A broom device for removably securing a handle to a broom an improved manner. The broom device includes a bar having a top side, a bottom side and peripheral edge. The bar is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A hole extends through the top and bottom sides of the bar and is positioned generally between the first and second ends. A panel has an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral edge extending between the upper and lower surfaces. The panel has at least one aperture therein extending through the upper and lower surfaces. Each of a plurality of bristles is attached to and extends away from the lower surface of the panel. The bristles are resiliently flexible. A pole is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A rod is attached to and extends away from the first end of the pole. The top side of the bar is abutted against the bottom surface of the panel such that the aperture is aligned with the hole. The cap is extended into the aperture such that rod is extended through the aperture. A securing member is removably secured to the rod.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to broom devices and more particularly pertains to a new broom device for removably securing a handle to a broom an improved manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of broom devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, broom devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,293,972; 5,758,385; 3,682,516; 5,172,447; 3,891,339; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 379,422.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new broom device. The inventive device includes a bar having a top side, a bottom side and peripheral edge. The bar is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A hole extends through the top and bottom sides of the bar and is positioned generally between the first and second ends. A panel has an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral edge extending between the upper and lower surfaces. The panel has at least one aperture therein extending through the upper and lower surfaces. Each of a plurality of bristles is attached to and extends away from the lower surface of the panel. The bristles are resiliently flexible. A pole is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A rod is attached to and extends away from the first end of the pole. The top side of the bar is abutted against the bottom surface of the panel such that the aperture is aligned with the hole. The cap is extended into the aperture such that rod is extended through the aperture. A securing member is removably secured to the rod.
In these respects, the broom device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of removably securing a handle to a broom an improved manner.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of broom devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new broom device construction wherein the same can be utilized for removably securing a handle to a broom an improved manner.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new broom device apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the broom devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new broom device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art broom devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a bar having a top side, a bottom side and peripheral edge. The bar is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A hole extends through the top and bottom sides of the bar and is positioned generally between the first and second ends. A panel has an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral edge extending between the upper and lower surfaces. The panel has at least one aperture therein extending through the upper and lower surfaces. Each of a plurality of bristles is attached to and extends away from the lower surface of the panel. The bristles are resiliently flexible. A pole is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A rod is attached to and extends away from the first end of the pole. The top side of the bar is abutted against the bottom surface of the panel such that the aperture is aligned with the hole. The cap is extended into the aperture such that rod is extended through the aperture. A securing member is removably secured to the rod.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new broom device apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the broom devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new broom device which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art broom devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new broom device which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new broom device which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new broom device which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such broom device economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new broom device which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new broom device for removably securing a handle to a broom an improved manner.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new broom device which includes a bar having a top side, a bottom side and peripheral edge. The bar is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A hole extends through the top and bottom sides of the bar and is positioned generally between the first and second ends. A panel has an upper surface, a lower surface and a peripheral edge extending between the upper and lower surfaces. The panel has at least one aperture therein extending through the upper and lower surfaces. Each of a plurality of bristles is attached to and extends away from the lower surface of the panel. The bristles are resiliently flexible. A pole is elongate and has a first end and a second end. A rod is attached to and extends away from the first end of the pole. The top side of the bar is abutted against the bottom surface of the panel such that the aperture is aligned with the hole. The cap is extended into the aperture such that rod is extended through the aperture. A securing member is removably secured to the rod.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new broom device that secures a handle better than conventional brooms which are coupled directly to the panel having the bristles thereon which often become loose after use.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.


The present invention includes methods circuits, devices and systems for personality interpretation and expression. A personality interpretation and expression system may include central processing logic in addition to a personality engine. The central processing logic may be adapted to generate a data set corresponding to collected user and/or environment information. The personality engine may be adapted to evaluate a data set received from the central processing logic and generate at least one interaction instruction corresponding to the data set. Generating an interaction instruction is at least partially based on a comparison between the data set and a data set in a personality database functionally associated with or otherwise integral to the personality engine.

There are approximately twenty million American children between the ages of seven and twelve in the United States, of which approximately ten percent (two million) are diagnosed with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, ten percent of children are diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (LD). Considering a twenty percent overlap in these two populations, there are approximately three and a half million children, ages seven to twelve, with ADHD, LD or both. Parents of ADHD and LD children encounter difficulty helping their children complete homework, keep their work organized, study for tests and practice reading. These children often refuse to perform other responsibilities, such as taking a shower, leading to arguments in the house.
Children with ADHD have difficulty sustaining attention unless the task at hand is compelling and entertaining. Likewise, children with LD are often frustrated with how difficult it is to learn, causing them to be disinterested and unfocused unless the learning is compelling and entertaining.
Since parents care so much about the education of their children, alternative teaching and mentoring experiences can fill an important role in facilitating a child's educational growth. For example, a robot can alleviate some of this burden and work with children in an engaging and fun way. The robot can teach reading, practice for tests (e.g. spelling and math), keep homework organized, encourage the completion of basic chores and play games with the children, all in a manner that capitalizes on the relationship the child develops with the robot. Since the robot can interpret a child's comment and respond with a psychologically sound comment, the child can develop a personal connection to the robot. As the robot fosters this connection, the robot can motivate a child to maintain positive feelings and behaviors while improving upon negative feelings and behaviors.
The need for robot-assisted education for children with learning disabilities is self-evident. There is thus a need in the field of data processing for improved methods, circuits, devices and systems for personality interpretation and expression.

Methods circuits, devices and systems for personality interpretation and expression


The invention is method for fabricating light emitting diodes. A layered semiconductor structure is provided on a growth substrate. The method includes using a pulsed laser to form an interfacial layer between the layered semiconductor structure and the growth substrate for subsequent substrate detachment and to simultaneously form light extracting elements on the layered semiconductor structure. The method reduces the number of steps required to fabricate a light emitting diode.

Light emitting diodes can be fabricated by epitaxially growing multiple layers of semiconductors on a growth substrate. Inorganic light-emitting diodes can be fabricated from GaN-based semiconductor materials containing gallium nitride (GaN), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN), indium nitride (InN), indium gallium nitride (InGaN) and aluminum indium gallium nitride (AlInGaN). Other appropriate materials for LEDs include, for example, aluminum gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP), diamond or zinc oxide (ZnO).
Especially important LEDs for this invention are GaN-based LEDs that emit light in the ultraviolet, blue, cyan and green regions of the optical spectrum. The growth substrate for GaN-based LEDs is typically sapphire (Al2O3), silicon carbide (SiC), bulk gallium nitride or bulk aluminum nitride.
Light emitting diodes generate a significant amount of heat during operation. The heat lowers the light output and operating lifetime of the LED. As LED chip sizes become larger, such heating effects become more important and can seriously degrade the light-output performance and lifetime of the LEDs.
Sapphire is a poor thermal conductor. If the GaN-based semiconductor structure is grown on sapphire, it is desirable to remove the semiconductor structure from the sapphire growth substrate and bond the semiconductor structure to a second substrate that has high thermal conductivity. Cheung et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,795 disclose a method for separating a thin film of GaN from a sapphire substrate. The method includes irradiating the interface between the GaN film and the substrate with light that is transmitted by the sapphire and strongly absorbed by the GaN film. At the interface, the irradiation causes the decomposition of GaN into gallium metal and gaseous nitrogen. An example irradiation source is a pulsed krypton fluoride (KrF) excimer laser operating at 248 nanometers. The laser beam is raster scanned across the sample. The 248 nm light is transmitted by the sapphire and strongly absorbed by GaN. Following irradiation, the exposed sample is heated above the melting point of gallium (30 degrees Celsius) and the substrate and GaN layer are separated. Any gallium residue remaining on the GaN layer after separation can be removed using, for example, a 50:50 volumetric mixture of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and water (H2O). In order to handle the thin GaN layer and prevent the layer from breaking, the side of the GaN layer opposite the growth substrate can be bonded to a second substrate before the subsequent irradiation and separation steps. Cheung et al. do not disclose using a raster-scanned pulsed laser beam to separate the semiconductor layer from the substrate and to simultaneously form surface features that can be used as light extraction elements in LED devices fabricated from the semiconductor layer.
Kelly et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,559,075 disclose a method for separating two layers of material by exposing the interface between the two materials to electromagnetic radiation to induce decomposition of one of the materials at the interface. One of the layers can be a GaN-based semiconductor material and the other layer can be a substrate. An example electromagnetic radiation source is a pulsed, frequency-tripled, neodymium-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser operating at 355 nanometers. An example substrate is sapphire. The 355-nanometer light is transmitted by the sapphire substrate and absorbed by the GaN-based semiconductor material at the sapphire-GaN interface. The decomposition of GaN results in the formation of gallium metal and nitrogen gas.
Kelly et al. also discloses a process for lateral structuring the semiconductor material. One illustrated example discloses exposing the semiconductor material through a mask to form a lateral structure. Another illustrated example uses two coherent laser beams that interfere to form a lateral structure on the semiconductor material. Kelly et al. does not disclose using a raster-scanned pulsed laser beam to separate the semiconductor layer from the substrate and to simultaneously form surface features that can be used as light extraction elements in LED devices fabricated from the semiconductor layer.
Park et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,202,141 and 7,241,667 disclose a method for separating a layer of material such as GaN from a sapphire substrate. The method includes irradiating the interface between the GaN film and the substrate with laser light that is transmitted by the sapphire and strongly absorbed by the GaN film. An example laser is a pulsed krypton fluoride (KrF) excimer laser operating at 248 nanometers. In one optional method, the laser beam is formed into a line-shaped beam and the line-shaped beam is scanned across the sample. Park et al. do not disclose using a raster-scanned pulsed laser beam to separate the semiconductor layer from the substrate and to simultaneously form surface features that can be used as light extraction elements in LED devices fabricated from the semiconductor layer.
It would be desirable to develop a method to separate a layered semiconductor structure from a growth substrate and to simultaneously form surface features that can be used as light extraction elements in LED devices fabricated from the layered semiconductor structure. The combined process would eliminate the separate step of forming light extraction elements after the removal of the layered semiconductor structure from a growth substrate.

