A method for providing network time synchronization using a redundant grandmaster includes sensing a loss of the grandmaster. A sync message is generated according to a sensed result. The generated sync message is transmitted through a clock master port.

Currently released vehicles have a variety of electronic controllers which are configured with an in-vehicle network for mutual communication among these electronic controllers for improving user convenience and safety.
However, as in-vehicle electronic controllers have been gradually increasing in number, which are capable of interacting with various external devices, problems related to overload of an existing vehicle network and increase in costs due to wiring harnesses have been raised.
In addition, as customer demands for high-quality audio/video (A/V) data and applications using A/V data increase, bandwidth extension is necessary.
As such, a large number of vehicle manufacturers use Ethernet for in-vehicle networking and further have developed Ethernet-based around view monitoring (AVM) systems.
The Ethernet network generally includes a plurality of local area networks (LANs) and a plurality of bridges for connection among the LANs.
Ethernet includes a plurality of nodes for competitively accessing a common medium using a Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocol. However, a CSMA/CD scheme provides the same priority to all traffic, thus allowing the plurality of nodes to access to any traffic through competition, and thus is not appropriate for transmission of multimedia data which is sensitive to propagation time delay, e.g., A/V data.
Accordingly, Ethernet uses a technology of synchronizing timings of all network nodes so as to transmit the multimedia data.
Currently, a standard for audio/video bridging (AVB) has been developed by IEEE 802.1/1722. The AVB standard provides a quality-guaranteed transmission technology for appropriate transmission of a multimedia stream, e.g., an A/V stream, in a LAN.
As described above, according to a conventional LAN, Ethernet basically uses a frame-based packet switching technology which is not an efficient and quality-guaranteed transmission technology. To solve this problem, synchronous Ethernet, residential Ethernet, or the like have been developed by IEEE 802.2. Currently, a research on a method for implementing a similar technology on a bridge based on the conventional non-synchronous packet switching technology has been developing by IEEE 802.1/1722.
Basically, a technology for enabling synchronous traffic transmission using conventional Ethernet bridges which perform packet switching and a core thereof is to synchronize clocks of bridges within a certain geographic range. If the clocks of the bridges are synchronized, a certain-sized Ethernet frame can be accurately transmitted among the bridges with a certain time interval at a desired time. This concept is applied to a bridge mesh which can be used as an infrastructure for stably delivering synchronous traffic.
A time synchronization method among devices according to IEEE 802.1AS is a method for synchronizing a transmitter and a receiver using a time stamp including time synchronization information. In this method, a grandmaster (GM) for providing a reference time for time synchronization is selected among devices in a network, a local time of the selected grandmaster is transmitted to other devices using an announce message, and thus, the other devices use the local time of the grandmaster as a reference time. At this time, the grandmaster transmits the announce message to all other devices to transfer signal information indicating the presence of the grandmaster and a comparative value indicating suitability as a reference time providing device.
That is, the grandmaster is a top node of the IEEE 802.1/1722 time tree and periodically transmits current time information to sub nodes.
IEEE 802.1AS defines a procedure for determining a grandmaster and acquiring time synchronization, a procedure for discovering all devices on a network and controlling access to links using a plurality of control messages, and a procedure for persistently checking link states using the announce message.
However, IEEE 802.1AS cannot rapidly and efficiently acquire time synchronization when a grandmaster is lost (e.g., when the grandmaster is rebooted due to a system failure).

Method and apparatus for providing in-vehicle network time synchronization using redundant grandmaster


Techniques and systems to provide speech recognition services over a network using a standard interface are described. In an embodiment, a technique includes accepting a speech recognition request that includes at least audio input, via an application program interface (API). The speech recognition request may also include additional parameters. The technique further includes performing speech recognition on the audio according to the request and any specified parameters; and returning a speech recognition result as a hypertext protocol (HTTP) response. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

A growing number of applications and devices make use of speech recognition functions to enhance the usability of the applications. However, speech recognition applications and resources can be expensive to create, and may be too resource-intensive to fit on smaller portable devices. Network hosted speech recognition services may have application program interfaces (APIs) that may require a high level of skill to integrate with other applications. Some speech recognition services may not work across engine implementations, or device boundaries, e.g. desktop, server, or embedded.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements have been needed.

Techniques to provide a standard interface to a speech recognition platform


A woman's calendar comprises a markable, erasable surface delineated into an array of boxes representing the months and days of the calendar year, and a marker or markers for representing periodic events of interest on the day of their actual or anticipated occurrence. Events recorded on the calendar, according to a prescribed legend, are transcribed monthly or annually to a permanent archive record.

This invention relates generally to calendars, particularly to a calendar for use by a woman to record and predict periodic health events.
Prior inventors have developed a wide variety of annual calendars and perpetual calendars intended as records or reminders. Some have been directed to the field of health care. However, none, to my knowledge, has been particularly designed to assist a woman with recording and predicting multiple periodic events such as ovulation, menstruation, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and to provide reminders for, and records of, other health-related events, such as breast self-examination, mammograms and pap smears.
Health maintenance and disease prevention are every woman's responsibility, as is her responsibility for birth control and conception. The need for women to better understand themselves physically, psychologically and emotionally are important aspects of leading a healthy and productive life.
In 1989 alone, it was predicted that 43,000 women would die in this country of breast cancer, and another 142,900 women (175,000 in 1991) would be newly diagnosed. Studies have shown that only 30% of women regularly perform breast self-examination.
Uterine cancer and endometrial cancer are the cause of about 10,000 deaths per year in this country. In 1989, there were an estimated 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 39,000 new cases of endometrial cancer. In the past 40 years, the pap test has reduced the mortality rate for uterine cancer by 70%. Therefore, it is recommended that women should have an annual pap smear from the time they are eighteen years old. Additionally, women over the age of forty should have an annual pelvic exam to rule out ovarian cancer from which, in 1989, there were an estimated 12,000 deaths and 20,000 newly diagnosed cases.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that many deaths, unwanted pregnancies and various health problems can be avoided by a woman's being aware of the chronology of her cyclic events, by conducting periodic self-examination, and by maintaining a detailed health record of periodic events.


A prosthetic heart valve can include a frame, a valve component, and a sealing member. The frame can have an inflow end portion, an outflow end portion, an intermediate portion disposed between the inflow and outflow end portions, and a plurality of struts. The frame can be radially compressible and expandable between a radially-compressed configuration and a radially-expanded configuration. The valve component can be disposed within and coupled to the frame and have a plurality of leaflets. The sealing member can have a plurality of ribs and a plurality of drapes. The ribs can be coupled to and extend radially outwardly from the frame when the frame is in the radially-expanded configuration. The drapes can be coupled to and extend radially between the frame and the ribs. The sealing member can be configured to reduce or prevent perivalvular leakage around the prosthetic heart valve.

The human heart can suffer from various valvular diseases. These valvular diseases can result in significant malfunctioning of the heart and ultimately require replacement of the native valve with an artificial valve. There are several known artificial valves and several known methods of implanting these artificial valves in humans. Because of the drawbacks associated with conventional open-heart surgery, percutaneous and minimally-invasive surgical approaches are garnering intense attention. In one technique, a prosthetic heart valve is configured to be implanted in a much less invasive procedure by way of catheterization. For example, collapsible transcatheter prosthetic heart valves can be compressed and percutaneously introduced in the compressed state with a delivery apparatus and expanded to a functional size at the desired position. A challenge in transcatheter prosthetic heart valves is control of perivalvular leakage around the valve, which can occur for a period of time following initial implantation.

