A system and method for computerized competition useful for rewarding a player. The system and method may be utilized in arcade games, personal computer games, dedicated video games, networked games, and simulators. The method may include selecting a target reward level or threshold such as by selecting a score from a list of past scores, and dynamically adjusting the reward level according to the ability of the players of the system. The method may further include adjusting the playback of a previous competition sequence according to the adjusted reward level. In one embodiment, a previous vehicle race sequence is stored and played back as a ghost or phantom vehicle simultaneously with a present vehicle of a player.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to vehicle simulators. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to selectively rewarding the user of the simulator.
2. Description of the Related Technology
What is needed is a way to selectively reward users of a simulator or game, such as a vehicle simulator, according to a target reward level established by an owner or operator of the simulator. The target level would vary according to the ability of the users and would be adjusted dynamically.
In one aspect of the invention, there is a method of simulated vehicle competition, comprising storing a plurality of parameters indicative of past routes and a past route, providing a threshold route parameter, navigating a simulated vehicle over a current route, displaying the current route of the simulated vehicle, and modifying the threshold route parameter with a parameter corresponding to the plurality of stored parameters.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a method of rewarding a player of a simulated vehicle racing system, the method comprising a) storing vehicle race parameters of past players on a particular track in a memory, b) storing a target vehicle path, c) selecting one of the stored vehicle race parameters as a target race parameter, d) playing the stored target vehicle path as a function of the target race parameter and a new vehicle path by a player vehicle of a present player, e) recording spatial data of the player vehicle on the particular track in a buffer as the new vehicle path of the present player, f) storing a vehicle race parameter of the present player in the memory, g) selecting the recorded new vehicle path as a new target vehicle path if the stored vehicle race parameter of the present player is an improvement over the target race parameter, h) adjusting the stored vehicle race parameter associated with the new target vehicle path based on the target race parameter, thereby generating a new target race parameter, and i) repeating d)-h) at least one time.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a simulated vehicle racing method, comprising retrieving a vehicle path corresponding to a stored route of one of a plurality of previous players on a simulated course, retrieving a plurality of vehicle race times, each race time corresponding to a race time of a previous player, selecting one of the plurality of vehicle race times as a free game time, and adjusting the playback of the retrieved vehicle path as a function of the free game time.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a simulated vehicle system, comprising a simulated vehicle configured to traverse a simulated course, a data structure holding a plurality of course finish times, a present course buffer configured to store a present course path of the simulated vehicle and a course finish time of the simulated vehicle as it traverses the simulated course, a recorded course storage configured to store a recorded course path, and a playback adjuster configured to adjust the speed of playback of the recorded course path when a course finish time in the data structure which corresponds to the recorded course path is different than a selected one of the course finish times.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a computerized competition method, comprising accumulating a plurality of competition scores from multiple competitions in a competition environment, and selecting one of the competition scores to be a threshold for further competitions, wherein passing the threshold determines an award, and wherein the selecting is based on a predefined percentage of awards.
In an additionaI aspect of the invention, there is a computerized competition system, comprising a competition environment stored in a computer, a data structure storing a plurality of past competition scores, a present competition buffer configured to store a present competition score and results of a present competition in the competition environment, a recorded competition storage configured to store results of a past competition in the competition environment, and a parameter adjuster configured to adjust at least one parameter of playback of the recorded past competition based on a function of a selected one of the competition scores.
In an additional aspect of the invention, there is a simulated competition method, comprising retrieving a stored competition sequence of a previous player in a competition environment, retrieving a plurality of scores of previous players, selecting one of the plurality of scores as a target score, and adjusting a playback parameter of the retrieved competition sequence as a function of the target score.

System and method of vehicle competition with enhanced ghosting features


A compound represented by the following general formula (I),

Compounds having strong absorptions in a range of from 450 nm to 1,100 nm, especially those having maximum absorptions (λmax) between 480 and 620 nm are used as optical elements for the optical recording layers of optical recording media such as DVD±R and the like, and for optical filters for the image display units such as liquid crystal displays (LCD), plasma display panels (PDP), electroluminescence displays (ELD), cathode ray tube displays (CRT), fluorescent displays, field emission displays, and the like.
For example, one application of the optical element in the image display unit is a light absorber for the color filter. The image display unit displays color images by a combination of three primary colors, namely, red, blue, and green. However, light which displays color images contains light between green and red, for example, between 550 and 600 nm, which causes lowering of the display quality. Also, light between 750 and 1,100 nm is contained, which may cause a malfunction of an infrared remote control. Thus, there is used an optical filter containing a light absorbing compound (a light absorber) which selectively absorbs light of these unnecessary wavelengths.
Further, the optical filter is also desired to have a function of preventing reflection or glare of outside light such as fluorescent lamps and the like. In order to prevent reflection or glare, the optical filter needs to absorb light of wavelength between 480 and 500 nm, in addition to its function to selectively absorb the above-mentioned light of unnecessary wavelengths. The light in this region is close to the bright line needed to display images. Thus, in order not to affect the image quality, the light absorption curve by the light absorber is required to be especially steep, namely the half bandwidth at λmax is required to be small.
Furthermore, the light absorber is also required not to lose its function by light, heat, and the like.
As an optical filter comprising the light absorber, for example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses an optical filter which uses a dipyrromethene metal chelate compound having a maximum absorption wavelength between 440 and 510 nm, and Patent Document 2 discloses an optical filter which utilizes a porphyrin compound having a maximum absorption wavelength between 440 and 510 nm. However, the compounds used for these optical filters do not provide satisfactory performances in terms of absorption wavelength characteristics or compatibility with the solvents and binder resins. Thus, these optical filters did not show satisfactory performances between 480 and 500 nm.
Further, in the above-mentioned optical recording media, the wavelength of a semiconductor laser used for recording and reproduction is between 750 and 830 nm for CD-R and between 620 and 690 nm for DVD±R. However, in order to realize further increase in the recording capacity, an optical disc which uses short-wavelength laser light, for example, one which uses recording light of 380 to 420 nm in wavelength is under study.
In an optical recording medium for the short-wavelength recording light, various compounds are used to form the optical recording layer. For example, there are reported in Patent Document 3 an cyanine-based dye, in Patent Document 4 a metal complex of triazole compounds, and in Patent Document 5 a porphyrin compound. However, these compounds were not necessarily adequate as an optical recording material used for formation of an optical recording layer, in terms of absorption wavelength characteristics and light resistance.
Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-57436
Patent Document No. 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-45887
Patent Document No. 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-301333
Patent Document No. 4: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-174838
Patent Document No. 5: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-59601

Compound, optical filter and optical recording material using the same

Abstract: wherein ring A and ring B each independently represent a benzene, naphthalene, or heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; R1 and R2 each independently represent an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms which may be substituted; R1 and R2 may be linked together to form a ring; a methylene group of the alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms may be replaced by —O— or —CH═CH—; Anq− represents a q-valent anion, where q is 1 or 2; p represents a coefficient to keep the charge neutral.


A preceding vehicle recognition apparatus detects positions of two reflectors provided on a preceding vehicle from individual received signals each representing a signal reflected by the reflectors. The apparatus further detects position of an area of rear face of the preceding vehicle by integrating a plurality of received signals each representing a signal reflected by the body of the preceding vehicle. Thus, even when only one of the two reflectors is detected or both reflectors cannot be detected, the width of the preceding vehicle can be found. By using the width of the preceding vehicle, it is possible to keep track of the movement of the same preceding vehicle with a high degree of reliability.

