The present invention relates to an electrostatic information recording medium in which a charge retaining layer having high insulating properties is laminated on an electrode, and an electrostatic information recording/reproducing process wherein, while said electrostatic information recording medium is positioned in opposition to a photosensitive member on which a photoconductive layer is laminated, the recording medium is subjected to information exposure with the application of voltage between both electrodes to accumulate electrostatic charges thereon depending upon the dosage of said information exposure, and the electrostatic information thus accumulated is reproduced by potential reading.. The present electrostatic information recording medium has an information density as expressed in terms of a high recording capacity of the order of 8.times.10.sup.8 bits/cm.sup.2, and makes it possible to process information in a planar state so that analog or digital information such as characters, line pictures, images, (0.1) information and sounds can be accumulated in the form of electrostatic charges. Due to its high charge retainability, it is further possible to store information permanently.

The present invention relates to an electrostatic information recording medium and an electrostatic information recording and reproducing method, by which the information can be electrostatically recorded and reproduced at any desired time.
Conventionally, silver salt photographing method is already known as a technique for high sensitivity photographing. In this photographing method, the photographed image is recorded on film through the development process, and silver salt emulsion (such as photographic paper) is used for reproducing the image or it is reproduced on cathode ray tube (CRT) by optically scanning the developed film.
There is also an electronic photographing technique, in which an electrode is deposited on photoconductive layer by evaporation and the surface of photoconductive layer is electrically charged by corona charging in a dark place. Then, it is exposed to intensive light to make the exposed photoconductive layer electrically conductive. By removing the electric charge on that portion by leaking it to form electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductive layer, and the toner is attached, which has an electric charge with a polarity opposite to that of the remaining electrostatic charge. This technique is mostly used for duplication purposes and is not generally suitable for photographing because of its low sensitivity. Since electrostatic charge retaining time is short, toner development is usually performed after the electrostatic latent image is formed.
Further, there is the method for TV photographing technique, in which photographing is performed by an image pickup tube and the image information obtained by an optical semiconductor are taken out as an electric signal. This is directly outputted on a CRT or is recorded on video by magnetic recording and the image is reproduced on a CRT when desired.
Also, a method is known, in which thermoplastic materials having an electric charge carrying property are laminated on a transparent electrode and selenium particles are deposited by vacuum evaporation on the surface of the thermoplastic material and is infiltrate to prepare the recording medium. To record the information on this recording medium, the surface of the thermoplastic material is electrically charged by corona charging, and the image is exposed to light by applying a voltage between the electrodes disposed at face-to-face positions. Thus, an optical carrier is generated on the photoconductive particles in the exposure portion to form the latent image. For the development, the thermoplastic material is softened by heating, and only the photoconductive particles generating an optical carrier are migrated in the thermoplastic material layer. The information thus developed is reproduced as visible information according to the quantity of transmission light (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,520,681, 4,101,321 and 4,496,642).
The silver salt photographing method is an excellent means to preserve the image of the object, but it requires a development process to form the silver salt image and also the complicated optical, electrical and chemical processings are involved in reproducing the image to hard copy and soft copy (CRT output), etc.
The electronic photographing technique is more simple and quick than the silver salt photographing method in reproducing the electrostatic latent image, whereas the latent image can be preserved only for a short period, and the dissociation of the development, image quality, etc. are inferior to those of the silver salt method.
TV photographing technique requires linear sequential scanning to take out and record the electric image signals obtained by the pickup tube. Linear sequential scanning is performed by an electron beam in the pickup tube and by a magnetic head in video recording. Since resolution depends upon the number of scanning lines, it is extremely inferior to the planar analog recording such as in silver salt photographing.
The recently developed TV image pickup technique using solid-state image sensor (such as CCD) is also essentially the same with regards to the resolution.
The problems involved in these techniques lie in the fact that the processing becomes more complicated if higher quality and resolution are required in the image recording and the memory function is lacking or image quality is basically poor if the processing is simplified.
There is another technique, in which a thermoplastic material layer containing a selenium particle layer is provided on the transparent electrode and it is electrically (charged by corona charging. After the image is exposed, the thermoplastic material is softened and the image is heat-developed, and the information is reproduced as visible information. In this case, the electric charge information thus accumulated can be preserved for a long period (10 years or more), whereas the application is limited as an information recording means by a camera because corona charging is needed for information recording. Also, on the surface of the thermoplastic resin softened during heat development, the so-called frost phenomenon occurs, in which fine irregularities are caused by the repulsion between the surface electric charge, when it is electrically charged to a higher potential. As the result, when the accumulated information is detected as surface potential, noise occurs and the resolution is adversely affected.

Electrostatic information recording medium and electrostatic information recording and reproducing method


The present invention is directed to a mold. The present invention is also directed to a device for processing the same, and a replica made therefrom. A device for processing the mold comprises a cutting unit carving a surface of the mold; a housing accommodating the cutting unit and having an aperture through which a portion of the cutting unit protrudes; at least one piezo-electric element disposed between the cutting unit and the housing; and a signal generator applying an electrical signal to the piezoelectric element. The mold comprises a plurality of linear peaks and grooves that are formed on a surface of the mold, wherein both or one of the peaks and grooves have random or periodic meandering-shape. A replica manufactured by the mold comprises a plurality of linear crests and valleys that are formed on a surface of the replica, wherein both or one of the crests and valleys have random or periodic meandering-shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a mold. The present invention is also (Erected to a device for processing the same, and a replica made therefrom.
2. Background
Liquid crystal display known as LCD is an electronic device that changes electrical signals to visual signals by using the change of transmittance of liquid crystals according to applied voltages.
Generally, liquid crystal display comprises a liquid crystal panel displaying an image corresponding to driving signal and data signal from outside, and a backlight unit disposed at a back side of the liquid crystal panel for illuminating the panel.
The backlight unit comprises light source, reflection sheet and optical film.
The light source generates a light having a certain wavelength.
The reflection sheet reflects a light generated from the light source to proceed toward the liquid crystal panel.
The optical film comprises diffusion sheet, prism sheet and protective sheet.
The light generated from the light source passes through the diffusion sheet. Here, the diffusion sheet scatters the incident light to prevent its partial concentration and make the brightness uniform.
The brightness of the light transmitted from the diffusion sheet rapidly decreases. So, the prism sheet is used to prevent the decrease of brightness.
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a conventional method of processing a mold.
Referring to FIG. 1, a bite 100 to which diamond particles 100a are adhered is fixed to a table and, a mold 110 is disposed under the bite 100, and a surface of the mold 110 contacts with the bite 100.
And, the mold 110 rotates, and moves to a left direction, and processes the bite 100. Here, the bite 100 may move horizontally when the mold 110 rotates only.
Generally, the rotation speed and straight line movement speed of the bite 100 are constant. Therefore, the surface of the mold 110 is cut by certain amount, and a linear uniform surface 112 is obtained, as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a prism sheet manufactured by using the mold of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, the prism sheet 200 comprises a prism base 230, and an array of prisms 210 formed on the prism base 230. The prisms 210 include side surfaces composed of a first surface 212 and a second surface 214, and the shape of prisms 210 is approximately isoscelestriangle. Generally, the first surface 212 and the second surface 214 make a right angle, but may make other angles by selection.
A plurality of prisms 210 are disposed on the prism base 230, and peaks 216 and grooves 218 are formed in turn. The prism sheet 200 makes a light incident from the prism base 230 refract by passing it through the prisms 210. Accordingly, the incident light with low incident angle is focused to front side, whereby the brightness is enhanced within a valid angle of view.
However, these prisms 210 of the conventional prism sheet 200 refract the incident light toward one direction because their surfaces are flat. Therefore, the conventional prism sheet 200 has a disadvantage that it is not appropriate to refract the light in two dimensions.

