A hardware module includes a character map, a font and control codes in accordance with an established national standard for printing characters, to supplement or replace similar information stored in a printer in accordance with another established standard. Connection of the module to the printer changes the personality of the printer, from a printer operating in accordance with one standard for printing one set of characters, such as printing simplified Chinese characters used in mainland China in accordance with a GuoBiao Standard, to a printer operating in accordance with a second standard for printing another set of characters, such as printing traditional Chinese characters in accordance with a Chinese National Standard.

This invention relates generally to printers, and more particularly to apparatus for converting a printer personality, from that of a printer operating in accordance with a particular standard for a particular font resident therein to that of a printer operating in accordance with a different standard for a different font which appears to be resident therein, thus enabling the printer to print different character fonts as may be prevalent in different countries in accordance with different encoding standards used in the different countries. Still more specifically, the invention relates to apparatus for converting a single printer for a set of Asian characters, operating in accordance with a specific national standard, to operate in accordance with a different national standard for printing the same set or a different set of Asian characters in accordance with a different national standard.
Various standards are used throughout the world to encode a particular set of characters for printing by a printer having that set of characters as part of a font resident therein. Such standards typically encode characters in a 2-byte code, and thus have a capacity for identifying approximately 64,000 characters. For example, English characters are encoded using the ASCII standard in the US. Although encoding of the English language may be fairly standardized, however, such uniformity does not exist throughout the world with respect to the various character sets used for communication. More specifically, there does not exist uniformity in encoding of character sets in various Asian countries, whether or not using the same set of characters.
The character encodings used in countries with large sets of characters (e.g. Japan, China) have been evolving over many generations of computer technologies. The result is a large number of differing standards even within some countries. Current international efforts on creating unified encoding will result in another standard known as UNICODE. The new printers used in those countries typically operate in graphics mode in order to avoid implementation of the font and the implementation of a specific character encoding. However, operation in graphics mode results in a slower printing of textual documents. In that regard, it should be noted that in several Asian countries, similar character sets are used (although a number of differences exist between the sets), but that different encoding standards are used to represent these character sets. For example, Kanji characters are used in the Chinese language, but differences exist between the characters used in Taiwan and those used in mainland China, with still other differences distinguishing Japanese Kanji characters from those of Taiwan and mainland China.
While some of the characters are fairly identical, if more elaborate character concepts are considered, then the three cultures diverge in the manner in which the characters are drawn or represented. Thus, traditional Chinese characters are used in Taiwan and a simplified form of the characters is used in mainland China. Additionally, acceptable mainland Chinese text cannot be written with the Japanese character set, and so on. Such writings may be intelligible, or guessable, but are not acceptable from the standpoint of proper usage.
A number of reasons explain such diversity. More specifically, as different Asian economies have individually entered the computer age, the national character sets used in those countries were individually, and differently, encoded. In Japan, for example, inasmuch as individual companies have defined individual coding schemes while Japanese industry has defined a number of standards for encoding (known as JISxx, the Japanese Industry Standard) where xx designates a particular standard number, a number of different encoding protocols are used for the different sets of Japanese characters.
A Chinese National Standard (CNSxx) is used in Taiwan for encoding Chinese characters, where xx designates a particular standard number, with an added complexity arising from the fact that different standards represent the characters in the computer file system and in the printers.
In Korea, there are used particular Korean Standards (KSxx) to represent characters for printing by a printer, where xx designates a particular standard number.
In mainland China, a more recent entrant to the computer driven environment, there is used a somewhat simpler GuoBiao standard, which incorporates various beneficial features from previously developed standards of Japan and Taiwan.
For applications where high speed text output is necessary and graphics are needed only occasionally, the printer with embedded, fixed or variable size font will have a speed advantage where, for example, 2 printers print at the same speed and communicate at the same speed and both print characters composed of 24 pixels by 24 pixels (typical resolution required to print Asian characters). In order to print 1000 characters, the printer with embedded font will receive 2000 bytes plus some control codes. In comparison, the graphics printer will receive 72 bytes per character .times.1000 characters for a total of 72,000 plus control codes. Assuming the same communication speed, the text for the printer with embedded font will be transmitted about 36 times faster.
Character encoding Standards used in Asia:
JIS X 0208-1990 (Japan) Defines 94 rows of 94 characters; total of 6,879 Characters.
S-JIS (Japan) Same set of characters as in JIS but with a modified layout for easier computer storage and processing.
BIG5 (Taiwan and Hong Kong) Defines 94 rows of 157 characters; total of 13,523 characters.
CNS 11643-1986 (Taiwan and Hong Kong) similar to BIG5 but used by commercial printers.
GB 2312-80 (The People's Republic of China) Defines 94 rows of 94 characters; total of 6,763 characters.
Each of these encodings uses 2 bytes to represent a particular character. However, each of the encodings differs in definition of the valid values of the first and second byte of the encoding.
For example:
______________________________________ Valid Range for the 1 Valid Range for the 2 Encoding Standard Byte (in Hexadecimal) Byte (in Hexadecimal) ______________________________________ JIS X 0208-1990 21-7E 21-7E S-JIS 40-7E and 80-FC BIG5 40-7E and A1-FE GB 2312-80 21-7E 21-7E ______________________________________
In order to efficiently store the character descriptions (either bitmaps or other scaleable representation) only the defined characters need to be stored in the printer memory. When characters are laid-out sequentially in memory it is necessary to know what how to translate the received code into the location of the character's description. For example, code 2121 refers to the first character in JIS X 0208-1990 and in GB 2312-80, but the first character is referred to as 8140 in SJIS and A140 in BIG5. The 95 character is referred to as 2221 in JIS X 0208-1990 and in GB 2312-80, but it is referred to as 819F in SJIS and as AlCO in BIG5.
It is important to note that, in general, the n.sup.th character in one encoding does not necessarily correspond the same character in another encoding. The characters are arranged in different orders in different countries, but some section may correspond. For example, Latin or Greek letters may be encoded in the same locations.
The Font Encoding information may contain:
(a) Character mapping (represented as a table of valid ranges, or as a subroutine that converts character code to the sequential number of the character); PA1 (b) The Font defining the bitmaps of characters or other graphical representation of the character; and PA1 (c) Control Codes to operate the printer in the particular country. For example, the commands that switch the printer in and out of 2 byte mode operation may be different in different countries. Commands for changing from internal font to external font.
With this implementation, it is possible with a front panel switch or with a control command to change the printer from a Japanese to Traditional Chinese Printer while maintaining high speed capability.
Different encoding standards are thus used in the various Asian countries to encode the same characters, or various modifications thereof. However, though the characters may be the same or similar, the use of different codes precludes a document prepared in one country, e.g., mainland China, from being printed on a printer of another country (e.g., a Taiwanese printer) and precludes a printer manufactured to operate in one country from being able to operate in another country.
For example, a Japanese printer operating in accordance with JIS expects a character code of two bytes, with only 7 bits in each being significant. Thus, if information is sent to the printer which uses all 8 bits to represent a character, the Japanese printer may not print at all, or may print some incorrect characters. A printer in mainland China, on the other hand, expects all 8 bits to be provided, and expects the 8th bit to be set to 1. If that bit is not set to 1, a printer prepared for operation in mainland China will either print an unintended character or not print at all.
Additionally, because different character encodings are used in JIS, CNS and GuoBiao--these 3 encoding schemes map the characters in totally different locations from each other --e.g., location 2000, 3500, or 1000 may be used by the three encoding schemes to encode the same character. The following provides an explanation of underlying concepts of such character encoding schemes.
Character encoding as described herein provides significant advantages in storage space. For example, if representing a character as a graphic, using an array of 24.times.24 (i.e., 576) pixels, one would need 72 8-bit bytes (576 bits) to describe all 576 pixels of the character. However, the known encoding techniques use 2 bytes--from 0000 through FFFF (in hexadecimal) which can represent 65,000 locations.
In Japan about 7,500 characters are used, requiring only a subset of the total space addressable by 2 bytes. The Japanese standard effectively defines the characters contiguously from character 0 to character 7500. However, the 2-byte codes by which the characters are recalled or addressed are not totally contiguous, starting at 2020H and proceeding from there, with gaps. Certain decoding algorithms are thus needed to know that, if receiving a Japanese coding, character 4031 in the sequentially laid out memory is in location 1500.
The specific encoding schemes are thus significant since the way the characters are laid out differs from the standard of one country to that of another country. That is, the coding scheme effectively provides a translation from a code to the actual serial location, or sequence number, and thus to the location where the information for that character is stored.
Conversion of characters from one Asian character set to another is known in the prior art, although such conversions are made in the conversion device operating under the prevailing encoding standard.
For example, it is known to convert Japanese phonetic Kana characters (e.g., Hiragana and Katakana) to Kanji (hieroglyphic) characters. U. S. Pat. No. 5,321,801 discloses a document processor system which incorporates conversion of inputted Kana characters to Kanji. The inputted characters are displayed in their input form and, after conversion, are thereafter displayed in their converted form.
The use of a standard interface between such a conversion program and a body of a text displaying application program is described in U. S. Pat. No. 5,285,387, which shows the conversion program itself separately from, and interfacing between, an input keyboard and the user interface in a multi-window, multi-tasking environment. As shown therein, prior art programs provided a different user interface for each language, such as Japanese and Korean, within the application program. As further described, it is known for the applications program and the conversion program to operate in different windows, and to pass information (including font information) to one another.
Generation of ideographic Chinese characters and selective printing thereof by a word processor is disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 5,378,068.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,116,296 identifies a phonetic system for (Pin Yin) encoding Chinese characters, and notes the existence of different phonetic symbols for denoting these characters in Taiwan and in other Asian countries. To encode the Chinese characters, the disclosed system categorizes the same in terms of fundamental strokes or components.
None of the above references, however, considers the possibility of printing the same set of characters in accordance with different encoding standards as may prevail in different countries, or of printing different sets of characters in accordance with such different encoding standards.
Thus, in Asian countries, printers deal with thousands of ideographic symbols. For example, more than 7,000 characters are supported by Japanese printers, and similarly in mainland China. However, in the traditional Chinese language, as used in Taiwan and Hong Kong for example, more than 13,000 characters are required to be supported by a printer. Accordingly, a character representing the concept of the sun, for example, has a different 2-byte standard representation in China, in Japan, and in Taiwan. For example, in accordance with one standard the sun character may be represented by the code 1000H, while in another the code may be 2041H--so that the same character may have different code representations, which must be recognized by printers operating in the separate countries to print the same character.
Further, while some simpler characters which convey basic meaning, e.g. sun, may look very much the same in one country and another, other characters may have been dropped from one country to another, or may have calligraphy which is different in a way that is significant to a native reader and may preclude or hinder proper reading when improperly used. Thus, the prior art has failed to address issues relating both to encoding characters and to the look and feel of the characters as well.
Finally, while font-changing cards may be available for some printers, such cards do not change the "personality" of the printer. That is, when a font-changing card, or module, is connected to a printer, the printer continues to respond to the same coding scheme, but produces differently designed (differently shaped) characters, or even different characters, for codes presented in accordance with that same coding scheme. In fact, the modules do not change the encoding--so that a single byte code of 41H, calling for an upper case A, may result in a different looking A, or may result in printing of a symbol if a mathematical symbol card is provided.
However, in case of US printers for example, the coding doesn't change regardless of font and continues to adhere to the ASCII standard. Similarly, in China, a printer with such a font-changing card continues to understand only the GuoBiao code.
That is, in the prior art font-changing cards it is assumed that, if a particular code is sent, there will be printed some symbol, which may differ from font to font. There is no provision, however, to assure that a printer having an internal software architecture allowing it to read the information from a card or from an internal font in accordance with one coding scheme, e.g., ASCII, would be able to print the same characters in response to information provided in accordance with another coding scheme, e.g., GuoBiao. That is, the printers in one country respond to differently formatted sets of two-byte codes than the printers of another country.
From the foregoing, it is clear that prior art printers are dedicated to one particular market--or that (in the alternative) such prior art printers may be forced to deal with characters as graphics, and thus to require an inordinate amount of time to print the same.
The prior art has thus failed to provide a printer capable of operating in a number of countries under a number of different standards for printing the same (or slightly modified) set of characters under each of a plurality of sets of available encoding standards therefor. More specifically, the prior art has failed to provide a plurality of character encoding sets which are effectively embedded in a single printer to permit a single printer to have, at the same time, an understanding of encoding standards of different countries so as to be able to mix and match protocols which the printer understands.
There is thus a need in the prior art for a printer having a built in capability to accept and understand different coding schemes, to produce a first character within one character set in response to a particular character code when using a first coding scheme (e.g., in mainland China) and, when given a second coding scheme, to produce a second character within a second character set in response to the same particular character code, where the second character may be different from the first character, as set forth by the second coding scheme, such as production of one character in accordance with a first code standard of mainland China when a particular code is received and production of a second character in accordance with a second code standard of Taiwan when the same code is received and the printer is provided with information identifying operation to be in accordance with the second code standard. Thus, it is an object of this disclosure to provide an approach by which the encoding information is stored together with the font and which can be stored inside the memory of the printer as well as on external memory modules.

