A mobile scanning system with a scanner including a radiation source and detectors mounted on a vehicle and arranged to scan an object, a controller mounted on the vehicle and arranged to control the scanner, an operator system arranged to be located remote from the vehicle and to communicate with the controller to enable an operator to interact remotely with the controller.

There exists a requirement for screening of cargo items for detection of illicit materials and devices. One class of screening device comprises a truck platform upon which is mounted a high energy X-ray linear accelerator and a series of X-ray detectors. The X-ray detectors are advantageously mounted on a hydraulically operated boom so that the system can be deployed to form a scanning system.
When an object is to be inspected, the entire truck is driven past the stationary object such that the object passes through the X-ray beam between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector array. X-ray projection data is built up line-by-line to form a two-dimensional image.
A mobile truck screening system typically comprises a standard truck chassis with integral drivers cab. Built onto the flat bed at the back of the truck is an inspectors cab and the X-ray imaging device which typically comprises a hydraulically operated boom and X-ray linear accelerator. There is typically an operational exclusion zone around the truck during the scanning process to reduce the X-ray exposure to personnel in the vicinity of the screening area to an acceptable level. A typical exclusion zone dimension is around 30 m×30 m.
The inspectors pod is typically formed from dense materials such as steel and lead so that radiation which is scattered from the object under inspection is attenuated to result in a dose to the inspector that is of an acceptable level. The inspector is usually involved in reviewing image data to verify the presence or otherwise of illicit materials or devices in the cargo load. The inspector may also be involved in operation of the truck system, for example in scanning manifest information or monitoring of the technology that is used on the truck itself.


A data assurance method controls an optical head according to the difference between the device temperature and the temperature of inserted removable optical storage media. A rate of temperature change c is calculated from the output of a temperature sensor which detects the device temperature, and then the temperature of the media is estimated. A transition is made to special processing, and a return is made from special processing in a state with a temperature difference to normal processing depending on the rate of temperature change. Consequently a return to normal processing can be made safely and quickly.

Advances in optical storage media have been rapid, and in addition to such ROM (Read-Only Memory) media as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM, RAM (Random Access Memory) media such as CD-R, DVD-R, CD-RW, DVD-RW, and MO (Magneto-Optical) media have also come into use.
Such writeable optical storage media include dye type, phase-change type, and magneto-optical type media; in all cases, however, optical energy causes heating, to induce a dye change, phase change, or magneto-optical change, in order to record data. The optical energy (called the write power) to record data must be adjusted to an appropriate value according to the optical storage media.
With increases in data storage capacities in recent years, data storage densities have risen, and fine control of the LD power (write power) during writing has become vital. Normally when the power to a device is turned on and media which has been in the same environment is inserted, the temperatures of the device and media rise substantially equally, and so the write LD power can be controlled so as to be ideal.
However, when for example media which has been brought indoors from a cold outdoor environment is inserted into a device which has been in a heated room, the temperature of the media rises rapidly, and time is required until the temperature is the same as the device temperature; consequently there is a shift in the write LD power from the ideal power during this time.
FIG. 13 is a diagram of the change with time in the write power necessary when media at low temperature is inserted into a device at high temperature; the horizontal axis plots the time from media insertion (seconds), and the vertical axis plots the required write power (mW).
As shown in FIG. 13, when low-temperature media (approximately 25° C.) is inserted into a high-temperature device (for example, approximately 54° C.), the write power required at the time of media insertion is approximately 12.5 mW, but 600 seconds after insertion of the media, the required write power is approximately 10.5 mW.
Thus in methods in which the write power is adjusted through test writing at the time of media insertion, a shift in the write power occurs, and in the worst case write errors or time-out errors at the higher-level host due to extended retries occur, possibly causing data loss.
In order to resolve this problem, in the prior art a method has been proposed in which a temperature sensor has been provided to detect the temperature of the device, the media temperature is estimated from the optimum write power obtained from the results of a test write (trial writing) at the time of media insertion, and the write power is adjusted based on both detected temperatures and the elapsed time (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 4-076843 (FIG. 2 and FIG. 4)).
Further, in the prior art a method has been proposed in which a temperature sensor to detect the temperature of the device and another temperature sensor to detect the temperature of an inserted media cartridge are provided, and when the difference in the temperatures detected by the two temperature sensors is greater than a prescribed value, recording, reproduction, and erasure are inhibited (see for example Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-101675).
On the other hand, the earlier the timing for returning to normal processing from special processing in a state in which there is a temperature difference, the greater the effect. Both techniques described above entail judgment only of the temperature difference between device and media, so that when there are rapid fluctuations in the temperatures of the device and media, there is danger in returning to normal processing with early timing. Consequently in order to safely return to normal processing, the temperature difference for the return timing must be made small, and so early return to normal processing is difficult.
Further, in the former technique of the prior art, the write power adjusted value (absolute value) for test writing is scattered due to the states of the media and device, so that test writing must be performed a plurality of times, the average value computed, and the media temperature estimated. Consequently time is required for test writing, and the wait time until the media can be accessed is too long.
Moreover, in a MSR (Magnetic Super-Resolution) type optical disk, changes in characteristics occur due to shifts in sensitivity and for other reasons, and it is difficult to estimate the media temperature from write power adjusted values during test writing.
In the latter technique of the prior art, in addition to a device temperature sensor, a media temperature sensor is necessary, resulting in increased equipment costs. And, detection of the temperature of inserted media is difficult, and in order to perform accurate temperature detection a high-sensitivity sensor is required, further increasing costs. In the case of removable optical storage media in particular, the state of insertion is not constant, so that scattering arises in the temperature detected by the temperature sensor of the media.

Data assurance method for optical storage media and optical storage device


An electronic system includes a chassis, an air flow distribution assembly having a first set of baffles disposed within an intake volume of the chassis and a second set of baffles disposed in proximity to an air outlet of the chassis. The first set of baffles is configured to turn the flow of an air stream approximately 90 degrees, relative to an inlet flow direction of the air stream, toward circuit boards disposed within the chassis. The second set of baffles is configured as a flow splitter that receives the air stream from the circuit boards and partitions the air stream into separate portions prior to the air stream exiting via the air outlet. The use of both the first and second set of baffles redirects and distributes the air stream, flowing into the air inlet, in a substantially even manner across the circuit board component mounting surfaces of the circuit boards disposed within the system.

Electronic systems, such as computer systems, typically include one or more circuit boards housed within a cabinet. The circuit boards are often arranged vertically within the cabinet, in a side-by-side manner. During operation, the circuit boards can generate a significant amount of heat. With the arrangement of the circuit boards within the cabinet, unless the heat is removed, thermal damage can occur to circuit board components carried by the circuit boards. Typically, the electronics systems are cooled by a fan assembly placed within the cabinet of the electronics system to remove the heat generated by the circuit boards.
While the electronic systems can be configured to cool their associated circuit boards in a variety of ways, certain electronic systems are configured with a front-to-back cooling system. In conventional front-to-back cooled systems, a fan assembly causes air to enter the cabinet through an opening located at the base of the front side of the cabinet. As the air flows through the cabinet and across the vertically arranged circuit boards, the air absorbs heat generated by the circuit board components thereby reducing the temperature of the operational circuit board components. The fan assembly draws heated air from the circuit boards to an exhaust opening located at top of the rear side of the cabinet. As a result, front-to-back cooling systems provide a level of thermal management to the circuit boards carried by the electronic systems.

Method and apparatus for providing thermal management in an electronic device


A sintered product useful for abrasion- and impact-resistant tools and the like is provided comprising an iron-group metal binder and refractory metal carbide particles, e.g. tungsten carbide, formed in situ during sintering by the exothermic reaction of a carbide-forming refractory metal powder with a carbon source mixed therewith. The sintering is carried out at an elevated temperature and at a pressure at which diamond is stable in the presence of a liquid phase comprised substantially of an iron-group binder metal, refractory metal, and dissolved carbon. The product may optionally contain diamond, up to about 95% in volume, enabling its properties to be tailored for a wide range of applications.

