An electrophotographic photosensitive member has an electroconductive substrate and a photosensitive layer formed thereon. The photosensitive layer contains an acetal resin having a component unit represented by the following formula (1): ##STR1## wherein X is ##STR2## R.sub.1 is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom and a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; R.sub.3 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; A is a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group and ##STR3## R.sub.4 is a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; R.sub.5 is a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group and a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group; and n and m are each 0, 1, 2 and 3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member and, more particularly, to an electrographic layer which contains an acetal resin having a specific structure. The present invention also relates to an electrophotographic apparatus, a device unit and a facsimile machine which employs the electrophotographic photosensitive members.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most known electrophotographic photosensitive members employing organic photoconductive substances have photosensitive layers formed by dispersing charge generating substances of relatively low molecular weights, such as azo pigments or phthalocyuanine pigments, in suitable binder resins. One kind of organic electrophotographic photosensitive member has a so-called laminated-type photosensitive layer comprising two layers: a charge generating layer containing a charge generating substance; and a charge transporting layer containing a charge transporting substance. Such an organic electrophotographic photosensitive member exhibits good sensitivity, potential characteristic and durability, and therefore is widely used.
In such electrophotographic photosensitive members, the characteristics of the photosensitive member are substantially determined by factors such as carrier generating efficiency, carrier transporting efficiency of the photosensitive layer and further, in the laminated type, the efficiency in injecting carriers from the charge generating layer into the charge transporting layer. It is speculated that these factors are affected by the characteristics of a binder resin as well as the characteristics of both charge generating substances and charge transporting substances. However, the primary purpose of the development of the binder resin has been to improve the binding characteristic, the pigment dispersing characteristic and the mechanical strength thereof. Although Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 62-30254 and 62-95537 describe that the structure and molecular weight of the binder resin also affect the electrophotographic characteristics such as sensitivity, durability or residual potential of the photosensitive member, they do not clearly describe that a binder resin can serve as a functional resin, and satisfactory electrophotographic characteristics have not been achieved so far.
To meet growing demands for further improving image quality and durability, an electrophotographic photosensitive member having better electrophotographic characteristics must be developed.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, and electrophotographic apparatus, device unit and facsimile machine employing the photosensitive member


A light source device includes a light emitting body, a pair of main electrodes and a pair of sub electrodes. The light emitting body includes discharge spaces disposed substantially parallel to each other. The main electrodes are disposed at opposite end portions of the light emitting body, respectively. The main electrodes induce an electrical discharge of a gas in the discharge spaces between the main electrodes. The sub electrodes are disposed between the main electrodes. The sub electrodes induce an electrical discharge of a gas in the discharge spaces between the sub electrodes. Resultantly, power consumption is reduced and uniformity of luminance is enhanced. Therefore, display quality of the display apparatus is enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display device and a light source device for providing light to display images. More particularly, the present invention relates to a planar light source device, a method of driving the planar light source device and a display apparatus having the planar light source device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatuses display images using liquid crystal. When electric fields are applied to the liquid crystal, an arrangement of liquid crystal molecules is changed to adjust optical transmittance of the liquid crystal to display images. An LCD apparatus generally includes a liquid crystal control module that controls the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules and a light-providing module that provides the liquid crystal control module with light.
The liquid crystal control module includes a first substrate and a second substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed at the first and second substrates, respectively, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates. The light-providing module includes a light source that generates light and an optical member that enhances optical characteristics of the light.
Quality of images displayed by the liquid crystal control module is influenced by quality of light generated by the light-providing module. A conventional LCD apparatus employs a light emitting diode (LED) that emits point-light or a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) that emits linear light. The LED and the CCFL have a low uniformity of luminance. Therefore, the conventional LCD apparatus employs the optical member such as a diffusion sheet, a prism sheet, etc., in order to enhance the uniformity of luminance.
Recently, there has been a desire to increase screen size of the LCD apparatus. To accommodate the desire to increase screen size, generally, the number of light sources used increases. Increasing the number of light sources tends to increase the size and weight of the LCD apparatus. To reduce the number of light sources and thereby minimize size and weight of the LCD apparatus, a planar light source device has been developed.
The planar light source device has a rectangular-shape. The planar light source device includes discharge spaces spaced apart from each other. Invisible light is generated by a working gas in the discharge spaces, and the invisible light is transformed into a visible light by a fluorescent material coated on an inner surface of the planar light source device.
The planar light source device may also have non-uniform luminance depending on an arrangement and/or configuration of the discharge spaces. When luminance of each discharge space is not uniform, the quality of images displayed by the LCD apparatus is deteriorated. Thus, there has been research to improve the uniformity of the luminance of each discharge space.

Planar light source device, method of driving the same and display apparatus having the same


A speech coder using a pitch synchronous innovation code excited linear prediction (PSI-CELP) speech coding system. The speech coder is capable of representing a portion which is not sufficiently represented by an adaptive codebook in a periodic portion of input speech and capable of improving the quality of reproduced speech. The periodicity corresponds to the pitch cycle of input speech by preliminarily reproducing speech from simple impulse trains. The speech coder depending on the particular embodiment includes an adaptive code book, a fixed code book, a noise code book, and a pulse codebook. A pulse code book stores a plurality of types of codevectors corresponding to pitch waveforms of voiced sounds. At the time of coding input speech, the pulse code book is searched.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech coder using a CELP (Code Excited Linear Prediction) speech coding system, a PSI-CELP (Pitch Synchronous Innovation Code Excited Linear Prediction) speech coding system, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, in order to effectively utilize the radio band of an automobile telephone or a portable telephone and compress the amount of information in a voiced portion in multimedia communication, techniques for low bit-rate speech coding have been in the limelight.
As this type of speech coding system, a CELP speech coding system, a PSI-CELP speech coding system, and the like have been already developed.
The CELP speech coding system is a coding system for reproducing speech by constructing a linear filter corresponding to a spectral envelope of input speech by a linear predictive analysis method and driving the linear filter by a time series codevector stored in a codebook.
The PSI-CELP speech coding system is a system for driving a linear predictive filter utilizing a candidate vector previously prepared in a codebook as an excitation source on the basis of the CELP speech coding system. The PSI-CELP speech coding system is characterized in that the excitation source is caused to have periodicity in synchronization with the cycle of an adaptive codebook corresponding to the pitch cycle of speech.
FIG. 6 illustrates one example of a CELP coder.
A continuous input speech signal is first divided into sections at predetermined spacing of approximately 5 to 10 ms. The spacing is herein referred to as a sub-frame.
The input speech is then subjected to linear predictive analysis for each sub-frame by a linear predictive analysis unit 101, to calculate a linear predictive coefficient of p-th degree .alpha..sub.i (i=1, 2, . . . P). A linear predictive synthesis filter 102 is constructed on the basis of the obtained linear predictive coefficient .alpha..sub.i.
An adaptive codebook 103 is then searched. The adaptive codebook 103 is used for representing a periodic component of speech, that is, a pitch.
An output codevector corresponding to an input code to the adaptive codebook 103 is produced by cutting an excitation signal (an adaptive codevector) of the linear predictive synthesis filter 102 in sub-frames from the current sub-frame from its end to a length corresponding to the input code (hereinafter referred to as a lag) and repeatedly arranging an adaptive codevector obtained by the cutting until the length thereof reaches the length of the sub-frame.
The linear predictive synthesis filter 102 is driven using the produced output codevector, to produce reproduced speech. The reproduced speech is multiplied by such gain that the distance between the input speech and the reproduced speech (the distortion of the reproduced speech from the original speech) theoretically reaches a minimum, after which the distance between the input speech and the reproduced speech is calculated by a distance calculating unit 105.
Such an operation is repeated for each input code, whereby a code corresponding to an excitation vector corresponding to reproduced speech at the minimum distance from input speech is selected.
Thereafter, a noise codebook 104 is searched. The noise codebook 104 is used for representing a varying portion of speech which cannot be represented by the adaptive codebook 103. Various codevectors having a length corresponding to one sub-frame generally based on white Gaussian noise (hereinafter referred to as noise codevectors) are previously stored in the noise codebook 104.
A noise codevector corresponding to the input code is read out from the various noise codevectors stored in the noise codebook 104. In order to eliminate the effect of the codevector selected by searching the adaptive codebook, an output obtained by driving the linear predictive synthesis filter 102 using the noise codevector (hereinafter referred to as a synthesis filter output corresponding to the noise codevector) read out is then orthogonalized to a synthesis filter output corresponding to a codevector selected by searching the adaptive codebook, whereby reproduced speech is produced. The reproduced speech is multiplied by such gain that the distance between the input speech and the reproduced speech theoretically reaches a minimum, after which the distance between the input speech and the reproduced speech is calculated by the distance calculating unit 105.
Such an operation is repeated for each input code, whereby a code corresponding to an excitation vector corresponding to reproduced speech at the minimum distance from input speech is selected.
An input code to the adaptive codebook 103 which is selected by searching the adaptive codebook 103 and a code representing gain corresponding thereto, an input code to the noise codebook 104 which is selected by searching the noise codebook 104 and a code representing gain corresponding thereto, and a linear predictive coefficient are outputted as coded signals.
The adaptive codebook 103 efficiently represents a pitch structure of speech in a voiced and stationary portion. In cases such as a case where there is little power of the excitation signal in the preceding sub-frame, a case where the current sub-frame is non-stationary speech in a portion such as a rising portion of speech which is constituted by components different from those in the preceding sub-frame, and a case where the current sub-frame is noise speech in a portion such as a voiceless portion having no pitch cycle, however, the adaptive codebook 103 cannot produce a suitable codevector, thereby degrading the quality of the reproduced speech.
In order to cope with such a problem, a method of preparing a codebook outputting a random component in a complementary manner to the adaptive codebook 103 has been proposed. Such a codebook is called a fixed codebook because it has a structure outputting a codevector in a fixed correspondence with the input code in any sub-frame, similarly to the noise codebook.
The fixed codebook is searched simultaneously with the adaptive codebook, whereby an output vector of either one of the codebooks is exclusively selected in accordance with the minimum distortion standard. Specifically, the adaptive codebook and the fixed codebook are complementary to each other, to operate as one codebook.
A method of causing a noise codevector to have periodicity so as to correspond to the period of an adaptive codevector in order to represent a component which is periodic and cannot be coped with only by components in the preceding sub-frame, that is, a non-stationary component in a voiced portion which cannot be represented by the adaptive codebook as small distortion by the noise codebook has been already proposed.
Since the codevectors stored in the fixed codebook and the noise codebook are codevectors corresponding to noises, however, a portion which is not sufficiently represented by the adaptive codebook in a periodic portion of the input speech cannot, in some cases, be represented even using either method.

