A clock recovery circuit for a digital TDM mobile radio transceiver is disclosed. In the "acquisition mode", a first phase-locked loop is configured to acquire synchronization with the input data signal, and a second phase-locked loop is coupled to the first PLL's output signal, thereby providing the recovered clock signal. The controller monitors the transmit control line and the received signal strength so as to switch the clock recovery circuit into a second configuration during a TDM transmit burst or a received signal fade. In this "hold mode", the second PLL is configured to free-run within a specified tolerance, while the first PLL is coupled to the second PLL's output signal. The controller maintains this "hold" configuration until the received signal is again present, and until the first PLL again acquires synchronization to the input data signal. In this manner, the controller prevents the recovered clock signal from losing bit synchronization or phase synchronization during transmit bursts, during the transmit-to-receive synthesizer out-of-lock period, or during Rayleigh fades. The present invention is particularly adapted for use in a TDM system utilizing 0.2 GMSK modulation, wherein there is less apparent clock signal available for clock recovery.

This invention relates generally to the field of radio frequency (RF) communications, and, more specifically, to an improved technique for recovering the clock signal from a stream of digital data received by a mobile radio. The invention is particularly useful for mobile radios operating in a time division multiplexed (TDM) digital communication system having Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) modulation.
Recently, there has been an increased demand for digital voice, digitally-encrypted voice, and high-speed data communications over land mobile radio channels. Since the radio frequency spectrum is inherently limited, one must devise new system concepts and organizational features to accommodate the increased demand for mobile and portable radio communication services. Time-division multiple access (TDMA) is one method of achieving more efficient spectrum utilization.
In its simplest form, a TDMA system is comprised of a transmitting base station capable of time-multiplexing messages from at least two users on a single RF channel, and one or more remote receiving stations capable of receiving at least one of the time-multiplexed messages. Typically, the receiving station would be a mobile or portable unit capable of transmitting a TDM message to the base station (or repeater station) on a second (or the same) RF channel. Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,514, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Controlling a TDM Communications Device", for further information regarding TDMA.
In a TDM system, like most digital communication systems, it is necessary to establish a clock rate in the receiving station that is continuously synchronized with the clock rate of the transmitting station in order to precisely recover the digital data. Continuous bit synchronization, as used herein, means that the number of bits into the transmission channel is equal to the number of bits recovered from the channel over a given time period. This requirement means that the frequency and phase of the receive clock signal must accurately track that of the transmit clock.
Bit synchronization over an RF transmission path is very difficult to maintain, primarily due to Rayleigh fading. Any method of continuous bit synchronization must withstand RF phase jumps, channel fading, drift between mobile and base station clocks, and bit slippage due to an out of lock phase-locked loop (PLL) at the mobile or base site. Moreover, the clock recovery mechanism must be sufficiently tolerant of noise such that it does not readily loose synchronization with the digital signal in the presence of random noise pulses.
An additional requirement of a clock recovery circuit for a simplex transceiver is that it maintain bit synchronization when no data message is being received, i.e., during the transmit time slot of a TDM system. Another very important requirement of a clock recovery circuit for a remote unit in a TDM system is that it should update the recovered clock phase information utilizing data from the other TDM channels when the remote is transmitting. However, in many applications, this synchronization information may not be obtained from the synchronization (sync) word in the unused time slot, since the radio may not be able to change channels quickly enough to receive the sync word.
Hence, the ideal TDM mobile clock recovery circuit would have fast acquisition of the transmitted data message clock rate, update the clock phase information utilizing random data, and maintain synchronization during the mobile transmit time slot as well as through periods of signal fading.
Various methods have been used in the past to achieve synchronization of the mobile and base station clocks. One approach is to send the clock signal along with the data, while another approach is to encode the clock into each digit such that the message carries its own synchronizing information. These techniques are undesirable in RF communication systems, since the additional clock information requires either a wider bandwidth or a reduced data rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,076, entitled "Synchronizing Signal Recovery Circuit for Radio Telephones", utilizes a digital phase-locked loop to recover the clock rate in response to an appropriate bit rate timing signal derived from the data signal bit stream. This patent, however, assumes the data signal information is present at all times, which is not a valid assumption in a TDM system. Furthermore, the circuit would lose synchronization in periods of noisy or faded signals. Still further, in using a single PLL, the initial transmit-to-receive transient produced by the radio's frequency synthesizer may direct the clock recovery PLL away from the desired frequency, thus producing additional time when the receive clock is not synchronized with the transmit clock.
Another technique for clock recovery, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,400,817 entitled "Method and Means of Clock Recovery in a Received Stream of Digital Data", utilizes a programmable divider coupled to a reference clock signal. The recovered clock signal is compared to the received data signal, and the divider is programmably altered to shift the phase of the recovered clock. Again, this phase comparison technique utilizing a zero-crossing detector which would not maintain synchronization during the transmit burst of a TDM mobile transceiver.
A need, therefore, exists to provide a method and means for clock recovery from a stream of digital data which provides continuous bit synchronization during periods when the mobile transceiver is transmitting, and also during fading periods when the received signal drops below receiver sensitivity.

Clock recovery and hold circuit for digital TDM mobile radio


DRAM cell arrays having a cell area of about 4 F2 comprise an array of vertical transistors with buried bit lines and vertical double gate electrodes. The buried bit lines comprise a silicide material and are provided below a surface of the substrate. The word lines are optionally formed of a silicide material and form the gate electrode of the vertical transistors. The vertical transistor may comprise sequentially formed doped polysilicon layers or doped epitaxial layers. At least one of the buried bit lines is orthogonal to at least one of the vertical gate electrodes of the vertical transistors.

There are two major types of random-access memory cells: dynamic and static. Dynamic random-access memories (DRAMs) can be programmed to store a voltage which represents one of two binary values, but require periodic reprogramming or "refreshing" to maintain this voltage for more than very short time periods. Static random-access memories are named "static" because they do not require periodic refreshing.
DRAM memory circuits are manufactured by replicating millions of identical circuit elements, known as DRAM cells, on dies on a single semiconductor wafer. Each DRAM cell is an addressable location that can store one bit (binary digit) of data. In its most common form, a DRAM cell consists of two circuit components: a field effect transistor (FET) and a capacitor.
FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of an exemplary DRAM memory circuit containing two neighboring DRAM cells 42. For each cell, capacitor 44 has two connections, located on opposite sides of the capacitor 44. The first connection is to a reference voltage, which is typically one half of the internal operating voltage (the voltage corresponding to one logical state) of the circuit. The second connection is to the drain of the FET 46. The gate of the FET 46 is connected to the word line 48, and the source of the FET is connected to the bit line 50. This connection enables the word line 48 to control access to the capacitor 44 by allowing or preventing a signal (a logic "0" or a logic "1") on the bit line 50 to be written to, or read from, the capacitor 44. In some arrangements, the body of the FET 46 is connected to body line 76, which is used to apply a fixed potential to the semiconductor body.
The manufacturing of a DRAM cell typically includes the fabrication of a transistor, a capacitor, and three contacts: one each to the bit line, the word line, and the reference voltage Vr. As DRAM manufacturing is a highly competitive business, there is continuous pressure to decrease the size of individual cells and to increase memory cell density to allow more memory to be squeezed onto a single memory chip, especially for densities greater than 256 Megabits. Limitations on cell size reduction include the passage of both active and passive word lines through the cell, the size of the cell capacitor, and the compatibility of array devices with non-array devices.
Conventional folded bit line cells of the 256 Mbit generation with planar devices have a size of at least 8 F2, where F is the minimum lithographic feature size. If a folded bit line is not used, the cell may be reduced to 6 or 7 F2. To achieve a smaller size, vertical devices could be used. In this manner, cell sizes of 4 F2 may be achieved by using vertical transistors stacked either below or above the cell capacitors, as in the "cross-point cell" of W. F. Richardson et al., A Trench Transistor Cross-Point DRAM Cell, IEDM Technical Digest, pp. 714-17 (1985). Known cross-point cells, which have a memory cell located at the intersection of each bit line and each word line, are expensive and difficult to fabricate because the structure of the array devices is typically incompatible with that of non-array devices. Other known vertical cell DRAMs using stacked capacitors have integration problems due to the extreme topography of the capacitors.
There is needed, therefore, a DRAM cell having an area of about 4 F2 that achieves high array density while maintaining structural commonality between array and peripheral (non-array) features. Also needed are simple methods of fabricating a DRAM cell that maximizes common process steps during the formation of array and peripheral devices.
Additional advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention.

