Microelectronic imagers and methods of packaging microelectronic imagers are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a microelectronic imager can include a microelectronic die, an image sensor, an integrated circuit electrically coupled to the image sensor, and a plurality of terminals electrically coupled to the integrated circuit. The microelectronic imager can further include a single unitary member cover unit having a window and a side member projecting from the window. The side member is attached to the die. A plurality of electrically conductive interconnects can extend through the microelectronic die and/or the cover unit and are electrically coupled to corresponding terminals. The microelectronic imager can further include an optics unit having an optic member attached to the cover unit, with the optic member positioned at a desired location relative to the image sensor.

Microelectronic imagers are used in digital cameras, wireless devices with picture capabilities, and many other applications. Cell phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), for example, incorporate microelectronic imagers for capturing and sending pictures. The use of microelectronic imagers in electronic devices has been steadily increasing as imagers become smaller and produce higher quality images with increased pixel counts.
Microelectronic imagers include image sensors that use Charged Coupled Device (CCD) systems, Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) systems, or other systems. CCD image sensors have been widely used in digital cameras and other applications. CMOS image sensors are also becoming very popular because they have low production costs, high yields, and small sizes. CMOS image sensors provide these advantages because they are manufactured using technology and equipment developed for fabricating semiconductor devices. CMOS image sensors, as well as CCD image sensors, are accordingly "packaged" to protect their delicate components and provide external electrical contacts.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional microelectronic imager 1 with a conventional package. The imager 1 includes a die 10, an interposer substrate 20 attached to the die 10, and a housing 30 attached to the interposer substrate 20. The housing 30 surrounds the periphery of the die 10 and has an opening 32. The imager 1 also includes a transparent cover 40 over the die 10.
The die 10 includes an image sensor 12 and a plurality of bond-pads 14 electrically coupled to the image sensor 12. The interposer substrate 20 is typically a dielectric fixture having a plurality of bond-pads 22, a plurality of ball-pads 24, and traces 26 electrically coupling bond-pads 22 to corresponding ball-pads 24. The ball-pads 24 are arranged in an array for surface mounting the imager 1 to a board or module of another device. The bond-pads 14 on the die 10 are electrically coupled to the bond-pads 22 on the interposer substrate 20 by wire-bonds 28 to provide electrical pathways between the bond-pads 14 and the ball-pads 24.
The imager 1 shown in FIG. 1 also has an optics unit including a support 50 attached to the housing 30 and a barrel 60 adjustably attached to the support 50. The support 50 can include internal threads 52, and the barrel 60 can include external threads 62 engaged with the threads 52. The optics unit also includes a lens 70 carried by the barrel 60.
One problem with conventional packaged microelectronic imagers is that they have relatively large footprints and occupy a significant amount of vertical space (i.e., high profiles). For example, the footprint of the imager 1 in FIG. 1 is the surface area of the bottom of the interposer substrate 20, which is significantly larger than the surface area of the die 10. Accordingly, the footprint of conventional packaged microelectronic imagers can be a limiting factor in the design and marketability of picture cell phones or PDAs because these devices are continually shrinking to be more portable. Therefore, there is a need to provide microelectronic imagers with smaller footprints and lower vertical profiles.
Another problem with conventional microelectronic imagers is the manufacturing costs for packaging the dies. The housing 30 shown in FIG. 1 is relatively expensive to form and mount because the transparent cover 40 must be properly aligned and mounted in the opening 32 and then the housing 30 must be positioned and mounted to the interposer substrate 20. This process can be subject to error and is generally time-consuming. Moreover, forming the wire-bonds 28 on the imager 1 shown in FIG. 1 is complex and expensive because it requires connecting an individual wire between each bond-pad 14 on the die 10 and a corresponding interior pad 22 on the interposer substrate 20. In addition, it may not be feasible to form wire-bonds for the high-density, fine-pitch arrays of some high-performance devices. Therefore, there is a significant need to enhance the efficiency and reliability of packaging microelectronic imagers.
Yet another problem of the conventional imager 1 shown in FIG. 1 is that moisture and/or other contaminants can impair the performance of the imager 1. Even though the die 10 is packaged within a cell formed by interposer substrate 20, housing 30 and cover 40, moisture or other contaminants can get into the cell. For example, the seals of the substrate/housing and the housing/cover interfaces can fail because of faulty materials or assembly. The seals at these interfaces can also fail because the different coefficients of thermal expansion between the substrate 20, housing 30 and cover 40 induce strain at the interfaces that can break the seals. Moisture may also be stored in the substrate 20 and expelled into the cell at elevated temperatures. This is more likely with substrates formed from organic materials. Therefore, there is also a need to improve the integrity of the package to enhance the protection of the image sensor.

Packaged microelectronic imagers and methods of packaging microelectronic imagers


A ski boot having a boot body having a bottom surface and boot soles attached to the bottom surface of the boot body. The soles and boot bottom surface include attaching members for changing the attaching position of the soles with respect to the boot body in a foot-width direction. The repositioning of the sole with respect to the boot body is used for selectively altering the lateral position and/or longitudinal alignment and/or the cant orientation of the ski boot and skier's foot with respect to the ski board.

A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ski boot. More particularly, the present invention relates to a ski boot in which a sole of the boot which is secured to the ski board is adjustably attached to a boot body.
B. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional ski boot having a foot holding mechanism in which a front instep of the foot is held against and secured to an outer shell of the ski boot in order to reduce slack existing between the foot inserted into the ski boot and the ski boot shell. This fit is necessary to get a good feeling in which the foot is suitably fitted to the ski boot. Such a boot has been developed and is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 81001/83.
In such a conventional ski boot, an adjustable buckle is rotatably mounted on the front instep of the outer shell and a movable member is engaged with the adjustable buckle. In addition, a tightening strap for pushing the instep of the foot is located between the outer shell and the inner boot in the instep width direction of the boot. One end of the tightening strap is secured to the movable member and the other end of it is secured to the outer shell of the boot.
With respect to such a conventional ski boot, when the adjustable buckle is urged so as to surround the outer portion of the boot to apply the tensile force to the tightening strap, the tightening strap equally pulls on the front instep, thereby reducing the slack between the foot and the ski boot. The elimination of slack obtains a better feeling in which the foot is suitably fitted to the ski boot, and enhances operational efficiency and control of the ski.
However, in such a conventional ski boot, when the adjustable buckle surrounds the outer portion of the ski boot to push against the front instep of the foot, the instep of the foot is drawn toward the inside or outside of the boot shell, whereby the center of the skier's foot is shifted with respect to the center of the ski boot or the associated ski board. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the weight of the skier in accordance with these various circumstances cannot be properly and naturally transmitted to the ski board, whereby it is not easy to control an edging force of the ski board with respect to the snow surface.
Also, in the case where the center of the foot of skier is corresponded with that of the ski boot and ski board, there is still the problem that the delicate edging force necessary for the circumstances of skiing particular terrain and certain snow conditions, slope, cannot be appropriately applied by the skier. In this instance, it has been impossible to apply a variety of changes in correspondence between the foot, boot, and ski board to compensate for the above mentioned circumstances and to assist the skier.

Method and apparatus for selectively orienting ski boot


A document reference apparatus and method and a storage medium storing the program used for realizing the apparatus and method are provided for displaying documents page by page for helping a user to search for a desired document. The apparatus stores documents in a storage unit. On receiving a reference start instruction, the apparatus reads documents from the storage unit, then converts the document information into the one which provides less processing in generating display images. Then, the apparatus generates the display images for each page and displays them on the screen in sequence.

(1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a document reference apparatus and method for storing codes or images of documents and for displaying the documents page by page, and relates to a storage medium storing a program used for realizing the apparatus and method.
(2). Description of the Prior Art
Recently, document reference apparatuses have been brought onto the market. Users can make documents using a word-processor and store them in floppy disks. Also, users can read and store images in magnet-optical disks using a scanner. The document reference apparatuses read the codes and images of the documents stored in such auxiliary storages and display the documents on the screen so that users can search for a desired document on the screen.
One of such conventional techniques, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.61-193265, discloses a method for allowing an operator to find a desired document on the screen. In the method, contents of documents are displayed page by page in sequence on the screen according to instructions from the operator such as "forward," "backward," "fast forward," "fast backward," or "pause."
An apparatus of the conventional method, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises document storage unit 2101, reference instruction receiving unit 2102, reading unit 2103, image generating unit 2104, and displaying unit 2109. Document storage unit 2101 stores groups of characters, graphic images, bit map images, end the like which make up documents, and also stores attributes of the characters and images. Reference instruction receiving unit 2102 receives instructions input by the operator such as "page reference start," "stop," and those specifying reference conditions. Reading unit 2103 reads reference target documents from document storage unit 2101 according to instructions output from reference instruction receiving unit 2102. Image generating unit 2104 generates display images of the documents read by reading unit 2103. Displaying unit 2105 displays the images generated by image generating unit 2104.
The conventional document reference apparatus operates as shown below. Reference instruction receiving unit 2102 receives instructions input by the operator such as "page reference start," "stop," and those specifying reference conditions, and sends the instructions to reading unit 2103. on receiving "page reference start" instruction and instructions specifying conditions, reading unit 2103 reads reference target documents that meet the conditions from document storage unit 2101 in sequence. On receiving the documents from reading unit 2103, image generating unit 2104 generates display images of the documents. Displaying unit 2105 displays the images of the documents on the screen. The operator searches a desired document watching the display.
Meanwhile, the conventional technique generates the display images based on the character codes, graphic image information, bit map images, attributes, etc. Accordingly, if some attributes are attached to the character codes or the graphic image information, various conversion processes are required. This takes a lot of time in generating the display images. Also, calculations for coordinate values are necessary to generate display images from the graphic image information. If a large number of digits are used in the coordinates, generating the display image takes a lot of time. The same for generating display images from the bit map images since they include a large amount of data. In this way, taking a lot of time for generating display images is a problem of the conventional technique. This makes it difficult for the apparatus to perform a high-speed page forward.

