An image management apparatus storing an input primary image and a replay-use reduced image corresponding to the input image comprises a first storage medium; a first database makeup unit for making up first database information for identifying a group to which the reduced image belongs when recording the primary image in the first storage medium; a second recording medium; a duplication unit for duplicating first database information and a reduced image recorded in the second recording medium into the first recording medium when the remainder capacity of, or the number of recorded files in, the second recording medium meets a predetermined condition; and a second database makeup unit for deleting first database information and a reduced image which are duplicated into the first recording medium from the second recording medium and also making up second database information for identifying the duplicated first database information in the second recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image management apparatus suitable for searching a desired image in a high speed from a large capacity storage medium storing a large volume of large capacity information such as an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Widely known as an image management apparatus is a digital video disk player (simply "DVD player" hereinafter) or digital camera with a built-in hard disk drive (simply "HDD" hereinafter).
An HDD applied in a DVD player or digital camera is a high cost performance and a large capacity as compared to a storage medium, constituted by a semiconductor device, such as an xD-picture card ("xD" is a registered trademark) and an SD memory card ("SD" is a registered trademark). Therefore, the HDD is an effective storage medium when tens of thousands of images are desired to be stored.
Particularly, digital cameras have been progressing to provide ever finer pixel images in recent years. Also, desires to photograph many images are present. This has prompted to progress in providing large capacity storage media, thus greatly benefiting the use of an HDD. For instance, if a digital camera becomes capable of storing a large number of images therein, it provides a benefit of eliminating a need to back up the images in a personal computer (PC), et cetera. Other benefit includes a view of images photographed previously just by carrying such a digital camera.
Incidentally, a patent document 1 (Laid-Open Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-244606), as an example of a technique related to the above described, notes a digital camera which records image data in a rewrite limited storage medium (i.e., a storage medium, et cetera, allowing only one time writing) and records its data management information in an embedded memory in the case of the rewrite limited storage medium being attached to a mounting part of the camera.


A storage system which includes a cache memory needless of replacement of a power storage device, a cache memory with low power consumption, or a cache memory having no limitation on the number of writing operations is provided. An array controller for storing data externally input in any of a plurality of storage devices or a storage system including the array controller includes a processor which specifies at least one of the plurality of storage devices where the data is to be stored and a cache memory which stores the data and outputs the data to the at least one of the plurality of storage devices. The cache memory includes a storage circuit in which a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object, a method, a manufacturing method, a process, a machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. In particular, the present invention relates to, for example, a semiconductor device, a display device, a light-emitting device, a driving method thereof, or a manufacturing method thereof. Specifically, the present invention relates to an array controller and a storage system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, storage systems including a plurality of mass storage devices such as hard disks (hard disk drives (HDDs)) have been widely used. In general, a storage system includes a plurality of storage devices and a controller for controlling access to these storage devices (array controller or disk array controller).
Examples of such a storage system including a mass storage device are a JBOD (just a bunch of disks) system and an RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent disks) system.
A storage system, which is required to have high reliability, is provided with a cache system for securing data coherency in the case of a system stop due to power failure or the like (see Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Patent Document 4).
Securement of data coherency and protection of data in the case of a system stop due to power failure or the like are important factors in enhancing the reliability and availability (capability of a system to operate continuously) of storage. For example, when a system is stopped, data whose writing is not completed is stored in (backed up to) a cache system which operates at high speed, so that the data stored in the cache system can be read out when the system is recovered (restarted); thus, incoherency of data in the case of a system stop can be prevented.
A specific example of such a cache system is a system in which a volatile memory, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), is used as a cache memory and a power storage device for a cache memory is used. A DRAM stores data in such a manner that a transistor included in a storage element is selected and electric charge is accumulated in a capacitor. Since data stored in a DRAM is lost when power supply is stopped, a power storage device for a cache memory is needed for securing power supply in the case of power failure.
Instead of using a DRAM and a power storage device, a nonvolatile memory, such as a flash memory, can be used for a cache system for securement of data coherency and protection of data in the case of power failure.
A flash memory includes a floating gate between a gate electrode and a channel formation region in a transistor and stores data by holding charge in the floating gate. Therefore, a flash memory has advantages in that the data holding period is extremely long (semi-permanent) and refresh operation which is necessary to a volatile memory is not needed.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A control system regulates a controlled process. A first controller receives at least a first input variable and a second input variable and produces at least a first control variable and a second control variable. A delay unifier associated with the first controller introduces a first delay to one of the first and second control variables, the first delay being determined as a function of a second delay associated with another of the first and second control variables. A processor models effects of the controlled process. The processor receives the delayed first and second control variables output by the first controller and produces estimates of the process output variables. A second controller processes a difference between measured process output variables and the estimated process output variables to correct for disturbances. The processed difference is added to the delayed first and second control variables output by the first controller, and the sum is received by the processor and the process being controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to process control systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control system and method for controlling a process that has multiple input variables and multiple output variables.
2. State of the Art
Many continuous industrial processes can be modeled as a stable dynamic system with multiple input variables and multiple output variables. Furthermore, a large class of such dynamic system models can be divided into two elements, a minimum phase dynamic element and a pure time-delay (or non-minimum phase) element.
For example, in a typical sheetmaking process, there are multiple input variables, multiple control variables, and multiple output variables. The input variables represent reference values, or setpoints, of the sheetmaking system, the control variables correspond to the reference values as processed by a controller, and the output variables correspond to the results of processing by the sheetmaking system. The control variables may represent, for example, the stock flow, the steam pressure, and the filler flow. The stock flow refers to the amount of fibers per sheet, the steam pressure refers to the pressure of steam applied to the sheet during drying, and the filler flow refers to the amount of additives added to the sheet during processing. The input and output variables may represent, for example, basis weight, moisture content, and ash content. As expected, changes in particular ones of the control variables produce corresponding changes in particular ones of the output variables.
For example, a change in the stock flow causes a change in the basis weight; a change in the steam pressure causes a change in the moisture content; and a change in the filler flow causes a change in the ash content. Additionally, changes in the control variables may cause changes in more than one of the output variables. For example, a change in the stock flow may also change the moisture since the heavier the sheet is, the more difficult it is to dry. A change in steam pressure may cause a change in the basis weight since the drier a sheet is, the lighter it will be. Also, a change in the filler flow may cause a change in the moisture content and the basis weight. Ideally, a control system would be able to independently change one of the output variables by changing one control variable, without affecting the other control variables or output variables.
One control system solution for producing independent control of the individual output variables deals with the different time-delays for processing different control variables. For example, the stock flow control variable may experience a delay of one minute, while the steam pressure control variable experiences a delay of twenty seconds, and the filler flow control variable experiences a delay of one and a half minutes. To deal with this disparity in delays between the control variables, an artificial delay is introduced in the controller. The control variables that are processed quickly are held until the other control variables are processed so that the variables are in time-sync with each other.
For example, an artificial delay is introduced for the steam flow pressure control variable to hold it until the stock flow control variable and the filler flow control variable are processed. In this way, the steam control variable can be manipulated to cause a change in the moisture output variable, without affecting the basis weight or the ash content output variables. This type of control is referred to as "setpoint tracking" because the controller "tracks" the reference input variable or "setpoint", adjusting the delay for the control variable to move the output variable in line with the desired "setpoint".
One control system solution for this class of industrial application is to use the technique of Internal Model Control (IMC) that can be illustrated by a functional block diagram shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the input reference or setpoint variables are represented by the vector R, the control variables are represented by the vector U, the output variables are represented by the vector Y, and the external process disturbances are represented by L. The system includes a control system and the process or plant being controlled. The process is conceptually divided into a minimum phase stable dynamic element Gp 110 and a time-delay (non-minimum phase dynamic) element Tp 120. The control system includes a controller C 100, a predictive process dynamic model Gm 130, a process time-delay model Tm 140, and a process time-delay unifier Tu 150. The elements of process models Gm and Tm are constructed such that their input-output characteristics match with the corresponding conceptual elements of the real process Gp and Tp as well as Tu.
The FIG. 1 system includes feedback of model prediction errors E, which is the difference between the process output variables Y through the delay unifier Tu 150 and the internal model output variables from Tm 140. It also includes inner loop feedback of predictive model output variables X from Gm 130. The controller C 100 makes the output variables track the input reference variables by minimizing model prediction errors E and the reference errors between reference input variables R and predictive model output variables X. The controller C 100 is designed so that changes to a particular input reference variable in the vector R produce the same changes in the corresponding output variable in the vector Y, with time-delays Tm and a transient time.
Such a design is referred to as decoupled setpoint tracking. In order to achieve such decoupled setpoint tracking, the time-delays in the vector Tm must be identical. Therefore, time-delays in the vector Tu (=Tm-Tp) need to be greater than or equal to zero. Thus, this type of control system architecture requires artificially added time-delays (Tu) for decoupled setpoint tracking.
A problem with this conventional type of control system is that the additional time-delays (Tu) deteriorate the disturbance rejection capability of the control system. With the additional time-delays, the process output variables Y are more severely affected by the disturbances L.
In an ideal system, there are no disturbances, i.e., nothing outside of the control variables in the system affects the output variables. However, in practice, both periodic and random disturbances, such as speed changes and material (stock) property changes, affect the output variables.
Typically, a feedback control system such as that shown in FIG. 1 handles disturbances using the same controller used for setpoint tracking. That is, referring to FIG. 1, the output variables are measured, an error is produced if the measured output variables move away from the target input variable, the error is fed back to the controller C, and the controller varies the control variables to attempt to correct for the error.
Using the same controller to provide both decoupled setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection causes some problems. For example, if the steam pressure control variable is delayed to wait for the stock flow control variable to be processed, the moisture output variable will hold the same error for a longer time period. By the time the steam pressure control variable is cleared, the disturbance may have changed (increased or decreased), and the actual disturbance error will be different than the error held for the moisture control variable. Thus, using the same controller for both decoupled setpoint tracking and disturbance rejection produces inaccurate correction of disturbance errors.
Another problem with conventional control systems is that the gain values for the controller are often inaccurate. This results from the failure to compensate for noise in the gain calculations. As a result, if the noise is high, the gain will be calculated to be high, resulting in an inappropriate amplification of noise by the controller.
There is thus a need for a different control system architecture with an accurate gain that can maintain the decoupled setpoint tracking and at the same time not lose the capacity of disturbance rejection.

