The invention provides a combustion chamber comprising a chamber wall disposed radially inside a casing, an igniter plug for igniting the air-fuel mixture, the plug being mounted on said casing and comprising a body with a free end that is disposed in an opening formed through said chamber wall with a large amount of clearance to accommodate relative displacement between said casing and said chamber wall, and a sealing device provided between said body and the perimeter of said opening, said sealing device comprising an annular plug-guide through which said body passes, the plug-guide being slidably mounted at the radially-outer end of an annular support whose base is secured to said perimeter, wherein the support is secured to the radially-outer portion of a chimney passing through said opening and presenting at its radially-inner end a collar bearing against the inside face of the chamber wall, and wherein a cooling circuit for said collar is provided.

In conventional combustion chambers, the chamber wall is made of metal, and the support of the plug-guide is likewise made of a metal that is compatible with the metal of the chamber wall. The base of the support is welded to the outside face of the chamber wall around the opening.
With the increases in the temperature that exists within combustion chambers, where such increases in temperature are needed to improve the performance of aviation engines, it is no longer feasible to use chamber walls made of metal. This means that it is impossible for the plug-guide support to be welded to the chamber wall. This applies in particular when the chamber wall is made of a composite material comprising carbon fibers embedded in a ceramic matrix.
In its FIG. 2, U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,949 shows a combustion chamber of the type specified in the introduction above, in which the base of the support of the plug-guide appears to be fixed to the outside face of the chamber wall by welding around the opening. That document also shows removable means for introducing air into the combustion chamber, said means comprising a cylindrical sleeve passing through an orifice of the chamber wall and presenting a collar bearing against the inside face of the chamber wall, together with means for mechanically securing said sleeve disposed on the outside face of the chamber wall. The sleeve is made of a metal material that withstands high temperatures, and preferably of a ceramic material. That document does not suggest that the plug-guide could include a collar at its radially-inner end for fixing in the same manner against the chamber wall. Furthermore, it would be impossible to mount such a modified support since the plug-guide is held by an end portion of the support which is of a diameter greater than that of the base of said support, and the diameter of the opening is smaller than that of the collar and than that of the end portion.

Plug sealing device that is not welded to the chamber wall


A lighting device comprising a controller arranged to convey a cryptographic message to a load indicative of an instruction for said load to consume an amount of power during a selected time-interval; determine the power consumed during said selected time-interval and determine a condition indicative of an unauthorized load when said determined power is different from one which is expected.

A lighting device comprising a power supply, such as e.g. a driver which connects a mains power supply to a load, is well known in the art. Such a power supply, e.g. a driver, is able to regulate or otherwise control the power provided to the load. Power Line Communication is also known to be applied in respect to such power supplies. Power supplies of this sort are particularly common in lighting.
Power supplies (i.e. drivers) which are capable of providing power to a plurality of loads are becoming increasingly popular in the lighting domain. These power supplies (i.e. drivers) are typically designed to provide power to a primary load (e.g. a light source), and are typically further adapted to connect to one or more auxiliary loads (e.g. pluggable sensors). The connected one or more auxiliary loads may also draw power from the power supply. Due at least to this increasingly popular trend in power supplies (i.e. drivers) capable of providing power to a plurality of loads, there is a desire in the lighting market for improving the functioning and application of such power supplies (i.e. drivers). Hereby, unauthorized loads may be a problem; and unauthorized loads may be undesired. For example, a lighting device manufacturer may only desire their loads, and/or licensed loads of third parties, to be connected to their lighting device; because an authorized load may—contrary to an unauthorized load—safeguard compatibility with the lighting device, ensure safety in operation, prevent undesired tapping of power, prevent any onset of tampering, and/or ensure meeting regulations. Thus, an unauthorized load is undesired and problematic. Therefore, a clear need exists to determine the connection of unauthorized loads to such a power supply (i.e. driver) and/or prevent such unauthorized loads to draw power (i.e. benefit) from such a power supply (i.e. driver).


A programmed computer is used to create a digital model of an individual component of a patient's dentition. The computer obtains a 3D digital mode of the patient's dentition, identifies points in the dentition model that lie on an inter-proximal margin between adjacent teeth in the patient's dentition, and uses the identified points to create a cutting surface that separates portions of the dentition model representing the adjacent teeth.

The invention relates to the fields of computer-assisted dentistry and orthodontics. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) digital image technology has recently been tapped as a tool to assist in dental and orthodontic treatment. Many treatment providers use some form of digital image technology to study the dentitions of patients. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/169,276 describes the use of 2D and 3D image data in forming a digital model of a patient's dentition, including models of individual dentition components. Such models are useful, among other things, in developing an orthodontic treatment plan for the patient, as well as in creating one or more orthodontic appliances to implement the treatment plan.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Manipulating a digital dentition model to form models of individual dentition components


Bayer data is captured by a CCD and is stored in a memory. Image data is read out from the memory in units of nine lines starting with (4n+1)-th (n: integer) line. YUV data of one pixel is formed based on 5×5 pixels in the read Bayer data. Thus, the YUV data is formed in units of five lines. The YUV data is enlarged by a pixel number converting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital camera that can enlarge an image and an image processing method for enlarging an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the development of personal computers has contributed to the wide spread of digital still cameras that record digital image data obtained using an image pick-up element, in a memory card in place of a silver film.
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a circuit in a digital still camera of this kind. When one image is picked up (single image pick-up), the illustrated circuit basically compresses YUV data (luminance and color difference data) before expanding one frame of the YUV data on a buffer memory.
An optical image obtained using an optical system 11 is formed as an image on a CCD 12 used as an image pick-up element. The CCD 12 includes, for example, an RGB color filter of Bayer type. Color image data obtained (hereinafter referred to as "Bayer data") is sequentially sampled and held by a sample and hold circuit (S/H) 13, subsequently digitized by an A/D converter 14, and then supplied to a line processing unit 15.
The line processing unit 15 integrates the sequentially transmitted Bayer data into line data. A first transfer unit 16 transfers the Bayer data, integrated into the line data, to a memory 17, where the data is expanded and stored.
Once a predetermined number of lines of Bayer data are expanded on the memory 17, these data are read in block units and transferred to a Bayer/YUV converting unit 19 by a second transfer unit 18A.
The Bayer/YUV converting unit 19 executes an interpolating process or a color space process to convert the Bayer data (RGB data) into the YUV data, luminance and color difference color image. Then, the data thus obtained are supplied to a JPEG processing unit 21 via a switch (SW) 20. On the other hand, a third transfer unit 23 transfers these data to the memory 7 via a switch 22. Then, the data is expanded and stored in the memory 7.
The YUV data stored in the memory 17 are transferred to a display control unit 25 by a fourth transfer unit 24. Then, the display control unit 25 generates and outputs an analog video output signal and a signal for display on a liquid crystal monitor.
The JPEG processing unit 21 executes a data compression process such as an ADCT (Adaptive Discrete Cosine Transform) process or Huffman encoding process to the YUV data transferred by the Bayer/YUV converting unit 19 via the switch 20. Thus, JPEG data of a drastically reduced amount is obtained. A fifth transfer unit 26 transfers the JPEG data thus obtained to the memory 17, where the data is expanded and stored.
The JPEG data expanded and stored in the memory 17 is recorded in a memory card as a storage medium.
On the other hand, in a reproduction mode, JPEG data read from the memory card is stored in the memory 17 and then read and transferred to the JPEG processing unit 21 by a sixth transfer unit 27. Then, the JPEG processing unit 21 converts the JPEG data to the original YUV data, and the third transfer unit 23 transfers this YUV data via the switch 22 to the memory 17 for storage. Subsequently, the data is delivered to the display control unit 25 by the fourth transfer unit 24.
The above described circuit operations are totally controlled by a system controller 28 including a CPU. The operation of the system controller 28 is controlled in response to key operation signals input from a key input unit 29 including a shutter key and a mode key.
Now, a specific process for generating the YUV data will be described in detail.
Bayer data obtained by the line processing unit 15 and expanded and stored in the memory 17 is illustrated in FIG. 2A.
If it is assumed that it is necessary to refer a pixel configuration of 5×5 pixels of the Bayer data (FIG. 2A) as shown in FIG. 2B in order to generate one pixel of the YUV data by the Bayer/YUV converting unit 19, the YUV data as shown in FIG. 2C is generated.
It is assumed that the YUV data generated is transferred and output in the order shown in FIG. 3 and comprises blocks each having a vertical size of four pixels. Then, the pixels of the original Bayer data are read in the order as shown in FIG. 4. That is, for the first block with the range of lines C1 to C8, the pixels are read in the following order:
(C1, 1)→(C1, 2)→(C1, 3)→(C1, 4)→(C1, 5)→(C1, 6)→(C1, 7)→(C1, 8)→(C2, 1)→(C2, 2)→ . . .
For the second block the starting line of which is shifted downward by four lines and which has the range of lines C5 to C12:
(C1, 5)→(C1, 6)→(C1, 7)→(C1, 8)→(Cl, 9)→(C1, 10)→(C1, 11)→(C1, 12)→(C2, 5)→(C2, 6)→ . . .
Compared to the Bayer data read in this pixel position order, the pixels of the YUV data is transferred in the following order. For the first block:
(C3, 3)→(C3, 4)→(C3, 5)→(C3, 6)→(C4, 3)→(C4, 4)→(C4, 5)→(C4, 6)→(CS, 3)→(CS, 4)→ . . .
For the second block:
(C3, 7)→(C3, 8)→(C3, 9)→(C3, 10)→(C4, 7)→(C4, 8)→(C4, 9)→(C4, 10)→(CS, 7)→(C5, 8)→ . . .
FIG. 5A shows the configuration of pixels obtained when the YUV data is generated from Bayer data as described above. In the Bayer data in FIG. 5A, the hatched pixel shows a pixel used in generating the YUV data but which does not directly generate the corresponding YUV data.
In a Bayer data block read from the memory 17 and comprising eight lines, upper four lines are also read in the upper adjacent block. Thus, the YUV data generated in correspondence with these lines is configured not to contain any duplicate lines.
FIG. 5B illustrates the relationship between a Bayer data block read from a Bayer data frame and a YUV data block generated from the Bayer data block.
As described above, when the YUV data is generated from the Bayer data, the minimum required YUV data is generated, as shown in FIG. 5A.
Accordingly, the vertical size of the YUV data block is set at 8 if the required data is 4:2:2 (Y:Cb:Cr), and is set at 16 if the required data is 4:2:0. Then, the JPEG processing unit 21, which subsequently compresses the data, executes the process on every block comprising 8×8 pixels. Consequently, the YUV data can be transferred directly to the JPEG processing unit 21.
Here, with the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 1, in order to increase the speed of an electronic zooming process (enlarging process) in which the image data obtained through image pick-up is interpolated to increase the number of pixels constituting the image, it is assumed that a circuit that executes a pixel number conversion using hardware is provided succeeding to the Bayer/YUV converting unit 19, for example, between the switch 22 and the third transfer unit 23, instead of executing the enlarging process after expanding and storing one frame of YUV data on the memory 17. On these assumptions, since only the minimum required YUV data is transferred as described above, the interpolating process fails to generate pixels located between the pixels on the lowermost line of a YUV data block and the pixels on the uppermost line of the next YUV data block.
Thus, on the assumption that the same pixels as those on the lowermost line of the YUV data block are added as a line immediately below the lowermost line or that the pixels on lowermost line of the YUV data block are overlapped with the line immediately below the lowermost line, the pixel number converting circuit must execute an interpolating process (enlarging process) using these duplicate pixels. As a result, disadvantageously, the image is more markedly degraded as the enlargement ratio for electronic zooming increases in the vertical direction.
Further, it is assumed that the pixel number converting circuit executes an electronic zooming process (enlarging process) on each YUV data block. Then, since each YUV data block contains the same number of lines, it contains the same number of lines even after the enlarging process (interpolating process). Thus, disadvantageously, the available enlargement ratio (enlargement ratio) is limited.
Furthermore, if the pixel number converting circuit is to execute an electronic zooming process (enlarging process) on YUV data blocks and the YUV data block generated by the Bayer/YUV converting process is transferred directly to the JPEG processing unit 21, the YUV data, which has not undergone any electronic zooming process, is compressed and stored in the memory card. To avoid this, it is necessary to store the YUV data already subjected to an electronic zooming process in the memory 17 and transferring the read data to the JPEG processing unit 21. Consequently, much time is required to record the image.

