A system for detecting an object located on a travelling path even in bad weather or during nighttime in which conducting wires having a predetermined impedance value are laid along a travelling path, and a signal is supplied to the conducting wires from a signal source. If a vehicle exists on the path, the impedance of the conducting wires changes at the position where the vehicle is present. A signal reflected from the impedance change position is detected by a detector. The position of the vehicle can be determined from the timing of the received reflection signal. It is also possible to detect a vehicle changing lanes or the like by means of a plurality of conductive wires laid along the travelling path. Instead of a conducting wire, an optical fiber may be provided for determining the position of a vehicle using the refractive index change in the optical fiber due to the weight of the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for detecting an on-road object, and more particularly to an on-road object detecting system which uses changes in propagation characteristics of a signal propagating member.
2. Description of the Related Arts
On-road monitoring systems for monitoring vehicles, displaced articles such as dropped articles or the like located on the road have been conventionally proposed in order to secure safe running of vehicles and smooth traffic flow.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-333193 discloses a technique for recognizing the presence of passing vehicles from an image obtained by monitoring cameras disposed at predetermined positions on a road.
In the above-mentioned prior art, however, since the objects are recognized by processing the obtained image data, it is difficult to make such a recognition during night time or under the conditions of rain or fog, when sufficient image contrast cannot be obtained. It is of course possible to overcome the influence of weather, for example, by a technique in which changes in the oscillation frequency of a vehicle passing on coils buried under a road are detected so as to recognize the vehicle (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nol. Hei 6-309587, for example). However, such a technique is not a satisfactory solution because vehicle recognition is performed only where coils are buried and it is not possible to detect traffic flow through the entire road or any displaced articles located at points where no coils are buried.


The present invention relates to a discharging noise system of a hermetic compressor. The present invention includes a first discharging noise suppressor (39) provided at one side end of a cylinder block 35 to firstly reduce noise and pulsation of work fluid compressed in and discharged from a compressing chamber (37) formed to be bored through the cylinder block (35) in a fore and aft direction, a second discharging noise suppressor (39′) provided at the other side end of the cylinder block (35) and communicating with the first discharging noise suppressor 39 to secondarily reduce noise and pulsation of the work fluid with noise and pulsation reduced by the first discharging noise suppressor (39), a connection pipe (43) for allowing the first and second discharging noise suppressors (39) and (39′) to communicate with each other to form a channel for allowing the work fluid to move, the connection pipe (43) having a length longer than a shortest straight distance between the discharging noise suppressors (39 and 39′), and a discharging pipe (45) provided at the second discharging noise suppressor (39′) to form a channel through which the work fluid is discharged to the outside. According to the present invention configured as above, the connection pipe is relatively long to reduce pulsation, thereby improving operating characteristics of the hermetic compressor, so that vibration generated by the pulsation is reduced to improve durability of the hermetic compressor.

FIG. 1 shows an interior of a conventional compressor. Referring to the figure, the conventional compressor has a hermetic container 1 composed of an upper container 1t and a lower container 1b, and a frame 2 installed in the hermetic container 1. A stator 3 is fixed to the frame 2, and the frame 2 is supported in the hermetic container 1 by means of a spring 2S.
A crank shaft 5 is installed to penetrate a center of the frame 2. A rotor 4 is integrally installed to the crank shaft 5 to rotate together therewith by means of electromagnetic interaction with the stator 3.
An eccentric pin 5b is formed at an upper end of the crank shaft 5 to be eccentric from a rotation center of the crank shaft 5, and a balancing weight 5c is formed at an opposite side to the eccentric pin 5b. The crank shaft 5 is installed to penetrate the center of the frame 2, and the inner circumference of the frame 2 installed through the crank shaft 5 functions as a kind of bearing.
In addition, an oil passage 5a is formed in the crank shaft 5. Oil L provided in a bottom of the hermetic container 1 is guided through the oil passage 5a to be transferred to an upper portion of the frame 2 and then scattered. Also, a pumping mechanism 5d is installed to a lower end of the crank shaft 5 to pump the oil L and thus transfer it to the oil passage 5a.
Meanwhile, a cylinder block 6 having a compressing chamber 6′ provided therein is formed integrally with the frame 2. Also, a piston 7 connected to the eccentric pin 5b of the crank shaft 5 through a connecting rod 8 is installed in the compressing chamber 6′. In addition, a valve assembly 9 is installed to a front end of the cylinder block 6 to control a coolant introduced into and discharged from the compressing chamber 6′. A head cover 10 is mounted on the valve assembly 9, and a suction noise suppressor 11 is installed to the head cover 10 to be connected to the valve assembly 9 so that the coolant is transferred to the compressing chamber 6′.
Reference numeral 12 designates a suction pipe for transferring the coolant into the hermetic container 1, and reference numeral 13 designates a discharging pipe for discharging the compressed coolant to the outside of the compressor.
Meanwhile, FIG. 2 shows another conventional frame. Referring to the figure, a cylinder block 23 is provided in a frame 20 that has various parts of the compressor. A compressing chamber 24 is formed to be bored through the cylinder block 23. A piston (not shown) linearly reciprocated by a crank shaft (not shown) is installed in the compressing chamber 24 to compress work fluid. A valve assembly (not shown) is installed together with a head cover (not shown) to the cylinder block 23 that corresponds to a front end of the compressing chamber 24, wherein a discharging chamber (not shown) is provided between the head cover and the valve assembly such that the work fluid compressed by the piston is temporarily collected in the discharging chamber.
First and second discharging noise suppressors 25 and 25′ are provided at both sides of the cylinder block 23. The discharging noise suppressors 25 and 25′ are to reduce noise and pulsation of the work fluid compressed in the compressing chamber 24. A noise chamber (not shown) is formed in each of the discharging noise suppressors 25 and 25′ to reduce noise and pulsation while the work fluid stays in the noise chamber for a while.
Noise suppressor caps 26 are respectively installed to upper ends of the discharging noise suppressors 25 and 25′ to shield the noise chambers. The work fluid compressed in the compressing chamber 24 is firstly transferred to the first discharging noise suppressor 25, and noise and pulsation are reduced while the work fluid flows from the first discharging noise suppressor 25 to the second noise suppressor 25′. To this end, a connection pipe 27 is used to allow the discharging noise suppressors 25 and 25′ to communicate with each other through the noise compressor caps 26. Reference numeral 29 designates a discharging pipe for discharging the work fluid discharged from the second discharging noise suppressor 25′ to the outside of the hermetic container.
However, the conventional hermetic compressor so configured has the following problems.
In general, the piston provided in the compressing chamber 24 linearly reciprocates to compress the work fluid introduced into the compressing chamber 24. The work fluid compressed by the piston is discharged to the outside of the compressing chamber 24 and then introduced into a discharging chamber communicating with the compressing chamber 24. The work fluid introduced into the discharging chamber is moved into the first discharging noise suppressor 25. At this time, the work fluid generates pulsation since it is periodically discharged to the outside of the compressing chamber 24 due to linear reciprocation of the piston.
Thus, the pulsation causes vibration of the connection pipe 27 that connects the first and second discharging noise suppressors 25 and 25′. The vibration applies repeated stress to connection points of the connection pipe 27, thereby resulting in fatigue failure. Thus, the work fluid may leak out through the connection points.