Method and system for controlling a multiple input/output process with minimum latency using a pseudo inverse constant


A signal distribution inductor is suitable to be adsorbed by a surface mounting technology (SMT) apparatus. The signal distribution inductor includes a base, a separated iron-core, and a plurality of induction coils. The separated iron-core includes a first induced body and a second induced body, wherein the first induced body and the second induced body are provided at the base. The first induced body and the second induced body are joined together to form a joining surface through which the signal distribution inductor is adsorbed by the SMT apparatus. In addition, the first induced body has a first through hole, and the second induced body has a second through hole. The induction coils are wound on the first induced body, the second induced body and the base through the first through hole, the second through hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an inductor and, more particularly, to a signal distribution inductor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the development of the electronic telecommunication and the Internet, it is necessary to distribute telecommunication routes to facilitate usage of more users. For example, since cable television lines are always distributed as a tree network system, cable television proprietors need to equivalently distribute the lines at each point of branching. Then, each user can get the same service.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional two signal distribution inductors which are provided at a circuit board. Please refer to FIG. 1, the induced bodies 112 and 122 of conventional signal distribution inductors 110 and 120 are provided from winding a coil 114 and a coil 124 on a circuit board 10, and then a group of branch circuits are formed. However, the above branch circuits only satisfy a conventional electrical standard, and cannot completely satisfy the electrical standard of two-way digital transmission signals of the present cable televisions. In addition, since the steps of winding coils and assembling the signal distribution inductor 110 and 120 to the circuit board 10 are processed by manual operation, a lot of manpower costs and assembly time are consumed. On the other hand, the quality of the signal distribution inductor may decrease because of careless mistakes of manual operation.
FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing another conventional signal distribution inductor which is assembled to a circuit board. Please refer to FIG. 2A, and a conventional signal distribution inductor 200 mostly includes a base 210, a induced body 220 and a plurality of coils 230. The base 210 has a plurality of pins 212 and the induced body 220 has a plurality of through holes 222 (two through holes are shown in FIG. 2A). In FIG. 2A, the coils 230 are wound on the pins 212 and through the through holes 222, wherein the coils 230 are electrically connected to the corresponding pins 212 which are electrically connected to a circuit board 20. The technology only needs one induced body 220 to distribute signals, so the process for assembling the signal distribution inductor 200 to the circuit board 20 is simplified. In addition, the conventional signal distribution inductor 200 has an adsorbing surface 240, the adsorbing surface 240 of the signal distribution inductor 200 can adsorb the circuit board 20 in a machine for surface mounting process. Compared with assembling the signal distribution inductor 200 to the circuit board 20 by the manual operation, the technology has preferred process efficiency and process quality. However, since the above signal distribution inductor 200 only has one induced body 220, when the signal distribution inductor 200 is working, it is easy to form a closed magnetic loop in the induced body, so that a magnetic saturation phenomenon occurs (please refer to FIG. 2B which is a schematic diagram showing the closed magnetic loop generated in the induced body 220 shown in FIG. 2A.) and the work efficiency of the signal distribution inductor 200 decreases.


Provide are a liquid crystal compound represented by formula I, and a liquid crystal mixture comprising the compound

Since the Austrian scientist Reinitzer first synthesized a liquid crystal in 1888, the actual development of the liquid crystal industry is in the recent more than 30 years; since liquid crystal display materials have obvious advantages, such as a low drive voltage, a small power consumption, high reliability, a great display information amount, color display, no flicker, a capability of achieving panel display, etc., both liquid crystal monomers and liquid crystal displays have gone through a huge development, and liquid crystal monomers have been used in the synthesis of more than 10,000 kinds of liquid crystal materials, wherein there are thousands of common liquid crystal display materials, and by the classification according to the characteristics of the central bridge bond and rings of liquid crystal molecules, there are mainly biphenyl liquid crystals, phenyl cyclohexane liquid crystals, ester liquid crystals, alkynes, difluoromethoxy bridge types, ethane types and heterocyclic types. The liquid crystal display is also developed from TN and STN of black and white small screen in 30 years ago to the current TN-TFT, VA-TFT, IPS-TFT, PDLC of scale color screen, etc.
Main new liquid crystal display modes include optical compensation bending mode (OCB), coplanar transformation liquid crystal display (IPS), vertical alignment mode (VA), axisymmetric microstructure liquid crystal display (ASM), multi-domain twisted liquid crystal display, etc.
In the various display modes, liquid crystal cells have different designs and different driving methods, and the orientations of liquid crystal molecular directors with respect to glass substrates are different, wherein in the optical compensation bending mode (OCB) and the coplanar transformation liquid crystal display (IPS), liquid crystal molecular directors are parallel to the direction of the glass substrates, while in the vertical alignment mode (VA) and the axisymmetric microstructure liquid crystal display (ASM), the liquid crystal molecular directors are perpendicular to the direction of the glass substrates in the absence of an electric field.
With regard to the IPS of the parallel arranged mode, the dielectric anisotropy (Δε) of the liquid crystal may be either positive or negative.
In the vertical alignment mode (VA), all liquid crystal molecules in a null field are perpendicular to the direction of the glass substrates and parallel to a vertical incident light. When a polarizer is orthogonal, a good dark state is shown; therefore this kind of device has a good contrast, and the dielectric anisotropy (Δε) of the liquid crystal used has to be negative. The optical anisotropy (Δε) of the crystal, the thickness (d) of the liquid crystal cell and the wavelength (λ) of the incident light barely affect the contrast. The response time of the vertical alignment mode (VA) is much shorter than that of a twist-type device and is about half of that. Under the influence of an applied voltage, a VA device mainly produces a bending deformation of liquid crystal molecules, ECB produces a splay deformation of liquid crystal molecules, and the twisted display produces a twist deformation of liquid crystal molecules; the response times thereof are also inversely proportional to bending, splay, and twist elastic constants, respectively, because in general cases for most liquid crystals, the bending elastic constant of liquid crystal is greater than the splay elastic constant and the splay elastic constant is greater than the twist elastic constant, which is also the reason why the VA device has a faster response time.
In order to enable the performance of a display device to be closer to ideal, people have always been working to study new liquid crystal compounds, which allows the performances of liquid crystal compounds and display devices to continuously advance.
In fact, in many cases, liquid crystal mixtures can also work at a very low temperature, especially in an outdoor environment, and liquid crystals are required to have a good low temperature performance to investigate that liquid crystals can also work at −30° C. for a long time; that is to say, during the storage of the liquid crystal monomer at a low temperature for a long time, no monomer is precipitated, so it is still necessary to develop a liquid crystal having a good miscibility at a low temperature.
Liquid crystal display devices are increasingly oriented toward high pixel density designs, and for the control of backlight power consumption, the requirements for the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer are also getting higher and higher, so to develop a liquid crystal with a high transmittance is an important direction for the development of liquid crystals currently.