Method and apparatus for substituting a 2-byte font character standard in a printer


In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a mobile broadband routable internet (MBRI) providing for carrier-grade, networked, broadband, IP-routable communication among a plurality of mobile devices, where the mobile devices may represent a plurality of nodes that are linked together through a mobile ad-hoc network (MANET). Mobile devices may operate as peers in a peer-to-peer network, with full IP routing capabilities enabled within each mobile device, thereby allowing routing of IP-based traffic, including deployment of applications, to the mobile device without need for infrastructure conventionally required for mobile ad hoc networks, such as cellular telephony infrastructure. Full IP-routing to mobile devices may allow seamless integration to the fixed Internet, such as through fixed or mobile access points, such as for backhaul purposes. Thus, the MBRI may function as a standalone mobile Internet, without connection to the fixed Internet, or as an IP-routable extension of another network, whether it be the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a cellular network, a personal area network, or some other type of network that is capable of integration with an IP-based network.

Existing wireless communications used in carrier-grade networks typically consist of a cell-based infrastructure where all mobile subscriber nodes must communicate directly with a network base station. As an alternative, wireless communications may utilize a mobile ad-hoc network, where any mobile node can communicate with any other node, either directly or through multiple hops across the network topology. However, existing mobile ad-hoc networks sometimes operate without any network infrastructure on a single fixed spectrum channel. Currently used techniques do not provide sufficient Quality of Service (QoS) needed to offer carrier-grade service in a heterogeneous broadband media environment containing both delay-sensitive (e.g., voice over Internet Protocol, VoIP) and delay-tolerant (e.g., internet browsing) traffic. Therefore, there exists a need to provide carrier-grade QoS in mobile networks.

Methods and systems for a mobile, broadband, routable internet


A system for decoding data, such as travel and traffic information, configured in data blocks embedded in an electromagnetic signal, such as a broadcasted radio signal, has been developed. The system includes a method and receiver for decoding the data with a background tuner in a manner that does not impair the ability of the background tuner to demodulate other signals. While a main tuner is tuned to demodulate a first electromagnetic signal to produce a data stream, the background tuner is switched to decode the data blocks only when the data blocks are expected to be received. In the remaining time, the background tuner is free to demodulate other signals to support a diversity or other function. If a data block is not received, or not received when expected, the background tuner returns to demodulating one or more other frequencies after a predetermined time interval has elapsed.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a receiver including two tuners, which decodes digital data contained in electromagnetic signals, such as radio broadcast signals. Further, this invention relates to a method for decoding digital data in such signals.
2. Related Art
Worsening traffic congestion has generated a demand for accurate and timely information on traffic conditions. Broadcasters, such as radio broadcasters, cannot respond simply by increasing the number of on-air announcements that are broadcast using traditional delivery modes, because this would be unacceptable to listeners. Many listeners are concerned that such announcements are untrustworthy, repetitive and irritating unless the information is relevant to them. The transmission of traffic and travel information ("TTI") using data broadcast methods potentially solves this problem because the TTI data can be transmitted and decoded inaudibly, and filtered by a receiver to help ensure that listeners only obtain data that is relevant to their journey.
Multiple delivery methods of TTI services have emerged. Examples of TTI delivery methods include: digital audio broadcast ("DAB"), digital video broadcasting terrestrial ("DVBT"), the global system for mobile communications ("GSM"), the universal mobile telecommunication system ("UMTS"), and the radio data system ("RDS"). In addition, approaches to deliver this information via the Internet have been proposed. Because RDS has been widely deployed in Europe and elsewhere, car manufactures have integrated radio receivers for vehicles with multi-functional displays in vehicle dashboards. Often, these integrated systems further include modules such as telematic devices or a navigation system.
RDS uses a technique of adding data to a sub-carrier on an existing stereo transmission in such a way that the data may be decoded inaudibly. RDS is designed with a wide range of features that support program-related services, and allow non-program related data services to be added, if the capacity exists. One service supported by the RDS features is the alternative frequency ("AF") service. The AF service enables receivers to scan the radio frequency band to find the frequency at which a particular program may be received most clearly. In general, the AF service communicates the frequencies at which various transmitters broadcast the same program in the same or adjacent physical areas (the "alternative frequencies"). This enables receivers equipped with a memory to store a list of the alternative frequencies, thereby reducing the time needed to switch frequencies when scanning for a clearer transmission. Another service supported by the RDS features is the program service ("PS") name feature. The PS name feature enables an RDS receiver to display the name of the program, instead of, for example, the tuning frequency.
Other services that may be supported by the RDS features include the traffic announcement ("TA") and traffic program ("TP") services, which inform a receiver as to whether the signal being received carries traffic announcements. Further services supported by the RDS features include program type ("PTY"), radio text ("RT"), clock type and date ("CT"), decoder identification ("DI"), dynamic PTY indicator ("PTYI"), enhanced other networks information ("EON"), music speech switch ("MS"), open data applications ("ODA") and program item number ("PIN") services. Another service enabled by RDS is the traffic message channel ("TMC"). The objective of the RDS TMC is to broadcast digital traffic and TTI messages as data in an FM transmission of a program so that these messages may be decoded inaudibly by a receiver. The digital traffic and TTI messages may be communicated to a user via a visual interface or display. This allows delivery of accurate, timely and relevant information without the need to interrupt the program.
A receiver used to decode electromagnetic signals, such as radio broadcast signals that include a program and digital data, may include a main tuner and a background tuner. The main tuner is usually responsible for demodulating the program, such as a broadcasted radio broadcast program, and for providing the demodulated signal to an interface such as a speaker for conversion into sound waves. Further, the main tuner may be used to demodulate and decode digital data relating to the program being demodulated. For example, the data may be RDS data. In contrast, the primary task of the background tuner is to scan the frequency band and decode other electromagnetic signals at other frequencies that include the same program as that being demodulated by the main tuner ("alternative frequencies"). Commonly, the alternative frequencies are identified within the RDS data stream (often using the AF feature) included along with the program in the signal demodulated by the main tuner. Therefore, the RDS data stream may be decoded by the main tuner and communicated to the background tuner. The background tuner may then analyze the RDS data stream to obtain the alternative frequencies. In addition, the main tuner may be used to decode other types of RDS data configured in data blocks, such as RDS TMC data. It is also possible for the background tuner to decode such data blocks. In both solutions, the main tuner and the background tuner may be tuned to a fixed frequency.