Sealing member for prosthetic heart valve


A semiconductor synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) device capable of correcting bits having a low error rate in a Pause Refresh Tail distribution and of reducing a data holding current by lengthening a refresh period so that the refresh period exceeds a period for a Pause Refresh real power. The semiconductor memory device is made up of a 16-bit SDRAM having a Hamming Code and including an ECC (Error Correcting Code) circuit made up of an encoding circuit controlled by a first test signal to output a parity bit corresponding to an information bit, a decoding circuit controlled by second test signal to output an error location detecting signal indicating an error bit in codeword, and an error correcting circuit controlled by a third test signal to input an error location detecting signal and to output an error bit in a reverse manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and more particularly to the semiconductor memory device being provided with an error correcting code (ECC) circuit.
The present application claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-203334 filed on Jul. 11, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) is employed in a storage section of various information devices such as personal computers and, as an amount of information increases, to process (that is, to write and read) information made up of multiple bits also increases. However, as such information consisting of multiple bits to be processed increases, an error occurs inevitably in part of bits of the information when being transmitted. To solve this problem, that is, to improve reliability in the transmission of the information, a DRAM with an ECC circuit having a function of detecting and correcting error bits is provided. The ECC (Error Correcting Code) circuit is configured by using a known Hamming Code. It is known that the Hamming Code is a self-correcting code that can detect and corrects one bit error out of multiple bits.
On the other hand, an SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM) is becoming widespread which enables a high-speed access and is configured so as to operate in synchronization with a clock signal fed from an outside. In such the above SDRAM, an operation speed can be improved several times compared with the conventional DRAM configured so as to operate in a mode being asynchronous to an external signal.
However, such the SDRAM as described above has a problem of a Pause Refresh Tail distribution of information to be stored in a memory cell, that is, a problem of a Pause Refresh failure. Here, time during which a memory cell was left without any process being performed after data had been written thereon is called Pause time. A Pause Refresh test (also called "Pause test") is carried out to check whether data can be read normally from the memory cell after a lapse of a set Pause time. If nothing is done, since data having been written is corrupted by a leakage current, rewriting (refresh) operation is required before data is corrupted.
A Pause Refresh distribution being produced as a result from a Pause Refresh test, which represents Pause Refresh real power occurring until the data is corrupted by the leakage current after each bit has been written, is given as two Gaussian distributions including a Pause Refresh normal distribution being a good distribution which accounts for about 99.9% of the total distribution and a Pause Refresh Tail distribution being a poor distribution which accounts for remaining error of about 0.1% of the total distribution. In the SDRAM, in order to greatly reduce a data holding current, it is necessary to lengthen a refresh period so that the refresh period exceeds a period for the Pause Refresh real power to efficiently improve and correct the Pause Refresh Tail distribution (error rate≈0.01% of random bits), Thus, by greatly reducing a data holding current, reduction in power consumption of the SDRAM can be achieved.
Such the DRAM with the ECC circuit described above is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2539950 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 6-89595). The disclosed DRAM has a 128+9 bit SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) internally and is configured so that access to an outside device can obtained through the SRAM. Moreover, the DRAM with the ECC circuit as described above is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 10-326497. The disclosed DRAM has a configuration with specifications that can comply with packet input/output specifications as employed in a RDRAM (Rambus DRAM).
There is a problem in that, since such the conventional semiconductor memory devices as described above cannot be applied to an SDRAM, when the Pause Refresh Tail distribution is to be improved and corrected, if bits have a low error rate, the Pause Refresh Tail distribution cannot be efficiently improved and corrected and therefore even by lengthening a refresh period so that the refresh period exceeds a period for the Pause Refresh real power, it is impossible to greatly reduce a data holding current.
In the case of the DRAM disclosed in the Japanese Patent No. 2539950, since access to the outside device is obtained through an SRAM made up of 128+9 bits, when a writing operation is performed, after data has been read once to the SRAM (that is, a pre-fetching operation has been performed), writing to a memory cell is performed and therefore redundant time has to be provided during writing operations of the SDRAM. That is, writing of the SDRAM is completed by simultaneously setting a writing command, data and a Y address (address of a device to which the writing is done) and time required for the above pre-fetching operation is not needed and is completed only by one setting. When the ECC circuit is mounted internally as in the case of the DRAM disclosed as above, since data has to be set after a two-cycle delay or a three-cycle delay from a writing command, three cycles or four cycles are needed before an operation is completed. Therefore, since the above pre-fetching operation is required, specifications for the SDRAM cannot be met.
Next, in the case of the DRAM disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10-326497, since the DRAM has a configuration with specifications that can comply with packet input/output specifications, packet data has to be prepared and since configurations of the DRAM are basically different from those of the SDRAM, the disclosed DRAM cannot be applied to the SDRAM as in the case of the DRAM disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2539950.

Semiconductor memory device provided with error correcting code circuitry


In a video signal processing apparatus for generating a video signal in a prescribed format by capturing output of a solid-state imaging element that is driven by corresponding to each timing of horizontal scanning and vertical scanning, a first signal processing circuit generates a first video signal by performing the first signal processing on an analog video signal that is continuously outputted from the solid-state imaging element by a horizontal-line unit. An A/D converter circuit generates the first video data by converting the first video signal to digital information. A memory circuit stores the first video data at least by one horizontal-line unit, and reads out the first video data with a delay of a prescribed delay period. A second signal processing circuit generates the second video data by performing the second signal processing on the first video data that is read out from the memory circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video signal processing apparatus that converts video signals obtained form a solid-state imaging element into digital data and performs various kinds of signal processing. Moreover, the present invention relates to a digital camera constituted with such video signal processing apparatus and solid-state imaging element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there have been achieved single-chip MOS cameras, owing to a rapid advancement in the digital signal processing technique and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) micronization technology. In a single-chip MOS camera, there are integrated, on a single silicon substrate, a video signal processing apparatus capable of performing high-grade signal processing and an imaging element that picks up optical signals irradiated to the imaging plane by converting them into electric signals.
While it has become possible to provide the single-chip cameras, there has been found that a two-chip structure, in which an imaging chip and a video signal processing chip are formed individually, is advantageous in terms of the performance and the cost.
The video signal processing chip processes vast amount of digital image information at a high speed. Thus, the ratio of the signal processing function among the function of the video signal processing chip increases more and more. Further, a large amount of compression is required on the image information for transmitting still images through portable telephones that are expected to advance more drastically in the future. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is known as a method for compressing the image data. In this data compression method, it is necessary to perform a large amount of calculations at a high speed. In order to fabricate the signal processing chips for performing this processing, the latest CMOS micronization technology and CMOS designing technique are essential. Furthermore, an ultrahigh-speed processing circuit is necessary for handling dynamic pictures. Therefore, the state-of-the-art technology of the digital CMOS micronization is required for fabricating the video signal processing chips.
Meanwhile, the imaging chip deals with analog signals, and it differs from the video signal processing chip in this respect. Furthermore, a drastic micronization of the imaging chips is difficult due to a restriction in a photosensitive area such as a lens used in a camera.
Due to the difference described above, the manufacturing processes required for the imaging chips and the video signal processing chips are different. Therefore, if the both chips are forcibly made into a single chip, there may generate a noise and induce deterioration in the imaging performance. In other words, it leads to a high price and poor performance if both chips are forcibly formed into a single chip. Considering those aspects, it has recently been investigated to design the imaging chip and the video signal processing chip individually, when forming the video signal processing chip and the imaging chip into a single chip.
For example, the related art disclosed in US 2004/0201732 comprises a chip set that is a combination of a video signal processing chip constituted with a CMOS and an imaging chip constituted with a transistor in a low-leak current structure formed only with an nMOS type or pMOS type, wherein a timing pulse generating circuit, a gain control amplifier, and an A/D converter circuit are mounted on the video signal processing chip to achieve the low cost. Furthermore, all the circuits of the imaging chip that is designed individually are formed with only the nMOS type or the pMOS type. Thus, only a single kinds of well structures need to be formed in a process diffusion step, so that the number of process steps and the masks can be reduced dramatically. Moreover, it is unnecessary to employ a micronization process in accordance with the video signal processing apparatus, and the imaging chip can be designed separately from the video signal processing apparatus by placing emphasis on the analog performance. Therefore, it is unnecessary to perform forcible micronization process, which results in achieving high performance.
In the above-described related art, however, the analog signal processing circuit is mounted on the video signal processing chip. Thus, the analog signal processing system and the digital signal processing system are mixed within a single video signal processing chip. In that case, the analog signal processing part constituted with the analog signal processing circuit, the AD-converter circuit, etc. and the digital signal processing part are arranged closely within the video signal processing chip, no matter how the circuit layout, and the separation of the power source and ground circuit are contrived. Therefore, it is not possible to prevent the digital noise generated at the time of performing digital signal processing from being mixed into the analog signals.
In the followings, the driving timing of the video signal processing apparatus according to the above-described related art will be described. FIG. 6 is an example of a block diagram for showing the video signal processing apparatus, and FIG. 7 is an example for showing each of the action timings of the signal processing according to the related art.
First, a camera-control microcomputer 16 comprising the timing generating circuit supplies, to a solid-state imaging element 11, a drive control signal S11 containing a horizontal synchronizing signal from a timing supply line for controlling drive in the horizontal direction, a vertical synchronizing signal for controlling drive in the vertical direction, and a pulse for driving the imaging element. A synchronized input video signal S12 is inputted as an analog signal from the solid-state imaging element 11 to a video signal processing apparatus 20. The input video signal S12 is continued by a single horizontal line unit, and a video period as an effective video pixel region containing an optically black part and a horizontal blanking period as a retrace blanking period of the horizontal scanning are set in each of the signals in the horizontal line. The input video signal S12 inputted to the video signal processing apparatus 20 is first captured into the analog signal processing circuit 12 where the analog signal processing is applied, which is then captured into the A/D converter circuit 13 as a video signal S13. The video signal S13 is converted to digital video data S14 by the A/D converter circuit 13, and written to a line memory 14. The video data S14 written to the line memory 14 is outputted in that timing to a digital signal processing circuit 15 as video data S15. The video data S15 receives digital signal processing in the digital signal processing circuit 15, which is then outputted from the video signal processing apparatus 20 as output video data S16.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the video signal processing apparatus 20 of the above-described related art, there exists an overlap period where the analog signal processing period and the digital signal processing period overlap with each other. Therefore, there is such a risk that the digital noise generated at the time of performing digital signal processing may be mixed into the analog signal in the overlap signal processing period.

