Apparatus for setting dead time between ON times of two series connected switches of a power converter circuit connected across a supply potential, the apparatus comprising a circuit for monitoring a power converter circuit parameter and providing an output corresponding to the circuit parameter; a memory addressed by a signal related to the output of the monitoring circuit, the memory having values stored therein related to the dead times and associated with values of the circuit parameter; a processor providing an output of the memory associated with the value of the circuit parameter to set the dead time corresponding to the stored value in the memory, and a dead time implementing stage for implementing the dead time in accordance with the output of the memory.

The present invention relates to power supplies and in particular to voltage converters employing two controlled switches, one of which operates as a synchronous rectifier. The two switches are generally controlled so that both switches are never on at the same time. A "dead time" is provided between the on-times of the two switches to prevent cross conduction across the DC voltage supply between which the two switches are connected in series.
Synchronous rectification has been widely adopted for use in low voltage output converters of various topologies: Buck, boost, fly back, and forward. By substituting a MOSFET switch for a silicon or Schottky diode, rectification losses can be dramatically reduced.
For synchronous converters, it is essential that a non-overlap period (dead time) be maintained in order to prevent excessive cross conduction of the control switch with the synchronous rectifier switch. The power loss penalty for significant overlap is extremely high compared to the additional conduction losses occurring during dead time.
Still, dead time losses are significant; especially as converter operating frequency is increased. Using the example of a synchronous buck converter with the following characteristics:                Operating frequency=1 Mhz        Input voltage=12 volts        Output voltage=1 volt        Output current=40 amperes        Synchronous switch on resistance=3 mΩ        Synchronous switch body diode VF @ 40A=0.8V
Instantaneous power loss will be 4.8 watts with the synchronous switch FET on, but 32 watts with only the body diode conducting. At the above conditions, this translates into an additional 27 mW power loss per nanosecond of dead time. Two switching edges per cycle of 20 ns dead time each results in an additional 1.088 watts of loss in the synchronous switch, a 20% increase in losses for that component. Using a Schottky diode in parallel with the MOSFET will reduce that figure by 30%-to-40%, but at additional cost and component count.
Additionally, once the body diode of the synchronous switch conducts, it is subject to a reverse recovery period and associated charge which must be swept out of the junction. This amounts to cross conduction and causes additional losses in the control FET.
The present invention seeks to minimize the power losses associated with dead time. This is accomplished by minimizing dead time to reduce body diode conduction losses, and in some cases, by allowing FET switch cross conduction to eliminate body diode conduction altogether, thus eliminating reverse recovery associated losses.
There are a number of techniques that are known for reducing dead time. These include:
Adjustable dead time. Dead time is adjusted during the design stage so that cross conduction will be avoided under all operating conditions and over the full process variation of all components involved in achieving the dead time. Process variation of semiconductors can be significant and circuit operation may be over a wide range. Consequently, when no crossover is achieved with the worst case components at the worst case conditions, dead time with best case components and conditions is excessive. This results in excessive wasted power loss.
Adaptive dead time. Adaptive dead time is an improvement over adjustable dead time in that it can adjust on the fly as conditions change, and from unit-to-unit over component variations. Essentially it is logic control where the gate of one switch is prevented from turning on, until the gate of the other switch has been detected to turn off. Superficially, this seems to solve the problem, but in practice it does not. Finite time periods are required for logic control, and for charging and discharging gates of the power switches themselves. In actual practice this results in dead times on the order of 10 ns-to-30 ns per switching transition for a total of 20 ns-to-60 ns per cycle.
Predictive dead time. Most of the problem with adaptive dead time is the time required to switch the FETs off and on. Predictive dead time solves that deficiency by using a phase locked loop or some other loop to reduce dead time until it is near zero. This appears to provide many of the same benefits as the present invention, but the use of a control loop has attendant disadvantages. Since this methodology relies on a control loop of some sort to set dead time, there is also an associated settling time in that loop. During transient conditions, cross conduction may occur while the loop tries to settle into a new steady state. If fixed dead time is programmed into the loop to avoid cross conduction, then most of the time there will be more than minimum dead time and associated losses. In any case, the loop solution relies on some arbitrary electrical conditions rather than minimizing the losses associate with dead time. Test results indicate that this method does not result in the lowest possible power losses.
Power loss minimizing dead time (PLMDT). This technique has all the advantages of the present invention, except that it does not "remember" the best dead time settings for various operating conditions. In terms of power supply operation, this optimization takes a long time—tens of milliseconds. That means that in fast load transient environments, the PLMDT operation cannot keep up with power supply changes. Averaging techniques allow the PLMDT circuitry to find an "optimum" average value that works best across a wide range of load currents. This works very well, but still falls short of having the exact right dead time for each current. PLMDT is the subject of Applicant's co-pending patent application IR-2673, U.S. Ser. No. 11/058,969 filed Feb. 16, 2005, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
FIG. 4 shows a converter circuit comprising transistors Q1 and Q2 wherein PLMDT is used to set the dead time. Changes in duty factor of a PWM signal 10 are used to estimate power loss changes. A multiplier block 22 is used to modulate VIN (the supply voltage to switches Q1 and Q2) with the PWM signal, producing the signal D×VIN, which is proportional to the duty factor. This signal is passed though a low pass filter 24 creating a slow moving signal which is equal to what the output voltage would be if there were no converter losses. This signal is amplified by a factor k (k×D×VIN) and split into two paths. One path goes directly to the decision comparator 26 and the other path is through, for example, a sample and hold module 28 before being applied to the decision comparator 26. The sample and hold module 28 is used to save the previous "k×D×VIN" signal so that it can be compared to the one produced after a change in dead time.
A sample and hold module 28 is shown in FIG. 4, but the sample and hold function can be implemented in various ways, including, for example, using an "N" bit memory or other equivalent techniques. Similarly, the comparator function can be performed by a logic magnitude comparator, for example, or other equivalent techniques.
The dead time processor 20 (DTP) of FIG. 4 may be implemented with logic circuitry, a microcontroller, or a microprocessor. The DTP 20 controls the sample and hold circuit 28, sets the dead time via the dead time modulators 16 and 18, and processes the "Better" signal from the output of the decision comparator. If the new signal (This D) is smaller than the previous signal (Last D), then the new dead time is "Better" (the comparator output is high) and the DTP 20 saves this new dead time value. Otherwise the new one is discarded and the old dead time is restored. A delay is required after changing the dead time to allow the power supply feedback circuitry to settle on a new duty factor. Many factors can effect this time, but in practice a time of about 100× the switching period of the power supply seems to work well.
Though not necessary to demonstrate the principle, in practice the DTP 20 preferably averages multiple decisions over a relatively long period of time before reaching a final conclusion about a particular dead time in order to obtain reliability and prevent false dead time setting due to noise or transients. Hundreds of samples or more are desirable. This effectively averages out the effect of rapid load transients on power supply duty factor. The same averaging technique is applicable if some other means besides duty factor is used to determine power loss.
PLMDT may be implemented using digital PWM or digital signal processing (DSP) implementations, but the basic algorithm remains substantially the same.
FIG. 5 shows the basic algorithm which may be implemented with a digital signal processor, microprocessor, microcontroller, or logic state machine for implementation of PLMDT. It also substantially shows an example of the process implemented by the circuitry of FIG. 4.
With reference to FIG. 5, only the flow for the sync-off channel is shown. As described below, the sync-on channel flow is substantially the same. Starting at A, assuming that the sync-off delay has been set and the result of the previous dead time was that the power loss resulting from the last dead time showed that the last sample was better than the previous sample, that is, resulting in a lower duty cycle and thus a lower power loss, entry into the flow is via "yes" at point A. A test counter that counts to "N" is incremented at 50. The current power loss is sampled and saved at 52. The dead time is shortened or decreased by one step as indicated at 54. This means the off delay is increased, since the dead time is decreased. Whether the dead time is decreased or increased initially is arbitrary. However, since the goal is to decrease power losses and this is accomplished by decreasing dead time, dead time is preferably decreased initially. In the second part (II) of the FIG. 5 flow, dead time will be increased, and the dead time that results in the lower power loss will be implemented.
A delay is implemented to allow the power supply voltage to settle as shown at 56. The new power loss (after the dead time has been changed) is now compared with the old power loss at 58. The old power loss has been saved from the previous step 52 as shown at 58A. If the new power loss is lower (for example, as determined by duty cycle), as indicated by decision block 60, flow is to block 62 wherein the "better" counter is incremented. The "better" count keeps track of the number of times the new power loss is better than the old.
If the new power loss was not better than the old power loss at step 60, the counter is not incremented. Flow is then to decision block 66 to determine if N tests are complete. As discussed above, a plurality of tests are preferably made to obtain reliable results. If N tests are not complete, flow is via line 69. At 71, the previous dead time is reinstated and a delay is implemented at 73 to allow the power supply to settle and the test counter is again incremented at 50 and the comparison is again made with the old power loss. Once N tests have been completed, exit is to 68. The dead time will have been last implemented at step 54. N tests are made to ensure that the comparisons are reliable, to account, for example, for noise or load transients which could cause an error if only a single test were made. By making multiple tests, greater accuracy and reliability is obtained.
At step 68, a determination is made if N/2+1 of the tests were better, that is, if the "better" counter shows that more than half the tests made showed a better power loss. If so, then entry is made via flow line 70 to part II of the flow. If N/2+1 tests were not better, then the old dead time is reinstated at 74 and a delay is implemented at 75 before proceeding to step 76.
At step 76, the test counter "N" is again incremented. The current power loss is saved at 78, the dead time is increased by one step at 80, reducing the sync-off delay. At 82, a delay is implemented to allow the power supply to settle. At 84, the old power loss 84A saved at step 78 is compared with the new power loss. The old power loss is shown at 84A. At step 86, a determination is made as to whether the new power loss is lower with the increased dead time. If the new power loss is lower, the "better" counter is incremented at 88. If the new power loss is not lower or after incrementing the better counter at 88, a check is made to determine if N tests have been completed. If not, a return is made via line 93 and the test counter is incremented again at 76 and the comparison at 84 is again made. Once N tests have been completed at step 90, a check is made at 92 to determine that more of the N tests were better. If this is the case, then the flow is to the synchronous on channel flow which is substantially identical to the synchronous off channel example shown in FIG. 5. The synchronous on channel dead time delay will be processed in the same way as the synchronous off channel example shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, in the synchronous on channel, similar flow will occur in that the old power loss will be compared with the new power loss for both a decrease and an increase in the dead time, and if the power loss is better, the new dead time will be maintained, and if not, the old dead time will be restored, substantially the way as shown in the synchronous off channel example of FIG. 5.
The PLMDT technique results in optimizing the dead time. However, results are a compromise based on average circuit conditions rather than an optimum based on exact instantaneous operating conditions. The Intelligent Dead Time (IDT) technique disclosed herein solves the "speed" problems associated with PLMDT.

