A solid-state imaging apparatus includes unit pixels each having a light-collecting element for collecting incident light, the light-collecting element: is divided into a plurality of zones each having a ring shape of concentric structure and a line width shorter than a wavelength of the incident light; and has an effective refractive index distribution controlled according to a combination of the zones, and in at least one of the zones, a light-transmissive film which is included in the zone is divided in a circumferential direction of the concentric structure at an interval shorter than the wavelength of the incident light.

The market for solid-state imaging apparatuses has expanded remarkably following the wide use of the digital cameras and mobile phones with cameras. In recent years, the demand for thinner digital cameras is getting stronger. Stated differently, this means that the focal length of a lens used for the camera module becomes shorter, and that light enters a solid-state imaging apparatus at a wide angle (that is, an angle obtained when measuring from a vertical axis of an incident surface of the solid-state imaging apparatus is wider).
In solid-state imaging apparatuses such as charge coupled device (CCD) image sensors or complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, semiconductor integrated circuits having light-receiving parts are arranged in a two-dimensional array to convert a light signal from a subject into an electric signal. The sensitivity of the solid-state imaging apparatus is defined based on an amount of output current of a light-receiving element to an amount of incident light. Therefore, guiding the incident light surely into the light-receiving element is an important factor for improving the sensitivity.
In order to achieve this, it is required to improve light-collection efficiency of a microlens formed on the top portion of the CCD image sensor and the CMOS image sensor. The existing microlens is a resin spherical lens, and is used for almost all the solid-state imaging apparatuses including the CCD image sensors and the CMOS image sensors.
FIG. 10 shows an example of a basic structure of a pixel in a conventional solid-state imaging apparatus. A solid-state imaging apparatus 500 includes a microlens 501, a color filter 502, wire layers 503, a light-receiving element 506, and a Si substrate 507. As shown in FIG. 10, incident light 502A (dashed lines) which enters vertically into the microlens 501 is separated into colors using any one of the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters 502, and then enters into the light-receiving element 506 without being affected by the light-blocking effect by the wire layers 503, and is converted into an electric signal at the light-receiving element 506.
FIG. 11 shows an example of a structure of a peripheral pixel in the conventional solid-state imaging apparatus. In peripheral pixels of the solid-state imaging apparatus 510, the incident angle of the incident light 502B (solid line) is large, and the wire layers 503 is shifted (shrunk) inwardly in an attempt to improve the light-collection efficiency.
However, in a fine pixel or a short-focal-length optical system such as miniature cameras where the incident angle of the incident light in the peripheral pixels is increased significantly, there is a problem that the circuit cannot be shrunk any more.
In order to address the above-described problem in wide-angle incidence to the peripheral pixels, Patent Literature (PTL) 1 proposes a solid-state imaging apparatus in which a refractive index distribution light-collecting element having an effective refractive index distribution is formed by its structure which is substantially the same as or finer than the wavelength of the incident light. With the solid-state imaging apparatus disclosed in PTL 1 in which the refractive index distribution type light-collecting elements having different refractive indices in the center portion, intermediate portion, and the peripheral portion of the imaging region is provided, even when the light enters into the peripheral pixels obliquely at a great angle relative to a vertical axis of the incident surface, the incident light can be collected at the light-receiving element and the sensitivity equivalent to that obtained at the center portion of the solid-state imaging apparatus can be obtained.

Solid-state imaging apparatus having a light collecting element with an effective refractive index distribution

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD


A mobile body surrounding surveillance apparatus comprises an image capturing section for capturing an image of a surrounding of a mobile body, a setting section for setting a landscape, band-like particular region parallel to a frame image with respect to image data captured by the image capturing section, an extraction section for taking image data of the particular region every one or more frame images captured in time series by the image capturing section, and extracting movement vector information based on the image data of the particular region, and a detection section for detecting another mobile body present in the surrounding of the mobile body based on the movement vector information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile body surrounding surveillance apparatus for surveillance of safety during movement of a manned or unmanned mobile body, such as a ship or a car (a vehicle, such as a two-wheeled vehicle (e.g., a motorcycle or a bicycle), a four-wheeled vehicle (e.g., an automobile), a train, etc.), a human or the like. For example, when a mobile body (own mobile body) moves laterally and there is a risk such that the mobile body contacts or collides with another mobile body (other mobile body) existing therearound, the mobile body surrounding surveillance apparatus is used to assist confirming the safety by warning a human involved with the mobile body by informing the danger caused by the approach of the other mobile body. The present invention also relates to a mobile body surrounding surveillance method using the mobile body surrounding surveillance apparatus, a control program for causing a computer to execute the mobile body surrounding surveillance method, and a computer-readable recording medium recording the control program.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recent increase in accidents of mobile bodies, such as traffic accidents (e.g., collision of automobiles, etc.) raises a significant public concern. Particularly, when moving an automobile to the left or right to make a lane change or turning right or left, a collision or crash frequently occurs in spite of the automobile driver's caution. The reason for such collision or crash is considered as follows: the automobile driver does not sufficiently confirm a rear and side direction with respect to the moving direction of his/her driving car (own mobile body) using a rearview mirror or the like; or there is another car (another mobile body) which is not covered by a rearview mirror or the like, i.e., a so-called blind spot.
To prevent such a traffic accident, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-285245 discloses a mobile body crash prevention apparatus which takes an image of a rear view using a camera mounted on a car, detects the presence of another car from the captured image, and employs an informing section to inform the driver of the car of the approach of another car by giving a warning, if there is a risk of collision or crash of another car coming in a rear and side direction when moving to the left or right (e.g., making a lane change, etc.) or turning left or right.
With the mobile body crash prevention apparatus, line edges which constitute a white line on a road or a ridge line of the road, and a vanishing point (point at infinity) which is an intersection of the line edges, are detected in each image of a plurality of frames captured in time series by the capturing section. Based on the white line and the ridge line and the positional information of the vanishing point, a detection region is narrowed. The detection region is divided into small regions (blocks). Movement amounts of the small regions between each frame are calculated by a technique called optical flow. In this case, the detection region is a region E which is about a half of a screen indicated by slanted dashed lines in FIG. 10. The movement amount information thus calculated is used to detect, for example, a passing car rapidly approaching from a rear and side direction.
However, the conventional mobile body crash prevention apparatus of Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-285245 has the following problem.
When driving, a white line is detected to confirm a lane, a vanishing point is calculated to obtain the moving direction of another car, and optical flow is used to determine how each block obtained by dividing the detection region is moved. Thus, advanced computation is required. In addition to the computation quality, the computation amount is huge, because the large image region E which is about a half of a screen indicated by slanted dashed lines in FIG. 10 is required as a detection region.
Thus, real-time processing cannot be performed due to the huge computation amount. To reduce the computation amount, a method of predicting a movement amount associated with the passage of time is used, for example. Therefore, the movement direction of another oar cannot be correctly detected, likely leading to occurrence of error. Further, some roads may have no white lines, so that the movement amount of the mobile body cannot be calculated. Thus, the apparatus is not practical.

Mobile body surrounding surveillance apparatus, mobile body surrounding surveillance method, control program, and readable recording medium


A waterproof architectural element comprising an elongated panel member composed of compressed fibrous material having a first planar surface and an opposed second planar surface. At least one elongated cellulose layer is composed of Kraft paper having paper basis weight between 30 and 90 pounds and an average thickness between 0.003 and 0.009 inches. The elongated substrate has a first planar face and an opposed second planar face. A polymeric layer overlies at least a portion of the first planar face of the elongated substrate and comprises a polymeric blend of between 50 and 80 wt. % styrene butadiene copolymer and 0.2 and 3 wt. % of a cellulose ether compound. The cellulose ether compound comprises hydrogen or an alkyl group selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, hydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl carboxymethyl, hydroxyethyl methyl, hydroxypropyl and between 30 and 50 wt. % calcium carbonate and water.

Structural components composed of compressed agricultural fiber structural panels provide a sustainable and ecologically friendly building component that are both sturdy and economical. Compressed agricultural fiber structural panels offer advantages of construction speed and efficiency together with lowering construction waste and Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) advantages. Compressed agricultural fiber panels have a negative carbon footprint, high insulation values, and the ability to produce a tight building envelope.
Compressed agricultural fiber structural panels include a compacted fibrous core composed of a suitable cellulosic material such as various processed vegetative material derived from agricultural fiber such as straw, or the like. The compressed cellulosic material can be surrounded by a containment material such as in industrial packing paper such as Kraft liner paper. The compressed or compacted cellulosic core can have a suitable density and dryness sufficient to provide the structural stability and strength necessary to meet acceptable building and load standards.
In order to maintain the structural integrity of the compressed fiber structural panels, it is necessary to avoid exposure to water after the installation process. Kraft paper is an ecologically friendly and light weight option for the containment layer but can permit water incursion. Heretofore, the use of such architectural components has been limited to use in internal wall structures and the like. Use of such structures for exposed weather bearing walls has been extremely limited due to the degradation caused by water incursion.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a water-based, environmentally friendly chemical composition that can impart water resistance to fibrous materials such as Kraft paper and the like. It would also be desirable to provide a polymeric material that can impart a durable water-resistant coating to Kraft paper and the like. It is also desirable to provide an architectural structure composed of a compressed fibrous material surrounded by a containment material that provides the advantages of Kraft paper while providing a containment surface that is integral to the core element and provides enhanced water resistance.