Document reference apparatus and method for displaying documents page by page and storage medium storing program used for realizing the apparatus and method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides methods for relaxing a strained-material layer and structures produced by the methods. Briefly, the methods include depositing a first low-viscosity layer that includes a first compliant material on the strained-material layer, depositing a second low-viscosity layer that includes a second compliant material on the strained-material layer to form a first sandwiched structure and subjecting the first sandwiched structure to a heat treatment such that the reflow of the first and the second low-viscosity layers permits the strained-material layer to at least partly relax.

The growth of thin films on substrates by hetero-epitaxy is an important manufacturing step in the semiconductor technology. For instance, when native bulk substrates are not available or are too expensive, useful materials are often formed by hetero-epitaxy on seed substrates. Materials grown by hetero-epitaxy have numerous uses. For example, after transfer of the hetero-epitaxial films to another substrate these films can, for instance, be used for epitaxial growth of layers used in electronic and opto-electronic, photovoltaic applications. In the field of light-emitting semiconductor devices or solar cells there is a need to grow heteroepitaxial films of Group III-nitride materials on such substrates as sapphire or SiC.
However, when materials are grown by hetero-epitaxy on substrates on substrates that have lattice constants and coefficients of thermal expansion that are different from the materials being grown, material quality can be compromised by misfit compressive strain leading to generation of dislocations and cracks. Consequently, thin hetero-epitaxial films that are strained due to lattice-parameter misfit can further deteriorate during subsequent steps. Also, films of materials formed by hetero-epitaxy can be grown to only a limited thickness if cracks and dislocations are to be avoided.
However, presently methods used to relax strained hetero-epitaxial films often do not lead to complete lateral relaxation and accordingly do not adequately suppress buckling, the formation of cracks, etc. A method leading to complete or almost complete relaxation of a strained layer formed above a substrate or at least a method that avoids or alleviates the above-mentioned defects would be a useful addition to the art.

Methods and structures for relaxation of strained layers

S.O.I. Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies


The present invention relates to peptide-like compounds, eg aminocarboxylic acid amide derivatives, and to methods of using same to stimulate cells of the immune system, bone marrow and other organs. The present compounds can be used to enhance vaccination, increase synthesis of and enhance function of blood cell components and enhance anti-neoplastic effects of various agents. The compounds of the invention can be used to produce a variety of further pharmacologic effects.

The present invention relates to peptide-like compounds, eg aminocarboxylic acid amide derivatives, and to methods of using same to stimulate cells of the immune system, bone marrow and other organs. The present compounds can be used to enhance vaccination, increase synthesis of and enhance function of blood cell components and enhance anti-neoplastic effects of various agents. The compounds of the invention can be used to produce a variety of further pharmacologic effects.
A variety of polypeptide cytokines, hormones and immune system modulators have been used to stimulate production and activity of bone marrow-derived cells. However, little progress has been made in obtaining the same physiologic activities in culture and in vivo using simple, chemically synthesized small molecules. For example, there are relatively few reports of the use of simple, small molecules in stimulating production and function of various blood components, including, without limitation, red blood cells (RBCs) and white blood cells (WBCs), in stimulating the response to vaccinations, in enhancing differentiation and in the nontoxic treatment of neoplasia. The present invention relates to such methods, as well as others, and to compounds suitable for use in same.
It is an object of the present invention to provide compounds that exert an immunomodulatory effect. It is another object of the invention to provide a method of altering (eg stimulating) cellular productivity and vitality and to provide a method of modulating cell growth.
It is a specific object of the invention to provide a method of modulating immune function, for example, to facilitate vaccination against or treatment of diseases, including infectious and autoimmune diseases, as well as other diseases in which the immune system plays a role.
It is another specific object of the invention to provide a method of effecting blood cell stimulation (including RBCs, WBCs, stem cells, platelets and others).
It is a further specific object of the invention to provide a method of enhancing cell differentiation and cell growth and a method of exerting an anti-senescence effect in vitro and in vivo. It is also a specific object of the invention to provide a method of preserving viability of neurons, natural killer (NK) cells, fibroblasts and other cell types in vivo and in vitro. It is a further specific object of the invention to provide a method of exerting anti-Alzheimer and anti-aging effects and a method of treating genetic diseases related to aging. It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of enhancing bioactivity of cosmetics and compounds to serve as cosmeceuticals.
It is also a specific object of the invention to provide a method of treating a neoplastic or preneoplastic condition. It is another object of the invention to provide a method of an ameliorating side effects of various anti-neoplastic agents.
It is a further specific object of the invention to provide a method of altering (eg stimulating) cellular protein production, including antibody production.
The foregoing objects are met by the present invention which provides aminocarboxylic acid amide derivatives that can be used to produce a variety of biomodulatory effects, both in vivo and in vitro.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be clear from the description that follows.

Low molecular weight cell, bone marrow and immune stimulants


A bag comprises a sheath which includes a first wall portion and a second wall portion joined longitudinally by gusseted sidewalls portions which define the bag volume. The sheath has gusseted regions having a first sheath thickness and a non-gusseted region between the gusseted regions having a second different sheath thickness. The bag also includes a first handle disposed on the exterior surface of the first wall portion at the first end of the bag and a second handle disposed on the exterior surface of the first wall portion at the second end of the bag. The first handle and second handle have outer regions having a first sheet thickness and an inner region having a second different sheet thickness. The sum of the first sheath thickness and the first sheet thickness is equal to the sum of the second sheath thickness and the second sheet thickness.

Flux bags may be manufactured using a process known as the form/fill/seal process, wherein a flux bag is formed from a gusseted, tubular sheath known as bag stock. Typically, the bag stock is four layers thick in the gusseted regions but only two layers thick in the remaining non-gusseted regions of the sheath. During the sealing process, the thicker gusseted regions are exposed to higher pressures by the heat seal bands and seal bar(s), while the remaining non-gusseted regions are subjected to relatively lower pressures. This uneven pressure often results in voids in the seal at the transition between the gusseted and non-gusseted regions of the bag, which may result in spilling of the flux from the bag, contamination of the contents of the bag, and/or moisture absorption by the flux contained within the bag.


An actuation apparatus may be configured to apply forces to a user's skin using flexible-membrane actuators. Such an apparatus may include (i) an array of actuator chambers that include a flexible material layer enclosing a changeable volume of fluid, (ii) a contact surface that is coupled to each actuator chamber, and (iii) a support framework that is coupled to the actuator chambers such that the array of actuator chambers is disposed between the support framework and the contact surface, and such that distortion of actuator chambers caused by changing the volume of fluid within the actuator chambers causes the array of actuator chambers to exert forces on the contact surface and cause movement of the contact surface.

Augmented reality and virtual reality systems may use wearable devices (such as a haptic glove) to give users the perception that they are interacting with virtual objects. These wearable devices may include shape displays to convey tactile information to a user. For example, a traditional shape display may include an array of pins that can be individually raised or lowered to recreate the surface features of an object. When a user interacts with a shape display, the shape display may reproduce sensations meant to approximate the displayed object.
However, traditional shape displays suffer from a variety of limitations. For example, the haptic resolution of a pin-array shape display may be limited by the spacing and/or positioning of the pins. Similarly, the dimensions of each pin may limit the haptic resolution of the pin-array shape display. Moreover, each pin may only move perpendicular to the surface of the shape display, thereby limiting the producible sensations to normal-angle pressure. Other types of shape displays may be bulky and/or incorporate mechanical components vulnerable to locking. The instant disclosure therefore identifies and addresses a need for apparatuses, systems, and methods for actuating a contact surface.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for actuating a contact surface


