Apparatus for releasably securing filter elements against an apertured tube sheet in a dust collector filter housing includes a pair of locking bars movable between a first position spaced from the tube sheet and a second position adjacent the sheet. Resilient means on the locking bars press portions of the filter elements into sealing engagement with the tube sheet so that the filter elements depend from the sheet when the bars are in the second position and apparatus is provided for shifting the bars between the first and second positions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to locking apparatus for filter elements, and more particularly, to apparatus for releasably locking one or more filter elements into sealing engagement with a tube sheet or the like in a dust collector filter assembly.
By way of background, dust collectors of the type here comtemplated generally include a large housing divided by a tube sheet into a lower dirty air chamber and an upper clean air chamber. Several rows of cylindrical filter elements are releasably mounted in the lower chamber in sealing engagement with the lower surface of the tube sheet so that their open upper ends register respectively with corresponding openings in the tube sheet and the interiors of the elements communicate with the upper clean air chamber. More specifically, each filter element is provided with a mounting plate in the form of a flange surrounding its upper end and it is these flanges that are mounted in sealing engagement with the tube sheet, a suitable gasket being secured to each mounting plate about the open upper end of the filter elements for effecting an air tight seal with the tube sheet.
Air laden with dust particles, for example, is fed into the lower chamber and passes through the filter elements, which remove the particles from the air, and thence into tne upper chamber from which the filtered, clean air may be taken.
It is known to clean the filter elements periodically by applying downwardly directed pulses of air to the interior of each element in opposition to the direction of flow of the air being treated, thus releasing accumulated dust particles from the filter elements. The released particles accumulate in the lower chamber from which they can be removed. While this procedure of course extends the life of the filter elements, they must nevertheless be replaced from time to time.
Heretofore the filter element replacement procedure has been cumbersome, time-consuming and unpleasant and efforts have been made to provide apparatus of the class described which reduce the difficulties and time necessary to replace the filter elements. Thus, it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,231 to provide a locking arrangement by which filter elements are releasably held against the underside of the apertured tube sheet which carries pairs of locking bars, each pair supporting a row of filter elements. Each bar is semicircular in cross-section so as to define a flat supporting surface and a curved camming surface, the bars being maintained in position by a number of support brackets fixed to transverse beams depending from the tube sheet. Each bracket is formed with at least a trough within which the bars are seated and a handle is affixed to each of the bars and extends perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of its respective bar.
When the handles are in vertical position, the underside of mounting plates associated with the filter elements, are allowed to rest on the flat surfaces of the associated locking bars so that the filter elements can slide along the bars and out of the filter housing when replacement is required.
To secure the filter elements in active position, the handles are rotated to a horizontal position causing the curved camming surfaces to bear against the underside of the mounting plates forcing the filter elements into engagement with the undersurface of the tube sheet. A gasket is secured to each mounting plate about the open upper end of the filter elements to effect a seal with the tube sheet.
Each handle is equipped with an L-shaped supporting bracket so that when an adjacent pair of locking handles are in the horizontal position, each handle may rest within the L-shaped supporting bracket of the other to prevent the handles from pivoting back to their vertical positions to release the force securing the filter element mounting plates against the tube sheet.
When it is intended to release the filter elements from active position, one of the handles is slightly raised to clear the supporting bracket of the other handle so both handles can be lowered to vertical position to rotate the locking bars and release the force securing the filter elements in active position, whereupon they may be made to slide out of the housing.
British Pat. No. 2,516,721 teaches that the filter elements are secured against the tube sheet by a tie rod extending centrally through the length of each filter and being secured at its upper end by a barrel nut received in associated notches in the upper surface of a spider secured to the lower surface of the tube sheet and centered in the associated aperture.
Attention is also invited to U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,376 disclosing a filter bag assembly insertable into the lower chamber of a housing for movement along rails into position below a flanged opening in a tube sheet between upper and lower chambers. The tube sheet supports toggle clamps that must be manually operated to raise lifting means, and thus a filter bag frame assembly, until a hook-shaped flange engages a gasket fixed to the bottom of a bulkhead to form a seal therewith.
The lifting means takes the form of an eye bolt and hex nut assembly (FIG. 7), a locking lever and hook arm (FIG. 8) or a disk secured at the lower end of a vertically movable rod (FIG. 4).
Another arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,856. In this case, a header plate has an aperture through which a venturi member extends to enter an end of a filter element. An annular shoulder dn the venturi member has an outer diameter at least as large as the opening and a collar having an inner diameter less than that of the outer diameter of the shoulder and surrounding the filter. The collar is releasably secured to the header plate by resilient spring steel wire clips acting through a pair of ears. These clips are coiled around pins secured to appropriate stiffening members and have a camming end that engages one ear to support the collar while the other end of the clip is releasably retained by suitable means.
A workman aligns the unit in a plate aperture and rotates the collar until flanges depending from the ears abut the pins to support the collar. Sealing of the filter unit and venturi to the tube sheet is effected by shifting the clips to place the connecting portions in holes provided for the purpose in the stiffening members.
Other relevant patents known to me are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,641,332, 4,328,014, 4,217,122, 4,089,664, 3,083,043, 4,002,443 and 3,393,498.
It will be seen that the publications mentioned above involve complex and expensive structures and in some cases, require time consuming, manual filter element replacing operations in dust laden environments.
Moreover, none of the prior teachings known to me take into account the fact that the tube sheet with a plurality of openings required in apparatus of the class described invariably contains irregularities in its surface flatness so that if the same force is applied to each filter element when mounting it against the underside of the tube sheet, some elements will be more positively sealed than others so that leakage past the interfaces between the tube sheet and the element is a persistent problem which appears heretofore to have been neither attacked nor solved by those persons skilled in the art.

Wheelabrator Corporation of Canada, Ltd.


A computer-produced carved sign having three-dimensional surfaces, is produced by a method which comprises designing on a computer-aided design system, a three-dimensional graphical model of the signage work having three-dimensional surfaces to be carved in a signboard. On the computer-aided design system, a desired mathematical representation of the three-dimensional graphical model of the signage work to be carved in the signboard, is determined, and the desired mathematical representation is provided to a computer-aided machining system having a carving tool. Material constituting the signboard is removed using the carving tool moving under the controlled guidance of the computer-aided machining system. The CAD system allows the user to input an alpha-numeric character. The CAD system automatically creates the machining path by developing similar outlines of the alpha-numeric character and projects these outlines into the 3D graphical model. In another embodiment of the invention, the CAD system displays a model of the machine tool removing material from the workpiece to allow the user to change the CAD program before actual machining.

