A high performance tachometer for use in high performance racing vehicles, such as dragsters, is disclosed. The tachometer has an input signal indicative of the vehicular engine speed and an output display for displaying the instantaneous engine speed as indicated by the input signal. The tachometer includes input controls for directing the control and operation of the tachometer. Special features associated with the tachometer include a memory device configured to store the value of the input signal at periodic and discrete time intervals, as directed by the input controls; a special event detector configured to detect a certain predetermined event or pattern of the input signal as determined by monitoring the output of the memory device, the special event detector being further configured to halt or freeze the output display (both deflection needle and digital readout) upon detection of the predetermined event or pattern output from the memory device; a multi-stage RPM switch is included to operatively control a plurality of controlled devices. The system is designed to allow the user to program the RPM switch to operate the controlled devices at a plurality of engine speeds. In addition, an automatic starting feature is provided. The automatic starting feature of a preferred embodiment is initiated in connection with the activation of the Line-Loc switch.

1. Field of the Art
The present invention relates to tachometers, and more particularly, to high performance automotive tachometers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the world of high-speed autoracing, extreme demands are placed on both car and driver. Nowhere is this more true than in the realm of high-speed, short-duration racing, such as drag racing. In these races, drivers command high performance vehicles to accelerate through one-quarter mile of roadway in approximately seven seconds, reaching speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Frequently, the drivers and vehicles are so competitively matched that as little as one thousandth of one second can make the difference between winning and losing a race. Accordingly, drivers look for any way to improve their performance and consistency, even if only by the smallest of margins.
In this regard, drivers train heavily on effective gear shifting. During a typical, seven second racing interval, the driver must normally shift through four or five gears. Indeed, in the professional drag racing circuit driving skill plays a significant role in the outcome of the race. Not only should the driver be able to shift quickly and cleanly, but the driver should also shift at the appropriate engine speeds to extract the maximum power and racing speed from the vehicle. To be sure, the characteristics of any given vehicle (e.g., engine tune, transmission gearing, tires, body aerodynamics, etc.) combine to define a maximum performance curve for each gear of that vehicle. This performance curve, in turn, defines the optium engine speed for each gear at which the driver should shift in order to effect maximum speed from the vehicle. In addition to rote practice, however, drivers also look to instrumentation or other driving aids to help them properly time and execute these critical shifts at the appropriate points along the power curves.
Of course, tachometers have long been known to provide a vehicle operator with an instantaneous display of engine speed. In the area of high performance vehicles, however, tachometers offer special features to provide the extra assistance demanded by the drivers. As an example, some tachometers have a multiple range dial display that expands the critical portion of the dial display. For example, on a circular gauge having a display preprinted near the circumference of the dial face, different scale gradients are provided for different engine speed ranges. Since the lower engine speeds are of lessor significance to the driver for shifting purposes, the scale displaying these lower engine speeds, for example up to 6,000 RPM, is compressed into a small portion of the dial scale display, while the scale displaying higher engine speeds, from 6,000 RPM to 11,000 RPM for example, is expanded to cover the remainder of the dial scale display. In this fashion, the driver can more particularly identify the engine speed in the range surrounding the critical shift points. This type of tachometer can be referred to as a "double range" tachometer.
One known tachometer in the prior art to offer this double range scale utilizes a stepper motor to drive the tachometer pointer or deflection needle. The particular advantage realized by the use of stepper motors is that it is technically easier in a digital circuit to control the deflection needle throughout both the compressed and expanded regions of the dial scale display.
A shortcoming in a stepper motor system, however, resides in the inherent characteristics and limitations of the stepper motor. Since stepper motors are rotated in discrete increments, movement of the tachometer deflection needle is jerky, rather than in smooth, fluid motion. More significantly, the response time of stepper motors is typically too slow for fast revving engines, such as dragster engines. As a result, the engine speed displayed by the tachometer deflection needle lags the actual engine speed. The amount of this "lag" depends upon the rate that the engine speed is changing. This is particularly problematic when the driver targets a specific engine speed at which to shift, since the actual engine speed will be slightly different than the displayed speed.
Other double range tachometers may have the deflection needle controlled by D'arsonval meters. Like stepper motors, however, D'arsonval meters are also characterized by a poor response time that is typically too slow for effective use on dragsters. Furthermore, D'arsonval motors typically have poor vibration resistance, which makes them ill-suited for use on dragsters.
Other engine speed sensing devices are known to provide what can be globally referred to as "RPM switches." These RPM switches are typically individual, stand-alone units adapted to monitor the engine speed and signal or otherwise act upon the detection of certain desired engine speeds. RPM switches are used in a variety of applications such as controlling nitrous oxide injectors, limiting the engine RPM, controlling system ignition timing, and operating shift lights, just to name a few. In a particular vehicle, one RPM switch may be dedicated to control a nitrous oxide injector in such a fashion that the nitrous oxide is controllably injected when the vehicle reaches a preprogrammed engine speed. Similarly, a second RPM switch may be dedicated to controllably advance and retard the ignition timing depending upon the engine speed. A further RPM switch may be dedicated to control a shift light, which illuminates at certain preprogrammed engine speeds to prompt the driver to shift gears. Indeed, shift lights are known to be provided in connection with a RPM switch imbedded within the tachometer.
However, there are various shortcomings in connection with these prior art systems. One shortcoming is the elevated system cost due to number of excess components required by the individual RPM switches. A more significant shortcoming is the compromise of the overall system integrity that results in the various component intolerances, particularly where two or more separate RPM switches are configured to operate in concert.
While the foregoing tachometer features effectively inform the driver of the proper shift points during "drive time," further assistance is desired. Just as golfer may review a videotape of his golf swing in order to better refine his swing and improve his game, it is known that similar training exercises can help racing drivers improve their driving times.
In this regard, another significant feature found in the prior art is the inclusion of a memory device within a tachometer. These "memory" tachometers are designed to store the engine RPM throughout a racing event, such as a complete drag race, allowing the driver to later review a "replay" of the entire race.
In practice, the engine RPM is sampled at discrete time intervals of sufficiently short duration so that the entire racing event may be accurately recreated for later replay and review by the driver or crewman. From this replay, the driver can identify the particular points at which he shifted, and determine whether he is generally shifting too early or too late. Advantageously, this allows the driver to make adjustments to the timina or technique of his shifting, or engine and suspension set-up etc., that will improve future drive times.
A related feature of these "memory" tachometers is the ability to replay the racing event at a reduced pace, such as one-third the actual recording speed. These tachometers also provide a time counter which displays the elapsed time of the recorded event during memory replay.
While advanced features, such as those described above, allow the driver to observe dynamically the deviations between the targeted or optimum shift points and the actual shift points while the race replay is occurring, further improvements in the art are desired. For example, further improvements are needed that will better enable drivers to more accurately observe the precise RPM and elapsed time at each shift point. Because of the constant movement of the deflection needle and advancing clock display, even when replaying the event at one-third speed the driver still has difficulty in determining the precise RPM and elapsed time at the shifting points.
It is also desired to provide a means for diagnosing possible mechanical or electrical problems within the automobile. It is known, for example, that excessive time required to complete a gear shift may be an indication of clutch slippage. It is also known that if the vehicle requires an excessive amount of time in any particular gear before reaching the targeted shifting RPM, that a particular tuning adjustment may be desired. Accordingly, tachometers are desired that capture and delineate upon replay certain special events that occur during the recorded event.
An additional shortcoming noted in the prior art relates to wasted memory and/or driver distraction, since the driver typically initiates the event recording at some point near the start of the race. Indeed, if the driver signals the tachometer to begin recording too long before the start of the race, then an excessive amount of memory is filled with engine data that is of no use, and possibly to such an extent that too little memory is left to record a complete racing event. Alternatively, if the driver waits too near to the start of the race before signaling the tachometer to begin recording, then it becomes a distraction to the driver when his attention should be focused on the start of the race.
Another shortcoming of the prior art relates to the inability these systems to create a permanent record of the racing event. In the memory tachometer systems, after the driver has recorded a given racing event, he may review or replay that event, but has no means for readily generating a permanent record of the event. To be sure, in some prior art systems the recorded information is lost when the driver resets the device to record a subsequent racing event.


A compact, inexpensive and mass-producible optical display system for an automobile creates a highly visible and sharp, high contrast and pleasing, multi-color magnified virtual image of a primary instrument cluster at a viewing distance which is greater than the actual optical distance between the dashboard and the driver's eyes in order to enhance instrument readability, minimize driver eye strain, and reduce eye focus problems which are associated with transitioning between the far range viewing used for watching the road ahead and the near range viewing used for glancing at the instruments. A non-pupil forming display system uses a single off-axis aspherical mirror with power to create a virtual image of a miniaturized, multi-color passive image source, such as a segmented LCD panel, which is backlighted by a small filament incandescent light bulb. The aspheric surface is optimized to minimize aberrations and reduce vertical disparity and field curvature. The image source is pre-distorted to compensate for distortion in the off-axis configuration. A holographic diffusing screen element laminated onto the image source provides uniform high brightness and uniform contrast over the entire field-of-view which is visible from an eyellipse sufficient to accomodate most of the driver population, minimizes the visual impact of any optical aberrations near the edge of the viewing area, and provides the non-pupil forming system with some of the desirable optical properties of a pupil forming system.

