1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to wellbore fluids that may include silicate-based additives for stabilizing an unconsolidated formation.
2. Background Art
Hydrocarbon fluids, such as oil and natural gas, and other desirable formation fluids are obtained from a subterranean geologic formation, i.e., a reservoir, by drilling a well that penetrates the formation zone that contains the desired fluid. Once a wellbore has been drilled, the well must be completed. A well “completion” involves the design, selection, and installation of equipment and materials in or around the wellbore for conveying, pumping, or controlling the production or injection of fluids. After the well has been completed, production of the formation fluids can begin.
When the subterranean formation is “soft” or poorly consolidated, small particulates (typically sand) present in the formation may dislodge and travel along with the produced fluid to the wellbore. Production of sand is highly undesirable as it tends to cause erosion of surface and subterranean equipment, and therefore, it must be removed from the produced fluids before they can be processed. In addition, the migrating sand can plug the flow channels in the formation, thereby necessitating other stimulation techniques, such as acid stimulation, to restore the well's performance.
Various types of unconsolidated formations include dune sands, alluvial deposits of sand and gravel, and unconsolidated marine deposits. The challenges in drilling and completing wells in these types of formations are to keep the borehole open and prevent caving, and to avoid reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the near-well formation by introducing irrecoverable mud or smearing clay at the well/aquifer interface during the drilling process. Drilling fluids for unconsolidated formations are typically water-based and generally include clean fresh water, water with clay additives, water with polymeric additives and water with a mixture of clay and polymeric additives.
One method of controlling loose sands in unconsolidated formations involves placing a filtration bed of gravel near the wellbore in order to present a physical barrier to the transport of unconsolidated formation fines with the production of hydrocarbons. Typically, such so-called “gravel packing operations” involve the pumping and placement of a quantity of a desired particulate into the unconsolidated formation adjacent the wellbore. Such packs are time consuming and expensive to install.
Another method used to control loose sands in unconsolidated formations involves consolidating or stabilizing the unconsolidated subterranean producing zones into hard permeable masses by pre-flushing the formation, applying a hardenable resin composition, applying a spacer fluid, applying an external catalyst to cause the resin to set, and applying an afterflush fluid to remove excess resin from the pore spaces of the zones. Such multiple-component applications, however, often result in uncertainty and create a risk for undesirable results. For example, when an insufficient amount of spacer fluid is used between the application of the hardenable resin and the application of the external catalyst the resin may come into contact with the external catalyst in the wellbore itself rather than in the unconsolidated subterranean producing zone. When resin is contacted with an external catalyst an exothermic reaction occurs that may result in rapid polymerization. The polymerization may damage the formation by plugging the pore channels, may halt pumping when the wellbore is plugged with solid material, or may even result in a downhole explosion as a result of the heat of polymerization. Also, using these conventional processes to treat long intervals of unconsolidated regions is not practical due to the difficulty in determining if the entire interval that has been treated with both the resin and the activation agent.
These techniques typically involve the injection of a consolidating fluid, such as a resin-based consolidating fluid, through the wellbore and into the formation surrounding the interval of interest. Resin-based consolidating fluids generally include an organic resin, a curing agent, a catalyst and an oil wetting agent. The resin system hardens in the formation, thereby consolidating it. Examples of such resin-based consolidating fluids and methods for using them are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,291,766; 4,427,069; 4,669,543; 5,199,492; and 5,806,593. Resin-based consolidation systems may be complicated to apply, especially those involving multiple treatment stages, and the treatment results may be erratic. When the individual components of the consolidating fluid are pumped at different stages into the formation they may or may not come together in the right order, or in the right amounts, or they may not even come together at all. And, even when they do come together, good mixing of the components is not assured, helping to explain the erratic and unreliable results that operators have experienced using such multi-stage consolidating fluids.
In an effort to improve performance, other well treatments have been proposed which use inorganic systems, specifically the use of components which form silica gels, to modify the formation and thereby reduce the production of formation fines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,796 describes a multi-stage process in which the following components are injected sequentially into the formation: (1) an aqueous solution containing a silicate adapted to wet the fine sand grain particles, (2) an aqueous solution of a silicate-precipitating agent capable of reacting with the silicate in solution (1) so as to form a solidifying material and therein to bind the fine sand grain particles, and (3) a solution containing an oil-wetting agent. This treatment is designed to immobilize the fine particles in the formation and prevent their migration when subjected to subsequent fluid flow. The patent states that aqueous solutions of alkaline earth metal salts (e.g., calcium chloride), acidic iron salts, and certain other metal salts can be used as the silicate-precipitating agent.
In another instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,308 describes a method of converting an unconsolidated sand formation into a consolidated, permeable formation by flowing volumes of aqueous calcium hydroxide (or compounds which hydrolyze or react with each other to form calcium hydroxide) through the pores of the unconsolidated formation. The patent states that the calcium hydroxide solution could be formed by adding sodium hydroxide to a solution of calcium chloride. The patent also states that during the practice of the process the sand particles in the formation become coated with calcium silicates of unknown or indefinite composition, and proposes that the coating cements the individual grains together and increases the structural strength of the sand assemblage.
Yet another approach has been described in two companion cases (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,088,555 and 5,101,901). In U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,555, a sand consolidation method was described involving sequential injections of (a) an aqueous solution of an alkali metal silicate and (b) certain organic solutions of a calcium salt (e.g., calcium chloride hydrate or chelated calcium) through perforations in the casing of a borehole. The components of these two solutions are said to react to form a calcium silicate cement with permeability retention characteristics in the formation interval being treated that prevents sand from being produced during the production of hydrocarbon fluids from the well.
However, the use of a silicate-precipitating agent that is in solution may give rise to short gellation times upon contact silicates. Accordingly, there exists a need for consolidation or stabilization methods which allow for longer and/or controllable gellation times.


A network subscriber can use peer-to-peer (P2P) software for the unauthorized sharing of copyright-protected content (e.g., music) over a P2P network. Typically, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) prevent the unauthorized sharing of copyright-protected material by cutting off the subscriber from the network, essentially assigning the subscriber a bandwidth of zero. Therefore, the network subscriber is not only prevented from transferring copyright-protected material over the P2P network, but the network subscriber is prevented from transferring any material over the network.
In addition, ISPs are beginning to operate as Media Providers (MP) (e.g., a Music Service Provider (MSP)) to permit network subscribers to legally share unlimited music files among one another within an enclosed network, or “walled garden.” There are no digital rights management (DRM) restrictions attached to the music files being traded within the MP (e.g., MSP). Therefore, various business rules need to be applied to the content streams (flows) over the network to manage and maintain data transfers within a MP network. For example, MP subscribers are authorized to upload music (i.e., share music) within the MP network. Therefore, content streams of copyright-protected music from a MP subscriber to an ISP subscriber outside of the MP network need to be blocked without disabling the permissible content streams from the same MP subscriber to other MP subscribers within the MP network. The network traffic should be monitored to determine the source of the content, the destination of the content, and the content that is being transferred on a particular network stream. In addition, an appropriate action should be taken on a subscriber's particular network stream to modify (e.g., block the stream) based on the source address, destination address, and content being transferred independent of a subscriber's other network streams.