Digital camera with electronic zooming function


A cryogenic air separation process and apparatus in a distillation column having a top condenser. Air is compressed, purified and cooled to a temperature suitable for distillation. The air is separated in a distillation column so that an oxygen-enriched liquid and a nitrogen-enriched gas are produced within the column. A stream of cryogenic liquid is sent to the column and an oxygen-enriched liquid is sent from the column to the condenser. The flow rate of cryogenic liquid is regulated as a function of the level of oxygen-enriched liquid at the bottom of the column, and a product stream is withdrawn from the column.

The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for cryogenically separating air, and in particular to such a process and apparatus for the production of nitrogen.
It is well known to supply part of the refrigeration requirements of an air separation process by liquid assist. This involves the injection of a cryogenic liquid into the distillation column or a condenser of the column at a point where the liquid in the column has a similar composition to that of the liquid used for the liquid assist.
Examples of liquid assist processes are to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,908,144 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,032 and in <<Recent Developments in Industrial Oxygen Production >> by M. P. Dubs, Trans. Instr. Chem. Engs. Vol. 36, 1958.
The standard technique used to regulate the amount of liquid assist sent to a single column is to vary the amount of liquid injected into the column in dependence on the level of liquid in the top condenser of the column (see for example EP-A-0 144 430, EP-A-191 862, J53-14351, J61-24968, U.S. Pat. No. 2,685,181). The same regulation technique is disclosed in a general context in FR 2 076 020.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an air separation process which can be more accurately controlled.
According to the invention, there is provided a cryogenic air separation process in a distillation column having a top condenser, comprising compressing and purifying the air; cooling the air after compression and purification thereof to a temperature suitable for distillation;
separating the air in a distillation column so that an oxygen enriched liquid and a nitrogen enriched gas are produced within the column; sending a stream of cryogenic liquid to the column; PA1 sending oxygen-enriched liquid from the column to the condenser; PA1 regulating a flow rate of the cryogenic liquid in dependence on the level of oxygen enriched liquid at the bottom of the column; and PA1 withdrawing a product stream from the column. PA1 a distillation column having a top condenser, PA1 means for providing cooled compressed air to the distillation column, PA1 means for removing nitrogen enriched fluid from the column, PA1 means for sensing a liquid level at the bottom of the column, PA1 means for sending oxygen-enriched liquid from the bottom of the column to the condenser, PA1 means for sending a cryogen liquid to the column, PA1 means for controlling the flow rate of the cryogenic liquid sent to the column in dependence on said liquid level.
Preferably the column is single column nitrogen generator with a top condenser.
There is further provided according to the invention a cryogenic air separation apparatus comprising
The column may contain trays or packings of this structured or random type. As the column is generally of smaller diameter than the condenser, a requirement for increased refrigeration will be reflected by a drop in liquid level of greater magnitude that the drop in liquid level in the condenser. This enables the refrigeration requirement to met with greater accuracy.

Cryogenic air separation process and apparatus

L'Air Liquide, Societe Ananyme Pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


A method and device facilitates the procedure of a transverse osteotomy of both ilium and a secondary osteotomy through the pelvic symphysis. A plate is utilized which has facility for attachment of eight screws into the, animal bone tissue to more securely hold the plate in place. The shape of the plate represents a significant advance and has important characteristics, including (1) only one side of the plate has sharply angled surfaces to accommodate rotated pelvic bone portions, the other side of the plate is smoothly continuous and facilitates a more stable direct insertion of the bone screws to prevent non-even pressure from being applied to the bores provided for insertion of the bone screws; (2) In this configuration, the bores can closely match the shapes of the heads of the bone screws and provide less exposed material at the outside of the plate, as well as providing entry of bone screws at right angles to the bone tissue adjacent the sharply angled surfaces; (3) the plate provides the ability for it to be bent and, more than ample material is provided to bend the plate along its axis to provide an even more enhanced ability to insert bone screws at right angles to the extent of the pelvic bone tissue and to avoid an angle which would prevent secure bone attachment of the bone screws and maximum surface area contact and support from the sharply angled surfaces directly onto bone tissue.

