Registration of organ images, such as myocardial images obtained by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, is performed by an elastic transformation which includes a rigid transformation, a global affine transformation, and local transformations. The elastic transformation eliminates normal morphological variances such as variances in orientation, size and shape, so that the remaining differences represent important functional differences. The method may be used to register a patient's organ against a template obtained by averaging organ images from many patients. For scintigraphic images the boundary of the organ is determined by a "segmentation" procedure involving the analysis of spatial derivatives of the count density. After the elastic transformations of the surface of the organ, the scintigraphic count densities are redistributed. The method decreases the effects of operator variability and increases the reliability of diagnoses of organ irregularities.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to myocardial imaging, and in particular to myocardial image registration, and more particularly to myocardial image registration using non-rigid transformations such as a global affine transformation.
2. Background of the Invention
Narrowing of the vessels which feed the muscle of the heart can lead to heart attacks, a condition in which the heart muscle, deprived of oxygen and nutrients "dies". One of the methods to check if a patient has narrowing of those vessels is a myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. This is a test in which the patient is injected with a tracer (or dye) that goes to different regions of the heart muscle in proportion to the blood flow that goes to those regions. Radioactive emissions from the tracer are monitored and by triangulation the concentration of the tracer in various regions is determined. The test is performed in two parts. First the tracer is injected while the patient is resting and a myocardial image (a "rest image") is taken. Then, a second tracer injection is made while the patient is exercising, for instance walking on a treadmill for approximately 20 minutes, and another myocardial image (a "stress image") is taken. Each myocardial image is a two-dimensional picture of the heart which shows the distribution of the blood flow to the various parts of the heart muscle.
For healthy hearts this blood distribution is "normal" (i.e., similar to a template image obtained from averaging images from a large number of healthy hearts) for both the resting and stress images. In cases where there is a narrowing of one of the blood vessels, the distribution is normal after the resting injection but abnormal after the exercise injection. These "transient defects" are detected by a comparison of the stress and rest images. In other cases, such as after a heart attack, because some muscle tissue has died, or if the narrowing of blood vessels is severe, both the resting and stress images will be abnormal. These "fixed defects" are therefore detected by comparison of the rest image and the template image.
Comparisons of the stress image and the template, or the stress and rest images, are not easily made visually. To improve the accuracy of the test, quantitative comparison have been proposed. However, this is problematic due to the large natural variation in the orientation, size and shape of different human hearts, even between "normal" hearts. This difficulty has been overcome to some extent by strategies to eliminate the effects of variations in orientation, size and shape, but most of these strategies lose important information in the process of the simplification of the image data.
Myocardial perfusion scintigraphies are the third most frequently performed nuclear medicine procedure (after bone and lung) in the United States. Their role in the patient management is crucial, since they are used to select for intervention (coronary arteriography) those patients suspected of having coronary artery disease, and in some cases to determine the significance of known coronary lesions. At present the sensitivity and specificity of the method are 52% to 99% and 55% to 93%, respectively. As shown in Table 1, the variation is due in part to interpretation differences (e.g. the inclusion of transient defects in the interpretation). But apart from fundamental methodological limitations and interpretation differences, the goal of the present invention is to decrease the normal variability using an automated registration method. A small increase in the sensitivity and specificity will represent a large number of patients in whom the correct diagnosis will be made.
The analysis of scintigraphic myocardial perfusion images is generally based on some form of a polar transformation where the myocardial densities are sampled along evenly spaced radii projecting from an origin in the center of the cavity. For instance, in a method termed "radial sampling" (Goris 87) the three-dimensional images are sampled along rays or radii originating in the center of the left ventricular cavity. Each radius is characterized by a longitudinal angle "a" and latitudinal angle "b". The origin of "b" is the apex of the myocardium, and "b" goes in 32 steps from 0 to 135 degrees (generally the myocardium does not extend beyond 135 degrees). The origin of "a" is the middle of the lateral wall, and "a" varies from 0 to 360 degrees. The maximum count rate density along the radius R(a,b) is stored in the 64.times.64 matrix B at the location (K,L) where K and L are defined as: EQU K=(32b/135) cos (a)-32 EQU L=(32b/135) sin (a)-32
The matrix B is therefore a planar image in which the central points represent locations near the apex of the myocardium, and the peripheral points represent the locations near the base of the myocardium. FIG. 1 displays the central horizontal 100 and vertical 150 long axis slices of a myocardium. The long axis of this myocardium is oriented from top to bottom in FIG. 1, with the apex 105 pointing towards the bottom of the page. On each slice 100 and 150 a number of exemplary search rays 110 are shown, and broken lines 120 lead from the end of each search ray 110 to its location on a bull's eye map 180. As shown in FIG. 1, the anterior wall is mapped on top of the image, the inferior wall is mapped to the bottom of the image, and the septum is mapped to the left-hand side of the image. This matrix B is comparable to the bull's eye maps described in the literature (Garcia 81, 85, Maddahi 89, Mahmarian 90, Van Train 82, 86, 90, Vogel 80), except for the fact that the distance from the center represents a latitude "b" in three dimensions, rather than a short axis plane position: The bull's eye map approach interrogates the volume as if it were a set of planes (Goris 86).
Since a polar transform only measures angles, all morphological attributes of the myocardium are reduced to angular coordinates. This provides for a normalization of size and shape (Goris 82) and facilitates the comparison of target cases to a population of normal cases, and the comparison of target cases. This is illustrated by FIG. 2 which shows the myocardium 210 and 220 from two patients. Although the myocardia 210 and 220 differ considerably in size, as reflected in the count density cross-sections 230 and 240 shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the corresponding polar maps 250 and 260 of FIGS. 2D and 2E, respectively, are very similar. This is also true for the polar component in bull's eye mapping, in which the third axis is divided in a set number of parallel "thick slices" between the apex and the base of the heart.
There are four significant limitations inherent in polar transformations, of which two are alignment limitations (Goris 82); one is due to the sampling direction and one is due to the inherent assumption that there is no relevant morphology except angular morphology. One alignment issue associated with such polar maps is the placement of the origin of the rays, as illustrated by FIGS. 3A-3D. FIGS. 3A and 3B display the same myocardial image, but in FIG. 3A the origin 311 of the rays is displaced slightly to the left relative to the origin 321 of the rays in FIG. 3B. The resulting polar maps 330 and 340 of FIGS. 3C and 3D, respectively, clearly differ considerably due to this displacement of the origin. The placement of the origin is important since structures closer to the origin are relatively oversampled. Therefore if the origin is moved towards a perfusion defect, that perfusion defect will appear larger.
Another alignment issue associated with such polar maps is the orientation of the poles of the polar coordinate system, as illustrated by FIGS. 4A-4D. FIGS. 4A and 4B display the same myocardial image, but in FIG. 4A the myocardium is rotated clockwise slightly relative to FIG. 4B. The resulting polar maps 430 and 440 of FIGS. 4C and 4D, respectively, clearly differ considerably due to this rotation, illustrating that if the zero angle is misplaced identical distributions will appear different from each other.
Another problem with such radial mapping methods is that if the lesion is relatively small and not well aligned in relation to the sampling ray direction, the lesion may be underdetected. For instance, as shown in FIG. 5 the defect 510 on the left side of the myocardium 500 is somewhat smaller than the defect 520 on the right side of the myocardium 500. The longitudinal axis of the lefthand defect 510 is well-aligned with the rays coming from the origin 501 so this defect will be clearly represented in a polar map. However, the longitudinal axis of the right-hand defect 520 is not well-aligned with the rays coming from the origin 501 so samples along these rays will include healthy myocardium tissue or will exclude defective myocardium tissue, and this defect will not be clearly represented in a polar map. This sampling direction problem is only partially overcome by modifying the method so that the rays are normal vectors to the myocardium surface, since the direction of the defect across the myocardium is variable and may not be parallel to such normal vectors.
Another problem with such radial mapping methods is that the proportion of different parts of the myocardium are not necessarily fixed. For instance, the base of the heart with the papillary muscles may be more or less prominent. As shown with the two superimposed myocardia 610 and 620 or FIG. 6, because there may be relevant non-angular morphologies, equal angular coordinates do therefore not necessarily map into identical myocardial structures. It may be noted that other registration techniques, such as aligning myocardia 710 and 20 by aligning best fitting ellipsoids 730 as shown in FIG. 7, do not provide significantly better results.
Alignment problems are mostly caused by operator variability in identifying the long axis and/or the center point, and attempts have been made to overcome this problem by using principal axis orientation (Germano 1995). It can be shown however that alignments based on the principal axes of simple geometric forms fitted to the myocardial surfaces does not guarantee stable center points relative to the organ or a stable anatomical alignment (Slomka 1995).
A method is therefore needed which allows registration of a target image automatically on a template image whose shape and size may be different, though both target and template have similar morphological features. If this template is well oriented, the target image will be well oriented, and any small deviation from the ideal orientation will be constant across all target images. Following the registration, predefined myocardial segments in the template image can be transferred exactly to the target image. As a result, size and shape normalization are obtained without the need for radial sampling, and regional count rate distributions can be compared from case to case.
The present invention is directed to a method for elimination of normal differences in orientation, size and shape by a technique to be termed "elastic image registration." Elastic image registration provides a transformation similar to the "morphing" transformations which are becoming commonly used in the television and film entertainment industry. According to the present invention, a myocardial image is transformed by elastic image registration to substantially overlap a template heart (obtained by the averaging of many normal hearts) so that the differences between the template heart and the transformed image represents important differences in regional blood flow. The morphing transformation of the present invention involves the recognizing of myocardial features (for instance, by the use of an eight-dimensional coordinate system used for distance calculations), centering of the myocardial image, the resizing and changing of the proportions of the myocardial image, and fine shape adjustments.
Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy plays an important role in the diagnosis of patients which are suspected of having a narrowing of the blood vessels in the heart. Although in many cases the symptoms and the findings of a rest/stress comparison can unambiguous, in some cases the diagnosis cannot be made with certainty so a more definitive test, such as a coronary arteriogram, would be required. However, coronary arteriograms are expensive, unpleasant for the patient, and carry some risks for the patient, so a method of increasing the accuracy of diagnosis with myocardial perfusion scintigraphy would be desirable.
The method of the present invention for registration of images from myocardial perfusion scintigraphy can be automated and makes the interpretation of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy images reliable. The method of the present invention, although discussed herein in the context of myocardial imaging, may be applied to the imaging of any other organs or body parts for the purpose of diagnosis.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved method for myocardial imaging.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for registration of myocardial images for the purpose of diagnosis.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for registration of myocardial images using an elastic transformation.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a reliable, operator independent method for the analysis and interpretation of organ images such as myocardial perfusion scintigraphies.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for image registration of body parts and internal organs, especially to avoid diagnosis by more invasive techniques.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and the ensuing detailed description. These various embodiments and their ramifications are addressed in greater detail in the Detailed Description.

