A system, method, apparatus, and computer program product for interactively broadcasting value via a sound, a Wi-Fi, a Bluetooth, an email, a messaging, an RFID, or an NFC to incentivize direct consumer engagement. The system produces verifiable data on customer preferences, habits, and purchasing while using secure digital cryptographic technology to convey an item of value. The system is configured to transact a digital token normally carried on a blockchain leger in an off-ledger condition. The digital token is embedded with a media content. A mobile computing device having a representation of a digital wallet is configured to detect the digital token, decode the digital token and is transfer the digital token back to the blockchain ledger. When validated by the blockchain ledger, the digital token is transacted to a digital wallet on the blockchain ledger.

The present invention relates to value transactions, and more particularly, exchanging value between a sender and receiver via an acoustic signal or other wireless means.
Content creators, distributors, advertisers and other entities cannot transfer value via sound and other means to directly interact with consumers in a secure, cost efficient and immutable manner while collecting secure verifiable data. Delivery of incentives cannot be made via secure sound and other means, and existing incentive programs are inefficient and expensive to administer. In addition, the experience for consumers is cumbersome with relatively low participation and redemption rates, while customer data is very limited and sometimes non-existent for the advertiser or rewards sponsor.
As can be seen, there is a need for improved systems, apparatus, and business methods to secure the transfer of value to the consumer in the form of a digital currency or other valuable, and exchanges consumer personal data, through an immutable, append only blockchain based solution. The broadcast function also allows safe and secure direct interactions in previously inaccessible environments. For example, shooting t-shirts represented by digital tokens over a stadium screen or directly to a consumer's mobile device while watching at home on TV using a QR code for redemption.

System, method, and apparatus to interactively broadcast value


Methods and systems for assessing a health state of a person via eye movement-driven biometric systems are provided. Examples of the health states that it would be possible to detect with such a system are but not limited to brain injuries (e.g., concussions), dementia, Parkinson's disease, post-traumatic stress syndrome, schizophrenia, fatigue, cybersickness, autism, Bipolar Disorder and other health conditions that manifest themselves in abnormal behavior of the human visual system. Described methods and systems can also detect influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The system extracts biometric template of a person by deriving features from the captured eye movement signal. The system may compare the difference between previous healthy state of a tested person and newly captured template or an averaged biometric template created from the records of multiple healthy people state of multiple people and a newly captured template from a person who needs to be tested. Based on the difference between the templates, a decision of a health state of a person is made. Described methods and systems may work on any device that has eye tracking capabilities including but not limited to desktop mounted eye tracking systems, head mounted eye tracking systems such as Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality or stand-alone mounted eye tracking systems.

Field
This disclosure is generally related to person identification, verification, and subject state detection, and more specifically to methods and systems for detecting brain injury using ocular biometric information.
Description of the Related Art
Accurate, non-intrusive, and fraud-resistant identity recognition is an area of increasing concern in today's networked world, with the need for security set against the goal of easy access. Many commonly used methods for identity determination have known problems. For example, password verification has demonstrated many weaknesses in areas of accuracy (the individual typing the password may not actually be its owner), usability (people forget passwords), and security (people write passwords down or create easy-to-hack passwords).
The communication between a human and a computer frequently begins with an authentication request. During this initial phase of interaction a user supplies a system with verification of his/her identity, frequently given in the form of a typed password, graphically encoded security phrase, or a biometric token such as an iris scan or fingerprint. In cases when the user is prompted to select the identification key from a sequence of numerical and graphical symbols, there is a danger of accidental or intentional shoulder surfing performed directly or by use of a hidden camera. Moreover, such challenges may become specifically pronounced in cases of multi-user environments including shared-workstation use and more contemporary interaction media such as tabletops. Authentication methods requiring remembrance of information such as symbols and photos have reduced usability, due to the fact that long, sophisticated passwords can be easily forgotten and short passwords are easy to break. Even biometric methods such as iris and finger print-based authentication may not be completely fraud-proof, since they are based on a human's body characteristics that can be replicated.
There are a number of methods employed today for biometric purposes. Some examples include the use of fingerprints, iris, retina scans, face recognition, hand/finger geometry, brain waves, periocular features, ear shape, gait, and voice recognition. Iris-based identification is considered to be one of the most accurate among existing biometric modalities. However, commercial iris-identification systems may be easy to spoof, and they are also inconvenient and intrusive since they usually require a user to stand very still and very close to the image capturing device.
The human eye includes several anatomical components that make up the oculomotor plant (OP). These components include the eye globe and its surrounding tissues, ligaments, six extraocular muscles (EOMs) each containing thin and thick filaments, tendon-like components, various tissues and liquids.
The brain sends a neuronal control signal to three pairs of extraocular muscles, enabling the visual system to collect information from the visual surround. As a result of this signal, the eye rotates in its socket, exhibiting eye movement such as the following types: fixation, saccade, smooth pursuit, optokinetic reflex, vestibulo-ocular reflex, and vergence. In a simplified scenario, when a stationary person views a two-dimensional display (e.g., computer screen), three eye movement types are exhibited: fixations (maintaining the eye directed on the stationary object of interest), saccades (rapid eye rotations between points of fixation with velocities reaching 700°/s), and smooth pursuit (movements that occur when eyes are tracking a smooth moving object).
Accurate estimation of oculomotor plant characteristics is challenging due to the secluded nature of the corresponding anatomical components, which relies on indirect estimation and includes noise and inaccuracies associated with the eye tracking equipment, and also relies on effective classification and filtering of the eye movement signal.
According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1.7 million people are diagnosed with traumatic brain injury ("TBI") each year in the United States. Of these, nearly 75% (or 1.3 million) are incidences of mild traumatic brain injury ("mTBI"). This does not account for the undiagnosed occurrences of mTBI.
Each year there are approximately 52,000 TBI-related deaths in the United States, accounting for roughly one-third (30.5%) of all injury-related deaths. mTBI increases the risk of TBI, and can cause neurological disorders which persist years after injury, affecting thought, behavior, and emotion, producing physical symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vertigo, headache, lethargy, and blurred vision. The ability to diagnose mTBI is especially important for active military personnel and professional sports players, for whom it is common to sustain repeated head trauma, the severity of which can range from inconsequential to severe. Unfortunately, there are few quantitative measures by which to assess the presence and severity of TBI, with health care professionals often employing qualitative guidelines to assist in diagnosis.
User fatigue detection is an important problem in the modern world. Digital-media use expected to grow to an average of 15.5 hours day, resulting in excessive levels of fatigue. Moreover, objective fatigue detection is of great significance for HCI research to ensure scientific soundness of experimentation involving learning, attention deployment, and boredom studies. Fatigue detection is also important in everyday life activities such as driving. According to the National Sleep Foundation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports indicate at least 100,000 police-reported crashes each year are the direct result of fatigue-related "drowsy driving", resulting in 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries.
Autism detection is an important problem in the modern world, especially early autism detection in children. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 1 in 68 children is identified with autism spectrum disorder. The number is 30% higher than in 2008 and 120% higher than in 2002. The exact causes for autism are unknown. Most children who are autistic are not diagnosed until after age 4, even though children can be diagnosed as early as age 2. Early detection of autism is very important because early correction therapies can be applied to help a child to develop normally.
Human eye movements, when a person is sitting in front of a computer screen and executing an HCI-related task, consist of three eye movements: fixations, saccades, and smooth pursuit. Fixations are executed when a user is looking at a stationary target. During fixations high acuity visual information captured by the eye is sent to the brain. Saccades are rapid, stereotyped, ballistic eye movements with velocities reaching up to 700°/s. Human visual system is effectively blind during saccades. Smooth pursuits are executed in response to a smooth moving target with various quality of vision maintained depending how well the target is tracked.

Health assessment via eye movement biometrics


A rotatable quick disconnect electrical connector assembly is provided. The assembly includes a male component and a female component, which have a mating fit together and which have an electrical connection when in mating contact. The connection is further enhanced by magnetic attraction, one of either the male or female components having a magnetic material and the other having a magnet-sensitive material. Each of the male and female components has a generally circular cross-section, to permit relative rotation through unlimited degrees in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The components may be made separately. A system of such connectors is also provided (e.g. for displays).

