A seat assembly including an assembly frame having at least two seat connection brackets, a seat frame, two or more connectors attached to the seat frame, the two or more connectors removably attached to the two or more seat connection brackets, two or more flexible supports extending across at least a portion of the seat frame, each support including a woven material, and a foam cushion including one or more holes, wherein the seat frame and the two or more flexible supports are molded within the foam cushion, and wherein the one or more connectors extend at least partially within the one or more holes.

Auditorium seating typically includes a seat and a back mounted to a frame assembly, with the back being fixed and the seat being pivotable throughout a range of movement. The seating surfaces generally include a rigid frame, a padding layer over at least a portion of the frame, and a seat cover. Some of such seating surfaces also include metal springs or wire mesh connected to the frame beneath or within the padding. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,310,034 and 3,264,034 to Lawson.
A disadvantage of prior art seating assemblies is that they generally require welding and/or other fastening means to attach the springs or wire mesh. Springs are also relatively costly due to the materials required and the tooling to manufacture the springs and wire mesh. Further, springs and wire mesh can often be felt while sitting on the seat, particularly after the padding begins to wear from its contact with the springs or mesh. Springs, in particular, are often noisy as well. A further disadvantage is that metal springs and mesh are prone to rush and corrosion.
Some seats, particularly in the automobile industry, have incorporated load bearing webs or sheets in place of springs and wire mesh. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,907 to Witzke discloses a vehicle seat assembly including a frame having side rails and a load carrying pre-stretched web mounted on and extending between the side rails. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,522 to Vail et al. discloses a vehicle seating assembly including a frame and a fibrous matrix encapsulated in a foam body. Witzke and Vail, however, both disclose a seat in which a single continuous web is connected between two side rails. Furthermore, the web requires complicated mounting means such as the J-clip mounting members and flanges taught by Witzke.
What is desired, therefore, is an improved seat assembly to overcome the disadvantages in the prior art. What is also desired is an improved seat assembly for auditorium and theater applications.

Molded seat assembly with flexible weaving


There is provided an optical transmitting device with which signal light can be blocked only in the optical path having a displaced or removed optical connector without affecting the remaining optical paths. An optical transmitting device comprises a light source 12 for producing signal light with a high-power level, an optical distributor 14 for distributing the signal light from the light source 12 to a plurality of optical paths and a plurality of optical output ports 18 connected to said optical distributor 14, wherein each of the plurality of optical paths is provided between the optical distributor 14 and the related optical output port 18 with an light blocking unit 26, an optical coupler 20 connected to said light blocking unit 26 for branching an optical path from the incoming optical path for reflected return light, an light/electricity converter 22 for converting the reflected return light into an electric signal and a control circuit 24 for driving the light blocking unit 26 according to the electric signal from said light/electricity converter 22.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical transmitting device to be used for an optical fiber communication system in order to transmit optical signals with a high-output power level and, more particularly, it relates to an optical transmitting device designed to prevent optical signals being transmitted out of it along an optical path from being inadvertently emitted out of the optical path as any of the optical connectors of the system is displaced or removed.
2. Prior Art
An optical transmitting device for transmitting optical signals in an optical fiber communication system is typically designed to produce optical signals with a high-output power level so that the signals may travel over a long distance without being strained or lost.
Such a communication system operates well as long as the optical connectors are connected properly in the optical path. However, signal light can leak out with a high-power level and signals can be strained or lost once any of the connectors is displaced or dislocated.
Signal light with a high-power level can be dangerous to the human body particularly when it hits the eyes and, therefore, the operation of installing, replacing and removing connectors while high-power signal light is being transmitted cannot be carried out without providing some security and protection measures.
The most simple security measure that can be provided may be suspension of the operation of the optical transmitting device. However, suspension of the operation of the optical transmitting device entails blackout of all the transmission paths connected to the optical transmitting device, which can bring forth serious consequences.
In an attempt to avoid this problem, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open Nos. 3-13909 and 6-177837 disclose a technique of detecting the dislocation of an optical connector and automatically reducing the power level of the light source of the optical transmitting device so that leaked signal light, if any, may not damage the operator working at the optical connector where signal light is leaking.
However, with any of the techniques disclosed in the above patent documents, if the signal light output power level of an optical transmitting device having a plurality of optical output ports that are covered by a single light source is reduced, the output power level of the optical output ports having no optical paths with a displaced or removed optical connector are also reduced to consequently produce degraded signal light in every optical path.
In view of the above problem, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide an optical transmitting device with which signal light can be blocked only in the optical path having a displaced or removed optical connector without affecting the remaining optical paths.


A video processing method includes the steps of: inputting a video; matching multiple frames of the video according to corresponding positions, wherein one of the frames serves as a reference image; marking a motion region, to be preserved, in the video; and submerging a content of each of the frames, corresponding to the motion region, into the reference image to generate a replacement frame. An electronic device is also disclosed.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a video processing method and an electronic device.
2. Related Art
With the advancement of technology, the method of using the technological product to preserve the memory also changes with the evolution of the times. For example, the earliest method of using an optical camera to photograph the photos gradually changes to the method of using the older digital camera to record the moment and now to the method of using the quite popular digital camera, camera mobile phone, smart mobile phone or tablet computer with the video recording function. So, people can not only take photos, but also package the motion memory by way of video recording.
Although the moment recorded by the photo is beautiful, the pity is that the photo cannot be as lifelike as the video. According to another point of view, the video is lifelike, but the photographer's shaking tends to deteriorate the video quality and lack aesthetics. Therefore, if the advantages of both of them can be combined, the memory can be preserved or shared with friends by way of motion photos, so that the user has the better user experience.

Video processing method and electronic device


A transport and display carton is formed from a first generally rectangular element forming a bottom panel for the carton, a second elongated rectangular element including five segments and four interconnecting generally right angle folds and dividing the bottom panel into three generally equal areas, and a third rectangular element having a first straight segment intersecting two parallel segments of the first element and extending substantially along the length of the bottom panel to divide it into six exposed cells for receiving articles to be transported and displayed, the second and third elements being of substantially the same height on the bottom panel to provide structural rigidity for the carton.

Shipping cartons of the type contemplated by the present invention are commonly employed both for transport and display of articles transported within the cartons. The articles may be any of a wide variety but typically are household products such as liquid containers.
The use of cartons for both transport and display at a point of sale of the same articles is particularly common in warehouse clubs and the like where large volumes of similar articles are displayed for sale. In such operations, it is common to transport large numbers of the articles in cartons on pallets with the palletized cartons forming a display for the articles at the point of sale in the warehouse type operation.
Where the articles being transported and displayed are relatively heavy, formation of the cartons in a display-ready mode during both transport and subsequent display becomes relatively difficult because of the need for assuring structural rigidity of the cartons. This is particularly true, for example, where the cartons are stacked upon each other on a pallet as described above.
For this reason, many shipping cartons tend to form a complete enclosure for the articles at least during transport. When the cartons reach the point of sale, they are then prepared for display, for example, by removing a cover, by removing panels or by folding or otherwise disposing of panels in order to facilitate display of the articles within the cartons and to permit their removal by consumers or the like as desired.
Accordingly, such prior art transport and display cartons have been relatively complex, commonly including complete box-like enclosure with partitions forming cells therein. Such cartons normally require the removal or manipulation of a portion of the carton in order to permit display of articles in the cartons upon arrival at a point of sale. In addition, the relative complexity of such cartons increases their cost and difficulty of assembling and filling with articles.
Furthermore, it has become common practice to arrange large number of cartons on pallets for both transport to the point of sale and for display. Particularly where the cartons contain relatively heavy articles such as liquid containers, the number of cartons stacked one upon the other is relatively limited. With the cartons arranged upon the pallet prior to transport, they are commonly wrapped together with the pallet by means of bands or transparent stretch-wrap. With the cartons stabilized on the pallets by means of the bands or stretch-wrap and reinforced by separate corner posts, they are then transported to the point of sale.
The bands or stretch-wrap are then readily removed at the point of sale and present only a limited amount of material for disposal. However, with the prior art cartons as noted above, substantial additional effort is required to further condition the individual cartons for display of articles contained therein and removal of the articles as desired.


A battery pack diagnosing device mediating signal communication between a battery pack and a user terminal includes a controller generating a wake-up signal based on a user input to a third switch and transmitting the generated wake-up signal to the battery pack, and establishing a communication connection according to a first communication method with the battery pack turned on based on the wake-up signal and receiving state information of the battery pack through the established communication connection.

Recently, battery pack-related technologies have been developed with the development of electric vehicle and energy storage technology. Particularly, technologies for detecting the states of battery packs have been developed to charge, discharge, and manage the battery packs.
Because these technologies are implemented by dedicated equipment arranged in separate facilities, there is an inconvenience of having to disconnect a battery pack from an apparatus such as an electric vehicle or an energy storage and then transfer the battery pack to a separate facility (e.g., a service center) to analyze the cause of abnormality thereof in order to diagnose the battery pack, thus causing incidental limitations such as an increase in the service cost and an increase in the battery unavailability period.

