A wind power facility includes an activation circuit for a speed-limited and voltage-source-protective operation of a pitch-drive series-wound motor at generator torques. The activation circuit can comprise a pitch-drive series-wound motor, in which armature winding and exciter winding are connectable separately from one another, a load resistor RII, which is switched essentially in series to the exciter winding and parallel to the armature winding, and a voltage source, such as a battery or accumulator. A first terminal contact of the armature winding can be connected via a first power converter component to a first terminal contact of the exciter winding and a first terminal contact of the load resistor, and the first terminal contact of the armature winding can be connected via a second power converter component to a second terminal contact of the exciter winding. The first power converter component can transmit in motor operation and block in generator operation, and the second power converter component can transmits in generator operation and block in motor operation.

In general, exciter and armature windings are connected in series in series-wound motors, which are also called series motors. Exciter current and armature current and thus also the magnetic fields caused thereby thus change their direction synchronously, so that a feed using alternating current is possible in fixed rotational direction. The exciter winding is typically low-resistance, in contrast to the shunt-wound motor. The speed of series-wound motors is strongly load-dependent. If the output torque drops, e.g., in case of idle, the speed of the armature rises because of the low current and the field attenuation accompanying it. This can continue until the motor "runs away", which means that the speed rises ever further and can result in destruction of the motor because of the resulting centrifugal forces. Therefore, series-wound motors are generally operated using a base load, such as motor fans, gears, or a load resistor connected in parallel to the armature, to counteract a field attenuation of the exciter magnetic field. Two approaches for preventing a series-wound motor from running away can include: on the one hand an artificial increase of the mechanical load, for example, by gears or mechanical fans, on the other hand by electrically connecting a load resistor in parallel to the armature winding, so that the exciter coil also has current flowing through it in the event of decreasing armature current to maintain the exciter magnetic field. A type of hybrid motor is provided by circuitry, which connects the properties of a series-wound and a shunt-wound motor with one another.

Wind power facility having activation circuit for a speed-limited and voltage-source-protective operation of a pitch-drive series-wound motor at generator torques


A heat pump includes a SAS structure with a wall defining a first open side and a second open side. The heat pump also includes an interconnect board, enclosed within the SAS structure including openings. Thermoelectric modules are mounted on the interconnect board at the locations defined by the openings. The heat pump additionally includes a hot-side heat spreader that is in thermal contact with the first side of each thermoelectric module and a cold-side heat spreader that is in thermal contact with the second side of each thermoelectric module. The periphery of the hot-side heat spreader mechanically contacts the wall of the SAS structure at the first open side, and the periphery of the cold-side heat spreader mechanically contacts the wall of the SAS structure at the second open side such that any compression force applied to the heat pump is absorbed by the SAS structure.

Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are often fabricated from fragile materials. As used herein, a thermoelectric module is an integrated circuit including multiple thermoelectric devices. As an example, the interested reader is directed to U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,871, entitled METHOD FOR THIN FILM THERMOELECTRIC MODULE FABRICATION, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. These TEMs may fail if stresses or forces are applied to the TEMs. Also, many TEMs suffer diminished performance when exposed to moisture or other environmental contaminants. As such, these TEMs are potted to provide protection from environmental contaminants. Potting is a process of adding material to an electronic assembly such as a solid or gelatinous compound. Potting is often done to provide some resistance to shock and vibration, and for exclusion of moisture and corrosive agents. Heat-cured plastics or silicone is often used. But when applied to the surface of TEMs, the potting material creates a thermal short between the hot sides and cold sides of the TEMs. This thermal short is one type of thermal parasitic that decreases the efficiency of the heat pump.
Accordingly, what is needed is a heat pump where the TEMs are protected. Furthermore, what is needed is a heat pump that reduces thermal parasitics.

Thermoelectric heat pump with a surround and spacer (SAS) structure


A method for determining a concentration of an analyte is provided. The method includes providing a substrate including a conductive region and a recognition layer where the conductive region has a first surface operatively coupled with the recognition layer; The method also includes contacting the substrate with the sample to bind at least some of the analyte that may present in the sample with the recognition layer; The method further includes directing radiation through the conductive region and the recognition layer, where the conductive region comprises at least one particle and a combination of the at least one particle effect when the radiation is directed through the conductive region and the recognition layer; The method still further includes measuring at least a part of a spectrum of the radiation that is absorbed or transmitted by or through the substrate, the at least part of the spectrum being related to one or more of the at least one particle effects; The method further includes determining a change of the at least part of the spectrum as compared with a reference spectrum and determining the concentration of the analyte from the change.

I. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to assaying and, more specifically, to methods and apparatus for assaying an analyte.
II. Description of Related Art
Different types of biosensors are known, along with their specific advantages and disadvantages. For example, electrochemical biosensors, surface acoustic wave sensors and surface plasmon resonance biosensors are known biosensors that have the advantage of not requiring the use of labeling techniques for most applications. However, these sensors also have certain disadvantages.
A current method for assaying an analyte (e.g., antibodies and/or antigens) in a fluid sample is accomplished using surface plasmon resonance ("SPR") techniques. In such a technique, the presence of an analyte is determined by a change in the refractive index at a solid optical surface when the analyte interacts with a refractive index enhancing species, thereby causing binding or release of the species from the surface. In this respect, the SPR signal is a measure of mass concentration at a sensor chip surface. This means that the analyte/ligand association and dissociation in the sample can be observed and, ultimately, rate constants as well as equilibrium constants can be determined.
However, as was noted above, acquiring such SPR measurements has some disadvantages. In this respect, systems for carrying out such analyses are typically expensive as those systems generally employ a quartz prism as well as a radiation source that is capable of generating polarized light. Also, the response of an SPR sensor depends on the volume and refractive index of the bound analyte. Therefore, for very small molecules, this technique results in very small changes of refractive index and can make detecting such analytes difficult.
Another current approach for detecting an analyte is the use of an optical based sensing device for detecting the presence (and amount of) an analyte using both indicator and reference channels. The sensing device used in such an approach typically includes a sensor body with a radiation source contained therein. The radiation emitted by the source interacts with molecules in the material (i.e., the sample) being analyzed, which typically results in a change of at least one optical characteristic of those molecules. Such a change is not desirable as it may reduce the accuracy of information regarding the analyte obtained. Therefore, based on the foregoing, a need exists for improved methods and apparatus for assaying analytes.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Method and apparatus for detecting an analyte


Systems and methods for use in processing raw material (e.g., iron bearing material) include a linear furnace apparatus extending along a longitudinal axis between a charging end and a discharging end (e.g., the linear furnace apparatus includes at least a furnace zone positioned along the longitudinal axis). Raw material is provided into one or more separate or separable containers (e.g., trays) at the charging end of the linear furnace apparatus. The separate or separable containers are moved through at least the furnace zone and to the discharging end where the processed material is discharged resulting in one or more empty containers. One or more of the empty containers are returned to the charging end of the linear furnace apparatus to receive further raw material.