This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combination night light and sterilizing holder for toilet articles.
Holders have heretofore been provided for toilet articles which not only provide storage therefor when not in use but also provide means in the holder for sterilizing the toilet articles. Such previous holders have disadvantages one of which is that the toilet articles are not held in a convenient position for insertion and removal. Another disadvantage is that the holders cannot be readily cleaned on the inside and otherwise readily maintained for efficient usage. Still another disadvantage is that the electric circuitry in the sterilizing means is not substantially concealed to prevent tampering therewith by children.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a backlight unit suitably used in a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly to a backlight unit having an improved structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a LCD device, there is provided a LCD panel on the front side of the light-emitting surface of a backlight unit. The LCD panel displays an image by performing optical switching for each of pixels arranged in a matrix. There are two types of backlight units including a central-light-source type in which the light source is provided at the rear side of the light-emitting surface and the light emitted from the light source passes directly through the light-emitting surface, and an edge-light-source type in which the light source is provided at the edge of an optical guide plate provided at the rear side of the light-emitting surface and the light emitted from the light source is guided by the optical guide plate to pass through the light-emitting surface.
The edge-light-source backlight unit has the advantage that the light source can be disposed at the side edge of the optical guide plate to provide a small thickness for the backlight unit. Examples of the light source of the edge-light-source backlight unit include a linear cold-cathode fluorescent lamp and a chip-type light emitting diode (LED). In recent years, the chip-type LED is the mainstream of the light source due to smaller dimensions and longer lifetime of the light source. Patent Publication JP-2004-186004A describes an edge-light-source backlight unit using such a chip-type LED as the light source.
In the backlight unit using a LED as the light source, in order to emit the light as white light, three color LEDS emitting three colors of red, green and blue are provided without using a single white LED, because the typical white LED has an insufficient emission power. In the backlight unit described in the above patent publication, if the optical path from the color LEDs to the light-emitting surface of the backlight unit has an insufficient length, there arises a problem in that the lights of three colors emitted from the LEDs are not well mixed to reach the light-emitting surface. In this case, the backlight unit cannot provide an even-color backlight at the light-emitting surface, especially at the edge portion thereof.
In order to solve the above problem involved with the conventional backlight unit including color LEDs, Patent Publication JP-2006-18175A describes provision of an additional light-mixing optical guide plate provided on the rear side of the main optical guide plate. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the LCD device described in this patent publication. The LCD device, generally designated by 100, includes a backlight unit 11, a LCD panel 12 provided on the front side of the light-emitting surface 11a of the backlight unit 11, and a shield front 13 configuring a housing and defining the outer edge of the screen of the LCD panel 12.
Color LEDs 21 are provided at the rear side of a rear cover 38 configuring the rear housing of the backlight unit 11. The color lights emitted from the color LEDs 21 are guided by a first reflector 31, a light-mixing optical guide plate 32, a second reflector 33, and a main optical guide plate 34, thereby passing through an optical sheet 36 configuring the light-emitting surface 11a of the backlight unit to reach the LCD panel 12. In this configuration of the LCD device 100, the color lights emitted from the LEDs 21 are mixed sufficiently by the light-mixing optical guide plate 32, thereby achieving an even color light at the light-emitting surface 11a of the backlight unit.
For a color LCD device, it is important to maintain the color reproducibility of the display image for a long period of service. In order to maintain the color reproducibility of the display image during the lifetime of the LCD device, the change of color tones due to aged deterioration should be suppressed on the light-emitting surface of the backlight unit. For this purpose, it is important to suppress the rise of temperature of the LED devices due to the heat generated in the LEDs. If the temperature of the color LEDs rises excessively, the color LEDs will be deteriorated, lowering the luminance of the color LEDs. The reduction in the luminance occurs in an amount depending on the characteristic of the respective LEDs, resulting in a change of the color tone of the backlight.
In the LCD device 100 described in JP-2006-18175A, in order to suppress the temperature rise of the color LEDs 21, there is provided a heat sink 23 on the rear surface of a wiring board 22 on which the LEDs 21 are mounted, thereby diffusing the heat generated in the color LEDs 21 via the heat sink 23. In order to further enhance the heat dissipation capability of the LCD device, a structure is employed to enlarge the surface area thereof by providing fins 25 on the heat sink 23, as depicted in FIG. 4.
However, for a LCD device for use in the field of photograph, printing etc., which are required of a higher color reproducibility, the temperature rise should be suppressed as much as possible, and thus the heat dissipation capability should be further improved. In this improvement, a larger surface of the heat sink 23 should be avoided because the larger surface inevitably increases the dimensions of the backlight unit 11. Therefore, it is desirable to improve the heat dissipation capability of the backlight unit without increasing the dimensions of the backlight unit 11.


The invention relates to a method and apparatus for the preparation of multiple gauge metal strip by a shaving operation wherein the strip is drawn through the shaving apparatus over an arced surface.
It is necessary to provide a multiple gauge thickness in a metal strip in many applications such as the production of copper strip for the formation of electrical conductors and the like. Conventional procedures such as continuous milling have been employed to produce the desired variations in gauge, however, such processes suffer from the disadvantages of being both time consuming as well as generating an unfavorable form of scrap.
An additional procedure which has been known in the art to produce multiple gauge metal strip comprises the reduction to gauge by a rolling operation. However, the rolling operation in the production of multiple gauge strip has been found to suffer from the disadvantages of being restricted to certain shapes, and furthermore tend to involve complex and costly tooling. Additionally, it has been found that the product produced by the aforesaid rolling process fails to meet commercial tolerances as well as being free from other structural defects.
A further method of producing multiple gauge metal strip is by a drawing process. However, certain complications resulted from this process. In the normal drawing process reduction of the thickness in a section results in an increase in section length so that if the thickness of a given shape varies across its width, the drawing process will result in variable changes in length causing non-uniform metal flow and stresses leading to buckling, twisting, tearing and fracture of the workpiece. Though a wide variety of drawing techniques are known, including the employment of the hydrodynamic principle, none have been suggested or would appear to alleviate the aforenoted deficiencies associated with the drawing of complex multiple gauge configurations.
The technique of shaving as a form of metal reduction has been known in the art for some time. However, its application has been generally limited to the finishing of materials of uniform cross section by the reduction of the cross sectional area of the workpiece, with the reduction being conducted along the entire surface thereof. This technique is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,055,102 to Shaw et al. wherein a shaving tool is applied against a rod or bar which reduces the cross sectional area along the entire surface thereof.
Certain problems would appear to arise if this shaving technique exemplified by Shaw et al. were to be directly applied to the production of multiple gauge strip products from rectangular stock. Specifically, the application of shaving force against only a portion of the total surface of the strip tends to magnify the problems set forth in the aforenoted patent, particularly, the inability to hold the workpiece properly centered with respect to the tool with the result that the workpiece wanders and a wavy or broken surface may result. A further difficulty which would arise and be magnified by the removal of stock from only a portion of the workpiece surface would be the excessive chattering that takes place as the strip would pass through the tool which would appear on the finished product as a torn or galled surface.
One known method of producing multiple gauge strip by draw shaving is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,977 to Winter et al. and assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The method and apparatus for producing multiple gauge metal strip in the aforesaid U.S. patent while found to be superior to previously known methods still was found to suffer from deficiencies. More particularly, the rake angle at which the tool was disposed was found to be limited to a range of 21/2.degree. to about 25.degree. and was preferably about 5.degree. to 18.degree.. Any increase in rake angle above those critical values would cause the workpiece to ride up the tool resulting in excessive strip material being removed. Thus, as a result of the limit on rake angle, the amount of volume removed per pass was also limited. Furthermore, the manner in which the tool was held in position with respect to the anvil and strip was found to produce chatter marks on the shaved portion of the multiple strip product not unlike those chatter marks encountered in the aforesaid machining operations. The chatter marks are undesirable for functional reasons as well as cosmetic reasons. Chatter marks on the metal strip impedes the bonding of semi-conductor chips to the strip as well as inhibiting the metal plating of the strip which may be necessary in the production of electrical conductors and the like. The shaved gauge variation of the strip was found to be .+-. 0.002" while variations in the transverse positioning of the cut groove were 0.005". Finally, the finished multiple gauge strip product was observed to have significant scratching on the backside thereof as a result of being drawn over the flat anvil during the shaving process. Furthermore, the shape of the final product exhibited an increase in cross-wise dish with a corresponding increase in cut depth and/or width. This cross-wise dish can be attributed to the insufficient hold-down forces of the strip against the flat anvil.


A signal transfer time measurement apparatus measures the time from when a signal (radio wave) is transmitted from a base station to a terminal to when a signal (radio wave) transmitted from the terminal is received by the base station. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 9-170364 and 2003-13644 and Japanese National Phase Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2006-512515 and 2008-515315 each describe an electronic key system including such type of a signal transfer time measurement apparatus. When ID verification is performed between a vehicle and an electronic key through wireless communication, the signal transfer time measurement apparatus measures the time a signal is transferred between the vehicle and the electronic key. By measuring the signal transfer time, ID verification may be prohibited when the electronic key is connected to the vehicle using a relay in an unauthorized manner.
Referring to FIG. 11, a wideband signal may be used as a transmission signal (impulse) transmitted from a base station to a terminal. FIG. 12 illustrates changes in the signal to noise ratio (SNR) when changing the frequency band of the transmission signal from a narrowband to a wideband. As illustrated in FIG. 12, when widening the frequency band of the transmission signal, the power peak value of the transmission signal received by the base station increases, and the difference increases between the power level of the transmission signal and the power level of a noise wave. This improves the SNR, and increases the likeliness of communication establishment.