This invention relates generally to optical display systems and, more particularly, has reference to a new and improved system for displaying instruments in an automobile.
General production line automobiles typically have a plurality of instruments, indicators and gauges displayed on a dashboard panel behind the steering wheel. These instruments usually include a speedometer, a tachometer, a clock, an odometer, and a trip odometer, various auxiliary gauges for oil pressure, engine temperature, fuel level and battery charge, and a collection of system warning lights. In older cars, the instruments are often electro-mechanical devices with moving needle indicators. Newer models frequently use backlit direct view liquid crystal displays or self-illuminating vacuum flourescent displays.
Due to the limited space available in the interior of an automobile, the instrument panel is usually located relatively close (e.g. about two feet) to the driver's eyes. To read direct view instruments, the driver refocuses his eyes from the far range viewing (essentially at infinity) used to observe the road ahead to the near range viewing used to look at the instruments. While such systems generally have served their purpose, there remains a continuing desire for further improvements, particularly in the areas of instrument readability and reduced driver eye strain.
One foreign automobile manufacturer attempted to provide an improved instrument display with a viewing distance slightly beyond the normal dashboard panel position by mounting a flat folding mirror on the dashboard below a full-size vacuum fluorescent instrument display. This approach was unsatisfactory in several respects and left considerable room for improvement.
A need exists for an automobile instrument display system which minimizes driver eye strain and enhances instrument readability, particularly for older persons and persons who are far sighted or wear bifocals, by producing an instrument cluster image well beyond (e.g., about one foot or more) the face of the dashboard and a considerable distance (e.g., about four feet or more) from the driver's normal viewing position. The desired system would be configured to fit within the existing space/volume currently occupied by the conventional dashboard instrument panel, would provide a display format and viewing angle conditions which were similar to conventional direct view instrument clusters, would provide a display image having comfortable visibility and legibility under all ambient light conditions, would be mass-producible at a cost comparable to a conventional direct view instrument cluster, would be simple in structure, would have an electrical interface which was compatible with an automotive electrical system, and would provide good optical characteristics, especially as regards to image quality, disparity and color. Numerous problems are encountered in attempting to satisfy those needs.
For example, optical complications are caused by geometric conditions which are encountered in the typical automobile environment. For instance, the driver's head and eyes normally do not remain stationary but move throughout an elliptical viewing area known as the eye motion box or the eyellipse. Driver's also have different seated body lengths and prefer different seat height and position adjustments. An eyellipse of about 8" H .times.5" V .times.10" D centered at about 30.5" from the instrument panel will accommodate most of the driver population. The typical instrument panel viewing angle (i.e., the line-of-sight used to see the instrument panel from the eyellipse) is about 19.degree. below horizontal and the angular subtense (i.e., the amount of scan used to see the entire instrument display) is about 24.degree. H .times.6.degree. V.
Additional complications are caused by the problem of vertical disparity or dipvergence. When an object field is viewed through an optical system, each eye typically sees a somewhat different view. Vertical disparity is the angular difference along the vertical axis of an object point as viewed by each eye. Vertical disparity has a bearing upon driver viewing comfort. A driver's tolerance limit to vertical disparity influences the complexity of the display optics. An instrument display system should reduce vertical disparity to a level which is commensurate with driver comfort while not unduly complicating the display optics.
Still further complications are caused by the high ambient light conditions which are present in most automobiles. Ambient light includes direct sunlight and specular reflections from surrounding objects which can shine into the driver's eyes and reduce display visibility. The instantaneous dynamic range of an eye adapted to a typical horizon sky luminance of about 3,000 foot-Lamberts (fL) is on the order of about 600:1. Hence, the black level for this eye is about 5 fL and all stimuli at luminance levels of 5 fL or less look equally black. Hence, even if there were no transmission losses and no noise (i.e., ambient light falling on and being reflected from the display), the luminance desired for the bright symbols of an instrument display in order to provide the 2:1 contrast generally regarded as adequate for viewing line/graphic images would be about 10 fL. This brightness should be provided by the electrical power available in an automobile.
A uniform high contrast and uniform bright image of the instrument is also desired, even in these high ambient light conditions. However, the two conventional ways to diffuse light across a viewing area, i.e., opaque lambertian diffusion and high gain backlit diffusion, may be unsatisfactory in certain situations. In the case of lambertian diffusion, the light is scattered equally in all directions. Where the optical system utilizes the diffused light only within a small angular cone directed into the eye motion box, radiation outside this cone tends to become stray light which causes high background levels and reduced contrast ratio. High gain backlit diffusing screens scatter the light into a narrower angular cone and thus improve the effective optical efficiency, but the resulting display uniformity over the viewing area can be unsatisfactory. There may be an undesirable drop-off in brightness at the edge of the eye motion box.
Additional complications arise from the desire to provide a display system which is harmonious with the general styling of the automobile interior and which has high customer acceptance and appeal. In this regard, the system should be packaged to fit within the existing dashboard space now occupied by a conventional direct view instrument display, should be mass-producible at a reasonable cost, should provide a multi-color image, and should provide an image source whose stability, drift, latency and persistence are such that the image is not difficult to interpret nor aesthetically objectionable.
The present invention overcomes these problems and satisfies the need for an improved instrument display system.

Automotive instrument virtual image display


In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for changing a reference to a bookmark icon. The method includes receiving resources that include an HTML document and computer program script code. The HTML document does not include a reference to a bookmark icon. The method includes determining that the computing device has loaded the web page and, in response, adding, in a representation of the HTML document, a reference to a first bookmark icon. The method includes receiving a request to change a display of the web page from a first screen to a second screen, without requesting additional resources over the network. The method includes removing the reference to the first bookmark icon in the representation of the web page, and adding a reference to a second bookmark icon in the representation of the web page.

Some computing devices include web browser application programs that enable users of the devices to request and view web pages. A user may request that the web browser display a web page, for example, by typing the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for that web page into an address bar of the web browser. The web browser may request, over the internet, resources that correspond to the URL. A server system may receive the request and return a set of resources to the computing device. The set of resources can include a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) document and a JavaScript document.
The web browser may process the resources and display a web page based on the content of the resources. Some of the links in the web page, when selected by the user, may prompt the web browser to request resources for different web pages. Other of the links in the web page, however, may cause the web browser to present a different "screen" of the web page to the user. This different screen may be generated based on instructions in the same set of resources and without requesting further resources over the internet.
The screens of a web page may be designated by different hash fragments in the URL address for the web page. For example, the address bar of the web browser may display the URL www.examplesite.com/#first_screen for a first screen of a web page that is displayed to a user, and may display the URL www.examplesite.com/#second_screen for a second screen of the web page. The hash fragment portion of the URL may be used solely for client-side processing and navigation, and may not be transmitted in requests, over the internet, for web page resources.
Some web browsers allow users to bookmark web pages, for example, by selecting a "Bookmark" interface element. Upon selecting the bookmark interface element, the web browser may determine if the displayed web page includes markup code that references a bookmark icon. A bookmark icon is an image that is displayed as at least a portion of a visual representation of the bookmark (e.g., an icon that is displayed on the desktop of a mobile device). A bookmark may designate a target network address. A target network address may be a URL that was located in a network address field of a web browser at a time that the bookmark was created.
The bookmark may designate a target network address that includes a hash fragment that designates a particular screen of a web page. Thus, when a user selects the bookmark, the web browser may request resources that are designated by a base portion of the URL, where the base portion of the URL is a portion of the URL that precedes the hash symbol in the URL. The computing device may receive resources that correspond to the base portion of the URL, and may generate an internal representation of the web page based on the received resources.
Before the web browser generates a display of the web page, and after it forms a basic representation of the web page, the web browser may execute scripting code that is included in the received resources. The scripting code may extract the hash fragment from the network address field, and may restructure the representation of the webpage so that the web page that will be displayed shows the web page screen that corresponds to the hash fragment. The web browser may restructure the representation of the web page without requesting additional resources over the network.
Thus, a user may create multiple bookmarks for the same set of resources, for example, bookmarks for different screens that can be generated using the same set of resources. The resources may reference a single bookmark icon. Thus, bookmarks for different screens of the web page may use the same bookmark icon.


