An image decoding device for increasing decoding efficiency and reducing the number of memory accesses includes a division unit dividing a picture into first and second coded image data; and first and second decoding units decoding, in parallel, the first and second coded image data and storing decoding results into a frame storage unit. The first and second decoding units decode the first and second coded image data using second and first decoding result information, respectively, and store the resulting first and second decoding result information into an information storage unit. When decoding a target macroblock, each of the first and second decoding units performs image processing on the corresponding second or first decoding result information indicating part of the decoded macroblock included in the macroblock line adjacent to the macroblock line including the target macroblock, and the target macroblock.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to image decoding devices that decode coded images, image coding devices that code images, and so forth. In particular, the present invention relates to an image decoding device that performs parallel decoding, an image coding device that performs parallel coding, and so forth.
2. Background Art
A conventional image coding device for coding a video sequence divides each picture included in the video sequence into macroblocks, and performs coding for each of the macroblocks. The size of a macroblock is 16 pixels high and 16 pixels wide. Then, the conventional image coding device generates a coded stream, that is, a coded video sequence. After this, a conventional image decoding device decodes this coded stream on a macroblock-by-macroblock basis to reproduce the pictures of the original video sequence.
The conventional coding methods include the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) H.264 standard (see Non Patent Literature 1, for example). The H.264 standard employs variable-length coding. By the variable-length coding process, each macroblock is coded into a variable-length code. Moreover, in each of processes such as intra-picture prediction, motion vector calculation, and deblocking filtering based on the H.264 standard, there is a data dependency relationship between a target macroblock to be coded or decoded and another macroblock adjacent to this target macroblock.
FIG. 47 is a diagram showing the data dependency relationship.
As shown in FIG. 47, when intra-picture prediction is performed on a decoding-target macroblock MBx, pixels in macroblocks MBa to MBd adjacent to the target macroblock MBx are used. Similarly, when a motion vector of the target macroblock MBx is calculated, motion vectors of the macroblocks MBa to MBc adjacent to the target macroblock MBx are used. Moreover, when deblocking filtering is performed on the target macroblock MBx, the pixels in the macroblocks MBa and MBb adjacent to the target macroblock MBx are used.
In view of this, the image decoding device based on the H.264 standard usually needs to decode each of the macroblocks included in the current picture from the beginning of the coded stream. For this reason, the image decoding device and the image coding device adopting the H.264 standard usually cannot employ parallel processing with which the processing speed is increased. This means that each of these image decoding and coding devices has to speed up the processing by increasing an operating frequency.
Here, some of the conventional technologies solve such a problem (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
FIG. 48A is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image decoding device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 mentioned above.
As shown in FIG. 48A, an image decoding device 1000 in Patent Literature 1 includes two decoding units (codec elements) 1300a and 1300b which operate in parallel. This allows performance to be increased. To be more specific, a stream analysis unit 1100 supplies a coded stream to each of the two decoding units 1300a and 1300b, and a macroblock pipeline control unit 1200 controls pipeline operations performed by the two decoding units 1300a and 1300b. Here, each of the decoding units 1300a and 1300b includes a VLC 1301 which performs variable-length decoding, a TRF 1302 which performs inverse quantization and inverse frequency transform, and an MC 1303 which performs motion compensation. That is, each of the decoding units 1300a and 1300b performs variable-length decoding, inverse quantization, inverse frequency transform, and motion compensation to decode a target macroblock (i.e., to perform inter-picture prediction decoding).
FIG. 48B is a diagram explaining an operation performed by the image decoding device 1000 disclosed in Patent Literature 1.
In Patent Literature 1, as shown in FIG. 48B, the macroblock pipeline control unit 1200 causes positions of macroblocks respectively decoded by the decoding units 1300a and 1300b to be shifted from each other by two macroblocks in a horizontal direction (and by one macroblock in a vertical direction). Moreover, the macroblock pipeline control unit 1200 causes each of the decoding units 1300a and 1300b to perform a decoding sub-process (one of variable-length decoding, inverse quantization, inverse frequency transform, and motion compensation) on a corresponding one of the two target macroblocks, for each time slot (TS) within a length of the TS. More specifically, the macroblock pipeline control unit 1200 controls the decoding units 1300a and 1300b so that each of the decoding units 1300a and 1300b decodes one macroblock for each predetermined period within a length of the predetermined period. In other words, the decoding units 1300a and 1300b are controlled so as to operate in synchronization with each other on a macroblock-by-macroblock basis. In this way, the data dependency relationship is maintained, and decoding is accordingly performed by parallel processing.

Image decoding device, image coding device, methods thereof, programs thereof, integrated circuits thereof, and transcoding device

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A two-screen display device, in which an increase of production cost can be suppressed while the same resolution as an image of a usual (one-screen display) device is maintained, is provided. In a liquid crystal display panel of the two-screen display device, each of a first sub-pixel for first image and a second sub-pixel for second image has an aspect ratio of about 6:1. A source line supplies an image signal to both the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel. Each row of the sub-pixel includes a gate line (first gate line) that drives the first sub-pixel and a gate line (second gate line) that drives the second sub-pixel. An opening of a parallax barrier is disposed in a region between the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-screen display device that displays two images in different directions.
2. Description of the Background Art
Recently, a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) that can display a different image according to a viewing angle is becoming popular (for example, see "Dual-view liquid crystal and Triple-view liquid crystal," Sharp Technical Journal, No. 96, November, 2007). Particularly, a two-screen display device that displays two images in different directions is applied to not only a dual-view display device that enables plural viewers to simultaneously view different images, but also a 3D display device that enables stereo display such that two images are viewed by eyes of the same viewer in consideration of a parallax (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-250994 and International Patent Publication No. 2004/011987).
As used herein, the "two-screen display device" should include not only the dual-view display device but also the 3D display device. Hereinafter, a color pixel including red (R), green (G), and blue (B) dots is simply referred to as a "pixel", and a monochrome pixel corresponding to each dot is referred to as a "sub-pixel."
There is well known a two-screen display method in which a parallax barrier is used. In the parallax-barrier-method two-screen display device, a sub-pixel (first sub-pixel) that displays a first image in a display region of a display panel and a sub-pixel (second sub-pixel) that displays a second image are regularly (for example, alternately) arranged, and a light shielding film, what is called a "parallax barrier," which includes plural openings is provided on (front-surface side) the display region. The opening of parallax barrier is disposed between the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel, and a given distance is provided between the parallax barrier and each sub-pixel.
For example, when the first sub-pixel is located on the lower left of the opening of the parallax barrier while the second sub-pixel is located on the lower right of the parallax barrier, the first sub-pixel is viewed through the opening of the parallax barrier from the right side toward the front of the display panel, and the second sub-pixel is viewed through the opening of the parallax barrier from the left side toward the front of the display panel. Accordingly, the first image displayed by the first sub-pixel is viewed from the right side toward the front of the display panel, and the second image displayed by the second sub-pixel is viewed from the left side toward the front of the display panel.
The dual-view display device has a configuration in which the first image and the second image are not viewed at the same time from the same viewer by increasing a difference between a range (angle) where the first image is viewed and a range where the second image is viewed. On the other hand, the 3D display device has a configuration in which the first image and the second image can simultaneously be viewed with eyes of the same viewer by decreasing the difference between the range where the first image is viewed and the range where the second image is viewed. That is, the dual-view display device and the 3D display device have the same basic structure. The range (angle) where each image is viewed is defined by a size of the opening of the parallax barrier or the distance between the parallax barrier and the pixel.
As can be seen from the above description, in the parallax-barrier-method two-screen display device, a half of the plural sub-pixels disposed in the display region is used to display the first image, and other half is used to display the second image. Accordingly, resolution of the first image and resolution of the second image displayed by the two-screen display device become substantially a half of the resolution possessed by the display device, which results in degradation of image quality.
In the parallax-barrier-method two-screen display device, the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel are horizontally arrayed with the opening of the parallax barrier interposed therebetween. Therefore, when the sub-pixels are simply arrayed without changing the size of each sub-pixel or changing a horizontally in-line array of the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) sub-pixels constituting one pixel (color pixel), compared with a usual display device that displays only one screen (hereinafter, referred to as "one-screen display device"), the vertical resolution is identical but the horizontal resolution is a half.
In order that the resolution of the first image and the resolution of the second image are increased while the size of the display region is kept constant, the size of each sub-pixel is reduced to narrow a pitch of the sub-pixel, and the number of pixels arrayed in the display region is increased. For example, when the number of pixels is increased in the liquid crystal display device, it is necessary to increase the number of source lines that supply image signals to the pixels or the number of gate lines that drive the pixels according to increasing number of pixels. Therefore, a production cost increase is generated in order to increase the resolution of the display device.
When the pitch of the sub-pixel is narrowed in the two-screen display device, the range (angle) where the first image and second image are viewed is narrowed. In order that the resolution is increased while the range where the first image and second image are viewed is kept constant, it is necessary to narrow the distance between the parallax barrier and the pixel. For example, in the liquid crystal display device, when the distance between the parallax barrier and the pixel is defined by a thickness of a substrate (color filter substrate) on which a color filter or a black matrix is mounted, it is necessary to thin the substrate, and possibly a production process of the display device of the background art is hardly applied, which results in the production cost increase.