Method and apparatus for intelligently setting dead time


A condition without using Ar as plasma gas is applied to processing of an organic anti-reflection-coating, which suppresses a spatter effect and decreases the cleavage of C—H and OC—O bonds in a resist. As a result, roughness of the resist after processing the anti-reflection-coating can be suppressed, and pitting and striations after processing a next film to be processed, that is an insulating film, can be prevented. For a rare gas to be used at the time of processing the insulating film, any one of Xe, Kr, a mixed gas of Ar and Xe, and a mixed gas of Ar and Kr is applied in place of Ar, giving rise to reduction in pitting and striations after etching. In addition, a dry etching method with less critical-dimension shift and excellence in both apparatus cost and throughput can be provided by performing resist modification and etching by turns.

In a semiconductor device, the electrical connection between a transistor formed on a wafer and metal wiring and between metal wirings is established first by making contact holes on an inter-layer dielectric, that is formed on the upper part of the transistor structure and between wirings, by a dry etching method with the use of plasma, and then by filling a semiconductor or a metal in the contact holes. Particularly for the production of a high-density and high-speed logic device beyond the 90 nm-node, the damascene process, in which trenches and vias are formed by etching an inter-layer-dielectric made of a low dielectric-constant, or low-k, material by a dry etching method, followed by filling the trenches and vias with Cu as a wiring material, and ArF lithography with a 193 nm light source for a finer pattern formation are being used. The dry etching method is a technology by which a mask material represented by a resist is etched and a layer to be processed is etched selectively for providing a wiring layer and base substrate underlying the vias and the contact holes. This method comprises generating plasma from an etching gas introduced into a vacuum chamber with high frequency power applied externally and allowing reactive radicals and ions generated in the plasma to react with the layers on the wafer with high precision.
In general, when a wiring pattern is formed for a semiconductor circuit, an organic bottom-anti-reflection coating (BARC) is formed on the film to be processed, and a resist film is further formed thereon. The BARC is used to prevent an abnormal pattern, caused by interference of laser light serving as a light source for lithography, from being formed. After forming a resist pattern, the BARC is etched, and then the film to be processed is etched (main etching). Since the BARC is made of a material rich in C, similar to the resist, etching of the BARC is carried out by forming a plasma from an introduced mixed gas consisting of a fluorocarbon gas rich in F, such as CF4 or CHF3, a rare gas represented by Ar, and oxygen gas in a pressure range of from 0.5 Pa to 10 Pa, and by controlling the ion energy incident on the wafer in a range of 0.1 kV to 1.0 kV.
The formation of vias and contact holes is carried out by forming plasma from an introduced mixed gas consisting of a fluorocarbon gas such as CF4, CHF3, C2F6, C3F6O, C4F8, C5F8, and C4F6, a rare gas represented by Ar, oxygen gas, CO gas and the like serving as a plasma gas in a pressure range of from 0.5 Pa to 10 Pa, and accelerating ion energy incident on the wafer up to 0.5 kV to 2.5 kV.
In the etching process described above, the resist materials for ArF or later lithography present problems in that the resist etching rate is larger and the surface roughness due to resist damage is more serious compared to those for conventional KrF resist and i-line resist.
Since the etching resistance of KrF resist was sufficiently high compared to that of ArF resist and the device density was not so high for the former, there was no major concern for striation and line-edge-roughness. However, the deterioration of the line-edge roughness due to resist roughness after etching exerts a great influence on the device characteristics. This is particularly so in etching requiring final dimensional accuracy, such as hard mask etching represented by SiO2 for gate electrode formation and SiN mask etching used as a mask for a shallow-trench-isolation process. Further, etching of a low-k material (SiOC film) that is an inter-layer-dielectric, the introduction of which is being pursued for the production of a high-density logic device, is carried out by high-energy ion irradiation using a relatively high bias and in an atmosphere of gas rich in O2. Therefore, striations occur on the pattern sidewalls, and, in addition, pitting of the resist occurs, which is a phenomenon involving the local appearance of holes on unpatterned portions.


A wing assembly, a wing applique and an associated method for controlling the flow of air over a wing are provided. A wing assembly may include a wing having leading and trailing edges. The wing assembly also includes a flow control structure, such as an applique, carried by the surface of the wing so as to extend from a first end to a second end. The flow control structure defines an inlet proximate to the first end, an outlet proximate to the second end and the internal passage extending from the inlet to the outlet. The wing assembly may also include a control surface, such as a wedge, positioned downstream of the outlet. The flow control structure is configured to control the flow of air exiting from the outlet in order to correspondingly control attachment of the air with the control surface.

Fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft include wings that provide lift and facilitate controlled flight of the air vehicle. For example, a fixed wing aircraft generally includes two or more wings that extend laterally outward from the fuselage. As another example, a rotorcraft includes a plurality of blades, each of which constitutes a wing.
By controlling the flow of air over a surface of a wing, such as the upper surface of a wing, the aerodynamic performance of the air vehicle may be at least partially controlled. By way of example, some wings include a wedge, such as a fixed wedge or movable flap attached, such as by an adhesive, to a surface of the wing. For example, a wedge may be attached proximate the trailing edge of a wing. The wedge may alter the flow of air over the surface of the wing and, as such, may affect the aerodynamic performance of the air vehicle.
In some instances in which the wedge is embodied as a moveable flap, the flap may be controllably positioned so as to change the flow of air across the surface of the wing and, in turn, to alter the aerodynamic performance of the air vehicle. However, moving flaps very quickly in order to alter the aerodynamic performance of the air vehicle in the desired manner takes significant energy and adds control system weight to the air vehicle generally commensurate to the desired speed of actuation.

Flow control structure and associated method for controlling attachment with a control surface


