of spray of the motor vehicle is detected by a camera and the risk of aquaplaning is estimated on the basis of the trail of spray. A disadvantageous of this system is that the technical expenditure for the driving assistance system is very high, and the detection of the trail of spray at the rear results in a delay in the measurement, and hence a further uncertainty factor.
The object of the invention is therefore to provide an improved device for a motor vehicle which can determine wetness on a roadway with little technical expenditure and increased reliability. In addition, an object of the invention is to make available a corresponding method for detecting wetness on a roadway.

Device and method for detecting wetness on a roadway

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft


A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which enables, inside a vacuum, the transport of and mounting at a prescribed position of a supporting component or processing component, such as a susceptor or a shower head is provided. An electrode exchanging chamber 31, inside of which a vacuum can be generated, is provided adjacent to a process chamber 30 via a gate valve 8, an electrode up/down elevator pin 22 is provided inside the process chamber 30 for transporting a susceptor 1 or a shower head 2 to a prescribed height, and clamping mechanism 40 and 41, which hold a susceptor 1 or a shower head 2 with a prescribed torque from outside the process chamber 30.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus,and more specifically it relates to a part-exchanging mechanism in an apparatus which processes a semiconductor wafer within a hermetically sealed space.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, many methods and apparatuses have been known as methods of manufacturing semiconductors by processing a semiconductor wafer in a hermetically sealed space in accordance with a prescribed method.
Known methods include performing, for example, epitaxial growth with respect to a semiconductor wafer, the method of performing vapor deposition onto a semiconductor wafer, and the method of performing dry etching or plasma CVD processing of a semiconductor wafer.
In performing any of theses types of processing on a semiconductor wafer, because the prescribed processing is performed in a hermetically sealed space, in addition to it being necessary to transport the semiconductor wafer into the above-noted hermetically sealed processing space and to transport a semiconductor wafer which has been processed out from the hermetically sealed processing space, supporting components provided inside the hermetically sealed processing space and which hold or support the semiconductor wafer which is being processed, and processing components such as electrodes or shower plates and the like provided in this space for the purpose of performing the prescribed processing on the above-noted semiconductor wafer can deteriorate during this processing, accumulate impurities or be otherwise contaminated, so that they do not function in the manner that they should, this resulting in the need to replace either the supporting components or the processing components or both each time a prescribed amount of processing time has elapsed.
However, because the above-noted processing of the semiconductor wafer is carried out in a hermetically sealed processing space, it is necessary to perform these exchanging operations in a manner that does not disturb the hermetically sealed condition, this not only requiring a complex mechanism, but also a complex exchanging operation.
For example, taking the example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which processes a semiconductor wafer using the plasma CVD processing method, the above-noted problem can be described specifically as follows.
Specifically, when performing plasma CVD processing of a semiconductor wafer, a widely used method is to form an insulating film on the semiconductor wafer by performing plasma CVD processing using a gas such as TEOS, SiH4, O2 or the like.
A chamber which is used in plasma CVD processing can be of the single-wafer type or the batch type, and because of the difficult of controlling the process parameters for each individual semiconductor wafer in a batch-type chamber, with semiconductor wafer sizes growing in the future, it is thought that the single-wafer type will become the main type used.
FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view which shows an example of a conventional single-wafer type plasma CVD apparatus. As shown in FIG. 11, this single-wafer plasma CVD apparatus is formed from a process chamber 37, which has a process chamber body 4 and process chamber cover 5, and a wafer transport chamber 32, the above-noted process chamber 37 and transport chamber 32 being separated by a gate valve 9.
Inside the wafer transport chamber 32, which is hermetically sealed by the wafer transport chamber outer wall 7, a wafer transport robot 13, is driven by a wafer transport robot drive section 15, is provided, and inside the process chamber 37, a wafer-heating heater block 16, with a built-in heater, wafer position adjusting up/down elevator pins 21, a susceptor 1, and a shower head 2 are provided, the susceptor 1 and shower head 2 being held at the prescribed position by bolts 35.
The operation of the above-noted apparatus described as follows.
The semiconductor wafer 3 is rested on a fork 11 of the wafer transport robot 13, and a vacuum is generated in the wafer transport 32 via the wafer transport chamber exhaust port 28. After the wafer transport chamber 32 reaches the same pressure as the process chamber 37, in which a vacuum is generated via the process chamber exhaust port 26, the gate valve 9 is opened. The fork 11 of the wafer transport robot 13 extends in the direction of the process chamber 37, and the semiconductor wafer 3 is transported to inside the process chamber 37.
When this is done, the up/down elevator pin drive section 23 causes the wafer position adjusting up/down elevator pins 21 to slide upward, the wafer transport robot 13 rests the semiconductor wafer 3 onto the pins, and then returns into the wafer transport chamber 32. Then, the gate valve 9 closes, the wafer position adjusting up/down elevator pins 21 slide downward, and the semiconductor wafer 3 is rested onto the susceptor 1. Next, process gas is led into the process chamber 37 via a large number of holes in the shower head 2 from the gas inlet 29, and a high-frequency output voltage is applied between the susceptor 1 and the shower head 2, thereby forming an insulation film on the semiconductor wafer 3. After the growth is completed, the semiconductor wafer 3 is transported out of the process chamber 37 in a sequence that is the reverse of the one followed when it was transported thereinto.
In addition, after feeding cleaning gas by passing it through many holes in the shower head 2, a high-frequency output voltage is applied between the susceptor 1 and the shower head 2, to remove the film that grew inside the process chamber 37.
In a conventional single-wafer type CVD apparatus as described above, the exchange of a deteriorated susceptor and shower head are performed by returning the process chamber to atmospheric pressure and lowering the temperature of the heater block, after which the chamber cover 5 is opened, and the bolts 35 which hold the susceptor 1 and shower head 2 are removed. However, this operation exposes the inner walls of the process chamber to the oxygen and moisture components contained in the air. The oxygen and moisture components react with residual gas that has become adsorbed into the inner walls of the process chamber. Additionally, the oxygen and moisture components themselves are adsorbed into the inner walls of the process chamber.
Furthermore, by reducing the temperature of the heater 16, the inside of the process chamber is exposed to a large temperature change, resulting in a flaking of material which has formed on the inner walls of the process chamber due to a difference in thermal shrinkage rate. These phenomena cause the generation of particles and a change in film properties. At present, the inside walls of the chamber are wiped with ethanol as a countermeasure, but not only is this task very troublesome, but also there is the problem of not being able to completely remove generated particles or oxygen and moisture components which have become attached to the inner walls of the chamber.
In the CVD method as applied to chemical semiconductors such as GaAs, there is a method, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication H4-360523, a chamber in which a susceptor is mounted is provide at the bottom part of the process chamber, the susceptor and the bottom surface of the chamber, known as a skirt, being exchanged in a vacuum. However, the application of this method to a single-wafer type CVD apparatus causes the construction of the bottom part of the susceptor to become complex, and also causes the problem of lack of space to provide a chamber into which the susceptor is mounted. Even if space can be obtained for providing the chamber into which the susceptor is mounted, a problem to be described below prevents exchange in a clean condition.
In the conventional single-wafer plasma CVD apparatus, once when the susceptor was exchanged, surface temperature of the susceptor is necessarily varied, even when it is controlled so that the temperature of the heater block after the exchange operation was carried out, is set at temperature identical to that before the exchange operation was carried out.
This fact is based upon a phenomena in that an amount of thermal transmission from the heater block to the susceptor, will be changed due to a variation in an area of contacting phase formed between the susceptor made of aluminum and the heater block made of aluminum.
The susceptor and heater contact surface area is influenced by non-uniformities in the bottom surface of the susceptor and the contact load between the susceptor and the heater. Because of the non-uniformity in the bottom surface of the susceptor, which differs for each susceptor, to limit the surface temperature variation of the susceptor, it is necessary to cause the susceptor to make pressurized contact with the heater block with a fixed force. However, in the past, because the method of doing this, as shown in FIG. 11, was by means of the bolt tightening from the inside, it was not possible to cause a pressurized contact in a vacuum condition. That is, from the technology in the Unexamined Patent Application Publication H4-360523, because it is only possible to transport the susceptor to the process chamber in a vacuum, heretofore it was not possible either remove the susceptor which was held by a tightened bolt or to achieve a pressurized contact of the susceptor on the top of the heater block. Also, because the shower head which was mounted to the bottom surface of cover was also held by a bolt from the inside, it was not possible to apply the above-noted technology, of the past, in which only transport is done in a vacuum, to a single-wafer type plasma CVD apparatus. That is, even if the above-noted technology of the past were to be applied to a single-wafer type plasma CVD apparatus, after transporting the susceptor or the shower head in a vacuum, because it is necessary to return to atmospheric pressure to perform the required mounting, the result is that the above-noted problems of residual gases with regard to oxygen and moisture components, and with regard to flaking of material which has formed on the inner walls of the chamber are not solved.


