The present invention generally discloses the use of a nanostructured non-silicon thin film (such as an alumina or aluminum thin film) on a supporting substrate which is subsequently coated with an active layer of a material such as silicon or tungsten. The base, underlying non-silicon material generates enhanced surface area while the active layer assists in incorporating and transferring energy to one or more analytes adsorbed on the active layer when irradiated with a laser during laser desorption of the analyte(s). The present invention provides substrate surfaces that can be produced by relatively straightforward and inexpensive manufacturing processes and which can be used for a variety of applications such as mass spectrometry, hydrophobic or hydrophilic coatings, medical device applications, electronics, catalysis, protection, data storage, optics, and sensors.

Nanotechnology has been heralded as the next major technological leap, in that it is prophesied to yield a variety of substantial advantages in terms of material characteristics, including electronic, optical and structural characteristics. Nanostructured materials as thin films and coatings possess unique properties due to both size and interface effects. Nanostructured materials are generally a broad class of materials, with microstructures modulated in zero to three dimensions on length scales typically less than about 500 nm, for example, less than about 200 nm, e.g., less than about 100 nm. Nanostructured materials find many applications in areas such as electronics, mass spectrometry, catalysis, protection, data storage, optics, and sensors. Nanostructured films and coatings have many advantages over conventional thin films including high surface area, increased hydrophobicity, increased adhesion, and other similar properties.
One particularly interesting use of nanostructured films and coatings is in mass spectrometry applications. Generally speaking, in mass spectrometry, a substance is bombarded with an electron beam having sufficient energy to fragment the molecule. The positive fragments which are produced (cations and radical cations) are accelerated in a vacuum through a magnetic field and are sorted on the basis of mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio in a mass analyzer. Since the bulk of the ions produced in the mass spectrometer carry a unit positive charge, the value m/z is equivalent to the molecular weight of the fragment. Modern advances in mass spectrometry often address problems regarding the handling of liquid or solid samples. As ions are actually analyzed in the vacuum of the mass spectrometer, arguably the most important reaction is the one that converts analytes of interest into gas-phase ions. Historically, the most commonly used ionization processes (for example, electron ionization) occur in two discrete steps: a sample which is adsorbed on a surface of a substrate is first volatilized and then ionized.
The past two decades have seen the development of new ionization techniques for the analysis of non-volatile and thermally labile compounds: Electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted desorption/ionization (MALDI). ESI allows for large, non-volatile molecules to be analyzed directly from the liquid phase. Rather than using an electron beam to ionize a sample as with ESI, MALDI ionizes a sample by pulsed laser irradiation of the sample. The sample is co-crystallized with a solid matrix that can absorb the wavelength of light emitted by the laser. Usually the sample and matrix are mixed on a substrate and inserted into the mass spectrometer instrument, and after irradiation the gas-phase ions that are formed are directed toward the mass analyzer. The broad success of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is related to the ability of the matrix to incorporate and transfer energy to the sample. Barber, et al., Nature 293, 270-275 (1981); Karas, et al., Anal. Chem. 60, 2299-2301 (1988); Macfarlane, et al., Science 191, 920-925 (1976); Hillenkamp, et al., Anal. Chem. 63, A1193-A1202 (1991)).
However, one of the drawbacks of MALDI is the presence of the matrix, which facilitates ionization, but also causes a large degree of chemical noise to be observed at m/z ratios below about 700 Daltons (e.g., for low molecular weight samples). As a result, samples with low molecular weights are usually difficult to analyze with MAIDI. Recent variations of MALDI have involved direct desorption/ionization without a matrix and have potential for enabling the analyses of low molecular weight compounds. In particular, the desorption/ionization on porous silicon (DIOS) and silicon continuous or columnar thin films has been used as an alternative to MALDI, see, e.g., Siuzdak et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,390; Fonash et al. U.S. Patent Application No. 20020048531 filed Dec. 19, 2000; Thomas, J. J., Shen, Z., Crowell, J. E., Finn, M. G. & Siuzdak, G., "Desporption/ionization on silicon (DIOS): a diverse mass spectrometry platform for protein characterization," Proc. Natl Acad. 98:4932-4937 (2001); Shen, Z., et al., "Porous silicon as a versatile platform for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry," Anal Chem. 73:612-619 (2001); Cuiffi, et al., "Desorption-ionization mass spectrometry using deposited nanostructured silicon films," Anal., Chem. 73:1292-1295 (2001); and, Kruse, et al., "Experimental factors controlling analyte ion generation in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry on porous silicon," Anal. Chem. 73:3639-3645 (2001). These methods typically use porous silicon or etched silicon columnar structures to trap analytes deposited on the surface, and laser irradiation to vaporize and ionize them. Most of these demonstrated applications to date have been based on the porous silicon material produced by electrochemically etching a wafer or deposited film of silicon.
Silicon nanowires have been the subject of extensive research in electronics, photonics, optoelectronics, sensing, and other novel device applications. See, e.g., Cui, et al., "Nanowire nanosensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of biological and chemical species," Science 293;1289-1292 (2001); Cui, et al., "Functional nanoscale electronic devices assembled using silicon nanowire building blocks," Science 291:851-853 (2001); Huang, et al., "Integrated optoelectronics assembled from semiconductor nanowires," Abstracts of Papers of the American Chemical Society 224:U308 (2002); Zhou, et al., "Silicon nanowires as chemical sensors," Chem. Phys. Lett. 369:220-224 (2003); Duan, et al., "Single-nanowire electrically driven lasers," Nature 421:241-245 (2003); Hahm, et al., "Direct ultrasensitive electrical detection of DNA and DNA sequence variations using nanowire nanosensors," Nano Lett. 4:51-54 (2004). Silicon nanowires appear to be an ideal platform for surface-based mass spectrometry. In contrast to porous silicon, silicon nanowires are catalyzed and grown on the surface of a substrate and their physical dimensions, composition, density, and position can be precisely controlled at the nanoscale level, thus offering even greater potential for designing mass spectrometry active surfaces. See, e.g., U.S. Ser. No. 60/468,390 filed May 6, 2003, U.S. Ser. No. 60/468,606 filed May 5, 2003, and U.S. Ser. No. 10/792,402 filed Mar. 2, 2004, all three entitled "Nanofiber Surfaces for Use in Enhanced Surface Area Applications", the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. However, the use of silicon nanowires as substrate surfaces may pose some challenges in terms of manufacturing such surfaces reproducibly for large-scale commercial production.
It would be beneficial to have a direct laser desorption/ionization technique that eliminates the need for matrix compounds, is reliable and relatively inexpensive to implement, and can be used in biomolecular and other analyses with standard MALDI (and other) mass spectrometer instruments. The present invention provides unique nanostructured thin film surfaces to generate high surface area substrates for matrix-free MALDI and other applications as well. By eliminating background peaks of interfering matrix compounds, good analyses of both low and high-molecular weight compounds such as small molecules, proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides, drugs, pesticides, carbohydrates, fatty acids and the like can be produced more quickly and reliably.

Nanostructured thin films and their uses


In a vacuum processing chamber, a method and apparatus for securing an article to a ceramic plate comprises forming a bore in the ceramic plate, forming a counterbore in the ceramic plate, the counterbore having a center which is offset from a center of the bore, inserting a nut into the counterbore, the nut having a threaded hole therein which is offset from the center of the nut to the same degree that the center of the bore is offset from the center of the counterbore, securing the article to the ceramic plate with a screw which is received into the threaded hole of the nut, and fixing an insulating plug having an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the counterbore in the counterbore adjacent to the nut.

Various types of equipment exist for semiconductor processing such as plasma etching, ion implantation, sputtering, rapid thermal processing (RTP), photolithography, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and flat panel display fabrication processes wherein etching, resist stripping, passivation, deposition, and the like, are carried out. For example, a vacuum processing chamber may be used for etching and chemical vapor deposition of materials on substrates by supplying an etching or deposition gas to the vacuum chamber and application of radio frequencey (RF) energy to the gas. Electromagnetic coupling of RF energy into the source region of a vacuum chamber is conventionally employed to generate and maintain a high electron density plasma having a low particle energy.
Plasma generation is used in a variety of such semiconductor fabrication processes. Plasma generating equipment includes parallel plate reactors such as the type disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,462, electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) systems such as the type disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,232, and transformer or inductively coupled plasma (TCP/ICP) systems such as the type disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,458.
In addition to the RF source which generates the plasma, RF bias energy may be capacitively coupled to the plasma via the article being processed to increase and control the energy of ions impinging on the article. The RF bias power may be capacitively coupled to the plasma via the wafer and chuck. Typically, plasma density is controlled by the RF source power, and ion energy is independently controlled by the RF bias power. To provide the requisite RF fields in the vacuum chamber, the RF source and RF bias generally operate at high voltages.
The high voltage of the RF bias is typically applied to the plasma through an electrode cap in the vacuum processing chamber. Because the cap is powered with a high RF voltage with respect to the electrode housing in the vacuum processing chamber, arcing is likely to occur if there is insufficient spacing between the cap and the grounded housing. Thus, vacuum processing chambers typically include a ceramic insulator plate disposed between the high RF voltage electrode cap and the electrode housing which is at ground potential. The ceramic insulator plate provides the adequate spacing between the electrode cap and the grounded housing to prevent arcing.
A typical method of securing the ceramic insulating plate to the electrode cap is shown in FIG. 1. The method involves threading a hole 10 partway through the ceramic plate 20 (a "blind" hole) and attaching the electrode cap 30 with a screw 40 which is threaded into the blind hole 10. While this method may perform satisfactorily under most conditions, problems can arise, for example, when the ceramic insulator plate 20 is subject to different heating conditions. An uneven heat distribution in the ceramic insulator plate 20 may produce uncontrolled torquing and cause mechanical stresses to develop in the ceramic, with the result that the threads of the blind hole 10 in the ceramic are damaged. Ceramics have a low tolerance for bending moments, which may develop in the threads of the blind hole due to the temperature variations. If even one thread is damaged, the entire ceramic insulating plate, which may include other expensive components, must be replaced.


