A projection type image display apparatus which includes a light source, a first optical means situated along an optical path between the light source and the transmissive display device so as to converge the light rays from the light source and enable the principal light rays to enter the transmissive display device in parallel with each other, a second optical means disposed on an opposite side to the light source with respect to the transmissive display device so as to converge the light rays from the transmissive display device, and a third optical means disposed near a rear focus of the second optical means so as to project a transmitted light image on a screen.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates generally to an image display apparatus, and more particularly to a projection type image display apparatus for displaying a projected image through lenses from a transmissive display device such as liquid crystal panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, projection type display apparatus are widely used to display on large-screen projection televisions, information display systems and the like. FIG. 6 illustrates a typical example of such a projection type of display apparatus 1, hereinafter being referred to as a display apparatus. The display apparatus 1 includes a light source 2 and a reflector lens 3 so that the light from the light source 2 is focused by a condenser lens 4 so as to form an image. A projection lens 7 is disposed adjacent to the image.
A transmissive display device 6 such as a liquid crystal device is disposed between the condenser lens 4 and the projection lens 7. The display device 6 includes layers which independently control the transmission of red, green and blue. The condenser lens 4 allows the light from the source 2 to enter the display device 6, and the pasing light is then projected into an image on a screen 8. The reason why the projection lens 7 is located near the image of the light source 2 is to minimize the diameter of the projection lens 7. This system is called "Kohler's illumination".
Since this system has a structure in which the light through the condenser lens 4 is necessarily focused on the condenser lens 7, the angle of incidence to the display device 6 differs with positions of incidence thereon. In FIG. 6 the angles .theta.1 and .theta.2 have different values. If a plurality of display devices 6R, 6G and 6B are layered as shown in FIG. 6, a "parallax" is likely to occur from one display device to another. As a result, the images represented on the respective display devices 6R, 6G and 6B do not connect to each other on a screen 8, thereby causing chromatic aberration. It is generally explained that this problem is derived from varying projecting magnifications due to different distances between the display devices 6R, 6G and 6B and the projection lens 7.
In order to solve the problems discussed above, there are proposals, among which Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 60-2916 discloses a method for irradiating a display panel with parallel light rays. This prior art discloses an optical system under which a liquid crystal panel is irradiated with parallel light rays so as to enable a pair of projection lenses to project an image onto the screen. This known method requires a projection lens having a larger diameter than that of the display panel, thereby resulting in an increased production cost and an increased size. In addition, if this optical system has a projection lens constructed with single lenses, a large chromatic aberration is likely to occur. As a result, some suitable means must be provided so as to obviate the possibility of the chromatic aberration, thereby resulting in an increased size and an increased production cost.


Certain aspects involve lighting systems in which an intensity can be selectively modified. For instance, a lighting system includes a light source and a programmable device. The programmable device is configured to detect an input resistance and cause a particular current to flow through the light source, thereby causing the light source to emit a particular lumen intensity corresponding to an input resistance.

Lighting systems include light-emitting diodes ("LEDs") that provide high-quality lighting despite a compact size. Different light-emitting diodes and groups of light-emitting diodes can have different intensities. Thus, lighting fixtures, such as luminaires, are often manufactured in different configurations that provide different intensities that a customer can choose. But stocking LED-based fixtures to accommodate various desirable intensities can require maintaining a relatively large or cumbersome inventory.

Programmable driver for variable light intensity


Embodiments include methods, for a wireless device, to determine one or more preferred routes for an electric vehicle powered by a battery. Such methods include determining multiple candidate routes from a starting point to a destination. Each candidate route includes one or more segments, each segment associated with a slope and a distance. Such methods include, for each candidate route, estimating a route battery discharge amount and a route duration of travel based on a discharge profile for the battery and the slopes and distances associated with the segments of the candidate route. Such methods include selecting one or more preferred routes, from the candidate routes, based on a current state of charge for the battery, the route battery discharge amounts, and the route durations of travel. Other embodiments include wireless devices configured to perform such methods, and electric vehicles operably coupled to such wireless devices.

An electric vehicle (EV) uses one or more electric motors to drive the EV's wheels for propulsion. In most cases, EVs are powered by battery packs carried on the EV, with the size of the battery pack being related to the size, weight, and performance requirements of the EV itself. In some instances, the EV may also include an internal combustion engine that runs on fossil fuel(s); these are often referred to as hybrid EVs. Many different types of EVs are currently being produced or planned for production, including cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, and trains. In addition to these EVs that operate on hard surfaces (e.g., roads), other current or planned EVs include aircraft, surface ships, underwater vessels, and spacecraft.
The battery packs used in most EVs contain a large collection of rechargeable cells and are controlled by battery management systems (BMS). A battery pack with built-in BMS may also be referred to as a "smart battery pack" or "intelligent battery pack." Among other tasks, a BMS protects the battery pack from operating outside its safe operating area, monitors its state, calculates and reports battery status information, and receives control information from a host platform (e.g., EV). Communications with a host platform can be facilitated by an external communication interface, which can also be used to communicate with other host platforms such as battery chargers and diagnostic stations. The communication interface may be included in the same or a different wiring harness or connector as the wires that carry energy between the battery and the host platform.
Recently, shared transportation has grown rapidly due to a renewed interest in urbanism and growing environmental, energy, and economic concerns have intensified the need for sustainable alternatives. This has been facilitated by advances in electronic and wireless technologies, which have made sharing vehicles easier and more efficient. These services can be divided into two main types: ride sharing (or shared ride), where users are matched to empty seats in a vehicle; and vehicle sharing (or shared vehicle), where a single vehicle is available for use by any subscriber to the service. EVs are increasingly being used in shared-vehicle services, including scooter-sharing services such as such as Lyme, Bird, etc.
Another current trend is the increasing use of navigation services for identifying potential routes from a starting point to a destination. This trend has been facilitated by wide availability of handheld wireless devices (e.g., smartphones) and mapping and/or navigation applications (e.g., Google Maps) that are built in or downloadable to such devices via communication with a wide-area wireless network (e.g., cellular network). This trend has also been facilitated by increased data speeds and capacities of such networks, including the current 4G/LTE networks and the soon-to-be deployed 5G networks.
Given a starting point and a destination, some of these applications can provide multiple route options, each associated with an estimated transit time. Some of these applications can also provide estimated transit times associated with different transit modes (e.g., car, bike, walk, public transport, etc.) for each route option. For vehicle-based transit modes, however, the estimated transit times do not consider vehicle limitations, such as conditions and/or capabilities of an EV's battery.

Method and device for electric vehicle navigation based on battery profile and route characteristics


A communication system is described herein which provides an indicator that helps hub participants of a meeting (or other environmental setting) determine a direction of attention of a satellite participant (who is not physically present at the meeting). The indicator can be implemented as a mechanical pointer, a solid-state display mechanism, a rotating display mechanism, a display mechanism which presents visual information that reflects directionality, and so on. The communication system can assess the directionality of the satellite participant based on any combination of control inputs from explicit input mechanism(s) and/or implicit input mechanism(s). The communication system can also choose between explicit and/or implicit control of the indicator based on at least one selection criterion.

Videoconferencing technology allows an individual to participate in a meeting or other event from a remote location. In conventional systems, the meeting room may include a display mechanism and one or more speakers which together present an audio-visual representation of the remote participant. The meeting room also includes one or more cameras and one or more microphones which together capture an audio-visual representation of one or more participants who are physically present in the meeting room. The local participants in the meeting room are referred to herein as hub participants because they define the core locus of the meeting. The remote participant is referred to as a satellite participant because he or she represents a person who is attending the meeting from a remote location.
Videoconferencing technology has enjoyed significant commercial success. Yet there are various instances in which this technology does not provide a fully satisfactory user experience. For example, consider the scenario in which the satellite participant directs a question or comment to a specific hub participant. It is often difficult for the hub participants to determine the target of the satellite participant's question or comment. This is because the visual representation of the satellite participant does not preserve some of the subtle communication cues by which people normally determine the directionality of a speaker's message.
For instance, the hub participants may notice changes in the satellite participant's head or eye gaze. But these cues are ambiguous in the visual representation of the satellite participant. When the satellite participant is looking straight ahead, each hub participant may perceive the satellite participant as looking directly at him or her, individually (an effect typically experienced when watching a TV newscaster). And when the satellite participant is looking to one side, each hub participant may perceive the satellite participant as looking to his or her left or right (but not aimed at anyone specifically).
The challenges noted above are presented by way of example, not limitation. Videoconferencing technology may suffer from yet other shortcomings. Further, other environments (besides videoconferencing environments) may experience similar difficulties to those set forth above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Functionality for indicating direction of attention


The present disclosure provides a pilot sequence transmission method and apparatus. A terminal device determines a first pilot number, determines a first pilot sequence and a second pilot sequence according to the first pilot number, respectively maps the first pilot sequence and the second pilot sequence to a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol and a second OFDM symbol of a grant free transmission resource, and sends the first pilot sequence and the second pilot sequence by using the first OFDM symbol and the second OFDM symbol. Therefore, a network device can determine activeness of the terminal device by detecting the first pilot sequence, and can detect only the second pilot sequence corresponding to the first pilot sequence, and does not need to detect all possible second pilot sequences, so that a quantity of detected pilots can be significantly reduced, and pilot detection complexity is reduced.

