A plurality of pixel groups X(n) each comprising a plurality of pixels are set, and switched capacitor amplification parts are provided in correspondence to the pixel groups, respectively. Each of the switched capacitor amplification parts has a charge detection node to which output terminals of the transfer transistors of a corresponding pixel group X(n) are connected in common, an amplification part, a reset transistor, a first capacitance element, and a select transistor. A load part common to the switched capacitor amplification parts is provided. The load part is combined with the amplification parts of the switched capacitor amplification parts to constitute inverting amplifiers, respectively. By means of the above constitution, it is capable of obtaining a noise-reduced, high-quality image and which allows transistor count per pixel to be cut, thus allowing the pixel size to be reduced.

The present invention relates to an amplification type solid-state image pickup device and a driving method therefor. More specifically, the invention relates to an amplification type solid-state image pickup device, as well as a driving method therefor, which includes a plurality of pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element and a transfer transistor for transferring signal charge of the photoelectric conversion element, where signals derived from the individual pixels are amplified and outputted to a signal line in common to the pixels.
Generally, there has been wide-spreading an amplification type solid-state image pickup device which has a pixel part provided with an amplification function and a scanning circuit disposed around the pixel section, where pixel data is read from the pixel section by the scanning circuit. In particular, there has been known an APS (Active Pixel Sensor) type image sensor formed of CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) which is advantageous for integration of the pixel part with peripheral drive circuit and signal processing circuit.
The APS type image sensor normally includes, in one pixel, a photoelectric conversion part, an amplification part, and a pixel selection part and a reset part. Therefore, for makeup of the APS type image sensor, normally, three to four MOS transistors (Tr) are used in addition to the photoelectric conversion part formed of photodiodes (PD).
Providing three to four MOS transistors per pixel as shown above would become a constraint on reduction of the pixel size. Therefore, lately, there has been proposed a technique for reducing the number of transistors per pixel as shown in FIG. 12 (see, e.g., JP H09-46596A).
The amplification type solid-state image pickup device shown in FIG. 12 includes a plurality of pixels each made up of a photodiode 101 and a transfer transistor 102, and further includes a charge detection node 108 common to a plurality of pixels arrayed in a column direction, a reset transistor 131, an amplification transistor 132 and a select transistor 133. Between a vertical signal line 135 and the ground is interposed a constant-current load transistor 134. All the transfer transistors 102, 131, 132 and 133 are n-channel transistors, and turned ON and OFF depending on High or Low of gate driving signals, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 13, in a period T1, a gate driving signal φR(m) to be applied to the reset transistor 131 goes High level, causing the potential under the gate to become deeper, where there occurs a charge move from the charge detection node 108 to the drain side of the reset transistor 131, causing the voltage of the charge detection node 108 to be reset to the power supply voltage VDD (reset level).
In the next period T2, the gate driving signal φR(m) goes Low level, causing the reset transistor 131 to turn OFF. Meanwhile, since the gate driving signal φS(m) applied to the select transistor 133 goes High level, the reset level is read to the vertical signal line 135 via the amplification transistor 132 and the ON-state select transistor 133. In this case, the amplification transistor 132 and the constant-current load transistor 134 constitute a source follower circuit.
In the next period T3, the gate driving signal φS(m) goes Low level, causing the select transistor 133 to turn OFF. Meanwhile, since a gate driving signal φT(m, 1) applied to the transfer transistor 102 of the 1st line of the m-th row goes High level, the potential under the gate becomes deeper, so that the signal charge (electrons) stored in the photodiode 101 the 1st line of the m-th row is transferred to the charge detection node 108.
In the next period T4, the gate driving signal φT(m, 1) goes Low level, causing the transfer transistor 102 of the 1st line of the m-th row to turn OFF, while the charge detection node 108 is held at the voltage of the signal charge transfer. Meanwhile, because the gate driving signal φS(m) goes High level, a signal level of the m-th row is read to the vertical signal line 135 via the amplification transistor 132 and the ON-state select transistor 133.
After one horizontal scan period (1H period), for the pixel of the 2nd line of the m-th row, signal charge derived from the photodiode 101 of the 2nd line of the m-th row is led to the reset transistor 131, the amplification transistor 132 and the select transistor 133 via the transfer transistor 102 of the 2nd line of the m-th row. Then, operations similar to those of the foregoing T1 to T4 are performed.
In this proposed amplification type solid-state image pickup device, for example, an assumption that one common part (i.e., charge detection node 108, reset transistor 131, amplification transistor 132 and select transistor 133) is given for each two pixels is equivalent to 2.5 transistors per pixel. Also, one common part provided for each four pixels is equivalent to 1.75 transistors per pixel. Therefore, the number of transistors per pixel is reduced, as compared with a general APS image sensor comprising three to four MOS transistors per pixel.
However, with the technique of JP H09-46596A, there would arise problems as shown below. That is, given that the capacitance of the common charge detection node 108 is CFD, a charge-voltage conversion efficiency η at which signal charge Qsig derived from the photodiode 101 is converted to a voltage signal Vsig isη=G·Vsig/Qsig=G/CFD where G is the gain of the source follower circuit made up of the amplification transistor 132 and the constant-current load transistor 134, being generally smaller than 1.
As apparent from this equation, the capacitance CFD needs to be reduced in order to increase the charge-voltage conversion efficiency η. The capacitance CFD of the common charge detection node 108 is a total sum of drain-side junction capacitances of a plurality of transfer transistors 102 connected to the charge detection node 108, a gate capacitance of the amplification transistor 132, and a node-side junction capacitance of the reset transistor 131. Therefore, the capacitance CFD increases with increasing number of pixels (photodiodes 101 and transfer transistors 102) connected to a common charge detection node 108, which leads to a problem that the charge-voltage conversion efficiency η decreases.

Amplification type solid-state image pickup device driving method


A cinnamic acid amide derivative having an excellent analgesic action is disclosed herein. The cinnamic acid amide derivative shows excellent analgesic actions to not only a nociceptive pain model animal, but also a neuropathic pain model animal, which is very useful as an agent for treating various pain diseases showing acute or chronic pains or neuropathic pains. The cinnamic acid amide derivative may be a compound represented by formula (I).

"Pains" are roughly classified by causes of diseases into nociceptive pain (so-called general "pain") caused by a strong stimulus (nociceptive stimulus) that would result in damages to body tissues, and neuropathic pain, which is a disease pain resulting from an injury or malfunction of the central or peripheral nerve. This neuropathic pain causes, in addition to a spontaneous pain, a symptom such as a hyperalgesia that lowers the pain thresholds against the nociceptive stimulus and a severe pain (allodynia) caused by tactile stimulation that usually does not induce the pain. Once the morbid state is completed, it turns chronically whereby the outcome is very intractable.
At present, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), non-narcotic analgesics, narcotic analgesics, and the like are used against general "pains," so that therapeutic methods therefor have begun to be established. However, there are hardly any analgesics that can satisfy the neuropathic pains under the current situation.
As a result of intensive studies on the compounds that show effects on various pains, the present inventors have found that the cinnamic acid amide derivative of the present invention has excellent analgesic actions to not only a nociceptive pain model animal but also a neuropathic pain model animal. As cinnamic acid amide derivatives, Patent Publication 1 discloses a compound having antidepressant action and analgesic action. However, only the effects on nociceptive pains are evaluated, and actions on chronic pains such as neuropathic pains are not described at all.

Substituted cinnamic acid amides for treating pain


The temperature adjustable coating and medium and method for providing an electrically-resistant temperature-adjustable article and structure. The coating provides a continuous electrically-conductive electrically-resistive path for the application of electrical current to the coating. The electrically-resistant temperature-adjustable article consists of a surface on which a high-temperature conductive-resistive coating is bound. The surface temperature of the article along the path is thereby adjustable between ambient and 2000.degree. F. in response to electric current applied to it without oxidization destroying the electrical conductivity of the medium in temperatures above 600.degree. F. The medium possesses the high-temperature conductive-resistive quality of the coating while maintaining a clay consistency capable of being formed into various shapes without a substrate.