A motion decision value provides a dependable estimate whether motion occurs in a given region of a video image in an interlaced video sequence. The motion detection is particularly applicable in the conversion from interlaced video to progressive video. An input first is fed to an absolute value former which computes a frame difference signal from a difference between the first field and the second field in one frame. A point-wise motion detection in the frame difference signal is then followed by a region-wise motion detection that combines the point-wise motion detection signal with an adjacent point-wise motion detection signal delayed by one field. The motion decision value is then computed from the region-wise motion detection signal and output for further processing in the video signal processing system, such as for choosing whether the spatially interpolated video signal value or the temporally interpolated video signal value should be used for the output.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention lies in the signal processing field. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a method of detecting motion in an interlaced video sequence. The invention is particularly applicable to the conversion of an interlaced video signal to a progressive frame video signal, whereby regional motion information is utilized to define whether or not the video sequence contains motion or represents still image information. The present invention also pertains to an apparatus for performing the claimed method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the development of current digital TV (DTV) systems, it is essential to employ a video format conversion unit because of the variety of the video formats adopted in many different DTV standards worldwide. For instance, the ATSC DTV standard system of the North America adopted 1080x1920 interlaced video, 720x1280 progressive video, 720x480 interlaced and progressive video, and so on, as its standard video formats for digital TV broadcasting. Video format conversion refers to a signal processing operation in which an incoming video format is converted to a specified output video format so that the output video can be properly displayed on a displaying device such as a monitor, FLCD, or a Plasma display, which has a fixed resolution.
Video format conversion systems are of significant importance since the conversion can directly affect the visual quality of the video of a DTV receiver. Fundamentally, the video format conversion operation requires advanced algorithms for multi-rate system design, poly-phase filter design, and interlaced-to-progressive scanning rate conversion or simply deinterlacing. Deinterlacing represents an operation that doubles the vertical scanning rate of the interlaced video signal.
Interlaced video in general is a sequence of separately arriving fields, such as A1, A2, A3, etc., where A1, A2, and A3 are interlaced images with Al being a top image, A2 being a bottom image, A3 being the next top image, and so on. The most popular systems currently in use, namely NTSC, PAL, and SECAM are two-field systems, where two consecutive fields (such as the top field Al and the bottom field A2) make up a frame. Each scanned field contains, i.e., updates, every other line of a corresponding frame and the number of lines in the frame is twice the number of lines in each of the fields which contain video information. Typically, the first field is identified with odd-numbered lines and the second field is identified with even-numbered lines. The fields are scanned onto the display screen one after the other at a defined frequency.
By way of example, NTSC scans close to 30 frames (60 fields of interlaced video) per second, with 525 lines per frame, and a horizontal to vertical aspect ratio of 4:3. The frame difference, therefore, is the difference between two fields having the same types (top or bottom) such as A1 and A3, or A2 and A4. PAL and SECAM scan 25 frames per second, with 625 lines per image, and the same aspect ratio of 4:3. As noted, the interlacing in all of these systems is 2:1, i.e., two fields per one frame. The primary reason for the interlacing of the lines between the fields is to reduce flicker in the display. An image that is updated, say, only 30 times a second would allow the human eye to perceive the scanning, because the image information would already start to fade before the next image is scanned onto the screen. When two fields are used, and each contains half of the information, the scanning rate in effect is raised to 60 Hz, and the human eye no longer perceives any flicker.
Deinterlacing refers to the filling of unavailable lines in each of the fields A1, A2, A3, and so on. As a result of deinterlacing, a 60 Hz field sequence (of interlaced video fields) becomes a 60 Hz progressive sequence.
Interlaced video is subject to several intrinsic drawbacks, referred to as artifacts. These include serrated lines that are observed when there is motion between fields, line flickering, raster line visibility, and field flickering. These also apply to DTV (digital TV) receivers. Historically, deinterlacing algorithms have been developed to enhance the video quality of NTSC TV receivers by reducing these intrinsic annoying artifacts of the interlaced video signal. Besides, elaborate deinterlacing algorithms utilizing motion detection or motion compensation provide excellent methods of doubling the vertical scanning rate of the interlaced video signal especially for stationary (motionless) objects in the video signal.
The present invention therefore also relates to the motion detection based deinterlacing operation that can be used for analog and digital TV receivers.
The state of the art includes a variety of deinterlacing algorithms, each having been exploited and studied comprehensively by many researchers during the last decade. Deinterlacing algorithms can be categorized into two classes, namely, 2-D (spatial) deinterlacing algorithms and 3-D (spatio-temporal) deinterlacing algorithms depending on the use of motion information embedded in consecutive interlaced video sequence. Combined spatial and temporal 3-D deinterlacing algorithms based on a motion detection give more pleasing performance than 2-D deinterlacing algorithms. The key point of a 3-D deinterlacing algorithm is how to precisely detect motion in the interlaced video signals. The publications in the following list disclose some of the applicable deinterlacing methods. They may be categorized as follows:                [1] Simple line doubling scheme, vertical filtering, vertical edge controlled interpolation method disclosed in the IEEE Transactions on Consumers Electronics, pp. 279–89, August 1989 by D. I. Hentschei;        [2] Edge direction dependent deinterlacing method disclosed in the Proc. of the Int. Workshop on HDTV, 1994, by D. Bagni, R Lancini, and S. Tubaro;        [3] Nonlinear interpolation methods based on:        a weighted median filter disclosed in the Proc. of the IEEE ISCAS, pp. 433–36, Portland, USA, May 1989, by J. Juhola, A. Nieminen, J. Sal, and Y. Neuvo,        FIR median hybrid interpolation disclosed in Pro. Of SPIE's Visual Communications and Image Processing, Lausanne, Switzerland, October 1990, 00. 125–32 by A. Lehtonen and M. Renfors,        a complementary median filter disclosed in Proc. of the Int. Workshop on HDTV, 1994 by H. Blume, I. Schwoerer, and K. Zygis,        [4] A motion adaptive method disclosed in IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, pp. 110–114, May 1990 by C. Markhauser.
More recently, a new motion detection based deinterlacing method has been described in the following two, commonly assigned patents:                [5] U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,099, Aug. 24, 1999, issued to Young-Taeg Kim, entitled Interlaced-to-Progressive Conversion Apparatus and Method Using Motion and Spatial Correlation. There, an interlaced-to-progressive conversion device includes a spatial interpolator that provides for spatial interpolation and a temporal interpolator that provides for temporal interpolation of an interlaced video input signal. The system reduces jitter and related artifacts by temporally or spatially interpolating the signals.        [6] U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,681, Sep. 28, 1999, to Yong-Hun Cho, entitled Motion Picture Detecting Method. There, two separate field memories are utilized for detecting rapid motion and slow motion in an interlaced video sequence. An interlaced video signal is thereby converted into a progressive-scanned signal. Differences between spatial interpolation and temporal interpolation are used to determine whether the image is in motion. If the differences exceed certain defined thresholds, motion is determined. The thresholds are dynamically adapted during the process.
The core of the methods described in the latter two patents is to estimate a motion decision factor based on the frame difference signal and the sample correlation in the vertical direction. These methods provide a way of reducing the visual artifacts that can be possibly arising from false motion detection by utilizing the sample correlation in vertical direction of the sampling point where the value is to be interpolated. A common drawback of those methods, however, is that they do not provide a true motion detection method when there are high frequency components in the vertical direction. In other words, when there are high frequency components in the vertical direction, the methods described in the references [5] and [6] will come to the conclusion that motion pictures are processed.
As a consequence, in many instances, those prior art processing methods do not provide for an increase in the vertical resolution even when no real motion is present between fields.

