A blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which decreases or increases with a decrease or an increase of the blood pressure of the subject, or blood pressure-relating information which increases or decreases with a decrease or an increase of the blood pressure of the subject; decrease or increase determining means for determining a decrease or an increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the decrease or increase of the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined reference value (xcex31, xcex32), or abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined reference value (THH) or smaller than a predetermined reference value (THL).

The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 10-337696 filed Nov. 27, 1998, the contents of which are incorporated hereinto by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blood pressure monitor apparatus which monitors a blood pressure of a living subject based on blood pressure-relating information which changes with a change of the blood pressure of the subject.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There has been proposed a blood pressure monitor apparatus which successively obtains blood pressure-relating information of a living subject (patient) and judges abnormality of the blood pressure when the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined upper reference value or smaller than a predetermined lower reference value. The blood pressure-relating information includes a blood pressure which is measured by using a catheter or a cuff, pulse-wave propagation velocity-relating information such as a pulse-wave propagation velocity at which a pulse wave propagates through an artery or a pulse-wave propagation time during which a pulse wave propagates between predetermined two portions of an artery, heart rate-relating information such as a heart rate or a pulse period which changes due to conditions of a central organ (heart) of the subject, peripheral blood volume-relating information such as a peripheral pulse-wave area which indicates a peripheral blood volume and which changes due to conditions of a peripheral organ (blood vessels) of the subject, and blood oxygen saturation. The above-indicated conventional blood pressure monitor apparatus which monitors the blood pressure-relating information automatically determines abnormality of the blood pressure of the subject based on the obtained blood pressure-relating information, so that the abnormal condition of the patient can be quickly dealt with.
The conventional blood pressure monitor apparatus determines abnormality of the blood pressure of the patient when the detected or obtained blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined upper reference value or smaller than a predetermined lower reference value. Accordingly, the conventional blood pressure monitor apparatus equally determines abnormality of the blood pressure due to an abrupt change thereof in a considerably short period of time and due to a gradual change thereof in a relatively long period of time. In general, the abnormal condition of the patient detected when the blood pressure-relating information has abruptly changed should be dealt with as quickly as possible, as compared with that detected when the blood pressure-relating information has gradually changed. The conventional apparatus described above, however, cannot assure that a suitable medical treatment is given without delay on the patient whose blood pressure-relating information has abruptly changed.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a blood pressure monitor apparatus which is capable of quickly detecting abnormality of the blood pressure of a patient when the blood pressure has changed abruptly.
The above object may be attained according to a first aspect of the present invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which decreases with a decrease of the blood pressure of the subject; decrease determining means for determining a decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the decrease of the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined reference value (xcex31).
The above object may also be attained according to a second aspect of the present invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which increases with a increase of the blood pressure of the subject; increase determining means for determining an increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the increase of the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined reference value (xcex32).
The above object may also be attained according to a third aspect of the present invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which decreases with an increase of the blood pressure of the subject; decrease determining means for determining a decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the decrease of the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined reference value (xcex32).
The above object may also be attained according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which increases with a decrease of the blood pressure of the subject; increase determining means for determining an increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the increase of the blood pressure-relating information is greater than a predetermined reference value (xcex31).
In the blood pressure monitor apparatuses constructed as described above, the decrease or increase determining means determines a decrease or an increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the blood pressure-relating information obtaining means, and the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the living subject (patient) is abnormal when the decrease or increase of the blood pressure-relating information is greater than the predetermined reference value. In other words, when the blood pressure-relating information has abruptly decreased or increased, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the patient is abnormal even if the blood pressure-relating information may be normal or permissible. Accordingly, the abnormality of the blood pressure of the patient can be detected without delay when the blood pressure has abruptly decreased or increased.
In a preferred form of the above first or fourth aspect of the present invention, the blood pressure monitor apparatus further comprises reference value determining means for determining the reference value (xcex31) based on the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a smaller reference value corresponds to blood pressure-relating information corresponding to a lower blood pressure.
According to the above preferred form of the first or fourth aspect of the invention, the reference value determining means determines the reference value (xcex31) which is used in judging the abnormality of the blood pressure of the patient by the abnormality judging means, such that a smaller reference value corresponds to blood pressure-relating information corresponding to a lower blood pressure. According to this arrangement, when the blood pressure of the patient is relatively low, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the patient is abnormal even if the decrease or increase of the blood pressure-relating information may be relatively small, so that the abnormality of the blood pressure of the patient can be quickly detected without delay when the blood pressure has abruptly decreased. When the blood pressure of the patient is not so low, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the patient is abnormal only when the decrease or increase of the blood pressure-relating information is relatively large, so that the judgment of the abnormality of the blood pressure is prevented when the blood pressure of the patient is not so low. In the case where the abnormality of the blood pressure is determined on the basis of only the decrease or increase of the blood pressure-relating information, the reference value must be set at a small value in an attempt to be able to find an abnormal blood pressure even if the blood pressure may gradually decrease. In this case, however, the blood pressure may unnecessarily be judged to be abnormal when the blood pressure is not so low.
In a preferred form of the above second or third aspect of the invention, the blood pressure monitor apparatus further comprises: reference value determining means for determining the reference value (xcex32) based on the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a smaller reference value corresponds to blood pressure-relating information corresponding to a higher blood pressure.
According to the above preferred form of the above second or third aspect of the present invention, the reference value determining means determines the reference value (xcex32) which is used in judging abnormality of the blood pressure of the patient by the abnormality judging means, such that a smaller reference value corresponds to the blood pressure-relating information corresponding to a higher blood pressure. According to this arrangement, when the blood pressure of the patient is relatively high, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the patient is abnormal even when the increase or decrease of the blood pressure-relating information may be relatively small, so that the abnormality of the blood pressure of the patient can be quickly detected without delay when the blood pressure has abruptly increased. In contrast, when the blood pressure of the patient is not so high, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the patient is abnormal only when the increase or decrease of the blood pressure-relating information is relatively large, so that the determination of the abnormality of the blood pressure is prevented when the blood pressure of the patient is not so high. In the case where the abnormality of the blood pressure is determined on the basis of only the increase or decrease of the blood pressure-relating information, the reference value must be set at a small value in an attempt to be able to find an abnormal blood pressure of the patient even when the blood pressure may gradually increase. In this case, however, the blood pressure may unnecessarily be determined to be abnormal when the blood pressure is not so high.
In a preferred form of the above first or third aspect of the invention, the decrease is selected from the group consisting of an amount of decrease of the blood pressure-relating information and a rate of decrease of the blood pressure-relating information.
In a preferred form of the above second or fourth aspect of the invention, the increase is selected from the group consisting of an amount of increase of the blood pressure-relating information and a rate of increase of the blood pressure-relating information.
In a preferred form of the above first or second aspect of the invention, the blood pressure-relating information is selected from the group consisting of an estimated bloodpressure (EBP), a normalizedpulse-wave area (SF), and a pulse-wave propagating velocity (VM).
In a preferred form of the above third or fourth aspect of the invention, the blood pressure-relating information comprises a pulse-wave propagation time (DT).
The above-indicated object of the present invention may also be attained according to a fifth aspect of the invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which decreases with a decrease of the blood pressure of the subject; abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means is smaller than a predetermined reference value (THL); decrease determining means for determining a decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and reference value determining means for determining the reference value (THL) based on the decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and decrease of blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a greater reference value (THL) corresponds to a greater decrease of blood pressure-relating information.
In the blood pressure monitor apparatus constructed as described above, the reference value determining means determines the reference value THL which is used in judging abnormality of the blood pressure of the subject by the abnormality judging means, based on the decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and decrease of the blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a greater reference value (THL) corresponds to a greater decrease of the blood pressure-relating information. Further, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the subject has abnormally decreased when the blood pressure-relating information obtained by the obtaining means is smaller than the reference value (THL). According to this arrangement wherein a greater reference value corresponds to a greater decrease of the blood pressure-relating information, the abnormality judging means judges abnormal decrease of the blood pressure of the subject without delay when the blood pressure has abruptly decreased. In addition, since a smaller reference value corresponds to a smaller decrease of the blood pressure-relating information, the present arrangement prevents determination of abnormal decrease of the blood pressure when the blood pressure of the subject is not so low and the blood pressure has gradually decreases.
In a preferred form of the above fifth or sixth aspect of the invention, the blood pressure-relating information is selected from the group consisting of an estimated blood pressure (EBP), a pulse-wave propagation velocity (VM) and a normalized pulse-wave area (SF).
The above-indicated object of the present invention may also be attained according to a sixth aspect of the invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which increases with an increase of the blood pressure of the subject; abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means is greater than a predetermined reference value (THH); increase determining means (60) for determining an increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and reference value determining means for determining the reference value (THH) based on the increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and increase of blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a smaller reference value (THH) corresponds to a greater increase of blood pressure-relating information.
In the blood pressure monitor apparatus constructed as described above, the reference value determining means determines the reference value THH which is used in judging abnormality of the blood pressure of the subject by the abnormality judging means, based on the increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and increase of the blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a smaller reference value (THH) corresponds to a greater increase of the blood pressure-relating information. Further, the abnormality judging means judges that the blood pressure of the subject has abnormally increased when the blood pressure-relating information obtained by the obtaining means is greater than the reference value. According to this arrangement wherein a smaller reference value corresponds to a greater increase of the blood pressure-relating information, the abnormality judging means judges abnormal increase of the blood pressure of the subject without delay when the blood pressure has abruptly increased. In addition, since a greater reference value corresponds to a smaller increase of the blood pressure-relating information, the present arrangement prevents determination of abnormal increase of the blood pressure when the blood pressure of the subject is not so high and the blood pressure gradually increases.
The above-indicated object of the present invention may also be attained according to a seventh aspect of the invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which decreases with an increase of the blood pressure of the subject; abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means is smaller than a predetermined reference value (THL); decrease determining means for determining a decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and reference value determining means for determining the reference value (THL) based on the decrease of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and decrease of blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a greater reference value (THL) corresponds to a greater decrease of blood pressure-relating information.
The above-indicated object of the present invention may also be attained according to an eighth aspect of the invention, which provides a blood pressure monitor apparatus for monitoring a blood pressure of a living subject, comprising: blood pressure-relating information obtaining means for successively obtaining blood pressure-relating information which increases with a decrease of the blood pressure of the subject; abnormality judging means for judging that the blood pressure of the subject is abnormal when the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means is greater than a predetermined reference value (THH); increase determining means for determining an increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means; and reference value determining means for determining the reference value (THH) based on the increase of the blood pressure-relating information successively obtained by the obtaining means, by utilizing a predetermined relationship between reference value and increase of blood pressure-relating information, the relationship being predetermined such that a smaller reference value (THH) corresponds to a greater increase of blood pressure-relating information.
In a preferred form of the above fifth or seventh aspect of the present invention, the decrease is selected from the group consisting of an amount of decrease of the blood pressure-relating information and a rate of decrease of the blood pressure-relating information.
In a preferred form of the above sixth or eighth aspect of the present invention, the increase is selected from the group consisting of an amount of increase of the blood pressure-relating information and a rate of increase of the blood pressure-relating information.
In a preferred form of the above fifth or sixth aspect of the present invention, the blood pressure-relating information is selected from the group consisting of an estimated blood pressure (EBP), a pulse-wave propagation velocity (VM) and a normalized pulse-wave area (SF).
In a preferred form of the above seventh or eighth aspect of the present invention, the blood pressure-relating information comprises a pulse-wave propagation time (DT).