Registration process for myocardial images


Novel chemotherapeutic agents having utility in treating infectious diseases such as periodontal disease, certain urinary tract infections, and infectious urinary tract stones, are obtained by combining chemically a diphosphonate compound with a therapeutic agent effective against the foregoing diseases.

Osteomyelitis is a painful and debilitating condition caused by a variety of micro-organisms, mainly Staphylococcus aureus. This disease occurs more commonly in children. Within the adult population, diabetics and kidney dialysis patients also are vulnerable. The acute form of the disease is treatable with antibiotics, but requires a lengthy period of daily therapy. It can, however, revert to a recurrent or chronic form requiring repeated hospital stays and treatment regimens. The remarks of Waldvogel et al. in their 1980 review continue to be relevant today:
"The high success rate observed with antibiotic therapy in most bacterial diseases contrasts with the substantial failure rate in the treatment of bone infections." (1980) New Eng. J. Med. 303:360. PA1 "Systemic antimicrobial therapy is ineffective in eradicating catheter-associated infections other than temporarily." (1987) Detection, Prevention and Management of Urinary Tract Infections, Chapt. 5, pp. 247-297. PA1 apramycin (U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,279), arbekacin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,107,424), bambermycin (U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,866), butirosin (U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,078), dibekacin (German patent 2,135,191), dihydrostreptomycin (U.S. Pat. No. 2,498,574), fortimycin A (U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,768) and fortimycin B (Japan Kokai 75 145,588), gentamicin (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,091,572 and 3,136,704), isepamicin (Belgian patent 818,431), kanamycin (U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,798), micronomicin (German patent 2,326,781), neomycin (2,799,620), PA1 Kastner; Thompson, Presti; Wick, Welles, Antimicrob. Ag. Chemother., 1967, 314-348;
Urinary catheters are the most common source of nosocomial infections. The bacteriuria which may result from the catheterization is serious because it is a predisposing factor to Gram-negative septicemia, a disease with a high rate of mortality. Kunin stated the consequences of this infectious nidus succinctly:
Urinary calculi can develop anywhere in the urinary tract. They are hard, mineralized substances producing pain, obstructions and secondary infections. Basically there are two types of urinary stones: metabolic, originating through metabolic dysfunctions, and infectious, associated with bacterial infections. Infection persists in 40% of patients treated with antibiotics, and a full 60% of those develop recurring stones. Left untreated, infected calculi can result in kidney loss and even death in 25% of such cases. Some metabolic stones become contaminated and bacteria are entrapped within the interstices during its crystallization. Such infected stones are notoriously resistant to eradication. Current treatment of infectious urinary calculi involves surgical removal with concomitant administration of antimicrobial agents.
Broadly speaking, there are two categories of periodontal disease: gingivitis and periodontitis, both generated by micro-organisms in dental plaque on the tooth surface. Both conditions are characterized by an inflammation of the gingiva, the gum tissue at the base of the teeth. Periodontitis also involves bone erosion and loss of dentition over a long period of time. Burt (1992) Clin. Geriat. Med. 3:447.
Osteosarcoma is an exceedingly malignant tumor that usually occurs in children and young adults. The type and extent of the tumor determines the type of treatment which ranges from variously-administered chemotherapeutic agents to limb amputation in conjunction with chemotherapy.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,077 discloses diphosphonic acids of general formula ##STR1## wherein R is fluorine or a linear or branched optionally substituted alkyl radical containing between 1 and 5 carbon atoms and R' is OH or fluorine. These compounds are useful in treating urolithiasis or as inhibitors of bone reabsorption.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,654 discloses methylene diphosphonic acid derivatives useful as anti-inflammatory agents.
Japanese published patent application 90-104593 discloses compounds of the formula ACOR(CH.sub.2).sub.n CO!.sub.m NHCH(PO.sub.3 H.sub.2).sub.2 wherein ACO is the residue of diclofenac or flufenamic acid, R=NH or O, m=0 or 1 and n=1-10.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,007 discloses an improved process for the preparation of 4-amino-1-hydroxybutane-1,1-disphosphonic acid.
French published patent application 2 683 527 discloses cortisone derivatives of gem-bisphonates.
French published patent application 2 683 528 discloses nonsteroidal antiinflammatory arylacetic and aryl proponic acid derivatives of gem-bisphonics.
French published patent application 2 683 529 discloses gem-diphosphonate analogs of cis-platinum.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,021 discloses geminal diphosphonate derivatives of an unsaturated 5-membered diheterocycloaliphatic ring useful as anti-arthritic agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,544 discloses methylene diphosphonic acid derivatives useful as inhibitors of cholesterol biosynthesis.

Therapeutic derivations of diphosphonates


A method and system for allocating and controlling a hierarchy of labels in an MPLS network is provided. The hierarchy of labels, inserted into MPLS packets, is introduced so as to correspond to the hierarchy of sub-flows within a data flow. The labels have the established dependency so that positions of labels in the hierarchy identify a sequence of processing the labels and functions associated with the labels. The system for allocating and controlling the hierarchy of MPLS labels includes a first control plane mapper for releasing available labels, a first controller for assigning the released labels according to the hierarchy, means for transmitting the labels in the network, a second controller for detecting the labels, and a second control plane mapper for maintaining current label dependency within the hierarchy. If required, re-addressing of the hierarchy of labels may be performed to maintain flow-sub-flow association throughout two adjacent networks. In the preferred embodiments on the invention the method of allocating and controlling hierarchy of labels is applied to sub-flows within FA-LSP flows, and to multi-cast services in the network associated with a function of flooding and filtering data within a network node.

Multi-protocol Label Switching is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) initiative that integrates Layer 2 information about network links (bandwidth, latency, utilization) into Layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) within a particular autonomous system or Internet Service Provider (ISP) to simplify and improve IP-packet exchange.
In an MPLS network, incoming packets are assigned a "label" (identifier) by Label Edge Routers (LERs). These labels not only map to information based on the routing table entry (i.e., destination, bandwidth, delay, and other metrics), but also refer to the IP header field (source IP address), Layer 4 socket number information, and class of service. Once this classification is complete and mapped, different packets are assigned to corresponding Labeled Switch Paths (LSPs).
With these LSPs, network operators can divert and route traffic based on data-stream type and Internet-access customer. MPLS gives network operators a flexibility to divert and route traffic around link failures, congestion, and bottlenecks.
Numerous improvements to MPLS technology and applications of MPLS technology to telecommunications networks have been suggested and tried so far.
The IETF Draft "A Path Protection/Restoration Mechanism for MPLS Networks", July 2001, by Owens et al http://www.watersprings.org/links/mlr/id/draft-chang-mpls-path-protection-03.txt describes the functioning of a Label Switched Router (LSR) as a vehicle for maintaining classes of service and service restoration for paths between nodes in a network.
Another IETF draft "Extensions to RSVP-TE for MPLS Path Protection", July 2001, also by Owens et al, http://www.watersprings.org/links/mlr/id/draft-chang-mpls-rsvpte-path-protection-ext-02.txt deals with the signaling systems involved in path set up in an MPLS labeling system. This paper describes objects that have been added to create a label switched path (LSP) tunnel, which for this purpose include RECORD-ROUTE, SESSION-ATTRIBUTE, EXPLICIT-ROUTE, LABEL-REQUEST and LABEL. These processes describe how to set up and manage flows in a data network.
Another IETF Draft, "LSP Hierarchy With MPLS TE" by Kireeti Kompella and Yakov Rekhter, March 2001, introduces the concept of a tunnel by using LSPs within an LSP, in which a traditional label allocation and distribution approach has been used (generally referring to a per platform label space or a per interface label space).
One of the recent IETF drafts that discusses MPLS is RFC 3031 "Multi-protocol Label Switching Architecture" by E. Rosen from Cisco Systems, A. Viswanathan from Force 10 Networks, Inc., and R. Callon from Juniper Networks, Inc., dated January 2001, which includes the discussion of the label space (Section 3.14 Scope and Uniqueness of Labels). The document discusses the traditional per-platform and per-interface label space, and it also mentions multiple per interface or multiple per platform label spaces. This document states that the "level" of the label is irrelevant and that there is no notion of different label spaces for different labels in the hierarchy.
Unfortunately, the above mentioned approaches for label allocation in MPLS networks have drawbacks and may cause label collision in certain protection schemes, e.g. during tunnel Forwarding Adjacency (FA)-LSP protection. They are also not suitable for expeditious handling of data flows having complex structure.
Accordingly, there is a need in industry for the development of an improved approach for allocating and controlling labels in an MPLS network, which would avoid the above-mentioned problems, while being simple and efficient.