Electrical connectors in two-part (male-female) format are well-known in the art. For example, a light bulb connected threadably to a standard AC light fixture is a two-part connector. A contact at the base of the light fixture provides power to the light bulb which illuminates when powered.
However, such traditional connectors can be awkward and cumbersome to install or replace in certain locations (in ceilings, in or under furniture, cabinets, or display cases), or in limited space environments (such as offices, vehicles, boats, or RV's). It would be beneficial to provide an electrical connector that is simple to install and maintain. In particular, it would be beneficial if such installation and maintenance could be done manually, without tools.
Traditional connectors may also be difficult to secure. Many appliances are powered using a cord which plugs into an electrical socket. The cord provides a well-known tripping hazard. Inadvertent removal of the cord, physical injury and/or damage to the appliance may result. It would be beneficial to provide an electrical connector that reduces such hazards, and in particular reduces or eliminates the need for cord connection to a power source. It would also be beneficial to provide stability for appliances by preventing tipping from the socket.
To move an electrical appliance to face a different direction, it is frequently necessary to unplug and reposition the appliance before plugging the cord back in. This may be necessary to avoid cord hazards mentioned above. In some cases, the appliance and its cord location (and the location of the power outlet) may not permit the desired repositioning. It would be beneficial to provide a low-footprint power connector that enables an appliance to be repositioned within a single connector (by rotation), or positioned to engage another nearby connector simply and without cords.
Lighted display panels using multiple threaded light bulbs or other illuminated panels are known. However, it would be beneficial to provide a display panel that allows quick-release light bulbs to be installed and dismounted, to permit modular and changeable displays to be erected.


Provided is a part carriage device which can smoothly convey a part. A base part, a piezoelectric vibration part, a weight part, a vibration transmission part, a carriage way are arranged from a lowest side of a piezo-driven parts feeder in this order. In addition, a straight line L10 for connecting a barycentric position of the piezoelectric vibration part, a barycentric position of the vibration transmission part, and a barycentric position of the weight part is approximately in parallel to a carriage angle α10.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a part carriage device which can convey a part by vibration.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a parts feeder is widely known as a part carriage device for aligning a part and conveying the part by applying vibration to the part. This parts feeder can align the part and convey the part to a subsequent process by applying vibration to the part.
International Publication No. 2004/067413 discloses a piezo-driven parts feeder in which restricts stress acting on a vibration generator such that sufficient amplitude is achieved even in high frequency drive condition and the replacement of the vibration generator and the change and adjustment of a resonance frequency are facilitated.
However, in the conventional parts feeder, a phenomenon (hereinafter, referred to as pitching phenomenon) that the both ends of a carriage way for conveying the part vertically vibrate in opposite directions and the carriage way rotates may be generated. When the pitching phenomenon is generated, a stripe of the vibration occurs on the carriage way and thus conveyance of the part is delayed or the part is conveyed backward.
In addition, in order to suppress the pitching phenomenon, although the weight of a base part arranged at a lowest side of the parts feeder increases to reduce the pitching phenomenon, the vibration transmitted to the base part is transmitted to the lower side of the parts feeder and thus numerous problems such as noise and wear of the base part are caused.
Furthermore, in the conventional parts feeder, since the base part, a weight part, a drive part, and the carriage way are laminated in this order, the vibration direction of a board spring is opposite to a vibration direction of a vibration prevention leaf spring and thus uniform vibration cannot be conveyed in the carriage way. Hereinafter, its detailed operation will be described.
FIG. 14 is a view illustrating the vibration direction of the board spring and the vibration direction of the vibration prevention leaf spring in the conventional parts feeder 900.
As illustrated in FIG. 14, the board spring 980 for connecting the drive part 902 with the weight part 903 vibrates in a direction indicated by an arrow R1, but the vibration prevention leaf spring 990 for connecting the weight part 903 with the base part 901 vibrates in a direction indicated by an arrow R11, that is, the board spring 980 and the vibration prevention leaf spring 990 vibrate in opposite directions. As a result, the vibration is not uniform in the carriage way 905 and the conveyance of the part stops or the part is conveyed backward.


An apparatus for positioning a sensor proximate to a fiberizer includes a support means for supporting a sensor, adjustment means for adjusting a position of the sensor, and attachment means for attaching the apparatus to a fiberizer. The adjustment means is coupled to the support means, and the attachment means is connected to the adjustment means.

Insulating glass fibers are currently produced by internal centrifuging in a fiberizer, i.e., by introducing a thin stream of molten glass into a centrifuger, also known as a fiber spinner, rotating at high speed and having a large number of orifices on its sidewall. Under the effect of centrifugal force, the glass is projected through these orifices in the form of filaments. In addition to the centrifugal force, the fibers are often also drawn by a high temperature and velocity gaseous current, which is emitted tangentially to the perforated wall of the spinner by an annular burner. This gaseous current maintains the spinner sidewall at a temperature suitable for centrifuging the glass and also maintains the primary fibers emanating from the spinner in a plastic state to enable further attenuation into secondary fibers. Often, within the fiberizer, there is also an annular blower proximate to the sidewall of the spinner, which emits relatively cool air and serves to further attenuate the fibers.
Good fiber quality depends on several factors, e.g., the proper temperature in and around the spinner, the rotational speed of the spinner, the viscosity of the molten glass, and the air pressure around the spinner. These factors, in turn, depend on the proper operation of the spinner, the annular burner, and the blower. Thus, the fiber forming process is regulated by controlling the various process variables, such as the temperature and volume of the gaseous current from the annular burner, the temperature of air from the blower, the temperature and viscosity of the molten glass, and the rotation rate of the spinner, for example.
With respect to the temperature within and around the fiberizer, such temperature is sensitive to a large number of factors including, for example, the operation of the annular burner and the hot attenuating gases which are emitted from the burner to aid in drawing the fibers, the temperature of the glass, the flow rate of the glass, the relatively hot atmosphere prevailing around the spinner, the relatively intense cooling owing to the relatively high rotational velocity, the temperature of the air from the blower, and the spinner itself which may become deformed after a given amount of operating time and may consequently react differently to the effect of heating by the burners. Due to these various factors, there may be a fairly wide temperature gradient around the spinner to which the fibers are exposed during their formation.
Unsatisfactory temperatures may cause large-scale disturbance of the fiber-drawing process. If the spinner, for example, is too cold, devitrification may begin which renders the glass unsuitable for fiber-drawing. A spinner that is too hot and is at the thermal fracture limit may lead to the formation of undesirable non-fibered portions or extremely fine fibers due to the glass being too highly fluid.
The ability to accurately monitor and access the operating conditions, such as the temperature, in and around the spinner is thus crucial to regulating such operating conditions so that desirable fiber quality can be obtained or maintained. Values that fluctuate or deviate from the desirable values of pressure and temperature, for example, for the gaseous blast, diminish the quality of the fibers, produce waste and reduce the life of the spinner.
Certain prior art devices have been developed to monitor the temperature or other conditions of a fiberizer. For example, attempts have been made to position thermocouples or other process monitoring devices on the spinner or at fixed positions within the annular burner or in the path of the attenuating gases emerging from the annular burner. The fixed position of these devices only allows for a measurement at a specific location or measurements within a narrow range of locations. Generally, these devices fail to provide a broad picture of the processing conditions in the fiberizer.
There is a need for a means for more accurately and completely monitoring the operating conditions in fiberizers for use in determining and regulating the properties of fibers being produced, such as the diameter, length or the like, of such fibers. More particularly, there is a need for facilitating the measurement of different operating conditions, such as the gas temperature, gas pressure, spinner rotational speed, etc., the measured values being used for assessing, monitoring and regulating the operation of the fiberizer. Such a means may also allow for the attainment of an extended view of the environment that fibers face as they are formed at the spinner side wall, attenuated into primary and secondary fiber form, and distributed to a collection means either as chopped fibers or elongated filament strands.