Receiver system for decoding data embedded in an electromagnetic signal


A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; gate wirings disposed on the second substrate; source wirings disposed to intersects with the gate wirings; light shielding films provided to cover the source wirings; a first insulating film provided to cover the gate wirings, the source wirings and the light shielding films; signal electrodes provided on the first insulating film, each of which is located in a region surrounded with the gate wirings and the source wirings; a common electrode provided on the first insulating film so as not to be overlapped on the signal electrodes; and shield electrode disposed between each of the signal electrodes and each of the source wirings, the respective shield electrodes being overlapped on the light shielding films.

In this liquid crystal display device, the signal electrodes and the common electrode are alternately located on the same plane, and by applying voltage with respect to the signal electrode and the common electrode, an electric field is generated between the signal electrode and the common electrode and directions of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are controlled by this electric field. A wide viewing angle may be realized by controlling the directions of the liquid crystal molecules by this horizontal electric field.
In addition, high display quality is required in the recent liquid crystal display device, and thus, high luminance is required in addition to the wide viewing angle, in improving the display quality.
As a technology for satisfying both requirements, there is a black matrix on array (hereinafter, called BOA) technology (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2006-301505). In the BOA technology, since a light shielding film is disposed on an array substrate where signal electrodes and the like are formed, so as to cover gate wirings, source wirings, and the like, it is not necessary to provide margins on the light shielding film for position shifting at the time of bonding substrates to each other, and accordingly, a width of the light shielding film can be reduced, a high aperture ratio of pixels can be acquired, and high luminance can be realized. In addition, since the light shielding film exists above the array substrate where the electrodes such as the signal electrodes and the common electrode are disposed, the entire electrodes can be covered by the light shielding film in a wide viewing angle range, and accordingly, it is possible to prevent decrease in contrast due to reflection and scattering at the electrode end.
On the other hand, in the liquid crystal display device of a horizontal electric field system, there is a problem that voltage of the signal electrode is easily fluctuated by fluctuation of voltage of the source wiring, through coupling capacity generated between the source wiring and the signal electrode, and this influences the display quality.
In the related arts, in order to solve the above described problem, the influence on the signal electrode due to the fluctuation of the voltage of the source wiring has been suppressed by forming a shield electrode in a region located between the source wiring and the signal electrode. However, since the shield electrode was only disposed in a region adjacent to the light shielding film, there are problems that the light is shielded by the shield electrode, the aperture ratio of the pixels is decreased, and the luminance of the liquid crystal display device may be decreased.
In addition, there is also a liquid crystal display device in which a transparent electrode is disposed over the entire opening portions to obtain a shielding effect (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2004-198846). However, in this liquid crystal display device, by disposing the transparent electrode over the entire opening portions, there are problems that transparency of pixels is decreased, the luminance is decreased, vertical components are strongly generated in a line of electric force of the opening portion itself, and the wide range of viewing angle which is a typical feature of the horizontal electric field system is decreased.
The invention has been made to address the aforementioned problems and an object thereof is to suppress the decrease in the luminance due to the shield electrode while suppressing influences on the signal electrode due to the fluctuation of the voltage of the source wiring, in the liquid crystal display device.

Liquid crystal display device including shield electrodes and light shielding films and method of manufacturing the same


In the side portion of a nose portion disposed in the leading end portion of a nailing machine main body, a guide port is formed for guiding a nail supplied from a magazine. The opening end of a nail passage formed in the magazine is butted against the opening end of the guide port, and the nails in the nail passage can be sequentially pushed out by a pusher from the guide port to the nose portion. The inner wall of the guide port adjacent to the magazine is extended and inserted into the nail passage of the magazine, and the end portion of the extended inner wall is connected and continuous with the wall surface of the nail passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for guiding nails from the magazine of a nailing machine to the nose portion of the nailing machine. Further, the present invention relates to a nailing machine including the above structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, nails are supplied from the magazine of a nailing machine to the nose portion of the nailing machine; and, in the magazine, there is formed a nail passage and the leading end of the nail passage is butted against the nose portion and is formed in such a manner as shown in FIG. 4.
That is, in the side portion of the nose portion 2, there is formed a guide port 8 which is used to guide a nail supplied from the magazine 3, and the opening end of the nail passage 6 of the magazine 3 is butted against the opening end of the guide port 8, whereby a nail 5 stored within the nail passage 6 can be pushed out sequentially by a pusher 7 from the guide port 8 to a driving port 2a of the nose portion 2. Further, for smooth guidance of the nail 5 to the guide port 8, the width of the guide port 8 is set larger than the width of the nail passage 6, and guide portions 14 and 15 for guiding the nail 5 are formed in the opening end of the guide port 8. The guide portions 14 and 15 are respectively formed as inclined surfaces, and recessed portions 11 are respectively formed between the nail passage 6 and guide portions 14, 15.
However, according to the above-mentioned structure, normally, when the last nail is pushed by the pusher 7, the nail, with a portion thereof pressed against the corner portion of the pusher 7, is guided to the guide portion 14 of the recessed portion 11 at the opening end of the guide port 8 and is fed into the guide port 8. However, if the butting portion 16 of the nail to be butted against the inclined guide portion 14 and the pressing portion 17 of the nail to be pressed by the pusher 7 are situated almost on the opposite side to each other, the pressure by the pusher 7 acts on the nail 5 more strongly in the direction to press the nail 5 against the guide portion 14 than in the direction to feed the nail 5 into the nose portion 2. Therefore, there is a fear that the nail 5 may be caught by the guide portion 14 because the nail 5 is put between the guide portion 14 and the pusher 7 at the butting portion 16 and the pressing portion 17, respectively. In this case, the nail 5 cannot be fed into the driving port 2a; therefore, there is a fear that idle driving of nail may be caused by poor nail feeding.
The present invention aims at eliminating the above drawbacks found in the conventional structure. Accordingly, it is a first object of the invention to provide a structure for guiding nails to the nose portion of a nailing machine from a magazine thereof, which can guide the nails smoothly without the last one of the nails being caught in the opening end of the nose portion. Further, a second object of the invention is to provide a nailing machine including such a structure for guiding nails to the nose portion.
In order to attain the above objects, there is provided the following guiding structure for a nail in a nailing machine. The nailing machine includes a nailing machine main body, a magazine having a nail passage for supplying a nail, a pusher for pushing the nail, a nose portion disposed in a leading end portion of the nailing machine main body and having a driving port for driving the nail, and a guide port disposed on a side portion of the nose portion for guiding a nail to the driving port of the nose portion. The nail passage of the magazine is continuous with the guide port, and the nail in the nail passage is pushed from the guide port to the driving port of the nose portion by the pusher. The guiding structure includes an extended inner wall disposed to the guide port and extending to the nail passage of the magazine, wherein an end portion of the extended inner wail is continuous with a wall surface of the nail passage of the magazine.

