A system and method for managing estimation and calibration of non-ideality of a Clock and Data Recovery circuit includes phase interpolators (PIs), first and second sets of delay elements, and a clock delay element. A first delay element of the first set of delay elements is programmed using a first digital delay control code (DDCC). The clock delay element is calibrated using a digital external delay control code (DEDCC) till a predetermined criterion is met, and is retained for subsequent use. The remaining delay elements of the first set of delay elements are separately calibrated based on the DEDCC. A first delay element of the second set of delay elements is programmed using a second DDCC. The DEDCC is readjusted for the second set of delay elements. The remaining delay elements of the second set of delay elements are separately calibrated based on the readjusted DEDCC.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to clock and data recovery (CDR) systems, and more particularly, to managing estimation and calibration of non-ideality of a Phase Interpolator (PI) in PI-based CDR system.
Description of the Related Art
In order to communicate data from a transmitter to a receiver across a signal line, the receiver must know when to sample the data signal that the receiver receives from the transmitter. In many systems, this information is provided by a timing (or clock) signal sent from the transmitter to the receiver along a dedicated timing (or clock) signal line adjacent to the data signal line.
In systems with relatively low signaling rates, the receiver can directly use an internally buffered version of a timing signal to extract the data from the data signal, as used in Synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) technology. In systems with higher signaling rates, however, the receiver typically requires a clock alignment circuit, such as a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) or Delay Locked Loop (DLL). The clock alignment circuits create an internal sampling clock signal, precisely aligned with the received timing signal, to extract the data from the data signal, as used in Dynamic RAM (DRAM) and Double data rate (DDR) technologies. Regardless of whether a clock alignment circuit is used, the data and timing lines must be well matched to eliminate timing skews between them which reduce a system's timing margin.
As data rates continue to increase, it is becoming increasingly difficult to match the data and timing signal lines to eliminate timing skews. Furthermore, requiring a timing signal line to be routed along with the data line(s) is costly in terms of board area and power. An attractive option is to remove the timing line and instead use a circuit on the receiver that requires only the data signal to determine when to sample the data signal to most reliably extract the data. The circuit is called a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit.
Although CDRs are typically designed using a modified phase-locked loop (PLL), such PLL-based CDRs are difficult to design, costly in terms of power and area, and suffer from several other limitations. For example, in designing a PLL-based CDR, the designer must compromise between the ability to track the data signal and noise suppression of the PLL. Additionally, the dynamics of PLL-based CDRs are dependent on the contents of the data signal, and PLL-based CDRs can have a long locking time since they must lock to both the frequency and phase of the data signal. PLL-based CDRs also suffer from analog offsets and device mismatches, which can cause the receiver circuitry to sense the data signal at shifted, sub-optimal sampling points. Lastly, for receivers receiving multiple data signals, a dedicated PLL-based CDR must be provided for each data signal. Providing dedicated PLL-based CDR for each data signal is a costly requirement since the PLLs typically require relatively large silicon area (e.g. for large filter capacitors) and dissipate relatively large amounts of power (e.g. for various high speed PLL components).
In widely used serial communication, the data is transmitted from the transmitter to receiver without a synchronous clock. The received data suffers from asynchronous and noise effects. To recover the data, a system needs to extract a clock and use the extracted clock to synchronize and clear the data. The system is called clock and data recovery (CDR) system.
However, the received data accumulates jitter and noise during transmission. Thus, adjusting the phase of the recovery clock based on the received data is a chief function in the CDR system. In general, low bit-error-rate (BER) communication of data over a communications channel is often considered an important requirement in many systems. To recover the data correctly and decrease the BER, the extracted clock needs to track the phase of the received data timely and accurately.
The BER is a function of many parameters, including a phase of a clock signal or phases of clock signals. An incorrect phase or timing of a respective clock signal may reduce a timing margin and/or increase the BER. As a consequence, communications devices and systems often include components, such as phase locked loops (PLLs), delay locked loops (DLLs) and phase interpolators (PIs), that allow the phase of the respective clock signal to be adjusted. For example, a PI may generate the respective clock signal having the phase that corresponds to a control signal applied to the PI. The control signal may specify a phase step or setting.
PI is the most critical module in the CDR system. However, the PI suffers from non-linearity. The non-linearity of the PI directly affects the dynamic characteristic of the CDR system thereby leading to an error. While a frequency difference exists between the input data and the local clock, it also affects the jitter tolerance of the CDR system. Many of the timing problems related to high-speed signaling are mitigated through the use of phase-interpolating circuits to generate precise clock phases.
Unfortunately, there may be nonlinearities or errors in a mapping from the phase code or step to the phase of the respective clock signal. Resulting phase errors may adversely impact the device and/or system performance, as discussed above. As a consequence, testing of such nonlinearities (or the converse, timing linearity) is often included in the characterization and acceptance of devices, such as integrated circuits. This testing is often performed using dedicated, external test equipment. Such test equipment, however, is often expensive. The accuracy and/or repeatability of the test equipment may be insufficient. Testing for nonlinearities over a wide range of phase steps may be time consuming, thereby further increasing the expense.
Another problem is that the nonlinearities of PIs become unacceptably large in the presence of process variations and routing mismatches. The non-linearity errors result in inaccurate clock timing, and may go unnoticed in high volume manufacturing (HVM). The non-linearity errors result in wrong timing margining results or poor input/output (I/O) performance due to inaccurate timing training.
PI-based CDR circuits are commonly used in high speed serial I/O links to recover data signals that have become distorted due to noise or attenuation. In a typical data recovery circuit, three identical PI circuits are often used. Thus, in order to minimize the layout area, segmented PI circuits, consisting of two circuit stages, are often implemented to allow for high-resolution phase interpolation. However, the segmented PI circuit design has shown a high level of non-linearity during what is known as inter-quadrant switching. Specifically, some existing segmented PI circuits have shown 30 ps phase non-linearity during inter-quadrant switching, which is high when compared to a desirable step adjustment target of 6.6 ps. The high non-linearity caused by inter-quadrant switching has been shown to introduce a significant amount of jitter into the PI-based CDR circuit.
There is a need, therefore, for enhanced methods, apparatuses and systems for managing estimation and calibration of non-ideality or linearity of a PI-based CDR circuit.

Method and apparatus for managing estimation and calibration of non-ideality of a phase interpolator (PI)-based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit


An image signal processing apparatus for quantizing an inputted moving image signal according to a quantization step so that a code amount of one frame becomes a target code amount, and for variable-length-coding the quantized moving image signal, in which a minimum value of the quantization step is determined for each frame, and the quantization step is determined so as not to be less than the minimum value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus, and in particular, to coding process of an image signal.
2. Related Background Art
The MPEG standard is known as an image signal compression and coding technology.
In a coding circuit for coding the image signal and thereby generating data in accordance with the MPEG standard, a target code amount is determined for each picture based on a target data rate. And based on the target code amount of each picture, the target code amount is assigned equally to all the macro blocks constituting each picture.
Thereafter, a quantization step for coding each macro block is determined in order to obtain the target code amount, and then coding is performed.
Thus, if the quantization step is set by establishing the target code amount equally to each macro block, the following problems may be raised.
For instance, in the case where there are a macro block including an almost motionless image and a macro block including an image having large motion in one P or B picture, almost no difference data can be obtained from the macro block of the almost motionless image. For that reason, the quantization step for attaining the target code amount is set to be small.
Inversely, as for the macro block of the image large motion, the value of difference data is large so that the quantization step must be set to be large in order to render the code amount of the macro block smaller than the target code amount.
However, as for the almost motionless image, even if it is coded by rendering the quantization step smaller than necessary, this coding results in increase of the code amount, while this increase does not result in significant effect visually. On the other hand, as for the image having large motion, setting the quantization step to be small will result in significant effect visually. Nevertheless, the quantization step cannot be set to be small since such the smaller quantization step results in code amount that exceeds the target code amount set equally for each macro block.
Thus, the target code amount is assigned equally to each macro block in the prior art, and so it is impossible to assign a large code amount to a portion which is less effective visually and assign a necessary code amount to a portion which is more effective visually.


Described are dough compositions and methods, wherein the dough composition is prepared using a metabolized portion of dough comprising bubbles, metabolically active yeast, and developed dough matrix, combined with non-metabolized yeast, and wherein the dough composition preferably has useful properties such as yeast-leavened freezer-to-oven capabilities, without the need for chemical leavening agents or modified atmosphere packaging.