Canine hip dysplasia remains an important problem to be solved in general veterinary practice. In less severe cases, non-operative treatment can produce satisfactory results, but more severe cases require surgical intervention.
Hip dysplasia is a painful and often debilitating condition seen most frequently in canines and is the result of an instability between the acetabulum and the femoral head. It usually results from a genetic or congenital condition wherein the acetabulum, the cup-shaped socket within the pelvis which receives the femoral head, is insufficiently formed. When the femoral head is not properly covered by the insufficient acetabulum, as the joint bears weight there is instability and the potential of injury to the surrounding tissue.
The surgical techniques for correcting hip dysplasia are known as pelvic osteotomy. This procedure provides for osteotomy of selected bone segments of the pelvis followed by rotation of the acetabular segment of the pelvis to enable better coverage of the femoral head, in order to give the canine a full range of motion for the hind legs. Typical complications, besides those associated with any surgical technique, are loss of fixation and compromise of the pelvic inlet. The loss of fixation may leave the canine patient in a worse state than before the surgery because the procedure is quite invasive requiring three pelvic osteotomies, and requires the removal of one pelvic section and the separation and rotation of another. The compromised pelvic inlet may cause chronic bowel and urinary tract problems which may only be uncomfortable, but at worse may be injurious. When coupled with the neuroses that frequently accompany such invasive surgical techniques, these complications generally render this procedure seriously flawed.
Another surgical technique has more recently been developed which requires three planar cuts in the pelvis one through the pubic ramus, one through the tuber ischii, and one through the ilium. A pelvic side segment is created and rotation of the acetabular segment rotates the side segment. A plate is used to secure the pelvic side segment at one end, at the ilium. A wire connector is used at the ischii to hold the other end of the segment in place at an awkward angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,122 to Slocum discloses a six hole dual planar plate having an interconnecting orthogonal web which places the plates at a constant planar angle to each other. This six hole plate, when used in procedures according to Slocum involving the rotation of an acetabular segment, and also used in a more refined procedure which included a transverse osteotomy of both ilium and a secondary osteotomy through the pelvic symphysis, still resulted in loosened or broken screws securing the plate, and loss of bone purchase resulting in the necessity of replacing the plates.
As between the two techniques, the more refined technique of a transverse osteotomy of both ilium and a secondary osteotomy through the pelvic symphysis provides superior results, including a self ambulatory result within about 24 hours of surgery compared to about three days to a self ambulatory state with the ilial section rotation technique. The secondary osteotomy removes bone tissue to accommodate the resulting pelvic narrowing which occurs during rotation of the pelvic segments toward each other.
For a more accurate comparison, pelvic osteotomies were performed in 100 cases involving the more refined technique. It was found that the six hole plate of Slocum was problematic since the angles of the plates were fixed. Since the angles of the six hole plate are determined by the web shape, the angle of the plates could not be changed without either distorting the web shape or distorting the plates by producing a severe twist in their planes.
Further, complications for the six hole plate included broken screws, loosened screws and bilateral loss of bone purchase requiring replacement of screws. The problems encountered were related to the requirement in each case for an angular plate displacement differing from the displacement required for optimum pelvic placement. Also, the physical configuration and placement of the screws were not sufficient for bone retention. In cases where failure occurs, the results to the canine patient are severe. The requirement to surgically re-enter and perform further work is especially difficult on the animal, and requires a period of re-recovery.
Therefore, any technique or apparatus which reduces or eliminates the necessity to surgically re-enter the patient introduces a significant improvement over the currently available techniques and apparatus for performing these surgical techniques.

Device and method for simultaneous bilateral pelvic osteotomies


A miter bar assembly (100), including: a top member (102) having: a top member opening (110) configured to permit a bottom member fastener (122) to pass through the top member; and a top member fastener feature (140) configured to immovably fix the top member directly to a panel; and a bottom member (104) positioned under the top member and having: a bottom member fastener feature (120) configured cooperate with the bottom member fastener and the top member opening to enable the bottom member to move laterally relative to the top member and to selectively immovably fix the bottom member to the top member. At least one of: a magnetic force urges the bottom member and the top member laterally apart; and relative longitudinal movement between the bottom member and the top member adjusts a lateral position of the bottom member relative to the top member.

High quality woodworking with safe operation requires the ability to maintain very close tolerances. Woodworking power tools such as table saws are known to include a straight groove or slot, known as a miter slot for slidably receiving a miter bar. Miter slot shapes include, but are not limited to, T-shapes and a U-shapes, referring in both instances to a cross-sectional shape of the miter slot. The miter bar moves within the miter slot to guide a work piece through a cutting tool, such as a saw blade, in a precise linear direction parallel to a desired cut line. Any gap between the width of the miter bar and the width of the slot allows for some undesirable horizontal and angular movement of the miter bar and the guided work piece as it is moved through the cutting tool.
The width of a miter slot has a nominal dimension, for example 750 mils on many table saws, but that dimension may vary by as much as 2-10 mils for any given table due to manufacturing tolerances. Such variation can create an unacceptable amount of positional uncertainty during woodworking operations. There is an ongoing effort in the woodworking industry to develop miter bars that can accommodate such variations in the slot width in order to minimize any gap between the width of the miter bar and the width of the slot.


The methods and systems described herein provide a cell culture platform with an array of tissue modeling environments and dynamic control of fluid flow. The cell culture platform includes an array of wells that are fluidically coupled by microchannel structures. The dynamically controlled flow of fluid interacts with cells grown within the microchannels.

A well plate, also known as a microtiter plate or microwell plate, is a flat plate with multiple wells used as test tubes or petri dishes for cell culturing and other biomedical experiments and analyses. The industry uses a variety of standard sized well plates. For example, 96 well or 384 well plates are standard tools used for research and diagnostic testing.

Bi-layer multi-well cell culture platform

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.


A printing module comprising a support and a self-adhesive rectangular sheet element having a first face coated with adhesive and arranged on the support and a second face configured to receive signs (PRT) by means of priming. The sheet element having preferential breaking lines which delimit a sheet binding element comprising: a rectangular element and a plurality of flexible tabs arranged as a comb which integrally extend along a first lamer side of the rectangular element.

As is known, in order to bind sheets arranged in a pack and perforated along a perimeter edge of the pack, binding devices are used having substantially tubular conformation comprising an elongated edge having a substantially C-shaped transversal section and a plurality of curved flexible tabs obtained integrally with the portion of edge and arranged spaced apart from each other to form an elastic structure shaped as a comb. Each of said tabs is adapted to be inserted in a respective hole (preferably rectangular in shape) of the pack to cross the pack and be arranged with the end portion thereof abutting against an inner surface of the edge portion, thus making a stable connection between the sheets which are bound to form a booklet.
The above-described, binding devices of known type have a plurality of drawbacks, including:
the elongated end portion protrudes frontally and laterally from the booklet; for such a reason, it is often difficult to arrange the booklet on a shelf or put it near other bound booklets;
there is a need for binding devices having different dimensions, in particular different size and shape of the elongated edge portion, in order to bind booklets having different thickness;
it is not generally possible to print text and words by means of priming on the bound booklet because such an area is formed by the outer surface of the edge portion which is bent and is made of plastic material; and
the binding device (made of plastic material) is to he separated from the sheets of the pack should there be a need to dispose of the booklet, for example burn it.


An organic electro-luminescence (EL) device including at least an emission layer between an anode and a cathode that are opposed to each other, including an anode buffer layer that is composed of an electrically conductive material and is provided between the anode and the emission layer, a cathode buffer layer that is composed of an electrically conductive material and is provided between the cathode and the emission layer, and a drive unit that applies a forward bias voltage and a reverse bias voltage that have opposite polarities to the anode and the cathode with setting application time periods of the forward bias voltage and the reverse bias voltage according to a luminance ratio of an image to be displayed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an organic electro-luminescence (EL) device, a driving method thereof and an electronic apparatus.
2. Related Art
In recent years, increasing attention is being paid to organic EL devices employing organic EL elements as a self-luminous element requiring no backlight or the like. The organic EL display includes an organic EL layer, i.e., an emission layer between a pair of opposed electrodes. The organic EL element for full-color displaying includes emission layers that each have an emission wavelength band corresponding to a respective one of colors of red (R), green (G) and blue (B). Voltage application across the opposed electrodes induces recombination of injected electrons and holes in the emission layer, which leads to light emission by the light emitting element. The light emitting elements in the organic EL device are typically formed of thin films having a film thickness smaller than 1 μm. In addition, the organic EL display needs no backlight, which is used in liquid crystal displays, since the light emitting element itself emits light. The organic EL device therefore has an advantage of allowing an extremely small thickness thereof.
When the organic EL device is DC-driven by application thereto of a bias of one direction, impurity ions diffuse in the emission layer and are accumulated in a certain part. The accumulated impurity ions trap holes or electrons injected from the electrode, which problematically lowers the emission life and luminance. In order to address this problem, e.g. JP-A-9-293588 and JP-A-2004-114506 disclose an AC driving technique in which a forward bias voltage and a reverse bias voltage, which has the polarity opposite to that of the forward bias voltage, are alternately applied to the light emitting elements as a drive voltage for causing the light emitting elements to emit light. Since this AC driving alternately applies the voltages having the opposite polarities to the light emitting elements, the accumulation of charges and impurity ions in the light emitting elements and an internal electric field generated due to the impurity ions are alleviated. Thus, lowering of the emission life and luminance of the light emitting elements can be suppressed.
In cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, which are generally used as a display, peak-luminance displaying is performed in which the luminance of a luminescent area is enhanced if the ratio of the luminescent area to the entire display area is small. When an image of e.g. fireworks is displayed, black is displayed in almost the entire display area while displaying with an enhanced luminance is implemented in the small area corresponding to brilliance of the fireworks. Thus, the displayed image is allowed to have shape contrast. JP-A-2002-297097 discloses a technique in which an organic EL device implements peak-luminance displaying by changing voltages applied to organic EL elements depending on the ratio of a luminescent area to the entire display area.
However, in the above-described AC driving of light emitting elements, the light emitting elements emit light only when a positive voltage is applied to the anode thereof and a negative voltage is applied to the cathode thereof, i.e., only when a forward bias is applied to the light emitting elements since the light emitting elements typically have a multi-layered structure formed of an anode, an emission layer, and a cathode. That is, the light emitting elements do not emit light when a reverse bias is applied thereto in the AC driving. Therefore, the effective emission time periods are short, which leads to a problem of low brightness of displaying.
Furthermore, when it is aimed to achieve peak-luminance displaying by changing voltages applied to organic EL elements, there arises a need to provide individual power supplies that each correspond to a certain ratio of a luminance area to the entire display area. Accordingly, the size of an organic EL device is problematically increased. In contrast, a configuration employing a single variable power supply is also possible. However, use of such a power supply causes a problem that it is difficult to implement gray-scale control when the ratio of a luminescent area to the entire display area is large and therefore the drive voltage is low.