Device and method for diagnosing battery pack


A light cover for protecting recessed lighting fixtures from exposure to fluid during painting or other ceiling treatments has a shield, sized to fit over a baffle and an outer trim of a recessed lighting fixture, and a mounting flange sized to fit within the baffle and frictionally engage the light cover to the baffle. The light cover has a handle located on the shield and the handle is used to engage the flange to the baffle to secure the light cover to the recessed lighting fixture prior to a ceiling treatment. The handle is also used to disengage the flange from the baffle to remove the light cover from the recessed lighting fixture after completion of a ceiling treatment.

The present invention relates generally to a cover sized to fit over a recessed lighting fixture. More particularly, the invention relates to a light cover used to protect the recessed lighting fixture and the light bulb from exposure to fluids during painting, power washing or other ceiling treatments.
Before paint or other fluids are applied to a ceiling, any recessed lighting fixtures must be protected from the paint or other fluid. The most common method of protecting the recessed lighting fixtures is to apply masking paper with masking tape to the fixtures. This requires a significant amount of time. In addition, the heat of the light bulbs in the fixtures causes the adhesive on the masking tape to stop working effectively. The combination of the masking paper and heat from the light bulbs presents a fire hazard, especially given the likely presence of flammable paint and other products.


A method of monitoring the concentration of metal ions comprising a major constituent in a plating bath which is insensitive to the effects of other codepositing constituents within the bath. The method involves applying a brief plating signal to a pretreated electrode positioned within the plating bath solution, applying a stripping signal to the plated electrode, and monitoring the resultant stripping signal response current. Certain characteristics of the stripping signal response current accurately indicate major constituent concentration levels and are unaffected by the codepositing constituents. The method complements and is easily integrated with known voltammetric techniques for analysis of trace constituents, thus forming an integral part of an efficient overall plating bath analysis system. By adjusting major constituent concentration levels in accordance with measurements made using the method of the present invention, a high quality plating bath can be easily and inexpensively maintained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to plating baths and methods for monitoring the major constituents contained therein. More particularly, the method of the present invention relates to a voltammetric analysis technique that accurately indicates concentrations of metal ions comprising a major constituent within a plating bath containing additional codepositing constituents which would otherwise interfere with voltammetric measurement accuracy. The method can be used to maintain desired major constituent concentrations in order to ensure optimal plating bath performance.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical plating bath solution is comprised of a combination of several different electrochemical constituents. The specific constituents vary depending upon the type of plating bath, but in general can be broadly divided into what are commonly known as major constituents and trace, or minor, constituents. The major constituents are those electrochemical constituents which make up about 2 to 50 percent of the total bath weight or volume. Trace constituents, on the other hand, are present in smaller quantities, usually less than 1 percent of the total weight or volume. For example, in an acid cadmium plating bath, cadmium ions are a major constituent, and typically represent about 3 to 5 percent of the total bath weight. The acid cadmium plating bath might also contain trace constituents such as organic addition agents, degradation products and chemical contaminants, present in much smaller concentrations.
The concentration levels of both major and trace constituents are important determinants of the quality of the resultant plating deposit. Trace constituent concentrations influence certain characteristics of the plating deposit, including tensile strength, ductility, solderability, uniformity, brightness and resistance to thermal shock. Monitoring and optimization of trace constituents assumes that the major constituent concentrations within the bath are already properly set and maintained. Should the major constituents fall outside of required concentration ranges, however, the bath may fail to satisfactorily perform its plating function. It is therefore important that major constituent concentrations be regularly monitored.
Current techniques for monitoring the major constituents of plating baths typically involve removing a sample of the electrochemical solution from the plating tank for subsequent wet chemical analysis. Methods of measuring major constituent content in various types of plating baths are disclosed in K. E. Langford and J. E. Parker, "Analysis of Electroplating and Related Solutions," pages 83-100, 65-68 and 174-180. Wet chemical analysis methods such as these usually must be performed by highly skilled personnel. Specialized and costly chemical analysis equipment and supplies are required. Furthermore, the delay between drawing samples and receiving measurement results can be anywhere from several hours to several days. It is thus very tedious and expensive to monitor major constituent concentrations using currently available techniques. Moreover, the slow response time of wet chemical analysis limits the extent to which a high quality plating bath can be continuously maintained.
The current major constituent monitoring techniques are quite different from real time trace constituent monitoring techniques such as those in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,116, assigned to the present assignee. The method disclosed therein uses voltammetric techniques to produce ac current spectra which vary as a result of changes in the concentration of various trace constituents. Voltammetric methods have been found to produce accurate results in real time for trace constituent analysis.
An important problem which may enter when voltammetric techniques are applied to major constituent analysis is that in many plating baths other trace or major constituents will codeposit on a sensing electrode with the major constituent being analyzed. For example, hydrogen ions coreduce and codeposit with metal ions to varying degrees in many types of acidic plating baths. Some voltammetric techniques rely upon a measurement of the total charge plated and then stripped from an electrode, usually in the form of a response current signal, to indicate the concentration of a desired constituent. When other constituents codeposit or are evolved with the desired constituent,, the measured charge is influenced by these codepositing constituents. Coreduction and codeposition of other constituents such as hydrogen ions on a sensing electrode surface therefore reduces the accuracy of monitoring techniques such as dc voltammetric and anodic stripping, as well as ac techniques such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,116. Until this problem is resolved, voltammetric monitoring system accuracy will be insufficient for major constituent analysis of certain plating baths containing codepositing constituents.
In the case of the acid cadmium plating bath discussed above, hydrogen ions within the bath will codeposit with cadmium ions when a voltammetric signal is applied to a sensing electrode in contact with the bath. The charge due to the codepositing hydrogen will alter the resultant response current signal and prevent accurate measurement of cadmium ion concentration.
As a result of this problem, it is presently necessary to use voltammetric trace constituent measurement techniques in conjunction with other major constituent chemical analyses in order to accurately monitor the overall quality of a plating bath containing codepositing hydrogen. The wet chemical analysis cannot be performed with the in-tank electrochemical sensors and other equipment typically used in trace constituent analysis. Two different sets of equipment must therefore be maintained in order to perform major and trace constituent analysis. No integrated measurement system is available which is capable of measuring both major and trace constituents in plating baths containing codepositing constituents.
As is apparent from the above, there presently is a need for an accurate and inexpensive real time method of monitoring the concentration of major constituents within a plating bath containing other codepositing constituents such as hydrogen ions. Furthermore, the method should complement and be easily integrated with known techniques and equipment suitable for measuring trace constituents, resulting in an efficient overall plating bath analysis system.

Method of monitoring major constituents in plating baths containing codepositing constituents


System and method for communicating the state of a downhole subsea well which includes a wellbore with at least one sensor disposed within it. Information from the wellbore is communicated to a seabed data governor which is disposed on the seafloor. The seabed data governor includes buoyant signaling devices and a release module allowing the release of the buoyant signaling devices which then travel to the sea surface.

Hydrocarbon fluids such as oil and natural gas may be obtained from a subterranean geologic formation, referred to as a reservoir, by drilling a well that penetrates the hydrocarbon-bearing formation. Once a wellbore is drilled, various forms of well completion components may be installed in order to control and enhance the efficiency of producing the various fluids from the reservoir. In some instances, the well completion components may obtain information or data that is indicative of the conditions within the wellbore. This information, once obtained by the well completion component, often needs to be transmitted to a user so that they can determine the state or status of the well.

Method and apparatus for subsea wireless communication


A power supply apparatus includes a coupling capacitor arranged to be connected on its first end to ground; a transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding; a first rectifier bridge connected in parallel with the secondary winding; and an energy storage, to which a load is arranged to be connected. The primary winding is arranged to be connected between a second end of the coupling capacitor and a high voltage transmission line such that all current between the second end of the coupling capacitor and the high voltage transmission line passes through the primary winding. The energy storage is arranged to be charged by means of a current passing through the first rectifier bridge. Furthermore, the power supply apparatus includes a bypasser. A corresponding three-phase apparatus is also presented.

In power transmission networks, equipment is often connected to high potential relative ground. For example, platforms are used when capacitors are provided in series with high voltage transmission lines.
There is typically equipment onboard the platform which is used for protection, control and monitoring purposes. For example, current measuring systems can be used to convert analogue measured data to digital form and transmit them to ground level by data transmission via optical fibre. Other equipment is used to bypass the capacitor bank when the line current becomes too high due to short-circuits in the power transmission system. Auxiliary power is required for actuators and similar devices.
Auxiliary power for measurement systems that require only a fraction of a watt may be supplied through fibres from lasers on ground potential. However, equipment that includes fast-acting actuators for protection purposes, necessitates substantial amount of energy that is stored on high potential. If charging of the energy storage must be performed in a reasonable time (minutes) substantial power (hundreds of watts) must be provided.
Consequently, there is a need to improve how power is supplied to loads on platforms with high potential relative to ground.