Method of detecting motion in an interlaced video sequence based on logical operation on linearly scaled motion information and motion detection apparatus


In creating a color conversion table, search time for searching a point at which a color difference with a target color corresponding to a grid point is minimum can be reduced effectively. In a predetermined grid point constituting a second pre-color processing table, a post-RGB value of a target color of the grid point is determined by interpolation computation using a first pre-color processing table created beforehand. An interpolation operation using each grid point data of a plurality of grid points in the neighborhood in the table is executed, thus the post-RGB value of an object grid point is determined. Next, a neighboring region of the obtained post-RGB value is set, and a post-RGB value of most approximate to the target color in the neighboring region is determined as grid point data of the object grid point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for creating a color conversion table and an information processing apparatus, in particular, it relates to a method for creating a lookup table (hereinafter, referred to as a LUT simply) used in a color conversion process which generates data used in an image output apparatus such as a printer, and an image processing apparatus which executes a creating is process of the LUT.
2. Description of the Related Art
In image outputs by an inkjet printer or the like, generally a color conversion process is executed to convert image data of an input color signal from an image input device into image data of an output color signal used in the printer as an image output apparatus, to generate data for output. The input color signal is specified as a color of device color space (such as RGB color space) dependent on the image input device. On the other hand, the output signal is specified as a color of device color space (such as CMYK and RGB) dependent on the image output device. Therefore, the color conversion process is executed for converting the device color space of the input color signals into the color space of the output image signal. Conventionally, the color conversion from the device color space of an input device to the device color space of an output device has been realized by matrix operation. Currently, however, the color conversion often uses a three dimension LUT to acquire higher precise conversion.
The color conversion for color reproducibility (or reproducibility of a color gamut) is executed as one mode of the above-described color conversion. There are various types of color reproducibility such as color reproducibility with emphasis on tone, color reproducibility with emphasis on chroma, color reproducibility with emphasis on coincidence of colorimetry, and color reproducibility with emphasis on memory color. A prior art prepares a plurality of LUTs provided for a plurality of types of such color reproducibility, and selects an LUT according to the kind of image to be output to execute color conversion. Thus, color reproduction suitable for the image to be output can be realized. Also, in order to maintain this color reproducibility satisfactorily, the color conversion from the color space of an input device to the color space of an output device may be controlled by dividing the color conversion into two conversions, a pre-color conversion (color correction; gamut mapping) which executes the conversion of mapping of the color gamut and a post-color correction (color separation) which executes the color separation into data of printing agents such as ink.
Many kinds of color spaces are known as input color spaces generally used to specify image data, for example, sRGB and AdobeRGB for an RGB system and NTSC. To execute the color conversion from the device color space of the input device into the device color space of the output device correspondingly to a plurality of such input color space, at every combination of input and output devices an LUT specified for the color conversion between the combination must be provided. On the other hand, a color conversion system using an ICC profile which can execute color conversion regardless of the combination of input and output devices is also known. The ICC profile specifies the color conversion from input color space into device independent color space (for example, XYZ and Lab), correspondingly to the input device of the input color space; and likewise specifies the color conversion from the device independent color space into the device color space of the output device, correspondingly to the output device of the output color space. The color conversion which the profile specifies is concretely realized with LUTs just as described above. The color conversion using the ICC profile basically requires that each input and output device prepares just one profile specifying conversion relationship with device-independent color space. And, the color conversion of device color space between the input and output devices can be performed by combining the profiles of each input and output device. Additionally, the ICC profile holds an LUT having three properties, i.e., the color reproducibility with emphasis on tone, the color reproducibility with emphasis on chroma, and the color reproducibility with emphasis on coincidence of colorimetry, in one profile.
The LUT for the color conversion from the device color space of the input device into the device color space of the output device directly, and the LUT as the profile specifying color conversion relationship between the device independent color space and each device color space of the input and output devices are both created as follows.
First, target colors corresponding to grid points constituting the LUT to be created are determined. Next, device color of the output device (for example, post-RGB (RGB generated in the above-described pre-color conversion) or CYMK) which is most approximate to the target color is searched, and the device color is set as the color corresponding to the grid point, i.e., the grid point data. The target colors and the device colors based on the target colors are usually specified in a uniform color space (Lab or Luv).
More specifically, first, based on post-RGB (or CMYK) which is a color signal of the device color space of the printer, a predetermined number of color patches of these colors are printed out by the printer. Then, the color patches are measured to acquire the color signal of uniform-color color space corresponding to the color patches. Thus, the relationship between a post-RGB value (or a CMYK value) and a Lab value (or a Luv value or the like) of the uniform-color color space can be acquired. Additionally, when determining the relationship from the post-RGB value to the Lab value, although as the number of samples such as the color patches increases the precision becomes greater, it is unrealistic to print out all colors of the color space of the post-RGB as a sample. Thus, the color patches of colors of which the distance in the device color space of the printer is, for example, equidistant are printed out and measured to determine the relationship between the post-RGB values and the Lab values. Accordingly, a table from the printer-dependent color space to uniform color space (hereinafter, referred to as a color-space correspondence table) can be obtained. Additionally, for colors (post-RGB values) other than colors of post-RGB values which output the color patches, this color-space correspondence table is used to compute a known interpolation operation such as a tetrahedron interpolation to estimate Lab values, and thus similar relationships can be determined.
Next, a target color (a Lab value) corresponding to an object grid point constituting the LUT to be created and Lab values corresponding to all post-RGB values of the color-space correspondence table are compared to search the most approximate point which is a point at which the color difference is minimum. Thus, the post-RGB value of the most approximate point can be determined as a color corresponding to the object grid point, i.e., grid point data.
However, this method requires an enormous amount of time to search all post-RGB values. Japanese Patent No. 3371964 discloses a method to reduce the search time. In this document, first, a point at which a color difference with the target color is minimum is searched among post-RGB values corresponding to a measured color patch. Next, a point which can be approximated as a point at which the color difference with the target color is minimum is searched among post-RGB values in a neighboring region of the searched post-RGB value, and the post-RGB value is set as the color corresponding to the grid point. By reducing the search region, the search time is reduced.
However, even with the method in consideration of reducing the search time disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3371964, the method still leaves room for reductions in search time, that is, the search time has not been reduced sufficiently. Although the method of Japanese Patent No. 3371964 searches a point at which the color difference with a target color is minimum among post-RGB values corresponding to the measured color patch in order to circumvent searching all post-RGB values, the method still executes a search, which requires a certain amount of time.
In addition, the neighboring region to be searched needs to contain midpoints between the grid point at which the color difference is minimum and adjacent grid points, and thus the neighboring region to be searched is determined by the number of grid points of the color-space correspondence table. The search time can be reduced by reducing the neighboring region. However, the neighboring region cannot be reduced alone. That is, in order to reduce the neighboring region, the number of grid points has to be increased. Thus, the reduction in the search time cannot be realized effectively.