Manufacturing a printhead that has relatively high resolution and print-speed raises a number of problems.
Difficulties in manufacturing pagewidth printheads of any substantial size arise due to the relatively small dimensions of standard silicon wafers that are used in printhead (or printhead module) manufacture. For example, if it is desired to make an 8 inch wide pagewidth printhead, only one such printhead can be laid out on a standard 8-inch wafer, since such wafers are circular in plan. Manufacturing a pagewidth printhead from two or more smaller modules can reduce this limitation to some extent, but raises other problems related to providing a joint between adjacent printhead modules that is precise enough to avoid visible artefacts (which would typically take the form of noticeable lines) when the printhead is used. The problem is exacerbated in relatively high-resolution applications because of the tight tolerances dictated by the small spacing between nozzles.
The quality of a joint region between adjacent printhead modules relies on factors including a precision with which the abutting ends of each module can be manufactured, the accuracy with which they can be aligned when assembled into a single printhead, and other more practical factors such as management of ink channels behind the nozzles. It will be appreciated that the difficulties include relative vertical displacement of the printhead modules with respect to each other.
Whilst some of these issues may be dealt with by careful design and manufacture, the level of precision required renders it relatively expensive to manufacture printheads within the required tolerances. It would be desirable to provide a solution to one or more of the problems associated with precision manufacture and assembly of multiple printhead modules to form a printhead, and especially a pagewidth printhead.
In some cases, it is desirable to produce a number of different printhead module types or lengths on a substrate to maximise usage of the substrate's surface area. However, different sizes and types of modules will have different numbers and layouts of print nozzles, potentially including different horizontal and vertical offsets. Where two or more modules are to be joined to form a single printhead, there is also the problem of dealing with different seam shapes between abutting ends of joined modules, which again may incorporate vertical or horizontal offsets between the modules. Printhead controllers are usually dedicated application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) designed for specific use with a single type of printhead module, that is used by itself rather than with other modules. It would be desirable to provide a way in which different lengths and types of printhead modules could be accounted for using a single printer controller.
Printer controllers face other difficulties when two or more printhead modules are involved, especially if it is desired to send dot data to each of the printheads directly (rather than via a single printhead connected to the controller). One concern is that data delivered to different length controllers at the same rate will cause the shorter of the modules to be ready for printing before any longer modules. Where there is little difference involved, the issue may not be of importance, but for large length differences, the result is that the bandwidth of a shared memory from which the dot data is supplied to the modules is effectively left idle once one of the modules is full and the remaining module or modules is still being filled. It would be desirable to provide a way of improving memory bandwidth usage in a system comprising a plurality of printhead modules of uneven length.
In any printing system that includes multiple nozzles on a printhead or printhead module, there is the possibility of one or more of the nozzles failing in the field, or being inoperative due to manufacturing defect. Given the relatively large size of a typical printhead module, it would be desirable to provide some form of compensation for one or more “dead” nozzles. Where the printhead also outputs fixative on a per-nozzle basis, it is also desirable that the fixative is provided in such a way that dead nozzles are compensated for.
A printer controller can take the form of an integrated circuit, comprising a processor and one or more peripheral hardware units for implementing specific data manipulation functions. A number of these units and the processor may need access to a common resource such as memory. One way of arbitrating between multiple access requests for a common resource is timeslot arbitration, in which access to the resource is guaranteed to a particular requestor during a predetermined timeslot.
One difficulty with this arrangement lies in the fact that not all access requests make the same demands on the resource in terms of timing and latency. For example, a memory read requires that data be fetched from memory, which may take a number of cycles, whereas a memory write can commence immediately. Timeslot arbitration does not take into account these differences, which may result in accesses being performed in a less efficient manner than might otherwise be the case. It would be desirable to provide a timeslot arbitration scheme that improved this efficiency as compared with prior art timeslot arbitration schemes.
Also of concern when allocating resources in a timeslot arbitration scheme is the fact that the priority of an access request may not be the same for all units. For example, it would be desirable to provide a timeslot arbitration scheme in which one requestor (typically the memory) is granted special priority such that its requests are dealt with earlier than would be the case in the absence of such priority.
In systems that use a memory and cache, a cache miss (in which an attempt to load data or an instruction from a cache fails) results in a memory access followed by a cache update. It is often desirable when updating the cache in this way to update data other than that which was actually missed. A typical example would be a cache miss for a byte resulting in an entire word or line of the cache associated with that byte being updated. However, this can have the effect of tying up bandwidth between the memory (or a memory manager) and the processor where the bandwidth is such that several cycles are required to transfer the entire word or line to the cache. It would be desirable to provide a mechanism for updating a cache that improved cache update speed and/or efficiency.
Most integrated circuits an externally provided signal as (or to generate) a clock, often provided from a dedicated clock generation circuit. This is often due to the difficulties of providing an onboard clock that can operate at a speed that is predictable. Manufacturing tolerances of such on-board clock generation circuitry can result in clock rates that vary by a factor of two, and operating temperatures can increase this margin by an additional factor of two. In some cases, the particular rate at which the clock operates is not of particular concern. However, where the integrated circuit will be writing to an internal circuit that is sensitive to the time over which a signal is provided, it may be undesirable to have the signal be applied for too long or short a time. For example, flash memory is sensitive to being written too for too long a period. It would be desirable to provide a mechanism for adjusting a rate of an on-chip system clock to take into account the impact of manufacturing variations on clockspeed.
One form of attacking a secure chip is to induce (usually by increasing) a clock speed that takes the logic outside its rated operating frequency. One way of doing this is to reduce the temperature of the integrated circuit, which can cause the clock to race. Above a certain frequency, some logic will start malfunctioning. In some cases, the malfunction can be such that information on the chip that would otherwise be secure may become available to an external connection. It would be desirable to protect an integrated circuit from such attacks.
In an integrated circuit comprising non-volatile memory, a power failure can result in unintentional behaviour. For example, if an address or data becomes unreliable due to falling voltage supplied to the circuit but there is still sufficient power to cause a write, incorrect data can be written. Even worse, the data (incorrect or not) could be written to the wrong memory. The problem is exacerbated with multi-word writes. It would be desirable to provide a mechanism for reducing or preventing spurious writes when power to an integrated circuit is failing.
In an integrated circuit, it is often desirable to reduce unauthorised access to the contents of memory. This is particularly the case where the memory includes a key or some other form of security information that allows the integrated circuit to communicate with another entity (such as another integrated circuit, for example) in a secure manner. It would be particularly advantageous to prevent attacks involving direct probing of memory addresses by physically investigating the chip (as distinct from electronic or logical attacks via manipulation of signals and power supplied to the integrated circuit).
It is also desirable to provide an environment where the manufacturer of the integrated circuit (or some other authorised entity) can verify or authorize code to be run on an integrated circuit.
Another desideratum would be the ability of two or more entities, such as integrated circuits, to communicate with each other in a secure manner. It would also be desirable to provide a mechanism for secure communication between a first entity and a second entity, where the two entities, whilst capable of some form of secure communication, are not able to establish such communication between themselves.
In a system that uses resources (such as a printer, which uses inks) it may be desirable to monitor and update a record related to resource usage. Authenticating ink quality can be a major issue, since the attributes of inks used by a given printhead can be quite specific. Use of incorrect ink can result in anything from misfiring or poor performance to damage or destruction of the printhead. It would therefore be desirable to provide a system that enables authentication of the correct ink being used, as well as providing various support systems secure enabling refilling of ink cartridges.
In a system that prevents unauthorized programs from being loaded onto or run on an integrated circuit, it can be laborious to allow developers of software to access the circuits during software development. Enabling access to integrated circuits of a particular type requires authenticating software with a relatively high-level key. Distributing the key for use by developers is inherently unsafe, since a single leak of the key outside the organization could endanger security of all chips that use a related key to authorize programs. Having a small number of people with high-security clearance available to authenticate programs for testing can be inconvenient, particularly in the case where frequent incremental changes in programs during development require testing. It would be desirable to provide a mechanism for allowing access to one or more integrated circuits without risking the security of other integrated circuits in a series of such integrated circuits.
In symmetric key security, a message, denoted by M, is plaintext. The process of transforming M into ciphertext C, where the substance of M is hidden, is called encryption. The process of transforming C back into M is called decryption. Referring to the encryption function as E, and the decryption function as D, we have the following identities:E[M]=CD[C]=M
Therefore the following identity is true:D[E[M]]=M
A symmetric encryption algorithm is one where:                the encryption function E relies on key K1,        the decryption function D relies on key K2,        K2 can be derived from K1, and        K1 can be derived from K2.
In most symmetric algorithms, K1 equals K2. However, even if K1 does not equal K2, given that one key can be derived from the other, a single key K can suffice for the mathematical definition. Thus:EK[M]=CDK[C]=M
The security of these algorithms rests very much in the key K. Knowledge of K allows anyone to encrypt or decrypt. Consequently K must remain a secret for the duration of the value of M. For example, M may be a wartime message “My current position is grid position 123-456”. Once the war is over the value of M is greatly reduced, and if K is made public, the knowledge of the combat unit's position may be of no relevance whatsoever. The security of the particular symmetric algorithm is a function of two things: the strength of the algorithm and the length of the key.
An asymmetric encryption algorithm is one where:                the encryption function E relies on key K1,        the decryption function D relies on key K2,        K2 cannot be derived from K1 in a reasonable amount of time, and        K1 cannot be derived from K2 in a reasonable amount of time.
Thus:EK1[M]=CDK2[C]=M
These algorithms are also called public-key because one key K1 can be made public. Thus anyone can encrypt a message (using K1) but only the person with the corresponding decryption key (K2) can decrypt and thus read the message.
In most cases, the following identity also holds:EK2[M]=CDK1[C]=M
This identity is very important because it implies that anyone with the public key K1 can see M and know that it came from the owner of K2. No-one else could have generated C because to do so would imply knowledge of K2. This gives rise to a different application, unrelated to encryption—digital signatures.
A number of public key cryptographic algorithms exist. Most are impractical to implement, and many generate a very large C for a given M or require enormous keys. Still others, while secure, are far too slow to be practical for several years. Because of this, many public key systems are hybrid—a public key mechanism is used to transmit a symmetric session key, and then the session key is used for the actual messages.
All of the algorithms have a problem in terms of key selection. A random number is simply not secure enough. The two large primes p and q must be chosen carefully—there are certain weak combinations that can be factored more easily (some of the weak keys can be tested for). But nonetheless, key selection is not a simple matter of randomly selecting 1024 bits for example. Consequently the key selection process must also be secure.
Symmetric and asymmetric schemes both suffer from a difficulty in allowing establishment of multiple relationships between one entity and a two or more others, without the need to provide multiple sets of keys. For example, if a main entity wants to establish secure communications with two or more additional entities, it will need to maintain a different key for each of the additional entities. For practical reasons, it is desirable to avoid generating and storing large numbers of keys. To reduce key numbers, two or more of the entities may use the same key to communicate with the main entity. However, this means that the main entity cannot be sure which of the entities it is communicating with. Similarly, messages from the main entity to one of the entities can be decrypted by any of the other entities with the same key. It would be desirable if a mechanism could be provided to allow secure communication between a main entity and one or more other entities that overcomes at least some of the shortcomings of prior art.
In a system where a first entity is capable of secure communication of some form, it may be desirable to establish a relationship with another entity without providing the other entity with any information related the first entity's security features. Typically, the security features might include a key or a cryptographic function. It would be desirable to provide a mechanism for enabling secure communications between a first and second entity when they do not share the requisite secret function, key or other relationship to enable them to establish trust.
A number of other aspects, features, preferences and embodiments are disclosed in the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment below.