Frozen doughs are desirable for commercial and home baking because they minimize preparation time and are easy to use. Such ready-to-bake doughs should be storage stable when frozen and should provide baked products having good organoleptic qualities and aesthetic appeal. Examples of frozen doughs include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,847,104; 4,966,778; 5,447,738; 5,560,946; 5,254,351; and in PCT Application WO 96/34530.
Frozen doughs come in a variety of different product types, e.g., based on the steps required to prepare a baked product from the dough. As background, dough products can require expansion during baking, and can also require proofing, i.e., allowing the dough to sit to allow yeast to produce carbon dioxide that expands the dough prior to and during baking. Many frozen doughs operate on this principle, with yeast as a leavening agent. When using typical yeast-leavened frozen doughs, a consumer will thaw the bread out of the freezer, allow the bread to sit (i.e., proof) for a time sufficient for the bread to produce carbon dioxide that will expand during baking, and then, finally, bake the bread. The steps of thawing and proofing can be very time-consuming. When preparing these types of frozen doughs, designed for preparation by a consumer by thawing, proofing, and then baking, it is generally preferred to avoid allowing yeast to metabolize prior to freezing, to enhance storage stability and to allow substantial leavening during baking.
Other types of frozen doughs are designed to remove or reduce the amount of time a consumer spends between freezer and oven. Some frozen dough products are sold "pre-proofed," which means that the dough is allowed to rise before freezing. Pre-proofed doughs have several drawbacks. Pre-proofed doughs can be expensive because a proofing step must be performed during the manufacturing process, and, such doughs can require a significant amount of storage space. Moreover, pre-proofed doughs can be susceptible to damage by temperature fluctuations, the formation of ice crystals, and mechanical stresses.
As another alternative, some frozen doughs are not pre-proofed but include chemical leavening agents and do not require a proofing step. These dough compositions use chemical leavening agents instead of yeast. The chemical leavening agent operates differently from yeast. While yeast requires time after thawing and prior to baking, for sitting at ambient temperature to produce carbon dioxide, a chemical leavening agent produces a gas at baking temperature, during baking, to expand the dough. The dough may or may not require thawing between the freezer and oven.
Some types of frozen dough products, especially pre-proofed, yeast-leavened, frozen dough products, are sometimes sold in modified-atmosphere packaging. The packaging can include an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide to prevent oxidation of the frozen dough and to maintain a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the frozen dough to minimize loss of carbon dioxide from the dough during storage and for expansion of the dough during baking. Modified atmosphere packaging has drawbacks such as added cost and complexity.
There is a continuing need to provide new methods and compositions useful in producing frozen dough products. Especially desirable would be methods and compositions capable of producing a frozen dough composition that can be stored frozen without first being proofed or partially baked, especially that can also provide a desirable baked dough product without being thawed or proofed after freezing and before being baked. Most preferably, either or both of these goals might desirably be met without the need for chemical leaveners or modified atmosphere packaging.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method (600) for recovering a set of display screen windows (402, 404, 406, 408) in a multi-window display screen (304). The method involves retaining window information as stored window information (SWI). The SWI includes a first arrangement for a first set of display screen windows (DSWs) displayed on the multi-window display screen at a first time. Each of the DSWs has respective content (420, 422, 424, 426). The method also involves using the SWI for redisplaying the first set of display screen windows in the first arrangement on the multi-window display at a second time. The second time is after the first time and follows an event causing the first set of display screen windows to be removed from the multi-window display screen. The redisplayed DSWs contain at least a portion of the respective content.

There are many types of industrial plant control systems (IPCS) known in the art for controlling industrial equipment and processes. One such conventional IPCS 100 is shown in FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG. 1A, the IPCS 100 includes a primary server 102, an operator computing system 110, a secondary (or back-up) server 104, a plant control system 106, and industrial equipment 108. The plant control system 106 has a distributed network configuration, i.e., there are application specific modules connected to each other, industrial equipment, and operator interfaces via a local control network.
Each of the components 102, 110, 106, 108 is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art, and therefore will not be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the operator computing system 110 is configured to enable the control of the industrial equipment 108 by an operator (not shown). As such, the operator computing system 110 includes a user interface 130 and a processing device 132. The user interface 130 is often comprised of a keyboard (not shown), a mouse (not shown), a display screen 112, and the like. The display screen 112 and processing device 132 collectively display a set of display windows 114, 116, 118, 120 to the operator (not shown). The phrase "display window" as used herein refers to a visual area of the display screen 112 configured to display at least one graphical user interface (GUI). GUIs are well known to those skilled in the art, and therefore will not be described herein.
If the primary server 102 is online, then the primary server 102 provides a means to select a plurality of monitor-control graphical user interfaces (MCGUIs) 122, 124, 126, 128 to be displayed in the display windows 114, 116, 118, 120. The phrase "monitor-control graphical user interface" as used herein refers to a graphical user interface which displays information and generally provides command control for monitoring and/or controlling applications, such as for an industrial process or industrial equipment. Alternatively, if the primary server 102 is offline and the secondary server 104 is online, then the secondary server 104 performs actions to select a plurality of monitor-control graphical user interfaces (MCGUIs) 122, 124, 126, 128 to be displayed in the display windows 114, 116, 118, 120.
The MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 typically include a text display area (not shown), a video display area (not shown), an image display area (not shown), command buttons (not shown), scroll bars (not shown), and/or the like. Each of the MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 is displayed in a particular display window 114, 116, 118, 120. For example, an MCGUI 122 is displayed in the display window 114. Similarly, the MCGUI 124 is displayed in the display window 116. Likewise, the MCGUI 126 is displayed in the display window 118. The MCGUI 128 is displayed in the display window 120. However, it should be understood that more than one GUI can be displayed in each of the display windows 114, 116, 118, 120.
Despite certain advantages of such a conventional IPCS 100, it suffers from certain drawbacks. For example, if the primary server 102 fails, then the secondary server 104 performs a re-set process to re-set the MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128. During this re-set process, the display windows 114, 116, 118, 120 are shut-down and each of the MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 is re-invoked. As a result of the re-invocation process, the MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 reappear in a random order on the display screen 112 as shown in FIG. 1B. Stated differently, each of the MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 reappears in a respective display window that is generally different from the previous arrangement of GUIs in the previous respective display window. One can appreciate that the randomly ordered MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 may result in operator confusion. The randomly ordered MCGUIs 122, 124, 126, 128 may also result in improper operator actions that can cause a failure of an industrial process or an abnormality in the industrial process.

Method and system for re-invoking displays


A beach blanket assembly includes a beach blanket, an inflatable beach bumper, and a multiplicity of stakes. The beach blanket has a central portion and a surrounding peripheral border wherein the peripheral border is held in a supported generally upright position by the stakes and the inflatable beach bumper. The stakes each have a lower end portion which is embedded in the beach surface and an upper end portion which abuts the inflatable beach bumper. The upper end portions are further releasably attached to the peripheral border of the beach blanket. A multiplicity of fastener type hook and loop material patches permits the peripheral border of the blanket to be releasably attachable to the inflatable bumper. An alternative embodiment of the present beach blanket assembly includes a beach blanket and a multiplicity of stakes which are shaped and configured to support the entire peripheral border of the beach blanket above the beach surface as well as securely anchor the beach blanket to the beach surface.

The present invention relates generally to beach blankets, more particularly, this invention relates to a beach blanket assembly which includes a beach blanket having an elevated or raised peripheral border and wherein the assembly is securely anchored to the beach surface.
Typical devices for covering a particular section of the beach for protection of a beachgoer from the adverse characteristics of contact with sand generally include towels and blankets. Principal concerns with towels and blankets that lie on the surface of the beach are that they are susceptible to accumulation of sand, and disarray by wind and human forces.
Various types of inventions have attempted to alleviate these concerns (See e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,230 and U.S. Pat. No. 270,133). More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,333 by Kaiser et al. discloses a self-supporting beach blanket which rests on the beach surface and includes a continuous spring steel hoop attached to the peripheral edge of the blanket. Although the blanket remains fully extended, such arrangement does not solve the problem of accumulation of sand on the surface and further should wind get under the blanket, the blanket will act as a sail and be carried away by the wind.
Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,430 by Nicoll, discloses a beach blanket having a liquid filled plastic tube secured around the perimeter to provide weight and shape to the beach blanket which rests on the surface of the beach. In this arrangement, for the weight to not be unduly cumbersome requires the diameter of the tube to be relatively small, thus affording little protection from sand accumulating on the surface.
A further example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,653 by Klein, describes a beach blanket staking device whereby four such devices are secured to the beach surface. Clothespins on the stakes are attached to opposite upturned edges of a beach blanket. Again the problem of accumulation of sand is encountered as well as the ease in which the blanket can be detached from the clothespins.

Beach blanket assembly with raised border


An extraction device for production of infusion drinks, includes an infusion chamber made up of a fixed part (1) and a moving part (2) which opens and closes the infusion chamber, a lever (20), mounted to rotate relative to an axle (A) and drive the moving part (2) in rotation relative to an axle (B), via a sliding pivot joint between the lever (20) and the moving part (2), characterized in that the axle (B) of rotation of the moving part (2) is arranged on an element mounted such as to move relative to the fixed part (1) to bring the moving part (2) closer to or further away from the fixed part (1).

The present invention relates to an extraction system for making infused beverages and in particular coffee from ground coffee.
The invention will apply particularly to espresso-type coffee machines using cartridge or capsule-type packages of ground coffee. 2. Related Art
All manufacturers are constantly trying to improve the practicality in use of coffee machines, more especially since the appearance of disposable packages of ground coffee which are easy to handle.
Various systems concerning the phases of ground coffee introduction, closing of the infusion chamber, infusing, opening of the infusion chamber and ejection of the ground coffee have already been proposed.
Document FR-A-2849760 shows a device and a machine for the extraction of a substance for making beverages comprising infusion chambers that are capable of being opened and closed by a lever system mounted rotatably relative to the machine frame so as to drive a moving part of the infusion chamber along another axis of rotation.
Such an actuation system gives overall satisfaction but there has appeared a reason or need to improve it, in particular to cope with cartridge or capsule type packages of ground coffee.

