A driving method of a pixel array is provided. The driving method is suitable for a pixel array comprising at least one pixel set in each pixel array, wherein at least one pixel set comprises a plurality of pixels. In the driving method, a voltage having substantially same phase is used to drive the pixel electrodes of the pixels in the same pixel set. In addition, voltages with phases substantially opposite to each other are used to drive the pixel electrodes of the pixels in two adjacent pixel sets. Furthermore, a single gate line is used to drive two adjacent pixels in two different pixel sets respectively. In addition, a single gate line is used to drive a first pixel in one of the pixel set and another pixel in an adjacent column of the first pixel, wherein a phase of the voltage of a pixel electrode of the first pixel and a phase of a voltage of a pixel electrode of the other pixel are substantially different.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a driving method of liquid crystal display (LCD). More particularly, the present invention relates to a driving method of LCD having high aperture ratio and high stability of displaying gray scale picture.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) may be classified into passive LCD and active LCD according to the driving method thereof. For example, the LCD provided for conventional mobile phone is generally a passive LCD. The conventional passive LCD has the disadvantage of low image,residual shadowing, low contrast and low response speed due to the coupling of the capacitor generated in the passive LCD. In addition, the structure of the passive LCD is more complex than that of the active LCD since the passive LCD is driven by multiplex driving process. Therefore, for a passive LCD, to achieve high resolution, high definition, and full-color is difficult. However, since the cost for manufacturing a passive LCD is low, the passive LCD is generally provided for low stage display device.
Alternatively, an active LCD is generally provided for the thin film transistor (TFT) LCD display device of notebook or monitor. In general, the disadvantage of the passive LCD described above is improved in the active LCD, therefore the image quality and the resolution of the active LCD is much better than that of the passive LCD. An important improvement made to the active LCD is that TFT is provided as a switching device for controlling the rotation and the direction of the liquid crystal molecule. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a driving circuit of a conventional thin film transistor (TFT). Referring to FIG. 1, the driving circuit includes a data line 103, a gate line 105, a thin film transistor (TFT) 107, a liquid crystal capacitor 109 and a storage capacitor 111. First of all, application of a voltage to each pixel of the liquid crystal molecule in the LCD will be described in the following. In an active LCD, each pixel has a TFT 107. The gate of the TFT 107 is connected to a horizontal gate line such as the gate line 105 shown in FIG. 1. The source of the TFT 107 is connected to a vertical-data line such as the data line 103 shown in FIG. 1. The drain is connected to a pixel electrode. It is noted that, the source and the drain can be applied with the voltages of the data line and the pixel electrode respectively. When the active LCD is operated, the voltages described above do not remain at a constant level but is repeatedly changed in a range of voltage acceptable for the liquid crystal molecule.
Hereinafter, the operation method of the LCD will be described. First of all, a gate line 105 is activated to turn on all the thin film transistors connected to the gate line 105 such as the TFT 107. Next, a corresponding data signal for charging the pixel electrode to an applicable voltage is provided via the data line 103. Thereafter,the TFT 107 is turned off until the gate line 105 is activated subsequently. In the meanwhile, the charge is stored in the liquid crystal capacitor 109. Then, the next gate line is activated for writing the corresponding data signal to the thin film transistors connected to the next gate line. After all the data of the whole frame is written via all the gate lines of the frame gradually. The foremost gate line is activated again to write the signal. Therefore, the cross talk between each pixel is reduced by the simple driving method described above. It is noted that the imaging quality of the LCD is mainly dependent on the electrical characteristics of the TFT such as the turn-off current, the driving current, the parasitic capacitance and the switching speed of the TFT.
The storage capacitor 111 is provided for storing the charge. However,the storage capacitor can also reduce the coupling effect of the voltages applied to the liquid crystal molecule, i.e., the differential voltages between each pixel electrode and the common pixel electrode. When the TFT is turned off, the pixel electrode is not applied with any voltage, i.e., floated. However, at this moment, any variation of voltage around the pixel electrode will be coupled to the pixel electrode via the parasitic capacitance, and thus the voltage level of the pixel electrode is changed. Therefore, the voltage applied to the liquid crystal molecule is influenced. It is noted that an increase in the storage capacitor can reduce the coupling effect between the voltages. However, since at least one pixel electrode of the two pixel electrodes of the storage capacitor is composed of non-transparent metal, the larger the capacitance of the storage capacitor, larger the area of the storage capacitor is. Therefore, the transparent portion of each pixel is reduced, and thus the total light emitting efficiency of the LCD is reduced. Therefore, in order to enhance the aperture ratio of the LCD, the source/drain region of the LCD is generally manufactured by full self alignment process to reduce the parasitic capacitance and the size of the storage capacitor.
Hereinafter, the driving device will be described. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a conventional driving device of a TFT array using 3N*1driving method. Referring to FIG. 2, the driving device includes pixel G222 for displaying green color, pixel B225 for displaying blue color, pixel R227 for displaying red color, and coupling capacitance 201, 203, 205, 207, 209, 211, 213, 215, 217 and 219 of each pixel. In the 3N*1driving method, the polarity distribution of the voltages of the pixel electrodes of the gate lines in the same horizontal line is +++−−−+++−−−+++−−− . . . In other words, the polarity of the voltages of the pixel electrodes are changed every three pixels due to the three primary colors, green, blue and red. It is noted that, in the 3N*1driving method described above, although the possibility of generation of the traverse electric field is reduced, however, the brightness of the frame is not uniform due to the following reasons.
Referring to FIG. 2, for the pixel G222, since the polarity of voltages of two adjacent data lines are the same, there is no traverse electric field between the two data lines, and thus the aperture ratio is high. However, since the coupling capacitance 205 and 207 may be coupled and an adding effect of the two coupling capacitance is generated, the cross talk therebetween is enhanced. The effect described above may also be generated in the pixel R227.
Referring to FIG. 2, for the pixel B225, since the polarity of voltages of the two adjacent data lines are different, an subtracting effect of the coupling capacitance 209 and 211 is generated corresponding to the pixel B between the two adjacent data lines, and thus the cross talk there-between is reduced.
In summary, in the three pixel of the same frame, the brightness of the pixel B225 is not the same as that of the pixels G222 and R222, therefore the image displayed by the panel is not uniform. Accordingly, although the 3N*1driving method can increase the aperture ratio, however, the displayed image of the frame is not uniform.


A storage box includes a housing, which has a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a rear wall, and a storage assembly which is disposed removably in the housing for confining articles therein. The storage assembly includes a pair of left and right plates positioned against the left and right side walls. Each of the left and right plates has a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a rear side, a guiding rail extending along the front side, the top side and the rear side, and inwardly projecting racks spaced vertically from one another. Each rack of the left plate is aligned horizontally with a corresponding one of the racks of the right plate. A top plate is disposed between the left and right plates and has two opposite end portions secured detachably to the left and right plates. A flexible sliding door is placed between the left and right plates and has two opposite ends that engage slidably the guiding rails. The storage box further includes a retaining frame attached removably to the housing for retaining the storage assembly in the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage box, particularly to an improved storage box which is used to store flat articles, such as audio cassettes and compact discs (CD), therein and which is relatively easy to manufacture.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a conventional storage box (A) for storing of flat articles. The conventional storage box (A) was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,177 and includes a housing 11, a pair of left and right separate plates 12, two rear spring boards 13, a top plate 14, and a flexible sliding door 15. The housing 11 has a top wall, a bottom wall, a right side wall, a left side wall and a rear wall which are connected to one another to form a front opening. The housing 11 further has two opposite front flanges (ff) projecting from the left and right side walls at the front opening. The bottom wall has an elongated positioning groove 11' which is substantially parallel to the left and right side walls and a rear elongated access slot 11" which is located adjacent to and substantially parallel to the rear wall. Each of the left and right plates 12 has a guiding rail 12' which extends along a rear side, a top side and a front side thereof, a plurality of inwardly projecting racks 12" which are spaced vertically, and a horizontal groove (g) which is located above the racks 12". Each of the left and right plates 12 further has a rear plate-like flange 121 which projects perpendicularly therefrom between the racks 12" and the guiding rail 12". The top plate 14 is provided with a vertical partition plate 14', which extends downwardly therefrom and which is parallel to the left and right plates 12, and a back panel 14" which projects laterally from a rear side of the vertical partition plate 14' and which is perpendicular to the top plate 14.
In assembly, the left and right plates 12 are respectively pressed against the left and right side walls of the housing 11 and are firmly fitted between the rear wall and the front flanges (ff) of the housing 11. The top plate 14 and the vertical partition plate 14' are inserted into the housing 11 by sliding the same along the horizontal grooves (g) of the left and right plates 12 and the elongated positioning groove 11' of the bottom wall of the housing 11. Afterwards, the spring boards 13 are screwed to the rear plate-like flanges 121 of the left and right plates 12 and the back panel 14" which is connected to the vertical partition plate 14'. The flexible sliding door 15 is pushed into the housing 11 through the rear elongated access slot 11" of the bottom wall of the housing 11. The sliding door 15 has two opposite ends which engage slidably and respectively the guiding rails 12' of the left and right plates 12. In this way, the conventional storage box (A) is assembled. Such a conventional storage box (A) can provide a strong and durable construction and can minimize the problem of dusting the sliding door. However, since the housing 11 confines a relatively small space, proper placement of the components of the storage box (A) in the housing 11 cannot be accomplished conveniently.