During a learning phase, a speech recognition device generates parameters of an acceptance voice model relating to a voice segment spoken by an authorized speaker and a rejection voice model. It uses normalization parameters to normalize a speaker verification score depending on the likelihood ratio of a voice segment to be tested and the acceptance model and rejection model. The speaker obtains access to a service application only if the normalized score is above a threshold. According to the invention, a module updates the normalization parameters as a function of the verification score on each voice segment test only if the normalized score is above a second threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic speaker voice recognition, and more particularly to verification of a speaker authorized to access a service application, whether independently of or depending on the content of the voice segment spoken by the speaker, such as a password.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Speaker verification, or voice authentication, is an ergonomic way of securing access. Unfortunately, its present performance does not assure total security.
A developer of speaker verification means in an automatic voice recognition device, which constitutes the subject matter of the invention, must achieve a compromise between an authorized level of fraud corresponding to impostors accessing the application and the required level of ergonomy, corresponding to a rate of acceptance of legitimate speakers to whom the service application cannot be refused.
The compromise between security and ergonomics conditions the value of a decision threshold. Any speaker verification method yields a verification score that represents the similarity between a presumed authorized speaker voice model and an unknown speaker voice segment seeking access to the application. The verification score is then compared to the decision threshold. Depending on the result of this comparison, the device decides whether to accept or to reject the unknown speaker, in other words whether or not to authorize the speaker to access the application. If the decision threshold is severe and thus high, few impostors will be accepted by mistake, but authorized speakers will be rejected. If the decision threshold is lax and thus weak, few authorized speakers will be rejected but many impostors will be accepted.
The difficulty therefore lies in determining the decision threshold, especially since, for the same rate of acceptance, the threshold varies from one speaker to another ("A COMPARISON OF A PRIORI THRESHOLD SETTING PROCEDURES FOR SPEAKER VERIFICATION IN THE CAVE PROJECT" J.-B. PIERROT et al., Proceedings ICASSP, 1998).
Thus the distribution of the verification scores depends on the speaker voice model used to calculate them. Optimum speaker verification therefore requires a respective decision threshold for each model.
One way to circumvent the speaker sensitivity of the threshold is to normalize the distribution of the verification scores. Applying an appropriate transformation to render the distributions of the scores independent of the speaker model solves the problem of searching for a threshold for each speaker, i.e. for each speaker model. Thus the problem is shifted to that of finding a way of normalizing the scores.
In the "z-norm" method described in the paper "A MAP APPROACH, WITH SYNCHRONOUS DECODING AND UNIT-BASED NORMALIZATION FOR TEXT-DEPENDENT SPEAKER VERIFICATION", Johnny MARIETHOZ et al., Proceedings ICASSP, 2000, the verification score distribution is normalized by means of parameters μx and σx of the distribution of estimated impostor scores over a population of impostors. If sX(Y) is the verification score for a voice segment Y to be tested against an authorized speaker model X, the verification score normalized by the z-norm method is:
                    s        ~            x                  (      Y      )        =                              s          x                                  (          Y          )                    -              μ        x                    σ      x      in which μx and σx are respectively the mean and the standard deviation of the impostor score distribution for the model X. These normalization parameters are estimated beforehand, during a learning phase, using a database of recordings that are considered to be plausible occurrences of imposture for the speaker model X.
Providing the necessary database of recordings of speakers considered as impostors relative to the authorized speaker is conceivable if the verification of the speaker is a function of a password known to the voice recognition device. This assumes that the developer of the service application will have collected beforehand recordings of persons speaking the password in a context close to the application so that the recordings represent plausible occurrences of imposture tests. This necessary collection of recordings makes it difficult to change the password in a system with a password fixed by the device, and makes it impossible for the authorized speaker using the application to choose a password.
In the more ergonomic situation in which the user chooses the password himself during the learning phase, it is practically impossible to collect recordings of the password by a set of other speakers.
Furthermore, to improve the ergonomics of some applications, during a very short learning phase known as the enrolment phase, a voiceprint of the authorized user speaker is created by generating a voice model for him.
To enrich the model, the authorized speaker voice model is adapted as and when it is used with speech recordings validated by the application or by a decision algorithm, as described in the paper "ROBUST METHODS OF UPDATING MODEL AND A PRIORI THRESHOLD IN SPEAKER VERIFICATION", Tomoko MATSUI et al., Proceedings ICASSP, 1996, p. 97-100. If a user has been recognized, his speech recorded during the access request is used to update his model. This updating enriches the model and takes account of changes in the voice of the authorized speaker over time.
Since the model is enriched, the distribution of the scores is modified and the decision threshold initially defined may become unsuited to the application. This is because the verification scores for an authorized speaker-user improve as more data is used to define the model. If the decision threshold is made relatively lax, so as not to reject too many authorized users in the initial configuration, it is also relatively permissive and allows a large number of impostors to access the application. Because the speaker voice model is enriched as and when access is requested, the distributions of the scores are modified, which can lead to a very low level of rejection of authorized speakers and a relatively high rate of acceptance of impostors, whereas modification of the decision threshold would obtain the full benefit of the enrichment of the model and would preserve a low rate of erroneous rejection combined with a low rate of acceptance of impostors.
In the paper previously cited, MATSUI et al. propose to adapt the decision threshold when the speaker model is adapted. This adaptation is therefore applied directly to the decision threshold for an expected operating point.
The adaptation of the threshold as proposed by MATSUI et al. assumes that the device has retained all of the voice recordings necessary for the learning period and for the adaptation of the speaker model in order to be able to determine a set of verification scores that will be used to estimate a decision threshold for that set. That threshold is interpolated with the old threshold to obtain the new threshold.
This adaptation of the threshold has the following drawbacks. Firstly, occurrences of impostor recording are necessary, which is unrealistic in some applications. Secondly, the speaker speech recordings must be retained in order to re-estimate the decision threshold, which implies a non-negligible cost in terms of memory. Finally, because re-estimation is done at the level of the decision threshold, i.e. for a required operating point, if it is required to modify the operating point for ergonomic reasons, for example, then all the interpolation parameters have to be modified.

Verification score normalization in a speaker voice recognition device


A system and method include training of an artificial neural network to generate an output data set, the training based on the plurality of sets of emission data acquired using a first imaging modality and respective ones of data sets acquired using a second imaging modality.

Conventional medical images may be generated via transmission tomography imaging or emission tomography imaging. In transmission tomography imaging, the imaging source (e.g., an X-ray source) is external to the subject and the source radiation (e.g., X-rays) is transmitted through the subject to a detector. According to emission tomography imaging, the imaging source (e.g., a gamma ray-emitting radiopharmaceutical) is internal to the subject (e.g., due to injection or ingestion thereof) and the source radiation (e.g., gamma rays) is emitted from within the subject to a detector. In either case, absorption or scattering within the subject tissue attenuates the source radiation prior to reception of the source radiation by the detector.
Different imaging modalities may measure different aspects of an imaged subject. For example, Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging systems measure uptake activity, Computed Tomography (CT) imaging systems measure tissue density, and Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging systems measure proton density. Since each of these modalities provides unique information about a same biological system, it is often desirable to incorporate the data acquired via two or more imaging modalities.
For example, tomographic reconstruction of emission data may utilize supplemental data obtained using other imaging modalities such as MR and CT. The supplemental data may be obtained by segmenting the CT/MR image data to, for example, identify tissue locations and characteristics. Such reconstruction can be time and resource-consuming, particularly in the case of current quantitative iterative reconstruction techniques. Some imaging systems might lack the processing power to timely generate such reconstructions and/or may be unable to produce data of the type needed for such reconstructions. What is needed are efficient systems to generate reconstructed images from multi-modal image data.


