A portable system capable of receiving audio signals from one or more sources and reproducing the signals via speakers contained therein. The portable audio reproduction system can include a docking station or similar means for communicatively coupling an audio device to the portable audio reproduction system, thereby reducing desktop clutter and simplifying connecting the portable audio reproduction system with the audio device. The speakers of the portable audio reproduction system can preferably be received within a base portion of the system, thereby protecting the speakers during transport and reducing the overall size of the system for improved portability. External connections may also be provided, thereby enabling the portable audio reproduction system to receive audio signals from additional sources, and a mixer allows the system to reproduce signals from a portable audio device and an auxiliary source, such as a computer.

The past several decades have seen remarkable advances in audio reproduction equipment, particularly equipment that allows a variety of audio tracks to be carried or transported with a user from one location to another. Such equipment includes, e.g., equipment for digitally recording, editing, mixing, producing, storing and reproducing audio tracks. Digital files are advantageous for several reasons, including the fact that error correction algorithms can be run on the files to guarantee that the audio track data in the files is properly stored, which means that the audio can be faithfully reproduced even where an underlying recording medium induces errors or where errors are induced in the copy process. Another advantage of digital files is that reproduction equipment can precisely control the speed at which the audio track is played, thereby effectively guaranteeing consistent playback. However, because of the limited processing speed of computers and digital signal processors at the time, the digital versions of the audio tracks were relatively large files, and a new means for storing large amounts of data on a relatively small media was necessitated. This lead to the development of the Audio Compact Disc, or CD.
Early CD's were designed to hold seventy-two minutes of music, almost as much as the larger cassette tapes that were in popular use at the time. By putting the CD in an appropriate reproduction device, or player, the CD could consistently reproduce audio from the audio track data stored thereon. The recording techniques used to generate the digital files also tended to sample a wider frequency range than could be stored on and reproduced from traditional magnetic media, making the reproduction more faithful than was experienced with cassette and 8-track tape players, and frequently rivaled or exceeded that of even high-end reel-to-reel systems.
Because of the many advantages of CD's over magnetic media and phonographic records, CD's quickly gained popularity. This lead to an ever-increasing number of digital audio tracks being available to individual users. As computer processing speeds and technology has continued to increase, new algorithms for storing audio tracks have emerged. One of the more popular of these new audio track storage algorithms is the Motion Picture Entertainment Group level 3 algorithm, commonly referred to as the MP3 algorithm. The MP3 algorithm uses a variety of techniques, including allowing users to vary the audio track sampling rate as the audio track is recorded, varying the number of bits used to represent a given frequency range, and the like, to generate digital audio track files that are significantly smaller than those used on CD's. This means that users can carry more audio data files on a given medium than they could in the past. For example, a typical seventy-two minute audio CD holds approximately 650 MB of data. Depending on the compression methods chosen, a 650 MB CD-ROM can easily hold several hours' worth of compressed music.
As digital storage capacity continues to increase and compression algorithms continue to advance, users are able to carry more and more of the music they like with them. This has resulted in the incorporation of audio track reproduction capabilities in an ever-increasing array of audio-capable devices, including, but not limited to, digital cameras, portable digital assistants (commonly referred to as PDA's), wireless telephones, and the like. Several other devices have been introduced into the market that are predominately used for reproduction of compressed audio tracks. These devices are generally referred to as portable music players, or PMP's. One of the most popular PMP's is the iPod, sold by Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. The iPod has become popular because it has a relatively small form factor but can store many tens of gigabytes of audio files and other information on a hard disk drive stored within the PMP.


A device to protect the wearer's nose from sunlight, to be attached to glasses or goggles. The device is constructed from a single piece of flexible, creasable sheet material, and has a nose shield and a strap extending from the top of the nose shield. The strap is looped over the bridge of the eyewear and threaded through an aperture at the top of the nose shield. There are locking projections along the edges of the strap that help to secure the strap in the aperture.

A variety of nose protectors are known.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,594,813 and 4,674,133 describe nose protectors that can be used without attachment to eyewear such as sunglasses, prescription eyeglasses, etc. Both devices require an adhesive on the underside that attaches directly to the nose skin. Although U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,813 specifies ventilation by through-pores and U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,133 specifies a breathable material, each of these devices would trap heat and be uncomfortable. Sweat and skin oils would decrease the ability of the adhesive to stick to the skin. Facial movements such as wrinkling the nose while squinting might cause the device to detach. The adhesive and, in addition, the sunblocker of U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,133 could cause irritation, mottling, allergic rash, pimples or other complexion problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,875 describes a nose and lip protecting apparatus to be suspended from eyeglasses. The nose and lip shields are connected by a hinge assembly and the lip shield may be detached. The device may be uncomfortable because the lip shield protrudes into the mouth, and may as well be cumbersome or unattractive. The device does not attach firmly to the glasses and may be dislodged by an active wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,048,191 describes a sun shield for the nose that is secured by a pair of inwardly extending tongues of springy material that clasp the bridge of the nose. As recited earlier, such direct contact with the wearer's face may irritate the skin at the attachment points, may cause discomfort and sweating, and may be easily dislodged, even by facial movements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,519,561 and 4,786,159 describe nose protectors that require attachment to particular types of eyeglasses. The glasses and nose protector described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,519,561 have complementary lug-like projections and apertures at the bridge that snap together to secure the device. Standard glasses or goggles lacking projections or apertures are generally not suitable for use with this nose protector. U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,159 describes a pair of eyeglasses with two positions at which the nose protector can be attached, preferably by a snap fastener. In one position the nose protector covers the wearer's nose, and in the other it is stowed beneath the glasses at the bridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,962,818 describes a nose protector that suspends from the bridge of glasses by spring hook-like members. It is relatively complicated in that it cannot be manufactured in one piece, but requires the separate construction of the shield and the hooks, followed by their attachment.
The nose protectors described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,197,973 and 2,233,698 can be constructed in a single piece. However, they require curving hooks or flanges for attachment to glasses and therefore cannot be constructed from flat material. In addition, their methods of attachment allow for easy dislodgement of the device by an active wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,364,354 describes a nose protector that can be formed from a single piece of flat material. However, the device requires an assembly process involving folds, tabs and slots, which produces a cumbersome and unattractive end-product.


An article carrier (1) includes a mount (3) for mounting the article carrier to a conveyor. A carrier frame (4) is located over the mount and is movable about a pivot (5) so as to be locatable in a carriage position, in which articles (2) may be supported on the carrier frame (4), and an ejection position, in which articles (2) are ejected from the carrier frame (4). The apparatus further includes a locking member (6); wherein when the carrier frame (4) is located in the carriage position, the locking member (6) is locatable in a first position that prevents movement of the carrier frame (4) about the pivot (5) and is movable into a second position that releases the carrier frame (4), allowing the carrier frame (4) to move about the pivot. When the locking member (6) is located in the first position to prevent movement of the carrier frame, the locking member is not under load. The article carrier (1) may be used as part of a grading apparatus.

Article carriers are often used in fruit graders to transport fruit through various measurement stages for grading purposes and to eject fruit at a required location dependent on the result of the grading process. Such article carriers usually include an endless circuit of carriers or cups on a conveyor chain with the cups situated to unload fruit at one of a plurality of stations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,132 (Maier) describes a carriage for goods that is provided with a tilting device that is fastened to a carriage frame and is equipped with a push rod which is used to tilt a transporting tray disposed on a horizontal shaft. The tray can be tilted in either direction. The carriage includes a large number of components and the push rod necessarily travels with the carriage, increasing the complexity and cost of the carriage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,807 (Leverett) describes a cup that is freely pivotable at one end about a tow bar. The cup is supported in a horizontal position by a pin that rides on an upper camming surface that includes drop spaces. Bridge struts allow the cup to ride over the drop spaces. The cup can only discharge articles in one direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,394 (Blanc) describes a two roller carriage that can tilt in one direction. The carriages include a lug that slide on a cam, causing lateral tilting of the carriage for article discharge.
The article carrier described in international publication no. WO 94/14547 (Horticultural Automation Limited) allows unloading to both sides of a conveyor, allowing increased unloading points for a given length of conveyor over a carrier that ejects to one side only. The contents of the carriers are also substantially shifted sideways rather than being "kicked" or dropped, which may result in improvements in fruit quality.
While carriers of the type described in WO 94/14547 have been successfully used for article carriage and ejection, some inaccuracies have been found to occur, which increase the reject volumes and product recycling. Furthermore, particular fruit sizes and shapes can introduce instability to the carrier. In particular if large misshapen fruit is carried by the carrier in a position that creates an off-centre load, it is possible that the opposite side of the carrier to the centre of gravity of the load may be lifted, resulting in some lateral movement of the carrier in the direction of the off-centre load, which increases the instability and may result in spontaneous tipping of the carrier.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an article carrier that has advantages over article carriers at present, or at least to provide the public with a useful alternative.
Any reference in this specification to the prior art does not constitute an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of the common general knowledge.


