The display buffer of a multimedia workstation is partitioned into a display section and a non-display section. The information to be displayed on the display screen is arranged in the display section of the display buffer. An image or shadow of the display section is written in the non-display section (called a lock buffer) of the display buffer. Prior to updating the display section, a controller reads the protection data from the lock buffer and generates control signals which inhibit the writing of data into protected areas of the display section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to workstations in general and, in particular, to multi-media workstations in which full motion video images and computer generated information (graphic and non-graphic) are shown on displays.
2. Prior Art
The proliferation of multi-media workstations creates the need for new techniques and/or devices to process multi-media information. Generally, the multi-media workstation is capable of processing electrical signals representative of voice, data, and video information. As a general proposition, the different types of information (i.e., data, voice, or video) are propagated on a common transmission medium.
A conventional workstation is comprised of a controller, which is usually a personal computer (PC), and one or more Input/Output (I/O) devices. The I/O devices may include printers, displays, etc,. The display unit is an important I/O device. It gives a user a visual image of information inputted into the system and results based upon queries from the user. A conventional device, commonly known as a video adapter, couples the display device to the bus of the PC. An operating system, such as OS/2.sup.R, is executed on the PC and provides the necessary facilities (e.g., interfaces, protocols, format, etc.) for providing information on the display via the video adapter. The OS/2.sup.R product includes multitasking features which allow it to partition the display screen into separate areas or windows in which selected information can be inserted and displayed to the user.
It is desirable for multi-media applications to display full motion video simultaneously with conventional computer graphic information in a windowing environment. Many primary sources of full motion video are in a format known as National Television Standards Committee (NTSC). An NTSC video image is composed of successive frames. Each frame consists of an interlaced odd and even field. Each field has 262.5 scan lines, approximately 240 of which contain video information. Therefore, each frame has 480 interlaced lines of video information.
The mixing of Real-Time Video information with computer originated graphics information on a window display screen presents several significant challenges in the development of a robust and reliable multi-media workstation.
Among the challenges is the protection of graphic windows with graphic information and/or icons (called protected information) from being obliterated (overwritten) by video or other realtime information in the Real-Time Video Window (RTVW) The protected information is usually positioned in the RTVW. The protected information could be considered as being static (i.e., changes less often), whereas the video information is dynamic (changes more often). In fact, every picture element (Pixel) in the RTVW is overwritten up to sixty times per second, whereas the graphic information is written less frequently. Unless devices are provided to protect the static data, it would be destroyed. It is this problem the present invention addresses.

Device for protecting selected information in multi-media workstations

International Business Machines Corporation


A pressure switch (30) adapted to be placed within a pressurized chamber for generating a logical signal when the pressure within the chamber reduces to a determinable pressure P.sub.1. The pressure switch (30) comprises: a pressure vessel (32) sealed at one end (34) by a snap action diagram (40) and having an inner stop (42) and an outer stop (60, 62) respectively positioned on opposing sides of the diaphragm (40) for limiting diaphragm motion. The outer stop comprises: a first cylindrical portion (78), a first pair of parallel slots (80a, b) formed therein and a through bore (70, 72, 74) extending therethrough. A switch assembly is loosely mounted to the outer stop. The switch assembly (90) comprises an upper housing member (92), a lower housing member (94), first and second electrical contacts (96a, 96b) and a pin (98). The upper housing member (92) comprising a hollow cylindrical portion (100) adapted to be slid over first cylindrical portion including a second pair of opposing slots (113a, b), the first and second cylindrical portions (78, 100) are loosely secured together by a clip (150) fitted within the first and second pair of slots (80a,b; 112a,b) to eliminate compressive loading between the switch assembly and other components of the switch.

The present invention relates generally to hybrid inflators useful for inflating air bags and more particularly to a switch for sensing a low pressure condition within the hybrid inflator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,935 is illustrative of one type of pressure switch that may be used in combination with the hybrid inflator which is incorporated herein by reference. The switch of U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,935 is shown in FIG. 1 herein and comprises a pressure vessel 1 sealed at an open end by a diaphragm 2, a pair of reinforcement members 3 and 4 to limit the motion of the diaphragm 2. This pressure switch also includes a switch assembly 5 comprising electrical contacts 6 and 7 and a moveable pin 8. The diaphragm 2 is moveable up and down in relation to the pressure differential acting thereacross. As can be appreciated, the inner surface of the diaphragm is exposed to the pressure of the gas within the pressure vessel 1 of the switch and the outer surface of the diaphragm is exposed to the local environment i.e. the pressure within the hybrid inflator 9 which in and of itself comprises a second pressure vessel filled with pressurized inflation gas. The hybrid inflator is used to inflate an air bag mounted in communication therewith in a known manner. The switch assembly 5 is compressively loaded against other portions of the pressure switch during assembly While not shown in FIG. 1, it can be appreciated that if a mounting bracket end loads (see arrows 11) the pressure switch, this compressive loading will be increased. One deficiency of this type of switch is that the reinforcement members could become bowed because of the compressive loading moving the pin 8 and diaphragm somewhat closer to the contact 6. The closer spacing permitted the pin to prematurely engage the contact 6 forcing same against contact 7 giving rise to a false low pressure signal. FIGS. 2 and 3 further explain this bowing movement using a similar switch arrangement. This switch is end loaded by a support bracket (not shown) to mount the pressure vessel 1 inside the hybrid inflator. The support bracket compressively loads the pressure vessel and switch assembly 5 axially as illustrated by arrows 11 as shown in FIG. 2. As mentioned, this compressive loading may tend to cause the switch assembly to bow upwardly (see FIG. 3) lifting the moveable pin 8. This phenomenon does not occur instantaneously and is time and force dependent causing creep of the plastic parts used in the switch assembly. As can be seen in this bowed configuration, the pin 8 resides closer to the electrical contacts than desirable and occasionally the pressure switch may become inadvertently activated, as the electrical contacts became separated, giving a false indication of a low pressure condition in the hybrid inflator pressure vessel when the pressure was not low.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved temperature compensated pressure switch.
Accordingly the invention comprises: a pressure switch adapted to be placed within a pressurized chamber for generating a logical signal when the pressure within the chamber reduces to a determinable pressure P.sup.1. The pressure switch comprises: a pressure vessel sealed at one end by a snap action diagram and having an an inner stop and an outer stop respectively positioned on opposing sides of the diaphragm for limiting diaphragm motion. The outer stop comprises: a first cylindrical portion, a first pair of parallel slots formed therein and a through bore extending therethrough. A switch assembly is loosely mounted to the outer stop. The switch assembly comprises an upper housing member, a lower housing member, first and second electrical contacts and a pin. The upper housing member comprising a hollow cylindrical portion adapted to be slid over first cylindrical portion including a second pair of opposing slots, the first and second cylindrical portions are loosely secured together by a clip fitted within the first and second pair of slots. The first electrical contact is received through a first one of the notches and secured about some of plurality of pins including a moveable spring portion. The second electrical contact is received through a second one of the notches and secured about others of the plurality pins and spaced from the spring portion. The pin is loosely received through the through bore, the first electrical contact lightly biasing the pin against the diaphragm, the pin moveable in response to the motion of the diaphragm in response to the pressure differential thereacross, the pin urging the first electrical contact away from the second electrical contact in response to the snap action of the diaphragm when a low pressure condition arises in the pressurized chamber.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