As a preceding vehicle recognition apparatus is proposed for a vehicle. The apparatus radiates a transmission signal such as a light or millimeter wave signal over a predetermined angular range in the forward direction of the vehicle and, by detection of a reflected signal obtained as a result of reflection of the transmission signal, recognizes a preceding vehicle existing at a location away from the vehicle in the forward direction. This preceding vehicle recognition apparatus can be applied to a variety of apparatuses mounted on a vehicle. Typical application includes a apparatus which generates a warning when the distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle becomes short, and a apparatus which controls the speed of the vehicle so as to maintain the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and a preceding vehicle.
Such a preceding vehicle recognition apparatus is disclosed in JP 2002-181936A. In this conventional preceding vehicle recognition apparatus, a scanning laser radar measures a distance between the vehicle and a beam-reflecting body existing in a detection area. In the measurement processing, the scanning laser radar carries out a grouping process to put portions determined to be portions of the same body in a group in order to find not only the distance between the vehicle and a beam-reflecting body, but also the azimuth and size of the body. In the grouping process, portions that are located at the same distance and move in the same direction continuously along the time axis are regarded as portions of the same body.
In particular, the preceding vehicle recognition apparatus selects a beam-reflecting body with a small width among detected bodies and determines whether or not there is a possibility that a portion of the selected body is concealed behind another body existing closer to the vehicle than the selected body. By determining such possibility, the preceding vehicle recognition apparatus is capable of determining whether or not a beam-reflecting body newly appears in front of the vehicle as the other body existing closer to the vehicle moves in the transversal direction of the movements.
In the case of an example shown in FIG. 14, it is assumed a first preceding vehicle 201 is traveling in front of a vehicle having a laser radar 200 and a second preceding vehicle 202 is traveling on the diagonally forward left side of the first preceding vehicle 201. In this case, the laser radar 200 is capable of measuring a distance to left and right reflectors 201L and 201R on the rear face of the first preceding vehicle 201 and a distance only to a left reflector 202L on the rear face of the second preceding vehicle 202. Since a right reflector 202R on the rear face of the second preceding vehicle 202 is located at a position concealed behind the first preceding vehicle 201 when viewed from the vehicle, the laser radar 200 is not capable of measuring a distance to the right reflector 202R on the rear face of the second preceding vehicle 202.
Thus, assuming that the second preceding vehicle 202 probably having its portion concealed and existing at a location farther from the vehicle 200 has a predetermined width, the conventional preceding vehicle recognition apparatus determines whether or not a portion of the second preceding vehicle 202 is concealed behind the first preceding vehicle 201 closer to the vehicle by determining whether or not the right edge of the second preceding vehicle 202 pertains to a projection area on the second preceding vehicle 202. The projection area is computed with coordinates of left and right edges of the first preceding vehicle 201 taken as a reference.
By making use of reflectors provided on the left and right edges of the rear face of a preceding vehicle, the conventional apparatus detects the positions of the left and right edges of the rear face of the preceding vehicle. Since the reflectors each have a high reflectance in comparison with the vehicle body itself, reflected signals each having a high intensity can be obtained from the reflectors. Thus, normally, the positions of the left and right edges of the rear face of a preceding vehicle can be detected with a high degree of precision based on received signals representing signals reflected by the reflectors. Then, by linking the detected positions of the left and right edges of the rear face as positions varying with the lapse of time to form movement vectors, the locus of the preceding vehicle can be found.
However, when the reflectors are dirty or the preceding vehicle is traveling along a curved road, for example, it is difficult to detect the reflectors in some cases. In such cases, the conventional apparatus is no longer capable of detecting the positions of the left and right edges on sides of the rear face of the preceding vehicle. Thus, the preceding vehicle is mistakenly put in the same group as another preceding vehicle traveling in parallel to the preceding vehicle. It is therefore difficult to keep track of the movement or the locus of the preceding vehicle with a high degree of reliability.


A plurality of shift register groups 13a-13d each consisting of a plurality of registers are provided to store a next one of printing data, a current one of the printing data, a predetermined number of previous ones of the printing data and a predetermined number of previous ones of the printing data for an adjacent heating dot. A plurality of pattern discerning circuits 14a-14d are also provided to consecutively discern history patterns of respective heating dots and output corresponding driving data, so that the printing energy for a heating dot is made smaller when its next one of the printing data stored in the shift register group 13a-13d is "0" than when the next one of the printing data is "1".

In thermal printheads, a plurality of heating dots are arranged linearly with a predetermined pitch. The dots are selectively actuated in accordance with printing data for performing printing. The printing may be performed by a heat transfer method using ink ribbon or by a more direct method using thermosensitive recording paper. The printing is performed for one line at a time. The printing speed is increased as the printing cycle for one line is shortened. Accordingly, the feeding speed of the recording paper is increased. Recently, an effort has been made to provide a thermal printhead having thus increased printing speed to meet the requirement of a higher-speed printer.
In general, heating dots of a thermal printhead tend to accumulate heat because of the presence of a glaze layer. When the printing speed is increased, such a heat-accumulating tendency of the heating dots will give rise to the following problem.
It is now assumed that each of the heating dots is simply heated equally in accordance with the printing data. In case where the printing is performed to make printing dots consecutive in the secondary printing direction (which is the direction in which the recording paper is fed relative to the head), a drive energy is repetitively given to the heating dot which has been already heated by the immediately preceding drive of the heating dot for the primary scanning (in the direction of the array of heating dots) before the temperature of the heating dot drops, resulting in the increased heat accumulation at the heating dot. As a result, even if a printing operation for the next line is not expected according to the printing data, in other words, even if the consecutive driving operations of the heating dot are completed, the so-called trailing phenomenon will occur in which printing is performed on the recording paper due to the accumulated heat.
Various methods of controlling driving of a thermal printhead have been proposed to avoid the above problem, even in performing high-speed printing.
Typical examples are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 61-116555 and 4-305471 for instance. According to these, the printing energy to be given to the currently selected printing dot is controlled by referring to the previous ones of the printing data for the selected heating dot and for the adjacent heating dots, or in other words by referring to the history information about whether printing was performed by these dots for the last printing line and the printing line before last, or further for more previous printing lines. With such a controlling method in general, the energy to be given to the currently selected heating dot is reduced as the number of times printing was previously performed by the selected heating dot and the adjacent heating dots, for the purpose of reducing a possibility of the above-mentioned trailing phenomenon.
However, even when the above controlling method capable of reducing the trailing phenomenon is adopted, it is still difficult to completely avoid the trailing phenomenon when printing is performed at much higher speeds. Further, the following problem will occur. Specifically, the trailing phenomenon is such an occurance that printing is erroneously performed in a non-printing region near the boundary between the printing region and the non-printing region as viewed in the secondary scanning direction. However, the following problem due to the heat accumulated in the selected heating dot will occur across the boundary from the non-printing region to the printing region.
Specifically, even if a certain printing energy is given to the selected heating dot to print the first line of a printing region that is adjacent to the last line of the previous non-printing region, the heating dot may fail to be sufficiently heated up due to the shortened printing cycle for much faster printing performance. As a result, it is possible that the printing dot supposed to be printed for the first line is not formed on the recording paper. Unless such a problem taking place at the boundary from a non-printing region to a printing region is overcome, serious inconvenience as follows will result even if the trailing phenomenon can be avoided. Specifically, in an instance where high-speed printing is performed to print a bar code in the direction perpendicular to the bars, a relatively narrow bar may not be printed at all or be reduced in width more than a predetermined value, so that the specific information the bar code is supposed to represent as a whole may be altered in its meaning.
In order to prevent such a problem taking place at the boundary from the non-printing region to the printing region, it may be possible that a relatively larger amount of energy is given to the selected heating dot for printing the first line of the printing region. However, according to such a method, it is necessary to prepare a power source capable of giving such increased printing energy to all of the arrayed heating dots. This is very disadvantageous in terms of the cost.

Apparatus for controlling driving of thermal printhead


A system and method for orienting first and second reaction turbines relative to an axis of rotation responds to a fluid flow having a flow orientation axis. The fluid flow is received in a casement. The casement has first and second endplates situated parallel and spaced apart along the axis of rotation. A first half of the fluid flow drives the first reaction turbine to rotate with a first spin orientation in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation to produce a first torque about the axis of rotation. The second half of the fluid flow drives the second reaction turbine, offset from the casement plane relative to the first reaction turbine, with a second spin orientation opposite the first spin orientation to produce a second torque about the axis of rotation. The casement is oriented about the axis of rotation in response to the first and second torques.

The operation of reaction turbines is described by Newton's third law of motion (action and reaction are equal and opposite). In a reaction turbine, unlike in an impulse turbine, the nozzles that discharge the working fluid are attached to the rotor.
The acceleration of the fluid leaving the nozzles produces a reaction force on a turbine rotor, causing the rotor to move in the opposite direction to that of the fluid. The pressure of the fluid changes as it passes through the rotor blades. In most cases, a pressure casement is needed to contain the working fluid as it acts on the turbine; in the case of water turbines, the casement also maintains the suction imparted by the draft tube. Alternatively, where a casement is absent, the turbine must be fully immersed in the fluid flow as in the case of wind turbines.
A reaction turbine is most efficient when suitably oriented to the fluid flow. In the case, for example, of wind turbine applications, the shifting orientation of the driving wind causes fluctuating efficiency in exploiting the wind as an energy source. The most frequent means used to orient the turbines includes some form of vane in the fashion of farmyard windmill. Using a vane, however, has proven to be inefficient and achieves orientation slowly often lagging the actual orientation of the fluid flow.
Actuated orientation of turbine requires the use of rapidly performing processors and suitable sensors. Those algorithms generally use the output of the turbine using a phase-locked loop. Generally, these algorithms suffer from perennial searching loops overshooting the maxima in a manner characteristic of either under- or over-damped oscillatory systems. In either of the vaned or the actuated systems, searching inefficiencies can denigrate performance of reactive turbine as function of the available kinetic energy of the driving fluid.
There is an unmet need in the art for a self-directing turbine system efficiently deriving energy from a flowing fluid stream.