Mold, a device for processing the same, and a replica made therefrom


An infrared solid state imaging device includes a pixel area with arranged infrared detection pixels and a integration circuit for modulating output current based on the output of the pixel. The integration circuit contains an integrating transistor that modulates a current based on the difference in potential between first and second constant current devices, a integration capacitor for storing the modulated current and being reset periodically, a bias current supply transistor, a switch for connecting the drain with the gate of the bias current supply transistor, a capacitor providing AC coupling between the output of the integrating transistor and the integrating capacitor, a gate bias switch for providing the integrating transistor with a bias voltage, a switch for selecting, as input to the integrating transistor, either one of outputs from the first and second constant current devices, and a capacitor for providing AC coupling between the switch and the gate of the integrating transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal infrared solid state imaging device that detects thermal variations from incident infrared light using a two-dimensional semiconductor sensor array, and relates more particularly to a thermal infrared solid state imaging device that outputs the result of integrating electrical signals from a semiconductor sensor by means of a signal processing circuit, and to an infrared camera that uses this thermal infrared solid state imaging device.
2. Related Art
Various technologies related to thermal infrared solid state imaging devices have been disclosed.
For example, the thermal infrared solid state imaging device described in a non-patent document 1 ("A low cost 320×240 uncooled IRFPA using a conventional silicon IC process", Ishikawa, et al., Part of the SPIE Conference on Infrared Technology and Applications XXV, April 1999, Vol. 3698, pp 556-564 (FIGS. 7 and 9)) has a gate modulated integration circuit in which the forward voltage of a diode that is constant current driven by a transistor is input to the gate of the integrating transistor. A fixed voltage Vss is connected to the source of the integrating transistor, and an integrating capacitor Cin that is periodically reset is connected to the drain. After resetting, the supply voltage is applied to the anode side of the diode of a certain row. If the temperature of the diode is changed due to the infrared light, the gate voltage of the integrating transistor Mi changes, the discharge from the integrating capacitor changes accordingly, and the voltage is read out through a sample-and-hold (S/H) circuit.
The thermal infrared solid state imaging device disclosed in a patent document 1 (JP-A-2005-241501 (FIGS. 1, 2, 7)) provides a selector switch to the gate input of a gate-modulated transistor in the integration circuit, and switches the applied voltage between the pixel voltage and the voltage of a reference pixel that does not have a heat insulation structure. A bias current supply circuit composed of a bias transistor, a switch, and a capacitor is disposed to the drain of the gate-modulated transistor, and a coupling capacitor provides AC-coupling between the integrating capacitor and the drain of the integrating transistor. An integration circuit that achieves high gain without increasing the supply voltage is achieved by the bias current supply circuit suppressing steady discharge of the integrating capacitor. In addition, by determining the bias current when the selector switch switches to the reference pixel and holding the gate bias needed to supply the bias current in the capacitor, output fluctuations caused by variation in the device temperature can be suppressed. In addition, because the gate input conversion voltage of the noise current that is passed by the integrating transistor and the bias transistor immediately before the switch turns off is stored in a capacitor in the bias current supply circuit, low frequency noise (1/f noise) that is substantially constantly during the integration period is not accumulated in the integrating capacitor, thereby helping to reduce noise.
The thermal infrared solid state imaging device taught in a patent document 2 (JP-A-2002-300475 (FIGS. 15 and 16)) performs AC-coupling between the gate of the integrating transistor (amplification transistor) and the pixel area by means of a first coupling capacitor. A sampling transistor is disposed between the gate and the drain of the integrating transistor. The drain of the integrating transistor is connected to a power supply through a reset transistor, and is connected through a control switch and a second coupling capacitor to an integrating capacitor that is periodically clamped by a first switch. A sample and hold circuit composed of a second switch and a capacitor is connected to the downstream side of the integrating capacitor. A reference pixel row that does not have a heat insulation structure is disposed to the last line of the pixel area. In the first half of one horizontal period the drain of the integrating transistor is reset. The second switch is then turned on and the threshold voltage of the integrating transistor is held on the gate side of the first coupling capacitor. The second switch then opens and the reference pixel line is input in the following period. The first switch is left on at this time. As a result, a signal voltage denoting the variation from the threshold voltage is held by the second coupling capacitor. By then opening the first switch and selecting a pixel row, only signals denoting a different temperature than the reference pixel are accumulated in the integrating capacitor. This invention can thus suppress deviation in the threshold voltage of the integrating transistor, reset noise that is accumulated on the gate side of the first coupling capacitor when the second switch is open, and output fluctuations caused by device temperature fluctuations. The second coupling capacitor also functions to suppress the 1/f noise of the integrating transistor and the power supply transistor.
Some problems with the thermal infrared solid state imaging device taught in the non-patent document 1 are described below.                (1) Low voltage drive is difficult because the potential of the integrating capacitor Cin is discharged from the reset voltage Vref during the integration period even in the incident infrared state used as the reference. This problem is particularly pronounced because discharge increases if the bias current is increased to increase sensitivity and increase the gain of the integration circuit, or if the integration time is increased to reduce noise.        (2) The source voltage Vss of the integrating transistor is necessary. Because the current of the integrating transistor depends on the difference between the gate voltage and the source voltage, variation in the source voltage Vss causes the output voltage of the integration circuit to change.        (3) The pixel output voltage changes with change in the ambient temperature. This change cannot be differentiated from the change in incident infrared light.
In the case of the solid state imaging device shown in FIG. 7 in the patent document 1, the voltage on the pixel side of the switch is equal to the power supply voltage minus the forward voltage of the diode and the voltage drop between the drive line and the signal line. The voltage drop is low at the left side near the power supply node and increases to the right side. This voltage drop depends on the current flow and the resistance determined by the pixel pitch and the line width of the drive line. When the line resistance is 0.5Ω per pixel, the pixel current is 10 μA, and the horizontal pixel count is 320, there is a voltage drop of 260 mV between the left end and the right end of the drive line. This voltage is usually a vale that cannot be ignored compared with the threshold voltage of the integrating transistor. Because the mutual conductance of the integrating transistor that determines the gain of the integration circuit is proportional to the (gate voltage−threshold voltage), the gain distribution of the integration circuit occurs horizontally across the pixel area and appears as on the screen as uneven sensitivity. This problem can be reduced by such measures as setting the threshold voltage sufficiently high, reducing the pixel current, or reducing the drive line resistance, but the sensitivity deviation cannot be reduced to zero. There is also a voltage effect distribution on the signal line. But this is not a problem because the voltage drop on the signal line plus the voltage drop on the power supply line can be held constant on all of the vertical lines by setting the power supply line resistance on the drain side of the selector switch connected to the drive line to 1/(horizontal pixel count) of the resistance of the signal line in the pixel area.
Some problems with the thermal infrared solid state imaging device taught in the patent document 2 are described next.                (1) An unexposed pixel reading period and an exposed pixel reading period must be provided in the horizontal scanning period. Both periods must be equal so that the coupling capacitor can be subtracted after integrating both signals. Because the horizontal scanning period is usually determined by the television format, the signal integration time is less than or equal to half the horizontal scanning period. The integration circuit gain that is proportional to the integration time therefore drops, the noise bandwidth that is proportional to the integration time increases, and noise is greater than conventionally.        (2) While suppressing signal variation due to threshold voltage variation in the integrating transistor is an important feature, a long time is required for sampling the threshold voltage of the integrating transistor because the current of the integrating transistor tends to be cut-off.
"A Novel Noise Reduction Technique for the Uncooled Infrared Image Sensor with Bulk-micromachined Pixels," a report on using this method presented at the 12th International Display Workshop/Asia Display 2005 (IDW/AD'05), reported that the 20 μsec duration of one sampling period was shown to be too short, and thus multiple samples were required, recommending five or more samplings. with a normal sensor, it is preferable to set the integration period to the approximately 50 μsec duration of one horizontal scanning period and reset the capacitor in the approximately 10 μsec of the horizontal blanking period. Because current is supplied to the pixels at each horizontal line, the noise bandwidth of the pixels can be reduced the greatest and the SNR of the sensor can be improved. The prior art thus cannot sample the threshold voltage during the horizontal blanking period, and the benefit of sampling during this period cannot be achieved.
The present invention is directed to solving the foregoing problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a thermal infrared solid state imaging device, as well as an infrared camera using the thermal infrared solid state imaging device, that can easily achieve high gain without increasing the power supply voltage, does not require a bias voltage sensitive to gain and the output voltage, has little change in output or uneven image sensitivity due to ambient temperature variation, and can effectively reduce noise including 1/f noise.

Thermal infrared solid state imaging device and infrared camera


An image forming apparatus includes a main body device; a detachable unit that is attached to the main body device to perform an image formation on a medium, and is detachable with respect to the main body device; an operation part that allows the detachable unit to be detached from the main body device; and a lock part that locks the operation part in a first state at which the detachable unit is not at an image forming state to perform the image formation, and releases the lock of the operation part in a second state at which the detachable unit is at the image forming state.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, insertion and removal of an image forming unit and a toner cartridge are performed by opening a cover of a case to achieve a state in which a user can operate the image forming unit and the toner cartridge or by pulling out a drawable rail unit in which the image forming unit is mounted from the case to expose the image forming unit to the outside of the case.
In such an image forming apparatus, a user operates an operation part and thereby moves a shutter that opens and closes a toner supply port provided in the image forming unit and the toner cartridge to close the toner supply port and then removes the image forming unit. Thereby, toner is prevented from scattering from the image forming unit and the toner cartridge to the outside.


An operation control device is provided in an electro-developing type camera using a recording medium which electronically develops an image formed by a photographing optical system. An electric charge in a battery is sensed. When the electric charge remaining in the battery is lower than a second threshold value, which is lower than a first threshold value, the recording operation is prohibited. When the electric charge remaining in the battery is lower than the first threshold value and higher than the second threshold value, the recording operation is permitted and the reading operation is prohibited. Accordingly, during the reading operation, the electric charge remaining in the battery cannot become lower than the first threshold value, and thus the reading operation can be carried out.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera using a recording medium in which an object image obtained through a photographing optical system is electronically developed, and more particularly, to a device controlling a reading operation in which the image recorded in the recording medium is read out therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-2280 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,156, there is a known; photographic material which is electronically developed directly so that the developed visible image can be immediately obtained. In this specification, such a recording medium is referred to as an electro-developing recording material, and an electronic still camera using the electro-developing recording material is referred to as an electro-developing type camera.
Reading an image recorded in the electro-developing recording medium using an optical sensor (such as a line sensor) not only takes a relatively long time, but also consumes a greater amount of electric power in comparison with a recording operation. Accordingly, during the reading operation electric charge in the battery may become too low to continue the reading operation.