A current communications system mainly supports voice communication and data communication. Usually, a quantity of connections supported by a conventional base station is limited, and is easy to be implemented. However, a next-generation mobile communications system not only needs to support conventional voice communication and data communication, but also supports machine to machine (M2M) communication that is also referred to as machine type communication (MTC). According to prediction, by 2020, a quantity of MTC devices connected to networks may reach 50 to 100 billion, and this may far exceed a current quantity of connections.
For an MTC type service, because service types of the MTC type service differ from each other, network requirements differ greatly. Generally, there may be two services having the following requirements: One is a service that requires reliable transmission but is not sensitive to a delay, and the other is a service that requires a low delay and high-reliability transmission. It is relatively easy to process the service that requires reliable transmission but is not sensitive to a delay. However, for the service that requires a low delay and high-reliability transmission, if transmission is unreliable, retransmission is caused and an excessively large transmission delay is caused, and consequently, the requirements cannot be satisfied.
To handle a large quantity of MTC type services in a future network and satisfy low-delay and high-reliability service transmission, an uplink grant free transmission solution is proposed. In a grant free transmission system, there are a large quantity of terminal devices, but there are also an extremely small quantity of terminal devices that access a network, and the terminal device may randomly select a grant free transmission resource to send data. Currently, a network device needs to detect each pilot, to determine an active terminal device.
Currently, in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, an uplink pilot sequence includes a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) and a sounding reference signal (SRS). The DMRS is used for channel estimation, so that uplink data is demodulated according to a channel estimation result, and the SRS is used for uplink channel quality measurement and occupies an entire frequency band.
If the DMRS in the LTE system is used in an uplink grant free transmission system, the network device needs to detect every possible DMRS. A common DMRS detection method is: converting a received frequency domain signal to a time domain, to perform windowing and noise reduction processing. In this conversion process, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) operations are required, and complexity is extremely high.
Therefore, to reduce pilot detection complexity becomes a technical problem urgently to be resolved in the grant free transmission system.

Pilot sequence transmission method and apparatus


A method of exposing components, which are carried by a carrier tape (2), arranged in sequence along the carrier tape (2) and covered by a cover (3). The cover is attached to the carrier tape having a lower surface facing the sequence of components. The method is performed by, while feeding the carrier tape towards the picking position, separating a first portion of the cover from a first portion (31) of the carrier tape. Thereafter, guiding a thus loosened portion of the cover towards the second side of the carrier tape. Performing said guiding such that before reaching the picking position, while being raised to an upright position, the cover is automatically gathered by being folded, so that at least two portions of the lower surface of the cover face each other, thereby reducing the height of the cover.

Generally, within the field of manufacture and assembly of circuit boards, electronic components are fed to a component mounting machine for mechanically and/or electrically mounting of the components onto a circuit board. These surface mounted components are often delivered spaced apart along the length of a component tape, which consists of a lower carrier tape provided with compartments, one for each component, and an upper cover or cover tape or protective tape. After the positioning of the electronic components in the corresponding compartments, the cover tape is attached to the carrier tape, for instance by providing either the cover tape or the carrier tape with adhesive areas or by fusing the cover tape to the carrier tape, and the component tape is wound on a component reel. After having wound the component tape on a component reel, the reel is transferred to a component mounting machine, which feeds a component to a certain predetermined picking position where it can be picked, or collected, by a pick-up head.
WO 86/00778 shows a cassette magazine for a component mounting machine using the above described method. The main steps are as follows: introducing the free end of the component tape into a feeding mechanism, provided in the machine or in the magazine, such that feeding pins engage corresponding holes provided in the component tape. Separating, by hand, the end of the cover tape from the end of the carrier tape for a distance sufficient to attach the cover tape to a cover tape handling means. Bringing the cover tape end past a stripping edge which is combined with a plate or a locking mechanism that secures the carrier tape. Lowering the locking mechanism over the carrier tape for holding the carrier tape against the feeding mechanism. Bringing, by hand, the end of the cover tape, and attaching it, to the cover tape handling means; and stretching the cover tape, e.g. by manipulating the cover tape handling means.
Prior to the picking of the components, each component has to be exposed so as to make it available for picking. This is achieved by removing the cover tape from the carrier tape. The cover tape is then fed by separate cover tape handling means in order for the cover tape not to disturb the picking of components. Generally, the cover tape handling means comprises a winding hub on which the cover tape is wound. Additionally, when unloading the component tape from the component mounting machine, or the tape magazine, the winding hub has to be cleared of the cover tape.
A considerable length of the end of the cover tape has to be separated from the end of the carrier tape in order to bring the cover tape end to a cover tape handling means. Thus, the first decimeters of a new carrier tape are not provided with components. Otherwise, numerous components would be wasted during loading. However, when reloading a tape reel that has already been partly used, the tape is provided with components throughout, and consequently a large number of components might be wasted.
The most conventional way of exposing the components in a broad carrier tape, i.e. wider than 8 mm, is to use the method described above. The width of the carrier tapes ranges from 8 to 200 mm, where a width of 8, 12 or 16 mm is the most conventional. The properties of different carrier tapes and covers are well known, and do not differ much between different manufactures, as there is a US standard EIA-481 regulating the basics of component tapes. For example, the standard regulates the peeling force of the component tape, i.e. the force needed to separate the cover from the carrier tape. From this value conclusions can be drawn regarding the elasticity of the cover.
Component tapes having a narrow width, such as 8 mm, may be handled in a different way, described for example in WO 00/38491, where a tape guide is used, which can be loaded with the component tape away from the machine, and which thereafter can be inserted into said machine. When the tape guide is loaded by for example an operator, the component tape is first inserted between two opposing elongated walls of the tape guide. The tape is then manually fed towards a plough mounted on the tape guide, and when the component tape reaches the plough, the operator makes sure that the tip of the plough is inserted between the carrier tape and the cover. Moreover, the plough is further arranged such that when the operator manually continues to feed the component tape past the plough, the plough detaches one of the rim portions of the cover, which are attached to the component tape, but leaves the other rim portion still attached, and as the cover tape is fed further into the tape guide, the cover is raised to an upright position. In a further development of the tape guide, the cover is raised to an upright position by a plough.
In this context the term upright is referring to a direction, which is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the carrier tape, or which is turned further outwards, away from the picking position, thus forming an angle with the plane of the carrier tape of at least about 60 degrees. Here, the plane of the carrier tape is substantially parallel to the plane of the cover, as long as the cover is attached to the carrier tape.
The operator continues to feed the component tape along the tape guide, until the tape has reached a position, where feeding means in the component mounting machine can engage with the component tape, when the tape guide is loaded in the machine.
After the component tape, in the above described way, has been loaded into the tape guide, the tape guide, in turn, is loaded into the component mounting machine, such that a picking head in said machine can pick components from a picking position on the tape guide. The picking position is a position along the tape guide where the cover of the loaded component tape has been opened such that the components are unblocked.
As stated above, this type of tape guide is used for narrow tapes. When using wider tapes, for example 12 or 16 mm broad, raising the cover to an upright position can involve substantial drawbacks, due to the fact that a wide cover raised to an upright position requires a substantial amount of free space above the tape guide. If several tape guides are arranged side by side, the picking head is forced to pass higher above the guides, requiring an increased vertical distance to travel for the picking of components, and thus the time efficiency of the entire manufacturing process is decreased.
An alternative to raising the cover to an upright position, is to raise the cover completely to the side, i.e. turning the loosened part of the cover about 180 degrees, so that it extends beside the component tape. Although this method solves the above problem, it is not a true solution but merely a way of forwarding the problem to another area. Instead of requiring free space above the tape guides, the space is now needed to the side of each tape guide. When the cover is turned completely to the side, the tape guides have to be arranged further apart, so that one cover in one tape guide does not interfere with the neighboring guide.
An early attempt to solve the above problems is described in document U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,369. Here, a guide shoe is provided with tunnel shaped guide means, for causing a loosened portion of the cover tape to curve outwards, upwards and to the side of the picking position, by letting it run inside the guide means, such that at the picking position the loosened cover will be arranged almost in a spiral shaped fashion.
As reliability and efficiency are of great importance within the field of manufacture and assemble of circuit boards, the cover of the component tape simply can not be allowed to obstruct the picking process, or the feeding of the component tape, not even occasionally. If, for instance, the cover would get stuck under the plough in a tape guide, or if the cover would interfere with the picking position, a vast amount of irretrievable time is lost, while the problem is corrected and the component tape is reloaded into the tape guide, and hence the margins of the manufacturing process are reduced. Consequently, when using the tape guide for removing the cover in order to expose components one must make sure that the free rim portion of the cover is well away from the plough and the picking position.