Method for fabricating light emitting diodes


An anti-fracture, water-resistant, masonry-bondable membrane comprises a laminate having a core generally containing at least two plies of a flexible material bonded together by a flexible adhesive such as a plastisol, and a non-woven fiber layer physically bonded directly to at least one side of the core. The plastisol is a liquid composition which contains small sized resin particles such as polyvinyl chloride dispersed within a plasticizer. The core has good low as well as high temperature peel strength. The non-woven fiber layer is physically bonded to the flexible core by heat and pressure to produce a laminate wherein the non-woven fibers are partially embedded within the flexible material. The flexible membrane or laminate when utilized between and bonded to an exterior masonry article such as ceramic tile and to a substrate such as concrete, is very effective in preventing any cracks from propagating from the substrate to the article.

Heretofore, a membrane has been utilized between an exterior masonry article such as ceramic tile or marble and a masonry substrate such as concrete or stone to form a water-resistant barrier as well as a flexible layer which prevents cracks in the substrate from propagating into the article. A particular membrane contained an exterior, nonwoven fiber material which was chemically bonded to each side of a polyvinyl chloride intermediate layer by an adhesive. Such a laminate had poor hydrostatic water resistance and generally poor bondability to masonry bonding materials such as mortar or cement. Delamination would thus readily occur between the membrane and the masonry bonding material. Another membrane which was utilized is set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,318,832 and 5,481,838, wherein two plies of a flexible, fused central layer were physically bonded to a non-woven, fiber material. However, this membrane had poor low temperature peel strength between the two plies.

Masonry-bondable, water-resistant flexible membrane


A foot operated water shutoff can be used to control the flow of water through a hose, such as a garden hose. With the push of a user's foot, a user can regulate water pressure to a sprinkler, negating the need to pick up and shut off the water supply by pinching the hose or walking to the water faucet source to shut off or regulate the supply. The foot operated water shutoff includes a foot pedal that can pivot on a top member. The top member pivotably connects to the lower member, with a channel formed therethrough. A hose can be placed in the channel between the top and lower members and the top member can be secured against the lower member, with the foot pedal engaging the lower member in a step-wise manner to lock the top and lower members together in a desired position sandwiching the hose.

The present invention relates to flow control devices and, more particularly, to a foot operated water shutoff device especially useful for use with ordinary garden hoses and sprinklers.
Many times, a hose bib is not conveniently located close to the place where a hose is used. For example, a person may run a hose from a hose bib located at a back side of a home to water a front lawn. If the person wants to move the sprinkler from one location to another, they must go to the back of the house to turn off the water, move the hose, and return to the back of the house to turn the water back on. Other current solutions may involve kinking the hose to obstruct flow. However, this method can still cause water to exit the hose and requires at least one hand of the user to keep the hose kinked while repositioning or adjusting the sprinkler.
In addition, many times it is helpful to adjust the flow of water out of a hose bib so that the sprinkler region is limited to desired areas and water is not wasted by sprinkling a driveway, road, or the like. Adjusting the water flow, however, can be difficult when the hose bib is not within sight of the sprinkler itself. Often times, multiple trips may be needed or another person can be used to make this adjustment.
As can be seen, there is a need for a device that can control the flow of water through a hose that can be easily manipulated and that can be placed at any location along a length of the hose.


A simple structured thermal actuation pump for reducing energy loss is provided. The thermal actuation pump includes: a first chamber having at least one working fluid inlet and at least one working fluid outlet; a second chamber having at least one working fluid inlet and at least one working fluid outlet; and a thermoelectric element arranged between the first chamber and the second chamber and including one side being cooled and the other side being heated according to a direction of current for changing inside pressures of the first chamber and the second chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pump transferring a fluid and, more particularly, to a thermal actuation pump using a thermoelectric element.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rapid progression of a micro-machining technology has resulted in the development of various functions of a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS). The MEMS has many advantages in view of size, cost and reliability. Therefore, the MEMS has been developed for wide fields of application.
In particular, there have been many studies in progress for integrating a fluid system and embodying the integrated fluid system on single chip. A micro pump is a major element of the integrated fluid system for transferring a working fluid.
A thermal actuation pump has been used as the micro pump. Conventionally, the thermal actuation pump includes a chamber with an inlet and an outlet, and a heating unit such as a heater for heating the chamber. For operating the thermal actuation pump, electric power is supplied to the heating unit. The chamber is heated by the heating unit and a gas in the chamber is expanded. Accordingly, an inside pressure of the chamber increases and the gas in the chamber flows out through the outlet. On the contrary, if the gas in the chamber is contracted by cooling the heating unit, the inside pressure of the chamber decreases. Accordingly, external gas flows in the chamber through the inlet.
As mentioned above, the conventional thermal actuation pump requires an additional cooling device such as a heat sink for cooling the heated heating unit. However, it is a very complicated process to implement the cooling device in the integrated pump. Also, the structure of the integrated pump becomes complex. Furthermore, the heat generated from the heating unit cannot be re-used since the heat sink must cool the generated heat for decreasing the inside pressure of the chamber. Therefore, the conventional thermal actuation pump consumes a comparatively large amount of energy for heating and cooling the heating unit.