A processing apparatus to melt animal fat, in which an animal raw fat material is transported by a pump, through a microwave chamber and heated, the processing apparatus includes at least one solid-state radio frequency source that is configured to generate microwave energy, one or more sensors, and a control system. The at least one solid-state radio frequency source is configured to generate and transmit the microwave energy to the animal raw fat material, the one or more sensors are configured to measure the microwave energy that is reflected from the animal raw fat material, and the control system is configured to compare the transmitted microwave energy to the reflected microwave energy and then, based on the comparison, the control system is configured to adjust any additional microwave energy that is transmitted by the at least one solid-state radio frequency source to the animal raw fat material.

Animal fat such as pork fat is widely used e.g. as an ingredient in the bakery industry and is used for frying and baking. Other applications wherein animal fat will be used are food, pet food, as a component within soap, detergents, cosmetics and Bio diesel. Pork skin for instance has a high amount of collagen, which can be used for special purposes for instance in the gelatin industry.

Apparatus and method to heat animal raw fat material to produce fat


The disclosed apparatus relates to a stringed practice device comprising: a neck with an upper end and a lower end; a headstock coupled to the lower end of the neck; and where the headstock comprises a plurality of tuning posts. The disclosed method relates to a using a stringed practice device. The method comprises resting a headstock against a thigh of the user; and fingering the strings on a neck of the stringed practice device with one hand of the user.

Conventional acoustic guitars typically have a hollow, resonant body with a round sound hole, a fretted neck projected longitudinally from one end of the body, and six or twelve strings running from the end, or top, of the neck to the opposite end of the body. The strings are fastened at the top of the neck with tuning machines, and to the body with a bridge mounted to the surface of the body, referred to as a sound board. In this manner, the strings span the sound hole, such that plucking the strings with one hand produces a resonant sound within the body cavity, while the player's other hand is used to stop the strings at the appropriate frets to produce the desired pitch for each string played. The same playing technique is entailed with an electric guitar, though these guitars differ from acoustic guitars by having a solid body with an electric pickup instead of a sound hole.
For one to excel at playing a guitar, mastery of two separate skills—plucking (also known as picking) the strings and fingering the neck—is necessary. However, each of these skills may require concentrated and independent practice directed specifically toward the particular skill. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a device available that enabled a musician or music student to practice the skill of fingering the neck. Additionally, it would also be desirable if a device were available to allow a musician to warm up his hand in anticipation of actual guitar playing.
A disadvantage with practicing on a stringed instrument or a prior art practice device, is that they can be cumbersome, unportable, and relatively large to use in a small space. Another disadvantage is that some practice devices are made out of an inexpensive plastic material, which may feel toy-like to the user. Some practice devices do not have strings, they are used to practice finger placement without strings, thus they do not allow for the development and maintaining of calluses on the fingers of guitar players.
Accordingly there is a need for a stringed practice device that overcomes these and other disadvantages.


The present invention discloses a safety protection device of an electronic device touch screen including a detection module, a control processing module and a self-destroying/alarming execution module, wherein the detection module is used for applying excitation signals on an electrical pin of the touch screen and detecting corresponding electrical characteristic value to serve as characteristic information, and the control processing module is used for receiving the characteristic information and judging whether the characteristic information is in consistency with prestored standard characteristic information, controlling normal working of the electronic device if the result of judgment is yes and controlling the electronic device to stop working and enabling the self-destroying/alarming execution module to carry out actions of self information destroying/alarming transmission if not. The device of the present invention can greatly improve safety performance of electronic device. Simultaneously, the present invention provides a corresponding safety protection method.