Method and device for exposing electronic components


A projection display with an imaging system is described, which is implemented to generate individual images in a distribution, such as a two-dimensional distribution, of sub-areas of an imaging plane of the imaging system, and a multi-channel optics that is configured to map one allocated individual image or one allocated sub-area of the imaging system each per channel, such that the mapping of the individual images is at least partly superimposed to an overall image in a projection surface, wherein the projection surface is a non-planar free-form surface, such as a curved surface, and/or tilted with respect to the imaging plane, and the imaging system is implemented such that constellations of points in the sub-images, each superimposed in a respective common point in the overall image by the multi-channel optics, differ depending on what distance the respective common point in the overall image has to the multi-channel optics.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a projection display and a method for displaying an overall image.
The projection of dynamic image contents on a screen or as a virtual image with a digital liquid crystal-based imaging system is based, according to conventional technology, on projection devices having a mapping optical channel or three channels whose optical paths unite in front of the projection optics for realizing color mixing.
In particular, US 2009 323 028 A1 shows pico projectors illuminated by LED in a color sequential manner. Further, US 2009 237 616 A1 describes a projection display having three color channels combined in front of the projection optics.
However, if the dimensions of the systems known in conventional technology are reduced for realizing miniaturized pico projectors, luminosity losses of the projected image result. Miniaturization of known projection systems is only possible in a limited manner due to the limitation of the transmissible light flux through the small surface of the imaging system existing in these systems. This connection is determined by the optical principle of etendue conservation. The etendue or light grasp of a light sourceE=4πn2A sin Θresults from its luminous surface A, the half angle of divergence Θ and the refractive index n and remains constant with an ideal optical mapping. Real optics increase the etendue or reduce system transmission. Thus, a minimum object surface is necessitated for a source having a given luminance for a minimum transmissible light flux within a projecting optical system.
It is a general problem in single-channel projection systems that due to optical laws (e.g. natural vignetting, mapping errors), together with this surface to be mapped, the system installation length also increases to the same extent, which makes miniaturization more difficult.
One solution for this problem is described in DE 102009024894. There, a projection display having a light source and regularly arranged optical channels is described. Due to a slightly reduced center pitch of the projection lenses with respect to the imaging structures, an offset of the respective imaging structure and the respective projection optics increasing towards the outside from the array center results, so that superposition of the real individual mappings or images results at a finite distance. Due to the partitioning into several channels, it is possible to reduce the distance between the imaging structure and the projection optics, i.e. the installation height, so that miniaturization is obtained simultaneously with other advantages.
However, problems occur when the above systems are used in connection with curved or tilted projection surfaces. All the above-described systems are only implemented in connection with the use of planar projection surfaces. Generally, the problem is the front projection of an image across greatly changing projection distances or tilted, curved surfaces, and free-form screen geometries while ensuring high contrast and sharp mapping. Sharp imaging can be obtained for a tilted planar screen by extensive tilting of object and projection optics according to the Scheimpflug principle. However, this known approach fails for curved projection surfaces. Tilting again increases the necessitated installation space. If even adaptivity to different degrees of tilting is to be realized, this necessitates mechanics for realizing the tilting between imaging structure and projection optics, which opposes the desired miniaturization and low production costs as well as robust construction. An increased f-number could solve the problem by increasing the depth of focus, but such an increased f-number is also accompanied by lower light intensity causing other problems and additionally also opposing miniaturization, since the problem would then be shifted to the light source.

Projection display and method for displaying an overall image for projection free-form surfaces or tilted projection surfaces

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


In an embodiment, method(s) and system(s) for providing ephemeral communication is described herein. In an implementation, the method may include determining one or more request keywords associated with a request received from a requesting terminal. The request may be intended for initiating communication. The method may further include transmitting, based on the one or more request keywords, a notification to each of a plurality of target terminals over a communication network for joining a communication group. The method may also include initiating the communication between the requesting terminal and at least one target terminal from the plurality of target terminals. The communication may be initiated upon receiving an acceptance notification from the at least one target terminal to join the communication group.

Various communication devices, such as mobile phones, hand-held tablets, and computers, are widely used in daily communication. Users of such communication devices can exchange ideas and opinions with other users by creating online communities on various online portals. The online communities usually allow communication between users who know each other. In an example, an online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as on bulletin board. In another example, the online community can be one where only a restricted number of users can initiate posts, such as Weblogs. Such online communities are generally created through professional and social networking portals, and may generally include known users who share similar interests.
To create the online communities on a networking portal, the user is first requested to register with the networking portal. While registering with the networking portal, the user can create a profile by providing personal information, such as name, location, and hobbies. Once the profile is created, the user can log on to the networking portal and create various online communities. To log on to the networking portal, the user is usually authenticated when the user attempts to access the networking portal. For example, for authentication, the user is required to provide credentials, such as log-in id and password, every time the user intends to create or access already created online communities of the networking portal.


A method for manufacturing a display device that can prevent deformation of a flexible display is provided. A raw material sheet that serves as a metal sheet of the flexible display has a width that is greater than a width of the display body in Y direction and a plurality of holes are provided in a bent area of the raw material sheet over an entire width along a bent section of the display body. The method includes: mounting the display body on the raw material sheet such that the bent section and the bent area are aligned and that the display body avoids the end portions in the Y direction; applying pressure to the display body from a central part of the display body toward a periphery of the display body; and cutting the raw material sheet into a predetermined size.

Portable information devices such as a tablet PC and a smartphone have been rapidly spreading in recent years. Such a portable information device has a touch panel type liquid crystal display and does not have a physical keyboard. It is desirable for this kind of portable information device to have a display that is large in use but can be miniaturized to carry.
Considering this, a portable information device has been proposed in which use of a flexible display, such as an organic electro luminescence (EL) display, allows not only a chassis but also a display to be foldable (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-112833).
As the flexible display alone lacks sufficient strength, it is desirable that a sheet member is stuck thereon. The sheet member is preferably provided with hole portions at a location corresponding to a bent section of the flexible display so that the sheet member and the flexible display can be easily bent together.
The sheet member and the flexible display can be stuck together better by further applying pressure from a central part toward a periphery of the flexible display on which the sheet member has been stuck.
The pressure application, however, causes the location of the hole portions of the sheet member to be slightly deformed to extend. When the pressure application is stopped, the location shrinks to the original shape. As the flexible display deforms in accordance with this extension and shrinkage, it is concerned that some swellings or the like may be caused thereby.

