A collapsible framework capable of being manipulated between a collapsed condition and an expanded, locked condition includes a plurality of legs and a plurality of collapsible quad sections. The legs are disposed generally in parallel with one another and in a bundle when the framework is in the collapsed condition. Each quad section includes two split step scissor units and two step scissor units. Each split step scissor unit is joined at one end to a respective leg, and including two arms that are pivotally joined, at least one of the arms being telescopic and including means for locking the arm at a predetermined length. Each step scissor unit is joined at one end to the other end of a respective split step scissor and at its other end to the other step scissor unit, and each step scissor unit includes two arms that are pivotally joined, at least one of the arms being telescopic and including means for locking the arm at a second predetermined length. The framework may further include a flexible canopy supported by the legs and quad sections, or may further include a plurality of tension cables joining ends of the legs and scissor units. Other types of quad sections are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to collapsible canopy structures and frameworks for such structures.
Building assemblies are known that have a foldable capability so that they may be erected where desired and, when necessary, folded up to a compact form for storage and/or transportation. These assemblies employ column-like elements or rods as basic construction units that function as stays. The links are interconnected with pivot joints, slip joints, or other forms of movable interconnects so that a collapsible, articulated structure is formed. A fabric covering is usually associated with the network of rods. An example of such a collapsible structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,185,164, which shows a structure including a plurality of rods joined by couplings into groups of three which are inter-related to form a generally hexagonal structural system. Another example of such a collapsible structure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,806. Structures that utilize elements intended to maintain the rigidity of the structure are also known, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,063,521.
Collapsible frame structures for supporting tents or other outdoor shelters are also known. Examples of collapsible frames for use in supporting such tents or outdoor structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 563,376; 927,738; 1,773,847; and No. 2,781,766. Such structures have varied widely in their ease of erection and storage, and are of varying structural strength.
Collapsible structures are described in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,968,808; 4,026,313; 4,290,244; 4,437,275; 4,473,986; 4,512,097; 4,522,008; 4,561,618; 4,579,066; 4,689,932; 4,761,929; and No. 4,838,003. In these patents, the structural frameworks include scissor assemblies are comprised of pivotally connected members of fixed length. My U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,808 discloses a self-supporting domed shelter constructed from a series of intermeshing pentagonal or hexagonal sections, each section being composed of crossed pairs of pivotally connected struts. The generally semi-spherical framework is made of elongate struts and hub means which are movable between a collapsed, bundled condition (in which the struts are closely bundled and in a generally parallel relationship) and an expanded condition or three-dimensional form. This structural framework is self-supporting by virtue of self-locking action resulting from the asymmetrical disposition of certain struts. The framework has zones of sliding connections between crossed struts that allows the structure to be collapsed. My U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,313 discloses sliding and pivoted connections and rectangular modules, among other things, and my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,290,244 and 4,437,275 generally are directed to structural modules.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,932 discloses an octahedral module that provides the ability to build long, narrow structures or tall, wide structures. With this octahedron-based design, the struts that define the structural modules may be of equal length. The octahedron-based design also introduced a 90-45 degree coordinate system that permits "stretchability" on three axes because each of the modules has the same edge lengths. That is, the controlled addition of modules permits the basic octahedron to be dimensionally increased in three mutually orthogonal directions: height, width, and length. My patent discloses a dome structure composed of two types of square modules: a "flat" module; and a "transition", or cylindrical, module. The circumscribing sides of all the modules are formed by crossed, pivotally connected struts. With this design, the resulting building has a generally spherical shape that is substantially horizontal at the top of the structure and substantially vertical near the bottom of the structure, there being a curved portion therebetween formed by the transition modules. With this design, the corner portions of the building are left open if, for example, passageways are desired, as shown in FIGS. 1-3 of the patent. As the size of the structure increases, the open corner sections become larger.
Many typical prior building designs, including geodesic domes and conventional structures such as frame tents, suffer from several general problems. If the structure is collapsible, it is often difficult to erect and requires several workers, a significant amount of time, and special tools and equipment. The structures are also often complex in construction, having several different detachable parts and being relatively heavy and bulky in size. Non-uniformity of the sizes of the structural members also contributes to the overall complexity and cost of such structures. Many conventional structures, such as frame tents having flat roofs, are limited in their aesthetic appeal. As a result, the appropriate uses of these structures are limited.
Fabrication of some collapsible structures, such as canopies having horizontal dimensions less than about twenty feet in length, presents special concerns because access to the limited interior space should not be excessively restricted by placement of the structural members. For example, the height of the canopy, which is typically determined by the lengths of posts, or legs, disposed at its corners, usually also determines the lengths of the crossed struts, or scissor members, that form the framework supporting the roof of the structure. To obtain the desired width and height with appropriate structural stability, the scissor members may be splayed to such an extent that access to the area under the canopy is restricted.
Telescoping or otherwise changeable elements in rod frameworks are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,892 to Lindbergh; No. 3,973,370 to McAllister; No. 4,641,477 to Schleck; No. 4,655,022 to Natori; and Nos. 4,888,895 and 4,942,686 to Kemeny. The Lindbergh patent describes the erection of an aircraft enclosure by forming an arch through the extension of a piston in a hydraulic cylinder. The McAllister patent discloses the erection of a structure comprising a framework having extendable struts. Schleck teaches a modular rod/truss structure having chord and diagonal members comprising turnbuckles for length adjustments that permit arch construction. Natori teaches a framework including extendable truss beams that permit fabrication of a curved structure. The Kemeny patents teach a scissors-type framework in which telescoping members permit different curvatures to be developed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,656 to Carter and Nos. 4,641,676 and 4,779,635 to Lynch describe relatively small collapsible canopy structures. In each of these patents, the canopy structure comprises a flexible covering and a framework that includes a number of telescoping legs and scissor assemblies, or X-shaped linkages, between the legs. The fixed arm lengths and single pivots of the scissor assemblies significantly constrain the dimensions, i.e., the distances between the ends of the arms, achievable with such scissor assemblies because an increase in one of those distances can only be achieved by either lengthening the arms, which may make the collapsed framework unwieldy, or increasing the angle between the arms, which may restrict access to the structure.
The present invention addresses these and other problems associated with known collapsible support structures. Among its several features and advantages, the present invention provides collapsible canopy structures that have relatively small horizontal dimensions and unrestricted interior access. These features and advantages are provided by including in the framework several scissor assemblies having telescoping members, as well as the "ring and blade" hubs and locking devices described in my above-cited U.S. patents and the parent of the present application.

Polyhedron building system having telescoping scissors


An object of the invention is to provide a flat-panel display device, which has a sufficient shockproof characteristic and in which the number of component parts can be reduced so as to lower in cost. A chassis for a flat-panel display device in accordance with the invention supports a component member such as a flat-panel display element 500, and is characterized in that a main body of the chassis 100 comprises a plurality of roughly triangle openings 120 at least one side of which is adjacent and roughly parallel to a side of another opening 120 or an outer edge of the main body of the chassis 100.

A known liquid crystal display device comprises, for example, a back chassis on which a light guide plate, an optical sheet and a liquid crystal displaying panel are piled in order and a bezel covering the above from the upper side thereof.
A resin chassis having a quadrangular opening is known as the above-mentioned back chassis (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 68857/1998, for example). There is, however, a problem that such back chassis made of resin is weak against a shock from the outside and that an inner component member is easily broken by the shock. Especially, the above-mentioned back chassis has a problem that it is easily changed in shape and broken by a shock operating in a direction that opposite apexes of the quadrangular opening are connected (in a diagonal direction).
In view of a shockproof characteristic, there is known a back chassis in which a resin chassis having a quadrangular opening and a metal plate for reinforcement, which is formed in a sheeting process, are formed into one body (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 149251/1999, for example). Such liquid crystal display device has a problem, however, that the number of component parts is large and the cost is high since a metal plate is used in addition to a resin chassis. Furthermore, change in shape of the metal plate by a shock is likely to disable the liquid crystal display device thereafter.