The present invention is directed to radiolabeled epibatidine analogues, specifically FPH labeled with radioisotopes of fluorine and/or carbon. These radiolabeled epibatidine compounds are used to noninvasively image and quantify nicotinic cholinergic receptors in the living brain for both research studies and the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are a major class of excitatory receptor in the brain. As such, they are important in normal physiology and in neuropathological states. Study of these receptors is important for research and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases. For example, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor has been implicated in various neuropathological and physiological states, including Alzheimer's disease and addiction to tobacco products. With respect to tobacco addiction, these receptors are the sites at which the addictive drug nicotine produces its effects. However, in patients who have died from Alzheimer's disease, the densities of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain are reduced. Currently, Alzheimer's disease is definitively diagnosed only at autopsy, and rates of false positive diagnoses in living patients range from 19% to 45%. Science, 266, Dec. 16, 1994. A noninvasive method of diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases in the living human brain is highly desirable.
To date, an appropriate agent for labeling and quantifying the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in living human brain is not available. These receptors have been characterized heretofore by radioligand binding and electrophysiological assays. Sargent, Annu. Rev. Neurosci., 16:403 (1993). However, in vivo imaging studies of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have been impeded by lack of a suitable radioligand.
The prior art discloses attempts to image neuroreceptor populations in living animals using various labeled compounds. However, until now, none of the labeled compounds have been successful in imaging and quantifying nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the living brain.
For example, radiolabeled nicotine has been prepared and evaluated as a ligand for localizing and quantifying nicotinic cholinergic receptors ("nAChRs") by Positron Emission Tomography ("PET"), but its rapid clearance and relatively low affinity have limited its usefulness. Recent studies in mice have used labeled cytisine, another ligand with high affinity for nAChRs. Those studies indicate that this ligand does not clear as rapidly from the brain as nicotine and does not have as much non-specific binding. Both radiolabled nicotine and cytisine present limitations as in vivo tracers due to their non-specific binding in the brain and rapid clearance from the brain.
Recently, epibatidine has been discovered and various pharmacological uses for it have been suggested. Epibatidine (exo-2-(2-chloro-5-pyridyl)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane), an extract of frog skin, has recently been discovered to produce antinociception, indicating central activity after peripheral administration, and extremely high potency for central nAChRs in vitro. Badio, Mol. Pharmacol., 45:563 (1994). Epibatidine is disclosed U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,314,899 and 5,462,956. However, these patents do not disclose fluorine as a specific substituent. PCT application WO94/22868 to Shen et al. discloses the epibatidine analogue (.+-.)-exo-2-(2-fluoro-5-pyridyl)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane ("FPH") for its analgesic activity. Methods for preparing epibatidine may found in JP 702087 and JP 7033771.
Previously, epibatidine has been studied for use as an analgesic and nicotinic agonist. It has been learned that enantiomers of epibatidine have similar inhibition of nicotine binding to nicotinic sites in rat brains. Mol. Pharmacol., 45:563-69 (1994).
Other labeled compounds, other than FPH, have been studied for use as ligands for the neuronal nicotinic receptor, for example, [.sup.11 C]N-methylepibatidine and [.sup.18 F]fluoroethylepibatidine, Journal of Labelled Compounds and Radiopharmaceuticals, 37:355-56 (1995), and nicotinic binding assays on the brains of patients who died of dementia of the Alzheimer type have been performed using [.sup.3 H]acetylcholine and [.sup.3 H]nicotine as radioligands. Neurochemical Research, 14:745-50 (1989).
Attempts have been made to visualize nicotinic receptors in the brain of monkey and man using PET and labeled nicotine as a ligand for the receptors. Progress in Brain Research, Nordberg et al. (Ed.), 79:313-19 (1989).
None of the prior art discloses a successful noninvasive method for imaging nAChRs in the living brain. Most prior methods could not be performed on living brain tissue. Although both nicotine and cytisine have been used in the living brain, they have been unsuccessful due to their non-specific binding affinity and their rapid clearance from the brain.
Despite the various compounds and methods disclosed in the prior art, there remains a need for a noninvasive method of imaging and quantifying nAChRs in the living human brain, to allow for research studies and the diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, including, for example, Alzheimer's disease.

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


An abdominal exercise apparatus includes a device that instructs and encourages a user. The apparatus comprises a slide member positioned in a channel of a body. The slide member has a user engagement end extending from the channel for engaging a targeted muscle area of the user. A resilient member biases the body and slide in one direction. Handles are attached to the body at opposing locations, and extend away from the body. The instructional device instructs users how to perform multiple phase abdominal exercises and provides motivation. The instructional device comprises a microprocessor, a sound creating mechanism, a visual display, and a user interface. The sound creating mechanism produces prerecorded instructions or motivation. The visual display includes lights to visually instruct the user of the proper amount of time for each phase of an exercise. The user interface allows for a user to select various exercise routines and levels.

Physical exercise generally improves health and physical conditioning. The benefits of regular physical activity can be obtained through several types of exercise. Each type of exercise includes at least one of the four muscular phases. These muscular phases are isokinetic, isometric, concentric, and eccentric. The isokinetic muscular phase is achieved through quick repetitive motion, while the isometric muscular phase is achieved through the tightening and holding of these tightened muscles. The concentric muscular phase is achieved through the slow contraction of muscles, while the eccentric muscular phase is achieved through the slow relaxation of the muscles under a load.
Exercise that use the isometric muscular phase (hereinafter referred to as "isometric exercise") are effective for developing strength in a specific muscle or group of muscles. Isometric exercises may be used for rehabilitation because of the ability to isolate the exact area of muscle weakness. Additionally, this type of exercise can provide a fairly quick and convenient method for overloading and strengthening muscles with slight chance of injury and without the need for special equipment.
The efficient development of the abdominal muscles of the human body is particularly difficult. Because the abdominal muscles are not attached to any joint, traditional joint movement exercises are ineffective. Exercises such as sit-ups or weight-loaded variations on sit-ups may indirectly involve the abdominal muscles, but are inefficient because much exercise energy is dissipated in the joints and muscles attached to the joints, such as hip flexors. The use of isometric exercises on the abdominal region has the result of isolating the abdominal muscles, thereby allowing the proper muscles to be overloaded and strengthened.
However, for any isometric exercise to yield the proper results, it must be performed properly. The exercise must focus on the proper muscle and the proper muscle must be contracted, held contracted and relaxed for the proper time intervals. If the exercise is performed on the wrong muscle group, the targeted group will receive no overloading, and thus will not strengthen. If the exercise is performed on the correct muscle group, but for incorrect time intervals, the targeted muscle group will not undergo the proper overloading required to strengthen.
The majority of people who exercise are unaware of the proper methods of isometric exercise. During the exertion of exercising, even those who are aware of the proper method and timing often fail to follow it. Thus, there is a need for instruction with regard to the performance of isometric exercises, particularly there is a need for instruction as to how long to contract the muscles, hold the muscles in a contracted state, and relax the muscles.
Additionally, during any exercise routine, the user often has a need for motivation and encouragement. As with any exercise, the exertions of each movement gradually become more and more difficult, typically causing the user to need motivation or encouragement to finish. It is generally accepted that the majority of muscle overloading and growth happens in the last few repetitions of an exercise, and these are typically the repetitions that, without motivation or encouragement, the user will forego. Since the movement and actions are the same for each exercise repetition, the user may also become bored, and may therefore need motivation or encouragement to finish the proper number of repetitions while performing them correctly.
This need for motivation or encouragement is often solved by users joining a fitness club or gymnasium. Fitness clubs and gymnasiums often offer what are known as "personal trainers," who offer exercise instruction as well as motivation and encouragement. However, there are several drawbacks to personal trainers, as well as fitness clubs and gymnasiums. First, joining a fitness club or gymnasium generally costs a significant amount of money. Obtaining the instruction and motivation of a personal trainer can often cost the user even more. Second, the time required to go to a fitness club or gymnasium and exercise often exceeds the time available to people to exercise. Third, having to travel to a different area in order to exercise can be quite inconvenient, depending on the location of the fitness club or gymnasium.
Some of these drawbacks are solved by using home exercise equipment. Such home equipment may be relatively inexpensive, and the user can exercise when he or she has time and when it is convenient. However, the majority of home exercise products do not offer the user the instruction or motivation that can be found at a fitness club or gymnasium. Such home exercise equipment may include instructional videos or digital video discs, but such aids are inconvenient in that they are separate from the exercise device. This separation often leads to the user foregoing use of the instructional video or digital video disc.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a home abdominal isometric exercise device that has a component which provides active instruction and motivation to the user. There is also a need for such an exercise instruction component that visually and/or audibly guides the user through different multiple muscular phases of an exercise.