Method for manufacturing a display device


An image scanning device includes a housing, a scanning unit disposed inside the housing and configured to scan, at a scanning position, an image of a sheet, a conveying mechanism disposed inside the housing, and a cover. The conveying mechanism is configured to convey the sheet along a common path to the scanning position in a first direction, and to discharge the sheet having passed the scanning position selectively along a return path in a second direction and along a one-way path in the first direction. The cover is configured to receive the sheet discharged from the one-way path in an inclined position in which the cover extends upward from the one-way path and is inclined relative to the one-way path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image scanning device configured to scan an image of a sheet.
2. Description of Related Art
A known image scanning device comprises a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet to an image scanning unit. The image scanning unit scans an image formed on the sheet when the sheet passes by the image scanning unit.
In the known image scanning device, a sheet is conveyed along a common path to the scanning unit, and the sheet having passed the scanning unit is discharged selectively along a first path onto a first discharge portion and along a second path onto a second discharge portion. The first discharge portion and the second discharge portion are disposed on a top surface and a side surface of the housing of the image scanning device, respectively. The sheet conveyed from the common path is discharged along the second path in a direction substantially parallel to the common path, and the second discharge portion extends from the side surface of the housing in a direction substantially parallel to the common path and at a relatively large angle relative to the side surface. Such a structure may increase the area occupied by the image scanning device.


A nail gun includes a housing having a first locking element, an opposite second locking element, and a sliding groove, a safety mechanism including an actuation member in the sliding groove, the actuation member having an end nose, and a nail alignment adjustment mechanism including a lever pivotably secured to the housing, a spring having a first end secured to the other end of the lever and a second end affixed to the actuation member, and a spring-biased selector including a shank passing the lever, and a knob secured to the shank. Pivoting the knob from a first position to a second position will cause the nose to contact a first workpiece. Pivoting the knob from the second position to the first position will cause the nose to dispose above a second workpiece and align a nail with a through hole of the second workpiece.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to pneumatic nail guns and more particularly to such a nail gun having a device which is adapted to adjust an actuation member of a safety mechanism based on whether there is through hole in a front (or top) workpiece so that the point of a nail can be quickly adjusted to align with the through hole prior to driving the nail into the front workpiece and a rear (or bottom) workpiece to fasten them together.
2. Description of Related Art
A nail gun is adapted to drive a nail into a front workpiece and a rear workpiece to secure them together. The workpiece can be wood, metal plate, etc. Conventionally, nail guns having a safety mechanism are particularly suitable to drive nails into wood.
In often times the front workpiece is a metal plate. Thus, it is difficult of driving a nail into the front metal plate and the rear wood by means of the nail gun. It is typical of drilling a through hole in the metal plate prior to using the nail gun. However, the safety mechanism of the nail gun may contact the front metal plate. As a result, it is hardly aligning a nail with a through hole in the metal plate. Thus, continuing improvements in the exploitation of nail gun with nail alignment adjustment device are constantly being sought.

Nail gun with nail alignment adjustment device


A DC/DC converter capable of preventing abnormal temperature increase in a power transistor. The DC/DC converter comprises a loop circuit, a power transistor, an abnormal high temperature detection circuit, and an abnormality processing circuit. The power transistor supplies an electric current to the loop circuit according to a control pulse signal. The loop circuit accumulates electromagnetic energy in an inductor when the electric current is supplied and generates a negative DC voltage by causing a loop electric current to flow by using the electromagnetic energy accumulated in the inductor when no electric current is supplied. The abnormal high temperature detection circuit detects a normal/abnormal state of temperature of the power transistor. The abnormality processing circuit switches the power transistor off when the abnormal high temperature detection circuit has detected that the temperature of the power transistor is abnormal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a DC/DC converter and a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) using such. The SLIC is carried by a gateway unit such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) gateway unit.
2. Description of Related Art
A gateway unit is a device for mutual connection of networks or systems using different protocols. In other words, the gateway unit conducts mutual conversion of different protocols. A VoIP gateway unit is known as one of gateway units. The VoIP gateway unit is a device for connecting a telephone network with the internet. In other words, the VoIP gateway unit conducts mutual conversion of a voice communication protocol and an internet protocol.
The VoIP gateway unit carries multiple SLIC. One SLIC accommodates one subscriber line. The SLIC executes a voice communication protocol between the telephones connected to the subscribed line, i.e. subscriber telephones. Chips of a large number of types have already been marketed as LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuits) for SLIC. For example, ProSLIC Si3210 (trade name) by Silicon Laboratory Inc. is known as a SLIC chip. With the SLIC chip, the values such as a voice level or ringer frequency can be set by a program. Those set values are stored in a register provided inside the SLIC chip. A SLIC module is composed by the SLIC chip and peripheral circuits.
A SLIC supplies a voltage to a subscriber telephone via a subscriber line. The voltage supplied to the subscriber telephone varies according to a communication state. For example, a SLIC supplies to a subscriber telephone a voltage −64 V in a waiting mode, −91.5 V when a ringer rings, and −15 V in an off-hook mode. Switching of the supplied voltage is controlled by the above-described SLIC. A SLIC comprises as one of peripheral circuits a DC/DC converter for converting a drive voltage (for example 9 V) into those voltages.
Abnormal heat generation in the DC/DC converter causes malfunction of the SLIC. Therefore, in order to ensure reliability of the SLIC, it is desirable that the temperature of the DC/DC converter be stringently controlled.

DC/DC converter and subscriber line interface circuit


A pick (10) for use with a stringed musical instrument is disclosed. The pick includes a generally flat body (12) formed of flexible elastomeric material that is adapted to be held between a player's thumb and index finger and a length of metal wire (14) partially embedded in the body. The ends of the metal wire are twisted and embedded in the body to anchor the wire. A mid-portion of the wire extends outwardly from the body to form a string-engaging pick portion having a rounded, polished tip (36) for picking the strings of the musical instrument.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to picks for stringed musical instruments. More particularly, the invention relates to a pick that combines the advantages of plastic and metal picks and that provides improved playing qualities not found in plastic or metal picks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional picks for use with stringed instruments such as guitars are typically formed of either hardened plastic materials, such as nylon or celluloid, or metal. Plastic picks are typically easier to grip than metal picks and therefore more comfortable to use. However, plastic picks are not as rigid as metal picks and therefore do not provide the same sound quality as metal picks.
Metal picks are more rigid and therefore provide superior sound quality, especially when used with instruments having metal strings. However, metal picks are uncomfortable to grip, especially when used for long periods of time. Moreover, the flat metal edges of metal picks often prematurely wear out the strings of an instrument.