Device for controlling operation of electro-developing type camera


A process for joining substrates having electrical, semiconducting, mechanical and/or optical components, and to a composite element is provided. The process is to be suitable for substrates that are to be joined substantially irrespective of material and for sensitive substrates. According to the process, a raised frame, in particular formed from anodically bondable glass, is applied by evaporation coating to one of the two substrates in order to serve as a joining element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for joining substrates in general and for joining substrates having electrical, semiconducting, mechanical and/or optical components and to a composite element, in particular.
2. Description of Related Art
Joining techniques are used for a wide range of technical fields. By way of example, at this point reference may be made of the formation of housings for electronic components by means of which, for example, electronic circuits are enclosed.
For example, there are known processes in which components or integrated circuits on a semiconductor chip or still joined to a semiconductor wafer are provided with a housing and with electrical connection contacts. If the mounting of the chip or the integrated circuit and the joining of contact regions of the chip to the housing contacts which lead to the outside are carried out while it is still joined to the wafer, a mounting method of this type is generally referred to as a wafer level packaging process. It is also known to encapsulate individual chips or dies, known as single die packaging.
These processes are used to adhesively bond components, for example, using epoxy resins. However, a drawback of adhesive bonding is a low chemical resistance, poor optical properties and the risk of components being soiled with adhesive. Furthermore, adhesion locations are subject to an aging process which is accompanied by a deterioration in the quality of the join.
The fundamentally known joining techniques or processes also include what is known as bonding. A particular type of bonding is what is known as anodic bonding, in which a voltage is applied to an interface under the action of heat, which forces charge carrier diffusion.
Although bonding processes have a number of advantages over epoxy adhesive joining, their application is very restricted, making them inflexible.
By way of example, anodic bonding is disadvantageously restricted to a very tightly limited number of materials, since the charge carriers have to be provided in the material. For example, anodic bonding typically requires materials which contain alkaline metals. Therefore, anodic bonding is not suitable for a wide range of applications. The same is also true of other bonding processes.
Furthermore, bonding processes do not involve any build-up and consequently, they have hitherto only been suitable for plane-parallel connections. This too considerably restricts the range of applications.
Document EP 0 280 905 describes a process for producing pressure sensors in which a borosilicate glass layer is formed on a silicon wafer. The glass layer is described as a matrix which covers the corresponding sensor chips and a conductive layer. However, the borosilicate glass layer is formed by sputtering on the surface of the silicon sensor wafer. It is fundamentally difficult and expensive to produce relatively great layer thicknesses by sputtering. Although a layer thickness of 5 μm is mentioned, when using the sputtering process this is typically associated with considerable heating of the substrate, which can cause further difficulties.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,233 describes a microhousing for infrared chips, in which a layer of soldering agent is applied by vacuum deposition and lift-off technique or etching or by a mask. However, a soldering agent brings with it the risk of contamination.
The document "Anodic Bonding Technique under Low-temperature and Low-voltage using Evaporated Glass" by Woo-Beom Choi, 9th International Vacuum Microelectronics Conference, St. Petersburg, 1996 describes a process in which a glass layer is applied to a silicon wafer by electron beam evaporation. However, the application of this process is limited.
In any event, there is still a considerable need for versatile and improved joining processes.

Method for connecting substrate and composite element


To provide an ink jet recording head, by which a recording operation with a high recording quality can be performed without causing deformation or breakage of a recording element substrate and the manufacture cost is reduced, a filling groove filled with sealant for protecting a recording element substrate from ink includes a salient or divider.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head used for a recording apparatus in which recording liquid (e.g., ink) is discharged from a discharge opening to form ink droplets for a recording operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A general ink jet recording cartridge will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The following section will exemplarily describe a color cartridge from which yellow, magenta, and cyan inks are discharged for a printing operation.
In FIG. 10, an ink jet recording cartridge 601 is structured by integrating an ink jet recording head section including a recording element substrate 702 made of silicon for example and an ink container section 709 including therein ink. The recording element substrate 702 is a heater for allowing ink to be discharged by conversion of electrical energy to thermal energy. The recording element substrate 702 is composed by a nozzle plate that includes: a substrate including a wiring for transmitting electrical energy supplied from an ink jet recording apparatus to the heater; a flow path for supplying ink to the heater; and a plurality of ink discharge openings for discharging ink. One recording element substrate 702 includes discharge opening rows 703, 704, and 705 for discharging ink of three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan. The electric wiring substrate 706 functions to transmit an electric signal from the ink jet recording apparatus to the recording element substrate 702 by transmitting an electric signal from the ink jet recording apparatus to the recording element substrate 702 via an external signal input terminal 707. The electric wiring substrate 706 is electrically connected to the recording element substrate 702 at two end faces of the recording element substrate 702 so that the electric connection section is covered by sealant 708 for protection from ink.
Next, the general structure of the periphery of the recording element substrate 702 in the ink jet recording head section will be described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. 12.
FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating a support substrate 802 and a support plate 804. The support substrate 802 is made of material such as alumina in order to accurately adhere and fix the recording element substrate 702 and is subjected to a polishing processing. The support plate 804 fixes and supports the electric wiring substrate 706 and is made of the same material as that of the support substrate 802.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line XII-XII of FIG. 10. The support substrate 802 includes an ink supply opening 803 for supplying ink in an ink container to the recording element substrate 702. The recording element substrate 702 is attached so that the ink supply opening 803 communicates with the ink supply opening of the recording element substrate 702. A support plate 804 is also attached in order to support the recording element substrate 702. A space between the recording element substrate 702 and the support plate 804 is sealed by sealant 805 (e.g., resin) in order to prevent ink from entering the space. The purpose of this sealing is to prevent, when ink enters the space between the recording element substrate 702 and the support plate 804 and is attached to an end of a side face of the recording element substrate 702, silicon exposed at the end of the side face of the recording element substrate 702 from being eluted and to protect the electric connection section from ink. This sealant 805 is generally thermosetting resin that can be used in a manufacture step in a relatively easy manner.
An accuracy at which the recording element substrate 702 is attached has a direct influence on a recording accuracy of the ink jet recording apparatus. To improve the attachment accuracy or to realize a manufacture step having a high yield, various suggestions have been conventionally made. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H10-44420 has proposed that a recording element substrate is fixed by adhering a support substrate having substantially the same thermal characteristic as that of the recording element substrate is adhered to the recording element substrate. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-19119 has proposed a method for preventing a recording element substrate from being broken due to different line coefficients of expansion, by adhering a support substrate made of alumina for example between the recording element substrate and the support member.
Cost for a recording element substrate is the highest cost among manufacturing costs for an ink jet recording head. In order to reduce the cost for the recording element substrate, a demand has been recently raised to minimize the size of the recording element substrate so that more recording element substrates can be obtained from one wafer. However, when the substrate size is reduced while leaving the discharge opening arrangement unchanged, a wall section around the discharge opening is reduced, resulting in a wall section having a poor rigidity in the recording element substrate. Since the periphery of the recording element substrate is sealed by the thermosetting resin as described above, the thermosetting resin generates therein, when the thermosetting resin cures and shrinks, a stress that is applied to the recording element substrate. The following section will describe the outline of the stress that is caused when the sealant cures and shrinks and that is applied to the recording element substrate.
FIG. 13 illustrates the stress in the sealant 805 applied to the recording element substrate 702. When a recording head is manufactured, the recording element substrate 702, the support plate 804, and the support substrate 802 and adhesive agent and sealant for fixing them are placed in an oven heated at 100 degrees. Then, the respective members expand by heat and cure while expanding. The respective members have different expansion rates depending on the materials thereof. When the respective cured members are taken out from the oven, the temperatures of the respective members decline to a room temperature and thus the shapes of the expanded members return to the original shapes. It is known that general thermosetting sealant cures and shrinks by about 5%. Thus, stresses shown by arrows in FIG. 13 are caused in the sealant 805 due to the curing and shrinkage of the respective members and the changes with a temperature of the respective members. The opposite side face of the recording element substrate 702 is also in the same condition, although FIG. 13 illustrates only a part of the ink jet recording head and thus does not show the condition of the opposite side face. Specifically, a force from the side face to outside is applied to the recording element substrate 702. When the stress as described above is applied to the recording element substrate 702 as described above, a sectional area at which the recording element substrate 702 has a contact with the sealant 805 is small as shown in FIG. 12 and thus tends to deform when being applied with the stress. Furthermore, the recording element substrate 702 has different opening spaces at a face having a contact with the support substrate 802 and a face opposed to the face. Thus, when the sealant 805 applies a force to the recording element substrate 702, the recording element substrate 702 may deform while having warpage. When a recording head using such a deformed recording element substrate 702 is used for a recording operation, ink droplets discharged from the recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus adhere to a paper in a dislocated manner, thus causing a deteriorated recording quality. Furthermore, the recording element substrate 702 may be broken in a manufacture process.
When the electric wiring substrate 706 and the support plate 804 for supporting the electric wiring substrate 706 from the lower side that respectively have opening sections are adhered by adhesive agent so that the opening sections of the former and the latter are superposed on the other hand, excessive adhesive agent may protrude from an end of the joint face of the joined opening sections. When this protruded adhesive agent moves from the end face of the electric wiring substrate to reach the upper surface, an inconvenience such as a favorable electric joint of the electric joint section or a contact of the electric joint section with a recording medium may be caused. In order to prevent this, the electric wiring substrate 706 has an opening smaller than an opening of the support plate 804. This causes adhesive agent protruding from the end face of the joint section to go down to the interior of the opening section of the support plate 804, thus preventing the adhesive agent from reaching the upper surface of the electric wiring substrate 706.
Another requirement has been made according to which a needle for coating adhesive agent desirably does not have a small inner diameter from the viewpoint of a manufacture efficiency. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an objective of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording head by which a recording operation having a high recording quality can be stably performed without causing deformation or breakage of the recording element substrate 702 and the manufacture cost is low.