With the promotion and application of information technology, in our life and work, more and more electronic ways for currency settlement have been adopted. The electronic currency settlement way not only has advantages of convenience and speed, but also can reduce the cash pressure of the central bank. At present, the electronic settlement way has been applied to the settlement of various industries such as shopping in the department store and high-end consumption in exclusive shop, also applied to some entertainment venues such as karaoke parlors, bars, theatres and so on, and further applied to some special industries, such as gas stations, stops, toll stations, parks and so on.
Wherein, POS (Point Of Sale) machines as terminal equipments of electronic charging system are the electronic devices with which the consumers contact most often in the daily consumption by swiping card, and during its use, the confidentiality of sensitive information like password of the users is the most concern of users. A general POS machine includes a host machine, a touch screen and a password keyboard. Usually, the keyboard has a encryption processing unit disposed therein to make an encryption protection for the password inputted by the user, but the touch screen do not provide a function of inputting password and do not have an encryption processing unit, thus, the user can use only the password keyboards to implement an operation of inputting password. However, the above-mentioned POS machine exists following potential security problems: because the touch screen has no encryption function for the information inputted, some criminals much more likely change the touch screen of the POS machine to mislead the user to input password by using the touch screen, thereby embezzling the password of the user easily. Except the above-mentioned POS machines, other electronic devices such as ATM machines, safes and so on also exist above-mentioned potential security problems.
Thus, it is necessary to provide a safety protection device and a corresponding safety protection method of an electronic device touch screen, which is able to be used for detecting whether the touch screen of the above-mentioned electronic device has been refitted illegally to threat the sensitive information security of user, thereby solving above defects.

Safety protection method and device of electronic device touch screen


Provided is an object information acquiring apparatus having: a light source; a probe that converts an acoustic wave generated from an object, onto which light is irradiated from the light source, into a detection signal; and a signal processor that obtains characteristic information inside the object based on the detection signal, wherein the signal processor obtains the characteristic information using information regarding a characteristic structure of a measurement target inside the object.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object information acquiring apparatus and a control method thereof.
Description of the Related Art
Vigorous research on optical imaging apparatuses where light is irradiated onto an object, such as an organism, from a light source that is a laser or the like, and where information in the object acquired based on the entered light is imaged, is progressing in medical fields. One optical imaging technique is photoacoustic imaging (PAI). In photoacoustic imaging, pulsed light generated in a light source is irradiated onto an object. Thereby an acoustic wave (typically, an ultrasound wave) is generated from a tissue of the object (light absorber) which absorbed the energy of the pulsed light which propagated and diffused in the object. The object information is imaged based on a signal which is detected as an acoustic wave by a probe or the like and is outputted. In other words, the photoacoustic imaging is a technique to analyze a signal received by a probe, that is, an acoustic wave generated when a measurement target segment absorbs light energy and expands instantaneously, and to image a difference of absorptivity of the light energy between such a measurement segment as a tumor and other tissue. By this analysis processing, an optical characteristic distribution in the object, particularly an initial sound pressure distribution, a light energy absorption density distribution, an absorption coefficient distribution or the like can be obtained. These distributions can be used for measuring a specific substance in an object, such as oxygen saturation in blood. In recent years, pre-clinical research to image the blood vessel images of small animals using this photoacoustic imaging and clinical research to apply this theory to the diagnosis of breast cancer are actively promoted (see "Photoacoustic imaging in biomedicine", M. Xu, L. V. Wang, REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT, 77, 041101, 2006).
Non Patent Literature 1: "Photoacoustic imaging in biomedicine", M. Xu, L. V. Wang, REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENT, 77, 041101, 2006
Non Patent Literature 2: "Reconstructions in limited-view thermoacoustic tomography", Y. Xu and L. V. Wang, Medical Physics, 31(4), 724, 2004

Object information acquiring apparatus and control method thereof


A pneumatic tool is disclosed which includes vibration mounts to reduce the amount of vibration transferred to the user. The vibration mounts include a pair of support members and at least one resilient vibration isolator connecting the support member in a spaced relationship. A compressed air conduit passes through the support member openings but is only directly fastened to one of the support members.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to vibration isolator mounts for pneumatic tools. In particular, this invention relates to a pneumatic tool vibration isolator mount adapted for mounting between the handle of a pneumatic tool and the tool housing to thereby reduce vibration.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Various problems associated with arriving at a vibratory isolator for use with a power tool include where to place the vibratory isolator in the tool and how to manufacture it so that it can withstand the intense vibrations involved with such a tool. The isolator must separate the tool into two pieces such that one can move relative to the other to therefore minimize the transfer of vibration. Difficulties arise in that the vibration isolator mount must also be strong enough to hold the two pieces together and, in the case of pneumatic tools, allow compressed air to pass therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,577 issued to Everett et al. on Sep. 26, 1995 entitled "Pneumatic Tool and Vibration Isolator Mounts Therefor" teaches vibration mounting devices between the handle of a pneumatic tool and the tool housing. In particular, the patent teaches placing a resilient vibration isolator between two support members and then passing a compressed air conduit therebetween. To achieve reduced vibration, the support members' openings remain sealed to the compressed air conduit while the vibration isolators themselves remain spaced from the conduit.
Although the aforementioned patent provides an improved system of locating vibration dampening mounts, it incorporates numerous parts. Thus, a simplified vibration isolator system for mounting between a tool handle and housing is desirable which will produce the same or better vibration dampening results. The above-mentioned relevant art is hereby incorporated by reference.

Pneumatic tool and vibration isolator therefor


A pointing electronic device is provided with: an inertial measurement module, to generate motion input data, indicative of motion of the pointing electronic device, at an input data rate; a pointing determination unit, to implement a pointing algorithm at a processing data rate based on the motion input data, to generate screen-frame displacement data corresponding to 3D-space movements of the pointing electronic device, the processing data rate being higher than the input data rate. The pointing electronic device is further provided with a rate upscaling unit, interposed between the inertial measurement module and the pointing determination unit, to implement a data-rate upscaling of the motion input data, in order to generate upscaled motion input data to be processed by the pointing determination unit at a data rate matching the processing data rate, via a predictive data reconstruction of missing samples based on the actual motion input data.

As it is known, pointing electronic devices include traditional pointers (i.e. devices dedicated to pointing functions) and also smart pens or digital pens or styluses or smart pencils (or similar handheld devices having further and different functions in addition to a pointing function) that are to be coupled to an electronic host apparatus (e.g. a laptop, a tablet, a smart TV, a monitor or a smartphone).
Pointing electronic devices usually implement an HID (Human Interface Device) pointer (or mouse) interface, or protocol, in order to send displacement information (in particular, information associated with a displacement between a current and a previous position) to the host apparatus, in terms of coordinates in a screen-frame of the same host apparatus. A control unit of the host apparatus is thus able to move a displayed object (e.g. a cursor or the like) on the screen-frame based on the received displacement information.

Predictive data-reconstruction system and method for a pointing electronic device


An automated software process for acquiring and distributing information regarding design guidelines relevant to developers of a software system. The system supports developer decisions regarding design guidelines for operational characteristics, such as “points of variability” (POV), of a system under development. Operational characteristics of the system under development are “profiled” through answers to questions reflecting the high level system design. The collected answers indicate a category of operational characteristics associated with a design guideline. A developer obtains the design guidelines appropriate for a given operational characteristic when the answers entered by the developer with regard to that operational characteristic are used to determine one of the elements in the category array. Technical leadership establishes a high-level system design, and determines questions leading to design guidelines for categories of operational characteristics of the system. The design guidelines may then be conveniently accessed by the developer.