Method of creating color conversion table and image processing apparatus


An apparatus for sensing movement of a point rail away from a stock rail by a selected distance, by closing a switch to shunt a track circuit. Manual resetting of the point rail is required to reset the apparatus to open the switch.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of railroad track switching equipment used to enable railroad vehicle traffic to pass along one or the other of two sets of tracks, at a point where the two sets of tracks merge into one set of tracks or where one set of tracks diverges into two sets of tracks, specifically equipment used to monitor the position of switching equipment at the merge/diverge point.
2. Background Art
In directing railroad vehicle traffic between one set of tracks and two sets of diverging tracks, with vehicles moving in either direction, it is well known to shift a set of point rails transversely, to cause one or the other of the point rails to contact a stationary stock rail. When viewed from the perspective of the single set of tracks, if the right hand point rail aligns with the right hand stock rail, traffic will be directed from the single set of tracks onto the left set of diverging tracks, or traffic coming from the left set of diverging tracks can pass onto the single set of tracks. Conversely, if the left hand point rail aligns with the left hand stock rail, traffic will be directed from the single set of tracks onto the right set of diverging tracks, or traffic coming from the right set of diverging tracks can pass onto the single set of tracks.
With this common type of switching arrangement, if the right hand point rail is aligned with the right hand stock rail, and if a rail vehicle passes from the right hand set of diverging tracks onto the single set of tracks, the right hand point rail will be forced away from the right hand stock rail. In this situation, commonly called a trailed switch condition, the right hand point rail may simply deflect and then return almost to its original alignment with the right hand stock rail, but remain somewhat separated from the right hand stock rail. This results in a condition which could lead to derailment when the next rail vehicle moving along the single set of tracks passes through the switch point, since neither the right hand point rail nor the left hand point rail aligns with its respective stock rail. In other words, the right wheel of the rail vehicle will attempt to follow the right hand set of diverging tracks, while the left wheel of the rail vehicle will attempt to follow the left hand set of diverging tracks. Even if the point rail rebounds to its original position in contact with the stock rail, the switch machine which holds the point rails in position may have been damaged and rendered incapable of adequately holding the point rail in position against the stock rail. This can still result in the derailing of a rail vehicle passing through the switch. It is necessary, therefore, to send an operator to a trailed switch, to inspect the switching apparatus and reset the trailed switch detector.
It is known to have a shunt switch, commonly called a circuit controller switch, positioned to sense movement of the point rail away from the stock rail by a selected distance, at which point the shunt switch will shunt the associated track circuit, indicating that the point rail has moved away from the stock rail. Providing this separate circuit controller switch, possibly calling for an additional housing and connecting apparatus, obviously adds some expense and complexity to the switching arrangement. Further, some currently available switch machines are sufficiently robust that, after a train passes through the switch from the wrong set of diverging tracks, the switch machine will allow the point rail to rebound to a position sufficiently close to the stock rail that the circuit controller switch will immediately open, and the track circuit will no longer be shunted. So, in spite of the added cost of providing the circuit controller switch to detect the trailed switch condition, such known systems do not reliably sense the existence of a trailed switch condition.
Therefore, it is necessary to have apparatus for sensing when a trailed switch condition exists, and to prevent the trailed switch sensing apparatus from resetting itself even if the point rail moves back into contact with its stock rail.

Non-powered trailed switch detector for railroad track switching equipment


A light measurement device includes a photoelectric converter for receiving light from an object to be measured and converting the light to a measuring electrical energy in accordance with the intensity of the light, an offset amount measurement device for measuring the offset amount of the photoelectric converter, temperature measurement device for measuring a first temperature of the photoelectric converter when measuring the offset amount, and a second temperature of the photoelectric converter when measuring the light from the object, a memory device for storing a characteristic of the photoelectric converter with respect to temperature, correction amount calculation device for calculating a correction amount based on the characteristic, the first temperature, and the second temperature, and a light intensity calculation device for calculating a light intensity based on the measuring electrical energy, the offset amount, and the correction amount.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a light measurement device provided with a photoelectric conversion circuit for converting the intensity of incident light from an object to be measured.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Increasingly higher accuracy has been required in recent years for such a light measurement device for use in measurement of white balance of computer displays or TV screens, for example. A photosensor and a photoelectric conversion circuit including an amplifier for amplifying the output of the photosensor which together constitute a light measurement device are susceptible to the effect of temperature variations. Various measures are taken to overcome this problem to achieve a required accuracy.
FIG. 12 shows a typical arrangement used in conventional photoelectric conversion circuits. As shown in the figure, a photosensor PC2 is connected across the inverting and non-inverting inputs of an operational amplifier OP3. The non-inverting input is grounded while the inverting output is connected to an output terminal via a resistor Rf'.
Characteristic lines in FIG. 13 represent relationships between incident light intensity and output voltage VOUT of the photosensor PC2 of the photoelectric conversion circuit shown in FIG. 12 at different temperatures. It is assumed here that the photosensor PC2 has a negative temperature coefficient, that is, the output voltage of the photosensor PC2 decreases as the temperature rises. The output voltage offset level and slope of the characteristic line of the photosensor PC2 vary with change in temperature as shown by L1, L2 and L3 of FIG. 13.
Conventional devices are provided with a thermally sensitive device such as a thermistor in the circuit for temperature compensation. FIG. 14 shows an example of such a circuit.
Referring to FIG. 14, a photosensor PC1 is connected across two input terminals of an operational amplifier OP. The output VOUT of the operational amplifier OP is connected to both an analog-digital converter 20 (hereinafter referred to as ADC) in the succeeding stage and a series circuit including a resistor R and a thermistor RTH. Further, the junction of the resistor R and thermistor RTH is connected to the inverting input of the operational amplifier OP via a resistor RF. The output VOUT is converted into digital data by ADC 20 and delivered to a central processing unit 30 (hereinafter referred to as CPU) which then performs temperature compensation, and is displayed on an indicator 40. Indicated at 50 is a cap which is used to cover the photosensor PC1.
Voltage VRF and output voltage VOUT of the circuit shown in FIG. 14 are given by the following equations, respectively: EQU VRF=-(IP+IB).times.RF+VOFF (1) ##EQU1## where IP is a photoelectric current, IB is a current drawn from the inverting input of the operational amplifier OP, and VOFF is an offset voltage of the operational amplifier OP.
Conventional temperature compensation will be described below.