DRAM layout with vertical FETS and method of formation


A decimator is used to process a multi-channel audio signal, and includes a memory, a controller and a processing unit. The processing unit is used to decimate each input audio component of a multi-channel audio signal to generate corresponding multi-channel operational data. The controller is used to control read and write actions for each audio component of the multi-channel audio signal and the multi-channel operational data into or from the memory. The memory provides a digital signal process for decimation together with the processing unit. The input of the multi-channel audio and the output of the multi-channel operational data are performed through time division. Compared with conventional decimator circuits, the decimator circuit of the present invention reduces the cost and the power consumption of the hardware circuitry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a decimator and a decimating method for digital signal processing (DSP), and more particularly to a decimator and a decimating method for multi-channel audio processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1(a) is a spectrum distribution diagram of a television multi-track stereo (MTS) audio specified by the US broadcast television systems committee (BTSC). The television MTS audio 10 is a composite signal, which includes a single-track (L+R) signal 101, a pilot signal 102, a stereo difference (L−R) signal 103, a second audio program (SAP) signal 104 and a professional channel signal 105.
The single-track (L+R) signal 101 is a base band signal, with a frequency of about 15 KHz. The frequency Fh of the pilot signal 102 is 15.734 KHz, which equals a horizontal scanning frequency of the BTSC video. The stereo difference (L−R) signal 103 is an amplitude modulation signal of the double sideband suppressed carrier (DSB_SC), with a central frequency of 2*Fh. The central frequency of the second audio program (SAP) signal 104 is 5*Fh, with the frequency spectrum ranging from +10 KHz to −10 KHz. The central frequency of the professional channel signal 105 is 6.5*Fh, with the frequency spectrum ranging from +3 KHz to −3 KHz.
FIG. 1(b) is a schematic block diagram of the circuit of the BTSC television multi-track stereo audio 10 for decimation. A stereo difference signal 103a is obtained after the television multi-track stereo (MTS) audio 10 is mixed and decimated for 2Fh through a frequency mixer 120. Since the second audio program (SAP) signal 104 employs frequency modulation (FM), the pilot signal 102 may not be sent together when the transmitting side transmits the second audio program (SAP) signal 104. Accordingly, the receiving side cannot perform coherent demodulation. Therefore, after the television MTS audio 10 is mixed and decimated for 5Fh through the frequency mixer 120, a second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 104a and a second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 104b are respectively obtained and sent to a frequency discriminator 140 for FM demodulation.
The mixed and decimated stereo difference signal 103a, the second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 104a and the second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 104b are mainly base band signals, but still having certain high-frequency signals derived from the mixing and decimating process.
The sampling frequencies of the single-track signal 101, the stereo difference signal 103a, the second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 104a and the second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 104b are decimated through four decimators 135, 132, 133 and 134 (referring to FIG. 1(b)) during the digital signal processing so as to obtain the single-track signal 101b, the stereo difference signal 103ab, the second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 104c and the second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 104d after decimation.
During the digital signal processing of the decimators 131, 132, 133 and 134, in order to reduce the sampling frequency and avoid the aliasing of the frequency spectrum, a finite impulse response (FIR) filter is employed to act as a low-pass filter for the frequency domain and reduce the sampling frequency for the time domain. Additionally, the high-frequency signals derived from the mixing and decimating process can be filtered through the low-pass filtering process of the FIR filter.
FIG. 1(c) is a schematic block diagram of the circuit of a second order FIR filter 160, which can be implemented to the previous stage of the decimators 131, 132, 133 and 134. The input signal 161 is converted into a first delay input signal 162 after being delayed by a time delayer 165. The first delay input signal 162 is converted into a second delay input signal 163 after being delayed by a time delayer 166. The signals 161, 162 and 163 are respectively multiplied with the corresponding impulse response coefficients 161h, 162h and 163h by multipliers 161m, 162m and 163m, the products are added together by an adder 167, and thereby the summation is an output signal 168.
The actual FIR filter generally requires an extremely large order. If the conventional register is used to act as a time delayer, the manufacturing cost of the hardware circuits including the four decimators (shown in FIG. 1(b)) is extremely high. Meanwhile, since the registers are serially connected with each other, when the FIR filter is operated, the transition of the logic level of the register has high frequency, based on the generation of the circuit clocks, resulting in heavy power consumption.
FIG. 1(d) is a spectrum distribution diagram of a television multi-track stereo audio 11 regulated by the Electronic Industries Association of Japan (EIA-J). The audio 11 includes a single-track (L+R) signal 111, a stereo difference (L−R) signal 113 or a second audio program (SAP) signal 114, and a pilot identification signal 115. The transmitting side of the television stereo audio system for the EIA-J does not simultaneously transmit both the stereo difference (L−R) signal 113 and the second audio program (SAP) signal 114. The receiving side obtains signal data according to the amplitude modulation performance of the pilot identification signal 115, and the transmitted signal is the stereo difference (L−R) signal 113 or the second audio program (SAP) signal 114.
FIG. 1(e) is a schematic block diagram of the circuit of the audio 11 for decimation. After the audio 11 received by the receiving side is decimated for 2Fh by a frequency mixer 121, either the single-track (L+R) signal and the stereo difference (L−R) signal 113 or the single-track (L+R) signal and the second audio program quadrature phase (SAP) signal 114 are obtained.
After the single-track (L+R) signal 111 is decimated by a decimator 151, a single-track (L+R) signal 111b is obtained. The stereo difference (L−R) signal 113 includes a stereo difference in-phase (L−R_I) signal 113a and a stereo difference quadrature phase (L−R_Q) signal 113b. After the signals 113a and 113b are decimated by the decimators 153 and 154 respectively, a stereo difference in-phase (L−R_I) signal 113c and a stereo difference quadrature phase (L−R_Q) signal 113d are obtained. Alternatively, the second audio program (SAP) signal 114 includes a second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 114a and a second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 114b. After the signals 114a and 114b are decimated by the decimators 153 and 154, a second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 114c and a second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 114d are obtained. The FM demodulation of the stereo difference in-phase (L−R_I) signal 113c and the second audio program in-phase (SAP_I) signal 114c share the same path, and the FM demodulation of the stereo difference quadrature phase (L−R_Q) signal 113d and the second audio program quadrature phase (SAP_Q) signal 114d also share the same path.
Compared with the single-track (L+R) signal 111b, the stereo difference in-phase (L−R_I) signal 113c and the stereo difference quadrature phase (L−R_Q) signal 113d need to be demodulated through a frequency discriminator 141, and thus a period of latency is necessary for such demodulation. Therefore, the single-track (L+R) signal 111 shall be transmitted later than the stereo difference (L−R) signal 113 by 20 microseconds at the transmitting side in compliance with the regulation of EIA-J so as to separate a left single-track signal from a right single-track signal. However, the processing time required is sometimes more than 20 microseconds for demodulating the stereo difference in-phase (L−R_I) signal 113c and the stereo difference quadrature phase (L−R_Q) signal 113d through the frequency discriminator 141, and consequently the latency for separating the left single-track signal from the single-track signal is not consistent.

Decimator and decimating method for multi-channel audio


The disclosure provides a mobile terminal medium casing and a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal medium casing includes a casing body having a receiving groove; a reflective sheet, a light guiding plate and an optical sheet group laminated in order, in a direction away from a bottom of the receiving groove, on the bottom of the receiving groove; and a light source assembly located in the receiving groove, an illuminant of the light source assembly being located at a light incidence side of the light guiding plate.

Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to technical field of mobile terminal, and particularly to a mobile terminal medium casing and a mobile terminal.
Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc., as an electronic product, becomes widely used and more important in people's daily life. With a high-speed development of the mobile terminal, requirements on the mobile terminal from people increase more and more highly. For example, for a mobile terminal with a same size, such as a smart mobile phone of 5 inch, a visual area is required to be large as possible. That is, the rim frame of the mobile terminal is as small as possible. When an existing mobile terminal displays, back light is generally provided by a backlight module. The backlight module of the mobile terminal commonly includes a back plate, an adhesive frame, a light source assembly, a reflective sheet, a light guiding plate and an optical sheet group. The reflective sheet, the light guiding plate and the optical sheet group are laminated in order on the back plate. The adhesive frame is located in the back plate. The light source assembly is mounted and fixed on the adhesive frame. The illuminant of the light source assembly faces a light incidence face of the light guiding plate. Due to the structure of the backlight module of the existing mobile terminal, the rim frame of the mobile terminal is rather wide.

Mobile terminal medium casing and mobile terminal

BOE OPTICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A lead storage battery with a monobloc container receives plate groups in cell compartments which are adjustable in width using a series of side wall ribs. Each rib includes a cell connector formed on the container wall, which is in turn provided with support portions which extend into the container compartment to define a roughly T-shaped cross-section. Each rib is further joined to the bottom of the container along its cross-section. Since the support portions are aligned with, or substantially aligned with the container wall, a large-surface support is provided for receiving a plate group, preventing the potential for wearing into the outermost electrodes of the plate group during vibrational stress, and the failure of the mass which can then result.