The amount of light emitted from a lamp is adjusted by a turret and a diaphragm for each light of the component colors and is irradiated on a photographic film via a light diffusion box. Light transmitted through the photographic film is made incident on a three-line CCD via a lens unit. In order to read a film image, first, the photographic film is conveyed at high speed in a predetermined direction and is read under a predetermined reading condition (pre-scan), and based on image data obtained by the reading, a recorded position of each image is determined and a reading condition during fine scan is calculated for each image, and each image is read under the calculated reading condition while the film is conveyed at relatively low speed in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (fine scan).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus, and particularly to an image reading apparatus which allows reading of an image recorded on a photographic film by separating the image into a plurality of component colors.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has recently been proposed a photographic processing method in which a film image recorded on a photographic film is read in such a manner as to be separated into component colors of R, G, and B, and image data obtained by reading the film image is subjected to image processing such as various corrections, and thereafter, an image is recorded on a recording material or is shown on a display. This photographic processing method has an advantage over conventional photographic processing methods in which a film image is recorded on a photographic printing paper by surface exposure in that the quality of a recorded image can be freely controlled by image processing for image data. However, the quality of the recorded image also depends on the quality of image data prior to image processing, i.e., the reading accuracy of a film image, and therefore, an image reading apparatus which allows reading of the film image with high accuracy and at high speed, namely, at a speed equal to or higher than the processing speed in the conventional photographic processing method becomes necessary.
There have conventionally been proposed various image reading apparatus structures which, as described above, read an image recorded on an original such as a photographic film so that the image is separated into a plurality of component colors, and outputs image data for the purpose of recording the image on the recording material, and the like. For example, there is known a process color scanner in which, with an original being wound onto an outer periphery of a cylindrical drum along the circumferential direction of the drum, the drum and the original are rotated integrally so as to allow relative movement of the original and a reading head disposed on the outer peripheral side of the drum, and white light emitted from a light source disposed within the drum and irradiated on and transmitted through the original is separated into a plurality of component colors and read by the reading head, and thereby obtaining image data of an image recorded on the original (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 58-9145).
However, in the above-described color scanner, the circumferential length of the drum must be longer than the length of the recording material. When the color scanner is used for reading a film image recorded on an elongated photographic film, the diameter of the drum must be increased greatly due to the length of elongated photographic film such as 36 exposure size 135 film. Unfortunately, the apparatus must be made much larger. Further, during reading of the film image, a complicated operation is required in which a photographic film to be read is wound onto the drum and is set to be positioned at a fixed location on the outer peripheral surface of the drum. For this reason, operators have to carry out a great deal of labor and it is difficult to read a large amount of film images at high speed. Moreover, the above-described color scanner provides, as a precondition, reading of a positive image recorded on an original. For this reason, although there is no light controlling filter or the like for setting, at an arbitrary value, the ratio of the amount of light between component colors of light irradiated from the light source to the original, it is desirable that, in order to allow accurate reading of a negative image, a light controlling filter or the like be provided. With the above-described structure, however, provision of the light controlling filter or the like is difficult.
Further, in the industrial field of printing, the level of image quality required is very high. In order to acquire image data used for printing, the image must be read with extremely high accuracy. Accordingly, among image reading apparatuses for printing, there may be found a structure in which the flatness of an original is improved by setting the original in a cassette so that the entire surface of the original is held by a transparent flat plate. Then, a reading sensor and the original are moved relative to each other while the cassette in which the original is set is conveyed at a constant speed to allow reading of an image recorded on the original.
However, even when the above structure is applied to the reading of a film image, in the same manner as in the above-described color scanner, there is required a complicated operation in which a photographic film to be read is set in a cassette when reading the film image. For this reason, operators have to carry out a great deal of labor and it is difficult to read large amounts of film images at high speed. Further, when the cassette is formed so that an elongated photographic film is held over the entire surface thereof, the cassette becomes extremely large. Accordingly, it is not practical that the above-described technique be applied to effect reading of a film image recorded on the elongated photographic film.
Further, as an image reading apparatus for reading a film image, there is known a structure in which, with an area CCD sensor, which has a two-dimensional arrangement of a large number of photoelectric conversion elements and CCD cells, being used as a reading sensor, an elongated photographic film is intermittently conveyed so that film images recorded on the photographic film are each positioned sequentially at an image reading position set by the area CCD sensor, and these film images are sequentially read by the area CCD sensor (for example, FUJI FILM DEGITAL LAB SYSTEM, FRONTIER, (SCANNER & IMAGE PROCESSOR) SP-1000).
However, since the area CCD sensor is provided with a large number of photoelectric conversion elements and CCD cells, it is generally expensive. In order to read an image at a higher resolution, it is necessary to use an area CCD sensor having an extremely large number of cells proportional to the square of resolution, and therefore, there is a drawback in that the cost increases. Further, there is a possibility that area CCD sensors coming into the market as products may include a small number of cells from which a signal properly corresponding to the amount of incident light is not outputted due to the yield rate at the time of manufacturing (the so-called defective pixels), and therefore, a problem also exists in that a complex correction circuit becomes necessary so as to correct the defective pixels.
Moreover, there is also known an image reading apparatus of a simple structure which allows reading of a film image. In this device, a fluorescent lamp is used as the light source, and a light controlling filter for controlling the ratio in the amount of light between component colors of light irradiated on the photographic film, and a light diffusion box which diffuses light to be irradiated on the photographic film so as to alleviate nonuniformity of the amount of light are not provided. As a result, light from the light source is directly irradiated on the photographic film. This image reading apparatus is used to simply read a film image and does not allow highly accurate reading of a film image.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 6-242521 and 6-242522 each disclose an image reading apparatus structured in such a manner that a pre-scan section in which a film image is preliminarily and roughly read by a line CCD and a fine-scan section in which a film image is read by the line CCD at a high resolution are disposed parallel to each other along a direction in which an elongated photographic film is conveyed, and a gradation conversion condition is prepared based on pre-scan image data obtained by reading the film image in the pre-scan section, and further, gradation conversion is effected for fine-scan image data obtained by reading the film image in the fine-scan section in accordance with the gradation conversion condition.
However, in the above-described structure, it is necessary that two sets of optical components including a line CCD, a light source, and an imaging lens be provided, and therefore, there arise problems in that the cost therefor increases and the structure becomes complicated. Further, in the above-described image reading apparatus, in consideration of a resolution for image reading required for the fine-scan section, a time required for a process effected based on the pre-scan image data, and the like, the resolution for image reading in the fine-scan section needs to be about ten times that for image reading in the pre-scan section. For this reason, it is necessary that the conveying speed of the photographic film in the pre-scan section and the conveying speed of the photographic film in the fine-scan section widely differ from each other and that a film buffer be provided between the pre-scan section and the fine-scan section so as to eliminate the difference in the conveying speed of the photographic film. The film buffer also causes complication of the structure.
Further, the position where the film image is recorded on the photographic film is not fixed. Accordingly, in the above-described structure, reading of the film image is effected in such a manner that a position where the film image is recorded is sequentially determined by an image plane detecting sensor while conveying the photographic film, and determination of the image recorded position and reading of the film image are effected concurrently. For this reason, it is necessary that the conveying speed of the photographic film be made relatively low. As a result, there also arises a problem in that the film image cannot be read at high speed.


A ballast receptacle is provided to increase the load on the rear wheels of a vehicle such as a pick-up truck. The receptacle includes a container formed from a plastic material such as vinyl and can be filled with water to increase the vehicle's traction on slick surfaces such as ice or mud covered roads. The ballast receptacle is positioned laterally at the rear of the vehicle bed and is releasably anchored by flexible straps to each side of the vehicle.

1. Field Of The Invention
The invention herein pertains to ballast devices to increase the traction of vehicles and in particular pertains to a flexible receptacle which can be filled with water to load the rear wheels of a vehicle, such as a pick-up truck, for traveling over slick, wintery roads.
2. Description Of The Prior Art And Objectives Of The Invention
Vehicle owners, and in particular owners of pick-up trucks have long experienced the need of a simple, efficient way to add weight to the rear wheels of the vehicle when traveling over slick or icy roads. Sandbags, firewood and other articles have been placed in the beds of pick-up trucks and vans to increase the load on the rear wheels for increased traction and steering performance while navigating icy streets and roads.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,971 provides boxes along the sides of the vehicle bed for containment of tools and fluids to increase the load for better traction. Another type of vehicle ballast is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,315, in which apparatus is mounted along each side of a truck bed, over the rear wheels for containing sand or other heavy substances. U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,281 also provides a ballast device for pick-up trucks which includes side-mounted containers for carrying sand.
While all such prior art devices are beneficial to some degree various disadvantages persist, such as convenience in use, costs and installation considerations. Thus, with these and other problems and liabilities of prior art devices, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a ballast receptacle for a vehicle which can be easily mounted or removed from the vehicle without tools or equipment.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a ballast receptacle which is formed from a relatively lightweight flexible plastic material for containing ballast such as water to load the rear wheels of the vehicle and which will collapse when empty for convenient storage.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a ballast receptacle which can be easily filled while on the vehicle with water or drained without the necessity of removing the ballast receptacle from the vehicle.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a ballast receptacle which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and purchase and which is light in weight when empty.
Various other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as a more detailed description is set forth below.