NiAl is preheated to a temperature between 1530.degree. C. and 1638.degree. C. causing some of the aluminum to evaporate along the faying surfaces thereby forming a glazed layer of nickel rich self-generated filler metal. The glazed faying surfaces are placed in contact, heated to 1530.degree. C. to 1570.degree. C., and pressed together to form a fusion weld.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,036 to Kemble et al relates to aluminum alloy brazing material consisting of aluminum, silicon and magnesium. Burgess et al Pat. No. 3,744,120 is concerned with a method of direct bonding of metals by means of a metal-gas eutectic.
Ghosh Pat. No. 4,847,044 is concerned with a metal aluminide composite formed by first fabricating an alloy having a softer metal in the surface layer. Cooper et al Pat. No. 4,948,457 describes a process for the diffusion bonding of an aluminum alloy.

Fusion welding with self-generated filler metal

The United States of America as represented by the Adminstrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


Disclosed is a vertical moving and swing type blender, which is capable of being moved vertically and swinging in right and left directions, thereby easily crushing food. The blender includes: a base member; a turning member configured such that a lower portion thereof is pivotally hinged to an upper portion of the base member; a main body disposed to be vertically movable in the turning member; a container member detachably coupled to an upper portion of the main body and configured to receive food, with a blade provided therein; a vertical elastic member elastically supporting the main body to allow the main body to be vertically movable in the turning member; and a horizontal elastic member configured such that a first end thereof is coupled to the base member and a second end thereof is coupled to the turning member so as to support the turning member horizontally and elastically.

In general, a blender is configured such that an electric motor is rotated by a power supply, and a blender blade is rotated by the electric motor to mix and/or crush food.
However, since the conventional blender is rotated while the position of the blender blade is fixed, food is placed on the outer periphery of the blender blade due to the centrifugal force of the blender blade after crushing for a certain period of time.
Accordingly, in order to crush less crushed food, a user should hold the blender and shake it or apply impact to move the food placed on the outer periphery of the blender blade toward the blender blade, which is troublesome.
As described above, it is inconvenient for the user to use the conventional blender because the user should hold and shake the entire blender or apply impact to the blender, and accordingly, the blender may be damaged due to the strong impact.
Further, when the food or the like is not crushed well, the motor is sometimes rotated at an extremely high speed, thereby shortening the life of the motor and increasing the electric charge.


A charging circuit includes a first power source circuit that supplies charging power to secondary batteries; a switch that controls the supply of the power; and a control device that performs switching control of the switch. The control device detects a voltage difference between the secondary batteries before starting charging; starts a timer and starts serial charging of the secondary batteries; on the condition that the voltage difference before the charging has been equal to or larger than a first threshold, if respective voltage values of the secondary batteries have both become equal to or larger than a second threshold before the timer expires, shortens a remaining time on the timer at that time point; and finishes the serial charging of the secondary batteries at the earlier of a time point when the secondary batteries have both become fully charged, or a time point when the timer has expired.

In a charging circuit that simultaneously charges multiple secondary batteries, a charging scheme for serially charging the respective secondary batteries can reduce power source systems for supplying current to the respective secondary batteries, in comparison to a charging scheme for charging in parallel. Serial charging is thus often employed particularly in low-cost charging circuits. Moreover, for example, in an electronic device with built-in secondary batteries that are serially connected, if the secondary batteries are charged without being removed, the serial charging will necessarily be performed. In the serial charging, however, if the charging is attempted until all of the multiple secondary batteries with different charged amounts before the charging are fully charged, overcharged states of the secondary batteries with larger charged amounts before the charging will continue for a long time to promote degradation.
As a conventional technique for the purpose of solving such a problem, there is a publicly known charging device that equalizes the charged amounts of the multiple secondary batteries before performing the serial charging. For example, in a prior art technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-250364), a charging circuit that charges two secondary batteries is provided with three switches and configured to be switchable between individual charging and the serial charging of the respective secondary batteries. In addition, the prior art technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can individually charge only the secondary battery with a lower voltage until a voltage difference between the two secondary batteries becomes approximately the same, while measuring their voltages, and thereby equalize the charged amounts of the two secondary batteries before performing the serial charging. In other words, the prior art technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 starts the serial charging of the two secondary batteries after equalizing the charged amounts of the two secondary batteries through the individual charging, and can thus inhibit the degradation of the secondary batteries as described above.
However, a configuration of switching between the individual charging and the serial charging of the respective secondary batteries requires at least three switches as in the prior art technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, and moreover, its circuit configuration becomes complicated to thereby cause increase in a manufacturing cost of the charging circuit.


A microfluidic device is useful for modelling drug transmission across the vasculature and vascular barriers. The device includes a frame, a fluid-permeable lumen configured to carry a fluid through the frame in a first direction, a first chamber surrounding the lumen, and a second chamber surrounding the first fluid-permeable chamber. At least one surface of the first chamber is configured for deposition of a first population of endothelial cells. An outer surface of the second chamber is configured for deposition a second population of cells. The second chamber is configured to carry a fluid through the frame in a second direction. The fluid-permeable lumen is configured to allow the fluid to permeate through a wall of the lumen into the first chamber, and the first chamber and the second chamber are in fluid communication with each other.

Understanding the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-tumor barrier (BTB) and how they change in response to disease states is critical to developing effective therapeutic options to treat, for example, tumors of the CNS. Unfortunately, current in-vitro models for these vascular systems do not accurately represent physiological conditions, limiting the accuracy of testing different pharmacological agents.
Transwell plates are currently used to mimic the interaction between endothelial cells and surrounding systems. This method however is limited by its static nature. Transwell plates additionally lack the dimension of fluid flow, which limits physiologic relevance.
In an attempt to address this issue and provide a more realistic model, microfluidic chips have recently been developed which allow for fluid flow through the system and are of a more physiologically relevant size.
Although the use of microfluidics is an improvement from the static transwell plate method, there remains several limiting factors, making it an imperfect and difficult to interpret model. Due to the nature of the microfluidic chambers, establishing endothelial and other cell type colonies is very difficult and can take months to perfect. The sealed microfluidic system also makes the cells inaccessible for further research, thus limiting researchers from understanding how cells may react to different treatments. Additionally, unlike transwell plates, current microfluidic chips are single throughput systems, making it an unrealistic model for drug screenings which often require hundreds if not thousands of trials.
Furthermore, current microfluidic chambers are so small that they require a mold and the pouring of poly-di-methyl-siloxane into the mold. This material may bind certain drug types, which limits its use in drug discovery.
In order for researchers to develop a better understanding of the BBB and BTB under different disease states, it is critical that a physiologically relevant, easy to use, and reliable model be established which can be used for drug screening trials.

Microfluidic chip as a model for blood-tissue barriers


A delivery catheter having a shaft with a distal end and a proximal end for delivering an ablation probe to a body site. The delivery catheter comprises mounting members located at the distal end configured to receive an ablation probe; and attachment members configured to attach the distal end to a tissue surface. The delivery catheter preferably configured to allow an ablation probe mounted on the distal end to be manipulated so as to extend from the distal end in a direction selected from a range of directions. Even more preferably, the delivery catheter is configured to allow an ablation probe mounted on the distal end to be manipulated so as to move along a tissue surface and perform linear ablation. The invention also provides a system comprising the delivery catheter of the invention and an ablation device having an ablation probe, wherein the delivery catheter and the ablation probe are configured to allow the ablation probe to be mounted at the distal end of the delivery catheter.