Water resistant paper and solution for producing same and building structure employing same


A circuit board includes: a metallic plate having an opening; a flexible circuit board disposed on a first surface of the metallic plate; and a printed circuit board disposed in the opening of the metallic plate. The flexible circuit board is protruded to the opening of the metallic plate so that a part of the flexible circuit board is bonded to the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a first land disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board, which is disposed on the first surface of the metallic plate. The flexible circuit board includes a second land disposed on a first surface of the flexible circuit board, which is opposite to the metallic plate. The first and second lands are electrically connected each other with a connecting member.

A circuit board having a metallic plate as a substrate and a flexible circuit board is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-51651. The flexible circuit board is bonded on the metallic plate directly so that the circuit board has excellent heat conductivity and high rigidity. The flexible circuit board is made of thermoplastic resin. The circuit board is used, for example, for a meter board (i.e., a combination meter) in an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle. In this case, the circuit board has following problems.
Although the meter board of the vehicle works as a meter, it is required for the meter board to have a novel and impressive design. Therefore, each meter board has a different design corresponding to a type of the vehicle.
In general, it is required for the meter board to become larger, because of the design. For example, positioning of a motor for driving an indicator and an illumination lamp for the indicator is determined on the basis of the design; and therefore, the meter board becomes larger. Further, on the meter board, a control circuit for controlling the motor and the lamp is mounted. Specifically, the control circuit is mounted on an unused space in the meter board.
To comply with both conditions of the large meter board and the positioning of the control circuit, the circuit board includes multiple flexible circuit boards mounted on the metallic plate. Therefore, the area of the flexible circuit board becomes larger. Accordingly, a manufacturing cost becomes higher. Further, since the meter board has a different design corresponding to a type of the vehicle, so that a man-hour for designing the circuit board becomes larger.

Circuit board having metallic plate, printed circuit board and flexible circuit board


A drive mechanism for a mobile vehicle has one first hydraulic motor (9) and one second hydraulic motor (10) which are in permanent operative connection via a summarizing transmission (12, 14) and drive one output shaft (17). In order to make possible, driving a first hydromotor (9) above its admissible maximum rotational speed, the first hydromotor (9) is adjusted to zero displacement and hydraulically separated form the high pressure.

Generic drive mechanisms are specially used for driving mobile vehicles such as working machines like wheel loaders. At low speed wheel loaders require high tractions and preferably a terminal speed of 40 km/h. In a first driving range, the working range, gear shifts are an obstacle since those gear shifts are time consuming and thus prolong the load cycle.
DE 39 07 633 C2 discloses a continuously variable hydrostatic drive system in which one output shaft is driven by a first hydromotor via a first transmission part and a second hydromotor via a second transmission part, likewise, drives the output shaft. In a first driving range, both transmission parts are connected with the output shaft so that the torque of both hydromotors acts upon the output shaft. By changing the displacement of one hydromotor, the output rotational speed can be additionally changed for changing the displacement of the pump. But this is possible only up to a maximum rotational speed of the hydromotors. For this reason, there is the reduction gear part of the second motor between a mechanical separating device which, upon reaching the maximum rotational speed of the hydromotor, separates it from the output shaft so that the other hydromotor can further be accelerated up to its maximum rotational speed. Before the separating device can be opened, the motor has to be adjusted to a displacement of nearly zero. But the coupling and uncoupling of the motor produces a shift jerk.
The problem on which this invention is based is to provide a drive mechanism for a mobile vehicle where, in a first driving range, the torque of two hydromotors acts upon the output shaft and where, in another driving range, the torque of only one hydromotor acts upon the output shaft whereby the shift jerk is to be minimized and the transmission simply constructed.
The problem is solved with a drive mechanism for mobile vehicles.


A tilt control mechanism for an office chair includes a spring assembly therein which controls the tilt tension on the back assembly. This tilt control mechanism includes a tension adjustment assembly having a radial adjustment arm which supports the legs of a pair of coil springs and a cooperating cam block which cooperates with the arm to drive the arm upwardly and downwardly to vary the tilt tension. The cam block is mounted on a threaded shaft and is displaceable sidewardly to either drive the arm and spring legs upwardly or downwardly depending upon the direction of travel of the cam block.

Conventional office chairs are designed to provide significant levels of comfort and adjustability. Such chairs typically include a base which supports a tilt control assembly to which a seat assembly and back assembly are movably interconnected. The tilt control mechanism includes a back upright which extends rearwardly and upwardly and supports the back assembly rearwardly adjacent to the seat assembly. The tilt control mechanism serves to interconnect the seat and back assemblies so that they may tilt rearwardly together in response to movements by the chair occupant and possibly to permit limited forward tilting of the seat and back. Further, such chairs typically permit the back to also move relative to the seat during such rearward tilting.
To control rearward tilting of the back assembly relative to the seat assembly, the tilt control mechanism interconnects these components and allows such rearward tilting of the back assembly. Conventional tilt control mechanisms include tension mechanisms such as spring assemblies which use coil springs or torsion bars to provide a resistance to pivoting movement of an upright relative to a fixed control body, i.e. tilt tension. The upright supports the back assembly and the resistance provided by the spring assembly thereby varies the load under which the back assembly will recline or tilt rearwardly. Such tilt control mechanisms typically include tension adjustment mechanisms to vary the spring load to accommodate different size occupants of the chair.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved tilt control mechanism for such an office chair.
In view of the foregoing, the invention relates to an office chair having an improved tilt control mechanism which controls rearward tilting of the back assembly relative to the seat assembly.
The tilt control mechanism of the invention incorporates a tension adjustment mechanism which cooperates with a pair of coil springs that defines the tilt resistance being applied to the chair uprights. The tension adjustment mechanism includes a cam block movably supported on the control body which slidably engages a pair of spring legs of the coil springs. The cam block has an arcuate cam surface which cooperates with the spring legs wherein the cam block is driven sidewardly to move the spring legs upwardly or downwardly to respectively increase or decrease the spring load being applied by the coil springs to resist rearward tilting.
The cam block is mounted on a threaded drive shaft which shaft extends laterally across the tilt control mechanism and is rotatably supported on the control body. The end of the drive shaft extends to an end of the cam block wherein rotation of the drive shaft causes the cam block to reversibly move sidewardly beneath the spring legs, wherein the arcuate cam surface supporting the spring legs thereby controls displacement of the legs upwardly or downwardly depending upon the direction of movement of the cam block. In particular, the spring legs may move upwardly to increase tilt tension, or downwardly to reduce the tilt tension. This mechanism provides an improved tension adjustment mechanism that is easier to actuate for the occupant.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words "upwardly", "downwardly", "rightwardly" and "leftwardly" will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the arrangement and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

Tension adjustment mechanism for a chair


An apparatus for presenting an application status of a medical device that has a unused state and a used state. The apparatus includes a label having an electrochromic element. The label is at least partially disposed on an exterior surface of the medical device and is configured to display a predetermined feature in response to an electric current. A power source is disposed in or on the medical device for providing the electric current. A switch is configured to selectively connect or disconnect the label and the power source to one another for controlling the application of the electric current to the electrochromic element in response to actuation of the medical device from the unused state to the used state. The label may be scanned by a scan device that may connect to a medical organization for communicating information between the scan device and the medical organization.

An auto-injection device (or auto-injector) is a medical device designed to deliver a dose of a particular drug to a patient. Auto-injection devices are typically spring-loaded syringes that are easy to use and intended for self-administration of the dose by patients or by untrained personnel. In certain circumstances, the auto-injection devices are identified by labels to provide users with identifications and instructions for administering the medical devices. However, information presented on the labels generally does not change in order to reflect a real-time status of the medical device, e.g., a use of the medical device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,114 discloses "a label for electrochemical cell employs an electrochromic material so that when the material is connected to power provided by the electrochemical cell, the material will undergo a visible change as a result of a chemical reaction." The label has an incorporated state-of-charge indicator for the electrochemical cell. The indicator includes an electrochromic material to form an electrically conductive electrochromic electrode. The electrochromic material will undergo a visible change as a result of current being supplied from the electrochemical cell. The indicator with the electrochromic material uses the electrical charge of the electrochemical cell to power the indicator. However, no currently-available labeling apparatus have been applied to medical devices.
Currently-available labeling solutions for medical devices lack an ability to automatically reflect statuses of the medical devices. The status of a medical device may confuse a patient or a doctor who uses the medical device. In addition, automatic administration applications may not be supported because the label is unable to provide status information of the medical device.
In view of the foregoing reasons, it may be desirable to have a labeling apparatus that can automatically visualize a feature to reflect a use of a medical device.