Discharging noise system of a hermetic compressor


A battery pack includes a battery side terminal electrically connectible with a device side terminal of a device body that may be a tool body of an electric tool or a charger body of a charger. The battery side terminal includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion. The first contact portion configured to form an electric contact through contact with a first side surface of the device side terminal. The second contact portion configured to form an electric contact through contact with a second side surface opposite to the first side surface of the device side terminal. The first contact portion configured to contact the first side surface in a first contact range having a first length. The second contact portion configured to contact the second side surface in a second contact range having a second length that may be different from the first length.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to battery packs that can be detachably attached to tool bodies of electric tools or charger bodies of battery chargers.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, some electric tools utilize battery packs configured as rechargeable batteries that can be detachably attached to tool bodies of electric tools. After having been attached to the tool main body and used, the battery pack may be detached from the tool body for recharging by a charger. The battery pack recharged by the charger may be attached to the tool body again for use. In the following, the tool body, the charger or the like to which the battery pack can be attached will be generally referred to as a "device body" Generally speaking, the battery pack may include an enclosure case also functioning as an outer case, and a battery unit disposed within the enclosure case. The battery unit may include a plurality of battery cells capable of recharging and discharging, and a circuit board for controlling the recharging and discharging of the plurality of battery cells. To this end, the circuit board may include positive and negative recharging/discharging terminals connected to the battery cells for the purpose of recharging/discharging of the battery cells, and signal terminals for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the tool body or the charger to which the battery pack is attached (see, for example, JP-A-2008-10315).
The recharging/discharging terminals and signal terminals may be formed as female terminals allowing connection with male terminals provided on the device body such as the tool body or the charger. The male terminals may have shapes of flat plates. The female terminals may be configured to receive and hold the flat-plate-shaped male terminals. The male terminal may be moved to the direction in which they extend so as to be slid into and held between the female terminals to provide electrical contacts. The electrical contacts may allow transmission and reception of electric power or transmission and reception of communication signals. The recharging/discharging terminals and signal terminals provided on the battery pack will be generally referred to as "(holding type) battery side terminals." The male terminals on the device body side for connection to the female connection terminals will be generally referred to as "(flat-plate type) device side terminals."
The battery pack may receive an operational shock during the operation of an electric tool or may receive vibrations due to the driving of the electric tool. It may be possible that the battery side terminals receiving such a shock and vibration cause simultaneous resonance in both the electrical contact portions. Such simultaneous resonance of both the electrical contact portions may impair the reliability with regard to the electrical connection with the device side terminals.
Therefore, there has been a need of ensuring reliable electrical connection of the battery side terminals with the device side terminals.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a battery pack may be detachably mounted to a device body of an electric tool or a charger. The battery pack may include a battery side terminal connectible with a device side terminal. The device side terminal may be configured to have a shape of a flat plate and may have a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other. The battery side terminal may include a first contact portion and a second contact portion. The first contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the first side surface of the device side terminal. The second contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the second side surface of the device side terminal. The first contact portion may contact the first side surface in a first contact range having a first length. The second contact portion may contact the second side surface in a second contact range. The second length may be different from the first length.
By setting the second length to be different from the first length, it may be possible to prevent the first and second contact portions from simultaneously resonate when the battery pack receives an operational shock during the operation of the electric tool or receive vibrations due to the driving of the electric tool. Hence, it is possible to ensure the electric connection through at least one of the electric contacts formed by the first and second contact portions. As a result, it is possible to ensure the electric connection between the battery side terminal and the device side terminal.
The battery side terminal may further include a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion. The third contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the first side surface of the device side terminal. The fourth contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the second side surface of the device side terminal. The third contact portion may contact the first side surface in a third contact range having a third length. The fourth contact portion may contact the second side surface in a fourth contact range having a fourth length.
In one embodiment, the third length is different from the first length and/or the fourth length is different from the second length. With this arrangement, it may be possible to prevent the first and third contact portions and/or the second and the fourth contact portions from simultaneous resonance. Hence, it is possible to further ensure the electric connection between the battery side terminal and the device side terminal.
In another embodiment, the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion are arranged diagonally to each other, and the fourth length is the same as the first length. Additionally or alternatively, the second contact portion and the third contact portion are arranged diagonally to each other, and the third length is the same as the second length. With this arrangement, it is possible to achieve the contact balance between the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion and/or between the second contact portion and the third contact portion. In addition, it is possible to set such that the contact force applied to the first side surface and the contact force applied to the second side surface are nearer to each other. As a result, it is possible to achieve a balance in the contact forces applied to the device side terminal.
In a further embodiment, the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion are arranged to be opposed to each other, and the fourth length is the same as the first length. Additionally or alternatively, the second contact portion and the third contact portion are arranged to be opposed to each other, and the third length is the same as the second length. With this arrangement, it is possible to achieve the contact balance between the first contact portion and the fourth contact portion and/or between the second contact portion and the third contact portion. In addition, it is possible to set such that the contact force applied to the first side surface and the contact force applied to the second side surface are nearer to each other. As a result, it is possible to achieve a balance in the contact forces applied to the
The battery pack may include a plurality of battery side terminals each connectible with a corresponding device side terminal.
According to a second aspect of the disclosure, a battery pack may be detachably mounted to a device body of an electric tool or a charger. The battery pack may include a battery side terminal connectible with a device side terminal. The device side terminal may be configured to have a shape of a flat plate and may have a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other. The battery side terminal may include a first contact portion and a second contact portion arranged so as to be opposed to each other. The first contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the first side surface of the device side terminal. The second contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the second side surface of the device side terminal. The first contact portion may contact the first side surface in a first contact range having a first length. The second contact portion may contact the second side surface in a second contact range.
The battery side terminal may further include a third contact portion and a fourth contact portion arranged so as to be opposed to each other. The third contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the first side surface of the device side terminal. The fourth contact portion may be configured to form an electric contact through contact with the second side surface of the device side terminal. The third contact portion may contact the first side surface in a third contact range having a third length. The fourth contact portion may contact the second side surface in a fourth contact range having a fourth length. The third length may be different from the first length and/or the fourth length may be different from the second length.
In one embodiment, the second length may be the same as the first length, and the fourth length may be the same as the third length.


A color image sensor has imaging elements each structured to form, at an image plane, an image of a subject having a respective magnification. Ones of the imaging elements forming respective ones of the images with the same magnification in light of mutually different colors constitute a set characterized by the magnification of the images. The sets having mutually-different magnifications. The color image sensor additionally has a light sensor located in the image plane and comprising a region of sensor elements disposed opposite each of the imaging elements. The regions of sensor elements opposite each of the sets of imaging elements are operable to generate, in response to light incident thereon, a respective color image signal representing the image of the subject at the respective magnification.

Cameras originally used interchangeable lenses having different focal lengths to give them the ability to form an image of a subject with a selected magnification. Interchangeable lenses are inconvenient in many ways: the lenses themselves can be relatively bulky, the unused lenses need to be stored somewhere and the process of changing from one lens to another can be fiddly and time consuming.
More recently, cameras use a multi-element zoom lens to give them the ability to form an image of a subject with a selected magnification. A multi-element zoom lens uses a relatively complex mechanism to move two or more of the lens elements non-linearly relative to the image plane to keep the image in focus as the focal length of the zoom lens is changed to change the magnification. This mechanism occupies more space than is available in a miniature camera lens.
Miniature cameras having electronic image sensors are incorporated not only in digital cameras but also, more recently, into such consumer electronic products as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Such products are subject to market pressure to make them ever smaller, or to pack more features into a product of a given size. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/741,774 of Schroeder et al. entitled Color Image Sensor with Imaging Elements on Respective Regions of Sensor Elements and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/740,935 of Gruhlke et al. entitled Color Image Sensor having Imaging Element Array Forming Images on Respective Regions of Sensor Elements describe a small color image sensor suitable for use in a single magnification digital camera. These applications are assigned to the assignee of this application and are incorporated herein by reference. These applications disclose a single-magnification color image sensor that has multiple sensor and lens combinations, each of which forms an image of the subject in a narrow band of light. This allows the lenses to be physically smaller and located closer to the image plane than a conventional multi-element polychromatic lens, and eliminates the conventional mosaic color filter and its attendant problems.
A market demand exists for a simple, compact color image sensor system having the capability of forming an image a subject with a selected magnification without the need to change a lens or to move lens elements relative to one another in the image sensor system. There is also a market demand for a capability of displaying a picture of a subject at more than one magnification in a consumer electronic product such as a digital camera or cell phone display.


There is disclosed a surface-protection method during chemical etching of a plate material, which comprises sticking a radiation-curable adhesive tape onto the area of plate material where etching should not be effected, and after the radiation-curable adhesive layer is cured with irradiation of radiation, subjecting said plate material to a chemical etching treatment.

As wafers for use in the production of semiconductors, for example, silicon wafers and gallium/arsenic wafers are generally known, and silicon wafers are used in many cases. A silicon wafer is produced by cutting a highly pure silicon ingot, obtained by the single crystal pulling method, into slices of thickness on the order of 500 to 1,000 .mu.m. Processing the thus produced wafer in various ways, a number of patterns of integrated circuits are formed on the wafer. Then, depending on the use of wafer, the back surface of the circuit-patterned wafer is ground by an apparatus called a backside grinder or is chemically etched (hereinafter referred to as "is etched"), in order to make the wafer thinner.
The step of grinding the back surface of a semiconductor wafer is carried out in such a way that the circuit-pattern formed wafer surface is secured by suction and the back surface is ground so that the thickness is reduced, for example from 500 .mu.m to 300-200 .mu.m, and is made uniform. Thereafter, in order to remove processstrains caused, for example, by heat during the grinding, or in order to make the wafer thinner, an etching treatment is carried out, for example by dipping the wafer in an etching liquid.
Accordingly, when the back surface of a wafer is processed, it is necessary to coat the pattern formed surface with a resist ink or the like, which is excellent in etching resistance, in order to protect the patterns. However, to remove the resist ink after the etching, washing with an organic solvent is necessary. Hence there is the problem of pollution of the working environment or restriction of solvents, which problem remains to be solved. Therefore, a novel surface protection method that does not necessitate a resist ink is desired.
On the other hand, in order to protect a wafer surface when the wafer is etched, attempts are made to use a low-adhesive surface-protective tape, but such surface-protective tapes are poor in etching resistance and are also detached from the adherend during the etching treatment, often resulting in a problem of corrosion of the patterns on the wafer. Although attempts are made to increase the adhesive force of tape to prevent the tape from detaching, there arises the problem that not only the etching resistance property is still not satisfactory, but also the wafer is damaged when the tape is separated from the adherend wafer after the etching because the adhesive force is too strong.
To solve these problems, a radiation-curable adhesive tape was developed. The adhesive tape is made up of a support through which rays, such as ultraviolet rays, or ionizing radiation, such as an electron beam, can pass and that has etching resistance, and an adhesive layer that is curable by irradiation coated on the support. The adhesive force of tape before curing with radiation is made high so that the tape stuck onto the adherend can lessen penetration of an etching liquid when the etching is effected; the tape itself is resistant to etching, and the peeling of the tape from the adherend is made easy by lowering the adhesive force of tape by irradiating it with radiation after the etching.
However, since the adhesive of the radiation-curable adhesive tape is itself poor in etching resistance, the area where the adhesive itself is exposed to the etching liquid is attacked by the etching liquid, which causes glue to remain on the adherend (wafer). Although the remaining glue itself is present usually only at the circumferential area of the wafer and does not reach the pattern formed area, since the glue contains etching liquid, its corrosive gas volatilizes, due to such as heat at the time of irradiation with radiation, causing the problem which may adversely affect aluminum terminals.
Further, in some cases the radiation-curable adhesive tape itself is heated by the heat generated with etching and as a result the adhesive force increases after the curing with radiation. Thus, when the adhesive force at the time of peeling increases, a problem arises that, for example, the peeling of the tape fails, or glue remains on the patterned surface, or the wafer is apt to be damaged by the stress exerted when the tape is peeled.