Machine for producing espresso-type coffee


An improved slat to be inserted through and attached to a chain link fence to provide privacy, security, and protection from particulate matter and sound. Slats of this improved type are positioned vertically, side-by-side along the fence. The slat is formed of longitudinal ribs giving it a corrugated nature. This gives strength and dimension to the slat. Raised retaining tabs are formed on a slat rib on one side of the slat. The retaining tabs are formed of unitary raises. A length of a chain link fence interlocks into a groove formed between the two unitary raises to secure the slat to the fence. In a preferred embodiment, the vanity slat apparatus is formed of PVC.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally, to privacy devices for chain link fences and more particularly to a better vanity slat apparatus interweavable through a chain link fence.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common for owners or occupants of residential and commercial property to surround their property with a chain link fence to prevent or restrict the passage of people or animals across property lines. Chain link fences provide a secure enclosure of low cost and good durability. Such fences are formed of flattened helical wire strands interlocked to form a wide mesh wire fabric supported at spaced intervals by upright tubular members. Chain link fencing has certain disadvantages, however.
The appearance of chain link fencing is strictly utilitarian, and not necessarily attractive. Further, chain link fencing provides little privacy for the occupants of the fenced property, nor does it prevent the occupiers of the property and fails to block the view of adjacent views, such as streets or alleys. For certain applications, the unobstructed visibility through a chain link fence is distinctly disadvantageous. When privacy is desired, or where a wind break is needed, a chain link fence by itself is unsatisfactory.
Accordingly, chain link fences may be provided with slats to cover the openings in the fence and obstruct visibility. To improve the appearance of chain link fencing, and to provide a degree of privacy, it is a common practice to insert opaque slats between the links of the chain link fencing, usually in vertical orientation. Optimally such slats should be attractive, low in cost, durable, and should not rattle or become loose because of vibrations or wind.
Such slats have a tendency to shift longitudinally after being inserted in the wire fabric of the chain link fence so as to become disarranged and uneven. Dislodged slats can detract from the aesthetics. A successful slat must be securely attached to the fence and somehow restrained from falling through the fencing.
Over the years, arrangements have been devised to restrain the slats in position, including the use of an upwardly-concave channel inserted horizontally through the lower most links of the fence with the lower end of the slats resting in the channel. Restraining members have also been utilized to cap the tops of side-by-side vertical slats.
Because the fabrication of a chain link fence typically provide wire runs forming diamond shaped openings, most prior art slats comprise elongate strips which seat within these openings. The slats can be positioned either vertically or diagonally at a forty-five degree angle to the horizontal. The slats are often clipped to the chain itself by fasteners or hooking tabs on the slats. The slats can also be connected to each other by clips or snaps.
Slat sections can be accordion-shaped to provide expandability for different widths of chain link grid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,761 shows such an arrangement. In that device, such slats are formed with bores on their outer periphery to receive U-shaped clips to connect one slat to another. The slats are inserted and intertwined through the mesh gridwork.
Skilled artisans and consumers have found that using tabs or clips to hook the slats to each other or to the fence strands is inconvenient. Thus, different and additional ways to attach slat devices to fences and prevent their removal, without snaps and fasteners, have been suggested.
Various retaining lock devices for chain link fence slats have been designed. Some arrangements incorporate an open channel which is inserted horizontally through the lower most or uppermost course of links of the fence. A locking arrangement is provided to lock such slats to the channel to prevent their removal. The slats may be formed on one end with a bevel and may include a locking notch for locking a locking channel in position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,591 shows such an arrangement. While satisfactory for their intended purposes, devices of this type suffer the shortcoming that separate locking channels are required, the attachment of which require a certain degree of dexterity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,619 shows a similar chain link fence slat arrangement including a top horizontal channel, a bottom horizontal channel, and slats formed with lock tab bottoms that can be locked into the bottom horizontal channel. Devices of this type also require careful alignment of the top and bottom ends of the slats in the locking channels.
Another common means of attaching the vertical slats to the chain link fence is to manufacture each vertical slat with an aperture to receive a horizontal member therethrough. The horizontal member can be inserted through the apertures on the series of vertical slats, supporting the slats and restricting removal thereof. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,512,556.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,761 shows a similar construction in which the slats are angled at forty-five degrees. Each of the forty-five degree positioned slats is formed with a retaining hole in it. A horizontal retaining slat is inserted through the series of retaining holes of the slats to keep them stable and in place.
A mesh fence for snow or particle drifts is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,889. Vertical slats are stapled transverse to the length of the mesh fence across the mesh fence. In another embodiment, a collapsible fence is described with the slat members connected to each other by snap fasteners.
One of the most common arrangements employed in the past to restrain slats in a fence was a strip member extending across the top of the slats, connected to each slat, to retain the slats in the fence as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,505.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,760,759 describes a chain link fence, slats, possibly of wood, woven through the fence, and a lock strip at the bottom on which the slats rest or to which the slats are attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,954 shows vertical slats in a chain link fence, an upper horizontal channel, and a lower horizontal retaining member channel. The lower channel is provided at the bottom of the fence, holding the slats in place. The slats may be plastic.
The slat used with the chain link fence can be flexible with a flattened cross-section. Such slats are manufactured of polyethylene, a similar plastic, wood, or metal. They are offered by manufacturers in various colors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,590 shows that the slat depth can be varied to keep the slats from falling out. A slat will then fit snugly in the fence with its portions flush to each side and will not rattle.
As described above, slats for a chain link fence have been designed in an accordion-like shape to expand to fit the fence mesh. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,761. However, devices of this type are relatively expensive to manufacture and require some degree of dexterity to install.
There is a need for more privacy and protection than that provided by a mere chain link fence. Many slat devices have been suggested to improve chain link fences for vanity sake, to protect against particulate matter in the air, sound, temperature, and wind. Slats inserted in a chain link fence are subject to displacement either by accident or because of vandalism. This creates an unsightly appearance and destroys the privacy of the occupiers of the property. Therefore there is a need for the slats to be securely attached to the fence.
There is a need for inexpensive, lightweight, sturdy, attractive slats which are convenient to install and which incorporate a retainer operative upon engagement with the fence to hold the slats in place.
Wooden slats deteriorate with continued exposure to the elements, and their attractiveness can only be restored by removing them from the fence for restraining or repainting. This periodic restoration is time-consuming and costly. An improved slat composition is necessary.


Copolymers of ethylene and a cyclic olefin, preferably a fused ring cyclic olefin (FRCO), optionally containing an alpha-olefin and/or a non-conjugated diene, display increasing glass transition temperatures (T.sub.g) as the amount of FRCO in the copolymer increases. This increase brings these polymers quickly above a T.sub.g acceptable as elastomers. Addition of specially selected process oils, based on cohesive energy densities of both the copolymer and the process oil, is shown to lower T.sub.g to a range acceptable for elastomers e.g. below about -30.degree. C. The copolymer/process oil combination can then be used in elastomer compounding operations and behave in typical elastomer fashion.