Lateral trifluoromethyl-containing liquid crystal compound, liquid crystal mixture and display device

Abstract: A lateral trifluoromethyl-containing liquid crystal compound having the structural characteristics of Formula I not only has a negative dielectric anisotropy (Δε), an appropriate optical anisotropy (Δn), a higher clearing point (CP), a prominent low-temperature miscibility with other liquid crystals, and a low rotary viscosity (γ1), but also has a good stability to UV and high temperatures, particularly, a negative dielectric anisotropy. Same can be applied to the formulation of liquid crystal compositions of positive and negative types, and it is particularly prominent that same has the advantages of a good solubility at low temperatures and a high transmittance.

Shijiazhuang Chengzhi Yonghua Display Material Co., Ltd.


A system has been developed for pretreating cellulosic biomass feed stock including: a first pressurized reactor receiving the feed stock, wherein the feed stock undergoes hydrolysis in the first pressurized reactor; a sealing device having a first pressurized coupling to a feedstock discharge port of the first pressurized reactor, and a second pressurized coupling to a second pressurized reactor; a drain for a liquid including dissolved hemi-cellulosic material extracted from the feed stock in at least one of the first pressurized reactor and the sealing and extraction device; the second pressurized reactor assembly receiving the pressurized feed stock from the sealing device at a pressure substantially greater than the pressure in the first pressurized reactor, wherein cells of the feed stock are infused with water in the second pressurized reactor, and an expansion device downstream of the second pressurized reactor assembly, wherein the expansion device rapidly releases the pressure of the feed stock discharged from the second pressurized reactor such that the feed stock undergoes a steam explosion reaction.

The present invention relates to pre-treatment of cellulosic biomass feed stocks, such as agricultural residues (including stalks, stover and hulls), straws and grasses, forest and sawmill residues (including wood chips and shredded thinnings). In particular, the invention relates to pre-hydrolysis and steam explosion pretreatment to extract carbon sugars from the biomass feed stocks.
High pressures and/or high temperatures are typical in pre-treatments used to generate alcohols, e.g. ethanol, from cellulosic feed-stocks. In these conventional pre-treatments, some C5 sugars are converted to components which inhibit the alcohol fermentation of C6 sugars in the fermentation step following pre-treatment. Removing these inhibiting components, such as aldehydes (e.g., HMF, furfural, and formaldehyde), monomeric phenolics (e.g., vanillin and coniferylaldehyde), acids (e.g., formic acid) and other inhibitors should increase the alcohol yield in the C6 fermentation step following pretreatment.

System and method for preextraction of hemicellulose through using a continuous prehydrolysis and steam explosion pretreatment process


A method for improving read signals in a memory including passive memory elements provided at crossover locations of word and bit lines, and in which stored digital information is represented by a respective resistance of the memory elements includes: determining logic levels of information bits to be written to the memory elements associated with a respective bit line; inverting the logic levels of the information bits if more than half of information bits to be written to the memory elements associated with the respective bit line have a logic level corresponding to a low-value resistance of the memory elements; writing the information bits to the memory elements; and generating an additional check bit, a logic level of which represents an inverted or non-inverted state of the information bits.

Memory devices of the aforementioned type are disclosed for example in "IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers" pages 278 and 279, and also in U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,375, both documents being hereby incorporated by reference. The former document especially reveals that, in such a memory, at the crossover locations of word and bit lines that run perpendicular to one another in rows and columns, passive memory elements are provided between the lines. These memory elements may comprise for example polymers, chalcogenites or magnetoresistive materials.
In the case of memory devices having polymers as memory elements, the memory effect is based on polar conducting polymer molecules. In this case, data is stored as permanent polarization that is generated by application of electric fields. The resistance of the memory element depends on the polarization orientation of the polymer molecules.
In the case of memory devices having magnetoresistive (ferromagnetic) materials as memory elements, the resistance depends on the orientation and magnitude of the spin polarization of the ferromagnetic materials.
A large or small resistance results depending on the orientation and magnitude of the polarization in the materials mentioned above. These resistances may in each case be assigned a digital logic level. Thus, a large resistance may correspond to a logic "1" and a small resistance may correspond to a logic "0".
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows a detail from a memory 10 having memory elements 12, which are illustrated at resistors for the sake of simplicity. These memory elements are situated at crossover locations of word lines . . . , WLk−1, WLk, WLk+1, . . . and bit lines . . . , BLi−1, BLi, BLi+1, . . . . These memory elements 12 shall be programmed in the sense described above, so that they have either a large resistance corresponding to a logic "1" or a comparatively small resistance corresponding to a logic "0".
By way of example, the memory element 12 with a black backing in FIG. 1 is now intended to be read, the memory element being situated on the bit line BLi and the read line WLk. For this purpose, a measurement voltage UMeas of 1 V may be applied to the bit line BLi at a terminal 14 and a voltage of 0V may be applied to the read line WLk, while a voltage of 1 V is present on all the other word lines . . . , WLk−1, WLk+1, . . . . In the ideal case, a measurement current IMeas then flows only via the memory element 12 with a black backing, the measurement current being indicated on an ammeter 16. The value of this measurement current IMeas depends on the resistance of the memory element 12 and represents either a logic "1" equal to a large resistance or a logic "0" to a small resistance.
In practice, however, this ideal case is not afforded since a parasitic current also flows via all the other memory elements 12 situated on the bit line BLi if the voltage at the terminal 14 has a value that deviates from UMeas=1 V.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a possible realization for reading out information by means of a differential amplifier 20 having relative feedback via a resistor RS, the negative input of the amplifier being connected to the terminal 14 of the bit line BLi and the measurement voltage UMeas being present at the negative input of said amplifier. Given the voltages specified in FIG. 1, however, a voltage Ux that differs from 0 is present, rather than the voltage 0, in the practical case. An output signal U0 of the differential amplifier 20 represents the read signal.
In accordance with FIG. 2B, an equivalent resistance RP shall be the resulting resistance of all the memory elements 12 that are not to be read on the bit line BLi. A parasitic current flows via said equivalent resistance RP, the value of said current depending on the logic state of all the memory elements 12 that are not to be read on the bit line BLi.
An explanation shall be given firstly of the state in which the memory element 12 to be read contains a logic "0", which shall correspond to a resistance of, for example, 103 ohms. If all further memory elements 12 not to be read on the bit line BLi contained a logic "1", then that would correspond to a resistance of e.g., 1 Mohm. Given 1000 cells that are not to be read on the bit line BLi, for example, then for this case the parasitic resistance RP would be equal to 1 Mohm/1000 which equals 1 kohm.
On the other hand, if all the memory elements 12 that are not to be read and are situated on the bit line BLi contained a logic "0" with a resistance of 103 ohms, then given 1000 memory elements 12 that are not to be read, the result would be a parasitic resistance RP of 103 ohms/1000 which equals 1 ohm.
Corresponding conditions result if the memory element 12 to be read contains a logic 1, limit values for the parasitic resistance RP of 1 kohm and 1 ohm likewise resulting.
The parasitic current flowing via the parasitic resistance RP thus fluctuates greatly in a manner dependent on the logic levels in the memory elements 12 that are not to be read on the bit line BLi, which leads to corresponding fluctuations in the voltage Ux at the input of the differential amplifier 20. The read signal U0 at the output of the differential amplifier 20 fluctuates correspondingly.
The diagram according to FIG. 3, illustrating the output voltage U0 of the differential amplifier 20 over time, shows a range 30 of output voltages U0 for a read-out "0" and a range 31 of output voltages U0 for a read-out "1". An upper voltage value 30-1 of the voltage range 30 represents the case in which the memory element 12 that is read is surrounded by all logic levels "1", while a lower voltage value 30-2 represents the case in which the memory element 12 that is read is surrounded by all logic levels "0". Correspondingly, an upper value 31-1 of the voltage range 31 represents the case in which the memory element 12 that is read is surrounded by all logic levels 1, while a lower voltage value 31-2 represents the case in which the memory element 12 that is read is surrounded by all logic levels "0". The respective intermediate voltage values of the voltage ranges 30 and 31 represent cases in which the memory element 12 that is read is surrounded both by logic levels "1" and by logic levels "0".
A range 32 between the ranges 30 and 31 represents the signal-to-noise voltage ratio at the input of the differential amplifier 20.
A possible improvement in the situation explained above constitutes for example allocating a fixed voltage to non-selected bit and word lines. This results in an improved evaluation of the read signal, but two switches and thus additional layout space are required at each word and bit line.
A further possibility for the configuration of a memory is described "IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers", as mentioned in the introduction. In this case, reading is effected in two steps, a first step determining the memory element current through the selected memory element as a result of the parasitic current and a second step determining a known current of a previously written "0" flowing via a reference cell plus the same parasitic current. The current determined in the second step is subtracted from the total current determined in the first step, so that only the current through the memory cell that is read is measured relative to the reference current. However, this requires, on each word and bit line, an additional decoder in the memory, with the result that the latter does not manage without active components.