A dial is provided to a laser printer such that only a portion of the dial is exposed in an accommodating area for accommodating a process cartridge. A user can manually rotate a conveying roller to convey a paper through a conveying path by operating the dial. The dial is disposed coaxial with an auger. The auger operates in association with the conveying roller because of an auger gear being engaged with a conveying gear. A driving force from a driving motor is transmitted to the conveying gear via a planetary gear. When a paper jam occurs, the user operates the dial in order to move the planetary gear, thereby switching the state for communicating the driving force from the drive motor to the conveying roller from a communicating state to a non-communicating state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming device that easily eliminates obstructions along a conveying path of a recording medium.
2. Related Art
Image-forming devices such as printers, facsimile machines, copy machines, or multifunction devices combining the functions of these machines are well known in the art. In one type of image-forming device, an image-forming unit charges a photosensitive member and subsequently exposes the photosensitive member to light from a laser, LED, or the like to form electrostatic latent images thereon. The electrostatic latent image is developed using toner or other type of developer. The developed image is then transferred onto a recording medium and is fixed on the recording medium by heat generated in a fixing unit, thereby forming an image on the recording medium. In this type of image-forming device, a conveying path is formed from a point that a recording medium is fed into a casing to a point that the recording medium is discharged from the casing after passing through an image-forming unit, enabling the recording medium to be conveyed through the casing without becoming jammed.
When paper becomes jammed on the conveying path, a process is performed to remove the jammed paper from the path. In a large image-forming device, maintenance hatches may be provided at a plurality of locations on the outer walls of the casing, since there are many options for arranging the components in the casing of the large image-forming device. Accordingly, a user can reach and easily remove jammed paper by opening the appropriate hatch. However, it is more difficult to provide a plurality of maintenance hatches on a small image-forming device, such as that described in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2002-104694. For this reason, a portion of the conveying path is configured of an accommodating area that accommodates a removable process unit (process cartridge), which functions to form images. With this construction, the user can access the conveying path to resolve a paper jam by first removing the process unit from the casing.
Components of the image-forming device described in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2002-104694 are arranged three-dimensionally in the casing of the image-forming device to achieve a compact design. A paper tray (paper supply cassette) is disposed in the bottom section of the casing. Paper picked up from the paper tray by a feeding roller is conveyed by conveying rollers working in association with the feeding roller along a U-shaped conveying path for guiding the paper onto a path within the process unit. If a paper jam occurs on the U-shaped conveying path, the user resolves the paper jam by removing the process unit from the accommodating area and pulling the jammed paper from the end of the U-shaped conveying path exposed in the accommodating area.

Image forming device capable of easily resolving paper jam


A drill string tool has a control mechanism to switch the tool between an inactive condition and an active condition in response to operator-performance of a predefined trigger sequence comprising variations in a drilling fluid pressure differential. The trigger sequence comprises multiple cycles of (a) raising the predefined trigger sequence into, but not above, a predefined pressure range, and (b) lowering the predefined trigger sequence below a lower threshold of the pressure range. Raising of the pressure difference above an upper pressure range threshold results in automatic interruption and resetting of the predefined trigger sequence.

Boreholes are commonly drilled into the ground to recover hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, from subterranean formations. Such boreholes are usually drilled with a drill bit at the end of a drill string. The drill string can be formed on-site by consecutively adding any number of tubular members (sometimes also referred to as segments of drill pipe). The lower end of the drill string commonly includes a bottomhole assembly, having any number of drill string tools, with the drill bit attached to the bottom end. The drill bit is rotated, such as by rotating the drill string or by independently rotating the drill bit using a mud motor, to shear or disintegrate material of the rock formation to drill the wellbore.
Some tools and devices included in a drill string require remote activation and deactivation during drilling operations. Examples of such tools and devices include reamers, stabilizers, and force application members used for steering the drill bit. The harsh downhole environment, however, routinely poses a challenge for designers of electro-mechanical control systems, to achieve a desired level of performance and reliability.
Various methods have been devised for remotely operating tools using controlled fluid pressure. The use of controlled fluid pressure in the drill string often allows a limited number of activation/deactivation cycles, after which the control system is to be reset. Some reamer activation apparatuses, for example, use a ball-drop mechanism that permits a single activation cycle, after which a reset of the control system is required. In many conventional systems, the drilling fluid (i.e. "mud") cycled down the drill string and back up a borehole annulus can be used as the control fluid. In such systems, the drilling mud can perform multiple separate functions, with corresponding drilling fluid pressure levels. In addition to pressurization of the drilling mud to circulate it through the drill string and the annulus, drilling mud pressure and flow can, for example, be varied to control mud motor speed and/or torque. Because of such multiple, distinct reasons for variations in drilling mud pressure during drilling operations, using drilling mud to control a tool or device actuation mechanism can cause inadvertent tool activation resulting from misinterpretation of unrelated mud pressure fluctuations as actuating mechanism control signals.


The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of rewriting defective tracks in a data storage device. In a particular embodiment, the method includes writing a servo pattern on a data storage surface having tracks, detecting a defective track, and rewriting information on the defective track. The method also includes failing a test when a number of defective tracks is greater than a threshold. The method also includes rewriting servo bursts.

Disc drives are data storage devices that store digital data in magnetic form on a rotating storage medium called a disc. Each surface of a disc is divided into several thousand tracks that form tightly-packed concentric circles. Each track is further broken down into sectors.
Typically, disc drives contain unusable sectors when they are manufactured. These unusable sectors are called defective sectors. When defective sectors are discovered, each of the memory locations corresponding to the defective sectors are mapped to a good sector in another part of the data storage area of the disc. For this mapping purpose, spare sectors are reserved in a disc drive as substitutes for later detected defective sectors.
When a track with an unacceptable number of defects is found, rather than mapping individual sectors to spare sectors, the track is removed from a usable list of good tracks. These unusable tracks are called defective tracks. When a defective track is discovered, the memory locations corresponding to the defective track are mapped to a good track in another part of the data storage area of the disc. For this mapping purpose, spare tracks are reserved in a disc drive as substitutes for later detected defective tracks.
If there is an unacceptable number of defective tracks, the disc drive will fail because there are not enough adequate spare tracks that can be mapped. In addition, there is a yield loss of data storage capacity due to defective tracks. Thus, there is a need for a system and method for managing defective tracks.

System and method of rewriting data tracks


For a DC-to-DC converter including a plurality of channels for converting an input voltage to an output voltage, a control circuit comprises a load transient detector to detect the output voltage to provide a quick response signal. In a load transient, the quick response signal triggers a quick transient response period to increase the operational frequency of the converter.