A case structure with two openable sides including an upper casing, a lower casing, a series of hingedly connected holding plates disposed between the upper and lower casings, and a plurality of hinge/latch blocks. The upper casing is provided with hinge/latch blocks at both a front end and a rear end thereof at corresponding positions, such that the case may be openable from the front end or the rear end with the hinge/latch blocks at either end as pivots. Each holding plate is double-sided so that it may contain objects on both of its sides to effective use the space available in the case. The holding plates may hold compact disks, magnetic disks, cosmetics, and the like.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a case structure with two openable sides, and more particularly to a case structure in which the case may be openable from either end so that the space available in the case may be effectively used for keeping compact disks, magnetic disks, photographs, or cosmetics.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Compact disks are very popular today, but how to keep compact disks properly is a problem since they are vulnerable to damage. A commonest way is to keep each compact disk in a square case, so that the compact disks will not be damaged when they are stacked or piled up. But a pile of compact disks in their respective cases is space-occupying and inconvenient to carry.
It is therefore desirable to have a case structure which may be opened from either end so that the available space in the case may be effectively used. It is desirable that the case structure comprises an upper casing and a lower casing hingedly connected at both ends thereof so that the case is openable from either end, and that a series of hingedly connected holding plates for holding objects on both of their sides are disposed between the upper casing and the lower casing for keeping compact disks or other objects.


The invention provides a system, method, and computer program for automatically evaluating the linear displacement and inclination of the centerline of a piece of hardware to be machined on a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine relative to an axis of rotation of the machine about which the hardware will be rotated. The invention also provides a compensation for correcting for any hardware axis misalignment.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to multi-degree of freedom of motion rotary tool machines for machining hardware mounted on a rotatable tabletop and in particular to automatically evaluating the inclination and linear displacement alignment of the hardware centerline to a reference axis of rotation of the machine and calculating respective compensations for accurate machining.
2. Description of Related Art
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines are able to accurately machine and produce hardware with tolerances on the order of three one thousandths of an inch (0.003"). Methods and apparatuses are conventionally available to manually evaluate CNC machine component alignment. Automatic tool length compensation is also available to to compensate for tool lengths and diameters. Many CNC machines have rotatable tabletops for holding hardware during machining. Such machines are often used in automated workplaces where automated guide vehicles shuttle hardware mounted on pallets from machine to machine or to different machine cells for various machining operations such as in automated flexible manufacturing systems.
Conventionally, a piece of hardware is loaded in a fixture, for use on a pallet, and is moved into final position using a mallet and dial indicator. Positioning the hardware in the fixture in this manner is done to achieve a desired concentricity. This can sometimes require the loosening and resetting of the hardware. This method can not correct for inclinational errors observed as varying eccentricities at different heights on the hardware. In addition, the pallet registration system on multiple work stations in an automated flexible manufacturing system, can not be maintained to the consistency required for pallet interchangeability. Manual realignment of a set-up, each time it is assigned to a different work station, is not practical in this environment.
It is therefore highly desirable to have a machining technique that provides a way to automatically machine hardware that is loaded in a fixture without operator intervention to manually position the hardware.

Tool point compensation for hardware displacement and inclination


A porous electrode for pacemakers is comprised of a plurality of platinum globules sintered together to form a porous mass of semi-hemispherical shape at the end of a platinum electrode stem. The globules, which are themselves made by sintering together spherically-shaped particles of approximately one micron diameter, provide the globules with an irregular outer surface of high total surface area. The globules have diameters within a critical range of 40-200 microns. The large total surface area of the globules improves the sensing function of an electrode configuration of given size and surface area, while the globule diameters of 40-200 microns have been found to beneficially accommodate tissue ingrowth within the electrode. In a preferred method of making the electrode, the platinum globules, which are formed by sintering together platinum particles of much smaller size, are mixed with organic solvent and organic binder to form a paste. After application of the paste to the base of an electrode stem and pressing of the paste using a mold so as to form the paste into the desired semi-hemispherical shape, the electrode is heated to evaporate the organic solvent, and the electrode is then placed in a sintering furnace to sinter together the platinum globules and form the completed electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrodes for implanting in body tissue, and more particularly to porous electrodes for pacemakers.
2. History of the Prior Art
It is known in the field of pacemakers and other medical devices in electrical communication with the tissue of the human body, to connect such devices to the body through porous electrodes which are in contact with the body tissue. Such porous electrodes promote fibrous ingrowth of the surrounding body tissue within the pores thereof, providing a semi-permanent attachment of the electrodes to the body tissue with the objective of reducing the size of the fibrotic capsule known to form around the electrode tip. As is well known, decreasing the size of the fibrotic capsule, especially in thickness, reduces the pacing threshold.
Typically, the electrode comprises a solid stud or stem, upon which a porous tip is formed. Porous tips of various configurations are old in the art. A totally "porous" design was achieved by encasing wire mesh in a basket screen (C.P.I. Models 4116, 4129-31). Other "porous" designs, such as Cordis Model "Encor," have only surface porosity. This is achieved by sintering microspheres only to the rigid metal substrate. With this technique, only limited tissue ingrowth (at electrode surface) is possible, leading to a "thick" fibrotic capsule about the electrode tip, creating a correspondingly high pacing threshold.
In the case of pacemaker electrodes, porous electrodes are designed-with the objective of optimizing the somewhat conflicting requirements of small stimulation surface area and at the same time large sensing surface area. For purposes of this discussion, stimulation surface area refers to the basic external dimensions of the portion of the electrode tip implanted in the body tissue. The electrode tip is usually hemispherical in shape and the stimulation surface area refers to the area A of the hemispherical profile of the tip. By the equation J I/A, it is recognized that current density J is inversely proportional to the stimulation surface area A. Consequently, a relatively small stimulation surface area produces a relatively high current density. For a voltage pulse of given voltage and pulse duration provided to the heart by the pacemaker, a relatively high current density enhances the likelihood of "capture" in which successful contraction of the heart takes place.
At the same time, the sensing surface area of the electrode, which is in contact with the body tissue and fluids, should be as large as possible in order to insure proper sensing. For purposes of this discussion, sensing surface area refers to the total surface area of the porous electrode tip in contact with body tissue and fluids, including the interstitial cavities of the porous tip. Sensing relates to the ability of the pacemaker to sense electrical signals generated during depolarization. Sensing sensitivity is greatly improved by the increased sensing surface area provided by a porous electrode.
Some devices of the prior art are characterized in that electrode tips are formed by adhering together a plurality of relatively thin pieces of wire. Consequently, the surface area of the tip may be increased, not however, to the extent possible with the present invention.
Although recent attempts at the use of porous electrodes has succeeded in promoting fibrous ingrowth, the level of success falls way short of that considered acceptable. In the case of some porous electrodes, the pores may be too small to provide tissue ingrowth, which would defeat the objective of minimizing fibrotic capsule formation to obtain lower pacing thresholds. Conversely, porous electrodes in which the pores are too large results in an actual lowering of the sensing area which defeats the sensing objective.
A further problem with conventional porous electrodes resides in the insufficient total surface area of the electrodes. As previously noted, pacing requires a relatively small stimulation surface area, while sensing, in turn, dictates that the total surface area of the electrode be as large as possible. While the very presence of pores in an electrode configuration will normally provide a total surface area exposed to the interfacing tissue which is many times that of the total surface area of a nonporous electrode of like size, nevertheless such total surface area is often less than it should desirably be in order to optimize pacing and sensing.
Still further problems reside in the methods currently employed to manufacture porous electrodes. Such methods are often cumbersome or inefficient or in any event fail to optimize the desired characteristics of high total surface area for an electrode of given aggregate surface area and dimension.

Porous electrode for a pacemaker and method of making same


A broadcasting system which permits broadcast of high dignity by rationalized equipment is provided. In this broadcasting station, the N-th affiliated station forwards program material data, CM material data and organization information data to a central station via an ATM/LAN, and registration means registers and stores such data into a program bank, a CM bank and a data server. Automatic sending control means and automatic sending means for the N-th affiliated station take out materials from the program bank, the CM bank or a CM bank for different J-th affiliated station, etc. under real time management of time management means on the basis of organization information registered and stored in the data server to organize televising contents to send out the televising contents to the N-th affiliated station via a dedicated digital line. Thus, the N-th affiliated station carries out broadcast of high dignity from transmitting means in the state where reorganization and processing of televising contents are not carried out, and cut and/or residual of unnecessary portion of televising contents taking place resulting from deviation in timing are excluded.