Organic electro-luminescence device, driving method thereof and electronic apparatus


An electrons' emission device is presented. The device comprises an electrodes' arrangement including at least one Cathode electrode and at least one Anode electrode, the Cathode and Anode electrodes being arranged in a spaced-apart relationship; the device being configured to expose said at least one Cathode electrode to exciting illumination to thereby cause electrons' emission from said Cathode electrode, the device being operable as a photoemission switching device.

Diode and triode devices are widely used in the electronics. One class of these devices utilize the principles of vacuum microelectronics, namely, their operation is based on ballistic movement of electrons in vacuum [Brodie, Keynote address to the first international vacuum microelectronics conference, June 1988, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, 36, 11 pt. 2 2637, 2641 (1989); I. Brodie, C. A. Spindt, in "Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics", vol. 83 (1992), p. 1-106]. According to the principles of vacuum microelectronics, electrons are ejected from a cathode electrode by field emission and tunnel through the barrier potential, when a very high electric field (more than 1 V/nm) is locally applied [R. H. Fowler, L. W Nordheim, Proc. Royal Soc. London A119(1928), p. 173].
U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,790 discloses a vacuum microdevice having a field-emission cold cathode. This device includes first electrode and second electrodes. The first electrode has a projection portion with a sharp tip. An insulating film is formed in the region of the first electrode, excluding the sharp tip of the projection portion. The second electrode is formed in a region on the insulating film, excluding the sharp tip of the projection portion. A structural substrate is bonded to the lower surface of the first electrode and has a recess portion in the bonding surface with the lower surface of the first electrode. The recess portion has a size large enough to cover a recess reflecting the sharp tip of the projection portion formed on the lower surface of the first electrode. The interior of the recess portion formed in the structural substrate communicates with the atmosphere outside the device. A support structure is formed on the surface of the second electrode to surround each projection portion formed on the first electrode. With this structure, a vacuum microdevice can be provided which can suppress variations in characteristics due to voids and exhibit excellent long-term reliability.
Triodes (transistors) of another class are semiconductor devices based on the principles of "solid state microelectronics", where the charge carriers are confined within solids and are impaired by interaction with the lattice [S. M. Sze, Physics of semiconductor devices, Interscience, 2nd edition, New York]. In the devices of this kind, a current is conducted within semiconductors, so the moving velocity of electrons is affected by the crystal lattices or impurities therein. A fundamental drawback of active electronic devices based on semiconductors is that electrons transport is impeded by the semiconductor crystal lattice, which places a limit on both the miniaturization and the switching speed of such devices.
Vacuum microelectronic devices have potential advantages over solid-state microelectronic devices. Vacuum microelectronic devices have a high degree of immunity to hostile environment conditions (such as temperature and radiation) since they are based only on metals and dielectrics. These devices can achieve very high operation frequencies, because the electrons' velocity is not limited by interactions with the lattice [T. Utsumi, IEEE Tans. Electron Devices, 38,10,2276 (1991)]. In general, vacuum microelectronics devices have excellent output circuit (power delivery loop) characteristics: low output conductance, high voltage and high power handling capability. However, their input circuit (control loop) characteristics are relatively poor: they have low current capabilities, low transconductance, high modulation/turn-on voltage and poor noise characteristics. As a result, despite the: tremendous research efforts in this field, these devices found only very few applications, especially as RF signal amplifiers and sources [S. Iannazzo, Solid State Electronics, 36, 3, 301 (1993)].
Most of the current electronics is based on devices which are made from Si or compound semiconductor based structures. Because of the intrinsic resistivity of these devices, the electrons' transmission through the device causes the creation of heat. This heat is the main obstacle in the attempts to maximize the number of transistors within an integrated circuit per a given area.
Semiconductor devices utilizing microtip type vacuum transistors have been developed. Here, electrons move in vacuum and thus, at the highest speed. Therefore, the vacuum transistors can be operated at ultra speeds. However, they suffer from disadvantages in that they are unstable, have relatively short lifetime, and require relatively high voltages for their operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,360 discloses a MOSFET-like flat or vertical transistor structure presenting a Vacuum Field Transistor (VFT), in which electrons travel a vacuum free space, thereby realizing the high speed operation of the device utilizing this structure. The flat type structure is formed by a source and a drain, made of conductors, which stand at a predetermined distance apart on a thin channel insulator with a vacuum channel therebetween; a gate, made of a conductor, which is formed with a width below the source and the drain, the channel insulator functioning to insulate the gate from the source and the drain; and an insulating body, which serves as a base for propping up the channel insulator and the gate. The vacuum field transistor comprises a low work function material at the contact regions between the source and the vacuum channel and between the drain and the vacuum channel. The vertical type structure comprises a conductive, continuous circumferential source with a void center, formed on a channel insulator; a conductive gate formed below the channel insulator, extending across the source; an insulating body for serving as a base to support the gate and the channel insulator; an insulating walls which stand over the source, forming a closed vacuum channel; and a drain formed over the vacuum channel. In both types, proper bias voltages are applied among the gate, the source and the drain to enable electrons to be field emitted from the source through the vacuum channel to the drain.

Yeda Research and Development Company, Ltd,


There is provided a system for changing programs stored in a terminal device, including (a) a base station, (b) a program-transferring device which transfers a program to the base station, and (c) a terminal device which downloads a program thereinto from the program-transferring device through the base station, the terminal device including (c1) a memory storing therein at least two programs grouped into at least two groups with respect to a function of a program, and (c2) a management table which stores first data about whether the programs are used or not, and removes a non-used program from the memory. In accordance with the present invention, it is no longer necessary to write all programs into a memory of a terminal device when a function of the terminal device is to be changed. Hence, a function of the terminal device can be changed merely by writing a necessary part of a program into the terminal device, ensuring that a working time can be shortened.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for changing a program stored in a terminal device, and more particularly to such a system which makes it possible for a terminal device to add programs having necessary functions, remove programs having unnecessary functions, and prevent a third party from illegally downloading a program. The invention further relates to a terminal device used in such a system, and a method of changing a program stored in a terminal device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In connection with the above-mentioned terminal device, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-219780 has suggested a system of downloading a program to a terminal device from a center.
However, the system suggested in the Publication is accompanied with a problem that it is impossible to readily add programs having necessary functions and remove programs having unnecessary function. This is because overall functions of the terminal device are constituted as one program. Hence, the program cannot be partially removed. In addition, since it is impossible to make a vacancy in an area in which a program is stored, additional programs cannot be written into the terminal device.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned system is accompanied with a problem that when a user operates the terminal device for downloading a program thereinto, it would not be possible to prevent a third party from downloading a program to a his/her terminal device.
This is because that the above-mentioned system is not provided with a function of security check.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 3-158961 has suggested a system of maintaining a software in processors, comprising first processors each equipped in a shop, and a second processor equipped in a center and connected to the first processors through wide area network (WAN). Each of the first processors includes means for storing data about a software stored therein, and means for transferring a file. The second processor includes means for storing latest data bout a software to be stored in the first processors, means for retaining a load module of the software, means for comparing data about a software transmitted from the first processors to the latest data about the software, and transmitting a load module of the software corresponding to a difference between the compared data, to the first processors, and means for transferring a file. On receipt of the data about a software stored in the first processors, the second processor compares the received data to latest data about a software stored in the first processors, which latest data is stored in the second processor, and transmits a load module corresponding to a difference between the compared data, to thereby automatically update a software stored in the first processors.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-251714 has suggested a system of controlling a use of a software. In accordance with the system, when an application dealing with a plurality of data is to be used, a software provider may restrict a use of the application, cancel restriction for a use of the application, or set the restriction again in response to a user's request.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-316206 has suggested a system for executing a program downloaded from an exchanger of a parent station to thereby carry out telephone exchange. The system includes a central processing unit having a read only memory in advance storing a program therein, EEPROM downloading additional and revised programs other than the program stored in the read only memory, from a parent station, and storing the programs, a random access memory copying the programs stored in the read only memory and EEPROM, and a micro-processor executing the programs copied by the random access memory. The system does not download all the programs into a remote control exchanger from an exchanger of the parent station, but downloads only the additional and revised programs into the remote control exchanger.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-326192 has suggested a system of downloading a software program into a CATV terminal device. The system includes a host device and terminal devices. A software program for operating a terminal device, stored in the host device, is downloaded to the terminal device from the host device to thereby update a software program stored in the terminal device. A software program is stored in each of the terminal devices in a predetermined area in the form of a plurality of program parts, by means of a divider which physically partitions an area of a memory equipped in each of the terminal devices. The software program is stored in the host device in the form of program parts corresponding to the program parts of each of the terminal devices. When the program is to be downloaded, only necessary program parts among the software program stored in each of the terminal devices are updated.
However, the above-mentioned problems remain unsolved even by the systems suggested in the above-mentioned Publications.