Method and system for allocating and controlling labels in multi-protocol label switched networks


A method for manufacturing a light-guide device includes: obtaining a substrate having a flow passage; providing inkjet printing equipment having a liquid jetting head apparatus; and injecting an optical wave guide micro-droplet into the flow passage by using the liquid jetting head apparatus of the inkjet printing equipment, to form a light-guide device in the flow passage.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical device, and particularly to a method for manufacturing a micro light-guide device.
Related Art
In order to achieve the purpose of the light weight and thin volume, current electronic products are miniaturized, so that consumers not only have multiple functions of the electronic products but also conveniently carry the electronic product. Therefore, in order to achieve the purpose of miniaturization of the electronic products, currently, different methods (for example, micro molding and photolithography) begin to be used to manufacture a light-guide device in the industry. It can be known from this that, the manner for manufacturing the light-guide device becomes a subject that relevant industries such as LED illumination, semiconductors, displays, or biological chip detection are concerned with.

Method for manufacturing light-guide device

NATIONAL KAOHSIUNG UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES


A method of manufacturing a recording medium with an excellent productivity is provided. The method provides a recording medium having excellent ink absorbency and coloring property and includes an ink-receiving layer in which a binder is restricted and controlled. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a recording medium including the steps of: performing a surface treatment on a substrate; and forming an ink-receiving layer using at least a pigment, polyvinyl alcohol, and a coating liquid that contains at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid and borate. In this method, the surface-treatment step includes a first surface treatment and a second surface treatment. In the first surface treatment, a coating liquid that contains at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid and borate is applied followed by being dried and solidified. In the second surface treatment, after the first surface treatment, a coating liquid that contains at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid and borate is applied on the substrate. While the substrate is in a state of being wet by the coating liquid applied in the second surface treatment, the substrate is further coated with a coating liquid for forming the ink-receiving layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a recording medium that improves yields in mass production and shows stable characteristics, and also relates to a recording medium having a novel configuration manufactured by such a method. In particular, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a recording medium suitable for inkjet-recording. More specifically, the invention relates to: a method of manufacturing a recording medium with improved productivity, which allows a manufacturer to stably produce a recording medium having excellent characteristics in quantity and eventually provides a recording medium with excellent characteristics with respect to ink-absorbency and color development while preventing generation of cracks in an ink-receiving layer of the recording medium; and a recording medium manufactured by such a method.
2. Related Background Art
In late years, for an inkjet-recording system, the size reduction of an ink droplet and the improvement of ink have been extensively advanced since improved recording characteristics of such a system, such as a higher recording speed and a higher definition, have been attained, resulting in further improved image qualities. Therefore, the inkjet-recording system, as being represented by a high-resolution inkjet printer described as a photo printer, is capable of providing a high-quality image, which can be compared favorably with a silver halide photograph. Thus, the number of users who print full-color images taken by digital cameras or the like is increasing now. Furthermore, with respect to a recoding medium on which such image information is to be recorded, a photo-grade glossy recording medium becomes demanded for obtaining an image like a silver halide photograph. For addressing such a demand, it has been conventionally known that a high-glossy recording medium can be obtained by applying a casting method on a recording medium having an ink-receiving layer in which alumina hydrate and polyvinyl alcohol are used as components of a binder. In Particular, in JP 2001-138628 A (Document 1) that attains a gloss for inkjet, there is disclosed an invention in which an ink-receiving layer is re-swelled as a technique for improving the casting method.
Such a formation of the ink-receiving layer using both alumina hydrate and polyvinyl alcohol as components of a binder has been well known in the art. In this case, however, it is important to manage a change with time in thickening of a coating liquid that contains alumina hydrate and polyvinyl alcohol. For recognizing a part of such a change with time, in JP 7-76161 A (Document 2), there are proposed an alumina-sol coating liquid and a resin film on which such a coating liquid is applied. In Document 2, the coating liquid contains alumina hydrate, polyvinyl alcohol, and a predetermined amount of boric acid or borate. In this document, however, it is only focused on the coating liquid directly applied on the resin film, and in addition there is only disclosed one having 23 g/m2 of an ink-receiving layer.
Furthermore, with reference to Document 2, JP 11-291621 A (Document 3) indicates the difficulty in stable coating using such a coating liquid disclosed in Document 2 (both Document 2 and Document 3 have been filed by the same applicant). Document 3 is based on a technical idea that denies improvement of the coating liquid and discloses a pre-coating substrate paper obtained by drying base paper mainly composed of paper after a sizing treatment. In this document, more specifically, disclosed is the invention in which base paper is produced in advance by a dry treatment with 0.5 to 1.5 g/m2 of boric acids and a paper-surface treating agent such as a surface paper strengthning agent or a surface sizing agent using a size press. In the example in Document 3, after preparing the base paper, a coating liquid without containing a crosslinking agent composed of boehmite and polyvinyl alcohol is prepared and is then applied on the base paper. Furthermore, the well-known size press means in general that a sizing agent is slightly applied or immersed in the surface of the base paper and is then dried with a drum drier or the like for improving the waterproof property, surface flatness, print appropriateness, and so on of the base paper.
Whatever the case may be, in each of Documents 2 and 3, the conventional problem of thickening of the coating liquid is recognized. In Document 2, the composition of the coating liquid has been studied to find out means to solve such a problem. In Document 3, on the other hand, the base paper is only provided to find out means to solve such a problem.

Recording medium having ink-receiving layer and method of manufacturing the same


An analyzing unit 1 converts an input speech into a feature vector time series. A reference pattern storing unit 3 stores the feature vector time series obtained by the same manner as in the analyzing unit. A matching unit 2 correlates for time axis the input speech feature vector time series and the reference patterns to one another. An environmental adapting unit 4 performs the environmental adaptation between the input speech feature vector time series and the reference patterns according to the result of matching in the matching unit 2. A speaker adapting unit 6 performs the adaptation concerning the speaker between the environmentally adapted reference patterns from the environmental adapting unit 4 and the input speech feature vector time series.