The invention relates to an electronic device having at least one connector for at least one wired sensor, said device having further a sensor break detection unit. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for detecting a break of at least one wired sensor. Devices and methods according to the invention may be used in the field of automation technology, e.g. for control of manufacturing machinery or data logging.
It is known from the art to detect a sensor break by means of under-voltage detection. The input impedance of the electronic device will act as a pull-down resistor bringing an open circuit to 0 V in the case of loss of connection. Sensor break is assumed if the reading collapses to a value of less than 10% of the full range.
These known devices have the disadvantage that low measurement values may be erroneous detected as a sensor break. Furthermore, detecting a sensor break takes several measurement cycles, depending on the input impedance and the capacities involved.


There is a focus detection device known in the related art that adopts the split-pupil phase detection method (see patent literature 1). This focus detection device generates a pair of image signals in correspondence to a pair of images formed with a pair of focus detection light fluxes passing through the exit pupil of an optical system. A correlation operation of the known art is executed by shifting the pair of image signals relative to each other, so as to calculate a correlation value representing a degree of coincidence between a pair of image signal strings resulting from the relative shift. Based upon the correlation value, a shift amount at which the highest agree of coincidence is achieved for the patterns expressed in the pair of image signal strings resulting from the relative shift, is detected as a relative image shift amount representing the extent of relative image shift manifested by the pair of subject images. In addition, the focusing condition of the optical system is detected in correspondence to the image shift amount. The focusing condition of the optical system is indicated by the difference between a predetermined focal plane and a detected image plane, i.e., by a defocus amount.