Disclosed is an improved floating gate type EPROM in which: the overlying P-type drain diffusion layer extends apart from the P-type channel stopper and ends at a location below somewhat inside the edge of the floating gate in the P-type semiconductor substrate; and the underlying N-type drain diffusion layer extends short of the terminal end of the overlying drain diffusion layer. This arrangement has the effect of increasing the breakdown voltage and the drain-to-semiconductor substrate diode characteristic of the device. Also, disclosed are a method of making such improved floating gate type EPROM and an electrically erasing and writing method for floating gate type EPROMS.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor storage device equipped with a floating gate, particularly floating gate type erasable and programable read only memory cell (abbreviated EPROM). Particularly the present invention relates to an improved floating gate type EPROM structure, and a method of making the same. Also, the present invention relates to an electrically erasing an writing method for such floating type EPROM.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such floating gate type EPROM is known as a memory device permitting the quick writing of data. This memory structure is discussedin the paper "A DSA-type Non-Volatile Memory Transistor with self-Aligned Gates" by M. Kikuchi et al, Proceedings of the 9th Conference on Solid-State Devices, 1977, and is disclosed and referred to as "Diffusion-Self-Alignment" (abbreviated DSA) in the paper "New Proposal for Scaling Rule; Compatibleness of Reliability with Excellent Performance" by K. Yoshikawa et al, January issueof the magazine "Nikkei Microdevice", 1990. The structure and operation of a conventional floating gatetype EPROM cell will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. As shown, it is built in a P-type semiconductor substrate 11 of silicon and is isolated by an area 14. An underlying channel stopper 20 extends on the bottom surface of the isolation area 14. A first gate insulating film 15 is applied to the top surface of the semiconductor substrate 11. A floating gate 12 is formed on the first gate insulating film 15, and a second gate insulating film 16 is applied to the top surface of the floating gate 12. A control gate 13 is formed on the second gate insulating film 16. An N-type source diffusion layer 19 extends from the isolation area 14 and ends at a location below one edge of the floating gate 12 in the semiconductor substrate 11. A second N-type drain diffusion layer 18 extends from the isolation area 14 and the channel stopper 20, and ends at a location below somewhat inside the other edge of the floating gate 12 in the semiconductor substrate 11. Finally, a first P-type drain diffusion layer 17 lies under the second N-type drain diffusion layer 18, extending from the isolation area 14 and the channel stopper 20 and ending at a location below the other edge of the floating gate 12 ahead of the terminal end of the second N-type drain diffusion layer 18 in the semiconductor substrate 11. It should be noted that the first drain diffusion layer 17 is heavily doped with a P-type impurity particularly in a concentration of 10 to 100 times higher than the semiconductor substrate 11 and that the so heavily doped first drain diffusion layer 17 completely encircles the second N-type drain diffusion layer 18. This will be again referred to later in describing the central feature of the present invention. Thanks to the extension of the first P-type drain diffusion layer 17 ahead of the second N-type drain diffusion layer 18, there exist an abundant of holes at a location below the edge of the floating gate 12 with the result that an electric field of increased strength appears just below the floating gate 12, thereby enhancing creation of hot electrons and accordingly increasing the writing speed.
The complete enclosure of the second N-type drain diffusion layer 18 by the first P-type drain diffusion layer 17, however, increases the electrostatic junction capacitance of these diffusion layers. Thus, an array of such memory cells will have a large total capacitance to cause an adverse effect on the operation of the memory array, that is, the increasing of the access and writing time. Also, it should be noted that the first P-type drain diffusion layer 17 is heavily doped with a P-type impurity, extending from the channel stopper 20, and that the channel stopper 20 is heavily doped with a P-type impurity in a concentration several orders of magnitude thicker than the P-type semiconductor substrate 11 With this arrangement the overlapping area of these heavily doped layers 17 and 20 will be still increasingly abundant in holes, and this hole-abundant region will be the cause for substantially lowering the breakdown voltage of the drain diffusion layer, and substantially deteriorating the diode characteristic of the drain diffusion layer with respect to the semiconductor substrate 11. In the end disadvantageously the writing speed will be lowered.
In the writing-in operation electrons will be injected into the floating gate of the memory device. The charging of the floating gate with electrons, however, will be adversely affected by surrounding parasitic positive ions. Specifically, the information retaining capability of the memory device will be appreciably lowered in a relatively short time by partial cancellation of electrons with surrounding parasitic positive ions.

Floating gate type erasable and programmable read only memory cell, method of making the same, and electrically erasing and writing method


An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier that rotates and carries a toner image by a surface layer disposed on a surface thereof; a charging roll that charges the surface layer while the image carrier completes one or more rotations; a power supply unit that supplies a current to the charging roll; a detector that samples and detects the current that the power supply unit outputs; a leak current detector that detects a leak current included in the current that the detector has detected; a layer thickness calculating unit that calculates a numerical value relating to the thickness of the surface layer on the basis of the current that the detector has detected; and a current leak state determining unit that determines a current leak state on the basis of the current that the detector has detected and the leak current that the leak current detector has detected.

(1) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image carrier that is charged and carries a toner image and to a layer thickness calculating method that calculates a numerical value relating to the thickness of a photoconductor layer disposed on an image carrier.
(2) Related Art
In image forming apparatus including a photoconductor that is charged and carries a toner image, the photoconductor layer formed on the surface of the photoconductor sustains wear as a result of a charging roll, a development roll, and a cleaning blade contacting the photoconductor layer.
In this type of image forming apparatus, there has been the problem that when the photoconductor layer of the photoconductor sustains wear, the image quality of the output image drops.

Image forming apparatus and layer thickness calculating method


An electronic keyboard musical instrument includes a body unit of the musical instrument and a stand attached to the body unit. The stand includes a pair of side boards disposed in a standing manner so as to interpose the body unit therebetween. The body unit includes a pair of lateral surfaces. Each of the pair of lateral surfaces faces one of the pair of side boards and includes a first engaging portion disposed thereon. Each of the pair of side boards includes a first engaged portion engaged by the first engaging portion and disposed on an inner lateral surface thereof, which faces one of the pair of lateral surfaces of the body unit. The first engaging portion and the first engaged portion are engaged with each other by at least one of the body unit and the stand being moved in a predetermined direction.

This invention relates to an electronic keyboard musical instrument, such as an electronic piano and the like, in which a body unit of the musical instrument is attached to a stand.
Some type of an electronic keyboard musical instrument has been conventionally proposed wherein a stand is formed by disposing side panels in a standing manner on left and right toe blocks, and a pedal base between the toe blocks, the body unit of the musical instrument is placed on the top ends of the side panels of the stand, and side boards are attached by hook-and-loop fasteners and the like to the lateral surfaces of the body unit and the side panels (see, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-148146).
Another type of electronic keyboard musical instrument has been also known wherein metal attachments are disposed on the top ends of the left and the right side panels, and hooks are provided on the bottom surface of the body unit of the musical instrument for preventing falls (see, for example, Paragraphs 0004, 0005, and FIG. 5 of Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-62874). This type of electronic keyboard musical instrument is configured such that, when the body unit is placed on the top ends of the side panels for an attachment purpose, the body unit of the musical instrument is engaged by the hooks with the metal attachments, provided on the top ends of the left and the right side panels, and inhibited from falling until the body unit is secured to the side panels by using nuts and the like.
In the electronic keyboard musical instrument disclosed by Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-148146, the side boards can be easily attached by using hook-and-loop fasteners. However, there has been a problem in that the number of the components becomes large and the structure becomes complicated, because the structure of the musical instrument requires the left and the right side panels and the left and the right side boards, and the left and the right side boards need to be attached by the hook-and-loop fasteners. Moreover, there has been a problem, from the perspective of the design, that the configuration of the side boards becomes complicated, if the cross-sectional shape of the side boards should be made into approximately an angulated U-shape so that the side boards can cover not only the lateral surfaces of the side panels, but also the front and the rear surfaces of the side panels.
Moreover, in the electronic keyboard musical instrument disclosed by Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-62874, there has been a problem in that providing the hooks, which are used only to prevent falls during assembly, causes an increase in the number of components. In addition, there has been other problems in that packaging of the body unit for a transportation purpose is cumbersome, because the hooks protrude from the bottom surface of the body unit of the musical instrument, and that misengagement of the hooks is likely to be caused, because the disposition of the hooks on the bottom surface of the body unit makes it difficult to check whether or not the hooks have been properly engaged with the metal attachments.


The disclosure provides a zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure and method for fabricating the same. The zinc oxide anti-reflection layer includes: a zinc oxide lower portion, wherein the zinc oxide lower portion has a nanorod array structure; and a zinc oxide upper portion connected to the zinc oxide lower portion, wherein the zinc oxide anti-reflection layer has a syringe-like structure.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a zinc oxide layer, and in particular relates to a zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure and a method for fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Development in the solar cell industry is driven by global environmental concerns and rising raw material prices.
In order to improve the incident light utilization efficiency and to prevent a reflection of the incident light, an anti-reflection layer formed on the surface of the solar cell is provided.
Zinc oxide is widely used as the anti-reflection layer, due to its excellent transparency and chemical stability. The fabrication methods for the zinc oxide include a vacuum process and a non-vacuum process. The instruments for the vacuum processes are expensive and the vacuum process is complicated and tedious. Thus, considerable attention has been attracted to utilizing the non-vacuum process.
Among the various non-vacuum processes, the hydrothermal process is the easiest and saves the most time. Zinc oxide anti-reflection layers formed by the hydrothermal process has been disclosed in several publications. However, growth stability of the zinc oxide is poor and the nano-geometric structures of the zinc oxide are limited by the conventional hydrothermal processes.