Method for improving the read signal in a memory having passive memory elements


A communication apparatus, which is able to receive a peculiar information of other station and a voice message from the another station, records the peculiar information and the voice message in connection with each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus, and more especially relates to a telephone answering apparatus which is able to record messages received from a telephone line on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional telephone answering machine records messages sequentially in the order in which they are received, i.e., all the messages are dealt with as having the same value. Therefore, in the case that a plurality of messages are recorded, an operator cannot discriminate which message is more important before listening to all the messages.
Further, a conventional facsimile apparatus having a telephone answering unit (herein, the term "answering telephone" will, for convenience, be used to denote any device or component which serves to take a call coming over a telephone line and record a message received via the call) has only one controller (Central Processing Unit: CPU) which controls not only facsimile transmission and reception but also voice recording and reproducing of the answering telephone. Therefore, if the controller controls the answering telephone to reproduce a voice message during facsimile communication, the controller discriminates whether an operation key is depressed or not and controls the answering telephone in an interrupting routine.
In a conventional facsimile apparatus having the answering telephone, however, the burden on the controller in executing the interrupting routine during the facsimile communication is too great, and the reliability of the facsimile communication is not as high as might be desired.


A magnetic disc 13 serving as a memory medium has stored therein sound control MIDI messages and MIDI messages containing character codes so as to make it possible to reproduce performance data and image data over a prolonged period of time although the memory medium has a given capacity. A MIDI sequencer 14 delivers the MIDI messages serially based on the signals read from the disc 13. A sound source device 15 performs specified music by being controlled by the sound source control MIDI messages. An image forming device 20 displays a text on a display 21 based on the MIDI messages containing the character codes.

The method of data communication according to the MIDI standard is an asynchronous serial communication method as prescribed in "MIDI 1.0 DETAILED SPECIFICATION DOCUMENT VERSION 4.0," and the data transfer rate used in this method is 31.25 kbit/sec. When one byte (8 bits) of data is to be transferred, one start bit and one stop bit are added thereto, and the data therefore comprises 10 bits in its entirety.
In the data communication according to the MIDI standard, data is handled in the unit of "messages" comprising a plurality of bytes. With reference to FIG. 7, these messages are divided generally into channel messages and system messages, which are further classified into different types of messages, i.e., five types in total. The messages of these types include a channel voice message, channel mode message and system common message each comprising one status byte, and one or two data bytes led by the status.
According to the MIDI standard, up to 16 channels are settable. The status byte includes channel number data indicating a particular channel to which the message is directed. Utilizing the concept of the MIDI channels, therefore, for example 16 musical instruments are individually controllable independently through a single MIDI cable.
The channel voice message shown in FIG. 7 is further classified according to the function as shown in FIG. 8. The note on message included in the classified messages corresponds to "production of sound" which is the most essential of all items of performance data. As seen in FIG. 9 (a), this message is composed of the status byte "9Xh" (wherein h is a symbol indicating that hexadecimal notation is used, and X is a hexadecimal number representing a particular MIDI signal channel and is one of the values 0 to F), and two bytes of data subsequent to the status byte. The first data byte is termed "note number" for controlling the musical interval. The second data byte is called "velocity" for controlling the sound volume.
On the other hand, the note off message corresponds to "cessation of sound" and is composed of the status byte "8Xh" and two bytes of data subsequent thereto as shown in FIG. 9(b). Incidentally, the note on message and the note off message are paired, and a pair of note on and note off messages are identical in note number.
The sound source device to be controlled by MIDI signals starts to produce a sound with specified musical interval, sound volume and tone color in response to one message, and ceases producing the sound in response to another message thereafter given. In the simplest case, therefore, a specified sound can be continuously produced from the device only for a predetermined period of time by intermittently feeding to the device a message specifying particular musical interval, sound volume and tone color, a message for starting sound production and a message for ceasing the sound production, each at a predetermined time.
In the case where the specified sound is to be produced only for the predetermined period of time with MIDI signals, sound signals need not be continuously given over the period of sound production unlike the sound reproduction by audio tape recorders or the like but MIDI signals need only to be fed to the sound source device intermittently, so that the specified sound can be produced with a greatly reduced amount of data.
Incidentally, MIDI signals are usually stored in a medium in a format adapted for computer communication together with timing data for controlling the output timing of messages.
In recent years, so-called "KARAOKE" apparatus have found wide household and business uses for enjoying singing songs to the accompaniment of music reproduced from disc recording media.
Video disc players having a sound mixing function are conventionally utilized as such KARAOKE apparatus. The sound signal of an accompaniment reproduced from a video disc and the sound signal of a song input from a microphone are mixed together to release the resulting sound from a speaker. Further the images of the corresponding text reproduced from the video disc are projected one after another on the screen of a display in synchronism with the reproduction of sound signal of the accompaniment.
Video discs for KARAOKE each have stored therein a plurality of musical compositions or tunes. Since the accompaniment sound signal and the text image signal for each tune are recorded at the same time as superposed, a very great amount of data is stored for each tune. For this reason, the number of tunes which can be stored in one disc is inevitably much smaller than in other discs, for example, a compact disc wherein the sound signal only is stored.
Accordingly, the conventional KARAOKE apparatus have the drawback of necessitating frequent changes of discs upon request for tunes.

Data recording system with midi signal channels and reproduction apparatus therefore


A fiber optic switch utilizing a segmented prism element, comprising a fiber optic switch used in multi-channel optical communications networks and having one or more arrays of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors, wherein at least a first array of MEMS mirrors is utilized to select & switch wavelengths from a number of input fiber ports (N) to an output fiber port, wherein at least a second array of MEMS mirrors using and sharing the same free space optics as the first MEMS array is utilized to produce yet another fiber optic switch, wherein the second switch is utilized to select individual wavelengths or spectral components from its input fiber ports to send to its output fiber port for optical power or other monitoring purposes, thus, enabling a cost effective, high level of integration N×1 or alternatively a 1×N switch capable of internal feedback monitoring.