The present invention relates to systems, apparatus, and/or methods for use in the processing of metal bearing material (e.g., the reduction of iron bearing materials such as iron oxide using a direct reduction process).
Hearth furnaces have been manufactured for decades and present a proven technology for various purposes, including reduction of metal bearing materials. Such furnaces have been widely used in the mineral industry for drying, preheating, roasting, calcining, steel plant waste treatment, iron ore reduction, and production of metallic iron nuggets. A process to produce direct reduced iron (DRI) may involve the following generalized processing steps: feed preparation, drying, furnace charging, preheating, reduction, cooling, product discharge, and product passivation. A process to produce metallic iron nuggets may involve all of the steps for producing direct reduced iron plus a high temperature step in which the metallic iron formed is fused to form metallic iron nuggets, and the associated slag melts and segregates from the iron. In addition, a physical separation step is generally required to separate the metallic iron nuggets from the slag and furnace hearth layer after the products have cooled and solidified.
Various issues related to the design of such furnaces (e.g., those used to produce DRI or metallic iron nuggets) include, but are clearly not limited to, material handling, engineering/construction, maintenance, flue gas treatment to remove particulates and recover sensible heat, and in some cases provide it as make-up gas, hearth integrity, and overall system reliability.
One type of hearth furnace, referred to as a rotary hearth furnace (RHF) has been adapted for the production of DRI and metallic iron nuggets. Several rotary hearth furnaces have been built for DRI production. For example, one such RHF is used in the FASTMET process developed by Midrex Corporation and is described in the article "Development of the FASTMET as a New Direct Reduction Process," by Miyagawa et al., 1998 ICSTI/IRONMAKING Conference Proceedings.
The RHF has also been used to produce metallic iron nuggets. For example, such processes include the ITmk3 process described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,744, to Negami et al., entitled "Method and apparatus for making metallic iron," and also the QIP process, described in the article "New coal-based process, Hi-QIP, to produce high quality DRI for the EAF," by Sawa et al., ISIJ International, Vol. 41 (2001).
Processing in a typical RHF operation may include forming balls, briquets, or similar agglomerates composed of a mixture of iron ore, reductants (e.g., coal anthracite, coke, etc.), various slagging constituents (e.g., lime hydrate, fluorspar, soda-ash, etc.), water, and binders (e.g., bentonite or lime hydrate). The agglomerates may be dried in a separate drying oven and charged to the hearth of the furnace in a charging zone thereof, or perhaps, wet agglomerates may be charged directly to the hearth of the furnace in the charging zone.
The hearth is rotated to carry the agglomerates from the charging zone into a preheat zone of the RHF where the temperature is increased so as to drive off most of the volatile matter from the coal and other additives. Further rotation of the hearth carries the agglomerates into a higher temperature reduction zone where the carbonaceous constituents react with the iron oxide in the agglomerates to reduce the iron therein to metallic iron. Still further rotation of the hearth carries the largely reduced agglomerates into a high temperature fusion zone of the RHF where the iron melts and fuses to form iron nuggets and the slag fuses and separates from the metallic iron. Yet further rotation of the hearth carries the charge into the cooling zone of the furnace where both the iron and slag solidify. The hearth materials are then discharged for supplementary cooling and passivation.
One will recognize that in the production of DRI, the high temperature fusion and melting zone would not be included in the RHF. Rather, the solid DRI produced in the reduction zone would be cooled, discharged, and passivated.
The RHF has various inherent limitations. For example, feed distribution to the RHF is difficult because of the difference between the annular speed of the near and far sides of the hearth. Further, the feed must be pre-dried, i.e., if RHF area has to be dedicated to drying, the remainder of the RHF area available for production of DRI is reduced.
In addition, feedstock in the form of balls are considered a favored feedstock for iron ore concentrates to be used in a direct reduction process. Such balls are inherently fragile, especially when they contain nearly 40% volume of pulverized coal. Heat treatment of such balls in a RHF is generally non-uniform, i.e., balls on the short radius of the annular hearth receive intense direct radiation from wall burners for an appreciably greater length of time than those on the outer radius.
Further, discharge of such balls from the hearth requires that they maintain their physical integrity after reduction, which is often a problem. The balls are, for example, augered off the annular hearth and breakage could lead to jamming of the rotary hearth, damage to the hearth, or damage to an auger used for such discharge.
Various other limitations of the RHF relate to its physical construction. For example, the physical arrangement of a RHF necessarily leads to the cold feed side being next to the hot discharge side resulting in congestion and material handling complications. Further, the circular arrangement makes construction difficult (e.g., refractory, side walls, burners all have to be configured in a circular design) and the center of the RHF is congested and difficult to access for maintenance. Further, the design of the RHF, due to its circular arrangement, has size limitations placed thereon (e.g., about 60 meters diameter). For example, the hearth is generally massive and as such, problems in rotating such a large hearth increase with its size.
In addition to the RHF, other types of furnaces have also been described. For example, a paired straight hearth (PSH) furnace is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,879B1 to Lu et al., issued 10 Jul. 2001, entitled "Paired straight hearth (PSH) furnaces for metal oxide reduction."
The PSH furnace generally includes a pair of straight moving hearth furnaces located side by side, each having a charging end and a discharging end. Each furnace has a train of detachable hearth sections to enable each hearth section to be removed at the discharging end of one furnace and attached at the charging end of the other furnace. In other words, charge is moved by two straight hearth furnaces from one end to the other, i.e., two parallel solid flows in opposite directions using two side-by-side parallel furnaces. The first flow includes a first feed end, a paired furnace, and a first discharge end. The second flow includes a second feed end, a paired furnace, and a second discharge end. After the charge loaded in a hearth section at the feed end of each flow passes through one of the paired furnaces, the charge is discharged, and the hearth section is moved to the feed or charging end of the other flow to receive new charge.
However, the PSH furnace also has associated problems. For example, the charging end of one of the paired furnaces is right next to the discharging end of the other paired furnace. As such, there is no separation between the hot and cold ends of the paired furnaces. Further, in the PSH furnace, it is necessary to duplicate both charge delivery and product removal systems at each end of the furnace. This requires a complicated distribution system, or, for example, doubling the charge metering system for multiple components and the blending and drying systems.

Linear hearth furnace system and methods regarding same


A low pass filter includes a first amplifier stage and a second amplifier stage. The first amplifier stage includes a differential operational amplifier, wherein the first amplifier stage is arranged to process a differential input signal to generate a differential intermediate signal, the differential input signal having a first input signal and a second input signal, and the differential intermediate signal having a first intermediate signal and a second intermediate signal. The second amplifier stage has no common-mode feedback and is arranged to process the differential intermediate signal to generate a differential output signal, wherein the differential output signal has a first output signal corresponding to the first input signal and a second output signal corresponding to the second input signal. Since the noisy common-mode feedback is removed from the second amplifier stage, the overall common-mode noise of the low pass filter can be decreased.

The disclosed embodiments of the present invention relate to a low pass filter circuit, and more particularly, to a low pass filter circuit capable of reducing/eliminating the common-mode (CM) noise passed to a filter output.
A low pass filter (LPF) is used to pass low frequency signals and attenuate signals with frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. Low pass filters are commonly used in electronic circuits. When utilizing a low pass filter to process an input signal, CM interference such as CM noise will be generated in the output signal. This will deteriorate the characteristic and performance of the electronic circuit. Therefore, there is a need to provide a low pass filter capable of reducing/eliminating the CM noise which is passed to a filter output.

Low pass filter with common-mode noise reduction


In a machining method of supporting a workpiece having a cylindrical machined portion such that the workpiece is rotatable and feeding a grinding wheel in a radial direction, a start diameter that is a diameter including a measurement start point on a surface of the machined portion is measured, and, after the measurement start point passes through a machining application portion, an end diameter that is a diameter including a measurement end point is measured. An actual grinding depth at the time when the measurement start point is machined is computed by the equation, U=|D0−D1|, a runout of the machined portion is computed from a relative difference in the actual grinding depth (U) between positions of the machined portion in a rotational direction, and infeed control of the grinding wheel is executed such that the runout is removed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an actual grinding depth measurement method of measuring an actual grinding depth in a workpiece, which is achieved by a tool while a cylindrical machined portion of the workpiece is being machined, and relates also to a machining method and a machine tool.
2. Discussion of Background
During machining, deflection of a workpiece occurs due to machining resistance. Accordingly, an infeed of a tool with respect to the workpiece (an infeed of the tool per one rotation of the workpiece) usually does not coincide with an actual grinding depth (an actual amount of reduction in the radius of the workpiece). Therefore, the diameter of the workpiece during machining is measured and a machining process is controlled based on the measured diameter. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2-224971 (JP 2-224971 A) suggests an adaptive control grinding method in which an actually measured value of the diameter of a workpiece per one rotation of the workpiece is used, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,289 suggests a grinding process control in which an actual grinding depth calculated from an actually measured value of the diameter of a workpiece per one rotation of the workpiece is used.
In the case where an actual grinding depth UJ is calculated from an actually measured value of the diameter of a workpiece per one rotation, when the diameter of the workpiece in the first measurement is DJ0 and the diameter of the workpiece after one rotation of the workpiece is DJ1, the actual grinding depth UJ is calculated according to the equation, UJ=(DJ0−DJ1)/2. The actual grinding depth UJ is calculated as described above on the assumption that the entire circumference of the workpiece is machined during one rotation of the workpiece and, therefore, the material of the workpiece is removed at both ends in the measurement diameter and the actual grinding depth UJ is the same at the both ends. However, if the infeed speed varies or the machining resistance varies, the actual grinding depth varies even during one rotation, so an error is contained in the actual grinding depth calculated using the mean value. Therefore, in the machining process control in which the actual grinding depth calculated using the mean value is used, there is a possibility that sufficient advantageous effects will not be obtained due to the influence of the error.