Structure for guiding nail to nose portion of nailing machine


A multi-functional shoe storage box comprises a substantially transparent outer container defined by a bottom plate and first to fourth side plates, the first and second side plates facing each other, the third side plate facing the bottom plate, an opposing side of the fourth side plate being a side opening. A substantially transparent inner container defined by a bottom plate and first to fourth side plates, an opposing side of the inner container bottom plate being a top opening, the inner container first and second plates facing each other, the inner container third and fourth plates facing each other, whereby the inner container is slid through the side opening in and out of the outer container. A substantially transparent side tab extends from the outer container bottom plate and adjacent to the side opening, the side tab having a hole.

The present invention relates to a shoe storage box and, more particularly, to a multi-functional shoe storage box realizing see-through transparency to meet esthetic demand, wall-mount capacity to enhance product reliability, and deodorant application to maximize users' satisfaction.
Conventional shoe storage boxes come with paper containers. One of the disadvantages of the conventional paper shoe storage boxes is that each cover has to be opened for display on shoe racks and thus shoe pairs displaced to a different shoe storage box and tainted, thereby causing annoyances to the seller. Further, considering the shopper usually sees the label on the shoe storage box first, the inconveniences generated by the open paper shoe storage boxes, like unmatched design or shoe size by the frequent displacements, would probably disappoint the shoppers and affect the business itself.
A demand on the market is to provide a shoe storage box that allows shoppers to shop shoes in clean and convenient manners while shop owners enjoy a variety of display options to attract shoppers and satisfy shoppers needs.
Another demand is to introduce a shoe box that allows a user to see the shoes through the box container without opening the box.


A process for centrifugal slip casting a textured hollow tube. A slip made up of a carrier fluid and a suspended powder is introduced into a porous mold which is rotated at a speed sufficient to create a centrifugal force that forces the slip radially outward toward the inner surface of the mold. The suspended powder, which is formed of particles having large dimensional aspect ratios such as particles of superconductive BSCCO, settles in a textured fashion radially outward toward the mold surface. The carrier fluid of the slip passes by capillary action radially outward around the settled particles and into the absorbent mold. A layer of mold release material is preferably centrifugally slip cast to cover the mold inner surface prior to the introduction of the BSCCO slip, and the mold release layer facilitates removal of the BSCCO greenbody from the mold without fracturing.

This invention relates to the production of hollow cylinders or tubes, and, in particular, to producing a textured hollow tube by means of centrifugal slip casting anisometric materials to a preferred orientation against a liquid absorbent mold surface.
Powder processing of components such as tubes is advantageous in many circumstances, including where the melting temperature of the desired production material is sufficiently high that liquid casting and solidification of the entire component is impractical due to restrictions of the mold material or solidification direction or in cases in which phase changes or phase separation occurs on freezing the melt. Powder processing is also advantageous in other microstructural aspects such as grain size control and induced texture.
Current technology for some types of tube production relies on powder particles to be consolidated by means of cold-pressing or hot-pressing, or by traditional slip casting. Most common is cold-pressing or hot-pressing the precursor powder into a cylinder. The center of the cylinder is then removed by a machining process, such as drilling, boring, or grinding. Because many ceramic materials are difficult to machine, the removal of the center of the pressed cylinder can be very difficult and expensive. While it is possible to press a tube without having to remove the center, there is limited preferred orientation induced in this process when the tube wall thickness is small compared to the length of the tube due to die wall friction effects. Cold-pressing of materials relies completely on the rotation and fracturing of powder particles to obtain preferred orientation. Fracturing of the powder can often be detrimental because of the reduction in particle size. The amount of orientation induced by pressing varies with position inside the tube as well, also due to die wall friction effects. With axial pressing, the tube ends would obtain significant orientation with the long dimension of the particles parallel to the pressing surface. At the tube longitudinal center, minimal orientation benefits would be obtained. Consequently, these techniques have limited ability to produce textured tubular components. In other words, tubes and tube-shaped devices or components that can be or are currently made by mechanically consolidating precursor powders to form tubes are typically manufactured without inducing significant orientation to the constituent particles or grains.
Because randomly oriented components do not take advantage of anisotropic material properties, improvements to these tubular components may be made by inducing a preferred orientation of the powder particles within the tube. Many material properties are dependent upon the crystallographic direction orientation of the grains which constitute the bulk material. Aligning these grains in a desired direction takes advantage of the direction dependent properties. Some common direction dependent properties include fracture toughness, yield strength, current carrying capability, and piezoelectric effects. Production of textured tubes has potential advantages in fracture toughness, critical current, elasticity, and other crystal direction related properties of materials. Improving these properties through texturing allows improved efficiency and/or a reduction in the necessary quantity of material required compared to non-textured components.
Another known manner of producing tubes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,790, which involves centrifugally slip-casting a ceramic material. While teaching a method to provide a tube shaped product, this reference fails to expressly provide for higher levels of texturing and density which are desirable from the standpoint of improving the properties of tubes formed from anisometric materials having anisotropic properties. In another known process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,214, centrifugal forces are utilized to properly orient the grains of ceramic materials. However, because the cast material does not employ a slip carrier fluid which during casting passes through settled particles and into the mold, texture and density of the cast product are not further increased.
One beneficial application of tubular components involves superconductors. Tubular superconducting devices may be used to protect sensitive electronic equipment against stray electromagnetic fields. Tubular superconducting devices are also used to conduct electrical current more efficiently than metal wires, as such superconducting tubes, when cooled to very low temperatures by fluids flowing therein, have minimal to zero resistance. One relatively new type of superconducting material is a bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper oxide compound and is known as BSCCO, which advantageously functions at temperatures higher than many longer known superconductors. As BSCCO can be cooled to an operational temperature with liquid nitrogen rather than the significantly more expensive and less available colder liquid helium required for many longer known superconductors, BSCCO tubes may be cheaper to operate than other superconducting tubes. However, because BSCCO is composed of anisometric particles having anisotropic properties, texturing of these tubes is important to produce a tube which functions efficiently.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a process for producing tubes which obtains a highly textured and densified tube.