Pitch-synchronous speech coding by applying multiple analysis to select and align a plurality of types of code vectors


A recording apparatus includes a pivotal member provided on a casing so as to pivot between a closed position in which the pivotal member covers at least a part of the casing and an open position in which the pivotal member is away from the closed position, a tray member disposed so as to pivot with respect to the casing and to be pressed to the open position by a pivoting motion of the pivotal member toward the open position, and a resetting device that cancels the pressing force of the pivotal member when the pivotal member is made to pivot toward the closed position, to thereby reset the tray member to the closed position.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.
2. Related Art
Some of existing recording apparatuses include a manual feed tray, for example as found in JP-A-2004-40627 (in particular, paragraph 0043). The recording apparatus according to JP-A-2004-40627 includes a pair of manual feed trays, one superposed on the other, and when the upper manual feed tray is opened the lower one is also opened in linkage.
The configuration according to JP-A-2004-40627 allows the pair of manual feed trays to open in linkage. However, the closing motion of the manual feed trays is not linked. In particular, the manual feed tray may be open despite that the manual feed tray is not about to be used. In such a case, it is desirable that the manual feed tray is closed (reset) automatically. With a multi-function recording apparatus having a scanner unit for example, when the scanner unit is made to swing about its pivotal shaft for replacing an ink cartridge or removing a jammed paper sheet, the manual feed tray provided behind the scanner unit is laid down backward and thus opened. In this case, since the user has not intentionally opened the manual feed tray, the user is prone to overlook that the manual feed tray is open.


The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor laser module capable of reducing the burdens for the arrangement of the optical system than the conventional one. The semiconductor laser module comprises: a semiconductor laser 1 for emitting, as a transmitted light, a light with a wavelength within a certain communication wavelength band such as, for example, 1.3 .mu.m band; a cooling means 2a, 2b for cooling the semiconductor laser 1; a stem 3 and cap 4 composing a package; a coupling lens 5, to which the transmitted light leaving the semiconductor laser 1 enters; an optical fiber 8, with which a coupling lens 5 is connected by fusion on its edge face, for optically coupling the transmitted light via the coupling lens 5 thereby propagating; a lens mount piece 6 for fixing and mounting at least a portion of the coupling lens 5 or optical fiber 8; an optical fiber holder 7 for holding the optical fiber 8; and a mount substrate 9, to which the cooling means 2a, 2b and the lens mount piece 6 are disposed; wherein the coupling lens 5 consists of a first GRIN lens portion with a numerical aperture larger than or equal to that of the numerical aperture NAI of the semiconductor laser 1 multiplied by 1.4, and a second GRIN lens portion 5b with a numerical aperture similar to that of the SMF 8.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser module to be optically coupled to the optical fiber, particularly to, a semiconductor laser module to be optically coupled to the optical fiber provided to the branch line, subscriber line, and the like.
In recent years, even in the branch line system, subscriber line system and the like (hereinafter, referred to simply as "subscriber line system"), a Single Mode Fiber (hereinafter, referred to simply as "SMF") has been used and spread from the point of view of the high speed data transmission. Usually, for such as upload from a communication apparatus in home, a semiconductor laser is used as a light source and positioned so as to efficiently couple to the optical fiber.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary configuration of a conventional semiconductor laser module using a micro lens (refer, for example, to the patent document 1). In FIG. 7, a semiconductor laser 71 is arranged such that it is mounted on a heat sink 72 inside a package consisting of a stem 73 and cap 74 and optically couples to a SMF in a ferrule 78 via a micro lens 75 and spherical lens 76 held inside the sleeve 77. Hereat, a transmitted light from the semiconductor laser 71 is transformed to a parallel beam by the micro lens 75 working as a collimator, and then collected to the core in the cross section of the SMF by the spherical lens 76 working as a collective lens to couple to the SMF, and thereby propagating inside the SMF.
This semiconductor laser module is assembled as follows. First, the semiconductor laser 71 and micro lens 75 are positioned, and then the cap 74 is solidly attached to the stem 73 thereby ceiling the semiconductor laser 71. Next, the optical fiber ferrule 78 is inserted into the sleeve 77, in which the spherical lens 76 is aligned inside, next, the sleeve 77 is put on the cap 74, and then adjustment of positioning is performed between the sleeve 77 and the cap 74 with respect to the x axis and y axis. Finally, an adjustment of positioning is performed between the spherical lens 76 and the ferrule 78 with respect to the z axis, and then, at the position where optical coupling is optimal, the welding portions 79a, 79b are fixed by spot-welding technique using YAG laser.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary configuration of the semiconductor laser module of conventional butterfly-type (refer, for example, to the patent document 2). In FIG. 8, a semiconductor laser 81 is arranged such that it is aligned on a heat sink 82a mounted inside the package consisting of a stem 83 and cap 84 and optically couples to a SMF 88 held by an optical fiber holder 87 via a collective lens 85 held inside the package by a lens holder 86a and supporting stick 86b. Here, the heat sink 82a is aligned to connect with an electronic cooling device 82c such as a Peltier device via a substrate 82b with a high thermal conductivity so as to have low thermal resistance. Further, arrangements for securing the optical coupling are carried out between the semiconductor laser 81 and the collective lens 85 and also between the collective lens 85 and the optical fiber holder 87, with respect to the 3 directions: the x-, y-, and z-axes.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 05-121841
[Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 09-251120
However, the conventional semiconductor laser module has a problem that severe arrangement burdens are required to perform the 2- or 3-dimensional positioning among the semiconductor laser, SMF, and the lens system aligned therebetween, in order to keep the optical coupling between the semiconductor laser and SMF high. Owing to these arrangement burdens required for the positioning, it is difficult to realize a compact arrangement, a low price, etc suitable for market use.
Considering the aforementioned present situation, the object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor laser module capable of reducing the arrangement burdens required to the positioning of the optical system than the conventional one.


A system and method of compensating for the effects of the antenna coupling in on-frequency repeaters, whose input and output signals are the same frequency, are disclosed. The repeater is implemented with internal digitally determined compensation that reduces the effect of the antenna coupling, allowing the forward gain of the repeater to be increased. The real and imaginary components of the forward gain are dithered. The change in the power spectrum of the signal in response to the dithering is used to estimate the residual (uncompensated) feedback coupling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to on-frequency repeaters, whose input and output signals have the same frequency, which are used to extend base station coverage in a cellular environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Related Information
In a wireless communication system, a mobile unit such as a cellular phone transmits and receives radio frequency (RF) signals to and from cell site base stations. Multiple users can share a common communication medium through technologies such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), and global system for mobile communications (GSM).
Fading, caused by attenuation, delay, and phase shift of signals during propagation, particularly during multipath propagation, limits the base station coverage.
Repeaters are usually included in the system to receive, filter, and re-transmit signals of interest at a higher power level, thus extending base station coverage. The signals of interest received by a repeater may be from a base station, a mobile unit, or from another repeater. The forward gain of a repeater is an important characteristic of the repeater as it determines the amplified power level of the re-transmitted signals.
On-frequency repeaters have input and output signals at the same frequency. Thus, the coupling between the input and output signals is an issue. If the product of the forward gain of the repeater and the coupling between the input and output antennas is too high, the repeater will oscillate. In general, this is undesirable.
To avoid oscillations, the isolation between the input and output antennas must exceed the forward gain of the repeater. As a result, the forward gain of the repeater is often limited, typically, by the feedback associated with coupling between the input and output antennas. Although the antenna radiation patterns are designed to limit the coupling, in practice, some output power is still coupled to the input after various delays.
Accordingly, a need presently exists for a system and method for addressing this problem of repeater antenna coupling so that the forward gain of the repeater can be increased.