The present invention provides an interactive funnel amusement device. The interactive funnel amusement device allows a user to interact with the interactive funnel amusement device to a greater extent than prior art funnel devices. In one embodiment, the interactive funnel amusement device includes a funnel and a target. The target is located on an interior surface of the funnel such that when an object is rolled along the interior surface of the funnel the object is capable of interacting with the target. The interactive funnel amusement device can also include an adjustable guide. The adjustable guide is capable of guiding the object along one of a number of trajectories along the funnel such that the object rolls around the interior surface of the funnel in a substantially spiral manner. The adjustable guide can also be used to aim the object along a trajectory that causes the object to interact with the target located on the interior surface of the funnel. The trajectory of the object may be varied along the horizontal plane, vertical plane and in the angular orientation of the object.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to amusement devices, and more particularly to funnel type amusement devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated by physical phenomena. Whether it is the effect of gravity on light and heavy items, or the coriolis effect, people have been amused by the intricacies of nature. One particular phenomenon that continues to amuse people is the display of centripetal force.
The funnel is one particular application of centripetal force used to provide amusement. Funnel amusement devices typically take the form of those disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,512 by Divnick, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,055 by Poythres et al., and U.S. Pat. No. D289,218 by Divnick. As is discussed below, the prior art funnel amusement devices do nothing more than display a rolling coin.
FIG. 1a shows a typical prior art funnel amusement device 8. Funnel amusement device 8 includes a fixed coin guide 12 and a funnel 10. Funnel 10 has an upper aperture 15 and a lower aperture 16, the funnel sloping inwardly and downwardly from upper aperture 15 towards lower aperture 16. Typically, a coin 14 is dropped onto fixed coin guide 12. Fixed coin guide 12 then guides coin 14 onto a trajectory along the inner surface of funnel 10, such that coin 14 will spiral down from the upper aperture 15 to lower aperture 16, as can be seen in reference to FIG. 1b. However, fixed coin guide 12 does not allow the user to vary the path or speed of coin 14.
FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional side view of funnel 10 taken along line 1b--1b of FIG. 1a. Funnel 10 has an inner surface 10a and an outer surface 10b. Coin 14, once it has been guided onto inner surface 10a by fixed coin guide 12, typically rolls down funnel 10 in a spiral pattern A as depicted in FIG. 1b. Coin 14 initially begins rolling with a near vertical orientation along inner surface 10a. However, as coin 14 spirals down inner surface 10a it obtains a more horizontal orientation. Due to centripetal force, coin 14 is able to roll along inner surface 10a even though coin 14 is no longer vertically oriented. As coin 14 continues to roll further down funnel 10, coin 14 will gradually become more horizontally oriented. Not until coin 14 approaches lower aperture 16, when coin 14 is almost completely horizontally orientated, does coin 14 succumb to gravity and fall over. The spiral voyage of coin 14 from coin guide 12 entertains viewers of the device 8.
Despite the pleasure and enjoyment provided by prior art funnel amusement devices, there is room for improvement. First, fixed coin guide 12 is typically limited to rolling coin 14 in only one trajectory along funnel 10. Usually, the trajectory is chosen to launch coin 14 on a path that will allow coin 14 to roll the greatest distance along inner surface 10 and provide the greatest length of entertainment. Typical prior art funnel amusement devices are not capable of allowing a variety of different coin trajectories for viewers to enjoy.
Another problem with prior art funnel amusement devices is the limited amount of interaction between the observer and the amusement device. Generally, interaction is limited to dropping coin 14 down fixed coin guide 12. It is desired to allow observers to become more than passive viewers of such amusement devices, and become active participants in the marvels of physics that are being demonstrated.
Additionally, the amusement provided by prior art funnel amusement devices is limited to the rolling of coin 14. The ability to provide further enjoyment and entertainment is always a goal of amusement devices. Thus, there is a need for a more interactive and entertaining funnel amusement device.


A tool for handling intravenous supplies packaged in containers such as bottles and bags. The tool has an engaging end which both engages a fixture to support the tool in a working position, and engages an intravenous container to support it in the working position. The tool has a handle and a shaft extending between the engaging end and the handle. The shaft is long enough to reach support fixtures and shaped to hang without contacting the intravenous container. The handle is shaped to accommodate a user's hand

This invention relates generally to the handling and supporting of intravenous bags and bottles during medical treatment and deals more particularly with a tool or a hanger which may be used to support an intravenous bag or bottle by engaging a ceiling supporting hook or a hook at the top of a portable intravenous stand thus supporting the intravenous bag or bottle thereon.
Although intravenous supplies are commonly hung from intravenous hooks fixed to ceilings, or supported by intravenous hooks attached at the top of portable wheeled intravenous stands, it is difficult to reach these hooks due to the height of their suspension above the floor.
Typically, the intravenous bag is suspended on a hook by passing a hole in the top margin of the bag over the hook. The intravenous bottle is typically suspended on a bail or handle affixed adjacent to its upper end. The bail is adapted to placed over the hook.
Since the intravenous supplies must be positioned well above the patient to be effective, the hook supporting the supplies is normally positioned too high for average height persons to reach by hand. Therefore, substantial difficulty is encountered in placing intravenous supplies on and removing them from the hook.
Applicant is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,882,084; 4,094,391; 4,153,286; 4,899,050; 4,955,647; 5,029,921; and 5,351,365.


The present invention relates to a reagent for classifying leukocytes including (a) at least one surfactant capable of lysing erythrocytes and partly damaging the cell membrane of leukocytes, (b) at least one organic compound bearing an anionic group capable of binding to the cationic component present in the leukocytes to provide morphological differences between the leukocytes, and (c) a buffer for adjusting pH to 2˜8. Also disclosed is a method for classifying leukocytes into four groups.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to reagents and methods for classifying cells, and in particular, to reagents and methods for classifying leukocytes into four groups.
2. Description of the Related Art
In clinical testing fields, it is common and important to classifying and counting leukocytes in the whole blood of patients for diagnosis of diseases.
Till now, a number of devices and methods for classifying and counting leukocytes have been reported.
CN 95115317.X discloses a method for classifying leukocytes into five groups with two kinds of reagents. Both the reagents contain nonionic surfactants and a buffer. In addition, the first reagent for classifying the blood sample into four groups consisting of three groups corresponding to lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils and one group corresponding to neutrophils and basophils comprises at least one ionic surfactant, at least one organic compound having an anionic group and a buffer for adjusting pH, while the second reagent comprises at least one ionic surfactant for classifying the basophils from leukocytes other than basophils. By combining the information obtained with both reagents, this method classifies leukocytes into five groups. The detection system is based on laser light scattering. It is also emphasized that the nonionic surfactant is required and leukocytes will be lysed as a side effect which should be prevented.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,733 discloses a reagent for classifying and counting leukocytes. Specifically, it discloses a reagent for classifying leucocytes at least into four subgroups, which comprises at least one ionic surfactant, at least one organic compound, a nonionic surfactant and a buffer for adjusting pH. According to this patent, the reagent may comprise a first liquid and a second liquid, wherein said first liquid comprises at least one organic compound and wherein said second liquid comprises at least one ionic surfactant. It is also emphasized therein that each of said first and second liquids comprises a nonionic surfactant and a buffer, and the nonionic surfactant is necessary for dissolving the insoluble substance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,549 relates to a method for classifying leukocytes employing the RF method and the DC method and a reagent used therefor. The reagent comprises a first fluid for diluting blood and which contains a hyperosmotic agent, a second fluid contains an anionic surfactant or a nonionic surfactant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,893 relates to a reagent for classifying and counting leukocytes having at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one cationic surfactant, and a buffer.
Chinese Patent Application No. 88101677 relates to a method and reagent system for isolation and identification of leukocyte subpopulation. Said reagent system comprises a lytic reagent and a quench. The measuring techniques can be a radio frequency (RF) method or a direct current (DC) method.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,044 discloses a lytic reagent system for selective chemical treatment of whole blood, which comprises an acidic aqueous solution consisting essentially of a diluent, a lytic reagent and optionally a separate quench. The lytic reagent consists of formic acid, acetic acid and their respective mixtures. The reagent system can contain saponin in addition to the lytic reagent. And the pH value is in the range of from about 6 to about 7.5.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,731,206 discloses a lytic reagent composition and a kit of a lytic reagent system for the rapid isolation, identification and/or analysis of at least five subpopulations of leukocytes from a whole blood sample. The kit of a lytic reagent system comprises a first composition which decreases the pH of the sample to a pH in the range of from about 2.6 to about 4.0 containing saponin and carboxylic or sulfonic acid derivatives, and a second composition comprising a quench which stabilizes the blood sample at a pH in the range of from about 6 to about 7.5.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,518, it discloses a reagent and method for differential determination of leukocytes in blood using DC and RF measurements. The lytic reagent comprises a nonionic surfactant that protects the neutrophil subpopulation from lysis. The pH value of the lytic reagent is adjusted to a pH in the range of from about 1.4 to about 3.4.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,510,267 provides a lytic agent and method enabling 5-part leukocyte differential count, wherein the lytic agent consists essentially of an aromatic oxyethanol, an organic buffer, and a nonionic detergent. The testing system is based on a four-angle laser light diffraction.
Among the above-mentioned prior art reagents and methods for classifying leukocytes, nonionic surfactants are necessary to the reagent for classification of CN95115317.X, U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,733, U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,549 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,893. There are also some restrictions on the pH value. Taking CN95115317.X for example, it is required that the pH value should be in the range of 5-11. All of these restrictions prevent the above-mentioned techniques from wide application.
Furthermore, with regard to the techniques for classifying described in CN 88101677, the most suitable condition is at normal temperature. With the changing of the ambient temperature, it is difficult to maintain the temperature constant at 25° C. The measurements fluctuate with the temperature and thus hurt the measurement precision. Under the circumstances, thermostatic apparatus are required to eliminate the influence of temperature changing. In addition, to keep the temperature at 25° C., not only heating devices but also cooling devices are necessary, which significantly increase the equipment costs.
Thus, there continues to be a need for improvement in the art for reagents and methods for classifying leukocytes that do not have the above drawbacks.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reagents and methods for classifying leukocytes

Shenzhen Mindray Biomedical Electronics Co., Ltd.


The present invention provides an integrated high voltage capacitor, a method of manufacture therefore, and an integrated circuit chip including the same. The integrated high voltage capacitor, among other features, includes a first capacitor plate (120) located over or in a substrate (105), and an insulator (130) located over the first capacitor plate (120), at least a portion of the insulator (130) comprising an interlevel dielectric layer (135, 138, 143, or 148). The integrated high voltage capacitor further includes a second capacitor plate (160) located over the insulator (130) and a top-level dielectric layer (199) located at least partially along a sidewall of the second capacitor plate (160).