Storage box for storing of substantially flat articles


A photoconductor containing an optional supporting substrate, a perylene photogenerating layer, and at least one silanol containing charge transport layer.

This disclosure is generally directed to layered imaging members, photoreceptors, photoconductors, and the like. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to multilayered flexible, belt imaging members, or devices comprised of an optional supporting medium like a substrate, a photogenerating layer, and a charge transport layer, inclusive of a plurality of charge transport layers, such as a first charge transport layer and a second charge transport layer, an optional adhesive layer, an optional hole blocking or undercoat layer, and an optional overcoating layer, and wherein the photogenerating layer contains, for example, a polymer or resin binder, at least one photogenerating perylene pigment of, for example, BZP comprised of a mixture of bisbenzimidazo(2,1-a-1′,2′-b)anthra(2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′)diisoquinoline-6,11-dione and bisbenzimidazo(2,1-a:2′,1′-a)anthra (2,1,9-def:6,5,10-d′e′f′)diisoquinoline-10,21-dione, and a silanol; and wherein at least one of the charge transport layers also includes a silanol therein. Therefore, at least one of the charge transport layers can contain a silanol in embodiments, the photogenerating layer, and at least one of the charge transport layers may contain a silanol; and in embodiments the photogenerating layer may contain a silanol, and the charge transport layers can be free of a silanol.
The photoreceptors illustrated herein, in embodiments, possess excellent wear resistance, extended lifetimes, elimination or minimization of imaging member scratches on the surface layer or layers of the member, and which scratches can result in undesirable print failures where, for example, the scratches are visible on the final prints generated. Additionally, in embodiments the imaging members disclosed herein possess excellent, and in a number of instances low Vr (residual potential), and allow the substantial prevention of Vr cycle up when appropriate; high sensitivity; low acceptable image ghosting characteristics; low background and/or minimal charge deficient spots (CDS); and desirable toner cleanability.
At least one in embodiments refers, for example, to one, to from 1 to about 10, to from 2 to about 7, to from 2 to about 4, to two, and the like. Moreover, the silanol can be added to the photogenerating layer that is, for example, instead of being dissolved in the photogenerating layer solution, the silanol can be added to the photogenerating layer as a dopant, and more specifically, the silanol can be included in the photogenerating layer dispersion prior to the deposition of this layer on the substrate. Incorporation of the BZP and silanol in the photogenerating layer permits, for example, a lower Vr, substantially no Vr cycle up of the resulting photoconductor as compared to a photoconductor with no silanol and BZP in the photogenerating layer.
Also included within the scope of the present disclosure are methods of imaging and printing with the photoconductor devices illustrated herein. These methods generally involve the formation of an electrostatic latent image on the imaging member, followed by developing the image with a toner composition comprised, for example, of thermoplastic resin, colorant, such as pigment, charge additive, and surface additive, reference U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,560,635; 4,298,697 and 4,338,390, the disclosures of which are totally incorporated herein by reference, subsequently transferring the image to a suitable substrate, and permanently affixing the image thereto. In those environments wherein the device is to be used in a printing mode, the imaging method involves the same operation with the exception that exposure can be accomplished with a laser device or image bar. More specifically, flexible belts disclosed herein can be selected for the Xerox Corporation iGEN3® machines that generate with some versions over 100 copies per minute. Processes of imaging, especially xerographic imaging and printing, including digital, and/or color printing, are thus encompassed by the present disclosure. The imaging members are in embodiments sensitive in the wavelength region of, for example, from about 400 to about 900 nanometers, and in particular from about 650 to about 850 nanometers, thus diode lasers can be selected as the light source. Moreover, the imaging members of this disclosure are useful in high resolution color xerographic applications, particularly high speed color copying and printing processes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Interfaces and systems are provided for harvesting ground truth from forms to be used in training models based on key-value pairings in the forms and to later use the trained models to identify related key-value pairings in new forms. Initially, forms are identified and clustered to identify a subset of forms to label with the key-value pairings. Users provide input to identify keys to use in labeling and then select/highlight text from forms that are presented concurrently with the keys in order to associate the highlighted text with the key(s) as the corresponding key-value pairing(s). After labeling the forms with the key-value pairings, the key-value pairing data is used as ground truth for training a model to independently identify the key-value pairing(s) in new forms. Once trained, the model is used to identify the key-value pairing(s) in new forms.

Computers and computing systems have affected nearly every aspect of modern living. Computers are generally involved in work, recreation, healthcare, transportation, entertainment, household management, etc. Many of these industries utilize forms, including printed forms that include data that can be stored, analyzed and processed.
It can be difficult and time consuming to manually replicate the data on the forms in a manner that the data can be utilized in a beneficial manner. Accordingly, some applications have been created to automatically scan and parse out the data contained in written forms, so that the data can be indexed, stored and processed in a desired manner. For instance, optical character recognition (OCR) applications have been created to convert a scanned image or document into identifiable text and characters.
In some instances, it is desirable to further enable applications to parse the forms that have undergone OCR processing to identify desired content within the forms. For instance, it could be beneficial to identify the value(s) corresponding to the particular type(s) of content that are of interest to a user that is in receipt of the forms (e.g., a price, a date, a name, or any other element) that is contained within the form and that can be indexed and stored for further analysis and processing.
Unfortunately, OCR by itself does not determine correlation between text and corresponding fields in a form. When performing OCR on forms and attempting to determine which text corresponds to related fields, in order to achieve reliable results, existing system may require that a specific location be provided for each field in the form, and it may typically be required that a substantially uniform form be used, in order to make the determination.
However, there are many different types of forms that have a significant disparity in both type and formatting of the text and the form fields. This can make it difficult for existing applications that perform OCR processing and other processing of forms to intelligently identify and reconcile the similarities and differences between the forms in such a manner that is necessary to identify and index the specific content contained within the forms. Additional factors further exacerbate the problem, such as, but not limited to the variations in the completeness and format of the data that is entered into the forms, as well as the variations in the techniques that are used to scan/image the forms and the resulting variations in the qualities of the scanned/imaged forms.
For instance, it is not hard to recognize the problems that can be encountered by an application attempting to process and reconcile the data from different forms, such as a first form that is a saved perspective camera image of a printed form, another form that is a machine scanned image of a printed form that was misaligned during the scanning process, and other forms that are only partially completed and or completed by different users that have entered the form data in different formats or styles. Existing systems and applications struggle with the ability to overcome these problems.
In view of the foregoing, there is an ongoing need and desire to provide improved techniques and systems for processing forms and the data contained within the forms, as well as for interfaces the improve a user's control and ability for facilitating the training and tuning of these systems.
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.


A method for generating a highly distinctive signature of a certain diamond, the method may include generating, based on one or more images of the certain diamond, a certain diamond signature of the certain diamond; finding, out of a group of reference diamonds, other diamonds having other diamond signatures; wherein the finding comprises calculating similarities between the certain diamond signature and reference diamond signatures of the reference diamonds of the group; and generating a new certain diamond signature that significantly differs from signatures of the other diamonds.

One of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that not all diamonds are created equal. In fact, every diamond is unique. Diamonds come in many sizes, shapes, colors, and with various internal characteristics.
All polished diamonds are valuable. That value is based on a combination of factors. Rarity is one of those factors. Diamonds with certain qualities are rarer—and more valuable—than diamonds that lack them.
Today, diamonds are evaluated manually in a biased and error prone process.
There is a growing need to provide a highly accurate method for diamond evaluation.


A front end of an upper bracket in a vehicle longitudinal direction is welded to a top surface of a rear cross member, and a weld zone between the rear cross member and the upper bracket includes, in a plan view of a vehicle, a central portion extending along a vehicle width direction and a curved end portion extending in a curved shape from each end of the central portion in the vehicle width direction toward a front side of the vehicle or a diagonally front side of the vehicle, to thereby reduce a stress on each vehicle-widthwise end of the weld zone between the rear cross member and the upper bracket configured to connect a towing tool attachment to the rear cross member.

For example, JP 2007-055350 A discloses a rear portion structure of a vehicle, in which a bracket for connecting a towing tool attachment is joined to a central portion, in a vehicle width direction, of a rear cross member which is disposed on a rear end region of the vehicle in a vehicle longitudinal direction and arranged to extend along a vehicle width direction.
When the bracket for connecting the towing tool attachment to the rear cross member is joined to the rear cross member by welding the bracket along the vehicle width direction to the rear cross member, stress is concentrated on both ends of a weld zone in the vehicle width direction, which may cause a fatigue failure of the weld zone with the both ends serving as a starting point of the fatigue failure.
Under the circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to reduce stress on both ends, in a vehicle width direction, of a weld zone between a rear cross member and a bracket for connecting a towing tool attachment to the rear cross member, to thereby prevent a fatigue failure of the weld zone.


