Apparatus and methods are provided for producing electrolytic water using three chambers, rigid plates and ion exchange membranes. Benefits include reduced scale production and increased long-term bactericidal effects of the water produced.

Acidic electrolytic water and alkaline electrolytic water have been produced by electrolyzing water that has a small amount of an electrolyte added. Acidic electrolytic water produced by this method has a hydrogen ion concentration (pH) in a range of 2.0 to 3.5 (generally 2.2 to 3.0), shows at least 1100 mV oxidation reduction potential (ORP), and contains at least 10 ppm free chlorine (also known as effective chlorine; primarily hypochlorous acid below pH 7). Because this type of acidic electrolytic water contains free chlorine, it is strongly acidic and has a high oxidation reduction potential, it has a potent bactericidal effect on E. coli and other bacteria, and has begun to be widely used in recent years in fields such as medicine, agriculture, and dairy farming. Because it has a pH in a range of 10.5 to 12.0 and is strongly alkaline, alkaline electrolytic water also has a potent emulsifying effect on dirt containing oil or proteins and thus is useful in cleaning oil or grease contaminated articles.
Methods employed for producing acidic electrolytic water and alkaline electrolytic water by electrolyzing water include (1) a method of electrolyzing by using a water electrolyzer having an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by a membrane and conducting the feed water with an electrolyte added beforehand through the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, and (2) a method of electrolyzing by using a water electrolyzer having the three chambers of an anode chamber, an intermediate chamber, and a cathode chamber separated by two membranes, filling the intermediate chamber with a concentrated electrolyte, and conducting the feed water through the anode chamber and the cathode chamber.
Whether acidic or alkaline, the desired attributes of electrolytic water differ considerably, depending on the purpose of use or application. For example, when using acidic electrolytic water for medical applications such as disinfecting endoscopes, the content of free chlorine governing the bactericidal effect of the water is important, but even a highly concentrated electrolyte content (typically sodium or potassium chloride) poses few problems. When acidic electrolytic water is used in agricultural applications, however, the electrolyte content should be low, so as to avoid residues. In addition, strong odor is a problem when used to disinfect the oral cavity such as in dentistry or as a mouthwash. Corrosion can also be a problem depending on the type of metals used when disinfecting or washing. Thus, there are many application-specific demands on acidic electrolytic water and alkaline electrolytic water. Previous attempts to respond to these demands has required modifying the basic design specifications of water electrolyzers to provide attributes most suited to the contemplated use.
In addition to application-specific requirements, previous methods for producing acidic electrolytic water and alkaline electrolytic water by electrolyzing water also have many general problems, such as (1) poor electrolysis efficiency and high power consumption, (2) difficulty in controlling the free chlorine content in acidic electrolytic water, (3) corrosion and salt damage caused by a high electrolyte (i.e., salt) content in acidic electrolytic water, and (4) scale adhering to the electrodes due to electrolysis, resulting in decreasing efficiency as the scale builds up.
Although acidic electrolytic water produced by previous methods is in great demand in fields seeking to take advantage of its superior bactericidal effect, the greatest drawbacks of this water are the short duration of its bactericidal effect and its high corrosiveness to metals such as medical instruments. The reason for the short duration of the bactericidal effect of the acidic electrolytic water produced by previously-known methods is that free chlorine tends to evaporate in the form of chlorine gas (Cl2), while the high electrolyte content in acidic electrolytic water may be cited as one factor causing corrosion of metals and residual salt deposits. Acidic electrolytic water produced by adding an electrolyte to the feed water beforehand and conducting this mixture through the electrolyzer produces water that contains from 500 ppm to 1000 ppm salt content. Produced in this way, the bactericidal effect of acidic electrolytic water is of short duration (usually one week or less) and it tends to corrode metals.
Japanese Patent Application No. 3113645 and Japanese Unexamined Patent No. 2001-286868 describe methods of electrolysis using three chambers: an anode chamber, a cathode chamber, and an intermediate chamber placed between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, with a concentrated electrolyte solution in the intermediate chamber; supplying the water for electrolysis to both the anode chamber and the cathode chamber; and having a membrane separating the intermediate chamber from the anode chamber and a second membrane separating the intermediate chamber from the cathode chamber. In this embodiment the membranes deform when the pressure fluctuates. Deformation also occurs over time due to the swelling property of ion exchange membranes. Eventually, the degree of deformation exceeds the permissible range due to prolonged repetition of this deformation, and the membranes break. The deformation also causes the electrical resistance during electrolysis to fluctuate greatly due to changes in the distance between the electrode plates and the membranes. In addition, if the amount and electrolyte concentration of the solution within the electrolysis chambers fluctuates greatly, for example, from fluctuations in feed water pressure, electrolysis may fail. As a result, it becomes difficult to produce electrolytic water in a reliable and well-controlled manner and improvements are needed to ameliorate these general difficulties, as well as to provide a greater ability to modify the characteristics of the electrolytic water in order to better meet application-specific requirements.


A motion detection means 5 has a power generation detection circuit 51 for detecting the output voltage of a generating means 4, and a decision unit 52 for determining if the radio-controlled timepiece 1 is moving based on the output voltage from the power generation detection circuit 51. If when a standard time signal is to be received by means of a receiver 2 the not_moving detection signal indicating that the radio-controlled timepiece 1 is not moving is output from the motion detection means 5, the reception operation is executed and the time displayed on the time display means 3 is adjusted. By receiving the standard time signal when the radio-controlled timepiece 1 is not moving, accurate time information can be received and the reliability of standard time signal reception can be improved because the reception success rate is also improved.

1. Field of Technology
The present invention relates to a radio-controlled timepiece, an electronic device having a radio-controlled timepiece, a method of controlling a radio-controlled timepiece, and a reception control program for a radio-controlled timepiece.
2. Description of Related Art
Radio-controlled timepieces, which receive a standard time signal carrying time information, include timepieces that automatically unconditionally receive the standard time signal according to a predetermined schedule, and timepieces that detect movement of the timepiece and receive the standard time signal accordingly.
More specifically, Japanese Patent 3313215, for example, teaches a radio-controlled timepiece that detects if the timepiece is being worn or carried and receives the standard time signal while the radio-controlled timepiece is moving (see, for example, pages 5 to 7 and FIG. 1). This radio-controlled timepiece has a power conservation function that stops driving the timepiece when the timepiece is not being carried, and does not receive the standard time signal when the timepiece is not moving. When the timepiece detects a change from the not-worn (non-moving) mode to the worn (moving) mode and resumes the normal drive mode from the power conservation mode, the timepiece immediately forces reception of the standard time signal and corrects the displayed time. This radio-controlled timepiece can thus eliminate receiving the standard time signal when the radio-controlled timepiece is not being used, and thus reduce power consumption by the radio-controlled timepiece.
In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 2000-221284 teaches a radio-controlled timepiece that receives the standard time signal when the timepiece is not moving because reception is difficult when the timepiece is moving. This radio-controlled timepiece is used in an automobile, for example, and receives the radio signal when the vehicle ignition switch is off or the accessory switch is on. Stable signal reception may not be possible when the ignition switch is on due to interference from vehicle engine noise or because the vehicle is moving, but this radio-controlled timepiece improves reception stability by receiving the signal when the vehicle is stopped.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. 2001-166071 teaches a radio-controlled timepiece that has a power generating means and prohibits receiving a radio signal while the power generating means is producing power. The generating means in this radio-controlled timepiece has a rotor, stator, and generating coil, and derives power by means of electromagnetic induction. The effects of electromagnetic noise produced when the generating means is producing power can interfere with normal signal reception when the generating means is producing power. However, by preventing signal reception while power is being generated by the generating means, this radio-controlled timepiece can correctly receive the standard time signal.
The radio-controlled timepiece that receives a signal while the timepiece is being worn must, however, be able to receive the signal while the timepiece is moving. However, while this radio-controlled timepiece can receive the standard time signal under certain circumstances while the timepiece is moving, the signal cannot be received if the timepiece moves to a location where the standard time signal cannot be received, for example. It therefore cannot be assumed that this radio-controlled timepiece can always reliably receive the standard time signal.
Furthermore, because the standard time signal is received and the time is adjusted when a change from a stationary to a moving state is detected, the power conservation mode is cancelled and the standard time signal is unconditionally received when the radio-controlled timepiece is picked up to be worn. However, reception may or may not succeed at this time depending upon the location where reception is attempted and the orientation of the bar antenna of the timepiece, and the correct time may not be displayed. If the signal cannot be correctly received at this time, the power supply of the radio-controlled timepiece is needlessly drained, and power conservation cannot be improved for the radio-controlled timepiece.
Another type of radio-controlled timepiece having a power conservation mode automatically receives and adjusts the time according to a predetermined schedule without driving the timekeeping mechanism when the power conservation mode is active. As a result, this radio-controlled timepiece can display the time relatively accurately even if signal reception fails after cancelling the power conservation mode because the standard time signal is received on a regular schedule even while the power conservation mode is active.
However, this type of radio-controlled timepiece consumes more power than the previous radio-controlled timepiece because the standard time signal is received even when the power conservation mode is active, and power consumption by the timepiece is not particularly reduced. Furthermore, if the radio-controlled timepiece is left in a location where the standard time signal cannot be received, this timepiece will automatically repeatedly attempt to receive the standard time signal at the scheduled reception time even while the power conservation mode is active, and power conservation by the radio-controlled timepiece cannot be improved.
Yet further, if the radio-controlled timepiece that receives the standard time signal when the timepiece is not moving is in an automobile and the automobile is not moving but the standard time signal cannot be correctly received because the vehicle is stopped in the midst of tall buildings, for example, standard time signal reception may succeed or fail even though reception is controlled based on detection of movement, and reliable reception therefore may not be assured. Improving power conservation in such radio-controlled timepieces may therefore not be possible in such timepieces because of such wasted attempts to receive the standard time signal.
The foregoing radio-controlled timepiece that prohibits reception while the generating means is producing power prohibits receiving the standard time signal while the timepiece is moving. The standard time signal is therefore normally received when the radio-controlled timepiece is not being worn. However, if the timepiece is located where standard time signal reception is poor, such as inside an office building, the timepiece may not be able to receive the time signal correctly. Such reception control cannot assure sufficient reception reliability and results in needless reception operations, and improved power conservation thus also cannot be provided with this type of radio-controlled timepiece.
The foregoing radio-controlled timepieces can thus receive the standard time signal while the timepiece is moving or can receive the standard time signal while the power conservation mode is active, and can thus successfully receive the standard time signal under certain circumstances. However, reception is not possible in some situations, such as when the radio-controlled timepiece is in a location where the standard time signal cannot reach, and these radio-controlled timepieces therefore lack sufficiently reliable signal reception. As a result, these radio-controlled timepieces consume much power when reception is attempted where the standard time signal cannot be received. Furthermore, because receiving the standard time signal consumes much more power than does simply driving the timekeeping mechanism, power consumption due to needless reception attempts is a particularly significant drawback.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a radio-controlled timepiece that can promote power conservation and improve the reliability of external signal reception. A further object of the invention is to provide an electronic device incorporating this radio-controlled timepiece, a control method for the radio-controlled timepiece, and a reception control program for the radio-controlled timepiece.

