A real time clock comprises a counter which stores a count value, the count value representing a time signal. The counter may be written, for example by a host processor (not shown), such that the time signal can be set to any desired value. The real time clock comprises a check register that stores a check value. The content of the check register (i.e. the check value) is modified each time a write operation is performed on the counter. For example, the content of the check register can be updated by a control signal each time a write operation is performed on the counter. The check value stored in the check register is used for determining whether a write operation performed on the counter is an authorized write operation or an unauthorized write operation. The check value may be incremented each time a write operation is performed, replaced with a new random number each time a write operation is performed, or a combination of both.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a real time clock, and to a method of detecting unauthorized use of a real time clock. In particular, the invention relates to a secure real time clock, and to a method of enabling unauthorized write operations performed on a real time clock to be detected.
2. Description of the Related Art
A real time clock (RTC) is implemented in nearly every electronic device manufactured today to allow a continuous record of the time to be kept at all times as long as power is applied to a device. The RTC must continuously be updated at all times, including times when parts of the host system, e.g. a host processor, are not powered, that is to say times when the RTC is supplied from a backup battery rather than the main supply or battery.
A RTC can be operated in a number of different ways. For example, one method of operating a RTC is to represent a specific moment in time with a corresponding specific RTC value.
FIG. 1 shows an implementation of a conventional real time clock apparatus 1. The real time clock apparatus 1 comprises a counter 3 which stores a count value that represents a time signal, the count value being continuously updated by a clock signal 5. For example, the counter 3 may be configured to be clocked at 1 second intervals (i.e. 1 Hz) by the clock signal 5, such that the counter 3 represents a counter that counts in "seconds".
The real time clock apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 may be used in conjunction with a host system which is configured such that a specific moment in time, for example, 1 Jan. 1970, 0:00:00 am can correspond to a RTC value of 00000000 h.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, the counter 3 is illustrated as being a 32-bit counter that is represented in a register map 7 by first and second registers 9, 11 (the most-significant-word of the counter 3 being stored in the first register 9 and the least-significant-word of the counter 3 being stored in the second register 11, each register comprising 16 bits).
Many devices also include an alarm and/or calendar function. In the example described above whereby the software of the host system maps each value of the RTC counter to a specific moment in time, e.g. 1 Jan. 1970, 0:00:00 am corresponding to a RTC value of 00000000 h, an alarm or calendar event corresponds to a well specified RTC value which can easily be calculated by software in the host system. It is therefore desirable to be able to write to the RTC to allow legitimate setting of the RTC to the current time (for example when crossing different time zones), and also to allow easy setting of alarms or calendar events. It is also desirable to allow easy setting of wake-up events without extensive translation.
Although it is desirable to enable the RTC to be programmed or written to for the reasons mentioned above, there are other applications in which having a programmable RTC may cause problems. For example, in applications involving digital rights management (for example when a movie or music track is rented for a limited period of time), it is important that any malicious modifications to the RTC must be either prevented or detected.
It is impossible for the RTC itself to differentiate between a malicious (i.e. unauthorized) and a legitimate source. There are two aspects of modification by malicious sources. The first is hardware modification in view of the fact that the RTC is usually contained in a device which is external to the application processor, and is accessed via a serial interface such as SPI or I2C. In this case, it is possible that a hacker can access the serial interface bus and modify the RTC.
The second is software modification, whereby software can be used to access the RTC via the host processor without the knowledge of the legitimate system software on the host processor.
In both cases, the RTC cannot determine the difference between the unauthorized and the legitimate modification processes.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a secure real time clock, and to enable unauthorized write operations on a real time clock to be detected.


A test strip for measuring film build on a plastic piece includes a desired length of tape having an adhesive coating on an inner surface and a window. A paint strip of sufficient area to cover the window is secured to the tape by the adhesive. A backing formed from material easily peeled from the adhesive is removed when the tape is mounted on a piece prior to painting. After painting, the test strip is peeled away from the piece so that the paint strip can be separated from the tape, analyzed and stored.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a test strip and method for measuring paint film build particularly suited for a plastic part such as an automotive fascia.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Soft bumper systems for both front and rear ends of automobiles are well-known. Generally, an impact bar is mounted to the frame or support structure with fasteners or other suitable means. Impact bars are designed to resist deformation during impact and reduce damage to the body and other components. Oftentimes, an energy-absorbing medium, e.g., foam or cellular units, is mounted on the outer face of an impact bar to absorb energy imparted by a collision. A fascia is fitted over the energy-absorbing medium to provide an attractive outer surface of the bumper system.
A fascia is a molded element, oftentimes formed as a pliable member in a reaction injection molding (RIM) process. After molding, a fascia can be painted a desired color. Quality checks for a painted fascia include paint thickness known as "film build". Generally film build is less than one millimeter.
Previously, film build during a production run was determined by cutting sections from various sample fascias throughout the run. The sections were analyzed and then discarded. The fascias used to provide the sample sections were scrapped.
It is desirable to determine film build of painted fascias in a manner which does not result in scrapping the fascias. Furthermore, it is desirable to preserve the film build data in an easy and economical manner.

Non-destructive test strip and method for measuring paint film build


A multi-body thickness (MBT) field effect transistor (FET) comprises a silicon body formed on a substrate. The silicon body may comprise a wide section and a narrow section between the wide section and the substrate. The silicon body may comprise more than one pair of a wide section and a narrow section, each pair being located at a different height of the silicon body. The silicon body is surrounded by a gate material on three sides. The substrate may be a bulk silicon substrate or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The MBT-FET combines the advantages of a wide fin device and a narrow fin device.

1. Field
Semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication.
2. Background
A recent development in semiconductor processing is the tri-gate transistor. A tri-gate transistor includes a thin semiconductor body (e.g., a silicon fin) formed on a substrate. A gate dielectric is formed on the top surface and the sidewalls of the fin. A gate electrode is formed on the surface of the gate dielectric on the top surface and the sidewalls of the fin. Source and drain regions are formed in the fin on opposite sides of the gate electrode. Because the gate electrode and the gate dielectric surround the semiconductor body on three sides, the transistor essentially has three separate gates. These three separate gates provide three separate channels for electrical signals to travel, thus effectively tripling the conductivity as compared to a conventional planar transistor.
Tri-gate transistors generally have superior performance to bulk gate devices. This is because of the proximity of the top and side gates to each other, which, as the fin thins, causes full depletion and results in steeper sub-threshold gradients (SG) and smaller drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL). The term "thin" hereinafter is used interchangeably with the term "narrow" to describe the dimension between the opposite sidewalls of the fin.
The SG and DIBL typically are used to determine short-channel effects (SCEs) in a transistor. In general, it is desired that SCEs are low such that the transistor off-state leakage current, Ioff (i.e., a current flowing between source and drain regions when a transistor is in an off state), remains as low as possible. A steeper SG and/or reduced DIBL indicates lower Ioff, and thus smaller and better SCEs.
Generally, the thinner the fin the smaller and better the SCEs. However, thinner fins suffer from large external resistance (Rext), which causes reduced drive current. The reduction in drive current may be measured by a change in Idsat, which is the saturated current flowing through the drain. FIG. 1A shows the DIBL of a 20 nanometer (nm)-wide fin structure (narrow fin) normalized with respect to the DIBL of a 35 nm-wide fin structure (wide fin). Both of the fins have a gate length (Lg) of 40 nm. It can be seen that the DIBL decreases substantially as the fin thins, indicating an improvement in the SCEs. However, at the same time, the thinner fin suffers greater Rext. In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the Idsat of the narrow fin is reduced by approximately 50%, which approximately matches the amount of improvement in the SCEs as seen in FIG. 1A.

Stacked multi-gate transistor design and method of fabrication


A thermal type gas flow measuring instrument measures gas flow with high precision by accurately correcting changes in radiation heat characteristics of a heating resistor due to contamination. The instrument comprises a second heating resistor 30 whose resistance value, which changes if contaminated, is calculated by measuring the terminal voltage thereof by calculating means 32, and the calculated value is compared with a temperature detected by a temperature detecting element 31. Based on the result of comparison, the level of contamination of the second heating resistor 30 is determined. The second heating resistor 30 and the first heating resistor 3 are disposed in similar environments such that their levels of contamination can be considered equal. Based on the level of contamination calculated from the result of comparison, a correction value is calculated and the output of the first heating resistor 3 is corrected in accordance with the correction value.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a thermal type gas flow measuring instrument or measuring gas flow, such as air flow.
2. Description of Related Art
As an example of the gas flow type measuring instrument, a thermal type air flow measuring instrument is known for measuring the intake air flow in automobile internal combustion engines.
This thermal type air flow measuring instrument takes advantage of the fact that the amount of heat dissipated from a heating resistor increases at a steady rate relative to the intake air flow. Because of its capability to directly measure the mass flow, it is widely utilized as a flow measuring device for automobile fuel control purposes.
As a technology for improving the accuracy of flow measurement in the above-mentioned thermal type air flow measuring instrument, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention entitled "Method for controlling an internal combustion engine using air flow measuring apparatus."
The technology described in Patent Document 1 involves a self-diagnosis of the air flow measuring apparatus for measuring intake air flow in an internal combustion engine, on the basis of an output signal that is obtained in the absence of intake air flow. Based on the results of the self-diagnosis, the intake air flow signal is modified, or a warning is provided to indicate abnormality.
In the technology of Patent Document 1, the thermal type air flow measuring instrument and an engine control unit must be continuously supplied with electric power until a certain time has elapsed following the termination of the engine. This is because the intake air flow must be zero when a self-diagnosis is performed.
Patent Document 1: JP Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-295125 A (1999)

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Thermal type gas flow measuring instrument


The power circuit includes a switching regulator part, a series regulator part and a control circuit part for controlling operation of the switching regulator and controlling the second predetermined voltage of the series regulator part.

