The data interpolation section 6 includes: a direction data calculation section 61 for calculating a plurality of direction data, each of the plurality of direction date indicating a directional amount along a plurality of directions including at least one of an upper right direction and a lower right direction within the vicinity of a target pixel; a direction detection section 62 for detecting at least one direction of the edge within the vicinity of the target pixel by using the plurality of direction data calculated by the direction data calculation section 61; a direction color signal calculation section 63 for calculating at least one color signal corresponding to the at least one direction detected by the direction detection section 62; and a target pixel color signal calculation section 64 for calculating a color signal for the target pixel by using the at least one color signal calculated by the direction color signal calculating section 63.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for generating a color signal for each pixel using data interpolation processing of color signals for a target pixel and at least one pixel within the vicinity thereof the target pixel, based on color signals output from a solid state image pickup device. The solid state image pickup device includes a plurality of pixel sections on which a plurality types of color filters are separately arranged. The present invention further relates to an imaging apparatus including the image processing apparatus, such as a single-chip digital camera, a video camera and a mobile phone with a camera. The present invention further relates to a an image processing method corresponding to the image processing apparatus, an image processing program for having a computer execute the image processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the image processing program is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, only information on the brightness of light is output from a solid state image pickup device such as a CCD and a CMOS used in a digital camera or a video camera.
In a single-chip camera having one solid state image pickup device, in order to obtain color information, the front of the CCD is covered with color filters which respectively pass only one color component for each pixel included in the CCD, and each of the pixel sections outputs a corresponding color component when in operation. For example, when primary-color filters are used, there are three types of color components respectively for the three primary colors, namely, R (red), G (green), and B (blue).
A number of suggestions have been made as to how to arrange the color components of the color filters.
A typical example is a Bayer array shown in FIG. 11. In the Bayer array, "G"s which make relatively larger contribution to luminance signals are arranged in a checkerboard pattern, and "R"s and "B"s are arranged in the rest of the area, also in a checkerboard pattern.
At a point in time when a signal is output from a CCD covered with color filters arranged in a Bayer array or the like, only color information for one color out of the RGB color components is obtained for each pixel.
Thus, interpolation processing is performed by an image processing section in order to obtain other color information, by calculating for each pixel information for the other two colors, using color signal values of the pixels in the vicinity of the target pixel on the basis of conjecture.
In addition, interpolation processing is sometimes performed on the color information of one color for each pixel that is obtained by a CCD, using the color signal value of the target pixel itself and the color signal values of the pixels in the vicinity of the target pixel (which may be referred to as "vicinity pixels").
The following describes the bilinear method, which is a conventional interpolation processing method, with reference to FIGS. 12A and 12B.
FIG. 12A shows a Bayer array in a case where the color component of a target pixel is G.
FIG. 12B shows a Bayer array in a case where the color component of a target pixel is either R or B. It should be noted that a pair made up of P and Q represents the color components R and B, or the color components B and R. In other words, when P represents R, Q represents B. On the other hand, when P represents B, Q represents R.
When color filters are arranged in a Bayer array, interpolation formulas <Formulae 1> according to the bilinear method can be expressed as below:
<Formulae 1>
In the case where a target pixel is G33 as shown in FIG. 12A, (the color element of the target pixel being G), <Formulae 1> is as below:Go=G33 or Go=(G33×4+G22+G42+G24+G44)/8Po=(P32+P34)/2Qo=(Q23+Q43)/2
In the case where a target pixel is P33 as shown in FIG. 12B, (the color element of the target pixel being either R or B), <Formulae 1> is as below:Go=(G32+G23+G43+G34)/4Po=P33Qo=(Q22+Q42+Q24+Q44)/4where                Go denotes an output G signal of the target pixel,        Po denotes an output P signal of the target pixel,        Qo denotes an output Q signal of the target pixel, and        (P, Q)=(R, B) or (B, R).
However, in a case where interpolation processing is performed on color signals for an image changing from white to black, using the conventional bilinear method shown above, it is known that a false color signal (hereafter simply referred to as a moiré signal) may be generated at an edge portion.
As a method for reducing such moiré signals, Japanese Patent No. 2931520 proposes an interpolation processing method by which occurrence of moiré signals is restrained with the use of color correlations.
An image in general has characteristics such as "in a local area with color signals, the ratio of a low-frequency component to a high-frequency component of a specific color component is equal to a ratio in another color component", and also "in a local area with color signals, the difference between a G signal and a R signal or between a G signal and a B signal is approximately equal to each other between adjacent pixels."
The interpolation processing method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520 utilizes the characteristics mentioned above and detects correlations in the color signals arranged in a Bayer array between the vertical direction (the lengthwise direction) and the horizontal direction (the widthwise direction) so that the interpolation processing is performed with the use of the correlations. Specifically, color signals by an interpolation processing for a cage where there is a correlation in a vertical direction and color signals by an interpolation processing form a ase where there is a correlation in a horizontal direction are calculated in advance, and these color signals calculated by the interpolation processing for different directions are mixed in accordance with the strengths of the vertical correlation and the horizontal correlation.
According to the conventional interpolation processing method disclosed in Japanese Patent No, 2931520 mentioned above, the moiré signals are reduced compared to the case where the bilinear method is used. However, an image in general has a large number of edges in various directions other than the vertical direction (the lengthwise direction) and the horizontal (the widthwise direction) direction. In accordance with the interpolation processing method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520, color signals obtained from interpolation processing in the two directions are mixed based on two types of correlation data (the strength levels of correlations) for the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, even though the large number of edge directions exist; therefore, in some cases, moiré signals may occur due to an edge in a diagonal direction.
For example, the following describes a case where a solid state image pickup device such an a CCD includes color filters as shown in FIG. 13D so that monochrome color signals shown in FIG. 13A are obtained as a result of an A/D conversion.
FIG. 13A corresponds to a part of an edge portion that is at an angle towards the top right from a vertical direction. In the cave where interpolation processing is performed on the color signal values in FIG. 13A, according to the correlations using color differences for five pixels by three pixels, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520, the color signals are expressed as follower
                    Rv        =                                              G                                                                          33                    +                                    (                                                R                                                                                32                                +                                  R                                                                                34                                            )                        /            2                    -                                    (                                                G                                                                                31                                +                                  2                  ×                  G                                                                                33                                +                                  G                                                                                35                                            )                        /            4                                                  =                        64                                Gv        =                                  G                                                              33                                        =                        2                                Bv        =                                              G                                                                          33                    +                      B                                                                          23                    -                      G                                                                          23                                                  =                                              G                                                                          33                    +                      B                                                                          23                    -                      {                                          B                                                                                23                            +                                                (                                                            G                                                                                22                                        +                                          G                                                                                24                                                        )                                /                2                            -                                                                                (                                          B                                                                                21                            +                              2                ×                B                                                                                23                            +                              B                                                                                25                                      )                    /          4                }                                =                                  -          60                                        Rh        =                                              G                                                                          33                    +                      R                                                                          32                    -                      G                                                                          32                                                  =                                              G                                                                          33                    +                      R                                                                          32                    -                      {                                          R                                                                                32                            +                                                (                                                            G                                                                                22                                        +                                          G                                                                                42                                                        )                                /                2                            -                                                                                (                                          R                                                                                12                            +                              2                ×                R                                                                                32                            +                              R                                                                                52                                      )                    /          4                }                                =                        64                                Gh        =                                  G                                                              33                                        =                        2                                Bh        =                                              G                                                                          33                    +                                    (                                                B                                                                                23                                +                                  B                                                                                43                                            )                        /            2                    -                                    (                                                G                                                                                13                                +                                  2                  ×                  G                                                                                33                                +                                  G                                                                                53                                            )                        /            4                                                  =                        64
It should be noted, however, that the color signals Rv, Gv, and Bv are color signals obtained when a processing that is suitable for a case where the correlation in the vertical direction is strong is performed. On the other hand, the color signals Rh, Gh, and Bh are color signals obtained when a processing that is suitable for a case where the correlation in the horizontal direction is strong is performed.
When the calculation formulae for correlation coefficients with directions disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520 are used, the correlation coefficient for the horizontal direction is zero; therefore, when a color signal is to be calculated, only the color signals in the vertical direction are used as references.
Accordingly.Ro=Rv=64Go=Gv=2 andBo=Bv=−60 are obtained.
Originally, in a monochrome image, R=G=B should be satisfied; however, the calculated color signals have relationship such as Ro≠Go≠Bo. This means that moiré signals are generated.
The following describes this in further detail.
In the interpolation processing using color correlations disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520, the color components other than G for the target pixel are calculated according to the correlation between the G component and each of the color components other than G, making use of the characteristic that a G component is always, included in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the color filters arranged in a Bayer array. For example, the following is an explanation in which the horizontal direction in FIG. 12A is used as an example.
As shown in FIG. 12A, the horizontal line that includes the target pixel G33 contains Gs and Qs. Accordingly, it is possible to calculate Q33, which is the Q component of the target pixel, using these values of Gs and Qs. In addition, another horizontal line that is positioned right above the horizontal line and includes P32 contains Gs and Ps. Accordingly, it is possible to calculate G32, which is the G component of the target pixel, using these values of Gs and Ps.
According to the interpolation processing method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520, as mentioned above, focus is given to the pixels P32 and G33 shown in FIG. 12A, P33 is calculated with the use of either the characteristic that the differences between pairs of a G and a P in the local are substantially equal to each other,    i.e. "P33=G33=P32−G32", orthe characteristic that the ratios in pairs of a P and a G in the local area are substantially equal to each other,    i.e. "P33/G33=P32/G32".
Since an image in general has edges in various directions, it is preferable, in terms of detecting directions, to detect a larger number of directions than only two directions, namely the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
According to the interpolation processing method disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2931520, however, it is not possible to perform an interpolation processing while the color correlations in the diagonal directions are taken into account.
The reason for this is because, for example in FIG. 12A, there are only G components diagonally at the angle of 45 degrees, and, for example in FIG. 128, there are only P components and Q components (B components and R components) diagonally at the angle of 45 degrees.
The present invention aims to solve the problem in the conventional technique and to provide an image processing apparatus, an imaging apparatus including the image processing apparatus, an image processing method corresponding to the image processing apparatus, an image processing program for having a computer execute the image processing method, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the image processing program is recorded. Bach of which makes it possible to further restrain occurrence of moiré signals with the use of correlations between color signals with respect to edges in a plurality of directions including a diagonal direction, when all color signals for each pixel are generated from color signals output from a solid state image pickup device in which color filters for a plurality of colors are separately arranged in each pixel section, for example, in a Bayer array, through an interpolation processing using color signals for the target pixel and a pixel in the vicinity thereof.

Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, image processing method, image processing program and recording medium


An array speaker system, in which a plurality of speaker units are arranged in an array and are supplied with signals having prescribed time differences so as to perform directivity control on audio signal beams emitted therefrom, includes a delay memory (e.g., a shift register) having plural delay taps for outputting an input signal thereof with different delay times, which are set in units of the sampling period, and an interpolation processing means for performing interpolation processing on the output of the delay memory. A control means calculates distances between a focal point of audio signal beams and the speaker units so as to produce delay times, and it also sets interpolation coefficients with respect to the speaker units respectively. The interpolation processing means performs linear interpolation on the outputs of the delay memory. Alternatively, an FIR low-pass filter is formed using the delay memory and interpolation processing means, thus performing delay and interpolation processing. Delayed and interpolated signals are supplied to the speaker units, thus performing directivity control on audio signal beams with high precision.

Conventionally, technologies for controlling audio signal beams (i.e., sound waves converted into beams having directivities) by use of array speakers, in which a plurality of speaker units are regularly arranged so as to produce sounds, are known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H03-159500 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. S63-9300 disclose technologies regarding array speaker systems.
A control method for sound directivity in an array speaker will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
In FIG. 7, reference numerals sp-1 to sp-n designate speaker units that are linearly arranged with prescribed distances therebetween. In the case of generation of an audio signal beam emitted towards a focal point X, a circle Y whose radius matches a distance L from the focal point X is drawn. Delay times (=Li/speed of sound (340 m/s)) are calculated corresponding to distances Li between the speaker units sp-i (where i=1, . . . , n) and the intersecting points, at which the circle Y intersects line segments interconnecting the focal point X and the speaker units sp-1 to sp-n respectively, and the delay times are applied to input signals of the speaker units sp-i. Thus, it is possible to control the sound directivity of the array speaker in such a way that audio signal beams respectively emitted from the plural speaker units sp-1 to sp-n reach the focal point X at the same time.
As described above, prescribed delay times are applied to audio signal beams output from the speaker units so as to control the sound directivity of an array speaker in such a way that plural audio signal beams reach a prescribed point (or a focal point) desirably set in a three-dimensional space at the same time, whereby it is possible to obtain an effect as if prescribed sound was emitted in the direction towards the focal point.
According to an application of the aforementioned sound directivity control technology, a plurality of audio signal beams are reflected on a desired wall surface of a room so as to produce a virtual sound source thereon, whereby it is possible to realize a multi-channel surround effect.
FIG. 8 is an illustration showing an example of an application of the aforementioned sound directivity control technology, wherein reference numeral 81 designates a listening room; reference numeral 82 designates a video device such as a television set; reference numeral 83 designates an array speaker; and reference numeral 84 designates a listener. This performs 5.1 channel reproduction, wherein with respect to center channel (C) signals, an audio signal beam is emitted at a front side of the array speaker 83; with respect to main left channel (L) signals, an audio signal beam is controlled to strike a left-side wall surface of the listening room 81 so as to realize a virtual left channel 85; and with respect to main right channel (R) signals, an audio signal beam is controlled to strike a right-side wall surface of the listening room 81 so as to realize a virtual right channel 86. With respect to surround left channel (SL) signals, an audio signal beam is controlled such that it is reflected on the left-side wall surface and then strikes a rear-side wall surface, thus realizing a virtual surround left channel 87. With respect to surround right channel (SR) signals, an audio signal beam is controlled such that it is reflected on the right-side wall surface and then strikes the rear-side wall surface, thus realizing a virtual surround right channel 88.
As described above, by use of the array speaker 83, with respect to the L-channel signals, R-channel signals, SL-channel signals, and SR-channel signals, the corresponding audio signal beams are controlled to strike the prescribed wall surfaces of the listening room 81 so as to realize the virtual channels 85 to 88, whereby it is possible to perform three-dimensional sound control in such a way that the corresponding sounds can be heard by way of the virtual channels.
There also exist applied technologies in which different sound directivities are allocated to different contents so as to realize hearing of different contents in the left side and right side of a room respectively. This is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H11-27604, for example.
As described above, it is possible to realize multi-channel reproduction and simultaneous reproduction of different contents by controlling audio signal beams in array speakers.
However, when audio signal beams are controlled in an array speaker, there exist problems due to differences of audio wavelengths. That is, in order to control signals of low-frequency ranges, it is necessary to adequately increase the overall width of an array speaker; but in order to control signals of high-frequency ranges, it is necessary to adequately decrease the distance between adjacent speaker units in the array speaker. For example, in order to control an audio signal beam by controlling side lobes of signals at the frequency of 10 kHz, which belongs to an essential audio frequency band, it may be ideal that the distance between adjacent speaker units be set to 3.4 cm (=speed of sound, 340 m/sec÷10 kHz), which matches the wavelength thereof or is lower. In this case, differences of delay times between adjacent speaker units are reduced to be very small.
The aforementioned phenomenon will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B. These drawings show differences of delay times between adjacent speaker units (designated by reference symbols spa and spb) in an array speaker in which adjacent speaker units are each arrayed with a distance of 3.4 cm therebetween when an audio signal beam is controlled to be directed towards a focal point X, which is set 2 m distant from the front surface of the array speaker. In the case of FIG. 9A, the focal point X is set on the basis of a reference position that is 1 m distant from the speaker unit spb. In the case of FIG. 9B, the focal point X is set on the basis of a reference position corresponding to the position of the speaker unit spb.
Specifically, in the case of FIG. 9A, a distance of 2.2361 m lies between the speaker unit spb and the focal point X; and a distance of 2.2515 m lies between the speaker unit spa, which is adjacent to the speaker unit spb, and the focal point X, wherein a difference of delay times between the speaker units spb and spa is calculated as (2.2515 m−2.2316 m)÷340 m/sec=45 μs. When a delay time ta is applied to an input signal of the speaker unit spa, a delay time applied to an input signal of the speaker unit spb is represented as (ta+45 μm). In the case of FIG. 9B, a distance of 2 m lies between the speaker unit spb and the focal point X; and a distance of 2.0003 m lies between the speaker unit spa and the focal point X, wherein a difference of delay times between the speaker units spb and spa is calculated as 0.0003 m÷340 m/sec=0.9 μs. In this case, a delay time of (ta+0.9 μm) is applied to an input signal of the speaker unit spb.
As described above, a difference of delay times between adjacent speaker units may vary in response to the position of the focal point X; normally, however, it ranges from several tens of micro-seconds to one micro-second or less; that is, it is a very small time difference.
FIG. 10 shows a basic constitution of a delay control circuit (or an audio signal beam control circuit) for an array speaker, in which delay times are respectively applied to signals supplied to speaker units. This shows the circuitry that handles a one-channel signal, i.e., an audio signal beam only. The circuitry handling plural channels (or plural audio signal beams) can be realized by way of the addition for adding together delayed channel signals prior to D/A converters; hence, the circuit of FIG. 10 can be easily expanded.
In FIG. 10, reference numeral 91 designates an A/D converter; reference numeral 92 designates a delay memory having plural taps; reference numerals 93 designate multipliers arranged in connection with speaker units; reference numerals 94 designate D/A converters arranged in connection with speaker units; reference numerals 95 designate speaker units forming an array speaker; and reference numeral 96 designates a control means (i.e., a microcomputer) for setting up delay times, i.e., for making setup such that one of the taps of the delay memory 92 is to be connected to the multiplier 93 arranged in connection with a desired speaker unit 95.
In the delay control circuit having the aforementioned constitution, an analog input signal is converted into a digital signal in the A/D converter 91 and is then supplied to the delay memory 92. In contrast, a digital input signal is directly supplied to the delay memory 92 without the intervention of the A/D converter 91. The delay memory 92 is a shift register that is constituted by connecting together delay elements in plural stages in series, wherein the input signal thereof (i.e., the digital signal) is delayed by delay times, which are integer times greater than the sampling frequency, and is then output from each of the taps. The microcomputer 96 calculates a delay time to be applied to a desired speaker unit in response to the position of the focal point X, to which an audio signal beam is to be directed; then, the output of the tap of the delay memory 92 designated by the calculated delay time is selectively connected with a multiplier 93 in connection with the desired speaker unit. A delay signal output from the selected tap of the delay memory 92 is supplied to the multiplier 93 in which window processing required for audio signal beam control is executed and in which a volume gain is applied thereto; thereafter, it is converted into an analog signal in the D/A converter 94 and is then supplied to the corresponding speaker unit 95, thus realizing emission of a prescribed audio signal beam.
As described above, delay times to be applied to speaker units respectively are selectively set up in the delay memory 92, in which the taps are positioned such that a delay value corresponding to the sampling frequency forms a minimal unit of delay time.
FIG. 11 shows a detailed constitution of the delay memory 92, wherein reference numerals 92-1 to 92-5 . . . designate delay elements that are connected in series to form a shift register.
For example, when a delay time D1 is applied to an input signal of each speaker unit in synchronization with a sampling period T1, the number of taps for realizing prescribed delay times can be calculated by D1/T1.
The microcomputer 96 shown in FIG. 10 calculates distances with regard to speaker units distant from the focal point X; then, it calculates delay times applied to input signals of the speaker units, wherein the delay times are realized as delay-tap numbers with respect to the speaker units. The delay-tap numbers are calculated by rounding off any fractions from D1/T1. Suppose that the calculation result of D1/T1 is represented as (a+b) where "a" represents an integer part, and "b" represents a decimal part; and the shift register has an input X(z) and an output Y(z), wherein the following relationships are established.When b>0.5, Y(z)=X(z)z−a.When b≧0.5, Y(z)=X(z)z−(a÷1).
When the sampling frequency Fs is set to 200 kHz (i.e., sampling period T1=5 μs), and the applied delay time D1 is set to 17 μs, the calculation is performed as 17/5=3.4, wherein a=3 and b=4. In this case, b<0.5; hence, Y(z)=X(z) z−3.
This designates the extraction of a signal to which a delay time of 15 μs is applied by a tap of the delay element 92-3 within the plural delay elements forming the shift register of the delay memory 92, whereby an error of 2 μs occurs in comparison with a desired delay time of 17 μs.
As described above, when the sampling frequency Fs is set to 200 kHz, the minimum unit of delay time that can be set up becomes equal to 5 μs. This makes it difficult to realize desired differences of delay times between speaker units.
In order to increase the resolution regarding the delay time, it is necessary to increase the sampling frequency Fs; however, in order to realize delay times using small minimum units, a relatively large capacity of memory is required, and it is necessary to provide D/A converters and an A/D converter having high-speed processing capabilities. In addition, it is necessary to perform high-speed digital processing. This brings difficulty in circuit designing; and there occur problems due to increase of electric power consumption and high manufacturing cost. Furthermore, in the case of digital signal processing such as digital filtering, a further large number of taps (i.e., the number of operational circuits) must be required in order to realize prescribed characteristics. For this reason, numerous disadvantages may occur when the sampling frequency is increased in order to increase the resolution regarding the delay time.
This invention is made in consideration of the aforementioned circumstances; hence, it is an object of the invention to provide an array speaker system that can control directivities of audio signal beams, realized by array speakers, with high precision.