Radio-controlled timepiece and electronic device, control method for a radio-controlled timepiece, and reception control program for a radio-controlled timepiece


There is employed a configuration to detect, by making use of an optical pick-up (104) when tracking servo is performed along wobble grooves of an optical disc (102), phase errors between main wobble signal outputted as the result of the fact that reflected light beams corresponding to main spot of the optical disc (102) are received at a main light receiving section (321) of light detecting means (32) and side wobble signals outputted every side spot as the result of the fact reflected light beams corresponding to respective side spots of the optical disc (102) are received at a first sub-light receiving section (322) and a second sub-light receiving section (323) to calculate difference between the both phase errors at a difference calculating circuit (59) to generate, from this difference, a skew signal including inclination direction and inclination quantity of the optical disc (102).

In accordance with the fact that density of recording onto optical disc is caused to be high, skew margin of optical disc becomes less. For this reason, at the optical pick-up, skew sensor is used to detect inclination quantity of optical disc with respect to the optical axis of an optical pick-up (object lens) to control the optical pick-up by skew servo mechanism so that the optical axis of the object lens is perpendicular to the signal recording surface of the optical disc in accordance with this inclination quantity.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1 of the Japanese Patent Publication Laid Open No. 1997-161291, a conventional skew sensor comprises a light emitting element comprised of LED disposed at the body portion of the optical pick-up so that light is irradiated toward the signal recording surface of the optical disc, and bisected photo-diodes disposed at the body portion of the optical pick-up and serving to receive light reflected at the signal recording surface of the optical disc thus to take out a difference signal corresponding to inclination quantity of the optical recording medium from the both photo-diodes to detect this difference signal as a skew signal, and to control the skew servo mechanism by this skew signal so that the optical axis of the optical pick-up (optical axis of the object lens) is perpendicular to the signal recording surface of the optical recording medium.
In the conventional skew sensor as described above, since the light emitting element and the photo-diodes which are dedicated for skew detection are required, there is the problem that the number of parts is increased so that cost of the optical pick-up is increased.
Further, in the conventional skew sensor, since difference between output signals of bisected photo-diodes is taken out to thereby detect inclination quantity of the optical disc, when distance between the optical disc and the skew sensor changes, even if inclination quantity of the optical disc is the same, light quantity distribution of beams on the photo-diode for skew detection changes. As a result, error might take place in the inclination quantity of the optical disc.
In addition, since the distance between the optical disc and the skew sensor changes in dependency upon the kind of optical disc like CD or DVD, etc., the state of chucking with respect to turn table of the optical disc, and/or way of warping of the optical disc, etc., such distance changes at all times. For this reason, error is included at all times in an output of a light detection element under such circumstances so that precise skew detection becomes difficult.

Skew detection method, optical pickup, and optical disc device


A multilayer chip capacitor including: a capacitor body having a lamination structure where a plurality of dielectric layers are laminated and including a first capacitor part and a second capacitor part arranged according to a lamination direction; first to fourth outer electrodes formed on side surfaces of the capacitor body, the first and third outer electrodes having the same polarity and the second and fourth outer electrodes having the same polarity opposite to that of the first outer electrode; and one or more connection conductor lines formed on an outer surface of the capacitor body and connecting the first outer electrode to the third outer electrode or connecting the second outer electrode to the fourth outer electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer chip capacitor, and more particularly, to a multilayer chip capacitor capable of having a controllable and high equivalent series resistance (ESR) and a low equivalent series inductance (ESL) and embodying uniform impedance characteristics in a wide frequency band and a circuit board device including the multilayer chip capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multilayer chip capacitors are generally used as decoupling capacitors for stabilizing a power supply circuit, such as power distribution networks of micro processing units (MPUs). Decoupling capacitors are used as low impedance current sources to suppress voltage noise due to simultaneous switching of MPUS.
As the MPU is increased in integration density, its current consumption is continuously increased and operating voltage is decreased. Accordingly, it becomes more difficult to suppress noise of a supply direct-current (DC) voltage according to a sudden change of a consumed current of an MPU. Recently, the consumed current is changed more rapidly with the increase in an operating frequency of the MPU. Accordingly, it is required to increase a capacitance and an ESR of a decoupling capacitor and reduce an ESL thereof. This is for maintaining magnitude of an impedance of a power distribution network to be low and uniform within the broadband frequency range. Ultimately, this is helpful to suppress noise of a supply DC voltage from a sudden change of a consumed current of an MPU.
To satisfy ESL characteristics required in decoupling capacitors used in an MPU power distribution network, changes to the arrangement of an outer electrode and a shape of an inner electrode of a capacitor have been provided. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,925 discloses a method of reducing an ESL by disposing leads of a first inner electrode and a second inner electrode in an interdigitated arrangement to form many and short current paths in the capacitor. This method is capable of reducing an ESL but entails a reduction of an ESR besides the ESL. Stability of a power supply circuit depends on not only an ESL but also an ESR. An excessively small ESR deteriorates the stability of a power supply circuit, thereby suddenly changing a voltage due to power network resonance. Such capacitor effectively reduces high frequency impedance. However, due to the excessively small ESR, it is difficult to maintain the magnitude of an impedance of a power distribution network to be low and uniform.
To overcome a problem of the excessively low ESR, there has been provided a method of embodying high ESR characteristics by using electrical high-resistance materials for an outer electrode or an inner electrode. However, when using high-resistance outer electrodes, it is difficult to prevent localized heat spots caused by a current concentration phenomenon due to pinholes in outer electrodes and to accurately control ESR. Also, when using high-resistance materials for inner electrodes, disadvantageously, high-resistant internal electrode materials should be changed with the improvement or change of ceramic materials since the high-resistant internal electrode materials should be matched with the ceramic materials, which leads to the increased cost of the products.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0209492 discloses a capacitor having a low impedance in a wide frequency band by disposing two capacitors having a different capacitance from each other in the same capacitor body. However, as disclosed, it is impossible to maintain an impedance to be uniform around each resonating frequency, thereby having a harmful effect on stability of a power supply circuit.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multilayer chip capacitor and circuit board device including the same


A power semiconductor component stack, using lead technology with surface-mountable external contacts, includes at least two MOSFET power semiconductor components each having a top side and an underside. The underside includes: a drain external contact area, a source external contact area and a gate external contact area. The top side includes at least one source external contact area and a gate external contact area. The gate external contact areas on the top side and the underside are electrically connected to one another. The power semiconductor component stack is a series circuit or a parallel circuit of MOSFET power semiconductor components arranged one above another in a plastic housing composition.