A clamshell or two-sided cooking system utilizes an upper platen and a lower platen. The periphery of the upper platen is marked on the lower platen by a laser-etched marking. The laser-etched marking provides a wear resistent marking which withstands the scraping and scrubbing operations associated with using and cleaning the clam cooking system. The laser-etched markings are preferably comprised of a plurality of slanted lines disposed 1/16 of a inch apart.

Two-sided cooking apparatus or clamshell cooking systems are capable of simultaneously cooking two sides of various food products, such as, hamburger patties, sausage patties, chicken, or other foodstuffs. Clamshell cooking systems are often utilized in the fast-food industry because they reduce the overall cooking time associated with the foodstuffs, such as, frozen hamburger patties, and the amount of operator attention required for cooking the foodstuffs.
The clamshell cooking system generally includes an upper cooking plate or platen and a lower cooking plate or platen. The upper cooking platen is coupled to a platen support arm for swinging movement between a lower cooking position overlying the lower cooking platen and a raised position inclined upwardly from the lower cooking platen. The upper cooking platen can be manually or automatically moved between the lower cooking position and the raised stand-by position. The lower cooking position can be adjusted for various sizes and thicknesses of foodstuffs.
The upper cooking platen generally has a smaller area than the lower cooking platen. The lower cooking platen has a larger area so that other foods which do not require two-sided cooking can be simultaneously cooked, while other foodstuffs are cooked between the upper and lower platens. Furthermore, the additional area provided by the lower cooking platen can still be utilized to cook foodstuffs when the upper platen is in the raised position. For example, the lower cooking platen can be used to warm buns or rolls or to fry eggs, onions, potatoes, meats, or other foodstuffs. Thus, a two-sided cooking area is located between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen when the upper cooking platen is in the lower cooking position. At the same time, a one-sided cooking area outside the two-sided cooking area is always located on the lower cooking platen, regardless of the position of the upper cooking platen.
When cooking foodstuffs between the upper cooking platen and the lower cooking platen, the operator must place the foodstuffs within the two-sided cooking area on the lower platen (e.g., beneath the upper platen when the upper platen is in the lower cooking position). This operation can be somewhat difficult when the operator is trying to place as many foodstuffs as can fit in the two-sided cooking area. If the operator accidently places the foodstuffs outside of the two-sided cooking area, the food stuff may not be cooked properly.
Heretofore, the two-sided cooking area on the lower platen was marked by sandblasting a pattern on the top surface of the lower cooking platen. The sandblasting operation removes a portion of the top surface to make a mark in the sheen of the lower platen. However, the sandblasted pattern is susceptible to wear due to the scraping associated with removing foodstuffs from the grill with a spatula or other utensil. Additionally, the sandblasted pattern can be worn by scrubbing operations associated with the cleaning of the lower platen.
Thus, there is a need for a marking for a two-sided operation which is not susceptible to wear. Further, there is a need for a lower cooking platen which has a durable marking outlining the periphery of the upper cooking platen.

Two-sided cooking system with laser markings


A method for verification of multiple priority command processing, including: inputting over time, multiple simulated requests into a simulation model of the computer system, each request having a priority and each request comprising a request and tag transaction, a command ID transaction, command system ID transaction, a system combined response transaction and a completion tag transaction; sorting the priority of each request based; issuing an error if any particular command ID transaction is not a transaction of a request previously sorted; issuing an error if any particular command system ID transaction is not a transaction of a request having a previously issued command ID transaction, if any particular system combined response transaction is not a transaction of a request having a previously issued command system ID transaction and if any particular completion tag transaction is not a transaction of a request having a previously issued system combined response transaction.

In a multiprocessor computer system, requests for data (a data transfer) by each processor are processed by a bus interface unit, which receives or sends information relating to ensuring the correct data is sent (transferred) the correct processor. A data transfer transaction goes through several stages in the computer system before the data transfer transaction is complete. Since stages from different requests may be intermingled it is difficult to keep track of all request stages of all requests through the command processor of the computer system. It is especially difficult in systems that do not enforce strict command packet order or in systems that allow command packet retry. This difficulty translates into the design phase of a computer system, specifically the simulation and verification of the command issuing logic of the design phase. During simulation of the system design it must be verified that each data transfer completes and that the appropriate data is being sent to each processor in the system. Therefore, there is a need for method and system for verification of multiple priority issue queue data requests that is robust and independent of when various stages of a particular request occur in time during the simulation of a computer system design.

Method for verification of command processing in a computer system design having a multiple priority command queue

International Business Machines Corporation


Method and apparatus permitting the collaborative use of a computer application program simultaneously by multiple users at different stations. The method is useful with communication protocols having client/server control structures. The method of the invention requires only a sole executing copy of the application program and a sole executing copy of software comprising the invention. Users may collaboratively use a set of application programs by invoking for each desired application program one copy of software comprising the invention.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus permitting users physically located before different input/output devices to use collaboratively and simultaneously a single executing copy of an application computer program. The method of the invention may be employed with any communication protocol employing a clientserver control structure.
2. Background Art
In modern society, it has become increasingly important to permit individuals to work together while separated by distance from one another; hence the development of the telegraph, telephone, teleconferencing systems, facsimile machines, and computer networks. In a society increasingly dominated by the access, creation, and sharing of information, the computer has become an important tool in the day-today activities of workers in all segments of industry. Problems arise today when two or more employees working on a project together using computers must travel away from each other. Typically, the employees work separately on aspects of the common project, communicate their results by phone and/or computer, and eventually merge their separate work in some manner.
Most existing computer application programs are designed for use either by a single user or a group of users physically located before a single station having a single set of input/output devices. Application programs intended for simultaneous collaborative use must contain tailor-made computer instructions permitting such use. If an existing single-user program is to be converted to permit simultaneous collaborative use, the program must be rewritten at an enormous expenditure of time and resources.
Two approaches exist addressing this problem. The first approach, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,509, entitled "Data Conferencing Arrangement for Stations Having Keyboards and Displays, Using a Keyboard Buffer and a Screen Buffer," to Bartholomew et al., is non-general in that each user station must have no more and no fewer input/output devices than a display screen and a keyboard and in that the approach requires that the control means access keyboard buffers and screen buffers. The control software under this approach must be substantially rewritten for each operating system under which it would run. Furthermore, the approach provides no means for users to collaboratively use a plurality of application programs.
A second approach requires special control software executing separately for each station engaging in collaborative use of an application program. See S. R. Ahuja et al., "A Comparison of Application Sharing Mechanisms in Real-Time Desktop Conferencing Systems," Conference on office Information Systems, Apr. 25-27, 1990, ACM SIGOIS Bulletin, Vol. 11, Nos. 2 and 3, pp. 238-48; S. R. Ahuja et al., "The Rapport Multimedia Conferencing System," Conference on office Information Systems, Mar. 23-25, 1988, ACM Press Order Number 611880, pp. 1-8; J. R. Ensor et al., "The Rapport Multimedia Conferencing System--A Software Overview," Second IEEE Conference on Computer Workstations, IEEE Computer Society Press Catalog Number 87-80440, pp. 52-58. While this separate control software permits greater flexibility than provided by the method of the present invention, it requires substantial additional overhead processing for each station and is concomitant greater potential for errors to be introduced in the collaborative use.
The present invention permits physically isolated employees to collectively work using a single executing copy of any application program they are employing to do their work. The employees simultaneously see the output from the application. Each can manipulate data using the application to add new elements to the work, correct mistakes of colleagues, or make comments to the other collaborators. The employees may also simultaneously use more than a single application program collaboratively, for instance a CAD program to design a "widget," a desktop processing (DTP) program to edit a user manual for the widget, and a conferencing program to exchange comments.