The present invention relates to a speech recognition based on adaptation techniques in speech recognition and, more particularly, to techniques of improving the recognition performance by effecting adaptation of the difference between an input speech and a speech reference pattern.
It is well known in the art that the recognition efficiency of a speech is reduced due to the character differences between the speech and the speech reference pattern. Among these differences, particularly those which are significant speech recognition efficiency reduction, causes are largely classified into two types. In one of these types, the causes are attributable to the environments in which the speech is produced by the speaker. In the other type, the causes are attributable to the speech of the speaker himself or herself. The environmental causes are further classified into two categories. One of these categories is predicated in background noises or like additive noises which are introduced simultaneously with the speaker's speech and additively affect the speech spectrum. The other cause category is predicated in line distortions, such as microphone or telephone line transmission characteristics distortions, which distort the spectrum itself.
Various adaptation methods have been proposed to cope with the character differences which are attributable to the speech environments. One such adaptation method aims at coping with the two environmental cause categories, i.e., the additive noises and the line distortions, to prevent the environmental speech recognition efficiency reduction. As an example, a speech adaptation system used for the speech recognition system is disclosed in Takagi, Hattori and Watanabe, "Speech Recognition with Environmental Adaptation Function Based on Spectral Copy Images", Spring Proceedings of the Acoustics Engineer's Association, 2-P-8, pp. 173-174, March 1994 (hereinafter referred to as Reference No. 1).
FIG. 4 shows the speech adaptation system noted above. The method disclosed in Reference No. 1 will now be described in detail. An input speech which has been distorted by additive noises and transmission line distortions, is converted in an analyzing unit 41 into a time series of feature vectors. A reference pattern storing unit 43 stores, as a word reference pattern, time series data of each recognition subject word which is obtained by analyzing a training speech in the same manner as in the analyzing unit 41. Each word reference pattern is given beforehand labels discriminating a speech section and a noise section. A matching unit 42 matches the time series of feature vectors of the input speech and the time series of word reference patterns in the reference pattern, and selects a first order word reference pattern. It also obtains the correlation between the input speech and the word reference patterns thereof with respect to the time axis. From the correlation between the first order word reference patterns and the input speech feature vectors (pattern) obtained in the matching unit 42, an environment adapting unit 44 calculates the mean vectors of the speech and noise sections of the input speech and each word reference pattern. The speech and noise section mean vectors of the input speech are denoted by S.sub.v and N.sub.v, and the speech and noise section mean vectors of the word reference patterns are denoted by S.sub.w and N.sub.w. The environment adapting unit 44 performs the adaptation of the reference patterns by using the four mean vectors based on Equation 1 given below. The adapted reference patterns are stored in an adapted reference pattern storing unit 45. EQU W'(k)={(S.sub.v -N.sub.v)/(S.sub.v -N.sub.v)}(W(k)-N.sub.v)+N.sub.v( 1)
where W(k) represents the reference patterns before the adaptation (k being an index of all the reference patterns), and W'(k) represents the adapted reference patterns. This adaptation permits elimination of the environmental difference between the reference patterns and the input speech and provision of a speech adaptation system, which is stable and provides excellent performance irrespective of input environment variations.
A different prior art adaptation technique which is commonly termed a speaker adaptation technique, has been proposed for the adaptation of the difference with respect to the speaker between a reference speaker's speech and a recognition subject speaker's speech to improve the speech recognition efficiency. This technique is disclosed in Shinoda, Iso and Watanabe, "Speaker Adaptation with Spectrum Insertion for Speech Recognition", Proceedings of the Electronic Communication Engineer's Association, A, Vol. J 77-A, No. 2, pp. 120-127, February 1994 (hereinafter referred to as Reference No. 2). FIG. 5 shows an example of the speech adaptation system employed in this technique. In the system, an analyzing unit 51 converts an input speech collected from the speaker having a different character from the reference speaker into a time series of feature vectors. A reference pattern storing unit 53 stores respective reference patterns which are obtained by analyzing a training speech of the reference speaker in the same manner as in the analyzing unit 51, and has time series multiplication procedures of recognition subject words. A matching unit 52 matches the input speech feature vector time series and each word reference pattern time series stored in the reference pattern storing unit 53, and selects the first order word reference patterns. It also obtains the correlation between the input speech and the word reference patterns with respect to the time axis. While in this embodiment the matching unit 52 selects the first order word reference patterns by itself (speaker adaptation without trainer), in the case of giving the first word reference patterns beforehand (speaker adaptation with trainer), the matching unit 52 may be constructed such that it obtains only the correlation between the input speech and the word reference patterns thereof with respect to the time axis. A speaker adapting unit 54 performs the following adaptation for each acoustical unit (or distribution according to Reference No. 2) on the basis of the correlation between the first order word reference patterns obtained in the matching unit 52 and the input speech feature vectors. The adapted vector .DELTA..sub.j for each distribution is obtained as shown below by using the mean value .mu..sub.j of reference pattern distribution j stored in the reference pattern storing unit 53 and the mean value .mu..sub.j ' with respect to the input correlated to the distribution j. EQU .DELTA..sub.j =.mu..sub.j '-.DELTA..sub.j ( 2)
For the distribution having no correlation of the reference pattern in the reference pattern unit 53, the adaptation is performed by using socalled spectrum insertion on the basis of the following Equation 3 which is described in the Reference No. 2. EQU .DELTA..sub.i =.SIGMA..sub.j W.sub.ij .DELTA..sub.j ( 3)
where j represents the category of the reference pattern, in which the acoustical category is present in the input speech. In effect, all the reference pattern distributions are adapted with respect to the speaker after either one of the two equations noted above. The adapted reference patterns are outputted from the speaker adapting unit 54 and stored in an adapted reference pattern storing unit 55.
The prior art speech adaptation system using the environmental adaptation as shown in FIG. 4, however, aims at the sole adaptation of mean environmental differences appearing in the speech as a whole, and is incapable of performing highly accurate adaptation for each acoustical unit such as the speaker adaptation. Theoretically, therefore, the system can not perform sufficient adaptation with respect to the speech, which is free from environmental differences and involves speaker differences alone.
The prior art speech adaptation system using the speaker adaptation as shown in FIG. 5, performs adaptation of differences appearing in the speech as a whole (mainly environmental causes) as well. The result of the adaptation thus retains both speaker differences and environmental differences. Where the speech to be adapted and the speech at the time of the speech recognition are different in the environment, therefore, a satisfactory result of adaptation can not be obtained due to the differences stemming from the environmental differences. A satisfactory result of adaptation also can not be obtained due to the environmental differences in the case where the speech to be adapted and those collected in various different environments are coexistent.

Speech adaptation system and speech recognizer


The invention provides a lawn cutting device utilizing high-tech, lightweight bicycle parts, low-friction bearing assemblies, air-filled bicycle-type tires and a double-overdrive gearing system. The device has a body portion, handlebar, a blade assembly, and a variety of combination of wheel gears, gear rings, and chains, which result in a device which a blade assembly which moves at extremely rapid speeds, powered by the rotation of the wheels. Because of its reliance on low-friction bearings, a minimal amount of force exerted on the wheels is transformed in an extremely efficient manner into the rotation of the blade assembly, resulting in an environmentally friendly, energy efficient cutting device that avoids the pollution, inefficiency, and strain associated with traditional gas, electric, and human-powered lawnmowers.

The formal planting of gardens dates way back to the beginnings of recorded history. What began as a desire to plant useful plants and trees closer to the community gradually evolved into individual homeowners designing, planting, and manicuring their yards according to their particular desires. Lawns have played an important role in gardens for several hundred years. However, before Edwin Buddings' 1830 invention of the cutting device predecessor, lawns were normally reserved for the upper classes—those who could afford to hire gardeners to trim their lawns with hand shears.
As the mechanical and electrical arts evolved, so did the quality and complexity of cutting devices. While the first cutting devices were human or animal-driven, the advent of electricity and the gas engines made possible an entirely new method of cutting grass: one that did not require extreme exertion from humans or their work animals. Electric cutting devices have a built-in disadvantage in that to function they need to be hooked up to an electrical outlet, which causes problems when the extension cord being used is shorter than the far reaches of the lawn. Other common problems include a sudden loss of power when the extension cord detaches from either the electrical outlet or from the cutting device, the generally underpowered nature of electric engines that run off 110 Volts, and the danger that a user will cut through the extension cord while running the cutting device back and forth over the same section of grass.
While electrical cutting devices are relatively environmentally-friendly, the same cannot be said for gasoline-powered cutting device. While gasoline-powered cutting devices do not require electrical cords, thereby avoiding two of the main problems inherent in electric cutting devices, and they are generally more powerful than electric cutting devices, there is growing concern over the pollution emanating from them. Indeed, the gasoline-powered cutting device may be the single largest source of completely unregulated pollution in the United States today. Nearly every household has one, they are not required to have catalytic converters, and there are no smog emissions requirements for cutting devices. Indeed, most gasoline-powered cutting devices are built with little room to fine-tune the engine other than replacing the spark plug and cleaning the air filter from time to time. According to some experts, a cutting device will spill out more pollutants in an hour than a well-tuned automobile engine will create in 1,000 hours of driving.
Thus, the pollution resulting from gasoline-powered cutting devices is a major problem and as our society becomes more and more concerned over environmental quality, and with EPA-mandated regulations being imposed in 2007, it will become more and more desirable to use a manually-powered cutting device. Indeed, several states have already implemented programs to decrease the pollutants from gas mowers.
While manual cutting devices avoided the pollution associated with gasoline-powered lawnmowers, the manual mowers invented to date have not been ideal. The major problems with manual cutting devices of the past were that a) they were hard to steer, b) their cutting method was less than optimally efficient, and c) they relied to a large extent on continuous pushing by the user to continue turning the cutting blades; when the user stopped pushing the machines, the blades quickly ground to a stop.
Pollution is not the only drawback to gasoline-powered cutting devices. They are often hard to start, are heavy and hard to push, are very loud, and have engines which require occasional maintenance. Indeed, the gasoline-powered cutting device has not undergone a significant design change in nearly half a century. Thus, there has existed a long-felt need for a human powered cutting device which avoids the problems associated with the current array of human-powered, electric, and gasoline-powered cutting devices.
The current invention provides just such a solution by having a lightweight cutting device, which is easy to push and turn, can be stored conveniently, does not require gasoline or electrical devices to start and function, does not emit pollution, requires minimal maintenance, and cuts grass substantially better than the existing human-powered cutting devices. There are several key elements to this invention. First, the device relies of state-of-the-art bicycle technology, so, rather than trying to make a traditional lawnmower work more efficiently, the inventor has taken a high tech racing bicycle made it cut grass. He has accomplished that by changing the configuration of a bicycle so that rather than having a rider pump peddles to turn wheels, applicant uses the motion of the wheels, generated by having a person push the device, and uses this energy to turn a blade assembly. By using strong yet extremely light weight parts, applicant's device is substantially lighter than traditional lawnmowers, and his use of high tech, low friction bearing assemblies allows the moving parts of his invention—such as the cutting blades—to move at speeds and low levels of friction that are unknown in traditional lawnmowers. Second, while traditional lawnmower rely on a direct gearing between the wheels and blade assembly, applicant uses a variety of gear rings and chains to achieve a mechanical advantage, up to an including a double overdrive system, by which he powers the blade assembly to turn at a rate much higher than possible in a traditional lawnmower. Thus, applicant's invention allows for a much higher rate of movement of blade assembly, where the high rate of movement is sustained for prolonged periods of time because of the low friction, high tech bearings, with minimal effort on the part of the user of the invention. Third, the device relies upon preferably air-filled, spoke rimmed tires, much more similar in weight, size, and appearance to bicycle tires than to the solid plastic or rubber wheels found on traditional lawnmowers. The larger size allows the wheels to easily roll over irregularities in the grass upon which a traditional tire might bog down or even stop. The low friction bearings in the wheels allow the device to move over the ground with considerably less effort than would be needed to move a traditional lawnmower.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention are not limited in their application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments of the invention are capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Wheel double gears chain drive of reel cutter gears