Video signal processing apparatus for generating a video signal from output of a solid-state imaging element and digital camera including the same


A valve assembly configured to be mounted on a support structure comprises a flowbody having a first port, a second port, and a flow passage there between. A flange is coupled around the flowbody proximate the first port. A sleeve extends into the flowbody through the first port, and a radial lip is coupled to the sleeve proximate the first port. A retaining ring is coupled to the flange and configured to confine the radial lip between the retaining ring and the support structure to secure the sleeve within the flowbody when the valve assembly is mounted on the support structure.

Aircraft often fly at high altitudes, which are characterized by relatively low ambient pressures. To provide passengers with a pleasant environment, it is desirable to maintain aircraft cabin pressure (commonly referred to as "cabin pressure altitude") within a relatively comfortable range during flight. This may be accomplished by controlling the rate at which air escapes from the aircraft's cabin utilizing one or more pressure outflow valves. Preferably, such outflow valves are relatively lightweight and compact, while at the same time being relatively durable and reliable. Furthermore, regulations require that such outflow valves employ redundancy features capable of mitigating single point failure situations, such as crack formation and propagation.
One known type of outflow valve that achieves the above-described goals comprises a non-metallic (e.g., plastic) flowbody having a flow passage therethrough, a rotatable shaft disposed in the flowbody, and a valve element (e.g., a butterfly valve plate) mounted on the shaft and disposed within the flow passage. The shaft is coupled to a valve actuator, which is, in turn, coupled to a controller. In response to commands from the controller, the actuator rotates the shaft to adjust the position of the valve and thereby control the rate of airflow through the flow passage. To reinforce the plastic flowbody and to provide the required redundancy, a metallic (e.g., aluminum) sleeve is disposed within the flow passage such that the sleeve's outer surface is substantially contiguous with the flowbody's inner surface thereby creating a dual-walled flow passage. The sleeve is coupled to the flowbody via an adhesive and a plurality of brackets and fasteners (e.g., rivets). The brackets may each be L-shaped and include-first and second openings therethrough. The first opening receives a first rivet that passes through (and thus couples) the flowbody and the sleeve, and the second larger opening receives a mounting bolt, which passes through a radial mounting flange provided around an end of the flowbody and through an aircraft support structure (e.g. a bulkhead) thereby attaching the flowbody and the sleeve to the aircraft's fuselage.
Although meeting many of the previously identified design goals, outflow valves of the type described are limited in certain respects. For example, as each bracket must be individually riveted, the production of such valves may be relatively time consuming and costly. Furthermore, the riveting process increases the risk of deforming the sleeve and of damaging (e.g., cracking) the plastic flowbody. Additionally, undue stress may be placed on the sleeve because the sleeve is not directly coupled to the support structure and because the riveted brackets do not evenly distribute the clamping force about the sleeve's circumference. Finally, the employment of multiple riveted brackets increases part count and negatively impacts the valve's appearance.
Considering the foregoing, it should be appreciated that it would be desirable to provide an outflow valve having a redundancy feature wherein the sleeve is secured to the flowbody without the use of multiple rivets or other such fasteners. It should also be appreciated that it would be desirable for such an outflow valve to utilize a sleeve attachment means that directly couples the sleeve to the support structure and that substantially evenly distributes the clamping force about the sleeve's circumference. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.


A pneumatic servo for assisting with braking having a casing (10) with a cylinder (38) and a cover (40) with an axis of symmetry (X-X'). A wall structure (12) divides the interior of the casing into a front chamber (14) and a rear chamber (16). The movable wall structure (12) has a rear tubular part (22) which slides in a leaktight fashion in the cover (40) and retains a three-way valve (26) which is actuated by a control rod (30). The front chamber (14) is permanently connected to a source of vacuum while the rear chamber (16) is connected selectively to the front chamber (14) and a source of pressure through the three-way valve (26). The cylinder (38) and cover (40) being made from two identical half-shells (38,40).

Such servos conventionally include a casing including a cylinder and a cover having an axis of symmetry, the inside of the casing being divided in leaktight fashion by a movable wall structure into a front chamber permanently connected to a source of partial vacuum, and a rear chamber connected selectively to the front chamber or to a source of pressure by a three-way valve located in a rear tubular part of the movable wall structure sliding in a leaktight fashion in the cover and actuated by a control rod.
Very many documents relate to this type of pneumatic servo. In all these known embodiments, the casing of the servo is typically formed of a front half-shell, also termed cylinder, and of a rear half-shell, also termed cover, the cylinder and cover being secured to one another by crimping, trapping between them an outer peripheral bead of the unrolling diaphragm providing sealing between the front and rear chambers.
The cover is conventionally intended to be fixed to the bulkhead of the vehicle, on the engine compartment side, and includes an axial cylindrical extension, also termed shaft, pointing toward the rear and penetrating into the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This shaft receives, with leaktight sliding, the rear tubular part of the movable wall structure containing the three-way valve.
The cylinder for its part includes a plane face around the axis of symmetry of the servo, which face is intended to receive a fastening flange of a master cylinder, actuated by a pushrod secured to the movable wall structure of the servo, when the latter is actuated.
It follows that the cylinder and the cover, together constituting the casing of the servo, form two different components. This implies that the time of design, manufacture, storage and management costs are multiplied by two. In particular, the cover including the shaft described above constitutes a component which is quite tricky and expensive to manufacture owing to its complex shape, rejects on the production or assembly line not being negligible.


A child's wagon having a generally flat floor surrounded by upstanding rear and sidewalls defining central triangularly-shaped seating positions having three corners and in which three children may sit while directly facing each other.

This invention relates to a child's wagon, that is, the type of wagon in which children sit and are pulled along by parents or other caregivers. While there are many variants of such wagons both in function and seating arrangement, such known wagons are shaped so as to restrict the seating of children therein to either a face-to-face, direct opposite, i.e., back-to-back, configuration or to a linearly aligned side-by-side configuration.
Accordingly when three children are transported in such wagons, not all the children can face each other and are most often forced into cramped positioning. Especially in their early years, children delight in observing each other especially other children with whom they are already familiar. Thus in introducing a new activity such as transportation via a wagon to such children, it would be supportive to provide positioning such that the children can directly see each other. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a child's pull wagon that would facilitate such face-to-face positioning with three children. The above comment and observation is believed especially relevant with three to children of closely spaced ages including triplets.
This and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a child's wagon having a generally flat floor surrounded by upstanding rear and side walls defining central triangularly-shaped seating positions having three corners and in which three children may sit while directly facing each other.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.


A barrier implanted region of a first conductivity type located below an isolation region of a pixel sensor cell and spaced from a doped region of a second conductivity type of a photodiode of the pixel sensor cell is disclosed. The barrier implanted region is formed by conducting a plurality of deep implants at different energies and doping levels below the isolation region. The deep implants reduce surface leakage and dark current and increase the capacitance of the photodiode by acting as a reflective barrier to electrons generated by light in the doped region of the second conductivity type of the photodiode.