Method and apparatus for collaborative use of application program


A printing apparatus for preparing a print image out of a subject image formed by a photographic optical system and recorded on a recording medium comprises a unit for supplying data on the optical performances of the photographic optical system, a unit for setting a trimming magnification determining the trim range of the subject image recorded on the recording medium, a unit for setting the size of the print image, a unit for setting a maximum enlarging magnification for enlarging the subject image to a print image on the basis of the data read and the trimming magnification; and a unit for determining a final enlarging magnification for enlarging the subject image to a print image on the basis of the maximum enlarging magnification and the size of the print image.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera which is capable of recording information designating a trimming range at the time of photographing.
2. Related Background Art
Cameras which can be used for trimming shots are already well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-43698). In a trimming shot, information designating the trimming range is recorded at the time of photographing so that only the designated range of the image taken will be printed on photographic paper in the printing process after the development of the film. Thus, what is obtained by printing is a trimmed picture representing a part of the shot image in an enlarged form.
Generally, the optical system of a camera photographic lens is so designed that its optical performance (including, for example, the MTF (modulation transfer function) and aberration) allow a satisfactory image to be obtained uniformly over the entire area of the shot image. However, as is generally known, optimum images of a subject are formed at different positions in the direction of the optical axis for different heights of the image above the optical axis, so that the optimum image field obtained by an image-forming luminous flux around the optical axis generally differs from that obtained by a peripheral image-forming luminous flux.
When, as in a trimming shot, only a portion of an image is to be printed, image optimization presents a problem. More particularly, depending on the location of the image portion to be printed (for example, an image portion whose height Y above the optical axis is approximately 0 versus one whose height Y above the optical axis is approximately 20 mm), there may or may not be a correspondence with the optimum image portion in the overall photographic image.
In addition, when printing trimming-shot images, the enlarging magnification is higher than in normal shots, where the entire shot image is printed on photographic paper. As a result, the quality of a trimming-shot image is inevitably inferior to that of a normal-shot image. Thus, a trimming shot is quite likely to fail to provide an optimum image which would surely have been obtained by a normal shot, although better optical performance of the photographic lens is desired therefor.
The problems with the relevant prior art will be further discussed. The photographic apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned reference, Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-43698, is equipped with a finder optical system which makes it possible to set a trimming range in correspondence with the visual field of the finder. A trimming-control means which is coupled with the finder optical system drives a trimming-information recording device, thereby recording the trimming magnification corresponding to the visual field of the finder.
In the above-described prior art, the print enlarging magnification for a trimming shot is higher than that for a normal shot (the magnification corresponding to a standard print size, for example, the "service size"), so that a deterioration in the quality of the peripheral image portions that would constitute no particular problem in a normal shot may be conspicuous in a trimming shot.
The enlarging magnification designated is the same whether the trimming is to be effected in the middle of an image or in a peripheral area thereof as long as the image size is the same. This is in particular a problem where trimming is effected in a peripheral image area because a satisfactory image quality is often not obtained there. In order that a satisfactory image quality may be secured, it has been proposed that the lens aperture be controlled at the time of photographing. This, however, involves changes in the out-of-focus effect, so that the image as intended by the photographer cannot be obtained.

Camera and printing apparatus which can be used for trimming shots


Electrohydraulic pilot control means (1) for a hydraulic device which can be a proportional directional valve, an adjusting pump or an adjusting motor, which pilot control means contains two proportionally acting pressure control valves (3) and is provided with a control block (2) which accommodates the hydraulic valve parts (4) in holes and to which the associated proportional magnets are flange-connected, wherein the proportional magnets have a common electrical plug connection (5) and wherein the two proportional magnets (3) are joined to form an assembly by being encapsulated with plastic, the said assembly being fastened to the control block (2) and, in this case, being precisely oriented relative to the valve components (4), which are accommodated in the control block, by means of positioning aids which act perpendicular to the movement direction of armatures.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Electrohydraulic pilot control for valves, adjusting pumps and adjusting motors are known and widespread; electrohydraulic pilot control with two or more pressure control valves which set the adjusting pressures by which the appliance which is to be adjusted is adjusted out of a central position against strong return springs are also known. Utility model DE9115061U1 may be cited here as an example.
In the known electrohydraulic pilot control, the pressure control valves are usually fitted at different points, often opposite one another, on the appliance which is to be adjusted.
It is also known, for example from DE9115061U1, to supply electric power to the coils of the two magnets of pilot control valves by a common plug.
Encapsulating the magnets of a pressure control valve with plastic and, in the process, also producing parts of the plug from the same plastic is widespread.
It is also known, for example from patent application DE102008012692, to combine magnets or solenoid valves to form an assembly and, in the process, to use components comprehensively.
Two forms of guiding the magnetic flux from the pole disc to the magnet cone are known; the first uses a cylindrical component which encases the magnet coil, and the second uses a bow-shaped metal sheet which forms the pole disc, the axial return path and the conical disc.
A widespread form of fitting the pressure control valves to the appliance which is to be adjusted makes provision for connecting the hydraulically acting valve components to the magnets in an interlocking manner to form an assembly, for inserting a portion of this assembly into a control block, and for screwing the remaining portion to the control block using two screws.
The known form of fitting creates considerable mounting costs, risks and expenditure on testing for the entire appliance since testing of the valve alone cannot reveal all the potential faults.

Electrohydraulic pilot control with two pressure control valves


Printable standard sheets and a range of user-defined sheets are both configured in an editable manner, and the range of user-defined sheets is automatically set in accordance with the printable standard sheets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a sheet size setting method for controlling, for example, a plurality of types of image forming apparatuses with different functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional technique, a method is known in which a printer driver obtains the sizes of user-defined sheets that are currently loaded in cassettes from a printer, and displays these user-defined sheets as usable sheets (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-88638).
When the method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-88638 is used, the sizes of sheets that are currently loaded in cassettes can be obtained and displayed in a selectable manner, but only the sizes of the sheets loaded in the cassettes are usable. It is desirable that a size with which a user wishes to perform printing be freely selectable from among all printable user-defined sheets, whether or not sheets of that size are loaded in cassettes. To this end, some of the printer drivers that can particularly control a plurality of types of printers enable a user to select a model name of a printer and identify usable sheet sizes based on the selected model. Unfortunately, this method is problematic in that, even if a printer driver is compatible with an unknown printer to be provided in the future, it is difficult to identify usable sheet sizes, and an optimal option for user-defined sheets cannot be provided to the user.

Information processing apparatus and sheet size setting method


An improved seating system that includes a seat back assembly (10) that is fabricated to include a seat back (12) with first and second wall portions (14,16), and which may include an integrated reinforcement structure (18). The seating system is capable of either or both of withstanding without rupture at least about 11000 Newtons in the direction in which the seat back (12) faces in a plane, parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle or, upon rapid acceleration up to at least about 20 g, substantially no fragmentation of the seat back with at least a 30 kg mass placed behind the seat back.

There is an ever-growing need for improved seating systems in automotive vehicles. The surge in popularity of hatchbacks, sport utility vehicles and minivans, has posed unique design challenges, in view of the need for seating to be adjustable and in many instances to restrain cargo carried toward the rear of the vehicle. In light of the increased consumer usage of these vehicles for stowage and transport of cargo along with passengers (particularly passengers in rear seats), manufacturers have turned their attention to improving the ability of the seating systems to withstand large loads.
One approach has been to develop improved systems for transmitting loads to the seat tracks of vehicle seating assemblies. A growing number of applications, however, employ attachment of seating components directly to the vehicle body in white for load distribution to the body in white. For the improved seat track technology to be viable in the latter applications, it would require substantial modification, which is believed would unduly complicate the manufacturing procedures, require the development of expensive new processing techniques, or add substantial weight to the vehicles. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved, readily manufactured seating system that is capable of meeting vehicle manufacturer design criteria and government standards for vehicles, and which can be efficiently and conveniently adapted for use in a variety of applications including those involving seat track load distribution, body in white load distribution or both.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Seating system and method for making same