Auxiliary power supply with a coupling capacitor between a high voltage line and ground


A capacitive sensor with at least one reference impedance and at least one measuring condenser (5), with at least one electrical alternating signal source (6), with a current supply network as well as with an analysis unit (7) in which the reference impedance and the measuring condenser (5) are connected via the current supply network to the alternating signal source (6) and the analysis unit (7) in such a way that the charge and discharge currents of the reference impedance and the measuring condenser (5) can be analyzed—at least partially—by the analysis unit (7). The capacitive sensor avoids—at least partially—drawbacks in the known capacitive sensors in that the reference impedance can be tuned.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a capacitive sensor with at least one reference impedance and at least one measuring condenser, with at least one electrical alternating signal source, with a current supply network as well as with an analysis unit, whereby the reference impedance and the measuring condenser are connected via the current supply network to the alternating signal source and the analysis unit in such a way that the charge and discharge currents of the reference impedance and the measuring condenser can be analyzed—at least partially—by the analysis unit. In particular, in this case, this can be a capacitive sensor with at least a first connection and a second connection, with at least one reference impedance and a measuring condenser, with at least one electrical alternating signal source, with an analysis unit as well as with a diode ring that consists of at least four diodes that are connected one behind the other in series and in the same direction, whereby the diode ring has a first connection between the first diode and the second diode, a second connection between the second diode and the third diode, a third connection between the third diode and the fourth diode, and a fourth connection between the fourth diode and the first diode, whereby the first electrode of the reference impedance is connected to the fourth connection of the diode ring, the second electrode of the reference impedance is connected to a reference potential, and the first electrode of the measuring condenser is connected to the second connection of the diode ring, whereby the first connection of the sensor is connected to the first connection of the diode ring, and the second connection of the sensor is connected to the third connection of the diode ring, whereby the first connection of the sensor and the second connection of the sensor are connected or can be connected to the analysis unit and whereby the electrical alternating signal from the electrical alternating signal source strikes the first connection of the diode ring and the third connection of the diode ring.
2. Description of Related Art
Capacitive sensors of the previously described type are known from the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,650,730 and 5,793,217 and are used to determine the capacitance of the measuring condenser or the change in capacitance of the measuring condenser. In this case, in the capacitive sensor itself, often, only one electrode of the measuring condenser is designed, and the other electrode of the measuring condenser is formed by the surrounding area of the capacitive sensor. Thus, the measuring condenser is normally not a condenser in terms of a complete electrotechnical component, but rather an arrangement that is equipped with a capacitance whose active electrode is assigned to the capacitive sensor, whereby an electrical stray field extends from the active electrode into the surrounding area.
In the prior art, in most cases, a reference condenser is used as a reference impedance. Where there is concrete mention below of a reference capacitance, the embodiments still generally apply to a reference impedance; the capacitance of the reference condenser then corresponds to the value of the reference impedance, independently thereof, as the reference impedance is implemented as a component. The charge and discharge currents of a reference condenser then correspond to the charge and discharge currents of a reference impedance, whereby the reference impedance can convert the energy supplied to it in some other way than only in the electric field of a condenser.
The capacitance of the above-described sensor can be changed, on the one hand, if the geometry of the arrangement, and thus, the stray field of the active electrodes is changed; on the other hand, the capacitance of the sensor—without a change in the extension of the stray field—can also change in an alteration of the dielectric properties of the space, in which the electric field extends. Because of these general properties, capacitive sensors are frequently used as proximity switches and as fill-level detectors.
In capacitive sensors of the initially described type, the alternating signal source is usually designed as an oscillator, such as, for example, as a harmonic oscillator in the form of an LRC network, which is switched in such a way that it executes a continuous oscillation. As the signal level within the positive semioscillation of the alternating signal increases, the measuring condenser is charged via a current that flows over the first connection of the sensor, the first connection of the diode ring, and the second diode of the diode ring, and the reference impedance—frequently designed as a reference condenser—is charged during the latter with a current that flows via the second connection of the sensor, the third connection of the diode ring and the fourth diode of the diode ring. As the signal level of the positive semioscillation of the alternating signal decreases, the second diode and the fourth diode of the diode ring are blocked, via which the measuring condenser and the reference condenser had been pre-charged, while the previously locking first diode and third diode of the diode ring are now conductive. The charge stored during the charging process in the measuring condenser now flows over the third diode of the diode ring, the third connection of the diode ring, and the second connection of the sensor. During the negative semioscillation of the alternating signal, this process is repeated in a corresponding way.
The mode of operation of the above-described capacitive sensor is consequently based on the fact that the charge current of the reference impedance, which can be configured in particular as a reference condenser, or the charge current of the measuring condenser, in each case flows over a connection of the sensor that is different from the discharge current of the reference condenser or the measuring condenser. If the capacitances of the reference condenser and the measuring condenser are equally large, the current that flows into the first connection of the diode ring on average is equal to the current that flows out from the first connection of the diode ring, and the same applies for the third connection of the diode ring. If the capacitances of the reference condenser and the measuring condenser, however, vary in size, a resulting current that flows into the first connection of the diode ring and correspondingly flows out of the third connection of the diode ring is produced in the average time—for the case that the capacitance of the measuring condenser is larger than the capacitance of the reference condenser—and a current that flows out, in the average time, from the first connection of the diode ring and in a corresponding manner a current that flows, in the average time, into the third connection of the diode ring are produced—for the case that the capacitance of the measuring condenser is smaller than the capacitance of the reference condenser. By analyzing the differential currents with the analysis unit that is connected to the first connection and the second connection of the capacitive sensor, it is evident what the ratio is between the capacitance of the measuring condenser and the capacitance of the reference condenser.
In the generic capacitive sensors known from the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,650,730 and 5,793,217, the currents that flow via the reference condenser and the measuring condenser into the analysis unit are fed via two current-voltage transformers to a summator, which processes the voltages with different signs so that a differential signal results. This differential signal is ultimately—after possible additional intermediate steps pertaining to circuit engineering—compared to a reference or threshold signal, whereby the reference signal defines a threshold, which, when reached, indicates a specific event, such as, e.g., a sufficient proximity of an object to the capacitive sensor or the presence/absence of a specific fill level.
The disadvantage to the above-described capacitive sensor is that the analysis of the current signals in the analysis unit is comparatively expensive. In particular, the specification of a reference value, to which the difference of the current voltage-converted currents is compared, is labor-intensive and costly in terms of circuit engineering, and in addition, is prone to frequency and amplitude fluctuations of the alternating signal. Also, it has been found that the known sensors, in the working frequency of 2 MHz indicated in the prior art, are not suitable to be used as fill-level sensors, since they then are not able to distinguish whether a medium fills a larger area of volume around the sensor or whether only a small adhesion of this medium to the sensor has been left after the medium has left the area of the capacitive sensor that is to be monitored; the fill level thus drops below the position of the capacitive sensor.