Abdominal exerciser with electronic coaching device


Disclosed is an electrode for parallel plate type plasma etching, which is capable of suppressing the generation of dust. The electrode has a flatness in a range of from 0.001 to 5 mm and has a (positive) camber that the front surface side of the electrode is recessed and the back surface side thereof projects.

The present invention relates to an electrode for parallel plate electrode type plasma etching used for production of semiconductor integrated circuits, such as LSIs or ICs, or waveguides for optical communication.
In recent years, a parallel plate electrode type plasma etching technique capable of forming a finer pattern on a wafer at a high accuracy has come to be increasingly important along with the advance of techniques for producing semiconductor integrated circuits with finer-geometries and higher densities.
In such a parallel plate type plasma etching process, there have been used electrodes formed of aluminum, graphite, glassy carbon, metal silicon, quartz, and the like. Each of these electrodes presents a problem that the electrode is eroded and consumed by plasma during etching and particles (dust) are scattered from the electrode and adhere on the surface of a wafer.


Measurements made with an induction logging tool are responsive to formation conductivity and permittivity. The effect of permittivity can be substantially removed by multifrequency focusing.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related generally to the field of acquisition and interpretation of measurements made by well logging instruments for the purpose of determining the properties of earth formations. More specifically, the invention is related to a method for correction of dielectric effects using multifrequency resistivity data.
2. Background of the Art
Electromagnetic induction and wave propagation logging tools are commonly used for determination of electrical properties of formations surrounding a borehole. These logging tools give measurements of apparent resistivity (or conductivity) of the formation that when properly interpreted are diagnostic of the petrophysical properties of the formation and the fluids therein.
The physical principles of electromagnetic induction resistivity well logging are described, for example, in, H. G. Doll, Introduction to Induction Logging and Application to Logging of Wells Drilled with Oil Based Mud, Journal of Petroleum Technology, vol. 1, p. 148, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Richardson Tex. (1949). Many improvements and modifications to electromagnetic induction resistivity instruments have been devised since publication of the Doll reference, supra. Examples of such modifications and improvements can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,517; U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,605 issued to Chandler et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,761 issued to Beard et al.
It has long been known that resistivity measurements made by a logging tool are responsive not only to formation resistivity (or conductivity), but also to the dielectric properties of the formation. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,661 to Sinclair, U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,262 to Manning, U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,179 to Habashy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,873 two Meyer Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,024 to Wu, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,137 to Hoaglund.
Some of the prior art methods address the problem of resistivity determination using model-based relations between the resistivity and a dielectric constant. The present invention addresses the problem of resistivity determination without using such models.

Multi-frequency cancellation of dielectric effect


Provided are an inner part and a resin molded article according to which it is possible to mitigate the concentration of stress at a distal end of a melt rib. An inner part, around which an outer portion is to be arranged through integral molding, includes a main body portion made of resin, and a melt rib provided protruding outward from the main body portion. The melt rib is formed such that a height of the melt rib is greater than a thickness of the melt rib, the thickness decreases from the main body portion to a distal end of the melt rib, and the melt rib includes a melting portion configured to partially melt during molding of the outer portion.

Conventionally, a technique has been known in which an inner part that has been primarily molded is set in a mold, and thereafter the mold is filled with a molten resin material, whereby an outer portion is formed and a resin molded article is manufactured. For example, JP 2005-7715A below discloses a technique in which a plate (inner part) holding a bus bar is set in a mold, and an outer cover (outer portion) is formed by filling the mold with a molten resin material. The outer surface of the plate is provided with melt ribs that are formed into triangular cross-sectional shapes with pointed distal ends, and when the mold is filled with the molten resin material, the distal end sides of the melt ribs are melted in the resin material and the melted portions are solidified in a state of having melted in with the resin material. Accordingly, a seal portion obtained by closely adhering the plate and the outer cover is formed on the distal ends of the melt ribs, and the seal portion can prevent liquid from entering.
However, with the above-described configuration, in an environment in which rapid heating and cooling are repeated, such as that during a thermal shock test, a temperature difference tends to occur in the resin body of the inner part and the resin body of the outer portion, and stress tends to be focused at the closely-adhered portions of the distal ends of the melt ribs.
That is, during heating, the temperature rises first in the outer portion, and during cooling, the temperature drops first in the outer portion, and therefore a temperature difference occurs in the resin body of the inner part and the resin body of the outer portion, distortions that occur in the resin body of outer portion and the resin body of the inner part do not match, and the stress is focused in the closely-adhered portions of the distal ends of the melt ribs. If this kind of stress is repeatedly applied to the distal ends of the melt ribs, there is concern that the closely-adhered portions of the distal ends of the melt ribs will eventually be broken and a gap through which liquid enters will be formed, and therefore a countermeasure has been desired.
The present disclosure was completed based on the above-described circumstances, and aims to provide an inner part and a resin molded article that can mitigate concentration of stress at a closely-adhered portion of a distal end of a melt rib.


Described is a detergent composition comprising (A) a sulfate ester surfactant, (B) at least one surfactant selected from amphoteric surfactants, amine oxide surfactants, alkanol amide surfactants and amide amino-acid surfactants, (C) a cationic bactericide and (D) a metal chelating agent, the weight ratio of said (A) to (B) being 1-50 and the content of said (C) being 0.2 wt. % to 5 wt. %.. The detergent composition according to the present invention has excellent detergency, foamability and foam durability and at the same time, has high bactericidal effects because it can be mixed stably with a cationic bactericide.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a detergent composition. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a detergent composition which has excellent detergency, foamability and foam durability and besides, which can impart sufficient anti-dandruff properties to the scalp and antipruritic and deodorizing effects to the body and skin because the composition can be mixed with a cationic bactericide stably, thereby exhibiting high bactericidal effects.
2. Description of the Related Art
For a major ingredient of many detergents, particularly hair detergents, a polyoxyethylene alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfate ester salt has been used conventionally as an anionic surfactant because it can impart excellent detergency and foaming power to the detergent. Besides, a number of detergents having bactericidal effects have been studied and those containing, as a bactericide, a cationic bactericide are known. The addition of such a cationic bactericide to a detergent which contains, as a major ingredient, an anionic surfactant, however, forms a complex therebetween and causes difficulty in the incorporation, thereby disturbing the sufficient exhibition of the bactericidal effects.
For the prevention of such lowering in the activity, it is the common practice to coat the cationic bactericide with a polymeric nonionic surfactant or pH sensitive polymer or to add the cationic bactericide in a great excess. But, the former method lowers the activity of the cationic bactericide, while the latter method using an excess amount is not preferred economically.
In addition, known is a method (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 122893/1994) in which, even in an anionic surfactant, the effects of a cationic bactericide can be exhibited by the addition of a chelating agent. When a sulfate ester surfactant is used as a major ingredient for the anionic surfactant, however, the above method is accompanied with the problem that bactericidal effects cannot be exhibited fully, though depending on the kind of the bacteria because a bactericidal spectrum is limited and a wide bactericidal spectrum cannot be attained.


Disclosed is an interconnection scheme which provides alignment when inserting or removing a circuit pack in a shelf. The circuit pack includes a pair of tabs which engage the connector housing on the backplane to prevent any significant rotation of the pack when inserting or removing the pack.

This invention relates to circuit packs.
Circuit packs include a circuit board with components mounted thereon and an electrical connector or deposited gold fingers on one edge of the board. In a typical interconnection scheme, a plurality of pins is provided through a backplane mounted at the far end of a shelf. Each pack is inserted vertically or horizontally into the shelf (also known as a "subrack") on guideways so that the connector engages the appropriate pins for connection to that circuit pack when the pack is in its final position. The circuit pack is usually inserted into the backplane using a lever, sometimes referred to as a latch or injector-ejector.
One of the problems which can occur in using circuit packs which require mating of pins and sockets is the occurrence of bent pins which affects the reliability of the system. Bent pins can occur due to misalignment between the pins and the circuit pack connector. Shelf tolerances and circuit pack rotation are the primary contributors to this misalignment. In order to deal with the rotation problem, the prior art has suggested reducing the rotation of the circuit packs by means of a lever on the circuit pack faceplate (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,405) or by means of fulcrums mounted on the face of the connector (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,387).

Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, Morris County


A portable, temporarily installable and removable windshield wiper unit provides for the clearance of windshields for motorcycles, recreational vehicles and the like not otherwise so equipped. The wiper unit contains a rotary motor driving an oscillating wiper arm through an eccentric pin on a drive wheel to provide the required oscillating action of the wiper arm. The unit may be powered by any appropriate electrical power source, such as the electrical system of the vehicle upon which it is installed or an independent battery. An additional feature provides a park position for the wiper arm, whereby the wiper arm will always stop at a predetermined position when the power switch is turned off. A case surrounding the various components of the unit serves to protect those components from the elements. If desired, a more permanent installation may be provided by securing the wiper unit to the inside of a vehicle fairing and driving the wiper through an opening in the fairing.