Surface-protection method during etching


A curved workpiece fabric holder device which holds a cup-shaped or cylindrical workpiece at a position around a cylinder bed. The cylinder bed contains therein a loop taker which co-operates with a sewing needle. The holder device includes a base frame movable in an extending direction of the cylinder bed, a rotary frame rotatably supported by the base frame and positioned around the cylinder bed, a retainer retaining therein the workpiece and detachably installed over the rotary frame. Normally, the rotary frame is rotated in accordance with a movement of a fabric feed frame. A fixed segment is fixed to the fabric feed frame, and a movable segment is movably and position-fixably supported to the fixed segment. A wire is looped around the rotary frame and each end of the wire is fixed to each end of the movable segment. By unfastening the movable segment from the fixed segment, the movable segment is disconnected from the fabric feed frame. With this state, by moving the movable segment relative to the fixed segment, a rotational point of origin of the rotary frame is adjusted.

The present application is closely related to a commonly assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/047,365 (corresponding to a Japanese Patent Application No. Hei-9-95095 entitled "Curved workpiece fabric holder device capable of enlarging embroidery stitching area for use in embroidery machine").
The present invention relates to a curved workpiece fabric holder device for holding cup-shaped or cylindrical workpiece fabric such as a cap in order to perform embroidery stitching onto the workpiece while rotating the same about its axis.
A multiple-head type embroidery machine is provided for performing embroidery stitching to a plurality of workpieces simultaneously. The multiple-head type embroidery machine includes a plurality of embroidery machines, a plurality of cylinder beds, a fabric feed frame movable in a Y-direction (frontward/rearward direction) in parallel with an extending direction of the cylinder beds and an X-direction (lateral direction) perpendicular to the Y-direction, and an embroidery frames detachably installed onto the fabric feed frame for fixing workpieces at embroidery stitching positions. Further, a curved workpiece fabric holder device is provided for each embroidery machine so as to hold a curved workpiece fabric in order to perform embroidery stitching to each curved workpiece fabric while retaining the curved workpiece fabric in the holder device. A cup-shaped or a cylindrical workpiece can be referred to as the curved workpiece fabric. For example, a cap is a typical example of the cup-shaped workpiece.
As described in a Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. Hei-8-232158, a conventional curved workpiece fabric holder includes a base frame positioned adjacent the cylinder bed and movable in the Y-direction, a rotary frame rotatable about an axis extending in the Y-direction, a workpiece retainer detachably mounted on the rotary frame for fixing the curved workpiece at an embroidery stitching position, and a translation mechanism for translating a liner movement of the fabric feed frame in the X-direction into the rotating motion of the rotary frame. The base frame is linked to the fabric feed frame through a link mechanism, so that the base frame and the rotary frame can be driven in the Y-direction concurrently with the movement of the fabric feed frame in the Y-direction.
The translation mechanism includes a pair of right and left link plates releasably fixed to the fabric feed frame, a connecting rod movably connected to the base frame for connecting together the right and left link plates, and a wire partly wound over the rotary frame and having each end fixed to each link plate. Even if the curved workpiece fabric holder is detached from the embroidery machine, the pair of link plates and the wire can provide a predetermined linking position with respect to the base frame.
If the pair of link plates are moved in the X-direction in accordance with the movement of the fabric feed frame, the rotary frame around which the wire is looped or wound is rotated about its axis, so that the curved workpiece and the retainer are also rotated. Thus, a desired stitching area can be brought into confrontation with a sewing needle.
In case where a plurality of curved workpiece fabrics are set onto the plurality of curved workpiece fabric holder devices and embroidery stitchings are to be simultaneously performed by the plurality of embroidery machines of the multiple-head type embroidery machine, each curved workpiece is provisionally set onto the retainer at a preparatory station, and then each retainer each retaining therein the curved workpiece is successively mounted onto each rotary frame. In this case, each rotary frame is set on a point of origin, and a setting position of the retainer to the rotary frame is fixed. Accordingly, a rotational position of the curved workpiece fabric with respect to the rotary frame is primarily determinative by the rotational position of the curved workpiece with respect to the retainer.
However, in the preparatory station, the curved workpiece is manually retained in the retainer. Therefore, a center of the curved workpiece fabric may be displaced from a center of the retainer as a result. In the latter case, embroidery stitching is performed at a position offset from an intended position of the curved workpiece. For example, in a baseball cap, an emblem is stitched at a front center of the cap. However, due to the erroneous retention of the cap in the retainer, the emblem is disadvantageously stitched at a displaced portion of the cap.
If identical embroidery stitchings are to be performed on the plurality of curved workpieces by the multiple head type embroidery machine, a plurality of curved workpiece fabric holder devices are driven by the single common fabric feed frame. If all curved workpiece fabrics are erroneously offset and offset angle are accidentally equal to one another, it is possible to simultaneously correct the offset position by moving the fabric feed frame. However, such phenomena is extremely rare. If one or several curved workpiece fabrics are set erroneously and even if the movement control of the workpiece fabric holder is contemplated for adjusting the erroneous position to a correct position, such adjustment then degrades or displaces the initial stitching position of the remaining previously correctly retained curved workpiece fabric. In other words, correction of the rotational position of the curved workpiece cannot be performed independently of each workpiece after these are set on the rotary frames. Therefore, if any incorrect rotational position is found by an operator, the operator must remove the retainer from the rotary frame, and must change the retaining position of the curved workpiece fabric relative to the retainer, and then, again install the retainer on the rotary frame. Consequently, it would be very difficult to enhance accuracy in embroidery stitching positions with respect to the. plurality of curved workpieces in case of the simultaneous embroidery stitching.
In another aspect of the conventional device, the wire looped around the rotary frame extends from a top end of the rotary frame toward each link plate fixed to a fabric feed frame, so that each end of the wire is fixed to each lower surface of the link plate by a fastener such as a screw.
In case a plurality of workpieces are to be stitched, a plurality of holder devices are mounted on the multiple head type embroidery machine. Here a distance between neighboring heads of the neighboring sewing machines is set in a predetermined distance, such as about 600 mm. In this connection, a pair of link plates for each holder device for fixing ends of each wire are set to the fabric feed frame in such a manner that the pair of link plates are not mechanically interfered with the neighboring link plates of different pairs. In each holder device, both fixed ends of the wire and the upper end of the rotary frame are aligned with each other in a horizontal direction. Because the rotary frame is not movable in the X-direction, the movement of the fabric feed frame in the X-direction causes rotation of the rotary frame through the translation mechanism.
Here, the embroidery stitching area is determinative by the rotation angle range of the rotary frame. That is, if the rotation angle range of the rotary frame is increased, the embroidery stitching area can be increased. In other words, the stitching area is determinative by the moving stroke of the fabric feed frame in the X-direction.
Further, the rotation angle range of the rotary frame is also dependent on a distance between the pair of link plates. If the pair of link plates are positioned far away from each other, a relatively long wire can be used so that rotation angle of the rotary frame can be increased. However, as described above, a distance between the pair of link plates is limited to avoid mechanical interference if a plurality of holder devices are installed onto the multiple head type embroidery machine. Therefore, it would be rather difficult to increase embroidery stitching area in the concurrent stitching in the multiple head type embroidery machine.

Curved workpiece fabric holder device rotary position adjusting mechanism for rotary frame for use in embroidery machine


The present invention provides a continuous process for recovering acetone from a waste stream from an acetone purification stage. The waste stream contains mesityl oxide and optionally acetone. The process for recovering acetone includes separating the waste stream in a separating device at least in one stream containing mesityl oxide and optionally a further stream containing acetone, then concentrating mesityl oxide in the mesityl oxide containing stream, and finally recycling the concentrated mesityl oxide stream to the separating device and bringing it into contact with a basic or acidic aqueous medium or with an acidic catalyst in the presence of water whereby mesityl oxide is at least partially hydrolyzed to acetone.