An engine having a rotary member and a first linear member includes a first axis about which the rotary member rotates and a second axis coupling the rotary member to an offset rotary element. The first linear member is coupled to the offset rotary element by a first coupling. The second linear member is coupled at one end to the offset rotary element by the first coupling and at an opposite end to a housing. The first linear member moves back and forth in lateral fashion from a first position to a second position. The lateral movement of the first linear member causing continuous rotational movement of the rotary member in one direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to internal combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rotary mechanical field assembly in which linear force is transferred into rotational energy.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
An internal combustion engine creates force by burning fuel and air. In general, internal combustion engines or "engines" have two assemblies—the engine head and the engine block. The head of conventional engines typically includes an intake valve that opens and closes an intake port and an exhaust value that opens and closes an exhaust port. The block of conventional engines generally includes a crankshaft which is turned by a piston as the piston moves up and down in a cylinder that connects the engine head and block. In operation, the intake valve opens to allow a fuel and air mixture to enter an explosion chamber in the cylinder with a piston forming the floor of the chamber. An explosion of the fuel and air is created by a spark from a spark plug. This explosion causes the piston in the chamber to move downward and rotate the crankshaft in the engine block. The exhaust value opens and allows the exhaust from the explosion to escape as the piston returns to its position in the chamber before the explosion, helping to push the exhaust through the exhaust valve.
The block of the engine and the housing of the crankshaft are usually assembled in one casting. The camshaft, which operates the valves, can be located in the head or the block. In engines cooled with water, the head and the block of the engine have ducts for the cooling water. Generally, the pistons are connected by piston rods with the crankshaft that is rotating. The crankshaft has a fixed location to ensure uniformity of the rotation of the engine. The bottom of the engine at the lower end of the housing of the crankshaft serves for the placement of oil for lubrication.
Many different types of combustion engines have been developed. For example, an Otto engine utilizes a four-stroke approach (known as the Otto cycle in honor of Nikolaus Otto, who invented it in 1867). The Otto engine prepares fuel and air for burning outside of the cylinder using a carburetor, which mixes the correct amount of fuel and air. Another type of engine is a diesel engine (also named after its inventor, Rudolf Diesel). Diesel engines do not have spark plugs, rather a diesel engine compresses air and injects fuel into the compressed air. The heat of the compressed air lights the fuel spontaneously. A third type of engine is the Wankel engine or Wankel rotary engine (named after Felix Wankel). Instead of moving a piston up and down, the Wankel engine rotates a triangular rotor. The force to move the rotor comes from a combustion of fuel and air contained in a chamber formed by part of the housing and one face of the triangular rotor.
Modern engines can also be classified by how the fuel and air are provided and the exhaust is removed. A "four-stroke engine" has two valves for each cylinder—a suction valve and an exhaust valve. During the first stroke, the piston moves from an upper portion of the cylinder towards the bottom. The increased space in the cylinder (from the movement of the piston) creates a force that pushes the fuel and air mixture out of the carburetor into the explosion chamber. During the second stroke, the piston moves from the bottom portion of the cylinder towards the top. The piston compresses the fuel and air mixture in the cylinder because the valves are closed. In the third stroke, the mixture is ignited by a spark in the spark plug. The mixture burns, increasing the temperature and the pressure. This pressure from the burning process pushes the piston from the upper to the lower portion of the cylinder, exerting a force to rotate the crankshaft. In the fourth stroke, the burned gases are exhausted out through an opened exhaust valve. The piston moves from the bottom towards the upper portion of the cylinder, pushing the remnants of burned gasses from the cylinder. The process then repeats itself.
In a "two-stroke engine," the filling and emptying of the cylinder happens during one part of the rotation of the crankshaft. Instead of suction and exhaust valves, the two-stroke engine has openings on the cylinder liner which are closed and opened by movement of the piston. Typically, the exhaust opening is located closer to the top of the cylinder than the intake opening. When the piston is moving up it creates pressure to push exhaust out the exhaust opening. Before the piston reaches the top of its movement in the cylinder, it covers over the exhaust creating pressure in the explosion chamber for the combustion to occur. When the piston is moving down, it uncovers the intake opening and acts as a pump to move the fuel and air mixture into the chamber.
Engines can also be categorized according to the position of the cylinders. Examples of engines with cylinders located in different positions are sequence or "in-line" engines, V-engines, rotation engines, and boxer engines. Sequence engine cylinders are placed one cylinder after another in a row. As a result, working strokes overlap, ensuring uniformity in the drive of the crankshaft. V-engine cylinders are placed in two lines set at an angle to each other. Thus, crankshafts for V-engines can be shorter than those for sequence engines. As discussed above, rotation engines, like the Wankel engine, do not have pistons that move in up-and-down fashion; rather the pistons are rotors formed in the shape of a triangle. In the first stroke of a rotation engine, the rotor rotates to open the intake opening, which allows a fuel and air mixture to enter a chamber. As the rotor rotates in a second stroke, the volume of the chamber decreases and the mixture is compressed. In a third stroke, a spark from the spark plug ignites the mixture. Burned gasses are spread and set the rotor in motion. The volume of the chamber again increases. In a fourth stroke, the first gasket of the chamber slides ahead along the exhaustion opening, opening it for the burned gasses to escape.
Boxer engine cylinders are flat in that they are located 180 degrees from each other. The crankshaft can be shorter than the crankshaft of the sequence engine, and in four cylinder engines, boxer engines only need three standing bearings. In a boxer engine with four cylinders, there is ignition on each half rotation of the crankshaft. Boxer engines are characterized by uniform flow of the rotary momentum, enabling a quiet workflow, because movement on one side of the engine levels with the movement on the other side.
Despite various advancements that have been made heretofore in engine technology, it would be desirable to improve conventional engines, such as the engines described above. For example, it would be desirable to reduce the sound volume produced by engines and to reduce the consumption of fuel needed. Moreover, it would be desirable to produce high power engines with a wide range of uses. Yet still further, it would be desirable to increase the engine's power and momentum.

V-twin configuration having rotary mechanical field assembly


Disclosed is an energy-saving and environment-friendly device for a communication system equipment, the device includes: a thermoelectric conversion module, arranged on a surface of or in proximity to a high-power module of the communication system equipment, configured to convert thermal energy of the high-power module into electric energy; and an electric power storage device, connected directly to the thermoelectric conversion module or connected thereto via a switch, configured to be charged using electric energy supplied by the thermoelectric conversion module.

With progresses in technologies and the development of economy, energies are increasingly consumed in various forms, a huge wireless communication system consists of many portions, among which a Radio Remote Unit (RRU) is an indispensable portion. The RRU includes an RRU equipment and an electric power storage system 1, as shown in FIG. 1.
At present, existing RRUs have an efficiency in an order of 30% or lower. Most energies are lost in the form of thermal energies due to technical limitations of power amplifiers. If the lost thermal energies can be collected and then recycled, we can move a great step towards an environment-friendly communication system advocated by ourselves.

Energy-saving and environment-friendly device for communication system equipment


A system and method for the detection of fraudulent use of a wireless telephone system includes a fingerprint analyzer that identifies an unauthenticated wireless telephone as authorized or fraudulent based on a fingerprint of the unauthenticated wireless telephone. The system maintains a valid destination list specific for each authorized wireless telephone. Each valid destination list contains destinations considered to be valid for that particular authorized wireless telephone. When an unauthenticated wireless telephone transmits a call request containing a destination, the system classifies the call as valid when the destination is in the valid destination list for the authorized wireless telephone regardless of whether the fingerprint analyzer identifies the unauthenticated wireless telephone as fraudulent. The system may bypass or terminate the fingerprint analysis, or simply ignore the result of the fingerprint analysis by the fingerprint analyzer. The system also maintains an invalid destination list specific for each authorized wireless telephone with destinations considered to be invalid for that particular authorized wireless telephone. Calls to such destinations are blocked. The system further maintains a suspicious destination list containing destinations considered to be potentially fraudulent. When the destination contained in the call request is in the suspicious destination list, the fingerprint analysis is performed with a higher threshold to require a closer match between a fingerprint of the unauthenticated wireless telephone and a stored fingerprint of the corresponding authorized wireless telephone.

In a communications network, it is often desirable to identify and distinguish one transmitter from other transmitters operating within the network. For example, in the radio telephone industry, a cellular telephone system utilizes an electronic serial number (ESN) and a mobile telephone identification number (MIN) to provide a unique identification for each cellular telephone. To place a phone call, the individual subscriber or other authorized user of a cellular telephone dials a telephone number and presses the "Send" button. In response, the cellular telephone transmits its ESN and MIN to the cellular system so the individual subscriber can be charged for the telephone call.
Unfortunately, unscrupulous individuals illegally operate cellular telephones by "cloning" the ESN and MIN of a valid subscriber's telephone in order to obtain illegal access to the cellular system without paying for the service. A pirate can obtain the ESN and MIN of a cellular telephone by monitoring a transmission of the cellular telephone, and then programming them into another telephone for illegal use. Thus, the mere transmission of the authentic ESN and MIN are inadequate to protect a cellular telephone system from illegal use by pirates.
In an effort to provide additional security, some cellular systems authenticate cellular telephones based on the transmission of data by the cellular telephone during a call set-up process. Rather than identify the cellular telephone by its ESN and MIN alone, the system identifies a cellular telephone by its transmission characteristics. In this manner, the cellular system can reject calls from cloned cellular telephones even when those cellular telephones transmit valid ESN and MIN numbers. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,210 issued to Ferrell on Apr. 2, 1991 ("the Ferrell patent"), incorporated herein by reference, a system is described that analyzes certain transmitter characteristics in an effort to identify the transmitter type. The system in the Ferrell patent analyzes the manner in which the modulator makes a transition to the designated carrier frequency. This transient reference waveform is used to identify the type of transmitter. The transmission characteristics of the reference waveform can be processed in different manners to create a "fingerprint" of the individual transmitter.
While the Ferrell patent describes one class of transmission characteristics that can be used as a fingerprint, other fingerprint characteristics are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,910 to Rudokas on May 30, 1995 ("the Rudokas patent"), incorporated herein by reference, describes an identifier, such as a radio frequency signature, that can be used to positively identify a valid cellular telephone or a known fraudulent telephone. Other types of signature or fingerprint authentication systems are also known in the art.
Fingerprint authentication systems all require at least one transmission characteristic waveform, known to be generated by the authentic cellular telephone, to be used as a reference waveform for the fingerprint authentication system. Some systems may rely on more than one reference waveforms to generate the fingerprint. The term fingerprint as used herein is intended to include reference waveforms transmitted by a transmitter as well as the various transmission characteristics derived from those reference waveforms.
These fingerprint authentication systems require a substantial amount of data processing time to establish the fingerprint. However, this data processing is not time dependent and may be performed over a period of time. In contrast, the process of comparing the transmission characteristic of the unauthenticated transmitter with the stored fingerprint must be performed in real-time and quickly to effectively deny or terminate fraudulent calls. This can place difficult demands on a fingerprint authentication system's processing capabilities during peak calling periods. Some existing cellular telephone systems use non-fingerprint analysis techniques that are not real time. In those systems, if a call is subsequently determined to be fraudulent, the destination telephone number is added to a list of known fraudulent numbers. The cellular telephone system checks the list of known fraudulent numbers to prevent any subsequent telephone calls from being placed to a known fraudulent number.
Another drawback of these fingerprint authentication systems is that it is possible that a fraudulent cellular telephone will be misidentified as an authorized cellular telephone because no fingerprint analysis system is 100% effective. Conversely, it is possible that an authorized cellular telephone will be misidentified as fraudulent. While the former misidentification may result in incorrect charges to the customer, and the resulting loss of revenues to the service provider, the latter misidentification is of particular concern to service providers. Specifically, service providers do not wish to inconvenience the customer and disrupt valid calls due to the misidentification of an authorized cellular telephone as fraudulent or invalid.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for a system and method for detecting fraudulent calls using characteristics other than a fingerprint waveform analysis thus preventing overloading of a cellular telephone fingerprint system's processing capabilities. There is also a significant need to reduce misidentification of valid calls as fraudulent by the fingerprint analysis method. The present invention provides these and other advantages as will be illustrated by the following description and accompanying figures.