Process for slip casting textured tubular structures


A fully pipelined parallel multiplier with a fast clock cycle. The pipelined parallel multiplier contains three units: a bit-product matrix unit, a reduction unit, and an addition unit. The bit-product matrix is configured to receive two binary numbers, a multiplier and a multiplicand. A bit-product matrix is formed based on these two numbers. The bit-product matrix unit forms a first pipeline stage. The bit-product matrix is latched to the reduction unit using d-type latch circuits. The reduction unit includes a plurality of reduction stages, with each reduction stage acting as a pipeline stage. The reduction unit reduces the matrix down to a two-row matrix. Intermediate results are latched from one stage to the next using d-type latch circuits. The reduction unit also contains a plurality of half-adder and full-adder circuits. The final two-row matrix formed by the reduction unit is then latched to an addition unit. The addition unit includes one or more stages of addition, with each stage also acting as a pipeline stage. Carry lookahead adder (CLA) circuits are cascaded to perform the addition, with one CLA per addition stage. Results from each addition stage are latched to the next stage using d-type latch circuits. The output from the final stage is the final product of the multiplication.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to arithmetic circuits in computer and digital signal processing systems, and more specifically, to multiplier circuits used for performing high-speed multiplications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multipliers are one of the basic circuits of digital arithmetic. The speed at which a multiplier can deliver the product of two binary numbers becomes critical in certain applications where repetitive multiplications are required. Applications requiring repetitive multiplications include various digital signal processing functions, such as Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters, and 3D rendering. Such applications require both high throughput and fast response time. The design of multipliers employed in these applications can have a significant effect on overall application performance.
Since multiplication is essentially repeated addition, it stands to reason that digital multipliers rely heavily on adder circuits. Commonly used adder circuits include the half-adder, the full-adder, and the carry-lookahead adder. The half adder takes two 1-bit inputs, and returns two outputs, a sum bit and a carry bit. A full adder returns the same outputs, but it has an extra input, known as a carry-in. The carry-in input is configured to receive a carry-out bit from an addition of lower-order bits. Because of the carry-in, full-adders can be cascaded to allow the addition of numbers larger than one bit. An adder formed by cascading several full adders is known as a ripple carry adder.
One problem with ripple carry adders is the fact that a carry generated at the lowest order bit position must be propagated through each subsequent bit position in a sequential manner. Such propagation adds a significant amount of time to the addition process. One solution to this problem is the carry-lookahead adder (CLA). In a CLA, the carry in bit is presented to each bit position in the adder, and is combined with the operand bits to either generate or propagate a carry. Therefore, the carry-in bit is not required to propagate through multiple stages sequentially as in a ripple carry adder. The CLA will require extra circuitry over a ripple carry adder. However, since the carry is not required to ripple through each stage sequentially, it can perform additions at a significantly greater speed.
Parallel array multipliers are a commonly used multiplier circuit in systems where increased performance is required. In one type of parallel array multiplier, the first step performed is the formation of a bit-product matrix. A bit-product matrix is simply an array of bit-products formed by multiplication of the individual bits of the two numbers being multiplied, a multiplicand and a multiplier. Formation of a bit-product matrix may become complicated in certain situations, such as multiplying signed numbers. In such cases, a specialized method for bit-product matrix formation may be required. Two common methods of bit-product matrix formation are the Baugh-Wooley method (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,030), and the Hatamian-Cash method. FIG. 1 is an illustration of a bit-product matrix formed by an 8-bit multiplicand and a 4-bit multiplier using the Baugh-Wooley method.
After the formation of a bit-product matrix, many multipliers simply add the rows of the matrix to obtain the final product. However, the efficiency of this process suffers as the number of bits in the multiplier and multiplicand become larger. One solution to this problem is to use a reduction scheme. Luigi Dadda proposes several such schemes in his paper entitled Some Schemes for Parallel Multipliers (1965). Each of these schemes, referred to Dadda reduction schemes, employs combinational parallel counter circuits (not to be confused with sequential, or clocked, counter circuits). These parallel counters are used to reduce the number of rows until only two rows remain, a sum row and a carry row. The sum row and carry row are then added to form the final product of the multiplication. A multiplier employing a reduction scheme will typically be significantly faster than a one that simply adds the rows of the bit-product matrix.
The reduction of a bit-product matrix is accomplished in a number of steps. For example, in one reduction scheme, a bit-product matrix formed from two 8-bit numbers using the Baugh-Wooley method will produce a matrix having two rows. Reduction of this matrix will require five steps using a Dadda reduction scheme. The first step of the reduction will involve receiving the ten-row matrix and reducing it to nine rows. The second step will reduce nine rows to six rows. The third step of the reduction reduces the matrix from six rows to four rows, the fourth step from four rows to three rows, and the fifth step from three rows to two rows. In a typical reduction unit, the entire reduction is performed in one action using combinational logic.
The final two rows are then added to form the final product of the multiplication.
Typically, the addition of the final two rows is performed by cascading several adders together. For example, if the final product is to be 16 bits wide, the final two rows may be added by cascading four 4-bit CLA""s. The CLA circuits will add the two rows, four bits at a time, from the lowest order bits to the highest order bits.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a parallel array multiplier employing a reduction scheme. The multiplier is configured to receive, at the bit-product matrix unit, two binary numbers: a multiplier and a multiplicand. These numbers can be any number of bits, but will typically be 8 bits, 16 bits, or other integral powers of two. The multiplier forms a bit-product matrix, which is then reduced to a two-row matrix in the reduction unit. The two rows of this matrix are then added in the addition unit. The final output of the addition unit is the product of the multiplication.
Although the bit-product matrix formation, reduction, and addition are shown as separate blocks in the figure, the internal logic of the multiplier in FIG. 2 is combinational logic, so the entire multiplication is performed in one clock cycle.
Since the multiplier of FIG. 2 performs the entire multiplication in one clock cycle, the clock cycle must be long enough to allow all operations to complete before beginning a new multiplication. This can have a limiting effect on the clock speed due to the large amount of combinational logic used. This problem is compounded for larger operands, as additional steps of reduction require additional levels of logic, resulting in a higher gate delay. The fact that the multiplier can perform only one multiplication at a time limits throughput even further. It would be desirable to create a multiplier circuit that would allow for increased throughput, and thus higher performance. One way to achieve higher throughput is with a faster clock cycle. Thus, it would also be desirable to create a multiplier circuit with a faster clock cycle.
The problems outlined above may in large part be solved by a fully pipelined parallel multiplier with a fast clock cycle, as described herein. In one embodiment, a pipelined parallel multiplier circuit utilizes each step of both the reduction process and the addition process as pipeline stages. Circuits within the multiplier include a d-type latch circuit, a half-adder circuit, a full adder circuit, and a 4-bit carry-lookahead adder (CLA) circuit. Each of these circuits is configured to generate and/or receive required logic signals and their corresponding complements. The use of these circuits enables the individual stages of a reduction scheme and an addition scheme to be used as pipeline stages. The d-type latch circuits are particularly important, as they are used to latch results from stage to stage within the multiplier, and thus dominate the hardware complexity of the multiplier. The overall scheme is generally applicable to any combination of a bit-product matrix formation and reduction scheme.
In one particular embodiment, the fully pipelined parallel multiplier includes a bit-product matrix unit, a reduction unit, and an addition unit. The first stage of the multiplier pipeline is the bit-product matrix unit. This unit is configured to receive two binary numbers, a multiplicand and a multiplier. Typically, these two numbers will be of the same bit size (i.e. the same number of bits), although other embodiments may multiply two numbers of different bit sizes. The bit-product matrix unit then forms a matrix of partial products based on these two numbers, known as a bit-product matrix. A reduction unit, configured to receive the bit-product matrix, will then begin to reduce the matrix until only two rows remain.
The reduction of the bit-product matrix is accomplished in stages, and each of these stages is utilized as an individual pipeline stage. When the intermediate results of a first multiplication operation complete a particular stage, the stage may begin to process the intermediate results of a second multiplication operation. The number of stages in the reduction is dependent upon the particular scheme used and the size of the operands that the bit-product matrix unit is configured to receive. For example, if the bit-product matrix unit is configured to receive two 8-bit numbers, the reduction will require five different stages for one particular reduction scheme. In general, the reduction scheme will include M stages of reduction, where M is logarithmically proportional to the word size of the operands, assuming both the multiplier and multiplicand are of the same bit size. The final stage of the reduction results in a matrix of two rows, typically one row of sum bits and one row of carry bits. This two-row matrix is then received by the addition unit.
The addition unit adds the two rows of the received matrix, utilizing one or more cascaded adders. Each stage of the addition is also used as a pipeline stage. The number of required stages is dependent upon both the size of the operands and the size of the adders used. For example, if two 8-bit numbers are multiplied, they will produce a 16-bit product. By cascading four 4-bit CLA""s, the final addition can be performed in four stages. The output of the final stage of the addition is the final product of the multiplication.
Thus, in various embodiments, the fully pipelined parallel multiplier may provide an advantageous increase in performance. By performing each step of the reduction and addition processes as pipeline stages, the clock cycle for each stage can be shortened. Furthermore, multiplications can be pipelined. This may result in an advantageous increase in throughput. The multiplier need not complete a multiplication before beginning another.

Fully pipelined parallel multiplier with a fast clock cycle


A main controlling portion controls each portion of a facsimile system, and when a communication controlling portion receives facsimile communication information from a sender indicated by predetermined sender information stored in a storing portion, causes a LAN controlling portion to notify a notify party indicated by notify party information associated with the received sender information of notification information only when determining that a predetermined notification condition is satisfied. It is possible to notify of the notification information only when the predetermined notification condition desired by a user is satisfied, and it is possible to increase convenience. Moreover, consequently, the facsimile system does not execute an operation process of notifying of the notification information when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, so that it is possible to prevent a wasteful operation process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile system that, when receiving facsimile communication information, notifies a predetermined notify party of the reception.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a prior art, there is a facsimile apparatus that receives image data and address information of a destination thereof by facsimile communication via the public switched telephone network, writes an arrival notification mail for notifying that the image data has arrived on the basis of the address information of the destination, and sends the written arrival notification mail to a server on a network (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 10-107944 (1998), for example).
When the facsimile apparatus of the prior art receives image data by facsimile communication, it always notifies that the image data has been received. Therefore, even when a user does not want to notify that image data has been received by facsimile communication, the apparatus notifies, so that there is a problem such that it is inconvenient. Moreover, the facsimile apparatus executes a process for notification even when the user does not want to notify, so that there is a problem such that waste of processes increases.


The present invention provides an automatic door flusher which uses one floating urethane flushing block, at least two tractor elements for urging the flushing block toward the body and urging the door toward the floating flushing block. The tractor elements can be pneumatic suction cups.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to automobile manufacturing and, more particularly, to an automatic door flusher to flush a door of a vehicle to an adjacent body panel during manufacturing.
2. Discussion
In the assembly of automobiles, surface alignment of vehicle doors to the vehicle body is critical. The process to ensure this alignment is known as flushing. Failure to keep these surfaces flush results in poor aesthetic vehicle appearance and increased aerodynamic drag. The aerodynamic drag results in reduced vehicle fuel economy and performance.
In automobile assembly plants, flushing of doors to an adjacent body panel occurs in an assembly line generally after most of the vehicle is assembled but before painting of the vehicle surface. Before the door and body panel are flushed, the door is attached to the vehicle by its hinges. The door is maintained in a closed position by bungee cords attached to the door and interior of the vehicle. Traditionally, proper flushing of a door to an adjacent body panel required manual application of a magnetic block to the vehicle door and to the adjacent body panel. The block acts to bridge the door and body panel and pull the door against the force of the bungee cord thereby flushing the two surfaces.
Increased quality standards, such as 100% in-line inspection, requires automakers to automate the flushing process to maintain throughput (speed at which the vehicles are produced) with the increased quality standards. As a result, automatic tooling was developed which provides moving a flushing block with mechanisms such as slide units or dump units to a position adjacent to the door and body surface. The slide or dump units physically move the flushing block to a position next to the vehicle body and door. Like the magnetic block, when the flushing block is next to the vehicle body and door, the flushing block is used to flush the respective surfaces of the vehicle body and door. When the door is flush, measurements are taken to determine if the door is in the proper position. If the door is not in the proper position, then adjustments can be made to the vehicle door assembly process.
However, there are some drawbacks to this conventional automatic tooling as presently operated. First, conventional automatic tooling uses flushing blocks made from steel or other rigid materials. When this material contacts the vehicle body surface, it can dent or scratch the surfaces. Second, when the flushing block is improperly positioned, due to inherent body and design variations, the flushing block may not contact the body if positioned too far away or may dent the body surface if positioned too close. The present invention overcomes these drawbacks.