It is known from the state of the art that mesityl oxide can be reversed into acetone from which it is formed by treatment under acidic or basic conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,352 discloses a process for producing isophorone by condensing acetone whereas mesityl oxide which is formed inter alia as a by-product during this reaction is reversed into acetone by commingling the crude product mixture with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, followed by distilling the thus obtained acetone in one step together with unreacted acetone from the main reaction. This prevents forming further mesityl oxide in case of a preliminary removal of unreacted acetone.
The manufacture of phenol and acetone which is of great economic importance typically proceeds starting from cumene according to the Hock reaction by acid catalyzed cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide. The by-products formed during this reaction, like for example, cumene, benzene and one or more ketones, have to be separated from the main products phenol and acetone, which generally proceeds via extraction and/or distillation.
Often an acetone stream obtained from a preceding distillation to separate it from phenol, is treated with alkaline reagents to further separate it from undesired byproducts, especially aldehydes. Because of these acidic and alkaline reaction conditions, respectively, the acetone partly reacts with itself to form diacetone alcohol in a first step which may either dehydrate to form mesityl oxide or decompose again to redevelop acetone.
Since acetone represents one of the desired products a procedure in which the crude product of the Hock process is directly commingled with an alkaline solution to reverse mesityl oxide contained therein to acetone analogous to U.S. Pat. No. 2,351,352 as mentioned above, is not suitable in this case because under these conditions additional byproducts would be formed which leads to a reduction in yield. Moreover, any further acetone purification steps using an alkaline solution also will result in the production of mesityl oxide which accordingly would not be recovered and therefore as well lead to an additional loss of yield.
Accordingly, EP-A-1 188 737 discloses a process for the work-up of substance streams containing mesityl oxide which are especially obtained from acetone purification during the Hock process.
In this process the mesityl oxide is concentrated and reversed to acetone using an acidic or basic aqueous medium or an acidic catalyst in the presence of water.
The disadvantages of this recovery process for mesityl oxide can be seen in the cleavage taking place in a separate reaction apparatus which increases the costs for new plants to be constructed, as well as the costs for the maintenance of such a plant. Additionally, the only process exemplified therein represents a discontinuous one which is susceptible for disorders.
Abstract of JP-A 79 70,210 also deals with acetone recovery from mesityl oxide in the cumene process of phenol manufacture whereas in this process the alkali required for the conversion is a waste liquor from the acetone purification in the cumene processes. Since the cleavage of mesityl oxide described therein proceeds in an autoclave this process as well requires a separate reaction apparatus.
Accordingly the problem underlying the present invention presents as providing a process for recovering acetone from a waste stream from an acetone purification stage which requires less apparative expenses and preferably reduces maintenance costs as well.

Continuous process for recovering acetone from a waste stream resulting from acetone purification


A tunable earphone is provided. By moving a tuning rod inserted into a hollow shell with a varied depth to drive a tuning plate thus changing the distance between a speaker and the tuning plate, the air in the hollow shell can resonate for different volumes and different path lengths, thereby adjusting a frequency response characteristic of the whole earphone.

Generally, the tone-quality performance of an earphone in the market is fixed, that is, the tone color and frequency response characteristic of the earphone is decided when leaving the factory. As a result, after purchasing an earphone, a user can at most adjust the playing device, and cannot adjust the earphone.
However, the adjustment of the playing device is only a digital correction and cannot satisfy a consumer pursuing high tone-quality performance. Furthermore, not all playing devices used by consumers have the tuning function. Therefore, a consumer may possibly need to purchase many different earphones to experience different tone quality characteristics, resulting in increased consumption cost and inconvenience in use.


A method of detecting concealed objects using a thermal imager includes obtaining an output comprising a plurality of pixels representing a person, analyzing each pixel matching a contour of the person and excluding any pixel within a blob bounding box of the person, and determining whether a pixel address is represented in a pixel map. In addition, the method includes comparing a value of each remaining pixel to an allowable minimum threshold value representing a lower pre-defined body temperature, and comparing the value of each remaining pixel greater than or equal to the allowable minimum threshold value to an upper allowable threshold value representing an upper pre-defined body temperature. The method also includes excluding any of the remaining pixels within a range between the lower and upper pre-defined body temperatures to define final set of pixels, and calculating a pixel difference to indicate a severity of the difference.

A wide variety of security systems are employed for consumer, commercial, industrial, government and military use cases. Security systems can utilize a variety of technologies, including mechanical, electrical, electromechanical, optical, laser and other techniques. Optical security systems are particularly adept at long stand-off surveillance where the sensor and operator can be located a safe distance away from threats. Typical optical security systems may include visible, infrared, millimeter wave, terahertz and x-ray imaging. These systems image different frequencies of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Infrared, millimeter wave, terahertz and x-ray based security systems have the benefit of being able to image concealed objects under the clothing of subjects by imaging the contrast difference between the human body and the concealed object that may attenuate the imagery of the body's natural energy. For example, the human body emits, absorbs and reflects thermal, millimeter wave and terahertz energy in a sensor-observable fashion. In contrast, concealed objects such as explosives, weapons, contraband and the like block, absorb, reflect or otherwise attenuate the body's energy providing the imaging system with a contrasting image, either appearing darker or lighter than the body.
This capability is ideal for imaging suicide bombers, smugglers, and concealed objects such as firearms, contraband, currency, liquids and gels, and the like. One disadvantage of these optical systems and security systems in general, is they are typically not easily portable or rapidly deployable. Prior art concealed object imaging and detection systems are large, heavy and difficult to transport, are not one-man portable, and are thus time consuming and costly to deploy, and expensive and burdensome to transport. Furthermore, prior art concealed object imaging and detection systems are typically engineered for a particular environment, location or use case, making these systems costly in terms of application-specific engineering, training and support. These systems typically require support infrastructure such as electrical power, climate control, inspection areas/lanes, backdrops and the like, thereby limiting or eliminating their "ad hoc" or "on demand" responsiveness and capabilities.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a light weight, one man portable concealed object detection system that can be easily, perhaps manually, transported to a deployment area and which requires a minimum of installation/support tools, manuals, system components, and traveling/storage containers.
Another need exists in the art for a security method and system for concealed object detection that is rapidly deployable by a minimum of personnel and supports quick setup with little to no field adjustments, testing or ground support. This place-and-go setup methodology greatly reduces the time required to deploy the system and the expense of installers, operators and support personnel.
Another need exists in the art for a concealed object detection security method and system that is flexible enough to be employed in a wide variety of use cases, locations and environments without additional engineering, site preparation, operator training or unit modifications. For example, a need exists for a method and system that is quickly deployable for indoor or outdoor conditions, daytime or nighttime conditions, humid or arid conditions, and the like. Those features are a large advantage over prior art systems that are required to be custom tailored for a particular deployment location or use case, by reducing or eliminating the costs involved in engineering and personnel training for each specific deployment.
Yet another need exists in the art for a security method and system for concealed object detection that is independently powered and can perform in deployments without external infrastructure such as power, utilities, air conditioning, or prior site preparation, thus reducing installation expense and time and presenting a common product and deployment methodology.
Another need exists in the art for a rapid deployment concealed object detection method and system that allows for cost savings due to the economies of scale in manufacturing, engineering and procurement that are realizable due to a flexible and generalized design.
However, in view of the prior art at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.

Method and system for detecting concealed objects using handheld thermal imager


This invention concerns a secondary radar antenna operating in S mode.. The antenna comprises a row of columns (1) of radiating elements powered by a hyperfrequency distribution circuit (2) containing a summing channel (.SIGMA.), a difference channel (.DELTA.) and a secondary lobe suppression channel (.OMEGA.), each producing a radiation diagram. The antenna end columns (L, R) each produce at least one auxiliary radiation diagram offset with respect to the diagram produced by the summing channel and contributing with the other antenna columns (1) to the creation of the other three diagrams.. Application: secondary radars in S modes in communication with a large number of aircraft per antenna revolution.

This invention concerns a secondary radar antenna working in S mode.
It is particularly applicable to S mode secondary radar systems in communication with a large number of aircraft per secondary antenna revolution.
The increase in air traffic requires that secondary radar send and receive more and more coded pulses. Within an area illuminated by antenna beams and containing an increasing number of aircraft, these coded pulses are chained to form longer and longer signals. The relative narrowness of the antenna beam, designed both for transmission and reception of coded pulses, limits the number of targets handled since the space illumination time considered necessary for transmission and reception of all these signals involved is too short.
S mode secondary radar antenna are generally single pulse and contain three channels carrying out three different antenna diagrams; the first channel is called the summing channel and is denoted .SIGMA., the second channel is called the difference channel and is denoted .DELTA., and the third channel for the suppression of secondary lobes is usually called the SLS (Side Lobe Suppression) channel. In the reception phase, the summing channel is used mainly for reception of power in signals transmitted by aircraft and therefore to be able to detect the responses contained in these signals, and the difference channel is used particularly with the summing channel to form a signal used to determine aircraft offsets from the center line of the antenna, and therefore to precisely determine the azimuth of targets.
One solution for increasing the target illumination time is to widen the summing channel, .SIGMA., antenna diagram. However since the peak transmitted power at constant average power, is low, the same is applicable for the range of the secondary radar. In particular, since the width of the main lobe of the summing channel, .SIGMA., is imposed by international standards, this parameter cannot be varied.
Also, the fast appearance of parasite network lobes when offsetting the summing diagram prevents superimposition of scanning done by the summing diagram on antenna scanning.
Another solution would be to arrange several antennas in parallel so as to increase the illuminated space without reducing the radar range, but this solution is expensive and occupies a large volume.