A door wire harness arrangement structure is provided. In this structure, a wire harness is taken into a wire harness protector case, with a part of it being folded like a ring. The ring-like portion of the wire harness can freely expand and contract inside the wire harness protector case. A wire harness support pin stands inside the wire harness protector case, which is provided with a circular or semicircular wire harness receiving portion. The wire harness protector case is made up of a case main body and a cover. The case main body has a trough-like slide guide portion to accommodate a wire harness protector. The case main body and a door trim panel may be integrally formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a door wire harness arrangement structure for vehicles in which a door wire harness for connecting a door of a vehicle to its main body can contract inside the door in synchronization with opening and closing of the door.
2. Related Art
FIG. 6 illustrate the door wire harness arrangement structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 8-176687 filed by the present applicant.
In this structure, a wire harness 60 is arranged from a vehicle main body 70 to a door inner panel 71 via a wire harness protector 72 made of a synthetic resin. The wire harness protector 72 is made slidable along the door inner panel 71 in synchronization with opening and closing of a door 73. The wire harness 60 exiting from the wire harness protector 72 is secured to the door inner panel 71 with a clip 61 so as to swing freely.
A connector 75 of a wire harness extending from the vehicle is rotatably attached to a bracket 76 of the vehicle main body 70. The wire harness extending from the door penetrates through the stiff wire harness protector 72 and is connected to a connector (not shown) at the front end of the protector 72. This connector is connected to the connector 75 of the wire harness extending from the vehicle. The door inner panel 71 is horizontally provided with a slide guide 77. A protrusion (not shown) at the rear end of the wire harness protector 72 is slidably engaged with the slide guide 77.
The wire harness 60 of the door exits from a rear opening of the wire harness protector 72 and extends diagonally upward. It then passes through the clip 61 and further extends rearward. As the wire harness protector 72 moves from the front end to the rear end of the slide guide, the wire harness 60 swings at an angle of .theta. like a pendulum, with the clip 61 being the supporting point.
A door trim panel 78 is attached to the door inner panel 71, and the wire harness protector 72 is disposed between the door inner panel 71 and the door trim panel 78.
With the above configuration of the prior art, however, there has been a problem that since the wire harness 60 swings along the door inner panel 71 with the clip 61 being the supporting point, the surface of the door inner panel and the inner surface of the door trim panel are easily worn out. Another problem is that due to the pendulum-like swinging of the wire harness 60, the area occupied by the wire harness moving portion 79 inside the door becomes large, leading to interference with an air duct inside the door. To avoid such interference, the arrangement of components inside the door has been strictly limited. It is also troublesome to secure the wire harness 60 with the clip 61.

Door wire harness arrangement structure for vehicles


An image sensor includes a line sensor having sensor elements arranged in one line and configured to acquire, in each line cycle, R, G and B signals, when light sources, each corresponding to one of R, G and B colors, in the each line cycle, sequentially illuminate one after another in a predetermined order; a buffer having data saving units, each corresponding to one of the R, G and B colors; a controlling unit configured to generate, from the R, G and B signals, R, G and B data in each line cycle, and to add each of the R, G and B data in each cycle in a corresponding one of the data saving units; and an output unit configured to output to outside, as RGB line data, the R, G and B data in each line cycle that have been saved in the data saving units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor, an image sensor unit and an image reader including a line sensor that carries out reading at the time of illumination of a light source of a respective R, G, B color.
2. Description of the Related Art
As indicated in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-097054, an image reader includes a one-line contact image sensor (CIS) that includes a line sensor in which active picture elements are linearly arranged in one line. In the image reader, a light source of a respective R, G, B color alternatingly illuminates and at the time of illumination of light sources, the one-line CIS reads an image reading medium. On every reading carried out by the line sensor, the one-line CIS generates R data, G data, and B data corresponding to R, G, B colors. In each line cycle, the generated R data, G data, and B data is output as RGB line data to a controller of the image reader. The controller generates image read data from the output RGB line data.
When the one-line sensor reads the image reading medium, the image reading medium moves towards the one-line CIS. Thus, a color of picture elements including the output RGB line data differs from a color of a portion corresponding to the image reading medium because a position of the image reading medium facing the one-line CIS changes at the time of illumination of the light sources. This creates a problem of color shifting. To be specific, the color shifting considerably occurs due to a low reading resolution and a fast moving speed of the image reading medium towards the one-line CIS and also due to significant changes in the position of the image reading medium facing the one-line CIS at the time of illumination of the light sources.
As a method to restrain the color shifting, the image sensor is considered that includes a line sensor in which sensor elements are linearly arranged in three lines. In other words, a three-line CIS is used. However, a three-line CIS is costlier than a one-line CIS. In other words, use of a three-line CIS in an image reader increase the cost of the image reader.
In the image reader using the one-line CIS, once the image reading medium is read using the reading resolution higher than a set reading resolution, the generated image read data can be interpolated in the image read data corresponding to the set reading resolution. However, if the image reading medium is read using the reading resolution higher than the set reading resolution, the moving speed of the image reading medium towards the one-line CIS becomes slower than the moving speed in the set reading resolution. Furthermore, a processing for interpolating the generated image read data in the set reading resolution also takes time. In other words, an image read data generation time, which is a time required till the image read data corresponding to the set reading resolution is generated after the scanning is started by the image sensor, will be lengthened.

Image sensor, image sensor unit, and image reader


Method to detect manmade fibres, defective fibres and/or other foreign materials in the processing of silk waste and to classify and count the faults detected in the lap of silk fibres leaving a drawing frame for instance, the method arranging that a substantially defined zone of the lap of silk fibres (20) made substantially parallel is illuminated by transparency with white light (23) and is scanned by a telecamera (24) associated with a data processing system (27) and is also illuminated by transparency with polarized light (25) and is scanned at the same time by a telecamera (26), which too is associated with the data processing system (27), images (14-15) taken by the telecameras (24-26) being processed and compared to determine the quantity, position, type and length of the faults of manmade, foreign or defective fibres. Apparatus to detect manmade fibres in the processing of silk waste in the form of fibres and to classify and count faults detected in a lap of silk fibres leaving a drawing frame, for instance, the apparatus comprising a transparent surface (36 ) on which is laid a lap of silk fibres (20) made substantially parallel, on which are present a first source of light and a second source of light, one of the sources being a source of white light (23) while the other source is a source of polarized light (25), the sources of light cooperating with at least one telecamera (24-26) positioned on the opposite side of the transparent surface (36) and associated with a data processing unit (27) and an identification unit (13).