Known surface-mountable power components have a large-area drain contact and two large-area source contacts and also a small-area gate contact on their underside and a large-area source contact on the top side.
These known surface-mountable power semiconductor components are nevertheless not stackable since the geometry of the surface contacts for source, drain and gate is not coordinated with one another nor is there a stackable gate contact present on the top side. Consequently, power semiconductor components of this type, for increasing the reverse voltage, have to be mounted alongside one another in series on a superordinate circuit board, which necessitates a considerable area requirement on the circuit board. Even a parallel circuit of MOSFET power semiconductor components of this type on a superordinate circuit board likewise necessitates arranging MOSFET power semiconductor components of this type alongside one another, which components can then be connected in parallel via their surface-mountable external contacts with the aid of the surface-populatable circuit board.

Power semiconductor component stack using lead technology with surface-mountable external contacts and a method for producing the same


A cable chain retraction system for a robot has a constant force on the cable chain because of the use of constant force springs cartridges. Spring cartridges may be added or subtracted to adjust the spring force on the cable chain. All components may be pre-installed on a rail, such as a quick release guiderail.

This invention relates to robotics, and more particular to cable management for an industrial robot.
A dresspack generally is cable management system mounted to an industrial robot that keeps power and/or signal cables, pressure and/or vacuum airlines, hydraulic lines, and the like together and out of the way while the arm of the robot is manipulated. Most conventional dresspacks include a cable chain through which cables and hoses (such as vacuum, pneumatic air, or hydraulic fluid, or the like) run. For example, several manufacturers, such as, Igus Inc., Kuka, Fanuc (Leoni), and KabelSchlepp manufacture cable chain, including a cable chain that is flexible in one, two, or three dimensions and popular for industrial robots. As used herein, the term "industrial robot" refers to robot (such as the popular six axis robot having an end effector, a robotic arm itself, a gantry, or other automated mover of an end effector to which electrical cables and/or hoses are attached.
Dresspacks mounted on a robot arm often have a means to take up slack in the sleeve as the arm extends and retracts or is manipulated. For example, several manufacturers, such as those listed above, produce dresspacks having a cable chain that is affixed with cable strain relief at one point on the robot and has an adjacent glide-through ring such that the cable chain forms a loop between the fixed point and the glide ring. Some popular dresspacks have a flexible rod mounted inside the cable chain loop that resists bending to apply a force to the cable chain. Other popular dresspacks include a guidewheel, which the cable chain loops around, that is mounted on rails and extended by a pneumatic shock or cylinder that is compressed as the carriage slides forward. Other dresspacks replace the pneumatic shock with elastic bands.


A method for producing a library includes the steps of calculating a plurality of conditions for a reflection light from a periodic pattern by changing the sectional shape of the periodic pattern, a condition of an incident light which is emitted to the periodic pattern, an optical constant of a material which forms the periodic pattern, relating a plurality of the libraries to the plurality of the reflection light's conditions, and the optical constant corresponding to the plurality of the reflection light's conditions respectively.

The present invention generally relates to library producing methods used in measuring sectional shapes of patterns that have periodic uneven structure by using light, and more concretely to library producing methods used in measuring sectional shapes of fine periodic patterns (such as line & space patterns) formed on wafers that are used for device fabricating processes, wherein the devices (for example, semiconductor devices such as ICs or LSIs, imaging devices such as CCDs, display devices such as liquid crystal panels, or detecting devices such as magnetic heads) are fabricated by exposing wafers as photosensitive substrates.
Along with recent demands for higher integration of semiconductor devices such as ICs or LSIs, fine processing technology for semiconductor devices has been greatly improved. As exposure apparatuses to which the fine processing technology is applied, many kinds of reduction projection exposure apparatuses (steppers) are proposed that form an image of a circuit pattern on a mask (reticle) as an original exposure form to a wafer as a photosensitive substrate, and exposing the photosensitive substrate by a step-and-repeat method.
Generally, it is important to decide exposure conditions such as the exposure dose on a wafer or the focusing position (position along the optical axis of the projection optical system) of the wafer appropriately in exposing a fine circuit pattern by using a stepper that has a projection optical system. Therefore, a conventional exposure apparatus decides an optimum exposure condition by developing the photosensitive substrate (wafer) and by measuring the critical dimension of the circuit pattern on the wafer by using a light microscope or a critical dimension measuring apparatus after exposing the pattern onto the wafer by changing the exposure condition (i.e., at least each one of the exposure doses (shutter opening time) or a focus position) per 1 shot, each in a test exposure process (send ahead process) before the mass production process.
For example, the shot area (the exposure area) is exposed with its focus maintained as a constant and its exposure dose (shutter opening time) changed constantly per 1 shot in a crosswise arrangement, with its exposure dose maintained as a constant, and its focus changed constantly per 1 shot in a lengthwise arrangement. Then, the critical dimension of the line and space resist pattern (hereinafter called the L&S pattern) formed in each shot is measured by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) after developing, the optimum focus position, and the optimum exposure dose of the projection lens is calculated.
Another method besides measuring the critical dimension by SEM is proposed in references 1 and 2. The method disclosed in these references shows the emission of polarized lights (the S polarized light and the P polarized light) onto a periodic pattern in order to measure the critical dimension. The disclosed method also shows the measure of a reflected light's conditions (intensity and phase) from the periodic pattern, detection of the change of the polarized light's conditions reflecting on the periodic pattern, and the calculation of the critical dimension of the periodic pattern in accordance with the change.
In references 3 and 4, inventors of the present invention proposed a method for obtaining the optimum focus position and the optimum exposure dose of the exposure apparatus in an exposing process by emitting the polarized light (the S polarized light and the P polarized light) to the periodic pattern, and measuring the critical dimension of the periodic pattern exposed onto the wafer in accordance with the conditions (intensity and phase) of the reflection light from the periodic pattern.
Sectional shape measuring apparatuses manufactured by several measurement hardware manufacturers (Accent Optical Technologies Corp., KLA—Tencor Corp., Nanometrics Corp., Nova Measuring Instruments Corp., Therma—Wave Corp., and Timbre Technologies Corp.) can measure the sectional shape of the periodic pattern by emitting the polarized light onto the periodic pattern, and comparing the measured value and calculated value of the condition change (intensity change and phase change) of the light reflected from the periodic pattern. The calculated value of the reflected light's condition change is calculated by using pre-determined periodic pattern shape and the optical constant (for example, a refraction index n or an absorption coefficient k) of the material that forms the periodic pattern as parameters, etc.
Reference 1; Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-211421
Reference 2; Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-211422
Reference 3; Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-36037
Reference 4; Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-22205
However, in order to measure and observe the periodic pattern using a SEM, it is necessary to cut the periodic pattern in a specific size as a sample, and to install the sample in a vacuum chamber, which takes much time and effort. In the case that the periodic pattern to be measured is formed by a chemically amplified resist, the measurement of the critical dimension will be inaccurate because the periodic pattern deforms by charging electrons when irradiating the periodic pattern with an electron beam for the measurement.
There is another problem in using the previously explained sectional shape measurement apparatus for measuring the sectional shape of the periodic pattern by emitting the polarized light to the periodic pattern and comparing the measured value and the calculated value of the condition change (intensity change and phase change) of the light reflected from the periodic pattern. The measurement of the critical dimension will be inaccurate when an actual optical constant of the material (the object) which forms the periodic pattern is different from a calculated optical constant of the material which forms the periodic pattern used in calculating the condition change of the reflected light, because of aged deterioration or dispersion among the lots.


A tire tread has a plurality of base pitches arranged in at least two circumferential sections around the tire. The base pitches have at least two different pitch lengths and include a plurality of load-supporting tread blocks. The different pitch lengths of the base pitches form a pitch sequence in each circumferential section of the tire. The pitch sequences in the sections are arranged such that the noise produced by the base pitches in the tire tread is a low level, distributed noise to reduce the noise produced by the tire when the tire is in use.