An optical system for a CMOS sensor includes an aspherical lens with which an exit pupil distance appears short in a central region of an imaging plane and long in a peripheral region of the imaging plane. The aspherical lens functions such that the exit pupil distance monotonously increases from a central region of the imaging plane toward a peripheral region of the imaging plane. In addition, pupil correction is performed in accordance with an exit pupil distance d which satisfies (d1+d2)/2<d<d2, where d1 is the exit pupil distance at the center of the imaging plane and d2 is the exit pupil distance at the edge of the imaging plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including a solid-state imaging device, such as a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor, and an arranging method for the imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a typical imaging apparatus using a CMOS sensor, light which passes through an optical system is subjected to photoelectric conversion with a photodiode included in a light-receiving unit formed on a semiconductor substrate. Then, electrons generated by the photoelectric conversion are accumulated and transmitted to an amplifier circuit, and a voltage output or a current output is obtained from the amplifier circuit.
A manner in which light enters such an imaging apparatus will be described below. FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing the structure of an example of a camera module including a CMOS sensor. FIGS. 10A and 10B are enlarged sectional views showing the structure of different pixels in a light-receiving unit of the CMOS sensor shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10A shows a pixel at a position where light enters perpendicularly (denoted by a in FIG. 9), and FIG. 10B shows a pixel at a position where light enters at an angle (denoted by b in FIG. 9).
As shown in the figures, light 10 passes through a lens 12, an aperture 13, and a lens 14 placed in a lens barrel 11, enters each on-chip lens 16 arranged on the surface of the CMOS sensor 15 for each pixel, is deflected by the on-chip lens 16 again, and is incident on a photodiode in a corresponding light-receiving section 17. Various kinds of wiring layers 18 are provided in the CMOS sensor 15.
As shown in FIG. 10A, in a central region of an imaging plane, light is substantially perpendicularly incident on the imaging plane. Therefore, light passes though the on-chip lens 16, and is directly incident on the light-receiving section 17. However, as shown in FIG. 10B, the incidence angle is increased as the distance from the center of the imaging plane increases, and light is incident on the imaging plane at a small angle relative to the imaging plane. Accordingly, not all of the light which passes through the on-chip lens 16 is incident on the light-receiving section 17, and some of the light reaches a region outside the light-receiving section 17. Therefore, the intensity of light incident on the light-receiving sections in a peripheral region of the imaging plane is reduced.
Next, the concept of an exit pupil in an optical system will be described below. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an optical system for a CMOS sensor 20. Two lenses 22 and 23 are disposed in front of an aperture 21, and a lens 24 is disposed behind the aperture 21.
An exit pupil refers to an image (virtual image) of the aperture made by the lens 24 positioned behind the aperture 21. In addition, an exit pupil distance refers to a distance between the imaging plane and the exit pupil.
Although the incidence angle in a peripheral region of the imaging plane can be reduced by using a lens having a long exit pupil distance, it becomes difficult to manufacture a thin lens module in such a case. In contrast, although a thin lens module can be manufactured by using a lens having a short exit pupil distance, the incidence angle in the peripheral region of the imaging plane increases in such a case.
In known structures, as shown in FIG. 12, each on-chip lens 31 is shifted away from the center of a corresponding light-receiving section 32 toward the center of the imaging plane by a distance proportional to the distance between the center of the imaging plane and the center of the on-chip lens 31 at a constant ratio in accordance with the exit pupil distance. The reason for this is to cause light with a large incidence angle to be incident on the light-receiving section with high efficiency. This is called pupil correction.
However, there is still a problem that the incidence angle is increased in the peripheral region of the imaging plane in a thin lens module. Therefore, there is a limit to collection efficiency obtained simply by shifting each on-chip lens at a constant ratio (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1-213079.
Accordingly, in known imaging apparatuses, the incident light intensity differs between the central and peripheral regions in the imaging plane of the CMOS sensor, and shading occurs in which the output from the CMOS sensor is large at the central region and small at the peripheral region.

Imaging apparatus and arranging method for the same


A plastisol article is having an outer surface which has the look and feel of suede is provided. The article is made from a plastisol composition which includes expandable microspheres. A mold is dipped into the plastisol composition, withdrawn from the composition, and heated. The coated mold is heated at a temperature sufficient to expand the microspheres throughout the extent of the plastisol layer and to rupture the microspheres at the surface of the plastisol layer. The time and temperature at which the plastisol layer is heated causes only the microspheres substantially at the outer surface of plastisol layer to rupture. Substantially all of the microspheres within the plastisol remain unruptured. The expandable plastisol may be applied directly to a product or it may be applied over a layer of solid (unexpandable) plastisol. The expandable plastisol composition may include a blowing agent.

This invention relates to the field of hot dip molding of plastisol articles, and specifically to a process for producing a plastisol article having an outer surface which has the look and feel of suede.
Dip molded plastisol articles have been used as grips for bicycle handles, tools, etc. They have also been used as insulators for beverage cans, cups, and insulated beverage containers such as Thermos.RTM. beverage containers available from The Thermos Company. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,116, which is incorporated herein by reference, a process is disclosed for producing a double dip molded product or article having a solid plastisol first or inner layer and a second or outer layer of a chemically blown plastisol. The two layers are bonded and fused to each other by the process disclosed in the patent. Articles or products made in accordance with the double dip process of U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,116, have an outer surface that is free of craters or blisters. Articles and products made in accordance with that double-dip process work well as insulators and are comfortable to hold, whether the article or product is an insulator or a grip. However, I have found that the aesthetic appearance and the degree of comfort provided by the product or article can be improved by creating an outer surface which has the look and feel of suede. Suede appearing articles are often aesthetically more pleasing than are plastic or foam appearing products. Furthermore, products which imitate a suede feel are easier to grip, in that they will be less likely to slip in a wet hand.

Molded plastisol article with textured exterior


The tension and anti-recoil mechanism of the present invention is connected to a tool handle of a cable tie tool. The tool handle has a barrel and a grip depending therefrom. The tension and anti-recoil mechanism includes a regulator grip supported in the barrel. A one-piece cutter actuator is supported in the regulator grip for longitudinal displacement relative to the barrel. A tension limiting mechanism directs a retaining force against the cutter actuator to resist longitudinal displacement thereof relative to the barrel. The retaining force may be controlled to limit the tension produced in a cable tie prior to severing the strap thereof. Recoil of the cable tie tool which may result from the severing is substantially limited by the tension and anti-recoil mechanism.

The present invention relates generally to a tension and anti-recoil mechanism for a cable tie tool, and more specifically, to such a mechanism for limiting the tension applied to the cable tie by the tool and limiting the re-coil of the tool when the cable tie is cut.
Cable ties are used to bundle or secure a group of articles such as electrical wires or cables. Cable ties of conventional construction include a cable tie head and an elongate strap extending therefrom. The strap is wrapped around a bundle of articles and thereafter inserted through a passage in the head. The head of the cable tie typically supports a locking element which extends into the head passage allowing the strap to be inserted through the passage but preventing retraction of the strap through the passage in the head. Two longitudinally separated portions of the strap are thereby secured to the head to define a loop for holding together the group of articles.
In use, the installer manually places the tie about the articles to be bundled, inserts the strap through the head passage and then manually tightens the tie about the bundle. Further tightening of the cable tie, which increases the tension in the strap thereof, may be provided by a cable tie tool.
One type of such a cable tie tool includes a housing which is generally pistol-shaped where the housing has a barrel into which the strap may be inserted for application of the tension. The housing has a grip which depends from the barrel. The cable tie tool may have a mechanism for limiting the tension force which is applied to the strap of the cable tie and for cutting the strap of the cable tie when the maximum tension is applied to the strap. Such cutting of the strap may resulting a re-coil force being applied to the hand of the user. The magnitude of this re-coil force may be limited by a mechanism in the cable tie tool. Such a mechanism for limiting the tension force applied to the strap of the cable tie and for limiting the re-coil force may increase the complexity and size of the cable tie tool.

Tension and anti-recoil mechanism for cable tie tool


A universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover for wrapping around and decorating only the shaft of an any sized and mundane boot. The universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover includes a decorative substrate, and apparatus for universally and readily interchangeably maintaining the decorative substrate around only the shaft of the any sized and mundane boot. The decorative substrate is for universally and readily interchangeably wrapping around only the shaft of the any sized and mundane boot and not the foot of the any sized and mundane boot so as to at least eliminate potential damage to the universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover caused by normal flexure of the foot of the any sized and mundane boot, and in so doing, decorates only the shaft of the any sized and mundane boot.

A. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the present invention relate to a cover for a boot, and more particularly, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover for wrapping around and decorating only the shaft of an any sized and mundane boot and not the foot of the any sized and mundane boot so as to at least eliminate potential damage to the universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover caused by normal flexure of the foot of the any sized and mundane boot.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for foot-wear coverings have been provided in the prior art, which will be described below in chronological order to show advancement in the art, and which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, nevertheless, they differ from the embodiments of the present invention in that they do not teach a universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover for wrapping around and decorating only the shaft of an any sized and mundane boot and not the foot of the any sized and mundane boot so as to at least eliminate potential damage to the universal, readily interchangeable, and non-gaiter cover caused by normal flexure of the foot of the any sized and mundane boot.


A lensing duct to condense (intensify) light using a combination of front surface lensing and reflective waveguiding. The duct tapers down from a wide input side to a narrow output side, with the input side being lens-shaped and coated with an antireflective coating for more efficient transmission into the duct. The four side surfaces are uncoated, preventing light from escaping by total internal reflection as it travels along the duct (reflective waveguiding). The duct has various applications for intensifying light, such as in the coupling of diode array pump light to solid state lasing materials, and can be fabricated from inexpensive glass and plastic.