An image processing apparatus includes a speed detecting portion and a communication condition setting portion. The speed detecting portion performs wireless communications with a communication device in a plurality of predetermined frequency bands and detects communication speeds of the wireless communications that respectively correspond to the plurality of predetermined frequency bands. The communication condition setting portion sets a frequency band that corresponds to a highest communication speed among the communication speeds detected by the speed detecting portion, as a communication frequency band to be used in wireless communications that are performed to transmit and receive image data to/from the communication device.

The present disclosure relates to an image processing apparatus configured to perform a wireless communication with a communication device, and relates to a communication condition setting method.
In general, there is known an image processing apparatus such as a printer that can perform a wireless communication with a communication device such as a mobile terminal.
Here, a communication frequency band used in the wireless communications by the image processing apparatus may overlap with a frequency band used by another electronic device that is present in the surroundings of the image processing apparatus. In that case, the image processing apparatus may be interfered with an electromagnetic wave emitted from the other electronic device, and the communication speed of the wireless communication performed by the image processing apparatus may be reduced. For example, when the communication frequency band used by the image processing apparatus is a 2.4 GHz frequency band called an ISM band, the communication frequency band is likely to overlap with the frequency band of the other electronic device.
On the other hand, there is known an image processing apparatus in which the communication frequency band can be selected from a plurality of frequency bands. For example, there is known an image processing apparatus in which either the 2.4 GHz frequency band or the 5 GHz frequency band can be selected as the communication frequency band. This makes it possible to avoid an overlapping of the communication frequency band with the frequency band of the other electronic device.

Image processing apparatus, communication condition setting method


A fishing rod retention device adapted to have a J-hook member rotate about a slotted region so when the fishing rod is in a stored location it is substantially retained therein and the fisherman with ease can remove the rod from a stored location to a removed position.

Fishing rod holders are adapted in general to be mounted to water vessels or stationary platforms such as docks or the like. A fishing rod holder should have the function of positioning a fishing rod in a substantially secure orientation that is adapted to handle the loads of a fish that hooks to the bait of the fishing line attached to the rod in a well-known and conventional manner. Further, the fishing rod should be reasonably accessible, in that if the bait of the fishing pole is taken by fish, oftentimes the fisherman will want to grab the rod and remove it from its stored location to a removed position of the fishing pole where the fisherman is actively and dynamically reeling in his catch.
It is generally desirable to rest a fishing pole in a stored location that is reasonably secure, where the fisherman has confidence that a bite on the line from a fish will not pull their whole fishing rod assembly overboard; this can account for a costly loss of equipment as well as a ruined outing. Further, the fish must endure its final days of living with a hook at its mouth that is attached to a relatively large mass that partially mobilizes and perhaps causes a painful death to the fish. It is generally desirable to have a fishing rod in a stored location when the fisherman is tired and fatigued of holding the rod or while he or she is trolling. Further, while fishing with more than one rod, the fisherman must store the nonactive rod in a fishing rod retention type device.
Prior art fishing rod holders have generally failed to meet the criteria of positioning a fishing rod in a stored location that is substantially secure from removal upon the load exerted thereon by a fish at the forward end portion of a pole and having easy and convenient access to the fishing rod for removal from the stored location by the fisherman on quick demand when a bite is on the line of the fishing rod line. There are numerous advantages to quickly removing a fishing rod such as when fishing from a drift boat where tree limbs and other objects threaten to break the fishing rod while in the stored position; it is desirable for the fisherman to quickly and effectively remove the fishing rod when it is in such a perilous position. Therefore, quick and easy removal of a fishing rod in a timely fashion is desired, so as to make it possible for the rod holder to fight a fish quickly and effectively with minimal struggle and resistance. In one form, a fishing rod holder with one moving piece with an offset rotation axis allows for significant advantages.
In one form, the fishing rod retention assembly allows for placing of the rod further out over the gunnel of a boat. Further, the removal of the rod can be accomplished to the fisherman's desired angle of pull whether it be from leftward, rightward or upward directions. This variety of movement for releasing the fishing rod from the stored location allows for minimal training and adapting to the fishing rod retention assembly by the user, which eases the frustration that is present with prior art devices. Further, in one form the fisherman can immediately pull the rod from the holder with either one hand or two hands without any significant amount of force applied thereto. However, the rod remains intact securely in a stored location when the force of a fish on the line at the forward end portion of the fishing rod is applied to the fishing rod.
In the particular application of fishing known as downrigging, oftentimes careful attention must be applied when removing a fishing rod from its holder so as to not trip the downrigging ball which would require resetting the release and fishing rod. The fishing rod retention assembly as described below is particularly conducive for this application. Generally, setting up a downrigger is often problematic because the rod must be maintained in a position to keep various lines from entangling each other. When a downrigger line is tripped, the downrigger may be released. The fishing rod retention assembly described below allows for easy placement of the fishing rod therein to prevent tangling of such lines.
When a fisherman uses barbless hooks, hooking and landing a fish is far more difficult. In this application, once the fisherman hooks a fish, he or she must maintain constant tension upon the fishing line after setting the hook or the fish can potentially get away. The quick release design of the fishing rod retention assembly described below is conducive for maintaining constant tension upon the fishing line.
The fishing rod retention assembly allows for a very quick method to secure a rod in a stored location, and also a very quick method of retrieving the rod to a removed active location of the fishing rod. The minimal amount of movement and resistance allows for very easy retrieval, and even when employing the lock assembly described below, the removal process is extremely fast and does not require "getting used to" the device. Because such a minimal amount of movement is required to position the rod from the stored location within the fishing rod assembly to a removed position, there is minimal force and displacement upon the line which is particularly advantageous when downrigging. To remove the rod from the fishing rod retention assembly the fishing rod is repositioned in a manner substantially orthogonal to the central axis of the fishing rod. Further, to position the fishing rod within the J-hook assembly, the fisherman needs only to position the fishing rod substantially downwardly with slight lateral movement where the fishing rod is repositioned in a manner that is orthogonal to the central axis. This can be accomplished with one hand, keeping one hand free to either hold the line away from rod guides when using a downrigger, or to rest on the tiller handle or the steering wheel of the boat.


Disclosed is a rectifier circuit that realizes a low threshold voltage without using a process step to enable reduction in cost and in variation of devices. An NMOS transistor has a threshold voltage. In the transistor, a voltage to be rectified is inputted to a second node, and a rectified voltage is outputted to a first node. A threshold voltage generator is connected to a gate of the transistor and the first node. The generator generates a voltage and outputs it to the gate of the transistor. The voltage is a voltage which is elevated by the threshold voltage with respect to a voltage of the first node and is decreased by a microvoltage sufficiently small with respect to the threshold voltage. Thus, when the voltage of the second node is decreased by the microvoltage or more with respect to that of the first node, the transistor is turned on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rectifier circuit, and particularly to a rectifier circuit for rectifying a voltage.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, importance of rectifier circuits that operate at a low voltage is growing with a tendency toward compact and portable systems. Such rectifier circuits are used, for example, in IC cards or ID chips which cannot contain a battery as a power supply. In the IC cards or ID chips, an electric power is taken out from radio wave radiation energy, and voltage reduction is prevented by the rectifier circuits that operate at a low voltage, whereby a wider communicable range is realized. A diode or Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistor that is turned on and off according to the magnitude relation in voltages between two terminals is used in the rectifier circuit (see, e.g., Udo Karthaus et al., "Fully Integrated Passive UHF RFID Transponder IC with 16.7-uW Minimum RF Input Power", IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, Vol.38, No. 10, p.1602-1608, October 2003, Yasuo Nantoh, "Electronic Circuit and Analogue IC", p.174, Kougakutosho Ltd.).
FIG. 17 is a circuit diagram of a diode-connected NMOS transistor. As shown in the diagram, a gate and a drain are connected in an NMOS transistor M101. Herein, a voltage of the drain is designated as a voltage Va, a voltage of the source is designated as a voltage Vb, and a threshold voltage of the transistor M101 is designated as a threshold voltage Vthn. In this case, when the following formula (1) is satisfied, a current flows from the drain to the source.Va≧Vb+Vthn  (1)
More specifically, when the voltage Va of the drain is higher than the voltage Vb of the source by the threshold voltage Vthn, the transistor M101 is turned on and a current is allowed to flow. On the other hand, when the voltage Va of the drain is not higher than the voltage Vb of the source by the threshold voltage Vthn, the transistor M101 is turned off and no current is allowed to flow.
FIG. 18 is a circuit diagram of a diode-connected PMOS transistor. As shown in the diagram, a gate and a drain are connected in a PMOS transistor M102. Herein, a voltage of the source is designated as a voltage Va, a voltage of the drain is designated as a voltage Vb, and a threshold voltage of the transistor M102 is designated as a threshold voltage Vthp. In this case, when the following formula (2) is satisfied, a current flows from the source to the drain.Va≧Vb+Vthp  (2)
More specifically, when the voltage Va of the source is higher than the voltage Vb of the drain by the threshold voltage Vthp, the transistor M102 is turned on and a current is allowed to flow. On the other hand, when the voltage Va of the source is not higher than the voltage Vb of the drain by the threshold voltage Vthp, the transistor M102 is turned off and no current is allowed to flow.
In a diode, when a voltage of an anode is higher than one of a cathode by a forward voltage Vf or more, a current is allowed to flow.
As described above, since the threshold voltage for turning on a switch (transistor or diode) is present in the rectifier circuit, a conduction loss occurs during the rectification. This conduction loss can be improved by reducing the threshold voltage. Further, it means that accuracy of the determination of whether a switch is turned on/off at the input of a small signal can be improved by reducing the threshold voltage. For reducing the threshold voltage, a schottky diode having a low forward voltage and a MOS transistor having a low threshold voltage are used.
However, when configuring the rectifier circuit by employing a semiconductor integrated circuit, the following problems arise. The schottky diode or the MOS transistor having a low threshold voltage is realized by addition of process steps and as a result, costs are increased.
In addition, the diode or the transistor is different from other diodes or MOS transistors in the manufacturing process and therefore, variation in the devices is caused.