A tire for a vehicle typically includes a tire carcass, breaker belt and tire tread. For example, the tire carcass for a radial tire includes radial plies extending from bead to bead and embedded in rubber. The radial plies generally include at least two layers, wherein each layer has a series of reinforcing cords which extend substantially perpendicular to the circumferential direction of the tire. Further, the belt plies for the radial tire are positioned between the carcass and the tire tread, and also generally include at least two layers having reinforcing cords.
The tire tread extends around the outer circumference of the tire and is designed to contact the road surface. The tire tread has a pattern which is segmented into a plurality of raised, load-supporting blocks separated by intersecting circumferential and transverse grooves and/or sipes. The blocks determine the control, acceleration and braking characteristics of the tire, while the grooves and/or sipes are necessary to provide flexibility and water removal.
The tread blocks for the tire are typically arranged in "base pitches", wherein each base pitch includes a predetermined geometry of whole and/or partial tread blocks. Each base pitch may vary in width across the tire. For example, each base pitch can extend transversely from the shoulder to the center line of the tire on each circumferential section or "mold half" of the tire. Alternatively, each base pitch can extend transversely over only a single circumferential section of the tire, for example over a single rib or combination of ribs. In any case, the base pitches are repeated around the circumference of the tire to form the complete tire tread.
The constant contact of the tire tread on the road surface can in some instances produce unwanted noise. In particular, as the tire contacts the road surface, the individual tread blocks cause air disturbances upon impact with the road, creating a spectrum of audio frequencies broadly referred to as "tire noise". Tire noise is generated at least in part by: (1) the impact of the tread block on the road surface; (2) the vibration of the tire carcass; and (3) the "air pumping" which occurs as the tread blocks become compressed and expand into the grooves separating adjacent blocks. The fundamental frequency of the noise is a function of the number of tread blocks around the circumference of the tire and the rotational speed of the tire.
Techniques have been developed to distribute the noise frequency produced by the tire tread over a wide frequency band to approach what is termed "white noise". For example, one known technique for reducing tread noise is to use base pitches having different pitch lengths, wherein the "pitch length" is a measure of the length from the leading edge of one base pitch to the leading edge of the next adjacent representative base pitch in the circumferential direction of the tire. A plurality of base pitches having different pitch lengths is conventionally referred to as a "pitch sequence". Other techniques use only random or sinusoidal sequencing of the pitches in an attempt to modulate the objectionable noise producing frequencies.
For example, Vorih, U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,238, discloses a technique for modulating noise produced by rotating load carrying elements by providing discrete pitch lengths in which the ratio of pitch lengths falls within the open intervals defined by the boundary nodal points (N-1)/N:1.0, (N being an integer selected from 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6), and excluding the ratios defined by the boundary nodal points. Further modulation is obtained by sequencing the individual pitches in such a manner that the sequence is characterized by a plurality of strings of the load carrying elements, each string consisting of at least three consecutive load carrying elements of substantially identical pitch length. The length and sequential positioning of the strings are selected to modulate the block frequency harmonic which is produced upon rotation of the tire.
The above techniques, however, are primarily designed to reduce noise in tires by varying the pitch length of the tread blocks around the circumference of the tire to spread the noise over a broad frequency band. The techniques are not directed toward reducing tire noise by selectively arranging the pitch sequence in one circumferential section of the tire relative to the pitch sequence in at least one other circumferential section.
One technique for reducing tire noise in tires by selectively arranging groups of pitch sequences in circumferential sections is shown in Lippmann et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,878,852. Lippmann discloses a tire tread having male and female mold halves, wherein each mold half has a pitch sequence comprising individual "design units" i.e., a preselected number of tread blocks, extending around the circumference of the tire. The circumferential length of the repeating design units of the tread pattern are selected to be mirror images of themselves or of other groups of design units in each respective mold half. The pitch sequence in the male mold half, however, is identical to the pitch sequence in the female mold half. Accordingly, the Lippmann technique is not directed toward situations where the pitch sequence in one circumferential section (or mold half) is different then the pitch sequence in another circumferential section (or mold half). Moreover, the Lippmann technique does not selectively arrange the pitch sequence in each mold half relative to each other to reduce tire noise.
Accordingly, although the above-identified references disclose certain techniques for reducing tire noise, there is a constant demand in the industry for improved techniques which further reduce the tire noise, and in particular, for techniques which reduce the tire noise in tires having pitch sequences arranged in at least two circumferential sections, regardless of the pitch sequences employed.


A conduit system comprising: a conduit formed by a surface extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the conduit is configured to channel a mixture stream from the first end to the second end; and a plurality of fluid delivery features disposed along the conduit between the first end and the second end, wherein each fluid delivery feature is configured to deliver a conditioning fluid into the conduit in an annular formation in a direction angled towards the second end in the same direction as the flow of the mixture stream, thereby providing a sheath of conditioning fluid between the conduit surface and the mixture stream.

Gas or vapor phase particle production is an important technique for producing engineered materials, especially nanomaterials. Specific characteristics of particles produced in gas or vapor phase synthesis reactions depend not only on the energy delivered to the reactive medium, but also on the conditioning of the reactive medium once the medium has left the reactor.
In a particle production reactor, basic product species are formed within extremely short time spans as the reactive medium cools following ejection from the energy delivery zone. During the time following ejection, further formation mechanisms determine the ultimate characteristics of the final product.
Chemical reactions such as nucleation and surface growth occur within precursor materials largely during energy delivery. However, these formation mechanisms continue to be active in the first short moments following ejection. More prevalent in the post-ejection time period are bulk formation mechanisms, such as coagulation and coalescence, which operate on already formed particles. Proper conditioning of the reactive medium following ejection from the energy delivery zone accounts for these and other formation mechanisms to control formation of a final product having desired characteristics.
In addition to particle formation, proper conditioning must account for post-formation processing of the product. Although particles, once formed, cool rapidly through radiative heat loss, the residual gas in which they are entrained after formation cools much more slowly, and especially so when confined. Confinement is necessary to some degree in any controlled-environment processing system, and economic concerns usually dictate relatively confining controlled environments because large environments cost more to build and maintain. Because supply systems require product sufficiently cool for handling, such systems must provide efficient mechanisms for cooling of the entire gas-particle product, yet also provide for efficient transport of the product to collection points within the system. They must also prevent agglomeration of the particles beyond a certain point or time period to ensure proper grain size in the final product.
Transport of particles within a gas stream relies on entrainment of the particle, which is largely a function of particle properties, including mass, temperature, density, and interparticle reactivity, as well as gas properties, including density, velocity, temperature, viscosity, and composite properties, such as particle-gas reactivity. Cooling of a gas by definition affects gas temperature, but also may easily lead to changes in other properties listed above, exclusive of mass. In view of this, balancing efficient cooling and transport of gas-particle product requires careful optimization of process parameters, which the present invention seeks to achieve.

Long cool-down tube with air input joints


A method for controlling an electronic device that executes and displays an application is provided. The method includes displaying an execution screen of the application on a touch screen, projecting and displaying a projection image corresponding to the execution screen of the application, displaying a pointer on the projection image, and moving and displaying the pointer on the projection image to correspond to a gesture detected on the touch screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device including a projector and a method for controlling the electronic device. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic device for displaying a rendered screen on a screen of the electronic device or for projecting and displaying the rendered screen through a projector and a method for controlling the electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, smart phones or tablet Personal Computers (PCs) have become popular among consumers. As a result, applications using the smart phones or the tablet PCs are being actively developed. According to the related art, the smart phones or the tablet PCs typically include touch screens, and users may manipulate the smart phones or the tablet PCs by inputting a predetermined gesture onto the touch screens.
However, the smart phones or the tablet PCs emphasize portability, and thus the size of the touch screen of the smart phone or the tablet PC is limited. In particular, when the user desires to view a moving image or a still image by using the smart phone or the tablet PC, the user may experience a difficulty in viewing the moving image or the still image due to the limited-size touch screen.
According to the related art, a smart phone or tablet PC may project and display an image onto a screen by using a projector module. The user views the projected image rather than viewing the image displayed on the limited-size touch screen.
According to the related art, in order to input a particular command, the user inputs a particular gesture onto the touch screen. For example, the user needs to input the particular gesture while observing the touch screen, but cannot check this process on a projected image. For example, because the user-input gesture is input using a hand or a stylus pen and a smart phone or tablet PC according to the related art does not display a position of the hand or stylus pen on the touch screen, the user is unable to check (e.g., confirm) the desired input to the touch screen. The smart phone or tablet PC merely projects and displays rendered data and cannot project and display a gesture that the user physically inputs onto the touch screen.
Therefore, a need exists for a technique which allows a user to easily manipulate a smart phone or a tablet PC while observing a projected image.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Electronic device including projector and method for controlling the electronic device


An auxiliary lock assembly includes a casing securely attached to the inner side of the door plate and including a first hole, a mount plate securely attached to the casing and including a second hole in alignment with the first hole, and a latch plate mounted on the mount plate and movable in a direction toward and away from the second hole. The latch plate has a first end extending beyond the casing and a second end inside the casing. An engaging wheel is rotatably received in the second hole of the mount plate and releasably engages with the second end of the latch plate. An actuating wheel is rotatably received in the first hole of the casing and is rotatable to a position to engage with the engaging wheel to rotate therewith. A switch button is mounted outside the casing and securely attached to the actuating wheel to rotate therewith. When the auxiliary lock assembly is in a lock position, unlocking from an outside of the door plate is prevented when the second end of the latch plate is engaged with the engaging wheel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auxiliary lock assembly with additional interior locking function to prevent from unlatching from outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
Auxiliary locks have been widely used indoors. The auxiliary locks can be unlatched from outside by a proper key or picklock, i.e., doors mounted with auxiliary locks still can be opened, which is sometimes undesired and even dangerous to, e.g., people which have fallen asleep in the night. The present invention is intended to provide an improved auxiliary lock assembly which mitigates and/or obviates the above problems.