Temperature compensated low pressure switch for hybrid inflators


For calculating optimum operation parameters of a BTG plant including a plurality of boilers having a linear input/output characteristic between an incoming fuel and steam output and a plurality of turbines having a non-convex input/output characteristic between the incoming steam which is an output of the boiler and power output, a dynamic programming process is performed twice and a linear programming process is performed once with respect to the steam and power to find, as an optimum solution, the power output of the turbines. Finally, an optimum solution is found in which a total fuel cost is minimized.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for optimizing a Boiler-Turbine-Generator plant.
In a factory using boiler-turbine-generator energy plant (hereinafter referred to as a BTG plant) it is desired to operate the plant at an optimum condition in which an operating cost is minimum.
FIG. 18 shows a conceptual diagram of the BTG plant and FIG. 19 shows a common composition of the BTG plant in the industry field.
As shown in FIG. 18, plural (Xm) steam turbines T (hereinafter referred to simply as the turbines) are driven by the steam generated by boilers B using fuel such as oil, gas, coal, recovered black liquor, etc. The turbines T respectively drive generators G to generate electric power. The generated power from the generators G is supplied to process load. The reduced-pressure steam through the turbines T is supplied to process load. If the power from the generators G is not sufficient to meet the power demand of the process load, commercial electric power is also supplied to the load.
The common BTG plant comprises, as shown in FIG. 19, boilers B01 to B04, turbines T01 to T04, and process loads (steam) H and L. The boilers B01 and B02 use the easy output-controllable fuel such as oil, gas, etc., whereas the boilers B03 and B04 use the commercial fuel such as coal, recovered black liquor, etc.
The high-pressure steam generated by the boilers B01 and B02 is supplied to the high-pressure steam header SL, and the high-pressure steam generated by the boilers B03 and B04 is supplied to the high-pressure steam header SH. Turbines T01 and T02 are driven by the high-pressure steam supplied from the steam header SH and drive the generators G01 and G02. The turbines T03 and T04 are driven by the high-pressure steam supplied from the steam header SL and drive the generators G03 and G04. The extracted steam from the turbines T01 and T02 is supplied to a low-pressure steam header DH and is further supplied to the process load H. The extracted steam from the turbines T03 and T04 is supplied to a low-pressure steam header DL and is further supplied to the process load L. Here, the pressure of the high-pressure steam header SH is higher than that of the high-pressure steam header SL, while the pressure of the high-pressure steam supply header DH is higher than that of the high-pressure steam supply header DL.
A pressure-reducing valve RPV1 is connected with the steam headers SH and SL. A pressure-reducing valve RPV2 is connected with the steam headers DH and DL.
In the BTG plant, the incoming fuel/steam output characteristic of the boiler B is near-proportional as shown in FIG. 20.
Meanwhile, the incoming steam/power output characteristic of the turbine T has a non-linear characteristic called a valve point characteristic having several dents, as shown in FIG. 21. The connected point between the dents is called as a valve point. While the turbine performance curve submitted by the turbine manufacturer is drawn as an envelope on peak points (valve points)--a broken line --, this envelope line has differences from the actual curve--a solid line--in FIG. 21.
Optimizing operation of the BTG plant means operating at the optimum operation condition in which a steam division from the boilers B to the turbines T and an electric power supplied from the commercial power source to the process load are varied so that a total cost including a fuel cost and a cost for buying the electric power is minimum. The effect of optimizing operation will be explained in FIGS. 22 and 23.
It is assumed that, in FIG. 22, two turbines of the same characteristic are driven by a given total amount of steam (100 T/H).
While the steam is equally divided to the two turbines, i.e., a 50 T/H each, the total power output becomes EQU 200.times.50+200.times.50=20,000 kW
as shown in FIG. 23.
While the steam is divided to the two turbines, one at 40 T/H and the other at 60 T/H, the total power output becomes EQU 210.times.40+218.times.60=21,480 kW
as shown in FIG. 23.
Thus, 1480 kW (7.4%) more power output can be generated by varying the division ratio of the steam to the turbines.
The optimizing system, utilizing a mathematical formula which models the BTG plant, finds a cost minimum steam and power division, which meets the process load demands.
FIG. 24 is a function block diagram showing a typical BTG plant optimizing system. The system comprises a plant model defining section 32 and a total energy cost minimizing calculating section 31.
In section 32, the characteristics and the operable limits of turbines, boilers, pressure-reducing valves, etc., are defined as the constituent elements of the BTG plant model, as well as mass balance formula of power or stream in each pressure (high-pressure and low-pressure), which are supplied to the total energy cost minimizing point calculating section 31 as a premise conditions.
And next, process demands are given to section 31. Then, the calculation section 31 finds an optimum power and steam division ratio of the boiler/turbines satisfying the power/steam demands by using a linear programming (LP) scheme or a non-linear programming (NLP) scheme.
The conventional schemes such as LP and NLP have following weak points.
LP can be applied only to a linear model. It is necessary, therefore, to approximate a non-linear actual plant model to a linear model. Consequently, the accuracy of a solution is lowered through such approximation, so that the cost saving effect is small.
NLP can solve the multi-dimensional problem and, therefore, handle the non-linear plant model. However, when the model is non-convex, only a local optimum solution can be obtained.
Since a valve point characteristic of the turbine is non-linear and has multi-peaks, the non-linear programming scheme merely finds a local optimum point in the vicinity of an initial value of calculation, but cannot find the true optimum point (global optimum point), as shown in FIG. 25.
In order to obtain the true optimum point by using the NLP, the initial value and search method have to be modified to well-fit to the model. However, the search logic becomes more complicated when aiming at an optimum solution, and lots of time and labor are taken in tuning calculation parameters.
In searching the true optimum point by NLP, it is necessary to properly determine the initial value and search area.
The initial value is one of calculating parameters which determines a starting point of calculation. The following method is often used to determine the initial point.
i) using the current operating point
ii) utilizing a solution obtained by the LP
In searching method, the Lagrange multiplication method-plus-conjugate gradient method often used as NLP algorithm, the search area has to be tuned so that only a single peak or dent is included in the area.
FIG. 26 shows a relation among the linear solution, non-linear solution and true optimum solution.
In FIG. 26, the solution obtained by LP is located at "D". The solution obtained by the linear approximating method is located at "D'", but the solution on the true model is located at "D".
When the initial value is "K" in NLP, a local minimal point "A" is obtained in the vicinity of the starting point "K". Being greater than a true minimum point "T", "A" is a local minimum point.
"B" is an intentionally moved point by "L2" from the local minimum point "A" to find a better solution. If point "B" is located in a lower position than point "A", the minimum point is shifted to the point "B". A local minimum point "T" is obtained in the vicinity of point "B".
However, a point "C" spaced apart by "L1" is located in a higher position than point "A", there is no shift of the optimum point.
A proper search method for one model is not always proper to other models. Therefore, NLP's solution does not guarantee to reach a true optimum point "T".
Since NLP is based on such assumption that the model has a convex characteristic, it cannot solve the optimizing problem unless it is known whether there is a peak/dent (single) and whether the position of the peak/dent is located.
NLP only can find the local optimum point for a multi-peak problem containing a plural peak/dent such as non-convex characteristics in the case of the turbine control valve.
In the conventional optimizing system, therefore, the operation is done at the local optimum point and there is room for efficiency improvement up to the true optimum point.
NLP method is difficult to tune its calculation parameters such as initial value, search area, for the user-operator with no special knowledge of optimization computation. Therefore, it is impossible for the user-operator to do the system modification of the plant model corresponding to the BTG plant change.
Mentioned above, conventional optimizing systems for BTG plant operation only obtains a linear solution with poor accuracy or a non-linear solution (local optimum solution). Furthermore, it is difficult to, in NLP, tune the calculation parameters such as the initial value and search area.

Plant utility optimizing method and an optimizing system


Multicyclic nitrone spin trapping compounds capable of forming stable free radical spin adducts are provided as well as methods for their synthesis. The multicyclic nitrone spin trapping compounds can be reacted with a free radical, such as a hydroxy or hydroperoxy radical, in solution to form a spin adduct which is stable and readily detectable by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The multicyclic nitrone spin traps can be used to detect free radicals in a sample such as a biological system. In one embodiment, the spin trapping compound, 1,3,3-trimethyl-6-azabicyclo-3.2.1!oct-6-ene-N-oxide ("TRAZON") is provided, as well as methods for the synthesis of TRAZON and of modified forms of TRAZON. TRAZON can react with a wide range of different free radicals in solution to form free radical spin adducts which are readily detectable by EPR.