Secondary radar antenna operating in S mode


A method for power-smart packet processing includes, in response to an event trigger signal, generating, by a state machine, a number of enable signals. The method further includes applying the enable signals to a number of single-level inferred clock (SLICK) gates to generate multiple clock signals with cycles of latency. The clock signals are applied to at least some of a number of groups of flops used for packet processing. The enable signals are clock-gated enable signals that start at consecutive cycles of a main clock, and stay active for at least one cycle of the main clock. The method further includes using flow-aware clock-gating technology (FACT) to distinctly identify logic and tables and continually variable traffic (CVT) to control packet rate and packet spacing.

High-performance computing and other demanding scale-out applications in the datacenter continue to require higher port counts, larger bandwidth, and reduced latency and power efficiency in packet-processing devices, such as network switches and routers. Power consumption improvements from process node geometry reductions are fast approaching intense physical limitations. Thus, sole reliance on process node improvements may be insufficient to keep up with increasing performance demands for packet-processing devices.
Some previous approaches for power saving, such as running ingress and egress pipelines at a lower frequencies, may result in latency and require a second clock tree (decoupled packet-processing clock). Other power-saving approaches are based on clock frequency modulation, such as dynamic frequency scaling or traffic modulation, which can be complex and/or increase chip area and latency.
Power saving can also be achieved by clock gating so that flops that are not active are not clocked. Synthesis-inferred clock gating (SIG) and per-stage clock gating (PSG) have also been used for power saving. In actual implementation, the PSG trigger and the SIG enables are very similar, if not the same. For idle and peak-power cases, both of the clock gates are either on or off, rendering one of the clock gates redundant. This process brings clock-gating efficiency significantly down and increases the clock-gating cost for no additional savings. Also, the PSG can cover all of the stage flops; however, PSG activates the clock for the entire latency of the stage. For achieving any power savings, inactivity periods need to be longer than stage latency, which with higher stage latencies, can make power saving much less probable for a given traffic pattern. Further, multiple levels of clock gating after H-tree tap, inside a sink grid box, is not design tool and/or flow friendly. For SIG and PSG clock gating, the enables are not granular enough to control mutually exclusive logic for flows. As the start of processing (SOP) trigger exercises most of the logic of the pipeline stages, this scheme may not be able to address peak power reduction.
Per-cycle clock gating (PCG) scheme with independent SIG can replace PSG with per cycle enables. However, most of the enable timings are still common between current PCG and SIG. In addition, PCG uses two levels of clock gating and is not capable of addressing peak power reduction.

AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED


A receiver includes a receiver circuit that decodes multiple signals of interest contained in a composite receive signal. The receiver comprises at least one Generalized RAKE combining circuit and a joint demodulation circuit and generates a detected signal at an output. The joint demodulation circuit contains a reduced search soft value generator circuit and generates soft bit values that represent coded bits received from the transmitter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the wireless telecommunications field and, in particular, to a mobile terminal containing a joint detection generalized RAKE (JD-GRAKE) receiver that utilizes a cumulative metric across the transmitting antennas which enables a reduced complexity tree search technique to be used to determine soft bit values that represent coded bits received from transmit antennas in a base station.
2. Description of Related Art
Today there is a very high level of interest in developing ways of enhancing data rates in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna architectures that are used in mobile communication systems which implement the high-speed-downlink-packet access (HSDPA) provision of the wideband code-division multiple-access (WCDMA) standard. For example, code-reuse (CR)-BLAST (similar to V-BLAST) and per-antenna rate-control (PARC) are two such techniques that can be used to enhance data rates in MIMO antenna systems. These two techniques are described in detail in the following two articles:                G. Foschini et al. "Simplified Processing for High Spectral Efficiency Wireless Communication Employing Multi-Element Arrays," IEEE Journal on Selected Areas of Communications, vol. 17, pp. 1841-1852, November 1999.        S. T. Chung et al. "Approaching Eigenmode BLAST Channel Capacity Using V-BLAST with Rate and Power Feedback" Proc. IEEE VTC′02-Fall, Atlantic City, N.J., October 2001.
The CR-BLAST and PARC techniques, as applied to the HSDPA system, both employ multi-code transmission to exploit the large capacity of the MIMO channel and thus deliver very high data rates to the mobile terminals. CR-BLAST is a spatial multiplexing technique, meaning one coded bit stream is interleaved over all transmit antennas, while PARC transmits a separately coded bit stream from each transmit antenna. Initially, the design of receivers for MIMO systems that employ such techniques often focused on the case of flat fading channels. In reality, however, the channel is often dispersive, thus causing multiple access interference (MAI) and inter-symbol interference (ISI). In addition, self-interference occurs, even in flat fading channels, since the multi-codes used in HSDPA are reused across the transmit antennas so as to avoid a code limitation problem.
Since the memory and/or processing power of mobile terminals is typically quite limited, the challenge in receiver design for the dispersive MIMO scenario is to achieve a good balance between performance and complexity in a receiver. This is especially true since the number of signals the receiver needs to demodulate is large due to multi-code and multi-antenna transmission. On one extreme of the complexity scale is the conventional RAKE receiver that performs poorly since RAKE is designed for white noise, and the ISI and MAI is colored. Moreover, the conventional RAKE receiver fails due to self-interference from code reuse. The other extreme is occupied by full joint-demodulation receivers, which perform very well, but are extremely complex. Somewhere in the middle, for example, are receivers like minimum-mean-squared (MMSE)-GRAKE receivers that employ some form of either linear or decision feedback equalization. A detailed description about the MMSE-GRAKE receiver is provided in the following article:                S. J. Grant et al. "Generalized RAKE Receivers for MIMO Systems" in Proc. VTC′03-Fall, Orlando, Fla., October 2003.
Although the MMSE-GRAKE receiver works well in frequency selective fading, it underperforms severely in lightly dispersive or nearly flat scenarios. As such, the Joint-Detection (JD)-Generalized RAKE receiver (JD-GRAKE receiver) was recently developed to restore performance in such cases, and also is described by Grant et al. in the above referenced article. The JD-GRAKE receiver can also be used in MIMO configurations where the number of receive antennas is less than the number of transmit antennas. In these cases, the JD-GRAKE receiver outperforms the MMSE-GRAKE receiver in all levels of dispersion.
The JD-GRAKE receiver is able to handle the various types of interference by forming a partition of signals reminiscent of group detection for CDMA. Specifically, subsets of signals that share the same channelization code are formed and joint detection is applied to the M signals within each subset, where M is the number of transmitting antennas at the base station. This resolves the interference due to code reuse. The ISI and MAI from signals outside each subset are suppressed in a similar fashion as in the conventional single-antenna GRAKE receiver. That is, the ISI and MAI are treated as colored Gaussian noise and the correlation of the interference across fingers on multiple receive antennas is exploited in adapting the finger delays and combining weights. This detection procedure is performed separately for each of the K channelization codes.
A problem with the JD-GRAKE receiver, however, is that when higher-order modulation is used in conjunction with a large number of transmit antennas, the number of metrics to compute in forming the soft bit values required by a decoder becomes very large. Specifically, with M transmit antennas and a signal constellation containing Q points, the number of metrics to compute per symbol period is QM. For example, with 16-QAM (Q=16) and M=4 transmit antennas, the number of metrics is 65,536—a large number indeed. One way to address this problem and avoid the exponential complexity in the JD-GRAKE receiver is to use a receiver based on successive cancellation as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/795,101 entitled "Successive Interference Cancellation in a Generalized RAKE Receiver Architecture" and filed on May 5, 2004, which is incorporated by reference herein. The exponential complexity is avoided in the successive cancellation receiver by successively detecting the M transmitted signals in a multi-stage approach. The present invention, meanwhile, addresses complexity growth by introducing a technique that significantly reduces the number of metric computations of the JD-GRAKE receiver, allowing near-optimal joint detection to be performed in a single stage.

Reduced complexity soft value generation for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) joint detection generalized RAKE (JD-GRAKE) receivers

Telefonaktiebolaget L L M Ericsson (Publ)


The invention concerns a method of SZ stranding into one strand a bundle of two or more flexible micromodules, each micromodule comprising one or more optical fibers. A first pulley is located with its winding surface adjacent to a longitudinal axis of a cabling line. The bundle of micromodules is guided over the winding surface of the first pulley, the first pulley being rotating around the longitudinal axis of the cabling line. The rotational speed, or the rotational direction of the first pulley, is alternating.