System and method for estimation and compensation of radiated feedback coupling in a high gain repeater


The present invention provides a method for detecting events in an input signal. The method uses a volatile resistive switching component to detect the events in the input signal. The method comprising identifying the events based on sampling an output from the resistive switching component.

Advanced neural interfaces mediating bio-signals between brain and various technological devices bear great potential for future technologies aiming at restoring and enhancing organ functions. The progress in neural recording techniques has allowed an exponential growth in the number of simultaneously recorded neurons leading to creation of big neural data. A key bottleneck in advancement of efficient bio-electronic links is to implement on-node neural processing of recorded neural signals at low computational cost which further imposes additional constraints on bandwidth, energy and also the silicon-area.
Reverse engineering the human brain and decoding the information processes underlying the biological processes requires integrated efforts from researchers with different scientific backgrounds1. Over the past decade advances in neural recording techniques2,3,4,5,6 have led to enormous progress in acquiring electrophysiological data from multi-unit cells in-vitro or in-vivo contributing towards the understanding of neuroscience. The state-of-the-art implementations presently can record from up to thousand sites in parallel in-vivo7 and from up to 30 k8 sites in-vitro using Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) based High Density Microelectrode Arrays (HDMEA's). Simultaneously, there has been considerable progress in neural processing microsystems9,10 which are capable of detecting neural spiking activity on-node11,12. The relevant spike-detected information can then be transmitted off-line wirelessly and techniques such as a Template Matching System (TMS) or a Principle Component Analysis (PCA)13 can be used off-line for spike-sorting14. These techniques consist of mapping the recorded neural activity to the source active neurons offering insights in neural coding principles15 and thus bear great potential for neuroprosthetic applications16,17,18,19 Further advances in the fast developing field of implantable neural interfaces20 are obstructed by key bottlenecks such as: a) computational power required to process ever increasing, huge volume of neural signals (Gb/s range presently) on-node in real-time21,22,23; b) bandwidth24; c) scalability (as the large signal-processing circuitry may not be suitable for implantable purposes; and d) most importantly, the amount of power dissipated per channel25. Therefore, intelligent solutions capable of addressing the identified bottlenecks are urgently needed.
Recently, a neural spike-detector based on emerging solid-state, two terminal metal-oxide devices commonly known as memristor26,27,28 has been proposed29. A memristor may otherwise be referred to as a device or resistive switching component. Fundamentally, memristor-based devices are capable of undergoing non-volatile resistive state transitions as a function of integral of input voltage and thus behave as threshold input integrators30. In the past decade, memristive devices have been researched for applications such as non-volatile memories31 and neuro-inspired computing32,33,34, however, previous work has shown the use of TiOx-based memristive devices for spike-detection for the first time.
Pre-recorded extracellular neural waveforms obtained from retinal ganglion cells using CMOS-based Multi-Electrode Array (MEA)35,36,37 were used to bias the memristor devices (i.e. resistive switching components). The significant supra-threshold events (spikes) were encoded in gradual, non-volatile resistive state transitions38 of a device-under-test (DUT), wherein the device-under-test is a specific resistive switching component being tested, whereas the sub-threshold events (i.e. noise) were naturally filtered-off. This property makes these devices suitable as noise-suppressing integrating sensors and are thus termed as 'Memristive Integrating Sensors (MIS)', which is another name for a resistive switching device, A limiting factor impeding the detection performance of the proposed integrating sensor was the saturation of the resistive state of the resistive switching component being tested (the DUT) wherein the resistive switching components failed to register any significant activity in the neural waveform post-saturation39,40. Consequently, the performance of the resistive switching components (i.e. the devices) was optimised by introducing manual frequent resets in the initial resistive state of the resistive switching component (i.e. the device). Resetting of the device using a single pulse upon saturation doubled the detection accuracy of the MIS platform39.

Method and system for detecting events in an input signal using volatile memristor state change


During degeneration processing in which a first electronic device is degenerated based on an abnormality which has occurred in the first electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices after a new firmware used for switching of firmware of the electronic devices is stored in the first memories of the electronic devices, a storage control device confirms whether switching to new firmware has been completed in a second electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices, where the second electronic device is on a connection route coupling the first electronic device which is a firmware switching target and the storage control device. The storage device inhibits incorporation of the second electronic device as a usable device in a case where switching to the new firmware has not been completed in the second electronic device.