The present invention relates to light intensifiers, particularly to devices for focusing down a beam of light to produce a smaller beam with a greater intensity, and more particularly to a lensing duct for intensifying light using a combination of front surface lensing and reflective waveguiding.
Traditionally, solid optically pumped lasers consist of a solid material wherein the optical gain in the material is generated by stimulated emission. The laser rod was initially optically pumped by a flash lamp or an arc source, which was generally inefficient and the heat generated by the pumping means sometimes damaged the laser rod.
In an effort to develop more efficient solid state lasers which generate higher output power and have a longer life time, the use of lateral pumping means, such as solid state laser diode arrays that are mounted on the side of a laser slab, was initiated. Various approaches for efficient transfer of the energy from the diode arrays to the solid laser rod or slab have been developed, which include the use of reflective coatings, optical waveguides, collimating lenses, and prisms.
One of the existing problems associated with the use of large diode arrays to pump lasing material is effectively concentrating the light from a diode array onto the laser slab or rod. The present invention provides a solution to that problem by condensing and increasing the intensity of pump light from a diode array onto a solid laser rod by a combination of front surface lensing and reflective waveguiding via a lensing duct constructed from inexpensive glass or plastic.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


An electronic device detachably coupled to an electric terminal of an apparatus, the apparatus including an engagement portion adjacent to the electric terminal, the electronic device includes a rotation piece disposed at an insertion end portion of the electronic device, the rotation piece being rotated to engage the engagement portion disposed adjacent to the electric terminal; a connection member coupled to the rotation piece and configured to slide relative to the electronic device to rotate the rotation piece; and an operation lever coupled to the connection member and disposed at a removal end portion of the electronic device, the operation lever being interlocked with the rotation piece through the connection member.

Some of information communication apparatuses, computers, and other apparatuses are equipped with terminals, into and from which printed circuit boards are insertable and removable. Various electronic components are mounted on the printed circuit boards. The apparatuses equipped with the terminals, into and from which the printed circuit boards are insertable and removable, include, for example, apparatuses, into and from which plug-in units (PIUs) are insertable and removable, such as bookshelf-type apparatuses in which a component referred to as a back wiring board (BWB) or a back board is disposed (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-47746).
In most cases, the printed circuit boards are inserted and removed into and from the terminals provided in various apparatuses by operating operation levers provided in the printed circuit boards or the apparatuses. The operation lever is disposed, for example, when operability is considered, near an opening portion of a slot provided in a housing of the apparatus, near an end portion of the printed circuit board on the removal direction side of the printed circuit board, or the like.
In the design of various apparatuses, sometimes a member that assists in inserting and removing the printed circuit board is not disposed at a desirable position for some reason. For example, when an apparatus is not equipped with a housing, a rail that supports the printed circuit board to be inserted or removed, or the like, it may be difficult for the operation lever or the like to be disposed at a position where good operability is achievable such as a position near the opening portion of the slot provided in the housing of the apparatus or a position near an end portion of the printed circuit board on the removal direction side of the printed circuit board. When a member that assists in inserting and removing the printed circuit board is not provided, the printed circuit board may be damaged while being inserted or removed.

Electronic device, system, attaching method of electronic device, and apparatus


A stapler that requires exertion of less effort comprising a body, an electric motor, a power supply, a power supply switch, a motion transmission mechanism having a gear cluster driven by the electric motor, a staple driving mechanism having a driving blade and a staple magazine driven by the motion transmission mechanism. The motion transmission mechanism comprises a rocking arm, and the rocking arm is a crank which is composed of a connecting shaft and a rocking shaft. The end of the connecting shaft connects to the top of the driving blade. The end of the rocking shaft is a gear, and the gear of the rocking arm has teeth which mesh with teeth of at least one gear of the gear cluster. The motion transmission mechanism comprises a double pole changeover switch and a micro switch.

The present invention relates to staplers and more particularly pertains to staplers of the kind which requires exertion of less effort.
At present, the common electric staplers in the marketplace mainly achieve stapling by means of utilizing an electric motor to drive a gear cluster and then to drive a driving blade. A gear cluster generally requires a greater range of rotation and more time for stapling and resetting. Moreover, to increase the reliability of motion transmission, the prior art has some staplers which are complex in construction, and some of which have a gear cluster which is composed of five or more transmitting gears, thereby making the body of the staplers bulky, heavy and inconvenient for use.
The prior art also provides some technical proposals which add a transmitting shaft or an eccentric wheel to the gear cluster so as to reduce the range of rotation of gears as required and to save the time required for stapling and resetting. However, the angle of the movement of the transmitting shaft or the eccentric wheel of the prior art is still large. The market is therefore looking forward to electric staplers which are capable of further saving the time required for stapling and resetting.
Furthermore, incidents of staples being popped out or staples being driven in wrong positions still happen commonly in existing electric staplers. Though the prior art provides electric staplers which are of construction with a staple guiding plate disposed at the front end of a staple magazine, it cannot ensure that each staple is accurately and completely driven through sheets of paper or other materials to be stapled and is difficult to ensure the consistency of the stapling quality, because the staple guiding plate is fixed at the front end of the staple magazine and it cannot move downward simultaneously with the staple during the stapling process.

Stapler that requires exertion of less effort


A perineal surgical apron (10) for use in obstetrics and surgical procedures which apron comprises a fluid impermeable drape (11) having adhesive strips (15) and (15') at distal ends, and ties (17) for attaching the drape to a covering over a patient and to garb worn by the doctor and thereby defining a surgical surface between the doctor and the patient. An absorbent pad (24) centrally attached to the drape absorbs fluid from the surgical instruments used during surgical procedures. Side pockets (20) on the drape capture surgical instruments which are dropped or fall from the grasp of the doctor. Additional pockets (26) and (28) attached to the drape hold instruments for use during surgical procedures.

Gynecological and general surgical procedures are often performed on patients by doctors who sit adjacent and between the legs of the patients. While this close proximity facilitates performing the examinations and procedures, this position also presents logistical problems for doctors. The problems include storage and retrieval of both clean and used surgical instruments as well as maintaining sterile operating surfaces. Typically, doctors use scrub nurses to pass instruments and sutures from a back table during these types of surgical procedures. The doctor must therefore either hold out their outstretched arm to receive an instrument or turn from the site to face the scrub nurse to receive the instrument. If a scrub nurse is not available, the doctor must physically turn and in some instances stand to reach an instrument. The instruments must be placed in collection bins after use. Furthermore, these types of medical procedures often release fluids from a patient, which, because of the doctor's location, can be communicated to the doctor. These fluids include bodily fluids and blood released by the patient as well as irrigation and injection fluids used during the procedure. The current garments worn by doctors during these types of procedures do not offer complete protection from contamination by these fluids. The fluids also make the surgical instruments slippery, and therefore difficult to handle. In the event a surgical instrument falls to the floor, the instrument cannot be re-used in that procedure without cleaning and sterilization.
Patient drapes have been developed to address these problems of surgical procedures. For instance, disposable obstetrical abdominal drapes have been developed to aid physicians during surgical and examination procedures performed on the genital regions of patients. One type of drape overlies the abdominal and thoracic portions of patients during surgery. These drapes maintain the surgical instruments in close proximity to the patient and surgeon. For instance, such surgical drapes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 27,710 and 4,476,860 to Melges and Collins respectively. Such drapes typically are tailored to provide coverage of patients during procedures while maintaining sterile environments around the patients. In addition, such drapes provide liquid barriers that prevent fluids from passing through the drapes to the patients or to the doctors and prevent the saturation of surgical drapes during procedures.
These drapes however are not practical for perineal procedures. The abdominal and thoracic drapes include openings appropriate for such surgeries. Further, the doctor typically stands during such surgeries lateral of the patient. The pockets accordingly are lateral of the drape in close proximity to the doctor. In contrast, with the patient in the lithotomy position, the doctor sits between the legs of the patient for perineal surgeries. Abdominal and thoracic drapes would not provide satisfactory protection from contamination of instruments which fall from the hands of the doctor. Further, such drapes used for perineal surgeries would unsatisfactorily provide work surfaces convenient to the doctor, and the doctor would be continually standing up to obtain instruments and store them.
The inventor of the present invention previously developed a drape for perineal surgeries. The drape creates a continuous sterile surface between a physician and a patient undergoing perineal procedures. The surgical drape includes draw strings on one of its sides for attachment of the drape around the waist of the physician. Clips attach the opposing edge of the drape to the drape on the patient. The drape defines a trough-shaped surgical surface. Doctors using the drape can control the shape of the surface and the distance between themselves and their patients by moving a seat such as a rollable stool towards or away from the patient. A side pocket is formed along each of the side edges. The side pockets are to receive a surgical instrument, should one fall from the hands of the doctor during a procedure.
While the drape provides a sterile environment during perineal procedures, the drape still suffers from several disadvantages. It has been found that instruments which slip from the hand of the doctor during procedures are not caught satisfactorily in the side pockets. The elongate, flexible nature of the pockets allow the instrument to often slide out and fall to the floor. Such fallen instruments cannot be re-used in the procedure without breaching the sterile field. Further, while providing a trough-like surface of protection between a patient and doctor, the surgical drape does not provide a work space appropriate for surgical procedures for conducting the operation. Particularly, the drape is not able to assuredly isolate used surgical instruments or fluids. The impermeable sheet defining the surgical drape does not allow for absorption of excess fluids typically released during perineal procedures. The surgical drape also uses clips for fastening the drape to the garments covering the patient. The clips may slippingly release engagement, and the surgical trough at least partially collapses.
It thus is seen that a need remains for a surgical drape which provides a sterile surgical operating surface conveniently disposed between a patient and a doctor which drape provides pockets for holding surgical instruments while more reliably receiving dropped instruments and absorbing fluids therefrom for subsequent continued use during surgical procedures. It is to such that the present invention is directed.