Ethylene cyclic olefin polymers would be excellent rubbery materials with beneficial optical properties of a high refractive index and mechanical properties of low tension set if they had elastomeric properties. However, as is known, such polymers generally exhibit glass transition temperatures (T.sub.g) well above the generally recognized T.sub.g of elastomers (elastomers having a T.sub.g generally below room temperature, preferably below -35.degree. C.). This behavior, while generally applicable, is specifically applicable to such ethylene cyclic olefin polymers with molecular weights (number average, M.sub.n) at least five times greater than the entanglement molecular weight (M.sub.e) for such polymers.
The introduction of cyclic olefins, and in particular, fused ring cyclic olefins (FRCO) into SBCCP leads to rapid increase in the glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of the SBCCP. These changes arise both from the introduction of catenated chains of the carbon atoms pendant on the saturated polyolefin backbone as well as from the introduction of rigidity of the fused ring cyclic olefin structure arising from the FRCO. Both of these effects have been studied and documented. In general, for the effect on the T.sub.g, the introduction of equal mole fractions of alpha olefins, cyclic olefins, and FRCO of approximately equal number of carbon atoms increases with the degree of cyclic structures introduced into the SBCCP. For example in the book "Prediction of Polymer Properties" by J Bicerno published by Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, N.Y., (1993) page 149 and thereafter, it is shown that for saturated backbone polymers composed of carbon and hydrogen, the T.sub.g of the polymers increases with addition of carbon based radical chains to the main saturated backbone of polymer. The increase in the T.sub.g is most evident for the introduction of cyclic groups in the polymers. This information is shown below in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Glass transition temperature in degrees K for typical SBCCP Polymer T.sub.g in degrees K ______________________________________ Polyethylene 195 Polypropylene 233 Poly(5-methyl-1-hexene) 259 Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) 302 Poly(4-cyclohexyl-1-butene) 313 Poly(vinyl cyclohexane) 363 Poly(cyclopentene) 362 Poly(bicylco(2.2.1)heptene) 603 ______________________________________
The data above pertains only to homopolymers. The data for copolymers is less easily available, but can be estimated. It is expected that the T.sub.g of copolymers of FRCO and other monomers such as ethylene is intermediate between the T.sub.g of the homopolymers of the constituent monomers. It is known that in such cases the T.sub.g of the copolymer depends on the relative amounts of the two olefins which form the copolymers. The relationship between the composition of the copolymer in terms of the composition of the two parent olefins has been investigated by T. G. Fox in Bulletin of the American Physical Society V1, p 123 (1956). This relationship shows that the T.sub.g of a copolymer of two monomers 1 and 2, present in weight fractions M1 and M2, whose homopolymers have glass transition temperature of T.sub.g1 and T.sub.g2, respectively is given by the relationship in Equation 2 ##EQU1##
In spite of this increment in the glass transition temperature of SBCCP containing FRCO there have been several attempts to use these SBCCP as elastomeric articles, particularly in vulcanizates. Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,013, the author describes the formation and compounding with process oils and filler in a polymer similar to the SBCCP. However, the document does not disclose the lowering of the T.sub.g of SBCCP by dilution addition with specific process oils. The purported advantages, arise because of the `monomer which, when introduced in small quantity, makes it possible to increase the vitreous transition temperature of the tetrapolymer`. Thus, this document relies on the increases of the T.sub.g of the SBCCP to obtain the purported improvement. Shown in the data in Table III of the document, the T.sub.g of the polymers increases with addition of the FRCO and is likely to be causative for the purported improvements described in the document.
Moreover, the general use of process oils to lower the T.sub.g of SBCCP containing FRCO has not been suggested previously. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,886 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,832, the lowering of the T.sub.g of polyolefin elastomers and plastics by the addition of process oils has been shown. These process oils can be classified as the first class and second class (vide infra) in the specification of the current invention. In '886 and '832 the process of lowering the T.sub.g by using process oils as well as the process of selection of the process oils is discussed. However, neither of the suggested polymers contain a FRCO.
There is a need therefore for an ethylene cyclic olefin copolymer defined as an SBCCP containing a FRCO that can include elastomeric properties, particularly having a sufficiently low T.sub.g.

Depression of the glass transition temperature of polyolefins containing cyclic monomers


Provided is a tobacco plant which is suitable for cultivation for harvesting leaf tobaccos. The present invention encompasses (i) a tobacco plant into which a mutation for suppressing the development of primary axillary buds is introduced, (ii) a method of obtaining the tobacco plant, (iii) a harvest from the tobacco plant, and (iv) a processed product of the harvest.

In the process of the growth of seed plants, embryos in seeds develop so as to form cotyledons and apical meristems (shoot apical meristems). Cell division of the apical meristem (shoot apical meristem) causes leaf primordia to be sequentially formed, and causes axillary meristems to be formed on an adaxial side of the leaf primordia. The axillary meristems then serve as apical meristems (shoot apical meristems) and result in axillary buds. During vegetative growth of a plant, usually, the development of axillary buds is temporarily in a dormant state (suppressed). In a case where apical meristems (shoot apical meristems) of a primary shoot is transitioned from a vegetative growth state to a reproductive growth state, or in a case where the apical meristems (shoot apical meristems) die, the development of the axillary buds is no longer in a dormant state and is promoted. With respect to the development of axillary buds, there are a plurality of research reports on solanaceous plants (e.g., tomatoes and tobaccos) and on other plants (e.g., rice and Arabidopsis thaliana).
A tobacco plant, which is cultivated for harvesting leaves, is subjected to topping (cutting off a stem of an apical portion with a flower) during cultivation, for the purpose of enhancing the quality and quantity of leaves to be harvested (e.g., for the purpose of accumulating composition of the leaves and maturing and expanding leaves). Topping causes axillary buds of the tobacco plant to start vigorously developing from, bases of leaves (leaf axil). The development of axillary buds naturally consumes nutrients, and therefore causes a relative decrease in nutrient which are supplied to leaves to be harvested. Therefore, the development and outgrowth of axillary buds leads to a decrease in quality and yield of leaves to be harvested. Therefore, in cultivating a tobacco plant for harvesting leaf tobaccos, axillary buds are subjected to, for example, control such as removal or developmental suppression.
Examples of a method of removing an axillary bud encompass a method in which an axillary bud is picked by hand or by machine. Picking an axillary bud by hand involves (i) a large amount of work (and accordingly an increase in labor costs) and (ii) a problem of low efficiency. Picking an axillary bud by machine is less accurate than picking by hand, and therefore brings a problem of damaging a plant. Examples of a method of suppressing the development of an axillary bud encompass a method in which an agrochemical is used. The use of agrochemicals involves problems such as repeated application for maintaining an effect, an impact on the growth of a plant, an impact on leaves to be harvested due to agrochemicals residue, and an increase in inspection cost for agrochemicals residue.
The following are disclosures of Non-Patent Literatures 1 through 4 concerning the development of axillary buds of plants other than tobacco plants.
It has been reported that in a mutant in which a mutation is introduced into HAIRLY MERISTRM (HAM) gene of petunia, trichomes are ectopically formed in shoot apical meristems (Non-Patent Literature 1). It has also been reported that LOST MERISTEMS (LOM), which is an orthologue of the HAM gene in Arabidopsis thaliana, is a causative gene of suppression of axillary bud formation in a mutant (Non-Patent Literature 2). In Arabidopsis thaliana, at least four genes are predicted as HAM homologues. When HAM1 and other HAM homologues (2 or 3 homologues) are mutated simultaneously, an increase in the number of mutations caused axillary bud formation to be suppressed more greatly than in the case of mutation of HAM1 only (Non-Patent Literatures 2 and 3). As a homologue of HAM gene of pepper, one kind has been reported. The mutation of such a gene caused the formation of axillary buds to be completely suppressed (Non-Patent Literature 4).

Tobacco plant and production method thereof


A method of searching for an interpolated peak of a Normalized Correlation Square (NCS) signal derived from an audio signal, comprises: producing quadratically interpolated correlation (QIC) signal values at interpolated time lags; squaring each of the QIC signal values to produce square QIC signal values; producing an individual interpolated energy signal value corresponding to each of the square QIC signal values, wherein ratios of the square QIC signal values to their corresponding interpolated energy values represent interpolated NCS signal values; and selecting, as the interpolated peak, a largest interpolated NCS signal value among the interpolated NCS signal values without evaluating the ratios.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to digital communications, and more particularly, to digital coding (or compression) of speech and/or audio signals.
2. Related Art
In the field of speech coding, the most popular encoding method is predictive coding. Most of the popular predictive speech coding schemes, such as Multi-Pulse Linear Predictive Coding (MPLPC) and Code-Excited Linear Prediction (CELP), use two kinds of prediction. The first kind, called short-term prediction, exploits the correlation between adjacent speech samples. The second kind, called long-term prediction, exploits the correlation between speech samples at a much greater distance. Voiced speech signal waveforms are nearly periodic if examined in a local scale of 20 to 30 ms. The period of such a locally periodic speech waveform is called the pitch period. When the speech waveform is nearly periodic, each speech sample is fairly predictable from speech samples roughly one pitch period earlier. The long-term prediction in most predictive speech coding systems exploits such pitch periodicity. Obtaining an accurate estimate of the pitch period at each update instant is often critical to the performance of the long-term predictor and the overall predictive coding system.
A straightforward prior-art approach for extracting the pitch period is to identify the time lag corresponding to the largest correlation or normalized correlation values for time lags in the target pitch period range. However, the resulting computational complexity can be quite high. Furthermore, a common problem is the estimated pitch period produced this way is often an integer multiple of the true pitch period.
A common way to combat the complexity issue is to decimate the speech signal, and then do the correlation peak-picking in the decimated signal domain. However, the reduced time resolution and audio bandwidth of the decimated signal can sometimes cause problems in pitch extraction.
A common way to combat the multiple-pitch problem is to buffer more pitch period estimates at "future" update instants, and then attempt to smooth out multiple pitch period by the so-called "backward tracking". However, this increases the signal delay through the system.

Pitch extraction methods and systems for speech coding using interpolation techniques


A replaceable gem stone setting for a jewelry piece in which a casing receives a gem stone, and a bottom cover is hinged to the casing to be able to be moved to a closed position against the casing open bottom, the bottom cover having portions resiliently deflected by the gem stone as the cover is closed, resiliently holding the stone against abutments on the open top end of the casing through which the gem stone crown is displayed.