System for changing a program stored in a terminal device and a terminal device used in the system


An information recording and reproducing apparatus has a plurality of optical disk drives including a data optical disk drive for storing data, a work or backup optical disk drive for temporarily storing the data and, preferably, a disk cache memory. The optical disk drives are coupled to a host device such as a central processing unit (CPU) through an optical disk control unit for controlling recording and reproduction of the data. The optical disk control unit writes commands and data transmitted from the host device into the work optical disk drive and the disk cache memory and, if required, writes the data of the disk cache memory into the data optical disk drive. The optical disk control unit, on activation of the apparatus following a malfunction, restores the data of the data optical disk drive to the most recent state thereof by using the contents of the work optical disk drive, whereby the number of times of writing to an optical disk is decreased by using the disk cache memory so as to prevent the data loss on occurrence of problems in functioning of the apparatus, such as power failure or hardware error.

The present invention relates to an information recording and reproducing apparatus which comprises a combination of a plurality of disk drives for recording and reproducing data on and from disc-like recording media, and more particularly to such an apparatus which effects the recording and reproduction of data by using optical disks.
A conventional information recording and reproducing apparatus using a magnetic disk drive is disclosed in "NIKKEI ELECTRONICS 1985.3.11" (Mar. 11, 1985), pp. 159-187, as illustrated in FIG. 1 showing an arrangement of the conventional information recording and reproducing apparatus. In FIG. 1, illustrated at numeral 1 is a central processing unit (CPU) of a host computer which acts as a host device for recording and reproduction of data in and from a magnetic disk drive 12. Also included in the conventional information recording and reproducing apparatus are a main memory 2 which stores data and programs for the CPU 1 and a channel 3 for the CPU 1 which is for control of the input and output of data. Numeral 10 represents a disk control unit for controlling the magnetic disk drive 12 and a disk cache memory 11 to allow increased speed of data recording and reproduction processes. The disk cache memory 11 is a memory for increasing the speed of data access between the magnetic disk drive 12 and the CPU 1.
Operation of the conventional recording and reproducing apparatus with the above-mentioned arrangement will be described hereinbelow with reference to a data read and write flow chart illustrated in FIG. 2.
In a data-read operation, when access is first made with respect to one specific file, the disk control unit 10 simultaneously prefetches the next block of the file if it is absent in the cache memory 11. In this state, in response to a data-read request a from the CPU 1 with respect to one file, the disk control unit 10 refers to a directory DIR of the disk cache memory 11, which is placed in the disk control unit 10, to check whether or not the target data block of the pertinent file is present in the disk cache memory 11. In the case of the presence (i.e., hit) of the data block in the disk cache memory 11, the data block is transmitted from the disk cache memory 11 through the channel 3 to the main memory 2. In the case of the absence (miss) of the data block therein, several blocks (made up of sectors) including the target block are read out to the disk cache memory 11 and, of these blocks, the target block is transmitted to the main memory 2. Thus, if the disk cache memory 11 has an excellent hit probability, the data are directly transmitted from the disk cache memory 11 thereby sharply improving the data access speed.
In a data-write operation, well-known write-through system and write-back system are used which depend on the rewriting order between the disk cache memory 11 and the magnetic disk drive 12.
According to the write-through system, data are first written in the magnetic disk drive 12 (e). If the block corresponding to the recorded data is present in the disk cache memory 11, that is, in the case of hit, the corresponding block in the disk cache memory 11 is invalidated or the same data are also written in the disk cache memory 11 (f).
On the other hand, in the write-back system, data are preferentially written into the disk cache memory 11 (g), and when an unoccupied area for writing the data is absent in the disk cache memory 11 or when the block is not required or when the system determines that the data which have not been copied should be transmitted to the magnetic disk drive 12, data in the disk cache memory 11 are transmitted to the magnetic disk drive 12 where the data are recorded (h).
However, the above-described systems have both merits and demerits. In the write-through system, although data are not lost in response to a loss of power, a limitation is imposed on the write cyclability (the number of times of recording repetition) in the case of using a rewritable optical disk instead of the magnetic disk drive 12. That is, the number of times of writing data in response to requests of the host device directly affects the number of times of rewriting data in the optical disk. In an optical disk using a magneto-optical recording medium or a phase change recording medium which is arranged for effecting writing and erasure of a signal by the heating action due to a laser light beam, there is a problem in that the number of times of recording and erasure of data is limited due to the thermal stress of the medium caused by the light beam. For example, it is known that the write cyclability of a magneto-optical disk is about 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 and the write cyclability of the phase change recording medium for effecting the phase change in the amorphization state and crystallization state by using heat due to the laser light beam is about 1,000,000.
On the other hand, in the write-back system, in response to power-off prior to writing the data from the disk cache memory 11 into the magnetic disk drive 12, the data are lost from the disk cache memory 11, and therefore there is a problem that the disk cache memory 11 requires a battery back-up system. In addition, it is required to return the contents of the disk cache memory 11 to the magnetic disk drive 12 before cutting-off of the power source.

Information recording and reproducing apparatus including both data and work optical disk drives for restoring data and commands after a malfunction

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method for status signaling in a non-volatile memory including a plurality of logical units (LUNs), each of the plurality of LUNs having a status terminal coupled to a common status terminal of the non-volatile memory and a data bus coupled to a common data bus of the non-volatile memory. The method including performing, by a first LUN of the plurality of LUNs, a first set of one or more operations; completing, by the first LUN of the plurality of LUNs, the first set of one or more operations; and sending, by the first LUN via the common terminal, a pulse to a controller responsive to completing the first set of one or more operations.

A solid-state drive (SSD) includes several non-volatile memory devices such as but not limited to, NAND flash memory devices controlled by a controller such that the NAND flash memory devices behave like a single drive. The NAND flash memory devices are subject to host originated I/O operations such as reading and writing data stored in the NAND flash memory devices, which may originate from multiple disparate applications running on one or more hosts. A NAND flash memory device may be composed of multiple die but a single die may only be processing a single I/O operation at any one time and a memory bus/channel connecting multiple NAND flash devices to a memory controller may only be transferring data for a single memory device at any one time.

System and method for NAND multi-plane and multi-die status signaling


An electric scooter is disclosed that has a propulsion system switchable between two modes, one of which allows a higher maximum speed than the other. The mode is selected by a user operated button so constructed that the high-speed mode is selected only while the user continues to operate the switch. A steering angle sensor and a tilt switch-are provided, which prevent the user from selecting the high-speed mode while steering sharply or while going down or across steep slopes.

The present invention is generally related to controlling the speed of motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention is related to controlling the speed of vehicles with limited stability, including motorized scooters for persons of limited mobility.
A scooter is a motorized, usually battery electric, vehicle, typically for a person who is able to walk but is not able to walk long distances. For psychological reasons, scooters are designed to look more like a motor-scooter than a wheelchair. It must be possible for the scooter to be driven indoors, at least to some extent, so the scooter typically has a fairly small floorplan area. In order that a user of limited agility may easily mount and dismount, the user""s seat is set fairly high. These and other constraints necessarily require some compromise with the handling of the scooter, and such scooters are not always very stable. Consequently, at present such scooters are sometimes limited to speeds within the range of about 5 to 6 mph. However, this maximum speed limits the usefulness of the scooter. For example, a journey of a few miles from the user""s home to a shopping area can become oppressively time consuming.
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is a small, one-person motor vehicle designed to be driven over rough ground. Because of the need for high ground-clearance, an ATV may have a high center of gravity. Because it is driven for fun, the users tend to desire as high a maximum speed as is commensurate with safety. However, a speed that is attractive to the user when traveling in a straight line on generally level ground may be higher than is prudent on curves or on sloping ground. Conversely, if the maximum speed is governed to a value that is suitable for curves and slopes, the user may find the vehicle unduly tame when traveling in a straight line.
The present invention is directed to a motorized vehicle that can travel substantial distances more quickly, without compromising the stability of the vehicle.
One aspect of the present invention provides a motorized vehicle that has a propulsion system switchable between two modes, one of which allows a higher maximum speed than the other. The mode is selected by a user-operated switch so constructed that the high-speed mode is selected only while the user continues to operate the switch. Sensors are also provided to detect maneuvers or conditions for which stability may be a consideration in determining the maximum speed of the vehicle. In response to the output of such sensors the low-speed mode is automatically selected. Maneuvers sensed may include sharp turns, and conditions sensed may include steep slopes, up, down, or sideways.