The present invention relates to temperature-producing conductive-resistive coating and medium, and to a method of producing a variety of articles therefrom.
There have been many attempts to produce electrically-conductive coatings such as paints. Generally, there are two types of electrically-conductive coatings. The first is a low resistivity, high conductivity paint that contains a pigmentation of metal particles while the second is a high resistivity, low conductivity paint that is formed from compositions containing carbon or graphite that oxidize at temperatures above 600.degree. F., and lose their electrically conductive ability.
Low resistivity paints have traditionally been used to provide coatings having high conductivity for connecting conductors that require a superior electrical bond with a minimum resistance. Generally, low resistivity paints cannot be applied to materials in order to produce temperature adjustable heating elements because the low resistivity paint requires a high volume of current to generate a reasonable output of heat. In contrast, the resistivity of traditional highly resistive paints is often so high that a relatively high voltage drop is required in order to generate sufficient heat. Also, the use of traditional high resistivity paints within highly elevated temperatures oxidize and lose electrical conductivity permanently. Furthermore, when either of the above-identified traditional conductive paints are applied to various substrates, cracks and flaking of the paint often develop over a period of time. Cracks and flaking of the paint coating may cause arcing and unequal power distribution sacrificing safety. Concomitantly, a breakdown in the temperature adjustable property of the coating may occur thereby causing an unequal heat distribution upon the surface of the article.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an electrically resistant temperature-adjustable conductive composition for application to a variety of substrates that can be formed into various shapes with structural integrity without a substrate to provide temperature control properties in a high temperature range without the non-continuous electrically conductive components oxidizing and losing conductivity in an oxygen atmosphere in temperatures above 600.degree. F.
It is another object of the invention to provide an electrically resistant temperature-adjustable conductive composition for application to a variety of materials wherein a thin coat of the electrically- resistant temperature-adjustable conductive composition does not inhibit the inherent flexibility of a flexible substrate to which the composition is applied therefore maintaining the structural integrity of the substrate.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an electrically resistant-temperature-adjustable conductive composition which bonds well and is capable of maintaining its integrity at high temperature ranges as a coating or as a structural material.
Other and further objects will be made known to the artisan as a result of the present disclosure and it is intended to include all such objects which are realized as a result of the disclosed invention.

Method for providing high temperature conductive-resistant coating, medium and articles


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that transparently interconnects multiple network links into a single virtual network link. During operation, a Rbridge (Rbridge) within the system receives a packet, wherein the Rbridge belongs to a set of one or more Rbridges that transparently interconnect the multiple network links into the single virtual network link. These Rbridges automatically obtain information specifying which endnodes are located on the multiple network links without the endnodes having to proactively announce their presence to the Rbridges. If a destination for the packet resides on the same virtual network link, the Rbridge routes the packet to the destination. This route can be an optimal path to the destination, and is not constrained to lie along a spanning tree through the set of Rbridges.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the design of computer networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transparently interconnecting multiple network links into what appears to be a single virtual network link.
2. Related Art
Bridges are commonly used to transparently interconnect many physical links into what appears to the Internet Protocol (IP) (or a layer 2 protocol) to be a single LAN. However, this transparency is bought at a price. It requires the topology on which traffic is forwarded to be a tree. This causes traffic concentration on links that were chosen for the spanning tree. It also causes suboptimal paths.
In addition, bridge forwarding can be dangerous. There is no hop count in the header, and worse yet, bridges forward onto multiple ports (when the location of the destination is unknown), and multiple bridges might choose to forward a packet seen on a link. This causes exponential proliferation of packets. As a result, bridges need to be conservative about forwarding onto new links, in order to avoid temporary loops. The spanning tree as originally designed used a timer to avoid temporary loops (see Perlman, R., "A Protocol for Distributed Computation of a Spanning Tree in an Extended LAN", 9th Data Communications Symposium, Vancouver, 1985). Since then various optimizations have been proposed, such as making a special case of ports for which the neighbor is known to be an endnode (rather than another switch). If the assumption is correct that the neighbor is an endnode, there is no danger of loops by immediately starting to forward on that port.
Given the possibility of exponential proliferation during temporary loops, the spanning tree technique can become unstable. Attempts to make it less conservative in order to forward more quickly are likely to increase the number of such incidents. In a distributed technique, there is no way, based on totally local information, for a bridge to know it is safe to start forwarding onto a new link. And even if such a technique were to be devised, a component such as a repeater can cause a loop which bridges would not be able to prevent.
So why not simply use routing? The IP protocol (v4) is pretty much universal. However, it is not universal. There are other layer 3 protocols that are in use, and there are some protocols, such as intermediate system-to-intermediate system (IS-IS), or local area transport (LAT), which work directly over layer 2.
Even if the IP protocol were universal, however, it has a disadvantage. IP routes only to links. Each link is assigned an address prefix, and all IP nodes on that link must have an IP address with that prefix, and any node not on that link must have an IP address that does not start with that prefix. That means that a node that has multiple links must have multiple addresses, and a node that moves from one link to another must change its address.
Note that for the purposes of this disclosure, IPv6 is sufficiently similar to IPv4 that throughout this disclosure "IP" is intended to mean both IPv4 and IPv6. Differences such as the use of the "neighbor discovery" protocol for IPv6 vs. ARP for IPv4 are straightforward translations of functionality.
Another disadvantage of IP routing is that it requires configuration. It has improved over the years with the addition of protocols such as the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). However, the routers need to be configured with prefixes for the links. There have been proposals for having routers within a campus, given a prefix, automatically subdivide the prefix into link-specific prefixes, so that each link within a "campus" would automatically have its own unique prefix within the shorter campus-wide prefix. This approach avoids configuration of the routers, but still has disadvantages:                a node that moves within the campus must change its address;        a node that has attachments to multiple links must have multiple addresses; and        it is wasteful of IP addresses, since it is impractical to make sure that every link is fully populated (makes full use of its prefix).
The ConnectionLess Network Protocol (CLNP) is a protocol similar to IP (see "Protocol for Providing the OSI Connectionless-Mode Network Service", ISO 8473). However, unlike IP, in CLNP there is no link-specific prefix. Instead there is the concept of "level 1 routing" within an area. An area may contain many links. All nodes within the area share the same prefix. A node with multiple links within the area can have a single layer 3 address, and a node that moves within the area need not change its layer 3 address. CLNP could do this because all CLNP endnodes implemented a protocol known as the End-System-to-Intermediate-System (ES-IS) protocol. The ES-IS protocol has endnodes periodically announce themselves, to an address listened to by the routers, so that all the routers on the link know which endnodes are on that link, and can detect (based on no longer receiving ES Hello messages) when an endnode has gone down or moved.
Because of the ES-IS protocol, an area can have an arbitrary physical topology and routers can route to endnodes using a shortest path technique. Unfortunately, IP endnodes cannot be relied upon to do any such announcements.
Hence, what is needed is a method and an apparatus for transparently interconnecting multiple network links into what appears to be a single virtual network link without the problems described above.

System using routing bridges to transparently interconnect multiple network links to form a single virtual network link