An RMA crosslinkable composition for making thick coating layers having at least one crosslinkable component comprising reactive components A and B each including at least 2 reactive groups wherein the at least 2 reactive groups of component A are acidic protons (C—H) in activated methylene or methine groups, and the at least 2 reactive groups of component B are activated unsaturated groups (C═C), to achieve crosslinking by Real Michael Addition reaction, the composition further including a base catalyst (C), an X—H group containing component (D) that is also a Michael addition donor reactable with component B under the action of catalyst C, wherein X is C, N, P, O or S and a sag control component (E). A crosslinkable composition is also disclosed for preparing thick coating layers having a dry thickness of at least 70 mu having a surface appearance and hardness of the resulting cured composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a crosslinkable composition crosslinkable by Real Michael Addition (RMA) reaction wherein a component with at least 2 activated unsaturated groups (hereafter also referred to as the RMA acceptor) and a component with at least 2 acidic protons C—H in activated methylene or methine groups (hereafter also referred to as the RMA donor) react and crosslink to each other in the presence of a strong base catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
RMA chemistry can be tuned to give very fast curing compositions (also at lower curing temperatures) in coating compositions at acceptable or good pot lives and good material properties, which makes this chemistry very attractive as a basis for coating compositions. Details of RMA cross-linkable compositions using a latent based cross-linking catalyst are described in application PCT/EP2011/055463 which is herewith incorporated by reference.
Real Michael addition is activated by strong bases, but also inhibited by the presence of acidic species that will consume these basic catalysts. In tuning the reactivity of coating systems in view of achieving a desirable drying profile, there are various requirements to balance. The drying profile (also referred to as the reaction profile or as the curing profile) is the progress of the cross-linking reaction as a function of time. It is required that the drying profile allows build-up of mechanical properties as fast as possible, to help the productivity of the coater. It is further also required to have a drying profile that is robust, i.e. the reactivity (and hence the resulting drying profile) is not strongly influenced by accidental low levels of acidic contaminants being present.
On the other hand it is required to have a good appearance of the resulting coating. This implies the need for sufficient levelling you are during the immediate period after application, when the curing coating composition is present as a liquid and capable of such levelling. This also implies the need for absence of artefacts like solvent inclusions or gas inclusions or other surface irregularities that may occur if curing is very fast, especially if it is faster at the surface than in deeper layers, which is often the case if curing occurs at the time scale of solvent evaporation or surface activation of a catalyst. Also film hardness build-up will be affected under conditions in which solvent entrapment occurs.
The described requirements are to some extent opposing each other. For a fast curing profile, but also for a high robustness against accidental acid contaminants high levels of catalyst are preferred, whereas at the same time such high levels of catalysts may negatively influence surface appearance and hardness development. The object of the invention is to provide an RMA cross-linkable composition that provides a better balance in these apparently counteracting requirements in particular in crosslinkable compositions having a high solid content.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An igniter for a flare stack includes a pair of probes. A hot probe has a tip end free to move in a substantially planar surface. A grounded probe has a tip end extending in at least one direction of the substantially planar surface. The hot probe also has a tip end extending in the substantially planar surface but in a different direction. Movement of the tip end of the hot probe in local wind conditions results in a constant gap being maintained between the tip ends. The pulse generator for the igniter is conventional. A system is shown for stack 90' and shorter and for stacks higher than 90'.

In many oil wells, gas is dissolved in the oil and when the oil comes to the surface and is exposed to the lower pressure at the surface, the gas bubbles out of the oil. Frequently this gas is not present in the oil in sufficient quantities to warrant storage or transportation of the gas to a pipeline. Since the gas is often sour (contains hydrogen sulphide) and itself may be harmful, regulations require that the gas be burned at the oil well. This process is known as flaring the gas.
To enable the gas to be burned at a safe distance from the oil well itself and to avoid a fire hazard near the ground, the gas must be burned at a relatively high point above the ground. For this purpose, flare stacks are used. These flare stacks may be over 90' high and consequently are exposed to high winds, with the result that the flares frequently go out and require re-igniting.
Ignition itself can be difficult. If a fixed spark gap is used, the spark gap can become corroded and eroded, with the consequence that the spark may be insufficient to re-ignite the flare, particularly in high winds. The inventors have proposed the use of a flexible spark probe (hot electrode) in which a constant gap is maintained between the hot electrode and the grounded electrode even though the flexible probe may be vibrating in the wind.
There is therefore proposed in one aspect of the invention an igniter comprising:
a first probe having a first tip end that may move in normal wind conditions in a substantially planar surface; PA1 a second probe having a second tip end; PA1 one or both of the first and second tip ends being extended at least in a direction parallel to the planar surface, the first tip end being disposed adjacent the second tip end; PA1 whereby upon movement of the first tip end, a substantially constant gap is formed between the first tip end and the second tip end.
Preferably, the second tip end is linear and the first tip end is extended in a direction in the planar surface at an angle to the second tip end, whereby upon movement of the first tip end in the planar surface, a substantially constant gap is formed between the first tip end and the second tip end.
The invention also provides means for mounting the igniter and means for providing an electric pulse to the igniter to form an ignition system.


A jaw carrier arrangement is provided with a main jaw carrier which removably mounts a top jaw. The jaw carrier has a bore opening outwardly through a front face for receiving a rear support post provided on the top jaw. A clamping structure is provided on the jaw carrier to securely and rigidly hold the top jaw in snug engagement with the front face. The clamping arrangement includes radially inner and outer clamping members having opposed riblike wedges which project inwardly toward the post for engagement within wedgelike grooves which are formed on diametrically opposite sides of the post and extend perpendicularly thereacross. The inner and outer clamping members are controlled by rotation of a threaded spindle which causes simultaneous movement of the clamping members in opposite directions, whereby the clamping members move inwardly so that the ribs engage the grooves on opposite sides of the post to securely clamp the post therebetween, and at the same time effect a snug drawing in of the post and of the top jaw against the front face of the chuck.

Conventional jaw chucks as associated with rotary machine tools, such as lathes, employ a rotatable chuck housing which mounts a plurality of radially displaceable jaw carriers, and these in turn removably mount jaws which are adapted for gripping a workpiece. The jaws assume many shapes and sizes, and are interchangeably mountable on the jaw carriers to facilitate use of the chuck in conjunction with a wide variety of workpieces. One conventional mounting technique for removably securing jaws to jaw carriers involves the use of threaded fasteners, specifically screws or bolts. Such arrangements, however, are time consuming when changing of the jaws is desired, increase the size, mass and complexity of the jaw arrangement, and often result in structures which reduce the rigidity of the jaw assembly but increase the undesired centrifugal force effect.
In an attempt to facilitate the mounting of jaws on carrier assemblies, several arrangements have been developed employing a carrier assembly having main and auxiliary carrier members which are relatively movable with respect to one another to facilitate the mounting or removal of the jaw. Most of these arrangements, however, have still possessed features which have resulted in structural and operational complexities.
One such arrangement is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,120 (Blattry et al). This patent illustrates a main jaw carrier having an auxiliary carrier slidably mounted thereon. In this arrangement, however, all of the opposed surfaces of the jaw carriers must be rigidly joined together to permit proper utilization of the arrangement, and hence this restricts the changing of the jaws.
Another arrangement is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,219,356 (Wilterdink et al) which discloses a rotary cam for locking the upper and lower jaw carrier portions together, although the joining of the carrier portions is through interfitting serrated surfaces. This type of arrangement increases the manufacturing cost and decreases the efficiency of the apparatus as regards its convenience of use.
Other arrangements of this general type are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,833,232, 2,667,358, 3,679,221 and 4,352,500. The arrangements of these latter patents involve complex structural and functional arrangements which hence minimize their desirability.
Still another arrangement is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,971 owned by the Assignee hereof. This '971 patent does illustrate therein a fast change top jaw system for a chuck which has proven highly desirable in terms of its ability to permit rapid changing of top jaws. This arrangement, however, wherein the master jaw and a spring-urged auxiliary jaw define a dovetail projection for cooperation with a dovetail groove in the top jaw, still possesses a greater number of parts and components than is ultimately desired. Further, and more significantly, this latter arrangement, while highly desirable for inside-diameter gripping, is less suitable for outside-diameter gripping because of the structural and functional arrangement of the fast-change locking structure.
Accordingly, this invention relates to an improved jaw carrier arrangement for permitting rapid and efficient removing and/or mounting of a top jaw, and particularly to an improved jaw carrier arrangement which is highly suitable for use with top jaws which engage either inside diameter or outside diameter surfaces of a workpiece while still providing for secure and rigid gripping of the workpiece in a efficient but dependable manner. This improved jaw carrier arrangement is also believed to possess an improved and more desirable structural and functional arrangement so as to facilitate both economical manufacture and efficient utilization thereof.
In the improved jaw carrier arrangement of this invention, there is provided a main jaw carrier which removably mounts thereon a top jaw. For this purpose the main jaw carrier has a bore therein which opens outwardly through the front face of the jaw carrier for receiving therein a rearwardly projecting support post provided on the top jaw. A clamping structure is provided on the main jaw carrier for creating a wedgelike clamping engagement with the post of the top jaw to securely and rigidly hold the top jaw in snug engagement with the front face of the chuck. The clamping arrangement includes radially inner and outer clamping members having opposed riblike wedges which project inwardly toward the post for engagement within wedgelike grooves which are formed on diametrically opposite sides of the post and extend perpendicularly across the post in generally parallel relationship to one another. The inner and outer clamping members are controlled by rotation of a threaded spindle which causes simultaneous movement of the clamping members in opposite directions, whereby the clamping members move inwardly so that the ribs thereon engage the grooves on opposite sides of the post to securely clamp the post therebetween, and at the same time effect a snug drawing in of the post and of the top jaw against the front face of the chuck. The clamping which occurs on opposite sides of the post, which opposite sides are disposed radially inwardly and outwardly relative to the chuck, provide a rigid securement of the top jaw so as to permit the top jaw to grippingly engage either an inside diameter or an outside diameter of a workpiece.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.