The present invention is generally in the area of bicyclic nitrone spin trapping compositions which are capable of reacting with free radicals to produce a detectable radical spin adduct.
The superoxide radical anion and the hydroxyl radical both play significant roles in the events of free radical injury to biological systems under oxidative stress. Research in recent years indicates that in most cases of oxidative damage, superoxide is the species that initiates free radical reactions that follow. Superoxide often is the precursor to the generation of the hydroxyl radical, which is considered to be most reactive oxygen-centered radical known. Therefore, detection and quantitation of superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals in biological systems is very important in order to verify that the observed events are indeed caused by free radicals as well as to elucidate the relationship between the amount of free radical generated and its outcome. Halliwell and Gutteridge, Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, Second Edition, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1989; Packer and Glazer, Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 186, Oxygen Radicals in Biological Systems, Part B, Oxygen Radicals and Antioxidants, San Diego, Academic Press, 1990. Because oxygen radicals are labile in nature there is no perfect method available for their detection and quantitation.
Nitrones have been developed as useful spin traps for the detection of free radicals. The spin trapping chemistry of nitrones has been extensively reviewed, for example in: Janzen, E. G., Accounts of Chemical Research, 4, 31-40 (1971); Janzen, E. G. and Haire, D. L., Advances in Free Radical Chemistry, edited by D. D. Tanner, JAI Press Inc., Greenwich, Conn., USA Ch. 8, pp. 253-295 (1990); Perkins, M. J., Chemical Society Special Publication #24, Ch. 5, (1970); and Perkins, M. J., "Spin Trapping", in Advances in Physical Organic Chemistry, Edited by V. Gold and D. Bethell, Academic Press, New York, N.Y. Vol. 17, pp. 1-58, (1980). In general, the known reactions indicate that free radicals add to the carbon atom to produce nitroxides, and not to the oxygen atom or the nitrogen atom of the nitrone function. The nitroxides so produced have variable stability and this intrinsic stability depends on the polarity of the solvent. Kotake, Y. and Janzen, E. G., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 113, 9503-9506 (1991); Janzen, E. G. et al., Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 12, 169-173 (1992); and Janzen, E. G. et al., Tet. Lett., 33, (10) 1257-1260 (1992). Nitroxides also can be reduced or oxidized in the presence of extrinsic factors such as disproportionation reactions, redox reagents which either oxidize or reduce the nitroxide spin adduct, or subsequent additional spin trapping reactions. Janzen, E. G. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 112, 8279-8284 (1990).
DMPO (5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide) has become the most commonly used spin trap in biological systems. The use of 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) as a versatile spin trap was first published in: E. G. Janzen and J. I.-P. Liu, J. Mag. Res., 9:510-512 (1973). DMPO is useful to detect radicals because the hydroxyl radical spin adduct and the superoxide/hydroperoxyl radical spin adduct have distinctive EPR spectra. Janzen and Liu, Journal Magnetic Resonance, 9:510 (1973); Janzen et al., Canadian Journal Chemistry, 56:2237 (1978); Finkelstein et al., Journal American Chemistry Society, 102:4994 (1980); and Makino et al., Journal American Chemistry Society, 104:3537 (1982). These unique signatures are readily recognized in the presence of each other and thus are convenient for the study of systems where both the hydroxyl and superoxide/hydroperoxyl radicals are produced simultaneously. Moreover, since EPR spectroscopy is very sensitive, the spin trapping method permits the detection of low concentrations of these two species in in situ experiments.
The life-times for some DMPO spin adducts sometimes are low, depending on the structure of the radical. For example, the half-life of the superoxide adduct in neutral media is only about one minute. Finkelstein et al., Mol. Pharmacol., 16:676 (1979); Finkelstein et al., Arch. Biochem. and Biophys., 200:1 (1980); Janzen and Haire, in Advances in Free Radical Chemistry, D. D. Tanner, Ed., JAI Press, Greenwich, Conn., vol 1, pp 253-295 (1990); Buettner and Oberly, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Com., 83:69 (1978); Yamazaki et al., J. Biol. Chem., 265:652 (1990); Buettner, Free Rad. Res. Commun., 19, (S1), S228-S230 (1993); and Mitsuta et al., Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 67:529 (1994). Therefore the intensity of the EPR signal is not proportional to the superoxide generated in the system. Also, in biological systems DMPO seems to almost exclusively concentrate in polar regions since this nitrone is very water soluble and the partition coefficient for lipid phases is very small (0.1:1). Turner and Rosen, J. Med. Chem. 29:2439-2444 (1986).
Derivatives of DMPO also have been prepared and their spin trapping chemistry explored, however the derivatives have serious drawbacks ranging from complex EPR spectra of spin adducts, to expensive necessary pathways for synthesis. Janzen et al., Can. J. Chem., 59:756-758 (1981); Rosen and Turner, J. Med. Chem., 31:428-432 (1988); Haire and Janzen, Can. J. Chem., 60:1514-1522 (1982); Janzen et al., J. Mag. Res., 9:513-516 (1973); Janzen and Zhang, J. Mag. Res., 101B:91-93 (1993); Janzen et al., J. Org. Chem., 60:5434-5440 (1995); Barasch et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 116:7319-7324 (1994); Janzen et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 116: 3738-3743 (1994) and Janzen et al., Chemistry Letters, 497-500 (1993); Frejaville et al., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1793-1794 (1994); and Tuccio et al., J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans., 2:295 (1995).
The biological applications of nitrone spin traps have been reviewed, for example in: Janzen, E. G., Free Radicals in Biology, 4, 115 (1980); and Janzen, E. G., "Spin Trapping", in "Oxygen Radicals in Biological Systems", Methods in Enzymology, L. Packer, editor, Academic Press, Inc., New York, N.Y., 105, 188-198 (1984); DeGray, J. A. and Mason, R. P. "Biological Spin Trapping" in Electron Spin Resonance, Vol. 14, "The Royal Society of Chemistry, A Specialist Periodical Report, A Review of Recent Literature to 1993" Ch. 8. pp. 246-319; Tomasi, A. and Iannone, A. "ESR Spin-Trapping Artifacts in Biological Model Systems" in Biological Magnetic Resonance, Vol. 13, EMR of Paramagnetic Molecules, edited by L. J. Berliner and J. Reuben, Plenum Press, New York, N.Y. ch. 9. pp. 353-384 (1993); and Sentjurc, M. et al., "Metabolism, Toxicity and Distribution of Spin Traps", in Nitroxide Spin Labels; Reactions in Biology and Chemistry,CRC Press, New York, N.Y. Ch. 10. pp. 199-209 (1995). These reviews mainly describe examples of the use of nitrones to detect free radicals in vitro or in vivo.
In general, nitrones with aliphatic or aryl groups attached to the nitrone function are the most useful for spin trapping. Janzen, E. G. and Haire, D. L. Advances in Free Radical Chemistry, edited by D. D. Tanner, JAI Press Inc., Greenwich, Conn., USA Ch. 8, pp. 253-295 (1990). Alicyclic nitrones have been described with the nitronyl function incorporated into the cyclic structure. Janzen, E. G. and Liu, J. I-P. J. Mag. Res., 9, 510-512 (1973); Janzen, E. G. et al., Can. J. Chem., 59, 756-758 (1981); and Zhang, Y.-K. and Janzen, E. G., Z. Naturforsch. (B), 50, (10), 1531-1536 (1995). The toxicity of nitrone compounds also has been examined. Janzen, E. G. et al., J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods, 30, 239-247 (1995).
The synthesis of tricyclic 4-azahomoadamant-4-ene N-oxides and their 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions with alkynes have been reported. Yu et al., Tetrahedron Letters, 32:4965-4968 (1991). The synthesis of nitroxide derivatives of bicyclo3,2,1!-azooctane also has been described. Reznikov et al., International Conference on Nitroxide Radicals, Abstract, Sep. 18-23, 1989. The use of bicyclic nitrones as spin trapping compositions has not been explored.
There is a need for the development of spin trapping compounds for detecting free radicals in biological systems. There is a need for the development of methods for synthesizing spin trapping compounds capable of forming spin adducts with longer half-lives for use in biological systems. There also is a need for the development of methods for the synthesis of spin trapping compounds with low toxicity for animals when used in vivo. There further is a need for the development of spin trapping compounds which are capable of forming spin adducts with radicals which are readily identifiable spectrophotometrically.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide methods for synthesizing spin trapping compounds capable of reacting with free radicals in biological systems. It is another object of the invention to provide spin trapping compounds which are capable of forming stable spin adducts with characteristic and readily identifiable electron paramagnetic resonance ("EPR") spectra. It is yet another object of the invention to provide spin trapping compounds which can be used in diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Multicyclic nitrone spin trapping compositions


A torsional vibration damping assembly, comprising a rotating driving disk and a driven disk having a jacket surface with a polygonal cross-section. The driven disk is arranged coaxially with the driving disk and rotates in the same direction as the driving disk. The driving disk has an overlapping ring-shaped portion that partly grips over the driven disk. A plurality of radial pockets having wedge-shaped ends are disposed around the circumference of the inside face of the ring-shaped portion of the rotating driving disk. A pair of wedge-shaped thrust pistons are arranged in each of the radial pockets. The pistons are slightly curved or planar on their sides facing the jacket surface of the driven disk. There is at least one pressure spring arranged in each pocket that keeps the pistons apart from one another. There is also a plurality of devices such as pressure springs for effecting a reset moment from the driving disk to the driven disk during idle run, that exerts almost no frictional force.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a clutch with means for elastic force transmission, comprising a rotating driving disk and a driven disk. The driven disk is coaxial with the rotating driving disk and rotates in the same direction.
2. The Prior Art
In engines with clutches, it is disadvantageous if the torsional vibrations of the engine are transmitted to the drive train, particularly when the vibrational frequencies are close to the inherent frequencies of the system. This sensation is unpleasant, especially during idling,
In order to avoid this, various constructions are known, in which elastic damping means such as springs or hydraulic components are arranged between the coupling parts. However, such designs work in only part of the operational spectrum of the drive, and are ineffective over the entire other part of the load range. These designs are also ineffective in the idle run range. This is because the load range requires high spring force and high attenuation conforming to the transmitted torque and the number of revolutions, whereas during idle run, even low spring forces and practically no damping suffice to achieve decoupling. In addition, the known designs are very complicated and expensive to build.

Patentverwertungsgesellschaft Rohs Voigt mbH


In an industrial two-layer fabric, either one of an upper side binding yarn and a lower surface binding yarn constituting a pair to be woven with an upper surface weft and a lower side weft passes under one lower surface weft and then passes over a plurality of lower surface wefts. A warp on one adjacent side of the one of the upper and lower surface binding yarns has a similar design thereto and passes over and under the same lower surface wefts. The design of a set of the two warps adjacent to each other is shifted and arranged one after another to form a complete design of the lower surface fabric and a lower surface weft has a design in which the weft passes over two successive warps and then passes under a plurality of warps to form a long crimp on the lower surface.