This invention relates to a reaction sintered carbide/metal product, optionally incorporating diamond, characterized by improved sinterability and strength and by the ability to optimize its physical properties for a wide variety of applications.
Reaction sintering as employed herein refers to a consolidation process in which one or more constituent substances undergo a chemical reaction to form one or more reaction products, said reaction enhancing the sintering process and said reaction product or products becoming a useful constituent of the sintered body.
Embodiments of this invention incorporating residual diamond may be characterized as sintered carbide/diamond products. The invention therefore relates to the field of sintered diamond products useful for cutting tools and the like. By sintered diamond is meant a sintered body incorporating diamond, usually with one or more additional constituents functioning as binders or sintering aids.
Sintered diamond products are useful in the production of sintered composite products comprising an active layer containing said sintered diamond product bonded to and supported by a stronger material, such as cobalt-cemented tungsten carbide. One embodiment of the invention, characterized by zero diamond content or by low diamond content, is useful as a bonding layer between said substrate and said active layer. An embodiment of the invention characterized by intermediate diamond content is useful as a transition layer between said substrate and said active layer, or between said bonding layer and said active layer. An embodiment of the invention characterized by high diamond content is useful as said active layer per se. Those embodiments of the invention which incorporate diamond should not be confused with the product known in the art as polycrystalline diamond or PCD. PCD is employed herein to refer to a sintered diamond product wherein diamond is the major constituent and substantially all of the diamond crystals are directly bonded to adjacent diamond crystals.

Carbide/metal composite material and a process therefor

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A display device includes a pixel circuit on a substrate, a data line on the substrate, the data line being configured to transmit a data signal for the pixel circuit, a monitoring line on the substrate, the monitoring line being different from the data line, and a monitoring circuit. The monitoring circuit is configured to monitor a signal at a monitoring point on a path of the data signal with the monitoring line, and supply a correction signal in place of the data signal to the pixel circuit via the monitoring line and the monitoring point in response to detection of transmission failure of the data signal.

This disclosure relates to a display device and a method of controlling the same.
Flat display devices such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display devices are used in a large variety of fields. For example, they are used in monitors for computers, television sets for home use, and mobile terminals such as smartphones and tablet computers, and further, even in automobiles and machine tools.
Such expansion of the application field of flat display devices brings flat display devices into severe environments such as a high-temperature environment, a high-humidity environment, and a mechanical vibration environment. For this reason, higher reliability and fault tolerance have been increasingly demanded for the flat display devices.

Display device and method of controlling the same

Wuhan Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.


Porous, polymer particles comprising a functionalized cross-linked copolymer having microporous regions and macroporous regions in the polymer matrix thereof, wherein the functional groups are essentially present only within the macroporous regions, as well as processes for preparing these particles based on a template polymerization technique followed by removal of the template polymer from the particles are disclosed. The particles of the invention are useful in chromatography, and in various analytical, diagnostic techniques and solid state peptide, DNA synthesis.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to porous, polymer particles useful in chromatography and in various analytical, diagnostic techniques and solid state peptide, DNA synthesis, as well as to processes for preparing the same by use of a template polymerization technique.
2. Description of Related Art
Small, uniformly-sized, cross-linked, porous polymer beads find use as a low-cost, stable adsorbent in separating and purifying organic and inorganic materials including polymers and biomolecules. Such beads will also find use in chromatographic separation, filtration, gel permeation, and affinity chromatography. Further use can be contemplated as microcarriers for cell culture in addition to as supports for solid-phase peptide or DNA synthesis. These beads should be chemically compatible to organic solvents over a wide range of pH and should have a desired shape, size, porosity and surface area.
Macroporous bead polymers of cross-linked copolymers which contain functionality are, for example, are described in J. R. Benson and D. J. Woo, J. Chromatographic Sci., 1984, 22, 386. They are prepared by conventional suspension polymerization. First, a monomeric material and cross-linkers are suspended as droplets in an emulsion (water/a water-immiscible organic solvent) with the aid of a surfactant. With the addition of an initiator, polymerization proceeds in the droplets to form gel beads containing the solvent entrapped within the polymeric matrix. The solvent entrapped is removed by extraction with a second solvent such as benzene, toluene, chloroform, etc., leaving macropores in the polymer matrix. On the other hand, the cross-linked polymer phase forms micropores in the matrix. Desired functionality is provided on the surface of the polymers by dervatization thereof. However, when the polymer is derivatized, functional groups are introduced to the polymer surfaces within micropores as well as within macropores. Because of the porous nature of the polymer matrix, the derivatization reaction takes place indiscriminately within any pore structure. Since the functional groups in the microporous region can interact with analytes, chromatographic separation using the polymer beads prepared by the method described above is undesirably influenced by such micropore derivatization. This normally leads to ill-defined peak shapes such as tailing due to different fluid dynamics in the microporous and macroporous regions. When the beads are used as a solid support in a DNA synthesizer, the chain growth of oligonucleotides can occur in the macroporous region as well as in the microporous region. After several steps of chain elongation, the resultant oligonucleotides would be contaminated by unwanted oligomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,438 to Feibush and Li describes a method of preparing porous polymer particles by polymerizing monomers and cross-linkers in the pores of inorganic template particles and by removing the inorganic template particles without destruction of the polymer structure. In this process, the surface of the polymer structure can further be modified in various ways to impart desired functionality. One such technique involves bonding a monomer carrying desired functionality to the copolymer surface during polymerization, followed by removal of the template material. However, all the techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,438 allow the copolymer surface to be modified uniformly. Therefore, the resulting modified (functionalized) polymer particles would, for example, not be suitable for high-resolution chromatography.
Accordingly, a new porous polymer bead which overcome the above problems associated with the prior art polymer particles is definitely needed. This invention addresses such need by providing uniform, macroporous, functionalized polymer particles prepared by a template polymerization technique entirely different from the techniques taught in the prior art.

Porous, polymer beads and process of their preparation

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine


In order to interlock an electric contact within an insulating body for a plug-type connector, the invention provides integral clips that are axially spaced apart from one another and on the edges of which the electric contact can be interlocked within a through-opening on the mating side and on the connection side. The invention also proposes a method in which two mould cores that encompass one another and form the through-opening can be removed from the through-opening in opposite directions after the injection-moulding process.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a method for manufacturing a locking device for an electric contact in a through-opening and an adjacent insertion compartment in an insulating body by means of an injection-moulding tool for a plug-type connector as well as to a locking device for an electric contact in a through-opening and an adjacent insertion compartment in an insulating body.
2. Description of the Related Art
A locking device of this type is required for holding an electric contact in the opening of an insulating body in a captive fashion.
It is common practice to fix known electric contacts that are usually realized in the form of crimp contacts and arranged within an insulating body in a captive fashion by means of corresponding locking means (e.g., a locking clip).
For example, DE 15 15 831 discloses a device for holding exchangeable contact elements in electric plug-type connectors, wherein a locking cone secures the contact element in an insulating body.
In this system, it is disadvantageous that at least one additional locking means in the form of a snap ring, a locking ring or a snap hook is required in order to fix the electric contacts in position.

Method for manufacturing a locking device as well as locking device for an electric contact in a plug-type connector


Disclosed are methods and systems of providing access, indexing, and/or connecting a user to a network-based service, associated with a particular entity, using an identifier that can be uniquely associated with the particular entity (e.g., with respect to a given scope of identification), can be proprietary to the entity, and/or issued by a third-party (i.e., a party not providing the method or system). A method can comprising receiving from a client computer system an entity identifier uniquely associated with a real world entity in a scope of identification, the entity identifier being issued by a third-party in association with the real world entity. The method can select a network-based service uniquely associated with the entity identifier, determine a public access parameter to the network-based service, and provide the client computer system with public access to the network-based service according to the public access parameter.

Presently, the most relevant data and information on individuals, companies and products is spread across a wide variety of increasingly complicated websites. Getting to a person's profile, a company's management team, a restaurant's menu, or a retailer's daily special is a time-consuming and multi-step process. Traditionally, access to such web resources are achieved by one three ways: a) search engine; b) traversing a link (e.g., hyperlink) to the web resource; or c) typing the universal resource location (URL) to the web resource letter-by-letter.
Some solutions have been employed in order to mitigate the problems attributed with Internet search. For example, short URL services provide redirect services based on short URLs, thereby obviating the need to type in long and complex URLs. Other examples include bar codes and QR codes, which generally target the print-to-web problem by making a connection to a website through a smartphone that scans the bar code/QR code and redirects the smartphone user to an associated web page (e.g., or saves the associated URL to the smartphone).
However, such solutions are plagued by their own problems. For instance, short URL services often utilize dynamically generated URLs that are generally nonsensical and, thus hard to remember despite how short the URL. This can make remember the URL hard to remember when the URL is received in "offline" situations (e.g., verbally). With respect to bar codes and QR codes, the code is generally unintelligible without use of a smartphone, or similar computing device, that is configured to receive and translate the code to an intelligible URL. Additional, remembering a bar code or QR code without the assistance of a computing device would be next to impossible. Additionally, with respect to short URL service and bar codes/QR codes, typically the URL or code (using a computing device) for the specific purpose of referencing a given web page.