Actual grinding depth measurement method, machining method, and machine tool


A method and system (1) for discharging beverage containers (6) continuously moved on a horizontal conveyor (10) and guided in parallel rows by one or more gripping heads (3a, 3b, 3c) are disclosed. The one or more gripping heads (3a, 3b, 3c) respectively form at least one pick-up position for the beverage containers (6) to be discharged. The beverage containers (6) are guided on the horizontal conveyor (10) at least approximately together. In the scope of the method, an actual position (IP), adopted in the conveying direction (FR), of one or more of the continuously moved beverage containers (6) is acquired. Moreover, a travelling movement, oriented in parallel to the conveying direction (FR) of the beverage containers (6), of the one or more gripping heads (3a, 3b, 3c) is adapted while taking into account the acquired actual position (IP). Also, a lowering motion of the one or more gripping heads (3a, 3b, 3c) for accepting respectively one beverage container (6) by respectively one of the at least one pick-up positions (A, B, C, D) thereof is performed. In addition, removal of the beverage containers (6) from the horizontal conveyor (10) is performed by means of a lifting motion of the respective one or more gripping heads (3a, 3b, 3c).

In a plurality of conceivable stations in the field of beverage technology, there is a need for beverage containers to be discharged from a horizontal conveyor and subsequently guided on or delivered to downstream stations. In this respect, in particular in the field of packing technology, installations are known from prior art in which the respective beverage containers are accepted from a horizontal conveyor and then placed into packaging units, such as cardboard boxes, beverage crates, or the like.
In general, prior to being accepted from the horizontal conveyor, the respective beverage containers or bottles are already ordered and standing against each other. For this purpose, the beverage containers can be passed on to the horizontal conveyor via an appropriate inlet, and after having entered the horizontal conveyor, guided in several channels oriented in parallel to each other. If the beverage containers are accepted from the horizontal conveyor, then the respective positions are known. For this reason, possibly existing gripping devices can be lowered over the beverage containers at defined positions, accept the beverage containers, and then drop them into the corresponding packaging units.
Such a device is disclosed for example in the German patent no. 42 04 993. The German patent shows a device for supplying containers to a continuously operating packaging machine. The device comprises a plurality of gripping heads which are hinged at one lever, respectively, while being rotationally driven. In addition, a conveyor belt is disclosed guiding bottles in the direction of the respective gripping heads. Herein the bottles are arranged in rows, stopped at one end of the conveyor belt by a stop, and accepted by one of the gripping heads. Once they have been accepted, the stop is lowered. Further bottles move up, the bottles already accepted being placed into corresponding crates by the gripper head and subsequently removed. Further bottles having moved up in the meantime can be accepted by another gripping head and dropped into another following crate.
In such devices known from prior art, it has been demonstrated that the expected nominal position when accepting the respective containers from the conveyor belt does not always match the real actual position. In particular, this can be the case when the respective containers are embodied, for example, by PET bottles, which tend to be dimensionally unstable. Also, inaccuracies may occur when the respective beverage containers are transferred onto the horizontal conveyor, so that the real actual position is known only approximately.
If deviations from the expected nominal position occur, the respective gripping devices for accepting the respective containers may collide with the containers, with the containers not being accepted by the devices. This may lead to damage to the respective gripping device. Moreover, in order to correct this defect, an interruption of the process may be required, leading to delays in container production and lower throughput.
Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a method and system by means of which beverage containers guided in parallel rows can be accepted and discharged from a horizontal conveyor with increased precision. In addition, implementation of the method must be easy and simple, and system structure must be simple.

Method and system for discharging beverage containers continuously moved on a horizontal conveyor and guided in parallel rows


When forming a periodically-poled structure on a nonlinear optical crystal 1 that permits wavelength conversion and/or optical computing, the group velocity matching conditions are determined to synchronize the group velocity of the incident light L1 with that of the outgoing light L2, and the polarization reversal period of the periodically-poled structure is determined to satisfy quasi-phase matching conditions for the aforementioned wavelength conversion and/or optical computing. As a result, the problems associated with wavelength conversion of the pulsed light due to a difference in the group velocity are suppressed.

Nonlinear optical crystals such as LiNbO3, LiTaO3 and the like have been preferably used as materials of elements used for wavelength conversion such as second harmonic generation (SHG), optical parametric oscillation, optical parametric generation (including amplification), difference frequency generation, sum-frequency generation and the like.
As a means for satisfying the phase matching conditions for such wavelength conversion, quasi-phase matching (QPM) including formation of a periodically-poled structure (hereinafter to be also referred to as a "poled structure") on a nonlinear optical crystal has been actively conducted in recent years. The quasi-phase matching is described in detail in, for example, a publication, Optical Second Harmonic Generation and Polarization Reversal, Kurimura, Solid-State Physics, 29(1994) (75–82) and the like.
As shown in FIG. 2, a poled structure element (wavelength conversion element) is an element wherein the polarizational direction (z direction in the Figure) of a nonlinear optical crystal 10 is periodically reversed (i.e., nonlinear optical constant has been modulated) to achieve a high wavelength conversion efficiency, and the nonlinear optical constant to be utilized is exclusively d33, because its value is the highest. That the nonlinear optical constant d33 can be used is the advantageous aspect of the quasi-phase matching method.
In conventional poled structure elements, what is called a z plate (crystal substrate processed to make the substrate surface perpendicular to the z-axis of optical crystal) is used and a polarization reversal period utilizing the nonlinear optical constant d33 is formed. As shown in FIG. 2, the polarized light direction of an incident light L10 and the polarized light direction of a wavelength converted outgoing light L20 are both parallel to the z-axis of the nonlinear optical crystal. In this way, only the utilization of the nonlinear optical constant d33 has been conventionally taken note of and group velocity matching of the incident light and the outgoing light has not been considered at all.
For wavelength conversion, a light having a pulse train (pulsed light) is sometimes used as an incident light. Examples thereof include conversion of, a pulsed light having a wavelength of 1.5 μm to a pulsed light having a wavelength of 0.78 μm by SHG, computing (e.g., sampling and gating for time-division multiplex communication, channel conversion and routing for wavelength multiplex communication) of a pulsed light having a wavelength of 1.5 μm and a pulsed light having a wavelength of 0.78 μm, and the like.
However, when the present inventors studied wavelength conversion behavior of the above-mentioned conventional poled structure element, it was found that, when a pulsed light is handled, the incident light and the outgoing light are separated in space and in time, along with the propagation of the light, due to a difference in the group velocity between the incident light and the outgoing light, and as a result, the following various problems such as those described below occur.
For wavelength conversion of continuous light, for example, since incident light exists over the entire length of the element, the conversion efficiency and computing efficiency are expected to be improved by prolongation of the element length. In contrast, when a short pulsed light is to be handled, such as pulse-number 1 Tbit/sec or above (=pulse width 1 ps or below), the incident light and the outgoing light are separated due to a difference in the group velocity between them, posing a problem in that the conversion efficiency and computing efficiency are not improved even if the element length is prolonged. A problem also occurs in that, as a result of wavelength conversion, the pulse width of the outgoing light is extended depending on the difference in the group velocity, making retention of the pulse shape difficult, and accurate computing results cannot be obtained. In some cases, a problem also occurs in that pulses before and behind in the pulse train interfere with each other and produce serious errors in computing. Such problems are clearly recognized when the pulse width is shorter and the pulse-number is higher.
In addition, since this difference in the group velocity depends on the wavelength of the incident light and the wavelength of the outgoing light (converted light), it becomes a factor that limits the wavelength band of the incident light. In a 1.5 μm band wavelength variable light source using 0.78 μm wavelength as an exciting-light source, moreover, the realizable wavelength band is limited due to the group velocity dispersion.

Element for wavelength conversion and/or optical computing


Generating a magnetic resonance image dataset includes providing a raw dataset that has been acquired such that the raw dataset is spatially and/or temporally undersampled. A regularization parameter is determined in an automated manner, and an image dataset is generated from the raw dataset using the regularization parameter in a compressed sensing technique.