Fabrics obtained by weaving warps and wefts have conventionally been used widely as an industrial fabric. They are, for example, used in various fields including papermaking wires, conveyor belts and filter cloths and are required to have fabric properties suited for the intended use or using environment. Of such fabrics, a papermaking wire used in a papermaking step for removing water from raw materials by making use of the network of the fabric must satisfy a severe demand. There is therefore a demand for the development of fabrics which do not transfer a wire mark of the fabric and therefore have excellent surface property, have enough wear resistance and rigidity and therefore are usable desirably even under severe environments, and are capable of maintaining conditions necessary for making good paper for a prolonged period of time. In addition, fiber supporting property, improvement in a papermaking yield, good water drainage property, dimensional stability and running stability are demanded. In recent years, owing to the speed-up of a papermaking machine, requirements for papermaking wires become severe further.
Since most of the demands for industrial fabrics and solutions thereof can be understood if papermaking fabrics on which the most severe demand is imposed among industrial fabrics will be described, the present invention will hereinafter be described by using a papermaking fabric as a representative example.
For papermaking fabrics, excellent surface property not permitting transfer of wire marks of the fabric to paper, fiber supporting property for supporting fine fibers, wear resistance enough to permit long-period running even under severe running conditions, running stability ensuring stable running until the final using stage and rigidity are very important. Research on the design or constitution of the fabric capable of satisfying the above-described properties is proceeding. Recently, two-layer fabrics using, as a portion of upper surface side warps and lower surface side warps which are vertically arranged pairs, a warp binding yarn which is woven with both an upper surface side weft and a lower surface side weft to form an upper surface side surface and a lower surface side surface and at the same time, has a binding function have come to be used. A two-layer fabric using a warp binding yarn is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-342889. This fabric has excellent surface property, because it uses a warp binding yarn and does not use an additional binding yarn which destroys the upper surface side fabric design. In the fabric disclosed in this document, however, a lower surface side weft constituting a lower surface side fabric has a design in which it passes over two warps and then passes under two warps so that no long crimp of the lower surface side weft is formed on the lower surface side surface and the fabric does not have excellent wear resistance. In general, a fabric has improved wear resistance when a lower surface side weft is imparted with a long crimp design. In a fabric using a warp binding yarn, the fabric design is sometimes limited, depending on the yarn diameter, structure or using purpose of the fabric, or the like. For example, the fabric disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-342889 has a design, on the lower surface side fabric, in which a lower surface side weft passes over two warps and then passes under two warps. In this fabric, a water drainage space is formed between a set of lower surface side warps which are adjacent to each other.


The present technology relates to an automated system structure which may be quickly and efficiently assembled using a number of storage modules. Storage modules may be comprised of a pair of shelf modules, each comprising a number of defined storage locations for storing totes, cartons, trays or other containers. The shelf modules may themselves be modular units comprising a number of horizontal storage levels affixed to a pair of vertical support assemblies at each end of the shelf modules. The pair of shelf modules may be accurately spaced from each other by mounting the shelf modules to tie beams at the bottom and tie plates at the top.

An automated order fulfillment system for use in supply chains may fulfill orders for individual product items, also referred to herein as "eaches." Traditional order fulfillment facilities store eaches in containers in a multi-level storage structure with a vertical and horizontal array of storage spaces. The automated order fulfillment system further includes mobile robots which move horizontally and vertically within the structure to transfer containers to and from the storage spaces within the structure.
At present, automated system structures are built by assembling individual components together one piece at a time, sometimes referred to as "stick-built" structures. For example, the rails for the first horizontal level are individually affixed to vertical rails. The second horizontal level is then affixed to the vertical rails, and so on. The "stick-built" approach has the disadvantage of requiring numerous, time-consuming adjustments required for reliable mobile robot operation. Due in part to advances in order fulfillment mobile robot technology and increased demand for automated product delivery, there has recently been significant a growth of and demand for automated order fulfillment facilities. In order to meet that demand, there is a need to quickly and efficiently build structures for use in such facilities.

Modular structure for an automated storage and retrieval system


The present invention provides a flame-retardant resin composition having excellent flame retardancy, in which generation of a corrosive gas during combustion is suppressed.

In recent years, as environment-friendly electric wires that do not use any polyvinyl chloride or halogen-based flame retardant, the use of eco-material (EM) electric wires and cables has been rapidly spreading.
These eco-material electric wires and cables are demanded to contain no halogen element or toxic heavy metal, as well as to have flame retardancy and generate only a limited amount of corrosive gas or smoke when combusted.
For example, as a standard for eco-material electric wires and cables, IEC 60754-1 (JIS C3612) has been set. In addition, IEC 60754-2 (JIS C3666-2) has been set for methods of measuring the electric conductivity and the acidity of a gas generated during combustion, and IEC 60695-6-30 (JIS C60695-6-30) has been set for methods of measuring the smoke density. These standards prescribe the amount of corrosive gas generation and the smoke density.
Furthermore, flame retardancy is prescribed in, for example, the flame retardancy standard of the U.S. Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL Standard).
In the above-described eco-material electric wire and cable applications, as a halogen-free resin, a polyolefin-based resin containing polyethylene as a main component is mainly used. Further, in order to impart flame retardancy, a metal hydroxide such as aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide is used as a halogen-free flame retardant (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Flame-retardant resin composition and electric wire using same

Abstract: The flame-retardant resin composition of the present invention, comprising the below-described component (A) or both of components (A) and (B) as a flame retardant component(s) in a halogen-free thermoplastic resin, wherein the ratio of the components (A) and (B) is 100:0 to 60:40 in terms of mass ratio; the electric conductivity of a gas generated during combustion, which is measured in accordance with IEC 60754-2, is not higher than 10.0 μS/mm; and the flame retardancy rating measured in accordance with the UL94VTM standard is VTM-2 or higher.

Abstract: Component (A): a (poly)phosphate compound represented by the following Formula (1):

Abstract: Component (B): a (poly)phosphate compound represented by the following Formula (2):

Abstract: (wherein, X1 represents ammonia or a triazine derivative represented by the following Formula (3))


An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for utilizing a “shadow mask” approach to fabricate servo patterns on high density patterned media. The apparatus may include a deposition mask having a plurality of apertures generated by a conventional lithographic process. Material may be deposited onto a substrate through the deposition mask apertures from at least one deposition source oriented at unique deposition angles. In this manner, each aperture may correspond to multiple deposition locations. Apertures may be precisely dimensioned and positioned to create servo pattern features from the resulting deposition locations. The deposition mask may also include a plurality of bit pattern apertures adapted to direct a material to a plurality of deposition locations on the substrate, the deposition locations forming a bit pattern concurrent with formation of a servo pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus, method and system for defining a pattern on a substrate and more particularly relates to an apparatus, method and system for fabricating servo patterns on high density patterned media.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hard-disk drives provide data storage for data processing systems in computers and servers, and are becoming increasingly pervasive in media players, digital recorders, and other personal devices. Advances in hard-disk drive technology have made it possible for a user to store an immense amount of digital information on an increasingly small disk, and to selectively retrieve and alter portions of such information almost instantaneously. Particularly, recent developments have simplified hard-disk drive manufacture while yielding increased track densities, thus promoting increased data storage capabilities at reduced costs.
In a hard-disk drive, rotating high precision aluminum or glass disks are coated on both sides with a special thin film media designed to store information in the form of magnetic patterns. Electromagnetic read/write heads suspended or floating only fractions of micro inches above the disk are used to either record information onto the thin film media, or read information from it.
A read/write head may write information to the disk by creating an electromagnetic field to orient a cluster of magnetic grains, known as a bit, in one direction or the other. To read information, magnetic patterns detected by the read/write head are converted into a series of pulses which are sent to the logic circuits to be converted to binary data and processed by the rest of the system. To increase the capacity of disk drives, manufacturers are continually striving to reduce the size of bits and the grains that comprise the bits.
The ability of individual magnetic grains to be magnetized in one direction or the other, however, poses problems where grains are extremely small. The superparamagnetic effect results when the product of a grain's volume (V) and its anisotropy energy (Ku) fall below a certain value such that the magnetization of that grain may flip spontaneously due to thermal excitations. Where this occurs, data stored on the disk is corrupted. Thus, while it is desirable to make smaller grains to support higher density recording with less noise, grain miniaturization is inherently limited by the superparamagnetic effect.
In response to this problem, engineers have developed patterned media, where the magnetic thin film layer is created as an ordered array of highly uniform islands, each island capable of storing an individual bit. Each bit may be one grain, or several exchange coupled grains, rather than a collection of random decoupled grains. In this manner, patterned media effectively reduces noise by imposing sharp magnetic transitions at well-defined pre-patterned positions, known as bit patterns. Bit patterns are organized as concentric data tracks around a disk.
A head-positioning servomechanism facilitates the ability of a read/write head to locate a particular data track location and to reposition the head from one location to another. Indexing marks and alignment indices maybe recorded in arc-shaped regions of the disk surface, known as servo sectors, and referenced by the servomechanism to maintain proper dynamic positioning capabilities of the read/write head over time. Track addresses, synchronization signals, and position error signal ("PES") bursts may also be recorded in servo sectors.
While recent developments in hard-disk drive manufacture have facilitated generation of patterned media having increased track densities, servo pattern fabrication considerations have been largely ignored. Servo patterns must therefore be fabricated in a separate process that is generally time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly.
The recently developed shadow mask approach to hard disk-drive manufacture, for example, is used to increase the density of data islands beyond the capability of e-beam lithography. This approach creates multiple features for each feature on the shadow mask, where each feature on the substrate has a predetermined position offset relative to the corresponding shadow mask feature. Despite the data island production efficiencies accomplished with the shadow mask approach, however, the shadow mask inherently constrains the nature of patterns that can be created on the substrate. Servo patterns thus have been generated using a separate process that is time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly.
Accordingly, a need exists for a practical, attainable apparatus, system, and method for utilizing a shadow mask to form servo patterns on high density patterned media. Beneficially, such an apparatus, system and method would cooperate with the shadow mask approach to track or bit pattern fabrication to produce servo patterns and a high density track or bit pattern substantially simultaneously to reduce costs, labor and resources traditionally associated with patterned media fabrication. Such apparatuses, systems and methods are disclosed and claimed herein.