In software development communities made up of large numbers of software developers, it is frequently difficult to communicate relevant architectural decisions to developers at times when such information is needed. Specifically, when a developer is ready to develop or significantly modify a program code component, he or she needs immediate assistance in making myriad design decisions according to standards established for the project. Such assistance must either be sought by searching through a potentially large, unwieldy, and potentially out-of-date body of project documents, or from team leadership, who can be bottlenecks to getting an answer quickly. Existing systems for code management in the development process have not addressed this problem adequately.
A common example is the developer faced with choosing where to store persistent settings for "points of variability" ("POV data"), such as configuration values, application assembly values, and the like, for a component s/he is developing. Guidance on where and how to store POV data (and the "where-and-how" of other project standards) can be difficult to find, and when the system under development is relatively complex, there are often many different places to store such POV data. Although the design and development process gradually reveals what the POV for a component should be, making the right decision about where to store POV data is not always obvious.
Several undesirable consequences may result from this situation. First, different developers may each independently make their own determinations as to where POV data should be stored. This likely leads to a proliferation of disparate, disconnected data stores (e.g., separate text files, relational data stores, etc.) across the system. Second, developers may choose to use existing data stores that have inappropriate characteristics for the specific data to be stored. For example, a poorly chosen store might not be available to the component in certain use cases, or may not be translatable to all supported languages, etc. Developers could spend large amounts of development time learning the characteristics of all data stores just so they can make an informed decision about where to store the POV data for the components they develop.
None of these consequences are desirable, and each may result in bad design decisions that must be fixed and re-written, and, in the case where the product has already been shipped and installed in live production, migrated from one POV data store to another as storage decisions are re-made in newer versions of the product.
For the above reasons and others, it would be desirable to have a new system for software system development that provides a convenient way for developers to access "development guide" information reflecting architectural decisions about a system under development in a just-in-time fashion—that is, when they need such information to make specific design decisions about their component. Such a system would be applicable to providing convenient, clear, on-demand guidance in determining storage locations for storing POV data, and to making other component design decisions not related to POV data value storage.

System and method for efficient development of configurable software systems in a large software development community

International Business Machines Corporation


A system containing a writing and reading unit with an antenna coil and at least one preferably elastic carrier in the form of a strip, on which is provided at least one mobile data memory which has a memory and operating circuit and, connected thereto, an elongate loop coil. The arrangement has the advantage that the mobile data memory can be provided on surfaces having virtually any degree of undulation. If a mobile data memory of this type encloses the circumference of a cylindrical object, then data transmission can be carried out in any desired radial spatial direction. The device is particularly suitable for identifying gas cylinders, in which case the elastic carrier, in the form of a strip, of a mobile data memory is placed around the casing of each gas cylinder, particularly in the region of the neck rings thereof.

The invention relates to a device for contactless, inductive power and data transmission between at least one writing and reading unit with an antenna coil, and at least one mobile data memory, which is preferably fitted to a portable object, with an antenna coil. The principle of a contactless transmission path of this type corresponds to a transformer with a coupling factor which varies as a function of distance.
In the case of such devices, which are frequently referred to as identity systems, a mobile data memory is first of all supplied with power in a contactless manner by means of a writing and reading unit for the purposes of activation and for enabling a data exchange. This is done inductively in that a magnetic alternating field is generated in the surrounding space by an antenna coil belonging to the writing and reading unit. When an object having a mobile data memory fitted thereon enters the magnetic alternating field, a voltage is induced in the antenna coil thereof. This provides the power required to operate the mobile data memory. The data transmission which is now possible between the writing and reading unit and the mobile data memory also takes place inductively via the two antenna coils. Information identifying the type and the current condition of the object provided with the respective mobile data memory is, as a rule, communicated as data to the writing and reading unit for a wide variety of purposes.
The maximum distance between the mobile data memory and the writing and reading unit is, as a rule, up to one meter and, in practice, depends on the dimensions of the antenna coils of the writing and reading unit and the mobile data memory and on the respective ambient conditions. Particular problems arise when electrically conductive materials are present in the region of the alternating field, since the eddy currents induced therein cause the antenna resonant circuits of the writing and reading unit and/or of the mobile data memory to be detuned and/or the magnetic alternating field to be completely shielded from the antenna coil of the mobile data memory. As a result, the maximum range of the data transmission can be restricted right up to the point of complete interruption of said data transmission. A particularly unfavorable situation is when a metallic surface of an object must serve as support for a mobile data memory.
To solve this problem, it is admittedly possible to fit a mobile data memory by means of special mounts in such a way that an adequate distance from the electrically conductive surroundings or support is maintained. This ensures that the inductive power and data transmission is influenced as little as possible by the otherwise occurring resonant frequency shifts in the antenna resonant circuits of the mobile data memory or the writing and reading unit. However, it is disadvantageous that the mobile data memories project sometimes to a large extent over the outer surfaces of the objects and, consequently, there is a considerable risk of breaking. Furthermore, mounts protruding in this way will make it more difficult to transport and use, in particular, objects which are difficult to handle on account of their shape, for example, and, if appropriate, have a high dead weight.
If a mobile data memory is fastened to a preferably portable object to be identified, then data transmission without additional positioning operations is only possible if the sum of the minimum distance to be maintained between the mobile data memory and the writing and reading unit and the largest edge lengths thereof is always less than the range of the device under the respective ambient conditions. Only in simple cases, however, is it ensured that the mobile data memory, when manually or automatically approaching the writing and reading unit, is always situated in the field region thereof in a manner independent of position. Further problems thus arise in the case of parallelepipedal objects having relatively large dimensions or in the case of objects having curved outer surfaces. In this case, prior positioning is frequently required for an automated data exchange, for example, where an object that is provided with a mobile data memory travels on a conveyor belt past a stationary writing and reading unit. It is therefore necessary, under certain circumstances, that the object be rotated until a mobile data memory, situated on a remote side in the most unfavorable case, is facing the writing and reading unit. This is particularly difficult with objects which have a high dead weight or curved outer surface and the mobile data memories consequently have to be fitted on poorly definable, non-planar surfaces.
Further problems arise when a plurality of objects, each provided with a mobile data memory, are simultaneously brought up, for example on a pallet, in a box or other transport device, to a writing and reading unit. On the one hand, particularly when the objects have, for example, a cylindrical shape, the mobile data memories on some objects may randomly assume a position facing away from the respective writing and reading unit. A type of shading thus occurs, which is particularly pronounced in the case of objects produced from a metallic material. On the other hand, in conventional identity systems, as a rule only one mobile data memory is allowed to be situated in the magnetic alternating field of the writing and reading unit during the data exchange, in order to maintain proper functioning. Certain identity systems generate large magnetic fields within which the data exchange between a mobile unit and a writing and reading unit occurs. The relatively large magnetic fields produced by such systems permit the data exchange to occur largely independent of the relative positioning of the mobile unit and the writing and reading unit. Nevertheless, this advantage is nullified as soon as a plurality of objects are situated at a small distance from one another, for example in a common transport container. Due to this simultaneous presence of a plurality of mobile data memories in the field region of a writing and reading unit, it is no longer possible, without a (possibly considerable) additional software and hardware outlay, to set up a data transmission to each individual mobile data memory in an unambiguously distinguishable manner.

Device for contactless, inductive power and data transmission, and preferred use thereof for identifying gas cylinders


Provided is equipment for transferring a vacuum chamber that solves a problem of heat dissipation of a driver by (i) placing a permanent magnet, which is a stator structure of a linear motor and causes linear motion, inside a vacuum chamber and (ii) by placing a coil of a driver structure outside the vacuum chamber. Under this structure, (i) no cable is installed in inside the chamber, and (ii) heat generated from the driver structure can be smoothly dissipated. The transfer equipment includes: a first-axis linear coil (24) that is fixed to an outside of the vacuum chamber at a bottom surface of the housing (11) of the vacuum chamber (10); a first-axis slider (60) that is installed inside the vacuum chamber (10) and moves in a first-axis direction relative to a bottom of an inner space of the vacuum chamber (10); and a first-axis linear permanent magnet (63). The first-axis linear permanent magnet (63) is arranged in the first-axis direction, is installed in a lower portion of the first-axis slider (60), and slidingly moves together with the first-axis slider (60).