As for commonly used direct-current power supply, there are a switching regulator and a series regulator. Switching regulators are used for many apparatuses since they provide high efficiency. With the switching regulator, however, there is a considerable drop in its efficiency when supplying power to a small load which consumes little current due to the switching regulator having a large ripple in output power and noise during operation and consuming a relatively large amount of power inside. Furthermore, the switching regulator has a disadvantage of being liable of considerably damaging the load due to the switching regulator having a relatively slow rise of power and a relatively slow response time for input power change and load change.
Therefore, conventionally, a soft start circuit is provided for preventing generation of overshoot noise by delaying the output voltage rise when turning on the power supply (For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 2000-102243 and 2001-128445).
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a conventional example of a switching regulator provided with a soft start circuit. It is to be noted that although FIG. 5 shows a switching regulator of a type which lowers voltage of input power, a switching regulator of a type which raises voltage of input power may be used alternatively.
The switching regulator illustrated in FIG. 5 includes a switching transistor Ma for executing output control of input voltage Vin, an inductor La along with a condenser Ca for energy conversion, a transistor Mb for synchronous rectification (synchronous rectification transistor), a PWM control circuit for executing switching control between the synchronous rectification transistor Mb and the switching transistor Ma, and resistances Ra and Rb for output voltage detection. Furthermore, the switching regulator 100 includes a reference voltage generation circuit 102 for generating and outputting reference voltage Vref, an amplifier AMP for executing operation of the PWM control circuit 101 in accordance with voltage difference between the reference voltage Vref and divided voltage of output voltage Vout being divided at the resistances Ra and Rb, a time constant circuit including a resistance Rc and a condenser Cb for applying the reference voltage Vref, in a gradually rising manner, to the amplifier AMP when turning on the power, and a switch SW1.
Here, only the soft start circuit is described below.
The switch 1 is switched on at the same time when power is turned on, and thus the condenser Cb is charged with the reference voltage Vref via the resistance Rc. Accordingly, voltage Va at a noninverting input terminal rises gradually in a manner shown in FIG. 6. Since the output voltage Vout of the switching regulator 100 is proportional to the reference voltage Vref, the output voltage Vout also rises gradually in a manner shown in FIG. 6. This prevents noise from being generated by overshoot.
However, with such method of gradually raising the output voltage Vout to a predetermined voltage by gradually raising the reference voltage, a certain amount of time is needed for the output voltage Vout to reach the predetermined voltage. Accordingly, after the power is turned on, a considerable amount of time is required until commencing operation of an apparatus.

Power circuit and method of rising output voltage of power circuit


There is provided a wireless communication apparatus which, when a connection request is received from a specific apparatus in a state where an upper limit number of connections are established by the wireless communication apparatus, selects a target apparatus to be disconnected from among a plurality of apparatuses which currently establish a wireless connection with the wireless communication apparatus, disconnects a wireless connection with the target apparatus, and establishes a wireless connection with the specific apparatus. When the plurality of apparatuses includes a first type apparatus which is inoperable according to a specific wireless communication system, and a second type apparatus which is operable according to the specific wireless communication system, the wireless communication apparatus selects an apparatus of a type as the target apparatus based on a disconnection priority determined in advance for the plurality of types of apparatuses.

JP-A-2001-326658 discloses a network which includes a plurality of communication apparatuses. A communication apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as "management communication apparatus") which manages the network confirms the number of connected communication apparatuses currently being connected to the network if a connection request is received from a communication apparatus outside the network. In one embodiment, when the number of connected communication apparatuses exceeds a predetermined value, the management communication apparatus determines whether there is a communication apparatus in a non-communication state, and the communication apparatus in the non-communication state is disconnected from the network. As another example method for selecting a communication apparatus which should be disconnected from the network, there are disclosed a method in which a communication apparatus connected to the network for the longest time is selected, a method in which a communication apparatus which does not access the network for the longest time is selected, a method in which a communication apparatus which has the smallest amount of data to be transmitted is selected, a method in which a communication apparatus having lowest communication priority is selected, and the like.


Fuse logic is configured to selectively enable certain group of fuses of a fuse array to support one of column (or row) redundancy in one application or error correction code (ECC) operations in another application. For example, the fuse logic may decode the group of fuses to enable a replacement column (or row) of memory cells in one mode or application, and decodes a subset of the group of fuses to retrieve ECC data corresponding to a second group of fuses are encoded to enable a different replacement column or row of memory cells in a second mode or application. The fuse logic includes an ECC decode logic circuit that is selectively enabled to detect and correct errors in data encoded in the second group of fuses based on the ECC data encoded in the subset of fuses of the first group of fuses.

High data reliability, high speed of memory access, low power, and reduced chip size are features that are demanded from semiconductor memory. Memory cells used to store information within a memory may be organized into rows (word lines) and columns (bit lines). At various points in manufacturing and use of a memory device, one or more memory cells may fail (e.g., become unable to store information, be inaccessible by the memory device, etc.) and may need to be repaired. Some memory devices may include fuses that are programmed to redirect addresses of defective memory cells to redundant memory cells. When, during a fuse read operation, the states of the fuses are inaccurately read, redundant memory cells may be mapped to replace healthy memory cells and defective memory cells may be accessed normally, which may adversely affect the reliability of the memory. Along a device production lifecycle, production-induced deficiencies may decrease over time as production processes mature. A size of a fuse array and/or a count of redundant memory rows and columns may be based on anticipated or actual production-induced deficiencies to achieve a certain device yield at a start of production, which may result in portions of the fuse array and/or redundant memory rows and/or columns.

Fuse logic to perform selectively enabled ECC decoding


A method and a management apparatus for classifying congestion paths based on packet delay in a plurality of paths between measurement nodes. The method and the apparatus specify the short-time congestions based on packet delay in Internet Protocol network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a management apparatus for classifying congestion paths based on packet delay. In particular, the method and the apparatus specify the short-time congestions based on packet delay in IP (Internet Protocol) network.
2. Description of the Related Art
First related art, "Empirical Study on Locating Congested Segments over the Internet Based on Multiple End-to-End Path Measurements" by A. Tachibana, S. Ano, T. Hasegawa, M. Tsuru, Y. Oie, In Proc. E.G., EE/IPSJ SAINT, 2005, discloses a related art in which a plurality of paths are actively measured between measurement nodes, and the quality degradation segment in the network is determined.
The property of measured path is for example packet loss rate or packet delay. A segment is a part which a path is split into branches. According to this art, measurement value is compared with predetermined threshold value, and a quality of the path is determined step by step (good/fair/bad). Then, the quality-degraded segment in the network is specified by the combination of routes in the quality degradation paths.
Second related art, "Inferring link characteristics from end-to-end path measurements", In Proc. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers ICC, Helsinki (2001), 1534-1538, discloses a related art in which a plurality of test packets is continuously sent to a plurality of paths in short-time intervals, and the quality of the shared segment is estimated by the correlation of received packets.
According to the first related art, a measurement value (for example, mean value or the maximum in the uniformity cycle) is compared with a predetermined threshold value. However, when the difference is small, good/bad is extremely judged. Thus, classification results differ significantly according to the threshold value. Also, according to the second related art, a correlation between the packets is judged for all test packets. Therefore, a highly precise measurement and a complicated calculation are required.
According to the related arts, a degradation status is judged for every path. The judgment is based on a plurality of measurement value including the mean value or the maximum of the path property. In reality, when a quality degradation occurs in one segment, the quality degradation occurs simultaneously in a plurality of paths passing the segment. Nevertheless, it is judged as single degradation for each path, and the correlation of the path is detected from all measurements value.
Also, according to the related arts, quality-degraded segment is specified for every path by the measurement value of the path property. Thus, congestion occurring for a short time (for example, 20 ms), such as packet delay, cannot be specified. However, there is the case where a nucleus network is constructed by optical fiber. In this case, short-time congestion has a big influence to the whole network. Thus, it is necessary to avoid a route which occasionally produces short-time congestions.