This invention concerns jewelry and more particularly settings which allow ready replacement of stones in the jewelry piece. Such capability has been found advantageous as allowing stones of different colors, types and cut, etc. to be placed in the jewelry piece, as to be better matched to a wearer""s clothing, or simply to change the look of the jewelry piece from time to time.
Settings have thus heretofore been devised to allow this to be done. U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,434 shows a hinged cover which can be opened to release a stone which is held on a tapered seat fixed to the jewelry piece.
The hinging of the top cover reduces the aesthetic appeal of the piece, and the hand made hinge may not be accurate enough to insure engagement with the stone. Stones can vary in size considerably, as each stone is cut from a naturally occurring product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,415 attempts to solve this by using a flexible hinged top to generate seating pressure against a flat based stone. The top hinge is still aesthetically unappealing. Spring element pedestals are also suggested, but these substantially increase the depth of the holder, creating a more bulky appearance.
Also, these springs are not compatible with a diamond cut stone.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,712,171 shows a bottom hinged holder, but relies on a positive engagement, problematic as mentioned above when considering the hand made nature of the hinge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,177 shows a stone pressured by threading a cover down to force the stone against a resilient ring. This involves direct rubbing contact against the stone sides, and the necessity of machining threads into the cover and body components. There is a possibility of excessive pressure damaging the stone, as well.
Other such mountings involve separate loose springs or complicated parts.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a replaceable stone setting which applies only a light pressure on the stone, which is simple and reliable, does not involve separate loose parts, and does not increase the bulk of the jewelry piece nor otherwise degrade its aesthetic appeal of the piece.
The above recited object and other objects which will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by providing a stone setting including stone receiving bezel or case having an open top formed with an inwardly projecting lip rim extending inwardly around the opening (or a series of prongs), against which the crown or girdle of a gem stone may rest when inserted from the open bottom of the case. A bottom cover is hinged to the open bottom of the case and is formed with an array of radially convergent spring blades or fingers which are resiliently deflectable. The gem stone cullette and lower part of the gem stone pavilion is received in a central clearance between the inner tips of the blades when the cover is closed. The blades are cantilevered to be resiliently deflected when the cover is latched closed to generate a moderate pressure on the gem stone holding it securely in position against the inside of the rim or prongs at the top of the case.
The blades are preferably integrally formed with the cover.
A radial slot can also be formed in the cover to allow radial spreading of the blades to increase the degree of resilient deflection thereof able to be produced by the gem stone""s engagement with the bottom cover.
A cover with a central opening supported by a deflectable arm can be used instead of the array of cantilevered blades.
A stone encircling wire ring can also be provided, pivoted to the inside of the case to prevent the stone from falling out if the cap unintentionally opens.

Replaceable gem stone setting for a jewelry piece


Embodiments of the present invention provide a portable rotary disk type storage device provided with a form factor allowing dimensions of an accommodation space in a longitudinal and a lateral direction to be reduced. In one embodiment, the storage device has a head disk assembly provided with a rotary disk recording medium and a casing accommodating the rotary disk recording medium and forming a totally closed space. The device further has a PCB provided with a connection pad disposed substantially parallel with a recording surface of the rotary disk recording medium and connectable to a host system connector and a control circuit for the head disk assembly and connected to the head disk assembly with an FCP and mechanically released therefrom. Housings accommodating the head disk assembly and the PCB and having an opening portion in alignment with the connection pad are provided.

The present invention relates to a rotary disk type storage device such as a magnetic disk device, an optical magnetic disk device, and the like, provided with an interface connector to be connected to a connector of a host system.
The magnetic disk device can store a large amount of digital data. With the recent trend in needs toward greater capacities and progress in making devices even more compact and reduced weight, there is a mounting need for the magnetic disk device as a storage device for digital contents made up of voice, image, and other types of data. Digital contents are recorded in recording media and very often used in many different fields. As a result, there have been increased cases where the magnetic disk device is demounted from its original host system, such as a personal computer or the like for use in another host system.
The magnetic disk device is generally provided with an interface connector for connecting the device to a host system. A disk-shaped magnetic disk is rotatably supported inside the magnetic disk device. The diameter of the magnetic disk, therefore, substantially governs the external dimensions of the magnetic disk device. The dimension in a direction running parallel with a recording surface of the magnetic disk (hereinafter referred in this specification to as a longitudinal or lateral direction relative to the magnetic disk device or a space in the host system accommodating the magnetic disk device) becomes greater than the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the recording surface of the magnetic disk (hereinafter referred in this specification to as a height direction relative to the magnetic disk device or the space in the host system accommodating the magnetic disk device).
An accommodation space provided in the host system for accommodating the magnetic disk device is therefore shaped flat, being small in the height direction and large in the longitudinal and lateral directions. Further, a terminal of the interface connector for the magnetic disk device has conventionally been provided to be connected from the longitudinal or lateral direction.
A magnetic disk device having such a configuration as that described in the foregoing is shown, for example, in FIG. 6 of Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-101607. The magnetic disk device disclosed in this reference is considered to have a plurality of magnetic disks stacked one on top of another. The disk device seems to be relatively tall. Because of the increased storage capacity per magnetic disk in recent years, however, later magnetic disk devices have come to be provided with only one disk, or have the smaller number of stacked disks as compared with the conventional ones. As a result, the later magnetic disk devices have come to be shaped even thinner, as shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B), with the dimensions in the longitudinal and lateral directions even further enlarged relative to the dimension in the height direction. The accommodation space in the host system has therefore been shaped even thinner, being even smaller in the height direction and larger in the longitudinal and lateral directions.
Referring to FIG. 1(A), a magnetic disk device 10 has a magnetic disk 13 accommodated in a casing 15 and is provided with an interface connector 17 on an end portion of a housing. The terminal 19 of the interface connector 17 is arranged so as to permit access from the longitudinal direction parallel with a recording surface of the magnetic disk 13. Another interface connector (hereinafter referred to in this specification simply as the "connector" when reference is made to the interface connector on the host system side) is provided in the accommodation space in the host system for connecting to the interface connector 17. This second interface connector consumes part of the volume in the accommodation space of the host system in the longitudinal direction.
In the magnetic disk device shown in FIG. 1(A), the interface connector is disposed so as to provide access to its pins from the longitudinal direction. In the magnetic disk device shown in FIG. 1(B), on the other hand, the interface connector 17 is disposed so as to provide access to its terminal from the lateral direction. Although not shown in the figures, a printed circuit board mounted with a control circuit for the magnetic disk device is secured to a bottom surface of the casing 15 in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B).
A technique is known in which a magnetic disk device main body is mounted on a printed circuit board and a connector for connecting to an external device is provided adjacent thereto on the printed circuit board so as to allow access to the connector from the height direction of the magnetic disk device. Such a technique is shown, for example, in FIG. 11 of the aforementioned Japanese reference.
In Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-6726, a portable type magnetic disk device, which is supposed to be demounted from the host system and carried freely, is particularly exposed to a greater possibility of being subjected to impacts due to drop or contact with other objects. The magnetic disk device is nonetheless a precision machine provided therein with a head actuator mechanism and controlled so that a head floats above a front surface of a rotating disk to read or write data while keeping a slight gap from the surface. The device must therefore be appropriately protected from external impacts.
Many magnetic disk devices adopt actuator lock mechanisms of various types in order to prevent the head and the magnetic disk from coming into contact with each other and being damaged. This is done by locking the actuator mechanism, should an external impact be applied while the device remains inactive. The problem is, however, that these improvements are simply not sufficient for providing protection from large impacts, such as dropping of the magnetic disk device.
There is known an approach to improving impact resistance of the portable type magnetic disk device. Specifically, a housing provided with a cushioning material for prevention of impacts is incorporated to cover the entire body of a general-purpose magnetic disk device. An interface connector is then mounted in the housing for establishing an electric connection with a host system. Such a technique is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-192449. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a portable magnetic disk device 20 using a general-purpose magnetic disk device 23. The portable type magnetic disk device 20 is configured as described in the following. Specifically, the general-purpose magnetic disk device 23 is accommodated in a housing 29 and an interface connector 27 is provided on an end portion of the housing 29. The general-purpose magnetic disk device 23 is composed of a head disk assembly (HDA), a printed circuit board mounted with an electronic circuit for controlling the HDA, and an interface connector, which are physically integrated together.
One end of a flexible cable (FC) 25 is connected to the interface connector of the magnetic disk device 23. The other end of the flexible cable 25 is connected to the interface connector 27 of the portable type magnetic disk device 20. The terminal of the interface connector 27 is disposed so as to provide access from the longitudinal direction of the portable type magnetic disk device 20. Inserting the portable type magnetic disk device 20 into a bay of the host system and pushing the device 20 in the direction of the arrow will directly connect the device 20 to a connector on the host system.
An impact absorbing material for cushioning is provided between the housing 29 and the magnetic disk device 23. A known technique for applying the impact absorbing material to such a use is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-37198. The portable magnetic disk device 20 removed from the host system may be dropped or hit against an object during transportation, causing the housing 29 or the interface connector 27 to give impact to the general-purpose magnetic disk device 23. Even under this condition, the impact to the general-purpose magnetic disk device 23 is softened, thus preventing the magnetic disk device 23 from being damaged.
In the conventional magnetic disk device 10 and the portable type magnetic disk device 20 shown in FIGS. 1(A), 2(B), and 2, however, access to the interface connector terminal is established in the longitudinal or lateral direction, as applicable, of the corresponding magnetic disk device. To provide a connector for connecting to the interface connector in the accommodation space for the magnetic disk device allotted on the host system side, therefore, a space in the longitudinal and lateral directions corresponding to the connector is taken up from what is available for the entire accommodation space.
The radius of the magnetic disk substantially governs the outside dimensions of the magnetic disk device. Hence, the dimensions in the longitudinal and lateral directions are greater than that in the height direction. When appropriately establishing the overall dimensions and outline of the host system, a need existed to keep dimensions in the longitudinal and lateral directions small, even if the dimensions the height direction of the accommodation space for the magnetic disk device may be enlarged. When working with the accommodation space for the conventional magnetic disk device, there was necessity to allow for a space for the connector in the longitudinal and lateral directions, in addition to the outside dimensions of the magnetic disk device or the portable type magnetic disk device.
In addition, the general-purpose magnetic disk device 23 is used in the conventional portable magnetic disk device 20 shown in FIG. 2. For that reason, it was necessary to provide the interface connector 27 and the flexible cable 25, in addition to the magnetic disk device 23. This was one of the factors contributing to increased cost.