A device loading a sample after requires in a vacuum chamber for test requires transfer equipment since it needs to move the sample from an inserting location to a testing location because the location where the sample is inserted and the location where the sample is tested are different.
For such transfer equipment, screw transfer equipment that uses a rotary motor is widely used. However, due to backlash of the screw transfer equipment, precise control of the sample is difficult. Accordingly, transfer equipment in a vacuum environment that employs a linear motor and a linear encoder is widely developed as an alternative. However, in order for the linear motor and the linear encoder to be installed inside the vacuum chamber, cables for supplying power and signals to the linear motor and the linear encoder must be installed inside the vacuum chamber.
In order to place the cables inside the vacuum, chamber, expensive parts (feed through) are required for connecting an atmospheric pressure environment outside the vacuum chamber to a vacuum environment inside the vacuum chamber.
However, test environments inside the vacuum chamber vary. In a certain occasion, the inside of the vacuum chamber may be required to be under high voltage, and in another occasion, it is in a vacuum state. Therefore, if the cables are installed in such a high voltage and vacuum environment, there is a high possibility that disturbance or error of a cable signal may occur.
Moreover, when the linear motor is installed inside the vacuum chamber, there is a high possibility of heat dissipation problem due to a heat generated from a coil of the linear motor. Because there is little heat transfer in the vacuum environment inside the vacuum chamber, an additional heat dissipation structure for dissipating the heat generated from the coil of the linear motor may be required.


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array including a memory string having plural series-connected memory transistors; plural word lines disposed to be connected to the memory transistor in the memory string; plural bit lines electrically connected to an end of the memory string; and a control circuit. When performing a write operation on the memory cell array, the control circuit applies a first voltage to a selected word line selected from the plural word lines, applies a second voltage smaller than the first voltage to an unselected word line rendered unselected from the word lines. Before lowering a voltage applied to the unselected word line from the second voltage to a third voltage smaller than the second voltage, it lowers a voltage applied to the selected word line from the first voltage to a fourth voltage smaller than the first voltage.

1. Field
Embodiments described below relate to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A NAND type flash memory is known as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device which is electrically rewritable and capable of being highly integrated. A memory cell of the NAND type flash memory includes a charge accumulation layer formed on a semiconductor substrate via a tunnel insulating film and a control gate stacked on the charge accumulation layer via an inter-gate insulating film. The memory cell stores data in a nonvolatile manner by a charge accumulation state of the charge accumulation layer.
In this NAND type flash memory, the memory cell deteriorates as the number of times of write operations and erase operations increases. As a result, there is a risk that it becomes impossible to write data accurately in the write operation of data.

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and control method thereof


A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for facilitating sharing and using of information such as files, folders, or other stored elements is provided. According to some embodiments, a user may access or use an interface or window to establish one or more permissions regarding a file, folder or other stored element and provide such permissions to one or more other entities. In some embodiments, an entity may be or include an individual person, a group of people, a software application or device, etc. A permission established by a user may be or include allowing an entity to access, read, copy, modify, save, use, etc. a file, folder, or other stored element.

A user of a computer, personal data assistant (PDA) or other client type device often may have files, folders, etc. that the user wishes to share with other users or groups of users. For example, a user may want to share a presentation developed by the user with members of a company's sales force. While in some prior art systems the user may be able to manually assign permission to one or more other entities to access a file, folder, document, etc., such prior art systems generally rely on the user manually placing the file, folder, document, etc. into a shared memory or storage area and manually assigning desired permissions. Such a system is inefficient and places a burden on the user. In addition, the user may not be able to assign permissions on a specific entity-by-entity basis.
It would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus that overcame the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a method, apparatus, means, and computer code that facilitated use or other sharing of information such as files, folders, etc. by allowing a user to grant a permission regarding a file, folder, or other stored element to other people or groups.

Method and apparatus for facilitating granting of a permission regarding a stored element


In one embodiment of the present invention a system for connecting a fastener element (e.g., a pedicle screw) relative to a rod for the purposes of vertebral fixation is provided. The system may permit multi-axial movement between the fastener element and the rod. Further, the system may permit the angular relationship between the fastener element and the rod to be held in a desired orientation. For the purposes of describing and claiming the present invention, the term “rod” is intended to refer to any elongated structure. Such an elongated structure may be solid or hollow and may have any desired cross-section (e.g., circular, oval, square, rectangular). Further, for the purposes of describing and claiming the present invention, the term “interference fit” is intended to refer to physical contact between two or more components.

Various systems for connecting fastener elements (e.g., pedicle screws) to elongated supports (e.g., rods) for the purposes of vertebral fixation have been proposed. Examples include the systems described in the following U.S. Patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,237 relates to a variable locking stabilizer anchor seat and screw. More particularly, this patent relates to a bone interface anchor provided for use with a stabilizer rod for the internal fixation of a spine. The anchor has a seat which accommodates the stabilizer rod and which receives a bone screw for the fixation of the seat to the bone. A compression member cooperates with the seat external to the stabilizer rod and can be tightened to cause a compressive force on the stabilizer rod. The stabilizer rod bears on a rounded surface of the bone screw so as to cause a mating interface between the seat and the bone screw. Subsequently, the position of the seat relative to the bone screw can be locked.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,555 relates to a spinal implant system. More particularly, this patent relates to an apparatus for the internal fixation of the spine. The apparatus comprises an assembly having at least two anchors and an elongated stabilizer. The anchors each have means to hold the anchor to the bone, and include receiving means which receive the stabilizer as well as securing means which cooperate with the receiving means by means of the interaction of mating threads to cause the application of compression on the stabilizer into the receiving means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,911 relates to a polyaxial pedicle screw. More particularly, this patent relates to a polyaxial orthopedic device for use with rod implant apparatus. The device includes a screw having a curvate head, a locking collar disposed therearound, and a receiving member having a linearly tapered socket in which the screw and the collar are nested. The locking collar is slotted and tapered, and has a semi-spherical interior volume into which the screw head is initially polyaxially held. The receiving member has a transverse channel formed in it for receiving a rod, and an axial bore having a linearly tapered chamber in the bottom portion thereof. The collar is inserted down the bore from the top to seat in the chamber, and the screw is subsequently inserted up through the bottom of the bore and into the collar. The linear taper of the chamber provides a radially inward force on the locking collar when the collar is forced downward therein. This radially inward force causes the locking collar to crush lock against the head of the screw, therein locking the two at the given angulation. It is the placement of the rod in the transverse channel, against the top of the collar, and the subsequent locking down of the rod in the channel which provides the downward force against the locking collar, which in turn locks the screw in its given angulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,350 relates to a multi-axial bone screw assembly. More particularly, this patent relates to a multi-axial bone screw assembly including a bone screw having a partially spherical head. The bone screw head is truncated at an upper surface in which a tool receiving recess is defined. The assembly includes a receiver member including a central bore that defines a tapered recess to receive a contracting collet carrying the head of the bone screw. The bore of the receiver member also defines a channel communicating with the recess and configured to receive a spinal rod therein. A portion of the channel is threaded to receive a set screw above the rod. The assembly also includes a contracting collet disposed between the rod and the head of the bone screw. The collet defines a partially spherical recess to receive the head of the bone screw, and includes deflectable fingers that substantially surround the screw head. As the set screw is tightened into the receiver member, the set screw compresses the rod against the collet, which presses the collet into the tapered recess of the receiver member, thereby deflecting the fingers of the collet against the bone screw head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,090 relates to a device for connecting a longitudinal support to a pedicle screw. More particularly, this patent relates to a device used to connect a longitudinal support to a pedicle screw by an accommodating head having a channel to accommodate the longitudinal support, wherein it is possible to freely choose from or mix laterally open, top open or closed accommodating heads. A top open accommodating head facilitates, for example, insertion of the longitudinal support, whereas a lateral opening enables lateral corrections. The pedicle screw and the accommodating head are connected via a conical collet chuck in the accommodating head and by a spherical head on the pedicle screw. The present invention allows engagement of the pedicle screw in the accommodating head after the pedicle screw has been inserted into bone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,436 relates to a device for connecting a longitudinal support to a bone anchor. More particularly, this patent relates to a device for connecting a longitudinal support to a bone anchor having a rounded head. The device includes a body defining a chamber for receiving the rounded head of the bone anchor and a first channel for receiving the longitudinal support. Further, a first sleeve is slidable over the body for compressing the chamber, a second sleeve is slidable over the body for biasing the longitudinal support against the first sleeve, and a fastener is operatively associated with the body for biasing the second sleeve toward the first sleeve. The forces exerted on the second sleeve by the fastener are transferred to the first sleeve in a plane perpendicular to the central axis. Preferably, the longitudinal support contacts the first sleeve at first and second contact points or zones and one of the sleeves includes at least one extended portion for contacting the other sleeve at least one additional contact point or zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,660,004 relates to a multi-axial bone screw assembly. More particularly, this patent relates to a bottom-loading multi-axial bone anchor apparatus. The apparatus includes a receiver member, a crown member, a bone anchor and a retaining member. The receiver member defines an upper opening and a lower opening, which may form part of the same opening, a channel, and a groove. The crown member and bone anchor are loaded into the lower opening of the receiver member, and the retaining member fits around the bone anchor and into the groove in the receiver member. The bone anchor is capable of multi-axial positioning with respect to the receiver member. An elongated member is placed in the channel of the receiver member, contacting the crown member, and a compression member is applied via the upper opening. The compression member presses down on the elongated member, which presses down on the crown member and locks the bone anchor between the crown member and the retaining member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,740,086 relates to a screw and rod fixation assembly and device. More particularly, this patent relates to a screw and rod fixation assembly for fixing a screw and, optionally, a rod. The screw and rod fixation assembly includes a screw, fixing mechanism, a substantially annular ring, rod seating mechanism, and locking mechanism. The present invention also provides for a fixing mechanism for fixing a screw, wherein the fixing mechanism further includes an inner surface wall having a gripping portion and a non-gripping portion. Further, the present invention provides for a substantially annular ring for guiding and providing mechanical and frictional force to a screw head. Additionally, the present invention provides for a rod seating mechanism operatively engaged to the screw head and including at least one flexible portion capable of being compressed against a portion of a rod therein. Finally, the present invention provides for a locking mechanism for engaging the rod and the rod seating mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a deflecting mechanism for deflecting the at least one flexible portion of the rod seating mechanism against and around the rod as the locking mechanism further engages the at least one flexible portion of the rod seating mechanism.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures constitute a part of this specification and include illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.