FIG. 1 shows a traditional DC-to-DC converter 10 which comprises a control circuit 12 and four channels 14. Each channel 14 comprises transistors 1404 and 1406 connected in series between the input Vin and ground GND and a driver 1402 in response to the pulse width modulation signals PWM[1] to PWM[4] from the control circuit 12 to switch transistors 1404 and 1406 to regulate channel currents Io1 to Io4. The channel currents Io1 to Io4 are combined to be an output current Io for charging a capacitor C to generate an output voltage Vo. The control circuit 12 detects the channel currents Io1 to Io4 and output voltage Vo for modulating duty cycle of the transistors 1404 and 1406 in the channels 14.
FIG. 2 shows a traditional control circuit 12. A current sense circuit 1236 in a pulse width modulator 1201 senses the channel currents Io1 to Io4 to generate current sense signals Ix[1] to Ix[4] for sample and hold circuit 1238 to generate current sense signals Ix[1]′ to Ix[4]′. An adder 1240 in a voltage generator 1202 combines the current sense signals Ix[1]′ to Ix[4]′ to produce a summing current signal Isum. Since the output current Io is the summation of the channel currents Io1 to Io4 and the current sense signals Ix[1]′ to Ix[4]′ are proportional to the channel currents Io1 to Io4, respectively, therefore the summing current signal Isum is proportional to the output current Io. The summing current signal Isum flows through a pin ADJ to a resistor RADJ so as to produce a voltage VADJ which is thereby proportional to the output current Io. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) converts a digital voltage VID[n:0] to an analog voltage VIA. A subtracter 1206 subtracts the voltage VADJ from the analogy voltage VIA to produce a reference voltage VREF. An error amplifier 1208 in the pulse width modulator 1201 provides an error signal VEA to a pin COMP in response to the feedback voltage VFB from a pin FB, which represents the output voltage Vo, and the reference voltage VREF. ARC network 16 is connected between the output Vo and the pin FB, and a compensation network 18 is connected between the pins COMP and FB. The ramp generators 1212, 1214, 1216, and 1218 generate ramp signals RAMP[1], RAMP[2], RAMP[3], and RAMP[4], respectively, in response to a clock CLK provided by an oscillator 1210. An adder 1220 uses the current sense signal Ix[1]′ to shift the level of the ramp signal RAMP[1] to generate a ramp signal RAMP[1]′. A comparator 1228 compares the error signal VEA with the ramp signal RAMP[1]′ to generate a pulse width modulation signal PWM[1]. An adder 1222 uses the current sense signal Ix[2]′ to shift the level of the ramp signal RAMP[2] to generate a ramp signal RAMP[2]′, and a comparator 1230 compares the error signal VEA with the ramp signal RAMP[2]′ to generate a pulse width modulation signal PWM[2]. An adder 1224 uses the current sense signal Ix[3]′ to shift the level of the ramp signal RAMP[3] to generate a ramp signal RAMP[3]′, and a comparator 1232 compares the error signal VEA with the ramp signal RAMP[3]′ to generate a pulse width modulation signal PWM[3]. An adder 1226 uses the current sense signal Ix[4]′ to shift the level of the ramp signal RAMP[4] to generate a ramp signal RAMP[4]′, and a comparator 1234 compares the error signal VEA with the ramp signal RAMP[4]′ to generate a pulse width modulation signal PWM[4].
FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram to show several signals of the DC to DC converter 10 in a load transient, in which waveform 20 represents the load current IRL flowing through the load RL, waveform 22 represents the output current Io, waveform 24 represents the voltage VADJ, waveform 26 represents the reference voltage VREF, waveform 28 represents the DC value Vo,avg of the output voltage Vo, and waveform 29 represents the clock CLK. In DC condition, the impedance device 18 in the DC-to-DC converter 10 is open circuit, and the voltage Vo equals to the feedback voltage VFB. Hence the waveform 26 of the reference voltage VREF and the waveform 28 of the voltage Vo,avg are shown together in FIG. 4. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, in the load transient of from light loading to heavy loading, the current IRL which flows through the load RL rises up quickly, as shown by the waveform 20, and the voltage Vo,avg drops down quickly as shown by the waveform 28. However, the output current Io can't rise up as fast as the current IRL, whose rising speed is slower, as shown by the waveform 22. Since the voltage VADJ is proportional to the output current Io, the voltage VADJ rises up slowly as the output current Io. Due to the reference voltage VREF equal to (VIA−VADJ), the falling speed of the reference voltage VREF is slower than the voltage Vo,avg, as shown in FIG. 4. Since the falling speed of the voltage Vo,avg is faster than the reference voltage VREF in load transient, and the feedback voltage VFB will always trace to the reference voltage VREF in the DC-to-DC converter 10, and when the converter 10 reaches stable, the voltage Vo,avg will be equal to the feedback voltage VFB, therefore the voltage Vo,avg will also follow the reference voltage VREF. When the voltage Vo,avg drops to the predetermined value V1, the reference voltage VREF does not reach the value V1 yet, as shown in FIG. 4, and therefore the voltage Vo,avg will rise to follow the reference voltage VREF. After the voltage Vo,avg reaches the reference voltage VREF, it will drop slower to level V1 as the decreasing reference voltage VREF. As a result, a ringback is produced. The ringback will affect the performance of the load circuit, which is connected to the output Vo of the DC-to-DC converter 10, for example CPU. In addition, during the load transient period T, since the falling speed of the voltage Vo,avg is faster, it could result in undershoot. In other words, the voltage Vo,avg maybe drop to a value V2 which is lower than the predetermine value V1, as shown in FIG. 4. It also affects the performance of the load circuit.
Therefore, it is desired a control circuit for improving the ringback and undershoot of a DC-to-DC converter during the load transient.

Control circuit and method for a DC-to-DC converter to improve transient response thereof


A cleaning device cleans off a toner from a surface of a member rotating in a first direction. The cleaning device includes a blade made of an elastic material including a tip portion with a slanting portion that is pressed against the surface in a second direction counter to the first direction. A supporter supports the blade. An angle between the slanting portion and a longitudinal direction of the blade is obtuse. The slanting portion is pressed against the surface at a surface pressure of 2.0 MPa or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cleaning device that removes a toner remaining on an image carrier of an image forming apparatus after image transfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, while an image carrier is rotating, a charging device uniformly charges a peripheral surface of the image carrier, an exposing device performs writing to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier, a developing device deposits a toner to visualize the electrostatic latent image, and forms a toner image on the image carrier. A transfer device transfers the toner image to a recording medium, and a fixing device fixes the transferred image onto the recording medium. After the transfer of the toner image, a cleaning device cleans the peripheral surface of the image carrier to prepare for the next image formation.
A cleaning blade made of an elastic material like polyurethane rubber is used as a cleaning member in the cleaning device so as to simplify the structure and achieve excellent cleaning performance. In the cleaning device, a support member supports a base end of the cleaning blade, and presses a tip ridge portion of the cleaning against the peripheral surface of the image carrier to scrape off a toner remaining on the image carrier.
Meanwhile, there has been an increasing demand for improvement of image quality in this type of electrophotographic image forming apparatus. To meet such demand, toner particles have been reduced in size and made spherical. Accordingly, a spherical toner formed by using a polymerizing method has become mainstream.
However, when toner particles are reduced in size and made spherical, it is difficult to completely remove a residual toner with the cleaning blade. This is because a rotation moment is generated in the toner at a position on the image carrier against which the cleaning blade is pressed. The rotation moment pushes-the cleaning blade up to let the toner to slip into a space between the cleaning blade and the image carrier.
Therefore, when the toner having small and spherical toner particles is used, it is necessary to increase pressing force of the cleaning blade against the image carrier to prevent the toner from slipping into the space between the cleaning blade and the image carrier. In general, "linear pressure" has been used to represent a force for preventing the toner from slipping into the space under the cleaning blade. The "linear pressure" [gf/cm] calculated by dividing a total load applied to the cleaning blade by a length of the tip ridge portion of the cleaning blade pressed against the image carrier.
Specifically, a tip of the cleaning blade is pressed against the image carrier such that the tip portion of the blade comes into a stick state. A sheet-like sensor with a thickness of 0.1 millimeter is placed in a position where the cleaning blade is pressed against the image carrier. The "linear pressure" is calculated by dividing output of the sensor (a load [g] acting on the position) by a length [cm] in an axial direction of the image carrier of the position.
Note that the sheet-like sensor includes a large number of electrodes arranged in two directions (a row direction and a column direction) orthogonal to each other. Surfaces of the electrodes are covered with film resin. In the electrodes, a pressure sensitive resistive substance and a charge generating substance are set in a lattice shape. When an external pressure is applied to intersections of the lattice shape, resistance changes according to a load of the external pressure. The change in the resistance appears as a change in a current flowing in the row direction and the column direction. Thus, a total load is calculated from the current.
An increased "linear pressure" improves cleaning performance for a toner having small and spherical toner particles that are difficult to clean off. However, an increase in linear pressure causes harmful effects. For example, abrasion of the image carrier increases, torque of the image carrier increases, and abrasion of the cleaning blade increases.
Moreover, the ability of preventing a toner from slipping into the space under the cleaning blade cannot be sufficiently evaluated with the linear pressure. In reality, a nip is formed between the cleaning blade and the image carrier at the position where the cleaning blade is pressed against the image carrier. Specifically, the cleaning blade is not in line contact, but in surface contact with the image carrier. However, as described above, the "linear pressure" is calculated by dividing a total load applied to the cleaning blade by a length in an axial direction of the image carrier of the position where the cleaning blade is pressed against the image carrier. Therefore, a contact area of the cleaning blade with the image carrier is not taken into account at all.
Thus, it is not always possible to clean the toner having small and spherical toner particles simply by increasing the "linear pressure". Instead, harmful effects are caused by an increased linear pressure.
One approach is to use a "surface pressure" as a characteristic representing a force for preventing a toner from slipping into the space between the cleaning blade and the image carrier. The surface pressure is calculated by dividing a total load applied to the cleaning blade by a contact area of the cleaning blade with the image carrier. Even when the same load is applied to the cleaning blade, a contact area of the cleaning blade with the image carrier changes according to hardness, thickness, free length, and a shape of the cleaning blade. The "surface pressure" fluctuates according to the contact area, a material and a shape of the cleaning blade, a method of supporting the cleaning blade, and the like.
FIG. 19A depicts a cleaning blade 1a and FIG. 19B depicts a cleaning blade 1b with different shapes. The cleaning blade 1a has a planar shape, and is supported by a support member 2. A base end of the cleaning blade 1a adheres onto one side of the support member 2. A tip ridge portion 3a of the cleaning blade 1a is pressed against an image carrier 4. The cleaning blade 1b has a projected portion 5, and is supported by the support member 2. A base end of the cleaning blade 1b adheres onto one side of the support member 2. A tip ridge portion 3b of the cleaning blade 1b is pressed against the image carrier 4. In this case, the projected portion 5 abuts against the support member 2 to prevent the cleaning blade 1b from bending and the blade tip from being pushed away.
When a load is applied to the cleaning blade 1a, the cleaning blade 1a is deformed as shown in FIG. 19A. At a tip position of the support member 2, buckling is caused by concentration of stress. As a result, as shown in FIG. 20A, a tip "a" of the cleaning blade 1a curls back and a trunk portion "b" near the tip of the cleaning blade 1a comes into contact with a peripheral surface of the image carrier 4. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 21A, the load is dispersed and pressure distribution becomes small.
On the other hand, even if a load is applied to the cleaning blade 1b, the cleaning blade 1b is not deformed significantly as shown in FIG. 19B. As shown in FIG. 20B, the cleaning blade 1b is pressed against the image carrier 4 at a curled tip portion of the cleaning blade 1b, and a trunk portion of the cleaning blade 1b does not contact the image carrier 4. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 21B, a large pressure distribution with stress concentrated on the tip of the cleaning blade 1b is obtained.
Accordingly, depending on the shape of the cleaning blade, a contact area of the cleaning blade with the image carrier changes, and a surface pressure changes. This results in a difference in cleaning performance.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-75527 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-237819 disclose cleaning devices that take a surface pressure into account. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-268487 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-19671 disclose cleaning devices that have an obtuse-angled blade edge. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-332350 discloses a cleaning device having a round blade edge with a curvature of 5 micrometers (μm) to 15 μm. Japanese Patent No. 2962843 discloses a cleaning device having a tapered blade.
However, none of the patent documents described above refers to a cleaning configuration that cleans off a toner of small and spherical particles with a low linear pressure and a high surface pressure.