Chassis for a flat-panel display device, wherein a main body of the chassis comprising at least one roughly triangle opening with a thick part thicker than surroundings


A plasma display panel is provided in which a reliability of addressing is ensured, a flicker is reduced and the area that a cross talk can spread in the column direction is decreased so that a fluctuation of the display can be reduced. The plasma display panel has a first display electrode and a second display electrode that make an electrode pair for surface discharge. The first and the second display electrodes share one electrode for display of neighboring two rows. A partition is provided that divides a discharge gas space in the column direction only in the area where the first display electrode that is not used as a scanning electrode is positioned.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface discharge type plasma display panel (PDP).
An AC surface discharge type PDP is commercialized as a display device of a television set having a large screen. The surface discharge type has first and second display electrodes that are anodes and cathodes in display discharge for ensuring a luminance and are arranged in parallel on a front or a back substrate.
A xe2x80x9cthree-electrode structurexe2x80x9d that has address electrodes arranged so as to cross display electrode pairs is well known as an electrode matrix structure of the surface discharge type PDP. One electrode of the display electrode pair (a second display electrode) is used as a scanning electrode for row selection, and the address discharge is generated between the scanning electrode and the address electrode so as to control wall charge for addressing in accordance with contents of display. After the addressing, by applying a sustaining voltage having alternating polarity to the display electrode pair, a surface discharge occurs along a surface of a substrate only at cells having a predetermined quantity of the wall charge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a surface discharge type PDP is used in which N plus one display electrodes are arranged at a constant pitch in an interlace display, where N is the number of rows of a screen.
FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a cell structure of a conventional PDP.
The display electrode Xz is a laminate of a banding transparent conductive film 41z extending straightly in the row direction and a metal film 42z having a small width for augmenting the conductivity. The metal film 42z is arranged at the middle of the transparent conductive film 41z in the column direction. In the same way, the display electrode Yz includes a transparent conductive film 41z and a metal film 42z . Total N+1 of display electrodes Xz and Yz are arranged alternately, and the neighboring display electrodes Xz and Yz make an electrode pair for generating surface discharge, so as to form a row of screen. Each of the display electrodes Xz, Yz except both ends of the arrangement relates to display of two rows (an odd row and an even row), while the display electrodes Xz, Yz at the both ends relate to display of one row.
A discharge space is divided in each column by partitions 29z, and one column space that is a discharge space of one column is continuous over all rows. A structure of an area defined by neighboring partitions 29z and neighboring metal films 42z is a discharge cell (a display element) Cz. The address electrode Az is arranged at the middle of the column space.
An example of a driving method is as follows. In both address periods of an odd field and an even field, a scan pulse is applied to each display electrode Yz sequentially. Then, a potential of the odd display electrode Xz and a potential of the even display electrode Xz are switched complimentarily at each application of the scan pulse, so that an address discharge is generated between the display electrodes at the row for display (e.g., at an odd row in an odd field). In the display period following the address period, a sustaining pulse is applied alternately to the display electrodes Xz and Yz of the row that are used for the display, and a sustaining pulse is applied to the display electrode Xz of the row that is not used for the display (e.g., an even row in an odd field) in the same timing as the display electrode Yz. Namely, potential changes in the pair of display electrodes in the row that are not used for the display are in phase. Thus, discharge interference between an odd row and an even row can be reduced.
There is a problem of the conventional PDP in that since the column space is continuous over the entire length of the screen in the column direction, a cross talk of discharge can be generated in wide area over a few rows or a few tens of rows. In the structure having display electrodes arranged at a constant pitch, a displaying row and a non-displaying row are determined only by controlling their electrode potential. Therefore, the cross talk can occur easily compared with the structure in which a pair of display electrodes is arranged for each row so that an electrode gap between rows can be sufficiently wide. In order to eliminate the cross talk, a mesh pattern or a waffle pattern of partition can be provided for separating the cells, but it reduces an electrode area that contributes the discharge, resulting in reduction of display luminance. Since a main portion of the scanning electrode (Yz) is covered with the partition, an addressing potential may rise and a delay of discharge may occur. In addition, since the interlace display uses odd rows and even rows in time sharing for light emission, the separation of the cell will cause non-overlap of light emission areas of the odd row and the even row, resulting in a conspicuous flicker due to the time sharing light emission.
The object of the present invention is to ensure a reliability of addressing, to reduce a flicker and to decrease the area of cross talk in the column direction so that a display fluctuation can be reduced.
According to the present invention, the discharge gas space is divided by the unit of two cells aligned in the column direction. A scanning electrode that is one electrode of the display electrode pair is not used, but the other display electrode is used for dividing in the column direction. Since the dividing unit has an area of two cells, the light emission area of the odd row can overlap the light emission area of the even row in the column direction, so that the flicker cannot be conspicuous. Even if a cross talk of the discharge occurs, the fluctuation of the display is little since the cross talk is limited to the area of two cells or the multiples of the area. Since the discharge between the scanning electrode and the address electrode is not disturbed by the partition, a stable addressing can b e performed.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plasma display panel (PDP) comprises plural sets of first and second display electrodes making an electrode pair for surface discharge of each row, being arranged so that one electrode is shared by two neighboring rows for display, plural address electrodes crossing the electrode pair in each column, the second display electrode being a scanning electrode for row selection, and one or more partitions for dividing a discharge gas space in the column direction and only in a position within the area where the first display electrode is arranged.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the address electrode has a first area opposing to the first display electrode and a second area opposing to the second display electrode, and the second area is larger than the first area.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, each of the first and the second display electrodes includes a transparent conductive film for ensuring an electrode area and a metal film for reducing a resistance, and the address electrode has a first area opposing to the metal film of the first display electrode and a second area opposing to the metal film of the second display electrode, the second area being larger than the first area.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the portion of the partition that divides the discharge gas space in the column direction is arranged at the middle of the first display electrode in the column direction.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the shape of the first display electrode is different from the shape of the second display electrode so that discharge characteristics of cells are made uniform.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, an effective area of the first display electrode is different from an effective area of the second display electrode so that discharge characteristics of cells are made uniform.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the portion of the partition that divides the discharge gas space in the column direction is formed so as to have a gap that makes the discharge gas space continuous in the column direction.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the first display electrode includes plural conductors separated from each other in the column direction within a screen area.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, each of the first and the second display electrode includes a transparent conductive film for ensuring an electrode area and a metal film for reducing a resistance, and the portion of the partition that divides the discharge gas space in the column direction is formed so as to overlap the metal film of the first display electrode.
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the PDP has three kinds of cells corresponding to three kinds of light emission colors, and an effective area of at least one of the first and the second display electrodes is adjusted for each light emission color, so that relative luminance of the each color can be adjusted.


A magnetic recording head comprises a write pole having a tip adjacent to an air bearing surface of the recording head, a return pole magnetically coupled to the write pole, a conductor positioned adjacent to an edge of the write pole at the air bearing surface, a first conductive heat sink connected to the conductor, and a second conductive heat sink connected to the conductor, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second conductive heat sinks is positioned adjacent to the air bearing surface and wherein each of the first and second conductive heat sinks includes a structure for augmenting confinement of a magnetic write field adjacent to the write pole. Magnetic storage devices that include the magnetic recording head are also included.

As data storage densities in magnetic recording continue to progress in an effort to increase the storage capacity of hard disc drives, magnetic transition (bit) dimensions and recording head critical features are being pushed below 100 nm. In addition, making the recording medium stable at higher areal densities requires magnetically harder (high coercivity) storage medium materials. Traditionally, writing to a harder medium has been achieved by increasing the saturation magnetization, or 4πMs value, of the magnetic material of the inductive write head, thus bolstering the magnetic field applied to the medium. Though there has been some success in materials research efforts to increase Ms of the write head, the rate of increase is not sufficient to sustain the annual growth rate of bit areal densities in disc storage.
Another consequence of the rapid advance of areal densities is that write pole critical dimensions are decreasing faster than the corresponding Head-to-Media-Spacing (HMS). This presents a significant challenge to head design, as not only is the magnetic field strength effectively reduced, but the magnetic field profile at the media is more poorly confined, resulting in significant off-track fields that can cause undesirable effects such as adjacent track erasure, also referred to as side erasure. Thus, an important head design consideration is how to confine the magnetic fields more effectively without significantly degrading field strength at the media. A somewhat related issue is the need to shield the write head from the stray (or de-magnetization) fields of adjacent tracks, which can couple into the writer and interfere with the writing process.
Accordingly, there is a need for a magnetic recording head which is capable of overcoming the high coercivity of magnetic storage media, which confines the magnetic field produced at the write pole, and which shields the head from stray fields.

Ampere wire write head with confined magnetic fields


According to one embodiment, first monitor controller of electronic circuit board recognizes free slot into which the electronic circuit board has been hot-inserted, notifies host control device of start together with slot information causes first parameter setting module to change reception parameter of first T/R circuit module. The host control device instructs switch processing board to change transmission parameter, in response to slot information and start notification. Second monitor controller of the switch processing board causes second parameter setting module to change transmission parameter of second T/R circuit module, in accordance with an instruction from the host control device.

For example, in electronic apparatuses such as broadcasting transmitters, a plurality of electronic circuit boards having respective specific processing functions are detachably connected to a plurality of free slots provided in a motherboard in a housing. The motherboard is provided with a transmission line configured to perform signal transmission between the electronic circuit boards connected to the free slots by a differential method.
In the meantime, in the above electronic apparatuses, transmission parameters and reception parameters (such as a signal amplitude, a drive current, a reception gain, and an equalizer) to improve the transmission quality are automatically set for a substrate which has been first mounted to the free slot of the motherboard in the housing, directly after the power of the housing is turned on.
On the other hand, when the board breaks down or the construction is to be changed during operation in the above electronic apparatuses, a new board must be hot-inserted without stopping the operation. When a new board is hot-inserted, however, the power of the housing is not turned on again, and thus parameters are not automatically set. In this case, although the parameter set value of the old board is different from the parameter set value of the new board, automatic parameter setting is not performed. Thus, the operation processing may be disordered simultaneously with hot-insertion of the new electronic circuit board, and the communication quality may be adversely influenced.