The invention relates to a process for producing two-layer automotive top coats consisting of a base lacquer layer and a clear lacquer finishing layer.
Two-layer automotive top coats are produced by wet-on-wet application of a transparent finishing lacquer layer to a colour- and/or effect-giving base lacquer layer that has been pre-dried by exposure to air. The colour- and/or effect-giving base lacquer layer is produced using either non-aqueous or aqueous base lacquers in the lacqering units of the individual motor vehicle manufacturers. Non-aqueous base lacquers contain organic solvents in an order of magnitude of, for example, from 55 to 80 wt. %, while aqueous base lacquers contain only, for example, from 10 to 25 wt. % organic solvents. For reasons of environmental protection, therefore, there is a trend towards replacing base lacquers based on organic solvents by aqueous base lacquers. For example, older lacquering units in which non-aqueous base lacquers are processed are being replaced by new lacquering units constructed for the processing of aqueous base lacquers.
The air-exposure conditions for base lacquer layers in lacquering units for the application of base lacquers based on organic solvents are different from those in lacquering units designed specifically for the application of water-borne lacquers. In lacquering units designed for the application of base lacquers based on organic solvents, the air-exposure conditions that prevail are characterised by short air-exposure times of, for example, from 30 to 180 seconds at air temperatures of, for example, from 20 to 30xc2x0 C. Aqueous base lacquers require longer air-exposure times at higher air temperatures in order to obtain a pre-dried base lacquer film on completion of the air-exposure operation. In lacquering units for the application of aqueous base lacquers, therefore, the air-exposure times are, for example, from 5 to 10 minutes and the air temperatures prevailing during the exposure to air are higher at, for example, from 40 to 80xc2x0 C. For example, for the purposes of adequate pre-drying suitable for the subsequent wet-on-wet application of a clear lacquer coating composition, coating layers applied from aqueous base lacquers are exposed to air first for from 1 to 2 minutes at from 20 to 40xc2x0 C. and then for from 3 to 5 minutes using warm air of from 40 to 80xc2x0 C. The short air-exposure times in lacquering units designed for the application of base lacquers based on organic solvents are the result of the only short overall length of the air-exposure region and the belt speed given by the production target of the vehicle body coating process. In the case of base lacquers based on organic solvents, such short air-exposure times are sufficient to obtain a pre-dried base lacquer film on completion of the air-exposure operation, but that is not the case with aqueous base lacquers. Accordingly, it is not possible to process aqueous base lacquers in lacquering units that allow only short air-exposure times.
The object of the invention is to provide a process for producing two-layer motor vehicle top coats by the wet-on-wet application of an aqueous base lacquer coating composition and a clear lacquer coating composition while allowing only short air-exposure times of, for example, from 30 to 180 seconds for the base lacquer layer. In particular, the process is to allow aqueous base lacquers to be processed in automated motor vehicle series lacquering units that are designed for the processing of non-aqueous base lacquers and allow only short air-exposure times for the base lacquer layers.
The object is achieved by observing the following conditions in the formulation of aqueous base lacquer coating compositions and observing the following process conditions during the exposure to air of the coating layers applied from such aqueous base lacquer coating compositions.
Accordingly, the invention provides a process for producing a two-layer colour- and/or effect-giving top coat on motor vehicle bodies in an automatic motor vehicle series lacquering unit, wherein a transparent finishing lacquer layer of a clear lacquer coating composition is applied to a base lacquer layer that has been applied from an aqueous colour- and/or effect-giving base lacquer coating composition and exposed to air, and the two coating layers are together baked, which process is characterised in that there is used an aqueous base lacquer coating composition that contains organic solvents according to a high solid value of from 40 to 70%, and the base lacquer layer, after it has been applied and before the transparent finishing lacquer layer is applied, is exposed to air for from 30 to 180 seconds using circulating air at from 25 to 45xc2x0 C. with an air throughput of from 0.10 to 0.70 m/s, based on the area provided with the aqueous base lacquer layer.
According to the invention, aqueous base lacquer coating compositions are used. For example, in addition to water they contain one or more conventional binders, organic solvents and pigments as well as, optionally, fillers, crosslinking agents, and/or additives conventionally employed in lacquers. The aqueous base lacquer coating compositions used in the process according to the invention have, for example, solids contents by weight of from 15 to 50 wt. %; for aqueous effect base lacquers that value is, for example, preferably from 15 to 30 wt. %, and for aqueous single coloured base lacquers it is preferably higher, for example from 20 to 45 wt. %. The solids content by weight of the aqueous base lacquer coating compositions is formed from the sum of the solids contents of the binders, pigments, fillers, crosslinking agents, and non-volatile additives conventionally employed in lacquers. The weight ratio of pigment to binder in the aqueous base lacquer coating composition is, for example, from 0.05:1 to 3:1; for aqueous effect base lacquers it is, for example, preferably from 0.1:1 to 0.6:1, and for aqueous single coloured base lacquers it is preferably higher, for example from 0.1:1 to 2.5:1, in each case based on the weight of the solids. When calculating the ratio of pigment to binder, the sum of the amounts by weight of colour-giving pigments, effect pigments and fillers is related to the sum of the amounts by weight of binder solids, paste resin solids and crosslinking agent solids in the finished aqueous base lacquer.
In addition to the air-exposure conditions for the base lacquer layer which are to be observed according to the invention and which are explained hereinbelow, it is essential to the invention that the aqueous base lacquer coating compositions used in the process according to the invention have a high solid value of from 40 to 70%. In the case of aqueous effect base lacquers, that value is, for example, from 40 to 60%, and in the case of aqueous single coloured base lacquers it is, for example, from 40 to 70%. The high solid value of the aqueous base lacquer coating compositions is calculated according to the formula       solids              xe2x80x83            content              xe2x80x83            in              xe2x80x83                  wt      .              xe2x80x83                  %                  xe2x80x83        xc3x97    100        %                                            solids                                      xe2x80x83                                    content                                      xe2x80x83                                    in                                      xe2x80x83                                                  wt              .                              xe2x80x83                                          %                                +                                              content                                xe2x80x83                              of                                xe2x80x83                              organic                                xe2x80x83                              solvents                                xe2x80x83                              in                                xe2x80x83                                          wt            .                          xe2x80x83                                    %
The solvent content and the solids content are therefore to be so matched that a high solid value of from 40 to 70% is obtained according to the above formula.
The aqueous base lacquers used in the process according to the invention contain conventional ionically or non-ionically stabilised binder systems. Such systems are preferably anionically and/or non-ionically stabilised. Anionic stabilisation is preferably achieved by means of at least partially neutralised carboxyl groups in the binder, while non-ionic stabilisation is preferably achieved by means of lateral or terminal polyethylene oxide units in the binder. The aqueous base lacquers may be physically drying in nature or crosslinkable with formation of covalent bonds. Aqueous base lacquers that crosslink with formation of covalent bonds may be self-crosslinking systems or systems that crosslink by external means. In the latter case, the aqueous base lacquers may be single- or multi-component.
The aqueous base lacquers used in the process according to the invention contain one or more conventional film-forming binders. If the binders are not self-crosslinking or self-drying, they may optionally also contain crosslinking agents. Neither the binder component nor the crosslinking component that may optionally be present is subject to any limitations of any kind. There may be used as film-forming binders, for example, conventional polyester, polyurethane and/or poly(meth)acrylate resins. The choice of crosslinking agents that may optionally be present is not critical; it is dependent, in a manner known to those skilled in the art, on the functionality of the binders.
The aqueous base lacquers used in the process according to the invention contain colour- and/or effect-giving pigments and, optionally, fillers. Examples of colour-giving inorganic or organic pigments and fillers are titanium dioxide, micronised titanium dioxide, iron oxide pigments, carbon black, silicon dioxide, barium sulfate, micronised mica, talcum, kaolin, chalk, layered silicates, azo pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, quinacridone pigments, pyrrolopyrrole pigments, perylene pigments. Examples of effect-giving pigments are metal pigments, for example of aluminium, copper or other metals; interference pigments, such as, for example, metal-oxide-coated metal pigments, for example titanium-dioxide-coated aluminium, coated mica, such as, for example, titanium-dioxide-coated mica, graphite effect pigments, plate-like iron oxide, plate-like copper phthalocyanine pigments.
Effect pigments are generally used in the form of a commercial aqueous or non-aqueous paste; organic solvents and additives, preferably water-dilutable organic solvents and additives, are optionally added thereto, and the whole is then mixed with aqueous binder, with shearing. Powdered effect pigments may first be processed with preferably water-dilutable organic solvents and additives to form a paste.
Colouring pigments and/or fillers may be milled, for example, in a portion of the aqueous binder. Milling may preferably also take place in a special water-dilutable paste resin. Milling may be carried out in conventional units known to those skilled in the art. The remainder of the aqueous binder or of the aqueous paste resin is then added to produce the finished colouring pigment mill base.
The aqueous base lacquers used in the process according to the invention may contain further additives conventionally employed in lacquers in amounts conventionally employed in lacquers, for example from 0.1 to 5 wt. %, based on their solids content. Examples of such further additives are neutralising agents, antifoams, wetting agents, adhesion-promoting substances, catalysts, flow agents, anti-pitting agents, light stabilisers and thickeners such as, for example, synthetic polymers having groups that are ionic and/or have an associative action, such as polyvinyl alcohol, poly(meth)acrylamide, poly(meth)acrylic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone, hydrophobically modified ethoxylated polyurethanes or polyacrylates, crosslinked or uncrosslinked polymer microparticles.