Auxiliary lock assembly with additional interior locking


Photographic apparatus having both automatic and manual modes of operation is adapted for coupling to a microscope. the apparatus includes a viewfinder for viewing a scene in the microscope and an exposure controlling photometer for measuring the scene brightness. In addition, a rotatably mounted disc shutter is provided having an opening therein for generating a photographic image producing exposure interval and having a pair of mirrors supported thereon for movement therewith, for respectively directing image-bearing scene light to the viewfinder and to the photometer prior to an exposure. In the automatic mode, movement of the disc shutter is under the control of a microprocessor whereas in the manual mode, such movement is under operator control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to photographic apparatus for an optical instrument, in general, and to the photographic recording in microscopy with such apparatus, in particular.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Well known in the prior art are optical viewing devices such as microscopes, telescopes, binoculars and endoscopes--all instruments useful for their ability to permit visualization of details in objects which would otherwise be too small, distant, dim or inaccessible for the unaided human eye to see. Obtaining permanent photographic records of what the eye sees through such optical viewing devices is an established practice having obvious scientific and artistic benefits. Microscopists, for example, have long valued the advantage and convenience of photographing their specimens using the magnifying power of a microscope.
Several arrangements have been utilized in the prior art to produce a photographic record of an image formed by an optical viewing device. In one such arrangement described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,825 to McCann et al., an adapter for operatively coupling a reflex camera having a preprogrammed automatic cycle of operations, to an optical instrument, is disclosed. The adapter, in part, includes mechanisms which permit an operator to selectively modify the preprogrammed cycle of operation for the purpose of making extended time exposures. While extremely effective in coupling such a camera to an optical instrument, it is a relatively complex arrangement and is not as readily adaptable to the optical instrument as it might otherwise be.
In another arrangement described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,170 to Johnson, apparatus for operatively coupling a reflex camera with automatic exposure control to a standard monocular microscope, is disclosed. The apparatus contains a microscope eyepiece modified by the insertion therein of a beam splitter. The beam splitter extracts a few percent of the light from the image and reflects it to a mirror. The mirror reflects the extracted light up through a field lens and into the camera's automatic exposure control. A disadvantage of this arrangement is that is reduces the amount of light that is available to produce a photographic image, a problem that is of most concern in low scene light level conditions.
In yet another arrangement such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,898,678 and 3,900,858 to Walworth and McCann et al., respectively, there is disclosed other adapters for coupling a camera, with an automatic exposure control, to an optical instrument. These disclosures describe prismatic elements and/or methods for directing a portion of the scene light to the automatic exposure control without diminishing the intensity of light that is available for exposing a film unit. This is accomplished by extracting a portion of the light emerging from the optical instrument, at a separation between the instrument and the camera, otherwise destined to form a unrecorded portion of the image. While this arrangement does not reduce the amount of light actually employed to produce a photographic image it does require manual adjustment of a prism to produce the proper amount of automatic exposure control sensitivity and is necessarily not as sensitive to scene light measurement as an arrangement where all or substantially all of the scene light intensity can be measured.


A catheter for the right coronary artery where the catheter includes a substantially straight proximal shaft section and a distal shaft section. The distal shaft section includes a support arm which is sized to traverse the aortic root such that the one end of the support arm rests against the aortic wall opposite the right coronary ostium and the other end of the support arm rests in the right coronary ostium. The support arm provides for increased back-up support by utilizing the opposite aortic wall. The distal shaft section further includes a tertiary curve disposed proximal of the support arm. The tertiary curve has an arc angle of less than about 90 degrees such that torque may be readily transmitted from the proximal shaft section to the support arm thereby facilitating controlled tip manipulation. Methods of using such a catheter are also disclosed.

Coronary artery disease is commonly treated by relatively non-invasive techniques such as percutaneous translumenal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Conventional PTCA is well known in the art and typically involves the use of a balloon catheter, possibly in combination with other intravascular devices such as a guide wire and a guide catheter. A typical balloon catheter has an elongate shaft with a balloon attached to its distal end and a manifold attached to its proximal end. In use, the balloon catheter is advanced into a guide catheter and over a guide wire such that the balloon is positioned adjacent a restriction in a diseased coronary artery. The balloon is then inflated and the restriction in the vessel is opened.
Guide catheters typically include an elongate tube with a relatively straight proximal section and a shaped (e.g., curved) distal section. The distal section is shaped to navigate over the aortic arch and seat in the ostium of either the right or left coronary artery. The size and shape of the distal section is dictated in part by the size of the aortic root, the location of the ostium and the take-off angle of the coronary artery. The size and shape of the distal section may affect the ability of the treating physician to access a particular coronary artery, the ease of gaining such access and the back-up support provided to devices passing inside the catheter once access is established.
The right coronary artery is commonly accessed using either a Judkins Right (JR), a Voda Right (VR), an Amplatz Right (AR), a Hockey Stick (HS) or a Multipurpose (MP) catheter, all of which are well known in the art. Although all of these curve styles offer a varying degree of back-up support and catheter tip orientation, no single curve style provides both optimal back-up support and optimal catheter tip orientation combined with controlled tip manipulation.


A method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from an information recording medium including a compatibility information area in which compatibility information, which specifies whether each area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, is recorded, the method includes reading the compatibility information, which specifies whether each area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible; and recording and/or reproducing the data on and/or from the information recording medium with reference to the compatibility information, wherein if other write protection forms of the information recording medium exist, write protection of the information recording medium is determined, based on a result of performing an OR function on the compatibility information and the other write protection forms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information recording medium, and more particularly, to an information recording medium having new functions and improved performance compared to existing data storage media and still completely compatible with an existing drive or apparatus for recording data on an information recording medium, a method of recording and/or reproducing data on/from an information recording medium, an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on/from an information recording medium, and a computer-readable recording medium, on which a program enabling the method is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, optical data storage media, such as optical discs, are widely used in an optical pickup apparatus which records data on and/or reproduces data from the optical data storage media without physically contacting the optical data storage media. Optical discs are classified into compact discs (CDs) or digital versatile discs (DVDs) according to their storage capacities. Examples of an optical disc on which data can be recorded and from which data can be erased and reproduced include a 650 MB CD-R, a CD-rewritable (RW), a 4.7 GB DVD+R/RW, a DVD-random access memory (RAM), and a DVD-R/RW. Examples of an optical disc from which data can only be reproduced include a 650 MB CD and a 4.7 GB DVD-ROM. Also, the development of high density (HD) DVDs or Blu-ray (BD) discs with a storage capacity of at least 15 GB has been almost accomplished, and the development of super-resolution near-field structure (super RENS) discs or hologram discs with an even higher storage capacity than HD DVDs or BD discs is now under way.
Currently, research has been carried out on the design of recordable DVD standards, which provide newly developed data storage media with perfect compatibility with an existing drive or apparatus for recording data on an information recording medium in terms of data recording and reproducing. In particular, various efforts have been made to develop media technologies that can maintain excellent recording characteristics of the newly developed data storage media even at low recording speed and can enable the newly developed data storage media to be perfectly compatible with an existing drive or apparatus for recording data on an information recording medium. However, since there are various types of discs (e.g., a DVD-RAM, a DVD-RW, and a DVD-R), information indicating whether each of the various types of discs is recordable and/or reproducible should be specified somewhere on a corresponding disc, together with information on the recording speed of the corresponding disc.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating why it is necessary to record compatibility information, specifying whether each area on the information recording medium is recordable and/or reproducible, on each information recording medium. Specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates three discs and three drives. Referring to FIG. 1, suppose that disc A, which has 1× recording speed and is used in drive A, is a disc of version 1, disc B, which has 1×-2× recording speed and is used in drive B, is a disc of version 2 developed by adding predetermined functions to the disc of version 1, and disc C, which has 1×-4× recording speed and is used in drive C, is a disc of version 3 developed by adding other predetermined functions to the disc of version 2. Sometimes, a user having the drive A may have to use a disc of a higher version than the disc A, e.g., the disc B or C. Since the disc B or C supports 1× recording speed, it may be compatible with the drive A theoretically. However, without knowing whether data can be recorded and/or reproduced on and/or from user data areas on discs B or C, it is difficult to record data on or reproduce data from discs B or C.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a conventional disc. Referring to FIG. 2, a lead-in area is disposed along the inner circumference of the conventional disc, a lead-out area is disposed along the outer circumference of the conventional disc, and a user data area, in which user data is recorded, is disposed between the lead-in area and the lead-out area.
The lead-in area includes a pre-recorded zone, on which predetermined data has already been written and from which the predetermined data cannot be erased but can only be reproduced, and a recordable zone, on which data can be written or overwritten and from which data can also be erased.
The pre-recorded zone is a control data area, in which control data is recorded. The control data includes information on the type, version, size, recording speed and recording parameters of the conventional disc.
The recordable zone includes a buffer area, a defect management area (DMA), a test zone, and a conventional disc/conventional drive state information area.
The buffer area serves as a buffer between the pre-recorded zone and the recordable zone.
The DMA stores defect information, such as the addresses of replacement data that respectively replace defective data in the user data area. The DMA also stores a conventional disc definition structure (DDS), which is illustrated in FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 3, the DDS includes conventional disc manufacturer authentication information, which is used for authenticating a conventional disc manufacturer, user authentication information, which is used for authenticating a conventional disc user, and a write protection flag, which prevents data from being recorded on a conventional disc.
The test area is tested for determining an optimum recording power for recording data in the user data area.
The conventional disc/conventional drive state information area stores information on the state of the conventional disc or a conventional drive.
Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-5588 submitted by the same applicant of the present invention, discloses a method of recording a write protection flag on a disc so that data can be prevented from being recorded on any area on the disc with the exception of a DMA, in which a result of testing a lead-in/lead-out area on the disc with the use of a drive and defect information are recorded. However, the DMA is of great importance because address information of replacement data, replacing defective data in a data area of the disc, is recorded in the DMA. Therefore, there is a need to mark the DMA as recordable and/or reproducible separately from the data area. In addition, it is possible to provide various recording and/or reproducing information areas on the disc by marking each area on the disc as recordable and/or reproducible.
Moreover, if a disc which is based on new disc standards and whose version is yet to be known is installed in a drive or apparatus for recording data on an information recording medium, a user may have difficulty deciding whether to record and/or reproduce data on and/or from the disc because it is difficult to determine whether the disc is recordable and/or reproducible.