Method and management apparatus for classifying congestion paths based on packet delay


The present invention provides a golf swing training device which allows the angular relationship of the leading and trailing forearms with respect to each other to change during the golf swing while substantially maintaining the distance between the forearms at the points at which the training device is attached to the forearms. The device comprises a first strap which attaches to the leading forearm below the elbow and above the wrist, a substantially rigid spacing member that is attached to the leading forearm strap by means of an articulating joint, and a second strap attached to the other end of the spacing member which attaches to the trailing forearm below the elbow and above the wrist. The spacing member preferably is adjustable in length to accommodate different distances between the forearms. The device promotes a one-piece takeaway and a unified, "on plane" position throughout the swing and at impact, while allowing the relative angular position of the forearms to change so that the trailing elbow rides free to train the golfer to make a full, unrestricted shoulder turn.

Various training devices have been conceived for teaching golfers how to properly execute the full golf swing. Several training devices are known which attempt to maintain a predetermined distance between the forearms. None of these know devices, however, provide a self-adjusting 360.degree. pivoting joint to compensate for forearm angulation and attachment at a point just below and within both forearms to allow for a full shoulder turn on the back swing, as is the case with the present invention.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,887 to Cable discloses a tubular yoke which attaches by means of straps on the upper or lower surface of the upper arms, above the elbows. This device, while restricting the forearms, appears to restrict a full shoulder turn because of its placement above the elbows. Additionally, placement of the spacing member on the outside of the arms appears to hamper full contraction of the right elbow and consequently shortens the swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,312 to Nixon, et. al., also restricts the forearms by means of wedge-shaped device attached between the wrists. While one embodiment of the device allows for separate skew angles of the forearms, the selected position is locked at address. The golf swing is dynamic and the device appears to make no provision for the increasing angulation between the forearms which occurs during the back swing or for the corresponding reduction in angulation which occurs on the forward swing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,464 to Dalbo uses a semi-rigid, triangular guide member with its apex at the wrists and a base portion running up each forearm. Torque created during the down swing may thus cause a reduction in the spacing between the arms due to the semi-rigidity of the spacing member. The device does not provide a strap for attachment to the leading forearm. Without a restraint to maintain positive contact with both arms, the wearer is not encouraged to make a complete shoulder turn for fear of losing contact with the device. Also, while the device allows for independent angulation of the forearms, the angulation is fixed at address.
Golf is a difficult sport to master for the person of only average athletic ability and limited opportunity for instruction and practice. The golf swing is best learned through repetition of the proper moves, so that muscle memory is created. While an understanding of the mechanics is helpful, the golfer should strive to remember the "feel," rather than the "mechanics," of a good swing. However, repetition of an incorrect technique is a real danger without vigilant supervision by a teaching professional. The constraints to such an arrangement for the player of average means are obvious.
Accordingly, a training aid is needed which teaches the golfer to swing the golf club along a fixed path or plane around the axis presented by the spine, while allowing for the natural rotation and change in angulation of the forearms on both the back and forward swings. In accordance with these objectives, the training device of the present invention comprises a rigid spacing member that produces a consistent swing plane by maintaining a substantially fixed spacing between the forearms, but which allows for the natural rotation and change in angulation of the forearms on both the back and forward swings.
Swinging the golf club on plane is essential for consistent golf shots. The elbows should stay in their address relationship throughout the swing. The skew angle of the axes defined by the golfer's forearms is greatest at the apex (i.e. at the wrists) of the triangle formed by the hands, arms and shoulders. Moreover, this angulation is dynamic and changes during the swing. The angulation becomes most severe at the top of the back swing where a 45.degree. to 90.degree. skew between the wrists is presented, which may vary among individuals. Thus, the device of the present invention preferably mounts on the inside of the forearms, just below the elbows, where the opposing surfaces of the arms remain relatively square throughout the swing. The device of the present invention preferably has a 360.degree. pivoting connection at the point at which the lead forearm is coupled to the spacing member, to thereby maintain a perpendicular relationship with the forearms, so as to efficiently transfer energy from the trailing shoulder and arm through the spacing member and into the leading shoulder and arm, through the golf club, and into the ball at impact.
Equally important is that both shoulders, and in particular the leading shoulder, turns fully through impact and at the same speed as the trailing shoulder and arms. The full swing has been described by some as an "exaggerated putt". It is well known that the ideal putting stroke is pendulum in nature, with both shoulders and both arms moving at the same rate of speed (i.e. together) throughout the putting stroke. Similarly, it is essential that the shoulders and arms turn together throughout the full golf swing. The training device of the present invention comprises a strap on each end of the spacing member for fastening the spacing member about the forearms which enables the shoulders and arms to turn together throughout the full golf swing.
Many amateurs stop, slow or push outward the leading shoulder on the forward swing, allowing the trailing shoulder or the arms to take over the swing. This phenomenon is known as an "arms only" swing and leads to an outside-in swing path, which causes the club face to open at impact (pointing right of the target for the right-handed player), resulting in either a weak slice or push shot. A related problem is a breakdown of the angles presented by the triangle formed by the shoulders, forearms and hands.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been determined that the optimal placement of the spacing member is not above or on the outside of the elbows, or at the wrists or lower forearms, but high and on the inside of the forearms. Placing the spacing member in this position will ensure that the energy generated by the trailing shoulder (i.e., the right shoulder for a right handed player) on the forward swing fully transfers to the leading shoulder, thereby curing the "arms only" swing". Such a placement allows for the closest placement of the member to the energy source (the shoulders) without restricting the shoulder turn.
Placement of a rigid spacing member above the elbows prevents a full shoulder turn and prevents a wide take-away with a leading right elbow, both of which are keys to a powerful golf swing. (See Golf Magazine, p. 28, Jan. 30, 1997). In contrast, a low placement of a rigid spacing member, such as at or near the wrists, transfers energy into the leading shoulder less efficiently on the forward swing because the fulcrum (the spacing member) is located further from the energy source (the trailing shoulder). Placement of a training device at or near the wrists should also be avoided to allow supination and pronation of the wrists as needed.
Persons knowledgeable in the art will also recognize that a flexible or semi-rigid spacing device results in a less efficient transfer of energy than a fully rigid member. It is axiomatic that force is more efficiently transferred by concentration in a smaller surface area than if dissipated over a larger surface area. Thus, in accordance with the present invention, it has been determined that a substantially rigid spacing member of relatively small diameter will thus transfer energy more efficiently than a spacing member which is spread over the entire forearm area. Also, a breakdown of forearm spacing is possible if a spacing member is placed at the apex (i.e., at the wrist area) of the triangle formed by the arms and shoulders, rather than at the midpoint of the triangle thus formed (i.e. just below the elbows).
In addition, in accordance with the present invention, it has been determined that placement of the device relatively high on the arms and concentrating energy into a smaller area assists the golfer in producing a "late hit", which has been recognized by some as a key factor in producing power and distance. A late hit occurs when the golfer's arms and hands are ahead of or at (and not behind) the club head on impact. A relatively high placement of the fulcrum aids in pushing the forearms ahead of the hands, causing the club head to lag behind beneficially. A small-diameter fulcrum, concentrating energy as high as possible on the forearms, further aids in this phenomenon.
Secondary benefits of utilizing a spacing member of small diameter placed just below the elbows and within the forearms have also been observed in utilizing the device of the present invention. First, placement of the device within the forearms permits the trailing elbow to fully contract, thereby promoting a fuller swing. Second, the training device of the present invention physically contacts the player's body over only a very small area, which will make it easy for the player to transition from wearing the device to swinging without it. Third, the present invention implements a small diameter, tubular spacing member terminating within both forearms, which is aerodynamically efficient, due to the fact that the member is fully sheltered by the leading arm on the down swing. Fourth, the device of the present invention is compact, portable and easy to wear, which enhances performance and utility.


Devices (13.1, 31.1) communicate with each other on a wavelength channel using wavelength specific signals on a working WDM fiber (21) having a parallel protection WDM fiber (23). An SDH system (13.S, 31.S) uses one channel of the WDM system of the fibers as one of the fibers of the working pair of the SDH system and has a separate fiber (37) constituting that fiber of the protecting fiber pair for the SDH-system. To provide an unambiguous or predictable protection behaviour for the SDH system for the case of the working WDM fiber being cut the RETs (29.1, . . . , 29.S) have two modes. In the first mode a RET will be on and always carry traffic when the input power is high enough. In the second mode a RET they will not automatically turn on again after it has first lost the input signal and thereupon the input signal has returned. The RET can then be manually restarted or restarted after some suitable delay. Then the sequence of events will always be unambiguously defined. For a break of the working WDM fiber, the RET will loose its input signal, turn off, and will not immediately turn on again. Thereby there will always be enough time for the protection scheme of the SDH-system to be carried out. The SDH-system will thus automatically have a working protection path, i.e., the now working, former WDM protection fiber.