An aqueous titanium oxide-dispersed sol comprising titanium oxide particles dispersed in water, said sol comprising chloride ions in an amount of 50 to 10,000 ppm by weight as the chlorine element. Titanium tetrachloride is hydrolyzed to form an aqueous titanium oxide-dispersed sol and the chloride ion concentration thereof is controlled. Another aqueous titanium oxide-dispersed sol comprising brookite-type titanium oxide particles dispersed in water, said titanium oxide particles having an average particle size of not more than 0.5 μm and a specific surface area of not less than 20 m2/g. Addition of titanium tetrachloride to hot water at 75 to 100° C. followed by hydrolysis at 75° C. to the boiling point of the mixture.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an aqueous titanium oxide-dispersed sol, a titanium oxide film formed on a substrate of a ceramic, a synthetic resin or the like from said sol, specific titanium oxide particles, and a process for preparing an aqueous titanium oxide-dispersed sol. The titanium oxide film of the present invention is transparent and is excellent in photocatalytic activity and adhesion to a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that titanium dioxide (hereinafter simply referred to as "titanium oxide") has three crystal phases, the anatase, the brookite and the rutile type. When titanium oxide is formed by combustion of titanium tetrachloride with oxygen in a vapor phase deposition process, anatase-type titanium oxide is formed and is stable at the lowest temperature. When the thus formed anatase-type titanium oxide is heat treated and the temperature is raised, brookite-type titanium oxide is formed at a temperature of 816 to 1040° C. and rutile-type titanium oxide is formed at a temperature higher than 1040° C.
Concerning a liquid process, the crystal phases of titanium oxide formed by hydrolysis of titanium tetrachloride are reported in detail by Kouemon Funaki in "Kogyo Kagaku (Industrial Chemistry)" Vol. 59, No. 11, pl295. This report concluded that rutile-type titanium oxide is formed mainly from a high concentration solution and anatase-type titanium oxide is formed from a low concentration solution. It was reported that formation of fine brookite-type titanium oxide particles in an liquid phase process was impossible.
As seen from the above, it was difficult to stably produce brookite-type titanium oxide in a liquid phase process. If the titanium oxide formed in a heated process is further heat treated at a high temperature, brookite-type titanium oxide may be obtained but the obtained titanium oxide particles have been grown by the heat treatment. Therefore, it was difficult to obtain fine brookite-type titanium oxide crystal particles.
As for the process for forming a titanium oxide sol, it is generally true that crystalline or amorphous titanium oxide particles are dispersed in a dispersing medium, or a titanium oxide precursor such as methane alkoxide, titanium sulfate or titanium tetrachloride is mixed into a dispersing medium, followed by neutralization or hydrolysis of the precursor, to form a titanium oxide sol.
A titanium oxide sol is used for producing titanium oxide particles or for forming a titanium oxide film by coating the sol on a glass or ceramic.
It is known that a titanium oxide sol is a photosemiconductor and has a transparency and an increased photocatalytic activity when its particle size is small. The photocatalytic activity of titanium oxide has recently been investigated thoroughly. The applications of the photocatalytic activity include removing harmful materials for cleaning, removing odor such as ammonia for deodorization, and sterilization of microorganisms. Titanium oxide is used in various forms such as a bulk, particles, a film and a sol, depending on the types of the applications. When the photocatalytic activity is to be combined with the transparency, the titanium oxide is often formed as a film. Accordingly, the titanium oxide is often used in the form of a sol for forming a film.
It is recognized that the photocatalytic activity of titanium oxide is higher in the rutile-type than in the anatase-type. The reason is a difference of energy gap of about 0.2 eV between the two types, as the energy gap of the rutile-type is 3.02 eV and that of the anatase is 3.23 eV (see Ceramics 31 (1996), No. 10, p 817). Because of this energy gap, the anatase-type titanium oxide is preferably used as a photosemiconductor.
As of the brookite-type titanium oxide, a pure material of brookite-type titanium oxide has not been obtained, and it was difficult to obtain fine particles of brookite-type titanium oxide having such a high specific surface area that they can be used as a photosemiconductor since the particles of brookite-type titanium oxide are prepared at such a high temperature that they are sintered.
It has been proposed that when a titanium oxide film is formed on an illuminator, for example, a glass tube of a fluorescent lump or a cover thereof, by coating it with a titanium oxide sol, organic materials such as oil smoke, when adhered thereto, are decomposed by the photocatalytic activity of the titanium oxide.
However, the sols produced by the processes described before rarely provide a titanium oxide film having a high transparency and an illuminator having a brookite-type titanium oxide film as the photocatalyst has not been known.
When a titanium oxide film is used as the photocatalyst by forming it on a glass, plastic or other substrate, it is required that the titanium oxide film has a high photocatalytic activity. Since the photocatalyst action is a reaction on the surface of particles, the particles should be fine particles having a high specific surface area and have an excellent crystillinity to obtain a high photocatalytic activity. It is also required that the film is transparent when the film is applied to an illuminator. To improve the transparency, it is desired that the particles are fine and monodispersed, as in the case of improving photocatalytic activity. Conventionally, the anatase-type titanium oxide is used and is made fine to solve the above problems.
It is also required that the titanium oxide film have a high adhesivity and peeling of the titanium oxide film should be prevented when it is formed on a substrate.
In the conventional process of hydrolyzing titanium tetrachloride, it was difficult to obtain a titanium oxide sol having a very small particle size and an excellent crystallinity of the titanium oxide particles in the sol and providing a high transparency when formed into a film.
In the process of hydrolyzing titanium alkoxide, the particles of the obtained titanium oxide sol are excellent in powder characteristics including very fine particle size, but the sol includes alcohol, which involves a safety problem that explosion may be caused when the sol is heated to form a titanium film. To prevent the explosion, a large scale apparatus for preventing the explosion is required and it is economically disadvantageous. Further, titanium alkoxide is much more expensive than titanium tetrachloride.
The object of the present invention is to provide a titanium oxide sol which can provide, on a substrate, a titanium oxide film excellent in photocatalytic activity and transparency as well as adhesion to the substrate, and to provide fine brookite-type titanium oxide particles.

Particles, aqueous dispersion and film of titanium oxide, and preparation thereof


A fermentation product of sesame with antioxidative properties is provided. This product is useful for use as a food. The fermented sesame is produced by digesting crushed raw whole seed sesame with an enzyme derived from Rhizopus oligosporus, followed by lactic acid fermentation.

This invention relates to a fermentation product of sesame seeds and functional foods utilizing antioxidative properties of the sesame fermentation product.
Sesame is a traditional plant whose seeds have been used as a spice and as a source of oil. Recently, sesame is attracting attention of food-faddists for its excellency as a source of essential fatty acids such as linolic acid and essential amino acids such as methionine.
In spite of such merits as a food, it has been rather difficult to process the sesame seeds into a food which can be easily eaten, and in particular, fermentation of the sesame seeds into a digestible food product has been quite difficult due to the lower content of pentose and hexiose in comparison with the higher content of proteins. So far, there is no known fermentation product of the sesame seeds.

Fermented sesame having antioxidative properties, and food containing the same


The present invention translation verification system and method verifies code fragment translations and/or optimizations that are bounded by externally observable information.

Electronic devices and systems have made a significant contribution towards the advancement of modern society and are utilized in a number of applications to achieve advantageous results. Numerous electronic technologies such as digital computers, calculators, audio devices, video equipment, and telephone systems have facilitated increased productivity and reduced costs in analyzing and communicating data, ideas and trends in most areas of business, science, education and entertainment. These electronic devices often include processors that perform instructions included in software code. In some processing architectures software code is translated and/or optimized. However, translation and/or optimization procedures is typically a formidable task that is susceptible to errors and a high likelihood of producing incorrect translated and/or optimized versions of the instructions.


A control device has an electronic control unit and at least one proportional solenoid valve with a solenoid and a valve body. A plastic matrix is provided in which the valve body is at least partly embedded for securing the solenoid at the valve body. The control device is manufactured by introducing the electronic control unit and at least one solenoid into the first half of an injection mold. The at least one valve body is introduced into the second half of the injection mold. The first and second halves of the injection mold are then advanced toward one another such that the solenoid and the valve body are assembled to a proportional valve. A plastic material is then injected into the injection mold to form the plastic matrix for securing the solenoid at the valve body.

The present invention relates to a control device, especially for a transmission of a motor vehicle, comprising an electronic control unit which has connected thereto at least one proportional solenoid valve comprised of a solenoid and a valve body. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a control device with the aforementioned features.
Such control devices are used in connection with automatic transmissions of motor vehicles and have proportional valves for improving the driving comfort. These proportional valves are mounted as individual components or are introduced as a combined hydraulic block. The proportional solenoid valves however must realize a very precise reproducible characteristic line so that the manufacture of such control devices is complicated and expensive.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to embody a control device of the aforementioned kind as well as a manufacturing method for it such that a simple, inexpensive manufacture is possible.

Control device, especially for a transmission of a motor vehicle, as well as a method for manufacturing such a control device

Hydraulik-Ring Antriebs- und Steuerungtechnik GmbH


A surveillance camera has a housing, a photographic lens installed in the housing, and an adjustment mechanism connected to the photographic lens. The photographic lens has a first adjustable lens for adjusting distance, and a second adjustable lens for adjusting focal length. A distance adjustment ring is coupled to the first adjustable lens, and a focal length adjustment ring is coupled to the second adjustable lens. The adjustment mechanism has a support, a first adjustment screw, and a second adjustment screw. A first adjustment ring installed on the distance adjustment ring of the photographic lens has teeth corresponding to threading of the first adjustment screw, and a second adjustment ring installed on the focal length adjustment ring of the photographic lens has teeth corresponding to threading of the second adjustment screw.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surveillance cameras, and more particularly, to a surveillance camera with an adjustment mechanism for adjusting distance and focal length of a photographic lens in the surveillance camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 8, which is a diagram of a surveillance camera according to the prior art. The surveillance camera comprises a housing 40. The front end of the housing 40 has a front opening 41, and the rear end of the housing 40 has a rear opening 42. A seal 43 is installed at the rear opening 42, a lens cover 44 is installed at the front opening 41, and a photographic lens 45 is installed in the housing 40 behind the lens cover 44.
The surveillance camera can be fixed at an appropriate position, and the photographic lens 45 can be adjusted to an optimum distance and focal length.
However, the surveillance camera is typically installed in a location relatively high above the ground. Thus, when the distance and focal length of the photographic lens 45 require adjustment, the lens cover 44 is first removed, after which a worker can attempt to refocus the photographic lens 45 by reaching through the front opening 41 into the housing 40 to adjust the distance and focal length of the lens by turning appropriate adjustment rings of the lens.
The photographic lens 45 and the housing 40 are only separated by a marginal gap. Therefore, it is very tedious and difficult for the worker to adjust the distance and focal length of the photographic lens 45, and when the distance and focal length of the photographic lens 45 need to be adjusted finely, the difficulty increases. Thus, it is difficult to adjust the distance and focal length of the photographic lens of the surveillance camera of the prior art, and fine adjustment is very difficult.

Surveillance camera with lens adjustment mechanism


An image sensor module is provided. The image sensor module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), an image sensor chip disposed on a first plane of the PCB and electrically connected to the PCB, and an image signal processing chip disposed on the first plane of the PCB and electrically connected to the PCB. An aspect ratio of the image signal processing chip is at least two times greater than an aspect ratio of the image sensor chip. A minimum feature size of a metal line implemented in the image sensor chip is at least 1.5 times greater than a minimum feature size of a metal line implemented in the image signal processing chip.