The present embodiments relate to generating a magnetic resonance image dataset.
Compared to other clinical imaging methods, magnetic resonance imaging has the advantage that magnetic resonance imaging does not use X-ray radiation and is able to image soft tissue.
In the early days, one disadvantage was comparatively extremely long measurement times of several minutes for a single image. The spin echo sequence and the gradient echo sequence were used as the imaging measurement sequences.
The first step towards reducing the measurement time involved optimizing and modifying the measurement sequences. For example, the flip angle of the excitation pulse was reduced in order to speed up the gradient echo sequence. This allowed a large reduction in the repetition time TR, with the result that the measurement time for an image lasted just a matter of seconds. This sequence is also known by the acronym FLASH.
The spin echo sequence was accelerated by the repeated application of the refocusing pulse and subsequent readout of an echo signal. This sequence is known by the acronyms FSE, TSE or RARE.
Limits to any further acceleration achieved solely by modifying the measurement sequences are set by the Nyquist theorem. This states that the encoding in the direction of a dimension to be represented is to satisfy the following condition:Dk<2p/L, where Dk is the spacing of the signals in k-space, and L is the extent of the object in the dimension to be represented.
Inverting the equation yields the region that may be imaged, also known as the field of view:FoV=2p/Dk.
Should a specific resolution be required (e.g., Dx in the x-direction), then data is to be acquired accordingly (e.g., subject to applying a certain maximum gradient moment Gx). The resolution decreases if fewer data points are acquired. If the gradient moment drops below Gx, which results in an increase in Dk, then aliasing artifacts arise.
The Nyquist theorem merely assumes that the signal to be sampled is band-limited. Any other prior knowledge is neither assumed nor used.
A signal or image S(t) in the spatial domain may be obtained from the acquired signal S(w) in k-space by a Fourier transform FT:S(t)=1/(2p)∫S(w)eiwtdw.
This may also be expressed as:S(t)=FT·S(w).  (1)
There are many possible ways of using prior knowledge to circumvent the limit set by the Nyquist theorem.
A first approach is parallel imaging. This has two constituent parts. First, an undersampled dataset is acquired, albeit using a plurality of coils. An image dataset containing foldovers is obtained for each coil. Taking into account the sensitivity of the coils as prior knowledge, these images may be reconstructed into an image dataset that does not contain any foldovers. In SENSE-based reconstruction techniques, the unfolding takes place in image space; in GRAPPA-based reconstruction techniques, the unfolding takes place in k-space.
Thus, the first part of parallel imaging consists of the specific data acquisition; the second part consists of a specific reconstruction technique.
Another possible way of using prior knowledge and thus circumventing the limits of the Nyquist theorem is what is known as compressed sensing. This originates from Information Theory and was developed for photographic image datasets. The documents U.S. Pat. No. 8,879,852 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 9,784,812 B2, DE 102013213940 B3, US 20160146915 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 9,396,562 B2, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,275,294 B2 describe exemplary embodiments of methods that use compressed sensing.
The fundamental idea is based on exploiting the fact that when compressing images acquired in an uncompressed manner, this allows the image data to be displayed using few coefficients when a transform is applied. The JPEG2000 compression uses the wavelet transform.
If ultimately, however, some of the acquired data is not needed at all, this begs the question whether it is not possible to do without acquiring this portion of the data in the first place. The answer is yes, on certain conditions being satisfied.
One condition is that the signal is "sparse". This "sparsity" may exist from the outset. A known example is angiography datasets, for which the vessels occupy only a few pixels of the image, and the other image points, even if the other image points do not just include a noise signal, do not contain any relevant information.
The sparsity may also be produced by a transform, however. Many questions relate just to specific image regions or edges. Again, these occupy only a few pixels.
In compressed sensing, only some of the k-space lines are acquired. Instead of a full sample S(w), only a subsample Su(w) is available, and instead of a square Fourier matrix FT, only a partial matrix P is used:Su(w)=P·S(t).  (2)
Therefore, inverting equation (2) does not produce a unique solution like equation (1) but generates a solution space U.
An optimization technique may be used in order to be able to select a solution in this solution space. One option is to select from the solution space the solution of minimum energy according to the Euclidean l2 norm. This corresponds to minimizing:min∥S(t)∥2 subject to P·S(t)=Su(w)
S(t)
To simplify the calculation, it is also possible to shift to the l1 norm:min∥S(t)∥1 subject to P·S(t)=Su(w)
S(t)
Since real data exhibits a noise signal, the condition is modified as follows:min∥S(t)∥1 subject to ∥P·S(t)−Su(w)∥2≤e  (3)
S(t)
Writing equation (3) as an actual equality not as an inequality, and in Lagrange form, gives:argmin∥P·S(t)−Su(w)∥22+1∥S(t)∥1
S(t)
The parameter l is the regularization parameter and defines the ratio of data consistency to sparsity. If the parameter l is too high, although the noise signal is removed, too much image signal is provided. If the parameter l is too small, almost no noise signal is removed from the image.
The noise arises from the nature of the sampling. In compressed sensing, the k-space lines are acquired incoherently (e.g., in a random or pseudo-random manner). This provides that the k-space lines are acquired at irregular spacings. This prevents foldovers from occurring but lowers the SNR.
This noise resulting from the undersampling and the acquisition strategy is then removed again when the image dataset is generated.
Setting this regularization parameter is a process that requires a great deal of experience. The correct l depends, for example, also on the sparsity (e.g., the information content in the image).

Method for generating a magnetic resonance image dataset, computer program product, data storage medium, and magnetic resonance system