Hitchi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


An apparatus includes an image buffer, a graphics buffer, a memory, a router, and a sensor interface. The apparatus further includes a memory controller for controlling transfer of image data from the image buffer to the memory via the router and for controlling transfer of graphics data from the memory to the graphics buffer via the router. The apparatus also includes an image controller simultaneously operable with the memory controller for controlling transfer of the image data from the sensor interface to the image buffer. Optionally, the sensor interface comprises a receiver and a transmitter. Optionally, the apparatus further includes a header buffer, and a header controller simultaneously operable with the memory controller for controlling transfer of header data from the sensor interface to the header buffer. The apparatus optionally further includes a sensor for communicating with the header controller via the sensor interface.

Prior to 1996, U.S. Navy airborne tactical reconnaissance systems used film-based camera systems. Use of film camera technology required the reconnaissance aircraft to return to the carrier after taking the desired picture. Upon landing, the film canister was unloaded and carried to the carrier's photo laboratory for processing. Once processing was complete, the film negative roll was visually scanned on a light table to find the desired picture of the target area. Once the target area was detected, the negative was cropped and a contact hardcopy print was developed. This hard copy was used for final target review or placed on a scanner to generate a digital copy of the hardcopy photo for subsequent distribution. In many cases, this process could take several hours after an aircraft landed to obtain a picture of a desired target area. With the introduction of digital cameras into Navy reconnaissance systems starting in the mid-1990's, film-based processing was no longer required. An example of such early digital camera systems includes the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System—Digital Imagery (commonly known in the industry as TARPS-DI), wherein digital recorders were used to store the imagery taken by these digital cameras instead of film-based canisters. The data bricks, or tapes, from these digital recorders could be loaded directly into the imagery exploitation stations on the carrier without the additional processing required by the film-based systems. Although the imagery was already in digital form, the digital imagery still needed to be screened on the exploitation station to find the desired target area. With the introduction of real-time wide-band RF digital data links into reconnaissance systems with digital cameras, the Navy obtained the capability to transmit real-time digital imagery to the carrier from the aircraft as the images were taken. Examples of such reconnaissance systems include the 1999 Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System—Completely Digital (commonly known in the industry as TARPS-CD), the 2001 Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System—Full Capability (commonly known in the industry as TARPS-FCAP), and the 2002 Shared Reconaissance Pod (commonly known in the industry as SHARP). Transit back to and landing on the carrier was no longer required to obtain an image in the intelligence center ("intel center") assuming the aircraft was within link range. When compared to the film-based reconnaissance systems, the use of digital cameras with real-time digital data links significantly reduced the time required to take a picture and have it analyzed in the carrier's intel center. Reduction of the time required to get a picture to the intel center is critical to be able to attack time-critical targets, such as mobile targets. This time is referred to as the "sensor-to-shooter" time. Although the application of digital cameras and digital links into reconnaissance systems significantly reduced the sensor-to-shooter time for many missions compared to film-based systems, the link range of the digital links was still a limiting factor. Most wide-band digital links used on tactical aircraft are line of sight links and hence limited by the curvature of the earth to approximately 200 nautical miles. In these circumstances, this distance limitation negates the real-time use of the digital link and requires the reconnaissance aircraft to once again land on the carrier to drop off its digital recorder brick, or tape, in order for the imagery to be exploited on the intel systems. Significant time is lost because the imagery cannot be exploited or reviewed in the aircraft prior to landing on the carrier and loading the digital recorder information into the carrier's exploitation systems.

Airborne real time image exploitation system (ARIES)

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


A hybrid architecture for realizing a random numbers generator comprising a digital circuitry portion able to provide for a random bytes sequence as well as an analog circuitry portion able to provide a seed of the true random type is described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hybrid architecture for realizing a random numbers generator.
In particular, the invention relates to an architecture having a hybrid digital/noising structure that can be integrated monolithically
With the expression random numbers generator it is indicated a circuitry that can issue upon request one or more bytes not-correlated one to another, i.e. that can be defined as completely random.
The main object is to create a totally unpredictable bytes sequence, thus a sequence of bytes having a theoretically infinite period and an uniform distribution.
The scope is that of improving the features of a random numbers generator in order to reach the best possible statistical conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
As it is well known, the random numbers generators are of increasing interest, in particular in the landscape of Internet applications, in relation with the need of obtaining electric transmission systems always surer and surer, using a more and more sophisticated cryptography system.
In particular, the Internet explosion will allow an increasing number of users to perform even more critical and complex operations, for example shopping on Web directly paid by credit cards, request for official documents or communication, or other no free of charge services. Such operations emphasize the need of digital authentication and certification device to be provided, as the electronic signature.
It is obvious that a sophisticated coding system would be as surer as the used key for the cryptographic algorithm is unknown and unpredictable.
It should be also noted that random numbers are also used in several scientific search and technology areas. So, the random number generators (RNG) are important devices for the simulation phase of a lot of phenomenons (for example, in the nuclear physic field), in all situation where impartial decisions are to be made, in evaluating the algorithms' complexity or in solving numerical analysis. In particular, a different application field would require a RNG with different properties.
The main characteristics of a cryptography system are the following:                secrecy: the message to be send should be decodified and read by the addressee only;        authentication: the addressee receiving a message should be sure of the sender identity;        integrity: the content of the message should be sure;        sender identity guarantee: the sender should be prevented to deny a message transmission (digital signature).
The object of a cryptographic algorithm is making as complex as possible the decodification of a cipher message without knowing the appropriate key. In case of a good working cryptographic algorithm, the only possible way in order to obtain a plain text from a cipher message is to try all possible key in order to identify the correct one: the number of proofs increases in an exponential manner with the key length.
So, the main operation in order to obtain a secure cryptographic system is the creation of the key, which should be as long and random as possible.
It should be noted that two main types of systems for generating random numbers are currently used.
Digital Systems
They are mainly pseudo-random generators. Such devices are based on a substantially digital core which can provide a numbers sequence having a really long period.
They can be assimilated to states machines which realize algorithms and extremely complex functions having a difficult capture. In most cases, the finding of the function which generates the sequence could even need hundred years of computational time.
In particular, in order to generate a random number, the known generator, implemented by computing system, uses random variables which are connected to the system or external to it.
Internal random variables of a computing system such as a personal computer (PC) are the following:                system status variables, like the clock time, the serial numbers of the PC (for example, the Ethernet serial number and so on);        the number of files stored in the hard disk or in a particular directory;        the empty space on the hard disk;        the information contained in several buffers of the computer, the I/O content or the video driver information;        the number of tasks within the operating system, the corresponding ID or sizes;        the central memory state;        information defined by the user (size or positioning of the windows, used colors, file names, . . . ).
The above listed internal variables are interesting from the point of view of their random character but show the limitation of the number of random bits they can provide and thus they are not so reliable from the secrecy point of view.
External random variables are the following:                content of the keys selected on the keyboard;        time length between one selected key and the following;        measures of time and position of the mouse movements;        arrival time of bit sequences on the network.
All the above listed external variables show a good random degree and are in some way dependent on the user actions.
In any case, the random sequence so obtained is generally not used per se but is processed by suitable algorithms in order to increase their random character and thus the security of the cipher message.
The most known techniques that provide for this kind of devices are the following:                LCG (Linear Congruence Generator) technique that provides for a numerical sequence of the type:Xn=a1 Xn−1+C(mod m)  (1)
where m, a e C are the parameters that randomize the sequence, respectively known as module, multiplier and additional constant.                MRG (Multiple Recursive Generator) technique that provides for a numerical recurrent sequence of the type:Xn=a1Xn−1+a2Xn−2+. . .+akXn−k(mod m)  (2)
In particular, the above recurrent formula (2) corresponds to a primitive polinomy division and can be implemented by a so-called LFSR (Linear Feedback Shift Register), schematically shown in FIG. 1.
In particular, the LFSR 10 of FIG. 1 comprises a shift register 11 receiving a first input signal INPUT and providing an output signal OUT.
The shift register 11 is connected in a loop-like manner to a primitive polinomy generator 12, in turn receiving a second input signal IN.
Actually, in order to realize a pseudo-random generator according to the prior art techniques, a circuitry combining different LFSRs to obtain a more complicated sequence is used.
In particular, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, such a technique realizes a random numbers generator or RNG by means of combinations of LFSRs.
The generator RNG 20 of FIG. 2 comprises a first LFSR1, a second LFSR2 and a third register LFSR3, receiving an irregular clock signal issued by a clock generator 21 in turn comprising a set of clock oscillators CLK L1, CLK L2, CLK H1, CLK H2.
In particular, within the clock generator 21, the clock oscillator CLK L1 is connected to the clock oscillators CLK H1 and CLK H2, the clock oscillator CLK L2 is connected to the clock oscillators CLK H1 and CLK H2, the clock oscillator CLK H2 is connected to the clock oscillator CLK H1. Moreover, the output of the clock oscillator CLK H1 is connected to the registers LFSR1, LFSR2, LFSR3.
The first register LFSR1 is connected to the second register LFSR2, in turn connected to an output terminal OUT_RNG of the generator RNG 20.
Finally, the third register LFSR3 is connected to the first register LFSR1 by means of a scrambling device 22.
It is also known to combine the above described techniques.
The digital systems just described have the advantage of being totally reliable and of guaranteeing a sequence which is complicated at the most possible level but substantially always deterministic.
Analog Systems
Such techniques find their basis in the detection of natural phenomenons that are per se random. The most common used techniques are the followings:                Direct amplification of a noise, such as a thermal noise generated by a resistor or during a radioactive source emission.        Use of analog features of a chaotic circuit which is really sensible to parameters variations or to the initial conditions. In such a way, the common process imperfections or the reference voltage errors generate sequences totally not-correlated one to another.        Use of a composition of amplifiers, analog filters, connected to noise sources.
According to the first technique, a high gain and wide band amplifier is used in order to process a small signal issued form a thermal noise source (the so-called shot noise). The noise signal should be amplified up to a level whereat it can be compared by means of a comparator showing no bias and provided with a clock signal.
However, the absence of a suitable protection with respect to the noise source from external noises due to the power supply and to the substrate does not allow one to use such a technique in integrated applications.
On the contrary, according to the second technique, a chaotic circuit can be obtained, for example, from a cascade of n analog/digital converter (ADC) stages and a Sample & Hold circuit, in other words by means of a known n bit analog/digital (A/D) converter. In particular, such a chaotic circuit realizes the Bernoulli map following the equation:Xn=2(Xn−1+e(n))(mod 1.0)(3)
where e(n) is a Gaussian noise signal.
Finally, according to the third technique, an oscillator sampling can be used in order to realize a random generator, where a random signal is obtained starting from the phase noise of an oscillator.
In particular, an output signal from a fast oscillator is sampled by means of a D-type flip-flop (DFF) receiving as clock signal an output signal of a slow oscillator. In such a case, the evolution of the fast oscillator guarantees random samples obtained from the DFF, by simply fixing the oscillators frequencies ratio.
The analog systems just described (also known as TRUE RANDOM) have the main advantage of furnishing all random sequences. However, they require a deep attention during the design phase. It is in fact too simple that a minor imperfection in the system so realized degrades the performance of the system itself in such a way that it can no more be used.