Light recreational vehicles for both on and off road use have become increasingly popular. Many of these vehicles are primarily intended for use in fair weather conditions, but on occasion the operator of such a vehicle may encounter rain, snow or other adverse conditions. This is especially true in the case of boats and snowmobiles, which by their nature regularly encounter water, snow, and/or ice.
Many, if not most of these vehicles are relatively sparsely equipped in terms of auxiliary equipment which has come to be accepted as necessary in the automotive field, such as heaters, lights, horns and windshield wipers. However, the need for such equipment is readily apparent at times, particularly the need for windshield wipers in such vehicles as boats and snowmobiles as well as motorcycles operated in inclement weather. Moreover, many persons are constructing automotive vehicles from kits, and these vehicles are generally required to be equipped with all the features and devices required of production automobiles if they are to be driven on the road. However, it can be difficult to find such equipment which is readily adaptable to such vehicles without extensive modification.
The need arises for a windshield wiper unit which may be readily adapted to or installed upon such vehicles as boats, snowmobiles, motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, and ultralight aircraft, as well as other applications, which wiper unit may be quickly and easily installed and removed as required. The wiper unit must provide the basic features which have come to be accepted as standard in automotive practice, such as a limit or "park" function as in automotive units. The wiper unit should be self contained, with all required mechanical components necessary for the operation of a single wiper arm and blade contained in a single mechanical unit. Additional wipers may be added as necessary by merely adding additional independent mechanical units. The provision of an electrical motor operating on the standard voltage of such vehicle systems is also desired, or alternatively battery power may be used.


A method of and system to perform image acquisition of a subject supported from a floor is provided. The system includes an imaging system and a table system having a tabletop in support of the subject from the floor. The table system also includes a mobile device having a drive to automatically transport the table system across the floor, identify a current position and to calculate a path relative to a reference to a pre-programmed target position for image acquisition.

The subject matter herein relates generally to image acquisition, and more specifically, to a method and arrangement to assist image acquisition of a subject. Although the foregoing description refers to medical imaging, the system is also applicable to industrial imaging.
Medical imaging systems encompass a variety of imaging modalities, such as x-ray systems, computerized tomography (CT) systems, and the like. Medical imaging systems generate images of an object, such as a patient, for example, through exposure to an energy source, such as x-rays passing through a patient. The generated images may be used for many purposes. For instance, internal defects in an object may be detected. Additionally, changes in internal structure or alignment may be determined. Fluid flow within an object may also be represented. Furthermore, the image may show the presence or absence of objects in the patient. The information gained from medical diagnostic imaging has applications in many fields, including medicine and manufacturing.
A certain conventional medical imaging system includes a mobile C-arm system. The mobile C-arm system can be used for general surgery, vascular procedures, and cardiac procedures, for example. The conventional mobile C-arm system is equipped with a radiological source or transmitter in opposed relation to a radiological detector (e.g., an image intensifier), and both are moved in relation to the imaged subject. With the subject positioned between the radiological source and detector, the C-arm system is moved and rotated so as to pass radiation through the imaged subject from various directions. As the radiation passes through the subject, anatomical structures cause variable attenuation of the radiation passing through the imaged subject and received at the detector. The detector translates the attenuated radiation into an image employed in diagnostic evaluations. In typical medical procedures around such imaging systems, multiple physicians, nurses, and technicians are located in close proximity to the imaged subject.

System and method to automatic assist positioning of subject in mobile image acquisition


Systems and/or methods for supporting communications at a reduced bandwidth with a full bandwidth network such as a long-term evolution (LTE) network may be disclosed. For example, inband assignments such as downlink assignments and/or uplink grants may be provided and/or received and transmissions may be monitored and/or decoded based on the inband assignment. Additionally, information (e.g. a definition or configuration) associated with an ePDCCH may be provided and/or received and ePDCCH resources may be monitored and/or decoded based on such information. An indication for support of a reduced bandwidth by the full bandwidth network may also be provided and/or received and control channels in the reduced or narrow bandwidth may be monitored and/or decoded based on the indication. A PRACH preamble and/or a multi-type subframe definition may also be provided and/or used for support of such a reduced bandwidth.

As wireless communication systems such s LTE systems mature and their network deployment evolve, network operators would like to reduce the cost of the communication network and/or maintenance of the communication network. One technique to reduce the cost of the network may be to reduce the channel bandwidth and data rate used to communicate with devices on the network. For example, a portion of the channel bandwidth rather than the entire channel bandwidth may be supported by the devices in the network and/or the network itself when communication with such devices. Unfortunately, current wireless communication systems do not support providing information such as channel information including control channel information, uplink information, downlink information, and the like on a reduced channel bandwidth.

Device communication using a reduced channel bandwidth


An expandable well screen system includes a screen assembly having a base pipe, a strut, and a screen expandable from a retracted position to an expanded position in the wellbore; and an insert guide disposed in the base pipe when the screen is in the expanded position, wherein the base pipe maintains substantially the same geometric dimensions when the screen is in the retracted position and the expanded position.

Often wellbores, whether completed open-hole or with perforated casing, produce excess sand. In order to control the flow of particles into the wellbore, well screens are commonly positioned adjacent to the perforated or unlined portion of the wellbore. Typical sand control systems include stand-alone screens (SAS), open-hole gravel packs (OHGP), and expandable sand screens (ESS).
SAS systems include a relatively large annulus formed between the wall of the wellbore and the screen. The systems commonly experience localized screen plugging resulting in increased flow velocity through the screen causing erosion and ultimate failure of the system.
OHGP systems are similar to SAS systems with the inclusion of a proppant placed in the annulus between the screen and the wellbore wall forming a "gravel pack." Common drawbacks of these systems are the cost and complexity of providing the gravel pack and bridging that results in poor gravel packs.
In conventional ESS systems the entire sand screen assembly is expanded to the wall of the wellbore, minimizing the annulus between the outside diameter of the screen and the inside diameter of the wellbore. These systems address the cost and complexity of placing a gravel pack, however, they introduce cost and complexity of expanding the screen assembly. A significant drawback of conventional ESS systems is that the internal base pipe that underlies the screen assembly is expanded resulting in a reduced collapse strength that renders the systems as unsuitable for wells with large overburdens.
Therefore, it is a desire to provide an expandable well screen that addresses drawbacks of the current and prior sand control completion systems. It is a further desire to provide an expandable well screen that minimizes the annulus between the screen and the wellbore wall. It is still a further desire to provide an expandable well screen that includes an expandable screen with a stable base pipe that maintains a substantially constant geometry before and after expansion of the screen.

Expandable well screen with a stable base


According to the invention, an electronic data storage cartridge for removable coupling to a computing system is disclosed. The electronic data storage cartridge includes a cartridge body, a connector, an optical waveguide, a hard disk drive, and a mechanical write-protect switch that prevents modification of information on the hard disk drive when active. The cartridge body includes at least two outer surfaces. The connector can be used for removable coupling to the computing system, where the connector couples information outside the cartridge body. The optical waveguide is configured to couple light between the two outer surfaces. The hard drive is coupled to the connector.

This disclosure relates in general to storage systems and, more specifically, but not by way of limitation, to storage cartridges.
Removable cartridges for data storage applications come in two basic types: those containing storage media such as magnetic tape or magnetic disk, and those containing electronic storage elements such as flash memory chips (e.g., Compact Flash cards). The first type of cartridge is normally a passive mechanical device where the media (e.g., tape) is pulled out of the cartridge to contact the recording heads or where the heads are inserted into the cartridge to contact the fixed media (e.g., a disk cartridge). The first type normally has no electrical signals passed to the cartridge at all. In the second type, the connection with the cartridge is made by an electrical connector and information is passed electronically via the connector.
There are external enclosures that hold a hard drive. These enclosures are coupled to a computer with a universal serial bus (USB) or Fire Wire. The computer can mount these drives into the operating system environment to allow reading and writing to the hard drive. In some cases, the external enclosure has a separate power supply, while in others, the interface cable to the computer provides the power. Often, these enclosures have embedded LEDs to show power and access to the hard drive.
There are hard drives that can be plugged-into standard computer ports. The Compact Flash form factor has compliant cards that include a small hard drive. The PC Card or PCMCIA card format also has compliant cards with hard drives. Both the Compact Flash and PC Card formats support flash-based memory to allow mass storage.
In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a second label that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.

Data storage cartridge with optical waveguide


An embedded memory system (10) uses an MRAM core (12) and error correction code (ECC) corrector circuitry (20). The ECC corrector circuitry identifies soft memory bit errors which are errors primarily resulting from an MRAM bit not being correctly programmed. The errors are identified and corrected during a read or a write cycle and not necessarily when the memory is in a special test mode. As errors are corrected, the error corrections are counted by an error counter (24) to create a count value. The count value is stored in the MRAM core itself and can later be retrieved and read during a test mode for an indication of how many bit corrections are required for the MRAM core over a period of time. The count value is stored by using an unused portion of a write memory cycle during a read operation.