The present invention relates to storage batteries, especially lead storage batteries, with a plastic monobloc container having vertical walls with separating ribs.
Monobloc containers for lead storage batteries are conventionally produced in several sizes (classes), defining a variety of available battery types. For any given battery type, the capacity of the battery can be varied responsive to need. The need to accommodate different battery types requires the use of different injection molds (for each battery type). Due to cost considerations, this has led to a situation where only a few types (sizes) of batteries are offered. The result has been that only a few standardized outside dimensions are available, with widely differing capacities for any given container type. This is achieved by varying the number of positive and negative plates (i.e., plate groups) within each compartment of the container. This leads to corresponding variations in the cell space which is left free by the installed plate groups. These free spaces are conventionally filled with filler pieces referred to as plug-in separators.
Another expedient for reducing the free spaces in battery containers, to establish the volume required for the plate system to be installed, is to provide the intermediate and end walls with vertical ribs. The vertical ribs serve as spacers, and at the same time stiffen the intermediate walls (i.e., the partitions) while ensuring better electrolyte circulation around the outermost electrode plates of the installed plate groups. An example of such a construction is disclosed, for example, by EP-OS 169,179.
It is also known (for example, from DE-OS 3,117,917 or DE-OS 3,128,224) that the stiffening ribs arranged on the end walls and partitions of the container can be replaced with elastic, spring-like ribs. These ribs are directly formed on the container, extending toward the opposing wall at an angle which deviates from 90.degree.. The use of such ribs is advantageous in that they permit automatic installation of the plate groups, and can be molded to the plate system which is employed. However, a shortcoming is that such ribs can cause damage to the outermost electrode plates during vibrational stresses of the storage battery. This can be remedied by packing spacers against the ribs so that the outermost plates of the plate groups are covered. However, the use of spacers tends to complicate the installation process (with additional components), and makes automation more costly.


A magnetic balance guided linear vibration motor comprising a housing (1, 2), a vibrator, and a stator fixedly connected with the housing. The vibrator comprises a counterweight (31) and a vibrating block embedded and fixed in the counterweight, wherein a pair of first balancing magnets (61a, 61b) are respectively arranged on vertical sidewalls at two ends of the counterweight, second balancing magnets (62a, 62b) corresponding to the first balancing magnets are respectively arranged on the housing at positions corresponding to the two ends of the counterweight, and the second balancing magnets and the corresponding first balancing magnets are attracted to each other. The vibration motor provides the vibrator with vibration balance in a motor vibration space, overcomes the problem of wearing, deformation and balance error and the like due to motor mechanical balance means, and reduces motor noise, thus increasing the product quality and stability of the motor.

With the development of communication technology, portable electronic products such as mobile phones, handheld game machines or handheld multimedia entertainment apparatus enter people's lives. In these portable electronic products, micro-vibration motors are generally used to make system feedbacks, such as mobile phone notifications on incoming calls, game machine vibration feedbacks and the like. However, with the development trend of thin and lightweight electronic products, a variety of internal components thereof also need to adapt to this trend, and micro-vibration motor is no exception.
The existing micro-vibration motor generally comprises an upper cover, a lower cover which forms a vibration space with the upper cover, a vibrator (including a counterweight and a permanent magnet) performing a linear reciprocating vibration by taking a guide shaft penetrating the counterweight as a vibration reference in the vibration space, a elastic support connecting to the upper cover and driving the vibrator to perform a reciprocating vibration, and a coil positioned a distance below the vibrator.
However, in the configuration of the above-described micro-vibration motor, the balance of the vibrator performing a linear reciprocating vibration in the vibration space is maintained only by the cooperation of the guide shaft, a spring sleeved on the guide shaft, and a guide hole corresponding to the guide shaft, such as the horizontal linear vibrator involved in Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN01958629A. This vibration balance which is maintained only by mechanical forces such as shaft and hole as well as spring tends to generate vibration imbalance due to reasons such as mechanical wear and deformation and the like, thereby affecting the product quality of the micro-vibration motor.

Magnetically balancing guided linear vibration motor


Implementations relate to generating and displaying animations of user interface elements. In some implementations, a computer-executed method includes receiving user input indicative of manipulation of a particular user interface element with respect to a grid including a plurality of user interface elements. The method identifies, based on the user input, at least first and second rows of the grid to be updated. The method generates an animation to update the grid, including an update of the second row of the grid and one or more transitions comprising at least one of: transition of a first user interface element from the first row to outside the display area of the grid along a first direction, and transition of a second user interface element into the first row from outside the display area along a different second direction. The method causes the animation to be displayed.

Computer user interfaces utilize various user interface elements. Some user interfaces may include user interface elements arranged in a grid. For example, icons may be arranged in a grid of rows and columns. In another example, photo thumbnails may be arranged in a grid. Different software applications may permit users to add to, delete from, or rearrange user interface elements arranged in a grid.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.


Methods and systems for communicating a signal between a rotating antenna and a plurality of stationary antennae based on an axial displacement of the rotating antenna are provided. In one example, the method can include obtaining one or more measurements of an axial displacement of the rotating antenna from one or more axial displacement sensors. The method can further include determining a selected stationary antenna from the plurality of stationary antennae based at least in part on the measurements of an axial displacement of the rotating antenna. The method can further include activating the selected stationary antenna to communicate a signal with the rotating antenna. The method can further include communicating a signal between the rotating antenna and the selected stationary antenna.

A gas turbine, such as an industrial, aircraft or marine gas turbine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor, a combustor and a turbine. The turbine has multiple stages with each stage including a row of turbine nozzles and an adjacent row of turbine rotor blades disposed downstream from the turbine nozzles. The turbine nozzles are held stationary within the turbine and the rotor blades rotate with a rotating shaft. The various turbine stages define a hot gas path through the turbine.
During operation, the compressor provides compressed air to the combustor. The compressed air is mixed with fuel and burned in a combustion chamber or reaction zone defined within the combustor to produce a high velocity stream of hot gas. The hot gas flows from the combustor into the hot gas path of the turbine via a turbine inlet. As the hot gas flows through each successive stage, kinetic energy from the high velocity hot gas is transferred to the rows of turbine rotating blades, thus causing the rotating shaft to rotate and produce mechanical work.
It may be desirable to obtain information regarding various components of the gas turbine during operation, such as operating temperatures, which can be measured by thermocouples, or strain, which can be measured by strain gauges. The measurements obtained by these sensors can be wirelessly transmitted from an antenna located on the rotating shaft of the gas turbine to a stationary antenna located in close proximity to the rotating antenna. However, thermal expansion of the rotating shaft can cause the rotating antenna to be moved away from the stationary antenna, leading to reduced signal strength from the rotating antenna and possibly loss of a communication link between the stationary antenna and the rotating antenna.

Communicating signal between rotating antenna and plurality of stationary antennae based on displacement


An implantable electrode lead has a proximal end intended for connection to, e.g., a pacemaker and has a distal end with an electrode head equipped with an external, tine-type anchoring unit. The anchoring unit has a number of projections which are integrally formed as a one-piece unit together with a ring-shaped carrier. The carrier is made of an elastic material, and is disposed under elastic tension in an annular groove in the exterior of the electrode head, which fixes the position of the anchoring unit relative to the electrode head. The anchoring unit detaches from the electrode head, by the carrier being pulled out of the groove, when a predetermined, minimum pulling force is exerted on the electrode head from the proximal end of the lead.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an implantable electrode lead with a proximal end intended for connection to e.g. a heart stimulator or some other device for electrical stimulation or sensing, primarily in the human body, and a distal end with an electrode head equipped with external anchoring elements, such as tine-like position-fixation elements,
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrode lead of of the above type can either serve as an implant or be removed from the body after treatment is concluded.
To prevent a recently implanted endocardiac electrode from being dislocated, i.e. from being displaced from its intended position in the heart, it is important for the electrode to be anchored to heart muscle in some suitable fashion. This is especially important the first few days after the implantation, when heart tissue (fibrin) will not have had time to cover or grow around the electrode, thereby achieving natural anchoring of the head.
The endocardiac electrode, arranged on the distal end of its associated electrode lead, is therefore usually equipped with some kind of anchoring means. Conical collars, tines and fins located immediately behind the contact electrode, which is usually a point electrode on the distal end of the electrode lead, are examples of such anchoring means for position-fixation. The purpose of such anchoring means is to cause entanglement or wedging of the endocardiac electrode in the trabeculae in the interior of the heart. Electrodes equipped with tines have proved to be highly effective in achieving reliable anchoring at the desired position in the heart.
When a previously implanted electrode lead has to be removed from the heart for some reason or if its endocardiac electrode requires repositioning in the heart, detaching the electrode from the trabeculae may prove difficult because the electrode's anchoring means have become entangled in the trabeculae or anchored in place by the growth of fibrin onto or around the anchoring means.
Removing the entire electrode lead from the heart or retracting the lead and its contact electrode head a short distance can therefore be much more difficult because of problems in detaching the fixation means from the heart tissue in which they have become entangled or stuck.
In practice, it is often, but not always, possible to detach the end of the electrode lead with the anchoring means from its anchored position in the heart by the application of adequate tractive force.
However, detachment this way can damage the heart tissue, in which the anchoring means are embedded or stuck, to varying degrees.
One electrode lead, known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,962, has a distal end section consisting of an electrode head with pin-like fixation means. These fixation means can be switched to/from a retracted, inactive position in which they are completed withdrawn inside the electrode head, or an active position in which they, like times, project at an angle to the rear from the exterior of the electrode head in an area thereof located a short distance from the electrode head's electrode contact surface on the free outer end of the electrode head.
The pin-like position-fixation means are switched between the active and inactive positions with the aid of a stylet, which can move axially inside the electrode lead and electrode head, whose anterior end is attached to a piston-like, sliding holder, inside the electrode head, to which the inner, anterior ends of the anchoring means are attached. The free, posterior parts of the fixation means project to the rear from the holder and then at an angle up through guide holes in a sleeve, made of an electrically insulating material, which encloses the electrode head.
However, this known electrode lead with a retractable, deployable position-fixation means in the electrode head is a constructively complex design, especially as regards the electrode head. A constructively complex electrode lead and electrode head make the design unavoidably expensive.
European Application 0 041 254 discloses an electrode lead which at its distal end contains a harpoon-like component. The harpoon-like element is normally located and held in a longitudinal cavity in the distal end of the electrode lead. The harpoon-like element can be extended from the end of the lead, for instance by means of an internal stylet in the lead, and anchored to the endocavitary wall. Should it be necessary to remove the electrode lead, the harpoon-like element can be pushed entirely out from and released from the electrode lead. The lead then can be removed, the harpoon-like element remaining in the endocavitary wall.
European Application 0 041 254 discloses an electrode lead, which at its distal end is provided with a detachable sleeve. The sleeve is provided with anchoring means in the form of tines. The sleeve is held releasably on the exterior of the distal end, for instance by means of a press fit. In this way the lead can be removed from the heart., leaving the sleeve in the heart.