A personal imaging computer system, which is connectable to and operable with a computerized local or wide area network, identifies characters in a document on which the characters are formed. The system scans the document to obtain a gray-scale image of the document, generates a binary image from the gray-scale image by comparing the gray-scale image with the threshold, segments the binary image to locate individual characters within the binary image and to determine the shape of the individual characters, extracts gray-scale image information from the gray-scale image for each such individual character based on the location and shape of the character in the binary image, recognition-processes the extracted gray scale image information to determine the identity of the character, and stores the identity of the character. The character identities are stored in a character file in association with the image so as to facilitate image retrieval with a text-based search over many such character files. Preferably, the image is not stored in its scanned-in resolution, but rather is stored at a reduced resolution so as to reduce memory storage requirements.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to an optical character recognition system, and more particularly to methods and apparatuses for scanning and storing images of documents in a computer, for segmenting images of the document into text and non-text blocks, and for determining the identity of characters in the text blocks.
2. Description Of The Related Art
In recent years, it has become possible to scan in paper copies of documents so as to form computerized images of such documents, and to analyze images in text areas of the document so as to recognize individual characters in the text data and to form a computer readable file of character codes corresponding to the recognized characters. Such files can then be manipulated in word-processing, data-compression, or other information processing programs, and can also be used to retrieve the images of the documents in response to a query-based search of the text data. Such systems, which are hereinafter referred to as "character recognition systems", are advantageous because they eliminate the need to re-type or otherwise re-enter text data from the paper copies of the documents. For example, it is possible to recognition-process a document which has been transmitted by facsimile or reproduced from microfilm or by a photocopier so as to form computer text files that contain character codes (for example, ASCII character codes) of the characters and the numerals in the document.
Conventional character recognition systems scan the paper copy of the document to form a binary image of the document. "Binary image" means that each pixel in the image is either a binary zero, representing a white area of the document or, a binary one, representing a black area. The binary image (or "black-and-white image") is thereafter subjected to recognition processing so as to determine the identity of characters in text areas of the document.
It has recently been discovered that recognition accuracy can be improved dramatically if the paper document is scanned to form a gray-scale image of the document. "Gray-scale" means that each pixel of the document is not represented by either a binary one or a binary zero, but rather is represented by any one of more than two intensity levels, such as any one of four intensity levels or 16 intensity levels or 256 intensity levels. Such a system is described in commonly-assigned application Ser. No. 08/112,133 filed Aug. 26, 1993, "OCR Classification Based On Transition Ground Data", the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if set forth in full. In some cases, using gray-scale images of documents rather than binary images improves recognition accuracy from one error per document page to less than one error per 500 document pages.
FIG. 1 illustrates the difference between binary images and gray-scale images, and assists in understanding how the improvement in recognition accuracy, mentioned above, is obtained. FIG. 1(a) illustrates a character "a" over which is superimposed a grid 1 representing the pixel resolution with which the character "a" is scanned by a photosensitive device such as a CCD array. For example, grid 1 may represent a 400 dot-per-inch (dpi) resolution. A binary image of character "a" is formed, as shown in FIG. 1(b), by assigning to each pixel a binary one or a binary zero in dependence on whether the character "a" darkens the photosensitive device for the pixel sufficiently to activate that pixel. Thus, pixel 2a in FIG. 1(a) is completely within a black portion of character "a" and results in black pixel 2b in FIG. 1(b). On the other hand, pixel 3a is completely uncovered and results in white pixel 3b. Pixel 4a is partially covered but insufficiently covered to activate that pixel and therefore results in white pixel 4b. On the other hand, pixel 5a is covered sufficiently so as to activate it and results in black pixel 5b.
FIG. 1(c) shows a gray-scale image of the same character "a". As shown in FIG. 1(c), pixels which are completely covered (2a) or uncovered (3a) result in completely black or white gray-scale levels, the same as in FIG. 1(b). On the other hand, pixels which are partially covered are assigned a gray level representing the amount of coverage. Thus, in FIG. 1(c) which shows a four-level gray-scale image, pixel 4c receives a low gray-scale value and pixel 5c receives a higher gray-scale value due to the relative coverage of pixels 4a and 5a, respectively. Thus, because of an artifact of the scanning process, an original black and white document, as shown in FIG. 1(a), can be scanned into a gray-scale image as shown in FIG. 1(c) with gray-scale values being assigned primarily at character edges and being dependent on coverage of the pixels.
A comparison of FIGS 1(b) and 1(c) shows that there are additional details in FIG. 1(c), especially at character edges. This additional detail is primarily responsible for improved recognition accuracy.
A problem still remains, however, in how to extract individual gray-scale images of characters from a gray-scale image of a document so as to send the individual gray-scale character image for recognition processing. More particularly, recognition accuracy depends greatly on the ability to determine where one character begins and another ends so that only a single character, rather than a group of characters, is subjected to recognition processing.
FIG. 2 illustrates this situation and shows a page of a representative document. In FIG. 2, a document 10 is arranged in two-column format. The document includes title blocks 12 which include text information of large font size suitable for titles, a picture block 13 which includes a color or halftone picture, text blocks 14 which include lines of individual characters of text information, a graphic block 15 which includes graphic images which are non-text, a table block 16 which includes tables of text or numerical information surrounded by non-text borders or frames, and caption blocks 17 which include text information of small font size suitable for captions and which are normally associated with blocks of graphic or tabular information.
When document 10 is scanned to form a gray-scale image of the document, prior to recognition processing, it is necessary to determine which areas of the gray-scale image are text areas and which are non-text areas, and also to determine, for the text areas, where individual characters are located. This processing is hereinafter referred to as "segmentation processing". Only after segmentation processing has located individual characters can the images of those characters be subjected to recognition processing so as to identify the characters and to form a text file of the characters.
Conventional segmentation processing techniques for binary images are generally unsatisfactory in that they do not accurately separate text from non-text areas and they do not accurately identify the location of individual characters in the text areas. Moreover, for gray-scale images, no segmentation processing techniques are currently known.

Reduced resolution document storage and retrieval system


An axial gap motor includes: a rotor; and a stator, wherein: the rotor includes a plurality of main permanent magnet parts and a plurality of auxiliary permanent magnet parts, the auxiliary permanent magnet parts being disposed near an end portion of each of the main permanent magnet parts and a magnetizing direction of each of the auxiliary permanent magnet parts corresponding to a direction perpendicular to the direction of the rotational axis; each of the stators includes a plurality of teeth arranged in a circumferential direction and protruding toward the rotor along the rotational axis, and a circumferential distance between a circumferential direction first end and a circumferential direction second end of each of the auxiliary permanent magnet parts on a surface opposite the stator is larger than a slot width of a slot defined between the teeth adjacent in the circumferential direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an axial gap motor. This application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-108127 filed Apr. 17, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
2. Background Art
A related art axial gap type permanent magnet synchronizer includes a rotor and a pair of stators. The stators oppose each other with the rotor disposed therebetween along a rotational axis. A magnetic flux loop is formed via the pair of stators against a field magnetic flux generated by a permanent magnet part of the rotor (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication (JP-A) Nos. 10-271784 and 2001-136721).
It is desirable to control the generation of cogging torque and torque ripple caused by magnetic attractive force along the rotational direction in the related art permanent magnet synchronizer.