Cleaning device, process cartridge, and image forming apparatus that include a blade that is pressed against a surface of a rotating member at a surface pressure of 2.0 MPa or more


A bipolar snare instrument for use in surgery is provided. The snare instrument has a snaring loop comprising a flexible continuous electrically-insulating loop for supporting bipolar electrodes. The electrodes may be arranged in various geometries on the insulating loop to provide localized selective necrosis and hemostasis of a patient's protruding tissue. Methods of performing surgery with such devices are also provided.

Bipolar surgical snare instruments for removing protruding tissue, such as tonsils, polyps and the like, are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,493,320, 5,026,371 and 5,078,716 each describe a bipolar snare instrument that includes a pair of opposing flexible electrically conducting uninsulated snare wires connected by an electrically-insulating connector to form a snaring loop. The opposing snare wires form the bipolar electrodes of the instrument. The electrically-insulating connector isolates the opposing snare wires so that an alternating electric potential can be applied across the electrodes of the snare loop.
Each of the above-described bipolar snare instruments, suffers from one or more drawbacks associated with the use of the electrically-insulating connector to isolate the ends of the opposing Snare wires. Assembling the ends of the opposing snare wires with the electrically insulating connector adds to the complexity of the manufacturing process, since the connector must be made of an electrically-insulating material such as a plastic, ceramic, glass or epoxy-based material.
The electrically-insulating connector must form a sufficiently strong bond to the snare wires to support the loads generated during surgery. This strength requirement of the connector may also add to the complexity of the snare design. For example, Treat U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,320 describes electrically-insulating connectors having V-shaped, solid rectangular and circular-shaped forms, wherein the ends of the snare wires are imbedded in the connector.
If the bond between snare wires and the insulating connector is not capable of supporting the tensile stresses evolved during actuation of the snaring loop, the instrument may malfunction during surgery. In an extreme case, the connector may become detached from both snare wires and thus detach from the snaring instrument altogether. In endoscopic surgery, such a malfunction may have serious consequences, as it may be extremely difficult to remotely retrieve the detached connector. Additionally, should detachment of the connector go unnoticed until after surgery has been completed, the patient may require additional treatment.
A further drawback of previously known bipolar snare instruments is the need to uniformly withdraw and extend the opposing snare wires when operating the instrument. For effective selective necrosis and hemostasis of tissue, it is desirable that the lengths of the bipolar electrodes be equal throughout the range of actuation of the instrument. Some previously known bipolar snares permit the snare wires forming the electrodes to be withdrawn preferentially from side-to-side or cocked, so that the lengths of the exposed electrodes become unequal. Consequently, the selective necrosis and hemostasis achieved in such cases may be less than that desired to accomplish the objective of the surgery.
In light of the above, it would be desirable to provide an improved bipolar snare instrument for use in surgery that overcomes the drawbacks of previously known snares.
It would also be desirable to provide a snare instrument for use in surgery that does not have the design and manufacturing complexity associated with the electrically-insulating connector of previously known bipolar snare instruments.
It would further be desirable to provide a snare instrument for use in surgery that reduces the likelihood that a component of the instrument will be deposited in the internal tissue regions of a patient during surgery should a malfunction occur.
It would still further be desirable to provide a bipolar snare instrument that promotes effective selective necrosis and hemostasis of tissue by providing uniformly equal lengths of bipolar electrodes during all phases of operation, and which reduces the potential for ineffective necrosis and hemostasis caused by preferential cocking of the opposing snare wires.

Bipolar surgical snare and methods of use


A method for the commercial production of chymosin which involves the recombinant expression of chymosin in plant seeds, that enables chymosin to accumulate to at least 0.5% (w/w) of total seed protein is described. An improved method for the isolation of chymosin from the seed is also described.

Chymosin, also known as rennin, is a commercially important enzymatic protein, commonly used in the cheese manufacturing industry to coagulate milk. Traditionally chymosin has been prepared from its natural source, the fourth stomach of unweaned calves, although recovery from the stomachs of other mammals, such as lamb, goats etc. heretofore was known. More recently, primarily as a result of a decrease in calf production, recombinant DNA techniques have been employed to produce chymosin by fermentation in genetically engineered microorganisms. Thus a variety of bacterial and fungal hosts have been genetically modified to produce chymosin by fermentation, including for example, the bacterial hosts Escherichia coli, (European Patent 0 134 662 A1; Nishimori et al. (1982) J. Biochem 91: 1085-1088), Bacillus subtilis (U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,819; U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,807 and Parente et al. (1991) FEMS 77: 243-250) and the fungal hosts Aspergillus sp. (European Patent 0 575 462 B1; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,364,770 and 5,863,759; Cullen et al. (1987) Bio/Technology 5: 369-375, Dunn-Coleman et al. (1991) Bio/Technology 9: 976-981., and Tsuchiua et al. (1993) Appl. Microbial Biotech. 40: 327-332), Kluyveromyces lactis (van der Berg et al. (1990) Bio/Technology 8: 135-139 and Trichoderma ressei (Jarkki et al. (1989) Bio/Technology 7: 596-603; Pitts et al. (1991) Biochemical Society Transactions 19: 663-665). As well, more general expression in fungi, yeast and bacteria (U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,847) and in filamentous fungi (U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,463).
The active enzyme chymosin (E.C. 22.214.171.124) is comprised of a polypeptide chain of a molecular mass of 35.6 kDa. However crude extracts of calf stomach mucosa in addition to active chymosin, contain two inactive precursor polypeptides known as pre-pro-chymosin and pro-chymosin. Pre-pro-chymosin contains an extra 58 amino acids at the N-terminus, whereas pro-chymosin contains an extra 42 amino acids. Conversion of the inactive precursor protein into enzymatically active chymosin requires the step-wise removal of the chymosin pre-peptide and pro-peptide. In vivo these activation steps take place in the calf stomach. The chymosin pre-peptide directs secretion of the polypeptide by the stomach cells and is removed upon secretion of the polypeptide by the stomach cells. The chymosin pro-peptide is subsequently removed in the gastric lumen, thereby activating the enzyme. The activation reaction can also be performed in vitro at pH values below 5. With regards to the enzyme chymosin, it should further be noted that chymosin purified from calf stomach is a mixture of two different polypeptides known as chymosin A and chymosin B. Both of these polypeptides are active and differ only with respect to one amino acid. The amino acid residue at position #290 is an aspartate residue in chymosin A and a glycine residue in chymosin B (Foltman et al., (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 74: 2331-2324; Foltman et al., (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254: 8447-8456).
There are several disadvantages associated with the recombinant production of chymosin in fermentation systems. In general, fermentation systems require the use of large fermentation vessels that have both large space and energy requirements and consequently are costly. As well, the growth media require large volumes of water and may require special chemicals. Both of these may present environmental issues in the disposal of the large amounts of potentially harmful waste. Further, storage and shipment of raw material containing chymosin is problematic. The bacterial or fungal fermentation broth need to be processed immediately or refrigerated in large volumes since the enzyme is not stable for long periods in the broth.
The use of plants as bioreactors for the commercial production of recombinant proteins is well known. For example, avidin, β-glucuronidase and aprotinin (see patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,767,379, 5,804,694 and 5,824,870) have been recombinantly expressed in corn. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,543,576 and 5,714,474 are broadly directed to the recombinant production of enzymes in seeds and to the use of seeds or milled seeds comprising enzymes as a raw material in the preparation of food and feed products. Although U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,543,576 and 5,714,474 suggest chymosin as one potential enzyme that may be produced in seeds, there is no reduction to practice. These patents are further limited by the fact that in order to use the chymosin for the commercial production of cheese, chymosin would have to be purified from the seed or milled seeds.
PCT patent application WO 92/01042 discloses the expression of chymosin in the leaves of transgenic tobacco and potato plants. According to the disclosure chymosin expression levels of only 0.1% to 0.5% (w/w) of total soluble leaf protein were attained. The methodology of WO 92/01042 is further limited in that the production in leaves would require immediate extraction of the enzyme from the leaf material upon harvesting of the plants as the enzyme would lose activity when stored in leaves. In addition, due to the relatively high water content of leaves, large amounts of biomass must be processed.
There is a need in the art to further improve methods for the recombinant expression of chymosin in plants.