A sheet fastening apparatus and method are provided. In another aspect of the present invention, a die assembly for forming a joint between sheets of material is disclosed wherein the die assembly includes an anvil, at least one die blade disposed adjacent to and overlapping a punch-side of the anvil, a flexible retainer, and a shield that coaxially and radially surrounds a portion of the anvil and/or die blade.

The present invention relates generally to fastening apparatuses and more particularly to a fastening apparatus for forming a clinch joint between sheets of material.
It is common within the metal forming industry to join overlapping workpiece sheets by punching or otherwise deforming them to cause an interlocking relationship in a localized area. Many of these traditional joints, however, have typically required shearing of the sheet material. Thus, these joints tend to leak rain water and also have their corrosion resistant coatings destroyed.
More recently, an apparatus has been used for joining two or more sheets of material together by creating a leakproof and secure joint. These improved conventional joints are created by use of a punch acting against an anvil to produce what is known as a TOG-L-LOC® clinch joint therebetween. Such a leakproof joint and tooling are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,267,383 and 5,177,861, both of which are entitled "Apparatus for Joining Sheet Material" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,302, entitled "Die and Punch for Forming a Joint and Method of Making the Die," all of which issued to Sawdon. The disclosures of these patents are incorporated by reference herein. These conventional leakproof joints have seen commercial success for use in varied applications such as microwave oven home appliances and automotive vehicle parts.
Other traditional die configurations are known. For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0045153 entitled "Method and Tool for Producing A Press Joint Connection" shows pairs of spaced apart die segments retained by individual leaf springs and their associated screws. This traditional construction, however, leaves the moving die components fully exposed to the harsh environment of a typical manufacturing plant such that the die segments appear to be susceptible to falling off of the die, and the spring interfaces to the die segments and screws may be worn or deformed over time through inadvertent workpiece contact or die vibration.
In accordance with the present invention, a sheet fastening apparatus and method are provided. In another aspect of the present invention, a single biasing member is configured to retain movable die blades in a die assembly while allowing outward movement of the die blades relative to a central anvil. A further aspect of the present invention provides multiple die blades each having a partially circular punch-side shape at their overlap with an anvil. In yet another aspect of the present invention, a die assembly for forming a joint between sheets of material is disclosed wherein the die assembly includes an anvil, at least one die blade disposed adjacent to and overlapping a punch-side of the anvil, a flexible retainer, and a shield that coaxially and radially surrounds a portion of the anvil and/or die blade. In still another aspect of the present invention, die blades have an interior undercut and the die blades contact each other in at least one operating condition. Methods of making and using a die assembly that is used for forming a joint between at least two sheets of material are also provided.
The present invention is advantageous over prior constructions since the present invention improves joint quality by minimizing overly deep drawing of soft material workpieces, such as aluminum sheets. Thus, joint tearing or cracking is reduced. The present invention is further advantageous since the die assembly is less expensive to manufacture, simple to assemble, and more durable, robust and protected in use than many traditional devices. Moreover, the present invention apparatus advantageously allows joining of three or more material sheets. The apparatus of the present invention is ideally suited for joining together aluminum/polymer/aluminum composite panels used to reduce noise. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


Serializing and deserializing circuits are provided on an emulator circuit board to group input and output signals of programmable logic devices for routing through a cross point switch. In one instance, the input and output signals of the programmable logic devices are time-multiplexed signals of virtual interconnections. The cross point switch can be configured for static or dynamically scheduled operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hardware emulation of integrated circuits. In particular, the present invention relates to an emulator architecture implemented using serialized interconnections between programmable logic devices.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hardware emulation of integrated circuits is a method extensively used in the design process of complex logic circuits. A hardware emulator provides a substrate for implementing a complex logic circuit. Typically, the emulator includes as building blocks of the substrate one or more interconnected circuit boards. In each circuit board, a number of interconnected programmable logic devices are provided for implementing selected portions of the complex logic circuit. Field programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs") are the most common programmable logic devices ("PLDs") found in a hardware emulator. The hardware emulator is controlled by software running on a host processor, such as an engineering workstation.
To achieve hardware emulation of the complex logic circuit, a designer provides a description of the logic circuit in a hardware description language. In a modern hardware emulator, the description of the logic circuit can be provided as a behavior level description, a register transfer level (RTL) description (e.g., a verilog or VHDL description), or a logic gate level netlist. If a behavior or RTL level description is used, a logic gate level description for the circuit is synthesized. From the logic gate level description, the logic circuit is partitioned. Each partition is assigned to a PLD for realization. Signals between partitions implemented on different PLDs are transmitted over the pins of the PLDs. The physical signal paths for routing such signals depend on the how the PLDs are laid out and interconnected on each circuit board, and how the circuit boards are interconnected. In some emulators, partial cross bar switches are provided to route signals between PLDs. In other emulators, each PLD is directly connected to a fixed number of other PLDs directly, and another number of PLDs indirectly, according to a predetermined interconnection configuration. Often, signals between partitions implemented on different PLDs are routed through one or more intermediate PLDs.
In a large logic circuit implemented over multiple PLDs, the pins of the PLDs become a scarce resource that must be carefully allocated to avoid excessive signal delays and to maintain high resource utilization in the PLDs. Complex algorithms for placement of partitions and signal routing are devised to achieve these goals. However, a structural organization of the PLDs and their associated interconnection circuits that simplifies circuit placement and signal routing is desired.

Emulator with switching network connections


A method and apparatus for measuring and sorting component parts of an assembly includes a single station wherein parts are continuously fed, precisely measured, sorted by measurement, and then transported. For measuring the parts a contact member is mounted for extremely precise and controlled movements by a voice coil motor. The contact member is initially referenced with respect to a datum and is then placed into contact with the part. An optical encoder senses the position of the contact member to enable a determination of the critical dimension. The contact member includes a removable portion that is shaped to measure a desired critical dimension. This may include the height, inside diameter, outside diameter, roundness, or location of a feature of the part.