A pneumatic tire, more particularly a run flat tire, comprises at least three radial carcass plies each extending between bead portions through a tread portion and sidewall portions, the tread portion is provided between the radially outermost carcass ply and radially inner next carcass ply with a crown reinforcing rubber layer so that at least two carcass plies are disposed radially inside the crown reinforcing rubber layer, and each of the sidewall portions is provided between the axially innermost carcass ply and axially outer next carcass ply with a side reinforcing rubber layer so that at least two carcass plies are disposed axially outside the side reinforcing rubber layer. The reinforcing rubber layers are preferably made of a low heat generation rubber having a complex elastic modulus of 8 to 15 Mpa, and a loss tangent of 0.03 to 0.08. The complex elastic modulus of the side reinforcing rubber layer is preferably less than that of the crown reinforcing rubber layer.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire more particularly to a run flat tire.
In order to maintain safe running when the tire is punctured, various propositions have been made.
FIG. 3 shows typical of such propositions, where the sidewall portion (d) is provided between the carcass (f) and inner liner (i) of airtight rubber with a reinforcing layer (g). This reinforcing layer (g) is made of a vast volume of rubber to support the tire load mainly by itself. Therefore, the ride comfort is sacrificed, and the tire weight is inevitably increased to worsen the fuel consumption, which goes against the times.
FIG. 4 shows another proposition, where two reinforce rubber layers (g1) and (g2) are disposed between three plies (f1, f2 and f3) of the carcass (f) in the sidewall portion (d). In this case, it can be possible to reduce the rubber volume if the target load supporting power is the same level as of FIG. 3. In practice, however, it is difficult to attain a sufficient load supporting power even if the same or more volume of rubber.
Further, even if the sidewall portions are fully reinforced by such reinforcing layers (g, g1, g2) at the sacrifice of the tire weight, ride comfort and the like, it is very difficult to improve run flat performance especially to increase the runable distance, because the tire shoulder portions or buttress portions, which are usually a weakest portion of the tire, contact with the ground at high ground pressure and rapidly fatigued and worn and thus easily broken.

Pneumatic tire with crown reinforcing rubber layer and side reinforcing rubber layers


The invention relates to a method for producing individual portions of meat with a predetermined shape and size, during which one, two or more frozen pieces of meat of any shape, whose total weight corresponds to the total weight of the desired portions of meat, are shaped inside the cavity of a press mold to form a coherent piece of meat, and the frozen piece of meat is subsequently divided, in particular, stamped into the portions of meat.

It is known from EP-A-1 319 343 [US 2003/0113422] to trim an individual frozen piece of meat until it has a desired weight and preliminary shape in order to then press it into its final shape in a mold in the frozen state. Due to the trimming, this method results in scraps which are used for other purposes. In addition, it is known from EP-A-1 470 754 to place a piece of meat with a larger weight than that of the final product between upper and lower pressing tools, to always position the two tools at the same distance and to stamp the desired meat portion from the resulting layer. Here, scraps are created as well.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of making individual portions of meat


A liquid ejection apparatus has a liquid cartridge including a liquid container that has a flexible portion and stores liquid therein and a pressure chamber for applying pressure to the flexible portion of the liquid container; a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid; a liquid flow path for guiding liquid from the liquid container to the liquid ejection head; a pressure pump for generating pressurized air; and an air flow path for guiding the pressurized air to the pressure chamber. The pressure pump includes an air chamber that communicates with the air flow path and a pressing member for pressing the air chamber so as to decrease the capacity of the air chamber. The capacity of the air chamber is decreased by the pressing member so as to increase the pressure in the air chamber to an upper limit value of a liquid supply pressure range where a prescribed liquid ejection characteristic is obtained, before a liquid ejecting operation is performed on an ejection target member. A continuous liquid ejecting operation is performed on an ejection target member having a maximum size for the liquid ejection apparatus in a state that the capacity of the air chamber is fixed.

The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus and a liquid pressure control method of the liquid ejection apparatus.
The term "liquid ejection apparatus" as used herein is not limited to recording apparatus such as an ink-jet recording apparatus, a copier, and a facsimile machine that perform recording on a recording subject member such as a recording sheet by ejecting ink from a recording head toward the recording subject member, but includes apparatus that cause, instead of ink, a liquid for a particular purpose to stick to an ejection target member corresponding to the recording subject member by ejecting the liquid from a liquid ejection head corresponding to the recording head toward the ejection target member. Examples of the liquid ejection head are, in addition to the above-mentioned recording head, a colorant ejection head that is used for manufacture of color filters of a liquid crystal display or the like, an electrode material (conductive paste) ejection head that is used for formation of electrodes of an organic EL display, a field emission display (FED), or the like, a bioorganic material ejection head that is used for manufacture of a biochip, and a sample ejection head as a precision pipette that ejects a sample.
Conventionally, ink-jet recording apparatus have been used widely as liquid ejection apparatus that eject liquid toward a target. More specifically, those ink-jet recording apparatus include a carriage, a recording head that is mounted on the carriage, and an ink cartridge that stores ink as liquid. Printing is performed on a recording medium as a target in such a manner that ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the recording head and the ink is jetted from nozzles that are formed in the recording head while the carriage is moved relatively to the recording medium.
Among those ink-jet recording apparatus are ones in which the ink cartridge is not mounted on the carriage (what is called an off-carriage type) for the purposes of reducing the load of the carriage or reducing the size or thickness of the apparatus. Usually, such an ink cartridge has an ink pack that accommodates ink and a case that houses the ink pack.
The ink pack is crushed by supplying air that is pressurized by a pressure pump into the space between the ink pack and the case, whereby ink is supplied from the ink pack to the recording head that is mounted on the carriage.
For example, it is known to use a diaphragm pump as such a pressure pump (refer to JP-A-2000-352379, for example). More specifically, the diaphragm pump disclosed in JP-A-2000-352379 includes a pump chamber having a diaphragm, a suction unidirectional valve, and a discharge unidirectional valve. The capacity of the pump chamber is varied by deformation of the diaphragm.
The suction unidirectional valve, which is disposed between the pump chamber and the outside (i.e., atmosphere) is opened and thereby allows air to flow into the pump chamber only when the pressure in the pump chamber has become approximately lower than atmospheric pressure. Further, the suction unidirectional valve is closed and thereby prevents the air from flowing out of the pump chamber to the outside when the pressure in the pump chamber has become approximately higher than atmospheric pressure. As such, the suction unidirectional valve is a valve for allowing passage of only air that is going to flow into the pump chamber from the outside and for stopping air that is going to flow in the opposite direction.
The discharge unidirectional valve, which is disposed between the pump chamber and the space between the ink pack and the case, is opened and thereby allow air to flow out of the pump chamber to the space between the ink pack and the case only when the pressure in the pump chamber has become higher than the pressure of the space between the ink pack and the case. Further, the discharge unidirectional valve is closed and thereby prevents air from flowing backward from the space between the ink pack and the case into the pump chamber when the pressure in the pump chamber has become lower than the pressure of the space between the ink pack and the case. As such, the discharge unidirectional valve is a valve for allowing passage of only air that is going to flow into the space between the ink pack and the case from the pump chamber and for stopping air that is going to flow in the opposite direction.
In the diaphragm pump having the above structure, as the capacity of the pump chamber is increased and decreased repeatedly, air is sucked through the suction unidirectional valve and the sucked air is pressurized and sent to the space between the ink pack and the case.
Incidentally, the diaphragm pump disclosed in JP-A-2000-352379 is configured in such a manner that the air in the space between the ink pack and the case cannot flow backward into the pump chamber. Therefore, the air in the space between the ink pack and the case is always in a pressurized state. This results in a problem that the pressurized air in the space between the ink pack and the case expands the case to possibly cause an event that the ink cartridge is hard to remove from a main body case of the inkjet recording apparatus when it is attempted to do so.
Further, the ink pack is always in a pressurized state, too. This results in a problem that ink may leak out of a connecting portion between the ink pack and an ink supply tube or the like when the ink cartridge is removed from the main body case of the ink-jet recording apparatus.
In view of the above, it has been conceived to provide, in a certain portion between the diaphragm pump and the ink cartridge, an air release valve or the like capable of making the air pressure in the ink cartridge equal to atmospheric pressure. This measure can solve the above problems because the air pressure in the ink cartridge can be made equal to atmospheric pressure when the ink cartridge is removed from the main body case of the ink-jet recording apparatus.
However, the provision of the air release valve increases the number of components of the entire apparatus and hence may lower the production efficiency or increase the space occupied by the apparatus. In a case that the air release valve is an electromagnetic valve or the like, the control may be complicated.
Liquid ejection apparatus as typified by ink-jet recording apparatus incorporate a liquid ejection head for ejecting liquid toward an ejection target member, and a large number of liquid ejection nozzles for ejecting very small amounts of liquid jets are arranged on a head surface that is opposed to the ejection target member. For example, the liquid ejection head is configured in such a manner that piezoelectric elements are provided in pressure chambers that are provided adjacent to the nozzle openings of the liquid ejection nozzles, respectively. When an electrical signal is applied to a piezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element expands or contracts, as a result of which the liquid pressure in the pressure chamber is varied and a very small amount of liquid is ejected from the nozzle opening. In general, a negative pressure that is caused by expansion or contraction of the pressure chamber that is provided adjacent to the nozzle opening of each liquid ejection nozzle allows liquid to be supplied to (i.e., sucked into) the liquid ejection nozzle from a liquid storage portion that liquid-communicates with the liquid ejection nozzle. However, in liquid ejection apparatus such as large-size ink-jet recording apparatus in which the recording head (liquid ejection head) and the ink cartridge (liquid storage portion) are distant from each other and liquid-communicate with each other via a hollow tube or the like, the negative pressure occurring in each liquid ejection nozzle at the time of liquid ejection may be insufficient to supply a necessary and sufficient amount of ink (liquid) from the ink cartridge to the liquid ejection nozzle through suction. In view of this, various measures have been taken in such ink-jet recording apparatus. For example, the ink cartridge is provided with a mechanical pressure applying member such as a leaf spring and ink is pressurized and sent from the ink cartridge to the recording head by spring force of the lead spring. In another example, ink is pressurized and sent by utilizing the siphon phenomenon of atmospheric pressure (refer to, for example, JP-A4-366643, which has a corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,770 and a corresponding European patent No. 518,380).
However, in the liquid ejection apparatus in which liquid is pressurized and sent from the liquid storage portion to the liquid ejection head by the mechanical pressure applying member such as a leaf spring or by utilizing the siphon phenomenon of atmospheric pressure, the liquid supply pressure cannot be controlled. This may result in an event that the pressure of the ink supply to the recording head has dispersion or the ink supply pressure varies to a large extent due to variation of the ink residual amount. It is therefore difficult to continue to supply ink from the ink cartridge to the recording head with the ink supply pressure kept stable. In previous recording apparatus such as ink-jet recording apparatus, it is rare that deterioration of the recording image quality due to such dispersion or variation of the ink supply pressure becomes a problem. However, in recent years, the image quality of ink-jet recording apparatus has been improved greatly, their recording execution speeds have been increased, and the liquid ejection accuracy that is required for various liquid ejection apparatus using the ink-jet technology has been increased. For these reasons, lowering of the liquid ejection accuracy due to dispersion or variation of the ink supply pressure is becoming a problem.