The present invention provides a fluid collection and drug testing device that includes a fluid collector, to collect a fluid sample, and a housing to test and retain the fluid sample. The housing includes a collection chamber, having an open end to receive the fluid collector, at least one membrane test strip, in fluid communication with the collection chamber, to indicate the presence or absence of at least one test drug, and an immunoassay-based fingerprint acquisition pad, in fluid communication with the collection chamber, to positively identify the test subject and associate the test subject with the fluid sample.

Drug testing has become ubiquitous in modern society. From the workplace, to athletics, to law enforcement, etc., effective, inexpensive and reliable drug testing devices have been sought. The marketplace has responded and is replete with many such devices directed to the testing of blood, urine or saliva. However, these devices may require a series of tests involving the shifting of the fluid sample being tested to different containers and/or the removal of the fluid sample to distant locations. One simple test device includes a single card containing several membrane test strips, the exposed ends of which are dipped into a fluid sample. One company, Craig Medical Distribution, Inc., advertises several urine and saliva-based drug test devices (See, http://www.craigmedical.com/products.htm, visited January 2006).
Oftentimes, the chain of custody associated with these devices imbues the results with doubt, as the fluid sample may become contaminated, misplaced or a different fluid sample may be substituted entirely. For the membrane test strip device described above, the fluid sample may not even be retained. In many instances, identification of the test subject associated with the fluid sample is critically dispositive. Moreover, further confirmation testing of the fluid sample, using more sophisticated tests and analyses, is often required. These goals are practically impossible to achieve using current devices and methods. Thus, a need exists in the industry to combine the simplicity of current membrane test strip technology with the ability to positively identify the test subject, as well as the capability to secure the fluid sample for later confirmation, within a single device.

Integrated screening and confirmation device


The present disclosure provides, in some examples, a method, a system, and a computer program for vectorizing a QR code with an image in an online store or platform, digitizing the QR code with associated image, printing the QR code with the image on a sublimation/heat transfer paper, placing the paper onto a fabric, loading a cutter machine with the fabric, cutting the fabric into a patch with design details of QR code, and placing the patch onto a garment.

Quick response ("QR") codes are popular ways to easily search for an image, bitmoji or a variety of other associated items in an online database. For instance, a smartphone needs only to capture an image of the QR code, and it can be associated with a variety of features and services.

Method and system for embroidering a garment


A process for producing a molded material that can form metallic glass material in a state of lower viscosity, and can manufacture a small structure of several 10 μm or less in a comparatively short time while precisely controlling shape thereof, by the process comprising a heating step of heating supercooled state metallic glass material or a solid metallic glass material at a temperature increase rate of 0.5 K/s to a temperature at or higher than a temperature at which a crystallization process for a supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material begins, and a molding step of transfer molding the metallic glass material until the crystallization process for the supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material has been completed. In addition, the purpose is also to provide the molded material that has been formed by this process, a wavefront control element, and a diffraction grating.

It is necessary in e.g., X-ray interferometers and neutron interferometers to precisely control the wavefront of X-rays and neutron beams. For this necessity, wavefront control elements used need to have a precisely controlled accurate shape. The wavefront control elements used in particular for X-ray Talbot interferometers and neutron Talbot interferometers are diffraction gratings. To provide diffraction gratings that have enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution, diffraction gratings with a shorter period and a highly-precise shape have been demanded.
A diffraction grating for X-ray Talbot interferometers that is conventionally obtained by the present inventors is one made from metallic glass which is produced by subjecting a supercooled Pd-based metallic glass material to transfer molding at a temperature increase rate of 0.33 K/s and as a result has concavity with a depth of about 10 μm and a concavity-convexity period of 8 μm (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 1). This diffraction grating is produced with reference to an amorphous alloy production process (described in, for example, Patent Literature 1) which involves heating an amorphous alloy material at a temperature increase rate of 100 K/s or more to a temperature falling in a range between a glass transition temperature (Tg) and a crystallization temperature (Tx), and at the temperature in that range the amorphous alloy material is molded into a supercooled amorphous alloy material, which is then cooled to produce the amorphous alloy.
A process developed for obtaining diffraction gratings for neutron Talbot interferometers involves injecting Gadox (Gd sulfate) powder into a Si substrate grating to allow the powder to penetrate into the substrate grating, followed by solidification, in order to produce a Gadox diffraction grating (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 2). The diffraction grating obtained by this process has concavity with a depth of 500 μm and a concavity-convexity period of 477 μm.
A process developed for obtaining diffraction gratings with a shorter period involves spraying Gd vapor from upward obliquely onto a Si diffraction grating mold to deposit the Gd vapor on the Si mold in order to produce a Gd diffraction grating (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 3). The diffraction grating obtained by this process has concavity with a depth of about 11 μm and a concavity-convexity period of about 4 μm.
Meanwhile, in heating a La—Al—Ni-based metallic glass material lying at a supercooled state at a prescribed temperature increase rate, the application of a higher temperature increase rate has been known to lead to a lower minimum viscosity coefficient of the material, i.e., a lower viscosity coefficient of the material lying immediately before arriving at a crystallization temperature (see, for example, Non-Patent Literature 4).

Process for producing molded material, molded material, wavefront control element and diffraction grating


An improved reinforcing fiber for concrete is formed with two types of anchors positioned adjacent to each axial end of the fiber. A drag anchor which frictionally resist being pulled from the concrete without fiber breakage and a dead anchor between the drag anchor and adjacent axial end of the fiber, the dead end engages the concrete to develop stresses at a weakened point in the fiber formed between the drag anchor and its adjacent dead anchor to break the fiber or deform the dead anchor before maximum tensile strength of the fiber is reached so that the dead anchor functions to maximize the load carrying capacity while at the same time protecting against fiber rupture and the drag anchor continues to function after release of the weak point of the fiber.

Concrete is considered a brittle material because of its low tensile strength and strain and thus requires reinforcement for example steel reinforcement rod such as rebar to provide a structural concrete generally known as reinforced concrete.
Another form or method of reinforcing concrete is to form a composite incorporating short fibers such as steel fibers, which typically have a length of approximately 25 mm (1 inch). By dispersing these fibers throughout the concrete, the fracture toughness of the concrete can be increased several times so that the amount of energy consumed prior to rupture is significantly greater. One form of concrete wherein the fiber reinforcing is especially attractive is concrete known as Shotcrete which is a form of concrete having dispersed therein a plurality of fibers that are sprayed together with the cement, water and aggregate to produce a fiber reinforced Shotcrete when the cement sets in situ. Approximately, 50% of the total worldwide steel fiber demand is consumed by Shotcrete.
One of the major problems with steel fibers used in Shotcrete is known as "rebound" which occurs when the dry-mix Shotcrete mixture of cement aggregate and fiber is sprayed or shot into position in that a high proportion of the fibers fails to become embedded in the resultant concrete and thus, are wasted. For example, with commercially available fibers which generally have a diameter of about 0.5 mm (some flat fibers are also used) and a length of about 25 mm as much as 75% of the steel fiber may rebound and not be present in situ in the final concrete.
It is recognized that reinforcing fibers being pulled out of the concrete matrix at cracks is the main mechanism that allows steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) to be more ductile than unreinforced concrete. Thus, all commercial reinforcing fibers presently available in the market, are deformed at the ends or along their length, to enhance the anchorage of the fiber with the concrete matrix and generate a greater pullout resistance.
The state-of-the-art in fiber design may be divided into two large groups with respect to their anchorage mechanisms, namely a "dead anchor" and a "drag anchor".
Dead anchors generally are produced by deforming the fiber with a hook or cone adjacent to each of its ends. Under stress, in an aligned fiber (i.e. under axial tension) the anchor is generally designed to fail (e.g. pullout) at a maximum resistance below the strength of the steel. However, these dead anchors, after failure, have a significantly reduced capacity to resist pullout displacement.
Drag anchors generally are formed by enlarging the fiber adjacent to its end in such a way that during pullout, the enlargement generates friction with the matrix as the fiber is dragged out of the concrete. This type of fiber generally develops a lower maximum pullout resistance as compared to the dead anchor but its effect tends to last for a greater pullout displacement and therefore a greater pullout energy is consumed by the end of the pullout process.
Various types of anchoring mechanism are shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,713 issued Nov. 28, 1989 to Destree et al. which shows reinforcing fiber with an expanded head at each axial end of the fiber and U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,830 issued Jun. 1, 1993 to Cinti which shows a metal wire reinforcing fiber with a straight central portion and offset anchoring parts at opposite ends. Canadian patent 2,094,543 published Nov. 9, 1993 inventor Nemegeer which discloses a fiber with hooked ends.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,918 issued Aug. 22, 1995 to Banthia et al. discloses a metal fiber for reinforcing cement based material which incorporates sinusoidal shape end portions deformed in a specific manner tailored in accordance with the fiber and matrix properties to obtain the desired composite toughness in the resultant composite.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,471 issued Sep. 19, 1995 to Over et al. describes a reinforcement fiber deformed near both of its ends over a selected distance so that a selected amount of the undeformed portion of the fiber is between the deformities. The fibers are also provided with a large number of notches that extend at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the fiber and increase pullout resistance of the fiber when used as reinforcement in the concrete matrix.