Medical refractory cardiac arrhythmia can be treated using catheter ablation techniques. However, ablation of cardiac tissue along a continuous trace over a tissue surface (referred to herein as "linear ablation") is difficult to achieve by this technique. Linear ablation in cardiac tissue is an accepted procedure for treating arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation, which is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In this procedure, more than one line of tissue ablation is usually needed for successful treatment. However, generating continuous ablation lines in catheter ablation techniques is difficult to achieve. Thus, rather than utilizing the generally preferred per-cutaneous catheter ablation technique that makes use of an ablation catheter, ablation is carried out in an open-heart procedure in which the chest of the treated individual is opened to expose the heart tissue. While the open heart procedure is more traumatic and fully invasive, it is none the less become the standard ablation procedure. At times, ablation needs to be performed on heart portions that face the pulmonary veins. The lack of a direct view of these regions by the surgeon during an open heart procedure complicates the open heart ablation procedure.

Catheter for delivering a tissue ablation probe


A computer system configured for autonomous learning of entity values is provided. The computer system includes a memory that stores associations between entities and fields of response data. The computer system also includes a processor configured to receive a request to process an intent; generate a request to fulfill the intent; transmit the request to a fulfillment service; receive, from the fulfillment service, response data specifying values of the fields; identify the values of the fields within the response data; identify the entities via the associations using the fields; store, within the memory, the values of the fields as values of the entities; and retrain a natural language processor using the values of the entities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) conversational systems, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, are gaining in popularity and use. Virtual assistants, such as the Citrix Assistant commercially available from Citrix Systems, Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., are software agents that interact with a user to execute tasks on behalf of the user. Users can interact with virtual assistants to accomplish daily tasks and improve their productivity.
Virtual assistants receive, interpret, and respond to user utterances (e.g., human language communications). In doing so, virtual assistants can answer questions, control devices, playback media, and execute other useful processes. Virtual assistants use Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to extract, from a user utterance, an intent and one or more entities that modify and/or increase the specificity of the intent. When needed, virtual assistants fulfill the intent by interoperating with external services (e.g. micro-apps, 3rd party services, and the like). In this way, virtual assistants are able to create dialogs with the user to act as a bridge between the user and the external services. The dialogs can include audio and textual responses, multi-media presentations, hyperlinks, and other forms of content.

Autonomous learning of entity values in artificial intelligence conversational systems


A dorsal foot splint includes a dorsal member having a proximal portion for engaging the dorsal surface of the lower leg and a distal portion for engaging the dorsal surface of the foot. A tension strap is configured to adjust a position between the distal and proximal portions of the dorsal member to vary the tension applied to the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon of a user.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to orthotics, and more specifically to dorsal foot splints.
2. Background
The plantar fascia is a thick tissue that connects the heal bone to the toes and creates the arch of the foot. Excessive wear of the plantar fascia often results in an inflammatory condition known as plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most common source of pain on the bottom of the heel. Approximately two million patients are treated for this condition every year.
A common therapeutic treatment for plantar fascia is physical therapy. Physical therapy typically includes stretching the planar fascia and Achilles tendon and strengthening the lower leg muscles. More aggressive treatments include painful injections into the heel of the foot. Night splints may also be used to treat plantar fasciitis by keeping the foot in a dorsi-flexed position to stretch the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon. One example of a night splint is a dorsal foot splint. The dorsal foot splint rests against the dorsal surface of the lower leg and foot leaving the heel and the back of the lower leg exposed. This design tends to be more comfortable than other night splints, such as the posterior foot splint. As a result, the dorsal foot splint is more likely to be worn at night over an extended period, thereby facilitating a speedy recovery.
The dorsal foot splint has its drawbacks, however. The dorsal foot splint supports the lower leg and foot from the top with a continuous rigid splint member. Accordingly, the tension applied to the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon is fixed. A posterior foot splint, on the other hand, supports the foot from below and the leg from behind. Tension straps between the foot portion and the posterior leg portion of the splint allow the user to adjust the tension applied to the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon. Although there have been some attempts in the past to develop a dorsal foot splint that can vary the tension applied to the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon, these foot splints are bulky, difficult to apply, and provide limited range of motion. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a new innovative design that combines the adjustability of the posterior foot splint with the comfort of a dorsal foot splint.


A remotely releasable tow line is provided. The tow line has a releasable latch at a distal end that is removably connected to a race car. The releasable latch is operatively associated with a cable handle adjacent to a proximal end of the tow line. Accordingly, a user disposed on a tow vehicle, to which the proximal end is connected, may manipulate the cable handle so that the release latch disconnects from the race car, in such a way that while the race car is still being towed it is unhooked from the tow vehicle, thereby saving time in getting the race car in a pit area where the race car can be tended to before its soon-approaching next race.

The present invention relates to racing accessories and, more particularly, a quick release tow line designed for use by racing teams to enable a more rapid release of race vehicles being towed to the pit area.
Seconds Count
Drag racing is not your typical motor sport in many ways—particularly the limited amount of time between races. Understanding drag race timing is important to understanding the advantages of the present invention.
In drag racing, race teams must qualify to compete in a multi-car field. It is advantageous to qualify in the highest possible position, as the quickest car is matched against the slowest car in round one. Plus, the quickest three teams get bonus points towards the championship points count to determine the champion and the winner of a substantial amount of money.
Typically, each race team gets four (4) chances to qualify, prior to race day, and qualifying rounds are limited to one day. Though, sometimes weather may decrease the number of attempts that can be had in that one day (yet another reason timing between races is of the essence). Thus, qualifying rounds are very important to the race teams.
Between Rounds: After Crossing the Finish Line and Before the Start of the Next Race
After the race car passes the 1000-foot mark (end of race) they enter a slow-down area that is about one-half mile long. This allows the teams to deploy its two parachutes and brake to a stop. At that point the team recovery vehicle and crew members recover the race car. Specifically, the recovery vehicle will hook up a tow line to the race car and begin to tow it back towards its "pit stall" for service.
On the way to the pit stall, the race team tows the race car back around behind the race stands to stop ('in line') with other teams to have the race car pulled onto weighing scales to verify the car's weight meets the rules. After it is pulled off the scales it is towed back into the race pit stalls where the car is released and glides into the correct position to begin its between rounds servicing.
This servicing includes, among other things, that the engine is completely rebuilt, the clutches are all replaced, the tires and the fuel filled up, the parachute re-installed, etc.
In short, the race car covers 1000 feet in under four seconds (from a standing start) at 330 miles per hour. The race car's next race starts in 45 to 60 minutes. Thus, the race team gets, at most, one (1) hour to return the race car back to the pit stall and rebuild it as described above before being called back to the starting lanes for the next round. As can be seen, maximizing the timing that the race car can spend in the pit stall is critical. That time in the pit stall is a function of how fast the race car can be towed from the finish line and into the pit stall.
Currently, getting and positioning the race car in the pit stall entails the crew members jumping off the towing (recovery) vehicle in order to push the race car back and forth to maneuver it into the pit stall—this can take two to three precious minutes.
Watching a drag race, one will observe the team members pull away and take the car with them. While they are wrapping the parachutes up (to avoid dragging them along the surface) and that they have already started removing parts of the car to replace, as every part of the engine and drive train is replaced in between each round by a group of skilled crew members.
As explained above, drag race teams are under strict time restrictions when competing at the track, and the long tow back from the finish line to the team's pit stall burns up valuable time as the current solutions require teams to stop the tow vehicle and unhook the race car, then push the race car the final distance into the pit stall—which are time consuming and labor intensive.
As can be seen, there is a need for quick release tow line designed for use by racing teams to enable a more rapid release of race vehicles being towed to the pit stall. The quick release tow line embodied in the present invention (colloquially known as the "Toad Rope") enables users to release the race car while it is still in motion with the simple tug of a release cord, so thereafter the gliding race car is controllable by one person in the towing vehicle. In other words, the present invention allows the race car to be pulled back to the pit area and then be remotely released, allowing the race car to glide into its pit area without stopping and without requiring the assistance of the pit crew to unhook the towed vehicle. Thereby, the present invention allows teams to shorten turn-around times as it requires no team members to physically unhook and push the race car the final distance.