Commercial production of chymosin in plants


Disclosed herein is an X-ray imaging apparatus including: a gate driver configured to apply a turn-on signal to a plurality of gate lines; and a readout circuit configured to read out a signal from the plurality of gate lines, wherein if an X-ray signal is detected from a gate line of the plurality of gate lines, the gate driver changes a turn-on time period of the turn-on signal.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an X-ray imaging apparatus of producing images about the inside of an object by irradiating X-rays onto the object, and a control method of the X-ray imaging apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An X-ray imaging apparatus is equipment for acquiring images about the inside of an object by irradiating X-rays onto the object and receiving the X-rays transmitted through the object. Since various materials of or configuring an object have different degrees of X-ray radiolucency according to their properties, the inside structure of the object can be imaged by detecting the strengths or intensities of X-rays transmitted through the object.
If a generator part is not electrically connected to a detector part in an X-ray imaging apparatus, a process of detecting X-rays to determine existence of X-rays before extracting X-rays is needed. The process is called Auto Exposure Detection (AED). X-rays are detected by using an X-ray detection sensor, or by a method of determining existence of X-ray successively for individual rows in an X-ray detection region formed in an array of rows and columns. After detecting X-rays, the X-ray imaging apparatus extracts signals of an actual X-ray image. A process of detecting existence of X-rays and detecting X-rays in an X-ray detection region in order to acquire actual X-ray image signals is called readout. However, during the readout to detect X-rays, leakage or current trap may occur in which current or signals leak out due to the physical or chemical properties of devices. In this case, during the readout to acquire actual X-ray image signals, signal loss and a level difference of an X-ray image may occur.

X-ray imaging apparatus and control method thereof


A duty cycle controller having a processor configured to control a welding-type apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to control the welding-type apparatus according to a variable maximum duty cycle to substantially delay entry into a thermal shutdown mode of the welding-type apparatus based on at least one operating condition. Various additional devices and methods are also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to welding-type systems and welding-type power sources and, more particularly, to a controller for welding-type systems configured to control a welding-type system to operate according to a variable maximum duty cycle based on a current temperature, in, about, or of the welding-type system to reduce the likelihood of inducing a thermal shutdown of the welding-type system. Furthermore, since the present invention has a temperature feedback input, allows the variable maximum duty cycle to exceed a rated duty cycle under appropriate operating conditions thereby enabling the welding-type system to operate above the rated duty cycle.
There are numerous variations of welding-type systems. Each variation of welding-type system is typically designed to operate according to one or more specific welding-type processes. For example, some common welding-type systems are designed to operate according to a Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding-type process, formerly known as Gas Metal Arc Welding-type (GMAW) process, a Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding-type process, a Shielded Metal Arc Welding-type (SMAW) process, a stud welding process, a plasma-cutting process, induction heating process, or other welding-type processes.
All welders and welding-type processes employ components that generate heat during operation. For example, stud welding processes are designed to supply high current for short periods. That is, stud welding is a welding process that utilizes a localized burst of current between a metallic fastener and a metallic work piece. In most instances, although not required, the fastener and the work piece have the same material properties. The fasteners are held and welded in place through the use of an electromechanical device known as a stud gun. A stud welder power source generates and discharges a high current output in a short period of time that serves to weld the stud to the workpiece.
The high power generation and discharge associated with welding processes result in a high level of stress on the components of the welder. As such, some welding machines typically have relatively low duty cycles. Generally, the welder is designed to have a rated maximum duty cycle based on an assumed maximum operating temperature. That is, welders are designed to operate at a maximum duty cycle corresponding to temperature tolerance of the welder. To ensure that the welder operates within this temperature tolerance under all operational conditions, the maximum duty cycle is typically fixed so that the welder remains below the temperature tolerance under relatively high temperature operating conditions. For example, stud welders are typically physically limited by a fixed time lapse between welds that is based on a "worse-case" operating environment where the stud welder is operated under the harshest of operating conditions that include a maximum operating temperature.
In this case, regardless of operating conditions, the duty cycle of the stud welder is limited by a maximum duty cycle when, in fact, it may not be operating at the maximum temperature tolerance of the power supply. Therefore, although operating temperatures would allow performing at a higher duty cycle, the stud welder is precluded from operating above the rated duty cycle. That is, under some operating conditions, such as when the operating temperature is below the "maximum," the power supply may be capable of operating above the "worst-case" rated duty cycle, but is restricted from exceeding the "worst-case" rated duty cycle.
Although most welders employ a hard duty cycle limit to keep the operating temperature below the temperature tolerance of the power supply, the temperature, in, about, or of the power supply may still surpass the maximum temperature tolerance of the welder. Accordingly, welders often utilize a thermal shutdown mode whereby, if the operational temperature of the welder approaches or surpasses the maximum temperature tolerance, the welder enters a thermal shutdown and ceases operation. Specifically, should the operational temperature of the welder surpass the maximum temperature tolerance, the welder power source enters a "standby" or thermal shutdown mode that allows the welder to cool.
While this thermal shutdown mode protects the welder from possible damage due to overheating, it also interrupts the welding process. Accordingly, should the power source enter the thermal shutdown mode, the operation of welder idled. This break in the workflow can be particularly undesirable in settings where there may be interdependence between various procedures. In some cases, a significant break in the welding process may require corresponding delays in subsequent steps in the workflow.
Additionally, a break in the workflow necessitated by the welder entering a thermal shutdown mode may encourage an operator to leave the welder workstation while the welder cools. As such, the operator may not be present to resume the welding process precisely when the welder returns from the thermal shutdown mode. As a result, the break in the workflow caused by the welder entering the thermal shutdown mode may be unnecessarily extended. As a result, additional delays are incurred in the workflow and productivity is further decreased.
It would therefore be desirable to design a system that may be controlled to operate above a maximum rated duty cycle of the system based upon actual operational conditions, such as temperature. Furthermore, it would be desirable to have a welding system with a variable duty cycle and a controller configured to dynamically adjust the variable duty cycle to reduce the likelihood of the welding system entering a thermal shutdown.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for a temperature dependent duty cycle within a welding-type apparatus


The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition that comprises a compound of formula (I) as active pharmaceutical ingredient:

The search for new therapeutic agents has been greatly aided in recent years by a better understanding of the structure of proteins and other biomolecules associated with target diseases. One important class of proteins is the sigma (σ) receptor, a cell surface receptor of the central nervous system (CNS) which may be related to the dysphoric, hallucinogenic and cardiac stimulant effects of opioids. From studies of the biology and function of sigma receptors, evidence has been presented that sigma receptor ligands may be useful in the treatment of psychosis and movement disorders such as dystonia and tardive dyskinesia, and motor disturbances associated with Huntington's chorea or Tourette's syndrome and in Parkinson's disease (Walker, J., et al, Pharmacol. Rev. 1990; 42:355). It has been reported that the known sigma receptor ligand rimcazole clinically shows effects in the treatment of psychosis (Snyder, S., Largent, B., J. Neuropsychiatry 1989; 1:7). The sigma binding sites have preferential affinity for the dextrorotatory isomers of certain opiate benzomorphans, such as (+)SKF 10047, (+)cyclazocine, and (+)pentazocine and also for some narcoleptics such as haloperidol. Several sigma receptor ligands are disclosed in the prior art.
Patent application WO 2006/021462 discloses a family of pyrazol derivatives which are particularly selective as inhibitors of the sigma receptor. Said derivatives show a pyrazol group which is characterized by the substitution, at position 3, with an alkoxy group bounded to a nitrogen atom. These compounds have displayed strong analgesic activity in the treatment and prevention of chronic and acute pain and, particularly, neuropathic pain.
However, compounds disclosed in WO 2006/021462 have shown poor rheological properties and poor compressibility characteristics. This makes difficult to formulate them, since mechanical operations are normally applied on the compositions comprising the active ingredient, and good compressibility and rheological properties facilitate the handling and manufacture of the formulation.
In addition, the preparation of formulations with high load of active ingredient is not without problems. Formulations typically contain more than 20% of excipients by weight of the total formulation. This is necessary for the successful production of forms such as pellets which involves several mechanical steps, and optionally the use of a binder (Hileman, G., et al, Int. J. Pharma. 1993; 100(1-3):71-79; Jover, I., et et al, J. Pharma. Sci. 1996; 85:700-705). In particular diluents, binders and plasticizers play an important role in the properties of the final product, such as plastic characteristics of the solid formulation, necessary to obtain particles with the desired shapes, uniform size and good handling and dissolution properties.
For example, it is believed that microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), a usual diluent, acts as a molecular sponge by holding water applied during the wet massing step until pressure is applied (by extrusion or spheronization forces) that causes the held water to be expressed to the particle surface. The water present at the surface of the particles acts as a lubricant, reducing the shear forces of extrusion and thus assisting in the formation of cylindrical extrudate from the wetted mass. The water remaining inside the extrudate acts as a plasticizer in that it allows the MCC to be less structurally rigid during spheronization.
Unfortunately, the need to use certain amounts of excipients, such as diluents, limits the active load in the final formulation.
In general, the prevention and treatment of pain require formulations that enable the fast delivery of the analgesic agent to the patient. In addition, the development of pain often demands that a high dosage of the analgesic agent be administered immediately after or before the pain onset. Most patients usually experience episodes of high intensity pain at this juncture. Consequently, there is a need in the art for better formulations of the compounds described in WO 2006/021462 that would also enable a higher load of the active ingredient.