Ink jet recording head with sealant filling region in substrate


Single coatings onto non-absorbent substrates on which aqueous inkjet inks are jetted with subsequent application of heat or other forms of energy to further cross-link the coating onto the substrate and to fuse the inkjet ink image to give good quality water resistance colored reproductions. Optionally a protective layer is applied on the ink-jet printed image.

Packaging of all types of materials may require properties appertaining to functions involved in containing items and information about the use of such items. The container must have properties suited to the demands of the product. For instance, if the product is a liquid, then the container should be sealed to avoid spillage. If the liquid product is to be drunk, then the inside of the container must not contaminate the liquid nor cause its deterioration. Information of the product may be integral to the container or it may be separate. It may for instance have a function of aesthetically attracting a customer to the product or to instruct the customer how to use the product. As the product itself is generally what is being consumed, packaging provides an expense area that should perform its functions at a minimum cost. The printing of such packaging should have an optimum content of automation for this reason.
Modern technology has provided means of producing decorative and informative patterns of information on computers and it is desirable that this information be downloaded directly onto the packaging. One method of digital printing, which may be suitable for such applications, is inkjet. Inkjet is a non-impact printing process whereby ink is squirted through very fine nozzles and the resultant ink droplets form an image directly on a substrate. There are two main types of inkjet process. In one process, usually termed continuous inkjet printing (CIJ), a stream of ink drops are electrically charged and then deflected by an electric field either directly or indirectly onto the substrate. In the second process, usually called Drop on Demand (DOD) inkjet printing, the ink supply is regulated by an actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator. The pressure produced during the actuation forces a droplet through a nozzle onto the substrate. Inks for DOD inkjet printing do not need to be conductive.
WO 97/27053 by Jennel et al describes the use of inkjet to digitally write on packaging material. The printing can be done directly onto a pre-formed bottle such as one made from PET (polyester), or onto a carton blank or a web of packaging material. The invention is claimed to provide an advanced level of automation with minimum operator intervention. In order to achieve good adhesion to materials such as PET, ultra-violet (UV) sensitive inks are used and after jetting they are cured by UV radiation. The inkjet head is DOD and described as one supplied by the company Spectra. This is the most widely accepted way of using UV curing inkjet inks, as the alternative method, CIJ, generally uses water based inks and the inks must contain electrically conductive material. UV inks are generally based on organic acrylate mixtures that do not contain electrically conductive ingredients and are therefore less easily adapted for use in CIJ.
UV inkjet inks are more expensive than water-based inks and will remain so because by definition water-based inks contain a large quantity of water, which is relatively inexpensive. Because with UV inkjet inks all of the jetted material remains on the substrate surface (where the substrate is impermeable) inks are deposited in the form of tiny hemispherical structures. Process color work, where three or four separate inks are applied over the same area, can thus have a Braille-like feeling and such an effect limits print quality.
The use of water-based inks in packaging applications would be advantageous for several reasons. As has been mentioned above, they have cost advantages; they can be used in both DOD and CIJ inkjet systems and they do not pile-up because the major part of the inkjet drop is water, which disappears either by absorption, if the substrate is pervious, or by evaporation or both. However, there are a number of problems with using water-based inkjet inks in packaging. They have wetting problems with relatively low energy plastic surfaces (for instance that of PET) as well as slow drying, which for non-absorbent plastic surfaces has to occur only by evaporation. Also they have low wet smear resistance—i.e. after they have dried, they can be easily smeared with a wet finger. WO 99/21724 by Wang et als. addresses the problem of ink smearing. The patent application describes the use of two layers—an inner non-cross-linked hydrophilic coating and an outer cross-linked hydrophilic coating. In one embodiment, an inkjet image is applied before curing to avoid wet smear. Similarly, US 2001/0036552 by Otani et al. describes coating a substrate with two layers for water-based pigment inks to give better colors and image fastness.
It would be advantageous if a means could be found to produce a single coat for the substrate, which would be used to produce good quality water-fast images using aqueous inkjet inks.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process and materials for marking plastic surfaces


Auxiliary lighting is added to military vehicles in response to civilian national emergencies permitting the vehicles to function as emergency vehicles. The auxiliary lights are attached to the military vehicles by employing military standard optical devices such as reflectors already mounted on the vehicles. This method of attaching the auxiliary lights avoids unacceptable modification of the military vehicles and reduces the complexity and time required to install the auxiliary lights. The attachment method also facilitates removal of the auxiliary lighting. Therefore temporary auxiliary lighting can be added to and removed from the military vehicle with a minimal use of tools or time. The auxiliary lighting is positioned on the military vehicle such that the emitted light beams are directed as required for the function the light is expected to perform. The auxiliary lights can be floodlights, warning lights, clearance or marker lights.

1. Field of Invention
Vehicles are manufactured with lighting packages designed to meet the requirements of the specifications which govern the vehicle. The governing specification typically depends upon the function of that vehicle. For example, a typical commercial truck has requirements regarding stoplights, reflectors, turn signals, etc. A tow truck has many of those same requirements, plus it is required to have emergency warning lights. A military vehicle such as a Humvee is required to have a lighting package including clearance lights, turn signals, reflectors and blackout lights. There are instances were a vehicle includes a lighting package supplied by the manufacturer as part of the vehicle configured according to a planned function for that vehicle and the lighting package becomes inadequate because the vehicle is required to perform a new and different function. In these cases auxiliary lighting must be added to retrofit the vehicle to comply with the new function.
The National Guard is frequently called upon to help during national disasters. The vehicles they have at their disposal are military vehicles typified by the Humvee which are equipped with a basic military lighting package. The lighting package on these vehicles is inadequate for the emergency vehicle tasks that they are required to perform during national emergencies. It would therefore be very desirable to upgrade the lighting on these vehicles with auxiliary lights during a national emergency. The National Guard has been looking for a solution for this problem.
In addition to the needs of the National Guard, military convoys of regular Army units require auxiliary warning lights to prevent accidents on civilian streets. Easily installed temporary auxiliary emergency lights for military vehicles would be beneficial for protection of Army convoys as well.
On many occasions the requirement for auxiliary lighting is only temporary. Therefore it is desirable that the auxiliary lights be quickly installed on the vehicle with common tools. In addition, it is often required that the auxiliary lights be removed from the vehicle with little effort and in such a way that the vehicle is returned to its original form and function. Returning the vehicle to its normal function is important because vehicles such as the Humvee are assigned to National Guard units so that if they are deployed overseas they will have military specification vehicles with military lighting for their mission. It is therefore normally not acceptable to leave civilian national disaster type lighting on the military vehicles or to modify the vehicles such that they may become unacceptable for combat operations
As part of its effort to support civilian authorities the National Guard uses Humvees and other military vehicles as emergency vehicles. Unfortunately for that function the vehicle lighting supplied by the manufacturer complying with the military specifications covering the Humvee is inadequate. In order to prevent the Humvees from being involved in an accident while performing civilian duties auxiliary lights should be added to the vehicle.
There are problems which inhibit the upgrading or retrofitting military vehicles so that they can perform as civilian emergency vehicles. The military imposes substantial limitations regarding modification of its vehicles including the Humvee. Vehicles cannot be modified such that the modification will reduce its ability to function at a later time in a military environment. In addition during natural disasters there is minimal time and manpower available for adding auxiliary lighting to the military vehicles.
The required auxiliary lighting can include flood, warning clearance or identification lights. The lights must be mounted on the vehicle such that they are positioned to direct their light beams as required to achieve the task that the lights are required to perform. Attaching the lights to the vehicle must be accomplished quickly, with a minimum of tools and usually without vehicle modification. Additionally it is often required that the auxiliary lights be removed quickly, with a minimum of tools and without modification of the vehicle.
Also the auxiliary lights must be positioned on the vehicle at locations which permit their emerging light to be projected in the required direction without obstruction.
Also the auxiliary lights should be positioned at locations on the vehicle not subject to damage as the vehicle is used. In this regard placing the lights at locations where opening a tailgate or door can damage them should be avoided.
Finally, it is desirable for the auxiliary lights be mounted near the corners of the vehicle to properly identify the perimeter of the vehicle to further reduce the possibility of accidents.
2. Prior Art
The National Guard community has been looking for a way to add auxiliary lighting to their vehicles because without auxiliary lights during civilian emergencies, their vehicles are vulnerable to accidents.
Volunteer fireman purchase their vehicles for their personal needs. However, during an emergency these personal vehicles can be required to function as emergency vehicles. In that capacity these personal vehicles must be protected by upgrading their vehicular lighting with high-power emergency warning lights to avoid accidents. One common solution to this problem is a temporary light attached to the vehicle roof with a magnet on the base of the light. The fireman simply places the light on the metal roof of his vehicle when an emergency arises. Thus without modifying the vehicle, the vehicle is equipped with high-power emergency lighting. A second prior art solution is a light attached to the interior window of the vehicle with suction cups. The suction cup design can be mounted on the front side or rear windows of a vehicle. It is frequently left in position during normal vehicle use but only illuminated during emergencies. It also is an acceptable commercial solution because it does not require modification of the vehicle.
The previously described prior art commercial solutions are not acceptable when trying to attach auxiliary lighting to most military vehicles. The Humvee vehicle employed by the military is an example of a vehicle that is very difficult to retrofit because its design deters using the civilian solutions as workable lighting upgrades. The body of the Humvee, for the most part, is non-magnetic and therefore a supplementary or auxiliary light cannot be attached using magnets. Also, many Humvees do not typically include side or rear glass windows, thereby preventing the use of glass window mounted suction cup lights to identify those portions of the vehicle. In addition, there are regulations which inhibit the National Guard from modifying military vehicles. Drilling holes in the vehicle to accept the auxiliary lighting would be problematic.