Liquid ejection apparatus and control method of the liquid ejection apparatus


A method and system are disclosed for measuring a temperature of a body in a non-contact mode based on heat flux measurement. The system includes a temperature measurement apparatus to be positioned in close proximity to a body for measuring the temperature of the body. The temperature measurement apparatus comprises a thermally conducting element, a first and a second temperature sensor, and a temperature modulation arrangement. The first and second temperature sensors are mounted in the conducting element and each measures a temperature of the conducting element. The temperature modulation arrangement modulates the temperature of the conducting element until the temperatures at the first and the second temperature sensors are substantially the same. When these temperatures are equalized, heat flux into the conducting element is zero and the temperature of the conducting element represents the temperature of the body. The apparatus thus enables accurate non-contact temperature measurement of a body.

In semiconductor processing, there is a need to obtain precise temperature measurement of a semiconductor wafer during certain fabrication process steps. Accurate temperature measurement is an important part of fabrication process control. Since temperature measurement of the front side of the wafer is often more desirable as the front side temperature determines the process characteristics, the temperature measurement has to be performed without contacting the wafer surfaces. Contacts made to the wafer front side will contaminate the wafer and damage the fabricated devices. Furthermore, contacts made to the wafer surface cause undesirable perturbation of the local wafer temperature. Therefore, a non-contact approach to wafer temperature measurement is desired.
Radiation pyrometry is a non-contact temperature measurement technique which measures radiation emitted by a hot body at certain limited band of wavelengths. This technique is generally accurate, fast, and easily implemented. However, as fabrication process development moves toward low temperature processing, temperature measurement using pyrometry becomes unsuitable. One disadvantage of the pyrometry technique is that temperature measurement becomes increasingly noisy at lower temperatures (below 600.degree. C.). Where a typical cold-wall chemical vapor deposition process operates in the temperature range of 450.degree. C. to 850.degree. C., accuracy of temperature measurement below 600.degree. C. is imperative. Another disadvantage of pyrometry is that it is sensitive to spurious radiation and cannot differentiate between radiation emitted from the wafer and radiation reflected from or transmitted through the wafer. In wafer fabrication where the wafer is often heated on the backside, radiation transmitted through the wafer from the heat source can obscure pyrometry temperature measurement substantially. Thus, pyrometry is not a feasible temperature measurement technique during a number of wafer processing steps.
Besides semiconductor processing, other manufacturing processes also frequently require precise in situ temperature measurement of a body in a non-contact mode. Consequently, there is a need for a non-contact temperature measurement method and apparatus capable of providing accurate temperature measurement over a temperature range of at least 0.degree. to 1,000.degree. C.

Non-contact, zero-flux temperature sensor


Temporarily filtered video samples are formed as the sum of a previous frame output sample and a non-linear function of the difference between current and previous samples. The function is non-linear only for absolute values of differences less than 50% (preferably 10%) of the maximum range of the difference, and a smaller lookup table is used for implementing the non-linear function than would otherwise be the case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns video filters of the nonlinear temporal type, particularly, but not exclusively, for use in video coding systems.
2. Related Art
Nonlinear inter-frame digital filters are utilized to reduce noise while minimizing the blurring of moving objects or scene changes. In effect, a greater degree of filtering is introduced for small inter-frame differences than for larger ones.

Inter-frame video filter having selective linear and non-linear transfer characteristics as function of inter-frame differences


Razor handles are provided, for razors having a battery-powered functionality. The razor handles include a housing constructed to hold a battery, and, within the housing, a carrier including a pair of battery clamp fingers configured to exert a clamping force against the battery when the battery is in place in the housing.

In many small battery-operated devices, the batteries are replaceable by the user, and are inserted and removed from a battery compartment through an opening having a cover. It is undesirable that the battery or batteries move or rattle around within the compartment, as this may damage the batteries or the device and/or may cause undesirable noise. It is also undesirable to have the batteries fall out if the device is inverted with the battery cover removed.