Modern communications networks are increasingly based on silica optical fiber which offers very wide bandwidth within several spectral wavelength bands. At the transmitter end of a typical point-to-point fiber optic communications link an electrical data signal is used to modulate the output of a semiconductor laser emitting, for example, in the 1525-1565 nanometer transmission band (the so-called C-band), and the resulting modulated optical signal is coupled into one end of the silica optical fiber. On sufficiently long links the optical signal may be directly amplified along the route by one or more amplifiers, for example, optically-pumped erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs). At the receiving end of the fiber link a photodetector receives the modulated light and converts it back to its original electrical form. For very long links the optical signal risks becoming excessively distorted due to fiber-related impairments such as chromatic and polarization dispersion and by noise limitations of the amplifiers, and may be reconstituted by detecting and re-launching the signal back into the fiber. This process is typically referred to as optical-electrical-optical (OEO) regeneration.
In recent developments, the transmission capacity of fiber optic systems has been greatly increased by wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) in which multiple independent optical signals, differing uniquely by wavelength, are simultaneously transmitted over the fiber optic link. For example, the C-band transmission window has a bandwidth of about 35 nanometers, determined partly by the spectral amplification bandwidth of an EDFA amplifier, in which multiple wavelengths may be simultaneously transmitted. All else being equal, for a WDM network containing a number N wavelengths, the data transmission capacity of the link is increased by a factor of N. Depending on the specifics of a WDM network the wavelength multiplexing into a common fiber is typically accomplished with devices employing a diffraction grating, an arrayed waveguide grating, or a series of thin-film filters. At the receiver of a WDM system, the multiple wavelengths can be spatially separated using the same types of devices that performed the multiplexing and then separately detected and output in their original electrical data streams.
Dense WDM (DWDM) systems are being designed in which the transmission spectrum includes 40, 80, or more wavelengths with wavelength spacing of less than 1 nanometer. Current designs have wavelength spacing of between 0.4 and 0.8 nanometer, or equivalently a frequency spacing of 50 to 100 GHz respectively. Spectral packing schemes allow for higher or lower spacing, dictated by economics, bandwidth, and other factors. Other amplifier types, for example Raman, that help to expand the available WDM spectrum are currently being commercialized. However, the same issues about signal degradation and OEO regeneration exist for WDM as with non-WDM fiber links. The expense of OEO regeneration is compounded by the large number of wavelengths present in WDM systems.
Modern fiber optic networks are evolving to be much more complicated than the simple point-to-point "long haul" systems described above. Instead, as fiber optic networks move into the regional, metro, and local arenas they increasingly include multiple nodes along the fiber span, and connections between fiber spans (e.g., mesh networks and interconnected ring networks) at which signals received on one incoming link can be selectively switched between a variety of outgoing links, or taken off the network completely for local consumption. For electronic links, or optical signals that have been detected and converted to their original electrical form, conventional electronic switches directly route the signals to their intended destination, which may then include converting the signals to the optical domain for fiber optic transmission. However, the desire to switch fiber optic signals while still in their optical format, thereby avoiding expensive OEO regeneration to the largest extent possible, presents a new challenge to the switching problem. Purely optical switching is generally referred to as all-optical or OOO switching.
Switching
In the most straightforward and traditional fiber switching approach, each network node that interconnects multiple fiber links includes a multitude of optical receivers which convert the signals from optical to electrical form, a conventional electronic switch which switches the electrical data signals, and an optical transmitter which converts the switched signals from electrical back to optical form. In a WDM system, this optical/electrical/optical (OEO) conversion must be performed by separate receivers and transmitters for each of the W wavelength components on each fiber. This replication of expensive OEO components is currently slowing the implementation of highly interconnected mesh WDM systems employing a large number of wavelengths.
Another approach for fiber optic switching implements sophisticated wavelength switching in an all-optical network. In a version of this approach that may be used with the present invention, the wavelength components W from an incoming multi-wavelength fiber are demultiplexed into different spatial paths. Individual and dedicated switching elements then route the wavelength-separated signals toward the desired output fiber port before a multiplexer aggregates the optical signals of differing wavelengths onto a single outgoing fiber. In conventional fiber switching systems, all the fiber optic switching elements and associated multiplexers and demultiplexers are incorporated into a wavelength cross connect (WXC), which is a special case of an enhanced optical cross connect (OXC) having a dispersive element and wavelength-selective capability. Additionally, such systems incorporate lenses and mirrors which focus light to a single focal point and lenslets which collimate such light.
Advantageously, all the fiber optic switching elements can be implemented in a single chip of a micro electromechanical system (MEMS). The MEMS chip generally includes a two-dimensional array of tiltable mirrors which may be separately controlled. U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,859 to Solgaard et al., incorporated herein in its entirety, describes the functional configuration of such a MEMS wavelength cross connect which incorporates a wavelength from an incoming fiber and is capable of switching wavelength(s) to any one of multiple outgoing fibers. The entire switching array of several hundred micro electromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors can be fabricated on a chip having dimension of less than one centimeter by techniques well developed in the semiconductor integrated circuit industry.
Solgaard et al. further describes a large multi-port (including multiple input M and multiple output N ports) and multi-wavelength WDM cross-connect switch (WXC) accomplishing this by splitting the WDM channels into their wavelength components W and switching those wavelength components W. The Solgaard et al. WXC has the capability of switching any wavelength channel on any input port to the corresponding wavelength channel on any output fiber port. Again, a wavelength channel on any of the input fibers can be switched to the same wavelength channel on any of the output fibers.
A complex WDM or white-light network is subject to many problems. For example, the different optical signals which are propagating on a particular link or being optically processed may have originated from different sources across the network. Also, in a WDM system, the WDM wavelength output power may vary from transmitter to transmitter because of environmental changes, aging, or differences in power injected into the WDM stream. Different optical sources for either a WDM or white-light system are additionally subject to different amounts of attenuation over the extended network. Particularly, for a wavelength-routed transparent network, the WDM spectrum on a given fiber contains wavelength components which generally have traversed many diverse paths from different sources and with different losses and different impairment accumulation, such as degradation of the optical signal-to-noise ratio or dispersion broadening. Further, wavelength multiplexing and demultiplexing usually rely on optical effects, such as diffraction or waveguide interference, which are very sensitive to absolute wavelength, and which cannot be precisely controlled. Additionally, the prior art is disadvantageously limited to complex multi input and output fiber port, single dedicated wavelength channel MEMS mirrors, and multi wavelength WDM cross-connect switches.
EDFAs or other optical amplifiers may be used to amplify optical signals to compensate loss, but they amplify the entire WDM signal and their gain spectrum is typically not flat. Therefore, measures are needed to maintain the power levels of different signals at common levels or at least in predetermined ratios.
Monitoring
Monitoring of the WDM channels is especially important in optical telecommunication networks that include erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), because a power amplitude change in one channel may degrade the performance of other channels in the network due to gain saturation effects in the EDFA. Network standard documents, such as the Bellcore GR-2918, have been published to specify wavelength locations, spacing and signal quality for WDM channels within the networks. Network performance relative to these standards can be verified by monitoring wavelength, power and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the WDM channels.
A multi-wavelength detector array or spectrometer may be integrated into the free space of a WXC and utilized to monitor wavelength channels, power and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in telecommunication networks. Typically, a portion of the WDM channels are diverted by a splitter or partially reflective mirror to an optical power monitor or spectrometer to enable monitoring of the WDM channels. Each MEMS mirror in today's WDM cross-connect switch is dedicated to a single wavelength channel. Whether it tilts about one or more axes, such mirror may be used to control the amount of optical power passing through WXC for such single wavelength channel. In addition, a detector array or spectrometer may be external to the free space of the WXC or OXC, and may be utilized to monitor white light (combined wavelength channels) power, and signal-to-noise ratio of optical signal via input/output fiber port taps or splitters. More specifically, the prior art consists of costly large two-dimensional detector arrays or spectrometer utilized to monitor multiple input or output wavelength channels, power and signal-to-noise ratio.
Monitoring and switching are part of a feedback loop required to achieve per-wavelength insertion loss control and such systems comprise three classic elements: sensor for monitoring, actuator for multi wavelength switching and attenuating, and processor for controlling wavelength switching, selection and equalization. The actuator in today's WXC products is typically a MEMS-based micromirror or a liquid crystal blocker or reflector. The sensor is typically a modular optical power monitor, comprising a mechanical filter for wavelength selection and a photodetector. Depending on the system, the three elements can be co-located in the same device, or can exist as separate standalone cards connected by a backplane.
In general, higher levels of integration of the sensor, actuator, and processor are attractive from a size, cost, speed, and simplicity of operation standpoint. The proposed new solution reaps these benefits because of a very high level of integration.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there would be a recognizable benefit from a cost effective fiber optic switch with dual channel selector for all-optical communication networks in which each switching node demultiplexes the aggregate multi-wavelength WDM signal from input fibers into its wavelength components, spatially switches one of many single-wavelength components from different input fibers for each wavelength channel, and wherein such switch multiplexes the switched wavelength components to one output fiber for retransmission; and wherein such wavelength components power may be monitored and varied by controllable attenuation, resulting in a higher level of integration of the sensor, actuator, and processor and enabling multiple switches in a single device capable of utilizing common optical components.

Segmented prism element and associated methods for manifold fiberoptic switches


A system and method allow for a platform to be collapsed and moved in a vehicle. In one embodiment, a wall rail platform system disposed in a vehicle includes a collapsible platform. The collapsible platform has a position, which is a collapsed position or an un-collapsed position. The system also includes a rail and a carriage. The carriage is attached to the collapsible platform. The carriage is vertically moveable along the rail.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of vehicle occupant support systems and more specifically to soldier support systems in a vehicle.
2. Background of the Invention
Occupants of vehicles often need to be in an elevated position within the vehicle. For instance, in military vehicles, occupants of the military vehicles may need to expose the upper portion of the occupants' bodies outside of the vehicle. Such instances include the need to operate weaponry, improve vision outside of the military vehicle, and the like. Problems occur in such situations with fatigue involved with the individuals having to stand in such positions for long periods of time. Further problems include securing the occupant inside the vehicle during motion of the vehicle and also during a vehicle roll over to prevent injury of the occupant.
Platforms have been developed on which the occupants may stand to overcome some of such drawbacks. However, such platforms have drawbacks, which include inefficient use of space in the vehicle when the platform is not being used. Further drawbacks include inefficient placement or inability to adjust the location of the platforms within the vehicle.
Consequently, there is a need for a system to protect soldiers in a vehicle. Additional needs include a system to support soldiers in a vehicle but that also optimizes use of available space in the vehicle.