A system for supplying fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors of a gas turbine engine is disclosed having first and second fuel distributors and a fuel transfer device which enables fuel to flow from the fuel source to the first and second fuel distributors as a function of the fuel flow rate. The fuel transfer device enables fuel to flow through the first fuel distributor under low fuel flow conditions. The first fuel distributor sequentially supplies fuel to each of a plurality of groups of fuel injectors when the fuel flow rate is below a predetermined threshold value. When the fuel flow exceeds a high threshold value, the fuel transfer device enables fuel to flow through the second fuel distributor which supplies fuel to all of the fuel injectors of the engine.

The present invention relates to a system for supplying fuel to a plurality of fuel injectors of a gas turbine engine. More particularly, the system is intended for use in gas turbine engines having aircraft applications.
At present, gas turbine engines in both civilian and military aircraft use incorporate fuel supply systems where the fuel to be consumed in the combustion chamber is supplied continuously by a simple fuel supply circuit. Fuel pumps feed the fuel to a fuel metering device and subsequently through a fuel distribution system which simultaneously supplies the metered fuel to all of the fuel injectors. The fuel metering device is suitably set by a drive means and the excess fuel is returned to the fuel pump intakes through a bypass flap valve, also set by the drive means. Since all of the injectors are supplied with fuel at low fuel flows, with low local richness in the combustion chamber, the combustion stability is difficult to achieve using these known systems.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,552,123 and 3,587,231 disclose sequential fuel control systems for jet engines in which a specified and predetermined number of fuel injectors are fed with fuel in a predetermined sequence. At low power outputs of the jet engine, the fuel distribution is not homogeneous.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,376 discloses a fuel supply system for a gas turbine engine in which fuel is supplied to the engine through three fuel flow regulating circuits in parallel between a common fuel intake aperture and a common fuel outlet aperture making it possible to simultaneously feed all of the fuel injectors.

Fuel supply system for gas turbine engines

Societe Nationale d'Etude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation ("S.N.E.C.M.A.")


An embodiment of a camera module comprises: a lens portion; a front body on which the lens portion is mounted; a substrate portion arranged to be spaced from the lens portion in a first direction and coupled to the front body; an image sensor arranged on the substrate portion and provided to face the lens portion; a first fastener, one side of which is inserted into the front body such that at least a part of the substrate portion is coupled to the front body; and a first attachment portion arranged between the front body and the substrate portion, wherein the first attachment portion may comprise at least one through-hole formed between the front body and the substrate portion so as to couple the front body and the substrate portion.

The content described in this part merely provides background information related to embodiments and does not constitute the related art.
A camera module for various uses may be installed in a vehicle. For example, a camera module for ensuring rear vision during vehicle parking may be installed on a rear body of the vehicle.
In addition, a camera module may also be used in a vehicle black box that has been recently and very usefully used to track details of accident, cause of accident, and so on when a traffic accident occurs. In accordance with current trends, a camera module has been gradually used as a recognition device for clearly and easily recognize a situation of a blind spot that is difficult to check with the unaided eye by a driver or passenger of a vehicle.
In accordance with recent trends, so called smart cars, that is, vehicles including a collision warning system for pre-detecting and preparing for front and rear collision possibility of a vehicle, a collision avoidance system for directly avoiding collision between driving vehicles by a control device installed in the vehicle instead of by driving of a driver, or the like have been increasingly manufactured and related technologies of the smart cars have been increasingly developed.
Camera modules have been increasingly used as a recognition device of an external situation of such a smart car and, accordingly, in accordance with current trends, vehicle camera modules have been increasingly produced and technologies thereof have also been increasingly developed.
A camera module may include an image sensor that is disposed at a position to face a lens in an optical axis direction. During assembly of the camera module, a focal point of the lens is disposed at a position within a design range on the image sensor.
However, there is the possibility that a position of a focal point of a lens is outside a design range during an assembly procedure of the camera module and, accordingly, there is a need to overcome this.
In addition, some components are deformed or damaged during the assembly procedure of the camera module and, accordingly, there is a need to overcome this.


A 3D volumetric display system is configured to generate 3D diagnostic displays of 3D volumetric data acquired from a patient by an imaging system in a virtual-reality environment and to permit a user to conduct diagnostic interpretation of images in the virtual-reality environment and to permit the user to interact with the 3D diagnostic displays.

There are many medical imaging systems used to acquire medical images suitable for diagnosing disease or injury. These include X-ray, CT scanner, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and nuclear medicine systems. These medical imaging systems are capable of acquiring large amounts of image data during a patient scan. The medical imaging devices are generally networked with a central image management system, such as Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).
In most cases, the image data is acquired as a series of contiguous two-dimensional (2D) slice images for diagnostic interpretation. For example, 100 to 1000 2D images may be acquired and viewed one at a time by scrolling through all the 2D images by the physician to diagnose the disease or injury. As a result, the physician is faced with the formidable task of viewing all the acquired 2D images to locate the region of interest where the disease or injury has occurred and then to select the diagnostically most useful images. As the image data sets get larger, this method of scrolling through the 2D images using a computer mouse by the physician and viewing each image becomes very time consuming and monotonous.
What is needed therefore is a system and method to improve diagnostic process and workflow through advanced visualization and user-interface technologies. What is also needed is a system and method of conducting diagnostic interpretation of the image data in a virtual-reality environment. What is also needed is a system and method of interacting with a patient's anatomy to conduct diagnostic interpretation of the image data by using tactile feedback on a variety of anatomical structures. What is also needed is a system and method of enabling a physician to contact and to manipulate the images for diagnosing anomalies in the virtual-reality environment. What is also needed is a graphical user interface (GUI) to permit an operator to use his/her hands to interactively manipulate virtual objects. These improvements would give physicians an ability to quickly navigate through a large image data set and would provide more efficient workflow. It should be understood, of course, that embodiments of the invention may also be used to meet other needs in addition to and/or instead of those set forth above.

GE Medical Systems Information Technologies


Systems and methods are disclosed for particle monitoring. An exemplary method includes confining a flowable sample which is opaque to at least a first range of wavelengths of light waves; measuring transparency of the flowable sample; compressing the flowable sample in a first direction while confining the sample in a second direction parallel to a flow direction of the flowable sample and orthogonal to the first direction, while elongating the sample in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions. When the sample is compressed in the first direction, the sample becomes transparent to at least one of the wavelengths in the first range of wavelengths, and the method can include identifying characteristics of particles contained in the sample which has been compressed.

1. Field
The subject matter presented herein relates generally to the field of monitoring particles in a flowable sample, such as a slurry, emulsion or suspension.
2. Background Information
Liquid systems with high particulate concentrations are known. Examples of such systems are slurries used in chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) processes for the semiconductor industry and emulsions used in the pharmaceutical industry.
Optical methods of detection and characterization have been used for monitoring particle parameters in gas and liquid media. U.S. Pat. No. 6,710,874 to Mavliev discloses an apparatus and method for the optical characterization of particles in highly concentrated systems and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Systems and methods for in-line monitoring of particles in opaque flows


According to the invention, there are provided a novel process for preparing an anti-scaling coating on the walls of a polymerization vessel by using aromatic compounds reacted with sodium hydroxymethanesulphinate, and an anti-scaling coating obtained by this novel process.

At the present state of the art there are also different types of anti-scalers, (by anti-scaler or anti-scalers, anti-scaling agents is intended) for each type of polymer and for each of these there are different methods of application to form an anti-scaling coating on the inside of the reactors themselves.
For example the anti-scaler and its application technique for the polymerization of the vinyl chloride is not the same as that used in the reactor for the production of polystyrene or for the production of acrylic polymers, and so on.
This fact necessitates in the storing of various products, spraying and application devices with all the consequences of high management costs.