Carving, dating long before paper was invented, can be considered one of the earliest forms of writing. Letters carved in wood provide a sense of warmth and a feeling of permanence, and can focus the attention of viewers in a most dramatic way.
Dating well beyond the Colonial Period, traditional hand-carved wood signs having gold-leafed lettering had found a deep rooted place in our culture, and over the years the manufacture of such signs has become a time-honored craft of the signmaking arts. Wood chisels and special knives are the wood crafters basic carving tools used in the time consuming process of hand carving signage works in both relieved and incised modes of carving. Traditionally gold or silver leaf coatings have been applied to the relieved and/or incised surfaces of signage works, so that natural as well as artificial light favorably reflects therefrom to improve the visibility of the signage work, and to display a sense of richness and accentuate the artistic beauty of a signage work itself.
The conventional process for producing these hand-carved gold-leafed wood signs is manual, slow and laborious, and although expensive, they are of distinct beauty and treasured by many.
Yet while hand carved wood signs with gold-leaf lettering are highly desired articles of manufacture, the traditional process by which they have been made, has tended to make them time intensive, too expensive and thus out of reach for the greater number of persons who otherwise would desire to own such a sign customized to their needs, interests and taste.
Hitherto, the art of making gold-leafed hand-carved wood signs has retained its traditional method of manufacture, with the exception of a minor development involving the use of an overhead projector to transfer a layout pattern to prepared wood. Such a layout transfer technique is described in Volume 15 of Fine Woodworking, March 1979, in an article at pages 72-73 entitled "Routed Signs: Overhead Projector Transfers Layout To Prepared Wood" by Frederick Wilbur. Using architectural stick-on letters, a few parallel lines and a design concept, a sign layout is mocked-up on a piece of transparent plastic film. Using an overhead projector, the layout is transferred onto the prepared wood.
In contrast with wood carving signmakers universally eschewing, as a matter of convention, any and all computer-assistance in practicing conventional methods of manufacturing gold-leafed carved wooden signs, the signmaking industry in general, has nevertheless been effected by the application of computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing and computerized numerical control technology.
Hitherto, several computer-aided signmaking systems employing computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing and computer numerical control (CNC) based technology, have been developed and are presently available.
However, such signmaking systems and methods using CAD/CAM technology have been limited to the production of routed and cut-out type signs. In contrast, because of its nature, the art of carving traditional gold-leafed wood carved signs has remained in the field of art wherein wood carvers use only gouges, knives, chisels and hammers. Thus, it is now in order to briefly describe in the following paragraphs, these inherently limited CAD/CAM signmaking systems and methods.
Prior art computer-aided signmaking systems allow a signmaker to design two dimensional signage works on two-dimensional CAD systems, and to cut-out or route-in characters, shapes, designs and parts thereof so designed, using cutting tools moving under the guidance of a computer-aided machining system, which includes, a computerized numerically controlled (CNC) axially rotating routing tool. However, the cutting and routing functions achieved by the prior art CAD/CAM signmaking systems are limited in several significant ways.
In general, signage works formed into signboards by prior art CAD/CAM signmaking systems, are routed thereinto by operation of a routing tool moving in a single plane, with single pass operations. The outlines of the characters are formed by a rotating router tool bit moving in a plane, routing out uniform grooves in the signboard within the plane. Notably, the uniform grooves formed in the signboard, have the cross-sectional shape of the rotating tool bit performing the routing operation, and are identical along the entire lengths of the members of alphanumeric characters. In some cases, multiple passes of the routing tool along the character outlines is effected, often using tool bit offsetting, to provide desired finished edges, slightly modifying the original uniform groove so formed coextensively within a single plane. These routed signs bear little if any resemblance to, and lack the surface features of, traditional gold-leafed wood carved signs, the subject to which the present invention is directed.
One example of such prior art signmaking apparatus is described in the sales brochure for the "System 48 Plus" of Gerber Scientific Products, Inc. of Manchester, Conn., wherein a computer-aided signmaking system is disclosed. Specifically, the "System 48 Plus" signmaking system comprises a computer-aided manufacturing system which includes a gantry-type cutting machine which can cut or route-out letters up to 24" high, or stencil-cut sign faces for backlighting. The characters so formed from the system, are square cut or beveled, with an optional finish cut. Also, the system provides control for specifying the total depth of cut, and depth of each pass of the router head. (See pages 4.74-4.76, IV System Operation of Gerber Scientific Products' System 48 User's Manual, Document No. 599-020174, January 1986). However, while the "System 48 Plus" signmaking system allows an operator to make any number of passes from 0" to 2" inches deep for efficient routing and finer surface finishes, the system is incapable of carving into a signboard, a signage work comprising characters and designs having three-dimensional incised and/or relieved surfaces for which hand-crafted gold-leafed wood carved signs are noted. In particular, the Gerber "System 48 Plus" is limited to 21/2 axes of simultaneous cutting tool motion.
Another example of prior art signmaking apparatus is described in the sales brochure for the "CSF 300 Computerized Sign Fabrication System" of Cybermation Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. The brochure discloses a CAD/CAM signmaking system including a router head mounted to the carriage of a CNC gantry-type machine which is limited to 21/2 axes of simultaneous motion. Sign layouts, either computer-designed or conventionally laid out, are programmed and can be called up at the machine by an operator. While the system has a library of pre-programmed geometric parts (i.e., letters and numbers in various typestyles) requiring the operator to enter only the desired dimensions, such parts do not have the three-dimensional features characteristic of traditional gold-leafed hand-carved wood signs, nor is the CSF 300 system capable of carving signs having such surface characteristics and features.
Thus, in the art of computer-assisted design and manufacture of signage works, the convention has been to use CAD systems to design two-dimensional layouts of signage works to be cut-out of or simply routed-in various signboard materials. In the latter instance, the routed surfaces formed within a single plane of a signboard, are limited to the cutting dimensions of the tool bit employed and moving in the plane thereof.
Therefore, there is no teaching or suggestion of a computer-aided method or system for producing carved signs embodying signage works which have three-dimensional surfaces akin to those characteristic of traditional hand-crafted gold-leafed wood carved signs.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a way of doing by computers and machines, that which was done by hand in order to produce carved signs having three-dimensional surfaces akin to those characteristic of hand carved gold-leafed wood carved signs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer-aided method of producing carved signs which embody signage works having three-dimensional incised and/or relieved surfaces, characteristic of traditional gold-leafed hand-carved wood signs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of producing carved signs resembling traditional hand-carved gold-leafed wood signs, wherein the method uses an integration of computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided machining (CAM), and computerized numerical control (CNC) technology.
The present invention provides a design and manufacturing method for providing computer-produced carved signs embodying signage works having complex three-dimensional surfaces.
A principal advantage of the method hereof is it allows production of a prototype carved sign within only a few minutes after the design has been completed. As for small volume or customized production, the method requires at most, only a few hours of design time and a few minutes of manufacturing time per carved sign.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a carved sign embodying a signage work formed in a signboard by an axially rotating carving tool simultaneously moving along at least three programmable axes under the controlled guidance of a computer-aided machining system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a computer-aided method of producing carved signs embodying signage works comprising characters shapes and designs having three-dimensional incised and/or relieved complex surfaces. According to the present method, the characters are designed on a computer-aided design system by creating a three-dimensional geometric model thereof, and are carved into a signboard using a carving tool moving under the guidance of a computer-aided machining system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a carved sign produced by such computer-aided method of design and manufacture.
It is an even further object of the present invention to provide a CAD/CAM system for producing carved signs embodying signage works having three-dimensional incised and/or relieved curved surfaces. An advantage of the design and manufacturing method of the present invention is that a signage work represented by a three-dimensional graphical and numeric model can be exactly reproduced, as a carving in signboards, thereby allowing the use of such three-dimensional signage works as trademarks and service marks, registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of generating on a computer-aided design system, three-dimensional computer graphic (or, geometric) models (and numerical coordinate data files for corresponding three-dimensional carving tool paths) of three-dimensional characters generated from traditional two-dimensional characters. Such computer-aided design method can be used with the method and system for producing carved signs hereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of designing three-dimensional graphical models (i.e., representations) and numerical coordinate data files of three-dimensional characters generated from two-dimensional characters, using parametric spline-curve and/or spline-surface representations in interpolating curves and surfaces, respectively.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing, carved signs embodying signage work having been recorded from preexisting physical objects using three-dimensional surface coordinate measuring methods and apparatus (e.g., instrumentation), based on principles including laser-ranging, and holography.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a method of generating three-dimensional graphical representations and corresponding numerical coordinate data files of a signage work wherein such method employs a computer-aided three-dimensional solid image processing program on the CAD system hereof. This method provides a designer with the capability of precisely mathematically subtracting (e.g., using a computational process on the CAD system), three-dimensional solid stock material from a three-dimensional solid model of a signboard which is in mathematical union with the solid model of a carving tool that is translatable within the CAD systems' three-dimensional coordinate system, using a three-dimensional or two-dimensional stylus or a mouse. In particular, this method involves providing a solid geometric model (i.e., three-dimensional solid graphical representation) of a carving tool and of signboard constituting material, and performing therewith, three-dimensional solid-image processing. A principal advantage of this CAD method is that it provides a highly flexible way in which to render a desired three-dimensional model (e.g., graphical representation) from which can be generated, numerical coordinate data file(s) for a three-dimensional composite tool path corresponding to a signage work to be carved in a real signboard using a particular carving tool or tools of the present invention.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a computer-aided carved sign design and manufacturing system on which the methods hereof can be computer-programmed, and wherein the design and manufacturing system comprises in part, a computer-aided design system that can automatically generate and display a computer-simulation of the carving tool motion required to produce the desired signage work carved in a signboard. The design and manufacturing system of the present invention also includes a computer-aided carving system having at least a three-dimensional numerical control (NC) machining (i.e., tool path) program, supported by a CAD/CAM computer.
Other and further objects will be explained hereinafter, and will be more particularly delineated in the appended claims, and other objects of the present invention will in part be obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains, and will, in part, appear obvious hereinafter.

Method of forming a carved sign using an axially rotating carving tool


A power supply is disclosed for use with a device-under-test disposed on a device board. The power supply includes a high-accuracy remote supply circuit including respective force and sense lines and a high-speed local supply circuit. The local supply circuit includes an active boost circuit having respective boost and sense lines coupled to the force and sense lines. The active boost circuit is operative to selectively cooperate with the remote supply circuit and, when the device-under-test demands a large dynamic current, provide the dynamic current until the remote supply circuit responds to the current demand.