Prairie Ronde Township, Kalamazoo County


A wheel bearing arrangement for a motor vehicle, including a wheel support and a wheel hub which is rotatably mounted on the wheel support by a wheel bearing in order to secure a wheel and to which a shaft is rotationally fixed, wherein a wheel bearing seal sealingly lies, on the one hand, against an inner ring of the wheel bearing, said inner ring sitting on the wheel hub, and, on the other hand, against an outer ring of the wheel bearing, said outer ring being secured to the wheel support. It is provided here that a wheel bearing pre-seal is rotationally fixed to the shaft adjacently to the wheel bearing and engages by a seal protrusion in a pre-seal receiving area formed in at least some sections between the outer ring and the wheel support.

The wheel bearing arrangement is used for the rotatable mounting of at least one wheel on a body of the motor vehicle. The wheel bearing arrangement is here preferably part of a wheel suspension which is used for the suspension, in particular for the sprung suspension, of the wheel with respect to the body. The wheel is rotatably mounted on the wheel support of the wheel bearing arrangement. For this purpose, the wheel can be secured to the wheel hub which in the end is rotatably mounted on the wheel support by means of the wheel bearing. The wheel support comprises, for example, a wheel bearing receiving area which can be formed as an opening in the wheel support, in particular an opening with closed margin.
The wheel bearing is arranged in the wheel bearing receiving area. In addition, the wheel hub and/or the shaft rotationally fixed thereto engage(s) in at least some sections in the wheel bearing receiving area. Particularly preferably, the wheel hub and/or the shaft, in particular together, reach at least partially, in particular completely through the wheel bearing receiving area in axial direction with respect to a rotation axis of the wheel hub.
The wheel bearing comprises the inner ring and the outer ring. It is preferably in the form of a roller bearing so that between the inner ring and the outer ring, roller bodies are present for friction reduction. The inner ring is connected to the wheel hub, for example, it is designed so as to form one piece with it or is secured to it, while the outer ring is secured to the wheel support. Here, the outer ring is preferably present in the wheel bearing receiving area. In other words, the outer ring lies by its outer peripheral surface against an inner peripheral surface of the wheel bearing receiving area.
The shaft already mentioned above is rotationally fixed to the wheel hub. In principle, this can be provided in any desired manner. For example, the shaft is friction-locked and/or form-fit and/or firmly bonded to the wheel hub. It is possible to provide that the wheel hub and the shaft are designed to form a single piece, so that they are present as a single common component which can be referred to as a wheel hub arrangement, for example. If the wheel hub and the shaft are designed to form a single piece together, then they are preferably uniform in terms of material, that is to say they are made of the same material. Naturally, multi-piece design is also possible. In such a design, the wheel hub and the shaft are formed separately from one another and subsequently connected to one another.
The wheel support is preferably connected via at least one suspension link to the body. The suspension link thus engages, on the one hand, on the body and, on the other hand, on the wheel support, in particular in each case in a pivotable manner. The suspension link is present in the form of a transverse link, for example. However, a design in the form of a longitudinal link is also possible. In principle, the connection of the wheel support occurs via the at least one suspension link. However, preferably, several suspension links are provided for the connection of the wheel support to the body. In particular, the suspension link is in the form of a two-point link.
In order to prevent the penetration of moisture and/or dirt into the wheel bearing, the wheel bearing seal is provided. Said wheel bearing seal seals the inner ring and the outer ring with respect to one another, that is to say it lies sealingly both against the inner ring and against the outer ring. For example, the wheel bearing seal is here rotationally connected to one of the rings, that is to say either the inner ring or the outer ring, while it rotatably lies against the respective other ring, that is to say the outer ring or the inner ring. During a rotation of the wheel support with respect to the wheel hub and during a corresponding rotation of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring, a rotation of the wheel bearing seal with respect to one of the rings is therefore present. Particularly preferably, the wheel bearing seal is accommodated between the inner ring and the outer ring, so that, viewed in axial direction with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel hub, it thus overlaps with the wheel bearing. In particular, it does not protrude in axial direction beyond the wheel bearing.
From the prior art, the published document DE 699 08 493 T2 is known, for example. It describes a wheel bearing device comprising: an outer ring secured to a car body side, an inner ring which is rotatably mounted on the outer ring via roller bodies and which is thus secured to a side of a drive shaft in such a manner that it rotates together with said drive shaft, a pulse encoder ring, and a seal with a metal ring and an annular elastic part, wherein a proximal end of the metal ring is secured firmly to an end surface side of the outer ring, which corresponds to an end surface side of the inner ring, and wherein the annular elastic part is secured on a distal end of the metal ring, wherein the pulse encoder ring is surrounded by the seal and wherein a pick-up sensor is mounted on the metal ring so that it is located opposite the pulse encoder ring. Here, it is provided that the pulse encoder ring is firmly secured on the one end surface side of the inner ring and that the elastic part is brought in close and movable contact with an outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft.
Moreover, the published document DE 201 02 451 U1 describes a wheel bearing unit for a motor vehicle, with a wheel bearing arranged in a pivot bearing and an accommodated universal shaft which, by a joint housing, faces a receiving element of the pivot bearing. Here it is provided that the directly facing areas of the receiving element and the joint housing present a reduction in thickness, and an annular gap forming between the receiving element and the joint housing can be bridged by a sealing ring which can be pressed onto the universal shaft.

Wheel bearing arrangement for a motor vehicle


An embodiment of a card holder system for retaining a card with an animal cage can comprise a card holder designed and dimensioned to selectively retain the card, and a retention member adapted for retaining the card holder to the cage. The retention member is adapted to be secured to a side wall of the cage. In certain embodiments, the card holder can be selectively retained in one of a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation. The card holder system can further comprise an adapter member, the adapter member being designed and dimensioned to be coupled with the card holder such that the card holder may be selectively positioned in one of a first orientation and a second orientation, the second orientation being substantially rotated ninety-degrees from the first position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to cage and rack systems for housing animals, and more particularly to card holders for cage and rack systems. xxx
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the art to house laboratory animals, such as mice and rats, in cages. It is also well known to place the cages on racks. These cages are typically ventilated and, when placed in a rack, environmentally controlled by a fan system of the rack.
It is also known to associate with cages index cards and/or other pieces of paper on which to record and keep track of experimental data throughout a study much in the same way that patients have their medical status recorded on a bedside chart when at a hospital. Typical recorded information includes the animal source, animal specifications, investigator, special diet restrictions, medications to be administered, and types of food to be provided.
Card holders for holding these cards with their respective cages are known in the art. These related card holders are satisfactory. However, because the card holders are typically formed from metal, they are typically heavy, cumbersome to use, expensive to manufacture and often comprise several complex mechanical parts. Additionally, related card holders, being made of metal, are typically opaque, and consequently do not afford favorable views into the cage when the card holder is positioned in front of the cage. Furthermore, related card holders typically are fastened to the cage unit by a spring clip that clips onto the filter top or lid of the cage. Because the lids are often removed from the cages to clean the cages, feed the animals, or provide other types of necessary maintenance, the card holders along with their cards and experimental information, are prone to getting lost, misplaced or mixed-up and replaced on an incorrect cage. Other card holders are designed such that they are to be placed in a special receptacle formed as part of the cage. Accordingly, that type of card holder is only meant to be used with a specific matching cage design; retrofitting such a card holder to other types of cages is difficult, and often not possible. As such, a need exists for an improved card holder for cage and rack systems for housing animals.


A controlled, saturated high frequency power amplifier, which can be used especially as a transmitting amplifier in a T/R module for a phase-controlled (radar) antenna for the X-band (8 GHz to 12 GHz). In this case, a portion of the HF output signal is utilized to generate a control signal, with which the output power is controlled nearly without loss via at least one gate connection for the HF power amplifier components, preferably, field effect transistors, that are components of the power amplifier. The power amplifier thus has a high degree of transmitting effectiveness, even with a pulsed transmitting operation.

The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for controlling the output amplitude of a high-frequency power amplifier with maximum possible HF power, including a control circuit wherein an actual value signal is generated from the output amplitude using a peak value rectifier, the actual value signal is compared to a desired value signal, a control signal is generated from the actual value/desired value comparison, and this control signal is used to control the output amplitude in accordance with a predetermined value.
The invention is used, for example, for temperature compensation for power amplifiers with a pulse power of approximately 10 Watt for the GHz range (X-band, 8 GHz to 12 GHz). The invention is, however, not limited to this frequency band as well as this performance class.
Such power amplifiers are needed, for example, in radar technology as transmitting amplifiers in transmitting/receiving modules (T/R modules) for phase-controlled antennas. With such T/R modules, the output signal for the power amplifier generally is supplied directly, in particular without a phase and/or an amplitude actuator, to a transmitter or radiator element. For turning and/or forming of the transmitting directional diagram for such an antenna, it is necessary that phase and amplitude states, that are preset as exact as possible, are maintained between the waves emitted by neighboring radiator elements. If a plurality of such T/R modules are used for such an antenna, for example, several thousand, then it is obvious that a high amount of measuring, calibrating as well as balancing is necessary to adjust and/or check the required phase and/or amplitude states. Each T/R module must furthermore incorporate in an unfavorable way the required measuring as well as adjustment options (structural components). Among other things, these have the disadvantage of being susceptible to interference themselves and are not cost-effective.
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide an arrangement of the general type mentioned above, which permits an exact control of the output amplitude of a power amplifier, which can be manufactured with small dimensions, and which is mechanically robust, reliable as well as cost-effective, in particular for an industrial series production.