Polymerization process with anti-scaling agents


An object of the present invention is to provide a coating composition used for a golf ball, which is superior in not only abrasion resistance and impact resistance but also weather resistance to a conventional coating used for a golf ball.

The present invention relates to a coating composition used for a golf ball and a golf ball coated with the coating composition.
Finishing with a coating has been applied to a golf ball for the purpose of protecting a surface of the ball and to maintain the appearance thereof. As such a coating used for a golf ball, there is known a urethane coating containing a main agent comprising a polyol component and a curing agent comprising a polyisocyanate component, which are cured with each other in the presence of a catalyst. Impact resistance and abrasion resistance of a coat film formed on a surface of a golf ball can be improved using the urethane coating, and a golf ball resistant to repeated strokes with a golf club has been developed.
For example, as such a coating used for a golf ball which can exhibit superior impact resistance and abrasion resistance, JP-A 8-206255 proposes a coating composition used for a golf ball, which comprises an acrylic polyol, a polyester polyol or its product modified with an aliphatic acid and a curing agent. In said JP-A, it is described that there can be obtained a coating composition capable of providing a golf ball superior in impact resistance and abrasion resistance, and little in scratch even at the time of a bunker shot.
However, the coating now used for the surface finishing of a golf ball has been increasingly desired to have higher quality and higher performance, and it has been clarified that a conventional urethane coating has a limit to improve the impact resistance and abrasion resistance of the obtained coat film. Further, the coating used for a golf ball has been desired to be difficult to scratch and to have impact resistant and abrasion resistant characteristics, so that it is resistant to repeated strokes with a golf club. In recent years, the coating used for a golf ball has been strongly desired to have also superior weather resistance, so that it is hardly deteriorated even when used outdoors for a long period of time.

Coating composition used for golf ball and golf ball using the same

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a coating composition used for a golf ball, which comprises (A) a polyester- and/or polyether-containing acrylic polyol having a hydroxyl value of from 30 to 180 mg KOH/g(solid) and (B) a polyisocyanate, wherein the component (A) is composed of a main chain comprising an acrylic polymer and a side chain comprising a polyester and/or a polyether, and a molar ratio of an isocyanate group in the component (B) to a hydroxyl group in the component (A), [NCO]/[OH], is from 0.5 to 1.5.


An apparatus, circuit, and method are provided herein for locating and extracting a plurality of matching entries from one or more databases stored within a Content Addressable Memory (CAM) device. The apparatus, circuit, and method may locate the plurality of matching entries by comparing variations of a single search key to the entire database of entries. In other words, a number of bits may be stored within each of the database entries as a descriptor field. When searching for a particular entry or entries, a corresponding descriptor field included within (or appended to) the search key may be modified, after at least one matching entry is found, for locating and extracting additional entries matching the original search key. Use of the descriptor field, therefore, enables the circuit and method to locate and extract a potentially unlimited number of entries matching the original search key. The circuit and method may be used for extracting ‘k’ matching entries, the first ‘k’ matching entries, or all entries matching the original search key.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to searchable database applications and, more particularly, to circuits and methods for locating and extracting a plurality of matching entries by comparing variations of a single search key to a database of entries.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
A communication network is generally recognized as an interconnection of forwarding devices that process and send packets of information across the network. The network can either be an Internet or an Intranet and the forwarding devices can be gateways, bridges, switches, or routers. One objective of the forwarding devices is to reliably forward the packets from a source to a destination.
In whatever form, a forwarding device typically includes one or more lookup tables. An incoming destination address (or other search key) is derived from a packet of information and compared against entries stored within the lookup table. Resulting from the search, the associated packet of information may be processed according to a set of rules and sent to an appropriate output port of the forwarding device. As links of the network change, routing protocols exchange information among the forwarding devices in order to change the entries stored within the corresponding lookup tables. This change will modify not only the entries within the lookup table, but also the next-hop identifiers or other associated data pointed to by the addresses of those entries. Routing through the forwarding devices can, therefore, be changed dynamically as links go down and come back up in various parts of the Internet or Intranet.
A popular implementation of the lookup table involves content-addressable memory (CAM) device. One important feature of a CAM is that fairly fast searches can be undertaken of any database, list, pattern, image, or voice-recognition data stored within a computer or a component within a communications network. For example, memory searches can be quickly performed in a CAM by comparing a search key against each of the CAM entries in parallel. As a result, CAM devices are often employed in network equipment (e.g., forwarding devices), computer systems and other devices that benefit from rapid content searching.
To enable rapid searching, CAMs are often organized differently than other memory devices (e.g., a random access memory, or RAM). In a RAM, for example, data is stored in a particular location, called an address. When conducting a memory search within a RAM, the address of a memory location is supplied to retrieve the data stored in that memory location. In a CAM, however, data is often stored in a random fashion. The locations at which data is stored within a CAM can be arbitrary. For example, the locations may be selected by an address, or the data may simply be written into the first available memory location. Once data is stored in a CAM, the stored data can be found by comparing all of the CAM entries with input data (i.e., a search key) placed in a comparand register. When the content stored in a CAM memory location does not match the data placed in the comparand register, the CAM device returns a "no match" indication. If a match is found, however, the CAM device returns a "match" indication by asserting the match line for that entry. The CAM device will also return the address of the memory location in which the matching data is stored. A CAM thereby operates opposite that of a conventional memory device by receiving data, and returning a matching CAM index, address, or location.
For every CAM entry that matches the data in the comparand register, a corresponding match line will be asserted to indicate a match condition. If the data in the comparand register matches more than one CAM entry, the match lines corresponding to each of the matching CAM entries are asserted, along with a "multiple match" flag to indicate a multiple match condition. The match line signals from each CAM block are combined in a priority encoder to determine the address of the highest-priority matching CAM entry. In some cases, the highest-priority matching entry may be the "longest-matching prefix entry," or the CAM entry containing the greatest number of most significant bits matching the search key. In any case, the address of the highest-priority matching entry (i.e., the CAM index) may be extracted from the CAM and forwarded to a memory location (specified by the CAM index) of an associated memory device. The associated memory device (e.g., an associated RAM device) may then direct the packet of information to an appropriate output port of the forwarding device.
Though various methods have been devised for detecting multiple match conditions, no methods currently exist for easily extracting a potentially unlimited number of entries matching a single search key. In some cases, a valid bit may be stored within each of the CAM entries. The valid bit may be set for each valid entry in the CAM (i.e., each memory location containing useful stored data) so that only the valid CAM entries will be searched. In order to extract multiple matching entries from the CAM, a first matching entry must be invalidated (to exclude that entry from further searches) before the search key is re-issued to find a next matching entry. Though multiple matching entries may be found in this manner, it is undesirably slow and cannot be implemented within multi-threaded systems (such as today's packet processors), which require multiple threads to have simultaneous access to the CAM device.
To accommodate multi-threaded systems, the above method may utilize a plurality of valid bits per CAM entry, one for every thread sharing the CAM device. However, the number of valid bits needed is directly proportional to the number of threads requiring simultaneous access to the CAM device. Though conventional methods may include up to 8 valid bits for supporting up to 8 threads, they cannot provide a viable solution for many of today's multi-threaded packet processors, which may contain between 32 and 128 threads. Since each CAM entry contains a fixed number of bits (e.g., about 72 to 576 bits or more), allocating an increasing number of those bits to a valid bit field may ultimately prevent any data from being stored within the CAM entries.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved method for extracting a potentially unlimited number of CAM entries matching a single search key. The improved method may be used in modern applications, which require 'k' matches, the first 'k' matches or all entries matching a particular search key to be extracted from a CAM device. Unlike conventional methods, the improved method may be equally applied to single-threaded systems and multi-threaded systems with substantially any number of threads.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Circuit, apparatus, and method for extracting multiple matching entries from a content addressable memory (CAM) device


An improved brake drum and method for machining and balancing a brake drum are provided. The inner facing surface and the outer facing surface of the brake drum are machined. The inner and outer faces of the hub end of the brake drum are also machined. The machining is accomplished in a single operation that results in a radially balanced brake drum.

The present invention relates to brake drums and, in particular, to improved finished and balanced brake drums and a method of finishing and balancing such brake drums.
Most brake drums for trucks and similar heavy duty vehicles are comprised of a cast iron brake drum that is subsequently machined to near final tolerances. Typically, the machined brake drum has a slight imbalance that needs to be corrected. Accordingly, the brake drum is subjected to a balancing operation after machining. Such balancing can comprise welding correcting weights to an outer surface of the drum or removing part of the brake drum.
In particular, brake drums that have an integral raised squealer band extending from near an open end of the brake drum can be balanced by removing a portion of the squealer band. Such balancing by removing a portion of the squealer band to a constant or substantially constant depth is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,855. Another method of balancing is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,149, which discloses the removing of a crescent or wedge of material from the integral squealer band. It is desirable to provide a machined and balanced brake drum, and a method for machining and balancing such a brake drum.