In optical transmission systems different kind of protection functions are implemented in order to ensure a minimum of traffic loss. The important parts which are to be protected include for instance the optical transmission fibres.
One type of optically protected transmission system is the 1+1 MSP (Multiplex Section Protected) SDH (or SONET) point-to-point system. Such a protected SDH system comprises two pairs of optical fibres connecting two nodes 1, see FIG. 1. A first pair 3 is the working pair, one fibre of the pair normally carrying light signals in one direction and the other fibre of the pair carrying light signals propagating in the opposite direction. The second pair 5 is the protecting pair, the fibres of this pair normally carrying light signals which are not useful or at least are not used. In a protected SDH terminal multiplexer or node 1 two sets of optical receivers and transmitters are provided, one set 7 for the normally working fibre pair 3 and another set 9 for the protecting fibre pair 5. The transmitter in each set can always be active. The receiver of the set provided for the protecting pair is normally not active. In the case of a break of the fibres in the working pair an electric selector, not shown, decides to activate the receiver of the set for the protecting fibre pair and to deactivate the receiver of the set for the working pair. Thus the traffic is now communicated via the protecting fibre pair and the traffic is restored.
For wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) systems, one implementation of fibre protection is illustrated in the diagram FIG. 2. The system shown is an optical WDM point-to-point system having 1+1 optical multiplex section protection (1+1 OMSP). Only the optical fibres for carrying light signals in one direction between the nodes 11 are shown in FIG. 2, an identical system being used for traffic in the opposite direction.
From each client equipment 13 an optical signal goes to a transmit end transponder (TET) 15. The wavelength specific signal output from the TET 15 then goes to a multiplexer (MUX) 17 in which it is combined with the wavelength specific signals output from other transponders which receive input optical signals from the other client equipments. The signal output from the MUX 17 is the combined multichannel signal and it is split into two paths via a 1×2 fibre coupler 19, each split portion of the signal being transmitted on an own optical fibre of two optical fibres used in the considered direction between the nodes. The first optical fibre 21 is called the working optical fibre and carries the light signal which is normally used. The second optical fibre 23 is called the protecting optical fibre and normally the information possibly carried thereon is not used. The light signals carried by the two parallel optical fibres 21, 23 are combined into one light signal by a 2×1 fibre coupler 25 which thus has its two inputs connected to the fibres 21, 23. The combined signal output from the coupler 25 is provided to a WDM demultiplexer (DEMUX) 27 which splits the combined signal into the different wavelength channels corresponding the wavelength specific input signals to provide a different single channel on each of the outputs of the demultiplexer. Each output of the demultiplexer 27 is connected to an individual receive end transponder (RET) 29, which receives the wavelength specific signal and forwards it to a client receiver 31.
Normally the optical signals arrive to the RETs 29 via an active optical preamplifier 33 connected to the output end of the working fibre 21 and to an input of the combining coupler 25. The signals are also propagating in the protection path all the way to a preamplifier 35 connected to the output end of the protecting fibre 23 and to the other input of the combining coupler 25. This preamplifier 35 is normally turned off, thus blocking the signals on the protecting fibre 23 which thus do not reach the combining coupler 25 and the demultiplexer 27. This is necessary since otherwise a receiver 31 would have the same signals coming through both the working and protecting fibre paths 21, 23 with different delays, which would cause interference cross talk and bit-errors.
In the case of the working fibre 21 being broken, the light power input to the working preamplifier 33 connected to this fibre will be lost. This causes, by suitable control lines, not shown, the working preamplifier 33 to be turned off and the preamplifier 35 connected to the protecting fibre 23 to be turned on in order to restore the traffic which will then be transmitted on the protecting fibre 23.
The client systems 13, 31 connected via a WDM system are often different types. Also the quality of services required from these client systems might vary. One example of a little more complicated system is illustrated by the diagram of FIG. 3. In FIG. 3 is shown some kind of IP equipments 13.1, 31.1 which are connected as the client equipments 13, 31 in FIG. 2 and which communicate with each other on a wavelength channel using wavelength specific signals. A 1+1 MSP SDH system 13.S, 31.S uses one channel of the WDM system as one of the fibres of the working pair of the SDH system and has a separate fibre 37 constituting that fibre of the protecting fibre pair for the SDH-system which carries light signals in the same direction. Other client systems, not shown, can communicate on the remaining wavelength channels. In this example the IP system comprising the IP-equipments 13.1, 31.1 has no protection except for that provided by the 1+1 OMSP in the WDM system. The SDH system 13.S, 31.S has duplicated client transmitters and receivers connected by an extra fibre 37 outside the WDM fibres.
A problem associated with the SDH system in this configuration in the case of the working WDM fibre 21 being cut is that the behaviour of the SDH system then is unpredictable. When the working preamplifier 33 in the WDM system looses its input power (due to the fibre cut), it is turned off. The traffic into the SDH equipment at the receiver end is consequently lost and a switch over to the special SDH protection fibre 37 is triggered, provided that the detection is fast enough, but is not immediately carried out. In parallel, the OMSP on the WDM system is carried out and the protection pre-amplifier 35 is turned on. When the WDM signal comes back the RETs 29 restarts and the signal into the client systems 31.1 (31.2 . . . 31.S) is restored. For the IP equipment 13.1, 31.1 this is the desired behaviour, but the SDH system 13S, 31 .S typically has a relatively slow protection procedure and has probably not switched over to the SDH protection fibre 37 yet. The traffic will then come back for a moment and then the switch over to the SDH protection fibre 37 might or might not take place.
Differently termed, if the trigger for the SDH protection is faster than the WDM restoration, then the SDH system will switch over to the standby transmitters and receivers on the SDH protection fibre 37, and if the WDM restoration is faster than the trigger for the SDH protection then the SDH traffic will remain on the WDM system, now on the WDM protection fibre 23.
From an operator's planning point of view this unknown outcome of a protection event is highly undesirable.


To improve the accuracy of the voice recognition system for an AV system, the present invention includes a reflected sound remover having a plurality of filters, the reflected sound remover being configured to receive an input sound signal including a reflected AV system audio, a user's voice, and a noise, and being configured to remove the reflected audio from the input sound according to user's voice information; a voice detector detecting the user's voice from a signal outputted from the reflected sound remover and obtaining the user's voice information based on the detected user's voice; and a voice recognition unit comparing the detected user's voice with voice patterns that belong to at least one model.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to perceiving a phonic input, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method of perceiving a user's phonic input in AV system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, electronic home appliances such as TVs and audios are equipped with remote controllers that manipulate such home appliances. Yet, it has long been inconvenient that the remote controller must be near a user's reach. If the user loses the remote controller, the user has to manipulate the home appliances themselves. Furthermore, it is inconvenient for the disabled and the elder to even manipulate their home appliances by their remote controllers themselves. Due to this, the voice recognition system has been developed and applied to the many electronic home appliances.
The voice recognition system makes it possible that people communicate with machinery and computers by only people's phonic expressions. Even though the voice recognition system has been applied to many fields and brought much convenience to the people, it has not been successful in the AV (audio-visual) system. The fact that there are too many noises around as well as from the AV appliances and remote distance from the AV appliances to users makes the voice recognition system less reliable and accurate. Accordingly, there are many problems that need to be solved to implement the voice recognition system in the AV system.

Apparatus and method of voice recognition system for AV system


There is provided a semiconductor light-emitting element and a method of producing the same including high density and high quality quantum dots emitting light at a wavelength of 1.3 μm. A semiconductor light-emitting element has a first GaAs layer, a second InAs thin film layer having the plurality of InAs quantum dots formed on the first GaAs layer, a third InGaAs layer formed on the second InAs thin film layer having the plurality of InAs quantum dots, and a fourth GaAs layer formed on the third InGaAs layer, wherein the As source is As2.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor light-emitting element and a method of producing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor laser and a method of producing the same that can be used at the 1.3 μm wavelength region for optical communication.
In the semiconductor light-emitting element using InAs quantum dots, high density is essential in order to improve the quality. The quantum dots have a trade-off relationship between the high density and a long wavelength.
Conventionally, high density cannot be realized at the 1.3 μm wavelength region for communication. Quantum dots that emit light at a wavelength of 1.3 μm or more have a density of about 2×1010 cm−2. Quantum dots that emit light at the 1.27 μm wavelength region have a density of 8.7×1010 cm−2. See Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-24284. A GaInAs layer formed on an InAs layer cannot contain an increased content of In because of the occurrence of a transition or the like.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor light-emitting element and a method of producing the same including high density and high quality quantum dots emitting light at a wavelength of 1.3 μm.

Semiconductor light-emitting element and method of producing the same

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


A data transmission apparatus, a data reception apparatus, and a data transfer system prevent a case where same usable data is present in plural apparatuses at the same time and can certainly move data, in MOVE processing of the data between the data transmission apparatus and the data reception apparatus. The data transmission apparatus includes a synchronous control unit synchronizing a timing of (i) deleting or invalidating, in the data transmission apparatus, move-target data and (ii) decrypting, in the data reception apparatus, the move-target data that has been encrypted. With this, it becomes possible to prevent a case where the same usable data is present in plural apparatuses at the same time.