An apparatus for performing ultrasonic flaw detection, wherein an ultrasonic transmitter transmits a pulse signal having a designated carrier frequency and a designated cycle count to an ultrasonic probe. An ultrasonic receiver receives the echo signal output from the ultrasonic probe. The peak frequency and the frequency bandwidth of the echo signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit are detected by a signal analysis unit. A transmission control unit designates the carrier frequency and the cycle count of the pulse signal output from the ultrasonic transmission unit so that the detected peak frequency and the detected frequency bandwidth become a flaw detection condition peak frequency and a flaw detection condition frequency bandwidth, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic flaw detection method for detecting a defect present in a test object by using an ultrasonic probe, and an ultrasonic flaw detection apparatus employing this method and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for performing ultrasonic flaw detection, in which a peak frequency and a frequency bandwidth of an echo signal obtained from the ultrasonic probe attached to the object are independently controlled.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an ultrasonic flaw detection apparatus for detecting defects or flaws present on the surface of or inside a steel plate by using an ultrasonic wave, an impulse signal obtained by utilizing discharge characteristics or the like of, e.g., a charge circuit is applied to an ultrasonic probe attached to the surface of the object. An ultrasonic wave is transmitted from the ultrasonic probe to the inside of the object. When a defect is present, upon propagation of the ultrasonic wave inside the object, a reflected wave is generated. The ultrasonic probe detects this reflected wave and outputs it as an echo signal. The level of the echo signal output from the ultrasonic probe corresponds to the size and shape of the defect. Therefore, the presence/absence of the defect and its size and shape are detected in accordance with this signal level.
In this conventional apparatus, eve if flaw detectors having the same technical specifications and ultrasonic probes having the same technical specifications are used, and even if the same defect is detected by these components, if a plurality of channels are present, the same results cannot be expected between the channels due to the following reason. The properties of an object are not always uniform, and ultrasonic probes do not necessarily have identical characteristics. For these reasons, differences occur between the characteristics of the channels. As a result, frequency characteristics such as operating frequencies and frequency bands of the respective channels are fixed to different values.
A wide-band probe has advantages in that the echo width of a received echo signal is sharp, and that an S/N ratio obtained with an attenuating material is higher than that of a narrow-band probe. Since the electrical impedance of this wide-band probe, however, is low, the differences in characteristics have large influences on output waveforms. Variations in frequency characteristics such as operating frequency characteristics and frequency bandwidths therefore occur between the respective probes. In a multichannel ultrasonic flaw detection apparatus having a probe array consisting of a plurality of ultrasonic probes, it is impossible to obtain a uniform flaw detection sensitivity of the object as a whole.
In addition, when an ultrasonic probe is replaced with a new one, differences in characteristics between the ultrasonic probes are present. For this reason, adjustment must be performed in accordance with these differences in characteristics and deterioration over time in each ultrasonic probe. The adjustment operations are time-consuming and cumbersome and require much labor.
An ultrasonic flaw detection method called a CS method (Controlled Signal Technique) is proposed in which an impulse signal is not applied to an ultrasonic probe. According to this CS method, as shown in FIG. 11A, a tone-burst pulse signal obtained by extracting a carrier wave having a predetermined carrier frequency f.sub.c every predetermined time interval is applied to the ultrasonic probe. Some techniques of the CS method are introduced in Published Unexamined Japanese patent Application Nos. 62-180267 and 62-54160 and Published Examined Japanese Patent Application No. 59-10501.
The tone-burst pulse signal has frequency characteristics as shown in FIG. 11B. Frequency components in a narrow band centered on a peak frequency f.sub.P are present, as shown in FIG. 12. For the sake of comparison, a characteristic curve indicated by a dotted line is a frequency characteristic curve obtained when an impulse signal is applied. When the carrier frequency f.sub.c of the impulse signal to be applied to the ultrasonic probe is changed, the peak frequency f.sub.P of the echo signal changes accordingly. For example, when the carrier frequency f.sub.c of the pulse signal is changed in an order of 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, and 7 MHz, the peak frequency f.sub.P of the echo signal changes in an order of 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, and 7 MHz accordingly, as shown in FIG. 13.
As the cycle count N representing the number of waves included in the pulse signal is increased, the ratio of the components of the carrier frequency f.sub.c to other frequency components of the pulse signal is increased. As a result, the bandwidth of the pulse signal is narrowed, and a steep frequency characteristic curve is obtained. FIG. 14A shows a pulse signal waveform for N=1. FIG. 14B shows a frequency characteristic curve of the pulse signal shown in FIG. 14A. FIGS. 15A and 15B show a signal waveform and frequency characteristics for N=5. FIGS. 16A and 16B show a signal waveform and frequency characteristics for N=10.
It is thus understood that the bandwidth of the pulse signal is decreased with an increase in cycle count N of the pulse signal. When the cycle count N is changed, the frequency bandwidth W of the ultrasonic waves applied to the object can be changed to an arbitrary value.
In practice, a uniform flaw detection sensitivity in the entire detection range of an object in a multichannel ultrasonic flaw detection apparatus having an array of a plurality of ultrasonic probes must be realized. At the same time, adjustment operations based on the differences in characteristics upon replacement of a probe and the deterioration over time in each probe must be performed. It is very difficult to control that the frequency characteristics such as the peak frequency f.sub.P and the frequency bandwidth W of the echo signal output from the ultrasonic probe satisfy the above conditions.

Method and apparatus for performing ultrasonic flaw detection by controlling peak frequency and frequency bandwidth


A method and apparatus for substrate etching are described herein. A processing chamber described herein includes a source module, a process module, a flow module, and an exhaust module. An RF source may be coupled to the chamber and a remote plasma may be generated in the source module and a direct plasma may be generated in the process module. Cyclic etching processes described may use alternating radical and direct plasmas to etch a substrate.

Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to apparatus and methods for processing semiconductor substrates. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a processing chamber having a radical plasma source and a direct plasma source configured to perform cyclic etching processes.
Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices, such as flat panel displays and integrated circuits, are commonly fabricated by a series of processes in which layers are deposited on a substrate and the deposited material is etched into desired patterns. The processes commonly include physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), and other plasma processing. Specifically, a plasma process includes supplying a process gas mixture to a vacuum chamber, and applying radial frequency power (RF power) to excite the process gas into a plasma state. The plasma decomposes the gas mixture into ion species that perform the desired deposition or etch processes.
One problem encountered during plasma processes is the difficulty associated with establishing uniform plasma density over the substrate surface during processing, which leads to non-uniform processing between the center region and the edge regions of a substrate. The difficulty in establishing uniform plasma density may be contributed by skews in natural electrical current, gas flow, and thermal distribution due to asymmetries in the physical process chamber design. Such skews not only result in non-uniform plasma density, but also make it difficult to use other processing variables to control plasma uniformity. Thus, multiple processing chambers may be necessary to satisfy various processing operations.
Additionally, in some substrate processing systems, a plasma is generated in the same location as one or more substrates being processed; in other examples, a plasma is generated in one location and moves to another location where the substrate(s) are processed. The plasmas produced often contain highly energetic and/or corrosive species and/or highly energetic electrons, such that the equipment producing the plasma sometimes degrades from contact with the energetic species and/or electrons. For example, materials that are exposed to highly energetic species and/or electrons may be etched and/or sputtered, generating etched and/or sputtered material that can move about, and can react or deposit on various surfaces of chamber components thereby damaging or requiring increased chamber maintenance intervals.
Existing dry etching chamber are implemented for anisotropic etching with high ion energy for high aspect ratio structure etching. However, due to the high ion energy bombardment, the substrate may be damages by the plasma which results in device current leakage. Also, redeposition of byproducts man anisotropic etching difficult.
As technology nodes progress, the need for increasingly small and selective etching capabilities are paramount. Therefore, there is a need for a process chamber that enables variable process volume, improved flow conductance, and improved process uniformity which can be implemented for advanced technology nodes. In addition, there is a need for etching methods which provide improved material selectivity.

Process chamber for cyclic and selective material removal and etching


A first request and a first identifier corresponding to an identity of a first source device that initiated the first request is received. At least a second source device is queried to obtain information indicative of whether the first source device is authorized to complete the first request. The second source device is configured to periodically gather and transmit data, over one or more networks, to one or more local processing devices or one or more remote devices for data analysis. The first request is blocked or authorized to proceed based at least in part on whether at least the first source device is authorized to complete the first request.

Various tangible everyday items (e.g., automobiles, coffee makers, washing machines, lamps etc.) are increasingly becoming equipped with computing components (e.g., transceivers, processors, storage devices) to form one or more interconnected computer networks that perform various tasks. For example, such networks may be or include an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a network of interconnected items that are each provided with unique identifiers (e.g., UIDs) and computing logic so as to communicate or transfer data with each other or other components. Such communication can happen without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. For example, an IoT network may include one or more interconnected home devices (e.g., a thermostat, a television, a door lock) that are configured to be automatically activated (e.g., turn on a television without a user selection) in response to an input (e.g., a particular clock-time).


A wall hanging assembly including a wall décor item having a generally horizontally oriented receiving surface and a wall mounting rail. The wall mounting rail having an elongate base portion with a back surface adapted to mount adjacent to a wall and a front surface. The wall mounting rail further having a level receptacle on the front surface and a level carried by the receptacle. The wall mounting rail includes a generally horizontally oriented support lip extending along at least part of the wall mounting rail and arranged to bear against the receiving surface of the wall décor item.

Known mounting systems are often targeted and marketed to female consumers that dislike the complexity currently involved in hanging and leveling objects on a wall. Observational research has shown that known mounting systems require multiple pieces of equipment such as, for example, hammers, levels, and drills to insure that objects are properly leveled, spaced and secured. Further, in-home consumer research indicates that these mounting systems are considered difficult and complicated to use by the target consumer group.
In an effort to simplify the spacing and alignment of known mounting systems, templates are often used to insure the proper placement of mounting holes and hardware. Templates, while helpful, still require the consumer to utilize a separate level to insure proper orientation and require the use of a drill and wall anchor to affix the mounting hardware. Some known mounting systems require a mating component to be affixed to the item being hung and can cooperate with an additional bracket configured to hold a small spirit level.