Zinc oxide anti-reflection layer having a syringe-like structure and method for fabricating the same

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Mechanisms for evaluating amplitude for current pulses provided to a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) for current levels beyond the linear range of the TIA where clipping circuit(s) may limit the input voltage of the TIA are disclosed. In one aspect, an example TIA arrangement includes a clipping arrangement that includes multiple clipping circuits. Each clipping circuit can be biased by different bias voltages such that the different clipping circuits are activated at different input current amplitudes. Different clipping circuits can have different impedances, which can result in different recovery time characteristics. With the multiple clipping circuits in clipping arrangements discussed herein, a saturated dynamic range of a TIA can be divided into sub-regions and different pulse widening characteristics for each region may be defined, which may enable determination of amplitude for current pulses provided to the TIA even for current levels beyond the linear range of the TIA.

Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems are used in a variety of situations. For example, LIDAR systems can be used with airplanes, automobiles, binoculars or monoculars, etc. to detect a distance between a system and an object. LIDAR systems can transmit and/or receive laser light. A LIDAR system can include a receiver that includes an optoelectronic device, e.g., a photodetector (PD), and a transimpedance amplifier (TIA).

Transimpedance amplifier with pulse widening

Analog Devices International Unlimited Company


An image forming device is disclosed which can positively conserve expensive consumable products such as toner and ink or the like and which can provide copied material which conforms to the intent of the user by using a simple operation. The image forming device includes an original document attribute detection unit that detects whether an original document to be copied is color or monochrome, an automatic mode switching unit that automatically switches between a color mode which forms a color image and a monochrome mode which forms a monochrome image based on the original document attribute detected by the original document attribute detection unit, and an image forming unit which copies an original document image to recording paper using the mode switched to by the automatic mode switching unit, and provides a priority mode switching unit which gives priority to switching by the automatic mode switching unit and forcibly switches to the monochrome mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device which comprises an original document attribute detection means which detects whether an original document to be copied is color or monochrome, an automatic mode switching means which automatically switches between a color mode which forms a color image and a monochrome mode which forms a monochrome image based on the original document attribute detected by the original document attribute detection means, and an image forming means which copies an original document image to recording paper using the mode switched to by the automatic mode switching means.
2. Background Information
In order to efficiently use various high-cost consumable products, an image forming device such as a color copy or a color printer has been proposed which provides an original document attribute detection means which detects whether the original document to be copied is color or monochrome, and an automatic mode switching means for automatically switching between a color mode for forming color images, or a monochrome mode for forming monochrome images, based on the original document attributes detected by the original document attributes detection means.
An example of this type of device is an image forming device which has an original document determining mode for determining whether each of the original documents to be copied are color original documents or monochrome original documents, and an N in 1 copy mode for aggregate copying N sheets (≧2) of original document images onto a single sheet of recording paper. This image forming device also has a color/monochrome switching control means, which determines whether to output multiple copy images in color or in monochrome when the original document determining mode and the N in 1 copy mode are simultaneously selected when color original documents and monochrome original documents are mixed in the N sheets of the original document. See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H09-138608.
In order to reduce the complexity of switching between color mode and monochrome mode for each original document, the aforementioned conventional image forming device determines whether to output the copy image in color or monochrome, and automatically switches based on the color ratio of a predetermined original document group. Therefore, not only is the bothersome operation of presetting the color ratio of the original document group required, but depending on the setup, the output of the copied material may not necessarily conform to the intent of the user.
Furthermore, when important documents are to be copied, a single sheet of the original document is usually copied onto a single sheet of recording paper rather than the situation in aggregate copy mode, where multiple sheets of original documents are copied onto a single sheet of recording paper. Furthermore, selecting the color mode when copying in this aggregate copy mode is not economical. These problems remain even when copying to the back side of recording paper which has already been used on one side.
With the foregoing in view, the present invention provides an image forming device which can positively conserve expensive consumable products such as toner and ink, and using a simple operation, can provide copied material which conforms to the intent of the user.

Image forming device with priority mode to force automatic switching to monochromatic mode over color mode


In its product aspect, the invention provides ready-to-eat cereals and cereal based snacks fabricated from multiple extrudate strands of cooked cereal dough that have been twisted or braided into ropes immediately after extrusion and severed into pieces. The products exhibit greater bowl life in milk and improved organoleptic attributes particularly those fabricated from doughs having a high fiber content. Methods for preparing such cereal based products are also disclosed.

The sale of breakfast cereals is a highly competitive business. In addition to the particular food components, color, flavor, texture, bowl life and increasingly shapes or other appearance features are important in the marketability of any particular breakfast cereal. For example, pillow-shaped pieces are a shape which is believed to have particular market appeal, with the pieces either being formed of a single homogeneous material or multiple materials such as a coextrudate including an outer shell of a first material such as a cereal material and an inner phase of a second, filling material such as an icing or fruit paste.
One method of forming such pillow-shaped pieces or biscuits is to crimp a rope of dough material at spaced intervals, with the pieces either being individually cut to be independent from each other or with the pieces being cut to remain in continuous ropes with easily fracturable connections. Cooker/extruders are capable of producing dough ropes at relatively high rates of speed in the order of 350 feet (100 meters) per minute, and in fact the uniformity and consistency of the dough ropes increases at high rates of production. The pieces can be produced by passing the dough ropes between counter rotating crimping/cutting rollers, with at least one of the rollers including blades which crimp/cut the rope to the desired longitudinal length of pieces. The cooked cereal dough can be puffed or unpuffed as desired. Other variations include fillings of various types such as fruit pastes, gels or icings for RTE cereals or cheeses for grain based snack products.
In one known variation, the exterior surfaces are gabricated from multiple layers of shredded cooked cereals formed with a mat or web.
The present invention is an improvement in such RTE cereals. More particularly, the present invention provides an improvement to extruded cooked cereal dough ropes formed into individual pieces. The present invention provides cooked cereal dough ropes in the form of multiple thin strands twisted and formed into a braided rope pattern.
The present invention provides twisted multistrand rope products, and new methods for their preparation, that are novel and thus possess great consumer appeal. In addition to their novelty appeal, surprisingly, the roped RTE cereal products also exhibit unexpected and beneficial texture and bowl life properties. The twisted multistrand rope RTE cereal products exhibit improved textures and increased bowl life compared to identical formulations fabricated into conventional shapes such as puffed spheres, filament shreds or flakes.
In particular, bran based RTE cereals in twisted multistrand rope form exhibit especially surprising bowl life. This result is unexpected because when such bran RTE cereals are fabricated into RTE cereals of other shapes, e.g., flakes, these other products tend to get soft in milk immediately. Also, the usual grittiness and dark colors associated with high fiber cereals are not present with the RTE cereal products of the present invention.

Method for preparing multistrand twist food pieces


A multipurpose tool includes a first member and a second member crosswise pivotally connected together, and a third member pivotally connected to the second member. Each of the first member and the second member has a plurality of recesses defined in one of two sides thereof and the recesses of the two members face with each other. The other side of the second member has a plurality of first stripping recesses defined therein. The third member has a plurality of second stripping recesses defined in a side facing to the first stripping recesses of the second member. Each of the first member and the third member has a stud extending laterally therefrom, and a locking member is pivotally disposed to the second member so that the locking member is selectably engaged with the two studs to combine the second member with the first member or the third member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool and, more particularly, to a multipurpose tool for dealing with cables.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
An electrician needs many tools, such as wire strippers, pliers, or wire cutters, to complete his/her work especially when dealing with different types of cables. The tools occupy a large space and weight a lot so that it is inconvenient for the electrician to carry the tools with him/her if he/she has to climb up to a working place.
The present invention intends to provide a multipurpose tool to mitigate and/or obviate the above-mentioned problems.


A mobile data system having automated shutdown is mounted in a motor vehicle having a vehicle motor and a vehicle electrical power source. The vehicle electrical power source provides variable voltage electrical power to the motor vehicle and to the mobile data system. The mobile data system includes a system computer for informational data retrieval in response to user input queries, a system interface device, and a computer power supply. The computer power supply is electrically coupled with the vehicle electrical power source through the system interface device to convert the variable voltage electrical power to voltage regulated electrical power for operation of the system computer. The system interface device creates parameter comparison data, in response to which the system computer creates a system shutdown command. The system shut down command invokes shutdown of the mobile data system by interrupting transmission of the voltage regulated electrical power from the computer power supply to the system computer.