A coaxial-waveguide-to-hollow-waveguide transition circuit (1) includes a hollow waveguide (10), a coaxial waveguide (20) having an end coupled to a wide wall (16) of the hollow waveguide (10), and a strip conductor (30) located inside the internal path (10h) of the hollow waveguide (10). The coaxial waveguide (20) includes a conducting core wire (22) extending into the internal path (10h) of the hollow waveguide (10). The strip conductor (30) is located so as to make a short-circuit connection between the conducting core wire (22) of the coaxial waveguide (20) and a termination surface (12) of the hollow waveguide (10).

Coaxial-waveguide-to-hollow-waveguide transition circuits are widely used for transmission of signals in high-frequency bands such as the very high frequency (VHF) band, the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band, the millimeter wave band or the microwave band.
For example, Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Utility-Model Application Publication No. 1993(Hei05)-25804) discloses a coaxial-waveguide-to-hollow-waveguide transition circuit which includes a hollow waveguide that has an opening formed at a predetermined position, a dielectric that is inserted through the opening, and a metal probe that is placed so as to protrude into the hollow waveguide through the dielectric. In addition, Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Utility-Model Publication No. 1987(Sho62)-173803) discloses a coaxial-waveguide-to-hollow-waveguide transition circuit which includes a hollow-waveguide portion, a coaxial core wire that extends from a short-circuit surface of the hollow-waveguide portion into the inside of the hollow-waveguide portion, and a magnetic-field coupling transition portion that has a metal plate for coupling a tip of the coaxial core wire to an inner wall (H plane) of the hollow-waveguide portion.

Coaxial-waveguide-to-hollow- waveguide transition circuit


A system for delivering shape memory alloy prosthesis includes a catheter, a fluid injector and a controller. The catheter includes a fluid lumen coupled to the fluid injector and one or more openings at its distal end which are at least partially disposed beneath the prosthesis. The catheter further includes a thermocouple at its distal end for monitoring the temperature of the prosthesis in situ to minimize thermal damage to fluids and tissue within the body lumen. A fluid is heated to an initial temperature, and then delivered through the openings to the prosthesis, and thermal energy is directly transferred to the prosthesis to expand the prosthesis at a temperature above the body temperature. The temperature and flow rate of the fluid is precisely controlled such that the prosthesis is expanded, and thermal damage to the body lumen is minimized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to medical methods and devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for delivering and expanding prostheses composed of shape memory alloys within blood vessels and other body lumens.
In percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures, a catheter having an expansible distal end, usually in the form of a balloon, is positioned in a lumen of a blood vessel with the distal end disposed within a stenotic atherosclerotic region of the vessel. The expansible end is then expanded to dilate the vessel and, upon withdrawal, restores adequate blood flow through the diseased region.
While angioplasty has gained wide acceptance, it continues to be limited by two major problems, abrupt closure and restenosis. Abrupt closure refers to the acute occlusion of a vessel immediately after or within the initial hours following the dilatation procedure. This complication occurs in approximately one of twenty cases and frequently results in myocardial infarction and death if blood flow is not quickly restored. Restenosis refers to the re-narrowing of an artery after an initially successful angioplasty. Occurring usually within the initial six months after angioplasty, and restenosis afflicts approximately one in three cases. That is, approximately one in three patients will require additional revascularization procedures.
Many different strategies have been tried with different degrees of success to reduce restenosis and abrupt closure, including pharmacologic (e.g., systemic and localized administration of anti-proliferative agents and other drugs) and mechanical (e.g., prolonged balloon inflations, atherectomy, laser angioplasty, post-angioplasty thermal conditioning, and stenting).
Of particular interest to the present invention, the intravascular delivery and implantation of stents to a blood vessel following balloon angioplasty procedures has proven to be of great value. The first stent to achieve widespread acceptance is the Palmaz-Schatz stent available from Johnson & Johnson Interventional Systems, a division of Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, N.J. The Palmaz-Schatz stent is a slotted tube formed from a malleable material. For delivery to the target site, the stent is usually placed over the balloon of a balloon delivery catheter having a non-distensible balloon. The angioplasty balloon catheter is then exchanged with the delivery catheter, and the stent positioned at the angioplasty treatment site. The balloon of the delivery catheter is then inflated to expand the stent in situ in order to implant the stent within the blood vessel.
A second class of stents is commonly referred to as "self-expanding stents" or "resilient stents" (in contrast to malleable stents as discussed above). This class of stent is defined primarily by the materials from which the stent is fabricated as well as the method in which the stent is retained and deployed. The materials of self-expanding stents may be resilient (spring-like) so that the stent may be delivered in a radially constrained state and implanted by releasing the stent from the constraint, whereby the stent springs back to its larger diameter configuration.
Of specific interest to the present invention, the stents may be formed from shape memory alloys where the stents are delivered in a reduced diameter configuration and subjected to conditions which cause a phase change in the material of the stent which in turn causes radial expansion of the stent structure within the blood vessel. Most commonly, such stents are formed from a nickel titanium alloy and are delivered in a deformed, smaller diameter configuration. Such stents are heated in situ to recover their original "memorized" larger diameter configuration. Typically, such alloys exhibit a crystallographic transformation from a martenistic structure at a lower temperature prior to delivery to an austenitic structure at a higher temperature to which they are subsequently exposed. In some cases, the stents are quickly heated to a temperature somewhat above body temperature when ready for deployment in the blood vessel lumen. In other cases, transformation to the austenitic phase will occur when the stent is exposed to body temperature.
At present, the use of shape memory stents which undergo a phase change and expand at a temperature between room temperature and body temperature is most common. Such stents may be stored at room temperature (although precautions should be taken to make sure that the phase change temperature is not exceeded) and will expand automatically when introduced to a blood vessel or other body lumen. In this way, there is no need to perform a separate deployment step, e.g. delivery of heated saline. Such methods are disadvantageous, however, in several respects. First, because of the relatively small temperature difference between room temperature and body temperature, it can be difficult to control the transition temperature of the stent material with sufficient accuracy. Moreover, the transition temperature being so close to room temperature requires that precautions be taken so that the transition temperature is not accidentally exceeded prior to deployment. Additionally, the stent will usually begin expanding while still contained within a delivery catheter or sheath, thus making final deployment and positioning of the stent problematic.
While the deficiencies just discussed are overcome by use of a stent which is deployed by heating to a temperature above body temperature, such stents and delivery systems suffer from a number of drawbacks of their own. For example, the delivery of a heated fluid through a catheter can be difficult to control, and it can be difficult to assure that the deployment temperature is reached. Use of saline above about 60.degree. C. and/or excessive volumes of heated saline can also cause vessel spasms and/or fibrillation of the heart. In fact, the extent of tissue damage typically increases almost exponentially as the temperature increases above 60 C. While it has been proposed to employ radio frequency energy to inductively heat shape memory stents to cause a phase change in transition, such energy can be deleterious to tissue and expose the patient to other forms of risk.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide improved methods and systems for delivering shape memory stents and prostheses to body lumens, such as blood vessels. In particular, it would be desirable to provide methods and systems for the in situ heating of stents, where the heating can be carefully controlled to open the shape memory stent in a desirable fashion. The methods and systems should provide for rapid and complete opening of the shape memory stents without subjecting the patient to undue risks associated with heat transfer. The heating methods should avoid collateral damage to the tissues and membranes surrounding the prosthesis to be expanded, and in particular should avoid inductive radio frequency exposure. The present invention is intended to address at least some of these concerns.
2. Description of the Background Art
Vascular stents and prosthesis composed from shape memory alloys, such as nitinol, are described in a number of patents and published applications including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,868,956; 4,503,569; 4,795,458; 5,037,427; WO 94/22379; and EP 626 153. The use of heated saline for effecting a phase change and expanding a shape memory stent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,795,458 and 5,037,427. The use of radio frequency induction for effecting a phase change and expanding a shape memory stent is disclosed in EP 626 153. Heated balloon catheters for performing thermally assisted angioplasty are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,754,752 and 5,019,075.

Method and system for deploying shape memory prostheses with heated fluid


An assembly (20) is used with an anti-lock braking system (10) and is provided by an associated method. The assembly (20) includes a circuit board (30), a lead frame (40), and a plurality of solenoid coils (50). The lead frame (40) has a plurality of mechanical one-way connectors (42) for electrically connecting the circuit board (30) to the lead frame (40). The plurality of solenoid coils (50) is connected to the lead frame (50). Each of the plurality of solenoid coils (50) is electrically connected to the lead frame (40) such that each of the plurality of solenoid coils (50) is electrically connected to the circuit board (30).