Information recording medium, apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from information recording medium, method of recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from information recording medium, and computer-readable recording medium storing program for executing the method


Magnesium hydroxide slurries and a method of producing same that can be shipped, without agitation, over a period of at least 28 days and can be readily removed from transport vehicles to customer storage. With respect to customer usage, such slurries can be readily handled without leaving significant residue in storage tanks and without fouling the customer's equipment. Also disclosed are magnesium hydroxide slurries containing a level of solids that is greater than what is commercially available and a method of producing same.

Magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH).sub.2, is useful in various chemical processes including, but not limited to, the following: pH adjustment; precipitation of heavy metal contaminants; scrubbing and neutralization of acidic vapors such as those associated with flue gases or process off-gases; the production of specialty magnesium compounds; and so forth.
So long as they are sufficiently stable, slurries represent an effective and convenient form by which magnesium hydroxide can be furnished. For example, stabilized slurries of magnesium hydroxide have many advantages over other forms of magnesium hydroxide, including the ability to be easily handled, transferred and stored, and the ability to be reliably dosed to chemical processes as desired.
Magnesium hydroxide may typically be derived from three basic sources: seawater, well brines and magnesite ore. In a preferred process, a magnesium hydroxide slurry, is produced from the chemical reaction of dolime (CaO.MgO) and well brine. The well brine comprises primarily calcium chloride but also includes magnesium chloride. The chemical reaction of dolime and well brine produces a slurry of magnesium hydroxide in a chloride-containing liquor. The slurry is then further processed to reduce chloride levels, typically to less than about 0.5%, and to increase solids content, typically to between about 30% and 60%. Unless indicated otherwise, all percentages in this application are weight percentages.
The above slurries, however, have a limited shelf life with respect to stability. First, even with agitation, thickening (i.e., increased viscosity) can occur. In addition, if the material is not agitated, the magnesium hydroxide solids will, after a period of time, typically about 1 to 4 hours, form a hard mass. The hard mass is resuspendable with great effort when dealing with small containers (e.g., up to approximately 5 gallons). However, the hard mass cannot, for all practical purposes, be resuspended when dealing with large containers (e.g., storage tanks, rail cars, trucks), due to the extreme amounts of energy required for such large volumes.
Moreover, in many applications, processing, storage and transportation costs are quite significant. In an attempt to reduce these costs, the above slurry is typically processed to increase the solids content to about 50-60% to reduce water content. However, even after boosting the solids content to these levels, the slurry still contains substantial amounts of water, giving the material added weight and volume, and thus keeping transportation costs high and limiting the amount of saleable product shipped. Dewatering magnesium hydroxide slurries to a solids content of greater than about 60%, however, has proven impractical. Furthermore, the shelf life with respect to stability of the slurry still remains a problem.

Process for producing stabilized magnesium hydroxide slurries

Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties Inc.


A dog clutch for an automatic transmission includes a mating clutch that defines a plurality of helical splines and a sliding clutch that defines a plurality of helical splines. The helical splines of the sliding clutch mesh with the helical splines of the mating clutch in an engaged configuration. The dog clutch also includes a synchronizer positioned at the sliding clutch. A related automatic transmission is also provided.

Automatic transmissions generally include at least one planetary gear set and a plurality of shift elements. The shift elements selectively engage components of the planetary gear sets in order to hinder or prevent rotation of the components. Selective actuation of the shift elements adjusts the gear ratio of the automatic transmission and shifts the automatic transmission between its various gears.
Certain automatic transmissions include dog clutch shifting elements. During various gear shifts, the dog clutch is engaged or closed. Engaging the dog poses certain challenges. For example, dog clutch actuation can require precise timing and sensors to activate the dog clutch without noise or damage. However, precision timing can be difficult to achieve, and additional sensors can add to the cost of an associated automatic transmission.
Accordingly, an automatic transmission with features for assisting with actuating a shifting element of the automatic transmission would be useful. In particular, a dog clutch with features for assisting with actuating the dog clutch would be useful.

Automatic transmission and a dog clutch for an automatic transmission


A stud that may be used as a header, as a sill, as a jamb stud, in a support post assembly and as a floor girder. In one embodiment, the stud has a substantially planar web, a first flange and a second flange that each protrude from the web. A first leg protrudes from the first flange such that the first leg is substantially parallel to the substantially planar header web. Likewise, a second leg protrudes from the second flange such that it is substantially parallel to the substantially planar header web. A first return protrudes from the first leg and a second return protrudes from the second leg. Stiffener ribs may be provided in at least one of the web, the first and second flanges and/or the first and second legs.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to building construction components and, more particularly, to building construction components fabricated from metal such as headers, sills, trusses, girders and support posts.
2. Description of the Invention Background
Traditionally, the material of choice for new residential and commercial building framing construction has been wood. However, over the years, the rising costs of lumber and labor required to install wood framing components have placed the dream of owning a newly constructed home out of the economic reach of many families. Likewise, such increasing costs have contributed to the slowing of the development and advancement of urban renewal plans in many cities. Other problems such as the susceptibility to fire and insect damage, rotting, etc. are commonly associated with wood building products.
In view of the foregoing problems and shortcomings of wood construction, steel is rapidly gaining acceptance among homebuilders and homeowners alike due to its cost effectiveness, dimensional stability, noncombustibility, insect resistance, durability, high strength-to-weight ratio and recycleability. These advantages have long been recognized by the commercial construction industry wherein steel has been the material of choice for several decades.
Regardless of whether a building comprises a multistory commercial structure or a single story residence, C-shaped metal studs and tracks are commonly used in their construction. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional C-shaped metal stud 10 that has a web 12 and a pair of flanges 14. A lip 16 is also formed on the end of each flange 14 to further strengthen the stud. Such studs 10 are commonly fabricated from cold-formed steel utilizing conventional rollforming techniques. Similarly, the conventional tracks 20 that are employed by the building trades each have a web 22 and a pair of flanges 24. The tracks 20 are similar in construction as the C-shaped studs, but lack the lack the lips that are commonly formed on the ends of the stud flanges. See FIG. 2.
In most construction applications, walls are constructed by attaching a series of C-shaped studs between a top track and a bottom track. The bottom track is usually attached to the floor structure by screws or other fasteners and the top track is usually attached to the ceiling joists. The ends of the studs are inserted into the top and bottom tracks and are attached thereto by screws, welds, etc. After the wall frame is constructed, then the desired wallboard material is attached to the flanges of the studs and tracks utilizing screws or other fasteners to complete the wall assembly.
In those walls that require door and/or window openings to be framed therein, a header is constructed to transfer loads occurring above the opening to the vertically extending studs adjacent the opening. The studs that define the vertical boundaries of the opening are often referred to as the "jamb" studs. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate one prior header and jamb stud arrangement that is formed utilizing conventional C-shaped studs and tracks. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the header 30 is formed by attaching a first C-shaped stud 32 to a track 40 such that the flanges 36 of the stud 32 are received between the flanges 42 of the track 40. A second upwardly facing piece of track 46 is then attached to the web 34 of the first stud 32. Such header 30 is commonly fabricated by attaching these components together with fasteners such as screws 49 or the like. The use of such screws, however, creates undesirable buildups which can lead to drywall finishing problems. In the alternative, the components may be welded together which adds to assembly time and expense.
Likewise, the jamb studs 50 are each commonly formed by attaching a C-shaped stud 52 to another piece of track 60 such that the flanges 56 of the stud 52 are received between the flanges 64 of the track 60 and then attaching the web 72 of another stud 70 to the web 64 of the track 60. These components are also commonly coupled together with screws 49 which can lead to drywall finishing problems. In the alternative, they may be welded together to form the jamb stud 50. Such assembly approach requires additional skilled labor. These combinations of components have been found to provide the jamb stud with a sufficient amount of strength to receive the loads from the header without failing or buckling.
To complete the header assembly, the header 30 is then attached to each jamb stud 50 by corresponding L-shaped clips 80. The clips 80 are welded or screwed to each jamb stud 50. In addition, sections of studs 82 are attached between the track 60 and the section of upper track (not shown) to which the upper ends of the jamb studs 50 are attached. Such stud segments 82 are often referred to in the industry as "cripple studs" and further transfer loads from the upper structures to the header.
FIG. 6 illustrates a prior truss chord 90 that is fabricated utilizing conventional C-shaped studs. By way of background, trusses are used to form the support frame for a roof or, in some applications, are used to form the support for an upper floor. The upper and lower portions of the truss are known as the "chords" and the members that extend between the chords are called "webs". As can be seen in FIG. 6, a typical method employed to form a truss chord 90 is to weld two C-shaped studs 92 together as shown. The truss webs are formed from other pieces of C-shaped studs 94 that are fastened to the chord 90 by screws, bolts etc. This arrangement, however, is labor intensive because studs have to be welded together to form the necessary chords.
Conventional C-shaped studs and tracks are also used to form support posts for supporting loads from the structures located above the posts. FIG. 7 illustrates a prior method of constructing a support post. As can be seen in that Figure, a total of 3 C-shaped studs 102 and two tracks 104 are employed. The studs 102 and tracks 104 may be connected together by a collection of screws or by welding. Both fastening methods, however, are time consuming and attribute to higher labor costs associated with their fabrication.
Floors are also constructed utilizing components that are somewhat identical to C-shaped studs and tracks utilized to form the wall frames for the structure. However, the tracks and C-shaped members used to form the floor structure can be larger than those like-shaped components used to form wall structures. The floor of a structure is commonly formed from a series of C-shaped members that span the distance between support structures or support walls. These C-shaped members are commonly referred to as floor joists. The ends of the joists are coupled to tracks referred to as joist rims that are either supported on a wall or other structure by one of their flanges or have their webs attached to the wall or structure. The joists are commonly attached to the joist rims by conventional L-shaped clips or by tabs that are integrally formed in the web of the joist rim.
In those instances wherein the span is too long or loading conditions require it, beams known as girders are employed. The girders serve as points of attachments for the ends of adjacent floor joists as shown in FIG. 8. In the past, many floor girders 110 were fabricated utilizing a conventional stud 112 nested in a conventional track 118. The flanges of the track 118 and stud 112 were attached together utilizing screws 119 or welds. The floor joists 120 were then attached to the girder 110 by means of L-shaped clips 122 and screws. Such approach required extra labor to assembly the girders. In addition, when screws are used to assemble the girder, the screws cause the flooring material to be raised up or bulge in the area around each screw head.
Thus, as can be appreciated from the forgoing discussion, a variety of different components utilized in constructing residential and commercial buildings from steel are fabricated from conventional C-shaped studs and tracks. While the use of such components affords a host of advantages over the use of wood beams and the like, the added labor and materials required to fabricate such components undesirably lead to increased construction costs.