Auxiliary lighting for a military vehicle


A coupler for gravel packing completions comprising an annular member having an upper end, a lower end, at least one flange disposed along an inner wall surface of the annular member intermediate the upper and lower ends, and at least one deformable portion is disclosed. The coupler may be used to connect one or more screens to a base pipe in a gravel packing completion by deforming the deformable portion such as by passing a swage over the outer wall surface of the annular member. In a similar manner, the coupler may also be used to connect a gravel packing completion component, such as an inflow control device to the base pipe of the gravel packing completion, to contemporaneously connect a screen section and a gravel packing completion component to the base pipe.

1. Field of Invention
The invention is directed to gravel pack completions in oil and gas wells and, in particular, to retainer members or couplers for connecting a screen of the gravel pack completion to a base pipe of the gravel pack completion.
2. Description of Art
In completing wells having production or injection zones which lie adjacent to incompetent formations formed from unconsolidated matrixes such as loose sandstone, or which lie adjacent formations that have been hydraulically-fractured and propped such as through fracturing processes, sand control problems often arise during the operational life of the well. These sand control problems are encountered when large volumes of sand and/or other particulate material such as backflow of proppants from a hydraulically-fractured formation dislodge from the formation and become entrained in the formation fluids and are produced therewith into the wellbore. These produced materials have an adverse effect on the operation of the well because they can cause erosion and plugging of the well equipment which, in turn, leads to high maintenance costs and considerable downtime of the well.
One technique for controlling sand production in a wellbore is referred to as "gravel packing" or forming a "gravel pack completion." In general, a gravel pack completion comprises a screen, such as a fluid-permeable liner, a perforated liner, a slotted liner, a pre-packed screen, that is disposed within an open-hole or cased wellbore adjacent the incompetent or fractured zone and is surrounded by aggregate or particulate material collectively referred to as "gravel." The screen is disposed over a base pipe that may or may not be perforated. As known in the art, the gravel particles are sized to block or filter out the formation particulates that may become entrained in the produced fluids, while the openings in the screen are sized to block the gravel from flowing into the screen. In many instances, the gravel pack completion comprises one screen section or joint connected disposed adjacent screen joint or to another component, such as a inflow control device, along the length of the base pipe.


An identification server correlates the web browsing behavior of individuals with their use of social media systems. Based on these behaviors, web identifiers (referred to as identities or IDs) may be matched to social media identifiers; these matches being determined, stored, and output as a confidences that the web identity of the user corresponds to a social media identity. Each web identity may be associated with one or more social media identities. The identity correlations between web identities and social media identities may be used along with other alignments to provide information regarding the time-based media (e.g., advertisements) a user may have likely been exposed to, and to provide targeted advertisements.

Online social media services, such as social networking sites, search engines, news aggregators, blogs, and the like provide a rich environment for users to comment on events of interest and communicate with other users. Social media content items authored by users of social networking systems often include references to events that appear in time based media such as television shows, news reports, sporting events, movies, concert performances, and the like. However, although the content items can sometimes refer to the time-based media, the social media content items themselves typically are isolated from the events and time-based media that those content items refer to; for example, the social content items appear in online social networks provided over the Internet, while the events occur in other contexts and systems, such as television programming provided on broadcast systems. Additionally, identities and behavior of social media users are isolated within the social network, and are not connected with identities and behavior of users of the internet more generally.

Web identity to social media identity correlation


A permanent color record of an image provided by a scanner employed in medical diagnostic procedures is formed on a standard sheet of 8.times.10 inch black-and-white film by three separate monochromatic record images of respectively different ones of three color components of the scanner developed image. The film sheet with its three black-and-white images is viewed on the screen of a viewer having three lenses positioned to project light of three different colors in converging paths through respective ones of the monochromatic record images and to project three image components in mutual superposition on the viewer screen. The three different color image components on the viewer screen are precisely positioned so that there is no visibly discernible misregistration. Either the three image components on the color record are formed on the sheet film with a predetermined maximum misregistration or the viewing system is adjusted to accomplish such maximum misregistration on the viewer screen.

In common radiology clinical environments the diagnostic radiologist seldom sees the patient in person. Examination procedures are performed by trained and qualified radiology technicians, or, in the case of ultrasound imaging, by sonographers. Examination results are communicated to the radiologist diagnostician by means of rapid access hard copy images on film. The film images are interpreted or read by being placed on a light box. The system is quick and cost-effective and conserves scarce resources since it allows both the radiologist and the diagnostician to work with increased efficiency. For such system it is obvious that quickly available hard copies of a very high image quality and high stability are critical.
For information which is presented in black-and-white or gray-scale form, technology to record and view diagnostic films has been highly developed over the years. The common x-ray film system is an example. Film image quality can be very good, having high spatial resolution and a wide gray scale. Access to the permanent record is quick, because developed and dry film images can be delivered within about two minutes after an examination is performed. The film is archivally permanent and cost is low.
In the last few years, however, there has been an increasing use of color in diagnostic images. In some imaging modalities color in the images serves to emphasize selected details or features, such as by using certain colors to designate densities or density gradients beyond preselected thresholds. This adds no new information but facilitates interpretation of information already contained in the image. However, in other areas, such as, for example, in diagnostic ultrasound, color is used to present new information which is not available in the black-and-white gray-scale image. This is done, for example, in color-flow or color-doppler images, wherein information about direction and velocity of blood flow is presented by color coded patches superimposed on the gray scale image everywhere the ultrasound slice intersects a blood vessel. The color-doppler imaging technique is gaining wide acceptance in certain diagnostic procedures.
However, hard copy color images are more time-consuming for development and delivery, and are more expensive and less convenient. Hard copy color images are not as archivally stable and often are not viewable by transmitted light, nor do they always provide true diagnostic image quality. There are of course a number of known methods for obtaining color images, but none has the combination of advantages provided by commonly used black-and-white film.
In conventional color transparency systems a silver halide photographic film, for example, a so called integral tri-pack of three layered light sensitive emulsions is used, where each layer is sensitive to one primary color. During exposure three color records are made as latent images in the three layers. During chemical processing after exposure the latent images are developed as silver images and then converted to dye images in the complementary colors. In this technique, as in most other color systems, the complete color pictorial image in viewable form is assembled on the material which forms the permanent record media.
Another example of color printing is thermal dye transfer. In this process three subtractive primary color dyes, each coated on its own piece of substrate, are successively brought into contact with a receiving substrate and the dyes are selectively transferred by sublimation, activated by a thermal scanning head which passes over the line of contact between the dye and the receiving substrate. After three passes the result again is a complete color pictorial image in viewable form assembled on the material which is the permanent record medium.
Yet another example of a color printing technique is the non-photographic use of ink jet printing. In this process multiple jets of variously colored ink are selectively squirted onto a substrate as it passes by. The result again is a complete color pictorial image in viewable form assembled on the material which is the record medium.
All of the known color hard copy systems employ separate color channels that are combined into a color image on the hard copy material itself. In the prior art the color image itself becomes the permanent pictorial record, with all of the inherent disadvantages of a permanent color record. The black-and-white record provides higher resolution, better gray scale capability, better temporal stability, and simpler and quicker film processing and handling by widely available standard equipment.
Thus it will be seen that the conventional black-and-white photography, which has long been a standard in the industry, has the many advantages of being quick, cheap, convenient, archivally stable, viewable by transmitted light and having high diagnostic image quality. In addition, the widespread and long-term use of black-and-white imaging has made the technique and the required processing equipment and its use well known and widely available. However, as mentioned above, the black-and-white technique lacks the ability to contain certain information that can be included in a multi-color image. Multi-color image techniques previously available, on the other hand, although capable of containing the additional information, lack the many advantages of the standard black-and-white processes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-color record that is readily viewable while avoiding or minimizing problems of prior art imaging systems.