An anti-theft device includes a sensing device for attaching to an entrance of a house building and for sensing whether the entrance of the house building is pried by an unauthorized person or not, and a counterattacking device for counterattacking the unauthorized person when the unauthorized person breaking the entrance of the house building. One or more containers may receive an attacking agent and a pumping device may pump the attacking agent out of the container via one or more nozzles which may be rotated by a rotating device, an agitating device may agitate the attacking agent received in the container. A receptacle may be attached to the house building for supporting the container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-theft device for an entrance of a house building, and more particularly to an anti-theft device for attaching to a house building and disposed close to or above an entrance of the house building, and having a striking back or counterattacking device for counterattacking the unauthorized persons or thefts who tried to break into the house building.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical anti-theft devices for windows or doors comprise a door frame attached to a window or door of a house building for protecting the window or door and for preventing the window or door from being pried by unauthorized persons or thefts, and thus for preventing the unauthorized persons or thefts from entering into the house building.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,433 to Walsh discloses one of the typical anti-theft devices for framed door and also comprises a first member for mounting to the interior surface of the door frame, and a second member for mounting to the interior surface of the door, and the first and the second members are arranged for pivotal movement away from each other when the door is opened, and into interlocking association when the door is closed in the frame to resist attempts to pry the door outward from the frame.
However, normally, the typical anti-theft devices for the framed doors or windows may only be used to defend or to protect the window or the door from being pried by the unauthorized persons or thefts only, but have no counteroffensive or striking back or counterattacking device for counterattacking the unauthorized persons or thefts who tried to break into the house building.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,586 to Chen discloses another typical anti-theft device for door or window, and comprising a flower planter railing, a patterned grill, and a weather-shielding canopy making up the structure of a multi-purpose anti-theft window mechanism.
However, similarly, the typical anti-theft devices for the doors or windows may only be used to defend or to protect the window or the door from being pried by the unauthorized persons or thefts only, but have no counteroffensive or striking back or counterattacking device for counterattacking the unauthorized persons or thefts who tried to break into the house building.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional anti-theft devices for windows or doors.


An electronic switching system having ISDN interfaces on the extension side stores in a table the attributes of a terminal under communication using the ISDN interface. When there is another incoming call to the ISDN interface, the system waits for a response to the incoming call by the terminals connected to the ISDN. When no response is received, the switching system creates a disconnection reason message on the basis of the result of checking the terminal attributes in the table against the attributes of the incoming call. This disconnection reason message is then communicated to the calling terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic switching system having on the extension side an ISDN interface for connecting terminals to the ISDN, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method of setting a reason of disconnecting a communication line when the terminals connected to the ISDN interface do not respond to an incoming call to the ISDN interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
With ISDN now being widely used, electronic switching systems capable of being connected to the ISDN have been developed.
One example of such electronic switching systems is provided with ISDN interfaces both on the ISDN side and the extension side. A plurality of ISDN terminals can be connected to each of the ISDN interfaces on the extension side.
In the electronic switching system of this type, when there is an incoming call to an extension-side ISDN interface, the switching system sends a call setting message to an ISDN terminal connected to the extension-side ISDN interface to inform the terminal of the arrival of the incoming call in accordance with the procedures of the ISDN protocol.
Then, the electronic switching system monitors the generation of a response signal to the call setting message at the called ISDN terminal.
When no response signal is generated at the called ISDN terminal within a predetermined time, the electronic switching system outputs a message including a disconnecting reason indicating that there is no response to the calling terminal.
When non-coincidence of attributes is indicated by the called ISDN terminal, the switching system outputs to the calling terminal a message including the reason indicating that attributes of the terminals do not coincide with each other.
According to the above-described disconnection message setting, when an ISDN terminal is under communication and a calling terminal having the same attributes as the ISDN terminal under communication places a new call to an ISDN interface to which the ISDN terminal is connected, the terminal under communication cannot respond to the new call.
Therefore, the electronic switching system outputs to the calling terminal a message to the effect that there is no response, which correctly indicates the situation on the called side.
However, when a plurality of ISDN terminals are connected to the extension-side ISDN interface and when there is an incoming call to one of the ISDN terminals which does not respond to the incoming call, another one of the ISDN terminals may instead respond to that call.
Under that situation, if another ISDN terminal which has a different attribute from the first one of the ISDN terminals responds to an incoming call and sends to the interface a disconnection signal indicative of non-coincidence of attributes because the first terminal cannot respond to the call, the switching system inform the calling terminal of a disconnection reason indicating that the attribute of the calling terminal does not coincide with that of the called terminal.
Although there are some terminals which have the same attribute as the calling terminal in the extension-side ISDN interface and the system can respond to the calling terminal when the on-going communication is over, a wrong message indicative of "non-coincidence of attributes" is sent to the calling terminal. As a result, a user of the calling terminal may think that calling to the terminal is useless.
As described above, in the conventional electronic switching system in which a plurality of ISDN terminals are connected to an extension-side ISDN interface, when an appropriate ISDN terminal cannot correctly respond to an incoming call to the extension-side ISDN interface, a reason for disconnection is created on the basis of the response by the called ISDN terminal and is sent to the calling terminal.
Therefore, if there is another communication channel in the ISDN interface through which a terminal is under communication whose attribute is the same as that of the calling terminal, it is impossible to correctly inform the calling terminal that the reason that it could not respond to the incoming call was because the terminal having the same attribute as the calling terminal is under communication.
When the terminal under communication having the same attribute as the calling terminal completes its communication, it can respond to a retry by the calling terminal. However, the calling terminal may not redial because of the wrong message of "non-coincidence of attributes" and as a result, the reliability of the communication using the switching system is impaired.

Electronic switching system for use in connection to an ISDN and method of setting communication disconnection reasons


A method for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders with a sleep therapy auto-titrator for in-home use by the patient includes the step of collecting, recording and analyzing sleep data in real time with the auto-titrator. Corrective action is provided in real time to the patient to mitigate sleep events based upon the collected sleep data. The collected sleep data is transmitted, via a global computer information system, to a remote server for storage. The stored sleep data is analyzed by a computer programmed with an algorithm to monitor therapy effectiveness daily and for identifying one or more therapy intervention recommendations. An alert is provided to at least one of the patient or a sleep therapy professional associated with the patient communicating the one or more intervention recommendations.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a significant chronic disease which pervasively effects the general population. The projected rate of sleep apnea in the general population, comparable to the rates of hypertension and obesity, is higher than the rates of breast cancer and diabetes combined. The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea, however, is obscured due to poor screening and poor public awareness. Among middle-aged individuals, many of the women and men who have moderate to severe sleep apnea have not been screened, identified, or diagnosed.
Individuals with untreated sleep disorders are at higher risks for associated chronic conditions which lead to significant increased health care costs, disability, and even death. Included among these heightened risks are hypertension, stroke, sudden death at night, any cardiovascular death, auto accidents, and work place accidents. These undiagnosed individuals utilize significantly more healthcare costs than their counterparts of the same-age without a sleep disorder. Among adults from 18 to 34 years old, approximately half report that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily work resulting in significant productivity losses. Employees with excessive daytime sleepiness are also more likely to be involved in an occupational accident. Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries detract from revenue in the forms lost wages and productivity, administrative expenses, healthcare, and other costs.
Today sparingly few individuals with obstructive sleep apnea are identified and treated. When the few are treated, it is uncommon to collect or utilize information obtained from home sleep therapy machines to determine therapy effectiveness. Even when the electronic data is accessed for a report, the individual's rights of privacy/security of their electronic data are not protected as required by recent Federal regulations, such as the HIPAA HITECH Act. The lack of compliance in this regard results in poor data preservation, often leading to the loss of the electronic data both to the patient and to other future point of care providers.
There are multiple devices, products, and services in the area of sleep disorders, but current technology is inefficient, costly, and ineffective.
The conventional steps to diagnose a consumer with a sleep disorder start with the Primary Care Physician (PCP) or specialist identifying the need for testing to diagnose a sleep disorder. This is affected by physician awareness, i.e., if the physician thinks to asks the screening questions, and if they think treating a sleep disorder is important, then they will pursue a diagnosis. The current identification of consumers with possible sleep disorders has produced the under-diagnosis rate of 93% for females and 82% for males.
Next, the physician may request a sleep study, and the first polysomnogram (PSG) is usually performed in a sleep laboratory. Because of poor access and availability, the time for scheduling is the first delay among a series of weeks to months of delays to diagnose and treat the sleep disorder. The patient arrives to an unfamiliar facility and is wired for data collection. While the consumer is sleeping a technician will assist in collecting the multiple channels of complex information. The technician's training can vary from: on-the-job training with no medical background requirement; no medical background and an 80 hour American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) A-STEP course; healthcare professionals cross-trained for sleep disorders with no course requirements; and meeting the required work period and passing the registry exam to earn the credentials of Registered Polysomnographic Technologist (RPSGT). The unqualified or under qualified technician can produce "Therapy Errors" as described below.
At some facilities, technicians or technologists simply record signals and monitor the patient during the PSG. At other facilities, the technicians/technologists are responsible for staging the sleep changes and scoring any respiratory, cardiac, or limb events which occur during sleep. Due to the differences in the levels of knowledge and performance, the results and accuracy of the studies may vary greatly. This leads to poor inter-scorer reliability of the technicians and unreliable quality of the studies. The medical director is responsible for interpreting the study. Currently there is no inter-rater reliability quality monitoring for physicians providing the interpretations.
The referring physician will request an office visit to review the results—a second delay in diagnosis and treatment. Once diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing the consumer returns to the sleep lab for a second study to determine the level of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which results in a third delay in diagnosis and treatment. This second study is called a CPAP titration. If the technicians fail to accurately score—or do not score at all—while titrating pressures, the study often results in Therapy Errors with unnecessarily high CPAP pressures.
The home therapy begins with the consumer obtaining a prescription from a physician for a sleep therapy machine. The referring physician will request an office visit to review the results and write the prescription—a fourth delay in diagnosis and treatment. The most common requested device is a fixed pressure machine, which is dated technology. This equipment is provided to the consumer by a durable medical equipment provider. The equipment can be delivered to the consumer's home by anyone or even mailed. Decisions by the equipment company regarding which machine to place in the consumer's home may lead to consumers receiving low quality sleep therapy machines and even different machines from the one requested in the physician's order. Once delivered, the majority of consumers receive no monitoring or follow-up, especially middle-aged consumers, for whom the healthcare system typically does not reimburse for nor encourage extra monitoring. After a rental period the equipment is owned by the consumer.
HITECH sleep therapy machines capture sleep therapy data in onboard memory systems. The machine can collect sleep therapy data on a digital memory storage device similar to those used for a digital camera. Unless the physician or the equipment company has a card reader to download the information to be reviewed, the data remains in the sleep therapy machine. If the information is downloaded for a report, the card is erased and the past data is lost to any future point of care provider. Thus, data collection remains quite limited.
Another alternative is to collect the sleep therapy data into a manufacturer database (e.g., EncoreAnywhere®, a web-based database provided by Royal Philips Electronics). Here, the consumer has no access to their own data, and full control over the database is vested in the equipment company. The database administrator at the equipment company may not even be a medical professional, but they access the database and may have the ability to grant access to others without the consumer's knowledge or authorization. If the consumer switches to another equipment company the past data typically remains with the previous company, and is lost to any future point-of-care provider. These current practices do not recognize the consumer's rights to protect the privacy/security of their own electronic data, and are not HIPAA HITECH compliant.
There still exists in the art, accordingly, a need for the collection of home sleep therapy data to improve overall scientific knowledge while concurrently acknowledging privacy and security concerns and affording consumers control over their own health data. The need in the art extends to systems and devices that provide for one or more or all of the following features: improved quality and efficiency through the elimination of unnecessary care; reduction of chronic health conditions through disease management; cost control for sleep disorders; information technology with centralized electronic medical records; secure storage of electronic personal health information; coordination of care to provide timely access or availability; and encouragement of consumer-driven healthcare.