An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor memory cell capable of ensuring a large surface area of each of a plurality of storage electrodes thereby to increase the capacity of a capacitive portion (capacitor) formed between the storage electrode and a cell plate electrode, in other words, greatly increasing the capacity of the memory cell and to provide a method of manufacturing the semiconductor memory cell. The storage electrode is structured so as to have oblique inclinations. A semiconductor memory cell is normally selected by applying a voltage to a word line so as to start up the word line. Thus, the reading of information from or writing of it into the selected semiconductor memory cell is performed. The information is transferred to the corresponding memory cell from the outside of the memory cell through its corresponding bit line. Alternatively, the information is transferred to the outside. The retention of the information in the memory cell is carried out by electric charges stored in the capacitor formed between the storage electrode and the cell plate electrode. Therefore, the greater the capacity of the capacitor, the higher the performance of the memory cell is made.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor memory cell, and particularly to a one-transistor/one-capacity type DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) cell for holding information therein by electric charges stored in a capacitor.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of mass storage capacity of a DRAM, the areas of cells, each of which constitutes a one-bit storage element, have been recently reduced every year. However, the achievement of stable operation of a circuit needs to ensure an electrostatic capacity exceeding some degree of capacity. Therefore, a stacked-capacitor cell or the like for forming a capacity between polysilicon layers formed in a few layers is used as a structure of a cell capacitor.
This has been disclosed in various literature (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-274360).
The present invention to be described later should be understood integrally with this literature. The present invention has been completed with a view toward providing a semiconductor memory cell capable of ensuring a large surface area of each of the storage electrodes thereby increasing the capacity of a capacitive portion (capacitor) formed between the storage electrode and a cell plate electrode, in other words, greatly increase the capacity of the memory cell as compared with those described in the literature.

Semiconductor memory cell having storage electrodes with inclined portions


A multifunctional recording and reproducing apparatus includes a first recording unit that records video signals on a first recording medium which can be ejected from a main body, a second recording unit that records the video signals on a second recording medium which can be ejected from the main body, and a programmed recording control unit that accepts setting of programmed recording. Whether a recording medium corresponding to a programmed recording item to be performed first among a plurality of programmed recording items set by the programmed recording control unit is the first recording medium or the second recording medium is displayed on a display unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multifunctional recording and reproducing apparatus capable of performing programmed recording on different types of recording media, such as a videocassette tape and a DVD, and more particularly, to a multifunctional recording and reproducing apparatus capable of displaying a recording medium corresponding to a programmed recording item to be performed first and of selecting any one of different types of recording media as the subject of the programmed recording on a programmed recording setting screen.
2. Description of the Related Arts
When programmed recording is performed using a multifunctional recording and reproducing apparatus capable of performing recording on a videocassette tape (hereinafter, referred to as a videotape) and of recording on a DVD, programmed recording on the videotape and programmed recording on the DVD are performed using different display screens. That is, when programmed recording is performed on the videotape, an operation mode is set to a VCR mode in which the videotape is used. In addition, in the VCR mode, a programmed recording setting screen is displayed to input necessary information. In addition, when programmed recording is performed on the DVD, the operation mode is set to a DVD mode in which the DVD is used. In addition, in the DVD mode, a programmed recording setting screen is displayed to input necessary information (hereinafter, referred to as first related art).
In addition, in a waiting state until a programmed recording time after programmed recording is set using the above-mentioned method, the following display operation is performed. That is, it is assumed that the programmed recording on the videotape and the programmed recording on the DVD are set. In addition, it is assumed that the videotape is inserted and that a recordable DVD having a sufficient storage space is loaded. In this case, on a display unit using a fluorescent display tube (which is indicated by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 3), a clock mark 21 indicating that programmed recording is being executed is turned on. In addition, in order to show that the programmed recording on the videotape is set, a character display lamp 22 displaying characters 'VCR' that indicate the videotape is turned on. In addition, in order to show that the programmed recording on the DVD is set, a character display lamp 23 displaying characters 'DVD' that indicate the DVD are turned on.
Meanwhile, in a state in which programmed recording on both the videotape and the DVD is set, when the videotape is inserted, but the DVD is not loaded, the programmed recording on the videotape can be performed, but the programmed recording on the DVD cannot be performed. Therefore, the character display lamp 22 displaying the characters 'VCR' corresponding to the videotape is turned on, but the character display lamp 23 displaying the characters 'DVD' corresponding to the DVD flickers. In addition, the clock mark 11 also flickers. That is, since the DVD is not loaded regardless of whether the programmed recording on the DVD is set, a message that the programmed recording on the DVD cannot be performed is displayed on the display unit 10. In addition, when the DVD is loaded and the videotape is not inserted, the clock mark 11 and the character display lamp 22 displaying the characters 'VCR' flicker, and the character display lamp 23 displaying the characters 'DVD' is turned on (hereinafter, referred to as second related art).
In addition, for a multifunctional recording and reproducing apparatus capable of using both the videotape and the DVD, the following technology has been suggested (hereinafter, referred to as the third related art). That is, when a power supply is turned on so that the DVD starts to rotate, the rotation of the DVD is unstable for five seconds after the rotation of the DVD is started, resulting in strong vibration. Therefore, when recording is performed on the videotape in this period, scattering occurs in signals recorded on a control track. In addition, during reproduction, screen shaking is generated. For this reason, according to the third related art, even if programmed recording is performed on the videotape immediately after the power supply is turned on, the programmed recording is not performed for five minutes after the power supply is turned on, and then starts being performed after five seconds has been elapsed (for example, see JP-A-2003-91902).

Multifunctional recording and reproducing apparatus


Methods, systems, and apparatuses for defining a target bit rate and collections of coefficients of source data, as well as a global coding order of the collections of coefficients. A plurality of coding units and corresponding allowable truncation points for each of said collections of coefficients and a local coding order of said coding units can be defined. A rate value and a distortion value for each of said coding units can be defined along with an adaptive threshold value for each of said coding units. The encoding of the collections of coefficients is performed in turn according to the global coding order. During the encoding, if a predetermined termination criterion is not met for a particular coding unit, the particular coding unit will be included in an output code-stream, and if the termination criterion is met, an encoding of the one of the collection of coefficients will be terminated.