Analysis data constituted by a plurality of parameters is acquired on the basis of detection values obtained in processes for an object to be processed from a detector arranged in a plasma processing apparatus. With respect to parameters of analysis data decided as abnormal data, as a degree of influence on abnormality, a contribution to, e.g., a residual score is calculated (degree-of-influence calculating step). Contributions of the parameters are set at 0 or a value close to 0 in a descending order of contribution of the parameters to sequentially calculate residual scores, and, when the residual scores are not more than a predetermined value, the parameters having the contributions which are set at 0 or a value close to 0 until now as parameters which cause abnormality (cause-of-abnormality deciding step).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for deciding a cause of abnormality in a plasma processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the steps in manufacturing a semiconductor, manufacturing apparatuses and inspection apparatuses of various types are used. For example, a plasma processing apparatus performs an etching process, a film forming process, and the like to an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate by generating a plasma in a processing chamber. These processing apparatuses have a large number of parameters to control or monitor the operation states of the processing apparatuses. The processing apparatuses the operation states to make it possible to various processes under optimum conditions. As the parameters, temperatures of an upper electrode, a lower electrode, and the like arranged in a processing chamber.
When processes are performed by the above plasma processing apparatus, the plasma processing apparatus is controlled such that the processes can be always optimally performed while monitoring the parameters by detectors, respectively. At this time, the number of parameters comes to several tens. For this reason, when an abnormality is recognized in an operation state, a cause of abnormality is very difficult to be found out.
For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 11-87323, the following technique is disclosed. That is, a plurality of process parameters of a semiconductor wafer processing system are analyzed to correlate the parameters to each other as analysis data, thereby detecting changes of process characteristics and system characteristics.
The following method is also known. That is, the plurality of parameters are held together into a smaller number of statistical data as analysis data by using a method of analyzing a principal component which is one of multivariate analyses. Operation states of a processing apparatus is monitored on the basis of the small number of statistical data to evaluate the operation states.
In such a conventional method, for example, analysis data is subjected to, e.g., a principal component analysis on the basis of the statistical analysis result obtained by the principal component analysis to calculate a residual score. The residual score is a predetermined value or more, it is decided that the analysis data is abnormal.
However, by the above methods, it can be decided whether the analysis data is abnormal or not. Of the parameters constituting the analysis data, a parameter which causes an abnormality cannot be specified.
With respect to this point, when degrees of contribution of the parameters in the analysis data are calculated to a residual score, a specific parameter which causes an abnormality can be known to some extent. More specifically, since a parameter having a high contribution largely contributes to a residual score of a part decided as an abnormal part, a parameter having a high contribution is abnormal with high probability.
However, a specific parameter cannot be decided as an abnormal parameter due to the contribution of a residual score. For this reason, a parameter which causes an abnormality cannot be appropriately specified.

Method and apparatus for deciding cause of abnormality in plasma processing apparatus


A pressure sensor including a pressure sensor element, a pedestal having a through-hole defined therein for guiding an external pressure to the pressure sensor element and a header, all of which are successively tightly bonded together. The pressure sensor also includes a cap for covering the pressure sensor element and the pedestal and mounted tightly on the header. A region of the header ranging from a joint between the cap and the header to a joint between the pedestal and the header is stepped.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a pressure sensor and, more particularly, to the pressure sensor which can be used in association with an automobile engine control or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The pressure sensor has too many applications and, as far as the automobile is concerned, the pressure sensor is used in, for example, airflow measurement for a fuel injection, control of a hydraulic fluid in an automobile suspension system and/or monitoring of an internal pressure inside a gas tank. The pressure sensor is also used in, for example, a household gas leakage alarming system.
FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic side sectional representation of the prior art pressure sensor 100. This known pressure sensor 100 includes a pressure sensor element 103 of a piezoelectric-resistance type having a cavity defined inwardly from an undersurface thereof to thereby define an upper surface region serving as a pressure receiving surface. This pressure receiving surface is provided with piezoelectric resistance elements electrically connected in a Wheatstone bridge circuit. This pressure sensor element 103 has a plurality of terminals including supply terminals fed with a power source voltage, ground terminals and output terminals and is operable to convert the pressure, applied to the pressure receiving surface, into a predetermined signal which is subsequently outputted to the outside of the pressure sensor 100 through one of electrodes 104a to 104f that is wire-bonded with the output terminals.
As shown in FIG. 7, the pressure sensor element 103 is air-tightly bonded, by the use of, for example, a die-bonding technique, to a silicon pedestal 102 having a through-hole defined therein so as to open at the pressure receiving surface. The silicon pedestal 102 functions as a cushioning material for buffering stresses developed between the pressure sensor element 103 and a header 101, to thereby protect the pressure sensor element 103. This header 101 has an opening defined in alignment with the through-hole and is air-tightly bonded to the header 101 through an Au--Si junction. The header 101 is made of a 42 alloy having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is about equal to that of the silicon pedestal 102. An external pressure guiding pipe 106 is inserted in the opening in the header 101 so that a predetermined pressure medium can be guided therethrough to the pressure receiving surface of the pressure sensor element 103. A cap 105 made of SPC (cold-rolled steel plate) and having a radially outwardly protruding flange 107 is capped onto the header 101 with the flange 107 welded thereto to establish an evacuated compartment inside the resultant package. The pressure inside the evacuated compartment provides a reference pressure for the pressure sensor element 103.
As described above, the cap 105 is capped onto the header 101 during the manufacture of the pressure sensor 100. It has, however, found that during the welding of the cap 105 to the header 101, the header 101 is susceptible to deformation because of the reason which will now be discussed.
FIGS. 8A to 8C illustrates the header 101 being deformed during the course of welding of the cap 105 to the header 101, the deformation being shown exaggerated for the sake of clarity. At the outset, within a vacuum chamber, the cap 105 is capped onto the header 101 and is kept pressed against the header 101. As shown in FIG. 8A, due to the pressure applied to the header 101 through an annular projection integral with the flange 107 of the cap 105, the header 101 is deformed to assume a generally upwardly curved configuration.
Welding of the flange 107 of the cap 105 to the header 101 takes place while the header 105 is so deformed as shown in FIG. 8A. As shown in FIG. 8B, the deformation diminishes after completion of the welding.
After the welding of the cap 105 to the header 101 both of the header 101 and the cap 105 heated during the welding undergo constriction and restore to the original shape consequent upon lowering of the temperature thereof. Since the coefficient of thermal expansion of the cap 105 made of SPC is greater than that of the header 101 made of the 42 alloy, the cap 105 constricts a substantial amount greater than that exhibited by the header 101 incident to lowering of the temperature thereof. As a result of the constriction of the cap 105, the header 101 is again deformed as shown in FIG. 8C to assume a generally downwardly curved configuration.
When the deformation of the header 101 occurring during the welding is transmitted to the pressure sensor element 103 through the silicon pedestal 102, the piezoelectric resistance of the pressure sensor element 103 changes, accompanied by an undesirable change in operating characteristics of the pressure sensor element 103. Also, depending on the magnitude of deformation of the header 101, the header 101 may separate from the silicon pedestal 102 and/or cracking may occur in at least a portion of he silicon pedestal 102. In such case, the pressure inside the evacuated compartment that is used as the reference pressure may change to such an extent that an accurate pressure measurement is no longer possible.
By way of example, let it be assumed that the known pressure sensor 10 is installed in the vicinity of an automobile engine. In such case, the cap 105 will undergo a thermal expansion during the engine being operated, but undergoes a thermal shrinkage to restore to the original shape when and after the engine is halted. Not only is the header 101 deformed following the thermal expansion and shrinkage of the cap 105, but the header 101 is also deformed during the operation of the engine under the influence of engine vibrations transmitted thereto through the external pressure guiding pipe 106.
Once the header 101 is deformed in the manner described above, an undesirable change may occur in operating characteristics of the pressure sensor element 103 and/or the silicon pedestal 102 may separate from the header 101. This in turn leads to change in pressure inside the evacuated compartment that is used as the reference pressure, to such an extent that an accurate pressure measurement is no longer possible.
To lessen the adverse influence brought on the pressure sensor element by the deformation of the header, the Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 57-186138 discloses the pressure sensor in which a flexible tube is disposed between the header and the silicon pedestal. According to this publication, deformation of the header is accompanied by a corresponding deformation of the flexible tube to thereby lessen the adverse influence which would be brought on the pressure sensor element. However, because of its nature, the flexible tube undergoes a deformation in correspondence with the external pressure introduced through the external pressure guiding pipe and, therefore, the pressure inside the evacuated compartment that is used as the reference pressure is apt to change, resulting in incapability of accomplishing an accurate measurement. In addition, repeated deformation of the header may eventually result in an undesirable separation of the flexible tube from the header.