Optical fibers are used to transmit information over longer distances and at higher bandwidths than traditional electrical wire cables.
They are increasingly designed to have low friction properties and flexibility to be pushed, pulled, bent, branched, and handled in ways that allow easy manipulation for installation, without reductions in loss or damage to the optical core.
Optical fibers are generally used in the form of optical fiber cables, for a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities, for example in long distance telecommunication field, high-speed data connection, or civil engineering sector.
According to their use, optical fiber cables can be assembled differently. However, all cables substantially have a similar structure: an outer sheath comprising an optical core made of several micromodules, each micromodule being itself made of one or several optical fibers surrounded by thin and flexible sheaths of polymeric material. Such a structure protects fibers from outdoor humidity and environmental hazards (construction works, gnawing animals, etc.).
Two categories of optical cores can be designed, depending on the way micromodules are arranged in relation to each other. On the one hand, helical (or ZS/SZ) stranded core; on the other hand, non-helical (or parallel) stranded core, corresponding to modules that are not winded up into a common strand.
In this document, a particular focus is placed on SZ stranded micromodules. SZ stranding, also referred to as reverse oscillating lay (ROL), is well known by persons skilled in the art. In SZ stranding, a bundle of micromodules is first twisted in a clockwise direction for a predetermined number of twists. Then, twisting direction changes, and the bundle of micromodules is twisted in a counter-clockwise direction for another predetermined number of twists. Then again, twisting direction changes back to the clockwise direction, and so on.
Prior art SZ stranding cabling lines comprise several successive oscillating plates, called dies, through which the micromodules are inserted, at set-up stage, as presented in FIG. 1. Such stranding SZ machines comprise a range of dies, which rotate at different speeds to organize the SZ stranding. Micromodules first go through the set of dies and then through the motor, which rotates the dies. The SZ strand is formed at the output of the motor.
However, one major drawback of these traditional SZ stranding devices is the fact that machinery extends for several meters long (typically four to six meters), requiring space in the manufacturing plant and limiting the longitudinal stranding speed.
Moreover, at set-up stage, an operator has to pass each micromodule through an appropriate opening in each die of the SZ stranding line: as a result, set-up time is long, especially for a cable with 24 micromodules or more. Besides, there is a risk that micromodules be inserted in wrong openings.
Such stranding devices also have the drawback not to maintain a constant tension in micromodules, and thus in optical core, along the cabling line. Tension varies widely between straight-line state of micromodules and their S or Z twisted state.
Finally, it can be underlined that the increase of tension in the optical core, due to accumulation of friction efforts in the different dies, creates an unwanted de-cabling SZ effect in the cable.
Consequently, there is a need for improving optical fibers SZ stranding process, in order to save time enabling high production speed and reduced set-up times, save space in the manufacturing plant, and consequently save money.
Patent document WO 99/63147 discloses a twist setting unit wherein a twisted cable is guided around spaced pulleys mounted in an opening in the twist setting unit. Pulleys are tilted at an angle to the axis of rotation of the unit to prevent contact of the overlapping sections of cable while setting the twist in the cable.
However, this document does not concern SZ stranding. Here, pulleys are used as over twisters for removing torsional residual forces. They are tilted relative to the axis of rotation. Consequently, they are not appropriate for operating at high line speeds as needed in optical fibers SZ cabling.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,304 discloses a twisting machine and process for producing wire cords particularly suitable for use in reinforcement of vehicle tires and other various articles of rubber or plastics. An over twister is provided between a rotating double twister adapted to twist together a plurality of wire elements, including pre-twisted wires, and a stationary take up means. The over twister consists of rollers turning about a path of travel of the twisted wire cord in the counter direction to the rotation of the double twister at a speed of revolution sufficient so as to convert at least part of the elastic strain in the wire elements which has been imparted by the double twister, to a corresponding permanent torsional strain, thereby improving the straightness of the finished wire cord and minimizing the tendency of the wire cord to become untwisted and curled as well as enabling higher speed production of twisted wire cords.
Pulleys, and particularly the over twister, are used for steel cord and other high elasticity materials, for removing torsional residual forces. Here again, such a twisting machine is not suited for optical fibers SZ stranding. Actually, optical fibers have peculiar constraints, as compared to wire or steel cords. First, optical fibers have very limited elasticity; secondly, during stranding of optical fibers, there are severe constraints, in order to keep within an acceptable range of increase in attenuation.
Patent document DE 38 39 816 discloses a stranding head for use in SZ-stranding machines. A slip-free rotation of the stranding elements to be stranded is generated, that is independent of the coefficient of friction. Such stranding head comprises a deflecting roller tangent to the axis of rotation of the stranding head, consisting of two grooved pulleys freely rotatable, independently of one another. Pulleys are oppositely and symmetrically arranged with respect to the axis of rotation, lying on a common perpendicular to the draw-off direction of the stranding elements.
Although such roller device is used for SZ stranding operations, the stranding head has two independent pulleys, which are located on the same axis. The lower and smaller pulley is tilted relative to the axis of rotation. This stranding head is thus not adequate for operating at high speeds. Moreover, two of such stranding heads are used in the stranding machinery.
There is a need to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art. More precisely, it would be desirable to provide SZ stranding machinery, which would be compact, easy-to-use, reliable, and working at high speed, to faster produce SZ-type optical cables.

Method of SZ stranding flexible micromodules


A magnetic-disk glass substrate according to the present invention is a doughnut-shaped magnetic-disk glass substrate having a circular hole provided in the center, a pair of main surfaces, and an outer circumferential end surface and an inner circumferential end surface each including a side wall surface and a chamfered surface that is formed between each main surface and the side wall surface. A measurement point is provided on the outer circumferential end surface every 30 degrees in the circumferential direction with reference to a center of the glass substrate, and when a curvature radius of a shape of a portion between the side wall surface and the chamfered surface is determined at each measurement point, the difference in the curvature radius between neighboring measurement points is 0.01 mm or less.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic-disk glass substrate and a magnetic disk.
Background Information
Nowadays, personal computers, digital versatile disc (DVD) recorders, and the like have a built-in hard disk drive (HDD) for data recording. In particular, a magnetic disk in which a magnetic layer is provided on a glass substrate is used in a hard disk drive that is used in a device premised on portability, such as a notebook-type personal computer, and magnetic recording information is recorded on or read from the magnetic layer with a magnetic head that flies slightly above the surface of the magnetic disk. At this time, the rotation rate of the magnetic disk is about 5400 rpm, for example. A glass substrate having a higher rigidity and a higher impact resistance than a metal substrate (aluminum substrate) or the like has is preferably used as a substrate of the magnetic disk. It should be noted that the magnetic-disk glass substrate generally has a thickness of 0.635 mm or 0.8 mm in a 2.5-inch magnetic disk, for example.
In recent years, there have been calls for a magnetic-disk for use in a stationary server device such as a network server device that is rotated at a higher rotation speed in order to further improve the access time and the transfer rate. In the case where a magnetic disk is rotated at a higher rotation speed than previously, a conventional magnetic- disk aluminum substrate does not have enough rigidity even if the thickness is increased, and therefore, fluttering occurs. Here, fluttering is a phenomenon in which a substrate vibrates (flutters) due to the rotation of the substrate. Therefore, JP 2008-226376A discloses a magnetic-disk glass substrate in which ⊕S that is a difference between a maximum value Smax and minimum value Smin of the gap S between the inner circumference and the outer circumference of a projection image projected on a plane parallel with a main surface is set to less than 2 μm in order to reduce fluttering at a high rotation speed.

Magnetic-disk glass substrate and magnetic disk


An improved structure of backside copper metallization for semiconductor devices and a fabrication method thereof, wherein the improved structure comprises sequentially from top to bottom an active layer, a substrate, a backside metal seed layer, a high-temperature sustaining buffer layer, a backside metal layer and at least one oxidation resistant layer, wherein the backside metal seed layer contains Pd and P, the high-temperature sustaining buffer layer is made of Ni, Ag or Ni alloys, and the backside metal layer is made of Cu. The semiconductor chip using the structure provided by the present invention can sustain high-temperature operations.