Apparatus, method and system for fabricating servo patterns on high density patterned media


A network system includes a plurality of nodes each connecting a first adjacent node and a second adjacent node. In each node, a control signal is received by the receiver from the first adjacent node. A control signal analysis processor analyzes the control signal to perform a activity according to the control signal, and at the same time, an intermediate node determination processor stores the control signal so as to pass the control signal through the node when the control signal is destined for another node. A selector selects a single output signal from the control signal and an output signal of the control signal analysis processor such that the control signal is selected when the control signal is destined for another node. The selected signal is transmitted by a transmitter toward the second adjacent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network system including a plurality of nodes which are connected through physical or logical connections, and in particular to the arrangement of each node in the network system wherein a control signal is transferred from a sender node to a receiver node through at least one intermediate node.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a digital ring system where a plurality of nodes are connected through transmission cables in a ring configuration, several methods have been proposed for protecting network services against failure. One of the protection methods, a self-healing technique is known which provides traffic protection by switching a working line to a protection line when failures that affect the working line occur. Recently attention has been given to the self-healing technique of the Bidirectional Line-Switched Ring (BLSR) system, wherein the Automatic Protection Switching bytes (hereinafter referred to as APS bytes) are used to implement the BLSR self-healing method. Such a method is disclosed in "SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) Bidirectional Line-Switched Ring Equipment Generic Criteria" (GR-1230-CORE Issue 1, December 1993).
More specifically, consider a 4-fiber BLSR system as shown in FIG. 1, wherein nodes N1-N4 are connected in a ring configuration through working lines BL.sub.1 -BL.sub.4 and protection lines BL.sub.11 -BL.sub.14. When detecting failures that affect the working line BL.sub.4 and the protection line BL.sub.14, the node N1 generates a switch request using the APS bytes and transmits it to the destination node N4 which is connected to the node N1 through the working line BL.sub.4 and the protection line BL.sub.14. The APS bytes for the switch request are transferred to the node N4 through the working lines BL.sub.1 -BL.sub.3 while passing through the nodes N2 and N3 which are not its final destination. When the APS bytes reach final destination node N4, the node N4 performs the appropriate switch action according to the APS bytes received from the source node N1 and a confirmation is sent back to the source node N1. In this manner, the BLSR protection switching is completed after the source node N1 receives the confirmation from the destination node N4.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the SONET overhead, the APS bytes consist of a K1 byte and a K2 byte which are used to coordinate switching activity. The last four bits of the K1 byte are used for the node ID of the destination and the first four bits of the K2 byte are used for the node ID of the source. The first four bits of the K1 byte and the last four bits of the K2 byte are used for control data. The more detailed description is provided in the above document (6-13 to 6-17, GR-1230-CORE Issue 1, December 1993).
As shown in FIG. 3, each node is comprised of a receiver 11, a processing unit including an APS-byte analysis processor 12, and a transmitter 13. The APS-byte analysis processor 12 analyzes the APS bytes received from one adjacent node and performs an appropriate activity such as the protection switching or enters the pass-through state according to the received APS bytes. More specifically, when the destination ID of the received APS bytes is not identical to the node's own ID, the APS-byte analysis processor 12 transfers the received APS bytes, as is, to the next adjacent node. This pass-through state is referred to as a full pass-through state and the node in this state is referred to as an intermediate node. On the other hand, if the received APS bytes are at its destination node, that is, the destination ID of the received APS bytes is identical to the node's own ID, the APS-byte analysis processor 12 performs the appropriate switching and transmits new APS bytes indicating the acknowledgment of the switch request back to the source node. In FIG. 1, the nodes N2 and N3 are intermediate nodes and the nodes N1 and N4 complete the protection switching when the source node N1 receives the new APS bytes from the destination node N4.
In the above conventional transferring system, however, the APS-byte analysis processor 12 of each node located between the source and destination nodes included performs the APS-byte analysis and processing each time APS bytes are received. In general, the processing time T.sub.PRO required for the APS-byte analysis and processing is of the order of several milliseconds, which is obtained by the equation: T.sub.PRO =T.sub.DBT +T.sub.GEN +T.sub.OUT, where T.sub.DET is the time required for detection of the APS bytes, T.sub.GEN is the time required for generation of new APS bytes, and T.sub.OOT is the time required for output processing of the new APS bytes.
Therefore, rapid protection switching cannot be achieved without providing each node with the very high-speed processing unit. In general, the elapsed time from failure detection to protection switching completion can be obtained as the sum of the time required for switching at both source and destination nodes and the transmission delay time. Since the transmission delay time is a function of the number of nodes, the larger the number of nodes in the ring system, the longer the elapsed time until protection switching completion. Therefore, according to the conventional system, the high-speed protection switching cannot be achieved in the ring system, especially, one which includes a large number of nodes.
Alternatively, it is considered that the entire APS processor is separately formed with hardware so as to increase in processing speed. However, such a system results in the complicated circuit of the processing unit and an increased amount of hardware.


The present invention sets a first boot record indicating a first file group information on a head address of a non-volatile memory a second boot record indicating a second file group information on an end address of the non-volatile memory without partitioning the non-volatile memory. When accessing to files of first file group, an address is generated based on information on the first boot record. When accessing to files of second file group, an address is generated based on information on the second boot record.

This invention relates to an art for managing file system on a non-volatile memory and, more particularly, to an art for formatting a non-volatile memory and a memory card on which a non-volatile memory is mounted.
A prior file management method of a non-volatile memory is explained, referring to a paper titled "Recent trend: Growing interest in flash memory card" written by Kiyota in the magazine "Nikkei Byte", pp.174-182, June, 1994.
FIG. 3 is a figure for explaining a prior file management method of a non-volatile memory.
In the prior method for controlling a file system of a non-volatile memory, a non-volatile memory 4 is divided into two partitions 4a and 4b. Boot records 40a and 40b are allocated to head addresses of the partitions 4a and 4b, respectively.
The boot records 40a and 40b store information including the number of blocks within the partitions 4a and 4b and a head pointer of the directory structure, i.e., each address of root directories 41a and 41b at initializing the medium.
The root directory 41a stores the address of a directory entry 42a. The partition 4a has sub-directory or file information stored in the root directory 41a dispersed therein. An entry chain is connected with the pointer.
The directory entry 42a comprises a primary area where the next entry address is written, a secondary area originally empty where the entry address after updating the directory is stored and an information area where other information including directory names is stored. The primary area stores address information of the before-updated file entry 43a. The secondary area is empty.
The before-updated file entry 43a comprises a primary area where the next entry address is written, a secondary area originally empty where the entry address after updating the file is stored and an information area where other information including file names or the address of actual file data area is stored. The primary area stores the address information of the next entry. The secondary area stores the address of updated file entry 46a.
The information area stores information including file names or the address of the before-updated file information 44a. In case of tracing the pointer of the before-updated file entry 43a in the primary area, the entry is released and non-usable.
The before-updated file information 44a stores information including the date when the file has been produced, attributes and actual file data area, i.e., the address of the before-updated file 45a.
The updated file entry 46a comprises a primary area, a secondary area and an information area. The primary area stores address information of the next entry. The secondary area is empty. The information area stores file names, address of the updated file information 47a and the like.
The updated file information 47a stores information including the date when the file has been produced, attribute and actual file data area, i.e., the address of the updated file 48a.
Block allocation structure areas 49a and 42b store information including block erasing frequency, non-usable and usable data areas.
In the above-structured memory card 4, when updating the file within the directory entry 42a, information on usable data area stored in the block allocation structure area 49a is referred to. It is further confirmed whether there is sufficient area for storing the updating file or information of the file entry that will be updated accompanied therewith.
If the information on the file or the file entry cannot be written because of insufficient size, garbage collection is executed so as to make usable writing area.
When sufficient size of the area is prepared for storing the information of the file or the file entry, the boot record 40a allocated to the head address of the partition 4a is accessed and the address of the root directory 41a is obtained.
According to the address obtained from the boot record 40a, the root directory 41a is accessed. The address of the directory entry 42a is obtained. According to the obtained address, the directory entry 42a is accessed.
If the directory name registered in the directory entry 42a corresponds with that of the updating file, the address of the before-updated file entry 43a is obtained.
The before-updated file entry 43a is accessed according to the obtained address. If the file name registered in the before-updated file entry 43a corresponds with that of the updating file and the secondary area is empty, the address of unoccupied data area within the partition 4a is written in the secondary area.
At the address of the unoccupied data area, updated file entry 46a is produced. The content of the primary area of the before-updated file entry 43a is written into the primary area of the updated file entry 46a. The information area of the updated file entry 46a stores the file names and the address of the next unused data area.
The updated file information 47a is written at the address of the next unused data area that has been written in the information area of the updated file entry 46a. The address of the next unused data area is assigned. After the updated file 48a is actually written at the assigned address, information of the data area which has been used for the block allocation structure area 49a is added.
While in case of reading the file within the directory entry 42a, the boot record 40a allocated to the head address of the partition 4a is accessed and the address of the root directory 41a is obtained.
The root directory 41a is accessed according to the obtained address. The address of the directory entry 42a is obtained and the directory entry 42a is accessed. If the directory name registered in the directory entry 42a corresponds with that of the file which will be read out, the address of the before-updated file entry 43a is obtained.
When accessing the before-updated file entry 43a according to the obtained address, the address of the updated file entry 46a stored in the secondary area is also obtained. This because the address information is stored both in the primary and the secondary areas.
According to the above-obtained address, the updated file entry 46a is accessed. If the file name registered in the updated file entry 46a corresponds with the one which will be read out and the secondary area is empty, the address of the updated file information 47a stored in the information area is obtained.
According to the obtained address, the updated file information 47a is accessed. Then the address of the updated file 48a is obtained and the updated file 48a as the actual data area is read out.
With the above described prior file management method, the directory or file can be updated by adding the updated entry address in the secondary area of the directory entry or file entry. As a result, this method eliminates the need of block erasing process at every data rewriting. However frequent updating of the file or directory unnecessarily elongates the entry chain, thus requiring a long time for tracing the pointer.
Accompanied with increasing released and non-usable data area, usable area within the partition is decreased. Accordingly the file management method is designed to execute garbage collection at a predetermined timing for erasing the released data area and optimizing the entry chain.
This method controls to prevent a specific block from being erased excessively by using the information of the erasing frequency stored in the block allocation structure area 49a.
The conventional file management method as described above is constructed to divide the memory card into a plurality of partitions. When writing the file in a specific partition, only unoccupied area of the same partition is usable as an available area. The unoccupied area of other partition cannot be effectively used.
As a result, file writing needs frequent garbage collection in the same partition, resulting in a long process time.
Unevenness in the erasing frequency among partitions causes varied erasing frequency among blocks, thus shortening the service life of the memory card as a whole. This is caused by the structure of the managing method in which each partition of the memory card is designed to have independent file management.
Alternatively file managing through classifying file groups by directories instead of dividing the memory card into partitions may cause the entry chain of the directory dr file partially illegible, leading to make the most of those files unaccessible. With this method, since the memory card is not divided into partitions, all the directory or file entries have to be connected from one boot record by means of one pointer chain. This is resulted from no redundancy in the FAT (File Allocation Table ) area.