A display system includes a first display unit and a second display unit, each including a substrate having a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in matrix, a mask disposed at a front side of the substrate, and a case having a main body supporting the substrate from its back side. The first display unit is arranged above the second display unit such that a gap is formed between the cases of the first display unit and the second display unit. The mask of the second display unit includes a plurality of canopy sections above and along each row of the plurality of light-emitting elements, except for an uppermost row. The main body of the case of the second display unit has a canopy section above and along the light-emitting elements in the uppermost row of the second display unit, at least partially covering the gap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display system including a plurality of display units.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a large-screen display system configured by arranging a plurality of display units. For example, JP 2000-181363 A describes a display device provided by using a plurality of display units, each including: a front surface cover 1 including a light shielding unit 5 and a reflecting unit 6; an LED substrate 2; and an outer frame 3.
In the case of constituting a display system by vertically arranging a plurality of display units as disclosed in JP 2000-181363 A, a relatively narrow gap occurs between two adjacent display units. The gap occurred in this way is noticeable as a dark line when the display system is seen from the front side, which may result in degradation of display quality.
The present invention has made to solve the above problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a display system in which a gap between display units is made unnoticeable, which allows for higher display quality.


According to a method by a frequency analysis of tap tones at the time when a tightness of a ripple member fixed by an elastic force has been tapped by a hammer or a method of detecting a response at the time when the ripple member has been vibrated, an enough precision cannot be obtained for a tightness estimation. A tapping force is applied to a plurality of positions on the member surface, thereby allowing a plurality of tap tones to be generated. Feature amounts are obtained from the plurality of tap tones. An average feature amount is obtained by averaging the feature amounts. The tightness of the ripple member is estimated from the average feature amount by using a correlation between the tightness of the ripple member and the average feature amount.

The invention relates to a measuring technique of a wedge tightness which is used to fix a stator coil in a stator of a generator or the like.
A generator is constructed by a rotor and a stator and converts a change in magnetic field generated by a rotation of the rotor into an electric energy by the stator. The stator has such a structure that a coil is inserted into a slot of a core laminated with a silicon steel plate and is fixed with a pressure by an insulative member. As a pressure fixing method, the stator has such a structure that a ripple spring and a wedge serving as a plate-shaped member are overlaid over the coil and has such a structure that while compressing the ripple spring, it is pressed by the wedge, thereby fixing a coil conductor. In the generator having such a structure, it is necessary to maintain and manage the coil so as to be in a predetermined pressure fixing state. In the generator having such a coil fixing structure, after the elapse of predetermined years and months of use, the fixing state of the wedge is inspected and if there is looseness, an exchange and a maintenance of the ripple spring and the wedge are performed in order to recover a pressing force. Hitherto, an inspection and a discrimination of the coil fixing state have been performed by a person in dependence on such a sensory test that he applies a tap to the wedge by using a hammer for inspection and discriminates the coil fixing state on the basis of a tone and a vibration which are generated at this time. As a trial for realizing such a sensory test by an apparatus, there is a technique disclosed in JP-A-2000-131196. According to such a technique, a peak value in each frequency band of the tone which is generated by the hammer tap to the wedge is obtained and is compared with a preset reference value, thereby discriminating a looseness state.

Tightness measuring apparatus and measuring method


In order to prevent a logic circuit including a multi-stage temporary storage array having both valid and invalid state combinations from locking up in an inadvertently entered invalid state and from alternating between invalid state combinations, support logic circuitry is employed which is configured to force the array back to a valid state combination. The forcing operation may be alternatively undertaken immediately or in synchronism with the next succeeding clock pulse following entry into the invalid state combination. A specific valid state combination to be entered following entry into a specific invalid state may be predetermined.

Multi-stage logic circuitry including flip-flops, a counter for example, may be designed to sequence into various state combinations dependant upon the immediately previous state combination and whether an input signal is logic "1" or logic "0" when a clock pulse is applied to the circuitry. Such logic circuitry might be used, merely as an example, to provide control signals necessary to step through execution of an instruction. It is not unusual that logic circuitry of this type will have both a plurality of valid state combinations and one or more invalid state combinations, i.e., state combinations which should never be entered. Under some circumstances (e.g., electrical noise, transient alpha particle, etc.), it is possible for such logic circuitry to temporarily (or even "permanently" until re-initialized) "lock up" in an invalid state or loop among invalid states. This elusive condition (whose presence is often challenging to "prove") can be the source of difficult-to-troubleshoot transient errors in the system incorporating the subject electronic circuitry and should be eliminated for reliable operation.

Sensing and responding to invalid states in logic circuitry


An alignment mark for the coarse alignment and fine alignment of a semiconductor wafer in an exposure tool includes a first partial structure for generating a first reflection pattern in the exposure tool for the fine alignment of the semiconductor wafer, and a second partial structure for generating a second reflection pattern in the exposure tool for the coarse alignment of the semiconductor wafer. The first partial structure has a plurality of first structure elements, which are arranged relatively parallel and in a manner lying next to one another with a predetermined distance between midpoints symmetrically around the center of an inner region. The second partial structure has a plurality of second structure elements, formed in a manner corresponding to a pattern stored in the exposure tool and being arranged in the inner region.

For fabrication of integrated circuits, layers provided with different electrical properties are usually applied on semiconductor wafers and each patterned lithographically. A lithographic patterning step may include applying a photosensitive resist, exposing the photosensitive resist with a desired structure for the relevant layer and developing it, and then transferring the resist mask thus produced into the underlying layer in an etching step.
The exposure of the photosensitive resist is carried out, for example, in a wafer stepper or wafer scanner in a lithographic projection step. Before the beginning of the respective exposures, alignment or orientation sequences, which use alignment marks are provided. The alignment marks are typically arranged in the edge regions of a mask that provides the relevant structure.
During exposure, the alignment marks are transferred into a sawing kerf that separates the individual exposure fields on the semiconductor wafer. The alignment marks enable the positional determination of the structures formed on the semiconductor wafer or, by determining the position of the alignment marks, it is possible to deduce the precise positioning and orientation of the structure for the integrated circuit.
The orientation or alignment of the semiconductor wafer in the exposure tool with respect to the projection optical arrangement is carried out by comparing the alignment marks with reference marks. Such reference marks are often inserted via the lens system of the projection optical arrangement relative to a detector.
The way in which the alignment method is carried out on an individual basis depends to the device manufacturers. An offset of the actual position of the alignment marks relative to the ideal position of the reference mark is established based on the mark comparison. The semiconductor wafer, generally deposited on a substrate holder, can consequently be corrected in terms of its position, so that the subsequent exposure can be performed with high positional accuracy.
Various alignment marks are known in the art, each designed for specific purposes. FIG. 6 shows an alignment mark for the coarse alignment of the semiconductor wafer. The alignment mark is formed as a cross. Two alignment marks for coarse alignment are usually arranged in the region of the sawing kerf. The alignment mark according to FIG. 6 approximately occupies an area having a width of 100 μm and a length of 100 μm.
The coordinates of the alignment marks for coarse alignment in the sawing kerf are normally stored in the exposure tool. For coarse alignment, the substrate holder is moved to the stored positions. The orientation of the semiconductor wafer during coarse alignment is usually carried out based on a detection of scattered light from a light source, which arises through reflection at the alignment marks. The scattered light may, for example, be recorded by an optical microscope and be imaged onto a CCD camera. During the orientation of the semiconductor wafer, the image of the CCD camera is analyzed, and structures corresponding to the alignment marks for coarse alignment are sought by a pattern recognition method.
A further type of alignment mark is used for fine alignment. In the case of most manufacturers of exposure tools, the alignment marks are embodied as arrangements of elongate, parallel bars that usually have a structure width of a few micrometers. One example of an alignment mark for fine alignment is shown in FIG. 7. The alignment mark according to FIG. 7 approximately occupies an area having a width of 120 μm and a length of 50 μm. Two of the alignment marks arranged perpendicular to one another are necessary for fine alignment in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction.
The alignment marks shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 correspond to the design rules of a manufacturer of exposure tools, in this case, from the company Canon.
The alignment marks for fine alignment are usually arranged at a predetermined distance from the alignment marks for coarse alignment, which, as a result, also serve for finding the alignment marks for fine alignment. The substrate holder is displaced to the known position of the alignment mark for fine alignment. During fine alignment, the orientation of the semiconductor wafer is likewise carried out on the basis of a detection of scattered light from a light source, which arises through reflection at the alignment marks. In contrast to the case discussed above, pattern recognition is not normally carried out, rather the intensity profile of the scattered light is measured, from which it is possible to deduce the position of the alignment mark for fine alignment.
Because alignment marks for coarse alignment and the alignment marks for fine alignment are fit at different positions in the sawing kerf region of the exposure field of the integrated circuit the time requirement expended for the movement of the substrate holder is increased, and accordingly, the production throughput in the fabrication of integrated circuits is reduced. Further, the alignment marks for coarse alignment and for fine alignment occupy a large area in the region of the sawing kerf.