According to one embodiment, an IP converter converts an interlaced color difference signal, in which the number of pixels in a vertical direction of a color difference signal is half that of a luminance signal, into a progressive color difference signal. A diagonal correlation detector detects a diagonal correlation of the progressive color difference signal, and obtains a correlative direction detected signal. A controller outputs a field selection signal to determine whether the progressive color difference signal is a signal in a top or bottom field. And a pixel generator changes a ratio between pixels of an nth and an n+1th line of the progressive color difference signal according to the field selection signal, when generating a new pixel by using corresponding pixels of the nth and n+1th lines based on the correlative direction detected signal.

An image processing apparatus uses a technique of converting the format of a color difference signal, which increases the number of pixels of color difference signals per one screen to the same as that of a luminance signal in a vertical or horizontal direction (refer to Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2008-236622).
This patent application discloses a technique of converting Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) 4:2:0 format (luminance signal horizontal-to-vertical pixel ratio 480:720; color difference signal horizontal-to-vertical pixel ratio 240:360) to 4:2:2 format (luminance signal horizontal-to-vertical pixel ratio 480:720; color difference signal horizontal-to-vertical pixel ratio 480:360).
In digital television broadcasting, a digital television signal is transmitted in an interlaced format in most cases. In the 4:2:2 format, a pixel position of a color difference signal basically has a phase offset in the vertical direction with respect to a pixel position of a luminance signal. Thus, when the 240:360 horizontal-to-vertical pixel ratio is simply converted to the 480:360 ratio to convert the format, the phase offset is disturbed. As a result, a color shift may occur in a color picture on a screen. A disturbed phase offset of a color difference signal has a great influence on the color picture of a display unit using a 4:2:2 format interlaced signal.

Color difference signal format conversion device and method


A hybrid porous structure may include a base template and an ionic polymer coating layer within the base template. The structural framework of the base template itself is non-porous. The base template fills the gaps among a plurality of imaginary spherical bodies stacked in three-dimensions as an imaginary stack. The ionic polymer coating layer is laminated on an inner surface of the base template inside the imaginary spherical bodies. The imaginary spherical bodies may have a pore in the center which is not occupied by the ionic polymer coating layer. The hybrid porous structure may include a plurality of necks, which are openings formed in a contact part where adjacent imaginary spherical bodies contact each other. The necks may be interconnected to the pores located in the center part of the imaginary spherical bodies.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to a hybrid porous structure, a method of manufacturing the hybrid porous structure, a separation membrane including the hybrid porous structure, and a water treatment device including the separation membrane.
2. Description of the Related Art
A separation membrane including pores may be used to separate a material with a specific size. As a result, such a separation membrane may be applied to water treatment by using this property to remove pollutants. The separation membrane for water treatment may be divided into various types according to the size of the micropores (including a microfiltration membrane, an ultrafiltration membrane, a nanofiltration membrane, a reverse osmotic membrane, and the like).
These separation membranes have characteristics determined according to the characteristics of the pores formed therein. For example, a separation membrane with relatively high porosity may decrease driving pressure but may have lower physical strength. On the contrary, a separation membrane with relatively low porosity may have higher physical strength but may increase driving pressure. Additionally, the pores of such a separation membrane may be more densely distributed to facilitate selective separation of a material having a specific size.

Hybrid porous structure, method of preparing hybrid porous structure, separation membrane including hybrid porous structure, and water treatment device including membrane


A monoolefin oligomerization process which gives high yields of dimer and trimer at high monoolefin conversions in a single stage reaction is described. The process involves contacting a C.sub.6-20 vinyl olefin with a catalyst comprising boron trifluoride and from 0.075 to 0.5 mol %, based on the total quantity of monoolefin being used, of an alcohol catalyst promoter. The oligomerization is performed at a temperature below about 40.degree. C. and under a pressurized atmosphere of boron trifluoride in the range of 2 to 4 bars gauge until the monoolefin conversion is at least 95% and the combined total of dimer and trimer in the liquid reaction mixture is at least 60% by weight.

It is known to produce monoolefin oligomers by use of boron trifluoride as the catalyst together with a co-catalyst component. A variety of co-catalysts have been proposed for this use including water, alcohols, ethers, esters, aldehydes, ketones, and acid anhydrides. Oligomers produced in this manner are useful in the production of synthetic lubricating oils of different viscosities. Typically the production of such products, often referred to as PAOs, involves oligomer fractionation, hydrogenation and back blending to achieve desired properties. Usually the dimers and trimers, especially those of 1-decene, are of greatest utility in the production of low viscosity PAOs for various end use applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,507 to Cupples, et al. describes a multi-stage process for oligomerizing 1-decene which includes use of a series of two or more tank type reactors. The patentees found that the trimer to tetramer ratio decreases with increasing 1-decene conversion in both stages of a two-stage operation, and that this ratio is higher in the second and succeeding reactors. Thus the process described in the patent operates at low conversion in the first stage and at higher conversions in succeeding stages of the process. The patent shows in Examples 5 and 6 of Table I that at 1-decene conversions of 83.4% and 90.5% the amount of dimer in the product was only 5.2% and 3.8%, respectively. In addition, the combined total of dimer and trimer in the products was 47.8% and 83.4% conversion and 38.9% at 90.5% conversion.


A method and an apparatus for increasing the spatial resolution and sensitivity of a color flow image while maintaining a desired acoustic frame rate. The ultrasound energy is concentrated at a more narrowly defined focal region, which allows for increased flow sensitivity and vessel filling. Better flow uniformity across the color region of interest is also achieved. The method uses multiple transmit focal zones, and transmit and receive apertures having low f-numbers. Using multiple focal zones with low f-numbers allows for tight focusing over a larger depth-of-field. Unique waveforms and unique gain curves are used for each focal zone. Each focal zone is fired on a separate acoustic frame. An adaptive frame averaging algorithm is used to blend together the in-focus data from each of these acoustic frames before the data is displayed.