Apparatus and method for preventing fraudulent calls in a wireless telephone system using destination and fingerprint analysis


An improved slide plate diverter valve having a manifold block and a backing plate with a linearly reciprocable slide plate sandwiched and clamped therebetween is provided with side rails between the manifold block and backing plate along opposite lengthwise sides of the slide plate secured by dowel pins to each thereof to rigidify the manifold block and backing plate against relative movement, eliminating any tendency of the backing plate to move relative to the manifold block in response to sliding actuation of the slide plate.

The present invention relates generally to diverter valves and, more particularly, to slide plate diverter valves of the type utilized in directing the flow of viscous materials such as molten thermoplastic polymers under relatively high pressures.
In many manufacturing operations involving the formation of products from molten thermoplastic material, e.g., plastic extrusion, injection molding, and blow molding operations, it is desirable, if not essential, that the operation be carried out on a continuous flow basis. Additionally, it is common practice in such operations to filter impurities from the thermoplastic material by passage through a suitable filtration unit. Necessarily, such filtration units require periodic cleaning and, accordingly, to accommodate such cleaning and also permit the manufacturing operation to proceed on a continuous basis, dual filters are typically utilized with a diverter valve situated in the flow line to selectively direct the fluid material through one of the filters while the other is inactive for periodic cleaning and maintenance and otherwise to serve as a back-up to the operating filter.
It is therefore critical in such manufacturing operations that the diverter valve be capable of functioning reliably over extended periods of time, which objective is complicated by the severe temperature and pressure conditions under which such valves often operate. In particular, molten thermoplastic materials often have temperatures in excess of 400 degrees Fahrenheit and even as high as 600 degrees Fahrenheit or more and often flow at pressures in excess of 1000 PSI up to 5000 PSI. Such materials may also be corrosive in nature. Other requirements placed on such valves are that their configuration must be such that the fluid flow characteristics do not differ between the alternate operating dispositions of the valve and, especially, the flow passageways through the valve must be configured to avoid any stagnation in the fluid flow which could cause certain thermoplastic materials to undergo changes in their physical or chemical character.
One such diverter valve which addresses these objectives in commercial practice is a diverter valve of the slide plate type disclosed in Blanchard U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,552. Basically, this valve provides a manifold defining inlet and outlet fluid flow passages opening at a sealing face thereof through respective ports, a slide plate defining a fluid flow passageway at a sealing face thereof in facing surface contact to the manifold sealing face, and a backing plate disposed at the opposite side of the slide plate to sandwich it between the backing plate and the manifold, with a plurality of bolts connecting the manifold and backing plate for clamping them together to hold the respective sealing faces of the manifold and the slide plate in metal-to-metal surface contact with substantially zero clearance therebetween. The Blanchard patent teaches that the bolts effectively function as a spring to enable the valve to absorb and accommodate fluctuations in fluid pressure.
Disadvantageously, it has been observed in practice that the valve of the Blanchard patent tends to suffer sticking of the slide plate making it difficult to move the slide plate smoothly and position it accurately, which is believed to be due to the clamping forces exerted by the valve on the slide plate. It has also been observed in practice that, during changeovers between the opposite limit positions of the slide plate, the valve will produce startlingly loud reports. While the cause of such reports has not been definitely determined, it is believed that the reports result from the fact that the bolts permit a limited but sufficient amount of relative lateral movement of the backing plate with respect to the manifold that, upon actuation of the slide plate, the backing plate tends to move with the slide plate until resisted by the bolts and then to snap back into the original disposition of the backing plate. Regardless of the cause of such reports, the reports cause users of such slide plate diverter valves to be characteristically fearful of the possibility of valve failure and, as a result, it is quite common for users to severely over-torque the bolts in an attempt to better secure the valve but, disadvantageously, such steps may actually exacerbate the problems with sticking and inaccurate position of the slide plate as well as weakening the valve and increasing the risk of failure.


A dryer monitor detects when textiles in a dryer are dry, detects when textiles in a dryer are overdry, and/or may count dryer cycles. The dryer monitor includes a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a controller and various status indicators. The humidity and temperature sensors may be located outside the drying compartment of the dryer. In the case of a clothes dryer, the humidity and temperature sensors may be located outside the drum of the dryer and may be located, for example, in the exhaust compartment of the dryer. The dryer monitor determines dryness of items in the dryer, and may also determine whether the items are overdry, based on humidity information received from the humidity sensor. The dryer monitor counts dryer cycles based on temperature information received from the temperature sensor.

Conventional clothes dryers include a rotating drum into which textiles to be dried are placed. The textiles are dried by forcing heated air onto the wet laundry rotating with the drum. Moisture is removed along with the air exiting the dryer or via a condensed water duct.
Conventional clothes dryers have been controlled in various ways. The simplest of these is a timer that controls the duration of the drying cycle. When using a timer, the user places wet laundry inside the dryer and selects the duration for the drying process. The drying cycle then proceeds until the timer expires. Although this method is relatively simple, it is difficult to accurately estimate the length of time required to reach a desired final moisture level, or "dryness," for every type of textile. If the cycle length is too short, the textiles will not be fully dry at the end of the cycle, and the user must initiate a another dryer cycle to finish the drying process. If, on the other hand, the cycle length is too long, the clothes may become "overdry," resulting in premature textile degradation and/or damage, excess energy consumption, and an associated increase in energy costs.
Alternatively, various sensors that detect the "dryness" of the textiles within the dryer have been used to control the length of the dryer cycle. In that case, the dryer cycle runs until the sensor detect the final desired dryness level selected by the user. Such sensors are typically placed inside the dryer drum and come into contact with the textiles as they are tumbled through the dryer cycle. However, not all dryers, especially commercial dryers, are equipped with this type of sensor.
In addition, laundry additives are commonly applied to laundry during the dryer cycle. Certain of these laundry additives are designed to provide automatic dispensing of laundry products over multiple cycles. These products provide multiple-load functionality and minimal labor as they reduce the need to replace or refill a laundry product at the beginning of each cycle. One example of a multi-cycle laundry product includes solid blocks of fabric conditioner that are mounted in a carrier inside the drum of the dryer. The block provides moisture-controlled dispensing of the active ingredients on wet textiles as they tumble in the dryer. As soon as the textiles are dry, the product is no longer dispensed. The block dispenses the laundry product over multiple loads until is depleted, at which point the solid block of product must be replaced. Other examples of multi-cycle laundry products include dryer sheets, free-tumbling carriers of liquid fabric conditioner, and others.

Determination of dryness of textiles in a dryer


A photoreception device includes an oblique surface on a semiconductor substrate for causing a deflection of an optical beam incident thereto and a photodetection region provided on a first side of the semiconductor substrate for detecting the deflected optical beam, the photodetection region including a first electrode, wherein the photoreception device further includes a second electrode for biasing the photodetection region an a second, opposite side of the semiconductor substrate.