A storage apparatus is provided with a large number of modules (electronic components or electronic devices). For example, in a device enclosure which stores a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD), modules such as an input output module (IOM) and a fan expander module (FEM) are provided. In addition, with recent increase in capacity and densification of storage, the number of modules mounted in a storage apparatus is also increasing.
In each of these modules, firmware is executed. It is requested to apply the latest firmware to a module in order to stabilize a storage apparatus, improve efficiency of an operation, and realize use of new functions.
In addition, it is desirable to apply firmware to all mounted modules while maintaining an operation state of the device. Therefore, a function for applying firmware to a module is very important.
As described above, a storage apparatus includes a plurality of modules and each of the modules operates with independent firmware. In general, each module has two areas which are an operation surface side area and a non-operation surface side area as storage area into which firmware is written.
When updating firmware (hereinafter referred to as new firmware) is applied to a module, the new firmware is first written in the non-operation surface side area. Then, after the non-operation surface side area in which the new firmware is written is switched to the operation surface side area, the module is reset (rebooted or restarted) and activated with the new firmware written in the operation surface side area. Hereinafter, applying new firmware is sometimes referred to as revision of firmware or simply revision.
Processing for switching firmware while maintaining a system in an operation state is sometimes referred to as active firmware application processing. In the active firmware application processing, a plurality of modules are divided into two systems of module groups which are a first-half module group and a second-half module group and firmware revision is performed one group after another with an on-line state maintained.
FIGS. 13 and 14 are diagrams illustrating active firmware application processing of related art, respectively. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating active firmware application processing in a low-end model storage apparatus and FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating active firmware application processing in a high-end model storage apparatus.
The active firmware application processing starts from a state in which new firmware is preliminarily written in a storage area (non-operation surface side area) such as a memory provided in a module. The active firmware application processing is executed in two stages of the first half and the second half after the writing of the new firmware in the non-operation surface side area.
In the low-end model storage apparatus illustrated in FIG. 13, after revision is performed in modules of an input output module (IOM) #1 system and a fan expander module (FEM) #1 system, revision is performed in each module provided to a controller module (CM) #1, in the first half. Then, in the second half, after revision is performed in each module provided to a CM #0, revision is performed in modules of an IOM #0 system and an FEM #0 system.
In the high-end model storage apparatus illustrated in FIG. 14, after revision is performed in a service controller (SVC) #1, revision is performed in modules of an IOM #1 system and an FEM #1 system, and then revision is performed in each module provided to a CEx-CM #1, in the first half.
In the second half, after revision is performed in each module provided to a CEx-CM #0, revision is performed in modules of an IOM #0 system and an FEM #0 system, and then, revision is performed in an SVC #0.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a procedure of switching firmware of an IOM in a storage apparatus of related art.
A storage apparatus 500 illustrated in FIG. 15 includes a controller enclosure (CE) 510 and a plurality of device enclosures (DEs) 520-1 to 520-4. The DEs 520-1, 520-2, 520-3, and 520-4 are sometimes referred to as the DEs #00, #01, #02, and #03, respectively.
The CE 510 is provided with a controller module-expander (CM-EXP) 511 and two duplicated controller modules (CMs) which are not illustrated. The CMs provided to the CE 510 control data access to storage devices which are stored in the DEs 520-1 to 520-4 and are not illustrated.
To the CM-EXP 511, the DEs 520-1 to 520-4 are cascade-connected.
The DE 520-1 includes IOMs 521-1 and 521-2 and thus, the IOMs 521-1 and 521-2 are duplicated in the DE 520-1.
In a similar manner, the DE 520-2 includes IOMs 521-3 and 521-4, the DE 520-3 includes IOMs 521-5 and 521-6, and the DE 520-4 includes IOMs 521-7 and 521-8.
Hereinafter, the IOM 521-1 is sometimes referred to as the DE #00-IOM #0. In a similar manner, the IOM 521-2 is sometimes referred to as the DE #00-IOM #1, the IOM 521-3 is sometimes referred to as the DE #01-IOM #0, and the IOM 521-4 is sometimes referred to as the DE #01-IOM #1. Further, the IOM 521-5 is sometimes referred to as the DE #02-IOM #0, the IOM 521-6 is sometimes referred to as the DE #02-IOM #1, the IOM 521-7 is sometimes referred to as the DE #03-IOM #0, and the IOM 521-8 is sometimes referred to as the DE #03-IOM #1.
Hereinafter, as the reference numerals denoting IOMs, the reference numerals 521-1 to 521-8 are used when one of a plurality of IOMs has to be specified, but the reference numeral 521 is used when an arbitrary IOM is denoted. Further, as the reference numerals denoting DEs, the reference numerals 520-1 to 520-4 are used when one of a plurality of DEs has to be specified, but the reference numeral 520 is used when an arbitrary DE is denoted.
To the CM-EXP 511, the IOM 521-1, the IOM 521-3, the IOM 521-5, and the IOM 521-7 are cascade-connected in this order. A route through which the IOM 521-1, the IOM 521-3, the IOM 521-5, and the IOM 521-7 are connected from the CM-EXP 511 is sometimes referred to as a 0 system route. Each IOM 521 connected to the 0 system route is managed by one CM (0 system CM) out of the two CMs provided to the CE 510.
In addition, the IOM 521-8, the IOM 521-6, the IOM 521-4, and the IOM 521-2 are cascade-connected to the CM-EXP 511 in this order. A route through which the IOM 521-8, the IOM 521-6, the IOM 521-4, and the IOM 521-2 are connected from the CM-EXP 511 is sometimes referred to as a 1 system route. Each IOM 521 connected to the 1 system route is managed by the other CM (1 system CM), which is different from the 0 system CM, between the two CMs provided to the CE 510. Also, the 1 system route is reverse cabled with respect to the 0 system route.
In the storage apparatus 500, the IOMs 521 on the 1 system route belong to the first-half module group and the IOMs 521 on the 0 system route belong to the second-half module group, and similarly to the duplicated CM, firmware is switched one system after another for the first half and the second half.
As described above, in the case where a plurality of DEs 520 are mounted on the storage apparatus 500, a plurality of IOMs 521 are connected to the CM-EXP 511 in a cascade state for each system. Therefore, if reboot is performed from the IOM 521 which is positioned closest to (on a root of) the CM-EXP 511, it becomes impossible to control the IOMs 521 positioned farther from the CM-EXP 511.
In the example illustrated in FIG. 15, the IOM 521-1 on the 0 system route and the IOM 521-8 on the 1 system route correspond to the IOMs 521 closest to the CM-EXP 511. If these IOM 521-1 and IOM 521-8 are rebooted, it is impossible to control other IOMs 521 on the respective same system routes during this reboot processing.
Therefore, reboot is performed in order from the IOM 521 at the end farthest from the CM-EXP 511, and incorporation monitoring is sequentially performed from the IOM 521 positioned on the root.
In switching of firmware, in order to retard the IOM 521, which is in the switching operation, from being used as an input/output (I/O) route, a special status indicating that firmware switching is being performed is set for the IOM 521, which is a switching target, in information for managing device configuration (device configuration management information), and incorporation processing into the system is performed while reboot is performed in sequence.
Here, it is possible to exchange each module mounted on the storage apparatus 500 while a system operation is continued at the time of occurrence of a failure or the like (active exchange), and it is also possible to perform active exchange with respect to the IOM 521. In the CM of the storage apparatus 500, in order to detect extraction of the IOM 521, monitoring processing for monitoring a state of the IOM 521 is performed by making a communication to inquire the state (IOM state) of the IOM 521 at regular time intervals.
Further, in each DE 520, each IOM 521 has a function by which a first IOM 521 monitors a second IOM 521, which belongs to the other system, forms a pair with the first IOM 521, and is provided in the same DE 520 as the first IOM 521, and responds the state of the second IOM 521 of the pair with respect to an inquiry about the IOM state from the CM.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-79175 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2016-53855 are examples of related art.

Apparatus and method to control a storage device


A system and process for generating High Dynamic Range (HDR) video is presented which involves first capturing a video image sequence while varying the exposure so as to alternate between frames having a shorter and longer exposure. The exposure for each frame is set prior to it being captured as a function of the pixel brightness distribution in preceding frames. Next, for each frame of the video, the corresponding pixels between the frame under consideration and both preceding and subsequent frames are identified. For each corresponding pixel set, at least one pixel is identified as representing a trustworthy pixel. The pixel color information associated with the trustworthy pixels is then employed to compute a radiance value for each pixel set to form a radiance map. A tone mapping procedure can then be performed to convert the radiance map into an 8-bit representation of the HDR frame.

1. Technical Field
The invention is related to producing High Dynamic Range (HDR) video, and more particularly to a system and process for generating HDR video from a video image sequence captured while varying the exposure of each frame.
2. Background Art
The real world has a lot more brightness variation than can be captured by the sensors available in most cameras today. The radiance of a single scene may contain four orders of magnitude in brightness—from shadows to fully lit regions. Typical CCD or CMOS sensors only capture about 256-1024 brightness levels.
This limited dynamic range problem has inspired many solutions in recent years. One method of capturing the full radiance of a static scene is to take multiple exposures of the scene and then to combine them to create a High Dynamic Range (HDR) map [3, 7, 10]. The static scene requirement can be eliminated using multiple image detectors, novel sensors or spatially varying pixel exposures [8]. Mann et al. [6] register differently exposed frames using homographies, which allows them to estimate the camera response function and hence produce an HDR image from a panning video. Bogoni [1] extends the dynamic range of monochrome and color images by registering globally (using affine parameters) and then locally. However, details of the registration step and its robustness were not given.
Once an HDR image is computed, it must then be rendered to a display. Since typical displays are only able to yield about two orders of magnitude in brightness values, a contrast reduction must be performed on the HDR image. This so called tone mapping problem has recently been explored by a number of researchers [2, 4, 9].
However, none of these previous image-based methods is designed to efficiently create HDR video. Typical video footage captured using an off-the-shelf camcorder suffers from limited dynamic range. In addition, the prior methods would not allow a conventional video camera to be used to create HDR video. The present HDR video generation system and process remedies this problem.
It is noted that in the preceding paragraphs, as well as in the remainder of this specification, the description refers to various individual publications identified by a numeric designator contained within a pair of brackets. For example, such a reference may be identified by reciting, "reference [1]" or simply "[1]". Multiple references will be identified by a pair of brackets containing more than one designator, for example, [2, 3]. A listing of references including the publications corresponding to each designator can be found at the end of the Detailed Description section.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and process for generating high dynamic range video


A projection type image display apparatus is disclosed which can achieve an improved polarized light demultiplexing characteristic with a simple configuration and can project an image of a high quality having a high contrast. The apparatus includes a polarizing beam splitter having a demultiplexing face inclined to 45 degrees with respect to a plane perpendicular to an optical axis, a linearly polarizing element in the form of a flat plate provided in front of the polarizing beam splitter, and a reflection type liquid crystal element provided at a next stage to the polarizing beam splitter. The linearly polarizing element is disposed perpendicularly to a reference plane which includes a normal to the demultiplexing face and the optical axis and is inclined at an acute angle in the opposite direction to the demultiplexing face with respect to the plane perpendicular to the optical axis.