Pharmaceutical compositions comprising sigma receptor ligands

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, isomer, prodrug or solvate thereof; and at least a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient, wherein the active pharmaceutical ingredient is present in an amount of at least 80% of the total dry weight of the composition.


A securable consumer goods transportation apparatus comprising a container, and a spill prevention strap attached to the container. Also disclosed is a method comprising placing a consumer good in a container comprising a spill retention strap, positioning the container in a vehicle, securing the container in the vehicle using the spill retention strap, wherein the spill retention strap substantially maintains the position of the container relative to the vehicle when the vehicle experiences a substantially sudden movement. Furthermore, a method comprising providing instructions to secure a container comprising a spill retention strap in a vehicle, wherein the spill retention strap substantially maintains the position of the container relative to the vehicle when the vehicle experiences a substantially sudden movement is disclosed.

For consumers, transporting consumer goods from one location to another can prove problematic. In particular, consumable items such as food may need to be transported from a commercial establishment such a restaurant to a consumer's home. The consumer may place these items into a disposable bag, and then place the bag into a vehicle. One of the problems that this creates is that if a driver makes a sudden stop, then the items in the disposable bag may spill. If the consumable items are in the liquid form, such as a soup, then this can permanently damage upholstery within the vehicle.

Securable consumer goods transportation apparatus


A double-folding seat has a seat cushion, a seat back, and a recliner portion. The seat also has a rear locking portion, a force transmitting member, and a front locking portion. The seat back is connected to the seat cushion. The recliner portion is configured to selectively fold the seat back toward the seat cushion. The rear locking portion selectively locks a rear potion of the seat cushion to a vehicle body. A force transmitting member transmits a force generated by folding of the seat back to the rear locking portion. The rear locking portion is configured such that a locking thereof, to the vehicle body, is automatically released by a force transmitted through the force transmitting member. The seat cushion is rotatably connected to the front locking portion and the front locking portion connects a front portion of the seat cushion to the vehicle body.

Typically, a seat of vehicle is composed of a seat cushion for supporting a lower part of an occupant's body, a seat back for supporting an upper part of an occupant's body, and a head rest for supporting an occupant's head. Seats in a second or third array of a multi-purpose vehicle are generally used as seats for occupants, however, in order to load cargo into the vehicle, these seats are typically configured as double-folding seats. Double-folding seats are typically seats in which the seat back folds toward a seat cushion and then folds toward a front direction of the vehicle.
To realize a double-folding seat, a seat back is firstly folded by pulling a recliner strap installed on a rear surface of the seat. A rear latch is released from a striker fixed to a vehicle body by pulling a release strap when the seat back is folded. The seat cushion, that is released from the striker, is then rotated. Accordingly, the seat is double-folded. However, a drawback of this conventional double-folding seat is that the seat requires many manipulations to complete the double-folding process.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


Shaped metal parts are produced on a continuous basis from a semi-solid metal perform. A plurality of free-standing metal slugs are sequentially heated within an arcuate path defined by a pair of concentrically-positioned solenoid coils to a semi-solid state, such that they may be shaped into a metal part. Means for rotating the slugs during their movement through the arcuate path is also provided.

Vigorous means for the agitation of metals during solidification are known to eliminate dendritic structures and produce semisolid "slurry structured" materials with thixotropic characteristics. It is also known that the viscosities of such materials may be high enough to be handled as a soft solid. Re Rheocasting, Merton C. Flemings and Kenneth P. Young, McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology, 1977-78. However, processes for producing shaped parts from such slurry structured materials, particularly on a continuous basis, present a number of problems. Such processes require a first step of reheating a slurry structured billet charge or "slug" to the appropriate fraction solid and then forming it while in a semisolid condition. A crucible has been considered essential as a means of containing the material and handling it from its heating through its forming cycle. The use of such crucibles is costly and cumbersome and furthermore creates process disadvantages such as material loss due to crucible adhesion, contamination from crucible degradation and untoward chilling from random contact with crucible side walls. Other problems are involved in the heating, transport and delivery of billets which are in a semisolid condition. Therefore, it has been found desirable to provide an apparatus and process for producing shaped metal parts from semisolid preforms, as such a process provides considerable manufacturing economy, especially if it does not require crucibles or other containing means and it is capable of operation on a continuous basis.
One approach has been the use of induction heating. Induction heating is a preferred choice for slug heating in SSM forming since it is clean, efficient, and can be tightly controlled via electrical input. A number of induction heating schemes have been devised and at least one is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,218 issued Feb. 11, 1986, hereby incorporated by reference. Nearly all of these existing SSM heating systems utilize vertically oriented solenoid induction coils which either 1) raise and lower to sequentially capture slugs transported through the system on refractory pedestals, or 2) are stationary but through which the slugs are raised and lowered as they transport through the system.
However, such systems may be cumbersome with a number of moving parts. In addition, the persistent raising and lowering of either slugs or coils exposes the slugs to a variety of conditions which can pose problems of differential heat losses and consequent inconsistency of heating. Furthermore, since the slugs move both vertically and horizontally it is extremely difficult to provide protective atmosphere or heat shields.
Therefore, there is a recognized need for an improved method and apparatus for heating metal members to a semi-solid state, in order that the members may be formed as desired.

Apparatus and method for producing shaped metal parts using continuous heating


According to one embodiment, a reconfigurable logic circuit device includes a memory circuit including a cell group which includes unit cells connected in series, a control circuit connected to the unit cell at one end of the cell group, and an output terminal connected to the unit cell at the other end of the cell group; and a switch circuit connected to the output terminal and controlled by a signal from the memory circuit. Each of the unit cells includes a select element including first and second terminals and a control terminal to which a control signal is input, and a memory element including a third terminal connected to the first terminal and a fourth terminal connected to the second terminal.

A reconfigurable logic circuit such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) can be rewritten to a desired circuit by a user after the manufacture/shipment of a chip, and can therefore reduce the development time of an LSI chip.
The FPGA is, for example, a circuit composed of logic elements (logic gates) based on a look-up table and a switch for switching the connection of the logic elements.
The FPGA includes a configuration memory to control the connection between the logic elements and the switch. Rewriting information stored in the configuration memory allows the FPGA to be used to construct any circuit.
The general FPGA in the mainstream is an FPGA that uses a volatile SRAM as a configuration memory. The FPGA that uses the SRAM has some problems, such as high power consumption, and a configuration memory that uses a nonvolatile memory has been developed and considered.


Systems, devices, and methods are provided for mixed-mode signal processing that achieves unprecedented levels of out-of-band and in-band interference suppression. Embodiments of the present disclosure mitigate the effects of blockers and jammers, which have surfaced as issues in emerging cognitive radio systems as those networks struggle to co-exist with licensed and unlicensed users.

Improving the tolerance of wireless communications systems to intentional and unintentional interference and improving system co-existence among multiple users are issues of primary interest for homeland security and consumer electronics products. The effects of blockers and jammers have surfaced as issues in emerging cognitive radio systems as those networks struggle to co-exist with licensed and unlicensed users.
Cognitive radio networks are broadband by nature since the spectrum holes needed for these radios to operate can be anywhere in both time and frequency domains. Despite the technological challenges, government and industry have begun to seriously consider using cognitive radio systems as an option to maximize the use of available spectrum. Access to spectrum is an increasingly important asset for economic growth. In particular, the accelerating demand for spectrum in the area of mobile information technology requires urgent solutions to enable further commercial development.
However, most of the spectrum is already assigned to federal and commercial applications, especially the golden band for wireless communication between 1 GHz and 6 GHz. Continuous efforts have been made to make better use of the spectrum. The unsuccessful 11-band MB-OFDM proposal for 3.4-10.7 GHz ultra-wideband (UWB) communications was designed to implement high data rate wireless devices, and it was one of the first spectrum sharing proposals. This approach intended to use frequency bands of 528 MHz with OFDM-QPSK modulation and fast hopping between the bands of a given band group. Unfortunately, the power consumption required for these applications was well above the preliminary estimations, then drastically limiting the benefits of that technology.
The evolution of UWB communication culminated in the cognitive radio concept, in which the system can exploit the sparsity of the spectrum by operating opportunistically in underutilized bands, including several bands assigned to federal use. Naval surface radars are a prominent example of underutilized spectrum of great commercial interest. These radars operate in the prime 5-band spectrum and are pulsed to transmit tremendous peak power, but the use of the spectrum is intermittent. This spectrum can be employed for other applications. The report provided by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) states that making wireless spectrum available is essential to the rapid growth of the economy; however, it cannot compromise national security and public safety.
The solution envisioned by PCAST is to share a broad frequency spectrum devoted to federal applications to accommodate a wide variety of commercial applications. This approach opens the gate for innovative solutions and promotes the development of new technologies. The strong recommendation provided by PCAST was to identify and share (with licensed and unlicensed users) a wide bandwidth of underutilized Federal spectrum, which requires new management policies for coexistence of federal, commercial and general users. This initiative offers opportunities to locally exploit the federal spectrum and to develop blocker-resilient transceivers and innovative modulation techniques for coexistence of multiple standards that will be crucial for effective sharing of the spectrum.
The shared access to the federal spectrum will be based on a three-tier hierarchy: (i) primary users consist of federal systems having the highest priority and protection from interference caused by the secondary and general users; (ii) secondary users have priority operating rights through commercial systems with interference protection from general users; and (iii) general users are allowed opportunistic access to unoccupied spectrum. General users are required to have the capability to operate on multiple bands, and preferably, they should be equipped with multi-standard transceivers with interference mitigation capabilities.
Features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.