The invention relates generally to automatic test equipment and more particularly a high speed and high accuracy power supply for use with a semiconductor tester to provide precise voltage levels to a high-speed device-under-test (DUT).
Semiconductor device manufacturing typically includes test processes at both the wafer and packaged-device levels. The testing is normally carried out by automatic test equipment (ATE) that simulates a variety of operating conditions to verify the functionality of each device. As is well known in the art, semiconductor devices generally require a source of power in order to function.
Semiconductor devices such as microprocessors are designed to use minimal power when in xe2x80x9cstandbyxe2x80x9d operation, yet may consume hundreds of amperes of current when operating at maximum capability. In an ATE test environment, the current load drawn by a DUT, such as a microprocessor, can change from a few hundred milliamperes to over two hundred amperes in a few nanoseconds.
The voltage supplied to the DUT, VForce, must generally remain within a very tight tolerance during these DUT current load changes, to ensure optimum yields during test. Due to characteristics of the DUT circuitry, changes in VForce during the test can affect the measured performance of the DUT. Inaccurate test results are believed to contribute to an increase in product costs by reducing the yields of acceptable devices.
Conventionally, DUT power supplies implemented in ATE are installed either in a mainframe rack, or in a test head. DC force and sense lines running between the mainframe or test head to a DUT-mounted device board provide a precisely controlled voltage VForce to power the DUT. While this works well for relatively lower speed devices operating at relatively low currents, high-speed devices that draw large currents over very short response times experienced a phenomena known as xe2x80x9cdroopxe2x80x9d during maximum current demand intervals.
Generally, droop represents the drop in the voltage VForce supplied to the DUT following a rapid increase in current demand. Conventional ATE power supplies often lack the response time necessary to eliminate the droop associated with very high speed DUTs. Optimization of power supply accuracy and response time is a compromise. A highly accurate power supply will often have a relatively slow response time, while a power supply designed for fast response may have inadequate accuracy. In addition, the presence of inductance within the interconnections between the power supply and the DUT also produces a voltage droop at the DUT during current transients. This inductance is generally created by wafer probe needles, bond wires, package parasitics and other physical paths between the power supply and the actual die of the DUT. The ATE power supply has to overcome the impedance presented by these inductances in order to maintain VForce at a constant value during transient events.
The classic way to address the droop problem involves installing local bypass capacitors proximate the DUT. The capacitors store energy that can be used to compensate for droop until the power supply responds to the increased current demand. The capacitors, being closer to the DUT, have fewer parasitic inductances between them and the DUT. However, there are still some parasitic inductances remaining between these capacitors and the DUT, and these bypass capacitors can only supply current from a voltage equal to the established DUT voltage. Therefore, capacitors alone cannot eliminate the droop problem. In addition, it is difficult to place enough high quality capacitance on the device board to provide enough energy storage to adequately address the droop. Device boards typically have limited space available for these capacitors.
In ATE DUT power supply applications, high capacitances also often cause problems when, during testing, the operator or test program changes the programmed power supply voltage applied to the DUT. This might be done during ATE xe2x80x9cschmooxe2x80x9d testing, where the operating margins of a DUT are determined by varying frequency and voltage parameters. Such a change generally requires a substantial amount of energy to repeatedly charge and discharge the large capacitance. These charge/discharge cycles cause ripple currents in the capacitors, which may lead to overheating and premature failure.
Two proposals that allegedly address a problem similar to the voltage droop drawbacks experienced in ATE DUT power supply applications are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,861 to Kanner and 6,046,577 to Rincon-Mora et al. Both proposals relate to power supplies, in general, and provide circuitry operative from the DUT supply voltage to raise or lower the voltage output in response to output supply level transients.
While these proposals are believed beneficial for their intended purposes, each derives its energy from the DUT power supply voltage, much like the classic capacitor construction described above. Additionally, because the proposed schemes employ voltage output devices, performance may be subject to undesirable inductive effects. As a result, the ability to overcome inductance and properly respond at high speed is limited.
What is needed and heretofore unavailable is a high-accuracy DUT power supply capable of addressing the droop problem without the use of large capacitors. Moreover, the need exists for such a high-accuracy power supply to simultaneously support high-speed and high-current DUTs. The DUT power supply of the present invention satisfies these needs.
The DUT power supply of the present invention provides high-speed voltage and current power supply performance to devices-under-test while maintaining stringent accuracy requirements. As a result, semiconductor device manufacturers can maximize device yields and correspondingly reduce test costs.
To realize the foregoing advantages, the invention in one form comprises a power supply for use with a semiconductor tester to power a device-under-test disposed on a device board. The power supply includes a remote high-accuracy DC power supply circuit, including respective force and sense lines, and also a local high-speed AC power supply circuit. The local AC power supply circuit includes an xe2x80x9cactive boostxe2x80x9d circuit having respective boost and sense lines coupled to the force and sense lines. The AC power supply boost circuit is operative to cooperate with the remote DC power supply circuit and, when the device-under-test demands a large dynamic current, provides the dynamic current until the remote DC power supply circuit responds to the current demand.
In another form, the invention comprises automatic test equipment for testing a device-under-test. The automatic test equipment includes a computer workstation and a test head coupled to the computer workstation. The test equipment further includes a device-under-test power supply including a high-accuracy DC power supply circuit having respective force and sense lines, and a high-speed AC power supply boost circuit. The AC power supply boost circuit has an active boost circuit including respective boost and sense lines coupled to the force and sense lines. The AC power supply boost circuit is operative to cooperate with the DC power supply circuit and, when the device-under-test demands a large dynamic current, provide the dynamic current until the DC power supply circuit responds to the current demand.
In yet another form the invention comprises a method of accurately supplying power to a high-speed device-under-test. The method includes the steps of forcing a DC current to the device-under-test along a DC force line at high accuracy from a DC power supply circuit having a predetermined response time; and boosting current from an active AC power supply boost circuit when current demand from the device-under-test changes faster than the predetermined DC power supply circuit response time.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

High speed and high accuracy DUT power supply with active boost circuitry


A reconfigurable modular partition system having a plurality of different types of interchangeable (wall or ceiling) modules with different types of compatible connection components, each connection component being configured to align with another connection component at an interface to form an interface connection (e.g., channel) for securing the connection components together with one or more universal connection interface members. The interface is configured for on-demand reconfiguration without laborious alteration to aspects of the partition system, modules, and components thereof. Reconfiguration of modules is facilitated by removing the universal connection interface member from the channel, thereby releasing the attachment mechanism and allowing rearrangement of the module(s). Replacement of the universal connection interface member secures the reconfigured modules in place in the rearranged partition system.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to reconfigurable partition systems, and more particularly, to reconfigurable modular wall and ceiling systems comprising reconfigurable modules, components, and/or design elements, and to methods of assembling, (re)configuring, and/or using the same.
Background and Relevant Art
Modular wall systems, or dividers as they are sometimes called, are used most commonly in an office environment to separate work areas and to give people privacy or aesthetics where permanent walls are lacking, undesirable, or impractical. Some previous wall systems are difficult to (re)configure or move without significant amounts of labor and dislocation. For instance, most systems lack the flexibility to quickly and simply change the ordering, orientation, height, or relationship between adjacent or even distal modular wall components in order to change the aesthetics or functionality of an existing wall. Other systems lack the flexibility to use or substitute different types of modular units, tiles, or panels at a designated location or to replace a module in the middle of a wall without taking apart the entire wall. For instance, in some existing modular wall systems, the connection or relationship between a solid wall module and an adjacent glass wall module cannot be altered without removing and replacing both modules. This permanent relationship between adjacent modules may require every possible combination of adjacent relationship to be conceived and manufactured ahead of time.
Removing and replacing multiple modules to achieve a desired aesthetic can be cost and/or time prohibitive in some cases. Thus, existing wall systems may limit a user's ability to reconfigure, reorient, rearrange, and/or replace one or more modules of the wall system without laborious alterations such as, for example: (1) redesigning the entire wall system; (2) changing, altering, and/or swapping connection components; (3) disassembling the entire wall and/or large (sub)section(s) thereof; and/or (4) requiring additional adapters, components, and/or compatibility elements to ensure proper alignment and/or attachment of the modules.
There also is a need to be able to use the same wall system concepts, components, and connection interface(s) in commercial, residential, industrial and other applications without a system overhaul. Accordingly, there are a number of disadvantages in conventional wall systems that can be addressed.

Straight and curved reconfigurable partition systems


A memory system includes first to third memory devices each having an input terminal for receiving a token signal and an output terminal for transmitting the token signal, wherein the input terminal of each of the first to third memory devices are connected to the output terminal of another memory device through a ring topology, a subset of the first to third memory devices substantially simultaneously perform an operation of consuming a peak current in response to any one of a plurality of token signals, and each of the first to third memory devices possesses only any one of the plurality of token signals and transmits the other token signals to another memory device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a memory system, and more particularly, to a memory system of which the peak current consumption is optimized and an operating method of a memory device included therein.
2. Related Art
As large-capacity files such as music files or moving image files are used in mobile electronic devices, a memory system has been required to have a large storage capacity. The memory system includes a plurality of memory devices to increase a storage capacity. The memory system including a plurality of memory devices requires a high operation speed as well as a large storage capacity as one of important characteristics thereof.
The memory system may perform a parallel operation such as an interleaving operation, in order to quickly operate. In this case, since the plurality of memory devices consume power at the same time, system down or current spike caused by the consumption of peak current may occur in the memory system.
The memory system is designed to maintain a sufficient power resource for processing such peak power events, that is, operations in which the memory devices consume the peak power at the same time. However, the peak power events relatively rarely occur, and the average power consumption of the memory devices may be substantially smaller than the peak power consumption. However, the memory system is designed to store a sufficient power level, even through the peak power is not needed at all times.