In one example, an optoelectronic transducer includes a first contact, a second contact, a passivation layer, and a protection layer. The passivation layer is formed on top of the first contact and the second contact and is configured to substantially minimize dark current in the optoelectronic transducer. The protection layer is formed on top of the passivation layer and substantially covers the passivation layer. The protection layer is configured to protect the passivation layer from external factors and prevent degradation of the passivation layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to high-speed optoelectronic transducers. In particular, some example embodiments relate to mesa-type optical detectors that include a protection layer substantially covering a passivation layer and configured to substantially prevent degradation of the passivation layer.
2. Related Technology
Optical detectors are commonly employed for converting optical signals to electrical signals in a variety of applications. Such optical detectors are used, for instance, in connection with optical transmitters to monitor the output power of an optical signal produced by the optical transmitter, and as optical receivers to convert an incoming optical data signal into an electrical data signal in a communications network.
Optical receivers in communications networks are typically configured to operate at certain signaling rates, such as 1 Gigabit per second ("Gbit/s"), 2 Gbit/s, 4 Gbit/s, 10 Gbit/s, 40 Gbit/s, 100 Gbit/s, and above. The highest signaling rate at which an optical receiver can operate at is limited by the capacitance of the optical receiver, which is related to the size of the optical receiver's active region. In particular, higher capacitance in optical receivers with relatively larger active regions limits the use of such optical receivers to low-speed applications. In contrast, lower capacitance in optical receivers with relatively smaller active regions allows such optical receivers to be used in high-speed applications. In other words, faster data rates require optical receivers with smaller active regions.
One type of optical receiver adapted for high-speed applications is the mesa-type optical detector. The active region of a mesa-type optical detector can be minimized by forming a multi-layered semiconductor structure on a substrate and etching through various layers of the semiconductor structure to form a mesa. The mesa thus formed defines the diameter of the optical detector's active region, which at least partially determines the data rate capabilities of the optical detector. By way of example, the active region diameter of some 4 Gbit/s optical detectors is approximately 50 microns, while the active region diameter of some 10 Gbit/s optical detectors is approximately 30 microns.
In the course of forming the mesa, defects and/or discontinuities are typically created in the layers of the semiconductor structure along the mesa line. Exposure of the mesa surfaces to air oxidizes the layers and creates more defects and/or discontinuities. The defects and/or discontinuities can be a source of dark current, e.g., electric current that flows through an optical detector even when no photons are entering the active region of the optical detector. The dark current adds noise to photocurrent generated during operation of the optical detector and can render an optical detector useless if it becomes too large.
To minimize dark current, a passivation layer is typically formed on the mesa as soon as possible after etching the mesa during the manufacturing process. Ideally, the passivation layer prevents the deterioration of the layers of the semiconductor structure along the mesa line and thereby stabilizes the dark current to a manageable level. In practice, the passivation layer is sensitive to air, moisture, temperature swings, chemicals, mechanical stress, and/or other external factors that degrade the passivation layer. The resulting degradation of the passivation layer allows the mesa to deteriorate, reducing the ability of the passivation layer to minimize dark current and thereby reducing the reliability of the optical detector.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Passivated optical detectors with full protection layer


A code printing apparatus includes a speech input unit for inputting speech information, a code output unit for printing the speech information input by the speech input unit on a medium as an optically readable code pattern image, and a speech code printing control unit for controlling the code output unit to print the speech information input by the speech input unit on the medium as a corresponding code pattern image on the basis of the input operation at an operation unit controlled by the user. The user can thus easily achieve a function of printing speech data or the like as an optically readable code.

The present invention relates to a code printing apparatus for printing so-called multimedia information including audio information such as speech data, music data, and the like as an optically readable code pattern.
A Conventional technique that relates to a code printing apparatus for recording so-called multimedia information including audio information such as speech data, and the like as an optically readable code pattern (dot pattern) is disclosed in EP0670555A1 (U.S. Ser. No. 8/407,018)).
Furthermore, a technique for efficiently printing speech information on a limited printing region and a technique for converting input speech data into desired different speech data in correspondence with each application, and printing the data as a code pattern of speech data different from the input speech data have been demanded.
However, the conventional code printing apparatus disclosed in the above mentioned EP0670555A1, however, does not include means for allowing the user to easily use the function of printing speech information as an optically readable code, and the user cannot sufficiently use this function.
Furthermore, the above mentioned EP0670555A1 also does not disclose either a technique for efficiently printing speech information in a limited printing region or a technique for printing the input voice as a voice different from the input voice.


An algorithm (26) in an engine control system (14) develops data indicative of pressure across a DPF (20) as a function of time and data indicative of flow rate through the DPF as a function of time, calculates derivatives (32, 30) (38, 36) with respect to time of the data, processes the derivatives (44, 42, 50, 48, 56, 54, 58) to confirm validity of a calculation of particulate loading of the DPF (load_pf) when a result of processing the derivatives discloses the absence of transient conditions in the DPF that would prevent the calculation from being valid and to not confirm validity of a calculation of particulate loading of the DPF when a result of processing the derivatives discloses the presence of transient conditions in the DPF that would prevent the calculation from being valid.

A known system for treating exhaust gas passing through an exhaust system of a diesel engine comprises a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) associated with a diesel particulate filter (DPF). The combination of these two exhaust gas treatment devices promotes chemical reactions in exhaust gas and traps diesel particulate matter (DPM) as exhaust flows through the exhaust system from the engine, thereby preventing significant amounts of pollutants such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, soot, SOF, and ash, from entering the atmosphere.
A DPF requires regeneration from time to time in order to maintain particulate trapping efficiency. Regeneration can occur naturally when conditions are favorable, but can also be forced, such as when the particulate loading reaches a level that is deemed excessive because it is beginning to affect engine performance and/or trapping efficiency. Consequently, an engine control system typically calculates particulate loading from time to time to determine if regeneration needs to be forced.
Regeneration is forced by creating conditions that will burn off trapped particulates. The creation of conditions for initiating and continuing regeneration typically involves elevating the temperature of exhaust gas entering the DPF to a suitably high temperature. Because a diesel engine typically runs relatively cool and lean, the post-injection of diesel fuel can be used as part of the strategy to elevate exhaust gas temperatures entering the DPF while still leaving excess oxygen for burning the trapped particulate matter.
A known strategy for determining the amount of trapped particulates in a DPF (i.e. calculating the particulate loading) is based on pressure-flow relationships. For a given exhaust flow rate through a DPF, the difference between DPF inlet pressure and DPF outlet pressure is an indication of particulate loading.
It is believed fair to say that there is a general recognition among those familiar with DPF regeneration that it is desirable that a regeneration strategy minimize the frequency at which regeneration is forced, but when doing so that the strategy not significantly delay regeneration when conditions disclose that regeneration is needed.
When an engine is operating in a steady state condition, i.e. at a substantially constant speed and a substantially constant load, pressure across and flow through a DPF are substantially constant. Sufficiently accurate measurements of those parameters enable a sufficiently accurate calculation of particulate loading to be made.
However, the manner in which motor vehicles are driven results in their engines not always operating in steady state condition. While steady state operation can occur during certain driving situations such as highway cruising, acceleration and deceleration create transients in engine operation. Consequently, periodic calculation of DPF particulate loading may occasionally be made during transient operating conditions.

System and method for calculating loading of a diesel particulate filter by windowing inputs