The aqueous base lacquers used in the process according to the invention contain organic solvents, the amount of which is such that the aqueous base lacquers have high solid values of from 40 to 70%, for example the aqueous base lacquers contain from 20 to 30 wt. % organic solvents. The composition of the organic solvents in the aqueous base lacquers preferably consists of from 30 to 60 wt. % organic solvents that are low-boiling, for example that boil preferably below 120xc2x0 C., and that are miscible with water readily or without a miscibility gap, for example that have a water-solubility at 20xc2x0 C. of more than 70 g per liter of water. Such organic solvents are preferably chosen from methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, n-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, methoxypropanol, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone or mixtures thereof; n- and iso-propanol are particularly preferred.
Examples of further organic solvents that may be contained in the aqueous base lacquers used in the process according to the invention and that may account for preferably from 40 to 70 wt. % of the organic solvent composition in the aqueous base lacquer are monohydric alcohols having 5 or more carbon atoms, for example hexanol; ethylene glycol ethers or esters, for example ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol mono- or di-C1-C6-alkyl ethers, butyl glycol, butyl diglycol, ethyl glycol acetate, butyl glycol acetate; propylene glycol ethers or esters, for example propylene glycol dimethyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono- or di-C1-C6-alkyl ethers, ethoxypropanol, propoxypropanol, butoxypropanol, methoxypropyl acetate, ethoxypropyl acetate; ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and their dimers or trimers, N-alkylpyrrolidones, for example N-methylpyrrolidone; ketones, for example cyclohexanone; aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbons, for example toluene, xylene or linear or branched aliphatic C6-C12-hydrocarbons.
In the process according to the invention, the aqueous base lacquers are applied to motor vehicle bodies that may consist of one type of substrate or of a plurality of types of substrate joined together in a composite construction. In general, the substrates are of metal or plastics. They are generally pre-coated, that is to say plastics substrates may be provided, for example, with a primer coating of plastics, metal substrates generally have a primer coating applied, for example, by electrophoresis and optionally, in addition, one or more further lacquer layers, such as, for example, a primer surfacer layer. The aqueous base lacquers are applied by spraying in one or more spraying operations in a dry layer thickness of from 10 to 50 xcexcm; in the case of aqueous effect base lacquers, the dry layer thickness is, for example, preferably from 10 to 25 xcexcm, and in the case of aqueous single coloured base lacquers it is preferably higher, for example from 15 to 40 xcexcm.
The application of the aqueous base lacquer and the clear lacquer is carried out in the process according to the invention by the known wet-on-wet principle, that is to say the base lacquer layer applied from the aqueous base lacquer coating composition is first pre-dried by exposure to air before the clear lacquer coating is applied. Pre-drying by exposure to air according to the invention is important in order that the finished two-layer coating meets the demands made both of the technological properties, such as, for example, adhesion and resistance to the impact of stones, and of the optical properties, such as, for example, colour shade, the development of special effects, and the appearance.
In addition to the above-mentioned conditions to be observed in the formulation of the aqueous base lacquer coating compositions used in the process according to the invention, it is essential to the invention that, after application of the base lacquer layers produced from the aqueous base lacquer coating compositions and before application of the transparent finishing lacquer layer, the base lacquer layers be exposed to air for from 30 to 180 seconds using circulating air at from 25 to 45xc2x0 C. with an air throughput of from 0.10 to 0.70 m/s, based on the area provided with the aqueous base lacquer layer.
Exposure to air of the applied aqueous base lacquer layer takes place in the base lacquer air-exposure zone of the motor vehicle series lacquering and lasts for from 30 to 180 seconds, preferably from 60 to 150 seconds. That time is given, for example, by the overall length of the base lacquer air-exposure zone of the motor vehicle series lacquering unit, which is, for example, from 5 to 15 m, and the belt speed of, for example, from 2 to 6 m/min prevailing therein. Exposure to air takes place under circulating-air conditions at air temperatures of from 25 to 45xc2x0 C., preferably from 30 to 40xc2x0 C. The circulating-air conditions are so chosen that an air throughput, based on the area coated with aqueous base lacquer, of from 0.10 to 0.70 m/s, preferably from 0.15 to 0.60 m/s, is used. The air throughput, based on the area coated with aqueous base lacquer, is calculated as the quotient of the volume of air, in cubic meters, that passes through the air-exposure zone per second and the area, coated with aqueous base lacquer, that is located in the air-exposure zone and is to be exposed to air, for example of the order of from 20 to 150 square meters. The volume of air that passes through the air-exposure zone in the process according to the invention is, for example, from 1 to 2 cubic meters per meter of air-exposure zone and per second. The area, coated with aqueous base lacquer, that is located in the air-exposure zone and is to be exposed to air is calculated from the number of coated motor vehicle bodies present in the base lacquer air-exposure zone at the same time, for example from 1 to 3 vehicle bodies, and the area, in square meters, of the vehicle body in question that is coated with aqueous base lacquer and is to be exposed to air, for example of the order of magnitude of from 15 to 35 square meters in the motorcar sector or from 20 to 65 square meters in the commercial vehicle sector. The expression xe2x80x9carea of an individual vehicle body that is coated with aqueous base lacquer and is to be exposed to airxe2x80x9d means not only the area of an individual vehicle body that is subsequently to be provided with a clear lacquer coating, but also includes any portions of the surface that are not to be covered with clear lacquer, for example in the interior space of the vehicle body.
In the process according to the invention, exposure to air is carried out under circulating-air conditions. For example, the procedure is such that the circulating air contains from 5 to 15 g of water per cubic meter. It is also possible for a part, for example from 5 to 20%, preferably from 5 to 10%, of the volume of air passing through the air-exposure zone per second to leave the air-exposure zone as outgoing air and to be replaced by a corresponding amount of fresh air, which is mixed in with the air that is being circulated. The fresh air contains preferably less than 15 g, particularly preferably from 5 to 12 g, of water per cubic meter. The water content of the fresh air that is mixed in may be adjusted by means of conventional dehumidification methods, such as, for example, compression of air and/or condensation or absorption of the water from the air.
The circulating air is expediently moved at a flow rate of from 4 to 8 m/s, measured at the object. It is preferably a turbulent flow of air, which is directed from top to bottom and from the sides onto the vehicle body provided with the base lacquer layer to be exposed to air. The air is expediently guided uniformly and perpendicularly onto the base lacquer layer to be exposed to air. The air is expediently drawn off downwards.
The air-exposure zone may be operated under constant operating conditions or with a variation of individual or several operating parameters. Variation of operating parameters may be carried out in the form of a continual or sudden change over the entire overall length or over one or more portions of the overall length of the air-exposure zone. The air-exposure zone may be divided into one or more, for example from 1 to 3, zones, which may be separated from one another by locks. However, the variation in the operating parameters during the exposure to air always lies within the limits laid down by the invention for the air-exposure operation seen as a whole. For example, it is possible for the air-exposure zone to be divided into 2 zones, the vehicle bodies coated with aqueous base lacquer being exposed to air first in the first zone at low air temperatures, for example from 25 to 30xc2x0 C., and then in the second zone at higher air temperatures, for example from 30 to 45xc2x0 C.; the air throughput in the two zones may, for example, be chosen to be the same or different, for example lower in the first zone than in the second; for example, the flow rate of the circulating air measured at the object may be above 8 m/s in the second zone. When considering the air-exposure zone or the air-exposure operation as a whole, however, the average air throughput lies within the limits specified by the invention.
The aqueous base lacquer layers pre-dried by exposure to air are covered with a conventional chemically crosslinking clear lacquer in a dry layer thickness of, for example, from 30 to 100 xcexcm and baked together therewith at temperatures of, for example, from 100 to 150xc2x0 C. An advantage of the process according to the invention arises from the low air temperatures prevailing during exposure to air of the aqueous base lacquer layers. It is thus possible for the base lacquer layers that have been exposed to air to be covered with a clear lacquer without prior cooling of the vehicle bodies. Suitable clear lacquers are in principle all known clear lacquers or transparent pigmented coating compositions. It is possible to use either solvent-containing single-component (1K) or two-component (2K) clear lacquers, water-dilutable 1K or 2K clear lacquers, powder clear lacquers or aqueous powder clear lacquer slurries. The baking conditions for the two-layer coating consisting of the aqueous base lacquer and the clear lacquer are dependent on the clear lacquer system that is used.
The process according to the invention makes it possible to produce two-layer motor vehicle top coats consisting of an aqueous base lacquer layer and a clear lacquer finishing layer by the wet-on-wet process while allowing only short air-exposure times of from 30 to 180 seconds for the base lacquer layer. By means of the process according to the invention it is possible to process aqueous base lacquers in automated motor vehicle series lacquering units that are themselves designed for the processing of non-aqueous base lacquers and allow only short air-exposure times for the base lacquer layers. The complex conversion of such lacquering units that are themselves unsuitable for the processing of aqueous base lacquers can be avoided. Provided that the conditions that are essential to the invention are observed during the formulation of the aqueous base lacquers and the air-exposure conditions for the aqueous base lacquer layers that are essential to the invention are observed, it is even possible to carry out the process according to the invention in such a manner that both the aqueous base lacquers and non-aqueous base lacquers are processed in a motor vehicle series lacquering unit.