This invention relates to a projection type image display apparatus such as a liquid crystal projector of the reflection type and an optical system for use with a liquid crystal projector of the reflection type and the like.
A projection type image display apparatus is conventionally known which includes an illumination apparatus, a light modulation element for modulating illuminated light in accordance with an image signal, a demultiplexing optical system for illuminating light emitted from the illumination apparatus upon the light modulation element, and a projection optical system for projecting the light from the light modulation element to form an image. One of projection type image display apparatus of the type described is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-105360 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1).
In the projection type image display apparatus, a discharge lamp is usually used as the light source, and a transmission type liquid crystal element, a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) and the like are used frequently as the image modulation element. Further, in recent years, also a projection type image display apparatus has been put into practical use which uses a reflection type liquid crystal element having a higher resolution as the light modulation apparatus.
In the projection type image display apparatus, a light source which emits white light is used, and the white light from the light source is demultiplexed into lights of three colors of red, green and blue using a dichroic mirror. The lights of the colors are illuminated on corresponding light modulation elements. The light modulation elements individually modulate the illumination lights in accordance with red, green and blue image signals. Then, the illumination lights modulated by the light modulation elements are multiplexed by a color multiplexing element such as a cross prism and then projected on a screen through a projection lens.
Where a reflection type liquid crystal element is used as the light modulation element, polarized light is used. In this instance, light emitted from the light source is converted into light polarized in one direction using a polarization conversion element and then demultiplexed into lights of three colors, which are introduced to corresponding reflection type liquid crystal elements. FIG. 22 schematically shows a device configuration of a reflection type liquid crystal element and associated elements of a conventional projection type image display apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 22, the conventional projection type image display apparatus 110 shown includes a polarizing beam splitter (PBS) 111, a reflection type liquid crystal element 112, and a linearly polarizing element 113.
Where the polarization conversion element described above is used, it is difficult to obtain a high P-S conversion characteristic over a wide incident angle over the overall visible region. Therefore, in the conventional projection type image display apparatus 110, light is passed through the linearly polarizing element 113 to obtain a flux of light having a higher polarization degree, and the flux of light thus obtained is introduced into the polarizing beam splitter 111. The flux of light introduced into the polarizing beam splitter 111 is reflected at the most part thereof by the polarizing beam splitter 111 and introduced to the reflection type liquid crystal element 112. Where the white is to be displayed, the flux of light is converted into P polarized light by the reflection type liquid crystal element 112 and is introduced back into the polarizing beam splitter 111. The P polarized light passes as it is through the polarizing beam splitter 111, whereafter the flux of light forms an image on the screen through the projection lens. On the other hand, where the black is to be displayed, the flux of light is reflected from the reflection type liquid crystal element 112 while it remains S polarized light and is introduced back to the polarizing beam splitter 111. Then, the S polarized light is reflected by the polarizing beam splitter 111 and returns to the original light path.
Incidentally, the projection type image display apparatus 110 which uses such a conventional reflection type liquid crystal element as described above has the following problems.
The linearly polarizing element 113 is located in front of the polarizing beam splitter 111 as seen in FIG. 22 so that only a flux of light polarized in one direction, for example, only a flux of S polarized light, is introduced into the polarizing beam splitter 111.
However, a ray of light which is not included in a meridional plane, that is, a skew light ray, includes, when it enters the polarizing beam splitter 111, not only an S polarized light component but also a P polarized light component. If the polarizing beam splitter 111 is ideal, then the P polarized light component passes through the polarizing beam splitter 111 and does not illuminate the reflection type liquid crystal element 112. Actually, however, also the P polarized light is partly reflected by the polarizing beam splitter 111 and enters the liquid crystal element.
As a result, for example, when the black is to be displayed, the P polarized light reflected by the polarizing beam splitter 111 is reflected by the reflection type liquid crystal element 112 and enters the polarizing beam splitter 111 again. Thereupon, most of the P polarized light passes through the polarizing beam splitter 111 and is projected to the screen, resulting in deterioration of the contrast of the image.

Projection type image display apparatus and optical system


A bracket for liquid dispensing containers has a back, a base, and a top projecting laterally from the back for holding the bottom and top, respectively, of the dispensing container. The bracket and top are skewed relative to the plane of the back a sufficient amount that when the bracket is mounted on a vertical surface, the container top is farther away from the mounting surface than is the container bottom to prevent liquid from dripping onto the container or the bracket.

The present application is directed to holders for dispensing containers.
Dispensing containers such as those used for liquid soap, dishwashing soap, and other liquids are becoming popular with consumers. Dispensing containers typically have a pump action top. An advantage of dispensing containers is that a user does not come in direct contact with the contents of the containers. For example, a bar of soap is contacted by every user, while liquid soap in a dispensing container is not. This makes the use of dispensing containers in such settings as restaurants and hospitals particularly desirable.
There are problems associated with dispensing containers that have limited their use. One problem is they take up valuable counter space. Another problem is that they can add to the expense of a product, i.e., a container of liquid soap is more expensive than a bar of soap. Further, dispensing containers are easily portable. Thus, their use in commercial environments such as restaurants or healthcare institutes has been limited because they can easily "disappear".
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to mount dispensing containers on a vertical surface, in such a way that the dispensing action is not lost. Moreover, it is desirable that the mounting mechanism be easy to use, securely hold the dispensing container, and be inexpensive. Further, it is desirable that any such mounting mechanism not easily become fouled with splattered liquid and drips from the container.


A drilling machine includes a motor housing, a gear box housing, a shaft driven by the motor and extending into the gear box housing, a drilling shaft extending through the gear box housing and having an outgoing channel arranged in the drilling shaft for supply/removal of a drill flow medium to/from a tool part that is connectable to the drilling shaft, a drill flow medium room, between the motor housing and gear box housing, that can be supplied with drill flow medium when the drilling machine is in operation, and an incoming drill flow medium conduit for the supply/removal of the drill flow medium to/from the drill flow medium room. The motor housing includes a detachable end cover which forms the rear unit of the drilling machine. The gear box housing includes a detachable end cover that forms the front unit of the drilling machine.

Core drills are widely used within the contracting industry in order to make holes in walls, roofs and/or floors. In case these consist of bricks, concrete or the like, water must be supplied during work. Normally this takes place via a channel in the drilling shaft. Conventionally, the water is led into the channel of the drilling shaft via the front part of the gear box housing. This has some considerable drawbacks; firstly, the drilling shaft is large in this part of the transmission, which means that the radial lip seals that are necessary in order to prevent water leakage must be made correspondingly large, which in turn makes the sealing more difficult and results in the seals getting worn out relatively quickly due to the high circumferential speed of the drilling shaft in the sealed portion, and secondly, extensive dismantling of large portions of the gear box, the drilling shaft and/or the gear box housing is often required when the seals are to be exchanged.
Also in connection with the changing of bearings or other repair or maintenance operations, extensive dismantling must be performed in case of prior art core drilling machines, e.g. involving the emptying of oil from the gear box housing. In practice, extensive dismantling of the front parts of the core drilling machine, comprising the gear box housing, may be required also when repair or maintenance operations are to be conducted on the motor housing.
GB 883684 as well as 125733 shows an example of a drilling machine that results in many of these problems in connection with dismantling and repair. Both of these have a single and common end cover between the motor housing and the gear box housing.


A data holding circuit includes: a latch circuit having a first terminal and a second terminal, a logical value held at the first terminal being changed according to a value to be held by the data holding circuit, and the second terminal holding an inverted logical value of the logical value held at the first terminal; and a storing circuit which stores the logical values held at the first terminal and the second terminal in response to a write signal, and sets the logical values held at the first terminal and the second terminal to the stored logical values in response to a read signal, wherein the storing circuit includes two Magnetic Tunnel Junction elements which are connected in series between the first terminal and the second terminal and in reverse directions to each other.

Semiconductor devices are desired to reduce power consumption. Further, semiconductor devices used in a system are desired to reduce power consumption by intentionally stopping power supply to constitutional elements, except for basic constitutional elements which need to operate in order to maintain the operation of the system. In order to realize the above-mentioned stop of power supply in the semiconductor device, when power is supplied again, elements including data holding circuits, which carry out data holding operations in normal circuitry operations, may be required to continue processing operations by using data held in the data holding circuits before the stop of the power supply.
In order to realize the above operations, data which is necessary to set the data holding circuits when the power is supplied again is temporarily stored in memory cells before the stop of the power supply, and the data holding circuits are set according to the stored data after the power is supplied again. These data holding circuits, which are set according to the stored data, are a part of constitutional elements to which the power supply is stopped. Thus, data set according to the stored data may be carried out to a part of many data holding circuits.
However, in the above constitution, the semiconductor device includes memory cells in addition to normal operational circuits having the constitutional elements. If the power supply to the memory cells is also stopped, the memory cells are required to be non-volatile. Further, when the power supply is stopped, an operation obtaining data in the data holding circuits and an operation storing the obtained data to the memory cells are sequentially carried out. Further, when the power is supplied again, an operation reading the stored data from the memory cells and an operation setting the read data to the data holding circuits are sequentially carried out.
Various memories have been known as non-volatile memory devices which hold data of when power supply to the devices is stopped, and integrated circuits in which MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction) elements are formed have been known. In particular, non-volatile memories in which memory cells including MTJ elements are arranged at cross-points of a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines have been proposed. However, these non-volatile memories including MTJ elements are memory devices which are used in place of NAND-type flash memories, etc.

Data holding circuit including latch circuit and storing circuit having MTJ elements and data recovery method


A ring mechanism for a loose-leaf binder comprises a thin, elongate plate and at least two ring members supported by the elongate plate. The ring members move between an open position for receiving and removing loose-leaf pages and a closed position for capturing the loose-leaf pages on the ring while permitting movement of the pages along the ring. The elongate plate has a longitudinal end including spaced apart first and second end portions located on one transverse side of the elongate plate. The first and second end portions are bent over to present a longitudinally facing surface which is blunt. A method of manufacturing a ring mechanism for a loose-leaf binder is also disclosed.