In general broadcasting business, grouping is mainly carried out such that a broadcasting station existing at a large city is caused to be central station so-called key station and broadcasting stations existing in local areas are caused to be affiliated stations of the key station. The key station produces televising master which is common televising contents to send out it to respective affiliated stations. The respective affiliated stations receive the televising master to transmit it as televising contents to jurisdiction areas to thereby carry out televising (on air), or to organize a portion of the received televising master by using materials possessed in respective affiliated stations to change it into peculiar televising contents thereafter to carry out televising. In a manner as stated above, the so-called television program is delivered to the viewer side.
Respective broadcasting stations produce various programs or CM films irrespective of the key station and the affiliated station, and its process step begins from collection of materials by field collection using collection equipment, etc. Material is set of fragments of unedited image/sound, and is source material. Then, edit processing is implemented to the collected material by using editing mechanical equipment to cause it to be material (source). As the material, there are program source and CM source. In respective sources, there are HD (High Definition) form and SD (standard) form.
Respective broadcasting stations carry out organization (scheduling) of plural materials produced in this way so that they have predetermined order and time series. Such organized results are televised from respective stations as televising contents and television programs are thus formed or materialized. Accordingly, one television program is set in time divisional manner in which order of plural program sources and CM sources is caused to undergo time management.
Hitherto, collection of data, material collection, editing with respect to material and organization are carried out every broadcasting stations irrespective of the key station or the affiliated station. Materials are caused to undergo storage/management at banks prepared in respective broadcasting stations irrespective of the key station or the affiliated station, and are taken out from the banks in accordance with scheduling so that they are televised. Further, portions of televised respective sources are archived and are preserved for a long time.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of equipment of a conventional broadcasting system. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of affiliated station in the conventional broadcasting system.
The conventional broadcasting system 100 comprises a key station 110, plural affiliated stations, e.g., affiliated station 120 shown, and a dedicated digital line 101 or a dedicated analog line 102 for connecting these stations. The key station 110 comprises an organization system 111 for organizing plural materials (program materials 115 and CM materials 116, etc. in the figure) so that they are caused to be one main contents 113, a marking unit 112 for driving or placing trigger signal 114 indicating timing between end of respective materials constituting the main contents 113 and start of the next material, and a sending equipment including an encoder 117, etc. for sending out the main contents 113 with trigger signal 114 to respective affiliated stations on the real time basis via the dedicated digital line 101 or the dedicated analog line 102. In addition, organization staffs, a marking manager and sending staffs are arranged.
Each affiliated station, e.g., affiliated station 120 comprises a production system 231 for editing collected materials to produce program materials (program sources) or CM materials (CM sources) peculiar to the own station, a program bank 126 for storing or archiving produced program materials, a CM bank 127 for storing or archiving produced CM materials, a data server 123 for storing or archiving organization information (scheduling information) peculiar to the own station obtained from an input system 124 for business information or organization information, a receiving equipment including a decoder 121, etc. for receiving main contents 113 sent from the key station 110, and an automatic sending control unit 122 for detecting the trigger signal 114 from flow of the received main contents 113 and for transmitting indication signal 122a which serves to suitably carry out replacement between program material 115 or CM material 116 in the main contents 113 and program material or CM material peculiar to the own station stored in the program bank 126 or the CM bank 127 on the basis of organization information 123a which has been taken out from the data server 123 to cause replaced one to be televising contents peculiar to the own station (source train which can be televised). Moreover, the automatic sending control unit 122 controls the operation of an automatic sending system 129.
The production system 231 has a function to not only produce program sources or CM sources peculiar to the own station as described above, but also receive program sources or CM sources which have been purchased from the external, e.g., other station, etc. as external input 131 to adjust the received sources. These materials are stored into the program bank 126 or the CM bank 127 after undergone adjustment, or are directly delivered to a distribution/routing unit 125 which will be described later as real time material.
The distribution/routing unit 125 carries out replacement between program material 115 and CM material 116 in the main contents 113 and real time material on the basis of indication signal 122a transmitted from the automatic sending control unit 122. Moreover, the distribution/routing unit 125 carries out replacement between program material 115 and CM material 116 in the main contents 113 and program material and CM material peculiar to the own station which have been taken out from the program bank 116 and the CM bank 127 to thereby cause the replaced one to be televising contents 128 peculiar to the own station.
The affiliated station 120 comprises such distribution/routing unit 125, the automatic sending system 129 operative under management by control of the automatic sending control unit 122 to send out televising contents 128, and a transmitting system 130 adapted to receive the televising contents sent from the automatic sending system 129 to carry out broadcast thereof from antenna. In addition, production staffs, bank managers, sending staffs and transmitting staffs are arranged.
Here, as shown in FIG. 2, at least two systems of the data server 123 for current use and a data server 223 for reserve are prepared as data server, at least two systems of the program bank 126 for current use and a program bank 226 for reserve are similarly provided as the program bank, and at least two systems of the CM bank 127 for current use and a CM bank 227 for reserve are provided as the CM bank. It is to be noted that, in this example, the case where "current" banks are ordinarily used is intentionally used.
Further, as the automatic sending control unit, at least two systems of the automatic sending unit 122 for current use and an automatic sending unit 222 for reserve are provided. Similarly, as the automatic send system, at least two systems of the automatic sending system 129 for current use and an automatic sending system 229 for reserve are provided. As the transmitting system, at least two systems of the transmitting system 130 for current use and a transmitting system 230 for reserve are provided.
Furthermore, a manual system 241 used at the time of emergency and a switching unit 242 for carrying out switching between the current unit and the preliminary unit are provided.
Accordingly, in the entirety of the conventional broadcasting system 100 composed of the key station 110 and plural affiliated stations 120 (e.g., N stations), there are installed (provided) data servers, program banks, CM banks, automatic sending control units, automatic sending systems and transmitting systems by at least 2N systems in such a manner that current systems and preliminary systems are included.
As the working content processed in each affiliated station, there are    1. Collecting step for collecting materials by field collection    2. Production step for editing original materials to cause the edited materials to be materials.    3. Storage/keeping step for storing/keeping material into bank    4. Organization step for carrying out scheduling of material    5. On air step for taking out material from bank under management of real time in accordance with schedule to televise it as televising contents    6. Archive step for archiving material
As shown in FIG. 1, it is generally carried out to replace a portion of televising master in which main contents 113 prepared by the key station 110 and sent to the affiliated station 120, i.e., plural program materials (115, etc.) and CM materials (116, etc.) are sent out in order in time series manner in accordance with designated order by program material and/or CM material for replacement prepared at the affiliated station 120 to thereby organize televising contents 128 peculiar to corresponding affiliated station to carry out televising.
As stated above, in accordance with the conventional broadcasting system, in the case of carrying out switching between main contents 113 received at the time of televising at the affiliated station 120 and contents for replacement as occasion demands, the key station 110 stamps, e.g., net queue as trigger signal 114 on the main contents 113 to send out it. This trigger signal 114 serves to notify, to the affiliated station 120, timing in which, e.g., program material 115 ends and shift to CM material 116 succeeding to this program material 115 is carried out, and is stamped in a manner of anticipation by predetermined time determined in advance, e.g., 3 seconds by taking into consideration time required for switching processing at the affiliated station 120.