Method and apparatus for using monochrome images to form a color image


A method of harvesting cancellous bone and marrow from an individual's posterior superior iliac spine using a bone press apparatus includes: creating an opening in cortical bone of the posterior superior iliac spine; accessing through the opening and loosening for extraction cancellous bone and bone marrow; inserting a suction apparatus through the opening and extracting the loosened cancellous bone and bone marrow, the suction apparatus being attached to a first lid of a collection container, the first lid of the collection container having a suction port to which a suction source is connected; disconnecting the suction source from the suction port and replacing the first lid with a second lid having a suction port and a plunger with a press head; filtering the extracted liquid by depressing the plunger; and pouring the filtered liquid through the suction port of the second lid into another cup.

The invention generally relates to procedures and devices used therein for shallow-core harvesting of cancellous bone and marrow from the posterior superior iliac spine ("PSIS") and, preferably, shallow-core harvesting of autologous cancellous bone and marrow from the posterior superior iliac spine immediately prior to an anterior cervical discectomy/fusion ("ACDF"), wherein the harvested cancellous bone and marrow is used in that individual during the ACDF procedure. The procedure of the invention has been nicknamed the "Ray Iliac Procedure" and is set forth in detail in the following pages and in the incorporated appendix. The Ray Iliac Procedure is intended for use in the orthopedic surgical field.
The Ray Iliac Procedure is based on a repurposed use of a bone press apparatus as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,920,393, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such bone press apparatus are commercially sold by Hensler Surgical Products, LLC, of Wilmington, N.C. The bone press apparatus was designed for harvesting high-speed drilled bone during spinal procedures, which harvested bone was found to be a moldable and malleable matrix that could be reused in the patient to increase fusion healing rates.
Prior techniques include deep coring and large openings cut in the crest, resulting in potential for increased bleeding and very frequently postoperative remote site pain. The Ray Iliac Procedure avoids deep-coring and large cutouts of the crest, thereby avoiding such potential disadvantages of the prior techniques.

Harvesting cancellous bone and marrow from posterior superior iliac spine using bone press


A handheld electronic device and display method for a handheld electronic device provide for an initialization screen to be displayed by a display unit, in response to user input, to display symbols reflecting an intent of the user. The handheld electronic device includes a user input unit having a first key to which a symbol of a first type is allocated and a symbol of a second type is not allocated, and a second key to which a symbol of the first type and a symbol of the second type are both allocated; a display unit that, upon input via the user input unit, displays a symbol of the first type and/or a symbol of the second type; and a control unit that controls what the display unit displays.

Some portable electronic devices such as cellular telephone devices and the like include: an operation unit that is configured to include first keys assigned with nonnumeric characters but not numeric characters, and second keys assigned with the nonnumeric characters and the numeric characters; a display unit that displays at least one of the nonnumeric characters and the numeric characters in accordance with an operation of the operation unit; and a control unit that controls content displayed on the display unit (for example, see Patent Document 1).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2006-293965

Handheld electronic device and display method for a handheld electronic device


Methods and devices for efficient encoding/decoding of a time segment of an audio signal. The methods comprise deriving an indicator, z, of the position in a frequency scale of a residual vector associated with the time segment of the audio signal, and deriving a measure, Φ, related to the amount of structure of the residual vector. The methods further comprise determining whether a predefined criterion involving the measure Φ, the indicator z and a predefined threshold Θ, is fulfilled, which corresponds to estimating whether a change of sign of at least some of the non-zero coefficients of the residual vector would be audible after reconstruction of the audio signal time segment. The respective amplitude of the coefficients of the residual vector is encoded, and the signs of the coefficients of the residual vector are encoded only when it is determined that the criterion is fulfilled, and thus that a change of sign would be audible.

It is previously known to use transform domain coding schemes, e.g. as the one described in [1]. Below, a high-level overview of such transform domain coding schemes will be given.
On a block-by-block basis, the waveform to be encoded is transformed to the frequency domain. One commonly used transform used for this purpose is the so-called Modified Discrete Cosine Transform (MDCT). The thus obtained frequency domain transform vector is split into spectrum envelope (slowly varying energy) and spectrum residual. The spectrum residual is obtained by normalizing the obtained frequency domain vector with said spectrum envelope. The spectrum envelope is quantized, and quantization indices are transmitted to the decoder. Next, the quantized spectrum envelope is used as an input to a bit distribution algorithm, and bits for encoding of the residual vectors are distributed based on the characteristics of the spectrum envelope. As an outcome of this step, a certain number of bits are assigned to different parts of the residual (residual vectors or "sub-vectors"). Some residual vectors do not receive any bits and have to be noise-filled or bandwidth-extended, which is illustrated e.g. in FIG. 1. Typically, the coding of residual vectors is a two step procedure; first, the amplitudes of the vector elements are coded, and next the sign (which should not be confused with "phase", which is associated with e.g. Fourier transforms) of the non-zero elements is encoded, which is illustrated e.g. in FIG. 2. Quantization indices for the residual's amplitude and sign are transmitted to the decoder, where residual and spectrum envelope are combined, and finally transformed back to time domain.
However, when the number of bits available for the encoding are limited, such as e.g. at low or moderate bit-rates, the result of the encoding may be unsatisfactory.

Transform audio codec and methods for encoding and decoding a time segment of an audio signal


In one example, a method includes determining that an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is saturated, and while the IGBT is saturated, determining a collector-emitter saturation voltage (VCESat) of the IGBT.

An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is an electrical switch that may be used in a wide variety of applications. As a byproduct of operation, an IGBT may produce heat. If an IGBT gets too hot, the performance of the IGBT may deteriorate. In some cases, if an IGBT gets too hot, the IGBT may permanently fail.

Insulated-gate bipolar transistor collector-emitter saturation voltage measurement


The invention refers to an elongated base profile (7) for use in a lower-body radiation protection system. The elongated base profile (7), comprises as seen in a transverse cross section, a first connecting portion (8) adapted to engage a connection rail (4) of an examination table (1), a second connecting portion (14) forming a protrusion (15) or a groove extending along the longitudinal extension of the elongated base profile (7), wherein the protrusion (15) is adapted to form a connection rail (4), and wherein the groove is adapted to support a separate connection rail or a separate connector; and a third connecting portion (18) adapted to engage a first connector (11) of a first shielding panel (10).

In order to keep the radiation exposure caused by radioscopy as low as possible for the people involved in treatment it is well known to use radiation protective clothing. However, such clothing is not sufficient due to the multidirectional nature of the radiation and also secondary radiation. To reduce such radiation it is well known to additionally use a lower-body protective arrangement. A lower-body protective arrangement is infact an integral part of every radiation protection concept for interventional radiology. The lower-body protector shields the examiner against secondary radiation emanating from the body of the patient. The protection absorbs radiation from underneath the table and shields the lower extremities and genital area of the examiner.
In principle, a lower-body arrangement according to prior art comprises an upper shielding panel and a lower shielding panel, which both are made of an X-ray shielding material. The lower shielding panel extends all the way down to the floor, whereas the upper shielding panel has a limited vertical extension to allow access to the patient.
As a common feature to the known lower-body protective arrangements, they are generally mounted to a support rail that is arranged to the examination table.
A first general principle, is known from e.g. WO10146109, in which the shielding panels are mounted to a connector that is hung and screwed to the supporting rail.
Yet another typical example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,718, in which a pivotable arm supporting an upper and a lower shielding panel is connected to the support rail of the examination table. The arm is pivotable in the horizontal plane to and from the examination table.
These prior art arrangements are however not optimal. The support rail on the examination table is not used exclusively for the lower-body protective arrangement but also for other equipment relating to the overall examination process. One such example is the control panel for the operation of the examination table which is also mounted to the support rail. For the lower-body protective arrangement not to interfere with such equipment, the equipment is typically arranged along the support rail and adjacent the lower-body protective arrangement. This does however not provide the optimal ergonomy to the examiner who have to stretch or turn to reach the equipment. Hence, there is a risk that the examiner refrains from using the lower-body protective arrangement properly, thereby risking his/her own health and safety.
It is further a well known fact that a radiation shielding should be arranged as close to the radiation source as possible to have the best effect.
Hence, the object of the present invention is to provide a lower-body protection system that promotes an ergonomic working environment.
Another object is that the shielding panel should be easy to install but also to remove to allow uncomplicated patient transfers and also in case of emergency.
Yet another aspect is that all parts should be easy to clean in order of maintaining a high level of hygiene.