1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for planning a pathway through an anatomical luminal network of a patient.
2. Discussion of Related Art
During a surgical procedure clinicians often use CT images for determining a plan or pathway for navigating through the luminal network of a patient. It is often difficult, however, for the clinician to effectively plan a pathway based on CT images alone, especially in the smaller branches of the bronchial tree where CT images typically do not provide sufficient resolution for accurate navigation.
To assist a clinician in planning a pathway through a luminal network, automated pathway planning systems and methods have been implemented that automatically generate a pathway from a target designated on a CT image to the an entry point of a patient, e.g., a patient's mouth, nose, other natural entry points or an artificial entry point such, for example, as an incision. One example of an automated pathway planning system and method can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,218,846, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
When using a fully automated pathway planning system, however, the medical device may reach the end of the pathway in an orientation where the working end of the medical device is not oriented toward the target. In this example, a side of the medical device may be oriented towards the target instead of the working end and it may be difficult or impossible for the clinician to gain access to the target with the working end. In particular, when navigating through the small airways of the bronchial tree it may be difficult or even impossible to flex or turn the working end of the medical device towards a target when the target is located perpendicular to the path of travel of the medical device through the small airways.


As communication technologies evolve, the functionality provided to users may improve. More specifically, Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) networks have historically provided communications functionality to call centers and customers. However, the introduction of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks and similar technologies have provided the opportunity for call centers to provide improved services to customers, recording of incoming and outgoing communications, and monitoring of the recorded communications. While the utilization of VoIP networks has expanded the capabilities for call centers, VoIP may utilize protocols and technologies that have not historically been utilized. As such, limitations may exist within a VoIP network.
As a nonlimiting example, in many current VoIP environments, recording a communication may include passive taps (passive sniffing), and/or bridge connections. In such configurations, one or more parties may not realize that a recording is taking place. Additionally, determining presence data associated with a user of a communications device in an VoIP environment may be unavailable.


A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to analysis of an image that includes features with a prominent skew or orientation. More specifically, the invention relates to the measurement of an angle of skew of lines in an image, including lines of text.
Peppers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,344, describe techniques for preprocessing of character recognition. As shown and described in relation to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5A, masks are used to detect laterally and vertically written documents. Masks could be used that have slits inclined at any angle to discriminate an inclined character string or line of characters. As shown and described in relation to FIGS. 6-8, photosensor arrays have different alignment directions and are operated simultaneously to detect laterally and vertically written documents. Photosensor arrays can also be inclined, as shown and described in relation to FIG. 10, to obtain inclination angle data. Col. 6 lines 39-42 indicate that coarse scanning data may be obtained by the scanner of FIG. 2 such that fine scanning data is obtained by the scanner of FIG. 6.
The present invention provides automatic techniques that measure skew direction of lines in an image by obtaining a first approximation, then using data indicating the result of the first approximation to obtain a second approximation more precise than the first. In an image of text, the first approximation can be obtained by finding the direction in which characters are closest together, since intercharacter distances are typically smaller than interline distances. Alternatively, it can be obtained by determining which of a number of directions has the largest variance in black pixels per line, because the lines in the direction of skew either have many black pixels due to characters in a line or few black pixels due to spaces between lines. The second approximation can then be obtained by determining which one of a number of directions close to the first approximation has the largest variance in black pixels per line. Similarly, a third, even more precise approximation can be obtained by determining which of a number of directions close to the second approximation has the largest variance in black pixels per line. More generally, this technique can be extended to obtain a sequence of successive approximations of skew direction, each approximation more precise than the previous one.
One aspect of the invention is based on the observation of problems with conventional skew measurement techniques. Some skew measurement techniques are simple but imprecise, providing an angle that is accurate to within several degrees of the actual skew angle. Other skew measurement techniques are more precise, but computationally expensive. In addition, some of the more precise skew techniques are subject to a 90xc2x0 error resulting from text configurations in which a white space extends in a direction perpendicular to the lines of text, such as between columns of text.
This aspect is based on the discovery of a skew measurement technique that alleviates these problems by making both a coarse or imprecise skew measurement and a fine or more precise skew measurement. The result of the coarse measurement is used as a starting point for the fine measurement. Because it can start within a few degrees of the actual skew angle based on the coarse measurement, the fine measurement may require less computation and is not subject to the 90xc2x0 error described above. This technique can be repeated on the fine measurement to obtain an even more precise skew measurement. In general, this technique can obtain a sequence of successive approximations of skew direction, each approximation more precise than the previous one.
The coarse measurement can be implemented by finding an approximate skew of lines in an image. In an image that includes text, for example, distances between characters can be measured in each of a number of initial directions. If the connected components within the characters include pixels of a first color, such as black, and the background is of a second color, such as white, then these distances can be measured between edge pixels, which can be pixels of either color that have at least one neighbor of the other color. Specifically, distance could be measured starting from a black edge pixel and extending in each direction to the nearest black pixel.
Measured distance data indicating distances measured in each direction can then be combined, such as by averaging, to obtain central distance data indicating a central value of distances in each direction, and this data can be used to form a profile indicating central value of distance as a function of direction. The minima separated by 180xc2x0 within the profile indicate the direction of intercharacter spacing within the lines of text, because characters are closer together along a line of text than between linesxe2x80x94in general, the intercharacter distances are smaller than the interline distances. Data indicating the direction of one of these minima can be provided as the first approximation of skew direction.
The coarse measurement can alternatively be implemented by measuring variance of pixels in a number of initial directions. For example, for a pivot pixel of the first color, i.e. the color of pixels within connected components, the coarse measurement can obtain the square of the number of first color pixels lying along a line extending through the pivot pixel in each of the initial directions. The results for a number of such pivot pixels can then be combined to obtain a sum of squares for each direction. The initial direction with the largest sum of squares provides a first approximation of the skew direction of the text lines because the variance in the number of black pixels is larger at the skew direction than at other directions. In text, for example, lines in the skew direction will either pass through the center of a line of text, with many black pixels, or through a region between lines of text, with only a few black pixels from ascenders and descenders, resulting in a large variance. Data indicating the initial direction with the largest sum of squares can be provided as the first approximation.
The fine measurement can be implemented using the approximate skew direction from the coarse measurement and a number of nearby directions. The nearby directions can cover a range that is a small integer multiple of the angle separating the initial directions. For example, for a pivot pixel of the first color, the fine measurement can obtain the square of the number of first color pixels lying along a line extending through the pivot pixel in each of the nearby directions. The results for a number of such pivot pixels can then be combined to obtain a sum of squares for each nearby direction, and the nearby direction with the largest sum of squares provides a second approximation of the skew direction of the text lines. Data indicating the nearby direction with the largest sum of squares can be provided as the second approximation.
An even more precise measurement could be implemented using the second approximation and a number of directions near it.
A machine implementing the invention can include image input means for receiving an input image and providing input image data and image output means for receiving output image data and providing an output image. A processor can store the input image data in memory, modify it in accordance with the skew direction, and then provide output image data to the output means based on the modified image data. For example, the output image could be a deskewed version of the input image. This technique could be applied in a facsimile machine or another digital copier.
The following description, the drawings, and the claims further set forth these and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention.