Accordingly, the automatic sending control unit 122 of the affiliated station 120 is operative so that when this unit 122 detects trigger signal 114 from received main contents 113, it carries out switching after 3 seconds from the trigger signal 114.
However, in the case where the above-described anticipation time changes owing to inconvenience taking place at transmission process via communication line of main contents (televising master) 113, e.g., line delay taking place at analog line, or jitter and/or wonder (fluctuation in point of time of arrival interval of packet produced by change of signal phase) taking place at digital line, there takes place deviation at switching timing for material replacement at the affiliated station 120.
Timing deviation at the time of transfer of packet taking place in the case where packet is transferred via digital line is shown in FIG. 3. When train of packet cm of the next material is sent successively to train of packet pkt of a certain material at the time of sending from the key station 110, trigger signal strg is marked or carved at the position anticipated by an anticipation time τs determined in advance. This anticipation time τs is sum of required time 501 for trigger signal detection processing required at the affiliated station 120, required time 503 of switching processing for material replacement and margin 502 of margin insurance, and is set to, e.g. 3 seconds.
Accordingly, at the time of sending from the key station 110, trigger signal strg is marked at the position anticipated by packets pkt1 to pkt3 which are packets caused to flow between time τs from the time of starting portion of packet cm1 succeeding to terminating portion of packet pkt3 which is actual switching timing. This is based on the probability that packets pkt1 to pkt3 are caused to undergo transmission without lavishness and shortage via line between time τs.
However, because of fluctuation in point of time of packet arrival interval taking place by overload, etc. during transmission, arrival intervals of packets pkt1 to pkt3 change. For this reason, packets pkt1 to pkt3 are received as packets pkt1′ to pkt3′ at the time of reception of the affiliated station 120 and delay takes place in timing by jitter jt. For this reason, even if time is passed by a predetermined anticipation time τs from detection of the trigger signal strg, packet pkt3′ does not end.
On the other hand, at the affiliated station 120, since switching into flow of replacement materials cf1 to cf15 is automatically carried out after the predetermined time τs from detection of the trigger signal strg, switching is carried out in the state where packet pkt3′ does not remain to be ended, resulting in the inconvenience that cut Cut as shown takes place.
In addition, when switching into original televising master is carried out after replaced materials cf1 to cf15 (e.g., CM material of 15 seconds) end, original materials cm1 to cm 15 flowing in the televising master are such that remaining portion (residual) Rsd is televised in the state where packet cm 15 does not end by the above-described timing delay. Namely, there takes place inconvenience that a portion of original material which must not primarily appear remains, and is televised in the state where such a portion is not erased.
For example, there takes place inconvenience that a portion of remaining other commercial appears at the time of end of a certain commercial. Moreover, while explanation has been given in FIG. 3 by taking delay by time fluctuation as an example, such inconvenience similarly takes place also in the case where lead operation is carried out by time fluctuation in a manner opposite to the above. In the case where switching is carried out by sending of stream, there are instances where there may result further unnatural switching.
As a result, in the broadcasting system of the conventional type, there was the possibility that not only dignity of televising contents is injured, but also impression of sponsor who provides corresponding program is injured.
On the other hand, also in sending via analog line, deviation of timing similarly takes place. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view thereof. The key station 110 issues switching signal at 57 seconds 59 minutes 18 hours which is earlier by 3 seconds prior to 00 seconds 00 minutes 19 hours at which switching from program to key CM should be carried out to send out such switching signal to the affiliated station 120 serving as local station via analog line 102. However, in the case where arrival to the affiliated station 120 of switching signal is delayed by, e.g., 1 sec. by occurrence of line delay so that arrival time is 58 seconds 59 minutes 18 hours, the automatic sending control unit 122 executes automatic switching after predetermined three seconds from arrival of switching signal at the affiliated station 120. For this reason, actual switching is executed at 01 seconds 00 minutes 19 hours delayed by delay time in place of the 00 seconds 00 minutes 19 hours. As a result, timing deviation similar to that in the case of the above-mentioned sending via the digital line took place, resulting in the possibility that degradation of dignity of televising contents may take place. Namely, the first problem of the conventional broadcasting system resides in that dignity of televising contents is degraded by inconvenience taking place at the time of switching of material at respective affiliated stations.
In addition, in the conventional key station, there are required, as equipments and human resources,    1. collecting equipments and persons who are in charge of collection in the case where collection of materials is carried out also at the key station,    2. editing equipments and persons who are in charge of editing in the case where material editing is carried out also at the key station,    3. bank equipments (for current use and reserve) and management staffs.    4. schedulers (scheduling equipments) and persons who are in charge of scheduling,    5. automatic sending equipments to affiliated stations (for current use and reserve) and sending management staffs,    6. transmitting equipments (for current use and reserve) and transmitting management staffs in the case where broadcast is carried out also at the key station. Moreover, in the conventional key station, marking system for marking trigger signal (e.g., net queue) is especially indispensable, but its issuance system is complicated. Namely, the second problem of the conventional broadcasting system resides in that equipment cost and use cost of the sending system of the key station side are increased, and cost is increased because of requirement of the number of persons.
On the other hand, in the conventional respective affiliated stations, there are required, as equipments and human resources,    1. collecting equipments and persons who are in charge of collection,    2. editing equipments and persons who are in charge of editing,    3. bank equipments (for current use and reserve) and management staffs,    4. schedulers (scheduling equipments) and persons who are in charge of scheduling,    5. automatic sending equipments (for current use and reserve) and sending management staffs,    6. transmitting equipments (for current use and reserve) and transmitting staffs. There was the present situation where many equipments/machine parts and staffs in charge are all required. Especially, at the automatic sending equipment of the affiliated station, there was indispensable function to detect trigger signal from televising master received from the key station to switch material under real time control on the basis of this trigger signal to re-organize televising contents peculiar to the own station. The third problem of the conventional broadcasting system resides in that cost is increased as the result of the fact that equipments and staffs are required for trigger signal detection and televising contents re-organization at respective affiliated stations.
Further, the fourth problem of the conventional broadcasting system resides in that cost is increased as the result of the fact that respective affiliated stations require preliminary automatic sending equipments and related staffs. The preliminary equipments are worked at the time of emergency. Because plural affiliated stations are respectively provided with preliminary equipments, total number of preliminary equipments is increased. Moreover, because these preliminary equipments are not frequently worked, working efficiency is very low. For this reason, a measure for rationalization was required.
In addition, in accordance with the configuration according to the prior art, it was not easy from a technical point of view that a certain affiliated station (e.g., station A) confirms existence of material originally produced and archived at other affiliated station (e.g., station B), and carries out incorporation into televising contents for the own station (station A) by making use of that material. Namely, the fifth problem of the conventional broadcasting system resides in that there do not exist measures for efficiently executing transmission/reception of information/data and command between affiliated stations required in the case where material caused to undergo management at a certain affiliated station is utilized at other affiliated station.