CMOS imagers have been increasingly used as low cost imaging devices. A CMOS imager circuit includes a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the cells including either a photodiode, a photogate or a photoconductor overlying a doped region of a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge in the underlying portion of the substrate. A readout circuit is connected to each pixel cell and includes a charge transfer section formed on the substrate adjacent the photodiode, for transferring electron charges to a sensing node, typically a floating diffusion node, connected to the gate of a source follower output transistor. The imager may include at least one transistor for transferring charge from the charge accumulation region of the substrate to the floating diffusion node and also has a transistor for resetting the diffusion node to a predetermined charge level prior to charge transference.
In a conventional CMOS imager, the active elements of a pixel cell perform the necessary functions of: (1) photon to charge conversion; (2) accumulation of image charge; (3) transfer of charge to the floating diffusion node accompanied by charge amplification; (4) resetting the floating diffusion node to a known state before the transfer of charge to it; (5) selection of a pixel for readout; and (6) output and amplification of a signal representing pixel charge. Photo charge may be amplified when it moves from the initial charge accumulation region to the floating diffusion node through a transfer transistor. The charge at the floating diffusion node is converted to a pixel output voltage by the source follower output transistor. The photosensitive element of a CMOS imager pixel is typically either a depleted p-n junction photodiode or a field induced depletion region beneath a photogate.
CMOS imaging devices of the type discussed above are generally known and discussed in, for example, Nixon et al., "256.times.256 CMOS Active Pixel Sensor Camera-on-a-Chip," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. 31(12), pp. 2046–2050 (1996); and Mendis et al., "CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensors," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. 41(3), pp. 452–453 (1994), the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
A schematic top view of a semiconductor wafer fragment of an exemplary CMOS sensor pixel four-transistor (4T) cell 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As it will be described below, the CMOS sensor pixel cell 10 includes a photo-generated charge accumulating area 21 in an underlying portion of the substrate. This area 21 is formed as a pinned diode 11 (FIG. 2). The pinned photodiode is termed "pinned" because the potential in the photodiode is pinned to a constant value when the photodiode is fully depleted. It should be understood, however, that the CMOS sensor pixel cell 10 may include a photogate or other image to charge converting device, in lieu of a pinned photodiode, as the initial accumulating area 21 for photo-generated charge.
The CMOS image sensor 10 of FIG. 1 has a transfer gate 30 for transferring photoelectric charges generated in the charge accumulating region 21 to a floating diffusion region (sensing node) 25. The floating diffusion region 25 is further connected to a gate 50 of a source follower transistor. The source follower transistor provides an output signal to a row select access transistor having gate 60 for selectively gating the output signal to terminal 32. A reset transistor having gate 40 resets the floating diffusion region 25 to a specified charge level before each charge transfer from the charge accumulating region 21.
A cross-sectional view of the exemplary CMOS image sensor 10 of FIG. 1 taken along line 2–2′ is illustrated in FIG. 2. The charge accumulating region 21 is formed as a pinned photodiode 11 which has a photosensitive or p-n-p junction region formed by a p-type layer 24, an n-type region 26 and the p-type substrate 20. The pinned photodiode 11 includes two p-type regions 20, 24 so that the n-type photodiode region 26 is fully depleted at a pinning voltage. Impurity doped source/drain regions 22 (FIG. 1), preferably having n-type conductivity, are provided on either side of the transistor gates 40, 50, 60. The floating diffusion region 25 adjacent the transfer gate 30 is also preferably n-type.
Generally, in CMOS image sensors such as the CMOS image sensor cell 10 of FIGS. 1–2, incident light causes electrons to collect in region 26. A maximum output signal, which is produced by the source follower transistor having gate 50, is proportional to the number of electrons to be extracted from the region 26. The maximum output signal increases with increased electron capacitance or acceptability of the region 26 to acquire electrons. The electron capacity of pinned photodiodes typically depends on the doping level of the image sensor and the dopants implanted into the active layer.
FIG. 2 also illustrates trench isolation regions 15 formed in the active layer 20 adjacent the charge accumulating region 21. The trench isolation regions 15 are typically formed using a conventional STI process or by using a Local Oxidation of Silicon (LOCOS) process. A translucent or transparent insulating layer 55 formed over the CMOS image sensor 10 is also illustrated in FIG. 2. Conventional processing methods are used to form, for example, contacts 32 (FIG. 1) in the insulating layer 55 to provide an electrical connection to the source/drain regions 22, the floating diffusion region 25, and other wiring to connect to gates and other connections in the CMOS image sensor 10.
Trench isolation regions 15 are typically formed by etching trenches into the substrate 10 to provide a physical barrier between adjacent pixels and to isolate pixels optically and electrically from one another. The trenches are etched by employing a dry anisotropic or other etching process and then are filled with a dielectric such as a chemical vapor deposited (CVD) silicon dioxide (SiO2). The filled trenches are then planarized by an etch-back process so that the dielectric remains only in the trenches and their top surface remains level with that of the silicon substrate 20.
A common problem associated with the formation of the above-described trench isolation regions 15 is that, when ions are implanted in the substrate close to bottom 17 and edges or sidewalls 16 (FIG. 2) of the trench, current leakage can occur at the junction between the active device regions and the trench. In addition, the dominant crystallographic planes along the bottom 17 and sidewalls 16 of the trench isolation regions 15 have a higher silicon density than the adjacent silicon substrate and, therefore, create a high density of trap sites along the trench bottom 17 and sidewalls 16. These trap sites are normally uncharged but become charged when electrons and holes become trapped in the trap sites. As a result of these trap sites formed along the bottom 17 and sidewalls 16 of the trench isolation regions 15, current generation near and along the trench bottom 17 and sidewalls 16 can be very high. Current generated from trap sites inside or near the photodiode depletion region causes undesired dark current.
Minimizing dark current in the photodiode is important in CMOS image sensor fabrication. Dark current is generally attributed to leakage in the charge collection region 21 of the pinned photodiode 11, which is strongly dependent on the doping implantation conditions of the CMOS image sensor. In addition and as explained above, defects and trap sites inside or near the photodiode depletion region strongly influence the magnitude of dark current generated. In sum, dark current is a result of current generated from trap sites inside or near the photodiode depletion region; band-to-band tunneling induced carrier generation as a result of high fields in the depletion region; junction leakage coming from the lateral sidewall of the photodiode; and leakage from isolation corners, for example, stress induced and trap assisted tunneling.
CMOS imagers also typically suffer from poor signal to noise ratios and poor dynamic range as a result of the inability to fully collect and store the electric charge collected in the region 26. Since the size of the pixel electrical signal is very small due to the collection of photons in the photo array, the signal to noise ratio and dynamic range of the pixel should be as high as possible.
There is needed, therefore, an improved active pixel photosensor for use in a CMOS imager that exhibits reduced dark current and increased photodiode capacitance. There is also needed an isolation region that (i) prevents current generation or current leakage and (ii) acts as a reflective barrier to electrons generated by light absorption in a photodiode back to the charge collection region of the photodiode of a pixel sensor cell. A method of fabricating an active pixel photosensor exhibiting these improvements is also needed, as well as an isolation technique that reduces dark current and minimizes current leakage in a pinned photodiode of a pixel sensor cell. An isolation trench that isolates a pinned photodiode of a pixel sensor cell from adjacent photodiodes is also needed.

Isolation process and structure for CMOS imagers


A method, an installation and a nozzle (1) for suppressing the generation of iron-containing vapor during filling or emptying of a container (2) for an iron-containing metal melt with the aid of CO2 snow, a CO2 snow jet (22) being applied by means of the nozzle (1) dispersing in a substantially planar manner onto a surface of an iron-containing stream (23) which is poured into or out of the container (2). The invention consequently at least partially solves the technical problems outlined in connection with the prior art. In particular, a device is proposed which allows cost-effective and space-saving suppression of the generation of iron-containing vapor during the filling or emptying of a container 2 with the aid of a reduced CO2 snow quantity.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for suppressing the generation of iron-containing vapor during the filling or emptying of a container for an iron-containing metal melt with the aid of CO2 snow.
2. Related Art
In iron-containing melts, such as, for example for pig iron, gray cast iron or steel, what is known as "brown smoke" is generated on the surface of the melt in contact with the atmosphere. This brown smoke is for the larger part composed of iron oxide. The iron in the melt reacts with (atmospheric) oxygen and is released from the surface of the iron melt at molecular level in the form of vapor. Since this very fine dust can easily be breathed in and both clogs the lungs and is partially absorbed into the bloodstream, attempts were made even at an early stage to evacuate the brown smoke, for example by means of suction extraction equipment.
For many processes which require a large amount of space or even take place outdoors, the use of suction extraction equipment cannot be implemented expediently or even technically at least with regard to the costs and size of the equipment.
For such purposes, it has proved useful to displace the atmospheric oxygen in the area of the surface of the melt by means of inert gases, such as, for example, nitrogen (N2) and/or carbon dioxide (CO2) as is known, for example, from DE 39 30 04 415 (US equivalent is U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,652).
In converters, pig iron and iron-containing scrap are converted into steel melt by the top-blowing of oxygen so that excess carbon is oxidized out. During operation, the converter is a container which is open at the top, yet is sufficiently closed off by means of a suction extraction hood, so that a gas volume corresponding to the volume of oxygen supplied is completely evacuated through the suction extraction hood. Simultaneously the iron oxide vapor, which also partially arises, is very effectively extracted by suction because of the relatively small and clearly delimited suction extraction volume. When the converter is being filled and emptied, however, this vessel is pivoted forward beneath the suction extraction hood, so that, at the very least, sufficient suction extraction can no longer be ensured.
As a result of the increasingly restrictive stipulations, such as for example in Germany: the statutory regulations related to flue gas and dust of the Federal Anti-pollution Law, it is necessary for the brown smoke which emerges to be evacuated.
Generally, in the steel industry, large and costly plants are employed which are used for long periods of time so as to be profitable. In the past, such plants have become ever larger, for example in such a way as to increase energy and cost efficiency, although the factory building size was usually, if possible, not changed for reasons of costs and available space. Suction extraction equipment for the entire factory building is often ruled out, not only for reasons of high installation costs, but also because of the restricted space available.

Method and nozzle for suppressing the generation of iron-containing vapor

L'Air Liquide Société Anonyme Pour L'Étude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude


An image processing device includes: an extraction unit which extracts a horizontal edge line in which edge points are arranged consecutively in a horizontal direction from an image taken that contains an image of a parking frame; a detection unit which detects, in a case where an edge length of a series edge line in which a plurality of the horizontal edge lines are arranged in the horizontal direction like a broken line is longer than or equal to a prescribed threshold value among a plurality of the horizontal edge lines extracted by the extraction unit, the series edge line as corresponding to a deep-side boundary line of a parking frame; and a determining unit which determines a stop position in the parking frame based on the boundary line detected by the detection unit.

In recent years, with the development of autonomous drive techniques, image processing devices for detecting a parking frame in which to park a vehicle on the basis of an image taken by shooting a neighborhood of the vehicle have been coming into wide use. Image processing devices of this type detect partition lines of a parking frame on the basis of an image taken and detect the parking frame on the basis of the detected partition lines (refer to JP-A-2017-87758, for example).
Furthermore, image processing devices detect, for example, a three-dimensional indication body such as a curb or a sprag(s) and determine a stop position in the parking frame on the basis of the detected three-dimensional indication body.