A method of producing a vacuum between two glass sheets to form an insulating glazing. One of the sheets has a hole drilled in its thickness. Spacers are placed between the two glass sheets with the sealing joint being placed around the periphery of the sheets. A vacuum is created between the sheets through the hole which is then closed. The spacers are fixed on one of the sheets by bonding with a mineral compound covering at least the bonding zones on the glass sheet. The second sheet is placed on the spacers and on the peripheral sealing joint. The peripheral sealing and the bonding with the spacers are simultaneously effected by raising the temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for producing a vacuum between two sheets of glass and insulating glazing thus produced.
The method according to the invention, although it is not limited to the production of insulating glazing, will be described more particularly by reference to this application.
2. Discussion of the Background
It is usual, in order to obtain thermal and/or acoustic insulation, to produce insulating glazing including two sheets of glass separated from one another by a relatively thick air gap. Such glazing provides thermal insulation which is judged to be insufficient for certain occasions. To remedy that, it is known to produce glazing including three sheets of glass and one of the air gaps can be replaced by a gas, for example krypton. This glazing has markedly enhanced thermal insulation properties, but is so thick that it is not always easy to use it.
Moreover, current demand from the users is turning towards thermal insulation of glazing equivalent to that of solid walls. Insulating glazing had already been proposed, particularly in Patent No. WO-91/02878, consisting of two sheets of glass separated from one another by a space in which a vacuum has been produced.
This glazing, due to the vacuum, achieves very good insulation but it is very difficult to produce. On the one hand, the slight thickness between the two sheets of glass, which is of tenths of a millimeter, has to be constant over the whole region where the sheets of glass are face-to-face.
Moreover, a perfectly leaktight seal has to be formed between the two sheets of glass.
Patent No. WO-91/02878 describes a technique consisting in placing studs a few tenths of a millimeter thick on one of the sheets of glass, which are distributed over the whole surface, and, at the same time, a joint which will allow the two sheets of glass to be sealed. These studs and this seal are produced in the same material, which is a glass-making composition. It is apparent that this glazing is difficult to produce due to these simultaneous operations which require intricate handling.
Moreover, the sealing joint has a number of bubbles which can impair the leaktightness and the aesthetics.
This patent also describes a method for forming the vacuum between the two sheets of glass. It particularly proposes inserting a tube between the two sheets of glass before sealing, to which a connection is made in order to pump out the air. Another embodiment consists in piercing a hole through one of the sheets of glass and in pumping out the air through this orifice.
In the first case, it is necessary to seal the tube in a leaktight fashion at the same time as the sheets of glass, which makes the operations difficult. Moreover, it is necessary, after having formed the vacuum, to seal the end of the tube, then to protect this end in order to avoid breaking.
In the second case, the vacuum is formed by means of a tube previously sealed around the hole. Then, after having formed the vacuum, this tube is melted so as to seal its end. The disadvantage of these embodiments is that the insulating glazing provided has a fragile point either on the periphery or on one surface. In the second case, part of the tube remains outside the glazing, which increases the risks of damage.
The object of the invention is a method for producing a vacuum between two sheets of glass, which is simple to produce, with the glazing produced advantageously having no fragile point.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a method for producing a vacuum between two sheets of glass capable, in particular, of constituting insulating glazing, one of the sheets of glass including a hole pierced through its thickness, consisting, after having deposited spacers between the two sheets of glass, in forming a sealing joint at the periphery of the sheets of glass, in forming the vacuum and in stopping the hole, the spacers being fixed on to a sheet of glass by bonding with an inorganic compound covering at least the bonding areas on the sheet of glass, the second sheet of glass being deposited on the spacers and on the peripheral sealing joint, and bonding with the inorganic compound being carried out simultaneously with the peripheral sealing.
According to a first embodiment, the inorganic compound is sodium silicate in aqueous solutions. This compound advantageously coats the spacers and is dried before they are deposited on the sheet of glass. This drying allows easy handling of the spacers. Bonding of the spacers to the sheet of glass is achieved by remoistening the inorganic compound, then drying them.
According to another embodiment, the inorganic compound is an enamel.
In particular, this second embodiment according to the invention is, on the one hand, simplified because the second sheet of glass can simply come to rest on the spacers which are integral with the first sheet of glass. This technique allows precise depositing of the second sheet of glass, which is less strict than according to the known techniques, the deposition being able to be slightly corrected, for example by sliding. Moreover, at this stage of the method, the enamel has not yet been fired, but the usual enamel pastes exhibit sufficient viscosity to hold the spacers in place, more particularly after the enamel paste has dried, during the phase of putting in place and positioning the sheet of glass. Moreover, a variant can provide for the sealing joint advantageously to be put in place after the second sheet of glass, still in order to facilitate the positioning thereof.
Moreover, the method makes provision to carry out the sealing and the firing of the bonding enamel simultaneously, which limits the number of stages of the method. For preference, the bonding enamel is identical to the sealing joint; otherwise the firing temperatures are advantageously chosen to be similar.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, the bonding of the spacers is carried out by successive depositions of dots of inorganic bonding compound, for example by screen printing, then depositions of the spacers by a suction tool pierced with holes which are smaller than the spacers, at the same pitch as the dots obtained.
The dots of inorganic bonding compound can be deposited by any type of device known to a person skilled in the art, making it possible to form dots with a diameter of the order of 0.5 mm and with a thickness of a few tens of microns and to arrange them very precisely with a regular pitch. Such a pitch particularly allows a number of dots lying advantageously between 600 and 1500 per square meter, and preferably equal to 1000 per square meter.
For preference, the suction tool picks up and transports the spacers previously arranged on a plate and deposits them on the dots of inorganic compound by stopping the suction and possibly by blowing.
The spacers according to the invention advantageously have a parallel-face, bi-truncated spherical shape. Such a shape makes it possible to place all the spacers on a plate in the same position, for example by causing the plate to vibrate; this occurs because the bulging part of the spacers has a tendency to bring them on to one of the parallel faces. Moreover, the previously described shape associated with the suction tool allows good gripping of the spacers and precise deposition thereof, one of the flat faces ensuring good stability, including before firing the bonding enamel. Such spacers advantageously have a distance between the parallel faces of between 0.1 and 0.3 millimeter and a diameter, in the region of the bulging part, of less than 0.5 millimeters.
According to a second embodiment of the method according to the invention, the bonding of the spacers is carried out by depositing the spacers on the surface of a sheet of glass, said spacers previously being covered, over the area coming into contact with the glass, with the inorganic bonding compound.
For preference, the spacers are transported by a suction tool which, during transport, moistens the relevant area of the spacers with a composition of the inorganic bonding compound, then they are deposited on the glass, having already been covered with the inorganic bonding compound on the desired area.
Concerning the sealing phase, during which the bonding of the spacers is simultaneously carried out, the method according to the invention advantageously makes provision to exert pressure between the two sheets of glass. Such pressure ensures that the sealing joint is brought to the same height as the spacers. This occurs because the sealing joint is initially deposited with a thickness greater than that of the spacers and is thus brought back to the desired thickness by squeezing.
Concerning the stopping of the hole provided in the thickness of one of the sheets of glass in order to form the vacuum, the invention provides for the stopper to be held close to the hole so as to let the air pass through, and which can be soldered to the glass. Such a stopper is advantageously produced from glass or metal. The link between the stopper and the sheet of glass is preferably obtained by inorganic welding, such as an enamel or sintered glass, the melt point of which is less than that of the glass and of the stopper. According to a preferred embodiment, before the vacuum-forming stage, a ring of silver-based enamel is deposited around the hole, and after firing, the ring is tinned and finally partially welded to a tinned inorganic disc. Firing of the silver enamel is advantageously carried out either simultaneously with that of the bonding enamel, or during a thermal toughening stage if such a stage is carried out.
Such an embodiment makes it possible to arrange, close to the hole, the disc intended to stop it, while keeping the hole open and allowing the vacuum to be produced for example by the use of a bell housing arranged around the hole.
According to this configuration, in the course of the vacuum-forming phase, the temperature is raised locally around the hole until the tin melts. Thus, the disc is soldered on to the sheet of glass and the hole is stopped, the vacuum being formed between the two sheets of glass.
Assembling the two sheets of glass between which the vacuum has been formed is simple to carry out. Moreover, the stopping of the hole through which the vacuum is formed does not constitute a fragile point and is relatively discreet; the excess thickness obtained in the region of the hole can be less than 1 mm.
According to a variant of the invention, a tinned metal ring is fastened to the glass by a solder glass replacing the silver-based enamel. This variant leads to a slightly greater excess thickness.
The techniques for stopping the hole which have just been described are entirely suitable for the technique of assembling the previously described sheets of glass, and more particularly for the choice and the fitting of the spacers as well as for the peripheral sealing; however, the invention does not exclude the possibility of combining the technique for stopping a hole in order to create a vacuum with other types of assembly.
The invention also proposes insulating vacuum glazing particularly capable of being produced according to the previously described method.
According to the invention, the insulating vacuum glazing consists of two sheets of glass held apart from one another by spacers and a peripheral sealing joint, said spacers being parallel-faced bi-truncated spheres made of ceramic. The sheets have advantageously undergone toughening treatment in order to reinforce their mechanical properties. For preference, this is a heat treatment toughening which leads to compression stresses over a relatively substantial thickness. The spacers are produced, for example, from a crystalline phase of zircons in a vitreous phase of silica.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the parallel-faced bi-truncated spheres are obtained from balls coated in a material which can be poured and which can easily be separated from the spacers subsequently, for example by thermal and/or chemical and/or mechanical action. Such a material is, for example, tin, a metal alloy, an organic binder, a binder such as plaster, etc. The balls are coated in the material so as to form a single layer, said layer being eroded on its two faces. The balls used are, for example, balls usually used for cleaning glass-making moulds by sand blasting.
Also preferably, the sealing joint is an enamel, the firing temperature of which is less than 450xc2x0 C. The temperature reached must not, in particular, cause the stresses obtained by toughening to be relaxed.
The glazing according to the invention may also include, on its outer surface, an inorganic disc or pellet soldered to the glass. As previously described, such a disc is used to stop the hole which served to form the vacuum. This disc is preferably placed on the edge of the glazing for reasons of discreetness and particularly so as to be masked by the mounting devices.
The soldering of the disc is advantageously carried out using tin, and contact with the glass takes place via a layer of silver-based enamel.
According to other advantageous embodiments, the invention makes provision for using at least one sheet of glass covered with one or more functional layers, on at least one of its faces. Such layers are, for example, low-emissive layers as described in the French Patent No. 2,701,474. In the case in which a layer of this type is produced on the inner face of the glazing, that is to say a face subsequently in contact with the vacuum, the invention preferably makes provision for the layer to be removed over the peripheral area of the surface corresponding to the area covered by the sealing joint; this removal may allow better adhesion of the joint.