Token ring architecture based memory system and operating method to optimize current consumption


A method for controlling a hearing device via touch gestures carried out by a wearer of the hearing device. As part of the gesture a finger is swiped across first and second sound inlets of the hearing device. A gesture is detected by determining if a first output signal from a first microphone at the first sound inlet contains a component caused by the finger touching the hearing device at the first sound inlet and if a second output signal from a second microphone at the second sound inlet contains a component caused by the finger touching the hearing device at the second sound inlet. Based on the detected gesture a control signal changes a processing parameter or setting of a signal processing unit of the hearing device. Additionally, a hearing device capable of performing the proposed method and a method of fitting such a hearing device are provided.

Hearing devices such as hearing aids (also referred to as hearing prostheses or hearing instruments) for hard of hearing people or hearing enhancement devices for augmenting the hearing capability of normal hearing persons, as well as hearing protection devices designed to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, commonly comprise an input transducer, e.g. a microphone, for picking up sound from the surroundings, a signal processing unit for processing the signal from the input transducer, and an output transducer, e.g. a miniature loudspeaker also called a receiver, for converting the processed signal into a signal perceivable by the user of the hearing device. Typically such hearing devices are adapted to be worn at the ear (e.g. a behind-the-ear, BTE hearing device) or within the ear canal (e.g. an in-the-ear, ITE or completely-in-canal, CIC hearing device), or alternatively be partly anchored in the scull (e.g. a bone-anchored hearing aid, BAHA) or partly implanted in the middle or inner ear (e.g. a direct acoustic cochlear stimulation, DACS, or cochlear implant). In order to allow the user of the hearing device to manually change certain settings, e.g. the volume level, or select another operational mode, e.g. switch to another hearing program, these hearing devices are usually equipped with one or more control elements such as a pushbutton (cf. e.g. EP2112672A2), a toggle switch (cf. e.g. EP1183908B1), a rocker (cf. e.g. EP1860916A2), a rotary switch (cf. e.g. WO2007/068136A2) or a touchpad (cf. e.g. WO2009/118221A1). There are a number of drawbacks with using such control elements in hearing devices, such as on the one hand requiring a lot a space in a miniature ear-level hearing device, thus enlarging the volume of the hearing device, and on the other hand being difficult to operate because of their tiny dimensions, especially for users with reduced dexterity, which is common amongst elderly people. Moreover, they increase component and manufacturing costs and their mechanical design with moving parts is often prone to failure for instance as a result of getting dirty. Furthermore, it is difficult to make a hearing device waterproof when utilising such known control elements. In order to overcome these problems a remote control unit can be employed as for instance provided in EP0175909A1. However, this also gives rise to considerable addition cost and the user is burdened with having to take along an extra device all the time and runs the risk of forgetting or losing it.

Method for controlling a hearing device via touch gestures, a touch gesture controllable hearing device and a method for fitting a touch gesture controllable hearing device


The ion separation electrodes in isotope separation apparatus are provided with removable collection shields to collect neutral particles which would normally pass through the ionization region. A preferred collection shield comprises a U-shaped section for clipping onto the leading edge of an electrode and a pair of flanges projecting substantially perpendicular to the clipping section for collecting neutral particles.

A promising new technique for efficient enrichment of an isotopic mixture, such as U.sub.235 enrichment of uranium, involves exposing a vapor of the mixture to carefully chosen bandwidths of laser radiation for selectively photoionizing the desired isotope. Ions of the desired isotope are then separated from the neutral particles by the application of strong electric and/or magnetic fields in accordance with magnetohydrodynamic techniques.
Apparatus for effecting such separation typically comprises a source for emitting neutral particles of the isotopic mixture in a generally defined direction, and a plurality of spaced apart ion separation electrodes having relatively large area surfaces oriented generally parallel to the direction of neutral particle emission and elongated surfaces of relatively narrow width substantially perpendicular to such direction. The latter surfaces can be referred to as the leading edges of the electrodes.
As neutral particles pass through ionization regions between spaced apart electrode pairs, they are subjected to isotopically selective photoionizing radiation from carefully tuned lasers. Ions of the selected isotope are separated from neutral particles in the resulting plasma by simultaneously applying a voltage differential between the electrodes and magnetic field perpendicular to the electrical field. The positive ions of the selected isotope collect on the negative electrodes for removal and further processing while the neutral particles deposit onto a "tailings" plate downstream.
One difficulty in the operation of such apparatus arises because the photoionizing radiation, for a variety of practical reasons, does not fill the entire space between the electrodes. Consequently the neutral vapor passing through the unexposed space mixes with the exposed but unionized vapor (depleted vapor) at a "tailings" plate. Such mixture represents a loss in enrichment as the unexposed neutral vapor will have a greater enrichment than the exposed depleted vapor.
In addition, there is a tendency for the leading edges of the ion separation electrodes to collect large deposits of the neutral particle vapor. Such deposits reduce the level of enrichment of material collected on the negative electrodes and require periodic cleaning of the positive electrodes.

Collection shield for ion separation apparatus


A digital signal receiver and a method for receiving a digital signal. The receiver includes an equalizing unit for compensating for an amplitude distortion of a received signal, an original signal decision unit for deciding an original signal from a signal which is compensated for the amplitude distortion, a carrier recovering and phase lock detecting unit for detecting a phase error between an input of the original signal decision unit and the decided original signal, and outputting a phase lock signal, a re-rotating unit for restoring the signal from the original signal decision unit to its original state and outputting a restored signal to the equalizer, and a coefficients updating unit for receiving the phase lock signal from the carrier recovering and phase lock detecting unit and the restored signal from the re-rotator unit, generating an error for updating the coefficients of the equalizer, and updating the coefficients of the equalizer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital signal receiver, and more particularly, to a digital signal receiver to which a self-recovering equalization algorithm is applied for an initial predetermined time and a decision directed algorithm is applied after the predetermined time has lapsed and a method for receiving a digital signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a conventional digital signal receiver, which is a part of European Patent Application No. 92112305.5 (Publication No. 524559) entitled "Carrier Phase Recovery for an Adaptive Equalizer".
The digital signal receiver shown in FIG. 1 includes a transmitter 10, a channel 120, a carrier recovery loop circuit 100, and a decoder 60. The carrier recovery loop circuit 100 includes a demodulator 30, an adaptive equalizer 40, and a carrier recovery unit 50.
A received signal at the transmitter 10 is input to the demodulator 30 through the channel 120. The adaptive equalizer 40 receives the signal demodulated by the demodulator 30 and compensates for the distortion of the signal generated by the channel 120. The output signal from the adaptive equalizer 40 is input to the carrier recovery unit 50, thus generating a control signal according to frequency offset and controlling the demodulation frequency of the demodulator 30.
The carrier recovery unit 50 is required to compensate for the frequency offset generated by the inconsistency of oscillators used for a digital signal transmitter and a digital signal receiver. A phase lock detector in the carrier recovery unit 50 detects the frequency offset of the carrier recovery unit 50 and converts the algorithm of the adaptive equalizer 40 from a first algorithm to a second algorithm, thus reducing remaining errors.
However, in a conventional technology, since the adaptive equalizer 40 which is a delay line exists in the carrier recovery loop circuit 100, it is difficult to quickly capture and trace the frequency offset due to the delay of a signal. Since the carrier recovery unit 50 must operate from an initial equalization step, the signal which is not completely equalized is input to the carrier recovery unit 50, thus delaying the time for capturing the frequency offset.

Digital signal receiver and method for receiving digital signal


An automatically detachable ski binding includes spaced apart and interconnected toe and heel portions mounted on a ski for holding a ski boot in place thereon. The ski binding includes a mechanical shoe clamping and release system and an electronic controller, the heel portion of the binding including a pivotable clamp with which a spring and a probe engage. The binding is designed in such a manner that the point of application of the probe on the clamp lies between the point of application of the spring on the clamp and the transverse axis about which the clamp pivots, and that the distance between the point of application of the probe and that of the spring and/or the prestress of the spring are selected in such a manner that in the point of application of the probe would specify the relationship, are the same between the desired release values of the vertical and the horizontal torque such that the two different torque values effect the same linear shifting movement of the probe.

This invention relates to an automatically detachable ski binding having spaced apart and interconnected toe and heel portions mounted on a ski for holding a ski boot in place thereon. More particularly, the ski binding has a mechanical ski boot holding and releasing system and an electronic controller for effecting the release.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,453 discloses an electronically controlled release of the clamping force acting on a ski boot which significantly decreases the risk of injury compared to a purely mechanical ski binding release system. This binding releases mechanically as in conventional bindings even if the electronics were to fail once. And, the prior art binding is comparatively simple in its construction despite its dual function as a mechanical and electrical binding, the system including only one compression spring (so-called Z spring) and only one probe for determining the release.
However, the provision of only one such spring and one such probe causes problems attendant to horizontal load and vertical load torques applied to the binding. Extensive medical research (diameter measurement of the upper end of the shin bone has shown that horizontal torque loads (rotary fall) leads significantly sooner to injuries than vertical torque loads (frontal fall). Therefore, in the DIN 7881 it was established that for safety bindings MV/MH=4/1, where MV denotes the vertical triggering or release torque, and MH denotes the horizontal triggering or release torque.