Arrangement for controlling the output amplitude of a high frequency power amplifier


The invention encompasses nucleic acid molecules containing transcription units which encode the flavivirus M and E protein antigens. The flaviviruses include Japanese encephalitis virus, dengue, yellow fever virus and St. Louis encephalitis virus. The nucleic acids function to provide the M and E protein antigens when the nucleic acid resides in an appropriate host cell, especially when the host cell is the cell of a subject. The invention also encompasses a vaccine whose active agent is the nucleic acid. The invention further encompasses the cultured host cells when they contain within them nucleic acid molecules containing the transcription units. The invention in addition encompasses a method of immunizing a subject against flavivirus infection by administering to the subject an effective amount of a vaccine containing a nucleic acid molecule containing the transcription unit of the invention.

Flaviviruses are members of the genus Flavivirus, which is classified within the family Flaviviridae. The flaviviruses are largely pathogenic to humans and other mammals. Flaviviruses that inflict disease on humans include yellow fever virus. JEV, dengue virus (including the four serotypes dengue-1, dengue-2, dengue-3 and dengue-4), tick-borne encephalitis virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and others Altogether there are about 70 species currently identified (Kuno et al., J. of Virol 72, 73-83 (1998))
The flaviviruses generally contain three structural proteins: M, the matrix or membrane protein. E, the envelope protein, and C, the capsid protein. (Monath, in "Virology" (Fields, ed.), Raven Press, New York, 1990, pp. 763-814. Heinz and Roehrig, in "Immunochemistry of Viruses II: The Basis for Serodiagnosis and Vaccines" (van Regenmortel and Neurath, eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1990, pp. 289-305). M has a molecular weight (MW) of about 7-8 kDa; and E has a MW of about 55-60 kDa. M is synthesized as a larger precursor termed prM. The additional portion of prM is processed in the host cell to form M prior to secretion of mature virions M and E are found in the membrane or envelope of the flavivirus particle, and so have long been considered to constitute important immunogenic components of the viruses.
The flaviviruses are RNA viruses whose single stranded RNA has a length, among the various species, of about 10 kb. The C protein, whose MW is 12-14 kDa, complexes with the RNA to form a nucleocapsid complex. Several nonstructural proteins are also encoded in the RNA genome; they are termed NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B and NS5. The genome is translated within the host cell as a polyprotein, then processed co- or post-translationally into the individual gene products by viral- or host-specific proteases (FIG. 1).
The nucleotide sequences of the genomes of several flaviviruses are known, as summarized in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,671. That for JEV is provided by Sumiyoshi et al. (Virology: 161: 497-510 (1987)) and Hashimoto et al. (Virus Genes 1, 305-317 (1988)). The nucleotide sequences of the virulent strain SA-14 of JEV and the attenuated strain SA-14-14-2 used as a vaccine in the People's Republic of China are compared in the work of Nitayaphan et al (Virology: 177: 541-552 (1990))
Nucleotide sequences encoding the structural proteins of other flavivirus species are also known. In many cases the sequences for the complete genomes have been reported. The sequences available include dengue type 1 virus (Mason et al., Virology 161:262-267 (1987)), dengue type 2 virus (Deubel et al., Virology 155:365-377 (1986), Gruenberg et al J. Gen Virol 69, 1391-1398 (1988), Hahn et al Virology 162, 167-180 (1988)), dengue type 3 virus (Osatomi et al., Virus Genes 2:99-108 (1988)), dengue type 4 virus (Mackow et al., Virology 159:217-228 (1987), Zhao et al Virology 155: 77-88 (1986)), and yellow fever virus (YFV) (Rice et al., Science 229, 726-733 (1985))
Many flaviviruses including JEV are transmitted to humans and other host animals by mosquitoes. They therefore occur over widespread areas, and their transmission is not easily interrupted or prevented. JEV affects adults and children, and there is a high mortality rate among infants, children, and the elderly; in areas of tropical and subtropical Asia (Tsai et al., in "Vaccines" (Plotkin, ed.) W. B. Saunders. Philadelphia, Pa. 1994, pp. 671-713). Among survivors, there are serious neurological consequences, related to the symptoms of encephalitis, that persist after infection. In more developed countries of this region such as Japan, the Republic of China, and Korea, JEV has been largely controlled by use of a vaccine of inactivated JEV. Nevertheless, it is still prevalent in other countries of the region.
Dengue virus disease is also mosquito-borne, occurring globally in regions with tropical and sub-tropical climates. Symptoms include fever, rash, severe headache and joint pain, but mortality from dengue is low. Epidemics of dengue virus are sufficiently frequent and widespread that the disease represents a major public health problem. Nevertheless, safe and effective vaccines to protect against dengue are not available, despite decades of effort. There thus is a strong need for a vaccine against dengue.
Yellow fever is prevalent in tropical regions of South America and sub-Saharan Africa, and is transmitted by mosquitoes. Infection leads to fever, chills, severe headache and other pains, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, with the emergence of jaundice. A live virus vaccine, 17D, grown in infected chicken embryos, is considered safe and effective. Nevertheless, there remains a need for a vaccine that avoids the necessity of administering live virus, with its attendant development of mild symptoms and viremia
The vaccines available for use against JEV include live virus inactivated by such methods as formalin treatment as well as attenuated virus (Tsai et al.) Whole virus vaccines, although effective, do not have certain problems and/or disadvantages The viruses are cultivated in mouse brain or in cell culture using mammalian cells as the host Such culture methods are cumbersome and expensive Furthermore, there is the attendance risk of incorporating antigens from the host cells, i.e., the brain or other host, into the final vaccine product, potentially leading to unintended and undesired allergic responses in the vaccine recipients. There is also the risk of inadvertent infection among workers involved in vaccine production. Finally, there is the risk that the virus may not be fully or completely inactivated or attenuated, and thus, the vaccine may actually cause disease
A recombinant flavivirus which is a chimera between two flaviviruses is disclosed in WO 93/06214 The chimera is a construct fusing non-structural proteins from one "type", or serotype, of dengue viruses or a flavivirus, with structural proteins from a different "type", or serotype, of dengue virus or another flavivirus. The second flavivirus may be JEV
Several recombinant subunit and viral vaccines have been devised in recent years. U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,492 describes the production of the E glycoprotien of JEV for use as the antigen in a vaccine. The corresponding DNA is cloned into an expression system in order to express the antigen protein in a suitable host cell such as E. coli, yeast, or a higher organism cell culture. U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,293 discloses recombinant baculovirus harboring the gene for JEV E protein. The virus is used to infect insect cells in culture such that the E protein is produced and recovered for use as a vaccine
U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,347 discloses a recombinant vaccinia virus into whose genome the gene for JEV E protein has been incorporated. The live recombinant vaccinia virus is used as the vaccine to immunize against JEV Recombinant vaccinia and baculoviruses in which the viruses incorporate a gene for a C-terminal truncation of the E protein of dengue type 2, dengue type 4, and JEV are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,671. U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,375 discloses various recombinant vaccinia viruses which express portions of the JEV open reading frame extending from prM to NS2B These pox viruses induced formation of extracellular particles that contain the processed M protein and the E protein. Two recombinants encoding these JEV proteins produced high titers of neutralizing and hemagglutinin-inhibiting antibodies, and protective immunity, in mice. The extent of these effects was greater after two immunization treatments than after only one. Recombinant vaccinia virus containing genes for the M and E proteins of JEV conferred protective immunity when administered to mice (Konishi et al., Virology 180: 401-410 (1991)). HeLa cells infected with recombinant vaccinia virus bearing genes for prM and E from JEV were shown to produce subviral particles (Konishi et al., Virology 188: 714-720 (1992)) Dmitriev et al. report immunization of mice with a recombinant vaccinia virus encoding structural and certain nonstructural proteins from tick-borne encephalitis virus (J Biotechnol 44:97-103 (1996)).
Recombinant virus vectors have also been prepared to serve as virus vaccines for dengue fever Zhao et al. (J. Virol 61, 4019-4022 (1987)) prepared recombinant vaccinia virus bearing structural proteins and NS1 from dengue type 4 and achieved expression after infecting mammalian cells with the recombinant. Similar expression was obtained using recombinant baculovirus infecting target insect cells (Zhang et al. J. Virol. 62, 3027-3031(1988)). Bray et al. (J. Virol. 63, 2853-2856 (1989)) also report a recombinant vaccinia dengue vaccine based on the E protein gene that confers protective immunity on mice when challenged to develop dengue encephalitis. Falgout et al. (J. Virol 63, 1852-1860 (1989)) and Falgout et al. J. Virol. 64, 4356-4363 (1990) report similar results. Zhang et al. (J. Virol 62, 3027-3031 (1988)) showed that recombinant baculovirus encoding dengue E and NS1 proteins likewise can protect mice against dengue encephalitis when challenged. Other combinations in which structural and nonstructural genes are incorporated into recombinant virus vaccines fail to produce significant immunity (Bray et al. J. Virol. 63, 2853-2856 (1989)) Also, monkeys failed to develop fully protective immunity to dengue virus challenge when immunized with recombinant baculovirus expressing the E protein (Lai et al (1990) pp 119-124 in F. Brown, R. M. Chancock, H. S. Ginsberg and R. Lerner (eds) "Vaccines 90. Modern approaches to new vaccines including prevention of AIDS", Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.).
Immunization using recombinant DNA preparations has been reported for St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and dengue-2 virus using weanling mice as the model (Phillpotts et al., Arch Virol. 141, 743-749 (1996), Kochel et al., Vaccine 15 547-552 (1997)) Plasmid DNA encoding the prM and E genes of SLEV provided partial protection against SLEV challenge with a single or double dose of DNA immunization In these experiments control mice exhibited about 25% survival, and no protective antibody was detected in the DNA immunized mice (Phillpotts et al.). In mice that received three intradermal injections of recombinant dengue-2 plasmid DNA containing prM, 100% developed anti-dengue-2 neutralizing antibodies, and 92% of those receiving the corresponding E gene likewise developed neutralizing antibodies (Kochel et al) Challenge experiments using a two-dose schedule, however, failed to protect mice against lethal dengue-2 virus challenge.
The vaccines developed to date for immunizing against JEV have a number of disadvantages and problems attending their use. Inactivated virus vaccine is costly and inconvenient to prepare. In addition, it carries the risk of allergic reaction originating from proteins of the host used in preparing the virus. Furthermore, it presents considerable risk to the workers employed in their production. Candidate attenuated JEV vaccines are undergoing clinical trials but as of 1996 have not found wide acceptance outside of the People's Republic of China (Hennessy et al., Lancet 347: 1583-1586 (1996)). Recombinant vaccines based on the biosynthetic expression of only certain of the proteins of the JEV genome appear not to induce high antibody titers, and, as with the whole virus preparations, carry the risk of adverse allergic reaction to antigens from the host organism, or to the vaccinia virus vector, as the case may be. Similar problems attend the preparation of vaccines against YFV Vaccine development against dengue is less advanced, and such virus-based or recombinant protein-based vaccines face similar problems as those just alluded to
There is therefore a need for vaccines directed against flaviviruses such as yellow fever, dengue, JEV, and SLEV which are inexpensive to prepare, present little risk to workers involved in their manufacture, carry minimal risk of adverse immunological reactions due to impurities or adventitious immunogenic components, and are highly effective in eliciting neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity There is furthermore a need for a vaccine against JEV and related flaviviruses that minimizes the number of immunizing doses required.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