A car lamp includes a holding member, and several loop-shaped lighting members; the holding member has several lamp holding holes, a holding recess around each of the lamp holding holes, and several light passages communicating with each of the holding recesses; light sources are secured right behind respective ones of the light passages; each of the loop-shaped lighting members has equidistantly spaced light-condensing bumps thereon, and is fitted on a respective one of the holding recesses on the holding member; thus, change of the light sources is allowed, and light with a closed loop-shape will show on each of the loop-shaped lighting members when the light sources are powered.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a car lamp, more particularly one, which includes several loop-shaped lighting members for making light from light sources show with a loop-shape, and look more uniform and brighter, and which is structured in such a way that change of the light sources is relatively easy.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A car can be more easily seen if supplementary lighting elements are fitted near to or around the ordinary lights to help alert people to the car. Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, an ordinary light 44 of a car is provided with a supplementary lighting element, which includes a support member 41, and a circular lighting body 42. The support member 41 has a circular trench 411, a through hole 412 on the circular trench 411, and several fitting portions 413 projecting in an opposite direction of the circular trench 411. The support member 41 is secured around the ordinary light 44 with the fitting portions 413 engaging an outer side of the ordinary light 44. The circular lighting body 42 includes a housing, and two light emitting diodes 43; the housing is made by means of injection molding; the light emitting diodes 43 are, before injection molding to make the housing, positioned in the mold so as to point in opposite directions; thus, the light emitting diodes 43 will be securely hidden in the housing and point in opposite directions as soon as injection molding is finished. A cord 431 is connected to the light emitting diodes 43. The circular lighting body 42 is securely fitted in the circular trench 411 of the support member 41 with the cord 431 being passed through the through hole 412.
Thus, when the light emitting diodes 43 are powered, the circular lighting body 42 will shine, thus helping alert people to the car.
However, the above supplementary lighting element is found to have the following disadvantages:
1. Because the light emitting diodes are buried in and securely joined to the housing right in injection molding to make the housing, they can't be separated from the housing, and the whole circular lighting body has to be replaced with a new one when any of the light emitting diodes is faulty. Therefore, the supplementary lighting element isn't economical to use.
2. The circular lighting body will only shine to show light with an opened circle-shape, without light being emitted from those portion thereof that are right around the light emitting diodes. In other words, the supplementary lighting element can't shine to show light with a closed circle-shape.
3. The supplementary lighting element can't show a closed circular light because there won't be any light emitted from those portion of the circular lighting body that are right around the joint between the light emitting diodes.
4. The light emitting diodes can be seen therefore they will spoil the look of the whole car light.


Devices disclosed according to various embodiments use one or more arrays of atomic magnetometers to directly detection of relaxation of magnetic field induced subatomic precession within a target specimen. The disclosed devices and methods relate to application of utilization of a magnetic sensor with unique properties requiring changes in design, allowing new functions, and requiring alternative analysis methodologies. Various embodiments are also directed to methods for obtaining and processing magnetic signals. These methods may take advantage of the unique spatial arrangement of the atomic magnetometers and the capacity sensors to be used in either a scalar or a vector mode. Various embodiments have advantages over current techniques utilized for imaging of anatomical and non-anatomical structures. Such advantages may include, for example: development of a wearable, portable array, lower power consumption, potential wafer-level fabrication, the potential for development of a more rapid signal, decreased need for development of strong magnetic fields, and lower cost allowing wider availability.

Subatomic particles such as protons or neutrons, have the quantum property of spin. The overall spin of an atomic nucleus is dependant on the number of protons and neutrons in the isotope. Atomic nuclei with odd atomic numbers, such as hydrogen (1H), have a net non-zero spin and therefore have a magnetic moment, while molecules with an even atomic number, such as Carbon-12 (12C) have no net spin. When placed in an external magnetic field, polar molecules "precess" around an axis in the direction of the field. Subatomic particles align in either of two energy states: a low energy state or a high energy state. An external oscillating field will result in resonant aborption of energy by the subatomic particles. Resonant frequencies for particular molecules are directly proportional to the strength of the applied magnetic field, and are also related to the chemical composition of the molecule.
The property of magnetic spin is used in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging to image target materials such as biological specimens, including human anatomic structures. In current, conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a net polarization is developed by inducing a strong magnetic field. As noted above, subatomic particles within the nucleus of the atom align in either of two energy states, a high energy state or a low energy state. The alignment of the subatomic particles in these two energy states is responsible for the magnetic properties of target areas detected by magnetic resonance imaging and used to develop the image. The net magnetization vector has two components—a longitudinal component and a transverse component. The longitudinal component of the vector is related to an excess of aligned molecules (typically in biological molecules hydrogen atoms or protons) in the low energy state. The transverse component is due to the formation of coherence between the two subatomic energy states. Obtaining a magnetic resonance image includes two elements: an external magnetic field and a series of radio frequency pulses. In the case of biological specimens such as human anatomy, a radio frequency pulse of an appropriate energy level to excite protons within the specimen is applied to the specimen in the presence of an external magnetic field that ensures that only protons in a particular plane within the target are "on-resonance" and contribute to the signal. The radio wave disrupts processing molecules within the specimen. Recovery of longitudinal magnetization within the magnetic field after the radio pulse is discontinued is called the T1 relaxation of the specimen. Loss of phase coherence in the transverse plane is called the T2 relaxation. Both T1 and T2 relaxation result in electromagnetic waves in radio frequency wavelengths that can be detected by a receiving coil. Other properties of the signal can be detected using a variety of techniques with the external field, including using additional gradient magnetic fields, sending coils, and pick up coils to add information to the MRI image.
Conventional MRI has revolutionized medical care by providing crisp and useful internal images of human anatomy. However, conventional MRI has a number of disadvantages in the current state of the art.                1) First, conventional MRI can only image one slice of an anatomic specimen at a given time. Conventional MRI uses sending coils and receiving coils to generate repeated radio pulses through the specimen, with multiple signals read at one or a limited number of receiving coils. Multiple repeated signals with progressive signal averaging is needed to develop the image in each slice. Conventional MRI therefore requires significant time to obtain a useful image. The long time required to obtain an MRI image results in limitations in patient utility. For example, children, elderly adults, individuals with cognitive problems, and many other patient populations have difficulty staying within a conventional MRI magnet for the period of time needed to obtain optimal images.        2) Secondly, conventional MRIs require development of extremely large magnetic fields. Significant separation is required between MRI facilities and other facilities because of the significant magnetic effects on metal objects (such as surgical objects) and electronic equipment. The requirement of utilization of large magnetic fields prevents many patients, including individuals with metal prosthetic devices, individuals with shrapnel or bullet wounds, or individuals with pacemakers and deep brain stimulators, from obtaining MRIs.        3) Third, large, superconducting magnets are required to develop magnetic resonance images. Conventional MRIs are therefore bulky, and require dedicated rooms or suites. In some cases, large relatively lower quality mobile MRI devices are available that are transportable in trucks, however portability even in these devices is limited.        4) Finally, as can be understood from the above, conventional MRIs require a significant capital expense. The expense associated with installing and maintaining an MRI facility limits the use of this technology to typically hospital environments in first world countries.
The significant disadvantages of conventional MRI limit utility of that conventional technology. There is a need for a more portable, less cumbersome, and less expensive MRI scanning technology.
Recently, Clarke et. al. disclosed utilizing conventional SQUID based systems for detection of Nuclear Magnetic Spins (Clark et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,187,169). While disclosing a system that can detect low field NMR, and can be used for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the system described by Clark et. al. is based on SQUIDs, which require cryogenic cooling. Further, SQUID systems are often bulky, expensive systems with limited capacity to allow for patient mobility.
Below, we describe a new atomic-magnetometer based, magnetic imaging technology, method and device. This subject technology can be more economical, portable and wearable. The technology we describe incorporates sensitive magnetic detectors that can function using significantly lower magnetic fields to develop signals. Our device is expected to result in lower cost to the consumer, and lower power consumption, potentially allowing the development of a device that can be used in an office practice, or more effectively in less advantaged countries. Further, our device is expected to use a lower magnetic field than conventional MRI scanners, opening the possibility of inter-operative magnetic imaging as well as imaging within an ambulance, on a commercial airliner or helicopter in the case of airborne emergencies or in a typical physician office environment.
This atomic-magnetometer based magnetic imaging system may be able to rapidly image the brain using an array of magnetic sensors.
The atomic-magnetometer based magnetic imaging system addresses sensor cross talk, shielding, mobility, and necessary algorithms for sensor calibration and data interpretation to allow development of a working magnetic imager using a new sensor type that reduces size and expense and increases portability.
For example, we now disclose, first that atomic magnetometers have several characteristics that may require new methodologies to deal with the issue of sensor cross-talk. Atomic magnetometers generate a magnetic field in the course of operation. This particular characteristic of these sensors may require special methodologies of operation and signal processing in order to produce a system that can actually measure MRI-like magnetic fields.
Secondly, many atomic magnetometers may detect magnetic fields along only very specific vectors. While potentially advantageous for source localization, this added directional capability requires specific data processing and design elements to allow development of a useful array for measuring MRI signals.
Third, the compact size of some atomic magnetometers, allows the development of an entirely new type of device and method. Specifically a mobile device and method allows the subject to freely move the head, neck, and in some cases allows ambulation while being continuously monitored. In some embodiments wearable magnetic imaging devices may be developed including wearable caps, helmets, blankets, or clothing like articles such as vests or wraps for arms, legs or torsos. A general term, "apparel," will be used in this description and in the claims to refer to items that are wearable while retaining general mobility. Apparel can include such caps, helmets, blankets or clothing described above, and also draperies, garments, wraps, casts, frames, structures, outerwear, gloves, shoes, masks, covers, suits, equipment or other items that can be or are designed to be worn by a human or other biological specimens while remaining relatively mobile. We use the phrase "specimen" to refer to portions of a person, a whole person, biological samples, or nonbiological samples. Further, in some embodiments, sheets of sensors may be used for imaging of biological or non-biological samples.
Fourth, some sensitive atomic magnetometers, such as SERF magnetometers, require provisions for magnetic shielding or field cancellation to be clinically useful. We enumerate a variety of devices and methods for these purposes.
Fifth, the possibility of utilizing large numbers of sensors allows the development of active sensor selection methods, which can in real time detect the optimal number and location of active sensors for a given clinical session or application.
Sixth, the atomic magnetometers operate at elevated temperature and thus may require some level of thermal isolation from the patient. This can come in the form of an insulating layer or active cooling.
Seventh, large numbers of atomic magnetometers can be arrayed around a body part of a subject or target specimen. Therefore, instead of developing information from the brain slice by slice using time average of multiple signals, induction of one or more RF signals may be utilized to generate a field in the specimen and precession, with multiple sensors capturing relaxation information from the entire specimen. This process will in some embodiments require much less time to obtain a useful image.
Eighth, the high sensitivity of some atomic magnetometers can require a smaller magnetic field, allowing in some cases a smaller magnetic generator and allowing the development of a portable, wearable imaging device. Therefore, atomic magnetometer based systems may allow the development of a low field MRI.
In this application, we describe various devices and methods that, in particular embodiments, serve the relevant clinical needs of mobility, ease of use, and lower cost. In various embodiments, atomic magnetometers, arrayed around a patient's head in a mobile helmet, provide the significant advantages of allowing more comfortable monitoring which is advantageous in many cases, particularly, for example in optimally measuring children and disabled patients. We describe a number of clinical utilizations made possible by a portable array. For example, we describe that the array proposed can, in addition to measuring NMR signals for the purposes of MRI, can also measure biologically generated signals. We also describe the components of a portable array in relation to signal processing, inter-sensor interference, and magnetic shielding.