Method for producing a vacuum between two sheets of glass and insulating glazing


A device for axially retaining blades on a rotor disk of a turbomachine, includes an annulus which is mounted via a radially inner edge in an annular groove of the disk and which presses against the roots of the blades mounted in grooves in the periphery of the disk, and an annular lock received in the annular groove of the disk to prevent the annulus from turning, the annular lock being turnable in the annular groove between an annulus-locking position and a position for mounting and dismounting in the annular groove.

To perform this retention function, it is known to use an annulus whose radially inner edge is received in an annular groove of the downstream face of the rotor disk and whose radially outer edge bears against the downstream ends of the roots of blades that are engaged in axial grooves in the periphery of the disk.
The radially outer edge of the annular groove in the disk and the radially inner edge of the annulus are of complementary festooned or crenellated shapes, thus enabling the annulus to be brought into the annular groove of the disk by being moved in axial translation when the solid portions of the festooned edge of the annulus are in alignment with the gap portions of the festooned edge of the annular groove, and then to secure the annulus axially in the annular groove by turning it so that the solid portions of its festooned edge come into alignment with the solid portions of the festooned edge of the annular groove of the disk, which then bear thereagainst.
On its face facing towards the blade roots, the radially outer portion of the annulus has studs for engaging in corresponding cavities in the blade roots and which serve to prevent the annulus from turning about its axis.
In the locking position, the annulus is held axially by its portions bearing against the blade roots, against the downstream face of the disk, and against the festooned edge of the annular groove in the disk. To bring it into this position by turning it in the annular groove, it is necessary to deform it by pulling its radially outer portion axially and by pushing its radially inner portion axially, respectively to move the above-mentioned studs away from the ends of the blade roots until the studs are in register with the cavities that are to receive them, and in order to cause the solid portions of the festooned edge of the annulus to pass into the annular groove of the disk.
Such assembly is complicated to perform and requires the use of special tooling. Since the annuluses must withstand very high temperatures and since they are made of a sintered material that is very sensitive to scratching (where such scratches constitute crack starters and can greatly reduce the lifetime of the annulus), it is necessary to take great precautions to avoid damaging the annuluses while they are being mounted on the disk.
In addition, the studs must be machined and formed in the material of the annuluses, which is lengthy and extremely expensive. It is also necessary to machine the cavities for receiving the studs at the ends of the blade roots, and that also increases costs.