International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC


An optical disk on which information which can be optically read is recorded having a first information recording layer formed in the vicinity of the middle of the direction of the thickness of the disk, a second information recording layer formed in the vicinity of the surface of the optical disk for storing information at a lower density than the first information recording layer and a light incidence surface into which a first and second playback laser beam is irradiated for reading the information in the first and second information recording layers. The light incidence surface is formed on the side of the optical disk opposite the surface, where the second information recording layer is made. The thickness of the disk from the light incidence surface to the second information recording layer should preferably be substantially equal to the thickness of the optical disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-density optical disk with a bonded structure in which two substrates, each of which form an information signal layer, are bonded together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical disks such as compact disks (hereafter referred to as "CDs"), which have existed for some time, have come into wide usage due to the amount of information they are able to store as well as their ease of handling. These CDs are formed by one substrate and, therefore, have a so-called single substrate structure.
Specifically, the thickness of the CD is approximately 1.2 mm (.+-.0.1 mm), and the distance from the light incidence surface, into which the playback laser beam enters to the information recording layer, is 1.1 to 1.3 mm.
Information which is in a format which is compatible with CDs is recorded onto this information recording layer, and this information is formed at a minimum pit length of 0.9 micron meter (.mu.m) and a track pitch of 1.6 micron meter (.mu.m) or less.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a type of optical disk 100 with a bonded structure which forms two information recording layers by using a transparent bonding agent to bond a substrate a1, which forms the first information recording layer a, and a substrate b1, which forms the second information recording layer b, so that the information recording layers, a and b, are facing each other.
As shown in FIG. 1, this type of optical disk 100 is such that a playback laser beam is irradiated from both sides of the disk to read the information.
Compared to the single substrate structure, since this bonded structure has little disk warpage, and it can store twice as much information, it is increasingly used to enlarge the storage capacity of high-density optical disks.
High-density optical disks are optical disks which record information at a higher density than CDs by recording smaller recording pits at a more compressed track pitch.
With a high-density optical disk with the aforementioned bonded structure (hereafter this may be simply described as "high-density optical disk"), it is conceivable that the various types of optical aberrations caused by the thickness of the substrate can be reduced by making the bonded substrates thinner than that of the CD. For example, it is conceivable that a structure can be made in which the thicknesses, Da and Db, of the substrates, a1 and b1 shown in FIG. 1, are set to 0.6 mm, and by bonding these substrates together, a1 and b1, the thickness D of the disk is set to 1.2 mm.
Because the high-density optical disk 100 with the aforementioned bonded structure is made under the assumption that it will be played back on a player (hereafter described as a "high-density playback player") which is specifically for this high-density optical disk, it cannot be played back on a CD player. This is because the information recording layer is formed at the middle of the direction of the thickness of the disk. That is, because this high-density optical disk has a structure which has a first information recording layer a and a second information recording layer b at the middle of the direction of the thickness of the disk with the thicknesses, Da and Db, of substrates a1 and b1 as half of the thickness of the CD, the optical length of the optical pickup differs from that of the CD, and, for the time being, playback on a CD player is not possible even if CD information signals are recorded on one of the information recording layers.
In this way, the conventional high-density optical disk with a bonded structure has a disadvantage in that it cannot be played back on existing CD players.
On the other hand, a known type of disk with a layered structure which is different from the aforementioned high-density disk 100 with a bonded structure is a high-density disk which, by means of a transparent layer, stacks multiple reflective layers (information recording layers) in which the reflected light ranges mutually differ (for example, the "Optical Information Recording Medium and Its Method of Manufacture" described in Laid-Open Patent Publication No. HEI 2-223030).
However, there is no description which relates to also making it possible to play back this high-density disk with a layered structure on an existing disk player by making it compatible with existing disks; only an optical disk which improves the recording density through a layered structure is presented.
That is, an area that is not touched upon at all is that, as a result of the high-density disk being such that (1) the thickness of the disk is made the same as the thickness of existing CD disks, (2) the diameter of the disk is made the same as the diameter of existing CD disks, and (3), CD information signals are recorded on one of the multiple reflective layers (information recording layers), and the distance from the light incidence surface of the high-density disk to the information recording layer where the CD information signals are recorded is made the same as an existing CD's distance from the light incidence surface to the information recording layer; from the standpoint of the outer appearance and playback characteristics of the disk, even in the case where this high-density disk is loaded into an existing CD player, it is recognized by the CD player just as if an existing CD were loaded, and it is therefore possible to play back this high-density disk in an existing CD player.

Optical disk having a high density recording layer and a low density recording layer


A composition to be applied in the preservation of edible sea products exposed to melanization is disclosed; said composition being composed of potassium or sodium bisulfite, organic acids acceptable from the alimentary point of view, such as citric acid or tartaric acid and acid salts of the same, ascorbic acid or its salts and L-cysteine or N-acetyl-cysteine as an enzymatic inhibitor, antioxidant, sequestrate.

Melanin is a natural pigment, widely spread in the animal and vegetal kingdoms, its color varying from a deep black to a reddish brown, with many intermediate tints. Said melanin gathers in the cells at the areas in the body that are exposed to ultraviolet radiation, and forms solar screens or filters for the protection of the anatomic structures underneath.
Melanin is present in the shape of micropellets and is a product of the metabolic degrading of phenilanin, tyrosine, dehydroxiphenilanin, 5,6-quinine and 5,6-dihyroxindole-2-carboxilic acid (cumelanine).
The melanin gathered in the melanocytes of the skin, being especially found on fish, forms stains or dark surfaces more or less extended in areas which may also be part of mimetic systems. This combination of different functions of melanin (solar protection - mimetism) occurs in the sea fauna in the water near the surface, such as crustaceans (spiny lobster, prawns, crayfish).
This class of invertebrates have a slight shadowy shade, due to the melanin micropellets distributed in the teguments and shell. Out of their habitat, they acquire a dark tint that stresses as they remain in the environmental air. This process, named melanization, or melanogenesis, is due to oxidation that can be enzymatic due to condensation and polymerization of aminoacid and protein groups, or else non-enzymatic due to the formation of metallic chelates with copper and iron, of the forerunners of melanin, present in the tissues, with which the content of melanin in the same increases, thus stressing the darkening.
In conventional practice, this oxidation and darkening process is controlled, up to a certain extent, by the storage of the products at low temperatures, in cold storage chambers or, given the case, maintaining the collected products in alternate layers or in bulk with ice. This method only slows down or delays the melanization process, which is undesirable, since the darkening is a clear sign for the consumers that a preserved product is deficient and/or has been stored for a long time.
It has been proved that it is now possible to extend the preservation of sea products, subject to melanization or darkening of the body out of their habitat, especially crustaceans such as shrimp, spiny lobsters, crayfish, kril, crabs, etc. This is possible by applying a composition in which a microbicidal system and a reducing agent fuse, both being specific, and also compatible from the alimentary point of view.

Composition for the protection of fresh sea food from melanosis and method therefore


Device and process for detecting defects in an arrangement of reinforcing members in casing plies in a sidewall region of at least one of an unvulcanized tire blank or a vulcanized pneumatic vehicle tire to be tested. The reinforcing members may include a magnetizable material and the device may include a support device that rotatably supports the at least one of the unvulcanized tire blank or the vulcanized pneumatic vehicle tire in rotation around a rotational axis and at least one sensor that measures magnetic field intensities in a heterogeneous magnetic field resulting from inductions generated by the defects in the arrangement of the reinforcing members moving through the heterogeneous magnetic field. The at least one sensor may be positioned in a radial measuring position in a radial region of the sidewall. The device may also include a rotation controller that controls the rotation of the unvulcanized tire blank or the vulcanized pneumatic vehicle tire and an evaluation device coupled to the at least one sensor to receive the detected magnetic field intensities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and a process for detecting defects in an arrangement (disposition) of reinforcing members. The reinforcing members may include magnetizable material, e.g., steel, in casing plies in the sidewall region of an unvulcanized tire blank or a vulcanized pneumatic vehicle tire.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Pneumatic vehicle tires are generally made with one or a plurality of casing plies having parallel reinforcing members imbedded inside. The casing plies usually extend from one bead core, over a sidewall, a crown region, another sidewall, and to a second bead core. While the crown region is usually additionally reinforced by belt plies, the sidewall gets its strength and resistance, i.e., relative to foreign bodies from outside and relative to internal pressure, mainly from reinforcing members within the casing. Accordingly, irregularities in the arrangement or positioning (spacing) of the reinforcing members of the casing can be particularly disadvantageous, especially in a vicinity of the sidewall. That is, irregularities, e.g., in the form of enlarged spaces between reinforcing members, lead to full-blown weak points of the sidewall. In the operating state of a vehicle, internal pressure of the tire can lead to excess strain of the rubber material and bulging and, in the long term, to the tearing of the rubber material. Because foreign bodies can penetrate this region with particular ease, tire blowouts may consequently result. Further, even smaller damages to the rubber material of the tire can easily lead to the tearing of the rubber material in the region of the weak point.
Since defects of the type described above, i.e., in the arrangement (spacing) of the reinforcing members, can still occur in a wide variety of ways during the construction of the tire and with the production of the torus form, it is important to utilize quality controls of the toroid pneumatic vehicle tire so as to achieve early detection of arrangement deviations of the reinforcing members in the sidewall region. These detected deviations exceed maximal permissible values based on experimental values. With retreads or used tires, it is also important to be able to detect these substantially impermissible irregularities early, e.g. after more intense contact of the sidewall with curb edges or other hard objects.
In the prior art, it is conventional for pneumatic vehicle tires having casings with reinforcing members of steel to be X-rayed after vulcanization. The tire is X-rayed all around the tire circumference. This permits the circumferential arrangement or position of impermissible arrangement deviations and the member sizes to be precisely determined by measuring the spacings. X-ray apparatuses of the type utilized in this environment generally require a large cost expenditure for installation and maintenance. Further, wear and tear on costly, sensitive X-ray tubes is considerably high. In order to protect the environment and the health of operating personnel, further high cost expenditures are necessary for additional devices, e.g., X-radiation shielding. Still further, when testing tires in series production, continuous optical evaluation of X-ray images, which exhibit a large number of parallel, closely adjacent, dark reinforcing members in the brightly lit surroundings, is fatiguing for operating personnel. Additional cost expenditures are necessary to protect against X-radiation and damage to the display unit due to fatigue when it is frequently actuated. The X-ray apparatus also requires a large number of additional subassemblies, e.g., for cooling, that are cost-intensive electronic equipment for control and evaluation of the overall X-ray apparatus. Further, the entire measuring station, with all of the corresponding protective measures and subassemblies and the large number of components, takes up a considerable amount of space.
Since a minimum measurement time is required for each tire measurement, an increase in the tire production beyond a particular measure signifies a requirement for installing additional cost-intensive X-ray apparatuses. These additional x-ray apparatuses, suffer from the disadvantages noted above, e.g. costly maintenance, protection, assembly, operation, and storage space. Due to the high cost, the x-ray apparatuses are generally only used at the end stage of tire production, in which all of the manufacture conditional arrangement or position deviations can be detected. Since positioning defects of the reinforcing members can also occur within the vulcanization apparatus and during vulcanization, X-ray apparatuses of the type discussed above are generally only used on the finished, vulcanized vehicle tire. However, tires having impermissible arrangement or position deviations, cannot be repaired when such defects are detected in this late, vulcanized state. Further, as scrap, these vulcanized finished tires can hardly be reused.
Due to the high expenditure necessary for maintaining and utilizing X-ray apparatuses, automobile shops and other maintenance personnel are generally unable to perform the above described checks during the service life of the tire. Even when the apparatuses are available, the checks are generally performed on a limited basis and at a significant cost.
German Patent document No. DE 42 23 248 A1 has disclosed the detection of defects in wide steel cord strips through the use of a magnetic field leakage process. For example, in the production of flat casing belts, the steel cord strips are drawn across a metal plate so that an angle of greater than 0.degree. is produced between the direction of movement and the alignment of the steel cords. Detectors of the type, e.g., SND 6 by Roland Electronik GmbH, D-7538 Keltern 2, which had previously been used for monitoring welding seams, are located beneath the metal plate. In this process, the detectors produce a heterogeneous magnetic field. The steel cord strips are moved through, and in a direction of, the magnetic field, to influence the heterogeneous magnetic field as a function of the spacing of the steel cords relative to each another. The detectors determine a magnetic field intensity resulting from induction arising at the defects and immediately indicate the magnetic field intensity change. The cord strip is stopped and the defective place is immediately removed so that the casing material, which is produced in belt form, can be used in a perfect state for further production of the tire. In this manner, defects in the casing material that exist in the production of the casing belts can be detected and removed.
However, arrangement or positioning defects between the reinforcing members of the casing, which are produced from the different plies and layers, in the transport of the plies to construction, in the raising the plies and layers for producing the torus shape, in the bonding of the casing packet with the tread and belt, in the raising and lowering of assembly drums, and/or in other actions after the manufacture of the flat, smooth, belt-shaped, half-finished casing product cannot be detected with the process and device of DE 42 23 248 A1. In order to detect defects of this kind, in a practical conversion, the aforementioned X-ray process, with all of its associated disadvantages, must be relied upon.