Systems and methods for pairing identification data to a network-based service


In an image reading device including an LED array, an image sensor, and an A/D converter, an initial digitizing condition is first set while determining whether or not the initial digitizing condition to be set meets a first criteria. Then, the initial digitizing condition is adjusted so as to meet the second a second criteria. An example of the digitizing condition is a high reference voltage applied to the A/D converter which converts an analog voltage ranging from a low reference voltage to the high reference voltage to a digital value. The second criteria is provided for, for example, reducing an S/N ratio when the image reading device reads half-tone images.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading device for reading images including characters, diagrams, figures and the like and converting the images to digital data. More particularly, the invention relates to an image reading device capable of adjusting digitizing conditions for an analog signal fed from an image sensor, such as a high reference voltage of an analog-to-digital converter which converts the analog signal to a digital signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image reading devices are incorporated into various equipments, such as facsimile devices. A conventional image reading device includes an LED array for irradiating light onto the surface of an original document to be read, and an image sensor for reading the image on the original document. The image sensor reads the image by picking up the light reflected from the surface of the original document. The image sensor outputs an analog signal having a voltage level determined depending on the density of the image. An analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is further included in the image reading device, which converts the analog signal to a digital signal.
In order to improve the tone gradation of the reproduced image particularly when a half-tone images are read with the image sensor, there has been proposed to adjust the high reference voltage of the A/D converter. This has been done by the provision of a voltage division circuit with which the analog signal fed from the image sensor is subjected to a voltage division. The resultant voltage divided signal is applied to the AID converter for digitizing the same. Based on the digital signal obtained from the A/D converter, the high reference voltage of the A/D converter is adjusted. However, there is a problem in the image reading devices with such a digitizing condition adjusting capability such that the provision of the voltage division circuit increases the manufacturing cost of the image reading device.
Further, image reading device provided with a filter circuit have been known in the art. The filter circuit is provided to enhance or emphasize the density of a picture element (pixel) depending on the density levels of the pixels adjacent to the pixel in question. By filtering the digital signal output from the A/C converter with the filter circuit, fine lines or low density lines can be reproduced. However, because the high reference voltage of the A/D converter is set to low when reading the original documents with high density background, the dynamic range of the analog signal input to the A/D converter is small and accordingly an S/N ratio of the digital signal output from the A/D converter is degraded. Filtering processing to such digital signal results in enhancing or emphasizing even noise components.
It has also proposed in the art to adjust the low reference voltage of the A/D converter which is a criteria for determining the A/D converted data corresponding to the black level image. To this effect, the conventional image reading device employs a Zenor diode to cut the d.c. component of the analog signal output from the image sensor. However, there are variations in the Zenor voltage caused by the variation in the Zenor diodes per se and also by the changes in the environmental temperature. In order to remedy the variation in the black level analog signal caused by the variation in the Zenor voltage, the low reference voltage of the A/D converter is adjusted to meet the black level analog signal actually applied to the A/D converter. Specifically, the digital signal representative of the black image is applied to an image processing circuit connected to the output of the A/D converter, and the output from the image processing circuit is converted to an analog signal by virtue of a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter and the resultant analog signal is used as the low reference voltage of the A/D converter. The D/A converter connected at its output to the low reference voltage terminal of the A/D converter must be of low output impedance so as to impedance match with the low reference voltage terminal of the A/D converter that is low in input impedance. That is, the available D/A converters for connection between the image processing circuit and the low reference voltage input terminal of the A/D converter must be low in output impedance. However, such A/D converters are expensive and so the use thereof is a cause of increase of the manufacturing cost.

Image reading device with digitizing condition adjusting capability


In an image forming apparatus including a toner image forming section, a transfer section, a recording medium supplying section, and a control unit, an image forming unit that forms, for example, a yellow toner image causes liquid-repellent particles to be adhered onto a part of a photoreceptor drum other than an electrostatic latent image, causes fixing fluid to be adhered onto a part of the electrostatic latent image such that only the fixing fluid is transferred onto an image forming roller, and causes the fixing fluid to be supplied on the image forming roller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic method has been widely adopted in known image forming apparatuses, such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile. In the electrophotographic method, it is general that a photoreceptor having a photosensitive layer, which includes photoconductive substances, formed on a surface thereof is used, charges are applied to the surface of the photoreceptor in order to uniformly charge the surface of the photoreceptor, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information is formed in various kinds of image forming processes, the electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer containing toner supplied from a developing section so as to make a toner image, and the toner image is directly transferred onto a recording medium, such as paper, or is first transferred onto an intermediate transfer medium and is then transferred onto a recording medium to thereby form an image. In addition, in order to fix the toner image, which is transferred onto a recording medium, on the recording medium, it is general to apply heat and pressure to the recording medium by a fixing section in a heat fixing method, such as a developing roller. In the heat fixing system, it is necessary to heat toner at high temperature of about 150° C. in order to soften and fuse the toner by using a heating apparatus, such as a heater. Accordingly, the power consumption increases. It is a present condition that about a half or more of total power consumption in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus occurs due to the heat fixing. On the other hand, energy saving activities have been progressing to stop global warming. This is also related to universal use of electrophotographic image forming apparatuses. Accordingly, even in the electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, it is requested to reduce the power consumption.
As a solution to the problem described above, there is known a wet fixing method of using a fixing fluid containing water and liquid that can be dissolved or dispersed in water and act to soften or swell toner or resin components of toner. In the wet fixing method, a softened or swollen toner image is adhered onto a recording medium by supplying the fixing fluid and then the toner image is fixed onto the recording medium by applying pressure. Since toner is softened or swollen due to a fixing fluid and is then fixed in the wet fixing method, the power consumption in the wet fixing method is much smaller than that in the heat fixing method. For this reason, various kinds of proposals for improvements of the wet fixing method have been made. For example, there has been proposed an electrophotographic image forming apparatus that has a toner image forming section and has a configuration in which a toner image formed by the toner image forming section is directly transferred onto a recording medium or transferred onto the recording medium through an intermediate transfer medium (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2-167761 (1990)).
In the image forming apparatus, the toner image forming section includes a fixing fluid holding member, a fixing fluid supplying section, and developing section. In addition, an image composed of a fixing fluid corresponding to image information is formed on the fixing fluid holding member by means of the fixing fluid supplying section, and a toner image is formed by supplying toner to the image by means of the developing section. Further, there has been proposed an image forming method in which an image is formed by discharging liquid having viscosity onto a recording medium in an inkjet method in accordance with image information and then a final image is formed by adhering a coloring agent onto the image (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-216351 (1997)). Furthermore, there has been proposed an image forming method in which an image is formed by discharging a fixing fluid onto a recording medium in an inkjet method in accordance with image information and then a final image is formed by adhering toner onto the image (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-216453 (1997)). Furthermore, there has been proposed an image forming apparatus which has an inkjet type fixing fluid supplying section and a developing section and in which liquid droplets are discharged from the inkjet type fixing fluid supplying section onto a recording medium or an intermediate transfer medium in accordance with image information so as to form an image composed of a fixing fluid on the recording medium or the intermediate transfer medium and then toner is supplied to the image by means of the developing section so as to form a toner image (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2000-168058). The image forming apparatus includes a toner removing section for attracting and removing toner, which is excessively supplied from the developing section onto the recording medium or the intermediate transfer medium, by an electrostatic force and a toner recovering section for returning toner removed by the toner removing section to the developing section.
In the known techniques described above, the fixing fluid is supplied to a recording medium or the like by using the inkjet method. However, in order to do so, it is necessary to lower the viscosity of the fixing fluid and to make an adjustment to a viscosity range where the fixing fluid can be discharged in the inkjet method. In addition, in the case of causing a fixing fluid having low viscosity to be adhered onto a recording medium, such as normal paper, the fixing fluid permeates into a part (non-image part) other then a corresponding image in a region where the fixing fluid image is formed. As a result, blur easily occurs. In addition, since the entire fixing fluid that is supplied cannot be used to soften and swell toner, an efficiency of transfer of a toner image onto a recording medium or the like is worse. In the case of raising the viscosity in order to prevent the permeation of the fixing fluid, it takes time to discharge the fixing fluid by using the inkjet method. Moreover, there is no explanation on a practical and effective method for preventing toner from permeating into or being adhered onto a non-image part when forming a fixing fluid image corresponding to image information other than a solid image.
Further, there has been proposed an image forming apparatus that includes a photoreceptor that bears an electrostatic latent image on a surface thereof, a developing roller that supplies toner to the photoreceptor, an electric potential applying roller that forms a liquid developer layer, in which toner is dispersed in insulating liquid, on a surface of the developing roller, and a developer tank that supplies liquid developer to the electric potential applying roller and performs liquid development (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 9-62109 (1997)). The liquid developer is adhered onto a surface of the electric potential applying roller when the electric potential applying roller is rotated under a state in which a part of the electric potential applying roller is immersed in the liquid developer contained in the developer tank. Then, the electric potential applying roller applies an electric potential to the liquid developer so as to charge toner in the liquid developer with an electric potential higher than the surface of the developing roller. Then, toner and insulating liquid adhered onto the toner in a part where the electric potential applying roller and the developing roller are positioned to be closest to each other are adhered onto the surface of the developing roller due to an electrophoretic phenomenon, such that a liquid developer layer is formed on the surface of the developing roller. In a part where the developing roller and the photoreceptor are positioned to be closest to each other, toner is supplied from the liquid developer layer of the developing roller to an electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor, and thus the electrostatic latent image is developed. In order to perform electrophoresis by charging toner like liquid developing, a large amount of insulating non-aqueous solvent should be used. However, in the case of using a large amount of non-aqueous solvent, it is necessary to prepare a container, which is used to recover the non-aqueous solvent, inside the image forming apparatus, which causes increase in the size of an image forming apparatus. In addition, since the non-aqueous solvent smells very bad, it is not possible to prevent bad smell from leaking. Accordingly, it is difficult to dispose an image forming apparatus that performs liquid developing within doors.