Device for axially retaining blades on a turbomachine rotor disk


A method for controlling a closure drive system of a motor vehicle utilizes a control device that includes a pinch protection circuit. A supply voltage across the control device is measured, and depending on the supply voltage, a differentiation is made as to whether the pinch protection circuit is operated with pinch protection parameters for a stationary vehicle or a moving vehicle.

The invention relates to a method of controlling a closure drive system of a motor vehicle that moves a component between open and closed positions.
Electronic control devices are usually used to control a closure drive system of a motor vehicle, such as that of a window lifter system or sliding roof system, for example. For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to a control device that is arranged in a door of the vehicle, and which is part of the window lifter system. In this example, the control device is not only capable of controlling an electric window lifter, but could also control a door lock or an electrically adjustable outside mirror.
Window lifter systems are required to have pinch protection that is supposed to prevent an object from getting pinched during closing of a window. In these systems, the pinch protection is controlled based on certain vehicle parameters because the maximum forces that are admissible for a stationary vehicle are different from those for a moving vehicle. Also, the effects of an acting wind load, for example, have to be taken into consideration for pinch protection during a displacement of the window with a moving vehicle. This is why a differentiation between moving and stationary vehicles is necessary in a pinch protection system.
It is known that some pinch protection systems, which differentiate between moving and stationary vehicles, immediately use vehicle speed information. This information is typically made available via a bus system, for instance. A bus system, however, is a very expensive vehicular system that is often omitted in some vehicle types for reasons of economy. In these instances, it will not be possible to obtain vehicle speed information and, hence, on a vehicle parameter that is important for the operation of the pinch protection system.
Other known pinch protection systems are controlled by an enabling signal, which uses signals from vehicle doors and from an ignition lock in order to differentiate whether the vehicle is moving or not. This differentiation is not easy and can be inaccurate because, for instance, with the vehicle door in a closed state and a key inserted in the ignition lock, the engine may or may not be running. Thus, it is possible that parameters for a moving vehicle are incorrectly used with a stationary vehicle. Also, in such systems, additional signal lines are needed for the control device (e.g. vehicle speed signal).
It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a method of controlling a pinch protection system for a closure system that ensures an effective and low cost pinch protection without requiring a bus system or additional signal lines.

Method of controlling a closure drive system of a motor vehicle


A sigma delta analog-to-digital converter includes a sigma delta modulator including a segmented digital-to-analog converter (DAC), the segmented DAC including a coarse DAC and a fine DAC, wherein the sigma delta modulator is configured to generate a coarse quantized signal and a fine quantized signal; recombination logic configured to combine the coarse quantized signal and the fine quantized signal; and a calibration circuit, operable in a calibration mode, to calibrate the recombination logic to compensate for mismatch between the coarse DAC and the fine DAC of the segmented DAC.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to sigma delta analog-to-digital converters and, more particularly, to mismatch removal in multibit sigma delta analog-to-digital converters.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The use of multibit quantization in sigma delta analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) is known to impart many advantages, such as high resolution at low oversampling ratios, and better stability and tone behavior. With the proliferation in use of high speed and low power continuous time (CT) modulators, multibit quantization has become important because of its immunity to clock jitter. However, the benefits of large internal quantization come at the cost of designing an error free multibit feedback digital-to-analog converter (DAC), as the non-linearity errors of the DAC are not shaped by the sigma delta loop. Data Weighted Averaging (DWA) techniques have been used for DAC linearization. But the hardware complexity of DWA is exponentially proportional to the number of bits, adds extra delay in the feedback path and increases the overall power consumption of the ADC.
One proposed technique uses a folding or a two-step ADC to reduce power dissipation of the internal quantizer and applies Data Weighted Averaging to the segmented coarse and fine DACs. This technique uses an inter DAC calibration approach entirely in the analog domain and operates a single bit modulator which is inherently linear at high Over Sampling Ratio (OSR) to estimate the average gain of the coarse and fine DACs, and then adjusts the weight of a unit element in the fine DAC so that the ratio of their average gains is equal to the ideal value. This approach involves complexity in control and implementation in the analog circuit and may be less accurate.
Accordingly, there is a need for calibration methods and apparatus for sigma delta analog-to-digital converters.

Methods and apparatus for offline mismatch removal in sigma delta analog-to-digital converters


A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that are executable by a processor. The set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a multi-processor computing system, causes the one or more processors to perform operations including initiating a first processor of the multi-processor computing system with an operating system image of an operating system, the operating system image including a predetermined object map, initiating a second processor of the multi-processor computing system with the operating system image, placing a plurality of system objects with corresponding processors according to the predetermined object map, receiving a triggering event causing a change to the predetermined object map and relocating one of the system objects to a different one of the processors based on the change to the predetermined object map.

Computing systems using multiple processing cores are commonly used to provide increased performance over single-core systems. A variety of multi-processor programming paradigms exist to provide for division of tasks among the different cores of a multi-core computing environment. However, some multi-processor programming paradigms, such as symmetric multiprocessing and virtual single processing, may have drawbacks that limit their usefulness.

Method and system for reconfigurable virtual single processor programming model


A metal laminate gasket of the invention is used for an internal combustion engine. The gasket is formed of a plurality of metal plates for constituting the metal laminate gasket, wherein each metal plate has a hole corresponding to a fluid hole of the engine. A bead is formed on one of the metal plates to surround the hole for sealing therearound. Outer surface layers are coated on outer surfaces of the metal laminate gasket, and at least one inner surface layer is coated on at least one of inner surfaces of the metal plates. The outer surface layers are formed of a material containing rubber to closely contact the gasket to the engine parts, and the inner surface layer is formed of a material containing resin to provide sliding ability between the metal plates. The gasket can securely seal between the engine parts.

The present invention relates to a metal laminate gasket with different coating layers.
A metal laminate gasket formed of a plurality of metal plates has been known and used in an internal combustion engine, as a cylinder head gasket and a manifold gasket.
In case a cylinder head and a cylinder block are formed, surfaces of the cylinder head and the cylinder block with which the gasket contacts may be ground to form finishing surfaces. As a result, small scratches, such as cutter tracing, are formed.
It is preferable to have a smooth contact with the cylinder head and the cylinder block to securely seal between the cylinder head and the cylinder block. Therefore, a cylinder head gasket may have coating layers on one or both surfaces thereof to fill out the small scratches by the coating layers. Plating may be formed on the gasket instead of the coating.
Also, in the metal laminate gasket, fluid may enter into a space between the plates. In order to prevent fluid from entering into the space between the plates or to prevent fluid when it is entered into the space from freely flowing in the space, a coating layer may be formed in one of two plates contacting with each other.
The coating layers formed on or situated between the metal plates have been known already in the art, but the coating layers have specific characteristics, such as weakness in heat and pressure, depending on materials contained therein. For example, if high pressure and heat are applied to such a material, the coating may flow to cause reduction of a surface pressure. In this case, the sealing may not be properly made.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket with coating layers, which can properly seal between the plates as well as relative to the cylinder head and cylinder block.
Another object of the invention is to provide a metal laminate gasket as stated above, which can securely seal around a fluid hole.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Metal laminate gasket with different coating layers


A lens testing apparatus detects and evaluates inclination of the image plane as caused by decentering of an optical system. The apparatus has an image provider, a plurality of focusing position detectors, and a calculator. The image provider provides an image to a lens system to be tested for decentering. The detectors detect a focusing position on which light rays exiting from the lens system focus. The calculator calculates inclination of the image plane based on the focusing position detected by the detectors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a testing apparatus for detecting and evaluating inclination of an image plane as caused by decentering of an optical system, and to an adjusting apparatus for correcting such inclination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that decentering of an optical system with respect to its optical axis causes decentering-related aberrations such as axial coma, in which even axial light rays exhibit coma that extends along the optical axis, and one-sided blurring, in which off-axial light rays striking different parts of the periphery of a screen focus on different positions along the optical axis. As an apparatus for testing and adjusting imaging performance of an optical system in such aspects, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. H6-265766 discloses an optical axis adjusting apparatus for use in a lens system, though it only corrects axial coma mentioned above.
However, in recent years, as higher and higher magnifications are realized in zoom optical systems for single-lens reflex cameras, it is becoming more and more difficult to obtain desired optical performance in end products simply by producing components to such precision as is conventionally required, and it is becoming necessary to correct also one-sided blurring mentioned above. Conventionally, whereas a method for correcting axial coma has been well established, no convenient method has been known to date for quickly checking the optical performance at the periphery of a screen to detect one-sided blurring in particular and make appropriate adjustments.