A thermal head is provided with increased contact pressure between a heat generating portion and a printing medium to increase printing quality with a low heat loss. The thermal head includes: a plurality of heat generating resistors formed via an insulating layer; a driver circuit unit for driving the plurality of heat generating resistors to generate a heat; a wiring for connecting the driver circuit unit to the plurality of heat generating resistors; a protecting film formed to cover the plurality of heat generating resistors, the driver circuit unit and the wiring. The plurality of heat generating resistors, the driver circuit unit, the wiring and the protecting film are formed on a substrate. A thermal insulating layer having a thermal conductivity smaller than 0.5 W/m·K and having a maximum thickness of larger than 10 μm is provided between the heat generating resistor and the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal head and a thermal printer, and more particularly to a thermal head and a thermal printer using a single crystalline silicon substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, thermal heads for performing thermosensitive recording by selective heat generation of a heat generating element have been used.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. H02-137943 and H06-320769 disclose a thermal head using a single crystalline silicon substrate.
The thermal head disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. H02-137943 and H06-320769 includes: a heat generating element formed on a single crystalline silicon substrate via an insulating film; a driver circuit unit formed on the single crystalline silicon substrate; a wiring layer for connecting the driver circuit unit to the heat generating element; and a protecting film for protecting a thermal head surface.
A heat generating resistor protrudes toward a printing medium for increasing contact pressure with a printing medium such as thermal paper or an ink sheet to increase printing efficiency.
Proposed methods therefor include a method of partially etching a silicon substrate to form a protruding portion and forming a heat generating portion on the protruding portion, and a method of forming a silicon oxide film having a thickness of several μm on a silicon substrate, then forming a protruding shape on the silicon oxide film by patterning, and forming a heat generating portion on the protruding portion.
In the structure in which a heat generating resistor is disposed on the protruding portion formed by partially etching the silicon substrate of the conventional techniques described above, the heat generating resistor is located near the silicon substrate having a large thermal conductivity of 152 W/m·K. Thus, thermal energy generated by the heat generating resistor easily escapes toward the silicon substrate to increase heat loss and thus increase power consumption.
In the structure in which the silicon oxide film is formed into a protruding shape, the limit of a height of the protruding portion is several μm due to the limit of stress, and thus sufficient contact pressure with the printing medium cannot be obtained and clear image quality cannot be obtained in some cases.
The present invention has an object to provide a thermal head that increases contact pressure between a heat generating portion and a printing medium to increase printing quality with a low heat loss.


The present invention relates to novel Pelargonium hortorum—interspecific plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petal, a trailing growth habit, dark leaf color and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema. The present invention also relates to methods for creating novel Pelargonium hortorum—interspecific hybrid plants having dark red to burgundy or darker pigmented flower petals, a trailing growth habit and tolerance to high temperatures, high light and edema.

The present invention relates to novel zonal geranium plants, Pelargonium hortorum—interspecific, having a trailing habit and dark-red to burgundy pigmented flower petals, a growth habit similar to an ivy geranium, green leaf color, tolerance to high light and temperature and non-sensitivity to edema. The present invention also relates to methods for creating novel Pelargonium hortorum—interspecific plants having pigmented flower petals. The present invention relates to a new and distinctive method of combining Pelargonium plants to produce new, distinct interspecific Pelargonium varieties. All publications cited in this application are herein incorporated by reference.
Pelargonium hortorum belongs to the family Geraniaceae. The exact origin of Pelargonium hortorum is unknown, but probably resulted from inter-crossing between several species native to South Africa including P. zonale, P. inquinans, P. scandens and P. frutetorum. Geraniums rank as one of the highest number of plants in terms of units sold among potted flowering plants and in terms of wholesale value. The traditional zonal geranium product has red, salmon, violet, white or pink flowers, green foliage, and is grown in 4-inch, 6-inch or gallon pots—the 4-inch product remains the bulk of the market.
There are basically 5 different types of Pelargonium in the market today. Zonal geraniums are the standard version of geraniums that are propagated vegetatively, by cuttings. Typically, they are tetraploid and have large 4-inch to 6-inch round flower heads with each flower having double blooms held well away from the plant foliage. The leaves are also large and sometimes up to 4-inches across. The plant habit tends to be rather upright and well branched generally growing to about 18-inches in one growing season. They are called zonal geraniums because many of them have zones or patterns in the center of the leaves. Varieties with self-branching habit and compact growth make tidy, well-shaped plants with a show of color all summer long. Some of the varieties have unusually dark green foliage which makes a particularly striking contrast to the colorful flower heads held above the foliage.
Seed geraniums are diploid plants grown from seed. They produce a more compact version of the zonal geranium, but with smaller single blooms on smaller 3-inch to 4″ heads of blooms. These plants form low, compact mounds typically under a foot tall and wide. Seed geraniums are most often used in large landscape plantings and in smaller containers such as window boxes.
Named for both their habit and their ivy-like leaves, ivy geraniums typically have leaves that are stiff and shiny. The branches are long and trailing. Flower clusters on ivy geraniums are about 2-inches to 3-inches across. Plants can spread over 2-inches in one season. Ivy geraniums are great in hanging baskets and in window boxes and other containers.
Regal geraniums are great for early season color, but it is important to know they do not like the heat of summer and so they reduce the number of blooms they provide until the cool weather of fall.
Valued for their unique fragrances, scented geraniums are also worth growing for their distinctive foliage. While some varieties do occasionally bloom, scented geraniums usually are not grown for their flowers. The plant habit varies widely from one variety to another, as do leaf size, shape, color and texture.
Years ago, growers retained selected plants from the seasonal crops as stock plants for the subsequent season. These plants were maintained either in the greenhouse or planted outside for the summer and fall, then repotted and brought inside before the first frost. Cuttings were taken in winter, rooted, and maintained under minimum conditions until early spring for forcing. Several events precipitated a drastic change in this procedure. The economics of greenhouse space utilization combined with the development of "fast cropping" made the old procedures impractical. The development of serious systematic diseases almost always lead to the demise of the crop, mainly Xanthomonas campestris pv. pelargonii (bacterial wilt).
Today, vegetative material almost exclusively comes from specialized propagators that use culture-virus-indexing and other laboratory procedures to eliminate bacterial wilt and other systematic organisms such as vascular wilt, bacteria, virus, and fungi.
With any successful breeding program, there are numerous steps in the development of novel, desirable plant germplasm. Plant breeding begins with the analysis and definition of problems and weaknesses of the current germplasm, the establishment of program goals, and the definition of specific breeding objectives. The next step is selection of germplasm that possess the traits to meet the program goals. The goal is to combine in a single variety an improved combination of desirable traits from the parental germplasm. For the horticultural industry, these important traits can include novel colors, resistance to diseases and insects, tolerance to drought and heat, or superior garden performance.