With the development of broadband environments including x Digital Subscriber Lines and optical fibers, data communications using the Internet have become rapidly available in recent years, regardless of whether in companies or in households. Furthermore, home network environments have also become common, in which personal computers (simply referred to as "PC" hereinafter) and home appliances in households are connected via Ethernet®, a wireless LAN, or the like, In such environments, not only PCs, but also home appliances, such as a television, a DVD recorders an air conditioner, and a refrigerator can be connected with each other.
Furthermore, various applications may be implemented by enabling file transfer between a PC and a home appliance via the Internet or a home network. For example, such applications may include: an application that transfers an MPEG2 file stored in a DVD recorder to a PC and enables viewing and editing of the file; and an application that transfers an MPEG2 file stored in a DVD recorder to another DVD recorder and performs the back-up of the file (dubs the file), With these techniques, the user can handle data and the like freely without recognizing a location of the data or a location of a file.
However, when data under copyright restriction (referred to also as "copyright protection data") is transmitted on a network, a technique for protecting copyright becomes necessary. Thus, Digital Transmission Content Protection over IP (DTCP-IP) has recently been suggested as a technique for preventing unauthorized copying of copyright protection data on a network. In the DTCP-IP, data is encrypted and then transmitted on a network. Furthermore, in the DTCP-IP, copy control information is specified for each data as follows: Copy Never that totally prohibits copying; Copy One Generation that allows copying only one-generation data; and Copy Free that allows free copying. In Copy One Generation, it is specified that a data transmission apparatus that is a data transfer source immediately deletes or invalidates data that has been transmitted to a data reception apparatus but is present in the data transmission apparatus, so that the same usable data may not be present in the transmission apparatus and the reception apparatus at the same time. Under such a condition, the data transmission apparatus is allowed to transfer (also referred to as "MOVE") One Generation copied data to another device. In order to implement MOVE processing in compliance with the condition, the data needs to be transferred while maintaining a state that the same usable data is present neither in the data transmission apparatus at a data transmission side nor a data reception apparatus at a data reception side at the same time. Non-Patent References 1 and 2 disclose details of the aforementioned prior art.
A means for implementing "MOVE" processing on Copy-One-Generation data under the aforementioned condition has conventionally been studied (for example, refer to Patent Reference 1). According to the technique disclosed in Patent Reference 1, an apparatus that is a data transfer source encrypts and outputs data to an external recording apparatus that is a data transfer destination. After outputting the transfer-target data, the apparatus certainly moves the data by transmitting a decryption key of the data and deleting the data at the transfer source.    Patent Reference 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-290905    Non-Patent Reference 1: Digital Transmission Content Protection Specification Volume 1 (Informational Version)    Non-Patent Reference 2: Digital Transmission Protection License Agreement    Non-Patent Reference 3: DTCP Volume 1 Supplement E Mapping DTCP to IP (Informational Version)    Non-Patent Reference 4: RFC2616 Hypertext Transfer Protocol—HTTP/1.1

Data transmission apparatus, data reception apparatus, and data transfer system


An occupant restraint system (10) for a vehicle (22) has a plurality of controllable occupant restraint system devices (12). The plurality of devices (12) includes sensor devices (e.g., 12E) and/or occupant restraint devices (e.g., 12A). Each restraint system device (12) has programmable control circuitry (18) for permitting control of the respective restraint system device by a central controller (38). A control interconnection (44) connects the central controller (38) and the restraint system devices (12). Electronic switches (54) are connected in series along a line (46A) of the control interconnection (44). Each of the switches (54) is associated with one restraint system device (12). Each of the switches (54) regulates communication between the central controller (38) and any device(s) (12) (e.g., devices 2-N) downstream of the associated device (e.g., device 1). The control circuitry (18) causes the associated switch (54) to "close" and permit communication between the central controller (38) and the device(s) (e.g., device 12-N), if any, downstream of the one restraint system device. The permitted communication is in response to the central controller (38) programming the control circuitry (18) of the one restraint system device. Methods for providing and using the vehicle occupant restraint system (10) are also provided.

An occupant restraint system includes one or more sensor devices for sensing vehicle characteristics and/or occupant characteristics. The sensed characteristics are used to determine whether a vehicle occupant is to be restrained and/or a deployment profile for restraining the occupant. Examples of such sensor devices include a vehicle acceleration sensor, an occupant position sensor, and an occupant weight sensor. The restraint system also includes one or more actuatable restraint devices for restraining the occupant. Examples of such restraint devices include an air bag module, a knee bolster, and a seat belt pretensioner.
As the sophistication of occupant restraint systems has increased, the number and complexity of the sensor and restraint devices in a single vehicle has increased. In response to the increased number and complexity of devices, there has been a movement toward centralized control of the devices to reduce cost and to increase reliability of the overall restraint system.
Also, sometimes there is a need to replace one of the restraint system devices. For example, after deployment of an individual restraint device, the deployed restraint device must be replaced. Also, if a sensor device becomes inoperative, it must be replaced. The replacement device must be properly connected into the overall restraint system.
The changes in design approach and the need for ease in replacement for such restraint systems has brought about a need to design new arrangements for interconnecting individual devices to a central controller.

Occupant restraint system having serially connected devices, a method for providing the restraint system and a method for using the restraint system


Described herein is a system for transmitting an optical signal from a first location to a second location. The system may include first and second mounting fixtures, a reception module, an optical fiber, and a transmission module. The first fixture may define at least a first cavity and a first aperture at the bottom of the cavity. The reception module may be disposed in the cavity, and include a reflector for receiving the optical signal from a first direction through the first aperture and redirecting the optical signal in another direction. The optical fiber may be for receiving the optical signal from the reflector. The second fixture may define at least a second cavity and a second aperture on the side of the cavity. The transmission module may be disposed in the second cavity and direct the optical signal from the optical fiber through the second aperture.

Different electronic components, most notably of audio/visual equipment, often communicate with each other via infrared or other optical signals. While this sort of communication is often between a transmitting remote control and receiving audio/visual equipment such as set top boxes and televisions, on some occasions the need arises to transmit between devices which are more typically thought of as optical signal receiving devices (e.g., set top boxes and televisions).
In these situations, the audio/visual devices are usually located near each other and oriented facing in a similar or a same direction. Since the optical receiving/transmitting points of such devices are thus also usually oriented in a similar or a same direction (as opposed to facing each other), it may become problematic for them to receive optical signals from one another.
The prior art typically relies on environmental reflectance to deliver optical signals from one device to the other in these situations. For example, an optical signal may be transmitted from a set top box outward, reflected off furniture and/or walls, and then received by a television near the set top box that could not otherwise receive the optical signal more directly. The problem with this approach is that reliable transmission of the optical signal from one device to another may not occur in every potential environment (e.g., different homes of different set top box and television users).


An object of the present invention is to provide an agent for use in the effective treatment and prevention of endometriosis and uterine adenomyosis. The present invention relates to an agent for use in the treatment and prevention of endometriosis or uterine adenomyosis, comprising, as an active ingredient, a compound selected from the group consisting of 3-ethylpyridine, 3-methylpyridine, 2-ethylpyridine, and 2-methylpyridine.

The number of women suffering from infertility or menstrual pain due to endometriosis or uterine adenomyosis has been increasing.
Current therapeutic agents for endometriosis include danazol and GnRH analogs. The agents can temporally inhibit the proliferation of endometriotic tissues during the treatment by suppressing functions of a hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian system and reducing an ovarian hormone. At the same time, the agents can make a menstrual pain disappear by inducing an amenorrheic state.
In the treatment by oral administration of danazol or by subcutaneous injection of GnRH analogs, the drugs circulate the entire body and therefore cause systemic side effects. Because of such side effects, in principle, administration for six months or more is prohibited. Further, these drugs do not directly act on the endometriosis cells themselves and there are many cases in which endometriosis recurs after the end of the treatment for six months. Specifically, if the administration is discontinued after the six-month period, secretion of the ovarian hormone starts again, and often, an endometriosis tissue grows due to the hormone's stimulation and the disease recurs.
As described above, the current therapeutic agents for endometriosis are not those which directly act on and cure endometriosis, and the agents only have an action of indirectly delaying temporally the development of endometriosis. Accordingly, it has been desired to develop a new therapeutic method of directly acting on the endometriotic tissues themselves and suppress systemic side effects to zero or a minimum. On the other hand, with respect to uterine adenomyosis, the above therapeutic agents for endometriosis are less effective, and there is now no effective conservative therapy except for total hysterectomy.
In such a circumstance, one of the present inventors has obtained a patent relating to a danazol topical administration preparation in which danazol is carried on a matrix base (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 35335/1995 and Japanese Patent No. 2,590,358).
Meanwhile, 3-ethylpyridine has been used as an additive for many products such as food and cigarette. It has been reported that 3-ethylpyridine inhibits the growth of chorioallantoic membrane of chicken (Lin J. et al., Toxicological Sciences, Vol. 69, 217-225 (2002), and G. Melkonian et al., Anat. Embryol., Vol. 208, 109-120 (2004)). However, up to now, it has not been reported that 3-ethylpyridine is effective in treating and preventing of endometriosis or uterine adenomyosis.