A disk playback apparatus such as a CD player comprises a case and a lift unit which is supported to be movable in the vertical direction to the case. The lift unit comprises a playback unit, a turntable, a holder drawing member, and the like. A magazine which is adapted to be loaded in the case accommodates therein disk holders, each of which hold one of different-sized disks. A control link having a holder butting pin and a disk control pin is movably mounted on the playback unit which is urged in the direction of departing from the disk by means of a release spring. When the disk holder reaches its accommodation position, the disk holder butts against the holder butting pin and rotates the control link slightly, thereby the disk control pin compulsively corrects the position of the disk. Thus the disk is certainly transported to the normal chucking position on the playback unit irrespective of the disk accommodated state in the disk holder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk playback apparatus, and particularly relates to a structure for certainly transporting a disk to a normal chucking position on a playback means. The present invention also relates to a disk changer device and a disk magazine device which are preferable for use in such a disk playback apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a disk apparatus such as a CD (Compact Disk) player of the type wherein a magazine adapted to accommodate a plurality of disks is loaded therein and a disk selected by a user from the plural disks is automatically selected and played thereby is increasing from a standpoint of improving a sense of use by simplifying disk exchange operations of the user as far as possible. In order to reproduce plural disks sequentially at a common disk playback section for reproducing information recorded on each of the disks, the disk apparatus such as mentioned above is configured to fetch a desired disk from the loaded magazine, transport the disk to playback means, and return the disk into the magazine after completion of the reproduction.
Particularly, some of the above mentioned disk apparatuses employ a system using a magazine which accommodates plural disk holders, each of which holds therein one disk, in an arrangement where respective holders can be drawn out independently, and performing a loading operation of a disk from the inside of the magazine to the playback position and an ejecting operation of the disk from the playback position into the magazine by simply moving back and forth the holder. In the disk apparatus based on this system, the disk holder holding therein a selected disk is transported to a position nearby the disk playback section by the moving forth operation, and returned into the magazine by the moving back operation after the disk is received in a predetermined playback position. In order to eject a disk when exchanging the disk with another one, when the magazine is ejected, or the like, the empty disk holder is transported to a position nearby the disk playback section with the moving forth operation, then the disk holder is returned into the magazine with the disk held therein by the moving back operation after the disk at the playback position is recovered in the holder.
FIG. 28 is a flowchart for explaining operating procedures of the disk playback apparatus having the system such as mentioned above by way of example. As shown in FIG. 28, when a magazine is inserted (Step 110), disk checking operation for determining existence of a disk is carried out using some appropriate processes (Step 120). Subsequently, if a user instructs to reproduce the disk (Step 130), then the disk holder accommodating therein the disk corresponding to the playback instruction is drawn out from the magazine and transported to a loading position nearby a playback unit, thereby the disk held in the disk holder is transported to a predetermined chucking position on the playback unit (Step 140), then the disk is chucked at he chucking position on the playback unit (Step 150), only the empty disk holder is returned into the magazine (Step 160), and the disk is reproduced (Step 170).
If an instruction to reproduce another disk is directed by the user during Step 170 of reproducing the disk (Step 180), then the empty holder for the disk in reproduction is drawn out from the magazine (Step 190), the disk in reproduction is inserted into this empty disk (Step 200), and the disk holder accommodating therein the disk is returned into the magazine (Step 210), then control returns to Step 140 for drawing out the disk holder in which the specified another disk is accommodated.
If an instruction to eject the magazine is directed by the user during Step 170 of reproducing the disk (Step 220), then the empty holder corresponding to the disk in reproduction is drawn out from the magazine (Step 230), the disk in reproduction is inserted into this empty disk (Step 240), and the disk holder accommodating therein the disk is returned into the magazine (Step 250), then the magazine is ejected (Step 260).
In the conventional disk playback apparatus as in the foregoing, the disk holder is typically transported by using a holder drawing member which can reciprocate in the horizontal direction, and moving the holder drawing member by engaging a fingernail-shaped projection disposed on the holder drawing member with an engaging section disposed at one end of the disk holder. During transporting the disk holder as mentioned above, if the disk is not sufficiently inserted into the disk holder or the disk is displaced from the normal accommodation position of the disk holder, when the disk holder reaches a normal loading position of the playback means, the disk is displaced from the normal chucking position on the playback means.
In this case, subsequent disk chucking operation can not be properly performed, which may induce a poor chucking condition. If disk reproduction operation. is carried out under such bad chucking conditions as mentioned above, the quality of the disk reproduction may become poor. Further, as the disk can not be sufficiently inserted into the disk holder when recovering the disk into the disk holder, there is a possibility that the disk can not be recovered.
The abovementioned operations of loading a disk into the playback position or ejecting a disk into the magazine in the disk playback apparatus are both performed by a device called xe2x80x9cdisk changerxe2x80x9d.
By the way, in the magazine for use in the conventional disk changer as in the foregoing, disk holders are inserted from an aperture of the magazine into a predetermined accommodation position within the magazine. At this time, if the insertion is insufficient, the holder may be accommodated in the magazine with the holder protruding outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position. When the disk holder protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position of the disk holder, it can become impossible to transport the disk holder.
Thus, in the case that the disk holder is transported by engaging a fingernail-shaped projection provided at the holder drawing member with an engaging section provided on one end of the disk holder as mentioned above, the projection of the holder drawing member is disposed to meet the position of the engaging section of the disk holder stored in a predetermined accommodation position within the magazine. Therefore, if the disk holder protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine, the engaging section can not be engaged with the protrusion of the holder drawing member, and it can become impossible to transport the disk. Alternately, a part of the disk holder protruding outward improperly engages with the holder or any other part of the mechanism, which may results in subsequent defective performance. There exist the abovementioned disadvantages similarly when using the magazine which accommodates a disk tray of the type of placing thereon a disk as well as when using the magazine which accommodate a disk holder of the type of holding a disk as a disk holding unit.
Among various types of conventional disk changer devices, some disk changer devices in which the loading direction of the magazine and the drawing-out direction of the disk holder are same are specifically called as xe2x80x9cend loading type disk changer devicexe2x80x9d.
FIG. 27 is a plan view showing an end loading type on-vehicle disk changer device by way of example. As shown in FIG. 27, a magazine 202 which is inserted through a magazine insertion opening L is loaded in a magazine loading position which is disposed in the left hand part of the figure in the chassis 201 of the disk changer device. The magazine 202 accommodate plural disk holders 203 which are arranged in a vertical stack. Each disk holder 203 accommodates one disk which is inserted thereto in the direction parallel to the main surface of the disk holder 203, and slidably loaded into the magazine 202. An engaging section 203a for drawing out the disk holder 203 is disposed at one end of the disk holder 203.
A lift unit 205 is disposed in the chassis 201 of the device as shown in the right-hand part of the figure and supported to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the chassis 201. The lift unit 205 is a combination of a holder drawing member 206 for drawing out the disk holder 203 and a playback unit 207 for reproducing a disk 204.
Among these components, the holder drawing member 206 is mounted on a chassis not shown of the lift unit 205 to be movable in the disk transporting direction, i.e. a horizontal direction in the figure, and a fingernail-shaped projection 203a which engages with the engaging section 203a is provided at one end of the holder drawing member 206.
The lift unit 205 is moved upward or downward according to a disk selection instruction in order to adjust the height of the holder drawing member 206 to be flush with the disk holder 203 accommodating therein the selected disk 204. On the other hand, the playback unit 207 comprises a drive plate 209 having a rotatable turntable 208 on which the disk 204 is mounted, a clamp arm 210 for chucking the disk 204 on the turntable 208, and the like.
The chassis 201 of the device is contained in an outer case 211, supported against the outer case 211 via a damper 212, and therefore provides a structure which enables isolation from the vehicle vibrations.
By the way, the disk changer device shown in FIG. 27 as described in the foregoing transports the disk holder 203 by engaging the engaging section 203a of the disk holder 203 with the fingernail shaped projection 206a of the holder drawing member 206 and moving the holder drawing member 206 rightward in figure. During transporting the disk holder 203 as mentioned above, in the case that the disk 204 is insufficiently inserted into the disk holder 203 and the disk 204 protrudes beyond the normal accommodation position in the disk holder 203, the disk 204 is displaced from the normal chucking position if the disk holder 203 reaches the normal loading position of the playback unit 207.
In this case, subsequent disk chucking operation may not be properly performed, which may induce a poor chucking condition. If disk reproduction operation is carried out under such bad chucking conditions as mentioned above, the quality of the disk reproduction may be degraded. Further, when recovering the disk 204 into the disk holder 203, there is a possibility that the disk 204 can not be sufficiently inserted into the disk holder 203 and, as a result, the recovery is failed.
Particularly, as shown in FIG. 27, compared with the other type disk changer devices, the end loading type disk changer device in which the loading direction of the magazine 202 and the drawing direction of the disk holder 203 is identical has a higher possibility that the disk 204 accommodated in the disk holder 203 or the disk holder 203 is popped out from the magazine 202 when the magazine 202 is forcefully inserted into the device. And at worst, it is thought that inconvenience such that the popped-out disk from the magazine 202 is dropped in the device is thought.
Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable disk playback apparatus in which a disk can be certainly transported to a normal chucking position in playback means even if the disk is not accommodated in a normal accommodation position in a disk holder.
In order to achieve the above object, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a disk can be certainly transported to a normal chucking position of playback means irrespective of the accommodated condition of a disk in a disk holder by providing on the playback means a movable control member which can control the disk with respect to a normal chucking position using the butting against a disk holder
That is, a disk playback apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention comprises a disk holder for accommodating therein a disk holder, playback means for reproducing a disk, and holder movement control means for drawing out the disk holder from an initial position thereof to a loading position near the playback means, chucking a disk accommodated in the disk holder to the playback means, and returning the disk holder to the initial position, wherein the playback means comprises a rotatable control member and an urging means as described below.
More specifically, the rotatable control member is a rotatable member for controlling the disk which is accommodated in this disk holder with respect to the normal chucking position by using the butting against the disk holder, and the urging means is the means for urging the rotatable control member in the direction departing from the disk, wherein the rotatable control member comprises a disk control section and a holder butting section. The disk control section which is disposed at one end of the rotatable control member controls the disk with respect to said normal chucking position, while the holder butting section which is disposed at the other end of the rotating control section butts against the disk holder. The rotatable control member is pressed by this disk holder via the holder butting section when the disk holder is drawn out to the loading position, and thereby held at a disk control position corresponding to the diameter of the disk accommodated in this disk holder, and thus allows the disk control section to control the disk with respect to the normal chucking position at this disk control position.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention having a configuration in the foregoing, when the disk holder having therein a disk is drawn out to the loading position, a rotatable control member is pressed by this disk holder and held at a disk control position, therefore the rotatable control member can control the disk with respect to the normal chucking position. That is, even if the disk is not accommodated in the normal accommodation position in the disk holder, the disk position can be corrected by the rotatable control member at the time when the disk holder is drawn to the loading position. Accordingly, the disk can be certainly transported to the normal chucking position irrespective of the accommodated condition of the disk in the disk holder.
In accordance with a preferred form of the first aspect of the present invention, the disk holder and the rotatable control member are configured as described below. As disk holders, plural types of disk holders are provided, each of which can accommodate one of plural different-sized disks which are different in diameter. The rotatable control member is configured to control each of the different-sized disks with respect to the normal chucking position by the disk control section at each of the plural disk control positions corresponding to each of the different-sized disks. Each of the plural types of disk holders is provided with a butting section which butts against the holder butting section of the rotatable control member and presses the same when the disk holder is drawn to the loading position, and holds the rotatable control member at the disk control position corresponding to the accommodated disk size.
In accordance with the preferred form as mentioned above, for each of plural types of disk holders, each of which accommodate one of plural different-sized disks, the rotatable control member is pressed by the disk holder and held at each of disk control positions corresponding to each disk size when the disk holder is drawn out to the loading position. Thus each of the different-sized disks can be controlled with respect to the normal chucking position by the rotatable control member at each of the plural disk control positions. Therefore, the plural different-sized disks can be certainly transported to the normal chucking position by a common rotatable control member irrespective of the accommodated condition of the disk.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a disk changer device which can certainly transport a disk holding unit to a predetermined position near playback means even if the disk holding unit is not located at a predetermined accommodation position in a magazine. A third object of the present invention is to provided a disk changed which can prevent a operational malfunction when the disk holding unit is not located at a predetermined accommodation position in the magazine.
In order to attain these objects, a disk changer device in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention ensures that a disk holding unit is certainly transported to a predetermined position near playback means by pressing the disk holing unit into a predetermined accommodation position, or ensured to prevent a malfunction during operation of transporting the disk holding unit or subsequent operation of reproducing a disk by performing the motion control for canceling to proceed to the reproduction operation.
The basic configuration of the disk changer device in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention comprises playback means for reproducing a disk, a magazine accommodation section which accommodates a magazine which accommodates plural disk holders, each of which holds therein one disk, in an arrangement where respective disk holding unit can be drawn out independently, and which has an aperture through which the respective plural disk holding units are drawn out, and drawing members for drawing the disk holding units from the magazine which is loaded in the magazine accommodation section to a position in the proximity of the playback means.
A first preferred form of the disk changer in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention is configured to mechanically press an end face of the disk holding unit by an edge of the magazine insertion opening when inserting a magazine. That is, the magazine accommodation section has a magazine insertion opening which is provided to allow the magazine to be inserted toward the aperture side of the magazine. The edge of the magazine insertion opening is configured to control the position of the end face of the disk holding unit loaded in the magazine when the magazine is inserted through this magazine insertion opening.