Image processing device and image processing method


A method and implement for use in speech therapy to assist with teaching a patient to correctly produce sounds, especially /r/ sounds, designed to be used in a human mouth to support tongue tip and made of a palatable, non-toxic substance such as wax or candy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to methods and implements or tools used in speech therapy and more specifically to a method of teaching a patient to correctly produce an /r/ sound and to a tool having a body of a size to be received in the patients oral cavity. The body is defined by multiple curved surfaces which are oriented by a Pathologist for supporting, manipulating and otherwise shaping the patient's tongue in order that the patient properly produces the /r/ sound.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Speech production is a complex activity involving many areas of the oral cavity including the lips, cheeks, teeth, and both the soft and hard palates. The muscles and bones of the oral cavity work together to form sounds that help to create recognizable words and phrases. The most important speech producer of the oral cavity is the tongue. Its placement, movement and shaping are instrumental in producing a variety of specific sounds including such difficult sounds as the /r/, /l/, and /n/ sounds.
Articulation patients with speech issues generally demonstrate difficulty with lingual strength, control and manipulation. For many of these articulation patients, most of which are children, the most difficult sound to produce is the /r/ sound. Seemingly, the most difficult part of the /r/ sound remediation for the patient is their inability to get the posterior tongue up and back while properly shaping the rest of the tongue. Speech Language Pathologists spend a great deal of time trying to teach proper /r/ sound production. Exercises and tools, to assist with placement, movement and shaping of the tongue, are available, but none of these adequately assist with the proper positioning and shaping of the tongue. Most therapy for remediation of the /r/ sound focuses on exercises to increase lingual musculature strength, control and coordination. However, this is difficult because of the complicated nature of the tongue's movements for the /r/ sounds.
Lingual positioning for the accurate production of the /r/ sound is also required and is a multi-part operation. Firstly, it requires the posterior portion of the tongue to be positioned superior and posterior in the oral cavity. Secondly, the laterals or sides of the front tongue blade are spread so that they are in contact with the first and possibly the second upper molars. Next, the anterior tongue tip is held medially in the oral cavity. The vertical position of the anterior or tip of the tongue frequently varies from a tip up to tip down and is individual to each patient. The complexity of the steps and the explanation of these steps is frustrating to both the patient and the Pathologist. With the assistance of the articulation tool the Pathologist is able to actively assist the patient with proper placement of the tongue for phonation.


In an apparatus for transcoding a compressed video, a generator simulates constraints of a network and constraints of a user device. A classifier is coupled to receive an input compressed video and the constraints. The classifier generates content information from features of the input compressed video. A manager produces a plurality of conversions modes dependent the constraints and content information, and a transcoder produces output compressed videos, one for each of the plurality conversion modes.

This invention relates generally to information delivery systems, and more particularly to delivery systems that adapt information to available bit rates of a network.
Recently, a number of standards have been developed for communicating encoded information. For video sequences, the most widely used standards include MPEG-1 (for storage and retrieval of moving pictures), MPEG-2 (for digital television) and H.263, see ISO/IEC JTC1 CD 11172, MPEG, xe2x80x9cInformation Technologyxe2x80x94Coding of Moving Pictures and Associated Audio for Digital Storage Media up to about 1.5 Mbit/sxe2x80x94Part 2: Coding of Moving
Pictures Information,xe2x80x9d 1991, LeGall, xe2x80x9cMPEG: A Video Compression Standard for Multimedia Applications,xe2x80x9d Communications of the ACM, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 46-58, 1991, ISO/IEC DIS 13818-2, MPEG-2, xe2x80x9cInformation Technologyxe2x80x94Generic Coding of Moving Pictures and Associated Audio Informationxe2x80x94Part 2: Video,xe2x80x9d 1994, ITU-T SG XV, DRAFT H.263, xe2x80x9cVideo Coding for Low Bitrate Communication,xe2x80x9d 1996, ITU-T SG XVI, DRAFT13 H.263+Q15-A-60 rev.0, xe2x80x9cVideo Coding for Low Bitrate Communication,xe2x80x9d 1997.
These standards are relatively low-level specifications that primarily deal with the spatial and temporal compression of video sequences. As a common feature, these standards perform compression on a per frame basis. With these standards, one can achieve high compression ratios for a wide range of applications.
Newer video coding standards, such as MPEG-4 (for multimedia applications), see xe2x80x9cInformation Technologyxe2x80x94Generic coding of audio/visual objects,xe2x80x9d ISO/IEC FDIS 14496-2 (MPEG4 Visual), Nov. 1998, allow arbitrary-shaped objects to be encoded and decoded as separate video object planes (VOP). The objects can be visual, audio, natural, synthetic, primitive, compound, or combinations thereof. Video objects are composed to form compound objects or xe2x80x9cscenes.xe2x80x9d
The emerging MPEG-4 standard is intended to enable multimedia applications, such as interactive video, where natural and synthetic materials are integrated, and where access is universal. MPEG-4 allows for content based interactivity. For example, one might want to xe2x80x9ccut-and-pastexe2x80x9d a moving figure or object from one video to another. In this type of application, it is assumed that the objects in the multimedia content have been identified through some type of segmentation process, see for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/326,750 xe2x80x9cMethod for Ordering Image Spaces to Search for Object Surfacesxe2x80x9d filed on Jun. 4, 1999 by Lin et al.
In the context of video transmission, these compression standards are needed to reduce the amount of bandwidth (available bit rate) that is required by the network. The network can represent a wireless channel or the Internet. In any case, the network has limited capacity and a contention for its resources must be resolved when the content needs to be transmitted.
Over the years, a great deal of effort has been placed on architectures and processes that enable devices to transmit the content robustly and to adapt the quality of the content to the available network resources. When the content has already been encoded, it is sometimes necessary to further convert the already compressed bitstream before the stream is transmitted through the network to accommodate, for example, a reduction in the available bit rate.
Bit stream conversion or xe2x80x9ctranscodingxe2x80x9d can be classified as bit rate conversion, resolution conversion, and syntax conversion. Bit rate conversion includes bit rate scaling and conversion between a constant bit rate (CBR) and a variable bit rate (VBR). The basic function of bit rate scaling is to accept an input bitstream and produce a scaled output bitstream, which meets new load constraints of a receiver. A bit stream scaler is a transcoder, or filter, that provides a match between a source bitstream and the receiving load.
As shown in FIG. 1, typically, scaling can be accomplished by a transcoder 100. In a brute force case, the transcoder includes a decoder 110 and encoder 120. A compressed input bitstream 101 is fully decoded at an input rate Rin, then encoded at a new output rate Rout 102 to produce the output bitstream 103. Usually, the output rate is lower than the input rate. However, in practice, full decoding and full encoding in a transcoder is not done due to the high complexity of encoding the decoded bitstream.
Earlier work on MPEG-2 transcoding has been published by Sun et al., in xe2x80x9cArchitectures for MPEG compressed bitstream scaling,xe2x80x9d IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, April 1996. There, four methods of rate reduction, with varying complexity and architecture, were presented.
FIG. 2 shows an example method. In this architecture, the video bitstream is only partially decoded. More specifically, macroblocks of the input bitstream 201 are variable-length decoded (VLD) 210. The input bitstream is also delayed 220 and inverse quantized (IQ) 230 to yield discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients. Given the desired output bit rate, the partially decoded data are analyzed 240 and a new set of quantizers is applied at 250 to the DCT blocks.
These re-quantized blocks are then variable-length coded (VLC) 260 and a new output bitstream 203 at a lower rate can be formed. This scheme is much simpler than the scheme shown in FIG. 1 because the motion vectors are re-used and an inverse DCT operation is not needed.
More recent work by Assuncao et al., in xe2x80x9cA frequency domain video transcoder for dynamic bit-rate reduction of MPEG-2 bitstreams,xe2x80x9d IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, pp. 953-957, December 1998, describe a simplified architecture for the same task. They use a motion compensation (MC) loop, operating in the frequency domain for drift compensation. Approximate matrices are derived for fast computation of the MC blocks in the frequency domain. A Lagrangian optimization is used to calculate the best quantizer scales for transcoding.
Other work by Sorial et al, xe2x80x9cJoint transcoding of multiple MPEG video bitstreams,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, Can 1999, presents a method of jointly transcoding multiple MPEG-2 bitstreams, see also U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/410,552 xe2x80x9cEstimating Rate-Distortion Characteristics of Binary Shape Data,xe2x80x9d filed Oct. 1, 1999 by Vetro et al.
According to prior art compression standards, the number of bits allocated for encoding texture information is controlled by a quantization parameter (QP). The above papers are similar in that changing the QP based on information that is contained in the original bitstream reduces the rate of texture bits. For an efficient implementation, the information is usually extracted directly in the compressed domain and can include measures that relate to the motion of macroblocks or residual energy of DCT blocks. This type of analysis can be found in the bit allocation analyzer.
Although in some cases, the bitstream can be preprocessed, it is still important that the transcoder operates in real-time. Therefore, significant processing delays on the bitstream cannot be tolerated. For example, it is not feasible for the transcoder to extract information from a group of frames and then to transcode the content based on this look-ahead information. This cannot work for live broadcasts, or video conferencing. Although it is possible to achieve better transcoding results in terms of quality due to better bit allocation, such an implementation for real-time applications is impractical.
It is also important to note that classical methods of transcoding are limited in their ability to reduce the bit rate. In other words, if only the QP of the outgoing video is changed, then there is a limit to how much one can reduce the rate. The limitation in reduction is dependent on the bitstream under consideration. Changing the QP to a maximum value will usually degrade the content of the bitstream significantly. Another alternative to reducing the spatial quality is to reduce the temporal quality, i.e., drop or skip frames. Again, skipping too many frames will also degrade the quality significantly. If both reductions are considered, then the transcoder is faced with a trade-off in spatial versus temporal quality.
This concept of such a spatio-temporal trade-off can also be considered in the encoder. However, not all video-coding standards support frame skipping. For example, in MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, the Group of Picture (GOP) structure is pre-determined, i.e., the Intra frame period and distance between anchor frames is fixed. As a result, all pictures must be encoded. To get around this temporal constraint, the syntax does allow macroblocks to be skipped. If all macroblocks in a frame are skipped, then the frame has essentially been skipped. At least one bit is used for each macroblock in the frame to indicate this skipping. This can be inefficient for some bit rates.
The H.263 and MPEG-4 standards do allow frame skipping. Both standards support a syntax that allows the a reference to be specified. However, there frame skipping has mainly been used to satisfy buffer constraints. In other words, if the buffer occupancy is too high and in danger of overflow, then the encoder will skip a frame to reduce the flow of bits into the buffer and give the buffer some time to send its current bits.
A more sophisticated use of this syntax allows one to make the spatio-temporal trade-offs in non-emergency situations, i.e., code more frames at a lower spatial quality, or code less frames at a higher spatial quality. Depending on the complexity of the content, either strategy can potentially lead to better overall quality. Methods to control this trade-off in an MPEG-4 object-based encoder have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,764, xe2x80x9cAdaptive video coding methodxe2x80x9d, issued on Oct. 19, 1999 to Sun et al., and in xe2x80x9cMPEG-4 rate control for multiple video objects,xe2x80x9d IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, February 1999, by Vetro et al. There, two modes of operation were introduced, HighMode and LowMode. Depending on a current mode of operation, which was determined by the outgoing temporal resolution, adjustments in the way bits were allocated were made.
Besides the work referenced above, methods to control this spatio-temporal trade-off have received minimal attention. Furthermore, the information that is available in the transcoder to make such decisions is quite different than that of the encoder. In the following, methods for making such trade-offs in the transcoder are described.
As a result, the transcoder must find some alternate means of transmitting the information that is contained in a bitstream to adapt to reductions in available bit rates.
The most recent standardization effort taken on by the MPEG standard committee is that of MPEG-7, formally called xe2x80x9cMultimedia Content Description Interface,xe2x80x9d see xe2x80x9cMPEG-7 Context, Objectives and Technical Roadmap,xe2x80x9d ISO/IEC N2861, July 1999. Essentially, this standard plans to incorporate a set of descriptors and description schemes that can be used to describe various types of multimedia content. The descriptor and description schemes are associated with the content itself and allow for fast and efficient searching of material that is of interest to a particular user. It is important to note that this standard is not meant to replace previous coding standards, rather, it builds on other standard representations, especially MPEG-4, because the multimedia content can be decomposed into different objects and each object can be assigned a unique set of descriptors. Also, the standard is independent of the format in which the content is stored.
The primary application of MPEG-7 is expected to be search and retrieval applications, see xe2x80x9cMPEG-7 Applications,xe2x80x9d ISO/IEC N2861, July 1999. In a simple application environment, a user can specify some attributes of a particular object. At this low-level of representation, these attributes can include descriptors that describe the texture, motion and shape of the particular object. A method of representing and comparing shapes has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,964 xe2x80x9cMethod for Ordering Image Spaces to Represent Object Shapesxe2x80x9d filed on Jun. 4, 1999 by Lin et al., and a method for describing the motion activity has been described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/406,444 xe2x80x9cActivity Descriptor for Video Sequencesxe2x80x9d filed on Sep. 27, 1999 by Divakaran et al. To obtain a higher-level of representation, one can consider more elaborate description schemes that combine several low-level descriptors. In fact, these description schemes can even contain other description schemes, see xe2x80x9cMPEG-7 Multimedia Description Schemes WD (V1.0),xe2x80x9d ISO/IEC N3113, December 1999 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/385,169 xe2x80x9cMethod for representing and comparing multimedia content,xe2x80x9d filed Aug. 30, 1999 by Lin et al.
These descriptors and description schemes that will be provided by the MPEG-7 standard allow one access to properties of the video content that cannot be derived by a transcoder. For example, these properties can represent look-ahead information that was assumed to be inaccessible to the transcoder. The only reason that the transcoder has access to these properties is because the properties have been derived from the content earlier, i.e., the content has been pre-processed and stored in a database with its associated meta-data.
The information itself can be either syntactic or semantic, where syntactic information refers to the physical and logical signal aspects of the content, while the semantic information refers to the conceptual meaning of the content. For a video sequence, the syntactic elements can be related to the color, shape and motion of a particular object. On the other hand, the semantic elements can refer to information that cannot be extracted from low-level descriptors, such as the time and place of an event or the name of a person in a video sequence.
Given the background on traditional methods of transcoding and the current status of the MPEG-7 standard, there exists a need to define an improved transcoding system that utilizes information from both sides.
In an apparatus for transcoding a compressed video, a generator simulates constraints of a network and constraints of a user device. A classifier is coupled to receive an input compressed video and the constraints. The classifier generates content information from features of the input compressed video. A manager produces a plurality of a conversions modes dependent the constraints and content information, and a transcoder produces output compressed videos, one for each of the plurality conversion modes.