A film composed of a number of layers having different refractive indices and alternately laminated one upon another has characteristic optical properties by light interference. Conventional films having such structure have problems of poor interlaminar adhesivity and low tear strength. The problems are solved by a film having the following constitution. A biaxially drawn multilayer laminated film is composed of alternately laminated 1st layers and 2nd layers at a total layer number of 11 or more. Each layer has a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 μm. The 1st layer is made of a crystalline thermoplastic resin and the 2nd layer is made of a crystalline thermoplastic resin having a composition different from that of the resin constituting the 1st layer. The maximum light reflectance of the film within the wavelength range of 350 to 2,000 nm is higher than the base line reflectance obtained from a light reflectance curve within the wavelength range of 350 to 2,000 nm by 20% or more.

A multilayer laminated film composed of a number of layers having low refractive index and a number of layers having high refractive index alternately laminated one upon another may form an optical interference film selectively reflecting or transmitting light of a specific wavelength by the structural light interference between the layers. Such multilayer laminated film may form a film having excellent design by the structural color development, for example a pearlescent film having iridescent appearance by setting the wavelength of the selectively reflecting or transmitting light in a visible light range. The obtained design is based on the structural color development of the multilayer laminate film and, accordingly, there is no color fading trouble in contrast with the color developed by a dye, etc. A high reflectance comparable to that of a film produced by using a metal can be attained by the multilayer laminated film by gradually changing the film thickness or laminating films having different reflection peaks, and such film can be used as a metallic luster film or a reflecting mirror.
Multilayer laminated films produced by using different kinds of thermoplastic resins such as polyethylene terephthalate and polymethyl methacrylate have been proposed as such multilayer laminated film for example in the specification of the JP-A 56-99307 (hereunder JP-A means "Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication"). Multilayer drawn films produced by using a layer of polyethylene 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate as the layer having high refractive index were proposed in the specifications of JP-C 9-506837 (hereunder JP-C means published Japanese translations of PCT international publication for patent applications) and WO01/47711.
However, these multilayer laminated films have poor adhesion between the layers to occasionally cause the delamination defect because resins having different compositions are combined with each other in these films to increase the refractive index difference between the layers. Furthermore, the uniform drawing becomes difficult to form an easily tearable film having insufficient strength by the combination of resins having different compositions.
Namely, the refractive index difference between the layers of conventional multilayer drawn film was originated from the refractive index difference of the resins constituting the layers. For example, polyethylene terephthalate was used in the layer having high refractive index and a resin having low refractive index such as polymethacrylate was used in the layer having low refractive index as disclosed in JP-A 56-99307. The concept of the conventional method to get the refractive index difference between layers by the refractive indices of the resins necessitates the selection of resins having considerably different compositions as the resins constituting the layers and the adhesivity between layers becomes poor.
Examples shown in JP-C 9-506837 and WO01/4771 contain a biaxially drawn film produced by using a polyethylene 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (hereunder sometimes referred to as PEN) having high refractive index as the layer having high refractive index and a thermoplastic elastomer as the layer having low refractive index and a uniaxially drawn multilayer film produced by using PEN having high refractive index as the layer having high refractive index and a PEN copolymerized with 30 mol % isophthalic acid as the layer having low refractive index. The layer having low refractive index is essentially amorphous in these multilayer laminated film and these films have latent practical problems to fail in getting a sufficient interlayer adhesion even by the drawing treatment and in achieving uniform biaxial drawing in the plane directions to cause non-uniform properties.

Biaxially drawn multilayer laminated film and method for producing the same


A device and a process for testing a memory element are described. A second memory element is connected in parallel to the first memory element. In order to measure the charge status of the first memory element, the second memory element is brought into a predefined first status and the time required by the second memory element to go from the first status to a second status is measured. This time is analyzed in order to test the memory element.

German Patent Application No. 37 04 938 discloses a controller with at least one microprocessor and one memory element. The memory element can operate at voltages below the supply voltage of the controller and/or the microprocessor. A status signal polled by the microprocessor is stored in the memory element.
German Patent Application No. 44 09 286 discloses a process and a circuit for detecting the cause of a reset of a microprocessor-controlled system. Also here, a memory element is provided, which does not lose its contents when the supply voltage is briefly interrupted, however, it does lose its contents when shut off for a longer period. Whether the memory element was shut off for a short or a longer period can be verified by reading the memory element voltage.
Since the safety requirements for automotive components are usually very high, the mode of operation of the memory element must be insured at all times.

Process and device for testing a memory element


Provided are variable resistance memory devices and methods of forming the variable resistance memory devices. The methods can include forming an etch stop layer on an electrode, forming a molding layer on the etch stop layer, forming a recess region including a lower part having a first width and an upper part having a second width by recessing the etch stop layer and the molding layer, and forming a layer of variable resistance material in the recess region.

Various embodiments relate to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to semiconductor memory devices and methods of forming semiconductor memory devices.
Generally, semiconductor memory devices may be classified into volatile memory devices and nonvolatile memory devices. Volatile memory devices lose stored data when the power supply is interrupted. Examples of the volatile memory devices may include Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAMs) and Static Random Access Memories (SRAMs). Meanwhile, the nonvolatile memory devices do not lose the stored data even when the power supply is interrupted. Examples of the nonvolatile memory devices may include Programmable ROMs (PROMs), Erasable PROMs (EPROMs), Electrically EPROMs (EEPROMs), and flash memory devices.
Developments have been actively made on next-generation semiconductor memory devices such as Ferroelectric Random Access Memories (FRAMs), Magnetic Random Access Memories (MRAMs), and Phase-change Random Access Memories (PRAMs) in accordance with the tendency toward improved performance and reduced power semiconductor memory devices. These next-generation semiconductor memory devices are made of materials that vary in programmed resistance state according to programming current and/or voltage and keep the programmed resistance state even though the power is interrupted.
A phase change memory device (PRAM) is a variable resistance memory device that utilizes a phase change material, and a phase change memory device (PRAM) may provide relatively high operation speed and high integration.
Phase change memory devices store information by using phase change materials. A phase change material has two stable states (that is, a crystalline state and an amorphous state) in which resistivity differs. Since the conversion may be reversibly generated between two stable states, the phase change material may be converted into the crystalline state from the amorphous state and may then be converted back into the amorphous state from the crystalline state. The phase change material may be converted into the amorphous state from the crystalline state and may then be converted back into the crystalline state from the amorphous state. The resistivity of the phase change material in the amorphous state is higher than that of the phase change material in the crystalline state. A phase change memory device can store data in phase change memory cells using the difference in resistivity according to the state of the phase change material and can read the data stored in the phase change memory cells.

Variable resistance memory devices and methods of forming variable resistance memory devices


A method is provided. An airship is maneuvered to a desired location and oriented with the thruster such that ambient wind is traveling in a direction that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. The airflow from the ambient wind is straightened with the flow straightener to generate a substantially laminar flow. The turbine is engaged with the airflow generated by the ambient wind to generate electricity, and the electricity generated by the turbine is rectified with the rectifier and stored in the storage array.

Over the past few years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones have become increasingly used in commercial applications. Once of the many applications pioneered with drones is delivery of material, and ariships have even been used for operating as an airborne warehouse for delivery of goods (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 10,321,125). However, there are some significant drawbacks to existing systems—namely, most airships require frequent returns to a base of operation for refueling or recharging. The inability to have a largely self-sustaining airship limits its applicability and duration of operation in potential autonomous or remote controlled systems in urban, geographic difficult, or harsh environments. Therefore, there is a need for an improved airship. Some examples of conventional systems are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,849,981; 9,536,216; 9,852,644; 10,035,623; and 9,836,049.


A counter assembly which can be used in a toner cartridge has a generally circular rotatable actuator member fixedly mounted on one end of a shaft having a screw thread on its surface, a magnet made of a molded compliant magnetic material mounted on the screw thread surface of the shaft adjacent to the actuator member. The magnet is secured against rotational movement but is permitted longitudinal movement along the screw thread surface of the shaft. The actuator member is rotated in a direction to transport the magnet along the screw thread surface of the shaft away from the actuator.