The high volume manufacture of some products requires the sorting and classifying of their component parts. For example, many products require the precise positioning and assembly of a variety of accurately manufactured parts to include extremely small and lightweight components. In general, such component parts must be formed with critical dimensions for a proper assembly. During manufacture these critical dimensions must be precisely measured and the parts sorted in lots corresponding to the specified dimensions. Sorting may be based on specific dimensioning of the parts or on the basis of good or reject parts.
As an example, parts may be formed in multi-cavity tooling where the critical dimensions may vary depending on the mold cavity. Products with very tight critical tolerances may often have many rejects due to tolerance match-ups of component parts that result in total tolerance variance outside of acceptable levels. A worst possible case is where a product is assembled with a tolerance variance right on the maximum allowable level. In this case, a product can pass final test and then fail in the field shortly after being placed into service.
Sorting machines for inspecting and separating specific component parts are well known in the prior art. Such sorting machines may use mechanical devices for measuring the parts such as the caliper device shown in U.S. Pat. No, 3,743,093 to Klancnik. In general such mechanical measuring devices are relatively slow and are limited with respect to the precision with which parts can be measured. They are typically limited to a few specially configured parts and are not easily reconfigured to adapt to other types of parts. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,286 and 4,690,284 to Buckley et al disclose parts sorting systems in which wave energy of a single frequency is directed at the part. This wave energy is then analyzed to determine the dimensions and characteristics of the part. These prior art sorting systems also have certain short comings. Such sorting systems, for example, are relatively complicated and expensive and are also limited with respect to the precision of the measurements.
In addition to these limitations most prior systems are not designed to accomplish the inspection and sorting of a variety of accurately manufactured parts to include extremely small and light weight components. These operations require precision in both the movement of the component part into position for measurement, and in the force with which the component parts are handled and measured. Furthermore, for quality control purposes it is advantageous to verify that a part has been successfully moved through a particular station, inspected at the station, and the dimensional data transferred to a computer.
Another limitation of prior art sorting systems in general, is that separate stations are required for different functions of the system. As an example separate stations may be required for measuring a part, followed by stations for good part unload, bad part unload, and empty nest check. The requirement of multiple stations complicates such a sorting system, increases costs and limits the speed of the system
In view of these limitations of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an inspecting/sorting system in which a variety of manufactured parts, to include small and lightweight component parts can be handled and measured with extreme precision. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sorting system in which parts can be measured with extreme precision at high speeds and at a single station. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sorting system in which replaceable measuring devices can be used to measure different features of parts such as the inside diameter, outside diameter, height, location, and run out of the part. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sorting system in which correct transport of a part through a measurement station

Method and apparatus for sorting component parts of an assembly process

Systems, Machines, Automation Components, Corp.


A sewing machine includes an embroidery frame moving device detachably attachable to a sewing machine body and a control device. An embroidery sewing operation is executable when the embroidery frame moving device is attached to the body, and a normal sewing operation is executable when the moving device is detached from the body. The control device controls the sewing machine in a first stage under only a normal sewing mode in which the normal sewing operation is executed. The first stage ends when a detector detects the embroidery frame moving device initially attached to the body. The control device further controls the sewing machine in a second stage under either the normal sewing mode or an embroidery sewing mode in which the embroidery sewing operation is executed. The second stage starts after the detector has detected the embroidery frame moving device attached to the body.

Conventional electronically controlled sewing machines include sewing machines capable of carrying out embroidery sewing as well as sewing machines carrying out normal sewing such as zigzag stitches, decorative stitches or the like. Since the embroidery sewing necessitates special mechanisms and special control manners, the sewing machines dedicated to the normal sewing are unable to carry out the embroidery sewing. Users carrying out the embroidery sewing also wish to carry out the normal sewing using the same sewing machine. To meet the demand, manufacturers have developed and sold sewing machines capable of carrying out both embroidery sewing and normal sewing.
The sewing machines capable of carrying out both embroidery sewing and normal sewing include a sewing bed formed into a free bed which is generally referred to as "free arm" and are constructed so that an embroidery frame moving device is detachably attachable to the free bed. For example, JP-A-10-52582 discloses a sewing machine with an embroidery frame moving device. In the disclosed sewing machine, a control mode is set at a normal sewing mode when the embroidery frame moving device is detached from the free bed, so that the normal sewing can be carried out by cloth feed by vertical movement of a needle bar and a feed dog. On the other hand, when the embroidery frame moving device is attached to the free bed, the control mode is set at the embroidery sewing mode, so that selection and edit of a pattern for embroidery sewing and embroidery sewing operation are executable.
To meet the demands of both users necessitating embroidery sewing and normal sewing and users necessitating only the normal sewing, the manufacturers have manufactured and sold sewing machines dedicated to the normal sewing and sewing machines capable of carrying out both embroidery sewing and normal sewing. Users carrying out only the normal sewing have purchased the sewing machines dedicated to the normal sewing, whereas users carrying out both embroidery sewing and normal sewing have purchased the sewing machines with detachably attachable embroidery frame moving devices which are capable of carrying out embroidery sewing and normal sewing.
However, in a case, a user firstly had no intention to carry out embroidery sewing and purchased a sewing machine dedicated to normal sewing. Now, he or she is interested in embroidery sewing and wishes to carry out embroidery sewing. In this case, the user needs to purchase a new sewing machine to which an embroidery frame moving device is detachably attachable. This results in inconvenience. Furthermore, it is manufacturer's burden to manufacture and sell two types of sewing machines, that is, sewing machine dedicated to normal sewing and sewing machines to which an embroidery frame moving device is detachably attachable.
As countermeasures against the aforementioned problems, it is suggested to sell, as a sewing machine dedicated to normal sewing, a sewing machine which is not provided with an embroidery frame moving device but to which an embroidery frame moving device is detachably attachable, so that a user who desires only the normal sewing would purchase such a sewing machine. However, conventional sewing machines to which an embroidery frame moving device is detachably attachable are designed so that patterns other than those for embroidery sewing is selectable and editable even when the embroidery frame moving device is not attached to the sewing machine in view of convenience. Accordingly, when the aforesaid sewing machine without an embroidery frame is sold as the sewing machine dedicated to the normal sewing, the user carrying out only the normal sewing would be perplexed about and troubled with unnecessary pattern selection for embroidery sewing, switches, display and operation for editing, or the like.

Sewing machine to which embroidery frame moving device is detachably attachable


The present invention relates to a net-post assembly that can fix and release the net more quickly and easily. The net-post assembly comprises a rod, a quick release member inserted in the through hole of the rod, a first clamping member, a second clamping member, and a fastener. The net can be clamped between the second clamping member and the fastener easily by the adjusting the quick release member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a net-post assembly for ball game, and more particularly to a net-post assembly that can fix and release the net more quickly and easily.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
Referring to FIG. 1, which shows a vertical aerial assembly for volleyball disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 563,916.
In assembly, the user screws the upper screw member 10 with the threaded portion 111 of the upper fixing rod 11 and make the upper screw member 10 rest on the inner surface of the upper hook 12, and thus an upper edge net (not shown) can be clamped between the upper screw member 10 and the upper hook 12.
And then the user can screw the lower screw member 13 with the threaded portion 141 of the lower fixing rod 14 and make it rest on the inner surface of the lower fixing rod 14, so as to clamp the lower edge of the net between the lower fixing rod 14 and the lower screw member 13.
However, during the assembly and disassembly of the vertical aerial assembly, the user has to rotate the upper and lower screw members 10, 13 relative the upper and lower fixing rods 11, 14, in order to clamp the upper edge of the net between the upper screw member 10 and the upper fixing rod 12, and retain the lower edge of the net between the lower screw member 13 and the lower fixing rod 15. Rotating the screw is really not easy and time-consuming.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