An outer handle structure of a lock that may be idle includes an inner handle set provided with an inner handle for driving an inner drive shaft to rotate. The inner drive shaft drives a retractor to operate. The inner handle set is additionally provided with a press button that may be pressed to drive a safety bar to push a limit plate and a lock snap plate. A outer handle set is provided with an outer handle for driving an outer drive shaft to rotate. The outer drive shaft defines an annular slot and a straight slot arranged in a T-shape. A latch release set is provided with a retractor for drawing a lock tongue of a lock latch to operate, and has two ends respectively pivoted with the inner drive shaft of the inner handle set and the outer drive shaft of the outer handle set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outer handle structure of a lock which may be idle.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
The closest prior art of which the applicant is aware is disclosed in the Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 298249, entitled by xe2x80x9cFlat Handle Lock Structurexe2x80x9d which includes an inner handle set and an outer handle set which are respectively combined on the inner side and outer side of the door, to drive the inner drive shaft and the outer drive shaft to rotate, so that the retractor of the control set may draw the lock tongue to retract inward, thereby opening the door. The outer drive shaft places the control set therein, so that when the safety bar is locked, the press on the outer handle will form an idle rotation. The control set includes a shaft barrel 41, an elastic member 42, an inner fixing shaft 43, a movable piece 44, etc. Therefore, the lock includes a complicated construction, thereby causing inconvenience in assembly.
Another prior art of which the applicant is aware is disclosed in the Taiwanese Patent Publication No. 386557, entitled by xe2x80x9cOuter Shank Structure of a Lock which may be Idlexe2x80x9d which includes an inner handle set having an inner shank for driving an inner drive shaft to rotate, to press a press button, to push a follower plate by a safety bar, so that the follower block of the follower plate enters the wider slot of the bottom of the triangular slot of the outer drive shaft, or is pushed by the elastic member to return to be locked in the straight slot. The outer drive shaft may be driven by the outer shank, whereby by movement of the follower plate, the outer shank will perform an idle rotation, or may drive the retractor to operate, thereby opening the door.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a an outer handle structure of a lock which may be idle, wherein when the lock is locked, if the outer handle is pressed, it can only perform an idle rotation, and cannot drive the retractor to operate, thereby preventing illegally opening the lock and breaking the lock by strongly pressing the outer handle.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a outer handle structure of a lock that may be idle includes an inner handle set provided with an inner handle for driving an inner drive shaft to rotate. The inner drive shaft drives a retractor to operate. The inner handle set is additionally provided with a press button that may be pressed to drive a safety bar to push a limit plate and a lock snap plate. A outer handle set is provided with an outer handle for driving an outer drive shaft to rotate. The outer drive shaft defines an annular slot and a straight slot arranged in a T-shape. A latch release set is provided with a retractor for drawing a lock tongue of a lock latch to operate, and has two ends respectively pivoted with the inner drive shaft of the inner handle set and the outer drive shaft of the outer handle set. The outer drive shaft receives an inner shaft barrel and a lock snap disk therein. The inner shaft barrel receives an elastic member, a follower plate, and a lock snap plate therein which are prevented from being detached from the inner shaft barrel by the limit plate. The follower plate is provided with a follower block which protrudes outward from a straight slot defined in the inner shaft barrel, and may be locked in the annular slot or the straight slot of the outer drive shaft. The follower plate defines two depressions for allowing passage of two locking legs of the lock snap plate. The two locking legs of the lock snap plate may be locked in or detached from two locking holes of the lock snap disk. The inner shaft barrel has wing plates that may press the retractor.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

Outer handle structure of a lock which may be idle


A hull for a planing type watercraft has a front lift surface, a high lift surface, and a back planing surface. The high lift surface is adjacent a rockered keel area and between the front lift surface and the back planing surface. The center of dynamic lift on the high lift surface is at or in front of a point which is 15% of the hull length behind a total center of gravity of the hull under loading. At least the back one third of the high lift surface is cambered, and a beam of the high lift surface is greater than two thirds of the maximum width of the hull. The average camber of the front lift surface, the high lift surface, and the back planing surface together is less than or equal to zero.

Many watercraft are designed to operate in a planing mode as well as in a displacement mode. In the planing mode of operation, lift is derived from a downward deflection of water by the shape of the hull. In the displacement mode of operation, which generally occurs at lower speeds as compared with planing mode, lift is derived from the weight of water displaced by the hull.
In transition between these modes there is often considerable wave and turbulence drag. This is often due to the conflict in the preferred watercraft design features for displacement mode operation, e.g. a slender/narrow hull, versus preferred features for planing mode operation, e.g. a flat planing bottom or a flat planing bottom with a dead rise angle. A planing bottom may be split in the transverse direction (as in a tunnel boat) or split in the longitudinal direction with displacement in the vertical direction at the split. For most hulls intended to be operable in a planing mode of operation, the bottom shape is generally flat in the longitudinal direction near the back or stern and has rocker toward the bow.
For a wing/deep hydrofoil, as given in the "HYDROFOIL HANDBOOK Vol. II, Hydrodynamics Characteristics of Components", OTS-US Dept of Commerce, Eq. 1.6, the two-dimensional lift coefficient, CL, is given by:CL=2π(αo+2f/c),  (1)where αo is the attack angle, f is the maximum deviation of the mean camber line from the chord line which goes from the nose to the tail of the wing section, and c is the chord (e.g. front to back dimension; the length of the cord line) of the wing.
Similarly, from this handbook and other sources, for a planing surface, the two-dimensional lift coefficient, CL, at small αo is given by:CL=0.9π(αo+2f/c),  (2)For three dimensional lift coefficient, CL, and a surface which is flat in the width dimension, CL is approximately:CL=0.9π(αo+2f/c)A/(2+A),  (3)where αo is the attack angle, f is the maximum camber of the wetted planing surface, c is the chord of the wetted length of the planing surface at a given speed and load, and "A" is the aspect ratio. Aspect ratio, A, is given by the equation A=b2/area, where b is the width of the planing surface and "area" is the wetted planing area. More accurate values of CL for a flat surface are given by Daniel Savitsky, in "Hydrodynamic Design of Planing Hulls". Note that hereafter, f is used to mean the maximum camber of the wetted planing surface.
If the wetted planing length includes the above mentioned front rocker, which is a common feature for watercraft expected to transition from displacement mode to planing mode, then "f" is negative and CL is considerably less than that for a flat planing surface having the same wetted length and area. In sailboards and most planing watercraft, this leads to a peak, or larger peak, in the drag when attempting to go from a displacement mode to a planing mode. In power boats it leads to αo increasing to a value much bigger than is optimum and sometimes even produces cavitation of the propeller (i.e. "prop").
While rocker (negative values of "f") decreases the planing force (i.e. the lift force on the planing surface), camber (positive values of "f") can have even worse effects on the performance of a planing surface of a planing hull. Camber at the stern of the hull of a planing power boat, also known as hook and camber, can cause severe porpoising. Even though a cambered surface with αo=0 has no dynamic drag while still having lift, porpoising and the force of the water on the front can cause a watercraft to submerge at the bow.
In general, drag is undesirably increased for a planing hull with a camber at the stern due to the increased wetted area that results from a reduced planing angle. Three examples of this type of camber are given in European patent no. 0059345, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,274,966 and 5,582,123.
The effects of net concavity/camber in the longitudinal direction include: 1) at transition speed it will increase the transom depth thus increasing the hump drag and/or 2) will push the bow into the water at high speed. If it does, the drag will be larger. Hump drag is a peak in drag often occurring in the transition mode of a watercraft.
Various hull designs have been developed in an attempt to overcome drawbacks of a mono-hull with a front rocker. Tunnel boats, for example, are efficient in displacement mode and at high planing speed, but due to a reduced planing surface, they require achieving much higher speeds as compared to mono-hulls in order to transition from displacement mode to planing mode.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,149,351 and 4,843,988 teach the use of a slot alongside of a planing surface to reduce drag. U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,601 teaches the use of slots above a winglet which are trim tabs at the rear corners.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,202 teaches the use of a planing surface in front of a total center of gravity. It is not inclined at a larger attack angle than the other planing surface and is rockered in the front like a normal mono hull power boat. These hulls have the problem that when transitioning to planing mode the step causes turbulence and additional wave drag.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,370 teaches a planing surface with a portion having an incline relative to the rest of the planing surface; however, it consists of two longitudinal surfaces which are small and narrow in width compared to the other planing surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,602 describes a hull with a cambered front and a rear planing surface which is rockered in the middle where it would normally be in the water when planing. Thus it would have a downward suction force that will reduce its efficiency at slower planing speeds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,742 teaches using three point planing, a concept which is generally well known in the art. The general concept is to have two sponsons in front of a hull's center of gravity, both sponsons extending below the remaining surfaces of the hull's underside. Various shapes for the sponsons are known. Such three point hydroplanes are designed for planing at over 40 mph. The width of a sponson planing surface is small compared to the width of the hull. This together with the drag behind the sponsons causes the lift/drag to be small when transitioning to the planing mode. Such hulls have the problem that when transitioning to planing the sponsons cause turbulence and additional wave drag, and since the size and lift of the sponsons is small, increased speed is needed for transitioning to planing mode.
Keller in U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,604 and W. Sottorf in NACA TN No. 739, 1934 show that angling or curving the outer edges of a planing surface can increase lift/drag efficiency. Keller shows that a 14° angled/curved outer edge is more efficient than a flat edge. Sottorf shows that surface with a 10 degree dead-rise which curves down at 23° is more efficient than a flat surface for planing angles >6° and has a higher maximum lift/drag vs. planing angle. Sottorf also shows that for a 48° dead rise, a 28.7° edge angle is better than both 0.0° and 48° outer edge angles.
Blount, D. L. and Codega, L. T. in "Dynamic Stability of Planing Boats" Marine Tech. Vol. 29, No. 1, January 1992, pp. 4-12, have shown that hydrodynamic forces on a rocker surface can cause suction, similar to that on the top surface of a wing, and that this can lead to bow down and unstable conditions both in the longitudinal and transverse directions. They and others like Brian Hinde have suggested using steps near this front rockered surface to correct this downward suction force.
Clement, E. P., "A Configuration for a stepped Planing Boat Having Minimum drag (Dynaplane Boat)" and Johnson, V. E. Jr., "Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Supercavitating Hydrofoils Operating Near the free water Surface" NASA tech. Report R-93 1961. Second edition describe a motorboat design optimized for speeds of 40 to 80 mph and more. The planing surface is small, with a design aspect ratio of 2. At the hump speed, the resistance is shown to be larger than that for a normal motorboat with the same dead rise angle. "Hump speed" is used to refer to the transition speed at which a peak in drag/lift is observed over the range of transition speeds.
Harper, J. A., U.S. Pat. No. 8,122,840 uses a Johnson 3 term camber on the back part of a displacement hull.
For power yachts, size and speed affect the ideal shape. The high speed power boats might be a tunnel boat, a so called cigarette boat, or a three point hydroplane type. For a somewhat lower speed, they may preferably be a type of deep Vee hull. However, particularly in bigger yachts where their size requires a lot of power and a lot of fuel, there is a need for improved efficiency in speeds of 20 mph up to about 35 mph.