The present invention relates to an automotive anti-lock braking system and, more particularly, to a connector assembly for use with the automotive anti-lock braking system.
A conventional anti-lock braking system integrates an electronic control assembly with the braking system""s motor connector and main hydraulic control connector. The conventional main connector has a solenoid valve assembly press-fit onto valve stems in a separate hydraulic control unit. This assembly is, in turn, connected to an electronic controller via a lead frame.
Typically, pins on the motor connector and lead frame are mechanically fixed for alignment, set into position directly opposite one side of a circuit board, inserted into apertures on the one side of the circuit board, and then soldered directly to the opposite side of the circuit board of the electronic control assembly to electrically and mechanically secure them in place on the electronic control assembly.
An electronic control assembly that takes up less space while meeting all of the requirements of a conventional anti-lock braking system would beneficially reduce the space taken up by the entire anti-lock braking system.
In accordance with one feature of the present invention, an assembly is used with an anti-lock braking system. The assembly includes a circuit board, a lead frame, and a plurality of solenoid coils. The lead frame has a plurality of mechanical one-way connectors for electrically connecting the circuit board to the lead frame. The plurality of solenoid coils is connected to the lead frame. Each of the plurality of solenoid coils is electrically connected to the lead frame such that each of the plurality of solenoid coils is electrically connected to the circuit board.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, an assembly is used with an anti-lock braking system. The assembly includes circuit board means, lead frame means, and a plurality of coil means. The circuit board means provides electrical connection and support to the anti-lock braking system. The lead frame means connects to the circuit board means. The lead frame means has a plurality of mechanical one-way connectors electrically connected to the circuit board means. The plurality of coil means controls respective valves of the anti-lock braking system. The plurality of coil means is connected to the lead frame means. Each of the plurality of coil means has connector means for electrically connecting to the lead frame means.
In accordance with still another feature of the present invention, a method secures solenoid coils of an anti-lock braking system. The method includes the step of mounting a plurality of the solenoid coils to a lead frame for electrically connecting the plurality of solenoid coils to the lead frame. The method further includes the step of mounting the lead frame to a circuit board for electrically connecting the lead frame to the circuit board. The mounting of the lead frame includes the step of inserting a plurality of mechanical one-way connectors into the circuit board.

Assembly, with lead frame, for antilock brake system and associated method


In an automatic camera calibration method in a system comprising a plurality of cameras, the automatic camera calibration method is characterized in that for each of the cameras, the estimated values of the position and posture of the camera are updated on the basis of observation information shared with the surrounding cameras and the estimated values of the respective current positions and postures of the surrounding cameras. An example of the observation information is the two-dimensional coordinate value of an image to be observed on an image plane of the camera and the size of the image to be observed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic camera calibration method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The inventors of the present invention have aimed at a non-contact interface with a computer, and have examined a method of detecting human motion by image processing (see the following documents 1, 2, and 3).
Document 1: Hiroki Mori, Akira Utsumi, Jun Ohya, and Masahiko Yachida. Human tracking system using adaptive camera selection. In Proc. of RO_MAN'98, pp. 494–499, 1998.
Document 2: Hiroki Mori, Akira Utsumi, Jun Ohya, and Masahiko Yachida. Examination of method of tracking a plurality of persons using asynchronous multi-viewpoint information. IEICE Technical Report, PRMU98-178, pp. 15–22, 1999.
Document 3: Howard Yang, Akira Utsumi, and Jun Ohya. Stabilization of tracking of a plurality of persons using asynchronous multi-viewpoint image. IEICE Technical Report, PRMU99-150, pp. 1–7, 1999.
Considered as information related to human motion are various types of information. Here, several operations including extraction of a facial image, the height, the color of clothes, etc. which are required to identify each of persons, detection of the position and the movement direction which are required for tracking, and a seating operation are examined. By detecting information related to the operations, applications such as interaction in a virtual environment and a monitoring system are possible.
There have been conventionally a lot of suggestions about tracking of a person using an image. Many of the suggestions are by a single- or double-eye image (see the following documents 4, 5, 6, and 7) and have some problems. For example, they cannot cope with occlusion, and a detection area is narrow.
Document 4: D. M. Gavrila and L. S. Davis. 3-d model-based tracking of humans in action: a multi-view approach. In Proc. of CVPR'96, pp. 73–80, 1996.
Document 5: Ali Azarbayejani and Alex Pentland. Real-time self-calibrating stereo person tracking using 3-d shape estimation from blob features. In 13-th International Conference on Pattern Recognition, pp. 627–632, 1996.
Document 6: C. Wren, A. Azarbayejani, T. Darrell, and A. Pentland. P finder: Real-time tracking of the human body. In SPIE proceeding vol. 2615, pp. 89–98, 1996.
Document 7: M. Patrick Johnson, P. Maes, and T. Darrell. Evolving visual routines. In Proc. of Artificial Life IV, pp. 198–209, 1994.
In order to solve the problems, a person tracking system utilizing a multi-viewpoint image has been vigorously studied in recent years (see the following documents 8, 9, and 10). By utilizing the multi-viewpoint image, it is considered that the occurrence of occlusion is reduced, thereby making more stable detection possible.
Document 8: Jakub Segen and Sarma Pingali. A camera-based system for tracking people in real time. In Proc. of 13-th International Conference on Pattern Recognition, pp. 63–67, 1996.
Document 9: Q. Cai, A. Mitiche, and J. K. Aggarwal. Tracking human motion in an inddor environment. In Proc. of 2nd International Conference on Image Processing, pp. 215–218, 1995.
Document 10: Q. Cai, J. K. Aggarwal. Tracking human motion using multiple cameras. In Proc. of 13-th International Conference on Pattern Recognition, pp. 68–72, 1996.
In order to track human motion in a wide range by such a system, however, a lot of cameras are required in correspondence with detection areas, thereby causing many problems. For example, a lot of vision systems presuppose that cameras carry out observations at the same time for three-dimensional measurement, and the system becomes complicated by introducing a synchronous mechanism used therefor. Further, a plurality of observations simultaneously carried out increases redundancy among the observations, thereby reducing the processing efficiency of the system. Further, it is difficult to previously calibrate all a lot of cameras as the number of viewpoints (the number of cameras) increases.
It is considered that the problems become significant as the number of viewpoints to be utilized increases. In the tracking system utilizing the multi-viewpoint image, the inventors of the present invention have considered that the problems caused by enlarging the scale thereof are essential.
Therefore, the estimation of the position and posture of the camera (the calibration of the camera) in the tracking system utilizing the multi-viewpoint image will be considered. In the tracking system utilizing the multi-viewpoint image, it is important to also establish a method for maintenance and management such as a correspondence to the changes in the position and posture of the camera by failure during operation in addition to prior calibration of the camera.
Several methods have already been proposed with respect to the calibration of the camera in the tracking system utilizing the multi-viewpoint image.
In the following document 11, Saito et al. have found a fundamental matrix between two reference cameras and other cameras using an observation shared therebetween, to make it easy to construct a large-scaled three-dimensional video system.
Document 11: Hideo Saito and Takeo Kanade. Shape reconstruction in projective grid space from large number of images. In Proc. of CVPR, pp. 49–54, 1999.
Furthermore, in the following document 12, Lee et al. have proposed a method of finding, by an observation shared between a reference camera and each camera utilizing a target object moving on a plane, the relative position and posture from the reference camera.
Document 12: L. Lee, R. Romano, and G. Stein. Monitoring activities from multiple video streams: Establishing a common coordinate frame. IEEE Pattern Anal. Machine Intell., Vol. 22, No. 8, pp. 758–767, 2000.
However, the methods cannot be applied to a case where an observation is not shared between a camera to be calibrated and a reference camera.
Contrary to this, the inventors and others have proposed a method of estimating the position and posture of a camera utilizing the three-dimensional motion of a person who is being tracked (see the following document 13). In this method, however, a plurality of calibrated cameras are required to find the motion of the person.
Document 13: Hirotake Yamazoe, Akira Utsumi, Nobuji Tetsutani, and Masahiko Yachida. Automatic Camera calibration method for multiple camera based human tracking system. In Proc. of IWAIT 2001, pp. 77–82, 2001.

Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International


A method of extracting a specific configuration including: measuring a density or luminance of portions of an image; determining a change in density or luminance for each direction at each portion of the image. Based on the results of the measurement, setting a reference point corresponding to a portion whose amount of change along a predetermined direction of the image is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; setting a search range, corresponding to a distance from the reference point which is within an angle range with respect to the reference point. The angle range is determined in accordance with a contour configuration of the region based on a direction determined in advance or a direction in change in density or luminance at the reference point which is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; and setting a search direction pattern in the search range which expresses a direction in which the density or luminance changes, and searching for portions which exist within the search range and whose amount of change in density or luminance along a direction expressed by the search direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; and when a portion which satisfies a search condition is detected, repeating setting of a detected portion as a next reference point; and extracting the line formed by connecting a plurality of reference points as the contour line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of extracting a region of a specific configuration, a method of extracting a specific region, and a method of determining copy conditions, and in particular, to a method of extracting a region of a specific configuration for extracting a region of a specific contour configuration from an image, and to a method of extracting a specific region for extracting from an image a specific region having a predetermined characteristic, and to a method of determining copy conditions for determining copy conditions by using the aforementioned methods of extracting.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a photograph of a person is viewed, the region which is most noticed is the person's face. When, for example, an original image recorded on a film or the like is to be printed onto a copy material such as photographic printing paper, the exposure amounts must be determined such that the color of the person's face is printed at an appropriate color.
Therefore, conventionally, a film image is divided into a plurality of regions which have been fixedly determined in advance, on the basis of the empirical principle that in a photograph of a person, there is a high probability that the person will be positioned in the substantially central portion of the image. The respective regions are weighted, with the weights of the regions positioned in the substantially central portion of the image being the greatest. Weighted average values of the transmission densities of the three colors of each of the regions are determined, and the exposure amounts are determined on the basis of the weighted average values.
In the above-described method, if a person actually is positioned in a vicinity of the substantially central portion of the image, exposure amounts for printing the person appropriately can be obtained. However, a drawback arises in that in a case in which the person is positioned at a position which is distant from the central portion of the image, the proper exposure amounts cannot be obtained. Further, for images in which it is easy for density failure or color failure to occur, as in the case of images photographed by using an electronic flash or images in which a backlit scene is photographed or the like, a drawback arises in that it is difficult to obtain the appropriate exposure amounts.
The applicants of the present application have proposed the following method of determining exposure amounts in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 4-346332. A color original image is divided into a plurality of pixels, and each pixel is divided into three colors of R, G, B and photometrically measured. A histogram for the hue values (and the saturation values) is determined on the basis of the photometric data. The histogram is divided per mountain, and for each pixel, a determination is made as to which of the divisional mountains the pixel belongs. The pixels are divided into groups corresponding to the divisional mountains. The color original image is divided into a plurality of regions per group (so-called clustering). Among the plurality of regions, a region is assumed to correspond to the face of a person, and the exposure amounts are determined on the basis of the photometric data of the region assumed to be a person's face.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 6-160993 discloses the following method by which the probability of extracting a region corresponding to a person's face is increased. The regions contacting the outer edge of the image are judged to be background regions and are excluded. An extracted region is diagramed, and on the basis of the configuration of the extracted region and the configurations of the neighboring regions positioned at the periphery of the extracted region, a determination is made as to whether the extracted region is a region corresponding to a person's face.
However, there may be for example flesh-colored regions such as ground, tree trunks, or the like in the original image, and the hue and saturation of such flesh-colored regions may approximate the hue and saturation of a region corresponding to a person's face in the image. In such cases, with the above-described methods, such a region may be mistakenly judged to be a region corresponding to a person's face. Further, when such a flesh-colored region is adjacent to a region corresponding to a person's face, there are cases in which the flesh-colored region and the region corresponding to the person's face cannot be separated and the original image cannot be divided into regions of proper ranges. In the above-described conventional art, processing is carried out on the premise that one of the divisional regions is a region corresponding to a person's face. Therefore, in a case in which the original image cannot be divided into regions of proper ranges, a drawback arises in that a region corresponding to a person's face will be judged mistakenly, and exposure amounts enabling proper printing of the person's face cannot be obtained.
As one method of properly extracting a predetermined region from an image without receiving effects from the color or the like of adjacent regions, edges (points where the change in density or luminance is great) in the image are detected, and for each detected edge, the determination as to whether there exists another edge in the periphery of that edge is repeated so that a plurality of contour lines, which are respectively formed by edges running together in a row, are extracted. For each of the extracted contour lines, a process such as pattern matching with the contour configuration of the predetermined region is carried out, and a determination is made as to whether the contour line is a contour line which corresponds to the contour of the predetermined region. The predetermined region is extracted in this way. Because the contour of a region corresponding to a person's face is substantially elliptical, in the above-described method, it is possible to extract a region assumed to correspond to a person's face by determining, from among the plurality of extracted contour lines, a contour line which corresponds to the contour of a substantially elliptical region.
However, processing for extracting a plurality of contour lines from an image and processing for determining, from among the plurality of extracted contour lines, a contour line corresponding to the contour of a predetermined region which is to be extracted are extremely complicated. A drawback arises in that when a region corresponding to a person's face or the like is to be extracted from an image by using the above-described method, processing requires an extremely long time.

Method of extracting a selected configuration from an image according to a range search and direction search of portions of the image with respect to a reference point


A system and method for controlling thermal output of a medical device is disclosed. A thermal controller receives operational parameters for an impending use of a medical device and predicts a thermal output of the medical device from the operational parameters. The thermal controller compares the predicted thermal output to a desired limit on thermal output and, if the predicted thermal output exceeds the desired limit on thermal output, dynamically controls power consumption by the medical device to maintain an actual thermal output substantially at or below the desired limit on thermal output during use of the medical device.

The present invention relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to a system and method for predictively controlling thermal output of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device.
When a substance such as human tissue is subjected to a uniform magnetic field (polarizing field B0), the individual magnetic moments of the spins in the tissue attempt to align with this polarizing field, but process about it in random order at their characteristic Larmor frequency. If the substance, or tissue, is subjected to a magnetic field (excitation field B1) which is in the x-y plane and which is near the Larmor frequency, the net aligned moment, or "longitudinal magnetization", MZ, may be rotated, or "tipped", into the x-y plane to produce a net transverse magnetic moment Mt. A signal is emitted by the excited spins after the excitation signal B1 is terminated and this signal may be received and processed to form an image.
When utilizing these signals to produce images, magnetic field gradients (Gx, Gy, and Gz) are employed. That is, active electric coils are used to drive the spatial gradients into the static magnetic B0 field. Typically, the region to be imaged is scanned by a sequence of measurement cycles in which these gradients vary according to the particular localization method being used. The resulting set of received NMR signals are digitized and processed to reconstruct the image using one of many well known reconstruction techniques.
Some imaging processes demand higher amplitude gradient fields, faster field transitions, and greater duty cycles to improve image resolution, contrast, and scan time. These processes, often referred to as enhanced imaging processes, typically require more power than non-enhanced processes and result in higher thermal dissipation within the MR imaging device. As such, for a given enhanced imaging process, the resulting thermal output of the MR imaging device may exceed desirable limits and, thus, it may not be possible to acquire data using the given process. Or, in some systems, a given scan may be interrupted as a result of an undesirable thermal dissipation.
That is, some MR imaging devices have a bore temperature monitoring system (BTMS) to monitor the temperature inside the bore. Specifically, the BTMS halts operation of the MR imaging device if a temperature in the bore has surpassed a desired level or limit. As such, the BTMS dynamically interrupts the scan to allow the temperature in and around the MR imaging device and, specifically, the bore, to decrease to the desirable level.
Relying solely on a BTMS to regulate the imaging process has some drawbacks. For example, a BTMS is a reactionary tool that only halts a given scan after bore temperature exceeds a given threshold. Furthermore, periodically halting operation of the MR imaging device to allow the bore temperature to drop injects undesirable delays into scheduled imaging processes and, as a result, increases scan time and negatively affects throughput. Accordingly, systems have been developed to avoid repeated engagement of the BTMS by setting a constant limit on a basic operating parameter of the MR imaging device, for example, coil current. That is, some MR imaging devices include software to limit temperatures by holding the root-mean-square (RMS) current levels used to generate the gradient fields to a predefined value.
Accordingly, these systems preclude prescription of enhanced imaging processes that would cause temperature levels to rise above desirable limits. However, by fixing the peak power supplied to a coil, these systems ignore the temporal response of the specific MR imaging device. That is, these systems, which employ hard limits, rely on assumptions concerning the use profile and boundary conditions of the MR imaging device and do not consider the actual thermal output of the MR device for a particular imaging process. Further, the assumptions concerning the use profile and boundary conditions of the MR imaging device are generally conservative so as to ensure that the MR imaging device is not driven to produce excessive temperatures.
As such, these predefined hard thresholds often limit the MR imaging device from performing many processes that the MR imaging device is otherwise capable of executing without producing excessive temperatures. That is, the MR imaging device is often conservatively controlled to not execute a given scan notwithstanding that the resulting thermal output would still remain below thermal limits. Specifically, because these predefined hard limits are based on quantities such as gradient current or power, they do not consider the actual temperatures in and around the MR imaging device, the frequency of the desired imaging process, the axes selection included in the desired imaging process, or the specific coils employed during the desired imaging process. Accordingly, the predefined limits, such as current limits, often restrict an operator from utilizing enhanced, or more aggressive, scanning procedures even through the associated temperatures would remain within acceptable limits. As a result, the diagnostic capability of the MR imaging is unnecessarily restricted.
It would therefore be desirable to have a system and method capable of dynamically controlling thermal output of a medical device. In particular, it would be desirable to have a system and method capable of predicting a thermal output of a medical device based on particulars of an impending use of the device and dynamically controlling the medical device substantially consistent with the particulars while maintaining the thermal output of the medical device within a desired temperature range. It would also be desirable to have a method and system to control power to coils of an MR device during execution of an enhanced imaging process without driving a bore temperature to a level in excess of a given value.

System and method for predictive thermal output control of a medical device


An accommodating intraocular lens (AIOL) adapted for implantation into a capsular bag includes an outer shell, a valve, and a force transfer assembly. The outer shell includes at least one surface modification on at least a periphery of the outer shell to promote bonding with the capsular bag. The valve is configured to permit injection of a fill material. The force transfer assembly in the outer shell is adapted to transfer forces from the capsular bag to change the shape of the filled outer shell in response to changes in capsular bag shape.