Due to the huge size of the raw data of digital signals, compression must be applied to the raw signals so that they may be transmitted and stored. The digital signals can be video, image, graphics, audio, speech, etc. In particular, digital image signals can be very large in size. Digital cameras can be used to capture high resolution images that can easily have a resolution of 10 mega-pixels or higher. Many remote sensing images or map images can have very high resolution as well. Image compression is very important for the storage, transmission and representation of such digital images.
One important international standard for image compression is the ISO/IEC 10918 standard, known commonly as the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) standard [G. K. Wallace, "The JPEG Still Picture Compression Standard," IEEE Trans. On Consumer Electronics, vol. 38, no. 1, February 1992.]. The JPEG standard was finished in early 1990s and has since been used widely in internet and digital cameras. In the year 2000, ISO/IEC produced a new standard ISO/IEC 15444, known commonly as the JPEG2000 standard [ISO/IEC, ISO/IEC 15444-1: Information technology—JPEG 2000 image coding system—Part 1: Core coding system, 2000: ISO/IEC, ISO/IEC 15444-2: Information technology—JPEG 2000 image coding system—Part 2: Extensions, 2000:C. Christopoulos, et. al., "The JPEG2000 Still Image Coding System: An Overview," IEEE Trans. on Consumer Electronics, vol. 46, no. 4, November 2000.], which can give both objective and subjective image quality superior to JPEG.
Baseline JPEG uses mainly discrete cosine transform (DCT), scalar quantization and variable length coding such as runlength coding, Huffman coding and arithmetic coding. On the other hand, JPEG2000 comprises discrete wavelet transform (DWT), scalar quantization, combined bit plane and arithmetic coding, and optimal rate control. Rate control or rate allocation is an algorithm or strategy to control the bit-rate of the signal coding such that it meets the target bandwidth, end-to-end delay and/or storage requirement. The ultimate target of rate control is to allocate the target bit-rate in the encoding of the signal such that the overall distortion can be minimized. In JPEG, the bit-rate is controlled by a single global value of quantization factor (or quality factor). As a result, the bit rate control is not accurate and the visual quality may vary from one region of the image to another. By using the bit-plane coding, JPEG2000 can control the bit-rate to meet the bit-rate requirement precisely and easily. And the bit rate is controlled locally and thus can be adapted to the local image characteristics.
The basic encoding algorithm of JPEG2000 is based on Embedded Block Coding with Optimized Truncation or EBCOT [D. Taubman, "High Performance Scalable Image Compression with EBCOT," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 9, no. 7, July 2000.]. The EBCOT algorithm partitions the wavelet coefficient into non-overlapped rectangle blocks called code-blocks. The code-block data are then entropy encoded by bit-plane coding. A rate-distortion optimization (optimal bit allocation) process is applied after all the quantized wavelet coefficients have been entropy encoded (compressed) and is referred to as post-compression rate-distortion (PCRD) optimization [D. Taubman, "High Performance Scalable Image Compression with EBCOT," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 9, no. 7, July 2000: H. Everett, "Generalized Lagrange Multiplier Method for Solving Problems of Optimum Allocation of Resources," Oper. Res., vol. 11, pp. 399-417, 1963.]. By utilizing the actual rate-distortion functions of all compressed data, the PCRD technique achieves minimum image distortion for any given bit-rate. However, since it requires the encoding of all the data and the storage of all the encoded bit-stream even though a large portion of the data needs not to be sent out, most of the computation and memory usage could be redundant in this process. Also the PCRD is an off-line process such that the whole image needs to be completely encoded before sending out any data and hence long delay is possible.
Another technique for the optimal rate allocation of JPEG2000 is by coefficients modelling. Kasner et al. [J. H. Kasner, M. W. Marcellin and B. R. Hunt, "Universal Trellis Coded Quantization," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 8, no. 12, pp. 1677-1687, December 1999.] assumed that the wavelet coefficients could be modelled by memory-less generalized-Gaussian density (GGD). By estimating the GGD parameter, the rate-distortion function can be approximated as required for the optimal rate allocation. This approach is included in Part-2 of JPEG2000 [ISO/IEC, ISO/IEC 15444-2: Information technology—JPEG 2000 image coding system—Part 2: Extensions, 2000.] and is called Lagrangian rate allocation (LRA). In this approach, both the rate and distortion are estimated before actually encoding the wavelet coefficients. A quantization step-size of each sub-band is selected based on the estimation and the quantized wavelet coefficients are encoded without any truncation. This approach does not have the issue of redundant computation cost and redundant memory usage. However the rate control accuracy is heavily depended on the coefficients following the assumption of GGD. An iterative technique is often required to converge on the target bit-rate. In each iteration, the quantization step-sizes are required to be re-estimated and the wavelet coefficients are thus quantized and entropy encoded again. The multiple quantization and entropy encoding processes heavily increase the complexity of this approach. In practice, the complexity of LRA is comparable to the PCRD approach.
Other than the empirical PCRD approach and the analytical LRA approach, Masuzaki et. al. [T. Masuzaki, et. al., "JPEG2000 Adaptive Rate Control for Embedded Systems," Proc. IEEE Int. Sym. on Circuits and Systems, vol. 4, pp. 333-336, May 2002.] first proposed a non-optimal training-image based fast rate control method for JPEG2000. By training a set of test images using the PCRD method, the proposed fast method obtains the relationship between the number of coding passes (coding points) and the corresponding number of bytes within a sub-band. The relationship is then approximated by a linear curve. Given a target bit-rate, the fast method can predict the number of coding passes to be included in the final output using the linear model. However the results of the paper show that this method can suffer from a significant PSNR loss (>1 dB in 0.25 bpp). The loss could be much more significant as a single liner function cannot well approximate different kind of images.
Model based rate allocation is an attractive approach for fast rate control as it can provide the optimal quality when the coefficients follow the model assumption. However the major drawback is the degree of model accuracy. It is unlikely that an accurate model can be found for highly varied images. Thus we change our thought into non-model based fast rate control method.
JPEG2000, as noted previously, is the new international standard for still image coding. JPEG2000 is based on the discrete wavelet transform (DWT), scalar quantization, coefficient bit modelling, arithmetic coding and rate control. The DWT decomposes an image (or sub-image called tile) into sub-bands for with different level of decomposition. FIG. 1 shows an example of two-level DWT decomposition. The sub-bands consist of coefficients that represent the horizontal and vertical spatial frequency characteristics of the image/tile. Each sub-band is then quantized by a scalar quantizer and divided into non-overlapped rectangular blocks (called code-blocks in JPEG2000) with size typically 64×64 or larger. The quantized code-block data are entropy encoded (compressed) to form a code-block bit-stream. Each of the code-block bit-stream can be truncated to meet the target bit-rate by rate control and finally output to the channel in packet format.
After transformation, the wavelet coefficients are quantized using scalar quantization. Each of the coefficients ab(x,y) of the sub-band b is quantized to the value qb(x,y) by
                                          q            b                                          (                          x              ,              y                        )                          =                              sign                                      (                                                a                  b                                                                  (                                      x                    ,                    y                                    )                                            )                                ·                      ⌊                                                                                                a                    b                                                                          (                                          x                      ,                      y                                        )                                                                                              Δ                b                                      ⌋                                              (        1        )            where Δb is the quantization step size.
In lossless compression, the value of Δb must be one for all sub-bands. However, in lossy compression, no particular selection of the quantization step size is required in the standard. One effective way in selecting the quantization step size is to scale a default (or pre-defined) step size Δd by an energy weight parameter γb [J. W. Woods, J. Naveen, "A Filter Based Bit Allocation Scheme for Subband Compression of HDTV," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 436-440, July 1992.] by
                              Δ          b                =                              Δ            d                                              γ              b                                                          (        2        )
This selection of quantization step size is recommended in the standard and is implemented in the standard reference software [M. D. Adams and F. Kossentini, "JasPer: A Software-based JPEG-2000 Codec Implementation," Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. On Image Processing, vol. 2, pp. 53-56, October 2000: M. D. Adams, "JasPer project home page," http://www.ece.uvic.ca/˜mdadams/jasper, 2000.] with the default step size Δd equal to two for all sub-bands.
The quantized wavelet coefficients in the code-blocks are encoded using coefficient bit modelling and arithmetic coding. This process is called tier-1 coding in JPEG2000. Tier-1 coding is essentially a bit-plane coding technique that is commonly used in wavelet based image coders [J. M. Shapiro, "Embedded Image Coding using Zerotrees of Wavelet Coefficients," IEEE Trans. on Signal Processing, vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 3445-3462, December 1993: A. Said, W. A. Pearlman, "A New, Fast, and Efficient Image Codec Based on Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees," IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems for Video Tech., vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 243-250, June 1996.]. In tier-1 coding, code-blocks are encoded independently of one another using exactly the same coding algorithm. For each code-block, coefficients are encoded starting from the most significant bit-plane (MSB) with a non-zero element towards the least significant bit-plane (LSB). Each coefficient bit in a bit-plane is selected to be included in only one of the three coding passes called significance pass, refinement pass and cleanup pass by using coefficient bit modelling. The coding pass data are then arithmetic encoded by a context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coder called MQ coder in JPEG2000.
Rate control in JPEG2000 is achieved partly by the quantization and partly by the selection of the coding pass data to be included in the final output (code-stream). The quantization process as mentioned before roughly controls the rate that is generally far from the target bit-rate and is applied only once. The accurate rate control is achieved by selecting part of the coding pass data to be included in the final code-stream. JPEG2000 has no requirement on which rate control method to be used. However an optimal rate control process called post-compression rate-distortion (PCRD) optimization is recommended in the standard. This process had been described in D. Taubman, "High Performance Scalable Image Compression with EBCOT," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 9, no. 7, July 2000 clearly and we will summarize it as follow.
Let {Bi}i=1,2, . . . denote the set of all the code-blocks that cover the whole image/tile. For each code-block, an embedded bit-stream is formed by the tier-1 coding with a set of allowable truncation points each of which is located at the end of each coding pass. Thus there is at most three truncation points for each bit-plane. For any code block Bi, the bit-stream can be truncated into different discrete length with bit-rate Ri1, Ri2, . . . . The corresponding distortion incurred by reconstructing those truncated bit-streams is denoted by Dini at truncation point ni=1,2, . . . . The optimal rate control process is to select the truncation points which minimize the overall reconstructed image distortion D where
                    D        =                              ∑            i                                          D            i                          n              i                                                          (        3        )            subject to the rate constraint
                    R        =                                            ∑              i                                                  R              i                              n                i                                              ≤                      R            budget                                              (        4        )            where Rbudget denotes the target bit-rate.
Using the Lagrange multiplier technique [D. Taubman, "High Performance Scalable Image Compression with EBCOT," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 9, no. 7, July 2000: H. Everett, "Generalized Lagrange Multiplier Method for Solving Problems of Optimum Allocation of Resources," Oper. Res., vol. 11, pp. 399-417, 1963.], the optimization process is equivalent to minimize the cost function
                    J        =                              D            +                          λ                                                                                R                                =                                    ∑              i                                                  (                                                D                  i                                      n                                          i                                                                    (                        λ                        )                                                                                +                                  λ                                                                                R                    i                                                                  n                        i                                                                                (                        λ                        )                                                                                )                                                          (        5        )
Therefore if we can find a value of λ such that the set of truncation points {ni(λ)} which minimizes (5) and the maximum achievable rate satisfies the rate constraint in (4) will be the optimal truncation points for a target bit-rate.
A simple algorithm in finding the optimal truncation points is mentioned in Taubman. At any truncation point ni, the R-D "slope" is given by
                              S          i                      n            i                          =                                            Δ                                                                                D                i                                  n                  i                                                                    Δ                                                                                R                i                                  n                  i                                                              =                                                    D                i                                                      n                    i                                    -                  1                                            -                              D                i                                  n                  i                                                                                R                i                                  n                  i                                            -                              R                i                                                      n                    i                                    -                  1                                                                                (        6        )
In the rest of the paper, the term R-D slope is always referred to Eqn. (6). Assume Ni be the set of available truncation points for code-block Bi. The truncation point ni(λ) for a given value of λ is found such thatni(λ)=max{jεNi|Sij≧λ}  (7)where j=1,2, . . . is the truncation point index. However this equation is only true when the R-D slope is monotonically decreasing (Sini+1≦Sini). Thus the monotonically decreasing property is assumed in the optimization algorithm. Based on the monotonically decreasing property, the optimal value of λ denoted as λoptimal is equal to the minimum value of λ which satisfies the rate constraint in (4). In practice, an iterative approach with fast convergence is often used in searching the λoptimal. Once the λoptimal is found, the optimal truncation points can be found by (7) with λ=λoptimal.
In the PCRD algorithm, the R-D slope information of all the available truncation points are required to be pre-computed and stored in memory. This requires tier-1 encoding of all the quantized coefficients and the whole encoded bit-stream must be stored in memory even though a large portion of them will not be included in the final output after the optimal truncation. Therefore a significant portion of computational power and working memory size is wasted on computing and storing the unused data. We call this portion of computational power and working memory size to be redundant computational cost and redundant memory usage respectively. Also the PCRD method is a non-causal or off-line process because the entire image/tile needs to be completely encoded before sending out any data and hence long transmission delay is possible. Since the PCRD method requires tier-1 encoding of all the quantized coefficients, the computational complexity can be about 40% to 60% of the total CPU execution time [M. D. Adams and F. Kossentini, "JasPer: A Software-based JPEG-2000 Codec Implementation," Proc. IEEE Int. Conf On Image Processing, vol. 2, pp. 53-56, October 2000: K. F. Chen, C. J. Lian, H. H. Chen and L. G. Chen, "Analysis and Architecture Design of EBCOT for JPEG-2000," Proc. IEEE Int. Sym. Of Circuits and Systems, vol. 2, pp. 765-768, May 2001.].