With recent expansion of use of optical fibers in subscriber systems, there is a persisting and stringent demand for reduced size and cost of optical modules. In order to meet for such a stringent demand, it is necessary to simplify the connection between an optical semiconductor device and an optical waveguide or optical fiber in the optical module, such that the optical connection is achieved easily. In the same context, it is necessary to simplify the construction of the optical module and an optical module assembly, such that the optical semiconductor devices can be integrated with a large integration density.
FIGS. 1A shows an example of a conventional optical module 101 of the type that is adapted for receiving an incident optical beam at a rear side of a photoreception device.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the optical module 101 includes a support substrate 1 of Si that holds thereon an optical fiber 20. The support substrate 1 further supports thereon a sub-mount 2 typically formed of a ceramic material in a vertical state, wherein the sub-mount 2 supports thereon a photoreception device 201 such that a photoreception region of the device 201 faces an edge surface 20A of the optical fiber 20.
The photoreception device 201, on the other hand, includes a device substrate 3 of n-type InP, wherein a buffer layer 4 of n.sup.+ -type InP and an optical absorption layer 5 of undoped InGaAs are formed consecutively on the device substrate 3 by a planar process. On the optical absorption layer 5, a layer 6 of n.sup.- -type InP is formed, while the InP layer 6 thus formed is further formed with p-type InP regions 7a and 7b as a result of diffusion of Zn into the layer 6 in correspondence to the foregoing regions 7a and 7b. The diffusion regions 7a and 7b are then covered by p-type ohmic electrodes 8a and 8b respectively, wherein each of the ohmic electrodes 8a and 8b is formed by a deposition of an Au/Zn/Au stacked structure, followed by an annealing process thereof.
The InP layer 6 of the n.sup.- -type is covered by a thin insulation film (not shown) of SiN or SiO.sub.2, and an insulation layer 12 of a polyimide is formed further on the insulation film. The insulation layer 12 as well as the insulation film underneath are then formed with contact holes respectively in correspondence to the foregoing p-type diffusion regions 7a and 7b, and metal bumps 9a and 9b, each having a Ti/Pt/Au/Sn/Au stacked structure or a Ti/Pt/AuSn stacked structure, or alternatively of a Ti/Pt/Sn/Au stacked structure, are formed respectively on the p-type diffusion regions 7a and 7b. Thereby, the foregoing p-type electrodes 8a and 8b are formed in contact with the metal bumps 9a and 9b respectively. Further, the device substrate 3 is formed with a microlens 10 by an etching process on a rear side of thereof in correspondence to the p-type diffusion region 7b. The microlens 10 thus formed is covered by an anti-reflection coating 3b.
The sub-mount 2, on the other hand, carries thereon conductor patterns 2c and 2d, and the foregoing metal bumps 9a and 9b of the photoreception device 201 are flip-chip mounted on the conductor patterns 2c and 2d respectively. It should be noted that the conductor pattern 2c is connected to a conductor pattern 2a on the rear side of the sub-mount 2 by way of a via-hole 2b extending through the sub-mount 2, and a positive dc voltage E is applied to the conductor pattern 2a. On the other hand, the conductor pattern 2d is connected to a conductor pattern 2f on the foregoing rear side of the sub-mount 2 by way of a via-hole 2e extending also through the sub-mount 2, and a load R.sub.L is connected to the conductor pattern 2f.
The optical module 101 is thus formed by mounting the sub-mount 2 on the support substrate 1 such that the photoreception device 201 establishes an optical alignment with a core 20a of the optical fiber 20.
FIG. 1B shows an equivalent circuit diagram of the photoreception device 201.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the photoreception device 201 includes two pin diodes D1 and D2 formed respectively between the n-type buffer layer 4 of InP and the p-type diffusion region 7a of InP and between the n-type buffer layer 4 of InP and the p-type diffusion region 7b of InP, wherein the buffer layer 4 is common to the pin diode D1 and the pin diode D2.
In the circuit of FIG. 1B, the diode D1 is biased in the forward direction and acts as a current source. The p-type diffusion region 7a typically has a very large area (300.times.200 .mu.m, for example) and supplies a large drive current. While the diode D1 has a relatively large junction capacitance Cp of about 6 pF, for example, this large junction capacitance is tolerable for a current source.
On the other hand, the diode D2 is reverse-biased and acts as a photodiode forming the photoreception region. Thus, the optical beam emitted from the edge surface 20A of the optical fiber 20 is focused on the part of the optical absorption layer 5 where the diode D2 is formed by the microlens 10. In response to such an exposure to the optical beam, electron-hole pairs are excited in the optical absorption layer 5 efficiently, and the electrons and holes thus excited cause a drifting in respective, opposite directions in accordance with the electric field induced between the p-type electrodes 8a and 8b. In other words, a photo-current flows through the diode D2. As the p-type diffusion region 7b has a very small size, typically smaller than about 40 .mu.m in diameter, the junction capacitance of the diode D2 is also very small, typically about 0.15 pF. Thus, a very high response is obtained at the load R.sub.L for the optical detection.
On the other hand, the optical module 101 of FIG. 1B has a drawback, associated with the complex support structure of the photoreception device 201, in that the proper alignment of the photoreception device 201 with respect to the optical waveguide or optical fiber 20 is difficult. While it is true that the sub-mount 2 itself, mounted directly on the support substrate 1, may be positioned on the support substrate 1 by using a marker M formed on the support substrate 1, the desired proper positioning of the photoreception device 201 with respect to the optical fiber 20 is still difficult due to the mounting error between the photoreception device 201 and the sub-mount 2. In the module 101 of FIG. 1A, therefore, it has been necessary to adjust the position of the optical fiber 20 on the support substrate 1 with a sub-micron precision by monitoring the output of the photoreception device 201 while applying a bias thereto.
FIG. 2 shows another conventional optical module 102 that also receives an incident optical beam at a rear side of a photoreception device.
Referring to FIG. 2, the photoreception module 102 includes an optical waveguide 13 on the support substrate 1, and a photoreception device 202 is held above the support substrate 1 by means of an intervening sub-mount 14. The sub-mount 14 includes an oblique surface, and the oblique surface reflects an incident optical beam toward the rear side of the photoreception device 202.
It should be noted that the optical waveguide is formed of glass or semiconductor layers formed on the support substrate 1 of Si by way of a CVD process and has a structure in which a core layer 13b having a refractive index n.sub.1 is sandwiched vertically or laterally by claddings 13a and 13c each having a refractive index n.sub.2 smaller than the refractive index n.sub.1.
The photoreception device 202 has a structure generally identical with that of the photoreception device 201 except that the microlens 10 is omitted. Further, the photodetection region D2 corresponding to the p-type diffusion region 7b has a slightly increased size in correspondence to the increased beam size of the incident optical beam, which may be a slightly divergent optical beam.
It should be noted that the sub-mount 14 has mutually parallel upper and lower major surfaces, and holds the photoreception device 202 above the support substrate 1 as noted previously. Further, the sub-mount 14 includes an oblique surface at the right side wall thereof with an oblique angle .THETA. with respect to the support substrate 1, wherein the oblique surface is covered by a reflective metal coating 14a. Thereby, the optical beam emitted from an edge surface 13A of the optical waveguide 13 is reflected by the foregoing oblique surface 14a and reaches the optical absorption layer 5 forming the diode D1 after entering the rear surface of the photoreception device 202.
In the optical module 102, it should be noted that the positional relationship between the optical waveguide 13 and the support substrate 1 is fixed. No degree of freedom exists here. Further, the photodiode D2 of the photoreception device 202 has a relatively large area for receiving the incident optical beam. Thus, the optical module 102 can be fabricated relatively easily, without monitoring the photoreception output current, by using a marker provided on the support substrate 1. However, the foregoing optical module 102 that uses an additional, intervening sub-mount 14, has a drawback in that the number of the parts in the module is increased and the mounting process is complicated.
Thus, the foregoing prior art devices, each using an intermediate sub-mount 2 or 14 in combination with a photoreception device 201 or 202, both of which being of the type that receives the incident optical beam at the rear substrate surface, have suffered from the problem of increased number of parts, complex process of assembling the optical module, difficulty in reducing the size, and the like.
On the other hand, there is further proposed an optical module 103 shown in FIG. 3A, in which the optical module 103 includes a photoreception device 203 mounted on the support substrate 1 on which the optical waveguide 13 is formed monolithically, similarly to the optical module 102 of FIG. 2. In the optical module 103, the photoreception device 203 is flip-chip mounted on the support substrate 1 via a solder layer 19, wherein the photoreception device 203 is formed with a flat oblique surface 3A at the edge of the device substrate 3 so as to face the edge 13A of the optical waveguide 13 with an angle .THETA..sub.1. Thereby, the optical beam emitted from the edge surface 13A of the optical waveguide 13 is refracted by the oblique surface 3A toward the junction region 7b where the photodiode D2 is formed.
FIG. 3B shows another conventional optical module 104 that includes the optical waveguide 13 on the support substrate 1 monolithically similarly to the previous example of FIG. 3A, wherein the optical module 104 further includes a photoreception device 204 on the support substrate 1. The photoreception device 204 is formed on the device substrate 3 that has a vertical side wall with respect to the major surface of the support substrate 1, wherein the photoreception device 204 is disposed such that the foregoing vertical side wall faces the edge surface 13A of the optical waveguide 13. Thereby, the optical beam emitted from the foregoing edge surface 13A enters the device substrate 3 of the photoreception device 204 at the vertical side wall.
Further, the photoreception device 204 includes the oblique surface 3A generally at a center of the device substrate 3 with an angle .THETA..sub.2 with respect to the principal surface of the support substrate 1, wherein the oblique surface 3A of the device of FIG. 3B is covered by a reflective metal coating 15, such that the oblique surface 3A causes a reflection of the optical beam emitted from the edge surface 13A of the optical waveguide 13 and entered into the device substrate 3 at the vertical side wall, toward the diffusion region 7b. It is also possible to cause the desired deflection of the optical beam by the total reflection at the foregoing oblique surface 3A. It should be noted that the photoreception device 204 is mounted on the support substrate 1 by soldering the foregoing metal coating 15 covering the lower major surface of the device substrate 3 on the top surface of the support substrate 1.
In any of the foregoing conventional optical module structures of FIGS. 3A and 3B, the sub-mount 2 or 14 used in the previously described prior art is eliminated, and the number of the parts forming the module is reduced substantially. Further, the optical module structures of FIG. 3A or 3B, in which the photoreception device is mounted directly on the support substrate 1, allows an exact positioning of the photoreception device 203 or 204 on the support substrate 1 by merely using a marker M. Thus, the optical module 103 or 104 is easy for assembling, and the cost of the device is reduced substantially.
It should be noted that the construction of FIG. 2 as well as the constructions of FIGS. 3A and 3B are disclosed in the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 8-316506 corresponding to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/552,474 filed Nov. 9, 1995, which is incorporated herein as reference. It should be noted that the foregoing Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 8-316506 was laid-open on Nov. 29, 1996.
On the other hand, there is a further room for improvement in the optical modules 103 and 104 of FIGS. 3A and 3B with regard to size, integration density, easiness of assembling and cost.