The present invention relates to an image sensor module, and more particularly, to an image sensor module including an image sensor chip and an image signal processing chip which are manufactured using complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes having different minimum feature sizes, a method of manufacturing the image sensor module, and an image processing system including the same.
Image sensors may be largely divided into charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors and CMOS image sensors. CMOS image sensors are manufactured using a CMOS process and convert an optical signal into an electrical signal. CMOS image sensors are simpler to operate than CCD image sensors. In addition, CMOS image sensors can be miniaturized and manufactured at low cost since circuits for processing electrical signals output from pixels are integrated into a single chip using the CMOS process and have an advantage of low power consumption.
Due to such advantages of the CMOS process, methods of integrating all of a pixel array, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converting an analog signal output from the pixel array into a digital signal, and an image signal processor (ISP) performing image signal processing of the digital signal output from the ADC into a single chip have recently been used.
However, when a CMOS image sensor and an ISP are implemented on one chip using one substrate, digital noise occurring in the ISP may affect the CMOS image sensor.

Image sensor modules, methods of manufacturing the same, and image processing systems including the image sensor modules


Methods and systems are disclosed using camera devices for deep channel and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) images and formats. In one example, image values are captured by a color sensor array in an image capturing device or camera. The image values provide color channel data. The captured image values by the color sensor array are input to a CNN having at least one CNN layer. The CNN provides CNN channel data for each layer. The color channel data and CNN channel data is to form a deep channel image that stored in a memory. In another example, image values are captured by sensor array. The captured image values by the sensor array are input a CNN having a first CNN layer. An output is generated at the first CNN layer using the captured image values by the color sensor array. The output of the first CNN layer is stored as a feature map of the captured image.

Current parallel graphics data processing includes systems and methods developed to perform specific operations on graphics data such as, for example, linear interpolation, tessellation, rasterization, texture mapping, depth testing, etc. Traditionally, graphics processors used fixed function computational units to process graphics data; however, more recently, portions of graphics processors have been made programmable, enabling such processors to support a wider variety of operations for processing vertex and fragment data.
To further increase performance, graphics processors typically implement processing techniques such as pipelining that attempt to process, in parallel, as much graphics data as possible throughout the different parts of the graphics pipeline. Parallel graphics processors with single instruction, multiple thread (SIMT) architectures are designed to maximize the amount of parallel processing in the graphics pipeline. In an SIMT architecture, groups of parallel threads attempt to execute program instructions synchronously together as often as possible to increase processing efficiency. A general overview of software and hardware for SIMT architectures can be found in Shane Cook, CUDA Programming Chapter 3, pages 37-51 (2013).
Machine learning has been successful at solving many kinds of tasks. The computations that arise when training and using machine learning algorithms (e.g., neural networks) lend themselves naturally to efficient parallel implementations. Accordingly, parallel processors such as general-purpose graphic processing units (GPGPUs) have played a significant role in the practical implementation of deep neural networks. Parallel graphics processors with single instruction, multiple thread (SIMT) architectures are designed to maximize the amount of parallel processing in the graphics pipeline. In an SIMT architecture, groups of parallel threads attempt to execute program instructions synchronously together as often as possible to increase processing efficiency. The efficiency provided by parallel machine learning algorithm implementations allows the use of high capacity networks and enables those networks to be trained on larger datasets.
One type of neural network is the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which can perform deep machine learning. The nodes in the CNN input layer are organized into a set of "filters," which can act as feature detectors. The output of each set of filters is propagated to nodes in successive layers of the network. CNN is thus useful in computer vision and image recognition applications because of its feature detection abilities. CNN processing, however, can be process and computational intensive at each layer for image detection and processing applications. Furthermore, image capturing devices such as a digital camera are not readily integrated with deep machine learning capabilities on captured images. Thus, what is needed is an image capturing device integrated with a CNN that can provide deep machine learning feature detection capability during the image capturing process as well as reduce CNN computation at the layer level.

Methods and systems using camera devices for deep channel and convolutional neural network images and formats


A method for producing a lubricant base oil, the method comprising a first step of fractionating, from a hydrocarbon oil containing a base oil fraction and a heavy fraction that is heavier than the base oil fraction, the base oil fraction and the heavy fraction, and a second step of obtaining a dewaxed oil by isomerization and dewaxing of the base oil fraction fractionated in the first step, wherein a hydrocracked oil obtained by hydrocracking the heavy fraction fractionated in the first step is returned to the first step.

Among petroleum products, for example, lubricant, gas oil, and jet fuel are products in which importance is placed on cold flow property. Consequently, it is desirable that the base oil used for these products is such that its wax component, such as a normal paraffin or a slightly branched isoparaffin, which is a factor in deterioration of cold flow property, has been completely or partially removed, or converted into a component other than a wax component.
An example of a known dewaxing technique for removing the wax component from a hydrocarbon oil is a method in which the wax component is extracted using a solvent such as liquefied propane or MEK. However, this method suffers from the problem which is, for example that operating costs are high, the types of feedstock that can be used are limited, and the product yield is limited by the type of feedstock.
On the other hand, an example of a known dewaxing technique for converting the wax component in a hydrocarbon oil into a non-wax component is isomerization and dewaxing, in which the hydrocarbon oil is brought into contact with, in the presence of hydrogen, a bifunctional hydroisomerization catalyst capable of hydrogenation-dehydrogenation and isomerization, thereby isomerizing normal paraffins in the hydrocarbon oil to isoparaffins (e.g., Patent Literature 1).


A reel assembly comprised of a core having threaded ends and end flanges attached to the threaded ends. The flanges are adapted to be attached to or removed from the threaded ends of the core for retaining the material rolled onto the core. A locking web is provided on the flanges and a locking tab is provided on the core to hold the flanges securely to the core when the reel is to be used. The locking mechanism comprises a locking tab having an inclined edge disposed to extend out from each end of the core and a mating web including an inclined edge disposed on the flanges. When the flanges are fully threaded onto the core, the inclined edge of the web engages the inclined edge of the tab to prevent inadvertent unthreading.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reels for storing hose, cable, wire and the like, and more particularly to a molded plastic reel having a core section and two end flange sections which can be releasably connected to the ends of the core.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many reels available for holding hose, cable, wire or the like. Most of these reels are constructed of wood or metal or both. A major problem with the prior art wooden or metal reels is that they are heavy and cannot be easily disassembled for shipping. Consequently, they cannot nest easily with one another, and because of their weight, shipping costs are increased. Furthermore, these prior art reels are not recyclable as is the case with objects made of certain types of plastics.
It is, of course, much easier for shipping and handling if the flanges and cores remain separate until they are ready to be used. Although reels are available that can be knocked down where the end flanges are removed for shipping, known reels have major disadvantages. Some knockdown reels, for example, include a threaded connection between the core and the flanges where the flanges may be inadvertently loosened and removed. Structures used to prevent this unintentional removal have been very complicated and difficult to use.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved reel assembly.


Method and apparatus for coding a block of video data using palette coding in a video coding are disclosed. According to one embodiment, whether there is only one single palette index in the current block is determined first. If there is only one single palette index in the current block, signaling a current palette index map for the current block is omitted at an encoder side or parsing any syntax for decoding the current palette index map for the current block is omitted at a decoder side. The decision regarding whether there is only one single palette index in the current block is based on one or more syntax elements not corresponding to palette index coding.