A mobile data system is a computerized data query and retrieval system adapted for on-board mounting in automobiles, trucks and other such vehicles. The mobile data system comprises a computer and a number of peripherals, including a keyboard which enables the user to input queries to the computer and a monitor which enables the user to view retrieved data. The mobile data system is commonly employed in emergency response vehicles such as those having police, fire or medical applications. The mobile data system permits emergency response personnel to rapidly retrieve informational data at an emergency response site from an on-board data storage device or from data stored at a remote computer, which is in communication with the computer of the mobile data system. For example, a mobile data system mounted in a police vehicle permits a police officer to query and retrieve informational data regarding the driving record of a driver and the registration record of an automobile during a roadside traffic stop.
The mobile data system requires electrical power to operate, which is typically supplied by the battery of the vehicle in which the system is mounted. As long as the engine of the vehicle is running, the battery is being recharged and the mobile data system does not significantly impact the power output of the battery. However, if the mobile data system draws power from the battery for a prolonged period of time while the engine is not running, which often occurs in emergency situations, the mobile data system can inadvertently drain the battery power to the point where the battery lacks sufficient power to start the vehicle and/or to operate the mobile data system. This is clearly an undesirable consequence.
To prevent undue power drain from the battery, it is generally necessary to shut down the mobile data system in accordance with a regimented manual shutdown procedure whenever the engine of the vehicle is turned off for any extended period of time. If this shutdown procedure is not followed properly or if the mobile data system shuts down on its own due to loss of power resulting from a dead battery or a sudden inadvertent power disconnect, the operating system of the computer or the application software may crash causing computer hard drive errors and unreliable operation of the computer upon rebooting. Therefore, the present invention recognizes a need for an improved means and method of shutting down a mobile data system.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile data system having means, which perform automated shutdown of the system. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mobile data system having integrated means, which perform automated shutdown of the mobile data system when predetermined operating criteria are met. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mobile data system having automated shutdown means, which prevent the mobile data system from draining the system power source. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a mobile data system having automated shutdown means, which avoid shutdown irregularities causing disruption of the computer operating system and applications software. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mobile data system having automated shutdown means, which avoid shutdown irregularities causing hard drive errors in the system computer. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for monitoring power input to a mobile data system. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method for automatically shutting down a mobile data system in response to monitored power input criteria. These objects and others are accomplished in accordance with the invention described hereafter.

Mobile data system having automated shutdown


The method of removing hot liquid coolant from an internal combustion engine cooling system, which includes a radiator having a by-pass outlet, the method including applying suction to the by-pass outlet to draw a by-pass stream of hot fluid, including hot pressurized gas, from the radiator, thereby to reduce fluid pressure in the radiator; and then opening the radiator for safely removing hot liquid coolant therefrom; The removed liquid may be disposed of or treated in a zone or zones outside the cooling system; and returning the treated coolant liquid may then be returned to the cooling system.

This invention relates generally to method employed and apparatus used in conjunction with disposal or cleaning of coolant used in internal combustion engine cooling systems. More particularly, it concerns safety apparatus for relieving fluid pressure build-up in radiators from which coolant is to be removed for disposal or external treatment, including cleaning of the coolant, or to enable coolant system repair.
Studies show that over-heating is a major cause of vehicle breakdown on highways. Engine cooling systems must operate efficiently at all times to avoid costly repairs that result from excessive temperature. In this regard, cooling systems contaminated by rust, scale build-up and sludge cannot provide adequate heat transfer and cooling system efficiency; in addition, thermostats fail to open, hoses deteriorate, impellers bind or break off, and engine blocks can become distorted or crack. Accordingly, there is a need for efficient engine cooling system flushing methods and apparatus; however, flushing of such systems in the past required draining of the removed liquid to sewer or waste lines, which was environmentally objectionable. Accordingly, need has developed for apparatus and method to clean engine coolant systems without such drainage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,866 to Filowitz et al. discloses apparatus and methods for externally treating coolant liquid removed from an engine coolant system. The coolant to be treated is typically removed from the radiator unit associated with the cooling system, and typically via the radiator fill port, after the radiator cap is removed. However, removal of the cap is dangerous when pressure build-up has occurred in the radiator, since the worker can be scalded by steam and hot liquid, if the cap is not properly removed.
There is need for method and means to alleviate this danger, prior to coolant liquid removal for disposal, transfer, inspection, or treatment and return to the coolant system.

Engine coolant pressure relief method and apparatus


A safety plug includes a body configured to be inserted into a cylindrical opening. A locking device is connected to an end of the body, wherein the locking device has a larger diameter than the cylindrical opening in which the body is configured to be inserted. Following insertion into the cylindrical opening, the locking device resists removal of the safety plug. A control device is operatively coupled to the locking device, wherein pushing the control device towards the locking device while pulling on the body disengages the locking device from cylindrical opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to plugs for power ports. More particularly, the invention relates to safety plugs with a child-resistant mechanism.
2. Background Art
With more and more electronic devices, such as personal radios, cassette players, CD players, televisions, and DVD players, proliferating to our living environment outside the homes, new cars and boats often are equipped with multiple power ports. The days of having only one power port to be shared between a cigarette lighter and other electronic devices seem to be gone. While the additional power ports provide convenience to the users, they may present hazards to small children.
The additional power ports in the automobiles or boats are typically covered with simple devices to prevent foreign objects from being accidentally introduced into them. FIG. 1 shows one example of a typical cover used in most power ports. As shown, a cover 52, which is typically made of plastic, is attached to the opening 53 of the power port 51. The cover 52 is pressed into the opening 53 to close the power port. The cover 52 engages the power port by interference fit and can be easily removed by a curious child.
Once the cover 52 is opened, the electrical terminals (not shown) inside the power port 51 become accessible to the curious little hands and fingers. A child may stick his fingers into the power port. This may result in injuries to the child. Alternatively, the child may shove foreign objects into the power port. If paper clips or liquids are introduced into the power port, damages may result to the automobiles or boats, and the child may be injured.
Therefore, it is desirable that better power port covers or plugs that cannot be easily removed by children are available. In addition, it is desirable that such covers or plugs may serve other useful functions.


A remote controller includes: a casing that comprises a communication surface for near field radio communication on a front panel of the casing; a storage component that is housed in the casing and comprises a shield that shields a magnetic flux; and an antenna for near field radio communication that: is disposed behind the communication surface with a space between the antenna and the communication surface, and comprises a coil pattern with a magnetic flux passing region that passes magnetic flux in a front-rear direction. A part of the coil pattern overlaps with the storage component in the front-rear direction.

There is known a multi-type air conditioner that is installed in a building or the like and in which several to several tens of indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit. A remote controller is connected to each of the indoor units in order to set an air-conditioning mode including cooling and heating, a temperature, an air volume and the like (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).
The remote controller is also used for the settings that need to be made at the time of installing the air conditioner. Examples of such settings include those associated with operation control, such as address settings for specifying each indoor unit, and mode settings made in accordance with the structure of a room (ceiling height and floor space) in which the indoor unit has been installed.
Patent Literature 2 listed below discloses a technique for making settings at the time of installing an air conditioner through a remote controller.


L-shaped terminal fittings (11A, 11B) have terminal connecting portions (12) at one end. The terminal connecting portions (12) are pressed into upper and lower stages of a housing (20) for connection with a mating terminal. Narrower board connecting portions (13) are at the opposite ends of the terminal fittings (11A, 11B) and have mounting portions (16) to be soldered to a PCB (40). The terminal connecting portions (12) of the upper stage align respectively with the terminal connecting portions (12) of the lower stage. However, the board connecting portions (13) in the upper and lower stages are offset laterally with respect to longitudinal axes (X) of the terminal connecting portions (12). Additionally, all of the board connecting portions (13) of the terminal fittings (11A, 11B) are arrayed in one row equally spaced from the housing (20).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector for an electric or electronic device such as a circuit board, and to a terminal fitting therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H06-203928 discloses a connector mountable on a printed circuit board. This connector has small and large terminal fittings bent in L-shape. The connector also has a housing with press-in holes arranged side by side at even intervals along a width direction at upper and lower stages. The upper press-in holes are aligned vertically with the lower press-in holes. One end of each small terminal fitting is inserted into the press-in hole at the lower stage to project forward. The other end of each small terminal fitting projects back from the housing and then is bent down. One end of each large terminal fitting is pressed into the press-in hole at the upper stage to project forward by the same distance as the corresponding side of the small terminal fitting. The other end of the large terminal fitting projects back from the housing by a longer distance than the corresponding end of the small terminal fitting and is then bent down. The rear ends of the large and small terminal fittings are fixed to conductor regions on the circuit board. This circuit board connector has an advantage of mounting the terminal fittings at a high density along the width direction of the housing, and thus achieves miniaturization of the housing along the width direction.
The rear ends of the terminal fittings at the upper and lower stages of the above-described connector are arrayed one after another along the depth direction at the rear end of the housing. Thus, a dimension of the entire connector along the depth direction tends to be large.
Another known a connector has press-in holes at an upper stage offset from the press-in holes at the lower stages by half the interval between the press-in holes. In this example, rear ends of terminal fittings at the upper and lower stages can be arrayed side by side at the same distance rearward of the housing. Thus, the connector can be made smaller along depth direction. However, this known connector is enlarged along width direction. Thus, there has been an earnest demand for improvements.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problems and an object thereof is to miniaturize a connector.