Optical module including a photoreception device


In an image forming apparatus which expresses lamp lighting energy corresponding to input gray scale data on the basis of on/off of lighting lamp of plural sub-dots corresponding to different lamp lighting times of different assistant scanning positions, with respect to such image that rapidly changes from a state close to white level toward a state close to black level, or with respect to such image that rapidly changes from a state close to black level toward a state close to white level, in order to decrease that a thin white stripe or a thin black stripe happens on the border portion, a random generator 34 and a adding circuit 33 are provided so that: whenever the gray scale value is inputted to the gray scale value input register 31, with respect to the lamp lighting energy, a random number of predetermined level is added.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus, specially relates to an image forming apparatus which expresses gray scale data through repeating a plurality of lamp lighting patterns corresponding to different positions.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as printer with electrophotography and the like, in order to lowly inhibit cost and increase gray scale, through repeating on/off of lighting lamp of plural sub-dots corresponding to different assistant scanning positions, lamp lighting energy corresponding to input gray scale data is expressed. Such technical skill is disclosed in patent document 1 (refer to patent document 1).
Such image forming apparatus comprises a gray scale value inputting register to input gray scale data of n-bits and a dot forming section which forms sub-dots on plural of sub-lines to corresponding to the inputted gray scale value of n-bits received from the gray scale value inputting register. With respect to each sub-line, the dot forming section sets weight factor to corresponding lamp lighting time. That is, with respect to the same sub-line, a fixed weight factor is set. Regarding such example, it will be explained in detail by using drawings.
FIG. 12 is an explanation diagram of inputted gray scale value.
The FIG. 12, as an example, shows gray scale value of 4-bits received by the above-stated conventional image forming apparatus via the gray scale value inputting register. In the FIG. 12, the Y-axis direction indicates an assistant scanning direction, on the most left queue, respective line numbers are shown; and the X-axis direction indicates an main scanning direction, on the highest row, respective pixel numbers on each line are shown; further, on each column, a gray scale value of pixel specified by the corresponding line number and the corresponding pixel number is stated.
The FIG. 12, as an example, shows a case that gray scale values are orderly inputted to the gray scale value inputting register. In the case, as shown by the FIG. 12, at timing of line 1, the gray scale values (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) is inputted; at timing of line 2, the gray scale values (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) is inputted; at timing of line 3, the gray scale values (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) is inputted; at timing of line 4, the gray scale values (13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13) is inputted; at timing of line 5, the gray scale values (13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13) is inputted; at timing of line 6, the gray scale values (13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13) is inputted; at timing of line 7, the gray scale values (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) is inputted; at timing of line 8, the gray scale values (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) is inputted; and at timing of line 9, the gray scale values (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1) is inputted.
FIG. 13 is an explanation diagram of a relation between a gray scale value and a standardization exposure energy of each pixel.
The FIG. 13 shows a relation between a gray scale value k (X-axis) and a standardization exposure energy es(k) (Y-axis) with respect to an actual LED printer. Here, the standardization exposure energy es(k) is a 8-bits value, it is obtained through that the image forming apparatus having received the inputted gray scale data standardizes an exposure energy e(k) necessary for realizing the gray scale value k by using a maximum exposure energy E(w) corresponding to one LED pixel, that is, es(k)=(e(k)/E(w))256. According to the relation shown by the FIG. 13, with respect to the gray scale value 1 of the above-stated lines 1˜3 and lines 7˜9, es(1)=63, and with respect to the gray scale value 13 of the above-stated lines 4-6, es(13)=192, they can be obtained. When using 8-bits of s[0]˜s[7] to express these values, the bit data of es(1) becomes [11111100], and the bit data of es(13) becomes [00000011].
FIG. 14 is an explanation diagram of a conventional pixel forming method.
In the FIG. 14, the Y-axis direction indicates an assistant scanning direction, on the most left queue, respective line numbers are shown; and the X-axis direction indicates an main scanning direction, on the highest row, respective pixel numbers on each line are shown. Here, in the assistant scanning direction and the main scanning direction, when they are all set that the pixel is formed by a pitch of 1/600 inch, 8 sub-lines (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) will be formed in the assistant scanning direction per 1/4800 inch. The standardization exposure energy es(k) of each pixel is divided into bit data of 8-bits, and they, as sub-dots, are respectively indicated on the 8 sub-lines (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
With respect to the size (diameter) of sub-dot, in the sub-line 0, a weight factor of 1 is set; in the sub-line 1, a weight factor of 2 is set; in the sub-line 2, a weight factor of 4 is set; in the sub-line 3, a weight factor of 8 is set; in the sub-line 4, a weight factor of 16 is set; in the sub-line 5, a weight factor of 32 is set; in the sub-line 6, a weight factor of 64 is set; and in the sub-line 7, a weight factor of 128 is set. Thus, from the lines 1˜3 and 7˜9, the above-stated es(1) is indicated, and from the lines 4˜6, the above-stated es(13) is indicated. Therefore, when making the size (diameter) of sub-dot correspond to strobe time, on each same sub-line, the strobe time is identically set, and it becomes unnecessary to set strobe time per pixel on the corresponding line. As a result, it also becomes unnecessary to set memory for memorizing strobe time per pixel, then it is possible to lowly inhibit cost and to increase the gray scale of each pixel.
Patent document 1: Japan patent publication 2005-22410.
However, as shown by the FIG. 14, on the one hand, in the border neighborhood of line 3 and line 4, because adjoining sub-dots often happen overlap, so an average density in the main scanning direction becomes high. On the other hand, in the border neighborhood of line 6 and line 7, because adjoining sub-dots do not happen overlap, so an average density in the main scanning direction becomes low. As a result, when macroscopically observing the FIG. 14, as shown on the right side in the FIG. 14, on the border neighborhood of line 3 and line 4, a thin black stripe is happening; and on the border neighborhood of line 6 and line 7, a thin white stripe is happening. That is, in the assistant scanning direction, with respect to such image that rapidly changes from a state close to white level toward a state close to black level, on the border portion, a thin black stripe easily happens; on the contrary, with respect to such image that rapidly changes from a state close to black level toward a state close to white level, on the border portion, a thin white stripe easily happens. Thereby, such problem to be solved is left.