Lens testing apparatus and a lens adjusting apparatus


A system for removing matter from a conduit. The system includes the steps of passing a transport vehicle and a shape memory polymer material through the conduit, transmitting energy to the shape memory polymer material for moving the shape memory polymer material from a first shape to a second and different shape, and withdrawing the transport vehicle and the shape memory polymer material through the conduit carrying the matter.

1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to medical devices and more particularly to a shape memory polymer medical device.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,868 for an expandable intravascular occlusion material removal devices and methods of use, by Ressemann, et al., patented Nov. 17, 1998, provides the following description: "The present invention generally relates to constructions for intravascular treatment devices useful for removing vascular occlusion material from a vascular occlusion or from a vascular lumen. The invention more specifically relates to expandable intravascular occlusion material removal devices, as well as to methods of using those devices to treat vascular diseases.
Vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis and the like, have become quite prevalent in the modern day. These diseases may present themselves in a number of forms. Each form of vascular disease may require a different method of treatment to reduce or cure the harmful effects of the disease. Vascular diseases, for example, may take the form of deposits or growths in a patient's vasculature which may restrict, in the case of a partial occlusion, or stop, in the case of a total occlusion, blood flow to a certain portion of the patient's body. This can be particularly serious if, for example, such an occlusion occurs in a portion of the vasculature that supplies vital organs with blood or other necessary fluids.
To treat these diseases, a number of different therapies are being developed. While a number of invasive therapies are available, it is desirable to develop non-invasive therapies as well. Non-invasive therapies may be less risky than invasive ones, and may be more welcomed by the patient because of the possibility of decreased chances of infection, reduced post-operative pain, and less post-operative rehabilitation. One type of non-invasive therapy for vascular diseases is pharmaceutical in nature. Clot-busting drugs have been employed to help break up blood clots which may be blocking a particular vascular lumen. Other drug therapies are also available. Further non-invasive, intravascular treatments exist that are not only pharmaceutical, but also revascularize blood vessels or lumens by mechanical means. Two examples of such intravascular therapies are balloon angioplasty and atherectomy which physically revascularize a portion of a patient's vasculature.
Balloon angioplasty comprises a procedure wherein a balloon catheter is inserted intravascularly into a patient through a relatively small puncture, which may be located proximate the groin, and intravascularly navigated by a treating physician to the occluded vascular site. The balloon catheter includes a balloon or dilating member which is placed adjacent the vascular occlusion and then is inflated. Intravascular inflation of the dilating member by sufficient pressures, on the order of 5 to 12 atmospheres or so, causes the balloon to displace the occluding matter to revascularize the occluded lumen and thereby restore substantially normal blood flow through the revascularized portion of the vasculature. It is to be noted, however, that this procedure does not remove the occluding matter from the patient's vasculature, but displaces it.
While balloon angioplasty is quite successful in substantially revascularizing many vascular lumens by reforming the occluding material, other occlusions may be difficult to treat with angioplasty. Specifically, some intravascular occlusions may be composed of an irregular, loose or heavily calcified material which may extend relatively far along a vessel or may extend adjacent a side branching vessel, and thus are not prone or susceptible to angioplastic treatment. Even if angioplasty is successful, thereby revascularizing the vessel and substantially restoring normal blood flow therethrough, there is a chance that the occlusion may recur. Recurrence of an occlusion may require repeated or alternative treatments given at the same intravascular site.
Accordingly, attempts have been made to develop other alternative mechanical methods of non-invasive, intravascular treatment in an effort to provide another way of revascularizing an occluded vessel and of restoring blood flow through the relevant vasculature. These alternative treatments may have particular utility with certain vascular occlusions, or may provide added benefits to a patient when combined with balloon angioplasty and/or drug therapies.
One such alternative mechanical treatment method involves removal, not displacement, as is the case with balloon angioplasty, of the material occluding a vascular lumen. Such treatment devices, sometimes referred to as atherectomy devices, use a variety of means, such as lasers, and rotating cutters or ablaters, for example, to remove the occluding material. The rotating cutters may be particularly useful in removing certain vascular occlusions. Since vascular occlusions may have different compositions and morphology or shape, a given removal or cutting element may not be suitable for removal of a certain occlusion. Alternatively, if a patient has multiple occlusions in his vasculature, a given removal element may be suitable for removing only one of the occlusions. Suitability of a particular cutting element may be determined by, for example, its size or shape. Thus, a treating physician may have to use a plurality of different treatment devices to provide the patient with complete treatment. This type of procedure can be quite expensive because multiple pieces of equipment may need to be used (such intravascular devices are not reusable because they are inserted directly into the blood stream), and may be tedious to perform because multiple pieces of equipment must be navigated through an often-tortuous vascular path to the treatment site."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,415, for an apparatus for removing blood clots from arteries and veins, by Guenther, et al., patented Apr. 7, 1992, provides the following description: "A triple catheter for removing of blood clots from arteries and veins is equipped with an outer catheter that can be inserted into a blood vessel and an inner catheter with an inflatable balloon at its distal end that can be inserted into the outer catheter. The inner catheter is surrounded by an intermediate catheter also inserted into the outer catheter. The intermediate catheter has a radially expandable distal end receptacle made of an elastic mesh structure of spring wires or plastic monofilaments covered by or embedded in an elastic plastic coating. A very small puncture channel is required for the insertion of such a triple catheter through the wall of a blood vessel."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,564 for microfabricated therapeutic actuator mechanisms, by Northrup, et al., patented Jul. 8, 1997, provides the following description: "Electromechanical microstructures (microgrippers), either integrated circuit (IC) silicon-based or precision machined, to extend and improve the application of catheter-based interventional therapies for the repair of aneurysms in the brain or other interventional clinical therapies. These micromechanisms can be specifically applied to release platinum coils or other materials into bulging portions of the blood vessels also known as aneurysms. The "micro" size of the release mechanism is necessary since the brain vessels are the smallest in the body. Through a catheter more than one meter long, the micromechanism located at one end of the catheter can be manipulated from the other end thereof. The microgripper (micromechanism) of the invention will also find applications in non-medical areas where a remotely actuated microgripper or similar actuator would be useful or where micro-assembling is needed."
U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,917 for a shape memory polymer (SMP) gripper with a release sensing system, by Maitland, et al., patented Aug. 15, 2000, provides the following description: "A system for releasing a target material, such as an embolic coil from an SMP located at the end of a catheter utilizing an optical arrangement for releasing the material. The system includes a laser, laser driver, display panel, photodetector, fiber optics coupler, fiber optics and connectors, a catheter, and an SMP-based gripper, and includes a release sensing and feedback arrangement. The SMP-based gripper is heated via laser light through an optic fiber causing the gripper to release a target material (e.g., embolic coil for therapeutic treatment of aneurysms). Various embodiments are provided for coupling the laser light into the SMP, which includes specific positioning of the coils, removal of the fiber cladding adjacent the coil, a metal coating on the SMP, doping the SMP with a gradient absorbing dye, tapering the fiber optic end, coating the SMP with low refractive index material, and locating an insert between the fiber optic and the coil."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,118 for fibered micro vaso-occlusive devices, by Sepetka, et al., patented Dec. 1, 1998, provides the following description: "This is a vaso-occlusive device made up of at least one short retainer and a longer fiber bundle. The retainer may be radio-opaque. The fibers may be straight, looped, or tufted. The primary use of the device is in the very small vessels at the distal portion of the vasculature."
U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,398 for a method of using a clot capture coil, by Wensel, et al., patented Apr. 20, 1999, provides the following description: "A clot and foreign body removal device is described which comprises a catheter with at least one lumen. Located within the catheter is a clot capture coil that is connected to an insertion mandrel. In one embodiment, the clot capture coil is made out of a solid elastic or superelastic material which has shape memory, preferably nitinol. The elasticity or superelasticity of the coil allows it to be deformed within the catheter and to then reform its original coil configuration when the coil is moved outside of the catheter lumen. In another embodiment the coil is a biphasic coil which changes shape upon heating or passing an electric current. Once the coil configuration has been established, the coil can be used to ensnare and corkscrew a clot in a vessel. A clot is extracted from the vessel by moving the clot capture coil and catheter proximally until the clot can be removed or released into a different vessel that does not perfuse a critical organ. Foreign bodies are similarly captured by deploying the coil distal to the foreign body and moving the clot capture coil proximally until the foreign body is trapped within the coil. By removing the device from the body, the foreign material is also removed."
Patents and patent applications that provide additional background information include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,956 to Alfidi, Ralph J. and Cross, William B., "Vessel Implantable Appliance and Method of Implanting It," Mar. 4, 1975; U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,938 to Clark, W.T, "Expanding Mesh Catheter," Dec. 14, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,126 to Choudhury, M.H., "Method for Performing Aneurysm Repair," Feb. 20, 1979; U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,671 to Weinrib, H.P., "Catheter with Coiled Tip," Nov. 17, 1987; U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,978 to Ginsburg, R., "Device and Method for Emboli Retrieval," Oct. 17, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,488 to Ginsburg, R., "Thrombus Extraction System," Apr. 30, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,591 to Hayashi, S. and Fujimori, H. "Shape Memory Polymer Foam," Sep. 17, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,415 to Guenther, R.W. and Vorwerk, D., "Apparatus for Removing Blood Clots from Aarteries and Veins," Apr. 7, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,483 to Heaven, M.D., and Schuler, M., "Specimen Reduction Device," Jul. 9, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,609 to Drasler, W.J., Dutcher, R.G., Jenson, M.L., Thielen, J.M., Protonotarios, E.I., "Thrombectomy Device," Dec. 6, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,509 to Hilal, S., "Embolectomy Catheter," May 2, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,859 to Mische, H.A., Ressemann, T.V., Vrba, A.C., and Hackett, S.S., "Expandable Intravascular Occlusion Materials Removal Devices and Methods of Use," Feb. 13, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,722 to Phan, L., Froix, M. and Stertzer, S., "Intravascular Stent," Feb. 18, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,242 to Phan, L., et al., "Endoprosthetic Device With Therapeutic Compound," Oct. 7, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,630 to Bley, R., and Kubacki, G., "Thermally Softening Stylet," Jun. 9, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,157 to Mische, H.A., Ressemann, T.V., Hoium, S.A., "Expandable Intravascular Occlusion Material Removal Devices and Methods of Use," Aug. 11, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,247 to Unsworth, J.D., and Waram, T.C., "Shape Memory Tubular Deployment System," Dec. 8, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,567 to Ressemann, T.V., Vrba, A.C., Hackett, S.S., Kugler, C.J., Mische, H.A., "Expandable Intravascular Occlusion Material Removal Devices and Methods of Use," Apr. 27, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,518 to Khazai, B. and Nichols, G.M., "Self-regulating Polymer Composite Heater," May 11, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,357 to Hachisuka, H., Kondo, Y., Ikeda, K., Takano, H., Mochisuki, H., "Separation Membrane and Method of Producing the Same, and Shape Memory Composition," Jun. 8, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,966 to Schroeppel, E.A., Spehr, P.R., and Machek, J.E., "Implantable Cardiac Lead with Multiple Shape Memory Polymer Structures," Sep. 28, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,744 to Balbierz, D.J. Walker, J.M., Thomas, J.R., Bley, R.S., Van Bladel, K., "Polymeric Medical Devices Having Shape Memory," Oct. 12, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,309 to Celliers, P., Da Silva, L., Glinsky, M., London, R., Maitland, D., Matthews, D., Fitch, P., "Optoacoustic Thrombolysis," Feb. 8, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,599 to Lee, A.P., Fitch, "Micro Devices Using Shape Memory Polymer Patches for Mated Connections," Jul. 11, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,072 to Kratoska, W.F., Tay, S.-W., Thome, S.P., Keith, P.T., "Expandable Introducer Shealth," Jul. 18, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,933 to Lee, A.P., Northrup, A., Ciarlo, D.R., Krulevitch, P.A., and Bennett, W.J., "Release Mechanism Utilizing Shape Memory Polymer material," Aug. 15, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,515 to Rogers, L., Buckley, J.T., Hundermark, R.R., Powell, F.T., Milo, C., and Castro, A.J., "Composite Atherectomy Cutter," Sep. 19, 2000; EP0337918B1 to Monfort, M.Y, Molenauer, K.M., and Chin, A. K., "Endarectomy Apparatus," Nov. 9, 1994; EP0472368B1: Fearnot, N.E., "Ablation Catheter," Jun. 28, 1995; W00003643: Maitland, D.J., Lee, A.P., Schumann, D.L., and Da Silva, L., "Shape Memory Polymer Gripper with a Release Sensing System," Jan. 27, 2000; U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,094 issued May 25, 2004 to Duncan J. Maitland, Abraham P. Lee, Daniel L. Schumann, Dennis Matthews, Derek Decker for a Shape Memory Polymer Actuator and Catheter; and U.S. Patent Application No. US2003/0236533 by Thomas S. Wilson, Duncan Maitland, Daniel L. Schumann, Steve L. Little, and Paul E. Ahre published Dec. 25, 2003 for a Shape Memory Polymer Actuator and Catheter.