Blocker-resilient broadband wireless transceivers with multi-user collision tolerance based on mixed-mode correlation

The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


An integrated optical head, such as, for a disk drive, preferably includes an optically transparent substrate. The substrate has a diffractive optical element formed on one face and a plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the other face. A light source is positioned to emit light through the substrate, through the diffractive optical element, and toward data storage media. The light source includes a plurality of electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact-pads exposed on the face of the substrate. An optical detector is positioned to detect light reflected from the data storage media, through the diffractive optical element, and through the substrate. The optical detector includes a plurality of exposed electrical contact pads corresponding to the plurality of electrical contact pads exposed on the face of the substrate. The substrate and the light source and optical detector are passively aligned using solder bumps between pairs of contact pads. A mechanical passive alignment arrangement is also disclosed.

Many typical computer systems include a disk drive cooperating with storage media to permit storage and retrieval of data. A typical optical disk drive includes an optical head that conventionally uses a laser to transmit light to the optical disk. Light reflected from the surface of the disk is detected by an optical detector and processed to read data from the disk. An example of such an optical head is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,516 titled "Planar Optical Scanning Head Having Deficiency-Correcting Grating" by Opheij. The size of the various optical head components, however, are often too large for many desired applications and many market demands. Also, as densities of integrated circuits and system boards increase, the demand for smaller components increases. Additionally, the production process for a conventional optical head requires that the laser be excited or turned-on (i.e., "active alignment") for alignment of the laser, the detector, and the optical elements. An example of active alignment processes is illustrated and described in an article published in Optical Engineering (June 1989) titled "Holographic Optical Head For Compact Disk Applications" by Lee.
Unfortunately, these active alignment requirements are complex, time consuming, and relatively expensive. Further, the level of size reduction in the vertical direction of an optical head is limited. In addition, the relatively large size of the elements of an optical head which can be manipulated is determined by the need for active alignment.

Optical head structures including support substrates adjacent transparent substrates and related methods


An electrophotographic recording apparatus includes a plurality of light emitting elements each for irradiating a photoconductive surface of a photoconductor and each having one-luminescent portion per chip; and a driver for reciprocating a carriage in rightward and leftward directions along an arrangement direction of the light emitting elements and in forward and backward directions along a moving direction of the photoconductive surface of the photoconductor. In the apparatus, there is provided such a control that the carriage is moved forward at a speed synchronized with a movement of the photoconductive surface of the photoconductor, while moved rightward or leftward, in succession, the carriage is moved backward in a state that the carriage is not moved at all or hardly moved in the rightward and leftward directions, in succession, the carriage is moved forward at the a speed synchronized with the movement of the photoconductive surface of the photoconductor, while moved leftward or rightward, and in succession, the carriage is moved backward in a state that the carriage is not moved at all or hardly moved in the rightward and leftward directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic recording apparatus, and more particularly to such a scheme of apparatus that light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LED) are arranged at intervals of plural dots, and are reciprocatively moved along the arrangement direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such type of electrophotographic recording apparatus is disclosed, for example, in the Japanese Utility Model Application Laid Open No. 58-58553. According to the conventional such apparatuses, it is possible to reduce the number of light emitting elements and the associated driver circuits by reciprocatively moving an array in which LED's are integrated every other dot. On the other hand, according to most prior arts, a photoconductor is driven on a step basis, and the light emitting elements radiate while vibrating in a state that the photoconductor is stopped. However, it is difficult to rotate stepwise the photoconductor, since the photoconductor is usually extremely large in mass, and thus the photoconductor hinders in higher speed. Further, there is such a problem that rotation and stopping operations of the photoconductor invite non-uniform thickness of a toner layer and thus produce uneven printing density.
On the other hand, according to the Japanese Utility Model Application Laid Open No. 58-58553, the photoconductor is rotated at a constant speed. However, this prior art has such a drawback that a right-hand lowered (or left-hand lowered) line is formed, since a latent image point lowers as the photoconductor moves. This drawback is not a problem in a case where the LED's are arranged every other dot. However, when intervals of the light emitting elements are expanded, or when a rotation velocity of the photoconductor is increased, the latent image points, which are essentially to be formed with a straight line, become an oblique line. Thus, this drawback is a problem in a case where fonts or figures are formed.
As one solution for solving the foregoing problem, there is known the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 62-140859. In this prior art, it is stated that in case of a constant rotation of a photoconductor drum, a LED array module is vibrated with a slight slant in an axis direction so as to obtain a coincidence between a rotation velocity of the photoconductor drum and a photoconductor drum rotational direction component of a transfer velocity of the LED array module. This scheme makes it possible to accurately write a row of dots into the photoconductor drum rotating at a constant speed, when the light emitting elements emit light while vibrating once.
However, according to the scheme in which the LED array module is vibrated with a slant in its entirety, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 62-140859, the ratio of a velocity of the photoconductor in a moving direction to a velocity of the photoconductor in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction is determined on a univocal basis by an angle of inclination of a guide. Thus, for instance, when the light emitting elements are moved in one direction, it is possible to form a line in a cross direction. However, when the light emitting elements are moved in the opposite direction, the line is formed with a skew. Consequently, the conventional scheme simply permits a printing in a single direction.
Moreover, according to the conventional apparatus as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Application Laid Open No. 58-58553, it is difficult to reduce a chip area, since such an apparatus is so arranged that a number of LED's are accommodated into a single chip to form an array. As well known by ones skilled in the art, in order to lower a manufacturing cost of a semiconductor, it is important to reduce the chip area. However, such a prior art fails to consider this point, and thus makes impossible the extreme lowering of the manufacturing cost. Further, in the conventional apparatus, there is such a drawback that it is obliged to replace the chip in its entirety even if only a piece of light emitting element in the chip is damaged. Moreover, a large number of chips are needed for a line of printing. Usually, an irregularity in emission intensity is rare within a chip, but it is large in comparison between the chips. This is a problem. In order to solve this problem, there are needs to add a correction circuit on each chip or to selectively use chips which are almost the same in emission intensity. These needs would increase the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, in a case where the chips are disposed on an alignment basis, there will be formed gaps between the adjacent chips, and thus there is a need to provide the chips with a staggered arrangement. This need brings not only an enlargement of a carriage which is loaded with the light emitting elements, but also an increment in weight of the carriage. Thus, it is necessary to use an expensive driving motor of high potential capacity.

LED carriage selectively movable in two directions


The present disclosure provides a pixel structure, an OLED display screen, and an evaporation mask. The pixel structure includes a plurality of pixel unit groups arranged in an array. Each of the pixel unit groups includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel and a third sub-pixel. An edge of the first sub-pixel close to the third sub-pixel is not parallel to an edge of the first sub-pixel away from the third sub-pixel. An edge of the second sub-pixel close to the third sub-pixel is not parallel to an edge of the second sub-pixel away from the third sub-pixel. At least two adjacent first sub-pixels and/or at least two adjacent second sub-pixels of at least two adjacent pixel unit groups are formed by a same mask opening in the evaporation mask.

An Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) is an active light-emitting device. Compared with the conventional Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display mode, the OLED display technology does not require a backlight and has self-luminous characteristics. The OLED adopts a thinner organic material film and a glass substrate, and the organic material emits light when electric current passes through. Therefore, an OLED display screen can significantly save power, can be made lighter and thinner, can withstand a wider range of temperature changes than an LCD display screen, and has a wider viewing angle. The OLED display screen is expected to be the next-generation flat panel display technology after the LCD, and has become one of the most popular technologies in the current flat panel display technology.
Many colorization methods are applied to OLED display screens. At present, OLED evaporation technology is a main technology of OLED colorization technology, which is relatively mature and has been successfully used in mass production. The OLED evaporation technology applies the conventional RGB Stripe arrangements for evaporation, among which the side-by-side arrangement has the best image effect. In the side-by-side arrangement, three sub-pixels of Red, Green, and Blue (R, G, B) exist in the region of a pixel, each sub-pixel is rectangular and has an independent organic light-emitting component, and the organic light-emitting component is formed at a position corresponding to pixels on an array substrate through using a Fine Metal Mask (FMM) under evaporation. The FMM is generally referred to as an evaporation mask or a metal mask. The technology of producing OLED display screens with high Pixel Per Inch (PPI) focuses on fine and mechanically stable FMMs and pixel arrangements.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing pixel arrangement of an OLED display screen in the background art. As shown in FIG. 1, the OLED display panel adopts a pixel side-by-side arrangement. Each pixel unit includes an R sub-pixel region 101, a G sub-pixel region 103, and a B sub-pixel region 105, where the R sub-pixel region 101 includes an R light-emitting region 102 and an R non-light-emitting region, the G sub-pixel region 103 includes a G light-emitting region 104 and a G non-light-emitting region, and the B sub-pixel region 105 includes a B light-emitting region 106 and a B non-light-emitting region. As shown in FIG. 1, the R, G, and B sub-pixels are rectangular, and the areas of the light-emitting regions are equal, and the R, G, and B sub-pixels are arranged in a straight line. The light-emitting region of each sub-pixel region includes a cathode, an anode, and an electroluminescent layer (also called an organic light-emitting layer), where the electroluminescent layer is located between the cathode and the anode for generating light of a predetermined color to achieve display. In the preparation of the display screen, it is generally necessary to utilize a three-time evaporation process to form electroluminescent layers of corresponding colors in the light-emitting regions of the corresponding color pixel regions, respectively.
The OLED display panel shown in FIG. 1 is generally evaporated by using the FMM shown in FIG. 2. The FMM includes a shielding region 107 and a plurality of evaporation openings 108, and the portion of the shielding region between two adjacent evaporation openings 108 in the same column is called a bridge. In order to avoid the shadowing effect to the sub-pixels during evaporation, a sufficient distance has to be maintained between the sub-pixels and the bridge, which causes decrease in the lengths of the sub-pixels, and affects the aperture ratio of each sub-pixel. The conventional RGB side-by-side pixel arrangement can only reach 200-300 PPI at most, which is difficult to achieve the high-resolution display effect. With the increasing demands of users to the resolution of the OLED display panel, this sort of RGB pixel side-by-side arrangement can no longer meet the design requirements of the product with high PPI.

Pixel structure, OLED display screen and evaporation mask

KUNSHAN GO-VISIONOX OPTO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


Laser emission device with integrated light modulator comprising: a multilayer waveguide comprising, on a support layer, a first guiding layer, a first doped layer, a second guiding layer of light amplifying material, and a biasing second doped layer opposite the first doped layer, the waveguide comprising a laser amplification section (50), a light modulation section (52) comprising an extraction zone for radiating the light, a transition section (51) inserted between the laser amplification section and the light modulation section, a positive first electrode for injecting a pumping current into the laser amplification section, a positive second electrode for injecting a modulation signal into the modulation section, a negative third electrode, and a reference fourth electrode, the second doped layer comprising an electrical insulation situated in the transition section to form a resistive channel.

An electro-absorption modulator coupled to a laser source exists with the use of a biasing tee making it possible to associate a DC component with the radio frequency signal. The biasing tee has a significant bulk which is prohibitive for the production of a compact component. Furthermore, this solution necessitates the use of a matching resistor with a value of 50 ohms at the terminals of the electro-absorption modulator. This resistor produces a heat dissipation of 300 mW.

Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives


Provided are a semiconductor package which is small in size but includes a large number of terminals disposed at intervals equal to or greater than a minimum pitch, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor package. The semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip having a bottom surface on which a plurality of bumps are formed, redistribution layer patterns formed under the semiconductor chip and each including a first part electrically connected to at least one of the bumps and a second part electrically connected to the first part, an encapsulation layer surrounding at least a top surface of the semiconductor chip, and a patterned insulating layer formed below the redistribution layer patterns and exposing at least parts of the second parts of the redistribution layer patterns.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor package for protecting a semiconductor chip and connecting the semiconductor chip with an external device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the integration density of semiconductor chips increases, the number of pads of each semiconductor chip increases. However, semiconductor packages are being continuously demanded to be smaller and lighter with an increasing demand for portable semiconductor products. For example, a chip scale package (CSP) can reduce the size of a semiconductor package by forming terminals on pads of a semiconductor chip.
However, the terminals of the CSP are required to be large enough to form a stable electrical contact with an external device and to be separated from one another by suitable pitches. For example, when the terminals of the CSP are connected to an external device by solder balls, and the pitch between terminals is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the solder balls may adhere to each other. For example, JEDEC standards prescribe a minimum pitch between the terminals.
The JEDEC Solid State Technology Association (once known as the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council), is the semiconductor engineering standardization body of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), a trade association that represents all areas of the electronics industry. JEDEC was originally created in 1960 as a joint activity between EIA an NEMA, to cover the standardization of discrete semiconductor devices and later expanded in 1970 to include integrated circuits. JEDEC establishes standards for the spacing of external contacts that lead into integrated circuit and semiconductor device packages. Spacing of the external contacts are important because suppliers of die attach equipment and soldering equipment must know the spacing between the contact leads or pads of a circuit of a device into to attach the circuit or device to a printed circuit board so that the soldered contacts do not interfere with each other.
However, a decrease in the number of pads of each semiconductor chip requires an increase in the number of terminals of the CSP. Hence, it is difficult to form an increased number of terminals spaced from each other at a predetermined pitch on a small semiconductor chip. As a result, the terminals may extend up to the outside of the semiconductor chip, and thus additional wires for connecting the pads on the semiconductor chip to the terminals may be needed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,671, issued to Fjelstad, discloses a semiconductor package in which conductive pads are used as terminals and a semiconductor chip is connected to the terminals by wire bonding.
However, a method of manufacturing the semiconductor package, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,671, is complicated because it requires a wire bonding process. Also, in the method, the conductive pads can only be disposed around the semiconductor chip, thus enlarging the semiconductor package.

Semiconductor package form within an encapsulation


Method for reinforcing a component and/or for introducing force into a component using a screw or a threaded rod, wherein the screw or threaded rod has a thread with a variable thread lead, which thread creates an internal stress distribution, which is suitable to reduce at least one maximum in the bond stress occurring under loading of the component.

In the prior art, screws and threaded rods are used, among other things, in order to connect components, to introduce or divert loads in components, or in order to reinforce components. In all of these applications, the course of the bond stress in the connection has a decisive influence on the size of the load level that can be achieved by means of this connection. The course of the bond stress is in turn dependent on the paired materials, the axial rigidities of component and screw or threaded rod and the embedded length. The maximum bond stress arising, which arises in the region of the greatest extension difference between the component and screw or threaded rod is generally decisive for the failure load.

Production of a planned distribution of internal stress in components by the insertion of screws or threaded rods having a thread pitch that is variable in the longitudinal direction


In various implementations, systems and methods of an online gaming platform may include an audit module for corroborating fair gameplay. In some implementations, the online gaming platform can be integrated with one or more cryptocurrency exchanges to facilitate cryptocurrency transactions as well as other currency transactions. In some implementations, the cryptocurrency exchanges can be integrated with an online gaming platform that offer games, such as poker and blackjack games, enabling that the games can be played with any one or more cryptocurrencies. In some implementations, the players can pay for gameplay directly from one or more crypto currency exchange account. In some implementations, players can verify that the gameplay in the online gaming platform was fair.

In recent years, digital currencies have become more popular and have become widely accepted as an alternative to traditional the government issued (fiat) currency. Many digital currencies, particularly Bitcoin, have made their way into a vast range of business transactions. Instead of using fiat currency to buy items, holders of digital currencies can use them to buy both goods and services. Given that digital currencies have made their way into mainstream commerce, there is now a need to allow people to use digital currencies such as Bitcoin as an alternative to fiat currencies when playing online games.
Known online gaming platforms suffer from potential fraud by gaming operators. In particular, in games of chance, there is an economic incentive to cheat. For example, online games like a dice roll, blackjack, keno, bingo, poker, roulette, craps, paigow, and like games that involve betting (e.g., wagering) create an economic incentive to cheat. Games of chance operated on a website, mobile application, desktop application or other digital means all have a specific vulnerability to cheating that can be exploited by their creators, maintainers, or operators. Certain tweaks can be made to the software program that can tilt the odds in favor of the house or a conspiring player. For example, the software program can be tweaked by allowing one player to view the hole cards of any other player in poker or in blackjack, or by only revealing dice roll values that favor the house. Because the software program that dictates how a game is played is executed on a remote computer server with code that is largely obfuscated from the players, it is nearly impossible for a participant/player to know if a cheat is being implemented. The remote nature of online play also means that a player with an advantage can cheat without other players knowing since their screens are not visible to other player(s).
Since the players typically do not have access to the source code that runs on a remote server, it would be difficult to prove that a cheat is implemented. Certain platforms claim to be provably fair by making their code "open source" or essentially publishing the code for all to see. A savvy developer theoretically could identify malicious code that provides an edge to the house. However, the published code may differ from the source code that is actually deployed in the gaming platform.
Thus, a need exists for a system that allows verifying fair gameplay.