Systems and methods for diagnosing and treating sleep disorders


A system and methodology for continuous condition monitoring of rotating equipment. Employ adaptive signal processing techniques to determine the RPM of a rotating machine from time-based vibration data. RPM is determined based upon the input of a digitized time-based sample sequence of vibration data acquired directly from a vibration transducer for on-line real-time measurement of the machine RPM. Once RPM is determined, online vibration analysis for a given RPM or set of RPMs may be performed. The present invention extracts characteristic vibration features from vibration data and uses these extracted values to provide condition detection and diagnoses of machine faults.

As manufacturing and processing requirements become more and more complex, today's plants and other manufacturing and processing facilities contain more and more machines and other complex mechanical components and devices of all sizes and shapes and for an exceedingly large variety of applications. For example, in a typical petroleum refinery or other chemical plant, hundreds or even thousands of machines may exist in connection with the various processes being performed at the particular facility.
These machines may include compressors, turbines, pumps, motors, fans and other devices that employ some manner of rotation in connection with their operation. In order to maintain, troubleshoot and otherwise operate these machines over time, it is often important to obtain relatively frequent RPM (rotations per minute) readings with respect to the rotational elements of the machines. These RPM readings can be used to diagnose many problems with the machines that are not readily apparent to the naked eye or are otherwise difficult or impossible to ascertain without the aid of the RPM readings. For example, significant deviations in RPM speed from that which is called for in the machine specification may indicate the existence of an operational problem. Also, significant deviation from the past characteristic operating RPM speed for a particular machine may signal that some form of maintenance or repair is required. As yet another example, known operational problems may be suspected based upon vibration information as the vibration frequency spectrum of the machine relates to the rotational speed of the machine. The presence of excessive vibration levels at certain frequencies, known as defect or fault frequencies, usually indicates a specific machine fault or operational problem. For example, a high vibration at a frequency of 1×RPM may be caused by an unbalance of the machine shaft. The defect frequencies are directly related to the machine speed as multiples of RPM.
In order to properly make such diagnoses, it is quite important for the RPM readings to be accurate, because improper or inaccurate RPM readings can lead to the false belief that a problem exists when one actually does not or, alternatively, the false belief that a problem does not exist when, in fact, one actually does. Additionally, inaccurate RPM readings can lead to misdiagnosis of a machine problem. High accuracy of RPM readings is particularly important when high frequency vibration components are used to detect problems associated with rotating elements of bearings because a small error in RPM readings will be amplified at high frequencies.
There are various prior art methods for obtaining RPM readings for rotating machines. One common technique is to directly measure rotational speed by installing an RPM sensor, commonly known as a "Key Phaser" or a "Tachometer", on the machines. Unfortunately, these RPM sensors are quite difficult to install on existing machines. Further, the sensors are quite expensive and given the large numbers of machines in typical plants, which can number in the thousands, the costs can be prohibitive. It is for this reason that direct speed sensor measurement is often limited to a few critical machines such as major process compressors in a refinery application.
Another method for obtaining RPM readings which is currently in use is through a high-resolution Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of the vibration signals in order to arrive at an estimate for the RPM value. This method, however, typically requires an operator to interpret the FFT spectrum and is not, therefore, suitable for automatic on-line vibration analysis. Notwithstanding this, as low-cost data acquisition systems are being made commercially available on a broader basis, plants have begun to implement on-line vibration monitoring systems on machines which are not mission critical such as, for example, pumps and motors. These vibration monitoring systems are usually equipped with only vibration sensors and not with speed sensors because of cost constraints. Further, the majority of low-cost on-line vibration monitoring systems are not capable of providing high-resolution FFT vibration analysis. Without direct RPM sensors, the vibration monitoring systems currently in use are relatively inaccurate in terms of providing RPM readings.
There have been attempts to provide more accurate RPM readings based upon vibration analysis techniques. However, many of these techniques still suffer from drawbacks including inaccuracy in RPM readings. In particular, these techniques often result in inaccurate readings especially when the noise associated with the vibration readings is high—a common situation in most plant applications. For example, M. D. Hicho discloses a method for determining the RPM of a rotating machine from a vibration frequency spectrum (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,109,700 and 5,115,671, Method and Apparatus for Analyzing Rotating Machines). Hicho's method identifies a set of vibration peaks out of a measured vibration frequency spectrum that corresponds to the frequencies of 1×, 2× and/or 3× of the target RPM of the machine to be measured, and uses those frequencies to estimate the RPM.
This method is simple and straightforward. However, the accuracy of the method is limited to the frequency resolution, amplitude accuracy and background noise in the vibration frequency spectrum. The FFT technique employed to obtain the vibration frequency spectrum is inherently inaccurate due to the spectrum smearing or energy leakage in determining the true peak values of the vibration. Many low-cost data acquisition systems can only provide relatively low resolution of the FFT spectrum. In addition, the FFT technique of Hicho's method neglects the essential phase information of the vibration components and is not effective in suppressing the random noise when compared with averaging techniques in time domain such as "synchronous averaging". Another difficulty with this method is that the selection of a criterion to identify the peaks from the vibration frequency spectrum is arbitrary.
Another method of estimating the RPM of a rotating machine from vibration data is disclosed by K. R. Piety (U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,072, Method for Determining Rotational Speed from Machine Vibration Data). This method compares the measured vibration frequency spectrum of an unknown machine RPM with a reference spectrum of a known RPM from the same machine, derives a spectrum stretch factor that provides optimal correlation between the two spectra, and determines the RPM of the machine from the stretch factor and the known RPM of the reference spectrum. This method has the same limitations as Hitcho's method because it also operates on the FFT spectrum.
While it is important to obtain an accurate reading for RPM in connection with condition monitoring, RPM determination is merely one, albeit an important, step in the overall process. With various advances in information technology and new applications becoming available all of the time, the migration to on-line and coordinated monitoring of large groups of equipment is not surprising. In fact, given these improvements and new capabilities, the practice of machine maintenance has trended away from time-based solutions wherein machines are tested at particular time intervals and towards condition-based solutions wherein testing and problem resolution occurs only upon detection of a problem or a suspected problem.
In this way, the number of unnecessary machine servicing and testing sessions and shutdowns and their associated costs are greatly reduced. But perhaps even more importantly, costly machine breakdowns can be reduced or even eliminated in some cases due to the ability to detect faults earlier before they can do much damage.
Currently, the most widely used techniques to monitor the condition of rotating machines employ vibration measurements. Most machines have a typical vibration level and a frequency spectrum with a characteristic shape when the machine is in good condition. If a machine fault develops, the dynamic processes in the machine change and some of the forces acting on and within the machine therefore change. As a result, the vibration level and shape of the vibration spectrum changes. By monitoring the change in the vibration level and spectrum shape, a trained machine operator is usually able to detect not only the presence of a machine fault but also, in many cases, the type of fault present.
As the cost of data acquisition systems and computers is continually reduced, on-line vibration monitoring systems are becoming more and more popular as replacements for conventional portable measurement solutions throughout continuous process industries. The availability of on-line and historical vibration data provides operators with a means for continuously monitoring machine condition. However, at the same time, these machine operators and service personnel are subject to data overload given these new systems. Therefore, some level of automated data analysis is desirable so that attention may be focused on only those situations that require the same.