In a method for avoiding transients during switching processes in integrated circuits, a module of the integrated circuit is switched from a first operating state to a second operating state, a load change occurring thereby. In this case, it is ensured that the occurring quotient of load change and time duration for the transition from the first operating state to the second operating state does not exceed a predetermined limit value, thereby reducing or avoiding transients associated with such switching.

On account of switching processes, load fluctuations of greater or lesser magnitude occur in integrated circuits (IC). By way of example, load fluctuations are brought about by the occasional activation or deactivation of partial regions or modules of an IC. Such connectable or disconnectable modules are being employed more and more in modern ICs since they enable a demand-oriented control of the power consumption of the IC. A module is activated only when it is currently needed. For the rest of the time, the module is in an operating state with low or no power consumption. The change between operating states is usually performed by disconnection of the supply voltage or by disconnection or reduction of the clock frequency of the module.
What is disadvantageous in this case is that the switching processes produce undesirable transients on the supply lines, which can have a disturbing effect on other chip components. The higher the number of switchable modules, the greater the difficulties to be expected. So-called "mixed signal" systems, which combine digital and analog assemblies on an IC, are particularly susceptible to the occurrence of transients.
In order to reduce the harmful influence of transients, it is already known to protect sensitive components of the chip from the transients by means of suitable shielding.

Method for avoiding transients during switching processes in integrated circuits, and an integrated circuit


A ski apparatus for attachment to a snowshoe is provided, the apparatus having a main ski body having a top surface and a bottom surface. The main ski body supports a snowshoe entirely above the ground. A securing mechanism secures a snowshoe closely adjacent the top surface of the main ski body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to skiing and snowboarding apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to skiing and snowboarding apparatus which is quickly attachable to and detachable from a snowshoe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today, more than ever, people are concerned with their health and overall wellbeing. Many people have chosen to achieve good health by exercising in outdoor environments. Every year participation in outdoor activities continues to increase, with people seeking new ways to exercise outdoors. In other instances, people find it necessary to travel off of the beaten path in snowy environments, and must usually chose a single means of conveyance, i.e. short snowshoes or long cross country skis.
Snowshoeing activities have traditionally been a proven healthful activity which provides hours of enjoyment and exercise when traversing through snowy environments. Unfortunately, while offering tremendous practical travel or exercise opportunities when traveling in a generally level or uphill direction, snowshoeing, as compared to skiing, can be slow and inefficient when traveling down hill. Moreover, snowshoeing can be extremely difficult when traveling down steep hills. During snowshoeing activities, oftentimes it becomes desirable to have a better and faster method of traveling downhill.
While a variety of "short" skis have been developed for clamping onto boots and for providing a sliding surface much shorter than standard length skis, prior to the present invention none of the known skis provide a snowshoe user with a simple and effective way of traveling downhill. For example, Arsenault, U.S. Pat. No. 2,410,702 describes a combination that can be quickly transformed from a ski into a snowshoe and then back to a ski. In the Arsenault patent, the ski has permanently hinged side wings which may be lowered to convert the ski into a snowshoe, and which can be raised to resume the ski function. Unfortunately, the ski/snowshoe combination of the Arsenault patent does not allow the user to remove the ski during snowshoeing activities, thereby potentially causing dangerous and uncomfortable interference with the normal use of the snowshoe.
In other known prior art, Swiss Patent 37,183 teaches a short ski with a snowshoe mounted upon it. U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 205,186; 3,600,829 and 3,861,698 teach devices which combine the function of a snowshoe and ski. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,004,355; 4,334,369 and 5,398,957 teach strap-on skis for regular shoes. A separate ski which is attachable to and detachable from a snowshoe is not known to exist in the prior art.
With the needs defined above, and in view of the limitations of the prior art in mind, the objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, showing the contemplated novel construction, combination, and elements as herein described, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiments and equivalents to the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as coming within the scope of the claims, except insofar as they may be precluded by the prior art.

Short, wide, light weight portable ski apparatus for attachment to a snowshoe


A toner for electrophotography obtained by melting and kneading a kneaded material prepared by melting and kneading a domain resin and a coloring agent, a matrix resin having a low compatibility with the domain resin, and a dispersion assistant having a compatibility with both of the domain resin and matrix resin and a Izod impact value higher than the matrix resin to obtain a colored composition, followed by pulverizing and classifying the colored composition.

The present invention relates to a toner for electrophotography, in particular, which is composed of domain resin containing a coloring agent and being dispersed in a matrix resin, and a method for producing the same.
As a toner for electrophotography, there have been generally used the ones which are prepared by the steps of melting and kneading a matrix resin as a binder, a coloring agent and the like, pulverizing the kneaded material, and classifying the pulverized material to have a uniform specified particle size distribution.
Coloring agents are, however, irregularly exposed on the surface of such a toner obtained by the method of pulverizing as noted above. Since the coloring agent is inferior in moisture resistance and environmental resistance, there arise some problems in uniformity in electrification amount on each toner particle and so does in stability against storage and environment. Moreover, the coloring agent may be separated from toner surface to adhere to carrier surface, causing instability of electrification ability.
To prevent adverse effects caused by exposure of the coloring agent onto the toner surface, a micro-dispersion technique has been proposed in which the coloring agent is put into a specified phase in the toner (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication SHO 62-17753). While the coloring agent may be suppressed from being exposed until the kneading step in the micro-dispersion technique, the problem of exposure of the coloring agent on the surface remains unsolved after pulverizing.
Further, in the method for producing a toner by pulverizing a kneaded material, a toner is liable to be over-pulverized. The resulting particle size distribution is considerably large in width. The classification yield of the toner having a specific particle size range is quite low. In particular for enhancing the image quality of electrophotographical copy images, there have been demanded a toner having a small particle size and a narrow particle size distribution, whereas conventional toners are more likely to result in an over-pulverization and moreover in a markedly low yield after classification, disadvantageously.
As a method for producing a toner having a uniform particle size distribution efficiently with the coloring agent kept from being exposed on the surface, it is possible to apply a suspension polymerization method in which the toner particles are formed in a solution, or a spray-dry method. However, the resulting particles in these methods are so high in the degree of sphericality as to result in a problem of residual toner in a conventional general-purpose cleaning method, or the blade-cleaning method. To avoid this problem, it is necessary to adopt a complex cleaning method. Moreover, since the method for producing a toner by the suspension polymerization method or the like is a new method, there is another problem that conventional facilities for the kneading and pulverizing method can not be used, necessitating additional investment.

Toner for electrophotography and method for producing the same


A method of operation of a compute system includes: capturing an image of a surface of a tire; identifying a tire wear in the image; categorizing the tire wear as a bald region, a crack, a foreign object, low tread, or a combination thereof; generating a wear report includes identifying the tire wear as the bald region, the crack, the foreign object, low tread, or the combination thereof; and transferring the wear report for displaying on a display.