Efficient rate allocation for multi-resolution coding of data

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology


A discharge-pumped gas laser, typically a discharge-pumped excimer laser, includes a main discharge circuit for producing an electric discharge in a laser gas to excite the laser gas for laser emission. The main discharge circuit comprises a first electric circuit having a thyratron, a charging circuit including a charging capacitor for storing an electric energy to operate the thyratron, and a discharging circuit including a pair of main discharge electrodes and a peaking capacitor for storing an electric energy to cause a main discharge in the laser gas between the main discharge electrodes. The laser gas is preionized by preionizers having a plurality of preionizing electrodes which produce an electric discharge to preionize the laser gas. The preionizing electrodes are connected in a second circuit which has a plurality of distributing capacitors for storing an electric energy to enable the preionizing electrodes to preionize the laser gas and supply substantially uniform electric currents to the preionizing electrodes. The distributing capacitors have substantially the same capacitances. The first and second electric circuits are substantially independent of each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a discharge-pumped gas laser with preionizers, and more particularly to a discharge-pumped gas laser such as a discharge-pumped excimer laser which has a preionizing circuit substantially independent of a main discharge circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some discharge-pumped gas lasers, e.g., discharge-pumped rare-gas-halide excimer lasers, include preionizers for preionizing the laser gas to stabilize a discharge between main discharge electrodes. Particularly, preionization of the laser gas for a stable discharge is indispensable for excimer lasers. Laser gas preionization is discussed in the literature Development of Excimer Lasers and their Application Technologies and Examples, written by Shuntaro Watanabe and published by Applied Technology Publishing, pages 15 through 30, for example.
Conventional discharge-pumped gas lasers with preionizers have a preionizing circuit included in a main discharge circuit so that the preionizer electrodes are directly and simultaneously driven by the main discharge circuit. When a peaking capacitor of the main discharge circuit is charged, the current also flows through the preionizer electrodes, and when a main discharge is produced between main discharge electrodes the discharging current also flows through the preionizer electrodes. Therefore, an unduly large current, larger than necessary to preionize the laser gas between the main discharge electrodes flows through the preionizer electrodes, producing a spark discharge that is more intensive than necessary. The preionizer electrodes thus cause an unwanted energy loss, resulting in a reduction in laser emission efficiency. The preionizer electrodes are also liable to get worn rapidly and become unstable in operation after long usage. The preionizer electrodes produce a relatively large amount of minute particles, which are deposited on optical windows, thus lowering the intensity of laser emission.
Since the preionizer electrodes are included in the main discharge circuit, the main discharge circuit is relatively large in size, and hence cannot produce a main discharge at high speed. With the slow main discharge, the main discharge uniformity and the laser emission efficiency are low.

Discharge-pumped gas laser with independent preionizing circuit

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A seal for stator vane segments within a gas turbine engine is provided which includes an axial member and an end member. The axial member includes a central portion and at least one axial joint element extending out from the central portion. The central portion has across-section which includes a pair of substantially u-shaped circumferential ends connected by an arcuate midsection. The axial joint element transitions from the arcuate midsection to a substantially flat end. The end member includes an end joint element attached to a radial portion. The axial and end joint elements contact each other to prevent leakage therebetween, and also sidably cooperate with each other to accommodate misalignment between the axial member and the end member.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to seals within gas turbine engines in general, and to seals for sealing between stator vane segments, in particular.
2. Background Information
Rotor assemblies within most modern gas turbine engines typically include a number of rotor stages separated by stator sections. Each rotor stage generally includes a plurality of blades circumferentially distributed around a disk. Each blade consists of a root, an airfoil, and a platform extending laterally outward between the root and the airfoil. The roots are received within the disk and the platforms collectively form an annular surface at the bases of the airfoils. The stator sections adjacent the rotor sections generally include a plurality of segments that collectively form an annular assembly. Each segment includes one or more vanes extending between an inner and an outer platform. The inner platforms are attached to a static support structure and the outer platforms are supported by the casing disposed radially outside of the stator section. The inner and outer platforms collectively form gas path boundaries through the stator section.
To avoid, or minimize, leakage between stator segments, it is known to provide seals between the inner and outer platforms of adjacent segments. Most inter-segment seals extend axially between segments from forward to aft, and radially along one or both of the forward and aft edges of the segment. Slots machined in circumferential faces (axially and radially extending surfaces) of the segments receive the inter-segment seals.
Inter-segment seals having either a flat plate-like cross-section or a "dog-bone" cross-section are among the most popular. Flat inter-segment seals are often made from sheet metal and may be referred to as "feather seals". The flat geometry offers great flexibility to accommodate misalignment between adjacent stator vane segments. In some instances, however, the flexibility gained by the flat geometry compromises the seals ability to seal between segments.
"Dog-bone" cross-section seals (sometimes referred to as "hour-glass" seals) on the other hand, provide nearly as much flexibility as featherseals and more efficient sealing. A "dog-bone" seal may be described as having a cross-section that includes a pair of substantially u-shaped circumferential ends connected by an arcuate midsection. The u-shaped circumferential ends are received within the slots of adjacent stator vane segments and the arcuate midsection bridges the gap between the adjacent stator vane segments. The convex side of the arcuate midsection extends outwardly toward the higher of the two pressure regions across the seal. The higher pressure deflects the arcuate midsection, consequently biasing the u-shaped circumferential ends within the slots of the stator vane segments. A disadvantage of "dog-bone" type seals is that the cross-sectional geometry precludes a single piece being used for both the axial portion and the radial portion(s) of the stator vane segment seal slot.
What is needed is an apparatus for sealing between stator segments of a gas turbine engine that provides an appropriate amount of flexibility, one that efficiently seals both radially and axially, and one that can be readily manufactured.


An object of the present invention is to provide a temperature detection material that can be manufactured through a simple step and is excellent in handleability. In order to solve the above problem, the temperature detection material according to the present invention includes a temperature-indicating material including a leuco dye, a color developer, and a color eraser and a matrix material; and is characterized in that the matrix material is in a solid state, a melting point of the matrix material is higher than a melting point of the temperature-indicating material, and a phase separation structure in which the temperature-indicating material disperses in the matrix material is formed.

Perishable foods, frozen foods, and low temperature storage drugs such as vaccines and biomedicines require a cold chain to keep those products at a low temperature without interruption through a distribution route including production, transportation, and consumption. Actually, a transport container is usually equipped with a data logger capable of continuously recording a time and a temperature in many cases in order to measure and record a temperature constantly during distribution, and it is possible to reveal the whereabouts of the responsibility if a product is damaged. In addition, there is a method of using a temperature indicator when the quality of an individual product is guaranteed. A temperature indicator does not have such a recording accuracy as a data logger but is attachable to an individual product, the surface is colored when the temperature is above or below a preset temperature, and hence the change of a temperature environment can be known. An inexpensive temperature indicator is required, however, in order to be used for quality control of an inexpensive food or drug.
A temperature-indicating agent using a leuco dye is disclosed in Patent Literature 1 as a temperature indicator capable of detecting temperature rise and temperature drop.
A heat-sensitive erasable ink composition using the color developing and erasing mechanism of a leuco dye is disclosed in Patent Literature 2. The heat-sensitive erasable ink contains a leuco dye, a color developer, and color developing particles including a crystalline material as a coloring agent.
A solid writing material using a reversible thermochromic microcapsule pigment enclosing a thermochromic color-memory composition and a styrene-modified polyolefin wax as an excipient is disclosed in Patent Literature 3.