Device and process for detecting defects in the disposition of reinforcing members of magnetizable material in casing plies in the sidewall region of a tire


A heavy load pneumatic radial tire which includes at least one carcass layer in a radial direction and a reinforcing belt comprising at least two layers of metal cords around the outer periphery of the carcass in a tread portion, and in which a plurality of ribs partitioned by a plurality of main grooves extending in a tire circumferential direction are formed in a main grounding region of the tread surface and a narrow groove having a groove width of 1.5 to 5 mm and a groove depth of 60 to 120% of the depth of the main groove are disposed in a shoulder end zone of the ribs positioned at the shoulder in the tire circumferential direction, characterized in that a large number of primary kerfs extending from the narrow groove towards the tread center are intermittently disposed in the tire circumferential direction, and a large number of secondary kerfs extending in the tire circumferential direction are intermittently disposed at the positions closer to the tread center than the primary kerfs in the tire circumferential direction.

This invention relates to a heavy load pneumatic radial tire used for vehicles such as trucks and buses.
Radial tires have recently been used for heavy load vehicles such as trucks and buses and have exhibited their excellent characteristics such as high speed performance, wear resistance and low fuel cost. To withstand a heavy load, the heavy load pneumatic radial tire includes a reinforcing belt of metal cords disposed at its tread in order to provide extremely high rigidity to the tread, and is used while air of a high internal pressure is charged into it.
In the heavy load pneumatic radial tire which has high rigidity at the tread and into which air of a high internal pressure is charged, however, there occurs the problem that shoulder off wear develops because a slip at both shoulders with respect to a road surface is greater than at the tread center. When the heavy load pneumatic radial tire runs on a road surface having wheel tracks, the tire receives an excessive external force from the road surface when it escapes from the wheel tracks. Accordingly, there occurs another problem that a steering wheel is steered in the wrong direction or in other words, the problem of so-called "wandering" occurs.
The problems described above which are inherent in the conventional heavy load pneumatic radial tires have been solved to some extents by forming thin grooves or sipes having a groove width of 1.5 to 5 mm and a groove depth 60 to 120% of the depth of main grooves at both shoulders in a tire circumferential direction. However, this counter-measure has not necessarily been sufficient and has not entirely been sufficient for the former problem, that is, for the shoulder-off wear.


A patient's head is anchored (16) at one end of a patient support (10). An array of receivers (50) are mounted on a frame (12) which is fixed to the patient support. The frame carries at least one reference transmitter (52). A wand (42) has at least two emitters (44, 46) mounted thereto. By measuring relative travel time of the signals from the wand emitters to the receiver array and comparing the travel time with travel time over a known distance from the reference transmitter to one or more of the receivers, the position of the wand in a coordinate system of the patient support is determined (80). A three-dimensional array of diagnostic image data was taken through the anchored portion of the patient and at least three markers (114) affixed to the patient. By positioning the wand on the markers after the patient is secured to the patient support, a transform (110) between the patient support coordinate system and the image data coordinate system is derived. Once the relationship between the coordinate systems is known, the surgeon can use the wand to select locations and orientations on a surface of the patient and retrieve corresponding portions of the image data for display on video monitors (30).

The present invention relates to the medical diagnostic and surgical arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with neurosurgery and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated, that the invention will also find application in conjunction with other medical procedures, industrial quality control procedures, and the like.
Three-dimensional diagnostic image data of the brain and other body portions are commonly available with CT scanners, magnetic resonance imagers, and other medical diagnostic equipment. These imaging modalities provide structural detail with a resolution of a millimeter or better.
Various stereotaxy procedures have been developed which require extreme accuracy. Typical neurosurgical procedures included guided-needle biopsies, shunt placements, craniotomies for lesion or tumor resection, and the like. A three-dimensional "localizer" is attached to the patient's skull. The localizer is a mechanical device with precisely known geometry and dimensions for guiding or positioning surgical instruments. The localizer is commonly attached to a ring or frame of metal or plastic from which the name "framed" stereotaxy has evolved. This frame is typically affixed to the patient using various mounting hardware methods that include sharp points or pins that pierce the skin and locate into the skull. The localizer is then mounted onto a frame. The localizer and frame provide the surgeon with the ability to position surgical instruments mechanically with a mechanical accuracy of a millimeter or better. However, anatomically, accuracy is somewhat less due to inaccuracies in the diagnostic imaging and patient motion.
One of the difficulties that has arisen is accurately coordinating the coordinate system of the patient's skull or stereotaxy localizer with the coordinate system of the diagnostic data. One solution has been to image the patient with the stereotaxic frame attached. Because the stereotaxic frame appears in the resultant images, the surgeon is provided with a frame of reference in the images. Although relatively accurate in coordinating the two frames of reference, the use of the frame has numerous drawbacks including the need to mount the frame to the patient's head for both the imaging and the surgical procedures and the associated cost.
The present invention provides a new and improved technique which simply and painlessly coordinates the coordinate system of three-dimensional image data obtained from one or more imaging modalities with the coordinate system of the patient prior to or during surgery.