Traditionally, new traits are introduced into a breeder's germplasm through the combination of two individual plants that each possesses desirable characteristics. The parental lines are crossed and the progeny are evaluated for the presence of the desirable traits. Evaluation involves observing the progeny under different environmental conditions and at multiple times for the purpose of identifying any new expected and unexpected variations that may be useful. The new hybrid lines may be reproduced sexually or asexually. In the ornamental flowering plant industry, often times a particular characteristic, or set of characteristics, is not stable through several generations of sexual reproduction. The breeder may use asexual reproduction to propagate the variety, thus avoiding sexual recombination of traits and keeping the line uniform and stable.
The parents in a hybridization do not have to belong to the same species. Sometimes different species of the same genus will combine sexually in an interspecific cross. In some cases, different species readily combine in an interspecific cross to produce a hybrid plant. In other cases, barriers to combinability exist between species.
In order to introduce valuable economic traits such as disease resistance, flower shape and color, and heat or cold tolerance, from non-commercial species into the cultivar assortment, it is essential to overcome interspecific crossing barriers. Various techniques have been attempted to deal with some of these barriers, including in vitro isolated ovule pollination, in vitro embryo rescue, and ovary-slice and ovule culture. However, these techniques do not overcome the problem of chromosome mismatching and loss of chromosomes during meiosis and mitosis, barriers commonly encountered in interspecific crosses.
Sexual reproduction between individuals with different chromosome numbers, often the case in interspecific crosses, can be problematic. During sexual reproduction, each gametic chromosome must pair with its partner from the other parent's gamete. In this manner, the offspring receive a full complement of chromosomes, half of which originate from each parent. If the chromosome number of the parents is different, chromosome pairing does not occur correctly. Results of mismatched chromosome pairing may include the interspecific cross not producing offspring, the offspring produced being sterile, or the offspring produced being barely fertile.
One method for dealing with poor interspecific hybrid fertility is to look for naturally occurring 2n-gametes produced by the interspecific hybrid. Some plants frequently produce 2n-gametes, but others rarely do. Finding these 2n-gametes can be very difficult and time-consuming. Another method for restoring interspecific hybrid fertility is to double the chromosome number of the hybrid to produce an amphidiploid. This can be done using the chemical colchicine, which inhibits microtubule formation during cell division. When treated with colchicine, a cell's chromosomes are copied in preparation for mitosis as normal, but the lack of microtubules prevents cell cleavage. The result is an undivided cell that contains double the normal complement of the organism's chromosomes. The colchicine-treated cell is then regenerated into a full plant in which each cell has its chromosomes doubled. If an individual with mismatched chromosomes is treated with colchicine, its chromosomes will be doubled, thus creating a matching partner chromosome that is able to match up properly during sexual reproduction. The procedure can restore fertility to a formerly sterile individual and the newly fertile, amphidiploid plant can then produce segregating offspring that can be observed for further traits. Colchicine may also be used to double the chromosome number of a normal, cultivated plant so that the plant may be able to readily combine with another plant that has a different number of chromosomes. There is a range of ploidy levels among Pelargonium type. For example, cutting geraniums are typically tetraploid while seed geraniums are diploid.
Additionally, choice of breeding or selection methods depends on the mode of plant reproduction, the heritability of the trait(s) being improved, and the type of cultivar used commercially (e.g., F1 hybrid cultivar, pureline cultivar, etc.). For highly heritable traits, a choice of superior individual plants evaluated at a single location will be effective, whereas for traits with low heritability, selection should be based on mean values obtained from replicated evaluations of families of related plants. Popular selection methods commonly include pedigree selection, modified pedigree selection, mass selection, and recurrent selection.
The complexity of inheritance influences choice of the breeding method. Backcross breeding is used to transfer one or a few favorable genes for a highly heritable trait into a desirable cultivar. This approach has been used extensively for breeding disease-resistant cultivars. Various recurrent selection techniques are used to improve quantitatively inherited traits controlled by numerous genes. The use of recurrent selection in self-pollinating crops depends on the ease of pollination, the frequency of successful hybrids from each pollination, and the number of hybrid offspring from each successful cross.
Each breeding program should include a periodic, objective evaluation of the efficiency of the breeding procedure. Evaluation criteria vary depending on the goal and objectives, but should include gain from selection per year based on comparisons to an appropriate standard, overall value of the advanced breeding lines, and number of successful cultivars produced per unit of input (e.g., per year, per dollar expended, etc.).
Promising advanced breeding lines are thoroughly tested and compared to appropriate standards in environments representative of the commercial target area(s) for three or more years. The best lines are candidates for new commercial cultivars; those still deficient in a few traits can be used as parents to produce new populations for further selection.
These processes, which lead to the final step of marketing and distribution, require several from the time the first cross is made. Therefore, development of new cultivars is a time-consuming process that requires precise forward planning, efficient use of resources, and a minimum of changes in direction.
A most difficult task is the identification of individuals that are genetically superior, because for most traits the true genotypic value is masked by other confounding plant traits or environmental factors. One method of identifying a superior plant is to observe its performance relative to other experimental plants and to a widely grown standard cultivar. If a single observation is inconclusive, replicated observations provide a better estimate of its genetic worth.
Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection breeding methods are used to develop cultivars from breeding populations. Breeding programs combine desirable traits from two or more cultivars or various broad-based sources into breeding pools from which cultivars are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new cultivars are evaluated to determine which have commercial potential.
Pedigree breeding is used commonly for the improvement of self-pollinating crops. Two parents that possess favorable, complementary traits are crossed to produce an F1. An F2 population is produced by selfing one or several F1. Selection of the best individuals can begin in the F2 population; then, beginning in the F3, the best individuals in the best families are selected. Replicated testing of families can begin in the F4 generation to improve the effectiveness of selection for traits with low heritability. At an advanced stage of inbreeding (i.e., F6 and F7), the best lines or mixtures of phenotypically similar lines are tested for potential release as new cultivars.
Mass and recurrent selections can be used to improve populations of either self- or cross-pollinating crops. A genetically variable population of heterozygous individuals is either identified or created by intercrossing several different parents. The best plants are selected based on individual superiority, outstanding progeny, or excellent combining ability. The selected plants are intercrossed to produce a new population in which further cycles of selection are continued.
Backcross breeding has been used to transfer genes for a simply inherited, highly heritable trait into a desirable homozygous cultivar or inbred line which is the recurrent parent. The source of the trait to be transferred is called the donor parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent. After the initial cross, individuals possessing the phenotype of the donor parent are selected and repeatedly crossed (backcrossed) to the recurrent parent. The resulting plant is expected to have the attributes of the recurrent parent (e.g., cultivar) and the desirable trait transferred from the donor parent.
Descriptions of other breeding methods that are commonly used for different traits and crops can be found in one of several reference books (e.g., Allard, 1960; Simmonds, 1979; Sneep et al., 1979; Fehr, 1987).
Therefore, there is a need for a method that combines Pelargonium species so that new important traits can be introduced into novel Pelargonium hybrids.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification.