A disclosed apparatus for forming a fingerprint image includes a partial sensor configured to obtain partial images of a fingerprint of a finger moving over the partial sensor; a reference image storing unit configured to store a reference partial image; and an image difference calculating unit configured to calculate a reference image difference between the reference partial image and a first partial image, to calculate a current image difference between the reference partial image and a second partial image, to calculate an amount of movement and/or a position of the finger based on a ratio of the current image difference to the reference image difference, and to store the second partial image and/or the first partial image as parts of the fingerprint image to be formed if the amount of movement and/or the position of the finger is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fingerprint image forming apparatus, a finger movement amount calculation method, and a fingerprint image forming method. More particularly, this invention relates to a fingerprint image forming apparatus including two line sensors, and a finger movement amount calculation method and a fingerprint image forming method used for the fingerprint image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a conventional fingerprint reading system that includes a sensor having a surface area smaller than that of a finger. Such a fingerprint reading system reads a fingerprint of a finger moving over the sensor portion by portion and reconstructs the image of the fingerprint from the read partial images (see, for example, patent document 1). A sensor that reads a fingerprint portion by portion is generally smaller than a two-dimensional sensor that can obtain an entire image of a fingerprint in one scan. Using such a small sensor makes it possible to reduce the size and costs of a fingerprint reading apparatus.
A fingerprint reading system disclosed in patent document 1 includes a line sensor for reading a fingerprint line by line and is configured to reconstruct the image of a fingerprint from lines of image data. One problem with a fingerprint reading system using a line sensor is that overlaps between lines of image data vary depending on the speed of a finger moving over the line sensor. In other words, if an image of a fingerprint is reconstructed by simply accumulating lines of image data, the length of the reconstructed image varies depending on the movement speed of the finger. Such variation in the length of a fingerprint image, for example, reduces the reliability of a personal identification system using fingerprints. Therefore, when forming a fingerprint image using a line sensor, it is important to accurately identify and remove overlaps between lines of image data.
Patent document 2 discloses a fingerprint reading apparatus including two line sensors. The disclosed finger print reading apparatus obtains the movement speed of a finger using the two line sensors, detects distortion of a fingerprint image from the movement speed, and removes overlaps between lines of image data based on the detected distortion.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-91769
[Patent document 2] Japanese Patent No. 3709344
One disadvantage of the configuration disclosed in patent document 2 is that it requires a rather large storage area to store lines of image data and therefore is not suitable for a small embedded system.

Fingerprint image forming apparatus, finger movement amount calculation method, and fingerprint image forming method


A lifting lever (10) for a cistern flush valve. The lever includes a first end (14) adapted for operative engagement with the cistern flush valve, a second end (18) adapted for operative engagement with a flush actuation button (24) and a pivot mounting (28) between the first (14) and second (18) ends. The second end (18) has first and second engagement regions (32, 34) which are respectively closer and farther to the pivot mounting (28). Initial movement of the button (24) causes it to engage the second engagement region (34) and pivot the lever (10) through a first predetermined range of movement whereafter further movement of the button (24) in the same direction causes it to engage the first engagement region (32) and further pivot the lever (10).

Cistern flush valves are usually actuated by depressing a button in the lid of the cistern. A lever arrangement within the cistern then converts the downward movement of the button into an upward movement of the cistern flush valve.
It is known to introduce mechanical advantage between the movement of the actuation button and the responsive movement of the flush valve. If the mechanical advantage is too low, then excessive force may be needed on the button in order to initially lift the valve and break its seal. If the mechanical advantage is too high, then an excessive amount of button travel may be required to sufficiently lift the flush valve.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lifting lever that combines an acceptable button force with an acceptable flush valve travel.


The present invention provides a method and system for progressive multi-resolution three-dimensional image reconstruction using region of interest information. The method and system significantly reduces the amount of time required to display high quality three-dimensional fluoroscopic images by utilizing progressive multi-resolution image reconstruction techniques. In addition, by employing manual or automated selection of one or more regions of interest in which to focus the progressive image reconstruction, high quality 3D images of region(s) of interest may be obtained soon after image data acquisition.

The present invention generally relates to three-dimensional ("3D") imaging. More specifically, the present invention describes a method and system for progressive multi-resolution three-dimensional fluoroscopic image reconstruction using automatic region of interest.
Two fields of medical imaging that require dynamic reconstruction include functional imaging and interventional imaging. Functional imaging can include, for example, positron emission tomography ("PET") and single photon emission computed tomography ("SPECT"). Interventional imaging can include, for example, fluoroscopic computer tomography ("Fluoro CT").
Modern medical imaging systems frequently employ mobile C-arm fluoroscopy systems to facilitate a variety of diagnostic and interventional radiological procedures. While these systems typically obtain two-dimensional ("2D") fluoroscopic grayscale images, more recent mobile and advanced fixed-room fluoroscopic systems have utilized computer tomography to create 3D images from a plurality of 2D images. These more recent systems increase the convenience and decrease the cost of obtaining 3D image scans at times before, during and after a medical procedure.
However, the value of these 3D fluoroscopic image scans is limited by some key factors, including interference with a workflow in an operating room. For example, the time required for set-up of the system, image data acquisition, and image reconstruction from a plurality of 2D images into 3D image data can, in many instances, offset any benefits derived from obtaining the 3D image data.
In addition, conventional 3D image reconstruction does not provide high quality image information for quite some time. For example, conventional 3D image reconstruction is conducted by updating 3D image information on a view-to-view basis. FIG. 7 illustrates a 3D image reconstructed on a view-to-view basis. FIG. 7 includes a progression of six images 710 through 760. Each image corresponds to a reconstructed 3D image after an amount of time listed in each image. For example, image 710 represents an image acquired, reconstructed and displayed after two seconds of image acquisition and reconstruction. Subsequent images represent images reconstructed with image data acquired after the display of the previous image. For example, image 720 represents image 710 updated with image data acquired after image 710 is displayed. In this way, images 720, 730, 740, 750, and 760 represent reconstructions of previous images as additional data is acquired and reconstructed. Such a procedure is known as image reconstruction on a view-by-view basis
However, the updating of image information on a view-by-view basis includes several drawbacks. A major problem with such a procedure is the failure to provide any significant image detail and/or quality until all image data for the entire image view has been fully acquired and reconstructed, as apparent from FIG. 7. For example, no significant image detail is available until at least images 750 and 760. Approximately no image detail is available in previous images 710, 720, 730 and 740.
In addition, view-by-view updating causes strong aliasing artifacts to exist in the images up to the time when the very last fluoroscopic image projection within an angular range sufficient for complete image reconstruction is backprojected into the reconstructed image.
In addition, imaging modalities considered as "diagnostic imaging", such as CT, magnetic resonance ("MR") and radiography imaging, for example, obtain images that may not be reviewed for hours, days or even weeks after image acquisition. In contrast, mobile C-arm imaging systems are traditionally used for interventional imaging which can provide for near real-time acquisition and review of 2D fluoroscopic images. In an ideal situation, 3D tomographic image information would also be available in near real-time. However, until technology provides cost-effective solutions, a method and system for significantly reducing the amount of time required to calculate and display high quality 3D images is required. Such a need can be met by utilizing progressive multi-resolution image reconstruction techniques alone or in conjunction with a variety of manual and/or automated region-of-interest selection techniques, for example.
Thus, a need exists for a method and system for progressive multi-resolution three-dimensional image reconstruction using region of interest information. Such a method and system can provide for a significant reduction in the amount of time required to display high quality 3D image information. For example, such a method and system can provide for the commencement of progressive visualization of image reconstruction almost immediately after data acquisition is completed.

Method and system for progressive multi-resolution three-dimensional image reconstruction using region of interest information


Modules for fixing flexible printed circuit boards. A module comprises a casing and a flexible printed circuit board. The casing has a recess on a lateral side. The flexible printed circuit board has a flexible portion disposed in the recess, wherein the thickness of the flexible portion is substantially equal to the thickness of the recess.