High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) is a new coding standard that has been developed in recent years. In the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) system, the fixed-size macroblock of H.264/AVC is replaced by a flexible block, named coding unit (CU). Pixels in the CU share the same coding parameters to improve coding efficiency. A CU may begin with a largest CU (LCU), which is also referred as coded tree unit (CTU) in HEVC. In addition to the concept of coding unit, the concept of prediction unit (PU) is also introduced in HEVC. Once the splitting of CU hierarchical tree is done, each leaf CU is further split into one or more prediction units (PUs) according to prediction type and PU partition. Several coding tools for screen content coding have been developed. These tools related to the present invention are briefly reviewed as follow.
Palette Coding
During the development of HEVC screen content coding (SCC), several proposals have been disclosed to address palette-based coding. For example, a palette prediction and sharing technique is disclosed in JCTVC-N0247 (Guo et al., "RCE3: Results of Test 3.1 on Palette Mode for Screen Content Coding", Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, 14th Meeting: Vienna, AT, 25 Jul.-2 Aug. 2013 Document: JCTVC-N0247) and JCTVC-00218 (Guo et al., "Evaluation of Palette Mode Coding on HM-12.0+RExt-4.1", Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, 15th Meeting: Geneva, CH, 23 Oct.-1 Nov. 2013, Document: JCTVC-00218). In JCTVC-N0247 and JCTVC-00218, the palette of each color component is constructed and transmitted. The palette can be predicted (or shared) from its left neighboring CU to reduce the bitrate. All pixels within the given block are then coded using their palette indices. An example of encoding process according to JCTVC-N0247 is shown as follows.                1. Transmission of the palette: the color index table (also called palette table) size is first transmitted followed by the palette elements (i.e., color values).        2. Transmission of pixel values: the pixels in the CU are encoded in a raster scan order. For each group of one or more pixels, a flag for a run-based mode is first transmitted to indicate whether the "copy-index mode" or "copy-above mode" is being used.        2.1 "Copy-index mode": In this run-based mode, a respective palette index is first signaled followed by a respective run value "palette_run" (e.g., M) representing the run value. The "copy-index mode" is also referred as "index" mode in some literature. The term "palette_run" may also be referred as "pixel_run" or simply "run" in this disclosure. The run value indicates that a total of M consecutive samples are all coded using run mode. No further information needs to be transmitted for the current position and the following M positions since they have the same palette index as that signaled in the bitstream. The palette index (e.g., i) may also be shared by all three color components, which means that the reconstructed pixel values are (Y, U, V)=(paletteY[i], paletteU[i], paletteV[i]) for the case of YUV color space.                    2.2 "Copy-above mode": In the copy-above mode, a respective value "palette_run" (e.g. N) is transmitted to indicate that for the current pixel and the following N pixels, the palette index is the same as the corresponding palette index in the row above.                        3. Transmission of residue: the palette indices transmitted in Stage 2 are converted back to pixel values and used as the prediction. Residue information is transmitted using HEVC residual coding and is added to the prediction for the reconstruction.
FIGS. 1A-C illustrate an exemplary of palette index map and palette index map coding according to screen content coding test model 2.0 (SCM-2.0). FIG. 1A illustrates a palette index map with palette indices 0 through 3 for palette colors and palette index 4 for Escape samples. The index corresponding to Escape samples is also referred as an Escape index in this disclosure. FIG. 1B illustrates palate index map coding according to SCM-2.0, where "copy-index mode" is applied to four groups (110, 120, 130 and 140) of the indices in the first row with "palette_runs" corresponding to 3, 1, 2, and 6. FIG. 1C illustrates an example of palette index map coding for the second row, wherein "copy-above mode" is applied to the first group of samples (150) and "copy-index mode" is applied to the next two groups (160 and 170) with runs corresponding to 8, 1 and 4.
Both the copy-index mode and copy-above mode are referred as "copy modes" in this disclosure. In the copy-index mode, the palette index of the leading pixel of the copy-index coded pixels is transmitted. The number of the copy-index coded pixels is also transmitted. At the decoder side, after determining the coding mode (i.e., copy-index mode) for the underlying pixels, only the information of the palette index of the leading pixel and the number of the copy-index coded pixels are needed to reconstruct the copy-index coded pixels. The pixels following the leading pixel can be reconstructed by "copying" from the predictor (i.e., the pixel on the left). The pixel value can be reconstructed using the palette table. In the copy-above mode, no palette index related to the predictors (i.e., the above pixels) needs to be transmitted since the above pixels have been reconstructed. The current pixels can be "copied" from the above pixels.
Palette Table Signaling
In the palette coding mode adopted in Screen context coding test model 2 (SCM-2.0, Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC) of ITU-T SG 16 WP 3 and ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11, 18th Meeting: Sapporo, JP, 30 Jun.-9 Jul. 2014, Document: JCTVC-R1014), a palette predictor table is used to store previously coded/decoded palette colors such that they can be utilized as predictor for the palettes of subsequent blocks. When the decoder decodes the bitstream, the palette colors of the first palette-coded block will be stored in the palette predictor table. The next palette-coded block can use colors from this stored table as a palette predictor. For these colors not predicted by the palette predictor, new colors in its palette will be signaled. To reconstruct the palette of the current block, the syntax for reconstructing the palette is disclosed in SCM-2.0 and one example is shown as following.
Step 1: Signaling or Parsing the Palette.
In this step, the palette is signaled at the encoder side and reconstructed at the decoder side by first checking whether the palette_sharing flag (i.e., palette_sharing_flag) is set. If the palette_sharing_flag is set (i.e., having a value of 1), the current palette is the same as the palette of the previous block. Otherwise, the palette is reconstructed according to a palette updating procedure. An example of syntax structure for reconstructing the palette is shown below.
Parse 'palette_sharing_flag'
If 'palette_sharing_flag' is equal to 1, current palette is the same as the previous block's palette
Otherwise,                Parse 'reuse_flags', to indicate which elements in the palette predictor table are reused in the current palette.        Parse 'num_signalled_palette', to indicate the number of new palette colors needs to be decoded for the current palette        Loop over 'num_signalled_palette', parse the palette color values
Step 2. Signaling or Parsing the Color Index Map.
After the palette is signaled or reconstructed, the color index map is signaled at the encoder side or reconstructed at the decoder side using the reconstructed the palette and coded color indices as follows. The color index map is also referred as palette index map or index map in this disclosure.                Parse 'scan order' to indicate whether hor-traverse or ver-traverse        Parse 'block_level_escape_flag' to indicate whether there is ESCAPE samples 'new run mode' or 'copy above mode'        If 'copy index mode', parse 'index'                    If index=ESCAPE, parse ESCAPE sample value            If index!=ESCAPE, parse 'run' to indicate the number samples with the same index                        If 'copy above mode', parse 'run' to indicate the number samples with the same indices as the directly above samples
It is desired to further improve the coding efficiency of color index map coding.

Method of palette index signaling for image and video coding


A method to selectively cap interconnects with indium or tin bronzes and copper oxides thereof is provided. The invention also provides the interconnect and copper surfaces so formed.

It is desirable to selectively cap copper interconnects with an alloy coating to provide improved adhesion, electromigration resistance, redundant current-strapping, improved via contact resistance, robustness, and corrosion protection. The capping must be highly selective, specifically plating only the copper wiring, so as not to require expensive and critical lithography and etching to define the cap over the interconnect and to remove it from the spaces between interconnects. Cu on-chip contacts (e.g. wire bond or C4 pads) need similar capping for robust, corrosion-resistant terminal metallurgical contact. Previously, this problem has been addressed by electroless or alloy-formed selective capping (e.g. by electroless CoP/Au, NiP/Au, or PVD-deposited In or Sn with alloying reactions to the Cu) followed by selective wet-etching. These solutions are subject to shorting across very finely-spaced interconnects. A selective process which solves this problem is the immersion (autocatalytic exchange) replacement of Cu surface atoms with Sn or other species. The Cu/Sn/O system is resistant to oxidation only to ˜300° C. The Cu/In/O system of the invention is more highly resistant, with stability extending to temperatures in excess of 400° C.
In immersion (or chemical displacement) coating, the substrate, usually a metal, is coated with a film (usually metallic) from a solution that contains the coating material in ionic form. The immersion coating process does not require a separate reducing agent as in electroless or auto catalytic deposition, or electric current as in electroplating. Rather, the substrate metal acts as the reducing agent, for example as when iron (Fe) is immersed in a copper sulfate solution:Cu2++Fe→Cu+Fe2+
Here, Fe supplies electrons to the Cu ions, reducing them to zerovalent Cu, which coats the Fe substrate. The resultant Fe2+ ions dissolve into solution. The deposition of Cu and Fe is straightforward in that the standard electrochemical potential for Cu/Cu2+ couple (0.34 V vs. the normal hydrogen electrode) is greater than that of the Fe/Fe2+ (−0.44 V vs. the normal hydrogen electrode); since Cu is more "noble", or thermodynamically "inert" with respect to Fe, it may be said to have a greater driving force than Fe for residing in an zerovalent state. Thus, when uncomplexed Cu2+ ions encounter Fe metal, the Cu2+ ions spontaneously oxidize the Fe to Fe2+ forming zerovalent Cu, which remains on the Fe surface as a film.
The deposit thickness obtained by immersion coating is limited, since the coating metal covers the base substrate, thereby preventing access of the coating ions in solution (Cu2+ ions in solution), and removal of the base substrate product ions (Fe2+ in our example). Typically, coating thicknesses are in the range of 10–1000 mm.
Relatively few metals can be deposited by an immersion process, mainly because of standard potential mismatch. A well-known example is immersion deposition of tin on copper (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,282,511). However, the standard potential of Sn/Sn2+ (−0.137 V vs. the normal hydrogen electrode, NHE) is less than either the Cu/Cu2+ (0.34 V vs. NHE) or the Cu/Cu+ (0.51 V), indicating that Cu would tend to immersion deposit on Sn, but not Sn on Cu. Nevertheless, by complexing the Cu+ ions a solution with a complexant such as cyanide or thiourea (often known as thiocarbamide), one can lower the standard potential of the Cu/Cu+ couple below that of Sn/Sn2+. Thus, Sn now has a spontaneous tendency to immersion deposit on Cu.
The standard potential of the In/In3+ couple is −0.34 V (NHE), and −0.126 V (NHE) for In/In+. However, the only stable In ion in aqueous solutions is In3+. The In/In3+ couple potential (−0.34 V (NHE)) is ca. 0.2 V more negative than the of Sn/Sn2+ (−0.137 V (NHE)), which indicates that In should be more difficult than Sn to deposit on Cu by an immersion process from solution. Immersion and/or electroless plating baths are known in the art. Bokisa et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,211) describe one such bath that differs from the present invention in that it specifically does not contain thiourea and whereas the bath of the present invention contains sulfuric acid, Bokissa et al. recite the use of fluoboric and alkane or alkanol sulfonic acids. Sricharoenchaikit et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,911) specifically require the use of low metal ion concentrations from 1 to 10 millimolar, whereas the present invention operates in the range of from about 65 to about 200 millimolar. The reference specifically recites the disadvantages of hypophosphite and alkali metals, both of which are recited in the present invention. The chemical displacement solution of King et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,751) requires, in addition to an ionic solution of the plating metal, the presence of a source of the free metal in contact with the solution. This is a disadvantage not present in the present invention. Holtzman et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,894) describe a chemical displacement composition suitable for the deposition of a layer of tin or indium. The plating solution of Senda et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,459) requires titanium salts many of which are regulated by the Toxic Substances Control Act and are likely to present disposal issues. However, each of these described systems is limited to plating a layer of metal. The problem of plating a layer of alloy was not addressed by the prior art.
As the standard and best known method for fabricating Cu interconnects is the Damascene or dual-Damascene process with electroplated Cu fill, this leaves Cu interconnects encapsulated on three sides with a refractory liner, but exposed on the top surfaces after chemical-mechanical planarization. If the top surface could also be capped with a highly adhesive, corrosion-resistant metal, then reliability would be improved, and as well there would be more freedom in the choices for subsequent processing steps, which might attack or corrode exposed Cu and could not be used in the uncapped case. It is thus desirable to selectively cap Cu interconnects with indium or tin bronze or oxides and to provide a method of controllably and selectively depositing the In or Sn bronze in very thin layers only on the exposed surfaces of Cu interconnects. Such undesired coating on the insulating surfaces between the interconnects would lead to unwanted electrical shorts. To eliminate these shorts, either an additional masking step and etching, or a selective etching step without masking would be required to removed this undesired In or Sn coating.
Due to the existence and commercial availability of an immersion Sn plating bath for Cu, the immersion-plated Cu/Sn/Au ternary system is known, and was studied here specifically for the new application of terminal wire bond metallurgy on Cu interconnects. The Au is necessary to prevent native Sn oxides from preventing good wire bonding by the thermal/ultrasonic ball-bonding or wedge-bonding techniques. The Cu—Sn—Au ternary compound layer has been investigated as a protective layer covering Cu interconnects for wire bonding, and for probe damage resistance, oxidation resistance, and as a Cu diffusion barrier. The proposed compound layer is formed by selective immersion Sn coating on Cu terminal pads formed by the Damascene process during the normal course of Cu interconnect fabrication, followed by immersion (and/or electroless) Au coating and appropriate annealing steps. RBS analysis has been used to follow the reaction products of the ternary system. The initial thickness of Sn and Au layers investigated ranges from a few tens to a few thousands of angstroms. Gold wire bonding evaluation on the Au—Sn—Cu ternary was promising. A diffusion barrier experiment performed at 400° C., in forming gas did also yield an encouraging result. However, RBS (FIG. 4) and Auger (FIG. 5) data after subsequent aggressive corrosion stressing indicated that the system allows Cu penetration through the alloy and Sn oxide to the surface, for sustained temperatures above approximately 300–350° C. This result is consistent with published studies (D. N. Wang, A. C. Miller, and M. R. Notis, "XPS Study of the Oxidation Behavior of the Cu3Sn Intermetallic Compound at Low Temperatures" Surface and Interface Analysis, 24, 127 (1996)) of Cu(Sn) alloy thin films. Thus the Cu(Sn, O) system may be applicable for many types of chips or packages with Cu thin film wiring, but might be unsuitable for capping Cu interconnects in the more aggressive processing technologies, where temperature cycling to approximately 400° C. is routinely employed during the fabrication process.