Adaptable bitstream video delivery system

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories Inc.


A chip card has flexible housing parts which are secured on one another. When the housing parts are secured to one another, support elements of the housing parts form voids, in which a flexible printed circuit board is disposed along with its components. In order to ensure that the components will not be mechanically stressed, one lubricant film is disposed between each of the housing parts and the printed circuit board and the components. The printed circuit board or components slide on the film when the card is bent.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a chip card which is used particularly as a code transducer for an access control system of a motor vehicle.
A chip card which is known from German Published, Nonprosecuted Patent Application DE 31 43 915 A1 has a flexible film on which a printed circuit is disposed. The printed circuit is disposed in the interior of the chip card and is covered with a protective film.
Only integrated semiconductor circuits are provided on such chip cards, but not discrete components as switches, capacitors or batteries.
Chip cards that are known from Published European Patent Application 0 481 776 A2 and Published International Patent Application WO 92/21105 have well-like housing parts in which a printed circuit board that carries a circuit is disposed. Additional electronic components are likewise secured between the housing parts. However, such chip cards are quite vulnerable to damage, especially from bending of the chip card.


A method for producing rotationally symmetric structural components of metal, in particular steel, is provided. A blank is arranged in a torsion-proof manner on a first receptacle, the receptacle is rotated about a rotation axis so that the blank is caused to rotate about this rotation axis, at least one linear shaping element with a contour having at least partially an unrolled external contour of the rotationally symmetric structural component or a preform of the structural component is moved tangentially to the surface of the synchronously rotating blank, and the linear shaping element is at the same time pressed against the blank so that during the tangential movement the contour of the linear shaping element is formed at least partially into the blank. A kingpin or link pin of a connection link with a connection shaft and a link outer part is produced.

Rotationally symmetric structural components of metal, in particular kingpins or link pins of a connection link, are used for example to transmit rotational movements, so as to connect to one another by positive engagement rotation axes that are not running in parallel. Preferably the link pins are produced from metal, in particular steel. A link pin or a kingpin normally has a connection shaft and a bell-shaped link outer part that has an inner contour to accommodate positive engagement means. In the production of the kingpins or link pins an outer counter must therefore be formed, for example in the region of the connection shaft, and an inner contour must be formed, for example in the region of the link outer part. Kingpins and link pins but also other rotationally symmetric structural components must have a particularly high degree of precision in their shape in order to perform satisfactory functions. For example, in the case of link outer parts, undercuts are often provided in order to fix a ball cage in the inner contour. At the same time, however, ball tracks must also be provided, in which the balls are moveably arranged and despite force transfer allow various angles in the transfer of the rotational movement. In addition it is known to produce rotationally symmetric structural components of steel using a pressure roller method, in which a metal blank is arranged on a rotatable receptacle, is caused to rotate, and is pressure rolled via driven or freely rotating rolls. However, it has been found that, especially with complex shape forming processes, the use of pressure rolls does not provide an optimal solution as regards accuracy and process time.
Starting from this background the object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for producing rotationally symmetric structural components with which rotationally symmetric structural components of metal, in particular steel, and also of complex geometry, can be produced with sufficient accuracy and shorter process times.