A method for optimizing network bandwidth utilization through intelligent updating of network function (NF) profiles includes, at an NF repository function (NRF), receiving, from a first NF that previously communicated with a failed geo-redundant mate of the NRF as primary, an NF heart-beat request message. The method further includes locating an NF profile for the first NF in an NF profiles database maintained by the NRF. The method further includes computing an NF profile data modification detection value for the NF profile. The method further includes transmitting the NF profile data modification detection value to the first NF.

In 5G telecommunications networks, a network function that provides service is referred to as a producer network function (NF) or NF service producer. A network function that consumes services is referred to as a consumer NF or NF service consumer. A network function can be a producer NF, a consumer NF, or both, depending on whether the network function is consuming, producing, or consuming and producing a service. The terms "producer NF" and "NF service producer" are used interchangeably herein. Similarly, the terms "consumer NF" and "NF service consumer" are used interchangeably herein.
A given producer NF may have many service endpoints, where a service endpoint is the point of contact for one or more NF instances hosted by the producer NF. The service endpoint is identified by a combination of Internet protocol (IP) address and port number or a fully qualified domain name that resolves to an IP address and port number on a network node that hosts a producer NF. An NF instance is an instance of a producer NF that provides a service. A given producer NF may include more than one NF instance. It should also be noted that multiple NF instances can share the same service endpoint.
Producer NFs register with a network function repository function (NRF). The NRF maintains service profiles of available NF instances identifying the services supported by each NF instance. The terms "service profiles" and "NF profiles" are used interchangeably herein. Consumer NFs can subscribe to receive information about producer NF instances that have registered with the NRF.
In addition to consumer NFs, another type of network node that can subscribe to receive information about NF service instances is a service communications proxy (SCP). The SCP subscribes with the NRF and obtains reachability and service profile information regarding producer NF service instances. Consumer NFs connect to the service communications proxy, and the service communications proxy load balances traffic among producer NF service instances that provide the required service or directly routes the traffic to the destination producer NF instance.
In addition to the SCP, other examples of intermediate proxy nodes or groups of network nodes that route traffic between producer and consumer NFs include the security edge protection proxy (SEPP), the service gateway, and nodes in the 5G service mesh. The SEPP is the network node used to protect control plane traffic that is exchanged between different 5G public land mobile networks (PLMNs). As such, the SEPP performs message filtering, policing and topology hiding for all application programming interface (API) messages that are transmitted between PLMNs.
One problem in 5G communications networks can occur when NRFs are deployed in a geo-redundant manner, one NRF fails, and the mate NRF that takes over operation for the failed NRF automatically requests full NF profile updates for each NF from which the mate NRF receives an NF heart-beat request, even when some of the NF profiles are unchanged. The exchange of messaging to update NF profiles that are unchanged is unnecessary and should be avoided. Accordingly, there exists a need for methods, systems, and computer readable media for optimized network bandwidth utilization through intelligent updating of NF profiles with the NRF.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for optimizing network bandwidth utilization through intelligent updating of network function (NF) profiles with NF repository function


A piston-type accumulator includes an accumulator housing provided in the form of a cylinder tube (1). A separating piston (15) separates two working spaces (5) and (6) from one another in the housing and can be displaced in an axial direction within a piston stroke area (19) of the cylinder tube (1). The cylindrical tube is closed at one axial end by a closure part (7). The closure part is defined by deforming a deforming area (9) of the wall of the cylinder tube (1). The deforming area adjoining the piston stroke area (19) is provided in the form of part that exists as a single piece with the housing. A stop body (25), which limits the movement of the separating piston (15) before reaching the deforming area (9), is provided inside the cylinder tube (1) at the location where the piston stroke area (19) transitions into the deforming area (9).

Piston-type accumulators, in the broadest sense of the term, are a category of hydraulic accumulators which perform the function of receiving specific volumes of a pressurized liquid (hydraulic medium) from a hydraulic system and returning these volumes to the system as required. Since the hydraulic medium is under pressure, hydraulic accumulators are treated as pressurized containers and must be designed for the maximum excess operating pressure. Allowance must be made for the acceptance standards of diverse countries in which the containers are installed. In most hydraulic systems, use is currently made of hydropneumatic (gas-impinged) accumulators with separating elements. A piston separates a fluid space as a working chamber from a gas supply space as another working chamber, thereby serving as the separating element inside the accumulator housing of the piston-type accumulator. As a rule, nitrogen is used as the operating gas. The gas-tight piston to a great extent permits decoupling of gas supply space from liquid space.
The fluid component is connected to the hydraulic circuit, so that the piston-type accumulator receives fluid when the pressure rises and the gas is compressed in the process. The compressed gas expands as the pressure drops, and forces the stored pressurized fluid back into the hydraulic circuit. It is an advantage of piston-type accumulators that they can "work" in any position, but preference is to be given to a vertical arrangement with the gas side on top so that settling of fouling particles from the fluid onto the piston seals is prevented.
The essential components of a piston-type accumulator thus are an outer cylindrical tube forming an accumulator housing, a piston with a sealing system as a separating element, and closing components on the front side which are both cover elements and at the same time also include a fluid connection and a gas connection. The accumulator is as a rule assigned two functions, that of supplying the interior pressure and that of ensuring control of the piston inside the accumulator housing.
In an effort to make production of hydraulic accumulators more efficient and cost-effective, a transition has already been made to not providing a separate cover part as the closing component fastened at least on the front end side of the cylindrical tube. Rather, the closing component is configured as an integral part with the front end of the cylindrical tube. The wall of this tube is shaped in a reshaping area. WO 98/55258 discloses an appropriate example of the production of a hydraulic accumulator in the form of a diaphragm accumulator. Shaping of the closing component is effected by conventional means as a function of the type of material of the cylindrical tube by cold or hot working, for example, after flame or induction heating has been completed, by rolling or compressing. The end of the cylindrical tube is reshaped to a bottom with a collar turned outward on which a connection for the appropriate operating medium is formed. While the expenditure of production effort required for production of a diaphragm accumulator is simplified, problems arise if such processes are to be carried out for production of piston-type accumulators.


Disclosed are foam compositions and processes to form mixed tannin-phenolic foams. The foams comprises a continuous polymeric phase defining a plurality of cells, wherein the continuous polymeric phase comprises a mixed-resin derived from a phenol, a tannin, and a first monomer, and wherein the plurality of cells comprises a plurality of open-cells and a plurality of closed-cells with an open-cell content measured according to ASTM D6226-5, of less than 50%. The foam composition also comprises a discontinuous phase disposed in at least a portion of the plurality of closed-cells, the discontinuous phase comprising one or more blowing agents.