This invention relates to binders for capturing loose-leaf pages, and in particular to an improved ring mechanism for opening and closing binders.
A loose-leaf binder retains loose-leaf pages, such as hole-punched papers, in a file or notebook. It features a ring mechanism having ring members for retaining the papers which may be selectively opened to add or remove papers, or closed to retain papers while allowing them to be moved along the ring members. Levers are typically provided on both longitudinal ends of the loose-leaf binder for moving the ring members between open and closed positions.
One drawback to loose-leaf binders of the prior art is that the ring mechanisms typically include rough or sharp edges projecting axially from longitudinal ends of an elongate plate which mounts the other components of the ring mechanism. When the elongate plate is cut from sheet metal, upper and lower edges project outwardly from each longitudinal end of the elongate plate. Longitudinal end margins of the elongate plate, including these cut edges, are typically pressed into flatwise engagement with one another to capture movable levers mounted at the longitudinal ends of the ring mechanism. The exposed edges continue to project outwardly and can snag clothing, scratch nearby items and may feel abrasive against a user's skin when operating the ring members. Other designs have attempted to address these undesirable attributes. For example, one such design has an upper surface that extends axially beyond the lower edge. The projecting portion is folded down so that it captures the lever at the longitudinal end of the ring mechanism and presents a blunt surface in a longitudinal direction. The projecting portion essentially provides a barrier covering the edges of the lower surface of the elongate plate. This design also fails to avoid the ill-effects noted above because small items may still become caught under the edge of the folded down projecting portion, and because the manufacture of such a ring mechanism is more complex. It is thus desirable to construct a binder wherein the formation and orientation of such edges minimizes these ill-effects.

World Wide Stationery Manufacturing Company, Limited


In an embodiment, call routing from a customer to a destination is provided by intercepting a call setup message sent from a customer switch intended to signal a switch to perform a call routing function. In response to the call setup message being intercepted, a routing engine is queried with the destination of the call for a specific route over which to carry the call to the destination. The call setup message is modified to include the specific route. The switch is directed with the modified call setup message to use the specific route to carry the call from the customer to the destination.

In Internet telephony, least cost routing is a process that provides customers with inexpensive telephone calls. Providers offering routes to destinations are selected, evaluated, and removed based on call quality and other measures to maintain a competitive cost base and acceptable call quality. A provider is selected from a set of providers represented by a routing table. The routing table includes a cost of each provider offering a route to the destination that enables least cost routing.


An apparatus for forging may include a moveable first tooling member configured to form a workpiece upon impact with the workpiece, a moveable second tooling member configured to form the workpiece upon impact with the workpiece, wherein the first tooling member and the second tooling member are each moveable relative to one another, and wherein a net momentum of a simultaneous impact with the workpiece by the first tooling member and the second tooling member is approximately zero.

Various forging methods are known for shaping metal using localized compressive forces. Forging machines may utilize a very heavy hammer that travels along a linear path towards a very heavy anvil. A workpiece is placed upon the anvil and the hammer delivers an impact force to deform the workpiece. The forging hammer derives its power from the kinetic energy of the hammer in motion.
The mass of the hammer or the pressure applied to the hammer is an important factor in the forging process. Forging hammers typically may weigh between several hundred to several thousand pounds. Forging anvils must provide a solid base and may weigh up to thirty times the weight of the forging hammer.
Unfortunately, the large masses or pressures required for forging may result in the transmission of impact loads and vibrations to the forging machine frame and/or the floor. These loads may damage the floor or the machine frame and may impact the effectiveness of the forging process. As a result, forging machines require damper systems attached to the base of the forging machine to absorb and/or dissipate the impact loads and other energy resulting from the impact of the forging hammer.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of material forging.

Apparatus and method for momentum-balanced forging


A system for distribution of advertisements to interested recipients only via one-way nonaddressable television media and for transmission of orders from recipients to advertisers via two-way addressable Internet media. A system for electronic delivery of newspapers, magazines, books, music, video and computer software to authorized recipients only via nonaddressable television media with recipients' authorization via addressable Internet media. As a result, usage of slow and overcrowded Internet in e-commerce is limited to relatively low-volume communications that need to be addressable while all high-volume information is transferred through fast one-way television lines to bypass the Internet and reach simultaneously an unlimited number of recipients.

The present invention relates to information technology for television and Internet based electronic commerce.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,735 describes a technique for interactive television (video-on-demand) system wherein viewers are allowed to select a desired amount of advertisements and accordingly receive a discount for ordered entertainment programs: no discount with no advertisements, some discount with moderate amount of advertisements and biggest discount with a lot of advertisements. PointCast Inc., Cupertino Calif., has developed a screen saver application (a program that takes over control of the screen when computer idles) that delivers news headlines and commercials from Web sites to on-line computer users. U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,195 discloses a system for providing advertising information for on-line PC users during waiting time in on-line activities. U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,866 describes an information retrieval system based on two different communication mediums: an automated touch tone telephone service and interactive video. U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,542 discloses a system which uses a set-top cable box associated with a customer's television set for interactive services: movie-on-demand, shop at home and others.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,098 describes a system for distributing commercials to individually addressable subscriber terminal on a network. Commercial messages to be distributed over the network contain embedded information identifying categories of recipients for each message. A server, located on the network, provides each commercial with addresses of terminals to which the commercial is to be distributed. The addresses are selected by the server based on demographic and other information related to the households of subscribers. The commercial is received by an addressable set-top box and displayed on TV screen.
The common feature of referred above prior art is advertising via addressable media. Thus cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,515,098 discloses, in fact, an electronic version of a technique widely used in direct mail promotion. Meanwhile nonaddressable one-way broadcast and two-way addressable service are different and equally important parts of any communication infrastructure. On one side we see newspapers, radio and television, on other--mail, telephone and video conferencing. This two types of communications are fundamentally different not as much in technology as in domain. While nonaddressable broadcast media dominates in delivery of news, entertainment and advertisement, two-way addressable media supports personal communications and teletransactions. One watches a commercial on TV and then places an order by phone, not the other way around. Fortunately, advertising by mail and phone is typically unsuccessful, otherwise we would have a problem looking for bills lost in a pile of junk mail, and phone wouldn't give us a break. The more advanced technology is used for addressable advertising the more annoying the advertising is. That is why the Internet community hates junk e-mail. Switching media domains, whatever innovative it seems to be in theory, looks pretty much as media misuse and abuse in practice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,911 by the same applicant describes an apparatus for providing a customer of a television system with virtual personal channel that being selected delivers television programs of the most personal interest no matter on which channel and at what time the programs are physically transmitted. In this application, the technology of virtual personal channel is further developed to provide a new type of television advertising referred herein as commercial-on-demand, which, in turn, is incorporated with the Internet to facilitate a highly automated home shopping system referred herein as virtual personal store.
Commercial-on-demand (COD) is a civilized alternative of annoying junk mail and solicitation by phone. Advertising a a product, COD goes only to those recipients, TV viewers and PC users, who currently indicate an interest in that kind of product, and does not bother all others. Unlike junk e-mail, COD does not clog the Internet bypassing it via nonaddressable broadcast TV cannels--cable, satellite and so on. Having power of multimedia presentation COD is affordable because it doesn't need to be inserted in a prime-time popular program: computers automatically pick it up from any channel at any transmission time. Just compare: one-page advertisement in a popular magazine may cost $100,000 and even more; one TV channel can transfer 100,000 pages per hour, 2.5 million pages per day.
Connected to both a TV system and the Internet, recipient's computer, which is a PC or a computer built in a set-top cable box, facilitates home shopping via a system reffered herein as virtual personal store (VPS). VPS exposes products and services of the most personal interest because all of them are brought by CODs. If recipient decides to place an order, the computer automatically composes the order and sends it through the Internet thereby providing shopping in easy "point, click and have it" manner. Unlike advertising, placing orders via telephone or the Internet does not bother anybody--advertisers gladly accept them.
Ordered products are physically delivered by U.S. mail or UPS, or other similar service. Products of informational rather than physical nature, such as newspapers, magazines, books, music, video and computer software, can be delivered virtually (electronically) via Internet. In fact, the Internet becomes a major medium for software distribution. However newspapers' delivery would clog the addressable network because of a large amount of digital information distributed simultaneously to a large number of recipients. This application discloses an electronic products' distribution to authorized recipients via television lines using the Internet for authorization only. The system for virtual products' delivery is different from and more efficient than "pay-per-view" system currently used in entertainment television. Digital info products are not supposed to be viewed, listened or read when delivered, so they are transmitted as fast as possible. Moreover, the transmission itself can happen at any time including late night, early morning and work hours, not only at expensive "prime time" convenient for viewers. Recipient's computer automatically picks up a product from any channel at any time as determined by time/channel data included in authorization message for that product. One TV channel during 1.5 hour can transmit one pay-per-view movie or 500 different titles of books. And because there are only 4 hours a day for efficient sale of pay-per-view movies and all 24 hours for virtual delivery, the ratio is really not 1:500 but 1:3000.
A number of systems and products providing TV viewers with Internet services have been recently announced. Philips Electronics and Sony Corp. are marketing WebTV set-top box based on technology developed by WebTV Network Inc., Palo Alto, Calif. Mitsubishi Electric and Sharp Electronics announced Internet TV based on Net Front software from Access Co, Tokyo. Zenith Electronics Corp., Glenview, Ill., presents Net Vision system based on an appliance from Diba Inc., Menlo Park, Calif. While those technologies are very important for implementation of current invention, functionally they are different: they provide TV viewers with well known Internet services such as e-mail, browsing Web sites and so on, but not with commercial-on-demand, virtual personal store and virtual delivery. Moreover, those systems make no use of one-way nonaddressable television lines, they are using only TV set screen as a computer monitor.