File managing device of a non-volatile memory, a memory card and method for controlling a file system


A wireless communication RF circuit includes a transmitting-and-receiving antenna, a modulator circuit, an SPST switching circuit, and a demodulator circuit, which are arranged in a sequence. Upon signal reception, the SPST switching circuit is switched ON, and the demodulator circuit extracts a signal wave from a signal received by the antenna and outputs the signal wave to a control circuit. Upon signal transmission, the SPST switching circuit is switched OFF, and the modulator circuit mixes transmission data supplied from the control circuit with a carrier and outputs the carrier to the antenna. Only a single antenna is required. Upon signal reception, the influence of the modulator circuit is negligible. Upon signal transmission, the SPST switching circuit is switched OFF, thus the effect of the demodulator circuit is negligible, which greatly reduces loss.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communication radio frequency (RF) circuits for transmitting and receiving radio waves and communication apparatuses including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wireless communication RF circuit included in a communication apparatus, along with a control circuit (baseband circuit). A wireless communication RF circuit 30 includes a receiving antenna 31, a transmitting antenna 32, a demodulator circuit 33, and a modulator circuit 34. The wireless communication RF circuit 30 is connected to a control circuit 35.
The demodulator circuit 33 detects a radio wave received by the receiving antenna 31, extracts a signal wave, and outputs the extracted signal wave to the control circuit 35. The modulator circuit 34 mixes a transmission signal (signal wave) supplied from the control circuit 35 with a carrier and outputs the resulting carrier to the transmitting antenna 32. The transmitting antenna 32 wirelessly transmits the modulated wave.
FIG. 8 shows a specific example of the configuration of a wireless communication RF circuit having the above-described circuit configuration. The RF circuit is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-116289. Referring to FIG. 8, numeral 101 denotes a receiving antenna, numeral 102 denotes a transmitting antenna, numeral 103a denotes a detector, numeral 104 denotes a modulator, and numeral 108a denotes a control circuit (CPU).
In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the receiving antenna 31 and the transmitting antenna 32 are separately provided. The receiving and transmitting antennas 31 and 32 are larger, in size than the demodulator circuit 33 and the modulator circuit 34. In addition, the antennas 31 and 32 must be arranged at a distance of approximately λ/2 (λ represents the wavelength of the transmitted/received radio wave) from each other in order to prevent interference therebetween. Specifically, for example, when the frequency of the transmitted/received radio wave is in the 2.4 GHz band, the antennas 31 and 32 must be separated by approximately 6 cm from each other. When the frequency of the transmitted/received radio wave is in the 5 GHz band, the antennas 31 and 32 must be separated by approximately 3 cm from each other. Since the antennas 31 and 32 must be separated from each other, the wireless communication RF circuit 30 is difficult to miniaturize.
As shown in FIG. 9, a transmitting-and-receiving antenna 36 is provided, and the demodulator circuit 33 and the modulator circuit 34 are connected to the antenna 36 via a transmission/reception selector switch 37. In this case, the number of antennas is reduced, which enables miniaturization of the wireless communication RF circuit 30. On the other hand, an SPDT (Single Pole Double (Dual) Throw) switching circuit serving as the switch 37 is provided. Upon signal reception, the SPDT switching circuit switches to the demodulator circuit, and upon signal transmission, the SPDT switching circuit switches to the modulator circuit. Since the configuration of the SPDT switching circuit is complex, the circuit configuration is complicated. Insertion loss in the switch 37, which produces an increase in loss, is substantial. Specifically, if the modulator circuit 34 is a reflective modulator circuit, upon signal transmission, a signal passes through the SPDT switching circuit a total of two times, that is, when the signal is supplied from the antenna 36 to the modulator circuit 34 and when the signal is reflected by the modulator circuit 34 towards the antenna 36. In this case, since the signal passes through the SPDT switching circuit twice, loss is generated, and loss caused by the SPDT switching circuit is greatly increased.
FIG. 10 shows a specific example of an RF circuit with the configuration of the RF circuit shown in FIG. 9. The RF circuit is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-298484.

Wireless communication RF circuit and communication apparatus including the same


In the tire examination method before and after an alteration in the tire pressure a respective interferogram is produced of the tire surface using coherent radiation and the interferogram is converted into a modulo 2.pi. image, which for its part is processed to obtain a gray value image and in the case of which from a comparison of the gray value images information concerning any defects present in the tire is obtained. For testing a tire the wheel, which bears such tire to be tested, is arranged on a driven roller set by driving the vehicle with the wheel, a test head is moved toward the tire to be at a predetermined test distance therefrom for producing such interferograms, at a first test segment of the tire examination for defects is performed, the wheel is incrementally rotated by the roller set by an amount equal to the size of a test segment and so many test segments are examined that the complete tire is tested. The tire testing apparatus possesses an air pressure means for altering the tire pressure, a test head and a computer.

The invention relates to a method of testing tires, wherein before and after an alteration in the tire pressure a respective interferogram is produced of the tire surface using coherent radiation and the interferogram is converted into a modulo 2.sub..pi. image, which for its part is processed to obtain a gray value image and in the case of which from a comparison of the gray value images information concerning any defects present in the tire is obtained, and furthermore to an apparatus for the performance of the method.
The German patent publication 42 31 578 A1 discloses a method for the determination of the structural strength of tires, in which the tire is illuminated with coherent light, the radiation diffusely reflected back from the tire is divided up in a twin beam interferometer into two beam parts, in the twin beam interferometer one of the two beam parts is tilted in relation to the other beam part as a shearing operation, in the twin beam interferometer one of the two beam parts is phase shifted in steps, the radiation diffusely reflected by the object being tested and split up into two beam parts and then united again is returned through components presenting an image of the surface of the tire with a large aperture to an electronic image sensor system and the signals produced by the image sensor system are digitalized and further processed to give a modulo 2.sub..pi. image and the modulo 2.sub..pi. image is confirmed as an output gray value image.
In accordance with the German patent publication 195 02 073 A1 the above mentioned method is further developed to the extent that the output gray value image is partially differentiated, a second gray value image identical to the output gray value image is produced and it is geometrically displaced in the shearing direction in relation to the output gray value image and is altered by a gray value which is constant over the entire image area and the second gray value image manipulated in this manner is subtracted from the output gray value image and so that a resulting gray value image is produced, from which any defects in the tire may be seen.
When it is borne in mind that structural damage to a car tire and more particularly damage in the carcass including the belt, may substantially impair the safety of the vehicle, it will be seen to be desirable to perform examinations on tires at regular intervals.