Due to depleting world energy resources and global warming, there is a drive to improve energy efficiency of new and existing commercial and residential buildings. One of the strategies is to improve thermal insulation around the buildings. Currently, the building industry uses several different forms of insulation materials, for example, glass fibers and mineral fibers. However, glass and mineral fibers exhibit high thermal conductivity in the range of 0.03-0.04 W/m·K. In comparison, aerogels exhibit thermal conductivity in the range of 0.008-0.012 W/m·K, but aerogels are very fragile and lack the mechanical strength needed for thermal insulation for building applications.
Apart from fibrous insulation, certain types of polymeric foams are commonly used for insulation applications that exhibit thermal conductivity in between those of glass fibers and aerogel materials. Only foams that are blown from low thermal conductivity blowing agents and result in a predominantly closed cell structures, with significant fraction of the blowing agent trapped within the closed cells, can exhibit low thermal conductivity and high insulating values. Commercial foams with high insulation value are blown from low temperature boiling liquids such as hydrocarbons and hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs), which exhibit a gas phase thermal conductivity in the range of 0.008-0.015 W/m·K. Therefore, the foams that result from such blowing agents can exhibit thermal conductivity in the range 0.018-0.030 W/m·K. However, some of the hydrocarbons and hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) are being phased out due to their ozone depletion potential (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP).
Furthermore, closed-cell foams derived from polystyrene and polyurethane that can have a thermal conductivity of less than 0.03 W/m·K are highly flammable and thus have limited application as building insulation material even with the addition of flame retardants. Foams derived from polyisocyanurates exhibit better flame resistance than polystyrene and polyurethane, and phenolic foams exhibit even better flame resistance than polyisocyanurate foams. However, phenolic foams use a phenol based monomer which is produced from a petroleum feedstock, a depleting non-renewable resource.
Meikleham at al., Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 53, 1547-1556, doi: 10.1002/app.1994.070531117 disclose copolymer tannin foams, tannin-formaldehyde/urea-formaldehyde (TF-UF) and tannin-formaldehyde/diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate (TF-MDI) of varying compositions.
Hence, there is a need for low thermal conductivity and fire resistant polymeric foams formed from bio-derived materials having a closed-cell structure with trapped blowing agent preferably with low ODP and low GDP.


A golf club head comprising a head substrate having a coating film formed on a surface thereof. The coating film contains a shiny layer made of a shiny coating material containing metal oxide-coated glass pieces, with the content of the glass pieces in the shiny coating material being in a range of 0.01 wt % to 1.0 wt % relative to the solid component of the shiny coating material. Furthermore, the coating film has a total thickness of not more than 100 μm.

This Non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on patent application Ser. No. 2003-013219 filed in Japan on Jan. 22, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head having a shiny coating film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, golf club heads such as metal heads are often coated to improve their appearance, and in general a color coating material containing a color pigment or a metallic coating material is used. Moreover, to further improve the appearance, for example a polarizing coating material containing a polarizing material, and a color clear coating material through which can be seen the metal surface of a metal head substrate have been used (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-325868).
With coating using a color coating material or metallic coating material, there are no problems with the ease of coating or the durability. However, regarding the external appearance of coated heads, there is a problem that there may not be an impression of the coating film being thick, or there may be a heavy feeling and hence there may not be a luxurious impression, and hence such coated heads are not favored by mid level and top level golf players in particular. To eliminate this problem, coating is carried out using a polarizing coating material containing a pearl pigment or the like, but it has not been possible to sufficiently achieve an external appearance giving an impression that the coating is thick.
Moreover, with color clear coating in which the metal surface of the head substrate can be seen through the coating, reflected light from the metal surface can be seen, and hence an impression of the coating being thick can be attained, and moreover the appearance is very attractive due to their being a metallic luster. However, to bring out the metallic luster, it is necessary to polish the surface of the head substrate to a mirror finish or a satin finish, and hence the roughness of the surface is reduced, and as a result adhesion of the coating film to the surface becomes poor. Furthermore, cavities are prone to occurring in the surface of a metal head manufactured by casting in particular, and with color clear coating, these cavities can be seen, and hence there has been a problem that it has been necessary to go to the trouble of carrying out surface preparation to conceal the cavities.
In view of the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head according to which a coating film that has a suitable degree of shininess and gives an impression of thickness can be formed, and hence the golf club head has an excellent external appearance with a luxurious impression, and moreover the adhesion of the coating film is excellent.


Capacitive voltage multiplier for generating voltage pulses, preferably up to 100 V, that are higher than the supply voltage for displays, non-volatile memories and corresponding units especially in small electronic devices, such as handheld telecommunication terminals or corresponding devices, wherein the multiplier comprises a switching capacitor circuit (21) provided with capacitors and switches for charging the capacitors in parallel and discharging them in series in order to deliver a high voltage pulse. The multiplier further comprises a diode chain circuit (22) consisting of a diode-chain and pumping capacitors for delivering high voltage current. The inventive system allows the output high voltage to be switched on and held with little longtime drop and with small switching losses and able to supply a load current without significant ripple. Additionally switching the high voltage on and off does not result in efficiency loss.

Voltage multiplying circuits use either capacitive or inductive phenomena to step up an input voltage. Even the recently introduced piezoelectric step-up transformers use piezo-capacitive phenomena to generate stepped up output voltage. Inductive and piezoelectric voltage multipliers are for size and weight reasons not practical for high voltage generation in handheld terminals. For use with integrated circuitry capacitive mulipliers are the preferred choice.
Basically two types of on-chip circuits are known that generate pulses higher than the supply voltage: diode chain multiplier and parallel/serial switching of capacitors.
The parallel/serial capacitive multiplying circuits are principally based on the Ervin Marx multiplier, where capacitors are charged in parallell and discharged in series. Although widely used in high voltage high power pulse applications, this kind of store and stack system has drawbacks, especially when a steady level high voltage is needed, because the stack will discharge and the output voltage will drop after the initial pulse. In the original form the switching was done with the help of sparkgaps which all will all break down substantially simultaneously because the voltage will increase over the remaining sparkgaps when the first sparkgap triggers or is triggered. Instead of sparkgaps, for lower voltages controlled switches can be used instead. An example of an improved variant of the Marx multiplier called the Mosmarx multiplier was given by P. E. K. Donaldsen: "The Mosmarx voltage multiplier", Electronics & Wireless World, August 1988, pages 748-750. Here metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) switches were used instead of spark gaps. When continuous output is needed high voltage charge is stored in a separate reservoir capacitor, isolated by a serial diode from the output stage, and the switches are operated continuously. The continuous operation prevents the use of micromechanical (MEMS) switches which have a limited lifetime and/or operating frequency.
Most high voltage generators are typically feeding into a reservoir capacitor. When a high voltage pulse is created, it charges the capacitor with energy taken from the supply. When the high voltage pulse is to be terminated, the charge on the output capacitor is normally discharged to ground on the falling edge of the pulse and all the energy in the capacitor is lost. This loss is proportional to the reservoir capacitance, but too low a capacitance will cause output voltage ripple. For pulsed use it would however be energy efficient if the output capacitance would be small and mainly consist for example of the parasitic capacitance of a display device.
The other common voltage multiplying circuit is based on cascaded diode pumps. Such multipliers are based on chained voltage multipliers, using the simple two diode D1, D2 voltage doubling stage coupled to the driving voltage waveform input U1 via a capacitor C1 illustrated in FIG. 2. In this doubling stage the output voltage U2 over a capacitor C2 is twice the input voltage U1 for a rectangular driving pulse and 2.82 times the RMS value of a sinusoidal U1 driving waveform, if the voltage drop over the diodes is disregarded.
When cascaded, such simple voltage multipliers will form the well known Cockcroft-Walton multiplier chain, popularized by John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton, and illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein the chain consists of capacitors C1 to C8 and diodes in a known manner.
In order to increase the efficiency and to reduce the output ripple the multiplier according to FIG. 3 can be doubled to form a push pull multiplier, illustrated in FIG. 4. This multiplier can be considered as two separate Cockcroft-Walton multiplier diode chains provided with diodes and capacitors C6 to C8 and C61 to C81, charging a common reservoir capacitor chain, C2, C3, C4 and C5, and the two voltage multiplier chains are each driven by respective phase shifted inputs U11 and U12 via capacitors C1a, C1b. Each cascaded diode multiplier chain need only supply half the current and the output ripple will be reduced because of the increased frequency of the charging action even if the reservoir capacitor chain C2, C3, C4 and C5 is of the same size as in FIG. 3. In the same way other multi phase multipliers can be envisaged.
FIG. 5 shows the same multiplier as FIG. 4, with the phased input signals U11 and U12 via capacitors C1a and C1b and the output to U2 through the diodes D7a and D7b and smoothed by C5, which is at the top of the reservoir capacitor chain. FIG. 5 can be simplified to a also previously known split type multiplier according to FIG. 6 by removing the reservoir capacitor chain and connecting the anode of each step-up diode directly to the cathode of the next stage step-up diode. Because two serially connected diodes are now replaced with a single diode this can be done with little or no efficiency loss. Another advantage of the circuit of FIG. 6 that can be used to advantage in the present invention is the capacitor free output, because U2 is fed through the diodes D7a and D7b without a reservoir capacitor. This is more clearly illustrated in by FIG. 7, which is actually FIG. 6 redrawn in a more common form.
FIG. 8 illustrates how a multiplier can be connected to boost a supply voltage Udc. The output voltage will be increased by the same amount as the supply voltage itself. The previous examples in FIG. 2 to FIG. 7 were drawn as ground referenced, but could use this method as well.
FIG. 9 illustrates how the a voltage multiplier diode chain can be arranged by driving the capacitors in parallell by U11 respectively U12. To drive the capacitors in parallel is more efficient than driving them through previous stages. This is a efficient and parts count reducing method that can be used whenever the generated voltages are within the capacity of the circuitry.
FIGS. 2 to 9 have illustrated various known multipliers using diode chains as switches. The earlier mentioned series/parallel Marx multiplier uses switches and not diodes, and a typical Marx multiplier is depicted in FIGS. 10a and 10b, where FIG. 10a shows the charging in parallel of C1, C2, C3 and C4 from U1 using the even numbered switches S2, S4, S6, S8, S10 and S12 and FIG. 10b shows the high voltage output phase when the even numbered switches are opened and the odd numbered switches S1, S3 and S5 are engaged to connect the charged capacitors in series in order to generate the high output voltage U2. Any outside load capacitance will be connected in parallel with C1, C2, C3 and C4 in the charging phase. The diode D101 prevents the generated high voltage 32 to be leaked back into the supply 31 during the high voltage output pulse and does the same also in the charging phase if the capacitor voltage because of charge charing is higher than the supply voltage.
In many applications a high-voltage source is needed that can be switched on and off rapidly without loosing energy and without the use of a high-voltage output switch, which is difficult to implement.
Using a serial/parallel multiplier with a reservoir capacitor output would need such high-voltage switch or else the reservoir charge would need to be bled-off every time. Charging the reservoir capacitor and then bleeding off the charge when there is no need for high voltage decreases efficiency.
Using a serial/parallel multiplier without a diode fed reservoir capacitor will however limit the length of a high-voltage pulse in single pulse use and in continuous use it will result in excessive ripple.
A diode chain multiplier will also need a high voltage output switch in order to preserve efficiency when high voltage is needed intermittently, like for example in handheld terminals. In handheld terminals, where efficiency is of paramount concern, the display is using high voltage only when active, and is typically switched on and off intermittently.


Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide systems and methods of adaptively adjusting sensitivity of a sensor of a security system that provide a first sensor to detect a motion event of a door or window of a building, and a controller communicatively coupled to the first sensor, to determine whether the detected motion event is a human-caused motion event or a periodic motion event by a comparison between data of the detected motion event and stored motion data, and to generate a security exception when the detected motion event is determined to be a periodic motion event, where the controller adaptively adjusts a sensitivity of the first sensor to detect the motion event according to data aggregated by the first sensor over a predetermined period of time.

Current security system can include vibration sensors. Such sensors typically activate an alarm when the vibration sensor senses vibration, shaking, striking, and similar movement. These sensors typically have sensitivity levels that are set by a user. That is, the user must manually adjust a setting of the sensor, which may lead to the sensor activating an alarm for an event that the user does not wish to detect. For example, if the sensitivity of the vibration sensor is increased by the user, the sensor can activate the alarm when a vibration, shaking, striking, or similar event occurs which is unrelated to a security event. For example, when the vibration sensor is mounted to a window of a home or building, branches of a nearby tree knocking against the window, or rain, thunder, wind, or the like can activate the alarm. However, these detected vibrations are unrelated to a security event. If the sensitivity of the vibration sensor of a typical security system is decreased by the user, it is likely that the sensor will not detect a vibration, shaking, striking, or moving event that is part of a security event, and will not activate an alarm. This creates a safety and a security risk to the occupant of the home or building, as the occupant is not aware of the security event.

Systems and methods of adaptively adjusting a sensor of a security system


A method for determining a predictability of a media entity portion, the method includes: receiving or generating (a) reference media descriptors, and (b) probability estimations of descriptor space representatives given the reference media descriptors; wherein the descriptor space representatives are representative of a set of media entities; and calculating a predictability score of the media entity portion based on at least (a) the probability estimations of the descriptor space representatives given the reference media descriptors, and (b) relationships between the media entity portion descriptors and the descriptor space representatives. A method for processing media streams, the method may include: applying probabilistic non-parametric process on the media stream to locate media portions of interest; and generating metadata indicative of the media portions of interest.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of visual information including personal images and video. Personal cameras today are affordable and portable, and enable shooting video either as portable camcorder (e.g., Flip), pocket still camera and camera-phones (e.g., iPhone). This enhanced portability and increased ease of use enable people to shoot video casually at any occasion. This creates an exponential growth in the amount of generated personal video. Although people are shooting more and more video, there is not a matching increase in the amount of viewing or sharing of personal video
The internet video revolution has made a considerable impact in making video widely available to anyone. However, while large companies have grown by providing internet video services (e.g., YouTube, Hulu, Blinkx etc.) they provide a comprehensive solution only for viral video, TV-shows and movies. Personal video is left without any real comprehensive solution and thus viewing and sharing personal video is very limited. In contrast to other kinds of internet video, personal video is initially very raw and boring and thus not suitable for watching or sharing. In addition, personal video is completely unstructured, and thus can only be browsed primitively (manual forward-backward). Lastly, personal video does not contain meaningful meta-data and therefore cannot be searched. These problems, which create a poor user experience stand in contrast to other videos in the internet (e.g., viral video in YouTube), which can be searched, browsed and shared.
When compared to other kinds of internet video, personal video has an inherent problem that each personal video has a very small cycle of interest (few friends and family). As a result, the few viewers of each such video will not supply enough textual information and meta-data to enable textual mining engines (e.g., Google). Thus, while other forms of internet video gain a significant amount of textual meta-data from viewers, personal video remains raw and mostly non usable. In addition, personal video is mostly not edited and not produced, which creates huge files with boring content. As a result, besides being difficult to transmit, share and upload their required bandwidth and storage space is expensive relative to the minimal or zero amount of viewing they can generate.
There are many publications and patents involving partial solutions to the problem of browsing, searching and sharing personal video. For instance (Method and system for searching graphic images and videos n.d.) provides a method and system for searching in images and video. In (System and method for adaptive video fast forward using scene generative models n.d.) a method and system are presented for adaptive fast forward in video using a specific approach. The work in (Analysis of Video Footage n.d.) presents a method for extracting segments of interest from video, which are useful for a table of contents. The paper in (Emiliano Acosta and Luis Tones and Alberto Albiol and Edward Delp 2002) presents an approach for utilizing face detection and recognition for video indexing. The paper in (Oren Boiman and Eli Shechtman and Michal Irani 2008) presents an approach for classifying images. There are many other works dealing each with specific aspects of the problem discussed above. While there are many partial, ad hoc solutions to the problem of browsing, searching and sharing of personal video there is no single unified solution for handling this problem. Due to the magnitude of the problem and the large number of required modules, any practical system for solving this problem, which uses many ad hoc solutions, would be extremely complicated, inflexible and not scalable. However, partial solutions to this problem are inadequate: For instance, without being able to automatically edit and produce personal video, users would not be interested to share the raw footage, which eliminates one of the main drivers for using personal video. Without searching capabilities, and considering the exponential increase in personal video data, users will not be able to locate interesting parts in their personal media. Similarly, without browsing capabilities inside video and between related video users will not be able to explore their vast personal video library. Therefore, although partial solutions for the problems discussed above exist for more than 20 years, it is hard to point on a single usable system for browsing, searching and sharing personal video. This lack of suitable solutions explains the relatively tiny fraction of personal video, which is actually shared in the Internet.

Method and system for browsing, searching and sharing of personal video by a non-parametric approach


In an optical lithographical system (e.g., 100) for printing features of a patterned mask (e.g., 103) into a workpiece (e.g., 120), such as in a semiconductor device, a one- or two-dimensional (depending on the features of the mask) optical transmission phase-shift diffracting device (e.g., 107) is inserted between an optical condensor (e.g., 105) and the patterned mask whose features are to be printed into the workpiece. The diffracting device is designed so as to enable an imaging lens system (e.g., 102) to collect more than merely a single order of the resulting diffraction patterns of the features of the mask and, by varying the spatial periodicity of the diffracting device, to tailor the illumination incident on the mask in accordance with the features (e.g., 114, 115) of the mask.