Disclosed is a semiconductor device, comprising a driver that causes first through third infrared LEDs to emit light sequentially at prescribed times; an infrared light sensor that receives infrared light that is emitted by the first through the third infrared LEDs and reflected by a reflecting object, and generates photoelectric currents at levels corresponding to the intensity of the received infrared light; an amplifier that generates first through third infrared light information, on the basis of the photoelectric current that is generated by the infrared light sensor, and which denote the intensity of the infrared light; an A/D converter; and a linear/logarithmic converter apparatus. It is thus possible to sense the movement of the reflecting object on the basis of the first through the third infrared light information.

Conventionally, a portable telephone having a touch panel of a switch structure allowing key operations and a display device for displaying keys and the like to be operated on the touch panel arranged superposed thereon has been known (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 1-153759 (Patent Literature 1)).
Further, a portable telephone having a plurality of motion sensors provided in a housing, for monitoring movements corresponding to dial numbers based on output signal patterns of the motion sensors, and dialing accordingly has also been known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-78262 (Patent Literature 2)).
Further, a device analyzing direction, intensity and number of movements detected by a motion detecting unit, analyzing types of user actions by calculating frequency distribution of movements and outputting an operation instruction corresponding to the result of analysis has been known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-148351 (Patent Literature 3)).

Semiconductor device and electronic apparatus employing the same


In a serial recording apparatus having three recording modes, i.e., normal, high-quality, and high-speed recording mode, sheet feed control satisfying requirements in these modes is performed. More specifically, high-speed sheet feed control is performed in the normal or high-speed recording mode, and low-noise sheet feed control with improved precision is performed in the high-quality recording mode although the speed is low.

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a recording medium in a plurality of recording modes.
In one of general arrangements for conveying a recording paper sheet in a recording apparatus, a recording paper sheet is fed by rotating conveyance rollers while urging the recording paper sheet against the conveyance rollers. A predetermined recording operation is performed on the fed recording paper sheet (recording sheet) using a recording head. The conveyance rollers are driven by transmitting the drive force of, e.g., a stepping motor via a gear train or the like.
In an arrangement for moving a carriage which carries the recording head, for example, a portion of a timing belt is attached to the carriage, and the belt is driven by, e.g., a stepping motor, thereby moving the recording head, as is well known. With these arrangements, the recording head is scanned with respect to the recording sheet, and a recording operation is performed during the scanning operation using the recording head. Every time a scanning operation is completed, the recording sheet is fed by the recording width of the recording sheet. In this manner, a recording operation for a single recording sheet is performed.
On the other hand, recent recording apparatuses, in particular, the ink-jet recording apparatus, are required to record fine images. As a general arrangement therefor, recording elements in a recording head, e.g., ink ejection orifices in an ink-jet system, are arranged at a high density.
In addition to such a recent tendency, recording apparatuses are required to reduce noise generated upon execution of a recording operation, and to have a high recording speed or to be able to select one of a plurality of recording speeds in accordance with an image to be recorded, so as to improve the values of their commodities.
In order to meet the above-mentioned fine, low-noise, and high-speed recording requirements, the recording sheet conveyance arrangement and the recording head scanning arrangement are improved variously.
However, the conventional recording sheet conveyance arrangement and recording head scanning arrangement responding to various requirements in the recording apparatus suffer from some problems as follows.
1) First, in a conventional recording apparatus, the conveyance speed of a recording sheet remains the same in either a high-speed recording mode for scanning a recording head at a high speed or a normal recording mode for scanning the recording head at a normal scanning speed.
In the high-speed recording mode, in general, an image is formed by thinning out dots constituting the image (draft mode). For this reason, in consideration of an application of such a thinned-out image, the conveyance precision of a recording sheet is not so important, but the speed is rather important.
On the other hand, in the normal recording mode, it is important to improve the conveyance precision so as to record a high-definition image, and to achieve a low-noise arrangement.
However, as described above, in the conventional recording apparatus, the recording sheet conveyance speed remains the same in either the high-speed recording mode or the normal recording mode. For this reason, for example, if the high-speed recording mode is executed at a relatively low conveyance speed to place an importance on, e.g., conveyance precision and low noise, a low-speed recording sheet conveyance operation, which does not match with the high scanning speed of the recording head, is undesirably performed. Conversely, if a relatively high conveyance speed is set in correspondence with the high-speed recording mode, and the normal recording mode is executed, since the conveyance precision is lowered, a fine image cannot be recorded even by a high-density recording head.
2) Second, when a fine-image recording operation is achieved by increasing the density of recording elements of the recording head, the conveyance precision of a recording sheet is required to be improved accordingly. Also, various other requirements for the conveyance speed, and noise upon execution of the conveyance operation must be satisfied.
In a normal recording sheet conveyance operation, if the conveyance amount of the recording sheet is, e.g., xe2x80x9c⅙ inchxe2x80x9d, the drive operation of a stepping motor associated with the conveyance operation is controlled in correspondence with a drive curve having the number of steps of the stepping motor according to the conveyance amount. However, in addition to the normally used conveyance amount, a conveyance operation may often be performed with a still smaller conveyance amount so as to attain, e.g., fine-image recording. In such a case, as one of conventional arrangements, a conveyance operation is performed with the number of steps smaller than that of the above-mentioned drive curve, and the stepping motor is driven at a predetermined pulse rate, i.e., at a predetermined drive speed in correspondence with the smaller number of steps. However, when the drive operation is performed at the predetermined pulse rate (self-start drive without ramp up/down), the drive speed is low, and noise becomes relatively high.
In place of such a drive operation, an arrangement for setting a drive curve according to even a small conveyance amount, and performing a drive operation for conveying a recording sheet in accordance with the set drive curve is known. However, if there are a large number of kinds of such small conveyance amounts, drive curves must be prepared in correspondence with these conveyance amounts, and a control arrangement is complicated very much. Thus, such an arrangement is not practical in consideration of the processing time.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned arrangement using a drive curve for a small conveyance amount, in order to solve a problem about noise upon execution of the conveyance operation by a small conveyance amount, the drive curve is designed to have symmetrical rising and falling curve patterns, and various conveyance amounts partially use the same rising and falling curve patterns. A constant-speed drive curve having a length according to each conveyance amount is connected between these rising and falling curve patterns.
In this case, a conveyance operation exceeding a predetermined length is controlled based on a drive curve constituted by the entire rising curve pattern, a constant-speed curve pattern, and the entire falling curve pattern. However, since the symmetrical rising and falling curve patterns corresponding to a conveyance operation for a predetermined amount or less are used, the noise, speed, and precision requirements for the recording sheet conveyance operation cannot be sufficiently satisfied in a normal conveyance operation exceeding the predetermined amount.
3) Third, as for the drive operation of the carriage motor for scanning the recording head, the same problem as that described in item 2) above is posed. More specifically, a problem in a short-distance carriage drive operation is posed.
In order to increase the recording speed, a so-called skip operation for scanning the carriage on a blank portion within a line at a higher speed than that in a recording mode is performed. Also, when the carriage is returned, a so-called high-speed return operation for scanning the carriage at a high speed is similarly performed.
With the above-mentioned control, although the recording speed can be increased, sliding noise increases, and recording precision is lowered since the carriage moves at a high speed. In this manner, such control poses a problem in a high-quality mode.
4) Fourth, when an ink-jet system is adopted as a recording system, a capping operation for protecting an ink-jet recording head in a non-recording state, and a wiping operation for maintaining a recording state are performed.
At this time, if a wiping operation is performed scanning the carriage at a high speed, moving noise in the wiping operation is increased, and it is not preferable in some recording modes. On the other hand, if a wiping operation is performed at a low speed, the overall throughput is lowered, and it is not preferable in the high-speed recording mode.
5) Similarly, when an ink-jet system is adopted as a recording system, since the temperature rise rate of the recording head changes depending on the drive state of the ink-jet recording head, in particular, in the high-speed recording mode, the ejection amount of an ink varies, resulting in a density nonuniformity. In addition, the refill time required for refilling an ejected ink in nozzles (ejection portions) cannot be sufficiently assured in the high-speed recording mode.
On the other hand, in a high-quality recording mode, it is demanded to obtain a recording image with a higher density.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an improved recording apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus, which has a plurality of recording modes, and can perform recording under a proper recording condition.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus, which has a plurality of recording modes, and can perform proper conveyance control of a recording medium in correspondence with the recording modes.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus, which has a plurality of recording modes, and can perform proper moving control of a recording head in correspondence with the recording modes.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus, which has a plurality of recording modes, and can perform proper wiping control of a recording head in correspondence with the recording modes.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus, which has a plurality of recording modes, and can perform proper drive control of a recording head in correspondence with the recording modes.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A cooking appliance includes a cavity to provide a cooking chamber, a burner disposed within the cooking chamber to generate flame for supplying heat to the cooking chamber, a burner cover on which the burner is installed, the burner cover having an opening through which air within the burner cover passes, a fan to allow the air within cooking chamber to flow, the fan to discharge the air within the burner cover through the opening of the burner cover, and a stabilizer including a barrier to abut the flame of the burner from reaching the fan when the air passes through the opening of the burner cover by operation of the fan.