This invention concerns a method to detect man-made fibers and/or defective fibers and/or other foreign materials in the processing of silk waste, and the relative apparatus.
To be more exact, the invention concerns a method and the relative apparatus to identify man-made fibers, advantageously but not only polypropylene fibers, defective fibers and/or other foreign materials included in laps of silk fibers coming from the processing of silk waste.
Moreover, the method and the relative apparatus according to the invention enable the faults detected in the lap of silk fibers to be classified and counted and to be sorted by types.
This method and the relative apparatus are applied advantageously to the textile industry, for instance downstream of a drawing frame, and in particular to the quality control step, whether that step is performed by sampling or not.
This control of quality can be carried out either by a classification of the laps of silk fibers on the basis of the man-made fibers and/or the defective fibers and/or other foreign materials encountered or by combining the control with successive apparatuses so as to eliminate such faults and/or such man-made or defective fibers thus identified.
It is known that during recent years the old packages based on cellulose in which silk wastes were conveyed from their collection points to their recovery and re-use points have been replaced by packages containing man-made fibers particularly polypropylene fibers.
The technology of the state of the art had already obtained a system to identify cellulose fibers in laps of silk fibers.
The technology of the state of the art has made possible the identification, on a lap of silk fibers leaving a drawing frame or like machine, of some types of faults by using the field of the data processing of images.
The present technique of the data processing of images is carried out substantially in three different successive steps, and in particular by the acquiring of the image, the data processing of the image and the actual identification of a determined type of foreign or defective fibers or materials.
According to the known methods the lap of silk fibers is fed forwards at a set speed and is scanned by a telecamera connected to a computer into which is loaded a program that converts the visual image into data compatible for analysis.
Special algorithms make possible the identification of a series of faults present in the image taken by the telecamera, and the classification of the lap of silk fibers takes place on the basis of the faults detected.
But the technology of the state of the art is powerless in the case of man-made fibers and, in particular, polypropylene fibers. This situation therefore entails the shortcoming that these polypropylene fibers contaminate the silk fibers and impair the quality.
With the state of the art the various laps of silk fibers are classified automatically on the basis of the quantity and type of the faults.
This classification does not include the contamination by man-made fibers present in the lap of silk fibers since these man-made fibers are sometimes identified as being "not silk" but are not identified as being man-made fibers.
Such an improvement of the classification is still impossible as no method and therefore no apparatus exist for the identification of the man-made fibers present in laps of silk fibers.
At the present time the samples of laps of silk fibers are inspected visually by the appointed personnel, who try to detect any man-made fibers and, in particular, polypropylene in the lap of silk.
As this operation requires great care and concentration on the part of the machine operator, the present speed of inspection is about 0.4 to 0.5 meters of the lap of silk fibers per minute, and the outcome of this situation is that the classification of the laps of silk fibers is made on the basis of an inspection carried out on very small samples and that therefore the statistical results are sometimes not very reliable.
U.S. patent Application 4,839,943 discloses a device to detect faults such as natural or man-made foreign fibers, knotted strings, bunches of synthetic materials, pieces of thread within or between tufts of particular loose textile fibers such as cotton, wool, etc.
The foreign fibers are detected on the basis of their various characteristics, such as configuration and/or color and/or size and/or luminosity, but this method does not enable the faults to be detected by their type and limits itself only to the identification of everything which does not correspond to the fiber being processed at the time.
The device to detect faults comprises advantageously a means to transmit electromagnetic waves to a means which receives those waves, the two means being arranged opposite to each other on one side and the other side of the layer of fibers to be analysed.
The device to detect faults is of a camera or telecamera type and the images thus produced are stored and compared, by means of a suitable evaluation contrivance, with photographs stored in the device so as to identify as faults everything not consisting of the particular required fiber.
The detector device actuates a suitable removal means positioned downstream to remove the faults previously identified.
Furthermore, this device cannot count nor classify the various faults as being what they are but makes a rough evaluation of the fibers and identifies everything which is considered as material foreign to the actual fiber being examined.
The device is applied, in fact, to fibers which are not scoured nor beaten but are merely opened and spread on a conveyor belt; the fibers contain great quantities of impurities such as seeds, vegetable fragments, dusts, etc., and these impurities are included even in quantities consisting of some percentage by weight of the mass being processed.
WO-91/11705 discloses a method to measure optically the characteristics of quality and quantity of textile fibers. The method enables, in particular, the length, fineness, degree of maturity and curliness of the fibers, whichever they are, to be established at the same time.
The method is applied to a single-layer sample of fibers consisting of a limited number of fibers made parallel and positioned between two glasses but cannot be applied to laps of continuous fibers for an in-line analysis and inspection process. Moreover, this method does not lead to identification of faults in the sample of fibers analysed and therefore does not enable the sample under examination to be classified on the basis of the type and number of faults identified.

Method to detect man-made fibers and/or defective fibers and/or other foreign materials in the processing of silk waste, and relative apparatus

Cascami Seta-Filature Seriche Riunite SpA


A golf ball comprising a core; and a cover comprising an inner cover layer; an outer cover layer having a material hardness of 60 Shore D or less; and an intermediate cover layer disposed between the inner and outer cover layers; wherein at least two of the inner, intermediate, and outer cover layers comprise a non-ionomeric material.

The majority of golf balls commercially available today can be grouped into two general classes: solid and wound. Solid golf balls include one-piece, two-piece, and multi-layer golf balls. One-piece golf balls are inexpensive and easy to construct, but have limited playing characteristics and their use is usually confined to the driving range. Two-piece balls are generally constructed with a polybutadiene solid core and a cover and are typically the most popular with recreational golfers because they are very durable and provide good distance. These balls are also relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture, but are regarded by top players as having limited playing characteristics. Multi-layer golf balls are comprised of a solid core and a cover, either of which may be formed of one or more layers. These balls are regarded as having an extended range of playing characteristics, but are more expensive and difficult to manufacture than the one- and two-piece golf balls.
Wound golf balls, which typically include a fluid-filled center surrounded by tensioned elastomeric material and a cover, are preferred by many players due to their spin and "feel" characteristics but are more difficult and expensive to manufacture than are most solid golf balls. Manufacturers are constantly striving, therefore, to produce a solid ball that retains the beneficial characteristics of a solid ball while concurrently exhibiting the beneficial characteristics of a wound ball.
Golf ball playing characteristics, such as compression, velocity, feel, and spin, can be adjusted and optimized by manufacturers to suit players having a wide variety of playing abilities. For example, manufacturers can alter any or all of these properties by changing the polymer compositions and/or the physical construction of each or all of the various golf ball components, i.e., centers, cores, intermediate layers, and covers. Finding the right combination of core and layer materials and the ideal ball construction to produce a golf ball suited for a predetermined set of performance criteria is a challenging task.
In their efforts to construct multi-layer golf balls that have the benefits of both solid and wound balls, manufacturers have been focusing on the use of ionomeric compositions for the cover layers. However, it can be difficult to provide good "feel" characteristics in a golf ball with the use of ionomers, which tend to provide a "plastic feel."
Therefore, there is a need to construct golf balls using non-ionmeric materials for at least two of the three cover layers.


Methods and systems for indicating an end of an idle sequence, including: encoding a first frame, encoding a basic idle sequence including code words, producing an idle sequence by replacing certain M code words of the idle sequence with M alternative code words, and encoding a second frame. Each one of the M alternative code words appears in the basic idle sequence. And a second communication node, which is unable to determine a starting point of the second frame based only on a received idle sequence, is able to determine a start of the second frame based on a difference between the received idle sequence and the basic idle sequence.

Various communication systems transmit packets from a first node (the transmitting node) to a second node (the receiving node) over a communication channel. The transmitting node typically includes an encoder and a transmitter, and the receiving node typically includes a detector and a decoder. In many communication systems, the packets are encoded utilizing line-codes, which are configured to suit the characteristics of the channel, and facilitate the operation of the detector. For example, line-codes characterized by high transition density facilitate better clock recovery. As another example, line-codes characterized by good DC-balance, usually indicated by low running disparity, are better suitable for communication channels with poor response to DC signals. DC-balanced line-codes also facilitate simpler coupling of the nodes to the communication channel (e.g. AC coupling rather than DC coupling).
In many communication systems, idle signals are transmitted during the gaps between packets. The duration of the gap between the packets may be unknown in advance, and the receiving node needs to determine the starting point of the following packet by identifying the end of the idle signal. Since the idle signals are utilized by the receiving node in order to maintain synchronization, the idle signals are usually configured to comply with the line-code related characteristics, such as running disparity and transition density.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Indicating end of idle sequence by replacing certain code words with alternative code words


The present invention relates to an image reader, such as a color image scanner, which can enhance outline of shapes that occur in an original image 2. The image reader in accordance with the present invention comprises a main-aperture board set 102 at a location on which lights from a light source which are reflected by or pass through the original image 2 and then pass through a lens 8, are focused. A transmission part 104 of the main-aperture set 102 comprises a first transmission part 108 and a second transmission part 110, which is adjacent to the first transmission part 108, the first transmission part 108 being used to transmit lights corresponding to all of the center part of a small area of the original image 2, the second transmission part 110 being used to transmit some of the lights corresponding to the rest of said small area with the quantity of said transmitted lights decreasing according to the increased distance from center C of the first transmission part 108. Therefore, graininess in the original image 2 is offset to substantially decrease its effect. As a result, the possibility of graininess reading, reproduction or enhancement is reduced without worsening a good reading resolution.