Non-volatile memory devices, such as FLASH memories, are extremely important components in electronic systems. FLASH is a major non-volatile memory device in use today. Disadvantages of FLASH memory include high voltage requirements and slow program and erase times. Also, FLASH memory has a poor write endurance of 104-106 cycles before memory failure. In addition, to maintain reasonable data retention, the scaling of the gate oxide is restricted by the tunneling barrier seen by the electrons. Hence, FLASH memory is limited in the dimensions to which it can be scaled.
To overcome these shortcomings, magnetic memory devices are being evaluated. One such device is magnetoresistive random access memory (hereinafter referred to as "MRAM"). To be commercially practical, however, MRAM must have comparable memory density to current memory technologies, be scalable for future generations, operate at low voltages, have low power consumption, and have competitive read/write speeds.
For an MRAM device, the stability of the nonvolatile memory state, the repeatability of the read/write cycles, and the memory element-to-element switching field uniformity are three of the most important aspects of its design characteristics. A memory state in MRAM is not maintained by power, but rather by the direction of the magnetic moment vector. Storing data is accomplished by applying magnetic fields and causing magnetic material in a MRAM device to be magnetized into either of two possible memory states. Recalling data is accomplished by sensing the resistive differences in the MRAM device between the two states. The magnetic fields for writing are created by passing currents through strip lines external to the magnetic structure or through the magnetic structures themselves.
As the lateral dimension of an MRAM device decreases, several problems occur. First, the switching field increases for a given shape and film thickness, requiring a larger magnetic field to switch. Second, the total switching volume is reduced so that the energy barrier for reversal decreases. The energy barrier refers to the amount of energy needed to switch the magnetic moment vector from one state to the other. The energy barrier determines the data retention and error rate of the MRAM device and unintended reversals can occur due to thermofluctuations (superparamagnetism) if the barrier is too small. A major problem with having a small energy barrier is that it becomes extremely difficult to selectively switch one MRAM device in an array. Selectablility allows switching without inadvertently switching other MRAM devices. It is important to control the current flowing during a write operation in the array to avoid undesired current surges or spikes during transistor switching.
Finally, because the switching field is produced by shape, the switching field becomes more sensitive to shape variations as the MRAM device decreases in size. With photolithography scaling becoming more difficult at smaller dimensions, MRAM devices will have difficulty maintaining tight switching distributions.
Since MRAMs are subject to reliability issues when the memory is written or programmed due to these issues, a need exists for an improved nonvolatile memory that is more reliable.

MRAM having error correction code circuitry and method therefor


Metal-carbon composite powders and methods for producing metal-carbon composite powders. The powders have a well-controlled microstructure and morphology and preferably have a small average particle size. The method includes forming the particles from an aerosol of powder precursors. The invention also includes novel devices and products formed from the composite powders.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to metal-carbon composite powders and to methods for producing such powders, as well as products and devices incorporating the composite powders. The powders are preferably produced by a spray conversion process.
2. Description of Related Art
Many product applications require metal-carbon composite powders. Such composite powders should have one or more of the following properties: high purity; controlled crystallinity; small average particle size; narrow particle size distribution; spherical particle morphology; controlled surface chemistry; controlled surface area; and little or no agglomeration of particles. Examples of metal-carbon composite powders requiring such characteristics include, but are not limited to, those useful in electrocatalyst applications such as fuel cells and batteries, as well as in conductive pastes and inks.
With the advent of portable and hand-held electronic devices and an increasing demand for electric automobiles due to the increased strain on natural resources there is a need for rapid development of high performance, economical power systems. Such power systems require improved means for both energy storage, achieved by use of batteries, and energy generation, achieved by use of fuel cells. Batteries can be subdivided into primary (non-rechargeable) and secondary (rechargeable) batteries.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices which are capable of converting the energy of a chemical reaction into electrical energy. The electrical energy is produced without combustion and creates virtually no pollution. Fuel cells are unlike batteries because fuel cells convert chemical energy to electrical energy as the chemical reactants are continuously delivered to the fuel cell. When the fuel cell is off, it has zero electrical potential. As a result, fuel cells are typically used to produce a continuous source of electrical energy and compete with other forms of continuous electrical energy production such as the combustion engine, nuclear power and coal-fired power stations. Different types of fuel cells are categorized by the electrolyte used in the fuel cell. The five main types of fuel cells are alkaline, molten carbonate, phosphoric acid, solid oxide and proton exchange membrane (PEM) or solid polymer fuel cells.
In fuel cells, gases are often used as a source of chemical energy which is converted to electrical energy. One of the critical requirements for these energy devices is the efficient catalytic conversion of the reactants to electrical energy. A significant obstacle to the wide-scale commercialization of such devices is the need for superior electrocatalyst materials for this conversion process.
A PEM fuel cell stack is comprised of hundreds of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA's). An MEA includes a cathode and anode, each constructed from, for example, carbon cloth. The anode and cathode sandwich a proton exchange membrane which has a catalyst layer on each side of the membrane. Power is generated when hydrogen is fed into the anode and oxygen (air) is fed into the cathode. In a reaction catalyzed by a platinum-based catalyst in the catalyst layer, the hydrogen ionizes to form protons and electrons. The protons are transported through the proton exchange membrane to a catalyst layer on the opposite side of the membrane where another catalyst, typically platinum or a platinum alloy, catalyzes the reaction of the protons with oxygen to form water.Anode: 2H2→4H++4e−Cathode: 4H++4e−+O2→2H2OOverall: 2H2+O2→2H2OThe electrons formed at the anode are routed to the cathode through an electrical circuit which provides the electrical power.
The critical issues that must be addressed for the successful commercialization of fuel cells are cell cost, cell performance and operating lifetime. In terms of fuel cell costs, current fuel cell stacks employ MEA's containing unsupported platinum black electrocatalysts with a loading of about 4 milligrams of platinum per square centimeter on each of the anode and cathode. When this loading is compared to a typical cell performance of 0.42 watts per square centimeter, then 19 grams of platinum per kilowatt is required. It is clear that a significant cost reduction in the electrocatalyst is necessary for these cells to become economically viable. However, reducing the amount of precious metal is not a suitable solution because there is also a strong demand for improved cell performance. For automotive applications, improved power density is critical whereas for stationary applications, higher voltage efficiencies are necessary. The major technical challenge continues to be improved cathode electrocatalyst performance with air as the oxidant.
A type of battery which utilizes a similar principle is the zinc-air battery, which relies upon the redox couples of oxygen and zinc. Zinc-air batteries are advantageous since they consume oxygen from the air as a fuel, contain no toxic or explosive constituents and operate at one atmosphere of pressure. Zinc-air batteries typically operate by adsorbing oxygen from the air where it is reduced using an oxygen reduction catalyst. As the oxygen is reduced, zinc metal is oxidized. The two half-reactions of a zinc-air battery during discharge are:Cathode: O2+2H2O+4e−→4OH−Anode: 2Zn→2Zn2++4e−Overall: 2Zn+O2+2H2O→2Zn(OH)2 Zinc-air batteries can be primary batteries or secondary batteries. Although zinc-air batteries consume oxygen as a fuel, they are typically not considered fuel cells because they have a standing potential without a fuel source. Zinc-air cells absorb oxygen from the air on the air electrode during discharge and release air out of the cell during recharge.
Typically, air electrodes (cathodes) are alternatively stacked with zinc electrodes (anodes) which are packaged in a container that is open to the air using small holes or ports. When the battery cell discharges, oxygen is reduced to O2− while zinc metal is oxidized to Zn2+. When all of the zinc has been oxidized, the secondary battery can be recharged where Zn2+ is reduced back to zinc metal.
The advantages of zinc air batteries over other rechargeable battery systems are safety, long run time and light weight. The batteries contain no toxic materials and can run as long as 10 to 14 hours, compared to 2 to 4 hours for most lithium-ion batteries. Zinc-air batteries are also very light weight, leading to good power density (power per unit of weight or volume), which is ideal for portable applications. The two major problems associated with zinc-air batteries, however, are limited total power and poor rechargeability/cycle lifetime.
In particular, power is becoming a major area of attention for battery manufacturers trying to meet the increased demands of modern electronics. Current zinc-air batteries can deliver sufficient power to permit the batteries to be used in specific low-power laptops and other portable devices that have relatively low power requirements. Most laptops and other portable electronic devices, however, require batteries that are able to provide a level of power that is higher than the capabilities of current zinc-air batteries.
The main reason for the low power of zinc-air batteries is believed to be related to the inefficiency of the catalytic reactions in the air electrodes. In zinc-air batteries, metal-carbon composite powders are used at the cathode to reduce the oxygen from the air to O2−. It is believed that poor accessibility of the catalyst and the local microstructural environment around the catalyst and adjoining carbon is important in the efficiency of oxygen reduction. See, for example, P. N. Ross et al., Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 131, pg. 1742 (1984).
Rechargeability is also a problem with zinc-air batteries. Current zinc-air technology can deliver safe, non-toxic and light weight batteries with very long run times. However, the batteries degrade in performance after a number of recharging cycles and therefore have a short cycle life. The short cycle life of zinc-air batteries is believed to be related to the catalyst used in the air electrodes. Specifically, it is believed that corrosion of the carbon used in these systems leads to a loss in capacity and hence, a decreasing discharge time. Control over the powder properties such as crystallinity, surface area and metal dispersion can enhance the performance of these batteries.
Methods for preparing noble metal electrocatalyst materials are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,336 by VanMontfoort et al. discloses a process for preparing an active noble metal catalyst on a carbon carrier, such as palladium on carbon, by adsorbing a salt of the metal onto the carbon, forming an oxide or hydroxide from the metal salt and reducing the oxide or hydroxide to a metal. The carbon support comprises porous active carbon particles having a widely varying particle size of less than 1 μm up to 60 μm. The catalyst comprises from about 0.1 to about 15 percent by weight of the noble metal. It is disclosed that the noble metal is deposited on the carbon carrier in the form of very small crystallites which have a high degree of catalytic activity per gram of noble metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,059 by Jalan et al. discloses a method for the production of electrochemically active platinum particles for use in fuel cell electrodes. The particles are formed by mixing chloroplatinic acid and sodium dithionite in water to provide a colloidal dispersion which is absorbed onto a support material (e.g. carbon black).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,641 by Wennerberg discloses a high surface area porous active carbon matrix containing a uniform dispersion of a metal. The material is formed by spray drying a carbon precursor and a metal precursor to form particles and then pyrolyzing the spray dried particles under an inert gas and in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide. A preferred heating method for the pyrolyzation step is to heat using microwave heating. It is disclosed that the metal crystals have a size from about 5 to 30 angstroms and are disposed on active carbon having a cage-like structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,924 by Ozin et al. discloses a carbon-metal catalyst having an active metal such as silver deposited on the carbon substrate in a zero-valent, small cluster form. The catalyst is produced by vaporizing the metal under low vapor pressure conditions in an organic liquid solvent such that the metal dissolves in the solvent. The solvent is then contacted with carbon so that the complex diffuses onto the surface of the carbon and into the pores of the carbon. The carbon particles have a metal loading of 0.1 to 15 weight percent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,537 by Tamura et al. discloses a process for producing a catalyst useful for converting carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. The process includes contacting activated carbon with an aqueous solution of chloroplatinic acid, reducing the absorbed chloroplatinic acid to platinum with a reducing agent and decomposing the excess reducing agent. The catalyst preferably contains at least about 6 milligrams of platinum per gram of activated carbon. The activated carbon particles have an average grain size of from about 0.4 to about 10 millimeters.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,128 by Itoh et al. discloses a supported platinum alloy electrocatalyst for an acid electrolyte fuel cell. The platinum alloy includes platinum, iron and copper. The electrocatalyst has better initial activity and lifetime than conventional platinum or other multi-component alloy electrocatalysts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,563 by Brand et al. discloses a platinum/cobalt/chromium catalytic alloy which is precipitated onto a carbon support from nitrate salts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,189 by Tachibana discloses a porous, metal-containing carbon material which includes fine particles of a metal having an average particle size of 1 μm or less dispersed in a carbonaceous body. The method includes mixing a metal oxide with an organic, carbonizing and converting the oxide to metal particles. The catalyst includes from about 5 to 50 weight percent metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,161 by Keck et al. discloses an electrocatalytic material suitable for use in phosphoric acid fuel cells. The material includes an alloy of platinum with another element such as titanium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, gallium, zirconium or hafnium. The platinum alloy loading is 20 to 60 weight percent and the electrochemical area of the alloy is greater than about 35 m2/g.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,699 by Weiss et al. discloses a catalyst containing from 0.01 to 5 weight percent platinum on a graphite support. The graphite support has a particle size distribution of from about 1 to 600 μm. The catalyst material has good longevity when used for hydrogenation reactions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,169 by Callstrom et al. discloses an electrocatalytic material including glassy carbon which contains graphite crystals having a size of from about 1 to 20 nanometers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,915 by Hards et al. discloses a porous electrode suitable for use in a solid polymer fuel cell which includes highly dispersed precious metal catalyst on particulate carbon which is impregnated with a proton conducting polymer.
The foregoing methods generally result in poor control over the composition and microstructure of the electrocatalytic materials, as well as the dispersibility and surface area of the metal on the carbon surface. Further, alloy compositions such as platinum/ruthenium used for oxygen reduction in a fuel cell are not made in a reproducible fashion. The inability to control the fundamental powder characteristics is a major shortcoming for the future development of the electrocatalyst materials.
In addition to electrocatalyst applications metal-carbon composite powders are also useful for electrically and thermally conductive traces in microelectronic applications. Such traces are typically formed using a thick-film paste. The resulting traces have good flexibility when fired at low temperatures and are useful for many applications, including touch screens and similar devices.
It would be advantageous to provide a flexible production method capable of producing metal-carbon composite powders which would enable control over the powder characteristics as well as the versatility to accommodate metal-carbon compositions which are either difficult or impossible to produce using existing production methods. It would be advantageous to provide control over the particle size, particle size distribution, weight loading of the metal and carbon, surface area of the powder, pore structure of the powder and compositional uniformity. It would be particularly advantageous if such metal-carbon composite powders could be produced in large quantities on a substantially continuous basis.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for the production of metal-carbon composite powders