Image forming apparatus with random number generator


The invention relates to an optical disc device and a control method for the optical disc device. The presence of defects on an optical disc is confirmed by, based on the result of detecting a return light corresponding to a sub-beam spot used for tracking control, which is formed on the preceding side with respect to scan of a main beam spot, suppressing changes in signal level of the light detection result caused upon boosting of the laser power of a laser beam. Also, whether data can be correctly reproduced is determined by, based on the result of detecting a return light corresponding to a sub-beam spot used for tracking control, which is formed on the succeeding side with respect to scan of the main beam spot, suppressing changes in signal level caused upon writing of the data. Therefore, whether data can be correctly reproduced can be confirmed with a simple construction while effectively avoiding a reduction of the data transfer rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc device and a control method for the optical disc device, and is applicable to an optical disc device for recording and reproducing data on and from an optical disc, such as a CD-R. More particularly, the present invention intends to make it possible to confirm whether data can be correctly reproduced, with a simple construction while effectively avoiding a reduction of the data transfer rate, by suppressing changes in signal level caused upon boosting of the laser power of a laser beam and detecting the presence of defects on an optical disc based on the result of detecting a return light corresponding to a sub-beam spot used for tracking control, which is formed on the preceding side with respect to scan of a main beam spot used to form pits or marks for recording of the data. Also, the present invention intends to make it possible to confirm whether data can be correctly reproduced, with a simple construction while effectively avoiding a reduction of the data transfer rate, by suppressing changes in signal level caused upon writing of the data and determining whether the recorded data and address data can be correctly reproduced, based on the result of detecting a return light corresponding to a sub-beam spot used for tracking control, which is formed on the succeeding side with respect to scan of a main beam spot used to form pits or marks for the recording of the data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in an optical disc device for recording and reproducing data on and from an optical disc, such as a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), a CD-RW (Compact Disc Rewritable) and DVD-R (Digital Video Disc Recordable), the so-called verifying operation has been required after the end of recording by, for example, accessing a recorded area again for the purpose of confirming that the recorded data is correctly reproduced.
More specifically, an optical disc device generally executes such a confirming process in two stages of, after recording data in predetermined amount, accessing the recorded area again to reproduce the data and determining a reproduced result. In this connection, the following method is also proposed. Based on a confirmation result, a retry is executed as required. An area, in which data cannot be correctly reproduced even after repeating such a retry, is determined to be a defective area. Then, with the so-called alternative process, the data is recorded in another area other than the defective area.
According to another proposed method, the confirming process and the recording process are simultaneously executed in parallel by arranging two optical pickups, i.e., one for recording and the other for reproducing, recording desired data with the recording pickup, and at the same time reproducing the data, which has been just recorded, with the reproducing pickup. As an alternative method for simultaneously executing the confirming process and the recording process in parallel, it has been further proposed to provide a defect detecting mechanism on an optical pickup and to detect defects with the defect detecting mechanism.
However, the above-described conventional methods have problems as follows. With the method of, after recording data in predetermined amount, reproducing the recorded data and determining a reproduced result, two recording and reproducing processes are alternatively repeated in recording of continuous data, thereby resulting in a substantial reduction of the data transfer rate.
On the other hand, with the method employing the recording pickup and the reproducing pickup, a reduction of the data transfer rate can be effectively avoided, but the overall construction becomes complicated because of the necessity of arranging the two optical pickups.
Further, with the method providing the defect detecting mechanism on the optical pickup, a reduction of the data transfer rate can also be effectively avoided, but the optical pickup has a complicated construction and the overall construction becomes complicated correspondingly.

Optical disc device and control method using preceding sub-beam to detect a disc defect


A semiconductor package includes a die pad; a semiconductor die mounted on the die pad; a plurality of leads in a first horizontal plane disposed along peripheral edges of the die pad; a ground bar downset from the first horizontal plane to a second horizontal plane between the leads and the die pad; a plurality of downset tie bars connecting the ground bar with the die pad; a plurality of ground wires bonding to both of the ground bar and the die pad; and a molding compound at least partially encapsulating the die pad, inner ends of the leads such that bottom surface of the die pad is exposed within the molding compound.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to packaging of semiconductors, and in particular, to a leadframe semiconductor package.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Leadframe semiconductor packages are well known in the art. A conventional leadframe typically includes a plurality of metal leads temporarily held together in a planar arrangement about a central region during package manufacture by a rectangular frame. A die pad is supported in the central region by a plurality of tie bars that attach to the frame. The leads extend from a first end integral with the frame to an opposite second end adjacent to, but spaced apart from, the die pad.
During package manufacture, a semiconductor die is attached to the die pad. Wire-bonding pads on the die are then connected to selected ones of the inner ends of the leads by fine, conductive bonding wires to convey power, ground or signals between the die and the leads. A protective body of an epoxy resin is molded over the assembly to enclose and seal the die, the inner ends of the leads, and the wire bonds against harmful environmental elements. The rectangular frame and the outer ends of the leads are left exposed outside of the body, and after molding, the frame is cut away from the leads and discarded, and the outer ends of the leads are appropriately formed for interconnection of the package with an external printed circuit board.
One known type of the leadframe semiconductor packages is the so-called exposed die pad (E-pad) leadframe package that exposes the bottom surface of the die pad to the outside of the encapsulation body. The exposed die pad acts as a heat sink and can improve the heat-dissipation efficiency. Typically, the exposed die pad is electrically connected to a ground plane of the external printed circuit board.
It has been found that the E-pad leadframe package is subject to attacks of moisture. To avoid reliability problems due to moisture attacks and delamination along the plastic body-metal interface, the ground wires extended from the ground pads of the semiconductor die are not directly bonded onto the surface of the die pad, but instead the ground wires are bonded to a rectangular ring shaped ground bridge bar that encircles the die pad at different downset planes. Typically, the ground bridge bar is supported by tie bars that connected with the die pad.
However, the prior art leadframe package with such ground bridge bar configuration has a shortcoming of that the analog and digital ground wires randomly bonded together onto the ground bridge bar can result in noise or ground coupling, which is also known as water wave effects in TV systems. Another shortcoming is that the ground bridge bar is vulnerable to twist and deform, leading to poor bonding strength. It is therefore desirable to provide an improved leadframe package structure that may eliminate the aforesaid digital and analog ground coupling and the water wave effects in TV systems.


A method and a system are disclosed for obtaining image data from inside an examination object from images of a computed tomograph. In an embodiment, the method includes accepting first measurement data of the examination object, acquired based on x-ray radiation of a first energy, and second measurement data of the examination object, acquired based on x-ray radiation of a second energy differing from the first energy; setting an optimized output of target image points on the basis of the first and second measurement data at the respective target image points, each as a function of local optimization parameter values of the target image points determined locally from the first and second measurement data in the area of the target image points, while deriving image point reproduction parameter values representing the optimized output; and determining the output data based on optimized output of the target image points.

In computed tomography, for improved material differentiation in a body to be imaged what is known as the multi-spectrum method (also referred to as the multiple energy method) or the two-spectra method (dual-energy method) is often applied. In such methods (approximately) the same point of the body is irradiated from (approximately) the same direction simultaneously or in turn by x-rays of different energies—in the multiple energy method this is generally a plurality of different x-rays (spectra), in the dual-energy method (a subordinate generic form of the multiple energy method) it is precisely two.
With multiple energy methods at least two different x-ray projections are thus created which result from the different typical energies. This enables the absorption characteristic of a body, specifically of an organic tissue or structures supported within said tissue, to be taken into account as well during the imaging: this absorption characteristic is namely decisively dependent on the energy of the x-ray radiation. Usually on the basis of the x-ray projection data from x-ray radiation with low typical energy a low-energy image and on the basis of x-ray projection data from x-ray radiation with high typical energy a high-energy image is reconstructed. These two images can then be combined with one another in order for example to create from them a soft tissue image or a bone image of a patient. With the aid of the multiple energy method a better discrimination of different materials within an area of the body to be imaged is possible in this way, such as the differentiation between bone tissue and contrast media in an examination area.
Thus a separate so-called single-energy image stack is created or computed from each acquisition with one energy in each case, which can be provided both singly (as already described) or in a combined image stack (with the respective other image stack(s)) for optimized output. In the latter case it is important for the output parameter of the combined image stack to be selected so that the user can be offered an optimized increase in their knowledge during viewing. An output optimization in this sense takes account for example of the so-called contrast-noise ratio (CNR), in which a maximum possible contrast in relation to a minimum possible noise is achieved in the combined image stack output.
Two basically different combination methods exist at present for combining a number of single-energy image stacks into a combined image stack, namely what is referred to as the optimum contrast method and another method in which a mono-energetic image stack is created.
The optimum contrast method is described for example in the article by Holmes, David, et al.: "Evaluation of non-linear blending in dual-energy computed tomography". Eur J Radiol. 2008 December, 68(3), Pages 409 to 413, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In this method an optimum ratio is computed with the aid of a non-linear algorithm from a low-energy and a high-energy portion of two dual-energy image stacks and the two image stacks are blended with one another, i.e. mixed. This involves a so-called sigmoidal blending, i.e. that the respectively determined optimum portions of the two image stacks result in the mixed image stack in a non-linear, namely sigmoidal manner.
The creation of a mono-energetic image stack is described for example in the article by Silva, Alvin et al.: "Dual-Energy (Spectral) CT: Applications in Abdominal Imaging". RadioGraphics 2011, 31, pages 1031 to 1046, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In this method, starting from the two (or more) image stacks presented created by measurement a further, virtual image stack is created which is based on an assumed (third) energy, which is usually different from the number of energies during image acquisition. The third energy assumed in this case is for its part selected so that an output optimization in the manner mentioned above will be obtained.
With the aid of the method presented here an output optimization can be obtained over an entire combined image stack, i.e. that the aim is always to optimize the output of the combined image stack as a function of a specific output interest. Specific image areas (such as specific organs or structures) are necessarily presented especially well while the imagability of other image areas also necessarily suffers from this approach.

Automatically obtaining optimized output data