An optical lithographic fabrication system is used in prior art for delineating features in a workpiece. Typically the workpiece comprises a semiconductor wafer (substrate), together with one or more layers of material(s) (not shown) located on a top major surface of the wafer.
During operation of the optical lithographical system, typically monochromatic optical radiation of wavelength .lambda. is emitted by an optical source, such as a mercury lamp. This radiation propagates successively through an aperture in an opaque screen, an optical condensor such as an optical condensing lens (or condensing lens system), a lithographic mask or reticle, and an optical imaging lens or imaging lens system. The optical radiation emanating from the reticle is focused by the imaging lens onto a photoresist layer located on the top major surface of the workpiece. Thus, the pattern of the mask--that is, the pattern of its transparent and opaque portions--is imaged on the photoresist layer.
The mask or reticle illustratively includes a uniformly thick, optically transparent substrate, typically made of glass. On the underside (bottom surface) of this transparent substrate is located a patterned opaque layer, typically made of chromium, having two illustrative portions: (1) an illustrative portion which is suitable for forming an image comprising an isolated circular or an isolated square bright spot (localized area) on the photoresist layer, and (2) another illustrative portion which is composed of mutually parallel opaque stripes suitable for forming an image comprising mutually parallel lines and spaces on the photoresist layer. The illustrative portion which is suitable for forming the isolated bright spots typically is composed of an opaque solid layer having an isolated circular or isolated square aperture in it.
Depending upon whether the photoresist layer comprises negative or positive resist material, when it is subjected to a development process, typically a wet developer, the material of the photoresist respectively remains or is removed at, and only at, areas on which the optical radiation was incident. Thus, the pattern of the mask is transferred to the photoresist layer, whereby a patterned photoresist layer is formed.
Subsequent etching processes, such as wet etching or dry plasma etching, can then remove portions of the workpiece in accordance with the pattern of the photoresist layer and hence in accordance with the pattern of the mask. That is to say, portions of the workpiece are removed from the top surface of the workpiece at areas underlying those regions where the material of the photoresist layer was removed by the development process but not at areas underlying those regions where the photoresist remains. Alternatively, instead of etching the workpiece, impurity ions can be implanted into the workpiece at areas underlying those regions where the photoresist was removed by the development process but not at areas underlying those regions where the photoresist remains. In accordance with yet another alternative, such as a "lift-off" process, metallization can be deposited or otherwise formed on the workpiece only at areas underlying those regions where the photoresist was removed. Thus, in any event, the pattern of features of the mask--i.e., each feature of the mask such as the above-mentioned parallel lines and spaces as well as the isolated aperture--ultimately is transferred to the workpiece. Such pattern transfer is desired, for example, in the art of semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication.
In fabricating such circuits, it is desirable, for example, to have as many transistors per wafer as possible. Hence, it is desirable to have as small a transistor or other feature size as possible, such as the feature size of a metallization stripe--i.e., its transverse width--or of an aperture in an insulating layer which is to be filled with metal, for example, in order to form electrical connections between one level of metallization and another or to form metallization lines.
When the size of a feature on the mask is made to be so small that the imaging lens system collects the zero'th order of the diffraction pattern of the feature but collects relatively little of the first order of the diffraction pattern of the feature, then a problem arises in that the edges, including corners, of the image of the feature on the photoresist become indistinct, and therefore very small features undesirably are not printed. Hence the optical contrast of the feature as focused as an optical image on the photoresist layer and transferred to the workpiece deteriorates. As is well known, this lower optical contrast results in a poorer resolution of the feature by the photoresist layer. In practice, this problem typically arises when the size of the feature on the mask is smaller than approximately (0.7).lambda./(NA), where NA is the numerical aperture on the mask side ("object side") of the imaging lens. Typically this NA is approximately equal to 0.1 in case the magnification m is in the approximate range of 0.20 to 0.25. Also, the depth of focus of features of the mask as imaged on the photoresist layer is often limited to values that can be lower than are desirable from the standpoint of desired resolution.

Optical lithographical imaging system including optical transmission diffraction devices


Directional wire antennas for use in article or personal tracking and/or inventory monitoring or control systems wherein the antennas are specifically configured to provide a tunable vertical beam angle which is less than their horizontal beam angle. The antennas are modified or non-balanced dipole or monopole structures having non-symmetrical wire legs wherein at least one leg has segments extending angularly in a linear manner in two separate planes. In preferred embodiments the antennas are designed to receive signals from active RFID (radio frequency identification) tags placed on objects to be monitored within confined or defined structures without bleed over of signals from tags placed on objects at different vertical levels of the structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to antennas and more specifically to wire or rod type antennas which are directional and which are specifically designed to focus receipt of signals from predetermined areas such that the vertical and horizontal extent of the signals being received can be regulated to prevent bleed such as from one floor to another in a multi-level building or structure.
2. History of Related Art
Radio frequency identification systems are well known for object and personnel tracking, surveillance, inventory control and the like wherein either active or passive RFID tags are placed on objects or personnel to be monitored. Each tag is provided with a unique code which, if passive, is activated upon the receipt of radio frequency (RF) energy to reflect a signal to a detector which signal carries a unique signature for the tag. In an active tag system the tag also carries unique information, however, the information is periodically broadcast to a detector or sensor mounted in a remote location through energy supplied by a battery associated with the active tag. The timing of the lumination of energy from the tag can be built into the tags during their manufacture. In some RFID systems, tags can be used having both active and passive characteristics.
It is often desirable to use RFID systems in multi-level confined areas such as within multi-floored buildings including warehouses, hospitals, manufacturing facilities and the like to monitor various equipment, articles, supplies and the like which are present. By way of example, in a hospital setting, there is important equipment which must be readily available and its location known at all times. By placing an RFID tag on such equipment and providing appropriate sensors within the hospital environment, the current location of the equipment is always known. In some instances, monitoring can be provided to prevent theft as well as to insure for inventory control. Further, some equipment, especially in hospitals, should not be moved out of certain protected environments such as equipment utilized for X-Ray purposes and the like. By monitoring tags associated with such equipment, it is possible to ensure that the equipment is maintained in a safe and controlled environment at all times.
RFID systems which are currently in use generally operate either using omnidirectional transceivers, for passive tag systems, or receivers, for active tag systems. The omnidirectional nature of the transceivers or receivers is predicated upon the configuration of the antennas which are used for broadcasting or receiving radio frequency signals.
Generally each tag of a passive or an active system is designed to operate at a generally specific frequency which frequency may be chosen to suit a particular environment. That is, the frequency is chosen so as not to interfere with other radio frequency equipment which may be located within a facility or in the environment of the RFID tag system. Currently, systems are designed which operate both at high frequency wavelengths as well as relatively low frequency wavelengths.
One problem that has resulted with RFID monitoring systems is that often tags outside a given detection zone can be detected by a transceiver or receiving antenna. Thus the antenna may supply false signals to an analyzer or detector device which is monitoring objects within a given area. By way of example, in a multistory building using conventional transceiver and receiving omnidirectional antenna structures, signals are often received from passive or active tags from objects which are located at levels above or below a given floor on which a detector or sensor is mounted. When bleed-over signals are received, it is possible that a false location of a particular object will be provided to the operators of the tag system because an article is on or located at a different vertical location than predicted by the sensors.
With conventional systems utilizing the omnidirectional antenna transceivers or receivers, it has generally been the practice to utilize transceivers or receiving antennas which are electrically connected to control readers or the like such that a fields of coverage of the antennas overlap one another to give as complete a coverage to the area being monitored as is possible. Unfortunately, overlapping not only occurs through a horizontal beam width of any signal being transmitted or received but also vertically. In view of the foregoing, it is often necessary to provide additional control equipment so that a true location can be determined for RFID tags by comparing the various signals being received at each location to determine signal strengths both in a vertical and horizontal direction to identify the probable location of the tags detected. This results in duplication of detection and antenna equipment thereby elevating the costs of such systems.
As described, in radio frequency identification systems which are utilized in enclosed environments including multiple level structures, there is often a bleed-over of RF frequencies being generated from tagged objects from one floor to another. To avoid confusion and to accurately locate objects, it is often necessary to place secondary sensors or signal generators at different locations along each floor of the building which provide specific information as to the location of the signal generators within the structure. The signals generated can be received by antennas and processed in order to determine a signal strength that should be received from a specific location. This requires that hardware and software be provided for the operating system so that the system is able to differentiate the signals being received depending upon the strength of the signals and angle or direction of the signals being received. Such signals, however, are affected by the types of building material being used within a structure, such as within the walls of the structure or in the floors of the structure, which materials affect the signals. By using known signal generators, when signals are received from the tags placed throughout the structure, the computing software can differentiate between the various locations. Placing known location signal generators throughout a structure increases the overall cost and complexity of an RFID system and makes such monitoring systems prohibitively expensive for use in many environments.
A zone based radio frequency identification system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,661 to Lastinger et al., the contents of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference. The system provides for determining whether or not identification devices, such as RF tags, are located within a particular zone. Therefore, a building is divided into separate zones and the zones are determined by providing different locator signals within each zone to establish boundary levels for signals. In this manner, by comparing the signals from predetermined placed devices, it can be determined when a tag being monitored is within a particular zone.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide for antennas for use with transceivers or receiving type antennas utilized with RFID tag systems which can be used to specifically monitor tagged objects on a specific floor of a multistory building or structure without receiving bleed-over signals from adjacent floors and further to provide such systems wherein substantially all areas of a given floor are effectively covered by the radio frequency receiving antennas to ensure that an object can be located regardless of its position along a specific floor utilizing a minimum number of receiving and/or transceiver antennas.