Method to selectively cap interconnects with indium or tin bronzes and/or oxides thereof and the interconnect so capped

International Business Machines Corporation


A multiple size socket is provided with a base, a socket body, and a positioning unit. The base is provided with a connecting portion, two pivot portions and a pivot hole formed in each of the pivot portions. The socket body is pivoted between the two pivot portions and includes a plurality of engaging cavities and an inserting hole aligned with the two pivot holes. The positioning unit is inserted in the two pivot holes and the inserting hole. The engaging cavities are different in size and shape from one another, so that the socket is capable of driving different sized fasteners.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket, and more particularly to a multiple size socket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows a conventional socket 11 which includes an engaging cavity 111 for engaging with a fastener, such as screw or nut (not shown), and a connecting portion 112 for engaging with an engaging portion 121 of a hand tool 12, so that turning the hand tool 12 can perform screwing and unscrewing operation.
However, the size and shape of the engaging cavity 111 of the socket 11 are fixed and not adjustable, for example, the engaging cavity 111 is hexagonal or dodecagonal shaped, so that the socket 11 with the unadjustable engaging cavity 111 only fits a specific sized fastener. A user has to take various sockets 11 of different sizes when screwing and unscrewing different sized fasteners, and this is very inconvenient.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


This invention relates to compounds of the general formula:

The purine ring system has been explored in some detail by academic and industrial researchers, leading to the production and evaluation of a variety of derivatives for various applications. This invention concerns a new family of purine derivatives and their use in treating cancers, bone disorders, metabolic disorders, inflammatory disorders and other diseases.

Abstract: in which Q is an ethynyl or ethenyl moiety; Ring A is an aryl, heteroaryl or heterocyclic ring or ring system; and the remaining variable groups are as defined herein, and to their preparation and use.


A sound mixture may be received that includes a plurality of sources. A model may be received that includes a dictionary of spectral basis vectors for the plurality of sources. A weight may be estimated for each of the plurality of sources in the sound mixture based on the model. In some examples, such weight estimation may be performed using a source separation technique without actually separating the sources.

In audio processing, most sounds are a mixture of various sound sources. For example, recorded music typically includes a mixture of overlapping parts played with different instruments. As another example, movies may include various classes of sounds, such as dialog, music, car sounds, etc., any of which may occur simultaneously. Also, in social environments, multiple people often tend to speak concurrently—referred to as the "cocktail party effect." In fact, even so-called single sources can actually be modeled a mixture of sound and noise.
The rapid increase of multimedia content calls for more efficient and better ways of browsing the content and searching for targeted scenes. In some respects, audio data (e.g., audio tracks in videos) is more efficient to process than video data, such as in sports highlight detection and movies (e.g., gun shots, car engine noise, music, etc.). For instance, audio has a lower bit-rate than video. Thus, audio data can be a useful browse and search tool. Possible ways to search and organize multimedia content includes: text description or tags, collaborative filtering, and content analysis. While the human auditory system has an extraordinary ability to differentiate between constituent sound sources, content analysis remains a difficult problem for computers.


A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes a laminate of semiconductor layers emitting multimode laser light, and a block member blocking light of a specific mode among the multimode laser light emitted from the laminate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface emitting semiconductor laser of selective oxidization type, and more particularly, to a structure for controlling the optical power of a multimode surface emitting semiconductor laser.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been an increased demand for a surface emitting semiconductor laser that can easily realize an arrangement of a two-dimensional array of sources in the technical fields of optical communications and optical recording. Such a surface emitting semiconductor laser is also called a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). The VCSEL has many advantages of a low threshold voltage, low power consumption, easy making of a circular spot of light and good productivity resulting from wafer-based evaluation.
Nowadays, low-cost multimode optical fibers, which are typically plastic optical fibers (POF), are developed, and short-distance optical communications as short as a few meters to several hundreds of meters are getting the attention. Generally, long-distance optical communications employ the combination of a single-mode type optical fiber and an edge emitting semiconductor laser having a relatively long wavelength of 1.31 μm or 1.55 μm. However, these components are expensive and are unsuitable for applications in local areas that should be less expensive.
An optical source used for the multimode optical fiber is required to be less expensive and avoid the use of a special optical system or driving system. The surface emitting semiconductor laser may satisfy the above-mentioned requirements and is one of the powerful options as the optical source for the multimode optical fiber. In order to use the surface emitting semiconductor laser as the optical source in optical communications utilizing the multimode optical fiber, it is desired to stabilize the oscillation mode and reduce jitter components contained in the optical output.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2001-156395 discloses a selectively oxidization type surface emitting semiconductor laser in which an optically transparent layer is formed in a beam emitting aperture for controlling the oscillation transverse mode. The transparent layer may, for example, be a dielectric film, and functions to reduce the reflectance of an area that does not desire laser oscillation, so that the oscillation transverse mode can be controlled.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 9-326530 proposes a VCSEL intended to reduce the jitter (fluctuation in the turn-on delay time) of the laser device. A diffusion reinforcement region provided in the vicinity of the active layer is doped with an acceptor impurity of a high concentration, so that the number of holes induced in the quantum well region is approximately one-digit larger than the number of electrons therein. This increases the diffusion rate in the quantum well region.
However, the conventional selectively oxidization type semiconductor lasers have the following problems to be solved. FIGS. 7A and 7B respectively show a beam profile and an optical output profile in a far-field image obtained when the multimode surface emitting semiconductor laser is used as an optical source. A symbol L denotes the distance from the optical source to the far-field image, and θ denotes the divergence angle of the diameter of the beam in the far-field image viewed from the center of the optical source. Generally, this kind of surface emitting semiconductor laser has a profile like a doughnut shape. More particularly, the laser beam of the fundamental mode exists within a spread or divergence angle θ0 from the center of the optical source, and the beam profile is indicated by P0. When the divergence angle is greater than θ0, the resultant laser beam is of a high-order mode in which the first-order mode or a higher-order mode in addition to the first-order mode is combined with the fundamental mode. The beam profile of the high-order-mode laser beam is indicated by P1. The optical output in the high-order mode indicated by P1 is grater than that of the fundamental mode. In other words, the outer portion P1 of the doughnut-like profile involved in the first-order or higher-mode is brighter than the inner portion P0 involved in the fundamental mode. The laser emissions in the oscillation modes do not have the same profiles and do not occur concurrently. Thus, there is a difference in response between the fundamental-mode light and the first-order or higher-order light. The difference in response causes the jitter in the optical signal when the multimode surface-emitting laser is used as the optical source.
FIG. 8A shows an eye pattern that serves as an index for checking the quality of the laser beam. The eye pattern is a pattern in which, when the laser beam is modulated (turned on and off), the modulated light signal is superimposed at random. The horizontal axis of the eye pattern denotes the time, and the vertical axis denotes the optical power. The eye pattern shown in FIG. 8A is an example observed when a multimode VCSEL capable of outputting light that has an optical power of 3 mW and a wavelength of 850 nm is used as the optical source. It can be seen from the eye pattern of FIG. 8A that each emission in the respective oscillation mode does not occur concurrently, so that a jitter J takes place. The jitter J is the time difference in response between the optical signals in the oscillation modes. The eye pattern ideally converges on a single line. If the optical output contains a jitter that exceeds a threshold time, the rate of incidence of error contained in the optical signal on the receive device side will considerably increase. This restrains the maximum bit rate achievable in the data link.
The aforementioned transparent layer arranged in the vicinity of the beam emission aperture proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2001-156395 is not intended to reduce the jitter in the multimode laser beam but to control the oscillation transverse mode. The VCSEL proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 9-326530 does not have any mechanism for reducing the jitter.