Atomic magnetometer sensor array magnetic resonance imaging systems and methods

University of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.


Repair of a broken finger of a harvester reel pickup tine is accomplished by positioning a repair finger having a cavity over the broken finger stub so that the broken finger stub of the harvester reel pickup tine is received in the cavity of the repair finger, and the repair finger is then fastened adjacent one end to the pickup tine when the broken finger stub is in the cavity.

The present invention is directed to the repair of broken harvester reel pickup tine fingers.
Combines used in the harvesting for example of wheat, soy beans and small grains typically have a rotating cylindrical harvester reel at the forward leading end of the combine to sweep the crop which is to be harvested into the combine apparatus. These reels include a plurality of spaced horizontally extending support shafts which rotate with the reel and which have a plurality of pickup tines attached in side by side relationship to each other along the length of the support shafts. These pickup tines are typically molded in one piece integral construction of a durable plastic, such as for example, nylon, acetal or homopolypropylene, and include a clamp for clamping the pickup tine to the support shaft and an elongate curved finger of approximately 7½ inches long which extends from the clamp so as to sweep the crop to be harvested into the harvester reel and combine.
In view of the rather severe environment in which these pickup tines operate and their functional purpose, the fingers of the tines are subject to breakage due to contact with rocks and other objects as well as the crop which itself is being harvested all of which are encountered while the rotating harvester reel is moving over the field being harvested. Various approaches have been employed to minimize to the extent possible such breakage. However, breakage of the fingers will inevitably occur.
Once a sufficient number of tine fingers have been broken to impair the efficient operation of the harvester reel, it is necessary to stop the harvester and manually unscrew and remove the broken pickup tines from the support shaft and replace them with new tines. This obviously is wasteful of both time and effort, requires the use of a tool, and maximizes the time which the combine is out of service.
The present invention substantially reduces such waste of time, effort and downtime by permitting a broken tine finger to be easily and rapidly repaired without the need for tools or the need to remove the pickup tine from the support shaft and replace it with a new tine. In the present invention a new hollow finger is simply slipped over the remaining portion of the broken finger and is fastened in place to the existing tine without the need to remove the existing tine with its broken finger from the support shaft or the need for tools to do so. Moreover, if the hollow finger itself subsequently becomes broken, it may easily be replaced simply by removing it from the preexisting pickup tine and replacing the hollow finger with a new hollow finger.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, a finger for receiving a finger of a harvester reel pickup tine comprises an elongate hollow finger having a cavity therein opening to at least one end of the finger and extending over at least a portion of the length of the finger, the cavity being constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of a finger of the harvester reel pickup tine therein, and at least one fastener adjacent the one end for fastening the hollow finger over the portion of the finger of the pickup tine when the portion is in the cavity.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, a harvester reel pickup tine comprises a clamp for clamping the pickup tine to a support shaft of a harvester reel, and a first elongate finger extending from adjacent the clamp. A second elongate hollow finger having a cavity therein opens to at least one end of the second hollow finger and extends over at least a portion of the length of the second finger, the cavity being constructed and arranged to receive at least a portion of the first finger therein. At least one fastener adjacent the one end fastens the second hollow finger over the portion of the first finger when the portion is in the cavity.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the hollow finger is curved.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the hollow finger is smaller in cross section toward the end opposite said one end.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the shape of the elongate hollow finger is a substantial replicate of the finger of the harvester reel pickup tine.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the cavity of the hollow finger is constructed and arranged to receive a remaining broken portion of a broken finger of the pickup tine to repair the broken finger.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the fastener is constructed and arranged to frictionally engage the pickup tine to fasten the one end of the hollow finger to the pickup tine.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the fastener comprises a split ring, and preferably a pair of split rings.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the pickup tine includes at least one wing extending from the first finger at an angle thereto, and the clamp, first elongate finger and wing are formed in integral one-piece relationship.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, a method of repairing a broken finger of a harvester reel pickup tine comprises positioning an elongate hollow finger having a cavity therein opening to at least one end of the hollow finger and extending over at least a portion of the length of the hollow finger so that at least a portion of a remaining portion of the broken finger extends into the cavity; and fastening the elongate hollow finger over the remaining portion of the broken finger when the portion extends into the cavity.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, in the method the elongate hollow finger is frictionally fastened to the pickup tine.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, in the method the elongate hollow finger is fastened to a wing of the pickup tine.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, in the method the elongate hollow finger is snapped onto the pickup tine.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, in the method substantially all of the remaining portion of the broken finger is positioned in the cavity.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, in the method the repair is accomplished without removing the pickup tine from the harvester reel.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.


This application discloses a voltage analysis tool to perform a static power aware analysis on a circuit design without having to simulate the circuit design. The voltage analysis tool can determine a set of components in the circuit design corresponds to a design pattern representing a voltage-transition device, and set an output voltage for the set of components based, at least in part, on characteristics of the voltage-transition device. The voltage analysis tool can propagate the output voltage to other portions of the circuit design, and determine whether the portions of the circuit design receiving the output voltage have a rule violation.