Razor with clamp force housing for battery


A sub-A/D converter of a first stage is constituted by a serial-parallel A/D converter, which does not use a subtractor, comprising two sub-A/D converters and a first D/A converter. A subtracting amplifier includes a subtractor selecting an analog input signal or the output of the first D/A converter and subtracting the output of a second D/A converter from the selected signal, and an amplifier amplifying the output of the subtractor. The subtracting amplifier is provided for each of a plurality of comparators, which are capable of receiving inputs in timeshared fashion, constituting a sub-A/D converter of a second stage.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an analog/digital converter (referred to as an "A/D converter") for converting an analog signal to a digital signal and, more particularly, to a serial-parallel A/D converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
A serial-parallel A/D converter is advantageous in that the number of comparators involved can be made less than in a full-parallel A/D converter in which a required number of comparators are connected in parallel. A prior-art example of a serial-parallel A/D converter is illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 16.
A first (first-stage) sub-A/D converter AD1 and a second (second-stage) sub-A/D converter AD2 in FIG. 16 are both constituted by full-parallel A/D converters. An analog input signal Vin is coarsely A/D-converted (to obtain higher order digital data) by the first sub-A/D converter AD1, after which the resulting digital data is D/A-converted by a D/A converter DAC1 to generate an approximate analog reproduction signal. The difference between the analog input signal Vin and the approximate analog reproduction signal is obtained by a subtractor SUB, the difference is amplified by an amplifier AMP, and the amplified signal is finely A/D-converted by the second sub-A/D converter AD2 (to obtain lower-order digital data).
In actual applications, the device is so adapted as to perform a pipeline operation by inserting sample-and-hold circuits at the various components in order to sample and hold the signals. For the sake of simplicity, however, a description thereof is not given here.
Digital logic 1490 subjects the digital data from the first and second sub-A/D converters AD1and AD2 to necessary processing such as delay, synchronization, digital addition and digital compensation, etc., to thereby obtain the final digital output signal.
As shown in FIG. 16, comparison reference voltages Vref1, Vref2 which enter the respective sub-A/D converters are required in a number equivalent to the number of comparators that construct the sub-A/D converters.
FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a second prior-art example of a serial-parallel A/D converter. As shown in FIG. 17, the second example of the prior art differs from the first example of the prior art depicted in FIG. 16 in that after the analog input signal Vin is coarsely A/D-converted by the sub-A/D converter AD1 of the first stage, a comparison reference voltage in the vicinity of the analog input signal is produced by the D/A converter DAC1 so that the sub-A/D converter AD2 of the second stage compares this comparison reference voltage with the analog input signal Vin to finely A/D convert the input signal.
More specifically, the second-stage sub-A/D converter AD2 in the first example of the prior art shown in FIG. 16 uses the subtractor SUB to obtain the difference between the analog input signal Vin and the approximate analog reproduction signal, amplifies this difference and compares the amplified signal with the comparison reference voltage. By contrast, in the second example of the prior art shown in FIG. 17, the analog input signal Vin is not amplified and is compared with a finer comparison reference voltage. In the second example of the prior art, subtraction is actually performed between the analog input signal and the comparison reference voltage internally of the comparator. Further, in the second example of the prior art, the comparison reference voltage Vref1 for the first-stage sub-A/D converter AD1 often is supplied by the output of the D/A converter DAC1. (In FIG. 17, the comparison reference voltage Vref1 from the D/A converter DAC1 to the A/D converter AD1 is indicated by the dashed line.)
Hereinafter the construction of the first example of the prior art shall be referred to as a "serial-parallel A/D converter which uses an explicit subtractor", and the construction of the second example of the prior art shall be referred to as a "serial-parallel A/D converter which does not use an explicit subtractor".
FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of a multiple-stage serial-parallel A/D converter according to a third example of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 18, the third example of the prior art is obtained by increasing the number of stages of the serial-parallel A/D converter of the first example of the prior art to three. The number of comparators constructing each sub-A/D converter (of full-parallel type) can be made fewer than in the first example of the prior art.
More specifically, in case of e.g. a 9-bit A/D converter, the sub-A/D converters AD1, AD2 would be constituted by two stages of four bits and five bits in the first example of the prior art shown in FIG. 16, so that the total number of comparators constructing the sub-A/D converters would be 2.sup.4 +2.sup.5 =16+32 =48.
On the other hand, in the third example of the prior art shown in FIG. 18, the sub-A/D converters AD1 to AD3 would be constituted by three stages of three bits each and the total number of comparators constructing the sub-A/D converters would be 2.sup.3 +2.sup.3 +2.sup.3 =8+8+8=24.
A fourth example of the prior art is shown in FIG. 19, which illustrates the construction of a serial-parallel subranging A/D converter proposed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) No.Hei-6-232747. As shown in FIG. 19, this A/D converter is such that the first-stage sub-A/D converter of the serial-parallel A/D converter described as the first example of the prior art is constituted by a similar serial-parallel A/D converter, and the second-stage sub-A/D converter is further constituted by a similar serial-parallel A/D converter.
In FIG. 19, amplifying means that would be inserted between a subtractor 1703 and a sub-A/D converter 1704, between a subtractor 1707 and a sub-A/D converter 1708, and between a subtractor 1711 and a sub-A/D converter 1712 are omitted. In other words, amplifying means generally are inserted in order to improve precision but are not inserted here.


A voltage converter arrangement includes a clocked voltage converter capable of generating an output voltage on the basis of an input voltage. The voltage converter arrangement further includes a first input regulating element connected between a first input voltage node and a second input voltage node, the second input voltage node having a reference potential. The first input regulating element is configured to allow a current flow so as to counteract fluctuations in the input current of the voltage converter arrangement.

In the following, a technical problem underlying the invention will be explained.
Switching regulators, usually pulse-width modulated converters (PWM converters) are widely used in DC-DC converters or AC-DC converters, in which a direct voltage or a direct current, which is free of ripple as far as possible, is to be generated at the output or input. The efficiency of such switching regulators is mostly very high since adiabatic switching is achieved via energy storage devices.
A disadvantage, however, is that such converters involve smoothing capacitances and further filter elements such as double-compensated current chokes at the input and filter capacitors or additional filter chokes at the output in order to largely suppress the ripple. Smoothing capacitors are voluminous and mostly limit service life, and in many cases they are also unsuitable for temperatures above 100° C., so that smoothing capacitors, in particular, should be avoided.
One way to avoid the capacitors at the input or output is to use ideally coupled inductances, which minimizes current fluctuation of a switched inductance. This measure, however, is very much dependent on operating parameters and usually leads to complete current smoothing at the output or the input only in one operating point or within a limited operating range, while current and voltage ripples occur within other operating ranges.
A further disadvantage is the limited dynamics (regulating speed) of a switching regulator since it is limited at least by the period duration of the switching frequency with which the switching regulator operates.
It has been found that a major technical problem is the mains feedback effect (German: Netzrückwirkung) of PWM switching regulators (pulse-width modulated switching regulators) through the current ripple, which is taken by an input-side smoothing capacitance by the converter and thus leads to complex mains filters (mains filters for the high-frequency harmonics (interference voltage) at the mains input. It is estimated that mains filters account for between 20% and 30% of the volume and cost of a power supply. Input stages of such mains appliances are usually boost converters (boost converters) or SEPIC converters, which perform power factor correction (PFC) to generate a sinusoidal input current in phase with the mains voltage and thus to suppress low-frequency harmonics towards the mains.
In the following, some previous solutions to the technical problem will be listed.
One previous solution of overcome these disadvantages is a linear-support buck converter consisting of a PWM buck converter and a parallel linear regulator LR1 according to FIG. 1. The buck converter converts the input voltage Vin to the output voltage Vout and supplies current to the load RL, while at the same time a linear regulator LR1 supplies a current from the input to the output and another linear regulator LR2 derives a current from the output of the buck converter over the load.
A circuit typical of this principle is shown in FIG. 2 [1]. The switching regulator consists of a buck topology with a switch Q1, a smoothing inductance L1 and a passive switch D1 in the form of a diode. The linear regulators LR1 and LR2 are designed as fast bipolar transistors, for example.
In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 the advantageous function of the linear-support buck converter is shown in order to eliminate the mentioned disadvantages. Both linear regulators LR1 and LR2 are controlled by an amplifier so that they keep the output voltage Vout across the load constant. The output voltage is compared with a reference voltage vref, which is to be regulated as target value. If the output voltage is lower than the target value because the current supplied to the load by L1 is too small, the regulator LR1 will be activated, and a current from the input voltage will be additionally supplied to the load. If, on the other hand, the output voltage is too high because the current through L1 is too high to bring the output voltage across the load to the target value, the regulator LR2 will be activated, and the excess current over the load will be dissipated. The current, which is either supplied to the load (LR1) or discharged therefrom (LR2) by one of the linear regulators in each case is additionally measured and forwarded to a comparator with hysteresis in order to be compared to a current reference value ly and thus to achieve the pulse-width modulation of the buck converter at the active switch Q1. If the reference value ly is set to a positive value, as shown in FIG. 3b, only the linear regulator LR1 will be active since the current flows to the load in a positive direction. This mode of operation is useful if the difference between the input voltage and the output voltage is smaller than the output voltage itself, since the power dissipation in the linear regulators should be kept as low as possible. On the other hand, the power dissipation of the linear regulator would be reduced to a minimum if the output voltage is smaller than the difference between the input voltage and the output voltage and if, therefore, only LR2 were active so as to dissipate the excess current over the load.
It has been found that an optimum implementation to reduce the losses and achieve maximum efficiency is to compensate for the so-called ripple current of the buck converter from the choke L1 either by LR1 or by LR2, depending on whether the voltage difference between the input and the output is smaller or larger than the output voltage itself. The losses in the linear regulators are thus formed only by the ripple current multiplied by the smallest voltage difference between either the input and the output or the output voltage itself, so that the overall efficiency of this arrangement is almost as high as that of the buck converter without linear-regulator assistance.
In FIG. 4 it can be seen that in dynamic regulating processes, the output current is immediately supplied to the load as a constant direct current by switching on the linear regulator and the switching regulator at the time t_start. With all dynamic load changes or input voltage changes, one of the linear regulators will thus completely compensate for the slower reaction of the switching regulator, which is delayed via the time constant from the storage element L1 and the load RL itself.
Despite the simple implementation of such an arrangement, one of the disadvantages cannot be eliminated since the input voltage that may be used is larger than the output voltage. Therefore, this implementation is not suitable for applications that involve an input voltage that is lower than the output voltage, and the disadvantage of compensating for current ripple at the input of a switching regulator is not eliminated either.
Further possibilities of completely eliminating the disadvantages are not known, or the eliminate only a part of the disadvantages and thus limit the fields of application (e.g. additional circuits with capacitances to achieve a ripple-free output current [4]).
The topologies shown in FIG. 11a and FIG. 11b are known as conventional solutions for the boost converter or the SEPIC converter as the input stage of a mains appliance with sinusoidal mains voltage; suppression of the high-frequency current ripple is effected via a mains filter which involves a large amount of technical expenditure and is also entails-thermals losses, even though they are small.
Furthermore, there are so-called bridgeless boost converters [7], [8] or boost/buck converters [9], or bridgeless buck converters [10], which are suitable for an AC input Vin_AC and are used for power factor correction in that the rectifier bridge, which is connected upstream from a boost or SEPIC converter for the purpose of power factor correction, may be dispensed with to some extent. FIGS. 11c and 11d show such topologies.
These topologies have an input-side smoothing inductance which, however, cannot completely suppress the switching ripple of the current, even when working in continuous operation. Therefore, additional filter capacitors and possibly double current compensated chokes may be connected between the Vin_AC mains input and the input chokes so as to suppress high frequency interference.
In view of conventional technology, there is a need for a voltage converter concept that provides an improved compromise between efficiency, implementation expenditure and ripple.