In accordance with the disk changer device having the abovementioned configuration, if the magazine is inserted in the magazine accommodation section through the magazine insertion opening in the state that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, the end face of the protruding disk holding unit is pressed toward the inside of the magazine by the edge of the magazine insertion opening, therefore the disk holding unit is mechanically pressed into the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine. Accordingly, the disk holding unit in the magazine can be easily and certainly accommodated in the predetermined accommodation position by just inserting the magazine into the magazine accommodation section.
The disk changer apparatus may be configured so that the disk holding unit comprises a sloped surface which is inclined from the end face in the direction inserting the magazine, and that the disk holding unit controls the position of the sloped surface prior to the end face of the protruding disk holding unit when the magazine is inserted into the magazine insertion opening in the state that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position.
In the operation of the disk changer device having such configuration, the sloped surface of the protruding disk holding unit is first pressed toward the inside of the magazine by the edge of the magazine insertion opening when the magazine is inserted through the magazine insertion opening in the state that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes relatively a lot, therefore the disk holding unit is smoothly and fully pressed in the magazine toward the predetermined accommodation position thereof based on the angle of the sloped surface. Then, the end face of the disk holding unit is pressed toward the inside of the magazine by the edge of the magazine insertion opening, thereby the disk holding unit is properly accommodated in the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine.
The disk changer device of the first preferred form may have attraction means for retracting the disk holding unit to the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine when the magazine is inserted to a position back from the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine.
When the attraction means as mentioned above is provided, if the disk holding unit is pressed into the magazine to some extent by the edge of the magazine insertion opening, then the disk holding unit can be moved to the predetermined accommodation position by the attraction means. Therefore, it is not necessary to press the disk holding unit into the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine by the edge of the magazine insertion opening, and the dimensional accuracy required between the magazine insertion opening and the disk holding unit can be relaxed.
Further, the disk changer device in accordance with he first preferred form may be configured so that the aperture of the magazine is typically corresponding to the end face of the disk which is held in the disk holding unit when the disk holding unit in the magazine is located at the predetermined accommodation position, and configured the edge of the magazine insertion opening controls the position of the end face of the disk held in the disk holding unit in the magazine when the magazine is inserted through this magazine insertion opening.
In accordance with the configuration as mentioned above, if the disk holding unit in the magazine is protruding, the position of the disk held in the protruding disk holding unit by the edge of the magazine insertion opening, thereby the disk holding unit accommodating this disk is pressed inward until it reaches the predetermined accommodation position. Thus, the improper accommodation of the disk holding unit can be also subsidiary corrected by a disk.
A second preferred form of the disk changer device in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention is configured as follows. When it is determined that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, the disk holding unit is pressed into the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine based on this determination. That is, the second preferred form of the disk changer device features having protrusion determination means for determining whether the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, and pressing means for pressing the disk holding unit into the magazine when the protrusion of the disk holding unit is determined by the protrusion determination means.
In accordance with the second preferred form of the disk changer device having the configuration such as mentioned above, when the magazine is inserted into the magazine accommodation section in the state that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, such protrusion of the disk holding unit can be properly determined by the protrusion determination means, and thus the disk holding unit can be certainly pressed into the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine by the pressing means based on the result of the determination.
In a second preferred form of the disk changer device, the drawing means may be also used as the pressing means. When the drawing means for drawing out the disk holding unit is used as the pressing means as it is, alignment with the disk holding unit is easy, operational reliability is good, and the configuration thereof can be simplified compared with the case that the dedicated pressing means is provided.
A third preferred form of the disk changer device in accordance with the second aspect of the present invention is configured as follows. When it is determined that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, transferring to the subsequent operation is canceled. That is, the third preferred form of the disk changer device features having protrusion determination means for determining whether the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, and control means for position controlling to stop proceeding to the disk playback operation by the playback means when the protrusion of the disk holding unit is determined by the protrusion determination means.
In accordance with the third preferred form of the disk changer device having the configuration as mentioned above, when the magazine is inserted into the magazine accommodation section in the state that the disk holding unit in the magazine protrudes outward beyond the predetermined accommodation position, such protrusion of the disk holding unit can be properly determined by the protrusion determination means, and thus transferring to the disk playback operation is canceled based on the result of the determination, thereby failure reproduction caused by protrusion of the disk holding unit can be prevented.
The third preferred form may be configured to further comprise ejecting means for ejecting the magazine accommodated in the magazine accommodation section and be configured so that the control means allows the ejecting means to eject the magazine accommodating therein the disk holding unit from the magazine accommodation section when the protrusion determination means determines the protrusion of the disk holding unit.
The disk changer device having the configuration as mentioned above can eject the magazine in its entirety including the protruding disk holding unit from the magazine accommodation position based on the determination result of the protrusion determination means if the disk holding unit protrudes beyond the predetermined accommodation position. Accordingly, a malfunction resulting from the protrusion of the disk holding unit can be certainly prevented and it is possible to inform the user of the fact that the disk holding unit is improperly accommodated.
The third preferred form of the disk changer device of the present invention may be configured to further comprise an output means for supplying a signal for giving some information to the user and be configured to allow an output means to supply a signal which indicate the improperly accommodated state of the disk holding unit when the protrusion determination means determines the protrusion of the disk holding unit.
When the configuration such as mentioned above is employed, the disk holding unit protrudes beyond the predetermined accommodation position in the magazine, control cancels to transfer to the disk playback operation based on the result of the determination of the protrusion determination means, thereby reproduction failure caused by protrusion of the disk holding unit can be prevented and it also possible to supply a signal indicating the improper accommodation of the disk holding unit in order to inform the user of the fact that the disk holding unit is improperly accommodated.
In the third preferred form of the disk changer device of the present invention, the drawing means and the protrusion determination means may be configured as follows. The drawing means is provided to be vertically movable with respect to the plural disk holding unit in the magazine which is accommodated in the magazine accommodation section, and configured to align with one of disk holding units by the vertical motion. On the other hand, the protrusion determination means is configured to determine that the disk holding unit which is located at the position where trouble occurs is protruding when trouble occurs on the vertical motion of the drawing means.
When the drawing means and protruding means as mentioned above are used, the protrusion of the disk holding unit can be easily and properly determined by a simple mechanical detection method using the drawing means which is existing means for drawing a disk holding unit, and the configuration can be simplified compared with the case that the dedicated protrusion determination means is provided.
Beside, in the third preferred form of the disk changer device of the present invention in the foregoing, a specific configuration of the protrusion determination member can be selected in optional, and the determination of the disk holding unit is not limited to mechanical determination method, various existing position detection methods such as optical detection method, electromagnetic detection method, or the like may be optionally used by itself or in combination.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable disk changer device wherein popping out of the disk from the magazine when the magazine is loaded can be prevented.
Further, a fifth object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable disk magazine device wherein popping out of the disk from the disk holding unit when accommodating into the magazine can be prevented.
In order to attain the objects as mentioned above, in accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, popping out of a disk from a magazine or a disk holding unit can be prevented by providing a disk control member for controlling the disk with respect to a normal accommodation position near a magazine accommodation section in the disk changer device, or by providing a disk control member for controlling the disk with respect to a normal accommodation position in the disk holding unit which is accommodated in the body of the magazine.
The disk changer device in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention comprises a magazine loading section in which a magazine for slidably accommodating plural disk holders, each of which holds therein or thereon one disk, in an arrangement where respective holding unit can be drawn out independently, can be loaded in the sliding direction of the disk holding unit, and a fixed section which contains the magazine loading section. The magazine loading section comprises a disk holding unit drawing section for drawing disk holding unit from the magazine which is loaded in the magazine loading section, moving means for moving the disk holding unit drawing member in the arranging direction of the disk holding units in the magazine to the fixed section, and a disk playback section for reproducing a disk held in or placed on the disk holding unit which is drawn out by the disk holding unit drawing section. In addition to the configuration as mentioned above, the disk changer device features further comprising a disk control member as in the following. A disk control member, for controlling the disk with respect to the normal accommodation position using the disk""s side face or the disk holding unit""s side face, is disposed at a position which becomes near the disk""s side face on the drawing direction side in the case that the magazine loaded in the magazine loading section is located at its normal position, and the disk accommodated in the magazine is located at its normal accommodation position. The disk control member is provided as a link which links between one of upper and lower ends of the fixed section with a portion of the disk holding unit to be movable between the control position where the disk accommodated in the magazine is controlled with respect to the predetermined accommodation position and the release position where the disk is allowed to be drawn from each disk holder, in accordance with the position of the disk holding unit drawing member. Further, the disk control member is configured to be located at the control position when the disk holding unit drawing section is disposed at either upper or lower position.
A disk changer device in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention having such characteristics as mentioned above offers advantages as in the following. Generally, a disk holding unit drawing section is located at a lowermost position or an uppermost position within the lift operating range at its initial condition before loading a magazine. Therefore, by providing the disk control member as a link for linking between the upper end of the fixed section and the disk holding unit drawing section when the disk holding unit drawing section is located at the lowermost position in the initial condition, and as a link for linking between the lower end of the fixed section and the disk holding unit drawing section when the disk holding unit drawing section is located at the uppermost position in the initial condition, the disk control member is located at the control position and vertically compart the side of the loaded magazine on the drawn side. In such state as mentioned above, if the magazine is forcefully inserted into the disk changer device and the disk or disk holding unit is nearly popped out from the magazine, the side of the disk or the side of the disk holding unit butts against the disk control member, therefore the disk can not be popped out from the magazine.
When reproducing the disk, the disk holding unit drawing section moves from the uppermost or lowermost initial position to the position of disk holding unit which accommodates therein a selected disk. In synchronization with this movement, the disk control member moves to a release position to allow at least disk holding unit to be drawn out, thereby smooth disk loading operation is ensured.
In the abovementioned disk changer device in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, the disk holding unit drawing section may be integrated with the disk playback section. When such an integrated configuration is employed, the disk control member may be provided as a link for linking between the fixed section and the disk playback section, therefore, flexibility in the arrangement of the disk control member becomes high, which will result in a simplification of the configuration.
In the disk changer device in accordance with the third aspect of the present invention, the moving member may be configured to eject the magazine from the magazine loading section when the disk holding unit drawing section reaches either the uppermost or lowermost position.
When the configuration as mentioned above is employed, the disk can be controlled to the normal accommodation position in the magazine by the disk control member while ejecting the magazine, therefore, protrusion or dropping out of the disk during ejecting the magazine can be prevented.
In accordance with the fourth aspect of the present invention, a disk magazine device having the configuration as in the following is provided. The disk magazine device of the present invention comprises a disk holding unit for holding a disk, and a magazine body for slidably accommodating the plural disk holders, wherein further comprising a disk control member and the control section thereof as in the following. The disk holding unit comprises a disk control member which controls the disk with respect to the normal accommodation position using the side face of the disk, which is provided at a position which becomes near the disk""s side face on the drawing direction side when the disk held in or placed on the disk holding unit is located in the normal accommodation position. The disk control member is provided to be movable between a control position where the disk accommodated in the magazine is controlled with respect to the normal accommodation position and a release position where the disk is allowed to be drawn from each disk holder. Further, the magazine body comprises a control section for controlling the disk control member with respect to the control position when accommodating the disk holding unit.
In accordance with the magazine device in accordance with the present invention having the configuration as mentioned above, in the state that the disk holder holding therein or thereon a disk is accommodated in the magazine body, the disk control member is controlled with respect to the control position by the control section, therefore the disk is controlled by the disk control member with respect to the normal accommodation position using the side thereof. Accordingly, if the disk is nearly popped out from the disk holding unit, the side of the disk butts against the disk control member which is controlled with respect to the control position, therefore the disk can not be popped out from the magazine.
The disk magazine device in accordance with the present invention as in the foregoing may further comprise an urging means which urges the disk control member to the release position.
If the urging means such as mentioned above is used, the control member can be certainly moved to the release position by the urging means when the disk holding unit is drawn out from the magazine when reproducing the disk, therefore smooth disk loading operation is ensured.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions of illustrative embodiments thereof to be read referring to the accompanying drawings.