Modern day electronic equipment often requires galvanic isolation between the high voltage side and control signal side thereof. Galvanic isolation means that no electrical current can flow directly between the high voltage side and the control signal side, as there is no direct electrical contact. However, even though the high voltage side and control signal side are galvanically isolated from one another, a signal can flow between the two.
One piece of electronic equipment, among many, that might require the aforementioned galvanic isolation is an x-ray machine. Typically, very high voltages are required to operate an x-ray machine. However, these very high voltages need to be shielded from the patient and/or operator of the x-ray machine. Another piece of electronic equipment that might require the aforementioned galvanic isolation is a motor controller. For example, galvanic isolation could be used to electrically separate the 220 Volt motor windings from the control module.
In each of the uses of galvanic isolation, the solution needs to be fast, compact, capable of integration into the preexisting systems, and immune to electromagnetic noise. Moreover, many of the solutions must receive certification from the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE), Underwriters Laboratories (UL), CSA International (CSA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), etc. These certifications often require robust solutions (e.g., reliable for an extended period of time) capable of withstanding extremely high DC voltages, as well as RMS voltages. These certifications also require for the solutions to have a relatively high transient immunity (e.g., the ability to handle voltage spikes).
Given the aforementioned desires for galvanic isolation, as well as the requirements thereof, the electronics industry has focused on a number of different solutions. One such solution is the placement of a discrete high voltage capacitor (or pairs of capacitors) between the high voltage side and control signal side of the electronics equipment. These discrete high voltage capacitors are located on a separate substrate than the control signal circuitry is located on, and connected to the control signal side using wire bonds.
Unfortunately, the galvanic isolation provided using these discrete high voltage capacitors is often insufficient for today's electronics equipment. For instance, because it is difficult to manufacture these discrete high voltage capacitors having matched capacitance values (e.g., within less than about 2 percent), the capacitors have inadequate transient immunity values. The discrete high voltage capacitors fail in other areas also.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a high voltage capacitor, and a method of manufacture therefore, that does not experience the drawbacks of the prior art discrete high voltage capacitors.

Integrated high voltage capacitor having a top-level dielectric layer and a method of manufacture therefor


A hot-stick with a selective transformer-penetration tool is described. The tool combination is useful for remote sampling of oil from an energized high-voltage utility transformer without introducing an environmental and maintenance risk. The sample is then independently tested for PCB contamination. The tool used in combination with the hot-stick is selected from among a remote drill chuck provided for drilling a guide hole in the transformer, an impalement spike for enlarging the guide hole, a remote syringe to withdraw an oil sample from the transformer, a remote rivet setter, and a remote caulking gun to close and seal the hole.

The present invention relates generally to remote testing of energized, high voltage utility transformers and, more specifically, to an assembly tool and procedure for remotely penetrating a utility transformer, extracting oil therefrom for analysis, and resealing the transformer.
In recent years the presence of PCB's used in high voltage utility transformers has been of concern. When PCB's are discovered in the cooling oil of the transformer, the transformer is replaced. With the large number of utility transformers in service, problems in testing has become an issue as much as the actual detection and removal of PCB-contaminated units.
Prior to this invention, before utility transformers were tested, power to the transformer was interrupted. After interrupting power to a transformer, a hole was typically drilled near the base of the transformer, and a small amount of oil was drained out. The hole was then closed with a plug. Typically, the plug was effective only for a limited period of time; normal vibrations such as from 60-cycle a.c. electrical power and from passing motor vehicles would cause the plug to loosen and leak, causing a major environmental and cost concern of utility companies.
Deenergizing the transformer by interrupting power to a power grid causes customer dissatisfaction and risks liability for failures caused in facilities that were not sufficiently notified or given adequate time to prepare. With a growing number of facilities dependent on computer processors and other similar equipment, maintaining continuous power is a high priority. It is therefore much preferred to have a oil-sampling system that does not require power interruption to the transformer. However, industry rules require that operators remain at least 24 inches from any energized high voltage utility transformer to minimize danger to the operator. Any tool used by an operator inside that protective distance must provide for electrical insulation of the operator from the tool. Therefore, any procedure for sampling oil from an energized utility transformer must employ a electrically insulating tool or tool system that can be operated at 24 inches from the transformer.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool and procedure for facilitating the extraction of oil samples from energized utility transformers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tool that enables a workman to safely extract oil from an energized transformer by operating the tool a safe distance from the transformer.
Still another object of the invention restore the long-term integrity of the utility transformer after oil is extracted.
A final object is to extract transformer oil without potentially introducing a costly maintenance and environmental problem.
The above objects are attained in the present invention in a hot-stick utility transformer combination selective tool for remote use by an operator for penetrating a utility transformer above the oil line within the transformer, extracting an oil sample with a syringe element, and closing and resealing the transformer.


A lens blank having a base prefitted with an insert and peripheral ejector marks on the base provided outside an outermost portion of the insert. The ejector marks are carried by a tab of the base having extra thickness on the same side as the insert, and a recess in its other side, the recess forming an element for centering the spacer of an adjacent blank, which is superposed thereon.

This type of component is known. It is used in particular for fabricating correcting lenses for ophthalmic eyeglasses or comfort lenses (for sunglasses, protective glasses, . . . ).
Several fabrication techniques are known for this kind of component. By way of example, one of them is illustrated by patent document US 2004/0217495. In that document, a mold is used comprising two parts that open relative to each other, one of the parts defining a complex cavity in which a kind of spot face is provided for containing an insert in sheet form, such as a portion of polarized film, the spot face being defined by a plurality of mold portions that are adjustable relative to one another.
The mold as disclosed therein would appear to consume a large quantity of injected material, much of which will constitute scrap when making a lens from the molded blank.
In addition, the blank from that mold is not suitable for automatic handling, nor even for building up stacks since the surface presenting the polarized film projects from the blank as a whole, and is thus exposed to external aggression that might scratch the film.
Industrializing the method disclosed in that document would appear to require equipment that is complicated, demanding incessant and accurate adjustments, thereby unfavorably influencing the cost price of the fabricated blank.

Lens blank, and a method and a mold for fabricating it


When multiple regional data clusters are used to store data in a system, maintaining cache consistency across different regions is important for providing a desirable user experience. In one embodiment, there is a master data cluster where all data writes are performed, and the writes are replicated to each of the slave data clusters in the other regions. Appended to the replication statements are invalidations for cache values for the keys whose values have been changed in the master data cluster. An apparatus in the master data cluster logs replication statements sent to the slave databases. When a slave database fails, the apparatus extracts the invalidations intended for the failed database and publishes the invalidations to a subscriber in the region of the failed database. The subscriber sends the invalidations to the local caches to cause stale data for those keys to be deleted from the caches.

Cache memories are used to accelerate access to data on slow storage by managing a subset of the data in smaller, faster, and, typically, more expensive storage. Caches come in many shapes and forms, and can be embodied in hardware, such as central processing unit (CPU) caches, and software, such as Memcached. They can also be layered across several storage layers.
For a large social networking service that uses multiple regional data centers to support requests for data from millions of users, or in one case, billions of users, it is important to maintain cache consistency across data centers. Inconsistent data caching can result in users being served stale data, which results in a non-ideal user experience.

System and method for implementing cache consistent regional clusters


Systematic fault localization systems and methods are provided which utilize computational GDS-assisted navigation to accelerate physical fault analysis to identify systematic fault locations and patterns. In some embodiments, a method includes detecting a plurality of electrical fault regions of a plurality of dies of a semiconductor wafer. Decomposed Graphic Database System (GDS) cross-layer clips are generated which are associated with the plurality of electrical fault regions. A plurality of cross-layer common patterns is identified based on the decomposed GDS cross-layer clips. Normalized differentials may be determined for each of the cross-layer common patterns, and locations of hotspots in each of the dies may be identified based on the determined normalized differentials.

In semiconductor device manufacturing, dies on a semiconductor wafer may be tested, for example, by physical failure analysis (PFA), to determine causes of certain defects that may exist in the dies. Defects may be related to many causes, including for example, flaws in the design of the die as well as flaws in the manufacturing processes used to manufacture the die.
Physical failure analysis (PFA) typically entails probing the die with a wafer testing apparatus. By applying known electric test vectors and tracing the test vectors through the circuitry in the die, failure regions can be identified. Once a failure region is identified, additional steps such as manual net tracing are performed to determine a layer in which the failures occur. Next, PFA samples are selected, typically based on the judgment of engineers, and the physical samples are analyzed in a lab to pinpoint the cause of the failures. This may involve a variety of time-intensive procedures, such as top lapping, cutting, cross-sectioning, etching, physical delayering, and the like, in order to diagnose the root cause of the failure. Moreover, these procedures are typically performed over a relatively large region of the semiconductor die, as the failure regions generally cannot be precisely located with conventional techniques.