The human eye in its simplest terms functions to provide vision by transmitting light through a clear outer portion called the cornea, and focusing the image by way of a crystalline lens onto a retina. The quality of the focused image depends on many factors including the size and shape of the eye, and the transparency of the cornea and the lens. The lens is held in place within the posterior chamber of the eye by a membrane known as the capsular bag or posterior capsule, immersed in the aqueous humor. The shape of the lens and the refractive index of the lens relative to the aqueous humor determine where light rays are focused onto the retina.
When age or disease causes the lens to become less transparent, vision deteriorates because of the diminished light which can be transmitted to the retina. This deficiency in the lens of the eye is medically known as a cataract. An accepted treatment for this condition is surgical removal of the lens and replacement of the lens function by an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). Cataractous lenses are often removed by a surgical technique called phacoemulsification. During this procedure, an opening is made in the anterior side of the capsular bag, a thin membrane enclosing the natural lens. A thin phacoemulsification cutting tip is inserted into the diseased lens and vibrated ultrasonically. The vibrating cutting tip liquefies or emulsifies the lens so that the lens may be aspirated out of the eye. The diseased lens, once removed, is replaced by an artificial lens.
In the natural lens, multifocality of distance and near vision is provided by a mechanism known as accommodation. The natural lens, early in life, is soft and contained within the capsular bag. The bag is suspended from the ciliary muscle by the zonules. Relaxation of the ciliary muscle tightens the zonules, and stretches the capsular bag. As a result, the natural lens tends to flatten. Tightening of the ciliary muscle relaxes the tension on the zonules, allowing the capsular bag and the natural lens to assume a more rounded shape. In this way, the natural lens can be focused alternatively on near and far objects. As the lens ages, it becomes harder and is less able to change shape in reaction to the tightening of the ciliary muscle. This makes it harder for the lens to focus on near objects, a medical condition known as presbyopia. Presbyopia affects nearly all adults over the age of 45 or 50.
When a cataract or other disease requires the removal of the natural lens and replacement with an artificial intraocular lens ("IOL"), the IOL used to replace the natural lens has often been a monofocal lens. These lenses do not change power in response to the movement of the capsular bag, requiring that the patient use a pair of spectacles or contact lenses for near vision. However, there are several examples in the prior art of bladder or bag-like intraocular lenses that consist of an outer flexible skin filled with a viscous gel. The resulting lens completely fills the capsular bag and is very soft and pliable, much like the natural lens. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,218 (Schachar), U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,457 (Kalb), U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,921 (Peyman), U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,717 (Michelson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,623 (Sarfarazi), U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,360 (Deacon), U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,302 (Skottun) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,612 (Woods). But in order to provide accommodation, movement of the ciliary muscle must be adequately transmitted to the lens system through the capsular bag, and none of these references disclose a mechanism for ensuring that there is a tight connection or fixation between the capsular bag and the lens system.
Therefore, a need continues to exist for a safe and stable accommodative intraocular lens system and method for implantation that provides accommodation over a broad and useful range.

Accommodative intraocular lens and method of implantation


A vehicle transmission retarder control apparatus is provided including an engine, a throttle, a brake, a transmission having an output member with an actual transmission output speed, a speed sensor operable for measuring the actual transmission output speed, a plurality of user-commandable input devices for selecting a desired transmission output speed, and a controller having an algorithm for controlling the amount of retarder request to provide a zero or constant rate of deceleration independently of weight and axle ratio. Additionally, a method is provided for controlling a transmission retarder, including measuring the actual transmission output speed, sensing a desired transmission output speed using a plurality of user-commandable input devices, communicating the actual and desired speeds to a controller, and commanding the retarder to apply a continuously variable opposing torque to the transmission based on the actual and desired output speeds to achieve a constant rate of deceleration.

Transmission output speed retarders are non-wearing auxiliary braking devices used in conjunction with a rotatable vehicle transmission output member or driveshaft in order to safely augment the conventional friction-based braking system or service brakes used on certain large vehicles, such as diesel-powered medium and heavy trucks or busses. Such speed retarding devices or retarders are useful in helping to slow or stop a vehicle, particularly under continuous-braking or start-stop conditions and while the vehicle is descending a relatively long, steep slope, such as a descending stretch of mountain highway. Without the use of a transmission output speed retarder, a conventional vehicle braking system operating continuously under such aggressive slope or traffic conditions may tend to wear more rapidly, potentially reducing the working life of the service brake.
Because of their added safety and maintenance benefits, retarder devices of varying designs or styles are popular transmission add-ons or accessories. Hydrodynamic and electrodynamic retarders are two of the more commonly used retarder devices. Hydrodynamic/hydraulic retarders circulate pressurized fluid within a rotor that is enclosed within a separate, vaned stationary housing in order to induce a viscous drag by way of an opposing fluid coupling effect, thus slowing the rotating driveshaft in proportion to the fluid pressure and/or flow, i.e. the retarder request. Likewise, electrodynamic/electric retarders produce a magnetic field in an opposite rotational direction to that of the driveshaft, thus slowing the vehicle. Other retarder methods or devices may also be used to slow a vehicle, such as exhaust brakes, engine brakes, or Jake Brakes, which act to load a vehicle engine and thereby slow its rate of rotation.
Various operator-directed control systems exist for the purpose of controlling a fixed amount of retarder capacity to be applied to the vehicle transmission. For example, an operator-actuated lever, switch, and/or brake pedal may be used to command a predetermined amount of retarder request based on, for example, a predetermined percentage of available retarder capacity or retarder torque. However, such devices may be less than optimal, as they generally require an operator to actuate a retarder mechanism each time the operator wishes to engage the retarder. Likewise, such mechanisms may provide inadequate vehicle speed control, as a given vehicle's rate of deceleration will necessarily vary along with its gross weight and/or axle ratio as the vehicle travels over different terrain and through various traffic conditions, thus requiring frequent retarder adjustments in order to maintain even a generally constant speed.

Adaptive retarder control method and apparatus


A mechanical arm assembly includes an elongated housing member, having internal channels extending between its respective ends. A rod member is mounted within one of those channels, and the housing and rod member are pivotally connected at respective opposite ends to a fixed pivot post and a traveling pivot post to effect a four bar linkage arrangement. A floating spring is mounted within another internal channel separate from and approximately parallel the rod. The spring is mounted to resist the force of gravity operating upon the traveling pivot post, and is linked to that post through a fluid actuated brake cartridge slidably mounted within the channel housing the spring.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to the linkage systems of mechanical arms. It is particularly directed to a four bar linkage assembly. It provides such an assembly especially adapted for use in a dental unit flex arm.
2. State of the Art
Mechanical support arms utilizing four bar linkage assemblies are utilized in a variety of settings. Such arms are typically used to support loads at adjustable locations. In a dental operatory, for example, dental instruments and fixtures may be supported by a mechanical, or "flex," arm within reach of a dentist. The arm typically includes a brake mechanism for locking the load in a selected position. When the brake is released, the load-bearing end of the arm may be raised or lowered as desired. The load-bearing end typically supports a "head" fixture which maintains a selected "level" attitude with respect to vertical and horizontal reference planes. "Horizontal," in this context, refers to approximately parallel the surface of the earth.
In a typical arrangement, an elongated arm member is pivotally fastened at a first end to an end post. The end post may be fixed or movable, but in any case comprises an anchor for the mechanical arm. A second end of the arm is pivotally fastened to a support post, which comprises a connection mechanism for a positionable load. The pivot axis of the arm member at the end post is ordinarily horizontally disposed so that the load-bearing end can be moved up or down vertically. A mechanism may also be provided to permit the arm to pivot around a vertical axis at the end post. The pivot axis of the arm member at the support post is also typically approximately horizontally disposed. The head fixture is typically connected through a mechanism proving for pivoting around an approximately vertical axis at the support post.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,072, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as a part of this disclosure, illustrates a four bar linkage system of the type described. A rod is pivotally connected to both the end post and the support post. The rod and arm are pinned to the posts in generally parallel orientation. A tray is mounted to the support post to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The parallel linkage assembly comprised of the arm, the rod and the two posts functions to maintain the orientation of the support post relative to vertical as the arm is pivoted up and down at the end post. A spring is positioned about the rod, and reacts between the rod and the end post to counter the weight of the arm system. The spring thus prevents the load end of the arm from falling under its own weight when the brake is released. The resistance of the spring is adjustable, but with considerable inconvenience. The effective length of the rod is adjustable to compensate for sag of the arm resulting from wear or heavy loads.
Currently available dental operatory flex arms are mechanically complex, and are relatively costly to manufacture. They are difficult to disassemble in the field for maintenance. It is generally impractical for a clinician to effect adjustments of spring tension and leveling (at the support post). Disassembly is hazardous because of the lack of suitable means for relieving stored spring energy. There remains a need for an improved mechanical arm assembly for use in dental operatories and other environments.