The present invention describes a system 10 and method for managing the simultaneous utilization of diverse real-time collaborative software applications. This method allows linking of multiple computer operators or users in a single collaborative session, involving multiple collaborative applications transparent to the operator or user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention describes a method for managing the simultaneous utilization of diverse real-time collaborative software applications. This invention allows linking of multiple computer operators or users in a single collaborative session, involving multiple collaborative applications, and is transparent to the operator or user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art methods used by computer professionals to provide a collaborative computer-based session between remote computer workstations have numerous shortcomings. One approach is to provide a mechanism for exchanging streaming data (video and voice) while concurrently exchanging application data. This is implemented by sharing one instance of an application on one of the participant's computers. For example, this approach was used by the creators of MS™ Net Meeting™. This approach operates by letting a computer operator, running a non-collaborative software application such as MS Word™; share the application with other people in the session. Users then take turns editing or controlling the single application. This approach does not work when the application in use in a session is a truly collaborative one, requiring multiple computer operators to exchange application data in real-time. An example of this type of application is any multi-player game.
Another common approach is to provide a mechanism in an application supporting the exchange of limited data formats. For example, the application may support a real-time text message exchange (chat) and data exchange of some proprietary data format. For example, the application may allow drawing of the same picture by different computer operators simultaneously. Unfortunately, this is all that application will support. It does not provide support for any third party applications employing alternate data formats.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for managing the simultaneous utilization of diverse real-time collaborative software applications


An image pick-up apparatus having character recognition capability includes a movable indicator displayed on a view-finder screen so that the image of a character formed on the view-finder can be compared with the indicator, and, as a result, an operator can know whether or not a character will be recognized between the movable indicator and the character based on the comparison.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pick-up apparatus, and more particularly to an image pick-up apparatus having the capability of character recognition.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various types of apparatuses having the capability of character recognition in which images of printed or handwritten characters are read first and then recognized as characters thereby converting them into machine-recognizable codes, wherein the resultant data may be processed further as required for specific purposes. One example of such an apparatus is a business card reader that reads characters representing a company name and personal name printed on a business card, converts the read characters into machine-recognizable codes, and transmits the resultant text data to an electronic tool such as a palmtop computer, an electronic address book, etc. Another example is a language translator. In this example, the translator reads foreign language sentences printed on paper via a scanner and performs character recognition on them thereby obtaining a series of character codes. The language translator then translates the foreign language sentences into Japanese sentences and prints or displays the result on paper or a monitor screen. There are also electronic systems capable of recognizing handwritten characters. For example, some systems read handwritten characters such as numeric characters filled in fields in a predetermined format such as a questionnaire, and recognizes them, wherein the resultant data may be subjected to further processing such as summing, retrieving, or statistical analysis. These apparatuses or systems treat printed or handwritten characters not as images but as characters (in the form of coded character data), which makes it possible to perform various processing that will be impossible if the image data is directly processed. That is, image data associated with characters is read via an image sensor and converted into text data by means of character recognition. This makes it possible to perform further complicated processing such as data compression, data retrieval, language translation, etc.
On the other hand, there are image pick-up apparatuses (video cameras) for recording and reproducing the image of a natural scene or subject, wherein the image is recorded in the form of image data. The image data output by this image pick-up apparatus can be input to a character recognition apparatus that converts the image data into text data and performs further processing such as that described above. The image pick-up apparatuses of this type are assumed to be used to take a picture of a natural scene or subject in a manner similar to that of conventional photographic cameras. Therefore, unlike scanners used on a desktop, they are designed to have basic capabilities and functions of a small size and light weight camera. When taking a picture of an object that cannot be moved, it is possible to take its picture by moving the image pick-up apparatus itself. It is also possible to perform adjustment regarding the size of a subject by adjusting the magnification by means of zooming or adjusting the distance to the subject. There is also provided an auxiliary illumination lamp that makes it possible to take a picture in the dark.
With the image pick-up apparatus of this type, it is possible to easily input image data of characters at a fixed location or characters having a size which could not be dealt with by other techniques. Thus, use of character recognition is expanded to a variety of applications.
In the technique described above, characters to be input are read first via an image pick-up apparatus or an image sensing unit, and the obtained image data is subjected to character recognition processing. The size of characters that can be recognized is limited by the resolution of the image sensing unit. This means that characters having a size less than a threshold cannot be recognized even if they look very clear.
In the case where an apparatus has an image sensing unit with no capability of adjusting the magnification, an operator can know the allowable lower limit of character sizes by referring to the description in an operation manual. In an apparatus having the capability of adjusting the magnification, in the case the characters are too small, a message indicating that the characters are too small to recognize is given at a stage of character recognition processing.
However, at a stage of acquiring a character image, an operator cannot know whether or not the character size is large enough for character recognition. If the size of the acquired character image is less than the allowable lower limit, the operator becomes aware of that fact when the image data is subjected to character recognition. Thus, there are disadvantages: (1) the operation becomes useless; and (2) it takes a long time to become aware of the failure.
There will be a further discussion below about a specific system in which image data of characters is acquired via an image sensing unit and then transferred to a separate character recognition apparatus which recognizes the characters thereby converting them into text data.
In the first step, characters to be recognized are captured by an image pick-up apparatus such that the images of the characters are focused on the screen of the view finder. At this stage, it is impossible to judge whether the characters to be recognized have a size large enough to be recognized. In this apparatus, it would be meaningless that an operation manual had a description about the allowable lower limit of character sizes because the ratio of the size of actual characters to that of character images can be changed by a zooming operation or by changing the distance to the subject. As a result, an operator has to input image data without any reference about the size. The character images acquired via the image sensing unit of the image pick-up apparatus are converted to image data by a signal processing unit and then transferred to the character recognition apparatus via input/output ports. Or otherwise, the converted image data is stored temporarily on a recording medium, and the recording medium is inserted into the character recognition apparatus thereby transferring the data. The character recognition apparatus attempts to recognize the input character image data. At this stage, it is judged whether the given characters have a proper size. If it is concluded that the size of the character is too small to be recognized, the apparatus issues a message to notify the operator of that fact. In response to the message, the operator should take required action. However, in any case, the operation and the time spent for that operation become useless, and thus every thing has to be done from the beginning. When an image containing information of a transitory phenomenon is dealt with, there may be no further chance, in the worst case, of acquiring an image of the same phenomenon.


An apparatus and method for adaptively compressing blocks of video image data provide a local coding level for use in compressing successive blocks of video image data. Each block is preliminarily compressed using a global coding level. The preliminarily compressed data is processed to provide a measure of the randomness of an image area represented by the block of video image data. A local coding level is generated based on the randomness measure. The video image data is then compressed using the local coding level to provide compressed data for transmission. One or more intermediate compression stages can be provided, each generating an intermediate coding level, to better refine the randomness measure for use in generating the local coding level.

The present invention relates to the compression of digital video data, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for adaptively compressing blocks of video image data according to a local coding level. The method and apparatus of the present invention are applicable to any video compression system where the quality level of reconstructed video is periodically adjusted in order to maintain a constant compression ratio.
Data compression is required when a video signal exceeds the data capacity of a communication channel or when it is desired to increase the number of services available on a channel. In such cases, the combined data rate of all services on a channel must be matched to the throughput limit of the channel. This can be done by establishing a coding level that is observed and used by each video encoder to adjust the quality level of the reconstructed video. Since the data rate increases as the image quality is raised and decreases as the signal quality is reduced, it is possible to match the data rate with the capacity of the channel by periodically adjusting the coding level as a function of the data rate that is observed. Short term fluctuations in the instantaneous data rate can be evened out by buffering the compressed signals before and after transmission. In a system where multiple video services use the same channel, the coding level can be shared by observing the combined data rate of all services. Alternatively, each service can maintain an independent coding level by observing its own data rate only.
Various different digital compression systems are known in the art for reducing the amount of data needed to adequately represent a sequence of video images. An example of such a system is provided in Paik, "DigiCipher--All Digital, Channel Compatible, HDTV Broadcast System," IEEE Transactions on Broadcasting, Vol. 36, No. Dec. 4, 1990, incorporated herein by reference. In the system described in the aforementioned article, a highly efficient compression algorithm based on discrete cosine transform (DCT) coding is used. Motion compensation is also provided to further enhance the image compression.
The use of such systems makes it possible to achieve compression ratios in excess of 100:1. Most of the video compression algorithms used in these systems take advantage of statistical properties of the image. Occasionally, certain sequences of images will be encountered where these statistical properties do not apply. In such cases, a constant compression ratio cannot be maintained without visibly impairing the resulting image. In general, the variation in picture quality increases as compression systems become more powerful and more sophisticated. Usually, it is only the average compression ratio that is improved by such systems.
For a wide range of compression algorithms, the most effective way to control the video quality as a function of the coding level is to vary the precision of the quantizers that are applied to the video data. For example, if the coding level specifies that the data rate is to be reduced, then the coarseness of the quantizers may be increased. Similarly, if the data rate is to be increased, then finer quantizers may be used. Other methods of varying the picture quality in response to the established coding level include changing one or more of the video frame rate, spatial sampling rate, and image block size. In the case where differential coding is used (e.g., in connection with motion compensation), the refresh rate may also be varied.
Such systems are effective in matching the data rate of the compressed video to the data rate of the communications channel. These systems do not evenly distribute the available data capacity throughout the image. Typically, the more complex or detailed regions will consume the most bits and the less complex regions will consume the least. Such compensation is generally easy to implement in a transform coding system. In particular, most frequently used video transforms produce transform coefficients with amplitudes that are representative of the energy in a particular band of the frequency spectrum. Therefore, errors can be introduced into selected frequency bands by coarsely quantizing the corresponding transform coefficients. In general, the high frequency coefficients are always quantized more coarsely than the low frequency coefficients. This technique is used in the system described in the aforementioned article to Paik.
Ideally, the quantizer precision used for each different frequency band represented by a block of transform coefficients representing a region of an image would be optimized. In the case where all of the artifacts resulting in an image area are attributable to coarse quantization of transform coefficients, such optimization can be done by experimentally or theoretically determining the ideal allocation of weighting factors for each transform coefficient. As the coding level is varied, the weighting factors can increase or decrease proportionately. Alternatively, more sophisticated schemes can be used in order to better maintain an optimum distribution of errors as the coding level is varied. The intent is to set the coding level in order to achieve the desired compression rate, while at the same time, maintaining an ideal distribution of errors.
Although the described method of distributing errors throughout the different frequency bands of an image has been found to be generally satisfactory, the present invention overcomes a significant problem with the prior art schemes. In particular, it is sometimes impossible to detect the occurrence of errors when an image area is sufficiently random. The reason is that there is so little structure in such areas that a viewer is not certain how the feature is supposed to appear. Random noise is an extreme example. Features with little structure consume a very high percentage of the available signal transmission bandwidth, leaving little bandwidth for other image areas that have more typical video characteristics. The subjective appearance of these other image areas will often be unacceptable, if the coding level is set to maintain the targeted data rate. This occurs because the high data rate required to transmit data for the random areas requires the use of a much lower data rate for the more typical video areas, if the targeted rate is to be achieved.
It would be advantageous to provide a system for adaptively compressing blocks of video image data wherein the coding level is not adversely affected by the occurrence of unstructured regions within an image area. It would be further advantageous to provide such a system that can be efficiently and economically implemented in a digital video compression system. Such a system should maintain a targeted data rate for the compressed video data, without unacceptably reducing the data rate for any portion of an image area.
The present invention provides a system for adaptively compressing blocks of video image data which enjoys the aforementioned advantages.