The present disclosure relates to a cooking appliance.
Cooking appliances are devices for cooking foods by using heat of a heating source. Cooking appliances, for example, an oven range or oven includes an oven chamber in which foods are cooked and a burner that produces combustion of gas to cook the foods within the oven chamber.


A blood conservation system, including a vacuum wound drainage apparatus, comprises a liquid collection reservoir for a wound to be drained and an operating unit fixed on such reservoir. The operating unit is self contained and includes a battery supply, an electric motor powered pump, a control for setting the level of vacuum desired in the reservoir and structure for operating the motor powered vacuum pump in accord with the setting of the control. The entire system is arranged to be disposed of after use by one patient.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,156,602 (Steffler), 4,994,022 (Steffler et al), 4,826,494 (Richmond et al), 4,655,754 (Richmond et al) and 4,569,674 (Phillips et al), assigned to the Assignee of the present invention, disclose suction wound drainage systems and/or blood conservation systems which have been operationally and commercially successful. The present invention arises from a continuing effort to improve on an apparatus of this general type.
The objects and purposes of this invention include provision of apparatus for suction wound drainage and particularly adapted for blood conservation, especially under postoperative conditions.


This invention pertains to hydraulically actuated rock splitters which utilize a wedge and feather action. The forward movement of this wedge places a corresponding thrust load on the feathers and their retaining means. Conventionally, the feathers have enlarged portions which are engaged by and are retained by hardened steel thrust or wear plates carried by a shell or housing. As a means of keeping the weight within reasonable limits this housing is usually made of aluminum or an alloy of aluminum. The support for these hardened steel plates, as provided by the housing, is usually insufficient resulting in a cracking or breaking of the hardened steel plates. These wear plates are made as laminations with a hardened steel plate disposed to engage the ends of the feathers and a softer steel backing plate which prevents damage to the housing when cracking of the hardened plate does occur. The embodiments show ring-like components arranged in a laminated assembly with no split in the wear plate component.

1. Field of the Invention
With reference to the classification of art as established in and by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the present invention is believed to be found in the general class entitled, "Mining or in Situ Disintegration of Hard Material" (Class 299) and in the subclass entitled, "expansible breaking down devices-piston" (subclass 22) and the subclass using a "wedge" (subclass 23).
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a wedge and associated feathers for splitting rock is shown particularly in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,309 to DARDA as issued on May 18, 1976 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,951 as issued Sept. 19, 1978 to LANGFIELD, et al. These references are applicable to a hydraulically actuated rock splitter in which a tapered wedge is moved between opposed and contiguous feathers. Conventionally, the upper ends of these feathers are retained by housings of metal. On the thrust and splitting movement or action of the wedge there is a thrust load on the enlarged retaining ends of the feathers. This thrust load is conventionally transmitted by and through hardened steel plates to a housing retainer.
As reducer to practice, this hardened steel thrust or wear plate often cracks or breaks during or as a result of the thrust and splitting action movement of the tapered wedge. These wear or thrust plates are retained by grooves and/or screws. Under this thrust and when and where dirt, a rock or other material or factor reduce the ability of the wedge to slide along the face of the feathers an increase of pressure and a cracking or breaking of these wear plates results. Repeated actuation of the wedge to produce a splitting action often causes the cracked or brokenwear or thrust plates to cut or mutilate the housing or retainer, usually made of aluminum, to the extent that it is not satisfactorily useable.
In particular the housing or retainer used in th DARDA apparatus and as shown in the LANGFIED patent above identified utilizes an aluminum alloy. The wear or thrust plates are hardened steel and when broken or cracked the sharp edges of said wear plates cut or gouge portions of the retainer. Repeated use of the tool often causes the area of the housing retaining these broken wear plates to become cut or worn beyond accetable limits. The present invention provides an additional thrust plate of soft steel which may be bonded to the hardened steel plate by epoxy cement, silver soldering or brazing. In certain installations or applications the soft metal plate may be held in place by pins or screws and the hardened steel plate placed next to the softer steel plate. This results in the hardened steel plate being positioned between the soft steel plate and the enlarged end portions of the feathers.
When damage to the housing occurs from the cracking and further disintegration of the broken thrust plates takes place because of continued use of the rock splitter, repair of the housing is required. This rework of the housing occurs at the recess where the thrust plate is originally mounted. This rework consists of remachining of this recess to accommodate the additional thrust plate of softer steel. If the damage to the housing is extensive, a cutting away of the damaged portion may weaken the housing to a degree that is unsatisfactory. The housing then must be discarded or a rebuilding of the damaged area may be accomplished by welding and remachining.
The softer steel support plate is preferably made as one-quarter, five-sixteenths, three-eighths or sometimes as much as seven-sixteenths inch in thickness. This does not preclude a thickness of up to three-quarters of an inch which has proven satisfactory. The same contour on the outside as the hardened thrust plate is usually carried forth in the softer steel reinforcing support plate, to be hereinafter more fully described.

Wear or thrust plates for hydraulic rock splitting apparatus


To provide a solid-state imaging device able to improve light transmittance of a transparent insulation film in a light incident side of a substrate, suppress the dark current, and prevent a quantum efficiently loss, wherein a pixel circuit is formed in a first surface of the substrate and light is received from a second surface, and having: a light receiving unit formed in the substrate and for generating a signal charge corresponding to an amount of incidence light and storing it; a transparent first insulation film formed on the second surface; and a transparent second insulation film formed on the first insulation film and for retaining a charge having the same polarity as the signal charge in an interface of the first insulation film or in inside, thicknesses of the first and second insulation film being determined to obtain a transmittance higher than when using only the first insulation film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a back illumination type (back illuminated) solid-state imaging device receiving light from an opposite side to a surface formed with a pixel circuit, a method of producing the same, and a camera including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known, for example, front illumination type (front illuminated) solid-state imaging devices in which a light receiving unit and a read out transistor are placed with in a pixel, so, in a CCD type solid-state imaging device and a CMOS type solid-state imaging device, an area for the light receiving unit is restricted. For an enlargement of the area for the light receiving unit, in the CCD or CMOS type solid-state imaging device, an on-chip lens or a multilayered light receiving unit using photoconductive film has been employed. Also, in the CCD type solid-state imaging device, a frame transfer CCD using a transparent electrode or a thin polysilicon electrode has been employed.
In above configurations, an effective aperture area of the light receiving unit is enlarged to improve light sensitivity. As a pixel is smaller, an eclipse of incidence light is obviously by a pixel interconnection and a transfer gate electrode unit. Therefore, a back illuminated (back illumination type) solid-state imaging device has been expected as a configuration for high-sensitivity of the light receiving unit. As the back illuminated solid-state imaging device, a CCD type is discloses by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2002-151673, and a MOS type is discloses by Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-31785. In the back illuminated solid-state imaging device, a frame transfer (FT) type or a frame interline transfer (FIT) type has been employed.
In the case of the CCD type and the MOS type, a p-type silicon substrate is used as a substrate. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-350068 discloses the following three structures for suppressing a dark current at an interface of a back surface, namely a light incident surface.
A first structure is formed with a p+-layer with high concentration at the back surface to suppress a depletion at the back surface. A second structure is formed with a transparence electrode via an insulation film at the back surface. A negative voltage is supplied to the transparent electrode to make a hole storage state in the back surface of a substrate. A third structure is injected with negative charges at an insulation film formed at the back surface of the substrate to make the hole storage state in the back surface of the substrate due to the negative charge.