When recording marks having various lengths are recorded to represent information on a magneto-optical recording medium, a mark length-correcting circuit is used to correct a mark length nT with a mark length correction amount Lc determined for each mark length so that the recording is performed with a shorter mark length nTxe2x80x2=nTxe2x88x92Lc. When reproduction is performed on the magneto-optical recording medium, an appropriate reproducing light power and an appropriate reproducing magnetic field intensity can be easily selected for any recording mark having any length. Thus, the reproducing power margin is widened. The recording method is effective on a magneto-optical recording medium of the MAMMOS type comprising a recording layer and a reproducing layer, in which the light and the magnetic field are applied during the reproduction to transfer a magnetic domain from the recording layer to the reproducing layer in a magnified form.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording method, a recording and reproducing method, and a reproducing method for optical information for recording and reproducing the information on an optical recording medium by using a laser beam. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the foregoing methods.
2. Description of the Related Art
The apparatus for recording and reproducing optical information is used such that an information mark is recorded on an information track of an optical recording medium by using a laser beam, and information is reproduced by detecting an optical change depending on the presence or absence of the information mark. Such an apparatus includes a focusing lens which is used to collect the laser beam onto the optical recording medium. The minimum diameter of a light spot formed on the optical recording medium is substantially represented by xcex/NA on the basis of the wavelength xcex of the laser beam and the numerical aperture NA of the focusing lens. In order to improve the recording density of the optical recording medium, it is necessary to decrease the arrangement interval (mark pitch) of information marks in the scanning direction of the light spot and the track interval (track pitch) for recording the information marks.
However, if the mark pitch and the track pitch are smaller than the light spot diameter, the following problem arises. That is, when one information mark is irradiated with the light spot, then a part of another information mark disposed therearound is simultaneously irradiated with the light spot, and a signal of the information mark to be reproduced is contaminated with any signal of the information mark disposed therearound. The contamination behaves as a noise component to cause interference, and the accuracy of reproduction is lowered. As described above, the contamination of the signal of the surrounding information mark greatly obstructs the realization of high density in the case of the system provided with the focusing lens and the laser having a specified wavelength.
The magnetic amplifying magneto-optical system (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cMAMMOSxe2x80x9d) is known as a technique which makes it possible to solve the problem as described above (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-2350, WO98/02877, and WO98/02878). When MAMMOS is used, a minute magnetic domain, which is transferred from a recording layer to a reproducing layer, can be magnified by using a reproducing magnetic field to have a spot size of a reproducing light beam. Therefore, it is possible to remarkably increase the reproduced signal intensity. The magnified magnetic domain can be instantaneously erased after the reproduction. Therefore, the crosstalk is avoided. That is, in the case of MAMMOS, it is possible to greatly improve the reproduced signal intensity and S/N even when the mark pitch and the track pitch are decreased.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-92036 describes a system which resides in a recording and reproducing method based on a principle different from that of MAMMOS. In this system, no magnetic field is applied during reproduction. The temperature gradient, which is generated by radiating a light beam for the magnetic domain included in a magnetic recording medium, is used to move the magnetic wall of a recording mark in a reproducing layer without changing the recording data in a recording layer so that the recording mark, which has a size of not more than a diffraction limit of the light beam, is reproduced. This reproducing method involves the following problem. That is, the movement timing is discrepant between the process of magnetic wall movement in the direction to magnify the recording mark and the process of magnetic wall movement in the direction to reduce the recording mark. As a result, the period of time corresponding to the recording mark is always detected as a period of time which is shorter by a certain period of time. In this method, in order to deal with this problem, the recording mark is formed (recorded) to have a length which is longer than ordinary one.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 63-281229 and 4-265522 disclose a technique in which the edge position of the recording mark is corrected. The problem, i.e., the edge position of the mark is deviated from the position at which the recording is essentially performed, is solved by correcting the recording laser beam pulse in conformity with the mark length. However, in the case of the technique described in these patent documents, when a mark of nT is recorded, the mark length formed on the recording medium is still nT. There is no disclosure of the method of the present invention in which a recording mark shorter than nT is recorded for a recording signal corresponding n clocks.
As described above, MAMMOS is an extremely effective method to remarkably improve the recording density. However, according to an experiment performed by the present inventors, it has been revealed that when information is intended to be reproduced by using MAMMOS, the optimum values of the light power and the magnetic field intensity to be applied during reproduction of information differ depending on the mark length of a recorded mark. For this reason, it has been difficult in some cases to reliably reproduce pieces of data recorded as mark arrays including several types of marks having different lengths respectively. This problem will be explained below.
When the recording and the reproduction based on MAMMOS were evaluated, a laser having a wavelength xcex=680 nm and a focusing lens having an NA=0.55 were used, in which the NRZ modulation was applied with a channel bit length T=0.4 xcexcm. The channel bit length herein means the length on the recording medium corresponding to the unit bit of the modulated data array. In the following description, the recording mark length is varied to use three types of 1T, 2T, and 3T. If the mark length is longer than the spot diameter (=xcex/NA=1.24 xcexcm), the difference disappears concerning the characteristic when the reproduction is performed on the basis of MAMMOS. Therefore, explanation will be omitted for mark lengths of not less than 4T. Those having been known as the recording system for the magneto-optical recording medium include, for example, the optical modulation system, the magnetic field modulation system, and the optical magnetic field modulation system. In the experiment described below, the optical magnetic field modulation system was selected, in which the minute mark can be accurately formed.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the recording light power 203 was modulated at a constant cycle during the recording in accordance with the optical magnetic field modulation system, while the magnetic field of +Hw synchronized with the cycle was applied for a period of nT to record a mark having a length of nT (n is a natural number). For example, when it is intended to successively record a cycle of 1T mark and 1T gap, the magnetic field is an applied magnetic field 300 during recording at 1T cycle as shown in the drawing. When it is intended to successively record a cycle of 2T mark and 2T gap, the magnetic field to be applied during recording is an applied magnetic field 301 during recording at 2T cycle as shown in the drawing. When it is intended to successively record a cycle of 3T mark and 3T gap, the magnetic field to be applied during recording is an applied magnetic field 302 during recording at 3T cycle as shown in the drawing. The modulation of the light power and the waveform used when the magnetic field is applied are generated on the basis of a clock signal 113. The clock signal 113 is generated by a conventional synchronized signal-generating circuit (PLL) for outputting a signal synchronized with clock pits previously formed on the recording medium.
For example, 1 cycle of the clock signal 113 generated in this experiment corresponds to 0.1 xcexcm. Therefore, the following procedure is preferably adopted. That is, when a mark having a length of 1T(=0.4 xcexcm) is recorded, the applied magnetic field is +Hw for a period of four cycles of the clock signal. When it is intended to provide a gap having a length of 1T(=0.4 xcexcm), the applied magnetic field is xe2x88x92Hw for a period of four cycles of the clock signal. Similarly, when a mark having a length of 2T(=0.8 xcexcm) is recorded, the applied magnetic field is +Hw for a period of eight cycles of the clock signal. When a mark having a length of 3T(=1.2 xcexcm) is recorded, the applied magnetic field is +Hw for a period of twelve cycles of the clock signal. When it is intended to provide a gap having a length of 2T (=0.8 xcexcm), the applied magnetic field is Hw for a period of eight cycles of the clock signal. When it is intended to provide a gap having a length of 3T(=1.2 xcexcm), the applied magnetic field is xe2x88x92Hw for a period of twelve cycles of the clock signal.
During the reproduction, the reproducing light power 205 having a constant value Pr as shown in FIG. 6 is radiated onto the magnetic recording medium recorded with a group of recording marks 201. Further, the reproducing magnetic field 206 having a magnetic field intensity of xc2x1Hr synchronized with the clock signal 113 is applied. Thus, the reproduced signal 104 can be obtained. However, if the reproducing light power 205 is smaller than Pr which is the optimum value, or if the reproducing magnetic field 206 is smaller than Hr which is the optimum value, then any error arises in the reproduced signal. For example, erroneous reproduced signals 104-1 to 104-3 as shown in FIG. 6 are obtained. On the other hand, if the reproducing light power 205 is larger than Pr which is the optimum value, or if the reproducing magnetic field 206 is larger than Hr which is the optimum value, then any error arises in the reproduced signal in the same manner as described above. For example, erroneous reproduced signals 104-4 to 104-6 as shown in FIG. 6 are obtained.
FIG. 7B shows a result of investigation on the combination of the reproducing light power 205 and the reproducing magnetic field 206 capable of obtaining the reproduced signal involving no error as in the reproduced signal 104. When the cycle of 1T mark and 1T gap was successively recorded, Pr and Hr capable of obtaining the reproduced signal involving no error resided in the combinations indicated by xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9din FIG. 7. Similarly, when the cycle of 2T mark and 2T gap was successively recorded, and when the cycle of 3T mark and 3T gap was successively recorded, then Pr and Hr capable of obtaining the reproduced signal involving no error resided in the combinations indicated by xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9dand xe2x80x9c3xe2x80x9drespectively. According to this result, it is understood that Pr and Hr capable of obtaining the reproduced signal involving no error reside in the function of the mark length. The data of a user is recorded as a mark array composed of marks having several types of lengths. Therefore, it is necessary to select the combination of Pr and Hr so that the reproduced signal involving no error may be obtained stably for the marks having all of the lengths. However, as clarified by FIG. 7B, Pr and Hr, which are able to correspond to all of the mark lengths, are not present. In this situation as it is, a problem arises in that it is impossible to ensure the reliability during the reproduction.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 63-281229, 4-265522, and 10-92036 neither disclose nor suggest the problem as described above and any means for solving the problem.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the problem as described above, an object of which is provide a recording method, a reproducing method, and a reproducing apparatus for an optical recording medium, which make it possible to always reproduce data in a stable manner irrelevant to the length of a recording mark represented by a number of clocks (integral multiple of nT).
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording method on an optical recording medium for recording, as information, recording marks having a variety of lengths on the basis of a clock, on the optical recording medium including at least a recording layer, the method comprising forming a recording mark having a length shorter than nT (T is a channel bit length)on the optical recording medium as a recording signal corresponding to an amount of n clocks (n is an integer). The recording signal, which corresponds to the amount of n clocks (n is an integer), is converted into a recording signal shorter than the original recording signal. The recording mark, which has the length shorter than nT, can be formed on the optical recording medium on the basis of the recording signal after being converted.