Modern civilization requires people to travel to work, to school, to the grocery, out for entertainment, and much more. Most people prefer having their own vehicle to accommodate their needs. Our travel plans can be interrupted by problems with our vehicles. As we use our vehicles, wear of key components can make the vehicle unreliable or leave us stranded at the side of the road. The most common of these is the wear to consumable parts such as batteries, tires, oil, or the like. Some of these component failures can be predicted, but other can be an unwelcome surprise. Drivers need a system that allows them to understand how the wear, of the consumable parts, can indicate the condition of their vehicle before they are left on the side of the road.
Thus, a need still remains for a compute system with a wear detection mechanism. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have long been sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Compute system with wear detection mechanism and method of operation thereof


A system and method for separating ions in an ion mixture, such as a plasma in space. The ion mixture enters an electrostatic analyzer, whose ion path has at least two sections. A first section applies a DC voltage to the ions, and a next section applies an RF frequency voltage to the ions. Appropriate DC and RF voltages are applied, such that at least a portion of the lower mass ions are absorbed into the RF section of the analyzer. The heaver ions are transmitted out of the ion path and are readily available for further analysis.

The dynamic range of ion composition analysis instruments is limited by several factors. Two problems are saturation of particle counters and spillover of signals from highly dominant species into channels tuned to minor species.
Instruments designed for composition measurements of hot plasmas in space can suffer greatly from both of these problems because of the wide energy range required and the wide disparity in fluxes encountered in various regions of interest. To detect minor ions in regions of weak fluxes, geometry factors need to be as large as practicable. As a result, in dense plasma regions, problems with saturation by the dominant fluxes and spillover to minor-ion channels become especially acute.
Present-day ion composition instruments have been unable to provide meaningful measurement of minor ion species at the Earth's magnetopause (the boundary between the magnetosphere and the solar wind). This is due to high background levels caused by spillover of dominant proton fluxes. Specifically, this effect has precluded ion composition measurements at energies in the important keV range at the magnetopause.
Previous attempts to solve the dynamic-range problem have involved mechanical constrictions that reduce the throughput equally for all species. This approach alleviates the saturation and spillover problems, but reduces the minor ion throughput to levels that are often undetectable.

Ion composition analyzer with increased dynamic range


An aspect of the present invention provides a brush in which positional accuracy of elastic contact pieces is enhanced while production cost is reduced by simplifying production, whereby the brush includes a support that is connected to a base and a conductive portion that is integral with the support, such that the conductive portion includes plural elastic contact pieces extending in parallel from a side edge of the support.

The present invention relates to a brush. In particular, the present relates to a brush wherein plural elastic contact pieces are provided in parallel and are in contact with a conductive pattern placed in, for example, a rotating body in order to transmit an electric signal or an electric power between the rotating conductive pattern and the elastic contact pieces.
In accordance with a conventional configuration, a brush, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-120563, consists of plural elastic contact pieces which are positioned and welded in parallel one by one to an edge portion of a support. Such a conventional configuration leads to a problem that it takes a lot of trouble with production of the brush, increases production cost, and a variation in positional accuracy of the elastic contact pieces is highly generated.

Brush having a plurality of elastic contact pieces arranged in parallel


A process for extruding a thin positive electrode sheet having at least 40%/wt of solid content for a lithium polymer battery through a single or twin screw extruder is disclosed as well as a positive electrode sheet produced therefrom. A mixture of active cathodic intercalation material, lithium salt and electronic conductive material is mixed with a polymer of the polyether family in a ratio of at least 40% of total weight into the mixing chamber of an extrusion machine and extruded through a classical sheet die into a thin cathode sheet or film onto a substrate in sheet form.

Rechargeable batteries manufactured from laminates of solid polymer electrolytes and sheet-like electrodes display many advantages over conventional liquid electrolytes batteries. These advantages include: lower overall battery weight, high power density, high specific energy, and longer service life. In addition, they are more environmentally friendly since the danger of spilling toxic liquid into the environment is eliminated.
Solid polymer battery components generally include: positive electrodes (also referred to as cathodes), negative electrodes (also referred to as anodes), and an insulating material capable of permitting ionic conductivity, such as a solid polymer electrolyte, sandwiched therebetween. The anodes are usually made of light-weight metals foils, such as alkali metals and alloys thereof typically lithium metal, lithium oxide, lithium-aluminum alloys and the like. The composite cathodes are usually formed of a mixture of active material such as a transitional metal oxide, an electrically conductive filler, usually carbon particles, an ionically conductive polymer electrolyte material and a current collector usually a thin sheet of aluminum.
Composite cathode films are usually obtained by coating onto a current collector a mixture of a solvent and cathode materials with a doctor blade, for instance, and evaporating the solvent. This process is inefficient for the mass production of cathode films and results in cathode films having a relatively high porosity, and therefore decreased density.
Since solid polymer electrolytes are usually less conductive than liquid polymer electrolytes, solid or dry electrochemical cells must be prepared from very thin films (total thickness of approximately 35 to 250 microns) to compensate for the lower conductivity, with a high film contact surfaces and provide electrochemical cells with high power density. Solid cathode films must therefore be produced into very thin films of generally ranging from about 35 to 125 microns.
One of the most efficient manufacturing processes for obtaining thin sheets is the process of continuous extrusion. U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,822 to Keller et al. discloses a method for extruding electrode material by liquid injection. The solid particulate of active electrode materials are partially mixed with a minor portion of the components of the polymer electrolyte and fed into a first feed throat of the extruder while the remaining polymer electrolyte composite, preferably rich in liquid components including at least one solvent, is fed downstream through a second feed throat. The process has been found to provide a composite having a high ratio of solid active material electrode/electrolyte and by separately mixing the components, the electrode composition may be adjusted to provide optimal proportions of all materials for a given application. However, this process is limited to polymer electrolyte binders capable of withstanding the extrusion processing conditions, in particular the temperature, pressure and shear conditions such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and the like mixed with a solvent. The use of solvents in the extruded mixture results in a thicker composite cathode sheet that displays a high porosity and a rough surface finish. The latter characteristics are generally detrimental to the efficiency of the electrochemical cell produced.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,556 to Morris also discloses an apparatus and method for extruding a cathode in which the cathode material is mixed to an homogenous state, and then transported under constant or increasing shear stress to a point of extrusion such that it is extruded at constant rate. The cathode material disclosed is referred to as a shear thinning material as it exhibits non-Newtonian fluid characteristics; that is its viscosity decreases as the material is subjected to increasing shear stress. The solution proposed to transport the melted 'shear thinning' cathode material smoothly to the extruder exit nozzle is simply to maintain a minimum pressure and therefore a minimum amount of shear stress on the 'shear thinning' cathode material to ensure that the viscosity or flow resistance of the cathode material remains below a certain value to prevent blockage of the cathode material in the extruder. Experience has shown however that such a simple technique is inadequate for a wide variety of cathode materials, especially when the solid content of the cathode material is above 30% by weight.
Cathode materials having a high solid content of active cathodic material and conductive filler (above 30%) like polymers of the polyether family such as polyethylene oxide having a high percentage of solid particles of vanadium oxide and carbon cannot withstand normal extrusion conditions and, more particularly, high temperatures and high shear conditions. Polyethers have a low melting point (around 50° C.) and are chemically unstable under extrusion conditions thereby making them extremely difficult to process through an extruder to form a thin positive electrode composite sheet. Neither Keller et al. nor Morris provide a viable process for extruding cathode thin films made of a polyether binder having a high percentage of solids.
Thus there is a need for a solid polymer electrolyte-cathode sheet having a high solid content which can be extruded and a method for extruding a cathode sheet having a high solid content.

Positive electrode films for alkali metal polymer batteries and method for making same


An apparatus for trapping a snake comprising a base wall having a smooth interior surface and an exterior surface, first and second side walls having a smooth interior surface and an exterior surface and having first edges attached to opposing edges of said base wall, a top wall having a smooth interior surface and an exterior surface and having opposing edges attached to second edges of said first and second side walls, wherein said first and second side walls, said base wall and said top wall define a tunnel therein, the tunnel including a first area for placing a sticky pad for trapping the snake coming into contact with the sticky pad and at least one second area through which the snake must pass before reaching the first area, the second area having a smooth inner surface for denying traction to the snake trapped on the sticky pad and having a sufficient length and width to allow substantially an entire body of the snake to enter the tunnel prior to encountering the sticky pad.

Traps which utilize glue or adhesives to trap rats and mice are well known in the art. Typically such a trap comprises a plate or tray covered with glue or adhesive. When such traps are placed in areas where rats or mice are present, the rodents are trapped when they step into the glue or adhesive. Other snake trap patents exist which utilize adhesive and other means for trapping snakes.
Typical adhesive traps are not effective in trapping snakes, however, because of a snake's inherent ability to avoid or escape from such traps. Snakes generally crawl with their head held slightly off the ground, using lateral movements of their body to push their head forward. A snake encountering such a plate or tray trap might crawl around the trap, choosing the known of the surface it is crawling on to the unknown of the open trap surface. Even if the snake does proceed onto the tray or plate, it would likely only just barely touch the adhesive with its neck before sensing the adhesive and stopping. The snake would then be able to use the entire rest of its body to thrash about and free itself from the glue or jerk its head back out of the glue. The snake could use any rough surfaces around the trap to leverage its body and pull its neck free. If the snake only slightly contacts the adhesive of an open glue or adhesive trap it can jerk its head up and to the side and go around the trap. Enclosed adhesive traps generally do not have openings that are positioned and sized to be attractive to snakes, are not shaped and sized to capitalize on basic snake behaviors, and do not have means for preventing a snake's escape should a snake enter and contact the adhesive. Open traps are subject not only to easy escape by snakes, but also to degradation of the adhesive from dust and debris, weather or other surfaces of a non-rigid trap itself. Enclosed, non-rigid traps are also subject to degradation of the adhesive from contact with the other surfaces of the trap itself. Open traps may also pose a hazard to pets and small children.