This invention relates to an image reader such as a color image scanner.
As shown in FIG. 1, in conventional image scanners, like cylindrical type scanners, an original image to be read, for example, a film image 2, is wound around a transparent cylinder 4 which rotates about a rotation axis 3 (in the primary scanning direction). An inner light source (not shown) for illuminating a small area of the film image 2 is located inside the cylinder 4. A scanning head 6 is located outside the cylinder 4. The scanning head 6 comprises a pickup lens 8, a half mirror 10, a main aperture board set 12, a sub-aperture board set 14, dichroic mirrors, 16, 18, and 20, for red (R), green (G) and blue (B) respectively, filters, 22, 24, and 26 for R, G, and B respectively, a filter 28 for an unsharp signal (for G filter, for example), photomultipliers 30, 32, 34, and 36 working as a photoelectric transfer device for providing electric signals responsive to the quantity of received lights, and an outer light source (not shown). The scanning head 6, integrated with the inner light source (not shown), shifts gradually in the direction of the rotation axis 3 (in a secondary scanning direction) in synchrony with the rotation of the cylinder 4. While scanning the film image 2 in both the primary scanning direction 42 and the secondary scanning direction 44, the pickup lens 8 forms an image of a small area of the original film image 2 onto both the main aperture board set 12 and the sub-aperture board set 14.
As shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the main aperture board set 12 has a transmission part 46 which forms from a square or round opening. The diameter of the transmission part 46 is normally kept small for better reading resolution. The diameter of the transmission part 46 is adjusted, depending on an enlargement ratio (usually within a range from 20% to 2000%) employed in reproducing the original image. The smaller the enlargement ratio being used, the larger the diameter needs to be set. Conversely, the larger the enlargement ratio, the smaller the diameter is set.
Again referring to FIG. 1, lights from the pickup lens 8, reflected by the half mirror 10, are directed to the transmission part 46, which allows the lights corresponding to the center part of a small area of the original image 2 to pass through. The lights are then separately directed to photomultipliers 30, 32, and 34, after being separated into three colors by means of dichroic mirrors 16, 18 and 20, and filters 22, 24, and 26. The sub-aperture board set 14 and the main aperture board set 12 have an equal-location relationship; for example, the distance between the sub-aperture board set 14 and the half mirror 10 is nearly identical to the distance between the main aperture board set 12 and the half mirror 10. As shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B, the sub-aperture board set 14 comprises a transmission part 48, which has a square or round opening, the size of which is larger than that of the transmission opening 46 on the main aperture board set 12. The function of the transmission part 48 is to enhance the outline of shapes in the original image.
Again referring to FIG. 1, the lights, after passing through the half mirror 10, are directed onto the transmission part 48, which allows lights corresponding to the wide part, thereby including the above-mentioned center part, of a small area of the original image to pass through. After passing through the transmission part 48, the lights corresponding to the wide part, are directed to the photomultiplier 36 via a filter 28. The output of the photomultipliers 30, 32 and 34 is directly related to the input level of the R, G and B components. The output signals are separately amplified in a logarithmic manner by the logarithmic amplifiers 50, 52 and 54 respectively. Assuming that an original image, such as the dark-light pattern indicated in FIG. 4A, is scanned in the primary scanning direction 42, the high-resolution sharp signals, SR, SG, and SB for the R, G, and B components, are obtained as shown in FIG. 4B. (Note that FIG. 4B shows only the sharp signal SG.)
The sharp signal SG is generally used by itself, for reasons of convenience, as the sole outline enhancing signal, on the assumption that it represents the other sharp signals as well.
Occasionally, an outline enhancing signal is also used which may be obtained by weight averaging the three sharp signals for R, G, and B.
Further, assuming that the original dark-light pattern image indicated in FIG. 4A is scanned in the primary scanning direction 42, the low-resolution unsharp signal U is obtained as shown in FIG. 4C. In FIG. 1, an operational amplifier 58 subtracts the unsharp signal U from the sharp signal SG. A potentiometer 60 adjusts the level, or multiplies the resulting signal (SG-U), by an adjusting factor K, thus putting out (k(SG-U)) as the outline enhancing signal. FIG. 4D indicates that the level of the resulting outline enhancing signal (k(SG-U)) varies largely in the vicinities of a and b in FIG. 4A, where a dark area and a light area meet. The adders 62, 64, and 66 add the outline enhancing signal (k(SG-U)) to SR, SG, and SB respectively as in FIG. 1. FIG. 4E is an example showing the outline enhanced signal (SG+k(SG-U)). With the cylinder 4 rotating, a clock pulse is provided. Synchronized to the clock pulse, the analog-to-digital (A/D) converters 68, 70, and 72 convert the outline enhanced signals from analog to digital form. The pitch of the primary scanning and secondary-scanning directions needs to be adjusted in accordance with the enlargement ratio desired. Note that the pulse interval of the clock pulse determines the pitch of the main scanning.
As mentioned above, conventional image readers allow the lights corresponding to the center part of a small area of the original image to pass through the transmission part of the main aperture board set. High-resolution and excellent-quality sharp signals thus result.
However, conventional image readers have the disadvantage that, because of their high reading resolution, they also read graininess (magnified by the pickup lens) of a size greater than, or even nearly equal to, the size of the transmission part opening of the main aperture board set. If the original image is on film, the following problem arises:
The sensitive material of the film image is made up of small particulate (diameter is 2.mu. or smaller, that have a white color) scattered as in FIG. 5A. One technical difficulty is producing particulate of sensitized material that are uniform in size, and another technical difficulty is to distribute them uniformly. Some areas have a dense distribution of these particles, while other areas have relatively few (both types of areas are usually about 10.mu.-20.mu. in size). Magnifying an image reveals this type of unevenness, therefore, resulting in graininess.
When a sharp signal is generated with a small enlargement ratio, as in the case when a full-size reading is performed, the diameter of the transmission part opening of the main aperture board set is large (as indicated by the circle .alpha.1 in FIG. 5A). Since this large diameter transmission part opening allows lights from the original image to pass through, the unevenness of the particle distribution is rectified, resulting in an excellent registration of the original film image.
When the sharp signal is generated with a large enlargement ratio, the transmission part opening of the main aperture set is small (as indicated by the circle .alpha.2 in FIG. 5B). Since this small diameter transmission part opening allows lights from the original image to pass through, the graininess passes through as well, without any rectification. The sharp signal level is low when the areas with a low density of particles are scanned as in FIG. 5C. The sharp signal level is normal when areas with a uniform distribution of particles are scanned as in FIG. 5D. The sharp signal level is high when areas with a high concentration of particles are scanned as in FIG. 5E.
When the small transmission part openings are used for scanning, as in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, graininess, which is an area of high concentration of particles, appears. Such graininess is read unmodified. If the outline is being enhanced, the graininess is enhanced as well.
As an alternative to the above, the large diameter transmission part opening of the main aperture board set may be used even with a high enlargement ratio setting, in order not to read the graininess. FIG. 6A shows the sharp signal, with the film image 2 scanned with the transmission part opening size equivalent to 5.mu..times.5.mu. on the original image. FIG. 6B shows the sharp signal, with the film image 2 scanned by the transmission part size equivalent to 10.mu..times.10.mu. on the original image. FIG. 6C shows the sharp signal, with the film 2 scanned by the transmission part size equivalent to 20.mu..times.20.mu. on the original image. These figures mean that the large diameter transmission part opening of the main aperture board set allows passage to the wide part of the lights from both densely and dispersively distributed areas, rectifying unevenness of particulate distribution and lowering the possibility of reading graininess.
When the large diameter transmission part opening of the main aperture board set is employed, resolution of the sharp signal is lowered because of the passage of the wide part of the lights.


A machine for processing a workpiece is provided wherein the machine has a movable continuous belt rotatably mounted around a slider bed mounted on a frame, wherein the movable belt feeds the workpiece into and through the machine and allows for the processing of the workpiece at high precision and high accuracy, particularly when the processing involves making various cutting operations in the preparation of high pressure decorative laminate surfaced moldings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine for processing a workpiece, while not marring surfaces of the workpiece. The invention more particularly concerns a machine for producing an element of a decorative product having a specific edge shape.
2. Discussion of the Background
Previously existing machines which produce decorative designs on a piece of material, such as wood, to create a molding have a number of shortcomings which result in marred or unappealing surface variations of the decorative product. Ideally, a machine that imparts a functional or decorative design onto a piece of wood in the creation of molding, should provide the lowest possible amount of undesirable surface variations or marring on any surface of the molding including the decorative surface. Some, but not all, marred surfaces can be re-worked, such as by sanding, to lessen the effect of the marring.
Prior art machines that produce molding accept a piece of wood or other workpiece onto a stationary bedplate. The workpiece is secured to the stationary bedplate by driving rollers. The driving rollers press the workpiece against the stationary bedplate. The driving rollers then rotate thus causing the workpiece to translate or move into the machine. While the workpiece moves, its lower surface rubs against the stationary bedplate. As the workpiece is introduced into the machine at least one surface of the workpiece is shaped by a cutter so as to produce an assembly profile. As the workpiece proceeds through the machine, its leading end comes into contact with one or more additional drive rollers. The force applied by the rollers must be sufficient to propel the workpiece through the machine by rotary action of the drive rollers, and usually results in the propelled surface being marred by the drive rollers. Further, unless the drive rollers are perfectly synchronized with one another, one of the rollers will push or pull the workpiece relative to the other roller, thus causing one of the rollers to move relative to the workpiece. The relative motion results in uneven machining and marring, or even destruction, of the workpiece. Still further, the movement of the workpiece relative to the stationary bedplate causes a stick/slip situation in which the molding moves in a discontinuous fashion still further causing the drive rollers to move relative to the workpiece thus causing surface damage to the molding. These cutting machines of the prior art also damage another surface of the molding in that the decorative surface of the molding that is in contact with the stationary bedplate is subject to marring and scratching due to the surface sliding across the stationary bedplate.
The lengths of molding which can be accepted in the machine and secured must have a minimum length which is equal to the distance between adjacent drive rollers. Otherwise, a workpiece shorter than the minimum length will not be fed through the machine. Such a limitation restricts the use of relatively short length moldings and produces relatively large amounts of scrap material. The scrap material often arises as the workpiece enters the cutting area from the leading edge of the workpiece from the time it first contacts the cutter until the time that it first contacts the closest drive roller to the exit side of the cutting area, causing the scrap material at the leading end of the workpiece for a distance equal to the distance from the cutter to the first drive roller at the exit of the cutting area. Scrap material is also produced once the trailing edge of the workpiece leaves contact with the drive roller closest to the cutter on the inlet side, up to a point where the cutter cuts the workpiece. Thus, there is a need for a machine which produces molding that does not mar the surfaces of the molding product or waste such large portions of the workpiece's length.