The principle of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 5, as compared with the conventional recording method. A magneto-optical recording medium is used as the recording medium. The optical magnetic field modulation system is adopted, in which a magnetic field modulated on the basis of the recording signal is applied, while radiating a pulse beam having a constant cycle is radiated onto the magneto-optical recording medium. The NRZ modulation is used for the modulation system for the recording code.
As shown in FIG. 5, when the mark having the length of nT is recorded in accordance with the conventional system, then the recording magnetic field 211 is +Hw for a period of time of nT, and the recording magnetic field is xe2x88x92Hw in regions in which the recording mark is not recorded. However, as described above, the reproducing power Pr and the applied magnetic field Hr, which are capable of corresponding to all of the mark lengths, are not present in the case of the conventional recording system. Therefore, it is impossible to ensure the reliability during the reproduction. On the other hand, in the case of the recording system according to the present invention, the mark length correction amount Lc is provided for each mark length as shown in FIG. 5 so that the mark length is shortened. For example, it is assumed that the correction amount for the 1T mark is Lc1, the correction amount for the 2T mark is Lc2, and the correction amount for the 3T mark is Lc3. On this assumption, when the 1T mark is recorded in accordance with the system of the present invention, then the recording magnetic field 204 is +Hw for a period of time of 1Txe2x80x2(=1T+2Lc1), and the recording magnetic field is xe2x88x92Hw in the regions in which the mark is not recorded. That is, the 1T mark is recorded not as a mark having a length of 1T but as a mark having a length of 1Txe2x80x2. The broken line concerning the recording magnetic field 204 indicates the conventional recording waveform. Similarly, the 2T mark and the 3T mark to be recorded are recorded as marks having lengths of 2Txe2x80x2 and 3Txe2x80x2 respectively, in which there are given 2Txe2x80x2=2T+2Lc2 and 3Txe2x80x2=3T+2Lc3. Marks having lengths of not less than 4T are subjected to the correction for the mark length exactly in the same manner as described above. Whether the mark length correction amount Lcn corresponding to a mark having a length of nT has a positive, zero, or negative value changes depending on, for example, the characteristic and the structure of the medium, the reproducing power, and the applied magnetic field. However, the mark length correction amount Lcn has a value which is not zero for at least one n.
Explanation will be made with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B for the effect obtained by recording the mark having each mark length nT as the mark having the mark length nTxe2x80x2 corrected by using the mark length correction amount Lc prescribed for each mark length when information is recorded in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 8A shows the same recording and reproducing conditions as those shown in FIG. 7A except that an identical mark length correction amount Lc=xe2x88x920.1 xcexcm was added to each mark length. FIG. 8B shows, for each mark length, the relationship between the reproducing power Pr and the applied magnetic field Hr to obtain the good reproduced signal under the conditions shown in FIG. 8A. However, the intensity Pw of the recording light power 203 and the intensity Hw of the recording magnetic field after correction are designed so as to obtain the largest number of combinations of the reproducing light power 205 and the reproducing magnetic field 206 with which the reproduction can be performed without any error to reproduce the cycle pattern of the 1T mark and the 1T gap recorded by using the conventional recording magnetic field 211 (see FIG. 5). Since there is given Lc=xe2x88x920.1 xcexcm, the substantial mark length of 1T is 0.2 xcexcm, the substantial mark length of 2T is 0.6 xcexcm, and the substantial mark length of 3T is 1 xcexcm. When FIG. 7B is compared with FIG. 8B, it is understood concerning each mark length that the combination of Pr and Hr, with which the reproduction can be performed without any error, is increased when Lc=xe2x88x920.1 xcexcm is added, probably because of the following reason. That is, when the mark length of the recording mark is shortened, the leak magnetic field, which is brought about by another recording mark which adjoins with the gap intervening therebetween, is decreased. As a result, the error of the reproduced signal from the recording mark to be reproduced is reduced. However, the combination of Pr and Hr capable of corresponding to all of the mark lengths is not present, in the same manner as in the case in which Lc is not added.
FIGS. 9A and 9B show recording and reproducing conditions and results of measurement obtained when an identical mark length correction amount Lc=xe2x88x920.2 xcexcm was added to each mark length. Pw and Hw are the same as those shown in FIG. 8A. Since there is given Lc=xe2x88x920.2 xcexcm, the substantial mark length of 1T is 0.1 xcexcm, the substantial mark length of 2T is 0.5 xcexcm, and the substantial mark length of 3T is 0.9 xcexcm. Concerning the mark lengths of 2T and 3T, the combination of Pr and Hr, with which the reproduced signal involving no error is obtained, is increased when Lc=xe2x88x920.2 xcexcm is added. However, concerning the mark length of 1T, the combination of Pr and Hr capable of performing reproduction without any error is not present.
According to the results described above, the following fact is comprehensible. That is, concerning the mark of the length of not less than 2T, the combination of Pr and Hr, with which the reproduced signal involving no error is obtained, is increased in the case of Lc=xe2x88x920.1 xcexcm. As for the mark of the length of 1T, the combination of Pr and Hr, with which the reproduced signal involving no error is obtained, is increased in the case of Lc=xe2x88x920.2 xcexcm. Therefore, it is preferable that the mark length correction amount Lc is changed depending on the length of the mark when the mark is subjected to the recording. FIGS. 10A and 10B show recording and reproducing conditions in which Lc=xe2x88x920.1 xcexcm was added when the mark of the length of 1T was recorded, and Lc=xe2x88x920.2 xcexcm was added when the mark of the length of not less than 2T was recorded. FIGS. 10A and 10B also show results of measurement, for each mark length, of the relationship between the reproducing power Pr and the applied magnetic field Hr with which the reproduced signal involving no error is obtained. Although the combination of Pr and Hr capable of corresponding to all of the mark lengths is not present at all in the results shown in FIGS. 7B, 8B, and 9B, it is understood that a plurality of such combinations are present in the results shown in FIG. 10B. The reason of the foregoing results is considered as follows. That is, the leakage occurs from another recording mark which adjoins the recording mark to be reproduced, with the gap intervening therebetween. The longer the mark length of the another recording mark is, the larger the leak magnetic field is. Therefore, when the recording is performed by increasing the mark length correction amount Lc in accordance with the increase in the length of the recording mark, it is possible to decrease the leak magnetic field which is exerted on the concerning recording mark by the another recording mark adjacent to the concerning recording mark to be recorded. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the error of the reproduced signal obtained from the concerning recording mark.
As described above, in the case of the use of the information-recording and reproducing system according to the present invention in which the mark length correction amount Lc is changed depending on the length of the mark when the mark is subjected to the recording, it is possible to select the combination of Pr and Hr with which the reproduced signal involving no error is obtained for the marks of all of the lengths. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the reliability during the reproduction.
In the method of the present invention, the reproduction can be performed for the marks of all of the lengths under an identical reproducing condition provided that there is at least one combination of Pr and Hr with which the reproduced signal involving no error is obtained for the marks of all of the lengths. Further, the margin for the reproducing condition is widened when appropriate Lc is selected depending on n so that the number of combinations is maximized.
The foregoing results are obtained under the condition in which the recording parameters Pw and Hw have been already determined. However, when Pw and Hw are not optimized, the following procedure is available. That is, optimum Lc""s are determined for the respective mark lengths in the same manner as described above respectively, while successively changing Pw and Hw at certain prescribed intervals starting from a preset initial value to adopt Pw and Hw with which the number of combinations of Pr and Hr capable of obtaining the reproduced signal involving no error is maximized.
According to the recording method of the present invention, the margin is widened concerning the reproducing magnetic field intensity and the reproducing light beam intensity to reliable perform the reproduction for a variety of mark lengths. Therefore, it is effective to apply the present invention to the optical recording medium of the type in which the light and the magnetic field are applied during the reproduction, for example, the magneto-optical recording medium. Especially, it is more effective to apply the present invention to a magneto-optical recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer and a reproducing layer, in which a recording mark recorded in the magnetic recording layer is transferred in a magnified form to the reproducing layer by radiating a light spot and applying a magnetic field during reproduction. The present invention is also effective with respect to the magneto-optical recording medium to perform reproduction based on the magnetically induced super resolution (MSR).
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reproducing method for reproducing information recorded on an optical recording medium including recording marks having a variety of lengths formed thereon on the basis of a clock, the method comprising using the optical recording medium on which a recording mark having a length shorter than nT is formed (T is a channel bit length) as a recording signal corresponding to an amount of n clocks (n is an integer), and reproducing the information in synchronization with the clock while radiating a reproducing light beam.
In the reproducing method described above, it is possible to perform the reproduction with a wide reproducing margin in a reliable manner on the optical recording medium, preferably on a magneto-optical recording medium subjected to the recording with a variety of mark lengths in accordance with the first aspect. The reproducing method is especially preferred when the optical recording medium is a magneto-optical recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer and a reproducing layer, in which a recording mark recorded in the magnetic recording layer is transferred in a magnified form to the reproducing layer by radiating a light spot and applying a magnetic field during the reproduction. In this case, it is possible to ensure the sufficient power margin for the reproducing light beam and the reproducing magnetic field, and it is possible to reproduce the recording marks having the variety of lengths at high C/N.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus for an optical recording medium, comprising:
a clock-generating circuit;
a recording length-correcting circuit for correcting a recording signal length so that a recording signal corresponding to an amount of n clocks (n is an integer) is formed as a recording mark having a length shorter than nT (T is a channel bit length) on the optical recording medium; and
an applying unit for modulating and applying at least one of a light beam and a magnetic field to the optical recording medium on the basis of an output from the recording length-correcting circuit.
The recording length-correcting circuit of the recording apparatus of the present invention corrects the mark length nT with a mark length correction amount Lc. The recording length-correcting circuit may include a mark length-correcting circuit for converting a code length corresponding to a mark length into a code length shorter than the above. The mark length-correcting circuit may include a code conversion table to shorten the mark length.
The mark length-correcting circuit may be operated such that the shortness of the recording mark for nT is allowed to differ depending on n. Accordingly, any mark having different n can be subjected to the reproduction without changing the reproducing condition (for example, the reproducing light beam intensity and the reproducing magnetic field intensity). The recording length-correcting circuit may further includes an address retrieval memory, a mark length-identifying circuit, and a memory for storing a mark length obtained by being corrected by the mark length-correcting circuit.
The recording apparatus may further comprise a data modulator, a data demodulator, and a detector for detecting a reflected light beam from the optical recording medium, thereby making it possible to reproduce the information. In other words, the recording apparatus of the present invention may function as a recording and reproducing apparatus. In this arrangement, a magnetic field-applying unit may be used to apply a reproducing magnetic field to the optical recording medium when the information is reproduced. The data demodulator may be used so that the recording mark having the length shorter than nT recorded on the optical recording medium is demodulated to produce the signal corresponding to the amount of n clocks.

Method for recording mark length shorter than channel bit length on magneto-optical medium