System and methodology for vibration analysis and condition monitoring

Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering Company


A reversible hydrogen storage alloy capable of storing large amounts of hydrogen and delivering reversibly large amounts of hydrogen at temperatures ranging from 0° C. up to 40° C. The hydrogen storage alloy is generally composed of titanium, vanadium, and chromium. The alloy may further include manganese. Modifier elements such as zirconium, iron, nickel, molybdenum, ruthenium, and/or cobalt, and scavenger elements such as misch metal, calcium, and/or magnesium may be included in the alloy to improve performance.

Hydrogen storage is a technology critical to a wide variety of applications, some of the most prevalent being fuel cells, portable power generation, and hydrogen combustion engines. Such applications would benefit substantially from hydrogen storage alloys capable of absorbing and desorbing higher amounts of hydrogen as compared to present day commercially available hydrogen storage alloys. Hydrogen storage alloys having the hydrogen absorption and desorption characteristics of the present invention will benefit such applications by providing longer operating life and/or range on a single charge for hydrogen power generators, fuel cells, and hydrogen internal combustion engines.
In the past, considerable attention has been given to the use of hydrogen as a fuel or fuel supplement. While the world's oil reserves are being rapidly depleted, the supply of hydrogen remains virtually unlimited. Hydrogen can be produced from coal, natural gas and other hydrocarbons, or formed by the electrolysis of water. Moreover hydrogen can be produced without the use of fossil fuels, such as by the electrolysis of water using nuclear or solar energy. Furthermore, hydrogen, although presently more expensive than petroleum, is a relatively low cost fuel. Hydrogen has the highest density of energy per unit weight of any chemical fuel and is essentially non-polluting since the main by-product of burning hydrogen is water.
While hydrogen has wide potential as a fuel, a major drawback in its utilization, especially in mobile uses such as the powering of vehicles, has been the lack of acceptable lightweight hydrogen storage medium. Conventionally, hydrogen has been stored in a pressure-resistant vessel under a high pressure or stored as a cryogenic liquid, being cooled to an extremely low temperature. Storage of hydrogen as a compressed gas involves the use of large and heavy vessels. In a steel vessel or tank of common design only about 1% of the total weight is comprised of hydrogen gas when it is stored in the tank at a typical pressure of 136 atmospheres. In order to obtain equivalent amounts of energy, a container of hydrogen gas would weigh about thirty times the weight of a container of gasoline. Additionally, transfer of a large sized vessel is very difficult. Furthermore, storage as a liquid presents a serious safety problem when used as a fuel for motor vehicles since hydrogen is extremely flammable. Liquid hydrogen also must be kept extremely cold, below −253° C., and is highly volatile if spilled. Moreover, liquid hydrogen is expensive to produce and the energy necessary for the liquefaction process is a major fraction of the energy that can be generated by burning the hydrogen.
Certain metals and alloys allow for the reversible storage of hydrogen. In this regard, they have been considered as a possible form of hydrogen-storage, due to their large hydrogen-storage capacity. Storage of hydrogen as a solid hydride can provide a greater volumetric storage density than storage as a compressed gas or a liquid in pressure tanks. Also, hydrogen storage in a solid hydride presents fewer safety problems than those caused by hydrogen stored in containers as a gas or a liquid. Solid-phase storage of hydrogen in a metal or alloy system works by absorbing hydrogen through the formation of a metal hydride under a specific temperature/pressure or electrochemical conditions, and releasing hydrogen by changing these conditions. Metal hydride systems have the advantage of high-density hydrogen-storage for long periods of time, since they are formed by the insertion of hydrogen atoms into the crystal lattice of a metal. A desirable hydrogen storage material must have a high storage capacity relative to the weight of the material, a suitable desorption temperature/pressure, good kinetics, good reversibility, resistance to poisoning by contaminants including those present in the hydrogen gas, and be of a relatively low cost. If the material fails to possess any one of these characteristics it will not be acceptable for wide scale commercial utilization.
The hydrogen storage capacity per unit weight of material is an important consideration in many applications, particularly where the hydride does not remain stationary. A low hydrogen storage capacity relative to the weight of the material reduces the mileage and hence the range of a hydrogen fueled vehicle making the use of such materials. A low desorption temperature is desirable to reduce the amount of energy required to release the hydrogen. Furthermore, a relatively low desorption temperature to release the stored hydrogen is necessary for efficient utilization of the available exhaust heat from vehicles, machinery, fuel cells, or other similar equipment.
Good reversibility is needed to enable the hydrogen storage material to be capable of repeated absorption-desorption cycles without significant loss of its hydrogen storage capabilities. Good kinetics are necessary to enable hydrogen to be absorbed or desorbed in a relatively short period of time. Resistance to contaminants to which the material may be subjected during manufacturing and utilization is required to prevent a degradation of acceptable performance.
Hydrogen storage materials include a variety of metallic materials such as Mg, Mg—Ni, Mg—Cu, Ti—Fe, Ti—Mn, Ti—Ni, Mm—Ni and Mm—Co alloy systems (wherein, Mm is Misch metal, which is a rare-earth metal or combination/alloy of rare-earth metals). However, basic hydrogen storage metals or alloys do not have all of the properties required for a storage medium with widespread commercial utilization.
Of these materials, the Mg alloy systems can store relatively large amounts of hydrogen per unit weight of the storage material. However, heat is needed to release the hydrogen stored in the alloy, because of its low hydrogen dissociation equilibrium pressure at room temperature.
The use of rare-earth (Misch metal) alloys have several drawbacks. Although they can be formulated to absorb and release hydrogen at room temperature, based on the fact that they have a hydrogen dissociation equilibrium pressure on the order of several atmospheres at room temperature, their hydrogen-storage capacity per unit weight is lower than desirable.
Transition metal alloy systems, like the Ti—Fe alloy system, have the advantage that they can be formulated with a hydrogen dissociation equilibrium pressure of several atmospheres at room temperature. However, these alloys typically require a high temperature of about 350° C. and a high pressure of over 30 atmospheres for initial hydrogenation, while providing only relatively low hydrogen absorption/desorption rates. Also, these alloy systems exhibit a hysteresis problem which hinders the complete release of hydrogen stored therein.
Under the circumstances, a variety of approaches have been made to solve the problems of the prior art and to develop an improved material which has a high hydrogen-storage efficiency, a proper hydrogen dissociation equilibrium pressure and a high absorption/desorption rate.

Hydrogen storage alloys providing for the reversible storage of hydrogen at low temperatures


According to one embodiment, there is provided a method of manufacturing a high-frequency acceleration cavity component, the method including covering a mold with a conducting material, enclosing, in an outer shell, the mold covered with the conducting material, vacuum-airtight-welding the outer shell enclosing the mold, conducing hot isostatic pressing of the vacuum-airtight-welded outer shell, and taking the conducting material formed in the mold out of the outer shell which has undergone the hot isostatic pressing.

In general, an accelerator is a device which uses an electromagnetic field to accelerate charged particles such as electrons, protons, or ions to a high-energy state at approximately a maximum of several trillion electron volts (several TeV). The accelerator was originally developed for the studies of atomic nuclei and elementary particles. Recently, the application of the accelerator has been extended to a wide range of scientific and technical fields including, for example, very large scale integrated circuits (LSI), microfabrication (lithography), substance studies, and life sciences by using emitted light (referred to as synchrotron orbital radiation (SOR) light) which is generated by the accelerator. When the orbit of electrons propagating in a vacuum substantially at light velocity is bent by a deflecting magnetic field, the emitted light is generated in the tangential direction of the orbit.
The accelerator thus applied in the wide range has a high-frequency acceleration cavity provided at the beam line of a charged particle beam to supplement energy lost for the acceleration of charged particles or lost as the SOR light.
The high-frequency waves fed into the high-frequency acceleration cavity oscillate, and a high electric field is thereby generated. The charged particle beam is accelerated by the high electric field. When the high electric field is thus generated, a circulating current passes through the inner surface of the high-frequency acceleration cavity. This circulating current is a high-frequency current, and therefore runs at a skin depth corresponding to the material of the inner surface of the high-frequency acceleration cavity. As a result, the circulating current leads to Joule loss.
This Joule loss becomes considerable if a high electric field necessary for the acceleration of the charged particle beam is obtained in a normal conducting high-frequency acceleration cavity made of oxygen-free copper or aluminum. A high-power high-frequency oscillator capable of feeding a great amount of high-frequency power is needed to compensate for the Joule loss. However, the output of the high-frequency oscillator is limited, and there are many problems in cooling the high-frequency acceleration cavity which has been heated by the Joule loss. Thus, the application of the normal conducting high-frequency acceleration cavity is limited.
Accordingly, it is known to manufacture a high-frequency acceleration cavity by using a superconducting material much lower in radio-frequency resistance than a normal conducting material in order to reduce a current running through the inner surface of the high-frequency acceleration cavity (see, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2009-135049).
This superconducting high-frequency acceleration cavity is used in various fields. For example, an electron beam accelerator is coming into practical use for an X-ray free electron laser which has recently been constructed in Germany or for international linear colliders which have recently been developed all over the world. Thus, the superconducting high-frequency acceleration cavity is used to obtain electrons having the highest possible energy within the range of limited power and limited space.
However, welding is often used to manufacture such a superconducting high-frequency acceleration cavity. Weld-sputtering of the inner surface of the cavity and the inclusion of an impurity during welding increase the Joule loss, and limit the performance of the high-frequency acceleration cavity. It is therefore preferable to minimize welded portions. One method of manufacturing a superconducting high-frequency acceleration cavity by welding is to weld and thereby bond a plurality of bowl-like superconducting materials which are formed from a plate material, for example, by deep drawing.
In the meantime, one (seamless) manufacturing method that eliminates the welded portions can be to process a cylinder made of a superconducting material into the form of a cavity, for example, by hydraulic molding. Here, one way chosen to create a cylinder is to either round plates and weld the abutted ends of the plates or chip a bulk material. However, the manufacturing method that rounds the plates cannot eliminate the welded portions. The manufacturing method that chips the bulk material, on the other hand, produces a great amount of chips and leads to a cost rise.