Systems and methods for systematic physical failure analysis (PFA) fault localization

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


The laminated piezoelectric element comprises a plurality of layers including first electrodes, piezoelectric material bodies, and second electrodes, wherein: the layers are laminated in order of the first electrode, the piezoelectric material body, the second electrode, and the piezoelectric material body; a plurality of active parts of the laminated piezoelectric element, where the piezoelectric material bodies are capable of actively expanding and contracting when a voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode that are mutually opposing across the piezoelectric material body, are two-dimensionally arranged in a row direction and a column direction; and the first electrodes are common to the plurality of active parts in the row direction and the second electrodes are common to the plurality of active parts in the column direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated piezoelectric element, a liquid droplet ejection head using the laminated piezoelectric element, and an image forming apparatus having the liquid droplet ejection head.
2. Description of the Related Art
One conventionally known image forming apparatus which forms images on a recording medium is an inkjet recording apparatus, which forms an image by ejecting ink in the from of liquid droplets from nozzles (liquid droplet ejection ports) toward the recording medium.
It has been sought to form high-resolution, high-quality images, such as photographic prints, with the inkjet recording apparatuses. For this purpose, it is effective to reduce the size of the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles by reducing the nozzle size as well as to arrange the nozzles at higher density.
However, about reducing the nozzle pitch and arranging the nozzles at high density in one row, there are manufacturing restrictions, and the like. If the nozzles are to be arranged at high density without restricting the real nozzle pitch, then it is effective to arrange the nozzles in the form of a matrix (two-dimensional matrix).
On the other hand, in order to eject ink of high viscosity, it is necessary to increase the generated pressure for ejecting the ink. For example, it has been considered that the generated pressure can be increased by layering together a plurality of piezoelectric elements in a piezoelectric system, in which a diaphragm that forms a portion of a pressure chamber is deformed by means of the deformation of a piezoelectric element, thereby changing (reducing) the volume of the pressure chamber, applying a pressure to the ink inside the pressure chamber, and thereby causing the ink to be ejected from a nozzle in the form of a droplet.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-11304 discloses an inkjet head using a laminated piezoelectric element of this kind, in which a laminated piezoelectric element formed of piezoelectric members and intermediate electrodes of conductive material layered together alternately and burned is cut by slicing to leave a base portion (common seating) without electrodes, thus forming grooves which mechanically separate the individual piezoelectric elements. The laminated electrodes are formed to connect a pair of opposing electrodes through the respective side faces of each of the individual piezoelectric elements, in such a manner that the electrodes can be wired to the uppermost surface.
However, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-11304, it is necessary to form the electrodes on the side faces of the grooves after forming the laminated piezoelectric elements and then applying grooves to the laminated piezoelectric elements. Therefore, if the grooves are very fine due to high-density arrangement of the nozzles, and/or if a large force is required when it is to eject high-viscosity ink, for instance, then the total number of piezoelectric elements will be very large, the thickness of the piezoelectric elements will also be large, and the grooves will be deep. Consequently, the bottom portion of the grooves becomes obscured, and it becomes difficult or impossible to form electrodes on the side faces of the grooves.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-261560, for example, discloses a flat surface printer based on a bubble jet system in which the ink is heated, thus generating air bubbles, and ink is ejected by the expansive energy created as these air bubbles grow, the nozzles of the head being arranged in the form of a matrix. In this printer, a plurality of segment lines and common lines are arranged in a matrix fashion, and nozzles, ink flow channels for supplying ink to these nozzles, and heat generating resistances are arranged in the vicinity of the points of intersections between the segment lines and the common lines.
However, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-261560 is limited to the bubble jet type inkjet printer, which is inadequate for ejecting ink of high viscosity. Furthermore, it is hard to form an image of high quality since the tonal gradation of the recorded image is difficult to be controlled.

Laminated piezoelectric element, liquid droplet ejection head using same, and image forming apparatus comprising same


An infrared remote control is encapsulated in a plastic moulding and has no physical controlling buttons or virtual touch screen buttons that uses motion to determine which remote control codes are to be transmitted to adjust the function of home audio visual equipment. The combination of a motion sensor (14) and a computer program running in an onboard microprocessor (15) enables the device to be used in any orientation. The user selects modes and causes the remote control device to broadcast infrared command signals as required to adjust the function of home audiovisual equipment at a distance by moving the device in certain predetermined patterns. The device signals its function to the user by a heartbeat style vibration pattern.

Wireless infrared remote controls are known comprising a hand held transmitter which when coupled with a receiver in the corresponding piece of audiovisual equipment, enables a user to control the various functions of the said audiovisual equipment at a distance without having to approach or touch the audiovisual equipment. Typically a remote control device consists of a housing which houses electronics, one or more batteries, an interface comprising one or more buttons, in some cases a display with or without touch sensitive areas which relate to the functions to be controlled and one or two infrared transmitter light emitting diodes (LEDs). In normal operation, when the user wishes to alter the settings of a piece of audiovisual equipment at a distance, then in normal operation when one of the remote control buttons is depressed, or the touch sensitive surface is touched, the electronics of the device causes a coded signal to be broadcast by the remote control device, using flashes of infrared light, which is then received by the audiovisual equipment being controlled, the receipt of which triggers electronics within the audiovisual equpiment to perform the desired function. Typically wireless remote controls are used to change the settings of audiovisual equipment, such as; channel (in the case of a television or digital broadcast receiver for example), or track number (in the case of audio equipment or a DVD player for example) without having to approach the equipment. Wireless remote controls may also be used to supplement the main controls of any piece of audiovisual equipment to enable the settings of the device to be changed where it is not possible or practical to put large numbers of buttons or a control interface on the piece of audiovisual equipment itself.
Wand shaped remote wireless controlling devices are also known for use in computer video game interaction, as in earlier published International Patent Application No. WO9728864. In that patent, a wand shaped remote is described for use in conjunction with a personal computer, to enable more immersive role playing with computer games featuring virtual wands. The described device uses a mixture of buttons and movement to facilitate control of the game.
Further hand held wireless mouse devices are also known for controlling personal computers to enable presenters to control their computers while standing up, giving presentations, as in earlier U.S. Pat. No. 7,158,118 Pointing Devices with Orientation Compensation.
However, these known arrangements suffer from the problem that none of them is adapted or has the capability either to function purely by motion and without the use of any buttons to control audiovisual home entertainment equipment, or to be completely encapsulated in a tube or a solid casting of plastic so that small and non-traditional device shapes may be accommodated, in turn so that the remote control may have a shape simulating other objects, in particular an elongate object, such as a wand, which does not have the conventional appearance of a generic remote control device incorporating manually operable control buttons.

Remote control device, in particular a wand having motion detection


A mobile station is disclosed for performing an automatic frequency control based on a correspondence of a frequency error and TCXO control voltage to a base station. A plurality of frequency error measuring units each measure a frequency error between an internal clock signal and a clock signal in a specified base station. A plurality of control voltage calculators, each associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of frequency error measuring units, integrate a frequency error measured by the corresponding frequency error measuring unit to produce a control voltage. A control voltage selector selects a control voltage corresponding to a base station currently in communication with the mobile station from among control voltages calculated by the plurality of control voltage calculators. A clock signal generator generates an internal clock signal at a frequency in accordance with the selected control voltage. A memory has stored therein a set of a scramble code of each base station corresponding to a frequency error measured by a frequency error measuring unit corresponding to the base station, and a control voltage selected by the control voltage selector. Later, when the mobile station switches a base station unitized for the frequency control (hand-over), a frequency error and TCXO control voltage corresponding to a scramble code (or identification ID) of a base station, to which the mobile station is newly connected for communication, are read from the memory, when the scramble code is stored in the memory, for utilizing in the frequency control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile station which performs a frequency control for synchronizing the frequency of an internal clock signal in the mobile station to the frequency of a clock signal in a base station.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a mobile station to correctly demodulate a signal received from a base station, symbols in the received signal must appear at predetermined locations on a phase plane in accordance with a particular modulation scheme. To this end, the mobile station performs an automatic frequency control for synchronizing the frequency of an internal clock signal in the mobile station to the frequency of a clock signal in the base station.
A conventional automatic frequency control in a CDMA mobile station is performed only making use of an error in the frequency of an internal clock signal in the CDMA mobile station with respect to the frequency of a clock signal in a base station (cell/sector) to which the CDMA mobile station is currently in connection for standby, position registration, communication therewith, or the like. For this reason, in the event of hand-over for switching from a base station (cell/sector) in communication due to the CDMA mobile station being turned on or returning from an out-of-coverage area, fluctuations in reception power, and the like, the CDMA mobile station requires a long time to converge, to a certain range, a frequency error of the frequency of the internal clock signal in the CDMA mobile station with respect to the frequency of a clock signal in a base station (cell/sector), to which the CDMA mobile station is newly connected.
In addition, a conventional automatic frequency control for use in a CDMA mobile station employs a method of previously storing a TCXO (temperature-compensated crystal oscillator) control voltage for reducing a time required to converge a frequency error to a certain range when the CDMA mobile station is turned on or returns from an out-of-coverage area. This method stores in a memory a TCXO control voltage when a frequency error is below a certain threshold, i.e., when AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) is locked, such that the TCXO control voltage is read from the memory for use as an initial value for the TCXO control voltage when the CDMA mobile station is turned on or returns from an out-of-service range. However, this method can suffer from an instantaneous increase in the frequency error, on the contrary, when a plurality of base stations present errors in frequency among them.