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


A display member having improved optical contrast and brightness. The display member includes bichromal capsules, an absorptive layer, an adhesive layer, a substrate and a top layer. The bichromal capsules form a close-packed monolayer configuration positioned on the absorptive layer. The adhesive layer is adjacent to the absorptive layer. The absorptive layer is formed on the substrate. The top layer is formed adjacent the adhesive layer. A method for producing a display member with high optical contrast and brightness. The method includes forming an absorptive layer on a substrate. A close-packed monolayer configuration of bichromal capsules is formed on the absorptive layer by exposing the absorptive layer to a plurality of bichromal capsules. A top layer is formed adjacent the adhesive layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The description set forth herein generally relates to display members and methods of manufacturing them. More particularly, the description relates to electronic paper-type displays having enhanced contrast and brightness properties.
2. Description of Related Art
Display technologies based on encapsulation of electrophoretic particles, multichromal beads and liquid crystals have many potential applications in fields such as digital document media, for example, electronic paper. High brightness and high contrast are two of the main performance requirements for digital document media applications.
In particular, bichromal displays have numerous advantages over conventional electrically addressable visual displays, such as LCD and CRT displays. In particular, they are suitable for viewing in ambient light, retain an image indefinitely in the absence of an applied electric field, and can be made lightweight, flexible, foldable, and with many other familiar and useful characteristics of ordinary writing paper. Thus, at least in principle, they are suitable both for display applications and for so-called electric paper or interactive paper applications, in which they serve as an electrically addressable, reuseable (and thus environmentally friendly) substitute for ordinary paper. For further advantages of the bichromal display, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,945, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Although bichromal displays promise to offer many of the advantages of ordinary paper together with the advantages of electrically addressable displays, the bichromal displays can be improved. For example, some displays do not look as good as paper. In particular, they may not have the high white reflectance of paper (typically 85% diffuse reflectance for white paper). Consequently, they do not have the high brightness and contrast characteristics of ordinary white paper.
Typically a way to improve the white reflectance of a bichromal display is to make the display from a thick arrangement of bichromal balls. It is thought that the thicker the arrangement of balls, the better the reflectance and the brighter the appearance of the display. The analogy here is to ordinary paint: other things being equal, a thicker coat of white paint reflects more incident light than a thinner coat of paint, and therefore appears brighter and whiter than the thinner coat. By analogy, it is expected that a thick arrangement of bichromal balls will tend to reflect more incident light than a thinner arrangement. In particular, the white faces of bichromal balls located at some distance below the viewing surface of the display are expected to reflect any light that is not reflected by balls located nearest the surface.
It is also thought that to achieve high resolution in a bichromal display, the cavities in which the balls rotate should be packed as closely together as possible. However, it is conventionally supposed that the size of the balls within the cavities is of no consequence insofar as display reflectance is concerned. That is because in a display having a thick arrangement of bichromal balls, the balls located farther from the viewing surface of the bichromal display will "fill in the gaps" between bichromal balls located nearer the viewing surface. In other words, so long as the two-dimensional projection of the balls at all distances from the viewing surface onto the viewing surface substantially covers the viewing surface, a high-quality display will be obtained.
However, the display manufacturing techniques described above may result in a thick display, which has certain drawbacks. Notably, a thicker display, requires a higher drive voltage. Nevertheless, virtually all known bichromal displays are made with thick arrangements of bichromal balls (such as sheets of bichromal balls wherein the sheets are several ball diameters thick), because this is thought to be necessary in order to produce displays of adequate brightness.
Additionally, current multichromal display devices are produced by the "swollen sheet" method. In this method bare bichromal beads, randomly mixed and dispersed in a silicone elastomeric sheet, are rendered rotatable by swelling the elastomer in silicone oil. Pockets of oil form around each bead, and the beads detach from the elastomer-bead interface. However this method has many shortcomings including a relatively low white reflectance which yields low brightness, low contrast and a high switching voltage threshold, which results from the thicker multi-layered structure of the randomly dispersed beads.
Accordingly, a need exists for a display device that is capable of achieving high optical contrast, high brightness and low switching voltage and a method of manufacturing thereof.