A system for assembling a load-bearing support structure, and structure assembled with such a system. The system includes at least one supporting member, at least one connecting member, and at least one complementary member. Each supporting member includes an upper surface being provided with at least one section having at least one bulge protruding from the upper surface. Each connecting member is used for connecting a supporting member to at least one other member of the system. Each complementary member, typically a floor panel, is used for affixing onto a corresponding supporting member, and has at least one orifice being positioned, shaped and sized for inserting into a corresponding bulge of the corresponding supporting member so as form the load-bearing support structure. The system further includes at least one securing member cooperable between a given complementary member and a given supporting member for securing the complementary member onto the supporting member.

Systems for assembling support structures and the like are well known in the art. Known to the Applicant are the following U.S. patent and patent applications: U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,340; 4,685,258; 4,843,792; 5,259,690; 5,848,501; 5,964,068; 6,006,680; 6,106,186; 6,467,118 B2; 6,581,339 B2; 6,681,981 B2; 6,922,947 B2; 2001/0015045 A1; 2004/0005430 A1; 2004/0020154 A1; 2004/0123529 A1; and 2005/0144857 A1.
It is also well known in the art that, from the moment stage designers wished to use scenic space differently than in a traditional theatre, problems with temporary or semi-permanent load-bearing structures appeared. The properties required to answer their needs evolved in such a manner that they became contradictory: a) "lightness for transportation", manual handling and visual aspect; b) "sturdiness" for load-bearing capacity, for the capability of integrating other scenic elements and for security concerns; c) optimization of the "minimal number of components" and hardware to facilitate the transfer of the special events from city to city while reducing the set up time; and d) a "better use of space" for equipment storage or the planning of the working space for technicians underneath the structures.
It is also well known that no integrated system existed to completely satisfy these multiple needs emanating from the stage designer's innovative concepts. This is why load-bearing structures destined for entertainment purposes and/or special business events, and the like, to this day, come from the combination of various components designed for other usages.
Indeed, the first modern temporary stages were laid out on flat bed semi-trailers onto which one built a temporary proscenium structure made of plywood and wooden beams on site. The limitations of this installation method were rapidly reached mainly due to the limited performance area of the stage space, the complexity and difficulty to render the installation secure, the impossibility to anchor the complex scenic elements, and the costly and long set up time. Moving the "stage" was done by pinning a tractor to the front of the trailer as with standard trucks. Understandably, this limited this arrangement to exterior events or to theatres and/or amphitheatres able to accommodate a tractor-trailer combination.
Modular scaffolding typically used in the construction business was another option. This system could be used indoors or outdoors, permits a larger performance area and also made adding supplemental technical spaces easier (stage manager's booth, sound and lighting control booths, etc.).
The following description of the main components of this system as used in the scenic domain, namely, a) the section of structure secured with cross-bracing and guy wiring; b) the beam system for the installation of floor and floor panels; and c) the planning of ramps and special configurations; will highlight the inconveniences and limitations of each aspect of such a conventional system.
In regards to the section of structure secured with cross-bracing and guy wiring, the reinforcement of scaffolding sections with cross-braces and guy wires allows a certain point load and dynamic load capacity. However, in a scenic use, the limit of these loads is quickly reached. Indeed, by adding dynamic elements like a stage elevator or a mechanized trap, the scaffolding structure is solicited in upward motion and in torsion, forces for which it is not designed. Therefore, to permit their integration to the scaffold stage base, it is necessary that the scenic elements have their own structure. The task thus becomes complex since standard scaffolding components limit the possible configurations.
From a more practical point of view, the set of legs and cross-braces located under and in the scaffold structure prevents the optimization of the "so-called" utilitarian space under the floor for technical planning, storage or dressing rooms.
In regards to the beam system for the installation of floor and floor panels, to be maintained in place, the beams must be previously attached onto sections of scaffolding. Next, sheets of plywood to make-up the floor must be fixed onto the beams. This process of assembly quickly becomes cumbersome in time and in manpower. To ensure the required structural capacities, the multiplication of beams becomes necessary as, for example, with the "Alumabeam™" type system. This hydride beam results from the combination of an "I" shape aluminium piece that embeds a piece of wood allowing the screwing down of the plywood sheets.
Floor panels are in fact plywood sheets superimposed in two (2) staggered layers. Plywood has a limited point of load bearing, a restricted dynamic load bearing and a weak resilience capacity. To fulfill its role efficiently, the plywood must necessarily be installed with a set of beams to constitute the floor or to permit the integration of a scenic element. In that case, the removal of plywood sheets (for traps, elevators etc.) is often required and inevitably implies the addition of vertical and lateral supports after having made the required analysis of the necessary load distribution.
There exists another type of floor panel among the standard scaffoldings components: the aluminium structure with inset plywood deck. These are laid out side-by-side along the width of the scaffolding sections rendering the screwing down of additional plywood sheets possible.
Among the inconveniences of using plywood sheets in fabricating the floor are the rapid wear of the plywood sheets due to the constant screwing and unscrewing, the need for repeated application of paint on the surface, breakage due to handling and transport, loss of material due to cuts for adjusting finished contours of the installation, the multiplication of costs due to the doubling of plywood sheets as well as the overall handling. Here, the term "handling" is used to designate the work team and the rental of machinery for the loading, installation and dismantling of the scaffolding's structural components.
In regards to the planning of ramps and special configurations, with the system of modular scaffolding, the integration of ramps and levels for lowered or raised floors is complex. Indeed, the structural components used are governed by layouts in pre-established widths and lengths and do not offer the required flexibility.
It is also well known in the art that the principle of a stage using hydraulic deployment, such as Stageline™, is another type of installation. It is made-up of one (1) 45′- or 53′-long trailer of which the two (2) sides fold down using hydraulic actuators to form a floor. The roofs of the trailers are on hydraulic cylinders, and once raised to the correct height, they spread out in width in order to become the roof over the stage. It is an effective system offering several advantages such as its set-up time, the protection that it offers against the weather, and good structural capacities. This stage can be used both outdoors and indoors (in the big amphitheatres). On the other hand, some inconveniences exist, namely: a) confined stage area because enlarging the stage, if required, must necessarily be done by adding scaffolding or another type of temporary structure; b) specialized man-power is required; c) high rental costs; d) impossibility of integrating dynamic stage equipment (turntables, elevators, traps, etc.); and e) this type of stage only offers a unique layout.
It is also known in the art that the Wenger™ stage is another type of temporary structure. Intended for interior use, it consists of platforms with removable telescoping legs. The surface of this platform is made of MDF, encased in a galvanized steel or aluminum frame. The installation is relatively simple: butting together platforms whose legs are extended and using stirrups, positioned under the platforms, to join them together. To facilitate the adjustment of platforms one to the other, some fabricators integrate fastenings elements such as the Rotoloc™ under the MDF sheets. This is a two-part attachment device, operated from above the panel with an hexagonal key, that permits the lateral locking of one part to the other.
The main inconveniences of this type of stage are several, namely: a) the assembly area must be relatively level; b) the joining system between platforms is under the platforms and difficult of access; c) it is impossible to screw directly into the floor surface of this platform; d) to conceal the metal edges of the assembled platforms, double-sided tape is laid along the edges allowing the laying of one or two (2) thicknesses of plywood on top of the platforms—the procedure meets three (3) objectives: to give a regular surface to the assembly, to allow for a screwing surface for the setting up of scenery, and finally, for aesthetic requirements; e) the assembled platforms do not permit an equal spread of loads between them; f) the Rotoloc™ system used between the platforms has no structural value since in does not allow for torsion nor for load-bearing; g) the anchoring and/or integration of dynamic elements, either mechanized or not, is not possible unless one modifies the platform permanently; h) at the time of the application of a dynamic load, a whole series of measures are required to maintain the structural properties of the platforms—these include re-enforcing and stabilising the platform assembly; and i) the assembly of a large area using this platform type with a height lower than about 30 cm becomes difficult since the adjustment of the stirrups takes place under the platforms—additionally, the available heights of the telescopic legs are limited.
It is also known in the art that the folding wooden parallel platform is a rudimentary and temporary structure, traditionally used for opera and theatre for certain limited applications. For installation, the wooden structures are unfolded and then joined together by screwing them one to the other. Next, plywood sheets are laid on the structures and screwed in place. The doubling of plywood sheets is generally required to prevent the deflection of the floor in its center, to increase the structural capacity of the surface and to give a uniform floor surface finish.
This folding wooden parallel platform presents the following inconveniences, namely: a) the friability of the material used to build these platforms limits the life expectancy and the reliability in a frequent set up and tear down context and its resistance to the elements (exterior use); b) the assembly of a large area is labour intensive; c) the plywood floor panels are not bonded to the overall structure but only to the individual platform; d) the anchoring of the scenic elements becomes hazardous; e) costly set-up and adjustment times; f) height is limited; g) the levelling of the structure is complex; and h) the admissible static and dynamic loads are limited. At the most, this type of platform is still used for raising a scenic component or a musical set-up on stage in the case of indoor theatre or a covered outdoor stage.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved system which would be able to overcome some of the aforementioned prior art problems.