Mobile station capable of performing automatic frequency control based on correspondence of frequency error and TCXO control voltage to base station


A recording apparatus for recording onto a recording medium comprises a U-turn passage having a passage for guiding the recording medium from an upper to an under side, a straight-like passage for guiding the recording medium almost horizontally, a common passage connecting the U-turn passage and the straight-like passage, and a recording head for recording onto the recording medium provided along the common passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording onto a recording sheet based on image information.
2. Related Background Art
A recording apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine or facsimile terminal equipment is constituted to record an image consisting of dot patterns onto a sheet-like recording medium (here after referred to as a recording sheet) such as paper or plastic thin board, by driving energy generation means of recording head, based on image information.
The recording apparatus can be classified into the ink jet printing, wire dot-matrix printing, thermal recording and laser beam printing systems, according to the method of recording.
As a recording sheet useful for recording, there is thick paper such as an envelope or postcard, or a special sheet such as a plastic thin board, as well as plain paper.
Here, the recording apparatus, which is generally a horizontal type, has an insertion opening and an exhaustion opening for a recording sheet which are provided on an upper face of the recording apparatus. A recording sheet inserted through the insertion opening is recorded while being conveyed along a recording sheet conveyance passage constructed as a U-shape, and then exhausted through the exhaustion opening after recording.
By the way, there arises a technical problem that when a thick recording sheet that does not easily bend such as a postcard or envelope is used in the horizontal type recording apparatus as above described, smooth conveyance was difficult as the sheet conveyance passage was formed as U-shape.
Thus, in order to convey the thick recording sheet such as a postcard or envelope smoothly, a recording apparatus has been proposed in which an insertion opening for thick paper or special sheet is provided on an under face of the apparatus to make its conveyance passage straight-like, whereby a recording sheet such as a thick paper can be also conveyed smoothly.
In this case, the insertion opening for the recording sheet is provided on upper and lower (bottom) faces, and the exhaustion opening for the recording sheet is provided on an upper face.
However, the recording apparatus having the insertion opening for recording sheets on upper and lower faces, as previously described, has two service positions (attitudes), i.e., horizontal and vertical, depending on the insertion direction of the recording sheet, and in order to be stable in either position an external shape of the recording apparatus must be almost cubical with the approximately same depth and height, resulting in a waste of space in the interior.
Moreover, with the recent rapid trend of miniaturized and low cost personal computers, the recording apparatus like a printer useful as an output apparatus is also demanded to be made small-sized and at lower cost.


A method for estimating an aspect of a formation using a nuclear spectroscopy tool includes placing a nuclear spectroscopy tool into a borehole and emitting neutrons such that some of the neutrons generate gamma rays from a formation adjacent the nuclear spectroscopy tool and some of the neutrons generate gamma rays from elements within the nuclear spectroscopy tool. An energy spectrum of gamma rays induced by the emitted neutrons can be detected. The energy spectrum includes a background having a plurality of measured spectral components. A background ratio between at least one spectral component of the background and another measured spectral component can be determined or estimated in accordance with environmental measurements. The detected gamma ray spectra can be analyzed using a combination of standard spectra and subtracting at least one spectral component of the background in accordance with the background ratio.

When drilling through a rock formation or other formations for oil, natural gas or other materials, it is beneficial to determine or estimate the type of formation that is being drilled through. For example, information regarding the formation type can be useful for more accurately interpreting other well logging measurements in order to estimate formation porosity, water saturation, net hydrocarbon content, and formation permeability and production rates. It can also be useful in making drilling decisions based on estimated mechanical properties of the formation.
There are various ways to try to determine or estimate the formation, one of which is logging while drilling or LWD. LWD is the measurement of formation properties during the excavation of the hole, or shortly thereafter, through the use of tools integrated into the bottomhole assembly.
One known technique of LWD is neutron-gamma spectroscopy, which uses neutrons to create excited states in a nucleus which then may decay via emission of one or more gamma rays. The gamma rays of each isotope have a characteristic energy spectrum which can be used to distinguish the concentration of a particular element such as hydrogen. As a result, the gamma rays of a group of isotopes provide a group of characteristic energy spectra that can be used to distinguish the concentrations of corresponding elements, such as hydrogen, chlorine, iron, silicon, calcium, sulfur, titanium, aluminum, sodium, magnesium, manganese, and nickel.
One drawback of the use of neutron-gamma spectroscopy is that one or more of elements in the spectroscopy tool can be the same as one or more elements in the formation such that the tool, when attempting to determine or estimate the elements in the formation, can actually also detect gamma rays resulting from elements in other than the formation such as elements in the tool or the drilling mud. That is, the spectrum for an element that is present in the formation and in, for example, the tool is actually the total of the spectrum of the element from the formation and the spectrum of the element from the tool. The portion of the spectrum from other than the formation is often referred to as the background spectrum.
Another drawback is that the environmental conditions of the formation can vary from well to well and also as a function of depth within a particular well, which can affect the spectra measured using LWD neutron-gamma spectroscopy. Examples of varying formation environmental parameters are borehole size, rock formation density, borehole fluid density, hydrogen index of the rock formation, neutron slowing-down length of the rock formation, thermal neutron capture cross section Sigma of the rock formation, or thermal neutron capture cross section Sigma of a borehole fluid.
Eliminating, reducing the effects of, or compensating for either of these drawbacks would be beneficial when attempting to determine or estimate the type of formation that is being drilled through.

Environmental corrections in nuclear spectroscopy using variable element ratio


A powered movable chair controllable by a user. The chair includes a frame, a powered apparatus mounted to the frame to power the movable chair, and a controller including a control circuit coupled to the powered apparatus. The control circuit includes at least two switches for selectively controlling a change of the status of the powered apparatus between a locked state and an unlocked state. The control circuit is operable to generate an output signal allowing control of the powered apparatus in the unlocked state and preventing control of the powered apparatus in the locked state. The control circuit is further operable to change from the unlocked state to the locked state when a user operates only a first switch of the at least two switches, and to change from the locked state to the unlocked state when a user operates two switches of the at least two switches.

The invention relates to a method of and apparatus for locking a feature of a powered furniture item, and particularly to an electric lockout for selectively preventing actuation of one or more features of the furniture item.
It is known to provide furniture items with various electrically powered features or apparatus. Examples of such powered apparatus include, but are not limited to:
1) one or more motors, or a hydraulic system connected to a stationary lift and/or recline chair, dental or medical chair, sofa, love seat, bed, futon, etc;
2) one or more heater elements (either temporarily or permanently) connected to a stationary lift and/or recline chair, dental or medical chair, sofa, love seat, bed, futon, etc;
3) one or more vibrating elements (either temporarily or permanently) connected to a stationary lift and/or recline chair, dental or medical chair, sofa, love seat, bed, futon, etc; or
4) an air bladder system connected to a stationary lift and/or recline chair, dental or medical chair, sofa, love seat, bed, futon, etc;
An example of a system having one or more vibrating elements is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,707, entitled POWER SUPPLY FOR VIBRATING FURNITURE, which is incorporated herein by reference. An example of a system having a hydraulic lift system and at least one motor is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,002, entitled ADJUSTABLE CHAIR HAVING PROGRAMMABLE CONTROL SWITCHES, which is incorporated herein by reference.
One example of a furniture item with a powered apparatus is a power-lift chair. Power-lift chairs help elderly, disabled or similarly situated individuals get into and out of the lift chair. For example, when the user wishes to sit in the lift chair, the user operates a controller to raise and rotate (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9craisexe2x80x9d) the lift chair from a xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d state. The term xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d state refers to the normal resting position, i.e., the lift chair is not in the raised position. The user raises the lift chair to the desired height and rotation position thereby allowing the user to readily sit in the lift chair. By raising the lift chair, the user is allowed easier access to the chair. After the user sits in the lift chair, the user operates the controller to return the chair to the normal state. That is, the lift chair lowers and reverses the direction of rotation (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cloweringxe2x80x9d) until it returns to the normal state. Similarly, if the user is sitting in the chair while the chair is in the normal state, the user can raise the lift chair thereby allowing the user to easily get out of the lift chair. The lift chair uses one or more electrical motors to raise and lower the chair.
Another example of a furniture item with a powered apparatus is a power-recline chair. Power-recline chairs allow a user to controllably recline the power-recline chair. As compared with a manual recline chair, the power-recline chair allows greater control and stability of the chair while reclining the chair. For example, the user operates a controller such that the power-recline chair moves to a desired reclined position. If the user is already in a reclined position, the user operates the controller until the chair returns to the upright position. Power-recline chairs utilize one or more electrical motors to move the chair between the recline and upright positions.
The functional utility of power-lift chairs and power-recline chairs can be combined into the same chair. That is, a lift and power-recline chair combines the features of the lift chair and the power-recline chair.
In some circumstances, it is desirable to prevent unauthorized use of the powered apparatus of the furniture item. For example, children should not be allowed to operate such items without proper supervision and/or training.
Accordingly, the invention provides a powered furniture item having an electronic lockout for preventing unauthorized use of the item. The powered furniture item has an unlocked state and a locked state. In the unlocked state, the item responds to user initiated commands generated by a controller. In the locked state, either the item does not respond to commands generated by the controller, or the controller is precluded from generating such commands.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a powered movable chair including a frame, a powered apparatus mounted to the frame to power the movable chair, and a controller including a control circuit coupled to the powered apparatus. The control circuit includes at least two switches for selectively controlling a change of the status of the powered apparatus between a locked state and an unlocked state. The control circuit is operable to generate an output signal allowing control of the powered apparatus in the unlocked state and preventing control of the powered apparatus in the locked state. The control circuit is further operable to change from the unlocked state to the locked state when a user operates only a first switch of the at least two switches, and to change from the locked state to the unlocked state when a user operates two switches of the at least two switches.
The invention further provides a method of controlling a powered movable furniture item (e.g., a chair). The method includes the acts of changing from the unlocked state to the locked state when the user operates only a first switch of the at least two switches, and changing from the locked state to the unlocked state when the user operates two switches of the at least two switches.
In the prior art, it is known to change a powered furniture item from an unlocked state to a locked state. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,002, a user can lock the adjustable chair by actuating multiple switches concurrently. However, the powered furniture item of the invention includes a control circuit operable to change from the unlocked state to the locked state when a user operates a single switch only. By requiring the user to operate one and only one switch to lock the furniture item, the control circuit of the invention is simplified over control circuits of prior art furniture items. The control circuit of the invention reduces the number of parts and has a more simplified software program. In situations where the furniture item needs to lock out quickly, activating one and only one switch is a more effective and simpler method to lock the furniture item. Additionally, by requiring the user to operate two switches to unlock the control circuit, the control circuit of the invention cannot be unlocked haphazardly.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.