Contrast enhancement in multichromal display by incorporating a highly absorptive layer


In a battery cooling structure, a battery case housing a large number of battery modules is formed into the shape of a rectangular tube having a cooling air inlet and a cooling air outlet, and V-shaped cooling air guide channels having a decreasing flow-path cross sectional area are provided on inner faces of air guide plates that define upper and lower faces of the rectangular tube. The flow of cooling air is deflected by these V-shaped cooling air guide channels toward a central part on the downstream side, thus effectively cooling the battery modules disposed in the central part, for which the cooling effect is poor to make uniform the temperature of the battery modules, resulting in a suppressed variation in capacity and lifetime. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide a bypass passage in the battery case, it is possible to simplify the structure of the battery case, reduce the dimensions, and improve the degree of freedom in the layout.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery cooling structure in which a large number of rod-shaped battery modules are arranged in parallel to each other at predetermined intervals within a battery case, and these large number of battery modules are cooled with cooling air.
2. The Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 10-255859 and 11-329518 disclose an arrangement in which a long rod-shaped battery module is formed by connecting a plurality of battery elements together in series, and a large number of the battery modules are arranged in parallel to each other at predetermined intervals within a battery case, the arrangement being employed as an energy source for a motor for travel of an electric automobile. Since these battery modules generate heat during charging and discharging, cooling is carried out by passing cooling air from a cooling air inlet at the front end of the battery case to a cooling air outlet at the rear end. Since the plurality of battery modules are arranged in multiple vertical rows and multiple tiers, and the cooling air flows from a front vertical row to a rear vertical row, the battery modules on the front vertical row side are cooled efficiently by contact with low temperature cooling air that has not yet carried out heat exchange, but the battery modules on the rear vertical row side contact cooling air whose temperature has been increased by heat exchange, so that they have difficulty to be cooled. In particular, among the battery modules on the rear vertical row side, the cooling effect to the battery modules in a middle tier, which are far from an inner face of the battery case, is degraded. In this way, the difference in cooling effect causes a variation in the temperature of the battery modules, leading to a problem that the capacity decreases or the durability is degraded.
In the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-255859, low temperature cooling air is replenished by connecting a bypass passage to a middle part, in the direction of flow of cooling air, of the battery case, and in the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 11-329518, the variation in the temperature is eliminated by replenishing low temperature cooling air via an opening formed in a middle part, in the direction of flow of cooling air, of the battery case so as to uniformly cool the battery modules on the upstream side and on the downstream side in the direction of flow of cooling air.
However, providing the bypass passage for introducing the cooling air gives rise to a problem that the structure of the battery case becomes complicated or the dimensions thereof increase, and providing the opening for introducing the cooling air also gives rise to a problem that the layout of the battery case is restricted in order not to block the opening.


A system and methods for applying capability-based authorization within a distributed computing environment. Instead of associating permissions or privileges with objects (e.g., computing resources), permissions are associated with subjects (e.g., users, roles). Compared to object-based methods of access control, such as Access Control Lists (ACL), management of capability-based authorizations scales much better as the number of objects becomes very large. A central repository allows changes to the authorization framework (e.g., new subjects, modified permissions) to be made once. The changes can then be propagated across, and applied to, multiple address spaces instead of having to individually or manually update each local node or address space.

This invention relates generally to the fields of computer systems and access authorization. More particularly, a system and method are provided for implementing a distributed capability-based authorization architecture.
Organizations and enterprises implement some form of access control or authorization in their computing environments in order to protect their resources from damage and/or unauthorized use. An authorization scheme is usually intended to ensure that only authorized users are granted access to the organization's computing resources.
Traditional authorization schemes employ an ACL (Access Control List) model, in which an ACL is associated with each resource (e.g., file, directory, disk, communication device, programming object) to which access is to be restricted. An ACL is designed to identify, for a specific resource, those users that are permitted access to the resource.
One disadvantage of the ACL model is the difficulty of managing ACLs for many resources. Typically, one ACL is needed for each resource to which access is to be screened. Therefore, this model does not scale well, because every time such a resource is created or added to the computing environment, another ACL must be generated. In addition, maintaining ACLs can be time-consuming, because they may need to be updated every time a new user is added, an existing user departs, a user's permission to use a resource is changed, a user's identity changes, etc.
In contrast, in a capability-based authorization scheme, access authorization information would be associated with subjects (e.g., users, roles) rather than objects (e.g., resources) to which the subjects desire access. Thus, a capability-based authorization scheme could avoid some or all of the difficulties associated managing ACLs.
Previous attempts to provide capability-based authorization schemes have been unsatisfactory, in part because they have limited scope. More specifically, attempted schemes are limited to implementation within one address space, associated with one JVM (Java Virtual Machine) for example. Thus, in a Java environment, within each address space, a separate authorization scheme would have to be implemented and maintained. There would be little, if any, ability to share authorization information across address spaces and each scheme would have to be updated separately.
Also, many authorization schemes only allow access privileges to be granted to users. This typically requires every user's authorization profile to be individually configured—every user is granted his or her necessary authorizations. Even if multiple users have the same access requirements, they would each have to be configured separately.
Thus, beyond the difficulties of managing authorization privileges or permissions as the number of objects and/or subjects increase, it can be difficult to manage how those privileges or permissions are granted. In particular, it can take a significant portion of a security administrator's time to grant, revoke and alter the access privileges of subjects (e.g., users) within an organization's computing environment, as subjects come and go and as the configuration of the environment changes (e.g., as resources are added or removed). This is because typical security policies (e.g., the default policy for the Java programming language) do not include administrative functionality for managing access privileges. As a result, it is not possible to control, with fine granularity, which subjects can make changes to the security policy, and what kind of changes they can make.

Distributed capability-based authorization architecture


A multiple-electrode spot welding apparatus has the inner ends of the electrode shanks disposed in a bed of small ball bearings in such a manner that when the electrode tips contact a workpiece, any uneven pressure applied by one of the electrodes moves the other electrodes to equalize the pressure applied by all electrodes. In another embodiment of the invention, the ends of each pair of electrode shanks have semi-spherical ends seated on a small tilt plate. The mid-section of the small tilt plate is seated on a small ball which, in turn, is seated on another larger tilt plate. The larger tilt plate is seated on a larger ball in such a manner that any imbalance in the pressure of certain electrode tips contacting the workpiece, causes the other electrode tips to move to balance the pressure of all the electrodes. A third embodiment uses a single ball mechanism to make a dual electrode fixture self-adjusting.

Spot welding holders commonly employ multiple electrodes, each fixed in position. Some electrodes apply more pressure on the workpiece than other electrodes because of variations in workpiece thickness and electrode wear. The electrodes function best when they apply equal pressure on the workpiece, splitting the current evenly between the tips. Uneven tip pressure reduces the life of the electrodes.
Conventional practice is to file the inner ends of the electrode shanks to balance the tip pressure on the workpiece. This time-consuming process requires taking the holder apart to file the electrodes and then assembling the holder to determine whether the electrode pressure is even.
Typically, a conventional holder requires maintenance after processing 2,000 pieces.
Some holders are known for balancing the pressure applied by the electrode tips by some type of self-adjusting mechanism. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,599, issued to Robert B. Width, Apr. 11, 1961, for "Multiple Electrode Holder", and U.S. Pat. No. 3,558,848, issued to Robert B. Width, Jan. 26, 1971, for "Electric Resistance Welding Electrode Holder Three Electrodes in Balanced Force Contact".

Self-adjusting spot welding electrode holder