Surface emitting semiconductor laser and communication system using the same


In a discharging state determination method and apparatus for detecting discharging state from each nozzle of a printhead which discharges droplets, each of the nozzles of the printhead is driven, and the discharging state from each driven nozzle is detected and stored as a physical amount in a memory. A threshold for determining whether the discharging state of each nozzle of the printhead is normal or abnormal is calculated by using the physical amount corresponding to each nozzle and stored in the memory. The physical amount corresponding to each nozzle is evaluated on the basis of the threshold, and it is determined whether the droplet discharging state of each nozzle is normal or abnormal.

An example of a technique of optically detecting the discharging state of ink from a printhead is disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,276,467, 5,350,929, and 5,376,958.
A technique of detecting, at high precision, very small ink droplets discharged from each nozzle of a printhead is disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,430. In these conventional techniques, an analog signal to be generated by detecting ink discharged from each nozzle is compared with a reference value to determine discharge/non-discharge of ink from the nozzle.
For example, according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,517,183, the peak value (peak to peak) of an analog signal to be obtained by detecting discharged ink is evaluated to determine discharge or non-discharge. A technique of changing a determination threshold in accordance with the type of printhead is disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,056,386, and 6,419,341.
According to these conventional techniques, the difference between detected results is reduced by changing the determination threshold in accordance with the characteristic difference in droplet size, ink color, or a type of printhead, or performing ink discharge for compensating for such difference. Each conventional method essentially employs a detection method having a threshold fixed for each condition.
The principal object of these conventional techniques is to determine discharge/non-discharge of ink, e.g., whether ink (droplet) has been discharged from each nozzle or not. The precision of determining whether appropriate discharge has been done for each nozzle of a printhead is low. In other words, even in the use of a technique of correcting the detection error due to droplet size or ink color, the conventional techniques can attain a precision only enough to prevent misjudgment of discharge/non-discharge from nozzles by a detection mechanism or circuit in consideration of variations in ink-jet printer apparatus, printhead (ink-jet head), ink, environment, or the like.
In recent years, the resolution of an ink-jet printer has increased more and more, and higher-quality image printing is required. In this situation, determination of the ink discharge from each nozzle is not merely determination of discharge/non-discharge. It is necessary to determine whether proper ink discharge related to the quality of a printed image has been done, and feed back the determination result to an ink-jet printer apparatus.

Apparatus for determining discharging state of liquid droplets and method, and inkjet printer


Methods, compositions, and devices for synthesis of therapeutically useful compounds. The invention provides a rapid approach for combinatorial synthesis and screening of libraries of derivatives of therapeutically important classes of compounds such as benzodiazepines, prostaglandins and .beta.-turn mimetics. In order to expediently synthesize a combinatorial library of derivatives based upon these core structures, general methodology for the solid phase synthesis of these derivatives is also provided. This disclosure thus also describes an important extension of solid phase synthesis methods to nonpolymeric organic compounds.

The present invention relates to the field of solid phase chemistry. More specifically, in one embodiment the invention provides a method, device, and compositions for solid phase and combinatorial synthesis of organic compounds and, most particularly, therapeutically important classes of compounds such as benzodiazepines, prostaglandins, and B-turn mimetics.
Obtaining a better understanding of the important factors in molecular recognition in conjunction with developing potent new therapeutic agents is a major focus of scientific research. Chemical and biological methods have recently been developed for the generation of large combinatorial libraries of peptides and oligonucleotides that are then screened against a specific receptor or enzyme in order to determine the key molecular recognition elements of the biopolymer for that receptor or enzyme. Unfortunately, peptides and oligonucleotides tend to have limited oral activities and rapid clearing times. Therefore, such materials tend to have limited utility as bioavailable therapeutic agents.
Virtually any bioavailable organic compound can be accessed by chemical synthesis; however, such organic compounds are still synthesized and evaluated one at a time in many cases, thus dramatically limiting the number of derivatives which can be studied.
This limitation could be overcome by developing the methodology for the combinatorial synthesis of large numbers of derivatives of therapeutically important classes of bioavailable organic compounds. Screening these compounds against key receptors or enzymes would then greatly accelerate the acquisition of useful structure versus recognition data and would revolutionize the search for potent new therapeutic agents.
From the above it is seen that improved methods, compositions, and devices for synthesis of therapeutically useful compounds are desired.

Solid phase and combinatorial synthesis of benzodiazepine compounds on a solid support

The Regents of the University of California


A vehicle sliding door opening/closing control device includes a trouble detecting circuit for detecting a trouble in a control unit which is used for controlling operation of a motor to drive a vehicle sliding door in opening and closing direction, and switching unit responsive to detection of a trouble in the control unit by the trouble detecting circuit for shorting power input terminals of the motor, and after the lapse of a predetermined time, opening the power input terminals of the motor. Upon detection of the trouble in the control unit, the power input terminals of the motor are shorted so that the motor is kept in a locked state. In this instance, if the sliding door is moving at a high speed, it is possible to apply braking to the sliding door. Thereafter, after the lapse of the predetermined time, the switching unit opens the power input terminals of the motor to release a lock on the motor, thereby allowing the sliding door to be displaced by manual.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opening/closing control device for controlling the opening and closing of a sliding door of a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sliding door opening/closing control devices having a motor for driving a sliding door in opening and closing direction to open and close an opening in the body of a motor vehicle are known as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publications Nos. HEI 4-62883 and HEI 6-13915, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. HEI 6-13357 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 4-285282. These known opening/closing control devices generally include a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling the operation of a motor for driving a door in opening and closing directions, a battery for supplying power to the CPU, a ROM containing a control program, and a RAM for storing data. The CPU executes program control of the motor by carrying out at a high speed the high-level computation necessary for controlling complicated opening and closing movements of the door.
When the CPU encounters trouble such as an operation failure, a control circuit or a power circuit in the sliding door opening/closing control device is immediately stopped, and operation of the sliding door is changed over or shifted to the manual mode to thereby insure at least movement of the sliding door manually.
However, in the case where such trouble in the CPU occurs during relatively high speed movement of the sliding door, if operation of the sliding door is immediately changed to the manual mode, it poses the problem that the sliding door still keep moving in the same direction by the effect of inertial force.

Vehicle sliding door opening/closing control device


Generally, this disclosure provides systems, methods and platforms for power multiplexer switching operations. The system may include a near field communication (NFC) module configured to receive power through a radio frequency (RF) channel; a subscriber identity module (SIM) circuit configured with a supply voltage port; and a power multiplexer circuit configured to controllably couple the SIM circuit supply voltage port to the NFC module, wherein the NFC module provides a supply voltage to the SIM circuit such that the SIM circuit is operable in the absence of primary device power source.