Method and apparatus for testing tires on a wheel balancing machine


To provide a steering device for tilt and telescopic adjustments in which the locked condition can be made stronger, and when unlocked, tilt and telescopic adjustment can be smoothly carried out.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering device for tilt and telescoping adjustments, particularly to a steering device in which the locked state can be made stronger, and when carrying out tilt and telescopic adjustments in the unlocked state the operation can be made smoother.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally there are steering devices provided with a mechanism for tilt and telescopic adjustments. The common structure of this type of steering device includes a fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body, and a movable bracket provided with a steering column. The movable bracket is fitted to the fixed bracket so that the movable bracket can pivot, move in the forward and backward directions, and be freely fixed. The movable bracket is normally sandwiched between the fixed bracket.
Locking the fixed bracket and the movable bracket is carried out using a fastener such as a bolt and nut, or similar. When carrying out tilt and telescopic adjustments the lock of the movable bracket to the fixed bracket is temporarily released, and the position of the steering wheel is adjusted to suit the stature of the driver. Then after setting the steering wheel in a suitable position, the movable bracket is again locked to the fixed bracket. Locking and releasing is carried out using a locking lever installed near the steering wheel.

Abstract: A steering device, comprising: a fixed bracket having fixed side parts on both sides in the width direction; a movable bracket arranged between the fixed side parts; a friction plate fixed and oppositely arranged with a suitable gap with respect to at least one of the two fixed side parts of the fixed bracket; and a friction washer that is inserted between the fixed side part and the friction plate. A lock bolt passes through for connecting the fixed bracket, the movable bracket, the friction plate, and the friction washer to be freely locked and unlocked.


A composite stem for a prosthesis, particularly a hip prosthesis, including a metal core and a fiber reinforced composite shell surrounding the core to provide modulus values that are similar to bone. The composite shell is preferably composed of braided fibers and a thermoplastic resin. The stiffness of the prosthesis can be varied along the length of the stem. The metal core contributing between 5 and 25 percent of the total flexural stiffness of the stem.

The role of the hip joint in the skeletal system is to transmit loads between the pelvis and the femur and allow for motion between the two such that normal activities such as walking and stair climbing can occur. The loads are transmitted through a joint similar to a ball and socket joint. The head of the femur provides the ball portion of this joint. Its role is to provide a mode of transmitting the axial, torsional and bending forces that are developed during normal human activities. The structure of a normal femur is a tubular construction in which the wall (or cortical shell of the femur) carries most of the load and the load is transmitted from the femoral head along this wall or cortical shell.
The occurrence of arthritis in the hip joint or the fracture of the femoral neck often times requires that a prosthesis be implanted in the femur to perform this structural role. Current prosthetic designs require that the femoral head and neck be removed and the cancellous bone and marrow that make up the core of the femur are also removed, leaving only a shell made up primarily of cortical bone. A metallic prosthesis is inserted into the cavity thus formed. It is secured in place by being press fit, cemented in place, or held in place by tissue ingrowth into a porous coating on the surface of the prosthesis.
The presence of a metallic prosthesis in the femur changes the mode in which the loads are carried by the bone. This will result in the loads being carried initially by the implant and subsequently transmitted to the wall of the bone from the inside out, as opposed to always through the cortical wall as occurs with the normal femur.
The metal implants have modulus values that range from 100 to 200 GPa. In contrast, cortical bone has a modulus of approximately 20 GPa. Due to this modulus mismatch the stem of the implant carries loads that in a normal femur the cortical shell would carry. A consequence of this modified load transfer is that the cortical bone does not experience the proper mechanical environment that it requires to maintain its normal structure. Over a long enough period of time in this condition the bone will slowly resorb.
A complication that arises from bone resorption is cortical wall thinning (i.e., an increase in the size of the medullary canal of the femur). The consequences of this is that the prosthesis loses some of its support, and becomes loose and can be painful to the patient. This loss of support also can be a contributing factor to the fatigue failure of the devices.
It has been proposed that the modulus mismatch between the stem of a prosthesis and the cortical shell of the bone could be overcome to some degree by the use of a fiber reinforced composite structure whose modulus more closely conformed to that of bone. Although many such composite structures have been proposed, no composite structure has been widely used in implantable joint prosthesis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,905, "Beam Construction and Method" discloses a composite femoral component for a hip joint which is constructed of a composite of carbon fiber and polysulfone. The construction includes a core formed of continuous filament fibers oriented substantially along the length of the core and embedded in a polymer matrix. The core is encased with a sheath of braided or woven filaments. The sheathed core is embedded in a polymer which fills the space of a bone cavity. The proximal end of the core is the neck of the device. The neck includes a tapered thimble which can carry the ball-like hip joint head of the prosthesis. The device disclosed in this patent does not provide for the smooth transition of forces through the device.
EPO No. 277,727 discloses a composite orthopaedic implant constructed with a polymer matrix and continuous filament carbon fiber reinforcement. A number of different polymers are disclosed including polysulfones and polyaryletherketones. The device is constructed from uniplanar sheets or prepregs which are stacked and molded to form blocks from which the devices are machined. The composite may include a sheath of continuous fiber to inhibit delamination. The sheath may be a woven or braided mantle or sock fitted over the molded prepreg. Constructions of this type have a problem in the disparity in the flexural strength and stiffness in and out of the plane of the sheets from which the product is constructed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,552 and the corresponding WO No. 85/04323 also disclose a composite prosthesis made from various biocompatible polymers and reinforced with carbon fibers. The prosthesis is made of uniplanar stacked sheets molded and shaped and is similar to the prosthesis disclosed in EPO No. 0277,727.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,887 discloses a high modulus implantable prosthesis made from fiber reinforced polyaryletherketones.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,297, and 4,978,360 and GB2216425, disclose a composite prosthesis with a unidirectional carbon fiber core, an inner casing of braided carbon fibers, and an outer casing of an injected molded polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,358 discloses a composite prosthesis comprising an outer component made of metal and an inner component made of a carbon fiber reinforced composite. The inner component may be made of a material of lower bending stiffness and/or higher strength than material of the outer component.
Mathys Jr., et al., Current Interdisciplinary Res., (Perren M., et al. eds.) Martinus Nyhoff, Boston (1985) pp. 371-376 and Morscher et al., "Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research", Number 176, June 1983, pp. 77-87 disclose a hip prosthesis made from a plastic material, polyacetal, reinforced with a metallic core.


In one embodiment, light having a first spectrum is filtered from a mixed light. Light having a second spectrum, different from the first spectrum, is also filtered from the mixed light. An intensity of the light having the first spectrum, and an intensity of the light having the second spectrum, are then sensed. From the sensed intensities of the lights having the first and second spectrums, an intensity of light having a third spectrum is estimated.

Lighting systems such as liquid crystal display (LCD) backlights sometimes comprise red, green and blue (RGB) light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Together, the RGB LEDs can be used to produce a mixed light (e.g., a white light in the case of an LCD backlight).
System manufacturing variations, operating conditions, LED aging, and other factors can cause the intensity and color of individual ones of a lighting system's LEDs to drift. As a result, an optical feedback system employing one or more photosensors is often used to measure the intensity and/or color point of the mixed light produced by an LED lighting system. The feedback system's outputs are then used to regulate the drive signals, and thus the intensities, of individual ones or groups of the lighting system's LEDs.

Methods and apparatus for estimating the intensity of one spectrum of light in a mixed light, in response to the sensed intensities of one or more other spectrums of light in the mixed light

Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


An automated parking gate structure is disclosed having enhanced safety features for deterring accidents and providing greater protectibility against damage in the event the gate arm strikes a vehicle. The parking gate comprises a base cabinet, a control mechanism disposed within the cabinet, and a gate arm connected to the cabinet, adapted for motion relative thereto in response to operation of the control mechanism. A first light element is disposed along a first surface of the gate arm. The light element being in communication with the control mechanism to regulate operation of the light element in response to operational modes of the gate control mechanism.