A handle for use with cookware that has a base and a lid defining a cooking chamber. The handle is pivotally mountable to cookware about a horizontal axis and moves between a lifting position and a stored position. The handle has a cam for raising an edge of the lid when the handle is pivoted towards the stored position. A catch can be provided for positioning and holding the handle relative to the cookware. The catch has an elastically resilient member having a detent for engaging a recess positioned with the handle and is released by force applied to the handle.

The present invention relates to handles for cookware, and also to cookware with handles. More particularly, the invention relates to a handle for use with cookware which comprises a base with a lid that forms a cooking chamber.
It is well-known to provide insulated handles on cookware so that the cookware can be handled/lifted whilst hot. Handles are attached to the sides of the cookware and project transversely from the cookware. A problem with these handles is that they make the cookware difficult to store as projecting handles take up considerable room in a cupboard or drawer.
One type of cookware comprises a base unit and a lid which fits over the base unit to define a cooking chamber for the food. During cooking of food steam is generated from moisture in the food and/or from cooking liquids in which the food is placed. The cookware is provided with means to selectively allow this steam to be vented. Commonly, the lid of the cookware has one or more openings and a sliding or rotating cover for the openings that can be moved to uncover the openings to varying degrees to allow steam to vent. However, consumers are demanding more stylish cooking utensils and vents in the lid of cookware detract from its appearance.


A method of forming a varying pattern of optical elements on or in at least one side of an optical panel member involves cutting or forming a pattern or patterns of cavities in a cylindrical or curved substrate or in a sleeve or sleeve segment of the substrate that corresponds to a desired pattern and shape of optical elements to be formed on or in the optical member. The substrate or sleeve or sleeve segment containing the desired pattern or patterns of optical element shaped cavities or depositions or mirror copies or inverse copies thereof is used in production tooling or as a master for production tooling to form the corresponding pattern of optical elements on or in at least the one side of the optical panel member.

It is generally known to provide multiple optical elements on or in one or more surfaces of optical substrates including films, components or wave guides for directing light passing through the optical substrates. At least some of the optical elements may have at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and are quite small relative to the length and width of the optical substrates.
It is generally known to cut or form a predetermined pattern of cavities of such optical element shapes in a flat sheet or plate using a milling or laser cutter and using the cut optical element shapes in the sheet or plate to form a corresponding pattern of optical elements on or in optical substrates. A drawback to this method is the difficulty and expense of cutting or forming cavities of certain types of optical element shapes including particularly those having at least two surfaces that come together to form a ridge and are quite small relative to the length and width of the optical substrates. Also the spinning tools needed to make these geometric shapes are quite expensive and difficult to make, and have a relatively short useful life because of breakage or the like, which further adds to the cost of making cavities having these geometric shapes.

Methods of cutting or forming cavities in a substrate for use in making optical films, components or wave guides


A wire handheld tool including a handle contiguous to a shank with a wire securing portion. The wire securing portion may be a relatively flat portion with one or more wire passageways used to secure one or more wires thereto. The wire handheld tool can be used to insert, remove, and/or replace wires contained in wire harness conduits. Some embodiments can include a plurality of passageways traversing the relatively wire securing portion in non-parallel diagonal directions relative to each other. In some embodiments, one wire passageway can be included and configured for a wire to traverse a length of the wire securing portion securing itself thereto. The handle of the tool can be ergonomically designed for comfort and practicality, and additionally, may include non-conductive components or coatings to prevent electrically shocking a user.