Voltage converter arrangement comprising an input regulating element, and method of operating a voltage converter arrangement

Abstract: A corresponding method is also described.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.


In a control device of a power converter circuit repeating accumulation of energy to an inductor and release of energy from the inductor at each turn on/turn off timing of a switch, a zero cross detecting circuit detects a time when a current flowing through the inductor becomes zero by inputting a voltage between both terminals of the inductor directly without any resistance for detecting the inductor current. There is no electricity loss caused by the resistance for detecting the inductor current and critical mode control of the power converter circuit is precisely carried out.

A control mode of the power converter circuit (a DC/DC converter or an AC/DC converter) includes a continuous mode, a discontinuous mode and a critical mode conventionally (refer to a patent document 1).
The critical mode is a mode of a border between the continuous mode and the discontinuous mode.
FIG. 19 (A) shows a buck type (a step-down type) DC/DC converter.
FIG. 19 (B) shows each waveform in several points of the buck type DC/DC converter working in the continuous mode.
FIG. 19 (C) shows each waveform in several points of the buck type DC/DC converter working in the discontinuous mode.
FIG. 19 (D) shows each waveform in several points of the buck type DC/DC converter working in the critical mode.
'Vs' is a switch voltage, 'is' is a switch current, 'STON' is a switch drive signal, 'iL' is an inductor current and 'VL' is an inductor voltage in FIG. 19 (B), FIG. 19 (C) and FIG. 19 (D).
A power factor in the critical mode (FIG. 19 (D)) is usually higher than a power factor in the continuous mode (FIG. 19 (B)) and a power factor in the discontinuous mode (FIG. 19 (C)).
FIG. 20 shows a conventional power conversion system to work in the critical mode, which comprises a control device 8 and a power converter circuit 9.
In FIG. 20, the power converter circuit 9 is a buck type DC/DC converter. The power converter circuit 9 comprises a DC power supply 911, a switch 912 (a transistor), a flywheel diode 913 (DF), an inductor 914 (L) and a capacitor 915 (CO).
A power input terminal of the switch 912 is connected to a positive terminal of the DC power supply 911.
A cathode terminal of the flywheel diode 913 (DF) is connected to a power output terminal of the switch 912, and an anode terminal is grounded.
A terminal of the inductor 914 (L) is connected to the power output terminal of the switch 912, and another terminal of the inductor 914 (L) is connected to a terminal of the capacitor 915 (CO).
Another terminal of the capacitor 915 (CO) is grounded.
A load 900 is connected to both terminals of the capacitor 915.
A resistance 916 (r0) for detecting an inductor current is connected to the inductor 914.
But, if a secondary winding is provided in the inductor 914, a resistance for detecting the inductor current can be connected to the secondary winding.
In the power converter circuit 9, energy is accumulated to the inductor 914 when the switch 912 is turned on.
On the other hand, the energy accumulated to the inductor 914 is released to the load 900 when the switch 912 is turned off.
The control device 8 includes an on-time information generation circuit 81, a zero cross detecting circuit 82 and a PWM signal generation circuit 83.
The on-time information generation circuit 81 receives a power converter circuit information INF including at least an output voltage value EO of the power converter circuit 9, and the on-time information generation circuit 81 generates the on-time information NTON of the switch 912.
An output voltage eO of the power converter circuit 9 is converted to a digital signal (the output voltage EO) by an A/D converter 801, and the output voltage EO is input to the on-time information generation circuit 81.
The on-time information generation circuit 81 is typically a PID control circuit. The on-time information generation circuit 81 can send the on-time information NTON (a numerical value) to the PWM signal generation circuit 83 for each switching cycle.
For example, the on-time information generation circuit 81 sends the on-time information NTON to the PWM signal generation circuit 83 depending on a request from the PWM signal generation circuit 83.
A voltage Vr0 occurs between two terminals of the resistance 916 (r0) serially connected to the inductor 914.
The zero cross detecting circuit 82 inputs the voltage Vr0.
The zero cross detecting circuit 82 detects a time when a current flowing through the inductor 914 (an inductor current iL) becomes zero.
The zero cross detecting circuit 82 generates and sends a zero cross detection signal ZCRSS to the PWM signal generation circuit 83 when the inductor current iL becomes zero.
When the zero cross detection signal ZCRSS is received, the PWM signal generation circuit 83 sends a turn on signal TRNON to a driver 802.
The PWM signal generation circuit 83 generates and sends a turn off signal TRNOFF to the driver 802 when a time based on the on-time information NTON passed after the PWM signal generation circuit 83 sent the turn on signal TRNON.
The driver 802 drives the switch 912 based on the switch drive signal STON.

Control device of a power conversion circuit


The present invention relates to a head up display system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising: a picture generating unit having a picture projection optics, a tilted mirror and an intermediate image plane, wherein light from the picture projection optics is deflected by the mirror toward the backside of the intermediate image plane, and an optical lens and/or mirror arrangement for magnifying and/or conveying a picture generated on the intermediate image plane to an optical combiner, wherein a pair of prisms is inserted in the optical path between the tilted mirror and the intermediate image plane to eliminate or mitigate specific light beams emanating from the intermediate image plane and traveling toward the tilted mirror and/or specific light beams emanating from the intermediate image plane already being reflected from the tilted mirror and traveling back toward the intermediate image plane.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to a head up display system for overlaying a generated image on a scene.
It has proven to be very beneficial to project information directly into a driver's field of view by using the windshield as a screen for a display device installed in the dashboard panel. By this, the driver is less distracted and is able to continuously keep his eyes on the road.
In conventional head up display systems (abbreviated as HUD systems) the display device is placed in a recessed part of the dashboard panel, and is thereby concealed from the direct view of the vehicle operator.
An output light beam of the HUD system is reflected by the inner surface of the windshield at such an angle that the displayed image is seen by the vehicle driver, preferably in a manner as if the image were located at some distance ahead of the windshield.
However, in such a HUD system, external light, e.g. sunlight, entering the passenger compartment via the windshield may be reflected by components of the HUD system and reflect light into the vehicle driver's field of view. This may cause glare to the vehicle operator or otherwise prevent the vehicle operator paying attention to the road ahead of the vehicle.
In general, the optical system of a HUD system comprises of two distinct parts. One part to generate the image and one part to relay the image to the driver. The part generating the image is called "Picture Generating Unit" (PGU).
PGUs can be classified based on the way the image is generated. Direct-view PGUs generate the image directly on the surface observed by the driver, similar to a regular TV. Projection PGUs generate the image using a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) and project it on a diffuse screen (i-plane or intermediate plane).
This screen is then observed by the driver, wherein the underlying principle is similar to a back-projection TV. The SLM can be a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS), or similar device.
The intermediate image created on the i-plane is observed by the driver through a magnifying optical system comprising at least one aspherical mirror throwing the magnified and typically also rotated intermediate image onto a combiner. The combining surface can be the vehicle windshield or a dedicated surface in the driver's line-of-sight. This optical system is being referred to as "HUD optics".
However, if sunlight hits the i-plane directly or via the HUD optics, there is a chance that a portion of the sunlight is reflected by the PGU mirror(s), back to the driver's eyes. The probability of occurrence and severity of these reflexes depends on the layout of the components in the PGU and HUD optics and the properties of the i-plane. The reflected sunlight can cause a substantial level of the glare into the driver's eye depending on the intensity of the reflex. As already mentioned, glare can be annoying or even dangerous to the driver.
The common solutions of this glare problem are tilting the PGU mirror(s) in such a way that the glare is avoided and/or reducing the size of optical components so that the glare is avoided.
Reducing the size of optical components typically means reducing the performance of the HUD, specifically the perceived image size and/or the size of the area from which the image can be seen. Further, predicting glare conditions during the design phase of a HUD within a vehicle is time-consuming and imprecise. Especially the properties of the i-plane are often not known at that point of time. Using the described methods to address a glare found after the design phase of the HUD can be a big effort, impacting timing and commercial viability of a project.