Directional wire antennas for radio frequency identification tag system


A method for identifying a motion status of a mobile terminal, and a mobile terminal are provided. The method includes collecting information about multiple wireless local area network (WLAN) access points during each time of scanning, where the information includes a basic service set identifier and signal strength; calculating a belief value and a list orthogonality value according to the information about the multiple WLAN access points; and presetting a belief decision threshold and a list orthogonality decision threshold, and comparing the decision thresholds with calculated values to acquire the motion status of the mobile terminal. Therefore, the motion status of the mobile terminal may be acquired without making a change in any hardware on an existing mobile terminal. In addition, the present disclosure is applicable to an area covered by multiple wireless local area network access points.

Motion status identification is one of important content of context awareness. With popularization of mobile terminals, intelligent services with better experience may be provided for a user by inferring, using a mobile terminal, a motion status of the user, triggering, according to the motion status of the user, a change in a status or a function of the mobile terminal, and providing for the user an intelligent mobile application, such as personalized recommendation or accurate advertisement push according to an inferred higher-class user situation. In a mobile terminal application scenario, difficulties and challenges of motion status identification are how prepared identification is performed on motion of different users in a complex and changeable environment using sensors built in most mobile terminals and without the help of a function of another additional hardware. In consideration of limited computing, storage and energy resources of a terminal, an algorithm involved in motion status identification is as simple as possible, and a dependent function module cannot generate a large number of extra function overheads.
A user is positioned by means of satellite positioning (for example, a global positioning system (GPS)), and a difference between longitudes and a difference between latitudes within a time interval are converted into a motion speed for indirectly inferring a motion status of the user. This manner requires a satellite positioning function be additionally enabled. Generally, power consumption of a GPS on a mobile terminal is higher; time to first fix is longer; and this manner often cannot be used in a shaded area (for example, indoors or in an underground passage).
A motion status of a user is inferred by means of feature extraction, classification, and other means and according to data collected by an inertial sensor, such as an acceleration sensor or a gyroscope. Accuracy of identification using this method is more greatly affected by a placement position of a mobile phone and is more closely related to a posture and a motion habit of the user; algorithm complexity is generally higher; and a large number of training samples need to be collected in advance.
Standard deviation analysis is performed on wireless signal strength data of a base station on a traditional wireless cellular network, still and motion states are distinguished according to a standard deviation, and then, feature matching is performed on a signal sequence and a waveform in a sample library to distinguish two motion types: "walking" and "driving". When the two motion types "walking" and "driving" are distinguished, similarity analysis needs to be performed on the waveform in real time. On one hand, calculation complexity is higher, and a challenge is brought to a processing capacity of a mobile terminal. On the other hand, signal samples need to be collected and stored in advance, and when there is a large amount of data in the sample library, a burden is brought to limited storage space of the mobile terminal.

Method for identifying motion status of mobile terminal, and mobile terminal


A new type of inflator that may be used to inflate an airbag is disclosed. The inflator will have a longitudinal axis, a first chamber, and a filter. The filter may be positioned outside of the first chamber. A first quantity of gas generant is positioned within the first chamber. A first strainer having a plurality of gas flow holes is also positioned within the first chamber. The first quantity of gas generant is located exterior of the strainer. Upon combustion of the first quantity of gas generant produces a first quantity of gas that flows towards the longitudinal axis while passing through the gas flow holes, enters the filter, and then flows away from the longitudinal axis while passing through the filter.

Airbags and airbag systems are known in the art and are now standard on motor vehicles. These airbag systems generally are designed such that in the event of an accident or a crash, an inflatable airbag will become positioned in front of a vehicle occupant and will prevent the vehicle occupant from harmful impact with a portion of the vehicle interior. As is known in the art, airbags are currently added to the vehicle's steering wheel, dashboard, and/or at other locations within the vehicle. The inclusion of these airbag systems within motor vehicles have been credited with saving many lives and preventing many injuries.
In order to inflate the airbag during a crash, an airbag inflator is often used. The airbag inflator is a device that will produce and/or channel a large quantity of inflation gas into the airbag upon activation. Some inflators include a supply of a pyrotechnic (gas generating) material housed within the inflator. Upon activation, the pyrotechnic material will ignite and will produce a quantity of inflation gas that may be used to deploy the airbag.
As vehicle airbags have become larger and more complex, it has become necessary, in certain situations, to use larger, more complex inflators in order to provide a quantity of gas sufficient to rapidly deploy the airbag. This requirement for larger, more complex inflators is especially prevalent in front seat passenger, dashboard mounted airbag systems. Unfortunately, the use of such large and complex airbag inflators is often very expensive and greatly increases the overall cost of the airbag system.
In many embodiments, these large, complex inflators will often have a multiplicity of small components that must be assembled as part of the airbag inflator. Assembly of these small, complex components is often difficult and increases the manufacturing costs. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a new type of airbag inflator that is simple, small, and may be inexpensively and easily manufactured. Such a device is disclosed herein.

Dual stage cylindrical inflator with outside to inside axial flow


In a massed region of each of a plurality of transfer areas of a mask a plurality of light transmission patterns are formed by opening a half-tone film. A phase shifter is disposed in each of the light transmission patterns so that a 180° phase inversion occurs between the lights that transmit through adjacent light transmission patterns. In a sparse region of the plurality of transfer areas a solitary light transmission pattern is formed by opening the half-tone film. Both shape and size are the same among the light transmission patterns, which are disposed symmetrically in both the massed and sparse regions about the center between the transfer areas. The phase shifters in the massed regions are disposed so that the phase of each phase shifter in one of the transfer areas comes to be opposed to that of its counterpart in the other transfer area. In the exposure process, those transfer areas are overlaid one upon another in the same chip region.

The present invention relates to a technique for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and, more particularly, to a technique for exposing objects using a phase shift mask.
In the case of the next generation 65 nm node lithography, there is a demand for use of the ArF scanner which has been employed for the 90 nm node lithography. However, because the wiring length of the logic LSI for the 90 nm node lithography is about 100 to 120 nm and the K1 factor of R=K1×λ/NA for denoting resolution R is about 0.5, the requirement for the 90 nm node lithography can be satisfied using a weak super resolution technique, while a strong super resolution technique is indispensable to satisfy the requirements for the 65 nm node lithography, since the 65 nm node wiring length must be about 70 to 90 nm, whereby the K1 factor becomes about 0.35. And, to realize such a super resolution technique, a highly accurate mask structure is required. Particularly, for example, in the case of the Levenson phase mask, which is one example of the available phase shift masks, it is required to realize a complicated mask structure accurately.
A phase shifting technique that constitutes a super resolution technique is disclosed, for example, in the official gazette of JP-A No. 83032/1994, as well as in the official gazette of JP-A No. 230186/2001, which has been applied for by the present inventor et al. The official gazette of JP-A No. 83032/1994 describes a problem that arises when an electron beam drawing resist or silicon dioxide is used for a phase shift material of the phase shift masks. The problem is attenuation of an exposure beam caused by the transmission factor of the subject phase shifter. To solve this problem, two masks in which phase shifters are disposed and reversed in phase are prepared, and those phase shifters are overlaid one upon another for overlay exposure, whereby the exposure beam attenuation in those phase shifters is complemented (refer to the patent document 1).
And, the official gazette of JP-A No. 230186/2001 discloses a method for making a recess in a transparent mask substrate to form an object phase shifter (recessed phase shifter structure) that enables double exposure for the phase inversion pattern, thereby eliminating the influence of the beam attenuation that might occur in the recessed part, as well as a method for using an auxiliary pattern for each solitary pattern in a phase shift mask having both an area to which massed patterns are to be transferred and an area to which a solitary pattern is to be transferred (refer to the patent document 2).
[Patent document 1] Official gazette of JP-A No. 83032/1994
[Patent document 2] Official gazette of JP-A No. 230186/2001
However, in the case of a technique that prepares an auxiliary pattern for each solitary pattern in a phase shift mask having both a massed region to which massed patterns are to be transferred and a sparse region to which a solitary pattern is to be transferred, the present inventor et al have found that the following problems arise from the use of the technique.
More specifically, the number of pattern data items used for designing a phase shift mask increases because of the disposition of the auxiliary patterns. In addition, a DA (Design Automation) processing is required to dispose those auxiliary patterns. These become problems in the practical use of the technique. In the processes used for the manufacture of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the number of patterns in each mask will increase more and more in the future, so that it will become important to determine how to reduce the number of pattern data items when designing each mask.

Manufacturing method of semiconductor integrated circuit device