The fabrication processes of semiconductor devices usually include a backside metallization process, which is essential for heat dissipation, the device grounding, as well as improving the die strength. FIG. 1 is a schematic showing the backside copper structure of semiconductor devices according to conventional technologies, in which the structure sequentially comprises a substrate 101, a diffusion barrier layer 105, a stress-reducing metal layer 107, a backside metal layer 109, and an oxidation resistant layer 111. The diffusion barrier layer 105 is formed below the substrate 101. The diffusion barrier layer 105 is made of TaN, which is used mainly for preventing device damages caused by the diffusion of other metal atoms into the substrate 101. The stress-reducing metal layer 107 is formed below the diffusion barrier layer 105. The stress-reducing metal layer 107 is made of Au, which can prevent metal peeling off from the underneath structure caused by the mismatched thermal expansions/contractions in different material layers. The backside metal layer 109 is made of Cu. The backside metal layer 109 should be thick enough to support the substrate 101 for sustaining the large stress during packaging processes. A thick backside metal layer is also helpful for device heat dissipation. The oxidation resistant layer 111 is made of Au, which can prevent the oxidation of the backside metal layer 109.
However, choosing TaN for the diffusion barrier layer, Au for the stress-reducing metal layer, and Cu for the backside metal layer is not adequate for semiconductor devices that demanded for high-temperature operations. The heat dissipation and thermal resistance of semiconductor devices are important topics nowadays. A semiconductor device may be damaged by over-heating when its thermal resistance is not good enough, particularly when backside via holes with large depth to width aspect ratios are presented in the semiconductor devices. Under high temperature operations, the three-layer structure would crack or peel off, leading to poor grounding and device damages.
In view of these facts and for overcoming the drawback stated above, the present invention provides an improved structure of the backside copper metallization a fabrication method thereof for semiconductor devices that can sustain high temperature operations. The improved structure and the fabrication method thereof according to the present invention can also improve the thermal conductivity of the semiconductor chip with a lower production cost.

Structure of backside copper metallization for semiconductor devices and a fabrication method thereof


A self-contained, high capacity nebulizer, having automatic mixing and temperature control features is provided, and its method of use. The nebulizer is designed for use in conjunction with mechanical respirators, ventilators, or breathing machines, and for this purpose will use electrical signals generated by or received from the respirator to automatically control and synchronize the nebulizing and mixing functions such that nebulization occurs only during the exhalation phase of the respiratory function to load the gas passageway of the respirator to the patient with a standardized dose of medicinal aerosol. Upon commencement of the inhalation phase, the aerosol in the gas passageway is ventilated into the lungs of the patient to which it is attached.

The thin membrane of the lungs provides an easily penetrated, convenient and generally safe means for obtaining rapid absorption of medication by the body. This is especially desirable where the lungs themselves are diseased or injured. Such medication or drugs are generally delivered to the lung membrane in the form of a fine mist or aerosol which is breathed into the lungs through the nose or mouth of the patient. A variety of devices, called nebulizers by those skilled in the art, have been developed for converting liquids into fine aerosols for this purpose. The simplest of these devices is the hand-held atomizer which converts a liquid to an aerosol when a bulb is compressed to produce a jet of air which atomizes the medication and propels it out of the atomizer. To be effective, the aerosols need to be provided at high concentrations and with droplet size in the respirable range (mass median aerodynamic diameter less than 3 micrometers).
Nebulizers are particularly useful for initiating and continuing respiratory therapy in conjunction with respirators, mechanical ventilators or breathing machines (hereinafter referred to generically as respirators) used to ventilate the lungs of patients having serious respiratory impairment. While some respirators incorporate nebulizers in their design, many do not. Nebulizers incorporated into the structure of such respirators often suffer from many disadvantages. One such disadvantage is severely limited capacity for medication to be nebulized, requiring frequent interruptions in the therapy as new medication is added to the nebulizer reservoir.
Most, if not all, such nebulizers are incorporated in respirators in which the inhalation and exhalation phases of the breathing cycle are triggered by changes in air pressure caused by the patient himself. Such "demand" respirators are not useful for patients whose respiratory systems are paralyzed and incapable of causing even slight changes in air pressure. These patients are aided by mechanical respirators in which the phases of the breathing cycle are triggered by electrical signals. There is now no effective means for patients on such respirators to receive aerosol treatment.
Thus, the need exists for a nebulizer which can be attached to a mechanical respirator, especially those in which the breathing cycle is controlled by an electrical signal, which has a reservoir capacity sufficient to enable several hours of continuous treatment, which can prevent the settling of suspensions or mixtures without creating nebulization-destroying turbulence.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,012 discloses the principal of signal actuated synchronization of nebulization for delivery of aerosolized medicine to patients whose breathing is supported or augmented by a mechanical respiratory. In that reference, nebulization could be effected during inhalation or exhalation, but the primary trust of that reference was to provide aerosols during the inhalation phase of the breathing cycle to mix with the inhalation tidal volume provided by the respirator, and in synchrony with the normal operation of the respiratory. However, it has been found that the addition of volume of gas to mix with the inhalation tidal volume provided by the respirator, may interfere with the normal operation of the respirator in certain operating modes, and the medicinal aerosol is diluted by the portion of gas delivered by the respirator.

Intermittent signal actuated nebulizer synchronized to operate in the exhalation phase, and its method of use


There are disclosed methods and systems for determining a speaker of a set of registered users associated with a voice-controllable device. The method is executable by an electronic device configured to execute a Machine Learning Algorithm (MLA). The method comprises executing the MLA to determine a first probability parameter indicative of the speaker of the user utterance being one of the set of registered users; executing a user frequency analysis to generate, for each given one of the set of registered users, a second probability parameter the being an apriori frequency based probability; generating, for the electronic device, for each given one of the set of registered users an amalgamated probability based on the first probability and the second probability associated therewith; selecting the given one of the set of registered users as the speaker of the user utterance based on the amalgamated probability value.

Electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are able to access an increasing and diverse number of applications and services for processing and/or accessing different types of information. However, novice users and/or impaired users and/or users operating a vehicle may not be able to effectively interface with such devices mainly due to the variety of functions provided by these devices or the inability to use the machine-user interfaces provided by such devices (such as a key board). For example, a user who is driving or a user who is visually-impaired may not be able to use the touch screen key board associated with some of these devices.
Intelligent Personal Assistant (IPA) systems are examples of voice-controllable device. The IPA systems have been developed to perform functions in response to user requests. Such IPA systems may be used, for example, for information retrieval and navigation but are also used for simply "chatting". A conventional IPA system, such as Siri® IPA system for example, can receive a spoken user utterance in a form of digital audio signal from a device and perform a large variety of tasks for the user. For example, a user can communicate with Siri® IPA system by providing spoken utterances (through Siri®'s voice interface) for asking, for example, what the current weather is, where the nearest shopping mall is, and the like. The user can also ask for execution of various applications installed on the electronic device. As mentioned above, the user may also desire to simply and naturally "chat" with the IPA system without providing any specific requests to the system.
These personal assistants are implemented as either software integrated into a device (such as SIRI™ assistant provided with APPLE™ devices) or stand-alone hardware devices with the associated software (such as AMAZON™ ECHO™ device). The personal assistants provide an utterance-based interface between the electronic device and the user.
The range of tasks that the user can address by using the IPA is not particularly limited. As an example, the user may be able to execute a search and get an answer to her question. For example, the user is able to issue search commands by voice (for example, by saying "What is the weather today in New York, USA?"). The IPA is configured to capture the utterance, convert the utterance to text and to process the user-generated command. In this example, the IPA is configured to execute a search and determine the current weather forecast for New York. The IPA is then configured to generate a machine-generated utterance representative of a response to the user query. In this example, the IPA may be configured to generate a spoken utterance: "It is 5 degrees Celcius with the winds out of North-East".
As another example, the user is able to issue commands to control the IPA, such as for example: "Play "One Day in Your Life" by Anastacia". In response to such the command, the IPA is able to locate the locally stored song that matches the title and the performer and to play the song to the user. By the same token, if the IPA can not locate such the song stored locally, the IPA may be configured to access a remote repository of songs, such as a cloud-based storage account or an on-line song streaming service.
Other types of commands are, of course, possible. These can range from playing videos, retrieving documents, or simply "chatting" with the IPA.