This invention relates generally to coin operated bulk vending machines of the type commonly encountered for dispensing gun, candy, toys or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to bulk vending machines of the type commonly known as the Northwestern Corporation Model 60, and machines similar thereto marketed by others in the bulk vending industry. The prior vending machines such as the Model 60 generally comprise a base which supports a hollow case which in turn supports a merchandise container resting on the upper part of the case. The case houses a coin operated mechanism which controls the receipt of coins for the dispensed product, and controls the dispensing of the product following receipt of sufficient coinage. A fixed elongated rod extending upwards from the base of the vending machine through the hollow case and thence through the merchandise container and the top cover for the merchandise container, secures the components together. The rod is typically provided with a lock member associated with the top cover that screws onto the upper end of the rod and, when tightened, and the key removed, secures the base, the case and the merchandise container in a tight, secure, vending machine assembly.
In such prior vending machines rotation of the rotary coin mechanism handle, positioned at the front of the case, would activate the rotary product dispensing wheel in the merchandise container and deposit the coin that permitted the actuation, in the bottom of the base. In some vending machines, such as the Model 60 above noted, the coins are deposited loosely into the base of the machine and are scooped manually from their position in the base. When the change was to be removed, the locking retainer was unlocked and the combined case and merchandise container were moved upwardly by the operator, exposing the front of the base containing the change. The change was then manually removed from the base by scooping it with the hand. In most situations the base was rigidly secured to a mounting bracket, either as a single machine or oftentimes as one of a large group of machines rigidly fixed together. As a practical matter, it was very difficult to collect the coinage in the manner described above, because a single operator is faced with picking up the combined case and container unit with one hand while scooping coinage from the base member with the other hand. This problem was addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,858 where a structure was described that provided for pivotal motion of the combined case and merchandise container, when in the uppermost position. There, the base and case unit were constructed to permit such a rotation about, essentially, the vertical center axis of the machine, and then resting the combined case and merchandise container unit on rails that formed a part of the base unit. However, this remedy does not work in situations where a plurality of vending machines are mounted side by side on fixed basis, or in other situations where the machine is positioned in close quarters. In such cases, there simply is not enough room to permit the rotation of the case and container elements relative to the base.
Other prior art devices provided no separately accessible coin box and required complete disassembly of the case and merchandise container in order to service the vending machine.
The present invention provides a bulk vending structure that allows vertical movement of the case and container, combined with a very slight forward movement thereof that does not require more side-to-side space than an unmodified type 60 machine, but does provide access to a separate, easily accessible coin box in the base.
Further, as a result of a reconfiguration of a separable coin box positioned in the base, the lifting and resting of the case and merchandise container without turning, provides for simple access to the coin box so that the coin box may be physically removed from the frame without difficulty or, alternatively, the operator can remove coins from the coin box while it is resting in the base. Reconfiguration and rearrangement of the assembly rod through an off center position in the base has provided a coin box of maximum foot print and hence maximum capacity.
The resulting vending machine has proven to be substantially more efficient than anything known in the prior art.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing myopia, and in particular relates to a method for diagnosing myopia and/or myopia related complications by determining SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) genotype in the BICD1 gene. Further, the present invention relates to a method for screening a material for treating myopia and/or myopia related complications.
2. Description of the Related Art
Myopia, also called near- or short-sightedness, is a refractive defect of the eye in which collimated light produces image focus in front of the retina when accommodation is relaxed. Those with myopia see nearby objects clearly but distant objects appear blurred. With myopia, the eyeball is too long, or the cornea is too steep, so images are focused in the vitreous inside the eye rather than on the retina at the back of the eye.
Myopia is a common eye condition worldwide. The prevalence of the condition varies widely among populations, genders, and ages (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1997; 38:334-40; Optom Vis Sci 2001; 78:234-9; J Formos Med Assoc 2001; 100:68-91). In the USA, the prevalence of myopia was estimated to be approximately 25% between ages of 12 to 54 years (Arch Ophthalmol 1983; 101:405-7). In the Baltimore Eye Survey, myopia was less common in blacks (19.4%) compared with whites (28.1%) (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1997; 38:334-40). High myopia (defined as refractive dioptric power≦−5.0 D in this study) accounted for 27% to 33% of all myopic eyes, corresponding to a prevalence of 1.7% to 2% in the general population in the USA (Arch Ophthalmol 1983; 101:405-7). Taiwan is among the highest risk areas in the world for myopia. Using the definition of less than −6.0 D for high myopia, high myopia is much more common in Asia. The percentage of myopia in Taiwan is 18% among Taiwanese school boys and 24% among Taiwanese school girls (J Formos Med Assoc 2001; 100:684-91). The totals are even higher than the 13.1% reported among young men in Singapore (Optom Vis Sci 2001; 78:234-9). Furthermore, the prevalence of myopia is increasing in Taiwan based on two large nationwide surveys (participant number>10,000) conducted in 1995 and 2000.
High myopia is associated with potential blinding conditions such as retinal detachment, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. It has been estimated that 5.6% of blindness among school children in the USA is attributable to myopia. Substantial resources are required for optical correction of myopia such as spectacles, contact lenses, orthokeratology, photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). However, these corrections do not prevent the ocular complications mentioned above. Furthermore, complications arising from the use of contact lenses (Curr Opin Ophthalmol 1998; 9:66-71), orthokeratology (Cornea 2003; 22:262-4) and surgical procedures (J Refract Surg 2003; 19:S247-9) also impose additional risks to myopes. In the USA, treatment of myopia costs an estimated $250 million per year (Arch Ophthalmol 1994; 112:1526-30).
While studies have found that several risks were attributed to environmental factors, twin studies have indicated a strong genetic influence on myopia with the estimates of heritability ranging from 58 to 90% (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2001; 42:1232-6; Genet Epidemiol 1988; 5:171-81; Hum Hered 1991; 41:151-6; Br J Ophthalmol 2001; 85:1470-6). Using family data, it has been reported that a family history was a significant risk factor for high myopia (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2004; 45:3446-52). Several studies also demonstrated a similar finding (Optom Vis Sci 1996; 73:279-82; JAMA 1994; 271:1323-7; Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2002; 43:3633-40; Optom Vis Sci 1999; 76:387-92; Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2004; 45:2873-8). However, while few papers reported identifying susceptible myopia genes, none of the studies have been replicated, thus making the identification highly questionable.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art, is a method for diagnosing, treating, preventing or ameliorating myopia and/or myopia related complications.


1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a test apparatus and a test method.
2. Related Art
A system is known that transmits access requests in packets from a transmitter to a receiver. For example, in a system for testing a device under test, access requests are transmitted in packets from a control apparatus to a test module.
In such a system, when packets are jammed in a portion of the transmission path, access requests cannot be transmitted from the control apparatus to the test module. In such a case, the entire system must be reset, and so repair takes a long time. Furthermore, the test module cannot be accessed from the control apparatus side, and so it is difficult to analyze the cause of the jam.    Patent Document 1: International Publication Pamphlet 2008/044421


There are systems for carrying out transmission/reception of data of audio and video (hereinafter referred to as A/V) (hereinafter referred to as A/V data) between equipments linked by digital network to reproduce such data on the real time basis. The system for manipulating A/V equipment existing at a remote place to receive contents by monitor or speaker near at hand to reproduce it is an example of the systems as described above. As an equipment which manipulates such A/V equipment existing at a remote place (hereinafter referred to as remote output equipment), remote controller having speaker or earphone, etc. is mentioned. It should be noted that there are cases of only audio data, or cases of only video data as data caused to undergo transmission/reception.
In the case where packet communication is utilized for communication, the transmitting side encodes A/V data to divide it into frames. Further, the transmitting side supplements headers for exchanging data on network to divided individual frames to transmit them as communication packet. In correspondence therewith, the receiving side removes the headers from the received communication packet to decode the removed remaining data portion to reproduce it. By such a series of processing, at the receiving side, it is possible to reproduce audio and video data on the basis of A/V data reproduced at the transmitting side.
Meanwhile, in such system, there are instances where information except for A/V data is also caused to undergo transmission/reception together. For example, there is the case where user desires to recognize the state of player by remote output equipment at a remote position while reproducing music by player.
Here, as the player, there is mentioned a disc recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a function to reproduce recording medium, e.g., so-called CD (Compact Disc), DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or MD (Mini Disc), etc. In addition, as the state that user desires to know, there are mentioned title of tune that player is reproducing, playing remaining time of tune and/or internal state of player (e.g., playback (reproduction), double speed playback (reproduction), stop, temporary stop, etc.).
However, ordinarily, this function is available only in the system where communication except for A/V data can be carried out in parallel. In this case, mechanism for carrying out transmission/reception of information except for A/V data is independently defined to carry out communication in accordance with the mechanism. Further, it is necessary to mount two communication protocols into the equipment.
For this reason, players designed in correspondence with only communication protocol of A/V data in which such a definition is not carried out in advance cannot send, on the real time basis, information such as title of tune being reproduced, playing remaining time of tune and/or internal state of player, etc. to remote output equipment.


A wide variety of devices have been proposed for securing a pair of skis together in running surface or base to base relationship, with the bases spaced apart so as to avoid damaging the running surfaces of the skis. These devices have taken various forms, such for example s the mechanical devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,562,178 and 3,626,553, the flexible belt devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,947,927 and 4,120,437, and the simple flexible straps of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,731,348 and 3,841,648.
The latter two patents disclose relatively inexpensive ties comprised simply of a length of fabric with appropriately located hook and lop fabric fastening means thereon and arranged so that one end of the tie or strap may be inserted between the bases of the two skis and the remainder of the strap may be wrapped around the two skis to hold them together, the hook and loop fastening means being so located as to secure the other end of the strap to the portion of the strap which underlies said other end when the strap is wrapped about the skis. When not being used to tie the skis together, the flexible straps are simply put in the skier's pocket.
The concept is simple and straight forward, but the straps are very difficult to use because the one end of the strap must be manually clamped and held between the skis while the other end is being wrapped around the skis. This requires two hands for use of the strap. Moreover, in cold weather and in the presence of snow and ice, tying of the skis together is difficult to accomplish because the one end of the strap will usually slip out of place before the remainder of the strap can be wrapped around the two skis.