A new cultivar of Abelia named ‘Kaleidoscope’ that is characterized by dense compact habit, fragrant white flowers, and variegated foliage that exhibits seasonal color changes from green and golden-yellow, to orange and fiery-red. In combination these traits set ‘Kaleidoscope’ apart from all other existing varieties of Abelia known to the inventor.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Abelia grown as an ornamental plant for use in the landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Abelia×grandiflora and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name 'Kaleidoscope'.
'Kaleidoscope' was discovered by the inventor in 1997 as a single variegated branch sport on an individual Abelia×grandiflora 'Little Richard' (unpatented). The inventor, who manages plant propagation on a nursery in Marshville, N.C., selected 'Kaleidoscope' from an individual plant of Abelia 'Little Richard' within a crop of 'Little Richard'. The parent plant is Abelia×grandiflora 'Little Richard'.'Kaleidoscope' is distinguishable from 'Little Richard' by dense compact habit, smaller size, and variegated foliage. Abelia 'Little Richard' exhibits a larger growth habit and solid-green leaves.
'Kaleidoscope' is an ornamental shrub of dense compact habit and variegated foliage. From spring through summer, and into fall and winter, the foliage colors on an individual plant change from green and golden-yellow to orange and fiery-red. Fragrant white flowers appear in mid summer and persist into fall adding a striking contrast against the reddish-purple stems. Light levels influence foliage color and full sun enhances vibrancy of the colors.
Other than the non-variegated parent plant, Abelia 'Little Richard', the three closest comparison plants known to the Inventor are the variegated Abelia cultivars Abelia×grandiflora 'Sunrise' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,698) and Abelia×grandiflora 'Conti' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,472) and Abelia×grandiflora×chinensis 'Mardi Gras' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,203).
The leaves of 'Sunrise', 'Conti', and 'Marti Gras', are predominantly green (that is, green coloration occupies approximately 70% to 85% of entire leaf surface), with relatively uniform and slender white or cream-yellow margins occupying approximately 30% to 15% the entire leaf surface.
The leaves of 'Kaleidoscope' consists of smaller green blotches which occupy approximately 50% of the entire leaf surface, surrounded by yellow (spring and summer) or orange and red margins which occupy approximately 50% of the leaf surface area.
'Kaleidoscope' is most readily distinguished from its parent, 'Little Richard' and from the variegated cultivars 'Sunrise', 'Conti' and 'Mardi Gras' by its striking and vibrant fall and winter foliage color that is a mix of golden-yellow, orange and fiery-red.
'Kaleidoscope' (and its parent 'Little Richard') may also be distinguished from other cultivars of Abelia×grandiflora by plant habit and plant density. 'Kaleidoscope' and 'Little Richard' appear to be more determinate, requiring minimal pinching or pruning to retain their close dense mounding habit which obscures the stems. 'Sunrise', 'Conti' and 'Mardi Gras' each exhibit stronger apical dominance which results in extended shoot growth and more visibility of their stems.
'Kaleidoscope' was first asexually propagated in 1997 by the inventor in North Carolina. Asexual propagation was accomplished using softwood cuttings. Since that time, under careful observation, the distinguishing characteristics of 'Kaleidoscope' have been determined stable and uniform, and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A drug-delivery tool and method for delivering a diagnostic or therapeutic agent to a target site within a selected body tissue, such as the myocardium of the heart, is disclosed. The drug-delivery tool generally includes an accessing device having a tissue-penetrating implement in its distal-end region, and elements for delivering a selected agent into a cavity formed by the implement. Methods of use are also described.

Intra-muscular needle injection of therapeutic compounds is well known in the medical arts, as is intra-coronary injection where pre-existing intra-coronary arteries provide perfusate conduits. In heart disease, the existing coronary artery in-flows to capillary beds is often compromised. Newly developed gene and protein therapeutic agents hold promise in their ability to act on the surviving smaller capillary beds to grow and expand them. As has been witnessed, the intra-myocardial cellular lattice limits angiogenic response to about 5–10 mm and similar limits occur with direct needle injections in stunned or ischemid heart tissue. The physician must work within an environment of compromised capillary bed vascularity. Physicians are further limited to some degree by drug viscosity—where the drug viscosity is too-low, rapid wash-out can occur; and where too high, capillary occlusion can occur—as well as by high infusate pressure induced cellular damages. These problems are not typical of common healthy muscle tissue injections in the arm or leg. The prior art teaches the creation of permanent channels with the use of lasers, radio frequency heating and mechanical cutting means. Such channels often compromise the capillaries that are sought to be accessed with a drug, wash out readily, and resolve ultimately as fibrous connective scar tissue. Needle and membrane tools may improve access to capillaries but offer no stretching forces and don't offer unobstructed capillary access.

Apparatus and method for delivering therapeutic and diagnostic agents


A method for pulling pipe using a device that is rectangular in shape and is connected at one end thereof to a pulling vehicle so that pulling force from the pulling vehicle is directed along the longitudinal axis of the puller and which has two pipe connecting holes defined therethrough adjacent to the other end thereof.

The installation of pipe in underground service is accomplished by various methods. These methods include digging a trench mechanically or manually digging using a shovel. After a trench is dug, the pipe is usually pulled underground by means of a chinese finger trap. A chinese finger trap is a hollow wire mesh tube which encircles and grips the outside of the pipe. One end of the chinese finger trap is then attached to a motive device or pulling vehicle. The attachment on the motive device or pulling vehicle usually includes a shank or ripper which precedes the chinese finger trap in the earth. A ripper opens a trench in the earth within which the chinese finger trap pulls the pipe. Once installation is completed the chinese finger trap is then removed from the end of the pipe.
Removal of the chinese finger trap from the pipe can be difficult since the pipe is usually in the trench covered with earth. The chinese finger trap must be forcibly compressed to cause it to loosen its grip on the pipe. This manual maneuver is difficult when the mesh is compacted with soil. Further, the end of the pipe may be damaged during pulling. Finally, the nature of the chinese finger trap requires the tool to be under tension to perform as desired. The chinese finger trap cannot be used to "back" pipe into tight areas where the motive device cannot be operated.
The inventor is aware of a system in which a pipe is pulled by a plow or a tractor. Typically, a powered vehicle such as a tractor pulls a subsoil plow through the soil. Attached to the back of the plow and following in the path of the opening formed by the plow is a pipe puller that holds the end of the pipe. As the plow moves through the soil it pulls the pipe puller and the pipe into the opening formed by the plow.
One of the problems with pulling plastic pipe as opposed to pulling metal pipes is that the plastic pipe generally has an inherent resiliency that may cause the pipe puller to slip off the plastic pipe. Also the interior and exterior of plastic pipes tend to be smoother and more difficult to grasp than certain metal pipes. Another difficulty with plastic pipes is that they are usually relatively soft and may contain plasticizers that make the surface of the pipe difficult to firmly grasp. In addition some of the pipe pullers are difficult to "set" or quickly attach the pipe puller to the plastic pipe. The present invention eliminates the problem of slippage and also permits the user to quickly engage or disengage the pipe puller from the plastic pipe.
There remains a need for a pipe pulling method and device which allows the puller to be quickly and non-destructively detached from the pipe after pulling; protects the end of the pipe during the underground pulling operation; and allows the pipe to be pulled without damaging the pipe.
Furthermore, with regard to underground watering systems, it is desirable to have some means and method to pull at one time a plurality of pipes as through a slit trench in installing a watering system with said plurality of pipes, which are generally of a relatively small diameter, running to a common supply source. Plastic pipes are commonly used for such purpose and care must be exercised in the use of a pipe pulling device in connection with plastic pipes to avoid deforming or rupturing such pipes.
Therefore, there is a need for a pipe pulling device and method that can pull more than one pipe at once and which can safely pull more than one plastic pipe.