Broadcasting method, broadcasting system and contents organizing/supplying center


A packaging assembly for efficiently packaging wheels includes multiple sheets of supporting and fixing members. A first set of wheels, each wheel having a and engaging a hub hole of one of the sheets, is located between two of the sheets. A first sheet supports a first set of wheels, and a second sheet is supported by the first set of wheels. A second set of wheels is located between the second sheet and a third sheet, each wheel of the second set including a hub engaged with a hub hole of the third sheet or of one of the first two sheets. The hub engagement of each wheel is laterally offset from the perimeter of all of the wheels of adjacent sets of wheels. The packaging includes means for preventing lateral movement of the wheels in each set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packaging element of a tire wheel a hub of which is projected from a rim side face, mainly to a packaging element of a tire wheel for a motorcycle.
2. Prior Art
In recent times, a request for effective utilization of limited resources is intensive and it has been recommended the research and development of products keeping in mind reuse or renewal of materials in various fields.
Particularly, in exports such as automobiles or precision machines and in situations instead of exporting a finished product, an assembly plant is installed at overseas sites and parts are exported to and assembled at that site, there is extremely high need for a packaging element of parts in order to ensure its safety and economic performance of transportation, storage, as well as effective utilization of the packaging component in view of resources.
In packaging and transporting tire wheels (hereinafter, referred to as wheels) for automobiles, particularly for motorcycles having a hub projected from a rim side face, according to packaging means in which wheels of a single vehicle or several vehicles are put into a cardboard case, although the wheel diameter stays the same, the width and a projected dimension of the hub portion differ. Therefore, in piled-up packaging where the hubs of the wheels are vertical, not only the loading state is unstable but also damage, deformation or the like of the rims or the hubs are induced since the parts are brought into contact with each other and adversely affecting the quality. Therefore, the piled-up packaging is difficult to adopt so, in the present circumstances, individual wheels are still put into cardboard cartons, the cartons are piled up on a pallet and bound by bands and transported.
However, according to the above-described conventional individual packaging means of tire wheels, when individual tire wheels are put into cardboard cases, in packaging operation and opening operation thereof, in view of labor and in view of time, time and labor are required more than necessary and the loading efficiency of a container is deteriorated since a volume of each box is increased.
Further, for tire wheels having different widths and projected dimensions of hubs, it is necessary to fabricate and prepare many kinds of cardboard boxes. In addition thereto, it is particularly problematic that it is uneconomical, in view of a storage environment (piled-up in the outside) and a loading space for returning the packaging elements for cardboard boxes or wood boxes, as packaging elements once used. Particularly, durability cannot be ensured in cardboard boxes as packaging elements and therefore, opened fiberboard boxes are scrapped without being reused as packaging elements.
In the meantime, when packaging means are excellent in durability such as a delivery container made of synthetic resin is adopted instead of cardboard packaging there are inconveniences. Although an economic effect in view of resources is achieved by repeated use thereof, economic burden for recycle such as its bulkiness, inconvenience in handling or the like becomes more than an uneconomic effect of scrapping fiberboard boxes. Further, the container is bulkier than the fiberboard package, the loading efficiency of the container is deteriorated and therefore, those means are difficult to adopt.
It is purpose of the present invention to provide a packaging element of a tire wheel which is excellent in returnability achieving rationalization of physical distribution expense such as effective utilization of resources and reduction in packaging waste by repeated use, ensuring of safety of parts, efficiency of transportation and loading, promotion of economic performance of transportation for storage and reuse of packaging elements and the like.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging element of a tire wheel, wherein there are used, as one set, three sheets or more of supporting and fixing members (1) constituting a packaging object by a tire wheel (H) having a hub projected from one side face or two side faces of a rim. The fixing member (1) provides hub holes (11) having a number twice or more as much as a number of the tire wheels supported by each of supporting base plates (10) at the supporting base plates (10) constituted substantially by a rectangular contour having a size equal to or smaller than a contour size of a pallet (P) to piled up while being shifted at the respectives of the supporting base plates (10) to thereby arrange the hub holes (11) to dispose at a loading space without interfereing with each hubs of the tire wheels (H) at one or both of upper and lower sides thereof. The base plates (10) having movement hampering means for preventing movement of the tire wheels (H) at surroundings of the hub holes (11) in correspondence with the number of the tire wheels to be supported at a surface of the supporting base plate (10) and at respectives of surroundings of others of the hub holes (11) at a rear face of the supporting base plate (10).
According to the packaging element (which is the supporting and fixing member (1)) of a tire wheel of the invention constituted as described above, firstly, one sheet of the supporting and fixing members (1) is placed on a pallet (P) with a face thereof having the movement hampering means on the surface side at surroundings of the hub holes (11) of a central portion and on sides of four corners, directed upwardly. The hub portions constituting projected portions of the tire wheels (H) are fitted to respectives of the hub holes (11) of the central portion and on the sides of the four corners and at the same time, the rims are fitted to the movement hampering means on the surface side. For example, in the case of nine hub holes (11) of the supporting base plate (10) in three rows in longitudinal and transverse directions, five tire wheels (H) are supported. Thereafter, the face having the movement hampering means on the surface side directed downwardly, a second one of the supporting and fixing member (1) is piled up without discrepancy between the upper side and the lower side and five tire wheels (H) are sandwiched such that the face having the movement hampering means on the rear face side constitute the upper face.
Further, by such a procedure, for example, by using six sheets of the supporting and fixing members (1), the tire wheels (H) are loaded in five stages alternately in five pieces, four pieces, five pieces, four pieces. Or respective four tire wheels (H) are loaded while being shifted in the up and down direction by using six sheets of the supporting and fixing members (1) each having eight hub holes (11) along sides of a rectangle in which the hub hole (11) is not present at the central portion, described selectively in Claim 2. Thereafter, the total is bound and packaged by wrapping bands (V) in longitudinal and transverse directions and the total is loaded to a container by using a material handling vehicle such as a fork lift and then transported.
Further, in collecting the used packages, by a procedure reverse to the above-described, the package is opened, the tire wheels (H) are taken out, thereafter, the respective supporting and fixing members (1) are piled up, bound by the bands (V) and recovered.
According to the packaging element of the tire wheel (H) of the invention, the hub of the tire wheel (H) is projected from the opened hub hole (11) at a second one of the supporting and fixing member (1), however, the hub hole (11) contiguous to the hub hole (11) is not closed and is brought into an opened state.
Therefore, the respective hubs of the piled-up tire wheels (H) on the upper side and the lower side do not interfere with each other. The same goes with the case in which the tire wheel (H) are loaded in several stages alternately by five pieces, four pieces, five pieces, four pieces . . . or in four pieces by using a plurality of the supporting and fixing members (1).
Further, the tire wheels (H) at the respective stages do not move horizontally owing to the movement hampering means respectively on the surface side and the rear face side.
Further, in recovering the above-described packaging elements, in piling up the supporting and fixing members (1), the supporting and fixing members (1) are piled up with low bulk in a stable state in which the respective movement hampering means on the surface side and rear face side are brought,in mesh with each other and are not shifted horizontally and are enabled to be bound by the bands (V).
Further, even in the case in which the diameter of the tire wheel (H) is the same and the rim width is different, a difference of the rim""s width is about 1 thorough 3 cm and therefore, when the supporting and fixing member (1) is fabricated with the tire wheel (H) having a wide width as referenced, in piling up the tire wheels (H) having a narrow rim width, when one sheet or several sheets of extra ones of the supporting and fixing members (1) are used as spacers, there is no hazard in adjusting the loading height of the container.


A change-speed gearbox, in particular for motor vehicles such as hybrid passenger cars and small trucks, comprising input and output shafts, clutches, and gear wheel pairs with fixed and loose wheels. The gearbox provides at least one forward gear by means of the gear wheel pairs, has a gear box unit for a second forward gear, and has in addition an auxiliary drive.

The invention relates to a change-speed gearbox, in particular for motor vehicles such as hybrid passenger cars or small trucks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,727 discloses a change-speed gearbox which comprises an input shaft and two output shafts. Here, the input shaft can be connected to an engine by means of a clutch. The two output shafts engage with a drive output.
Furthermore, the change-speed gearbox in U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,727 has several gear wheel pairs in order to connect the first input shaft to one output shaft or to the other output shaft. Here, each gear wheel pair has one fixed wheel and one loose wheel. Each gear wheel pair is additionally assigned a gear shift clutch, by means of which the loose wheel of a gear wheel pair can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the shaft which bears the loose wheel. A torque is transmitted between the input shaft and the respective output shaft with a certain transmission ratio by means of the rotationally fixedly connected loose wheel, so that one forward gear is established per gear wheel pair.
In order to implement a reverse gear, the change-speed gearbox has a gearbox unit. The gearbox unit engages with that gear wheel pair which establishes a first forward gear of the change-speed gearbox. Here, the gearbox unit is responsible for the transmission of torque to a third output shaft which, like the other two output shafts, engages with the drive output.
If the change-speed gearbox in U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,727 is placed in reverse gear, the gear shift clutch which is assigned to the gear wheel pair of the first gear is simultaneously opened, so that the gear wheel pair of the first gear transmits the torque of the input shaft to the third output shaft without transmitting torque to the first or the second output shaft.
A number of gear wheels are arranged on the input shaft corresponding to the number of forward gears, the gear wheels arranged adjacent to one another on the input shaft significantly influencing the axial installation length of the change-speed gearbox. The axial installation length can be a critical variable in particular in an application in a motor vehicle on account of the small amount of space which is available there.


A non-woven mat of inorganic fiber is disclosed having a substance which is lower at the edges of the mat than in the remainder of the mat. Apparatus for making such a mat includes: a source of a slurry of inorganic fiber in a liquid; a forming wire disposed to move past the source, the liquid passing through the forming wire to deposit the inorganic fiber on the forming wire; a mask across a part of the width of the forming wire to hinder passage of the liquid through the forming wire over the part, the effectiveness of the mask varying in the direction of movement of the forming wire past the slurry source. A method of making the mat includes passing a forming wire past a slurry of inorganic fibers in a liquid while masking a part of the width of the forming wire as it passes through the slurry, the masking varying along the length of the forming wire as it passes through the slurry; and urging the slurry against the forming wire and causing the liquid to pass through the forming wire, whereby a non-woven mat of inorganic fiber is formed having an uneven substance (weight/unit area) in the cross direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a non-woven inorganic fiber mat such as a glass fiber mat and to a method and apparatus for the production thereof. The present invention also relates to the use of the mat in building boards, such as gypsum building boards.
2. Description of the Background Art
A particularly useful form of building board is known as glass reinforced gypsum board (GRG). GRG board and its manufacture is described in GB-A-2 053 779. GRG board is of generally conventional appearance and is composed of a gypsum with a non-woven glass mat immediately below one or both principal surfaces. The mat is introduced into the core by vibrating the core slurry, over- or underlain by the mat, to cause it to pass through the mat, so that the surface layer or layers of gypsum are integral with the core. GRG boards are stronger than conventional boards and exhibit superior fire resistance.
In the manufacture of GRG board, the need to provide strength by employing non-woven glass fiber mat of relatively low diameter (for example, 13 μm) fibers conflicts with the need to ensure efficient exhaustion through the mat of air from the gypsum slurry from which the board is formed; this is a particular problem at the edge margins of the board where the bottom mat is brought up and onto the upper surface of the board to define the edges of the uncut board. Inefficient exhaustion of air in this region can lead to voids in the edge-margins of the cut boards, reducing the edge strength of the boards.
The problem of voids in the edge margins has been dealt with by increasing the fiber diameter of the mat, particularly the bottom mat (to for example 16 μm), allowing easier exhaustion of air and penetration of gypsum slurry but reducing board strength. However, the use of higher diameter fibers has been found to decrease the strength of the mat. Reduction of the mat substance (weight/unit area), which would allow the gypsum slurry to penetrate the mat more readily, would lead to an unacceptable reduction in board strength.
The need to allow sufficient time for the gypsum slurry to penetrate the mat means that the line speed of the plasterboard manufacturing line is lower than would be the case were adequate exhaustion of air from the edge margins easier.
It has been desired to provide a GRG building board which can be manufactured at relatively high speed, is of high strength by virtue of using a mat of relatively low diameter fibers and the edge margins of which have a low level of voids.