A printer, for printing on continuous recording paper, includes tractors disposed in the recording paper feed path of the printer, with each of the tractors circumferentially travelling in synchronism with movement of the continuous recording paper when the tractors engage feed holes of the continuous paper. When no printing operation is performed, travel of the tractors can be prevented by operation of an electromagnetic clutch, or a combination of one way clutches. Further, the printer uses an electrophotographic method wherein when no printing operation is performed, a transfer charger or fixing roller can be retracted from an operational position. A lever, associated with movement of the transfer charge or fixing roller, is pressed against and locked with the pulley fixed to the rotating shaft of each of the tractors to thereby prohibit the movement of the tractor. Further, a swingable arm can be provided having an engaging projection capable of being locked with the feed holes of the continuous recording paper. The swingable arm is swung in association with the movement of the transfer charger or fixing roller, which can be retracted from the operational position when no printing operation is performed. Thus, the engaging projection is engaged with the feed hole of the continuous recording paper to thereby regulate the movement of the continuous recording paper.

The present invention relates to a printer for forming an image on a continuous paper.
Conventionally, know are copy machines, laser beam printers and the like which perform printing is by an electrophotographic method, wherein a uniformly charged photoconductive material on the surface of a photoconductive drum is exposed to form a latent image by partially removing charges therefrom. Charged toner is then adhered to the latent image and developed (forming a toner image), and the developed toner image is transferred to a recording paper and fixed thereon by a fixing unit.
Some printers making use of the electrophotographic method print images on a continuous folded paper referred to as fanfold paper (hereinafter, simply abbreviated as a continuous paper), which Is provided with feed holes along the side edges thereof, fed in an alternatively folded state for each page, and is further provided with a perforated tear line defined along each folded line thereof so that the paper can be easily cut off.
The printer making use of the electrophotographic method generally employs a heat roll fixing unit as a fixing unit by which toner is fixed onto a recording paper. The heat roll fixing unit includes a pair of fixing rollers pressed against each other, one of the which is a heat roller which can be heated. Thus, when a recording paper on which unfixed toner is placed is positioned between the pair of the fixing rollers and heated by the heat roller, the toner is heated and melted. When, however, this type of heat roll fixing unit is used in a printer which prints on continuous paper, a disadvantage may arise in that the recording paper, (continuous paper) waiting for a printing operation, held between the heat roller and the press roller, is burnt or makes a blister at the same position thereof due to tile heat supplied from the heat roller. In particular this disadvantage is liable to arise when the heat control system (a temperature sensor, control unit) for the heat roller is out of order. Therefore, it is contemplated that one of the pair of the fixing rollers (preferably the heat roller) be arranged to be retracted so that the roller can be retracted when the continuous paper waits for printing.
Further, when the printer employs a rotating photoconductive drum, a toner image is transferred when the exposed position of the photoconductive drum is rotated to a position confronting a recording paper (that is, the exposed position of the photoconductive drum is different from the position at which the toner image is transferred from the photoconductive drum to the continuous recording paper in the peripheral direction of the photoconductive drum), and thus the photoconductive drum must be moved with respect to the continuous paper (to select a desired portion of the continuous paper) prior to a printing operation in order to start a print at a position of the continuous paper spaced apart from the perforated tear line thereof (i.e., the front edge of a page) by a predetermined distance. When the continuous paper is in an image transfer state (the continuous paper is abutted against the surface of the photoconductive drum) while the image transfer is performed, a problem arises in that photoconductive material on the surface of the photoconductive drum is scratched or worn by the continuous paper. Further toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductive drum is adhered to the continuous paper and causes extraneous matter to appear on the paper (i.e., makes the paper appear "dirty"). To cope with this problem, it is contemplated that a transfer charger be arranged to be retracted from a transfer position so that it is retracted while the continuous paper waits for a printing.
Nevertheless, with the above arrangement in which the transfer charger and fixing roller can be retracted from the transfer position and fixing position, respectively, there is no ability to keep the continuous paper in an unmovable state. Rather the portion of the continuous paper which is intended to be stopped at a predetermined position while waiting for the resumption of a printing operation, is moved by a force applied to the continuous paper to cut off a printed and discharged page thereof along a perforated tear line. Thus when the printing operation is resumed, a printing is started from an offset position of the continuous paper.

Continuous paper feed prevention lock mechanism for printer


An apparatus for providing adaptive language model scaling includes an adaptive scaling element and an interface element. The adaptive scaling element is configured to receive input speech comprising a sequence of spoken words and to determine a plurality of candidate sequences of text words in which each of the candidate sequences has a corresponding sentence score representing a probability that a candidate sequence matches the sequence of spoken words. Each corresponding sentence score is calculated using an adaptive scaling factor. The interface element is configured to receive a user input selecting one of the candidate sequences. The adaptive scaling element is further configured to estimate an objective function based on the user input and to modify the adaptive scaling factor based on the estimated objective function.

The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. One area in which there is a demand to increase ease of information transfer relates to the delivery of services to a user of a mobile terminal. The services may be in the form of a particular media or communication application desired by the user, such as a music player, a game player, an electronic book, short messages, email, etc. The services may also be in the form of interactive applications in which the user may respond to a network device in order to perform a task or achieve a goal. The services may be provided from a network server or other network device, or even from the mobile terminal such as, for example, a mobile telephone, a mobile television, a mobile gaming system, etc.
In many applications, it is necessary for the user to receive audio information such as oral feedback or instructions from the network or for the user to give oral instructions or feedback to the network. Such applications may provide for a user interface that is does not rely on substantial manual user activity. In other words, the user may interact with the application in a hands free or semi-hands free environment. An example of such an application may be paying a bill, ordering a program, requesting and receiving driving instructions, etc. Other applications may convert oral speech into text or perform some other function based on recognized speech, such as dictating SMS or email, etc. In order to support these and other applications, speech recognition applications are becoming more common.
Speech recognition may be conducted by numerous different types of applications. Such applications may include a very large vocabulary for robust word recognition. However, in mobile environments where resources such as processing power, battery life, and memory capacity are limited, it becomes necessary to perform highly capable word recognition while consuming a minimum of resources.
In a typical speech recognition application such as, for example, isolated word based speech recognition, a speaker may be asked to speak with a clear pause between words in order to enable the word to be segmented by voice activity detection (VAD). VAD may be used to detect word boundaries so that speech recognition may be carried out only on a single segmented word at any given time. The n-best word candidates may then be given for each segmented word. Once the same process has been performed for each word in an utterance, a word lattice may then be produced including each of the n-best word candidates for each corresponding word of the utterance. The word candidates of the word lattice may be listed or otherwise organized in order of a score that represents a likelihood that the word candidate is the correct word. In this regard, one way of scoring the word candidates is to provide an acoustic score and a language score such as a language model (LM) n-gram value. The acoustic score is a value based on sound alone. In other words, the acoustic score represents a probability that the word candidate matches the spoken word being analyzed based only on the sound of the spoken word. Meanwhile, the language score takes into account language attributes such as grammar to determine the probability that a particular word candidate matches the spoken word being analyzed based on language probabilities accessible to the application. For example, if the first word of an utterance is "I", then the probability of the second word spoken being "is" would be very low, while the probability of the second word spoken being "am" would be much higher. It is traditional to use the term language model (LM) for the statistical n-gram models of word sequences that use the previous n-1 words to predict the next one. The n-gram LM is trained on a large text corpus.
After calculating a value for the acoustic score and the language score, a combined score may be acquired that may subsequently be used to order each of the candidate words. This process may be called an N-best search. The user may select the correct word from among each candidate, or the user may select or confirm the correct sentence from among similarly generated candidate sentences.
Combining the acoustic score and the language score is often not done via a simple summation since numerous factors may impact the accuracy of the acoustic and language scores. For example, certain acoustic models, LM models, extracted features from speech, speakers, etc., may cause an imbalance in the importance of either the acoustic score or the language score. Accordingly, there is a need to balance the relative weights of the acoustic and language scores to produce a better modeling result. In this regard, conventional modeling techniques have introduced LM scaling, which essentially applies a weighting factor to at least one of the acoustic and language scores. Conventional modeling techniques use testing data such as large portions of text in order to determine a fixed value for an LM scaling factor. However, producing the LM scaling factor by this mechanism has some drawbacks. For example, it takes a substantial amount of time to determine the LM scaling factor using the large quantities of testing data. Additionally, because the LM scaling depends of the testing data, results of speech recognition using different data, microphones, hidden Markov models (HMMs), LMs or even different speakers may skew results. Furthermore, environmental changes such as, for example, ambient noise levels or other factors may also skew results.
Accordingly, there may be need to develop a speech recognition application that overcomes the problems described above, while avoiding substantial increases in consumption of resources such as memory and power.

Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing adaptive language model scaling