Conventional ultrasound scanners create two-dimensional B-mode images of tissue in which the brightness of a pixel is based on the intensity of the echo return. In color flow imaging, the flow of blood or movement of tissue can be imaged. Measurement of blood flow in the heart and vessels using the Doppler effect is well known. The frequency shift of backscattered ultrasound waves may be used to measure the velocity of the backscatterers from tissue or blood. The change or shift in backscattered frequency increases when blood flows toward the transducer and decreases when blood flows away from the transducer. The Doppler shift may be displayed using different colors to represent speed and direction of flow. The color flow velocity mode displays hundreds of adjacent sample volumes simultaneously, all color-coded to represent each sample volume's velocity. Power Doppler imaging (PDI) is a color flow mode in which the amplitude of the flow signal, rather than the velocity, is displayed. The color flow image may be superimposed on the B-mode image.
The present invention is incorporated in an ultra-sound imaging system consisting of four main subsystems: a beamformer 2 (see FIG. 1), processors 4 (including a separate processor for each different mode), a scan converter/display controller 6 and a kernel 8. System control is centered in the kernel 8, which accepts operator inputs through an operator interface 10 and in turn controls the various subsystems. The master controller 12 performs system level control functions. It accepts inputs from the operator via the operator interface 10 as well as system status changes (e.g., mode changes) and makes appropriate system changes either directly or via the scan controller. The system control bus 14 provides the interface from the master controller to the subsystems. The scan control sequencer 16 provides real-time (acoustic vector rate) control inputs to the beamformer 2, system timing generator 24, processors 4 and scan converter 6. The scan control sequencer 16 is programmed by the host with the vector sequences and synchronization options for acoustic frame acquisitions. Thus, the scan control sequencer controls the beam distribution and the beam density. The scan converter broadcasts the beam parameters defined by the host to the subsystems via scan control bus 18.
The main data path begins with the digitized RF inputs to the beamformer from the transducer. Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional ultrasound imaging system includes a transducer array 36 comprised of a plurality of separately driven transducer elements 38, each of which produces a burst of ultrasonic energy when energized by a pulsed waveform produced by a transmitter (not shown). The ultrasonic energy reflected back to transducer array 36 from the object under study is converted to an electrical signal by each receiving transducer element 38 and applied separately to the beamformer 2.
The echo signals produced by each burst of ultrasonic energy reflect from objects located at successive ranges along the ultrasonic beam. The echo signals are sensed separately by each transducer element 38 and the magnitude of the echo signal at a particular point in time represents the amount of reflection occurring at a specific range. Due to the differences in the propagation paths between an ultrasound-scattering sample volume and each transducer element 38, however, these echo signals will not be detected simultaneously and their amplitudes will not be equal. Beamformer 2 amplifies the separate echo signals, imparts the proper time delay to each, and sums them to provide a single echo signal which accurately indicates the total ultrasonic energy reflected from the sample volume. Each beamformer channel 40 receives the echo signal from a respective transducer element 38.
To simultaneously sum the electrical signals produced by the echoes impinging on each transducer element 38, time delays are introduced into each separate beamformer channel 40 by a beamformer controller 42. The beam time delays for reception are the same delays as the transmission delays. However, the time delay of each beamformer channel is continuously changing during reception of the echo to provide dynamic focusing of the received beam at the range from which the echo signal emanates. The beamformer channels also have circuitry (not shown) for apodizing and filtering the received pulses.
The signals entering the summer 44 are delayed so that they are summed with delayed signals from each of the other beamformer channels 40. The summed signals indicate the magnitude and phase of the echo signal reflected from a sample volume located along the steered beam. A signal processor or detector 4 converts the received signal to display data.
The beamformer outputs two summed digital baseband receive beams. The baseband data is input to B-mode processor 4A and color flow processor 4B, where it is processed according to the acquisition mode and output as processed acoustic vector (beam) data to the scan converter/display processor 6. The scan converter/display processor 6 accepts the processed acoustic data and outputs the video display signals for the image in a raster scan format to a color monitor 22.
The B-mode processor converts the baseband data from the beamformer into a log-compressed version of the signal envelope. The B function images the time-varying amplitude of the envelope of the signal as a grey scale using an 8-bit output for each pixel. The envelope of a baseband signal is the magnitude of the vector which the baseband data represent.
The frequency of sound waves reflecting from the inside of blood vessels, heart cavities, etc. is shifted in proportion to the velocity of the blood cells: positively shifted for cells moving towards the transducer and negatively for those moving away. The color flow (CF) processor is used to provide a real-time two-dimensional image of blood velocity in the imaging plane. The blood velocity is calculated by measuring the phase shift from firing to firing at a specific range gate. Instead of measuring the Doppler spectrum at one range gate in the image, mean blood velocity from multiple vector positions and multiple range gates along each vector are calculated, and a two-dimensional image is made from this information. The structure and operation of a color flow processor are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,629, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The color flow processor produces velocity (8 bits), variance (turbulence) (4 bits) and power (8 bits) signals. The operator selects whether the velocity and variance or the power are output to the scan converter. The output signal is input to a chrominance control lookup table which resides in the video processor 22. Each address in the lookup table stores 24 bits. For each pixel in the image to be produced, 8 bits control the intensity of red, 8 bits control the intensity of green and 8 bits control the intensity of blue. These bit patterns are preselected such that as the flow velocity changes in direction or magnitude, the color of the pixel at each location is changed. For example, flow toward the transducer is typically indicated as red and flow away from the transducer is typically indicated as blue. The faster the flow, the brighter the color.
In conventional ultrasound imaging systems, the array of ultrasonic transducers transmit an ultrasound beam and then receive the reflected beam from the object being studied. The array typically has a multiplicity of transducers arranged in a line and driven with separate voltages. By selecting the time delay (or phase) and amplitude of the applied voltages, the individual transducers can be controlled to produce ultrasonic waves which combine to form a net ultrasonic wave that travels along a preferred beam direction and is focused at a selected range along the beam. Multiple firings may be used to acquire data representing the desired anatomical information along a multiplicity of scan lines. The beamforming parameters of each of the firings may be varied to provide a change in the position of focus or otherwise change the spatial position of the received data. By changing the time delay and amplitude of the applied voltages, the beam with its focal point can be moved in a plane to scan the object.
The same principles apply when the transducer is employed to receive the reflected sound (receiver mode). The voltages produced at the receiving transducers are summed so that the net signal is indicative of the ultrasound reflected from a single focal point in the object. As with the transmission mode, this focused reception of the ultrasonic energy is achieved by imparting separate time delay (and/or phase shifts) and gains to the signal from each receiving transducer.
Such scanning comprises a series of measurements in which the steered ultrasonic wave is transmitted, the system switches to receive mode after a short time interval, and the reflected ultrasonic wave is received and stored. Typically, transmission and reception are steered in the same direction during each measurement to acquire data from a series of points along a scan line. The receiver is dynamically focused at a succession of ranges or depths along the scan line as the reflected ultrasonic waves are received.
In an ultrasound imaging system, the beam spacing for an optimum image is determined by the beam width or lateral point spread function. The lateral point spread function is determined by the product of the wavelength and the f-number. The wavelength is in turn a function of the transmit waveform center frequency and the receiver demodulation frequency. The f-number equals the focal depth divided by the aperture.
The number of beams fired is determined by the spatial sampling requirements and the desired frame rate. Frame rate is inversely proportional to the time taken to transmit and receive all the beams required to form a complete frame of data. High frame rates are required to minimize the possible motion-induced errors in the image. In order to maintain a high frame rate the number of beams is kept to the minimum which would satisfy the Nyquist spatial sampling requirement. When fewer beams are fired than minimum spatial sampling requirements, spatial aliasing occurs. At the optimum spatial sampling the highest resolution is obtained together with the highest frame rate.

Method and apparatus for enhancing resolution and sensitivity in color flow ultrasound imaging using multiple transmit focal zones


A system including a preemphasis driver circuit and a method. One embodiment includes an output terminal, a main driver coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal and an auxiliary driver coupled to the output terminal, wherein at least one unclocked delay element is coupled between the input terminal and the auxiliary driver.

The present invention relates generally to a system including a preemphasis driver circuit, a method for operating a system preemphasizing an input signal to drive an output terminal and a method for driving a loaded transmission line with preemphasis.
The preemphasis of a data signal is a known method of improving the signal integrity of data transmitted to a receiving terminal and in particular if the data is transmitted over long or lossy transmission lines. Normally higher frequency spectral components of a data signal are affected by stronger channel attenuation.
Therefore, increasing the data rate of the data signal, or increasing the length or the losses of a transmission line loaded at a receiving terminal, leads to an increasingly closed eye aperture when the transmitted data signal is analyzed using eye diagrams. This increasingly closed eye diagram corresponds to an increasing corruption of the data signal meaning that it becomes more and more difficult to reconstruct the correct signal value at the receiving terminal.
Basically, as a countermeasure preemphasis can be used to predistort the signal to be transmitted by increasing or emphasizing the higher order harmonics in the signal to be transmitted. In other words, preemphasis leads to a compensation of the low-pass behavior of the transmission channel (e.g., a lossy transmission line) through usage of a driver with high-pass filtering behavior.
However, known realizations of preemphasis driver circuits suffer from various structural and implementational disadvantages.
For these or other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.

System including preemphasis driver circuit and method