Method of producing a solid-state imaging device


A method for measuring the thickness of a refractory laid-up against the interior surface of the steel shell of a metallurgical apparatus includes placing at least one monitoring device in a critical wear area of the apparatus in a manner such that the free end of the device is at a known distance from the hot face of the refractory and the confined end extends beyond the outer surface of the steel shell. The device is connected to an electronic time-domain reflectometer by electrical connecting means. Timed pulses are generated and impressed in the device by the instrument and reflections of the pulses are received by and are visually displayed on the reflectometer. The length of the device appears on the display as a straight line bounded by two inflections. The straight line is indicative of the thickness of the refractory.. The device includes a metallic conductor coaxial with an outer metallic sheath and separated therefrom by a refractory having a desired dielectric constant. The device has a free end and a confined end. The confined end may be contained in a junction box provided with electrical connecting means. Electric insulating packing may be used in the junction box.

This invention is directed to a method for measuring the thickness of a refractory in metallurgical apparatus, and more particularly to measuring the thickness of a refractory laid-up against the interior surface of the steel sheel of a metallurgical apparatus, for example a blast furnace, electric arc furnace, basic oxygen furnace, etc. The device used to measure the thickness of the refractory is also described.
Apparatus, for example, metallurgical furnaces and mobile hot metal transport, for example blast furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, electric arc furnaces, open hearth furnaces, submarine ladles, stationary hot metal mixers, glass refining furnaces, power house boilers and the like, are constructed of a steel superstructure or steel shell and a refractory supported by the superstructure or laid-up against the interior surface of a steel shell. The refractory confines the heat and hostile atmosphere within the apparatus and protects the surrounding environment and/or steel superstructure and steel shell of the apparatus.
In recent years, much effort has been expanded to develop improved refractory. These efforts have resulted in an increase in the life of the refractory and have increased the length of furnace campaigns, i.e., the time a furnace is in service before a reline of refractory is required. Such efforts are continuing since the longer the time a furnace is in operation the fewer relines are required and the lower is the cost of producing molten metals in the furnace. Many of these efforts have been directed to monitoring the wear or erosion of the refractory so that timely repairs can be made to the refractory to prolong the campaign of the furnace and to prevent catastrophic failures of the refractory.
Several devices and methods for monitoring the wear of the refractory in metallurgical furnaces are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,707 to L. G. Weaver entitled "Thickness Gage for Blast Furnace Wall", U.S. Pat. No. 3,307,401 to G. S. Bachman entitled "Element for Measurement of Furnace Wall Thickness and Temperature", U.S. Pat. No. 3,532,797 of H. K. Lunig entitled "Apparatus for Monitoring Thickness of Wall Lining of Electric Arc Furnace" and U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,413 to O. VonKrusenstierna et al. entitled "Measuring Body Capable of Being Built into the Wall of a High Temperature Furnace". All the monitoring devices disclosed in the above patents are essentially thermocouples having two dissimilar metals. The devices operate on the principle of electrical resistance masurements and rely on the discontinuity of an electric circuit. Bachman and Weaver use "ladder-like" devices extending through the thickness of the refractory while Lunig and Krusenstierna et al. rely on a plurality of paired resistance wires of various lengths positioned at various depths in the refractory thickness. In actuality the monitoring devices do not continuously monitor the thickness of the refractory in the sense that a direct thickness measurement is made continuously. The thickness of the refractory is actually known, or determined, only at the time of a disruption in the electric circuit and is only approximately known when the circuit is again completed.
The prior art devices enumerated above are limited to measuring fixed thicknesses that are dependent upon the position of a particular wire or loop in the refractory. These types of devices are also susceptible to being "shorted-out" by slag penetration, breakage due to spalling of the refractory, and deterioration of the sheath and insulating material placed between the wires and the sheath. Then, too, the number of refractory surface positions or thicknesses of refractory which can be measured by these devices is finite. For each new position, a separate wire or loop must be added to the monitor body.
Another method for measuring the thickness and monitoring the wear of the refractory is the use of sources of low level radiation, i.e. radioactive isotopes. A plurality of the sources are embedded at predetermined locations in the refractory during reline. When a source ceases to emit radiation, erosion at that location is indicated. Since the actual erosion is known only when radiation ceases, it can be seen that this device and method are similar to the other devices and methods in that the thickness and erosion of the refractory is not known until the source disappears. Radiation type monitoring is thus not really a continuous measurement system. Handling of the radioisotopes must furthermore be done by specially trained and licensed personnel. If any isotopes remain in the refractory after a furnace campaign, special care must be taken by the licensed personnel to recover the isotopes.
There is therefore a need for an inexpensive, safe, substantially continuous method for measuring the thickness of a refractory in a metallurgical apparatus particularly while the apparatus is in service.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for measuring the thickness of the refractory in a metallurgical apparatus, for example a blast furnace, basic oxygen furnace or electric furnace, etc. wherein at least one monitoring device is positioned in a critical wear area of the refractory laid-up against the interior surface of the steel shell of the apparatus and the device is connected to an electronic instrument which induces timed pulses in the device and records and displays reflected signals of the impulses, which display is indicative of the length of the device and thickness of the refractory.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a simple monitoring device suitable for use with an electronic instrument which uses the time-domain reflectometry techniques, whereby the thickness of the refractory can be measured either continuously or intermittently.

Method for measuring the thickness of a refractory in a metallurgical apparatus


A method that limits the amount of time that a hand weapon can be discharged during use, an apparatus that limits the area of usefulness of a hand weapon, an apparatus for preventing the discharging of a hand weapon based on the weapon having been in an attitude that is good for concealed carrying, a method and an apparatus for preventing the discharging of a hand weapon that has had a part not necessary for the discharging of the weapon removed to increase concealability, an apparatus that transmits an identifying signal from a hand weapon under various conditions, a means necessary for the firing of a hand weapon that provides a detectable magnetic field in the vicinity of the hand weapon, an apparatus for preventing the discharging of a hand weapon based on a magnetic field that can be created in location where the weapon is likely to be used for criminal purposes and an apparatus for preventing the discharging of a hand weapon based on a radio field that can be created in a location where the weapon is likely to be used for criminal purposes.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dischargeable hand weapons and in particular to methods and apparatuses for reducing the criminal usefulness of such weapons.
2. Description of Related Art
Dischargeable hand weapons are popular for defense of persons. Reducing the criminal usefulness of those weapons would save many lives and prevent much crime.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,393 discloses an apparatus having a means for receiving a directional electromagnetic signal and a means for preventing the discharging of a weapon based on the reception of the signal.
There is at least one safety device for preventing the discharging of a hand weapon if its angle of discharging is within a certain range.