The present invention is directed to a simplified low cost counter assembly. In a specific application it has use in electrostatographic printing apparatus and in particular, it provides an indication that a removable toner cartridge is about to or has exhausted its useful life.
Recently, there has been a tendency in the design of electrostatographic printing apparatus to place one or more of the functional units such as a photoconductor drum or developer housing in a removable processing cartridge or unit so that the customer or operator of the printing machine may replace a functional unit when its lifetime has been exhausted or a different processing parameter such as toner color is desired. Exemplary of such machines are those described and illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,985,436 to Tanaka et al., 4,556,308 to Hoppner et al. and 5,111,246 to Brailsford et al., all of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety herein by reference. Accordingly, the removable processing cartridges may be designed to contain a photoreceptor, a developing device, a cleaning device, as well as a charging device. Alternatively, instead of placing all of the functional elements in a single processing cartridge, there may be two or more processing cartridges wherein, for example, the photoreceptor, cleaning device and charge device are in one removable processing cartridge while the developer device is in another removable processing cartridge.
There is a desire for the operator to know when the end of the functional lifetime of a removable processing unit is approaching and when it has finally approached. This is true whether the functional unit comprises a photoreceptor, a developer housing, or indeed is a toner cartridge. It is particularly important to the operator to have some warning that the supply of toner or developer to the developer housing from a toner cartridge is about to be exhausted or in fact is exhausted.

Simple reliable counter assembly of reduced parts for a toner cartridge


A sub-carrier allocation method including selecting a number of cells having a strongest inter-cell interference among cells in a multiple-cell environment, and selecting mutually exclusive sub-carrier sets for each cell selected having the strongest interference.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) method, and more particularly to a sub-carrier allocation method for reducing inter-cell interference in an OFDM cellular environment.
2. Background of the Related Art
Current mobile communication standardization technologies include an AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone system) and WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) system. In these communication systems, multiplexing is used to support multiple users by constructing multiple communication paths (channels) to transmit and receive an independent signal. In more detail, multiplexing divides one line or transmission path in to multiple channels (for a fixed line, a pair of cables, and for a wireless service, a pair of transceivers).
Examples of multiplexing methods include a FDM (Frequency Division Multiplexing) method in which one line is divided into multiple frequency bands and then multiplexed, and a TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) method in which one line is divided into very short time intervals and then multiplexed.
AMPS, which is a first generation analog mobile communication standard, uses FDM. A second generation mobile communication system is called IS-95, and uses a CDM (Code Division Multiplexing) method. A third generation mobile communication system is called WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) and uses a Code Division Multiplexing (CDM) method.
Another type of multiplexing is called the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). OFDM is based on a principle of multicarrier modulation, which means dividing a data stream into several bit streams (subchannels), each of which has a much lower bit rate than the parent data stream. These substreams are then modulated using frequencies that are orthogonal to each other. Because of their orthogonality, the subcarriers can be very close to each other (or even partly overlapping) in the frequency spectrum without interfering with each other. Further, because the symbol times on these low bit rate channels are long, there is generally no intersymbol interference (ISI). The result is a very spectrum efficient system.
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) are based on OFDM. However, OFDM is not used in a cellular communication system including multiple cells.

Sub-carrier allocation method for reducing inter-cell interference in OFDM cellular environment


A method for producing a sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride insulator is disclosed. The method comprises mixing powdered silicon having an average particle size not greater than 5 .mu.m with from 3 to 7 percent each of MgO and CeO.sub.2, pressing a shape from the resulting mixture, calcining the shape, grinding the calcined shape to a desired contour, and heating the ground shape in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure of about 1 atmosphere absolute. The MgO and CeO.sub.2 serve as sintering aids. Other suitable sintering aids include 2 to 8 percent of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, 6 percent of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and 2 percent of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, and 2 to 8 percent of MgO, BeO, HfO.sub.2 or Zr.sub.2 O.sub.2. The heating of the ground shape is controlled, until a reaction bonded Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 body is produced in which at least 99 percent of the Si in the initial charge is reacted to Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, so that reaction between nitrogen and the ground shape is substantially complete at any given temperature before the shape is heated above that temperature, and, thereafter, to produce a sufficient amount of a cerium-magnesium silicate glass to produce a Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 body having from 85 to 90 percent of theoretical density.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the production of a silicon nitride ceramic by a method which includes a reaction bonding step and a sintering step, carried out during the course of a single, uninterrupted heating step.
2. The Published Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,136, granted Oct. 26, 1982 to Mangels, discloses that a reaction bonded silicon nitride ceramic can be packed in silicon nitride powder and a densification aid, and densified by a two step firing procedure in a nitrogen atmosphere. The first step is in a low pressure nitrogen atmosphere while the second is in a high pressure nitrogen atmosphere. Example 1 of the patent discloses a first step firing in 15 psi. nitrogen to 1875.degree. C. and a second step firing in 300 psi. nitrogen to 1925.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,787, granted Sep. 28, 1982 to Martinengo et al., discloses that a shape can be pressed from a mixture of silicon particles and a sintering aid, that the shape can be nitrided to produce a reaction bonded shape, and that the reaction bonded shape, after it has been embedded in a protective powder can be densified by firing in a nitrogen atmosphere. In Example 1, the protective powder is composed of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, BN, MgO and Fe and the firing is to 1800.degree. C., final nitrogen pressure 750 Torr.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,655, granted Aug. 18, 1987 to Hunold et al., discloses (Example 6) that ceramics having a silicon nitride content of 99.1 percent, 98 percent of theoretical density, can be produced by cold isostatic pressing of a mixture of silicon powder, yttrium oxide powder and aluminum oxide powder, and subjecting the shapes which are produced to a two-stage firing in a high pressure nitrogen atmosphere. The first stage of the firing was to a maximum temperature of 1270 .degree., nitrogen pressure from 50 to 80 MPa, while the second stage was to a maximum temperature of 1800.degree., nitrogen pressure from 80 to 150 MPa. The patent also states that cycles comparable to the Examples would last from 100 to 140 hours in the case of nitridation with nitrogen or nitrogen/hydrogen mixtures under normal pressure.
It has also been suggested (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,482, granted Feb. 19, 1985) that a mixture of silicon, silicon nitride and an organic binder can be molded to a desired shape, nitrided, and hot isostatically pressed to produce a silicon nitride ceramic and (see, for example, GB PS 1,546,928, May 31, 1979) that a molding can be produced from silicon powder and sintered in an inert atmosphere to 60-75 percent of theoretical density prior to nitriding to form silicon nitride.

Production of a sintered reaction bonded silicon nitride insulator


A stand-alone packaging (1) for tubes (14) of different shapes and sizes being placed in the packaging (1) having a back wall (2) and a front wall (3), which are linked at a top side (4), a bottom wall (5) and a platform surface (6), which is linked to the back wall (2) and the front wall (3), the back wall (2), at its bottom side, has a tab (8) that fits into an opening (9) at a fold between the bottom side of an interior front wall (15) and the bottom wall (5), the platform surface (6) is connected to the bottom wall (5) by the interior front wall (15) which becomes visible when opening the back wall (2), the platform surface (6) has a flap (11) linking the platform surface (6) to the front wall (3), the platform surface (6) is parallel to the bottom wall (5) and has an opening (7) in which the tube (14) fits, wherein the tube (14) is placed upside down in the packaging (1) with the tube (14) fitting narrowly into the opening (7) of the platform surface (6), and the portion at which the tube (14) is sealed being placed at the top side (4), a fold (17) is provided between the top side (4) and the back wall (2), such that the back wall (2) is hinged to the top side (4) of the packaging (1) and can be opened so as to remove the tube (14).