Agent for treatment and prevention of endometriosos and uterine adenomyosis


An application management system and method is proposed. The application management system includes a first processor and a second processor. The first processor executes an application in a computer system. The second processor includes a monitor module to monitor the execution status of the application. If the execution status of the application is abnormal, the monitor module enables the computer system to reboot, and uses the first processor to re-execute the application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an application management system and method, and particularly to a system and method that monitors the execution status of a computer system application using an additional microprocessor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to the functions provided by a conventional computer, most current computer systems have integrated facilities attained by various peripheral electronic appliances, such as CD/MP3 player, VCD/DVD player, TV and image explorer.
Current computer systems can satisfy the demands of users for the purpose of entertainment. The operating system of a computer can execute numerous multimedia software, such as music player, video player, TV player, radio (AM/FM) broadcaster, image capturer and explorer, and video/audio recording programs, and perform associated multimedia functions using related electronic appliances and corresponding drivers.
In practice, the computer system generally functions solely as an electronic multimedia device. That is, only related applications and peripheral hardware specific to a selected multimedia function are used, with other software and hardware elements of the computer system not being required. Under a common situation, if an application specific to a selected operation mode is under an abnormal condition, for example, the computer system is hanged up due to unknown problems while the application is running, users must keep waiting for system response. If the computer system crashes, users are unable to deal with the hang problem, thereby reducing the efficacy of the computer system.

Application management system and method


A plastic container is provided. The plastic container has a base, a body extending upward from the base, a neck extending upward from the body, a finish extending upward from the neck and having an opening, an integral handle having a lower end attached to the body and an upper end attached to the neck, first and second chamfered corners integral with the body and extending upward from the base to the neck, and third and fourth chamfered corners integral with the body and extending upward from the base to a vertical position of the container adjacent the lower end of the handle.

The invention relates to a container. More particularly, the invention relates to the structure of a container for liquids.
Recent increases in bulk purchasing have created a demand for large-size containers. Many products, including liquids, are now sold to the consuming public in plastic containers that can be as large as 128 fluid ounces. Larger containers that hold heavy fluids, including beverages, home products, motor oil, or the like, must have a structure strong enough to withstand several different forces. Such forces include, for example, those that result from the weight of the fluid itself, rough handling during transportation, stacking during storage, and being dropped. Finally, large beverage containers that are filled by the hot-fill process must be structurally sound to withstand various forces relating to that process.
Some containers are cold-filled, while others are hot-filled. The hot-fill process is the procedure by which containers are filled with a beverage at a high temperature and capped soon thereafter. As the beverage cools within the container, stresses and strains develop in the container due to changes in the volume of the contents.
A container that is commonly used in the hot-fill process is the polyolefin continuous extrusion blow-molded container. Polyolefin continuous extrusion blow-molded container's are multi-layer containers that provide the requisite structure and barriers to oxygen and oils, for example. These multi-layered containers typically include an exterior layer of polypropylene or polyethylene as the main structure providing layer. Other layers can include oxygen barrier layers, moisture barrier layers, and regrind layers to provide the necessary barrier structures as well as adhesion between the layers.
It will be understood that to form a polyolefin continuous extrusion blow-molded plastic container, a parison can be heated in an extruder, captured by a mold, and blown in the mold. Specifically, to form the cavity of the container, a parison can be extruded up into the mold and as the mold comes together, a pneumatic blow pin, for example, can pierce the parison and blow the parison up against the walls of the mold. The mold typically contains flash pockets above and below the cavity in the mold to capture the excess of the parison that is forced above and below the cavity. When the parison is blown inside the mold, it is forced into the flash pockets and portions of the parison must adhere together. The excess flash can then be cut away from the container after it is ejected from the mold.
There is a need for a large container having a structure that can withstand, in particular, the top load forces that result from stacking of multiple layers of filled containers. In the case of hot-filled containers particularly, the structures should be capable of accommodating variations in volume of the containers' contents and changes of pressure and temperature. Furthermore, the structure should be capable of being manufactured in conventional high-speed equipment.

Plastic container having chamfered corners for improved top-loading strength


The loudspeaker device according to the present invention comprises a loudspeaker; a feedforward processing section for performing feedforward processing on an electric signal to be inputted to the loudspeaker based on a preset filter coefficient so that non-linear distortion which occurs from the loudspeaker is removed; and a feedback processing section for detecting vibration of the loudspeaker, and performing feedback processing on an electric signal concerning the vibration with respect to the electric signal to be inputted to the loudspeaker. The feedback processing section performs feedback processing on the electric signal concerning the vibration so that the non-linear distortion which occurs from the loudspeaker is removed and so that a frequency characteristic concerning the vibration of the loudspeaker becomes a predetermined frequency characteristic.

Conventionally, there has been a desire to faithfully convert an electric signal into a sound wave in a normal loudspeaker which does not perform electric signal processing. However, it is hard for an actual loudspeaker to perform faithful conversion due to limitations on its structure. For example, in a magnetic circuit constituting the loudspeaker, because of its structure, a magnetic flux density in a magnetic gap decreases as amplitude increases. Then, a force coefficient also decreases with the decrease of the magnetic flux density. The stiffness of a support system such as a damper, an edge, and the like changes according to the magnitude of the amplitude because of the structure of the support system. Due to these reasons, the amplitude of the loudspeaker is not necessarily proportional to the magnitude of the inputted electric signal, and there is a problem that non-linear distortion occurs.
As a method of removing the above non-linear distortion, conventionally, there has been proposed a method using electric signal processing such as feedforward processing, or the like. This processing method is a method in which polynomial approximation is performed on a parameter (a force coefficient according to a magnetic flux density, a stiffness of a support system, or the like) including a non-linear component of the loudspeaker and a filter coefficient is set so as to cancel non-linear distortion attributable to the parameter. An electric signal is inputted to the loudspeaker through a filter the filter coefficient of which is set, thereby removing the non-linear distortion. However, especially, the stiffness of the support system among the parameter changes hourly, and also ages. In other words, the value of the parameter changes over time. Thus, in the above feedforward processing, error between the preset value of the parameter and the actual value of the parameter becomes large over time, and there is a drawback that the above effect of distortion removal is significantly deteriorated.
For solving the above problem, in the feedforward processing, there has been proposed a method to adaptively update the parameter of the filter coefficient (e.g. refer to Patent Document 1). The following will describe this method with reference to FIG. 28. FIG. 28 is a block diagram showing a conventional loudspeaker device 9 which adaptively updates the parameter of the filter coefficient.
In FIG. 28, the conventional loudspeaker device 9 includes a control section 91, a parameter detector 92, and a loudspeaker 95. The parameter detector 92 includes an error circuit 93 and an update circuit 94. The error circuit 93 includes a filter (not shown), and calculates at the filter a pseudo vibration characteristic from a signal inputted from the control section 91. The error circuit 93 predictively calculates from the pseudo vibration characteristic a drive voltage which is applied to the loudspeaker 95. It is noted that the predicted drive voltage is equivalent to an impedance characteristic when the loudspeaker 95 is driven by a current. Then, the error circuit 93 produces an error signal e(t) by subtracting an actual drive voltage which is applied to the loudspeaker 95 from the predicted drive voltage. The error signal e(t) is inputted to the update circuit 94.
Based on the error signal e(t), the update circuit 94 calculates a parameter in the control section 91, which is to be updated. The parameter calculated by the update circuit 94 is reflected to the filter of the error circuit 93, and a gradient signal Sg is produced by the error circuit 93. The gradient signal Sg produced by the error circuit 93 is outputted to the update circuit 94 again. Thus, the update circuit 94 calculates a parameter using the above error signal e(t) and the gradient signal Sg so that the error signal e(t) becomes minimum. The parameter when the error signal e(t) becomes minimum is outputted as a power vector P to the control section 91, and the parameter in the control section 91 is updated. As described above, in the loudspeaker device 9 as shown in FIG. 28, the parameter is updated by the error circuit 93 and the update circuit 94 so that the parameter in the control section 91 corresponds to the parameter of the actual loudspeaker 95.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 11-46393