Integrated virtual telecommunication system for E-commerce


A wrist mechanism for a robotic manipulator having kinematically zero length and mutually orthogonal unlimited joints is provided. The wrist mechanism provides access to any reachable point from any arbitrary direction. The wrist mechanism includes an intermediate joint created by two parallelogram four-bar linkages operating in parallel. Each of the four bar linkages include two side bars, a fixed bar and a coupler bar. The coupler bars extend to support a last link of the wrist mechanism which holds an end effector. The kinematic lengths of the side bars are less than the kinematic lengths of the fixed and coupler bars. The side bars of the first parallelogram four-bar linkage are fixed out of phase with respect to the side bars of the second parallelogram four-bar linkage. Also, the side bars of both parallelogram four-bar linkages occupy multiple planes which, along with the kinematic lengths of all the linkage bars, allows for unlimited rotation and zero dwell time.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a wrist mechanism for a robotic manipulator. In particular, the invention relates to a wrist mechanism having kinematically zero length and mutually orthogonal unlimited joints thus enabling to access any reachable point from any arbitrary direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
The dexterity of a robotic manipulator has been defined as the ability of a manipulator to access a point in a workspace from different directions. This ability is a function of the link dimensions and the joint limits of the robotic manipulator.
In order for a robotic manipulator to access every point in the workspace from all directions, three criteria must be met, including (i) three wrist joints having unlimited rotatability, (ii) three wrist joint axes intersecting at a mutually orthogonal point, and (iii) a point of intersection of the wrist axes being located at the tip of an end effector. It is the latter criteria that appears most difficult to practically achieve using current systems.
Thus, current robotic manipulators are not capable of accessing every point in the workspace from all directions due to wrist link parameters that may be impractical to obtain using current designs.
The implementation of robotic manipulators and Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines generally requires the end effector of the manipulator to follow a specified trajectory. This trajectory requires the end effector to visit various points in Cartesian space as well as to access these points from arbitrary directions. Accessing a point from an arbitrary direction requires the manipulator to have six degrees of freedom, three for position and three for orientation. This being the case, most manipulators are constructed with six axes. The axes of the manipulator are either revolute joints or prismatic joints.
Also, in robotic manipulators and CNC systems, the manipulator consists of a regional structure and a wrist structure. The regional structure consists of a first set of three links for global positioning and the wrist structure consists of a last set of three links for orientation. In these systems the regional structure is relatively large compared to the wrist structure.
With the trajectory specified, the joint values need to be calculated for each point along the trajectory. This is called the inverse kinematics problem. A closed form solution to the inverse kinematics problem is difficult, if not impossible, to find for a generalized manipulator. This is due to the highly non-linear nature of the equations used to describe the kinematics of the manipulator. If a closed form solution cannot be found, the inverse kinematics must be solved numerically and the time required for computing the inverse kinematics may prevent real time trajectory planning. In light of these obstacles, most manipulators have a "simple" design which allows for finding a closed form solution for the inverse kinematics thereby allowing for real time trajectory planning.
One feature of a simple design is to have the last three axes intersect at a point which is located at the center of the wrist, but not at the end effector. However, even with a simple design, not all the points in the manipulator's reachable workspace can be accessed from any arbitrary direction. This is typically due to the length of the last link of the manipulator.
The inverse kinematics becomes decoupled and more efficiently solved if the wrist structure is designed so that the center of the wrist is located at the end effector. Moreover, all reachable points can be accessed from any arbitrary direction if all of the wrist joints are unlimited. Kinematically, a wrist with such a design has zero dimension.
Some attempts have been made to design a zero dimension wrist. For example, Fayet and Jutard have designed a manipulator which consists of three bar linkages within the regional structure. In this design, the linkages within the regional structure allow the mount of the end effector to maintain a fixed orientation with respect to the base of the manipulator. Thus, as the regional structure is moved for global positioning, the orientation of the mount remains fixed. The orientation of the end effector is then achieved by varying the joints of the wrist.
Another approach has been suggested by Nguyen, et. al. which replaces the wrist structure with a Steward platform. Although these designs have advantages for solving the inverse kinematics problem, the wrists have limited ranges of motion and thus cannot access every reachable point from any arbitrary direction.
One method for overcoming the shortcomings of Fayet and Jutard, and Nguyen, is to replace the intermediate joint of a Euler angle wrist with a linkage. To this end, Guinot and Biduad have replaced the intermediate joint with a Peaucellier inversor mechanism.
Another design based on this concept was developed by Mosher and used by Pilarski and Trevelyan. The Mosher design consists of replacing the intermediate joint of a Euler angle wrist with two four-bar linkages in series. This design achieves the zero dimension, but has a very limited range of motion which introduces a dwell time when the angle of the intermediate wrist joint passes through the zero position.
FIG. 1 shows the Mosher design. As seen in FIG. 1, the wrist mechanism consists of two parallelogram four-bar linkages in series. The outermost link 6 rotates about a tool tip. This results in three axes of the linkage intersecting at the tool tip. However, this mechanism has a limited range of motion for the intermediate joint .theta..sub.5, e.g., 0.ltoreq..theta..sub.5 .gtoreq.120.degree.. Also, this configuration creates a dwell time problem when the joints are rotated through the zero position. Particularly, the dwell time occurs when .theta..sub.4 and .theta..sub.6 axes are rotated 180.degree., while .theta..sub.5 is held at 0.degree.. This occurs before .theta..sub.5 can continue in the negative range. As further seen in FIG. 1, all of the bars are contained in four planes of motion, namely, the fixed side bar 1 in a first plane, side bars 2 and 4 positioned on a second plane and side bars 3 and 5 positioned on a third plane, and a coupler bar 6 is positioned in a fourth plane. The design of Mosher (and others, e.g., Guinot and Biduad) have unlimited ranges of motions for the first and last joints, but have limited ranges of motion for the intermediate joint. This reduces the amount of movement of the wrist mechanism.
An improvement to these designs would include a wrist mechanism having an unlimited range of motion for the intermediate joint. Such a design would allow accessing any reachable point from any arbitrary direction and eliminating the dwell time problem. The inverse kinematics would also be solved more efficiently, thus allowing for real time trajectory planning.


The invention relates to a valve operating apparatus comprising a ferromagnetic device connected to the valve and displaceable on a course by which at one end the valve is in the closed position and at another end it is in the open position. The displacement command is performed by means of a first and a second electromagnet and of springs so that the device will be near to the first electromagnet for the closed position and near to the second electromagnet for the open position.

The invention relates to a control apparatus of the electromechanical type for opening and closing intake and/or exhaust valves for a thermal engine, particularly an internal combustion engine.
In an internal combustion engine the valves are opened or closed at precise moments of the working cycle. In most ordinary motors, the command for opening and closing is performed mechanically according to the position of the crankshaft. In recent years, electrochanical valve controls have been developed which offer the advantage of simplifying the design of the motor and permitting the timing and the durations of the opening and closing of the valves, which can be selected at will in order to optimize the performance of the motor.
Such electromechanical valve control apparatuss generally involve a magnetic pallet or plate cooperating with two electromagnets and two springs.
For this purpose the plate is generally in one piece with the end of a rod whose other end cooperates with the stem of the valve. The rod can also be integral with the stem of the valve. One of the electromagnets is designed to attract the plate to such a position that the valve is in the closed position. In this position one spring is compressed and the other relaxed, the compressed spring being then used to push the plate toward the other position, the one in which the valve is in the open position. The command from the closed position to the open position is performed by cutting off the power from the first electromagnet and by continued supply of power to the second electromagnet. In the open position, the first spring is relaxed and the second spring is compressed. This second spring pushes the plate, upon the opening position command, toward the closing position.
To limit power consumption by the valve operator, one and/or the other of the electromagnets is of the polarized type, i.e., a permanent magnet is provided in the magnetic circuit of the one and/or the other of the electromagnets. In this case, holding the valve in an open position and/or closed position does not require any current.

Electromechanical operator for a valve of an internal combustion engine

Abstract: Each electromagnet comprises a permanent magnet holding the device at the corresponding end of its course in the absence of current in the winding of the electromagnet. To change the valve from its open position to its closing position or vice versa, a defluxing pulse is applied to the winding of the second or of the first electromagnet opposing the effect of the permanent magnet, the change being carried out, after this pulse, by the sole action of the spring means.