A wireless telecommunications system is capable of providing both public wireless service and private network service on existing IS-95 CDMA facilities without changes to the air interface or the hardware design. An illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises: broadcasting an SID/NID signal to a wireless terminal, wherein the SID/NID signal is associated with a set of user zones; receiving from the wireless terminal: (1) an indicium of the wireless terminal's identity, and (2) a request to establish a communications channel based on the SID/NID signal; transmitting the indicium of the wireless terminal's identity to a home location register; receiving from the home location register a prioritized list of user zones based on the indicium of the wireless terminal's identity; and establishing the communications channel based on a first user zone, which first user zone is the user zone that has the highest priority in the prioritized list of user zones and that is also a member of the set of user zones.

As public wireless telecommunications service based on CDMA becomes available, wireless service providers are increasingly interested in offering private wireless network service to select customers. To do this, the wireless service providers have two apparent options: (1) install a separate wireless network to service each private network, or (2) change the existing air interface standards to support both public and private networks and make the concomitant hardware modifications to support the changes in the air interface. Both options are considered undesirable because of the huge expense associated with implementing either option.

Method for implementing private wireless telecommunications networks


A restrictor device for limiting the degree of opening of an openable closure. The restrictor device has an arm (10) with a mounting plate (12) to pivotally mount the arm to either the closure or the frame on which the closure is mounted. The arm (10) is furthermore coupled to the closure or the frame as the case may be by a slideable element (16) to which the arm is pivotally coupled by a pivot (15). A movement restricting device is incorporated in the slideable element (16) whereby the movement of the slideable element can be selectively restricted.

This invention relates to a restrictor device for use in restricting the extent of opening of an openable closure and more particularly a window.
Restrictor devices for limiting the extent of opening of a window sash for security and safety purposes are known. Such restrictor devices can, for example, limit the opening of the sash so as to provide for ventilation but prevent unauthorised entry from the outside through the window. Such restrictor devices are also useable to provide safety so as to prevent a window sash opening to such an extent that, say, a small child could pass through the gap between the open sash and the window frame. Additionally a restrictor device can limit the extent of opening so as to prevent, in the event of uncontrolled opening, a person from being drawn through the window opening.
On exceptionally large window sashes restrictor devices can also provide additional control of the sash when friction stays are fitted. Furthermore, when the sash is simply hung on hinges the restrictor device provides the sole means of control of the extent of opening and in many cases maintenance of the sash in the open position.
Restrictor devices whether they be for security or safety purposes or simply to control the sash suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, they are not versatile in operation in that they usually provide control only at specific degrees of openness of the sash. Furthermore they usually only provide control in one direction. Even further, some restrictor devices can become disengaged upon a force in the opening direction arising, eg due to a wind gust. Such disengagement will permit the sash to slam closed resulting in damage and/or physical danger to someone attending the window or can result in the security/safety purpose of the restrictor being lost.