Temperature detection material, temperature detection ink using same, temperature indicator, method for manufacturing temperature detection material, and product management system

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I)

Ghrelin is a 28 amino acid peptide predominantly produced by the stomach and to a lesser extent by the bowel, pancreas, kidney, placenta, pituitary and the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. It has only recently been purified and isolated from the rat and human stomach (Kojima et al., Nature 1999; 402: 656), where it has been found in X/A endocrine cells associated with the acid-secreting parietal cells of the gastric glands. Studies have shown that ghrelin acts on growth hormone secretagogue receptors (GHS-R), stimulates the release of growth hormone, induces rat adiposity (Tschöp et al., Nature 2000, 407(6806), 908), controls gastric acid secretion (Masuda et al., Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2000; 276: 905) and when released within the rodent arcuate nucleus (Kojima et al., Nature 1999; 402: 656; Lu et al., Neuroscience Letters. 2002; 321(3):157) or when administered i.c.v. (Nakazato et al., Nature 2001; 409: 194; Shintani et al., Diabetes 2001; 50: 227) stimulates an increase in food consumption. Systemically-administered ghrelin may also achieve the same, possibly by changing vagal nerve input to the brainstem vagal nuclei and hence, to the arcuate nucleus (Date et al., Gastroenterology 2002; 123: 1120). These studies indicate that GHS-R agonists have therapeutic utility in the treatment of different forms of cachexia and eating disorders.
Agonists of the ghrelin receptor have been described as useful in treating a growth hormone deficient state, stimulating an increase in food consumption thereby facilitating weight gain or maintenance of weight or appetite increase. This is particularly useful for a patient having a disease or disorder, or under going a treatment, that is accompanied by weight loss. Examples of diseases or disorders accompanied by weight loss include eating disorders (including anorexia, bulimia) cancer cachexia, AIDS, wasting, cachexia, and wasting in frail elderly. Examples of treatments accompanied by weight loss include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, temporary or permanent immobilization, and dialysis.
Further work with growth hormone secretagogues (e.g., WO 97/24369) suggests roles for ghrelin receptor agonists in the treatment or prevention of frailty associated with ageing, the acceleration of the repair of fractured bone, reducing protein catabolism after major surgery or during chronic illness, improving muscle strength and mobility control of congestive heart failure, and other metabolic disorders. Studies with such compounds also indicate a role in the promotion of sleep quality (WO 97/24369) and in the improvement of congestive heart failure after administration of ghrelin (Nagaya et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2001, 86, 5854-5859; Circulation 2001, 104, 1430-1435).
In both anaesthetised and conscious rodents and in conscious dogs, ghrelin increases gastric motility and emptying (anaesthetised rat motility Masuda et al., Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2000; 276: 905; rat gastric emptying Trudel et al., American Journal of Physiology 2002; 282: G948; mouse gastric emptying Asakawa et al., Gastroenterology 2001; 120: 337). This action can also be illustrated in vitro, by showing an ability of rat ghrelin to facilitate electrically-evoked, excitatory nerve-mediated contractions in rodent gastric fundus strips, a response mimicked by partial 5-HT4 receptor agonists and indicative of a "prokinetic-like" response (Murray et al., British Journal of Pharmacology 2002; 136: 18P). Further, in conscious rats, i.c.v. administration of ghrelin reduces gastric acid secretion (Sibilia et al, Neuroendocrinology 2002; 75: 92); s.c. administration was without effect. Trudel and colleagues (American Journal of Physiology 2002; 282: G948) showed that ghrelin could reverse the gastric stasis created by invoking paralytic ileus via intestinal manipulation. Together, all of these data indicate that ghrelin might act as a gut hormone to facilitate both nutritional intake and digestion. This concurs with the proposal that the ability of ghrelin to evoke small reductions in pancreatic insulin secretion is consistent with the release of ghrelin during fasting conditions, when it will be important to maintain appropriate levels of blood sugars (see Muccioli et al., Eur J Pharmacology 2002, 440: 235).
Thus, in addition to conditions associated with cachexia (e.g. as a result of cancer), sarcopenia and/or those chronic diseases that may be exacerbated by loss of muscle mass (e.g. osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, advancing age), growth hormone deficiency (e.g., when associated with age-related conditions), other disorders of metabolism, disorders in patterns of sleep or of congestive heart failure, GHS-R agonists will be useful treatments to alleviate symptoms associated with gastro-esophageal reflux and/or with dyspepsia, with or without appetite-/metabolic-related cachexia. Examples of such conditions include the reduction in feeding and the gastric stasis and emesis associated with anti-cancer treatment and other treatments or conditions which evoke similar symptoms, the gastroparesis associated with diabetes and gastroparesis and the symptoms associated with functional dyspepsia and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. Further, an ability to stimulate intestinal motility suggests that compounds active at ghrelin receptors will be useful treatments of paralytic ileus or pseudo-obstruction, and of conditions associated with constipation, such as constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. An ability to reduce inflammation may also provide a use for compounds active at ghrelin receptors in the treatment of conditions such as gastritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
European patent application EP1159964 claims the use of compounds which stimulate the release of growth hormone as a means of stimulating the motility of the gastrointestinal system in a patient.
WO 95/06637 discloses a series of piperazine derivatives which are said to possess 5-HT1D receptor antagonist activity. WO 02/36562; WO 01/32660; WO 00/05225; WO 99/42465 and WO 98/27081 all disclose arylpiperazine sulfonamide derivatives that are claimed to be 5-HT6 receptor antagonists. WO 02/74764; WO 02/74768; and WO 01/23374 all disclose dimethylpiperazine derivatives that are claimed to be selective 5HT1B receptor antagonists.
WO06/010629 discloses a series of arylpiperazine derivatives of formula (A):

which are said to possess agonistic activity at the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptors.

Abstract: processes for their preparation, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same and to their use in the treatment of gastrointestinal and other disorders.


A process for preparing LiFeO.sub.2 having a layered rock salt type structure is characterized in that at least one member selected from the group consisting of water-soluble iron salts, iron hydroxides, iron oxide hydroxides, and metallic iron is subjected to a hydrothermal treatment in an aqueous solution containing lithium hydroxide and at least one of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide at 130.degree. to 300.degree. C.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a lithium ferrite (LiFeO.sub.2) powder having a layered rock salt type structure. Such a lithium ferrite powder is useful as a cathode material for use in secondary lithium batteries, and the like.
Lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO.sub.2), lithium nickel oxide (LiNiO.sub.2), and solid solutions thereof each having a layered rock salt type (.alpha.-NaFeO.sub.2 type) structure have been studied and developed, and are practically used as cathode materials in secondary lithium batteries now in use as re-chargeable power sources for portable electronic and electric apparatuses. These cathode materials, though high in operating voltage and large in capacity, are however expensive because they contain a rare metal such as Co or Ni. This is therefore a hindrance to extension of the market of secondary lithium batteries wherein they are used (the cost of a cathode material accounts for about 1/3 of the price of a battery).
On the other hand, a lithium manganese spinel such as LiMn.sub.2 O.sub.4 and lithium ferrite (LiFeO.sub.2), which have attracted attention as low-cost 4 V-class cathode materials of the next generation, are under research and development. Lithium ferrite in particular is most expected as a low-cost cathode material of the next generation since it is prepared using Fe as a very rich resource. When this compound is prepared according to a conventional method comprising a solid state reaction of a variety of lithium compound with a trivalent iron compound at 300.degree. to 900.degree. C. e.g., J. C. Anderson and M. Schieber, J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 25 (1964) 961-968!, there is obtained only either .alpha.-LiFeO.sub.2 wherein cations are randomly distributed, or .gamma.-LiFeO.sub.2 having a structure wherein cations are regularly disposed but which is different from that of LiCoO.sub.2. In these phases, no route of diffusion of Li during charging or discharging is secured, whereby the compound fails to exhibit cathode characteristics. Accordingly, establishment of a method of preparing layered rock salt type LiFeO.sub.2 having the same crystal structure as LiNiO.sub.2 or LiCoO.sub.2 has been of urgent necessity. Synthesis of this compound is as of now carried out by subjecting .alpha.-NaFeO.sub.2 synthesized by a conventional solid state reaction method to ion exchange in a molten salt containing Li ions e.g., T. Shirane, R. Kanno, Y. Kawamoto, Y. Takeda, M. Takano, T. Kamiyama and F. Izumi, Solid State Ionics, 79 (1995) 227-233; this will hereinafter be referred to as "Referential Literature"). Since this method requires 2 steps: preparation and ion exchange of .alpha.-NaFeO.sub.2, however, it involves problems such as a difficulty in mass production and a failure in obtaining high-purity crystals. Thus, a novel practical process alternative to this method has been desired.