Consumer products for skin care are contained in an appropriate primary packaging, such as a bottle, a plastic container, or a tube. This primary packaging in turn is usually packed into a secondary packaging, the function of which is to protect the product inside and to provide a means of presenting the product to the public. The most frequently used secondary packaging is a cardboard box in which the primary packed product is placed.
The presentation of the product to the consumer is important in that it allows conveying certain information about the product and helps the consumer to make her or his choice to purchase the product. Stand-alone packages offer particular advantages in this regard in that they can easily be placed on the shelf, counter or other spots where the product is presented to the public.
Various types of secondary packagings have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, DE 91 08 595 U discloses a packaging that has a back wall and a front wall, which are linked at a top side, a bottom wall and a platform surface, which is linked to the back wall and the front wall, the back wall, at its bottom side, has a tab that fits into an opening at a fold between the bottom side of an interior front wall and the bottom wall, the platform surface is connected to the bottom wall by the interior front wall which becomes visible when opening the back wall, the platform surface has a flap linking the platform surface to the front wall by gluing, the platform surface is parallel to the bottom wall and has an opening in which the tube fits.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,367,174 describes a confection-cone carrier consisting of a rectangular cardboard or paper blank. A plurality of perforations each of which having a diameter corresponding to that of a cone are provided adjacent the right-hand end of the blank. Adjacent the perforations the blank is slit to provide a pair of first tabs, which extend in the direction of the perforations. The blank is slit intermediate its ends to provide another pair of second tabs which extend in the direction opposite to said first tabs. Adjacent said second tabs the blank is formed with a pair of oval openings which are designed for the reception of a person's finger so that the portion of the blank between two openings provides a handle for carrying the carrier as a unit. The blank is bent to provide a bottom, a front wall, a supporting partition, a lip, a rear wall and a cover. The lip extends downwardly and engages the second tabs whereby the supporting partition is supported in horizontal position and in spaced parallel relation with the bottom to support the cones within said perforations. The cover is extended over the partition with its free end secured against and in overlapping relation to the front wall by means of third tabs and said first tabs. The third tabs are inserted into the openings provided by the first tabs such that the upward displacement of the cover from the front wall is prevented.
WO 02 20367 A discloses a carton for holding one or more articles like flexible pouches and comprises an article retaining structure for preventing the dislodging of the packaged articles through the open ends of the carton. A retaining panel extends between the carton side walls intermediate the top and bottom walls of the carton to form a tubular structure in cooperation with the top wall. The retaining panel is formed with at least one article receiving aperture. Tubular structure is provided with a brace for retaining the tubular structure in an erected form.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,228 shows a unit dose device having a base extending between a back and a front. The base is connected to the back at a first fold and to the front at a second fold. A support, having a hole, extends between the back and the front. The support is connected to the front at a third fold. A top is pivotally connected to the back at a fourth fold. The top is movable to cover the support. Means are provided for fixing the support to the back between the first and fourth folds. Means are also provided for removably securing the top in a position overlying the support and spaced apart therefrom.
DE 91 14 139 U is related to a package, particularly for batteries, having a back side and a structure being mounted to a lower region of the back. Said backside forms also a back side section in the upper region of said structure and extends from the upper wall to a lower wall of the structure. A fold is provided at the lower end of the backside and is part of the lower wall of the structure. The lower wall has another fold defining a section line between the lower wall and a stiffened front wall section of the structure being positioned rectangularly to the lower wall. The stiffened front wall is spaced in a parallel position to the back side which space corresponds to the size of the cross-section of the batteries. The stiffened front wall has a fold opposite to the lower wall of the structure. This fold defines a connecting line between the stiffened front wall and a skirt for the batteries. Said skirt is positioned at a right angle to the back side of the package. Also, the skirt has a fold at the opposite side of the stiffened front wall, which skirt forms a section line between the skirt and a back wall of the structure wherein the back side is positioned at a right angle to the skirt and parallel to the backside of the package. The structure of the package has a front wall being spaced parallel to the back side. Said front wall has a plunging latch at its lower end associated to the lower wall of the structure which latch is introducible in to a slot in the lower wall being positioned in the midst of the fold forming the connecting line between the lower wall and front wall. The front wall has a window, whilst the back side has an opening to suspend the package.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,043 discloses a folded bottle display packaging of which a top portion of the bottle is covered by a cap. A window is sized so as to allow the top portion of the bottle to protrude through a plane formed by a front wall of the package. A top flap is left in the window extending along the same plane as top portion over the window. Said top flap secures the bottle in position. A wrap-around portion creates a tent-like package with open sides to view the bottle through the side of the package.
FR 2 513 867 A is related to a package, particularly for tubes. A rectangular section forms a tongue and two openings and has several folding lines. One end of said section is folded onto itself and attached by adhesive so as to form a prismatic tube. Said tube defines a base to form a back wall adjacent to two openings for the tubes. An opposite end of the section is folded to the front side. The tongue extends from the tube to its other end and is connected to the other folded end by adhesive. The tubes are immobilized between the openings in the prismatic tube receiving them and the upper end being folded to the front side.
DE 42 18 290 A shows a package for a tube consisting of a longitudinal section having at least two folding regions to form a base and two leg portions which are folded so as to form a tube-like structure having a triangular cross section and one-piece upper portion which is formed by both of said legs being connected to one another by adhesive and has an opening in its upper part to suspend said package. One leg has a cut-out portion a part of which is folded into the space provided by the triangular cross-section of said tubular base and has an opening corresponding to the cross-section of the sealed portion of the tube as to form a support for the tube above said base of the triangular tube. The upper end of the tube is held by a latch being cut out from the other leg in the upper vertical section commonly formed by said two legs being connected to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,282 discloses an open-end display carton for collapsible tubes formed from a cut and scored blank. It comprises a rectangular base panel having a first end structure foldably connected at one end thereof for supporting an end of said tube. The other end of the base panel has a second end structure foldably connected thereto and supporting the opposite end of the tube, both of the structures having abutments located at fold lines thereof for location and support of the ends of the tube. A first closing panel is foldably connected to the first end structure and a second closing panel is foldably connected to the second end structure. The second closing panel extends over the base panel in spaced relationship thereto and is secured to the first closing panel.
DE 297 02 982 U describes a sales packaging for small containers which package has a front wall, a back wall and a bottom, wherein the front wall has an opening, the contour of which is smaller than the contour of the small container. The contour of the opening in the bottom and cover of the container projects into the contour of the container. The package is made from a rectangular strip having embossments for folding which divide said strip in sections that form the front wall, the back wall, the bottom and a securing latch. A slot is provided between the bottom and the securing latch as to receive an insertion latch at the opposite end of said strip. Another section of the strip connected to the back wall covers the front wall in the folded condition of the package.
One type of packagings for tubes are small completely closed cartons or cardboard boxes in which the tube narrowly fits. Although this type of packaging offers good product protection and is easy to handle, it is somewhat disadvantageous in terms of presentation to the consumer: this type of packaging is not particularly well suited for presentation as a stand-alone packaging nor for hanging. Nor can the consumer readily inspect the tube packed in this type of box. Another type of packaging comprises a cardboard platform covered by a transparent film that narrowly encloses the tube. Although this may be a visually attractive product presentation, it has the disadvantage of being unconvenient for opening and once opened, the packaging is destroyed.
Another problem associated with closed cardboard box packages is that they do not allow the consumer to visually inspect the product that is packed inside. Making openings in the packaging usually results in reduced strength causing the packaging to become unattractive and also to provide inadequate protection to the product packed therein.
Hence there is a need for secondary packagings for tubes that allow a stand-alone presentation of the product, and, by preference, can also be hung. There is an additional need for secondary packagings that allow an attractive presentation of the product packed therein and that allow an easy removal of the product. There is a further need to provide a secondary packaging for tubes that allow the consumer to see and visually inspect the product while having sufficient strength to adequately protect the product packed therein. Additionally, there is a need for secondary packagings that can be stacked compactly in cardboard boxes used for transportation of the products in the distribution chain from manufacturer to user.

Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc.


A carding machine includes a main carding cylinder and an apparatus for introducing fiber material to the main carding cylinder. The apparatus includes a fiber feeding device and at least one licker-in having a sawtooth clothing and being disposed between the fiber feeding device and the main carding cylinder. The apparatus further has at least one pin roll having a pin clothing and being flanked by the fiber feeding device and the licker-in .

This invention relates to an apparatus which forms part of a carding machine and which serves for introducing fiber material to the main carding cylinder. The apparatus includes a fiber feeding device and, downstream thereof and upstream of the carding cylinder (as viewed in the direction of fiber advance), a licker-in provided with a sawtooth clothing. In case a plurality of licker-ins is provided in a series, in any pair of adjoining licker-ins, the downstream licker-in cooperates with the adjoining upstream licker-in as a doffer and opening roll.
In a known apparatus, between the fiber feeding device and the main carding cylinder, three licker-ins are provided, each carrying a sawtooth clothing. Immediately downstream of the feeding device which is formed of a feed roll and a feed table cooperating therewith, a first licker-in is arranged. The first licker-in receives fiber material which has already been pre-opened and pre-cleaned by a cleaner forming part of a fiber processing line and situated upstream of the carding machine. It is a disadvantage of such a conventional arrangement that the sawteeth of the licker-in immediately following the fiber feeding device of the carding machine penetrate very aggressively into the fiber material.

Carding machine having a fiber introducing apparatus