Method and device for producing rotationally symmetrical metal components


A hardware-based detection system includes, among other things, a signal-generating circuit for generating a signal which is functionally related to current in a motor winding, a reference current, and a duration of time. The system may also include a comparator circuit for comparing the generated signal to a reference signal, and for thereby detecting an over-temperature condition in the motor winding. If desired, a compensating circuit may be used to generate a variable reference signal as a function of ambient temperature. A method of operating a detection system is also disclosed. If desired, the detection system may be completely implemented in hardware using an uncomplicated analog circuit architecture.

Electrical motor drives are used across many applications, including, but not limited to, home appliances, industrial machinery, telecom devices, medical devices, building automation devices, and automotive devices. When designing a motor drive for certain applications, it may be desirable to ensure that the device can be safely and reliably operated. Safety and reliability have different aspects, which include human/operator safety and the safe operation of the device itself. In particular, it may be important, or even necessary, to protect the operator, or the device or the device surroundings, from an over-heated surface or a fire. Thus, it may be desirable to monitor an electrical motor drive so that it does not develop an over-temperature condition within one or more of its windings or the stator or the rotor including the shaft or the motor body.
Indeed, one of the potential hazards associated with electrical motor drives is fire or a hot surface due to overheating of one or more motor windings. For some devices, it is desirable to continuously monitor the temperature of motor windings to ensure that there is no overheating or associated fire, especially in case of an over-load or other abnormal condition or fault. Many safety standards mention the maximum allowed temperature for different classes of motor windings. The designer may wish to make sure that the winding temperature will stay within such limits.

Method and circuit for detecting motor winding over temperature


A method and a device for controlling an internal combustion engine are provided, in which method and device a deviation value is determined based on the comparison of a variable characterizing the combustion process in at least one cylinder with a corresponding setpoint value for this variable. Based on the determined deviation value, a first manipulated variable of a first actuator for influencing the start of activation is adjusted. Furthermore, based on the first manipulated variable, a second manipulated variable of a second actuator for influencing the air mass is adjusted.

A method and a device for controlling an internal combustion engine are described in published German patent document DE 103 05 656, in which a manipulated variable of an actuator is computed based on the comparison of a variable characterizing the combustion process in at least one cylinder to a setpoint value for this variable, for influencing at least one additional manipulated variable. The output signal from a structure-borne noise sensor is used to generate the variable. Based on the signal from the structure-borne noise sensor, a feature is obtained there which is adjusted to a predetermined setpoint value. Cylinder-specific variables which characterize the combustion process in at least one cylinder may also be obtained based on a combustion chamber pressure sensor.
Various characteristics which characterize the combustion process in at least one cylinder may be obtained and used for regulation, based on a structure-borne noise sensor and/or a combustion chamber pressure sensor.
Homogeneous and/or partially homogeneous combustion processes are characterized by a high exhaust gas recirculation rate in combination with injection, modified with respect to conventional combustion, for achieving a high ignition delay. These combustion processes are usually used only in partial regions of the engine characteristics map, in addition to the conventional combustion process. Low emissions, in particular of nitrogen oxides and particulates, occur in homogeneous combustion processes.
However, these homogeneous combustion processes exhibit high sensitivity in particular to tolerances in cylinder filling, which is defined by the air-fuel ratio. Therefore, the advantages in controlled operation are not fully realized, or are not realized at all. Furthermore, it is problematic that the control units for controlling and/or regulating cylinder filling are generally not designed for individual cylinders. It is also common to control the transition between the various operating modes, i.e., the transition between conventional and homogeneous combustion.
An object of the present invention is to reduce the sensitivity of the homogeneous combustion process with respect to tolerances in cylinder filling in both steady-state and dynamic operation, within the homogeneous operating mode as well as during changes in operating mode.

Method and device for controlling an internal combustion engine


A method for measuring and aligning front and rear wheels of a four wheel vehicle, including measuring alignment properties of the front wheels, and correcting alignment properties of the rear wheels if all of the measurements of the alignment properties of the front wheels are substantially equal to the manufacturer-specified alignment properties for the front wheels. If all of the measurements of the alignment properties of the front wheels are not substantially equal to the manufacturer-specified alignment properties for the front wheels, then the alignment properties of the front wheels are corrected prior to correcting alignment properties of the rear wheels. The measurements of the alignment properties can be made using a computer-aided, three-dimensional machine vision alignment apparatus.

Motor vehicle alignment systems are important for ensuring that the alignments of wheels on a vehicle are within the specifications provided by motor vehicle manufacturers. If the wheels are out of alignment, there may be excessive or uneven wear of the tires and vehicle suspension system. In addition, the performance of the vehicle, particularly handling and stability, may be adversely affected if the wheels are not properly aligned. As used herein, the term "wheel" or "vehicle wheel" refers to the tire and wheel assembly found on a motor vehicle. Such an assembly generally includes a conventional tire that is mounted on a metal wheel or "rim."
The wheels of a motor vehicle may be aligned in a number of ways. For example, an operator or an alignment technician can use a vision imaging system such as a computer-aided, three-dimensional (3D) machine vision that employs optical sensing devices, such as cameras, to determine the positions of various objects. Examples of such apparatus and methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,743, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Determining the Alignment of Motor Vehicle Wheels" issued to Jackson, et al. on Mar. 10, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,522, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Determining the Alignment of Motor Vehicle Wheels" issued to Jackson, et al. on Jul. 16, 1996; and Published U.S. patent application No. U.S. 2003/0065466A1, published Apr. 3, 2003, to Jackson, et al. and entitled "Self-Calibrating, Multi-Camera Machine Vision Measuring System". All three of these patents and patent application are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The Visualiner 3D3 Arago™ Aligner (Model # EEWA533A), for example, is a vision imaging alignment system that is available from the John Bean Company of Conway, Ark. (www.johnbean.com).
During an alignment process, a number of parameters are measured and adjusted to achieve proper wheel alignment. These parameters include camber, caster, steering axis inclination (SAI) and toe.
Camber is the angle of the wheel, measured in degrees, when viewed from the front of the vehicle. If the top of the wheel is leaning out from the center of the car, then the camber is positive, if the top of the wheel is leaning in, then the camber is negative. If the camber is out of adjustment, it will cause tire wear on one side of the tire's tread. If the camber is too far negative, for instance, then the tire will wear on the inside of the tread.
Caster is the angle of a steering pivot that the front wheels turn on, measured in degrees, when viewed from the side of the vehicle. If the top of the pivot is leaning toward the rear of the car, then the caster is positive, if the top of the pivot is leaning toward the front of the car, then the caster is negative. If the caster is out of adjustment, it can cause problems in straight line tracking. If the caster is different from side to side, the vehicle will pull to the side with the less positive caster. If the caster is equal but too negative, the steering will be light and the vehicle will wander and be difficult to keep in a straight line. If the caster is equal but too positive, the steering will be heavy and the steering wheel may kick when the vehicle hits a bump. Positive caster settings provide a greater degree of steering efforts, self-centering and stability to the vehicle. Therefore, nearly every car has a positive caster setting.
The toe measurement is the difference in the distance between the front of the tires and the back of the tires. It is measured in fractions or decimals of an inch in the US and is usually set close to zero which means that the wheels are parallel with each other. Toe-in means that the fronts of the tires are closer to each other than the rears. Toe-out is just the opposite. An incorrect toe-in will cause rapid tire wear to both tires equally.
SAI is the measurement in degrees of the steering pivot line when viewed from the front of the vehicle. This angle, when added to the camber to form the included angle causes the vehicle to lift slightly when you turn the wheel away from a straight ahead position. This action uses the weight of the vehicle to cause the steering wheel to return to the center when you let go of the steering wheel after making a turn. Because of this, if the SAI is different from side to side, the SAI will cause a pull at very slow speeds. Most alignment machines have a way to measure SAI; however it is not separately adjustable. The most likely cause for SAI being out is bent parts which must be replaced to correct the condition. SAI is also referred to as KPI (King Pin Inclination) on trucks and old cars with king pins instead of ball joints.
Camber, caster, and SAI are typically measured using inclinometers attached to the wheel. With camber, the inclinometer measures the angle that the plane of the wheel makes with the vertical. To measure caster, the wheel is turned through an arc, and the difference in the camber readings is used to derive the caster value. This procedure is called a caster swing.
SAI is measured in a manner similar to caster, except that the inclinometer used for the SAI reading measures the change in pitch angle of a line in the plane of the wheel as the wheel is turned through an arc. The SAI measuring inclinometer is aligned at 90° to the inclinometer used for reading camber and caster.
A typical alignment procedure includes first measuring the camber of the rear tires and the toe of the rear tires. Then the caster, the camber and the toe of the front tires are measured. Normally, this procedure produces accurate results. However, if the front wheels are not in near correct specification, then the camber and toe measurements of the rear tires will not be accurate. For example, if the front cradle is shifted and/or the front wheels are out of location, the adjustments made to the rear wheels will reference an inaccurate front center point.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need in this field for a new and improved method for measuring and adjusting the alignment of the wheels of a motor vehicle. In particular, what is needed is a new and improved method for measuring and adjusting the alignment of the wheels of a motor vehicle that takes into account that measurements and adjustments of the rear wheels of a vehicle can be effected by front wheels that are not in near correct specification.