Alignment mark for coarse alignment and fine alignment of a semiconductor wafer in an exposure tool


An intraoral device (1) with a pair of dental aligners (10), each aligner having an outer shell (100) of rigid plastic in the shape of a rounded V defining branches joined at the front part (10a) of the outer shell. The front part has a truncated part in the form of an elongate notch (104), which confers flexibility on the outer shell in a plane orthogonal to the median sagittal plane of the aligners by bringing together or spacing apart the branches of the V. The outer shell includes an impression (106) formed in the front part on the outer face of the outer shell and extending on either side of the elongate notch. The notch cooperates with an attached wedge (50) which serves as a mechanical abutment for blocking flexion of the outer shell at a given curvature when the attached wedge (50) is fixed in the impression (106).

An intraoral device is known from document EP 2143397 that comprises a pair of dental aligners intended to be disposed on the dental arches of the lower (mandible). Upper (maxilla) jaws of a subject, defining a median plane, comprising two lateral pivots on each aligner, and two substantially rigid connecting rods in a vestibular position respectively laterally connecting a pivot of one aligner to a pivot of the other aligner. The pivots are perpendicular to the median plane on each aligner and where each connecting rod is formed by a central part defining an axis and two end lugs each defining a plane. Both of the planes are defined by the end lugs being distinct and parallel to the aforementioned median plane. The axis of the central part intersects these two planes at a non-zero angle.
Such an intraoral device is particularly adapted for treating sleep apnea and snoring problems. By virtue of the two connecting rods connecting together the two, respectively maxilla and mandible, aligners, a mandibular driving force is allowed to be generated that is oriented in the direction of the mandibular propulsion, in order to maintain an offset of the mandible toward the front of the maxilla, while allowing lateral movements. This is then referred to as a mandibular advancement orthosis.
One problem that is generally raised is the adaptation of an aligner to the different shapes and dimensions of the arches and teeth of individuals, while allowing proper retention in the mouth to be obtained by gripping the aligner on the dental arch.
In order to overcome this problem, dental aligners are currently known that are produced from two materials with different properties. Thus, the two arch aligners are each produced in an outer shell made of substantially rigid material forming a continuous channel with a U-section. This outer shell is filled with an impression material made of relatively flexible thermoformable material. The thermoformable material forms an impression material filling. The outer shell is intended to conform to the teeth of the arch on which the aligner is pressed. This matching to the shape of the teeth allows the aligners to be retained on the dental arches, so that the device can remain in place throughout the entire duration during which it must be worn and thus provide the expected effectiveness. The impression material for the teeth also allows the retention forces to be distributed over the teeth and to thus prevent any dental pain for maximum comfort.
The outer shell, which is made of a relatively rigid plastic material, for its part allows the rigidity to be provided that is essential for the dimensional stability and for the overall lifetime of the device.
This rigidity is therefore essential, but it nevertheless involves having to define a single dental arch shape. However, a wide variety of shapes exists of more or less curved or wide dental arches. Furthermore, in order for the single shape of a rigid aligner to be able to be adapted to all the shapes of dental arches, a plurality of aligner models must be available with different shapes and dimensions that are precisely adapted to the teeth of the patient, or else an average single shape must be defined that is capable of being adapted to the majority. Also, an average curvature is conventionally defined for the aligners, and an aligner width (i.e. insertion width of the teeth) is provided that allows the dental arch to be broadly covered so that the dental arches that deviate from the average curvature imposed by the relatively rigid outer shell can be inserted therein, and thus so that a relatively universal device can be obtained.
However, the significant width of the insertion zone of the teeth that is required by this solution generates a significant volume in the mouth, making the device uncomfortable to wear.

Intraoral device with a pair of articulated dental aligners


An automatic document feeder device 100 has a device body 110 disposed on a platen 210 of a document reading device 200 and pivotably openable relative to the device 200 by being hingedly connected thereto. The device 100 includes detectors 130, 140 for detecting a document-stack state of at least one of a feeder and an output tray 111, 112 provided on the body 110, a driver 160 for driving the body 110 to be pivotably opened in an upward direction from the platen 210, an instructor 179 for giving an instruction for the driving, and a controller 172 for, based on a detection result of the detectors 130, 140 in priority to the instruction, to permit or forbid the driving, or to control an amount of the driving. When the device body is automatically opened, documents in the feeder or the output tray are unlikely to fall off.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder device and an image forming device provided with a feeder that feeds documents stacked in a feeder tray to a document reader of a document reading device and ejects the read documents to an output tray. Particularly, the present invention relates to a technique for automatically opening and closing a device body of the automatic document feeder device relative to the document reading device.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In general, according to the image forming device as described above, the device body of the automatic document feeder device is hingedly connected to the document reading device by a hinge connector. By pivoting about a hinge shaft of the hinge connector, the device body is opened and closed. In recent years, in order to improve the operability of the device and to be more user-friendly for the handicapped, an automatic assist opening/closing system for automatically opening and closing the device body according to user's button operation has been proposed (JP-A-H07-271115, JP-A-2006-50225).
However, according to the image forming device provided with the automatic assist opening/closing system, when the device body is widely or abruptly opened, documents stacked on the feeder tray and/or the output tray may fall off. Particularly, when an amount and/or a size of the stacked documents is large, the documents are likely to fall off.

Automatic document feeder device and image forming device

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


An embodiment image recording device includes an image obtainer configured to obtain image information, a first sensor configured to detect first impact information, a communicator configured to receive second impact information transmitted from another device, and to communicate with a terminal, a controller configured to determine whether an impact has been applied to a side of a vehicle based on the first impact information and the second impact information, and in response to a determination that the impact has been applied to the side of the vehicle, to control the communicator to transmit the image information obtained by the image obtainer to the terminal, and a storage device configured to store the image information and event information in response to a control command from the controller.

A vehicle performs additional functions for user convenience, such as a radio broadcasting function, an audio play function, a video play function, a navigation function, an air-conditioning function, a seat heater control function, an image recording function (black box function), a function of communicating with external user terminals, etc., in addition to a driving function.
The image recording function among the functions includes a function of obtaining rear images during parking and a function of obtaining front images during driving. That is, the vehicle obtains rear images and displays the rear images during parking to perform a parking assist function, and obtains front images and stores the front images during driving in order to use, when an accident occurs, the front images to analyze a cause of the accident. Also, when the vehicle has an autonomous driving function, the vehicle uses the obtained front images as information for autonomous driving.
The image recording function performs an operation of recording images when an impact is applied to a parked or stopped vehicle to obtain information about another vehicle or person which applies the impact to the vehicle.
For example, recently, due to an increase in number of vehicles and narrow parking spaces, collisions between vehicles often occur, and particularly, cases in which the door of a vehicle is damaged by a collision with the door of another vehicle being adjacent to the vehicle when the door opens happen frequently. In these cases, the owner of the other vehicle that has damaged the vehicle should compensate the owner of the vehicle. However, situations in which the owner of the other vehicle does not compensate or runs away without leaving his/her number happen frequently.
Accordingly, a vehicle performs the image recording function of sensing an impact applied to the vehicle during parking or stopping and recording information related to the sensed impact as images.
However, as such image recording functions increase and situations in which images need to be recorded to correspond to impact sensing happen frequently, a memory capacity for storing image data increases, which raises manufacturing cost.

Image recording device and vehicle having the same