It is received first image data described on the basis of a first color space. It is acquired color space converting information adapted to be used to convert the first image data into second image data described on the basis of a prescribed second color space. The first image data is converted into the second image data in accordance with the color space converting information. A prescribed feature quantity is extracted from the second image data.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technology for analyzing image data so as to extract a feature quantity of an image.
2. Related Art
According to the progress of a digital technology such as a computer, an image has been handled as digitalized image data in recent years. If the image is expressed in a form of image data, the image can be captured to a computer so as to add various corrections or adjustments, and the image data can be outputted to a printer so as to be printed. Although such the image data can be generated using various application programs which work on a computer, various imaging apparatus for generating image data such as a scanner, a digital camera and the like are developed and supplied to a market.
Further, when image data is corrected, the image data is analyzed to extract a feature quantity of image, and corrected corresponding to the extracted feature quantity. For example, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 5-63972A (JP-A-5-63972) and 9-233336A (JP-A-9-233336). Various values are used as the feature quantity of image and, for example, the minimum grayscale value, the maximum grayscale value, and the average value of grayscale values are used. Since the feature quantity of image can be obtained by analyzing image data, the value of a feature quantity to be obtained depends on a color space of the image data.
However, recently, in order to generate high-quality image data by sufficiently utilizing performances of various imaging apparatus for generating image data, there is a tendency for a specific color space being used for every apparatus, where the specific color space is set corresponding to the characteristic of each imaging apparatus. The feature quantity of image is obtained by analyzing image data. As a result, if the image data is described with a specific color space in each apparatus, the values of feature quantities to be obtained are different. So, there is a problem that the feature quantities cannot be utilized across various image data even if those are extracted.

Method and apparatus of analyzing and generating image data


A laptop that interacts with a television system. At least one module may be adapted to receive a user input identifying a video selection. The at least one module may also be adapted to display video information corresponding to the video selection. The at least one module may further be adapted to transmit a control signal adapted to cause the display of video information corresponding to the video selection on the television system. The laptop may, for example, be adapted to receive television system setting information and provide for user control of various television system settings. Also for example, the laptop may be adapted to receive media guide information, present such information to a user, provide for user selection of a media element, and transmit a control signal adapted to cause delivery of the selected media element from a multimedia source to the television system.

1. Field of the Invention
Present invention relates to controlling selection and delivery of broadcast channels to a television through interaction with the television, set top box and channel broadcasting source.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical remote control (or "Remote" as used herein) has multiple predefined buttons. A Remote is used to change TV ("Television") channels, change audio and video settings of the TV and control power supply to the TV by selecting one or more of the buttons. A Remote interacts with TV in one direction. A remote generally sends control signal to a TV using infrared or RF transmission. The control signal triggers the TV to implement the changes. An unobstructed view between the Remote and the TV is typically needed when infrared transmission is used. The Remote can however interact with the TV through obstructions like furniture and walls when RF transmission is used. The type of transmission used to send the control signal determines the maximum allowable distance between the Remote and the TV. The maximum allowable distance in both the cases is typically only a few meters.
A remote is used for changing or scanning TV channels when channels are being broadcast. It is not possible to view a TV channel that has already been broadcast some time earlier with the help of a typical Remote.
A user uses multiple buttons of a Remote to control settings and display of media on a TV screen. The user gets visual information from the screen of the TV, makes a choice and presses the buttons to realize the choice. Operating a Remote may be inconvenient, because a user needs to look back and forth between the Remote buttons and the TV screen to complete a task.
A TV generally receives channels either directly or indirectly via a set top box from a broadcaster. Many types of media systems are used to provide supplemental or alternate video to the TV. Many of these media systems directly source locally accessed media, and others alternatively or in addition provide television broadcast tuners for managing television channel selection and video and audio settings. Exemplary media systems include cable and satellite set top boxes and DVD (Digital Video Disk) players. Each of these media systems is controlled through direct interaction or via a Remote. To interact with a user via a Remote, media systems deliver information via a TV's screen and speakers and receive information directly from the Remote. Again, as previously mentioned, such interaction usually requires a user to look back and forth between the Remote and the TV screen in attempts to locate buttons and understand the Remote's operation.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art through comparison of such systems with various aspects of the present invention.


The performance of photobleaches such as the zinc phthalocyanines is enhanced by means of alkylene amino/carboxylate or alkylene amino/phosphonate chelants. Thus, sulfonated zinc phthalocyanine plus diethylenetriamine pentaacetate provide enhanced photobleaching of laundered fabrics. Detergent compositions comprising the improved photobleach systems are provided.

A wide variety of bleaching agents have been suggested for use in laundry and other cleaning compositions. For example, hypochlorite solutions may be used for such purposes, as can various peroxides and peroxide-generating bleaches and bleach activators. Materials such as sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate and the like have become commonplace for use in laundry detergents and other cleaning products.
One class of bleaching agents which are conventionally used under circumstances where laundered fabrics are subjected to concentrated light sources, such as direct sunlight as in a line drying operation, are the photobleaches. These valuable bleaches are relatively mild and safe to fabrics and dyestuffs, yet are quite effective in providing white, bright fabrics. In principle, the action of the photobleach involves the capture of energy from the sunlight and its conversion into a bleaching species on the fabric surface. A variety of such materials, especially those of the zinc phthalocyanine class, have been used commercially in laundry detergents for many years.
One problem associated with the use of any bleach is the ability to remove the impression of "dinginess" on fabrics which have aged. While the source of such dinginess is not known with particularity, it is believed that body soils, vagrant dyesuffs, tenacious soils and the like, eventually build up on fabric surfaces, with the result that the fabrics no longer appear new and white. Accordingly, there is a continuing search by detergent formulators for means to improve bleaching efficacy. For example, bleaches such as sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate have been improved by the use of the so-called bleach activator materials, including molecules such as tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate (NOBS), and the like.
However, with photobleaches very little improvement in performance has been seen, to date. The sulfonated zinc phthalocyanines currently in commercial use are, in general, accepted as providing maximum photobleach performance. Accordingly, the formulator of compositions comprising photobleaches has heretofore been constrained to seek other means for securing improved bleaching and cleaning benefits.
It has now been determined that certain chelating agents will interact with photobleaches to increase their absorbency in the visible light spectrum. While not intending to be limited by theory, it may be speculated that photobleaches in the presence of a chelant appear to form a more active bleach species in solution that can absorb on the fabric surface. During the drying process, this species of "photobleach-chelant" can absorb more energy which is used to activate oxygen to an activated state which will oxidize soils, especially those containing double bonds in their molecular structure. Alternatively, the photobleach-chelant may require less energy per molecule to absorb than does photobleach, alone, to be energized and activate the oxygen species responsible for the bleaching. Whatever the reason, this increased absorbency means that the photobleach will more efficiently and effectively produce the desired bleaching species. Accordingly, it has now surprisingly been determined that photobleaches used in combination with chelants in the manner of the present invention provide improved whiteness maintenance performance.
It is an object of the present invention to provide improved photobleaching, especially of laundered fabrics. It is another object herein to provide improved photobleaching and laundering compositions. These and other objects are secured herein, as will be seen from the following disclosures.


The present disclosure provides a backlight, a backlight module and a display apparatus. The backlight includes a backplane, a reflective sheet and a plurality of light-emitting elements, the reflective sheet is arranged on an inner surface of the backplane, the backlight also includes at least one light-modifying region, the light-modifying region is arranged on the reflective sheet, the light-modifying region comprises at least one light-converting device, and the light-converting device can carry out optical process on light emitted from the light-emitting elements.

In a display apparatus in which a pixel device cannot actively emit light, such as a liquid crystal display apparatus, an electronic paper book, an electrochromic display apparatus, a backlight for providing a light source is generally included.
As a preferred solution to improve display color gamut, quantum dot backlight has been widely used.

Backlight, backlight module and display apparatus


A self-service terminal having an acoustic interface is described. The terminal comprises a user locating mechanism, a controller, and an array of individually controllable acoustic elements. In use, the locating mechanism is operable to locate a user and to convey user location information to the controller, and the controller is operable to focus each acoustic element to the user""s location to increase the privacy of the user in using the terminal. A method of interacting with a self-service terminal is also described.