Process for preparing layered rock salt type lithium ferrite by mixed alkali hydrothermal method

Agency of Industrial Science & Technology


A hammer that includes a handle and a head is provided. The head disposed on an upper end of the handle. The handle includes a core member; a rigid material layer molded on the core member; and a grip member molded on at least a portion of the rigid material layer. The grip member includes a first elastomeric material layer molded on the rigid material layer and a second elastomeric material molded on the first elastomeric material layer. The head has an eye portion extending through the head. The handle has at least a portion of its upper end extending into the eye portion. An epoxy resin material is positioned within the eye portion and is at least partially disposed between the handle and the head to secure the handle to the head. An elastomeric portion is at least partially disposed between the handle and the head.

The present application relates to hammers and more particularly to a hammer having vibration dampening features.
Conventional hammers typically include a head secured to a handle. During use, a strike face disposed on the head of the hammer is configured to strike against an object, such as a nail or chisel.


An extrudable elastomeric composition including an elastomeric A-B-A' block copolymer where A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer endblock and where B is a conjugated diene monomer unit having a low degree of residual ethylenic unsaturation; a polyolefin; and an effective amount of a transition metal compound which is substantially uniformly distributed in the blend containing the polyolefin and block copolymer so that the extrudable elastomeric composition is adapted form an elastic sheet that is degraded after less than about 30 days continuous exposure to a thermally oxidative environment. The transition metal compound may be a salt or complex of cobalt and/or manganese and is added in an amount that will provide at least about 0.01 percent, by weight, of the transition metal in the extrudable composition.

Many products are made from or contain thermoplastic elastomeric polymers in various elastic components that provide desirable elastic properties, often at a relatively low cost. One particularly useful class of thermoplastic elastomeric polymers are A-B-A' elastomeric block copolymers where A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer endblock and where B is an elastomeric polymer mid-block. Typically, the elastomeric polymer mid-block is a conjugated diene monomer unit.
However, polymers having a polydiene mid-block tend to be poorly suited for the demanding conditions encountered in certain modern extrusion processes. These polymers may degrade oxidatively if held for a long period of time at high temperatures in the presence of oxygen. Also, products made from these polymers may be placed in environments that can cause the polymers to chemically break down. In order to increase their thermal stability and resistance to oxidation, these elastomeric block copolymers may be hydrogenated to produce copolymers having a low degree of residual ethylenic unsaturation in the polydiene mid-block. Such polymers have essentially saturated olefin midblocks which tend to be thermally stable and resistant to oxidative degradation. Exemplary elastomeric block copolymers having saturated olefin midblocks are the Kraton.RTM. G series rubbers available from the Shell Chemical Company.
Those elastomeric block copolymers can be formulated into extrudable compositions, often with added stabilizers and antioxidants, that are especially well suited for the severe conditions of extrusion processes such as, for example, meltblowing processes. Large quantities of these extrudable compositions are processed into elastic nonwoven webs that are incorporated in a variety of disposable products, including disposable personal care products such as, for example, disposable diapers, disposable work wear and other disposable garments.
Unfortunately, the polymer modifications that provide thermal stability and resistance to oxidation also hinder chemical breakdown of the polymer after the products have been used and disposed of in a composting system. Thus, while some extrudable elastomeric materials will withstand severe processing conditions and, once incorporated into a product, will survive environments that could cause the polymer to chemically break down, there is still a need for an extrudable elastomeric material which will meet those needs and will still break down under typical compost conditions.
When present in certain polymers in sufficient amounts, some transition metals are known under the appropriate conditions to initiate chemical reactions that degrade the physical properties of those polymers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,926 issued Jul. 25, 1967 to Baron et al., discloses a process for making a low-molecular weight polyolefin by mixing a high molecular weight polyolefin with a metal salt of a carboxylic acid and then applying heat. According to the patent, from about 0.075 percent to 10 percent, by weight, of a metal salt of a carboxylic acid may be used. It is disclosed that the resulting mixture is heated in an atmosphere that is substantially free of oxygen to a temperature from about 275.degree. to about 450.degree. C. According to the patent, useful metal salts of carboxylic acids include sodium stearate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, zinc stearate, sodium oxalate, sodium citrate, sodium acetate, sodium tartrate, and potassium acid phthalate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,759 issued Mar. 2, 1976 to Taylor, et al., discloses a degradable plastic that contains an organic photosensitizer and at least one organic derivative of a transition metal. According to the patent, controlled degradation of the plastic is initiated by photo-oxidative reaction of the organic photosensitizer. This photo-oxidative reaction is sustained by the organic derivatives of the transition metals. It is disclosed that the compositions described in that patent will gradually oxidize in the dark after an initial short-term exposure to ultraviolet light. Suitable organic photosythesizers are disclosed as including ketones, azo compounds such as azobenzene, organic dyes, and other compounds such as benzophenone. The organic derivatives of transition metals are disclosed as including naphthanates, oleates, acetates, stearates, benzoates, citrates, and similar compounds derived from cobalt, chromium, iron, nickel, manganese, and other transition metals.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,994,855 issued Nov. 30, 1976 to Boberg, discloses a polymer composition which is degradable under the action of ultraviolet light and/or sunlight, and which also may be subject to thermal degradation. According to the patent, thermoplastic polymers or copolymers of .alpha.-olefins may be made photosensitive and degradable by employing one or more transition metal compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,488 discloses thermoplastic polymer compositions, especially .alpha.-olefin polymers that include a biodegradable substance such as, for example, starch, a transition metal compound, and a fatty acid or fatty acid ester. These polymer compositions degrade under the action of heat and/or ultraviolet light. According to the patent, one or more other transition metal compounds may be added to catalyze the degradation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,606 issued Nov. 23, 1982 to Tobias, et al., discloses photodegradable polymer compositions. According to the patent, a degradable polymer may be made which contains at least one photosensitive aliphatic or aromatic ketone and at least one readily auto-oxidizable olefinic compound having an amine with at least one olefinic group.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,853 issued Jul. 24, 1984 to Gilead, et al., discloses a controllably degradable vinyl polymer composition which contain a complex of two different metals. According to the patent, a combination of iron and nickel compounds provides an unexpected enhancement in the photo-degradation of vinyl films.
PCT International Publication No. WO 88/09354 discloses a degradable polymer composition which includes a blend of normally stable chemically saturated polymer, a less stable chemically unsaturated polymer or copolymer, an anti-oxidant active over a limited period of time and a latent pro-oxidant, such as an organic salt of a transition metal compound. According to the patent, the normally stable chemically saturated polymer may be a polyolefin such as polyethylene. The less stable chemically unsaturated polymer is disclosed as being a styrene/butadiene block copolymer or natural rubber that provides adequate levels of autoxidizable unsaturation. The transition metal salts are disclosed as being organic acid salts of metals such as cobalt, manganese, or copper. The organic acids are described as having sufficiently high molecular weights to yield metal salts that are soluble in the polymer blends.
While these references describe various degradable polymers, they do not address problems related to providing extrudable elastomeric materials that will withstand severe processing conditions and, once incorporated into a product, will survive environments that could cause the polymer to chemically break down, and yet will still break down under typical compost conditions.

Extrudable elastomeric composition having controlled rate of degradation


Semiconductor lasers are driven such that high output laser beams are stably obtained without a long start up time. A method for driving semiconductor lasers by automatic current control or automatic power control with a constant current source involves the steps of: generating a pattern of drive current values for the semiconductor lasers, which is defined according to the amount of time which has elapsed since initiating driving thereof, that enables obtainment of substantially the same light output as a target light output by the automatic current control or the automatic power control; and varying the drive current of the semiconductor lasers in stepwise increments according to the pattern for a predetermined period of time from initiation of drive thereof. A single pattern is used in common to drive the plurality of semiconductor lasers.