Means for reducing the criminal usefulness of dischargeable hand weapons


A process for manufacturing metal and ceramic matrix composite materials. The invention also encompasses various composite products made by the disclosed method. The resulting composite material comprises a reinforcement material in either continuous or discrete form embedded in a matrix material which is either a pure metal, a metal alloy, or a ceramic. The reinforcing material is optionally coated with a barrier coating material. An electric arc or plasma arc is used to spray a thin layer of matrix material over a preplaced layer of reinforcement material. Successive layers are built up until a desired object shape and thickness are achieved. There is an optional final step of high-temperature diffusion annealing or hot isostatic pressing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of manufacturing metal and ceramic matrix composite materials and, more particularly, to methods of manufacturing metal and ceramic composites utilizing thermal spray techniques and an optional finishing step of diffusion annealing and/or hot isostatic pressing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Components for the aircraft and aerospace industries require materials having maximum specific strength and specific modulus. Specific strength is the ratio of tensile strength to density, and specific modulus is the ratio of modulus of elasticity to density. These quantities present the structural properties in terms of what used to be called the strength-to-weight ratio.
Composite structures offer significant weight economy to the engineer when used in structural designs. A composite structure consists of a continuous-phase matrix material which is made stronger and/or stiffer by a second material having a substantially higher tensile strength and/or modulus of elasticity. The material used for reinforcing the matrix can be in the form of fibers, woven textiles, or particles.
A simplified version of the theory behind the reinforcement effect of adding the high-strength/stiffness second-phase material is that the major portion of an applied load is borne by the second-phase material, while the matrix material serves to maintain the geometric and alignment relationships of individual second-phase reinforcing material elements with respect to each other for the case of continuous reinforcement. The matrix provides some degree of ductility and toughness to the composite body by transferring and distributing strain in local areas of the continuous reinforcing phase more widely to other second-phase elements and generally acts as a "glue" to hold the composite assembly together as well as to provide a feasible method of manufacturing a specific shape. The direct utilization of the reinforcing phase as a monolithic body is generally not possible because of extreme brittleness or because of difficulty or expense in obtaining it as a monolithic body. The desired strength/stiffness property of the reinforcing phase is only found in the form of structural units having very small dimensions, generally less than 0.010 inch in the smallest dimension.
In another composite form, the reinforcing phase material may be present in discrete form such as relatively short fibers of glass or silicon carbide whiskers, or short lengths of glass, carbon, graphite, partially crystallized carbon, boron or silicon carbide. These composites depend for their strength upon a degree of particle hardening. Such materials include "cermets," which are a mixture of metal and ceramic substances generally compounded with the object of producing a combination of hardness and toughness such as would be required in a tool material. Another related group of composite materials relies upon dispersion hardening, in which the movement of microscopic dislocations is impeded by strong particles having microscopic dimensions also.
If a composite material contains discrete reinforcing elements, these suffer elastic strains when the material is stressed. These elements contribute in this way to the load-carrying capacity of the material and provide obstacles to the movement of dislocations, assuming that the elements themselves are strong. If the volume of such strong elements in the composite is proportionately large, they will provide a high strength and a corresponding high load carrying capacity. One of the best ways of increasing tensile strength is by using elements in the form of long continuous fibers. The matrix material may begin to flow when stressed but in doing so will cause a force to be set up at the surface of the fiber. If the fiber is sufficiently long, the transmitted force will finally lead to its fracture and the fiber will have fully contributed to the strength of the composite material. Obviously the strength will have a maximum value parallel to the direction of the fibers.
The nature of the interface between the discrete elements and the matrix influences the extent to which the load is transferred from the matrix to the reinforcing material. Cohesion at the interface may be achieved by one of several methods:
(1) Mechanical bonding; this involves a large enough coefficient of friction acting between the surfaces.
(2) Physical bonding, which depends upon van der Waals forces acting between surface molecules.
(3) Chemical reaction bonding at the interface; this, however, may give rise to weak, brittle compounds in some cases.
(4) Bonds formed by solid-solution and diffusion effects.
Organic thermoplastic and thermosetting resin matrix composites have been in use for a long time and their fabrication methods are fully described in the technical literature. Structural metal matrix composites are relatively new and thus far only aluminum and, to a lesser extent, magnesium and copper have achieved reasonable degrees of development. Composites of these metals are obtained through powder metallurgy, liquid metal infiltration, and the diffusion bonding of alternate layers of metal foils and filaments. Ceramic matrix composites are most commonly fabricated by cold press and sinter, cast and sinter, or hot press techniques. All of the above fabrication methods suffer in varying degrees from one or more of the following problems: the presence of internal defects such as voids and incomplete diffusion bonds; the breakup of continuous filaments due to the measurable deformation of the matrix in pressing type operations; excessive reaction between the matrix and the reinforcing phase material; low bond strength between the matrix and the reinforcing phase; and very high cost.
Some examples of the art related to the fabrication of composite materials are given below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,277 to Kreider et al is directed to a process of fabricating a multilayer fiber-reinforced metal matrix composite by winding a filament on a spring-loaded mandrel covered with brazing foil, preheating the mandrel, plasma arc spraying metal matrix material in coalescent form onto the filament windings so as to form a monolayer tape, and low-pressure braze bonding a plurality of tapes together in layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,796 to Walker is directed to the use of a plurality of torch flames, each resulting from the combustion of gaseous silicon tetrachloride and a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen directed upon a graphite mandrel to form a high-purity silica article upon the mandrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,350 to Tucker, Jr., is directed to a filament-reinforced composite metallic material which can be fabricated into various size filament-reinforced composite sheets or strips. A process is disclosed in which the metallic matrix of the composite consists of at least two plasma-sprayed particulated discrete metallic components which when subjected to a pressurized heat treatment will react to form a substantially homogenous alloy matrix for the filaments.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,888,661 to Levitt et al is directed to the preparation of a graphite fiber reinforced, metal matrix composite by hot-pressing. The composite comprises layers of a matrix metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium and magnesium based alloys in combination with alternate layers of a graphite fiber. Small additions of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, nickel, zirconium, hafnium, and silicon are made in order to promote wetting and bonding between the graphite fibers and the matrix metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,802 to Duparque et al is directed to an improvement in fabricating composite panels comprising a metal support foil to which a fiber-reinforced metal matrix layer adheres. The improvement is to interpose a thin layer of a bonding metal or alloy between the support foil and the fiber-reinforced metal matrix layer. The bonding metal layer serves to improve the adhesion of the metal matrix to the support foil and enables the metal matrix layer to be produced under less severe conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,982 to McCreary et al is directed to a process of coating woven materials with metals or with pyrolytic carbon by chemical vapor deposition reactions using a fluidized bed. The porosity of the woven material is retained and the tiny filaments which make up the strands which are woven (including inner as well as outer filaments) are substantially uniformly coated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,466 to Jackson et al is directed to a method of fabricating gas turbine engine, superalloy airfoils and other components by a method which uses low-pressure/high-velocity plasma spray-casting and segmented mandrels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,106 to Tanaka et al is directed to flame spraying compositions exhibiting improved adherence to a variety of substrates, as well as articles coated with such compositions. The spraying compositions comprise a granulated mixture of two components: (1) a powdery material selected from the group consisting of powdered metals, heat resistant ceramics, cermets, and resins; and (2) a ceramic needle fiber such as whisker crystals of SiC or Si.sub.3 N.sub.4. Articles coated with thin films of these coatings exhibit thermal and corrosion resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,637 to Eaton et al is directed to a process for plasma spraying small metal fibers onto the surface of a workpiece, and articles made using the process. An improved ceramic-faced metal article is made by spraying fibers onto the workpiece by injecting fibers into the plasma stream external to a plasma gun nozzle. Then, plasma sprayed ceramic particles are caused to surround the fibers as a matrix. Optionally a removable polymer material is interposed on the workpiece surface after the fibers are sprayed but before the ceramic matrix is sprayed to provide a low stiffness connector between a low thermal expansion coefficient ceramic material and a high expansion coefficient metal substrate. The connector alleviates strains from thermal expansion differences.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,896 to Nazmy et al is directed to a method of applying a corrosion protection layer to the base of a gas turbine blade by embedding particles of SiC in a metallic matrix by means of powder, paste or electrolytic/electrophoretic methods and compacting, welding, or fusing and bonding the matrix-forming material to the base by means of hot pressing, hot isostatic pressing or laser beam, electron beam, or electric arc.
None of the patents described briefly above discloses a method of manufacturing metal and ceramic composite materials utilizing thermal spray techniques which may include the formation of in-situ alloys and wherein the method may employ multiple torches, and which is applicable to continuous fiber type reinforcement structures as well as to discrete reinforcement materials which may be sprayed, including an optional finishing step of diffusion annealing and/or hot isostatic pressing.
The current trend in the technology of warfare is toward smarter, faster, and more maneuverable tactical guided missiles. A faster, more maneuverable tactical missile results in a combination of increased loads and heating on body structures and aerodynamic surfaces. The heating problem becomes increasingly severe as the missile velocity increases beyond Mach 6. The combination of increased loads and heating exacerbates an already difficult design problem, since most structural materials demonstrate decreasing strength and stiffness with increasing temperature. For example, Rene 41 is a commonly used high-strength high-temperature nickel base superalloy. Its specific strength and specific modulus at room temperature are 60.times.10.sup.4 inches and 1.1.times.10.sup.8 inches, respectively. Values for these properties drop to 40.times.10.sup.4 inches and 0.7.times.10.sup.8 inches at 1500 degrees F. for specific strength and specific modulus, respectively, and sharply accelerate downward with increasingly higher temperatures. Current materials are also deficient in one or more of the following attributes: cost, reliability, availability, and fabricability. There is a need for new fabrication methods which will produce metal and ceramic composite materials having greater specific strength and specific modulus at high temperatures and which can be manufactured at reasonable cost. Such composites should be substantially free of matrix-reinforcement interaction and degradation.

Fabrication of metal and ceramic matrix composites

General Dynamics Corp., Air Defense Systems Division


A method for growth, development and maturation of cacao embryos from the precursor stage disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 951,267, and product of such method of production.

The general state-of-the-art is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 951,267, filed Oct. 13, 1978, (and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,366) Jules Janick and Valerie C. Pence, inventors, entitled "Method of Non-Agricultural Production of Cotyledons," and a division thereof, filed Jan. 11, 1980, application Ser. No. 111,960 entitled "A Plant Tissue Produced by Non-Agricultural Proliferation of Cacao Cotyledons."
The improvement here proposed is a definition of the proper conditions under which the cacao cotyledons produced by the method disclosed in the aforesaid patent applications may be produced and matured to a cocoa butter-like product.

Method for production of mature asexual cacao embryos, and product thereof


A vehicle clutch hydraulic system for a vehicle is provided with a mechanical oil pump, an electric oil pump, a forward clutch and a control valve unit. In the vehicle clutch hydraulic system, a main pump oil passage fluidly connects the mechanical oil pump to the control valve unit. A sub-pump oil passage fluidly connects the electric oil pump to a forward clutch oil passage into which an oil passage outlet opens at an inside location closer to a clutch rotational axis than a clutch oil chamber of the forward clutch.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clutch hydraulic system for a vehicle equipped with two oil pumps, a mechanical oil pump and an electric oil pump, as a hydraulic power source.
Background Information
Conventionally, a clutch hydraulic system for a vehicle in which a main pump oil passage and a sub-pump oil passage are merged and connected to a control valve unit via a common oil passage is known (refer to, for example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 2012-82951).