Adaptive coding level control for video compression systems


A sensor system for outputting sensor data, including at least one sensor element, a provision device for providing sensor data of the at least one sensor element, a control device for controlling the at least one sensor element, and an output device for outputting sensor data of the at least one sensor element; a data processing device being set up, with the aid of which the control device is configurable to provide a time interval between the time of providing the sensor data and the time of outputting sensor data via the output device, and the sensor data provided may be fetched out of the provision device and/or modified and/or written back to the provision device within the time interval provided.

The present invention relates to a sensor system for outputting sensor data, including at least one sensor element, a provision device for providing sensor data of the at least one sensor element, a control device for controlling the at least one sensor element, and an output device for outputting sensor data of the at least one sensor element.
The present invention also relates to a method for influencing data of a sensor, to be outputted.
Although the present invention is generally applicable to sensor data, the present invention is described with regard to a fusion of sensor data.
The fusion of sensor data requires a plurality of sensors in a system, from which a new target variable is calculated. For example, from an initial position of a rigid body, the position at a later time may be calculated approximatively, using a series of values from an acceleration sensor and a yaw rate sensor. The sensor data fusion typically takes place in systems, which include a control unit and a plurality of sensors. The sensors typically supply new sensor data at a particular frequency and store them in a digital back end. This digital back end includes an FIFO memory, in which the data are temporarily stored. Before being written to the FIFO memory, the sensor data may be synchronized, using different methods. The sensor data are generated in the sensor, and after synchronization, they are optionally outputted either directly, via an interface, or indirectly, using a FIFO memory as temporary storage.
German Patent Application No. DE 10 2012 207 138 A1 describes a sensor for recording measured values and outputting data samples, the sensor including at least one first register for storing a sensor time, the register containing time data regarding the phase angle and/or period of the data samples, the first register being able to be read out externally. In this context, the sensor includes at least one second register, which is capable of being written to externally, and by which the bandwidth and resolution and/or the period of the data samples in the sensor are adjustable.

Sensor system for outputting sensor data


A laminated shim for a disc brake has a pad side shim and a pressing member side shim. The pad side shim is provided at a backside of a backing plate of pad. The pressing member side shim is disposed between the pad side shim and a pressing member used for pressing the pad against a rotor. The pad side shim has hooks that extend over and are hooked onto a peripheral edge of the backing plate. The pressing member side shim has hooks that extend over a surface of a respective pad side hook. The pressing member hooks are slidably contacted to the top of the hooks of the pad side shim so as to be easy to slide in a surface direction with respect to the pad side shim and the backing plate of the pad.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated shim for a disc brake that is disposed between a pad and a pressing member, for pressing a pad against a rotor. The present invention suppresses undesired brake sounds generated between the pressing member and the pad. In particular, the invention relates to a laminated shim for a disc brake having a pad side shim provided at a backside of the backing plate of a pad, and a pressing member side shim disposed between the pad side shim and the pressing member in a laminated manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various laminated shims have been known, for example, laminated shims are known as described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-318301 and No. 2003-101280.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-318301 teaches a laminated shim that has a pad side shim provided on the backside of the backing plate of a pad, and a pressing member side shim disposed in a laminated manner between the pad side shim and the pressing member (i.e., a piston or caliper claw). The pad side shim has two outer edge pad hooks connected to the backing plate and two inner edge pad hooks. The outer edge pad hooks have a configuration where they extend over the outer peripheral edge of the backing plate extending along the rotor peripheral edge. The outer edge pad hooks are attached to the outer peripheral edge of the backing plate. On the other hand, the inner edge pad hooks have a configuration where they extend over an inner (with regard to the radial direction of the rotor) peripheral edge of the backing plate. The inner peripheral edge extends along an inner rotor circumference near the center of the rotor. The pressing member side shim has one outer edge pressing member hook attached to the backing plate and two inner edge pressing member hooks. The outer edge pressing member hook and the inner edge pressing member hooks of the pressing member side shim have a configuration where they extend over the outer peripheral edge of the backing plate at positions avoiding the outer edge pad hooks and the inner edge pad hooks of the pad side shim. The outer edge pressing member hook and the inner edge pressing member hooks and are attached directly to the peripheral edge of the backing plate.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-101280 teaches a pad side shim that has one outer edge pad hook attached to the backing plate and two inner edge pad hooks. A pressing member side shim has one outer edge pressing member hook attached to the backing plate and two inner edge pressing member hooks. The outer edge pressing member hook and the inner edge pressing member hooks of the pressing member side shim have a configuration where they extend over the peripheral edge of the backing plate at positions avoiding the outer edge pad hooks and the inner edge pad hooks of the pad side shim. The outer edge pressing member hook and the inner edge pressing member hooks are directly attached to the peripheral edge of the backing plate.
Therefore, the pressing member side shims, according to No. 2002-318301 and No. 2003-101280, are configured to hook directly onto the peripheral edge of the backing plate via the outer edge pressing member hook and the inner edge pressing member hooks.
However, one of the objectives of the laminated shim is for the laminated shim to suppress undesired or disturbing sounds that may be made when the pressing member is displaced relative to the surface of the backing plate of the pad. Therefore, the laminated shim desirably has a configuration where the pressing member side shim slides relatively easily along the surface with respect to the pad side shim and the backing plate. However, the pressing member hooks of the pressing member side shims according to No. 2002-318301 and No. 2003-101280 were configured to hook directly onto the peripheral edge of the backing plate. Therefore, the pressing member hooks of the pressing member side shims are not prone to slide with respect to the backing plate due to the frictional resistance arising between the hook and the profile of the peripheral edge of the backing plate. As a result, the pressing member side shims do not easily slide along a surface direction with respect to the pad side shim and the backing plate, resulting in the generation of undesired brake noise.

Laminated shim for disc brake and pad unit having the laminated shim


An apparatus for deforming, splitting and chopping of contaminated, or potentially contaminated, heat exchanger tubes into short tubes segments that easily may transported to an off-site location for decontamination or disposal. The invention has particular utility in dismantling potentially contaminated tubes from a tube bundle that is part of a condenser for a BWR or PWR nuclear power plant. The invention involves first gripping and deforming the exterior periphery of a potentially contaminated tube with opposed transverse forces sufficient to travel the tube longitudinally out of the tubesheets in a deformed condition, and then splitting the deformed tube into first and second wall sections which are chopped into short length wall segments. The deformation preferably flattens the tube so that the short wall segments are substantially planar, with exposed inner and outer surfaces.