The present invention relates to a self-service terminal (SST). In particular, the invention relates to an SST having an acoustic interface for receiving and/or transmitting acoustic information, such as a voice-controlled ATM.
Voice-controlled ATMs allow a user to conduct a transaction by speaking and listening to an ATM; thereby obviating the need for a conventional monitor. In some voice-controlled ATMs a biometrics identifier, such as a human iris recognition unit, is used to avoid the user having to insert a card into the ATM. When a biometrics identification unit is used, there is no requirement for a conventional keypad.
Voice-controlled ATMs make the human to machine interaction at an ATM more like a human to human interaction, thereby improving usability of the ATM. Voice-controlled ATMs also improve access to ATMs for people having certain disabilities, such as visually-impaired people.
Although voice-controlled ATMs have a number of advantages compared with conventional ATMs, they also have some disadvantages. These disadvantages mainly relate to privacy and usability.
Some disadvantages relate to the ATM speaking to the user. For example, if an ATM that is located in a public area audibly confirms withdrawal of one hundred pounds, then the user may feel vulnerable to attack and may believe that there is a lack of privacy for the transaction, as passers-by may overhear the ATM confirming the large amount of cash to be withdrawn.
Other disadvantages relate to the user speaking to the ATM. For example, in noisy environments such as a busy street or a shopping center, the ATM may not be able to discriminate between the user""s voice and background noise. The user may become frustrated by the ATMs failure to understand a command being spoken by the user; this may lead to the user shouting at the ATM, which further reduces the privacy of the transaction.
It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to obviate or mitigate one or more of the above disadvantages or other disadvantages associated with SSTs having acoustic interfaces.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a self-service terminal having an acoustic interface characterized in that the terminal comprises a user locating mechanism, a controller, and an array of individually controllable acoustic elements; whereby, in use, the locating mechanism is operable to locate a user and to convey user location information to the controller, and the controller is operable to focus each acoustic element to the user""s location.
It will be appreciated that the acoustic elements may be microphone or loudspeaker elements. When the acoustic elements are loudspeakers, the controller is operable to control the loudspeakers so that sound from the loudspeakers is only audible in the area in the immediate vicinity of the user. This ensures that the privacy of the user is increased. When the acoustic elements are microphones, the controller is operable to control the microphones so that only sound from the area in the immediate vicinity of the user is conveyed, thereby removing the effect of background noise. The microphone elements may detect all sound indiscriminately and the controller may operate on all the sound to mask out sound from areas other than the vicinity of the user. Alternatively, the microphone elements may only detect the sound from the vicinity of the user.
The term xe2x80x9cfocusxe2x80x9d as used herein denotes directing the acoustic elements to a relatively small area or zone. Where the elements are microphones, when the microphones are focused audible signals are only conveyed from this zone, even if the microphones detect sound from areas outside this zone. Where the elements are loudspeakers, when the loudspeakers are focused they transmit audible signals to only this zone.
The zone may be defined by a certain angular beam width, for example, if a linear array is used and the array can focus anywhere between the angles of xe2x88x9245 degrees and +45 degrees relative to a line normal to the array, then the elements may be able to focus to a zone of five degrees, such as xe2x88x9220 to xe2x88x9215 degrees. The zone may be defined by an angular beam width and a distance, for example two meters from the array and at an angular beam width of xe2x88x9215 to xe2x88x9220 degrees.
Preferably, the locating mechanism uses visual detection to locate the user and to output user location information to the controller in real time. For example, the visual detection may be a stereo imager. One advantage of using a visual detection mechanism is that the user will be located accurately even though the background noise is louder than the user""s voice; whereas, if an audio detection mechanism is used then the background noise may be targeted because it is the loudest noise being detected.
Another advantage of using a visual detection system is that the acoustic elements can be focused on the user prior to the user speaking to the SST, this ensures that all of the user""s speech will be detected by the SST; whereas, if an audio detection mechanism is used, the user cannot be targeted until he/she speaks to the SST, so the first few words spoken by a user may not be detected very clearly.
Yet another advantage of using a visual detection system is that the visual system can continue detecting the user""s position during a transaction, so that if the user moves then the acoustic elements can be re-focused to the user""s new position.
In one embodiment where an SST includes an iris recognition unit, the stereo cameras that are used to locate the user""s head may be modified to output a value indicative of the position of the user""s head. This value may relate to the angular position of the user""s head relative to a line normal to the array of elements. Some additional processing may be performed to locate the user""s mouth and ears, as iris recognition units generally detect the location of a user""s eye.
In less preferred embodiments, the locating mechanism may use an audio mechanism, such as acoustic talker direction finding (ATDF), for locating the position of a user.
Preferably, the array is a linear array. In more complex embodiments, the array may be a planar array for focusing a beam in two dimensions rather than one dimension.
In one embodiment the array may be an array of ultrasonic emitters or transducers that are powered by an ultrasonic amplifier, under control of an ultrasonic signal processor, to produce a narrow beam of sound.
The controller may control an array of microphones and an array of loudspeakers. The two arrays may be integrated into the same unit.
Preferably, the controller controls the array using a spatial filter to operate on the acoustic elements in the array. One suitable type of filter is based on the electronic beamforming technique, and is called xe2x80x9cFilter and Sum Beamformingxe2x80x9d. By using beamforming, the amplitude of a coherent wavefront can be enhanced relative to background noise and directional interference, thereby achieving a narrower response in a desired direction. In one implementation of a spatial filter, the controller includes a digital signal processor (DSP) and an associated memory, where the DSP applies a Finite Impulse Response filter to each element.
Alternatively, but less preferred, the controller may control the elements by adjusting the physical orientation of the elements.
Preferably, the memory is pre-programmed with a plurality of algorithms, one algorithm for each zone at which the elements can be focused. The algorithms comprise coefficients (which may include weighting and delaying values) for applying to each element.
Preferably, the DSP receives the user location information, accesses the memory to select an algorithm corresponding to the user location information, and applies the coefficients within the algorithm to the acoustic elements to focus the elements at the desired zone.
Preferably, each microphone element includes a transducer, a pre-amplifier, and an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter. Preferably, each loudspeaker element includes a power amplifier, a transducer, and a digital-to-analog converter (D/A).
By virtue of this aspect of the invention, the acoustic elements can be used to create a privacy zone around the user""s head so that only the user can hear an SST""s spoken commands, and the SST only listens to the user""s spoken commands; thereby improving privacy and usability for the user, and the speech recognition of the terminal.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a self-service terminal having an acoustic interface characterized in that the terminal comprises a lo directional acoustic element array capable of interacting with a user located anywhere in a broad zone, a steering mechanism operable to direct the array to a narrow zone within the broad zone, and a locating mechanism operable to detect the location of a user within the broad zone and to inform the steering mechanism of the location of the user.
The broad zone may be at least five times the size of the narrow zone; preferably, the broad zone is at least ten times the size of the narrow zone; advantageously, the broad zone is at least sixteen times the size of the narrow zone. In one embodiment, the narrow zone is defined by an angular beam width of 5 degrees and the broad zone is defined by a beam angle of 90 degrees.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of interacting with a user of an SST, characterized by the steps of detecting the location of the user and adjusting one or more acoustic element arrays to focus the arrays at the location of the user.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a self-service terminal having an acoustic interface characterized in that the terminal comprises a user locating mechanism, a controller, and an array of individually controllable loudspeaker elements; whereby, in use, the locating mechanism is operable to locate a user and to convey user location information to the controller, and the controller is operable to direct first audio signals to the location of the user and second audio signals to other locations.
The first audio signals may relate to a transaction being conducted by the user. The second audio signals may be audio advertisements to passers-by or people waiting in a queue to use the SST. Alternatively, the second audio signals may be noise (such as white or pink noise) or warnings to increase the privacy of the user. Additional audio signals may also be used, so that the terminal may simultaneously transmit different audio signals to a user, to passers-by, to people queuing behind the user, and to people standing too close to the user.
The SST may include a proximity detector for detecting the presence or entrance of people within a zone around the user. On detecting a person within the zone around a user, the terminal may direct an audio signal to the person in the zone around the user.
By virtue of this aspect of the invention, a steerable loudspeaker array may be used to supply different audio information to a user of an SST than to those people who are in the vicinity of the SST, thereby creating an acoustic privacy shield for the user of the SST.


A carpentry tool employs a base tube having a window directed therethrough, with an intermediate tube having a scale recessed within the intermediate tube and a view through window, with an outer tube telescopingly directed through the intermediate tube, with the intermediate tube, the outer tube, and the base tube coaxially aligned relative to one another. The outer tube is arranged in typical foot graduations, the intermediate tube in inch graduations readable through the window. The outer tube and intermediate tube are arranged for nested orientation within the base tube. A modification of the invention includes an illuminated magnification lens mounted coextensively within the window for ease of viewing of the scale of the intermediate tube.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to measuring tool structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved carpentry measuring tool wherein the same is directed to the measuring of lengths in a carpentry work environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carpentry tools of various types are utilized throughout the prior art typically to measure dimensions between studs and the like, such as indicated in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,223,445; 3,492,737; and 4,638,563.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a compact structure arranged for measuring of distance between opposed components such as in a carpentry structure and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.