Microdevices, such as integrated microcircuits and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), are used in a variety of products, from automobiles to microwaves to personal computers. Designing and fabricating microdevices typically involves many steps, known as a "design flow." The particular steps of a design flow often are dependent upon the type of microcircuit, its complexity, the design team, and the microdevice fabricator or foundry that will manufacture the microcircuit. Typically, software and hardware "tools" verify the design at various stages of the design flow by running software simulators and/or hardware emulators, and errors in the design are corrected or the design is otherwise improved.
Several steps are common to most design flows for integrated microcircuits. Initially, the specification for a new circuit is transformed into a logical design, sometimes referred to as a register transfer level (RTL) description of the circuit. With this logical design, the circuit can be described in terms of both the exchange of signals between hardware registers and the logical operations that can be performed on those signals. The logical design typically employs a Hardware Design Language (HDL), such as the Very high speed integrated circuit Hardware Design Language (VHDL). As part of the creation of a logical design, a designer will also implement a place-and-route process to determine the placement of the various portions of the circuit, along with an initial routing of interconnections between those portions. The logic of the circuit is then analyzed, to confirm that it will accurately perform the functions desired for the circuit. This analysis is sometimes referred to as "functional verification."
After the accuracy of the logical design is confirmed, it is converted into a device design by synthesis software. The device design, which is typically in the form of a schematic or netlist, describes the specific electronic devices, such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors, which will be used in the circuit, along with their interconnections. This device design generally corresponds to the level of representation displayed in conventional circuit diagrams. Preliminary timing estimates for portions of the circuit may be made at this stage, using an assumed characteristic speed for each device. In addition, the relationships between the electronic devices are analyzed, to confirm that the circuit described by the device design will correctly perform the desired functions. This analysis is sometimes referred to as "formal verification."
After "formal verification," the design can be reviewed for reliability issues caused by the electrical system, sometimes referred to as reliability verification, and the design can be again transformed, this time into a physical design that describes specific geometric elements. Reliability verification can include reviewing the design for protection from electrostatic discharge (ESD) events, detecting electrical overstress (EOS) situations, performing voltage-aware design rule checking (DRC), or the like.
The physical design often is referred to as a "layout" design. The geometric elements, which typically are polygons, define the shapes that will be created in various materials to manufacture the circuit. Typically, a designer will select groups of geometric elements representing circuit device components, e.g., contacts, gates, etc., and place them in a design area. These groups of geometric elements may be custom designed, selected from a library of previously-created designs, or some combination of both. Once the groups of geometric elements representing circuit device components have been placed, geometric elements representing connection lines then are then placed between these geometric elements according to the predetermined route. These lines will form the wiring used to interconnect the electronic devices.
Typically, a designer will perform a number of analyses on the resulting layout design data. For example, with integrated circuits, the layout design may be analyzed to confirm that it accurately represents the circuit devices and their relationships as described in the device design. The layout design also may be analyzed to confirm that it complies with various design requirements, such as minimum spacings between geometric elements. Still further, the layout design may be modified to include the use of redundant geometric elements or the addition of corrective features to various geometric elements, to counteract limitations in the manufacturing process, etc. For example, the design flow process may include one or more resolution enhancement technique (RET) processes, that modify the layout design data to improve the usable resolution of the reticle or mask created from the design in a photolithographic manufacturing process.
After the layout design has been finalized, it is converted into a format that can be employed by a mask or reticle writing tool to create a mask or reticle for use in a photolithographic manufacturing process. The written masks or reticles then can be used in a photolithographic process to expose selected areas of a wafer to light or other radiation in order to produce the desired integrated microdevice structures on the wafer.
Returning to reliability verification, tools that can detect electrical overstress situations and perform voltage-aware design rule checking, often do so in a two-stage process—performing voltage propagation through the design, for example, at the schematic-level, and then comparing particular circuits in the design and their corresponding propagated voltages to various electric rules or design rules. Since reliability verification is typically performed without design simulation, i.e., without an understanding of electrical performance of the devices in the design, the tools often propagate a common voltage throughout the design, perform rule checking based on that common voltage, and determine a presence of electrical violations, often numbering in the millions for large designs. The tool then can allow device designers to manually traverse the design and overwrite any previously propagated voltages based on their knowledge of the underlying circuit functionality, which can allow the tool to re-perform voltage propagation and subsequent rule checks. This iterative process can continue until the device designer has cleared or eliminated the electrical violations or discovered a design error to fix in the schematic or netlist.

Programmable pattern aware voltage analysis


Techniques for document segmentation. In an example, a document processing application segments an electronic document image into strips. A first strip overlaps a second strip. The application generates a first mask indicating one or more elements and element types in the first strip by applying a predictive model network to image content in the first strip and a prior mask generated from image content of the first strip. The application generates a second mask indicating one or more elements and element types in the second strip by applying the predictive model network to image content in the second strip and the first mask. The application computes, from a combined mask derived from the first mask and the second mask, an output electronic document that identifies elements in the electronic document and the respective element types.

With advancements in technology, electronic forms are often used for various transactions such as interacting with businesses and governments. But paper forms remain in use. For example, an initial registration may be performed with a paper form, which must then be scanned and segmented to generate a corresponding electronic version. This segmentation involves, for example, recognizing different objects in a scanned version of a paper document. These objects include text boxes, images, and the like. But a segmentation operation may fail to reliably distinguish form-specific elements such as form fields, widgets, and text runs and the structural hierarchies that relate these elements.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Performing electronic document segmentation using deep neural networks


In an embodiment, a defective memory block is replaced with a non-defective memory block, and a voltage-delay correction is applied to the non-defective memory block that replaces the defective memory block based on the actual location of the non-defective memory block.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory.
Flash memory devices have developed into a popular source of non-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Flash memory devices typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allows for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption. Changes in threshold voltage of the cells, through programming of charge storage nodes, such as trapping layers or other physical phenomena (which is sometimes referred to as writing), determine the data value of each cell. Common uses for flash memory include personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, digital media players, cellular telephones, and removable memory modules.
A NAND flash memory device is a common type of flash memory device, so called for the logical form in which the basic memory cell configuration is arranged. Typically, the array of memory cells for NAND flash memory devices is arranged such that the control gate of each memory cell of a row of the array is connected together to form an access line, such as a word line. Columns of the array include strings (often termed NAND strings) of memory cells connected together in series, source to drain, between a pair of select lines, a source select line and a drain select line. The source select line includes a source select gate at each intersection between a NAND string and the source select line, and the drain select line includes a drain select gate at each intersection between a NAND string and the drain select line. The select gates are typically field-effect transistors. Each source select gate is connected to a source line, while each drain select gate is connected to a data line, such as column bit line.
The memory array is accessed by a row decoder activating a row of memory cells by selecting the word line connected to a control gate of a memory cell. In addition, the word lines connected to the control gates of unselected memory cells of each string are driven to operate the unselected memory cells of each string as pass transistors, so that they pass current in a manner that is unrestricted by their stored data values. Current then flows from the column bit line to the source line through each NAND string via the corresponding select gates, restricted only by the selected memory cells of each string. This places the current-encoded data values of the row of selected memory cells on the column bit lines.
A memory device is usually placed in communication with a controller, such as a processor, a host controller, or other external host device via an input/output interface, e.g., to form part of an electronic system. The memory device receives control signals, command signals (which are sometimes referred to as commands), address signals (which are sometimes referred to as addresses), and data signals (which are sometimes referred to as data) from the controller and outputs data to the controller.
Defects can occur during the manufacture of a memory array having rows and columns of memory cells, resulting in defective rows or columns. This problem is commonly solved by incorporating redundant elements in the memory that selectively replace defective elements. Redundant rows are a common form of redundant elements used in flash memory to replace defective primary rows. For example, for NAND flash memory arrays, blocks of redundant rows (commonly referred to as a redundant blocks) replace defective blocks of primary rows (commonly referred to as a primary blocks).
Redundant blocks are typically located in a different portion of a memory array than the primary blocks. Generally, redundancy circuitry is used to selectively route access requests directed to the defective primary blocks to the redundant blocks located in a different portion of the array. Some memory devices, including some flash memory devices, utilize non-volatile registers to store addresses of primary blocks that are designated to be replaced. Address requests from the host controller are compared to the addresses of the defective primary blocks stored in the registers at the memory device, e.g., by the redundancy circuitry. If an address request matches an address of a defective primary block stored in the register, the redundancy circuitry directs or maps the access request to the redundant block instead of the defective primary block.
The process of replacing a defective primary block with a redundant block is typically transparent to the host controller in that the host controller does not know the address it sends to the memory device is an address of a defective block. That is, the host controller believes it is accessing a memory block at a location in the memory array (the location of the defective block) corresponding to the address that the host controller sends to the memory device. Instead, the host controller is accessing a redundant block located at a different location within the array.
There is typically a voltage delay along the length of a word line when a voltage is applied to the word line due to resistive and capacitive effects (commonly referred to as an RC delay). The RC delay increases with increasing distance from the end of the word line to which the voltage is applied, e.g., from the end closest to the row decoder. Moreover, there is typically a voltage delay along the bit line, with the delay increasing with increasing distance along the bit line from a sense amplifier.
In some instances, the host controller may be programmed to compensate for the voltage delay at a memory cell due to the distance of the memory cell from the row decoder and/or the sense amplifier. However, problems can occur if the block containing memory cells that are being compensated for is a defective block whose address is mapped to a redundant block located at a different location in the array. This is because the host controller is programmed to compensate for the delay based on the location of the defective memory block within the array and not on the location of the redundant block. That is, the compensation will be applied to the memory cells in the redundant block as though they were located at the location of the defective block.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for alternative redundancy schemes.

Applying a voltage-delay correction to a non-defective memory block that replaces a defective memory block based on the actual location of the non-defective memory block