The invention relates to (1) a curable epoxy resin composition comprising (A) a non-gel type amine-modified epoxy resin which is obtained by reacting an epoxy resin with a polyamine and (B) at least one of boric acid and boric ester, (2) a powder form of the curable epoxy resin composition and a process for its production, and (3) a process for production of heat-resistant laminated sheets by using the curable epoxy resin composition. The invention provides (1) a curable epoxy resin composition capable of giving a cured article having a high glass transition temperature and excellent mechanical properties, (2) a powder form of curable epoxy resin composition having a high glass transition temperature, excellent mechanical properties and excellent storage stability and a process for its production, and (3) heat-resistant laminated sheets made by using the curable epoxy resin compositions and having excellent heat resistance and mechanical properties.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to curable epoxy resin compositions and a process for the production thereof.
This application is a continuation of the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP02/11395, filed on Oct. 31, 2002, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-334477, filed Oct. 31, 2001, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to their high levels of reactivity and superior resin characteristics, epoxy resins are used in a wide variety of fields, including laminated sheets, sealing materials, paints, anticorrosion primers, adhesive materials, molded materials, and construction materials. In recent years, problems such as heat generation associated with the shift to higher frequency electronic equipment, and the need to adapt to lead-free solder have meant that the development of curable epoxy resin compositions capable of producing heat resistant cured products with high glass transition temperatures that can be used in laminates, adhesives, paints and binders and the like has become a priority.
One representative example of a process for improving the heat resistance of a cured product of an epoxy resin is a process in which a boron compound is added to a mixed system of an epoxy resin and an amine based curing agent (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 5-59261). However, simply adding a boron compound to a mixed system of an epoxy resin and an amine based curing agent in this manner does not significantly increase the glass transition temperature of the cured product, and the heat resistance of the cured product remains inadequate. Furthermore, because aggregates of the boron compound are dispersed unevenly through the product, the cured product tends to be brittle.
Furthermore, in another known process for improving the storage stability of a curable epoxy resin composition, a gel product produced by reacting a polyamine with an epoxy resin is subjected to a mechanical crushing treatment to produce a powder of ultra-fine particles, the surface of these ultra-fine particles are coated with a borate ester to form a latent curing agent, and this latent curing agent is then added to an epoxy resin (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 6-73156). However, even if this latent curing agent is in the form of a powder of ultra-fine particles, because the agent is still essentially a gel cured product, it cannot be uniformly compatible with the epoxy resin. In addition, the borate ester coated onto the surface of the powder aggregates markedly during curing of the epoxy resin. As a result, the curing performance of the epoxy resin deteriorates, and the glass transition temperature of the obtained cured product does not increase significantly, meaning the glass transition temperature of the cured product does not increase significantly, and the heat resistance of the cured product is still inadequate. Furthermore, the marked aggregation of the borate ester causes the cured product to become brittle.

Curable epoxy resin compositions and process for production thereof


A method for doing business, wherein a web server maintains a commercial subscriber database including a plurality of records each containing data relating to commercial subscribers including at least name, address and category, and imposes a periodic subscription fee on at least some of the commercial subscribers. On receiving from a client machine connected thereto a request to download data relating to at least one specified category of commercial subscriber, it extracts from the commercial subscriber database respective records and sends to the client machine for display thereby, allows receipt of an update from one or more commercial subscribers in respect of substitute or supplementary data to that contained in the respective database record of the commercial subscribers, and updates the commercial subscriber database as required.

When using the Internet, the time it takes for a web page to be loaded in the user's remote machine is highly critical. The maximum reasonable waiting time is defined to be a matter of seconds (not more than a dozen or two). Common map-transfer methods are based on a process in which the client requests a portion of the map, the server executes the request using a special engine that can dynamically create the desired portion of the map, and the result is sent to the client as an image file (gif, jpeg . . . ). This process is slow and limited, as the size of the resulting image is limited to a few KBytes (not more than several dozen). In addition, any navigation request (including zooming) requires a new 'dialog' with the host server, and a new waiting time for the updated result-image.
When designing a web site, there must be a correlation between the size (in KB—kilobytes) of the elements that it contains (images, sound, animations, special scripts and also the textual information) and the quality of the network connection. It makes no sense to include high-volume elements when the connection is poor and slow. Adapting the size of the web page to the quality of the network is essential in order to achieve a site that can be viewed without having a long waiting time.
Considering the following facts:                A Standard modem connection data-transfer-rate is about 3 KB/s (3 kilobytes per second)        A low detailed image comprising 4 bit color, and 400×400 pixels occupies about 100 Kb (100 kilo bytes)        A standard screen resolution is 800×600 (pixels)
Downloading a 400×400 (pixels) low detailed image, through a standard Internet modem connection takes as long as 30 seconds. A 400×400 (pixels) image is a relatively large image. It takes about 66% of the size of a standard screen. Most web sites usually contain reduced weight images (like small banners, logos or icons). Those images occupy only a few Kb (maybe a dozen), and so appear sufficiently fast on the client side so that the end user does not wait too long (typically only several seconds).
In other words, as long as a site does not contain large images, it may be viewed relatively fast by the end user (client). The current standard bandwidth (about 3 Kb/s) is fast enough to permit fairly free use of banners, icons, logos and more, on web sites without requiring the end user to wait too long.
However, this breaks down when it is desired to download much larger images from a web site. For example, an image containing 400×4000 pixels, which is ten times larger than in the previous example, would probably occupy about 1000 KB, and it would take around 5 minutes to download. It cannot reasonably expected that most users will wait so long and for this reason, most sites do not contain such large images.
This problem is particularly acute in sites that contain maps. Maps are large and highly detailed pictures. Compressing a map is not so efficient owing to the importance of almost every pixel in the picture. A mono-chrome GIF image of a low detailed street map of Tel-Aviv would occupy about 1000 Kb and would take some five minutes to download, as explained above.
In order to use large images over the Internet using current methods, either an improved compression algorithm or an extremely high bandwidth connection is required, or both. Neither solution is immediately apparent.
Some attempt has been made to address the need to allow fast data transfer of map data from a server to a client. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,135 assigned to Autodesk, Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., discloses a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for a computer implemented geographic information system that enables viewing a map picture that is generated from vector-based data. Map pictures can be generated with vector-based data. Map pictures comprising map objects, such as states and cities created with vector-based data can be viewed. Map objects can be chosen to obtain additional information, for example, a different map picture. Additionally, areas of the map picture can be zoomed in on to view the areas with greater resolution or to obtain additional data about the areas. Furthermore, when a user requests to view a map picture, only the map data required to respond to the user's request is downloaded to generate a map picture. As a user makes additional requests for information, additional map data is downloaded and new map pictures are generated.
The map data may be layered so that only those layers actually requested by a user need be downloaded thereto, thus saving communication time. It appears that whilst manipulation of the map displayed on the client terminal may be effected, in most cases the actual processing of the map data is done by the map server, which generates and sends fresh map data to the client for display thereby. During the resulting hiatus, a message is presented so as to inform the user that a dynamic map is being processed. Specifically, this processing requires the transmission of complete map data relating to the newly-requested map to the client for display thereby. That this is so derives from the fact that, as noted above, when a user requests to view a map picture, only the map data required to respond to the user's request is downloaded to generate a map picture. As a user makes additional requests for information, the map data corresponding to the newly-requested map is downloaded from the map server and new map pictures are generated. Thus, after downloading an initial map, if the user wishes to view a location which is current not displayed (i.e. off screen), the displayed image can be panned left, right, up or down using navigation keys. When this is done, a request is sent to the map server, which processes the request, during which time a message is presented so as to inform the user that a dynamic map is being processed.
Likewise, the user can define a window within the displayed map area that he or she would like to see enlarged. This type of manipulation is referred to generally as "zooming" but it is important to appreciate that, in fact, two quite different manipulations may be performed. Thus, zooming can be used to increase the resolution at which graphical data is viewed in the computer display screen. Consider, for example, that a user wants to see a street map of New York City and that initially this is the only information the program knows. In this case, a complete map of New York city is downloaded to the user. Clearly, even ignoring considerations of bulk data transfer, communication bandwidth, and so on, the amount of data that can be resolved on the display screen is limited. At best, all that can be seen in a large scale map covering such a large area, are the main arteries possibly including minimal textual data. Any attempt to display more data would result either in the data been miniscule or in one set data obliterating another. In either case, since the data would in any case be illegible, it is not transferred in the initial display. This, of course, accelerates the rate at which the initial map data can be transferred from the map server to the user.
If the user now marks a relatively small area of the complete city map containing a region of interest, then since data is to be displayed at greatly increased scale (i.e. covering a much reduced area), much more data can now be displayed. This data must first be extracted from the map server, and of course, this is accompanied by the usual hiatus and informative message to the user. If the user, zooms in even more, this process is repeated until eventually there comes a point when the extracted map data relates to so small an area, that all the map data relating to this area can be displayed. If the user zooms in even further at this stage, all that can be done is to display the same map data at magnified scale. Thus, the width of streets will become larger as will the size of any descriptive text relating thereto. In this one, specific instance, since no more map data is available for the selected area, there is no requirement to extract different map data from the map server. The response time for displaying the identical map data at higher magnification is therefore almost immediate since only local processing of the locally stored data is required.
Thus, a distinction must be made between that "zooming" which allows for map data to be shown at higher resolution and that "zooming" which merely displays at enlarged scale (but the same resolution) the same map data. In the first case, more map data than was previously displayed must be shown and this must first be extracted from the map server in order to be available to the map viewer on the user's machine.
The principal saving in communication time appears therefore to reside in the fact that the map data is stored in compressed vector format.
It would therefore be desirable to propose an alternative approach to downloading large map-images, allowing large maps to be downloaded quickly in a low bandwidth connection from a web site to a client machine, whilst also allowing manipulation of the map data by the client without requiring that the map data be re-processed by the web site.