System for assembling a load-bearing support structure, and structure assembled with such a system


Apparatus and methods for arbitration of control signals for robotic devices. A robotic device may comprise an adaptive controller comprising a plurality of predictors configured to provide multiple predicted control signals based on one or more of the teaching input, sensory input, and/or performance. The predicted control signals may be configured to cause two or more actions that may be in conflict with one another and/or utilize a shared resource. An arbitrator may be employed to select one of the actions. The selection process may utilize a WTA, reinforcement, and/or supervisory mechanisms in order to inhibit one or more predicted signals. The arbitrator output may comprise target state information that may be provided to the predictor block. Prior to arbitration, the predicted control signals may be combined with inputs provided by an external control entity in order to reduce learning time.

Technological Field
The present disclosure relates to adaptive control and training of robotic devices.
Background
Robotic devices may be used in a variety of applications, such as manufacturing, medical, safety, military, exploration, and/or other applications. Some existing robotic devices (e.g., manufacturing assembly and/or packaging) may be programmed in order to perform desired functionality. Some robotic devices (e.g., surgical robots) may be remotely controlled by humans, while some robots may learn to operate via exploration.
Programming robots may be costly and remote control may require a human operator. Furthermore, changes in the robot model and/or environment may require changes in the programming code of the robot.

Apparatus and methods for training of robotic control arbitration


The present invention refers to a process for the preparation of unsaturated ketones or aldehydes by pyrolysis of a lactone, in the presence of a reducing agent such as molecular hydrogen or a carboxylic acid, and in the presence of a catalyst, optionally supported, comprising at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Y, Ti, Cd, Mn, Zn, Sc and Zr.

The reductive pyrolysis of a carboxylic acid or ester, i.e. of a substrate wherein the carboxylic functional group is not part of a ring, into the corresponding aldehyde or ketone is a quite known type of reaction. For example, one may cite the processes described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,845 or more recently in U.S. Pat. No. 4,950,799.
In contrast, to the best of our knowledge, the reductive pyrolysis of a substrate wherein the carboxylic functional group is part of a ring has been reported only once, in EP 539274, wherein a cyclic anhydride is reduced into the corresponding di-aldehyde.
In fact the general formulae of the substrates described in the prior art, and in particular in EP 539274, exclude the use of lactones as reactant. The prior art does not teach, nor suggest, a process for the reductive pyrolysis of a lactone, and even less the reduction, into the corresponding unsaturated aldehyde or ketone, i.e. a reaction wherein in a single step there is reduced a carboxylic function and a carbon-carbon double bond is formed in a specific position.

Process for the direct conversion of lactones into unsaturated ketones or aldehydes


An air flow adjusting rear member of a helmet comprises a top portion for suppressing negative pressure generated at a back part of the helmet and is removable from the helmet by using adhesive element for fastening the air flow adjusting rear member to the back part of the helmet. The air flow adjusting rear member is made of thin resin for enough plasticity and elasticity to modify its shape in accordance with a curved surface of the helmet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air flow adjusting rear member of a helmet.
2. Description of Related Art
When driving a motorcycle at high speed while wearing a helmet, a strong wind pressure acts on the front part of the helmet on the head of a cyclist. The wind passing by the helmet results in negative pressure (turbulence) at the lower back of the helmet and this negative pressure pulls the helmet backward, thereby creating a great stress to the cyclist's neck muscles.
Conventional art provides an air flow adjusting rear member (inverted visor) fixed to the rear portion of a helmet (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,197).
This air flow adjusting rear member is designed to be completely fixed with rivets, screws, or adhesive materials.
In other words, the conventional air flow adjusting rear member is fixed to the lower back rim to extend upwardly and rearwardly therefrom and covers the lower back portion of the helmet, thereby allowing maximum relaxing of neck muscles at each speed, depending upon speed of a motorcycle and tilt of the head of a wearer.
Such conventional air flow adjusting rear member is fixed to the helmet and thus cannot be removed when necessary. For example, the air flow adjusting rear member must be removed in at least the following cases: when the air flow adjusting rear member is broken and needs to be replaced with a new one; when a user (rider) wants to replace an air flow adjusting rear member with another having a different color, shape, or size; and when a user wants to use a helmet without an air flow adjusting rear member.
Since the air flow adjusting rear member is fixed and cannot be removed from a helmet, the whole helmet must be abandoned if only the air flow adjusting rear member is damaged even though the body of the helmet is left unbroken. Additionally, a mounting site of the air flow adjusting rear member cannot be adjusted to account for various conditions such as a posture of a rider, an average range of traveling speeds, the direction of the wind, and wind pressure.
In another aspect, when rivets or screws are used to fix the air flow adjusting rear member to a helmet, the body of the helmet is holed, so it is necessary to increase a strength of the helmet in consideration of the holes, thereby increasing the cost of the helmet.
It can be considered to form the air flow adjusting rear member integrally with a helmet at an initial stage. However, this has a problem of requiring many variants of helmets and disadvantages in manufacturing cost or distribution. For users, they may need to purchase both general helmet and helmet with an air flow adjusting function, thereby having a burden economically or practically.

Air flow adjusting rear member of the helmet


A rotary piston pump for fluids, wherein the ends of the housing are configured so as to provide reduced pressure differentials between opposite sides of the rotor end disks.

Rotary pistons pumps, in the nature of encased rotors with rotor disks at the rotor ends and vanes between those rotor disks, which vanes move radially in and out of the rotors depending upon their location within the casing, are known.
One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,596 of Albert and David Patterson, issued Apr. 29, 2003, in which the vane movement, in and out of the rotor, is achieved by cam surfaces within the casing, which surfaces act on both inner and outer edges of the vanes.
In applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/680,236 entitled rotary pistons, the outward movement of the vanes is achieved by upward extensions of shoulders at the sides of each vane, which upward extensions contain pins which are seated in races continuously extending in portions of the interior side wall of the casing and positioned so that as the pins move about the races, they draw their respective vanes outwardly and inwardly.
Other known constructions of such rotary pistons require centrifugal force, through rotation of the rotor, to force the vanes outwardly. For instance, in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,502, issued May 24, 2005, three planar vanes are seated in rotor slots formed along chords, when the cylindrical rotor is viewed in lateral cross-section, those slots being oriented so that the planes of adjacent vanes lie at 60° angles to each other.
In applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/680,236, filed Oct. 8, 2003, outward movement and maintenance of the outward positioning of the vanes is assisted by biasing means, for example springs.
Such rotary piston pumps are constructed to move fluids at relatively high pressure. Those portions of the rotor disks as they pass in the vicinity of the pump intake port, are under significantly lower pressure than those portions which are upstream from the outlet port, which are often under significantly higher pressure. When operating under such high pressure conditions, this pressure differential may cause the rotor disks to distort, significantly affecting the efficiency of operation of the pump and reducing the usable lifespan of pump components such as the rotor disks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotary piston pump that reduces the pressure differentials acting on the rotor disks. It is a further object, of one embodiment of the present invention, to provide a rotary piston pump that uses fluid pressure within the pump to assist in movement of the vanes.

Rotary piston pump end pressure regulation system


Heart monitor signals indicating a patient's heart characteristics are amplified without affecting the signal characteristics. The amplified heart monitor signals with atypical characteristics are transmitted to a pattern recognition platform which stores the patient's previously provided signals with atypical characteristics. The patient's present and previously provided signals with atypical characteristics are compared to select the previously provided signals with characteristics closest to those of the presently provided signals. Database signals identifying different types of heart problems in third parties and having characteristics closest to the patient's selected atypical signals are chosen. Dependent upon the severity of the patient's heart problems identified by the chosen database signals, the monitor transmits the chosen database signals to an individual one of the patient's doctor, the patient's hospital and an emergency care facility.