A number of fields currently benefit from an array of wire handling and wire containing techniques. Different techniques employ different tools and parts that can be used in order to contain and route wires in organized manners. Containing and managing wires are important for a number of reasons depending on the application including, for example, keeping the wires contained to minimize tripping hazards, routing wires in spaces that can sometimes become difficult to access, preventing wire entanglement with equipment, protecting wiring, and the like.
Some techniques commonly used include the use of wire harness conduits to organize, contain and route wires. For example, in many industries, such as the automotive industry, the use of wire loom split tubing is widely known and routinely used. Different devices specific to the construction and assembly of wiring have been developed as a consequence. Nevertheless, these devices are less than satisfactory due to the mechanisms employed to manage wires often being cumbersome and time consuming. For example, existing tools can require taping the wire onto the tool and/or using parts that can get tangled with nearby obstacles and other wires during their use.
Consequently, typically during installation, repairs, and replacement of wires, mechanics and electricians often find themselves using their finger to push the wire into a wire harness conduit due to the lack of practicality of the currently available tools. Using fingers during repairs is also time consuming, can cause skin damage, expose a person to electrical shock, and may not always be possible due to space constrains and/or the type of wire harness conduit used. In many of these instances, mechanics and electricians are left with very few alternatives. These alternatives include running the new wire(s) on the outside of the wire harness conduit and/or having to cut open the wire harness conduit to add the new wire(s) and then try to reassemble the wire harness conduit. These options are also time consuming and often leave wires unprotected, damaged, and/or leave a visually unappealing assembly.
As a result of the foregoing, there is a need for a tool that can facilitate the installation and/or replacement of wires into wire harness conduits such as wire loom split tubing.

Tool for installing wires in a wire harness conduit


The invention concerns an imaging system comprising a first device (82) for acquiring image data for an object (93) using light, in particular a microscope, and a second device (94) for acquiring and displaying image data (in particular, of the kind not immediately visible to the eye) for the object (93) using (in particular invisible) radiation, preferably electromagnetic wave or particle radiation such as X-rays (X-ray or CT photographs), MRI or positron radiation. The system is also provided with a superimposition device (95) for superimposing the two sets of image data to form a single image which can be turned towards an observer. The optical parameters of the first device (82), e.g. the microscope and its image distortions, are incorporated in the image to be superimposed, thereby providing the observer with a dimensionally and geometrically accurate display of the two superimposed images.