(Not Applicable)
(Not Applicable)
The present invention relates to automated parking gates and, more particularly, to automated gates having its resilient lighting elements arrayed thereon.
Automated parking gates are a familiar feature throughout the American landscape. They function to allow selective access and exiting from parking areas, enhancing safety and convenience for intended users. Automated parking gates commonly operate under electronic control such that the need for operating personnel may be mitigated, or eliminated altogether.
As the development of automatic parking gates has matured, control functions and operational modes have become more sophisticated. Switch selectable features have also been implemented to offset timing and otherwise modify the operation of the gate in response to the sensed position of the vehicle, the direction the vehicle travels, etc.
While these and other improvements have been made to control functions of parking gates, basic mechanical features have remained substantially unchanged since the inception of the automated parking gate. The gate arm or boom is commonly implemented as a rigid member extending approximately ten feet from the housing. The arm may typically be formed of wood or other light-weight material that is sufficiently stiff to maintain its shape while being secured only at one end, adjacent the housing. As a consequence, the use of such arms are of course subject to cracking or breaking when the arm strikes some portion of a vehicle passing through the gate.
In order to mitigate prospects for harm to the gate, and enhance safety more generally, gate arms are commonly painted in a bright color or contrasting colors to enhance visual recognition of the gate. However, while such practices serve to enhance safe operation of the gate, additional steps are useful to distinguish the gate, to further mitigate to the potential for injury or damage resulting from impacting the gate.
One contemporary approach to enhancing the visibility of the gate is to use a light transmissive tube as the gate arm. As light is transmitted through the tube, the tube is illuminated and becomes more visible to the driver. However, for such tubes to function as a gate arm, they must have stiffness qualities as described in connection with wooden arms. As such, light transmissive tubes are similarly breakable, requiring replacement of the entire tube when accidents occur. Moreover, given to the stiffness of the tube, impact of the tube upon the hood of a car or the like may commonly cause scratching or denting of the car hood. This may not only be aggravating to the operator of the vehicle, but creates potential liabilities for the operator of the parking gate.
Accordingly, there exists a need to devise an automated parking gate having enhanced safety features for deterring the prospect of an accident, and providing greater protectibility against damage in the event that the gate arm strikes a vehicle. There further exists a need to provide such an improved automated parking gate having resilient lighting elements which define the lower surface of the gate arm, while providing protection against injury should the gate arm be lowered upon the surface of a vehicle. Further, a need exists for an improved parking gate having a means to install and replace lighting elements disposed on the gate arm or housing, without removing the gate arm from the housing, or otherwise require disassembling of the housing. Still further, there exists a need to provide these and other features and advantages in an improved automated parking gate, while retaining the economies of low product cost, low operating cost, and lower prospect of vehicle injury and consequent damage claims. These and other objects and advantages are implemented by means of the present invention as set forth below in connection with the illustrated drawings.
An automated parking gate structure is disclosed having enhanced safety features for deterring accidents and providing greater protectibility against damage in the event the gate arm strikes a vehicle. The parking gate comprises a base cabinet, a control mechanism disposed within the cabinet, and a gate arm connected to the cabinet, adapted for motion relative thereto in response to operation of the control mechanism. A first light element is disposed along a first surface of the gate arm. The light element being in communication with the control mechanism to regulate operation of the light element in response to operational modes of the gate control mechanism.
In the presently preferred embodiment, the first light element is disposed along the lower surface of the gate arm, and formed of flexible plastic material that is resiliently deformable upon impact of the material onto a vehicle surface.
The first light element may be formed as a length of fiber optic material, illuminated by a light source disposed within the cabinet. Alternatively, the first light element may be formed as a string of electrically interconnected lights, encased within flexible plastic tubing, the tubing being deformable upon impact of the material onto a vehicle surface.
The first light element is preferably manually engageable/disengageable from the gate arm without the use of tools. In one embodiment, the gate arm is grooved and the first light element is formed to include a flange, adapted for cooperative engagement to the gate arm groove. In another embodiment, the gate arm is formed to include at least one support member, adapted to receive and support the first light element adjacent the gate arm.
In one embodiment, the cabinet is provided with a junction box to facilitate plug engagement/disengagement of the first light element to the light source and gate arm without disassembly of the cabinet, or disengagement of the gate arm from the cabinet.
A second light element is provided upon an upper surface of the cabinet, and a hood is disposable thereover. The hood is preferably formed of translucent material such that it is illuminated in response to activation of the second light element. As with the first light element, the second light element may be implemented in various embodiments, including an incandescent lamp, or a length of fiber optic material. The first and second light elements may also be illuminated by a common light source, disposed within the cabinet. The parking gate control mechanism may be operative to illuminate either or both of the first and second light elements in response to the operational mode of the gate control mechanism. Both first and second light elements may be illuminated in one or more of a plurality of light patterns, responsive to the operational mode of the gate control mechanism.


A method of determining a response characteristic of a microwave device includes coupling a microwave resonator to the device, loading the resonator with microwave radiation, monitoring the time decay of power from the resonator, and comparing the monitored time decay with a known characteristic of the time decay of radiation in the microwave resonator when loaded with radiation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method of determining a response characteristic of a microwave device, and to analogous apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus comprising microwave resonators together with precision timing equipment and methods of using these for calibrating the amplitude response in microwave equipment and components.
2. Related Art
The requirement exists for calibrating the amplitude response of measurement equipment and components for use in the microwave region of the electromagnetic spectrum (i.e. preferably in the frequency range 1 to 300 or even 1000 GHz). In such equipment and components the output signal may be attenuated or amplified from an input signal and the ratio of output to input (the gain or attenuation) needs to be accurately known.
General methods of measuring attenuation are described by F. L. Warner in "Microwave Attenuation Measurement" (Published by Peter Peregrinus, London 1977).
Precision microwave attenuation standards are traditionally made from resistance ratios which are carefully constructed to be frequency independent. At the highest level of precision such ratios may be compared with the National Standard. A variety of methods are used for National Standards for microwave attenuation and these are reviewed by H. Bayer et al. "Attenuation and Ratio--National Standards", Proc. IEEE 42, page 46, 1986. The UK primary standard is currently based on a waveguide beyond cut-off calibrator (See: R. W. Yell, "Development of a High Precision Waveguide Beyond Cut-off Attenuator", CPEM Digest 1972 pp 108-110). In such standards, the microwave frequency is often down-converted in a linear mixer to a lower intermediate frequency (IF) and measurements made at the IF with high precision mechanical apparatus. Such apparatus is capable of calibration to high resolution, for example to 0.0002 dB in 100 dB, with an accuracy of 0.01 dB in 10 dB, but is complex and costly to construct. A common feature of known calibration techniques is that they calibrate the steady-state response of the device under test.
The invention described herein preferably uses high Q microwave resonators, where Q is defined by: EQU Q.sub.1 =f.sub.O /.DELTA.f
Where Q.sub.1 is the loaded Q of the resonator, f.sub.O is the resonant frequency of the resonator and .DELTA.f is the bandwidth of the resonance at the half power (3dB) points. `High` Q in the context of this invention is Q>10.sup.4, 10.sup.5 or 10.sub.6. As of 1995, Q's as high as 10.sub.11 are achievable practically. Typical resonators known in the art include dielectric resonators (See: D. G. Blair et al. "High Q Microwave Properties of a Sapphire Ring Resonator", J. Phys. D: Applied Physics, Volume 15, Page 1651, 1982) and superconducting resonators (See: V. B Braginskii et al. "The Properties of Superconducting Resonators on Sapphire", IEEE Trans. on Magn. Volume 17, Page 955, 1981, and C. D. langham and J. C. Gallop, "High Stability Cryogenic Sapphire Dielectric Resonator", IEEE Trans. Instrum. and Meas., 42, Page 96, 1993).
Superconducting resonators fabricated from low temperature superconducting (LTSC) materials can demonstrate Q in the range 10.sub.6 to 10.sub.11 but such devices must operate at a low temperature, typically less than 4.2K (-269.degree. C.), using liquid Helium as coolant.
Development of high temperature superconducting (HTSC) oxide materials has allowed fabrication of high Q resonators (Q>10.sup.6) from these materials which can operate at 77K (-196.degree. C.) using liquid Nitrogen coolant. Different designs of resonator are known (See: S. J Fiedziusko et al. European Patent Application (EPA) 0496512A1, K. Higaki et al EPA 0522515A1 and EPA 0516145, and Z-Y Shen, PCT Application PCT/US92/09635) using different arrangements to make best use of HTSC materials properties.

Method of and apparatus for determining a response characteristic

The Secretary Of State For Trade And Industry


Methods, apparatus, and processor-readable storage media for proactive user authentication for facilitating subsequent resource access across multiple devices are provided herein. An example computer-implemented method includes validating an authentication result received via a first user device; generating, in response to validating the authentication result, a proof of authentication that relates to the authentication performed via the first user device; outputting the proof of authentication to the first user device; receiving, via a second user device in connection with a request to access a protected resource, cryptographic information comprising at least a portion of the proof of authentication output to the first user device; validating the cryptographic information received via the second user device against the proof of authentication; and granting, to the second user device, access to the protected resource in response to validating the cryptographic information against the proof of authentication.

In order to gain access to applications or other resources via a computer or another user device, users are often required to authenticate themselves by entering authentication information. Such authentication information may include, for example, passwords, responses to one or more challenge questions, or other forms of cryptographic or authentication information.
In one common scenario, a user may request access to a protected resource from a first device and be prompted to authenticate on a second device. For example, a user may request access to a resource from a first device such as a laptop, and the user is subsequently required to respond to an authentication request on a second device such as a smart phone. Challenges can arise in such a scenario if there are connectivity issues (such as availability, security policies, etc.), network lags, and/or other delays in the authentication flow with respect to the second device. For instance, in certain contexts, the user's second device (e.g., a smart phone) may not be able to connect to the relevant network in order to carry out the authentication, thereby precluding the user from accessing the protected resource from his or her first device (e.g., a laptop).

Proactive user authentication for facilitating subsequent resource access across multiple devices


An imaging optical system includes lens group Gm located on that is closest to an object among lens groups in which a distance between the lens groups changes during zooming, the lens groups having negative power. Lens group Gm includes, in order from the object side toward an image side, lens element LGmF1 having the negative power, lens element LGmF2 having the negative power, both surfaces of lens element LGmF2 having an aspherical shape, and at least two lens elements having power. The present disclosure provides the imaging optical system having good various aberrations such as spherical aberration, astigmatism, and distortion and an imaging device and a camera system that are provided with the imaging optical system.

PLT 1 discloses a zoom lens including a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group having positive refractive power in order from an object side toward an image side. In the zoom lens, the fifth lens group is fixed, and the first lens group, the second lens group, the third lens group, and the fourth lens group are moved in an optical axis direction, thereby changing magnification.

Imaging optical system, and imaging device and camera system provided with same

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.