Measurements are provided in a patient of the functioning of various organs in a patient's body. For example, measurements are made of the functioning of the patient's heart and the patient's brain. These measurements are generally made by applying an electrode or electrodes to the skin of the patient at the appropriate position or positions on the patient's body.
The measurements of the functioning of different organs in the patient's body involve the acquisition of signals in different frequency ranges. For example, measurements of the patient's heart occur in a range of DC to approximately two hundred and fifty hertz (250 Hz) and measurements of the patient's brain occur in a range of DC to approximately one hundred and fifty hertz (150 Hz).
The measurement of the functioning of different organs in the patient's body involves signals of miniscule amplitude. For example, the range of voltages produced at an electrode attached to the patient's skin for a measurement of the patient's heart is approximately one half of a millivolt (0.5 mV) to approximately four millivolts (4 mV). The range of the voltages produced at an electrode attached to the patient's skin for a measurement of the patient's brain is approximately five microvolts (5 μV) to approximately three hundred microvolts (300 μV).
When an electrode is attached to the patient's skin to measure the function of an organ such as the patient's heart or brain, the signal generated from the organ has to penetrate from the patient's organ through the body and the patient's skin to the electrode.
Monitors have been provided for many years to measure the characteristics of a patient's heart. The monitors in the other class are disposed on belts which are wrapped around the patient's waist and attached at their opposite ends by a buckle or clasp so as to be retained on the patient's body at the patient's waist. A cable connects electrodes on the patient's body to the monitor. This is called an "ambulatory monitor"
The patient then engages in the normal activities for a period of approximately twenty four (24) hours. After the recording session, the patient returns the monitor to the doctor's office. The signals required for the monitor are then analyzed, either by the doctor or by someone knowledgeable with respect to heart signals, to determine if the patient's heart presents any problems.
There are at least two (2) major problems with the ambulatory heart monitors now in use. One problem is that the ambulatory heart monitor does not faithfully record the patient's heartbeat signals. This results in part from ambulatory movements of the patient during the twenty four (24) hour recording period. When the patient moves during the recording period, artifacts and noise signals are produced which cloud the heartbeat signals. Furthermore, the heartbeat signal is not faithfully reproduced when it is amplified.
Another problem is that the signals cannot be analyzed until the ambulatory monitor is returned to the doctor at the end of the twenty four (24) hour recording period. This is undesirable. It would be better if the heartbeat signals produced by the patient during the recording period could be instantaneously analyzed by experts to identify the problems, if any, in the patient's heart while the problems are occurring. This would be especially critical if the patient was suffering a heart attack during the testing period. Furthermore, it would be better if the signals could be instantaneously analyzed to determine the existence of the patient's heart problems and to determine the severity, if any, of the patient's heart problems and the steps, if any, that should or could be immediately taken, based upon the analysis, to ameliorate the patient's heart problems.

System for, and method of, monitoring heartbeats of a patient


A system for managing thermal transfer in an aircraft includes a fuel stabilization unit, a fuel-air heat exchanger, and a turbine. The fuel-air heat exchanger is located downstream from the fuel stabilization unit. The fuel-air heat exchanger places deoxygenized fuel in a heat exchange relationship with compressor bleed air to produce heated deoxygenized fuel and cooled bleed air. The turbine is operationally connected to the engine compressor and receives cooled bleed air from the fuel-air heat exchanger.

The present disclosure relates generally to thermal management, and more specifically to systems and methods for managing thermal transfer in an aircraft having a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines experience hot operating conditions, which limit engine component life. Modern aircraft employ sophisticated thermal management systems to cool these hot engine structures. Unfortunately, the commonly used thermal heat sinks have already reached their useful limits and are unavailable for additional engine cooling needs.
At the same time, it desirable to heat fuel delivered to the engine in order to maximize engine efficiency. Fuel temperature, however, is limited by the formation of insoluble products referred to as "coke". Coke forms when hydrocarbon fuel containing oxygen is heated beyond a certain temperature (e.g. above 250° F. or 121° C.). Coke deposits limit fuel system component life and degrade engine performance.


A system, method, and apparatus for automated object recognition and checkout at a retail kiosk is provided. The system includes a controller configured with a processor and a memory to control operations of the automated retail checkout system. The system further includes an imaging device in communication with the controller and configured to create multiple electronic images of an object, such as a product for purchase. The system also includes an object recognition device in communication with the controller and the imaging device. The processor may execute software to receive electronic images from the imaging device, extract at least one feature from the images, and recognize the object based on a predetermined model being applied to the extracted feature from the images. The system also includes a display device to display an indication of the recognized object from the object recognition device.

Retail outlets (e.g., supermarkets, cafeterias, etc.) offer sale of various products and services. The outlets are typically equipped with self-checkout kiosks that allow a shopper to scan the products selected for purchase on their own to receive indicia of their prices. The shopper may then use the indicia to make a payment for completing the product purchase.
The products are available either as packaged items or fresh items for purchase. The packaged items typically carry identification markers such as bar codes and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, which are scanned by relevant scanners equipped with the self-checkout kiosks. However, the fresh items (e.g., freshly cooked meals such as different types of curries, pastas, and breads; various salads; fresh fruits and vegetables; etc.) are often untagged and/or unpacked, and require a store attendant to intervene for enabling their purchase. The store attendant traditionally uses his personal assessment of the type and number of ingredients for each fresh item and manually inputs the assessed information to a checkout kiosk for expected payment to complete the purchase.
Since the collection of fresh items at the retail outlets may change based on customer demand or product offerings, the assessed information may vary based on related inventory knowledge and skill of the store attendant. As a result, the assessed information may become susceptible to error and hence business loss. The probability of erroneous assessment increases when various fresh items are mixed together based on customer request or as a new product offering. Such assisted checkouts for fresh items may also become labor intensive and time consuming based on the quantity of fresh items being checked out. Further, customer queues may become bottlenecks during peak periods of customer demand, possibly to provoke the customers to leave the retail outlet to shop elsewhere. Other sales may be lost from customers who may simply avoid a retail location at known busy times and shop elsewhere, because of past inconvenience from delays.
Therefore, there exists a need for an automated object recognition kiosk for retail checkout of fresh foods and provide a seamless retail checkout experience for better customer service.

Automated object recognition kiosk for retail checkouts


Hood assembly for pneumatic process metallurgical vessel, such as BOF, which includes removeable spray cooled sub-assemblies at predetermined locations in the hood assembly.

With the various types of pneumatic processing metallurgical vessels, for example BOF vessels, it is necessary to capture the hot exhaust gases generated during operation and to conduct these gases to exhaust devices remote from the vessel generating the hot gases. A common technique for capturing and conducting the exhaust gases is a hood system arrangement formed of hollow metal members which are joined together with one end of the system being open and overlying the portion of the metallurgical vessel from which hot gases are exiting. The hood system commonly comprises vertical, oblique and horizontal portions in order to conform to space restrictions and consequently the exposure to hot exhaust gases varies from location to location in the hood system. Hood systems are currently cooled in order to avoid failure due to exposure to hot exhaust gases typically through the use of water cooled elements, e.g. plates, in which water is continuously circulated through a circuit of closed conduits. The achievement of effective and efficient cooling is complicated due to the wide variety of temperature conditions in different portions of the hood system and the extent and irregular configuration of hood systems and the use of cooling arrangements which apply the same cooling system to different portions of the hood assembly results in serious inefficiencies. It is also known to spray cool roofs and sidewalls of metallurgical vessels using substantially uniformly arranged spray nozzles which overlay the entire roof or sidewall and being supplied with coolant from a common source.

Spray cooled hood system for handling hot gases from a metallurgical vessel utilizing pneumatic processing of molten metal


A fiber optic amplifier is disclosed utilizing a doped fiber to provide amplification through stimulated emission. The doped fiber is simultaneously pumped by multiple pump lasers generating optical waves of differing wavelengths. The optical waves from the lasers are combined using a wavelength division multiplexer before introduction into the doped fiber. The use of multiple pump lasers decreases the power requirements of each laser, reduces the cost of the amplifier, and increases reliability without compromising the gain of the amplifier.

Activity in the optimization of performance for the erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) has been motivated by their potential applications in communication networks. In network topologies with large fanouts as for example star topologies, the erbium doped fiber amplifier is utilized to overcome splitting losses. As an in-line amplifier, these devices have application in long distance communications where erbium doped fiber amplifiers are expected to increase considerably the repeater spacing. A typical configuration for the erbium doped fiber amplifier consists of a pump laser operating at a wavelength of 1480 nm or 980 nm which is combined with the signal of wavelength 1550 nm into the erbium doped fiber using either a dichroic beam splitter or a fiber wavelength division multiplexer (WDM). The amplified signal at 1550 nm and a portion of the pump radiation appear at the output where they are separated using again either a dichroic beam splitter or fiber WDM.
To maximize the pump intensity in the erbium doped fiber amplifier, bi-directional pumping is commonly utilized. This involves pumping with two lasers, one from each end of the amplifier. For optimal performance a high numerical aperture (N.A.) fiber reduces the mode field diameter of the pump and signal thereby increasing its intensity and therefore gain.
The most expensive component in the erbium doped fiber amplifier is the pump laser primarily due to the high power requirement. Of the two most common types of pump lasers, 1480 and 980 nm, the later is more efficient and also results in lower noise in the amplifier, making it the wavelength of choice from the perspective of performance. However, the technology of fabricating these 980 nm InGaAs strained layer lasers is relatively new and is still developing. An important issue is the reliability of these pump lasers. These lasers have a typical lasing threshold of 30 mA and a differential quantum efficiency of 0.6-0.8 mW/mA. It is also becoming clear that the lifetime of these lasers is significantly degraded when operated at currents above 150 mA. This places an upper limit of approximately 95 mW on laser power which is further reduced by factors such as laser-fiber (pigtail) coupling and losses associated with the 980/1550 WDM couplers. Taking these losses into account, about 40 mW of pump power can be coupled into the erbium doped fiber. Power amplifiers with an output signal power of approximately 15 dBm require approximately 100 mW of 980 nm pump power in the active fiber. Given the constraints described above, it is not practical to achieve this level of pump power even using bi-directional pumping using two pump lasers. Taking these factors into account it becomes desirous to increase the pump power without compromising the reliability of pump lasers in the erbium doped fiber amplifier.