The present invention relates in general to modules for fixing flexible printed circuit boards and in particular to modules for fixing flexible printed circuit boards employed in flat display devices.
Conventional flat display devices, such as liquid crystal displays, are typically connected to external circuits through flexible printed circuit boards. As shown in FIG. 1a, the flexible printed circuit board 1 comprises first, second and third conductive portions 11, 12 and 13 for signal transmission, wherein the first and second conductive portions 11 and 12 are disposed on opposite borders of the flexible printed circuit board 1. The first conductive portion 11 comprises a plurality of contact pads 110 electrically connected to external circuits (not shown), and correspondingly, the second conductive portion 12 comprises a plurality of contact pads 120 electrically connected to a main body M with an LCD panel disposed therein.
Specifically, a U-shaped slot 10 is defined on the flexible printed circuit board 1 forming a flexible portion 130. Referring to FIGS. 1a and 1b, the third conductive portion 13 is disposed on the flexible portion 130 and electrically connected to the main body M as the flexible portion 130 is flexed upward. Since the flexible portion 130 of the flexible printed circuit board 1 is generally connected to the main body M by adhesive, it may peel during long-term usage. Moreover, due to small adhesive area between the flexible portion 130 and the main body M, robust connection can be difficult.

Modules for fixing flexible printed circuit boards and flat display devices utilizing the same


Disclosed is an apparatus for blanking the trailing edge of a sensed current signal taken from the leading leg of a full bridge voltage regulator. Switching elements in the arms of the full bridge voltage regulator cycle on and off in staggered phases under control of a pulse width modulation controller to provide zero voltage drop switching of the elements. With trailing edge blanking of the sensed current signal, a control waveform is generated for delivery to the pulse width modulation controller which mimics a sensed current signal taken from the lagging leg of the bridge. Such a current waveform exhibits a clear peak enhancing circuit stability thereby permitting use of leading leg current sensing to improve power supply efficiency.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to voltage regulated power supplies for semiconductor based electronics and more particularly to providing a full bridge power supply with high operating efficiency and stability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Contemporary semiconductor electronic components generally operate with direct current supplied at low and closely controlled voltages. Close regulation of unipolar voltage is required because nearly all semiconductor components operate best at a constant power supply voltage. In some applications, such fine regulation is also required to minimize power loss, for example, where large variations in output current drawn by a load occur.
Switch mode power supplies are widely included among the most efficient of regulated power supplies because they provide such fine voltage regulation with little wasted power over a wide range of unregulated unipolar input voltages and output currents. Switch mode power supplies are usually connected to an unregulated, relatively high voltage direct current input source, and have one or more switching elements, an output transformer, output rectifying and filtering components, and a feedback control circuit controlling the switching element(s). The unregulated voltage level of the direct current input source is periodically applied to the primary winding of the output transformer by the switching element(s). The output off the secondary winding of the output transformer is rectified and filtered to supply power to semiconductor based electronics.
Control of the quantity of power transferred through the output transformer is done by varying the on time of the switching elements used to apply the voltage generated by the direct current input source to the output transformer. The control signals used to control the duty cycle of the switching elements are generated by the feedback control circuit in response to a direct or indirect measure of the power drawn from the output transformer. In response to that measure, the feedback control circuit pulse width modulates the gating control signals applied to the switching elements. As power drawn by a load connected to the output transformer increases, the proportion of the time the duty cycle takes increases. A decreasing duty cycle occurs with falling power demand. If the duty cycle changes without a change in power demanded, output voltages will change with potentially adverse consequences for the load electronics.
A favored type of switched mode power supply and voltage regulator arranges the switching elements in a full bridge topology, with each switching element driven by an isolated gate signal. In a full bridge, four switching elements are connected between the terminal ends of the primary winding of the output transformer and either ground or to the unregulated voltage direct current source. During each cycle, a terminal end will alternatingly be connected to the voltage source and to ground. During a portion of the period one terminal end is connected to ground the other terminal end is connected to the voltage source, and vice versa. Thus primary winding current reverses direction each half cycle. Alternating pairs of diagonally opposed switching elements in the bridge carry the current for a selected duration of each half cycle. During this period power is transferred to the load side of circuit. It is important to note that diagonally opposed pairs of switching elements are not turned on and off together, but in a phase staggered fashion.
Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), designed for power applications, are commonly used as the switching elements. See for an example of such an application, U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,941. MOSFETs are favored as switching elements in power applications because they work well as saturated devices, exhibit high input impedances and have a good thermal stability compared to bipolar junction transistors. The first two factors contribute to switching efficiency, which directly contributes to power supply efficiency.
One disadvantage of MOSFETs is that they have high drain to source capacitances. As a result, MOSFETs exhibit capacitive switching losses, which accumulate with increased switching frequency. Unfortunately, increasing switching frequency is desirable because it improves power pulse density for fine regulation of output voltage. As a result, operating efficiency of the power supply is directly and adversely affected by increasing switching frequencies. Capacitive switching losses can be reduced by switching MOSFETs at a zero voltage drop across the MOSFETs. However, simple application of zero voltage switching (ZVS) is complicated by other considerations.
As observed above, detection of power drawn from an output transformer may be direct or indirect. In the full bridge topology, determining the current in the primary winding of the output transformer is desirable for current mode control of the feedback control circuitry. The current in the primary winding reflects current in the secondary winding and thus is related to power demanded by the load connected to the rectifying and filtering circuitry. However, because current freewheels through the primary winding of the output transformer during switching, placing a current sensing transformer in series with the primary winding, or use of the primary winding itself for current sensing, does not work. The problem is that the current sensing transformer never sees zero current, preventing flux in the transformer from being reset.
A full bridge power supply and voltage regulator has four arms, two of which carry the current through the primary at any given time. No current is carried by a given arm in the bridge at least half the time. Current sensing can be done in the arms which allows for reset of the sensing transformer during the zero current periods. In application, two current transformers are used for current sensing. The transformers are located in one of the two legs of the bridge. A bridge leg includes two arms connected between the unregulated voltage direct current source and ground and directly connected to one another. When the switching element in one arm of the leg comes on in a half cycle of the bridge, the switching element in the other arm of the leg is off. If each arm of a leg has a current sensing transformer, one of the current transformers is active with each half cycle. With current sensing done in the arms of one leg, flux in the current sensing transformer in the quiescent arm can be reset.
The physical topology of a full bridge voltage regulator exhibits perfect mirror symmetry. Thus it may be surprising to the reader that the currents conducted by the legs do not exhibit the same symmetry. The phase relationships of the control or gating signals supplied by the feedback control circuitry to the MOSFETs result in the legs conducting different amounts of current. Phase staggered switching results in one leg of the bridge being a leading leg and the remaining leg being a lagging leg. An arm in the leading leg conducts positive current (by "positive is meant current in a direction opposite to the conducting orientation of the body diode of the switching power MOSFET) over its entire on period, following a brief negative current pulse in the body diode of the MOSFET. Net current in an arm of the leading leg over a cycle is positive. An arm in the lagging leg conducts negative current through its body diode during most of the freewheeling interval (corresponding to "off-time" of a conventional pulse width modulated regulator) and positive current as a new power pulse begins (i.e. the "on-time" of a conventional pulse width modulated regulator). Net current in an arm of the lagging leg can be positive or negative.
To use current mode sensing, a decision must be made as to which leg to place the current sensing transformers. Preferably, the decision should be based on the current profiles of the arms in the leading and lagging legs, respectively. On this basis, placing the current transformers in series with the MOSFETs in the arms of the leading leg would be desirable. One reason for this is that leading leg current is on net positive. This would allow use of passive reset networks for the current sensing transformers. For a current sensing transformer placed in an arm of the lagging leg, net current through the current sensing transformer can be positive or negative, which in turn requires an active network to determine the resulting orientation of the residual flux and to reset the flux to zero. An active reset circuit is more complex, more costly and uses more power than a passive circuit.
Another reason to locate current sensing transformers in the leading leg is that the resonant transition that occurs when a MOSFET switches is much slower for a MOSFET in the leading leg than for one in the lagging leg. This is because the only energy available to charge the drain to base capacitance of the MOSFET in the leading leg comes from the leakage inductance of the power transformer. For MOSFETs in the lagging leg, energy is also available from the output filter connected to the output transformer, which causes faster resonant transitions. The adverse consequences of adding parasitic inductance to a leg by insertion of current transformers is reduced if slower current transitions are seen.
Finally, were current sensed in the arms of the leading leg, it would be more nearly continuous. It is often desirable to generate a signal proportional to the output current of the power supply for diagnostic uses. Were leading leg current sensing used, a proportional current signal could be recovered with a simple resistor/capacitor filter (RC filter) connected to the current sense resistor. Where current sensing is done in the lagging leg, an active circuit has been used for peak detection because the feedback control signal is pulse width modulated.
Despite the advantages of leading leg sensing, circuit designers have placed current sensing transformers in the lagging leg of full bridge regulators. This is done because the signal recovered from the leading leg is not well suited for current mode control.
Leading leg current sensing has resulted in circuit instability. This undesirable result overrides all other factors in design consideration. Power supply circuits are feedback controlled circuits which use the current sense signal from the current transformers as the basis for a feedback control wave. Current in an arm of the leading leg is continuous from the on period into the following freewheeling interval, exhibiting only a change in slope. A control signal generated directly from such a current reflects the slopes of the current. Contemporary pulse width modulation controllers act as a source of a ramp current into current loop on the output side of the current transformers. This is required to stabilize the circuit. However, the ramp current changes the slope of the sensed current signal and can make detection of the peak of the control signal difficult if not impossible. Detection of the peak is essential because knowledge of its timing tells the pulse width controller how much power is being transferred through the output transformer. The positive slope of the ramp signal can cancel the negative slope of the control signal corresponding to the freewheeling phase of operation in the leading leg, obfuscating the peak. Under this condition a power supply can easily become unstable. Power duty cycle time can wander resulting in voltage transients across the load and possible damage to the load circuitry. By using lagging leg current sensing, a clean peak is obtained and stability problems are avoided.