Method and system for determining speaker-user of voice-controllable device


The present invention relates to a voltammetric sequence-selective sensor for target polynucleotide sequences which essentially comprises: an immobilized polynucleotide probe having one end covalently bound onto an amperometric electrode. The immobilized probe includes a target binding region capable of hybridizing to the target polynucleotide sequences forming an immobilized heteroduplex having at least a hybridized region. The sequence-selective sensor of the present invention also comprises means for voltammetrically detecting immobilized heteroduplexes. There is also provided a method for detecting the presence of a target polynucleotide analyte in a physiological sample, which comprises the steps of incubating the prepared physiological sample with the voltammetric sequence-selective sensor of the present invention; voltammetrically detecting immobilized heteroduplexes; and comparing the resulting voltammogram with a control voltammogram.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltammetric sequence-selective sensor for target polynucleotide sequences, and more particularly to a polynucleotide probe having one end immobilized on an amperometric electrode and a target binding region.
2. Description of Prior Art
The application of recombinant DNA techniques is emerging as a powerful tool in the area of molecular diagnostic medicine. For example, the development of DNA and RNA molecular probes for the detection of viral and bacterial genomes and genetic defects in mammalian chromosomes may replace current immunochemical approaches.
Polynucleotide hybridization assays are used as research tools for the detection and identification of unique or specific polynucleotide sequences in samples of complete, fragmented, or mixed nucleic acids. Various hybridization diagnostic techniques have been developed.
The southern blot technique is based on a polynucleotide hybridization technique employing radiolabeled nucleic acid probes. This procedure permits autoradiographic detection of probe/analyte hybrids and identification of the polynucleotide sequence of the analyte. However, the Southern procedure, as well as the other diagnostic procedures employing radiolabeled nucleic acid probes, are very complex, time consuming, and have the additional problems and expenses generally associated with radioactive materials such as disposal and personnel monitoring. Thus, such assays have remained a tool of basic research and are not generally employed in applied or commercial areas such as clinical diagnosis.
Most of the existing methods used to attach a polynucleotide probe to a solid support are non-specific and the number of attachment sites per nucleic acid is difficult to control. It has been found that multiple attachment reduces the degree of freedom of the immobilized nucleic acid. The physical adsorption of single stranded DNA, covalent attachment via diazo-linkage, epoxidation, cyanogen bromide activation and photochemical reactions are associated with the complication of non-specific linkage between the nucleic acids and the solid support.
Canadian Patent 1,223,222, issued on Jun. 23, 1987, discloses an immobilized nucleic acid-containing probe coupled to a solid support in a manner which is site specific, which does not interfere with the ability of the nucleic acid to hybridize and which involves preferably a single chemical covalent linkage per nucleic acid to the solid support. Specifically, the nucleotide is coupled to the nucleic acid employing an enzyme and the nucleotide is chemically modified.
Canadian Patent 1,236,410, issued on May 10, 1988, discloses methods and reagents for determining the presence of specific DNA and RNA base sequences on single stranded target polynucleotides. The method involves the preparation of a specific single stranded ribonucleic acid or deoxyribonucleic acid molecule into which a bifunctional crosslinking molecule has been covalently incorporated. The incorporation is such that the crosslinking molecule retains the capacity to undergo a second addition to the nucleic acid of the bacterial, viral, or mammalian chromosome which is the target for the probe. The single stranded DNA or RNA probe is designed so that its nucleic acid base sequence is complementary to a unique region of the bacterial, viral, or mammalian chromosome target sequence. The nucleic acid, for example, from a blood, tissue, or cell sample is reacted with the probe under conditions where hybridization of the probe with the target will occur. Following hybridization, the sample is subjected to a photochemical or chemical procedure which causes crosslinking of the probe to the target complementary sequence. If no target genomic sequence is present, then no crosslinking of the probe will occur. In some cases hybridization of the probe to the target will precede both reactions of the bifunctional crosslinking reagent.
Canadian Patent 1,293,937 issued on Jan. 7, 1992, discloses polynucleotide probe compositions, diagnostic kits, and nonradiometric hybridization assays useful in the detection and identification of at least one target polynucleotide analyte in a physiological sample. There is provided a first polynucleotide probe having a catalyst attached thereto and which is substantially complementary to a first single-stranded region of the analyte; and a second polynucleotide probe having an apoluminescer attached thereto and which is substantially complementary to a second single-stranded region of the analyte. The second region is substantially mutually exclusive from the first region, such that upon hybridization of the first and second probes with the analyte, the catalyst and the apoluminescer are close enough to each other to permit the catalyst to act on a substrate to release a transformation radical to convert the apoluminescer to a luminescer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,013 issued on Nov. 21, 1989, discloses the use of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) and its derivatives as mediator molecules in the transfer of electrons between redox systems and electrodes in bioelectrochemical processes. There is also disclosed an assay procedure for assaying a substance based on this redox system and using an electrode. This assay does not include the detection of hybridized polynucleotide probes with a target polynucleotide since no redox system is involved in this hybridization.
Current methods for the diagnosis of inherited diseases employ digestion of a prepared DNA sample with restriction enzymes to form short, double-stranded segments, gel electrophoresis to separate these segments according to size, transfer of the separated segments to a thin membrane material, such as nylon, hybridization of the segments of interest with a labeled oligonucleotide (of complementary sequence to the known disease sequence), and detection of the label. The complete procedure requires about 24 hours, is labor-intensive, and is not readily automated. Furthermore, these methods usually employ radioactive labels, with their inherent safety and disposal problems. None of the above-mentioned diagnostic systems discloses a probe which can be treated to be reusable for hybridization. Thus, these systems are for a unique usage.
None of the above-mentioned diagnostic systems are highly sequence specific to enable the diagnosis of point mutation inherited diseases.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a sequence-selective system for target polynucleotide sequences that uses a nonradiometric label in a system that is simple to use, highly specific and sensitive and reusable.

Voltammetric sequence-selective sensor for target polynucleotide sequences


Glass fibers having non-circular cross sections, excellent strength and excellent modulus of elasticity, and a fiber-reinforced resin compact using the same are provided. The glass fibers having non-circular cross sections are obtained by spinning the molten glass prepared by melting a glass composition as a raw material for the glass fibers. The glass fibers have a composition in which the content of SiO2 is 57.0 to 63.0% by mass, the content of Al2O3 is 19.0 to 23.0% by mass, the content of MgO is 10.0 to 15.0% by mass and the content of CaO is 5.5 to 11.0% by mass, in relation to the total amount of the glass fibers, and the ratio of the content of MgO to the content of CaO, MgO/CaO falls within a range from 0.8 to 2.0.

Glass fibers having non-circular cross sections have hitherto been proposed (for example, see Patent Literature 1). In the present application, a shape in which all the positions on the circumference are separated by an equal distance from the center of the shape is defined as a perfect circle, and shapes different from the perfect circle are defined as non-circular shapes. Examples of the non-circular shapes include a flat shape, a star shape, a cruciform, a polygon and a doughnut shape, and the like. Examples of the flat shape include an elliptical shape, an oval shape and a cocoon shape.
The glass fibers having non-circular cross sections are mixed and melted with a thermoplastic resin, and the resulting molten mixture is injection molded to form a fiber-reinforced resin compact; in this way the glass fibers having non-circular cross sections are regarded to be capable of improving, for example, the mechanical strength, dimensional accuracy and warping of the fiber-reinforced resin compact. The reasons for improving the mechanical strength of the fiber-reinforced resin compact include the fact that the glass fibers having non-circular cross sections have a larger contact area with the thermoplastic resin, as compared to glass fibers having perfectly circular cross sections. The reasons for improving the dimensional accuracy, warping and the like of the fiber-reinforced resin compact include the fact that the glass fibers having non-circular cross sections are more satisfactory in the orientation in the directions along the plane of the compact and tend to be more two-dimensionally oriented at the time of forming the fiber-reinforced resin compact, as compared to glass fibers having perfectly circular cross sections.
The glass fibers having non-circular cross sections are generally formed of E-glass, and the glass fibers composed of E-glass may not be able to attain sufficient strength and sufficient modulus of elasticity. Accordingly, it is desirable to impart sufficient strength and sufficient modulus of elasticity to the glass fibers having non-circular cross sections.
Glass fibers composed of S-glass are known as glass fibers more excellent in strength than the glass fibers composed of E-glass. The glass fibers composed of S glass has a composition in which the content of SiO2 is about 65% by mass, the content of Al2O3 is about 25% by mass and the content of MgO is about 10% by mass, in relation to the total amount of the glass fibers. However, when a glass composition as the raw material for S-glass is melted into molten glass, and glass fibers are obtained by spinning the molten glass, S-glass has a problem that the difference between the 1000-poise temperature of the molten glass and the liquid phase temperature of the molten glass is small.
The "1000-poise temperature" means the temperature at which the viscosity of the molten glass comes to be 1000 poises, and the "liquid phase temperature" means the temperature at which crystals start to precipitate when the temperature of the molten glass is decreased. In general, the appropriate viscosity in the production of glass fibers is said to be 1000 poises or less, and in the foregoing spinning, the wider the temperature range (working temperature range) between the 1000-poise temperature and the liquid phase temperature, the more stably the spinning can be performed; and hence, the working temperature range is used as an indication for ensuring spinnability.
When the difference between the 1000-poise temperature of the molten glass and the liquid phase temperature of the molten glass is small, in the process during which the molten glass is spun and then cooled to be glass fibers, the glass fibers tend to undergo crystallization (devitrification) even under the effect of slight temperature decrease and a problem of breakage of glass fibers or the like tends to occur. S-glass has a narrow working temperature range, and hence, when the glass composition as the raw material for S-glass is melted to prepare a molten glass, it is difficult to stably spin glass fibers having non-circular cross sections from the resulting molten glass. The "devitrification" is the phenomenon that crystals precipitate when the temperature of the molten glass is decreased.
Accordingly, a glass composition has been proposed in which the composition of the glass composition as the raw material for S-glass is improved in such a way that the glass composition includes CaO as well as SiO2, Al2O3 and MgO. As the foregoing glass composition, a glass composition is known which allows the spinning to be easily performed at relatively low temperatures while the working temperature range is being maintained, for example, by decreasing the viscosity on the basis of the decrease of the 1000-poise temperature (see, Patent Literature 2). As the foregoing glass composition, a glass composition is also known in which the difference between the 1000-poise temperature and the liquid phase temperature is large (see, Patent Literature 3).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Glass fibers having non-circular cross sections, and fiber-reinforced resin compact using same