The invention involves an image representing device, in particular a microscope, in particular a stereomicroscope, for example an operation microscope, in particular a video stereomicroscope that is linked with an electronic data processing unit and/or a display and a method of superimposing an image from a second image representing device such that the two images conform geometrically.
Such microscopes are used in technology, among other things, e. g. materials technology, material analysis, silicon technology, criminology, etc., in particular, however, also in medicine for diagnosis, serological examinations, in operations, etc.
Detailed examples will be given below of the use of the device in the sphere of operation microscopy. The use in other spheres, however, likewise falls within the sphere of application of the invention.
Operation microscopes are used by the operating surgeon for the optical magnification of the operating area. Operation technology in this regard has made such great progress that magnifications in the range of 50 times and more are no rarity. A magnification sometimes leads to a situation in which the operating surgeon cannot always unambiguously identify the area that he is viewing through the microscope with an actual place on the patient. A helpful superimposition of the image seen microscopically with intensified contours, for example, or other markings is therefore often desirable. For the fulfillment of this desire essentially two processes are known in the prior art:
Edge improvements, image coloring, contrast improvements, etc. are effected by means of electronic image processing. The image data required for this are obtained directly from the image being viewed itself and simply transformed mathematically. If such data are superimposed on the observed image data, no significant problem arises in the process, since these image data are returned to the same image location from which they were obtained.
In other designs beam splitters to which displays are allocated through which the images in the light path can be reflected are linked with the microscope light path, and these images are superimposed on the images actually seen in the eye of the viewer. Such images, e. g. images of the same place but taken at an earlier time, are often difficult to superimpose on the image that is seen, since they may be taken with different magnifications, other microscope settings, etc.
A special sphere for the superimposition of images arises, for example, in the use of computer tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) in connection with stereo microscopy. Data from CT and MRI are obtained in order to have a sectional image of the area of interest, which in the final analysis after computer processing makes it possible to display a three-dimensional model that is true to life on a computer monitor (stereo screen). In this regard see Chapter 1 (xe2x80x9cInterventional Video Tomography (IVT)xe2x80x9d), pages 1-25, Chapter 2 (xe2x80x9cDigital Substraction Angiography (DSA)xe2x80x9d), pages 27-34, and Chapter 3 (xe2x80x9cTechnical Specificationxe2x80x9d), pages 35-41, written by M. Truppe in the company journal of ARTMA BIOMEDICAL, INC. (Apr. 7, 1994).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,056 and CH-A-684291 describe devices that theoretically make superimposition possible. A computer-assisted operation microscope, which was put on the market under the designation MKM, can mark both risk zones and tissue structures and also superimpose three-dimensional diagnostic data that are obtained before the stereoscopic viewing on the image seen in the microscope in order to make forward-looking operating possible. An exact superimposition, so that outline contours from the CT, for example, coincide with the stereoscopically viewed outline contours, however, is not possible with this.
Through three-dimensional images it is possible for the attending physicians to localize the kind and extent of the diseased area better and plan appropriate operation steps better in advance. The three-dimensional image data provided by the computer are now in accordance with the invention supposed to be accessible to an operating surgeon in an improved manner immediately before an operation too, specifically in such a way that these image data are exactly superimposed on the image seen in the operation microscope at the same time and in the right position; this may be also in a masking mode or a transparent mode, which makes it possible for the operating surgeon to see as it were under the surface of the place actually being seen and in this way to make possible improved planning and guidance of the operating instrument. This should result in a higher precision of positioning and shorter operation time than is possible today.
In order for this superimposition to take place optimally the optical parameters of the image seen and the parameters of the (three-dimensional) image to be superimposed must be known, since such a superimposition makes sense only if the image seen through the microscope and the superimposed image data conform geometrically. Geometrical correctness is not satisfactory to date for the known superimpositions.
Overcoming this situation is one of the main objectives of the invention.
The objective is attained, for example, through an adaptive control apparatus according to the present invention;
The first application of an adaptive control apparatus to modify an image to be displayed depending on another displayed image leads to the desired success. In this regard it is first of all immaterial where the actual image superimposition takes place. The following variants are listed as examples:
When one two-dimensional image is displayed exclusively for one of the two eyes of a viewer and another two-dimensional image is displayed for the other viewer eye, the superimposition takes place in the brain of the viewer. It can, however, just as well take place in the computer in order to deliver the superimposed image as an integrated image signal to a monitor or similar device; both signals, however, can also be delivered directly to a monitor or similar device that has, for example, two input channelsxe2x80x94if appropriate, for a right and left image channel of a pair of stereo images. Further a purely optical superimposition is conceivable, e. g. in the intermediate image of an optical light path or something similar.
Various qualitatively different measures are provided for the control apparatus in the framework of the invention to detect and correct the image geometry or imaging parameters.
It must always be ensured that the control apparatus detects primary (operational) imaging parameters (eyeline, thus system alignment or viewing angle, perspective, etc., e. g. microscope alignment) and uses them for adapting the image formation geometry of the second image information. This is implemented, for example, through picking up the direction data and settings of the adjustment means of the first device, e. g. from the stand or through monitoring the microscope position through an independent sensing device, such as an ultrasound or infrared position or coordinate determination device (e. g. PIXSYS(trademark)) and the device for setting the magnification of the microscope.
An improved adaptation results if the secondary imaging parameters too (e. g. field of vision, magnification, depth of focus) are detected and used for adapting the image formation geometry of the second image information. This is implemented, for example, through picking up the actual z-distance (this is the distance from the object being viewed to the objective bearing surface) from the object viewed and a magnification measurement (gamma measurement) in the light path of the first device.
Obviously it is optimal when the tertiary imaging parameters (e. g. aberration of the metric, distortion depending on the z-distance and gamma measurement in the light path of the first device) are detected and used to correct the image formation geometry of the second image information. Such tertiary imaging parameters are preferably carried out through comparative measurements on known objects (e. g. illustrations with a known geometric pattern or three-dimensional objects with known geometric dimensions that can be utilized for calibration purposes or to detect the imaging errors).
The primary and secondary imaging parameters are type-specific parameters that depend on the nature and geometric or optical design of the first device, while tertiary imaging parameters are series-specific. They depend on the quality of the individual optical components and their assembly and on the adjustment of each individual apparatus.
Naturally an adaptive control apparatus is preferred that detects primary, secondary, and tertiary imaging parameters and on their basis modifies the second image data that are to be superimposed and superimposes them. In the process the second and tertiary imaging parameters may be evaluated first, if appropriate, and only then is a conformation of the coordinate systems of the two devices undertaken in which one image is rotated or pivoted by the computer into the other, which is already displayed in a geometrically correct manner, this, naturally, preferably three-dimensionally in each case.
The necessary calibration processes involved may be carried out using the whole adjustment range of the system data of the devices where, for example, a permanent calibration is made during a slow adjustment of all the system data of an apparatus and the various computational formulas that are derived in the process are recorded continuously and stored in a memory, so that later it will be possible to superimpose the appropriate correction value for each individual setting during the operation of the apparatus.
In order to reduce somewhat the quantity of image data that must be processed by the computer and to speed up the processing, a further development of the invention is foreseen in which the necessary correction rule for the type-specific algorithms (optical distortions that can be determined mathematically, etc.) are calculated ahead of time and stored in the device, so that in the actual adaptation an automatic calculation will take place first and only thereafter a measurement with further adaptation results.
To facilitate and accelerate the elimination of the series-specific imaging parameters, it is preferably proposed to subject each device to a calibration process after which the calibration parameters that have been obtained are stored in a memory and are automatically utilized in the adaptation of the second image data. Thus, as soon as images from another image source are superimposed in a particular type of device or piece of equipment and a particular piece of equipment from a particular series, these images will be modified with the stored values in accordance with a calibration carried out before the delivery of the equipment in such a way that the images can be superimposed congruently, to the extent that they come from the same object. In the process it makes sense to carry out the calibration for each individual device. If needed it is even conceivable that a standard component appropriate for the calibration can be used that will be directly available to the local service personnel or even the user, to make recalibration possible from time to time.
The advance calculations and calibrations or storage of correction values that have been described are suitable for equipment that has a limited memory or computing capacity. If there is adequate computing capacity and appropriate computing speed, it is also conceivable to supply equipment that is optimized to a certain degree but without precalculating the type-specific algorithms and to build into the computer an image recognition apparatus to which the precise dimensions of a standard component are known; in certain intervals it calls preferably for a calibration routine in which through video viewing of the standard component alone the deviation from the stored dimensions are detected and from them are determined the correction parameters, which are written to the superimposed images in each case. As a standard component an object is preferred that presents suitable, recognizable structures for the imaging rays of the first and second apparatus.
In calibration it makes sense to proceed as follows. A test object with dimensions that are standardizedxe2x80x94and preferably recognizable for all image producing light paths that are usedxe2x80x94is scanned with its actual dimensions using CAD and stored in a memory by a computer as a voxel volume with external dimensions conforming to reality. Subsequently this test object is placed in front of the light path of the first apparatus, which has a stereoscopic video recording apparatus (e. g. one CCD per light path of a stereomicroscope) and through this observes from several perspectives. Each of the views that are allocated to the individual perspectives is taken and converted into a voxel volume by means of a computer program, which [voxel volume] thus corresponds to reality, since it was modified (e. g. distorted) by the imaging parameters. The voxel volume so obtained is then comparedxe2x80x94e. g. by voxelsxe2x80x94with the voxel volume that was originally input into the computer. The differences that result from this are recognized as a computational formula and stored in the memory. As soon as another object is placed in the light path of a microscope with the same setting, it can be modified by means of the computational formula in such a way that it corresponds to its true proportions inside the computer or memory and can also be displayed as such.
In most cases the process just described with the recalculation using the voxel volume is carried out only because resort is made to the voxel volume when one wants to look under the surface of the object being viewed in the xe2x80x9cmasking mode,xe2x80x9d as is made possible in the correct position through the invention. Then, namely, the voxel volume beneath the place viewed by the microscope is taken away by layers as necessary, so that one can look into the depth by layers. Naturally the 3-D display of all or a part of the voxel volume is also possible. For this a weighting that can be set optically or using software of the image brightness of the microscope image or the superimposed image is possible. For pure calibration the analysis of the pure projection of the standard component being viewed is sufficient through which its recognized edge lines or their corner points are stored as vectors and can be processed further. On the other hand, and this is an important point of one of the embodiments of the invention, other xe2x80x9ccorrectxe2x80x9d data, e. g. from a CT, etc., that are available through the computer can be revised with these computational formulas in order to correspond geometrically correctly to distorted microscopic image data, for example.
Obviously it is often important to take into account the actual position of an object in space in this regard, especially in stereotactic operations or the like. For this a position recognition device is foreseen in connection with the invention that measures both the object (test object) and the position of the microscope in space. As an example, the system of the company Pixsys is suitable as a position recognition device in which IR transmitters or IR reflectors are mounted on the object and on the camera at known intervals and their position in space is determined by the system and recorded for further processing. The invention is not confined to this system, however. For most embodiments it is important, in any case, for sensors or signal markers to be arranged on the microscope that work together with signal markers or sensors located in space to define the position of the microscope in space. For example, instead of the sensor-signal marker arrangement a pure video image processing could be used in which one or two fixed video cameras viewed the microscope and after advance calibration calculated the spatial position of the microscope by means of 3-D image processing. Alternatively, of course, the MKM system in the stand that was already mentioned can also be used in which sensors in the stand or its joints determine the position of the microscope.
It does not matter which of the images finally displayed to the user is used for the corrections. It is just as conceivable to adapt the image of the optical light path to that of the nonoptical light path as vice versa, or also to create a xe2x80x9cstandard formatxe2x80x9d to which both the optical and nonoptical images may be adapted. Such a xe2x80x9cstandard formatxe2x80x9d could also be selected in such a way that it is closest to reality, or that it is portrayed virtually as a viewer of the corresponding object with average visual acuity would actually see the object. In the case of viewing through a microscope, the average viewer naturally would be reduced virtually in proportion to the magnification of the microscope.
As a rule imaging through CT is fairly close to reality. If, however, imaging distortions or something similar are present here too, these can also be taken into account through being compared to a calibrated object and displayed as a computational formula in order to superimpose these deviations on the image data from the first device too. Through such a xe2x80x9ccrosswisexe2x80x9d superimposition of correction data, identical images are generated in both the first and second apparatus.
Of course it is also conceivable to correct the image data in each case after calibration in such a way that they correspond to the magnification of the object viewed that is only mathematically correct, whereupon the image data are also congruent and can be superimposed.
The adaptation of the image from the light ray path can take place in the first devices in which the light ray path is not sent directly to the viewer""s eye, as is the case, for example, in videomicroscopes, where the viewer looks at a screen and not at the actual light ray path.
The superimposition of the images may take place either directly in the ocular light path or through the use of software in the computer, which displays the superimposed (combined) total image on a monitor. What is important in the final analysis is the fact that what the viewer sees is a superimposition that is in the correct scale and true to reality or appearance, as though both of the originally independent images had been viewed through one and the same optics with the same adjustment.
The approach to the problem in which it is required, for example, to eliminate the errors of the microscope""s light path and thus to generate an image that is true to life, instead of transferring the errors to the other image, generally does not achieve a great deal for an operating surgeon, since in any event he does not work in a true life environment because of the magnification. His direct point of reference is the operating instrument, which he perceives in the field of vision of the microscope and moves by hand. An adjustment of the microscope light path or its optical elements leads automatically in accordance with a special embodiment of the invention to an adaptation of the reflected (superimposed) image, so that the operating surgeon can continue to work without interruption.
The term xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d as used in the invention encompasses, for example, screens, cathode ray tubes, etc. on which the images appear for the user. Such displays may be located either outside the microscope, e. g. as a computer monitor, or also as small displays that are built into an ocular light path in such a way that a user obtains not only an optical perception from the optical light path but also simultaneously superimposed an optical perception from the display. The purely electronic superimposition of images and their presentation on a display outside the microscope are encompassed by the invention, the ocular light path in one such case being reflected via a beam splitter into at least one image reception apparatus.
The term xe2x80x9cvideomicroscopexe2x80x9d as used in the invention encompasses microscopes with at least one light optical ray path and at least one image reception apparatus for receiving and presenting the image seen via the light path on a display. Recently videostereomicroscopes in which two parallel light paths are provided and a 3-D image can be presented on the display have become a very widely used kind of videomicroscope. The invention includes, however, all other microscopes and endoscopes that have the devices described above and if necessary do without a stereoscopic light path.
Above all in operation microscopes and especially during an operation a lot of information comes in that may be of great significance for the surgeon. This includes, for example, information about the patient or his state of health such as pulse, blood pressure, oxygen content of the blood, etc., but also in addition to the images to be superimposed that have been mentioned, e. g. information concerning certain parameters of the microscope, information on the position of the operation field being observed, as well as control data that is transmitted arbitrarily via control elements such as the computer mouse or foot switch to the data processing or to control elements for the microscope in order to control it as needed, e. g. for focusing, etc.
Within the scope of the invention data can also be superimposed optically, through the electronic input of these data into the second image that is shown, or through the use of an additional display that is blended into the microscope light path. The superimposition of several different data items, e. g. also written data, is possible.
In the commonly-owned International Publications WO 9527917 and WO 9527918 claiming priority of Swiss patent application CH-1091/94-3 a device is described that makes it possible to carry out the superimpositions and data adaptation as fast as possible or in real time. A combination of the teaching of this invention with the teaching of the application mentioned thus brings further advantages. To this extent the content of the patent application mentioned is considered to lie within the framework of this disclosure.
CH-A-684291, which has been mentioned, describes a process for detecting the position of an image plane. This process could also find application in the framework of the invention in that one refrains preferably from a triangulation measurement, and the distance as well as the focus are determined directly through image evaluation (e. g. marginal definition evaluation).
To this extent and for practical implementation by an person skilled in the art the content of the patent application mentioned and CH-A-684291 are also regarded to lie within the framework of this disclosure.

Microscope, in particular a stereomicroscope, and a method of superimposing two images