A method for RLC layer uplink transmission and an ENB are provided. The method comprises: step A, after a terminal initiated RLC layer transmission of service or uplink signaling in uplink acknowledged mode, the ENB stores identifier of the terminal and information of RLC layer segment. The information of the RLC layer segment comprises size of the RLC layer segment. Step B, the ENB detects scheduling request message sent by terminal, and when the terminal determined that the ENB does not correctly receive the uplink signaling or the service initiated by terminal, the scheduling request message is configured to trigger an RLC layer retransmission of the uplink signaling or the service. Step C, according to size of the RLC layer segment stored, the ENB performs uplink authorization to the terminal, determines radio resource to be allocated for the terminal, and transmits information of the allocated radio resource to the terminal.

FIG. 1 is the radio network model of the LTE network communication system in the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, the system mainly comprises a user equipment (UE), an ENB and an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) network. The terminal is the user's operating terminal which can access the network to receive the uplink and downlink transmission services provided by the network and can respond to the network side signaling.
In the radio communication system, the RLC layer of the user plane can be used to provide users with the transmission of the signaling and the service in the acknowledged mode. When the condition of uplink radio channel is poor or an error occurs in the interior reception of RLC packet in the ENB, the retransmission of the RLC peer layer between the ENB and the UE can be triggered, thus ensuring the reliable transmission of the signaling and the service to the greatest extent. However, the reliability is ensured at the cost of transmission time. Thus actually, the delay of the user plane and the control plane is significantly increased.
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the method for uplink transmission of uplink RLC in the related art. As shown in FIG. 2, the method for uplink transmission of uplink RLC in the related art comprises the following steps.
Step 201, a UE initiates the RLC layer transmission of a signaling or a service in uplink Acknowledged Mode (AM) to an ENB.
Step 202, the ENB does not receive the RLC packet (the RLC layer segment) of the above transmission, and sends a response of unsuccessful reception (response of NACK).
Step 203, the UE sends a Scheduling Request (SR) signaling to trigger an RLC layer retransmission.
Step 204, the ENB distributes one scheduling by sending a DCI0 signaling and allocates a minor uplink authorization to the base station. The size of the authorization is the number of bits used by the Buffer State Report (BSR) value.
Step 205, the UE reports the BSR value through the Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).
Step 206, the ENB performs an uplink scheduling according to the size of BSR, and distributes a DCI0 signaling for indicating the radio resource allocation information again.
Step 207, the UE performs the RLC layer retransmission. Exemplarily, the UE performs the RLC layer retransmission of the user signaling or the AM service through PUSCH.
The inventors of the present invention have the following findings about the above mentioned related art. As shown in FIG. 2, during the RLC layer transmission of the user signaling or the AM service, after receiving a signaling indicating that the ENB did not normally receive the uplink data of the user (the signaling of RLC NACK), the RLC layer retransmission is needed to be performed. During the RLC layer retransmission, the user is required to re-report the BSR, and the ENB is required to distribute an extra DCI0 signaling for indicating the radio resource allocation information so as to find out the buffer state of the user. The disadvantage of the related RLC layer retransmission solution lies in that the delay of the service in the user plane and the signaling in the control plane is increased, which affects the satisfaction degree of the user.
Therefore, how to optimize the related RLC layer retransmission and to decrease the delay of the user plane and the control plane so as to increase the satisfaction degree of the user becomes an importance subject in the LTE system.

Method for uplink transmission of radio link control layer and evolved node B


Disclosed is an automated data storage library for storage and retrieval and selective export and import of portable data storage media stored in storage cells of portable magazines. Each portable magazine has a detent, and has registration surfaces, such as a sleeve at each of two corners. A columnar elevator supports a columnar stack of the portable magazines, and has an opening at its top level external to the library, and pushes the stack toward the top level. Fixed registration shafts in the library mate with the magazine sleeves to prevent lateral movement while allowing columnar movement of the magazines. The media may be accessed by a picker at the storage cells of the magazines at all levels in the stack internal to the library. A releasable latch engages the detent of the magazine at the penultimate level of the stack (e.g., the top position within the library), holding the stack against the upward pushing of the elevator, and external latches each engage a magazine in the stack at the top level. Selected ones of the latches are released by a library manager or operator to allow the elevator to push a selected magazine in the column to the top level, where it may be exported. The magazines held at the penultimate level or lower may still be accessed by the picker.

In an automated data storage library, numerous storage slots, or cells, arrayed within the library are used to hold data storage media, such as magnetic tape cartridges or cassettes, or optical disk cartridges. The storage slots are typically arranged in planar or cylindrical arrays of rows and columns. A picker, furnished with one or more grippers, is a robotic device which moves along a guideway in a horizontal motion, or about a pivot in a rotary motion, and moves vertically to access the various storage slots with the gripper, and transports selected data storage media amongst the storage slots and one or more read/write stations. The operation of the picker is typically under the direct control of a library manager, which is a program in a data processing library controller typically situated in the library. The library controller is interconnected with one or more host computer systems, such as a mainframe or network computer, which issues commands to the library. The read/write station may be interconnected with the host(s) and, after a data storage medium is delivered to the station, typically searches for, and reads selected data from or writes data to the selected data storage media under the control of a host.
Libraries also typically contain input/output stations or ports through which an operator may pass one or more data storage media to be added to the storage array and through which the picker may pass data storage media to be removed from the data storage array. For example, in coassigned U.S. Pat. 5,731,926, Gallo et al., issued Mar. 24, 1998, "Convenience Input/Output Station" an input/output station uses an elevator to vertically translate a tape cartridge or a non-removable magazine containing several tape cartridges into or out of the library. The elevator is movable between two positions, a maximum vertical position above the top surface of the library and a minimum vertical position within the library. An operator adds cartridges to the library by placing them into the input/output station situated at its maximum vertical position. The elevator then lowers the cartridges into the library by moving to its minimum vertical position. The picker then removes the cartridges from the input/output station.
However, an input/output station for single groups of cartridges may be highly inefficient and unable to allow the import, export or exchange of selected groups of cartridges or other data storage media of the library in a reasonable amount of time. For example, should a failure of the picker occur, it would be advantageous to be able to rapidly export any selected group of the data storage media from the failing library and import them into a fully functioning library.

Automated data storage library with a movable column for selective import/export of portable magazines

International Business Machines Corporation


A filtering apparatus is provided wherein the filter can be backwashed by an explosive-like surge of backwashing fluid. The backwashing assembly includes a quick-opening backwash valve which is not actuated by a linearly-acting valve stem disposed on the outlet side of the valve. In a typical embodiment, the inlet valve to the filtering apparatus is a rotating butterfly valve and the backwash valve is physically attached to the inlet valve, such that, when the inlet valve is open, the backwash valve is fully-closed and when the inlet valve is moved towards its fully-closed position, the backwash valve is fully-opened. The invention uses a two-step method of initially applying biasing pressure on the inlet valve/backwash valve combination and to thereafter provide additional pressure to dislodge the backwash valve from the valve seat--whereupon the backwash valve quickly opens and an explosive-like surge of backwashing fluid effectively backwashes the filtering media. Because the backwash valve is a non-outlet side linearly actuated valve, the discharge pipe running away from the backwash valve need not have any abrupt bends, so the explosive-like surge is maximized.

Heretofore, it has been generally been known to provide filtering apparatus in which the filter unit is arranged to be connected for normal filtering flow of the fluid to be filtered in one direction through the filter, and periodically reverse the direction of flow through the filter to remove the accumulated filtered out material. In many installations, the reverse flow or backwashing procedure, as previously practiced, is not entirely satisfactory for the reason that much of the filtered out material becomes lodged in the filter and is not effectively removed by the usual reversed flow or backwashing process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,500, I disclosed a unique filtering apparatus having a backwashing system capable of initiating a backwashing flow with an explosive-like initial surge of backwashing fluids. The explosive-like surge of the backwashing fluid is accomplished using a quick-opening valve, actuated by a linearly traveling valve stem disposed on the outlet side of the valve. Such filtering apparatus has been found to be considerably more efficient than filtering apparatus of the prior art due to the increased efficiency of the backwashing operation using the explosive-like initial surge of backwashing fluids.
Although the filtering system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,500 has been found to be considerably more efficient than filtering systems of the prior art, the filtering system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,500 is not as efficient as it might otherwise be. This is because that system requires backwashing fluids to exit the filtering system via an outlet line having at least one 90.degree.. This bend is necessary in the filtering system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,500 because of the construction of the quick-opening valve, actuated by a valve stem traveling linearly from the outlet side of the valve. Such 90.degree. bend has been found to significantly increase the pressure drop of the surging backwashing fluids, and consequently, significantly reduce the efficiency of the backwashing operation.
Accordingly, there is a need for a filtering apparatus of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,500 which does not require a 90.degree. bend in the backwashing outlet line.

Filtering apparatus with improved quick-opening backwash valve