Remotely releasable tow line assembly and method for using the same


The present invention provides an emergency notification device for a vehicle that includes: a base; a support pole composed of a plurality of pole rods sequentially connected to the base; and a light emitting frame unit connected to the pole rods to be unfolded or folded in accordance with moving up or down of the pole rods, in which the plurality of pole rods gradually changes in diameter in an antenna type to be sequentially accommodated in a pole rod having the largest diameter or unfolded from the pole rod having the largest diameter, and the plurality of pole rods are coupled with an elastic member therebetween when accommodated, and raised by elasticity of the elastic members when the elastic members are not locked.

A notification method is to set a triangle reflector when a vehicle is broken, or an accident occurs son a road. Recently, rear collision accidents with vehicles stopped on the shoulders of expressways, motorways, or state roads have been frequently occurred.
In particular, these accidents more frequently occur on expressways and motorways that are paved well for high-speed driving. When situations such as breakdown of a vehicle and puncture on a tire occur during driving, drivers pull over the vehicle and wait for a wrecker or replace the punctured tire, and in this case, it is required to set a triangle reflector that notifies an emergency situation. However, when it is difficult to recognize the triangle reflector due to heavy traffic and when it is nighttime or a visual field is unclear, the following vehicles fail to recognize the triangle reflector, so rear collision accidents frequently occur. Further, it is impossible to move the vehicle to the shoulders in most breakdown or sudden accidents and turning on the emergency light is the only way of making the following vehicles recognize the situations, so secondary rear collision accidents follow.
Further, there is no effective notification device that makes surrounding vehicles drive safely and carefully when a yellow bus or a disabled vehicle is stopped and passengers board or alight, so there is always a possibility of a safety accident. Further, following vehicles frequently fail to recognize situations and cause a rear collision accident while an accident is coped with or a road is being constructed.
In order to solve these problems, there is an intense demand for an effective and practical emergency notification device for a vehicle that is systemized in a built-in form in a vehicle, is attached to a vehicle as an independent device, or is manufactured as a mobile device and protects human life and makes traffic flow smoothly by making following drivers quickly recognize a sudden situation.

Emergency notification device for vehicle and rear vehicle assistance system including same


An image forming apparatus includes a data storage unit, a plurality of data processing units, and an assignment unit. The data storage unit is configured to store data of pages onto a plurality of storage devices. The plurality of data processing units are configured to perform parallel processing on the data of the pages, wherein the data for each of the pages is assigned to one of the plurality of data processing units. The assignment unit is configured to assign the data of each of the pages to be processed by one of the plurality of data processing units, wherein the assignment of the data of each of the pages to one of the plurality of data processing units is determined by a transfer rate of each of the storage devices for the data of the pages stored on the plurality of storage devices.

A typical image forming apparatus using a multi-core processor performs parallel analysis processing of data having a page description language (PDL) format including a plurality of pages by assigning different pages to respective cores.
For example, the typical image forming apparatus stores data of a plurality of pages on a plurality of storage devices, and assigns a page to be subjected to analysis processing and a storage device to be used with the analysis processing to each of the plurality of cores.
With this configuration, the typical image forming apparatus can perform analysis processing of data from different pages in parallel.
However, the typical image forming apparatus simply assigns a page to be subjected to the analysis processing to each core, and hence overall processing time may become long depending on a transfer rate of the storage device.

Image forming apparatus processing a plurality of pages in parallel


A multiple-disk friction clutch, especially for motor vehicles, with a hub which has an internal toothing and can be placed on a gear shaft so as to be rotationally fixed relative thereto. At least two clutch disks are connected with the hub so as to be rotationally fixed relative thereto and project radially beyond the hub. A stop which guides the hub axially relative to the clutch disks is provided between the clutch disks. The hub is formed of two parts and includes a hub body having an outer toothing and a hub ring which has the same outer toothing and sits on a radial shoulder of the hub body. The outer toothing of the hub ring is offset by one tooth relative to the toothing of the hub body to form the stop for the clutch disks. The hub body and the hub ring are connected with one another so as to be rotationally fixed relative to one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a multiple-disk friction clutch, especially for motor vehicles. Such a friction clutch has a hub with an internal toothing and can be placed on a transmission shaft or gear shaft so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative thereto. At least two clutch plates or disks are connected with the hub so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative thereto and so as to project radially over the hub. A stop, which guides the hub axially relative to the clutch disks, is provided between the clutch disks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A multiple-disk friction clutch of this type is known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,326. This clutch has a hub which is provided with axially projecting webs around its circumference on both sides. The clutch disks have a contour complementing the webs and can thus be fitted to the hub at both sides. The disk-like rim of the hub remaining between the webs serves as a stop for the clutch disks. Producing this hub is very costly in terms of manufacturing technique, since the webs must be machined out of solid material.