Method of and apparatus for locking a powered movable furniture item


A method of manufacturing a downhole electrical cable is described. The method comprises arranging an elongate member adjacent to a flat elongate sheet of material, where the length of the elongate member is greater than the length of the flat elongate sheet. The elongate sheet is then formed into a cylindrical shape around the elongate member, and the adjacent longitudinal edges of the cylindrical shape are joined, preferably by seam welding, to form the elongate sheet into a tube with an end of the elongate member adjacent each end of the -tube. Thereafter, an elongate conductor is connected to one end of the elongate member, and the other end of the elongate member is pulled to draw the elongate conductor through the tube until the elongate member is removed from the tube and the elongate conductor is located within the tube. At this final point in the method, an end of the elongate conductor is adjacent each end of the tube.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing downhole electrical cable, particularly for use in providing electrical power and signals to downhole equipment.
In the hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation industry, there is a requirement to provide electrical signals from above ground and water to downhole equipment and subsea equipment.
One conventional method of manufacturing downhole electrical cable is to insert a leader wire into a steel tube. The leader wire is run through the length of the steel tube by pressuring the steel tube behind a piston head attached to the leader wire. When the leader wire has run through the entire length of the steel tube, the front of the leader wire is attached to a conducting wire, and the leader wire is pulled back through the steel tube, thus pulling through the conductor wire. Thus, the downhole electrical cable is formed.
However, there is a limitation on the length of steel tube through which the leader wire can be successfully pumped, as there are pressure losses over the length of the steel tube. Currently, the typical length requirement of downhole electrical cables is approximately 15,000 feet. With this method of manufacturing downhole electrical cable, it is normally not possible to produce any cables longer than this, as further increases in the fluid pressure may cause damage or failure of the steel tube.
It is also known to form the downhole electrical cable by seam welding the steel tube around the conductor. However, this has the disadvantage that the conductor, and insulating sheath that protects the conductor from the steel tube, may suffer degradation due to the heat produced by the seam welding process, which makes this existing method relatively expensive.

Method of manufacturing a downhole electrical cable

Wood Group Production Technology Limited


A pixel cell with a photo-conversion device and at least one structure includes a deuterated material adjacent the photo-conversion device.

CMOS image sensors are increasingly being used as low cost imaging devices. A CMOS image sensor circuit includes a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells includes a photogate, photoconductor, or photodiode having an associated charge accumulation region within a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge. Each pixel cell may include a transistor for transferring charge from the charge accumulation region to a sensing node, and a transistor, for resetting the sensing node to a predetermined charge level prior to charge transference. The pixel cell may also include a source follower transistor for receiving and amplifying charge from the sensing node and an access transistor for controlling the readout of the cell contents from the source follower transistor.
In a CMOS image sensor, the active elements of a pixel cell perform the necessary functions of: (1) photon to charge conversion; (2) accumulation of image charge; (3) transfer of charge to the sensing node accompanied by charge amplification; (4) resetting the sensing node to a known state before the transfer of charge to it; (5) selection of a pixel for readout; and (6) output and amplification of a signal representing pixel charge from the sensing node.
CMOS image sensors of the type discussed above are generally known as discussed, for example, in Nixon et al., "256×256 CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Camera-on-a-Chip," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 31(12), pp. 2046-2050 (1996); and Mendis et al., "CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensors," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 41(3), pp. 452-453 (1994). See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,177,333 and 6,204,524, which describe the operation of conventional CMOS image sensors and are assigned to Micron Technology, Inc., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A schematic diagram of a conventional CMOS pixel cell 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The illustrated CMOS pixel cell 10 is a four transistor (4T) cell. The CMOS pixel cell 10 generally comprises a photo-conversion device 23 for generating and collecting charge generated by light incident on the pixel cell 10, and a transfer transistor 17 for transferring photoelectric charges from the photo-conversion device 23 to a sensing node, typically a floating diffusion region 5. The floating diffusion region 5 is electrically connected to the gate of an output source follower transistor 19. The pixel cell 10 also includes a reset transistor 18 for resetting the floating diffusion region 5 to a predetermined voltage; and a row select transistor 16 for outputting a signal from the source follower transistor 19 to an output terminal in response to an address signal.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pixel cell 10 of FIG. 1 depicting the photo-conversion device 23. The exemplary CMOS pixel cell 10 has a photo-conversion device 23, which may be formed as a pinned photodiode. The photodiode 23 has a p-n-p construction comprising a p-type surface layer 22 and an n-type photodiode region 21 within a p-type active layer 11. The photodiode 23 is adjacent to and partially underneath the transfer transistor 17. The reset transistor 18 is on a side of the transfer transistor 17 opposite the photodiode 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the reset transistor 18 includes a source/drain region 2. The floating diffusion region 5 is between the transfer and reset transistors 17, 18.
In the CMOS pixel cell 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, electrons are generated by light incident on the photo-conversion device 23 and are stored in the n-type photodiode region 21. These charges are transferred to the floating diffusion region 5 by the transfer transistor 17 when the transfer transistor 17 is activated. The source follower transistor 19 produces an output signal from the transferred charges. A maximum output signal is proportional to the number of electrons extracted from the n-type photodiode region 21.
Conventionally, a shallow trench isolation (STI) region 3 adjacent to the charge collection region 21 is used to isolate the pixel cell 10 from other pixel cells and devices of the image sensor. The STI region 3 is typically formed using a conventional STI process. The STI region 3 is typically lined with an oxide liner 38 and filled with a dielectric material 37. Also, the STI region 3 can include a nitride liner 39 between the oxide liner 38 and the dielectric material 37.
The nitride liner 39 provides several benefits, including improved corner rounding near the STI region 3 corners. The nitride liner 39 typically has tensile stress. Since the dielectric material 37 typically introduces compressive stress, the presence of the nitride liner 39 results in an overall decrease in stress levels. Reduced stress levels provide decreased leakage currents in the photo-conversion device 23. Particularly, leakage from trap-assisted tunneling and trap-to-trap tunneling mechanisms is decreased.
A common problem associated with the above described STI region 3 is dangling bonds (e.g., dangling Si- bonds) at the surface of the substrate 11 along the trench bottom 8 and sidewalls 9. The dangling bonds create a high density of trap sites along the trench bottom 8 and sidewalls 9. These trap sites are normally uncharged but become charged when electrons and holes become trapped in the sites. As a result of these trap sites formed along the bottom 8 and sidewalls 9 of the STI region 3, current generation near and along the trench bottom 8 and sidewalls 9 can be significant. Current generated from trap sites inside or near the photodiode 23 depletion region causes undesired dark current and an increase in fixed pattern noise.
Conventionally, hydrogen passivation is used to reduce the dangling bonds. However, the nitride liner 39 acts as a diffusion barrier for hydrogen (H2) during passivation and reduces passivation of the dangling bonds. Therefore, when the nitride liner 39 is used dark current may increase.
It is desirable to have an isolation region with a nitride liner and reduced dangling bonds.

Deuterated structures for image sensors and methods for forming the same