Disk playback apparatus, disk changer device, and disk magazine device


A QLED light-emitting device is provided, including a first electrode layer, an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a light-emitting layer, a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, and a second electrode layer. Wherein, the light-emitting layer includes a plurality of quantum dot layers disposed in a stack, and insulating layers are disposed among the quantum dot layers adjacent to one side of the electron injection layer. Through disposing the insulating layers among the quantum dot layers adjacent to the one side of the electron injection layer, an electron transmission rate is reduced, thereby balancing the electron transmission rate and a hole transmission rate and improving luminous efficiency of QLEDs.

In current quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) light-emitting devices, a light-emitting layer consists of a plurality of quantum dot layers. Since a hole transmission rate is less than an electron transmission rate, electrons will accumulate in the quantum dot layers and emit quenching excitons. A problem of electron accumulations in a light-emitting functional layer of the current QLED light-emitting devices requires to be solved. Therefore, the current QLED light-emitting devices have a technical problem of unbalanced transmission of electrons and holes.

QLED light-emitting device and QLED display panel having insulating layer among quantum dot layer

TCL CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Systems and methods are provided for detecting flow in a mass flow controller (MFC). The position of a gate in the MFC is sensed or otherwise determined to monitor flow through the MFC and to immediately or nearly immediately detect a flow failure. In one embodiment of the present invention, a novel MFC is provided. The MFC includes an orifice, a mass flow control gate, an actuator and a gate position sensor. The actuator moves the control gate to control flow through the orifice. The gate position sensor determines the gate position and/or gate movement to monitor flow and immediately or nearly immediately detect a flow failure. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gate position sensor includes a transmitter for transmitting a signal and a receiver for receiving the signal such that the receiver provides an indication of the position of the gate based on the signal received. Other embodiments of the gate position sensor are described herein, as well as systems and methods that incorporate the novel MFC within a semiconductor manufacturing process.

An integrated circuitry is formed in and on a wafer in semiconductor manufacturing processes. Forming an integrated circuit on a wafer involves a number of sub-steps such as thermal oxidation, masking, etching and doping. In the thermal oxidation sub-step, the wafers are exposed to ultra-pure oxygen under carefully controlled conditions to form a silicon dioxide film, for example, on the wafer surface. In the masking sub-step, a photoresist or light-sensitive film is applied to the wafer, an intense light is projected through a mask to expose the photoresist with the mask pattern, the exposed photoresist is removed, and the wafer is baked to harden the remaining photoresist pattern. In the etching sub-step, the wafer is exposed to a chemical solution or gas discharge to etch away or remove areas not covered by the hardened photoresist. In the doping sub-step, atoms with either one less or one more electron than silicon are introduced into the area exposed by the etching process to alter the electrical character of the silicon. These sub-steps are repeated for each layer. Most of or all of these processes require the controlled introduction of gases into a processing chamber, and mass flow controllers are used to control the same. Each chip on the wafer is finally tested after the remaining metals, films and layers have been deposited. Subsequently, the wafer is sliced into individual chips that are assembled into packages.
Semiconductor gases are used in the above-described manufacturing process, and include, but are not limited to gases which serve as precursors, etchants and dopants. These gases are applied to the semiconductor wafer in a processing chamber. Precursor gases provide a source of silicon atoms for the deposition of polycrystalline silicon, epitaxial silicon, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride film within the thermal oxidation step. Etchant gases provide fluorocarbons and other fluorinated materials that react with silicon, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. Dopants provide a source of controllable impurities that modify the local electrical properties or characteristics of the semiconductor material. A reliable supply of high purity process gases is required for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. As the semiconductor industry moves to smaller feature sizes, a greater demand is placed on the control technologies to accurately and reliably deliver the semiconductor process gases.
Mass Flow Controllers (MFCs) are placed in an inflow line to control the delivery of the semiconductor process gas. Conventional MFCs have an iris-like restricted orifice for controlling flow, and deliver gas or other mass at a low velocity. This low velocity allows interfering feedback in the MFC; i.e. the pressure differentials occurring in the chamber travel back upstream through the gas and perturb the delivery velocity of the gas. Therefore, a problem associated with conventional MFCs is that they are dependent on the characteristics of the specific chamber into which the gas is being delivered, and require trial and error methods to find the proper valve position for delivering a desired flow of material into the chamber. An obvious drawback to this approach is that the experimentation is very time consuming.
Ultrasonic MFCs meter gas flowing through an orifice of a known size at a velocity higher than the speed of sound. The mass flow is controlled using a gated orifice by oscillating a gate between an opened and closed position with respect to the orifice. The amount of material delivered into the chamber is adjusted by adjusting the duty cycle of the oscillations; i.e. by adjusting the amount of time per oscillation period that the gate is opened rather than closed. Because pressure differentials can only travel through the gas at the speed of sound, pressure variations in the chamber do not travel upstream quickly enough to perturb the ultrasonic delivery velocity. Thus, ultrasonic MFCs have feed forward control as they are able to deliver exactly the desired amount of material into the chamber without being affected by any feedback from the chamber. However, a problem associated with ultrasonic MFCs is that control gates regulating the precision flow may fail by becoming stuck either in an opened position, a closed position, or in some position in between the opened and closed positions. And in the case of the above-described process for manufacturing semiconductors, this failure may not be detected for a considerable amount of time causing considerable losses in both processing time and resources.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide improved MFC which overcomes these problems.