Apparatus providing leading leg current sensing for control of full bridge power supply

International Business Machines Corporation


System and method for regulating a power conversion system. An example system controller for regulating a power conversion system includes a signal generator and a driving component. The signal generator is configured to receive a feedback signal associated with an output signal of a power conversion system and a current sensing signal associated with a primary current flowing through a primary winding of the power conversion system and generate a modulation signal based on at least information associated with the feedback signal and the current sensing signal. The driving component is configured to receive the modulation signal and output a drive signal to a switch based on at least information associated with the modulation signal.

The present invention is directed to integrated circuits. More particularly, the invention provides a system and method for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI). Merely by way of example, the invention has been applied to power conversion systems. But it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
With the development of modern electronic technology, more and more electronic devices often operate in a same working environment. In some circumstances, the electronic devices are usually placed very close to each other, and thus problems of electromagnetic interference (EMI) may become severe. Many countries around the world issue standards for electromagnetic compatibility, and electromagnetic compatibility is often deemed as indicating product quality.
Power conversion systems are widely used for consumer electronics (e.g., portable devices) because of the advantages of the power conversion systems such as small sizes, light weight, and high efficiency. FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram showing a conventional switch-mode conversion system. A switch-mode conversion system 100 includes a system controller 180, a switch 140, resistors 150, 154 and 156, capacitors 152, 158 and 166, a primary winding 160, a secondary winding 162, a diode 164, and an isolated feedback component 168. The system controller 180 includes a comparator 110, a modulation component 120, a logic control component 122, a driving component 130, and a leading-edge-blanking (LEB) component 132. The system controller 180 further includes terminals 172, 174, 176, and 178.
For example, the modulation component 120 receives a feedback signal 116 from the isolated feedback component 168 and generates a modulation signal 118. The logic control component 122 receives the modulation signal 118 and outputs a signal 124, which is received by the driving component 130. The driving component 130 outputs a signal 134 through the terminal 172 (e.g., terminal Gate) to close (e.g., turn on) or open (e.g., turn off) the switch 140. The switch-mode power conversion system 100 dynamically adjusts the duty cycle of the switch 140 according to the output load in order to achieve a stable output voltage 170.
In another example, the comparator 110 receives and compares an over-current threshold signal 112 (e.g., Vth—oc) and a current sensing signal 114 (e.g., VCS), and sends an over-current control signal 116 to the logic control component 122. When the current of the primary winding is greater than a limiting level, the logic control component 122 outputs the signal 124 in order to open (e.g., turns off) the switch 140 and shut down the switch-mode power conversion system 100.
FIG. 2 is a simplified diagram showing the conventional driving component 130 as part of the switch-mode conversion system 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the driving component 130 includes NAND gates 202 and 206, NOT gates 204 and 208, and two transistors 210 and 212. For example, the transistor 210 is a P-channel field effect transistor (FET), and the transistor 212 is an N-channel FET.
If the signal 124 from the logic control component 122 is at a logic low level, the NAND gate 202 outputs a signal 214 at a logic high level, and the NAND gate 206 outputs a signal 216 at a logic low level. The NOT gate 208 receives the signal 216 and outputs a signal 218 at the logic high level. The transistor 212 is turned on in response to the signal 218 being at the logic high level. The transistor 210 is turned off in response to the signal 214 being at the logic high level. The signal 134 at the terminal 172 (e.g., terminal Gate) is at the logic low level so that the switch 140 is open (e.g., being turned off).
On the other hand, if the signal 124 from the logic control component 122 is at the logic high level, the NAND gate 206 outputs the signal 216 at the logic high level and the NAND gate 202 outputs the signal 214 at the logic low level. The NOT gate 208 outputs the signal 218 at the logic low level. The transistor 212 is turned off in response to the signal 218 being at the logic low level. The transistor 210 is turned on in response to the signal 214 being at the logic low level. The signal 134 at the terminal 172 (e.g., terminal Gate) is at the logic high level so that the switch 140 is closed (e.g., being turned on).
Strong EMI may be generated during the processes of turning on and turning off the switch 140 which is one of the main sources of EMI in the system 100. Some measures may be taken to reduce EMI, such as using a complicated noise filter, connecting an absorption apparatus in parallel, adopting a resonance technology, and implementing an advanced protection shield, but all of these measures usually increase system costs and scales. In addition, frequency jittering can be used to reduce EMI. Frequency jittering may improve conductive EMI, but often cannot effectively reduce radiative EMI. Hence it is highly desirable to improve techniques for reducing EMI.

Systems and methods for reducing electromagnetic interference by adjusting switching processes

On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.


Apparatus for an optical communications network has optical paths for optical traffic, and optical ports, one of which is an unused output port. A security monitoring system has a blocking part coupled removably to the unused output port to occupy it to prevent unauthorized access. An optical detector can detect optical signals passing through the unused output port to the blocking part, and there is alarm circuitry configured to output an alarm signal based on the detecting of the optical signals. This monitoring can help make the node more secure from interference or from eavesdropping. By blocking the port, the monitoring can be independent of the type of signals on the optical paths. The system can be passive or active, and does not require a change in the installed node configuration and so can be added easily to existing infrastructure.

As the demand for network capacity grows, the issue of securing the physical layer of optical network cannot be overlooked. Optical layer security benefits from electromagnetic immunity however the optical layer includes not only fiber spans but also network equipments which are vulnerable to a variety of attacks. This means that optical networks can be almost as easy to tap or to interfere as copper wire based networks.
One approach that has been proposed for providing communications security is optical encryption of the signals transmitted across an optical communications network, as proposed by Jung et al, "Demonstration of 10 Gbps all-optical encryption and decryption system utilizing SOA XOR logic gates", Optical and Quantum Electronics, vol. 40, no. 5-6, April 2008. A problem faced by optical encryption is that optical encryption and decryption devices are required for each wavelength channel at each transmitter and receiver within a communications network, raising the cost of the network.
One known approach shown in WO2011103930 is concerned with the vulnerability of optical monitoring points in the communications network. These monitoring points are intended for monitoring optical spectrum and power but may be vulnerable to unauthorised eavesdropping. They typically comprise an optical splitter arranged to extract between 1% and 10% of the optical signal that is to be monitored, the extracted signal being provided to a monitoring port. All of the traffic carried by the optical signal being monitored is replicated in the extracted signal and is provided to the monitoring port. There is a resulting problem that live traffic is vulnerable to eavesdropping at the monitoring port and this presents a problem of communications network security.
International Telecommunications Union document ITU-T X.805 "Security architecture for systems providing end-to-end communications" sets out various optical protection schemes for making an optical connection secure against a fibre being cut to place an in-line tap for eavesdropping. However, the methods set out in ITU-T X.805 only monitor cuts in an optical communications network fibre link and are not able to detect eavesdropping of an optical signal via a monitoring port.
Optical signal transforming apparatus is arranged to receive the tapped signal and to apply an optical transfer function to the tapped signal to form an optical monitoring signal. The optical transfer function is arranged to preserve the spectral property of the tapped signal and to apply a time-domain obfuscation to the tapped signal. The optical signal transforming apparatus is further arranged to provide the optical monitoring signal to the monitoring port. Thus an optical monitoring signal from an input optical signal or an output optical signal may be formed on which the traffic is obfuscated in the time-domain and in which a spectral property of the input optical signal or the output optical signal is preserved. Therefore it becomes difficult or impossible for traffic on the input signal or the output signal to be intercepted by eavesdropping on the optical monitoring signal, without the need for encryption of each wavelength channel.