Steering system for a droplet generator in a EUV system. The steering system permits controlled positioning of a droplet release point of the droplet generator. A movable member holding the droplet generator is coupled to stationary elements of the EUV system through a coupling system having a first subsystem that constrains lateral translation of the movable member, and a second subsystem that controls a relative inclination of the movable member. The first and second subsystems preferably include one or a combination of flexures that permit highly precise and repeatable positioning.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to extreme ultraviolet ("EUV") light sources that provide EUV light from plasma created by converting a target material.
2. Background
Extreme ultraviolet light, e.g., electromagnetic radiation having wavelengths of around 50 nm or less (also sometimes referred to as soft x-rays), and including light at a wavelength of about 13.5 nm, can be used in photolithography processes to produce extremely small features in substrates such as silicon wafers.
Methods for generating EUV light include converting a target material from a liquid state into a plasma state. The target material preferably includes at least one element, e.g., xenon, lithium or tin, with one or more emission lines in the EUV range. In one such method, often termed laser produced plasma ("LPP") the required plasma can be produced by irradiating a target material having the required line-emitting element with a laser beam.
One LPP technique involves generating a stream of target material droplets and irradiating at least some of the droplets with laser light pulses. In more theoretical terms, LPP light sources generate EUV radiation by depositing laser energy into a target material having at least one EUV emitting element, such as xenon (Xe), tin (Sn) or lithium (Li), creating a highly ionized plasma with electron temperatures of several 10's of eV.
The energetic radiation generated during de-excitation and recombination of these ions is emitted from the plasma in all directions. In one common arrangement, a near-normal-incidence mirror (often termed a "collector mirror") is positioned to collect, direct (and in some arrangements, focus) the light at an intermediate location, e.g., a focal point. The collected light may then be relayed from the intermediate location to a set of scanner optics and ultimately to a wafer.
In quantitative terms, one arrangement that is currently being developed with the goal of producing about 100 W at the intermediate location contemplates the use of a pulsed, focused 10-12 kW CO2 drive laser which is synchronized with a droplet generator to sequentially irradiate about 10,000-200,000 tin droplets per second. For this purpose, there is a need to produce a stable stream of droplets at a relatively high repetition rate (e.g., 10-200 kHz or more). There is also a need to deliver the droplets to an irradiation site with high accuracy and good repeatability in terms of timing and position over relatively long periods of time. To ensure positional accuracy and repeatability, it is necessary to provide a high precision steering system that can release droplets from a range of positions to compensate for other systemic variations, for example, in laser targeting and timing. In this context, the term "steer" includes the concept of varying the position of the release point in at least two dimensions, i.e, with two angular degrees of freedom. It is also desirable to provide a steering system that is high bandwidth and that exhibits high stiffness with little or no hysteresis.
Design of a steering system meeting these criteria must also take into account that the droplet generator itself may be relatively massive, for example, on the order of 30 kg. The steering system also preferably operates over a relatively large range of angles, for example, with an actuation range of at least +1-2 degrees. Also, design considerations impose about a 1 micron requirement for position control of the droplets at the plasma location. This imposes a need for micro-radian level precision for the steering system.
With the above in mind, applicants disclose systems for steering a droplet generator.


The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a storage apparatus having multiple compartments. In one aspect, a multi-compartment bag can be formed of a flexible material, and each compartment of the multi-compartment bag can have two or more seams and one resealable opening edge. The seams in each compartment can include at least one tearable seam that can include at least a perforated seam configured to physically separate one of the compartments from the multi-compartment bag. In another aspect, a multi-compartment container can be formed of a rigid material having one or more removable lids, an upper portion, and a lower portion. The upper portion and the lower portion can each have a plurality of compartments. The upper portion can be separated from the lower portion by an intermediate layer.

Resealable storage bags can be used to store a variety of items including, for example, perishable items (such as food, snacks, and the like) and non-food items (such as buttons, postage stamps, and the like). Because conventional storage bags generally have a single storage compartment, the variety of items that can be stored in these bags without mixing the items together is compromised. For example, when storing food a person may want to keep different types of perishables in separate bags (such as miniature carrots and slices of pizza). The same can also apply to the storage of household items (such as screws and nails). In order to accommodate the storage of these items, multiple storage bags may be needed in order to separate the different types of items from each other.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multi-compartment resealable storage bag and container


A scan conversion device includes a first buffer unit, a pixel packing unit, a second buffer unit, and a scan output unit. The first buffer unit stores therein pixel signals of the input image on every line in a main scanning direction thereof. The pixel packing unit groups N (N≧2) pixel signals on each line into pixel signal packs according to a predetermined pixel combination rule, and outputs them sequentially. The second buffer unit stores therein the pixel signal packs and aligns them in a second main scanning direction different from the main scanning direction. The scan output unit sequentially outputs the pixel signal packs aligned in the second main scanning direction. According to this configuration, a scan pattern of the input image is changed into a scan pattern of outputting every N output lines in the second main scanning direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scan conversion device for converting a scan pattern of an input image. The present invention also relates to an electronic camera that includes the scan conversion device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent increase of the number of pixels of an imaging device has caused much increase of time required for reading out data from the pixels thereof. Providing a plurality of number of output channels for the imaging device to heighten a rate of pixel readout is a way to solve this problem.
For example, there is a known technique in which pixel signals from the imaging device are divided in a unit of regions of a screen, scanning lines or color components for parallel and simultaneous readout using a plurality of output channels.
However, there is a problem in using a plurality of output channels that it is required to provide a plurality of paths for transferring the pixel signals in the imaging device, which limits the design of the imaging device in terms of device layout, signal interference, and the like. Thus, an order of main scan or sub-scan of the pixel signals may be reversed for each channel (from/to descending to/from ascending order), for example. For another example, a main scanning direction may be changed from a generally used horizontal direction of a screen to a vertical direction.
As described above, the restriction to the scan pattern causes various troubles in later signal processing. For example, when adjacent pixel signals on the screen are output at different timings, it is not possible to align, in a pipeline way, pixel signals of the minimum processing unit for signal processing. In addition, if a pixel signal required first in signal processing is output later, the signal processing will be delayed.
Note that there is a known exemplary technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-260265 for outputting a serial output of an imaging device in the form of parallel outputs on a pixel block basis.

Scan conversion device and electronic camera


An inflator 10 of a vehicle occupant protection system, for example, contains an elongated housing 12 having a first end 14 and a second 16. The gas generator 10 includes a sealed pressurized gas supply or gas tank 18 in fluid communication with the first end 14 upon inflator 10 operation. A first seal 36 seals the first end 14 prior to gas generator 10 operation. A notched support member 56 is wedged within the housing 12 and fixes the first seal 36 against a sealed opening 24 of the gas tank 18, thereby preventing fluid flow during gas generator 10 inactivity. Upon gas generator 10 activation, the support member 56 is fractured by a force produced by an initiator 68 thereby releasing pressurized gas into the first end 14 and through the housing 12.

The present invention relates to gas generators used to inflate air bags in an automobile occupant protection system and, more particularly, to a stored gas inflator. In accordance with the present invention, an improved release system for stored gas within a pressurized canister is provided.
Inflation systems for deploying an air bag in a motor vehicle generally employ a gas generator in fluid communication with an uninflated air bag. The gas generator is typically triggered by a firing circuit when the sensed vehicle acceleration exceeds a predetermined threshold value, as through the use of an acceleration-responsive inertial switch.
Air bag inflation systems often utilize a stored gas generator housed within the B-pillar of the car, for example. Hybrid gas generators are typical and contain pressurized gas that is released upon receipt of a predetermined signal. An ongoing challenge is to reduce the time required to release the stored gas upon a crash event. Furthermore, improved safety and reduced manufacturing costs are also ongoing concerns. Improvements in any of these areas would provide an advantage over state-of-the-art gas release systems.
Other stored gas release systems are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,420, herein incorporated by reference, describes a device for the introduction of pressurized gas into an airbag.


A switch valve includes a valve body, a control stem rotatably mounted on the valve body to open/close a water flow in the valve body, a limit ring mounted on the valve body to encompass the control stem, and a rotation head removably mounted on the limit ring and detachably engaged with the control stem for rotating the control stem. Thus, the distal end of the control stem is only rotated by rotation of the rotation head to rotate the control stem so as to open/close the water flow in the valve body, so that the switch valve has a locking effect, thereby preventing the switch valve from being opened by a person intentionally.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch valve, and more particularly to a switch valve having a locking effect.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional switch valve in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 6 comprises a valve body 10, a control stem 11 rotatably mounted on the valve body 10 to open/close a water flow in the valve body 10, and a rotation head 12 mounted on the control stem 11 for rotating the control stem 11 so as to open/close the water flow in the valve body 10. Thus, the switch valve can be closed when not in use. However, the control stem 11 is not locked by a locking device, so that the control stem 11 can be rotated freely by any person to open the water flow in the valve body 10, thereby easily wasting the water resource.