Method and system for presenting on-line “Yellow Pages”, particularly in association with location data


In a diagnostic X-ray apparatus, an image signal output from a TV camera connected to an image intensifier tube is supplied to a noise reducer through an A/D converter. The noise reducer comprises a first recursive filter for adding a value which is (1-a) times the input to the noise reducer and a value which is a times an output of the first recursive filter (a factor a is fixed to a value close to 1), a second recursive filter for adding a value which is (1-k) times the output of said fluoroscopy means and a value which is k times the output of the first recursive filter, a subtracter for subtracting the output of the second recursive filter from the input to the noise filter for every pixel, and a factor table for setting the factor k of the second recursive filter in accordance with the difference obtained by the subtracter such that the factor k and the difference have an inverse proportional relationship if the difference has a positive value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for reducing random noises of an image by using a recursive filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recursive filter represented as follows is known as one example of noise reducers for reducing the random noises of a digital image. EQU Y.sub.i =a.multidot.Y.sub.i-1 +(1-a).multidot.X.sub.i ( 1)
where Y.sub.i is a filtered output of a present frame, Y.sub.i-1 is a filtered output of the last frame, X.sub.i is a live image (an input to the filter) of the present frame, and a is a filter factor.
Thus, the recursive filter reduces the random noise by adding the product of the live image X.sub.i and the filter factor a to the product of the filtered output image Y.sub.i-1 of the last frame and the filter factor (1-a), i.e., by averaging the present image and the last image.
In such a recursive filter, the filter factor a is changed within a range between 0 and 1. If the filter factor a approaches to 0, a weight of the last image approaches to 0 and a weight of the present image approaches to 1. Thus, the influence of the filter is decreased and it can be said that a weak filter is applied to the image. On the contrary, if the filter factor a approaches to 1, the weight of the last image approaches to 1 and the weight of the present image approaches to 0. Thus, the influence of the filter is increased and it can be said that a strong filter is applied to the image. The more the filter factor a appropriates to 1, the more the images are averaged with respect to time and the more the random noises can be reduced.
However, if an image includes an object which is moving and this motion portion of the image is applied with the strong filter having the filter factor a close to 1, the residual image of the last frame appears on the present image or the locus of the moving object appears on the present image. Therefore, the contrast of the image is lowered and the artifact is generated so that the quality of the image is degraded.
For example, in a diagnostic X-ray apparatus for displaying a fluoroscopic image obtained by radiating an X-ray to the patient, if a catheter, a guide wire, and the like are moved in a blood vessel to perform a recovery operation of a constricted portion of the blood vessel and the strong filter having the filter factor a close to 1 is applied to the image, the image of the distal end of the catheter or the guide wire will be obscured by the residual image, resulting in inconvenience in diagnosis.
In order to solve this drawback, there is provided an apparatus in which a movement of the object is detected and the recursive filter processing for every pixel is selectively performed based on the result of detection, i.e., the recursive filter processing is performed only for the still portion and is not for the motion portion. One example of such an apparatus is disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Utility Model Application (PUJUMA) No. 63-55400. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of this prior art.
An image signal from an image pick-up device (not shown) is supplied to an analog-to-digital converter 1. In the case of the diagnostic X-ray apparatus, a TV camera to which a fluoroscopic X-ray image is incident from an image intensifier tube outputs the image signal. The image signal of every frame is converted to a digital image signal X.sub.i. The output of the A/D converter 1 is multiplied with a factor (1-a) by a multiplier 2. The filter factor a is changed within a range between 0 and 1. The output of the multiplier 2 is supplied to a first input terminal of an adder 3. A filtered output Y.sub.i-1 of the last frame, i.e., (i-1)th frame from a frame memory 4 is supplied to a second input terminal of the adder 3 through a multiplier 5. The multiplier 5 multiplies the input signal Y.sub.i-1 with the filter factor a.
An output of the adder 3 (=(1-a) X.sub.i +a.multidot.Yi-1) is supplied to a first terminal I1 of a selector 6. The output of the A/D converter 1 is supplied to a second terminal I2 of the selector 6. The selector 6 selects one of the input signals I1 and I2 based on an output of a comparator 7. The comparator 7 compares the output of the A/D converter 1 with the output of the frame memory 4 for every pixel to obtain the difference between them. The selector 6 outputs the input Il to perform the filter processing when the difference is smaller than a threshold level and the input 12 not to perform the filter processing when the difference is not smaller than the threshold level. The output of the frame memory 4 is output through a digital-to-analog converter 8 to be displayed on a monitor device (not shown).
In this conventional apparatus, the movement of the object is detected based on the difference between the pixel value of the live image X.sub.i output from the A/D converter 1 and the pixel value of the last filtered image Y.sub.i-1 from the frame memory 4. When the movement is detected, the selector 6 is caused to select the input 12 to write the input live image X.sub.i into the frame memory without performing the filter processing. Since the filter processing is performed only for the still portion, it is possible to apply a strong filter in which the filter factor a is set to a large value, e.g., 0.8 or 0.9.
However, the filtered pixels and non-filtered pixels are adjacent to each other at the boundary between the motion portion and the still portion. This boundary markedly appears on the filtered image so that the image becomes unnatural. For example, if there is a motion portion surrounded by a still portion, the still portion is averaged and the pixel values thereof somewhat change but the motion portion is not filtered and the pixel values thereof do not change. Therefore, there is a large difference between the pixel value in the motion portion and that in the still portion, thereby giving an unnatural feeling.
In addition, the threshold value for determining whether or not the filter processing is performed is difficult to properly set. If the threshold level is set too small, the number of pixels subjected to the filter processing is decreased and the influence of filtering is reduced. Therefore, the random noises are hardly reduced. If it is set too large, the number of pixels subjected to the filter processing is increased and the influence of filtering is increased. Therefore, the motion portion is blurred.
As described, in the conventional recursive filter which selectively performs the filter processing for every pixel using the threshold value, it is not possible to satisfy the contradictory requirements of the recursive filter which are to reduce the random noises by averaging the images and to prevent the degradation of the quality of the image due to a lowering of the contrast of the image and a generation of the artifact.

Image processing apparatus using recursive filters


The disclosed information describes a preheating method and apparatus for preheating raw tire including metal members embedded therein prior to vulcanization molding process, to heat whole part of the raw tire up to desirable temperature rapidly and certainly to complete vulcanization molding in a short time. The disclosed apparatus comprises a retaining means for retaining raw tire in a predetermined attitude in a releasable manner; a induction heating means for heating the metal members inductively by means of a high frequency magnetic field, the high frequency magnetic field being applied to raw tire retained by the retaining means; and a radiation heater for heating a rate-limiting portion radiatively, the temperature of the rate-limiting portion rising slowly under only induction heating for the metal members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a preheating method and apparatus for preheating raw tire prior to vulcanization molding process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Raw tire is conventionally shaped by molding machine, and kept on rack of storage space, which is designated in a building etc. of vulcanizing facilities, in a room-temperature environment. The raw tire is subsequently gotten out of the rack based on production planning, and conveyed to vulcanizing machine. Bladder, which is inserted into the tire hole, is stretched to be brought into intimate contact with the inner wall surface of the tire by supplying the bladder with high-temperature and high-pressure heating medium after the raw tire, which is carried in, for example, a bladder-type vulcanizing machine, being loaded into a mold by means of clamping action. Then, the inner wall surface of the tire is heated and pushed in the direction of the mold through the bladder to form mold tire grooves on the tread portion of the tire. Further, vulcanization molding process may be completed in a short time by using a heated mold and a bladder contacted with high-temperature heating medium to heat the raw tire from the outside and the inside respectively, which results in early temperature rise up to the vulcanizing start temperature.
However, to keep raw tire for a long stretch of time in a room-temperature environment in accordance with the prior art above, which results in that the temperature of the raw tire becomes close to the room temperature of 25 degrees Celsius etc., requires temperature rise of the raw tire from the room temperature up to the vulcanizing start temperature in a vulcanization molding process of the tire in a vulcanizing machine. Although raw tire is conventionally heated from the outside and the inside by using mold or bladder respectively to complete vulcanization molding process in a short time as mentioned above, the temperature on the inner side and, more particularly the center on the inner side of notably fleshier part of the tread portion or the bead portion of the raw tire rises slowly while the temperature of the outer surface side of the raw tire rises in a short time, because raw tire is mainly composed of rubbers with low thermal conductivity. Therefore, the vulcanization molding process is required to be continued until the temperature on the inner side of the raw tire reaches the vulcanizing start temperature to carry out vulcanization even if the outer surface side of the raw tire has already finished vulcanization. On this account, the method of the prior art suffer from problem in that vulcanization molding may not be completed adequately in a short time.
In addition, microwave may be irradiated to raw tire while being stored as a preheating method of raw tire prior to vulcanization molding process. However, this method may not be a fundamental solution for completing the vulcanization molding process in a short time because microwave of the method may preheat (heat) the outer surface side of the raw tire mainly, but not the inner side, the temperature of the side rising most slowly while vulcanization molding. Furthermore, the rate of absorption of microwave energy is sensitive to a slight dispersion of composition of rubber members, the tendency of which becomes more pronounced as the heating temperature rises, and makes it difficult to heat raw tire evenly. Then, vulcanizing machines of every kind such as bladder-type, bladderless-type etc. suffer from this kind of problem, particularly notable for the bladder-type vulcanizing machine because bladder itself is composed of rubbers with low thermal conductivity.

Method and apparatus for preheating raw tire