Vehicle wheel alignment adjustment method


A circuit coupled to an array antenna, such as a sonar transducer array, for measuring the angle of orientation of an incident wave of radiation is formed of first and second channels coupled to respective portions of the antenna to sense delays between signals of the two channels. A memory retains data of earlier occurring lead and lag measurements. Any subsequent transition from a lead/lag to a lag/lead within a single signal pulse is sensed by a gating circuit which disgards the measurement so as to provide noise immunity.

The invention relates to a differential delay measurement circuit, and more particularly, to a delay measurement circuit suitable for use in a bearing deviation indicator for sensing the delay between portions of a sonar transducer array to provide a measure of the angle of orientation of an incident sound wave relative to the transducer array.
Bearing deviation indicators have been utilized in sonar applications for measuring the angle of orientation of a beam of sound relative to an array of transducers. Bearing deviation indicators typically comprise a differential delay circuit having two input channels for receiving signals from each half of an array of sonar transducers. The delay sensed between signals of the two channels is readily converted to the direction of the incident sonar beam. Such differential delay circuits are utilized in other applications besides sonar, and may be utilized, for example, for measuring the differential delay between two signals in a radar system. However, to facilitate a description of the invention, the differential delay circuit will be described with reference to its use in a bearing deviation indicator for sonar application.
A delay measurement circuit used in bearing deviation indicators is responsive to the leading and/or trailing edges of signal pulses in each of the two channels. Typically, the pulse type signals in each of the channels are produced by limiters or clipping amplifiers coupled between the sonar transducers and the delay measuring circuit.
A problem arises in the use of a bearing deviation indicator with sonar receivers having bandwidths in excess of approximately two octaves, and wherein the ratio of signal power to noise power (SNR) is less than approximately 5 dB. The problem is manifested by jitter which may be present in the leading and trailing edges of the signal pulses. The jitter is present when the centroid of the power spectrum of the signal is at a lower frequency than the centroid of the noise spectrum. Exemplary situations are that of a monotone sonar signal at a frequency in the lower portion of the receiver passband or a sonar signal having the major portion of its power falling within the spectral region at the lower portion of the receiver passband while the noise power uniformly fills the receiver passband.
In the foregoing situations, even a small difference in the amounts of receiver noise between the two channels of the bearing deviation indicator produces a bias error in the delay measurement. An apparent angular offset of the incident sonar beam is thereby registered even when the beam axis coincides with the array axis. Due to the jitter, the average number of axis crossings of the signal in one channel differs from that of the signal in the other channel, the difference being dependent on the relative magnitudes of the SNR in one channel as compared to the SNR in the other channel.


A back reflector for a photovoltaic device includes an electrically conductive, textured layer and a reflective layer conformally disposed on the textured layer. The reflector may include a protective layer atop the reflective layer. The materials of the reflector are selected to be non-reactive under conditions encountered in the manufacture and use of the photovoltaic device.

Photovoltaic devices, particularly photovoltaic devices manufactured from deposited layers of thin film semiconductor material, preferably include a back reflector disposed beneath the photoactive semiconductor layers. The back reflector redirects light which has passed through the photovoltaic body unabsorbed, back through that body for further absorption. The use of a back reflector increases the efficiency of the photovoltaic device and permits the use of relatively thinner layers of photoactive material, thereby enhancing the collection efficiency of the device as well as producing a savings in materials. In many instances, the back reflectors are textured so as to provide a diffuse reflecting surface which increases the path length of the reflected light and also provides for enhanced internal reflection.
It is fundamental that a back reflector be highly reflective of light having a wavelength corresponding to the photo response spectrum of the semiconductor layers. In general, it has been found that metals such as aluminum, silver, and copper are good reflectors for thin film photovoltaic devices, such as silicon alloy devices. It is also most important that the materials comprising the back reflector not react with one another or with other materials in the photovoltaic device, either during its manufacture or its use. Such reactions can degrade the efficiency of the device or render it inoperative. Back reflector structures must also be mechanically compatible with the remaining layers of the photovoltaic device. The thinness of the layers can make the device sensitive to a number of mechanical defects. Spikes, or other protrusions in the substrate or in the back reflector can produce shunts or short circuits through the semiconductor layers, thereby compromising device function. Additionally, a back reflector structure which cracks, deforms or otherwise delaminates from the substrate can destroy superjacent semiconductor layers to the detriment of device function. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that back reflectors for thin film photovoltaic devices should be highly reflective of light, nonreactive with adjacent layers of the device, and mechanically compatible with device structure and processing.
The simplest prior art approach to provide a back reflector comprises depositing the various layers of the photovoltaic device upon a highly polished substrate, typically stainless steel. However, while stainless steel is mechanically stable and nonreactive, it is not very highly reflective of light; the integrated reflectivity of most stainless steels is only about 45%. Furthermore, providing a textured reflective surface to the stainless steel is somewhat difficult. As a consequence, more sophisticated back reflector structures have been developed. Aluminum, with or without a silicon alloying agent, is highly reflective of light and the texture of the layer may be controlled via the parameters of the deposition process. Aluminum is somewhat reactive and as a consequence, in most instances it is coated with a protective layer of a conductive material such as a metallic oxide which may optionally include an additional metal. In some instances, the aluminum is deposited as a specular; i.e., smooth, reflector and a textured protective layer is deposited thereatop to provide for light scattering. Back reflectors of this type are presently incorporated in a variety of photovoltaic devices and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,260.
While aluminum is a good light reflector, silver and copper are better yet, particularly for those portions of the electromagnetic spectrum which correlate to the response spectrum of thin film silicon alloy materials; and as a consequence, it is highly desirable to include these metals in back reflective structures. Silver/zinc oxide back reflectors have been employed in the past and U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,082 describes a photovoltaic device having a back reflector of this type. Silver is a relatively soft metal and it has been found that while high efficiency photovoltaic devices can be manufactured with a silver/zinc oxide back reflector, significant problems of yield occur which limit the commercialization of this type of device. These problems are particularly severe when the silver layer is relatively thick, as for example when it is texturized, and it is speculated that the soft silver deforms during processing and use of the photovoltaic device thereby giving rise to a variety of failures. In an attempt to overcome this problem, a conventional aluminum silicon alloy back reflector was provided with a relatively thin layer of silver thereupon. This technology is described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,260. Again, it was found that while the silver enhanced the efficiency of the device somewhat, the efficiency was not as good as that attained using a thick silver/zinc oxide reflector. It is the speculation of the present inventors that reaction between the silver and aluminum layers during the manufacture and/or use of the device results in a lowered reflectivity of the metal which lowers the short circuit current density, and hence the efficiency, of the device.
The present invention, as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow, provides a highly reflective back reflector structure which may optionally be texturized. Photovoltaic devices including the back reflector of the present invention may be readily manufactured in high yield and exhibit high efficiency and stability in use. These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.

Composite back reflector for photovoltaic device


In implementations of answering questions during video playback, a video system can receive a question related to a video at a timepoint of the video during playback of the video, and determine audio sentences of the video that occur within a segment of the video that includes the timepoint. The video system can generate a classification vector from words of the question and the audio sentences, and determine an answer to the question utilizing the classification vector. The video system can obtain answer candidates, and the answer to the question can be selected as one of the answer candidates based on matching the classification vector to one of the answer vectors.

The convergence of digital cameras, the Internet, and social media is changing the way people share knowledge. Instead of relying on traditional books and manuals that include text and still images (e.g., photographs and drawings), users now often view online videos for instructional information. For instance, a mechanic may visit a website that includes a video system to provide instructional videos illustrating various aspects of automobile repair, such as how to assemble a valve-train on a car, how to tune an engine's fuel injection system by adjusting computer settings of a car, etc.
Most video systems do not have a mechanism to answer user questions during video playback. Some video systems, however, may accept user inputs that include a question about a video (e.g., a natural language question) during video playback. To provide an answer to the question, the video systems usually process the natural language question by itself, such as by performing parts-of-speech analysis. However, for many questions, the natural language question itself does not contain sufficient information to appropriately answer the question. For instance, suppose a mechanic is watching an instructional video that illustrates how to assemble cylinders and heads on an engine, and asks "What's the proper torque?" The appropriate answer to this question cannot be determined from the question itself, because the answer is likely different during different steps of the engine assembly. For example, an answer of 65 ft-lbs may be appropriate for a first part of the engine assembly, but inappropriate for a subsequent part of the engine assembly.
Accordingly, conventional video systems that provide videos to users and answers to user questions during video playback can be frustrating for a user to operate and limited in their usefulness, since these video systems may not be able to provide an answer to the user. Worse, these video systems may provide an incorrect answer to a user by generating the answer based merely on the natural language question by itself.

Answering questions during video playback