Hybrid architecture for realizing a random numbers generator


This invention relates to a hydrometallurgical process for extracting platinum group metals (PGMs), gold, silver and base metals from a flotation concentrate (10) containing sulphide minerals such as pentlandite and chalcopyrite, along with pyrite and pyrrohotite. The process includes a modified pressure oxidation step (12) to selectively separate base metals into sulphate medium (14), from the PGMs. The modified pressure oxidation step (12) partially or completely oxidizes sulphide minerals to produce a product slurry (14) containing base metal sulphates in solution and a solid residue containing PGMs along with sulphate and elemental sulphur. The solid residue is subjected to a thermal treatment (18) to remove sulphate and elemental sulphur from the solid residue, and to condition the PGMs to be soluble in chloride medium. The treated solid residue is the subjected to PGM recovery by leaching in chloride leaching medium (20) to recover the PGMs.

As resource companies evaluate increasingly more difficult polymetallic orebodies to assess their potential for exploitation, so does the metallurgical challenge increase. This is particularly the case for ores containing significant amounts of platinum group metals (PGMs), gold and silver together with valuable base metals such as nickel, cobalt and copper. Sulphide concentrates can present challenges to conventional processing by smelting, for example when barren sulphides such as pyrite and pyrrohotite contaminate the concentrate with significant amounts of iron and sulphur that have to be dealt with in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner.
In many cases there are potential technical, economic and environmental benefits from application of a robust hydrometallurgical processing route to these projects. These may include lower power costs, higher overall metal recoveries and lower SO2 and CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
The novel process route described herein exemplifies significant developments that augment the process route described in international patent publication no. WO 99/60178 (the content of which is incorporated herein by reference), and which is known as the "Kell Process" (FIG. 1). This invention describes a novel way of treating the iron and sulphur, thereby removing concentrate quality constraints so that the flotation recovery of the valuable metal can be maximized. The Kell process route comprises the steps of:                leaching flotation concentrate (10) in a pressure oxidation sulphide leach (12) to dissolve base metal sulphides in the flotation concentrate and forming a sulphide leach filtrate (14) containing base metals (16) and a residue containing PGMs; and        separating the sulphide leach filtrate (14) from the residue; and        roasting (18) the residue to form a calcine; and        leaching (20) the calcine in a chloride leach to dissolve the PGMs into solution forming a chloride leach filtrate for PGM recovery (22) and a solid waste residue (24).
The Kell process route has been successfully tested on several different sulphide concentrates, including those from the UG-2 chromitite horizon, Merensky reef, Platreef and North American polymetallic concentrates, achieving high 90s percent recoveries of separate Ni/Co/Cu and PGM solution streams.
The quantity and type of sulphide minerals in the flotation concentrate are present to varying extents, depending on factors such as ore mineralogy, flotation mass pull, relative flotabilities of the minerals, requirement to maximise overall metal recovery and other considerations. Barren sulphide minerals that do not bear valuable precious and base metals may be recovered into the flotation concentrate to a greater or lesser extent, depending on these factors. Hence, sulphur and iron levels in the feed concentrate may vary considerably. These barren sulphides, such as pyrite and pyrrohotite are difficult to depress in the flotation process without detrimentally reducing the recovery of the valuable metals to the concentrate. The iron and sulphur that the barren sulphides bring with them have to be disposed of in a cost-effective and environmentally acceptable manner.
It is an object of this invention to address this difficulty.

Hydrometallurgical treatment process for extraction of metals from concentrates


A filter assembly for use in an air purifier unit having a rectangular shaped air inlet entrance to the unit blower. A rectangular shaped frame containing a HEPA filter pack is slidably received within the blower inlet. An L-shaped flange surrounds the filter frame and closes against the air inlet of the blower to provide an air seal. The top wall of the flange is offset some distance from an adjacent wall of the frame to provide a handle for the filter assembly.

This invention relates to an air purifier unit and, in particular, to a high efficiency filter assembly for use in a portable air purifying unit.
As the air we breathe becomes more contaminated, the need for better, higher efficiency air purification equipment becomes more pronounced, particularly in the more densely populated areas. Much of the air pollution in these populated regions is caused by automobile exhaust emissions and industrial plants that burn fossil fuel in order to satisfy their power demands. This type of pollution is difficult to cleanse from the air and cannot be effectively handled by conventional filter found in furnace and air conditioning systems. As a consequence, people who suffer from respiratory ailments are oftentimes forced to remain indoors when the air quality drops below a certain safe value. Ideally, while indoors, these people should breathe air that has been circulated through a high efficiency air purifying system. This type of system is typically costly and not easily transported from place to place. Inexpensive portable units are available, however, the dependability and operability of these units is sometimes less than satisfactory.
A new high efficiency particle arrestor (HEPA) filter pack has been developed which is suitable for use in portable air handling units and, in particular, in an air purification system. The filter material is contained in a rectangular shaped package. The package, however, has relatively little structural strength and poses certain difficulties relating to securing it within a unit and in handling the package during installation and removal from a unit so that the filter is not damaged.


There is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and readable by a computer that is installed in an information processing apparatus, the computer program, when executed by the computer, causes the information processing apparatus to operate as: a preview data generation unit configured to acquire image data of a print job using a RAW spool type and to generate preview data from the image data, wherein the preview data is image data for preview; and a display unit configured to start up a previewer when the preview data of at least one page is generated and to display the preview data on the previewer.