Power multiplexer switches typically link a power supply with a device to be powered (a load) and provide switching control to couple or de-couple the load from the supply based on a switching signal. Examples loads that may be controlled by a load switch include portable devices such as phones, digital cameras, media players, Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and portable games. Load switches may provide limited or no protection, however, against reverse current flow from the load back to the power supply, which can damage sensitive and/or valuable components. This lack of reverse current flow protection is particularly common when the switch is in an off or open state.
Additionally, many electronic devices, particularly portable devices such as mobile phones, are powered by batteries. Batteries eventually run low on power forcing an interruption in the use of the device. Either the battery must be replaced or recharged, which may be inconvenient and time consuming. In the case of a mobile phone, for example, a low battery may cause the a loss of power to the phones Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) circuit card.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications, and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Dual input single output power multiplexer for near field communication application


A method for promoting the environmental resistance of nickel, iron and cobalt-base superalloys of the type alloyed to develop a protective oxide scale. The method entails a technique for removing sulfur during or subsequent to the casting operation. The method generally includes casting a superalloy article in a mold cavity, and then heat treating the article while surfaces of the article are in contact with a compound containing a sulfide and/or oxysulfide-forming element, such as yttria, calcium oxide, magnesia, scandia, ceria, hafnia, zirconia, titania, lanthana, alumina and/or silica. The heat treatment is performed at a temperature sufficient to cause sulfur within the superalloy article to segregate to the surfaces of the article and react with the sulfide-forming element, thereby forming sulfides at the interface with the compound. The compound is then removed from the surfaces of the article so as to simultaneously remove the sulfides and any elemental sulfur that have segregated to the surface of the article.

This invention relates to methods for casting superalloy articles. More particularly, this invention is directed to a method for processing an article cast from an oxide scale-forming superalloy, in which the sulfur content of the superalloy is reduced so as to result in the article exhibiting improved environmental resistance.
Higher operating temperatures of gas turbine engines are continuously sought in order to increase their efficiency. However, as operating temperatures increase, the high temperature durability of the components of the engine must correspondingly increase, particularly those engine components subjected to the most severe thermal environments, including the first and second stage high pressure turbine airfoils, first and second stage nozzles, and shrouds. Significant advances in high temperature capabilities have been achieved through the formulation of nickel, iron and cobalt-base superalloys whose mechanical properties at elevated temperatures are enhanced when produced in the form of a single crystal or directionally solidified casting. Even so, such advanced superalloys alone are often inadequate for components to survive the severe thermal and oxidizing environment in the turbine, combustor and augmentor sections of a gas turbine engine.
A common solution is to form a protective layer on such components in order to minimize their service temperatures and enhance their environmental performance. For this purpose, superalloys have been formulated to develop a metal oxide surface scale that forms a stable and environmentally-resistant barrier layer on the surface of the superalloy. In addition, thermal barrier coatings (TBC) of ceramic materials have also been developed that tenaciously adhere to the oxide layer on the surfaces of the superalloy. To be effective, such protective layers and coatings must be strongly adherent to the component and remain adherent through many heating and cooling cycles. This requirement is particular demanding due to the different coefficients of thermal expansion between the oxides and ceramic materials that form the protective layer and the superalloy materials that form the turbine engine components.
Though advances have been made, a continuing challenge has been to achieve more adherent oxide layers and thermal barrier coatings that are less susceptible to spalling. It is known that spallation is encouraged by the presence of sulfur within a superalloy. When the superalloy is heated, the sulfur segregates to the critical oxide-metal interface and weakens the chemical bond strength of the interface, thereby permitting spallation of the oxide layer and the thermal barrier coating (if present) and depleting the superalloy of critical scale-forming elements such as aluminum and chromium. Therefore, efforts have been made to either reduce the sulfur content of superalloys or prevent sulfur from segregating to the oxide-metal interface. Such efforts have included adding an oxygen-active element such as yttrium to the superalloy composition, thereby forming a stable sulfide that remains dispersed in the bulk alloy. Alternatively, the amount of sulfur in a superalloy composition can be held to levels that are sufficiently low, generally about one part per million by weight (ppmw) or less, to avoid the deleterious effect of sulfur segregation to the oxide-metal interface.
Methods for achieving low levels of sulfur in a superalloy are typically characterized as expensive or ill-suited for mass-produced superalloy components,;such as airfoils, nozzles and shrouds. For example, though hydrogen annealing techniques have been shown to reduce sulfur content to as little as 0.2 ppmw, such techniques require long anneals at high temperatures in a reducing environment that poses a significant hazard. Alloy processing techniques by which sulfur is reacted with rare earth metals have proven to be feasible, but additional reactions occur that permit sulfur to be reintroduced into the metal.
In contrast to the above, methods by which yttrium is added to cast superalloy components are relatively developed. Yttrium is typically chosen over other oxygen-active elements because of its solubility, higher relative eutectic temperature with nickel, and lower relative cost. Yttrium is typically added in an amount that is larger than that required to tie up the sulfur within the superalloy because some yttrium is lost to evaporation, while the remaining yttrium tends to react with the ceramic molds and cores used in the casting operation. An example of the latter is the reaction of yttrium with silica-containing molds and cores widely used to investment cast superalloy components:
3O2+3SiO2+2Yxe2x86x92Y2(SiO4)3
To prevent the removal of yttrium through such a reaction, facecoats for ceramic molds and cores have been developed that are nonreactive with yttrium in the superalloy melt. Facecoats formed of yttria (Y2O3) are widely employed since they contain yttrium in its most stable state, though other very stable oxide compounds could be used as facecoat materials.
Though the use of such facecoats enables sufficient yttrium to remain in the superalloy melt and bind the sulfur within the melt, the relatively high levels of yttrium required are not always desirable in terms of the desired properties for the superalloy. Accordingly, it would be desirable if other methods were available that prevented the deleterious effect of sulfur segregation at the oxide-metal interface of a superalloy article and were conducive to mass-produced superalloy components, yet avoided the requirement for high levels of rare earth metals within the superalloy composition.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method for forming a superalloy article on which a protective oxide scale is developed to promote the environmental resistance of the article.
It is a further object of this invention that such a method entails processing steps that prevent spallation of the oxide scale caused by the segregation of sulfur to the interface between the oxide scale and metal substrate.
It is still a further object of this invention that such a method eliminates the requirement to include relatively high levels of oxygen-active elements in the superalloy for the purpose of tying up sulfur and preventing its segregation to the oxide-metal interface.
It is yet another object of this invention that such a method does not require long processing times, such that the method is conducive to high volume production.
The present invention provides a method for promoting the environmental resistance of articles cast from nickel, iron and cobalt-base superalloys of the type alloyed to develop a protective oxide scale, including various alloys used in the production of high pressure turbine airfoils, nozzles and shrouds. The method entails removing sulfur during or subsequent to the casting operation, and therefore does not rely on techniques that remove sulfur from the superalloy melt or require high levels of an oxygen-active element within the superalloy.
The method generally includes casting a superalloy article in a mold cavity, and then heat treating the article while the surfaces of the article are in contact with a compound containing a sulfide-forming element. As used herein, sulfides encompass sulfides, oxysulfides and other sulfide compounds that may form as a reaction product of sulfur in the article. The heat treatment is performed at a temperature sufficient to cause sulfur within the superalloy article to segregate to the surfaces of the article, which enables the sulfur to react with the sulfide-forming element and thereby form sulfides at the surface of the compound. The compound is then separated from the surfaces of the article so as to simultaneously remove the sulfides and any elemental sulfur that have segregated to the surface of the article. Advantageously, because sulfur is removed with the compound, additional processing or surface treatments of the article for sulfur removal are unnecessary.
In one embodiment of the invention, the surfaces of the mold cavity are coated with the compound containing the sulfide-forming element, and the heat treatment is carried out while the article is within the mold cavity. In this manner, separation of the compound entails removing the article from the mold cavity, during which sulfides and elemental sulfur at the surface of the article are simultaneously removed. In another embodiment of this invention, the compound containing the sulfide-forming element is deposited as a coating on the article after the article has been removed from the mold cavity and prior to the heat treating step. After heat treatment, the compound is removed from the surfaces of the article by a chemical or mechanical process.
According to this invention, one or more compounds containing a sulfide-forming element can be used in combination, examples of which include yttria (Y2O3), calcium oxide (CaO), magnesia (MgO), scandia (Sc2O3), ceria (CeO2), hafnia (HfO2), zirconia (ZrO2), titania (TiO2) lanthana (La2O3), alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). In addition, heat treatments can be performed subsequent to removal of the sulfides, as may be desired to stress relieve, age or otherwise improve the mechanical properties of the superalloy article.
The method of this invention results in a superalloy article characterized by enhanced environmental resistance as a result of sulfur being removed during the manufacture of the article. Specifically, the oxide scale and any thermal barrier coating employed to form a protective barrier on the surface of the article are less susceptible to spalling as a result of sulfur segregation being prevented. Advantageously, the method does not require long processing times or special fixtures, additional alloying constituents that might alter the properties of the superalloy, or materials that are expensive or difficult to obtain. As a result, the method is highly conducive to use in the manufacture of relatively high volume components, such as airfoils, nozzles and shrouds of gas turbine engines.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.

Method of improving environmental resistance of investment cast superalloy articles