Method of manufacturing high-frequency acceleration cavity component


An aircraft power plant has: an electric motor; a compressor; a combustion engine; an output shaft drivingly engageable to a thrust generator for propelling an aircraft equipped with the aircraft power plant; and a transmission including a gearbox having a first input drivingly engaged by the electric motor, a first output drivingly engaging the compressor, a second input drivingly engageable by the combustion engine, and a second output drivingly engageable to the output shaft, wherein the transmission has: a propulsion configuration in which the output shaft and the compressor are drivingly engaged to the electric motor and to the combustion engine via the gearbox, and an auxiliary power unit configuration in which the combustion engine and the output shaft are at rest while the electric motor drivingly engages the compressor.

An auxiliary power unit (APU) is typically used in aircraft to provide various functionalities, such as an independent power drive as an adjunct to a primary engine. For example an APU may be used to provide back-up power to the electrical power system of an aircraft, while the aircraft is grounded or during an in-flight emergency. APU are typically shut down when power form the primary engine is available.


A solar cooking appliance comprising a solar heat collector to collect and store solar heat, a heat storage and conducting material partially filling said solar heat collector and a set of solar cooking utensils, where each utensil is sized to fit a shape and size of the internal shape and size of the solar heat collector. The utensil has a wall which is heatingly connected to the heat storage and conducting material and an internal wall of the solar heat collector to receive solar heat for cooking food. The utensil further comprises a removable part for opening and closing said utensils during cooking.

For all kinds of existing energy sources in the earth, solar energy is the most widespread, the richest and the most uniformly distributed energy source. Solar energy can be used very easily. It is available every day, everywhere and for every body.
For all kinds of human energy consuming activities, cooking food and beverage is the most often activity and has the longest history. Every body in anywhere needs to cook the foods every day.
It is very interesting and valuable topic to use solar energy for food cooking. There are many efforts in this field. (Please refer to the existing patents).
The solar power on a unit earth area is not very large. The solar radiation intensity is varied from North to South and from morning to afternoon. It depends on the weather and is also different in four seasons, so that to develop an economic solar cooking appliance is always a challenge and need continue efforts.
In view of these difficulties, some solar cooking appliances tried to make the sunlight receiving area as large as possible. But the heat insulation for the received heat is difficult. Some solar cooking appliances follow and focus the sunlight using expensive automation system and need additional power to run the system. Some solar cooking appliances also use the heat storage materials. The materials may be expensive and not easy to get.
Therefore, it is an important topic for the industry to further develop and improve applications of the solar cooking technology to develop a set of economic and practicable solar cooking appliances.


Disclosed a structure for supporting a steering device including a steering shaft 9 adapted to transmit a steering force of a steering wheel to road wheels, relative to a vehicle body through an instrument-panel member 6 extending a lateral direction of a vehicle. The support structure comprises a first bracket 20 fixed to the instrument-panel member 6, a steering column 19 rotatably mounting the steering shaft 9, a second bracket 21, 22 fixed to the steering column 19, and coupling means 23, 24 for providing a coupling between the first bracket 20 and the second bracket 21, 22. The coupling means 23, 24 is designed to allow the second bracket 21, 22 to have an axial relative displacement with respect to the first bracket 20 on the basis of an axial direction of the steering shaft 9 while allowing an upward relative displacement of the second bracket 21, 22 with respect to the first bracket 20 in the course of the axial relative displacement, during a vehicle collision. The support structure of the present invention makes it possible to displace a steering shaft upward during a vehicle collision so as to prevent the knee of a passenger from interfering with the steering shaft, while ensuring a steering operation by a passenger, in a simplified structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a structure for supporting, relative to a vehicle body through an instrument panel, a steering device including a steering shaft adapted to transmit a steering force of a steering wheel to road wheels.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, the above steering shaft is arranged to pass by a space just below an instrument-panel member extending in a width or lateral direction of a vehicle, and rotatably mounted within a steering column.
When a driver sits in a driver seat, the knee of the driver (passenger) is located adjacent to a steering shaft. Thus, there is the need for providing a structure allowing the driver's knee to be kept from interfering with the steering shaft in the event of a vehicle collision.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-40080 (Patent Publication 1) discloses a steering lock device intended to reduce an impact during a vehicle collision at a given level or less so as to ensure passenger's safety.
Specifically, in a steering lock device includes a tubular casing body housing a key cylinder adapted to be rotationally operated by a key, a lock support member extending from the casing body toward a steering shaft and having a tubular guide portion, and a lock member disposed in the lock support member to extend along the guide portion and adapted to be moved between a lock position where the lock member is engaged with the steering shaft according to the rotational operation of the key and a release position where the engagement is released, the above steering lock device comprises an anchor portion formed in the lock support member to allow the steering lock device to be fixed to a vehicle body, and a breakage-inducing portion formed in a connection portion between the casing body and the lock support member to induce a breakage of the connection portion in response to a given impact force, whereby in the event of a vehicle collision, the connection portion is broken to allow the casing body to be rotated upward about the lock support member so as to reduce a load to be imposed on the knee of a passenger and reduce an impact to the passenger at a given level or less.
The Patent Publication 1 includes no description about a specific structure and a technical concept allowing the steering shaft itself to be displaced upward during the vehicle collision.


A polishing method for electropolishing a metal film formed on a wafer surface so as to fill concave portions formed on the wafer surface comprises a step of determining an electropolishing end point of the metal film on the basis of a change of a current waveform resulting from electropolishing the metal film. An electropolishing apparatus comprising a current detector for detecting a current waveform resulting from electropolishing a metal film and an end point determination part for determining an electropolishing end point of the metal film on the basis of the change of a current detected with the current detector is used to realize the polishing method.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a polishing method and an electropolishing apparatus, and more specifically, a polishing method for accurately determining an end point in an electropolishing required for a case of forming embedded wirings by planarization of concave and convex portions of a copper-plated film surface with a process of forming copper interconnections, a polishing method for polishing by alternating the electropolishing with a chemical mechanical polishing repeatedly, and an electropolishing apparatus for accurately determining an electropolishing end point.
2. Description of Related Art
A detection of an end point in a process of electropolishing a copper-plated film used for copper interconnections has been managed on the basis of a polish time.
However, an electropolishing causes a local increase of a solve-out rate of copper by reason that a micro interconnection portion is electropolished centrally with a decreasing area of a remaining copper film portion. Thus, there is a narrow margin of detection of the end point when a determination on the end point is made by a time management, so that the electropolishing still presents problems such as a disappearance of micro interconnections and a presence of macro interconnection remains.
Further, a mere conjecture on a quantity of removed copper from a cumulative value of integrating currents finds difficulty in determining an accurate end point, because of a local resistance change attributable to a concentration of currents, in addition to a fact that a current value in the end point is far smaller than that at a time when a whole surface was covered with copper.
As a result, the following problems occur. That is, (1) a polished surface of the copper film constitutes an unstable surface having a poor surface smoothness, (2) there is provided an insufficient interconnection sectional area attributable to a recessed copper interconnection surface as a result of overpolish of copper filled in a trench interconnection portion, (3) a dishing occurs, (4) an erosion occurs and the like. A local non-uniformity caused by the presence of copper remains, the overpolish of the copper and the like as described above produces short circuit failure and/or open circuit failures of interconnections.
In particular, when the trench interconnection portion is the only portion to be electropolished in the end point, a polished area of a copper film is decreased with a decreasing area of a copper surface from a state of 100% that the entire surface is initially covered with copper up to a pattern density. For this reason, the copper in a micro trench interconnection portion is liable to be electropolished centrally, so that a polish rate of an independent micro interconnection portion is increased in an accelerating manner with an increasing polish rate difference between a macro remaining portion or a wide interconnection portion and the independent micro interconnection portion. In addition, variations of electropolishing conditions depending on an extreme change of an anode current density, as well as a deviation from bright electropolishing conditions, produce a poor surface such as a rough surface.

Polishing method and electropolishing apparatus