An image point located in the region inside of an object image is determined from an image signal made up of a series of image signal components representing respective picture elements in a radiation image, which includes the object image and which has been recorded on a recording medium in accordance with a predetermined image recording menu. A plurality of different neural networks are prepared for a plurality of different image recording menus. Each of the neural networks receives an image signal and generates outputs which represent an image point. A neural network, which is optimum for the predetermined image recording menu, is selected from the plurality of the neural networks. Outputs, which represent the image point located in the region inside of the object image, are then obtained from the selected neural network.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for determining an image point in an object image from an image signal made up of a series of image signal components representing picture elements in a radiation image, which has been recorded on a recording medium and which includes the object image therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Techniques for reading out a recorded radiation image in order to obtain an image signal, carrying out appropriate image processing on the image signal, and then reproducing a visible image by use of the processed image signal have heretofore been known in various fields. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61(1986)-5193, an X-ray image is recorded on an X-ray film having a small gamma value chosen according to the type of image processing to be carried out, the X-ray image is read out from the X-ray film and converted into an electric signal (image signal), and the image signal is processed and then used for reproducing the X-ray image as a visible image on a copy photograph, or the like. In this manner, a visible image having good image quality with high contrast, high sharpness, high graininess, or the like can be reproduced.
Also, when certain kinds of phosphors are exposed to radiation such as X-rays, .alpha.-rays, .beta.-rays, .gamma.-rays, cathode rays or ultraviolet rays, they store part of the energy of the radiation. Then, when the phosphor which has been exposed to the radiation is exposed to stimulating rays such as visible light, light is emitted by the phosphor in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. A phosphor exhibiting such properties is referred to as a stimulable phosphor.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,258,264, 4,276,473, 4,315,318, 4,387,428, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56(1981)-11395, it has been proposed to use stimulable phosphors in radiation image recording and reproducing systems. Specifically, a sheet provided with a layer of the stimulable phosphor (hereinafter referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet) is first exposed to radiation which has passed through an object, such as the human body. A radiation image of the object is thereby stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet. The stimulable phosphor sheet is then scanned with stimulating rays, such as a laser beam, which cause it to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation. The light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet, upon stimulation thereof, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an electric image signal. The image signal is then used during the reproduction of the radiation image of the object as a visible image on a recording material such as photographic film, on a display device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or the like.
Radiation image recording and reproducing systems which use stimulable phosphor sheets are advantageous over conventional radiography using silver halide photographic materials, in that images can be recorded even when the energy intensity of the radiation to which the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed varies over a wide range. More specifically, since the amount of light which the stimulable phosphor sheet emits when being stimulated varies over a wide range and is proportional to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to the radiation, it is possible to obtain an image having a desirable density regardless of the energy intensity of the radiation to which the stimulable phosphor sheet was exposed. In order to obtain the desired image density, an appropriate read-out gain is set when the emitted light is being detected and converted into an electric signal to be used in the reproduction of a visible image on a recording material, such as photographic film, or on a display device, such as a CRT display device.
In order for an image signal to be detected accurately, certain factors which affect the image signal must be set in accordance with the dose of radiation delivered to the stimulable phosphor sheet and the like. Novel radiation image recording and reproducing systems which accurately detect an image signal have been proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,060. The proposed radiation image recording and reproducing systems are constituted such that a preliminary read-out operation (hereinafter simply referred to as the "preliminary readout") is carried out in order approximately to ascertain the radiation image stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet. In the preliminary readout, the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with a light beam having a comparatively low energy level, and a preliminary read-out image signal obtained during the preliminary readout is analyzed. Thereafter, a final read-out operation (hereinafter simply referred to as the "final readout") is carried out to obtain the image signal, which is to be used during the reproduction of a visible image. In the final readout, the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with a light beam having an energy level higher than the energy level of the light beam used in the preliminary readout, and the radiation image is read out with the factors affecting the image signal adjusted to appropriate values on the basis of the results of an analysis of the preliminary read-out image signal.
The term "read-out conditions" as used hereinafter means a group of various factors, which are adjustable and which affect the relationship between the amount of light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet during image readout and the output of a read-out means. For example, the term "read-out conditions" may refer to a read-out gain and a scale factor which define the relationship between the input to the read-out means and the output therefrom, or to the power of the stimulating rays used when the radiation image is read out.
The term "energy level of a light beam" as used herein means the level of energy of the light beam to which the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed per unit area. In cases where the energy of the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet depends on the wavelength of the irradiated light beam, i.e. the sensitivity of the stimulable phosphor sheet to the irradiated light beam depends upon the wavelength of the irradiated light beam, the term "energy level of a light beam" means the weighted energy level which is calculated by weighting the energy level of the light beam, to which the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed per unit area, with the sensitivity of the stimulable phosphor sheet to the wavelength. In order to change the energy level of a light beam, light beams of different wavelengths may be used, the intensity of the light beam produced by a laser beam source or the like may be changed, or the intensity of the light beam may be changed by moving an ND filter or the like into and out of the optical path of the light beam. Alternatively, the diameter of the light beam may be changed in order to alter the scanning density, or the speed at which the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with the light beam may be changed.
Regardless of whether the preliminary readout is or is not carried out, it has also been proposed to analyze the image signal (including the preliminary read-out image signal) obtained and to adjust the image processing conditions, which are to be used when the image signal is processed, on the basis of the results of an analysis of the image signal. The term "image processing conditions" as used herein means a group of various factors, which are adjustable and set when an image signal is subjected to processing, which affect the gradation, sensitivity, or the like, of a visible image reproduced from the image signal. The proposed method is applicable to cases where an image signal is obtained from a radiation image recorded on a recording medium such as conventional X-ray film, as well as to systems using stimulable phosphor sheets.
Various methods have been proposed for calculating how the read-out conditions for the final readout and/or the image processing conditions should be adjusted on the basis of an analysis of the image signal (including the preliminary read-out image signal). As one of such methods, it has been proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,028 to create a histogram of the image signal. When a histogram of an image signal is created, the characteristics of the corresponding radiation image recorded on a recording medium, such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or X-ray film, can be ascertained based on, for example, the maximum value of the image signal, the minimum value of the image signal, or the value of the image signal at which the histogram is maximum, i.e. the value which occurs most frequently. Therefore, if the read-out conditions for the final readout, such as the read-out gain or the scale factor, and/or the image processing conditions are based on an analysis of the histogram of the image signal, it becomes possible to reproduce a visible radiation image which has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness.
Also, in the course of recording a radiation image, it is often desirable for portions of the object not related to a diagnosis or the like to be prevented from being exposed to radiation. Further, when the object portions not related to a diagnosis or the like are exposed to radiation, the radiation is scattered by such portions to the portion that is related to a diagnosis or the like, and the image quality is adversely affected by the scattered radiation. Therefore, when a radiation image is recorded on the recording medium, an irradiation field stop is often used to limit the irradiation field to an area smaller than the overall recording region of the recording medium so that radiation is irradiated only to that portion of the object, which is to be viewed, and part of the recording medium.
However, in cases where the read-out conditions for the final readout and/or the image processing conditions are calculated on the basis of the results of an analysis of the image signal in the manner described above and the image signal is detected from a recording medium, on which the irradiation field was limited during the recording of the radiation image, the radiation image cannot be ascertained accurately if the image signal is analyzed without the shape and location of the irradiation field being taken into consideration. As a result, incorrect read-out conditions and/or an incorrect image processing conditions are set, and it becomes impossible to reproduce a visible radiation image which has good image quality and can serve as an effective tool in, particularly, the efficient and accurate diagnosis of an illness.
In order to eliminate the aforesaid problem, it is necessary to determine the shape and location of an irradiation field and then to calculate the read-out conditions for the final readout and/or the image processing conditions on the basis of only the image signal representing image information stored in the region inside of the irradiation field.
Accordingly, the applicant has proposed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,079 a novel method for accurately determining the shape and location of an irradiation field even when the irradiation field has an irregular shape. The proposed method comprises the steps of detecting a contour point, which is considered to be present on the contour of the irradiation field, on each of a plurality of radial lines each of which connects a predetermined point located in the region inside of the irradiation field with an edge of a recording medium, and determining that the region surrounded by lines connecting the thus detected contour points is the irradiation field.
In the proposed method for determining the shape and location of an irradiation field, the aforesaid predetermined point should be located in the region inside of the irradiation field, and should preferably be located in an object image, which is formed in the region inside of the irradiation field. In cases where the recording of a radiation image is carried out with an irradiation field stop, since the irradiation field stop is used to limit the irradiation field so that an image of only that portion of the object which is to be viewed is recorded, the image points in the region inside of the irradiation field (particularly, the image points at positions neighboring the center point of the irradiation field) are generally located in the region inside of the object image.
In cases where the shape and location of the irradiation field are first determined and then the image signal representing the image information recorded in the region inside of the detected irradiation field is analyzed in the manner as that described above, appropriate read-out conditions for the final readout and/or appropriate image processing conditions can be determined.
However, in order to determine the shape and location of an irradiation field with the method proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,079, it is necessary to find an image point located in the region inside of the irradiation field (preferably, an image point located in the region inside of the object image).
The image point located in the region inside of the object image should be determined when the shape and location of the irradiation field are to be recognized as described above, and when which position on a radiation image is to be employed as the center point of a visible image is determined in cases where, for example, part of the radiation image is enlarged and reproduced into the visible image.
Various methods for determining an image point in an object image have been proposed. Two examples of such methods are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 340,744. One of the disclosed methods comprises the steps of:
i) on the basis of an image signal made up of a series of image signal components representing respective picture elements in a radiation image, which includes an object image and which has been recorded on a recording medium, finding the center of gravity on the recording medium by weighting the respective picture elements with image signal values corresponding to the respective picture elements or with the reciprocals of the image signal values, and PA1 ii) determining a position, at which the center of gravity is located, as the image point in the object image. PA1 i) on the basis of an image signal made up of a series of image signal components representing respective picture elements in a radiation image, which includes an object image and which has been recorded on a recording medium, arraying image signal values corresponding to the respective picture elements or the reciprocals of the image signal values such that the positions of the image signal values or the positions of the reciprocals of the image signal values coincide with the positions of the corresponding picture elements, PA1 ii) cumulating the image signal values or the reciprocals of the image signal values along each of two different directions on the recording medium, and plotting the resulting cumulative values of the image signal values or the resulting cumulative values of the reciprocals of the image signal values along each of the two different directions, thereby to find the distributions of the cumulative values along the two different directions, PA1 iii) detecting a coordinate point along each of the two different directions, for which point the cumulative value is approximately one half of the maximum cumulative value, from each of the distributions of the cumulative values, and PA1 iv) determining a position on the recording medium, which position is defined by the coordinate points detected along the two different directions, as the image point in the object image. PA1 i) preparing a plurality of different neural networks for a plurality of different image recording menus, each of said neural networks receiving an image signal and generating outputs which represent an image point, PA1 ii) selecting a neural network, which is optimum for said predetermined image recording menu, from the plurality of said neural networks, and PA1 iii) obtaining outputs, which represent said image point located in the region inside of said object image, from the selected neural network.
The other disclosed method comprises the steps of:
Recently, a method for utilizing a neural network has been proposed. It is considered that the method for utilizing a neural network may be applied when an image point in an object image is to be determined.
The neural network is provided with a learning function by a back propagation method. Specifically, when information (an instructor signal), which represents whether an output signal obtained when an input signal is given is or is not correct, is fed into the neural network, the weight of connections between units in the neural network (i.e. the weight of synapse connections) is corrected. By repeating the learning operation of the neural network, the probability that a correct answer will be obtained in response to a new input signal can be kept high.
By utilizing the neural network, an image point in an object image can be determined from an image signal representing a radiation image, in which the object image is included.
Specifically, an image signal representing a radiation image is fed into the neural network. From the neural network, outputs representing an image point are obtained. By repeating the learning operation of the neural network, outputs more accurately representing the image point can be obtained.
The methods disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 340,744 filed Apr. 20, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,597 which do not depend on an image recording menu. Specifically, with the disclosed methods, even if the image recording menu changes, determination of an image point in an object image is carried out in the same mode. However, if the image recording menu changes, the values of the image signal change. Therefore, the problem occurs in that an image point in an object image cannot be determined accurately for a certain image recording menu.
Specifically, a certain method for determining an image point in an object image is suitable only for a certain image recording menu. Therefore, for an image recording menu, a method for determining an image point in an object image, which method is optimum for the image recording menu, must be selected.
For example, when a radiation image of the head of a human body is recorded on a recording medium, a circular irradiation field stop is often used. Therefore, for a radiation image of the head of a human body, an image point must be determined, from which the shape and location of an irradiation field having one of various irregular shapes (including a circular shape) can be determined. Also, when a tomographic radiation image is recorded, the edge of an irradiation field often becomes unsharp due to flow of the image. Therefore, in such cases, an image point must be determined such that the shape and location of the irradiation field can be determined even if the edge of the irradiation field is unsharp.

Method for determining image points in object images using neural networks


The distal end of a basic tube element including a stopper device with an expandable plug is positioned in a pre-drilled hole in a rock face. Rotating a force control wheel threaded on the tube element exerts force on a sleeve that in turn causes the plug component of the stopper means to expand and seal the distal end of the tube in the hole. Gas under known pressure is introduced through the tube element. A thin capillary tube positioned in the tube element connects the distal end of the tube element to means to detect and display pressure changes and data that allow the permeability of the rock to be determined.