There have been known a preview function which displays preview data on a previewer before executing printing by a printing apparatus. For example, in an information processing apparatus having Microsoft Windows (registered trademark) installed therein, a printer driver has an independent spooler, separately from a spooler of the operating system (OS), and a preview function is implemented using the independent spooler. Further, in another information processing apparatus, although the spooler of the OS is used, a file is read out from the spooler and a file for preview is generated.
For example, there have been disclosed a related-art technology which implements a preview function in following order. First, when the OS receives a print instruction from an application, document data of a print target is converted into intermediate data, which is then stored in an EMT (Enhanced Metafile) spooler. When a print instruction is additionally received, a previewer is started up. After that, the previewer requests a print processor, which is provided by the printer driver, to generate preview data for preview, and the print processor reads out the data of a preview target from an EMF spool file and enables a printer graphics driver, which is provided by the printer driver, to generate preview data. The previewer receives a notification of completion of the generation of the preview data and displays the preview data.

Information processing apparatus having improved preview function


The control device of a tape feeder, during the loading processing, in a case in which carrier tape that is preadjusted such that a length from a first cavity, which houses the electronic component and which is first from the leading end of the carrier tape among the multiple cavities, to the leading end of the carrier tape is a regulated length is inserted into the insertion section, starts conveyance of the carrier tape and makes a position of the first cavity a specified position in the feeder main body in accordance with a detection result of the detection sensor.

Tape feeders are used in electronic component mounting machines that mount components on a circuit board. Among tape feeders, there are autoloading types that can automatically load a carrier tape inserted via an insertion section provided at a rear portion of the tape feeder, as disclosed in, for example, patent literature 1. The autoloading tape feeder positions a cavity of the carrier tape at a supply section that supplies an electronic component to the electronic component mounting machine, for example, when a new or refill carrier tape is loaded.

Tape feeder and carrier tape loading method


An instrument for suturing anatomical tissue with a suture needle includes a housing, an elongate shaft having a proximal end mounted by the housing and a distal end with a peripheral edge, a first needle holder protruding from the distal end of the elongate shaft and having a needle holding member at a distal end operable to grasp and release a suture needle, and a second needle holder protruding from the distal end of the elongate shaft and having a needle holding member at a distal end operable to grasp and release a suture needle. Distal portions of the first and second needle holders extend laterally outward at an angle from first and second longitudinal axes of the elongate shaft to positions where at least a portion of the corresponding needle holding members are spaced laterally outward of the peripheral edge of the elongate shaft. In addition, the needle holders are rotatable about the first and second longitudinal axes of the elongate shaft to cause the corresponding needle holding members to move along first and second arcuate paths. When inserting the suturing instrument through a portal in an endoscopic procedure, the first and second needle holders are preferably movable to undeployed positions where their needle holding members are spaced laterally inward of the peripheral edge of the elongate shaft. When suturing, the needle holding members can be moved from their undeployed positions to deployed positions disposed laterally outward of the peripheral edge due to the angled configuration of the distal portions of the needle holders.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to suturing of bodily or anatomical tissue and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for suturing anatomical tissue during endoscopic and open surgical procedures.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Suturing of bodily tissue, that is, the practice of using lengths of suture material to ligate or approximate tissue, is a time consuming part of most surgical procedures including both open surgery and endoscopic or closed surgery. By "open surgery" is meant surgery wherein the surgeon gains access to the surgical site by a relatively large incision and by "endoscopic surgery" is meant minimally invasive surgery wherein the surgeon gains access to the surgical site via one or more portals through which endoscopes are introduced to view the surgical site and through which instruments, such as forceps, cutters, needle holders and the like, are introduced to the surgical site.
In the past, suturing has been accomplished with the use of a sharp suture needle carrying a length of suture material, the suture needle being caused to penetrate and pass through the tissue pulling the suture material through the tissue. Once the suture material has been pulled through the tissue, the surgeon ties a knot in the suture material, the knotting procedure allowing the surgeon to adjust the tension on the suture material to accommodate the particular tissue being sutured and to control approximation, occlusion, attachment or other conditions of the tissue.
The process of tissue penetration and knotting of the suture material can be time consuming and tedious work, particularly when performed in connection with microsurgery and endoscopic surgery and can unduly prolong the duration of surgery and therefore the period during which the patient is under anesthesia. Nevertheless, endoscopic surgery is preferred over open surgery due to the greatly reduced trauma and wound healing time for the patient and due to cost savings associated with shorter hospital stays and performing surgery in non-hospital or out-patient surgery sites. Accordingly, there has been much effort to develop techniques for facilitating the suturing normally performed by use of a suture needle and a length of suture material. Alternative techniques proposed have included electrical coagulation, mechanical devices such as clips, clamps and staples, and lasers; however, no alternative technique has yet been well accepted by surgeons to produce the results obtained by suturing and tying. Thus, there is a great need for suturing techniques useful in endoscopic surgery to permit surgeons to suture anatomical tissue using suture needles and lengths of suture material in a time efficient, consistent and precise manner.
The performance of an endoscopic procedure typically involves creation of one or a number of puncture sites through a wall of an anatomical cavity using a penetrating instrument including an obturator, such as a trocar, disposed within a portal sleeve. After the penetrating instrument has penetrated into the anatomical cavity, the obturator is withdrawn leaving the sleeve in place to form a portal in the cavity wall for the introduction of instruments such as endoscopes, scissors, forceps, needle holders and the like into the anatomical cavity. Suturing is typically performed with a needle holding instrument or needle holder having a pair of jaws adapted to hold the body of a suture needle. The jaws of the needle holding instrument are inserted through the portal sleeve and are positioned at the operative site by manipulation of a handle at the proximal end of the instrument outside the body. With a suture needle held between the jaws of the needle holding instrument, the handle is manipulated to cause a tip of the needle to be pushed through the tissue being sutured. Once the tip of the suture needle has been pushed through the tissue, the jaws of the needle holding instrument must either be opened to release the suture needle so that the tip of the needle can be grasped and pulled through the tissue therewith, or a second needle holding instrument must be introduced at the operative site through another portal to grasp the tip of the suture needle after it has emerged from the tissue being sutured. The former technique requires further adjustment of the suture needle within the jaws of the needle holder before another stitch can be made; and, while use of a second needle holding instrument for pulling the needle through the anatomical tissue allows the first needle holding instrument to grasp the body of the suture needle in the manner required to make additional stitches, it is generally desirable to minimize the number of puncture sites created for performing a particular endoscopic procedure.

Suturing instrument with multiple rotatably mounted spreadable needle holders


Methods and systems for performing garbage collection involving sensitive information on a mobile device are described herein. Secure information is received at a mobile device over a wireless network. The sensitive information is extracted from the secure information. A software program operating on the mobile device uses an object to access the sensitive information. Secure garbage collection is performed upon the object after the object becomes unreachable.

Many known mobile devices support objects, such as by using Java to send, receive, or at least use data, voice, and/or multi-media (audio/video). These objects may be involved in sensitive information from cellular networks and with many different services. However, garbage collection operations presently performed on mobile devices have security deficiencies.
A non-limiting example of the deficiencies includes collection of unreachable objects. For example, FIG. 1 shows a typical state of a heap between garbage collections of unreferenced objects. A typical garbage collector waits until memory becomes low before collecting unreachable objects. Thus, an object may become unreachable well before it is collected. This creates an unpredictable window of opportunity for an attack, especially if the memory recovery itself is not secure.

Secure garbage collection on a mobile device


A flexible connection for use between a vertical, large diameter cold water conveying pipe and a floating platform that supports the cold water conveying pipe or another pipe to permit the pipe and the platform to rotate in roll and pitch directions relative to one another without imposing excessive bending moments or strain on the cold water pipe. The flexible connection also contains internal and external pressure across the connection. The flexible connection includes an articulation mechanism that interconnects the vertical cold water conveying pipe and the platform or a pipe on the platform, and a flexible, fluid impermeable bellows.

In some applications, there is a need to accommodate relative motions between a first fluid conveying pipe and a second member that the pipe connects to, such as a platform supporting the pipe or another pipe. One example of such an application is in Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) where a large diameter pipe is supported from a floating platform. The large diameter pipe is used for conveying cold water to the platform to condense the working fluid (for example, ammonia) for the OTEC power cycle. Currently, a commercial OTEC plant requires pipe of approximately 10 m or greater diameter to prevent excessive friction losses.
The floating platform for the pipe will be subject to various motions due to waves and wind forces. The pipe itself is also acted upon by currents and wave action. These effects cause the pipe to bend and vibrate at its natural frequencies and the frequencies of the forces. The relative motions and large bending moments between the pipe and the platform, or between the pipe and another pipe on the platform, need to be accommodated while containing the internal pressure and/or containing external water pressure across the joint.


A box formed from a plastic corrugated material with soft score lines is provided. The soft score lines are formed to enable the top flaps of the box to lay substantially flat against the outer surface of the box when folded to an open position.

In certain instances, it is important to provide box containers which have top flaps that can be fully opened to lay flat against the outside of the box. In particular, automated filling machinery may have narrow passages for such boxes. Flaps that extend outward from the box may get caught in such machinery.
Paperboard boxes can be formed to have flaps that lay flat. However, for plastic corrugated boxes, the plastic in the score lines between the flaps and the side walls has memory that causes the flaps to spring back. This causes the flaps to move back toward a planar relationship with the side walls.
The present invention provides an improved score line for use with plastic corrugated boxes.

Plastic corrugated container with soft score line