1. Field of Invention
A method and an apparatus for deforming, splitting and chopping of contaminated, or potentially contaminated, heat exchanger tubes into short tubes segments that easily may transported to an off-site location for decontamination, as by abrasive cleaning or other known cleaning steps. The present invention particularly is useful for condenser retubing on nuclear power plants of the boiling water reactor (BWR) type or the pressurized water reactor (PWR) type. Department of Energy regulations governing BWR and PWR reactors require that both exterior and interior surfaces of each removed condenser tube be contamination free, before the tube can be reclaimed as scrap. The present invention has utility for any heat exchanger, or the like, wherein contaminants are transported inside a tube or accumulate outside, on the tube exterior.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Heat exchanger tube bundles used as steam condensers for electric power generating equipment are typically of the indirect type. A large number of parallel tubes carry a liquid, such as water, with at least one stationary tubesheet defining the tubes into a tube bundle. In order to retube, the tube collection must be exposed at one end to provide access to a large number of tube ends, which protrude from a stationary tubesheet. Each tube is tightly pressed into an opening in at least one tubesheet at each end of the collection, in order to form a fluid-tight seal. Water is circulated through the parallel set of tubes while a high temperature gas, typically steam, is circulated about the exterior of the tube bundle.
Prior to the present invention, the need to decontaminate interior wall surfaces of each tube removed from a BWR or PWR condenser tube bundle, for example, has required each tube to be be axially pulled from the tubesheets, without being deformed. Therefore, hydraulic tube extractors that grab a tube end and slowly pull out a non-deformed tube typically have been employed at such retubing sites. The prior art technique for removing such contaminated condenser tubes further includes the steps of cutting each contaminated tube into short tubular lengths at the site; packing the cut lengths into a shielded cask at the site; shipping the sealed cask to an off-site facility; and then decontaminating the exterior surfaces of the short tubular lengths by abrasive cleaning, or other cleaning methods. Each short tube length then must be inspected for any residual radiation, before scrap reclamation of that short tube length is permitted. If contamination was found on an interior surface of a short tubular length, further cleaning steps were required.
By contrast, at fossil-fueled electric power plant heat exchanger retubing sites, it has become commonplace to deform each old tube to facilitate a quick removal from the tubesheets. The deformed tubes then simply are fed into a separate device and chopped into lengths short enough for convenient shipping to a scrap dealer. Such tubes are removed by a form of "tube traveler", which comprises two or more pairs of serrated drivers, on parallel axis shafts, so as to define a passageway for axial travel of a deformed tube. The drivers are spaced apart to deformably grip the end of each tube near a tubesheet surface, and then pull, or travel, the tube axially in a deformed condition. Commonly-used tube traveler devices are represented by, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,928), Harris et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,444) and Harris (U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,201). Another well-known type of tube traveller is the Tube Walker.TM., manufactured by The Atlantic Group, Inc. of Norfolk, Va., assignee of the present invention, and used by its Condenser Services Division.
Therefore, prior to the present invention, the speed and efficiency afforded by a tube traveling step has not been available to remove tubes that potentially are internally contaminated, such as condenser tubes removed from BWR power plants with interior wall surfaces which first must be decontaminated and inspected, before being reclaimed as scrap.
The present invention permits, for the first time, an economical and efficient removal of potentially contaminated heat exchanger tubes. The present invention permits less down time due to quicker tube pulling and chopping steps; more efficient packing of tube segments into a shipping cask; and easier access to interior surfaces of tube segments.

Apparatus for dismantling potentially contaminated tubes from a tube bundle


A reduced noise optical system is provided for use in measuring distance, range-finding and scanning. The system comprises at least one lens, at least one receiver operably positioned to receive a return beam of light reflected from an object and a limiting aperture operably aligned with the lens to limit the signal, and thus the noise, transmitted in the return beam.

This invention relates to optical systems for use in distance measurement or range-finding devices. More particularly, this invention relates to single beam optical systems in range-finding and measurement devices that have improved signal-to-noise ratios.
Range-finders are commonly used to determine distances. In current applications of range-finders, the size, weight and cost of the range-finding system may typically be ignored. Conventional range-finding systems are used to determine distances for agriculture, aviation and nautical applications.
Although these systems are adequate for current uses, simultaneous reductions in all four dimensions of size, weight, complexity and cost could enhance distance measuring or range-finding systems for broader or mass market uses. Furthermore, existing dual beam systems also use costly, unwieldy methods for reducing signal-to-noise ratio of the received data signal.
These systems typically employ software applications to overcome signal degradation effects. These software applications require extending the data acquisition interval through signal averaging or other signal conditioning techniques. Such increases in the data acquisition intervals limit the usefulness of such devices.
Optical spatial filtering techniques have previously been used to improve the signal to noise ratio of holographic and microscopic systems (e.g. so-called xe2x80x9cconfocalxe2x80x9d microscopes). However, the application of these techniques to distance measuring or range-finding systems for the purposes of reducing the overall system size, weight, complexity and cost would be desirable.
It would further be desirable to provide a means and method for reducing noise within a range-finding system at a low cost.
It would further be desirable to provide a means and method for reducing noise within a range-finding system that is compatible with optical systems that integrate other optical technologies.

Reduced noise optical system and method for measuring distance


A system and a method for allowing users to quickly and cost-effectively design and make functional circuit boards, without the need for the users to have any specialized education or training. The system allows users to define a footprint for the circuit board to be designed. The system maintains information associated with each of the circuit board components and uses this information to help users determine where to place the components, add ancillary components, and make connections between these components.

There are many tools available to large companies to design circuit boards for their products. These companies typically have many resources that can be made available when it is necessary to design a circuit board. These resources include complex and expensive software packages, as well as design engineer who are well educated in the field of circuit board design and who are trained in the use of the company's specific design tools.
Companies and individuals typically do not have the resources to purchase or maintain specialized software packages that are conventionally used in circuit board design nor do they have the specialized training or expertise of engineers or technicians familiar with specialized software packages. As such, conventional circuit board design tools require high levels of resources and expertise, which is particularly a problem under tight time constraints. This results in very long development/design times, high rates of errors, and high costs.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a system and a method for quickly designing and manufacturing circuit boards without any specialized training or tools. Also, there exists a need for a system and a method for quickly designing and manufacturing circuit boards that have fewer errors, are easy to use, and are cost effective.

System and method for circuit board design and manufacturing


The invention relates to a support element, especially for concrete constructions and concrete building components, comprising at least one supporting fiber system embedded in a binder. The aim of the invention is to provide a support element that comprises at least one supporting fiber system embedded in a binder and that is characterized by excellent vapor permeability and at the same time by high stability and good modulus E values. To this end, the binder contains at least one polymer component that has a specific water vapor diffusion resistance value μ of at least 20000, a modulus E of transverse elasticity G of at least 3000 N/mm2 and a tensile strength of at least 10 N/mm2. The binder further contains at least one granular component that extends at least through parts of the supporting fiber system and that forms together with the supporting fiber system, in the cured state of the binder/polymer component, a solid body dispersoid with a water vapor diffusion resistance value μ of not more than 10000.

The invention relates to a support element and a support element configuration, in particular for concrete structures and concrete structural components, the support element comprising at least one fiber support embedded in a binder. In the case of the support element configuration relating to the object of the invention, the support element has been joined to a structure or structural element by adhesion.
Support elements and support element configurations of this kind are of the state of the art, for example, in the form of sets or fabrics of high-strength fibers which are applied with a binder in layers in the tensile stress zone of a concrete surface. Use is also made of appropriately prefabricated laminates which are applied by adhesion in the tensile stress zone of a concrete surface. Such use also extends to repairs of areas of cracks and fractures in load-bearing concrete structures, but also to reinforcement of structures which are strictly speaking still intact to enable them to absorb increased loads and to new structures to ensure absorption of concentrated loads, above all, for example, in spatially reduced circumstances. In these and other applications, concrete with a more or less high moisture content is generally present in the subsoil area of laminate support elements. Water and other moistening agents may also be present, whose long-term difflusion of which in the form of corresponding vapors would not be prevented by the laminar support elements or the hardened polymer binder components of such elements.
Conventional urethane-based polymers for binders are available which have a vapor permeability adequate for the present purposes when in the hardened state. Such binders do, however, have a shear-elasticity modulus which is very low in comparison to such moduli of the high-strength fiber laminates. Consequently, in many instances the fiber strength may not be fully used, since the binder with low shear resistance between the subsoil to be relieved and the laminate fibers and between the laminate fibers themselves, limits the load transmission to the fibers to values which are too low. This applies especially to prestressed fiber configurations. On the other hand, conventional binder polymers with modulus values suitable for the purposes in question, conventional epoxy binders in particular, are characterized by virtually no vapor permeability when in the hardened state.

Support element and support element system, especially for concrete constructions and concrete building components