A inflatable vehicle air bag has a single fluid chamber and is specially designed to bend around a vehicle instrument panel to form an effective occupant restraint in front of a vehicle occupant. The air bag is formed from a single continuous loop of flexible air bag material. The air bag is designed to be inflated to a predetermined three dimensional configuration when fluid under pressure is directed into the fluid chamber. The air bag comprises a pair of main panels which are connected with each other in a manner which allows them to bow outwardly relative to each other as the air bag is inflated to its predetermined three dimensional configuration, and a special bend pleat which is formed in one of the main panels. Moreover, respective portions of the main panels are preferably connected with each other by one or more expansible end pleats which allow the portions of the main panels to separate from each other as the air bag is inflated to its three dimensional configuration. The bend pleat enables the air bag to bend around a vehicle instrument panel as the air bag is being inflated to its predetermined three dimensional configuration. The air bag is particularly useful for a top mounted air bag assembly in which the air bag (i) is deployed through the top of a vehicle instrument panel and (ii) bends about the instrument panel and forms an inflated cushion between a vehicle occupant and the front of the instrument panel.

An air bag assembly is designed to be incorporated into a vehicle to protect an occupant during a crash or collision. During a front end collision, a vehicle will be subjected to significant deceleration forces. If the deceleration forces are great enough, they will cause an unrestrained occupant to be pitched forward. An air bag assembly causes an air bag to be rapidly inflated in front of a vehicle occupant who is being pitched forward during a vehicle collision. The inflated bag prevents the occupant from striking a structural part of the vehicle interior (e.g., the vehicle instrument panel and/or windshield).
Typically, an air bag assembly includes: (i) a container; (ii) a folded air bag disposed in the container; and (iii) a fluid source disposed at least partially within the container. At the onset of a collision, the fluid source is actuated to discharge a flow of relatively high pressure fluid. The fluid flow rapidly (i) forces the air bag through a portion of the container and into the occupant compartment, and (ii) inflates the air bag to a predetermined configuration in front of an occupant who is being pitched forward by the force of the collision. The air bag retards forward movement of the occupant, to prevent the occupant from striking a structural part of the vehicle interior.
On the driver side of a vehicle, an air bag assembly is commonly incorporated into the steering wheel. On the passenger side of a vehicle, an air bag assembly is commonly incorporated into (or located in proximity to) the vehicle instrument panel. Moreover, on the passenger side of a particular make of vehicle, the specific manner which the air bag assembly is incorporated into the vehicle instrument panel has an effect on the design and function of an air bag for that make of vehicle. For example, in an air bag assembly located underneath the vehicle instrument panel, the air bag would have to be oriented to clear the legs of a seated occupant and would have to inflate upward in front of the vehicle instrument panel. On the other hand, in an air bag assembly incorporated into the portion of the vehicle instrument panel which is presented toward the vehicle occupant, the air bag would be positioned to deploy through the instrument panel toward the occupant. The bag would inflate to a generally cylindrical (or pillow) shape directly in front of a vehicle occupant. Still further, in an air bag assembly in which the air bag is deployed through the top of the instrument panel (referred to herein as a "top mounted" air bag assembly), the air bag is initially directed upward, toward the windshield of the vehicle. The air bag must then be quickly and effectively redirected so as to form a cushion between a vehicle occupant and the portion of the vehicle instrument panel presented toward the occupant.
A known way of deploying an air bag from a top mounted air bag assembly or from underneath a vehicle instrument panel is to:
(i) fabricate the air bag with multiple fluid chambers disposed in fluid communication with each other; PA1 (ii) inflate the chambers successively, such that as one chamber is substantially filled with fluid, the fluid is communicated from the one chamber to a successive chamber; and PA1 (iii) orient the chambers relative to each other such that at least one of the chambers, when inflated, is located in front of the instrument panel. PA1 (i) provide enough air bag material to form the multiple chambers; PA1 (ii) physically connect the chambers so that when the chambers are inflated at least one chamber will be oriented in front of the vehicle instrument panel; and PA1 (iii) provide fluid connections between the chambers which eliminate, minimize or account for turbulence as fluid is directed from one chamber to another.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,169,163 and 4,290,627 illustrate air bag assemblies using multiple chamber air bags. In each of the foregoing patents, a multiple chamber air bag has a chamber oriented in front of a vehicle instrument panel when the air bag is fully inflated.
Applicants believe that multiple chamber air bags, while useful, are somewhat complicated in their design and fabrication For example, applicants believe that in designing a multiple chamber air bag, one must:
Accordingly, applicants believe it is desirable to construct an air bag which has a single fluid chamber, which is simple and efficient to form, and which is specially designed to bend about a vehicle instrument panel to a position in front of a vehicle occupant. Applicants believe such an air bag can be designed with relative economy of material and without the kind of fluid turbulence which can occur when fluid is directed from one chamber to another. Applicants further believe that such an air bag can still have the ability to bend about a vehicle instrument panel to allow the air bag to be incorporated into a "top mounted" air bag assembly.
Applicants note that certain air bag constructions are allegedly designed for their relative economy of material (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,529). However, such constructions are believed to be capable, at most, of being deployed directly at a vehicle occupant and are not capable of bending in a predetermined manner about a vehicle instrument panel.

Dashboard top mounted vehicle air bag assembly


A substrate processor that processes and inspects a substrate. A substrate handler moves a substrate within the substrate processor. A processing chamber receives the substrate from the substrate handler, and processes the substrate using damaging material that is retained to some extent by the substrate. An inspection tool receives the substrate from the substrate handler after the substrate has been processed. A controlled environment surrounds at least a portion of the inspection tool and the substrate. A purge gas supply provides a purge gas at a flow rate. A moisture control unit adjusts the purge gas to a relative humidity, and gas inlets direct the purge gas into the controlled environment.

Fabrication of integrated circuits requires constant inspection and testing of the structures that are formed, so as to ensure that the processes are in control, the materials are not contaminated, and the structures are properly formed. As the term is used herein, "integrated circuit" includes devices such as those formed on monolithic semiconducting substrates, such as those formed of group IV materials like silicon or germanium, or group III–V compounds like gallium arsenide, or mixtures of such materials. The term includes all types of devices formed, such as memory and logic, and all designs of such devices, such as MOS and bipolar. The term also comprehends applications such as flat panel displays, solar cells, and charge coupled devices.
Typically, such inspections have been performed off line for many processes, such as for etch processes, because the substrates exiting such processes tend to outgas corrosive or contaminating materials, such as hydrogen bromide, chlorine, sulfuric acid and other materials. When inspection tools are subjected to such corrosive materials, they tend to be damaged in a relatively short length of time. Because of the relatively high cost of such equipment, such damage to the instrument is unacceptable. Thus, most inspection is done well after the process in question, such as after the substrates have been baked, cleaned, rinsed, or otherwise had the corrosive materials removed from them.
There have been some attempts to protect the inspection tools from the damaging environment produced by out gassing substrates. For example, one approach encloses the metrology device in an enclosure that includes a window, through which the measurements are made, and thus keeping the substrate separate from the measurement device. Unfortunately, some measurements cannot be made through a window in this manner.
Another approach protects individual components of the inspection tool, such as by coating circuit boards with a protective conformal coating. However, it may not be possible to apply such a coating to all of the components of the tool that are susceptible to damage from the corrosive environment. Further, methods such as these tend to reduce both measurement speed and substrate throughput. These approaches also do not address the problem of particulate contamination of the substrates and the tools, due, for example, to the formation of hydrates from the contaminating materials, such as hydrogen bromide, chlorine, and so forth.
What is needed, therefore, is a system that overcomes problems such as those described above, at least in part.


Provided is an image processing device including an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on an imaging position and an imaging direction in units of frame images that constitute a moving image obtained through capturing by an imaging unit, a converted image generation unit configured to generate converted images having different imaging directions for each frame image that constitutes the moving image based on the frame image itself and preceding and succeeding frame images of the frame image, an evaluation value calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value for each converted moving image constituted by combining the converted image and the original frame image, the evaluation value being used to evaluate a blur between the converted images or between the original frame images, and a selection unit configured to select a converted moving image with less blur based on an evaluation value calculated by the evaluation value calculation unit.

In related art, solutions for a blurred image that occurs when a video camera captures an image are classified into a mechanical approach of correcting a blur caused by mechanical factors using a sensor such as a gyro sensor when an image is captured and an electronic approach of shifting an image using the optical flow techniques.
A technique for correcting a blurred image using combination of such approaches has been developed (see Patent Literature 1).

Image processing device and method, and program for correcting a blurred moving image