Watercraft hull with improved lift, planing speed range, and near maximum efficiency


An engine controlling apparatus for executing (i) an engine automatic stop control and/or (ii) an engine automatic restart control, during running of a vehicle. The controlling apparatus includes: an allowing/inhibiting device configured to selectively allow and inhibit execution of (i) the engine automatic stop control and/or (ii) the engine automatic restart control, by comparing each of at least one of (a) a plurality of physical amounts including (a-1) behavior-representing physical amounts and (a-2) turning-behavior-influencing physical amounts, with (b) a threshold value which is determined, depending on a running velocity of the vehicle, for the each of the at least one of the physical amounts. The behavior-representing physical amounts include at least one turning-behavior-representing physical amount. The allowing/inhibiting device includes a turning-behavior-basis allowing/inhibiting portion that is configured to selectively allow and inhibit the execution of (i) the engine automatic stop control and/or (ii) the engine automatic restart control, by comparing each of the at least one turning-behavior-representing physical amount, with the threshold value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic stop and restart of an engine.
2. Discussion of Related Art
JP-2005-351202A discloses an engine controlling apparatus for automatically stopping and restarting an engine of a vehicle during stopping of the vehicle. This engine controlling apparatus is configured, when a steering angle of a steering wheel of the vehicle becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined angle during stopping of the vehicle, to inhibit automatic stop of the engine that is in its activated state or to cause automatic restart of the engine that is in its stopped state.
When the steering angle of the steering wheel is not smaller than the predetermined angle, an electric power consumed by a drive motor of a power steering apparatus is considerably large, so that there would be a problem such as reduction of a battery voltage if the engine were in its stopped state. For avoiding such a problem, the engine controlling apparatus is configured to cause automatic restart of the engine when the engine is in its stopped state, and to inhibit automatic stop of the engine when the engine is in its activated state.
JP-2006-200370A discloses an engine controlling apparatus for automatically stopping and restarting an engine of a vehicle during running of the vehicle. This engine controlling apparatus is configured, when a steering velocity of a steering wheel of the vehicle becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined velocity during running of the vehicle, to cause automatic restart of the engine. Since after the steering wheel is abruptly turned there is a high possibility that a braking operation would be performed, it is necessary to obtain a booster negative pressure after abrupt turn of the steering wheel. To this end, the engine is automatically restarted.
In this engine controlling apparatus, the predetermined velocity of the steering velocity is a predetermined fixed value that is constant irrespective of whether a running velocity of the vehicle is high or low.


Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to apparatuses and methods of managing signaling radio bearer (SRB) transmissions. In one aspect, the apparatuses and methods are configured to generate a SRB packet comprising signaling information, wherein the SRB packet is configured to be transmitted on a channel according to a scheduling serving grant, determine whether the SRB packet is unable to be transmitted based on resources allocated by the received scheduling serving grant, override the received scheduling serving grant in response to determining that the SRB packet is unable to be transmitted, and transmit at least a part of the SRB packet on the channel. In another aspect, a scheduling information message to indicate whether an additional scheduling severing grant is needed is transmitted on the channel along with at least the part of the SRB packet.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods of managing signaling radio bearer (SRB) transmissions at a user equipment (UE).
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, broadcasts, and so on. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. One example of such a network is the UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). The UTRAN is the radio access network (RAN) defined as a part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). The UMTS, which is the successor to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) technologies, currently supports various air interface standards, such as Wideband-Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Time Division-Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), and Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA). The UMTS also supports enhanced 3G data communications protocols, such as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), which provides higher data transfer speeds and capacity to associated UMTS networks.
A UE communicating with a UMTS network may operate in a non-scheduled mode or in a scheduled mode with respect to transmitting information. For example, in the non-scheduled mode, the UE may be allowed to send only up to a fixed amount of information (referred to as a grant) in a given transmission time interval (TTI). In contrast, in the scheduled mode, the amount of information the UE may send, e.g., the grant, in a TTI may vary based on a number of factors, but in some non-limiting cases may be reduced to zero. The information that the UE transmits may include SRB packets and data packets. For example, the SRB packets may include Access Stratum (AS) and/or Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling information related to one or more signaling messages, such as, but not limited to, measurement report messages, reconfiguration messages, or an AS or NAS related messages. Further, for example, the data packet may include circuit-switched (CS) and/or packet-switched (PS) data.
Because of the importance of the SRB packets in maintaining the communication between the UE and the network, the performance of the UE and/or the network may be compromised when SRB packets are not transmitted in a timely manner. For example, when the UE is operating in the scheduled mode and the grant is reduced to zero, the UE operating according to currently available solutions is prohibited from transmitting a pending SRB packet. As such, the UE may experience delays in sending SRB packets to the network, which may lead to less than optimal communication between the UE and the network, or possibly a call drop when the zero-grant condition persists. As such, improvements in managing the transmission of SRB packets from the UE are desired.

Apparatus and methods of managing signaling radio bearer transmissions at a user equipment


A helmet has a helmet shell. The helmet shell defines an inner space and a passage. The passage has an open end. The passage fluidly communicates with the inner space via the open end. The helmet further comprises an electrical heating device. The electrical heating device is disposed within the helmet shell for heating the passage.

Full-face helmets have a helmet shell, a jaw shield, a visor and may further include an eye shield. The helmet shell protects the head of a wearer. The jaw shield is integrated with the helmet shell and forms a projection with the head portion and protects the lower part of the face of the wearer, more particularly the jaw. The visor is mounted on the helmet shell and protects the eyes of the wearer from the ambient air and/or dust. The eye shield is also mounted on the helmet shell and protects the eyes of the wearer from sunlight.
At low temperature, water vapor in the humid air exhaled by the wearer can create condensation on the eye shield. This condensation can cause water and/or ice to form on the eye shield.
To avoid the problem of condensation, it is possible to open the visor to allow outside air to flow into the helmet until the condensation is eliminated. This, however, presents the problem that the wearer may be exposed to cold air, which is uncomfortable at the very least.
Thus, there is a need to provide a device which is capable of avoiding or eliminating the condensation created on the eye shield, and exhausting the humid air exhaled by the wearer outside the helmet.