Semiconductor lasers are in practical use in many fields. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-055881 discloses a laser exposure apparatus that modulates light emitted from semiconductor lasers with spatial light modulating elements, and exposes photosensitive materials with the modulated light.
In addition, GaN type semiconductor lasers that emit laser beams having wavelengths in the vicinity of 400 nm are known, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-096062. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-055881 discloses that the exposure apparatus employs this type of semiconductor laser as an exposure light source.
In applications of semiconductor lasers, such as when they are employed in the aforementioned exposure apparatus, it is desired to drive the semiconductor lasers such that their light output is constant. Known methods for driving semiconductor lasers in this manner include an ACC (Automatic Current Control) drive method, and an APC (Automatic Power Control) drive method, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8(1996)-274395.
The drive current/light output properties of semiconductor lasers change due to self heating and the like. Therefore, it is recognized that the ACC drive method, in which drive current is controlled to be constant, has a drawback that the light output changes after the laser is turned on. This defect occurs particularly conspicuously in high output semiconductor lasers. Similarly, this defect occurs conspicuously in laser apparatuses, in which pluralities of semiconductor lasers are mounted. Further, blue-violet GaN type semiconductor lasers have poorer luminous efficiency and generate a greater amount of heat than red lasers. Therefore, the light output changes more conspicuously in blue-violet GaN type semiconductor lasers.
In view of these circumstances, the APC drive method is generally employed to obtain stable light output. In the APC drive method, the drive current is controlled by: causing a portion of a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser to enter a monitoring photodetector; and creating a feedback loop such that a monitor current, which is generated proportionate to the light output of the semiconductor laser, becomes constant.
In the APC drive method, however, a portion of the emitted light is utilized as an input to the feedback loop, causing a drawback that the amount of light to be utilized for the intended purpose is reduced. In addition, additional costs become necessary to provide a light amount feedback loop circuit.
Meanwhile, in laser exposure apparatuses such as that described above, the light output of the semiconductor lasers is a factor that determines the takt time of exposure processes. Therefore, obtainment of stable high output laser beams at low cost is desired. However, in the case that the ACC drive method is employed to obtain stable light output, the laser exposure apparatuses must stand by until the temperature of the semiconductor lasers stabilizes after they are turned ON. This generates loss in production time, thereby increasing the takt time of the laser exposure apparatuses. The increase in the takt time deteriorates the productivity of exposure processes.
Constantly keeping the semiconductor lasers in an ON state may be considered as a method to eliminate the time loss caused by the aforementioned standby state. However, the life of lasers is determined by the amount of time that they emit light. Therefore, the effective life of the semiconductor lasers is reduced by the amount of time that they are in the ON state and are not being utilized to perform exposure processes. In the case that the percentage of time that the lasers are utilized for exposure within the total time that the lasers in the ON state is 50%, for example, the life of the semiconductor lasers is reduced by approximately ½.
The present invention has been developed in view of the foregoing circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for driving semiconductor lasers which enables obtainment of stable high output laser beams simply, at low cost, and without a long startup time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for deriving drive current patterns, which are employed in the method and apparatus for driving semiconductor lasers.
It is still another object of the present invention to shorten the takt time of exposure apparatuses that expose photosensitive materials with light, which is emitted from semiconductor lasers and modulated by spatial light modulating elements.

Method and apparatus for driving semiconductor lasers, and method and apparatus for deriving drive current patterns for semiconductor lasers


A substance dispensing device associated with a usage indicator is disclosed. The device includes a substance storage container and a pump operable to dispense substance from the container. The usage indicator includes a movable member that is movable in response to operation of the pump. The movable member includes an indicator providing a visual indication of the extent to which substance has been dispensed from the device.

It is usually the case that substance dispensing devices of the foregoing kind can be used on several occasions before the quantity of the substance stored in the device is exhausted. It is also a common requirement that an accurately metered amount of the substance is dispensed each time the device is operated.
Devices of the foregoing kind have been provided with means that enable the user to determine when the stored quantity of the substance is getting low. Various different arrangements have been provided for that purpose, but they have not been entirely satisfactory because of cost, lack of accuracy, or difficulty to read or interpret.
Another problem encountered with devices of the foregoing kind is the possibility of the device dispensing less than the intended quantity of the substance. That may occur because of inadequate care on the part of the operator, and may also occur because the stored quantity of the substance remaining in the device is too small at the time the device is operated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively inexpensive, accurate and easy to read usage indicator. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a substance dispensing device including such an indicator. Still another object of the invention is to provide a substance dispensing device having a usage indicator, and also having means preventing operation of the device when the quantity of the stored substance approaches exhaustion.


A spacer for retaining and positioning elongated elements at one or a plurality of levels in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly comprises a grid structure of joined-together sleeve cells. A coolant is adapted to flow upwards through the fuel assembly. The majority of the sleeve cells are provided with an upstream edge with a waveform. The edge is waveformed in such a way that the upwardly flowing coolant first encounters a peak of the wave which is disposed between the joints of the sleeves and thereafter a valley of the wave which is disposed at the joints of the sleeves. The peaks are arranged closer to a center of the sleeve cell than the valleys. Between the peaks and valleys, oblique edges are formed.

A fuel assembly in a boiling water nuclear reactor comprises a long tubular container, often with rectangular or square cross section, which is open at both ends forming a continuous flow passageway, through which the coolant of the reactor may flow. The fuel assembly comprises a large number of equally long tubular fuel rods, arranged in parallel in a certain definite, normally symmetrical pattern. The fuel rods are retained at the top by a top tie plate and at the bottom by a bottom tie plate. To allow coolant to flow past the fuel rods in the desired way, it is important that these be spaced from each other and prevented from bending or vibrating when the reactor is in operation. For this purpose, a plurality-of spacers are used, distributed along the fuel assembly in the longitudinal direction.
A fuel assembly for a pressurized-water nuclear reactor has, in principle, the same construction as a fuel assembly for a boiling water nuclear reactor, except that the fuel rods are not enclosed by some tubular container and that the number of fuel rods is larger.
In connection with repair and service of a nuclear reactor, foreign matter may enter the coolant. The foreign matter then moves with the coolant which is circulated in the reactor core. The foreign matter may consist of metal chips or pieces of metal wire. In those cases when the foreign matter adheres to the spacers or to other locations in the fuel assembly, it may give rise to wear damage on the elongated elements. The wear damage may have serious consequences, especially if it occurs on parts which are particularly fragile such as the fuel rods. This may be the case if the debris adheres to a spacer such that, because of the upwardly-flowing coolant, it is set into vibration thus wearing against one or more of the fuel rods which are positioned by the spacer.
To avoid damage of the above kind, it is known to design various forms of debris-capturing means which are intended to be arranged below the fuel assembly in such a way that the coolant is forced to pass therethrough before it is passed into the fuel assembly. By arranging debris-separating means in this way, the main part of the foreign matter is prevented from entering the fuel assembly proper.
A disadvantage with additional parts introduced in a fuel assembly is that they almost always lead to the increase of the pressure drop across the fuel assembly.
The present invention relates to an alternative way of reducing the risk of wear on the fuel rods caused by foreign matter adhering to the upstream edge of the spacer.

Spacer for a nuclear fuel assembly and a nuclear fuel assembly


An attachment device for securing a gas bag module to a vehicle part is provided. The gas bag module has a housing with at least one receiving opening in the housing. The attached device includes at least one nut which is received in the receiving opening. The nut is fixed to the housing so as to be non-rotatable but substantially linearly displaceable with respect to the housing so that a guide for the housing is formed. The gas bag module further includes at least one bolt screwed into the nut for attaching the gas bag module to the vehicle part. The bolt, in cooperation with the nut and the opening, serves for connecting the gas bag module to the vehicle part.

Typically, gas bag modules are secured to the hub of a steering wheel. The gas bag module comprises a housing having at least one nut secured thereto, into which a bolt is screwed for arresting the gas bag module to the vehicle part. Hitherto, such gas bag modules have been bolted to the front side or rear side of a steering wheel. For this purpose, nuts are mounted non-rotatably to the housing of the gas bag module, into which the corresponding bolts are then screwed in during assembly, these nuts usually being mounted non-rotatably by means of a press-fit. If the gas bag module is required to be received movably, an intermediate plate is provided, which is resiliently mounted between the gas bag module and the steering wheel. This intermediate plate is secured to the steering wheel skeleton in a longitudinally moveable manner, and the gas bag module is fixedly bolted to the intermediate plate. This way of securing is relatively complicated and requires considerable assembly time.

Attachment device for securing a gas bag module to a vehicle part


A computer having backup capabilities for backing up data on a host storage disk of the computer to a remote archive repository, the computer including a backup application that determines when data to be backed up should be copied to the remote archive repository and makes read requests to make a copy of data on the host storage disk and makes write requests to store the copy at the remote archive repository, the computer also including a backup system that receives the write requests and the copy of data and has a remote procedure call interface for transmitting the data to the remote archive repository.

The invention relates to backing up computer data on a host computer storage disk.
Computer data are often backed up, i.e., copied, to a storage medium other than the host computer's storage disk, to permit the recovery of the data as they existed at some point in time in the event of system failure or inadvertent loss of data. The data can be automatically backed up on a daily or other periodic basis and stored on tape or optical archive media.
With some desktop personal computers, backup is done manually on an erratic schedule, with the user of the desktop being responsible for keeping track of the backup media. There are backup applications that provide backup for data stored on a desktop computer by writing to diskettes or to an additional tape or disk drive associated with the computer. These applications can have a facility for automatic backup but rely on the user to put new media into a tape drive.
In general there are two ways to back up data: physical level backup and logical level backup. The term "physical level" refers to the data as stored at specific locations on some physical media such as a host computer disk. The term "logical level" refers to the data as seen by the user application programs in files or database tables. Typically the computer's operating system (e.g., UNIX or DOS) includes a file system that does mapping between the physical level and the logical level. Physical level backup involves making a raw copy from a computer disk to an archive medium without going through the file system or other physical to logical interpreter. Logical level backup involves using an interpreter (e.g., a file system) while doing backup to do physical to logical mapping.

Computer backup using a file system, network, disk, tape and remote archiving repository media system