This invention is most generally characterized as a research instrument. It is a device used in research in geology. More specifically, it is a device used in the field to measure physical properties of rocks and similar geological materials. Even more specifically it is a device used to measure the permeability of rocks and similar geological materials in their natural (field) setting.
The invention comprises a hand-held, hand-operated device used to determine the permeability of rock in its field or natural setting. A tube with an expandable stopper is inserted into a pre-drilled hole in the rock. A wheel element threaded on the tube is rotated to exert a force on a sleeve that contacts the stopper. The stopper expands in response to the force, thereby sealing the hole. A gas from under known pressure is introduced through the tube and a junction box that connects the device to an external source of the gas. A thin capillary tube is positioned in the tube and connected through the junction box to data recording and display equipment. The flow of gas at a steady state is subject to analysis that yields permeability of the rock.
The science of geology focuses on the understanding the physical and chemical nature and properties of the earth""s crust, specifically those strata at or below the surface. Characterizing the basic physical and chemical properties of these rocky strata, including those strata exposed at the earth""s surface, is fundamental to understanding, managing, and protecting geological resources such as minerals, fossil fuel reserves, and subsurface water resources, including water quality on which many human activities depend.
Permeability of rocks to fluids is an important, basic physical characteristic used to describe, distinguish, and classify numerous types of rocks and rocky strata. Permeability is an important physical property that influences how fluids of all types move into and through various rocky strata. In the face of justifiable, increasing concerns of pollution of sub-surface water resources and equally justifiable concerns related to decreasing supplies of fossil fuels, characterizing the strata through which water moves and through which pollutants may enter, as well as characterizing the strata in which fossil fuels are found, assumes importance other than basic scientific interest.
Unlike some sciences, field research is an essential element of basic research in geology. Obviously, considering the subject matter comprising geology, moving representative samples from a field site to the laboratory for study is commonly impractical, if not effectively impossible. Measurements made on relatively small samples removed from their natural settings may not reflect the characteristics of the materials in their natural state. Simple, cost effective devices to measure accurately the permeability of rocky materials in their natural setting are of immediate practical use and value, not only to the basic study of geology, but for the protection of certain natural resources.
Prior art reveals a variety of devices that are used for field determination of permeability of rocky strata. Although these devices to measure permeability may differ in structural detail, functionally they all are very similar, all involve the same basic concepts, and all suffer from the same general deficiencies.
In the most fundamental sense, permeability of a rocky material is determined by measuring the rate of flow of a fluid of known properties (often a gas) into the material with the fluid delivered under measured and controlled conditions. In the present application, the fluid used is a gas. When both the flow and pressure reach and maintain a stable (time-independent event) state, permeability may be determined. Devices for this procedure require a source of gas under pressure, a valve system to control the rate and pressure of gas delivery, and suitable devices to display flow rate and pressure. Such valve systems and devices are readily available. In addition a means to deliver the gas to the study material is required. This means is a tube commonly described as a probe, the distal end of which is adapted to form a seal between the surface of the rock and the probe interior.
With existing probe devices, the user manually applies pressure to the device to form the necessary seal between the probe and surface of the rock. A defective seal yields unreliable results because both the flow of the gas and pressure are affected to an unknown extent. The gas is delivered by mechanical means through the flow measuring means to the tube and through the tube to the tube/rock interface. The pressure at the distal end of the probe in relation to the flow of the gas is a measure of resistance to flow into the rock, or the permeability of the rock. By means well known to those skilled in the art, the flow and pressure readings are transformed into permeability values that in turn may be compared with other samples.
The greatest deficiencies of the prior art are found in aspects of the device described above: the seal at the interface between the distal end of the probe and the rock may be defective; measurements may vary as a result of the skill and experience of the individual using the device; fatigue and use in awkward positions may affect the quality of the seal, and permeability estimates are based on characteristics of the weathered surface of the rock, and this surface generally is recognized by those skilled in the art as not being fully representative of the parent, unweathered rock material.

Small drill-hole, gas mini-permeameter probe


An ink supplying system has a first pipe having one end that connects to a main ink tank storing ink containing no air and another end that removably connects to a primary auxiliary ink tank that receives ink from the main ink tank. A second pipe has one end that removably connects to the primary auxiliary ink tank. An ink jet head is connected to another end of the second pipe for performing printing by ejecting ink on a printing medium. A secondary auxiliary ink tank has a capacity smaller than that of the primary auxiliary ink tank and is selectively exchangeable with the primary auxiliary ink tank for removing air in the ink supplying system prior to printing by the ink jet head. The secondary auxiliary ink tank has a connection pipe that removably connects to the another end of the first pipe and to the one end of the second pipe in fluid communication therewith. The connection pipe has the same sectional area as that of the first and second pipes.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an ink supplying system for an ink jet printer, an ink supplying method for an ink jet printer, and an ink jet printer.
2. Background Art
In a conventional ink jet printer, an intermediate ink storing bag (auxiliary tank) is used in an ink passage that connects an ink cartridge (main tank) that stores ink and an ink jet head that ejects the ink and performs recording on a recording medium. This intermediate ink storing bag is provided in order to continue printing with the ink jet head even at the time of replacement of the ink cartridge. The intermediate ink storing bag is made of a flexible bag in order to store a predetermined volume of ink. At the top of the intermediate ink storing bag, for degassing at the time when the ink is filled or replaced, a tube that is arranged upward and has an on-off valve is provided (see, for example, Patent Document JP 2004-203056 A).
During ink filling in starting the ink jet printer, the ink is supplied from the ink cartridge to the ink jet head through the ink passage and via the intermediate ink storing bag. When the ink is supplied, because the intermediate ink storing bag is made of the flexible bag, the air tends to be accumulated in the inside thereof. Therefore, the air accumulated in the intermediate ink storing bag is exhausted by the on-off valve provided at the top.
However, in the conventional ink jet printer, the tube and the on-off valve as mechanisms for removing the air are attached even during normal use, and hence the ink jet printer is increase in size and complicated. The air removing by the tube provided in the upper part of the intermediate ink storing bag is extremely difficult because the on-off valve is adjusted while states of the air and the ink discharged to the tube are observed.
The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide an ink supplying system for an ink jet printer, an ink supplying method for an ink jet printer, and an ink jet printer with which ink supply work in starting to use the ink jet printer is easy and that can be reduced in size.

Ink supplying system for ink jet printer, ink supplying method for ink jet printer, and ink jet printer


A lens position detector for detecting a position of a movable lens group in an optical axis direction includes a manual operating ring, a rotation of the manual operating ring causing the movable lens group to move in the optical axis direction; a code plate installed in a barrel; and a conductive brush fixed to the manual operating ring, the rotation of the manual operating ring causing relative rotational sliding between the conductive brush and the code plate. A surface of the code plate with which the conductive brush is in sliding contact is inclined to a plane orthogonal to the optical axis at an angle of inclination substantially equal to a lead angle of male and female screw threads engaged with each other which are formed on the manual operating ring and the ring member, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens position detector for a camera, and more specifically, relates to a lens position detector used for a lens barrel of a camera in which a lens group moves in an optical axis direction by a rotation of a manual operating ring provided on the lens barrel, wherein the detector is configured to be capable of detecting the position of the lens group in the optical axis direction with respect to the rotation position of the manual operating ring.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photographic lens barrel of a camera which is provided with a focus ring (manual operating ring) and a zoom ring (manual operating ring) that are operated by the user to change the position of one or more movable lens groups provided in the lens barrel in an optical axis direction to thereby adjust the focus and the focal length of the photographic lens, respectively, is known in the art. Various mechanisms for changing the position of one or more movable lens groups by a rotation of the focus ring or the zoom ring have been proposed. Among such mechanisms, a mechanism wherein a cam ring provided in a lens barrel rotates via a rotation of a manual operating ring, and a lens frame which supports a lens group is provided integrally with a set of cam rollers (cam followers) which are respectively engaged in a set of cam grooves formed in a cam ring to convert rotational movements of the cam ring into linear movements of the set of cam rollers, i.e., linear movements of the lens group supported by the lens frame, is known in the art.
With this type of mechanism, a lens position detector is incorporated in a lens barrel when it is required to detect the position of a movable lens group or groups in an optical axis direction to detect a state of focusing or zooming. For instance, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2593855 discloses such a lens position detector incorporated in a lens barrel. The lens barrel disclosed therein is provided with a code plate having a predetermined conductive pattern thereon which is fixed to one of a stationary portion of the lens barrel and a lens support frame for supporting a lens group and moves with the lens group in an optical axis direction, and is further provided with a conductive brush which is in sliding contact with the conductive pattern of the code plate so that the conductive brush slides on the conductive pattern as the lens support frame moves relative to the stationary portion of the lens barrel. Variations in shape of the conductor traces of the conductive pattern in the direction of sliding movement of the conductive brush thereon are detected via the conductive brush that is in contact with the conductive pattern, and the variations thus detected are output as an electrical signal to detect the position of the lens group in the optical axis direction. Another type of lens position detector is known in the art which detects the position of a movable lens group by detecting an angle of rotation of either a cam ring having an intimate relationship with the position of the movable lens group in the optical axis direction or a manual operating ring integral with the cam ring using a similar combination of a code plate and a conductive brush.
Providing a code plate and a conductive brush on internal elements of a lens barrel such as a lens support frame and a cam ring in a manner similar to that disclosed in the aforementioned utility model publication complicates the internal structure of the lens barrel and limits the arrangement of elements of the lens position detector because such elements must be arranged so as not to interfere with elements of a cam mechanism such as cam rollers, which makes it difficult to design the lens position detector. Accordingly, it is conceivable to mount one or more elements of a lens position detector to a manual operating ring positioned in the radially outermost part of the lens barrel. For instance, a conductive brush can be secured to a part of the manual operating ring to rotate with the manual operating ring about an optical axis, while a code plate is fixed to a part of a stationary ring which faces the conductive brush in the optical axis direction.
This structure is effectively used in the case where the manual operating ring rotates at a specific position (fixed position) in the optical axis direction. However, in the case where the manual operating ring is screwed into a stationary ring via screw threads (or helicoidal threads) in a manner similar to those of recently-produced lens barrels, the manual operating ring moves in the optical axis direction in accordance with the lead angle of the screw threads (or helicoidal threads) when the manual rotating ring is rotated, and accordingly, this movement of the manual rotating ring in the optical axis direction changes the distance between the code plate and the conductive brush that face each other. This change varies the contact pressure of the conductive brush on the code plate, thus making it impossible to maintain an ideal state of electrical contact between the code plate and the conductive brush. Therefore, there is a possibility that a proper electrical signal, i.e., a lens position detection signal may not be obtained in the long run. Additionally, in the case where the range of rotation of the manual rotating ring is great, there is a possibility that the conductive brush may become out of contact with the code plate to thereby make it impossible to obtain a lens position detection signal.