System and method for detecting flow in a mass flow controller


A system includes a gas turbine engine having a low speed spool, a high speed spool, and a combustor. The system also includes a low spool motor configured to augment rotational power of the low speed spool. The system further includes a controller configured to cause fuel flow. The controller is operable to control the low spool motor to drive rotation of the low speed spool responsive to a thrust command while the controller does not command fuel flow to the combustor.

The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to rotating machinery and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for a hybrid gas turbine engine starting control.
Gas turbine engines are typically inefficient to operate at low power settings. Operation of a gas turbine engine at idle is the typical lowest power setting available once the gas turbine engine has been started. In some instances, thrust produced at idle may be greater than the thrust needed for ground-based operations, such as taxiing and waiting in a parked position prior to takeoff or after landing. This can result in excess fuel consumption and may reduce engine component life with many repeated taxi, takeoff, and landing cycles.
In a hybrid gas turbine engine, an electric motor can be available to assist the gas turbine engine operation by adding rotational force to a spool of the gas turbine engine while fuel flow to the gas turbine engine is reduced below idle or shut off. Such a configuration can result in non-intuitive control from a pilot perspective, depending on how the two energy sources, fuel and electricity, are expected to be managed through the range of aircraft operation. In some control configurations, during operations such as engine start, thrust control may not be available to the pilot.

Hybrid gas turbine engine starting control


A method of producing narrow optical pulses includes receiving first and second optical pulses having first and second widths, respectively, the second optical pulse having a delay relative to the first optical pulse, and selectively interfering the first and second optical pulses to produce a third optical pulse having a third width narrower than both said first and second widths.

In the field of optical communication, there is a pressing need to improve the capacity of optical networks and the speed of switching at reasonable cost. These are attended by the related problems of efficient retrofit to existing infrastructure, ease of maintenance, reliability, etc. The physical media of optical fibers used in current generation optical networks have a tremendous as yet untapped reserve capacity. The reasons for this involve various bottlenecks, chief among them, the slow speed of switches for optical data. To switch optical data, either the data on an optically-modulated signal must be converted to electrical modulation and switched by electrical switches or slow mechanical switches must be used. Even the latter involves the slow conversion of optical modulation into electrical signals for control of the mechanical switches. To compensate for the slowness of the conversion and switching processes, substantial parallelism must be introduced into the design of switches resulting in high cost. In either case, currently, there is no analog to the network switches used in electrical networks, where switching introduces minimal delay in the propagation of network signals.
In addition to the switching process per se, the process of generating optical signals—the modulation itself—is slow because of the rise and fall times of current optical modulators. As a result, symbols are much longer than need be, thereby limiting the bandwidth to a level substantially below the potential of the optical media.
A technique called Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) and a refinement called, Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) are currently used to increase the capacity of optical media using current modulation technology. WDM or DWDM methods increase the transmission rate by creating parallel information channels, each channel being defined by a different light frequency. Another method, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) exists in which multiple data sequences are interleaved in time-division fashion on a common medium.
WDM or DWDM methods increase the transmission rate by using parallel information channels. The information in each optical channel is carried by a different light frequency. The light frequencies of the channels are combined together and are inserted into the input of a single optical fiber. The combined light frequencies at the output of the fiber are separated into different parallel channels, one for each specific light frequency. Although DWM and DWDM has the ability increase the capacity of a fiber, the number of channels that may be defined has a practical upper limit because of the limited bandwidth of the fiber (optical properties are attuned to a narrow range of frequencies) and because of the ability of the laser sources to contain their energy in very narrow frequency bands.
In TDM, the bits of several parallel channels at the same light frequency are interleaved in a predetermined periodic order to create a single serial data stream. This method is very effective when using a buffer, which accumulates and compresses the data of several channels into a dense serial data stream of a single channel by reorganizing this data with suitable delays. However the data rate permitted by this method as well as others is still limited by the data rate and duty cycle of the light sources (DFB and DBR lasers) themselves. That is, in direct modulation, the power to the laser is switched on and off. The rate at which this can occur has a physical upper limit due to the relatively long recovery time of the lasers and it produces chromatic dispersions due to broadening of the emitted spectral line of the modulated lasers. This is caused by spontaneous emission, jittering, and shifting of the gain curve of the lasers during the current injection. Where modulation is performed in an indirect manner, the lasers are operated in a Continuous Wave (CW) mode and separate modulators perform the modulation of the beam. The modulators are usually made from interference devices such as Mach-Zender's, directional couplers and active half wave-plates combined with polarizers and analyzers. However, an electro-optical must be activated to modulate the beam; to produce phase shifts and polarization changes. Such changes involve the creation and removal of space charges, which change the density of the charge carriers within these electro-optic materials. The formation rate of the space charges is mainly dependent upon the speed and the magnitude of the applied voltage and can be on the order of sub nanoseconds. The charge removal is usually slower and is mainly dependent upon the relaxation time of these materials (lifetime of charge carriers) and can be relatively long. Accordingly, the width of the pulses and the duty cycle of the modulation are dependent limited by the long off-time of the modulators.
These same rise and fall time limitations impose similar limits on the abilities of switches to direct light along alternative pathways according to routing commands and data. At present, there are two major classes of optical switches. In one class, optical signals are converted to electrical signals, routed conventionally, and optical signals generated anew at the output. As discussed above, the process of conversion is slow and involves many parallel channels making such switches costly as well. This class of switches goes by the identifier OEO, which stands for optical-electrical-optical. A second class of switches goes by the identifier OO, which stands for optical-optical. In these switches, no conversion of optical signals to electrical signals takes place. Instead, the optical energy is routed by means of some sort of light diversion process such as a switchable mirror. In one system, micromechanical actuators or so-called MEMS motors are used to move mirrors in response to electrical routing signals. The speed of such switches is again limited by the need to process electrical signals and the slow response of energy conversion in the MEMS motors. The result is a need for multiple channels to be provided and great expense as well as delay in the speed of the signals along the selectable data routes.
At present, the highest bit rate that can be achieved is about 10 G bits per channel, which is limited by the modulation rate of the modulators, the pulse width that they produce, and the switching time of the electronic switches.
As a result of the foregoing limitations of the prior art, there is a need for reliable mechanisms for exploiting the physical potential of fiber optic media in terms of data rate, switching, and cost.


Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with providing real time closed loop control of memory access are described. According to one embodiment, a method includes accessing a memory of a computing device during real time operation of the computing device and detecting bit errors associated with the accessing of the memory. The method also includes generating a performance metric based on, at least in part, the detected bit errors during the real time operation of the computing device. The method further includes adjusting a setting of at least one timing element, of a plurality of timing elements of a physical layer of the computing device, based on the performance metric during the real time operation of the computing device to maintain a determined memory access performance.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventor(s), to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
The speed at which memory is accessed by, for example, system-on-chip (SOC) devices (e.g. in server computers or mobile telephones) has rapidly increased in recent years. In particular, double-data-rate (DDR) memory is a type of very fast computer memory that uses clock signals in a manner that allows twice the data to be transferred in the same amount of time. As the speed of the various signals involved in accessing the DDR memory has increased, the timing associated with such signals has become more sensitive and, thus, more prone to degradation. For example, subtle changes in environmental parameters including power, voltage, and temperature can greatly affect the timing of the memory accessing signals at high-speeds. Signal degradation can lead to data corruption within the memory.
Today, the timing associated with DDR memory access is typically initialized when the SOC is first powered up. During operation, if data associated with the memory becomes corrupted over time, the process of writing data to and reading data from the memory (i.e., the memory access process) has to be stopped and the memory has to be flushed to eliminate the corrupted data. The timing associated with the memory access process has to be re-initialized before resuming normal operation. Such interruptions in normal operation are inefficient and result in the reduction of SOC bandwidth and performance.

System and method for DDR memory timing acquisition and tracking