The present invention is directed to a method of and an apparatus for applying predetermined processing to an original image pixel by pixel. A main signal (S) regarding an objective pixel which is a pixel which is to be processed is supplied to an average density value extracting portion (10), a multiplier (51), and a filter computation portion (30). The filter computation portion (30) executes computation based on an image filter which has a larger size than the size of halftone dots, to thereby generates a filtered signal (S'). The average density value extracting portion (10) extracts an average density value (D) in an area which is larger than the size of the halftone dots, and supplies the average density value (D) to a table reference portion (20). The table reference portion (20) identifies a mixing rate (M) for mixing in the main signal (S) and a mixing rate (1-M) for mixing in the filtered signal (S'), in accordance with the average density value (D). The multiplier (51) generates a signal (Sa (=M.multidot.S)) while a multiplier (52) generates a signal (Sb (=(1=M).multidot.S')). Following this, an adder (53) mixes these signals with each other, thereby generating an output signal (S"). As such processing is performed on the entire image, a deterioration in an image quality is suppressed in an excellent manner and moires are removed without deteriorating an edge of the image. Further, a contrast in the vicinity of the objective pixel may be calculated and a mixing rate (M) may be found in accordance with the contrast. In this case as well, it is possible to obtain an image which has an excellent quality.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for processing a digital image which is obtained from a scanner, a digital camera or other apparatuses.
2. Description of the Background Art
A printed matter is customarily created by printing halftone dots. A printed matter which is printed in halftone dots has a resolution of about 65 to 200 dpi.
FIG. 11 shows a case that an image inputting portion such as a scanner reads a printed matter which is printed in halftone dots. FIG. 11 is a view of a positional relationship between halftone dots and pixels which are to be read, and the illustrated halftone dot image which is an original image has a density of 50%. In other words, the shadowed regions in FIG. 11 are a portion where halftone dots are recorded. Now, a description will be given on a case where such an original image is read as pixels P1 to P8 whose size is indicated as the dotted frames.
The size of one pixel shown in FIG. 11 is about 87.5% of the size of one halftone dot. In such a case, densities which are measured in the pixels P4 and P5 are 50% which is the same as the density of the original image, and therefore, a consistency is ensured. However, densities which are measured in the pixels P1 and P8 are higher than 50% since much blackened region where the halftone dot is blackened is contained in a pixel region of each one of the pixels P1 and P8. In reality, the densities in the pixels P1 and P8 are about 62%. Meanwhile, densities which are measured in the pixels P2, P3, P6 and P7 are also higher than 50%. Thus, the densities which are measured in the pixels P1, . . ., P8 periodically change between 50% and about 62%. Considering that the density of the original image is 50%, this is a deterioration in the quality of the image.
A cause of this is interference which is created due to differences between the halftone dot size of the original image and the pixel size of the pixels which are to be read. Hence, as the pixel size becomes smaller than the halftone dot size, the densities of the halftone dots are read rather than the density of the original image are read, which leads to greater changes in the density between the pixels. Further, when the pixel size is close to the halftone dot or in a similar situation, a cycle of the density change becomes longer, which appears as moires which are visually noticeable.
Moires are noticeable where a density level is flat. In reality, although moires are not very noticeable in a middle density range where a density is 50%, moires appear remarkably noticeable in a high density range where a density is higher or in a low density range where a density is lower and degrades the quality of an image.
The phenomenon described above occurs also when a similar condition to the above is satisfied regarding a relationship between a pixel size and a pattern of a general original image which is expressed by other method except for halftone dots, a pattern of an object, or the like. In short, in some cases, moires are created from an image which is obtained by reading a transparent original or a reflective original with a scanner and from an image which is obtained with a digital camera.
To eliminate moires and prevent a deterioration in the quality of an image, image processing using an image filter is customarily performed.
FIG. 12 is a schematic structure diagram of a conventional image processing apparatus. After inputted, a main signal S regarding a pixel which is to be processed (hereinafter an "objective pixel") is supplied to a filter computation portion 401 and a main signal adjusting portion 402. The filter computation portion 401 subjects the main signal S to filter computation which is performed by a two-dimensional image filter, whereby a filtered signal S' is generated. Following this, the main signal adjusting portion 402 generates a signal Sa (=M.multidot.S) which is equal to the main signal S as it is multiplied by M, based on a mixing rate M which is set in advance with respect to the main signal S, where M is a figure which satisfies "0.ltoreq.M<1". On the other hand, the filtered signal S' which is generated by the filter computation portion 401 is processed into a signal Sb (=(1-M).multidot.S') which is equal to the filtered signal S' as it is multiplied by (1-M), based on a mixing rate (1-M) which is set to a filtered signal adjusting portion 403 in advance with respect to the filtered signal S'. An adder 404 mixes (adds) the signal Sa from the main signal adjusting portion 402 with the signal Sb from the filtered signal adjusting portion 403, and accordingly generates an output signal S".
In such a conventional image processing apparatus described above, for the purpose of removing moires and preventing a deterioration in the quality of an image, the filter computation portion 401 executes filter computation using an image filter which has a predetermined size. FIG. 13 shows one example of an image filter which is used at this stage. In such a conventional image processing apparatus, the size of an image filter is set about double the size of or larger than the size of each halftone dot. Hence, in the case of the image filter which is shown in FIG. 13, for example, the size of one pixel is about 2/5 of or larger than the size of halftone dots. In the conventional image processing apparatus, the filter computation portion 401 aligns the center of the image filter to an objective pixel, calculates a weighted mean of the respective density values in accordance with weighting factors which are assigned to the objective pixel and surrounding pixels around the same, and outputs the weighted mean as the filtered signal S'. That is, to calculate a weighted mean in an area which is larger than the size of the halftone dots, a frequency component of a halftone dot pattern is removed from the filtered signal S', and therefore, the filtered signal S' has a density value from which an influence of the size of the halftone dots is removed. Hence, a cause of moires and a deterioration in an image quality is removed from the filtered signal Since the main signal S and the filtered signal S' are mixed with each other at a mixing ratio of M:(1-M), the smaller the value of the mixing rate M is, the larger the mixing rate (1-M) for the filtered signal S' is, so that a rate at which the filtered signal S' is reflected in the output signal S" becomes larger. In other words, the effect of the image processing using the image filter is dependent upon the mixing rate M which is set in advance.
While it is possible for an operator to set the value of the mixing rate M before starting the image processing, once the processing of an original image is started, the value of the mixing rate M remains fixed until the processing completes.
By the way, in general, an edge portion of an image of a printed matter which is recorded in halftone dots is reproduced with a higher resolution than a halftone dot size. FIGS. 14A, 14B and 14C are explanatory diagrams showing a conventional method of generating one halftone dot. As shown in FIG. 14A, a region which indicates the size of one halftone dot is divided into four blocks B1, . . ., B4, and each block is further divided into blackened regions. A threshold value is set for each blackened region, as shown in FIG. 14A. On the other hand, when a density value which is obtained by reading an original image is "20" at positions which correspond to the blocks B1 and B4 but "10" at positions which correspond to the blocks B2 and B3 as shown in FIG. 14B, the density value is compared with the threshold values which are shown in FIG. 14A and the regions are blackened one by one, starting at the center of the halftone dot. In this manner, the halftone dot as that shown in FIG. 14C is recorded.
FIG. 15 shows a case where an edge portion of an image is recorded by such a recording method. FIG. 15 illustrates an edge portion of a halftone dot image, and the dotted line in FIG. 15 indicates an edge of the image. The right-hand side of the dotted line is where a density is 50%, while the left-hand side of the dotted line is where a density is 0%. Square areas which are defined by the lattice respectively indicate the respective halftone dot regions. As shown in FIG. 15, since halftone dots are recorded in accordance with density values which correspond to the respective four divided blocks in the edge portion of the halftone dot image, the image is reproduced with a high resolution. A middle density range of an original image contains relatively many such edge portions of the halftone dot image which are reproduced with a high resolution.
However, while the conventional image processing apparatus executes smoothing using the image filter as that shown in FIG. 13 for the purpose of avoiding moires and a deterioration in the quality of an image, since the mixing ratio of M:(1-M) for mixing the main signal S and the filtered signal S' with each other is always constant regardless of a density range of an image during generation of the output signal S", and further, since the mixing ratio of M:(1-M) is always constant over the entire one image, such an edge portion of the image above which is reproduced with a high resolution as well is smoothed out and smudged.

Method of and apparatus for processing image


A system for deploying a stent graft includes a stent graft. The stent graft has a tubular structure and includes first and second end stents and at least one stent between the first and second end stents. The system also includes a plurality of constraining mechanisms arranged along the length of the stent graft constraining the stents of the stent graft, and an actuation mechanism configured to release the plurality of constraining mechanisms in order from the first end to the second end of the stent graft and circumferentially sequentially from about the stents.

Stent grafts are often positioned in the descending aorta, for example for treating aneurysms. However, sometimes it is necessary to implant a stent graft in the ascending aorta that is in close proximity to the aortic valve. Positioning a stent graft in the ascending aorta requires maneuvering around the aortic arch and into the ascending aorta. Passing of the deployment device over the aortic arch can cause loss of the control over the deployment device because of the significant curvature of the aortic arch. Furthermore, as the ascending aorta is in close proximity to the aortic valve, it is important when positioning stent grafts in the ascending aorta that they are placed accurately without gaps between the aorta and the graft.

System and method for the sequential expansion of a medical device